DISTRICTS

Parish Council: The next parish council meeting is on Thursday, March 20, at 7pm. Further details on noticeboards or from Sue Burrows on 01299 832722.

Clun Valley BROADPLACE BIRTHDAY BASH: There was a good turn-out for Aston on Clun Broadplace birthday bash, celebrating two years of their community internet service at the Kangaroo Inn.

"It was great to see so many at our birthday bash, a big thank-you for coming along!" said Broadplace co-ordinator Jan. "Michelle and I hope you enjoyed it and got something from it - apart from the yummy chocolate cake and buffet."

Co-ordinators Jan and Michelle are asking people to spread the word amongst friends and neighbours that we are there for drop-in access to highspeed wireless broadband anytime The Kangaroo is open - except perhaps on a live music night.

"If you want help with something IT-ish, we run a Monday night club on the second Monday in the month," said Jan. "We are all volunteers and not experts but we are willing and friendly."

CLUN SENIOR CITIZENS' CLUB: The first meeting of 2008 for Clun Senior Citizens' Club will be today (Thursday) at 3pm in Haslehurst Community Centre. The speaker will be Ann Ogram. New members are always welcome.

GROWING ORGANIC VEGETABLES: Peter Anderson will be giving a talk on growing vegetables organically at the next meeting of Newcastle Garden Society, which is today (Thursday) at Newcastle Community Centre starting at 7.30pm. Visitors are welcome. For more information contact Gill on 01588 640216.

SOUP AND PUDDING LUNCHES: Churches Together in Clun are serving Lent lunches tomorrow (Friday) at Clun Methodist Church rooms from noon to 1.30pm. Soup and pudding lunches cost £2.50, under-fives free. Proceeds to Christian Aid.

FLICKS IN THE STICKS: Elizabeth (12A) is showing at Clungunford Parish Hall tomorrow (Friday) at 8pm. Elizabeth's glorious middle years as she defeated the Spanish, romanced Walter Raleigh and established herself as the Virgin Queen. Tickets cost £3.50 for adults, and £2 for under-16s. Ice creams, bar, raffle, good car parking. Enquiries to 01588 660462/660727. Grow Your Own (PG) is showing at Aston on Clun Village Hall on Saturday, March 15, at 7.30pm. Homegrown British comedy that is blessed with plenty of British charm. For details, call 01588 660545.

The Bourne Ultimatum (PG13) is showing on Saturday, March 22, at the Memorial Hall, Clun, which has just been refurbished and has brand new toilets and a fully heated hall.

COFFEE MORNING: St George's Church, Clun, is holding a coffee morning on Saturday, March 15, at Hightown Community Room from 10 to 11.30am.

QUIZ NIGHT: It is quiz night at the White Horse Inn, Clun, on Sunday, March 16, starting at 9pm.

ST PATRICK'S NIGHT: The Crown Inn at Newcastle will be celebrating St Patrick's Night on Monday, March 17.

UPPER CLUN WILDLIFE GROUP: The Upper Clun Wildlife Group is inviting people to get involved with their survey work, monitoring birds and plants in the Upper Clun area. They are holding a training day at Mainstone Village Hall on Saturday, March 15, from 10am.

"These groups are your chance to join in the practical work of the wildlife group," explained organiser, Leo Smith. "Enthusiasm and interest are more important than knowledge or expertise. The work is not difficult, and training is provided."

The bird group will carry on the survey work done in 2007, looking for lapwing and curlew and also recording other species. The plant group will continue its work, searching for 12 species targeted in 2007 as well as additional species indicative of woodland or grassland. Anyone interested in getting involved can contact Leo Smith on 01588 638577, Michelle Frater on 01588 640909, Tess Pearson on 01588 638748.

PALM SUNDAY SERVICE: Churches Together in Clun are holding their Palm Sunday Service on March 16. It begins at Clun Methodist Church at 10.30am and continues with a procession through the town to St George's Church where there will be Communion.

END OF TERM SERVICE: St George's School, Clun, is holding an end-of-term service on Monday, March 17, in St George's Church, starting at 10.30am. Everyone is welcome.

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION: The next meeting of the Clun and district branch of the Royal British Legion is on Monday, March 17, at the Sun Inn, at 8pm.

RAMBLERS: Clun Ramblers and Peramblers are walking on Wednesday, March 19. The Amblers will be meeting that day too. All start at 10am, Memorial Hall car park.

LENT STUDY GROUP: The Lent Study Group continues an exploration of The Lord's Prayer on Wednesday, March 19, at 7pm in Clun Methodist Church rooms. Organised by Churches Together in Clun, everyone is welcome.

SHROPSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST: The Clun and Bishop's Castle branch of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust is meeting on Wednesday, March 19. Leo Smith will be talking about the Upper Clun Wildlife Group and how the birds are doing. The meeting is in Hightown Community Room.

CLUNBURY PARISH PLAN: There will be an opportunity for local people to participate in Clunbury Parish Plan on Good Friday, March 21, when the Steering Group will be holding a consultation event opposite Clunbury School between 2pm and 5pm. The Steering Group is encouraging all local residents to come along and join in. Development of the plan is expected to take about 18 months and during this period everybody living in the parish will be able to contribute. The plan will address a wide range of issues such as transport, housing, environment, education etc. Once complete, the plan will help the parish council make decisions which reflect the wishes of the community. The Steering Group has set up a website that will contain details of consultation events and the progress of the Parish Plan as well as information about the parish. Visit www.shrop.net/clunburyparish to find out more.

Bishop's Castle TALK ON FEEL GOOD' ENDORPHINS: Linda Downey will be the guest speaker at the next meeting of the Quest Spiritual Exploration Group on Monday, March 17, at 7.30pm in the Fletcher Room of Community College, Bishop's Castle. Her subject is the endorphin effect, developed by William Bloom to bring together neuro-biology and spirituality in an accessible form, for mind-body management and holistic development. She has also recently set up a resurgence readers group in Ludlow. For more information about Quest, call 01938 561404.

JOIN IN SACRED POSTURE: Holy Week begins on Sunday, March 16, and later in the week you are invited to meet in Bishop's Castle Parish Church to learn a new and holistic approach to prayer. Sacred posture is described as a form of whole body prayer, with breathing and movement. It was developed by Philip Roderick of the Quiet Garden Movement and the meetings in Bishop's Castle Church will be from 11am to 12.30pm on Monday, March 17, and Wednesday, March 19. A church spokesman says: "We'll watch the sacred posture DVD and learn the moves together. Some of the warm-up and breathing exercises are similar to those used in pilates or tai chi, but then we add in prayer and music in a warm and relaxed setting, mainly using the Lord's Prayer. Come along and try it for either or both sessions." If you want to take part bring some lunch - hot drinks will be provided afterwards.

CHOCOLATE MONEY: On Sunday, March 16, at Wentnor, the Sunday Stars team of adults and children will put on an outdoor ceremony to mark Palm Sunday, the day when Christians commemorate the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem at the start of Holy Week. The Rev Norman Morris says: "The procession will travel from one end of Wentnor to the other, taking in the Crown Inn, the churchyard and the church. At the Wentnor churchyard, Jesus' will confront the money-changers and overthrow their tables of chocolate money. The temple money' will be scattered and the odd pet sheep will stand in for the flocks of sheep that were at the temple in Jesus' time. The Palm Sunday event begins at 10am and everyone is welcome.

WOMEN'S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER: On Friday, March 7, people from Bishop's Castle and the surrounding villages on both sides of the Powys/Shropshire border joined with others throughout the world in celebrating the Women's World Day of Prayer. The service was prepared by the Christian women of Guyana in South America. Rosemary Roberts from Ludlow gave a talk based on the given title God's Wisdom Provides Understanding'. The service was followed by a Christian Aid soup lunch.

BIDDY MORRIS WINS BRITISH LEGION CUP: Members of the Bishop's Castle branch of the Royal British Legion and their friends held their annual dinner and social evening at the Church Barn on the evening of Friday, March 7. The president, Major General Denis Ryan, said the exhortation, and 54 members and friends sat down to enjoy an excellent dinner. After the meal the president announced that the winner of the R L Phillips Cup (awarded to the individual Poppy Appeal collector with the greatest percentage increase over last year's collection) for 2007 was Biddy Morris. On behalf of the branch he also thanked all those who had been involved in the collection of the magnificent total of £4,469 for the Poppy Appeal. This represented the highest total collected in Bishop's Castle and district . Major General Ryan presented branch certificates of appreciation to Peter Hughes (Poppy Appeal organiser from 2000 to 2007) and Frank Thomas (standard bearer from 1993 to 2007) who were standing down. He then welcomed their successors, John Glover and Maurice Phillips respectively. He also thanked Derick Phillips for organising such a successful and enjoyable evening.

HEADTEACHER WEARS A KILT FOR THE DAY: Thursday, March 6, was World Book Day and the children at Bishop's Castle Primary School were asked to dress up as a character in a book they had been reading. The staff also took part and everyone agreed the headteacher, Andrew Barker, looked wonderful in a kilt, dressed up as Katie Morag's grandfather.

NEW PROGRAMME FOR FOOTPATH WALKERS: Spring is just around the corner and the Bishop's Castle Footpath Walking is looking for new people to join them on their walks. The group has just published its new programme, which runs from April to June. There are 12 walks, varying from leisurely half days to 12-mile all day walks and covering an area from Oswestry to Llandrindod Wells. The varied choice allows you to visit Dolforwyn Castle, see the restoration work on the Montgomery canal, travel on the Heart of Wales railway or just admire the scenery - there is something for everyone. Walks take place on weekdays, from Monday to Thursday and usually start from Harley Jenkins Street car park in Bishop's Castle at 9.30am. You can pick up a copy of the programme at Bishop's Castle Library, the Community College and the Tourist Information Centre at Old Time in Bishop's Castle high street. Call Brian Wells on 01588 650451 for a copy or more information - you will be made very welcome. There are no formalities, just turn up at the start.

WORLD BOOK DAY AT LYDBURY NORTH: Children at Lydbury North Primary School celebrated World Book Day recently with everyone dressing up in fancy dress and enjoying crazy food, which they prepared themselves. The pupils used the day to begin creating a school book documenting the life of the school through the ages, with photos, illustrations and interviews.

LAPTOPS FOR HIRE AT OUTREACH OFFICE: Village Outreach, which is based at Enterprise House in Bishop's Castle, has bought three laptop PCs, each with Microsoft Office 2007 (Word, Powerpoint, Excel and Publisher) and Adobe Photoshop. The computers are available for hire for £10 a day, £15 for a weekend or £30 a week. They also have an account set up with the Bishop's Castle Broadband Collective, so if you are based in town you can access the internet for free. John Lucas who works at the outreach office says: "If your PC fails and you need a temporary replacement, or you need a portable PC for a few days, then these are ideal." Contact John Lucas in the Village Outreach office on 01588 630097.

ARTISTS LINK WITH TWIN TOWN: Local artist Sue Percy has travelled to St Marcel in Normandy, France, with an exchange group from Bishop's Castle. She has taken with her 10 paintings by fellow members of the Bishop's Castle Arts Society and Castle Artists, ready for an exhibition in France later in the year. Works by Stewart and Daphne Rankine, Dieuwke Philpott, Rosie Read, Ann MacDonald and Sue Percy herself will be on show in St Marcel in May. Before she left Mrs Percy explained: "I am hoping to play a part in planning an art exhibition in St Marcel. The idea will be to draw together all four twinned communities - St Marcel, Bishop's Castle, Nudlingen in Germany and Cerreto Guidi in Italy. We hope the exhibition will be on at the same time as the St Marcel international football tournament in May. The suggestion is to have an exhibition of work from each town's arts association, with working sessions to demonstrate and exchange techniques and ideas. When I am in St Marcel I will be meeting the president of the arts in St. Marcel. The Bishop's Castle party, made up of 19 Community College students and six other adults and children, left on Wednesday, March 12, to spend a week in Bishop's Castle's twin town on the banks of the River Seine, an hour's journey west of Paris.

CHANCE TO SING CHORAL WORK: Local composer Karen Markham has written a choral meditation for Holy Week and local singers have a chance to take part in a workshop rehearsal and performance of the new piece. Singers will meet in Bishop's Castle Church at 5pm on Tuesday, March 18, to begin rehearsals, with a free performance at 8.45pm. Supper will be provided at 6pm. Robert Bunting is helping to organise the event and says: "The piece written by Karen Markham lasts about 10 minutes. It is based on the words spoken by Jesus on the cross, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do'. The music combines sections in chant style, which have an Eastern feel, with part-writing in the spirit of Renaissance church music. It is very original in style, and builds a powerful devotional mood, yet is immediately singable and easy to learn. It is not necessary to be a fluent music reader, although some experience of choral singing is essential. Anyone interested to hear the piece is welcome to come to the free performance at 8.45." Call Robert Bunting on 01588 638476 for more information.

Craven Arms SPORT RELIEF RUN AT SCHOOL: Pupils at Wistanstow Primary School plan to run a mile for charity on Friday, March 14. Their efforts will be part of Sports Relief and those who take part will be walking or running, for a donation of £1. Headteacher Clare Reynolds said: "The course will be marked out on the Wistanstow Village Hall field and the run will take the place of the regular PE session. The children can do as much or as little as they can and anyone who can't or chooses not to take part can be kept busy at school.

Leintwardine CONCERT: Newtown Welsh Male Voice Choir will give a concert in Leintwardine Church on Saturday, March 29 at 7.30pm. Tickets are obtainable from Griffiths Garage, Leintwardine, or call 01547 540511 or 540306. Tickets cost £5.

CAR BOOT SALE: There will be a car boot sale on Leintwardine Brockton Meadow site, adjacent to the bridge, on Bank Holiday Monday, May 5, commencing at 2pm. Various other attractions and cream teas etc. All vehicles cost £5. Reserve your space by calling 01547 540511, 540306 or 01597 823336.

Ludlow LIGHT THE TOWER: The church tower at St Laurence's Parish Church, Ludlow, will be lit this week for: Saturday, March 15: Loving memories on the birthday and wedding anniversary of John Patrick Kenneally VC, greatly missed. Sunday, March 16: Palm Sunday.Sunday, March 16: In memory of Elsie Howson nee Lewis, born in Ludlow, married here, left her heart in Ludlow. Monday, March 17: The Greenall family on Les' birthday.

Thursday, March 20: Maundy Thursday.Friday, March 21: Good Friday. Saturday, March 22: Holy Saturday. Sunday, March 23: Easter.

Mainstone CLUB WINNERS: January winners of the Mainstone Church 100 Club were: 1 Mr D Fletcher, 2 Toot Huffer, 3 Mr A Speke. To renew your membership, please call Sheila Hudson on 01588 638734.

The Strettons Concert: The Jackfield Elcock Reisen Brass Band will be in concert at Church Stretton School tomorrow (Friday) at 7.30pm. Enquire for tickets through Burway Books, John Thomas Florists and Wrights Estate Agents. Admission is £7 and all proceeds will go to the British Legion.

Information Day: An accessible holiday information day will be held at Mayfair on Tuesday, March 18 from 10am to 2pm. At 11.30am there will be a talk on the subject of wheelchair accessible accommodation, attractions and activities. Free guides, leaflets and fact sheets will be available and there will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Organ Recital: All Saints Church, Little Stretton, will be the venue for an organ recital for Passiontide. The lecture/recital will be given by Richard Walker tomorrow (Friday) at 7.30pm. Admission is free but a retiring collection will be in aid of Hope House Hospice.

Coffee Morning: The St Laurence's Youth Group, the Pathfinders, will be hosting a coffee morning at the Parish Centre on Saturday, March 15 from 10 to 11.30am raising funds to take a group of young people away on an activity weekend. There will be cakes on sale, a bring and buy stall, a tombola and games for the children. Admission is £1 to include refreshments.

Senior Citizens: The meeting of the Senior Citizens' Club tomorrow (Friday) will be the annual general meeting and everyone is invited to attend. The meeting will take place at the usual time of 2.30pm in the URC Hall. During the afternoon Mrs Margaret Haywood will be providing details of the various events planned for the club over the next few months. The first event will be a luncheon on Friday, March 28, in lieu of the regular meeting, and will be at 12.30pm, and those interested will need to let the committee know beforehand so that catering arrangements can be made. There will be a charge of around £5 to cover the meal. During the lunch there will also be a fun competition for those who would like to take part to enter a hat or some kind of headgear and there will be a prize on offer for both ladies and gentlemen.

Illustrated talk: The Valleys of the Longmynd is the title of an illustrated talk by Robin Jukes-Hughes at Mayfair on Monday, March 17 at 2pm when there will also be a talk on 50 years of the AONB by landscape conservation officer, Ian Dormor.

Football Courses: Sportsjam Easter football courses are planned for March 25 and 26 at Church Stretton School, and will be available at other venues in the days following. The two-day courses run from 10am to 3pm each day and will include tournaments, skill games, inflatables, speed tests, penalty king, cross-bar challenge and much more and cost £10 per session. For those attending these sessions a trip to Manchester United on April 4 will cost just £17.50, or £25 if only the trip is booked. Each child taking part will receive a medal and certificate. To reserve a place, or for details ring 01743 442222.

Family Trails: Carding Mill Valley is the place to be to take part in Easter trails for families on Friday, March 21 until Monday, March 24 and everyone is invited to return their adventure sheets as chocolate eggs are on offer as prizes. The cost of entry is £2 and more details are available by ringing 01694 722631.

Hats: The Church Stretton and District Flower Club will be meeting at All Stretton Village Hall on Tuesday, March 25, when Mrs Wendy Davies of Llangollen will be giving a lighthearted presentation on A Humorous History of Hats. The meeting begins at 7.30pm. Visitors and new members welcome.

Country Market: The Church Stretton country market will re-open at Mayfair from 8.45 to 10.30am tomorrow (Friday) with a selection of cakes, jams, plants, knitted goods and cards on sale. There is scope for more suppliers and helpers.

Birds: Action for Birds is the title of a slide presentation by John Clews hosted by the Country Women's Guild at the Parish Centre on Tuesday, March 18 at 2pm.

John Clews is the promotional officer of the RSPB and his slide show will be about the work of that organisation. All welcome.

Caring for God's Acre: This illustrated talk by Sue Cooper at the URC Hall at 7.30pm tomorrow (Friday) will give an insight into Caring for God's Acre. Cost is £1.50 at the door. All welcome.

Flicks In the Sticks: Flicks in the Sticks at Acton Scott Village Hall on Tuesday, March 18, has a change to its programme. Originally to be The Golden Compass the new film will be Seachd: The Inaccessible Peak (PG) starting at 7.30pm. Admission is £3.50 or £2 for full time students.

PACT meeting: Ella Charles welcomed everyone to the recent Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meeting held at the Silvester Horne Institute and PC Seeney reviewed the priorities from the last meeting which included the incidence of speeding traffic on Ludlow Road. Monitoring of vehicles parking with two wheels on the pavements was still continuing. There was also some discussion regarding vehicles parked on the road near to sharp bends. With regard to those cycling on the pavement, some offenders had been spoken to and advised about the dangers to pedestrians.

Reports of some damage to benches in the park and also the incidence of fires being lit meant the police were stepping up patrols. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 24 at 7pm.

Camera Club: Chairman, Norman Axtell, welcomed members and visitors to the recent Longmynd Camera Club meeting before imparting the sad news of the death of the honorary president, Bert Pemberton, and that several club members had attended his funeral that morning.

He then went on to introduce Jon Baker who was to present his latest slide show, taking his audience on a recent visit to Mongolia. The second half of the programme included some stunning scenery in North Wales and the Lake District. A vote of thanks was given, and in a question-and-answer session members felt they would like him to provide a workshop on slide show presentations.

The next meeting of the club will be a battle with Welshpool Club at Welshpool. There was also a new competition for the club set up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the South Shropshire hills area of outstanding natural beauty. The theme of the competition is natural beauty in the categories hills, farmed landscape and woods, rivers and river valleys, wildlife and culture and heritage within the AONB which extends from the Wrekin to the Clun Forest and from the Stiperstones to the Clee Hills. Members are invited to provide three entries per person, either digital or hard copy prints, to a maximum of 10in x8in by July 4.

School News: St Lawrence's Primary School has given advice to parents dropping off or collecting pupils from the school to help keep the children safe. The school is hoping to run a breakfast club during the summer term provided that there is sufficient demand.

On the sporting front the under-11 girls' football A and B teams played in the second round of the County Cup, but despite their best efforts the A team failed to win through in their group. The B team replaced a school team that had withdrawn and had a successful tournament drawing three games. Congratulations to those pupils who have gained swimming badges at 5m, water skills level 1 and national plan levels 2, 5, 6 and 8. In the run-up to end of term pupils will be taking part in the swimming gala, cross country at Ludlow, and the under-10 girls' and under-10 boys' cup final. Pupils will be entering The Wenlock Arts Festival and Year 5s will be off to the Pioneer Centre.

St Lawrence's Primary School is saying farewell to cleaner-in-charge John Jones, who has been with the school for five years. The school wishes to thank him for his work during that time and wishes him well for the future. Anyone interested in this post should keep an eye open for the advertisement by Shire Services as this will give full information. Applications for the vacancy for a lunchtime supervisor need to be with the school today (Thursday).

Church Stretton School pupils will be holding an all-day music workshop before the Easter concert on Tuesday, March 18.