All Saints Church

United in Faith Welcoming All

The services have been planned as follows for December:

Sunday 7th December  - 11.00 am

Morning Praise

Sunday 14th December - 11.00 am

Holy Communion

Sunday 21st December - 11. 00 am

Holy Communion

Wednesday 24th December - 3.00 pm

Christingle

Sunday 28th December - No Service

Regretfully there will be no service  at midnight on Christmas Eve   or on Christmas Day as no clergy are available.

There will be a Christmas themed Coffee Morning on Wednesday 17th December in the Chapter House at 10.30am until 12 noon.

Robert Heley

Wilstead Bowls Club

More than 50 members and guests attended our  Finals' Presentation Buffet Lunch  on Sunday 2nd November.

Many of our members are enjoying indoor short mat bowling which  has resumed on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from 2pm – 4pm, and Friday evening 7pm – 9pm. If you fancy playing, no experience necessary,  you are very welcome to join us. You just need flat soled shoes; we have bowls you can borrow.

There are very competitive games of a very high standard being played on Thursday evenings in the Herts and Beds Short Mat League, hosted by Wilstead.

Pupils from Wilstead Primary School year 3 came along in November to give short mat bowling a try, some budding bowlers amongst them.

Our AGM took place on Friday 21st November with most of the committee being re-elected.

For our social events, a Race Night was held in November.

Dates for your diary

Christmas themed Coffee Morning  with a raffle on Wednesday 10th December

10.30am – 12noon  -  £3

All welcome, you don't need to be a member.

A Quiz evening will be held late January

If you need any club information please contact

Sue Marchant - Club Secretary, 07716676383

sue@marchantonline.com

Wilstead Bowls Website www.wilsteadbowlsclub.co.uk.

Royal British Legion

Remembrance Day 2025

There was a wonderful turnout on the 9th November for the Remembrance Day march and service at the Memorial.  Then the church was well filled with those taking part in the service afterwards.  Thank you to everyone who took part.

More details in next month's newsletter.

Christmas Carols

Thursday 18th December 7.30pm

Wilstead Evangelical Church New Building

(formerly Methodist Church)

You are warmly invited to join us for this popular event as we sing some good old Christmas carols, followed by hot mince pies and coffee.

For more info go to wilstead.org.

P3 Footpath Group

Meetings

The latest P3 meeting was planned for after the deadline for this edition of the Newsletter. There would have been reports on each of the seventeen Public Rights of Way in the Parish highlighting any problems which prevent easy use of these Public Footpaths and Public Bridleways.

How these problems might be addressed will be identified at the meeting together with the Group's need for any help from Bedford Borough Council to do this work on the paths. If any work is too large/difficult for the Group to tackle then assistance will be sought from the Borough Council Rights of Way Dept.

The following  meeting of the Group is provisionally set for Saturday 7th February in the Village Hall. Come along if you are/could be interested in helping to monitor the state of the paths and/or helping to overcome any problems identified in the surveys.

Working Parties

Working Party dates will be arranged at each P3 meeting.

Walks

The November walk was originally planned for 23rd November in the countryside around the old disused Old Warden railway cutting and tunnel but was postponed because of the forecast high probability of rain. It is now planned to do this walk early in the New Year. Keep an eye out for poster on the village noticeboards and details in future issues of the Newsletter.

The next walk will be the traditional (now going for over twenty years) New Years Day walk along some of the paths which surround the village. Come along all are welcome.

Meet at 11.00am in the Village Car Park off Whitworth Way.  I will bring some of the latest walk leaflets which show all the paths in the parish.

The following walk is provisionally planned for the morning of Sunday 1st February. It will be somewhere in Bedfordshire, but not too far away! Keep an eye out for info on the Village Noticeboards at the Village Hall and Crossroads.

Wilstead & Wixams

Good Neighbours

The last Wilstead Cafe date for 2025 in the Village Hall is Friday 12th December at the normal time 2.00 to 3:30pm.

If it opens in 2026 the date will be Friday 8th January.  We really need volunteers to keep this going so please get in touch if you have a couple of hours to spare once a fortnight.

Don't forget Wixams, Lakeview Village Hall every Tuesday 10:30 to 12 Noon.  

Rick Baxter  - Chairman

740854  WWGNS Phone 07807 408928

Pre school news

As I write this in November we are yet to have had our Christmas Bazaar, so I'm thanking everyone in advance who came and supported us on the day, whether you gave your time and helped run the bazaar or you came along with your families and hopefully enjoyed a lovely Christmas afternoon.

If you are reading this before the 6th of December DO come along to the village hall 12-3pm and support us!

More details and thanks in the next newsletter.

We have been very busy this half term learning all about seasons, road safety, why it's important we wear poppies for Armistice day , remembering the soldiers who kept us and continue to keep us safe, and of course the celebration of Christmas.

I asked the children why we celebrate Christmas. Lots of interesting answers !

“Cos we need more toys”

“Cos we like Christmas trees”

“ Because we like to put lights up”

“ Isn't it about a baby called Jesus?” Bingo !

Hopefully after practicing and performing our Christmas nativity the children will have a better understanding of why we celebrate Christmas. The children have been fantastic practising so far, and l hope the performance will go ahead without too many hitches. (Which if you know, me is an utter nonsense, as I love it when it goes wrong !!)

Can I just take this opportunity to thank everyone who supports us along the way.

We are a Charity run Pre School and rely on a committee of parents to keep us going. THANK YOU to those who have given their valuable time this year to help us. You know who you are ! We really have and do appreciate it.

Quick thank you to all the staff, who do an amazing job ( if I do say so myself !) and managers who keep us in line ! (And also do an amazing job!)

Can I thank the parents for all their support and thank you ALL for your support with our fundraising efforts it really does mean a lot that we have such fantastic support!

Date for your diaries

Our next quiz night is Saturday 7th March at the Village Hall. Hopefully you will all get a new diary for Christmas so stick the date in !

I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Just one last thing. A HUGE thank you to Jackie and the fantastic team at the Wilstead Newsletter for all their support and hard work in producing this monthly newsletter!Thank you.

Julia

Wilstead Primary School

Christmas bells are already ringing at Wilstead Primary School, as we get ready to sing at the 'Christmas Lights Switch On' on Saturday 28th November!

We are gearing up for a busy few weeks, with our performances at All Saints' Church, the school Nativity for Key Stage one and Key Stage 2 Carols by Candlelight. One of my favourite Christmas traditions is taking the school choir to the care homes in Wixams.

If you see us walking down in our Christmas jumpers, do give us a wave and help to spread our Christmas cheer!

Our PTA Christmas Fair is taking place at the wonderful Herrings Green Farm this year, and we are so grateful for their support. The event is running from 11am until 3.30pm on Saturday 13th December and has lots to do for all the family. If you would like to join us there, we would love to see you!

Wilshamstead Parish Council

Planning Application For Up To 149 Houses At Duck End Lane Recommended For Refusal

The Borough Council Planning Committee made up of elected Borough Ward Councillors members, who considered this planning application at their November meeting have made a recommendation for this application to be refused.  The members heard from Borough Ward Councillors Marc Frost, Graeme Coombes, Andrea Spice and Parish Councillor Mark Brooks who all spoke passionately with robust planning policy reasons as to why this application should be refused.

The Parish Council response collated by an experienced planning consultant who had provided professional advice with detailed technical and robust challenge to the local authority to this planning application at Duck End Lane, was sent directly to each elected member of the Planning Committee in advance.  The application had gone to committee recommended for approval, so this collaborative working, including all the public submissions from the Wilstead community showed unity and strength with a clear message that this application was not in keeping with the wishes of the community.

Enormous thanks to all those who took time to submit comments to the application and to those who represented the community at the Planning Committee meeting.

The next steps are the application will return to a future Planning Committee, with the Planning Officer having prepared supporting planning policy reasons for a refusal.  The committee members will vote, and a decision notice will then be issued.  There will not be allowed to be any input from Borough or Parish Councillors during this meeting as the right to speak representations have already been made, however, this item will be monitored closely by the Parish Council.

Major Gas Main Replacement Works Latest

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the Parish Council has heard nothing further regarding these works which had previously been due to start on 10th November.  If information is received regarding the start date of the gas main replacement works taking place on Bedford Road towards the roundabout and down along Cotton End Road as far as Ivy Lane, this will be communicated across various local platforms by the Parish Council.

Village Improvements What Would You Like To See.....?

As usual at this time of the year, the Parish Council start to turn its attention to the budget planning for the next financial year, which then informs the setting of the precept which is collected through the Borough Council council tax payments made by residents.  

A lot of time is taken with carefully considering how best to manage the Parish Council finances, to ensure best value as well as developing local services and facilities for the benefit of Wilstead residents.

If you have any thoughts on what could be improved in the village, what you might to see more of, or less of, or maybe you have some new ideas that you feel the Parish Council should consider.  Please do get in touch with the Parish Clerk (office@wilsteadparishcouncil.org) or any Parish Councillor to feedback your thoughts and ideas, all are very welcome.

A reminder your current Parish Councillors are Mark Brooks, Marc Frost, Richard Draycott, Karen Hollands, Russell Adams, Chris Carberry, Nikki Williams and Eric Benton.  Contact can be made via email, for example for Mark Brooks, use MarkBrook@wilsteadparishcouncil.org.

All Councillor emails follow this format pattern

Change In Parish Office Opening Hours

Please kindly note that with immediate effect the Parish Office will be open on a Wednesday from 9am to 12 midday.   The Parish Office is at the rear of the Village Hall, it is worth ringing in advance to ensure it is open.

Contacting The Parish Council

The best way to contact the Parish Council is to email Lizzie (the Parish Clerk) at office@wilsteadparishcouncil.org.

Alternatively, you can call 01234 743152 or write to PO Box 1548, Bedford, MK44 5AX.

It is always more interesting to attend a Parish Council meeting in person to see what goes on and understand the range of items covered in trying to move improvements for the Wilstead community forwards.

Dates and the agenda are advertised on the village noticeboards, with meetings usually on a Monday starting at 7pm in the small hall at Wilstead Village Hall. (Head to the left-hand side of the main hall building and you will see the door open which is where the Parish Council will be).  Everyone is most welcome to join us, with the next meeting scheduled for Monday 5th January.

Also please remember to view regular updates published on local matters through the Wilstead Parish Council website, do visit www.wilsteadparishcouncil.org to see the latest news and helpful information.

Wilstead & Wixams

Community Art Club

We wish all our readers and members a very happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

If you're interested in art and would love to try out your talent, why not join us? Your first session is free and, if you decide to continue and become a member, it will be £3 a session when you're able to come.

We meet in the Village Hall on Mondays from 2pm-4pm. We don't meet on Bank Holidays. Our last meeting of the year will be on Monday 15th December and we will commence again on Monday 5th January 2026.

Our group has members of all abilities, using a variety of mediums. You might like sketching in pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, or painting by numbers. You can also paint in watercolour, acrylic or even oil. Meeting in the large hall makes it a safe space to work in and we are well spaced out. May I remind members and new people that we do have a small variety of art resources for your use so, if there is anything you haven't got or would like to experiment with, we may be able to help. If you need it, several of our members will help and encourage you in whatever your artistic endeavours happen to be.

Enquiries: Michael Bradley: Mobile 07526 939164.

Email: revmichael14@outlook.com

Seasons Greetings from the Wilstead Garden Club

The Garden Club members started their Christmas journey at their meeting in November. The session started with a seasonal drink of warm mulled wine and this was followed later with tea and coffee and warmed mince pies.

In between refreshments and conversation, a difficult achievement with this friendly, social group, we enjoyed a demonstration from Dot to make a Christmas table decoration with candles, foliage, flowers, pine cones, teasels, sparkly bits and anything else we could find before having a go ourselves. At the end of the creating an impressive display of unique decorations took up the width of the stage.

Our December meeting is our Christmas meal and will probably have taken place by the time you are reading this. At the meal, as well as a fun quiz, we asked members to contribute to ideas for the future of the Garden Club. So we are hoping for some different activities in the near future. In January we are holding a meeting to both talk about the gardening issues of 2025 and plan our activities for 2026.

Meanwhile we wish you all a merry and peaceful Christmas and for a happy New Year enjoying our gardens.

Wilstead Garden Club Committee

News from the Pews

In November, our “Ready to Share” discovery group met in Hebrews Café to explore the theme, “Our Challenges”. We talked about and listened to thoughts on the kinds of things that can hold us back when people ask us why we attend church or what we, as Christians, believe. The session was very well attended and we shared really interesting thoughts and how we can overcome them. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, 9th December at 2pm and we will try out some of our ideas.  Doors open at 1.45 for a hot drink. This will be our final session on the theme of sharing our faith. Look out for next year's theme in our church news.

As I write, we are well into preparations for our Christmas Tree Extravaganza. It will kickstart our Advent and Christmas season and we hope every visitor has a wonderful time.

We will also have welcomed the beginning of Advent with our family Advent Carol Service.

Everyone is welcome to the Advent and Christmas services in the five churches. The Quiet Christmas at Elstow Abbey is a peaceful and reflective way to join in the celebration for anyone who finds the Christmas period difficult. It is at 7.30pm on Thursday, 4th December. All details will appear on All Saints Wilstead Facebook page.

The Team offers Home Visits, Home Communions and advice about Baptism, Confirmation and Wedding and Funeral arrangements. Please contact us at the numbers and email below.

All that remains for me is to wish you all a very peaceful and blessed Advent and Christmastide.

Helen Harbron-Applegarth

Lay Minister

Elstow Team Ministry

01234 261477 vicar@elstow-abbey.org.uk

Sue Ryder Christmas Treecycling

Bedfordshire and Borders

National healthcare charity Sue Ryder is inviting residents to participate in their Christmas Treecycling Scheme to help raise much-needed money for families in need of palliative and bereavement care. 

With an optional donation to Sue Ryder, a team of friendly, reliable volunteers will collect your real Christmas tree directly from your front door, garden, or driveway and recycle them. 

As part of Christmas Treecycling, residents in and around Bedfordshire in MK40, MK41, MK42, MK43, MK44, MK45, PE19, SG15,SG16, SG17,SG18 and SG19 postcodes can have their trees collected between 8th – 16th January 2026. 

Your real Christmas tree will be recycled into compost or wood chippings which will be used in local parks and woodlands or to generate green energy.

To learn more about this eco-friendly fundraising initiative in and around Bedfordshire, and to reserve a collection by midnight on 4th January 2026, visit www.sueryder.org/treebedfordshire.

Registrations to reserve your tree collection open on 1st November. 

Contact the fundraising team at Sue Ryder St John's Hospice with any queries on 01767 642412 or email: stjohns.events@sueryder.org.