Gardner

I have further news: The Tiffins Café in the Derwen College has already been closed and will be used as a training centre in future. The Garden Café will continue, but with reduced staff and increased student manning.

I've heard rumours that both the Garden Cafe and Tiffins located in the Derwen College are set to close on 16th December, in just a couple of weeks time! This is such a shame as I regularly pop into the cafe on my way home from Oswestry. My best wishes to all the staff and students that have helped to run the cafes over the years.

I always thought 'alfresco' meant in the nude. Do you not find the bread crumbs get in your belly button?

According to the news yesterday there are plans for widespread cuts to NHS services, not just the potential loss of A&E in Shrewsbury, and I expect the reason given will be not enough qualified staff. The potential cuts in the BBC reports (but uncovered by 38 Degrees) will go out to consultation to the public next year, but people in the Oswestry area already have experience of this process. So the question is, when is a consultation a consultation?

It strikes me that dairy farmers are in meltdown at the moment. Meanwhile, our children are feeding on sugary drinks. We have 3 primary schools in our villages. Is there any way the BiG Local could organise support for local dairy farmers by setting up a scheme to supply free milk to local schools. Any excess milk could perhaps be distributed via local meals on wheels teams to the elderly. It's just a suggestion...

Both St. Martins and S&GPC have relatively new clerks that live outside the area. They are paid by their respective councils to do a job, and part of that is to provide information on the decisions the councils make on behalf on the parishioners. However, there are pre-existing facilities for this; you can approach the council and ask for the agenda and minutes and these documents must be displayed on parish notice boards, if there is a parish website, then up to date documents must be displayed there. In Gobowen the minutes are available in the library. Parishioners can attend monthly council meetings and talk freely for a period before the meeting. They can also approach the clerk and have an item put on the agenda. Clerks are not required to make information available above and beyond what they are actually contracted to do. Having said that, community online is very much a one stop shop and I don't see any reason why parish documents cannot be sent to CO at the same time as they are sent to councillors (5 full working days before the meeting itself). As to the wider challenges faced by Shropshire Council (see the previous uploaded clip), I suspect that many, many people are unaware of the cuts coming down the line, and indeed the responsibilities that small parish council are having to contribute to now that the unitary authority slowly reduces its services.

What's TBH?

I'm sure I read on a notice board in the village that the parish meeting on the 9th March will be held at Selattyn School, not the pavilion...

I've heard on the grapevine that the Green Room youth project has been suspended until they get some more volunteers to help out on Wednesday evenings. I think Fusion Arts do youth sessions in the pavilion on Monday evenings between 5 and 7pm

https://libdembodders.wordpress.com/2015/12/07/malcolm-pate-elected-as-new-shropshire-council-leader-its-an-opportunity-to-change-for-the-better/#more-3224

I've just seen a news flash on the telly saying that Shropshire Council Leader, Keith Barrow, has resigned due to a "conflict of interest".

You are encouraged to comment on the proposals for Gobowen Library by completing a consultation document: Paper copies are available from Gobowen Library, the Post Office, the Pavilion and Gobowen Primary School. On-line documents are available at www.shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved and search for Gobowen Library. Closing date for comments: 21st December 2015. For further details contact Corrie on 01691 677306 or Teresa on 01691 677338.

The new Saints FC Community Foundation will be holding a multi-play sports activity session on Gobowen playing fields on Monday 26th October 2015 from 1 pm to 3 pm. Everyone welcome!

Yes, my understanding is that the meeting will be held in Gobowen pavilion and that 30 minutes will be made available for members of the public to speak.