Christmas in Natland

It’s the last Sunday in Advent on the 22nd and there will be an Advent Communion in the morning at 10am. Then in the evening at 6.30 there will be a Carol Service with a mixture of carols old and new.

The next events are on Christmas Eve with the Christingle Service at 4pm and then the Christmas Communion at 11.30pm. 

On Christmas Day there will be a quiet Communion service at 9am and at 10.15am there will be a Christmas Morning service which is suitable for children.

Village Hall Newsletter

DECEMBER 2019

Welcome to the latest from the Natland & Oxenholme Village Hall team.

Many of the hall users are winding down for a Christmas & New Year break from their regular sessions, perhaps with a seasonal flavour for their last gathering of 2019, and though the hall will be less used over the holiday period there are some one-off Christmas and New Year bookings. 

The hall committee are planning to have the small hall re-decorated during summer 2020.  We'll keep you updated as our plans evolve, and we're always receptive to hall user's ideas for improvements. 

The Annual Craft Fair & Exhibition in early November raised £817 for hall improvement works - so thank you to all who supported this event as a visitor or volunteer.  After several years Sue & Ian Ellison are stepping back from organising this annual event, so our thanks to them.  This does however mean that we're in need of a someone to take the lead on booking and co-ordinating stall-holders for next year's Craft Fair - supported by committee members  organising the refreshments, raffle and helpers on the day.  To ease the transition Ian & Sue have left a well-documented 'How to...' guide so if there is anyone who could help on this front please contact Sarah (natland.villagehall@yahoo.co.uk, 07488 535251)  or Midge (midge@thefairhursts.org.uk , 01539 731727) to find out more about what's involved - without any commitment at this stage!

In 2020 our next event is the annual Art Exhibition of works for sale by local artists taking place at the hall on the weekend 13th -14th March.   Invitations to local artists who've previously participated will be sent out in January, but if you're a 'new' artist who'd like to exhibit please let Sarah have your contact details. 

And finally if you're new to the village, or now looking to play a part keeping the community socially thriving, why not consider joining the village hall team - we'd love to hear from you.

Seasons greetings to all our readers 

Natland under siege from the South in the New Year

A temporary road closure has been put in place to allow Centurion Traffic Management to carry out removal works.
This notice will come into operation 6th January 2020 and is expected to remain in place for an approx. duration of 12 days.  Click here for their map, which seems to indicate that the closure will be on Sedgwick Road near Newlands, which is where this notice has appeared!

Helm Lane too will be closed for possibly 6 weeks starting from the 9th January. Click here for the map. This is to enable masonry repairs to take place on the railway bridge.

Should you require any further information relating to these works please do not hesitate to contact Zoe Sayles, Assistant Traffic Management Technician, Cumbria County Council.    01229 407290.

Parish Council Minutes for November.

A police report, grass-cutting, planning matters, obstruction to the Towpath Trail and accessibility issues to the website all feature on the Parish Council Minutes. 

The Weather in Natland in November

November	2019	Nov. average
Temperature at 8 a.m.	5.4° C	5.7° C
Minimum Temperature (Ave)	3.5° C	4.0° C
Maximum Temperature (Ave)	8.2° C	8.3° C
Rainfall	91 mm 3.6"	144 mm 5.7"

In contrast to the Eastern side of the country, November was not as wet as usual in Natland. There was very little rain in the second half of the month but it was quite cold. John Dobson.

Pro Nobis Christmas Concert

Parish News for December and January

There is an activity or event for everyone over Christmas in this Parish. Click here to find out about the things you might like to go to. The middle page spread has everything displayed; there's something on virtually every day in December. 

There are interesting and moving accounts too, by John Chandler, of the lives of two people who had strong links with Natland and Oxenholme.

Christmas cards of Natland for sale

These cards are 50p each or 5 for £2.00 and available at the back of the Church.

Agenda for next Parish Council Meeting

The Agenda for the Parish Council Meeting on the 25th November in the Village Hall at 7pm is available here. 
It looks as if the development in the field south of Fell Close is going ahead. It'll be good when it has a proper name.

Monday Club Meeting in December.

The Club will be celebrating Christmas early, on 2nd December, when members who have booked will enjoy a buffet lunch followed by local entertainment.

All who hope to participate are asked to assemble in the Village Hall at 1.15pm for lunch at 1.30pm.

The next meeting will be on 20th January 2020.

Revised 552 Bus Service and new Sunday Bus Service

A replacement service on the 552 Arnside to Kendal route has been provided by Kirby Lonsdale coaches, unfortunately on Monday/Wednesday/Friday only.  The bus leaves Park Close, Natland at 10:05am and returns from Kendal bus station at 12:45pm.

A new Kendal town service on Sundays has also just started.  The service 40 will run from Kendal bus station, hourly at 20 minutes past the hour, via Morrisons/Sandylands/Valley Drive and then to Oxenholme, WG Hospital, Asda before returning via Sandylands to the bus station. Timing is 9:48 and then hourly until 17:48 from the bus stop at the top of Oxenholme Lane.  

Click for full timetables :Service 552, Service 40.

Sarah Roberts.

Coffee Morning for Tools with a Mission

 Over £200 was raised at this event for TWAM, a chaity which exports tools and equipment to people who need them. Thank you to everyone who came and supported it.

Macmillan Coffee Morning

Monday Club Meeting in November

Members will meet in the Village Hall on 18th November at 2pm when Philip Caine will be the speaker; subject: Barrow to Baghdad and back. Tea and biscuits to follow plus the Bookstall. New members always welcome.

New book to be published by Natlander Larry Walters

Craft Fair and Exhibition - result

The Craft  Fair last Saturday showed  a profit of £817.68.This was about £50 up on last year.
There was a wide range of lovely exhibits at the Craft Exhibition. The item selected by the highest number visitors as their favourite was an embroidered picture by Mary Taylor of fields of buttercups near Kendal.

The Weather in October

October	2019	Oct. average
Temperature at 8 a.m.	7.5° C	8.7° C
Minimum Temperature (Ave)	5.6° C	7.5° C
Maximum Temperature (Ave)	12.1° C	12.0° C
Rainfall	147 mm 5.9"	154.3 mm 6.2"

October was fairly average, although we had some cold nights

at the end of the month.   John Dobson.

Parish News for November

Click here to find out about all the seasonal things that are happening at St. Mark's Church this autumn. Click here for the extra flyer.

Minutes of the latest Parish Council Meeting

Click here to find out about everything that went on at Natland Parish Council Meeting on the 21st October.

Craft Fair and Exhibition on Saturday

Do come along to the Craft Fair and Exhibition next Saturday. It's a chance to get ahead with the Christmas shopping by buying orginal, attractive and reasonably priced gifts from local craftspeople, and to meet up with friends old and new. Refreshments are available all day in the small hall, and there's always a chance of a raffle prize at the end. It's on the 2nd November, 10am until 4pm. Proceeds for the Village Hall.

The 552 has had an extension

Negotiations have taken place between Stagecoach and the County Council and the 552 and the 530 will keep going until the 16th Nov. while they think of a more permanent solution.

Growing Well: veg. available

Growing Well is our local mental health charity and it currently has delicious organic vegetables available weekly. Growing Well offers an organic vegetable bag to those who can pick up every Thursday afternoon from Low Sizergh Barn. Read more about it here.
If you would like to have a bag but wonder what you would do when you are away or can't collect, just contact me, elspethjayne@btinternet.com and maybe we could share.

Scam

A neighbour received a recorded message this morning claiming to be Mastercard/Visa and advising her a transaction has been taken from her account to a foreign country of £600, press 1 to stop.
She didn't and the advice from Mastercard/Visa is to ignore any message you might receive like this, it's a scam.

Church Coffee Morning

Parish Council Agenda

Here is the Agenda for the next Parish Council Meeting on Monday 21st October at 7pm in the Village Hall.

Village Hall News

Welcome to the autumn update from the Natland and Oxenholme village hall team.

The hall continues to be the venue for many different activities, though there is a shifting pattern of usage with fewer long-established user groups, more new groups which we hope prove sustainable, and plenty of occasional bookings at the weekend - mainly for children's parties. Hire income has fallen since the local preschool ceased using the hall in 2018, but the running costs have also fallen and the hall currently remains on a sustainable footing.

After a lull over the summer period  the 'indoor' season has indeed started with various table tennis, badminton, indoor bowls and craft groups, WI, Monday Club, pilates, and fitness classes all available regularly.  And for children - table tennis on Monday, Brownies on Tuesday and dance classes each Saturday morning in term-time.

The summer lull also saw the re-decoration of the porch and entrance hall, so these are now lighter, brighter and more welcoming for visitors to the premises.  Improvements to the outdoor space also open up the possibility of sitting outside in the sunshine - weather permitting.

Next month sees the 20th Annual Craft Fair and Exhibition on Saturday 2nd November.  This event raises much appreciated funds for hall improvement works, and we hope that you and your friends will visit, do some early Christmas shopping with the many stallholders (including some participating for the first time), and enjoy refreshments and home-baked cakes. If you can help the team with this event please let us know - perhaps by donating home-made cakes or an interesting raffle prize, or greeting visitors and selling raffle tickets for an hour.  Please contact Ann Tilney  if you can help with a cake or serving refreshments on the day, Midge Fairhurst (01539 731727) or Sarah (07488 535251) for greeters.  Additional able-bodied help with setting up trestle tables on Friday evening or putting away at 4.30pm on Saturday, is always very welcome (contact Sarah).

Other groups are also holding fund-raising events at the hall: Natland and Oxenholme Table Tennis Club have their annual Quiz and Supper on Saturday 16th November;  Macmillan Support have another event planned for the afternoon of Saturday 23rd November  following on from their highly successful Vintage Afternoon Tea in August; and Oxenholme Village Residents Group are planning on a table-top sale.  So please come along and support these events also. 

If you would like to receive future village hall updates directly, why not join 'Friends of the Village Hall'? No ongoing commitment, no subscription!  (contact Midge or Sarah, details above).

Monday Club Meeting

The Club will be meeting on 21st October at 2pm in the Village Hall to hear a talk given by Pat Murphy on Holehird Gardens. Refreshments will follow and the Bookstall will be open. 
New members will be welcome to join us.

TV Licence Scam

A local person writes "I had two emails pretending to be from TV Licensing telling me they've been unable to process my direct debit for renewing the Licence and that I'll no longer be able to watch or will incur a hefty fine. I checked my real TV Licence online and the false one has these characteristics:
Sent by a person with a very foreign name.
Not originating from TV Licensing website, though it has a similar web address.
Shows the incorrect Licence Number.
Shows the incorrect expiry date.
The official website is tvlicensing.co.uk and carries a warning about scams such as these at the top of its page."

20th Annual Craft Fair and Exhibition

This year’s Craft Fair and Exhibition will take place on Saturday 2nd November in Natland and Oxenholme Village Hall from 10am to 4pm. The event raises funds for the Village Hall. A popular and important part of the day is the Exhibition of Craft in the small hall. This is a display of items made by local residents and loaned for the event. We would welcome more exhibits. To find out more about what is involved and to download a form, click here.
In the large hall there will be 23 stalls each selling different crafts made locally. Refreshments will be available all day and there will be a raffle.  Admission will be free this year.                               

September weather

September	2019	Sept. average
Temperature at 8 a.m.	10.7° C	11.7° C
Minimum Temperature (Ave)	8.4° C	9.8° C
Maximum Temperature (Ave)	15.8° C	15.1° C
Rainfall	204 mm 8.2"	128 mm 5.1"

 Temperatures were fairly average for September . It was however very wet.
Although well above average, rainfall was still less than Sept. 2017 which was 223mm.    John Dobson

Pro Nobis Singers Concert. Saturday 12th October

Continuing our 50th anniversary season, we are presenting a one hour recital here in St Mark’s Church on Saturday, 12 October. The programme is entitled ‘Times and Seasons’ and includes two new pieces. Composer and organist of Cartmel Priory, Adrian Self, has a written a sequence of four short pieces especially for us, all setting of poems by his wife Pam. He has called the sequence ‘Called Back to Paradise Again’ and each piece celebrates the joy of creation in one form or another.
The other main piece in the programme is my own dramatic cantata on words by Lucy Crispin, a member of the choir. This is entitled ‘The Song of the Silent Child’ and tells of the wanderings of a lonely child who appears to be remote in an ever-happy land where nothing disturbs the inhabitants, until one day when a storm arises and the silent child finds her place in society as she restores calm.  Also included in the programme will be four short pieces by Gerald Finzi, Zoltan Kodaly, Joseph Rheinberger and Peteris Vasks, all easy listening!
The concert will begin at 7.30 and entry is by programme (£10) available in advance from the Tourist Information Centre in Finkle Street. The cost of the programme includes a glass of wine /fruit juice after the concert.
Do come and join us and help us to celebrate this milestone anniversary if you are free.
Visit our website for further information: www.pronobis-singers.com
The brochure for 2019/20 is available here.
Clive Walkley
Conductor: Pro Nobis Singers

Natland Parish Council Meeting Minutes

The Parish Council met on the 23rd September and put the discussion about the proposed withdrawal of the 552 bus at the top of the agenda. Letters will be sent to all the councillors, Tim Farron and KADBUS objecting to the proposed withdrawal of this valuable service.
Click here for the full Minutes of the Meeting.
Our neighbourhood Police Constable PCSO Jenna Egglestone had emailed the Clerk to say that there was nothing significant to report at present but, as there has been an increase with house and vehicle break-ins in some of the villages around Kendal recently, residents are reminded to keep their valuables and vehicles secure.

Parish News for October

Plenty of things to do and to think about in the Parish News for October, available to download here.

A Report of the September W.I. meeting

      President Marion Want introduced the Speaker, Philip Caine, to the meeting. He spoke about his life and career in catering, hotel, logistics and facilities management in UK, France, Algeria, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Dubai and Baghdad. 
      At the recent Westmorland Show Natland and Oxenholme WI won first prize for a tin of 6 biscuits and also the cup for the most points in the preserves section.
      Click here for a full account of the meeting.
      Date of next meeting is Wednesday 16 October at 7.30 pm in Natland Village Hall when the speaker will be Margaret Lister ‘Our Colourful World’.

Harvest Festival coming up

W.I.Fashion Show

Natland and Oxenholme W.I. are holding a 

Fashion Show 

by Kitty Brown Boutique on 

Friday 4th October in the Village Hall Natland at 7.30pm.

Tickets £6.50 to include a glass of wine and nibbles.

Clothing and accessories will also be on sale on the night.

Tickets are available from Marion Want on 01539 780123 and Natland Post Office.

Pandora's Handbag last Saturday

Loads of people came to this really fun event. The voices of Clare, Annette, Rachel and Helen mingled and entwined to provoke laughter and sighs thoughout. There were 60s songs, Disney songs, and songs I've never heard before. Their rendition of The Vulture Song will not be forgotten. Also the church raised over £550 as a result of the generosity of Pandora's Handbag and of the audience of people who came along. Thank you. Elspeth Jayne.

Natland Parish Council - next meeting 23.09.19

The withdrawal of the 552 bus is on the agenda for the council meeting next Monday at 7pm. It is proposed that the bus service be withdrawn on the 27th October. Click here for the agenda.

Natland and Oxenholme Village Hall Events.

Autumn activities are starting up again at the Village Hall. Here is the Diary showing when the events are on, and when the Village Hall is available to hire.

• The University of the Third Age are putting on Indoor Bowls, Badminton, and Table Tennis doubles and singles. Click here to contact U3A.
• Natland and Oxenholme Table Tennis Club's new season has started. Mondays 6-7 for juniors and Tuesdays at 7.30 for the Club night. https://www.facebook.com/natlandtabletennis/
• Pilates will be starting on Tuesday 10th September at 4.30. email 

Click here for the Parish Directory which gives contact details for the following activities and groups.

• Age UK are offering Gentle Exercise on Mondays at 2-3pm followed by tea and a chat (except the third Monday in the month.) You are welcome to come along. £2.50 per session.
• The Badminton Club will be starting up on Thursday the 19th September.
• Sarah Brook holds HIIT fitness sessions on a Thursday at 6pm.
• The Craft Group is starting up this week, 2-4pm on a Wednesday. 
• For youngsters there is Brownies at 6pm on a Tuesday. 
• Dappaday dancing is on a Saturday at 9am.
• The Women's Institute meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 7.30. 
• Monday Club for the over 50s meet on the third Monday of the month, at 2pm.

The Weather in August

August	2019	August average
Temperature at 8 a.m.	14.6° C	13.62° C
Minimum Temperature (Ave)	12.8° C	11.65° C
Maximum Temperature (Ave)	19.0° C	17.85° C
Rainfall	186 mm 7.4"	151.4 mm 6.1"

August was warmer than average, although we did not get the extreme temperatures experienced in the South East. Always a wet month, we had a very wet August this time.   John Dobson. 

Monday Club Meeting

Meetings held in the Village Hall start again on 16th September at 2pm when John Bateson will give a talk on "Employment and living conditions in 19th and early 20th century Kendal".
Tea and biscuits to follow, and bookstall.
Reminder: The annual membership fee of £12 will be collected at this meeting. Cheques (if possible) payable to Natland Monday Club.
New members always welcome.

Parish News for September

The month is kicking off in style with David Aris leaping from an aeroplane on the 1st September. He's doing it in aid of St. John's Hospice, and he will be attached to a parachute. If you would like to sponsor him, take a look at page 4 of the Parish News. There are details of Church Services, Coffee Mornings, and many more church and village activities.

Parish Council Meeting last month

Planning matters were discussed at the last meeting of Natland Parish Council in July. Click here for the minutes of the meeting.

The Weather in July

July	2019	July average
Temperature at 8 a.m.	15.9° C	14.8° C
Minimum Temperature (Ave)	14.6° C	12.9° C
Maximum Temperature (Ave)	20.5° C	20.2° C
Rainfall	136 mm 5.4"	110 mm 4.4"

We had some very hot days in July. The 25th was 27C which is the hottest I have recorded here although well below 38C for that day in Cambridge. it was wet, particularly over the last two weeks of the month. John Dobson.

Welcome, Craig.

St. Mark's Church has a brand new curate, freshly ordained as a deacon. He's called Craig Bentley, or rather the Reverend Craig Bentley now, and he will be trained into the ins and outs of parish work by Angela, the vicar, over the next three years. There's more about him and his family on page 12 of the June Parish News. 

Captain Ross and Clinker

Clinker, with Captain Horatio Ross up. By John Ferneley 1782-1860

Captain Ross and Clinker was the name of the Inn which was on the site of Ross Lodge on Burton Road. Notes written by Miss Anne M.E.Schofield in 2003 and who lived at the house now called Ross Lodge were passed to me by Barry Charnley. 

Horatio Ross was born in 1801 and lived in Scotland and doesn't appear to have links with this area. However he and his horse must have had a popular following for when the name of the Inn was changed from the Grey Horse to the Captain Ross and Clinker, local farmers' lads around Barrows Green held steeplechases from the newly named Inn across to the Beehive Inn (no longer an inn) on the Old Hutton road. The Captain Ross and Clinker was pulled down in 1860.

Recollections of Natland past, by Beryl Caton

Freda Smaje, Beryl Caton and Elspeth Jayne

As editor of the Natland News I was invited by Freda Smaje to meet Beryl Caton, nee Fothergill, and spent an engrossing afternoon as she recalled her early childhood in Natland. Click here to read her memories of a time when there were so few houses in Natland that she seems to be able to remember the inhabitants of nearly every one.       Elspeth Jayne.

Comments on Beryl's recollections:

Stan O'Connor also remembers that Shanny Lane was named after Shanny Wilkinson who lived next to the church. Sid Clark, from the council, named it after him, so he wouldn't be forgotten. Stan also remembers that at the top of Hawes Lane there was a field that had an interesting circle in it. It was investigated for Roman remains. But then someone remembered Shanny Wilkinson used to exercise his horses in a circle on that field....
However, Barry Charnley states that Margaret and Pearson Charnley, his parents, had strong family links in Natland. His grandparents and parents were married here, and his paternal grandmother was born here. Shanny Lane was named after his uncle, Shanny Hutchinson, who was Churchwarden at St. Mark’s for 25 years. Barry also recalls that the name of the people who lived at Cracalt was Howson. They were involved in timber, as Beryl remembered.   It was the Moorhouses who built the stone house, Sundown, next to the school field. Barry also said that the doctor can't have lived at Ross Lodge, it must have been somewhere else on Burton Road, and he gave me a copy of research from when Ross Lodge was a pub, The Captain Ross and Clinker.

Beware Fraudulent Phishing Calls.

A Natland News Reader writes: Yesterday I had two missed calls from  0800 085 7609 and this morning a call from the same number which left a Voicemail purporting to be from PayPal and asking me to call back on 0800 085 7595. The person I then spoke to (male, Irish accent) said these were both genuine PayPal numbers and wanted to check the bank details which my PayPal account is linked to. He advised me to answer any future calls from the same number. 
The PayPal website gives a contact number starting with 0203 and a OneTimePasscode, without which you can't get through to them. They stated that the 0800 numbers were not PayPal ones. 

Minutes of the last Parish Council Meeting.

The canal bridge at Hawes Lane. The new Towpath Trail would run under here.

Proposals for a Towpath Trail for Natland along the route of the old canal were outlined at the meeting on the 24th June.  Click here for more details.

The Weather in June

June	2019	June average
Temperature at 8 a.m.	13.3° C	13.58° C
Minimum Temperature (Ave)	11.5° C	11.23° C
Maximum Temperature (Ave)	18.3° C	18.79° C
Rainfall	111.5 mm 4.5"	82.63 mm 3.31"

We had two hot days at the end of the month but June was average for temperatures and cooler than last year. Although rainfall was above average we had a lot of dry days with a few very wet ones. John Dobson.

Parish Magazine for July/August.

Click here for the bumper summer edition.

Agenda for Natland Parish Council Meeting

The next meeting is on the 24th June at 7pm. The trees in Natland with tree preservation orders on them will be discussed, amongst other things. There is an open forum but it is at the end of the meeting. Click here for the full agenda.

The report of the Annual Assembly is now available and has reports from many village associations appended to it. Click here for the minutes and the reports.

Thank You to Everyone who came to the Fete

The weather forecast was right and though we had to retreat indoors for the Church Fete last Saturday, it still seemed a happy and busy event. A group of very tuneful children from St. Mark's School kept our spirits up and £1,800 was raised for church funds. There were plenty of plants for sale and since it was a bit too wet to linger many are still available in and outside of the church porch, none the worse for regular wetting.

It's very good to be able to welcome Angela the vicar back from her sabbatical this weekend.

Pro Nobis in Town

Age UK - Dancing for Fun

Step out and Dance at Age UK's new Dancing for Fun Event on Monday 24th June, 2.00-3.30pm in Natland Village Hall.

For more information or to book your place please telephone 01539 728118 or email Volunteering@ageuksouthlakeland.org.uk

You are invited to join Age UK South Lakeland for a fun dancing session suitable for all abilities. Learn some exciting routines and moves. Followed by refreshments and cakes.

Natland Monday Club Afternoon Outing

Members joining in the Summer Event will meet on 17th June '19 at Lindeth Fell (Lyth Valley Road), for Afternoon Tea a 3.00pm. (Transport available - ring either 60382 or 61683).

Meetings resume in September when a warm welcome awaits new members.

The Weather in Natland in May

May	2019	April average
Temperature at 8 a.m.	9.7° C	10.39° C
Minimum Temperature (Ave)	7.5° C	8.06° C
Maximum Temperature (Ave)	14.8° C	15.59° C
Rainfall	66.5 mm 2.7"	81.07 mm 3.2"

May was cooler than last year but not much below average. We had a dry spell

in the middle of the month but it became wet for the final week. John Dobson.

Damage to the Trees on the Village Green

Things can get out of hand......

Trees on the Village Green are being damaged by people climbing them. Click here for more details.

Comment from Rhian Peters:
Five of these had been hammered/ screwed into the oak tree.  This was on the ground where it might have injured someone.  Also a claw hammer nearby. 

Church Fete

Parish Council Minutes

The minutes of the meeting held in May are available here.

Age UK South Lakeland Lunch

You are invited to come along to St Mark's Primary School on Thursday 20th June at 1.30pm for lunch. Be waited on by the children and enjoy a delicious meal for only £3.00. Places are limited, so to book or cancel a place, please ring the Age UK helpline on 01539 728118 by the 13th June. This event is in partnership with St. Mark's Church and St. Mark's School.

Parish News for June available

There are plenty of things going on in June, including the welcome return of Angela, our priest, and the arrival of our new curate, Craig Bentley. Click here for all the church news.

Christian Aid Collection - Result

It's good to be able to report that £2,180.65 has been raised this Christian Aid Week in Natland, The Oaks and parts of Oxenholme. 

THANK YOU to everyone who gave so generously. It's so good to feel that so many people round here have compassion for people far away, living in such different circumstances.  Elspeth Jayne, Voluntary Christian Aid Organiser.

Parish Council Annual Meetings

The Parish Meeting for Natland was last Thursday, 16th May, in the Village Hall, and proved to be a good opportunity to find out about things that are happening in the village. For one thing, we don't have regular meetings with a friendly local bobby anymore, because of funding cuts. None of the councillors who are also district councillors were there, possibly because their affiliations are a bit divided over the issue of parish boundaries. There is talk of The Beeches becoming part of Kendal, including the old K Shoe Factory and Watercrook, and also Rochester Gardens and the new development of supported accomodation at the end of Helm Lane. If Oxenholme succeeds in its bid to be a separate parish from Kendal, the latter two developments would be in Oxenholme. 

There were reports from St. Mark's School and Appletree School as well as other Parish Institutions and Groups. Appletree School reported successes in re establishing many of its children into society and its association with St. Mark's School was very instrumental in this. The head teacher of Appletree School also registered appreciation of the villagers who, on seeing his pupils doing a litter pick in the village, joined in to help. 

Fuller reports will follow but in the meantime another Annual Meeting will take place this time mainly for Councillors. It's in Natland Village Hall on Friday 24th May 2019 at 7pm, when the Chairman will be elected and possibly also a Vice-Chairman. The public can come but they can't vote. Agenda