VILLAGE MATTERS

Out home village is the sort of traditional English village one reads about in Agatha Christie novels. It is the sort of place that although it embraces,(as best it can for the dreadful reception) ,such things as mobile phones and the internet ,while retaining all it's old world charm.

The village school, the church ,the chapel,post office, shop and pub are the focus of activity and as in all villages the village hall is of paramount importance to the community,.

Where else would the W.I. Hold there meetings, where would the Gardening Club hold there many events. Lectures, dances ,film shows and karaoke,Christmas bazaar’s plays and concerts all take place within its walls.

Even the Doctors Surgery is houses this useful building ,so as you can imaging the loss of this much loved and much used facility would be catastrophic.

Funds are raised in many ways,one of which is the Village Newsletter, a marvellous institution which advertises all the forthcoming events to be held in the hall and elsewhere in the community and the surrounding villages. It advertises local businesses and form a a contact

with such bodies as the Local Police and our Local Councillor who contribute articles each month.

The Bowling Club announce their victories and coffee mornings in aid of many charities are advertised in this great little magazine which I recently discovered is run by one lady all by herself!

This brave soul also holds down a job at the village shop and is reluctantly about to relinquish her role as editor, distributor ,advertising manager for the magazine. This means that unless someone can be persuaded to take it on the magazine may be lost.

This was mentioned ,casually to me a few days ago when I popped in to have an announcement placed in next months publication.

Until my son became a full time writer he was and editor, he spent every night editing financial reports ,so this to him would be a piece of cake. I suspect that his literary abilities have been much discussed in the village since our arrival so that he would be the obvious person to ask.

Of course he is very busy, he is about to publish his eighth book this year and the ninth will be out by Christmas, and yet he,like myself is keen to give back something to the village which has made us so very welcome.

We have decided to have a meeting with the present editor to ascertain just what is involved and if it is at all feasible we shall split the job between the two of us,|I shall deal with the advertising and my son will be the Editor.

I do hope that we shall be able to take this on as I have come to rely on the magazine for information about everything from trades men's phone numbers to information about things such as Flue Vaccination Clinics.

This months magazine will be the last until February so we have a couple of months in which to discuss the matter and make up our minds. In the mean time there are the concerts carol services, and Christmas bazaars to attend, all of which have been advertised in our village magazine.