Latest News

The Samuel Lee Charity AGM

At the Annual General Meeting of the Charity in May, there were some changes to the Trustee line-up.

We have lost the services of Claire Buckseall and Rachel Newell, both of whom used their abilities and skills for the Charity, with zeal and enthusiasm. We send them all our best wishes, whether they remain village residents or seek pastures new.

Jim Harker has taken over the role of Chairman from Nick, who has family/work/time issues preventing him from carrying out the duties of chairman, but remains a Trustee.

Paul Hopkins has retired as treasurer after serving 15 years in a job he always said he was not good at, but managed to bring the Charity’s accounts to their highest level yet. He remains as a Trustee. Anne takes on the role as Treasurer.

We welcomed Bryan McCreery as one of the three Parish Council representative Trustees in May and has already shown his willingness to help.

An organisation’s A.G.M. is often a good time to start planning ahead, and ours was no different.  Christmas was on the Agenda, as we looked at continuing this old tradition of providing ‘goodies’ for our 75 year-old residents of Geddington & Newton.

If you have reached, or will reach, the age of 75 before Christmas 2023, and would like to be included, please contact Pam by the end of July.

However, if you were on our list last year, there is no need to contact us, we’ll see you in December.

A Vacancy Occurs . . . at the Website

Geddington.net needs a new editor, as the current incumbent, Pam Hopkins, is retiring at the end of June, after 23 years involvement with the village website – www.geddington.net.

Geddington.net was started in the year 2000, with a committee comprising of David Watson, Andrew Watson, John Padwick, John Cole, Andy Brown and Pam Hopkins. An article and request for interested parties was included in that year’s summer issue of The Newsletter and enough interest from individuals, as well as village organisations, was received for the project to go-ahead. Its aim was to provide a site that would be useful and informative for the village and an interesting one for people who wished to visit the village.

There were many teething problems and the original website was eventually removed and a new one took its place in 2003, at which point the resourceful Janet Jones came along and took her place as treasurer with Charlie, John C and John P, Tony Locock and Pam.

Over time, people came and went, but in 2013 the site was refreshed and relaunched, and now known as the Geddington Community Website, it produced a Constitution, which is as relevant today as it was 10 years ago. It also acquired a Taskmaster in the form of Jack Harker, and it wasn’t coincidence that that year saw the website win the prestigious ‘Award of Excellence’ from Northamptonshire ACRE, for the Best Community Website Northamptonshire.  An Archive of village history was also added – popular pages from the get-go!

Fast forward ten years and the website needs:

An editor with new ideas
An editor with up-to-date IT knowledge
A refresh and
A re-launch and

An Editor !

Are we looking at you?

Have you got the skills, time and enthusiasm to continue this valuable asset to village knowledge?

If so, contact Jack at: jharker@octagoncreative.co.uk
Or
Janet at: gedd-net@gmail.com
Or
Pam at: gedd-net@gmail.com or pamhopkins747@btinternet.com

PS If anyone would like to research the building/history of this website, I have all the documents and the hundreds of emails that were sent between all the parties involved since June 2000. Pam Hopkins

May Day 25 May 2023

May Day in Geddington – a long-standing tradition performed by the children of the school, the work done by the parents and, of course, all the very hard work done by the teachers and staff in the weeks preceding it.

For more information about this tradition, put ‘May Day Tradition‘ in our Search button on the front page and bring up the article which will explain all. Included in this Post is a .pdf file: May_day_queens_of_geddington.
Clicking on this link will bring up the list of May Queens as we know it, up to 2017. Or click on the link at the below the images.

If you have more information on the May Queens, attendants or other performers, please let us know via email: editor@gmail.net

May-day-queens-of-geddington

GADS – November event

Would you like to star in GADS next production?
The Geddington Amateur Dramatics Society will be presenting ‘Goodnight Mister Tom’ and it will take place in the Village Hall from 22 – 25 November.

However, before then, if you would like to take part, or if you know anyone else who may like to do so, then go along to the Village Hall on Wednesday 17th May from 7pm, where readings will be taking place.

Want further information? Then call Steph on 07956 946 383 or email: stephy.m.w@outlook.com.

Parish Meeting Notice 2023

PARISH OF GEDDINGTON, NEWTON AND LITTLE OAKLEY

NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

 (ANNUAL VILLAGE MEETING)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the ANNUAL PARISH (VILLAGE) MEETING of Local Government Electors (all those eligible to vote) for the above-named Parish will be held at the Village Hall, Geddington, in the lounge on:-

MONDAY 15th MAY 2023
commencing at
6.30pm.

under the Chairmanship of
Mr. John Padwick, Chairman of the Parish Council.  

The Annual Parish (Village) Meeting is your opportunity to put forward ideas for discussion.

       Mr. J Padwick

7^th May 2023                        Chairman of the Parish Council

World Book Day comes early to the School

World Book Day (or rather the day before in our case) seemed a most appropriate day in which to present some special books to Geddington School.

A legacy left to the Samuel Lee Charity by its former chairman, John Sutton, is being used to give books to the school on an annual basis, for the next ten years.

Whilst the pandemic disrupted a couple of years of fulfilling this legacy, 2023 saw the third presentation of books.

But – these are not any books, these are books especially chosen by Mrs Willis of Class 5, to complement the school’s library.

Our images below show the 2023 books chosen and then being presented to the Head Teacher, Mr James Sherwood and Mrs Willis, by the Samuel Lee Chairman, Jim Harker OBE, in the library on Wednesday 1st March 2023.

It is widely recognised that reading is so very important in today’s world, for without it, even the most basic of uses, all of which need the ability of being able to read, would be impossible to carry out. Instructions, information, modern IT equipment – everything has the written word and, without knowing what it says, a person is lost.

World Book Day, held on 2nd March 2023, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. 

Long live the paper book!

Road Closure: February – March 2023

Kettering Road and New Road
will be subject to road closure
from
Monday 17 February to Friday 3 March.

Resurfacing, road markings and gully cleansing will take place on these roads, from the crossroads *** (see last paragraph) at Grange Road, to the Anglian Water plant south of the village.

At present North Northamptonshire Council have not published an alternative route map to avoid these workings, although they say that the busiest hours will be avoided, so works will take place from approximately 9.30am to 3.30pm.

The four alternate roads out of the village are therefore:
Grafton Road
Newton Road
Grange Road ***
and, of course, north towards Corby on Stamford Road (A4300).

The North Northamptonshire Council’s website also says:
Friday March 10 for 6 days.
However, it is unusual for works to run over a weekend, especially without giving an end date. So perhaps take this with a ‘pinch of salt’ until told otherwise by NNC.

*** NEWS UPDATE
The works have now been extended to start at Newton Road. Exit from Geddington will be by the A4300, Newton Road and Grafton Road. Residents on Grange Road will have to drive west along Grange Road to the A43, but vehicles on that road are driven very fast, so it’s a very dangerous exit on to it.

Coronation Logo Revealed

The official logo for King Charles III’s coronation, to feature in street parties, social media and souvenirs, has been revealed by Buckingham Palace.

This is a traditional image with flowers forming the shape of the St Edward’s crown used in the coronation.

It has been created by Sir Tony Ive who said: “The design was inspired by King Charles’ love of the planet, nature and his deep concern for the natural world.”

Road Closure on the A43

100 years of action

In 1923 Geddington and Newton had approximately 1000 inhabitants. The villages were relatively isolated with limited transport links to the outside world. There was no running water and no electricity. The vast majority of homes had to use outside privies, bake their Sunday roast in the large oven at one of the bake houses and dry their washing in one of the communal drying areas of the village…..BUT it did have a newly formed Women’s Institute!

Celebrations and commemorations were on the agenda of last week’s meeting – exactly 100 years since the formation of this new organisation for the women of the two communities.

Almost all the current members were present to honour those 4 original officers from 1923; Mrs Berrill, Mrs Holmes, Miss Sykes and Mrs G Holding and to recognise 4 long standing current members: Joan Higgs, 82 years service, Pam Hopkins and Hazel Brunger, 65 years each and Val Bellamy 50 years service .

Each member was presented with a beautiful hand made trinket box in WI colours; there was cake to admire, prizes to win and an exhibition of those early years and the Resolutions on female policing and better maternity care that the WI fought to get implemented.

There was also a lovely supper and a chance to reflect on the fellowship within the group and across the wider WI. WI were really pleased to welcome Anne Rodwell, the County Chairman, to the event and ask her to present the awards and certificates. Thank you Anne for sharing the celebrations.

Here’s to the next 100 years!!