Menston News
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MENSTON NEWS ISSUE NUMBER 130 www.menston.org Summer 2021 Misson Statement of Menston Community Association: To unite the village through community-driven engagement, communications, events and experiences in order to enhance the wellbeing, inclusivity and amenities of the community for its residents. WELCOME TO THIS EDITION OF MENSTON NEWS, THE NEWSLETTER OF MENSTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION The sky on our front cover reflects the unsettled weather we have had of late and also perhaps the uncertain period in front of us this summer. We shall miss the tranquility of plane-free skies and less busy roads, the crescendo of bird song and the solidarity so many of us have felt from collective clapping and community initiatives to support our more vulnerable residents. But we can still resolve to change things for the better. Photo courtesy of Steve Davey MENSTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION In this edition you will at last find some preliminary details of an event – a time to celebrate and reflect upon the period we have just gone through, both on a personal level and a community one. Save the date! - 17th July. Articles develop this theme and there are more walks in response to popular demand. There is much evidence that events from late adolescence are remembered best in later life. So that generation, just about to enter adulthood now, will remember these urgent times more vividly. So we need to work as a community to foster good mental health and also face the next challenge together - to stop an environmental catastrophe later this century. In this edition there are many suggestions as to how we can all play our part. Thanks go to our contributors, our editor Anne, and volunteer distributors. As always we are anxious to have more offers of help, to [email protected]. Anne is planning that the Autumn edition will once again be more focussed on events and new plans from organizations. She welcomes contributions and suggestions on [email protected]. If you are not into emails, just leave a note for us at the library with your phone number. Jonathan Gadd, Chair MCA until October 2021 MENSTON PARISH COUNCIL I write this in the hope that by the time the newsletter is published some of the Covid-19 restrictions will have been lifted and that some degree of normality will have returned. I sincerely hope that you will continue to support those local businesses that remained open and provided a lifeline to many of us during the recent year. Since its installation the Zip Wire and the Trim Trail have proved popular, along with the provision of the new entrance to the Park from Bingley Road. In the near future it is intended to form a ‘Friends of Menston Park’ group to plan for future schemes to enhance the play offered, especially for the younger members of the community. In April 2020, due to Covid-19, all Councils were given dispensation to meet remotely until 7 May 2021. After this date, we intend to run mixed media meetings with Council members meeting face to face but offering Zoom attendance for everyone else, until the situation allows members of the public to attend. We will keep you informed via our website. Peter Finlay - Chairman Page 2 www.menston.org Summer 2021 PICKARDS DELI - ONE MEMBER OF MENSTON BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (MBA) On 23rd March 2020 lockdown was announced. Initially if you had 3 years of trading you could claim 80% of your earnings. We had only put 1 tax return in, the first 6 weeks of trading, which with buying the business, decorating, business equipment and other set up costs meant we were in deficit. The first year we put 90% of the profits back into the shop, neither of us took a wage. We were genuinely worried that we would have to close and go out of business. However, we found that we could stay open and offer delivery and takeaways. We had no choice but to do that, we haven't closed and have traded throughout but we are one of the lucky businesses that could do that. It was a hard decision to stay open, were we doing the right thing? Both morally and financially. The first 2 weeks we ticked over, people were, rightly, frightened to go out. It was so stressful and we barely slept. However, after that we steadily saw a lot of our old customers and quite a lot of new ones, whether that was through deliveries for the vulnerable or takeaways. We adapted and were able to get flour and yeast that you couldn't get in the supermarkets. We've supported the Parish Council in providing hot meals for our older generation in the village, this was alongside The Pantry. We now have a traditional sweet section and started Street Food Saturday a few months ago, both have been a roaring success! We also managed, with the support of Menston Primary, to give the Year 6 leavers their annual free graduation ice cream. Due to lockdown all our customers have been local. The village we call home and the surrounding area have ensured that we are still here. We both are incredibly humbled with the support we have received from you all. Thank you and be proud that you personally contributed to keeping a local independent business alive ..... thank you doesn't seem enough xxxx Michelle and Mark LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS West Yorkshire Mayor – Tracey Babin Councillors elected in Wharfedale Ward CBMDC covering Menston village were Bob Felsted for three years and Dale Smith for two years. Gerry Baker being the third councillor. Councillor elected in Guiseley and Wharfedale Ward LMDC covering the High Royds estate was Paul Alderson for three years. The other two councillors being Paul Wadsworth and Graham Latty ST JOHN’S PARISH CHURCH - STEVE PROUDLOVE - VICAR St John’s Parish Church is 150 years old this year. It’s a real milestone in the history of the church and the village and there will be events spread throughout the year to celebrate. Coincidentally, I turn 40 this year too (I’m not so excited about that fact!). Big birthdays, as well as being an opportunity to celebrate, are often a moment of reflection too. With my 40th approaching, I find myself thinking about how I remember my parents being 40 and how ‘old’ they seemed, and now that’s me! I find myself wondering about what the next decade will have in store for our family. The church’s 150th birthday is no different. We will be doing a lot of celebrating, but also a lot of soul-searching. Particularly after the last year and a half, there has been the chance to step back and take stock of where we’ve come from and where we are now. We’ve been thinking and praying about what the next 10 or 20 years will look like. As any of you who have had a celebration in lockdown will know, celebrating without friends is not the same. This is why everyone is invited to be part of the various celebrations throughout the year. The church family is not exclusive but involves all of us who live in Menston. Please join in! But the reflecting also, isn’t done in an isolated bubble, or else we’d become a community removed from the village in our direction, hopes and aspirations. So please join in this reflection too. We’d love to hear your views on the church and the direction we should be going in by emailing [email protected] or even better by coming along to events or even Sunday gatherings and being part of the church community. Either way, the parish church exists for the village, and therefore we hope that this reflection will be done with you. The core of Christian belief is God ’s love for the whole of the world, and that includes everyone in Menston. The church community should therefore be a people who act as a source for that love as it flows through the village. Please celebrate with us the history of our trying to do this, and please help us to get better at it in the next 150 years! Thanks Steve (Vicar of St John’s Parish Church) WILDLIFE LAND TRUST A group is considering setting up a Charitable Trust to acquire land in the locality for nature reserves - if you are interested in being involved please contact me at [email protected]. Francesca Bridgewater Page 4 www.menston.org Summer 2021 IAIN JONES - HEADTEACHER EXTRAORDINAIRE It is a privilege to thank Iain Jones for his leadership over these last 17 years and to witness changes continuing to accelerate at pace to the advantage of its pupils and our community. Iain's passion for outdoor activities makes our school a shining example of how to enhance the wellbeing of every child. Under his leadership, the school grounds have been transformed into an imaginative learning environment where every part can be used for purposeful activity. His passion for inclusion and diversity means that our children understand these aspects and respect differences among people. Iain delayed his retirement to lead the school during a most challenging period of school closures and openings, whilst providing ongoing schooling for children of essential workers. He worked with all staff to provide key support to families, to rapidly develop online learning and teaching skills, and to sustain morale of all children in lockdown. Apart from an excellent leader, Iain has been an exceptionally kind Head Teacher. His popularity amongst the children is testament to how approachable and child-centred he is.