Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

Parish Prepares for Diamond Jubilee CelebrationsThe final plans are being made for the local Jubilee celebrations with the main party scheduled to take place on Sharpe’s Green, Toot Hill, on Monday June 4th.

A full programme of events is planned from midday onwards which will include the lighting for the first time of the Parish Beacon and the presentation of the Diamond Jubilee commemoration mugs to the under 16s of the parish.

There will also be a children’s entertainer on the green to keep the younger parishioners busy.
Everyone is asked to bring their own food and drink and, if possible, to don the patriotic red, white and blue colours of the Union Flag.

Beacon Chain
The Parish Beacon is being erected for the first time on the green and it will be part of the nationwide chain of 2012 beacons that are being lit on June 4th to mark the 60 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign.The beacon was originally purchased for the Millennium celebrations but technical issues around planning meant it was unable to be used at the time.

The Parish Council has utilised temporary planning legislation to ensure it goes ahead this time.
Bunting has been erected in Stanford Rivers and Toot Hill. Council clerk Kay Hayden (01277 364764) has called for anyone with bunting left over from last year’s Royal Wedding celebrations to come forward.

It is noticeable that a number of residents have also taken the initiative to decorate their own properties with bunting and flags.

Commemoration mugs
Meanwhile, there are more than 100 children now scheduled to receive the Jubilee commemoration mugs which will be presented as part of the festivities on June 4th.

Kay said: “It is fantastic that we have had so many people come forward and register for the children to have these specially commissioned keepsakes. But we do not want anyone to be left out so anyone that has not yet contacted me must do so as soon as possible as we do not want anyone disappointed on the day.”

The mugs will also be on open sale to the public during the festivities on Sharpe’s Green.

Fireworks
A special fireworks display is being held at the Woodman Pub later in the evening on June 4th to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The celebration event, which also features a family barbecue, is scheduled to start at 7.30pm and admission is free.

Future Memories
If you have any photographs of your Jubilee celebrations you would like to share please email them to editor@stanfordriversnews.com.

Parish Council News Letter - Issue No 24

Farewell to Mike and Margaret
Councillors Margaret Lambert and Mike Hogan gave notice of their intention to resign their seats at the last PC meeting in March. Both said personal and family commitments meant they could no longer afford the time for PC work.

Vice Chairman Alan Buckley thanked them on behalf of the PC for their good work for Stanford Rivers and Toot Hill.

The PC has three vacant positions and anyone seeking a nomination should contact clerk Kay Hayden at: hayden-r1@sky.com or by telephone at: 01277 364764.

District Councillor Says Goodbye
Di Collins, the district council representative for the parish, has been thanked by the PC for all the hard work she has carried out on behalf of the residents of Stanford Rivers.

Mrs Collins, who is standing down from the EFDC later this year, was presented with a bouquet of flowers by Vice Chairman Alan Buckley at the last PC meeting to show appreciation for her service to the locality.

Councillor Collins said everyone should be proud of our achievements, particularly on waste management, where EFDC recycles more than 60% of waste. This is the second highest in the county and sixth highest in the country.

Speed Gun Training
We will be commencing training on the use of the radar gun in the coming weeks and would like to have a larger pool of volunteers to work from.

We plan to operate in teams of three and we would appeal to anyone that is interested to come forward. Applications are welcome from both sexes..

There will not be a fixed rota and there will not be pressure to turn out on a highly regular basis.

Each individual’s commitment will be different according to their circumstances. Contact Alan Buckley for further details.

Jubilee Mugs for Under 16s
We would like to repeat our call for the parents of children under 16-years-old to make contact with Parish Clerk Kay Hayden as we plan to present a commemorative Jubilee mug to all the children of the parish.

We really want to involve the younger people of the parish in the Jubilee commemorations and would kindly ask that parents who wish their child to receive a specially commissioned mug to register their interest with Kay by email or telephone. Her contact details are here.