July 2026
Rippingale Newsletter July 2026
Editor: Iain Middleton, rippingalenewsletter@outlook.com
Summer Greetings
Thanks to Julia Lister for her email about the publication of a new book celebrating
one of Rippingale’s famous past residents. The Mate, (the Extraordinary Lives of Sir
Jameson Boyd Adams) by HJ Dawson, recounts the story of Adams, who became
the first volunteer for the British Antarctic Expedition of 1907 -09 after meeting
Shackleton.
Adams was born in Down Hall, Doctors Lane in 1880 and joined the Merchant Navy
in 1893, aged 13! Later, he worked his way up through the ranks of the Royal Navy,
being awarded medals for distinguished action in WW1.
Something of an unsung hero, he later worked in the Civil Service, helping to lay the
foundations of the Welfare State.
There is an article written by Jim Latham from a past newsletter as a useful hors
d’oeuvre to this remarkable man and his achievements:
http://rvwarchive.warman.org.uk/RippingaleRecentHistory-
RippingalesAntarcticHero.htm
The Mate by HJ Dawson is published by Troubadour Publishing: ISBN:
978183628921
Please note: The August Newsletter will be the last from Warners as their digital
printing service is closing down. This means we require an earlier submission date
than usual to meet their final deadline. Please would you ensure that any item for
inclusion in the August Newsletter is submitted by Thursday 16 th July at the
latest.
Finally, at hospital over the weekend, I heard a load of patients reciting Scottish
poetry, apparently it was the serious Burns unit.
The 200 Club June Draw
£30 ticket number, 69 Mr D Laybourne
£25 ticket number , 66 Mrs K Lewis
£15 ticket number, 116 Q & S Lister
£15 ticket number,10 Mrs S Charlton
£15 ticket number, 92 Mr P Mylchrest
Julia Lister
Parish Council News for July
Summer is here at last
Now the summer months are upon us, we can see a lot happening in the village
with recent events from The Friends of Rippingale Church and the Feast
Committee. The allotments are teaming with activity, as the growing season is going
into overdrive, especially for weeds! It is nice to see so many community groups
and organisations doing so much for the villagers and the Parish Council remain
committed to supporting and assisting those making a positive difference to our
village life.
Remaining Parish Council Meeting Dates for 2026 – Village Hall at 7:00 pm: 13th
July - 10th August - 14th September - 12th October - 9th November.
Overgrown Hedges and Trees
It is not only the weeds that are growing well, with this mix of very hot and wet
weather. We have seen hedges, shrubs and trees growing at a fast rate. The Parish
Council is working with its contractors to try and keep on top of keeping its
vegetation from obstructing pavements or roads. We are trying to include this is
scheduled work to minimise costs whilst complying with the Wildlife Act 1981, as
activities like hedge trimming and tree pruning are restricted during bird nesting
season (roughly March to September) to prevent disturbance to nests and eggs.
Please can we ask residents to do the same, if their hedges, shrubs or trees start to
encroach on pavements or roads.
Parish Council Website
As you are aware up until recently the Parish Council has been operating with only a
few councillors, which meant that we have had to focus on the key objectives that we
needed to deliver for the community. This has sadly meant that the website has been
neglected. Now that we are nearly at full strength, we agreed at the last meeting to
ensure that the website is progressively updated over the next three months or so.
We will focus on the priority areas first, such as the councillor details, agendas and
minutes, as well as the fourteen process and procedures, not including the
Emergency Plan, that require revisiting. This is no mean feat, but we will get there
and thank everyone for their patience.
Submission of the AGAR
The AGAR Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) is the principal
means by which a parish council is accountable to its electorate, and councils must
complete an annual return to confirm that everything is in order. This years AGAR
reviewed and approved at the last Parish Council meeting. A copy of the completed
form is on the Parish Council notice board, and it will be uploaded onto the website
in due course. This details the income and expenditure at a high level. In a
forthcoming Parish Council meeting we will break down and present the figures in
greater detail.
Planning
The application for the Western Marsh substation has been sliced away from the
Grimsby–Walpole Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and will be
considered in August by South Holland District Council (Planning Application
H22‑0466‑26), even though it is clearly a critical part of that larger scheme. As any
decision made by South Holland District Council will impact on erection of pylons
and applications for solar farms in areas nearer to Rippingale, the Parish Council
plans to discuss a response at our next meeting in July.
Allotments
Cllr Simmons has taken up the role as allotment liaison and has already had a
walkabout at the allotments, whilst meeting members of the RGAG committee. He
was very impressed with the water collection stations and the tidiness of the
allotment field. The RGAG are maintaining the pathways and untenanted plots and
are doing a very good job of keeping on top of the grass cutting. He is looking
forward to working very closely with the RGAG and individual plot holders. The
Parish Council provided a donation to the RGAG to assist with the creation of a
wildflower area. Two buddleia have been planted and wildflower seeds will be
planted. In addition to attracting pollinators, wildflowers attract beneficial predators
like ladybirds, hoverflies, and ground beetles. These insects act as a natural defense
system by feeding on common garden pests like aphids
Village Hall
Over the past few months Councillors have been approached by villagers with
matters about the village hall. It is probably worth clarifying that the Parish Council
are Custodian Trustees of the village hall, which means that we only hold the legal
title to the property and land on behalf of the charity. We do not make management
or operational decisions, but act solely as a secure "safe box" to protect the physical
assets for the community. The Village Hall Management Committee are responsible
for the day to day management and maintenance of the village hall. This committee
is made up of trustees and volunteers. The Trustees are legally responsible charity
members who manage the hall for the community. They are legally responsible for
managing finances and insurance, maintaining the property, keeping licenses up to
date, and acting in the best interests of the community. Whilst we take an active
interest in the village hall, as hirer’s ourselves, the village hall trustees are the people
to contact if you have a suggestion, comment or concern at:
rippingalevillagehall1@gmail.com
Rippingale Feast Committee News
On Saturday the 6 th May the Feast Committee held a Mini Feast in the gardens of
The Bull Inn.
Despite the weather forecast the event went ahead. The BBQ was lit, and the
delicious burgers & sausages started sizzling away. People flocked into the gardens
to register their waggy tailed dogs for the show. It was wonderful to see such a
variety of breeds such as: Thomas an English Setter and Ronnie a Red Setter, a
beautiful Basset Hound, an inquisitive Beagle, a well-mannered Whippet and a very
cute 14-week-old Shih Tzu. Prizes were awarded, including the most handsome,
owner look alike and the best dog tricks. The show was enjoyed by both dog lovers
and their families.
People then gathered around the stalls to make purchases such as plants, bee
products, fused glass gifts, books, and dog treats. The raffle was popular and the
Tombola prizes flew off the table. The Ross family sold all their surplus plants and
very kindly donated over £60 to the Air Ambulance. Many visited the refreshments
tent to buy a cream tea with home-made scones or a slice of delicious cake.
Thankfully, the weather stayed fine until everyone headed home.
The Feast committee did an outstanding job but could not have managed without the
much-appreciated help of several villagers and Simon and family from The Bull Inn.
The Feast committee would like to thank all the people who supported them and
contributed towards making the event a huge success. All profits will go to the next
Rippingale Feast in 2027.
Look out for our next fund-raising event: There will be a Car Boot Sale on the
Jubilee Playing Fields on the 12 th September 2026.
St Andrew’s Church News
COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNING
The weather had changed with the wind and rain, so I was not expecting much of a
turnout but you surprised me! Thank you all for making the effort to come and join us
and hopefully you were not disappointed.
It was great to have the fresh vegetables back and as suggested in last months
report, new potatoes grown very locally were available. With the season progressing
there will be a greater choice of local produce and all of it of the best quality and
freshness.
As usual we had a fantastic array of freshly cooked cakes to accompany your hot
drink or to take home. Hopefully, at our next CCM, the weather will be kinder so that
we can sit outside. Please come and join us as a warm welcome is always
guaranteed.
NEXT COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNING TUESDAY JULY 7TH AT 10.15am
CHURCH SERVICE
We had our first service lead by Revd Helen Roulston on Sunday 31 st May and it was
a real joy to have our own vicar again. Lovely hymns with the addition of being
spiritually refreshed by the end. If you are able do come and join us for future
services you will not be disappointed.
Jonathan Newell
St Andrews Church Development Update
The Church Development Team embarked on this challenging enterprise in Nov
2024, which has now reached a crucial stage. The aims and objectives are to repair
many structural defects that exist and create a new flexible space by removing pews
along the south isle, creating a church hall affect. New stackable chairs will be
purchased and used when necessary. Services will not be affected as the Nave and
Chancel will stay untouched. We will also be modifying our electrical supply and
equipment, constructing a new kitchen servery and disabled toilet with child friendly
facilities in the vestry. A new Chancel roof will be constructed to replace the
temporary felt roof completed 8 years ago along with the lead roof over the porch.
The last element will be a complete interior make-over to the church walls.
Our progress has been helped along by our efficient architect team from Lincoln,
‘Simons Designs’, who have steered us through many taxing problems, and
produced some outstanding drawings and designs. Many of you will have seen them
on display inside the church since April, some even leaving messages in the
suggestion box. Thank you… With all the documents now completed, the project
now out to tender, Faculty and Planning permissions submitted, we have our final
hurdle now ahead of us, as the application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund is
imminent. This decision will be known by mid-August.
Bringing St Andrew’s Church back to good order with modern facilities and a bright
future, has always been our aim. If our timeline remains on track, we should see
completion no later than Summer 2027. In the coming months options of support will
be publicised, and we hope many families will get involved. Watch this space…
Nature Notes from Ian Misselbrook
Spring ended with a record heatwave during the second half of May, followed by very
unsettled weather in June, including a lot of rain welcomed by gardeners and
farmers. At the time of writing the crops, particularly autumn sown cereals, look well.
You might have noticed that there has been a big increase in oilseed rape sown
locally this year. This is good news for Reed Buntings which see it as a more
common alternative to reedbeds to nest in. The cock Reed Bunting is quite a showy
and obliging bird perching on top of the reeds to sing its rather slow and hesitant
song. It is easily identified by its black head and vicar like white collar.
As summer progresses, we are blessed by hosting some nesting birds locally that
have virtually become extinct in the rest of Lincolnshire. A pair of Turtle Doves nest
within a few miles of our village and Spotted Flycatchers nest in a private garden in
Dunsby. Two Nightingales singing during the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trusts open day at
Dole Wood near Thurlby may well be the only birds holding territory in Lincolnshire.
And of course, we have the only breeding cranes in Lincolnshire at Willow Tree Fen
nature reserve. Swifts and Swallows have declined again, partially due to the lack of
nesting sites but also the lack of insect prey.
We try to manage our garden for the benefit of wildlife with wildflower borders, nest
boxes and shrubs to provide food and cover. The best thing you can do in even a
small garden is to provide a pond. We have two; one in which we have fish and the
other is devoted to wildlife with frogs, Smooth Newts an occasionally a Grass Snake
using it. We have been particularly successful in attracting dragonflies and
damselflies. This year we had a new garden record with a pair of Broad-bodied
Chasers present which probably bred in one of the ponds.
More of my Nature Notes can be found on my column in The Stamford Mercury
(every four weeks), LincsOnline and also on my quarterly diary
www.countryeye.org.uk.
Rippingale and District WI June Meeting
June started for the WI with a guided walk by Joe Whitehead, Head Gardener of
Burghley House Gardens. Joe and his two gardeners gave a wealth of information
about the history and current plans for the gardens. The talks were light hearted and
included some hilarious anecdotes of when ‘Hollywood’ comes Burley House for the
filming of a variety of films and tv programmes.
Our speaker of the month entertained us with fascinating stories and tales of
‘Lincolnshire’s Poachers’. Nicola Hallan, a genealogist based in Lincolnshire, is very
interested in our county histories and completed her MSc researching the
Lincolnshire rising of 1536 and 19 th century Lincolnshire poachers. We discovered
that not all poachers were starving individuals trying to feed their family, but that
often they were ‘gangs’ only interested in selling their spoils for financial gain. The
act of ‘Enclosures’ across the land took away access for local folk to hunt for game
and so many became poachers. The youngest being just 10 years old and the
oldest 83, although the average age for those convicted of poaching was 24-30.
Women also played their part and often hid game under their skirts. Nicola
discovered two local poachers; Edward Sandal and James Eusom, got into trouble
back in 1883.
We had our ‘Big Lunch’ at Waterside Garden Centre on 8 th June for our members in
support of WI’s commitment to The Big Help Out which combines food, friendship
and local volunteering.
We look forward to our next meeting on 2nd July which will include a ‘Summer Craft’
session, catering for all abilities, and will be led by one of our members. In August
we be enjoying speaker Darren Rawnsley and his entertaining “Everyone Puts Their
Trousers On, One Leg At A Time”!
Non-members are welcome to join the meetings to get a flavour of the WI activities,
for a small visitor’s fee of £5.
If you would like more information about our W.I. please contact the secretary,
Christine
via email christinerice3@aol.com
Rippingale and District Gardening Club
Our second visit of the summer season in June was to a delightful country house
garden in Folkingham. A heavy shower of rain didn’t dampen our spirits and many of
us in the group sheltered under an apple tree which was almost totally covered by a
huge ‘Rambling Rector’ Rose in full flower and playing centre stage to the stunning
border’s overflowing with roses and a wonderful array of plants all beautifully
designed, by the owner Candy Ball. Delicious refreshments were served on the
terrace overlooking the garden.
Our two next visits are to Burghley House Gardens on the Wednesday 15th July and
Head Gardener, Joe Whitehead will be taking us round. Our final visit will be on
Wednesday 12th August to Honeytrees Tropical Garden in Bottesford.
If you are interested in joining our club, please contact sharron21white@gmail.com