Local residents will be pleased with the news that Spittalfields Playing Field is at last going to be rectified by the original contractor Pencroft, in accordance with planning permission recently obtained, when he has the plant available to do the job. As many will be aware, this has been going on for some years now, and all is in place to finish the job. Whilst talking about Spittalfields, Severn Trent have agreed to raise the manhole covers, which will increase the volume that the drains can handle at peak times or when flooding is likely to take place. This, in turn, will mean that there is less likelihood of back-flow of effluent from the drains within the village, particularly in the Brookend area.

St Wulstan's Church at Little Malvern, built in 1862, is the Parish Church for the area which includes Welland and runs down to the M50, it's eastern border running through Hook Bank, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham. It has just put the application to English Heritage for a National Lottery grant to make possible the re-tiling of the church roof. Some £300,000 is estimated to be required to carry out this work and associated refurbishment, also of the church surroundings and cemetery, which holds the Elgar family graves including that of Sir Edward. The roof was 'tumerised' some 20 or 30 years ago and repair costs increase each year. Fundraising has raised about a quarter of this and will continue. One of the steady contributors to this fund has been the annual Christmas bazaar held in Welland Village Hall, which this year is being held on Wednesday, December 4 from 11am to 3pm and all are welcome.

While gathering this information, your correspondent was told by Fr Christopher, of St Wulstan's, that in the church records there is a mention of a lady called Hannah Mayall, who died in 1860. He (Fr Christopher) wonders if she had any connection with the farm of the same name just below St Wulstan's, and would be interested to hear from anyone who might know. Fr Christopher can be contacted at the Priest's House, or you can contact me.

Notes for your diary this month include: The Hanley Benefice Remembrance Service is this year being held at St James Church, Welland on November 10 at 10.50am. Kids Klobber is at the Village Hall at 11am on Saturday, November 16. So near Christmas, nobody with children can afford to miss this event.

Further to last week's reference in the Gazette to Welland's Library in the Village Hall, which is about to come together, we are still looking for any volunteers to man it. If interested please contact me, Stephen Try on 01684 310068 or e-mail me on Stry2@aol.com. This contact address/number can also be used if you want to include anything in this section of the paper relating to Welland and Little Malvern.