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COMMUNITY OFFICE NEWS
The Community Office managed to be almost self-sustaining last year with a small deficit. Thank you to all those who have supported us buying books and giving donations. Please continue to use the facilities we offer and support us in staying open. Come forward with any new ideas and bring community concerns / issues and we will try to help.
Some new things for 2006:
ART DROP-IN CLUB
Our new volunteer, Andy, is a great artist himself and has offered to run an art drop-in club on Monday afternoon. If you are interested please call in, express interest and talk to him about your art.
POLITICAL ISSUES AND PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS (PI) CLUB
This may sound a bit pretentious but don't let it put you off! We are all affected by political issues (please note small p!) and we all have thoughts and ideas about life and how to live it.
This is a chance for people to get together and chat informally on the first Friday of every month about all sorts of things. The concept is to have a different person each month bringing an idea or issue to discuss and coordinating the meeting. Although issues and ideas can be serious the intention of the club is to provide a fan evening for lively minded individuals!
Cost will be a £1 donation to the Community Office per meeting. For farther details please ring Deyna on 21556.
JIGSAWS
We now have 500 piece jigsaws for sale in the Community Office for 50p each!
CAR PERMITS
Please get your permit quickly as our period of grace ran out at the end of January and the traffic wardens appear just when you don't want them. If you have a YDNPA permit. Joss Lane car park is still free until further notice (although a donation to our office running costs would be
appreciated).
AGE CONCERN / HOMEOPATHY / SLCVS
Don't forget about these clinics on Wednesday mornings - if they don't get used we will lose them so please call in with any concerns!
CAR/VAN HIRE
Cars drink money - insurance, MOT, services, scrapes, not to mention buying the things in the first place! Imagine that you could use a car without having to pay to own one - car hire in Sedbergh! Someone else cleans it, services it, finds somewhere to park it, it could be small or large depending on what you need, it's usually pretty new and the environmental load isn't nearly so bad. Maybe your family could use a second car sometimes but you can't find the money to buy one? There are plenty of possibilities, from getting a car hire firm to open a branch here to setting up a community-type car club. But is there enough interest to make it worthwhile seeking funding, convincing business folk and so on? If you can imagine hiring a car or van - sometimes or often, for an hour or for a week - please contact the Community Office on 20504 and leave details of the sort of use you'd be interested in.
FAIRTRADE GOODS / BOOKS / ART
Fairtrade goods are selling well in aid of Settlebeck Learning Resource Centre. Paperback novels are now down to 50p each and there is new Art work to look at.
SEDBERGH YFC
Following on from the last edition I can now confirm the results of the Quiz's, Call my Bluff and Brainstrust competitions.
We got through to the District Finals of Call my Bluff and came 6th out of 8 teams.
Sedbergh Senior B team got through to the District final of the Quiz and came 1st! They then went through to the County final at Shap Wells Hotel and came 3rd (one better then last year). Our seniors got through to the district final of the Brainstrust competition which is yet to take place.
Mark Hartley and his friend Rob Isles came and gave us a talk on their trip to Australia where they were working and traveling.
Our Christmas Chinese night was well attended with 26 members tucking into spare ribs, various dishes, rice, chips and of course prawn crackers! We played a couple of party games and wished everyone a Happy Christmas.
In January we went Golf Driving at Oxenholme, (the visit to Thornton's Chocolate shop in Kendal was postponed) and by the time you read this we will have been to I'Anson Feed Mills at Masham, had the southern district AGM at the Castle Green Hotel, and had a visit from the Taxidermist Simon Wilson, more to follow on those next month!
Coming up in February we are hosting indoor sports at Sedbergh School (19th). This is an organised competition where clubs from around the southern district take part and compete.
On the 18th February some of the Southern District clubs will be performing their pantomimes at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal.
The club is thriving at the moment with 37 recorded members. If you need to know more call Valerie on 21032 for more details or just come along.
NOVEMBER WEATHER
November weather: The month started off quite mild with temperatures in the 50sF. In fact on several nights they were still in the 50sF near midnight. The maximum recorded was 57.6F It wasn't until the end of the second week that we recorded a frost. The latter half of the month was cooler with a minimum of 21.9F being noted twice. At the start of the last week a windchill factor of 1F(!!!!) was recorded. Not a night to out on the fells! It was at this time the first snow flurries were seen. As to be expected the same day saw the strongest wind at 26.6mph and the lowest pressure at 28.82 inches of mercury. On only 10 days was the wind from a quarter other than the north west. The total rainfall for the month was 4.1 inches and this included a period of 8 days without rain in the 3rd week.
Wildlife was active with slugs being still around on the mild nights. Bats seem to have hibernated though owls were calling regularly. Fieldfares and redwings passed through frequently. The woodpecker has made a re-appearance but the sparrowhawk hasn't been seen. The clowns of the bird world, long tailed tits, keep making brief appearances. They don't stay long as a rule and you have to be quick to get some 'photos. Hazel catkins have started to elongate and mini daffodils are well through.
DENTDALE W.I.
A new Programme in a New Year and a new President, Catherine Sugden, to welcome us all and three new members. We started in the time honoured fashion singing Jerusalem and then Catherine read a passage from Helen Carey's book "Bows of Burning Gold"
It was a busy business meeting with much to say and discuss. Fund raising was high on the Agenda and members were reminded that produce for the coffee morning/bring and buy to be held on 24th February in the Memorial Hall from 10.00 until 11.30 will be needed. Hard on the heels of this event comes the Dent run on 11th March when baking is again called for and also help in preparing the refreshments for the competitors which is our usual and much valued contribution. Lists for offers for both events will be available again at the February meeting.
Our public affairs committee headed so enthusiastically by Doris Foster, Stella Bannister and Ann Mason will again report our views to the powers that be on issues that concern us. The membership was asked to sign a petition for our concern over children's diets and the need for good PE provision in schools.
In Any Other Business, Elizabeth Middleton gave her views on the impending shop closure in Dent. Stella Bannister thanked the committee for a most successful Christmas party held in the Memorial Hall and catered by Ann Hawley.
Good food and good company had made it a really excellent evening.
Then over to John Mounsey, our Speaker, to transport us by slides to Slovenia and an introduction to the wild life, flora ,fauna and geological features. Forest covers 50% of the landscape and makes an ideal environment for Wolves and Brown bears etc.
The saltpans are world famous in an area of wetlands, home to the Avocet and Kingfisher. Here one could see the food chain in action. Brine shrimps eaten by fish and fish eaten by birds. Freda Meakin thanked John for a very interesting talk.
Pat Allen won the competition and Judith Newsham the raffle prize. Our next meeting will be on 8th February in the Memorial Hall when our Speaker will be David Watt talking about Mountain Rescue Search Dogs. Do feel welcome to join us. Pat Allen
FEELING SAD IN THE WINTER
This article is a response to a request from a sufferer of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This is winter depression, which only lifts with the onset of spring. I have tried to talk to as many people as possible who have had some experience of this. (If you are one, I should be glad to hear from you.)
In winter, it is normal to be less active than at other times of year. A natural rhythm would be to be active between sunrise and sunset and to rest and keep warm during the hours of darkness. It is more difficult for us to function well if our usual daily routine is very different from this. One person I talked to, when asked how SAD differs from the normal slowing down in winter, simply said, "You know if you have got it".
In the literature, SAD is often characterised by a list of symptoms:
increased need for sleep and low energy, despite sleeping more
increased appetite for carbohydrates, craving for sweet things and consequent weight gain
apathy, irritability and lack of desire for social interaction
feelings of hopelessness, guilt, anxiety and loss of self-esteem.
The first three of these would seem to be a more extreme version of the natural winter state. The real indicator of depression is the fourth one, which is clearly much more than feeling a bit low. If you are in this state, it is important to get help. Ask your doctor what is available. Many people have found that medication can help to get over a bad patch, but according to Sue Atkinson, the author of "Climbing Out of Depression" (Lion 1993), it is usually best to combine this with some other form of therapy. Counselling, homeopathy and acupuncture are all available locally. Some people have been helped by shamanic healing. For information about this, contact Simon Buxton (who came to the Meditation Centre in Dent last year) at the Sacred Trust (01786 331825, www.sacredtrust.org).
The main theory about SAD seems to be that it may arise because of light deprivation. Try to make the most of the daylight available, including going outside to see the frequent spectacular winter sunrises and sunsets. If you work inside, try to get a walk outside at lunchtime. Several firms offer light boxes, which provide intense light for use during normal stationary activities, such as eating, reading or using the computer. Two such companies are SAD Lightbox Ltd (01494 484852, www.sad.uk.com) and Outside In (01954 211955, www.outsidein.co.uk). I don't know of anyone who has used one of these, so if you have experience of light boxes, I should be glad to hear from you. As a cheaper alternative you could try using daylight spectrum light bulbs in your standard light fittings.
Winter is a time to preserve and gather energy for the coming year, so look after your physical health. Keep warm, eat warming nourishing food and take regular gentle exercise. Observe yourself. Know when is it better to withdraw and hide under the duvet and when a stimulating conversation might help you feel better. If you are feeling tired, would it be better for getting up and moving around, or do you need to have a short nap?
It can help to have some structure in your life. One person I talked to put this very well, "Always have something nice planned for next week".
Life events and situations can trigger depression and this is probably worse around Christmas than at any other time of year. It is easy to imagine that everybody else is enjoying themselves in perfect harmony with their loved ones and that you are alone in being down. I have found that it helps to realise that life moves in cycles from happy to sad, from good luck to misfortune. At the moment you may be at a low point, but the wheel turns and things will get better. Of course, the high points don't endure either and there is no magic plateau of "happy ever after" where we can remain without pain and effort. Life is constant change.
By the time you read this, the days will have started to lengthen and you may already feel yourself climbing out of the winter trough. Many thanks to all who helped me with this article. If you want to contact me, please phone. My number is (015396) 20972. June Parker
TOY LIBRARY
The Sedbergh & District Toy Library will re-open on Jan 19th from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. It will continue to be open twice a month but in future the days will be set on the Island 3rd. Thursdays of the month.. So the dates for the next school term will be Jan 19th ,Feb 2nd & Feb 16th .March 2nd & March 16th, April 6th & 20th.
Pupils from Settlebeck & Sedbergh Schools have been working hard checking the toys for missing parts. Most of the toys are back in good order again but we are always pleased to receive missing parts that have been found after toys have been returned to us.
We still have funds to buy new toys & to replace lost & broken ones.
We are delighted to have received a grant from The New Opportunities Fund to replace our I.T. system. This should mean an easier time for the volunteers & hopefully a swifter process for parents logging the toys in & out.. Our long term aim of having a web site for the catalogue will be easier to achieve.
New Toy Library members are always welcome. We have growing number of Grandparents borrowing toys for their Grandchildren's visits.
The Toy Library is run by a committee of volunteers aided by school pupils. We are now in a position to employ a coordinator .Applications for this position should be made to the Treasurer Nichola Packham Tel. 21484
Extra Volunteers would also be made very welcome. Bronwen Osborne (committee member)
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