Local News 2019

FOR THE FIRST time in history the Prince of Wales' standard flew over the Landing on 23 December when Prince Charles arrived in a pre-Christmas visit to our village to thank the emergency services for their sterling work during our flood. The future king visited Justin Smith's property on Main Street to see the damage done before making his way along Main Street to drop in on the Old Butcher's Café, which fed so many villagers, soldiers, police and fire fighters during our disaster. The prince was heard to compliment Claire and Louise Holling on their public spirited attitude. Residents thronged the roads between Main Street, Church Road and Pinfold Lane to greet the prince. Many can now boast that they shook his hand and had a short conversation. His next port of call was to visit  Angie and Scott at the Hare and Hounds for a pint  and a word to thank them for their tireless work feeding villagers. Once inside the mediaeval parish church the prince was introduced by churchwarden, Peter Pridham, to volunteers who gave hours to helping flood victims. Kind words mean a lot in a situation like this. From Saint Cuthbert's the heir to the throne made his way to the Village Hall where he met parish councillors from Fishlake, representatives of Stainforth4All  and the Resource Centre who helped so much in directing aid to Fishlake and representatives of Bentley who also suffered badly in the flooding this November.  A buffet, fit for a prince,  was provided by the Old Butcher's in the Village Hall and included a taste of Stuart Twell's honey for the prince. No doubt, they will soon be applying for a 'By Appointment' licence. The prince was accompanied by Dan Jarvis, elected mayor for South Yorkshire, and local MP Ed Miliband, who was serenaded for his fiftieth birthday outside the Village Hall.

More signs of normal life are to be seen in the village. Chris. Whiteley resumed his milk round a month ago and Truffle Lodge will re-open on 6 January. Caravans may be seen in some gardens where residents are undertaking their own clean-up operation although the task may take many months.

An Environment Agency spokesman said that the river Don catchment area had a record-breaking rainfall for autumn weeks before the end of  the season. It recorded 474.8 mm of rain , breaking its previous record of 425.2 mm set in 2000.  They have installed more robust, lower maintenance Jackbox temporary flood defences at a low spot in Fishlake, replacing the pallet barrier defences they had previously installed . The aim is for a longer term solution which could see the solution of sheet steel piling in this low spot . At its peak there were 39 pumps operating at Fishlake pumping 16 tonnes of water a second. Overnight pumping on 13 November caused the levels to decrease from 2 metres to 0.3 metres.

Look North came from Fishlake on 20 December to show progress in the village since the flood on 8 November.

The Donnellys and Claire and Louise Holling have visited Stainforth library to invite S4All's volunteers to a free Yorkshire breakfast at the Old Buthcher's to thank them for their kindness and enormous effort when helping the village. 28/12/2020

ONCE more the Fishlake bus is running into the village---another step along the road to recovery. Monday, 16 December saw a lively meeting in the Village Hall about flooding. Many views were expressed but as yet no conclusions have been decided.

Fishlake Village choir fulfilled its schedule by singing in Stainforth library, the headquarters of S4All, as a way of thanking people in Stainforth for their help during the flooding. Members of the public joined in carol singing and shouted out requests for the choir to sing. The handbell tunes were particularly appreciated for the Christmas songs. The guest of honour in the audience was Linda Curran, the Civic Mayor of Doncaster. The concert was followed by a delicious festive buffet.

A tragedy has hit the family of Cllr. John Waite during the flood. They have lost Mrs Ann Waite at he age of 73 whose burial took place at Saint Cuthbert's on Wednesday,18 December. Mrs Waite was born in Sykehouse where she would return to indulge her passion for whist and was the treasurer of Fishlake Coffee Club. She will always be remembered for helping her husband with shepherding Fishlake folk onto the coach before and after the annual outing to the coast. She leaves children and grandchildren.

We must not forget the plight of local farmers who lost thousands of pounds 'worth of straw and hay during the flood. Poultry were drowned and winter sowing of wheat made impossible by the water.

Fishlake Education Foundation is offering grants to students and apprentices aged between 18 and 25, normally resident in Fishlake or Sykehouse. The applications must be submitted before the end of December 2019  to Sec. Fiona Trimingham, Vine Cottage, Hay Green, Fishlake, DN7 5LA.

Saturday, 21 December sees Fishlake Village Choir in conjunction with Markham Main Brass Band  presenting its Christmas Concert from 7 pm in Saint Cuthbert's church,

A crib service will take place at 4 pm in the parish  church on Christmas Eve will midnight mass celebrated at 11.30 pm later that evening.

Fishlake History Society  will hold a general exhibition on 8 January 2020 from 2 till 4 pm in the Village Hall. 21/12/2020

BBC's LOOK NORTH presenter, Phil. Bodmer, visited Fishlake to switch on the lights of the Hare and Hounds ' Christmas tree on Sunday afternoon. The ceremony was accompanied by Fishlake Village Choir and residents singing carols as part of the fightback after the flood. On offer were roast chestnuts,mulled wine, hot chocolate and hot beef and pork sandwiches.Some gardens are already sporting festive light displays.Meanwhile geese from Northern climes  are wintering in the fields around Fishlake.

Victims of the flood were invited last week to Crooksbroom Lane Primary School in Dunscroft to receive a Christmas dinner and to hear the pupils sing carols.

As a sign of normality in the village the Nab and Jubilee Bridge have re-opened and quizzes have started again in the Hare and Hounds.

Arnold Clark of Doncaster has offered 72 free tickets to see the pantomime ' Sleeping Beauty' at the Leeds Carriageworks ( a performing arts theatre near Leeds Beckett University) on 18 December. Tickets may be obtained from the church or the Old Butcher's Cafe.

Those of who may  still be living out of carrier bags are learning a whole new vocabulary as vans draw up to houses in the village with dehumidifiers and other equipment. Lights are slowly returning to darkened homes.

DMBC is holding a drop in afternoon/evening on Monday,16 December  between 4 and 8 pm in the Village Hall to listen to flood related questions and experiences.

Hatfield Woodhouse Drama Group has invited its counterparts in Fishlake  to attend its pantomime as a gesture after the floods.

Fishlake Village Choir invites you to its Christmas concert in Saint Cuthbert's church at 7 pm on 21 December. The choir will be accompanied by Markham Main Brass Band.

One group of creatures that has had a good year in Fishlake are Stuart Twell's bees which have been busy making honey from village gardens. His honey is selling at £5 a jar.

A crib service will be held at 4 pm in Saint Cuthbert's and Midnight Mass will  be celebrated at 11.30 pm on Christmas Eve. 14/12/2020

LIGHTS shine forth from Saint Cuthbert's tower like a beacon of hope for exiles from the village. It is the first time since 1947 that villagers will have spent time away from Fishlake because of flooding. Advent has arrived and was greeted by the parish church with a well attended Christingle service. Sandbags are slowly being returned to the emergency services. The church is using the Biblical verse from the Song of Songs ( Ch 8 v.7) : "Many waters cannot quench love, neither floods drown it"

Residents have been receiving polling cards for the first Christmas general election since 1923. Saturday morning coffee mornings have started again in the church and the building is open daily for flood victims and other villagers to seek solace, companionship or a cup of tea. DMBC has paid for a tankful of oil to allow for the parish church to continue its work of sheltering and supporting villagers during the flood. Saint Cuthbert's  Christmas Fayre raised £1,100 with the Parochial Church Council sending its thanks for the generous support.

The winners of the Fishlake 100 Club for November were:1) Jessica Brownbridge, 2) Pat Coddington and 3) John Atherfold.

News has reached us of the death of Denis Wilcock who was born at Sunnyside on Hay Green after the First World War. He was apprenticed at Dunstan's Shipbuilders in Thorne and worked there during the Second World War. He often helped fellow villager, Harold Hodson,with special projects. He lived with his wife, Freda,( who came from Southern Scotland just across the border from Carlisle) in Church Street in the house which he lovingly restored. On the death of his parents they moved to Sunnyside. As a member of Fishlake Cricket Team in the 1940s and '50s they often had his father as umpire; the cry of 'Howzat!' was often followed by "Tha's reet lad. He's out!"  He joined and was a lifelong member of the Royal Antediluvian Order of the Buffalos ("The Buffs") and attended their meetings all over the area up to his death. During the days of strict rationing after the Second World War he was secretary of Fishlake's Pig Club. He was a thoroughly nice person.

The Band With No Name invites all those who have been flooded in Fishlake and Fosterhouses to a Christmas party on Friday, 20 December in the Village Hall. A light supper will be served but partygoers should take their own drinks. Admission is free but by ticket only. Telephone Mo. White on 01302 843673.

Fishlake Village Choir will be fulfilling its schedule as thanks for the generosity of our neighbours in our hour of need by singing in Stainforth library and will perform in Sykehouse Parish Church at 4 pm on Saturday, 14 December in partnership with the Band With No Name.

Neil West of Pinfold Cottage on Pinfold Lane, whose house was flooded, is suggesting producing a book to raise funds for flood relief. He would like volunteers to contact him, giving their names and contact (phone or e-mail address) details on fishlakeflood@gmail.com and ideas for photographs, stories and even humour about the flood of 2019.

Residents are looking forward to Jubilee Bridge being reopened after months of closure on Friday,6 December at tea-time and to Phil. Bodmer from Look North switching on the Christmas tree lights at 3.30 pm on Sunday, 8 December. Fishlake Village Choir will sing carols and hot mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, hot beef or pork sandwiches and hot chocolate will be on offer. 07/12/2020

HELP is available from DMBC in the Village Hall which Doncaster Council and the Red Cross are using as a community hub for different services for villagers. Meanwhile residents' post is being stored at Stainforth Post Office. Another source of information about the village since the flood is the DN7 Facebook.

The good news is that at long last our main link with the outside world, Stainforth Bridge ( or Water Lane Bridge as Doncaster Council seems to call it), is now open as the Environment Agency has removed the pipes from the Nab where it was pumping water from flooded fields. It is now confirmed that we had 77.8 mm ( 3.1 inches) of rain during a twenty-four hour period  over 7 and 8 November. During the actual flood some residents were rescued by boat as not everyone had left on time. They were taken to the Salvation Army Headquarters in Doncaster. Others stayed as they had animals to feed.

Jeremy and Pauline Foster would like to thank the kind hearted residents who found the bellows swept away from the Old Smithy and family photographs also lost in the rising waters.

Saint Cuthbert's Christmas Fair went ahead on Saturday, 23 November, as planned as a symbol of village recovery. The morning was filmed on the BBC's  Look North programme. 

Thursday saw a visit to the parish church in Fishlake and to Stainforth4All to see some of the relief efforts which have and are still taking place.The visiting party consisted of Andrew Coombe, Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, John Pickering, the Lord High Sheriff, and John Holt, the vice lord lieutenant. The lord lieutenant was concerned about those residents without insurance and how villagers were going to spend Christmas. He wanted to know how the village would continue to receive help now that our 'two minutes of fame' is over.

I misheard last week--mea culpa! The food received was in fact from two Muslim brothers who are bakers in Bolton and Birmingham and not from the Muslim Brotherhood!

Everyone has a different opinion on why our village flooded. Was it a lack of dredging for many years, the fact that Sheffield had increased its flood protection, the fact that Fishlake's river banks are lower than those opposite, the disappearance of many drains and ditches or simply the fact that we had two months' worth of rain in a day and the resultant water combined with a high tide pushed the water towards the village? 02/12/19

OPERATION Clean-up has started in the village. Piles of household goods wait sadly in front of houses where mattresses, bedding, clothes and books reached by floodwater and condensation wait for the dustbin men. Help has continued to pour into the area from up and down the country. The kindness of strangers became obvious when the Muslim Brotherhood sent supplies of food from Lancashire and a group of Sikhs came to help the village clean up.The Sheffield Steelers threw themselves into efforts to clean the village. and have since invited residents to their match on Saturday. The Light Dragoons from Catterick have arrived and have constructed a wall of steel across the fields near the Nab to protect the village from further flooding. Dehumidifiers and heaters are arriving in Fishlake this weekend. On the lighter side the clairvoyant booked at the Hare and Hounds for 11 November had to be cancelled 'due to unforeseen circumstances'.

One hero of the flood was Charlie Duckitt from Dirty Lane who rescued over thirty  horses from the rising water. John Deeney's facebook page is very useful for those precious helpline numbers which are available. Repairs to 'phone and broadband services may  be reached on 07484 023311.

 The Fishlake diaspora may be encountered in an arc around the village, staying with friends, relatives or placed in temporary accommodation by insurance companies. Those with insurance are the lucky ones. Some have found that their insurance no longer covered flooding in the small print. Because of an oil leak one family  has already  been informed that its house will be demolished because of the oil damage. Many families have been warned not to expect to return home for nine months. Their floors and furniture are covered in a layer of mud.

David Croucher rightly took  a journalist to task when he said that the reason for our flooding was in the name ;Fishlake. The village never had a lake. The name's meaning  is certainly not obvious in modern English but comes from 'fisc lacu' or 'fishy stream' in Anglo-Saxon.

COMETH the hour, cometh the man and woman. Fishlake folk have risen to the occasion since the flood. Leadership has been provided by our village floodwardens and members of the parish council. The church, which miraculously remained dry, offered sanctuary to many with the churchwardens providing Wellington boots and warm blankets. Hot meals were prepared by the tenants of the Hare and Hounds and the owners of the cafés. An outpouring of help and gifts of food and clothes from individuals in Stainforth and Thorne have given us comfort and restored our belief in human nature. Round the clock the emergency services have been working from the Resource Centre in Stainforth where Stainforth4All, Stainforth's DMBC councillors and Stainforth Town Council are directing help to our stricken village.

Individuals, often with very limited resources themselves, have contributed money, food, clothes and made offers of accommodation to Fishlakers. The village has received visits from the prime minister, Boris Johnson, the leader of the Lib.Dems, Jo Swinson, and our local Labour MP, Ed. Miliband . They have all visited the village to see the situation for themselves and to listen to villagers' concerns. Some locals have appeared on the national news and even as far away as Australia,

As so often in our history at times of crisis the Salvation Army has stepped up to the mark and is sheltering evacuated residents at its headquarters on Lakeside in Doncaster.

By Thursday the village was under another flood warning and locals were taking shelter again. Concerns about insurance and the strength of the river banks have been passed on to the authorities. 14/11/2019

AT 7.45 am on Sunday, 27 October the level recorded at the River Don's Fishlake monitoring station was 6.83 metres ( above sea level) i.e. 36 cm above its previous highest level which was recorded back in 2012. The water overbanked above Stainforth Bridge and opposite Plumtree Lane and flooded the Nab and surrounding fields after two months of rain in two days. Fortunately, Sunday proved to be dry and sunny and despite cones blocking off the Nab, life in the village surreally continued as normal. Villagers walked dogs, rode horses and met friends in the cafes in spite of only two exits being open ( via Wormley Hill or Askern).Waterlogged fields along the Nab were soon colonised by seagulls. We were well informed about river levels by regular e-mails from our Flood Wardens, Cllrs Peter Trimingham and John Waite. By 4.30 pm on Monday the Environment Agency was contacting residents to inform them that the emergency was over and that river levels were dropping.

Hallowe'en was celebrated by families in wonderful costumes going from house to house. It was noticeable this year, that rather than disturb the elderly, children were just visiting houses which boasted Hallowe'en lanterns or pumpkin faces on their porches.. 

One consequence of the constant rain was the decision by the Cricket and Bowls Club to cancel this year's bonfire and firework display on 2 November.The ground is too wet to provide safe conditions for spectators, the firework display and for car parking.More rain was also forecast for the weekend. The bonfire will be back next year.

It's now official Stainforth Field Road Doctors' Surgery is to be taken over by Thorne Doctors' Practice. 

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Pam Pyatt with Malcolm Hayes winning on Thursday.

Advance notice is given that Fishlake Village Hall is holding its annual general meeting at 7 pm on Friday, 15 November. 04/11/19

SADLY, the extra news this week is that Harry Clarke of Greenroyd, on Trundle Lane has passed away after living in the village for twenty years. Another of 'nature's gentlemen', George Turton, a founder member of Fishlake Bowls Club has also passed away. He too lived on Trundle Lane . 

Work started on 4 November on repairing Saint Cuthbert's south aisle where thieves stole the lead from the roof.

A short service of remembrance will be held at 10.55 am ---ready for the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month--- on Monday, 11 November at the war memorial in the churchyard.05/11/19

DARKER nights and lighter mornings are the consequence of changing the clocks and returning to GMT as we prepare to face the gloomy month of November. As a last hurrah of autumn I travelled on Wednesday to York past trees bathed in sunshine and still clad in all their foliage. They put on a wonderful display of golds, browns, copper and reds until my destination was reached.

Donations to Firefly from generous villagers have risen to the amazing sum of £1,687.30 which has touched the hearts of the organisers of the fund raising event.

Alan Hodges won the quiz in the Hare and Hounds on Tuesday. with Susan Hayes victorious on Thursday.

Fishlake Parish Councillors and the Askern ward DMBC councillors will meet representatives of the Environment Agency on Wednesday to discuss progress on Jubilee Bridge.

Two ladies from DMBC will be present in the Village Hall from 3 till 5 pm on 30 October to listen to comments about issues which affect the council.

Children across the village are preparing their costumes for Hallowe'en on 31 October. Meanwhile Guy Fawkes' Night will be celebrated on Saturday, 2 November at the Cricket Club this year.The bonfire will be lit at 6.30 pm and the firework display will light up the sky from 7 pm . Tickets for adults cost £2, for children £1 and entry is free for children under 5.This year will see extra off road parking.

Please contact Pam Pyatt or any member of the Village Hall committee to reserve tickets for the village quiz on Friday,22 November. 28/10/19

WE HAVE now passed the autumn equinox and mushrooms and unusual toadstools are well in evidence. Heavy rain has left the ground so wet that sowing winter wheat is difficult.

Gremlins got into last week's Fishlake Findings and reversed the figures of the amount raised for the Alzheimer's charity by David Chaffer. The figure should have read £580.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Mick Turner with Susan Hayes winning on Thursday.

Fishlake's Fashion show raised £1,627.30 on Friday, 11 October in aid of the charity, Firefly. The organisers wish to thank all who helped arrange the event, donate prizes and attend. The models were: Carol Lambe, Lyn Blenkin, Pat Sheppard and Sheila Hill. 

Fishlake Ladies' Group will meet at 7 pm on Thursday, 24 October in the Village Hall. 

Extra off-road parking is on offer at this year's Cricket Club bonfire on Saturday, 2 November. The bonfire will be lit at 6.30 pm and the firework display will start at 7 pm. Tickets cost £2 for adults and £1 for children with under fives going in free.

The Hare and Hounds is holding a clairvoyant and psychic medium evening with Dione. It will take place from 7 until 8.30 pm on Monday, 11 November. 21/10/19

THE CRICKET Club will be holding its annual bonfire on Saturday, 2 November. As in past years, the fire will be lit at half past six and the fireworks at seven o'clock.

Camelot, the pantomime, will be presented by Fishlake Drama Group from Wednesday, 4 December till Saturday, 7 December. The curtain will rise at 7.15 and the bar will be open from 6.30  pm Tickets cost £7 for adults and £5 for children from Joy Chaffer on 01302 351218.

Congratulations to the Old Butcher's Cafe which has won the Eastside Restaurant of the Year Award for 2019 ( Readers' Choice). To celebrate Claire and Louise Holling took their staff out for a slap-up meal at Doncaster's New Hilton.On 26 October they are holding a classic bistro evening at 7 for 7.30 and in December they intend to hold a wreath making and a cake making class for the festive season.

Sadly, the village has lost Margaret Holt-Taylor at the age of 74. She was brought up in Thorne and Moorends and was a good member of Saint Cuthbert's where she took over from Keith Cowlishaw in cleaning the sanctuary. Along with helping with church activities she was involved in local politics in Thorne where she served as mayor.She loved her daughter, Charlotte, and her three grandchildren.

Fishlake History Society met on 9 October with eleven members present. They looked at new pictures on the website including an old barn or malt kiln used for burning malt production for beer.From the pictures they deduced that Hall Farm's cattle just walked down to the Old River to drink. They also saw that there were just tracks and not tarmacked roads in the village.An advertisement informed them that fourteen new laid eggs could be purchased for a penny! Next month's meeting will be held on 13 November when Richard Bell will give a presentation on Doncaster's Sand House at 7 pm in the large room of the Village Hall.

Advance notice is given that two ladies from DMBC will be available in Fishlake Village Hall from 3 till 5 pm on 30 October for people to raise issues about the council.

Fishlake Parish Council met under the chairmanship of Cllr John Waite on 8 October. It is asking for tenders for two jobs in the village: the first is for foundation work for the installation of three road signs.

The second is for cutting the playing field.

Details may be obtained from the clerk, Mrs K. Evans, on 07581062427 or fishlakepc@yahoo.co.uk 

Please pass on this information to anyone who might be interested.

Two members of the public attended and brought up three complaints. The first was concerning a tree blocking the drain on Sour Lane, the second concerned the mess left after the work on the water leak on Main Street/ Pinfold Lane and the third was about the failure of DMBC to empty the dog waste bins.

Cllr. David Chaffer raised £850 for the Alzheimer's Charity on his two hours and 22 minute participation in the Great North Run on 8 September.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Joy Chaffer with Jan Threadgold victorious on Thursday. 14/10/19

HIGH TIDES and very heavy rainfall swelled the water in the river Don to a very high level on 29 and 30 September and 1 October. The river has since returned to its bed. Frosts struck on 1 and 2 October. 

Eight members of Fishlake Ladies' Group attended a concert in Selby Abbey where Jacob Walsh, the Yorkshire Tenor, sang and was supported by the York Military Wives' Choir. The next meeting of the Ladies' Group will be on Thursday, 24 October at 7 pm.

Fishlake 100 Club's winners for July 2019 were : 1) Dossie Croucher, 2) Mary Turner and 3) William Duckitt whilst those for August were 1) Harold Whitehead, 2) Muriel Benford and 3) Carrie Dudley.

A goshawk has been spotted within the boundaries of Fishake. These birds of prey  were hunted to extinction by gamekeepers in the nineteenth century but have now returned.

On top of the closure of Jubilee Bridge--the latest is that it is aiming to reopen on 7 November- is the closure of Kirton Lane between Stainforth and Thorne on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8 pm till 6 am from 3 October to 23 November. This route is useful to Fishlakers trying to reach Thorne when Jubilee Bridge is closed.

Fishlake History Society will  meet on Wednesday, 9 October at 7 pm in the Village Hall. All are welcome. 

A Ladies' Fashion Show Extravaganza is announced and is to be held at 7 pm on Friday, 11 October in the Village Hall. Tickets cost £7 and the proceeds will go to the charity, Firefly. The ticket includes a glass of wine and a tasty snack.

The 'Peaky Blinders' evening at the Hare and Hounds was such a success with customers participating in fancy dress that it is being suggested as an attraction for New Year's Eve.The pub is planning a fancy  dress party for Hallowe'en on Friday,1 November.The pub is to start a new chef on 10 October.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Pam Pyatt with Joy Chaffer victorious on Thursday. 07/10/19

HIGH DRAMA in the skies above Fishlake on 10 September was explained when the Yorkshire Air Ambulance landed on Pinfold Lane to rescue a woman who had fallen from a horse. The many thousands of pounds raised in Stainforth and latterly in Fishlake also have paid off in help from the skies at a time when bridge closures  and heavy road traffic make travelling to Doncaster Royal Infirmary difficult and lengthy.

Cllr. David Chaffer completed the Great North Run in 2 hours and 22 minutes on 8 September. He was running in aid of Alzheimer's Charity and would like to thank all his supporters.

Joy Chaffer won the quiz on Thursday, 12 September in the Hare and Hounds.

30 November is South Yorkshire Archaeology Day on subjects such as Thorne Market Place, Hatfield and others. For more information please contact Helen Wallder on Helen.Walder@doncaster.gov.uk

Saturday, 28 September saw the Hare and Hounds hold a 'Peaky Blinders' themed evening in the Gatsby style with live themed music and bubble and squeak for supper.

Saturday, 28 September also saw the retirement service in Doncaster Minster of Fishlake resident, Rt. Rev. Peter Burrows, The bishop preached and presided at Holy Communion.

Saint Cuthbert's will celebrate the gathering in of the harvest on Sunday, 6 October  at 9.30 am.

Upholstery lessons are on offer on Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6.30 to 8.30 pm in the Old School House  on Thorne Road in Stainforth. Each session costs £25. For more information please ring Richard Felton on 01302 843458 or visit www.specialist-upholstery.com 30/09/19

ALMOST a touch of frost is now in evidence first thing as darker nights and cooler days hit us.

Brenda Grafton gave a description of Fishlake's fascinating field names at the monthly meeting of the History Society on Tuesday, 11 September. She explained that once the village had three large open fields split into strips---Mill Field, East Field and West Field-- to support subsistence farming. In 1825 an Enclosure Award was made by parliament which changed our landscape for ever. Mrs Grafton grew up with many of the field names and others were provided by Ken Omar. West Field is still known as 12 Acres or The Twelve Apostles is still open. Other names were found by Mrs Grafton in old auction catalogues. The names include One Acre Lane with fields of one acre each, Far Sparrow Croft, Malt Kiln Garth, Butler's Garth, Fen Carr and indications of glebe or church land with names like Tythe Ing.

16/09/2019

FISHLAKE History Society returns after its summer break. It will meet at 7 pm on Wednesday, 11 September in the Village Hall when it will hear a description of Fishlake's field names. A donation of £2 would be welcome. Have you seen the website? It's : www.fishlakehistorysociety.uk

Fishlake Ladies' Group thoroughly enjoyed its visit to Stamford and Burghley House in August. They will next meet on Thursday, 26 September at 7 pm in the Village Hall when Sinita Lee will talk about Indian customs.

The next meeting of Fishlake Playgroup will be from 9.30 to 11 am on Friday, 4 October.

Tickets for the 1950s set comedy 'Hi-de Hi' are still available from Maureen White ( tel. 843673). They cost £5 and the play will be presented by Doncaster's Little Theatre in the Village Hall at 7.30 pm on Friday, 20 September.

Fishlake Education Foundation is announcing that grants will be available for students and apprentices aged 18 to 25 and who are normally resident in the parishes of Fishlake or Sykehouse. 

( enquiries@FEFgrants.org.uk) The secretary is Fiona Trimingham, Vine Cottage, Hay Green corner, Fishlake, DN7 5LA.

A limited amount of tickets remain for the Ladies' Fashion Show on Friday, 11 October in the Village Hall. The evening is in aid of Firefly Local Cancer Support Charity and is presented by Lincs Fashions.

Signs of autumn are everywhere. Plums, apples and pears are ripening, autumn crocuses are in bloom, leaves are turning and birds are preparing to fly south for winter.

Fishlake Parish Council, chaired by Cllr. John Waite, will meet at 7 pm on Tuesday, 10 September in the Village Hall.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Eric Purcell with Marylyn Fox victorious on Thursday. Ian Knott won the raffle. 11/09/2019

A BANK Holiday with sunshine ! This unusual event came to Fishlake on 26 August when after a couple of fine days with cloudless skies the thermometer rose to 30 C (86 F). Golden sunshine flooded the village and its surrounding farms. For some time farmers have been harvesting and in so doing have transformed the patchwork of fields which surround us. The parish church's harvest festival is not, however, until Sunday, 6 October by when,  it is hoped, that the harvest will be 'safely gathered in'.

Fishlake Drama Group has announced that this year's presentation is to be 'Camelot--the Pantomime'. This is a new venture for the group away from some of the more traditional plays.

A steady trickle of people has made its way from the village to Jubilee Bridge to see signs of progress on the repairs of the bridge. The Environment Agency has worked on the bridge in two halves as a safety precaution and is making headway.

Cllr. David Chaffer will participate yet again in the Great North Run on 8 September in aid of the Alzheimer's charity. The run is a half marathon of 13.1 miles from Newcastle to Gateshead and is undertaken annually by 55,000 runners.Watch out for it on television.

Mrs Mary Silvester would like to thank the several people who stopped to help her husband, Don,when he flagged them down after she had a nasty fall in their front garden on Tuesday morning. They gave all the assistance they could and waited with Don until the ambulance arrived forty-five minutes later. She would also like to thank Doctor Sykes who also stayed with her.  Mary is very grateful but, unfortunately, did not get their names.

Pam Pyatt was victorious in both quizzes in the Hare and Hounds this week. 02/09/19

THE WEATHER has been warming up as we approach the bank holiday weekend. The fun will start at the Hare and Hounds on Sunday, 25 August from 12 noon when a bouncy castle opens up. Lu More will sing from 3 pm. A karaoke session will be held from 6.30 pm onwards. Meanwhile, hot meat sandwiches will be on offer along with roast potatoes and drink offers.

Winning both the Tuesday quiz and the Thursday quiz in the Hare and Hounds this week was Margaret Shepherd. Meanwhile, Dossie Croucher won the big bingo and Joy Chaffer the quiz at  Fishlake Coffee Club. 

Parts of the village endured a two hour power cut on the evening of Wednesday, 21 August. Candles made a come back.

An alteration has been made to the family service in Saint Cuthbert's on 1 September which will no longer take place at 2 pm as advertised in the July parish magazine. Instead , it will now take place at 9.30 am and will be followed by scones and strawberries as planned ( but inside the church).

Fishlake Playgroup will meet next on Monday, 2 September from 9.30 to 11 am. 26/08/19

HIGH WINDS and low temperatures for August have characterised this last week. Strangely, however, this year could be well be dubbed a 'butterfly' summer with larger numbers than usual. 

Months of preparation went into Sadie Rothwell's wedding to Richard List in Saint Cuthbert's on 14 August. Flowers greeted the 140 guests outside the church, along the aisles and near the altar with yet more floral decorations in the marquee on the paddock next to the church. After seeing the flowers guests may not have been surprised to learn that the groom's mother,Christine, is a florist. Fishlake Village Choir sang to wish the happy couple well and the bride and groom were joined in matrimony by Rt. Rev. Peter Burrows, the Bishop of Doncaster, before the guests slipped over the bishop's drive to the reception. 

Jeremy Foster won the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds with Josh Mason winning on Thursday. Dossie Croucher won the double bingo at Fishlake Coffee Club on Thursday and Ann Waite won the quiz.

Fishlake has gone from lagging behind to being ahead of the game by having a milkman. 'Do you still have a milkman?' used to be the refrain but, thanks to the environmental movement which disapproves of plastic containers supplied by supermarkets, it is now trendy to have a milkman whose glass bottles can be washed, returned and used again.

The Rotary Club of Doncaster is holding a fundraising dinner for Aquabox with guest speaker, Geoff Miller, OBE, at 7.30 pm on Wednesday, 6 November at the Keepmoat Stadium.Tickets cost £35 and may be obtained from events@doncasterrotary.org.uk or contact Paul West on 07885610980. John Stiles, former Doncaster Rovers' player and son of Nobby Stiles is acting as host compere for the event.

Fishlake's Keep Fitters will meet up at 10 am on Tuesday, 20 August  in the Village Hall whilst  Fishlake Coffee Club will meet at 2 pm on Thursday, 22 August also in the Village Hall. 19/08/19

FISHLAKE Keep Fitters completed their walk around Mill Fields on 6 August. The rain held off until the afternoon and the assembled walkers dropped in on the Old Butcher's Cafe to restore their strength. Their next session will take place in the Village Hall between 10 and 11 am on Tuesday, 13 August.

Fishlake's Coffee Club will next meet at 2 pm on Thursday, 15 August in the Village Hall.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday was Wendy Brownbridge with Marylyn Fox victorious on Thursday in the Hare and Hounds.

Cllr David Chaffer is returning to the Great North Run on Sunday, 8 September when along with 57,000 others he will be attempting the famous 13.1 mile UK half marathon. David will be fund raising for the Alzheimer's charity.

Fishlake History Society will welcome guests at 7 pm on Wednesday, 11 September to hear a presentation about the former field names of the village. The talk will be illustrated with maps and other information. A donation of £2 towards funds would be welcome. Advance notice is given about the 13 November meeting which will feature a presentation on Doncaster's Sand House by Richard Bell.

Lincs Fashions will present a ladies' fashion show at 7 pm on 11 October in the Village Hall. Tickets ( which include a glass of wine and a snack) cost £7 and are available from Mary Sheldon, Lyn Blenkin, Pat Holgate,Christine Robinson, Dorothy Whitehead and Sheila Hill ( tel. 841086). The evening is to to raise funds for Firefly, the charity which has driven thousands of people from the Doncaster area to receive cancer treatment in the hospitals of Sheffield and other centres. On sale will be top brands, at half price or less and chainstore clothing clearance sale items.

Fishlake Drama Group's Christmas pantomime will be presented this year from 4 till 7 December. 12/08/19

I HAVE seen the future and it works! Friends called last week with their brand new all electric car which can 'fill up' at supermarkets for £3 ( it's free at Lidl) and pays no road tax.It is even quieter than a petrol car.No doubt, one day we shall all be driving electric cars to save the environment.

Rain has come in the wake of high temperatures. Saturday, 27 July saw the beer festival blighted by heavy rain which was  a huge disappointment for the landlord and stallholders. The Yorkshire Dales saw a month's worth of rain fall in four hours whilst a whole town was evacuated below a dam in Derbyshire.

The good news is that Pam Webb, who runs Truffle Lodge, the spa on Trundle Lane, has been included in the shortlisted finals for the FL National Awards and  Summit which celebrates women in business across the UK. Pam said she was incredibly proud and it was due to the support she receives from her staff. The awards will take place in Newcastle on 20 September at the Crowne Plaza. Successful candidates will go forward to the national finals in Leeds in November.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Joy Chaffer with Kim Mason victorious on Thursday.

Fishlake Keep Fit Group will meet at 10 am on Tuesday,6 August at the Village Hall for a walk around Mill Fields. Dog walkers, pram pushers and children are all welcome to join in.There will also  be a raffle and the walk  will finish at 11 am at the Old Butcher's Café whatever the weather!

Fishlake Ladies' Group will not meet in August. However, there are a few places left on their annual trip which this year is visiting Stamford on Friday,16 August, calling at Downtown on the A1 en route, and then spending the afternoon at Burghley House, with a visit to the gardens which were laid out by Capability Brown. The house is a wonderful Elizabethan mansion built for Sir William Cecil, who was Elizabeth I 's Lord High Treasurer. Tickets cost £12.50 and may be obtained from Val. Geoghegan on 01302 350011. Men are welcome as well as women. 05/08/19

A CONGRATULATIONS card has arrived from Buckingham Palace for Ethel and Colin Watson of Mill View on Fishlake Nab, who celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on Thursday, 25 July.The couple has lived in Fishlake for 37 years and were married in St. Mary's church in Stainforth on 25 July 1959. 

Temperatures rose until Thursday when they reached 36 degrees Celsius ( or 96.8 in old money). The riding school suspended lessons as it was too hot for the horses and the children. Travellers were warned not to travel by train as lines might buckle in the heat which  reached 39 C ( or 102 Fahrenheit) in the east of England.Many people remained indoors and the village was 'becalmed' with no through traffic as Jubilee Bridge will be closed until September. This volume of traffic shows residents what the village was like decades ago before we became a short cut to the motorway.

A very well attended meeting was held by the Fishlake Ladies' Group  on 25 July in the Village Hall when Quarto, a barber's shop quartet, entertained the ladies with humour and popular songs with altered lyrics.

Yvette Hodges won the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds with Pam Jones victorious on Thursday evening.

At the July meeting of the parish council it was heard that DMBC had undertaken white lining around the village, Sour Lane's many road problems were being dealt with and yellow lining at the entrance to the village was soon to take place. The drains at the junction of Main Street and Dirty Lane are to be jetted because of the straw. The news from the bridge is that the repairs are having to be undertaken in two sections ( half at a time) because of Health and Safety regulations from the Environment Agency which  is concerned about potential flash floods after the heat. Animal lovers will be pleased to hear that the parish council is asking for signs to be erected asking drivers to slow down near horses. The parish council is pushing for more street cleaning to remove straw and debris from the roads.The parish council would like DMBC to extend the 30 mph area to the hamlet of Fosterhouses where the current speed  limit is the national level of 60 mph ! They are also examining the lack of drop kerbs in the village which  cause hardship to the disabled. Electric speed reminders are to be erected at the three other entrances to the village. The company which has cut the roadside grass was criticised whereas there was praise for the DMBC team which cut the verges and the Playing Field. The Playing Field Action Group was unsuccessful in its bid for funding from Calor Gas but undaunted the group is continuing with the application for a grant to set up a wildlife area on  part of the field. 29/07/19

TWO EVENTS stand out this week on Fishlake's calendar. The first is an open meeting of Fishlake Ladies' Group's open meeting at 7 pm on 25 July in the Village Hall.The second will start at 12 noon on Saturday, 27th when the Hare and Hounds will extend an invitation to its family friendly beer and music festival which will feature live music,an outside bar, a hog roast, a bouncy castle, face painting, craft stalls, cakes and sweet stalls.

South Yorkshire's Fire Service is holding an online vote about how to meet a £4 million financial shortfall. It is facing the public with an invidious  choice which resembles the devil or the deep blue sea. Either they can reduce the number of firefighters on a fire engine from five to four in order to maintain the number of fire engines they have available round the clock across the county or they can reduce the speed of the 999 response at up to half  of the fire stations. To vote on this matter or simply to voice an opinion go to syfire.gov.uk/haveyoursay

'Painted ladies heading for Fishlake' is the sort of headline beloved of Victorian journalists. However, unusually high numbers of the migratory butterfly have flown into Britain from continental Europe over the last six weeks. the butterfly undertakes an extraordinary 7,500 mile round trip from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle every year and can travel up to 30 mph. Chris Packham's Big Butterfly Count, which  started on Friday, last year involved 100,000 people counting more than one million butterflies during the three weeks of high summer.

Doris Nicholls won the quiz at the Coffee Club with Rita Southgate victorious at bingo. Meanwhile, Margaret Shepherd won the quiz in the Hare and Hounds on Tuesday and Jan Threadgold claimed the honours on Thursday. 22/07/19

FARMING families were absent from the village last week visiting the one hundred and sixty-first Great Yorkshire Show which seems to grow in scope each year.

Vexillologists like Dave Croucher found the first week of July very busy. The month started with Canada Day on 1st July, followed by a quick change to Saint George's flag to support the England team in the Women's World Cup on 2nd and then the Stars and Stripes for American Independence Day on 4th July. Other national days are still to come.

Fishlake Drama Group has chosen 'Aladdin' as this year's Christmas pantomime.

Fishlake Keep Fit Group has a new spring in its step since it received a grant from the Tween Bridges Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund, supported by E.on. They meet every Tuesday in the Village Hall for exercise and activities. Sessions cost £3. On Tuesday, 6 August the group will be walking around Mill Fields after meeting up at  10 am before finishing at 11 am at the Old Butcher's. All are welcome ( including dog walkers, pram pushers and children). Time will be made to squeeze in a raffle.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Margaret Shepherd with Hilary Simpson claiming the honours on Thursday.

Yorkshire Water has written to householders warning them that proactive flushing of the water pipes will take place between 23 July and 2 August. This may result in a drop in water pressure and in water becoming discoloured as mineral deposits are removed.

Fishlake History Society presented its work to the village last week with slides, photographs and a display. Villagers dropped in to the Village Hall on Wednesday to see some of the work achieved by members who have produced information on the church, the school, fields, the Quakers and ship building in the village. 15/07/19

SUMMER has truly arrived when the scent of honeysuckle wafts across hedgerows and banks of blackberry flowers herald a good crop this autumn.One swarm of bees decided to move house this summer by taking flight from Stuart Twell's hives on Hay Green and taking up residence as squatters in Doris Nicholl's garden on Dirty Lane.

Fishlake Ladies' Group spent time on 27 June 'blind tasting' food from different supermarkets. In the competition between Aldi and Lidl Aldi came out on top.

The winners of the Fishlake 100 competition in June were : 1) Rita Southgate, 2) Di Wood and 3) Val Geoghegan.

The winner of the quiz in the Hare and Hounds on Tuesday, 25 June was Wendy Brownbridge whilst Pam Pyatt won on Thursday, 27th. Joy Chaffer's team won the quiz at the Coffee Club and Sheila Greenhall won at bingo. Lin Blenkin was victorious in the Hare and Hounds quiz on Tuesday, 2 July with Stephen Cook claiming the honour on Thursday, 4 July.

The arrival of summer meant it was time for Fishlake's more mature residents to depart for their annual visit to the sea, courtesy of the parish council.This year's destination was Scarborough with its warm sunshine and inviting beach. Immediately, two groups formed: one headed for the shops and the other to taste the atmosphere of the harbour area with its shellfish, donkeys and boat trips to Bempton. Some headed to the Harbour Bar for a touch of 'Fifties nostalgia with its milk shakes, milky coffees and knickerbocker glories. Cllr. John Waite and his wife oversaw the arrival and departures of the excursion with great confidence.

Villagers and visitors are welcome this week in the main room of the Village Hall between 2 and 4 pm on Wednesday, 10 July to see the general exhibition offered by Fishlake History Society. The society has been working hard on different topics covering the village's interesting past and appreciates the support it receives from the community. 08/07/19

A REUNION took place of the AYPA ( the Anglican Young People's Association) in the village on Saturday, 22 June when thirteen people met at the Old Butcher's Cafe  for lunch. The association was formed in Fishlake in 1959 and, of course, visited Saint Cuthbert's. Afterwards the group went for a walk through the village reminiscing about old times before arriving at the Cricket and Bowls Club where they were offered afternoon tea and watched Fishlake win the match.

On Monday morning Hay Green and part of Pinfold Lane awoke to the sound of sledge hammers, shovels and laughter as the Monday Club demolished the eyesore that had been the bus shelter outside the Old School. The parish council received permission to demolish the redundant bus shelter from South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and the Monday Club agreed to remove it free of charge. Demolition proved a sound decision as rotting roof timbers would soon make the shelter dangerous.

A small male black and white cat has gone missing. He is chipped and was last seen on Grove Road on 21 June. If you see him please 'phone 07510594600.

Since Jubilee Bridge closed the village has seemed 'becalmed' without the usual through traffic.The peace and quiet will allow the beer and music festival at the Hare and Hounds to flourish on Saturday, 27 July ( from noon onwards) with live music , an outside bar, a hog roast, a bouncy castle and cake and sweet stalls.  The last week has been characterised by more wet weather which has been very different from the experience of our Continental neighbours who have lived through temperatures of 112 degrees Fahrenheit ( 45 C). 

Fishlake Playgroup will meet at 9.30 am on Monday, 1 July in the Village Hall. 

Cllr. John Waite asks residents who are travelling on the annual trip to the coast organised by the parish council to be at the Village Hall ( or the other points of departure for Scarborough) on Wednesday, 3 July at 9 am. 01/07/2019

'HI DE HI!', the popular comedy set in  a holiday camp in the 1950s, is coming to the Village Hall on 20 September at 7.30 pm. Tickets cost £5 and may be obtained from Maureen White. It will be presented by the cast of Doncaster's Little Theatre who presented 'The Vicar of Dibley' some time ago.

Saint Cuthbert's Coffee Morning on 15 June saw red roses distributed to fathers in anticipation of Father's Day last Sunday. The gesture was a playful reaction to 'complaints' that ladies received daffodils before Mothering Sunday.

Fishlake Ladies' Group will next meet at 7 pm this week on Thursday,27 June in the Village Hall.

The longest day, 21 June, dawned to brilliant sunshine and birdsong. It was quite a contrast to recent weather. Fishlake Ladies' Group will next meet at 7 pm on Thursday, 27 June in the Village Hall. 

Fishlake's successful Village Choir will present its summer concert in Saint Cuthbert's from 7 pm on Saturday, 29 June.Meanwhile Fishlake's playgroup will meet from 9.30 to 11 am in the Village Hall on Monday, 1 July. A donation of £1 is suggested. All ages of children are welcome.

English strawberries seem to be so much tastier this year.

Ann Waite won the quiz at Fishlake Coffee Club whilst Brenda Clarke won at bingo. Meanwhile Yvette Hodges won the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds. Thursday saw Susan Hayes win the quiz and Marie Foster return home with the jackpot.

The Hare and Hounds is planning a Beer and Music Festival from noon onwards on Saturday, 27 July. The day will feature an outside bar, live music, a hog roast, a bouncy  castle, face painting, craft stalls, cakes and sweet stalls and is aimed at the whole family. 24/06/19

STORM MIGUEL ( When did we switch from Irish names for our storms  to Spanish names in the middle of the alphabet?) on 7 and 8 June left us very wet with gallons of rain thrown at the village. The drenching continued for a whole week. Let's hope that this week will be better.

Saturday, 8 June saw a television programme on BBC 2 from RHS Chatsworth and featured in the programme was Fishlake's very own Garden Blooms, the nursery in Fosterhouses, which won a silver medal.

Fishlake History Society met on 12 June. Members and the public had been invited to bring items of interest which could be photographed by Neil West to go onto the website (see www.fishlakehistorysociety.uk ). One of the items was an axe-head estimated to be 40 to 50,000 years old from the area between Fishlake and Sykehouse. Members revealed that two ( of the dozen public houses from the past) in the 1820s were 'The Ring of Bells' and 'The Red Lion',although as yet their exact location is unknown. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, 10 July from 2 till 4 pm when images of the village will be projected onto a large screen with large scale plans from 1825 onwards. There will also be photographs, maps and articles projected on to the wall of  the big room in the Village Hall.

Coming up this week we have the summer solstice on Friday, 21 June.

Jubilee Bridge will close for repairs on Monday, 17 June for up to 14 weeks. Some enjoy the calm brought by the lack of traffic whilst others bemoan the lack of customers coming to the cafes and the pub from Thorne not to mention our easy access to Thorne's shops and services.

Residents and friends are reminded that this weekend is the last opportunity to help the Playing Field Action Committee (Chairman--Paul Trimingham) realise its ambitions by voting on the www.calor.co.uk/shop/community fund/ fishlake-playing-field improvements site.

The winner of the quiz in the Hare and Hounds on Tuesday was Yvette Hodges with Pam Jones winning on Thursday. Meanwhile, Doris Nicholls was victorious in the quiz at the Fishlake Coffee Club. 17/06/19

RETURNING from Northern Spain last week was Ian Knott having led  three generations of  his Fishlake family in walking along one hundred kilometres on the famous Camino in the footsteps of mediaeval pilgrims who made the journey from Lugo  to Santiago de Compostela. Like the early pilgrims they wore cockleshells and stayed at the auberges or guest houses along the way. Once en route they met many different nationalities and enjoyed the marvellous scenery of Spain's Atlantic province of Galicia in temperatures of up to 34 degrees C. with 12 kg of belongings on their backs. Ian, now aged 69, has survived the trip without blisters and is the proud possessor of a certificate in Latin awarded to those who arrive safely in Santiago de Compostela. The party consisted of Kevin and James Knott along with young James and young William Knott and took four days to reach their destination.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Carole Smith with Caitlin Croucher victorious on Thursday. Meanwhile Doris Nicholls won the jackpot at the Coffee Club.

Sharp eyed residents will have spotted the new signposts erected at the gateways to Stainforth with pictures of the history of the former mining village  which announces itself as a historic market town.

Fishlake History Society will meet in the Village Hall at 7 pm on Wednesday, 12 June. The society is appealing to villagers and others for old photographs or other memorabilia of Fishlake and the surrounding area which could be copied and placed on the website. A photographer will be available between 7.15 pm and 8 pm . The group will also be discussing items of local and social  interest from Fishlake and will include maps of Doncaster. All are welcome.

OSIERY or willow weaving is the latest skill to be learnt by the members of Fishlake Ladies' Group on Monday, 3 June in the Village Hall. Wendy Bristow from 'Twigs and Sprigs' in Snaith will show the ladies how to make hares, dragon flies, pigs, cockerels and stags from willow branches in a two hour session.

The village playgroup will meet on Friday, 7 June in the Village Hall from 9.30 to 11 am.

Cllr. John Waite was re-elected chairman of the parish council when it last met on 20 May.

The winners of the Fishlake 100 Club for April were :1) Lynne Williamson, 2) Kath. Smith and 3) Lyn Blenkin. Meanwhile in May the winners were 1)Ann Fogg, 2) Joan Silvester and 3) May Turner.

David Chaffer won the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds whilst Margaret Shepherd won on Thursday. Doris Nichols was triumphant in the quiz at Fishlake Coffee Club.

The Environment Agency has been back clearing the river bank from opposite Plumtree Lane to where the Taining Drain enters the old river.

Fellow members of the Village Choir presented Dr. Rachael Sykes with flowers, when she and her husband, Neil, left the village on 29 May heading for a new home in the sunny south west.Dr. Sykes had thrown herself into singing and litter picking when in the village.

Jars of change have raised £340.35 for WaterAid. from members of the parish church. On Saturday, 18 May £237.60 was raised from the sale of bacon butties in Saint Cuthbert's in aid of Christian Aid.

The past week has seen the wild rose in bloom in hedgerows and the elder sprouting flowers across the village. 03/06/19

RECENTLY returned from playing rugby in Australia, Fishlake's William Holling has been signed to play for Doncaster Knights and will start this autumn. Congratulations!

Former sub-postmistress , Mary Heyworth, celebrated her ninety-sixth birthday on Sunday and was sung to by Thorne Methodist Church's congregation.

Vibrant birdsong reaches our ears every morning as the birds celebrate spring. A pair of beavers has been released in Cropton Forest in North Yorkshire and storks have begun nesting in Sussex after a gap of 600 years. Perhaps one day re-introduced species will come to Fishlake?

The winner of the quiz on Thursday in the Hare and Hounds was Hilary Simpson. 

Fishlake Parish Council met on 20 May. Representatives of Danvm Drainage and the Environment Agency were present. Danvm Drainage informed the meeting about the future of five pumping stations which serve the village ( Taining Drain, Church Walk, Sour Lane, Blackshaw and the Cricket Club). The Environment Agency reported on its work which is still to be done on Far Bank and on the work completed on the Don bank opposite Plumtree Lane. There are further plans to pile that section of the Don bank between Stainforth Bridge and Plumtree Lane. The Environment Agency is looking at Taining Drain where it enters the old riverbed west of the village.

Villagers and friends of the village still have time to support the Playing Field Action Group in its efforts to gain funding from Calor Gas to improve the playing field. Go to the Calor Gas website to register to vote.

The Monday Club has cleared the pinfold , cut the grass on the Landing and tidied along the old river bed which now has abundant reed growth.The wood they planted there is also thriving. 27/05/19

TWENTY ladies from Fishlake Ladies' Group were treated to a talk on the Hidden Treasures of Saint Cuthbert's by churchwarden, Peter Pridham, last Thursday. The ladies were shown many of the unusual and historic features of the ancient parish church. Afterwards they moved on to a meal in the Hare and Hounds.

Local residents, Jonathan and Ann McGill ( née Bradley) have recently returned from the Royal Windsor Show where they saw Prince Harry and his grandmother, the Queen. 

Ann Waite and Joy Chaffer won a game of bingo in the Coffee club on 16 May.

Meanwhile Joy Chaffer won the quiz in the Hare and Hounds on Tuesday with Marylyn Fox winning on Thursday.

Keep fit will take place on Tuesday, 21 May in the Village Hall at 10 am. 

The quiz on Tuesday evening in the Hare and Hounds will be cancelled owing to a party in the Hare and Hounds.

Owing to the European elections taking place in the Village Hall on 23 May Fishlake Coffee Club is cancelled and the Ladies' Group will be moved to the Cricket Club. 20/05/19

OTTERS have been spotted on the lower reaches of the river Don. Their welcome return is another sign of the new cleanliness of the river.

Residents and friends of the village will be interested to support Fishlake Playing Field Committee's attempt to win funding for major improvements to the Village Playing Field on Pinfold Lane. Please visit www.calor.co.uk/shop/communityfund/fishlake-playing-field-improvements to add your support.

Last year cycling's Tour de Yorkshire came to Fishlake. This year on 9 June (Pentecost or Whit Sunday) a cycle cross ride of between 50 and 55 miles will pass through the village on its way from Goole to Sheffield cathedral. The ride is organised by the Diocese of Sheffield. More information may  be found on www.sheffield.anglican.org/cycle-cross19 

Lovers of bacon butties will find them in abundant supplies in Saint Cuthbert's from 10 till 11.30 am on Saturday,18 May with all proceeds going to the work of Christian Aid.

Three boys were christened in the parish church on Palm Sunday: Beau Daniel Duckitt, Sonny James Duckitt and Leon Joseph Akery.

A short service at 6.30 pm in Saint Cuthbert's will be followed by a 'bring and share' supper on Rogation Sunday (26 May) to thank God for new growth this spring and to ask for blessing  on farms and businesses in the benefice.

Fishlake History Society was addressed by Alex Sotheran, MA, on Wednesday, 8 May. He is a battlefield archaeologist, employed by the Ministry of Defence, who described excavations made in First World War trenches from Ypres in Belgium to the river Somme. He described the attacks made by the Ulster Battalion and later by Australian divisions across the Hindenburg Line and told us about gas warfare and how he has met the descendants of soldiers, both here and in Germany, identified through his work.. The group will next meet at 7 pm on Wednesday, 12 June in the Village Hall when the topic under discussion will be 'Snippets of Fishlake'.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Neil Livesey with Susan Hayes victorious on Thursday. 13/05/19

ALEX SOTHERAN  will address Fishlake's History Society at 7 pm  on Wednesday, 8 May in the Village Hall on the subject of Archaeological Excavation of the First World War. The contribution asked this time will be £3 to help cover Mr Sotheran's expenses.

Garden Blooms in Fosterhouses ( DN7 5GH) will hold its annual open weekend from 11 am till 4 pm on Saturday, 11 and Sunday, 12 May. The nursery will then be exhibiting its plants at RHS Chatsworth in June.

The first cuckoo was heard by Liz Webster on 26 April. Also heard across the village has been the characteristic tap, tap, tap of woodpeckers. Hawthorn hedges burst into flower for 1st May and the horse chestnut trees are about to flower. Ash trees are weeks behind oak trees in coming into leaf this year. Meanwhile wild garlic is flourishing.

Storm Hannah hit us on 27 April and treated us slightly better than other places in the British Isles where winds reached 82 mph.

The enjoyable  'Allsorts' concert on 27 April in the Village Hall raised £394 for Saint Cuthbert's church.

Residents have received their polling cards for the European Elections which are due to take place on 23 May.

Sadly, the village has lost Paul Latto at the age of 60 after a battle with cancer. Paul came to Fishlake at the age of six with his parents, Sandy and Mary, and attended Fishlake Endowed School before working for ARQIBA, a communications firm. He married Julie in 1991 in Saint Cuthbert's and was interested in motorbike racing and enjoyed woodwork. He made the gates on the Playing Field on Pinfold Lane and travelled widely driving his son Joe to Taekwondo competitions and to see Moto Grand Prix Racing.He loved the village for its quieter way of life and space for long dog walks.

Work has begun on the DN7 three kilometre link road giving Stainforth access to the M18. On 25 April Ros. Jones, the Mayor of Doncaster, Dan Jarvis, Sheffield City Mayor and Stuart McLoughlin, managing director of Waystone Ltd, turned the first sod of the new road which should bring prosperity to the DN7 area.

WARM EASTER sunshine brought flowering cherry trees and apple blossom into bloom here in the village. Fishlake Festival Funding Committee has volunteered to pay the rent for the Village Hall for Fishlake Playgroup for a year.

Beginners' Botany and Herbarium Training will be held from 10.30 am till 2.45 pm on Friday, 3 May at the Humberhead Peatlands Hatfield Moor National Nature Reserve, on Bawtry Road, Hatfield Woodhouse, DN7 6BF. You may learn some basic botanical identification, recording skills and how to create a herbarium. Booking is essential so please 'phone 01507526667 or e-mail jpalmer@lincstrust.co.uk mentioning any dietary requirements.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Carole Smith with Marylyn Fox victorious on Thursday. Meanwhile Joy Chaffer won the quiz at the Coffee Club on Thursday.

Residents have received notice that Jubilee Bridge is to close on 17 June for up to fourteen weeks for repairs and strengthening. There is no good time for the bridge to close and villagers will once again have to grin and bear it and make the detour round via Stainforth.

The Bishop of Sheffield has announced that the Bishop of Doncaster, Rt. Rev. Peter Burrows, who lives at Doncaster House in Fishlake will retire from 30 September. He has been the first bishop to live in the village.

Oliver Rothwell has returned from his sojourn in Guatemala in Central America where he has been managing the bar of a hostel on Lake Atitlan and undertook a month's  immersion course in Spanish in Xela. He managed to travel to see live volcanoes and to see Mexico City. He also gained a basic knowledge of the Tchikal language which is a modern descendant of the ancient Mayan tongue. Just as he managed to travel widely in South America on his last jaunt this time he has a kaleidoscope of memories of kindness from strangers on his travels. 29/04/19

JOHN Waite informed me that an other sign of spring had arrived on 12 April with the sighting of the first pair of house martins after their long journey from Africa.Owls are hooting round the village after dark.

The five parish councillors in Fishlake have each been given an area of responsibility. David Chaffer has been given links with the Environment Agency, Pam Webb has received Planning, John Waite Street Lighting, Doug. White Street Scene ( litter, fly tipping) whilst Peter Trimingham will be in charge of Highways.

The Village Quiz on 12 April raised £284.32 for Village Hall funds. We must thank the organisers and other volunteers who keep our village hall running.

The winner of the quiz in the Hare and Hounds on Tuesday was Alan Hodges with Stephen Cook victorious on Thursday.

Fishlake Coffee Club had a delicious meal at the King's Chamber in Thorne on Maundy Thursday. Temperatures began to soar as we came closer to the Easter weekend.

Fishlake's Keep Fit group will meet on Tuesday, 23 April at 10 am in the Village Hall.

Rev. Paul Mellars' stay with us has been brief but parishioners will be given the chance to say 'Goodbye' at his last service at 6.30 pm in Saint Mary's in Stainforth on Sunday, 28 April. Villagers in his four parishes had taken him to heart and will want to wish him well in his new parish in Dronfield. The service will be followed by refreshments and the opportunity to chat.

Fishlake Playing Field Action Group is holding an EGM at 6 pm on Monday, 29 April in the Hare and Hounds. The committee is being restarted with a view to making improvements to the Fishlake Playing Field/ children's Park ( the Old School Field). The meeting is open for the public to attend and suggestions for improvements would be welcome.

22/04/19

THE VINTAGE tea party on 6 April  in the Village Hall raised £462.62  for Village Hall funds and proved to be an excellent event.

Fishlake History Society met on 10 April and discussed objects of interest brought along by members. One such item was a compass which had once belonged to David England, master mariner, a Death Penny from the First World War, an ivory gun sight, a pair of sovereign weighing scales, a clay pipe commemorating the Great Exhibition, lace stolen by a stormcock for its nest, newspaper articles about a lightning strike on a teacher at Fishlake Endowed School, a champagne screw,a half and third of a farthing coins and the information that the close of the bird nesting season  was marked in Fishlake in Victorian times on 29 May.

Blue bells in sheltered spots are already in flower ready for Easter.  

Doris Nichols won the quiz at the Coffee Club with Ann Waite winning at bingo. Pam Jones was victorious at Tuesday's quiz in the Hare and Hounds and Hilary Simpson won on Thursday.

A well attended village quiz was held on 12 April with the Craisons winning and the Golden Girls and the Poldarks coming joint second.

Maundy Thursday (18 April) will see a children's workshop in Saint Cuthbert's from 10 am till noon. It is entitled ' A Walk Around Easter'.Holy Communion will be celebrated by Rev. Paul Mellars at 7.30 pm in St. Mary's in Stainforth. Meanwhile at 7.30 pm on Good Friday a service of the Stations of the Cross will be held in Saint Cuthbert's and Holy Communion will be celebrated at 9.30 am on Easter Day in Fishlake Parish Church.

A final service will be held by the Rev. Paul Mellars at 6.30 pm on 28 April in St. Mary's in Stainforth. It will take the form of an informal Songs of Praise style service and will include people's favourite hymns ( the congregation is requested to provide a list of hymns by Easter). The service will be followed by a bring and share lunch.

News has reached the village that Doreen Young ( née Goldthorpe) has died in New Brunswick in Canada. After growing up in Fishlake, she married Alan Young, a metallurgist from Armthorpe, and accompanied him on his working trips to Tsumeb in what was then South West Africa  before moving to the Canadian Maritimes where they settled. They had two daughters and a son and kept in touch with relatives in the village and the children at Fishlake Endowed School. Their granddaughter, Miranda, has visited the village to see a little of the old country.

An 'Allsorts' concert has been arranged for Saturday, 27 April at 7 pm in the Village Hall. It will feature the Band With No Name and music from the 'Fifties and 'Sixties along with Country, Ballards and the Eagles music. Tickets, which include refreshments( but bring your own drinks) cost £5 and all proceeds will go to Fishlake church. To book please contact Wendy Brownbridge on 842 450 or Mo White on 843673. 15/04/19

OWING to severe financial problems the Diocese of Sheffield is having to reduce the number of clergy which means that the village is to lose Rev. Paul Mellars who will take up a parish in Dronfield Woodhouse in June. Mr Mellars and his wife had only just joined us in September but had already made a good impression on parishioners in Fishlake and Stainforth. Parochial Church Councils across the area will be faced with the problem of who will take their Sunday services.

Unforeseen circumstances have led to the cancellation of this year's Nearly New and Jumble Sale on 15 June in the Village Hall. The organisers have recommended that villagers with items should give them to Stainforth4All at Stainforth library which was so generous last year to organisations in Fishlake.

The winners of the 100 Club in March were 1) Julie Latto,2) Emma Duckitt and 3) Ethel Watson.

The winners of the quiz in the Hare and Hounds on Tuesday was Margaret Shepherd with Marylyn Fox winning on Thursday.

This year's outing organised by Fishlake Parish Council will be to Scarborough and will take place on 3 July. To reserve a seat please contact Cllr. John Waite on 07983919722.

Fishlake History Society will meet at 7 pm on 10 April in the Village Hall to discuss objects of social and historic interest. All are welcome.

The closely fought village quiz will be held in the Village Hall at 7.30 pm on Friday, 12 April. Pit your wits against last year's victors!

Joint Choirs will be performing Stainer's Crucifixion in Saint Cuthbert's on 14 April at 6 pm. We are very fortunate to have a choir based in the village and this promises to be a special event.

The Hare and Hounds is making Fridays a fish and chip day serving from 12 noon till 9 pm starting from Good Friday.

A stray dog has been found.loose on Trundle Lane. He is a Lurcher/Staffy cross with brindle colouring and of medium height. He is thin with a bent left ear and is very friendly. He was reported to the council and has been taken to the Mount Pleasant Lost Dog Kennel in Hampole. Would his owner please contact the kennel to pick up the dog? 08/04/19

SPRING cleaning ? Please spare a thought for the village Nearly New and Jumble Sale held in the Village Hall. Clothes etc will be gratefully received. Please contact Sheila Hill or Mo. White.

One event which promises to be particularly popular is the Vintage Tea Party taking place in the Village Hall on Saturday, 6 April at 3.30 pm. Tickets cost £6 and may be obtained from the Village Hall Committee.

We are all looking forward to the extra hour of daylight after changing our clocks on 31 March.

Advanced notice is being received that Jubilee Bridge will be closed from 7 am to 4.30 pm  on Sunday, 7 April.

Margaret Shepherd made a clean sweep of the quizzes in the Hare and Hounds this week. Meanwhile Doris Nicholls had a big win at bingo at the Fishlake Coffee Club. No begging letters please.

More horses in the village has inevitably meant more manure on the roads. Enterprising gardeners have been spotted chasing after recent deposits for their rose beds. 01/04/19

CANDLE light and lamp light shone on clean, ancient stone in our mediaeval parish church reminiscent of the early days of Christianity as Saint Cuthbert's Day, was celebrated by Fishlake Village Choir, led by John Marsden, and the Cuthbert compline led by Rev. Paul Mellars on 20 March.Old and new pictures of last year's festival hung from the walls adding a touch of colour to the evening. The handbell ringers played ' Onward Christian Soldiers' and even Handel's 'Water Music'. The choir intoned with 'Early One Morning', 'Joshua Fight The Battle of Jericho' , 'Any Dream Will Do' and two pieces from Stainer's 'Crucifixion' whilst the congregation sang 'Eternal Father, Strong To Save' followed by 'The Day Thou Gavest Lord Is Ended'.

21st March saw the funeral in Saint Cuthbert's of William ('Bill') Robinson, attended by two hundred people. He had worked at International Harvesters and then for a local power station as an electrician. At he age of twenty-three he bought the land for his house 'Nirvana' on Pinfold Lane which he built himself. He had married Christine and together they had a son and two daughters and later seven grandchildren. They loved caravanning and Bill participated fully in village life as a member of the Drama Group, the Cricket Club, the Monday Club and the Ballroom Dancing Group.

DMBC has announced that the DN7 Hatfield linkroad is to go ahead. and will see £11.9 million of investment in 2019/20 and £12.7 million across the four year programme. This three kilometres of new road from Junction 5 on the M18 to Stainforth will support the Unity Project, a grand masterplan to transform brownfield land into a sustainable new community. New shops, green open spaces and a marina will be created along with delivering over 9,000 jobs and building up to 3,100 new home.

Sadly, we have also lost Mrs Kathleen Dulieu at the age of 83. Mrs  Dulieu came with her family from Bournemouth in 2013 to live on Hay Green.She enjoyed village life, participating in the Women's Institute, the Fishlake Coffee Club and the Knit and Natter Group.

For those who missed the talk at Fishlake History Society on the Stainforth Jewel by Peter Robinson last year the talk will be repeated at Stainforth History Society on 4 April  in Stainforth Methodist Church at 7 pm.

The winner of the quiz in the Hare and Hounds on Tuesday was Neil Livsey with Pam Pyatt claiming the honours on Thursday.

Confusion over Brexit has not stopped the Brexit party going ahead at 8 pm on 29 March in the Village Hall.

Spring has officially arrived with magnolias and forsythia in bloom and for the first time in my life I have seen a mimosa tree in flower in Fishlake.! 25/03/19

STORM Gareth came and went to the village leaving a trail of garden furniture behind it. There was no parish council meeting on Tuesday, 12 March owing to the clerk's illness. However, the flood wardens are still working with the Environment Agency to improve our flood defences. The agency has cleared the trees and strengthened the concrete wall opposite the end of Plumtree Lane on the Nab.They have also cleared the area where the Taining Drain enters the old river bed west of the village and intend to carry out work at the end of Far Bank.

Residents have been receiving their council tax requests and their annual bill from Yorkshire Water. DMBC's council tax is set to rise by 3%, Fishlake Parish Council's tax is to rise by 2.4%, Adult and Social Care Precept is to rise by 2% and the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue's share is to go up by 3% whilst South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner's share will rise by 14.1%. Overall our council tax will increase by 5.6%

The winner of both the Tuesday and Thursday quizzes in the Hare and Hounds on 5 and 7 March was Margaret Shepherd. Miss Shepherd won again on 12 March with Pam Pyatt breaking the run of victories on 14 March. Fishlake History Society met on 13 March to hear Cllr. John Waite talk about Fishlake's disappearing footpaths. When he first joined the parish council in 1983 parish councillors would annually walk the rights of way  to keep them open. He told us that Fishlake has the most paths and rights of way of any parish in South Yorkshire. Their routes across the middle of some fields date from the Middle Ages, well before the Enclosure Act, when they would lead between the field strips. Two paths even led across the river Don at low tide. 'Tenting' rights were sold to farmers/ smallholders to graze their cattle down the green lanes. The cow's owner would stay( attend) nearby. The lanes and paths had fascinating names such as 'Gooseness'.The next meeting of the History Society will meet on 10 April when the group will be discussing the names of Fishlake's many fields.

After last year's extravaganza for Saint Cuthbert's day the parish church intends to mark Wednesday, 20 March with a celebration of songs sung by Fishlake Village Choir at 7 pm followed by compline and then light refreshments.

The annual Nearly New and Jumble Sale will be held in the Village Hall on 15 June. 18/03/19

STORM FREYA hit Fishlake on 3 to 4 March with gusts of up to 60 mph but did little damage. Coming up on Tuesday, 12 March will be the monthly meeting of the parish council in the Village Hall. Residents have the right to bring up topics before the meeting.

Fishlake History Society will gather in the Village Hall at 7 pm on Wednesday, 13 March when it will focus on Fishlake's Disappearing Footpaths. All are welcome.

The local parishes' Lenten group will meet at Saint Mary's in Stainforth on four consecutive Thursdays at 7.30 pm ( tea and coffee will be served from 7pm).

After last year's extravaganza the Parochial Church Council intends to mark Saint Cuthbert's Day at 7 pm on 20 March with Fishlake Village Choir performing a Celebration of Song,followed by Compline. The event will be ecumenical and will include co-operation from Our Lady of the Assumption's Roman Catholic Church in Stainforth and Thorne Methodist Church.

Fishlake is full of old customs and charities. One tradition has been the giving of six shillings and eightpence to the vicar every year on the first Sunday in December to preach a sermon on the theme of Faith, Hope and Charity.

Spotted on the BBC on 5 March was local man, Bernard Maltby. Bernard is a keen re-enactor and was in Sheffield to commemorate the crash of a B-17 Flying Fortress which came down among the trees in Endcliffe Park seventy-five years ago and resulted in the death of ten airmen. The crash was witnessed by the then eight year old Tony Foulds who was also present to see the RAF and the US Air Force fly past  last week. Bernard was in complete US Air Force uniform to commemorate the occasion.

Oliver Beaglehole is back home after his flight to Phoenix, Arizona, where he played football for the Under 18 South Yorkshire Schoolboys against numerous American teams. He says it was a terrific experience and that the people of America's desert state were very friendly. They were busy playing football but were also taken to a huge golf course and to a large shopping mall. The team qualified for the semi-finals against Arizona State but lost out in the last ten minutes of the game. The Yorkies finished fourth out of forty teams, which was a great achievement in view of the long journey covering thousands of miles and numerous time-zones.

Fishlake's Parochial Church Council hopes to mark May Day on 6 May with traditional maypole dancing. Philippa Cousins was taught the skill by Mrs Kershaw and  hopes to pass on her knowledge to others. If you or your children are interested please contact Philippa on 07814119746 or Wendy Brownbridge of Glenys Mashford. 11/03/19

COMING up this week we have Shrove Tuesday on 5 March. Villagers are invited to a service in St. Mary's in Stainforth on Ash Wednesday at 7.30 pm to mark the beginning of Lent. The service will include ashing. Instead of the usual coffee morning on Saturday, 11 March a crêpes and coffee morning will be held from 11.30 am with the proceeds going to WaterAid.

Over the last fortnight the quizzes in the Hare and Hounds on Tuesdays have been won by Pam Pyatt and Marie Foster and on Thursdays by Marylyn Fox ( twice). 'Jackpot' Joy Chaffer carried off the jackpot on 26 February. Meanwhile 'birthday girl' Doris Nicholls and her team won the quiz at Fishlake Coffee Club.

Villagers will have noticed that in this time of austerity Stainforth police station is up for sale.This has been our nearest link with the long arm of the law and will be missed.

The winners of the Fishlake 100 Club in February were 1) Philippa Cousins, 2) Margaret Holt-Taylor and 3) Alice Fox.

Saint Cuthbert's is having a recruitment drive for its electoral roll. The closing date for this year will be  16 March. Please contact Ruth Pridham on 01302 840218.

The next village quiz will take place in the Village Hall on 12 April and will feature pie and peas along with the usual mixture of questions. 04/03/19

SPRING like weather came to us at half term. Crocuses and daffodils burst into flower and the riding school was exceptionally busy. Brexit has continued to wreak havoc in our main political parties in Westminster but Barry and Sheila Hill are determined to celebrate the event on 29 March with a party in the Village Hall. Songs such as 'I Want to Break Free!','There'll Always Be An England' and 'Rule Britannia!' will be sung. Tickets costing one pound may be purchased from Sheila or Mo. White ( owing to fire regulations numbers have to be limited) and guests are invited to bring their own food and drink. Sheila tells me that the event is inclusive--Brexiteers can congratulate and Remainers can commiserate with each other.

A collection at the end of Saint Cuthbert's Feast in January raised one hundred and sixty-seven pounds which were used to have seven spring posters printed to go round the font.

Fishlake Coffee Club will meet at 2 pm on Thursday, 28 March and the playgroup will meet from 9.30 to 11 am on Monday,4 March ( also in the Village Hall). 25/02/19

WELCOME to Scott and Angela Godfrey, the new landlord and landlady, who will move into the Hare and Hounds on 25 February. They are moving from the Punchbowl in Thorne where Angela has been well known for catering for wedding parties. They will bring with them a new chef, Brandon Hunt, and will be offering meals from 12 noon until 9 pm from Monday to Saturday and roast dinners from 12 noon until 4 pm on Sundays.

Following the advice, 'Go West Young Man!' Oliver Beaglehole has flown thousands of miles this last week from Fishlake to Phoenix, Arizona, where he will stay until 20 February along with the other under 18s from South Yorkshire Schools. The youngsters will play soccer in the Phoenix National Tournament, competing against teams such as LA Galaxy and New York State. His journey will be the trip of a lifetime.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Lewis Foster with Pam Pyatt claiming the honours on Thursday.

Fishlake History Society met on Wednesday, 13 February when the group focused on Church Street through the medium of maps, census returns and early photographs. The group examined some of the old names for the Hare and Hounds ( in existence from at least 1812) : the Horse and Hounds, the Hart and Hounds and the Greyhound along with listening to oral accounts of the village from yesteryear. Enclosure maps provided the group with much information and showed the Landing to be a watering place for animals. The next meeting will be held on 13 March at 7 pm in the Village Hall when the group will focus on the Disappearing Footpaths of Fishlake.

Fishlake Parish Council met on 12 March when it granted £50 to the Parochial Church Council towards the cost of lighting up the church tower at Christmas.We learnt that DMBC is to install speed test recording equipment ( black tubes) in the village. We were also informed that Jubilee Bridge is to be closed for up to three months from May and that South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive intends to remove the bus shelter near the Old School on Pinfold Lane. The parish council will next meet on 12 March in the Village Hall. 18/02/19

COMING UP this week is a meeting of Fishlake Parish Council on Tuesday, 12 February and a gathering of the History Society at 7 pm on Wednesday, 13 February in the Village Hall when the group will focus on the Church Street area.

Tickets ( costing £5) are going on sale from Sheila Hill, Pam Pyatt and Maureen White for the next Village Quiz devised by Pam Pyatt which will take place in the Village Hall on 12 April.The evenings are great fun and there is stiff competition.

A daily event in Fishlake is the morning passaggiata between 8 and 9 am when dog walkers, runners and couples walking for health pass our windows.

The winners of the Fishlake 100 Club in January were 1) Frank Gillespie, 2) Wendy Brownbridge and 3) Mary Latto.

Rev. Paul and Mrs Mellars are moving into Stainforth Vicarage. Their telephone number is 01302 943958. Saint Cuthbert's is supporting WaterAid during Lent which lasts this year from 6 March until 18 April.

Appearing at the Hare and Hounds on Friday, 15 February will be the singer Rob St. Clair with a medley of popular songs and ballads.

The Monday Club has been busy clearing undergrowth and erecting fencing at the Cricket Club.

TEMPERATURES fell to -6 C in the night of Wednesday, 30 January. The next day was frosty and the highest temperature was -2C . We woke on 1 February to find a light covering of snow. This covering was increased during the day when more snow fell.  However, we have had nothing like the amount of snow experienced in other parts of the country.

Fishlake's flagmaster has been flying the flag of Saint George and the Irish tricolour to mark the highly competitive Six Nations Rugby Cup.

DMBC has sent workmen round replacing the bulbs in the street lamps with brighter bulbs.

Fishlake Parish church sends food to the DN7 Foodbank at Saint Mary's in Stainforth. Last year the foodbank helped 813 adults and 415 children from the area.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Margaret Shepherd.

Complete with dogs and guns a shooting party met for breakfast at the Café Bleu for breakfast on 1st February.

Fishlake Drama Group will be meeting for its annual general meeting on Monday, 4 February at 7 pm in the Village Hall. All are welcome. 04/02/2019

THE ANNUAL Forties Dance was held on 19 January when the evening was described as 'fabulous'. The evening raised £321 for the Village Hall. The committee would like to thank those who attended and helped.

After sixty years of dialect research the Yorkshire Historical Dictionary with 4,000 entries has been published online. It was originally conceived by Dr. George Redmonds who studied the period from 1100 to 1750. How many words do you recognise?

Rain on 22 January turned to snow before leaving us the next morning with a frozen landscape.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday was Yvette Hodges with Caitlin Croucher winning the final quiz in the Old Anchor Inn on Thursday. Quiz-goers clubbed together to buy a silver bracelet for Emily Pickersgill and a bottle of champagne for her and Ross Rumney to thank them for their hospitality over the time they have been the landlady and landlord of the pub. Stephen Cook won a bottle of merlot in the last quiz raffle.

Thursday quizzes will resume in the Hare and Hounds on 7 February. Sadly. fifteen to twenty public houses are closing across Britain every week and the Old Anchor Inn will shut after 'last orders' on 26 January.

The new ladies' group which  will replace the Women's Institute in the village met on 24 January and will continue to meet on the fourth Thursday of the month in the Village Hall. The committee will remain the same until elections in the spring.

The Village Hall committee would like to thank Ian Knott for clearing away rubbish and removing it to the tip after building work.

Saint Cuthbert's Day will be marked on 20 March this year with a joint service  with Our Lady of the Assumption's Church and Thorne Methodist Church in the parish church.   There will also  be a display of some of the artefacts from the Saint Cuthbert Exhibition in 2018.  

A Vintage Tea Party will be held on 6 April with the proceeds going to the Village Hall Fund. 28/01/2019

A THREE course meal  was served by the members of Fishlake  Parochial Council to residents in the parish church on 12 January to thank them for their support over last year. The tasty meal consisted of three sorts of soup, pulled pork with the trimmings and cheese and biscuits along with a glass of wine. A quiz appeared out of nowhere--its theme was the 1960s--and was won by Christine Robinson and Fran. Wade. The Rev. and Mrs Mellors joined us for lunch and Rt. Rev. Peter Burrows, Bishop of Doncaster, popped in to wish everyone well. Concern was expressed at the sight of the font being trussed up with tapes because of cracks inside. 

The weather has turned much colder and farmers have been trimming hedges before the nesting season arrives.

Bird lovers will be interested to hear that the RSPCA's Birdwatch will be taking place this year from 26 to 28 February.

A petition is circulating in the village in an attempt to save the Old Anchor Inn.

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Marie Foster with Marylyn Fox winning in the Old Anchor Inn. The snooker and quiz teams have been planning a future without the Old Anchor Inn. The snooker team will transfer to the Cricket Club and the quiz teams hope to transfer to the Hare and Hounds.

Ladies from the village will meet on Thursday, 24 January at 7 pm in the Village Hall to discuss setting up a new group to replace the village Women's Institute. 21/01/2019

A SAD DAY for Fishlake is coming at the end of this month when landlady, Emily Pickersgill,of the Old Anchor Inn will call 'Last Orders!' for a final time. One of the earliest located references is from 1822 in Baines' West Riding Directory when the first landlord is thought to have been Harry Terry, a former sea captain. The pub has organised darts' teams and football teams and has hosted some memorable family days on Bank Holidays. Its closure will mean the loss of another slice of village life. The twenty-first century has not provided fertile ground for public houses nationally or locally. Rumours abound as to the future of the inn which may be sold for flats or for redevelopment as housing.

Only  a few days into January and snowdrops have sprung up in gardens. Meanwhile birds are examining birdboxes to see if they are habitable for this spring.

Fishlake Coffee Club visited Sheffield on Tuesday, 8 January for a meal in the Crucible Theatre's Restaurant and to see a performance of 'Kiss Me Kate' which they declared to be 'brilliant'.

On 9 January Fishlake History Society held an open exhibition to show the  public samples of its work. Twenty-eight people attended and expressed interest in the maps, photographs and articles on display in the Village Hall. The next meeting of the History Society will take place at 7 pm on 13 February and will focus on the Church Street area.

Coming up soon will be the annual 'Forties Dance ( 19 January). However, the tickets have already sold out.

Ladies are reminded that a meeting is to be held on 24 January in the Village Hall at 7 pm to discuss a successor body to take up where the Women's Institute left off. Nibbles will be provided and all ladies are welcome. For more information please see Sandra Liddle. 

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Pam Jones with Margaret Shepherd victorious in the Old Anchor Inn on Thursday. 14/1/2019

WELCOMING in New Year's Day at the Hare and Hounds were  the Yorkshire Farmers' Bloodhounds along with horses and riders in black coats and hats. Waxed jackets were in abundance among the onlookers as the riders took a stirrup cup before moving on.

The winners of the Fishlake 100 Club in November were 1) Tim Duckitt, 2) Fishlake Women's Institute and 3) Mary Latto whilst in December they were 1) Muriel Benford, 2) Dave King and 3) Julie Latto.

In 2018 the Jam Fairy raised £800 for the parish church whilst the Saturday coffee mornings over the year raised £2,302-10 with the Christmas Fair alone bringing in £495.75. To thank its patrons the parish church is holding a New Year Feast on Saturday, 12 January from 11am till 1pm . Sign the list in church if you wish to be included.

The winner of the first quiz of 2019 in the Old Anchor Inn on Thursday, 3 January was Howard Mason.

Reading through the timeline on the History Society's website I came across the name: Barnabus Allerbus. Students of the English Civil War will be interested to learn that he was from Groningen in the Netherlands. According to Hunter's 'South Yorkshire' he was 'formerly a sergeant under the Prince of Orange, but had recently been serving under John Lambert, general of the horse of the Commonwealth of England, who laid down his arms and was honoured with a final sermon and military pomp at his funeral in the chancel of the church of Fishlake, in the diocese of York, and was buried on Friday,the 26 of April 1652'. Spare some time to visit the displays made by the History Society of Fishlake past and present on Wednesday, 9 January at 3 pm in the Village Hall (along with maps, photographs and articles of the village) to learn more about our past. 07/01/2019

A SAD DAY for Fishlake is coming at the end of this month when landlady, Emily Pickersgill,of the Old Anchor Inn will call 'Last Orders!' for a final time. One of the earliest located references is from 1822 in Baines' West Riding Directory when the first landlord is thought to have been Harry Terry, a former sea captain. The pub has organised darts' teams and football teams and has hosted some memorable family days on Bank Holidays. Its closure will mean the loss of another slice of village life. The twenty-first century has not provided fertile ground for public houses nationally or locally. Rumours abound as to the future of the inn which may be sold for flats or for redevelopment as housing.

Only  a few days into January and snowdrops have sprung up in gardens. Meanwhile birds are examining birdboxes to see if they are habitable for this spring.

Fishlake Coffee Club visited Sheffield on Tuesday, 8 January for a meal in the Crucible Theatre's Restaurant and to see a performance of 'Kiss Me Kate' which they declared to be 'brilliant'.

On 9 January Fishlake History Society held an open exhibition to show the  public samples of its work. Twenty-eight people attended and expressed interest in the maps, photographs and articles on display in the Village Hall. The next meeting of the History Society will take place at 7 pm on 13 February and will focus on the Church Street area.

Coming up soon will be the annual 'Forties Dance ( 19 January). However, the tickets have already sold out.

Ladies are reminded that a meeting is to be held on 24 January in the Village Hall at 7 pm to discuss a successor body to take up where the Women's Institute left off. Nibbles will be provided and all ladies are welcome. For more information please see Sandra Liddle. 

The winner of the quiz on Tuesday in the Hare and Hounds was Pam Jones with Margaret Shepherd victorious in the Old Anchor Inn on Thursday. 14/01/2019