The www.LeightonNews.com eighton ews L April 2018 NNumber 323 THE FIRST DAYS OF SPRING High Drama of Snowdrift Rescue - page 9 This month’s issue is kindly sponsored by: ALEXANDERS of WELSHPOOL See back cover for further information - 2 - CHURCH SERVICES APRIL 2018 FORDEN WITH LEIGHTON &TRELYSTAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL Date Leighton Trelystan JOB VACANCY - PART TIME CLERK st Sunday 1 April 11.00am Easter Day Holy Communion and Baptism Good organisational skills needed Excel and Quickbooks or Sage experience essential Sunday 8th April 3.00pm Holy Communion Approx. 10 hours per week National Association of Local Councils salary scale (depending on 11.00am Morning Worship Sunday 15th April experience) & Annual Parochial Church Meeting Final date forApplications 30 April 2018 Sunday 22nd April 11.00am Holy Communion Apply in writing to the Clerk, Ms H Stanier, Corndon View, Forden, At MARTON VILLAGE HALL Welshpool SY21 8LZ Sunday 29 th April 10.30am Benefice Service and Brunch Informal enquiries to the Chair, Cllr. David Jones Leighton Church Rotas – April 2018 Tel. 07973 422681 Sidesmen Altar Flowers & Brass Tony & Jane Walton Jenny & David Sanders The church will be open during daylight hours for those who wish to decorate the Church for Easter Sunday on Saturday 31st March I have always been a lover of hymns. As a poet The first of these services will be a special group myself, I recognise that a really good hymn is very communion service with brunch, to be held not in difficult to write. It has to work as poetry, and yet also church but in Marton Village Hall on Sunday 29th as song, and at the same time it has to be a genuine April at 10.30 am. We need to get better at coming expression of the Christian faith (and therefore together as a group of churches (that’s one of the theologically orthodox and accurate). Preaching a things that will help attract a new priest), so this really sermon is a doddle, compared to writing a hymn. Yet is quite an important service - the service itself is open between them John Newton and William Cowper used to everyone, as is the brunch afterwards, but of course to write a new hymn every week to be sung at we need people to book in for that so they know the parish church at Olney, Bedfordshire, how much to prepare. where Newton was Vicar. There will be other specials, including at least Over the past few weeks, I’ve been inviting one in Leighton Church and one at Trelystan, people in each church to choose their five and perhaps I can also mention the open air favourite hymns, and through the summer there service at Mitchell’s Fold, which this year will be on will be a number of special services at which some of Midsummer’s Day itself, 24th June, at 6.30 pm. If the those hymns will be sung. (Any late votes will be weather plays ball, that really is a lovely occasion, and accepted - there are forms in church, or get in touch worth the trek over there! Something special will with me!) The stories behind hymns are often happen at Leighton Church on Sunday 6th May, fascinating, sometimes inspiring, occasionally Rogation Sunday - not sure what, though, yet! Look harrowing. People are still writing hymns and worship out for details in church and in the next edition of this songs, and so some new ones might turn up as well. magazine! Revd Bill Rowell - 3 - Leighton Community Primary School Website: www.leighton.powys.sch.uk Facebook: Leighton C.P. School Twitter: Leighton Community Primary School @LeightonPrimary Croeso i Ysgol Gynradd Tre’r Llai Many Hearts Make a School We are a relatively small, rural school, yet within easy reach of Welshpool. Our school is very friendly, happy and caring; our numbers allow us to know and value each and every child really well. We are committed to helping all of our children reach their potential – personally, socially and academically. We value hard work, independence, creative thinking, good behaviour and happiness. We put our pupils first, working closely with our parents; we believe that working together, we are certainly stronger. Please feel free to make an appointment to visit our school, meet our team and children, so that you are able to make an informed decision as to where to best educate your child, both academically and socially. Ysgol Gynradd Tre’r Llai / Leighton CP School Leighton, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 8HH Tel: 01938 553 261 Email: [email protected] - 4 - Snow has to be the theme for this month (again) One of our neighbours who calls in to collect the newsletter only managed to get out and pick up her copy of the March issue three weeks after the others had been The April meeting of The Arts Society, Mid Wales distributed. The drifting on Long Mountain was spectacular Cuisinart Grind & Brew & Borders (Formerly NADFAS) takes place on and although unable to travel anywhere for a few days we Coffee Machine were luckier than some in that we didn’t lose our electricity Thursday the 26th. Venue is and only suffered a drop in water pressure – fixed by Severn the Royal Oak Hotel, Excellent condition, hardly used, instructions included. Trent in a few days (mostly working in the dark). Welshpool, the talk will There was quite heavy spring snow four years ago but those of begin at 2.30pm prompt. £40 ono us with long memories will know that this year’s winter used Tel No 01938 556 911 to be far from an exception. In the 1970s and 80s the snow The speaker is Dr David problems were much worse and occurred almost every year. Bostwick, whose topic is The However, at the time we could phone the local council in Green Man in Art and Myth Welshpool to get information about when the clearance would start. The work was done by local contractors and farmers Non-members are welcome to who would be called out by the council. attend, but a donation of £6 per person towards costs will be appreciated. After the winters became far less severe from the 90s onwards any clearance arrangements were organised via Llandrindod. For further details contact [email protected] or With the bad snow in 2014 the result was that we had to wait telephone Dennis on 01938 555 574 an unacceptable week before our roads were cleared. This year our neighbour Bryan Morris worked most of Saturday Star Readers who have generously sent and Sunday to clear our road up to the top of Welsh Harp a donation to the newsletter are: Hollow. At the same time on the Sunday, two miles away, the Cuisinart Grind & Brew North East Wales Search & Rescue had to be called out for a Coffee Machine * Shirley & Tony Beavan seriously ill resident because the roads were still blocked. * Margaret Harrison * Ann & John Markwick Almost superfluously the council digger and snow blower Excellent condition, * Ron Oliver appeared on the Wednesday three days later. The turnings to hardly used, complete some roads off Long Mountain remained blocked for several with full instructions more days forcing residents lower down to travel the long way around to Welshpool. The council are now relying on goodwill from farmers rather than having proper emergency £40 ono facilities in place. The Beast from the East returned as this Tel: 01938 556 911 was being written. Amanda Jenner our local councillor, is looking into improved arrangements both for snow clearance in remote areas and also to set up better communications with residents needing to travel. BARGAIN - check out the new price on Amazon! Steve Patricia If you would like to contribute to our running costs, cheques to “Leighton Newsletter” can be sent to our treasurer, Tanya Allison at Oak Villa, Leighton, Welshpool SY21 8HL Friday Monday Murder on the Orient Express 27th April 9th April at 7:30 pm at 7:00 pm Paddington 2 - 5 - It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Elizabeth Brooks of 3 Leighton Park. Elizabeth was such a vivacious, popular and capable person and a big part of village life here in Leighton along with her husband Roger. When their sons David and Stephen were younger Elizabeth was very involved with the School and the North Powys Youth Band and also enjoyed many an evening with the lively Leighton WI. She was a founder member of the Leighton Village Hall Committee who built the Village Hall working tirelessly for the cause over many years. Sadly in recent years Elizabeth suffered poor health and has been devotedly cared for by Roger and we all send our best wishes to Roger, David and Stephen at this time. Happy 50th Birthday to the ever youthful gamekeeper Lee Allison. We hope that you have enjoyed celebrating with Tanya, Danielle, Jaye and all the family. Coffee Morning on Saturday 17.3.18 for the Orthopaedic Hospital. Coffee Morning Update: Thank you to all of you who came along and joined in and to the bakers, those who donated draw prizes and produce, gave donations and helped run the event including washing up and washing the tablecloths. Special thanks must go to Rachel for cooking bacon butties non-stop for 2hrs! Your generosity raised the truly incredible sum of £829.00 which is far more than we thought it would be and shows just what a great village this is. This means that we have both reached our targets of £1500 each which is all for the Orthopaedic and with money still coming in we will put a final breakdown in next month’s Newsletter.