Photographs from 2019 and 2020 editions of the Newsletter.
Deadline for the July 2024 newsletter is 25 June.
Preston Parish Council Resolutions
After consideration of the results of the recent survey of Preston residents and all other available information, the Parish Council voted on 2 resolutions at its meeting on 23 May.
The outcome of these votes is:
- The Parish Council will not support the Working Group’s proposal for a shop and coffee house.
- The Parish Council will not apply for section 106 funding from the PHC development for the proposed shop and coffee house at Pond Farm.
Art and Flowers Exhibition At St Martins
The church will look spectacular with floral displays and paintings by local artists.
On Saturday 1st June there will also be a Plant Stall, Teas and home-made cakes.
On Sunday 2nd June you can visit both the church and the wonderful garden at
Brambley Hedge in Chequers Lane (open for the NGS).
On both days there will paintings and plants for sale.
Opening times for the church: 2.00pm – 5.30pm
Tickets £4.00 on the door
Songs of Praise on Saturday 1st June at 6.30pm
Poetry and readings and favourite hymns followed by refreshments.
Come along – all welcome – the more the merrier!
Temple Dinsley: Drop-In Sessions To View Plans
The Preston community will be able to view the plans for Temple Dinsley (PHC) and talk to the design team at drop in sessions in the village hall on:
- Thursday 30 May from 6.00 – 8.00 pm
- Saturday 1 June from 10.00 – 11.30am.
Booking is not required.
St Martin’s Church and All Saints’ Church Services
| Saturday 1st June | 6.30pm
|
Songs of Praise
followed by refreshments |
| Sunday 2nd June |
11.00am |
No Service at St Martin’s
All Saints All Age Holy Communion 2 Corinthians 4: 5 – 12 Mark 2: 23 – 36 |
| Sunday 9th June | 8.00am
9.30am
11.00am |
All Saints Holy Communion (BCP)
St Martin’s Holy Communion 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-end All Saints Open Air Sunday Praise |
| Tuesday 11th June | 9.40am | Informal prayers and quiet time followed by coffee |
| Sunday 16th June
|
9.30am
11.00am |
St Martin’s Family Service
All Saints Holy Communion 2 Corinthians 5: 6 – 10 Mrk 4: 26 – 34 |
| Sunday 23rd June
|
9.30am
11.00am |
St Martin’s Holy Communion
2 Corinthians 6: 1 – 13 Mark 4: 35 – end All Saints Holy Communion |
| Tuesday 25th June | 9.40am | Informal prayers and quiet time followed by coffee |
| Sunday 30th June | 10.00am | Joint Service at St Martin’s
2 Corinthians 8: 7 – end Mark 5: 21 – end |
Team Vicar of St Paul’s Walden with Preston:
Letter From The Vicar
Dear All,
When lockdown closed our churches, we lost something valuable. Today, four years on, I am really pleased to see how well used and valued both our churches are.
Just consider:
A wedding at All Saints just a few weeks ago and another coming up this month. Baptisms at both churches – and what a delight to see the churches full to overflowing on these occasions.
Recently, the Whitwell Village Voices came to give a terrific concert at All Saints, ahead of the 3-day Art and Photographic exhibition. And St Martin’s holds its ‘Art and Flowers’ in early June, with a Songs of Praise on the Saturday evening, which I’m sure will be to a full house.
Our churches are spaces for you – they are open spaces – and I am delighted when you come and use them. I really am.
The churches are, as I have said, community spaces. And they are also places where we can find and worship the living God. Now, in the season of Pentecost, when we celebrate the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, we can be aware of the extent to which God loves us whoever we are. For God loves us without exception and without qualification, because we are made in his image.
Do let me know if I, or the church, can be of service to you. It’s what we’re here for.
Every blessing,
Stephen
St Martin’s Church 150 Club 2024/2025
The winners in the 2024/25 150 Club (£30 each) were:
No. 16 Mrs R Welch
No. 89 Revd. S Fielding
There are a few unsold tickets and we welcome any more participants – tickets cost £20 for the year, with 25 or more prizes of £30. This is an important source of income for St Martin’s church to help maintain the building and churchyard. If you would like to join please email 
Village Day, 6th July, 12.30 – 5.30pm
Join us for a day of fun and laughter!
The Scarecrows Are Coming
The happy band of scarecrows will soon be back!
Please join in the fun and build a scarecrow – the more the merrier. You don’t have to live on the scarecrow trail to take part. Visiting scarecrows will either congregate at Scarecrow Corner or spend the festival at a ‘hotel ‘along the route. Please remember making a scarecrow doesn’t mean you have to enter it into the competition. We are asking, if possible, that scarecrows are displayed from Friday evening on the 5th of July until at least the evening of Sunday 7th July.
This year, the Scarecrow Competition and Trail will have a theme of Disney or Favourite Childhood Fictional Characters. The theme is a suggestion, not compulsory.
If you need straw it will be available from David and Jane Clark at Castle Farm. (They will send more information on PNS)
Don’t forget if you have any scarecrows you’ve used in the past, and have hidden in the back of a shed, dust them off and bring them out.Will the person we knew of last year be planning to do the same this?😉.
The Scarecrows will be vying with each other to win the OSCARecrowS, with separate awards voted by both “older” and “younger” judges.
Events
Expect some familiar favourites, such as the Dog Show and Preston JMI School’s Maypole Dancing. As many people requested, The Birds of Prey will also be returning with both a Static and a Flying Display! There will also be some surprises.
Parish organisations and groups will again be taking part, with stalls and games for all of the family to enjoy.
An Artists’ Village
The PT has been asked by a local artist, exhibiting at the St. Martin’s wonderful Flower and Art Festival, if it would also be possible to hold a small Exhibition on Village Day.
We would love to make this happen and will do our up most to ensure it does!
We invite artists, of any age and ability, to come with their paintings, sculptures, pottery, textile and wooden craft items, and share their creations with our special community.
Should any artist wish to sell their art, they are very welcome to do so. There will be no charge for the ‘pitch’ but any donations to The Preston Trust, at the end of the day, would be appreciated. To express an interest in exhibiting please contact us before the day.
A ‘Loved and Preloved Area
The PNS has seen a rise in the number of parishioners wishing to ‘ recycle ‘ items they no longer have a use for, whether by selling ,or giving them away. That made us think that a Loved/ Preloved area, on Village Day, maybe something that would be enjoyed… Please be aware that it is not a car boot sale.
Should any parishioners wish to sell their own ‘wares’, eg.jam, chutney, crafts they will be more than welcome to do so.
We ask that artists or sellers should live or work in Preston or its environs or, have a special connection with the parish, i.e. family members or friends live, work, go to the nursery or primary school here, have lived here, visit here regularly…
There will be no charge for the ‘pitches’ but any donations to The Preston Trust, at the end of the day, would be very much appreciated. To arrange a pitch selling loved or pre-loved items please contact us before the day.
On The Day
The Scarecrow Trail / Programme Sheets and the BBQ will be available from 12 noon and the rest of the festivities at 13:00.The OSCARecrowS Awards will be announced Sunday morning. Live music in the Pub Garden will continue into the evening.
Food
As with previous years there won’t only be the scrummy BBQ (which will again be 1serving vegetarian options) but the Red Lion will be serving yummy treats including pizzas and the refreshment stall will be laden with mouth watering home (and not homemade) cakes, bakes ,biscuits and crisps. We would be very grateful to receive any donations you would like to make or indeed buy for the refreshment stall. Information about where your donations can be left will be in the July newsletter or they can be brought to The Green on the day.
Please do not use nuts in your baking or buy goodies with them in. We ask that you also list your ingredients, in case of allergies. We promise we don’t want to steal any secret recipes – yet…
- If you would like to:
- Enter a scarecrow
- Host someone else’s scarecrow
Exhibit your art - Have a Loved or Preloved stall
- Help on the day
(including setting up and / or taking down)
If you could lend us:
- A gazebo or gazebos
- Tables
- Easels
- Display Panels
- Bunting of any colour
- Fete games
(If you get the ‘answer phone’ please leave a message and one of the team will get back to you)…
We’re looking forward to seeing you, your Scarecrows and your Art on Village Day
The Preston Trust committee, Adrian, Jax, Liz, Rae, Vicky and Wal
Neighbourhood Watch
The number to contact at North Herts Police for all non-emergencies (including witnessing of fly-tipping) is 101 or 01707 354000.
For removal of fly tipping which has already occurred, call NHDC 01462 474000 or online at www.north-herts.gov.uk, then follow the links to Transport and Streets, Street Cleaning and Fly Tipping where there is a form to complete to report the details. If you use the What3Words app, please include the three words for the location of the fly tipping.
PCSO Heather Burrows can be contacted regarding local community issues.
Contact details are as follows:
PCSO Heather Burrows: 07740 745168 or 01438 757604 or heather.burrows@herts.pnn.police.uk
In the event of an emergency or if you witness a crime taking place please call 999.
Reporting suspicious activity
Please report any suspicious activity or vehicles you may witness in the locality.
Call the police on the non-emergency number 101 or report it online by using the website www.herts.police.uk/report and follow the links.
Preston Village Society
Our next meeting will take place on Thursday June 20th at 7.30pm. Our speaker will be Ros Allwood, the Cultural Services Manager at The North Herts Museum and her talk will be NORTH HERTS SUFFRAGETTES. Please contact Gail Edwards if you require any further information –
Volunteer Emergency Telephone System (VETS)
Preston Parish Council introduced the VETS system to the village last August. VETS is a community run system which enables “good neighbours” to assist pending the arrival of the emergency services. A local number is used as a single point of contact to ring all volunteers’ phone numbers simultaneously.
If the defibrillator is required in an emergency, additional help may be required to get it to the location as quickly as possible, particularly where someone is unable to leave the patient to collect it. Volunteers are trained in CPR and how to use the defibrillator.
There is space on the system to add some more volunteers who must be able to attend the next training session on Thursday 13 June at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or who would like more information about the system should contact Margaret Trinder at:
