New Pilates Classes at Hollowell Village on Thursday Mornings     ALL WELCOME

There will be new weekly Pilates classes at Hollowell Village Hall on Thursday mornings. Exercises can be modified to suit any experience level, making the sessions ideal for total beginners and seasoned practitioners alike.

For more information or to reserve your mat space, please visit the online booking page at Bookwhen Pilates by Lola or call Lola on 07812 031780

Don’t forget to check our Events Diary for more information on events in all our villages and surrounding area.

Village Hall Lotto Winners

For July & August are:

Sarah Mourant, Crawford Craig, Jack Hunt, Nigel Todd. Paul Charter, Sheila Douglas, Martin Leach, Mike Ratterman,

Elaine Litchfield, Cheryl Charter, Mike Ratterman (again!)

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE FOR HELP

WITH  YOUR FUEL BILLS?

The Miss Jane Letts Hollowell Charity was set up in 1940 with a bequest from the estate of James William Boothe Letts. The bequest established an income to purchase coal or blankets for distribution to “poor widows and other deserving poor” of the Parish of Hollowell.

In the mid 1990s, the terms of the Charity were altered so that it could also contribute towards household electricity bills.

To benefit you must be a resident of Hollowell or Teeton. Evidence that you are in receipt of a means-tested state benefit is helpful.

Please email the Jane Letts Trustees for more information at janelettscharity@gmail.com or write, care of March Barn, Church Hill, Hollowell NN6 8RR.

From colanders to Cadiz Hollowell Chases the Eclipse

On a glorious summer’s evening, a gaggle of Hollowell residents gathered at Ravensthorpe crossroads to observe the solar eclipse of August 2026.

Armed with colanders, homemade pinhole cameras fashioned from cereal boxes and, for a lucky few, specialist solar safety glasses, they assembled to watch the Moon pass across the Sun.

There was much discussion and comparison of the best colander aperture, while the youngsters in the group rolled their eyes and wondered what the point was of staring at pinholes on a piece of cardboard when they could watch it all on TikTok later.

The whole event lasted about an hour. Although no one could claim that the sky went dark or that the birds fell silent, it was fascinating to watch the projected crescent-shaped dots becoming increasingly pronounced. Even more noticeable was the sudden drop in temperature on that otherwise parched summer evening.

Two of Hollowell’s more serious celestial gazers, mother and son Sarah and Benjamin Mourant, went one better than the rest of us, taking a ten-day cruise from Southampton to Cádiz. They witnessed the full eclipse just off the coast of La Coruña in northern Spain, which Sarah described as “totally amazing”.

They are now planning their next eclipse-watching adventure, returning to Spain for the eclipse in August 2027.

A Trio of Golden Weddings in Hollowell bring back memories  of 1976

This summer, Hollowell had the unusual and happy occasion of celebrating three Golden Weddings. All three couples vividly recalled the summer of 1976, remembering it as every bit as hot and parched as the summer of 2026.

Jan and Crawford Craig, both teachers, were married in Bath at St Thomas à Becket’s Anglican Church. Their reception was held on the balcony of the Queen’s Bath, at the site of the Roman Baths, in beautiful weather.

Jan chuckled as she recalled that their wedding photographer was particularly put out because both she and Crawford are left-handed. He struggled to work out the best angles for photographing them as they cut their wedding cake!

Phillip and Elaine Litchfield were married at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Moulton, with their reception held at the Guide Hall in Moulton. Elaine, a teacher, and Phillip, a farmer, both remember the extreme heat of that summer.

Elaine particularly remembers that all the young farmers were desperate for the photography session to be over so they could finally enjoy a cool glass of beer.

Ron and Claire Morrell were just out of university and about to embark on careers in accountancy and Human Resources.

They married at Claire’s family church of St Denys in Southampton, something of a trek for Ron’s family who travelled all the way down from Hull.

Claire couldn’t understand why Ron’s Mum looked a bit different to usual, until Ron explained that she’d put her bottom set of teeth in, especially for the occasion.  

Claire recalled that their wedding night was particularly memorable as they’d taken an overnight ferry to France for a romantic honeymoon in Paris, only for Ron to spend the whole of that night being terribly seasick.

Congratulations to all three couples for successfully navigating the choppy waters of life and reaching this wonderful 50-year milestone.

Dates for your Diary

Harvest Supper Saturday 10th October 7pm is the ever-popular Harvest Supper at the Village Hall.

This is a fun, informal evening centred around a delicious, home-cooked meal, made with village produce.

Bring your friends and neighbours (tables usually of 6) or come alone and we'll find you a table to share. We can guarantee an enjoyable evening.

Tickets £15. To confirm your seat,

 email: hollowellvillagehall@gmail.com or Tel 01604 740796.

 All welcome.

Cafe Christmas-  a Big Breakfast with tinsel, on Saturday 5th December – if anyone would like to reserve a table to sell Christmas gifts etc please email Emily: emilyinthegarden@gmail.com

Hopewell Coffee Mornings

Just to keep you on your toes, our Hopewell Coffee Mornings through to December are NOT always the fourth Friday of the month. Please make a note of the Friday dates below.

We meet in Hollowell Village Hall, 10.30am to 12.30pm. Why not come and join us for a cuppa, a piece of delicious cake and a catch up with friends?

Lifts are available for those struggling to get here. Contact Paul on 07780 265614 or email: wearehopewell@gmail.com

Dates are:

Friday 30th October

Friday 27th November

Friday 18th December