THE PARISH NEWS (Sparkford, Weston Bampfylde and Little Weston) (with Sutton Mantis)
February 1986.
Vol. 1, No.9
Editor: Mark Berry, Bridge Cottage, Sparkford, North Cadbury 40778 There's a lot of it about! Rain, as if you hadn't noticed this for yourselves, and 'flu - a particularly unpleasant strain, which leaves the legs feeling like rubber. To all who have been inflicted, a speedy recovery to full strength and fitness. And, dare we mention it, a certain amount of apathy and a Willingness to let someone else do the work. May we humbly suggest that we all look around and see if there is some small way in which we can help in one or more of the many activities taking place in our community. Items for the next issue by February 18th, please.
SPARKFORD
PARISH COUNCIL
At the meeting on 7th. January, it was with shock and much sorrow that the Parish Council learned of the death of Mr. Swainson, the Headmaster of Ansford School. For so long now Ansford has offered a natural and happy progression for many of our children on leaving the security of their primary school at Queen Camel, and letters of sympathy are to be sent to his grieving family and the Chairman of the Board of Governors. The street lights outside 43 and 55 Church Road and the second one along from the entrance to Manor Close are either not working or working incorrectly and Mr. Thistlethwaite, the County Street Lighting Engineer, is to be informed. Grave concern was expressed at the proposed intention of the South Somerset District Council to abandon its policy of regular street sweeping and replace it with an annual clearing of accumulated rubbish, probably at the end of each winter. It is understood that this proposal, if implemented, is to be reviewed when finance becomes available. . Meanwhile it is intended that resources should be diverted to the shopping and commercial areas of the towns within the district. A letter strongly protesting at this unfair decision which penalises country dwellers, who lack many of the facilities which are supported wholly or in part by the rates, and are available in urban areas, is to be sent to the South Somerset District Council. Work on the perimeter fencing of the playing field is in hand, but is being hindered by weather conditions. Mr. Cluett said that surface water on the field is also due to the recent heavy rainfall, but a careful eye would be kept on the situation. Comments by the judges of the Best Kept Village Competition are listed separately in this publication and parishioners are asked to note them carefully, particularly the one which concerns weeds. A letter is to be sent to British Telecom pointing out that the litter left in the telephone box at Sparkford lost the' parish marks in the competition, whereas in the past the tidy state of the box had earned marks. This can only be put down to the fact that this box is no longer cared for locally but by outside contractors. There will be no competition in 1986 because the organisers, the Community Council for Somerset, are assessing and adapting the competition to embrace an expanding entry in time for 1987. Avril Ward. Clerk to the Council.
BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION As mentioned above, here are the judges' comments on Sparkford and Weston Bampfylde for the 1985 competition, together with a copy of a letter from the Community Council concerning the future of the competition:-