OVERTON ORACLE

Overton’s Free Newspaper - issued monthly to over 600 homes in Overton

March 2008

PREVIOUS EDITIONS

The Editorial Team

David Burton - Euan Stevenson - Sean Clarke - Jacky Maskall - Cynthia Davies

Our reporters cannot be everywhere.

EMAIL YOUR STORIES TO EDITOR@OVERTON-ON-DEE.CO.UK

Third Time Lucky? (with the weather)

After last year’s resounding success, we would like to run the Overton Village fete again, to once more promote all aspects of our village life and to bring the community together. We would like to build on last year’s success and make the 2008 fete even bigger and better!

The 2008 fete will be on Saturday 28th June.

This will raise more awareness of the diverse facilities, clubs, businesses, and projects which exist within our village and the surrounding area, and provide a fun day out for everyone in the village. There will be a bouncy castle, refreshments, stalls, a fancy dress competition and races and games for children (and adults!). This year we also have an army assault course for those more athletic members of the community!

Once again, our fete will be different in that instead of one group within the village running it to raise funds for their needs, it will be a community project, involving everyone.
Every single club / organisation / church / business / charity within the village is invited to participate. This could involve either running a stall, (the profits of which will be for your business, group, club or any chosen charity), or displaying a stand / promotion table simply setting out who they are, what they do, when they do it and how to join. Our village offers a huge wealth of opportunities and facilities, and a community fete is the ideal way to promote them.
But we can’t do it on our own!
If you are interested in taking part, please get in touch with Joanne, (Fete Co-ordinator) on 01978 710624 (weekdays after 6pm and weekends only), Katharine, (Fete Co-ordinator) on 01978 710060 (weekdays after 6pm and weekends only) or Katrina, (Clerk to Overton Community Council) 01978 710055 by March 31st.

Maelor Youth Club sadly closes
by Helen Fernee

We would like to thank the Community Council for all their support over the last year. We have had a very successful year with high levels of attendance, trips and involvement in County wide activities. This is thanks to the dedication of Les Hughes and his unfaltering support to myself (Helen Fernee - Youth Worker).

Sadly the youth club has to close now, but hopefully will reopen with new staff and volunteers at a later date. Meanwhile to say thank you to the young people for a great year from Les and myself we will do a bowling trip on Friday March 14th - details and consent forms are available from Helen.

But Girl Guides opens again on Saturday March 8th. They will meet at Overton Scout Hut on Saturday mornings 10.00am to 12noon. All 10 to 14 year old welcome.
Ring Diane Griffiths on 07707 953273 for more details

Ramblings From the Rectory
by David Lewis

Dear friends,
A man met a friend in the street whom he hadn’t seen in years. ‘And how is your dear wife’, he asked. She’s gone to Heaven was the reply. ‘Oh I am sorry’ said the first man.

He quickly realised that this didn’t sound right, wasn’t heaven supposed to be a happy place. And so he tried to correct himself. ‘I mean I am glad’. That was even worse and so he made a third attempt, ‘I mean I’m surprised’. That man had forgotten the old adage, if you are making a hole for yourself stop digging!

But as we approach Good Friday and then the Easter season. Life and death are issues that are very much on the Church’s mind.

People are always surprised when I say that I find a lot funerals can be very rewarding to do. Surely they are hard, what do you say? I would hate your job are people’s responses. But to me they are opportunities to try and bring some hope to people who are in very dark places, grieving for a loved one.

The Easter message is one of hope. That Jesus died on a cross because he loved all of us so much and on Easter Sunday we believe he rose from the dead. And in rising gives us the promise that if we believe in him, then we do have the hope of eternal life, a life lived forever in the presence of God. And that promise can bring hope and light in the darkest of situations.

And so this Easter it is my prayer, That Jesus will touch all of your hearts with his Easter hope and joy.

Your friend and Rector
David

Confirmation. If anyone is interested in being confirmed this year, please could you contact me at the Rectory or on 710229 for more details.

COUNTRY BEAT
by Constable Luke Hughes Community Beat Manager

Unfortunately we have experienced a slight rise in the amount of crime across the area, Outbuildings, containers, stables and external fuel tanks are most at risk and I would urge everyone to review the security arrangements of their buildings. If you would like some Crime Prevention Advice please call into the Station at Overton or contact me direct to arrange a visit.

I would also like to encourage the reporting of suspicious activity, we have had great success in the past when members of the public report suspicious people or vehicles and I would be grateful if you could report such activity ASAP either direct to me or one of the team, or to the North Wales Police Control Room on 0845 607 1002

Some of you may be aware that we have recently been trying to install a "Youth Shelter" in Overton, a covered seating area, where young people or anyone else for that matter can gather to chat, keep out of the rain etc. The project has received a great deal of support from the community and money had been pledged from the Community Council and we were also likely to receive further funding from a national organisation, to pay for the shelter in full and give local residents a valuable asset.

I am disappointed to say that this project is now highly unlikely to succeed as a significant local individual will not allow such a facility to be installed in the only suitable location "The Avenue". I am very disappointed as I hoped that this simple solution would have gone a considerable way towards dealing with the issue of noise that is sometimes reported when local youths gather in the area of the sports field.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the public, County & Community Councillors and all members of partner agencies, your help is very much appreciated and our work would be much more difficult without you. You help keep our area one of the safest and nicest places to live & work in North Wales.....
Thank you.


Overton Community Council

Thank you to all who took the time to suggest how The Calor North Wales Village of the Year winnings could be used. The Council is now looking at these suggestions and for some are acquiring costs and quotations. As soon as firm decisions have been made we will pass this information onto you.


We have recently agreed the Precept for 2008/09 of £24,072.00, this is a saving of £5,880.00 over last year, which in today’s climate of forever rising costs is, we feel, a tremendous achievement.

Message for our Readers

We have received complaints from some readers that recent events in the community have not been reported in The Oracle. It is difficult for us to attend everything and we do rely upon organisers and attendees of local events to submit their viewpoints.

So, if you are organising or attending something you would like seen in The Oracle but are not sure if anyone else is submitting an article, please do not hesitate to contact me so that we can organise coverage.

Telephone Jacky on 710328 or e-mail jacky.maskall@tiscali.co.uk

KID’S PAGE !

The “Overtinions” have experienced computer meltdown this month, but look for their contribution in the April Oracle

OVERTON MEDICAL PRACTICE

How many of you have noticed that there is now, almost always, a receptionist back on the front desk. We have responded to an express wish from you in the patient survey, to have a human presence manning the desk. This will hopefully reassure our less able patients and provide a focus for any problems during peak activity times. It would be interesting to hear from our patients if they feel this is a positive step.

Some patients do make life difficult and the first patients who have missed more than one appointment in a 3 month period since September, have now had the initial letter of concern. We are not unreasonable , but remember ‘Keep It or Cancel It’!

There has been a surge in patients requesting internet access to book appointments on-line. Young adults aged 16 and over must apply in person for their unique PIN number and show proof of identity. Children from 12—16 can have their own PIN. A letter of authority from the child is required and the parent /guardian must present and collect the form.

A reminder for those 65+, the pneumonia injection is a one in a lifetime and can be given at any time of the year. Make an appointment with the nurse. Counseling is now available on Friday’s and Acupuncture on Thursday on a private basis. Thinking of your summer holidays? Don’t forget to find out about immunizations for the area of the world you will be visiting. Don’t leave it too late—there may not be enough time for the treatment to take effect. Ask the nurse for details.

The Happy Wanderers are Unhappy
by Ken Farrell

The Maelor Way is a long distance Public Footpath which runs for 24 miles from Pont Faen near Chirk to Grindley Brook just outside Whitchurch and has been very popular with walkers ever since it opened in April 1991. Sadly, just as the main walking season is about to start, the route has been blocked by two collapsing bridges which, as luck would have it, are both in the Overton area.

One is where the path from The Bottoms enters Llan-y-Cefn Woods. Here a brook entering the Dee has carved itself a 10ft deep bed, the sides of which were strongly reinforced by Wrexham Council some years ago. One bank has dropped into the brook, taking the concrete and wire supports with it. It is now quite dangerous and notices placed alongside it ban walkers from using it. The other bridge crosses the Shellbrook where it enters the Dee and is now a sad sight. It has tipped on its side and one end is hanging on to the bank by a thread. It would be foolish to attempt to cross it and there is also another notice saying that it is closed.

Wrexham Maelor Borough Council is responsible for the Llan-y-Cefn bridge and the Shellbrook one is maintained by Shropshire. Both Local Authorities would prefer to wait till April when they are re-financed but under pressure from the Ramblers Association have agreed to tackle the work as quickly as possible. Even so, it may take six months to complete.

So if you are following the Maelor Way from the direction of Whitchurch toward Chirk, instead of walking along the most beautiful stretch of the river with its woods filled with snowdrops, wild daffodils, primroses and bluebells, you must now go down Salop Road to Overton cross, then right into St Martin’s road to Barton's Bridge and up Shellbrook Hill to Sodyllt Bank, - a good two and a quarter miles along a very busy, narrow road, mostly with no pavement.

No wonder the Happy Wanderers have stopped singing!


The collapsed Shellbrook Bridge

Can you see yourself?

Gordon Whitfield, who now lives in Cambridgeshire and reads the Oracle on the website, sent us this photo of a class at St Mary’s School, Overton, in 1964 with Miss Esme Philips, later Mrs Wright. Who can you identify? And if you are not here, look for the picture of Mr Chatterton's 1967 class in next months Oracle.

Your Letters...

Dear Editor,

I have just read with interest the Overton Oracle which I have just found on the Web. Family research has taken us to Overton as my grandmother was related to the Pugh family who lived in Tan House in the 1830s and 1840s. They are listed as farmers and left Overton to set up home in Birkenhead.

We would be pleased to receive any information from your readers on the Pugh family and maybe their reason for moving. Can I obtain Baptism or Christening records from St. Mary's Church? Any help would be of value.

Many thanks, Dennis Peacock

Dear Editor,

Yet again we have lost one of our lovely cats to the speeding motorists in Salop Road. Two cats, two months apart. A third cat was knocked over a year ago, my neighbours suffered the same.

I know cats can be unpredictable, darting across the road, but if drivers slowed down to the 30 mph speed limit, the cats might stand a chance.

Please slow down for our animals. Maybe we could have a police speed trap on Salop Road occasionally?
The Cusworth family, Salop Road

That Building Site on Bangor Road?
by David Burton

It doesn’t seem like yesterday since the discussions between Overton Community Council and Wrexham Borough Council regarding the number houses being built on the former site of Springfield Supplies. Two issues were of real concern. One was the extra traffic turning out onto Bangor Road with traffic entering the village at speed, and we now know that the developer is to put in traffic calming measures at the 30mph sign to try and reduce traffic speed! The other issue was the question of sewage entering the system at a point where there is a shallow fall in the system. Wrexham Council’s answer was for a tank to be installed so that waste could be pumped into the system during the night.

The new development is going up fast. The plan is for the four on the left as you enter the development to be built first and finished. The concrete pads are laid for the other five and Bloor Homes are intending to have the shells complete by June but will delay finishing them subject to demand.

Talking of demand, there are nice views behind the five houses over fields but the view is not as spectacular as those with the view over Overton Bottom. Yet the houses on ‘Overton Grange’ are from £299,995 without a view to £462,995 with the view! In these depressed times there is unlikely to be a queue to buy! There are four 4 bedroom, one 5 bedroom and four 6 bedroom houses.

Obviously there has been significant disruption on Bangor Road, with utility companies digging up the road, concrete lorries and deliveries taking place at a point where the road is at its narrowest. Bloor Homes have said that now the road into the site is laid, the congestion should reduce! To be fair, they are sweeping the road twice a day.

INNOVATION IS THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS

St.Mary’s Church Aided school is delighted at winning the Wales Quality Award prize for Innovation. We have always been an organisation that generates ideas; however application of the Wales Quality Excellence Model has assisted us in developing ideas into effective practice of continuous self improvement. Our belief is in developing ‘small people’ and ‘big people’ within our organisation to be capable of learning and thinking and making a valuable contribution to the society in which we live. We encourage continuous learning for everyone and use a variety of strategies to deliver this. All pupils and staff are involved in a process of self analysis of preferred learning styles such as visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic learning. This information is used in all our planning of learning experiences. There are no failures in continuous learning just different stages of development and these stages for each individual are analysed to inform future planning both for pupils and adults to develop further.

Staff have undertaken extensive research into how we learn and how the brain develops and the ‘normal diet’ of National Curriculum is enhanced by provision of learning as an exciting challenge with pupils being totally involved. We have attempted to create an innovative culture in which continuous improvement through the implementation of new ideas is to be embraced not feared so we are all on a learning continuum. Encouraging continuous learning and development of pupils and employees will ensure a continuous process of self improvement.

For more information about our village school see the website www.stmarysoverton.co.uk


PLAY CENTRE NEWS
by Andrea Buttress

As from Tuesday 19th Feb we have a session for Parents with Babies from 0-1 year. We are hoping to include different events during the sessions such as baby massage and first aid but primarily it is an opportunity to meet people in the same situation and to discuss any issues that are important to you. The sessions are held from 1.30pm to 3pm each Tuesday at the Play Centre and cost £1.50. Refreshments will be provided. EVERYONE is welcome.
Children’s Easter Crafts Session will be held at the Play Centre on Sat 15th March from 10am to 12 noon. Come along with your children and enjoy taking part in crafts such as card making, bonnet making, cake decorating and much more. Included in the morning events will be an Easter Egg hunt. The cost will be £3.50 per child with refreshments included for everyone.
‘NEW 2 U SALE’ in the village hall on Sat 10th May 1.30 –4.30 for all those with lots of goods that you no longer need. For details tel: 710246

Where on earth do you read the Oracle?

Hello, I have been an avid reader of the 'Oracle' almost since it began and enjoy the various tales that you produce.
I lived in the village from 1932 to 1950 when I left to join the RAF. The next period of my life I spent in Sussex as a police officer but since 1994 I have lived in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. My sister, now in her late 80's, does not have a computer, so I copy articles which I think will interest her, and pass them on when I visit her in Nottingham.
So, thanks for the 'Oracle' I missed it a couple of years back when you went through troubled times. Sincerely, Gordon Richards.

To the editor, Just to say thanks for the your monthly Overton Oracle, I have been following it for some years now. Having been born and raised in Overton but now an Expat of 25 years in South Africa (now my family home) and latterly, 6 months in the United Arab Emirates, I enjoy reading the local Overton happenings. I will follow with interest the 100 years of Scouting in Overton, having been a Scout in the 50s and 60s, when the scouts used to meet in the eerie rooms of the Bryn y Pys Stables. I still have my original scout belt which is probably 50 years old unfortunately probably 50 times too small. My family still reside in Overton and I will probably visit again at the end of this year. Regards Phil Andrews

Hello to the Overton Oracle, my name is Elaine Mitchell (Parry) and I am enjoying reading this paper on-line. I live in Edmonton, Alberta. I came to Canada in 1960 with my parents Harold and Irene Parry, my father was village constable, and we lived at 19 Plas Madoc, I recognize some names still, Tom Haynes in particular, Derek Edwards, that is if he is the son of Jack and Joan Edwards. I was in Overton in 2003, and was truly taken back in time, I visited with Jerry Owen, a good friend of my folks. Sadly my parents passed away in 2006 and 2007. I love the village and my memories are forever etched in my mind. ......Elaine .

FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS

To Sarah and Matthew Hayward (nee Aird) of Bangor Road, a son Joshua James born prematurely at 31 weeks weighing 3lbs 9ozs, small but perfectly formed, a welcome brother for Jade. Wishing you a lifetime of love, health and happiness from Mum Dad and Andrew xx

Happy March Birthdays

to Jack Edwards, Anne Clarke, Grace Haynes, John Austin, Gwyneth Austin, Ivor Parkinson, David Burton, Finlay Clarke, Janet Reid, Janene Davies, Liam and Matt Grindley.
A very Happy 18th Birthday to Roxanne Haynes and Happy 50th Birthday to Cynthia Davies. Belated Happy February birthdays to Dereck Bell and Amy Perrin.

THANK YOU

Mary Perrin would like to thank everyone who helped in any way to make Amy's 21st Birthday Party at Overton Club a night to remember. Amy Perrin would also like to thank everyone for a very special evening and for all the lovely cards and presents which she received.

WHITE HORSE OPENING HOURS

For everyone’s information The White Horse has been granted the following:
Hours of opening Monday to Sunday 10.00 – 00.30.
Hours allowing supply of alcohol Monday to Sunday 10.00 – 24.00
Live music allowed Monday to Sunday 12.00 – 23.00
Non standard days until 24.00
Recorded music allowed Monday to Sunday 10.00 – 24.00
Making music allowed Monday to Sunday 10.00 – 24.00