MURIEL
Hello again to the good folks of slip end. I
am sorry that I have missed a couple of months but like every
one else I needed a holiday.
I do hope you are all back to normal after your summer
holidays and preparing for the return of the dark nights now
the winter nights are approaching. Once again how about
giving a bit of thought about joining the village hall
committee, as we are really desperate now for a few new
faces. It will soon be the AGM again but I don't think you
will need to wait until then if there is some one who is
eager to join us. I maybe speaking out of turn but speak out
I must whatever the outcome. Have you all noticed that the
hall has had a new coat of paint and a general clean up
around the grounds that make me feel happy to be a part of it
all.
Of course with the dirt from the traffic I doubt if it will
gleam for long so maybe we can find a few volunteers to get
on the scene and help out when the old leaves start to fall
Gosh, the year has gone so fast and poor bud wont be looking
forward to sweeping up again I am certain as when the years
past so fast age creeps on and one lacks the energy to do
some jobs Well, I know I'm lacking in energy so speak for
others as well (sorry bud as you are a good soul and do such
a lot for the good of the hall and I know you are
appreciated)
We have had two more lights installed at the back of the hall
for added security and hope the youngsters will respect them,
but I'm sure that they will as the all seem nice people, yes
of course they are.
Well, there really is not a lot to talk about but if joy
reads this from the oaks well you are still welcome to come
for that promised cup of coffee so do get in touch as I don't
always bump into folks and I really would like you to call
round. As being a person after my own heart you can perhaps
give me some ideas on writing a better newsletter. I may find
more to write next month as the magazine is what I call
painfully thin and could so with a lot more letters from the
folks of Slip End but don't pass back any comments about my
letters as I do try to do my best and there is not such a lot
to say about this village to excite anyone and I know a lot
of you will agree that
the good old days are gone and are now history.
from Muriel.
(Note from the Editor - Yes Muriel we could do with a bit
more news from the Village - beavers & cubs, groups,
reports on local events, any interesting news all most
welcome. e-mail Sue at suecowell@caddington18.fsnet.co.uk
)
DANCES AT THE VILLAGE HALL
The dates for this year are as follows:-
October 6th
October 19th
November 16th
December 7th
December 31st - this is always fully booked from year to
year. If you would like tickets you can contact Shirley
Knapton on 01582 412506.
Live music is provided at all the dances.
SLIP END PARISH COUNCIL.
Slip End Playing Field
The Chairman of the Parish Council, being away on a well
deserved holiday, has asked that I write about the short term
problems of Slip End Playing Field and the management of the
Peter Edwards Memorial Hall.
The Playing Field is held in trust for the use of the
residents of Slip End, Woodside, Aley Green and Pepperstock
and is a registered charity. The charity has to be run by a
Management Committee elected by residents in whose names the
trust is set up.
The Parish Council cannot take responsibility for managing
the trust; this is the function of the Management Committee
and the trustees. The Parish Council does give financial
support and has offered to provide administration support to
the Management Committee and Trustees. If the Peter Edwards
Memorial Hall and the Playing Field is to continue, it will
require help.
As Chairman of the Management Committee I was pleased to be
part of the achievement of securing the £150,000 funding
that allowed us to build the new Hall and Sports Changing
facilities, but over the last couple of years the Pavilion
has suffered from the accumulated effects of wear and tear
and lack of maintenance. This has been exacerbated by acts of
vandalism in and around the hall. Over the same period,
membership of the Management Committee has dwindled from nine
members to four. The now small number of members means that
the workload is increased on the remaining members and
without input of new blood the charity will fail. Hand in
hand with this is the legal requirement to ensure that the
facility is maintained in such a condition that is it safe
for all users. At present there are a number of maintenance
requirements that, if not attended to soon, will mean that
the only decision that can be made is the facility is
"moth-balled" until such time that the facilities
can be brought up to standard. At present the charity has no
financial reserves to pay for these works.
The reason for writing this article is two-fold. Firstly to
advise you of the current situation and secondly to ask if
there are parishioners willing to help by volunteering some
of their time to overcome these problems. This help could be
on an ongoing basis or just a one off piece of assistance.
Would you be able to help?
We do need more members on the Management Committee. The
committee meets about 10 times a year and as a group we
decide on the various day to day decisions that have to be
made, set policies, review charges and ensure that the
Charity is run properly. Members also take on individual
responsibilities, i.e. Booking Officer, Treasurer, Secretary.
Other responsibilities would be promoting the facilities,
cleaning, maintenance etc. In fact if you feel you can bring
any help or expertise to the running of the charity, you will
be welcomed. If committee work is not for you, I list some of
the maintenance jobs that we need help with:-
Electrician: repair and fix external lights
Carpenter: repair internal doors, boxing in of pipes, fitting
security locks
Bricklayer: raise and replace manhole covers
Plumber: fix loose toilet, repair showers, fix leaks, repair
guttering
Painter: painting of hall and kitchen
Heating Engineer: service boilers and inspect heating system.
We also need help with cleaning, weeding and tidying up. Many
of the above are one-off jobs to bring the Hall up to
standard; others may need visiting every few months.
The playing field and the Peter Edward Memorial Hall are a
great asset for the parish. It would be a shame to have to
curtail its use.
If you feel able to help, I can be contacted on 455185 or by
e-mail PhilipPenman@aol.com.
Philip Penman
The Smile Starter!
Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like the flu.
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner,
and someone saw my grin.
When he smiled I realized,
I'd passed it to him.
I thought about that smile,
then I realized its worth.
A single smile just like mine,
could travel the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick,
and get the world infected!
INSTANTLY WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE SMILE STARTER, YOU MUST SEND
IT .
The house-wife went to the supermarket to buy some
insecticide. "Is this good for beetles?" she asked
the shop assistant.
"No," he replied. "It'll kill them!"
Slip End
Playgroup Nearly New Sale Clothing, equipment and toys for
children aged 0 to 12 years only |
SLIP END PLAYGROUP
The Autumn Term started for us on Friday 6th
September when we were pleased both to see our older children
back and to begin welcoming the new children who are now two
and a half years old.
This half of the term as autumn weather starts to arrive and
the leaves begin to fall we will be learning to recognize the
colours of the season. We hope to go on an Autumn walk in
Stockwood Park so we can collect leaves, acorns and 'conkers'
etc. The Playgroup Nearly New Sale (see above) will take
place in the Village hall on Saturday 12th October. As usual
bring items for sale to the hall between 12 and 1 o'clock. We
shall be using a most of the money we hope to raise on the
children's Christmas activities and party. Jill Acton
EDITORS PAGE
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
I am pleased to
report that I have now received the leaflets for the shoe-box
appeal. If you would like to help this very worthwhile cause
and would like the information, please contact me at home or
at St Andrew's Church. I also have a CD and a video if you
would like to borrow either to see the good work that the
charity does.
All you need to do is :-
*. Get a shoe box and cover it (lid
separately)
*. Fill with gifts and toiletries such as:
*. Cuddly toy, puzzles, pencils, pens
*. Hat, cap, gloves, scarf
*. For girls - jewellery, hair slides etc
*. For boys - toy car, truck, small ball
*. Toothbrush, paste, flannel, soap
*. Greetings card & photo if possible.
*. Sweets, chocolate.
Enclose £2.00 or more (to help with postage) in the envelope
supplied or with cheques to Samaritan's Purse. Secure box
with an elastic band but please do not seal. Shoe-boxes are
usually collected around 10th November so they reach the
children in time for Christmas. Many thanks, Sue Cowell,
Editor
For those who read the Dunstable on Sunday you may know that
I made it to the back page with one of my jokes! Wonders will
never cease! Here are some more for this month:-
LAUGHTER
* During a quarrel with his parents, young Michael cried,
"I want excitement, adventure, money and beautiful
women. I'll never find it here at home, so I'm leaving and
don't try to stop me!". With that he headed to the door.
His father rose and followed. "Didn't you hear what I
said? Don't try to stop me." "Who's trying to stop
you?" replied his father. "If you wait a minute,
I'm coming too!".
* It was mealtime on a small airline and the flight attendant
asked the passenger if he would like dinner. "What are
my choices?" he asked. She replied, "Yes or
No."
and finally something to think about:-
Once there was a king who felt exceedingly unhappy because he
thought there were no really good people left in his kingdom,
So he asked a famous artist, "Paint me a picture of a
really good person". The artist did so and the king was
delighted. He admired the portrait and suddenly realized that
the features were familiar. He saw the brow of his priest,
the happy eyes of his minstrel, the lips of his small
daughter, the smile of his wife and so on. The moral of this
story being, that there is no completely good person - but
all the people around us have qualities to be admired.
Francis Gray
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.
PLEASE NOTE - ALL CONTRIBUTORS
Articles for the November issue of Parish News
should be passed, by 15th October
or earlier please, to Sue Cowell, 83 The Crescent, Caddington
(733507),
e-mail: SueCowell@Caddington18.fsnet.co.uk.
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