On Friday 9th January 70 Senior Citizens gathered at the Village Hall for lunch to welcome in the New Year. A few people who were unwell and unable to attend had food delivered to them. It was a relaxed, happy event and a lively buzz filled the hall getting our activities off to a great new start for 2026. The event was opened by Robin Sharp as sadly Sue Foulsham was ill and unable to attend.
Robin paid tribute to Dave Woodward who is no longer with us. Dave did so much work raising funds for our new Village Hall and David Ford, Trustee of The Wrenn Charity, paid tribute to Dave for his years of service to the charity. He also introduced Paul Selvey the new Trustee .

Our thanks go to Caspers Catering for the wonderful buffet lunch, to The Wrenn Charity trustees for sponsoring the meal and to the wonderful band of helpers who set up the hall, served tea and coffee, sold raffle tickets and cleared up after the event. Huge thanks to Christine Lambert for the beautiful floral table decorations presented to the helpers and given as raffle prizes. Grateful thanks too for the raffle prizes donated by Woolpit Nurseries, Caspers Catering, Tesco and the Woolpit Co op and very generous village residents. Following the event a grand total of £278 was donated to St Nicholas Hospice. The celebrations were skilfully brought to a close by Robin Sharp who also announced the raffle prize winners.

Sheila Beswick on behalf of the Village Hall Committee

The Pub Night at the Village Hall on Saturday 1^st June 2024 was well-attended, with a rough head-count well in excess of 50 people. The good ‘turn out’ was partly due to an earlier start from 5pm, introduced so that families with younger children might also enjoy the event before bedtime came round. The attendance was also swelled by those who particularly wanted to witness the unveiling of a bench in the garden in memory of the late Robert Irving.

Last year, very sadly Drinkstone lost a good friend and long-term resident, the person who had served as an exceptional Village Hall caretaker for almost 10 years, ever since the new Hall was opened in 2013, Robert, Irving. 

Robert’s brothers, George and John with other family and friends, were there to hand the bench into the care of the Village Hall management committee.  

Robert was well-known by most people in the village and some had known him for many of the 70 years he’d lived there. Since his passing, his absence has left a big hole in Drinkstone. 

Robert was full of life – outgoing, friendly, reliable and he would go out of his way to help people. He was very good humoured….. though maybe less so when he’d been woken up in the early hours by the fire or burglar alarm going off at the Hall! 

When people pass away, the comment often made is “they’ll be greatly missed”. As far as Robert is concerned, that comment is an understatement. But, as long as his family, friends and neighbours hold him in their memories, Robert will live on. As the plaque on the bench says, ‘Gone, but not forgotten’.

Robin Sharp, Vice-Chairman Drinkstone Village Hall

A native spring-flowering cherry with white double flowers (PRUNUS GLANDULOSA ‘ALBA PLENA’) was planted in the car park area of Drinkstone Village Hall on Tuesday morning 4^th April 2023. The tree was obtained from Woolpit Nurseries Ltd. following a decision taken by the Drinkstone Village Hall Committee to take part in the Queen’s Green Canopy scheme and to commemorate HM the Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

The tree was planted by Sue Foulsham (Chairman, Drinkstone Village Hall Committee) and Valerie Birkett (Drinkstone Village Hall Committee), assisted by Andrew Brain of Woolpit Nurseries and witnessed by villagers during ‘Tuesday Club’ at the Village Hall.

The photograph below shows [left to right]: Sue Foulsham (Chairman, Drinkstone Village Hall Committee) and Valerie Birkett (Drinkstone Village Hall Committee).

POINT OF INTEREST

To commemorate the Queen’s Coronation back in June 1953, a pair of wrought iron gates were installed at the Hall site.