DIARY

FORTON POST OFFICE, Methodist Church Hall, Hollins Lane: OPEN Mon - Fri 9am-1pm All activities & meetings may be paused due to Covid-19 restrictions check with organisers 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 FEBRUARY & MARCH 2021 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 & 8.10-9am (To book contact Jennie Marie 07502 981608) South Lancaster Speakers Club: Methodist Church Hall, Hollins Lane Most 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7.30pm September-May (Contact David Knox 01524 805554) Singing Club: St Peter’s Church, Scorton Thursdays, 6.30pm - contact Jan Hindle 07730 646581

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

Village Hall The Hall is a Covid 19 secure premises, when Government restrictions allow, groups can return to using the hall. We are working to the recommended guidelines and have hand sanitisers throughout the Village Hall, one way system in place, social distancing to be maintained, face masks to be worn where possible etc. If you would like to hire the Village Hall for your group to use or for your own event, please enquire through Michelle Weir on 07799 370639.

There is no diary of events at the present time. Do keep in touch with your friends, club secretaries and organisers.

Information about Church Services Parish Council meetings are usually and events on page 21 held on the 1st Monday of each month at 7pm The joys of Spring - Pages 12 & 13 The Parish website address is: fortonvillage.org Coordinator - Neil Adams (791004) email: [email protected]

Clerical community job - page 2 The email address for the Village Voice is: [email protected] Planning application - page 3 Content not attributed has been contributed by the editors VILLAGE VOICE Brownies badges - page 5 VILLAGECONTENTS VOICE Except forCONTENTS reports made by WI campaign - page 7 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 Vaccine experience - 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 Garden birdwatching - pages 15, 17 & 19 thoseexpressed of the Council. in reports are not necessarily those of the Printed by Colin Cross of Council.

ITEMS FOR THE NEXT ISSUE (April/May) BY 12 MAR, PLEASE 2 3 Parish News Planning Application Chairman’s Comments 20/01296/OUTMAJ Outline application for up to 41 dwellings has been submitted for A time of changes already! By now, many of us ‘oldies’ will have received one of the houses in the field adjacent to Forton Cricket Club. vaccinations and be setting an example as to the behaviour necessary (so we are told) to inhibit the virus spread. It is understandable, but not really acceptable, that 19/01000/OUTMAJ was refused in January 2020 for housing in the same area, the people bend rules, but I am concerned that some of the local churches continued to letter of refusal can be accessed at: hold services, in spite of advice from health. Why are garden centres and https://tinyurl.com/y5cxgoet elite footballers allowed, but not hairdressers? The new application does not appear to be any different, so if you objected last time then please object again. If you didn’t see the original application then please take a I admit it has become easy to forget to sanitise hands, but can’t so easily forget a look at this one, and comment as soon as possible: mask when you see everyone else’s (goes with your mobile and your keys!) ... and https://publicaccess.wyre.gov.uk/online-applications/ aren’t the designs creative? The adopted Wyre Local Plan has allocated the land for building in Forton and Hollins Lane and this field is not included in this Plan. You will know by now that Lindsey Hall has resigned after six years as Parish Clerk. FRAG She has done a great job in keeping the councillors on track at a difficult time in Forton’s history. I hope there is someone who can offer similar skills and community loyalty to help the Council continue to make our village a good place in which to live. Janet Huddart

Forton needs a new Parish Council Clerk - 4.5 hours per week.

If you think you can do this vital community job, please phone the Chairman to get a job description and to discuss arrangements for telling us why you are suitable.

Janet Huddart, 01524 791571 or 07773 271255

Jonny Leech - Wyresdale Ward District Councillor Happy New Year to you all! I am hoping that you are all keeping safe and well during these unprecedented and unforeseen times. I have never known a Christmas like this in my lifetime and I pray I will not have to again. I hope that you all had chance to see loved ones, if indeed it was safe and appropriate for you to do so. I want to thank you all for taking your individual responsibilities with regards to coronavirus, and the restrictions, seriously and think that the village as a whole is dealing well under the current circumstances. There is definitely a noticeable reduction in car Forton Playing Field - Can you help? usage in the village and an increase in people walking, whilst taking their daily exercise, which is great to see. Our playing field is maintained and looked after by volunteers from the village and we appreciate the time they give. However, we are now in need of some new Wyre Council and their employees are still working very hard to not only maintain volunteers to help strim and mow the grass, trim the hedges etc at the playing field. our current services, without having to suspend any as we had to during the first lockdown, but also to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in our community. We We would work this on a rota basis throughout spring/summer. If you feel you would are using our assets to assist in dealing with the pandemic, such as Thornton Little like to get involved and help, please contact Jenna Metcalfe on 07850 008428. Theatre being a large base for vaccination. We have also made available millions of pounds in grants to local businesses to help them keep afloat. The Council is still Polite reminder - there are no dogs allowed on the playing field and children’s play offering ‘drop offs’ of medical provisions and essential shopping to those that area, only along the public footpath at the back of the field and then to be kept on a otherwise wouldn’t have any other access. lead. Please do not use the playing field to exercise your dogs. The playing field is an area for children to play on and there has been an increase in dog ‘muck’ on the field If I can assist in any way, I would love for you to get in touch. and people seen walking dogs there. Jonny Forton Village Hall and Recreational Ground Committee 4 5 1st Brownies Angels, snowmen, wreaths, stars and candles (and much more) have adorned Brownie houses over Christmas after they were skilfully made together as craft activities on ‘Zoom’ in the run up to the end of term. We finished in our usual way with a Christmas party, although like most events last year, we did this virtually. We still had lots of games, party food, dancing and fun!

An exciting programme of activities is planned for the coming term when Brownies will be working on their Archaeology badge, and undertaking challenges and activities as part of the Girl Guiding Skills Builder programme. Games, crafts and Lawn Care Lawn Treatment sharing news will continue to be a big part of each unit meeting. From only £14 plus vat Although we still cannot meet together in person, the ‘Zoom’ meetings are working well and proving popular, and we would love to have new Brownies joining us. We even had our first ‘Zoom’ enrolment when Chloe became a Brownie a short while ago! If you know of any girls, aged 7-10 years, do encourage them to give Brownies a go. It’s very easy to join a meeting and make new friends, and new Brownies would be very welcome.

Find out more about the 1st Shireshead Brownies by contacting the Owls: Snowy Owl, Charlotte (tel: 07969 436872 or email:[email protected]) and Brown Owl Ruth (tel: 01524 792306).

Forton Baby and Toddler Group Well, we managed to get a few weeks back following the second ‘lockdown’, and saw everyone before Christmas. We did not manage our usual Christmas party, but the children still had a good festive time at our last group of 2020.

However, to keep control of the virus and keep people safe, we shall be closing our group for the next few weeks. Hopefully, we can reopen again in February.

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, we would love to see you during term time, on Friday morning, 10am-11.30am in the Village Hall.

Please contact Jenna Metcalfe on 07850 008428 or [email protected] if you would like to come along as numbers are currently restricted.

Stay safe everyone! Jenna Metcalfe 6 7 Forton Primary School School never felt better than it did from September onwards this year. The children Computer Help At Home have all been so grateful to be back with their friends and teachers. Despite periods of isolation, school life has continued with the same amount of buzz and energy that For all Computer or Internet and it always does here at Forton. Tablet Problems Connection Issues Christmas celebrations took on a different and really amazing form. The Nativity story was filmed by all classes and shared with parents, each with their own Repairs Plain English Tutorials beautiful interpretation.

Then our school grounds were transformed into a Winter Wonderland (with snowball fights, hot chocolate and marshmallows toasting). Mrs Claus ‘FaceTimed’ the children during our Christmas lunch and Father Christmas wax sealed a letter to each class and dropped off presents for all the children. He didn’t come into school Call Graham on 07787 727443 because he was being community minded and didn’t want to cross households. The new year arrived and school opened for one day before ‘lockdown’ was announced again. Since when online lessons have taken off, a 2000km exercise bike ride has been launched and the children are blasting their way through our ‘Reading Challenge’.

We are all thriving but cannot wait to be back together again as a school community.

Lorna Boase, Head Teacher

We are keeping positive in the knowledge that we will get together again for meetings eventually. However, like other organisations, when the light appears at the end of the tunnel, it gets turned off or moves that bit further away. WI means friendship and that is what has kept most of us going through the pandemic. By picking up the phone or getting on the computer, we have been able to keep in touch and lift one another’s spirits.

As I write this, it is voting time for all WI members. Every year we turn our attention B.C Maintenance to choosing which Resolution to put our ‘weight’ behind to make a positive impact. ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ is perhaps one of our best known campaigns started by a 1954 WI Decorating,Tiling Install new fencing Resolution. ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work’ is another well-known one from 1943. We Painting inside & out Flat pack assembly were also one of the founders of the Fairtrade Foundation in 1992. This year we decide between: raising awareness of the subtle signs of ovarian cancer; stopping Fascias/Guttering Kitchen updates etc early deaths from coronary heart disease; end racial discrimination; creating wildlife friendly communities; stop the destruction of peat bogs to help tackle climate General Property Repairs change. As you can see, we have a lot to think about and it will be interesting to see which comes out top and gets us on the campaign trail.

Over 10 years experience We shall let everyone know when it is safe to start meeting again. In the meantime, No job too small! keep up the good work and stay safe and well. President Pat (791580) and Secretary Christine (793549) will be happy to answer your queries or just have a chat.

Contact Brent on 01524 793949 or 07947 508272 Christine Smith 8 9 Walks around the village with my owner Forton Post Office Forton I’ve waited patiently all day, tried the subtle approach of looking appealing but it’s not worked, so now I will try being insistent. One sharp bark usually does it. 01524 793402 Post Office Success, she’s putting on her boots. I look up at her and think, “where are we going For all Post Office services except today?”. She says, “ not through the fields today, it’s too muddy and you won’t want Car tax & Passports a bath when you get home”. So she can read my thoughts. *Cash withdrawal *Cash & Cheque deposits *Chip ‘n’ Pin *Post your parcels We head out for a walk along the country lanes. She says it helps with her mental to UK & abroad *Drop & Go facility *Euros on demand or ‘Click & Collect’* health but I get lots of stimulation from smells of the fresh earth. I wonder if that *Other currencies to order (1 or 2 days) *Travel Insurance* spaniel has weed on my last patch. The grass verges are beginning to sprout up again. She says that the daffodils are poking through and that she can’t wait to see *Greetings Cards & One4all Gift Cards *Range of Stationery* their yellow heads buzzing with bumble bees again. Doesn’t she know that those AMPLE FREE PARKING “daffodils” are poisonous to me? They do look cheerful though. She’s stopped again, Methodist Chapel Meeting Room, Hollins Lane so I sit patiently and wait. I can hear it, but she strains to hear, those things fluttering in the hedge. I think she is listening out for the chiffchaff returning. A bit early yet as Monday to Friday 9am-1pm it usually arrives in late March.

We set off again but only as far as that oak tree where she stops again. I take the opportunity to sniff for rabbits. “Oh look”, she calls out, “the little owl is sitting on the branch”. I thought they only come out at night, but she says these little owls can often be seen during the day too. Off we go again. We have to avoid the endless potholes, now I have got a loose stone stuck in my paw but I have her well-trained, as all I need to do is sit with my paw raised and she knows what to do. Finally we reach the hedgerow where all the rabbits seem to dig. A great opportunity for me to stick my nose down the holes at last. To my surprise she picks something up, even Luxury Kitchens, Bathrooms, though I haven’t even done my business yet. “That’s my three pieces of rubbish Bedrooms & Home Office picked up today, we don’t want these poor creatures to get caught in it or eat it”, she says. I have to agree with her as there is nothing worse than cutting your paw on Designed to your every need that sharp thing called a tin can. We head home now. Apparently she’s done her 10000 steps and it helps keep her fit. Well, if she didn’t have me, she wouldn’t see all Free Design Service I Complete Installation Service Available these interesting things, meet all these folk from the village or stay healthy.

Nateby Works I Longmoor Lane I Garstang I PR3 0JB Tel: 01995 606311 www.ccsupplies.co.uk I www.fittedkitchenpreston.co.uk Keep safe and enjoy your beautiful village. [email protected] Heather Moorland’s dog

FORTON GLASS From Robinson’s the Home of the Mammoth Onion HIGH QUALITY PVCu WINDOWS & DOORS SUPPLIED OR FITTED Due to restrictions we have cancelled the Potato Weekend for 2021 FAILED/MISTED UP DOUBLE GLAZING UNITS REPLACED IN TIMBER OR PVCu The nursery will be open for sales of seed potatoes, onion sets and early GLASS CUT TO SIZE, BALUSTRADE GLASS vegetable seedlings HORTICULTURAL GLASS, MIRRORS & SHELVES Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm - closed at weekends until March Tel: 01524 751600 or 07580 025368 Thankfully Covid does not stop plants growing. For nursery updates see our Email: [email protected] Facebook page /mammothvegetables

OR CALL IN AT UNIT 18, GALGATE MILL GALGATE, LANCASTER 10 11 Coronavirus Vaccine at Garstang Medical Practice LANDROVER®SPECIALISTS Terry and I went to Kepple Lane surgery for our Coronavirus vaccination two days before Christmas. When we arrived we were dismayed to see a fire engine parked, 01524 791 214 or 07990 554 883 fearing delay. There was no need to worry. It turned out that they were assisting as stewards!

Having been asked to arrive only 10 minutes before the appointed time, we duly LANDROVER® PARTS joined a short queue of masked people. We moved slowly into the entrance where our name and date of birth were checked. We then moved to a side counter with the LANDROVER® SALES same information, where we were asked about possible allergies. We were directed into the main waiting room which was fitted out with socially distanced perspex REPAIRS & SERVICING screens to the sides of the chairs. Unit 5, Hamilton House Workshops, Station Lane, , Garstang, PR3 1AN www.rogersonsgarage.co.uk We were only there a few moments before we were called to the next stage, where efficiently clip-boarded young women, possibly students, good humouredly asked Celebrating 100 years of a family run business - 1920 to 2020 our names and dates of birth, which the one in charge of us ticked off on her board. Finally, we reached the doctor/nurse who, checking she had the right people, administered the jab, gave us each a sheet of paper with FAQs and answers and the time, plus a card to present when we return for part 2 of our vaccination.

We were taken back into the waiting room, where we waited for 15 minutes, the time being monitored according to the time written on our sheets. We were allowed to go and left by the side door in the car park, past the firemen.

We were most impressed with the efficiency and good humour of all the members of the team. Margaret Mansfield

We want to take the opportunity to thank Garstang Medical Practice for their first class service, especially since March 2020. We hear from others that not all GP surgeries have been able to continue providing their normal service.

A & P On the occasions we have needed help from the Practice, the staff at all levels have been friendly, approachable and efficient, from the initial Painting and Decorating phone call to the visit if subsequently required. orton based Satisfaction guaranteed F Competitive rates No job too big or small Free no obligation quotes The management had the facilities organised long before the vaccine became available. When visiting the surgery by appointment, we have always felt that it is a safe environment and the appointments staggered to reduce contact with other patients.

Our gratitude goes to all involved at the Practice who put themselves at Call: 01524 903204 / 07858 796676 risk every day for us. Email: [email protected] Rhona and David Sharp 12 13 A Vet ’s Easter Story Back home for a late breakfast and to prepare an Easter roast for Mum and Dad. Just as I was placing the perfectly roasted lamb on the table, the phone rang. A sheep Hello, I have been asked to write something for this magazine having been a vet in needing help to deliver her lambs. Oh, the irony! Leaving Mum and Dad to make one of the surgeries local to Forton, at Lanes Vets for almost 20 years. themselves at home and enjoy their lunch in peace, I popped my plate in the oven to stay warm and set out. I spent the early part of my afternoon untangling triplets all As the new year brings the dreaded ‘on call’ rota, I have discovered that I am to be trying to make their way into the world at the same time! After a good few minutes of the duty emergency vet on for this coming Easter weekend. I cast my mind back to a untangling the mixed legs, out slides the first lamb with a gentle tug, then the similar time when I was the duty vet for Easter weekend some 20 years ago. second, then the third. Three live beautiful lambs, all covered in fluid, bleating, and already trying to stand on their spindly legs. Mum turned round to start licking them My weekends on call were very different then. For a start I was working in mixed dry. The warm pleasure filled my heart. I never tire of the joy of delivering any lamb, practice, dealing with both farm animals and pets. I now spend my time working calf, kid, puppy or kitten. Even 20 years on, it is still a special privilege. only on the small animals (pets) side of the Lanes Vets team. Easter weekends are always fun yet busy to work. Springtime is a particularly busy time in the farming calendar.

The Easter weekend I was thinking of, I was woken up at 5am by a dairy farmer requesting assistance with one of his cows calving. After pulling on my clothes and downing an essential cup of coffee, I jumped into my car and drove along the back lanes to the farm. The cow in question was a first-time mother, a heifer, and she was trying to deliver a particularly large calf that was breech. (Fun fact: cows are pregnant for 9 months, just like us humans). I gowned up into my full body waterproofs and wellies (calving can be messy work). I washed my hands in the bucket of warm water the farmer had provided and gently felt inside the cow’s birth canal. My heart dropped a little, all I could feel was the calf’s very large bottom. I moved my hand down over the leg. With a lot of grunting and manoeuvring I Fast forward 20 years and I wonder what Easter 2021 will bring? I certainly won’t be managed to bring both feet up into the birth canal. Some good pulls, a lot of preparing the roast as my husband will do a far better job of that than I would. I am lubricant and a good look at the size of the calf’s feet, I soon realised that this calf not so certain that I will get a chance to eat it at the correct time this year either as I wasn’t going to be delivered naturally. am certain that the day will be busy. We are a much bigger practice than we were 20 years ago, with many more clients, bringing the inevitable increase in emergencies. An hour of surgery later, a lot of blood, sweat and fluids, and I was packing my kit back into my car. Not without enjoying a nice hot brew whilst I rubbed my Easter I am fairly certain that I will be meeting several dogs, who have mistakenly thought Sunday arrival dry with a handful of dry straw. A great start to the day! that the Easter Bunny brought chocolate eggs for them and not the children of the house. I will be put off chocolate (for a day or so), having induced those naughty Off to my next call, a cow that had given birth four days earlier and now had a nasty dogs to vomit up their stolen chocolate! So, my children’s case of mastitis. A drip, some antibiotics and pain relief and I was back in my car Easter eggs have a chance of escaping my clutches. hoping for some breakfast and a warm shower. Unfortunately, this had to be put on hold as I was called to perform a caesarean section on a bitch that had been struggling to whelp ( deliver her puppies). With some help from the duty nurse, we soon had a basket of blind, squeaking, wriggling silky puppies in our care as well as a recovering happy mum.

One thing is for certain, I will go to bed tired but happy. Doing my job is a privilege and a pleasure, the joys of which have yet to grow old for me. Jo Daniels MRCVS (Vet at Lanes Vets) 14 15 D.C. WILSON Lockdown Ramblings We are looking out the window on a very wet, drab, January day and watching the PENNINE GARAGE rain drip off the branches of a bare willow tree, creating large splashes on what used Lancaster Road, Forton, Preston, PR3 0BP to be the lawn. No chance of sighting a large skein of geese overhead though the little egret, that nowadays graces the fields hereabout, may put in an appearance. 01524 793323 www.dcwilson.co.uk [email protected] In a different season the geese would not be around anyway but there is always something to look forward to, perhaps the excited, high-pitched calling of the small • New & used car sales • Tyres groups of oystercatchers that dart across the fields on the edge of our village. What • Mots • Brakes is sadly missing from all the seasons is the haunting call of the curlews and the call of the peewit, or lapwing, which suggests the likelihood of some visual • Servicing • Exhausts entertainment with their aerobatic clowning. It is only recently that these two birds • Air conditioning regas • Engine diagnostics ha v e gone from the fields around us, neither are they much in evidence in the hills & leak detection behind Forton anymore. Courtesy cars available free of charge Open 6 days a week Monday - Friday 8.00am-5.30pm & Saturday 9.00am-12.00noon It is always a pleasure to visit Leighton Moss RSPB reserve where curlews and lapwings will be found in good numbers, along with many other species: geese, gulls, waders, birds of prey and so forth.

Seen from the hides at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve Widgeon Kingfisher Little Egret (continued on page 17) Grey Heron by the reedbed 16 17 Today, unfortunately, there is no prospect of a visit to Leighton Moss, not to worry there is a new ‘game in town’. We have taken part in the Big Garden Birdwatch for some years now, the national results are worth a look with this January’s figures expected in March. Comparisons with previous years’ sightings in our garden are always interesting, as is the comparison with the national figures. During lockdown, more notice has been taken of the common garden birds seen on a daily basis, and it's a great game. On average 15 different species are seen each day, to be allowed in the count a bird has to land in one of the small trees, on the fence or in the garden itself.

It is lunchtime on this wettest of days, the rain seems to be turning to sleet. Up to now 16 different types of bird have been spotted and when we go to look out on the small front garden this afternoon we would expect to see the humble house sparrow and a robin in and around the bird feed and beech hedge. Imagine our excitement when a house sparrow takes us to 18 for the day! This has been going on for most of the winter, there is admittedly less variety in the summer which is good news as all our birds are doing very nicely in the surrounding countryside. Will the esteemed reader think that we are slightly bonkers? Probably. Never mind, by the way the record is 20 different birds seen in one day, only achieved once, on Christmas Eve. 1) Blue tit 11) Collared Dove

2) Coal tit 12) Wood pigeon

3) Great tit 13) Jackdaw

4) Goldfinch 14) Magpie

5) Chaffinch 15) Treecreeper

6) Greenfinch 16) Blackcap

7) Robin 17) Pied wagtail

8) Dunnock 18) Starling

9) Wren 19) House sparrow

10) Blackbird (below) 20) Song thrush (below)

(continued on page 19) 18 19 (Continued from page 17) We can’t see us getting beyond 20 different birds in the garden on the same day, it requires most of the occasional visitors to turn up at the same time. I feel a little guilty counting the pied wagtail. We have only seen it in the garden on a handful of occasions in the past forty years, though it did appear on two consecutive days during the cold weather towards the end of December. Pied wagtails are common around the wider village. Most spring and summer mornings they are to be seen darting around the bowling green feeding on insects made accessible by the short cut turf.

Garden birds make up most of the ‘count’, this is a still a good indication of a healthy environment. Anyone living in Forton can attract a similar variety of birds, we feed them on nuts, sunflower hearts and fat squares. Not everyone is so lucky. Our daughter lives in north east Cheshire about a quarter of a mile from the valley of a small river, a haven for wildlife, there are even nesting herons. The housing development in which she lives was a tree covered hill overlooking the valley not so very long ago. The availability of bird food in her garden is not as reliable as here, a busy working household, whereas we are retired. With that in mind it still a disappointment to the family that only a few birds visit their garden, creeping urbanisation has taken its toll. This will happen here with the village being viewed as an ever expanding ‘doughnut’. Nevertheless our granddaughters could still get excited doing an ‘I-Spy’ garden bird exercise when a robin or a blue tit visited the feeder. Anyone can play the game.

Did we mention 23rd December? Stuck on 13 birds for ages, we were getting worried. Of all the birds to take us beyond the dreaded 13, who did we see late in the afternoon at the top of the tall Christmas tree? The magpie!

Big Garden Birdwatch 2020 Starlings Goldfinch No.6 in the House sparrow Jackdaw pecking order! Goldfinch & Blackcap Dedicated to all the reluctant ‘couch potatoes’ everywhere, for these ramblings do not require boots and a rucksack ... just an easy chair and a window. Rhona and David Sharp 20 21 NEWS FROM THE CHURCHES St James’ Shireshead We meet every Sunday morning at 10am for our Family Eucharist. For those who are unable to come we live stream the service on the church Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stjameschurchforton If you cannot watch at 10am, a recording is available from about 10.40am.

Ash Wednesday, 17th February, 7.30pm, Eucharist

Given the current situation, apart from Sundays and Ash Wednesday, all other church services, Sunday School and events are suspended.

If you would like details of what is happening at St James’ and receive our weekly email, please send your email address to: [email protected] The weekly email is sent so that nobody can see your email or any email of recipients.

Food bank in the porch. A huge thank you to all those who have supported and continue to support this. Please make it widely known that this is available to help anybody who needs support at this very difficult time. They just need to go and collect what they need. If you are, or anybody you know is, in need of any financial help, we do have a small fund. Please contact Peter direct either on 07970 923141 or [email protected]

United Reformed Church Yet again we closed during January 2021 but hope to open for short prayer services in February and March on the 2nd and 4th Sundays in each month.

Please watch the notice board for details, or contact the secretary on 07912 572895.

Hollins Lane Methodist Church Hollins Lane Methodist Chapel will reopen as soon as is feasible. In the meantime, its members are thinking of and praying for the village.

When the Chapel does reopen, it will be a very safe environment where worshippers will be welcome.

Roman Catholic Churches: St Thomas and St Elizabeth, Thurnham; St Mary and St Michael, Garstang; St Bernadette, Bowerham. Please contact them for details of services.

Mobile Library The van is scheduled to be in School Lane (near Coronation Avenue) on 4th & 25th February No visit in March There are some changes to the service to keep

everyone safe, so please call Glenys on 07717 543763 or email: [email protected] to find out more information.

Please note routes and dates can be subject to change. 22 23 Cat Smith MP Hello everyone, I hope you have been keeping well. I know from my contact with the village that the community has been looking out for one another and this has made a huge difference to how we’ve all managed during the last twelve months.

At the time of writing we’re still in the middle of lockdown. I have no idea what the situation will be by the time you read this, but I sincerely hope that we’ll be through the worst of this winter crisis and starting to look forward to a more positive and less restrictive future.

Thank goodness the vaccine is now available. The success of its rollout is vital for reducing the spread of the virus, minimising the time areas remain in economically damaging restrictions and for reopening of schools.

I’ve been calling on the government to make sure rural communities aren’t forgotten about. We need more mass vaccination centres and mobile vaccine units for hard to reach communities. We need an equal access plan to put the infrastructure in place to ensure that everyone, no matter where they live, can access the vaccine, targeting rural, deprived, black, Asian and ethnic minority groups. In addition we need to train thousands more vaccinators to turbocharge the vaccination programme and cut bureaucracy to help retired NHS staff return to help administer vaccination.

It is also really important that employers support the national effort to get Britain vaccinated by giving staff paid time off to attend their vaccination appointments and escort vulnerable relatives to appointments, support their staff in signing up as NHS volunteers to help in the vaccine roll-out and use their platforms to promote the importance of the vaccine and combat dangerous anti-vax misinformation. Anything you can do to help will make a huge difference to how quickly we can return to normal.

I wish you all good health and happiness and hope it won’t be too long before I can visit Forton again. Cat

THE PARISH COUNCIL Parish Clerk: Vacancy County Councillor Chairman Mrs Janet Huddart Mr Matthew Salter (07803 723958) Tel 791571 District Councillor Dr Peter Young, OBE Mr Jonny Leech (07980 759576) Tel 792678 Mrs Lesley Dodgson Forton Parish Council operate a publication Tel 792978 scheme. For more information, please contact Mrs June Farebrother the Parish Clerk. Tel 793436 Mr Don McLoughlin Parish Council meetings are usually held on Tel 792805 the 1st Monday of each month in the Playing Mrs Sarah Taylor Field Pavilion Tel 792528 Some Councillors may be contacted by email: Mrs Janet Huddart: [email protected] Mr Don McLoughlin: [email protected] Mrs Sarah Taylor: [email protected] Dr Peter Young: [email protected]