January 2026
Next month’s Safari Supper has been postponed. Carole Cohen, who had been organising the event, said that while a good number of residents had signed up, it wasn’t quite enough to make it work. She plans to announce a new date in September when warmer weather and lighter evenings will hopefully encourage more people to take part.
December 2025
Village volunteer Melanie Mackney is one of the leading lights behind the launch of a new repair cafe which has opened at Grovehill Community Centre. Local residents can bring along their small electrical items, phones and laptops, bicycles even typewriters to be repaired. The shop is open on the first Saturday of every month and has already delighted residents who had their favourite tops, lamps and radios brought back to tip top condition. Two mobile phones which had problems with sound and displays were repaired and a laptop with a battery bracket rattling around inside was fixed.
November 2025
We haven’t even had Christmas yet but our busy social committee are already planning their exciting 2026 calendar of events. Top of the list is the return of our Safari Supper, where residents can meet each other in their own houses over a meal. Next year year’s supper will be held on Saturday February 7th and the organisers hope that many Piccotts End residents of all ages will take part.
November 2025
You couldn’t ask for a bigger compliment than to find yourself being played by a leading actress in a movie directed by Danny Boyle. But that’s the accolade accorded to veteran village resident Joyce Lear.
November 2025
The annual village fireworks display proved another big hit as residents gathered in the garden of Marhcmont Cottage for an evening of bangers and flash! Food in the form of hot dogs were cooked up by PERA chairman Simon Lillystoine and his wife Jane, and hot soup was handed out by Annette Harrison and her husband Paul. Harriet Twigger and her daughter Cecilia did a fantastic job collecting entrance money and selling raffle tickets.
The village Scarecrow and Harvest Festival drew a good crowd of villagers to enjoy the many autumn fruits, flowers, cakes and scarecrows on display. Showing a keen interest in the alcoholic entries, the event judge Lady Val Corbett, of No 96, pictured here with Pippa Vincent of the Mill House, picked Pippa’s creation as the winner. ‘It’s never too early to have a drink,’ said Val as she admired Pippa’s Gin & Lemon cake.
October 2025
We extend a warm welcome to the village’s newest resident, Eleanor Kirby. Eleanor moved into No 60 during the summer and has already made herself at home in our leafy countryside. ‘I was coming out here every weekend to go riding,’ said Eleanor, who used to live in Winchmore Hill and has a daughter Kitty and a son Giles. ‘Then I decided I might as well move here to save all the driving. I found this lovely house in Piccotts End and I’m very happy.’
September 2025
The village Autumn Festival has opened with effigies starting to appear in front gardens. They mark the opening of ‘scarecrow fortnight’ in which residents have been invited to create their own version of a great British tradition, The event will run until Sunday October 12th when it will be celebrated with the Harvest Festival. Bring your autumn collections – fruit, vegetables, flowers, leaves, cakes or ale – to the paddock at 62, Piccotts End for all to admire and enjoy.
August 2025
Ena Hartland, a long time resident of the Mill House In Piccotts End, had a wonderful 94th birthday tea last week with friends and neighbours from Riverbank, Pauline, Barbara, Melanie and Susanna. Lots of good memories were shared of Ena’s time living in the Mill House with her late husband Stanley. Ena now lives in St Mary’s care home near the Old Town. Many Happy Returns Ena! with very best wishes from everyone in Piccotts End.
August 2025
Village veteran Mary Wiedman is at it again! Never shy to express her forthright opinions, this time she has laid into the bedroom bores who discuss their sex lives in the pages of the tabloids. Mary, who has lived in the village for some 50 years, regularly features in the letters pages of the Daily Mail and Daily Express, on all matter of topics, from the Beckhams to Brexit. In her latest diatribe to the Daily Mail this week, she laments the empty lives of those who have nothing better to do than discuss their sex lives.