The Village Store
Debbie and Kevin Stammers have opened a new shop, The Village Store, at the site of the old village shop and Post Office (on the corner of London Road and New Road). They will be selling all you would hope to be able to get at a village shop - newspapers, fresh bread, fruit and salad, frozen food - and cigarettes. They will be delivering goods FREE OF CHARGE to old age pensioners in the village. We wish them well in their new venture and urge everyone to support them with as much custom as posible. Many villagers have hopen and dreamed for a proper village shop - now it's here, let's make sure it is a success!

Allotments & Garden Leisure Society
This society was formed on Thursday 11th September. For more information contact Margaret Earl. Contact details to follow.

Hertfordshire Village of the Year competition, 2008
Our entry for this competition has now been submitted. Wish us all luck! You can look at the entry we have submitted for the competition by clicking here.

Refusal of Appeal for extension of Monread Lodge Care Home
Your Parish Council had supported the planning application and subsequent appeal by Monread Lodge regarding the building of an extension for demntia patients. We felt that this proposal offered both a facility which is sorely needed in the area and a potential source of employment for local residents. However the proposal has now been solidly rejected on the admittedly valid basis that the site is in the Green Belt. We felt that the merits of the proposal outweighed this consideration, but the planners felt otherwise! You can look at the inspector's report from the appeal by clicking here.

Annual Parish Meeting - Tuesday 8th April
We had a fantastic attendance of over 40 people to the Parish's Annual Meeting on Tuesday 8th April, who were regaled with tales of the Theatre by Brian King MBE, tasted some excellent food prepared by Stuart Blackman, and received a demonstration of Gary Fenton's OWL software for managing Neighbourhood Watch schemes. We are very proud of the fact that OWL, now adopted by many counties throughout the country, was developed here in Woolmer Green! You can see some pictures from the meeting by clicking here.

Village Day - June 7th 2008
This year’s Village Day, at the hall and on the playing field, will be very special. It will be a GREEN VILLAGE DAY……GREEN WOOLMER GREEN in fact.

Here is a list of some of the very special attractions:
• Hog roast at lunchtime
• Punch and Judy show
• Farmers’ market stalls
• Accordian band
• Tombola stalls etc.
• Children’s races
• Tug of War
• Work out your very own carbon footprint

This is what we have already fixed – there will be much more including information on the micro generation of energy, preventing climate change, etc. If you have any further ideas please ring 01438 813897.

Proposed New Care Home at 59 London Road (Petit Forestier site)
The new owners of the site and their consultants came to the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 11th December and presented their initial plans for this site. These are subject to modifications and revisions before the project is started, as it is still going through the planning process, but you may be interested to view some initial 3D views of the proposed building by clicking here.

Brownies - new Guiders URGENTLY needed
Two of the Brownie pack's Guiders will be leaving this Easter, so the pack is desperately in need of new volunteers. If no-one is forthcoming the pack may be forced to close, which would be tragic. Please contact Beverley Turner on 01438 718510 for details if you might be interested.

Councillors’ Surgeries in Woolmer Green
Your Borough Councillors, Julie Cragg and Steve Markiewicz, hold a ‘surgery’ on the first Saturday of each month in Woolmer Green. For a number of years this has been held in the hall at the Wickfield Close sheltered housing but your Parish Council has asked the Borough Council to change this so as to make it more accessible to more people.

From 2nd February, the surgeries will be held at the Village Hall from 10am to 11am and there will be one or two Parish Councillors present as well as the Borough Councillors. This should improve the flow of information to everyone so please come along and talk. There is nothing worse than giving up one’s time only to find that you have to talk to yourself, however exciting that may be!

A Loss for Woolmer Green?
After 81 years in this Village it is unlikely that the Women's Institute will continue after 2008 due to the lack of members. WANTED - Younger women to change the image and make W.I. into something SPECIAL! WE NEED A NEW START - NEW BLOOD/NEW IDEAS/NEW IMAGE - HOW ABOUT IT? Contact: 01438 813523

The Hall
Don't forget the new regular activity for young children which has recently started in the Village Hall:

Mucky Pups - crafts for pre-school children running weekly 9.30-11.30 during term time. Contact Sarah Radley 01438 241746