July Chair Letter : Buy in Bubwith, Bridge Meeting & Boom

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Dear Parishioners of Bubwith & Breighton

 

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the sunshine if not the garden watering.   I have only 2 very important things to cover this month beginning of course with Bubwith Bridge.

 

The bridge continues to cause a great disruption to the village with an increasing number of incidents of vehicles stuck on the bridge causing major hold-ups and worse as with the incident where people were stuck behind a van this week with no way forward or back!  Sadly, the solution and repair are also not going to be easy. I believe it will impact on everyone in the village and many in the surrounding area, a time for us to pull together as a community.

 

A meeting was held at the Leisure Centre on the 9th June.  It was attended by and unprecedented 8 officers from ERYC, Councillor Victoria Aitken and David Davis MP. Our community of Bubwith and Breighton attended in high numbers and raised some very important questions and concerns.  A full account of the meeting is elsewhere in the Bugle to enable people to see the range of concerns, if I’ve missed anything in my note taking please get in touch with Steve Young who will make amendments.

 

ERYC communications lead, Jenny Walker has advised they will shortly be putting contact details on Facebook and through other social media for people to get in touch to raise individual concerns and seek help.  There is a contact email that you can use now to direct questions to individual officers simply mark ‘for the attention of’ and it will get to them.

 

There is a great thirst for details of what will happen and when.  The Parish Council will do our best to ensure this is available to people as quickly as possible, we will also seek to bust myths and rumours wherever we can.

 

Many people will feel stressed and disempowered during the period of the repair; there is nothing worse than feeling out of control of an inescapable situation.  So what can we do?  One thought is to establish a ‘Buy in Bubwith’ campaign.  When it’s difficult to get out of the village why not patronize our local businesses more than we currently do.  This may not be easy for everyone but if we all had a regular monthly meal at the White Swan, a take away or meal from Cinnamon, buy our meat and bakery goods from Mounfields, have a regular trip to the Jug and Bottle for a treat or pick me up (I know chocolate cake always helps a bad situation), not to mention gifts and deli lunches and suppers that would be an excellent start.  Similarly, support our new Morrisons and don’t forget the Leisure centre, if your classes are in North Duffield see if you can temporarily shift to Bubwith and vice versa.  Any other thoughts on lifts and car sharing are welcome; perhaps we can do a ‘Lifts & Shares’ WhatsApp group?  Any other ideas please get in-touch; perhaps we need to establish a Bubwith & Breighton Pull Together (BBPT) group?

 

The second big-ticket issue is the BOOM Solar Farm consultation.  The Parish Council is not a formal consultee and as such won’t be formally responding.  Everyone should have received a consultation pack.  There are clearly some people who will be more directly impacted than others and people are split in their views, as they are concerned for our energy security or our food security or both.  Whatever your view, I urge you to respond to the consultation.  The decision will not be taken locally due to the size of the proposal. There is a process where the Planning Inspectorate will receive the consultation report (amongst other things) from BOOM who will then report to the Secretary of State for Energy Security who will make the final decision.  Please ensure your view is included.

 

Thank you for your kind attention.

 

Best wishes.

Sandra Hills, Chair of Bubwith Parish Council   

I’m always glad to hear of concerns and issues.  .

https://www.facebook.com/BubwithParishCouncil)

 

Bus Timetables Bridge Closure

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Please find attached 2 timetables for the shuttle bus:
Red – current service until Saturday 1st July 2023
Blue – Service from Monday 3rd July 2023 for the duration of the bridge closure
The shuttle will leave Bubwith via the B1228 and head north to Sutton on Derwent connecting with Wheldrake.
Buses will wait for any late-running shuttles.

Bubwith Bus Timetable bridge Closure

Bubwith Bus Timetable bridge Closure

Bubwith Bridge Closure Meeting Update

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A consultation meeting to discuss the planned bridge closure was held in the Leisure Centre on Friday evening.  The meeting was chaired by Councillor Victoria Aitken and fielded a range of officers from East Yorkshire County Councillor, from structural engineering, adult and children’s social services, economic development and communication. The Right Honourable David Davis MP was also in attendance.

 

The meeting was well attended by members of the community of Bubwith and surrounding villages who made strong and valid points regarding the closure and it’s impact on individuals and businesses.

 

Points raised included:
  • Pedestrian access and the need for at a minimum a footbridge
  • Timescale of the repair – strongly urge the council to revisit the contract they have and push for 7-day working and 12-hour days.
  • The potential to do the repair in phases.
  • Care support for our residents – many are supplied from Selby and negotiations need to be put in place to ensure care companies allow longer for visits to address the diversion.
  • Children and teenagers getting to school in North Duffield, Selby and York
  • Shuttle Bus provision – both to meet up with the Wheldrake service into York and also to North Duffield and Selby.
  • Access to the GP surgery for North Duffield residents registered with the Bubwith Practice
  • Emergency Services (Ambulance/Fire/Police) – all have been informed and will take account of attending in the village and surrounding areas based on the closure.
  • Future weight restrictions on the bridge to reduce similar issues arising again.
The discussion was full and at times energised.  The officers are taking the points away and will be revisiting current plans particularly taking on board the need for a pedestrian access bridge and the contract for the repair.  This will need to be discussed and agreed upon internally within the Council prior to final decisions being made.

 

At this point, it is believed the closure will go ahead in July as planned.
Minutes of the meeting have been taken by myself and Councillor Liz Hayes and we will work to give a fuller account in the next two weeks.

 

I have some copies of the shuttle bus timetable and I will put copies on bus stands in the village.

 

If anyone needs a copy please contact Steve Young, Parish Council Clerk.Tel: 01757 288234

 

Email: 

 

The Parish Council will continue to work closely with the County Council on behalf of our community and will ensure regular ongoing communication is given.

 

Best wishes to everyone in these difficult times.

 

Sandra Hills
Bubwith Parish Council Chair
Mob: 07748965779

June Chair Letter : Plant Sale, Church Street & the Bridge

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Dear Parishioners of Bubwith & Breighton 

I hope this finds you well and enjoying this variable weather. Just a few things to flag this month. Firstly, I hope you will remember and come along to our second Table Top and Plant sale to be held at the Leisure Centre between 9am and 12 midday on Sunday 4th June. Table bookings are  

going well (but there are still some available) with a blend of plants and other items for sale. We will be serving bacon and sausage sandwiches, coffees and teas and there will be a bakery table. Entry is free and it promises to be fun! 

If you are interested in having a table, selling plants or even volunteering please contact me: sandra or 07748965779. 

At last, the repair of Church Street is scheduled and a planned closure from the Church to Main Street will take place from 30th May to 2nd June to carry out repairs. Apologies for the inconvenience but you’d probably agree it will be worth it. 

The pain and inconvenience of Bubwith Bridge is felt by all including Parish Councillors. A full update on the situation and joint work between County Councillors, Parish Councillors and Officers of East Riding of Yorkshire  County Council is detailed elsewhere in the Bugle. 

East Riding of Yorkshire CC Community Task Force walkabout will take place on the 13th June. I will accompany officers in Bubwith and John Watkinson will do likewise in Breighton. If there is anything you wish to have brought to their attention please contact Steve Young, Parish Clerk who is collating issues to be raised. The Bubwith Little People Projects Group has now received 3 potential designs for the new playground and will shortly be meeting to consider the options. We will also be engaging more widely with people to ensure we reflect the community’s view of what we want prior to seeking grants. 

Anyone who wishes to get involved more actively please get in touch. 

You will no doubt have received a copy of the East Yorkshire Solar Farm Statutory Public Consultation Bro chure in the post. It is important that people are aware and air their views; at one of the Consultation Events  (Saturday 10th June at Bubwith Leisure Centre from 2.00 – 8.00pm), as an individual using the feedback form included in the brochure or via the Parish Council (this will be an agenda item at our meeting 7pm Thursday  8th June at Bubwith Leisure Centre).  

Finally, my congratulations go to all organisers of the Coronation events. Emma and Claire with their respective teams from Mounfield Butchers and the White Swan put on a great party many thanks to you all.  Best wishes. Sandra Hills, Chair of Bubwith Parish Council 

I’m always glad to hear of concerns and issues. .

https://www.facebook.com/BubwithParishCouncil

March Chair Letter : Volunteers are the lifeblood of any community

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Dear Parishioners of Bubwith & Breighton

 

I’ve always thought Volunteers are the lifeblood of any community and some of my very best experiences and achievements in my professional life have been where volunteers have been involved.  

 

There are as many reasons for being a volunteer as there are volunteers.  Some want to change the status quo because their experience and outlook on life is different to that of others, (it frequently is when you are on the receiving end of a service rather than designing it) and others just want to make things happen.

 

For some volunteering is a vehicle to gain experience or to raise their profile and get positive feedback.  For others it’s to quietly get on with something because they feel it is important or they get an inner glow from making other peoples lives easier or happier.  Bubwith and Breighton is blessed with a full range, some you’ll know and others will be invisible but all of them, formal and informal, bringing a contribution that makes our community a better place to live.

 

My focus this month is on just some of the volunteering and events that are currently going on in our community.  It isn’t a comprehensive list as there are many more that I don’t have time to cover today.

 

Firstly, Bubwith Leisure and Sports Centre Charity Committee.  The AGM saw some changes with Barry Carpus stepping down as secretary, a big thank you to him for his hard work over the years.  Shaun Thompson has stepped up as the new Chair and Adrienne Richards a new committee member as Secretary. Alison Craven has also joined the committee and is one of the organisers of the reinstated Bingo nights.

Other volunteer opportunities exist within the charity as Treasurer and more general volunteers are always welcome.

 

The Table Top sale went reasonably well thanks to the many people who ran a table or attended.  We listened and learned from the feedback we got and are planning another Table Top and Plant Sale for the morning of Monday the 8th May (Coronation Public Holiday).  This is a shout out to all would be stall holders and gardeners if you are interested please get in touch with me or 07748965779.

 

An Easter Sunday Egg Run has been arranged at the Leisure Centre from 2 to 4pm on Sunday 9th April.  This fundraiser is for a new playground and promises to be great family fun.  The children’s egg and spoon run will be on the new track and a raffle, cakes, tea and coffee will be for sale.  Organisers of this event are a volunteer group of parents and grandparents keen to expand facilities for small and young people.  Our primary goal is a new playground and temporary refresh of the old one. We are keen to explore how the centre can expand its offer, such as being open for play days in school holidays or running a playgroup. We welcome new members, as we need ideas and views as well as volunteers.

 

After the success of the Fashion Show in October a second one has been organized for 7pm on 21st April to raise funds for the Bubwith Leisure Centre.  Tickets available from Steve Johnston Tel: 07551338080. Thanks to Steve and the band of volunteers who work hard to organize this enjoyable social event.

 

My last volunteer group mention is the Parish Council itself, although people don’t always think of the Parish Councillors as volunteers. 

The term of office for our current Parish Councillors is almost at an end with elections/re-elections taking place on the 4th May. Sadly, one of our current PCs is unable to stand again; our thanks go to Paula Clark for the contribution she has made during her time with us she will be sorely missed.

 

In the lead up to elections the Parish Council are holding a Wine & Cheese Event in the Bubwith Leisure Centre Bar from 7pm on Monday 27th March.  All are welcome to come along to meet Councillors, discuss issues of importance and maybe consider standing as a Councillor themselves.  A similar event was held in 2022 where a large number of issues were raised and subsequently addressed by the PC. 

I look forward to welcoming you but if you can’t make it and you have an issue please let me know.

The event is being sponsored by personal contribution of the PCs.

 

Finally, can I remind you of the Spaldington Wind Farm Community Fund this year the fund will open from the 13th March to 19th May; decisions will be made on the 14th June. 

https://www.eastriding.gov.uk/council/grants-and-funding/spaldington-wind-farm-community-fund/ 

I would encourage groups to apply for either a small grant up to £500 or larger.  All details on the East Riding website above.

 

Take care to stay dry.  

Best wishes.

 

Sandra Hills, Chair of Bubwith Parish Council

I’m always glad to hear of concerns and issues.  .

https://www.facebook.com/BubwithParishCouncil)

February Chair Letter : February is full of activity!

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Dear Parishioners of Bubwith & Breighton

 

February may be the shortest month of the year but what it lacks in length it seems to make up for with activity!

 

The Parish Council continue to pursue the issues that are raised as concerns by people; contact is being made on a daily basis with EYCC regarding the bridge repair, signage and impact on local businesses and residents, similarly the state of the roads in Breighton and Bubwith with emphasis on some of the worst such as Church Street.  We are now asking residents to bring additional pressure to bear through individual emailed complaints.  Steve Young has been advising the email address to send to.

 

I attended a meeting of the Spaldington Wind Farm Community Fund Panel recently.  Our community has a brilliant record of successful applications over the years including funding a youth club leader, our mini bookcase, benches, defibrillators, outdoor furniture for the school and a variety of amenities for the Leisure Centre.   This year the fund will open from the 13th March to 19th May, decisions will be made on the 14th June. https://www.eastriding.gov.uk/council/grants-and-funding/spaldington-wind-farm-community-fund/ 

I would encourage groups to apply for either a small grant up to £500 or larger.  All details on the East Riding website above.

 

Our Youth Club goes from strength to strength thanks to our staff and volunteers.  Recently 47 members attained a certificate in First Aid.  Well done Youth Club!

 

Bubwith Leisure and Sports Centre – Thanks to our increased volunteers there are two events coming up that I’d like to flag: 

 

The return of Bingo to the Leisure Centre at 7pm on the 24th February which promises to be good fun with £150 jackpot too!

 

The Table Top Sale from 10am to 3pm on Sunday 26th February.  Over 25 tables booked. A range of items including children’s clothing (various ages), sports equipment, silver jewelry, general household goods, craft yarns and much more.  Teas, Coffees, Bacon Sandwiches and baked goods will be on offer and the Bar will be open and remain open for the Rugby after the event.  

There are still a number of tables available at £5 per table.

Entry will be 50p at the door.  A great opportunity to bag a bargain or meet for a natter!  All proceeds to Community Projects.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING CASH.

If you are interested in booking a table or volunteering for this or future events please drop me an email or telephone 07748965779.  I will be delighted to hear from you and book you a stall.

 

Finally, I had an interesting chat with a senior member of our parish recently who advised me there are still a lot of people who don’t have the internet or mobile phones and who rely on the Bugle and notice boards to get their information.  They feel a little disconnected from what is going on.  PC discussed this at our recent meeting and will be seeking to include more information on ‘what’s on’ locally and also to have a notice board at the road end of the Leisure Centre to highlight activities.  

 

Take care to enjoy this mild weather.  

Best wishes.

 

Sandra Hills, Chair of Bubwith Parish Council

I’m always glad to hear of concerns and issues.  .

https://www.facebook.com/BubwithParishCouncil)

 

January Chair Letter : Reflections & Decluttering

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Dear Parishioners of Bubwith & Breighton

 

For many of us January is the month for reflection.  A quick check back over all of the events of the previous year, the resolutions we could, should or would have achieved and a renewed resolve for the coming year.

 

As PC Chair, January is also the time to say thank you to those individuals who give of themselves to make our parish an enjoyable place to live.  

Christmas is a high point and thanks go to FOBs for the Christmas Fayre, the Elves and Parish Councillors for the wonderful display on the green ( I note this was highlighted in the media), Mother Christmas for keeping the magic alive for children,  All Saints Church and Bubwith Community Primary for all of the Nativity activities and services and Richard and Shirley for once again playing hosts for mince pies and mulled wine following Carols around the Christmas Tree. 

 

Thanks also go to our local businesses that work extremely hard over the festive period to supply us with food and services to ensure an enjoyable time.

 

Sadly, I missed most of it, I’ve just returned from a long trip to the Australia and New Zealand, I won’t bore you with the details of catching up with 47 members of my husband’s family or my ham salad Christmas dinner. However, seeing many community’s amenities, particularly in NZ has renewed my commitment and I am raring to go with the theme of fundraising and engagement that I mentioned in the November Bugle. This is my major New Year resolution for our Parish and community.

 

To ‘kick off’, I’d like to remind you of the goal of regular Table Top sales at the Leisure Centre with the first planned for Sunday 26th February.  Akin to a Car Boot Sale but indoors, we hope to generate some interest from people to sell or buy or both and of course there will be food and drinks.  Doors open at 8am for stalls to set up, bargain hunters admitted at 10am and close at 3pm. The price of a table will be £5 and entrance 50p with all proceeds to BLSC projects.  

 

I feel sure there will be a number of people with a resolution to ‘declutter’ and find new homes for unwanted treasures and gifts.  Now is your chance to try your hand at sales or to bag a bargain!  If you are interested in booking a table or volunteering to run the event please drop me an email or telephone 07748965779.  I will be delighted to hear from you and book you a stall.

 

May I take this opportunity to wish you a Happy and Prosperous 2023 from the Parish Council.

 

Sandra Hills, Chair of Bubwith Parish Council

I’m always glad to hear of concerns and issues.  .

https://www.facebook.com/BubwithParishCouncil)

 

November Chair Letter : Benches, BOOM Power, & Cycle Track

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Dear Parishioners of Bubwith & Breighton

I do hope this finds you well and more importantly dry!!!!

 

It’s just as well our beautiful new benches (see below) that have finally been sited in Bubwith and Breighton are recycled plastic to withstand this weather.  I hope you are as delighted as I am to see them and more importantly use them on your walks.  My grateful thanks to Steve Young and Malcolm Henson who have worked tirelessly to apply for funds, source the benches, lay the concrete plinths and finally site them.  Thanks too to those individuals who have given their blessings to siting them near their homes. Apparently the suggestion for benches began almost 20 years ago (thank you Bunty) and got it’s final push over the finishing line earlier this year (thank you Paula and fellow PCs), so all that remains to say is, “take a pew”.

 

I attended a very interesting Bubwith Leisure and Sport Centre (BLSC) meeting this month.  It was great to see some of our new volunteers and to get their contributions into supporting this brilliant asset.  The Bubwith Mile progresses although rain has caused some delays to laying the final surface.  The suggestions for the playground were also discussed and how we can take this forward together with the planned Cycle Track.

The elephant in the room was of course money!  In order to achieve these two ambitious projects and just as importantly continue to address some of the urgent maintenance  (leaks in the roof to name just one) it is estimated we probably need to raise approx. £450K and in order to fundraise via grant applications and local means we need support and engagement from our community.

 

It would seem the theme for 2023 has to be fundraising and engagement.  To ‘kick off’ I’m working with 2 of our new volunteers (Kay and Carol) to establish regular Table Top sales at the Leisure Centre with the first planned for Sunday 26th February.  Akin to a Car Boot Sale but indoors, we hope to generate some interest from people to sell or buy or both and of course there will be food and drinks.  The price of a table will be £5 and entrance 50p with all proceeds to BLSC projects.  If you are interested in booking a table or volunteering to run the event please drop me an email .

 

Money is probably preying on many people’s minds at the moment and the Parish Council is no different.  Over the course of the past few years we have worked towards improving facilities and services for local people and in particular for our young folk with our very successful youth club ensuring they have outlets for their energy beyond simply getting into mischief! We have also recently agreed to support the cost of a part time role for the leisure centre to deal with bookings, statutory/legal requirements and facilitating opening up for groups and events (currently reliant on a volunteer) as we would like to get more use from this valuable asset. 

The discussion of the level precept is always an energized agenda item and this year is no different.  After much heartfelt debate we have agreed to set 2023/24s precept at an increase of 17%.  I know this sounds significant but it equates to £5.36 pa or 10p per week for band D council tax payers and by comparison with other local parishes we bench mark as low to average.  Our rationale is to sustain the facilities and services we have in our community and ensure we maintain our parish as a good place to live.

 

Quick update – informal consultation on proposed BOOM Energy solar farm.  I attended a meeting of Parish and Town Council Chairs this week to discuss and agree the key questions we need to get answered by BOOM in preparation for a meeting with BOOM planned for early December. Our representative at that meeting will be Councillor Liz Hayes.  We will continue to update on this as we progress to formal consultation in Spring 2023

 

Finally, good luck to FOBs for their upcoming Christmas Fayre on Sunday 27th Nov, 2pm at the Leisure Centre.  Enormous effort has gone into the planning and it promises to be great fun, so please don’t miss it!

 

Best wishes

 

 

Sandra Hills, Chair of Bubwith Parish Council

I’m always glad to hear of concerns and issues.  .

https://www.facebook.com/BubwithParishCouncil)

 

October Chair Letter : Christmas is coming

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Dear Parishioners of Bubwith & Breighton

 

The year is passing quickly; here we are nearing the end of October with Christmas just around the corner.  The village Christmas tree is on order and the 3rd December has been set as the date for it to be erected together with other decorations on the green.  Carols around the Christmas tree on Sunday 22nd Dec is also a date for your diary.

October has been a very busy month with many activities related to the Bubwith Sport and Leisure Centre including progress on groundwork for the running track.  Bubwith Playground project group has been established and a Visioning Consultation coffee morning was held on Sunday 9th October.   Demand for a new playground has been growing for some time now and some very helpful ideas and views came forward about what people want.  We are keen to get as many views as possible so if you are interested in getting involved or giving your views on the plans so far please contact me or mob: 07748965779.  I’d be happy to share our initial thought and capture any comments you would like to make.

 

This month the Parish Council has also been involved in the recent Non-statutory Consultation by BOOM Energy related to a proposed Solar Farm spanning some 3000 acres of land in the local area with the intention of generating 400 megawatts of electricity.  Most people have received a consultation booklet about the proposal and some have attended public consultation events in the area.  There are clearly many unanswered questions about the proposals that are at a very early phase.  The Parish Council will respond to this non-statutory consultation and urge any interested individuals to do likewise to inform and influence the final plans.

 

The process for formal consultation prior to the Secretary of State decision will take place over a number of months in early 2023.  Parish Council Chairs in those parishes affected are working together to ensure there will be a process for wide consultation and public response in that formal consultation phase.  Further information of how to engage will be made available in the coming months.

 

Finally, congratulations to the Bubwith Sport and Leisure Centre and in particular Steve Johnston for organizing the recent Fashion Show fundraiser at the centre.  The event was very well attended and was deemed to be a very successful and enjoyable social event that people would like to see repeated.  Thank you to all involved in organizing the event and the wonderful models who sashayed down the catwalk modeling the clothes.  

 

Best wishes

 

 

Sandra Hills, Chair of Bubwith Parish Council

I’m always glad to hear of concerns and issues.  .

https://www.facebook.com/BubwithParishCouncil)

 

August Chair Letter : Bubwith Bash & Leisure Centre Volunteers

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Dear Parishioners of Bubwith & Breighton

 

Sadly I’m against the clock today as my family will be descending on me this weekend and I’m ill prepared.  However, I have long enough to mention events that have been and some that are coming up.

 

The Big Bash, what can I say! A truly wonderful day with lots of people volunteering and assisting to setup and clear up, lend their prized marquees for shade, run the bar, man stalls, sort the bins and flog raffle tickets.  The sense of community was palpable and if my emotional quotient radar was working correctly, people were having an enjoyable time.  Thank you to all who contributed their time and also to those who brought their families along and took part, there would be no Bash without you all.  

 

My particular thanks to all those generous people who donated raffle prizes and bought raffle tickets (despite my over zealous sales pitch at the queue for the bar), we generated £310 for community projects with a focus on our local children.

 

Last month I spoke about exploring the parish becoming a Community Energy Co-operative and our aims to reduce energy costs and carbon through local energy generation. We made a start at our first meeting and have decided to push ahead a bit further.  We meet again at 7pm on Wednesday 7th September at the Leisure Centre. If we are to stand a chance of success we will need to demonstrate community buy in, so if you are at all interested please come along. 

Contact: or  

 

Finally, there was recently a post box drop to all houses on behalf of Bubwith Leisure and Sports Centre (BLSC) seeking volunteers and influencers to get involved.  I’m pleased to say some people will be coming along to the next Committee meeting.  We’d love there to be more so please feel free to get in touch to find out what it entails.  Mob: 07748965779.  In September a meeting is being planned to discuss how we get a new children’s play park, I have contact details for some interested  parents/grandparents but would welcome more.  

 

On that note, sorry but I must dash, a dirty bathroom is calling and I have a rendezvous with some apples and pastry. Enjoy the remainder of August.

 

Best wishes

 

Sandra Hills

Chair of Bubwith Parish Council   

  1. I’m always glad to hear of concerns and issues.  .

https://www.facebook.com/BubwithParishCouncil)