Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held in the Memorial Hall, Cranmore on the 11th June 2007 at 7.30pm
Present
Mr P Treby. Chairman
Mrs B Edwards Vice Chairman
Mr R Payne Parish Councillor (Acting Clerk for this meeting)
Mrs L Walker Parish Councillor.
The Chairman opened the meeting at 7.30pm.
Item 1 – Apologies for absence.
Mr A Price Parish Councillor
Item 2 - Annual reports.
The Cricket Club, the Sports Club, the Friendship Circle, the Community Group and the Village Hall Committee each gave their annual report, four of which were typed out and reproduced below.
a. Cricket Club. The Cricket Club was represented by the President, Mr Baker. He stated that the Cricket Club was in need of a new pavilion for which a donation from the Parish Council would be appreciated. The club had resourced a wooden pavilion from Sparkford Sawmills which would need a concrete base. At this point Mr Penery interjected and advised that he would need to get planning permission as the permission that the Cricket Club had was for a stone built building. Mr Baker stated that the Cricket Club had £9,000.
He also raised the issue of the gate and was advised that the PC was waiting on Somerset Services to provide a new gate for Jill’s close and once this had been installed the gate from Jills Close, although considered unsuitable for controlling children, would be suitable for controlling vehicle access at the Cricket Club.
On being questioned by Richard Payne about the cricket he stated that they had a youth team and 2 senior teams. The first team had been promoted last season and then demoted because of a change of rules. This had lost him some players but the dispute was on going.
b. Sports Club. Mr Underhill was unable to attend so the Chairman read out his report.
The Cranmore Sports Club had a successful first year attracting 23 memberships, 20 of which were full household memberships. I would estimate the playing membership to have been in the region of 70 individuals; we make no charge if a members wishes to play with a guest.
The club has one main expense to meet per annum which is the Event Liability insurance cover (essentially to protect the club from any individual incurring hurt on or around the court). The first Chairman, Martin Oliver, formerly of the Prudential sourced a competitive quotation through Coverex International of Kent for £249.99. We were unable to source any all perils cover.
As the location of the court is in an exposed location some members, and prospective members, asked the club to shield the court from the wind by purchasing windbreaks. These were bought for £400.00 in the late summer and erected. Unfortunately there was a serious storm in October that caught the windbreaks and blue over the western, cricket pitch, side of the netting to a 45 degree angle. Eventually, the repair cost of £998.00 plus VAT was met by three equal contributions – by the club and generous payments from the Cranmore Community Fund and the Parish Council.
So far this playing year we have attracted 11 new and renewal memberships, 10 of which are household memberships.
The committee contacts its members 2 or 3 times a year and regularly updates its security code. Despite discussions of holding a tennis tournament, open to all, I feel the club will remain a predominantly social, tennis playing club for members and their friends in the near future.
May I record my gratitude to the Cranmore Community Fund and the present Parish Council (as well as Stephen Zorab) for their help and support over the first two years of the club’s existence. Indeed, without the two financial contributions by both the Cranmore Community Fund and the Parish Council, one each year, the club would have struggled to survive the damage to the court and retain a now healthy club account balance of £824.14.
c. Friendship Circle - presented by Gwenda Brock
It is almost 19 years ago that our Friendship Circle was formed. It was during the time Peter Jones was Chairman of the Community Group and we talked about the number of people who lived alone. One of the main reasons for forming this group was to enable people, especially the elderly, to get together for a chat over a cup of tea. We may live in a small village but it could be days or even weeks before you see some people – especially since the closure of the shop and post office.
We have had some very interesting speakers and entertainers at our Friendship Meetings and the outgoings have proved very popular. Until the last couple of years we were able to run a coach several times a year to seaside resorts and other places of interest but now many of our members are in their late eighties, and even ninety. And cannot manage the long days. However, we are able to fill a 16 seater Community Bus and we have been able to have a number of trips out for lunch to places like Cheddar, Clevedon and Longleat.
Our members also enjoy the Coffee mornings for pancakes, tea cakes and ploughman’s lunches at the Strode Arms, not forgetting our Christmas Lunch, which usually attract an average of 26-28 people. We do hold our own fundraising afternoons but normally everyone pays their own expenses but we are grateful to the Community Group for their donations to our Funds and to Richard Payne and friends who organised raffles at the Strode Arms. With this money we were able to provide an 18th birthday lunch and also to be able to subsidise some of the trips and lunches out.
Many thanks to those who help by making tea, providing car transport and general support.
d. Cranmore Community Group - presented by John Reakes.
The balance at the Bank as at December 31st 2006 was £2,973.13 with £917.14 in the Building Society.
The 2006 Fete made a profit of £1,921.87 and the following amounts were donated:
Cranmore Pre School £90.00
Friendship Circle £150.00
Dean Chapel £100.00
Cranmore Memorial Hall £300.00
Insurance £363.32
Cranmore Cricket Club £200.00
Cranmore Sports Club £350.00
Signs purchased for Village Hall and future events £464.01.
Flowers and other presents have been given to a number of people for special birthdays, etc. at a cost of £381.00.
The Hundred Club made £700.00, Grapevine adverts £50.00, Tent and Stage hire £525.00.
A shed was provided with a Somerset County Council grant which is most useful.
We are very pleased that Chris Brown has taken on the Grapevine.
A music evening will be held in Jill’s Close on Saturday, 30th June at 7pm with the Shepton Big Band with singers to which everyone is welcome at a small cost of £2.50 each. Bring your own picnic. A bar will be available. Please support this event.
The Open Gardens event will take place again this year on Sunday July 15th, followed by the Annual Summer Fayre on August 27th – Bank Holiday Monday.
We are always on the look out for additional members and would welcome any new ones.
e. Cranmore Memorial Hall - presented by John Reakes.
The Hall has had a good number of bookings with the motor home visitors booking for a whole weekend being particularly good. We hope for repeat bookings.
According to the Treasurer, the balance at the Bank on June 8th was £25.18 in current account with £3665.64 in the deposit account, probably the best ever.
Oil costs for the last heating period being £712.95. Electricity £342.14. Water £200,
Insurance also including Jill’s Close £726.65 with 50% being kindly paid by the Community Group. £292 was spent on railings to make a safer access into the Jubilee Room.
Our Christmas Bazaar made a profit of £424.00 which was a £20 improvement on 2005.
I feel it is very sad that the WI has finished after 60 years but would hope that it may restart at some time in the future.
The WI has supported the Hall continually with donations and support for all those years. We shall miss that, but I am certain that the former members will continue their help in the future.
The Jubilee Room was redecorated and the floor carpeted along with the toilets and kitchen early last summer which has made a great improvement. The next project intended is to improve the ladies toilets and cloakroom area.
The improvement of the Hall and finances has been made possible by members of the committee and the support of the community as whole.
The committee appreciate very much the very hard work that Brian and Vera Pike put in looking after the building and carrying out the regular cleaning.
I am a little concerned at the possibility of the Hall being asked to supply an additional storage facility for the Parish Council. However, I appreciate the difficulties the Council suffer with storage and I am sure the Hall Committee who manage the day to day running of the building for the Parish will arrive at a sensible decision on any request made.
We have already received complaints regarding the staging stored at present which clutters the available room and a new home for this would be welcomed.
We wish to keep as much room as possible for those who use the Jubilee Room. The lorry drivers who take courses are an example of regular hirers who need as much room as possible and we do not wish to lose that booking.
The annual general meeting will be held on Wednesday 1st August at 7.30pm and any member of the community is welcome.
One or two new members to join the committee would be a great help.
Mr Penery asked John Reakes about raising the lights in the Memorial Hall as the shades are getting damaged by members of the Tai Chi class when they practice their sword form.
Item 3 – Presentation
The following valediction was read by the Chairman in recognition of Mr Michael Penerys service to the community and the Parish Council.
“Michael Penery served the villages of Cranmore, Dean and Waterlip as a councillor and Chairman of the Parish Council for 24 years. He was also the chairman of “the bells working committee”.
As a parish councillor and also chairman for 21 years it was Michael’s common sense approach and determination that maintained the balance between the residential needs of the parishioners and the needs of local industry. Whenever there was an issue Michael researched the problem and then arbitrated between the interested parties to find an acceptable solution before presenting it to the council.
It was not always easy for him to mix work with the needs of the community. His last 5 years in fulltime employment were spent as a weekend commuter away from Cranmore. However, he always attended the council meetings and represented the interests of the parishioners.
His work regularly extended well beyond the remit of councillor and he earned the respect of the parishioners. He regularly engaged in a wide range of village activities, including participating in the village fete, the Christmas bazaar, repairing fences and maintaining the children’s playground besides a lot of other activities too numerous to mention. He is also a member of the village Speed Watch team.
In 1997 it was identified that the bells in the local church, St Bartholomew’s, needed restoration. He formed a working group, of which he chaired and it was Michaels persuasiveness and infectious enthusiasm that encouraged people to sponsor a bell and to raise over £30,000 in 20 months for their restoration.”
The Chairman then presented Michael with a gift of a balloon flight on behalf of the Parish Council and the Community Group.
The meeting closed at 0750 pm