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Gnosall Parish Logo (Image) 

Gnosall Parish Council           

 (Including the wards of Moreton and Knightley)                                   

 

Dementia Friends Logo (Image)

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Front Cover

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This colourful spring photograph of St. Lawrence’s church yard was kindly provided by Jim McGregor. 

We are always looking for photographs (both for our website and future editions of the GMK) of scenes around the Parish.

 

PAGE 2

Introduction to GMK

Happy New Year to all our parishioners - although the festivities of Christmas and ringing in the New Year seem ages ago now  – and Easter will be here before we know it.   As I sit here writing, Shrove Tuesday and the beginning of Lent are just a few days away.

This will be my last GMK ‘introduction’ written as Chair of Gnosall Parish Council as my three-year term comes to an end in May when a new Chairman will be elected.  To give a little background information, a Chairman is elected by the full Council on an annual basis but the maximum term a Chairman can serve consecutively is three years.   I have enjoyed meeting new people and being involved in various projects which will be of interest and benefit to the local community. 

There is still lots of work to be done and I will continue to contribute to GMK by writing articles but I would like to thank everyone for their support, encouragement and guidance over the last three years.  Gnosall is a very proactive Council and the workload can sometimes be overwhelming but what is achieved, and the satisfaction it brings when a project comes to fruition, far outweighs anything else and makes it all worthwhile. 

Cllr Pat Alker

Chair of Gnosall Parish Council

 

Dementia Friendly Organisation

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Late in 2017, the Parish Council received a presentation on the subject of Dementia. As so many people now live longer, this is increasingly common and many councillors have personal experience within their own families of the challenges and strains dementia in its various forms can impose upon sufferers and families alike.

The presentation outlined features of the condition and also highlighted simple ways in which families can minimise confusion and distress, for example, by changing the way they frame conversations in order to emphasise what is remembered, rather than pointing out what has been lost.

Now the Council is undertaking more research into becoming a Dementia Friendly Organisation, gathering information and ideas about what we might do in order to support parishioners and their families who are facing this condition. We hope to work with with the Health Centre, which has a Memory Clinic, as well as other relevant organisations, so that we can be aware of all the good practice that exists.

We shall report back our findings in due course, but if any parishioner has any suggestions about this area of work, please do contact us and let us know what you or your family might find useful. If we can help, we will do our best.

 

PAGE 3

A Golden End to 2017

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Gnosall Parish Council received exciting news at the end of December that the council had received a prestigious national award of Quality Gold status as part of the Local Council Award Scheme.  This award means that the Council has demonstrated that it meets the requirements for all three tiers of the Quality Award system and is at the forefront of best practice by achieving an excellent standard in community governance, community leadership and performance management.

The Local Council Award Scheme is a peer-assessed programme that has been designed to provide both the tools and encouragement to those parish and town councils at the beginning of their improvement journeys, as well as promoting and recognising councils that are at the cutting edge of the sector. It is through the sector working together to share best practice, drive up standards and support those who are committed to improving their offer to their communities that individual councils and the sector as a whole will reach its full potential

Very positive comments were received from one of the examiners, including a statement that “not only can I find neither fault nor omission but I would go further and say that this Council performs in a way that all Councils should aspire to”.

A tremendous amount of work went into achieving this award.  However, it was all worth it, as it has improved our practices and means the council is an even better council for our community.   Gnosall is the first parish council in Stafford Borough to achieve Quality Gold and only the second in the County of Staffordshire.

This achievement came only a month after The GFest team were recognised with a Community Award and £25 vouchers from Stafford Borough Council  for the positive impact GFest brings to the community.  Well done to everyone on the GFest team, your hard work is very much appreciated.  GFest dates for 2019 have been agreed as 13th -21st July 2019.

 

Parish Council Community Awards

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 There are so many individuals and groups who volunteer their own time to make a positive contribution to our community.   Without them our village would not be as lovely as it is; there’s always something to do or take part in for the young, the more mature and those in between. The village is kept clean and tidy, facilities are looked after, a helping hand is never far away and there's so much more.   

For these reasons, the Parish Council wants recognise the commitment of some of these people and groups who make our village so wonderful by presenting two special Community Awards each year at the Parish Assembly, which usually takes place in May.   This year the Assembly will be held on Thursday 24th May at 7.30pm at which the awards will be presented for the first time.  

We need your help with nominating either an individual or an organisation/local business who has made a positive contribution that benefits our parishioners and visitors to our parish.  Remember, the parish includes Gnosall, Moreton, Bromstead, Outwoods and Knightley.    Please contact the Parish Office for a nomination form or, if it’s easier, please send your nominations by email to clerk@gnosallparishcouncil.org.uk by Monday 16th April.   All nominations will be considered and the winners will be announced on 24th May. 

 We all know someone who does that extra bit to make a huge difference, so please let us know.

 

PAGE 4

Parish Council share of Council Tax

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2017/18

2018/19

Difference

Charge per household (Band D)

£30.28

£32.28

£2.00

Charge per week

58p

62p

4p

At a time when Stafford Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire Police are making cuts to the services provided, parish councils are finding it necessary to deliver more and every penny the parish council receives is allocated to be spent locally on key services for local people.

For many years, the Parish Council has tried to keep its costs to parishioners low but now finds it necessary to make a small increase to the precept to meet the increased financial demands.  If we had not done this, it might have been necessary to reconsider the activities and services we provide.

Stafford Borough Council awards a grant to parishes to fund services which would usually be undertaken by the Authority (the concurrent grant) but this has reduced in recent years.  In 2008 the Parish Council received £5617 whereas since 2012 it has received £3680, a drop of almost £2000.

At the same time, the Parish Council is responsible for maintaining many areas and facilities within the parish that come with ongoing maintenance costs, all of which have to be budgeted for.  We always look for funding opportunities and have been successful with many of our applications. However, as we all know, the cost of all services has risen and continues to rise.  Therefore, extra funds are required if we are to maintain the services we currently provide.

The Parish Council feels that we provide excellent value for the precept, when other local Parish Councils charge more than we do for less service provision. We provide many facilities and services and arrange community events during the year to the benefit of parishioners.   As a result of our high standards, Gnosall Parish Council has recently received a Quality Gold award in recognition of the difference it makes to the lives of the people that live here. This demonstrates that our Council is at the forefront of best practice and achieves excellence in governance, community leadership and council development. 

The council tax Parish element for a Band D property in 2018/19 will be £32.28 per year, a rise of only £2.00 spread over the whole year, i.e. 4 pence per week.

 

Tennis Court Project Update

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The Parish Council has now appointed an approved (S.A.P.C.A) Tennis Court Contractor to build a tennis court on The Acres, adjacent to the existing basketball area.  Work is expected to commence late March/early April, depending on weather conditions. The work will entail making a vehicle access to the site through the current banking on Brookhouse Road, which will then be reinstated to make a new pedestrian access through the banking with new pathways for easy wheelchair, pushchair and disability scooter access.

The contract will take 6 to 8 weeks to complete with the Tennis Court being marked out 3 weeks after the 'Match Play' top surface has been applied. A further 3-5 days for the painted surface to harden off will be needed before play can commence so watch out for details of the official opening.

A raised viewing area will be created on 3 sides of the Tennis Court, using the estimated 250 tonnes of topsoil excavated for the court foundation preparation work. This will then be grassed over by re-seeding and seating may installed at a later date when the viewing area has stabilised. Re-using this topsoil on site will save the parish council £5600:00 in removal charges so it seems to be a win-win strategy!

 

PAGE 5

“Hen and Chicken Lane” Update

Many of you reading this may recall, in the previous GMK, an article on the restoration of “Hen and Chicken Lane”. As a reminder, the lane is situated within the burial ground between the hedging and the rear of the houses built on Lowfield Lane. Archives had suggested it was possibly an old boundary between medieval and Saxon estates, another fascinating historical site within the Parish.

I am happy to report that the initial restoration work, undertaken by the Community Payback Scheme, has been a success in that the overgrown lane has been cleared of debris and discarded litter. The undergrowth and the majority of the hedging have also been cut back. The group worked hard and, despite the wet and cold weather, fulfilled the task in hand. The lane is larger than first anticipated and is certainly a welcomed improvement to the site.

We still have work to complete in Phase 2, with attention to the hedging and work to improve the ground along the lane and entrance. This needs to be done with care and consideration so we do not compromise the historical and visual qualities. As you can appreciate, this next step will take further funding and work by contractors and volunteers, but what a fantastic start!

We will continue to work with the Heritage Group to capture its history and record it for future generations to enjoy and will be happy to keep you informed as we progress with this project. In the meantime, should you require information on the lane, check out the Parish Council Web site, or contact the Heritage Group.

If you or your family have any further information in regard to the history of the site we would be delighted to hear from you. Contact Cllr Sue Green suegreen@gnosallparishcouncil.org.uk or the Parish Clerk, Jayne Cooper clerk@gnosallparishcouncil.org.uk.

Thank you again to the Heritage Group for your valued information and to Jim McGregor for the photographs.

 

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Photographs of Hen and Chicken Lane before and after restoration work

 

Fish & Chips on the Canal

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Following our two very successful canal supper trips as part of GFest last year, we have been asked by quite a few people if we could organise another one in 2018.

We are happy to do this and although we are still in the early planning stage, we will make sure that full details will be on the Parish Council web site, Facebook and published in the Gnosall Parish News (GPN). We hope to have a date in mid to late spring.

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PAGE 6

Designated Premises Supervisor

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In January, Gnosall Parish Council appointed a new Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) following the former DPS moving on to expand a very successful personal business.    We are very grateful to Heather and Nick for providing bar services at the Grosvenor Centre since 2015 and wish them every success with their business.

Many of you will know our newly-appointed DPS, Neil Nicholls from The Horns pub, who is looking forward to providing not only bar services to Grosvenor Centre hirers but also catering services, which is a welcome development of what can be offered. He says hirers will receive “attention paid to quality and excellent customer service from the planning of your booking to the day itself”.   All food is locally sourced and homemade.

So, whether you are an existing customer or have never used the Grosvenor Centre facilities, whatever your needs, whether it be a family party, christening, funeral or business meeting, please consider taking advantage of one of the competitive hire packages on offer.  The list below is what our new DPS can offer Grosvenor Centre users:

  •  Bar service with a selection of ales, lagers, wines and spirits
  • Cocktails
  • Hot beverages
  • Menu planning to suit your budget
  • Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options (other dietary requirements catered for on request)
  • Hot and cold buffets
  • 2, 3 and 4 course seated meals
  • Table / waiter service
  • Range of British and international menu choices
  • Extensive list of live acts ranging from bands, solo artists and DJ’s
  • Complete event planning

For more information about the packages offered, or to book the centre, please do not hesitate to contact the Council Support Officer on 01785 822685 or cso@gnosallparishcouncil.org.uk. 

Cinema returns to Gnosall

Following our successful film shows, we have organised another for Saturday 24th March 2018 at the Grosvenor Centre.

The early showing is Paddington 2. This is due to commence at 4.30pm and finish about 6.15pm. The later showing is the new 2017 release of Murder on the Orient Express. This is due to commence at 7.00pm and finish about 9.00pm.

With two great films available, tickets are very reasonably priced at £5.00 for adults and £4.00 for children and are available from the Post Office, the petrol station, The Horns pub and Gnosall Parish Office.

 

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Paddington 2 (PG)

Murder on the Orient Express (2017) (12A)

 

 

PAGE 7

Picnic Area - The Acres

As we near warmer and drier weather, we would like to highlight some of the ideas and events we have planned using the picnic are on “The Acres”.

It is a valuable asset both to the Acres sites and to the neighbouring play area. Unfortunately it is underused. Therefore this coming spring and continuing throughout the year we hope to utilise this area more. It is an ideal spot for groups to meet and for activities to take place.

Hopefully our ideas will capture the interest of all ages as well as capturing the attention of groups such as the Guide and Scout movement, the youth club and school.

Initially we have had a tidy up, checking the picnic benches and trees on the site and then will meet to plan the first event. Unfortunately because the events will be outside we have to also consider the inclement weather so require a backup plan to change venue should the weather be too awful to hold the event on site. The first event held at the start of February half term, was a workshop aimed specifically for attracting bird life by making a bird cake and bird boxes, plus bug homes and Easter wreaths (using material collected from the Acres) creating an interest for all ages.

Further events planned will involve talks on the history/planning of the Acres and its future, together with a tour, possible pond dipping and afterwards a picnic for all, Story tellers and entertainers are also a possibility. Planning such events does take time and effort by all involved to ensure they are successful, but the satisfaction of community involvement is always rewarding and hopefully appreciated. 

Obviously with the size of the village, numbers at these events will be controlled by a free ticketed system. As you can appreciate this is in the early stages of fruition. If you have any ideas or would like to get involved as a volunteer, or as a group, please feel free to get in touch.   

Contact Cllr Sue Green suegreen@gnosallparishcouncil.org.uk or the Parish Clerk, Jayne Cooper clerk@gnosallparishcouncil.org.uk

 

A Noisy Grosvenor Centre

The Grosvenor Centre was a hive of very noisy activity on Saturday the 17th February as up to 20 families took part in a nest-box building morning. The event was planned to be held on the Acres (to promote the picnic area by the playground), but was brought inside because of that morning’s rain.

The change, however, didn’t deter numbers or the enthusiasm as children quickly got to grips with constructing wooden bird boxes and bug hotels. The main hall echoed to the sound of vigorous hammering and the bustle of busy young people at work. There was also the opportunity to be creative by making decorated willow wreaths and hanging ‘fat-sticks’ for hungry birds. Most of the nest-boxes were taken home to be put up in local gardens, but several were also erected on the Acres.

It wasn’t clear who had more fun – the children or the parents, but the event was a great success and the Parish Council hope to repeat something similar in the future

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Photos taken from the event
PAGE 8

Wild Flower “Meadow” – The Village Green

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We have a new project on the Gnosall village Green for 2018. - The proposal initiated by the Best Kept Village (BKV) Group is to create a wild flower “meadow” area on the Village Green. Wildflowers have sadly declined over the last 100 years due to intensive feeding and cropping. Today some of the strong holds of wildflowers are only in such places as old railway lines and former wartime airfields. So we have a wonderful opportunity to see long forgotten wild flowers and give something back to nature by creating another lively feeding and possible nesting ground for insect, birds and small animals.

The idea was bought to the Open Spaces committee by the BKV to seek approval and to work together in its design, creation and maintenance. The area proposed for the project is only a small area of the village Green and will be situated adjacent to the Health Centre car park. The actual size and shape is yet to be confirmed and further consideration and impact on planned events, dog walkers, cost and maintenance will be taken into account. Initial work will involve clearing the proposed area and preparing the ground to create the correct conditions suitable for the wildflower seed to germinate.

To help with the planning and preparation for the project a working group evolved and in addition we have had a conversation with the Derrington Millennium Green Trustees who have kindly offered their support with advice and guidance. Their meadow though on a much greater scale has been very successful and has become a renowned place of interest. It is a brilliant opportunity to work and develop a great relationship with the Derrington team. We have a planned meeting at Derrington in the next couple of weeks.

If you are interested in helping the BKV with this new project or indeed with any of their work around the Parish they are always happy to welcome new volunteers.

Please contact in the first instance Dave Clarke BKV dave@clarkeys.org.uk or Cllr Sue Green suegreen@gnosallparishcouncil.org.uk or the Parish Clerk Jayne Cooper clerk@gnosallparishcouncil.org.uk

 

Grosvenor Centre for the future – update

What have we been doing since we reported to you in October 2017?

Using information from the Neighbourhood Plan questionnaire, we have drawn up a list of necessary and desirable features, including square footage. This will help when we get to designing our ideal Centre and can also be used in funding bids – because this plan is going to cost money and all funding streams must be investigated.

We have visited other facilities both near and far to see how they planned and resourced their builds and what criteria were borne in mind. This has proved very helpful – though it is a great pity that the funding streams used by several other communities seem now to be much reduced.

We surveyed the site early in the project but are now about to embark upon detailed structural surveys of the Grosvenor Centre, to establish what state it is in and how that might affect plans to extend or redevelop the existing building and in response to visible signs of movement within the structure itself. We shall also commission a geological survey to determine ground conditions below the Centre. This information would be required whatever we decided to construct so it is better to have it an early stage in case it should limit any plans.

Finally, we have held early outline meetings with a number of architects, who have given very useful and practical advice to guide us in the next stages of our work. We now have plenty of actions we need to complete before moving forward to engage an architect for the project.

 

PAGE 9
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Dear Resident

Staffordshire police have been made aware of parking issues in certain areas of Gnosall, particularly along Cross St, The Rank & Mill Lane. These are narrow roads and were not originally designed to cope with modern day traffic and the problems this now creates.

Please be mindful as to how and where you park your vehicles, especially close to the junctions of these roads. This may cause other road users inconvenience and potentially damage your vehicle if it is parked inconsiderately.

In the event that any of the emergency services need to attend an incident and a vehicle is obstructing their route, it may be removed without any warning.

We will be stepping up our patrols in these areas & giving advice to owners of vehicles considered to be parked inconsiderately. I’m sure your cooperation will be appreciated by all in your community.

Regards

PCSO 16750

Patrick Wright

 

Dog Owner Responsibilities

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Being a responsible dog owner means clearing up after your dog and taking bagged dog mess home or putting in a bin.  Most of Gnosalls’ dog owners follow the simple rules, which is appreciated but there’s a few who still do not. 

The Parish Council led a successful campaign in 2016/2017 and the amount of dog mess not cleared up dropped significantly.  However, there’s been a lapse and reports of un-cleared dog mess have been on the increase, especially in places where people may not think it matters, such as on the canal tow path and railway line – it does matter, someone else has to clean up afterwards.  Members of our Best Kept Village Team had to clear a lot of bagged dog mess from the junction of the railway and canal recently. This is not pleasant and not fair; they would much prefer to be doing something else to keep our village looking its best.   

It is a criminal offence not to clean up after your dog and fines can be imposed.  The Parish Council will be liaising with Stafford Borough Council to arrange visits from the Enforcement team who carry out spot checks.   Please clean up after your dogs.   Dog bags are available in limited supply from the Parish Office or are very cheap to buy.

 

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Portakabin:  Progress has been made regarding the choice of unit for the library building.  The one chosen is even more fire resistant and will have vision panels in the doors, which we prefer.  It is of course more expensive, but should be superior in several ways. The portakabin will be an asset belonging to Gnosall Parish Council (GPC).  The tenant will be Staffordshire County Council.  GLEAN Hub CIO will be the sub-tenant running the community-managed library.

Fundraising:  The amount raised so far by GLEAN in partnership with the Parish Council has reached the magnificent total of over £20,000. This figure does not include the £10,000 that  Staffordshire County Council will pay GPC towards the building costs. 

We

 

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had excellent news from the Big Lottery Fund this year.  Our application for funding has been successful and the partnership of Gnosall Parish Council and GLEAN Hub has been awarded a grant of £9,830 from Awards for All for GLEAN Community Hub and Library.  This mark of confidence gives us an impetus to move forward.  However, we still need to do fundraising, as there has already been some expenditure and costs are going up all the time, especially to meet safety requirements.

Werrington visit:  All GLEAN members were welcomed to Werrington Community Library and Wellbeing Centre in January.  We learnt a lot about how an active group of volunteers can manage and run a library very successfully, with numerous extra activities for all sections of the local community.

SCC Libraries Consultation of the future of Staffordshire County Council managed libraries:  This consultation paper proposes that there will in future be only 16 SCC managed libraries in the county.  Eccleshall and Penkridge are among those which have proposals for being community managed and run by volunteers.  They both have buildings which they can take over.  There are proposals that will affect mobile libraries too.  The travelling library is to be withdrawn.  We understand that there will continue to be a mobile library visiting Gnosall until the new library opens.  The consultation ends on 1st April.  Booklets about it are available at libraries or look online via the link https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/leisure/librariesnew/Help-shape-library-service/Help-shape-library-service.aspx

 

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If you wish to contact GLEAN, perhaps to offer your services as a volunteer, or provide funding for this excellent cause, please email the group at info@gleanhub.org.  To keep in touch with progress, please look at the website http://www.gleanhub.org/

 

 

Parking Issues

The Parish Council has received several visits from concerned parishioners about inconsiderate parking in Gnosall.  In particular, the most problematic areas are Lowfield Lane, Heron Brook, Springfield Gardens and Leese Walk usually around school drop off and pick up times. The Council is aware that parents of school children are being encouraged to park on The Memorial Village Hall or in places that do not obstruct private driveway or on junctions or pavements.

Other areas of concern, that our local PCSO has been made aware of are Cross Street, The Rank, Cowley Lane and Mill Lane. PCSO Patrick Wright in a statement sent to the Parish Council asks parishioners “to be mindful as to how and where you park your vehicles, especially close to the junctions of these roads. This may cause other road users inconvenience and potentially damage your vehicle if it is parked inconsiderately.  In the event that any of the emergency services need to attend an incident and a vehicle is obstructing their route, it may be removed without any warning. I’m sure your cooperation will be appreciated by all in your community”.  He added that PCSO’s will be stepping up patrols in these areas and giving advice to owners of vehicles considered to be parked inconsiderately.

 

PAGE 11

Christmas Lights Switch-on

What a tremendous success the Christmas lights event was in 2017!  The new ticketed-system worked well for the light switch-on at the Grosvenor Centre and people attending commented that it was a lot more comfortable than in previous years when things had been a little cramped.    Everyone was able to enjoy the entertainment provided by Peewee, who has already been booked for 2018.  Children from St. Lawrence Academy choir started the proceedings with some beautifully sung carols, the crowd and Town Crier joining in when prompted.

This event would not be possible without the volunteer helpers.  Gnosall Scouts once again cooked and served hot food, and GGs Youth Club ran a tombola stall and served homemade cakes and hot drinks.   Refreshments were donated by Gnosall Co-op and Waitrose, for which we are very grateful.    Both Gnosall Scouts and GG’s Youth Club retained the proceeds from their stalls, as agreed, for their own fundraising needs.  The evening came to close with a visit from Santa and his elves who gave all the children a goody bag and an advent calendar. 

The Christmas trees in the village looked amazing this year (especially in the snow) and the council received many comments from parishioners on how they enjoy having several trees to admire in our parish - particularly the one on the corner of Sellman Street, a new location that received very positive comments and was an ideal place for passing traffic to enjoy.   Our thanks are extended to JWH Ground Maintenance, Joe Rich,  Nickolls Transport and Paul Prince who provided transport at no charge and volunteered their time to help cut and position all the trees and then remove and recycle them after the Christmas period.

The lights switch on this year is set for 24th November.

 

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Over 85’s Christmas Tea Party

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On the 16th December nearly fifty elderly residents and their guests attended the fifth Over 85s tea.   Volunteers had made cakes, cut sandwiches and transported guests, the Co-op very kindly provided tea, coffee, milk and mince pies, the Gnosall Singers sang carols and the occasion ended with crackers and a glass of sherry.

As always on these occasions, the greatest pleasure for the guests seemed to come from being able to mingle and talk to people that, because of mobility problems, some of them hadn’t seen since the previous tea. It was a very happy afternoon that was enjoyed by the helpers as much as the guests.

The Parish Council is pleased to say that the next Over 85s Tea Party will be the Easter one on 21st April.

Left - Guests enjoying the festivities