VILLAGE NEWS
ALAN DUNKLEY
Village residents will be sad to learn of the death of Alan Dunkley during the night of 14-15 February. Alan moved to the village as a small child and lived in the same house in the village for the rest of his life. His mother (nee Tebbutt) was born in the village. So we have lost a real 'Farndonian'. He is in the dark jumper in the photo below, helping at the 2011 Village Fete.
POPPY APPEAL
Thanks from the Hook family to all who contributed to the appeal, which raised £133.24.
VILLAGE CHARITY
Everyone should realise that the village's United Charities are there for the benefit of village residents. Don't be put off by the word 'charity'! Grants are available for school leavers for help in the purchase of books, equipment and computers for work or further study. Also for those still at school grants can be given for educational trips, uniforms and purchase of computers. Contact the clerk to the trustees, Sonya Fraser. The four trustees are currently Cameron Fraser (chairman), Shirley Biggin, Nigel Haynes and Adrian Hill.
FUND RAISING
The fete and fete supper raised a total of £1846.02. An excellent result. But next year, please can we have some new, younger, helpers? Also new ideas for stalls, games or anything else would be most welcome. Contact any of the following with offers of help or ideas: David and Liz Thake, Richard Green, Sonya Fraser, Pat and David Evans, Charles and Elizabeth Marriott. Also Ben Williams, who was East Farndon's lone entrant, completed a cycle ride in aid of the Historic Churches Trust and raised £100. Well done Ben!
CALENDAR 2012
Thanks to all those who bought a copy of the Farndon 2012 calendar. Sales have raised £205 for the Amenity Fund..
NEWS FROM OUR M.E.P.
Bill Newton Dunn is our MEP and he wants to keep us informed about what he and the E.U. are up to. Read his latest Bulletin from Brussels here. Bill's Bulletin from Brussels.pdf
SHARON'S EFFORTS
You may have seen in the Harborough Mail about Sharon Jervis and her ambitious efforts to raise money for a school in Ethiopia. This is in addition to her similar project in Gambia. If anyone wants to give donations to help, contact Sharon for details. She needs plenty!
VILLAHE HALL TRUSTEES
Three trustees have stepped down this year - Marjorie Houlston, who has served for 26 years, as well as Cheryl and Brent Knox-Holmes. Thanks to them for their work over the years.
THE LAND NEXT TO THE CHURCH
The land next to the church is now owned by the village, through a charitable trust. This was mainly thanks to David Thake. The money to repay loans for the purchase have now been repaid, thanks to many fund-raising activities throughout the village. Many improvements have been made, particularly by Robert Gowling, to whom everyone is grateful. Recently the erction of fencing was completed.
The purposes behind buying the land are 1) to provide off-road parking; 2) to provide an amenity for the village, with seating,etc.; 3) to open the view of the church from the village, as it has been for many years hidden by a screen of vegetation.
To help the long-term appearance of this new piece of village land, if you are willing to donate shrubs, trees or perennials which could be planted there, it would be much appreciated. Contact Charles Marriott to make arrangements. For fund-raising ideas, contact Judy Weeks.
The land is administered as a charity with three trustees - the Rector and the two churchwardens.
Would it be an idea if this piece of village land had a name?
PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
Council Members. Who are they? Richard Green (chairman), Ivor Langley, John Hyde, Sharon Jervis, Pat Evans, Russell Burton, Richard West. The clerk is Rosie Warne.
Affordable Housing. Nothing happening on this front, it seems.
Roads. A resurfacing of the Marston Road has been promised. Let's hope.
Neighbourhood Watch. Dick Wright has resigned from this position. It looked as if we might have a successor in the village but this does not seem to have happened. So we need a volunteer. Who will step forward?
Litter Warden. The Parish Council would like to appoint a Litter Warden to patrol the village twice a week, collect rubbish and report fly-tipping. Any volunteers? The position carries an honorarium (token payment) of £100. That's almost a pound for each patrol. Can you resist? Contact Richard Green if you are tempted. Would suit dog-walker.
Dog Bin. The cost of providing dog waste bins is currently under investigation. How many do you think we should have and where should they be set up?
Muddy Bend. The saga of the muddy bend in The Lealand has reached a conclusion, we hope, after many years of effort. A hard surface has been put down, but one which will allow grass to cover it. Now we wait till a wet autumn to see whether it has finally put a stop to trails of mud up the road.
Hedges. If your hedge borders a public footpath, please see that it's cut and doesn't impede pedestrians.
Footpath to Harborough. Yes, it's in terrible condition but frequent complaints to the County Council have met with no success.
Speeding. A request has been made for traffic monitoring so that figures are available before any residents move into the new Farndon Road development. A further survey after houses are occupied will show the effect on the village. A leaflet drop at the development is being considered, asking residents to respect the speed limit through the village.