Whatlington village voice

Jo thanks the majority of parents who do make sure children are in proper uniform.

Although St David’s Day has passed the children were busy drawing, painting and taking photographs to enter a competition on that day. Some had been practising a song, poem or dance to perform as well.

Parents were invited to assembly on Friday 2nd March to see the winners perform and collect their certificates and medals.

World Book Day was celebrated on Thursday March 8th and all the pupils were encouraged to dress up as a book character. Special activities were held during World Book Week and prizes were awarded for the best girl/boy in each group.

Parents open Evening was last Wednesday from 6-8pm/

This was an opportunity for Parents to come and look through all their children’s work, in exercise books and on display in classrooms and corridors. The teachers are available, but not for private consultations. (Remember you can always make an appointment to see a class teacher at another time.)

Refreshments were held in the hall and the headmaster gave a talk on “reading at home and at school”.

Dates for your diary are…..

Saturday 17th March Ground force day from 10am-12noon. Free bacon butties & Tea!

Tuesday 27th March 9.15 am Easter assembly Part 1 (parents invited)

Thursday 29th March 915.am Easter assembly Part 11 (parents invited)

Friday 30th March Last day of term .MUFTI/fundraising day and Easter egg hunt

Easter Holidays Monday 2nd April - Friday 13th April inclusive.

Monday 16th April First day back to school for the children

Joe Hellett Headteacher of the school is due to leave at the end of this term (end of March) after eight successful years, to be replaced by an Acting Head for one term as a permanent replacement is sought.

The parents are invited to say “Goodbye” and “Good wishes” at the school assembly on March 29th.

I do wish that when I attended school that the lessons were made as interesting as they are at Mountfield & Whatlington School; I may have worked harder!! What a varied curriculum they have!

News from the Royal Oak: Our thanks to the wonderful New Orleans Rhythmakers who provided an excellent evening of Traditional Jazz last week at The Royal Oak. Jazz Night now resumes its original monthly slot of the first Wednesday of every month. If you haven’t made it to the pub to see this fantastic band yet, then put Wednesday 4th April in the diary for the next session!

The next evening of live music at The Royal Oak will be the ever-popular evening of Traditional Irish Tunes on Friday 30th March. Musicians begin their “jamming” style session from 8.30pm, booking advisable.

The weekly Pub Quiz is on Thursday night at The Royal Oak, beginning at 8pm for teams of up to six people. £1 per person entry with a chance to win the jackpot (triple rollover this week).

There are now full conference and meeting facilities in “The Barn” at The Royal Oak, complete with WiFi, multi-media player, projector and screen. If you are a local group, club or business interested in these facilities, please enquire on 01424 870492.

The next Book Club meeting is on Tuesday 27th March at 7.30pm at The Royal Oak. The book we will review this time is “I’ve Got Your Number” by Sophie Kinsella. This maybe a slightly more light hearted read than previous choices! Everyone is welcome to come along and join in our friendly group.

Thank you to all the people that came to the meeting on Monday to discuss the Jubilee Street Party. We had lots of good suggestions and feedback and are really looking forward to what will be an excellent day for the whole village! If you would like to get involved but couldn’t make the meeting, please get in touch with Angie on 01424 870087. Further details will feature in the next edition of the Whatlington News, so please keep a look out for that.

Steve has kindly sent into me a photograph of the church which looks amazing with all the daffodils in flower. It also shows that most of the scaffolding is down and stacks of tiles on the roof waiting to be put on. It has taken along time to get to this stage of the restoration but it will be very exciting to view the new roof.

This Sunday is Mothering Sunday and as indicated in last week’s Village Voice, the church service this week will be at 10.30pm; a Family Service led by Jacqueline Kemp. Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent (the middle Sunday of Lent) and has been celebrated in the U.K. since the 16th century. It was also called “Refreshment Sunday”. It was the one day in Lent when the fasting rules were relaxed. It is not known why Mothering Sunday was so called, but the name could have derived  some many years ago, when people made a point of visiting their nearest big church, which would have been the Mother Church.  Cathedrals are the “Mother Church” of all other churches in a diocese, ours being Chichester Cathedral. People who visited their “mother church” would say they had  gone “ a mothering” It is also recorded that people in “service” were allowed one day each year to visit their family; this was usually Mothering Sunday. They often took home gifts for their mother; baked cakes or flowers from the garden.

All are most welcome to the Mothering Day service at the village hall this Sunday at 10.30am followed by light refreshments.

Hilda Aplin, Lismoyne, Oakhurst Road