July 2021 - Mayfield Parish Church
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July 2021
A Church of John the Baptist?
On Thursday June 24th it was the ‘birthday’ of John the Baptist, who happened to
be Jesus’ cousin. And it’s after John that our Parish Church is named. His is not
an easy act to follow. What’s his legacy? Springing to mind first: he spoke truth to
power, courageously. Especially in calling the oppressive and aggressive King
Herod to account. He paid a hefty price.
The second thing is, a number of wonderful prophecies were made about his life
and its impact. My favourite is that he would turn the hearts of parents to their
children, and the hearts of children to their parents.* This dynamic of transformed
households is so apt for our time and place.
A third John the Baptist speciality is that he was a clear and unmistakable
signpost to Christ, and through his message and lifestyle, many made life-
changing, world-changing choices and decisions.
Thus John the Baptist prepared the way for the coming King (Christ) and prepared
people to live as citizens of Christ’s Kingdom - with its attendant blessings. All this
is a calling to us to live up to his name, and to be a true parish church of St John
the Baptist.
Two ways in which these ‘John the Baptist themes’ could work out for us are:
1. A renewed commitment to play our part in rescuing and restoring the planet -
collectively through our eco-Church project, and by adopting good practice and
habits in individual households. Climate justice for the most vulnerable
demands that we speak truth to power in our own day - with credibility.
2. Develop and extend the practice of telling the Christian story to every
household and family in Mayfield, through imaginative ventures like
‘Destination Bethlehem’, as in previous months. As lockdown restrictions ease
and as more of us become fully vaccinated, the opportunities will be there.
We’re working on it!
* This was a God-given promise to his parents, Elizabeth & Zechariah, before his
birth. (Luke ch.1)
A Prayer, on the birthday of John the Baptist
Thank you, Lord, for John the Baptist.
Thank you that he was no door-mat, no people-pleaser.
We’re grateful that he was faithful to his calling to be ‘a voice in the desert,
preparing the way for the Lord’,
and by speaking words of ‘comfort, tenderly’ to his hearers. (Isaiah ch.40)
(continued next page)
CHURCH SERVICES IN JULY, at 10.45am (unless otherwise indicated)
Sunday 4th July (Trinity 5) Church Family Communion
Mark 6.1-13 Doubt and unbelief: there’s a difference!
Sunday11th July (Trinity 6) Living Word
Mark 6.14-29 The death of John the Baptist
Sunday 18th July (Trinity 7) Morning Prayer
Mark 6. 30-34, 53-end The crowds and the committed
AND … 5.30pm in the Churchyard: Songs of Praise with our Pets
Let’s celebrate and bless our beloved animals!
Sunday 25th July (Trinity 8) Morning PrayerJohn 6.1-21 Plenty!
Don’t forget: on Sunday18th July …
5.30pm our outdoor Songs of Praise will be a
Pets’ Service.
(5pm bring a flask of tea etc & a garden chair)
Let’s celebrate and bless our beloved animals!
A warm welcome to these services! Please come with confidence, because
we will continue to be careful and to provide a safe environment for all.
----------------------------------
(continued from previous page)
Help us to hear his call to repentance, to change direction and follow the King,
and to put down the things we cannot keep,
so that we have hands free to receive things we can never lose.
We know that there is joy in heaven when we do this,
and so help us to be joy-givers and joy-bringers -
to you, to your creation,
and to the families and households of our community;
that we may increasingly live up to the name of the Church of John the Baptist,
to the glory of God, and through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Best to you, Martin
PS - when I was at school in Lichfield (1964-8) we had a whole-school outing to
Dovedale every June 24th. What joy to have a weekday out of school! Little did I
know that 53 years later I’d have the joy of living in a village on the River Dove,
just a stone’s-throw from its Dale!
Mayfield School Annexe
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My Month – Parables, Euro’s and School Boy Football Writing an article for this magazine every month is not the easiest of things to do. As any of our regular contributors to the magazine (whether that be gardening, wildlife or the adventures of a small dog) all know - at some point in the preceding four weeks you are looking for inspiration as to what on earth you're going to write about. This article is meant to reflect what has happened to me in the previous month and usually with linkages back to past memories, memories we all have and can share and that is really the point of these articles. And therefore, it can be a whole mix of things that starts you thinking about what it is that you will commit to paper. For this month it was two separate incidents. Firstly, the staging of the delayed European football championship or Euro's as they are known (never quite understand why there is a link to a currency with that). That got me thinking about football and what it means to me and my memories of doing it, usually at school level for I was never good enough or enthusiastic enough to pursue it after childhood. Now I am not a big football fan, but I will watch a national game and will be down the Memorial Hall to see most of the England games and certainly their games if they progress to the quarter and semi-finals, (I have not mentioned the ‘F’ word as I don’t want to jinx their chances - it would be wonderful to be watching England in a final in this of all years. And by the time you read this you will know if that dream is still alive). We can but hope. The second incident was something connected with church and something I must confess I have a problem with - I am not very good at understanding or dealing with parables. For me, the parables of Jesus are interesting stories, some of which I immediately get and others frankly I struggle with. It's then up to the vicar or preacher to get to the meaning of all these things. Yet even so, some parables such as the parable of the prodigal son, just rile with me. That's because as I was growing up, I was told you work hard, you do what you should do, you tell the truth and you do not break the rules. In the Prodigal Son one son does exactly that and the other son breaks all the rules, does everything wrong and still gets forgiveness, the finest clothes and the fatted calf. What's that all about! This month however I happened to be listening to the radio on a Sunday morning, the very Sunday of England’s first Euro’s game against Croatia. (We won 1-0 in a boring game but who cares - we won!) That particular Sunday I had failed to turn off the radio alarm we use on a weekday and woke up to the sounds of the early morning church service on Radio 4 from some Methodist church. I, still half asleep, heard them telling the parable of the vineyard - another parable that can really rile me! It's the one about the owner of the vineyard who needs to get the harvest in as it's been a bumper year. He goes down to the marketplace at dawn
on a hot sunny day, where all the people who need work are standing around. He chooses some people, agrees a price and sets them to work. However, these workers are not enough on their own, so he goes back to the marketplace and chooses more people, obviously not as strong or as good as the first set but they are taken on round about midday and set to work. As late afternoon approaches it is still obvious the harvest cannot come in, so the owner goes back to the marketplace and there remaining are the workers no one wants, the rejected workers, the not so strong, the lame, etc, all still waiting in hope of some kind of employment. He hires them all and finally in the evening, with the sun setting, the crop is finally brought in. The owner then pays all the workers. However, he pays the people who came last - first and gives them a full day's wage. The other workers are going ‘oh if they get that money, I should be getting even more’. The first people he employs he pays last, and he gives them... exactly the same - one day’s wage as agreed when he hired them. People are angry and complain. He then says ‘I employed you for a fair wage. You agreed and took that employment and here’s your wage. Just because I'm generous to other people you should not be jealous, you all have been paid’. And the interpretation is that those who come to Christianity late in life are as welcome in heaven as those who believed from the start and all are equal in the eyes of God. I, in my half sleeping state, am saying: hang on a minute those people at the end only did one hour’s work and got a full day's pay, if I had done a full day's work, I would have been justly annoyed and frankly, I should have hung around in the marketplace and got the extra money for doing not a lot. This was another Prodigal Son stitch up! And as I went to turn off the radio in disgust the woman preacher surprised me by saying exactly what I was thinking and saying that was her natural reaction. However, she said we today are not familiar with that ancient way of hiring labour and a better way is for us to think about something we all did as a child and that was getting picked for a team sport in the playground, say for a football match. She said she was no good at games and was always the last to be picked and how humiliating and shameful it was and imagine what it would have been like if the last to be picked was as welcome and as important to the team as the first to be picked - and that was a more relevant interpretation for her of what Christianity and heaven was about. And suddenly it all made sense to me, the link to being picked for sports and the humiliation of being last, just clicked. ‘Ah… so that’s what it means,’ I said. ‘Why has no other priest I’ve listen to over the years explained it so well.’ And at that point in my semi sleeping state and perhaps because at that England Euro’s game later in the day, my mind made a link to another football match way back in my childhood and that dreaded playground line up waiting to be picked.
It was at the start of my last year in primary school, so I was ten about to be 11. The all-important football team needed to be picked anew that year so try-outs amongst the boys of the upper school took place almost every PE lesson and we all had to go through the humiliation of the playground pick. I had been in and out of the school team the previous year first in my position as winger, with dubious success and then as full back. I was not just fast enough to be a good winger but I could tackle and get the ball and kick accurately so that made for a good full back to stop another teams advance to goal. Normally potential players were in three groups, the first being the talented players capable of scoring a goal, doing a good pass or heading the ball, the second group which I was in, was reliable players but not going to be stars of the match, and the third group were the no hopers and who often or not would distract the team or be responsible for a cock up which allowed the other team to score a goal. Like the workers in the vineyard parable this poor group of kids, who through no fault of their own, were seen as the pariahs of the football pitch. However, in reality they were the children who most wanted to be accepted and play in the team. Even at the age of 10, I could see and feel that it was just so humiliating and I felt for my friends in class standing there looking like no one wanted them or liked them. It was made worse by the boys who had been chosen, arguing amongst themselves who they should not take. I did not take part in such conversations. So, for the 1st trial game we chose teams and got ready to walk to the local recreation ground where our football pitch was. We then found we were joined by a new student teacher who was going to take the game and act as referee. He, like all new teachers, had wonderful new ideas to inflict on us and he told us a new rule was that if a team kicked the ball out of the ground that team had to go and retrieve the ball. This was designed to encourage us to learn how to dribble, pass and work as a team rather than keep trying big shots at goal. But the problem was our football pitch was in the middle of a very large Rec and often it could take minutes to get the ball back, not a happy task. We all came back from that first match exhausted, not from running around the football pitch but from the many excursions we had to take to get the ball out of the hedge or from a nearby tennis court or even worse near the pavilion at the far side of the field. We also came back disliking the new teacher - we did not want to learn how to dribble pass etc we wanted to kick a ball and like all children not be responsible for our actions. My team captain that day, a boy called Keith, (who later on was good enough to actually trial for a professional football club but turned it down as he could make more money as an apprentice joiner – those were the days!) was less than amused and thought that we ought to be able to kick the ball well up the field. This was in reality, one of us at the back kicking the ball to him on the wing so he would then take it through to score a goal. This may sound big headed of him, but it was
more a reality check. He really was the best football player we had in the school and if the ball could be got to him you were pretty certain he could turn it into a goal. ‘I've an idea how we can deal with that new teacher and his collect the ball rule for our next game,’ was all he would say as we trudged back to the playground. Next week we all went through the same humiliating routine of picking a team. However, this time Keith after picking his top players and then picking the first of the second group, in this case me as his full back, he then goes off-piste and chooses to pick a boy called Andrew. His choice sends shock waves around both teams and even the remaining boys waiting to be picked. The reason is Andrew was normally the very last to be picked. He was a lovely boy, bright at maths and most academic subjects but he absolutely had no physical coordination and even by his own admission was useless at football and most team games. Today children would call him the classic nerd (and no doubt he is now some tech millionaire living in retirement in the Bahamas for all I know), but then Andrew, a highly likeable boy, was the worst candidate you could get for a football team. Andrew literally beamed with joy as he joined us, a contrast to all our downturn faces and the smirks from the other team. ‘I won't let you down,’ said Andrew to Keith. ‘I know you won't, Andrew. I've got just the job for you’. And on the way to the football ground Keith told us exactly what Andrew was going to do. Andrew may have had no physical coordination, but he was fast, a very fast runner in a straight line. ‘What you are gonna do Andrew,’ said Keith, ‘is save the team! Whenever we kick the ball out of pitch you will run out immediately and get it as fast as you can to get it back to us; that way we'll have more time playing football, less time running around, and we won't be tired.’ The rest of the team suddenly saw some sense in having Andrew. Normally whoever was last to be picked was not that effective in the team but here Andrew could do something to benefit us all. ‘Where will I be playing?’ asked Andrew ‘At the back with Stephen,’ said Keith. Keith seeing my face pulled me to one side ‘You tell him to cover and try and block people until you get across to his side of the pitch and do the tackle. If he can't do that you just have to cover both sides - trust me.’ Surprisingly I did trust Keith. I went the extra mile that game to cover both sides at the back; Andrew shot off like a rocket every time the ball went out of play and when the first half ended our ‘kick the ball to Keith at all costs’ policy paid off and we were one nil up. The student teacher was less than amused. ‘This is not what I suggested we have as a rule,’ he said to Keith at half time. ‘But sir you said whichever team kicked the ball out had to collect it that's what Andrew’s doing.’ He had no answer to that. By the end of the game, we had won 3 -1, the other team’s goal only coming when I could not get across to Andrew’s side in time, although he valiantly did follow the winger all the way along until he scored.
We walked back a very happy team, Andrew smiling broadly, loving the fact that he was accepted and part of that team. And so, it went on for the next few trial games to the point where Keith was picking Andrew pretty much in the first group for fear the other team would catch on to what we were doing. They never did. By match three, Keith had a new strategy for Andrew as well as collecting the ball. But by that time the other team fully realised Keith was the goal scorer and their tactic was when he got the ball to race after him and cut his legs from under him to stop his goal scoring kick. Keith recruited Andrew to help him. ‘Andrew, you must watch me at all times when you see me running up the wing and if one of the other players is coming behind me wait till he gets close to me and then shout very loudly the word MAN! Will you do that?’ Andrew beaming says of course. The rest of us just looked bemused at what was going on. We found out within the first ten minutes of the game. The ball was kicked up the wing, Keith got it and started racing away, pursued by the other team captain racing up to kick his legs away. Suddenly the word MAN! rings out across the pitch from Andrew and Keith immediately dodges to the side; the other captain going on ahead, sliding down kicking at air as Keith manoeuvres to the right and scores our first goal. The teacher banned anyone shouting out at the end of that game, but the damage had been done. We had won and Andrew was a sort of hero of the day. After four weeks of trials the final team was chosen from the twenty-two boys taking part. Andrew never made the final cut, and no one expected him to, but we were delighted when that new teacher suggested Andrew join the team and come to matches. ‘Well, you always need a boy ball,’ he told Keith, our newly appointed school captain. It was a happy team and Andrew did indeed get that ball for both sides when needed. I still have our school photo of the team taken at the end of the season in Spring 1964. There are thirteen of us, 11 players and two substitutes and I am there as a full back. Sadly, Andrew is not there, not because he was not invited. He was our official ball boy and was part of that team. It was just on the day he was away representing the school at a maths fair and had told us all that we were now fit enough so we no longer needed his ball retrieving skills! Football can be a real team game and success at any level comes from a mix of talents working together where all skills are acknowledged and welcomed. The real trick is when people such as young Keith recognise that every one of us can contribute and add to the overall good. At the age of ten I’m not sure any of us had heard of or understood the parable of the vineyard or the concept of ‘The last shall come first’. The fact that we just did it shows that good is in every child - let’s hope that good remains as adults - and that real team playing helps England in the Euro’s. Until next time. Stephen Dunn
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Email kayandco@btinternet.com Email - jill@studholme.netOutdoor Church Services Return to Mayfield. Outdoor services returned to Mayfield church this month with the first service on Father’s Day June the 19th, taking place in the churchyard in front of the church tower. Over 20 people came to this first service to celebrate Father’s Day each bringing a chair to sit on together with a snack and a hot drink, if it took their fancy. People came from 5:00 o'clock onwards and sat and socialised before the service itself started at 5:30 PM. The service was only 30 minutes long and gave the opportunity for a less formal church service in a beautiful green setting. As it was Father Day, Josh handed out chocolate to one and all and hymns were sung when they currently are not allowed to be sung in church. Future services are planned for the months of July, August and September on the afternoon of the third Sunday of each month at 5:00 PM where everyone meets and socialises before the service itself at 5:30 PM, a short service that ends at 6:00 PM. Everyone brings a chair to sit on and a drink and snacks to eat if they wish. We hope the services will be in sunny warm weather without rain but if the weather is inclement and rain comes, we were merely go into the church to complete the service And News - The July service on Sun 18th July will be a Special Pet Service. Bring along your pet and have it blessed as we give blessing for all the pets in our lives, how they are part of our families and how they have helped us all in lockdown. Everyone and every pet (well behaved and under control please) is welcome.
At
Mayf ield Pavilion & F oot ball
Ground
On
th
S at urday 10 J uly
1 – 4 pm
Car Boot , V arious S t alls, Games
and much more….
F or more information please contact
Nina Morton by F acebook or J o Harrison on 07792 144155Fund Raiser for Derby Breast Cancer Unit
Saturday 10th July 1pm - 4pm Mayfield Recreation Ground
Mayfield sees the first big outdoor event of summer take place this July at the
MRA Recreation ground and Pavilion, in aid of The Derby Breast Cancer Unit.
Here organiser Nina Morton tells us about the background to the event and what
you can expect to see on the day.
Hello, My name is Nina Morton and I have lived in Mayfield until I was 8 years old
until moving to Stanton with my mum Doreen Harrison and dad Jim Harrison
(known as Pedro) and brother Alvin who still lives in Mayfield, I then moved back
to Holme Bank in Mayfield in 1996 for 10 years and have worked at Mayfield yarns
for over 30 years and more recently at QEGS in the afternoons.
and with the help of family and friends we are organising a fund raising event in aid
of Derby Breast Cancer Unit. This will be held on Saturday 10th July between
1pm and 4pm at Mayfield Pavilion and Football Ground.
This is something that is close to my heart and feel very strongly about giving
something back to the amazing Breast Cancer Clinic at Derby.
In September 2020 at the age of 48 I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast
Cancer. I had a lumpectomy to remove the lump and also all my lymph nodes
were removed from under my arm. I have now completed 6 sessions of
Chemotherapy and 10 sessions of Radiation and am now currently undergoing
targeted therapy every 3 weeks of which I have 18 sessions and should be
completed in November 2021.
We are hoping for good weather on 10th July and there will be tombola’s, cake
stall, raffle, guess the alien’s name, children lucky dip and various stalls including
car boots, crafts and independent sellers. Also attending is an Owl Rescue
Display from Rotherham with photo opportunities for a small donation.
If anyone would like to bake a cake for the cake stall on the day or donate prize for
the tombola or sweets for the children’s tuck shop please feel free to drop off at 19
Mayfield Avenue or contact me, Nina Morton on 07554 179238 or Jo Harrison on
07792 144155.Mayfield Memorial Hall News
First some Bar news - After six years of maintaining bar prices at the same level
continued cost increases mean, regretfully, that we will have to increase prices
from 1st July 2021. Draught Beer or Lager currently £3 for a pint will increase to
£3.50p and spirits will also increase by 50p.
However, to support and reward regular users of the bar we are launching the
‘Sunday Club – The Mayfield Arms Loyalty Scheme.’
This new loyalty schem will allow you to get a 50p discount on all beers and
lagers costing £3.50 at the regular Sunday community bar for a year. Plus you
also get a 50p discount on spirits. Buying a membership of the loyalty scheme will
also attract other discounts on the entry price to selected events organised by
Mayfield Memorial Hall.
Cost: The scheme runs from July 1st, 2021, to June 30th 2022 and costs £20 paid
upon joining the scheme. An individual membership card is issued at the bar
upon joining the scheme and this should be used to gain discounts at the Sunday
Community Bar. You may join the scheme at any time of the year, but at the same
initial rate.
Terms of Use: Membership is for a named individual only and allows them
discount on draft beer and lagers and spirits. Membership and the membership
card cannot be used to buy discounted drinks for non-members.
Mayfield Memorial Hall bar staff reserve the right to refuse use of the scheme
where they believe its terms of use are being broken or abused.
The scheme is specifically linked to regular Sunday bar openings and cannot be
used at any hall events including dances, parties, beer festival etc or on any other
day of the week.
On occasions the hall reserve the right to remove the opening of the Sunday bar to
be replaced by a wider village event such as the Mayfield Beer festival, However
these events will be strictly limited and the Sunday bar will be open a minimum of
40 Sundays in the year where you can use the loyalty scheme.
Other benefits
The scheme will also attract, from time to time, other discounts to hall events and
activities such as discount on the price of entry tickets to a dances or events that
are organised by the Hall Committee. Members will be informed of such benefits
at the appropriate time.Now News that will make Mayfield Happy this Summer.
MAYFIELD’S POP UP BEER FESTIVAL 6th -8th AUGUST
IT’S JUST FIVE WEEKS AWAY
Mayfield’s very own Beer festival is back after a Covid absence last year. It is
the most anticipated and enjoyed event that the Memorial Hall organises, and this
year will be no exception. Due to the economic impact of the COVID pandemic
and be ongoing uncertainty about whether events could take place, we simply
could not organise the event well in advance and decided that it would be unfair to
ask sponsors to commit to funding the festival if it had to be cancelled.
However conditions are now such that we believe the festival can safely go ahead
in August and we have decided that the Hall will fund this special POP UP festival
ourselves as a thank you to all the people who have helped keep the Memorial
Hall going and alive during this most difficult time. So we ask for the support of
everyone in Mayfield to come to the festival and make it a success for the whole
village.
Our POP UP festival has all the best of what we've done before, a whole host of
real ales and ciders, a full gin bar, a Saturday Barbecue and a dance to live music
on Saturday night.
It’s Free for Everyone .. Even without sponsorship the festival is still FREE
Entry. It starts on Friday 6th August from 7pm -12pm with over 15 beers and
ciders to try. It continues on Saturday 7th August from 1pm – 12pm complete
with a Family Barbecue from 5pm Nigel's Butchers of Ashbourne and a Family
Night Dance from 8pm with Live music from Paul Gibson, a Mayfield favourite. It
finishes on Sunday 8th August with a session we call ‘Two Til’ It’s Gone!’ Join
us for a farewell drink and help finish of the remaining beers and ciders at very
special prices. We open the doors at 2pm and close them when we run dry.
A beer festival is not all about the beer! As we have said we have a range of top
selling ciders and gins to compliment the beer but let’s be honest it’s the beer that
matters so in an exclusive from our Bar Chairman, Bush we can reveal just some
of this years star beers.
Bush Calls it his Top Ten - so turn over now to discover the stars of Mayfield’s
Pop Up Beer Festival 2021 - a mix of new ales and past festival favourites Tribute Cornish Pale Ale (4,2% abv) St Austell Brewery
Boon Doggle Craft Pale Ale (4.2% abv) Ringwood Brewery
Youngs London Original Pale Ale (3.7% abv) Youngs Brewery
Cumberland Golden Beer (4.0% abv) Jennings Brewery
Marston’s Brewery
Stairway to Heaven (5.0% abv) Burton Bridge
Saddle Tank (3.8% abv)
Clod Hopper (3.9 %c abv) Boot Brewery Repton
Marston’s Brewery
Bridge Bitter (4.2% abv) Burton Bridge
Wainwright Golden Ale (4.1% abv)
Damson Porter (4.5% abv) Burton Bridge
So this August cancel Corfu, avoid Alicante and make sure you are having a
staycation in Mayfield and enjoy the best of British at your own Beer Festival!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Under A Mayfield Sky - Picture by Martin Balderson It was in all the newspapers; a rare partial solar eclipse could be seen from the UK on the 10th June this year. Except the forecast was for thick cloud over Mayfield. I forgot about until when trying to photograph birds on a walk just north of the village, the clouds temporarily thinned and there it was. ‘Right place right time’ - by complete accident comes to mind!
MAYFIELD’S BIRD AND JUNE WILDLIFE At last, the House Martins have built a nest, after being chased off by the Sparrows who sat above the first nest the House Martins tried to build and tweeted all day long, it got on my nerves as well as the House Martins. I felt sorry for them after their long journey to get here. They were very late arriving possibly one of the reasons could be due to the bad weather. House Martin numbers have declined due to less insects to eat and hard to find mud for their nests and not always easy to find somewhere to build their nests especially in newly built houses. We used to have four House Martin nests in the eaves but this year there is just one. Swallow numbers are also declining due to lack of insects and places to build their nests. Swallows prefer building in barns and outhouses while House Martins like to build under eaves. It is possible to buy an artificial House Martin nest and fix it to the eaves. Some people will destroy a House Martins nest, it is illegal to do so, also to remove the eggs, or chicks, and can lead to a six month prison sentence. It has been a good year for Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Robins and Dunnocks in our garden and we have seen lots of baby birds either being fed by their parents or when fledged feeding themselves. Blackbirds and Dunnocks have had two broods and the Goldfinch adults are back feeding from our bird feeders, I don’t know where they went to build a nest, they do like to make a nest in a hollow tree, they will nest in a bird house but they didn’t in ours, but it’s good to see them back and the solitary Greenfinch is still with them. Other birds seen in Mayfield are Red Kites, Chiff Chaffs, Mallards (Wild Ducks) Long Tailed Tits and Song Thrushes, Goldcrests and a Reed Warbler. Two Blackbirds with white spots and stripes have been seen in a garden in The Park, probably from the same brood. Hope they stay around, I wonder if Spotty, the Blackbird with spots who was here last winter will come back when its winter, or if he’s met a sad end. It’s also a good year for Bees which is really good news, they are very busy in our garden gathering nectar from many different flowers. Bats are flying around as well, another protected species. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) who amongst other things they do, tag Cuckoos, have recently tagged another 12 Cuckoos in different parts of the UK, including Norfolk, Worcestershire, Sherwood Forest, Denbighshire, Powys and the Trossachs. They will try and discover why Cuckoos in Scotland are increasing and in the UK numbers are declining. To sponsor a cuckoo with the BTO costs just £2 a month. They give you the destinations the Cuckoos are at while here and when they leave and their journeys back to Africa. I have not heard a Cuckoo
this year or last year, we used to hear them most summers. Let me know if you
have heard one.
The Hedgehog who was visiting our garden most nights no longer comes. Two
Hedgehogs have been run over on the main road, I think it’s very likely that is
what has happened to the one visiting our garden. It’s really sad that so many
Hedgehogs are run over. They are also in decline too. Let me know if you have
Hedgehogs visiting your gardens.
Joyce Beeson
UP AND DOWN THE GARDEN PATH
Here we are half through the year, it’s been a very difficult half year for gardeners,
too hot early on with no rain, then cold with heavy frost and then the long awaited
rain arrived and didn’t know when to stop, and all the time there were bitterly cold
North winds. But us gardeners battled on and didn’t give up. Those of us without
heated greenhouses started our seeds off indoors on warm windowsills. The
runner beans are now planted out and growing well despite the cold winds,
Courgettes and broad beans are doing well too. Suddenly everything in the flower
borders decided they weren’t going to let some cold winds and funny weather hold
them back and are flowering better than I have seen them before.
Being able to get outside in our gardens in the fresh air has been one of the best
things we could do during the Covid restrictions, and being able to forget all the
bad things going on in the world and just enjoy listening to the birds singing and
watching our plants grow and keeping fit at the same time is wonderful.
Strawberries, Raspberries, Gooseberries, and Blueberries have done really well
and are nearly ready to be picked. I’ve covered the strawberries grown in pots
over with horticultural fleece pinned down with clothes pegs, and the ones growing
in the ground, with tent pegs because the Blackbirds had discovered them,
Strawberries are one of their favourites. Blueberries are easy to grow, plant them
in ericaceous compost and always water them with rain water. Again when they
are ripe cover them with fleece before the Blackbirds get to them.
Sweet peas are about to flower, pick them every few days to encourage more
flowers. Dahlias are starting to flower too. I grow mine from seed, its much easier
than having tubers that need taking up and storing over winter.
I hope your gardens have survived the funny weather, let me know what has done
really well in your gardens.
Joyce BeesonPedigree Tamworth Pork
Sausages and Bacon
& fresh farm produce
available at the farm gates
Every Saturday
10am to 1pm
Located Church Lane Mayfield
Check the board at the gates for
further info or
Contact Alex 07905030315
Mobile Library Service
Due to the spread of Coronavirus, from 23 March 2020 all mobile libraries will be
closed and the service will be suspended until further notice.
SUPERIOR SHINE SERVICE
Pure water Window Cleaning
Gutter and Fascia Cleaning,
High level Gutter Clearing with inspection camera
Upvc Conservatory & Exterior Render Cleaning.
Interior Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning
Oven cleaning. Car Valeting
Call 07449 315628
Superiorshinecleaning@outlook.com.
www.superiorshineservice.co.uk
MAYFIELD VILLAGE WEBSITES
Mayfield’s Church website www.mayfieldparishchurch.org Find all details about
the church. To add to the website, email jill@mayfieldparishchurch.org
Mayfield the Memorial Hall www.mayfieldmemorialhall.org.uk For venue hire.
Suitable for parties, wedding receptions, birthday parties, exercise classes, etc.
Mayfield Heritage Group www.mayfieldheritage.org.uk - Discover how life was in
Mayfield years ago &find out all about the groups latest projects, visits etc.
Mayfield Parish Council www.mayfieldparishcouncil.org.uk Keep up to date with
your Parish Council, its meetings, its decisions and your councillors.
MARNA. https://marna.org.uk/. Mayfield and Rocester Neighbourhood AssociationMayfield Memorial Hall News - Our Main Hall Gets a Full Makeover.
•
It Took:-
•
28 tubes of sealant,
•
A highly specialist spray gun,
•
Rolls and rolls of plastic sheeting and masking tape
•
A full scaffolding tower,
More tins of paint than you could shake a stick at
and eight solid days of work from Simon (with help from Graham who came
back early from his holiday to help finish the work) and then it was done - the
largest single piece of refurbishment we have undertaken at the hall in one go.
And it has transformed they main hall into a modern, light and up to the minute
space. The old magnolia paint has been replaced with a pure white ceiling and
light grey (or blue depending upon your eyes and viewpoint!) walls that makes the
hall seem bigger and lighter than ever, well worthy of our village. You can follow
the work in the pictures below.
First seal all those small cracks and gaps in the ceiling! Simon knew it would be a
bit of a job at the very start of the project, but 28 tubes of sealant later he realised
it was more than just a bit of a job. As well as immediately making the ceiling
visibly better it will save us on our heating bills this winter and make the whole Hall
much more energy efficient. Whilst up there Simon investigated the roof space
between the ceiling and the tiles (it's not been looked at for years) to discover,
thank goodness, that it was dry and pest free, so no unexpected expenditure
there! The first stage was complete.Next cover every surface with plastic sheeting, or dust sheets, especially the wooden floor, (Alf would not like his lovely polished wooden floor covered in paint splatters). It's the most time-consuming part of painting but preparation and the size of the hall meant that we were most grateful for the donation of those rolls of plastic sheeting. Every single surface had to be covered including all the light fittings and all the plaques and memorial tablets attached to the walls. Once that was done Simon could get to work with his new fancy spray gun that was more the size of an air rifle and when full of paint was of quite some weight. However, it did the job, getting paint into all the small areas around the beams with a nifty device that blew away dust and cobwebs just before the paint hit. It meant a massive job painting the ceiling could be reduced to a reasonable time and one man could do it all.
The transformation in the ceiling was startling. Pure sparkling white and suddenly the whole hall looked much larger. Then it was down to painting the walls and here Simon was joined by Graham (and his dog), returned early from his holiday in order to help get the job done. And just one week and a day after starting the hall was back open for business with the groups and people using it immediately commenting on the transformation. Another step forward for the Memorial Hall.
July Wordsearch! Monthly Sillys! What do you get when you combine an elephant with a fish? Swimming trunks! Do fish go on holidays? No, because they’re always in school! Why don’t oysters share their pearls? Because they’re shellfish! Where do sheep go on vacation? To the baa-hamas! How can you tell that the ocean is friendly? It waves! What did the reporter say to the ice cream? "What's the scoop?" What did the beach say to the tide when it came in? Long time, no sea.
Colour Me In
White Peak Nordic Walking.
If you’re planning to get fit in, then I’ve got a variety of Nordic Walking classes to help
you achieve your goals, no matter your age or fitness level. The
walks are mostly 1 hour (three miles or less), with varied terrain that
will help build your stamina. There are plenty of beautiful views too,
which provide the perfect motivation to head outside and get active..
After lockdown we started group sessions again in small
groups of 5 clients and 1 instructor. Clients have their own pair of
Nordic Walking poles. We carry wipes and hand sanitising gel and ask clients to do the
same. While walking we are social distancing with staying Poles Apart.
Power of Poles intro course. Find out how to use fitness walking poles to achieve the
results YOU want. So, if you’re keen to come out with us, you can be sure we will do
our best to make it a safe and rewarding experience. If you have been enjoying your
daily walk and are looking to learn about the Power of Poles, please give me a call.
For details contact: White Peak Nordic Walking: Janneke Gorzeman 07469895267.
Janneke@nwukwhitepeak.co.uk Or book now: www.nwukwhitepeak.co.uk
Articles for the JOINT August & Sept Issue of the Magazine.
We always welcome articles for the magazine, both from Mayfield itself and the
surrounding villages. To ensure your article is published in our next double issue,
August & September 2021
it must be submitted by Monday 26th July at the latest. Articles and information
submitted beyond that date may not be published.
You can submit articles by email to our editors. Joyce Beeson Email:
beesonjoyce30@gmail.com Tel. 346959 and Stephen Dunn Email:
s.w.dunn@btconnect.com Tel. 342188 or contact us to deliver them by hand.A Little Incident in Northumberland
A week’s holiday in Northumberland with Kim’s Dad, Baz, and his 11-year old
Yorkshire Terrier, Misty!!
We all knew that the focus would be on Baz, his memories of his holidays there
with Pam, Kim’s Mum, his eating habits, what time he gets up, what time he goes
to bed, how far he could walk …….. and pretty much everything else!!! But, the
girls had accepted that this holiday was for Baz and about Baz and so I went
along with it ……. “We all do what Baz wants to do and when he wants to do it!!!!!”
And, actually, my view is that if you get to almost 85, then that is exactly how it
should be!!
The cottage was ideally suited to all our needs – Kim says it took some finding but
she did it!!
Ground floor – Baz’s bedroom, bathroom and kitchen – perfect for Baz’s early
morning cup of tea!! The girls were not too impressed with a loud knock on their
bedroom door at 7am on the first morning – “Are you awake?” shouts Baz! “We
are now” says Kim!!! They politely requested a later morning call thereafter – Baz
got the message and never brought tea again!!!
First floor – a magnificent lounge with a window seat to die for!! So much room for
us all to just sit, drink gin/wine and gaze at the sea!! We spent a lot of time in that
window seat!!
Our en suite bedroom was
across the landing – I am
allowed to sleep with the
girls when we are on
holiday! This seems like a
lovely idea, however, was I
glad to get back home and
my own bed!!!
And then, on the top floor, a
twin-bedded room with en
suite and marvellous views!!
I could have taken a friend
….. or two!!
The weather was amazing
…… warm, sunshine, a
lovely breeze ….. absolutely
perfect!!The village pubs were of a very high standard and we should know – we were certainly in them often enough, sitting in beer gardens and sampling beer, lager and wine and tasting delicious food. We had short walks with Baz and Misty and then the girls and I ventured further afield for 2-3 hours in the afternoons whilst Baz and Misty rested and relaxed and apparently ate ice-cream!!! Kim, Mal and I actually paddled across Alnmouth estuary – timed to perfection at low tide, visited golf club hospitality on more than one occasion, collected driftwood and shells for Pendlewych beach and I made so many new dog (and human) friends – I had the time of my life and, like Kim, feel that maybe I was born to live by the sea!! There was however one little incident that did cause the girls and I some considerable stress!! Baz and Misty went out first thing one morning – Baz dropped the latch, locked the front door (AND ONLY DOOR!!!) from the outside, put the keys in his pocket and off they went for their first walk of the day. Kim and I got up ready for our day and I have to say that when I first wake up and after having had several hours of sleep, I am quite desperate to relieve myself!! Kim is fully aware of this and knows that it is a priority to get me out for wees and poos – URGENTLY!! On this particular morning to get downstairs, collar, harness and lead attached and both raring to go (for different reasons!!), to find ourselves “locked in” the house did not make us happy and panic did set in!! Mal, disturbed by our cries for help, understood our dilemma and knew that I very much needed to get outside to do what I needed to do!! Mal had heard Baz go out and suspected he had locked the door – she had taken immediate action, banging on the door and shouting “Baz”!! To no avail – Baz was totally unaware!! Kim tried phoning Baz – his mobile rang out very loudly in his bedroom!! I can’t tell you what she said – you are not ready for that!! Can we climb out of the windows? Not at all easily!! Meanwhile, I had got all four of my legs crossed and was doing my very best to keep everything under control!!
Mal then proved that her brain does still function admirably in an emergency situation which is good to know!! She remained calm throughout and acted with unprecedented speed! Kim and I were impressed!! She was certain that a spare key must/should be available – and before too long, she found it!! Fantastic!! But then, for some reason, the inside lock had been blocked and the key couldn’t be inserted from the inside!!! Mal then excelled even more using scissors and tweezers to free the keyhole and, at last, the key could be used, the latch released and Kim and I escaped!!! I have to admit to a slight dribble on the mat in the hall – desperation and excitement took over!! Well, I think it was me although, due to the emotional pressure of the situation, I’m sure that Kim was very close to doing the same!!! I have never been so “relieved” to be outside and I had the longest wee ever!!!! We then met Baz and Misty down on the beach – Baz had absolutely no idea what he had done and the trauma he had put us all through!! Kim explained!!! Thankfully, she had calmed down a bit!!! He put it down to old age!!! Kim and Mal certainly developed a few more grey hairs that morning!! As for me, I was rather proud of my bladder control!! However, I would rather it was not challenged again!! No more holidays with Kim’s Dad planned at the moment but I am thinking that part of my daily routine should perhaps incorporate pelvic floor exercises – just in case!!! Morse the Dog
Fighting Goldcrests . I have to confess that my knowledge of birds was pretty limited until I started to read Joyce’s really informative Mayfield Bird Watch articles. I may well have grown up in the country but that did not mean I took that much interest in individual birds and types of birds. However, with a garden full of them and Joyce's articles at hand I've really learned a lot in recent years. And that’s come in really handy this month when looking out my front window I happened to see a small bird apparently attacking me. The bird was tiny with a little bright yellow plumage on its head and was sitting at the end of a branch of our conifer tree, very close to our lounge window and was waving its wings strutting up and down and presumably squawking (couldn’t hear it because of double glazing]) directly at me! I had no idea what I had done to upset so small a bird, so I got out the camera and tried to take a picture to try and identify it – not easy when it won’t sit still, flapping its wings about! Eventually by comparing the picture with those of garden birds on Google I worked out my attacking bird was a Goldcrest, so named because of big yellow hairdo it has. I learnt from the internet that my Goldcrest, a tiny bird, is smaller than a wren and is indeed the UK’s smallest bird, weighing just 5g, which is the same as a 20p coin. The crest of bright feathers in the middle of their head, is completely yellow on females, but with an orange centre on males., proving mine was indeed a male – BUT nowhere did it explain why it was so mad and why at me? So, when the internet fails, turn to the source of all bird related knowledge – Joyce. She soon put me straight and described its behaviour to me without even seeing it. She quickly confirmed it was a Goldcrest, it was likely nesting in our conifer, which they like and somewhere there would be a female around as well. She then said, ‘Does it hump up its back and rump its feathers, as well as lowering, and fanning
its tail’? Exactly! ‘That’s a display that is either courtship or in your case
deliberately aggressive behaviour designed to scare you off from its partner and
nest of chicks – and before you say it, it’s got nothing to do with you, it is seeing its
own reflection in your window. Your Goldcrest is fighting its own image and as the
image is not backing down it continues fighting’….. ahh it all makes sense when
the expert tells you.
I went back to watching and went outside to get a different viewpoint. I soon saw
the female come out onto the branch as well, not to take part but just to check up
on what was happening. Husband, sorry male, would stand at the end of a branch
nearest the window with big displays of aggression and wing flapping to make the
other bird go away. Occasionally however it all gets a bit out of hand and the
goldcrest will end up on our actual window clinging onto the edge whilst it tries to
peck its rival – that window is gonna need cleaning soon.
I felty sorry for the little bird and it was kind of annoying when watching TV to see
this battle going on out of the corner of your eye. So, in the end I took pity on it and
closed the curtain reducing the light bouncing back off the glass and making the
image go away. Let’s face it both the poor bird and I need some rest!
S.D.“The Playing of the Merry Organ, Sweet Singing in the Choir”
Some Memories of Mayfield’s Church Organist
Janet Knox our church organist has recently told Mayfield Heritage Group her
story and of those she met to make music in Mayfield Church. We publish here
extracts from the article (which will be published in full in a new book from the
Heritage Group), focussing on Janet’s role as our organist and playing the
Mayfield church organ itself.
The Move to Mayfield
In 1997 Janet moved to Mayfield with her husband Andrew, a Church of England
reader into School House. They saw an advertisement in the Church Times
offering a “stone cottage to rent in Mayfield “in return for help in the Church.
Andrew applied and the response was “although he was not a Priest they would
like to consider him, especially as his wife could play the organ”.
First Music in Mayfield Church,
Denys Johnson, then Church Warden, asked Janet, to accompany on the piano
during practice sessions for the Carol Service; while Alan Barnes, the then
organist, would play for the actual service. A few years later when he asked her to
take over as choir trainer, she initially declined, and the following year she was
asked again and reluctantly agreed. He was after all her landlord! Meanwhile, she
occasionally deputised for Alan and also for Harry Heath, who in those days
played for evensong.
In 2004 Alan moved to Suffolk and Janet became the sole organist with occasional
help from various other people especially John Prince, the long-standing organist
from Ellastone who would stand in for weddings and funerals.
Over many years Janet has found it a privilege to play for weddings and funerals in
Mayfield, often to a packed Church. She has meticulously kept the forty wedding
and one hundred funeral orders of service, and was able to tell us that the most
requested wedding marches are still those by Wagner and Mendelssohn, and that
the most popular hymns are: All Things Bright and Beautiful; Give me Joy in my
Hear; and One More Step along the World I go. For funerals nowadays the most
requested hymn is also All things Bright and Beautiful, followed by the Old Rugged
Cross, whereas in earlier years it was always Abide with Me and the 23rd Psalm to
Crimond
Special Occasions, Unexpected Experiences and Team Working
Janet especially remembers playing for the Licensing service of Ray Owen
November 2007 and for his final service on Sunday 5th November 2017, and more
recently for the Licensing of Martin Soar in June 2018, all important landmarks in
the church and community.There are many ancillary talents essential to playing the organ and Janet
describes the task as follows “playing the organ is like splitting your mind into
three: to manage both hands plus your feet on the pedals, all at the same time.”
In Mayfield she is positioned with her back to the congregation therefore there is a
need for some very discrete messaging, in order to be musically on cue. This is
where team working is essential in the form of Verger Doug Greenway, who is on
hand at weddings and funerals to alert the organist to the arrival of a wedding car
or a funeral cortege. One flash of the organ light for arrival at the church gate and
a second flash as they are actually walking up the path.
There are also unexpected experiences. On one occasion Janet found herself
getting wet as the rain came through the roof, but was enabled to continue playing
due to the prompt action of the late Owen Parker, who, though not in the best of
health, opened up his umbrella and held it aloft. At the end of the hymn it was
thought sensible to turn off the organ and avoid possible electrocution. Cold hands
are also a problem due to the draught coming down from the tower at the west end
of the church and the danger of falling off a polished stool!
The Christmas Carol Service is always special at Mayfield Church and a great deal
of preparation is involved in training the specially formed choir who return loyally
each year. The church is atmospheric in candlelight and choir members sit in front
of the organ, rather than processing to the choir stalls as sometimes happened in
past times. Recently Janet has appreciated the help of Martin Winfield, who has
conducted solo choir pieces. The carol service is always a memorable and moving
service; the rafters are alive with praise. The church is packed and there is a very
special feeling of anticipation.
Janet continues to play the organ till the present day and has been instrumental in
providing the information on those who have contributed to the musical history of
St John the Baptist Church. Mayfield Heritage Group
P.S. Facts about Mayfield’s Church Organ
Mayfield’s Church organ was built by Albert Keates a pipe organ builder based in
Sheffield 1889-1948. It was one of the first he made and was installed in 1893.
It is dedicated “to the memory of Emma Evill, wife of the Vicar of this Parish.”
The organ in St John the Baptist Church is a two manifold, from the Latin “manus”
and has eighteen stops.
It is considered to be underpowered for the size of the Church!
It is maintained six monthly for tuning and regulation by John Oakes and Son,
Organ Builders of Stoke on Trent, established in1913.A. Slater & Sons
Funeral Services
The old established family firm
serving Uttoxeter, Ashbourne
and all areas. On call 24hrs
Pre-paid funerals. Memorials erected
Offices and Chapels at
66a High Street Uttoxeter
Tel: 01889 564086
1 Moorlands Drive, Mayfield
Tel: 01335 345120/345184
Email: aslaterandsons@btconnect.com
Web: https://aslaterandsons.co.uk/
If
You wish to
Advertise
In this space
Contact
Catherine
On
07752 772715The Beauty of Mayfield
A field deep in wildflowers, trees in full leaf framing the horizon and a bank of white fluffy clouds gently moving across a pure
blue sky. A fine summers day is unparalleled when walking the hills above Mayfield in mid-June; that is if you can be there
on a sunny day, rather than the rainy days that encourages all that growth!The Museum of Making at the Derby Silk Mill
With school summer holiday fast approaching, maybe you'd like an idea for a 'rainy
day outing' for the kids/grandchildren (or even just for yourself!) that doesn't cost a
fortune?
For children of eight upwards, I can recommend the recently launched 'Museum of
Making' at the Silk Mill in Derby: three floors of fascinating exhibits depicting
Derby's diverse manufacturing heritage, spanning 300 years.
Some of it is classic industrial archaeology: the story of local mills, which
pioneered the use of water power - then steam power – for spinning and weaving,
for cotton, wool and, of course, the silk that gave this handsome Trent-side
building its name.
The ground floor, including café. Note the Rolls Royce jet engine and, on the left,
part of the collection of local artefacts.
There are man-made creations ranging from a 6,000 year-old stone axe to a
huge Rolls-Royce jet engine. Given Derby's rich railway locomotive legacy, it's
hardly surprising that railway history is well-represented. Then there's all sorts of
arts and crafts, from pottery, to prints, to paper cuts.There's also a very varied display of all sorts of odds and ends from local history:
notably from the two World Wars: some beautiful, some thought-provoking and
some just downright quirky.
And it's all absolutely free! You simply have to book a date and time-slot (to avoid
over-crowding).
The museum is
wheelchair friendly
and has loos on every
floor. There's a good
café on the ground
floor, serving some of
the best coffee I've
tasted in a long time
(and I'm a terrible
coffee snob).
If you're in need of a
little retail therapy,
there are two souvenir
shops: one aimed at
children, one more for
adult tastes.
Our local (Swift) bus
can drop you five
minutes’ walk away (a
stone's throw from
Derby cathedral). It's
ten minutes’ walk from
Derby bus station and
the train station.
Take a look at
derbymuseums.org
Museum of Making
Tel: 01332 641901
The picture on the left
is part of an 18th
century map of
Derbyshire:
'Mathfield' just makes
it on the left-hand
side.
Arnie RainbowYou can also read
