January 2000
A Newsletter for Lamphey, Hodgeston and Freshwater East
One hundred years ago Lamphey was smaller. Most people worked on the land or were associated with agriculture in some way. There was less opportunity or even need to travel very far beyond the parish. People had more chances to meet and time to talk.
Today the village is bigger, its inhabitants are drawn from all over and few work inside the village. The pace of life is faster and the car at the door takes us quickly away from our neighbours. But Lamphey has much to offer – church, school, shop, garage, Post Office, baker, pub, restaurants, football/cricket pitch, playground, tennis courts, squash courts, W.I., Brownies, play school, Bridge Club and Whist to mention but a few, with beautiful beaches at Freshwater and attractive scenery at Hodgeston.
Now, at the time of the new millennium, we are able to share information in a way that could never have been imagined a hundred years ago by way of the computer and the Internet.
But this Newsletter is not just to provide you with information. We hope you will contribute your views on the content, layout, frequency of publication, etc., also any comments you would like to make, any articles you would like to write, events to publicise, any subject you would like to discuss.
There is an editorial team who are keen to hear from you. At the moment it has been decided to publish four issues this year – January, April, July and October. In between times information can be found on the various Notice Boards around the villages.
| Proposed New Village Hall | Lamphey Community Association |
| Help Needed | Community Council News |
| School Report | Sponsors Please! |
| Whose Millennium? |
The current position with the proposed new Village Hall is that, to date, we have made two funding applications, both unsuccessful. Other Hall Committees have come across similar problems.
The first application was made two and a half years ago to the National Lottery Charities Board. Their remit at the time included renovations but not replacement. Since the makeup of the present Hall precludes renovation (we wished to re-roof it but this was not possible), we received telephone agreement allowing us to submit our bid but it was unsuccessful.
Our second application, earlier this year, was for Millennium funding (Second Run) with grants available of £5,000,000. We successfully negotiated the first stage and, at a subsequent lengthy interview with their representative, it was agreed to shelve the proposed Badminton facility, incorporate an IT Room where Computers and a training programme could be provided and to make the toilets, including disabled facilities, available to the general public by a separate entrance.
The present Hall is extremely well used from Monday to Friday. The proposed Hall would include a fair-sized Committee/Function Room in addition to the main hall to allow more than one activity to take place simultaneously. Currently, the Hall is unable to accommodate all the youth groups that would like to use it and the SPARC Village Appraisal included requests for the provision of facilities for other interests.
Outline costings for the new Hall included for the demolition of the existing building, the removal of controlled waste, the provision of services, the new building, the upgrading of car parking facilities and legal and professional fees totalling £470,000. These were submitted with an application form for a 50% grant (i.e. £235,000). We were informed that submitted applications totalled over £24,000,000 and that the odds of our bid being successful were 5 to 1 against. Once again, our bid was unsuccessful. We were advised that successful bids had been spread throughout the whole of Wales but particularly in those areas unsuccessful in the first run of the Fund and that our bid failed because of this rather than anything being wrong with it.
The National Lottery Charities Board is now prepared to fund replacement and new Village Halls and a new application to them has been prepared. Independent, professional advice was sought on the proposal but the Management Committee will need briefing before the application is submitted.
Eric Rawles
Eric Rawles has, for a long time, been the driving force behind our village’s efforts to get the necessary funding to replace the existing village hall. However, his wife is seriously ill and is currently in hospital. During such a worrying time it is inevitable that he is finding it difficult to spare the time to concentrate on such a project. Would you be prepared to take on the project and seek funding? If the answer is YES then contact Keith Edwards, Robert Phillips or any other member of the Community Council as soon as possible for further information.
The new school year began with a bang this year.
October saw the school inspected and I am very pleased with the report that we received. The process was very exhaustive and we had a commendable outcome. To have outside recognition of the school's excellent service is rewarding. The school gained the Quality Mark in the summer that is presented by the Basic Skills Agency and proves the school's proficiency so we are extremely proud of our achievements.
The school gained excellent results in the national tests in the summer and both infant and junior pupils scored at a level significantly higher than Welsh national average scores.
Christmas at school was celebrated in the traditional way with shows put on by all classes for mums and dads and grans and grandads. These are always first class and thoroughly enjoyed. Every child in school is given a Christmas present and parties and discos and Christmas dinner ensure that the festive season has maximum impact on our children The youngsters put on a show for the senior citizens this year and it proved to be very popular. It is exciting to involve the community in our activities and is an area that we hope to expand.
This newsletter will be beneficial in the process. The school minibus has been used by the village, the history society, the cubs and the playgroup; all able to benefit from a village facility.
The school has raised a good deal for charitable ventures during the term instilling the virtue of good citizenship into our pupils. We have assisted with the provision of Christmas boxes for children in the Balkans and Children in Need day was well supported with over £100 going to that charity.
One of our favourite charities is the Poppy Day Appeal. The school raised £116 and it is an occasion that we treat very seriously. At 11 o’clock on the morning of 11th November all the school from 4-year olds upwards stand together in silence for two minutes as a mark of respect and to remember those who died in the wars. It is a very poignant moment and even our youngest pupils recognise the seriousness of the occasion.
Now that the New Year and Millennium is upon us I would like to wish you health, wealth and happiness from all at Lamphey School.
M.J. Selley, Headteacher
A recent survey of schoolchildren in England asked the question, “What does the millennium mean?” The vast majority came up with a variation on the theme of the Millennium Dome, some mentioned the Giant Ferris Wheel, a few talked about parties, not one of them associated the millennium with Christ or Christianity.
The response made me feel very sad, not just because I am a Christian, but because I'm a parent. What values are we handing on to our young people at the moment? As a society we are certainly not handing on any Christian ethos.
Those in authority, those in positions of power have made their feelings plain that they see this as a National Holiday that all the people of this country can join in and, therefore, do not want to see the Christian element of this celebration emphasised too strongly. The official view seems to be that there is no wish to risk offending those of other faiths or of no faith at all, and indeed if we wish to see harmony in what is now a multiracial society we have to accept that is a valid and correct view.
The question though that needs to be asked is, “Do we offend anyone by being historically accurate about the millennium?” The answer is surely that we do not. Stating that the millennium is essentially about Christianity is not to attempt to belittle other faiths, but is simply a matter of fact.
The Millennium celebrates the fact that Christianity is 2,000 years old, it is a birthday and a very important one. The way that we as individuals choose to celebrate will vary enormously depending on such diverse things as our faith or lack of it and the state of our bank balances or lack of them. The Nation though as a whole should surely be aware of the real meaning of the millennium and of why it is so important. If as a society we ignore our past, our heritage and our history then we do our children and ourselves a great disservice.
We do in this country have a Christian heritage and it is one which has helped to shape the life of the country as it is today. From the time of St. David onwards, the Christian Church has had a huge role to play in the community as a whole. That role, inspired by the teachings of Christ, has been not only spiritual, but also practical and helpful.
It was the Church that provided education, originally through the monastic system, then by founding schools and colleges throughout the land. It was the Church following the Gospel that first provided medical help and even hospitals. Where did the whole idea of a Welfare state come from? It came from the Church's work amongst the poor, the outcasts and those in need. We have a superb ethos as a country of looking after all those who need help, refugees, the sick, those who need help in any way and our much-maligned Welfare state is still the envy of most of the world. We would do well to remember that this was inherited from the Christian Church.
This is all part of our heritage and part of our present, for the Church is still alive, still proclaiming the Gospel of Salvation and is still there for all people. The Millennium does celebrate 2,000 years of Christianity, we do reflect on the Incarnation, God becoming man for our sake with the birth of a baby in that Bethlehem stable. Celebrate the New Millennium in the way that suits you best, but sometime in those celebrations, stop for a moment to think about what it all really means.
For those who wish to celebrate in a spiritual way it may be helpful to know that there will be an Interdenominational Watchnight service at St. Mary's Church, Carew at 11.00 p.m. on December 31st and a service in Lamphey Church at 12 noon on January 1st.
Rev. A. Davies
During 1996 SPARC completed an appraisal of Lamphey resulting in an action plan; a Committee was formed to implement and develop the plan. Over twenty organisations were invited to nominate a member onto the Committee, an attempt to make the Committee truly representative. The first meeting was held on the 5th September 1996. Under the Chairmanship of Mr. Tom Maguire the association has achieved some modest success.
The Bishop's Garden replaced the existing gardens using an innovative design which “opened up” the garden making it more pleasing to the eye and accessible to all. The name “Bishop's Garden” was selected by a competition involving Lamphey School, where the winning pupil received a prize.
The retired Bishop of St. David's, in the company of Lamphey School and general public, opened the Gardens.
Lamphey History Society evolved from the Community Association and its first meeting was held on 15th October 1996. Meetings take place every second Tuesday of the month at 7.30 p.m. in the Church Hall which received grant aid from SPARC for its renovation. The Hall Centenary was the theme for the Society’s first exhibition during the summer of 1997. The Community Association has also supported the Medieval Fair Committee. During the spring of this year SPARC obtained funding for four wooden seats, which were placed around Lamphey.
Recently it was decided to investigate the possibility of repairing the Church clocks. An initial survey suggested that £10,000 was needed to repair and re-guild the clocks. Pembrokeshire County Council has allocated £5,000, SPARC a £1,000 and three other sources of funding have to reply.
A Sub-Committee was formed to organise and develop the Millennium Celebration Events in the village. An official celebration in the Memorial Hall is to be held on the 21st June 2000, a religious service will be held in the Bishop's Garden on Sunday, 25th June 2000 and finally a Sport's Day on the 26th July 2000. Various events are being organised to help fund these celebrations.
A Millennium Tree Planting Ceremony will take place at the Bishop's Garden; a time capsule will be placed nearby together with a Plaque to commemorate this. An information board for various events in Lamphey has now been positioned in the Bishop's Garden, together with the Christmas tree at cost the community very little.
More recent news is the allocation of funding which has been agreed in principle for an Environmental Project at the Old Bakery site (adjacent to the Show field Entrance) and a heritage scheme to rediscover and improve access to the Prince of Wales Feathers (a mosaic of pebbles shaped likewise to the rear of Lamphey Court). The Association has to match funding for these schemes on a 50:50 basis.
Finally if anyone has any suggestions or ideas that may well improve any aspect of Lamphey you are most welcome to attend Lamphey Community Association meetings.
Ian White, Vice-Chairman
Clerk to the Council: P.T. Lewis, Malvern, The Beacon, Rosemarket, Milford Haven
The following matters were discussed at the November 1999 meeting of the Lamphey Community Council:
Millennium gifts – this matter is still on-going and it is hoped to provide children in the community with a Millennium Gift.
The new drainage works on the road near Rushmoor have been completed
Planning applications from Four Winds, Freshwater East (replacement porch with study) and the Court Hotel, Lamphey (extension to existing Leisure Centre) were discussed.
A letter was received from Pembrokeshire County Council asking if the Community Council’s views on the proposed mini-roundabout, last expressed in 1997, were current. A reply had been sent stating that the Community Council’s views had not changed and they still wanted pedestrian walkways to be provided at School House and Lamphey Hotel corners as part of the roundabout scheme.
Following a Public Meeting and after hearing the views of the Community Council, Pembrokeshire County Council have agreed not to proceed with the build out and have approved the bar markings on the A4139 but have rejected the same for the Ridgeway Road.
Pembrokeshire County Council are to be asked to carry out a survey of road signs in Lamphey and to replace any missing.
The board on the pavement outside the Dial Inn is still causing a nuisance to pedestrians and Pembrokeshire County Council have been asked to investigate and take appropriate action.
Nick Ainger, MP Constituency Office: 01646 684404. Dates, times and locations of Nick Ainger’s surgeries for the period January to April 2000
Date Time Location 7 January, 3.00 pm Pater Hall, Pembroke Dock 8th January, 10.00 am Leisure Centre, St Clears 21st January, 3.00 pm Wesley Chapel, John St., Carmarthen 22nd January, 10.00 am Community Centre, Kilgetty 4th February, 3.00 pm Town Hall, Pembroke 5th February, 10.00 am Town Hall, Whitland 18th February, 3.00 pm Wesley Chapel, John St., Carmarthen 19th February, 10.00 am Regency Hall, Saundersfoot 3rd March, 3.00 pm Pater Hall, Pembroke Dock 4th March, 10.00 am Library, Laugharne 17th March, 3.00 pm Wesley Chapel, John St., Carmarthen 18th March, 10.00 am Bloomfield Centre, Narberth 31st March, 3.00 pm Town Hall, Pembroke 1st April, 10.00 am De Valence, Tenby 14th April, 3.00 pm Wesley Chapel, John St., Carmarthen 15th April, 10.00 am Leisure Centre, St Clears 28th April, 3.00 pm Pater Hall, Pembroke Dock 29th April, 10.00 am Town Hall, Whitland
Contents Top
Christine Gwyther, AM Local office at 17 Morley Street, Carmarthen, telephone connection in January 2000. Can be contacted via e-mail at christine.gwyther@wales.gsi.gov.uk or chrisgwyther@freenet.co.uk
This newsletter is distributed free of charge to all households in the Lamphey, Hodgeston and Freshwater East areas. The writing of the various articles, the editing and the layout of the newsletter are all carried out by volunteers at no cost to the Association. However there are costs incurred in the provision of paper and the actual production of the printed version of the newsletter. Would your company or business be prepared to sponsor one or more issues (four would be a good round number covering a whole year) on behalf of the community? If so please contact Ron Elliott for further information.
Chairman: Tom Maguire
Vice-Chairman: Ian White
Secretary: Jim Jones
Treasurer: David Lewis
Playgroup Rep: Cathy Brayford
Guides Rep: Judith Colley
Pembs. C.C. Rep: Cllr. Clive Collins
Church Rep: Rev. Adrian Davies
Bridge Club Rep: Margaret Hytch
W. I. Rep: Laureen Jones
School Rep: John Lewis
Village Hall Rep:Margaret Morgan
Scouts Rep: Jill Pearce
Y.F.C. Rep: Neil Batchelor
Other Members: W.H. Boobyer
Fran Butler
Margaret Byers
Keith Edwards