We have decided against holding the car boot sale in April, because of the proximity of foot and mouth disease locally. As a committee we have taken several precautionary measures over use of the hall and playing field and the acceptance of bookings. We are keeping in touch with Monmouthshire County Council regarding regulations and will let you know when we agree to start the car boot sales up once again. The next one is provisionally booked for Saturday 19 May - keep a look out for the signs on the roadsides, we'll put them out if the sale is on.

As you will have noticed, work on the hall roof is now completed. We are still having problems with youngsters getting up on the roof with skateboards, also getting into the skip which is still in the car park. I have contacted Monmouthshire County Council on several occasions to ask them to get the contractors to remove the skip, but without success so far. I will try them again, but please do not allow your children to play in the skip - it contains waste and rubbish which could be a danger to them.

We are trying to decide the best method of keeping youngsters off the roof - we aren't allowed to use barbed wire or broken glass!! But there is a possibility of coating the edges of the roof with grease or non-drying paint. So if they come home with grease or paint all over their clothes, you'll know they've been where they shouldn't have!

We will be having a change of hall cleaner during May as our long standing cleaner, Matilda Swain has decided to give up the job.

Tilly has cleaned the hall for more years than I can remember and we cannot thank her enough for the sterling job she has done over the years.
Living in Eastgate Crescent, she has always been on hand to check the cleanliness of the hall before and after events, and we have been able to rely on her in every way to keep things in order.
Our grateful thanks go to Tilly for all her support over very many years.

We are promoting the 200 Club at the moment, trying to build up the membership. There are around 150 members and we are trying to increase this to the full 200. I know I'm always plugging this, but it's surprising, a couple of members trickle in through the magazine adverts, so it's worth doing - even if you do get bored reading it over and over again!

Maybe it will encourage you to get in touch and join! You may be interested to know that our youngest member is Blake Stevens who is 4 months old (his mum pays his subscription!) - so you can see that membership is open to all age groups.

Yours sincerely,

Hilary Counsell
Secretary
Telephone 01291-421307