HARVEST CELEBRATION 2024

Sunday 13th October, 2024

We celebrated our Harvest Festival on Sunday 13th October. We were joined by Reverend Leslie Newton who led us in worship. Leslie is pictured by the beautiful harvest arch created by members of the chapel. His excellent sermon (appropriate for Harvest) was based on the Wheat and the Weeds. The service is on the Chapel Facebook page and can be watched here.

A collection was held for 'All We Can' that has so far raised over £350. If you would like to donate, please let the chapel stewards know. Also if you would like to purchase a bag or half bag of potatoes. All proceeds will also go to 'All We Can'.

The food collection was in aid of the excellent work of the Ripon Food Bank

After the service we enjoyed our Harvest dinner. Thank you to all who helped.

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CHAPEL REDEVELOPMENT GETS GO-AHEAD

Monday 9th September, 2024

The long-awaited redevelopment of the Methodist Chapel and Schoolroom, which could eventually give the village a regular café and even a shop, has been given the go-ahead to start before Christmas.

The Church Council met on Sunday and agreed that work on the first phase of the project can begin, possibly as soon as next month. This phase will involve giving the schoolroom a new raised floor at the same level as the rest of the building plus new insulation. This work will make access to the whole building easier by getting rid of the awkward steps up to the vestry from the schoolroom.

The work will also make the schoolroom more energy-efficient. The cost of this phase, around £150,000, has already been met through fundraising and grants, mainly from Methodist Church sources.

Two subsequent phases of the project will involve the following:-

• creating a new, bigger kitchen in the current vestry.
• building a new meeting space to the right of the main chapel to be used as a café and shop.
• Covering over most of the approach to the schoolroom door.
• Creating doors on both sides of the main chapel space to give a more open feel.
• New insulation and glazing throughout the building plus installing solar panels.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the later stages of the project is the prospect of a café and even a shop coming back to the village. In line with the ambition to make the Chapel a real community asset, the Methodist Church hopes to develop its weekly Tuesday coffee morning into a more frequent offer, still run by volunteers, but open several days a week.

The Church is also in discussions with Burton Leonard Shop about the idea of the new space also serving as a shop. It would be run in conjunction with the Burton Leonard shop - probably as a pick-up point for pre-ordered food and other basics. This would not be a shop in the traditional sense but could be a valuable addition to the village’s amenities. Bishop Monkton lost its last village shop almost a decade ago.

Senior Church Steward, Tim Abel, said that he was delighted that a start could finally be made on the redevelopment of the chapel for which planning started back in 2019. Tim said:- “This is the beginning of an exciting new phase in the history of the Chapel as we develop the idea of creating a real community hub for the whole village. Of course, the Chapel will remain a place of worship but it’s a central part of the mission and outreach of the church to serve our community and these improvements to the building will assist us to do that.”

Planning permission for the full project was granted back in 2022. Funds for phases two and three, estimated in total at a further £450,000, have yet to be raised but several grant-giving bodies have already been approached.

Tim Abel said:- “We still need to raise a lot of money to complete the whole project but we are confident that, once the first phase is underway, we will be able to get funders on board for the rest.”

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MEN'S BREAKFAST DEEMED A SUCCESS

Saturday 7th September, 2024

The village's first Men's Breakfast, a community event hosted in the Methodist Church on Saturday September 7, was roundly declared a success. Eight gentlemen went along and the smell of bacon must have been so tantalising as one of them even travelled from Masham and very pleased he was that he came.

Breakfast lasted for just short of 90 minutes and the gentlemen who attended enjoyed learning more about their dining companions, chatting to villagers they hadn't seen around for a while or making new acquaintances.

Bacon sandwiches were most popular, with seven bacon rolls being served. Five sausages baps were enjoyed and one gentleman tucked into the vegetarian equivalent that was also on offer, all accompanied by countless cups of tea and coffee. And it goes without saying that there was brown sauce and tomato ketchup aplenty on the table.

Steve Wild, one of the organisers of the breakfast, commented, “This was a really good start to what we hope will become a regular monthly event. It was great to see old friends and meet new people”.

The next breakfast will be served on Saturday October 5th, with rolls being served from 8 a.m. until just before 9 a.m. with everything cleared up and everyone away by 9.30 a.m.

There is no charge for the sandwiches, however donations are invited and will be gratefully received.

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YORKSHIRE DAY CELEBRATED IN STYLE IN SCHOOLROOM

Thursday 1st August, 2024

A Yorkshire day lunch was attended by 36 people who enjoyed great food and a good old Yorkshire natter! They were entertained by Richard Houseman who creatively read a Yorkshire take on creation, Carol Pawson who read a Yorkshire poem and Angie Archbold who sang “Sing a song of Yorkshire” written by Doreen Brigham from Harrogate. 

A wonderful time was had by all. Angie, Carol and Pauline were the hostesses on the day.

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