Litter Letter 4: One of the most common items of litter you are likely to see is the crisp packet. They are so light – they escape from our bin bags and blow from Crisp Packets our picnics. They have been designed so well in order to keep crisps Spread The Word, crisp and increase shelf-life. Their evolution has passed through waxed paper bags and single layer plastic to the robust glossy metallised Don’t Spread Litter plastic packets we have today. They are perfect for crisps and a HUGE problem for the planet. First Problem: Forget Standard Recycling! Crisp packets contain a sophisticated mix of two different plastics and a thin layer of aluminium – a recycling nightmare. In landfill, they are unchanged after decades and incineration releases a mix of polluting gases. Second Problem: We like crisps so very much! Too much salt, too much January 2021 Issue no. 271 oil, too much carbohydrate but in the UK we eat about SIX BILLION packets a year and that estimate was before Covid-19. Apparently sales Newsletter of snacks in packs have gone up 30% since it hit us. What to do about the problem? There are no complete answers but New Year, New Resolutions, New Strategic Plan here are three suggestions. Firstly, may I wish everyone a healthy, happy and safe Plans for the year ahead include: Use TERRACYCLE. In 2018 Walkers set up nationwide centres where New Year. I am sure we are all looking forward to a time • Continued conversion of all our streetlights snack packets are revamped and used to make to park benches, fence this year when the activities, which we all so value within from Sox to Led to save energy used, in line with posts etc. Follow the instructions on the packets. One day we may even our parish, will begin again. This is the time of year when our carbon zero ambitions set up a collection point in Pontesbury. new resolutions are made and plans for the year put in Seek out COMPOSTABLE packets. Some of these do not break down • Continuing work on maintaining and updating well in landfill but there are ‘Two Farmers Crisps’ from Herefordshire who place and I am taking this opportunity to highlight some our very popular play area are confident that their packets will break down in a home composter. of our Parish Council plans. • Improvements to the pedestrian safety at the EAT LESS CRISPS! If you really can’t resist them, buy LARGE packs This year we are launching our Pontesbury Parish junctions on Hall Bank. This work will also include not multipacks. Think about it! Strategic Plan. The plan is dual-purpose. We hope it measures to help alleviate flooding I love crisps will provide the residents of the parish with a clearer • Taking forward the ambition for a bus park at l love the crunch and the munch understanding of the Council’s activities and legal Mary Webb School l love the rustle of the packet responsibilities. The second purpose is to involve you as • Continuing work on the Pontesbury Parish and that salty yum yum yum a community in setting the priorities and objectives for Neighbourhood Plan on behalf of the Pontesbury Climate Emergency Action Group the next four years for council work and monies spent. • Drawing up an action plan for reaching carbon The Strategic Plan will be a “living document” which will zero by 2030 through work with the Pontesbury be reviewed with the community each year. The aim is to Climate Emergency Action Group Pick Up The Phone launch our draft plan, for your feedback, at the Annual • and of course we will be having our local Parish Meeting 2021, which will be held later in the elections in May – more on this in future You Are Not Alone year (when Government guidelines allow). At the Parish newsletters. To help raise awareness of the range of support Meeting we also want to celebrate all of the wonderful For more information and to view the draft Strategic available to those who feel suicidal, a new Suicide community spirit shown throughout 2020, bring together Plan look on the Parish Council website www. Prevention Zcard designed by the all of the great local groups and societies who do so much pontesburyparishcouncil.org.uk and Telford Suicide Prevention Network (with in the community and launch the Pontesbury Parish Cllr Duncan Fletcher representation from across health, social care, community awards. Chair, Pontesbury Parish Council emergency and blue light services, voluntary services, experts by experience amongst others) has been launched. Walk to Bethlehem The Zcard provides; Thank you, Pontesbury Sarah and family would like to express their thanks When I first thought I would virtually walk to • Brief advice and guidance on how to and appreciation shown at the Funeral of Derek Bethlehem, folks laughed. I suggested that they join address concerns Evans on 25th November 2020. We were amazed at in and we could walk the 6,000,000 steps together. • Contacts for a confidential, listening ear the support shown by the numbers of people lining I am pleased to report that all 35 people who took • Primary contacts to seek immediate the streets on his journey from home to the Church. part are safely back, having walked over 12,000,000 appropriate support Pontesbury truly expressed its feelings and we are steps between us – so there and back! Thanks go to Useful Resources all proud to be part of this village. Thank you, too, all who have contributed in any way, whether it is in 1. Free online Suicide prevention training for all the personal messages on cards and letters the walk or in encouraging, or giving to this adventure. (20 min video on see, say, signpost): www. received on his behalf. I am hoping to reach £2,000, to be split between zerosuicidealliance.com/training Thank you for all your generous donations to the St, George’s Church and the Severn Hospice. We have This is a great resource on how to identify Badger Trust. We hope that we can find ways to received at the moment £1,650. There is still time risk and how to have difficult conversations, it share our world with this unique mammal for future for other monies to be given in and for other people has been widely shared amongst our networks generations. to donate to this. Please contact Gerald Worrall, 2. Help Is At Hand: national resource for Sarah Evans treasurer for St. George’s Church, 01743 791069. support after suicide (physical cards available Thank you. to order direct from the website for free): Mary Worrall https://supportaftersuicide.org.uk/support- guides/help-is-at-hand Suicide Prevention Action Group Closing date for copy for the Feb edition is Jan 10th (please include a contact phone number) Email contributions to [email protected] or hand in at the Post Office. 16 Printed by New Era Printing, Tel: 01743 295881 Advertisers – See inside for details of how to place your ad. Thank you from Foodshare! Christmas Hampers (Pontesbury Foodshare) Thanks to the generosity of local people we were able to make up in the region of 240 hampers, I actually stopped counting. They were delivered over two days firstly with the help of Mark Felsted and his Motors coach and volunteers, and then the following Tuesday they were finished. Huge thanks to everyone – I hope I haven’t missed anyone, apologies if I have: • Sam Sanderson and Rebecca Maund – Pontesbuy and Minsterley Co-ops • Viv Boden and Brian Fisher, Congregational Church, Pontesbury for letting us take over the building for the food bank and making up the hampers. • Richie Garner and families of Pontesbury Cricket Club • Hanwood, Pontesbury & Minsterley Parish Councils • Pontesbury Charity • Local residents who made donations of money and/or food • Minsterley Motors • Pontesbury Primary School families • Hollie for her Christmas Card Thank you to everyone who made up and covered the Christmas Boxes and lastly to the wonderful volunteers who have given up their time this year to not only deliver hampers but collect prescriptions, shopping and helping so many people. Many are continuing to do so through the Good Neighbours scheme. Thanks from Pontesbury Foodshare Volunteers

Pontesbury Foodshare has now closed but help is still available. If you are still in need of some support please either contact the Community Good Neighbour’s Scheme (see details on page 5) or Shrewsbury Foodbank who offer a wide range of support including help with food. The food bank at Barnabas is open: Monday, Tuesday and Friday (not open on Bank Holidays) 9.30am – 12pm. Tel: 01743 343336 / 0742 174 5857. https://www. barnabascommunityprojects.org/shrewsburyfoodbank also lists other support available, such as help with cooking, budgeting and employment. https://www.shropshirelarder.org.uk/ INSURANCE THAT’S also lists support available to you. ON YOUR DOORSTEP Call our office in Shrewsbury on 01743 344 743

Agent of The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited.

Newsletter online Specialist advisors to the Pdf copies of the Newsletter are available at mature and retired market www.pontesburyparishcouncil.org.uk • Later Life Planning • Retirement Advice and • Long Term Care Planning • Saving & Investment Advice www.pontesburypavilion.co.uk • Inheritance Tax Planning Please be aware that the layout is for the print Call us for open honest advice version, in double page spreads, and printing black only. 01743 365 813 Ben Walters DipFA MIFS [email protected] The text is interactive so links, as in the Hannah Edwards DipFA LIBF [email protected] article above, are live wherever possible. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority www.portland-fp.co.uk 2 15 Support for Vulnerable Households Advertisements For many Shropshire residents, the ongoing pandemic poses Free online mental health All advertisements have to be challenges that stretch beyond a reduction in the freedoms that support for 14-25 year olds Whether it’s loss of routine, booked and paid for in advance. we’re accustomed to, and the obvious risk to health. The financial Booking forms from increased anxiety, or stress at implications of the virus continue to impose difficulties and hardship home, we’re supporting The Clerk to the Parish Council across the county. Therefore, the recently established COVID Winter 01691 661157 young people through FREE video Grant scheme will go a long way to ensuring that families don’t go therapy sessions (6pm – 12am). [email protected] or hungry this winter. Cost There is a range of support available including the Local Support Email: [email protected] Tel: 0121 622 3603, ‘Within parish’ ads and Prevention Fund (LSPF) and the Local Authority Emergency Grant £12 for smaller ads TEXT: 07395 629297 and £20 for larger ads. ‘ for Food and Essential Supplies. Families and individuals who are twitter/facebook/instagram ‘Outside parish’ ads struggling and would like to access help and support can contact @lyfeproofUK £17 for smaller ads the council’s Welfare Support Team on 0345 678 9028. and £25 for larger ads. – ◊ – Work, Skill, Money Guide have recently developed a guide which aims to Send your ads by e-mail to support residents with matters concerning Work, Skills and Money. [email protected] The guide covers the whole cycle of job loss, financial support, Remember, links are live Ads must be sent as jpeg or PDF housing, and upskilling for people who are looking for work. The guide in the online version of the or, if this is not possible, can be located via the following link - https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/ Newsletter. in MS Word which will be set coronavirus/information-for-the-public/work-skills-and-money-guide/ See page 2 to a standard format Concerns about business compliance to Covid-19 regulations: (no design charge). Images separately as jpegs. Any if there are any concerns about businesses adhering to Covid-19 necessary design work will be regulations please email them to advicecompliance@shropshire. charged at £25 per hour. gov.uk Shropshire Councils Covid-19 Helpline 0345 6789 028: this Please note, I don’t have phoneline is designed to receive enquiries and concerns associated MS Publisher so will be unable to read ads sent in this way. Editor with Covid-19, of a non-medical nature.

Dedicated to providing Pontesbury Parish you with a friendly, Council efficient and professional There will be a virtual parish legal service council meeting held on Monday 11th January at 7pm. The link Civil & Commercial Mediation to the meeting will be available Commercial & Agricultural on the parish council website, Commercial & Civil Litigation Debt Recovery along with the agenda. www. Elderly Client & Care Funding pontesburyparishcouncil.org.uk Employment If you wish to comment on a Family Arbitration planning application please use Family Matters the Shropshire Council planning Family Mediation Personal Injury portal at https://pa.shropshire. Residential Property gov.uk/online-applications/ Or Social Housing & Development pass your comments through Wills, Trusts, Tax Planning & Probate Cllr A Hodges at ahodges@ pontesburypc.org.uk. All new planning applications for the area are listed on the parish council website.

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12 5 Friends of Pontesbury Library G ET ENG LISH : T U IT ION Happy New Year to all our friends – we hope that weekend. There must have been hundreds involved you had an enjoyable Christmas and are positive altogether and a special well done goes to those WIT H CA T H ERINE Metal Recycling about the year ahead. brave souls who did the trail in the rain on Sunday. Recycle your old scrap metal

Chip it for Charity I think everyone would agree that the village looked 〜 Don’t forget to bring your Christmas Tree to be amazing and made sure that Pontesbury celebrated • Brass, copper, lead, chipped – along with a donation to FoPL, please. the Christmas season despite Covid. Flexible, engaging, student-centred tuition Catherine Jones cable, batteries in your home or online. This year the chipping is being done on the morning Over fifty businesses, organisations and • Cast, cars, vans, farm scrap, of Saturday 9 January, starting at 9.30am. It is households contributed by putting up trees, light Perfect for refining skills needed for KS2 07812 932468 SATs tests, improving skills at KS3, and [email protected] old central heating systems taking place at the old recycling site – off Station and decorations in Pontesbury, and Christmas success in KS4 GCSEs. Pontesbury Hill, Shrewsbury 〜 Road, where the Gardeners’ Trading Post is based. Tree Trail guides sold like hot cakes throughout Great for working towards specific targets Call: 07989 050276 Future and Past the weekend. Thanks to Hignett’s and Connections and improving confidence. Obviously FoPL committee members are hoping who helped sell the guides and, of course, to or 01743 791493 that the Covid-19 restrictions will be reduced representatives of St George’s Church with whom enough for us to organise one or two events this we organised the event. Also, thanks to Mary Webb year – we’ve really missed meeting up with our School who helped us with the early publicity. supporters and of course we’ve not properly As I write, the exact amount raised has not been celebrated the opening of the new library at The worked out so this will be published in next month’s Pavilion. We’ll make sure you’re kept informed and Newsletter along with the winners of the hamper up to date with our plans via this Newsletter, posters and Christmas Stockings. in the village and on our website too. Library Lottery We certainly ended the year in style and we send And finally, the December Lottery winners were: huge thanks to everyone who participated in the 1st Caro Schiansky ‘Let’s Light up Pontesbury’ event held on 11,12 and 2nd Janet Tolhurst 13 December last year. The Christmas Tree Trail 3rd Eddie Mitton. proved immensely popular with plenty of families Once again – new year greetings – hope to see and friends out and about in the village during the you soon. FoPL

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6 11 Getting support in Pontesbury area Mobilise carers support Rea Valley u3a A short blog on dealing with New members are always welcome at your local Rea Valley u3a change and uncertainty: and is a great way to broaden your horizons and your circle https://bit.ly/323TIX0 of friends. Despite the current circumstances, your local u3a A guide to some of the routines committee has increased the number and variety of enjoyable that helped us get through activities for its members. Lockdown (Pt 1): Co-ordinators have discovered imaginative and safe ways to continue https://bit.ly/324iJS6 group activities – be this getting together virtually, sharing images like this A basic ‘emergency plan’ to get (right) of Poles Coppice on the Facebook page, communicating by ’phone or you started: by delivering information through letterboxes, and we’re trialling a “coffee https://bit.ly/382F4Dl James Townsend, and chat” fortnightly on Skype. CEO and Co-Founder, Mobilise Our popular members’ Newsletter has increased the frequency of editions [email protected] and our imaginative THIRD PAGE for OUR THIRD AGE offers even more ways 07816 779635 that we can still enjoy interacting with each other. For more information, contact: Susan Lockwood Email [email protected] Bereavement Support for Tel 01743 791082, Mobile 07854 110271 Shropshire Residents – Susan Lockwood Call 0345 678 9028 Pontesbury Broadplace to Close Thank you, A new service has been launched It is with great regret that Pontesbury Broadplace will be closing down to support people who are permanently at the end of this year. Although we have been closed for the Broadplace experiencing and suffering from last nine months, we had already decided that this would happen. It was Thank you Robert, Richard, Sue and bereavement and loss. The offer originally thought that we would last for five, or possibly ten, years; how all others involved over the years is open to any Shropshire resident wrong we were! for your dedicated hard work and who has been bereaved by either We have been open every Thursday afternoon and evening for nearly great spirit of fun while solving a recent death or previous loss. fourteen years with the exception of one week (when we had to close due the community’s digital problems. The Bereavement Support Service is to sickness), between Christmas and New year, and when the Pontesbury A lot more hair would have been operated by Shropshire Council Players’ Pantomime has been on. collectively torn out without you. and community voluntary The volunteers all enjoyed our Thursday drop-in sessions helping to get Editor partners Samaritans, CRUSE, people set up using digital equipment and the Internet as well as the more Severn Hospice and Crane Quality formal help with workshops, mostly for iPads. Counselling. The service can be Thursdays have certainly been the highlight of my week and I am sure accessed through self-referral by the highlight of the others as well. calling 0345 678 9028. Over the years we have given help and advice about Windows and Apple Mac computers, Android and Apple smart phones and tablets, digital cameras and more. About five hundred different visitors have dropped in, Shropshire Larder: how to almost all of whom we were able to send away with at least one of their keep yourself fed questions or problems solved. As the recession deepens, more people Apart from Su Sycamore and Richard Elliott who have volunteered since are losing their jobs and facing hardship. the start, in the earlier years we were joined by Caroline Pond, Tom Richards, It is vital that people in Shropshire Robert Harrison, Jenni Lewis, Nigel Pearson and Bruce Norsworthy. know where to get help. The Shropshire I would like to thank my fellow volunteers and also the folk, mainly from Food Poverty Alliance has created Pontesbury, who have dropped in to see us, as well as the Public Hall resources for people and organizations Trustees, the Parish Council and the Atherton Trust who have supported in Shropshire to find advice and support: us financially. Shropshire Larder (shropshirelarder. Robert Pither org.uk) is the most comprehensive directory of services for people living in Shropshire on a low budget. It has information on how to access a foodbank Malehurst Industrial Estate, or community food project, and how to eat well on a budget. It also covers how Malehurst, Pontesbury, SY5 0EQ to get support with benefits, housing, and Modern Industrial Buildings To Let – debt. Please help us make sure this info Various Sizes Available is reaching everyone who needs it. Please follow and share. Ideal For Start Up or Existing Businesses Facebook: @ShropshireLarder and Modern Insulated Units @ShropFoodPov Self Storage Units & Outside Storage Also Available Twitter: @ShropLarder and @ShropFoodPov Telephone 01743 791744 Sign up to our newsletter to keep [email protected] up to date on the situation and the www.malehurstindustrialestate.co.uk support available. 10 7 ‘Light up Pontesbury’ Pontesbury Climate Emergency St George’s Church Notes from the Stiperstones This is a message to the Pontesbury community. Action Group - update www.st-george.org.uk I guess it would be an understatement to say that it has When we at St. George’s found that we could Services for January: Subject to change due to Covid-19 been an interesting year and I’m assuming that 2021 will Many thanks to Tom at Shropshire Wildlife Trust not have a Tree and Crib Festival this year, after 3rd 10.30am Holy Communion have its challenges too. On the hill, it has certainly been and the Mary Webb pupils who helped members of 10th 10.30am Holy Comm. by Extension the busiest year ever, and if the numbers of cars in the 26 years, we were very upset, but not beaten. the Pontesbury Climate Emergency Action Group 17th 10.30am Morning Worship car park are anything to go by, I would think that we have The Tree Trail seemed a good thing to try. Along to clear a patch at the bottom of Hall Bank, ready 24th 10.30pm Holy Comm. by Extension had at least double our usual visitor numbers. Although with some of the Friends of Pontesbury Library, for planting wild flowers in the spring. 31st 10.30am Morning Worship this puts a certain amount of strain on the footpaths, it came to be. Everyone is welcome to join us for any of our services. has seen more litter than usual and the odd unfortunate I think that the name Tree Trail did not really occurrence such an accidental fire and an attack on one prepare people for the wonderful display of lights Left: During of the commoners sheep by some uncontrolled dogs, it clearing that the community put on. Well, Pontesbury, you An eye for beauty is good to see that in these difficult times sites like the were truly lit up. Working alongside the revised Local Plan, Stiperstones are valued by people. And so they should We at St. George’s Church say a really big ‘thank Pontesbury Neighbourhood Plan aims to be, as when you add up the benefits of the Stiperstones you’ to every single person who has contributed safeguard the beauty and character of our National Nature Reserve they are many including: Below: After buildings and landscape as well as our • Conserving biodiversity by protecting important in any way. We had a map with 50 entries, we clearing ability to enjoy them. A policy which protects habitats and species. should have had a map the size of a table to put views is emerging but the Steering Group • Storing carbon in our shallow peat, soils and everyone on it. needs your help to identify views which are woodlands (it is estimated that the 141 NNRs managed Wow, and wow again. This has given so many important and accessible to the community. by Natural will remove 185,000 tonnes of people a big lift, in these dark days. This wonderful An indiviual household does not have the right carbon dioxide from our atmosphere every year). display will also have raised some money for to a private view but a neighbourhood plan • Slowing the flow of water running into streams the two groups – the Library and the Church. can help to protect views which are valued and rivers and thereby helping to reduce flooding St. George’s Church, well-used by the community, by local people. downstream and improving water quality. is struggling without the usual fund-raising events Trees and hedges are very important parts of our local • Providing a place for quiet recreational enjoyment to cover the costs. We all know this struggle and landscape, having lost fewer hedges in the last hundred and health benefits. years compared with many parts of Eastern England. • Creating a home for pollinating insects which so we are even more grateful for your support. A policy to maintain and enhance hedges by traditional benefit crops. Thank you to absolutely everyone for starting methods of repair is being considered. • Providing a migratory path for birds and insects to Christmas with such a bright light. May we wish The Neighbourhood Plan has a vital role to play in migrate across the countryside. the whole community a peaceful and better New Ken is still busy mapping small green spaces in identifying local character in buildings in order to assist • Adding to our research knowledge (for example Year and 2021. the higher standard of design sought by the revised the village to see where it may be possible to plant the Stiperstones is a base for measuring the likelihood Mary Worrall (Church Warden) Local Plan. A policy to promote the characteristics of of wildfires across the UK). more trees or wild flowers in the near future. Do and Allen Marsden (Church Warden) the main settlements in the Parish is being examined. • Conserving and interpreting a range of historic you have any land, however small the area where In terms of housing, the Neighbourhood Plan does not monuments. Pontesbury Muheza Link you would like to see trees or wild flowers planted? intend to identify sites for development as the total As well as more visitors to the reserve this year, we Please get in touch with Liz if you do. allocation of 175 houses by 2038 has almost been met have seen a vast reduction in air traffic over the hill, The work of this link is still continuing in spite of We held the first of our Zoom talks about helping by already completed dwellings and one identified site which is much appreciated when carrying out bird the pandemic. Sadly there has been no Update hedgehogs in our gardens (thank you to Kathryn to be developed. However, a design policy is required surveys and listening for birdsong. I’m sure the birds Meeting or other events in 2020 and in the Jones, Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s Hedgehog Officer) for unexpected development and future extensions to have appreciated the peace and quiet too. present climate we dare not plan any thing for the and we will be launching a hedgehog project in existing buildings. In December, the Stepping Stones project ran a immediate future. We thank all our supporters who the Spring, more information in the February Often overlooked when discussing house design is the dormouse nut hunt. However, I’m sure that they would importance of windows; they are the eyes of a building. have continued to donate during the year. Newsletter. welcome any further knowledge of their whereabouts in Some really sad news was the loss of one of Eyes and windows have a dual purpose: they enable the area. If anyone has found any dormouse nibbled nuts The group will meet in January to plan our us to look out but can also delight the onlooker. Your they should contact the project our valuable Trustees. Elizabeth Dennis died Hazel Dormouse campaigns for the year and hopefully to talk to comments/help on the above via the Clerk are crucial officer, Charlie, at charlie.bell@ earlier in the year, supporters will remember members of a similar group in Cheshire to find out her as the woman on the plant stall who was so to the eventual acceptance of the Neighbourhood Plan nationaltrust.org.uk. Dormice how they drew up their Carbon Zero Action Plan. by the Planning Inspector. should by now be fast asleep on knowledgeable and you may have visited her lovely Liz Knowles We urgently need the help of people in any part of the forest floor, having more than garden in Snailbeach. She served the committee [email protected] the Parish with specialist knowledge, experience or doubled their weight on the feast loyally for over 20 years. interest in such matters as housing design, farming of autumn nuts (a bit like some The Village Health Workers scheme that we have has no father. The second student, Nathan, gained diversification and environmental enhancement, footpath of us over Christmas). The best supported over many years was sadly discontinued good results in his Advanced Level examinations in improvements and business development. Anyone with place to look for signs of these early in 2019, due to changes in Tanzanian July. He started his course to be a clinical officer a knowledge and interest in maps will be most welcome small rodents is underneath as all policies need to be accompanied by large scale old coppiced hazels, often at government regulation for the registration of in September 2020. We hope to sponsor a third charities. maps. Any help will be appreciated, it does not need to woodland edges or in overgrown hedges where they will student in 2021. be a time consuming commitment but could be just a have been feeding away during the autumn nights. Our focus for the near future is sponsorship We continued to pay the salaries of Prisca and of impoverished but clever people to pursue a one off meeting if desired. We wish you a Happy New Year. Musa, medical attendants at Maramba hospital. Please contact the Parish Clerk if you can help. Simon Cooter and the Natural England staff at Rigmoreoak career in Medicine. At present we are sponsoring However, Musa will retire in 2021 so we shall only Debbie Marais, Parish Clerk two people to train at Muheza Nursing School. be paying Prisca’s salary from July 2021. Hezroni started his first year in September 2019 We wish everyone a safer and healthier 2021 so we are now paying for his second year. Hezroni Sheila Waddington-Feather 8 9