CAR PARKING CHARGES - Knighton Town Councillors were dismayed to hear that the Radnorshire committee of Powys County Council had deferred a decision on the implementation of car parking charges on the Bowling Green Lane car park while it considered ways of protecting the curtilage of the community centre and the option of allowing free parking on market days. The town clerk, Elizabeth Patterson, said Powys County Council had admitted its error in advertising season tickets for cars on the Bowling Green Lane car park when there were no charges. The notice should have referred only to heavy goods vehicles, and an amended notice would be published.

CONTRIBUTIONS - Knighton Town Council had agreed to give £180 to Knighton Concert Society and £200 to Knighton Festival of Brass Bands in line with its policy of giving 10 per cent less than the sum given to the same organisation the previous year.

PLAY EQUIPMENT - Knighton Town Council would be consulting local youngsters before deciding on the purchase of a new piece of play equipment for the Offa's Dyke Playpark.

NEW MEMBER - Knighton Town Council's newly-elected member, Councillor Christine Branford, was elected to serve as the council's representative on Knighton Footpath Group.

FLOWER BASKETS - Knighton's Mayor, Councillor Trevor Johnson, said the town council's flower baskets had now been installed and he hoped shopkeepers would complement them with displays of their own. He reminded fellow councillors that Knighton had been entered for the Wales in Bloom competition.

ROBES ON DISPLAY - Fabulous Mandarin robes from a private collection, brought to this country years ago by a family which used to live there, and on loan to Knighton for a one-day display only in the Narrows Chinese Garden, can be seen at 4pm on Saturday, July 22. These special robes, noted for their exquisite embroidery, will be paraded alongside the chalk river 'flowing' from the bamboo grotto opposite the Lanterns Cafe down to the parking area, with chalked in additions of flowers, birds and butterflies by schoolchildren busy from 1Oam until noon. Proceeds will be shared between the Knighton Museum Fund and the local branch of Amnesty International. The Narrows Chinese Garden is one of many events and displays which will form Take pArt week from Monday, July 17, to Sunday, July 23.

ART DISPLAY - A display of recent woodcut prints and paintings by Gordon Yapp is currently being staged at The Lanterns Cafe in Knighton's High Street. It will continue to the end of July and is to promote the work of NCH Action for Children.

PLASTIC BANK - Knighton Recycling Centre at the Bowling Green Lane car park now has a plastic bank which is managed by Cae Post recycling in partnership with Powys County Council. Only plastic bottles of three typesan be put in -- clear plastic, coloured plastic or milk bottles. Another recent addition to the recycling centre is the facility to take garden waste, which is managed by Evolve Composting, in association with Powys County Council. The well- established paper, glass bottle, can and clothing banks continue as usual. The clothing bank is run by the Salvation Army. Profits from the recycling centre are distributed to local organisations and charities by Knighton Town Council.

TAKE pART - Take pART, Knighton's visual arts festival, takes place from Monday, July 17, to Sunday, July 23. Works of art, some of them controversial, will be on show in the shops and in other places accessible to the public. On Saturday, July 22, there will be two events. The first will be the Maimeri Painting Challenge competition, which will take place in the afternoon. Entrants will have a choice of three sites around the centre of Knighton, and have three hours to paint what they see using, a prepared board and acrylic paints supplied by the organisers. Entrants are asked to supply their own brushes. After three hours, the paintings will be submitted for judging. Entry fee is £2 and entry forms can be obtained from, and returned to, Knighton Tourism 2000, 11 West Street, LD7 lEN; of the Tower House Gallery, Broad Street, Knighton, or The Antiques Centre, High Street, Knighton, telephone 01547 520818. The takes place at 7.3Opm in the church hall. It is Desert Island Art in which three panellists will choose the eight works of visual art they would most like to have with them if they were marooned on a desert island. They will also be allowed to choose two books and a luxury item. Admission is £3, to include refreshments.