April 1997 - Editorial

MILLENNIUM

What does the Millennium mean to you?

Anything? Nothing? Will it be just the start of another new year? Happy New Year and by the way, I see another Millennium has just begun. I remember the last one as if it was only yesterday….

Is it something that will affect other people? An opportunity to fix those stupid computer programs that always seem to make mistakes. If these computers are so clever, why can’t they tell automatically when it changes from 1999 to 2000? Why does someone have to spend so much time and trouble changing them? I bet some companies will make a fortune when the changeover comes.

How will it affect the village? Not at all, or should something be done? Someone is bound to do something when the time comes? Surely they cannot ignore it and not mark the occasion with some form of celebration?

Well who are they? Is it the Council? (Which Council - the County Council, the City Council or the Parish Council?) Is the School? Is it the Churches - St. John’s or the Methodist Church? Is it the Community Association? Is it the Brownies, the Cubs, the Guides, or any of the groups that use the Village Hall? Is it the Women’s Institute, or the political parties?

Is anyone going to organise something to celebrate the Millennium? Do we want anyone to organise something? Are we prepared to pay for it? Who will organise it? Do we want a concerted effort by more than one organisation? Do we want to involve everybody, or perhaps, just the children?

What do we want them to do? Organise a New Year’s party in the Village Hall and invite everyone in the village? Donate a T shirt to everyone over the age of 65 saying ‘Welcome to the New Millennium, Guilden Sutton is 965 years old today’, or perhaps something useful, something lasting, something that will still be here in the next Millennium, such as……? A playing field for the children to play football on, or are there enough playing fields in the village?

It has already been suggested that the Parish Council, the Churches and the Community Association meet together to do something to recognise the Millennium. If you agree with this (or you disagree with it), let a member of one of those organisations know your views. If you would like to be included in the celebration organisations, please contact someone to let them know. If you have any brilliant ideas on the best way to mark the occasion, then put your suggestions forward.

It is probable that something will be organised to celebrate the Millennium. What it is and who does it, will depend on people’s views. We have enough time to organise whatever you want. But in order to do that we need to know your wishes.

If this strikes a chord with you, then please contact one of the people in the village on the back page of the Marigold and tell them what you think..

 

IN AND AROUND THE VILLAGE HALL

You may have noticed that the area in front of the new Marigold Room at the Village Hall has recently been planted up. We have waited until now for the best time of year to put the plants in. We hope it will grow and flourish and add to the attractiveness of the Hall.

Later in the year, we are hoping to site a wooden bench near the Village Hall so that people can sit and enjoy the sunshine throughout the summer (in England?). This has been kindly paid for by the Horticultural Society, which until recently used to meet in the Hall. When the Society disbanded, it decided to pay for a seat to be positioned to act as a memento for the Society.

As part of the regular refurbishment and redecorating of the Hall, we are planning to resurface the main hall floor and repaint the main hall. Both these activities are very expensive and major projects for the hall. It is some years since both of these were done and it is something we have decided to do to maintain the hall as one of the best Village Halls in Cheshire.

It will be a significant logistics exercise to ensure that they both happen when the hall is not used in the Summer holidays. Traditionally, the hall was not used for the six weeks or so that the school closes. However, in recent years, some groups have wanted to arrange for summer classes to be held and we will have to make sure that all wishes are accounted for.

We intend to block out the hall for a month in the summer to enable this redecoration to take place and we would ask your co-operation during this period. It is only something that happens every few years, so we hope it will be some time before we have to close it for such a long period again.

CHESHIRE BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION

The Parish Council has again entered the village for the Cheshire Best Kept Village competition, after last year’s good start when good marks were scored in most of the categories. Everyone in the village needs to do a bit more than they did last year to make sure that we do even better.

Remember that you can help by looking after your garden, by picking up any litter you see lying around and by making sure you do not drop any litter. If you want to join other people picking up litter around the village, then turn up at the Church Lane car park at 10.00 on the first Saturday of each month throughout the Summer and there will be someone there to give you a black bag and suggest an area of the village where you can pick up litter for an hour or so.

It does not take a great deal of time, but if we have enough helpers, we can make sure the village is the Best Kept Village in Cheshire.

VICARS CROSS FOOTBALL CLUB

Vicars Cross Football Club has asked if there are any boys in the village who would like to play Junior League football on Sunday afternoon for them next season. They are particularly looking for boys aged 12 to 14 to play for them from September onwards. If anyone is interested, could they contact Derek Hughes and I will be pleased to pass on your name and telephone number.

DON’T FORGET…..

… the Sutton Six and Fun Runs will start and finish at the Village Hall on Sunday 21st September commencing at 11.00.

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The AGM will be held on Monday 19th May in the Village Hall starting at 8pm. Everyone in the village is welcome to come along and find out what is going on at the hall, or to tell us where we are going wrong. If you don’t come and have your say, we will think that everything is OK.