Church in the Snow - Jan 2021

Festive update on East Farndon Church fundraising for critical repairs

The Flower Festival held back in September 2025, raised a fantastic final total of £2,982.30. Thank you to everyone who helped to make this event such a success. Since the festival, we have had a visit from our now retired church architect who advised us not to proceed with repairing the plaster work in the church before attending appropriately to the external guttering and downpipes. This will include the fabrication of a projecting hopper made from lead in the corner where the vestry meets the church. Our builder is in the process of sending us a revised quotation for this work. Once this is received, we should be able to proceed fairly quickly since we have the necessary faculty (the Church equivalent of planning permission) to carry out this work.

Thank you again and may I take this opportunity to wish you Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2026.

Best wishes,

Rev. James Watson
Rector

Fish & Chips and Bingo Night – thanks for attending & see photos

A huge thank you to all who came to the Bingo evening on Friday 7th November 2025 at the Village Hall and to everyone who helped run the event. A special mention to Tom and Jess for the entertaining bingo calling and to Merv for organising the evening and the delicious fish n chips. Great fun was had by us all!! £522 was raised for Marriott Green which is run entirely by volunteers (including Richard West who has mown the grass all year 🤩 🤩)- an amazing result…….thank you, Melanie Duke on behalf of the Marriott Green Committee.

See below a few photos from the event.

Church Flower Festival – £2,982 raised – many thanks for making this a success & see photos

East Farndon Church held a Flower Festival over the weekend of 13th & 14th September 2025. It was great to see the church open for two days with many visitors from the village and beyond. The event raised a fantastic total of £2,982 and the organising team, lead by Julia Prew, would like to say thank you to everyone who attended and helped us to make this event so successful.

As always with such events, there were many people involved in the organising team, and a huge thank you to them for giving up their time and working so hard! Special thanks to Jo Shaw and Philippa Mo who played so beautifully on Saturday, Philomena of Daisy and Fox florist and all the floral workshop attendees, whose floral arrangements decorated the church so wonderfully, and Judy Hodgetts for her brilliant work writing the updated information leaflet about the church. Please click this link to see photos from this event.

In Memoriam – Greta Hill – 1933 to 2025

Greta died on 21st August 2025. Those who knew her and worked alongside her at village events must wonder if we shall ever see anyone as devoted to the village again.

Greta was born in Cottingham and on leaving school worked as a tailor in Kettering and later at Symington’s in Market Harborough. She married Keith Hill in 1953, the Hills being a numerous village family. Greta and Keith were able to move straight into their house on Harborough Road and Greta still lived there till she died 71 years later. She had three sons, who survive her, Adrian, Clive and Graham. Keith died in 2014.

It is hard to do justice to Greta’s many services to the village. She was a member of the Parochial Church Council for many years and then did sterling work for the Age Concern group, which arranged meals in the village hall for elderly residents and coach trips to places of interest, as well as visiting older residents living alone. She was a key member of many fund-raising groups – for church repairs, for the restoration of the church bells and to set up the bus shelter on the Harborough Road. The church fund-raising at one time involved Greta and Daisy Haynes going round the village in a van collecting old papers and cardboard to sell at a scrapyard. She helped organise jumble sales and discos in the village hall. She was on the church cleaning rota and embroidered kneelers in the church and the two boards of signatures of people who donated to the funds (one is now in the church and one in the village hall). She visited newcomers to the village and helped to make them feel welcome. She helped to raise money for new crockery and a cooker in the village hall.

In later years, after retiring from work at BT and then at Ward’s Electrical, she played bowls with Keith for Market Harborough Bowls Club. 



Greta symbolised the spirit of community in the village, working tirelessly to improve people’s lives here and keep village institutions going.  Her passing marks the end of an era in village life.

Tribute written by Alan Langley with Adrian, Clive and Graham Hill, September 2025

Bench Under the Beech Tree

Your help needed to report issues for footpaths in East Farndon

East Farndon is very fortunate to have various rights-of-way in the parish, which create footpaths across the surrounding countryside. Many of these footpaths run through private land, where the landowner must keep the route visible and not obstruct or endanger users.

Following some recent complaints regarding footpaths, the Parish Council has spoken to various landowners in the Parish and they would prefer that complaints are raised with them first rather than via Street Doctor, to enable them to take appropriate action as soon as possible.

Therefore, the Parish Council kindly asks that if you have any problems with a footpath, in the first instance, can you please raise any concerns with the Parish Council (either email the Clerk at clerk@eastfarndon-pc.gov.uk or contact a Parish Councillor) or, if you feel comfortable doing so, contact the landowner directly. If the landowner does not take appropriate action, the issue will then be reported on Street Doctor by the Parish Council.

Many thanks in advance for your co-operation.

Bench Under the Beech Tree

Vacancy for East Farndon Parish Councillor – are you interested?

There is currently a vacancy for a Parish Councillor, for which the Parish Council invites applications for co-option – please click this link to read a copy of the formal notice.

If anyone is interested in knowing more about the role of a Parish Councillor, please speak to any of the existing Parish Councillors or contact the Parish Clerk at clerk@eastfarndon-pc.gov.uk.

Applicants for co-option should: 

Submit an application form (a copy of the application form is attached as Appendix A – section 1 to the Co-option Procedure). Please click this link to view the Co-option Procedure. 

Confirm their eligibility for the position of Councillor by signing a copy of the eligibility criteria on the application form (Appendix A – section 2 of the Co-option Procedure). 

The closing date for applications is Midday on Wednesday, 10 September 2025. Applications will then be considered at the Parish Council meeting to be held on Wednesday, 17 September 2025.

In Memoriam – Jacqueline Dunnill, David Evans, Jonathan Hargreaves

We would like to offer our heart felt condolences and recognise the passing of three people who have died recently, all of them having strong links with East Farndon.

Jacqueline Dunnill lived at The Limes, East Farndon for several decades and passed away on July 21st 2025. Her funeral will take place at East Farndon church on Monday August 4th 2025 at 12.30pm. This will be a graveside service for family only.

David Evans lived in the Lealand, East Farndon before moving to Market Harborough in later life. He passed away peacefully at The Willows Nursing Home on July 7th 2025, aged 86 years. Please click this link to read more about David in an obituary written by Alan Langley.

Jonathan Hargreaves was the farmer at the Grange, East Farndon for many years. He died peacefully at Brampton View Care Home on July 8th 2025, aged 90 years.