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Bayton VILLAGE HALL: Rosemary Winnall gave a fascinating talk on Friday about wildlife in the Wyre Forest. The slides were amazing and we should all look in more depth at the forest when we are in there. Some of the wildlife is very rare and we are lucky to have people willing to volunteer to study the forest in such detail. It has been decided to fell the pine trees and let the area return to oak. This will be a gradual process so if you think the forest is disappearing, it is, but only in a temporary way. Aerial surveys have shown possible settlements and I feel that may be a future speaker event. If you know of an interesting speaker let Sue Burrows know on 01299 832722.

PARISH COUNCIL: Election notices are now up and the clerk has some forms for any interested candidates. Forms must be received at Malvern Hills District Council by March 12. Further details are on noticeboards or from the clerk, Sue Burrows, on 01299 832722.

Bishop's Castle ROYAL BRITISH LEGION WOMEN'S SECTION: The Bishop's Castle Royal British Legion Women's Section held its monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 25, in the Grange Road Community Centre. The exhortation was said by the chairperson Joan Grant, who then welcomed 18 members and two visitors.

The group had a very enjoyable afternoon with Audrey Phillips, who demonstrated how to make Easter cards. The competition for my favourite Christmas card' was won by Mrs Coxall, with Mrs Maddox and Mrs Gosling in second and third place. The raffle winners were Mesdames Anslow, Lawley, Bufton, Green, Pickford and Jones. The annual dinner will be at the Blue Bell, Churchstoke, on Tuesday, April 1 at 12.30pm.

DANCE FOR JUNIOR FOOTBALL TRIP: Tickets are on sale at the Nationwide Building Society office in Bishop's Castle for a dance in Lydham Village Hall on Saturday, March 29. The evening is to raise money for Bishop's Castle Junior Football Club under-12s team. Music for the dance will be in the capable hands of Karl Jennings, whose grandson plays in the team. Call 01588 638778 for more information.

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY PROGRAMME LAUNCH: The Friends of Bishop's Castle Library have launched an exciting programme of events, with things going on every month until the end of the year. These include talks, wine tasting, day trips and fun for children of all ages. There is a discussion on Jane Austen's book, Mansfield Park, by Pat Townsend at a date to be announced, a coffee morning and book sale in the library on Friday, March 14, which also sees the launch of the spring quiz. Books in good condition are needed to fill the stall and librarians Juliet Slavin and Alison Price will be happy to receive them. The last event in March is an Easter egg hunt and story time for children on Wednesday, March 26, from 10.30am to noon. Tickets cost £1 from the library.

STONE HOUSE FRIENDS FUND TESTS: Since holding their AGM in November, the Friends of Stone House Home Hospital and Community have funded a number of activities, comforts and equipment. They paid for Christmas cards and gifts for everyone who receives meals on wheels, patients in the community hospital and residents in the Coverage care home. The Friends have also used their funds to buy some equipment - two lifting couches for the physiotherapist at Stone House Community Hospital, another defibrillator for the Bishop's Castle first responder team and a 24-hour ECG heart monitor for the locally based community intermediate care team. The Friends also funded a two-day osteoporosis screening session at the Bishop's Castle medical practice.

It only costs £2 a year to join the Friends of Stone House, and your subscription can be paid to the subscription secretary Joan Grant, call 01588 638210.

FILM SOCIETY ARCHIVE GIVEN TO CENTRE: Bishop's Castle Film Society has handed over its archive of documents, posters, programmes and other material to Bishop's Castle Heritage Resource Centre for safe-keeping. The society celebrates its 30th birthday later in the year and committee members felt it was time to treasure their past, as well as look forward to the future. The documents and scrapbooks were presented to Prue Dakin, the Heritage Resource Centre administrator on Tuesday, March 4. They will be on show to the public until the end of the month, when they will be lodged in the centre, taking their place in the history of Bishop's Castle. The Heritage Resource Centre has storage space that is of the highest museum quality in terms of climate control and safety and a small charge of £10 a year will be made to the Film Society for this facility.

NO OBJECTION TO DEMOLITION PLAN: Bishop's Castle town councillors have voted not to object to plans for the demolition of two buildings: a barn at the rear of 34-36 High Street and Sumach, a bungalow in Station Street, both owned by Mr R and Mrs J Davies.

MAYOR COMPLAINS ABOUT DISTRICT PLANNERS: The mayor of Bishop's Castle complained at a recent town council meeting that the district council does not listen to their recommendations with regard to planning applications in the town.

Jim Gaffney said: "Certain planning applications come our way. However, South Shropshire District Council very often ignores our recommendations and I feel that if we are to be expected to take on more responsibility for planning this is not good enough. We are the eyes and ears on the ground and at the very least we should expect to know why our recommendations have been ignored."

In reply Jane Carroll said that all parish councils complain regularly about decisions on planning matters and she agreed that Bishop's Castle Town Council should be given reasons when their decisions are overridden.

NO CASH FOR TOWN HALL: Bishop's Castle town council has not been successful in its application for a Lottery grant to repair the town hall. After discussion it was agreed not to give up on the plan to repair and renovate the 18th century building and that the SSDC conservation officer, Colin Richards, would be asked for his advice.

BINGO TO HELP DOLPHIN RESEARCH: A bingo session in Bishop's Castle Public Hall on Wednesday, February 27, raised £370 for the Biscay Dolphin Research Programme. Organiser Julie Burgwin thanks everyone for coming.

SELL-OUT FOR BAROQUE CONCERT: The Denner Ensemble played to an audience of over 80 people in their third appearance at the Three Tuns in Bishop's Castle on Sunday, February 24.

WOMEN'S DAY OF PRAYER: Everyone is welcome at Bishop's Castle Methodist Hall tomorrow (Friday) to share the Women's Day of Prayer service at 11am. Men, women and young people will be joining in this special service, which this year has been prepared by Christian women of Guyana in South America. The speaker in Bishop's Castle will be Rosemary Roberts of Ludlow. The Women's Day of Prayer is a worldwide movement of Christian women who come together to observe a common day of prayer, held on the first Friday in March each year. The Day of Prayer begins as dawn breaks over the islands of Tonga in the Pacific and continues across each continent, until the last services for this special day are held back in the Pacific on the islands of Samoa, circling the world in prayer for 36 hours.

CASTLE ARTISTS: Castle Artists met at the Three Tuns in Bishop's Castle on Thursday, February 27, to choose a committee for the new group. Rosie Read will be the chairman, with Clare Greig, treasurer and Drusilla Cole, secretary. Other committee members are Dieuwke Philpott, membership secretary, Joanna Cintra, publicity, Jock Wright and Julie Luckhurst.

The Castle Artists will hold their spring exhibition in the Three Tuns from Saturday, March 29, to Monday, March 31, with a preview on Friday, March 28 from 6.30pm. For more information call 01588 630421.

ABBEYFIELD NEWS: The Friends of Abbeyfield have set the date for a number of social activities in 2008. The first is a coffee morning at the house in Oak Meadow on Thursday, March 20, when everyone is very welcome from 10.30am. Other coffee mornings have been arranged for later in the year.

The Friends will soon be losing one of their most stalwart and long-serving supporters, when Rosemary Frost leaves Bishop's Castle to live in Gloucestershire. Mrs Harrison said: "Rosemary has been with Abbeyfield since its inception and was a founder member of the house committee, before the house was actually built. She has been our admissions officer and we have appreciated her hard work very much and wish her well."

On a happier note, Nick and Sheila Downes have volunteered to take over the vacant post of admissions officer and Mrs Harrison said that she welcomed them both to Abbeyfield. For more information about Abbeyfield House, call 01588 630000.

LOCAL ACTS NEEDED FOR MICHAELMAS FAIR: Preparations are already underway for this year's Bishop's Castle Michaelmas Fair which will be on Saturday and Sunday, September 20 and 21.

Call 01588 638154 or email mail@michaelmasfair.org.uk if you would like to take part.

TALK ON RARE BUTTERFLY: A free talk on one of Britain's rarest butterflies takes place in Lydbury North Village Hall on Wednesday, March 12, at 8pm. The wood white butterfly can be found locally along the woodland rides at Bury Ditches and in other local woods.

WALKING GROUP AGM: Bishop's Castle Walking Group holds its AGM in Mainstone Village Hall on Tuesday, March 11. The day begins at 10.30am with instruction on map reading followed by a light lunch at 12.30pm and the AGM at 1.30pm. To find out more call Ellen Norton on 01588 638118.

A CAMERA IN THE GARDEN: At the February meeting of the South West Shropshire Gardening Club, Anne Shepherdson, chairman, introduced the speaker, Gareth Thomas. For 24 years Gareth was a vet but his life took a new direction when he took up photography, for which he has received many awards. Mr Thomas called his talk A Camera in the Garden, and he stressed the importance of a photograph being entertaining and informative, as well as artistic. At the end of the evening John Side thanked Mr Thomas for a delightful evening.

The next meeting of the SWSGC is on Wednesday, March 26, at 7.30pm in Lydbury North Village Hall. The speaker will be Roy Sylvester talking about sweet peas. Visitors welcome.

COUNCIL DRAWS UP SHOPPING LIST: Speaking at a meeting in the town hall on Tuesday, February 26, Bishop's Castle mayor, Jim Gaffney, reported that South Shropshire District Council has earmarked money for distribution to local parish councils.

The cash must be allocated before the start of the new Unitary Authority and Mr Gaffney said:"If we are quick we may be at the top of the list."

After discussion, councillors agreed that cash for the town allotments and the town hall toilets should be included on the list.

5:01pm Friday 7th March 2008

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