DIARY In the Village Hall unless otherwise stated Regular activities Baby & Toddler Group: Fridays 10-11.30am in term time Toffee Stall: Fridays 3.20 - 3.50pm in term time Children’s Judo Club: Fridays 5-5.45pm (younger group) & 5.45-6.30pm (older group) in term time - contact Antony 07738 408731 for further details Dog Training: Mondays 6-8.00 pm; Tuesdays 6-7.00pm (Monday class outside during summer - contact Elaine 07790 395289 for further details) Fitness/Weight Classes: Wednesday, 6-7.00pm & 7-8.00pm and Saturday, 7.30-8am & DECEMBER 2019 & JANUARY 2020 8.10-9am (To book contact Jennie Marie 07502 981608) South Lancaster Speakers Club: Methodist Church Hall, Most 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7.30pm September-May (Contact David Knox 01524 805554) 1st Forton Scout Group meet at the Scout Hut on Hollins Lane Scouts – ages 10½ to 14 – Thursdays 7.00 to 9 pm Beaver Scouts - ages 5½ to 8 - Tuesdays 6.00 to 7.15pm Cub Scouts - ages 8 to 10½ - Wednesdays 6.00 to 7.30pm Brownies - Mondays 6.00 to 7.30pm Please tel 01524 792089 for more information FORTON POST OFFICE, Methodist Church Hall, Hollins Lane: Mon - Fri 9am-1pm FORTON PRIMARY SCHOOL Closure after school on Friday 20th December, reopening on Monday 6th January 2020 DECEMBER JANUARY Sun 1st, 10.30am-3.30pm: Crib Festival URC Wed 15th: Bowling Club Social in the Pavilion ends Wed 4th: Bowling Club Social in the Pavilion Thurs 16th, 7.30pm: WI talk with Pat Ascroft Fri 6th, 6.30pm: Christmas Tree Lights Switch- ‘K aleidoscope of Life’ on Sat 7th, 7pm: Christmas Bingo Night, Cricket Thurs 23rd, 3.15-3.50pm: Mobile Library, School Club Lane Sun 8th, 4pm: Children’s Matinee Movie, Cricket Club Thurs 12th, 3.15-3.50pm: Mobile Library, School Lane Fri 13th, 1pm: Posting ends for Scout Post Wed 18th: Bowling Club Social in the Pavilion Thurs 19th, 7.30pm: WI Christmas Party Parish Council meetings will now be held on the 1st Members of the Parish Council Christmas Services and events are on Monday of each month in the Playing Field Pavilion beginning 6.30pm for 7pm. join with the Village Voice team, Churches page 21 The Parish website address is: fortonvillage.org editors & distributors to wish all Coordinator - Neil Adams (791004) email: [email protected] Items of interest regarding Forton’s past remain available on: readers & contributors the Compliments of the Season http://www.shireshead-forton.co.uk

Masterplan, nearly there - page 2 The email address for the Village Voice is: [email protected] Scout Post - page 2 Content not attributed has been contributed by the editors VILLAGE VOICE Angels - page 7 VILLAGECONTENTS VOICE Except forCONTENTS reports made by Cricket Club, looking back on the year + events - page 9 Village Voice Editorial Team & Advertising: David & Rhona Sharp (791758) Except for reports made by Proof Reading: Margaret Mansfield members of Forton Parish Council,members the ofviews Forton expressed Parish in Christmas Lights Switch-on - page 11 Distribution: West of A6 - Janet Huddart (791571) & Michael Briggs (791026) C o u n c i l , t h e v i e w s East of A6 - Fiona Riley (792245) reports are not necessarily Forton to the Falklands - pages 12, 13 & 15 thoseexpressed of the Council. in reports are not necessarily those of the Singing Club - page 17 Printed by Colin Cross of Council. Advertise your event - page 19 Exhibition, local art - page 23 ITEMS FOR THE NEXT ISSUE (February/March) BY 13 JANUARY, PLEASE 2 3 Parish News - Chairman’s Comments Forton Primary School Peter Young and I met with senior Wyre planners recently to discuss the Forton The staff and governors spent the summer term asking the children, the parents and each Masterplan. An update of this meeting and the subsequent decisions made by planners has other what sort of curriculum do we want to provide our children at Forton School. We are been put on the village website. It is clear that they want a speedy conclusion to work on very excited with the plan that we created. the Plan. HSL has been asked, as representatives of the main landowner, to produce a draft Masterplan: until then Wyre planners will not enter into further discussion. The draft The autumn term and our new curriculum really are in full swing now and the children and Plan could be available in December, with an online consultation, to which you can respond staff have all been learning lots of new things. As if our new curriculum wasn’t exciting in the same way as responding to planning applications. The aim is to seek approval from enough, the enhancements which have been carefully selected to bring learning to life for Wyre Council early in the new year. our children and help embed their learning, have been fantastic experiences.

The Parish Council still has concerns over a number of issues: * The design of the A6/School Lane junction * Location, ownership and design of the new community hall * A drainage plan for all of the new development * A phasing plan for the new housing and for infrastructure improvements * Some visiting health services (currently the health centre wants money for improvements in Garstang, but we would like local people to be involved in what would be useful for residents in Forton)

Drop-in session There will be an afternoon and evening session, hopefully in the Village Hall, at which you can find out what is proposed in the Masterplan. Judith Hargreaves, Alice Jesmont and Joy Oliver are leading the organisation of this, along with support from the Parish Council. As well as being on the Wyre website, we feel it is important for residents to have more details and opportunities to discuss their concerns. Janet Huddart BUY YOUR CHRISTMAS STAMPS FOR ONLY 35P Forton School are partaking in the Scout Post scheme again offering the public of Lancaster, , & surrounding villages an opportunity to send Christmas cards at a competitive cost. It has been in operation in the area for many years Proceeds to the charity Friends of Forton Primary School to buy exciting things for the children Stamps on sale mid-November to early December from forton school We started the year with a whole school geography focused trip to Beacon Fell, where the reception or contact amanda wilkinson (o7817 553137) children used their map reading skills, at a range of levels, (top left). Pendle Class then visited Jodrell Bank and space was brought into action, with the telescope and your local Postbox will be inside forton Primary School reception experiments, (top right). Meanwhile Clougha Class were transported back in time. They from 25th November to 13th December, 1pm. assumed the identity of a real apprentice at Quarry Bank Mill as part of their history work, Christmas cards only - Remember DO NOT post in Royal Mail boxes (bottom right). Nicky Nook made some soup with the enormous pumpkin that ‘Mammoth Cards addressed outside the areas below will NOT be delivered Onion’ donated to us as part of our Harvest celebration. It was delicious! They also saw a fabulous display of vegetables at the United Reformed Church. Local area only as follows: , Arnside, Aughton, Bolton-le-Sands, , Brookhouse, Capenwray, Carnforth I was lucky enough to spend a day at Lancaster University with Pendle Class. They were (town only), Caton, Claughton, Conder Green, Crag Bank, Crook O’ Lune, Denny Beck, Ellel, taking part in an aspirational day about teamwork and the possibilities that university can Farleton, Forton, , , Halton, Hazelmount, Hest Bank, , offer you. It was fascinating to watch their personalities revealed as they worked (or not) together. Hornby, Lancaster, Littledale, Melling, Middleton, Millhead, Morecambe, , Mrs Physick has taken the lead in Forest Schools activities and the children are out in all , Overton, , Silverdale, Slyne, , Sunderland, , weathers having a lot of fun and getting very muddy ... Life at School is busy and will only Thurnham, Warton, Wray. get busier as we rapidly approach Christmas! Lorna Boase, Headteacher 4 5 Forton Baby and Toddler Group We’ve had a lot of fun making Halloween crafts and had great fun at our Halloween party. We are now looking forward to making Christmas decorations/crafts and our end of year Christmas party. We have also welcomed a few new babies to our group over the past few weeks.

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We have a great group of mums and grandparents who bring along their baby/toddlers to the group each Friday. If you would like to join us at our Baby and Toddler Group, we would love to see you during term time. Please just come along on a Friday, 10am-11.30am in the Village Hall. Jenna Metcalfe Forton Field Day Following our AGM meeting in October, we now welcome Andy Weir as Chairman who has taken over from Andrew Challenger who we wish to thank for being Chairman for the past two years. Andy has been a member of the Field Day committee for many years and we look forward to having him as our Chairman for many years to come! Jenna Metcalfe will carry on as Treasurer and Claire Pye as Secretary. We will be planning the next Field Day over the next few months so we always welcome new members to our committee. Please come along and join us at one of our meetings.

Forton Field Day committee will be arranging different village events over the next 18 months to help raise funds on the run up to our big 70th Field Day in 2021. Please come along and support these events. We shall advertise them throughout the village.

We would like to thank everyone who came along and supported our family roller disco on 3rd November at Forton Village Hall. This was a great success and we hope to arrange another roller disco in the New Year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all the Forton Field Day committee. Jenna Metcalfe 6 7 Angel Festival Computer Help At Home In the Church at St James, Shireshead, Whinney Brow, Forton Saturday 7th December, 2019, 2pm-5pm For all Computer or Internet and & Sunday 8th December, 2019, 11.30am-4pm Tablet Problems Connection Issues A Host of Angels - Crafted or Owned by our Local Community Refreshments, Raffle Michael Morpurgo’s Family Christmas Film Repairs Plain English Tutorials On Angel Wings - Saturday 7th @ 3.30pm & 4.30pm and Sunday 8th @ 3pm For more information - contact Ruth Ross, 01524 792306

The bowling season is over but we returned to Ashton Hall, the home of Lancaster Golf Club, for our Presentation Call Graham on 07787 727443 Dinner which took place on Friday, 11th October. The evening was very well supported with 43 members and guests attending and we had a fantastic evening with lovely food in baronial surroundings and a roaring log fire to finish the effect. As always, well done to all who won prizes and a big thank you to all who attended and made the evening so enjoyable, all who organised the event and to our hosts Lancaster Golf Club. By the time you read this we will have had our AGM which, all being well, took place on Thursday, November 28th. We hope to enter the same number of teams as this year but most teams are still short of players: please think about joining the Club in the New Year to get a bit of fresh air and exercise. We are very happy to help beginners as well as welcome experienced bowlers. Our Social Afternoons, held in the Playing Field Pavilion on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month from 2-4pm and hosted by Alan Grocott, continue to be enjoyed by members and non-members alike. These will run throughout the winter months. In the period covered by this edition, the dates are 4th and 18th December and the 15th January. There is unlikely to be a social on the 1st January but this, or a possible alternative date, will be confirmed at the Social on 18th December depending on demand. There is a nominal £1 charge to cover tea and biscuits, and so far, dominoes, canasta and darts have been enjoyed. Instruction will be given if you haven’t played before and fancy learning, but you can just come for a chat if you prefer, and you do not have to be a member of the Bowling Club. All are very welcome, just turn up at 2pm. Finally, thanks, as always, to all who have contributed to the successful running of the B.C Maintenance Bowling Club this year. The green has been spiked, fertilised, seeded and prepared for the winter. Thanks to all for the hard work put in by members. Decorating,Tiling Install new fencing Hope to see you around the green to start bowling in 2020. Painting inside & out Flat pack assembly Viv Tabner (791118) on behalf of Forton Bowling Club Committee Fascias/Guttering Kitchen updates etc Shoebox Appeal A huge thank you to all those who contributed to this year’s village Shoebox Appeal in aid of Operation Christmas Child. General Property Repairs We have been able to deliver 35 boxes from our community. The shoebox is the first gift many children have ever received! The treasures and Over 10 years experience personal letters inside communicate that someone cares for them and gives them an opportunity to experience the love of God. The monies given inside the box will create No job too small! an opportunity for a child to begin their own journey of faith, led by a trained local teacher who understands the significance of their role, as well as providing the child Contact Brent on 01524 793949 or 07947 508272 with all the fun study materials they need and a New Testament Bible in their own language. THANK YOU Ruth Ross 8 9 Shireshead and Forton Cricket Club - Season 2019 Cricket Club teams enjoy all round success Forton Post Office Forton All three senior cricket teams enjoyed top five positions in their respective divisions in the 01524 793402 Post Office Westmorland Cricket League. The 1st XI led by Dave Jack finished 4th in Division 1. Steve For all Post Office services except Yates’ 2nd XI achieved 3rd place in Division 2, whilst the 3rd XI completed the season in 3rd place. Led by Mark Sutcliffe the 3rds, comprised of mostly young players, can be Car tax & Passports hugely proud of their success. For the junior section, huge appreciation must go to coaches Matt Yates, Jonty Collinson and Mark Sutcliffe and of course to Margaret *Cash withdrawal *Cash & Cheque deposits *Chip ‘n’ Pin *Post your parcels Mansfield for all her administration. The under 8s All Stars programme led by Paul Yates to UK & abroad *Drop & Go facility *Euros on demand or ‘Click & Collect’* again proved a massive success. The Ladies section continues to progress and are looking *Other currencies to order (1 or 2 days) *Travel Insurance* forward to villagers joining the Club next season. *Greetings Cards & One4all Gift Cards *Range of Stationery* Terry Oliver Memorial Day AMPLE FREE PARKING Methodist Chapel Meeting Room, Hollins Lane Monday to Friday 9am-1pm

Luxury Kitchens, Bathrooms, The August Bank Holiday was a fabulous day for all who attended. Conceived to commemorate beloved friend to many and Club stalwart the weather helped ensure a Bedrooms & Home Office memorable day was had by all and one which Terry would have been proud of. Invited former players, who played with Terry, took part in a match. Everyone then gathered Designed to your every need around the oak sapling and commemorative plaque that was installed to act as a suitable reminder of Terry. Club President Denis Yates spoke poignantly as did local vicar Peter Free Design Service I Complete Installation Service Available Ballard. This was followed by a ‘nearest the pin’ golf competition, golf being Terry’s other Nateby Works I Longmoor Lane I Garstang I PR3 0JB Tel: 01995 606311 love together with cricket (and wife Jean of course!). www.ccsupplies.co.uk I www.fittedkitchenpreston.co.uk [email protected] After a splendid lunch a mixed player soft ball game took place although as Ben Stokes edged towards victory in the Ashes match against Australia, the pavilion became packed with excited fans watching a memorable victory to cap a memorable day at Clifton Park. The fun carried on into the evening with a barbeque, rounders and raffle and other FORTON GLASS games. Fittingly, healthy proceeds from the day were donated to Macmillan Cancer HIGH QUALITY PVCu WINDOWS & DOORS Support. SUPPLIED OR FITTED Mike Park, Chairman Social events at the Cricket Club for your diary FAILED/MISTED UP DOUBLE GLAZING UNITS REPLACED IN TIMBER OR PVCu Christmas Bingo Night - Saturday 7th December, 7pm start Come along and take part in a bingo extravaganza. Refreshments GLASS CUT TO SIZE, BALUSTRADE GLASS HORTICULTURAL GLASS, MIRRORS & SHELVES available. Bar open and raffle with great prizes. Children’s Christmas Movie Matinee - Sunday 8th December, 4pm start Tel: 01524 751600 or 07580 025368 We will be showing a children’s Christmas movie on our big screen for Email: [email protected] children aged 4 to 10. Please bring your own pillows, bean bags, blankets and cushions. £3 per child including a soft drink and a bag of sweets. OR CALL IN AT UNIT 18, GALGATE MILL GALGATE, LANCASTER Mulled wine available for parents. There might be a special visitor! 10 11 The Winter Craft Fair at Forton Village Hall proved a great attraction on LANDROVER®SPECIALISTS Saturday 2nd November. It gave people the chance to treat themselves as well as buy gifts and at the same time earn some valued funds for a worthwhile charity.The Fair was organised by Forton WI whose members 01524 791 214 or 07990 554 883 had been busy baking for the well-stocked cake stall. Profit from the Fair will be donated to North West Blood Bikes and Lakes who do a fantastic job transporting blood for transfusion, organs for donation and various LANDROVER® PARTS other vital supplies for the NHS. After having one of the bikers as speaker at a WI meeting, members learned what a valuable and worthwhile service they provide and LANDROVER® SALES were keen to support them.

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We are very grateful for the support given to the Fair as a result of which , we are pleased to say, a donation of £400 will be made to the North West Blood Bikes. We are hoping to A & P make the donation to one of their representatives at our January 16th meeting when the speaker is Pat Ascroft. Her talk entitled ‘Kaleidoscope of Life’ will be about some of her Painting and Decorating family history. The December meeting, on the 19th, will be our Christmas Party with a Jacobs join supper and a prettiest parcel competition. Satisfaction guaranteed Competitive rates Christine Smith, Secretary 793549 No job too big or small Free no obligation quotes Village Christmas Lights Celebration The ceremony with Margaret Mansfield and Katie Heath, Rose Queen, will switch on the lights of the Christmas Tree and the Village Hall, and will take place on Friday, December 6th at 6.30pm. Music will be provided by the Forton Light Orchestra and children from the School choir. We hope that Father Christmas will make a special visit. Call: 01524 903204 / 07858 796676 Email: [email protected] Light refreshments will be served in the Village Hall afterwards. 12 13 Sights and Sentiments in the South Atlantic

Hands up who knew where the Falkland Islands were pre-1982? OK geography teachers hands down, and keep your hand up if you’ve ever had a desire to visit/have actually visited the Falklands? As ex-military personnel, neither my husband Les nor I had ever been sent down there for a six-monthly stint during our service. Instead, and now in retirement, we had to pay good money to get there by cruise ship.

... And so, having embarked in January on the good ship Marco Polo (a former Soviet Black Sea cruise liner, built to withstand ice - what fun those cruises must have been!), we left Bristol, as so many others have done over the centuries, and headed relentlessly south, through the Doldrums, through the Tropics and out the other side into a South Atlantic summer, which generally means digging out the woolly hats and mitts once again. Then, horrors, we learned that for the past three years the ship had been unable to put any passengers ashore at the Falklands due to rough seas. I refer the reader to the earlier use of the term ‘good money’ and leave it to your imagination as to how we might have felt had we been denied one of the main reasons for our journey.

We needn’t have worried. Come the day, and although we had to move to a safer anchorage at one point, the ship’s tender was duly PORT STANLEY lowered and we headed to the jetty, to be greeted by a snoozing Tourist Office & Official Gift Shop (TL) Police Station & Prison Cells (TR) Christ Church Cathedral (BL) sea lion who looked up briefly to Suburbs (BR) see what all the fuss was about We subsequently boarded a coach for a tour of the battlefields of the 1982 conflict, before returning to slumber. guided by a gentleman who, as a local then and now, had played quite a part in the He/she was still there, recumbent, proceedings at the time. He was part of an outlying farmstead community, captured on our return to the ship, but we and imprisoned by the Argentinians in their local village hall with no food or water, until were assured it was not, in fact, a) they insisted on going to the local shop for supplies. Luckily, the shopkeeper, also dead or b) a tourist-office stunt sea incarcerated there, seemed to agree. Later in the conflict, the RAF bombed the position lion glued to the jetty. causing our guide, then a young man, to lose an eye due to shrapnel injuries. The Harrier pilot responsible later paid him a visit with a bottle of whisky, and they became The day could not have been more firm friends, of course. glorious with blue skies and warm sun. Even the natives of Port As we left Stanley environs, the tarmac road became compacted sand and gravel. Once Stanley were amazed, mid- into the campo itself, there was actually little to see of the fighting: the wreckage of a summer though it was, and so it downed Argentinian helicopter was all that was left. There are minefields but most was that the good passengers and have now been cleared. To drive past the mountains where the fighting had taken crew could be seen wandering around the island in a state of stripped-down Arctic place, some of it brutal hand-to-hand combat especially close to Stanley, was very clothing, most of it wrapped around waists or spilling out of daysacks. The crew going moving. Mount Kent, Tumbledown, Two Sisters: they were there on the landscape, ashore to mostly stock up on cigarettes as there was no free wi-fi - even the paid for large as life. We had to bear in mind that this fighting had not been carried out on a version was ‘hit and miss’. sunny summer’s day, but mostly at night in the middle of a South Atlantic winter. Conditions must have been awful for all involved, especially the Argentinian conscripts, Port Stanley itself was both larger and prettier than we expected, and rose from the sea who were largely from the warmer north, ill-equipped, ill-informed and badly trained. up a hill lined with pastel-coloured tin-roofed bungalows, many with gardens and white Also worthy of note was the terrain, just mile after mile of ankle-turning boggy picket fences. Some of the more substantial buildings, the Governor’s House, of tussocks. The Paras and Marines tabbed (Tactical Advance to Battle) and yomped (Your course, police station and post office, were two-storey. There was also a modern and Own Marching Pace) respectively, 60 miles or more over such terrain in a matter of quite large high school and a hospital. New housing disappeared over the top of the hill, days, in the dark, in the winter, and then fought in the rain and the gales. Actually being stretching out towards the campo, which is the local name for the scrubby remainder of there, seeing it, brought tears of horror and pride, in equal measure, to my eyes. the islands, and for those who know Spanish, the word for fields or countryside. (Continued on page 15) 14 15 D.C. WILSON (Continued from page 13) PENNINE GARAGE Lancaster Road, Forton, Preston, PR3 0BP

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Wreckage of Argentinian helicopter Stone ‘runs’ - base of Mount Kent Two Sisters - outside Port Stanley

Liberation Memorial - Port Stanley After several hours, mostly embussed, we returned to Stanley. I was stunned to discover that we had only covered less than a quarter of the island of East Falkland, and yet it seemed that we had driven for miles and miles, which of course we had. In the glow of the summer sun, the land looked benign and magnificent, and it was truly difficult to imagine it in snow and lashing rain, let alone sleeping out in such conditions.

We saw no sign of British military presence on the Islands: there is a respite centre in Stanley for military personnel to visit on their days off, but the base is actually further away than our tour route, so quite a way out.

Oh that we could have had time to do both the Battlefield Tour and the penguins at Bluff Cove! It was not to be, and come sunset we weighed anchor and headed even further south to Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego. Steph Bruntlett 16 17 1st Shireshead Brownies The Brownies had an action-packed evening last month, with Lauren, the Lancashire Cricket Women’s and Girls’ Coach, playing games to develop ball skills and learning more about cricket - foam balls were flying everywhere! The ball team games theme was developed further at another meeting, where Brownies discovered the importance of having a referee and ‘Respecting the Ref’ in the new Girl Guiding programme. Making pizzas from scratch with a number of toppings proved popular at another meeting and they were especially delicious hot from the oven.

Over the last few weeks the Brownies have been working on their Artist Badge, discussing different painting styles and making their own interpretations of pointillism after paintings by Georges Seurat, abstract art in the style of Piet Mondrian and f i g u r e s a n d n o r t h e r n landscapes after L.S. Lowry - see the masterpieces created by the Brownies !

For more information about the 1st Shireshead Brownies, contact the Owls: Brown Owl Ruth (792306) and Barn Owl Nichola (791301).

Come and join the Singing Club at St Peter’s Church, Scorton Every Thursday, 6.30pm* * no meetings 19th & 26th December ‘19

Disney tunes, rock and roll, Abba etc ... happy uplifting songs Everyone welcome - all ages Started in October, the Singing Club is not a choir, just a group of people who enjoy a good sing-song (whether they can or can’t sing), for fun and well-being Jan Hindle 07730646581 for updates ‘Good Vibrations’ or ‘Jan Hindle’ 18 19 Walks around the village with my dog This walk takes you along narrow country roads, through farm fields and one busy main road. It is best attempted when there has been a long, dry spell or a sharp frost. ‘Welly’ boots are a good idea and some stiles are tricky for small dogs.

Start at the Village Hall War Memorial and walk down Wallace Lane. As you leave the last of the houses, the lane becomes enclosed by hedgerows abundant with holly and ivy. With the Christmas season approaching I am reminded of the familiar plants and animals associated with this festive period, the traditions behind them and their symbolism. The barbed holly leaves and red berries have long been identified with eternal life. At first the early Christian church took a disapproving stance on holly and its red berries were thought to ward off witches. People would bring holly into their homes for this reason and because of its popularity the custom was sanctified. The holly leaves were taken to represent Christ’s crown of thorns and the berries His blood.

Continue along Wallace Lane, past an old orchard opposite The Old Stone Barn. This appears to be one of a few remaining orchards in the village. An old map of this area dated 1817 shows several orchards situated in the surrounding fields. Robins can be seen displaying in the hedges as they establish their territory. The robin is also surrounded by old folklore. It was said that robins arrived in the stable soon after Jesus was born, and while Joseph was gathering wood, they fanned the dying fire with their wings to keep it alight. The Virgin Mary awarded them their fiery breasts in recognition.

As you approach a sharp bend a footpath is signposted and takes you into your first field. This is directly opposite Swallow Bank. Again, this old map shows the sign of an old well and, judging by how wet this field is, I am not surprised! I wonder if any signs of it remain? Keep the hedge on your right and head into the top corner. A stile takes you into your second field. Again, with the hedge on your right, head for the stile ahead to the right of the gate. Be careful crossing here as it takes you directly onto the very busy, narrow Road. Once over the stile, turn left keeping on the left-hand side as there are a few blind bends to negotiate, head past Kingsclere thatched cottage and stables. The entrance to the footpath, signposted to Cook Green, is just after the farm and opposite Sawrey House.

Entering this field takes you up to a high point, where you look east towards Forton, up towards the Bowland Fells and down into some marshy fields. Follow this path across the next three fields heading towards the line of bungalows that border Lunesdale Drive. Cattle often graze these fields throughout the year, so care needs to be taken when walking with your dog. I am reminded of the familiar phrase we sing at this time, “Cattle are lowing” in the children’s carol ‘Away in a Manger’. Many farmers believed that, for an hour over midnight on Christmas Eve, cattle would turn to the east and kneel in honour of the Christ Child.

The stile in the hedge takes you onto Lunesdale Drive between houses 12 and 14. Turn left up towards Wallace Lane and then head back towards the Village Hall. This walk takes about 40 minutes and takes in many aspects of old and new life in Forton. Something we all reflect upon as the year draws to a close and a new year is on the horizon. Heather Moorland

Margaret Mansfield ([email protected]) invites anyone who has an event coming up and would like it to be more widely known about, to let her have the details a fortnight in advance and she will put it into Lancaster Guardian’s Community Page, where Forton has a designated slot. 20 21

Hollins Lane Methodist Church Our regular activities: Forton Friends: Wednesdays, December 11th and January 8th, from 2-3.30pm. The Wednesday Fellowship: December 18th, from 2pm, Carol Service. January 15th, at 2pm, the speaker will be the Rev George Barton. Coffee Plus: Fridays, 10-11.30ish,we are open for coffee, tea and biscuits to all who will join us in the church hall. The Fairtrade stall has a good range of goods and gifts for sale. Special Christmas Services: Wednesday, December 18th at 2pm, Afternoon Carol Service led by our Minister, Rev Derek Oldham. Monday, December 23rd at 6.30pm, Carols by Candlelight Service led by Rev Derek Oldham and followed by a special buffet supper. Christmas Day, the service is at 10am, led by Mr Peter McWilliams. We are joined by friends from Scorton and hope you will come too. United Reformed Church Nativity Crib Festival, November 28th - December 1st, 10.30am-3.30pm daily. Sunday, December 1st, 3pm, Revd. Irene John, Carols by Candlelight a Celebration of Christmas. Sunday, December 8th, 9.15am Revd. Irene John, Communion. Sunday, December 15th, 9.15am, Mike Hart. Sunday, December 22nd, Join with Garstang - No service at Forton. Sunday December 29th, 9.15am, Susan Redmayne. Sunday, January 5th, 9.15am, Susan Redmayne. Sunday, January 12th, 9.15am, Rev Irene John, Communion. Sunday, January 19th, TBA. Sunday, January 26th, 9.15am, Rev Irene John. Advance notice: February 1st and 2nd, 10am-3pm, ‘Special Potato Weekend’ at Robinsons’ Nursery with the usual ‘Pop Up Café’ to raise funds for the URC. Join us for a tea, cake and a chat. There will also be some seed potatoes and vegetable plants for sale. No open Church in December and January.

St James’ Shireshead Christmas Services: Saturday and Sunday December 7th & 8th, Angel Festival in Church - see page 7. Sunday, December 15th, 4pm, School and Church Christingle Service. Sunday, December 22nd, 4pm, Nine Lessons and Carols. Christmas Eve, 5pm, Crib Service. 11.30pm, Midnight Eucharist. Christmas Day, 10am, Family Communion. Everybody is invited to bring a present they have received for Christmas. Sunday, January 5th, 10am, Epiphany Gift Day. Roman Catholic Church There is no Roman Catholic Church in Forton, the nearest churches are: St Thomas and St Elizabeth, Thurnham: www.thurnhamchurch.net St Mary and St James, Scorton: www.ssmaryandmichaels-garstang.org.uk For Christmas services, please check their websites.

The Community Prayer Group meets in the United Reformed Church Hall from 9.15- 10am on Fridays, next meeting is December 6th, no meeting in January, restarts February 7th 2020. 22 23 Wild at the Margins - Exhibition of Local Paintings at Lancaster City Museum I am an artist living on Hollins Lane in Forton and I thought people might be interested in a forthcoming exhibition which depicts landscapes very close to home, including the woods around Scorton Picnic Site, the Lune Estuary and the . ‘Wild At The Margins’ is a collaboration with Lancaster based artist, Fay Collins, and it will be on show from 15th November 2019 until 1st March 2020. You can read a bit more about the exhibition on my website at: https//jmr.org.uk/wild-at-the-margins-at-lancaster- city-museum The image is one of my recent paintings of the Lune Estuary, showing a flock of curlew and descending lapwing. I am also showing a few small bird sculptures which I make out of recycled cutlery. Janet Robinson Mobile Library The van is scheduled to be in School Lane (near Coronation Avenue) from 3.15 to 3.50pm on 12th December & 23rd January No visit 2nd January Glenys your Mobile Librarian offers a warm, friendly welcome to her ‘Big Yellow Library Van’

The Mobile Library stocks books in a variety of formats and has a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles for all ages. It is easy to join if not already a Library member. For details of exact times and locations of stops, please ring 07717 543763 or email: [email protected] Please note routes and dates can be subject to change.

THE PARISH COUNCIL Chairman Mrs Janet Huddart Parish Clerk: Lindsey Hall Home Farm, Clifton Hill, Stony Lane, Tel 791571 Forton, PR3 0AR Tel. 01524 791313 Dr Peter Young, OBE email: [email protected] Tel 792678

Mrs Lesley Dodgson County Councillor Tel 792978 Mr Matthew Salter (07803 723958) District Councillor Mr Jonny Leech (07980 759576) Mr Don McLoughlin Tel 792805 Forton Parish Council operate a publication scheme. For more information, please contact Mr Robbie Stewart Tel 07791 669140 the Parish Clerk. Parish Council meetings are usually held on Mrs Sarah Taylor the 1st Monday of each month in the Playing Tel 01524 792528 Field Pavilion Some Councillors may be contacted by email: Mrs Janet Huddart: [email protected] Mr Don McLoughlin: [email protected] Mr Robbie Stewart: [email protected] Mrs Sarah Taylor: [email protected] Dr Peter Young: [email protected]