Scarecrow Trail 2008 - only a few days to go before the closing date! Just a reminder that the 6th annual Scarecrow Trail will be held from Saturday 24 May to Sunday 8 June 2008. This year there are two themes: 'Best Thematic Scarecrow - Children's books/Nursery rhymes', and 'Best Traditional Scarecrow'. Please return your application form no later than Friday 16th May. More information here. This collage shows some of previous years' scarecrows.

Lunchtime Recital at Town Hall, Chester on 20th May: Those who enjoyed the recent Maytime Music concert in the Kelsall Community Centre might be interested in a lunchtime recital in Chester organised by pianist and composer Raewyn Bailey. The performers are Degree Final Students from the University of Liverpool who will play music by Beethoven, Bartok, Chopin, Ravel, and Debussy. The concert is at 12:00 noon on Tuesday 20th May 20th in the Town Hall, Chester. Admission is £3.00 at the door, with proceeds going to the Lady Mayoress's Charity Fund. Refreshments will be on sale for people wishing to have some lunch.

Kelsall Green update: Great news! Tarporley Round Table has generously awarded us £2200 to help purchase toddler swings for Kelsall Green. Fundraising is proceeding apace, thanks to the efforts of so many people. We expect Phase 1 of the development programme to cost up to £200,000. We hope to fund most of this with grants, but these must be accompanied by a contribution from the community. We have set a Phase 1 fundraising goal of £20,000, and have already raised £3,000 towards this target!
The first issue of 'News from The Green' gives lots of information about our plans and about all the different ways we are raising money. Fundraising events are all listed in the Diary.

Cheshire West and Chester Shadow Authority Election Results: Results from the election on 1 May are summarised on the Shadow Authority's website. The new 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 (all Conservative). We hope to post brief summaries about them on our Politics Page in due course.

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.

7 June 2008, a date for your diary! Don't forget Kelsall Village's Summer Fair at Kelsall Primary School on 7 June from 11:00am to 1:00pm . Raising funds for the Primary School and for Kelsall Green. More information here.

Kelsall's Open Gardens event is on 15 June: Kelsall Gardening Club's Open Gardens event will take place on Sunday 15th June from 2 until 6 p.m. There will be 8 gardens of different sizes and types to visit in the village. Admission will be by programme, cost £ 3:00 for adults, free for children (under 15 years old). Refreshments will be available at some sites. From the proceeds donations will be made to Tarporley Cottage Hospital and to Kelsall Green. Please support this venture. More details here later, but please put the date in your diary now. Any queries to David Beattie (01829-751032).

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. The site doesn't appear to be live yet, but this flyer gives an idea of what's it's all about.

Ince Incinerator - update: Most of you will be aware of Peel Holdings' planning application to build a waste management facility and a waste incinerator at Ince. A list of the 'Proofs and Written Evidence' that will be considered at the forthcoming Public Inquiry, scheduled to begin on 15 April 2008, can be found on the Cheshire County Council website. Two of the proofs are of particular relevance to Kelsall residents, namely a submission on air quality issues by John Hammond on behalf of Kelsall Parish Council, and a personal submission by Councillor Andrew Garman. The Parish Council's case against the application is based on the potential impact of emissions from the proposed incinerator on the air quality in Kelsall and on the ecology of the Cheshire Ridge. 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 the application can be found on Peel Holdings website, which was recently updated with a revised Environmental Statement, and on the Cheshire County Council's website. A Public Meeting is being held on 14 May at 19:00, probably in Helsby.

Kelsall Green Progress: More information on the results of the questionnaire and on the progress of the fundraising and design committees can be found here. Numerous fundraising events are planned - please support them if you can.

Booking Secretary needed for Community Centre: Kelsall Community Centre's booking secretary will be retiring from the post at the end of August, so we are looking for a Kelsall resident to fill this voluntary post. Do you have a few spare hours, a lot of patience and preferably a computer and email address? If so, we would love to hear from you! Please contact (01829-752833) if you are interested.

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. Click here for a Chester Chronicle article on this story.

Kelsall Green Update: A clear majority of respondents to the recent questionnaire preferred Kelsall's newly acquired recreational land to be called Kelsall Green. So 'Kelsall Green' it is! More information on the questionnaire results will be posted here shortly. Development of Kelsall Green will cost a lot of money, some of which will come from grants and some from the local community. The proceeds from many of the events in the Village Diary are being donated to the development fund. Please support these events if you can. Kelsall Green collection boxes are beginning to appear all around the village - we're hoping very much that local people will help to fill them quickly!

Village Design Statement: John Leather, the Kelsall Parish Council Chairman, has a few paper copies of the Village Design Statement. Could residents of Kelsall please email if they would like a copy.

Kelsall Medical Centre Newsletter, Spring 2008: The Spring Issue of the Kelsall Medical Centre Newsletter contains useful information about the implications of changing the Centre's opening time from 08:30am to 08:00am from 31 March. There is also information on how the Centre will operate during a computer upgrade on 16/17 April.

Increased Parish Precept: In order to pay for the purchase of the recreation land by the Morris Dancer, the Parish Council has decided to increase the precept within the parish by £29,500 for the tax year 2008/9, although it is expected to drop substantially in subsequent years. The increase is less than one-third of the cost of the land, the remainder coming from Parish Council reserves and commuted sums held by Chester District Council. This represents an increase in rates of about £27 per household on average. It is expected that the costs of preparing and equipping the land will largely be met by grants, village fundraising events, and by the efforts of the large and active group of volunteers who are supporting the development.

Kelsall Green - Get involved!   YOUR VILLAGE NEEDS YOU!!!!!! It's not too late to help us create one of Cheshire's best recreational areas. We need help with design, fund raising and even doing some of the work. Please e-mail or if you can help.

Possible Extension to Kelsall Community Centre: The Community Centre presently comprises a main hall (75 x 35 feet), a small meeting room (25 x 15 feet) and a kitchen. Usage of the Centre has increased to the point where some potential bookings have to be turned down. Additionally, there are some groups that can't use the Centre because the main hall is too big and the small room too small for their requirements. The management committee is considering whether both these problems, coupled with the urgent need for more storage space, could be resolved by adding a further room or rooms between the main hall and the car park. It's worth noting that most other village halls in the area have more than two rooms. At this stage the management committee wants to know whether there is support in the village for such a project, and, to this end, local residents are being asked for their views through a questionnaire, which has been circulated to all houses in Kelsall. If support is forthcoming the project will be properly worked up and funding options explored. It is very early days...!

Wind Turbines planned for Bickerton - update: The Crewe Chronicle reports that Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council's planning councillors voted seven to four on 7 February to overturn the advice of officers to approve a 60-metre mast which could pave the way for a wind farm off Long Lane, Bickerton. An action group, Stop Bickerton Wind Turbines, will continue its fight against the application as they expect the developers to appeal. The action group is urging tourists, walkers, cyclists and horse riders who visit this scenic part of Cheshire to oppose the application.
The CPRE website gives a good analysis of the case against on-shore wind turbines.

Chester Grapevine is back in business! After a break of several months Chester Grapevine, the police newsletter for the Chester Area, has revived. Click here for the January 2008 issue. Future issues will be accessible through the Police Updates page.

Another fundraising event! Art Exhibition on 17 May in Community Centre: Come and be wowed by the work of talented artists in and around Kelsall. Further details can be found here.

Kelsall Green development: The speed with which Kelsall Green is developed will be determined primarily by how successful we are at raising money, both from grants and from fundraising activities in the village. One of the first items to be constructed, hopefully over the next few months, is likely to be a Multi User Sports Area for basketball, football, hockey, cricket or netball. Click here to see what it might look like.

Enjoy-a-ball: Did you know that sports coaching for children takes place in the Kelsall Community Centre on Friday afternoons. More information can be found here.

Newspaper delivery update: Tarvin News & Post Office has taken delivery of a new van, and should be able to fulfil any outstanding newspaper delivery requests from Kelsall residents plus any new requests that may crop up in the future. Please ring Tarvin News & Post Office (01829-740406) if you would like to be added to their delivery schedule.

Kelsall Medical Centre Newsletter: The Kelsall Medical Centre Newsletter contains useful information on how to book an appointment and what to do if the Medical Centre is closed.

Beware bogus officials: PC Andy Wilson, Kelsall's community police officer, reports that vulnerable householders in the Tarvin area are being targetted by bogus officials and other scams. Householders should always ask doorstep callers, including those representing utility companies, for an ID card or other form of identification. Be prepared to use your door chain if you have any doubts. It's best not to even consider buying from doorstep traders. Please report any suspicious behaviour to Andy by or telephone (0845-458-0000). In emergencies you should always dial 999.

Many new links on Links Page: Have you looked at the Links Page recently? There are many new web links to interest you, including links to some of Cheshire's environmental websites, and links to national help lines.

Cheshire Community Council Car Scheme: The Cheshire Community Council runs a car scheme, primarily for the benefit of older people who have difficulty accessing public transport. The Council pays all costs. If you are able to spare a few hours a month for this valuable service, please contact Tom Parry on 01244-354110.

First map and more photos of Kelsall Green. Click here to see the first map and more photos of Kelsall Park. The map will be updated as the site is developed.

Kelsall School Community Learning Centre: Don't forget the wide range of courses that are offered by the Kelsall School Community Learning Centre. Apart from the Numeracy, Literacy and Basic Computing courses that are advertised on the Centre's website, courses on Digital Photography for beginners and Digital Art are also available. Workshops can be held on Tuesday mornings (10:00-11:30 and 11:30-13:00) or on Thursday afternoons (13:30-15:00). Further details and booking information can be obtained via Anna at the School Office (01829-751343).

Please try to use this valuable local facility if you think any of their courses can help you - the health of the Learning Centre depends on local support.

World Cup successes for local Karate club! On 26/27 October, 14 members of the SSKU (Shito-Ryu Shukokai Karate Union) competed in the Shukokai World Cup in Crete. Of the 14, 5 (including Barry) train at Barry Williams` clubs at Kelsall & Weaverham. The competition followed 2 days of karate seminars and courses hosted by Sensei Yamada (9th Dan and Worldwide President of the SSKU) and Sensei Kamohara (8th Dan and Chief Instructor, Europe). Click here for results and photos. The Williams Karate Academy trains at Kelsall's Community Centre - more information about the club can be found here.

Kelsall Parish Landscape and Design Statement: After nearly 3 years of work by residents, the Kelsall Parish Landscape and Design Statement was endorsed by Chester City Council at its meeting in July 2007, and is now included in the statutory planning framework. For the first time in its history, Kelsall has guidelines for residential development, which are both widely accepted by the community and have legal backing. More information on this important document can be found here.

Recycling and Packaging : The Recycling Exhibition at the Community Centre on 20 October provided a good insight into what happens to the black, green, pink and white bags that are collected from our doorsteps. Thanks are due to Chester City Council, Recresco, Tetra Pak and Kelsall School for their displays, and to John Gray, Kelsall's tireless 'recycling champion' for organising the event. Packaging contributes a significant proportion of what we recycle, as exemplified by this photo of the huge amount of material that was used to package a couple of pairs of shoes that John recently ordered. Can any Kelsall resident beat this appalling waste of resources? Photos to our please.

If we get a good response we'll produce a web gallery of your efforts.

Kelsall Parish Paths leaflet reissued: The Kelsall Parish Paths leaflet has been re-issued, complete with photographs and suggested circular walks. It is available, cost £2, at several local outlets. More information can be found here.

Kelsall reporter for the Chester Chronicle: Following her recent marriage, Rebecca Edwards, the Kelsall reporter for the Chester Chronicle, has changed her name and email address. If you have any issues that you want raised, or events to be publicised, please call 01244-606415 or email

Free bicycle engraving in the Chester area (update): We have had one (yes, one!) response to the offer of free bicycle engraving to allow easy identification by the police if stolen bikes are recovered. More information can be found here. If you live in Kelsall and District and are interested, could you please contact Glennys Hammond (01829-751364), who will try to arrange a suitable time and place for your bike to be engraved. Click here for Boris Johnson's amusing description of the shock, grief and rage he experienced when his bike was pinched. You might avoid such emotions if you get your bike engraved!

Kelsall Youth Support Group: Kelsall Youth Support Group is a networking organisation seeking coordination between and for activities and facilities for young people in the village and surrounding area. The group seeks to involve the participation of young people in developing facilities and activities locally. Parents and existing organisations in the community including the Parish Council, schools, churches, sports clubs, uniformed group leaders, institutes and societies are invited to be members. We have existing links through membership with St Philip's Youth Club, Parish Council, Chester Youth Service, Youth Federation and the Scout Association. We have run a Youth Event in the Easter holidays for the last three years. Open meetings are held at least four times a year. Both adults and young people are welcome to attend. Those interested in youth matters are encouraged to attend the Parish Council meetings (second Monday of the month at 7:30pm in the Kelsall Community Centre) where Youth Matters are a standing item on the agenda and you can usually meet some of other group members. The Parish Council Minutes normally include an item on Youth Matters.