Bosley Village

Winter seems to be dragging on with grey, wet and cold days, but we know it won’t last for ever and the occasional sunny day lifts our spirits and reminds us Spring is on its way with new life and growth.

At last we have some progress on making our church also a centre for the community. A notice will be pinned on the notice board for four weeks, and progress is being made in preparing appeals for grants for our community project, and we hope for lots of support for various fund raising activities will be taking place during the year. The first one is a concert from the Macclesfield Male Voice Choir on the 12th May tickets will soon be available and then there will be a Safari Supper on 30th June with each course held at a different venue and all ending up together. Watch out for other events.

We have learnt that the church has a war grave from WWl for Private William Barnes of the 51st Battalion of the Canadian Infantry who died on 14th May 1916 whose parents lived in Bosley. The War Graves Commission is anxious that with the centenary of the end of the war all graves should be identified. To this end there will be a sign by the front gate and details of the grave’s position in the church. We are hoping to find a little more about him and his family. His parents are also buried in the same grave and both died in 1948 so it would be good if anyone remembers where they lived or knew of any siblings who may still be around as we are planning to have more of the history of Bosley and the people who have lived and worked here available.

Lent started on Ash Wednesday 14th February. Lent lunches are being held each Wednesday and in March the first one is on the 7th at Thrumble Rock in Bosley, then on the 14th it will be at the Methodist Chapel and the 21st at Whitelee Farm, Wincle. Mothering Sunday is on 11h March when mums and grans receive posies at the church service, 9.30am. On Palm Sunday, 25th March, we will be processing at 9.30 from The Green to the church with the donkeys who will arrive about 9.0 am to give time for everyone to enjoy them. The Good Friday service will be a Chapel at 7.30 as usual with the traditional hot cross buns and cups of tea to follow. Revd. Tony Tagg will lead the service and the St. Mary’s Choir will be singing. Everyone is welcome. The Easter Day Communion service in church is at 9.30.

A few of us from Bosley joined a few from Wincle and Wildboarclough for the Plough Service. Rather more snow than we bargained for but we got there and back safely due to our brilliant driver!

The Youth Club has a Welsh night on 5th March with jousting and making fudge. The 12th is the club’s birthday, so partying for all. Irish night for St. Patrick on the 19th, with Irish jigs and jokes and prizes; wear something green. Egg hunt and chocolate fountain on the 26th and then the Easter holidays so back on April 16th for more fun.

The daylight hours are already getting a little longer and we can look forward to spring. Easter this year is on April 1st so Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 14th with the first Lent Lunch at the Wincle vicarage. The one at Bosley will be on March 7th at Thrumble Rock.

The Youth Group took the major part in our Nativity play, “Jesus Birthday Party”. The innkeeper, Nathan Rawlinson, was continually being woken up by those coming to see the baby, played by Theo, who celebrated his first birthday that day. Shepherds, king, angels and of course Joseph and Mary all played their parts helped by Olly Carter who narrated the story and the congregation, stamped, knocked and snored to order.

The Youth club programme for February includes on February 5th, a trip out to the Bowling Alley at Lyme Green, February 12th a Chinese night, February 26th Karaoke Competition night and March 5th a Welsh Night.

Many of us enjoyed seeing the Gilmans of Pye Ash Farm starring on BBC1 with some lovely shots of Bosley, bellringing at the church, Jane with her bees, George and Martha working on the farm and James with his sheep dogs and the Hope Fete and sheep dogs trials there.

The Plough Service this year is at Wildboarclough church at 10.30 on February 11th when the plough is blessed and a lamb if available. Plans for the year for the year are being made and please let me know of any events that need flagging up. The donkeys should be there on March 25th, Palm Sunday, to process from the Green to the church for the service. The Rose Queen fete and Fell Run is on 16th June followed by the Rose Queen Service on the 17th. A Safari Supper will be held on 30th June when the various courses are held at different homes around the parish ending up altogether at a single venue. The Annual Meeting of St. Mary’s church is at 7.30pm on 26th April in the church. All on the electoral roll are welcome.

Congleton Young Farmers Club has it annual dinner and awards evening on Friday 12th January at Sandhole Farm. Several awards were presented for different aspects of club life; stock judging, entertainments, newcomer, and two awards for the best male and female member and then an overall best member trophy. Congratulations to Sarah Nixon who won it and she was amazed and overjoyed at the accolade which followed on from her mother winning the same trophy back in 2000!

Neil Wain gave a talk at the Chapel service about the Hope for Justice charity which works to prevent modern day slavery and rescue and support those who have been trapped into it. There are more slaves in this country and the rest of the world than at any time before. Neil travels overseas visiting places where it is suspected that slavery is taking place and to help set up centres there and there are also centres in this country. An article about Neil’s work will appear in next month’s magazine.