Malvern Wells

The Quiz Night held on April 15 was a resounding success with the village hall packed with enthusiastic teams battling it out for a couple of bottles of wine and other such prizes. The next one is being held in the Wells Village Hall on Wednesday, May 13 at 8pm so there is plenty of time to tune up your general knowledge and book a table for what is becoming a really popular village event.

St.George’s Day was yesterday (April 23) but the 1st Malvern Wells Cubs and Scouts will be attending a special service at the Church of St.Michaels and All Angels in Ledbury on Sunday, April 26 to mark the event. The service will begin at 1.30pm and end at around 3.45pm.

The new District Commissioner for Scouting in the Malvern area is thrilled to announce that their recruiting campaign has brought 12 volunteers into the movement, some of whom are ex-scouts themselves. Three of the volunteers have undergone the necessary checks and training and are already running the Malvern Wells Cub pack which has moved from eight members to 12 in just a few weeks. With this sort of encouragement, it might even be possible to get Beavers up and running again in the Wells in the future. If there are any other potential volunteers out there who have been thinking about getting involved and are impressed by the support offered so far, they are asked to get in touch with the new District Commissioner, Derek on (01684) 573478.

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 25 is the 12th anniversary of the opening of the St. Wulstan’s nature reserve. Anyone who has visited regularly and the infrequent visitor will have noted the changes that have taken place there, much of which has been due to voluntary support for the project. Wells residents are fortunate to have this wildlife haven in their midst – a place to go for quiet reflection and a reminder of times past. It is place where the air is filled with bird-song and the sweet smell of flowers rather than an atmosphere tainted by pollution and the constant irritation of traffic noise. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible.

At the Three Counties Showground, all weekend including today (Friday, April 24) it is the West of England Ladies Kennel Society (WELKS) Championship Dog Show. The public can visit the show if they leave their own dogs behind and it is free entry. The show opens at 7.30am with judging commencing at around 10am. The usual message is to avoid the roads around the showground unless you are going to the dog-show.

At last, after a great deal of hard work by many different people, the newly refurbished Malvern Wells Village Hall is celebrating its re-opening. The celebrations will take place on Wednesday, April 29. It is 12 years since the last major renewal programme so there is plenty to celebrate for those who have contributed their time in one way or another then it is up to everyone else to support village events to keep the hall the vibrant place that it is becoming.

The Malvern Wells Village Club is holding a music night at around 9pm on Wednesday, April 29. This free evening for members (and membership is only £1) features the five piece band Funky Junky Monkeys and their music is rock and pop from the seventies and eighties. You don’t need to live in the Wells to be a member of the village club either!

Wells Residents are being asked to think about whether they want wheelie bins or to continue with plastic sacks so there is some food for thought!

The monthly Cribbage Night has been postponed from next Friday to Friday, May 8 due to the Bank Holiday weekend. It will be held in the village hall at the usual time of 8pm. Organisers have asked you to turn up with a partner for this paired event. If you turn up on your own, you will be put with another player to make the evening a social evening as well. This is your chance to try something different, have a great evening out and support your newly refurbished hall too.

From May 3 until May 6, the wells around Malvern will be decorated. The theme is Darwinian to celebrate the 200th anniversary of this great scientist and his book, The Origin of Species. Charles Darwin’s ten year old daughter, Annie, is buried in Malvern Churchyard which makes these celebrations all the more poignant. In order that you can plan ahead, the following is a brief outline of the events taking place. On Saturday, May 3 at 11am there will be a thanksgiving service at St. Ann’s Well. At 1pm that day, there will be a special gathering in Priory Park to present the certificates to the winners of the best well dressings and to thank all the volunteers who work so hard to keep this ancient tradition alive in the Malvern area. On May Bank Holiday Monday there will be mini-bus tours around the wells and you need to get tickets in advance for this from the Tourist Information Centre. The Right Reverend David Walker will be performing a blessing at the Holy Well which has been restored in time for this festival being run by the Malvern Spa Association.

From May 7 until May 9 the Malvern Wells players will be doing three evening performances of their latest show entitled Our War. Each show commences at 7.30pm. Tickets are available now from Daniel’s Garage and Malvern Wells Post Office and are £4 for adults and £2 for children.

If, after all the Easter Eggs you feel in need of a workout, don’t forget that Julie runs an aerobic exercise group in the village hall each Monday evening from 6.30pm until 7.30pm. It costs £3.50 per session and you may lose a few pounds more and become fitter in the process.

West Mercia Police are on the look out for courageous, generous and unselfish young citizens for a special award. Entries need to be in by May 22, 2009. If you know of someone who is eighteen years or under whom you would like to nominate for West Mercia Police’s Good Citizen 2009 award, please download an entry form from russell.barker@westmercia.pnn.police.uk or obtain an entry form from Malvern Police Station.