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Remembering our war dead


The village observed a two minutes silence at the Remembrance Sunday service at the Parish Church exactly at the time that the guns stopped firing on the Western Front on 11 November 1918. After the silence wreaths were laid on the village War Memorial. Eight Bishop Monkton men died in the two World Wars.

For longer report click on NEWS/Remembrance Service .

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Eight empty chairs at 'In Flanders Fields' concert

 

                                                  
Eight chairs at the front of the Parish Church were left empty at a moving and poignant  'In Flanders Fields' concert by Voces Seraphorum on Friday evening. The chairs, each decked with three red poppies, named the five Bishop Monkton men who died in the First World War and three in the Second World War. The Church was crowded to capacity to enjoy an inspirational programme ranging from moving part songs to spirited First World War patriotic favourites.

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Our poppies form part of wonderful display in Ripon


Members of Bishop Monkton Stitchers with the 1,300 poppies they made earlier in the year and which now form part of an amazing display in Ripon.

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Barbara receives special award from Princess Anne


Barbara Birchall being presented with the Riding for the Disbled President's Award for 'exceptional dedication to RDA' by the Princess Royal when she visited a RDA group at Wellburn Hall School.

For full report go to NEWS/Special award.

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Chris O'Gorman funeral arrangements

A Requiem Mass for Chris O'Gorman (pictured here with Brenda on their ruby wedding anniversary) will take place at St Teresa’s RC Church in Darlington at 1 15pm on Monday November 19. The Mass will be  followed at the Crematorium (for family and friends at 2.15pm) and afterwards 'a cuppa and bite' at the Blackwell Grange Hotel. To help with catering numbers an indication of intention to attend would be helpful (chrisandbrendaog@gmail.com).  Martin and Carole Minett will be going. For those not able to attend the funeral but who would like to make a donation, to Fight Bladder Cancer and/or the British Heart Foundation, then a Just Giving web page has been set up -  Just Giving - Chris O'Gorman

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Bus users happy


Bus users are grateful for the new shelter which has been erected at the top of Moor Road on the A61. One villager said she had been calling for a shelter for three years and it was largely down to Councillor Stephen Verrill that it had gone ahead.

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It would have been nuts to walk across America!


Richard Field pictured when he joined eccentric vegetarian Barbara Moore who was walking 3,000 miles across American from San Francisco to New York City in 1960.  He joined her in the Mid West to write a story for his newspaper. She suggested he might like to join her on the remaining 1,500 miles of the walk. However she told him he'd have to survive on a diet of nuts and a taste of honey if he joined her. He decided to decline her kind offer.This incident was related in a talk Richard gave to the Ladies Group last week.

For more of his experiences while living in America go to NEWS/Go West Young Man.

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RECENT NEWS ITEMS (click on photo for more)
  • BEM for Margaret

    Margaret Lodge had her British Empire Medal Investiture on October 9. She was one of six privileged few to receive the prestigious title in the North Yorkshire area. Margaret served as Bishop Monkton Parish Council Clerk for over 40 years.


  • Croquet honour

    Richard Field, Chairman of Bishop Monkton Croquet Club, receiving a Croquet Association Diploma for 'outstanding services to croquet' at the Association's national annual meeting at the Hurlingham Club in London.


  • Our top bowlers

    Pauline Beecroft  received both the Ladies Singles and Ladies Handicap Singles trophies at the Bowling Club's annual dinner and prizegiving held at The Crown, Roecliffe. Read full list of this year's award winners


  • New defibrillator

    The village’s new defibrillator is located at The Masons Arms. This position was chosen by the Parish Council because this is a well-known village landmark and will enable people who need it to find it easily in an emergency. 


  • £600 donation

    Gwyn Sagar donated £600 towards the cost of purchasing a new public defibrillator which will be located at the Masons Arms.  Two factors influenced Gwyn to make this generous donation which are explained in a story which appears inside..


  • Produce Show winner

    KEN BARKER receives his award as Overall Winner in this year's Produce Show which was held  at the Village Hall. The presentation was made by Chris Procter, organiser of the show who is now stepping down after organising it for a number of years.


  • Pet Blessing Service

    Surprisingly little bark or barking, although quite a lot of tail wagging from the well-behaved dogs which attended our Pet Blessing Service at the Parish Church. Cats and hamsters were also represented from the animal kingdom. 


  • 'Good Egg' award

    David Jones, who has been delivering milk round Bishop Monkton for the past 41 years, was awarded the ‘Good Egg’ Award at Stray FM’s Local Heroes awards ceremony.


  • Poppy marathon

    he result of several months of hard work by Bishop Monkton Stitchers - over 1,000 poppies which will form part of a giant display in Ripon later this year to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.


  • Infant agility

    Young pupils at Bishop Monkton Scholol show their prowess at agility, For this and other school sports successes click on the photo.
    We continue to recognise the wide range of sporting endeavours undertaken at the School with a high success rate..


NEWS ROUND-UP


Day 15 of our WW1 series 
It was a bit like being in Dads Army!
Today we continue our series relating wartime experiences of individual solders with Bishop Monkton connections. When Cyril and Fred Freeston, grandfather and great uncle of Naomi Waddington,  joined up it was a bit like being in Dads Army with recruits drilling in civvies using sticks or pikes as rifles.
To read their stories in full click THE 1914-18 WAR/It started like Dads Army!.
More episodes in the series will be added daily.
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Two Churches launch website

The Parish Churches of Bishop Monkton and Burton Leonard have launched a new combined website.
The nicely designed and highly informative site provides comprehensive details of church matters in the two parishes.
Click below to access site. 
Two Village Churches website
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'Such a lovely man'
Sheila Burney read about Chris O'Gorman's death and has written:
'I happened to go onto the village website today and was so very saddened to see that Chris has died. Please be so kind as to pass on my every sympathy to Brenda, I'm sure she will be devastated at this tragic loss. Chris was such a lovely man. John and I always enjoyed his company and spent many happy summer afternoons at the cricket matches in his company, and at the cricket annual dinners  in Roecliffe - many years ago now but such very happy memories of a jolly man and a good friend.
Yours very sadly, Sheila Burney' 
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This could be your big chance!

To read enlarged poster click on ENTERTAINMENTS.
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Clubs get into Christmas mood
Village clubs and societies have been invited to take part in a Christmas Tree Festival. using any sort of Christmas tree to tell the story of what goes on at their club or society.
The Festival will open at the Parish Church on Friday, December 7 and remain in place until the end of the month.
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Protect our hedgehogs

There has been a sharp decline in the number of hedgehogs in our countryside and more may parish this Bonfire Night unless people take care to ensure none is curled up at bottom of your fire before you light it.
Read more  by clicking on NEWS/Hedgehog plea.
Also go to GUESTBOOK.
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Pruning your apple tree

 Need advice on how to do it? 
For an answer click on GARDENING
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400 runners in Beckbusters event

The hugely successful Beckbusters event attracted 270 runners in the 10k run and 145 in the kids' 2k fun run.
The event, organised by Friends of Bishop Monkton School,  raised an amazing £6,000 for the School.

For more details go to NEWS/Beckbusters raises £6,000.
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Last garden waste collection
Gardeners take note - the last collection of garden waste in the village will be in the weeks of November 19 or November 26.
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MAKING CONTACT
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Fri, 16 Nov 2018
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PRESIDENT'S RDA AWARD 2018
CROQUET ASSOCIATION DIPLOMA 2018
GOOD EGG' AWARD 2018
BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL 2018
BRITISH CITIZEN AWARD 2016
UKs BEST LOVED QE2 FIELD 2013
NAMED QE2 PLAYING FIELD
PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY 2012

MEDIA TRUST AWARD 2010
VILLAGE OF THE YEAR
COMMUNICATIONS AWARD 2009
VILLAGE OF THE YEAR
COMMUNITY AWARD 2006
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