27 May 2023 - Open Gardens: June 17th & 18th - YOU can help!
Plans are well underway for this exciting event: plants are planted, hedges trimmed, lawns mown so now we turn our attention to food!
Refreshments are being served in the Mission Hall from 12 to 5 on both days, with sandwiches at lunchtime then cakes for the afternoon. So yes you've guessed it, we would ask all our lovely village bakers to show off their skills and bring us cakes to serve on both days.
We would also appreciate some help in the kitchen, so if you can help for part or all of a day please let us know.
If you can help, could you please email either Caroline Crisp (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) or Shirley Davies (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
Or obviously just let us know when you bump into one of us!
Cake makers - please label cakes eg "Victoria sponge" / "Lemon drizzle" / "Coffee and walnut" (my favourites!) and indicate if they contain nuts. Caroline has room in her freezer if anyone would like to cook in advance.
Many thanks in mouthwatering anticipation...
S & J
22 May 2023 - Bowling Team ‘Village People’
An exciting announcement to pass on to you today, coming from local lass, Gail Harwood.
Gail is part of an Indoor Bowling team named "The Village People", and they competed in the league over recent weeks.
Lo and behold, they won it!
Attached is the photo of the winning team receiving their shield for first place in the indoor bowling novices league .
As you might notice, they have dressed appropriately for the occasion...
The team comprises (from left to right in the photo):
Jackie Smith
John Dunford
Sue Pether
Steve Slater
Gail Harwood
Annette Slater
No further comment needed.
J & S and Y & M & C & A
21 May 2023 - 20mph?
You will remember (I’m sure) that the issue of traffic through the village was raised at the AGM.
I’ve also mentioned that our councillor Louis O’Leary has called a public meeting to take your suggestions into consideration.
Well, this is the reminder that the meeting will take place at the Mission Hall, next Wednesday evening (24th May), starting at the unusual time of 6pm.
Grab your evening meal early and rush down there (slowly) to have your say.
J & S
18 May 2023 - New Village Website and Coffee Mornings
You will recall that we've been working on an update to the Sutton Poyntz website, and Bill Egerton gave a demo at the recent AGM. We've decided that it's complete enough to copy the data from the current website, ready to switch over to the new. But now we need your help! This is definitely a case of "many hands make light work" so we would like to recruit a team who can each do a little bit of the work. It's not too complicated, and we're aiming to do it together in some group sessions.
If you feel you would like to help, this is what's needed: you need to have a laptop computer (sorry, iPad is not up to it) and you need to be confident with the concept of copy-and-paste. That's it! You will have the old and new websites open in separate windows and you'll copy from the old site and paste it into the new - and click 'save' (otherwise you've just wasted your effort!) Voila! There will be some more advanced work if anyone is up for it - like copying galleries of photos and perhaps structuring them into sensible groups - but that'll be down to a few nerdy experts.
If you would like to help, it's as easy as clicking Reply and we'll pencil you onto our list. We'll probably not start in ernest until after Open Gardens as I know how much time that's taking up, especially if you have a small dog intent on liberating anything you've just planted.
And now a message from Sue Davis of the SP Village WI. They are running a Coffee Morning to which everyone is invited, next Tuesday 23rd May. It starts at 10.30 and is being held in the St Andrew's Church Rooms. There will be home-made cakes to buy, and stalls selling all kinds of lovely things including preserves and needlecraft, assorted bric-a-brac and pre-loved handbags and scarves etc. The entrance fee of £4 will provide you with coffee and a piece of delicious cake. Please bring your relatives, friends and neighbours. We hope you will come along and look forward to seeing you there.
And likewise a reminder, that the Sutton Poyntz Society Coffee Morning at the Mission Hall will be running as usual on the first Friday of the month, namely Friday 2nd June. I can't promise you any pre-loved antiques - oh, wait a minute, my wife says I'll be there...
J & S
15 May 2023 - Scarecrows and Art
A message today from Liz Balfe about the 2023 Sutton Poyntz Scarecrow Event:
Entries are now open! A slightly more informal 'competition' this year - there will be a map of registered Scarecrows and a prize at the Annual Veg Show, but no democratic voting procedure. [Ed: This is due to the unwelcome influence of Russion hackers last year. Or maybe my scarecrow wasn't good enough?]The theme this year is 'An English Country Garden', to reflect the wonderful gardens in the village, which will be open to the public this summer. The scarecrows will enhance the visitor experience and hopefully raise additional funds for Cancer Research and Dementia charities.So get your creative juices flowing and drag out those scarecrow skeletons from the attic. Surely you have some old gardening clothes you can spare. Although Chris tells me those are actually his everyday outfits!Entry forms can be obtained from my porch at Little Acorns, Puddledock Lane, or the village phone box. Fill in a form and return it to me otherwise you won't get on the map!If you have any questions, please call me on 07816 415212. Entries close on 2 June.Liz
And another message, this time from Judy Backwell of the village Art Group:
The Sutton Poyntz Art Group are holding their annual Exhibition at the Mission Hall on Saturday 27 th and Sunday 28th May, open from 11 am - 4.30 pm - free entry!Please support our art group and enjoy the paintings while chatting with friends over delicious coffee and cake!Judy
J & S, your local messengers
2 May 2023 - So, what's happening?
We ended April on a lively note with a very successful Quiz last Saturday. The hall was packed to the gunnels! Thanks to everyone who added to the fun and the competition and all who rallied round setting up before and clearing up afterwards!
But what next?
Yes, there will be a Coffee Morning on Friday (May 5th) - to celebrate Maisie's first birthday? Unfortunately she can't be there - enjoy the (birthday?) cake as usual! By the way, we'd like to encourage a few more of you to show off your prowess in cake-making. Prowess = something edible; we're not asking for showstoppers! If you can help, please talk to Sue Smith on Friday or contact her via 07813 267788 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
And, if you've not yet paid your 2023/4 subscriptions (£5/household, half-price for singles) the Coffee Morning is an ideal opportunity to do so and hence to remove that guilty feeling and help you sleep at night.
Saturday, our King gets to try on his new hat. We'll all be raising a glass of something fizzy around the Beacon at dusk (8.45pm) to celebrate - don't miss out!
Sunday is party day - the bunting and flags are up! Lunch will be outside the Mission Hall (inside if wet) - bring your own picnic, but another glass of bubbles and cake will be provided. Phew! Might be a few tickets left from Maureen at 835533 if you're quick.
J & S
ps - I've been asked if there's a skyscraper being erected where Duncan's house currently stands, at the junction of Sutton Road and Puddledock Lane. The scaffolding would also be sufficient for the launch of Elon Musk's next space rocket. Apparently it's neither - one of my informants says that Duncan is organising a Sutton Poyntz "birdman" competition into a paddling pool below...
24 April 2023 - Final Coronation plans
Here are the final Coronation plans - for the village, not for the King, he's got a bit more to organise than we have...
Lighting the Beacon
Saturday 6th May, starting at dusk (20.45) at the Beacon.
Yes, we know the whole country won't be lighting their beacons but we love ours and want to celebrate the coronation in our way!
The original idea was "let's light the beacon, with prosecco" but due to a fat-finger-error* the comma was omitted. Some smartass suggested paraffin would work better.
Anyway there will be some prosecco (or 0% alternative) and what's more, there'll be no charge!
"Street Party"
Sunday 7th May, starting 12 noon at the Mission Hall.
Bring your own lunch and drinks, but a starting drink will be provided, along with a choice of puddings and a Coronation Cake.
We hope of course for a lovely sunny day, but if it's wet there will be plenty of room inside and/or under cover.
Last few tickets (£5, or £2 for under 16's) still available - phone Maureen Morris on 01305 835533.
J & S
* officially known as "typographical errors"
19 April 2023 - Open Gardens update
Hello all you green-fingered people.
Just a reminder to come to the Open Gardens meeting on Wednesday 26th at 7.00pm in the Mission Hall.
We would especially welcome anybody who could help with parking, refreshments and the plant stall.
It is all for Cancer Research and Dementia UK so please support us - and also don't forget your scarecrows to liven up our lovely village!!!
We do need help so can you make it lively and fun?
Thank you.
Hilary