Knighton

BOWLING CLUB -- Members of Knighton Bowling Club are holding a cheese and wine social evening at the clubhouse on April 21, 7-7.30pm. Tickets are £2.50 from any member. Would you like to join the club in Millennium Year 2001? New members are welcome on Monday nights at 6.15pm throughout the season. If you are 10 years or older and would like to learn about the game of bowls, come along.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL -- At the annual meeting of Knighton and District branch, Amnesty chairman Joyce Byrd opened her report on a successful year of varied activities with thanks to all workers and supporters. A sum of £900 had been sent to headquarters at the end of the year. Coming events proposed included the annual art exhibition, with music, in the foyer of the library starting on Tuesday, June 26, by artist Roy Powell, of Brecon; an all-day activity for schoolchildren, with music, in The Narrows as part of the take pART festival from July 14-22. Officers re-elected were: Mrs Bird, chairman; Mrs Riley, treasurer; Mrs Salt, minutes' secretary. The next event will be Forget-me-not Day on Saturday, May 26, at Brookside Square, which this year coincides with Amnesty's 40th Anniversary.

LENTEN LUNCHES -- A choice of three soups was available at the last of the 2001 Lenten lunches in St Edward's Close Social Room. This year's series was well supported and the five lunches together made a total of £246 for Christian Aid. Organiser Olive Waters thanks everyone who supported them.

Helpers were Jennie Stothert, Jean Courthard, Bettie Goulding, Bettie Wright, Sylvia Tillear, Audrey Green, Joyce Riley, Ann Maslen-Jones, Edith Conway, Edna Bostock and Olice Waters. Today, Maundy Thursday, there will be the annual Churches Together in Knighton and District Austerity Lunch from 12 noon at the Church Hall. This year Knighton Catholic Church will host the event. Proceeds will also go to Christian Aid.

ANNUAL VESTRY -- "Our financial situation continues to give grave concern as we struggle to meet the increasing costs of maintaining the ministry in the Church of Wales within Knighton," wrote Father Andrew Pearce, priest-in-charge of the Knighton Group of Parishes, in his review of the year 2000. He added: "One wonders whether our worshipping congregation, and the wider community in Knighton, fully appreciate how serious our finances are and how much needs to be done if we are to secure the future of our church for successive generations. However, the parochial church council is planning a gift day in June 2001, and is considering a sustained publicity campaign to highlight the challenges facing us today."

The review was part of the annual report presented at the recent annual vestry meeting of Knighton church. Father Pearce also reported that there had been 102 communicants at Easter and 103 at Christmas, compared with 93 and 99 respectively in 1999. However, the average Sunday communicant attendance in May had been 44, compared with 50 in 1999.

Jean Price was elected peoples' warden, with Pauline Price as her deputy: and Angus Gilmour was appointed vicar's warden, with Kevin Kell as his deputy.

At a short meeting of the parochial church council following the annual vestry, Diana Rudge was elected treasurer and Jean Price secretary. The next meeting of St Edward's Parochial Church Council will be on Thursday, May 10, at 7.30pm at the Great House, Bridge Street.

YMCA --A meeting of the YMCA committee and interested persons, including parents and young people not previously associated with the local organisation, is scheduled for 6pm today, Maundy Thursday, in the church hall before the St Edward's Church service at 7.30pm. Working in partnership, Powys County Council Youth Service and YMCA Wales, have combined to upgrade the former tennis pavilion in Bowling Green Lane to act as a focal point for the youth of the town and plans are in hand to install safety windows and doors before the building can be used as a Cyber Caf. Qualified youth workers will be present on two evenings per week and further funding is being sought to extend this provision. Planning permission is now in hand to continue with the skate park and basketball project. Arrangements have been made to install a set of basketball posts in the near future. A further application is being made to Sportlot for the skate park equipment.

WOMEN'S INSTITUTE -- President Joan Beattie welcomed members and a visitor, Diane Edwards, to the April meeting of Tref-y-Clawdd Women's Institute. The speaker was unable to attend so a discussion of the annual outing, entries for Knighton Show on Saturday, August 25, and items for the scrapbook took place. Members were reminded that baby clothes and toiletries were still being requested. A coffee morning in aid of WI funds will be held at 18 High Street on Wednesday, April 25, from 10am until 12 noon. Shirley Moorhouse and Jean Kilby organised a beetle drive, which was won by Jean Coulthard and enjoyed by all. Mary Lello entertained members with two humorous readings. Raffle prize winners were: Hilda Jones, Edna Wear, Mona Brown, Enid Lloyd and Betty Wright. Jean Kilby won the competition for a card for a child in a hospice. Hostesses for the evening were Olive Waters and Betty Goulder. The next meeting will be on May 3 at 7.30pm in Norton Street Baptist schoolroom. It will be a resolution meeting, and the competition will be for the prettiest cup and saucer.

ROTARY CLUB -- Knighton Rotarian's quiz team goes from strength to strength. In a semi-final against Aberdare Rotarians held in the Pilgrim's Tea Room at Brecon Cathedral, Knighton emerged the winners by one point in a closely fought contest in which Knighton led by nine points at one stage. The Knighton Team now meets Crickhowell in the final at the Bear Hotel, Crickhowell on Thursday, April 26. Knighton Rotary Club entered a team in the Rotary Mid-Wales Alliance Bowls evening that took place at the Llandrindod Wells Indoor Bowling centre. Knighton won the competition, beating teams from Llandrindod, Llanidloes, Builth, Ludlow and Newtown.

WEDNESDAY CLUB -- Mrs N Barrett and Mrs E Conway were helpers at a recent meeting of Knighton and District Wednesday Club at the Social Room, St Edward's Close. Mrs M Payne, Mr Don Lewis, Mrs E Conway, Miss V Pugh, Mrs Moss, Mrs B Davies, Mrs M Upton, Mr D Price and Mrs R Parry won prizes in the raffle.