SOMEONE suggested this village was named after an ancient Saxon called Terry! More probable though, is the Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names' suggestion that it is derived from Tiefrung, meaning 'a picture'.

Terrington, situated on the Howardian Hills, is certainly one of Ryedale's more picturesque villages. It is also one of a dwindling number of villages that still has the luxury of its own shop and post office.

Ian Hughes, together with his wife, Kate, took over this business 12 years ago.

He said: "We came here partly because we wanted our children brought up in the countryside. It's a better way of life. We get a lot of support from the villagers and so long as that continues we'll stay. We try to stock as much genuine Yorkshire stuff as we can, bacon, black pudding, that sort of thing."

Ian and Kate also have an internet cafe behind the shop. "We got a grant through Yorkshire Forward and the computers are very popular. We should have broadband by Easter. One day it was like the United Nations in here. Within an hour, we had people of six different nationalities using the computers."

Elaine Taylor runs the cafe for Ian. She is a lady with a wide variety of hats. She laughed: "This particular one is called a beanie, and it means that while I'm here, I'm chief cook and bottle washer! These kind of hats are quite popular now in the catering business."

Elaine is also one of the original members of the village choir, which now has 26 members from both within the village and farther afield.

She said: "I've always loved singing even as a child. We give performances in the village hall, usually for charities such as the Children's Society, York Against Cancer, the Macmillan Nurses. We've also raised money for Malton Hospital.

"This year, we are planning to have a concert in the church to raise funds for the tower appeal."

The choir will be staging a free concert at All Saints' Church on Saturday, December 20 - with the fundraising part coming from a shepherd's pie supper being served up at the prep school afterwards for £5. The concert will be a Christmas celebration with a mix of music and readings and will help towards the £40,000 appeal target.

Anyone wanting more information about the event - or wanting to join the ever-expanding choir - can contact choir secretary Ian Hardie on (01653) 648541.

Another hat Elaine wears is as committee member of the illustrious Terrington Arts - "We sometimes call ourselves The Tarts just for a laugh."

This group was formed six years ago and since then has gone from strength to strength. Briefly, the aims of the group are to bring (to the village and surrounding area) a better understanding and appreciation of art, craft, music and drama. Elaine has been involved with this from its beginning. "A thriving section of it is our textile and craft group. This was responsible for producing the millennium banners in the village hall."

These superb banners depict village life for each month of the year. In addition to being on the PCC and being booking secretary for the village hall, Elaine also finds time to be a governor of the village primary school.

"I used to be the cook there and a teaching assistant. I still go in one day a week to help in the classroom. It's a very successful and well-run school."

In fact, the school is not only very successful, it is also very popular. Built in 1890, it recently held a reunion which attracted 92 ex-pupils from the length and breadth of the country.

Another successful seat of learning in the village is Terrington Hall Preparatory School. This is housed in the building which was once described as the largest rectory in Yorkshire.

Next door to it is the grade one listed All Saints' Church. The oldest parts date from Saxon times, but several later additions include the impressive tower built in the 15th century. There is a plaque in the church in memory of Peter Clementson, one of the prep school's longest-serving headmasters.

71-year-old Marcia Wigham remembers the prep school from her youth.

She explained: "I came to live in the village when I was six years old. My father got the job of head gardener at the prep school, then later on I worked in the laundry there."

Marcia is a member of the Terrington Players, which comes under the umbrella of Terrington Arts. She said: "There is a good age range in the group and we are planning to put on a play in the spring. In the last one we did, I played the madam of a brothel in a comedy. We don't like anything too serious."

Marcia is a keen gardener and also an aspiring writer. She is a voluntary worker with the Ryedale Leisure Club and writes the Christmas pantomime for them. She also enjoys writing poetry and some of her work has been published in this paper.

She said: "I started off by writing funny poems for the schoolchildren when I worked in the laundry."

Terrington is well-known as a village where there is plenty going on. It even has its own wine society, run by retired research scientist Ken Wildey. Ken said: "It began when I was asked for ideas on ways to support the village hall. We have about 90 members now - people who believe there is life after Liebfraumilch!"

Ken has run a successful wine society before in Devon. He has also entered wine tasting competitions and once reached the final in the Daily Telegraph's Wine Taster Of The Year.

"We had to identify not only the grapes but also where they came from and the year. It's surprising, though, how quickly you can learn. Now, almost without exception in blind tasting, most members of the group can distinguish between expensive and cheaper wines.

"However, it is often the cheaper ones which prove most popular. At one of our first meetings, we got a bit over enthusiastic with the tasting and by lunchtime next day the village shop had sold out of hangover remedies!"

While sleuthing round the village with notebook and trusty camera, I was almost literally bumped into by Bob Barker.

"Now then, Miss. I bet you don't often see nobody nearly 90 riding uphill on a bike."

After assuring him it was not a sight I was all that familiar with, he went on:

"I used to be a farmer at top of t'ill. Beautiful view over t'plain.

"On a clear day you can see t'Minster. Me grandson has farm now."

Bob got off his bike to tell me all about his life and the village.

"Sport," he said: "I've always been keen on sport. Played cricket and tennis in me youth, now I watch it on the telly. But I ride me bike down the street every day. Good exercise, y'know."

Bob has lived here since 1935 and on fine days likes to sit outside his house.

"It's a bit cold now, but in summer I like to sit and watch t'world go by. It's a good village," he said. "Aye, a very good village."

Updated: 11:41 Wednesday, November 26, 2003