Re-opening of Bolton-le-Sands Library

Bolton-le-Sands Library will be reopened by County Councillor Peter Buckley, Cabinet Member for Community and Cultural Services on Monday 4th December 2017 at 9.00am.

Severe weather bulletin – Flooding response update 23 November 2017

Lancashire County Council had staff out throughout the night, from both its Highways teams and its Resilience service, responding to flooding in various parts of the county. Last night's flooding, particularly affected the north of the county. The problems were caused by the sheer volume of rainwater.  Fortunately, when the rain stopped at around 4am this morning, the flooding cleared quite quickly. Out of hours highways teams across the county, including drivers on standby for gritting duties, spent all night assisting the emergency services and the Environment Agency, clearing drains and culverts, putting out warning signs and delivering sandbags. At one point overnight there was no access into Lancaster from the north, south, east or west and Highways England closed the M6 at junction 34. Staff worked overnight and managed to get the main routes into Lancaster open in time for rush hour, with just one issue on the A6 south of junction 34. Resilience staff also worked through the night, helping to co-ordinate the county response and supporting rest centres and have continued to support residents into today. Highways staff have been taken off normal daytime duties today and will be out assessing damage to highways, clearing any debris left on roads or washed into drains. Staff from the council's Flood Risk Management team are visiting residents affected by flooding today, to offer advice and support.

A Christmas Bouquet

Christmas is just around the corner and what better way to get in the mood but to attend "A Christmas Bouquet" on Saturday December 2nd at 7.30pm in Bolton-le-Sands Community Centre. An evening of popular Christmas songs, carols, monologues, solos and duets by the Ladies of Note Singers. Tickets are £7 and all proceeds go to the Village Gala Committee. Contact 01524 824820 for more details.

Library

The official position remains that Bolton-le-Sands library is in the list of libraries that are anticipated to be reopened sometime between November 2017 and April 2018. Across Lancashire there is a tremendous amount of work being done to reinstate closed libraries and so unfortunately, they cannot be any more specific than that when it comes to timescales for individual buildings. Rest assured Bolton-le-Sands library will once again open its doors for public enjoyment and use.

Road Closure - St Nicholas Lane

Lancashire County Council consider it necessary to close St. Nicholas Lane to motor vehicles, cycles or pedestrians, for approximately 20 meters either side of the rail bridge from 0800 hours until 1600 hours on Sunday 19th November 2017 or until completion of the works to allow rail bridge examination works to be carried out.  An alternative route for vehicular traffic affected by the closure is via: - St Nicholas Lane – Mill Lane – Hawthorne Road – St Nichols Lane and vice versa. 

Remembrance Day Service

What a great turnout for yesterday's Remembrance Service on such a lovely winter's day . A special thanks to the organisers and to all those who helped to ensure the service went well.

Remembrance Day 12th November

The parish council invites you to join with them at the War Memorial, Slyne Road, at 10.55am on Sunday to reflect and remember those who died in war.  After the ceremony, why not stay and have a look at the refurbishment works that have been done so far.

Morecambe Winter Gardens

A talk by Evelyn Archer on Morecambe Winter Gardens is being given in the Old Boy's School on Thursday 16th November from 7.30pm until 9.00pm on behalf of the Horticultural Society.  Entrance £2 plus raffle and refreshments.  All welcome.

Bolton Le Sands Bonfire and Fireworks Display

Its the annual bonfire and fireworks display at Bolton-Le-Sands this Saturday, 4th November.  Gates open at 6.00pm.  Please do NOT to bring any Sparklers or Private Fireworks. Any found will be removed by stewards.  This is A TICKET ONLY EVENT. and cost £5 per person with children of a pre-school age free. Tickets must be purchased in advance from the various ticket outlets.  Car parking is strictly limited in the village and we ask to not block any roads or access.  There will be refreshments available to buy and toilets will be provided on site.

Please enjoy the event and follow any orders given over the PA or by the stewards. This is for your own safety.

Free Public Lecture - Lancaster University

What might Social and Health Care look like in 2025?

Government predictions suggest that the number of people aged over 75 will rise 35% by 2025. Many people will remain healthy and independent as they get older, but an increased number will need additional support at a time when the country as a whole is struggling to meet the existing needs of the population. Funding, resources and ways of working have become important political, social and health challenges.

A keynote talk from Professor David Croisdale-Appleby OBE will set the scene before a panel discussion asks the question: what will public and professional health and social care look like less than 10 years from now, and what new solutions are required?

You can book your place by calling 01524 592190.

Date: Wednesday 8th November 2017 Time: 6.30pm - 8pm. Doors at 6pm Venue: LICA Building, Lancaster University, LA1 4YD Format:    Keynote talk and panel discussion, with opportunities for Q&A. Complimentary refreshments will be served before and after the lecture.

Road Closure - The Shore

Notice has been given by Lancashire County Council that it intends to close off the road outside property Morecambe Bank from 08.00 hrs on Tuesday 7th ovember until 17.00 hrs on Thursday 9th November 2017 or until completion of the works within this period to allow necessary works to be undertaken.  Diversion via Pasture Lane will be in place.

Autumn events from Morecambe Bay Partnership

Morecambe Bay Partnership continues its programme of events this Autumn aiming to showcase aspects of the Bay’s cultural and natural heritage through a range of talks and family workshops.

1.    For those seeking a dose of feel-good nostalgia ‘Beauty Surrounds & Health Abounds : Vintage seaside fun at Morecambe & Heysham’ is an illustrated talk at Morecambe Library on Saturday 28 October at 11am by well-known Bay commentator and writer Bill Myers. Bill will be exploring the heyday of two of the Bay’s best loved holiday resorts, Morecambe and Heysham.

2.      For October half term the spotlight is on the Bay’s birds. Wondrous Waders & Wildfowl is a creative puppet-making workshop led by Lancaster-based artist and bird enthusiast Hilli McManus. Taking place at the Exchange Creative Community, Morecambe, just a stone’s throw from the winter roosts of some of the Bay’s amazing and long-distance commuting birds, families will have the chance to discover which species call the Bay home and make a puppet of their favourite one. Two workshops are available Wed 1^st November.

3.      Later in November, the Partnership will be hosting a special free talk entitled ‘The Evolution of the Lancaster Port Commission’ at Lancaster Maritime Museum. This is a fantastic opportunity to discover the mysterious world of the Bay’s historic ‘rule makers’. Far from being just part of Lancaster’s history, the Port of Lancaster is alive and well, and currently residing in Glasson Dock. This talk, by Chief Executive Helen Loxam, will give an insight into the Lancaster Port Commission’s duties, responsibilities, constraints and challenges, and how they have changed, and indeed not changed, since its establishment in 1750.

Booking is required for all events telephone 01539 734888. For full times and details please visit   www.morecambebay.org.uk/events or email events@morecambebay.org.uk.

PLEASE READ! THE FUTURE OF YOUR VILLAGE HALL DEPENDS UPON YOUR INVOLVEMENT.

The Community Centre is one of the most frequently used and valued facilities in Bolton le Sands.

The management of such a well-used facility is being left to a dwindling number of dedicated committee members.  The management committee meeting on the 21^st September was attended by 5 people, in total, which did not form a quorum as defined in the GOVERNING DOCUMENTS.

The dedicated members of the committee have achieved much in keeping the Community Centre functioning as it does, but, things have slipped and it will take some work to bring the administration  back up to standard.

The Management Committee is already below critical numbers and it will only take the loss of one officer to cause the total collapse of the committee, which will happen at the AGM in MAY 2018.

For more information, please contact Mrs Dorothy Carruthers on 01524 824588

An open meeting has been arranged for 27^th November 2017 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.

BOLTON LE SANDS Village Hall / Community Centre Registered Charity 700264

70th Annual Autumn Show

Bolton-le-Sands Floral and Horticultural Society is holding its 70th Annual Autumn Show of chrysanthemums, flowers, vegetables, fruit, homecraft, photographic, floral art, art, handicraft, plus Children's Section in the Community Centre on Saturday 21st October from 2pm - 4pm.  Entry to the show £1,  Refreshments available.  All show entry forms should be taken to the Old Boy's School between 3pm & 4pm on Thursday 19th October 2017.

Drone Flying on The Shore

For those that wish to fly their drones on the shore, please note that consumer drones (classed as those that weigh under 20kg) must be flown no higher than 120 metres, and kept at least 50 metres away from people and private property, and 150 metres from “crowds and built up areas.”

Bolton-le-Sands Library

Is the Library to re-open soon?  There has been a lot of activity there over these past few days.  County Council promised to re-open it - watch this space for more updates on progress.

'Raise the Roof, Open the Door' celebration

Last Saturday afternoon a large number of people attended Holy Trinity's celebration following the completion of building works to maintain the fabric of the church and improve access for all people. The church is freshly decorated and looks fabulous!  It was great for children from the school (and their parents and family members) to be involved in the celebrations as the parish looks forward to a bright future.

Parking and access to school

The local Primary School has received a visit from the Police following a number of formal complaints over the last few weeks concerning irresponsible and illegal parking on Bolton Lane (outside school) and on the main street through the village. There have also been comments about insensitive driving and parking in and around the Community Centre car park. It is clear to the large majority of our school community that a relatively small number of road users are creating serious safety issues for other people in the wider community.  If you have to use a car to bring your child to and from school, please park in a sensible and legal place where you know that you are not causing an obstruction. There are a lot of parking places on the road along from Holy Trinity Church as well as in other parts of the village - please use these and then walk up to school. Please actively consider how your driving and parking behaviours impact on the well-being of other people. Thank you.

Post Office Relocation

Bolton Le Sands Post Office® at 28 Main Road, is to relocate to Spar Coastal Road. Agents operate sub Post Office branches alongside their private retail business, and it is important that they make the very best use of their resources to ensure future sustainability of the service. An opportunity has arisen to incorporate the Post Office within other local premises nearby, with a petrol station and Spar convenience store also on site. It is believed that the move will help safeguard the viability of their business, including the Post Office service.  There is to be a local public consultation and you can share your views on the proposed move through an easy and convenient new online questionnaire at postofficeviews.co.uk.   When entering the site you will be asked to enter the code for this branch: 16241899.  Before finalising the plans, they would really like to hear your views on this proposal particularly on the following areas:  How suitable you think the new location and premises are and how easy it is to get there  Are the new premises easy for you to get into and is the inside easily accessible  Are there any other local community issues which you believe could be affected by or affect the proposed change  If the move were to proceed is there anything they could do to make it easier for customers.  Comments will not be kept confidential unless expressly asked by clearly marking them "In Confidence".  Call into the Post Office for more details.

Lancashire Volunteer Partnership

Can you spare the time to support people, build a stronger, more resilient community?  From visiting people who may be feeling lonely or supporting those who are struggling to get out and about independently, to giving a carer some respite time, volunteering alongside the Constabulary as a Special Constable or Support Volunteer, at a children's centre, as a cadet leader or as a NHW Co-ordinater.  There are many opportunities available for people wanting to volunteer in Lancashire.  If you want to Feel Champion, then contact the Lancashire Volunteer Partnership on lancsvp.org.uk today!

Lancaster Bus Services - Changes to Nos 5, 55 & 755

From 4th September 2017 Stagecoach in Lancaster with revise the following bus services:
No. 5 Overton – Heysham – Morecambe – Carnforth - Monday to Friday morning journeys: 0740 Morecambe to Carnforth & 0815 Carnforth to Morecambe will depart at 0730 & 0805 respectively and run 10 minutes earlier throughout.
No. 55 Lancaster – Carnforth - Certain journeys will be extending to/from Warton.
No. 755 Heysham – Morecambe – Kendal – Bowness - the route will be revised to additionally serve Pine Lakes Holiday Park.
To view timetables online click here

BOLTON-LE-SANDS & DISTRICT FLORAL & HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 89th ANNUAL SUMMER SHOW

The 89th Summer Show of Flowers, Fruit, Vegetables, Home craft, Floral Art, Handicraft, plus Children's Section will be held in the Community Centre on Saturday 12th August.  Mrs Joan Buckley will open the Show which will run from 2 pm until 4.15 pm.  Entry £1 - refreshments available.
NOTICE: All show Entry Forms should be taken to the Old Boy's School between 6.00 pm & 8.00 pm on Thursday 10th AUGUST.  For information about entering the show please contact Show Secretary: Ms L. Belcher on 824191, 7 Slyne Road, Bolton-le-Sands.

IN THE MOOD

LANCASTER AND DISTRICT CHORALE present IN THE MOOD , an evening of light music plus vocal and piano solos and humorous monologues. The event takes place in Bolton le Sands Community Centre on Saturday 22nd July at 7.30pm, doors open at 7pm. all proceeds to choir funds.
Admission £7. on the door or Tel 01524 824820

They’ve done it again! Packet Bridge Fish and Chips in Bolton Le Sands retains the Quality Award

Packet Bridge Fish and Chips of Bolton Le Sands has maintained its place within the fish frying elite from across the UK, by scooping the prestigious NFFF Fish and Chip Quality Award.

 The National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF), the trade body that represents the nation’s fish and chip shops, runs the scheme as a way of raising standards within the fish and chip trade and enhancing the profile of the industry.

Cem Oktem, Packet Bridge Fish & Chips manager said “We are delighted to achieve this prestigious award. To be recognized as one of the top fish and chip shops by the NFFF is indeed an honour and a credit to our hardworking staff who I would like to offer my sincere thanks for their continued hard work and efforts to maintain our excellent reputation. The award doesn't just represent the fish and chips we produce, but also the hard work and high quality produce our local suppliers provide us to work with.”

The scheme is a way of rewarding and promoting shops that provide good quality products and high standards of hygiene, as well as friers who show a high level of competence.

To qualify, each shop has to go through an inspection by an NFFF Approved Assessor who assesses the shop’s presentation, hygiene and cleanliness, staff training, equipment, frying and sales skills and most importantly the quality of the cooked product.

This award sets the new benchmark for quality within the industry.  It will signal to the consumer that they can buy with confidence where the award is displayed, and it will encourage more outlets to raise their standards.

NFFF President Gregg Howard explained: "The NFFF Fish & Chip Quality Award assessment is extremely comprehensive. Food safety is a key area that we examine together with other key aspects of the business including the preparation and cooking equipment, to the management of paperwork and the traceability of fish.

"Packet Bridge Fish & Chips clearly takes pride in where it sources its fish and potatoes from,” said Richard. "Achieving the NFFF Fish & Chip Quality Award provides reassurance to customers that they are being served cooked food using high-quality ingredients.”

Each Fish and Chip Quality Award is valid for two years and retention is dependent on standards being maintained as validated by NFFF officials and appointed assessors.

Packet Bridge Fish & Chips manager Cem Oktem has recently joined the NFFF as an approved trainer and undertakes both in shop training and training at the NFFF Training Academy based in Leeds.

For more information contact:  Packet Bridge, 30 Main Road, Bolton-le-Sands, Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 8DL tel: 01524 822791

 

Register to Vote by 22nd May

The General Election will be taking place on 8th June. You must register by 22nd May to be able to vote.

Easter Bingo

Start the holiday off to a good start with an Easter Bingo session at the Community Centre tonight.  Doors open at 7 for 7.30 start.  There are great prizes to be won and a large raffle.  Everyone is welcome.

Parish Assembly

The Chairman of the Parish Council invites all residents of Bolton-le-Sands to the Annual Assembly.  This is your meeting, where you can have a say in matters relating to Bolton-le-Sands and raise any issues of interest.  Please do come along and exercise your right to participate in local democracy.  This is held in the Community Centre on Thursday 30th March at 7.30pm

Follow the Tide - Birding at Morecambe Seafront

On Saturday 18th March from 2.00pm to 4.30pm South Lakes Ecology will lead a walk from Morecambe Stone Jetty to watch feeding waders and wildfowl as they are pushed towards the shore by the tide.  Please bring warm clothes, waterproofs and binoculars if you have them.  Min. age 12 years, well behaved dogs welcome.  Booking essential.  Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.  Tickets £5 (£3.50 concession) - Limited places available - Pre-booking essential - telephone 01539 734888.

Morecambe Bay Lives

During March pupils from Bolton-le-Sands Primary School will be taking part in ‘Morecambe Bay Lives’, a Heritage Lottery funded project celebrating the communities around Morecambe Bay. The two main aims of the project (run by Morecambe Bay Partnership) are to create an archive of oral histories about the area and to bring older and younger people together to share local memories.

So, on the afternoon of March 15^th, pupils will be inviting local people into school for a cup of tea and a chat. By sharing your memories of the area pupils will be learning about how Bolton-le-Sands has changed in your lifetime. We would love to hear from you if you are interested in coming along to the school session.

In addition, if you are a group or individual that would be happy to meet project facilitator Emma in order to record your memories for inclusion in a new oral history archive, please get in touch. We are collecting recordings about Bolton-le-Sands and any other communities around Morecambe Bay. Also, if you are able to host a small community display about the memories we collect please let us know. Contact Emma Aylett on memories@morecambebay.org.uk  07981 042895 for more information.