All Saints Church

United in Faith Welcoming All

The services have been planned  as follows  for September.

Sunday 7th September 11.00 am

Morning Praise Mr Robert Heley

Sunday 14th September 11.00 am

Holy Communion  Rev Mike Stewart

Sunday 21st September 11.00 am

Morning Praise    Helen Harbron-Applegarth

Sunday 28th September 11.00 am

Holy Communion Fr Paul Messam

The service  on 28th September is our Harvest Festival Service  to be followed by a Bring and Share Lunch in the Chapter House. There will be lists in church for people to offer what they can bring.

All are welcome to the services with refreshments afterwards.

The  July Coffee Morning was very successful. We were welcomed to Jackie and David Lloyd's house  and we thank them for their hospitality.

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The September Coffee Morning is planned for Wednesday 17th September at 10.30 am in the Chapter House  and there will be  Coffee Mornings on Wednesday  15th October  and Wednesday 19th November also at 10.30 am in the Chapter House.

Robert Heley

Wilstead Bowls Club

The Presidents Day spoon drive in aid of Cancer Research was held on Sunday 3rd August.

Our President  would like to go on record and thank all the members who turned out to play, donating their time and money to a great cause. Also thanked are members who donated so many prizes for the raffle. It was a wonderful day; the weather was brilliant and all the players had a good time. The day raised £441 for the charity.

A Fish and Chip spoon drive was held on Friday evening 23rd  August, a fun evening with lots of banter.

Very few matches were rained off this year, some matches were played in weather sometimes hotter than players would have liked, which meant some games were shortened.

During this the 40th anniversary year, thanks go out to all of those who have given their time to support the club: especially those maintaining the green, those providing the catering and those manning the bar.

The outdoor season has gone so quickly with only a few fixtures left to play.  Six of our ladies were runners up in the Tuesday League Knockout Competition.  In the  2 rink county league our men earning promotion to division 1 next season.

The various rounds of the club competitions have taken place and the in-house finals are being played the weekend of 13th and 14th September, with various matches over the 2 days. Spectators are always welcome, come along and join us.

Short mat indoor bowling will start up again on Tuesday, Wednesday afternoons and Friday evening from mid-September.

On a sadder note, David Potter passed away on  Friday 15th August. David was an early member of Wilstead Bowls Club. He had been Bar Chairman, Chairman and latterly a Trustee. He was County President in 2004 and also played for Bedfordshire and Bowls England.

If you need any club information please contact

Sue Marchant - Club Secretary, 07716676383

sue@marchantonline.com

Wilstead Bowls Website www.wilsteadbowlsclub.co.uk.

Sad Endings or New Beginnings?

September is a curious month that often ends summer with a cool few days and then we often have a glorious warm few weeks with amazing autumn colours. So should we be sad that the long warm days are over for this year or celebrate what might be coming?

Autumn sees the Wilstead Garden Club back in the village hall for their meetings. Unfortunately our last summer outing had to be postponed because of the vandalism at Clophill Lakes. We plan to find out more about the Greensand Trust and their work and make a visit to the Lakes next year.

On Tuesday 16th September we will be welcoming Mike Stewart who will be talking about lawncare in our changing climate and topiary. From previous talks we remember him pruning bushes for hours with small scissors at some of his professional gardens. Hopefully we won't have to be so careful to achieve results in our gardens.

October will be our Quiz Night when Mary promises easy questions, it's the answers we have trouble with. November is a crafty session, actual activity to be revealed nearer the time, and December is our Christmas meal.

We may be sad that our flowers and vegetables that have braved the challenging conditions of summer are now spent but now we can look forward to new beginnings of meetings in the hall and planning for a glorious autumn and spring.

Wilstead Garden Club meets on the 3rd Tuesday each month, except December, at 2.30 pm in the Village Hall. Entry £3 with an optional raffle at £1 per ticket.

We look forward to seeing you.

Wilstead Garden Club Committee

Maralyn, Lynda, Viv, Julie, Mary, Annette and Chris

News From The Pews

Our Pet Blessing Service of 10th August was a great success. The sun shone brilliantly and we had an enthusiastic congregation seated outside the church. The dogs and tortoises seemed to enjoy the occasion as much as their owners. After a rousing chorus of "All Things Bright and Beautiful", the gathered animals were blessed by Revd. Mike, Helen led a prayer for pet owners everywhere, then it was time for a much-welcomed tea, with cake, in the shade. Owners were presented with a certificate for each of their pets. Our retiring collecting raised £30 for the National Animal Welfare Trust (Bedfordshire). Thank you to everyone who took part.

In September we will be starting a monthly afternoon meeting in HeBrews Cafe in church. After our usual hot drinks and cake, we will be having short, gentle conversations about what our Christian faith means to us and exploring ways in which we can develop and share this with others.

If this sounds like something you would like to discover for yourself, and you need not be a member of our church to join us, you are warmly invited to come along. Our first meeting of "READY TO SHARE" will be Tuesday, 9th September beginning at 2pm, closing at 3pm. Please contact the Team Ministry below if you would like any further information.

We have successfully twinned our church toilet with a Tearfund toilet in South Sudan. Thank you to everyone who contributed to "A Penny for the Loo". We are almost ready to make a second toilet twin.

If you would like an Elstow Team minister to visit you at home, or you would like to plan a baptism, confirmation, wedding; or have advice about funeral arrangements; if you would like to receive Home Communion, please contact us at the address below.

Many Blessings

Helen Harbron-Applegarth

Lay Minister

Elstow Team Ministry

Tel: 01234 261477

Email: vicar@elstow-abbey.org.uk

Wilstead Pre School

Welcome back! After the long summer break we are back fully raring to go.

Before we get going I would like to thank all our lovely parents for their wonderful gifts/cards and kind words (and chocolate) at the end of last term.

It truly means so much to have such wonderful support from everyone. Thank you!

At the end of last term we had to say a sad  goodbye to our school leaving children. We wish them all the best for starting their new primary schools. I know the parents will be more nervous than their children when they start, but rest assured, they will all be fantastic!

Staff news. At the end of last term we said a very sad goodbye to Laura and Jamilee. The lovely Jamilee has been on maternity leave with her beautiful daughter Rosie and is going to be spending more time with her growing family. We wish you all the best Jamilee and keep bringing Rosie in to see us!  You will be missed by everyone.

The lovely Laura is embarking on an exciting new career as a primary reception teacher. Laura has worked at pre school for the past 9 years and has been a HUGE part of pre school, she will be greatly missed by staff, children and parents. Good luck Laura in your new adventure.

Right - September is here and we are very much looking forward to welcoming our new children and their families over the next few weeks. Our main priority will be settling the children in and getting to know their little personalities.

Rest assured they will be very well looked after and will settle very quickly. We look forward to welcoming you all.

We also are really looking forward to seeing how much our returning children have grown over the summer holidays!  Welcome back children!

Fundraising news.

We will have our annual AGM in October to welcome new parents to our committee (date to be announced).

If you are interested in joining the committee please speak to a staff member. We are a charity run pre school which is run by a committee of parents.

It is vital we have more members join and keep our pre school up and running.

The committee members will help at our fundraising events too. There is no pressure as you can do as much or as little as you can.

We need you !!   It's a great way of getting to know the staff better and how pre school works, and maybe make a new friend or two.

We will be organising a quiz night, possibly a Halloween disco and our Christmas bazaar which this year will be on Saturday 6th December at the village hall. Put it in your diary.

More details to follow in the next newsletter. Thankyou.

I hope you all had a wonderful summer and we look forward to seeing you all.

Julia.

Wilstead Village Hall

Recently we have had a few hirers who have not adhered to the Hirers' Terms and Conditions of the Hall and have had some damage to the hall and unnecessary disturbance to the local residents. Therefore, we are introducing that from now on, any adult and teenage parties that go beyond 8.00pm, will not only have to pay the £100 deposit but also a £400 security deposit against any damage and disturbance in the locality. If a hirer follows the rules, then the deposits will be returned. We are also looking into the hirer having to pay for security guards if we think it necessary. It is a great shame that the minority spoil things for the majority!

As not one volunteer came forward following the last appeal, we again ask if you are good at/enjoy DIY and are happy to give some of your time to support Ben the caretaker and the Committee with small jobs in the Village Hall as and when needed? Also, do you enjoy gardening and have some spare time to help in the Village Hall garden as it continually needs attention with weeding etc?  If so, please contact Barbara or Angela.  Some jobs don't need the expense of a professional and an hour every so often would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

We still need new faces on the Committee with fresh ideas about how to run the Hall. Many of the present committee will probably retire next year, so now is a good time to join us and learn how the hall works. No Committee next year means NO hall for local people to use!

Don't forget that to find any information about the hall, T's & C's, rates of hire, hall availability and to make a booking via the On-line Diary etc., please visit:  wilsteadvillagehall.co.uk.

We would greatly appreciate potential hirers using the online booking system and NOT emailing the Admin team.

Chairperson – Barbara Seamark

seamarkbarbara@gmail.com 07709573475

Secretary – Angela Fosbrook

fosbrookangela@gmail.com 01234 294692

Wilstead Players News

The former Wilstead Players will be holding an Extraordinary General Meeting in the Small Hall at Wilstead Village Hall, in Cotton End Road, Wilstead on Wednesday, the 17th September 2025 at 7.30 pm.  The Meeting has been called to formally dissolve Wilstead Players and to decide on the disposal of assets.

It has been suggested that a new social organisation be formed under the name of The Friends of the Players, and of course a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer will need to be appointed to proceed.

If this is how you see the future of the former Players, please make an effort to attend the Meeting - thank you.

Wilstead & Wixams Good Neighbour Scheme

September Update

I would like to add some extra thanks to the volunteers who keep the Cafe going, both here in Wilstead and also in Wixams.  The cafe would not function without them. So if you, the villagers, want this to continue please consider giving up some time once every two to three months and help us keep it going. If we don't get more helpers it will soon have to close! Also if the number of visitors does not increase we will have to consider its future as it costs us to keep it going, so please, turn up! Those that do seem to enjoy themselves.

Once again, though not a Good Neighbours function I would like to bring to your attention a RBL event we are organising (I am Wilstead Branch Vice Chairman). A race night on Saturday 20th September to raise funds for the Branch and poppy appeal, Bowls Club, 7:30 start.  Look out for posters with details, or contact me directly.

Next Wilstead Cafe dates in the village hall are Fridays, 5th September, 19th September, 3rd October and 17th October at the normal times 2.00 to 3:30pm. And don't forget Wixams, Lakeview Village hall every Tuesday 10:30 to 12 Noon.

All Ages Welcome!! Kids As Well

Rick Baxter

Chairman

740854

WWGNS Phone 07807 408928

Wilstead & Wixams Community Art Group

If you're interested in art and would love to try out your talent, why not join us? Your first session is free and, if you decide to continue and become a member, it will be £3 a session when you're able to come. We meet in the Village Hall on Mondays from 2pm-4pm. We don't meet on Bank Holidays. Our group has members of all abilities, using a variety of mediums. You might like sketching in pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, or painting by numbers. You can also paint in watercolour, acrylic or even oil. Meeting in the large hall makes it a safe space to work in and we are well spaced out. May I remind members and new people that we do have a small variety of art resources for your use so, if there is anything you haven't got or would like to experiment with, we may be able to help. If you need it, several of our members will help and encourage you in whatever your artistic endeavours happen to be.

Enquiries: Michael Bradley: Mobile 07526 939164.

Email: revmichael14@outlook.com

Wilstead P3 Footpath Group

Meetings

The latest meeting of the Group was held in the Village Hall at the beginning of August. Members of the Group reported on the condition of all of the Public Footpaths and Public Bridleways in the Parish (seventeen in total). These reports recorded ease of use and highlighted any problems which were impacting on this.

There were no real problems and all of these Rights of Way were walkable and in the case of the Bridleways these were also usable by horse riders and cyclists.

These paths provide off-road links for non motorised transport within the village as well as links to surrounding villages eg Haynes, Cotton End, Elstow and Houghton Conquest.

If you do come across any problems with vegetation obstructing any path, or with any path furniture (e.g. waymark posts, kissing gates), or uncertainty as to where to go, please report this via the phone number at the end of this input to the Newsletter and the Group will look to fix it.

The next meetings of the Group are on Saturday 4th October and Saturday 29th November at 10.00am in the small hall of the Village Hall.

Come along to the meeting if you would like to get involved with monitoring the state of the paths in the village and / or helping to fix any problems. All are welcome.

Working Parties

Again with the continuing fine dry weather, as reported above, there have been few, if any, path problems identified, following the Group's monthly inspections or, by members of the public, with the 11 miles Footpaths and Bridleways around the village and so no remedial work was proposed.

As and when problems are identified the Group will look to rectify these and if they are too big / complicated for the group to resolve then the Bedford Borough Rights of Way department will be asked to undertake any work required to fix the problem.

Walks

The 15th August four and a half mile walk in the countryside between Maulden, Ampthill and Houghton Conquest was postponed a week to the 22nd August because of the high temperatures, (makes a change from rain!!). This re-arranged wander coincided with the editorial deadline of the Newsletter so hopefully it went ahead and a report on this walk will be in the next Newsletter.

The remaining walks this year are currently planned for Sunday 14th September 2.00pm, Sunday 19th October 10.30am and Sunday 23rd November 10.30am.

Sometimes life and the weather have a way of disrupting any plans so keep an eye on the posters on the village noticeboards for details of these future walks and any changes.

Come along if you fancy a wander (4-5 miles through the nearby Bedfordshire countryside.

Lastly it is intended to continue the twenty year plus tradition of having a New Year's Day morning wander around the village footpaths and bridleways, (ideal for addressing any over indulgence the night before!). Again keep an eye on the village noticeboards and future Newsletters for details nearer the time.

Nigel Jacobs

Wilstead Footpath Group

01234 400733

Wilstead Women's Institute

Our August meeting brought Very from the Police Cyber-crime unit to give us advice on how to be safe on our phones computers and tablets. A very interesting talk and our members had lots of questions to ask.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday 4th September where Lisa Cranston will have talked  about the work of the National Animal Welfare Trust.

Everyone welcome, meetings start at 7.30 in the village hall if you would like further details please contact me on the numbers below.

Karen Cook- President

01234 403936

Karencook3@btinternet.com