Our dashed hopes of reducing the speed limit along The Avenue reported previous have recently had a new boost with ‘Pandas’ (Parents And Neighbourhoods Delivering All-round Safety). This new road safety initiative was presented by Mr Will Hull and with his commitment and the enthusiasm of the children in the school we hope to introduce a Pandas Zone. This new way of traffic calming using signs designed by our children has been successfully deployed in Nether Kellet. It’s a fabulous idea and one which I’m sure we can all support and will work for us.

We’re still looking for a recruit on the parish council. We don’t bite but we do talk a bit, so if you feel you would like to represent and improve your community then please contact either myself or our Clerk, Gillian.

Hopefully you all enjoyed your summer holidays and are now planning Christmas! Yes, stores are fitting themselves out with their Christmas displays already – it doesn’t seem a week since the last one, why does time seem to go faster as you get older?

Let’s hope we have a colourful autumn and a fun time at Halloween and Bonfire night …enjoy!

Kind regards,

Keith Ellin, Chairman

With the damp weather our slugs again made short work of many of our displays however yet again there were many stunning plants showing multitudes of flowers or massive stunning single heads of various colours.

Congratulations to Marilyn and John, who have won a £25 gift voucher kindly given by Barton Grange.

Many visitors and residents alike have commented about everyone’s passion and spirit toward producing a winning sunflower – I hope you all got as much out of it as we did.

Next year we’ll do it all again, but maybe also get the children (and adults) to grow the biggest pumpkin for Halloween.

What do you think, or have you some other creative ideas to get us all going :-)

The Trustees are looking for a Handyman to do routine maintenance jobs at the premises, remuneration by negotiation.

Churchtown Village Gardens Competition was successfully carried out during this year’s unpredictable summer and the judges commented "We do appreciate that some residents will have had a more colourful display earlier in the season."  

Best Front Garden -- Winner

Cobble End, Church Street

Comment:   "Lovely mixed planting in a traditional walled garden."

Best Frontage -- Winner

Byron House

Comment: "A colourful array of pots."

Best Container -- Winner

18 The Green

 Comment: "Well done for keeping the colour going at this late stage in the season."

As you are all probably aware Kirkland Parish Council and Kirkland and Catterall St. Helen's C of E Primary School have both fought tirelessly for years in an attempt to reduce the speed limit on the A586 outside and on the approach to school, unfortunately to no avail.

We are therefore hopeful that the introduction of ‘The Panda Scheme’ will have some positive effects on the road speed. The scheme is a method of reducing road speed in a designated area i.e. next to a school, which has been nominated for inclusion within the project to become a ‘Panda Zone.’

This scheme is already being piloted across a few schools in Wyre including Copp and Winmarleigh schools, and has reported success in slowing down traffic. Kirkland and Catterall St. Helen's C of E Primary School is looking forward to taking part in this scheme which also encompasses teaching children all about road safety. The school’s Head, Mrs Price said that they are behind the scheme 100% and that "Staying Safe" is a theme for this term, which will fit in perfectly with ‘The Panda Scheme’.

If you would like to include any notices for your organisation in the Parish Newsletter please could you inform the clerk by November 1st for the Winter edition?

The Clerk has an office in Catterall Village Hall. Residents are welcome to view planning applications in Kirkland or to discuss issues to be raised with the Councillors about concerns in the Parish.

Clerk to Kirkland Parish Council

Gillian Benson

C/o 57, Hamers Wood Drive,

Catterall,

Garstang, PR3 1YN Tel; 600689