Some dates for your diary: Welland Village Hall tomorrow (Saturday) between 1pm and 5pm, an exhibition of pictures and paintings by Tony Leahy, admission free! On December 8 (Sunday) at the Village Hall there will be a craft and Christmas fayre from 10.20am to 4pm in aid of St Richard's Hospice. Gifts for all, Father Christmas will be there! Entrance will be £1 to include one free raffle ticket!

Two points that concern the village, the proposed gas supply and the School Travel Plan. To keep you up-to-date, coun Tom Wells was able to confirm that Moorland, one of the possible contractors to lay a main, was to mail shot every house in the parish after an initial 25 per cent had shown interest.

The School Travel Plan sets out measures to reduce the number of car trips made by parents and staff and to improve safety on the school journey. It's adoption by the school will aim to demonstrate a commitment to the local community to improve the environment, to raise awareness of transport problems facing the school and surrounding environment, to increase awareness amongst pupils, staff and parents about environmental safety, health and social consequences of their travel choice, to inform pupils, parents and staff of the benefits of green transport and lastly to increase the number of staff and pupils travelling by bicycle and walking.

Several ideas are being looked at, eg the setting-up of a school journey notice-board, set-up a Walking Bus or Cycling Bus, provide adequate and secure cycle storage areas under cover. But the overwhelming comments came for speed reduction.

The limits that surround the school, and in fact the village, are there for everyone's safety and protection, and not just to cause unnecessary trouble or to annoy drivers.

Another idea was a car-sharing scheme could be run by individual parents who might know fellow parents living in the area and could share the delivery/collection of pupils? This idea, I believe would have to come from the parents themselves as no organisation by the school could be offered, for legal reasons. We need help and co-operation by the parents and by the community at large to successfully adopt the plan for our school.

Whilst we are still on the subject of school safety, I have been asked to mention that there needs to be more vigilance exercised whilst dropping/collecting children at the school. Might parents be persuaded to park considerately, thanks.