Letters to the Editors
Coopers Lane
Dear Editors,
Coopers Lane until fairly recently was the only vehicle access to two arable fields and the cemetery.
Coopers Lands were bought by the Council for building, and allowed the village to use the new hard road ass access to the cemetery.
Coopers Lane now allows vehicles to one arable field and the surplus soil that needs to be taken from the cemetery. Also the householders whose gardens run from the Street to Coopers Lane have a rear access to their properties, which they have always been entitled to.
Keep Coopers Lane.
John Norris
Dear Editors,
As many of you will already know, after more than 40 years of being very closely involved with all aspects of our Church, as well as being Church Warden and Treasurer for many of them, John has decided that the time has come to relinquish his responsibilities to the "younger" generation.
All of us owe John a huge vote of thanks and our eternal gratitude for his selfless devotion to these duties - our village is truly fortunate to have someone like John living in our midst freely giving so much of his time. He has also been a great benefactor - but for John and his family we would not have the clear story windows, pulpit enhancement and, with others, the glass doors.
As with any building, there are always things that need doing that don't necessarily warrant outside help. On occasions, too numerous to mention, John has volunteered to do these jobs himself - whether it was clearing gutters, bell ringing, varnishing the floor or climbing onto the roof to investigate leaks - nothing was too much trouble, however Marion has now banned him from any further roof exploits!
Most people just expect the Church to be there with no concept of how much time and effort so many people freely and willingly give to run and maintain it for the benefit of us all. John has been at the forefront of a small group of people who have done just that for very many years, and in addition to that he was also the driving force behind the tower renovations in 1965.
His advice, historical perspective and common sense have been invaluable in PCC meetings, and there is no one in the village who knows more about our Church than John - his advice and counsel will continue to be sought for many years.
John and Marion have interestingly lived in two houses in the village whose gardens run beside the Churchyard, so I am sure we will still see John continuing to keep a weather eye on the Church for hopefully many years to come.
Finally, John won the Gay Bulleid award this year and, in our opinion, there was no one more deserving with such a track record of public service above and beyond the call of duty.
Yours sincerely,