Almeley

HANDS AROUND THE WORLD - Local residents Jeff and Carey Glyn Jones have left with a team of volunteers from North Herefordshire for Kisumu in Kenya to work at the Pandipieri Street Children's Centre. Their work will be mainly rebuilding a halfway house for older teenagers. The team is grateful to Michael Allaway, of Kington, for his expertise which, with the generous gift of a digital camera from the parish of Kinnersley, will enable them to record and relate their experiences. The project has its own website and it will be updated throughout February. Almeley Church Choir donated their collection from carol singing to the project.

VILLAGE HALL - Almeley Village Hall Committee held their annual meeting in January under the chairmanship of Sue Jones. The newly elected committee is: Sue Jones, Mario Battenti, Dorothy Brown and Joan Meredith, Brenda and Stephen Catley, while Chris Dew and Bronwen Goodwin were co-opted. Derek Terry is the local representative for the British Legion. The committee thanked retiring members Rene Holden and Jean Jones for their past work. The next whist drive is on Tuesday, February 20 at 7.45pm.

WOMEN'S INSTITUTE - At the meeting of the Almeley WI today, local resident Jeremy Russel will present 'Audible in Almeley' from his bird song recordings. The meeting is at 2.30pm in the village hall.

PARISH COUNCIL - Chairman Terry Holden called a meeting of the council to discuss the decision, made by the Herefordshire Council, to re-class Almeley as a 'Main Village' rather than a 'Local Needs Settlement'. The general consensus of opinion was that there was insufficient detail and that the clerk should request further information. Mr Holden then invited members of the public, about 20 of who were present, for their comments. Almost without exception, they wished for no changes to the village.