grayshott what's on newsletter friday 12th march 2010

Dear subscriber

Tonight's the night when the latest Grayshott Panto is visited on an unsuspecting, hopefully pleasantly horrified, public. I hope you managed to get your tickets for the Rock'n'Horror Panto Show before they sold out, but if not there are still some left for the 2pm performance tomorrow at Grayshott Books - if you're quick. Tickets for Messiah have also nearly sold out with only a few remaining.

The Grayshott Sports & Recreation exhibition following the study commissioned by the Parish Council is already bearing fruit - I've never seen so many people exercised in Grayshott. The need to replace the ageing Sports Pavilion has been generally accepted, let alone the possibilities of expanding its facilities, but the means by which this may be funded has become the bone of all bones of contention.

And in case your dog should go looking for this bone on the recreation ground you had better be prepared as apparently the first fixed penalty notice for £50 has been served on a gentleman who did not pick up after his dog, by our local dog warden who is now regularly patrolling
the Sports Field and other green space areas in the village.

The contentious issue is the suggestion that the tennis courts could be relocated allowing the land to be sold off for affordable housing. You can imagine that providing more affordable housing in Grayshott is a benefit in itself but the salient point here is the proceeds of the land sale would then go a very long way to also affording a new pavilion. Failing this, and if alternative funding cannot be found, the pavilion will presumably deteriorate possibly to the point of demolition.

It appears there are some villagers who prefer the status quo and, regardless of the potential benefits, oppose sweating the villages assets in this way. This is fair enough but accepting the pavilion still has to be replaced how else can the Parish Council raise half a million quid?

This all bubbled over at Mondays Parish Council meeting and has led to various exchanges on the messageboard and will form the core discussion at the Parish Assembly which is at 8pm on Friday 26th March in the Village Hall - it should be a lively meeting and perhaps we may have to call on the services of the guest speaker Mr Drake who is a Magistrate.

Perhaps you should do a bit of swatting up before then and the latest bumper edition of the Grayshott Scene is now online and free printed copies are available from The Fox and Pelican, Grayshott Library, Grayshott Books, The Post Office, Grayshott Social Club, Applegarth Farm and Grayshott Pottery.

There are several job vacancies in the village. The Village Hall are looking for a new Caretaker, the Parish Council for another Assistant Parish Clerk - both would suit someone in the village wanting to get involved.

Looking ahead to next week Morris, a life with bells on is showing on Wednesday at the Village Hall, on Friday there's Nick's Big & Bumper Quiz & Supper in aid of Sports Relief @ Grayshott Social Club or Live Music with Beats Working @ Fox & Pelican