VACANCY

Slip End Lower School
Rossway
Slip End
LU1 4DD

Foundation Unit Assistant
Temporary
(for the Summer Term)
Nursery Assistant.
Hours: 12:55 - 3:25 Monday to Friday

Are you enthusiastic? Are you able to work as a member of a team?

Slip End is a small village school in a friendly community. Following our successful Ofsted Inspection, we are looking for someone with these qualities to join a supportive team in our recently developed Foundation Stage Unit, which functions as part of the whole school. The unit accommodates pupils aged from three to five years. This post involves working with the three to four year olds.

Visits to the school are warmly welcomed.

Please contact the Headteacher,
Cori Fisher on: 01582 720152
for further details and an application form.

Closing date for applications: Friday 8th February 2002


SLIP END TENNIS CLUB
The Tennis Club is now over fifteen years old. This may not seem very startling until you know that tennis courts are given a life of fifteen years before they need replacing and that is assuming they have been repainted after ten years. Although we have tried to keep our two courts in a reasonable condition, the time has come for some serious renovation. By the time you read this, the courts should have been professionally cleaned. We shall then have one of the courts repainted at Easter. Unfortunately the total cost for two courts is over three thousand pounds, so we are attempting to do one this year and the other one next year. We are very grateful to both the Parish Council and to the LTA who are helping us with grants toward the cost. Obviously, most of the money has to come from members and non-members who play on the courts, which is why we have to charge for using the courts. We are hoping to raise further funds towards the renovation from our next Quiz Night, which will be on Saturday 13th April. Tickets will cost £5 and will include supper. Please put the date in your diary if you would like to take part. Another date for diaries is the AGM on Friday 5th April where we hold the draw for Wimbledon 2002 tickets. Everyone is welcome but only those who were members during the past year are allowed to enter the ticket draw. Some of our members will in the NEC, Birmingham on 10th February to see the final two matches in the Davis Cup tie against Sweden. There is still time to order tickets. If you would like any further information about anything relating to the Tennis Club please phone Peter on 01582 733253.
Peter Smith


SLIP END PARISH COUNCIL.
May I take this opportunity on behalf of the Parish Council to wish you all a Happy New Year.
Our Parish Administrator, Mr. David Haste now has an e-mail address, davidhaste7@netscape.com.uk. If you need to contact David and you have e-mail you may now do so.
Crime Figures for
November & December
In November there were three burglaries reported in the Parish, two car thefts, two criminal damage, and one taking away of a car without the owners consent. In December there were three thefts from motor vehicles, one criminal damage, one taking away without owners consent and one report of arson. Please try not to leave valuables or articles that may attract thieves, in your cars. It only takes a moment for these cars to be broken into.
Gifts for the Elderly
These were all delivered before Christmas. The response to the PC's appeal to businesses in the area for donations for these gifts was tremendous. Although thank you letters have been sent out to those businesses concerned, I would like to say a great big Thank You to the following who donated cash:
M Walters on behalf of the Rising Sun
Airparks Ltd
Mr Hay of The Plough
Bensons Auto Supplies.
Fantastic Fireworks Ltd
Mrs A MacFarland
Slip End Citroen Centre
M & R Chalkley
Mr Mittal Slip End Post Office
The Grace Cook Trust.
Donations of gifts which were subsequently raffled were given by:
Tickets for Woodside Wildlife Farm.
Lunch for 2 at The Frog and Rhubarb
A total of £835 was raised and some of this has been kept over for Christmas 2002.

Budget for Slip End 2002/2003
Councillor. Philip Penman, Chairman of the Finance & General Purposes Committee has writen an article about the Budget and what it entails for those of you who have asked for more information. See page 14 of this issue of Parish News.
With nothing more to report, I look forward to writing to you again in March.
Christine Benson. Chairman.
Slip End Parish Council.


SLIP END PLAYGROUP
The Christmas term ended well for us with a very successful Children's Fashion Show and a Christmas Raffle held jointly with the Toddler Group. Local children from 3 to 12 years were our models and were extremely good after only an hour of training. Thanks to all of them and to the committees of both groups for their hard work. Thank you too to those who came to the Fashion Show and those who supported the raffle.

We had our Playgroup Christmas dinner for our mums, staff and friends in the Frog and Rhubarb just before Christmas. We all had a good evening and the Playgroup staff, Jill. Julie and Sue, were surprised with a much appreciated Christmas present each. A few days later we had our children's party with an entertainer, food and activities and a visit from that special friend of children Father Christmas who brought every child a gift.

This term we have eight new children starting Playgroup, bringing our numbers up to a good level again. Those who have already begun at the time of writing are settling in very well and enjoying their new friends and activities. We are now recognised as providers of nursery education in Bedfordshire and from this term will receive some funding for our children in the term after they are three so long as they live within this area. This means that for the last term before they go to the school they have a free place at Playgroup. The term's activities are not all yet planned but despite what many of you may say we are hoping for some snow to play with, paint pictures of and to bring inside to see just what does happen to it. When you are only two or three it's really exciting stuff you know!

Lastly a date for your diaries - we are holding our next Nearly New Sale on Saturday 16th March. In case you haven't been to one before the sale is of children's clothing, toys and baby equipment.. Look out for our adverts next month in the PN and the local notice boards.

Do we have some young models in the making?
Boys from the fashion show and the girls below


PARISH COUNCIL - BUDGET 2002/2003 WHERE DOES IT ALL GO?
Over the last six weeks or so, Parish Councillors have been putting their minds to the budget requirements for the Council. The budget in its entirety sets out the Council's spending plans for the next financial year commencing 1st May 2002. The Council proposes to spend some £26,000 next year, an increase in spending of £9,000 over the previous year's budget. This will be achieved without increasing the Parish Precept of £23.75 per year, per household (Band D). This will be the third year that the Parish Tax has not risen. A summary of the budget is shown at the end of this article. The full budget papers can be viewed/downloaded from the Slip End Web Site in Excel format. The budget can be broken down into its various "heads". These are:

Administration : £7,291.00 (£6,568.50 2001/2002)

While there are savings in the Clerk's salary and expenses, we have an increase in insurance costs. There is a one off cost this year for Civic Regalia necessary due to the formation of the new Parish Council. We have increased the expenditure on the Newsletter and Public Relations and hope to form a Partnership Agreement with the Parish News to produce a "Parish Council Edition" of Parish News which will be available free to all households. A sum has been allocated to assist Council Members with some of the expenses incurred in fulfilling their duties. (Members receive no remuneration).

Subscriptions : £355.00 (£433.00 2001/2002)

Subscriptions to bodies like the Bedfordshire Association of Parish Councils & Bedfordshire Playing Fields Assoc. Reduction due to some payments previously being included under this heading which were actually grants.
Aley Green Cemetery : £950.00 (£867.00 2001/2002)
Precept paid to run the Cemetery (jointly funded by Caddington Parish Council and Markyate Parish Council).

Planning & Public Consultation : £2,000.00 (£1,000.00 2001/2002)

Professional and Consultancy fees. This is a fund we wish to build up to assist with professional advice should any major Planning Application come forward that would impact on the Parish. This year the total budget was spent on a Planning Appeal at Pepperstock and legal advice to have Travellers moved on from the Playing Field. The increase is to bring our target of £5,000 available within 5 years back on schedule.

Crime Prevention : £1,000.00 (Nil 2001/2002)

Funding towards CCTV at St. Andrews Church.

Jubilee Celebration : £1,000.00 (Nil 2001/2002)

Funding to support and promote celebrations within the Parish for the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

Admin Support : £1,000.00 (Nil 2001/2002)

New budget to provide administration support to the Management Committees of the Village Hall and Slip End Playing Field, should they wish.

Grants : £3,075.00 (£2,355.00 2001/2002)

Grants to help various organisations and charities which impact on the Parish including the Village Hall, Slip End Playing Field, Victim Support, Slip End Tennis Club and Slip End Friendship Club.

Highways and Amenity Areas : £6,666.00 (£4,870.00 2001/2002)

Maintenance of various amenity areas, bus shelters, Churchyard and grassed areas, includes this year an increase for additional grass cutting in the Parish.

Crawley Playground : £3,600.00 (£1,700.00 2001/2002)

Provision and maintenance of Crawley Playground. Significant increase in expenditure to allow for replacement of safety surface over the next two years. Repairs to fencing is an ongoing cost (£650 spent this year ).

Caddington Recreation Centre : - £600.00 (- £600.00 2001/2002)

Repayment of loan by Caddington Recreation Management Committee.

  2001/2002 2002/2003
Administration £6,568.50 £7,291.00
Subscriptions £433.00 £355.00
Aley Green Cemetery £1,000.00 £950.00
Planning and Public Consultation £1,000.00 £2,000.00
Crime Prevention £0.00 £1,000.00
Jubilee Celebrations £0.00 £1,000.00
Admin Support (Village Hall & SEPF) £0.00 £1,000.00
Grants £2,355.00 £3,075.00
Highways and Amenity Areas £4,870.00 £6,666.00
Crawley Playground £1,770.00 £3,600.00
Caddington Recreation Centre -£600.00 -£600.00
Total £17,396.50 £26,337.00

Precept 2002-2003
Tax Base 746.11 at band D
2002-2003 band D precept £23.75
Total precept @ 0% increase £17,720.11

Estimates

Transferred Reserves £30,000.00
Under Spend 2001/02 £3,500.00
Use of Reserves £8.600.00
Balances @ 30/04/2003 £24,900.00

Figures supplied by Philip Penman


2001 PICTORIAL RETROSPECT

David & Mary Bolster
left Slip End for Edmonton
in August

A busy Lucky Dip moment at the
Slip End School Fete in July

   

Richard Stay and his wife were
invited to the Buckingham
Palace Garden Party in June

Slipend.co.uk goes from strength to
strength! Peter King, Webmaster,
celebrated his 40
th birthday in 2001
with a surprise party.

   

Not 2001 but one from the archives. This is the Friendship Club back in the '60's. Rev Dennis Cooper and Viv Porter are there, some of our senior residents may recognise other faces

 

Sadly, the area was plagued by the activities of car dumpers and fly tippers.

 

 

2001 was a historic year when Slip End Parish Council was formed, separating from Caddington.
Seen in sombre mood is the Parish Council Chairman, Christine Benson with Sue Day, "Racsha" of Slip End Scout Group, at the Remembrance Day service at St Andrew's on 11th November 2001. Following the horrors of September 11th and during the war against terrorism, Chris Barnes of St. Andrew's conducted a notably moving service.


LAUGHTER
The elderly lady had little comprehension of the change to metric measures. On one recent shopping trip to the supermarket, she stopped at the cheese counter while a patient young assistant attempted to explain a simple way of relating ounces to grammes. When she had finished the lady said, "Well then, I'll take some Cheddar - about an inch."

After waiting more than an hour and a half for her date to arrive, the young girl decided she'd been stood up. She changed into a nightshirt and slippers, made some sandwiches and resigned herself to an evening of television. No sooner had she sat down than the doorbell rang. There stood her friend. He took one look at her and gasped, "I'm two hours late-and you're still not ready!"


POLICE CONTACT NUMBERS

 

POLICE - EMERGENCY

 999

 

POLICE - INCIDENT

Not an emergemcy
but requiring police attention:

01582 471212

 

RURAL BEAT MANAGER

WPC 961 Carron Thompson

For community related problems

not needing immediate attention

01582 473112


EDITORS CHOICE
It's been a busy month for Parish News entries so thank you everyone who wrote in, sent e-mails, typed out their report or just spoke to me. It is much easier when entries are e-mailed but I appreciate that not everyone is able to do that. If at all possible if you can get someone to type out the handwritten entries it would help.

Finally some happy little verses to help bring a smile to you during these grey winter months ….

Teasing
The nicest homes are those where people love to tease each other,
Good-tempered sort of banter
of a sister to a brother;
The chaffing and the laughing of a husband with a wife,
Making happy fun out of the ups
and downs of life.

The joking and the jesting,
on which good cheer attends,
Between the next-door neighbours or
the home that's shared by friends;
For loving goes with teasing 'tis the heart's way of protection,
And such a very happy way of showing fond affection.

Another Day
Old cares are like the morning mist,
Before the rising sun,
But it is true, the blue shines through
Before the day is done.

And then the fears of yesteryears
Go rolling down the lane,
Another day, smiles on its way
And life begins again.


SLIP END CUBS
We had a cracking camp at Phasels Wood from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th January. As you can se from the photograph, the weather was good on the Saturday and the Cubs and Beavers were able to get out and about.
The food was good too and everyone ate well. Look out for a full report next month.
Paddy Higgens

Cubs enjoy a game of 'Giant' football!

Our pages are also published on www.slipend.co.uk , reaching a far wider community than our local area. If you have not been on line yet, take a look; as well as local news there are bulletin boards, forums, pictures and other items, all of local interest.


Village Diary


PLEASE NOTE - ALL CONTRIBUTORS
Articles for the March issue of Parish News should be passed, by 15th February
or earlier please, to Sue Cowell, 83 The Crescent, Caddington (733507),
e-mail: SueCowell@Caddington18.fsnet.co.uk.

Parish News distribution queries? Please contact Brian Church on 01 582 458443

Anonymous material will not be published, however names may be withheld on request.
Parish News reserves editorial rights.


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