M.P.s join fight to save Knolton Bryn Mission

Two local M.P.s , Martyn Jones (South Clwyd) and Owen Paterson (North Shropshire) have joined the fight to keep open Knolton Bryn Mission, which is once again in the news following a letter from the Bishop of St Asaph recommending closure at the end of February.

The Liverpool Daily Post, the Whitchurch Herald, the Shropshire Star and Shropshire Radio have also given support to those wishing to see this grade two listed building (which has served a dedicated congregation and their predecessors for over a hundred years) remain open and viable.

Unfortunately his four page letter is too long to be printed here, but it is understood from the Rector that it can be read in St Mary’s Church. The Bishop says that two days after the PCC met on the 28th September he was notified of their proposal to close the Mission from the end of October, and that on the 1st October he wrote a letter agreeing to this. Before posting it, however, he received "scores of letters of protest and objection". He also received a petition of over 200 signatures which, he says, "surprised" him.

In his letter the Bishop acknowledges that "much unhappiness has been caused by the sad events surrounding the proposed closure". He is aware, too, "of the emotional and spiritual attachments to a building where prayer and praises have been offered by God’s people for over a century." "We ignore such sensitivities at our peril", he says.

Sadly, however, it all comes down in the end to money, "probably in excess of £40,000" which "the PCC has resolved it cannot justify......on a building now well past its original life expectancy and located only one-and-a-half miles from Overton Parish Church". The original motion on which the PCC voted on the 28th September was that "The Mission Hall at Knolton is surplus to our requirements and we cannot justify the proposed cost of rebuilding according to the Report".

To the congregation of Knolton Bryn, however, the Mission is far from surplus and moreover, according to the surveys they have commissioned the building is nowhere near the end of its useful life and they can well afford the modest repairs that are necessary over the 5 year period specified in the original quinquennial survey. They maintain that the cost would be considerably less than £40,000. In this way, they feel, the requirements of the listed building status (which the Bishop’s letter never mentions) would be met. They have therefore asked the Church authorities to abandon their closure plans which will help neither the building nor its devoted congregation and allow them to ‘go it alone’ as indeed they have been doing for some time.In their letter to the Bishop the two M.P.s have suggested the same solution to this increasingly bitter wrangle which many feel has unnecessarily divided the community.

CAN YOU HELP?

Knolton Mission is a grade 2 listed building. It is constructed from corrugated iron sheets on a timber frame and set on a brick plinth. Purchased in kit form, it was erected on common land by public subscription at the end of the 19^th Century. The Oracle would like to hear from anyone who has a similar building in their parish, and who can throw any light on where the kit may have been purchased. Similar buildings could be obtained from Harrods in London, and may well have been imported from America. Has your 'Tin Church' been threatened with closure and if so - how did you oppose it?

E-mail this site if you can help.

Local man dies in house fire

Tributes have been paid to Alf Hughes, 94, who sadly died last month when fire broke out in the converted stable block in which he lived, and which is adjacent to Ashgrove, the home of Mr Peter Rosselli. Fire-fighters from both Ellesmere and Wrexham dashed to the scene at 7.30am and after entering the building wearing breathing apparatus, found Mr Hughes’s body in his bedroom.

Alf Hughes had many interests, including horse racing and was well known in the community. Mr Rosselli, who was recently appointed High Sheriff of Clwyd, said to the Leader: "He was a wonderful character and had a lot of interests - I am sure he will be very sadly missed by everyone who knew him"

North Wales Fire Service investigators have visited the scene to determine the cause of the fire.

Overton Royal British Legion wins top award

Overton Royal British Legion has been awarded the R G Evans Cup by The East Denbighshire County for the highest increase in Poppy appeal sales, including the sponsorship money for ‘Pedal to Paris’. This enabled Overton to achieve over 130% increase.

President, Joe Miles was presented with this award at the County meeting in January and thanks to Elliot Williams, it is now on display in the Post Office window.

The Cup is in recognition for the support of Overton and the surrounding areas of Penley, Erbistock and Knolton, again brought about by the many volunteers and poppy co-ordinator Iris Edwards, who walked the streets selling poppies, come rain or shine.

One can never under-estimate the invaluable service the Royal British Legion plays in providing benevolence and support to many people.

Although the last World War was more than 50 years ago, and other conflicts past and present, many people today can still remember the suffering and hardships. It is reassuring to know that the work of the Royal British Legion never wavers, and can be relied upon by so many, not just for financial provision, but emotional support in times of bereavement and adversity.

It is of great importance that the Royal British Legion in Overton is kept alive. When I took over as Chairman we had, I should imagine, around 80 members. Now we are less than 30. We desperately need more members and although the ladies section probably has more members than the men's section, they too would like more members. I can think of a few ex-servicemen who are not members

and whom we would welcome on board. For those with no service record, they are welcome to join as associate members. I suspect this is the only way the Royal British Legion will survive.

May I take this opportunity to offer my sincere gratefulness to you all and our ever faithful committee and look forward to your enduring support.

For more information, please contact Gerry on 01978 710792

Air Show invitation

Brian Pullen, the British Consul General of Lyons has extended an invitation to people in Overton and La Murette, France to an Air Show near Lyons on the 10th September. This show is being staged with the co-operation of the Royal Air Force to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The Consul General thinks it would be an excellent idea if some people from Overton and La Murette accepted his invitation to attend the ceremony as special guests because of the partnership that exists between the two villages.

La Murette are happy to accept the British Consul’s invitation and would be willing to organise the visit for those who might wish to attend from Overton.

Ken Farrell, Chairman of the Community Council said: " I think this is an excellent idea. However, the invitation extends to anyone living within the Overton area and not just to the members of the twinning association. We have very little information to go on at the moment, but I would like to hear from anyone who may be interested in accepting the British Consul’s invitation to attend the ceremony as special guests"

If you would like to put your name forward, or would like more information as it is received, please let him know on 01978 710392.

Oracle team to expand

The Editorial Team of the Overton Oracle is looking for a number of people who would like to contribute and play an active part in its production. This entails meeting once a month to sort out the stories for the next issue, promoting advertising space, and generally keeping alert on what’s happening in the village.

If you think you can fulfil this role and would like to be a part of the team, please ring any of the team members or Alan Edwards on 710422.

Millennium Baby - do you qualify?

Overton Community Council has received a letter from a resident of Overton confirming the birth of their daughter on 13th January at 6.25am. This looks like being the winner of the Millennium baby award, but if you live within the area administered by the Community Council and your baby was born before this date, please contact Alan Edwards, Clerk to the Council on 01978 710422 before Tuesday 14th March.

Disco a roaring success

Overton Youth Club, which now meets every Tuesday and Thursday in the Scout Hut, ran another junior disco in the Village Hall to boost club funds. This turned out to be a great success, attracting a record attendance of 184 young people and generating a gross income of over £500.

Vonnie Bamber, the club’s treasurer said: "It was a terrific success and after everything was paid out, we made a record profit of £350. This will now go towards much needed equipment for the Youth Club".

Maureen Evans, chair of the Youth Committee said: "What impressed us most was that everyone was so well behaved".

The next disco is on the 18th March.

Over 30 years in the Chair!

The President of the Overton Women’s Royal British Legion, Mrs Hilton Jones is seen here presenting a plaque to Mrs Betty Keen upon her retirement as Chairman of the Branch for over 30 years.

Ed. Congratulations - I wonder if this is a record.

Overton Web Site

The Community Council has now set the fees it will charge for taking space on the Overton Web Site which went live last month. The web address is www.overton-on-dee.co.uk

The charges have been fixed at very modest rates for either a one line entry in a specific section, or an A4 page with a photograph. This will be attractive to all the clubs and organisations, schools and local businesses, who will all be contacted within the next few weeks.

For further details contact Alan Edwards on 01978 710422.

£200 to boost funds

A successful Coffee Morning was held at the Hollies, Knolton on Saturday morning, 5th February.

Around 50 people attended and the Methodist Church Flower Festival Fund has received a boost of approximately £200 to enable it to purchase flowers, mechanics and accessories for the Festival to be held in mid-June.

Grateful thanks to Iris and Phil Edwards who opened their home and garden, with its striking display of massed snowdrops; and thanks also to all who helped in any way to make it such a pleasant morning - at least it stayed dry!

Josie Ralphs.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Pam and Eric Jones recently celebrated their Ruby Wedding, and wish to say a big thankyou to their wonderful children, family and friends for making their party a great success and so enjoyable.

• Tickets for the Millennium Banquet , which is to be held in the Village Hall on the 13th May, will be on sale commencing the 7th April from 8.00am onwards at 13 Bangor Road, Overton. All the tickets for the last Banquet in 1998 were sold out within 48 hours - so don’t miss this chance to get your ticket for what promises to be another great event.

• It is with deep regret we announce that Anne Clohesy, from Springfield Park, Overton has passed away. Our sincere condolences are extended to her family and relatives.

• On Monday 21st February, a ring was found on the pavement outside St Mary’s Church. If you have lost such a ring, please telephone 01978 710740 and give a full description.