End Of An Era

After nine years as head at our Village School, and seventeen years in total teaching at Langley, Mrs Evans took the very difficult decision to move on to a new headship at Kings Lodge in Chippenham.

I remember how impressed Sandy and I were with the school when we first came to visit some time in 2000 and Lynn had only had the headship for a little over a year at that point. Since then, Lynn and her fabulous team have sent Zac on to Secondary school with bags of self confidence, and are working similar miracles now with Gabriel. Langley has made a huge difference to the Lester Family Primary School experience and we thank Lynn and her team for that.

Over the years I've had the opportunity to work with Lynn as a Parent, a Governor, Chair of Governors and IT Governor. I even had a week at Osmington Bay watching Lynn and "Team Chameleon" demonstrate exactly what makes a Langley child so special. I always found our working relationship very rewarding, even during the more challenging times we had, and I thank Lynn for that.

Lynn put her heart and soul into Langley during her time here and I know it was a difficult decision for her to decide to move on. It will be equally difficult for the rest of us too but we part on the best of terms and, with an excellent team still here at Langley and a fabulous new head appointed, we will continue to move forward 

Lynn has Amazed, Excited and Inspired us all for as long as I can remember and we wish Lynn all the best in her new adventure and hope she enjoys her new school as much as Langley Fitzurse.

                                                                                       Gavin Lester

Ordination

A huge thank you to everyone who made the very early start on 29th June in order to be with me in Bristol Cathedral. I hope you all enjoyed the very special an joyous occasion. Many thanks also for the gifts, cards and prayers; I have been completely overwhelmed by the inordinate amount of kindness shown.

Evelyn Bone

Babysitting for Kington Langley

Sutton Benger has been running a successful babysitting circle for the last few year. Would anybody be interested in forming a Kington Langley equivalent? Please reply to 5duttons@supanet.com for more details.

If you would prefer to offer your services as a local babysitter or chat about the level of commitment before requesting further details please get in touch with us - Chris & Alison Dutton

Thank You
Lottie and George Baker would like to thank the Helping Hands Committee and friends for the beautiful basket of flowers they received on their diamond wedding anniversary

The Village Pond

At its July meeting, the Parish Council agreed a plan of action to improve the condition and appearance of the village pond in Ashes Lane.

The Council is being advised by Dr Jonathan Newman who is Head of Aquatic Plant Management at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, a unit of the Natural Environment Research Council.

Dr Newman is recognised as an eminent aquatic plant expert internationally and we are confident that we are receiving the very best advice.

Dr Newman inspected the pond in June. He confirmed that the pond is being overrun by Crassula helmsii and his prognosis is that, if nothing is done 'then Crassula will eventually prevent all species in the pond from growing and you will be left with a pond full of Crassula. The pond will dry out and trees etc. will colonise the space. I estimate that this will happen within 3-5 years if nothing is done.'

Ridding the pond of Crassula by physical or mechanical means is not likely to be fully effective as it is virtually impossible to remove all traces and it regenerates very vigorously. Instead, Dr Newman's team will be spraying it with glyphosate herbicide. This treatment may be needed annually for up to three years running. The treatment will also kill the marginal vegetation but, as the pond is well established, it will have a good 'seed bank' within the soil and the vegetation can be expected to re-establish quickly.

Dr Newman is currently obtaining the necessary Dept.of the Environment approvals following which the pond will be sprayed in late September. We should expect the vegetation to be 'brown' for about six months; this would happen anyway because the vegetation dies off over the winter, so the visual impact should be minimised.

We are advised that the treatment is not toxic to other aquatic life although some of it may temporarily leave the pond as the habitat is disturbed.

We look forward to a healthy and attractive village pond in the near future!

Kington Langley Parish Council

BYWAY 34 – POSSIBLE CHANGES

Some years ago the Parish Council, with much support from villagers, cleared and resurfaced Byway 34 which has resulted in an excellent country walk enjoyed by villagers both on foot and on horseback.

Sadly, it has also resulted in misuse by fly-tippers, drug-takers and other inappropriate behaviour because it is now so easy to drive round. The Parish Council is therefore investigating the possibility of downgrading the byway to ‘Restricted Access’. This will result in no change for horse-riders and farmers wishing to access their fields, but it would mean that it could no longer be used by casual drivers.

However, it takes some time to gather the evidence to justify downgrading, so for the next 4 months the Parish Clerk will be keeping a log of any problems occurring on the byway which would not have happened had vehicular access been restricted. If you see anything unusual, please e-mail or write to the Parish Clerk (contact details below) with date / time / problem – and ideally photograph – so that she can add it to her log. (This of course would be in addition to any normal contact with the Police or the NWDC Refuse Department if a major issue occurs.)

If you have an opinion on the above suggestion, please also write or e-mail the Clerk:

Mrs. Sue Hart, e-mail: klparishclerk@tiscali.co.uk 

Willow Cottage, Church Lane, Kington Langley SN15 5NR

01249-750418

Kington Langley Parish Council

July 2008

Parking On Kington Langley Registered Commons For Special Events

If you live close to one of the village Registered Commons and are expecting large numbers of visitors for a party or special event, please contact the Chairman of the Parish Council via the Parish Clerk, Mrs. Sue Hart at Willow Cottage, Church Lane, Kington Langley SN15 5NR 01249-750418 or e-mail: klparishclerk@tiscali.co.uk. 

Under the Commons Registration Act 1965Act and the Road Traffic Act 1988 s 34 it is a criminal offence to drive a vehicle upon Common Land. There is a penalty of £50 for parking on Registered Commons without permission, so please ask the Parish Council first!

We will normally grant special permission for parking on the Commons and give you guidance that will help ensure safe circumstances for your visitors and other road users.

Kington Langley Parish Council

Litter Campaigns

“Thank you” to all those villagers who take the initiative in picking up and disposing of cans, crisp packets and other litter dropped in public areas from passing cars and by people who are careless about the environment and the appearance of the village.

At its July meeting the Parish Council discussed whether we should be actively participating in ‘Stop the Drop’ which is the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England’s initiative for fighting litter led by its chairman Bill Bryson, or a similar programme being led by the Women’s Institute nationally.

The Council concluded that, in general, and as a result of your public-spirited actions, we do not have a major litter-clearing problem in the Parish and that participation in these campaigns is not, for now,  likely to bring extra benefits for the Parish.

So – keep up the good work!

(Fly – tipping continues to be an occasional problem on Byway 34 and we are endeavouring to compile evidence that will help us to end this anti-social behaviour – this has been reported in the minutes of previous Council meetings).

Kington Langley Parish Council

Kington St. Michael POST POINT

Need to post a package or parcel, but don’t want to go all the way into town?  Then try using……… 

Kington St Michael Village Shop now has its own Post Point
where you can send letters, packages and parcels nationally & internationally.

Standard, Special and Recorded delivery options are all available.

Why not do your shopping at the same time?
We stock a wide range of products.
(Disabled access, car park adjacent)

Monday – Friday: 9am - 1pm & 2pm - 5pm
Saturday:         9.30am - 1pm
Sunday:           CLOSED

 

Collection Times
Monday to Friday 4.55pm and Saturday 12.30pm.

 

Have You Lived In Kington Langley For Over 20 Years?

If so, the Parish Council would like to hear from you ….!

Last year, Kington Langley Parish Council started the process of registering as “Greens” some of the open areas of the village. Events have moved on and following consultation with Wiltshire County Council, who is very supportive of our efforts, we would now like to register several areas at once.

The areas for first consideration are as follows:

·        Newlands Green.

·        The green in front of the Hit or Miss Pub on Days Lane.

·        The green on the bottom RH corner of Church Lane and Days Lane.

·        The green at the top of Plough Hill at the entrance to Morrell Lane.

·        Green from Old Chapel Fields down Plough Hill past Langley Chase.

·        Green opposite Plough Inn on Old Kington St. Michael road.

WCC will not charge the Council for this but before it will formally agree, as legal formalities do have to be gone through, we have to produce “evidence” that the areas really are valued and used by villagers – for more than 20 years.

In The Commons Act 2006, “used” can be:

If you can add your signature to any or all of these areas in support of our application, please write, phone or e-mail the Clerk:

     Sue Hart, Willow Cottage, Church Lane, Kington Langley SN15 5NR
     01249-750418. e-mail: klparishclerk@tiscali.co.uk. 

We need you to support us to protect our beautiful green open spaces.

Kington Langley Parish Council

Kington Langley Scarecrow Festival

What a great buzz around the village! It was lovely to see so many people out and about, villagers and visitors alike.

The standard of the scarecrows was superb and made the judges’ job very difficult. Thank you to all those who put so much effort in to their creations; they were all winners! Photos of all the scarecrows can be found on the village website and our own www.scarecrows.biz .

As always, the Hobbies Group put on a lovely display in the Church. The Morris Dancers added to the colour of the village event; we are grateful for the support of Malmesbury and Chippenham Morris teams this year. The Scarecrow Scrapheap Challenge was particularly well supported, with 14 teams enthusiastically fighting over the scrapheap.

There were several new ventures this year including the cream teas, barbecue, art exhibition and Mr Chuffy. The cream teas in particular were a lovely addition; especially the waitress service. We will build on the successful ones for next year.

As well as all the enjoyable activities, a considerable amount of money was raised. After expenses, the amount donated to the Union Chapel from the main event (refreshments, programmes, entries, etc) was £1040.55. Other money was raised from events around the village for the Chapel, including the cream teas. The total raised for the Union Chapel Windows & Maintenance fund was £1,601.55. Money was also raised for different causes, including £225 for Christian Aid, £178 for Cancer charities, £141 for Helping Hands and £106 for the School. The grand total donated to good causes from all the stalls and events was £2539.46. Wow!

There are many, many people to thank for their contribution to the event: All those who spent so much effort making a scarecrow; those who manned the refreshment tent and the Church; the cake-bakers; the judges; the Helping Hands committee who organised the Scrapheap Challenge; the Hobbies Group for their exhibition; Betty Bird for organising the Craft Fair; the Chapel for the Cream Teas; all the stallholders; the Humes for allowing their field to be used as a car park; Tom Stables for the Scout tent and barbecue; Lynn Evans for her wonderful artwork, again; Steve Howe for the website; and the Parish Council for their support.

The 2008 Scarecrow Team: Adrian, Alistair, Angela, Carolyn, Liz, John, Philippa, Valerie, Will.

Village Hall

At the recent AGM of the Village Hall Management Committee, the following officers were re-elected:

Chairman:                                 Dennis Gill
Vice Chairman:                         Maurice Hinder
Treasurer:                                 Tony Di Vittori
Secretary:                                 Valerie Young
Booking Clerk:                          Bridget Di Vittori

The following committee members represent their organisations, who are users of the hall or interested parties:

Parish Council:                         Don Styles, Dennis Gill
Parochial Church Council:         Colin Coles
Union Chapel:                           Vivien Schofield
Women’s Institute:                    Elizabeth Coles
Helping Hands:                         Anita Sartain
Hobbies Group:                        Mary Renfree
Old Tyme Dance Club:             Bob Gaywood
Short Mat Bowls:                      Daphne Povey
Playing Fields Association:        Brian Boyce
Croquet Club:                           Pauline Gann

The hall committee manages the running and maintenance of the hall.

At the AGM, the Chairman thanked the committee and others for all their work, “without which this hall could not be run to its high standard.”

He said that “During the year we have maintained a high usage rate, due in the main to our regular users. The government continues to introduce regulations which affect village halls and increases record keeping.

The refurbishment of the toilets has started with the installation of new taps and we have acquired the equipment for the hall ventilation; both these items are ongoing.”

The hall is licensed for plays, films, indoor sporting events, live music, recorded music and dance performances, from 8 am to 1 am Sundays to Fridays, and 8 am to midnight on Saturdays. This is not a licence for the sale of alcohol; as we do not have a Designated Licensee, a Temporary Events Notice has to be obtained for each event where alcohol is sold.

The Booking Clerk can be contacted on 07864 981217

Kington Langley Film Society

Yes – you are right: there isn’t one - yet! But we are planning to set one up.

Are you interested? The plan is eventually to show around six films a year between September and March. To get started there will be a FREE film show on the evening of Friday September 5th in the Village Hall. If you are at all interested, do please come. The Society will be membership-based so we are hoping for as many people as possible to join. We will need about 100 members to cover the various costs of hiring films, equipment etc.

But what films?

Well, that’s up to you. There is an enormous choice, from old black and white to modern art-house. On the launch night there will be a questionnaire for everyone:  what would you like to see? We can’t please all of the people all of the time...but we can try.

For the launch night we have chosen “The Kite Runner”, a critically acclaimed thriller set in Afghanistan (see inside back cover). Come and see the film and at the same time enjoy a social evening with wine and nibbles. Numbers in the Hall are regulated, so if you would like to guarantee your seats call Debbie Elkins on 750768 or e-mail:  debelkins@hotmail.com

You can also come along on the night when any remaining  seats will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Hobbies Group

A visit to Pam Lewis’s Garden at Marston  near Devizes has been arranged for Tuesday the 29th of July, to include a tour around her garden and to view her Wrought Iron work, and a home cooked lunch.

After lunch Pam will give a flower arranging demonstration .

Pam Lewis is a professional flower arranger, Designer,National Demonstrator, and Metal Worker; and in her showrooms you will find a variety of her stands and containers

This event will be open to any one interested, even if they are not members of the Hobbies Group.

For more information contact: Ena Weston

Childcare For The Summer Holidays

Whether you are a working parent requiring affordable holiday childcare or whether you simply want to offer your child some fun local activities to help fill the long summer break, the solution could be on your doorstep at the Westonbirt Holiday Club. This well-established club provides fun, safe and educational day care, from 8.30am until 5.30pm, throughout the summer holidays. It includes arts and crafts, all manner of sport, and fun activities such as treasure hunts, suitable for boys and girls aged 4-12.  The children will have access to extensive facilities suitable for whatever weather this summer chooses to send us, including the school’s new indoor swimming pool, vast sports hall and specialist classrooms, all within beautiful extensive 250 acre private estate opposite Westonbirt Arboretum. For further information please contact:

Westonbirt Sports Centre – telephone number  01666 881404

The Commons Erosion Project: An Update

Fund raising for the project to kerb parts of Middle Common has made a great leap forward, with a grant of £5,360 from the Chippenham Area Committee of NWDC.

This grant, together with the promises of £6,000 that we already have from villagers, and the £1,000 set aside by the Parish Council, means that we can now go ahead with the work. It is hoped that it should be completed during the school holidays in order to minimise any traffic disruption.

The Parish Council have already appointed the contractor who will carry out the work, and chosen the supplier of the bollards.

It’s a long time since I have looked forward to the school holidays so much!

Peter Hart
Project Co-ordinator
Kington Langley Parish Council

Some Nearly Men

There have been many cricketers who have never made the grade in First Class cricket nor indeed the lower reaches of the game. However, there are men, who through no fault of their own never fulfilled their substantial potential.

The New Zealand team are here on tour and are without their fastest bowler, Shane Bond. His appearance on the big screen – Seventeen Tests in seven years – were even more frequent than those of his namesake, James. Shane was very fast and would have been tremendous, he was the fastest New Zealand bowler to take 50 Test Wickets, but his contract was cancelled because of his involvement with the Indian Cricket League.

Another ‘nearly’ man was an English Fast medium bowler, Les Jackson of Derbyshire, who took 1.733 at 17.36 in his First Class career. He was described by Ted Dexter as “The greatest bowler I ever faced.” His misfortunes were twofold, firstly he had to compete with Trueman, Statham, Bedser, Tyson and Baily and secondly there were strong suspicions that his exclusion owed much to selection snobbery because he spent his winters coal mining.

In many people’s opinion the two most unfortunate ‘nearly’ men are two Australians, both with great cricketing skills, but who were struck down early.

Firstly Archie Jackson, many followers of Aussie cricket rated him with the young Bradman. In 1930 before the tour in England the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ described him as “A great present day batsman.” In his debut against England, at the age of just 19, he made 164, but he was only to play eight more Tests. At 21 he contracted Tuberculosis and died at age 23.

Then secondly there was Norman Callaway – nobody, not even Bradman came close to Normans First Class average of 207. It came from his one and only innings in First Class cricket at his debut for New South Wales in a match against Queensland at the age of 18. Thirteen wickets had fallen for 154 in the match when Callaway arrived at the crease. He raced to a double century in 3½ hours. This was a great start but it was to be his last match, he died in the First World War in 1917 attacking the Hindenburg Line at the age of just 19.

Don Styles

Thank You!

Thank you for your sponges, your scones and flapjacks
Thanks for helping us sell all the snacks.
We can’t do it without you
We say in all honesty
Where would we be
Without your cakes to go with our Teas?
So we say ‘Thank you from the Scarecrows’
it all went brilliantly!

                                       Liz Howe on behalf of the Scarecrow Committee
                                       (with apologies to ABBA)

Copies Of ‘The English Garden’ Magazine

I have virtually every copy of the glossy monthly gardening magazine, The English Garden, from the first issue in March 1997 to October 2007 (about 115 issues, so quite a bulky amount). A great inspiration for you keen gardeners!

If anyone would like to give them a home, please call or e-mail me, as you would be welcome to have them.

Sue Hart, 01249  50418 (e-mail: willowskl@tiscali.co.uk)

Bus Service

The new timetables are now available, all of which are contained in the new booklet covering the whole of North Wiltshire. All the services are included in the new booklet, which also covers minor corrections and updates, though none of these updates affect the routes 91 and 92.

The church, chapel and village hall each have a reference copy of the new booklet. Copies will soon be available from the Information Centre and the Public Library in Chippenham.

Don Styles (Tel. 750697)

Common Sense

We mourn the passing of a beloved old friend COMMON SENSE, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his records have long been lost in bureaucratic red-tape.

He is credited with cultivating such abilities as taking the bitter with the sweet, recognising that life is not always fair and that maybe it was my fault after all.

Common sense developed some sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you earn, don’t borrow more than you can repay) and also reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

Common sense’s health declined in the 1960’s when he became infected with the if-it-feels-good-do-it virus. His health further deteriorated when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun-lotion or Elastoplast to a student, but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and asked for an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live when the Ten Commandments could not be publicly displayed for fear of giving offence; churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you could not defend yourself in your own home but the burglar could sue for assault.

He finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled some in her lap while driving and was awarded massive damages.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust, his wife Discretion, his daughter Responsibility, and his son Reason. He is survived by his four step-brothers: I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame and I’m A Victim.

Farewell, Common Sense, may you rest in peace.

Bank Holiday Refuse Collections

Here are the dates that North Wiltshire District Council has now publicised for refuse collections that affect our village for Christmas 2008 and New Year 2009:

Thursday 25th December 2008            Saturday 27th December 2008
Friday 26th December 2008                 Monday 29th December 2008

Thursday 1st January 2009                  Saturday 3rd January 2009
Friday 2nd January 2009                      Monday 5th January 2009

Thursday 8th January 2009                  Friday 9th January 2009
Friday 9th January 2009                       Saturday 10th January 2009

Return to normal collections on Monday 12th January 2009.

Garden waste collections will stop over the Christmas and New Year period. There will be no collections for two weeks starting on Monday 29th December 2008 and normal collections will resume on Monday 12th January 2009.

Sue Hart, Clerk
Kington Langley Parish Council

Because I’m A Man

Because I’m a man, when I lock my keys in the car, I will fiddle with a wire clothes hanger and ignore your suggestions that we call the AA until long after hypothermia has set in.

Because I’m a man, when the car isn’t running very well, I will open the bonnet and stare at the engine as if I know what I’m looking at. If another man shows up, one of us will say to the other, “I used to be able to fix these things, but now with all these computers and everything, I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Because I’m a man, when I catch a cold, I need someone to bring me soup and take care of me while I lie in bed and moan. You never get as sick as I do, so for you this isn’t a problem.

Because I’m a man, when one of our appliances stops working, I will insist on taking it apart, despite evidence that this will just cost me twice as much once the repair man gets here and has to put it back together again.

Because I’m a man, I must hold the television remote control in my hand while I watch TV. If the thing has been misplaced, I may miss a whole programme while I look for it.

Because I’m a man, I don’t think we’re all that lost, and no, I don't think we should stop and ask someone. Why would you listen to a complete stranger?

Because I’m a man, I think what you're wearing is fine. I thought what you were wearing five minutes ago was fine, too. Either pair of shoes is fine. With the belt or without it looks fine. Your hair is fine. You look fine. Can we just go now?

Because I’m a man, and this is, after all, the new millennium, I will share equally in the housework. You just do the laundry, the cooking, the gardening, the cleaning, the vacuuming, the shopping and the dishes, and I’ll do the rest.

The Draycot Benefice Prayer Group

The Benefice Prayer Group meet each month to pray for everyone in our benefice. If you have any particular prayer requests for someone who is ill, having problems coping, awaiting surgery, or who have experienced joy and happiness, please let us know. You can leave your request on any of our church prayer boards, or you can e-mail us on  geoffandchris@waitrose.com

All request will be treated in confidence, no need to state the name of the person involved if you wish (God will know who).

Time On Your Hands? Care About People?

Want To Make A Difference? If the answer is yes …read on!

North Wiltshire Citizens Advice Bureau is recruiting new advisers to begin this September.

You may well have heard about Citizens Advice in news reports or on TV and radio programmes when they have produced an influential report or when commentators advise people to contact us for help with their problems.

What you may not realise is that the CAB is a charity and it is a team of highly trained volunteers that provide information and advice to clients and who gather the evidence to produce the reports that are used to influence organisations and government.

The work is interesting, challenging and rewarding. People often visit the bureau at the most difficult times of their lives – when they are dealing with illness, disability, relationship breakdown, redundancy or bereavement. The advice and support we provide can make a real difference to people’s lives. 

North Wilts CAB currently has 37 volunteers who work alongside a team of paid staff including specialist advisers. In 2007/2008 we helped 5,572 households and gained more than one million pounds for them in unclaimed benefits, written -off debts, employment awards and other entitlements.

Interested? Got 10 hours a week to spare? Contact Sandi Sorell, Bureau Manager on 01249 445115 ext 7 or email ssorell@northwiltscab.org.uk for further information about our training programme and volunteering at the bureau. For advice please ring 0845 1203707.

St. Peter’s Floodlights

You may have noticed the lights on during June/July – at the end of June we celebrated St. Peter’s Day also Evelyn’s Ordination as a Deacon in the Church. 

Sadly also at that time we heard of the passing of John Guy a regular churchgoer and Churchwarden of the Church – a lovely man who has been sadly missed by all who knew him, since he and his wife Colleen moved away to Marlow.

The lights were also on to celebrate the 70th birthday of one of our Church members.

Tony Cole or Colin Coles.

Economical To Amazing 

Victorian Fruit Cake
The following recipe for this very old and economical cake dates from the early reign of Queen Victoria. It is simple to mix using the all-in-one method. My wife has made this cake with great success.

 Ingredients

Method

1. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed.

2. Spoon into a greased lined 6” cake tin and bake on the middle shelf of a preheated oven to 160°C / 325°F / Mark 3 for 1½ to 1¾ hours or until golden brown.

3. Skewer test, leave for 30 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

 And now something unusual

Party Cake 1920 
Who could possibly read the following recipe without being overcome with wonder at the sheer enormity of how to cope with making and baking a cake of this size. 43½lb of mixture. It should keep for 20 years. My wife has not made this one, but it makes fun to read the ingredients.

The mind boggles; Joyce says it would be made the same way as a Christmas Cake, but how to cope with it all. My suggestion is to enjoy the read and drink the whisky

Don Styles

The Bobby Van Trust

Some villagers may not be aware of a charity operating in Wiltshire which offers a courtesy home security service for older, vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Wiltshire. The Bobby Van Trust aims to reduce the fear of crime and the incidence of burglary and will help in all sorts of potentially threatening situations.

Typical situations could be:

They provide comfort and support as well as practical advice, and will even install home security equipment for vulnerable householders.

To qualify, a victim will generally be elderly, in some way vulnerable, disadvantaged and not affluent. They can also be potentially at risk of domestic violence. If you believe you know of anyone who would benefit from this support or believe it applies to you, contact the Bobby Van Trust at Chippenham Police Station on 01225 794652.

Sue Hart, Clerk - Kington Langley Parish Council

Almshouse Vacancy

A vacancy is likely to arise in the near future and expressions of interest are invited.  Applicants should ideally be of pensionable age, of limited means, able to look after themselves and preferably with local connections in Kington Langley or Kington St. Michael.

The Almshouse is situated in Kington St. Michael and the accommodation is: Living Room, Kitchen and Bathroom with a large Bedroom upstairs.  There is also a garden.

Further details are obtainable from Colin Coles, Clerk and Trustee to the Kington St. Michael United Charities, Swithins, Old Draycot Lane, Kington Langley.  Tel. 01249 750631.

The Coronation Of Queen Elizabeth II

This month marks 55 years since the Coronation, the programme of village events in Kington Langley on that day is reproduced below and was sent in by Mrs Betty Bird. 

Local Bus Transport Information

Changes to Malmesbury Area Bus Services: The current contracts for local bus services expired on April 6th, with a more co-ordinated network of bus services being introduced on Monday 7th April. Please note that the new timetables are designed to improve connections with other services. The new Timetables were late coming from the printers but are now available. There are copies at the Village Hall, the Church and at the Chapel and the main Library in Chippenham.

1.     A simplified service (91) will be provided to allow a bus once per hour between all the Dauntsey villages and Chippenham.

2.     The 91 bus will provide hourly connections with Swindon (service 31) at Little Somerford and will be extended to Malmesbury, this will avoid any changes to other buses.

3.     A Feeder bus (91b) will connect with Service 91 at Sutton Benger for Chippenham or Malmesbury on Mondays to Fridays. This service will call at Seagry or Startley and will also call at the village of Rodbourne, giving this village a bus service for the first time.

4.     Low Floor Easy Access Buses will be introduced on the service using developer funding.

5.     Please Note that the hourly service of the 91 bus from Chippenham to Kington Langley will now leave the Bus Station on the half hour rather than on the hour, all stops remain the same.

As a result of the retendering exercise services 91 and 91b will now be operated by the A D Rains Bus Company of Brinkworth instead of by Hatts Coaches.

The new network will have an initial review later in the year; I plan to attend this review and will gladly raise any issues that you bring to my attention

You can download the latest Bus Timetable by clicking here. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download these timetables. If you don’t already have it you can get it free from the Adobe Acrobat website.

Don Styles (Tel. 750697)

Bus Pass Travel Scheme
The new Bus Pass scheme provides free travel on registered local bus services anywhere in England.

Application forms for people eligible for the Bus Pass, ie aged 60 or over or registered disabled people, have been supplied to the Village Hall, the Church and the Chapel. They can also be obtained from Post Offices or Council Offices.

If you already possess a Bus Pass you do not need to make a further application as you will automatically be sent a new Wiltshire Bus Pass, which you should now have received. The Helpline number if needed is 0845 601 0487.

Don Styles (Tel. 750697)

Kington Langley Parish Council News

The Parish Council has received the following notice from North Wiltshire District Council:

HAVE YOU FOUND A STRAY DOG?

From the 6th April 2008 Local Authorities will be responsible for dealing with stray dogs at all times under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The police will no longer have a duty for stray dogs.

If you have found a dog, please contact (01249) 706111 during office hours. Out of office hours and up to 10.00pm please ring 0845 0568035 and your call will be dealt with by our Out of Hours Service.

If you have lost a dog, please contact (01249) 706111 during office hours and we can advise if we have found your dog.

Office hours Mon to Thurs 8.45am – 5.15pm, Fri 8:45am – 4:45 pm.

                                                                   Sue Hart, Clerk

Kington Langley Parish Council

External Lighting In The Village

The Parish Council has received complaints that external lighting on dwellings and other buildings is sometimes causing problems for neighbours and passers-by.  Obtrusive light, particularly if it keeps you awake through a bedroom window, is of course a form of pollution.  However, with some thought it can be substantially reduced without detriment to the actual lighting needs.

Parishioners are requested to check their external lights wherever the light in question shines beyond the boundary of the property.  In particular the necessity for the light should be questioned and whether it might cause a nuisance.  Where such lights are judged necessary there are a number of steps available:  for example, the lights can be dimmed, placed on timers, or switched off when the purpose for them being on is finished.

A little thought will not only solve the problem but will cut those ever-increasing electricity bills!

Kington Langley Parish Council

Kington St. Michael Music & Movement Group

This group meets every Tuesday during term time in Kington St Michael village hall, and is open to all pre-school children from the age of about 18 months.  These lively classes, run by Liz McCarron, give a gentle introduction to music with action-songs and musical instruments. We now have the use of Acorns' ride-on toys to play with in the playground, kindly being lent to us by the village Pre-school, and the children all really enjoy this social part of the session.  Anyone new wishing to come along and have a free trial session, please contact the membership secretary Liz Allen (01249 758157) for more information about time.