Category: Castle Bytham

Farewell to the Hunter Trials?

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It is unfortunate that one of the first articles or pieces of information about the Hunter Trials we have included on theBythams website has to be rather sad news.

From the pages of the Glenside News (April 2003)…

The advertisement for help with the Hunter Trials in last months Glenside News should have started alarm bells ringing somewhere in our community. Plainly it didn’t and the end result could be our loss.

That the Committee has decided in the face of rising costs. faltering enthusiasm and dwindling support, they can no longer run the Trials in the way in which they have been run should not surprise us. The stringent enforcement of Health and Safety rules together with the changes in professional cover do nothing to aid a small event run on an entirely voluntary basis.

For the last 20 years, the Bythams with Creeton and Careby Hunter Trials have been the largest annual fund raising event in our Parishes, providing much needed capital for our Parochial Church Councils and local charities. That help is needed more than ever, a fact recognised only too well by the Hunter Trials Committee, and we understand that they plan to hold en event that is less manpower intensive and less onerous in its execution.

This is to be a Sponsored Ride that will take place on the same day, 4th May 2003, and at the same location, Grimsthorpe Estate. Plainly, receipts will not be as high as in earlier years but we all could and should provide our support to ensure that some sort of event continues to run in furture years.

More GM Crop Trials

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Reproduced from the Rutland and Stamford Mercury website …

More genetically modified (GM) crops are set to be grown near Stamford.

Glebe Farm in Castle Bytham is one of 25 new testing sites across the country to be announced by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions.Organised by the firm Aventis, the aim of the trial is to test the effects of herbicide-tolerant GM oilseed rape on the environment. Last year the Mercury reported trials of GM crops were due to take place near Wansford and in 1998 we revealed trials of GM sugar beet had been sanctioned at farms in Ketton and Pilsgate.

Farmer Geoffrey Hix, of Glebe Farm, Castle Bytham, maintains the GM crops he is about to trial will be safe. He said: I don t think there is a problem with it. It does not involve anything other than doing what we normally do, apart from planting this particular variety alongside a normal variety to assess the impact on the environment. The chemical used on the GM crop has been proved to be safe over the years but instead of fashioning a chemical which is harmless to the crop the crop has been modified to be tolerant of the chemical. In other words it is only the weeds that suffer. We have been selecting farm crops for thousands of years. Modern wheat is totally different from the grass it originated from. People do not realise it has been crossed in laboratory conditions. There is no difference.

But Jane Reid, a director at Pepperidge Herb Nursery in Castle Bytham, only a few miles away from where the crops are to be grown, is concerned. She told the Mercury: We primarily grow herbs for garden centres but we also produce plant material, used to make medicines. It is this material we would be most concerned about. We have a very open view of crop testing because we think some genetic work is very important, however, we are looking to have a meeting with Mr Hix just to see what these trials involve.

John Turner, whose farm in Little Bytham has converted to organic status, is very concerned about the risk posed by the crop trials.He said: We have a couple of years of work invested in the conversion to organic status so we are quite worried about these trials. Aventis recommended buffer zone is 50 metres but the National Pollen Research Council has shown the damage to businesses is of a much wider area. If the Soil Association decide the risk is high they have to test our produce. If they find GM material, we could lose our organic status.

Jigsaw Puzzles

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Does anyone reading this enjoy doing jigsaws?  Have you some complete jigsaws you have done several times?  Are you interested in an exchange of jigsaws to keep you occupied in the winter months?

If so, please contact Keith Williams on 410740.  If sufficient people show interest, possibly a session of jigsaw ‘swapping’ can be organised at a mutually convenient time.

Jumble Sale

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There will be a Jumble Sale, in aid of the Youth Club and Children’s Christmas Parties Funds, in Castle Bytham Village Hall on Saturday 26 August at 1.30pm.  As well as the sale of jumble there will also be refreshments available and a raffle.

If you have any jumble please leave it at the village hall on the morning of the sale or contact Ann Burrows on 410537 or Di Hill on 410249.

Antiques Event Weekend : Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 July 1995

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There will be an Antique Event Weekend at Grimsthorpe Castle over the weekend of Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 July 1995.  The Event will be open each day between 10.00am and 5.00pm with an auction on the Saturday evening at 6.00pm with viewing from 5.00pm.

Entrance is £2 per day (concessions £1) which includes entry to the grounds and gardens, all aspects of the Antiques Event Weekend including specialist lectures.

On Saturday there will be an Antiques Roadshow followed by the Auction with Goldings and Young of Grantham.  Specialist lectures on “18th and 19th Century Furniture” by Peter Jones of Gallery Antiques in Oakham at 11.45am and on “China Restoration” by Paul Macaulay from De Montfort University at Lincoln at 1.15pm will take place in the Conference Room.

George Archdale, formerly from the BBC Antiques Roadshow, will talk about “Small Antiques for Auction” on the Sunday at 11.45am whilst at 1.15pm John Greaves will tal about “Dating 18th and 19th Century Glass”.

Overall there will be 80+ dealers in marquee and outdoor pitches, refreshments, a Saturday auction, beer and wine tent, antiques advisory service, specialist lectures, entertainments, demonstrations of Hornby trains and toys, spinning, caning and rushing, restoring rocking horses,  barn owl conservations (Saturday only) at the Event organised by Field Dog Fairs.  For all enquires contact them on 01780 410286.

School Transport to Bourne

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Fran Nishihara is keen to contact those already at, or going in September to, the Robert Manning School or Bourne Grammar School in an effort to persuade the Delaine Bus Company to provide to Bourne from Castle Bytham.  You can contact her on 410939.