MidBorder News Autumn 2020

Wendy Wins It! As you may recall, the Kington Chronicle changed its name this year, to MidBorder News.

We had a competition asking people to suggest a new name and win a mystery prize. Wendy Cole put on her thinking cap and came up with Border News: we gave it a little tweak and here we are. We had planned to have a proper presentation to give Wendy her prize: a bottle of wine.

However, the world turned upside down and the Summer issue was full of What to do in a Pandemic. But we finally managed to meet Wendy and she got her prize at last. Well done Wendy and thank you for being so patient.

Night sky over Craig Goch with comet Neowise. By Sorcha Lewis. See her Facebook page He-art of the Elan Valley

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Editorial It feels like a lot longer than four months. We have had to learn new ways of doing things, always trying to be mindful of keeping the correct distance from people, cleaning our hands at every shop, queuing patiently to get in, following the one way systems. As an at-risk person I’ve been wearing a mask every time I go shopping: it won’t protect me but it will protect others should I unwittingly become infected.

People I know personally have died from covid-19: yet there are some who refuse to take this infection seriously. “It’s only flu” they say, or “I’m young, I won’t get it.” Well, it’s not flu, it’s pneumonia, it’s very infectious, our bodies don’t know how to combat it because humans have never had it before and it’s easily passed around by people who don’t show any symptoms. Maybe people would wear a mask if it protected them rather than others? On page 10 you’ll find a simple way to make your mask more protective of you, the wearer. Covid-19 can do serious and long lasting damage: organ failure, stroke, cognitive impairment, to name a few; and it seems we lose immunity after a few months. Isn’t that a darn sight more inconvenient than wearing a mask when you go out?

Annie Vickerstaff Editor

Advertising in the MidBorder News We do full colour adverts and if you don’t have one, we can create an ad for you for a one-off fee of £15.

Advertising rates per 3-monthly issue: Eighth page (B&W only) £10 Quarter page £30 Half page £50 Full page £125 Full back £150 Half back £75 Contact us for 10% discount on more than one issue. Published quarterly at the beginning of February, May, August and November. Copy deadline is 15th of preceding month: January, April, July and October.

Distributed to venues in and around Kington, Knighton and Presteigne.. Also online.

Road Closures Kington. U91208 Doctor’s Lane from junction of Common Close to junction of Llewellin Rd: 10 to 17

August. Also U91211 Crooked Well: from junction of Llewellin Rd to outside no. 23. From 18 to 28 August. Diversion routes will be signposted locally. Due to gas main replacement works.

Weobley. For pole testing works.13 August for one day. C1095 Weobley to Causeway Cottage Rd from

north junction of Ledgemoor Rd to the south junction of Ledgemoor Rd. Grid ref: 341068 249918. Alternative route: via C1095 onto A4103, onto A4110, onto the A4112 onto the C1095 and vice versa.

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for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone

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to purchase a product

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to download any software to your device or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet

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to access any website that does not belong to the Government or NHS

NHS Test and Trace - Fraud Awareness

If NHS Test and Trace calls you by phone, the service will be using a single phone number 0300 0135 000. The only website the service will ask you to visit is https://contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk.

If you think you have been a victim of attempted fraud please call 101 or contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. To report suspicious emails: Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) re-

Contact tracers will never ask you: •

to dial a premium rate number to speak to us (for example, those starting 09 or 087)

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to make any form of payment

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for any details about your bank account

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for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts

port@phishing.gov.uk

Haveibeenpwned.com is a trusted website where you can check to see if your email address has been breached anywhere in the world, by whom, and what has been compromised. It will also advise on how you can protect yourself. Go to https://haveibeenpwned.com www.westmercia.police.uk

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courses were Mindful Sculpture and Grow Your Own Salad Bowl. Cucumber and tomato seedlings, lettuce and radish seeds, compost and pots or interesting pieces of oak were distributed by yet more volunteers. These courses will continue for as long as needed. We have just begun to open up the woods again and if there isn’t a second spike, our core adult sessions will begin in late August/September. We are a service without walls. We share food, stories, experiences and life’s challenges. Being in a safe place where it’s safe to laugh and safe to cry enables participants to find a sense of inner peace. We are a community, a family, which welcomes new faces each week and supports those who have been with us for a while to find a future; we walk alongside the vulnerable and the outcast and bring them back into the heart of our communities.

The Cart Shed Poor mental health will affect all of us, at some time in our lives. Based in a woodland setting in North Herefordshire, we help those with an imbalance in their lives to heal, learn new skills, find friendship and a future: to manage their own mental and physical health and well-being in a sustainable way. We work with adults and young people, members of the Armed Forces, Veterans, ex-police officers, paramedics, teachers, medical staff, factory workers, carers, the unemployed and school children. Our youngest is 11, the oldest 88. Signatories to the Armed Forces Covenant, we hold the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, Herefordshire Council’s Community Champions Award for volunteering and Herefordshire Business Awards Charity of the Year 2019.

Testimonials

What will you find at The Cart Shed?

“I am not one for mixing with people, but I have made some new friends and I wish the course would continue. It has helped me in so many ways and I don’t want it to end. I thank everyone who has helped me on this journey to my recovery!”

We maintained a service for all our participants from the day lockdown was announced. Our team was adamant we would not abandon anyone and we have supported over 100 people during the pandemic. Many of our volunteers became volunteer buddies, ensuring everyone was safe, had what they needed, and importantly someone on the end of the phone every week. Our course leaders created woodland and horticulture courses that could be delivered to people’s homes and taught via phone, email or through closed Facebook groups. These have been really successful and appreciated – the first

“The Cart Shed saved my life – just coming here and mixing with people. People here normally have similar issues as everyone else. There should be more funding for this project.” www.thecartshed.co.uk

Registered Charity Number: 1167802

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Kington Town Council What’s next for Kington?

We don’t know. But we’re working to find out and communicate that to you. The national and local governments are making policy and launching plans for the re-invigoration of the economy and society as we write. Let us hope that there will be no second wave and that the ease of lockdown measures will continue as the summer progresses. The reality of living with Covid in the future could mean considerable challenges for local business but also for venues such as the library, our local museum, churches and meeting places across the town.

We know that the pandemic has hit Kington hard – as it has many communities. Our people and our businesses have responded amazingly, but there has been, and remains, real hardship.

As your council we are in communication with government at all levels and are seeking to ensure that, whatever measures are announced, Kington gets its fair share. We believe (we hope) that the picture will become clearer and more consistent over the next three months and that we shall be able to communicate and support a package of programmes which help Kington and our community to get back on its feet.

our councillors and the council staff, many of whom are shielding themselves. Currently the council office remains closed and we do not yet have a way of holding council meetings safely.

As guidelines change, we hope that they allow us to resume a more normal way of working. We thank Liz and Merrie for working so hard, from home, to ensure that we could continue to do our jobs. They’ve been amazing.

The Council under Covid

Since the lockdown began in late March, we have been working remotely to conduct council business. Our council meetings for April and May were cancelled as the then extant regulations did not allow us to meet except in person – a bad idea then, as now. However, since then we have held two full council meetings via Zoom as well as a number of committee meetings. Despite the usual video-conference issues (dogs, children, printers, connections) we have successfully managed to work through agenda topics on some quite complex issues. These include approving our accounts and audit, liaising with Herefordshire Council regarding their plans for the High Street, considering important planning applications and more. Almost all councillors have been able to attend and we have had representatives of the public, the media (thanks Karen) and the Chamber of Trade (thanks Chris) involved too.

For those of you who’d like to attend a council meeting you can now do so from the comfort of your own home via Zoom. Details are in all the usual places (website etc.) or you can just contact Liz (details below) and she will send you the login and any other details you need. It’s free and it’s easy. Please don’t hesitate – full council meets on the first Monday of each month at 19.00.

The Recreation Ground and other green spaces

Our new Green Spaces Administrator, Merrie Kent, and our two grounds staff (Luke and Will) have all worked hard throughout recent months to keep our green spaces open but safe. They have been exceptional in their work and commitment in the face of difficult circumstances. It is with some disappointment that we see that their

Videoconferencing leaves a lot to be desired, but it does enable us to keep functioning during these difficult times. It also protects the safety of 6

our next meeting how to make this a reality. We have to contribute financially to the installation (which we have resources to do, thankfully, see below) but more importantly we must ensure that the charging points are technically appropriate and well-sited.

commitment is not reciprocated by all in our community. There have been repeated incidents of anti-social behaviour and, particularly, littering in the Rec. We understand that people are frustrated with months of lockdown but disrupting shared spaces and damaging our collective environment are not acceptable. We have discussed these problems with the police and will have no hesitation in reporting offenders. We ask that all of you in our community help us by reporting

Council Accounts/Budget

We are a small council with a small budget and much on which it needs to be spent. However, through Liz’s good management and a bit of forward planning we finished the financial year 2020 with a small surplus.

Before you get too excited, this surplus was planned and went towards replenishing our reserves after a number of capital expenditure needs in financial year 2019. That said, we are now in financial balance and have sufficient reserves to meet prudent capital expenditure needs as well as maintaining our support for community initiatives and people in our town. Once the central and regional government reinvigoration policies become clear we hope, judiciously, to be able to do our part too.

Contact details: clerk@kingtontowncouncil.gov.uk

any incidents in our shared green spaces to Merrie and of course, ensuring that you tidy up after yourselves. We hope, shortly, to announce the reopening of the Play Area in the Rec in accordance with current safety guidelines. We want to do this and, frankly, some of the restrictions are a bit silly (no licking the slides please), so we believe we will soon be able to get at least some of the facilities functioning again.

Environmental Action

We were pleased to receive a detailed letter from concerned young environmentalists from Kington. They are our future and, increasingly, our conscience. We listen to them. One initiative which we discussed at the July council meeting was to support the installation of one or more electrical vehicle charging points in the town.

The council was unanimously supportive of the concept and we will discuss in specific detail at 7

Elly Ingram Sponsored Trek You may remember reading about my sponsored trek in the March issue of MidBorder News, to raise money for Water Aid. I’m pleased to let you know that the trip is still planned to go ahead in October. I am now doing two treks a week; currently one 3 hour and one 6 hour, but I will be increasing the times each week up to two 8 hour treks per week. I’m carrying my rucksack and have put a small weight inside so I can get used to carrying the extra load, as I will have lots of kit. I am now also walking with my trekking poles after some very helpful tips from The Walking Hub. I need to have 80% of the sponsorship money paid in before 7th August. So if you are thinking of sponsoring me then now would be a good time! Here’s the link: https:// www.justgiving.com/fundraising/elly-ingram-trek

Water Aid provides clean, safe water worldwide, something that a lot of us take for granted, but something that is even more important during the pandemic. If you would like to know more (or if you’d prefer to sponsor me without going through JustGiving) then please contact me. info@ellyingram.co.uk

Latest Walking Event/Group Updates ‘Walkers are Welcome’ Get-together Weekend Oct 2020. Unfortunately due to the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 this event has now been postponed until October 2021.

As many of you know Kington has been an accredited WaW town since 2012 and we are so excited to be hosting this annual event, bringing to Kington many representatives from walking towns all over Britain.

Kington Walking Festival Sept 2020. At time of publication Kington Walks has not yet made a decision on whether the WF will take place this year.

Walking for Health. Not resumed yet. For more information on these group walks please contact Derek Blunn 01544 231321.

Nordic Walking. The Walking Hub has resumed Nordic Walking sessions on a 1:1 basis. Contact Ali 07756 172160 for more information.

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Covid-19 Important Information

Schools

The Herefordshire Outbreak Control Plan is available on Herefordshire Council website within the Coronavirus pages Covid-19 outbreak control

The Herefordshire website on school closures also has information that can be searched for by individual school

plan | Emergency planning in Herefordshire | Herefordshire Council

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/info/200144/ schools_and_education/255/school_closures

As lockdown measures are eased it is important for all residents to understand how we all play a role in tackling the spread of infection and controlling outbreaks. Government coronavirus outbreak FAQ’s can be found at Coronavirus outbreak

Does your child have to go back to school? Unless there is a clear medical reason for your child not to attend school then your child is expected to attend in September. If you would like to discuss any issues with a school nurse please phone: 01432 363 940 or email school-

FAQs: what you can and can't do - GOV.UK

If you are symptomatic please refer to the Herefordshire Council Website Testing for Covid-19 | Stay home stay safe | Herefordshire Council For those residents who have no internet access testing can be arranged by calling 119.

nurse.service@nhs.net

Farm setting specific

National guidance specific to farm settings can be found at:

The Herefordshire Council Talk Community COVID response will continue to support vulnerable individuals throughout this time and can be contacted via email at Talkcommunitycovidresponse@herefordshire.gov.uk or telephone 01432 260027

Coronavirus (COVID-19): information for farmers, landowners and rural businesses - GOV.UK Agricultural

Business Specific

for risk-assessing work and living activities and ensure your workplace is COVID-secure: https:// www.hse.gov.uk/risk/ You can also visit Herefordshire Councils dedicated farming page

and Horticultural Development Board 2020 have issued guidance for farms and measures to put in place for seasonal workers living on-site: https://ahdb.org.uk/coronavirus-advice-on-seasonallabour HSE risk assessment guidance is beneficial

As businesses re-open and residents return to work, it is important that workplaces follow government guidance on how to remain ‘COVIDsecure’ and maintain safe working environments for employees. This can be found at Working safe-

www.herefordshire.gov.uk/covid19farms

ly during coronavirus (COVID-19) - Guidance - GOV.UK

This can help to ensure business continuity in the event of an outbreak.

Herefordshire Council has also set up an Outbreak Control Hub as a single point of contact. If you have a positive case within their workforce they inform the Outbreak Control Hub by emailing

This will help us support businesses and also understand and contain any spread of the virus across Herefordshire. The Herefordshire Outbreak Control Group comprises experienced Public Health, Health, Emergency Planning, Social Care and Environmental Health professionals. This team will work to prevent infection, contain outbreaks and implement protective measures. Businesses are also able to contact the hub if they have any queries around the guidance and infection prevention and control measures on the above email address or by calling 01432 383799.

OutbreakControlHub@herefordshire.gov.uk

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Home Made Saline Filter Mask

towel performed better than an untreated surgical mask. The researchers see the salt treatment both as a way of improving DIY cloth masks and also extending the life of surgical masks. Source: https://bit.ly/3gM1Scb American Journal of Infection Control, online May 25, 2020.

The novel coronavirus is thought mainly to be transmitted via respiratory droplets (5 micrometers diameter and larger) and finer aerosols (less than 5 micrometers).

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is reportedly 70-90 nanometers (nm) in diameter. How would soaking a paper towel in saline improve its ability to block such tiny particles?

For those who want to try the pre-treatment method: 1) Measure out 100 ml of hot water

"Salt in water forms molecular bonds and creates a lattice when the salt is applied through an aqueous solution," said lead author of a recent scientific study Jonathan Carnino, research assistant in the department of pulmonology at the Boston University School of Medicine.

2) Mix in 5 teaspoons of table salt until completely dissolved

"When a nanoparticle hits the treated paper towel, the salt dissolves for a second and when it dries, creating a lattice again, it encapsulates the virus."

4) Allow to completely dry

3) Soak household paper towel pre-cut to the size and shape of your mask in the solution for five minutes to ensure the solution completely soaks the paper 5) Place filter in between the 2 layers of a homemade mask and replace approximately every two hours or sooner if soiled.

The ability of kitchen paper towels, laboratory paper towels and surgical mask filters to block tiny particles was dramatically improved by salt soaking, researchers report in the American Journal of Infection Control. The pretreated paper

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Marches Counselling Service (MCS) The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded MCS a £45,555 grant to support those in Herefordshire who are struggling in these difficult times. Jennifer French, Director of MCS, said, “There have been so many ways in which people have been affected. Some are grieving at a loss that was often totally unexpected. Some have struggled with illness in themselves, family or friends. Many are facing financial difficulties through job loss or reductions in income”.

Keyworkers are also under tremendous pressure.

Relief can come from talking things through with someone outside of your situation who is trained to help. MCS can now offer a safe space to more people, either face to face with a counsellor in Hereford or online. Phone 01432 279906 or 07527 579488. Email: marches.counselling@gmail.com We are very

grateful for the Lottery grant in supporting us and to the Government for making monies available. www.marchescounselling.org

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maintaining social distance, continuing diligent hand hygiene and wearing a mask or face covering. Valve containing masks are designed to be used in high risk medical environments and will not protect others around us. Please refrain from using these in enclosed spaces. In our Amber Hub we used simple surgical masks even when having contact with patients with Covid and did not contract the virus.

Kington Medical Practice Covid Update July 2020 The Coronavirus pandemic has been a challenge with rapidly changing knowledge and guidance.

Face to face activity has increased at the surgery and we are ‘open’. We do have to continue to be careful to pace appointments to make time for diligent cleaning and infection prevention and control measures. At the moment, the Amber Hub is in a pause phase as symptomatic cases continue to be rare. We are ready to re-initiate the strategies used previously should the level of emergency rise. While we are in this relatively ‘quiet’ phase of the pandemic it is important to take the opportunity to make sure our children are immunised and the members of the community with the most complex medical needs are monitored and treated effectively.

It is becoming increasingly evident that there can be long term symptoms/health effects after contracting Covid-19, even in mild cases. Work is ongoing to understand this better but preventing infection remains of critical importance. We now have much improved access to testing so if you are unwell please do request a test. We should not feel stigmatised by a positive result. This is a very clever, highly contagious virus and we must do our best to prevent its spread. People suffering with this infection have been victims of verbal and online abuse and this is not acceptable as it is crucial that we feel safe to check if we have the infection. The local authority will be publishing regular updates and we are grateful for their efforts to establish and maintain transparency.

There is an outbreak management group that responds quickly to positive cases and takes rapid action to assess risk and measures which need to be taken. This unit worked successfully to contain the recent localised farm outbreak. This will be the pattern for the foreseeable future with sporadic clusters of infection occurring for which we now have the ability to test and contact trace.

More information can be found at https://

‘Flu season will present its own challenge and planning is ongoing to deliver the immunisations safely for our population. This will be a mammoth task which is why the process has already started. We continue to look ahead, advise people to be considerate and protective of each other and prepare for the issues we will all face in the coming weeks and months.

www.herefordshire.gov.uk/info/200139/ community/346/ emergency_planning_in_herefordshire/6

Wherever we have multiple individuals working in close proximity there will be risk. It is important that we support each other, as often in these circumstances people are working hard to harvest the food we eat and maintain the supply chain of critical goods. We protect ourselves by

Dr S McCaffrey, GP and Clinical Operations Manager

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Volunteer with the Woodlanders

each week, 9.30am to 2.30pm, on alternating Thursdays and Sundays. You choose which days to attend and how much of the day to stay for.

We provide all the tools and training needed and usually arrange lift shares where possible. Everyone works at their own pace and you don’t need any prior knowledge, just enthusiasm - we will match your skills and abilities to a task that needs doing. The work is enjoyable, gives you a real sense of achievement at the end of the day, and you get plenty of fresh air and exercise. At the time of writing, our woodland task days are suspended due to Coronavirus but we are still recruiting volunteers ready for when they can resume. When that happens, we will, of course, be following social distancing measures. So, if you’d like to know more, please contact us. Our website has lots of information about us and our volunteering opportunities. We hope to see you soon. Gary Cowell.

In the new Coronavirus reality, many people are looking for different ways of living and spending their time, often with a kinder, fairer society and an improved environment in mind. We have opportunities that can help you realise those aims: we are seeking volunteers to help in the woods, and home-based volunteers with skills in fundraising, grant applications, marketing and sales.

Knighton Community Woodlands Group (the Woodlanders) allows local people to come together to enjoy, conserve and enrich our environment. We learn and share woodland skills, use those skills to improve habitats for wildlife, have access to affordable woodland products, and have fun! For 10 years now, we have brought together volunteers from Knighton, Kington, Presteigne, Bucknell and surrounds. We formed because we are keen to work collectively, to learn new skills and to actively engage with our local environment. We learn from and help each other. Over the years, we have gained recognised qualifications in woodland management, first aid and chainsaw operation. To help with practical, hands-on work, we welcome volunteers one day

E: woodland@tveg.org.uk Phone: 01547 520374 Web: http://tveg.org.uk/wordpress/what-we-do/ woodland-project

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Weds and Fri local delivery available. www.theflowerboxknighton.co.uk

Business Opening Times Times and information correct as of going to press 20 July.

Fresh Fish. The fish man is back with fresh fish on Wednesday mornings. The stall is near Bradfords/Snips by the hotel carpark. 8.30am – 1pm.

Knighton

Knighton Music Centre 01547 528529/ 07957 590827. Shop is now open 9am – 5pm. Social distancing to be observed.www.knightonmusiccentre.com

See Facebook Page for Knighton & District Corona Virus Support for a comprehensive list of Knighton businesses. We include just a few below.

www.facebook.com/knightonmusiccentre/ Restorella 07901 822294

Boots Chemist. 01547 528313. Open 9.30am - 6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am - 5.30pm Saturday. Pharmacy closed between 1-2pm Prescription delivery £5.

www.facebook.com/restorella and info@restorella.co.uk Shop is now open. New stock over the coming weeks.

Rhos Organic Market Garden 01547 528315 info@rhosorganic.co.uk Order on Tues for pick up Fri. Shop has new layout. Opening times: Thurs & Fri 9-4, Sat 10-1. Veg boxes ready from Thurs.

Bradfords. To order call 01547 528559 or have a look at their Facebook page www.facebook.com/Bradfords-of-Knighton1906750939541628/

W E Price 07890 912229 We are now open.

Free delivery for: gas, wood hardware etc and plants.

The shop is open 9-1pm. Please phone ahead and they will have your order ready for collection.

www.facebook.com/WE-Price-1054615191338854/ Knighton Library Closed - no need to return books; the box for returns will not be used. There will be no fines. Remember that you can download e-books, eaudiobooks and magazines free. https:// en.powys.gov.uk/elibrary. Click and Collect: 01597 827460 or https://en.powys.gov.uk/ orderandcollectbooks to request books. Specific titles will not be available, please order by genre. https:// www.facebook.com/powyslibraries/

Community Support. Office will be moving to the charity shop at 21 Broad Street.

Firewood Pam 01544 260339. Don't forget the Drive Through is open 24/7 and kept well stocked with nets of logs and kindling. 01544 260339 / 07974 954526 www.facebook.com/firewoodpam/ Flower Box. Call 01547 528786 or visit www.facebook.com/theflowerboxknighton/

Knighton Community Centre. The Centre is closed but admin can be contacted during the following times: Tues and Thurs 9am-3pm; Weds and Fri 9am-1pm.

Castle Inn Knucklas 01547 528150. Takeaway on a Fri & Sat evening 4.30-8pm - menu on Facebook page. www.facebook.com/castleinnknucklaspowys Sunday Lunch 12-3pm must be pre-ordered by Fri 12pm.

Churches Together Lunch Club 01547 528154. Margaret Davis Meals on Wheels. Meal and pudding £5.

Tues & Fri. Tower House Gallery. Soup and sandwiches for takeaway. Please order by phone for pick up between 12pm – 2pm 01547 529530.

Presteigne The Salty Dog & Leon’s Food to Order. Mon and Tues 9am to 4pm; Weds to Fri 9am to 5.30; Saturday 9am to 4pm. Ready meals: go to www.thesaltydogpresteigne.com to order. Take-away burgers on Sat night 6pm to 8.30. Pick up from Leon’s Supper Club (above The Salty Dog). Call 01544 262164 or 0780 5727 486 or Facebook message Leon’s Supper Club.

The Original Presteigne Barbers. We are offering appointments all day on Mon, Fri and some evenings. Call Sharlene on 07931239381 or E: presteignebarbers@yahoo.com Presteigne Bowls Social Club. We are now open!

Please adhere to the one way system etc. Contactless Card payment now taken.

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Ian, Barber. Appointment only for time being. Couple of spaces for haircuts: home visits or in Norton. Phone 07977000741.

Royal Oak. For beer follow the yellow and black road! If a member staff isn't at the bar, follow it to the beer garden where you'll be seen to.

Kington Border Bean Open Mon to Sat from 10am to 2pm.

Phone 01544 231625. Sit in or takeaway.

Coop 7am to 10pm; Sunday 10am to 4pm. For vulnerable etc 8am to 9am; Sunday 10am to 11am.

Small Breeds Farm Park & Owl Centre Outside areas are open. Ample Parking. Disabled Facilities £10.00per adult £7.00 per child jay@owlcentre.com Doughboys Pizza Open Thurs Fri Sat 5pm to 9pm.

Order 01544 231173 or 07902 669539 La Gala Simple lunch menu. All can be ordered in advance or table booked by calling 01544 598564 Mon to Fri 9am to 4pm. Sat 9am to 4.30pm; Sun 10am to 2pm.

The Royal Oak Takeaways Fri and Sat 5.30 to 7.30pm.

Carvery every Sunday, booking essential. To order call 01544 231864.

Regency Café open from Friday 24 July. 01544 231344 The Swan Hotel Lunches 12 to 2 and 5 to 9pm. Also takeaways. Call 01544 239433 caseyf@hotmail.co.uk Taj Mahal Open for delivery & collection orders 6 days a week (not Tues). To order 01544 231999 or go to www.tajmahalkington.co.uk

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ate locations. An amendment was proposed by Cllr N Johns and seconded by Cllr S Vaughan not to have a bus stop the Knighton Hotel or Brookside Square and look for an alternative town centre place. Once again, these plans are on hold due to present circumstances but the council will continue to press for improvements to be made in the future.

Knighton Town Council Welcome to the Knighton Town Council page.

As you may imagine, during the Covid-19 lockdown the council has been unable to meet in person, so your doughty councillors have ventured into the world of electronic meetings with the help of Google Meet.

Several projects that were in the pipeline have unfortunately had to be postponed, but the council is working on preparations to start taking action once it is possible to do so.

Covid-19 Support

The Mayor’s fund has provided support to Knighton Food Bank and Knighton Community Support, amounting to hundreds of pounds.

These two organisations have provided excellent help to the community since the lockdown began and we extend our thanks to them both.

Not forgetting all the good-hearted volunteers who have been helping with shopping, collection of prescriptions and other necessary services to support vulnerable members of the community.

A New Bank for Knighton?

Plans to purchase the old library building are continuing. The site is awaiting assessment by a surveyor and there are still many issues to be considered, but if the purchase goes ahead there are exciting plans to lease part of the building to the Welsh Bank, thus bringing banking facilities back to the town.

Improvements for Bus Users

The council is keen to upgrade the facilities for bus users in the town and has requested that Powys County Council makes improvements by closing the bus station in Bowling Green Lane, retaining it only for school transport, and installing two bus stops in Broad Street: one outside Knighton Hotel and one opposite in Brookside Square. An electronic departure board and journey planner also to be installed. A roof over the benches at the rear of the square to provide sheltered waiting facilities for bus passengers and members of the public. All buses terminating in Knighton, (740/738 and some 41 services) to provide a town service by turning left up Ffrydd Road, Penybont Road, Offa's Road, West Street and back to Broad Street. The West Street bus stop to be used for any layover required.

Local Improvements

In February the council agreed to apply for funding from Brilliant Basics, a Welsh Government scheme to provide support for local amenities.

The projects which the council wanted to apply for were: 12 new signs in Knighton; pathway improvement from the Offa’s Dyke Centre to the River Teme; Lower Cwm pathway resurfacing and works to restore a crumbling bank adjacent to the path; new notice boards in the town.

However, the Welsh Government diverted monies from the Brilliant Basics funding stream to go towards the cost of dealing with the pandemic. If this funding becomes available again, we will make a new application.

Additional bus stops to be installed at appropri16

Kington Young Rebels March for the Future On June 25th a group of young people slow-marched along the High Street to the council offices. Members of XR Youth Kington delivered a letter urging the council to put pressure on the UK Government to tackle its unacceptable delay in its response to the climate emergency. The letter made several points and stated: “New calculations by climate experts from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research suggest that the Government needs to halve the amount of carbon that its policies will allow to be released, if we want to reduce the risk of heating to below 2C. If we wanted to honour our commitment to keep temperature rise to below 1.5C, then the amount we can release is even smaller.” Young people all over the world are taking action to safeguard their own future – we must listen to them.

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Emergency Walking & Cycling Measures in Kington High Street

To manage both infection and traffic risk in Kington High Street as the town re-opens, a number of plans were put forward to and discussed by the Town Council in multiple special meetings. These included presentations from Herefordshire Council and Balfour Beatty. After extensive consultation, Herefordshire Council decided on 13th July to reduce the speed limit, town-wide, to 20mph and erect warning signage. We were disappointed by this decision as we do not feel it delivers either of the goals the consultation set out to achieve. We had advocated for High Street measures of either a timed partial closure or more formal traffic calming measures at peak periods. Our Mayor, Bob Widdowson, gave the following statement: “The imposition of a 20mph speed limit through the town is very good news, but the proposal for the High Street is disappointing. It is impossible to maintain social distancing on the pavements without stepping into the road. This plan means pedestrians and drivers are being asked to share the road. Whether that happens is a big question.”

So, please, can pedestrians and, particularly drivers exercise great caution in the High Street as we continue socially distancing whilst bringing the town’s heart back to life? We want everyone to shop, eat and drink – safely.

Kington Town Council Editor’s Note: The government asked local authorities to introduce temporary measures that give pedestrians and cyclists the space they need to maintain social distancing and travel safely. These national measures, including using temporary barriers and signage to widen footways, some timed or partial road closures and dedicated cycle lanes, will allow more space to walk and cycle in busy areas. Speed reductions to 20mph on some streets will help pedestrians and cyclists feel safer where road space is shared. The temporary measures are being introduced week beginning 20 July & are being funded by government Emergency Active Travel Funding, which has allocated £20,000 to Herefordshire to promote walking and cycling for short and local journeys. The temporary nature of the measures will allow them to be reviewed and additional funding is expected in the coming months to install further measures.

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