A Harvest Festival celebration was held at St Denis Church on 1st October. The church was beautifully decorated with flowers, fruit and vegetables. The Reverend Christine Garrod led the service for a large congregation with many young children playing an important part. They brought their harvest offerings to the altar and accompanied two of the hymns with percussion instruments with considerable talent to the delight of their parents and all present.
When the
time came for the sermon the children went to the vestry to learn the importance
of the harvest and draw pictures of their favourite produce.
These were displayed to the appreciative congregation before the service continued.
At the end of the service while tea and coffee was served the harvest produce
displayed in the church was gathered in and contributions made to the church
funds.
The Harvest Festival, celebrated throughout the season by all the Revel churches,
is a potent reminder of the importance of the harvest and continues to be an
act of thanksgiving for God’s bounty to us all.
On Saturday 7th October a party of theatre goers from the village attended the Rugby Theatre’s presentation of ‘Man of the Moment’ in which our local pottery owner, Lesley French, took a prominent role. The theme was a real life drama set in a Spanish holiday home which prompted considerable praise as well as laughter for the excellence of the production.
On Saturday 14th October members of Pailton Village Trust attended the Village Venture Awards and the Village of the Year Awards held, together with the AGM of the organisers Warwickshire Rural Community Council, at Bidford-on-Avon which was the winner of the Village of the Year Competition.
The Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Mr. Martin Dunne, led the meeting and welcomed the representatives of the many groups that had taken part. The chairholder of the Bidford-on-Avon parish council, Mrs Joy Keeley, gave a short talk about Bidford and the very well appointed hall in which the event was held.
Village Ventures is an annual competition organised by the WRCC to highlight and reward voluntary initiatives in Warwickshire rural communities. There are four categories; communications, environment, local history and social (to include village halls and playing fields)
Pailton Village Trust entered in the last category with a presentation showing the refurbishment of the village hall and the provision of disabled access. A presentation designed by members of the trust committee displayed the various events which have taken place in Pailton during the past year, including the magnificent service held to re-dedicate the war memorial with photos of the superbly refurbished memorial itself. The presence of veterans of World War 2 and the flypast by a Spitfire drew many favourable comments from those present. Events and entertainments held at the hall were depicted in a display but the centrepiece was the pictorial record of the changes to the hall brought about by the refurbishment carried out during 2005. A montage of the altered façade of the hall was beautifully made by the Young Revellers Play Group, a pre-school group who meet twice weekly at the hall.
An assessment of the work at the hall had taken place earlier in the year when officials of the WRCC inspected the work and made a report to the judges. The Village Trust was very pleased to be given a Highly Commended award as a result of this refurbishment and thanked all those concerned in carrying out the alterations.
This was a very pleasing result on a day in which the members present; Helen and John Cunliffe, Gillian Berridge and Joanna Morris-Jones learnt much from other village representatives who were illustrating their many achievements Our neighbouring parish of Harborough Magna contributed a history of their village written by Mrs Aileen Wright and entered in the history category which received a commendation by the judges.
The Trust hopes to enter the competition again next year highlighting the multiplay system which has been installed in the playing field this week. We hope that this addition to the village’s amenities will bring many hours of healthy enjoyment to our young residents.
The next item in the Village Trust’s diary is a ‘Live & Local’ presentation on 1st December when the Daniel Smith Blues Band will entertain us in the village hall supported by a bar and cheese and biscuits to complete the occasion. All are welcome, tickets are available from Helen Cunliffe on 01788 833366 or Pailton General Stores & Post Office.
The Parish Council held its monthly meeting on Wednesday 18 October in St Denis Church at 7.30pm.
Four councillors were present with seven members of the public in attendance.
The meeting commenced with a presentation by the acting chairman Cllr A. Gillias to Mrs Ann Moss who retired from the council at the last AGM after 25 years of service. Cllr Gillias thanked Mrs Moss for her years of valuable involvement which was endorsed by all present.
During the open part of the meeting, the Village Trust representative, Helen Cunliffe, gave a report on the high cost of gas and electricity supplied to the village hall in the hope that the parish council will be willing to make a contribution towards these costs from the precept received from Rugby Borough Council. This will be a matter for discussion at the next parish council meeting.
Cllr Gillias has received the certificate awarded to Pailton in the ‘Best Kept Village’ competition. Pailton received a Silver award. It is hoped that, with the planned improvements to the playing field that the village may receive greater acclaim next year.
Cllr Gillias introduced the new parish clerk, Mrs Jo Pharoah to the meeting and gave a presentation and sincere thanks to Mr Ray Candelent who has served as clerk for nine years.
The controversial subject of the possibility of post office closures was discussed. Pailton shop owners, Sharon and John Fitsimons, attended the meeting as visitors and reported that a resident had written to Mr Bill Olner MP for Nuneaton who, in turn, wrote to the Post Office asking for reassurance and received a reply that no closures were planned at present. The meeting did not consider this to be a satisfactory response and asked for continued support from the village.
The playing field refurbishments were discussed. The multiplay system will be installed within a few days reflecting the culmination of months of planning and fundraising by the Village Trust. Improvements to the fencing and grass surface of the playing field will be carried out by the parish council as soon as funds are in place. Cllr Gillias was thanked for cutting the grass in and around the playing field during the past few weeks.
The meeting was informed that plans for replacing some of the ‘Airey Houses’ in Lutterworth Road were now well advanced and that work will be undertaken during the coming year. The two houses at each end of the group will remain because they have been satisfactorily renovated but the properties between will be demolished and replaced by four houses and four bungalows. Residents will be re-housed within the area and may return to the new homes, when completed, if they wish.
The financial situation was then discussed, the second half of the precept having been received.
The meeting closed at 9 pm.