EDITORIAL
News: Aston Ingham, Bromsash, Lea, Linton, Upton Bishop & Combined.
GORSLEY NEWS
News: Aston Ingham, Bromsash, Lea, Linton, Upton Bishop & Combined.
News: Aston Ingham, Gorsley, Bromsash, Linton, Upton Bishop & Combined.
LEA NEWS
VILLAGE SHOP IS A MIDLANDS FINALIST IN THE RURAL OSCARS!
Lea Village Stores is a Midlands finalist in the 2026 Countryside Alliance Awards for best village shop and post office! The public can vote for the winner of this category (see link below).
Voting closes at midnight on Monday April 6th, with the winner being announced in mid-April. So, if you have not yet voted, this is your chance to help our wonderful village stores represent the Midlands in the next round and potentially go on to win the ‘Rural Oscar’ for the best village shop and post office in England!
Having chatted with Michelle and Mark about this accolade, they don’t actually know who nominated them for this award, but they are thrilled of course. Anyone who lives in The Lea will not be surprised they are finalists – we know how important our village stores is to our community. We also know how much hard work and love Michelle and Mark pour into their business – they always go that extra mile to make sure the shop is open for long hours and well stocked with all the essentials as well as with special treats, many of which are sourced locally. Michelle’s ever-changing decorations to match the seasons are always a joy to see.
I am sure the whole village wishes them the best of luck and is crossing fingers for the announcement of the results!
To register your vote, use this link: www.research.net/r/CAA26MCA
For more information on the ‘Rural Oscars’ go to www.countryside-alliance.org Search for ‘2026 Countryside Alliance Awards’, then scroll down for the Midlands finalists.
OUR VILLAGE PUB IS ALSO A WINNER!
The Crown Inn has recently been awarded the Booking.com Traveller Review Award 2026!
The owners wish to convey their thanks to Maria and Maisie, the housekeeping team, for their continuous meticulous standards at the establishment.
Easter Monday - 6th April - Quiz Night, these are proving very popular events, so to book your Team in please call The Crown Inn on 01989 554100.
Friday 17th April - we will celebrate the First Anniversary of the re-opening of The Crown Inn with Live Music, please visit The Crown’s Facebook page for details.
NEWS FROM LEA CHURCH
Hello everyone and hope this finds you all well!
It has certainly been nice to see all the daffodils, wild and planted, blooming in the lanes and fields; in the churchyard all the primroses are coming out and looking very pretty. The trees are coming into bud and starting to look green again - Spring is on its way!
At the church we are nearing the end of Lent and looking forward to the Easter weekend. We start with a Benefice service on Palm Sunday 29th March (complete with pony) at 10.30am, followed by the Holy Week Walks through from Sunday to Thursday which goes between the churches in the Benefice. They are lovely walks and a great way to see the countryside from a different angle! If you wish to join us, just look up the details, they should be shown in your church porch. There is a small service at the starting and finishing churches every day. There will be a Children's church workshop at Lea Church on Good Friday at 10am which usually involves the building of the Easter Garden in the porch. Our Easter Sunday service is at 9.30am with refreshments served afterwards. All are welcome to come and celebrate the most important event in the Church's calendar!
The Crown Inn very kindly held a Quiz Night at the beginning of March for the benefit of the church, which was very well attended. Thanks to Richard and his team for their hospitality and raffle prizes! Similarly, the Pancake Day Races in February were well supported and our thanks go to all who came along, donated and mainly to Chris Rivers who very kindly cooked all the delicious pancakes which were enjoyed by everyone!
We have a Spring Fayre on 28th March at Lea Village Hall from 10.30am - 1.30pm with stalls and raffle! We will be serving jacket potatoes with various fillings along with refreshments to include hot cross buns! Free entrance, all in aid of Lea Church.
Best wishes to you all for a very Happy Easter (don't eat too many Easter eggs!) from us all at St John the Baptist, Lea.
WORLD BOOK DAY CELEBRATIONS AT LEA CE PRIMARY SCHOOL AND GATEWAY LODGE NURSERY
How many characters can you spot at
World Book Day, Lea C of E Primary School ?
On Thursday 5th March, Lea CE Primary School and Gateway Lodge Nursery celebrated World Book Day!
The day was a wonderful opportunity to promote the joy of reading and celebrate the many stories that inspire our children. To mark the occasion, children were invited to come to school dressed as a character from their favourite book. It was fantastic to see such a wide range of creative costumes around the school, with children proudly sharing the stories behind their chosen characters.
As part of our celebrations, we also held a sponsored read. Children spent time reading throughout the day to help raise money for new books and reading resources for our school. We are incredibly grateful for the support from families in encouraging children to take part and helping us continue to develop our reading provision.
Another highlight of the day was creating a whole-school display of our favourite books and stories. Each child produced a piece of artwork inspired by their favourite book, which was then combined to form a display in the school hall, celebrating the stories our children love most.
It has been wonderful to see the diverse range of books enjoyed across our school and nursery.
We finished the day with a second-hand book swap in the hall. Children brought in books they had already enjoyed and exchanged them for a different one to take home. This meant that every child left school with a “new” book to read and enjoy.
To continue the celebrations at home, all children also took home their World Book Day vouchers, which can be used to purchase one of the special £1 World Book Day books.
It was a truly fantastic day celebrating reading, creativity, and the joy of sharing stories. Thank you to all our staff and families for helping to make World Book Day such a success!
To arrange a visit, please contact Rachel in the school office on Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
We can’t wait to meet you and show you why, at Lea, “Everyone counts!”
LEA PLAY AND CHAT
At Play and Chat we are continuing to explore learning through play with small world, playdough, sand and much more. We have welcomed new families to the group and enjoyed a singing session put on by Katherine who runs Tots in Tune; the children had the opportunity to make musical shakers before she came. We have celebrated Mother's Day and enjoyed Easter crafts. We will be opening the doors for outdoor play (weather permitting) in the summer term.
Come along and join us on Friday morning 9.00 - 10.30am Lea Primary School Hall. Everyone is welcome.
LEA VILLAGE HALL
Lea Village Hall is pleased to announce a visiting Italian Pizza van from ‘Pizzeria Italiana 2020’, starting on Thursday 9th April between 5.30- 8.00pm in the car park close to our building. You can check out their credentials and menu on their Facebook page and on-line: https://www.pizzeriaitaliana2020.com
This is a trial, which we hope you will welcome and use. We need to advise that orders are placed, and a time slot is arranged, 24h in advance, so they know how many pizzas to prepare and also if there are enough orders as, due to the distance, it will need at least 40/50 to make it worthwhile. Orders can be made by text or call on: Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page – mention Lea Village Hall.
Please support this new venture which will provide a small donation to Lea Village Hall on each visit.
In other areas, Trustees of Lea Village Hall are working hard to support new ideas and encourage further take up of our premises. Hire costs are currently being considered to ensure fairness to our residents/ regular users.
Children’s parties are most welcome - the large area inside the hall allows for plenty of space for excited children to let off steam. Being able to spill out into the patio area, or swings, is also a bonus. Do contact our Booking Secretary, Liz Reeson, if you wish to take up the idea. By checking our website you will see the diary, to ensure your preferred date is free before contacting her, and then you can even complete the form on-line: leavillagehall.com or call
Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
LEA VILLAGE HALL 100 CLUB
In line with just about everything else, we are increasing, very slightly, the cost of a 100 Club entry, to £20. But the prize money will increase as well: the 1st prize will be £30, the 2nd - £15 and the 3rd - £10. The two £100 prizes stay the same. It still remains a good way for everyone to contribute to the Village Hall costs, and at the same time be in with a chance of a windfall.
Please note: If you pay by bank transfer our bank account has changed, so please get in touch wgalker522@gmail.com
Thank you to everyone who joins in.
Winners for February:
1st Prize £25 – Angela Kirton
2nd Prize £10 – Sarah Pierce
3rd Prize £5 – N Price
LEA CAFÉ
March coffee morning was nice and busy with lots of old faces, but also nice to see some new ones.
The next one falls on April Fool's Day, Wednesday 1st April from 10am at the village hall. A couple of things on that:
Firstly, Herefordshire Fire Safety will be having a table with someone who can offer free advice about our homes and property.
Secondly, there will be a table for a Plant Seed Swap so do bring along any surplus seeds or plants you are happy to share and hopefully pick up something different for your own pots or garden.
Lastly about this year's annual day out on Wednesday 3rd June. We will be visiting Corsham Court & Gardens, followed by the National Trust village of Lacock, followed by Afternoon Tea. To be clear about the cost, all regular coffee morning attendees will pay a total cost for the day of £10. We have a waiting list for any other Lea residents who may like to go and that will be at a total cost for the day of £22.50.
Contact me, Gill Davis on Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page with any queries.
LEA LUNCH CLUB
The lunch club meets again on Wednesday 29th April at 12.30pm in the village hall. We have a waiting list for the lunch, so if you’re interested in coming along, please speak to Nicky on Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page. Priority is always given to Lea residents
LEA FRIDAY PAINTERS
Join us at our regular Friday morning meetings at the village hall, starting at 9.00am. Hope to see you there. For any queries contact Di Brice: Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page.
THE LEA PARISH COUNCIL
The agenda and full minutes of Parish Council meetings are available on the Lea Parish Council website www.theleaparishcouncil.gov.uk
Anyone in the parish can contact the council by e-mailing Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page.
The next meeting of the Parish Council is on Wednesday 27th May at 7pm at the Village Hall. Please come along or submit any questions/queries via the Clerk. Meet your councillors and become involved in the village management. Please submit any questions via the email address above.
The Lea Parish Council has a vacancy for a Parish Footpath Officer (PFO)
This vital voluntary role involves surveying, maintaining and enhancing the Public Rights of Way (PROW) network within the Parish of Lea.
Key Responsibilities are:
• Carry out regular surveys of public rights of way within Lea parish within established PROW survey protocols.
• Perform basic vegetation clearance around signposts, gates and stiles using hand tools.
• Inform the PROW inspector and Parish Clerk of any issues that you cannot easily fix yourself or are of safety concern.
• Carry out way-marking as may be needed.
• Report issues on the network via the Herefordshire Council website using the ‘reporting an issue’ facility including a note of any remedial work carried out.
• Liaising with Lea Parish Council to exchange information and keep the council informed of your activities, through a regular report to Council meetings.
• Engage with the PROW team at Herefordshire Council and take part in available training and follow guidelines provided.
• Liaise with landowners about public rights of way on their land, with the support of the PROW team where appropriate.
• Attend PFO meetings to stay updated with the PROW team and share best practices.
Optional Duties:
• Engage in more extensive vegetation clearance (training may be required) as may be agreed by Lea Parish Council.
• Offer advice to landowners about PROW management (training provided by PROW team at Herefordshire Council.
• Participate in ad-hoc volunteer work parties.
Please contact us at Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page. or visit our website www.theleaparishcouncil.gov.uk for more information. Do join us in keeping Lea’s footpaths safe and enjoyable for everybody!