Women's Institute - report of last meeting

Vice- President, Kirsten Cannon welcomed 27 members to the June meeting of Natland and Oxenholme W.I.  She read a short letter from our Link-Institute delegate to the A.G.M. In Liverpool, and then a supplement account submitted by Marion Thornton, who had been a Steward at the event, who described a very busy and interesting meeting, which had raised a lot of debate and concern over the 'Mega Farms' resolution, resulting in no vote being taken.  The speaker for the N.F.U.urged that  W.I. Members work with them on this issue, based on facts, not myths and misconceptions.

Several members signed up for a variety of forthcoming events. Pat Tetlow was congratulated for her photograph of the 'Canal at Crooklands' published in the County Federation 2012 Calendar.

Guest speaker Malcolm Pilling had his audience enthralled by his confessions, from a strict and lengthy apprenticeship as a Plumber, through his years in the trade, the people he met (and invariably helped) along the way, and situations he found himself in, told with his wonderful sense of humor.

The competition for a D.I.Y. Tip was won by Joan Ratcliffe, who thought it better to call in a  'Handyman'. The evening ended with 'an unusual view of objects' Picture Quiz.

Next  Meeting is July 20th  Speaker Marilyn Hale  'Encaustic Art'. Visitors always welcome to join us.                                                                                                Margaret Lancaster (Secretary)

Steam Train Coming Through

On Saturday, 25th June, northbound through Oxenholme at 11.42, the 46115 Scots Guardsman.

Nepal School Trek at The Punch Bowl

Local residents Dave and Liz Ball have arranged to give a talk on their trek to Nepal on Wednesday 22 June 7.30pm at the Punch Bowl Barrows Green. 

Everest Region of Nepal

The school they visited at Khiraule in the Everest Region of Nepal has received generous local support.  The nearest road and Airport is 4-days trek away; come along and hear their fascinating story and support the village children.

Trace My Family - Help Found

The Natland News posting on 9th June included a request from Eileen Welch from Donegal.  Eileen was trying to trace her family.  A rapid response came from Natlander - Steve Sharpe:

Steve Sharpe at Village Fete 1954

I read your message to Natland News this morning with some interest. I can vaguely recall your family living on the Green here from when I was VERY young, and in particular recall the sad loss of your relation. I can always remember my Mum & Dad showing me his grave in St Marks Church, and remember how sad it must have been being so young.

With that in mind I went down this morning and took a picture of the stone, I hope you don't mind, and a couple of shots of the house on the Green. Perhaps the dates etc will assist you in your search..??

As I said, I was very young being born in 1951, but my elder sister Geraldine Watson (nee Sharpe) might be able to remember more about your family, so I have copied her husband Raymond into this mail.

I grew up in Natland and was a choir boy in the church from the age of 5 to about 14 I think..?? So I have many happy memories of growing up here. We moved back to the village last year, and are enjoying our (partial) retirement .

Another lady who may also have more information about your family is called Dora Bianchi who lived next door to me on Park Close in the village..?? I know she is a contributor to the Natland site, so if this reply is acknowledged by our editors, they may have a contact E mail address for her.

Hope this helps a little, good luck with your search.

Rowan Gardens Drainage

Natland Parish Council Clerk - Kevin Price has informed Natland News of a new planning application is to be considered by SLDC for drainage at The Old Nurseries (to be Rowan Gardens). Follow the Link  SL/2011/0447

Parish Council Agenda

The Next Meeting of Natland Parish Council will be held in the Village Hall at 7.30pm on Monday 27th June 2011 at 7.30pm.  Follow the link to THE AGENDA

Church Fete Pictures

 Here are some pictures from Pat Tetlow  and Elspeth Jayne of a memorable day in June when the sun actually shone.

Barbara Nelson and Anne Bagnall selling assorted Gallimaufry

And the Lune Valley Jazz Band played on.

Jean Dobson trying to sell White Elephants

Christian Aid Week in Natland and Oxenholme

copyright Christian Aid/Tom Pilston

The house-to-house collection raised £1,442 this year; a very creditable amount bearing in mind the adverse economic climate.  A further £182.37 will be claimed from the tax man under the Gift Aid scheme. Thank you to everyone who gave so generously.
And thank you too from the people of Soppexcca, a project in Nicaragua typical of the sort of project supported by Christian Aid. Here the people have managed to establish their own schools and medical centres by selling their coffee at a fair price via cooperatives developed by Christian Aid.
Elspeth Jayne. Christian Aid representative, St. Mark's Church.

St. Mark's Church Magazine for June

Now available from the back of church, price 60p. It's a busy month for churchgoers, with the fete comng up, followed by the celebration of Pentecost and Songs of Praise on Sunday 12th June. There is a coach trip to Chester Cathedral on Wednesday 29th June, an invitation to attend Anne Russell's ordination on the 3rd July, and loads of activities for the Youth Group.

Help Me Trace My Family

Eileen Welch from Donegal has contacted Natland News to help with her family history:

I am wondering if you could help me, my name is Eileen Welch, and I am trying to trace my family's history. My fathers name was Gerry Welch and he grew up in Green Tree House, his fathers name was Richard but better known as Dickie, and his parents were Jane & Frank. My grandfather Dickie, also had siblings Jane and  Johnny, I was told that Johnny died sadly very young by drowning. I would like to find out a bit more about him too as I only have one photo of him and absolutely no idea of dates.

My father passed on 14 years ago, leaving me as the only Welch left so I am very eager to find out a little bit about his childhood. Things like where he went to school, where my greatgrand parents are likely to be buried, dates of births, deaths,maiden names etc... As I am the only Welch left, I'm finding it very difficult to obtain any information on them as there is no-one else to ask. Any information you could give me would be very much appreciated.

Sincerely Eileen Welch.

You can contact Eileen by email weenelly21@hotmail.com or by snail mail:

Dunree, Buncrana, Co.Donegal, Ireland.

WI Report - Next Meeting 'Confessions of a Plumber'.

At the May meeting of Natland & Oxenholme W.I. , President Marion Thornton welcomed members, & special guest, County Federation Adviser, Mrs Doris Aldworth.

Doris outlined details of the two resolutions nominated for the National A.G.M. in Liverpool next month concerning the Closure of local Libraries, and the proposed building of 'Mega' Farms for cattle & pigs. A lively discussion on both emotive proposals ensued, the final votes going in favour of the motions, but some abstentions were noted for the farming issue.

A supper was provided by the Committee with 'taster 'samples from the 'Tray bake' competition, which was won by Pat Tetlow.

The evening ended on a lighter note with members enjoying a Beetle Drive!

Next meeting is on 15th June. The speaker Malcolm Pilling, talk entitled - 'Confessions of a Plumber'.

Visitors welcome.

Parish Council Minutes

To see the minutes of the  Natland Parish Council May meeting Click on Minutes

Church Fete on Saturday, 2-4pm.

The mounds of books, toys, gallimaufry and white elephants are growing to unstable heights. The plants are bursting out of their pots. The sweet smell of baking cakes is wafting through the village, and prizes for the raffle, children's games and the tombola are become ever more tempting.

As the dulcet strains of the Lune Valley Vintage Jazz Band drift on the wind on Saturday, do please come down and enjoy the music in the verdant Vicarage Garden,  bring the family for games on the Village Green, spend money on the wide variety of tempting goods on offer and enjoy well earned refreshments in the Village Hall. If it's wet, then everything will be in the Village Hall.

Then, on Sunday, celebrations will continue as the Kendal Concert band will lead the music of the Summer Songs of Praise at 4pm on the Village Green.

Plant Sale Result

The total proceeds for plant sales is now £461 and Collin Mansfield would like to express thanks to all those who contributed plants, helped to sell or bought them.

For those who missed out the plant stall, the fete will have a good stock of bedding plants, pansies, petunias, asters, busy lizzy, nasturtiums etc as well as perennials including a wide range of hostas. We will have box trees, herbs and vegetable plants. In fact everything to make your garden beautiful at prices well below those of the garden centres. ( Hayes were selling one potato growing in a 12 inch pot at £4.99 last week!!)

More good quality plants for sale would be welcomed at the vicarage garden on the day of the fete or on Friday.

Health and Safety lesson for St. Mark's School pupils.

Scott Ellis with with pupils Finlay Dalziel (left) and Anya Hudson

PUPILS at a South Lakeland school have received a lesson in health and safety, telling them to stay away from building sites.

Now they are being invited to design a picture with a safety measure based on what they learned, for which prizes will be given.

The session at St Mark's Primary School in Natland was delivered by Scott Ellis, health and safety manager of Eric Wright Group.

The Preston-based group is parent company of Robert Hughes Ltd and Applethwaite, both based in Beresford Road, Bowness on Windermere, and who are jointly developing the former Holmes of Natland garden centre for housing.

The one-acre site will contain twelve family homes: six detached 4-bedroom houses, a pair of 3-bedroom semi-detached houses and a terrace of four affordable homes to buy, three with two bedrooms and one with three bedrooms.

The two-storey houses are arranged around two cul-de-sacs off Sedgwick Road.  A new footpath along the full length of the former garden centre will improve pedestrian safety.  

Mr Ellis showed a video called SPLAAT (Safe Play At All Times), which features children playing on a construction site, highlighting hazards. The forty pupils aged 10 and 11 were then asked to identify and discuss dangers.

Two volunteers, one boy and one girl, dressed up in personal protective equipment familiar on a building site: rigger boots, high visibility jacket, hard hat, goggles, mask, ear defenders and gloves.

Mr Ellis pointed out what trained builders have to wear to keep safe on a building site and contrast it with the T-shirts and shorts the children are likely to be wearing.

“The aim was to raise awareness of potential dangers to young people on a building site and dissuade them from using it as a playground,” he said.

“The competition will be judged in three weeks time,” he added.

Anyone wanting further information about the houses should contact Applethwaite on 015394 48866.

Picture courtesy of The Westmorland Gazette: Scott Ellis, health and safety manager of Eric Wright Group with pupils Finlay Dalziel (left) and Anya Hudson.

More information from Mike Glover, Lakes & Bay Communications, 015395-67628, or e-mail mikeglover@lakesandbaycomms.co.uk or head teacher Peter Barfoot 015395-60719

St. Mark's School Choir Success

The School Choir has been selected for the finals of the Lakeland Radio Choir of the Year award. The finals will be held at the Country Fest event at the Westmorland Showground on Sunday 29 May. Well done to everyone involved. If you are at the event please drop in to support the choir who will be performing in the Lakeland Radio marquee at about 12.00 mid-day. From School Newsletter no.4.

Weather Statistics for May in Natland

                                                             

                                                                                                           2011                                 2010

Temperature at 8am                                                                        10.3C                                9.8C

Rainfall                                                                                       136mm.  5.4in.                 27mm.  1.1in.

There is a drought in England according to the Met Office. Not here! May was unusually wet and windy with temperatures not much different to April.                                         John Dobson

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Neighbourhood Watch Alert

This is a NHW message from the Police informing you that the 2011-12 British Crime Survey is going to be conducted between 05/05/2011 and 30/06/2011.  The survey asks adults and children (aged 10-15) about their experiences of crime. The Home Office has contracted TNS-BMRB/Kantar Operations to carry out the survey and the interviewer will be visiting houses between 10am and 9pm. The interviewer will be called Patrick Colton and have photo identification on him. For more information please contact Jessica Bullock at Milnthorpe Police Station on 0845 33 00 247.              From Barry Evans, Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator.

Annual Parish Meeting Report

At the Annual Parish Meeting the Chair, David Peters welcomed nine parishioners and introduced County and District Councillor Brenda Gray and Sgt John Stephens. Sgt Stephens spoke of his new role as Community Sergeant for Sedbergh, Kirkby Lonsdale and Milnthorpe. He explained that there has been a restructuring of the force in the Kendal area due to financial constraints, but there has been no reduction in front-line officers. He reported that Natland has one of the lowest crime rates in South Lakeland. He advised householders to secure their fuel stores, as there has been an increase in fuel thefts in recent months. Police response times are 10 minutes in rural areas and five minutes in town.

The Parish Council Annual Report for 2010-11 had been delivered to all households in the civil parish. Despite the report being longer than usual there were no questions. The Chair thanked the Clerk, Kevin Price for his excellent work during the year.

Brenda Gray explained that an experiment to provide "community toilets" in Kendal is being undertaken; businesses will allow public use of their facilities, with a financial incentive from SLDC.

Questions were asked about Land Allocation and the Localism Bill which is at present going through Parliament. One question revealed the common misconception that the Bill would empower communities to resist new development. On the contrary, its true intention is to enable communities to allow development to go ahead, despite the opposition of local planning authorities.

Reports were presented by eight village organisations and groups.

The Chair thanked all representatives for their work and everyone for their attendance.