NEWS: construction; new bus service; N. Watch; and some winners

News-in-brief of Draycott-In-The-Moors in mid-August 2013
We have news of:  completed construction projects at Totmonslow, Huntley Wood and the Church Hall; the new bus in Draycott; new Neighbourhood Watch group; and raffle winners.
(NB – There are also dozens of events in the area. Check out the Events page!)

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Building Draycott up

Well, the good weather seems to have helped a number of outstanding construction projects in this area to get finished, which is no bad thing.

The most obvious achievement was the restoration of the ditch-trench that runs alongside Uttoxeter Road at Totmonslow. It had become badly silted up, and overgrown, so it was a timely move by Highways to clean it up last month.

Ditch – cleared!

The work should prevent flash-floods across the road at this point. With luck.

Meanwhile, up at Huntley Wood Outdoor Adventure Centre,  which is off Cheadle Road at Draycott Cross, the second of the three sites has finally opened.
Emma and Jonathan have been slogging away at it, transforming the old quarry, and now the ‘Wyldwood’ section  is open, as well as the already-running ‘Greenvale’ section.
The centre, which is only open at the moment for private bookings, hosts organisations such as survival groups, role-play organisations and scouting-type activities.  Hopefully, they will have an open day in the near future so we locals can see what’s been going on up there.
In the meantime, have a look at this Wyldwood Flickr slideshow, which outlines how the site came to be what it is.

And last, but not least, congratulations to the team who’ve finally got the ceiling renovated at the Church & Community Hall.

The scaffolding had to go up in the Church Hall – it’s a high ceiling

It has taken time and money, but means the hall will be dry and warm for many many years to come.

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X Fifty… what?

You many remember, a few months ago, there was talk that there would be changes to the X50 bus (which runs through Draycott between Meir and Uttoxeter).

Well, it looks like something was up after all, as we now welcome … the X51!
This month the new ‘ X51’ service is replacing some journeys usually undertaken by the X50 and the 7 bus (between Cheadle and Longton) and the 7A (between Tean and Draycott).  The 7 and 7A disappear to be replaced by using a combination of X50 and X51.
To be honest, we can’t figure out if this is just a new name for what is already happening or represents a major change.

If you understand what the difference is, would you let us know?

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Roll up for the winners

Incidentally, the winners of the St Margaret’s Draycott Summer Fayre raffle have been announced.  It looks like all the winners have been identified, so don’t get your hopes up. However, if you want to take a look at what you might have won, click on this link.

Of course, it’s against the law to raffle livestock, so no one would have won a kitten in the raffle…

Potatoes, eggs, kittens – this farm has them all…

…but – if you want a kitten, it looks like, according to this photo anyway, that Lower Manor Farm (which is diagonally opposite Church Lane) might be able to help.

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Neighbourhood Watch, anyone?

The community-action group VVSM are certainly not taking a rest for the summer!  As well as conducting a survey on the state of the bus-shelter opposite Rookery Crescent in Cresswell, they have just announced that they have another meeting coming up.
This time it’s to discuss the possibility of setting up a Neighbourhood Watch group in Cresswell.
Neighbourhood Watch is more than just ‘keeping a suspicious eye out’, it’s also a great way to share information about crime prevention in the community, as well as give a grassroots help to the forces of law and order.

There is more information about the meeting, which take place on August 29, on the VVSM website.

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Xmas already?

Finally, yes, Christmas does come earlier every year.

Proof?  The Foxfield Heritage Steam Railway project, which is over in Blythe Bridge, has just contacted us to say that places for its ‘Santa Specials’ are going fast, and that if anyone wants tickets, they need to be quick.

…what??  We’re still putting on the suntan lotion…

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