Hi Folks, congratulations on a super website, just discovered it through ‘Park Life’. I will use this forum to let you know what is happening to Lode Mill, currently restoration of the interior is on hold until we resolve our bats issues, the valley is a home to Daubentons, Pipistrelles and Brown Long Eared, seemingly quite a thriving community, and one or two resident in the mill. According to the Midland Wind and Watermills Society Lode Mill is one of very few left in the country with a working interior, and to their knowledge the only one with a drying kiln in the middle section. This appears to have been added later as the centre door has been lowered sometime, you can see this from the riverbank path opposite as the lintel has been lowered.
We would be interested to have any information from residents about its history. I propose to invite people to an open day once the interior is made safe, which will be a while yet.
Jim Campbell

Brian – thank you for posting some great photos from the Planters day on 4th July. People may be interested to know that 5th July was one of the busiest viewing days on the website, and the Planters photos the most popular page requested this month.

A reminder to all that if we use the recycling containers on the playing field car park, this brings income to the village.  This year we received £312.83.  So whever possible, please use this facility.  Thank You.

Village SOS is a major new initiative from the BIG Lottery Fund and the BBC, which is searching for six UK villages with a great business idea that will help regenerate their community, and six enterprising individuals to become ‘Village Champions’ to work with the successful villages to help them achieve their ambitions of starting a successful rural business. The journey of the six successful villages will be documented by BBC One for a major prime time series in Winter 2010.  Any rural village community group can apply to the scheme, as can any business expert interested in becoming a Village Champion. The closing date is 14th August. For more information about the scheme, the application process and the grants available,  see the webpages at the BBC and Big Lottery Fund. Perhaps there are individuals/groups that may be interested in this?  Comments/ideas are welcome.

A Services Directory has been added to the website under ‘Village General’ which we hope will prove helpful to residents.  This directory lists organisations and individuals who provide useful services to the Alstonefield community.  It is not yet fully comprehensive and it is quite possible that there are names and/or services missing, so please help by sending your suggestions/recommendations to us by using the ‘contact us’ facility or leaving a comment.  Only parishioners may make recommendations for additions and removals to and from the directory. Many thanks.

It looks as though the public payphone apparatus at Milldale has been stolen. The loss has been reported to BT, who will hopefully replace the equipment. It is understood that there has been a number of similar thefts from surrounding villages. Given that the mobile phones signals in Milldale are poor, to say the least, the payphone is vital, especially in the emergency situations that occur fairly frequently along Dovedale.

The results of the questionnaires from two Parish consultation days last year indicated that Affordable Housing was one of the topics of primary concern. Following on from a talk with representatives from Staffordshire Rural Housing Association at the Annual Parish Meeting, we now have an opportunity to carry out a full Housing Needs Survey for the Parish, with a view to actively addressing resultant requirements, including identifying suitable site(s) for development. Please vote on this issue below (the results will be taken into account in any decision taken).

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Do you have any news or items of interest to the community which should be published on the Home page of our website ?  If you are an individual or business in the Parish, please use the ‘contact us’ form to let us know.  If you belong to a Group or Club, ask the person who is administering your webpage to post the item. Thank you in anticipation…..

Gargoyles watch out, the Ladies Team is building in strength, but 4 or 5 volunteers still needed for the challenge match on 20th September. Please contact me or leave a comment here…..