EDITORIAL
News: Aston Ingham, Bromsash, Gorsley, Linton, Upton Bishop & Combined.
LEA NEWS
UPDATE ON OUR VILLAGE PUB
Just a quick update on progress with The Crown Inn, Lea. We have now been granted planning permission for our proposed alterations to the pub. We have submitted our pre-commencement conditions to the Council and are starting on work there from the 13th November onwards. We will have a busy time ahead of us, but it is more than a relief that we are finally able to get started!
Our aim is for the pub to be reopened in Summer of 2024, but we will keep you updated with progress in due course. We are as desperate to get open again as I am sure you are!
In the meantime, we look forward to the day we do re-open and can welcome you all back! The Savidge Family.
NEWS FROM LEA CHURCH
Well Christmas is slowly (or not so slowly!) creeping up on us, so a good time to let you know of the Christmas Services:
● The 'Village Carols by Torchlight' will be held again this year on Sunday 17th December at 6pm at Lea Village Hall, hopefully outside, weather permitting. If the weather isn't good, it will be held inside the hall. Mulled wine and mince pies all round!
● Our Christmas service this year will be the Midnight Communion at 11.30 at Lea Church. Why not come along and start Christmas with a carol or two! The Midnight service has a special feel to it and we also get the chance to sing that last verse in 'O Come all ye Faithful'.
To help with the decorating this year, why not come along on 8th December to a Festive Flower arranging demonstration: Lea Village Hall, 7.30pm - the mulled wine will be flowing! All the arrangements will be raffled at the end of the evening, so you may be taking home a table decoration or door wreath! Tickets are £10 with all proceeds going to Lea Church. Please ring me on Detail on PDF copy on home page
It just remains for me to wish you, on behalf of all of us at Lea Church, a very happy, peaceful and joyous Christmas and New Year. See you in 2024!!
God Bless all, Marion.
LEA VILLAGE HALL
Hello everyone, our best wishes to everyone for a merry Christmas and a happy new year from the village hall committee.
A big event in the hall on Sunday January 7th is our annual visit from the Rain or Shine theatre company Their production this year is Frankenstein, two actors, one monster, no clue!!
Tickets are on sale now: adults £16, children £10. Doors open at 4.00pm. The tickets include a post-Christmas style buffet after the show. Please support this fun event, Detail on PDF copy on home page
I would like to thank all of you who have supported the hall this year, either as a regular user or as a private hirer. The hall is an amazing asset to the village and will continue to be so hopefully for many years to come.
Jacky Hopkins
100 CLUB WINNERS - OCTOBER
1st prize - J Hopkins
2nd - R Bazeley
3rd - E Matchette
ART GROUP
The Friday Painters meet each Friday at 9.30 am in the village hall. All abilities welcome. Contact Di Brice Detail on PDF copy on home page
LEA CE PRIMARY SCHOOL AND GATEWAY LODGE NURSERY
Our first term back at school has been a busy one! The whole school took part in Harvest festival celebrations where each class performed a song or poem to friends and family at St John the Baptist church in Lea. We had a lovely afternoon, giving thanks to those who work hard, producing food for us to eat. A huge thank you to all who generously donated food for the Ross Larder food bank.
This term there are some exciting days to look forward to, like our annual whole school Christmas pantomime visit to The Courtyard theatre in Hereford, Christmas lunch cooked by our fabulous chefs, class Christmas parties, our Christmas fayre and not forgetting the Christmas Nativity performed by the children in Reception and Year 1.
Year 6 have been studying the Victorian era, researching and writing their own biographies about Queen Victoria, and studying Victorian artist, John Atkinson Grimshaw.
As we move towards Christmas, we will look at how Victoria and Albert made Christmas traditions popular, such as decorating Christmas trees and creating elegant Christmas cards to send to someone special. Finally, in art, we have been brushing up on our sketching skills to create some Victorian Christmas scenes which have been featured on the front cover.
Our Stay and Play session on a Friday morning in our school hall is going from strength to strength and it is so lovely to see all the toddlers and babies interacting with each other. Please do pop along with your baby / toddler for a coffee and a chat if you can. Friday 9-10.30am, in our school hall.
If you would like to come and have a look around either our Nursery (2 - 4 yr olds) or our School, you would be very welcome. Call or email Rachel in the school office to arrange a convenient time Detail on PDF copy on home page
Also, if you would like to volunteer in our school or nursery, for example hearing readers or occasional DIY tasks, please also contact us on the above number / email.
We look forward to seeing you.
Mrs Walsh, Year 6 teacher
LEA CAFÉ I visited Lea Café for the first time in November and enjoyed some delicious homemade cake and a cup of coffee along with 30 or so other Lea residents. They definitely are a very friendly bunch and I was made to feel very welcome indeed. If you haven’t been before I would recommend coming along on the 1st Wednesday of the month at the village hall 10.00 am – noon. Free to all Lea residents.
Contact Gill Davis Detail on PDF copy on home page
LEA GARDEN ALLOTMENTS ASSOCIATION
If you would like to join our small friendly group of local gardeners at Lea Allotments and grow some of your own produce, we currently have one plot available, so please contact Dawn Detail on PDF copy on home page to have a chat, view the plot or add your name to our waiting list for future availability.
LEA LUNCH CLUB
At the time of writing, the Lea Christmas Lunch is full with 70 guests expected for a traditional Christmas lunch ‘with all the trimmings’. We are grateful to Mark Bower for providing the entertainment for this event and thanks are also due to the many volunteers who give up their time to ensure everything runs smoothly - everyone is looking forward to this event very much.
We meet again in January and we have plans for a speaker to come from U3A to tell us about what they can offer everyone - perhaps time to try something new as part of your New Year’s resolutions! The usual three-course lunch will be served. As every lunch is now completely full, please ensure that I have you on the list each month. Happy Christmas everyone and we look forward to seeing you all soon. Nicky Keef Detail on PDF copy on home page
THE LEA PARISH COUNCIL
The Parish Council meeting scheduled to take place on Wednesday 1st November was delayed and will now be held on Wednesday 6th December.
On Wednesday 8th November the Chairman and two councillors met with Ian Connolly the Traffic Management Advisor to West Mercia Police, together with the Locality Steward. Cllr Bramer was able to advise that Churcham Homes has agreed to provide and install a safety barrier on the pathway leading from the Lea End development onto the A40 next to the pelican crossing.
Ian Connolly advised that work is ongoing towards the introduction of a traffic speed enforcement van location adjacent to the A40 on the Gloucester side of Lea. In addition, a speed enforcement motorcycle unit is likely to be provided, but this cannot be more than infrequently.
Four sites within the village which are perceived to incur serious risk to road users and pedestrians were considered:
1. At the A40/The Oaks junction: the siting of a speed enforcement vehicle within that area is anticipated to be beneficial, but additional measures were considered. Unfortunately, the use of a Community Speed Watch group has been ruled out due to safety concerns. Lea Parish Council will consider funding the provision and use of a suitable Speed Indicator Device which would be expected to result in a measure of speed reduction. The Locality Steward advised that such a device must have three separate locations within the area and the device rotated around them. This would be feasible in the village and the matter will be addressed by the parish council who will consider making funds available within the 2024/25 financial year.
2. The B4224 south from the A40 where there is no footway. Unfortunately, other than potential use of a Speed Indicator Device and speed enforcement via motorcycle unit no other solution was identified.
3. The B4222 between B4224 and the A40 in Lea. This section of road is subject to the national speed limit and has limited visibility in places, is narrow with no footway and high banks next to the carriageway. An application to generate a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to limit the speed to 30mph was recommended to be applied as soon as possible. A TRO could cost the Parish Council £10,000, but any cost would not be generated for some years ahead if at all. Other roads within the built-up area of the village are also subject to the national speed limit and these could be included within the one single application.
4. The right turn across the A40 onto the B4224 towards Bromsash. The risk associated with drivers not giving this due care and attention was acknowledged with three potential solutions being available. Of these the only one likely to fit the situation would be a mini-island similar to the one in Weston-under-Penyard. The cost would be upwards of £12,000 and would have to be funded by Lea Parish Council.
Finally, information had just been received that 42 new self-closing footpath gates funded by Wye Valley AONB had been installed around Ross on Wye under the Walkers are Welcome programme. A phase 2 of the programme is anticipated.