Spring Newsletter No 66 - 2010 www.mortonvillage.org.uk Grand re-opening of the Morton Village Institute On Monday 3rd May it was the Environment Ltd) and Mick Craven, ceremony but she was despatched The members of the Committee grand re-opening of the Morton our most efficient and hard working to Corfu for the BBC at the last feel that Morton can be really Village Institute. The building was treasurer and I filled in the forms minute. She had to ask her colleague proud of its Institute, though it will originally opened in 1922 as a First (which took weeks) But we got our Phil Bodmer to stand in for her, and need more monies spent on it to War Memorial and had served the grant in full. The contractors (Farrars) although not quite as pretty, he did bring it up to the standard that the community very well but 88 years did a splendid job, and their agent Mike the job remarkably well even though village deserves so we hope that it later it was greatly in need of a face Hall who works in the village at Bethel he was reading the late news the will be well used and become the lift. The Committee was delighted Hall (even though like the Village previous evening and was due back main focal point of this pleasant when our three ward councillors Society Treasurer Stephen Duxbury and on duty in the early afternoon while place to live. (Doreen Lee, Steve Pullen, Malcolm Mr Hall they were delayed many days living in York! Slater and later Dorothy Clamp) put abroad by the ash cloud) Ben Hall the forward the idea that the monies from local agent for WREN was present and the sale of Bradford Airport should in gave us their blessing. Keighley East Ward be given to the four Institutes (Hainworth Wood, Long Lee, Morton and Riddlesden). We were delighted to be allocated £20,000 but soon realised that we would need much more to make the At the actual ceremony of the renewals that were necessary. Sue opening John Foster of Gala fame Gledhill of Neighbourhood Forum introduced the speakers, which included fame found us some more (bless her) our own Doris Beanlands since she had but we were not even half way to the been on the committee for the last 58 sum needed by the plans that Steve years, and then David Miller welcomed Foster and Mick Craven had produced. all our distinguished guests including Fortunately, I was able to call on the Ward Councillors Margaret Ward and super fund raiser at Keighley Voluntary Ian Wilson). David said that he and Services Lynn Burns who works magic Kathleen had lived in Morton for only for those in need! She put us in 19 years, but found it a delightful place touch with WREN (Waste Recycling to live with its continual improvements thanks to the Village Society and also the splendid work of the Morton-in- Bloom committee led by Lee Senior and his team of volunteers. All members of the Institute Committee had worked extremely hard to clean and prepare the building for the splendid Grand Opening. We had arranged that our local Look North presenter Jenny Hill would perform the opening Monday 15th March, apart from by those who can use the seat whilst being St Patrick’s Day, marked the end waiting for the bus and the planting the green. Urine has killed some of the most prolonged period of cold will be enjoyed by all of us. primroses as dogs wee on the winter weather we have experienced outside area first! Please don’t let for many years. Gardens suddenly The Greenhill your dogs use the grass and beds burst into life, hurrying before mother as a toilet area as it will undue the nature changed her mind. Spring had Development work we are doing. arrived - monochrome to glorious There has been much publicity We must not rest on our laurels technicolour, how good that was! recently about this building proposal, as we are only halfway through M generated by the energetic and the 2010 campaign! Indeed we Spring has the effect of kick o m starting life and the Morton in Bloom committed Greenhill Action Group. r o now turn our attention to summer Local Morton residents, Kirstie and to lo judging when we have to go group were first out of the blocks n in B tidying and planting ready for judging Myles Talbot have delivered leaflets through it all again! locally but if you have not received one Spring judging has now been in mid April. and gone, and we await written The Summer judging date is and would like further information, th After ten years of maintaining the Monday 12 July at 2pm it can be found on www.greenhill- comments from the judges during green, Stepping Stones II have had to We have therefore arranged a action-group.co.uk. The GAG suggest May. We hope you agree the Green withdraw due to a heavy workload. A series of working party dates (see that increased traffic levels during has never looked so good for years letter of thanks has been sent to them. below) where we meet at the building, and closure of Micklethwaite and we are very proud of our This provided a good opportunity wheelbarrow on the Green at the Lane, may be an issue for East Morton efforts. for evaluation and Lee Senior came time specified. residents. Pressure for school places Verbal feedback from judges and up with a specification for future would certainly be experienced at residents has been encouraging, We would be very grateful for maintenance which will take the Crossflatts and Bingley Grammar with positive comments about the any volunteers on these days, green forward with the Morton in School and another 1800 people living colourful planting we have done whether it be for ten minutes or Bloom ideas and plantings very much in an area would stretch local public, on the Green, the sustainability of an hour. If you can’t make the central to its future. A new contractor medical and transport services. the perennials near the toilet area working parties, please do your has been appointed and it is hoped the and the water butts. bit, by putting colourful containers condition of the grass on the green I’d like to thank David Heaton at out, checking your front garden, will be improved over the coming The Post Box – a the golf club for kindly allowing us litter picking on your patch, on season, it has become very mossy. potted history to once again use his clubhouse as the days leading up to judging. During last autumn, the Country- On 14th April 2008 I wrote to Royal a base on judging day. Thank you to one and all for your side Ranger service undertook assistance and support. Mail Customer Service about the Also our thanks go to Morton a great deal of work to improve positioning of the box which used to Village Society, Bradford Council’s We will be having a small stall the path over to Micklethwaite. be in the wall of the Post Office, and its area committee, Keighley Town on Gala day, please come along Over a number of years the rising relocation to the village green. There Council and Keighley in Bloom and chat to us then!! path, after crossing the bridge, had had been no discussion with anyone all of whom continue to help us Lee Senior, (Morton in Bloom become badly eroded and dangerous about this course of action. I also with funding in many different coordinator ) For further info: underfoot and the improvements suggested that a larger box would have ways, along with our own fund- Email: Lee at :leeseniorgardening@ made have addressed the drainage been more useful as residents were no raising efforts. yahoo.co.uk issues quite comprehensively. All the longer able to leave large envelopes Last but not least I’d like to Dates and times of Morton in brambles have been cleared from behind the counter at the PO. This thank the many individuals, who Bloom working parties the walls at either side revealing was the beginning of a two year long have out and supported us by litter st setts that were probably laid to drain campaign and at least twenty-four Monday 31 May 10am picking, weeding and keeping their rainwater. The path has been filled pieces of email and correspondence Saturday 5th June 10am front gardens tidy. This all helps us in and surfaced but unfortunately the (I lost count) containing many rd to progress. Wednesday 23 June 6pm onset of winter came two days too apologies and assurances, but actually Saturday 3rd July 10am early for the work to be completed. no action. After about six months a On a negative note there is th There is still some surfacing to be rather uncomfortable meeting took currently a problem with a small Thursday 8 July 6pm finished at the bottom and cross place with a representative of Royal minority letting their dogs foul on Sunday 11th July 10am drains are to be installed. I regret Mail on site. He said that a larger the loss of one of my blackberry box was out of the question but was patches but welcome being able to pressed into agreeing a move to the A new community group use the path and enjoying the view, bottom of the path across the green. Feast Morton, is the name of a new group focusing on the Providence without worrying about falling down This would involve liaising with Row, Sunnydale, Uppermill Row and Green End Road areas of the village.