News: September 2010 Archives

From Dot Howes

Metheringham WI hold their next meeting at 7.15p.m. on Wednesday 20th October in the village hall. This will be a games evening and the competitions letter is H. On 20th November the WI are hosting a Table Top Sale in the village hall from 10.00a.m.-2.00p.m.. Tables cost £6 payable at time of booking. Please contact Ronnie Wright on 01526 320220 if you would like one of the few remaining tables.

Metheringham Amateur Dramatics are holding an open information session in the village hall on Saturday 9th October between 2.00and 4.00p.m..
Come and see what goes into putting on a production and see where your skills and expertise could fit in. Acting, directing, producing, singing, playing instruments, dancing, stage management, set design, scenery painting, sewing, glueing, publicity, sound and lighting.

Metheringham Fayre and Feast takes place on Saturday 23rd October and the road will be closed from 12 noon on that day. The event opens at 2.15 and runs through till 9.00p.m. with the theme this year of Heroes and Heroines. The organisers would like more of you to be their heroes and heroines by giving a couple of hours of your time to act as stewards and helpers. The only constraint is that you should be over 18. Please contact Sharon, the parish clerk, on 0800 6343307 or e-mail her on clerk@metheringham.org.uk if you can help make this another real community event by doing your bit.

There is still a vacancy for a volunteer to act as secretary to Metheringham Village Hall Management Committee. The position involves taking minutes at the committee meetings (about five to six times a year) and dealing with correspondence. Expenses will be reimbursed.
Anyone interested in helping with the village hall in this way should contact Jenni Honisett on 01526 320968.

from Dot Howes

There will be a Ladies Pamper Night on Friday 8th October 2010 in Metheringham village Hall from 7.30p.m. presented by MADSPA. Tickets in advance cost £4 and include a complimentary drink. Tickets will be £5 on the door. Interests and treatments covered will include massaging, chocolate, kitchen ware, jewellery, toning, cards and many others.
Tickets are available from Kerri on 07900 915191 or InfoLinks. The evening is to raise money for the Swimming Pool.

There will be a Car Wash on October 2nd at Metheringham Fire Station between 10.00a.m. and 2.00p.m.

At their September meeting Metheringham WI were entertained by Steve Lovell and his slides from around the world - a fascinating mixture of travelogue, natural history and the picturesque. President , Audrey Webb announced several birthdays to celebrate and visitors to welcome before moving on to the business of the meeting which included preparations for the Fayre and Feast on 23rd October. The WI will be inside the village hall for the first time and are selling produce and crafts as well as having a tombola. Members are also preparing for the Make, Bake and Show competition on 30th October. The two members who had been on the skid pan afternoon had found it very beneficial and inspiring and those who had been to the Carlton Male Voice Choir had had a very enjoyable and entertaining evening. There are still a few vacancies for the Table Top sale on 20th November - contact Ronnie Wright on 01526 320220. The Flower of the Month was won by Ronnie Wright and the competition for something beginning with G was won jointly by Mary Goddard's Gingerbread and Sally Wilson's friend Gaynor.

There will be a New Age Kurling Free Open Evening on Friday 24th September between 7 and 9 p.m.. Refreshments will be available and all ages and abilities are welcome.

Both the Methodist Church and St Wilfrid's are holding their harvest festivals in the next few weeks Metheringham Methodist Church hold their Annual Harvest Festival on Sunday 26th September 2010. the service at 10.30a.m. will be led by the Rev Neil Vickers. On Monday 27th September there will be the Harvest Supper and Auction of Produce at 6.30p.m. in the Chapel Hall. Tickets are £6.50 available from Joyce Sellars.
St Wilfrid's Church Harvest Supper will be in the church hall on Friday 24th September 2010 at 7.00p.m.. Tickets are £8 and do not include drinks so you are invited to bring your own. Tickets are available from the Another Chance shop or Margaret Amos.

At the Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre - in the old gymnasium - on Wednesday 22nd September 2010 at 7.30pm. Admission: Members free, Visitors £5.00 including tea/coffee and biscuits.

Enquiries to: Friends of Metheringham Airfield, Westmoor Farm, Martin Moor, Metheringham, Lincoln LN4 3BQ. Tel: 01526 378270/604

Access and facilities for the Disabled. All proceeds in aid of the Visitor Centre / 106 Sqn Museum.

From Dot Howes

Metheringham Parish Council meeting was held in the village hall on Tuesday 31st August 2010.

In her County Councillor's report Councillor Mrs Bradwell said that there was no money available for a bus shelter in Metheringham because the 2008 Special Grant fund they had hoped to use had now finished so it would be up to the parish council to pay. Cllr Honisett pointed out that Metheringham had put in their request several years before 2008.

Funding is now available to do the work needed on the Station Car Park. Tenders are being sought to knock down the old buildings, surface the car park and install a Call Connect Bus Stop.

In her monthly report to the parish council the village dog warden said there were still problems with fouling on Church Walk, the Playing Field and Paddock Lane. Flyers are being delivered to Barley Close, Paddock Lane and Princess Margaret Avenue and random daily patrols continue. It was suggested that maybe the warden should wear a reflective jacket or something to give her a higher profile.

Metheringham Spring Garden on Drury Street is still causing concerns. It is a public area and should be open but damage to the garden and spring during the summer holidays has caused it to be temporarily locked again. The council discussed whether it would be better protected if kept locked in holiday time. There had also been an unspecified complaint from one of the neighbours.

Metheringham has reached the final three in its' size category for the Best Kept Village competition.

A recent report on the state of repair of the Prince's Street play area has highlighted some areas of concern regarding the woodwork round the slide.

The booking forms for having a stall at the Fayre and Feast on 23rd October are now available.

There being a space on the Planning Committee of the council following Councillor Parkers resignation Councillor Ford was elected to the committee.

A new website has been launched to support the residents of Dunston.

Known as the Dunston Dossier, it can be found at www.dunstondossier.org.uk.

From Dot Howes

Metheringham Methodist Church hold their Annual Harvest Festival on Sunday 26th September 2010. the service at 10.30a.m. will be led by the Rev Neil Vickers. On Monday 27th September there will be the Harvest Supper and Auction of Produce at 6.30p.m. in the Chapel Hall. Tickets are £6.50 available from Joyce Sellars.

Back by popular demand for one night only and also to raise funds for the roof work on St Wilfrid's Church. Metheringham Amateur Dramatics will be performing The Shakespeare Review on Saturday 18th September in Metheringham Village hall at 7.30p.m. The review is an anthology of songs, sketches and readings with a Shakespearean link and several items were originally performed on radio and TV. There will be some changes to the programme performed last year in Metheringham and earlier this year at The Playhouse in Sleaford. Tickets are £6 for adults and £5 for concessions and they are available from D & K News and Infolinks. Further information is available from Fran on 01526 320827.

Metheringham Parish Council discussed and passed a motion on Tuesday 31st August that in the event of a planning application being submitted for the Nocton Dairies development the Metheringham Parish Council will most urgently request that North Kesteven District Council holds a public consultation meeting in Metheringham Village Hall. The village has the largest population in the area and potentially could also be affected by infrastructure, logistics and other environmental issues.
The public could then see the plans, hear the comments, make their own decisions and notify the council of their concerns but ultimately the decision is up to North Kesteven District Council. The parish council also proposed that a community liaison committee be formed and terms of reference will be drawn up. District Councillor John Rose outlined the time scale for any planning application received. The public consultation period will be for 13 weeks and will commence two weeks after the receipt of the planning application, thought to be mid-Sept..
Around a dozen members of the public attended Metheringham Parish Council's August meeting in the village hall and outnumbered the councillors. The reason for the interest was the agenda item concerning Nocton Dairies. Chairman of the council, Councillor Dr Mike Allen invited each person to make their point during the public forum but asked them to limit the time they spoke to enable everyone to have their say. The speakers were all concerned at the plans for a super dairy in Nocton parish which are due to be submitted to NKDC in mid September. Seven members of the public spoke, six were from the parish and the other represented CAFFO (The Campaign against Factory Farming Operations), The points raised were
- The proposal is likely to be totally inappropriate in size for the area.
- There will be access needed onto the B1188 and greater use of that route.
- There is a threat to the water drainage system and consequences for the local aquifer from any leakage of effluent.
- The villages are downwind of the proposed site and will get the smells
- There may be a visual impact for those living on the top road as well as smells and increased noise and lights day and night.
- Property values may fall
- That there should be a National Public Enquiry into the need for Super Dairies in the U.K..
- Anyone concerned may contact CAFFO for support and information on "all things Dairy".
- Nocton Dairies have now appointed a Public Relations person to help with communications between themselves, the media and the public.
- That a liaison committee should be created to ensure a central pooling of reliable information from all parties involved
- That the development would cause ruination of the local villages and the rich local environment.
- That to be prepared should there be another Foot and Mouth outbreak there should be incineration and isolation facilites and capabilities incorporated in the plans.
- The scale of the proposal is unacceptable and will affect development in the area.
- Because there are primary schools near where the effluent will be spread there is a need to look at the possible health risks to schoolchildren.
- No-one should be impartial on this issue.
- Should there be an agreement for public meetings to be held in Metheringham the parish council should co-opt someone to look after the publicity of said meetings.
- The proposed slurry spreading and lagoon siting map shows proximity to public roads and schools and there will be a risk of flies, smells and dust.

Before moving onto the business of the parish council meeting Councillor Dr Allen thanked all those who had spoken and said they would take note of the points raised. He pointed out that there are always two sides to a story and the parish council have to listen to both sides.

St Wilfrid's Church Harvest Supper will be in the church hall on Friday 24th September 2010 at 7.00p.m.. Tickets are £8 and do not include drinks so you are invited to bring your own. Tickets are available from the Another Chance shop or Margaret Amos.

The Dunston Road railway bridge work has overrun and the road and bridge will not be re-opening until 24th September.

Metheringham residents, especially the elderly, should be vigilant for cold callers after a distraction burglary in the village. PCSO Lisa Duckworth gave the warning while presenting the police report for August to the parish council. It had been a relatively quiet month for reported crime in Metheringham with two burglaries and a theft. Much police time has been taken up during the summer with anti-social behaviour by school aged children. Children have been claiming to be staying with friends while actually being out on the streets causing a nuisance and mischief. To stop this behaviour she asked that parishioners report immediately disruption on the streets on Friday and Saturday nights in particular and that parents really do know where their children are overnight. The area now has an additional PCSO, Caroline, which will make it easier for them to get to where they are needed immediately once notified.