PARISH PROFILE

One of the benefits of living in Wellesbourne is undoubtedly its Fish and Chip shop, or to give it its official title, the “Wellesbourne Fish Bar.” Kyriacos and Marina Constantinou are its owners and for the past twenty nine years they and various members of their family have been providing the village with superb fish and chips. And that's not just my opinion - you can find it in Egon Ronay's Best Fish and Chip Shop guide.

Both were born in Cyprus. Kyriacos came to England as a teenager, Marina when she was three. They have been married for forty five years and have five children. Costa and Androulla still serve regularly in the shop. Their eldest daughter now lives in Cyprus. They have six grandchildren: the oldest is thirteen, the youngest nine months.

Kyriacos was training to be a builder before they came to England. But since their marriage they have always worked in the fish and chip shop trade, renting shops all over England and building a good reputation before moving on to the next challenge.

One of their great joys is entertaining family and friends. They love Greek food and have a traditional clay oven in the garden - their speciality is kleptico (slow cooked lamb shanks). Gardening is Marina's favourite pastime. She also enjoys watching Elvis Presley or Doris day films, and likes classic sixties music. Kyriacos likes classic western and loves Greek music. He is also a football fan and has long been an ardent supporter of Coventry City. Kyriacos used also to be a keen domino player and played in the league in the eighties with the Football and Social club.

They see their greatest achievements, apart from the birth of their children, as having celebrated twenty five years in the village and being included in the Egon Ronay guide. Having lived and worked in many cities, moving to Wellesbourne was quite a change. But they have grown to like its quietness and community spirit, as well as its proximity to Stratford and Leamington. Indeed they like it so much, that what was intended to be no more than a five year stay has stretched out to twenty nine. We wish them many more.

NLB  

THE LAST BREAD PUDDING

A WADS production, this one act play by Nick Warburton, 'The Last Bread Pudding', is a comedy centred around the committee of an amateur drama group meeting to discuss a new play, The Last Bread Pudding', written by one of its members. The play contains some strong language, so is not suitable for young children. The production is for one night only and is a one act play plus sketches. The evening takes place on Saturday 17th May in the village hall at 7.45pm. Tickets are £6 per person (reductions for OAP's and students) and are available on the door or call me, Andy Stokes, on 01789 841939. A licensed bar will be open from 7.15pm.

TIDDLERS’ PRE-SCHOOL NEWS

The run up to Easter was a busy time for Tiddlers with two major fundraising events. The Easter Fair was a great success with lots of people, young and old, enjoying the many stalls and activities. An impressive £580 was raised and a lot of fun was had by all. A couple of days later the Curry Evening at Shahs raised £500 for the Pre-school. This proved to be a fun night with fantastic food and a great atmosphere. It was also a chance to celebrate 15 years of St Peter's Tiddlers' Pre-school, with many old friends of Tiddlers joining the celebrations. We would like to thank all of the businesses that so kindly and generously supported these two events, including the following local businesses; Avon Studios, Charlecote Flower Store, Duncan's Pet and Garden Store, Fresh 'n' Fruity, Justina, Kineton Fish & Chip Shop, Roundabout, The King's Head, One-Stop, Shah's, GWS Motors, Wellesbourne Florists, Wellesbourne Pharmacy and The Coffee Stop. With the summer term now underway, we offer a warm welcome to our new Supervisor, Sally Clarke, who has settled well into her role. The children are looking forward to learning all about Under the Sea. If you would like to find out more about St Peter's Tiddlers' Pre-school, please call Heather on 01789 840660.

SHAVE YOUR HEAD

Empty the shrapnel from your pockets. Or run a marathon. There are many ways to give to Christian Aid Week 2008 Between May 11-17 are seven days of fundraising and campaigning that make a real difference to the lives of millions of poor people in developing countries. Last year Christian Aid raised an amazing £15 million and this year they need your help to raise even more. Your valuable contribution to Christian Aid Week reaily will make a difference where the need is greatest.