CARDS FOR GOOD CAUSES - Shoppers from Ludlow and surrounding areas can buy Christmas cards from more than 25 national and local charities in one place. Cards for Good Causes, which sells charity cards across the country, opens its Ludlow shop on Saturday at St Laurence Church.

Staffed by local volunteers, it opens Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4.30pm.

LUDLOW NEW VOICES - The Youth Choir of the Marches. Ludlow New Voices was launched in June 2008 to give young people in the Marches an opportunity to sing together, promoting a life-long love of vocal music and enjoyment in the art of singing all different sorts of music. Ludlow New Voices is open to young people age nine-16. There are no auditions but a love of singing is essential! The group meets at 5.15 - 6.45pm on Tuesdays in Oscars, at Ludlow Assembly Rooms in Mill Street. The cost is £1 per session or £10 for the term if paid in advance. Please ring Pauline Oram on 01584 875523 or email pauline@ludlownewvoices .org.uk to find out more or visit ludlownewvoices.org.uk LUDLOW 21 - Ludlow 21 is a local voluntary group established in 1998 to promote sustainable living in the Ludlow area. It is an independent body with no political or council ties, and the principal independent voice for local environmental interests. “We participate in local partnerships and forums that influence and guide our elected representatives,” said chairman David Currant. “But our members enjoy many social activities, such as Ludlow 21’s Green Drinks, which takes place on the 21st of every month from 7.30pm onwards.” The Green Drinks Network started at Ludlow 21’s 2007 AGM, when it was proposed that L21 join the Green Drinks network which started in London and has now gone international with over 275 locations hosting “Green Drinks”" social gatherings. David continued, “Simply, it’s a regular meeting place for “green” people to meet, have a drink and exchange news and views and maybe cook up some new ideas. Come and tell us about your ideas, learn what's happening locally, explore new projects and, most important, enjoy a social evening with like-minded folk.”

“This month we meet on Wednesday, October 21, at a new venue, the Charlton Arms adjoining Ludford Bridge. We hope to talk informally about the future of the Green Festival and the exciting new Grow, Cook and Share project. Join us for a drink and learn more.”

LOCAL HISTORY RESEARCH GROUP - Ludlow Historical Research Group, in partnership with the Ludlow Library & Museum Resource Centre and Shropshire Archives, has launched a local history advice service. This is held in Ludlow Library each Tuesday from 2.30-4.30pm throughout the year apart from the main holidays.

Two members of the group will be on hand each week to give advice on how to go about finding answers to questions on local history and family history relating to Ludlow and the immediate area. Material available for use includes the local history collection in the library, with books on Ludlow, the local 19th century censuses and local newspapers on microfilm. Contact the library for this service on 01584 813500 or email ludlow.library@ shropshire.gov.uk GLOBAL WARMING DEBATE - Representatives from all the Christian Churches in Ludlow met at the Ludlow Conference Centre last Wednesday to debate a question posed to them by the Ludlow Christian Ecology Group: “Will God allow human greed and selfishness to destroy the world as we know it?” With many references to what the Bible can teach us about the workings of God, the answer was “probably yes”. The world has been created working to certain laws and they will work, whatever the consequences to us.

However, ultimately, the earth will survive, so could this be the renewed earth talked about in the Bible? Maybe the renewed heaven and renewed earth could rise out of love, for each other and creation.

This indeed would be a heaven on earth. It was concluded that the Bible holds the people of God to responsibility above others. We know that the poor and most vulnerable people of the earth will suffer the most from climate change, so, if we love them, we must face the issues presented to us by the scientists and act selflessly. We may well have to give up a lot in the western world. Representatives from several churches in Ludlow are pictured at the global warming debate. From left to right are Rev Tim Coles of the Elim church, Rev Deanne Evans of the Methodist Church, the Baptists’ Dick Henson, meeting chairman David Milner of the Friends, Anglican Rev Steve Jarvis and Rev Andrew Summers, Living Witness. Catholid priest Father Jim Robinson joined the panel later.