Humbled

Definition of humble

1: not proud or haughty; not arrogant or assertive
2: reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission
3: a: ranking low in a hierarchy of scale: insignificant, unpretentious
    b: not costly or luxurious

Source: Merriam-Webster dictionary

As I continue to catalogue the mass of information that long-term resident Sheila Redshaw has collected over the years, I cannot fail to be amazed by the rich heritage of our village.

It is clear the Nocton Estate was a common denominator that bonded the community together... the hub around which the wheel turned.  For example, the old Quarterly Magazines from Smiths Potato Crisps tell the story of how this company fostered a close bond between its business, the people who worked for it, and the community in which it existed.

Many generations have lived... and continue to live in and around Nocton. The same family names surface year after year. Many hark back to the days of working on the Nocton Estate... and I can see how this must have been a very close community in those days past. People working alongside each other during the working day and then socialising with each other in the small amount of free time they had left.

Unfortunately, this close community spirit began to be challenged as big investment companies bought out the Estate. This was the time when the relationship with the local community began to diminish, as the Estate workforce was reduced to a bare minimum. Yet despite this, people have endeavoured and worked extremely hard to keep the vibrant community spirit alive.

I have been humbled by the number of years some people in this community have dedicated to serving their village. It will be very difficult, well nigh impossible for any of the new residents to match this outstanding record. Some of these people are still around today so I won't embarrass them with a specific mention, but just as an example, there was the first woman to serve on the Parish Council... and did so for over 30 years... and a shepherd who organised Nocton Sheep Dog Trials for over 20 years, raising badly needed funds for the village.  Now that is what you call service to the community!

Nocton is now different. It is no longer an Estate village and has become a commuter belt location for Lincoln/Sleaford and beyond. People don't necessarily work, or even spend their leisure time in the locality. No longer do we know every family in the village, nor all the news and gossip. People don't necessarily socialise with each other either, having many friends wide and far. So things change and we all need to adapt to this.

What is invigorating, is that the community spirit that was once so strong in Nocton, continues to fight through today. It is a legacy that has been left for this village and one that we must try and maintain for years to come.

The Nocton 'Doodle'

Good communication will become fundamentally important to this village, as the populous becomes more diverse. There is a great deal going on and we need to keep people informed, so if they so choose, they can get involved or support the local activities. To this end, I am pleased to welcome Chris Hewitt's new magazine, The Nocton Doodle - you can read it here.

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