Friends of Bolingbroke Castle Newsletter
March 2013
Dear All,
Firstly, may we wish all our readers a belated, but nevertheless sincere
Happy & Healthy New Year !
No doubt by now, all those New Year Resolutions will have been put to bed and life will have returned to normal. However, for those who have been successful WELL DONE !My favourite New Year's Resolution is;To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.
Pride & Prejudice
Following the success of last year’s Shakespeare on the Castle
it wassuggested that Chapterhouse Theatre Company be asked
to return.On Thursday June 13th they return to the Castle with Jane
Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. Take a step back in time to meet
Elizabeth Bennet & her sisters and, of course, Mr Darcy ! Join family
& friends for what promises to be the most splendid evening of the
summer as you picnic under a beautiful summer sky and revel in
this most renowned of love stories. After all, it is a truth universally
acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a fortune must be
in want of a wife ! More details will be available later.
Sealed Knot Returns
The English Civil War returns to the village on the weekend of
October 5th6th . There will be a skirmish on the Castle on both
the Saturday and the Sunday and a march through the village. Skirmish 5/ More details will be available closer to the event but pencil the
date in your diary.
Children’s Easter Activity on Bolingbroke Castle (see posters on Village Noticeboards)
Thursday 4th April11am – 4pm
This holiday, join HeritageLincolnshire for a day of special,holiday
themed activities for thewhole family including:
• Medieval Have-A-Go Archery
• Treasure Hunt
• And much more!
Drop in throughout the day Entry is Free All children must beaccompanied by an adult.
Tel: 01529 461499E-mail: Web:
Parish Council News
There have been two Parish Council Meetings so far this year. An Ordinary Meeting on January 28th and an Extraordinary Meeting relating to the Village Field Letting on February 7th. At the former, at the suggestion of Mr Cullum,the Council agreed to place the new Queen’s Jubilee Bench on the Play Area outside the Village Hall. The Council agreed to increase the Precept by 3% but will check to ensure this is in line with policy in the present financial climate. Concern was expressed over the continued problem of parking at the Rose Garden and a no parking sign is to placed there.The caretaker will be tasked to promote the use of the Village Hall and direction signs to the Hall will be purchased. Instead of a village flyer notices promoting the village hall will be placed on noticeboards.No decision was reached about a PC Workplan but input on this from the parishioners will be taken at the Annual Parish Meeting on May 17th at 7 pm. The Meeting will provide the Chairman with the opportunity to present an annual report and give parishioners the opportunity to express their opinions and ideas relating to the Parish Council and Village. There will be a social element to the evening and refreshments will be provided. The Extraordinary Meeting focussing on the Letting of the Village Field agreed to let the field only for sheep and to inform Bells Auctioneers to run the Pin & Candle Auction with this in mind. The Council received the resignation of the Parish Clerk, Mrs Diane Morgan, and thanked her for her hard work and efforts and wished her well in her move to Gloucestershire. The Council are now seeking a new Parish Clerk. The next Parish Council Meeting will be onMonday March 25th at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall.
Historical (or is it Hysterical) Fact !
An elderly clergyman landed himself in trouble with the law in July 1940.
In the aftermath of the fall of France the Government had announced that
the ringing of church bells would be the signal that the Germans had
commenced an invasion, and any clergyman who tolled them in other
circumstances could face prosecution for causing unnecessary alarm
amongst the public.In July 1940, Magistrates in the town of Spilsby
convicted the Rev. Robert Graham, the rector of Old Bolingbroke, on a
charge of ringing his church bells before a service. In his defence the
69-year-old claimed he was not aware of the new law and had not
heard about it on the wireless because he was deaf. This excuse did not
impress the Magistrates however, and the Reverend Graham received a
sentence of four weeks in jail. In October he successfully appealed against
his conviction but by then he had already served 12 days behind bars.
Concessionary Travel Scheme
A reminder for those with concessionary bus passes that it is renewal
time. If your pass expires in March or April 2013, you can apply to
renew now. Call 01522 782201 to book an appointment to renew, or
youcan renew on-line.
Pin & Candle Auction
Every year a special auction is held to bid for the grazing on the Village Hall
Field.The Pin and Candle Auction is a historicmethod of auctioning which
is now rarely occurs. If you are interested in seeing this the auction run by
Bells is Thursday 28th March 2.30pm at The Black Swan in Horncastle.
Please pick it up !
Most dog owners in the village are extremely diligent in picking up
dog faeces. However, one or two still don’t bother whether on village
verges or the Castle grounds. Could those people please join the rest to
ensure that the village is a healthy & pleasant place to both live in
and visit.
Friend’s AGM
The Friends AGM will be on Friday 10 May at 7.30 at Ramsden Village Hall. Afterwards there will be a Cheese & Wine Get –Together. We look forward to seeing as many members there as possible.
Should you want to join the Friends of Bolingbroke Castle please contact the Membership Secretary, Colin Simpson, on 01790 763058.