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Issue:192 from May, 2010
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| South Lakeland District & Cumbria County Councillor | |
| R.K. Bingham The Smithy, Ackenthwaite, Milnthorpe, Cumbria, LA7 7DH | Tel: 015395 63694 e-mail: roger.bingham@cumbriacc.gov.uk |
Roger Reports...
Firstly may I thank the very many people who have enquired after my health and sent cards during my completely unexpected stay in hospital and subsequent convalescence. Also thanks to my fellow Burton and Home District Councillor Brian Cooper for holding the fort for me while I was away. I am making good progress and although I have already been out and about in the village I am behind on the local details e.g. pot holes but hope to catch up soon.
By a tragic coincidence the leader of the County Council Jim Buchanan was taken ill on the same day as me and died only three weeks later. Jim was largely responsible for steering the 2010-11 budget through with, at 1.9%, the lowest ever increase in Council Tax. He was also leader of the county council Conservative group which has now chosen a new group leader. He is Eddie Martin, from north Cumbria, who was elected unopposed. He will be proposed as council Leader at the AGM. Prior to Jim’s death the party strengths were Conservatives 38, Labour 24, Lib. Dems. 15, Independents 4, Socialist People’s Party 1. Currently the Conservatives lead a ’rainbow cabinet’ with Labour and Independent support. So far it seems that the current arrangements will continue but anything could happen. The deputy group leader is now James Airey who represents the Ulverston area but who did live at Kirkby Lonsdale. He is an old boy of QES and a former county YFC chairman so between north and south we have achieved a geographical balance in our leaders.
My time as Chairman of the county council also ends at the AGM. My year as Chairman was dominated by the weather. Firstly a poor summer combined with the recession hit the tourist trade, then came the unprecedented flooding in November followed by the longest spell of snow since 1963 and the accompanying grit crisis. Although I was in the thick of it I enjoyed enormously my year as Cumbria’s civic head. Highlights included many royal visits including three from the Prince of Wales who, like his grandmother, talks to everyone and stays twice as long as expected. In April I was pleased to welcome him to Ambleside where he inspected post flood renovations. A great honour for me was being asked to open the new bridge at Workington where P.C. Bill Barker lost his life when it was swept away by the 19 November floods. But my main joy has been meeting so many worthy people throughout the county and beyond. These include members of all occupations and services and swarms of volunteers chief amongst whom are our young people. At the Whitehaven RAF parade I met a young cadet whom I’d previously seen taking part in a swimming gala and the county youth orchestra. I feel that people like him are more typical of our youth than the unpleasant minority we hear more about.
At South Lakeland’s council on 30 March SLDC’s council tax increase was fixed at 2.84% - the disproportionate increase compared to the county’s tax rise is largely due to the cut for all districts in the governments Revenue Support Grant. The most contentious clash was over a proposal to contribute £10,000 to a fund shared with other councils to meet the costs of appealing to central government for a rebate of hundreds of thousands of pounds raised from car parking fees. On the face it to spend £10,000 to get say £500,000 back seemed a good bargain; on the other hand some members thought it was too much of a gamble when faced with the power of Whitehall’s law officers - but by a majority members decided to risk the £10,000. Time will tell who was right.
SLDC also approved some constitutional changes which enable e-mail petitions and also for emergency powers to be implemented without having to obtain the Chairman’s signature. I recall that in 2001 when I was SLDC Chairman I was knocked up at night to sign a document to enable the removal of a whale’s carcass washed up at Greenodd!
Further information has also been released about the Local Development Framework which was so controversial when draft suggestions were published in 2008 which, in Burton’s case, implied that the village might be increased by 50 percent and that a mixed industrial area might be created. The final proposals were submitted to the Secretary of State last November and the publication of the Development Plan Documents is due this month so, as with wider governmental matters, we will have to wait and see - at least until after 6 May. In the meantime let us enjoy the Spring and hope for a better Summer.
Best wishes,
Roger Reports... Councils in the last month have been obsessed with setting budgets in the face of Whitehall’s demands to economise. As in recent years, local authorities are constrained by a reduction in the Revenue Support Grant from the Treasury, which at one time covered two thirds of local council expenditure, but which now only pays for about half. Similarly, the police authority which also sets its own ’rates’ has to raise a greater proportion from the council tax. Thus in 2000 the local council tax payer contributed 20.3% to the police revenue - but for 2010-11 the local proportion will be 33.1%. For a band ’B’ tax payer the police cost has risen in the last ten years from £1.26 per week to £2.90, and overall the increase in the police rate has gone up 3% pa. Excluding the parish precept, which varies from place to place, the district and county increases have been the lowest on record. South Lakeland’s share of the council tax has gone up by 2.9%, despite a proposal (which got little general publicity) from the opposition group (to which I belong) for no increase (0%) at all! As a result, a band B council tax payer will now pay £136.81 for the district council services like waste collection. Less onerous was Cumbria County Council’s 1.9% increase in their share of the tax. For a band B property Cumbria’s tax will now be £903.39 pa. Though band B is invariably the point of reference, it is unhelpful for Burton which has hardly any homes in that category. For the record the bands and council tax payable in the coming year are Band A (up to £40,000) £774.33; B (up to £52,000) £903.39; C (up to £68,000) £1,032.44; D (up to £l,161.50); E (up to £120,000) £1,419.61; F (up to £160,000) £1,677.72; G (up to £320,000) £1,935.83; H (over £320,001) £2,323.00. Because of high property values I would like a higher band for properties worth over £500,000, as to me it seems odd that a detached village house or even one on an estate (valued at £320,000) pays the same as a stately home with an estate! But, please, what do you think? On general finance South Lakeland received a disturbing ’Annual Audit Letter’ from government scrutineers, which judged SLDC’s ’managing finances’ and governing the business’ at Level 2 - ’performs adequately’ while ’managing resources’ was Level 1 - ’performs poorly.’ On the county council a significant issue is the costs of last November’s floods. Under the government’s ’Bellwin’ scheme the county has to meet the first £1.2m of costs. In addition there are the costs of ’significant damage to highways infrastructure’ caused by the floods estimated at £9m and those following the most severe winter since 1963 - only part of which will be met from reserves. Even so, road schemes planned for Burton include the resurfacing of Main Street (£150,000+) and surfacing dressing of Vicarage Lane as far as 19 Trees and also of Tarn Lane as far as the county boundary. It is hoped that the Main Street work will take place in August when the school is closed - but I’ll try and let you know precise dates. Apart from finance, other matters have kept us busy. The debate about the possible extensions of the both the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Parks continues. Many people want a referendum to gauge public opinion in both the possible joining areas, and also in adjoining parishes like Burton, which might be affected by increased development pressure if neighbouring areas achieve extra protection because of national park status. A plan to share services with South Lakeland and Eden was approved after a long debate at SLDC only after it was stressed that it would not lead to merging the two councils. But fear of merger contributed to Eden Council rejecting the scheme. One of South Lakeland’s perennial problems has re-surfaced - the Grange swimming pool. After about 20 years of campaigning the Berners Close pool was built in the 1990s to replace the 1930s outdoor pool. But the new facility was un-economical and soon closed. Now a scheme to turn the complex into a retirement hotel has been abandoned and replaced by plans for housing for older people. I have recently been informed of an apparent anomaly on waste collection, which is that the assisted collection scheme only applies to wheelie bins and not to recycling boxes. I will try and find out why. In the meantime if you would like assisted collection for the bins please ring SLDC on 0845 050 4434. Finally I must note an unfortunate sign of Spring, which is that a patch of gorgeous winter aconites on Clawthorpe Lane have been dug up and removed along with some snowdrops. This is illegal, though the police weren’t sure how to proceed and wondered who the ’owner is’, though I suggested the county council; nor could I say how long they had been there or if, in the officer’s words, they were ’wild wild flowers’! But at least we can enjoy the daffodils. |
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I wish I had a pound for every time someone has said to me: “Look, Paul, I’m just not the religious type.” People normally say it when they find out I’m a vicar, or after I’ve invited them to come to church or asked them to think more about Jesus and consider becoming a Christian. The assumption is that you have to be religious to become a Christian. But being the religious type is irrelevant to being a follower of Jesus. The Gospels are full of examples of the “unreligious” seeing in Jesus the answer to their deepest need. Jesus was always attracting and befriending people who were “not the religious type.” On one occasion a Roman centurion came to Jesus for help (Matthew 8:5-13). Now centurions were about as far from the ”religious type“ as you could get in Jesus’ day. They were political enemies and military occupiers who were labelled as “godless” by the Jewish people. But this man came to Jesus for help, recognising something unique in this Galilean teacher. Jesus welcomed him and promised him a place in the kingdom of heaven – all without being religious. Another time, we read of Jesus dealings with a notorious tax collector named Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). Back then, tax collectors were universally despised as godless traitors and cheats. They were not religious types – far from it. Religious people avoided them like the plague. In spite of this we see Jesus making a bee-line for Zacchaeus, picking him out of the crowd and, to the horror of the watching public, inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ house. It’s the turning point in the tax collector’s life and he becomes a follower of Jesus – without being religious. We could highlight many such episodes, all providing clear evidence that being the “religious type” is irrelevant to Christianity. This is because Christianity isn’t about religion at all, but relationship. To be a Christian is to come into relationship with the one true God through Jesus Christ and that’s a dynamic and amazingly exciting thing. Why not come and join us one Sunday and find out for yourself? Paul If you would like to request prayer for yourself or for anyone else, please contact Paul on 781391. Little Fishes is an activity session for pre-school children (age 0-4). Sessions will typically have a bible-based story followed by a craft activity. It’s free! Snacks for the tiddlers & tea and coffee for the parents/carers. 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, term-time only, times: 2.00 - 3.00pm St. James’ Church, Burton. New fishes always welcome, why not come along and see what it’s all about. For more info contact Jo Dugdale: 01524 781928. St James' Burton & Holy Trinity Holme Sunday 7 March 10.00am Holy Communion Burton 11.00am Holy Communion Holme 06.00pm Evening Church Burton Wednesday 10 March 10.00am Holy Communion (BCP) Holme Sunday 14 March (Mothering Sunday) 08.00am Holy Communion (BCP) Holme 10.00am Family Service Burton 11.00am Family Service Holme 06.00pm Evening Church Burton Sunday 21 March 10.00am Holy Communion Burton 11.00am Holy Communion Holme 06.00pm Evening Church Burton Sunday 28 March 10.00am Morning Prayer (BCP) Burton 10.00am HuB All-age service Holme 06.00pm Evening Church (HC) Burton |
| Burton Morewood School Governors Meeting, 1 March 7pm, Burton Morewood School Nearly New Sale, Saturday 6 March, 10am-12pm, Spotted Dog Nursery, Clawthorpe Hall Business Centre Burton Lunch Club, Wednesday 10 March, Kings Arms Burton Pre-School New to You Sale, Saturday 13 March, 10am - 12pm, BMH Photo Exhibition & Competition, Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 March, 10am - 4.30pm, Holme Parish Hall Kent Estuary Neighbourhood Forum, Wed 17 March, 7.30pm, Preston Patrick Memorial Hall Burton Morewood School Book Fair, Thurs 18 March, Burton Morewood School Art & Craft Society Colour Workshop, Saturday 20 March, 10am-4pm, BMH Old Skool 80s Fancy Dress Discos, Saturday 20 March, 7.30pm, BMH Burton Memorial Hall Management Committee, Thursday 25 March, 7.30pm, BMH Burton Morewood School Term Ends, 26 March, Finish for Easter 2.00pm Daffodil Show 2010, Sunday 4 April, 10.40am onwards, Kings Arms, Burton Burton Morewood School Term Starts, 12 April, School reopens Burton Lunch Club, Wednesday 14 April, Kings Arms Big Kids Day Out, Saturday 17 April, Megazone (more in April BN) Burton Memorial Hall AGM, Thursday 22 April, 7.30pm, BMH BADS Spring Production, Friday 23 & Saturday 24 April, 7.30pm, BMH (tickets on sale from 1 April) POLLING DAY! Thursday 6 May, BMH Art & Craft Society Annual Exhibition, Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 June, BMH Burton Ball, Saturday 3 July, 7.30 pm, BMH |
| Art Exhibition - PERCY KELLY - Lithographs & Etchings, ends Sat 12 Dec, Heron Theatre, BeethamBurton Memorial Hall Xmas Bingo, Thursday 3 December, BMHMemorial Hall Car Park Clean Up Day, Saturday 5 December, 10am onwards, BMHChildren’s Christmas Parties, Sunday 6 December, BMH (see page 7 for ages & times)Kent Estuary Neighbourhood Forum, Tuesday 8 December, 7.30pm, Heron Theatre, BeethamBurton Lunch Club, Wednesday 9 December, 12.30pm, Kings ArmsCarols by Candlelight, Thursday 10 December, 7pm, Kings ArmsBurton W.I. Meeting, Thursday 10 December, 7.30pm, BMHChristmas Fair, Friday 11 December, 3.15pm, Morewood SchoolBurton Thistle Football Club Xmas Bingo, Friday 11 December, BMHBurton Pre-School Christmas Fair, Saturday 12 December, 10am -12noon, BMH (see page 9)Christmas Disco, Saturday 12 December, evening, Kings Arms (children welcome)Christmas Concert, Sunday 13 December, 7.30pm, St Mary’s Church, Kirkby Lonsdale (see page 19)Morewood School Carol Concert, Wednesday 16 December, 2pm, St James’ Church (see page 7)Morewood School Carol Service (for parents), Wednesday 16 December, 6.30pm, St James’ ChurchMorewood School - end of term, Friday 18 December, 2pmBurton Tennis Club Xmas Bingo, Friday 18 December, BMHChristmas Eve Food (until 8.30pm) & Disco (evening), Thursday 24 December, Kings ArmsChristmas Day at the Kings, Friday 25 December, 12-2pm, Kings ArmsNew Year’s Eve Party Night + Food (until 8.30pm) & Entertainment, Thursday 31 December, Kings Arms2010Morewood School - start of term, Tuesday 5 JanuaryBADS Casting & Script Reading & Get Together, Thursday 7 January, 7.30pm, BMHArt Exhibition - DONALD IBBOTSON Vibrant Pastels, from Tuesday 12 January, Heron Theatre, BeethamBurton Lunch Club, Wednesday 13 January, 12.30pm, Kings ArmsBurton W.I. Meeting, Thursday 14 January, 7.30pm, BMHPlays by HE Bates, starring Graham Padden, Friday 15/Saturday 16 January, Heron Theatre, BeethamTreasure Island Pantomime, Saturday 16 January, BMH (see page 27)Local History Society Meeting, Monday 18 January, 7.30pm, BMHFilm: “In Search of a Midnight Kiss“ [15], Friday 22 January, Heron Theatre, BeethamArt & Craft Society Watercolour Workshop, Saturday 23 January, 10am-4pm, BMH (see page 28)BMH Management Committee Meeting, Thursday 28 January, 7.30pm, BMH |
| Comments on the goings-on at the Parish Council... |
| AGM Burton Bowling Club, Monday 2 November, 7.30pm BMH Village Bonfire & Fireworks, Thursday 5 November, 6.30pm onwards Burton Pre-School New to You Sale, Saturday 7 November, 10am -12noon, BMH Act of Remembrance, Sunday 8 November, War Memorial in St James’ Churchyard, 9.45am Burton Lunch Club, Wednesday 11 November, 12.30pm, Kings Arms Pear Tree Glass Open House, Fri &Sat 20 & 21 November 10am - 4pm, Pear Tree Cottage, Dalton, A Taste of Christmas Coffee Morning, Saturday 21 November, 10am - 12noon, BMH Sports Committee Xmas Bingo, Thursday 26 November, BMH Quiz Night in aid of Burton Recreation Trust, Thursday 26 November, 8pm, The Smithy at Holme BADS Autumn Play, Friday 27 & Saturday 28 November, curtain up 7.30pm, BMH Burton Memorial Hall Xmas Bingo, Thursday 3 December, BMH Burton Lunch Club, Wednesday 9 December, 12.30pm, Kings Arms Carols by Candlelight, Thursday 10 December, 7pm, Kings Arms Burton Thistle Football Club Xmas Bingo, Friday 11 December, BMH Burton Pre-School Christmas Fair, Saturday 12 December, 10am -12noon, BMH Christmas Disco, Saturday 12 December, evening, Kings Arms (children welcome) Burton Tennis Club Xmas Bingo, Friday 18 December, BMH Christmas Eve Food (until 8.30pm) & Disco (evening), Thursday 24 December, Kings Arms Christmas Day at the Kings, Friday 25 December, 12-2pm, Kings Arms New Year’s Eve Party Night + Food (until 8.30pm) & Entertainment, Thursday 31 December, Kings Arms Treasure Island Pantomime, Saturday 16 January, 2010, BMH (More info in the next issue!) |
by Roger Bingham Family Records ’Some there are who have no memorial’, states a biblical text, which also says, ’let us now praise famous men and our fathers that begat us’. Yet for our, mainly illiterate, ancestors very little trace of them would remain after the next generation died. But even if they were not famous, many records survive from quite early times of the minority of families who were land holders. Moreover, documents about land like wills, deeds and rents often contain much social history. One well recorded local families are the Croft family who lived at Dalton during the reign of Henry II (1154-1189). Around 1160 some land at Dalton worth twelve pence per annum was mentioned in a marriage settlement concerning Roger Croft. In 1194 Roger was succeeded by his son, Gilbert who gave land to Cockersand Abbey, near Lancaster. In turn Gilbert’s son Henry owned two plough lands worth ten shillings per annum along with tenanted land which was let for six shillings and six pence. He, also, cultivated directly five Oxgangs of plough land. An Oxgang was a holding which could produce enough grain to feed a family for a year. Significantly, it is at this time that records start concerning Dalton Mill, which was probably on the beck near Court Green. His son, another Henry, who succeeded, aged only 16, in 1297, also held two plough lands along with hunting and other rights called ’free warren’ in Dalton. A hundred years later the family had gone up in the world as Henry’s great grandson Sir John Croft was described as a knight and a chivaler. In the next generation his son Nicholas owned land in Yealand Conyers, Farleton and Over Kellett along with the right (called an advowson) to chose the Priest at Claughton Church. Then, after 300 years, with the death of Sir John’s son James in 1457, the direct male line of the Crofts of Dalton died out, though the surname continued to appear in local Church registers for long afterwards. James divided his estate between his two daughters: Alison, who was married to Geoffrey Middleton, was left land in Yealand at Leighton Hall. Her sister Mabel, who was married to Piers Legh of Lyme Hall in Cheshire, obtained Dalton. The Dalton estates continued in the Legh family until after the death of Thomas Legh in 1797, when his daughters sold the estate in 1803 to the Rev Geoffrey Hornby, the ancestor of the present owners. Two reminders of the Leghs’ 350 year connection with the parish survive. A board in ’Dalton Chapel’, in the north aisle of Burton Church, informs us that the founder was ’P.L. Fundator, 1628’ meaning Sir Peter Legh. He was Sheriff of Lancashire in 1596, an M.P. in 1601, and ’died in 1636 at a ripe old age’. It was his heir Richard who built Dalton Old Hall where a date stone is inscribed RLE 1666. It was from the Crofts that the Middletons of Leighton obtained Deerslet, which appears as ’Durslet’ in an account of a 1596 account of a tenants’ right dispute waged by Timothy Knipe and Miles Hutton against George Middleton of Yealand. At this time some Croft records were cited as showing that ’Durslet’, although in the Parish of Burton was part of the Manor of Yealand, and that it was divided from Westmorland ’in three places by a hedge, by a little brook, and by a great stone called the Catstone’. Later these names were changed to Deerslet and Buckstone. In the nineteenth century Dalton was incorporated in Westmorland. Between c1880 and 1974 Dalton, therefore, was in three counties: Lancashire, Westmorland and Cumbria. |
| Holme Scouts Coffee Morning, Saturday 3 October, BMH Annual Onion Show, Sunday 4 October, Kings Arms, Burton Charity Ladies Evening and Fashion Show, Friday 9 October, Longlands Hotel, Tewitfield Burton Memorial Hall Autumn Fair/Coffee Morning, Saturday 10 October, 10am - 12noon, BMH Burton Lunch Club, Wednesday 14 October, 12.30pm, Kings Arms Lancaster Canal Trust Coffee Morning, Saturday 17 October, BMH Art & Craft Society, Monday 26 October, 7.30pm, BMH Burton Memorial Hall Management Committee, Wednesday 28 October, 7.30pm, BMH MacMillan Cancer Support Quiz, Thursday 29 October, 7.30pm, BMH Burton Pre-School Halloween Disco Party, Saturday 31 October, 6pm-9pm, BMH AGM Burton Bowling Club, Monday 2 November 7.30pm BMH Burton Pre-School New to You Sale, Saturday 7 November, 10am-12noon, BMH Burton Lunch Club, Wednesday 11 November, 12.30pm, Kings Arms Pear Tree Glass Open House, Fri &Sat 20 & 21 November 10am-4pm, Pear Tree Cottage, Dalton, Sports Committee Xmas Bingo, Thursday 26 November, BMH BADS Autumn Play, Friday 27 & Saturday 28 November, curtain up 7.30pm, BMH Burton Memorial Hall Xmas Bingo, Thursday 3 December, BMH Burton Lunch Club, Wednesday 9 December, 12.30pm, Kings Arms Burton Thistle Football Club Xmas Bingo, Friday 11 December, BMH Burton Pre-School Christmas Fair, Saturday 12 December, 10am-12noon, BMH Burton Tennis Club Xmas Bingo, Friday 18 December, BMH |
