CASTON COMMENT JANUARY 2021

Christmas at Caston Church

A special mention to all those who kindly helped in making the Church and churchyard area look festive over the Christmas season. Thank you to the local farmers for the donation of the Christmas tree and for the assembling of the lights and decorations. The star shining brightly in the belfry window was expertly made by Mr Derek Tew. Also to Sue Ash for her help in decorating the cross and to everyone who provided the tree decorations. It all looked very splendid and added some festive cheer for parishioners and those passing through the village.

A very Happy New Year and we hope that 2021 will bring better and brighter days.

Caston Church Lottery

 The December lottery was drawn on 1 December 2020 by my grandchildren in Toftwood!!

Congratulations to the winners as follows:-

1st Prize £30 Wendy Chapman

2nd Prize £20 Vanessa Cock

3rd Prize £10 Jean Childerhouse

If you wish to join Caston Church Lottery please call me on 01953 483640.

Caston Church Cleaning

Due to lockdown and the closure of the church for the installation of the new toilet there will be no cleaning until further notice.

Many thanks. Lynne Wellbelove

Pop-up Christmas shop at Hogweed House

Thank you to all those who helped, contributed, donated and purchased to make this event such a success. Some weeks ago, I started making face masks, selling to those who wanted to purchase. All proceeds went into a pot towards the toilet at Holy Cross Church. Then I created all sorts of handmade goods (selling through Hockham craft site on Facebook). Again all proceeds went into the pot. Which led me to think about the possibility of a pop-up Christmas shop. Fortunately, we were able to open as planned and the weather was reasonably kind to us on the weekend itself. It was amazing to welcome so many people (by appointment).

Your spirit of friendship and generosity has overwhelmed me. The pot has grown to nearly £1800 – fingers crossed by Christmas it will be £2000. Thank you to all those who very kindly bought a toy and placed it in the donation basket – these toys will be distributed by the family liaison officer at St. Mary’s Watton along with hampers, to those in need this Christmas in the local area. The raffle was drawn by Stella Leonard – congratulations to the prize winners: Pat Precious, Nicola Lane, Sue Ash and Rebecca Moss. We hope you enjoy your goodies.

Finally, thanks to my long-suffering husband who looked after the dogs, helped set up and take down and brought cups of tea to keep me going throughout the day. Hopefully, normal service will be resumed in 2021 and we will be able to host our usual events and at least serve tea and cake again!

Lois Gill

As one of the ‘punters’ at the pop-up shop may I express warmest thanks to Lois and helpers for pulling off such a great idea, and together with earlier efforts managing to add such substantial sums to the pot! I came away delighted with my purchases, including the best woolly hat and scarf ever, knitted by Lois, which is making all the difference on chilly walks! Well done Lois – you never cease to amaze us all!

Annabel Valentine

Caston W.I.

Welcome to 2021! Hopefully we will be on course to having our injections and getting back to some sort of normality as the year wears on. So in 2020 we met in January, February and March and our last meeting was a chocolate tasting –what lovely memories . . . hopefully we will be meeting again soon.

I for one do not like all these Zoom meeting – especially as you have to see yourself on the screen !! Our committee have started a rotation phone call list where they call three members each so that we can catch up and share our news as BT's Beattie used to say “It's good to talk” and that has definitely been true this year – our telephones have never been more used. Michele submitted the book review this month “The vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrrell . . . very well written and engaging . . . one to look out for.

The Bake this month is Apple Sultana and Spice Cake submitted by our President Wendy – sounds delicious definitely one to try. Members’ makes this month Helga with a festive display for the front of her house and Marge busy making all things baby for her new grandson due imminently. Birthdays in December were Wendy B, Carol, Lois and Pat – we hope they all managed to enjoy themselves. At the time of writing we had not had our December meeting which of course is another Zoom gathering – where we were tasked to wear a Christmas Hat, have a glass of something and a mince pie to eat. Happy New Year to everyone from Caston W.I.

Quote of the month

“The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.” Hubert Humphrey (1911–1978)

Christmas in Oman

We’ve been remembering how we used to spend Christmas in Oman, where we lived from 1983–1990. Being a Muslim country, this was a low-key affair; none of the Jingle Bells paraphernalia in shops in mid-October but just a few Christmas decorations around December 20th.

Dreaming of a White Christmas was a waste of time. With lovely warm temperatures, 25°–30°C, the only place for ice was in the drinks. We would spend Christmas Day either as a family with traditional lunch at home, visiting friends or at the swimming and sports club where we were members. What a treat it was to sit with friends between the pool and the beach, under the palms which fortunately were not too tall and so offered plenty of shade.

Annabel’s mother would come out to Oman every Christmas, arriving early (before all the returning children of English ex-pats) and staying for about six weeks which was lovely. The trip re-charged her batteries and she got home as spring was on its way. She loved to go round her garden looking for the first snowdrops and one year she arrived in Muscat clutching a small posy of snowdrops, which amazingly survived the journey and were a touching reminder for us of home.

My job in Oman was managing a farm for one of the government ministers, growing salad crops in cooled greenhouses and a hydroponic shade house as well as extensive vegetable crops, citrus fruits and dates. A tradition which soon established itself was a Christmas party which we held for the men who worked on the farm, of whom about half were either Philipino Catholic Christians or Indian Christians. The other half was a mix of Hindus and Muslims.

This hare-brained, last-minute suggestion of mine sent Annabel into a steep decline when I first mooted the idea. No pork for Muslims; no beef for Hindus; where would she get 2x30lb turkeys; will they like Brussels sprouts etc etc ? I solved the problem by going to the small restaurant about ½ mile from the farm and putting in a jumbo order for supper for 70 the following evening suitable for a mix of races and religions. He replied in typical Indian fashion by wagging his head from side to side saying “no problem” and managed to produce mountains of rice and curry, which were very well received. I bought Heinekens for the drinkers and Vimto (yes you can still get it in the Gulf) and Pepsi for the non-drinkers. The Heinekens were rationed to about two cans each as that was all they could take without getting out of hand.

The ever-resourceful Philipinos had their own answer to celebration drinks in the form of home-made hooch. They bought grape juice, sugar and other ingredients from the local shop, fermented them, heated them up and as they explained ‘caught the smoke’ and then drank that!! It was very strong, really really rough, and fortunately didn’t result in any loss of sight in our Philipino population.

Christmas shopping was very relaxed and we would typically go to the shops on Christmas Eve for presents and provisions. One year at our favourite supermarket a tea chest size box of mistletoe arrived. I dived over and bought a few sprigs and was soon followed by other eager shoppers. An Omani gentleman asked me what it was for. I explained that you hang it in your house and when a pretty lady appears you kiss her under the mistletoe. I demonstrated with the aid of a beautiful sunshine blond who was keen to further Omani/UK cultural understanding. My new Omani friend so appreciated mistletoe that he bought up half the shop’s supply. He enquired whether the berries were edible and we told him they’re poisonous, but that was not enough to deter him from buying this Christmas treat.

Mother-in-law really enjoyed staying at the farm. She would go for walks and see the men harvesting vegetables in the fields. She would give them a wave and they would shout out “Hello grandma!” not in a rude teenager way but in respect for her white hair and age. She loved camping and going on trips out into wild Oman. The family always slept under just mosquito nets and we offered her a tent but, well into her 70s she wanted another first in her life and was keen to sleep just under the stars like the rest of us. I rigged up a mozzy net for her and she enjoyed what was probably a near-sleepless night watching the really bright stars and satellites travelling across the heavens. She was also fascinated by visiting the villages, meeting the locals and seeing their way of life, and was whisked off one afternoon by an old Omani gentleman who insisted on giving her the traditional Omani welcoming drink of coffee and dates. This takes about half an hour and at the end of it he gave her some or his prize dates which we brought home with us. She couldn’t see what she was eating in his very dark, cave-like house but they turned out to be heaving with weevils!

Christmas here seems to go on for ever. In Oman it was over in a trice – no interminable build-up, commercialisation and no Boxing Day, twelve days of Christmas and extended holiday. Whilst I know it didn’t suit everyone, it was just the way I liked it and we have very happy memories of those times.

Malcolm Valentine

May I encourage anyone who might feel inspired to send in contributions for The Waylander to put on their thinking caps, especially while there is such a lack of events to report. There must be a lot of interesting nuggets out there somewhere! Wishing all in our villages a very happy and blessed New Year.

“Peace isn’t the absence of problems; it is the presence of a Person.” Anon quotation.

Call on Him, Jesus, the Prince of Peace!

Annabel Valentine village correspondent

CASTON COMMENT DECEMBER 2020

Christmas Blessings From all at Holy Cross Church, Caston

CHRISTMAS AT CASTON IS NOT CANCELLED – IT’S JUST DIFFERENT

The Churchyard

We hope to stage the Knitted Nativity inside a shelter. We shall also have our Christmas tree outside.

Lanterns of Hope Sunday 20th December – 6.30 p.m.

Parishioners can congregate in road outside church – socially distanced and wearing masks. People will be asked to bring a lantern or a torch and light/turn on at the beginning. Adrian will say prayers and we may have some taped music (no singing).The service will end with a reading from the Gospel of St. John and a blessing. Help us to make this a safe and Covid secure event. There will be limited parking for those who are unable to walk.

Christingle Thursday 24th December

Christingles will be made and placed around the Christmas tree for collection between 3.30 and 5.30p.m.

Children can be brought to see the nativity tableau and tree. Please respect the social distancing rules and adults to wear masks. A collection box will be left out on both occasions in aid of the Children’s Society. All of the above will be subject to change due to Covid restrictions and in case of bad weather.

"We bring you Good news" – Holy Cross Church

The good news is that the project to install toilet facilities at Holy Cross Church began on Monday 23rd November. The church will be closed until possibly early spring. The finish date will be dependent on Covid 19 regulations, the availability of supplies and of course the weather. The installation of these facilities will be very welcome for all visitors to the church, which over the past three years has benefited from a new thatched roof, the provision of running water, a small kitchen area and disabled access via a new pathway.

The installation of the toilet will complete the refurbishment and will ensure that the building is fit for purpose going forward. In such difficult times it will provide the facilities to enhance the church and ensure that its doors will be open for future generations. Unfortunately there will be no access to the church during this time, but the churchyard will be accessible on the south side. Funding for the installation has been acquired through various grants. The PCC will be contributing a percentage of the final cost.

Unfortunately since the outbreak of Coronavirus in March 2020 we have not been in a position to raise funds for Holy Cross Church. If you would like to make a donation for the upkeep and the running costs of our parish church we would welcome your support. You can do this by contacting our Church Treasurer, Mrs Pat Precious on 01953 483439, the Rector or the Churchwardens.

2020 has been a very challenging year for everyone. We welcome you to our slightly different events which are listed here in The Waylander and hope they go some way to bring you and your family joy and comfort at Christmas.

A History of Caston – John S. Barnes

The set of three books written by the late John Barnes is available for purchase from Church Farm, Caston at a cost of £15 (set of three books). Supplies of Part Two recently all sold. A reprint has been done, generously sponsored by John’s family. All proceeds from any sales will be donated to the new facilities at Holy Cross Church in memory of John. If you would like a set of books please telephone 01953 483751. An ideal Christmas gift!

Bridget Hall

Caston Church Lottery

The November lottery was drawn on 5 November 2020 by my grandchildren in Toftwood!!

Congratulations to the winners as follows:-

1st Prize £30 Wendy Edwards

2nd Prize £20 Joy Fletcher

3rd Prize £10  Lois Gill

If you wish to join Caston Church Lottery please call me on 01953 483640.

Lynne Wellbelove

Caston Church Cleaning

Due to lockdown and the closure of the church there was no cleaning. The cleaning for December will be reviewed later. Many thanks. Lynne

Poppy Appeal

In the absence of the house-to-house collection the Poppy Appeal was predictably down on previous years. Donations from the Caston Academy amounted to £164.83, a record amount, and from other people £133. The district total is nearly £1,100 short of the 2019 total, about 50%. The poppy Appeal, although focused on the two weeks leading to Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, does run all year, so it is not too late to give if you so wish. Please call 01953 483627 to arrange, or you can donate online as I know some of you already have. We hope to return to house-to-house collecting near year for the Legion’s centenary.

With many thanks. Jane Horner

Caston W.I. November

As we are reading The Waylander this month hopefully we will have some good news for Christmas as we are all thoroughly fed up now and not knowing whether we will be having a family Christmas or eating our Christmas dinner alone!!!

Well we finally got round to having a zoom meeting this month and as it was our A.G.M. it was quite important. Quite a few of us attended and if nothing else it has taught some of our members about modern technology – who would have thought last year that we would be talking to each other through our phones and computers instead of meeting in person?! It was decided after all the official business that we would donate to PACT this year in lieu of sending Christmas cards to each other to try and raise some much needed funds for the animals. Our Castonettes Chronicle is still circulating once a month and thanks to Marge and the Committee the articles get better and better.

We now have poems, book reviews, ‘members makes’ which encourages us to send in our crafting efforts – this month featured Elsa with her beautiful etui boxes and Jo with her knitted tea cosy and also ‘castonettes bakes’ which features tasty recipes we have discovered in lockdown.

On Remembrance Day our President Wendy laid our knitted poppy wreath and around it were placed all the stones that we 11 had painted with poppies – one for every member of our W.I. Bloom of the Month winner this month was Marge with a stunning pink Dahlia – if nothing else the flowers are still blooming for us. Birthdays this month our President Wendy and Fee with a special birthday . . . special wishes to them both. The village hall troughs have been replanted for winter and spring thanks to Sue and Helga who maintain them on behalf of the W.I.

Our next meeting will be on 10th December on Zoom with a party hat and a glass of something to cheer us all on. Quote of the month “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou.

Keep well, Keep safe Sue Ash

Note from village correspondent

What an inspired idea the stones painted with poppies was! Each one individual and painted with care. I hadn’t realised before that purple poppies are in remembrance of animals killed in conflict. Wishing all our readers every blessing as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, Saviour of the world.

Annabel Valentine

Shoe boxes for Eastern Europe

Warmest thanks to everyone who filled shoe boxes with useful gifts – 28 this year – now well on their way to various destinations where undoubtedly they will be most joyfully received!

Annabel Valentine

Wayland Festive Donkeys

Christmas cards will soon be arriving – Santas and reindeer, nativity scenes, snowmen and robins, and a host of winsome donkeys wishing us festive cheer. With two permanent donkey residents at Flaxmoor – and a sizeable fan club who seem to visit regularly to offer carrots through the gates in our front meadow – we thought this might be a good moment to tell you a bit about them, as well as their beautiful donkey neighbours in Stow Bedon.

Donkeys have always had a mixed press – derided and ridiculed in myths and fables as silly, stubborn, care-worn beasts of burden, but also celebrated in various religions as symbols of peace, service, compassion and humility. In the Bible, Jesus rides a donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Retaking Jerusalem during the Crusades, the Muslim Saladin enters Jerusalem on a donkey, not a war horse, to signal his peaceful intentions towards its citizens. In Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, the silly, egotistical Bottom is given a donkey’s head to poke fun at his greediness and indifference to the beauty of the fairy queen Titania. In Paul Gallico’s The Small Miracle, the meek, angelic looking donkey Violetta becomes the catalyst for a truce between warring hierarchies in the Italian church. It’s now 44 years since we’ve had donkeys at Flaxmoor.

We didn’t know anything much about them when we came here. The 1976 estate agent’s brochure for the house featured a photo of a single donkey grazing in the front meadow, and we thought “how lovely!” Months later, after 12 the birth of our second son Rusty, we learned that keeping single donkeys is a big mistake. Donkeys are pack animals – they like living in groups, they hate being on their own. So when Billy – the donkey we’d inherited –finally got too dejected, he took off across the fields to visit a female donkey who lived at the stud farm at Breckles Hall. It probably didn’t take him too long to get there, travelling cross country. It was a different story for us. After getting the phone call asking us to collect him, it took us an hour and a half to walk him back along the road to Caston… Donkeys’ reputation for stubbornness isn’t exaggerated – if they don’t want to go somewhere, they just dig in their heels and won’t! After we realized what the problem was, we got in touch with what was then the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) in Larling– now World Horse Welfare – to ask if they had any rescue donkeys needing a home. They did, but first they wanted to know we’d be suitable carers. We were visited by the rather august Captain Charles Bennington, who inspected and approved our donkey house and adjoining field – and even congratulated us on the banks of nettles we were a bit ashamed of as, he said, they were a very good source of iron for donkeys, once you cut them down and let them dry…. We were learning!

To keep Billy company, ILPH brought us Ben, a 3-year old brown donkey who’d apparently not been fed properly in his previous home. Ben spent the next 29 years with us compensating for his early malnutrition. Marcus Wilson, our vet, was always cautioning us that he was too well fed, and should slim down a bit…. But it’s difficult to put donkeys on a diet. Billy was pretty ancient when we inherited him – the vets said somewhere between 30 and 50 years old… So when he finally went to the great donkey sanctuary in the sky, we embarked on what’s been a long history of finding suitable companions for the donkey left behind… because, of course, they don’t like being on their own! Our roster of donkeys over the years has included Samson, Chester, Hayley, Patsy and Ruby. They’ve all lived to a good old age. Ben, for example, was 32 when he left us – and we were all heart-broken. Ruby, who was an Ada Cole rescue donkey when we got her, lived to the age of 33, departing in 2013.

The two donkeys here now are not called the variety of interesting names some people in the village have apparently given them (‘Gordon’ was one we heard!). They are 26- year old Poppy – the grey donkey who’s been referred to as ‘”the pretty one” – and 27-year old Pinkie, an ex-working beach donkey, from Yarmouth, now living out a well-deserved retirement with us. After Ruby’s death seven years ago, we’d contacted all the local donkey rescue centres – World Horse Welfare, Redwings etc – but no-one had a donkey to re-home. So we got in touch with the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon, who – again! – sent an inspector to see if we were suitable carers. She mentioned that Heidi, who owned the donkey rides business in Yarmouth, was looking for a home for Pinkie. So we set off in the car along the Acle Road to see him, and, again, fell in love! So did Poppy when she first spied Pinkie – walking down the wood towards her field on a harness, in the manner prescribed for introducing donkeys to each other. They have been inseparable since. Long live Pinkie . . . and, yes, he does particularly like a carrot, or two – within reason!

A mile down the Falgate Road, on the idyllic Honeypot Estate, there are two more 13 beautiful donkeys – 18 year-old Margo and her slightly taller 15 year-old daughter Myrtle, who – says Lynn Ripley, their owner – has “a bit of attitude”. Two years ago, looking for rescue donkeys to adopt, Lynn and her husband Martin Ripley travelled down to Devon to visit the Donkey Sanctuary themselves. They’d been matched with a pair, and driven back to Norfolk to wait for them. They were then disappointed when they received a call from one of the Sanctuary’s vets that one of the donkeys had an eye infection, and because the Sanctuary has very firm rules on health issues, they wouldn’t be sending them to Norfolk after all. Lynn and Martin waited another year before Margo and Myrtle turned up in a horse box from Devon, and “our hearts were stolen!” says Lynn. “It was worth the wait – we just love having them.”

Neither Martin nor Lynn had kept donkeys before. Growing up, they’d both had horses –Martin’s parents had had a riding stable in London. So, Lynn says, they’ve had a lot of learning to do. “There is nothing more stubborn than a donkey,” she says. “We lure ours where we want them to go with small dog biscuits.” After torrential rains last winter led to a huge puddle in the donkey paddock in the front of the Honeypot Estate nearest the road – “there was so much water” says Lynne, they were literally standing in it!” – Margo and Myrtle have now moved their headquarters to the far side of the lake, an ideal space for donkeys. “In summer, they get the shade from the surrounding trees, and in winter they get the shelter. We’re always very careful about shutting the gate behind us, as donkeys are so curious, so inquisitive, they want to know what’s going on – so we have to be careful.” Myrtle has also, she says, developed a novel new habit – rolling in bonfire ashes “She waits till the heat dies down, before rolling and emerging, “looking like a ghost donkey”, says Lynn.” Long live Margo and Myrtle!

And Happy Christmas to all… Jenny and Steve Bradshaw

NOVEMBER 2020

Holy Cross Church

The following services will be held at Holy Cross, Caston: 

Sunday 8th November at 10.50a.m. Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial followed by a Service of Remembrance in church.

Wednesday 11th November Armistice Day Service at 10.55a.m. at the Village War Memorial

Sunday 22nd November (Sunday before Advent) United Holy Communion at 10.30a.m.

 (All the above services are subject to change due to Coronavirus)

Caston Church Lottery

The October lottery was drawn on 2 October 2020 at The Red Lion, Caston.

Congratulations to the winners as follows:-

1st Prize £30 Stella Leonard

2nd Prize £20 Rebecca Moss

3rd Prize £10 Dawn Escott

If you wish to join Caston Church Lottery please call me on 01953 483640. Lynne Wellbelove

Caston Church Cleaning

Thank to you to Stephanie and Bridget for cleaning the church in October. Pam and Lynne will clean in November. Many thanks. Lynne

Poppy Appeal

The Royal British Legion has decided regretfully that for health and safety reasons due to Covid-19, the annual house to house collection for the Earl Haig Poppy appeal will not take place this year. As we write, it is understood poppies will be distributed to supermarkets, so they will be available, just not delivered to your door. 2020 will be the centenary year for TRBL and we hope house to house collecting will return. Jane Horner 01953 483627

Caston Art Club

In common with other groups, classes and organisations finding ways to continue their activities in Caston Village Hall during Covid-19 restrictions is proving impossible. The hall management have to comply with instructions imposed by their insurers and the government’s regulations. This means that if the hall was to reopen the hall management and the hall users have to follow a strict code involving the maintenance of distancing, the deep cleaning of the hall and fittings after each use and a rigorous reduction in the numbers in the hall at any time. At the time of writing, due to the regulations and the additional costs involved, it is deemed unviable to restart our Art Club’s use of the premises. However, please be assured your committee are in constant communication with the hall’s management with a view to restarting the club at the earliest viable opportunity. We hope you are all well and surviving these trying times. Please keep painting and producing your art work and we hope to be together again soon.

Pat Fox Caston Art Club Chairman

Macmillan Cake, Produce and Craft Sale held on 23rd September 2020

Pat and Helga would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who donated cakes, produce and craft items for sale. We also received many very generous monetary donations and we are delighted to announce that between us all we raised the magnificent sum of £735.00 for this very worthy cause. A marvellous response in these very difficult times. Pat Kahl/ Helga Lindsey Caston

W.I. October

This month I have been studying what Norfolk W.I. has to offer us in terms of education and learning and of course some form of entertainment, and as it turns out it is quite diverse. The Golden Triangle W.I. in the City of Norwich have been busy doing podcasts under the heading of Yarns and Threads; they have been interviewing members of W.I.s on themes related to the lives of members of the W.I. This has been funded by the heritage lottery fund and is very interesting. Norfolk W.I. have been offering Zoom talks on a range of subjects for a small fee to members ranging from arts and crafts to tours of Cambridge, history and world travel – something for everyone.

Norfolk W.I. have asked us all to make a Wish Christmas tree decoration to hang on the Members’ Room Christmas tree in Norwich . It is has also been mentioned the W.E.A are offering on line courses to everyone so I thought I would have a look at these and they really look interesting and cover a huge range of subjects and are very reasonable priced www.wea.org.uk As for our own W.I. we have been challenged to paint a stone with a poppy to lay on the War Memorial on 11th November – so we are hoping to have a good display by our members. Book reviews are still being published – the latest one being The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman – which has been enjoyed by Marge.

Our Committee continue to keep us updated by publishing the Castonettes Chronicle monthly and circulating all the news from our Norfolk W.I. by sending us the monthly magazine. Birthdays this month Brenda, Niki and Lynne celebrating her special one. . . The village hall troughs (sponsored by the W.I.) have continued to bloom but will soon be emptied out to make way for tulips to be planted for a spring display . Summer has gone – let’s hope that the winter doesn’t seem too long.

Be Safe Be Well Be kind

Sue Ash 

OCTOBER 2020

Holy Cross Church

The following services are scheduled to be held at Caston Church and everyone is welcome to come along. Please do remember that the wearing of a mask in Church is compulsory.

We were delighted that the Wayland Group Choir is again leading us in the singing, albeit behind their visors. It is a joy for the congregation to listen.

Sunday 4th October: 10.30a.m. United Holy Communion

Wednesday 14th October: 10.00a.m. Morning Prayer

Sunday 25th October: 10.30a.m. United Holy Communion

Sunday 8th November: Remembrance Sunday. 10.50a.m. at Caston War Memorial followed by a Service of Remembrance in Church. This will be a Wayland Group Service at the War Memorial followed by a service in Holy Cross Church to remember all those from our six parishes who made the ultimate sacrifice. (All above are subject to change depending on legislation relating to COVID19.)

Sunday 5th September – Wayland Group Picnic

A group picnic was held at Caston Church on Sunday 5th September. The delicious picnic lunches were prepared by the ladies of Caston Church and enjoyed by many. The lunch was held in the grounds of the church and on Church Farm lawn. This was to observe social distancing. Thanks to Lynne for organising the Harvest quiz which was won by Jo Borrett. A total of £209 was raised towards the installation of the toilet facilities at Holy Cross Church. We were very fortunate that this event was held just before the change in legislation.

The Norfolk Churches Trust Bike Ride and Walk

Saturday 12th September was the perfect day for this annual event. The weather was warm and the autumnal sunshine was very welcome for all those who participated. A total of 26 cyclists, which included some who were not sponsored, visited Caston Church on the day. It was encouraging to welcome so many who enjoyed the refreshments which were provided under the gazebo in the churchyard. Thankyou to all who cycled and to everyone who helped on the day.

Poppy Appeal

The Royal British Legion has decided regretfully that for health and safety reasons due to Covid-19, the annual house to house collection for the Earl Haig Poppy appeal will not take place this year. As we write, it is understood poppies will be distributed to supermarkets, so they will be available, just not delivered to your door.

2020 will be the centenary year for TRBL and we hope house to house collecting will return. Jane Horner 01953 483627

Caston Church Lottery

The August lottery was drawn on 19 August 2020 at Holy Cross Church.

Congratulations to the winners as follows:- 1st Prize £30  Marge Brown

2nd Prize £20 Maria Penfold

rd Prize £10 Roger Precious

The September lottery was drawn on 4 September 2020 at Caston WI committee meeting.

Congratulations to the winners as follows:-

1st Prize £30 Sally Dunnett

2nd Prize £20

Michael Barnes 3rd Prize £10 Jane Allen

If you have not yet paid your lottery, do not worry, it will be collected in due course.

If you wish to join Caston Church Lottery please call me on 01953 483640. Lynne Wellbelove

Caston Church Cleaning

Thank to you to Gill and Helga for cleaning the church in August and Lynne and Rebecca in September. Stephanie and Bridget will be cleaning the church in October 2020.

Many thanks. Lynne

Caston Village Hall

The Village Hall Phase two upgrade was completed on Friday 11th September. The walls have been fully insulated, structural repairs made and the external cladding has been replaced with “Hardiplank” to match the new cladding fitted in Phase one when the foyer was built and the toilets and kitchen upgraded. New escape doors have been fitted which comply with modern safety standards. Together with the ceiling renewal and LED lighting fitted in April the hall has a revitalised appearance and is ready to serve our community, whenever we are able to use it.

As I write, the government have just introduced “The rule of six” and the hall will realistically remain closed until further notice. This is very disappointing as the committee were exploring ways in which we could have managed some limited opening albeit that numbers using the hall would have to be drastically reduced.

Arguably the social interaction in our community is being adversely affected and folk are missing Friday “Drop In” for a social catch up and the Whist Drives, Yoga and many other activities. At this time there seems little prospect of the hall reopening anytime soon. In the meantime we hope you all keep vigilant and safe.

David Blincow

Chairman, Caston Village Hall Charitable Trust

Caston W.I. – September

After six long months our Committee asked if we would like to have a socially distanced meeting in one our member's very large garden. So off a dozen or so of us trotted with chairs, flasks, and something to eat to enjoy a chat around a large lake on a very pleasant sunny afternoon – we were lucky with the weather – for a change.

But a few days before this – it was announced that as from 14th September only six people were allowed to meet outside as well as in. This applies to the W.I. so that will be the last time we meet in a bigger group until the Government announces anything different – we got our social in just in the nick of time !!!!!

We did manage to have a rock painting session round at Marge's house which was very enjoyable – so watch this space – you may see some of them around the village and you know what to do don't you ... if not look at Norfolk Rocks Facebook page. Our Friday bookswap sessions have been continuing and members have been submitting book reviews for our Castonettes Chronicle published to members every month. This month two members, Rebecca and Mandy, have been reporting on their encounters with birds – pheasants and rooks – which made for interesting reading.

Virtual bloom of the month competition is still taking place – thank God for phones with cameras!! I was lucky enough to win this month with a stunning Canna called Cleopatra which is red and yellow. This was given to me some months ago as a small plant by our Canna expert in the village, David. As part of our garden group in the village David challenged us all last year to get growing Cannas and now a lot of us are enjoying the fruits of our labour. Birthdays this month Dawn J, Ruth, Jo, Jenny and Stephanie B – let’s hope that they manage to enjoy their birthdays. As yet nobody has produced a Castonettes W.I. Facemask . . . I am surprised nobody has risen to the challenge yet !!!!

Until next month – keep safe. Sue Ash

Shoe boxes for Eastern Europe – Link to Hope

This annual appeal is under way, with empty boxes and the essential form to accompany them in the porches of Caston, Great Hockham and Thompson churches, in our porch at The Lodge, Caston and Wayside Farm Shop. The deadline for returning completed boxes either to me at The Lodge, Caston or to Beryl Warren at Wayside Farm Shop is Monday 19th October. Please help bring joy this Christmas to people living in really dire conditions. If shopping is a problem, a financial donation instead would be much appreciated towards boxes that will be filled by Link to Hope.Thank you!

Annabel Valentine 01953 483440



SEPTEMBER 2020

Holy Cross Church

Our next services will be held on Sunday 6th September and Sunday 4th October at 10.30a.m. We look forward to welcoming you. Due to the restrictions surrounding Coronavirus we will be holding a joint Harvest Festival service at Thompson Church on Sunday 27th September.

Further details can be found in the Waylander or online at www.waylandermagazine.org

On Sunday 16th August we welcomed the Revd Joy Fernando who had recently been priested. We also welcomed the family of Richard and Sallyanne Smith for baptism at Holy Cross Church. The children and parents were baptised by Reverend Adrian Bell and Revd Joy Fernando . Joy presided over her first communion on that morning at Holy Cross Church and it was a very special service for her and for the supporting congregation . We send our good wishes to her in the ministry of the Church.

The annual Sponsored Bike Ride and Walk takes place on Saturday 12th September. The sponsorship for this is shared between our own Church and The Norfolk Churches Trust. If you would like to participate, the sponsorship forms can be obtained from the Churchwardens (Bridget 483751 or Lois 488157).

Caston Church will be open to receive visitors participating in the Ride and Walk and we welcome them for refreshments on their journey through rural Norfolk

A socially distanced Macmillan Coffee Morning

 A plan is being formulated to put together a version of the Macmillan Coffee Morning. The Red Lion in Caston has very kindly allowed us to use their marquee for this event and we hope this will make a socially acceptable venue. The date will be Wednesday 23rd September, from 10.00 until 12.00. The pub will supply the teas and coffees at a reduced charge so that we can still take a percentage for Macmillan. There will be a cake stall and a table to sell homemade (jams, chutney) and home-grown produce. 

The pub will supply the teas and coffees at a reduced charge so that we can still take a percentage for Macmillan. There will be a cake stall and a table to sell homemade (jams, chutney) and home-grown produce.

Any donations of this type will be gladly received; please ensure that the items are well wrapped (cakes etc) and any vegetables or fruit are bagged up. We are still working on ideas for a raffle of some kind. There will be seating in the marquee and we are hoping that people will be able to come and go with plenty of space; if the weather is fine we can spill outside and even onto the green. We are very much hoping that this idea will be successful and we can raise some funds for Macmillan and have a bit of fun as well. Please watch the village websites for further information and we hope to see you there.

Helga Lindsey

Caston W.I.



August 2020 Our W.I. Committee recently met and have reluctantly decided that it is not possible to meet safely this year mainly due to the fact of our numbers and the restrictions in the village hall. A poll of our members took place who have agreed with this decision so 7 at the moment meetings are to resume in January 2021 but who knows what the future holds . . . watch this space. We may not be able to meet face to face as a group but it does not stop us from keeping in touch and connected. Marge does a wonderful job producing The Castonettes Chronicle each month with news. This month there were new articles such as a Who am I?; competition featuring one of our members. Where on earth?; a picture of somewhere locally and Bookworm Corner; asking for recommendations of books that have been read by our members. The committee is also researching new activities that can be undertaken in small groups and the first activity is going to be rock painting ,so armed with our sharpies and imagination we will be meeting later this month to have a go. Meanwhile our virtual bloom of the month continues and there were 16 entries this month and the winner is Stephanie Blincow with a stunning Dahlia.



August birthdays were Michele, Helga, Louise, Val and Rebecca and we hope they all enjoyed their e-cards. Pictures of beautiful face masks are circulating – who is going to produce a “Castonettes W.I.” first? Keep safe everybody.



Sue Ash



Newspaper From the Past



During the removal of the old cladding from the village hall two interesting documents were found. One was “The Mercury and Advertiser” Wymondham and Attleborough edition issued Friday 25th July 1986, Issue No. 93. Also found was an advertising communication from “Captain Cycles” dated 1936 advertising an electric cycle lamp for 1s/6d (one shilling and six old pence).  The tradesmen working on the hall now have put a copy of the EDP dated 12th August 2020 in the wall for future folk to find.



Caston Community Speed Watch



After a long period of inactivity due to Covid19, Community Speed Watch is now active again in Caston. The volunteers have stepped up to the mark to try and reduce the increasing numbers of speeders through our village. Volunteering only involves a couple of hours a month. All volunteers have to be vetted by Norfolk Constabulary. Once vetted there is a very short period of tuition in relation to the speed gun and form completion. Safety measures are all implemented during each check. Each check is of one hour duration at various village locations that have been approved and are safe, weather permitting. Any prospective volunteers who require further information can contact me on 488902

Tony Ash Speed Watch Coordinator



Family Shoebox Appeal for Eastern Europe



For those who regularly support this project, clearly the need is greater than ever this year. The charity Link to Hope has written to say that if supporters are likely to find it difficult to shop for the contents of shoe boxes they would be very grateful to receive donations to the appeal and will then fill them on our behalf. Please see www.linktohope.co.uk if you are able to give in this way, and payment can be made to them direct.

If shopping for shoebox contents isn’t a problem we will still have boxes and the essential leaflets available. Slight adjustments due to the current situation, but these can be picked up from early September from:

• Church porches, as long as these are accessible

 • Beryl Warren at Wayside Farm Shop,

• The Lodge, Caston NR17 1DD where I will leave them out in our porch.



Completed shoe boxes can be taken to Wayside Farm Shop or to The Lodge, Caston. Further information on the appeal can be found in the section For all our villages.



Many thanks.



Annabel Valentine 01953 483440



The Computer swallowed Grandma



The computer swallowed grandma.

Yes, honestly it’s true

She pressed ‘control’ and ‘enter’

And disappeared from view.

It devoured her completely,

The thought just makes me squirm.

She must have caught a virus

Or been eaten by a worm.

I’ve searched through the recycle bin

And files of every kind.

I’ve even used the Internet,

But nothing did I find.

In desperation, I asked Jeeves

My searches to refine.

The reply from him was negative,

Not a thing was found online.

So, if inside your Inbox

My Grandma you should see

Please ‘Copy’ ‘Scan’ and ‘Paste’ her

In an email back to me.



Author unknown. Shared by silversurfers.com Submitted by Lois Gill



AUGUST 2020

Holy Cross Church

The last four months have been an extraordinary time. It is the first period without public worship in England in more than 800 years. There will be a real sense of joy as we begin to meet again in our Wayland Group of Churches if even at a physical distance. Everyone will understandably be cautious. We will not be returning to normality overnight, but this is the next step on a journey to some kind of normal pattern of worship and to open our village Churches for the benefit of everyone. There has been careful planning whilst following detailed advice for parishes to enable them to prepare to hold services when it is safe and practical to do so. The next service in Holy Cross Church will be on Sunday 16th August at 10.30 am. It will be very different from our normal Sunday morning but you are assured of a warm welcome and we will be very pleased to see you. The Church will continue to be open each Sunday for private prayer. The Church continues to be cleaned on a regular basis and hand sanitiser is available to all visitors on arrival. We hope you can join us.

Caston Church Lottery

 The April lottery was drawn on 3 July 2020 by Wendy Edwards, due to coronavirus situation.

Congratulations to the winners of the lottery as follows:-

1st Prize £30 Wendy Chapman

2nd Prize £20 Irene Smith

3rd Prize £10 Georgina Rose

If you have not yet paid your lottery, do not worry, it will be collected in due course. If you wish to join Caston Church Lottery please call me on 01953 483640.

Lynne Wellbelove



Caston Church Cleaning



The Church had a deep clean thanks to Niki and Chris. It is now open on a Sunday only. Cleaning will be limited due to the restrictions in place. Hopefully Ed, Theresa, Jason and Rachael did manage in July. Gill and Helga are down for August, please contact me if you have any issues. All cleaners would you please provide your own supplies including hoover as the kitchen is out of bounds. Thank you. Many thanks.

Lynne



Caston W.I.

Will we ever get back to normal I wonder, as I am sure we are all thinking? This month should have been our summer social so yet another event we have missed out on, although now the pub has reopened and we can have a few people round in our gardens perhaps we can do some socialising.



Norfolk W.I. are trying as a whole to do their very best and they recognise the importance to our mental health of staying in touch. This they are achieving by social media, Facebook, instagram. W.I. Secretaries are being kept abreast of updates by email and share these with members. We also have the W.I. News Magazine so that members still feel connected to the W.I. Family. Caston W.I. is still carrying on with monthly bloom of the month – this month won by our President Wendy E with a Calla Lily. And a challenge has been set by Marge this month to paint a pebble – this should be interesting and hopefully we can publish some photos next month. Stephanie D celebrated her birthday this month and I am sure got her e-card. Although we are not having any meetings our College at Denman is running at home Zoom courses for £5 which I think is quite enterprising.



We are having book swaps every Friday at the moment for anyone avidly reading and of course these are well structured . . . also includes some jigsaws I believe. Keep safe.



Sue Ash



Poem sent to Caston W.I. Members by Marge this month;



Dust if you Must



Dust if you must but wouldn’t it be better to paint a picture or write a letter, Bake a cake or plant a seed, ponder the difference between want and need?



Dust if you must but there’s not much time, with rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.



Dust if you must, but the world’s out there, with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain, this day will not come round again.



Dust if you must, but bear in mind, old age will come and it’s not kind. And when you go, and go you must – you, yourself will turn to dust.



From your village correspondent:



Just a reminder that all the content of The Waylander can be accessed online nowadays, (www.waylandermagazine.org) enabling photographs to be enjoyed which are additional to the paper edition. The advertisers (whose payments fund the magazine) are all featured as well, so if you’ve mislaid your paper copy and need to find a telephone number you’ll find it all there! Many thanks to Bella Brodie for having the good idea and then implementing it.



The Valiant Hearts of Caston



This excellent book, written by Jane Horner, is dedicated to the fifteen men of Caston who gave their lives in The Great War, whose names are recorded on the war memorial on the village green. Meticulous research by Jane and Roy over a number of years, together with frequent visits to Belgium and France, has resulted in a fascinating compilation of the family backgrounds of these young men together with information and first-hand reports on the battles in which they fought during those devastating few years.

The book is beautifully illustrated with photographs both old and new, as well as letters to and from the front and details which give a graphic picture of the times. I found reading this a deeply moving experience, not only because of the harrowing reports of life at the front but also because of the glimpses into the effect on those at home and the enduring sorrow and grief that was experienced over and above the hardships of village life, when it was not unusual for a family to lose infants and young children.

Photos of Caston in those days are a salutary reminder of how thankful we can be for the comfort and convenience of our lives nowadays, often in the same dwellings that large families lived in then. Warmest thanks to Jane and others who have played their part in producing such a gem, which can be purchased direct from Jane for £10 – just ring 01953 483627.

Refurbishment of Holy Cross Church

A photo essay by Alan Porter LRPS Another excellent book that I heartily recommend is Alan’s photographic record of the recent very extensive work on Holy Cross Church, the most visible evidence of which is the re-thatching of the roof. At the time one could only spy from afar what was going on, so it is fascinating to be able to see from Alan’s superb photographs details of what was done and how the end result was achieved, from the signing of the contract to the removal of the scaffolding.

Very well-deserved appreciation is given to Graham Penfold, without whose wisdom and expertise in managing the whole project this could not have come about. To purchase your copy for £10, ring Alan on 01953 483899.

Red Lion

The re-opening of the pub is a most welcome step in the right direction, with plenty of space in the marquee in front. The bar is open and food served on Thursday Saturday 12 3p.m. and 6 10p.m. and on Sundays 12 6p.m. (01953 483858).

Annabel Valentine