Laura

It would all surely be a lot easier to go back to mining, we surely have the ability to clean the coal these days, this could be used in Coal fired stations thus giving work back to miners and others again. Wind turbines are useless and kill the wildlife, case in point rare birds and eagles killed recently. So unsightly resulting in less tourism in area's which rely on this to survive. Even Germany which has a proliferation of  so called eco energy has started rebuilding coal fired stations to combat the loss of energy. We cannot be the only country which will allow our manufacturing to decline altogether and unless we are willing to build a bubble around our atmosphere our small amount of savings on CO2 is minimal in contrast to the developing world. In a couple of years we could see rationing back for energy as it was in the 70's.  Start to stack up on your candles!!!!

And to kick off:
 
Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mocking Bird" that I recently borrowed from Gobowen Library.
 
I've been a fan of the tall American actor Gregory Peck having seen his later work in films such as "The Sea Wolves", "The Omen", "The Boys from Brazil" and "The Scarlet and the Black". In the 1960's, not long after the novel was first published, Peck starred as Atticus Finch in the film adaptation, but I still haven't had the chance to see it.
 
The book is set in the Deep South of the 1930s and is told from the point of view of a young girl, Scout Finch and her changing relationship with older brother Jem and best friend Dill. Their father is a lawyer defending a black man accused of raping a white girl and how this situation has an effect on the family. 
 
At 309 pages, the actual trial of the accused man doesn't really become central until at least two thirds into the book, and even then it's just a chapter or so long - so this is by no means a court room drama. It's more about how children become aware of what is going on around them.
 
Well worth a read.

Must admit the idea of an internet cafe is really interesting! Could also turn it into a reading read with papers. You can do so much especially with the internet to hand, even get idea's and patterns on there should imagine for the Knit & natter group!

You know the old saying "Money always goes to money" it should be sustainable but not if it never reaches or helps the people it was intended for !

Well it looks like the planning committee for Shropshire might well have other idea's about the 6 houses per year if as is likely this coming Tuesday they will be allowing 7 houses to be built courtesy of the Parish Council on one site alone in Chirk Bank and where one leads others follow. The parish council have still not asked residents as yet whether we will want to be a hub or a cluster where is the democracy!

I think I also put forward the idea, following the fact that you cannot get your car tax from the village Post Office, to make a big thing about helping people do their car tax online at the Institute.  Get them in the door, sell them tea/coffee and a cake :)

I had a similar idea.....  once you have people there make the most of them.  Tea/Coffee etc.  I did also mention that Weston Rhyn would have qualify for Village SOS but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.  Maybe its a bit optimistic but I had the idea of a Community Cafe, internet, tea/coffee, locally sourced produce, make use of the jungle to the side of the building for outdoor seating. 

I attended the consultation last night. This is what it was all about:
 
Oswestry Town had applied for support from the Mary Portas review of town centres but was unsuccessful, however, they have managed to get £10,000 to improve the town centre. The idea was to put in place a "Town Team" to identify "what suits Oswestry".
 
The scheme was a joint economic venture between Shropshire Council (they were in suits), Oswestry Town Council and Oswestry Chamber of Commerce. However, funding streams are more available to community bodies rather than local authorities, so part of the consultation concentrated on how to get different groups talking to each other, forming connections and generating ideas.
 
I might have mentioned Community Online as an example of a forum linking up three villages that share ideas and get individuals and groups talking to each other, and it was taken on board as an option. Someone did mention that "not everyone is online" and another said any new forum should be part of the Oswestry Town Council website (did I mention there were a lot of town councillors present?).
 
"Project North" was presented by Stewart Thomas, Planning Manager of Shropshire Council. He mention trying to get groups communicating with each other, talking to the owners of unused shops but not trying to impose development.
 
Kate Garner of Shropshire Council set a number of quetions for attendees to answer that would give them some pointers as to how the £10,000 should be spent:
 
How can we improve communication (between individuals and groups - should it be virtual or hardcopy?) and be inclusive? How do we promote and develop the town as a whole place (what is its USP)? What do we need as far as street scape (pedestrian/car/cycle) is concerned? How will it be managed? I heard someone mention that street furniture should be cleaned or removed. I must say I couldn't help mentioning the traffic free route a couple of times. The results of the Oswestry2020 consultation won't be made available until April. It was a good opportunity to do some networking, but I do feel that £10,000 isn't going to make a big difference to the town, and I do get frustrated with people who talk down the internet as a tool for consultation (and even actual physical change)...sheesh!
 
The new Centre in Oak Street (replacing the old North West Centre) is very impressive, but there is a design fault: The building is one of these fashionable glass structures letting in plenty of natural light from street level windows, and during some presentations some kids outside thought it would be fun to tap on the windows constantly.
 
Notes to architect: FUNCTION FIRST, design second.