Kelsall Village, near Chester, Cheshire, UK

Financial Information from Parish Council: Kelsall Parish Council's estimated income/expenditure for 2009/10 can be found here. More financial information will be posted here as it becomes available.

Open letter from the Kelsall webmaster to Stephen O'Brien, Kelsall's MP: On 11th May your webmaster asked Stephen O'Brien, Kelsall's MP, to share details of his expenses over the last few years with visitors to the Kelsall website. Stephen replied that, for legal reasons, he was not at liberty to accede to my request.We had to wait until 18th June before Stephen's 'redacted' expenses were published on the web, but which were rendered largely unintelligible by the vast swathes of blacked-out content. As of 23rd June, however, we have been able to access the Daily Telegraph's summary of Stephen's expenses for the last 7 years. In 2007-8, for example, Stephen's total expenses were £152,202, which included 'second home' expenses of £23,034. Your webmaster has used the Daily Telegraph's information to write an open letter to Stephen. If he's in agreement, we'll publish his reply here in due course. I'm sure that Stephen would welcome any further questions you may wish to ask. I should stress that there is no indication whatsoever that Stephen has done anything wrong. All that is needed is a bit of transparency!

Road maintenance in and around Kelsall (update): Gareth Hansom, the Highway Superintendent for this area, has kindly provided us with construction dates for the road maintenance schemes in and around Kelsall that have been allocated funding for the current financial year. Click here for more information. You can keep updated on planned roadworks in other parts of Cheshire on the Council's Roadworks Website.
Remember that you can report highway faults (potholes, missing signs, broken street lights, etc) on the Council's interactive website.

Maureen Caney, New Parish Councillor: Following the sad death of Councillor Nancy Sutton, Maureen Caney has been co-opted to the Kelsall Parish Council. Maureen is married with one son, and has lived in Kelsall for 33 years. She previously worked as a Nursing & Midwifery Sister in Liverpool & Lancashire, then a Health Visitor in a Chester City Centre GP practice. She has been involved with various committees in the village, and presently sits on the Kelsall Green committee and works with Anita Powell as a Tree Warden for the village. Maureen's main hobby is showing and judging Beagle dogs - she is also a keen gardener. Welcome, Maureen, to the Parish Council. We wish you well in your new post.

Kelsall Klub: Kelsall Klub has been around for a while, but, to date, it hasn't been included on this website. The Klub caters for up to 24 children from the age of 3 years to 14 years, and provides facilities for Breakfast, Afterschool and Holiday Clubs. More information here.

A telephone scam you should know about! The caller claims to be from BT. Caller rings and informs victim that the bill has not been paid and they will cut them off if they don't pay it by card. Victim at first resists and puts the phone down and when they pick it up again the line is dead. The caller has not hung up so it blocks the line giving the impression it has been cut off adding credibility to the story. Then, caller comes back on line and the victim pays the bill by card. New twist, caller states card declined and asks if victim has another card, so they give out details of a second card as well.

£470 raised at Plant and Cake Sale!

The Kelsall Green Fundraising Machine is back in action, the main focus this year being to raise funds for play equipment for the 6-14 age group. £470 was raised at the Plant & Cake Sale at Kelsall Primary School's Summer Fair on 6th June. Congratulations to all those who provided such a wonderful selection of plants and cakes, particularly Tara, Sharon, and Tim. Many thanks are also due to the Kelsall Gardening Club for contributing so many plants.

Kelsall Scarecrow Trail

The winners of this year's Kelsall Scarecrow Trail were announced at Saturday's School Fair (6th June). Over the previous two weeks 44 scarecrows had been on display around the village and £500 was raised for Kelsall School from the sale of the Trail Guides. The winner of The Traditional Scarecrow category was 'Fabulous Farmer Fred!' by the Cloete family, and the winner of the Films category was 'WALL.E', by the Grover family. Click here for more photos of the winners. Steve Williams, Head Teacher at Kelsall School, said 'Kyle Cloete and Louis Grover are both pupils at Kelsall School and I'm delighted that the winners are from the school community. However, the Scarecrow Trail is a fantastic community event and so I would like to say a big thank-you to all of those Kelsall residents who took the time and effort to make a scarecrow and who made this year's Trail such a success'.
Photos of more of the scarecrows will be posted here shortly.

Successful Youth Day on 29th May! The Youth Day was a great success with over 100 young people attending and plenty of parents too! The makeup artist, sports coach, climbing wall helpers and the Cheshire Jets all commented on how polite all the children were. Click here for photos. The Youth Support Group (comprising Carole Watson, Dave Ephraim, Daniel Gaskarth, Jane Knight and Peter Moore) was delighted with the support it had received within Kelsall and with the generous donations it had been given. Any young people/parents who would like to get more involved should Carole.

£600 raised by Cake Stall at Folk Festival! Thanks to everyone for their support at the Folk Festival. The Cake Stall was a very successful fund raiser for Kelsall Green, raising about £600 over the two days. That corresponds to selling 100 slices of cake an hour! This will make a great contribution toward the £10,000 we'll need to raise in the village this year to fund the next round of play equipment for the 6-14 age group. Our next event is the Kelsall School Fair on 6th June, for which we are again looking for donations of cakes and plants. Offers please to or to Sharon (01829-751626).

Advance Notice - a Date for your Diary! Kelsall's first Beer Festival will be held at Kelsall Community Centre over the weekend of Friday 16 October and Saturday 17 October 2009. There will be 22 beers to sample plus ciders. Live music and hot food will make this a weekend to remember. All proceeds will be divided equally between Kelsall Community School and St Philips Church.

Bogus Callers: Due to an increase in bogus caller in rural areas Kelsall's residents are asked to be vigilant when answering the door to unknown callers. Always ask for the caller's ID, and, if you are not sure about their ID, do not let them in. You can check if the caller is genuine by contacting the council or utility companies. Please look out for the vulnerable in the community, perhaps by calling on elderly neighbours or anyone who you think might be at risk from this type of caller to make sure they are OK. If you have any suspicions or concerns about any callers please contact Cheshire Police's incident room (0845-458-0000), or you can leave a message on the voice mail number of the local PCSO (Deborah Netherton, 0845-458-6394).

Hollands Lane resurfaced! Residents, motorists and, particularly, cyclists will be delighted with the newly resurfaced Hollands Lane. Remarkably, the stretch from the Co-op to the 30mph limit signs was resurfaced in one day, with road markings added the following day. Click here for photos. We don't know whether the resurfacing was carried out as a result of residents' complaints, but it is tempting to believe that 'people power' influenced the decision to carry out the work. There are other roads in (or near) Kelsall that are also in urgent need of maintenance - Willington Lane and Willington Road come to mind. We're trying to find out the maintenance schedule for these and other roads in Kelsall, and will keep you informed. The Chester Area of the Highways Dept can be contacted by email or phone (0845-002-0666).

New benches and picnic table: Three benches and a picnic table were installed on Kelsall Green last month. Two of the benches and the picnic table are located in the playground area and were funded from a generous donation by Kelsall WI. The other bench is adjacent to the footpath from the Morris Dancer and is dedicated to the memory of Dr Wilf Howe. Photos here.

MUGA now installed on Kelsall Green: A Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) has been installed on the SW corner of Kelsall Green. A large area of tarmac has been laid on substantial foundations, and robust goal posts and fencing erected at one end. Similar goal posts and fencing will be installed at the other end once funding is available. The MUGA will be used mainly for football and basketball, and will be a wonderful amenity for the village for many years. Click here for a web gallery of the MUGA during its installation.

Clatterbridge Cancer Research: The Kelsall Branch of Clatterbridge Cancer Research has raised around £200,000 for the charity over the years, mainly through the annual Gala. This year's Gala, which is like a very large garden fete running alongside a 6-a-side football competition for primary aged children was held at Kelsall Community Primary School on 9 May, and was opened by Tim Firth (Calendar Girls).

Kelsall Cat Care, new Kelsall Business: A new business, Kelsall Cat Care, has recently opened in Kelsall. More information can be found on the Businesses Page.

Cheshire West and Chester Council: You will all be aware that the Cheshire West and Chester Authority is now fully operational. Kelsall sits within the Gowy Ward and is represented on the Council by Brian Bailey, Hugo Deynem and Stuart Parker. Click here for a profile of Stuart and for a few words about his background and his aspirations for the Gowy Ward. We hope to post profiles of Brian and Hugo in due course.

Speed Limit Review: Cheshire, Halton and Warrington Councils, responding to a Government request, appointed Hyder Consulting (UK) Ltd to carry out a review of speed limits on all the County's A and B roads. Comprehensive assessments are now available for all these roads. A few changes are recommended for the A54 as it passes Kelsall, namely speed cameras at both ends of the Kelsall bypass, and a 40mph limit on both sides of the junction of the A54 with the A556. Responsibility for deciding whether to implement the recommendations will reside with Cheshire West & Chester.

Charity Jumble Sale Success! Congratulations to the Kelsall Branch of the Clatterbridge Cancer Research Trust for raising a wonderful £1015 at their annual jumble sale at Kelsall Community Centre on 14th March.

Kelsall Social Club: Kelsall Social Club (formerly know as Kelsall Village Institute), has been around for many years, but, to date, it hasn't been included on this website. Have a look at the Social Club's page, which is still under construction, but will shortly contain more information and photos.

Mobile Library: The County Council has notified us of changed Mobile Library times. New times are here.

Newly discovered business! John Titchner Furniture Repairs has been around for some time in Kelsall, but, up to now, hasn't been featured on this site. Click here for details.

Are Shadow Councillors hiding in the shadows? The Cheshire West & Chester Shadow Council comprises 72 councillors, of whom 55 are Conservative, 13 are Labour and 4 are Liberal Democrat. The three councillors who were elected to represent Gowy Ward, in which Kelsall sits, are Brian Bailey, Hugo Deynem and Stuart Parker. Hugo let us have a summary of his view of the future within a few weeks of being elected, but, notwithstanding numerous email requests for contributions from Brian and Stuart, dating from 10 June last year, we have received nothing, apart from the somewhat lame excuse that their computers weren't working. Cheshire West's Capital Budget for 2009/10 includes a committed sum of £370,000 for 'Modernising ICT Delivery'. Let's hope this improves our councillors' ability to respond to emails. Do you have any enquiries about Cheshire West & Chester? Why don't you have a go at sending your enquiry directly to or would love to know if you get a response!

Kelsall WI samples Scottish Country Dancing: Kelsall WI recently took up a long standing invitation to join the Kelsall Scottish Country Dancing Group for one of their regular Wednesday evening sessions. Click here to read all about a very enjoyable evening.

Home Watch schemes in Kelsall: Not so long ago Kelsall had several Home Watch schemes. Now we believe there is only one, although signs for the others are still visible. The Parish Council has had a number of enquiries recently about re-instating Home Watch in the village. Click here for more information about Home Watch and how to set up a Home Watch scheme in your road.

New Council Tax rate announced: Council Tax in the new Chester West and Chester Unitary Authority is set to increase by an average of 1.6% from April. The new rate for standard Band D properties will be £1224.04. The revised charges will impact differently in different areas as rates are harmonised across West Cheshire. Residents living in the present Chester City Council District will see rises of around 0.9%. More information here.

Vicar's Light Bulb Challenge raises £800: The 'Open House' at St Philips Vicarage over the weekend of 6-8 February attracted 151 visitors and raised more than £800. The money will go towards rewiring work that is needed in St Philip's Church.

Precept agreed for 2009/2010: Kelsall Parish Council has agreed a precept of £23,743 for the year April 2009 to March 2010. This is a reduction of over £21,000, or approximately £20 per household per year, and relects the fact that the current year's precept includes part of the purchase cost of Kelsall Green.
The new precept includes £5,500 towards the development of necessary infrastructure for Kelsall Green; things like drainage and power that are unlikely to attract grants. Otherwise, the facilities will be further developed entirely from fundraising within the community and grants obtained by the Recreation Committee. In this respect, further grants of £15,000 have been awarded to Kelsall towards the cost of installing the Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and more equipment for the infants' play area.

Death of Nancy Sutton: It is with great sadness that we have to report the death on December 29th 2008 of Kelsall Parish Councillor Nancy Sutton. The funeral took place on Tuesday 13th January 2009. Flowers or donations to Tarporley Cottage Hospital can be sent to Gerald Sutton at 'Highcroft', Dingle Lane, Kelsall CW6 0SG.

The funeral service was held at St. Peters Church, Delamere. The Rector, Brian Perkes, first described Nancy's earlier life in Runcorn, where she was personal secretary to the chief legal officer of Runcorn Development Corporation, Alan Smith. Following her retirement in 1970 she and her family settled in Kelsall where she soon found enough interests to occupy her time; for many years she was a member of the Tarporley Hospital League of Friends and was treasurer of the local branch of the Red Cross. Nancy also had many other interests in Tarvin and Kelsall including Age Concern, and as clerk to Tarvin Parish Council, a post which she held for twenty seven years.

Noel Dutton, her fellow councillor and neighbour for over thirty years, spoke about Nancy's time on the Parish Council. He told the congregation about some of the many developments which had taken place in the village during the 80's and 90's. Following two public inquiries, Kelsall had eventually gained a by-pass, we constructed a car park in Church Street, we bought the old telephone exchange to gain a parish meeting room, land was purchased to build two tennis courts and a Community Centre. These and many other activities had occupied the Parish Council, and its chairman for much of that era had been Nancy Sutton. One of the successes of which she had been particularly proud was the long battle to prevent housing development on the Morris Dancer land, which Kelsall finally acquired in 2007.

Mr Dutton said that Nancy had been a great friend and a mentor to many councillors and clerks over the years and she had left her legacy in Kelsall both in the changes and improvements which she had been part of, and in the memories of her many friends all over Cheshire.

Weather mast above Longley Lane - update: Planning permission was given on 29 October 2008 for the erection of a 10m weather mast for a period of 12 months in Kelsall Parish on the ridge about 100m to the east of Longley Lane (GR527693). Measurements from the mast will be used to assess the feasibility of microgrids in rural communities. Click here for full details and here for a summary of the Microgrid Feasibility Project. There are numerous additional useful links here. Neither Ashton Hayes Parish Council nor Kelsall Parish Council were notified about the planning application, so had no opportunity to express their views. An article in the Chester Chronicle, however, reported that a spokesman for Chester City Council had insisted that the planning officers were satisfied that all procedures had been adhered to, and that a letter of notification was sent out, dated August 26, to Kelsall Parish Council informing them of what was being proposed and inviting them to make their views known. Following a written complaint by Kelsall Parish Council, Chester City Council has now admitted that it failed to send out planning information due to an administrative oversight, and has sent a letter of apology to this effect to Kelsall Parish Council. The minutes of the Parish Council meeting on 8 December 2008 note that the Parish Council supports Ashton Hayes Carbon Neutral Project, and does not intend to make a formal complaint which might delay the Microgrid Feasibility Project. These minutes also contain a brief synopsis of the project, as presented by Dr Roy Alexander (Chester University).

Crime down in Kelsall! A new Cheshire website reveals that crime was down by 32% in Kelsall during September/October/November 2008, compared to the same period in 2007. More information on police activities and initiatives in Cheshire can be found on the Cheshire Constabulary website. News Bulletins on police activities in the Western Rural Area are posted on the Police Updates Page.

Habitats and Hillforts Archaeology Volunteers Scheme: Are you over the age of 16 and interested in getting involved with the Habitats and Hillforts Programme on and around the six hillforts covered by the project? The Habitats and Hillforts Archaeology Volunteers Scheme may be just what you're looking for!

Have you thought of changing your browser? 79% of visitors to this site use either Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) or Internet Explorer 6 (IE6), neither of which support all the coding elements used by the site. If you want to see the site in all its glory you might like to try Mozilla Firefox as your browser. Firefox has numerous useful add-ons, and is generally regarded as more secure than IE6/7. Safari is a possible alternative to IE6/7, but it doesn't appear to display as well as Firefox. Click here for more information.

The Kelsall Parish Council Minutes aren't as boring as you might think! One of the least popular pages on the Kelsall Village website, with only 7 page views over the last month, is the page that lists the Minutes of Kelsall Parish Council Meetings. Local politics isn't likely to be as enticing to most people as, for example, the Food & Drink page (with several hundred page views per month), but the Parish Council has an important part to play in the development of the village. Kelsall Green, for example, wouldn't have seen the light of day without the efforts of the Parish Council over many years. So why not have a look at the Minutes of Kelsall Parish Council Meetings. You may be surprised at what is going on in the village!

Message to dog owners on Kelsall Green: A few dog owners are still failing to clean up after their dogs. The whole of Kelsall Green is now being used for recreation and leisure activities, so the health risks associated with ingestion of dog faeces is a concern. The penalty for not clearing up dog fouling can be up to £1,000 if taken to court, but there is also provision for a fixed penalty scheme with a fine of £50. If the situation doesn't improve, the Parish Council may be forced to restrict dogs to the footpath, with dogs being kept on a lead at all times. More information can be found here.

£150 award for shrubs, bulbs and wildflowers: Kelsall Green has been awarded £150 from the Cheshire Year of Gardens Scheme for children from Kelsall School to plant shrubs, bulbs and wildflowers around the newly constructed children's play area. Planting took place on 27th and 28th November.Click here for photos.

Royal British Legion is looking for members! The Kelsall and District Branch of The Royal British Legion is a small branch and, because of its ageing membership, is slowly becoming smaller. Its 34 dedicated members plus the Poppy appeal collectors are concerned that over the next few years the Branch may have to close down. We all owe a great debt of gratitude to those who fought and died to keep us free. If you believe in these values and the work of The Legion, and if you have just a little time to spare, please join your local Kelsall and District Branch and help make a difference. You can find out more here and on The Royal British Legion web site, or, better still, by calling Branch Secretary Don Barden on 01829-751055.

Recycling News: John Gray, Kelsall's 'recycling champion' reports the good news that Cheshire's household waste recycling rate for 2007/2008 is just over 41%, an increase over last year's 36%. The not so good news is that Cheshire is one of the highest producers of household waste per person and last year, on average, each Cheshire resident produced 567kg (that's over half a ton!) of waste. Waste reduction is much better for the environment than recycling so it is vital that everyone is encouraged to reduce the amount of waste they produce in the first place. This may seem like a mixed message but it doesn't mean that recycling is any less important. Information on recycling issues can be found at www.recycleforcheshire.org.uk.

Proposed 10m weather mast above Longley Lane: Whatever happened to communication? Planning permission has been given for the erection of a 10m weather mast for a period of 12 months in Kelsall Parish on the ridge about 100m to the east of Longley Lane (GR527693). This weather station will provide data for a joint study being carried out by Ashton Hayes' Carbon Neutral Project, Chester University and EA Technology into the feasibility of rural energy microgrids using Ashton Hayes as a test bed. Click here for full details and here for a summary of the project. It should be stressed that the project is just a study at this stage, and there is no implication whatsoever that a wind turbine or wind farm might eventually be constructed on this site. The Planning Application Report states that 'Any future proposals for a wind farm would require the submission of a separate planning application and would be assessed according to their own merits at such a time.'
It appears that Ashton Hayes' residents were circulated with information about the project and were given the opportunity to attend a meeting about the project, whereas Kelsall residents, in whose parish this mast will be constructed, were provided with no information at all. Furthermore neither Ashton Hayes Parish Council nor Kelsall Parish Council were notified about the planning application, so had no opportunity to express their views. Communication channels clearly haven't been working as they should. At the very least it would appear sensible for Kelsall residents to be given the opportunity to hear more about the project, perhaps at a meeting in the village.

Toddlers Play Area (update): The new Toddlers Play Area on Kelsall Green is now open to the general public. Click here for a photographic record of the installation process, including photos of several valiant residents who spent a few memorable hours laying turf in an unexpected snow storm, photos of some of the first users of the Play Area, and photos of the formal opening of the Play Area by the Lord Mayor of Chester on 4th November.

Successful WI Bridge Drive! The WI's bridge drive on 27 October, the proceeds from which are being donated to the Kelsall Green fund, was a great success.

Click here for a few of Audrey Parker's photos.

New business in Kelsall: A new business, Downdale Cattery, has recently opened in Kelsall. More information can be found on the Businesses Page.

Kelsall Family History Group: Are you researching or would you like to research your family tree? A new group has started in Kelsall at the Kelsall Community Library & Resource Centre on Flat Lane to talk about family trees. All welcome. More information here.

Unknown Cottage! Harold Hockenhull, the author of an excellent photographic record of Kelsall and Willington (ISBN 0 949001 33 3), would like to identify this cottage. He was given the photo by an elderly local resident and believes it is (or was) in Kelsall. Can anyone identify the cottage? Suggestions to our please. Click here for a bigger image.

Success for Kelsall in Community Pride competition! Kelsall has been awarded the runners-up prize in its category (population 2,500 to 5,000) in the annual Community Pride competition (formerly the best kept village competition). The winner of our class was Tarporley, which also won the overall Cheshire event. Full results can be found on the Cheshire Community Action website.

Newly discovered club! The Society of Bookbinders has been around for some time in Kelsall, but, up to now, hasn't been featured on this site. Click here for details.

Kelsall School recognised as a 'Flagship School'! Cheshire County Council has recognised Kelsall School as a 'Flagship School'. Many congratulations to all those who contributed to this success. Councillors from the new Cheshire West and Chester Unitary Authority will be visiting the school shortly to experience for themselves what makes the school so special. More information here.

Don't forget the village notice boards! We can only post details of village events on this website if we're told about them, so please bear in mind that the village notice boards may display details of events that are not featured on this website. The best board to look at is the one on the wall of the Co-op. It is managed by Natalie Read, our dedicated Parish Clerk, who ensures it is kept up to date.

Ince Incinerator - update: Many of you will be aware of Peel Holdings' planning application to build a waste incinerator on Ince Marshes, and that a Public Inquiry into the application took place during April/May this year. Kelsall Parish Council's submission to the Inquiry on air quality issues can be found here. Ince may seem a long way from Kelsall, but Kelsall lies in the path of the prevailing wind from Ince, so is potentially at risk. More information on Peel Holding's application can be found on their website, and on the Cheshire County Council's website. We understand that the Inspector's report on the Inquiry has now been completed (23 September), so we are hopeful that it will be published in the public domain in the near future. The Government is expected to take several months before deciding whether or not to accept the Inspector's recommendations. One factor that will surely influence any Government decision is the recent planning approval for a 850,000t/year waste incinerator on the Ineos site in Runcorn. This incinerator is bigger than the proposed 650,000t/year Ince incinerator, and raises a questionmark over whether there is enough local waste to justify the construction of both incinerators. We'll keep you informed!

A threat to your local GP Surgery? Many of you will have read about Government plans to change the way in which GP services are provided, specifically to encourage commercial companies to run GP services, and to introduce up to 250 new health centres (often called polyclinics). Each of these health centres could house up to 25 GPs, so patients may lose the personal relationship they presently have with their GPs. This website explains all, and suggests various things you might do if you're unhappy about these possible changes. You could, if you wish, add your name to a petition the General Practitioners Defence Fund is managing.

Sad news from Morreys Nursery: Friends and clients from all over Cheshire will be saddened to learn that David Morrey sadly passed away on Monday 1st September, after a short and unexpected illness. Many of you will have known David for a long time, and will sorely miss his friendship and his knowledgable advice. Our thoughts are with the Morrey family at this difficult time.

New website - Stuff2doinCheshire: Many of you will be aware of Connexions, an agency for young people in Cheshire and Warrington offering advice, guidance and support for all 13-19 year olds. Connexions is developing a brand new website Stuff2do in Cheshire to enable young people to find things to do in Cheshire. At present the site lists events for those aged 13+, but event listings for pre-school and 5-12 age groups are expected shortly.

Quadrocopter flights over Kelsall! David Fenton, Kelsall's resident aerial photographer, has got a new toy, a quodrocopter (helicopter with 4 rotors), that gives him much better control and flexibility when taking aerial photos. It's still early days, but David is getting to know how to fly the machine, as you can see from these video clips. More stunning aerial photos of Kelsall expected in due course.

New service from Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust: Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust has launched a new service to provide extended access to GP services. Do you currently have trouble fitting appointments to see your GP/Practice Nurse into your busy life? Do you struggle to get to your GP practice during the day? GP Care Plus may be the answer! All patients registered with a GP practice locally are now able to ring a central phone number (01244-364700) to book an appointment with a GP or a Practice Nurse between 6:30pm and 8:00 pm Monday-Friday and 10:00am - 12noon Saturdays. The clinics are held at St Martin's Clinic (Chester), Ellesmere Port Hospital and at two different bases in the rural area Helsby Health Centre (Mon-Tue) and Tattenhall (Wed-Sat). The GP and Practice Nurse you see will have access to a summary of your clinical record and will return the detail of your consultation to your surgery.

Football Shirt Competition Results: Congratulations to Mrs Pat Hall of Chester, whose donation of £3.12 was the winning entry in the Kelsall Green Lowest Unique Donation Competition. Mrs Hall's prize was the signed Manchester United football shirt with an estimated value of £300.00. Twenty three other individuals or families also won prizes and full details of the winners will be posted here in due course. The competition was a great success and raised £1,857.61. Many thanks to all those who took part or helped out and particular thanks to Mrs Jackie Rawcliffe and Mrs Gaynor Lloyd for getting us so many extra entries, and to Tim Grover who devised and co-ordinated the competition so enthusiastically. Click here for complete results.

Cheshire Community Action: Cheshire Community Action is the new working title for the Cheshire Community Council. The new name reflects the Group's pro-active approach to supporting the regeneration of rural communities and the work it undertakes with voluntary and community organisations. The Group's website has changed to www.cheshireaction.org.uk.

Stray dogs: Did you know that, from 1 April 2008, police stations will no longer accept stray dogs. If you find a stray dog during office hours Monday to Friday you should contact the Chester Dog Warden on 01244-402304. Outside office hours, please contact Chester City Council 'out of hours' call centre for advice on 01244-402477. Injured stray dogs found outside office hours may be reported to the RSPCA on 0870-5555-999. The City Council website tells all.

Kelsall could be a pre-Olympic training camp venue: Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre, based on Organsdale Farm, has been earmarked as a possible training camp for one of the equestrian teams competing at the 2012 Olympics.