Ampney Crucis TimesEdition Number 3 |
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Contents Ampney Crucis Millennium Weekend |
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Ampney Crucis Millennium WeekendSaturday 8 July is the date of the village’s celebration of the millennium and many of the village groups are working hard to make sure it is a day to remember. It will be a full day affair covering the whole village so whether you would prefer to spend your time in quiet contemplation and reflection, supporting our children doing what they do best (playing games, country dancing and making noise!), chancing your arm with our regular fête games and competitions or kicking your heels at the evening barn dance, you can do it all on 8th July. The day will start with a welcome at the Village Hall and the Church with the chance to listen to some music, browse through village memorabilia and enjoy a cup of tea and a piece of cake. In the afternoon, attention moves to the school field where the children will have a range of activities and a Village Trail. Later on in the afternoon, there will be a mini fête at Clark’s Barn in Hilcot End ( by kind permission of Jeremy and Polly Clark) followed in the evening by a barn dance which will be kicked off by the children giving a display of country dancing. Finally, to round the day off, there will a lamb roast. Some of the events are still being finalised so keep an eye on the village notice boards for further details. Tickets for the Barn Dance will be on sale at the beginning of June from members of the team and other village groups. There is a tremendous amount of work to do and, as with all major village events, many hands make light work. If you can help in any way either before or during the day – making cakes, moving straw bales, serving tea etc etc – please contact your local team member before they contact you! Just to remind you the team is Sally Hebbs, Ann Bridges, Anne Bullock, Christine Cridford, Frank Perkins, Rosemary Franklin and Liz Anderson. |
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Ampney United Football ClubAmpney United completed their season in mid-April, finishing in mid-table of Division 3 of the Cheltenham Football League. Of the 20 games played, they won six and lost five with nine matches drawn. A few more wins instead of draws would have seen them stepping up to Division 2 next season. Postponements due to adverse weather meant the team often went several weeks without a game; consequently, they were not as match fit as they could have been. However, the club continues to do well in the Cheltenham League as most other teams have the benefit of a reserve side and substantial sponsorship. Thanks go to Phil Gearing and Joan Curtis for their help during the season, to the cricket club for the use of their pavilion and, in particular to Tim Shackel for the loan of his field, to use as a football pitch during the season. Training for the new season starts in late July, with the first home fixtures commencing in October (after the Ampney Crucis Cricket Team has completed its games). The fixture list will be in the Ampney Crucis Times and posted on the Ampney Crucis web site as soon as it becomes available. For further information, please contact Doug Coombs |
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Parish Meeting reportThe Annual Parish meeting and the AGM of the Parish Council were held on 8 May. Among the topics raised and discussed were the following: VandalismThe Parish Newsletter had earlier reported a rather unpleasant act of vandalism in the Pleydells which resulted in damage being caused to a memorial bench. If you do see this sort of thing going on, a call to the local police is called for or, alternatively, ring the Crimestoppers number (É0800 555111). All calls will be treated in confidence. Meanwhile, the bench (together with all the other benches in the parish) will be repaired and cleaned. Footpath mapThe map of the footpaths in the village has just been updated with the help of a small grant from GCC and with the assistance of Ordnance Survey who kindly agreed to waive their reproduction fee. Copies are available in the Church or in the ‘Crown of Crucis’. The price is 50p and all proceeds go to the Church. In this edition of ACT, there is also a more detailed article on footpaths on page 3. Spring CleanA group of 12 villagers plus associated children set out on 8 April to spring clean the village with the resulting collection of a surprising amount of rubbish much of it from ditches. Ditch refuse has been the cause of some of the ditches flooding; there has been a particularly bad problem up Riding Lane due to the illegal dumping of a lorry load of spoil. We can only ask for vigilance – if you are aware of rubbish being dumped, please let your local Parish Councillor know. Burial GroundThe Burial Ground plots were laid out when the site was first gifted to the Parish at the end of the 19th century. There has always been the facility to reserve plots but record keeping in the 1940’s and 50’s was not very good. The Parish Council is trying to trace these reservations and would appreciate the help of the longer term residents who might be able to help identify some of them. The Clerk would be pleased to hear from you. Tree WardenThere is a vacancy for the post of Tree Warden. The role is essentially to work with CDC and the Parish Council on all matters relating to trees in the village. If you are interested, contact the Clerk for more details. The Cripps proposalsJohn Ducker, Chairman of the Ampney Crucis Association, told the meeting that progress on the proposals was now moving ahead after agreement had been reached on access to the proposed village shop unit at the Pleydells. The Village Trust would soon be set up and the initial trustees appointed, and it was anticipated that the planning application would be submitted to CDC within the next few weeks. The War MemorialYou will have seen that the War Memorial has been repaired and cleaned. It is often the case in such circumstances that there is a simple service of rededication and the Royal British Legion are being sounded out on the possibility of such a ceremony. The next stage in the refurbishment of the area is for the flower beds to be completely replanted by the Gardening Club. The work is being carried out with the help of a grant from CDC. Neighbourhood WatchFollowing on from the item in the previous edition of ACT, NHW schemes have been set up at the eastern end of the village from Riding Lane up to and including the Donkey Field (co-ordinator David Vessey ) and in the Pleydells (co-ordinator John Pizzey). FeedbackThe Village Appraisal was a very useful exercise and has helped the Parish Council in starting up some new initiatives (ACT being one example) and reviving some older ones (e.g. Neighbourhood Watch). However, the appraisal was simply a snapshot of village opinion at a moment in time and it could be some years before the exercise is repeated. Regular comment on village concerns is vital if the Parish Council is to function effectively so please contact your local Councillor (see page 4) if you have a matter that you wish the Parish Council to take on. + |
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Talking about your Rights of Way
Throughout the village, there are just over 5½ miles of footpaths or Public Rights of Way (PROWs) as they are more properly called. One of them (the track leading from the post box at the top end of the Village Street down to the Old London Road) is an old unmetalled road, the rest are footpaths. There are no bridleways in the village. What is a footpath?A footpath is a route over which people on foot have a legal right of passage. The precise route is described in a ‘Definitive Statement’ and marked on the ‘Definitive Map’; both these documents are maintained by the County Council and are the legal basis for all rights of way in the county Who looks after them?Footpaths are part of the highways network and are principally the responsibility of the local highway authority i.e. the County Council. They own the surface of the land covered by the footpath. Landowners own the sub-soil and have no responsibility for keeping a footpath clear though they can be asked to remove overhanging branches etc. While the upkeep of a footpath is down to the County Council, this rarely extends beyond ensuring that the footpath is kept open. Keeping it clear of nettles, for example, is usually down to volunteers. Gates and stiles are, however, obstructions (new ones require permission from the Highways Authority) and they are the responsibility of the landowner. They must never prevent access to a footpath (e.g. gates must never be locked) and must be kept maintained so as not to be a hindrance or a danger to the user. Bridges over a natural watercourse are the responsibility of the County Council; drainage ditches are, however, obstructions and so bridges over such ditches are the responsibility of the landowner. What about footpaths being ploughed up?It is perfectly legal for a footpath to be ploughed up if this is a necessary part of preparing a field for sowing crops. However, the farmer is legally obliged to restore the footpath to a walkable condition, and ensure the line of the footpath is clearly marked, within 14 days of the first ‘disturbance’ and within 24 hours of any subsequent disturbance. He must also keep the footpath free of growing crops at all times. It is a two way thing; the farmer is under a legal obligation to keep the footpath clear for you but you (and your dog) must stick to the footpath. If you stray into the crops, you are trespassing. Your legal rights extend to the footpath, not beyond. Who may use them?Footpaths are for people on foot and they have an unconditional right of access; apart from the old road, they are not for horse riders or cyclists. Dogs, prams etc are described as ‘usual accompaniments’ but have no rights of access. It may be awkward for you to get your dog through or over a stile but the landowner is under no obligation to make it easy for you. The Village Appraisal raised the question of access for people with disabilities and the simple answer is – the situation is not clear. The Act requiring no discrimination to people with disabilities seems not to apply to PROWs but we are in discussion with the County Council to see what, if anything, can be done to help infirm people enjoy the benefits of walking the footpaths. A path itself may present few problems to people requiring the assistance of a walking stick but even a low stile may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle. However, it is not easy to see a simple solution to all the problems as many of the stiles are old stone stiles which people wish to see preserved.
If you experience problems when walking the footpaths (e.g. a dangerous stile or gate) do please contact either the Parish Clerk, Helen Tonks or the Parish Council’s Footpath Co-ordinator, David Vessey + |
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Know your CouncillorsAccording to the village appraisal, many of you would welcome more information about the Parish Council. Each councillor has specific responsibilities and each also has a designated area, based loosely on his or her own neighbourhood, as a point of local contact for parishioners. Peter Kelly has been in the village since 1982 and lives in the Old House. He is Chairman of the council with specific responsibility for planning issues. His neighbourhood area is Butcher’s Arms Lane, the Lannocks and the Village Street north from Willowdene up to the Pleydells Adrian Grazebrook is the longest-standing member of the council. He is the council’s Vice-chairman and advises the council on any legal matters. His area is Hilcot End where he has lived for 30 years together with the other northern areas of the parish that are not in the main village. John Dear has served as a Councillor before; he has lived in Thurston Cottage for 16 years. He is leading a working party, set up following the village appraisal, to look into the feasibility of bringing a shop back to the village. His neighbourhood area is the village south of Willowdene including Waterton. Gerald Gaden has farmed in the area for 37 years and has now retired to 33 Ampney Crucis. His specific responsibility is for the Burial Ground; his area is the Pleydells. Sally Hebbshas lived in School Lane for 10 years. Her specific responsibility is the Millennium Event for 2000. Her area is School Lane, the London Road and the Village Street from School Lane up to the Pleydells. Fran Huckle has lived in Dudley Farm for 15 years. Her responsibilities are as co-editor of ACT and representing the Parish Council on the school governing body and the Village Hall Committee. Her area is Dudley Farm, Riding Lane and Ashbrook Lane. David Vessey was Parish Clerk before becoming a Councillor; he has lived at Convamore for 22 years. His responsibilities are co-editor of ACT, footpaths, internal auditor and representing the Council on the Robert Pleydell Trust. His area is the Village Street from Dudley Corner up to School Lane. Finally, the Parish Clerk, Helen Tonks, who was appointed last year to administer the council’s business and to keep Councillors on the right track!.< |
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The Toddlers’ GroupThe Humpty Dumpty Toddlers’ Group has unfortunately been suspended due to dwindling numbers. The Group has been meeting at the Village Hall on Tuesday mornings from 10 to 11.30 a.m. for activities, coffee and a chat. They have the funds, lovely equipment, terrific activities – but little support. If you have young children – be they babies, pre-school or grand – and are interested in joining the Group please contact the group. |
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School events diaryThe school has two final fund raising events before the start of the summer holiday. On Saturday 10 June, there is bingo in the Village Hall (eyes down at 7.15 p.m.) and on Saturday 1 July, there will be the School Fête at the school starting at 1.00 pm with games, a raffle, refreshments and all the usual fun of the fête!! For further details about either event contact Martina Richt |
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Deadline for August editionItems for the August edition should be sent to Fran Huckle by 15 July
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This edition of ACT is sponsored by Carol Richardson. Carol provides a delivery service of newspapers and magazines, delivered to your door, seven days a week. Vouchers accepted. Telephone 851664 |
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