Wednesday 24 June 2015

Saving the Bell

Hello fellow Frugellers
 Over the last few days I have been pushing myself to do the myriad of jobs on my HUGE list. We are  less than a fortnight away from our big bash in our field, on Thursday we make a swift trip to Looe in Cornwall for a sea fishing trip, we get back Saturday afternoon and friends arrive on Saturday evening, we are out for a gig and then they will stay for a while. The gardens are calling, the goosgogs are ready for picking and so and so on....
I have also been very busy with the civic society. We have launched a sub-group with some independent folk (engineers, architect, Councillors, canal experts) to influence the development of a large brownfield site in the midst of our area.
We formed our society in 2009 in response to the proposed development, We have no issue with development, but did want to influence the type of houses built and the manner in which they are built. The line of a canal runs through the site. We campaigned for the line to be protected so that nothing was built on it , that way the canal could be reinstated when the funds were available. We succeeded, so far so good. Then earlier this year we were told by a respected engineer that the canal would never be put back in water as when the houses were built there would never be enough room for spoil and movement of plant and that infrastructure would have to be heavily disrupted to ensure that the appropriate drainage etc  could be put in place.  Mmmmm what to do? campaign for the developers to reinstate the canal at the same time as the development! Anyone who knows anything about planning, housing developments engineering, etc will tell you that this is no small order. In fact it is a HUGE ask. The sub-group we have set up is getting a lengthy and learned document together to demonstrate the feasibility of such a project.
This has taken up much of my time and I thought it manageable as we tend to reduce our meetings through the summer. Then we heard about THE BELL.............
 The old Mission in our village has been derelict for six or seven years now. Two years ago when we found that the war memorial ( WWI and WWII) was still in the building festering away and deteriorating.We set up a campaign to save it and re-site it in our little village hall. This we did and have had two wonderful Remembrance Day events since. Outside the church hung a bell and we have hoped that the folk at the mother church a  mile away would do something about it before it was stolen. They now have and they have put it up for auction!! This bell was bought by public subscription by the residents of the area years and years ago. So here we go again another campaign!!
We have set up a fund to buy the bell back for the village.  Over the weekend I cobbled together and printed a letter and over a couple of days with three other committee members posted nearly 400 letters to residents of the area explaining what had happened and asking for pledges. I am pleased to say that I have had several phone calls today already. So fingers crossed !
 Yet again my post has nothing to do with Self Sufficiency or Frugality ! I will try harder next time.
Off to get ready for our fishing trip before our shared lives guys arrive. We have a couple of tip runs to do (a favourite job) and when we take stuff to the tip is really is rubbish!
Back Soon
Gillx


16 comments:

  1. Gill, I am just staggered at your seemingly boundless energy. Enjoy.

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    1. I must say that I don't feel too energetic at the moment Weave!x

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  2. Well done. I'm exhausted just reading about it all... ;)

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  3. Enjoy the fishing, and relax. I am dead jealous, a festival in your "garden" The last one that I went too it was boiling hot and one idiot was walking round in a full suit of armour.
    He ended up in the nearest casualty department. My only regret was having a sunburnt nose, my specs had slipped and scraped the sun block away.

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    1. We try to "police" the festival in our quiet way. We have folk looking to H&S, first aiders, Life savers at the river bank etc. Though n-one is told this. If anyone gets too silly a quiet word is had and after all we know everyone there anyway.
      My eldest daughter arrived yesterday with suncreams etc for the weekend as the weather is looking good.

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  4. Admirable! If you did not do something about these issues, I doubt any one would.
    Keeping the community alive and thriving in all its' aspects is a tiring job I'm sure.
    Let's hope the Bell returns to your community and the canal is rescued! xxx
    Wish I could go fishing to Cornwall with you, love Mackerel!

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    1. Yes. if everybody took just a little interest so much heritage could be saved..
      Unfortunately they don't seem to be catching much mackerel at the moment.

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  5. Forgot to say, have a great weekend too!

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    1. Thanks. The weather was good, as was the fishing.

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  6. Well done you. How do you manage it all.

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  7. Goodness you are busy .Have a lovely time fishing ( or going round charity shops!) I hope you raise enough to save the bell, little bits of history are so easily lost and then regretted later and so many canals have been restored, you never know it might be possible. There is always lots of info about people involved in canal restoration in Waterways World magazine.
    By the way You also really NEED the 2 Patrick Rivers books! only 1p on up the amazon.

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    1. Back now with some excellent charity shop buys. The fund is starting to build up now so we are hopeful.
      I will look to getting those books. My hovel books have now arrived and I have a couple on my Kindle. As you say the book by Rhonda is very small though.

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  8. I hope you save the bell, that sounds feasible.
    As to the canal, it is very hard to deal with developments.
    Hope you can do both!
    Once lost, there is no turning back!

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    1. There has been so much lost which is a shame.In derby several significant buildings have been lost. But as you say the bell is definitely feasible.

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