This coming Saturday morning (25th May) from 10.00am until 11.30am in the hopefully sunny (or at the very least non windy) venue of Glossop’s Market Arcade, will see this month shopper’s surgery.

Expected in attendance along myself will be Godfrey Claff and Colin Waude who represents Howard Town, Graham Oakley from Whitfield, Garry Parvin from Old Glossop, and Bob Mckeown from Hadfield South.

There’s no set theme for the surgery and myself along with the other councillor’s will be happy to answer any questions, comments and concerns that you have, and rather than holding the surgery where you have to come to then, the central location means we are where you may well be passing whilst out on a Saturday.

But councillor’s arent just available at surgeries, and if you have an issue you want to raise, you can get in touch with me via the details listed by clicking here, and you can see contact details for other Labour Councillors across Glossopdale by visiting the Glossopdale Labour website at www.glossopdale.labourhighpeak.info or alternatively (for all borough councillors) on the borough council’s website at http://www.highpeak.gov.uk/

Additionally wi-fi access permitting we also hope to have skype access to the assembled councillor’s surgery via anthonyemckeown.

The tribute which was organised by local Edmund Bradbury in association with the Chapel en le Frith branch of the Royal British Legion, and included the laying of wreaths at the Chapel War Memorial which includes the name of former Coombs residents Flight Lieutenant William Astell DFC. The tribute also remembered Sergeant Jack Marriott DFM formerly of New Smith Chinley who also lost his life in the raid.

A range of civic dignitaries including the county high sheriff Mr Derek Mapp, local clergy and Royal British Legion standard-bearers, along with school pupils (including from Coombs school which the Flight Lieutenant may well have attended) and members of the 2517 (Buxton) Squadron of the Air Training Corps were in attendance, along with liaison officer Captain Duncan Fraser and Flight Lieutenant Jennifer Shackley who were in attendance as representatives of the current day 617 Squadron, which is now based at Lossiemouth in Scotland.

The service also had a performance of the ‘Dambusters March’ by the Chapel en le Frith Male Voice Choir.

Following on from the service there was a reception in Chapel en le Frith Town Hall, where in recognition of his efforts in organising the days events a special presentation was made to Mr Bradbury by the representatives of the current 617 squadron, this was followed by entertainment from a talented local duo playing songs from the 40′s / 50′s both on guitar and ukulele.

Finally it was back onto the streets of Chapel to witness a fly past from the “City of Lincoln” Lancaster Bomber, which made four passes over the town on route to it’s tribute at the Derwent Dams which were used by the 617 squadron in preparation for the Dambusters Raid.

More photo’s at : http://flic.kr/s/aHsjF8g8xY

A few other reports from Thursday :

Uphilldowndale : http://uphilldowndale.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/70th-anniversary-of-the-dambusters/

View from the High Peak : http://viewfromthehighpeak.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/617-dambuster-squadrons-70th-anniversary.html?spref=tw

Whaley Bridge Writer : http://whaleybridgewriter.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/marking-70th-anniversary-of-dambusters.html?spref=tw

Unfortunately although the trees may have looked fine, following assessment by the council’s tree officers the tree’s have been removed due to health and safety concerns, and whilst it won’t quite be like for like, replacement trees will be planted towards the end of the year.

The first as indicated by the poster on the left is the launch of the Community Dog Watch Scheme, a scheme put together by the Good Glossop Dogs Group and the council aimed at promoting good dog ownership, along with helping get more issues reported to the council so that enforcement activity against those dogs owners that don’t clean up etc can be better targeted.

It’s running from 11am until 4pm and there’s a whole host of activities including dog agility test’s, a raffle, cake stalls and details on the scheme – You can see a few more details in the press report of the scheme in the Glossop Advertiser by clicking here, and the Good Glossop Dog’s group has a group on facebook as well.

The second event, also conveniently located in Manor Park as well, is this year’s Glossop Car Show which is also running from 11am until 4pm and promises to be quite a sight, with at least 100 vintage and specialist vehicles along with various stalls.

The event which will also feature live music will is organised by the Friends of Manor Park and further details can be viewed on their website (www.glossopcarshow.moonfruit.com) or on facebook.

Chapel en le Frith Male Voice Choir who are one of the leading male voice concert choirs in Derbyshire, have received some funding from DCC to take music into communities.

To do this they are hosting 3 concerts across the High Peak, the first of which is taking place in the Geoffrey Allen Centre on Winster Mews, from 7.30pm on Saturday 18th May.

The concert are been run with the aid of the Children Society in Glossop, and ticket are priced at £1 and include a meat and potato pie supper. Tickets are available from the Jericho Cafe or from A&C Shoes’ the Market Arcade, Glossop.

The pub which from all reports locally was running fine, was closed not long before the end of March when owners Enterprise Inns took the sudden and unexpected (at least locally) decision to close the pub and put it on the market.

The pub is listed on the Colliers International website as a ‘community public house’ with it’s key features been that it’s a two storey detached property, with ‘trading accommodation’ on the ground floor and three bedroom private living accommodation on the first floor.

The pub is on 99 year long leasehold from the borough council which started originally with Manchester City Council in 1973, and ‘best and final’ offers are invited by the 3^rd May.

For further details goto : http://www.colliersproperty.co.uk/pubs-to-let/glossop/305741

The surgery which runs from 9.00am until 10.00am in the Gamesley Residents Association Office on Winster Mews has no specific theme this month, and local’s are welcome with any comments, questions complaints or grumbles on local services.

Local are welcome to call in, however we appricate that you might not be passing on Saturday morning, so you could join us virtually via Skype (click the skype call me button in the side bar) or click here for further ways to get in touch.

First up is the February full council meeting, which took place on the last day of February, which in addition to the usual budget processes and council tax setting, also saw the council take the decision to bring the management of it’s council housing stock back in house, ending the arms length arrangements that have been in place since the end of 2003.

Work is now underway to return the arms length arrangements and you can find out more by clicking here for the Peak Performance newsletter that has recently gone out.

The first full week of March (4^th to 10^th) saw meetings of the Joint Local Strategic Partnership, along with a meeting of the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales Community Safety Partnership which works to bring together the various agencies and groups working along with the police on community safety, the week finished off with a weekend training course.

The second week (11^th to 17^th) of March included a meeting of the High Peak and Hope Valley Community Rail Partnership in the village which is the home of the Peak District’s only open air swimming pool Hathersage. Amongst the issues discussed were the partnership’s wish list for items to be included the next time the rail franchise which covers the area is renewed, which includes along with a whole host of improvements to service etc support for getting a station at Gamesley.

The council’s regeneration select committee also met that week, and also considered a report on transport issue with the High Peak along with presentations from Visit Peak District around what work they are doing which included a number of questions from Glossopdale councillor’s on how there work helps in Glossopdale along with a presentation on some of the analysis of the 2011 census. You can view the papers for the meeting by clicking here for the regeneration select committee March 2013 papers.

Week three (18^th to 24^th) of March saw a shorter than normal meeting of the council’s community select committee which considered a report on changes to the council’s housing allocation policy, along with the two confidential reports on changes to bring sites, and procuring horticultural equipment, and you view the details of the changes to the allocation policy by clicking here.

A consultation event with United Utilities on planning for the future of water services was next up that week along with training sessions on Housing Complaints and the new role that councillor’s will have with the housing ombudsman (more details on this to follow shortly) along with a session on planning enforcement.

The week also included a presentation to a group of 14 young and upcoming athletes from across the High Peak who have shared a £2,810 bursary pot from the Derbyshire Sports organized business network ICON to help them reach their sporting goals. In addition to the bursaries, DC Leisure who run our leisure centre also offer each of the athletes free access to the gym and swim facilities across the High Peak. You can see more details on the scheme and the wide range of sports that the talented group are doing on the Derbyshire Sports website by clicking here.

Finally and almost bringing things up to date was last week’s meeting of the council’s executive committee which with the County Council elections limiting some things that we can consider had a brief agenda of agreeing the Designation of the Chapel en le Frith Neighbourhood Area for neighbourhood plan purposes, along with a confidential report on Horticulture Equipment Procurement – further details available by clicking here.

The 0734 journey from Gamesley to Glossop will now start at 07.29 and run round Simmondley on it’s way to Glossop prior to continuing to Chapel en le Frith High School as service 69A, and the 15.41 journey from Glossop which starts from Chapel en le Frith High School as service 69A will now go round Simmondley and then run 5 minutes later at all stops on the way to Stepping Hill rather than the current 3 minutes later.

Taking place from 10.00am until 11.30am in the Glossop Market Arcade, the shopper’s surgery features a number of local Councillors including Colin Waude who represents Howard Town, Graham Oakley from Whitfield, Garry Parvin from Old Glossop, Bob Mckeown from Hadfield South and me.

There’s no set theme for the surgery and myself along with the other councillor’s will be happy to answer any questions, comments and concerns that you have, and rather than holding the surgery where you have to come to then, the central location means we are where you may well be passing whilst out on a Saturday.

You can see contact details for Labour Councillors by visiting the website at www.glossopdale.labourhighpeak.info or alternatively (for all borough councillors) on the borough council’s website at http://www.highpeak.gov.uk/

Additionally wi-fi access permitting we also hope to have skype access to the assembled councillor’s surgery via anthonyemckeown.