Toft and Newton ~ Barkwith ~ Friesthorpe ~ Hainton ~ Faldingworth Parish News ~ South Willingham ~ Wragby - Lets Talk Nature

Faldingworth Parish News

EVENTS AT FALDINGWORTH VILLAGE HALL

Saturday 13th June - RACE NIGHT. This will be a fabulous fun night - proceeds to Alzheimer's Challenge to be undertaken by Steve. Doors will open at 6.30pm and hopefully food will be available – check the Faldingworth Residents Facebook page for further details nearer the time. 

FALDINGWORTH CHURCH

This year's Mothering Sunday service will be held in our beautiful Church on Sunday 15 th March at 10.30am. Everyone is warmly welcome, especially children. The service will be fun with special activities for the children.

Please see Faldingworth residence FB page for church activity updates. 

All enquiries to rev.bryan@icloud.com

Faldingworth Scarecrow Festival : A Celebration of Children's Literature! June 2025 <<<more>>>

Faldingworth Coffee Mornings

Coffee mornings take place at Faldingworth village hall every Wednesday from 10am – 11.30am in aid of All Saints Church, Faldingworth.

ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH, BUSLINGTHORPE

This lovely Church was declared redundant in 1984, and since then has been in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. The Trust only maintains the fabric of the building; the churchyard is still the responsibility of the PCC, which in this case is that of the nearby parish of Faldingworth.  

Surrounded for decades by large chestnut trees, the churchyard had little undergrowth, but the felling of two of these for safety reasons some years ago has allowed ground ivy to spread over a large area of the churchyard. It did however allow an area of grass to establish which has been mown regularly.   Between the grass area and the fence on the south side, some four meters wide, the ivy has been sprayed off with the intention of grassing that area as well. There are, however, on that side ten gravestones in varying conditions, some of which have been knocked over, and a couple broken by falling branches. It has been proposed that they are relocated to stand against the fence adjacent to their present location. There are also three graves in the existing grass area which could be moved up to the wall of the Church.   The latest of these gravestones was erected in 1956, the earliest in the 1770's. To be able to move the gravestones, a faculty must be obtained from the Diocese which requires that every effort is made to contact the families of the deceased to obtain permission to move them.  

The attached plan shows the position of the graves and the family names, where they can be identified. Only those within the area surrounded by the red line would be moved to the positions indicated by the orange lines. The headstones represented by a rectangle are those that have been knocked over. D1 was only discovered after the plan had been drawn up. Photographs of the individual gravestones showing the condition of the engraving stability are available.  

Charles Wheeldon

FALDINGWORTH COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL NEWS

Fair Acres Federation (partnered with Normanby by Spital Primary School)

In a small village setting with good access, Faldingworth Community Primary School offers the benefits of small class sizes and a nurturing environment. With a recent "Good" Ofsted rating, our well-planned curriculum emphasises enrichment and pupil wellbeing. We are excited to introduce wraparound care before and after school this year. At Faldingworth School, pupils thrive, supported by a high standard of care, ensuring they feel happy and safe, ready to learn and succeed.

Each class enjoys an exciting termly trip! This term, pupils have met author Katherine Rundell, toured the LPAC theatre, explored artefacts at Lincoln's Guildhall and participated in a treasure hunt at Lincoln Library. Our youngest learners will soon be visiting Rand Farm. We foster a love for reading and learning through rich, hands-on experiences!

Our well-organised curriculum goes beyond the basics, offering enriching experiences for all pupils. This term, alongside core PE skills, children are learning fencing! We collaborate with the Lincolnshire Stay Safe Partnership to deliver workshops on online safety, wellbeing and the Mini Police initiative. Pupils also have the chance to take on leadership roles, such as Junior Road Safety Officers, Play Leaders, Reading Ambassadors and Wellbeing Champions, fostering responsibility and community spirit.

Community is at the core of Faldingworth Primary. We celebrate Christmas, Harvest and Easter with assemblies at our local church, and are currently collecting donations for a Lincoln food bank. Our Friends of School team actively support fundraising with events like quiz nights, pop-up restaurants and wreath workshops at the village hall. The annual Faldingworth Scarecrow Festival, held alongside our summer fair, draws visitors from far and wide, featuring local bands, charities, food stalls and many free family-friendly attractions. It's a fantastic day out, with games and stalls for everyone to enjoy!

Parents seeking school places now or in the future, please contact us to arrange to meet the team and have a tour of the school.

Faldingworth School Tel: 01673 885366 Email:  enquiries@faldingworth.lincs.sch.uk

Little Jesters, an independent preschool located within Faldingworth School, offers a nurturing environment for 2-4 year olds. Rated "Good" by Ofsted, Little Jesters provides high-quality early education with places currently available. For more information, contact 07464 468932.

~~~~

Toft Newton Parish News

Whats on / News from Newtoft, Toft Newton

NEWTOFT VILLAGE HALL

Family bingo will start in the new year on 18 th January. Everyone is welcome. Doors will open at 6pm. Eye Down at 6.30pm. Do join us for an evening of fun at the village hall, Newtoft.

Pilates classes at Newtoft Village Hall every Thursday evening.  7-8 pm until the clocks change then it's 6.30-7.30 pm. Everyone welcome.  

Crafting group every Wednesday evening 6.30-8.30pm. Bring all your crafting projects and have a cuppa and catch up.  £3 a session.  

Newton By Toft

ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH AT NEWTON BY TOFT

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our very first community coffee morning at St Michael's Church in Newton by Toft, on Thursday 2 nd July.

We were absolutely delighted to welcome nine wonderful guests to our debut event. For a brand-new gathering in our small and lovely church, this was an excellent turnout and a truly joyful start. The morning was filled with delicious refreshments, lively conversations, and plenty of smiles. It was wonderful to see neighbours catching up and making new connections in such a warm atmosphere.

Aside from bringing us together, these mornings have a special purpose. The funds raised will help with the vital upkeep of our historic church building. They will also support a very meaningful, upcoming memorial project at the church that we look forward to sharing with you all soon. 

We are so grateful for your support. This is just the beginning! While we do not have a set date for the next coffee morning just yet, future dates will be announced very soon. We look forward to seeing our gathering grow!

Alice Lyall

A Successful Weekend

We were proud to be one of the many historic buildings open across Lincolnshire and to take part in The May Churches Festival over the weekend of 9 th – 10 th May.

Whilst the church was "unmanned and unmoused" during the festival, our doors were wide open. We were delighted to welcome so many visitors into our 12 th century church to enjoy its history, its peace and its local hospitality. Visitors were invited to help themselves to refreshments, including bottles of water and chocolate biscuit bars. We also shared bags of jellybeans - each adorned with a special sticker of the church, and small, hand-decorated wooden crosses as gifts. It was a joy to read the many kind messages left in the visitors' book by those who spent time in the peace of our 12th-century building.

Save The Date 8 th – 9 th May & 15 th – 16 th May - Churches Festival 2027!

The Tale of Phiz and Boz
Following their appearances in our recent comic book teasers, the "stars" of the weekend were undoubtedly the handmade church mice! Phiz and Boz proved so popular that they completely sold out over the weekend. Their names hint at a very special local connection to the illustrator Hablot Knight Browne and author Charles Dickens as explained in an article in this edition

🐭 Newton Mice Back on Order !

If you missed out on bringing a mouse home, don't worry, we now have a new batch of these delightful characters. Each mouse is uniquely crafted by our volunteers. They are £5.00 with each purchase helping with the ongoing upkeep and preservation of St Michael's. Please get in touch with our church warden, Alice Lyall 07849194575 or visit our Facebook page - St Michael's church - Newton By Toft to place your request.

A huge thank you to everyone who visited, volunteered, or purchased a mouse. Your support helps keep our community, and our history, alive.

Jane Ginnelly

NEWTON CHURCHYARD Over the years and well before my time, I have been told that there was a hedge in front of our church, apparently, behind the hedge there was a wilderness of long grass and blackberry briers when the grounds were unattended. Since those days someone in their turns, and not always someone who lived in the village, has maintained the church grounds as it is today.

There are always nice comments of how well the church and grounds look in the centre of the village, which is now open for all to see. The very healthy church grounds donation tin has been going now for two years, this being the third and all donations are kept and recorded. The funds go towards maintenance of the mower and is being saved for the day when the village lawn mower needs replacing! The donation tin originally started when I began cutting the grass after Charlie Mallinson regretfully became unwell and was unable to cut it. I, like many others before me, who have cut the grass, take nothing out of the tin.

I personally would like to thank all of you who have put your donations in an envelope and marked it with your name and address, and delivered it to me, so that the records and yearly accounts can be updated. Finally, for those of you who are unsure, the Churchyard donation tin is totally independent from Church funds. With the Church being in the middle of the village, with your kind donations, I can keep the village looking tidy, so thank you all.
Charlie Albone

WHAT IS A CHURCH?

I took my young daughter into Church the other day to our lending library to choose a book. She asked me “Mummy – What is a Church?” I turned to her, thought for a moment and replied, “It's a religious building; It's where people celebrate births, marriages and death.” 

Since she asked me the question, I have thought about it more and more – What would you say to someone who asked you? Think about the first time you walked into a Church? How did it make you feel? 

A church can be many things and their meanings will be different and personal to each of us. 

I spoke with my daughter about what I thought a church was. We then spoke about the last time she visited. She told me the last time she visited there were lots of people but there wasn't today and that she liked it when there was lots of people there. I like that too I told her. I want our church to be filled with people. 

Every city, town, or village that you pass through has a Church – a place where people can gather together. 

How much do you know about the church where you live? Do you visit regularly? Do you keep up with regular events that are going on? 

Churches need a community to keep them open. Please support events at your local church. Please donate where you can. Learn about your local community and make new friends or reconnect with old ones. 

Follow us on Facebook – St Michaels Church Newton by Toft for all upcoming events

Community Camp out on Newtoft playing field in August '24

Many campers got together at the Newtoft Social Club on a lovely summer evening. A wonderful evening was enjoyed by all. Thank you to Pat Macrae for sending the photographs into us.

Caravans, campervans, tents or anything you fancy sleeping in was welcome.

We wgot there for 10am on the Saturday to set up camp and sit to picnic about 12.30.

There were games for the kids and adults in the afternoon, swing ball, rounders etc. and for the night a fire pit for chilling and guitar playing

Toft Tots – Thursdays, Toft Newton Community Centre, 9.15– 11.00, Term Time only

Football .......

Walking Football –Tuesdays, Newtoft Community Centre, 7.30-8.30pm, 16yrs plus

Children's Football – Fridays, 6-7pm, Newtoft Community Centre, Trainers / Footie Boots needed, Outside Play!

Newtoft Pups .... Come on you Pups!

Fitness by Dance ~ A class every Tuesday 6.30-7.30 at the New Toft Village Hall .... £ 2. New dancers always welcome. Contact is Steph Orr 01673 885573

Friesthorpe Village

Wragby & the Torringtons

WRAGBY APPLE DAY

Watch out for our Apple Day on a Sunday in September , 11am to 4pm at Wragby Town Hall, Louth Road, LN8 5QX. Free Admission .

Come along for a day all about apples. Get your mystery apple(s) identified and sample different types of apples. Free Apple juicing will be available (10kg limit, apples to be clean and please bring containers).  There will be a pruning and grafting demonstration, a LOGO produce and information stall, along with displays by other associated organisations being present. Delicious homemade refreshments will also be available, cash only.

Hainton Village

HENEAGE ARMS, HAINTON, LN8 6LX

 BARKWITH GROUP QUIZ Sunday 9th November 2025, at The Heneage Arms, 6pm for a 6.30pm start. £7 per person, including refreshments and the bar will be open. A room raffle will be held too. Teams of no more than 6 people. Everyone welcome.

SOUTH WILLINGHAM

SOUTH WILLINGHAM PARISH HALL

Friday July 20 th – 6.30pm - Music quiz and supper.   For details see posters & fliers, South Willingham Residents groups on WhatsApp and Facebook or contact Jan 07834 598703 or email janseward54@gmail.com

AUGUST

Wednesday 5 th – Coffee and chat & Willingham Winner draw 10.30am - 12 noon

No Ballroom Dance group, arts & crafts groups or film night in August

Thursdays 6 th , 13 th , 20 th & 27 th - Tai Chi 11.00 to 12:10 then Qigong 12.10 to 13.10 (Carol 07592071523)

Wednesday 19 th - Coffee and chat 10.30am to 12 noon.

Future events : Contact Jan 07834598703 or janseward54@gmail.com .

September - Date to be confirmed - autumn wreath making lesson by Denise

Friday 25 th September - AUTUMN AUCTION & 2 course meal. £13 per person. 7pm for 7.30 meal followed by the auction.

Donations of produce and quality items to auction will be gratefully received.

(Booking is essential by Saturday 19 th as places are limited)

Friday 23 rd October – Curry supper

Friday 20 th November – Quiz and fish/chips supper

See posters, fliers and South Willingham Residents groups on WhatsApp and Facebook nearer the dates

The PLANT STALL is outside the Hall this season. Please donate your excess plants.

Our WILLINGHAM WINNER lottery annual fees are due on September 1 st . Reminders will be delivered to current number holders.

Annual fee of £12 per number for a chance to win a monthly £40 prize. You may buy as many numbers as you wish. Contact Jan on 07834598703 to join.

To book the hall call Roland on 07946 259053

PLEASE NOTE – THERE WILL BE NO ARTS & CRAFT GROUPS OR REEL ISSUES FILM NIGHTS UNTIL SEPTEMBER!

The “Grand Opening” of the refurbished hall took place on 24 th June.

Our VIP guests, June Brown (lifelong resident) and Paul Fuller (oldest resident), declared the hall open by cutting a ribbon and the celebration cake. A champagne toast and speeches were made. A splendid selection of cakes and biscuits, beverages and excellent company were enjoyed by all. Garry Nelder took a group photo outside the hall. This picture will be enlarged and framed to join the gallery of photos from past events.

Future events:

TBC - September 25 th - Autumn supper and auction

Don't miss out on village news – join South Willingham WhatsApp residents group chat. Message Linda Cragg on 07752 277677

BARKWITH.

COFFEE MORNING

Our July Coffee morning will be on the Wednesday 22 nd JULY, 10.30am - 12 noon.

The August Coffee Morning will be on Wednesday 26th August 10.30am - 12 noon.

Do come along and join us for coffee, cakes and good company. Everyone is very welcome.

We all enjoyed the coolness of the church for our June get together, a relief from the heat outside!

The Barkwith Group Family Curry and Games teatime

This event took place on Sunday 21 st June at 4pm in St Mary's Church. What a lovely family social occasion it proved to be. We set off with a balloon game down the pews, which for some adults really turned on their competitiveness, great fun for all, also a quiz paper with clues throughout the church – this was won by Hannah and Kayleigh Pawson, well done - thank you to Helen, for producing such an engaging quiz. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food, most going up for a second helping. A sincere thank you must go to all our talented chefs - what delicious curries and alternative non-curries they made, also to everyone who donated to the food table and to all those that attended - thank you.

BARKWITH GROUP FETE

Barkwith Group Fete was held at St Mary's Church on Saturday 6 th June. After a wet start to the set-up preparations in the morning, the day brightened for the event. Thank you to everyone that helped in so many ways with donations and preparing and running the stalls and games. A particular thank you to all of you that attended on the day. The children had great fun on the curling game, the tombola was ever busy and those that just wanted to sit and people watch enjoyed a good cuppa, home-made cakes or delicious burgers and hot dogs. Thank you all.

CLOTHING BANK  

The clothing bank is in the carpark of East Barkwith Village Hall. The organisation, ASTCO, who host the clothing bank give money back to our community for the donations made. Their commitment to us is that all the clothing is reused or made into something new - nothing goes to waste.

So, when you are next thinking of donating any clothing, handbags, belts or shoes please consider using the clothing bank in East Barkwith.

LOGS FOR SALE - The Barkwith Church Community are selling fully seasoned hardwood logs and kindling.   All proceeds will go to local good causes. £2700 was distributed last season from this venture.   Please contact Andrew on 07770667632 .

Thank you, Dave Cotgrave, for sending the stunning photo of St Mary's Church, East Barkwith with Star Trails. The image is a composition of 360 individual exposures, blended together and edited using a combination of Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop and Star Stax. The photos were taken on an extremely cold evening in January over a 2½ hour period between 6.45 and 9.15pm. The exposure time was 15 seconds, with a 5 second interval between shots. Thanks must go to Chris Wilson for switching off the outside lights to allow Dave to get the shot.

 ##################

An Afternoon Walk with Beryl

Today, for the second time this week, I set out for an afternoon stroll. Unusually, I ‘bumped' into two village personalities out walking their four legged friends, braving the weather which was overcast, mizzerly and damp, but on the plus side it was sharp with the cold so I found it quite pleasant! At one point, I thought where are you sun, just to see your brightness and warmth and send the gloom away, but then, I rounded a bend and there it was! The sun - NO - but a sight to cheer me up, so with a little more lightness in my step I continued a little further! On my way back I rested by the bridge to relax, watching the gentle flow of the water. It was a lovely 5 mins and in the afternoon quiet, I could hear the sound of the flowing water like a babbling brook, so, feeling at peace, I finished my walk.  No sun or blue sky, but everything was ok in my world!

Beryl Reynolds (early 2020)

~ Mary Jordan Remembers ~

It is over forty years since I came to East Barkwith, and there have been many changes in the village since then.  One of the shops became a cafe, then a private house. The chapel ceased to be used for worship, and joined its two predecessors in private use. The YMCA hut was taken down just before it fell down, and was replaced by the Village Hall, which has itself been extended and modified. The reading room, where the Scouts paraded for Baden-Powell, was used as the school dining room, and has gone, replaced by the Play Area. The school and school house, where I kept a bucket on the stairs to catch the rain leaking through the roof, has been converted to a house on sale for over half a million pounds. The pub has gone up-market. The doctor's surgery moved from one bungalow to another, and eventually went to Wragby. The garage has disappeared.  The seed store has been converted into a desirable residence, and the fertiliser factory has been demolished and replaced with another large house. New houses have been built on fields and former gardens - some shoe-horned into spaces which seem impossibly small. Hedges have been grubbed out, then replanted. Farming practices have changed, the machinery has got larger, and tourists have become one of the crops.

However, some things don't change. The people in the village have inevitably changed over forty years, but the present inhabitants are as neighbourly and generous as their predecessors. The Post Office is still there, as is the church.  The response to the restoration appeal shows how much the church is valued by the people of the village - valued for what it represents, and as the village's outstanding building.

Mary Jordan

Churchyard Regulations

................. for the Parish of Barkwith

Comprising the Churchyards of: East Barkwith, East Torrington, Hainton, Sixhills, South Willingham, West Barkwith and West Torrington .

The Chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln, His Honour Judge Mark Bishop QC, issued regulations as to the control and use of churchyards in the Diocese of Lincoln in 2008 updated in 2012. These regulations are legally binding and differ from cemetery regulations, which are made by local Authorities.

The regulations are available to read in full via the Diocese of Lincoln website.

Below is an extract of the regulations, to help manage our local churchyards.

Parishioners, and those who die in the parish, have a right to be buried, or have their ashes interred in a churchyard in the parish. Other people may be buried there at the discretion of the Parish Priest, providing there is room. Once buried, there is to be no disturbance of the remains except for exceptional and legally authorised reasons. Burial is a symbol for our entrusting of the person to the eternal love of God. The burial fee does NOT buy the burial plot, it pays towards the general maintenance of the churchyard.

Memorials

Anyone wishing to erect a memorial stone should consult the Parish Priest as soon as possible, to ensure that the memorial conforms to the regulations. If the memorial does not conform to the regulations, or the Parish Priest refuses consent, an application for a faculty to the Chancellor of the Diocese is required.

Headstones should be between 2'6” and 4' high, 1'8” and 3” wide, 3” and 6” thick. They may be of natural stones, teak or oak, cast or wrought iron. Some stones such as black or grey granite, marble, synthetic stone or plastic are not normally permitted. The base of the stone may include a flower holder, but should enable ease of mowing. Monumental masons have full copies of these regulations, and will give advice on what is permitted.

Designs containing open books, hearts, figure statuary and photographic representations are not permitted. Neither are kerbs, chippings or glass shards. Any application for these must be by faculty application to the Chancellor of the Diocese.

Inscriptions should contain only the name of the deceased, dates of birth and death or age and date of death. Epitaphs must be simple and reverent, preferably from the Bible, Book of Common Prayer or Common Worship

Vases should not be more than 12” x 8” x 8”

Ashes

It is preferred that ashes are placed in the ground without a container, but if a container is used, it must be of a perishable nature.

Flowers

No artificial flowers should be placed in a churchyard except Remembrance day poppies, traditional Christmas wreaths, and good quality seasonal silk flowers. All should be removed within 3 months. The Christmas wreaths are to be removed by January 31 st of the following year.