Douglas Music is delighted to present both highly-regarded local ensembles and renowned international artists in its 35^th season and to welcome everyone to the transformed main Village hall. These improvements have been the product of a close and happy collaboration between Parbold Community Association and Douglas Music. They are the cumulative result of three independent and distinct projects, completed with generous grant awards from several sources and from the financial reserves of Douglas Music and of the PCA. Douglas Music has made important contributions to the fund-raising and the actual completion of the project on time and within budget. In particular we wish to acknowledge the generous award of The Peter Moores Foundation to Douglas Music to support the funding of the development of the Village Hall as a performance venue for all the community.

& with The Parbold Young Peoples Orchestra [from Our Lady and All Saints R. C. Primary & Parbold Douglas C. of E. Primary

A leaflet with the full programme details including events for the remainder of the season in 2009 and season tickets are available by telephoning: The Box Office: 01257 421526 or 462382 and is posted on the website: www parbold.org

PCA CHAIRMAN’S REPORT: Hello there, I hope you all had a good holiday break, I didn't get to go on my Star Trek holiday, I boldly went where everyone else had gone!

And now SHOW TIME: To celebrate the completion of the improvements in the Village Hall, we have a 'Grand Variety Night' on Saturday, 13th September, do come and see the improvements for yourself.

The second event in the new Hall is the Savannah Jazz Band on Saturday, 20th September. I hope you all can come. If anyone has any ideas for additional future uses of the Village Hall, please let us know, e.g. a film club. As we head towards Autumn and Winter, a tip for those of us, like myself, who are bald, I'd like to repeat Spike Milligan's cure for baldness, stick rabbits on your head, people will think they are hares!

See you next month, take care.' Roger Perry

The Parish Council meet on the first Friday of each month at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall except in August. Councillors’ contact details are on the parish council notice board on The Common

The Parish Council is pleased to see that the area alongside McColls is tidier than before with the bins now hidden from view by fencing. The council would like to encourage everyone to avoid dropping rubbish, especially in these areas that seem particularly susceptible to littering.

With the assistance of a capital grant from WLDC the council has purchased a laptop for council business. A new email address of parboldpc.clerk@yahoo.mail has been set up. The council is keen to develop a dedicated website and would welcome any voluntary assistance with the design. If you are able to help, please contact the clerk.

The new playing pitch is almost complete and has been seeded. We would be most grateful if you could avoid playing games on the pitch until the grass has had chance to grow. We have been advised that the pitch should not be played upon until May 2009 at the earliest. At the moment the Parish Council are looking for funding and quotes for a Multi Use Games Area, Pathway around the three fields (to give access for all) and a Youth Shelter.

GRAND VARIETY NIGHT – A HOST OF PARBOLD TALENT

Saturday 13^th September at 7pm in Parbold Village Hall

Parbold Community Association would like you to join them when they proudly present ‘A Variety Show of Local Talent’ including: The Chamber Choir, Drama Group, School of Dance, The W.I. ladies, Mark Dowding and lots more.

Tickets, including refreshments £5 adults and £2.50 for young people, £10 for a family of four (2 adults and 2 children up to 11 years of age). Tickets available from Sue Halton 463703, Ros Wess 463735 and from DIY Centre, Parbold.

Don’t miss out – book your tickets now!

A gory murder has taken place at the Stanley Club in Burscough. With Inspector Morse out of the game we need you and your friends to come along and solve the mystery!

£5.00 per ticket for live entertainment and light refreshments! Bar open from 7.30pm until 11pm

This is a fundraising event for the West Lancashire Carers Centre, a local charity that supports unpaid carers in the district to access information and services and helps to provide them with a well earned break.

Join us for a great night out and support your local Carers Centre at the same time! Bring colleagues, friends and family. FOR TICKETS PLEASE EMAIL: ENQUIRIES@PRTWLCARERS.ORG.UK OR CALL 01695 711243

PARBOLD LIBRARY &

BABY BOUNCE & RHYME – with refreshments. Every Friday at 9.30 am

STORYTIME – the first Friday in every month at 2.30 pm – for 2½ to 4 year olds

Both events are Term time only

Reducing Dependency on oil – the solution to rising food and energy prices. A talk on sustainable living by renowned environmentalist Paul Mobbs – Sunday 14^th September at 7.40 pm at the Woodley Park Centre, Ashurst, Skelm,ersdale. Admission £3. (concessions and under 21’s free)

Tel: 01695 721915, 01257 463461 or

Email: nicolamarie@talktalk.net

DOUGLAS VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY – The 2008/9 season commences on Tuesday 16^th September with a talk by John Johnson entitled ‘Tomb builders of Ancient Egypt’. The meeting is held in the WI Hall at 7.45 pm. New members and visitors are welcome.

The Autumn outing is on Sat 20^th September to Liverpool Maritime Museum and the International Museum of Slavery. Coach fare £6.50. Non-members are welcome to come. For further information ‘phone Margery Salt on 462166

The next meeting of the Parbold Wildlife Group will be on Tuesday September 16^th at 7.30 pm in the upstairs room at the Red Lion, Newburgh. The Group’s AGM will also be held on this night. Visitors are welcome. For more information, tel: 01257 462909

ALSO PARBOLD FRUIT & VEG with pre-packed selection bags P Do come and join us

‘Archaeology & Vegetation Reconstruction in the North West’ by Dr Brian Barnes

Day Coach Trip to Cholmondeley Castle Gardens, Cheshire & Grosvenor Garden Centre. There is an extensive Bird and Waterfowl population and a number of breeds of Farm animals. Cost £15 ( Society members £13) Coach pick up: Rufford 9 am. Newburgh 9.15 am, Parbold 9.25 am. More details from: Tom on 462647, David 01704 821984 or John 462514

Parbold W.I.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday, 2^nd September at 7.30pm. This is a light hearted and educational demonstration given by Mr W. Kitching on the art of cheese making. The meeting is also open to non-members (admission £2.50 per person). Why not join us to enjoy a taste of the cheeses and a glass of wine? You will be most welcome.

Diary dates for September

Junior Disco – resumes after the summer break on Friday, 12^th September. ¯¯

Please note that the discos are securely run by school welfare assistants and no child is allowed out of the building without an adult.

Saturday,27^th September by popular request Barn Dance in W.I. Hall at 7.30pm.

Cost £8.00 includes Hot Pot Supper. Bring your own drinks. Everyone welcome to enjoy this fun evening!

MacMilLan Cancer Support

World’s Biggest coffee morning

Friday 26^th September

10 am to 12

Please come and join us – have coffee and meet friends.

Raffle prizes and donation s of all kinds gratefully accepted

Enquiries – Mary Davies 01257 462691

The club recommences on Thursday 4^th September after the summer break. We meet from 12 noon until 2 pm on alternate Thursdays at the Parbold Womens’ Institute. A light lunch of soup and sandwiches is followed by games, quizzes, demonstrations or a speaker. Cost £2 .New members can be assured of a warm welcome into a friendly group and new ideas or suggestions for activities are always appreciated. Help with getting to the club can be provided for older people with mobility difficulties.

New volunteers with a couple of hours a fortnight to help with transport or food preparation are invited to join our enthusiastic and dedicated long-serving team.

Staff and volunteers from the West Lancashire projects such as Footcare, Hospital Aftercare, Health Trainers and Walk Your Way to Health will visit the club regularly to let you know what help, support, advice and encouragement is available to older people in West Lancashire. i

WHY NOT GIVE IT A TRY? For more information ring our Ormskirk Office on 01695 571522 or Pam Macdonald, Rural Lunch Clubs Co-ordinator on 07790 234358 – email enquiries welcome. . ormskirkoffice@ageconcernlancs.org.uk

Rail Travel Update - The Trent Valley line is closed from the August Bank Holiday through to September 6th adding about an hour to journey times to London. It is closed at weekends into the Autumn, together with the Warrington-Crewe line. There will be a handful of through trains on Saturdays from Wigan diverting via Chester, but travelling South from Parbold it will be best to go via Manchester, adding an hour to journey times to Birmingham and two hours to London.

For a Chester trip on Saturdays use the 10.42 or 12.06 through from Wigan, returning 15.21 or 15.41!

With, in effect only a five days a week service to London this year, trains can be very crowded - it is always worth making sure of a reservation (this can be done at Parbold)

The line through Parbold is scheduled to be closed on Sundays 14th, 21st & 28th September with buses replacing trains. Additionally on the 21st September there will be no Northbound services from Wigan NW.

For Europe an additional weekday service to Paris geared to traffic from the North connects with the 9.33 from Parbold and is well timed to continue through to Switzerland.

More information on UK and European rail travel opportunities from Parbold is available for Web users in the recently updated rail travel section in 'odds and ends' in www.parbold.org

Any suggestions for additional material to David Gelder Tel 462716

ROSE LOVER REQUIRED! i Would anyone like to look after a few roses in the Jubilee Garden? A bit of TLC (tender loving care) is required. If you could help – please phone a Tree Warden on 462909 or 463407

Friends of Mere Sands Wood, Rufford: Sat 13^th Sept at 7 pm ‘Bats of Britain’ – Charlie Liggett

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS - Cedar Farm First Sat in month. Ormskirk Town Centre 2^nd Fri in the month.