Shropshire Council has announced plans to close two of its five highways depots, as part of plans to further improve the council’s highways maintenance service.
Under the proposals, the depots at Bridgnorth and Hodnet would close, with operations continuing at the three main depots in Whittington, Shrewsbury and Craven Arms.
No jobs would be lost.
No timescale for the closures has been given.
In view of the disruption/uncertainty over group events this year, due to Covid 19, Hodnet Footpath Group are not planning our usual programme of public walks.
However, we do intend to run just one event, and that is the annual late evening glow worm walk on the Hodnet to Wollerton stretch of the old railway line. This is scheduled for Friday 25th June (if too cold/wet to go it will be on the following Friday – 2nd July.
This is always a popular event (around 60 people attended in 2019), not least as glow worms are nationally scarce and locally very rare.
This year numbers attending will be limited to 30 pre-booked spaces – reflecting the Government’s limit on numbers attending outdoor events – from 17th May.
Whilst it is possible all restrictions on numbers will be lifted by 21st June, it would be a hostage to fortune to currently assume that IS going to happen. So, to avoid disappointment we are following the current number limit on such events.
Booking for the glow worm walk is free, but is on a ‘first come first served’ basis – but with a reserve list maintained. We will use this reserve list to fill received cancellations or if restrictions are further eased by the date of the event.
For more details/to reserve your place please contact our Secretary, David Wilson, using : david.wilson65@icloud.com or 07970 304169. Please provide/note he will ask you for: your name and contact information, plus the names of those coming with you.
INSTRUCTIONS: We will meet at 10.30pm by the old railway bridge on Station Road, Hodnet. Come in suitable footwear and clothing. Dogs on leads OK, children too (leads not needed!). Torches may be useful for the homeward walk, which is usually around 11.45pm/Midnight.
IMPORTANT: In consideration of those who may not wish to be part of a larger/unstructured party please do not try to attend this event if you are not able to officially book on. You can of course visit under your own steam on another evening if you wish. Warm dry evenings as it goes dark, from mid June to mid July, are the best times to spot our glow worms. They usually lurk at the base of tufts of grass/straggly vegetation on the edge of the short grassed areas of the old railway line embankment between Hodnet and Wollerton. Look for a pale green/white spot of light.
John Ruscoe is a local historian presently researching the history of the Bear Hotel, Hodnet. He is interested in any information on any of the previous Tenants and Landlords before 1970, old photographs and anything else about The Bear.
He would be very grateful for any help that anyone is able to give and is contactable via email: johnruscoe1965@gmail.com
You will be well aware that our area suffers from speeding vehicles whenever there is a problem on the A41 or A49 as the country lanes are used as a cut through by diverted traffic and, also, on Thursday evenings when motorbike riders meet-up at the cafe by the A41 Truck stop.
The Parish Council wishes (with the support of West Mercia Police) to set-up a team of no less than six volunteers to receive training from the WM Police and to act as a Community Speedwatch.
If you are interested in being part of a solution, please contact Steve Freeman on 01630 684240, who has volunteered to act as Coordinator.
Police vetting forms will need to be completed by the volunteers.
Entrepreneurs from across Shropshire are invited to take part in a free programme aimed at helping them build and grow their businesses.
NatWest has teamed up with the Marches Growth Hub, to deliver the bank’s Business Builder programme across to businesses in both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.
Business Builder has been developed and tailored to support businesses and entrepreneurs at all stages, whether they are just starting out or already established. The programme is free, and participants don’t have to be a NatWest customer to join.
Business Builder includes a portal which hosts modular content of bitesize, self-led modules which cover the three main pillars of business support: growth, mindset and financial support. It also includes access to a Facebook group with more than 5,000 members to share skills and experiences with.
Over the coming months, NatWest and the Marches Growth Hub, will be offering a series of 10 Business Builder workshops.
For more information or to register, visit: https://natwestbusinessbuilder.com/?ref=MEE
That headline got your attention!
However, this is nothing to do with the esteemed doctors of today’s Hodnet Medical Centre, but relates to an Feb 1886 Newspaper article, topical at the time, that was this week posted on Facebook’s ‘Shropshire Tales, History & Memories page’.
The article comes from Eddowes’s Shrewsbury Journal, and around 20 years after his death it seems Dr Walmsley was clearly still well remembered – perhaps as he seems to have been Hodnet’s first recognisable resident GP as well as a bit of a character.
At least two of his early medicine bottles survive, see picture of one of them below.
Note. The writer is always interested in acquiring more local old bottles and containers, so if you’ve got some to re-home, maybe after a ‘lockdown clear out’, please do get in touch via email at Contact Me
The Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust are looking for people to join their new Response Volunteer Scheme at their hospital sites in Shrewsbury and Telford. Volunteers that can respond to service pressures and demands will provide key support to wards and departments, particularly in the difficult winter months, when they see a high rise in demand.
Response volunteers are assigned to a hospital rather than a specific ward or department. These volunteers carry a mobile phone, which means staff can contact them from across the hospital to provide help where it is most needed, when it is most needed. They will be able to do a wide variety of tasks including pharmacy runs, tasks to support the discharge team, delivering patient belongings and messages to the ward and supporting staff welfare.
If you are interested in finding out more about the role and the application process, please contact the Public Participation Team on 01743261473 or email sath.members@nhs.net.
Shropshire Council has launched a new grant scheme to support the county’s businesses which have been affected by the current coronavirus lockdown.
This is a discretionary fund aimed at those who are not eligible to apply for the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG). It includes organisations which:
Applicants who were successful in the first round of funding made available in November 2020 are being asked not to apply again, as these applications will be reassessed and businesses will be awarded any grant money as appropriate. However, those who think that they are eligible for this new round of funding are being encouraged to apply.
The grant fund will be open for applications until Sunday 21 February 2021, but this closing date will depend on the end of the current lockdown and is subject to available funding remaining available.
For further information, and how to apply people should visit the council’s website https://shropshire.gov.uk/covid19darg
The Mobile Police Station and the Safer Neighbourhood Team will again be in Hodnet on 1st February, between 11:15 – 12:15. They will be located near the village shop/church steps.
They hope that people will pop in to discuss any concerns or issues they might have.
