PLEASE can you all have a look out for Lulu, a 15½ year old black and white cat with a distinctive black mark just beneath her nose? She has been missing since early April and hope is fading but if you have any news at all, please telephone 01684 562154 because the owner is desperate for some sort of news about her pet. She has had the cat since it was six months old and says that it has always been rather on the small size for its age. She fears that it might have been injured in a fight with another cat and that someone might be caring for it not knowing who it belongs to. The local vet has been informed. The owner asks if you can please check the quieter parts of your garden, sheds and garages and keep a look out when walking around the Upper Welland end of Malvern Wells.

The temporary traffic lights at the northern end off the Wells are due to emergency gas repairs. Please refrain from smoking in this area.

Last Wednesday (April 29) those individuals and groups involved in the refurbishment of the village hall attended a special re-opening ceremony. The hall started off life as a Village Institute but was also used as a church hall being just around the corner from St Peter’s Church. When the church was made redundant and converted into apartments, the hall was purchased by the parish council to be used as a village hall. It is 12 years since the last major renewal programme and the aim this time round was to concentrate on the eating, the heating and the seating. The village hall board secured funding from the National Lottery Fund, Awards For All and Welcome to our Future. Double glazed windows have been fitted and very smart they are too. The vast space in the roof has been insulated and low energy radiators installed. They have also worked on the ‘kitchen’ facilities and the seating. Their next project is to concentrate on the outer fabric by renewing some of the damaged stonework and restoring the wood in the window and door surrounds. Has anyone any skills in these sectors that they would like to use on the village hall? Everyone who uses the hall can join in a big thank-you to all those involved in the less glamorous side of keeping the hall running. If there are any stone-masons or joiners out there or if there is anyone who would like to help out with the odd jobs around the hall, please let Mike know on 574079.

The monthly Cribbage Night has been postponed from tonight to Friday, May 8 due to the Bank Holiday weekend. It will be held in the village hall at the usual time of 8pm. Don’t forget that it’s a paired event to make it more of a social evening. This is your chance to try something different, have a great evening out and support your newly refurbished hall too.

Yesterday, at 10.30am there was a coffee morning in the Methodist Church at Upper Welland . They are held around every two weeks and you will be made most welcome. If you are out and about in that area and coffee is being served, call in for a chat.

If anyone tunes in to BBC Hereford and Worcester radio on a Saturday morning they will have heard of renowned gardener Reg Moule. If you would like to meet him, there is a special evening arranged for tonight in the Methodist Church at Upper Welland at 7.30pm. There may still be some tickets left at £3 each but numbers are limited to 70 because of the size of the church building. Please check with Graham on 01684 560360 to avoid disappointment.

On Sunday, May 3 there will be a service in the Methodist Church Upper Welland at 10.30am. You are welcome to join in their worship.

This bank holiday weekend, Malvern is hoping that the weather stays fine for all the local residents and visitors to the town who are joining in the Well Dressing celebrations. The idea is simple and stems from an ancient tradition to say thank-you for the pure water that we drink from these wells. If you are out and about around the hills this weekend you will notice that around 35 wells and spouts have been decorated to a theme closely linked to the natural world of Charles Darwin’s theories on evolution. Today, (May 1), the judges will tour the wells whilst they are at their best and prizes will be awarded at a special ceremony in Priory Park at 1pm tomorrow (Saturday). At 11am tomorrow (Saturday, May 1) there will be a thanksgiving service at St.Ann’s Well for everyone. All denominations and religions are invited to take part in this joint celebration. At 2.30pm on Saturday, the Bishop of Dudley will bless the newly refurbished Holy Well in a simple ceremony at this early well. Parking is limited so if you can walk there, you are urged to do so. It would be good to see as many Wells residents there as possible. At 10.30am on Sunday, May 2 a pilgrimage will set off from the steps in Priory Park and will take in around eight of the well sites en route.

For those who have booked a tour of the wells by mini-bus, your tickets will give times and locations. Tickets cost £5 from the tourist information centre and the tour is on Bank Holiday Monday.

The celebrations continue into Tuesday, May 5 with the Reverend Steve Martin, Curate at All Saints Church stepping out onto the nearby common and performing a short ceremony at the Lower Wyche Spout at the foot of the Old Wyche Road. Please try to join in if you are able to get along there at 11.30am because the Wyche Residents are very proud of their spout and they are fortunate that it is to be blessed by their local Curate. They have dressed it beautifully over the past few years and many people will be unable to attend the ceremony as it is a working day.

On Wednesday, May 6 there will be another working party at St. Wulstan’s Nature Reserve from 10.30am until 1pm. Anyone keen to go along to help will be made most welcome. Just meet in the car park by the entrance. Gloves and tools will be provided but you will need strong shoes and clothing that will not catch on brambles.

The Spring Garden Show will be taking over the entire Three Counties Showground for 4 days from Thursday, May 7 until Sunday, May 10. All gates will be in use so expect greater volumes of traffic in the area over this period, especially at the weekend. This show has been growing in popularity for some years now and promises to be another great occasion with the Eco home and garden area being this year’s major new attraction.

Whilst making notes from a massive yellow banner that has appeared in the centre of Malvern Wells, I was asked if I was lost. I smiled and introduced myself as the Wells correspondent and found that I was shaking hands with the playwright, Francis Charter. From May 7 until May 9 the Malvern Wells players will be doing three evening performances of their latest show entitled Our War written by Francis Charter. 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. This is a new play pointing out that we all have a responsibility in preventing wars!

For alterations to the new First Great Western railway timetable which comes into force on Sunday, May 17, please refer to Wyche column. Some changes are minimal but that minute can make all the difference.