December 2019 WP News Westminster Park Residents’ Association Sunset over Bringing our community alive Westminster Park www.wp-ra.org.uk @wesparkra Residents show care for our community obstruction, please think of others and trim it https://westcheshireyourstreets.co.uk/ back. Some residents may find this physically Fly-tipping has been noted by the bottle challenging, and people at the meeting banks on the shop car park – if you witness it, suggested that we could all be good please report it. neighbours and offer to help others. Speeding and inconsiderate parking, The idea of turning some of the larger particularly near the school, were also hot grassed areas on Westminster Park into topics at our meeting. Nobody wants to see wildflower meadows was very popular and we children involved in an accident, so please are hoping to work with the Council to bring ensure that you park with care around the this about over the next couple of years. school/shops area. PCSO Lauren Davies has The Council has started a new ‘Love Your recently visited the school to highlight this Caring for and enhancing our area, one of issue. There were calls for a zebra crossing the main objectives of your residents’ or lollipop person and Councillor Neil Sullivan association, was discussed at our recent agreed to pursue these suggestions with public meeting. Much is already happening – Council officers. last month we planted more bulbs for a great If you have any other ideas about how we spring display. Crocuses have gone in by the can improve our local area, please email me shops and daffodils around the junctions of at [email protected] or ring 07752 854383. Lache Lane with Vincent Drive and Rowcliffe Jennifer Crew Avenue. However there is more that can be done. Autumn is a good time to cut back trees and Dates for your diary shrubs and it is our responsibility to keep our Streets’ campaign and created a website to gardens under control. Concern was raised help us report any problems spotted in public Thu 5 Dec Evergreen Carols & mince about greenery overhanging pathways which areas. You can use it to report full bins, pies, 2pm, WP Community makes walking hazardous and restricts the potholes, fly-tipping and a host of other things. Centre width of paths. If yours is causing an The web address is Thu 5 Dec WP Christmas Lights Switch- on, 5pm, WP shops Sat 7 Dec Councillors’ Surgery, 10.30am, WP shops Mon 9 Dec Evergreen trip to Shugborough Hall Join in the festive fun at Thu 12 Dec Wreath making, 3.00- Westminster Park’s 4.30pm, Lache Library Fri 13 & Chester Operatic Society Christmas Lights Switch-On Sat 14 Christmas Concert, 7.30pm th St Mary’s without the Walls 5pm, Thursday 5 December 2019 Sat 4 Jan Councillors’ Surgery, at Westminster Park shops 10.30am, WP shops Thu 16 Jan Evergreen talk, 2pm, WP Lord Mayor of Chester Community Centre Thu 23 Jan Lache & WP Local History Belgrave School Choir talk, 7.30pm, The Venue, Father Christmas Lache Mince pies & mulled wine Sat 1 Feb Councillors’ Surgery, Hot dogs • Festive Music & Carols 10.30am, WP shops Thu 20 Feb Evergreen AGM & Quiz, 2pm, WP Community Centre Organised by Westminster Park Residents’ Association WP News/December 2019 - 1 The 18th Chester Scout Group Evergreen Over 55s Club There have been a few changes to the Evergreen Club, for Westminster Park the years the club has been running. outside area of the Scout headquarters over residents aged 55+ ends the year on a high, We start the New Year on Thursday 16 the last couple of months. The work in the with a good number of members and having January, with a talk by Tom Welch, local grounds has been undertaken by Blue Oak enjoyed an interesting programme. historian, telling us about the old slums in Estates, a local firm, and all the work has December will be very busy as we have Chester. On 20 February we have our AGM been done at no cost to the Group. We have our party with carols and mince pies on where the business of the club is decided had the area paved to reduce maintenance Thursday 5 December, and the following and we also have a quiz. and have created planting areas in boxes so week, on 12 December, we have our Meetings are normally held on the third that our Beavers, Cubs and Scouts can use Christmas lunch, at Chester Golf Club. In Thursday of each month, between 2-3.30 them as parts of badges and challenges. between is a pre-Christmas coach outing to pm, at Westminster Park Community Centre. What you will not have seen from outside is Shugborough Hall, on 9 December. Complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits that we have also had the interior painted. The programme for 2020 has been are served and not only are interesting Again this has been undertaken by released and memberships for the new year subjects discussed, but there is a chance to volunteers, this time from Jaguar Land are now being taken out, at a cost of £10 make and meet up with friends. Rover, who provided the materials and each, which has stayed the same over all of allowed five of their employees two workdays to carry out the project. carry out a Disability survey, and the WPRA Subscriptions Cubs have had a random hike as part of the Navigator’s badge, made bird boxes Enclosed in this December issue is our and raised money for the Lache donkey new re-vamped membership form, which sanctuary which they then visited. outlines some of the benefits made possible Unfortunately we have a waiting list, but from funds generated by your membership if your child is interested in joining us then subscription and the hard work of the please email [email protected] and volunteer committee. we will see what we can do. Thank you to all who subscribed in 2019, Finally, can we say a big thank you to it is greatly appreciated; we hope to have everybody who supported our bonfire your continued support next year. We night. We raised £1,800 for Group funds, would encourage more of you to join in one of the Scouts who is going to the 2020 and we hope that, by detailing some The Group is very grateful to both European Jamboree next year raised of the work the committee undertakes on companies as this assistance means that our £178, and £100 was raised for the Autism your behalf, you will recognise the resources can be concentrated on providing Society and hopefully everybody enjoyed importance of your membership. and supporting activities for our young the evening! The more members we have, the people. Susan Jones, Group Scout Leader stronger we are! Recently we had a group trip out to Sandra Magilton, Treasurer Llandudno to visit the copper mine. The Scouts extended their visit to include an Cheshire Police overnight and a (wet) hike back over the This month has been a fairly tranquil month and PCSO Davies has delivered workshops mountain. for the Westminster Park area. Cheshire at Belgrave Primary School. The Beavers had a Harry Potter themed Police ran Operation Treacle during the PCSO Davies has also booked a number sleepover and explored Westminster Park to Halloween and bonfire night period which of deployments of the speed gun in the targeted hotspot areas within Chester, in- Westminster Park area. cluding Westminster Park. During this period Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with only a small number of anti-social behaviour any community issues. Report them by incidents were reported. ringing 101 or emailing: November has included Anti-Bullying week [email protected] The 18th Chester Brownies The Brownies benefited from a Twandeo Australia on the radio! session with a qualified teacher, learning self- defence moves. Mrs Shuler was assisted by two of the Brownies who are pupils, Eve and Rebekah. They supported the Brownies as they learnt drills and self- defence moves. It was a very successful evening. The Brownies visited JOTA (Jamboree on the Air), run by Vicars Cross Scouts. They took part in a variety of activities towards their Communicator badge. This included using tin telephones, learning their phonetic alphabet and decorating biscuits in Morse code. The highlight was talking to Guides in WP News/December 2019 - 2 News from Westminster Park Residents’ Association As nights draw in and shops fill with special. Your ideas are outlined on the front Christmas goods, we at Westminster Park are page. We also gave an update on the also getting ready for our own celebration of Wrexham Road development; there is a the start of the festive season - our annual summary below. Christmas Lights Switch-On. A fire in an outside electricity cupboard at This autumn we have added yet more lights the Golden Dragon recently brought traffic to to the trees opposite the shops – year on year a standstill and caused adjacent shops to we are making our shopping centre more and close. It was discovered that flammable items more magical through the dark days of winter. had been stored in the cupboard and the fire As last year we are aiming to keep the lights serves to highlight that this is not a good idea! on until the end of January. Our grateful Most people will be aware now that our thanks go to our Councillors Neil Sullivan and courtesy of our local shops and your greengrocer Francis Thomas is closing on 24 Razia Daniels for their support.