In this week's edition of WNTV News, with water levels rising and predictions of flooding, I film another otter whilst keeping an eye on the flood levels, Tina talks to Nathan Avard about the new Ross Town Planning Committee, Silva perform at the Prince of Wales and we cover Ross 2nds as they play an important league match against Ledbury.

The programme also includes the first part of a two part video review of 2006, using much footage which has not previously been shown. Part One begins with February's snow - including a rather sad view of the last 'Wyenot Mobile' parked safely 'off road' in the snow, before it was written off due to a dangerous driver and a large dose of bureaucratic lunacy. Seeing it makes me particularly sad as my mother gave me the car as a birthday present before she died.

The review finishes with a great 'Jamstand' performance by the fantastic and funny young rap band, 'The Anomalies'. I recorded this great performance but did not broadcast it at the time due to lack of space as we ran the whole of the Dark side of the Moon.

Get any WNTV News programme on DVD

If you would like a DVD quality version of any of the WNTV News programmes produced so far, a DVD can be purchased at a cost of £5.00 per issue plus postage and packing if necessary. Email or call for info.

WNTV will also be available to watch in DVD quality soon at the Heritage Centre. Details to follow (when I have installed the equipment - probably this week).

Staff and Governors of Weston-under-Penyard Church of England Primary School, which has been teaching children from the village since 1886, were shocked to be told that they are one of several local schools being considered for closure and amalgamation - in the case of Weston School, with Lea Primary School.

Head of Children's Services for Herefordshire Council informed Headteachers at a meeting on Thursday, 10th January, triggering the start of a very brief 8 week period of consultation at the end of which the final proposal will be put to the Council Cabinet for ratification.

Weston-under-Penyard School is a successful and thriving rural school with an excellent reputation for nurturing all their pupils, and providing them with the best possible start on their educational journey. The main reason given for amalgamation in Herefordshire is to address the falling roll situation.

We are proud that Weston School has not only maintained its number on roll but has increased the number of children attending, bucking the general trend in the county. The closure of the school will have a disastrous affect on the entire village. The School, the Church and the Village Hall are all inter-dependant and much of village life centres around these connections.

To close the school would destroy community cohesion and remove many of the very reasons the villagers have for coming together. Closing the school affects not only those with children. A village without a school is a less attractive place to live, property values and planning applications will reflect this.

Action is already being taken to fight the closure, hopefully ensuring that the school remains open and at the heart of this village community.

There will be a public meeting held at Weston-under-Penyard Village Hall on Thursday 17th January at 7:00pm - all welcome. Please come and support our school.

Ross-on-Wye Town Band would like to thank the people of Ross and Ledbury for their generosity over the Christmas period. The funds raised will be helping to launch our Training Band.

The Band is currently riding high with 29 members and a rapidly filling diary for 2008. However, the future of any band lies within its investment in new players and we are therefore re-establishing our training band in order to secure our future. All the local schools have been contacted but the Band would also like to extend an invitation to anyone who plays, has played or would like to learn to play a brass or percussion instrument, to come along and join us.

The Training Band welcomes people of all ages and abilities, we will provide instruments, where possible, and group tuition. Individual lessons with a qualified teacher are also available at a reasonable cost. We ask that members are dedicated, attend regularly and strive to improve their playing. We also encourage parents to learn and attend with their children so they can support each other in their music making

Continued . . .

The Senior Band welcomes competent players of all ages. A Band can't function without the help of a committee to look after the 'behind the scenes' organization and we have a small dedicated committee of players and non-players who perform these tasks. There is however, always room for anyone with a little time to spare and an interest in keeping Ross-on-Wye Town Band at the forefront of music in the area.

Ross Band, now the only traditional style Brass Band in Herefordshire, has been entertaining the public since the 1850s and played at the opening of Ross Railway Station in 1855. In the ensuing 150 years or so fortunes have fluctuated and there have been times when the Band has come close to folding. There was a break in 1940 for the duration of the war and again in 1973 then the Band reformed in 1985. Now in its 23rd year the Band, consisting of amateur brass and percussion players who enjoy playing and entertaining people, concentrates on concert performances as well as playing at local fetes etc. but is non-contesting.

We have played for the Lords Lieutenant of Hereford and Gloucester and the late Sir John Harvey Jones, who was our President for some years, we have also participated in the making of a promotional video for Sainsbury Supermarkets. The Band has travelled to Betzdorf, Germany and Condé, France with the Ross Twinning Associations and is looking forward to performing again with the Morriston RFC Male Voice Choir, at their home town, Morriston, Wales in December and in Ross in 2009.

Look out for the Band throughout the year, starting with a concert in the Baptist Church on 12th April and then kicking off the summer series of Bands on the Bandstand on 26th May. We are also booked to play at Ross Hospital, Weston-under-Penyard, Llangrove School and Merton House.

If you are interested in joining, booking or helping the Band in any capacity please contact Viv Lee-Hynes on 01594 860497.

See also this week's WNTV News, which contains a review of 2006 for some Ross Town Band performances.

WYETOTS
Walford, Ross-on-Wye

Quality Childcare from birth to 11 years

Jo Gilmour Ofsted registered Childminder

Please call 01989 564173 or email JO@wyetots.co.uk for vacancies

PAUL AND STEVE RANDELL
GENERAL BUILDERS

Extensions - Renovations - Brickwork
Stonework - Floor Laying - Roofing

Telephone Paul on 01989 564112
Mobile 07812 564112
Steve on 07971 535064

There was a great atmosphere in the Prince of Wales on Saturday night as local band 'Silva' performed blues and dance numbers to a packed house. The music was good, everybody seemed to be in good spirits and it was just one of those happy occasions.

Hello to the Walford crowd who found out about music nights at the Prince from 'Wyenot News'. We look forward to seeing you on your next minibus visit.

Sorry Holly and Paul - I did not recognize you at the time, being with the band and all that. I thought your faces were familiar but I could not place you and it was not until we arrived back home that Tina reminded me that I had filmed you earlier last year at the Con Club. Not recognizing you was nothing personal - my short term memory for people is just useless. I enjoyed your music very much.

An extract from this event can be seen in this week's WNTV News programme.

Happy Birthday to Andrew Walker of Walford! Andrew (middleish in the photo) celebrated his 40 something birthday at the Prince on Saturday evening with friends, Jo and Greame Gilmour, Barry Hankison, Clive Hauton, Rachel Capone, Anna Hutch and Maggie Robinson.

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Following the tragic death of a baby who died after being scalded by water from a hot water tank which had a faulty thermometer, Herefordshire Council has urged tenants, private landlords and homeowners to watch out for telltale warning signs with their water system to help prevent any further tragedies.

The guidance, based on Health and Safety Executive alerts, has warned that particular consideration should be given to hot water systems over 10 years old and systems where homeowners and landlords may have other reason to suspect the adequacy of the initial installation or any subsequent work.

The warning signs people in any home should look out for include:

• Excessively hot water coming out of the hot water taps.
• Excessive noise or 'bubbling' from the hot water cylinder.
• Hot water coming out of certain cold water taps (some storage cisterns also feed cold water taps in the bathroom).
• Steam/moisture in the roof space.

Councillor John Jarvis, Herefordshire Council's Cabinet Member for the Environment and Strategic Housing, said, 'Councils treat their role of protecting tenants and local residents exceptionally seriously and will do everything within their power to prevent any further tragic losses of life through faulty thermostats. Local people with systems more than ten years old should be aware of how to spot whether their thermostat is faulty and who to contact to get it fixed as quickly as possible. Homeowners should be aware and alert to the warning signs that appear when a thermostat becomes faulty. We are committed to putting people first and will help local residents to ensure that the right advice or remedy is made to try and prevent any future awful tragedies.'

Mr. Tony Blows, Landlord of the Dog Inn public house at Ewyas Harold, will be appearing at Hereford Magistrates Court on Monday, 21st January to face charges laid by Herefordshire Council under the new smoke-free legislation.

Mr Blows has pleaded not guilty to all three charges laid by Herefordshire Council for offences under the new smoke-free legislation which came into effect in England on 1st July 2007 and his trial will be presided over by a district judge. He denies the charges below:

1. Mr Tony Blows being a person responsible for the management of the Dog Inn public house, Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire failed to discharge a duty to which he was subject by section 8 (4) of the Health Act 2006, namely as the person in control (or concerned in the management) of smoke-free premises, did fail in his duty to cause persons smoking there to stop smoking on the evening of Saturday, August 4 2007.

2. Mr Tony Blows did, on the evening of Saturday August 4, 2007, smoke cigarettes contrary to Section 7(2) of the Health Act 2006 in premises, namely the Dog Inn public house, Ewyas Harold, that are smoke free by virtue of Section 2 of the Health Act 2006.

3. Mr Tony Blows being a person responsible for the management of the Dog Inn public house, Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire failed to discharge a duty to which he was subject by section 8 (4) of the Health Act 2006, namely as the person in control (or concerned in the management) of smoke-free premises, did fail in his duty to cause persons smoking there to stop smoking on the afternoon of Monday July 23, 2007.

The absolute deadline for Wyenot News stories and other items is 12:00, midday on Tuesday, for inclusion in the following day's edition.

PLEASE NOTE HOWEVER: This is an absolute deadline and not the time I am asking for articles to be sent in. Mondays and Tuesdays here at 'Wyenot News' are Hell with by far, the most events I cover occurring at the weekend. The photography that the public sees happening is only one tiny part of the whole picture (please excuse the pun) of running this weekly news publication and the bits of prep that people do not see, are actually the most time consuming part of getting the story out.

If at all possible, please send your story in as early as you can, rather than wait until the very last minute, so that I can have at least a fighting chance of getting to bed before 3:00 am every Tuesday and Wednesday morning after what has lately become two 18 hour working days on the trot.

Thank you very much for your understanding and help.

Alan

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