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When we came to live in
Ruyton one heard of coming events, births, marriages and deaths and other
interesting gossip, in the street, from neighbours, in the shop or the
pub. Jean Rolfe at the shop and bakery,
would introduce newcomers to other customers – and posters, all hand drawn on
the back of old cornflake packets - were displayed in the shop window – see
below..
PARISH ALTERNATIVE NEWS
The winter 1991 edition
was produced by Valerie de Max of Fern Hollow in School Road. I cannot remember
it at all but I have that first edition here among my posters from
Rolfe`s. Althought the cover was pink, 6
page A5 page was very `alternative` with an emphasis on what we now call green
issues and conservation. I have yet to
discover if there was a Spring edition.
THREE PARISHES NEWSLETTER
In 1996 Jenny Baker
instigated the Three Parishes Newsletter, covering Ruyton, Great and Little
Ness churches. It gave us church news,
births marriages and deaths, a message from the vicar and very useful
advertisements for goods and services.
A great deal of work was required to literally, cut and paste with
scissors and glue, plus the chore of chasing up advertisers and getting an army
of volunteers to deliver to every house in the parish. The Three Parishes Newsletter ceased in 2013
and it was replaced by a quarterly news sheet giving details of church
services, events in the three churches and a message from the Vicar.
Meanwhile, the internet
was invented.
THE
MAILING LIST
In 2004, work started on preparations for a
medieval festival in 2008 to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the
Granting of Ruyton`s Borough Charter. A
mailing list of people who were interested but not on the organising committee
was created to keep the village informed.
After the event, the
Charter Mailing List became the Ruyton and District Mailing List. The list covers Ruyton and the XI Towns, The
Nesses, Baschurch and Weston Lullingfields and I forward messages sent to me
about many, many subjects from dog poo to notices about the WI, Garden Club,
History Club, Parish Council meetings, Extend and Pilates classes, not to
mention stray dogs and lost wallets.
There are around 200 addresses on the Mailing list and new people are
joining all the time. Here is some
information on the Ruyton Mailing List:-
The mailing list is left over from
the Charter Celebrations in 2008 when I wanted to keep people informed about
plans for all the events. Afterwards it seemed a bit daft to just abandon this
excellent way of communicating so I use it to circulate news and information on
what is going on in the area.
There are now nearly 200 people on the list which covers Ruyton, West Felton
and the XI Towns and Weston Lullingfields, The Nesses and
Baschurch. Information sent out is then forwarded to another
60 people on the West Felton mailing list - so you can see that there is great
potential to get publicity for any events you get to hear about. The idea
is that people send me notices I can just copy and paste, I can attach posters,
but I draw the line at going out and searching for information!
A new development is that
people are asking questions such as “Does anyone know a good supplier of logs”
and about 8 good people emailed in with suggestions. So if you have a problem or a question of any kind, do please make use of the
Mailing List. I have also had jobs and
property for rent to advertise - lets have more of everything!
GDPR
– I circulate local news via an email list. Those on the list asked to be
included and voluntarily supplied the information. Very occasionally the list goes out by
mistake, although I do my best to not let this happen.
THE BUSINESS DIRECTORY
This database now has some 400 names
of people and companies who provide a service in the area - from Accountants,
Alterations and Dressmaking, and Pest Control to Vets, Window Cleaners local
Women`s Institutes. Not to mention Plumbers, Roofers, Carpenters, Gardeners and
other very useful people!
Give a friend or neighbour a really useful present – get
them to join the mailing list! If you
can pass this information onto anyone you know who lives in the area, please
ask them to contact me to put them on the list.
Facebook - all the messages sent from me go to Margaret Lycett who sends those
particularly referring to Ruyton, onto facebook followers.
Be
part of our Community,
Yoland Brown
Brownhill House Garden and Bed
and Breakfast, Brownhill, Ruyton XI
Towns
01939
261 121
FACEBOOK
Then someone invented
Facebook. Nicky Eddon started the Ruyton
Newsgroup in 2013 which, at the last count had 661 followers. There is Ruyton Trades & Services group
285, which is, in effect, the Mailing List Business Directory. Then there is Mummy`s (Mummy`s what?) of
Ruyton 158. Ruyton Information has 106 – what are the rest of us giving the
population if it is not information?
RATS page has 58. A relatively
new one is Ruyton Revisited started by John Guest where lots of
people are connecting with their memories of the village.
Margaret forwards any
Ruyton information I send out on the Mailing List to the relevant facebook page
and particularly articles on www.eleventowns.uk/history.html
to Ruyton Revisited. So, between us, we
probably have most of Ruyton covered.
It will not come as a
surprise that I am not a facebook person – I am an Old Fogey, but mostly
because I hate the idea of having to physically search through recent postings
to see if there is anything of interest.
Whereas with the Mailing List, an email comes to your computer and, for
the most part, you just have to look at the subject and either go ahead and
read it or delete.
I am afraid I am much too
busy actually doing to go searching for events, I wait until the
organisers contact me.
WOT`S NEXT I ASK???
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