Netherfield

Claverham Monday Badminton Club: A hot Monday night in the Hall does make you wonder why you put yourself through the agony of competition. What you do need is copious amounts of water to put back in what comes flooding out as you get stuck into the games.

Our illustrious leader, Roy, was back this week into the frenzy of the game after his rest, due to injury of a week ago. With one of those tubular compression support stockings around his knee he eased himself back into the fray. Even though he was walking awkwardly I thought he played better than usual. He did need to take additional sit-outs though which I guess is further evidence that he was not back to normal.

A new member Rob joined this week. A friend of Scott’s, a long-term member, he seemed to get into the swing of it very quickly. That is Rob not Scott. I hope he enjoyed himself enough to return next week.

Another of our regulars, Ben, decided he was not applying himself to the best of his ability this week and so decided to take an early bath. In fact he told us all he was playing rubbish. Sometimes differences like that are hard to detect.

More next week.

Reflections on a garden: Not being gardeners who study the latin names of the plants we have in our garden, I sometimes struggle with the best means of communicating to you, my reader, the shrubs and flowers that sprout during every month of the year. Next to our pond we have a tall plant which comes out during this month of July. It is purple, has a long thin head and is full of tiny bell-like blossoms. It is currently about six feet tall or two metres, approximately, in today’s parlance As the lady’s mantle and hosta flowers are beginning their long transition into oblivion for this year this plant, we don’t know the name of, comes into its own. When it has flowered and dies back it leaves stiff, structural stems in place which remain brown throughout the winter and are strong enough to use as pea sticks in the vegetable garden next year, when cut.

The heat appears to be having a devastating affect on our apples trees. The fruit is turning red but is very small and not the plump, little heavenly orbs we are used to. Our recent addition of a Cox’s orange pippin is so small, one bite and they would be gone. Whilst there are many pieces of fruit on its branches they do not look as though they will survive to maturity.

Our russet too is devoid of any potential harvest. The only tree that seems to be relishing these adverse English weather conditions is our walnut, which has put on an extra foot or two this year after over a decade of languishing in the doldrums of insignificance, at around two feet high.

Oh, and as a footnote, we were lucky enough to win a trophy in the Battle in Bloom Competition for our garden.

More next week........

Netherfield Village Hall Bingo: The next session of the Netherfield Village Hall Bingo is Thursday 9 August 2018. Eyes down will be at 7.00pm and doors open at 6.30pm. The end of session jackpot “Full House” within a certain number of calls is gigantic, well is worth winning anyway. The children are welcome too. So let’s have a full house. Legs eleven!

Netherfield Village Hall Library Service: The three bookcases are going through the process of change, allowing them to be moved from one part of the Hall into the main area. This means we will soon be up and running. If you have offers of bookcases you would like to dispose of we would be happy to collect. As mentioned last week offers of books, DVDs and CDs are arriving all the time showing what a generous community we have have. There will be hardbacks and paperbacks on offer covering a large range of topics and genres. Last week we asked for suggestions on times of opening so keep your suggestions coming. Details at the end of the column as to how to get in touch. Please take two minutes to inform us.

Netherfield Village Fete: With the hot weather still continuing Saturday 18th August 2018 looks like a hot date (sorry for the pun but I couldn’t resist it) for the Netherfield annual village fete, which takes place on the Playing Fields at the Netherfield Village Hall. I understand there is a possibility that the bouncy castle known as the “assault course” will be one of the attractions. We could do with a few days of rain beforehand so that everything will be green, such as the grass. As advised there will be a “Dog Show”. Not long to go, playmates!

Netherfield School of Rock: Getting equipment for our budding DJs is a minor problem but I am sure it can be addressed very soon. If you have any working “speakers” you would like to donate, or an amplifier that you no longer need we are looking for a couple. In addition, if you have any microphones we need some of those too. Budding DJs need to project and this equipment will make them fir the bill when it comes to looking and sounding the part. All the hardware we have at the moment is in perfect working order so we just need a little more to be up and running.. Contact details below.

Netherfield and Battle Radio: I am surprised that we have had no interest in this community project so far. Anecdotes and stories about the things you would want to hear on the radio seemed like the perfect scenario to get you talking, but not yet it seems. Come on, can you help us out?.

Tell me what you think by contacting me at [email protected] or any of the alternatives highlighted at the end of the column.

Contact: If you have any stories or articles of interest that will give our readership a reason to buy the paper please contact me on email at [email protected]. Call 01424838410 and ask for Maurice or text 07957588172