December 2015/January 2016

The Events Team - Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebration on 11th & 12th June 2016

Organisation of the Queen’s 90th birthday celebration is moving forward.

At the present time we have a £500 grant from Mepal Parish Council who have also underwritten a

further £500. First draft of a further grant application has been carried out and we are looking to submit

that later this month.

We have contacted a number of the village organisations and received favourable responses that they will

be attending. We have also contacted other groups in the area that villagers attend such as the U3A

(University of the Third Age).

As far as entertainment is concerned we are seeking costs from various musical groups for the teenagers and adults and

bouncy castles for the younger ones. If you know of anyone please do let us know.

Mepal Mike (see picture) has been on his travels. The idea is to take Mepal Mike with you when you travel near or far,

take his photo at somewhere recognisable and make a small donation, say a pound for anywhere in the UK and a little more

if he is abroad for a few days, to the events team. Mike resides with Georgina King at 5 Brick Lane.

We would welcome your help in organising next year’s event.

Please contact Georgina King on 777112 to learn more. NEW – you can also email us at mepalevents@outlook.com

Dear Members and friends.

We had our last meeting for the year on the 16th November with Alf

Beasley speaking and our Christmas nibbles and Raffle, and we had

an invitation to visit Scottsdale’s on the 12th November in the

evening, we hope you enjoyed both of these.

We are nearing the end of 2015 - where has it gone! We haven’t

got a lot we can do in the garden now but some of the flowers have

lasted a lot longer than they normally do. With the nights drawing

in it gives us time to look at planning our gardens for next year and

what new and exciting flowers we can grow.

We hope that you have enjoyed our speakers and also the trips that

we have gone on this year. We have had some good days out and

our committee are looking for new places to visit and we have a

variety of speakers for 2016 where you should get some handy tips.

We are looking forward to seeing you all in 2016 when we start our

Gardening Club meeting on the 15th February when we have

Rodney Tibbs on Patio and Gardening in Small spaces.

If you would like to come along to our meetings we meet on the 3rd

Monday of the month (except December and January) and see what

you think. It’s a great way of meeting new people and it’s only £2

per meeting or £10 for a year’s subscription.

We would like to say a fond farewell to Joyce and Roy and thank

them for the help they gave at the Gardening Club; Joyce for doing

the raffle and Roy for help setting up. We wish them good luck in

their new home.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and A Happy New year from

all the committee.

Pam White, Garden Club Secretary

St Mary’s Parish Church

We wish you all a happy and blessed Christmas.

There will be a Festival Eucharist Service on Christmas

Day at 10.30am at St Mary’s Church – all are very

welcome.

You can find details of all our services & events on the Diary

Page or on the notice boards at Church and at Mepal P.O.

Saturday January 23rd

Coffee Morning with ‘bring & buy’ table &

Rummage Sale!

10am – 12 midday at Mepal Village Hall

Priest in Charge:

Reverend Mary Hancock . 01353

778722

Churchwarden:

Mrs Elizabeth Stazicker 01353

778129

St. Mary's Church Mepal 49 Club

The next quarter of the 49 Club starts on 1st December 2015, this is based on the bonus ball in the Lotto. As you probably know the Lotto numbers have changed from 49 to 59, as such this means that there are now 10 extra

numbers available, 50 - 59 (plus a few between 1 - 49).

This is an important fund-raiser for St. Mary's, so if anyone would like to have a number PLEASE let me know. If we can get more members the prize money could be

increased.

Thank you. Jane Edmenson (01353 777621).

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

DECEMBER 2015

1st 2.30pm Good Companions Village Hall

2nd 10.00am Friendship Club: Christmas Bingo & Raffle Village Hall

2nd No Camera Club meeting - Christmas break

3rd 7.30pm WI Christmas Bring & Share Buffet (with Footlights) Village Hall

4th 2.00pm Christingle School

4th 6.30pm Christmas Fete School

6th 8.00am Holy Communion St Mary’s Church

7th 7.30pm Parish Council Village Hall

9th 12.30pm Friendship Club Christmas Lunch at Golden Lion, Stonea

9th 2.00pm Hosanna Rock School

10th 2.00pm Hosanna Rock School

13th 10.30am Parish Eucharist St Mary’s Church

13th 11.30-1.30 Lunch with Santa Witcham V Hall

15th 2.30pm Good Companions Christmas Lunch Village Hall

16th 10.00am Friendship Club Christmas Buffet Village Hall

16th No Camera Club meeting - Christmas break

20th 8.00am Holy Communion St Mary’s Church

20th 10.30am United Carol Service Union Chapel

25th 10.30am Christmas Eucharist St Mary’s Church

27th 10.30am Parish Eucharist St Mary’s Church

JANUARY 2016

3rd 10.30am Service with Communion Union Chapel

6th 7.30pm Camera Club Village Hall

7th 7.0pm Mepal WI Village Hall

10th 10.30am Plough Service at St Martin’s Witcham

11th 7.30pm Parish Council Village Hall

13th 10.00am Friendship Club: Quiz & lunch at Witcham V Hall

17th 8.00am Holy Communion St Mary’s Church

17th 10.30am Family Service with Duncan Palmer Union Chapel

20th 10.00am Unwanted gifts and raffle & bingo Village Hall

20th 7.30pm Camera Club Village Hall

23rd 10am-noon St Mary’s Coffee Morning & Sale Village Hall

24th 10.30am Parish Eucharist St Mary’s Church

27th 10.00am Friendship Club: Talk on Mepal village bygone days Village Hall

31st 10.30am Joint service at St Martin’s Witcham

23rd January

St Mary’s Coffee

Morning & Sale

Village Hall

15th December

Good Companions

Christmas Lunch

Village Hall

2nd December

Friendship Club

Bingo & Raffle

Village Hall

17th January

Family Service

Union Chapel

3rd December

WI Christmas

Bring & Share

Buffet

Village Hall

9th & 10th Dec

Hosanna Rock

Mepal & Witcham

School

Baby & Toddler Group

At Witcham Village Hall

9.30-11.00am

Wednesdays during

Term Time

Newcomers always Welcome

For further information

please call Emma 778923

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions

expressed in this article are those of the

authors and do not necessarily reflect

those of the editors or the Parish Council

Adverts & Inserts: mepalparishcouncil@msn.com

We’re waiting to hear from you! Mepal People is distributed free to every house in

Mepal and is run by volunteers. Want to help? Get in

touch!

Articles for next issue by 19th January By email - mepalpeople@gmail.com (preferred

option) or by post/hand - Sandy, 23 High Street or

Barbara, 18 Laurel Close

The showing of Andrew Selwyn-Crome’s film “Evil Never

Dies” on 18th September was only attended by a handful of people. We cannot afford to lose money on events, nor embarrass performers and others – on this occasion

Andrew and the leading actor Tony Scanell were present – by a lamentably poor turnout. So we have reluctantly

decided to cease promoting entertainment events, at least for the time being.

Similarly our widely publicised games evening on 3rd November was only attended by four people – your Chairman,

Secretary, one other Committee member and the gentleman whose enquiry had led us to take this initiative. Unless we hear of demand from a significant number of people willing to commit themselves to join in this activity,

we shall not be repeating it.

As mentioned in the last Mepal People, we had been planning a Christmas social event for 12th December, but a

number of us will be away and at the time of writing it looks as if there will not be enough of us to undertake the

necessary tasks and we shall have to abandon this proposal.

The one thing that apparently does persuade people to come out is the prospect of a hearty meal. The Hall was packed on 31st October for the breakfast morning which launched next summer’s village celebration of the

Queen’s 90th birthday. The volunteers who had kindly agreed to prepare the food were kept busy fulfilling orders

from a record number of people. These events have proved consistently popular and we hope to arrange another

in the early part of 2016.

The Red Cross defibrillator demonstration on Saturday 10th October was also well attended and as a result there should be a number of Mepal residents who know what to do if someone collapses with an apparent cardiac

problem. We hope the equipment will be installed soon in the High Street.

We aware that the outside appearance of the building has recently left something to be desired. We are obtaining

a new signboard to go on the western front of the Hall. We have made some progress in tackling the repeated

growth of weeds around the car park. We shall persist with the latter, but many of the weeds have rooted

themselves in the tarmac and the only lasting solution will be to resurface it, which is needed anyway. It will be costly but we are investigating possible ways to finance this.

Don’t forget the Village Hall is available to hire at a very reasonable rate and is ideal for parties, meetings,

celebrations of all sorts. Use of the excellent kitchen facilities are included in the hire charge. By the time you

read this the Christmas decorations will be up and the hall ready for any seasonal events you may be considering.

To hire the Hall contact Ruth Pitcher 775178. Local community groups and private parties £10 per hour, reduced to £8

for local community groups before 6 pm. Commercial bookings please enquire.

Secretary David Stazicker 778129 david.stazicker@gmail.com

CHRISTMAS QUIZ

Who had Christmas number ones with the following?

1. 1954 - Let’s Have Another Party

2. 1957 - Mary’s Boy Child

3. 1962 - Return to Sender

4. 1965 - Day Tripper

5. 1973 - Merry Xmas Everybody

6. 1980 - There’s No One Quite Like Grandma

7. 1985 - Merry Christmas Everyone

8. 1990 – Saviour’s Day

9. 1995 - Earth Song

10. 2000 - Can We Fix It?

11. 2010 - When We Collide

12. 2014 - Something I Need

1. Winifred

Atwell

2. Harry

Belafonte

3. Elvis Presley

4. The Beatles

5. Slade

6. St Winifred’s

School Choir

7. Shakin’

Stevens

8. Cliff Richard

9. Michael

Jackson

10. Bob the

Builder

11. Matt Cardle

12. Ben Haenow

TONY’S QUIZ: ANSWERS

MEPAL and WITCHAM SCHOOL In the year since the school became part of the Diocese of Ely Multi Academy Trust, Mepal and Witcham School's pupils have

greatly improved their learning achievement, and our SATs results were good. This is of course thanks to the whole staff team,

who have worked extremely hard under the direction of Mrs Clare Edmond as acting Headteacher, and Mrs Judith Skelton as

Consultant Headteacher. Now the School is setting out on a new self-supporting course for the future.

From the beginning of the Spring term, Mrs Louise Lomax will be our headteacher, and to prepare for the transition, Mrs

Skelton is, since half-term, our substantive headteacher, with Mrs Edmond reverting to her roles as deputy headteacher and

teacher in charge of Early Years (Reception) and Year 1. Mrs Lomax, who shone at competitive interview after the post was

widely advertised, comes to us with a great deal of experience of teaching all primary school age-groups, and of school

leadership both as a deputy and as a sometime acting headteacher. She knows our area well (she lives in Ely, and her present

post is in Chatteris), and she is a practising Christian, a great boon for our church school.

We look forward to welcoming her next term - and to finding ways to introduce her to those of you who do not have children in

school, as well as to those who have. Meanwhile, the school governors would like to express in public their gratitude to Mrs

Skelton and Mrs Edmond, and their whole staff team, for all they have done, and continue to do, for our school and our

children.

Elizabeth Stazicker, Chairman of Governors

We are always looking to recruit new members for the Club. We meet every 1st and 3rd Wednesday from 7.30pm to 9.30pm in Mepal Village Hall (no meetings in December). The Club offers a non-competitive, informal friendly atmosphere. It is a very enthusiastic group for amateurs to learn and improve their photographic skills with their digital cameras. Please feel free to come along and meet us all, over a cup of tea or coffee.

For more information: Joy Gates 07757 035525; Keith Ardley 07930 186598

Future Club dates can be found on the Diary Page

MEPAL AND DISTRICT CAMERA CLUB Mepal & Witcham

Primary School

Lunch with Santa

Sunday 13th December

11.30-1.30

at Witcham Village Hall

hot food served, crafts stalls

and much more!

£8-Children

£4 Adults

contact Emma for tickets

07984 022786

MEPAL FRIENDSHIP CLUB We would like to thank all those who attended our AGM

meeting and would like to introduce you to our commit-

tee members and the roles they will be undertaking.

ANN FROST and JUNE KEAR have agreed to help with other duties. Ann has also agreed to write our piece for the Mepal People. HONORARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS: MURIEL HARLOW and PHILLIP WAYMAN We would like to thank them for their continuing work in doing the cards for members.

CHAIRPERSON JILL DOGGETT

TREASURER CHRISTINE BATT

SECRETARY SANDRA WATTS (Pam White to

help when needed)

MEALS ORGANISER CRISTINA HOLDEN

EVENTS ORGANISERS JILL MARTIN & Pam white

CATERING ORGANIS-

ERS

ANN WILLIAMS & CHRISTINE

BATT

THE FRIENDSHIP CLUB A few weeks ago I joined the Friendship Club. After nearly two years of thinking about it, I plucked up the courage and walked through the door!

I have met a lot of lovely ladies and gentlemen, just so nice and friendly. I have been on shopping trips, out to lunch, we have Bring & Buy sales, Bingo etc.

I wish I’d joined earlier!

Come and try the Friendship Club - I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Ann Frost

As I write this article, it is already the second week of November – time goes so fast!

The school has supported during the month of November, Children in Need, Samaritan’s

Purse-Operation Christmas Child and The British Legion poppy Appeal. Inevitably our thoughts are already turning

to Christmas and everything that means to a school.

You are warmly invited to:-

· A Christingle service at the school on Friday December 4th at 2pm

· A Christmas Fete at the school on Friday December 4th from 6.30pm

· Whole school performances of Hosanna Rock at the school on Wednesday December 9th and Thursday

December 10th at 2pm

Below are extracts of work from each class which I hope you will enjoy reading:-

This is my final article for Mepal People as I shall be leaving the school at the end of term. I have enjoyed being at

the school very much and I wish it every success for the future. I am pleased to tell you that Mrs Louise Lomax has

been appointed Head Teacher from January 1st 2016. She knows the local area very well and has taught across the

whole primary age range.

May I take this opportunity, on behalf of everyone connected to Mepal and Witcham School, to wish you a very

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Judith Skelton Consultant Head Teacher, Mepal & Witcham Primary School, Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust

OWLS Class – a repetitive phrase by Samuel

I am stick man

I am stick man I am stick man That’s me. I like to live In the family tree.

ROBINS Class – innovation of a poem by Poppy I will put in the box… A blue shiny stripe of a rainbow The sound of a tweeting blackbird A limited edition metallic golden Shopkins.

I will put in the box… A splodge of gooey red paint The pearl of a mermaids bracelet A screaming loud whistle Fairies wings and a witches spell.

I will put in the box… The glimmering shine of the sun A clash of the blue water hitting the rocks The rain falling off the red berries.

My box is fashioned from gold and silver stripes with

a spotted topping. It is full of light colours on the side. A pink ribbon is wrapped around the box.

Herons Class – a poem by Jack, Billy, William and Rueben Varjak saw… An endless beam of cotton wool sky, Drifting like a dreaming sloth, Pointed skyscrapers, like a Diplodocus teeth. The iron flat river, Tucked between the buildings like a shard of glass. Puffed up trees, Like a row of petrified cats. A canopy of dusk,

Covers the horizon.

Our next meeting is on

Thursday December 3rd at 7.30pm at Mepal Village Hall

Entertainment by Footlights barbershop quartet

plus a Bring & Share buffet

Visitors and new members very welcome (£3 charge for non members)

Our January meeting will be on 7th January 2016

Further information please contact: Ruth Pitcher on 01353 75178

Cruse Bereavement Care

the national bereavement charity

“Awareness in Bereavement Care”

Training Course

The Cruse nationally accredited Bereavement

Volunteer training course.

Twelve sessions from 5th March 2016

until 25th June 2016

at The Meadows Community Centre, Cambridge

Open Evening for more information to be held on Monday 7th December 7.00pm –

9.00pm

at The Meadows Community Centre

Further information & application forms from:

cambridge@cruse.org.uk or 01223 302662

GRUMBLE….GRUMBLE….GRUMBLE……

It seems we have a rather curmudgeonly

parishioner who isn’t anticipating

much pleasure from seasonal TV!

What gets your goat? Let us know

and we’ll share it for you. Keep it

light, nothing personal or offensive

please!

Christmas is nearly upon us and the various TV

channels will be announcing their exciting

yuletide programmes. The Beeb will no doubt

being having a few hours of people yelling at

each other (Eastenders) and a 'special' version

of women dancing with men who have bad breath

(Strictly Come Prancing). How do I know the

men have bad breath? Why else would the

women be imitating bananas to get their noses

as far away from their partner as possible?

Still, at least we will have a re-run of The Sound

of Music!

So I will not be watching TV. I shall instead be

checking my bank balance with a tear in my eye.

Bah humbug Anon

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND PEACEFUL NEW

YEAR, FROM THE MEPAL PEOPLE EDITORS

JUST A THOUGHT………

As 2016 approaches, or indeed at any time, many of us get

involved in organising things, eg a birthday party, a

committee meeting, a holiday etc.

A set of questioning words can be found to be useful in an

endeavour to not forget an important aspect of the

project. No, this doesn’t just apply to citizens of the Third

Age, including this contributor!

The great English writer, poet and chronicler of the then

British Empire, Joseph RUDYARD KIPLING - born in India

1865 who died in 1936 - wrote simply:

I KEEP SIX HONEST SERVING MEN

THEY SERVE ME WELL AND TRUE

THEIR NAMES ARE “WHAT?” AND “WHY?”

AND “WHEN?”

AND “WHERE?” AND “HOW? AND “WHO?”

One could always add “WHAT COST?” and others of your

choice, and you could sing it if you like!

In these more enlightened times, ‘twould be right, of

course, to replace “men” with, say, “folk”.

Gordon Reid

MEPAL BIG BREAKFAST

My husband and I went to this function recently. What a lovely surprise. Food and atmosphere were great and what a lovely way to while away a Saturday morning. Adrienne Hicks

Cruse Bereavement Care When someone you love dies, it can feel as though a piece of you has died too. But you don’t have to go through it alone. Cruse Bereavement Care is here to support you through one of the most difficult experiences you will ever have to face.

Cambridge Cruse Bereavement Care is your local branch of the voluntary national bereavement care organisation. Established in 1965 with the active support of the Mayor and City Council of Cambridge, Cambridge Cruse Be-reavement Care now has over a hundred specially trained volunteers working in Cambridge, Fenland, South Cambs, East Cambs, Uttlesford, Ely, Newmar-ket, Saffron Walden and Haverhill.

Cambridge Cruse operates in your Parish.

Bereavement is a very personal and unique experience for each individual. Yet the intense feelings and emotions we experience at the time of substantial loss are normal.

Cruse provides well trained, understanding Bereavement Support volunteers to whom you can talk in complete confidence. Our volunteers are able to give support over a period of time appropriate to individual needs. There is no charge.

Get in touch: Cambridge Cruse Helpline: 01223 633536. Cambridge Cruse Office (admin only) 01223 302662.

RAISE FUNDS FOR MEPAL VILLAGE HALL AS YOU SHOP!

There are so many good causes out there, all wanting help and support to keep going, provide services, grow or

develop, carry out projects etc. The Village Hall Management Team are no different! We need to maintain our

income to cover essential maintenance, ongoing costs such as insurance, utility bills, cleaning, licences etc. With

that in mind we have signed up with EasyFundraising.org.uk. How does it work?

1. Let's say you want to buy a pair of shoes from John Lewis. Instead of going to johnlewis.com directly, you

first go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk.

2. From the easyfundraising website, click through to John Lewis to make your purchase. This tells John Lewis

you came from easyfundraising. The price of the shoes is exactly the same.

3. After you buy your shoes, John Lewis will give you a cash reward that you can turn into a donation for your

good cause. easyfundraising collect this and send it on at no extra cost.

4. You can skip steps 1 and 2 with the easyfundraising Donation Reminder. Just click the reminder when you

shop to receive any eligible donations. You’ll never forget a free donation again!

The donations we receive from you could range from a couple of pence to several pounds, depending on the value of

your purchase, and it doesn’t cost you anything! Don’t take our word for it - if you are interested in knowing more,

just visit www.easyfundraising.org.uk and find out all about it. Please!

MEPAL NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

You may or may not be aware that there have been three distraction burglaries in Mepal recently. These crimes are committed by the most despicable kind of criminals because they prey on the elderly and frail.

The crimes leave the victims traumatically scarred and their lives are never the same again. Mepal Neighbourhood Watch feels it is the village’s first priority to protect their senior members. So we have contacted Mepal Parish Council with the view to having a CCTV camera installed in the village. If the CCTV camera is placed correctly it will be able to check incoming and outgoing vehicles. We would like your support for this project.

These victims could have been your mother/father or your grandparents please let us unite and try to keep the criminal classes off our streets.

Ann Roberts

Mepal Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator

The Travels of

Mepal Mike This is a photo of me on

the Harley Davidson

statue in Littleport;

since then, I’ve been to

Wimpole Hall, Grafham

Water, Ramsey and, of

course, MEPAL!

…………….but there are lots of other places I’d

like to go before my travels have to end next

June. If you’d like to take me somewhere, pay

£1 (to look after me for up to 3 days) or £2

(over 3 days) to the Mepal Events Team, take a

photo of me and you will have a chance to win

me in the draw at next year’s BIG VILLAGE

EVENT! I’m currently living with Georgina so

contact her on 777112 to make my travel ar-

rangements, or email mepalevents@outlook.com

BALL WALL

COMPLETED! Well, it’s been a while in the planning, and has been subject to lots of delays, but the Parish Council are delighted to announce that finally the Ball Wall on the Recreation Field is complete. It will give players young and old a practice target and should remove the need to kick balls against the wall of the Pavilion! Repairs to the Pavilion guttering and facia are now also complete and we

trust there will be no further damage.

Please would everyone do their bit to take care of the facilities we have, and remember that damage caused by deliberate or reckless actions could be a criminal

offence! Thanks to all.

A SPACE, SO A LITTLE BIT OF NONSENSE……….

1. Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety-one?

2. If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhoea...does that mean that one out of five enjoys it?

3. Why do croutons come in airtight packages? Aren't they just stale bread to begin with?

4. If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?

ELY & SOHAM ASSOCIATION FOR

COMMUNITY TRANSPORT This service is available to local residents, with a bus picking up in various villages including Mepal, Witcham and Sutton. The bus drops off at various locations around Ely including the town centre, Tesco, Waitrose, Aldi & Sainsbury’s for a RETURN FARE £8.00 (half fare with a valid bus pass).

As well as daily journeys to Ely there are monthly visits to Cambridge, St Neots, Huntingdon AND St Ives. All these should be booked in advance by phoning ESACT on 01353 661161.

Specials - longer trips to include lunch outings and shopping trips. Details of the December Specials are below.

LUNCH OUTINGS:

THE SHIP INN Relax in the waterside surrounding of the Great Ouse River. A menu with dishes that combine the best local ingredients and fresh delicious flavours. Return Fare £8.00. Arriving 12:00 noon. Departing 14:00 Wednesday 2nd December 2015

THE OLD FERRY BOAT, HOLYWELL The Old Ferry Boat is England’s oldest inn, it overlooks the Great Ouse. A traditional pub menu has all the classics for you to enjoy. Return Fare £8.00. Arriving 12:00 noon. Departing 14:00 Monday 7th December 2015

THE MARSH HARRIER, ST IVES This is a new build pub situated on the outskirts of St Ives. Serving good quality food and offering 2 for 1 deals on all main dishes. Return Fare £8.00. Arriving 12:00 noon. Departing 14:00 Wednesday 16th December 2015

SPECIAL OUTINGS:

SPRINGFIELDS SHOPPING & GARDEN CENTRE, SPALDING OR BAYTREE GARDEN CENTRE, SPALDING Choice of either Springfields which has over 55 outlet stores and gardening products or Baytree where you can explore every aspect of gardening. Friday 4th December 2015 Return Fare: £15.00

NEWMARKET A unique and historic market town with many shops and places to eat, market day is on a Tuesday. Tuesday 15th December 2015 Return Fare: £10.00

PETERBOROUGH A cathedral city with many places to shop and eat, also Queensgate Shopping Centre full of places to shop and eat all under one roof. Monday 21st December 2015 Return Fare: £15.00

Posters with full details of the ESACT service can be seen on the notice board at Mepal Stores, and on our Parish Council website.

PARISH COUNCIL WEBSITE, AND A BIT MORE……………..

Our new website is still developing, but now most village organisations are represented and

village news is being updated regularly. If you have anything you think should be on our website

and isn’t, please let Barbara Green, Parish Clerk know.

Call 07739 988736, drop a note in to 18 Laurel Close or email

mepalparishcouncil@msn.com

The Parish Council also now has a FaceBook page! It’s very new and not very active at the moment,

but the intention is that it will grow to be useful to those residents who use social media, and be an extra

tool to help us reach everyone in Mepal. You don’t need to be a FaceBook user to visit our page - just

go to www.facebook.com and search for Mepal Parish Council. We haven’t yet ventured as far as

Twitter - your Parish clerk doesn’t use Twitter at home and doesn’t really know how it works, sorry!

We can’t stress how important it is for us to keep in touch with all Mepal parishioners. Many organisations, the

Parish Council included, are run by, shall we say, the more senior members of our community. Sooner or later these

people will want to take a step down, and at the moment there don’t seem to be any younger folk willing to step up

to fill the gaps. We already have 3 vacancies for Parish Councillors - if two of our existing councillors are away for

a meeting we cannot go ahead. If two actually stepped down we would not have enough members to remain as a

Parish Council. It really isn’t an onerous undertaking and the more people there are the easier it gets - please

consider this as a rewarding way to do your bit, and to keep Mepal such a special place to have your home.

PLEASE NOTE: THE DATE OF THE JANUARY MEETING HAS TO BE

CHANGED - PLEASE SEE WEBSITE AND NOTICEBOARD FOR REVISED

DATE (NOT AVAILABLE AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS).

.MEPAL PARISH COUNCIL REPORT OF ACTIVITIES OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015

Councillors: Mrs Elizabeth Stazicker (Chairman), Mr Allen Sallis,

Mr Alan Catley & Mr Peter Durose

Clerk Contact: Barbara Green Tel: 07739 988736

18 Laurel Close, Mepal CB6 2BN

Email: mepalparishcouncil@msn.com Website: www.mepalparish.org.uk

The Parish Council have been busy over the last couple of months, catching up with lots of outstanding

projects that have been in the pipeline for some time.

We are pleased to confirm that, following the demonstration in the Village Hall in October we

decided to purchase a defibrillator for the village. Just as we were about to investigate the best

model for our purpose we were told that the British Heart Foundation are encouraging community

groups and organisations to apply for a free defibrillator and training kit from them, as part of a

national scheme. We have sent in our application and hope to hear very soon that we have been

successful. If we are not awarded a defibrillator through the BHF scheme we will go ahead and

purchase one as originally intended. Once we are in possession we will arrange to spread the word

around the village and offer free training sessions to anyone who is interested. The defibrillator will

be situated so that it will be available for emergency use at any time of the day or night.

As mentioned earlier in the newsletter, the long awaited Ball Wall on the Recreation Field is now

complete and we are delighted to hear that it is being used already. Many of you will be aware that

there has been damage to the facia and guttering of the Pavilion over recent months, due to footballs

being kicked at the Pavilion wall. This has been repaired twice now, and we trust that having the

Ball Wall in use means there will be no further damage done. We should point out that reckless or

deliberate damage is a criminal offence and could lead to charges being made, which is something

we are all keen to avoid.

Remedial work to the drainage lines on the football pitch is due to start (or has already started). We

are told it will take three years for the work to be entirely complete, but we hope that some

improvement will be seen very quickly.

By the time you read this our damaged bus shelters will at long last have been repaired. Simon, our

Parish Handyman, will then spend some time cleaning the two shelters so they present a better image

to residents and visitors. Please can we ask that posters and signs are not sellotaped on the panels, as

once the adhesive is exposed to the weather it is very hard to remove and leaves an unpleasant sticky

mess.

Another aspect of village maintenance that has been needing attention for some time relates to

footpaths and bridle ways. Simon will be cutting back the overgrowth as soon as possible, fitting

this work in with his regular job and around other priorities around the village. The Highways

Department are coming to inspect the footpath past St Mary’s Church toward the Three Pickerels,

and we are hopeful they will agree to repair the uneven surface. If not it will fall to the Parish to do.

At our November meeting we agreed that drawing from reserves will allow the precept for 2016/17

to remain at the same level as this year. Calculations show that we should be able to complete

projects already planned while retaining sufficient funds to protect us against unexpected

contingencies.

We have again applied to have better signage at the one way section of High Street. Our last

application was not successful but we this time we have received a favourable first response, and we

hope to hear that our application to the Local Highways Initiative has been

successful very soon.

We have had further discussions about providing improved signs at the pedestrian

and cycle crossing on the A142. We feel it is very important that this crossing is

more obvious to motorists to reduce the risk to users travelling to and from

Sutton. We hope to be able to report shortly that this work is underway.