Breaking News: No poo fairy in Natland!

I know this topic keeps cropping up, but I make no apologies for bringing it up again.
   
I take my daughter's dog a walk most weekdays. Everywhere I go are signs requiring us to keep our dogs on a lead and clean up after our dogs.
   
Most of the people I see with their dogs look like responsible citizens, yet the unsavoury heaps I encounter must be left by a dog with a person on the other end of the lead; and what kind of person, I wonder, takes the trouble to use a black bag and then hangs it on a tree or leaves it on the roadside? Presumably they think there must be a poo fairy, like the tooth fairy, but with a less pleasant job.
   
Carrying a little black bag full of dog poo is not my favourite task, but sorry folks, if you have a dog, you have to do it!
   
Enid Holmes

Housing Proposals to the east of Long Meadow Lane

Click here to find more details of a proposal to develop the land to the east of Longmeadow Lane by Oakmere Homes.

David Peters, Chair of Natland Parish Council, has published some advice and information about the pre-application consultation being carried out by Oakmere Homes concerning this proposal. You can read or download it here.

Inspirational bread-making at the WI

The speaker at February’s meeting of Natland & Oxenholme Women’s Institute, on 15 February, was Simon Thomas of Staff of Life, who talked about making artisan bread at home and even demonstrated the art of making focaccia as members watched.

Members also reported on a recent trip to Blackwell and the upcoming Fashion Show at the Village Hall at 7.30pm on Friday 17 March. (Tickets £6 including a glass of wine and canapés available from members or the post office.)

A full report of February’s meeting is available to read or download here.

Simon and Garfunkel are back in town

After the success of their performance at St. Mark's Church, Natland last year and at many other venues in the North West, the popular duo Tim Chu and Ian Bailey will be performing live the songs of Simon and Garfunkel on Friday 17th March in Kendal Town Hall.

Doors open at 7.30, show starts at 8pm. BYOB. Refreshments available. Tickets £12 from Trybooking.co.uk/zw or Dave at Sight Advice, tel 01539 769055 or email Anna.  More details on this link 
Tim and Ian will generously donate profits from the performance to St. Mark's Church, Natland and Sight Advice in Kendal.  The event is sponsored by Oakmere Homes.

Waste of Time?

Here are the official views of the Parish Council about the power line proposals cause by the need to link the proposed nuclear power station in West Cumbria to the National Grid and the new substation at Natland.

But will the re-wiring of Cumbria and Lancashire be needed?
The North-West Evening Mail reported on Friday evening (Feb 3)
"FEARS continue to grow over plans for Cumbria's planned new power plant, after it was reported a key mover is "unlikely" to get involved in future building work outside Japan.
It was revealed this week that Toshiba - which has a 60 per cent stake in Nugen, the company which plans to build at Moorside, near Sellafield - has put its involvement in the project under review."
read the full story here
Fears grow over Moorside power plant proposal

Parish News available.

There's news about the Natland Young at Heart Social Group on the 13th February,  the Coffee Morning on the 16th,  the Jumble Sale on the 18th, School News, the Pancake Party on the 28th February, an account of the Atkinson and Allen Families during the First World War as well as all the Church Services and an account of the state of the Church Tower from an unusual perspective. Click here for all this, and more.

Natland Hall Archaeological Building Recording

Before all the work started on Natland Hall Farm, an Archaeological Record was made which shows that for most of its life it was in fact a Hall associated with the manor of Natland. It has been recorded in documentary sources from the 17th century but may have much earlier origins as it is likely to have been the site of the customary court of the manor since the medieval period, and is referred to as being granted the right to have a chapel in 1246. Since then it has had an interesting history, too, as a school and as the possible site of an academy set up for non-conformists after the restoration of the monarchy in 1674-83.
The very thorough archaeological recording discovered some possible medieval fabric being preserved in the thickened west wall. The staircase and six hearths based round a central chimney stack date from the late 17th century. Click here to read the report which the current owners have generously agreed to allow us to see.

On course for a mild, dry winter?

2017		2016
Average temperatures
Temperature at 8am	3.4C		3.3C
Min temperature	1.9C		2.3C
Max temperature	5.7C		5.6C
Total rainfall	mm	in	mm	in
	80	3.2	171.5	6.9

Another month with low rainfall: the average for January is 171mm. There were some cold days but no real snowfall. Will February bring snow or rain or will we have a mild, dry winter?

John Dobson