Results from SID

SID (the Speed Indicating Device) was set up on Natland road on 29 May and was busy collecting data for just over two weeks. At Natland it was set to record speeds within a couple of car lengths of the 30mph limit signs, registering both those approaching and leaving the village. That close to the signs, one would expect law abiding drivers to be doing very close to 30mph or less. SID stores the raw data as time, direction and speed and certainly some will be relieved to know that it doesn’t record registration numbers! In the first week there were some problems with atrocious weather which SID didn’t like and at times was apparently being triggered by tree branches being thrashed around by the wind. But discounting those spurious records here are some interesting results:

• On weekdays the number of cars per day was surprisingly consistent between 1066 and 1205 averaging 1152. There are fewer cars at a weekend with Saturdays around 20%, and Sundays around 40% less. The higher numbers during the week are reflected in morning and evening commuting times and also a peak at around 3.30 presumably relating to the ‘school run’ with some busy parents regularly in way too much of a hurry!
• The average speed both in and out was surprisingly close at about 32 mph (excluding cyclists)
• However these averages hide a lot of transgressors with 26% of cars exceeding 35mph and 3% even exceeding 45mph on a regular basis. Apart from being illegal, this is both hazardous and discourteous to residents in the adjoining houses.
• There is a greater tendency to speed on leaving the village, especially at night time with several instances of well over 60mph at the 30mph village boundary.

SID also recorded a lot of cyclists. Although the numbers are more variable than for cars, presumably being more weather dependant, between 162 and 319 (average 230) cyclists use this road daily. This will certainly be an under estimate as SID cannot distinguish a close group of cyclists from a single person. But the numbers may also be picking up joggers as it records from 4mph upwards.

SID then went to spend a week outside the K Shoes’ depot site. Despite being positioned well within the 30mph limit, the average speed of cars over the full week was 34mph, with 18% of all drivers choosing to exceed 45mph.

Guy Weller, June 2015

Coffee Morning in the Church in aid of Renal Patients Support Group

The Northern Academy In Natland

Natland was once a hotbed of nonconformity. This was in 1660, after the Puritans and after the monarchy was reformed. Find out more by clicking on the link to this pamphlet by Laura Oldham.

New kissing gates on canal path

Keen walkers will no doubt have noticed two splendid new kissing gates on the canal path, just north of Natland Hall Bridge, replacing the two damaged stiles.  A job well done by CCC's Countryside Access team, and much appreciated!

Rhian Peters
NPC Footpaths Officer

St. Mark's School's Year 4's Woodland Adventure.

In May of this year, Year 4s from St Mark’s were taken to Low Park woods for an overnight sleep out. The trip was designed to offer the children a challenging experience in a brand new learning environment and to help them understand more about Stone Age life. Interestingly, the trip also allowed the children lots of opportunity to experience the Christian Values that the school is trying to embed.
Our journey began with a walk to the woods through farmland and along the river. Thankfully, the sun was shining and all the children were in good spirits. On arrival at camp, the children were introduced to Ro and Debs from Wood Matters, a local organisation offering Bush craft experiences for school groups, youth groups and families. Having explored the woods and settled into their new environment, the children set about working together to make fire. Each group was given a flint and steel and cotton wool tinder and instructed on how to use them safely. The task required real endurance and some children began to get disheartened very quickly when their cotton wool did not instantly ignite! However, they persevered and each group was able to contribute a flame to the camp fire which burned for the entirety of their stay in the woods.
The children again had to work together to build shelters to sleep in.  After only minimal instruction, it was a tricky undertaking but the children got stuck in. They quickly became frustrated as they each had their own ideas and were keen to put them into practice. Initially, strong characters led the way but after a few bumped heads and a bit of falling out the children began to realise the importance of communication. They stopped and formulated a plan, listening to each other’s ideas and reaching a compromise. In the end, both the boys and the girls built successful shelters and kept their fingers crossed that it wouldn’t rain during the night!
The children had done research into camp fire cooking and had decided on their own menu, with groups of children having responsibility for particular meals. The children prepared and cooked all the food, serving the other members of their class and taking charge of all the cleaning up afterwards. The sausages were a triumph and the pancakes were a challenge but the children particularly enjoyed toasting marshmallows to make smores.
During our two days in the woods, the children undertook a whole range of activities including carving with wood, using natural dyes to make art and learning about the woodland as a habitat. It was a very special and valuable experience for all the children and as well as the practical skills they developed, they also learnt a lot about themselves and each other.
Hazel Sutton 
Year 4 Teacher

The Ibbs are back!

Natlanders who remember Stuart and Jacqueline from around twenty years ago when they lived in Wandales Lane will be pleased to hear that they are retiring here. They will be moving into the Old Joiners Workshop near the school. Welcome back!

Parish Council meeting next Monday

The agenda for next week’s meeting of the Parish Council (on Monday 29 June) has now been published and can be read or downloaded here, along with copies of the papers circulated in advance of the meeting. Among other things, we will be discussing feedback from attendees about the Annual Parish Meeting in May and the proposed new 50mph speed limit between Natland and Endmoor. If you wish your views to be heard, you can contact a parish councillor or attend the meeting and speak in the public participation section of the agenda.

Keeping safe in a power cut

The summer meeting of the South Westmorland Local Area Partnership (a body made up of representatives from 20 parish councils in our area) heard an excellent presentation about the Priority Service Register, by Nicola Collinson, the Vulnerable Customer Manager at Electricity North West.

Hundreds of thousands of people on this register in the North West alone are contacted when a disruption to the electricity supply is planned, and as soon as an accidental power cut is reported, and offered support, supplies and advice as needed for as long as is needed. They are also given a welfare pack (containing things such as a flask, blanket, torch and analogue telephone) to help them prepare.

If you or anyone you know is dependent on an electrical device, or medication that they could not replenish in case of a power cut, or immobile or in any way worried about how they would cope in a power cut, they should be on the register. You can apply by post, by email, online or on the phone and full details of the Priority Service Register are available here.

A Good Time had by All at the Church Summer Fete

The choir from St Mark’s School sang to an appreciative audience. 

A big thank you to everyone who came along; around £2,100 was raised for church funds.

Music for a Summer Evening

The next Pro Nobis Concert will be on at 7.30pm on Saturday 20 June in St Mark’s Church and is entitled Music for a Summer Evening – comprising a wide range of short pieces. Full information can be read or downloaded here.

Natland and Oxenholme Preschool Nearly New Sale.

On Saturday 20th June the Preschool are holding an 

Adults, children's and babies

Nearly New Sale

in the Village Hall, Natland,

at the Village Hall, Natland. 1.30 - 3.00 pm.
For more information or to book your selling code contact Chrissie on 07809281220 or email: crissi1020@aol.com. 20% of sale price will go to preschool funds on sold items only.

Registered charity no. 1035967

Anyone seen SID?

No you can not buy gas shares from this SID but you will find SID lurking half way up a lamppost somewhere in the village logging all those drivers who transgress and drive at faster than 30 mph. If you spot SID please feel free to send in a photo or else your suggestion as to what SID might stand for. SID will be staying with us for a couple of weeks and when its work is done we will be able to publicise its findings! Watch out all you speedsters!

Collin

All Annual Parish Meetings reports now up

All the reports given at this year’s APM are now available to read or download here (except for the presentation by the school which could hardly be captured without the contributions of all the schoolchildren in any case!). They make you proud to be a Natlander!

Church Magazine for June available now.

Click here for the Church magazine for June, with details of Church services and all the many other activities that are happening. One of the church boilers has completely broken down and the other one is only limping along. They both need replacing and this is going to cost £14,700. On top of the £10,000 the church had to pay out last year to repair its drains, this means that the reserve fund is running rather low. If you would like to contribute to the boiler fund go to pages 13 and 14 of the Parish Magazine or click on the mydonate web site and search for Natland or St. Mark's Church.

A History of St. Mark's Church now available

Laura Oldham, lay reader at the church, researched and wrote this history. She found records from Sizergh of the deeds of the of the first church which state that it was built in 1246, and a tithe barn built at the same time, probably where the Tithe Barn is now. Click on The Church on Natland Green for more.

Weather Last Month

                                                                  2015                                            2014
Temperature at 8 am                                  8.5c                                             9.6c
Average minimum temp.                            6.8c                                             8.2c
Average maximum temp.                          12.5c                                           13.3c
                                                             mm    in                                        mm    in
Rainfall                                               164.5   6.6                                      83     3.3

A rainy day in May

By far the wettest May we have had in the eleven years I have kept records! The average is 92.5mm, 3.7 ins. It was also cooler than usual with very strong winds, more like Autumn than Spring.

It all seems to be due to the Jet Stream being over us rather than to the North of the British Isles. It is expected to move later this week so let's hope June is a better month.  
John Dobson.

Progress on two long-standing issues at the May PC meeting

At the May Parish Council meeting two issues which will be very familiar to anyone who has followed our work over the past year(s) took a step forward. The Parish Council has been highlighting the regular flooding over the railway bridge for a long time and has, at last, had a constructive reply (and an apology) from Network Rail suggesting that action may be taken at some point in the (distant) future. And also Cllr Brenda Gray was able to report that she has persuaded the Highways department to conduct a study of the potential feasibility of the footway/cycleway on Natland Road. Again action will surely be a long way off, but the first step must be to know how much the work will cost before we can work out who could fund it and how. Well done, all! The full minutes can now be read and downloaded here.