Clubs
The 100 Club
The Little Wenlock Village Hall 100 Club is a regular charity draw.
Dividing its income equally between community facilities and prizes, it has distributed nearly £5000 in prize money over the last 10 years.
Annual membership costs £12 with monthly prizes awarded.
Contact Roy Parsons (Treasurer) 01952 505888
Amateur Radio Society
In July 2008, Telford & Wrekin Amateur Radio Society set up a new home in Little Wenlock Village Hall. The following introduction gives an idea of their activities.
Hello to all at Little Wenlock, we wanted to give you a short introduction to the Radio Club, what it does and tell you about the aerials we have erected on the side of the village hall and how they are used.
Telford & District Amateur Radio Society, known as TDARS, was founded in 1969 in Wellington and has had many homes since, most recently Dawley Bank Community Centre. Unfortunately as a result of T&W cost cutting the centre is to be demolished and we had to find a new home after almost 20 years. This led to us working with the Little Wenlock Village Hall Committee to establish a new home here.
We are a very sociable club with a wide range of interests. Most years, society members take part in a Dx-pedition (DX is a term associated with long distance transmissions) to a remote place. Four years ago we visited Slieve Croob in Northern Ireland. This year we did what we call the Marconi Heritage trail operating from one of Marconi’s old operating stations in Wales. Field Days ( a competition to make as many contacts with other amateurs over 24 hours as possible) are regularly entered; this year in 2008 would have found us on the Long Mynd, near to Pole Bank. on 5th/6th July.
Members' activities range from Morse code to digital signals. Many members build their own equipment. Experienced assistance is always on hand to builders and we run all the licencing courses needed to allow people to get on the air. Every few years we run Morse courses to build up members skills on the air. For several years running we have done science sessions in local primary schools and this year will be running a public session at Enginuity in Ironbridge. In September we will be running the 3rd Hamfest at the ‘hands-on’ Enginuity Museum in Coalbrookdale. A Hamfest is something we run to allow amateurs across the region to meet, discuss, buy and sell equipment and meet professional traders.
The two poles on the side of the village hall support our contribution to two very important UK wide networks. The one furthest away from the road supports a voice repeater. This allow people to talk to the repeater and the signal is relayed out. What this allows is local amateurs to have coverage over a large area of Shropshire without having to use high power to operate. The voice repeater is in a great location where height and clearance of obstacles allow us to have an operating area down the M54 past Wolverhampton and east close to the Welsh borders.
The other pole hosts our beacon on some of the very high frequency bands. Propagation on all bands depends on a lot of factors including atmospheric conditions and the change of state of various layers of the atmosphere (ionosphere, troposphere) caused by the sun. As such conditions suitable for transmission go up and down. The beacons are used nationally and internationally to monitor for good propagation conditions, and in turn we also monitor beacons in the UK and beyond on the lookout for conditions where we are able to communicate with people further afield."
The club meets at little Wenlock Village Hall on Wednesdays at 7.30 - 10.00 pm
More information with regard to the club's activities can be obtained from Tony Woodhouse 01952 670058
Badminton Club
From its inception early in January 2008, the Little Wenlock Badminton Club has gone from strength to strength. We now have more than 25 regular players of all ages, with a wide range of abilities. Everyone is welcome and equipment can be provided so there is no excuse not to join us. Please check the notices around the village for the latest scheduled sessions, or alternatively contact Paul Goodman on 507706.
Gardening Club
As well as playing a prominent role in the annual “Open Gardens” weekend, the 20-plus members of the gardening club run a highly successful plant sale each spring to raise funds for local charities, together with a programme of evening talks and garden visits.
The gardening club meets on the last Tuesday of the month during the winter months at 7.30 pm in the village hall.
Membership costs £5 per annum. Members are entitled to a 10% discount at Meadowdale Nurseries, Horsehay, who sponsor some of our events.
Visits are publicised widely in advance on the telegraph pole noticeboards.
During June 2009, The Little Wenlock Gardening Club plant sale, in aid of the Severn Hospice, raised a total of £423.00. The Gardening Club would like to thank all who donated plants and cakes and everyone who helped out on the day. The Gardening Club would also like to give a special thank you to Meadowdale Nurseries for their continued and generous support again this year
Contact: Karen Sloan (Secretary) 01952 505950
Ruth Manley (Chair) 01952 505576
Mike Dean (Treasurer) 01952 505950
LETS
Ladies of Little Wenlock LETS get out more is an informal social group.
Each month someone organises an event, and asks the rest of the group if they would like to come. It’s as simple as that, no rota, no committee. No need to join in every month, just a list of members.
The group has 26 members, and Murder Mystery, badger watching, canoeing and other activities are already planned for 2006.
Contact Hilary Betts 01952 505547
Over 60’s Lunch Club
Open to all villagers over 60 years of age, the lunch club was started in October 2002.
It has proved hugely popular, currently catering for around 40 members.
For a small fee, members are provided with a two-course meal plus tea or coffee, prepared by a team led by a villager with particular local catering experience.
The lunch club meets in the Village Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 12.30 pm.
Read about our Christmas party and see the photos here.
Contact Sue Parsons 01952 505888
Rainbow Guides
The Rainbow Guides group, only started in 2005, caters for a maximum of 15 girls between the ages of 5 and 7.
There is currently a waiting list to join the group, which feeds into the local Coalbrookdale Brownies.
The Rainbows meet at the village hall on Thursdays from 5.30pm – 6.30pm.
Contact Lucie Roberjot 01952 506154
Women’s Institute
The Little Wenlock WI currently involves nearly 30 members in an active programme of monthly talks, discussions and practical demonstrations.
We enjoy theatre trips and outings covering a variety of interests.
During 2006 the group undertook an innovative mapping project with the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, providing every house in the village with its own unique location reference in their database detailed on a handy card to be kept by the phone for use in emergencies.
We are a friendly group, spanning a wide age range, and we extend a warm welcome to everyone.
The WI meets at the village hall on the first Wednesday of each month at 2.00 pm.
Enquiries to Diana Justham 244136 or Heather Cooke 504201.
WI News June 2009
After a most interesting talk about Tudor Gardens at our meeting at the beginning of June, we are busy getting our exhibits ready for the West Midlands Show on June 27th and 28th 2009. Do come to the WI marquee if you are going to the show, there is a wealth of talent amongst our members.
We are having a flower arranging demonstration at the next meeting on Wednesday July 1st, starting at 2.00pm. There will be an outing to Weston Park on Wednesday August 4th when we do not meet in the Village Hall. We will leave the Village Hall car park at 11.00 am. Husbands and friends are welcome to join us.
On Wednesday 2nd September 2009 the talk will be “Sea Gypsies” which will be specially enjoyed by boaters.
Success at the West Midland Show
This years West Midland Show was held on June 27th/28th 2009, and Little Wenlock WI had representation in a Marquee.
Pat Hutchings received the Mrs Richardson Rosebowl from Dr David Bellamy president of the West Midland Show, as an award for the best handcrafted hat, which was made from merino sheep's hair.
WI News December 2009
As our 76th year draws to a close with mince pies and sherry we look forward to a varied and interesting programme for 2010.
Our January talk is about rearing prospective Guide Dog puppies and topics during the year include cookery, hands on crafts, foreign travel. country canals, and the origin of nursery rhymes. There will be a visit to see "Pride and Prejudice" at the Theatre Severn in March, our New Year Lunch is in January, and there will be outings and other events too. We will be choosing our Resolutions to be debated at the National Annual General Meeting in June - one proposal is to stop the closure of village pubs, a subject all to close to our hearts. We are pleased to have several new members joining us in January and always welcome visitors for a small charge.
