TODWICK VILLAGE

The Informer

The INFORMER

Todwick Parish Council
No. 76
December 2007

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS

VILLAGE HALL

The new Village Hall is better established and being ably managed by the Village Hall Management Committee who meet bi-monthly. There are a few outstanding building issues but generally the focus is on promoting the best use of the facility and supporting the user groups. There has been a recent change to the management committee in that the chairman, Revd Canon David Bliss, has resigned because he is actually leaving the village for pastures new. We would like to wish David the very best for the future and thank him for the hard and dedicated work he has done not only for the village hall but for the whole of the village during his time as vicar. The new chairman is Brian White who is also a parish councillor.

Details of weekly activities currently taking place at the Village Hall are listed on the Todwick website - www.todwick.org.uk.

Just a reminder that meeting/function rooms are available for hire through Anne Rusling on 01909 770081.

LEARN A LANGUAGE

We are looking to set up some 'taster' courses for languages in the Village Hall. Are you interested in learning or improving your French? Or perhaps you would like to learn Mandarin Chinese - or another language? The Taster course will cost £30 in total and will include 10 sessions of 1½ hours each. Contact Jenny Allen on 07955 669059 or Brian White on 07952 880126 for further details.

TODWICK RECREATION GROUND TRUST

The Parish Council are the trustees for the recreation ground and have the responsibility for maintaining the site, liaising with the various users, dealing with issues and collecting payments etc. It was agreed earlier in the year that some of these functions might be better performed by a dedicated group. Consequently the Recreation Ground Trust was formed in order to better manage the recreation ground and to bring together the sports clubs that hire the ground throughout the year. The Trust is made up of three parish councillors along with representatives of the sports teams that use the ground. It is early days but we feel that good progress has been made particularly around better cooperation between the different users. If you have any questions regarding the function of the Trust or in fact questions about the recreation ground please contact Ken Mathieson on 01909 515023.

ROADS & FOOTWAYS

One of the big issues that is constantly raised is the state of our roads and footpaths. Over the last 2 years we have worked closely with the Borough Council who have on occasions attended our monthly meetings. We have been informed that spend is limited due to budget restraints and other priorities. However, we have witnessed some improvements to our road surfaces and of course the road to Dinnington has recently re-opened after bridge strengthening etc. We are currently talking to them about the state of Osborne Drive and moss on footpaths on Mill Hills, Mill Fields and Ryals Road. You may be aware that a 40mph speed limit has been introduced on Kiveton Lane between Kiveton and Todwick. Let's hope that the increased traffic adheres to this speed limit ensuring that other road users and pedestrians are much safer. It also appears that the Junction 31 M1 / M18 motorway scheme is coming to a close after some 12 months.

VILLAGE GARDENS & ALLOTMENTS

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all those who have managed, and struggled at times, to maintain a presentable and colourful appearance to the village flower beds this year despite the weather. The Parish Council have discussed the subject and its future and would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped not only this year, but in previous years, to maintain the public gardens. However, we feel it is now appropriate to take responsibility for the future maintenance by using our resident village handyman to do this work. Having said that, we recognise that there may be individuals/families who wish to continue doing their own patch. If this is the case please contact John Palmer so that that this may be taken into account when the maintenance programme is organised some time in the New Year. John can be contacted on 01909 771257.

We are pleased to see an increasing interest in activities and enthusiasm for cultivation of the allotments with the vast majority of the plots now under cultivation. However, there are still a few plots vacant and the Parish Council would prefer, if possible, to have 100% occupancy. If you are interested in the benefits of freshly grown produce and would like an allotment (or half an allotment) please contact Ken Mathieson on 01909 515023.

BLUEBELL WOOD

This is the small wood, officially known as The Plantation, situated on the left hand side as you leave the village going toward Kiveton on Kiveton Lane. The Parish Council are interested in the wood and the nearby copses remaining in tact and are in discussions with the current owner and the local Woodlands Officer at RMBC. Consequently, we have gleaned the following information:

The woodland is in good shape and is estimated to be between 100 and 140 years old. It has a good and varied stock of trees, provides excellent cover for birds and wild life, is well used and tidy (no litter). The wood generally looks after itself and needs only minimal maintenance. A number of trees may require cutting back to provide additional light for ground plants, and also around the Trysting Tree. We are currently negotiating with the owners to allow villagers to use the wood to walk etc. The estimated budget for the Parish Council to manage the site would be approx £500 per annum.

We are investigating funding opportunities and will keep you informed of developments.

TODWICK RAMBLERS CLUB

The walking group normally meets on the second Sunday each month at 10.00 am. Stout footwear is the order of the day. Walks are led by Jim Tompkin 01909 770700.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

53% of Todwick village households have now signed up to the Todwick Neighbourhood Watch. Welcome to all who have joined us since the last issue of The Informer. Apart from our quarterly newsletters that are written with a focus on this area, all households new to the scheme receive a free starter pack with useful booklets, information and a 'uv' marker pen to post code your property. We have also obtained a supplier of carbon monoxide alarms and can supply them to you at the very competitive price of only £18 each (a substantial saving on many retail outlets). And there are many other benefits of belonging to the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. For further details contact Norman Anderson on 01909 770130.

CHRISTMAS 2007 DRINK-DRIVE CAMPAIGN

As usual, we welcome the Government's launch of its annual drink-drive campaign and are especially keen that workers and their families are vigilant when driving the morning after a boozy night out. It takes hours for alcohol; to leave the body and drivers can unwittingly be over the limit as they drive to school or work the next day. In fact, research suggests that nearly one in five drink-drive offences in the UK are committed by employees driving to work still over the legal limit the day after! Just a few facts for you to contemplate:

• More than one in four of all road deaths involve drivers over the legal alcohol limit
• Drinking and driving is more prevalent in young men between the ages of 17 and 29 in both casualties and positive breath tests following a collision
• Figures from 2005 suggest that 560 people in the UK were killed in crashes involving a driver over the legal limit, 2,100 were seriously injured and 12,740 were slightly injured
• Over half a million breath tests are carried out each year and on average 100,000 are found to be positive

Our safe travelling tips for the festive season include:

1. If you're going to or organising a Christmas party, think about how you and your invitees will travel. If you plan to drink alcohol, make arrangements in advance for a non-drinking 'designated driver', hire a minibus for the end of the night or take a taxi.
2. Try to speak to each of your guests before they leave the party. Trust your instincts - if you think someone is not fit to drive then call them a cab or make other arrangements.
3. Don't get behind the steering wheel if you've had any alcohol. Call a taxi or get a lift with someone who has not been drinking.
4. Ensure that anyone travelling to work the next day is aware of the 'morning after effect'.

Our message - Don't allow alcohol to kill anyone at Christmas

VILLAGE LOGO

It has been suggested that we have a village logo in order to raise our profile, set us apart from other villages and for use on correspondence, circulars, signs, advertisements etc. We have therefore decided to run a competition aimed at 16 year olds and under for them to create a village logo. The idea is to produce something that uniquely represents the village and will be instantly recognisable. However it is also important that, like most logos, it is plain and simple. Entries must be drawn or painted on a plain sheet of paper with your name and contact number and posted or delivered to Brian White, 18 Mill Fields, Todwick. If you prefer they can be e-mailed as an attachment to brianwhite@talktalk.net. The closing date for entries is 31st January 2008 and the winner will receive a £25 gift voucher. There is no limit to the number of entries an individual can make.

COUNCIL MEETINGS

These are held on the last Tuesday of each month, except August, in the Village Hall commencing at 7pm. The open session commences at 8pm.

PARISH COUNCILLORS

TODWICK WEBSITE - www.todwick.org.uk

The website which is constantly being updated continues to provide a wide range of information about the village, its history and its present day activities. If you have any items of news about your organisation please send them to Sheila Pantry at 85 The Meadows or sp@sheilapantry.com. Remember, this is the one way to make sure you don't miss any news or forthcoming events or find out what you have missed.

The Informer is published three times per year by Todwick Parish Council. If you have any news or items of particular interest you wish to have published contact Phil Kettell on 01909 771161 or e-mail to philkettell@googlemail.com.