Meriden Mag Autumn 2008 Congratulations to our district councillor David Bell on becoming the Mayor of Solihull for 2008 -9 It is a great privilege to represent Solihull Borough as Mayor and an experience I know that I will always remember and treasure. It is an opportunity to really appreciate the hard work that takes place throughout the Borough by many thousands of volunteers who give willingly of their time to help others and the community in general. It really is reassuring to know of all this good work and it makes you proud to be a Solihull citizen. I know we think sometimes that we are neglected in the rural east but let me tell you that it is a perception shared in Castle Bromwich, Shirley and many parts of the Borough. I don’t think it is entirely fair but I do think we all need to feel an important part of this Borough and I will try to encourage this during my year of office. I hope too to encourage more volunteers to get involved and recognise those that receive very little recognition such as the 20,000 carers we have in the Borough some only children, but children who have had to grow up very quickly, as they are needed to help a family member through the day. By the end of our year of office I estimate we will have met over 16,000 people and attended between 500 and 600 different engagements. I will clearly have much more to tell you then. David Bell MrsCaroline Spelman MP visits Meriden Primary School Caroline Spelman visited Meriden Primary school in July to cut the ribbon on the new wildlife garden. It was made possible by a team of twenty-three bankers from Barclays Bank who cleared the area, made paths, enlarged the pond and put in benches for the children to sit and enjoy the wildlife. A story telling circle has been created using tree stumps and there is a place where children can leave messages. The project cost just under £4,000 mostly funded by Barclays’ Community Improvement Fund with the PTA providing the pond liner. Look inside for details Picture kindly supplied by the Solihull Times of the Meriden Football Academy on Saturday Don’t forget August 31st Open Gardens Mornings for boys and in Meriden, 17 local gardens to visit girls age 5 to 14 See in the Mag for further details on Maxstoke Lane Playing Fields Come and join us for a day of Celebrations to mark theto the 60th Anniversary of Meriden Village Hall From 10.30am until 3.00pm there will be a bazaar/exhibition run by all current users of the Hall, This is an opportunity to come along and see all the different organisations, find out if you would like to join a new group, buy some wares from the stalls and meet your friends for coffee. From 4.00pm until 6.00pm we are holding a Tea dance - do come and join in the fun and re-live some memories of yesteryear. At 7.30pmAt 7.30pm there will a concert featuring children from Meriden School and Scout Group and an evening of musical comedy by The Merlin Singers. Naturally there will be a celebration cake to cut, lots of chat and reminiscence and some fizz to toast the past, the present and the future of this vital village institution Admission to the Bazaar and Tea Dance is free Tickets for the Concert cost £1 and are available from Meriden Library and The Spar Shop Phone 01676 522645 for more information STRAWBERRY BANK HOTEL & RESTAURANT Our restaurant serves A La Carte English and continental menus, as well Ideal setting for a family reunion whether as a 3 course Dinner Menu a wedding, anniversary, christening or from £15.95 Monday – funeral. Friday Set in beautiful gardens, we cater for £16.95 Saturday small or large parties in the restaurant or £15.95 Sunday Lunch for three courses our two Function suites. Licensed for Civil Ceremonies. Visit our website for more information or Christmas Menus come along to see us. available at Reception www.strawberrybank.co.uk telephone: 01676 522117 or call Email:[email protected] 01676 522117 Main Road, Meriden, Coventry CV7 7NF Don’t forget the Meriden Mag has its own web site, where you can view back issues or friends and A garden is a thing of relatives not in the area can catch up on local news www.meridenmag.co.uk beauty and a job for ever!for ever! Lavender Hall Lane Berkswell 01676 530 299 / 07949 119 436 Painting and Cafe open to the public from 8.00am – 2.00pm daily decorating Contractors 7 days a week Coving Specialists Serving hot and cold food General Specialising in an all day breakfast Building Repairs for £3.90! Tel: 01922 631750 5 fishing lakes in glorious countryside Now selling a Mob: 07831 600829 complete range of baits Mob: 07785 333636 Gates open at 7.00am close at dusk Meriden Mag – Help us to help you! We were delighted to hear from the Village Appraisal that so many of you rely on the Meriden Mag for information about the Village, it’s really great to know it is so well received. Would you like to help to keep this essential part of village life up and running? We have an excellent team of volunteer deliverers but occasionally due to holidays or sickness they are unable to do their round. Would you like to be a reserve volunteer deliverer, there are only 4 issues each year and it would probably involve delivering between 30 and 100 Mags depending on the round, please contact us if you think you can help. Also if you have a local business perhaps you would like to consider advertising with us, our rates and contact details are below and we produce approx 1800 copies each issue which are delivered free to every home in Meriden and available at several local outlets. Not a bad circulation for a village magazine. If you use any of the businesses advertising with us please let them know where you saw their advert. The Meriden Mag is a non-profit making community venture, we give our time for free and the advertisements pay for the printing, so lets’ all work together to make sure the Mag can continue. When contacting advertisers please mention The Meriden MagMagMag Don’t forget to put Meriden Post Office – Good News We were very pleased to hear that your clocks back one hour on Meriden Post Office is to stay open. Sunday 26ththth October However the Post Office card account is still under threat. Reminder!! Deadline date for the autumn issue The Government will soon choose a successor Monday 3rd November to this account (POCA2). Val Martin 174 Main Road, Meriden 01676 522963 If you want to be able to continue to use the [email protected] new card account at the Post Office, call into Margaret Argyle 3 The Croft, Meriden the Meriden Post Office and fill in a card to 01676 522453 send to our Member of Parliament, Caroline [email protected] Spelman asking the Government to keep this Treasurer: Adele Fox 16 James Dawson Drive, account at the Post Offices. Meriden Without the card account more post offices Deliveries: Keith & Kath Nightingale 01676 522125 will be forced to close. Proof Reader: Claire Rose Useful Village Contact Numbers MAG ADVERTISING RATES Meriden Primary School Mrs. J. Smith 01676 522488 Eighth Page £8.50 Meriden Library 01676 522717 Meriden Surgery 01676 522252 Quarter Page £17.00 Lloyds Chemist 01676 522722 Half page £34.00 St. Laurence Church Rev.Michael Dawkins 01676 522719 Small ads (sale or wanted) Meriden Methodist Church Rev. Andrew Charlesworth 01676 533737 Meriden Christian Fellowship Pstr. Kevin & Lyn Hunt 01676 523050 £3.00 Parish Council Julie Hall (Clerk) 01676 522553 Charity & Community Community Centre Warden Pat Delaney 01676 522867 information & events FREE Solihull M B C 0121 704 6000 Views expressed by the District Councillors Ken Allsopp 0121 782 2408 David Bell 01676 535211 Contributors are not necessarily Dr. Peter Lea 01676 532577 those of the Co-editors Member of Parliament Caroline Spelman 020 7219 4189 We are unable to print anonymous Boy Scouts Group Gerry Russell 01676 522666 Letters or articles although we will Cricket Club Mike Gallagher 01676 521085 withhold name and address on Post Office Sue Harper 01676 522230 request Rural Police Sector WPC Sharon Williams 0845 113 5000 Village Diary DATE EVENT VENUE TIME CONTACT 1st Sept W I Village Hall 7.30pm Joan Russell 01676 522 666 2nd Sept Firs Trip to Lincoln Frank Byrne 02476 713662 6th Sept Methodist Barbecue Springfield House Peggy Patrick 01676 522221 6th-7th Sept Coventry Festival of Motoring 10th Sept Parish Council Meeting Village Hall 7.30pm Julie Hall 01676 522553 10th Sept Readers Circle 7.30pm Sue Fuller 01676 522 721 11th-14th Heritage Open Days weekend Various Sept 15th Sept Community Surgery Library 10.00 – 12 noon Library 01676 522717 19th Sept Firs Coffee Morning Jubilee Centre 10.00am- Angela Keedwell Balsall Common 12 noon 01676 532 537 20th Sept Village Hall Celebrations Village Hall All day Chris Copper 01676 522645 21st Sept Cycle to Solihull 21st – 28th Solihull Festival Various Sept 22nd Sept Parish Council Meeting Village Hall 7.30pm Julie Hall 01676 522 553 25th Sept Marion Dodd’s Retirement Library 10.00am onwards Library 01676 522717 26th Sept CAMEO Community Centre 2.00pm Ellen 01676 522534 26th Sept Macmillan Coffee Morning Community Centre 9.00am onwards Pat Delaney 01676 522867 27th – 29th Harvest Festival weekend Methodist Church Andrew Charlesworth Sept 01676 533737 3rd Oct In The Pink Ladies Evening Heart of England 7.30pm Mary Warr 01676 522160 Club 6th Oct W I Village Hall 7.30pm Joan Russell 01676 522 666 8th Oct Readers Circle 7.30pm Sue Fuller 01676 522 721 10th Oct Caroline Spelman Surgery Village Hall 4.30pm – 6.00pm 020 7219 4189 11th Oct Variety Show Methodist Church 7.00pm