The Triangle and Hannah More Close were singled out as having good colour and The Golden Lion "stands out as an example of what can be achieved".

However, the judges commented that overall our village "lacks colour" and that, "in general, garden care does not extend beyond walls unlike many other villages". These are things we can learn from for the future. Neither of them are quick fixes to be done just before we submit our entry to the competition.

My thanks go to the small band of people who devoted many hours of their free time to tidy-up main parts of our village. It is easy to say that we could have achieved more with a larger number of volunteers - but this is about all of us showing we care for
the community in which we live. Our achievements this year provide a great platform for making our village an even better place to live in the future - we should not lose that momentum.

Jeremy Birkett
Organiser, Wrington Village of the Year entry
                                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Operation Christmas Child (OCC)

Once again Wrington Chapel is participating in the Christmas Shoe Box Appeal this year and we are extending the invitation to the village to join us.

Thank you! - A huge 'thank you' to all those who supported this initiative last year: we
gathered together 88 boxes.

What is Operation Christmas Child?

Since 1990, Operation Christmas Child has brought the joy of Christmas to more than 47 million boys and girls. Last year over 1.18 million gifts were sent out to children
across Eastern Europe and Africa.

This annual project enables caring individuals, families, schools, churches, businesses, and other organisations to fill ordinary shoe boxes with small toys, school supplies, sweets, and other gifts for vulnerable children around the world.

The gifts are given regardless of nationality, political background or religious beliefs to children requiring nothing of them, their families or communities in return.

With the help of thousands of volunteers, OCC collects and processes these gift-filled shoe boxes in its warehouses across the UK. Then the boxes are delivered to children in hospitals, orphanages, refugee camps, homeless shelters, and impoverished neighbourhoods.

If you wish to participate, please pick up a leaflet from Jewell's or speak to Jenny Berry (862754) if you want to know more.
                                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wrington WI presents An Evening with Richard Thorn - Wrington Video Archive

"1980'S Wrington - how we looked and sounded then."

Saturday 18 October Memorial Hall 7.15 pm for a 7.30pm start.
Tickets £10 including supper (bring your own drinks) available until 13 October from Jan Alcock 863509 Jenny Tarr 862827 Chris Parnham 862832 Veronica Thorn 862646. All proceeds to be divided between the local branches of the MS and Parkinson’s Societies.
                                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
How long is a piece of spaghetti?
Where do the mermaids go in the winter time?
When's the latest you should cast a carrot?

Pit your wits against all- comers at the All Saints' Quiz Night in the Memorial Hall on Saturday 4 October, 7.30pm.

Make up a team beforehand, or just come along yourself. Bring an American supper and Your Own Drinks. Tickets £10 per team of 4, £3 individuals, from John Ledbury 863832, Jenny Tarr 862867, Richard Thorn 862646, Gill Whiting 862039.
                                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A modern day Aesop’s fable Or: A shaggy poodle story...

A wealthy lady decides to go on a photo safari in Africa,and she takes her faithful old poodle, named Cuddles, along for company.

One day Cuddles starts chasing butterflies and before long he discovers he’s lost. Wandering about, he suddenly spots a leopard heading rapidly in his direction, with the
clearintention of eating him for lunch.

The old poodle thinks: “Oh oh, I’m in deep doo-doo now!”

Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap the old poodle exclaims loudly:

“Boy that was one delicious leopard! I wonder if there are any more around here?”

Hearing this the young leopard halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away muttering to himself:

“That was close! That old poodle nearly had me!”

Meanwhile, a monkey who has been watching the whole sene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So off he goes, but the old poodle sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and infers that something must be up. The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard.

The young leopard is furious at being made a fool of and he says:

“Here, monkey; hop on my back and you’ll see what’s going to happen to that conniving canine.”

Now the poodle sees the leopard coming with the monkey perched on his back and thinks:

“What am I going to do now?”

Instead of running for his life he sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn’t seen them yet.

Just when they are close enough to hear, the old poodle says out loud:

“Where’s that damn monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!”

And the moral of this story?

Don’t mess with the old’uns. Age and experience will always overcome youth and skill. Bulls*** and brilliance only come with age and experience.

Roy Robson
                                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~