Scan text Nov 2005
Cover:
Starry Starry Night!
DON’T MISS OUR BIGGEST & BEST FIREWORKS PARTY!
With live music and a display by Kimbolton Fireworks, Nov 6th should be a night to remember! Don’t miss it !
A JOURNEY IN TIME - FINAL INSTALMENT
FAREWELL FROM FIONA - YOUTH WORKER STEPS DOWN
COMMUNITY CAR SCHEME - GOT A CAR? LIKE TO HELP PEOPLE?
TURF IT OUT! - SPECIAL COLLECTION DATE ANNOUNCED
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! - THE BELL CELEBRATES
The Parish Pump – local news
Playing Fields
A start has been made to provide basic amenities on the new field; the beacon, seats, litter bins and goal posts. Tenders are being sought for construction of the entrance. When that is completed a bicycle storage unit will be installed. A notice board is also on order. Please note that, even though the notice board is not yet in place, there are still rules to be observed. Two that are important to maintain safety are:
· No bicycles or vehicles.
· No dogs.
Parish Council Bulk Rubbish Collection
Wed-Fri Nov 16th-18th
Please have your rubbish outside your property by 7am on Wednesday Nov 16th, but make sure it does not obstruct the footpath. “White goods” may be collected separately. Usual rules apply:
· No petrol engines or oil containers.
· No builders' rubble.
· No tyres.
· Tree trunks and branches should be cut into short lengths and either bagged or securely tied in bundles.
· No cast iron stoves or heavy objects that cannot be lifted by two men.
· Remove doors from fridges and freezers.
Don't forget to recycle anything that can go into the green bin, which will be emptied on Friday November 18th. Garden refuse should be kept for the garden bins due to be emptied on Monday November 21st.
Congratulations to The Bell
Liam and Jill McGivern, their staff and families celebrated 20 years of ownership of The Bell on October 9th. It was a day of reminiscences including the memories of Jim Wight, the first person to start rebuilding the near-derelict building.
We remembered the desperate days when the building seemed likely to fall down and the McGiverns had to live in a caravan. Bookings were honoured by Jill and the two mothers cooking, and other family members running the bar. All a far cry from the highly professional operation of today.
Stilton owes a lot to The Bell; not only the restoration of a wonderful building, but the employment it gives and the opportunities to enjoy its varied services. The editor has many personal memories of events in The Bell; Twinning Association and Parish Council dinners among them, but also the joy of a wedding and the loving solace of a funeral.
Long may The Bell remain the centre of our village.
The Lunatic Fringe
WILL SOME PEOPLE NEVER LEARN?
As you know, there are discussions going on regarding the provision of either a BMX track or skateboard facility for the youth of the village, writes Mike Nickolay. It has to be said that there is a feeling that provision of such expensive facilities is not warranted when put up against the vandalism and anti-social behaviour that has been occurring on a regular basis over the past few months.
We are well aware that most of these activities are the fault of just a few selfish, inconsiderate and cowardly individuals who think they have a right to do whatever they like to whomever they like whenever they like. But these people do not operate in a vacuum; a lot of others know who they are. If we are to continue with looking at the provision of facilities, this behaviour has to stop. It is up to all of those who know what is going on to make sure that the perpetrators are aware that if we decide to spend the money on CCTV cameras instead, they are to blame.
I have listed below some of the incidents reported in the last few months just so you are all aware of the scale of the problem. Now it's over to you.
· Urinating in shop doorways and against the walls of houses in North St.
· Vandalism of at least three vehicles
· Using super glue in a lock at Chapel Court so that residents could not get in
· Blocking the gas flues in Chapel Court (this could have killed someone)
· Banging on the doors and window of a cottage late at night. The occupant is an elderly lady and she was terrified. This happened more than once.
· Playing loud music in cars late at night with the doors open
· Youths sitting in the middle of the cross roads at night forcing vehicles to go round them
· Removal and damage of a stone ornament from outside a house
· Playing rowdy football in the middle of the crossroads and adjoining streets very late at night
· Driving at speed along the pavement in North St
· Breaking down the fence on the NEW playing field and using it to start a bonfire
· Vandalising bus shelters
Finally, to those of you who sit on the steps of the flats obstructing the entrance and depositing litter, would your parents mind if we came and sat on your front doorstep and did the same?
On a more positive note, things do seem to have quietened down over the last couple of weeks. Let's hope it becomes the norm.
Spy in the Sky
CCTV CAMERA UPDATE from Mike Nickolay
We continue to look at the costs and implications of installing a system. Just to give an idea; the costs range between £5000 and £10,000 depending on the type and quality of the system selected. This could eat up about 20% of our total village budget in the first year so you can see that we must make sure that what we decide is in the interests of the whole village.
The advent of a new policing structure reported on p5 gives us an opportunity for some fresh input and we will be taking advantage of that. I will continue to keep you posted.
Beyond the Bounds
Village Planning
OUR DISTRICT COUNCILLOR EXPLAINS
In his article in last month’s SCAN, Cllr Davidson claimed that the District Council is encouraging more development in villages by doing away with village environmental limits or boundaries. The last bit of this is true, insofar as it is a proposal on which the District has consulted widely. Comments from consultees, including those from Stilton Parish Council, are being reviewed before a final decision is made.
What his article omitted to say however was that this idea goes “hand in hand” with a proposal to replace the limits by a new policy which will be even more effective in protecting the character of villages and helping to prevent uncontrolled sprawl into the countryside.
Anyone looking at many of the current limits will see that they are rather loose and have the potential to encourage inappropriate development. Furthermore, the proposed new policy, which uses the existing “built up” parts of villages (the “built framework” in technical terms) as the guide for any infill development, was developed with the help of representatives of Parish Councils who attended a series of seminars and who in very large part indicated their support for the new and tougher approach.
I look forward to being able to go over the possible effects of the new Design Framework with interested members of the Parish Council, at a meeting which is to be scheduled in the near future.
Peter Mitchell, District Councillor
GREY BIN DAYS: Mon 14th & 28th Nov
GARDEN BIN DAYS: Mon 7th & 21st Nov
RECYCLING DAYS: Fri 4th & 18th Nov
High Street Beat
Back on the Beat
NEWS FROM PC WENDY ELLIS
Stilton now has a new Police Community Support Officer, Barry Chamberlain, who has been a PCSO for the last two years, covering Yaxley and Sawtry. Barry is very interested in local issues, which led him into his current role. Previous to this Barry was in the armed forces for 32 years! He is married with a 1 daughter and 1 son, 4 grandchildren and increasing. Barry is a nice approachable chap who enjoys a cuppa, so any invites will be gratefully received!
As for myself, I am back at work again following my surgery. Unfortunately I am still on restricted duties for the next few weeks, but Barry working alongside me should give greater coverage of the village. Although I am not in full uniform, I am at work and contactable!
I am now working from Yaxley Police office as part of a larger team of community based officers dedicated to the North Hunts area. (As we reported in SCAN recently, the policing areas for Central Division have been aligned with Huntingdon District Council boundaries) Although the Yaxley office has no facility for access by members of the public, contact details of the Neighbourhood Policing Team from Yaxley are shown on the opposite page. Keep this somewhere handy!
Yaxley now has reactive police officers working from the office on a 24/7 shift rota. This should make a big difference to Stilton as any calls for service will come directly from Yaxley.
Since I have been off work there have been some incidents of anti social behaviour/crime within the Stilton area, please can these be reported to the Police.
I cannot stress enough that when reporting crime or incidents this must be done via the 0845 456 456 4 number or 999 in an Emergency.
I have set up an Action Plan to impact on any anti-social behaviour and in turn this should hopefully result in a more highly visible police presence in the village.
I am seeking a location to conduct a local surgery and would appreciate if anyone could contact myself for a suitable venue.
Advert:
Down Your Way
Yaxley Neighbourhood Policing Team invite you to MEET THE TEAM
Thurs 17th Nov 7 - 9pm Stilton Church Meeting Room
Come and meet your local officers.
Have your say on policing matters and concerns.
Come and let the Constabulary know what is worrying you about your community.
Contacting our Local Police
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU...
Yaxley Office: 1 Queen Street Yaxley PE7 3JE
Call 0845 456 4564 and ask for the Yaxley office:
Ext: 4162: Yaxley Neighbourhood Policing Team Sgt. Shaun Ryan
Ext: 4171: Yaxley NPT Community Officers (Voice mail facility)
Stilton and Villages:
PC Wendy Ellis: 07753 577 502 (mobile)
PCSO Barry Chamberlain: 07921 094 828
Yaxley and Villages:
PC Sue Walker: 07889 499066
PCSO Gill Goodfellow: 07921 094814
email:- any of the community team using the following example format:
Fireworks - don't be burnt by the Law
Please remember that laws passed in 2004 place restrictions on the sale and use of fireworks.
People under 18 should not be in possession of fireworks. It is an offence to sell or GIVE them to young people.
· It is an offence to throw fireworks in a public place.
· Fireworks must not be set off within 50ft of the centre of any road.
· Fireworks that produce a sound louder than 120 decibels cannot be sold.
· Fireworks must not be set off between 11pm and 7am; on November 5th the limit is midnight. (1am on January 1st).
· If you are arranging a private firework party at your home you should carry public liability insurance as occupier of the house and land. (Your household contents policy should provide such cover, but it is sensible to check.)
All good reasons for joining the village celebrations on Sunday November 6th on the new playing field!
This year promises to be our biggest and best ever fireworks party, with live music from local band Leon and pyrotechnics by the famous Kimbolton Fireworks, who have featured at many international celebrations. Come along ! Don’t miss out !
FOSS Way – For Friends of Stilton School
Welcome Back !
Welcome back to the New School Year! F.O.S.S is the fundraising committee for Stilton School. Last year we bought lots of new equipment for the school including sewing machines, electronic scales, plants and garden equipment, notebook computers, and interactive whiteboards, which all the pupils will benefit from. Well done to everyone on the committee and everyone who helped and/or attended events. Without your continued support we could not buy this equipment, so THANK YOU.
Thanks also to everyone who attended the AGM on 22nd September. All adults are very welcome to join the F.O.S.S. committee at any time - please come along and join in, all help is really appreciated.
NEW COMMITTEE
This year's committee includes:
Chairperson Maggie Davey
Secretary Jacquie Shacklock
Treasurer Isobel Ralph
We also gained a few new committee members, so a big welcome to them and thanks to all those who remain on committee.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Adult Quiz Night 7:30pm Sat 12 Nov at School
Christmas Bazaar 3:15-4:30pm Fri 25 Nov at School
Activity World Fri 27 Jan 2006
We do hope that you will enjoy our events - come along and join in the fun! As usual we always need donations and raffle prizes, or maybe you would like a stall at the Christmas Bazaar? Call me on 242829.
Maggie Davey, Chairperson
Advert:
Stilton Over 60’s
Wed 16th November
Thursford Xmas Spectacular £20 per person
Advert:
St Mary Magdalene, Stilton
Wednesday Worship at Lunchtime
Holy Communion followed by a soup & bread lunch
Every 3rd Wednesday in the month, 12:30 - 1:30pm
Nov 16th
Break the bread of fellowship with us in tranquil surroundings