NEWS...

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS

As a temporary measure due to staffing issues and increase in demand we have had to take the step to increase the turn around for a repeat prescription from 48 hours to 72 hours.

With immediate effect all repeat prescriptions will be ready to collect 72 hours after receiving them before 2pm on a normal working day. Please note that weekends and BH are not included in the turnaround time.

We thank all our patients for their understanding with this. We have published information to this effect on our Website, Facebook and around the surgeries. Unfortunately in the interim for safety we have had no option but to increase the turnaround time. We are working as hard as we can to revert back to 48 hours ASAP.  FH 29.04.22

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Notification of road closure from Balfour Beatty – 13 to 20 May. 

Works  on Ballsgate Lane, at the junction with the A4110.

Works will be taking place under a full road closure, starting on Friday 13th May 2022 to (and including) Friday 20th May 2022. The type of work we’re doing will mean we need to fully close the road for 24 hours each day.  MB 22.4.22

PRESTEIGNE & BORDERS FLORAL ART SOCIETY 

Subscriptions are now due and as agreed at the Annual General Meeting have increased to £32 per annum.  The increase being due to the rising cost of demonstrators. 

Visitors and new members welcome - visitor's fee is now £6 per evening. 

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NEWS FROM WARD COUNCILLOR CAROLE 

Spring/Summer 2022

LINGEN SHORT MAT CARPET BOWLS  After a twelve-month absence due to covid Lingen reconvened their bowling club in late September 2021. We were a couple of members less; we had 13 players whilst other clubs in our little league were not so lucky.  For a league game, you need 12 players. If you are short, some of the players must play twice. They are chosen via a random draw. This prevents a club from automatically playing their best players more than once. Our league consists of four clubs, Titley, Aymstrey, Wigmore and ourselves. Matches are always friendly. We have four games – two on each mat, then a break for excellent refreshments and then play the final two games. This year Aymstrey won the league. Ordinary nights are always on a Thursday evening during the winter months, starting at 7.30pm, and new members are always welcome. We play matches between ourselves, have a chat, stop for a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits and finish at 10pm. The mats are rolled up neatly, put in their bags and stored under the stage with the bowls, scoreboards, and circular islands. This year, due to the twelve-month absence, we almost forgot how to roll the mats correctly. We have been playing bowls for over 20 years and thoroughly enjoy our nights out. Trevor Joseph.  Cadwell, Kinsham.

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MORTIMER MEDICAL  PRACTICE  NEWS...

PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP 

March '22 MEETING NOTES

PLEASE CLICK ON LINK BELOW... 

The FLOWER LADIES of Lingen Church bedecked the Church windows in vases of flowers for Easter.  A charming celebration of springtime.

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  The ROYAL GEORGE we bid a fond farewell to Lorna Woods who is moving to Hampshire after fifteen years as The Georges publican. We wish her a happy and restful retirement. 

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  LINGEN GARDEN CLUB From May onwards the group takes a break to make three garden visits which are for members only. They will return to the hall in September for more garden talks. 

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  The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.”   Everyone from individuals to villages and churchyards will be encouraged to play their part to enhance our environment by planting trees to the end of Jubilee year in 2022. Therefore if you wish to join in there’s plenty of time to get things on the go.   With a focus on planting sustainably, the QGC will encourage planting of trees to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, which will benefit future generations.  As well as inviting the planting of new trees, The Queen’s Green Canopy will dedicate a network of 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identify 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.   For further information https//queensgreencanopy.org   

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GIGACLEAR LINGEN ROAD CLOSURE  

Re June onwards Gigaclear works to Lingen Village section of C1007

As parts of this stretch of road are too narrow to operate a traffic light system it has, after deliberations with O'Connors, been agreed not to close all of this section at once but only in stretches, and that there will always be access available to the post office and village hall.  

Also as that access might involve a diversion, that the various diversions, as they are required, will be clearly signposted.  

Once it's known the dates of the various stretches to be closed at any one time, we will be e-mailed with that information and also the diversion routes.

It is now hoped that all residents are notified well in advance of the dates and times when stretches of road are to be closed, together with details of the diversions.

Residents can then try to plan accordingly. 

Our thanks to Ward Councillor Carole Gandy, for offering her support in this matter. 06.04.22

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Jock Soutar of O'Connors (Gigaclear contractors) has this morning confirmed in writing that work is now to commence on the Lingen Village section starting 30.6.22 (30th June 2022) for 3 weeks.  

Paperwork confirming the above is to be sent out to residents accordingly with due notice.  

Notes:   1. Gigaclear’s original road-closure proposal (Birtley Cross to Upper Kinsham Farm) has now been considerably reduced. 2. The road closure boards with the original dates on (14.3-1.4) are still up in the village. 3. We understand from Balfour Beatty and Herefordshire Council Highways dept. that the delay has arisen because O’Connors (the contractors) were late in distributing the closure letters to the residents.   4. Several residents did not receive any notice of closure. 08.03.22

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Royal Mail Stamps

Royal Mail won't accept your 1st and 2nd class stamps from January 2023

You will no longer be able to use these stamps when a new barcode system is introduced next year.   The post office urges those with stock to use their current stamps or swap them for the new ones before they expire on 31 January 2023.   Non-barcoded stamps can also be exchanged for the barcoded version through Royal Mail’s ‘Swap Out’ scheme, which will open on 31 March '22. 

Whilst it's appreciated that folk wish to get out and about with their dog/s, have a walk and enjoy the local area PLEASE remember that fields which contain public footpaths are owned and therefore maintained by our local farmers primarily for the purposes of raising their valuable livestock.  

So, PLEASE do not let your dogs run off the lead around, through and near flocks of sheep.  

And PLEASE remember that most ewes are 'in lamb' and any upset at this time can lead them to have problems such as aborting their lambs or giving birth to stillborns. PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN WALKING WITH DOGS NEAR SHEEP.  

Campaigners hail move to ditch 2026 cut-off date for recording historic paths.

A deadline to register historic rights of way by 2026 has been ditched following a campaign to save lost footpaths through the landscape.  Walking charity the Ramblers welcomed the Government’s move to repeal the 2026 cut-off date for recording historic English rights of way to allow for more time for paths to be identified and added to the public network.  Volunteers helped the Ramblers uncover thousands of miles of paths that were left off the official maps that councils were required to draw up in the 1950s, detailing all rights of way in their area.  But the charity faced a “race against time” to get as many of the 41,628 miles of missing rights of way the search had uncovered in England registered on official maps before the 2026 deadline.  Walking charity the Ramblers welcomed the Government’s move to repeal the 2026 cut-off date for recording historic English rights of way to allow for more time for paths to be identified and added to the public network.  Now the Environment Department (Defra) has decided to follow the Welsh Government’s lead and repeal the legal deadline for registering the paths.  
This Government response was given on 8 February 2021.

  'We are committed to protecting rights of way. The cut-off date is currently 2026 and could be extended by regulations for up to five years'.  

Council agrees ambitious new recycling and waste plans 

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'PAYING RESPECTS’ 

Experts with cameras, scanners and GPS trackers have begun the mammoth task of visiting 19,000 Church of England cemeteries to create a ‘Google’ map for graves.

 PRESCRIPTION CHARGES 

The Government plans to end free prescriptions in England for people aged 60-65.  A consultation paper published in July gives two alternatives.  It's 'preferred method' is to phase in the change to include people who will reach 60 after the start date, which could be in 2022. Anyone who was already 60-65 before that date would still get free prescriptions.  Everyone in their fifties or younger would pay until they reached 66.  There is a chance it might make those already in the 60-65 bracket start paying once the change happens.  The cost of prescriptions in England is £9.35 per item.  In the rest of the UK prescriptions are free for everyone.  The Government estimates the change would eventually bring in £330 million a year for the NHS.  SM 09.21 

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