Local Lynx No.131 - April/May 2020

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PEGGY HERON Peggy‟s daughter Barbara has kindly supplied the Lynx with some details of Peggy‟s life which you can read below. Peggy was born in Darlington in 1925, one of twins, not expected to survive and who did not even go to her own christening as she was judged to be at death‟s door. Sadly her twin brother died at six months which impacted on Peggy throughout her life. Apart from a constant nagging feeling of missing someone she had a happy childhood in Darlington, with twin farming cousins in the Tyne valley, genteel cousins in Hexham and Gateshead and a cultured cousin in Leeds. These cousins were close, thinking little of cycling to visit each other in their teenage years and throughout the war. She spent the last two years of the war teacher training at St Hild‟s College Durham, to teach geography to seniors. The tall girls, as she was then, were chosen to be the college fire brigade and air raid watch so Peggy spent many an hilarious hour in practice, dragging ancient fire hoses round the corridors and staircases of St Hild‟s and up onto the starry rooftops watching for bombers against the magnificent backdrop of Durham Cathedral. Peggy began teaching in Middlesborough, on a salary of £16 a month and then moved to the technical college for boys in Darlington. She was quickly recognised as being good at her job and loved by those difficult pupils. Her classroom at the tech was often full of flowers even in post war austerity. The secret of these was revealed one day when two of her pupils were hauled out of her room by their ears to answer the questions of a policeman enquiring into the regular disappearance of flowers from the nearby cemetery. When Barbara was nearly five Peggy was persuaded to resume her teaching career and became Mrs Heron of the top class at the primary school Barbara herself attended. In time she was appointed as deputy head of the biggest primary school in Darlington. Foreign travel became part of family life and Peggy with her husband and Barbara travelled all over Europe together with family friends. After her husband‟s death she turned to cruise ships and although her first cruise was not a success on health grounds, she subsequently met Ken, who had not known Barbara‟s father but knew several of the people he had worked with as he too was a railway man. There followed 18 happy years for Peggy with Ken and she drew much comfort from these memories as her life became more restricted. Her grandsons too were a constant source of happiness and she was immensely proud of them both. She regarded herself primarily as a North Easterner, of border family stock, then as a European and felt it entirely fitting her grandsons should spread their wings to work abroad, one in Australia and one in Europe. The church and its community were very dear to Peggy. She had her faith. It was not quite what you would call conventional. She did not need church services of one specific kind of another. She needed the people and the buildings and after that hills, mountains, rivers and nature. She grew up with, as a back drop to daily existence, her grandmother‟s unquestioning acceptance that „everything was God‟s purpose‟ and when emphasis was needed that „The Good Lord knows what he is doing‟. JAMMIN’ FOR SCONES Jammin‟ for scones continues to meet on the second Tuesday of the month 2-4pm in Sharrington village hall. We have become a group of friends who enjoy sharing songs, instrumental music, poetry and readings. There are about 20 people on the mailing list but generally only about 10 come to the meetings. The small size of the group is very nonthreatening and has given several people the courage to stand up and „perform‟ for the first time. January was the first anniversary of the group and to celebrate the success 15 of us enjoyed a lunch at the Binham Chequers followed by our usual singing etc in the bar. Our next meetings are the 14 th April and the 12 th May. Angela Mason WHERE IS THE LION’S HEAD? Last seen in the churchyard of All Saints Sharrington in the 1960s was the lion‟s head which stood on the top of the nearby wayside cross. It was not unusual for interesting looking pieces of masonry work to be picked up and used for ornamentation in gardens. Jack Gaskin was quite proud of his gardens at the Sunshine Bakery in Hindringham where he would show visitors the stonework features he had gathered from places like Binham Priory on his delivery rounds. It is likely that the lion‟s head adorns a local garden, its origins unknown to the present owners. It is hoped that one day it will be restored to stand once again on top of the wayside cross. The reason for its being a lion rather than, say a crucifix was that Sharrington was designated „King‟s Land‟ and officially it is a listed scheduled monument UID 1015253. The tall fourteenth century wayside cross is an excellent example of landmark features erected in the Middle Ages. At a time when literacy was not widespread, it would have been customary for Royal proclamations to be made from the mound of its verdant reserve. It also marked the pilgrims‟ route to the Shrine at Walsingham. Altogether there are only some 2000 crosses left in the entire country. This one, restored to its original height, is therefore of importance. 26
There are two versions for why there are four deep holes on each side of its base. It has been suggested that they provided sockets for stout poles enabling eight men to carry and set the stone in place. A more probable explanation is that they held the four cardinal direction pointers, as can be seen by using a compass that may even have had the names of villages on them. There was a southern route, since ploughed over which went to the water mill, once owned by the Daubeney family, at Lower Sharrington, by which that part of Brinton was called up to the early part of the last century. The site was sometimes referred to as the „Four Ways‟. Without doubt, historically it would have been a focal point in the settlement, close by the church. Although the Black Death caused the core of the settlement to be moved northwards, there has always been a pattern and practice of building where buildings once stood. The Chequers, formerly the Hastings Arms, with its stabling would have been an ideal staging post for travellers. Also, the location of Daubeney Hall farm, the rectory and old schoolhouse nearby, confirm that the wayside cross was situated in what used to be the medieval heart of the village. Further details and background information on wayside crosses can be found at www.historicengland.org.uk/ listing. Derek Harris CRAFT MEETING Our April get together on Thursday April 16 th will focus on the village‟s forthcoming celebrations of the 75 th anniversary of VE Day. Participants will be making a themed table decoration for the village hall‟s VE Day tea party on 8 th May at 2.30pm. We will focus on the wartime slogan “Make Do and Mend”, using found objects that need TLC and turning them into something fit for a celebration! After the event the table decorations can be collected and taken home. Do join us on April 16 th 2 – 4pm. Sarah Bell VILLAGE HALL CONCERT On 23 rd and 24 th May at 7.30pm we are delighted to welcome legendary band „The Strawbs‟ to the hall. The 23 rd May gig sold out almost immediately but at the time of writing tickets were still available for the 24 th May and can be bought by emailing Chris Abrams at abrams.chris2@gmail.com. The Strawbs are playing here as part of their 50 th anniversary acoustic tour. Very exciting news indeed. We look forward to seeing many of you there. The planned music night for May clashed with this concert so we will now be welcoming Wendy Benefer and „Snapshot‟ on Wednesday 1 st July. Chris Abrams FILM NIGHT - ‘MY GENERATION’ „A Glorious Ode to the 60‟s: the decade that changed the world‟, a feature-length documentary narrated by Michael Caine about his vivid and inspiring journey through 1960‟s London in which he talks to the biggest icons of the day from the worlds of fashion, art, photography and music. To be screened at the village hall at 7.45pm on Friday 24 th April. Doors open at 7pm. Licensed bar and as The Who might have sung at the time (with a bit of artistic licence. IT‟S FREE). To reserve a seat email r.dubbins@btinternet.com. Roger Dubbins Chair VH management committee VILLAGE HALL: AGM 2019 was the best year in the life of the hall for some time with more use, more variety, sell-out concerts, the biggest electricity bill ever but also the biggest surplus. However the management committee welcomes your feedback and suggestions on how it might improve things. The 2020 annual general meeting will be held on Tuesday 19 th May at 7.30pm.Your chance to have your say. Roger Dubbins Chair VH management committee SHARRINGTON AND DISTRICT GARDENING GROUP The group started its year with an AGM combined with an illustrated talk from Simon Dodsworth of the English Iris Company. 27
Page 1 and 2: BALE - BINHAM - COCKTHORPE - FIELD
Page 3 and 4: Church Services for Bale and Stiffk
Page 5 and 6: “Tribute to the Millions”, with
Page 7 and 8: Council car parks around the Distri
Page 9 and 10: two of them drowning before they co
Page 11 and 12: eneath many arable fields in the UK
Page 13 and 14: efreshments and you may purchase an
Page 15 and 16: a little beyond the outskirts of th
Page 17 and 18: there were also photographs, painti
Page 19 and 20: JOHN ROBERT HOUCHEN Although he had
Page 21 and 22: LANGHAM STREET FAYRE Plans are well
Page 23 and 24: more delicious food. We are delight
Page 25: destroying the plane. Initially ret
Page 29 and 30: vegetables? Ask the group! Want to
Page 31 and 32: LANGHAM VILLAGE SCHOOL NEWS The mon

Local Lynx No.131 - April/May 2020

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