Harvington

However, this news was blighted when John Redman announced a serious setback to the plans for the building of the new hall. This was the recent and unexpected withdrawal by the Diocesan Glebe Committee of its agreement in principle made last July to make available for purchase the centrally-sited plot of land behind Village Street which had been the subject of long negotiations and which the committee had felt was about to be successfully concluded. The news was received with shock and dismay, followed by questioning. No reason had been given for this sudden about-face. One of the facts to emerge was that the decision by the Diocesan Glebe Committee, responsible for the management of all land by the Church, had nothing to do with the local church of St James. The village church had had no part in this affair and committee members were asked to make this clear in answer to any inquiries.

The formal business of the AGM was resumed. Confirmation was given to the schedule of village hall users entitled to be represented on the management committee; the youth project will be invited to nominate a representative. Three of the four village representatives - Richard Baugh, Chris Haynes and Andy Tooth were willing to be re-elected and were joined by Roger Huggins, who replaced John Langley.

John's long service to the hall and particularly his dedication through this difficult period of its history were acknowledged. On the suggestion of the retiring member of the recreational trust it was decided not to seek a replacement, it being felt that the trust cannot be said to be a hall-user. At the committee meeting which followed the AGM, officers appointed were: chairman, John Redman; vice- chairman, Chris Haynes; secretary, Richard Baugh; treasurer, Andy Tooth.

CHURCH MEETING: St James' Church held its annual meeting on Sunday evening following evensong. Chaired by the Rev Richard Thorniley, it was well attended and an account of the year's activities and a full financial statement had been distributed to all members of the church's Electoral Roll. The list of sidespersons was checked and confirmed and two churchwardens appointed. Bernard Dyson, who retired from this office, was thanked for his many and varied services to the church, particularly for his chairmanship of the building and fabric fund, which had taken on the long and complicated task of bringing about the alterations at the West End of the church. Sophie Dodds was thanked and commended for all she does in and for the church, the Rector expressing his gratitude to her for agreeing to serve as warden one more year. Carol Goodchild was elected as churchwarden. Treasurer Clive Allen took the opportunity to express his own thanks and that of the church to all the members and supporters who had brought about the rise in income following the Building of the Future crusade last year, thus making it possible for the church to pay its parish share to the diocese and to contemplate other developments in the community in the near future. The Rector then gave his report and he, too, thanked everybody whose loyalty and effort had made the closing year such a success, saying that it had been his privilege and pleasure to have been Rector at such time. A statement was made in relation to the recent problem experienced by the village hall committee, those present being asked to be aware that this problem had not been caused by any action on the part of this church. The meeting was followed by a brief gathering of the new parochial council, introducing a new secretary to replace Michael Barber who is retiring after four years' service. The statement concerning the village hall's new difficulty was discussed and it was unanimously agreed that this action by the Diocesan Glebe Committee, which could bring St James' Church into disrepute in the village, was contrary to St James' full support for the village hall committee, whose actions it has applauded and supported throughout.