No 59: May 2017
Eastrea Village News Nag’s Head Redevelopment? RUMOURS abound that the village pub is to be sold and will then be developed profitably for housing—but it isn’t so. The pub’s owners, Mr David Lepla and Mr John Harris, tell us that the property is for sale only as a going concern and their intention is that it should remain as the village pub. Renovations are under way. As our picture shows, the outside has already been completely repainted in chestnut brown after the many years of cream. The car park alongside has also received attention. Mr Lepla tells us that both he and Mr Harris need now to retire. The property will be sold at a loss, though the owners are determined for the pub to remain as a pub.
LEFT: AFTER YEARS PAINTED CREAM, OUR VILLAGE PUB, THE NAG’S HEAD, HAS CHANGED COLOUR
FAREWELL TO THE HALL
Ritchie Walton, who chairs our Village Hall Trust, announced several resignations at the Annual General Meeting. Colonel John Watson JP (left) was Commander of the Whittlesey Army Cadets. He was later a plain-clothes police officer. Mrs Maureen Watson (centre) was a town councillor and curator of the Whittlesey Museum. Ben Parnell (right) is a maintenance engineer for a pet-food factory in Wisbech; his family are prominent Eastrea residents. All have resigned in the past year.
THE EASTREA CENTRE 21 May and 25 June 11am to 1pm EASTREA RESIDENTS £2.50 PER PITCH (non-residents £5.00) Table rental £1.00 (numbers limited) — indoors or outside
BRING YOUR OWN TABLE (AND GAZEBO IF YOU LIKE) TO BOOK RING NICOLA ON 202442 Email: eastreabookings@gmail.com
E-mail: mail@eastrea.net
Also resigning recently is Mr Alan Green (above), the longest-serving member of the Village Hall Trust. He worked for many years at the Hotpoint Company and took redundancy many years ago ‘with great pleasure’ to set up his own gardening and maintenance business. Al served as a member of the Executive Committee for over ten years, as the plans for the new village hall were taking shape, and was later elected as a Trustee. Since the hall opened, Al has acted as the Trust’s honorary Premises Manager.
Eastrea Village News
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VILLAGE HALL MANAGER
RITCHIE Walton, who chairs the Eastrea Village Hall Trust, told the AGM that he is looking for more volunteers to join the Trust. In past years, we have had staff from both legal and accountancy firms on the committee, all helping to ensure the Trust carries out its duties correctly. Those who are interested can make contact through the Eastrea Centre.
Those villagers attending this year’s Annual General Meeting of Eastrea Village Hall Trust learned that they have made the appointment of their first paid Manager. She is Nicola Brooks who is best known for her wedding firm, Daisy Chain, which operates from her Village Studio in Wype Road. Nicola has chaired the Trust’s Executive Committee for several years. She tells us that she is in attendance at the village hall to take bookings and show people around at set times: Tuesdays 12 till 2pm and Wednesdays 5 till 7pm. The hall’s phone is on an answering machine at Peterborough 202442 and there is also an emergency number on 07960-614545. Their email is now eastreabookings@gmail.com
EASTREA CENTRE TRUSTEES
THE TRUSTEES serving under Ritchie Walton from last year are Mac and Marsha Erysthee (above) of Wype Road. They have been joined by Nicola’s father Albert Brooks (pictured right).
EASTREA has been back in the news (RIGHT). Our campaign for a better bus service is continuing — as readers know, we have been in contact with the chief executives of both Stagecoach and Judds, and are following up their initial responses. We have also been pressing for the installation of a digital bus time indicator at the stop on Coates Road. Our enquiries show that, although our initial request for grant was received positively, the Highways department at the Cambridgeshire County Council was curiously told that a sign was ‘unfeasible’. We are trying to locate the source of this statement.
Eastrea Fun Day — Saturday 15 July 2017 Games and rides, Competitions and Barbecue Music and Dance, Wine, Beer and Food … 12:00 am till 6:00 pm