Duck Race

FRIENDS OF ST MABYN CHURCH

‘CELEBRATIONS’ FLOWER FESTIVAL AND CRAFT EXHIBITION
St Mabyn Church between 29th and 31st August. Timings as follows:

Friday 29th 10am – 4pm Followed by DUCK RACE AND BBQ (see above)
Saturday 30th 10am – 5pm 7.30pm Songs of Praise with the Deanery Choir
Sunday 31st 11am – 5pm 6.30pm Evensong

Refreshments will be available
This will be a wonderful opportunity to visit St Mabyn Church, which was the location used for the 2007 wedding scenes in the last Doc Martin series on ITV.
On Friday 29th ‘Friends’ are also organising a DUCK RACE at Hellandbridge which will start at 5pm and will be followed by a 6pm BBQ courtesy of Gage and Liz Williams at Menkee, St Mabyn. If wet the BBQ will take place under cover. Tickets £5 adults - £2.50 children under 12 years old. Please book in advance for BBQ
Tel No. 01208 841378. Tickets for the Duck Race £1 each.

Notes from ST MABYN PARISH COUNCIL Meeting July ‘08

County Council: Cllr Brewer notified the meeting that the “One Cornwall” newspaper was now being distributed to every household in the County. The Implementation Executive Committee continued working with Officers and Councillors in setting up the One Cornwall Council. The next meeting of the County Council Planning Committee would discuss the proposed application for a waste incinerator at St Dennis, the new Airport Hanger at St Mawgan and the new Primary School at St Tudy.
Cllr Brewer reported on the A39 roundabout improvement at Tollgate, Wadebridge and was questioned by Mrs Barrett about the cost of the blue “completion” signs that had been erected.
District Council: Cllr Mutton reported that the District Council had nine months left to run, before the Unitary Council took over on 1st April 2009. He also explained the time scale for the consultation period and decision process on planning applications.
Police Report: The Clerk read the police report on behalf of PC Brian Rice. One offence, a domestic assault, had been reported / recorded in the past month. The parking of vehicles within the village had been monitored.
Full Council Meeting – 3rd June 2008:
Item 15a) Highway Matters – Some reinstatement work had been carried out adjacent to Glenmorris on the Longstone Road, but the two potholes outside Corner Cottage had not been filled. The County Council had reinstated the edge of the carriageway at Chapel Lane, adjacent to the bus shelter.
Planning Applications / Planning Matters:
2008/01159 Mr & Mrs Ballard, Tregenza, Station Road, St Mabyn – Erection of extension and alterations to include new garage. No Objections / Support.
Councillors discussed the cost of the electricity supply to the changing rooms in the Playing Field and resolved to keep the supply. Although only used occasionally, it was a necessary supply for some organised events and available should electricity be needed to maintain the play equipment etc.
Allotments: It was agreed that further enquiries be made into the obligation of the Parish Council in respect of a request for allotments. Cllr Mrs H Barrett, as Chairman of the Village Hall Committee, reported that she had written to the Bishop of Truro enquiring about the availability of land within the village.
B3266 Longstone Junction: It was agreed that the Parish Council should continue to pursue the County Council requesting that consideration be given to enhance the junction and make to road safer, and reduce speed. To support these requests, it was suggested that letters written from the Longstone Action Group be made available to the Parish Council.
Correspondence: The Clerk displayed letters and reports received since the last meeting:-
Wadebridge Road – The Clerk had corresponded further with the resident at No. 13 Wadebridge Road, regarding the damage to her hedge. The County Council had suggested that the Police be informed when stones are dislodged by large agricultural vehicles, but the incidents would require witnesses and details of vehicles.
Meadow Court, Wadebridge Road: A letter from a resident raised the issue of parking in the tarmac entrance areas to Meadow Court, these being visibility strips and not designated parking bays. Cllr C Mutton, present at the meeting and landowner, agreed to obtain some “No Parking” signs for this area to endeavour to resolve this matter.
Parish Matters:
Longstone: The grassed area around the dog bin and notice board was well maintained, but grass cuttings / weeds etc had been dumped on this land by a local resident. It was suggested that a notice be displayed “No dumping of rubbish”.
Footpath between Church and Pub: Local resident Mr Roy Hill had weeded the path and also sprayed the parking area behind the Bus Shelter.
The crescent: Contractors working on behalf of North Cornwall District Council had cut and tidied the overgrown area adjacent to the garages behind The crescent.
Playing Field / Play Equipment / ROSPA Report: The ROSPA report was addressed and the required work identified.
CCC Local Maintenance Project 2008/2009 and Parish Footpaths:
Footpath No. 5 opposite No. 6 Longstone had been ploughed and maize had been planted in the field. Cllr C Mutton will arrange for a path to be reinstated. It was agreed that it would be inappropriate for the path to be cut diagonally across the field, directly through the crop.
Footpath No. 3 Longstone Lay-by to Menkee (Treblethick) Instructions have been given to trim this path . The walkway / bridge needs replacing and a handrail is required for public safety. It was agreed to ask the County Council to look at this path as a matter of urgency and it was felt that its current state was unsafe, and although rarely used, should be maintained or closed until work is completed.
Date of next Meeting:Tuesday 2nd September 2008

Restoration of Church

The works are now on schedule to be complete by the end of September, four weeks late due to the poor weather this summer and also the problems with the temporary roof. A penalty clause will be payable by the builders, and the restoration of the organ and hiring of an electronic one for the Flower Festival and wedding in September are being covered by their insurance. A survey of the damage to the wood block floor is also being undertaken. We look on track to be truly complete by the Patronal Festival on 16 November when our Patron, Sir David Brewer will inaugurate the plaque commemorating the successful completion (over 20 years!) of the restoration of the roof. Quotes are still being considered for the replacement of the old and inefficient heaters so the Church should be warm that day too!
Photograph George Dyke

Slates for sale

It appears that there could be up to 500 fine rag slates for sale once the current builders have used what they need. These slates were bought for Phase One, twenty years ago and have been carefully stored for use in Phase Two. Every penny counts so the highest bid will win! Please contact Churchwarden John Lobb on 841581 if you are interested.

Churchyard working party

The grass all around St Mabyn Church is kept well trimmed but the ivy which is covering the shed, vestry gate and around the tombs near the door is rampant! Once the scaffolding comes down it is proposed to clear this away so that the church will look truly at her best for the Patronal Festival.Churchwarden John Lobb (841581) is looking for volunteers so please contact him if you are willing to lend an hour or two - the day and time will be set to suit the helpers.

Day of celebration

Sunday 16 November will see the celebration of the festival of St Mabena and the churches of the benefice join for a joint service at 11am. This will be extra special as it will celebrate also the successful completion of the restoration of the Church roof and replacement of the heating system, all made possible by the generosity of many benefactors, including grant giving bodies and of course, English Heritage which judged the church of such significance that they approved a really major grant. All those who have contributed or been involved in any way are most warmly invited to join us. A special lunch afterwards is being planned, more details next month.

Conservatives Coffee Morning

Venning Davey will kindly be our host when we welcome former Agriculture Minister and long-serving MP for Banbury Tony Baldry at Kellywell, St Mabyn at 1030am on Saturday 4 October. This also offers an opportunity for those who have yet to meet the candidate Sian Flynn, to do so -but as she lives in St Mabyn and is a regular at the Post Office Stores many have already done so, but this is business, come and ask her those hard questions! Further details from Chairman Abigail Kirby-Harris 850651

Logs

Stock up for winter now....£60 for a good VW pick up truck load
Telephone Joe on 01208 72156

Planning approvals

Two planning applications were approved on Tuesday 12th August at Camelford 2008/01398 for Mr Mutton and 2008/00183 for Midas Homes.

Village Hall

"St Mabyn village hall is well used and much appreciated, with its upgraded modern facilities and is a popular venue for private events and activity classes. There is a stage with stage curtains for various drama performances.
Picture shows the hall being prepared for a recent wedding reception. The advantage of having a well equipped kitchen attracts events like private parties, receptions, lunches and dinners
Bookings can be made through the caretaker, Beverley McNary on 01208 841781 "

St Mabyn Pre-School

Our church is getting a new roof, the village shop is going strong, and the school is loving its new outdoor learning space. Now, it's time for the youngest members of St Mabyn to benefit from improved village services, and fight off the dragons of urbanisation.
In September, for the first time in its history, the St Mabyn Pre School will be held five sessions a week; one of the days will even be an optional full school day, to help busy parents with their schedules.
This is a bold move for the small group, which previously only held three sessions in the village hall. But changes in Government funding this spring meant that St Mabyn could offer more funded sessions to parents: now, 15 hours a week. Rather than fall behind the towns, the committee to take up the challenge.
"We're really excited about the new hours," said chairman Gillian Molesworth. "We have been talking to parents about what they want, and we've been able to respond positively - it's great."
The pre-school sessions will now last a full three hours on Monday through Thursday, from 9.10am-12.10pm Additionally, there will be an afternoon session on Mondays from 12.10-3.10, to coincide with school hours. On Wednesdays, children will be able to take advantage of a lunch club for a small fee - if parents want more of these, the committee is always ready to respond.
Supervisor Angela Brown said: "The great thing about St Mabyn is that we can provide the kids a variety of settings: the park, the school grounds, and the church. Together the village makes a great experience for the children."
The pre-school have just completed a year of growth: in 2007-8 it received roughly £5,000 to upgrade its services. Jenny Ahern from the Pre-School Learning Alliance helped the committee to modernise the school's policies and systems. The pre-school also bought two laptops, one for the setting and one for the children to experiment during one-to-one supervision.
Gillian said: "The message is: we're here, we're better, so come meet us and have a look. You and your child are always welcome to free taster sessions. These village services cannot survive if they're not supported, so it's a case of 'use it or lose it!'"
The St Mabyn Pre-School is open to children aged two to five. For children under three years, sessions are £6. Lunch club is £3 for all children. For more information, call the dedicated Pre-School phone on 07929 092 088.

Photo: Scary dragons of Urbanisation: left, Gracie Kent, 3, and right, Maisy Romero-Cross, 4; behind, Freddy Molesworth, 3, champion of Village Services

Fatal car crash at Longstone

A local man has died in a head-on collision in the rain near Longstone St Mabyn.
Full report