Pershore Town Newsletter
Autumn 2021
Town Hall Opening Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Friday: 10:00am – 1:00pm
Visitor Information centre currently based at the Town Hall
Welcome from the Town Clerk…
Welcome to the Autumn edition of the Town Council Newsletter, and another year is quickly drawing to a close.
It has been a really difficult eighteen months for everyone in many different ways, but it was good to see the weekend of activities arranged for the August Bank Holiday – thank you to everyone involved in what must have been a difficult weekend to organise.
The Town Council is looking forward to the annual Remembrance Day and the switching on of the Christmas Lights.
Both these events had to be cancelled last year and we are all hoping that 2021 will see them take place, so enabling the town both to remember and to celebrate. It is also hoped that the annual Cemetery Christmas Service will be able to go ahead, but again all these events are dependent upon Government Guidance at the time. Please keep an eye on the Town Council website for updates on these events.
Ann Dobbins
A message from the Mayor and Consort…
Pershore presents a real blaze of colour for both residents and visitors at present thanks to the great efforts of many individuals and shopkeepers offering a variety of plants and blooms in hanging baskets and planters to welcome people to our town centre.
This coupled with the recent change in the weather after such a gloomy August appears to have lifted spirits as the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions continues and trade in the town returns to normal with one or two new shops and others expanding or moving house! Have seen the central car park virtually full on a number of recent occasions.
Although a number of the town’s annual attractions such as the Carnival, Midsummer Brass and the Jazz Festival have sadly had to be cancelled this year it was good to see the successful efforts to revive Pershore’s Plum Festival over the Bank Holiday weekend. A scaled down event still saw a good number of craft and food stalls, live music events, and a funfair for the youngsters or the young at heart! Efforts to restore the other annual town events mentioned continue and let’s hope – and work – so that we can see them all restored in 2022.
Another town organisation which has been struggling a little this year mainly due to the difficulties in organising recording sessions due to lockdown restrictions is the Pershore Talking Newspaper, this year celebrating its 40th anniversary. However normal service is now being resumed and volunteers have recently produced their delayed special 1,000th edition. Having served as both a reader and news selector over the years – my father was one of the original team of readers – I have decided to make the Pershore Talking Newspaper my Mayor’s charity this year.
Julian and Helen
Mayors Charity: Pershore Talking Newspaper
News travels around the world so quickly today because it is easy to access via TV, national and local radio and newspapers, and social media. BBC Hereford and Worcester does a great job of providing audio news from around the two counties but truly localised Pershore news is much more difficult if you are unable to read the local newspapers. This was true in 1981 when Alec and Gee Nelmes founded Pershore Talking Newspaper and it is still true today.
The free audio news service is a lifeline for the residents of Pershore and its surrounding villages who are blind, partially sighted or otherwise reading-disabled.
PTN had planned to celebrate their 1000th edition in May 2020 but a certain pandemic scuppered that! Joan and Peter May kept on recording emergency editions throughout the pandemic and it was only in June 2021 that “normal service” resumed. The emergency editions were not numbered, so June saw the sequence resumed and the 1000th edition was recorded on July 27th.
December 14th will see the 40th anniversary of the first edition and Pershore Talking Newspaper is grateful to the Town Mayor, Julian Palfrey, for inviting them to hold a celebratory Coffee Morning on Saturday December 11th, at the Town Hall. Julian’s father was one of the original set of volunteers and Julian followed in his footsteps. Do come and support us and help us celebrate (entry fee is £2.50 and includes coffee or tea – and cake!)
The Paper remains very popular and highly valued by its listeners. As well as keeping them informed about local news, it is designed to be an entertaining listen and usually includes a feature, a “what’s on in Pershore” section and some articles from a selection of national magazines. We currently have about 35 individual listeners who are provided with the recordings on a memory stick and given a simple player for free. Our recordings are also played to residents in some of the local Residential Homes.
If you know someone who has difficulty reading the printed word and who would like to receive the Paper please contact Grace Garland on
07772 794 050 or see our website
News
VISIT TO PERSHORE COLLEGE
Members of Pershore Town Council recently accepted a welcome invitation from the Director of Pershore College to visit the campus and see first hand the work that is going on.
Pershore is now promoting itself as the “caring” college in the Warwickshire Group and offers courses looking after animals, plants and now people in Health and Social Care opportunities.
The visit included a tour of the greenhouses, commercial and retail plant areas as well as the animal care section where traditional farm animals were looked after alongside more unusual species such as terrapins and chinchillas as well as various types of lizard. There was an explanation of the work of the Agritech centre and the technologies being used to grow food and other crops sustainably.
The college has recently undergone an extensive programme of refurbishment with new facilities for their growing student population.
The visit was rounded off with a tour of the on site cider making facilities where small apple growers from the area are invited to bring their produce to be made into a traditional cider or, alternatively, simply take away as juice. Not only that but the person in charge has no fewer than 100 bee hives!
Lots of opportunities are available, and on our doorstep—why not have a look on the website
PERSHORE LEADS THE WAY IN TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE
Pershore Town Council were the first council in the county of Worcestershire to secure funding under the Public Sector Energy Efficiency programme (PEEP). PEEP provides free energy assessments and grant funding to support organisations to improve the energy efficiency of their public buildings and invest in renewable energy technologies.
Pershore Town Council have installed Solar PV panels to the roof of the Town Hall. From installation completion on 14th July to 19th August 2021, the Solar PV panels had saved 310kg of carbon, which is the equivalent of 14 trees being planted.
It is hoped the Town Council can begin to export energy back to the grid before too long, which in turn will benefit the Town Council financially.
For more information on the actions the Climate Emergency and Biodiversity groups are taking, please visit our website.
HOW WE CAN ALL DO OUR BIT
Climate Change and the effect it is having on this country and the world has been in the news a lot lately with forest fires, flooding and powerful storms. Alongside this a meeting will be taking place in Glasgow at the end of October, bringing parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Everyone can do their bit to help with this, and if you would like to know more, the Town Council Climate Emergency and Biodiversity groups will be holding a free drop in session at the Town Hall on Saturday 2nd October from 10.00am to 12 noon. As well as helping you to look at what changes you might make, we are sure a lot of residents are already doing great things and we hope that this exchange of ideas will enable the town itself to reduce its carbon footprint. Anyone is welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing you.
Please note that the Town Council still asks people walking around to wear masks when in the Council Chamber.
Mayors Charity Events
Save the Date!
Friday November 12th
Quiz Evening with Fish and Chips.
Teams of four required!
Pershore Library. 7.00 pm
Saturday December 11th
Coffee Morning at Pershore Town Hall.
10.00 am—12 noon
In aid of Pershore Talking Newspaper
Pershore Rotary Tree of Remembrance Appeal 2021
In 2020 the people of Pershore raised over £3,000 for Acorns Children’s Hospice and the Pershore Rotary Grants Scheme (PRoGS). This year, with your help, we are supporting:
St Richard’s Hospice, Acorns Children’s Hospice & PRoGS
Families throughout the UK have suffered the loss of relatives, friends and colleagues due to Covid-19. Remember them and other loved ones by supporting our 2021 Appeal. Please donate online, or contact Rotary for a form.
The Pershore Rotary Tree of Remembrance 2021 Appeal will continue throughout the Christmas period. Personal information is only used for this Appeal and for Gift Aid (if applicable). It is not shared with any other party.
ALLOTMENT NEWS
As we see ourselves moving away from Summer and getting closer to Autumn, the emphasis on most allotment plots moves from cultivation to harvesting… we think some of you will be reaching for the preserving jars ready for making some lovely chutneys and preserves, which I am sure go down well as gifts over the festive period.
All that hard work over the past few months is certainly looking like it is paying off. During our site visits and meeting new tenants, we have had 18 since last October, we have encountered some amazing plots and watched them change from bare soil to incredible fruit and vegetable plots!
As you may have noticed, we are seeing some changes to the seasons due to climate change, which is beginning to affect the way in which we cultivate our crops. The best advice is to work with climate change and perhaps start thinking about growing certain fruit and vegetables that will tolerate these changes. There’s lots of free advice particularly about climate change relating to allotments on the National Allotment Society website, which may be worth a look so that you can make more informed decisions about future choices.
If at anytime you have any questions, or you are struggling to manage your plot, please pop into the Town Hall or contact us on 01386 561561 to see how we may be able to help you.
Pershore Wellbeing Hub
Pershore Wellbeing Hub has been open for 10 weeks now and we are really pleased that we have already had over 300 visitors. We have helped with a wide variety of issues such as anxiety, loneliness, coping with official forms such as attendance allowance and blue badges, bereavement, and seeking advice about other organisations. We have referred people onto such places as No. 8, the Leisure Centre, The Riverside Centre, and the NHS social Prescribing and Wellbeing Team.
Our website has been helping people when we are not open, and contains lots of advice on how to lead a healthier, happier life under the “Your Wellbeing” section.
You may have seen us out on the pavement chatting to passers-by, and it’s been lovely to be greeted by tourists visiting our town as well, who have been impressed about how friendly Pershore is. We really do live in a great community.
Please drop in and see us at No. 4 High Street
“The Hub helped me apply for my Attendance Allowance. I now use this to get a taxi into town and back”
“ Thankyou for listening. I was so worried, but you really helped me, and I now know what I need to do”
“You have given me courage”
Wednesday, Thursday Friday 10am – 3pm
Fancy becoming part of our team?
Sign up as a volunteer on our website
Pershore Heritage and History Society
A Sad Tale
This is a sad story of two brothers, sons of Daniel and Louisa Panter from Broughton Nr. Pershore. First the eldest William who was born in 1867, had a shocking accident near Wrexham.
The CHESHIRE OBSERVER reported on 16th AUGUST 1884 there was a SHOCKING RAILWAY FATALITY near WREXHAM: The details of which were, on Monday evening, Mr. Benjamin H. Thelwall, Denbigh County Coroner, held an enquiry at Gresford, as to the cause of death of William Panter, son of Mr. Daniel Panter, builder and contractor, Broughton, Nr, Worcester.
It seems that the deceased, who was 17 years of age, had been in the employ of Mr. Johnson, contractor Great Western Railway Company, for the past three months as an assistant carpenter. On Saturday afternoon last he was engaged with others carrying out an extension of the platform at Gresford Station. In trying to get out of the way of an up goods train, he failed to notice the approach of the down express from Hereford, and the guard of the engine caught him and dragged him along for about 40 yards. When picked up it was found that his body was “cut all to pieces” as one of the witnesses described it.
The deceased was a member of the Blue Ribbon Army, and very much liked by his fellow workmen. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death”
To explain the Blue Ribbon army, was a Temperance crusade, to stop all alcohol drinking, both sides of the Atlantic and Australia.
The poster shows the pledge My Word & Honour God Helping Me to Abstain From All Intoxicating Drinks, which members of the Blue Ribbon army took.
William is buried at Pershore Cemetery with his younger brother Francis. The brother’s headstone reads “In loving memory of William Panter the beloved son of Daniel & Louisa Panter who was killed by a train while at work at Gresford Station Denbighshire North Wales August 9th 1884 in the 18th year of his age Death comes in unexpected forms at unknown hours To-morrow we may never see, Today alone is ours “Watch therefore for ye know neither the day or the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh”
Francis John Panter who died in St. Johns Military Hospital Barry Island June 11th 1919 aged 37years Thy will be done.
Francis John Panter the younger of the two sons was born in1882. He served in the army as Private number 81940, in the Kings Liverpool Regiment. He died 11 Jun 1919 from tuberculosis, a disability he caught while on duty.
Written by Anthony Wittenberg.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINIBUS DRIVERS
We have a new project that we are hoping to start in the Autumn to provide daily minibus transport for individuals to attend college
We want to assemble a team of volunteer drivers so that we can provide this essential service on a regular basis
If you:
- Have the skills and empathy to support vulnerable adults
- Can spare 2 or 3 hours a week on a regular basis and be flexible to help cover holidays
We will:
- Ask you to complete a registration and agreement form
- Provide full training, including Emergency First Aid
- Pay out-of-pocket expenses
- Provide DBS check
To find out more, please contact Angi or Donna
By telephone: 01386 554299
VOLUNTEER PASSENGER ASSISTANT OPPORTUNITIES
We have a new project that we are hoping to start in the Autumn to provide daily minibus transport for individuals to attend college
We want to assemble a team of passenger assistants so that we can provide this essential service on a regular basis
If you:
- Have the skills and empathy to support vulnerable adults
- Can spare 2 hours a week on a regular basis and be flexible to help cover holidays
We will:
- Ask you to complete a registration and agreement form
- Provide full training, including Emergency First Aid
- Pay out-of-pocket expenses
- Provide DBS check.
To find out more, please contact Angi or Donna
By telephone: 01386 554299
Progress on the Wetland
Those of you visiting Avon Meadows will have seen that the hay cut has been taken, baled and removed. This year saw our second largest hay crop at 66 tonnes. We believe that this was due in part to the frequency of flooding and consequent introduction of nutrients into the soil which drained from farmland upstream over the winter. Ken Pomfret has continued to run work parties (less than 6 people) to keep the paths clear during this period of rapid growth. Many thanks to Ken and the volunteers who helped with the hard work for the benefit of us all.
The dipping platform path is still to have gravel laid and culverts are to be created where the footbridges have been removed in the North Meadows. One of the consequences of COVID is that we have all been doing DIY resulting in a shortages and cost increases of building materials. This has resulted in a delay to the planned work on Avon Meadows.
The work of monitoring the species of wildflowers and grasses growing on Avon Meadows has been continuing quietly under the guidance of Ken and Gwen Pomfret. A short summary of the current position is set out below. The basis of the development of wildflower meadows is that the nutrients in the soil must be reduced so that the wild flowers can out-compete the grasses. This is achieved on Avon Meadows by taking an annual hay cut, introducing sheep to graze each autumn and harrowing the meadows from time to time to partially break down the grass roots. The main counter effect to these efforts is flooding whereby silt and nutrients are washed down from upstream farmland. Over the last 12 months, there have been several flooding events as a result of which we were unable to safely bring sheep onto the meadows to graze last autumn. Additionally hot, dry periods in spring will not have helped young wildflower seedlings grow. It is likely that nutrients have built up considerably resulting in an excellent hay crop this year but recent surveys show very small number and variety of wild flowers (with the exception of buttercups!
Expert advice is that we should not worry too much as the seed bank will persist in the ground. Until now we had been making good progress with wild flowers but it does seem to be a case of two steps forward and one step back! We plan to extend the grazing period with the sheep in the autumn (weather permitting) and take a series of soil samples for nutrient testing to confirm our suspicions. All we can do then is to hope for more favourable weather conditions.
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Newsletter published by
Pershore Town Council
Town Hall, 34 High Street, Pershore WR10 1DS
Town Clerk: Mrs Ann Dobbins ACIB t: 01386 561561 e: [email protected]