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Overton
the Darwin Connection Marianne Parker, eldest sister to Charles Darwin lived with her husband Dr Henry Parker at The Brow, Wrexham Road, Overton. They had 4 boys and we know about their lives from the family’s letters to Charles on his voyage on “The Beagle”. Marianne taught the boys at home “Master Robert (the eldest, also known as Parky) went through the whole of your voyage as a geographical lesson so Marianne makes profit as well as pleasure from your letters”. And Marianne’s sister Caroline writes in 1833 "I finished my last letter at Overton. Parky and Henry feel proud in finding the place on the Map where their Uncle Charles is – Parky is growing very manly coming on nicely in his Latin and the most regular flirt I ever beheld.” In May 1834 Marianne's sister Susan writes, “I am just come from Overton, you cannot think what nice little boys all your 4 nephews are. Marianne had serious thoughts of sending Parky to school this summer as he will be 9 next Sept. However instead she has got a School master from Overton to come and put Latin into him every day which is a very good thing; for he is happy and good at home that I shall be very sorry when he is sent to school. In March 1835 Caroline writes “Cath is at Overton, gone to comfort Marianne for the approaching separation from Parky who goes to Oswestry at Easter” But illness struck “Marianne has been suffering a good deal of anxiety this month owing to Parky having got Scarlet fever at his school in Oswestry and he had it so severely that he could not be moved. Marianne went there to nurse him and was several nights without sleep, which quite knocked her up. She expecting to be confined in January so she was not at all in a fit state for so much exertion. She has however not caught the fever and now as it is 3 weeks since we hope she will certainly escape. Parky is now at Overton and Caroline is there whist we have the three younger boys here and they are the best and nicest little men you ever saw, and often talk of Uncle Charles with awe and reverence. The young man had recovered by December 1835 and the boys were staying at the Mount, the Darwin’s family home in Shrewsbury for Christmas “We have had a weeks visit from Parky in his Christmas holidays. He is such a great big fine spirited lad of 10 years old enjoying everything to the utmost, especially going on the box of his Grandpapa’s carriage which was his great pleasure, hoping to be trusted with the reins for a few minutes. He rode over from Overton to Shrewsbury on his pony and is a capital horseman” In January 1836 Marianne had her 5th child, a much longed for little girl and the news was quickly sent to Charles on the Beagle, “which has made Marianne excessively happy. She is a very nice little thing and is to be called Mary Susan. Parky is grown famous fine lad and gets on capital at school being now head of his class. He says he remembers his Uncle Charles” Charles Darwin wrote a letter to the family in Overton from Valparaiso in April 1835,“I suppose the young gentlemen will be a troop of Grenadiers by the time I return. What a gang of little ones have come in to the world since I left England.” In 1836 “The Beagle” returned to England after its 4 year voyage around the world. And Charles Darwin began the work on the fossils and observations he had made, that would lead him to the writing of the “Origin of Species” and world fame. But first he wrote “my fossil bones are all unpacked at the College of Surgeons, some of them are turning out great treasures…… but first a couple of days…at Overton”. COUNTRY
BEAT
There has been a sharp increase in the number of rural thefts
throughout the county over the past months. Farms, sheds and outbuildings
have been targeted, resulting in various items being stolen ranging
from power tools to mini motorbikes, garden equipment to trailers. Ramblings
From the Rectory
Dear Friends, Among the many restrictions of Lent were some concerning food. Fat, butter and eggs were forbidden, so people had a real feast to eat those that remained on the day before Lent, Shrove Tuesday. The name shrove comes from the Christian practice of confessing sins and being forgiven, when a person is said to be shriven or shrove. This also became known in Europe as Mardi Gras-Fat Tuesday - when people not only feasted but enjoyed noisy colourful carnivals. The other way of using up the fat and eggs was to fry them up and make pancakes. So Shrove Tuesday also became Pancake Day. Today Lent still reminds us of the incredible gift of life that God has given each of us. It asks us to use this gift to make our world a better more loving place. The practice of giving something up for Lent whether it is some foods or alcohol or chocolate is our way of demonstrating that we do give something back in return for the marvellous gift of life that we all share in. Your
Friend and Rector Your Letters... Today I threw away £2000! It wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. To clarify things I should perhaps explain that the £2000 was not my own money but NHS money, and what I threw away was £2000 worth of unwanted medicines. Every chemist shop offers the service of accepting unwanted or out of date medicines for safe destruction. Time and time again families when clearing the belongings of deceased loved ones, come across collections of medication. The family member returning today’s “goodies” said they had been tempted to throw them in the skip but had thought of their local chemist. Thank goodness for that! PLEASE, PLEASE, never throw unwanted medicines in the skip, dustbin in the garden or down the loo. Medicines used by the wrong person or in the wrong way are dangerous/lethal. Your local chemist whether in Overton, Wrexham or Ellesmere in fact anywhere in the country, has the facility to take in and destroy unwanted medicines safely.. Each year billions of pounds area thrown away like this. In the year 2004-2005, there were 615 tonnes of medicines incinerated! Much of this waste could be avoided if people only realised that there are experts they can turn to for advice about their medicines. You GP is the first obvious expert but many people do not need to see their GP regularly and also being conscious of the pressure on their time don’t know who else to ask. One of the most accessible person is your local pharmacist. They will be able to advice you in many ways. They can tell you what each of your medicines are for, which ones you must take regularly and which ones you only needed for acute conditions. If there is a medicine which you should be taking but have stopped for some reason for example you find the tablets difficult to swallow, or because of the unpleasant side effects there is often an easy solution to you problem. So ask an expert! Your health professionals are a team whether they are surgery staff, nurses, health visitors, GPs or pharmacists. They are all working together to make life better for you. If you work with them you will be able to get the best our of your medicines and the NHS and the days of sending £2000 to the incinerator rather than spending it on hip operations, cancer treatments and saving lives, will be consigned to the past. Your
Letters... It is however sad to read that you reverted to supermarkets when you needed to bulk purchase. Although it is hard to cope with a large “on the spot” order, with a bit of forethought and planning and a bit of notice, we can get virtually anything, in any quantity, at almost supermarket prices (and I am sure the same can be said of the other shops within the village) and we can deliver it to your door! Many people who come into the Corner Shop and question why the shops have closed, most recently the relocated pharmacy and hark back to times when the village was like Ellesmere is now with a great many thriving shops throughout the High Street. It is really down to the people of Overton and surrounding villages that places like the Corner Shop remain. As a way of thanking all of our customers, we are introducing a range of great deals which will reward those who shop with us and maybe help to reduce the perception that convenience stores are expensive when compared to superstores. All of this and its on your doorstep……Can’t be bad!! Mick Pinder. KID’S
COLUMN
Just a little note ...Every year we celebrate Saint David’s
day, but most people have no idea why, so I’ve been doing
some research and finally found out! Saint
David’s Day St David of Wales or Dewi Saint, was a saint of the Celtic Church. He was the son of Sandde, Prince fo Powys and Non, daughter of a Chieftain of Menvia whose lands included the peninsula on which the little cathedral town of St David’s now stands. St David is thought to have been born near the present town of St David’s. The ruins of a small chapel dedicated to his mother, Non, may be seen near St David’s Cathedral. David became the Abbot of St David’s and died on 1st March 589 AD, An account of his life was written towards the end of the 11th Century by Rhygfarch, a monk at Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth. Many miracles were attributed to him. One miracle often recounted is that once when Dewi was preaching to a crowd at Llandewi Brefi those on the outer edges could not hear, so he spread a handkerchief on the ground, and stood on it to preach, whereupon the ground rose up beneath him, and all could hear. He was buried in what is today St David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire. His holiness was such that medieval pilgrims equated two pilgrimages to St David’ were worth on pilgrimage to Rome – a great saving in journeying time! Fifty churches in South Wales alone bear his name. March 1st, St David’s Day, is now the traditional day of the Welsh. March 1 is the date given by Rhygyfarch for the death of Dewi Saint, was celebrated as a religious festival up until the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. In the 18th century it became a national festival among the Welsh, and continues as such to this day. The celebration usually means singing and eating. St David’s Day meetings in Wales are not the boisterous celebrations of that accompany St Patrick’s Day in Ireldand, but that may be because Welsh nationalism Is kept in check. The singing of traditional songs followed by a Te Bach, tea with teisen bach and bara brith. Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon, is flown as a flag or worn as a pin or pendant, and leeks are worn and sometimes eaten. St David’s day is now celebrated by Welsh people the world over. Many Welsh people wear one or both of the national emblems of Wales on their lapel to celebrate Saint David: the daffodil (a generic Welsh symbol which is in season during March) or the leek (Saint David’s personal symbol) on this day. The association between leeks and daffodils is strengthened by the fact that they have similar names in Welsh, Cenhinen (leek) and Cenchinen Bedr (daffodil, lit.”Peter’s leek”). Males usually wear leeks or daffodils. The younger girls usually wear their Welsh costumes to school. This costume consists of a long woollen skirt, white blouse, woollen shawl and of course a welsh hat! Reviews Features: WiFi Connection (1-4 Players) Many of you will be familiar with this game from previous consoles, and you may find this new release interesting. There are no new items and the towns are pretty much the same as always, but the new WiFi connection system may be enough to keep you going and hard core fans may enjoy the fact that this is portable. For those of you who have never heard of this game before, I would highly recommend it, especially to those who enjoy games like “The sims2” or “Harvest Moon”. Basically you are dropped into a some what sickening cute village, filled with a variety of furry little creatures, with a rather depressed looking turtle as a mayor and a duck who works in a post office. You begin with a brief introduction before the strange raccoon who works in the corner shop tells you the bad news. Yup, your in debt Your aim is to pay off your debt, keep the locals happy and keep your environment clean. Sounds pretty boring huh? Well its not. Its actually strangely addictive…I would rate it 7.5 out of 10, as it will be very boring for anyone who has played the game before, bur will be most amusing for anyone who hasn’t. OADS To compliment “Ramblings from the Rectory” and Darren’s comprehensive “Country Beat” we would like to add “Obsequious Offerings from OADS” Overton Amateur Dramatic Society would like to thank you all for your support for our recent “Mother Goose” Panto. The performances were all well attended with a complete sell out for the Saturday Matinee. Our
Spring Play “The Real Inspector Hound” is in rehearsal
and will be performed in the Village Hall on Thursday 30th March,
Friday 31st March and Saturday 1st April 2006. Does the theme evoke memories of the Armed Forces, Land Army Girls, Ration Books, Gas Masks or Evacuees? We would appreciate some local history knowing how rationing affected people living in the country in a different way from those who lived in towns and cities. We would also welcome the loan of any wartime artefacts to display (no grenades thanks) on the night. Are
you prepared to be part of the in-house entertainment? Can you
sing? Can you Dance? Do you have hidden talent to put a sketch
or a monologue? If so let us know. We look forward to hearing
from you…. Watch this space for details . Medical News Looking back at the February 2005 Newsletter I see that we mentioned ‘repeat prescriptions’ then and I’m afraid we need to bring up the issue once again. Patients are getting quite irate at times because they run out and want further supplies of their medication at once. We really must try and get the point across that dispensing medicines is a serious business and not something to be rushed as consequences could be unpleasant. The volume of prescriptions increases almost month on month and it is not only the surgery but also the chemist who are under additional strain. Prescriptions take 48 hours, or 2 working days for us to process from receipt at the surgery to signature, then they need time for the chemist to dispense in a safe, careful manner. If you put your request in Friday afternoon it will not be guaranteed to leave here before Tuesday afternoon, or Monday for Wednesday, or Tuesday for Thursday, you can see the pattern. We cannot get them raised and signed the same day, running out is not a good excuse!! – we would rather you put in your requests when you still have two weeks supply left so the pressure is off all round. For Hightown Chemist when collection is late morning, Monday, Wednesday, Friday you need to allow 5 working days to be on the safe side. The pharmacy you take your prescription to cannot always guarantee to have your medication ready the same day so from a time point of view you should really give yourself 4 days. We are pleased to welcome our new Practice Manager James Eastop. Jim is 52, married to Viv and blessed with 4 daughters. He has lived in Overton for 3 years and in the Wrexham area since 1977, though he calls himself a ‘Man of Kent’, by birth. For over 25 years Jim worked for the LEGO Company in a variety of managements roles covering IT, Customer Service and Supply Chain Management. Jim has a strong belief in service excellence and a holistic approach to patient care. He says that he looks forward to working closely with the Overton Surgery staff … so that’s a good start. One of our regular contributors to the Oracle, Mary Hilton Jones, has been looking back at the history of Overton. We intend to serialise an account that she has found from the Wrexham Advertiser in 1892 of the high jinks at Bynypys. The Wrexham Advertiser Nov 15th 1892 Young Mr Peel has been the cause of much celebration in his short day. When very young, the hospitality of BrynyPys flowed to all comers. Then it is remembered how the doors of the mansion were again flung back when in February last he was married to his fair young lady. Closely following, ensures the event of Tuesday which marked the assumption of all the responsibility which comes to twenty-ones. The tenants of the estate considered that it was only right that the majority day should be celebrated in a good old style. It was argued and most properly we feel, that as his marriage in February was commemorated in a way which may be called chiefly personal, the celebration of his majority should be of a more general character. A committee was formed and the meetings were held at the Bynypys Arms. This committee set to work with a will and arranged a really enjoyable festival which we now proceed to describe. The village was much decorated at intervals arches spanned the road at the gate leading to the cricket field where the festivities were held was a wonderful arch which bore the mottoes “Though rich never forget the poor” “A Father’s honour is a man’s best inheritance” “May every blessing rest upon the Brynpys family” “her health and honour be forever his” In the centre were the words “All joy and peace to Mr & Mrs Peel” A string of flags stretched from the Post Office across the road and Opposite the church – from the Tower, on which was a Union Jack, came the merry peal of bells – was a banner with the words “Nov 15th 1892, Overton joyfully hails this day” At the fine Cocoa Rooms were the mottoes “Long live the Squire” and long live Mr Peel, the Founder of the Cocoa Rooms” In fact in all the houses there were tokens of rejoicing. The streets were full of people and those who drove in found no small difficulty in finding stable-room, so fierce was the demand and so numerous the visitors. By the time everyone had hurried through the streets, half past ten o clock had come and this was the time fixed for the procession which was to march to Bynypys where the presentation of an address to Mr Hugh Peel was to initiate the days proceedings. The members of the procession assembled of the National School and moved off in good time, led by the band of the 3rd Battalion R.W.F, then came the Committee, who wore blue badges of office. They were followed by a number of the tenantry and as the column moved along it was augmented and grew to large proportions. The police and watchmen took part in the march and then came a novel feature, which reminded the spectators of the old fashioned style in which such events were celebrated. There were two great wagons in each of which was a bullock ready dressed for cutting-up and distribution. In each vehicle there were butchers in the attire of their trade armed with cleavers and axes. There
followed another wagon in which were a dozen sheep prepared for
distribution, also under the charge of butchers and at the tail
of the conveyance came another wagon heavily laden with loaves
of a particularly nice looking bread. Succeeding these wagons
of dead stock, came a large number containing some very lively,
live stock. The occupants were the children from the schools of
Bangor, Eyton, Penley, and Erbistock. The little people chanted
continuously and looked very happy. Jean
Mary Balderson We were all saddened to hear of the passing of Jean Balderson, much respected in the community for her sterling work in the Church as Social Secretary – who will forget the mince pie and sherry evenings at Christmas, the Strawberry Sparkles summer events and the Car Treasure Hunts. A forthright person, as we heard from the eulogy given by Rev Gerald Davies at her funeral, who nevertheless always gave solace and comfort to those in need. We offer Bill and her sons our deepest condolences on their loss and our thoughts are very much with them at this time. Colonel R M FitzHugh William FitzHugh has kindly given permission for the Oracle to print an extract from his address given at the Thanksgiving Service held on 23/1/06. It would have been difficult for us to write a fitting piece about someone whom William aptly describes as ‘an immensely lovable man’. He was a great sportsman skilled in many disciplines and was generous in sharing his knowledge with others. Nearly 30 people caught their first salmon with him. He built a concrete pitch in the corner of Overton cricket ground and coached the people who were to make the runs he used to make for the village – some of whom went on to become seriously good cricketers. He was a very active community man, a dedicated supporter of the Church, Rector’s warden for years and latterly a lay preacher. He was chairman or president of many local activities from the Cricket Club to the British Legion, his door was always open and he would try to help anybody. On a wider front, he was a Flintshire county counsellor for years and a highly respected council chairman. What is less well known is his active service in the army. If asked, he always said that he had a quiet war. However, going through his papers, a small brown book containing a day-to-day diary written in pencil revealed a much different story. It is fascinating and full of action but written in his modest, understated way, it describes the man as much as the experiences. He was mentioned in despatches twice. His real joys came from his family. He was married to William’s mother for 38 years until her death in 1979 and then 25 years with Persis , he felt he was very lucky in love. ‘If I have to find four words, these are warmth, integrity, courtesy and fun. He radiated friendship and warmth whenever you met him. He loved company and almost all the fun he had was with people. He never compromised on the highest levels of decency, honesty and integrity. He had the best – it’s an old fashioned term – manners – that you could encounter and they were just natural, not affected. He had an enormous influence on me and I suspect others, but not by issuing instructions. His leadership was always by example and if a little bit of him rubbed off on you, I think you’ll have been better for it.’ I think all who were privileged enough to meet with Colonel FitzHugh will echo those sentiments. Litter
Pickers Sir – Ten years ago, three splendid persons founded the Winchester Litter Pickers, and now we are a happy band of more than 100 volunteers. We continue to grow as interested people see us out clearing up and ask to join. Everyone helps to keep their own street clean. Every Monday morning a group of us clears the station forecourt. Twice a month we attack suburban playgrounds and rows of small shops. In the summer tow volunteers work to clear the Cathedral Close. This can be a challenge. Although there are plenty of bins, young people sitting on the grass don’t see the purpose. However, when we asked, they will readily put their garbage into our rubbish bag. But the young are not the only culprits. I see adults shamelessly dropping litter. The city council and cathedral authorities are grateful for our efforts, and the situation is gradually getting better. It is a slow process, but we keep trying Editorial comment…. I
think this is a great idea, I realise that many our readers will
retort – “that’s what we pay the council for”
But I question that. Sometimes one has to look beyond our expectations
of others and try to do our bit. This Winchester scheme provides
a focal point for their community I have mentioned before my disappointment
at lack of interest in competing for “best kept village
or village in bloom” I think it is a shame that there is
such apathy towards the environment in which we live. (this apathy
does not refer to the 2 people who did express an interest in
the village in bloom scheme) Local Shop in National Press A recent article in the Sunday People concerning cheap fuel prices featured Wason's Petrol Station. Drivers can now access an internet site in order to establish the cost of petrol and can discover the cheapest price within a ten mile area of their post code. The site has 600,000 subscribers and is said to be accessed by millions. The company responsible for the site, Fubra, gather information from 10,000 outlets and the information is updated daily. The article featured nine stations prices and these ranged from Watford to Wales. Overton garage was quoted as the lowest in Wrexham on the day of publication and local prices were said to range from 89.9-per litre to 98.0 pence per litre. The survey concluded that an average motorist, covering 10,000 miles per year using a Vauxhall Astra for example, could save around £100 per year. As part of Fubra's monitoring arrangements, Wason's was contacted by telephone and they were then suprised to find their details in print. Owner, Robin explained "It was brought to our attention by a regular customer. We buy from three suppliers and look to purchase the cheapest on the day which has a set mark-up. We try to be as fair as we can with our pricing policy and pass any savings on to the customers". If you have any stories relating to your current local business or are looking to begin trading locally, then please contact one of the Oracle Team. Remember our readers are your customers so help us to keep them informed. Many
Thanks to the Vets On the 5th of November, my young part bred Andalusian horse, Simba, somehow escaped from his field whilst I was out. Unfortunately he fell down a cattle grid and suffered horrendous injuries to his legs. My boyfriends family had managed to get SImba into his stable and I arrived a minute later not knowing what had happened and was horrified at what I saw. My boyfriends Mum quickly phoned the vets whilst I cleaned up his legs as best I could and bandaged them. Within minutes the vet arrived and eighty staples were needed to put “Humpty Dumpty” back together again! Four months on, and Simba is well on his way to a full recovery and healing unbelievably quickly thanks massively to the wonderful treatment he received by Ryan from the Blakemere Veterinary Centre. I can not thank Ryan enough for all he has done for Simba and the kindness I received from all the vets at the practice. They have all been a great support and they all know Simba well now. I’m riding him again and bringing him back into work slowly. Let’s hope there is nothing else he is planning on doing to himself as I have not told him yet, but I have big plans for him this year. I am determined that his name will be known by everyone for the right reasons and that we will be taking the world by storm in the dressage arena. 2012 Olympics here we come, just watch this space…..(just hope they’re ready for such a cheeky horse as Simba) How to Meditate—A five week drop in course. Meditation Classes Wrexham—St Mary’s Cathedral Hall, Regent Street, Wednesdays form 15th March to 12th April at 19:30hrs Kelsang Norbu teaches the classes. Before ordaining as a Buddhist monk he worked as a graphic designer and art teacher. He presents Buddha’s teachings in a practical and accessible manner and is known for his warm heart, clarity and humour. Week
1—15th March Discover Meditation You
are welcome to attend every class in the course or just attend
one or two. Fee £5 or £3.50 concs (Book all 5 classes
for only £20 or £14) |
