The local Yeo Vale police team report that they are still having to deal with youths congregating and people driving to local beauty spots and places of interest to walk their dogs and children and urge everyone to remember that it is essential travel only for the foreseeable future.
J15272_Coronavirus-StayHomeSaveLives-A4-Flyer_Mar-2020-v4-FINALPolice urge public to report issues online
The majority of Avon & Somerset police enquiry offices have been closed in a bid to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Four of them – Bristol, Patchway, Bridgwater and Yeovil – will remain open seven days a week, but should only be used if absolutely essential. To report an incident click here or for more information click here
Middlecombe Nursery closed
In light of the new restrictions that Government brought in to place on Monday night Middlecombe Nursery in Wrington Road has now closed for business and will no longer be operating a delivery service, until further notice.
Nigel, Isy and daughters would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all their customers for supporting them through this very tricky and uncertain situation.
Police response to COVID-19
A major incident has been declared by the Avon and Somerset Local Resilience Forum (LRF) to help with the multi-agency response to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
This declaration has been made to make sure all agencies are able to work together more effectively in the event of reduced staffing levels and an increase in demand. It has not been made because agencies are unable to cope.
You can find out more by clicking on this link
Enjoy Michael’s walk along the Strawberry Line
Michael Greaves shares this morning’s walk along the Strawberry Line – click here to read about it – complete with photos!
Child Safety Online
These important guides may help you protect your child whilst online. They are very thorough and each section has actionable items for the parent/teacher.
https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/the-ultimate-parent-guide-for-child-internet/
BroadbandSearch has written a more comprehensive guide available here
https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/online-safety-parental-controls
Covid-19 scam email
Avon & Somerset Police have asked people to note that there is a new scam email advising that you are entitled to a tax refund of £128.34.
The email states that this is a precautionary measure in cooperation with National Insurance and National Health Services, It is NOT. It goes on to suggest the funds can help protect yourself against COVID-19 and to access the funds now by clicking on the blue hyperlink, Please DO NOT do this.
North Wales Police have advised this has already cost the public more than £800,000 in a month and to contact Action Fraud for advice on: 0300 123 2040
First Bus timetable change
First West of England is making plans to run a Saturday service during the working week from next Monday (23rd March) to ensure it sustains services for those needing to travel across the region.
Congresbury Pubs offering home delivery service of their food
Our local pubs are now helping our community by offering a home delivery service of food selected from their menu. Click on our Noticeboard for details.
Methodist Church Sunday Services …amended information
All churches will have no services for the next 3 weeks. Please read the amended letter from our Superintendent Minister, Rev. Tina Swire – received today Click here to read
Congresbury W.I.
Congresbury W.I. have cancelled their meetings on 18 March, 15 April, 20th May & 17 June.
Congresbury Evening W.I.
In view of the current situation Congresbury Evening W.I. has cancelled all forthcoming events until further notice.
Village shop now delivering
The Welcome store in the Precinct will now deliver your shopping. You can phone in your order & arrange a delivery to your home. Click here for full details.
Easter concert cancelled
In view of the current situation Congresbury Singers have cancelled their Easter concert on 28 March. They hope to be back in the autumn.
Senior Citizens Lunch Club
With regret, due to the current coronavirus situation, the Senior Citizens Lunch Club which is usually held in the Old School Rooms, has been suspended forthwith. Members will be advised when we are able to continue.
Campaign to save sorting office
Families in Yatton are campaigning to stop the sorting office at their local post office from being closed and moved to Sixways in Clevedon.
Since it is Congresbury’s local sorting office, residents here are also being asked to add their voice to the campaign.
Yatton residents are worried that if the sorting office moves, it could threaten the viability of the post office. “Our growing community of 9,000 people (already without a bank) cannot afford to lose such a vital lifeline and community hub,” campaigners note, adding that there are no public transport services to Sixways.
“We feel that it is critical that Royal Mail should consult with the local community about its plans and be clear about the immediate and potential impacts that customers will suffer as a result. If you are concerned about the plans, and agree that the community should be consulted, please sign this petition and share far and wide.”
You can sign the petition here http://chng.it/HZ46xBwKg2 or write to Mark Taylor – Regional Finance Director, Royal Mail Group, Bristol Mail Centre, Gloucester Road North, Filton, BRISTOL BS34 7ST; Rebecca Mantyk – Area Operations Manager, Royal Mail Group, Bristol Mail Centre, Gloucester Road North, Filton, BRISTOL BS34 7ST and send a copy to The Rt Hon Liam Fox MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA. You can also write to the Royal Mail CEO, Mr Rico Back at: CEO.office@royalmail.com
YACWAG Newsletter
CRAG report on proposed transport plan
Mary Short, on behalf of Congresbury and Churchill and Langford resident action groups, addressed members of the North Somerset council’s executive committee who were considering a new transport plan, known as JLTP 4. click to read more
Road works close High Street and Brinsea Road
North Somerset highways will be carrying out work on High Street and Brinsea Road for up to five nights from February 10, closing both roads between 8pm and 6am. See attached notice for full details.
FN_01Burglary at outbuilding
An outbuilding in Southlands way, Congresbury has been broken into somewhere between midnight on January 22 and 6am on the 23rd.
The thieves have levered the locks out of the frame to gain access and once inside have stolen a selection of tools, including a Makita SDS battery drill, Makita corded drill, Makita cordless drill, Makita drill and impact driver set, Mega continuity tester, Bosch hole cutters, rucksack containing tools, three sets of mega testers and a Bosch jigsaw.
If you contact the Police about this incident, please call 101 and quote reference number: 5220017619 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Police find stolen power tools
Police are appealing for help following a series of burglaries in the North Somerset area.
A large number of electrical tools have been recovered from a garage in Weston-super-Mare, which police want to reunite with their owners.
The garage is in Severn Road and it is believed that the items could have resulted from more than one burglary incident.
There have been a series of van break-ins in the North Somerset area over the past 12 months, where electrical power tools have been targeted.
The tools include: a Stihl chainsaw; a Kennedy professional retool tool box, a Makita holdall; angle grinder; a Makita cordless screwdriver; Makita circular saw; a JD Sports bag containing various items; a Stihl disc cutter; a Makita nail gun; a Makita jigsaw; a Makita disc sander; Paslode nail guns, plus other items.
Avon and Somerset Police are keen to hear from anyone who has had similar tools stolen.
Images of just some of the items are on the attached PDF file.
Please contact us on 101 quoting reference 5219287205.
stolen-toolsFraud pretending to be from Amazon
Police are warning people to be on their guard against a telephone scam, which involves a fraudster claiming to be an official from Amazon.
Police warning
There have been reports of “Nottingham Knockers” operating in the Congresbury area. One of which has been particularly rude to one resident recently. These are cold callers who usually tell residents that they are ex-offenders trying to go straight, then try and sell poor quality and over-priced cleaning products. The police want to remind residents they are under no obligation to answer the door to anyone they don’t know or aren’t expecting. If you do talk to them, they are supposed to be able to provide a valid Pedlar’s Certificate and should leave your property when asked.
Police always recommend using a door chain and asking to see the identification of unexpected callers.
• If you are suspicious of a caller ring 999 straight away • keep your cash in the bank, not at home • keep windows and doors secured if you’re not in the room • set up a No Cold Calling Zone – contact your local Council Trading Standards Office
The Strawberry Line in December
After weeks of rain and more rain the sun peeped out on Sunday afternoon. Not for long !
I don’t need to be persuaded to get out of the armchair and go for a bike ride when the sun is shining. Christmas came early. The Strawberry line was pure magic, it might be winter but there is so much to see that you don’t see in the summer when the leaves are on the trees and the hedgerows are bursting with fruit and colour.
The winter sun seems to be more gentle and picks out the Mendips as the clouds rush past. I love the shapes and silhouettes of the trees in winter. The branches are like lace and the veins of the trees. The willow tree below was glowing – almost had its own fairy lights.
The colder weather and high winds has driven the fieldfares and redwings from Scandinavia to spend the winter in England. They don’t need to worry about visa’s and work permits. Until a month ago the red berries of the Hawthorns were fat and ripe for eating. The early birds have cleaned up and stripped the trees bare. There are some sloes and rose hips as well as the white mistletoe left, but they are all being avoided. Its probably too late to make sloe gin for Christmas !
Thatchers Cider Orchards near Sandford are being pruned and made ready for next year. At first I though that I may have at long last seen the ‘Beast of Sandford’ a large puma stalking the orchards. But it turned out to be an exceedingly large black and white cat. He or she was about a mile from the factory and well fed. Maybe Pat the Postman left it to look for Katy !
Most of the cattle are now in the barns – the fields have huge lakes of water and the Rhynes are full to the brim. Some sheep are waddling around in the wet grass looking very forlorn. No sign of Shaun !
I did see two rather plump and bushy tailed squirrels. They were enjoying the sun before spending the cold weeks ahead in their drays and hibernating until spring.
No sign of the badgers, but they are furiously digging under the railway track. The are serious diggers and are shifting tons of stone. Seems a bit strange as its hard work digging out stone compared to soil, but perhaps the railway track is well drained and its nice and dry to set up home.
There were some small flocks of long tailed tits hopping along the hedgerows. They look like puff balls on a stick. A few swans were sat in the fields and lots of crows all feeding away on chafer grubs. Doing a great service to the farmers.
Now everything has stopped growing the seed heads of the old man’s beard, ivy and cow parsley are beautiful and add to the splendour of this lovely place.
With the shortest day about to happen we can all look forward to another season of colour, flowers and fruit adorning the Strawberry Line like a bouquet around our village.
Michael Greaves
Action needed on drain clearing
The Community Resilience team is asking residents of Congresbury to help keep clear gutters and kerbs outside and around their properties.
This will help the flow of rain water to drains in heavy storms and manage the risk of flooding. Unfortunately North Somerset Council cuts have meant that this is a job that is no longer a priority, but it is essential for Congresbury as we live on a flood plain.
Volunteers from Community Resilience North Somerset flood team (who are all residents of Congresbury) carry out quarterly checks on the gullies in all the roads in Congresbury. Our volunteers clear what they can and we report to North Somerset Council any blocked or damaged drains/gullies. If you would like to volunteer for the team or find out more please take a look https://communityresilience-ns.org.uk/join-us-now/ or send an email to congresburyflood@gmail.com
Police call on public to sign-up for counter-terrorism training
An award-winning counter terrorism training course – originally devised in partnership with Marks and Spencer – is being made available to the public for the first time and Avon and Somerset Police is calling on members of the public to sign up and help protect the UK.
The ACT Awareness eLearning package was previously only available to staff working in crowded places like shopping centres and entertainment venues and participants needed to be signed up by their employees.
Now Counter Terrorism Policing has decided to open up the training to anyone who wants to become a CT Citizen so they can learn how to spot the signs of suspicious behaviour and understand what to do in the event of a major incident.
The decision to offer the training to the public was not made in response to the recent attack in London. However, that tragic event, when two people lost their lives to terrorism, was a stark reminder of the ongoing threat and the need for vigilance.
Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Cullen said: “ACT Awareness eLearning is especially useful for anyone working in or regularly visiting crowded places.
“Developed alongside industry experts more than one and a half million modules have already been completed.
“The course has been so popular, with nine out of 10 users saying they would recommend it, we want to open it up to as many people as possible.
“The threat level remains at Substantial – meaning an attack is likely – so giving everyone the chance to be extra eyes and ears for police and local security teams help to keep all communities across the Avon and Somerset area safe.
“The festive period is obviously a very busy one – so this is a good time to join up and become a CT Citizen.”
ACT Awareness is made up of seven modules that take a few minutes each to complete. You can pause and re-join at any time. In total it takes just 45 minutes – so less than an hour of your time could help to prevent an attack or help save lives if one was to happen.
The course is hosted by online training specialists Highfield. To register and start learning, click here.
Shop charity boosts junior cricket
Congresbury Cricket Club has received a £100 donation towards junior cricket from the charity Making a Difference Locally. The money will go towards improving the junior cricket nets.
The cheque was handed over to CCC treasurer Colin Edwards by Under 11 player Ben Payne (pictured).
CCC’s Under 11 manager Nick Clifton thanked Pinky Patel from the village shop Welcome Congresbury in The Precinct and Ben and Claire Payne for making the donation happen.
Making a Difference Locally is a charity that supports local communities served by local independently-owned convenience stores that are members of Nisa, a buying organisation (http://www.nisaretail.com).
Avon & Somerset Police statement
“We’re supporting the latest Counter Terrorism Policing campaign to help keep crowded places secure over the festive period.
The campaign calls on the public and those who work in our busy towns and cities to remain vigilant and report any concerns to staff, security or – in confidence – to Counter Terrorism police at gov.uk/ACT. It also asks everyone to be the extra eyes and ears of the police, so we can work together to tackle terrorism”. Read more
Advice from Neighbourhood Watch
With just 23 days to go until Christmas, we want to share with you some top tips to protect yourselves during this festive period so you can all enjoy the festivities & have a happy new year. We all know there are so many scams around at the moment and these appear to change on an almost daily basis, but please do not be alarmed. Common sense always prevails and as they always say “if it seems too good”.
The Golden Rules:
Never give out your bank details (Pin / Password) EVER.
Not sure don’t answer the door, it’s your home!
Be very wary of following links you are sent via email, go through your own trusted sites.
Don’t be bullied on the phone, HANG UP
Please do not advertise what’s in your home, only put waste out on collection day.
Leaving your home unattended? Put the lights on a timer or ask a friend to visit or park on your drive.
(And please check on your neighbours, if you see papers / post building up on the doorstep, just check)
Click here for full Christmas Security advice
New French classes
