Chairmans Chat 2022

December

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Aerial depiction of Epperstone

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Epperstone in cross-stitch and tapestry

Hello all Country Linkers,

I've had a busy month as I've been away on my annual 15 days continuous training with the Air Force Reserves.

On my return I visited Warwickshire Country Link, attending their meeting at Sharnford Village Hall, and taking my picture quiz as promised back in September. It was a well-attended meeting with Rodney Robins and Dick Stevens visiting from Oxfordshire as well.

We split into 5 teams of 3 to 4 people in each and the teams were given 10 minutes with each question page. Each page showed a number of pictures or photos with different subjects and the teams had to identify the items. The items to identify from the photographs included aerial shots of international cities, cocktails and their ingredients, international number plates, cheeses, and Motorway signs. Everyone had a good time and the guests from Oxfordshire were on the winning team!

It's really good for members to attend other clubs' meetings if the opportunity arises. It helps smaller clubs and a large part of Country Link is about friendship and fellowship.

Nottinghamshire Country Link recently held their annual Christmas Meal at The Old Green Dragon pub in Oxton, with the majority of our members attending. This was a good opportunity to catch up with everyone over a nice meal. I'm impressed with the number of Christmas meals organised on other programmes.

Earlier in December Nottinghamshire also iced biscuits with Christmas themed decorations. Pat and Roma baked the biscuits between them and Tim showed us how to do the icing, helping us along the way. Coffee and mince pies helped the evening along. This was held in Epperstone Village Hall, a venue we haven't been to before. Particularly striking here is a large, framed, aerial depiction of the village and surrounding area. This is completed in cross-stitch and tapestry and took the ladies of the village three years to complete. It was done to mark the millennium is 2000.

The national advertising campaign is about to start with the advert being published in the NFU Countryside magazine. The first issue to show the advert will be the January 2023 issue and it will run for 12 months. The website address is included in the advert so please ensure that your

programmes are up to date and current, and that your contact details are correct on there. For any amendments, change of contact details, new programmes, or reports from your local group then please send to Vicky at nottscountrylink@yahoo.co.uk who will ensure they are uploaded as required. It is important that this is all kept up to date and I'm sure some of you will now be planning your programmes for next year.

Finally - I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Peter Hunt - Chairman

November

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Courtesy of RJ Photographics

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Hello all Country Linkers,

It's been a busy month. We had a successful Country Link National Weekend at the end of October, held at South Normanton in Derbyshire. 77 members attended for the whole weekend, with 3 additional people for dinner on Saturday night.

Some people had doubts about having no disco on Friday night, but it worked well by giving everyone the chance to catch up with each other over the buffet supper. It just goes to show that that not every weekend has to follow the same format. Something to think about if you're considering organising a weekend in your area. We still enjoyed the disco after the black-tie dinner on the Saturday evening.

I helped to organise the trips to The Workhouse (a National Trust property) and Bramley Apple Festival on the Saturday, both of which were in Southwell. For Sunday I had arranged a visit to Papplewick Pumping Station, this included a visit to the underground reservoir. The pumping station itself is a preserved Victorian building and is very ornate. A modern pumping station would just be a mass of reinforced concrete and grey steel pipes.

Other visits over the weekend included a farm visit, and a visit to see vintage tractors and steam engines with 2 of the engines in steam. There was also a circular walk around Southwell. On Sunday the other visits were to Hardwick Hall, another National Trust property, and to the Fire Museum at Mansfield Fire Station.

There was a variety of fundraising events which took place on Friday and Sunday nights. On Friday there was the usual fine for anyone not in fancy dress (theme red, white, and blue), a raffle, a heads and tails with the added element of correctly answering some general knowledge questions, and a quiz. On Sunday we had to guess the weight of the Pumpkin (a nod to Hallowe'en). This was won by Pat Guest who estimated the weight to be 15lbs 2oz with the actual weight being 15lbs 3oz. Well done Pat! There was also a coloured cocktail stick tombola, another quiz, and a number of sealed bags were passed around to guess what the objects were inside the bags.

The weekend was a joint effort. A big thank you to Derbyshire for organising the hotel and accommodation, and for preparing the welcome packs, to Nottinghamshire for organising the trips on Saturday and Sunday, and to Somerset and Warwickshire for sorting the fund-raising and entertainment.

I'm now looking forward to the next Weekend which is to be at Kings Lynn from Friday 12th to Monday 15th May 2023, to be organised by Essex Country Link with help from the Norfolk group as well. The National Weekends are such a good opportunity to explore different parts of the country, and to meet members from the other Country Link groups. I'm also hoping to get to visit some more Country Link groups over the winter months.

We are currently working on a national advertising campaign to be published in the NFU Countryside magazine. For people who prefer to enquire via the website please ensure your current programmes and correct contact details are on there. If you have any amendments, new programmes, or reports of your local events please send to Vicky at nottscountrylink@yahoo.co.uk so that all information can be updated. It's important that this is all maintained.

As National Chairman I was recently invited to represent Country Link at the Remembrance Day Service at the Vintage Tractor Show held at Newark showground, together with Pat Bosworth the Nottinghamshire Country Link programme organiser.

The tractor show is a large event, covering most of the showground. I don't think I've ever seen so many vintage tractors in one place before! As part of the service representatives from local organisations placed symbols on the altar representing the different aspects of war. I presented Thyme which represents Courage and Sacrifice, and Pat presented Oak Sprigs which represents Comradeship and Humour which brought Humanity into the Horrors of War. It was a very poignant service, especially with events this year in Ukraine, and the 40th anniversary of our own war in The Falklands.

Peter Hunt - Chairman

If you are reading this and would like to know more about Country Link, please take a look at the programmes section on the website to see what sort of things we get up to. You are welcome to get in touch with your local club directly or use our contact form. If there's no club in your area, you are welcome to join in as a national member.

Country Link looks forward to hearing from you.

October

Hello all Country Linkers,

I hope everyone is well.

Nottinghamshire Country Link, where I am a member, recently held their annual harvest supper. This was a successful event with 22 members attending and was held at our regular winter venue of The Gleaners Inn in Calverton. The meal was followed by a quiz where people had to guess what object was inside a closed bag, using touch only. The bags were numbered and passed around each table for all members to have a go at guessing what was inside the bags. This was all good fun but, unfortunately, I forgot to charge my phone. So - no pictures this time!

I'm now looking forward the Country Link National Weekend at South Normanton at the end of the month. I know that not everyone feels the National Weekends are for them. However, they are a really good opportunity to explore other parts of the country, and it's surprising how quickly you can make new friends. Sometimes people are missing out on a good opportunity to do this. If you haven't attended a weekend then why not give it a go?

The National Committee had a successful meeting at Leek Wotton village hall in Warwickshire, where Sue Chilton (from North Yorkshire CL) was elected as the Northern Area regional rep.

Just to remind you all that funding is available from National for all clubs to use for local advertising. The National Committee can also look at putting adverts into local publications on your behalf, but you do need to provide the name of the publication please, and any contact details for your area. The idea is to point people towards the national website, as well as advertising your local group.

We're keen to make the most of the website so please send your pictures, report, and programmes to our website editor Vicky Hutton. email: nottscountrylink@yahoo.co.uk

There is a potential Spring Weekend for 2023 currently in the planning stage, but slots are available for Autumn 2023, and for 2024. How about show-casing your part of the country? Perhaps you have ideas that you would like to see included at a National Weekend? Neighbouring clubs can work together to host a weekend, with help from clubs further afield as well. Help, advice, and support is available from members of the National Committee and there is also a comprehensive handbook.

Finally - Good Luck to Sue in her new role, and I look forward to seeing you all at the end of this month.

Peter Hunt - Chairman

September

Warwickshire Country Link having tea and biscuits at their planning meeting

 

Hello all Country Linkers,

I am sure we all feel sad about the Death of Queen Elizabeth II. As the only monarch, most of us will have known, she will remain in our thoughts for some time to come. The military has a massive role in the related ceremonies and as a reservist I spent a busy weekend last week issuing ceremonial kit to personnel at RAF Cosford.

On the Country Link front Nottinghamshire held a planning meeting at the beginning of the month and hope to have our new programme available soon, it will include a selection of talks, visits and meals out.

I have recently taken the opportunity to visit Warwickshire Country Link at their planning meeting at the Village Hall in Sharnford. Warwickshire is quite a large active group with over 12 members who are really friendly and easy to talk to. They have an exciting programme planned, to include a number of talks, visits, walks and meals. The talk on the women's land army sounds very interesting. I have arranged to add my picture quiz on to their programme, as a joint event with Nottinghamshire Country Link.

I really would encourage Clubs to hold joint events. This helps out the smaller clubs, and a large part of Country Link is about friendship and fellowship. Please send any suitably edited programmes to Vicky Hutton our website editor for inclusion on the website - email: nottscountrylink@yahoo.co.uk

The National Committee is also meeting in September. We hold two meetings a year, normally a month before each national weekend. This is to help plan for the members meeting or AGM (depending on the time of year) which are both held at the national weekends. The area reps help make up the National committee. So, it is important that you are able to identify the area rep for your club, and offer feedback.

I'm looking forward to the next national Country Link weekend at South Normanton, and hope to see many of you there.

Peter Hunt - Chairman

If you are reading this and would like to know more about Country Link, please take a look at the programmes section on the website to see what sort of things we get up to. You are welcome to get in touch with your local club directly or use our contact form. If there's no club in your area, you are welcome to join in as a national member.

Country Link looks forward to hearing from you.

August

Steeple Grange light railway

Hello all Country Linkers,

It looks as if August is starting with yet another heatwave.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Derbyshire Country link and to join their walk to Middleton Top engine house, from the National Stone centre. Our walk incorporated a trip on the Wirksworth / Steeple Grange light railway on a line used for limestone mining. The trip included a talk by a geologist about the rock, the mining, and the many fossils contained in the limestone. The limestone is of very good quality, some of which was used for thousands of WWI headstones, as well as for decoration in many well-known buildings. Derbyshire Country link is a small but active club. They normally have numerous walks of various lengths across the scenic peak district throughout the summer, as well as many other activities.

I appreciate that for small clubs it can be difficult to publish a programme in advance, especially when working around members availability. However, I believe that having a programme and some photos of club events will help 'sell' Country Link to potential new members. If you do have any photos of your club events these can be sent via email to Vicky (email: website@country-link.co.uk). Even if you don't send a report, please add just a few lines to say what the pictures are / where they were taken / which group you are from. This will put the photos into context and a few words can be added to the website alongside the photos. I am no technical expert, but I am happy to share my limited knowledge if anyone needs any help with attaching photos to emails.

There's still a number of vacant posts on the National Committee:

Vice Chairman
Website Editor
Area Reps for the East Midlands area, and for the North of England

Members from the East Midlands area form a large part of the National Committee and I feel that members from other clubs would make the committee more representative of Country Link as a whole. We could also be missing out on some good ideas from other areas because of this.

If you are interested in any of the roles, please feel free to talk to any member of the National Committee to find out what it involves. The next committee meeting is in September, and it is an opportunity for you to see how Country Link works behind the scenes.

Please remember - enquiring about a role does not automatically commit you to taking it on. So don't be scared to ask!

Please feel free to print the Chairman's Chat and share with your members who don't have access to the internet or website.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and stay safe.

Peter Hunt - Chairman

July

Hello all Country Linkers,

It's turning out to be a very hot July. Hope everyone is enjoying the weather and staying safe.

I recently had a Zoom meeting with a number of the Area Reps, the idea is to help improve communications between the membership and the National Committee. We had a discussion around local advertising, making the most of the website, the countrylinker and the vacant committee posts.

Local Advertising

The national committee can look at putting adverts in any local publications in your area. Please provide your area rep with any details. The idea is to try and signpost people towards the national website as well as advertising your club.

National Website

Our National Co-Ordinator Vicky Hutton has very kindly offered to cover the Website Editors post. However, this on a strictly temporary basis, so we are still looking for a website editor. I would like to thank Maria Guest for her work in the role. Unfortunately, with the handover, there may have been a delay with some programmes and pictures going onto the website. The website is our shop window, so having up to date programmes and some pictures of club activities will be important going forward.

Countrylinker

One suggestion was to revive the Country linker as a hard copy publication or as a printable attachment on the website. If anyone would like to volunteer, to edit the Countrylinker. Then it is an idea the National Committee could look at taking further.

Vacant Posts

We have a number of vacant posts on the National Committee, Vice Chairman, Website Editor and Area Rep positions (East Midlands and Northern areas). A lot of the committee is made up of East Midlands members and I feel that members from other clubs would make it more representative of Country link as a whole. Also, that we could be missing out on some good ideas for the future as a result. Please feel free to ask any member of the National committee about any of these roles. But remember, asking about a role is not an automatic commitment to undertake the role.

Hopefully the summer will be a goodtime to recruit some new members.

Peter Hunt - Chairman

If you are reading this and would like to know more about Country Link, please take a look at the programmes section on the website to see what sort of things we get up to. You are welcome to get in touch with your local club directly or use our contact form. If there's no club in your area, you are welcome to join in as a national member.

Country Link looks forward to hearing from you.

June

Nottinghamshire Planning meeting

Nottinghamshire Planning meeting

Hello all Country Linkers,

Hope you have all had the opportunity to enjoy the extended Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

This month I have had a very enjoyable holiday in the Isles of Scilly, just off the end of Cornwall. Lots of beautiful scenery, interesting wildlife and good walking.

I had the opportunity to visit Oxfordshire Country link during their recent pub night. A good chance to catch up with some old friends and look at their new program. They are a small, but very active club, who enjoy their quizzes. It is good the programmes on the website are current. Would encourage any club without a programme, on the site to send a copy to Maria Guest the current website editor at the earliest opportunity. Please remember to edit any details you don't want published on the website. I do intend to visit as many clubs and meet as many members as possible during my term as chairman. So don't be surprised to see me visiting your club at some point. Derbyshire Country link are organising the next weekend and Nottinghamshire Country link are assisting with organising the trips. We have had our first planning meeting and despite the number of previous weekends held around the east Midlands area we should have an exciting programme of original trips. Its nice to be able to showcase places in your county that you have enjoyed visiting. The Information for the autumn weekend will not be released util august/September.

How about show-casing your part of the country? Perhaps you have ideas you will like to see included in a weekend? Clubs can work together to put on a weekend. There is a lot of advice and support available if members are considering organising a weekend. This includes a very comprehensive handbook.

I am a bit disappointed that we have not had more interest in the vacant committee posts, Vice Chair, Website Editor and some area reps posts. A lot of the committee is made up of East Midlands members and I feel that members from other clubs would make it more representative of Country link as a whole. Also, that we could be missing out on some good ideas for the future as a result.

Please feel free to ask any member of the National committee about any of these roles. But remember, asking about a role is not an automatic commitment to undertake the role. I would like to thank Maria Guest for continuing with the website editor's role, until a volunteer is found.

Looking forward to a nice warm summer, hopefully?

Peter Hunt - Chairman

May

Peter Hunt

 

Hello all Country Linkers,

Just to introduce myself. I am Peter Hunt, your new Chairman, voted in at the AGM during the recent Buxton weekend. Hopefully the election of Peter Hurt as President does not cause too much confusion? Especially as we are both members of Nottinghamshire Country link.

I have been a member of country link since 1999, first with Bucks and now with Nottinghamshire Country link. Having previously been the South East regional rep for a number of years. Then National vice Chairman for the last two years. I don't have a farming background, have always worked in Administration and Finance for the public sector, in Local Government/Civil service. In my spare time I am also a member of the Royal Auxiliary Airforce.

I feel that I should also thank my predecessor Charles Humby for his time as Chairman, and hope to be as successful at the role.

I would also like to thank Maria Guest, Phil Charles, Liz Goodwin, and rest of the team at Derbyshire Country link for organising the weekend at Buxton. Personally I, always enjoy a good barn dance, and the opportunity to learn more about the history of an area.

How about show-casing your part of the country? Perhaps you have ideas you will like to see included in a weekend? Clubs can work together to put on a weekend. There is a lot of advice and support available if members are considering organising a weekend. This includes a very comprehensive handbook.

As the Country moves out of the shadow of the pandemic, we will need to build up our membership. I am keen to make the most of the website, because this will help strengthen our efforts to recruit new members. We also need to further improve the contact between members and the National committee.

The National Committee also has a number of vacant posts including, Vice Chair, Website Editor and a number of area rep positions. Please feel free to ask any member of the National committee about any of these roles. But remember, asking about a role is not an automatic commitment to undertake the role. However my main priority is filling the website editors post.

We have an exciting year ahead for Country Link , and I hope to meet many of you in the coming months.

Peter Hunt - Chairman

If you are reading this and would like to know more about Country Link, please take a look at the programmes section on the website to see what sort of things we get up to. You are welcome to get in touch with your local club directly or use our contact form. If there's no club in your area, you are welcome to join in as a national member.

Country Link looks forward to hearing from you.

April

South Wiltshire Group together with the East Somerset Group South Wiltshire Group together with the East Somerset Group

 

Hello all Country Linkers,

March has been a month of 2 halves coming in like a lamb with daytime temperatures reaching as high as 17 degrees celsius and then going out like a lion when temperatures dipped during the day to 2 degrees with very frosty nights. We have, however, managed to drill all of the spring barley which will be going for malting.

In mid March we had a National Committee meeting when it was decided to keep the annual subscriptions at £10 per member. We have raised the amount available for advertising from £300 to £500 per group. This money can be claimed back from National on production of a receipt.

We look forward to the Buxton weekend at the end of the month. We should all follow any government guidelines which are in place regarding covid and act responsibly regarding any health issues or symptoms to keep everybody safe. After all we are all responsible for ourselves and must think of others.

We are living in changing times with prices rising and conservation moving to the fore. On the farm we now have to leave a conservation area for wildlife either around the perimeter of the field or in the larger fields it can be right across the middle. The Ministry control this by satellite and if this is not carried out correctly an email is sent to the farmer.

If possible, we should try to socialise with other groups and join in with walks, trips and meals out, etc. I attach 2 photos of the South Wiltshire Group together with the East Somerset Group during a visit to a beautiful tiny church in the hamlet of Fisherton de la Mere near Warminster combined with a walk and lunch after on a lovely sunny Sunday in March, although the wind was keen.

Charles Humby - Chairman

March

Hello all Country Linkers,

March 1st marks meteorological spring and is St. David's Day celebrated in Wales. Although we've had cold and wet weather this month the spring flowering bulbs are putting on a magnificent display - snowdrops, daffodils, crocuses and grape hyacinths.

The hedge trimming has been completed giving the birds the opportunity to start building their nests. Field work on the farm will soon begin and a new growing season starts for farmers and growers.

We've weathered some extremely fierce storms during February with wind speeds reaching 122 mph at the Needles on the Isle of Wight, the like of which we have never experienced in Britain. Sadly, due to waterlogged ground and the extreme gusting winds we have lost many beautiful trees.

Unfortunately these weather patterns are becoming more frequent with winter flooding and very strong winds due to climate change. Also planners are allowing new houses to be built on floods plains, which in many cases are old water meadow systems.

In Wiltshire we still have some working water meadows where there is a series of hatches where the water can be diverted from the main river to channels in the fields allowing drowning of the meadows. The mineral rich silt carried in the water fertilises the fields giving an early growth of grass and thus an early bite for the flocks of sheep.

The innovation of irrigating meadows which increased the productivity was first trialled in Herefordshire in the late 1500s and was adopted in South Wiltshire on the Wilton Estate in 1632. The day-to-day management of the water and meadows was the job of experienced and much respected men, referred to as 'drowners', who irrigated (floated) the meadows. A skilled drowner could have grass ready for grazing 2 weeks before a less skilled one. Shepherds worked alongside them and the reality of this was reflected in an old Wiltshire saying - "The drowner is half of the meadow; the shepherd is half of the flock."

We appear to be emerging from the pandemic, but still need to be cautious. Most groups are now meeting and carrying out social activities, which is encouraging.

Charles Humby - Chairman

If you are reading this and would like to know more about Country Link, please take a look at the programmes section on the website to see what sort of things we get up to. You are welcome to get in touch with your local club directly or use our contact form. If there's no club in your area, you are welcome to join in as a national member.

Country Link looks forward to hearing from you.

February

Hello all Country Linkers,

I do hope that January has treated you all well. This January has been the driest for 25 years. The dry conditions have helped considerably when driving the tractor out on Salisbury Plain to take feed to the cattle and move the electric fences around the stubble turnips. Knowing the patterns of our recent weather conditions I expect that when we start spring sowing of the crops the rain will come pouring down!! Oh well, such is life in the farming business.

The evenings are at last drawing out and spring is just around the corner, although we have had some very cold, but very bright days. Snowdrops have been sighted on the woodland edges and around the numerous church yards in our lovely Wiltshire villages. We have even seen a brave daffodil or two. We do fear for the carpets of bluebells which normally adorn the local woodlands as there have been huge logging machines taking out every single ash tree whether or not the ash die back is present. The woodland floor has been totally destroyed. We do hope that the woodland will be re-planted with other native species so that there will still be beautiful woods for future generations to enjoy, as well as the wildlife value.

The Country Link National Committee will meet in early March, so if any member has any issue to bring to our attention please let us know by contacting your Group Organiser.

The nomination forms for the National Committee are available on the Country Link website, so please cast your votes. We must have all the votes back with the Secretary by the 6TH MARCH. YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT.

Charles Humby - Chairman

January

the cheque presentation of £1,000 to the Yewstock Special Needs School

 

Hello all Country Linkers,

Firstly I wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year and apologise for the mix up duplicating Novembers 2021 chat.

This coming year we have many events to look forward to which include the Winter Olympic Games in China, the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July and the World Cup in Qatar in November. The most momentous event must surely be the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Year which commences on February 6th when she was ascended to the throne.

We have a weekend event to also look forward to which has been postponed from May 2020 to this coming May in Buxton. As yet we do not have an Autumn weekend 2022 organised so if any group wishes to put on a weekend please come forward and let the National Committee know.

Some groups have begun walking again. We have had some wonderful winter walks on the brighter days when we have encountered views and buildings which have been hidden during the summer due to the leaf cover on the trees. So there is something to be said for the bare winter trees, beautiful silhouettes against dramatic sun rises and sunsets, especially when the sky is clear and the moon and stars are also visible.

I am attaching a photograph of the cheque presentation of £1,000 to the Yewstock Special Needs School, Sturminster Newton made in December 2021 from the Weymouth weekend Autumn 2019, which has been delayed due to the covid pandemic.

Charles Humby - Chairman

If you are reading this and would like to know more about Country Link, please take a look at the programmes section on the website to see what sort of things we get up to. You are welcome to get in touch with your local club directly or use our contact form. If there's no club in your area, you are welcome to join in as a national member.

Country Link looks forward to hearing from you.

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