Not only is the Village Hall closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but now also the children's playground is closed with immediate effect, as well as the adjacent public toilets.

The Village Hall management urge all members of the public to follow the government guideline on social distancing, and to please stay away from all the equipment on the playground.

Note that the hall surroundings and the playground are constantly monitored by CCTV.

Danebridge Medical Practice has decided to close Sandiway Surgery, on a temporary basis, during this Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic - PRESS HERE to read their reasons.

Should you need to speak to the Surgery for a medical issue, please phone 01606-544544.  Repeat prescriptions can continue to be posted through their letterbox at Sandiway and they will be collected daily.

If you live in Cuddington or Sandiway, you may have noticed that your green bin was not emptied last Friday (20 March).  The Cheshire West and Chester Council have decided that "all collections of garden waste will be suspended so that resources can be concentrated on maintaining a regular household refuse collection service".  PRESS HERE for the latest news from the council's recycling service.

Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cheshire West Voluntary Action (CWVA) and the voluntary and community sector are all working closely together to provide an opportunity for residents to volunteer in the fight against COVID-19.

An online form has been created for residents to pledge their support for local communities, helping to make sure west Cheshire’s most vulnerable residents have access to things like essential food and medical supplies, as well as somebody to keep in touch with during any periods of self isolation.

Once residents have completed the online form, CWVA will signpost them to the charities and community groups in their area so they can do their bit to tackle COVID-19. Residents can also state what kind of volunteering they would be interested in so they can be matched with the ideal charity or community group.

    Register your support for the community now

PRESS HERE for the full Press Release from Cheshire West & Chester Council.

Following the Government's recommendations of Monday 16 March in relation to COVID 19, a number of events and classes around the Village have either been cancelled or postponed.  As they are made know to us, they are added to the new "What's Off" page (see new menu item at top of screen) and removed from the "What's On" calendar.

Update:
Cuddington and Sandiway Gala Day, which was scheduled for Saturday 6 June, has been cancelled!
The Village Hall is closed for all activities with immediate effect; the children’s playground and public toilets are now also CLOSED.
All activities in the Church Hall are cancelled for the foreseeable future.
All Parish Council meetings are cancelled with immediate effect until early June at the earliest.
All regular group activities and events at Sandiway Library are suspended until further notice.
St John's Church will not be open for services this Sunday, for midweek worship or for our regular Saturday morning open church and other activities. In the light of government guidance around non-essential contact, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued advice that public worship is suspended until further notice. However, from Wednesday 1st April, the church will be open for personal prayer during 10am-12noon on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday and 7-9pm on Wednesday. In church you will be able to pick up a copy of the sermon for the week and some ideas to guide your prayers. Foodbank donations can be left in the box in church. (Check out St John’s Facebook Page and website for prayers and activities for children and adults.)
The Ark Cafe and all other gatherings in the Church Hall are also cancelled until further notice.  However The Ark Cafe will be trialling sandwich deliveries on Fridays in April for those who are self-isolating (see News story above).

To help the community to continue to use the Library service, some rules have been relaxed during the coming weeks:

• Extended all loans until the end of April
• Halted any new fines incurring
• Increased the loan limit to 30 items
• Removed the limit on all renewals
• Removed the charge for holds not collected
• Extended Hold Collection times to 3 weeks

Remember that you can also access eBooks, Audio downloads, and eMagazines free of charge via their website:
    www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/libraries

You can also renew your loans online by either:

• phoning 0300-123-7739 (24 hour renewals), or
• email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Update: All libraries have now been CLOSED due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Club are pleased to announce the appointment of Alex King as their new Head Coach. He has taken up the role at the club where he first started playing at the age of nine. Alex quickly progressed to represent his county at junior level and played tournaments all over the country reaching British Tour and ITF standard. He achieved successes in a number of Grade 3 level tournaments including winning the West Bridgeford Junior Open and finishing runner up in the North of England Junior Tennis Championships. Alex later spent some time on the senior ITF circuit playing in futures events. He is now a level 3 coach and currently undertaking his level 4 Senior Coach qualification.

Since moving over to coaching Alex has had over 10 years experience working in high performance tennis and has had the opportunity to learn from and work alongside recognised senior coaches at an international level. Alex was the coach of a 15 year old junior player at Wrexham who, whilst under his guidance, won the Welsh National Championships in Under 16s, 18s and Open categories. The player also went on to make the last 16 in the GB winter national tour finals in Roehampton in both under 16s and 18s.

Last year, Alex moved back to Cuddington and assisted the Cuddington A team at the club return to Division One of the Mid and South Cheshire Tennis League where they hope to do well this season.

As well as helping players of all ages and abilities to improve their game Alex would dearly love to discover a budding future champion in our local area.

This month, March 2020, sees the publication of the fifth book by local writer and historian Jill King:

'FOUR LIVES - Pioneer, Slave Owner, Poet, Schoolteacher.'

Each of the lives has strong connections to Cuddington, Sandiway and its environs and all with a very different story to tell.

PRESS HERE to learn more of this most interesting book.

"After the shambolic consultation meeting held by Danebridge Medical Practice at Sandiway School on 26th February, hopefully you will have seen the coverage that we generated in the Northwich Guardian online and in print on 5th March edition.

Since then, we have continued with the weekly meetings of our Action Group. We have been looking into the ownership of the Practice and its buildings, and last week we prepared a briefing note in preparation for our meeting with Rt. Hon Edward Timpson MP on 6th March.

Four of the Group spent over an hour with Edward and we felt the meeting went very well, he is very supportive of what we are doing and he gave us some additional suggestions which we will act upon. He will now write to all the relevant organisations involved in the process, and in terms of raising the profile of the issue, he has now secured a time in Parliament on Tuesday 10th March to put a question to Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The session is due to start in the House of Commons at 11.30am and it will be broadcast on BBC Parliament."

You might also find these 2 similar cases interesting:
    Fairstead Surgery – Kings Lynn, saved from closure.
    Pilsley proposed closure – House of Commons debate.

The Action Group have already been in touch with the Borough Councillors involved in the Fairstead case.

You can contact the Action Group via email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Update (11 March): Edward Timpson raised the issue as promised (PRESS HERE for a transcript of the parliamentary session) but Jo Churchill, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, countered with comments about a CQC report which "highlighted safety concerns at Sandiway surgery, and significant investment is required to bring the premises up to standard" (not in the report which we can see!).  Discussions will continue.

Approximately 200 local residents arrived at Sandiway Primary School to hear feedback from Danebridge Partners and managers following the survey of all their patients regarding the proposed closure of the Sandiway Surgery. Unfortunately this volume of interest was higher than Danebridge had anticipated and half of the attendees were held in classrooms nearby whilst the early arriving attendees were accommodated.

A number of slides were displayed around the hall showing some of the feedback from the survey (PRESS HERE to display the full set) - unfortunately the slide showing the high rejection percentages of the closure proposal was missing due to "administrative oversight".  In fact the missing slide (available post meeting) showed that the majority of all patient responses were against the closure plan and 79% of all local responses were against closure (only 16% were in favour).

The format of the evening devised by Danebridge was to split the attendees on to 10 separate tables with a Danebridge employee/Partner on each to discuss concerns and offer some answers.  Unfortunately this format proved too difficult to manage and did not deliver answers to their many questions.  Many residents feel that the consultation has avoided many of the key issues and diverted attention away from practical solutions.  Too many fear that the Partners have made up their mind and are just going through the various process 'hoops' before seeking agreement to closure from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The second set of attendees were allowed into the hall after a 35 minute wait and, soon after, the first group were invited to leave.

The Residents Action Group are meeting with local MP Edward Timpson on 6th March and he will be discussing the situation later in March with Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Taylor Wimpey have provided an update. They imply that the Parish Council have agreed to the hand-over for the benefit of the local allotment association. Taylor Wimpey have not to date provided the Parish Council with a proposal. The Parish Council looks forward to receiving such a proposal.

"We remain committed to delivery of the allotments in accordance with the original proposals and look forward to handing these over to the Parish Council upon completion of the development.

Regrettably as previously advised this has been delayed by further on-site works that are required before the development is complete.

Following confirmation of the remedial work schedule Taylor Wimpey are now able to confirm that work on the allotments will begin in summer 2020 and we anticipate that works will be completed in the Autumn with a view to them being handed over to the Parish Council upon completion."

This consultation is important particularly in view of the proposal to close Sandiway Surgery. There is a drop- in session at Northwich Memorial Court on Thursday 19th March 10.00- 12 noon and 4.00- 6.00pm.

Cheshire West and Chester Council currently provide over 100,000 Community Transport journeys a year for approximately 800 residents. The current contract to provide this service is due to end in March 2021 and everyone is invited to take part in a consultation to comment on proposals to ensure the community transport meets their needs for the future.

In all parts of the UK , on every day of the year, thousands of Community Transport staff and volunteers are helping people to stay independent, participate in their communities and access vital public services and employment. Community Transport provides flexible and accessible-community led solutions. This is often the only means of transport for many vulnerable and isolated people, often older people or people with disabilities.

Typical services include community bus services, dial a ride and group hire services, voluntary car schemes and school or college transport which transports residents from home to a specified destination. Community Transport services operate alongside commercial bus services as well as bus services which the Council has to help sustain through its own funding. Bus services across the country have been under a lot of pressure for many years and many have stopped operating.

Although this consultation is about Community Transport, these services cannot be seen as separate from other bus services which the Council wants to sustain. The Council is conducting a wider review of their work to protect and extend bus services, including for school pupils and in rural areas. The Views collected through this consultation will help ensure this wider review fully reflects all views expressed.

There is a suggestion to provide the service to a greater numbers of residents for example, transport routes to college for students with Special Educational Needs, rural transport routes and routes to Medical Centres. It is also proposed to offer communities an opportunity to start their own volunteer Community Transport driver schemes. This would include advice on how to set up a scheme and how to operate taking into account safety and legal regulations.

PRESS HERE for questionnaire on line or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

"In light of the current situation with the Coronavirus I will be cancelling my face to face Surgeries, However I will be available to speak to via social media, email and phone 📱 📞💻. The next advertised surgery is Wednesday 25th 10-11am"

Our local PCSO, Nichola Devey, was scheduled at Sandiway Library on the following dates:

Thursday 5th March 10-11am,
Tuesday 10th March 6-7pm,
Friday  20th March 5-6pm,
Thursday 26th March 2-3pm.

Please note that Imogen Graffham, who was previously helping Nichola in our area, has now moved on to a different part of Northwich - we wish her well.

For daily updates regarding whats going on in our ward please follow your local community policing on Facebook/Twitter
     Weaver and Cuddington police Facebook 
     @weaverCudPol - Twitter

The council has been informed that the police will no longer control traffic for Remembrance services. However by continuing the fence round the new Memorial Garden which currently stops at the corner of Norley Road, so that it goes all the way round that area, we would be permitted to use it for a Remembrance ceremony.

'Friendly Thursdays' are to be offered weekly from 1:30 to 3:30pm in The White Barn (at the A49/Norley Road junction).
This is an opportunity for anyone to come in and meet new people or bring friends to socialise for a few hours and give others someone to talk to.

Tea, coffee and cake will be provided.

You might be interested to hear that this website is still growing in readership.  We received an average of 4,500 visits per month from users during December, January and February, which admittedly was a peak time thanks to the proposed Surgery closure, panto season and events around Christmas.   We received visits from around 3,000 'unique visitors' during these peak months, which equates to approximately 50% of the population in the Parish.  Let's keep the momentum up and let all your neighbours in on our secret!

We are also looking to expand our editorial team and especially encourage younger blood help in the creation of news stories and keeping the website 'fresh'.  If you would like to help, or know of somebody who might, please drop a message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  It always helps in job applications to have this sort of community service on your CV!

In addition, if you are organising some event locally and/or have a story or news item which you think our users might benefit from reading, please drop us a line to the above email address.

The following is a report from the local SOS Residents Action Group:

"On 12th February, the 'Save Our Surgery Residents Action Group' met representatives of Danebridge Medical Practice (DMP) to discuss their responses to our Freedom Of (FOI) Information requests. Here is a summary of the meeting:

• The Partner's decision is made, they wish to close the surgery, and are already talking to the CCG about it. One Freedom of Information request is still awaiting DMP response.
• They have obtained a quote to build a new surgery (cost £1.16 million) BUT had not obtained quotes on refurbishing the existing site, we have asked them to do so.
• They said a "not for public consumption" CQC detailed annexe to the main CQC report documents Sandiway's need for refurbishment, we have asked to see relevant extracts, but there is no agreement from DMP to see it yet.
• They had not written to other local GP Practices to see if any were interested in taking over Sandiway Surgery but will now do so.
• They acknowledged that we are a growing village and also acknowledged the transport issues. Whilst they are looking into some solutions to topics raised in survey responses, they reaffirm that transport is factually NOT their problem."

Press Here for a list of the FOI Information requests made on Danebridge, together with their responses.

Meanwhile Danebridge Medical Practice have announced a "Public Consultation Event" for the proposed closure to be held later this month at Sandiway Primary School (note the word "conclude"!) - mark it in your diary:

Sandiway Library closed for building repairs in September and although initial estimates scheduled it to reopen at the start of this month, the work has taken a little longer.  However we now have good news from the Communities & Library Services group within Cheshire West and Chester council:

"We are pleased to announce that Sandiway Library will re-open on Monday 24th February after being closed for building repairs and refurbishment. The mobile library will visit Cuddington and Sandiway Village Hall for the last session on Saturday 22nd February.  Weaverham and Barnton Libraries will return to normal opening hours from the week beginning the 24th.  We look forward to welcoming all our customers again.  There will be an event to celebrate re-opening in the next few weeks, information about this and the date will be confirmed shortly.

Thank you for your patience"

Opening hours of all libraries are available online and, if required, items can be renewed online or by phone 24 hours a day:
   https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/libraries
   0300 123 7739

For more information visit www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/libraries. You can also follow Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Libraries Service on Facebook or Twitter.

Healthwatch Cheshire West, part of Healthwatch Cheshire, is an independent voice to help the people of Cheshire West shape and improve local health and care services. This independent organisation has become involved as part of the process of reviewing the closure of Sandiway Surgery and are conducting a feedback survey about patients’ experience at this surgery

There are two ways of completing this survey:

Hard copy versions of the feedback forms and collection boxes, along with explanatory leaflets, are available at :-

The Village Hall

Delamere Clubhouse

Rowlands Pharmacy

The survey may also be returned by post at no cost.

Please take a form if you know of  someone who would like a form but are unable to obtain one

The form is also available on line by clicking the Healthwatch logo below.

All feedback forms should please be returned by Saturday 29th February 2020

The Residents Action Group have been in touch with Healthwatch Cheshire, the independent voice of the people, who wish to collect ‘impact statements’ from patients with regard to the Danebridge proposal. They will provide comments cards and collection boxes that will be placed around the village. Watch out for these boxes. The responses will only be handled by Healthwatch Cheshire, and the data will be anonymised by them when they prepare their report to the Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group as part of the decision making process. 

https://healthwatchcwac.org.uk

The Clinical Commissioning Group hold Cheshire Chat sessions to give local people the opportunity to engage to help shape the future of health services across the county.  The next sessions are at: 

Holmes Chapel Community Centre, CW4 8AA on 12th February 9.30am - 11.30am.

Winsford Lifecycle Centre, The Drumber, CW7 1AD on 14th February 9.30am -11.30am.

http://www.valeroyalccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/communications-and-engagement/Cheshire-chat

You can have your say on Cheshire Chat's online survey

http://www.cheshire-chat.co.uk/

The Action Group would like to thank everyone who has signed up to support them; they have been given well over 800 names already. They would also like to thank those of you who came along to the Parish Council meeting, and those who have been in touch by email with views and comments.

They have submitted a number of questions to Danebridge Practice which can be seen by following this link to FoI questions.

If you wish to give the Action Group your support or you have any comments or issues that you feel should be raised as part of this campaign then please get in touch.

Contact us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

130 concerned residents shared their views with the Parish Council in the Public Forum session of the Extraordinary Council Meeting held on Monday 20th January, In addition to the Parish Councillors , CWAC Borough Councillors Gillian Edwards and Charles Fifield, a representative of Edward Timpson MP, and observers from the CWAC Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Healthwatch Cheshire (public consumer champion - www.healthwatchcheshire.org.uk ) were also present. After the Public Forum session, the Parish Council endorsed the formation of a Residents’ Action Group made up of Sandiway Surgery patients and Parish Councillors.

The Residents’ Action Group have also sent a series of Freedom of Information requests to Danebridge Practice , but to date have received no information. 

Our MP, the Rt Hon Edward Timpson along with our Ward Councillors, Paul Williams, Charles Fifield and Gillian Edwards have also written to Danebridge to request an extension to the consultation period. This would give more time to consider the proposals and to review the implications for Cuddington and Sandiway village (designated as a Key Service Centre in the Cheshire West and Chester Local Plan).  To date, Danebridge have not replied. Our MP has also verbally raised the closure with Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary.

The Northwich Guardian has reported the meeting with more details - click here to view their report.

Saturday 29 February:
Commencing with the 2001 from Chester (2023 from Cuddington) and 2041 from Manchester, buses will replace trains between Altrincham and Stockport. Trains on other routes will continue to run between Stockport and Manchester. Trains between Altrincham and Chester will run at the usual Saturday times. There will be an additional bus leaving Manchester at 2341, Stockport 0001, Navigation Road 0016 and stopping to set down only at remaining stations to Chester.

Other Cancellations:
Buses will replace all trains on Sunday 1 March and the last train each way on 2 to 5 March.
An easy web site to use (also available from our Home page) is http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/northern/summary.aspx?T=CUD&R=1

Always check before you travel, alterations can happen at short notice: www.northernrailway.co.uk, or 0800 200 6060.

If you are a patient registered with Danebridge Medical Practice, you will have received a letter containing proposals to close the Sandiway Surgery, as well as a Survey. 

We ALL need to reply and ensure that our views are heard.

A number of residents have met to discuss how we can prevent the loss of the GP surgery here in the village and have formed a Residents’ Action Group. To operate effectively, they need YOUR support and here is how you can help

Please ensure that the Survey is completed and returned as follows :-

PRESS HERE to complete the survey on line.

 THE SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED

FILL IN the form you received in the post and return it to one of the surgeries. To help, the Residents’ Action Group is providing a number of extra collection points for the Surveys around the Village. These collection points are at:

Delamere Park Clubhouse,  Rowlands Pharmacy,  Spar,  Handleys Newsagents, 

Cuddington News,  Sandiway Dry Cleaners,  The White Barn,  The Blue Cap

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOUR SURVEY IS COMPLETED AND RETURNED BY MONDAY 27th JANUARY

It would also be useful to also contact separately the following to show your support

Our Cheshire West and Chester Councillors – follow this link for contact details CWaC Councillors

Our MP, the Rt Hon Edward Timpson – follow this link for contact details Rt Hon Edward Timpson

Vale Royal Clinical Commissioning Group – follow this link for contact details VRCCG

Danebridge Practice partners – follow this link for Partner details Danebridge Partners

To help you in this, please Press Here for some suggestions for ‘Questions and Issues that need to be Raised by Residents’. This will be updated at regular intervals

Other actions that have been taken to date are :-

An Extra Ordinary Meeting of the Parish Council has been arranged for Monday 20th  January at 7.00pm at Sandiway Primary School.

The main topic for discussion is the proposed closure of Sandiway Surgery and there will be a Public Forum at this meeting. Please try to be there.

The Action Group has sent a series of questions to Danebridge Practice to request more information on why the closure is being proposed.

Our MP, the Rt Hon Edward Timpson, and our Ward Councillors, Paul Williams, Charles Fifield and Gillian Edwards have written to request an extension to the consultation period to give us all more time to consider the proposal and to look at the implications for Cuddington and Sandiway village, which is designated as a Key Service Centre in the Cheshire West and Chester Local Plan.

Members of the Residents’ Action Group will be outside local shops, asking you to sign up to support their actions. They will be out and about in the village over the next week. 

Alternatively, you can sign-up today by emailing your name, address, postcode and agreement to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Please watch out for more information on this Village Website, on Facebook and in the shops.

This problem will not go away and time is short so we need to Act Now

Our local PCSO, Nichola Devey and/or Imogen Graffham, will be available at Cuddington & Sandiway Village Hall on the following dates:

Tuesday 7th January - 6-7 pm

Below are the other PCSO surgery dates for the Weaver and Cuddington Ward:

Weaverham Communty Centre -
Wednesday 8th January - 7-8 pm
Monday 13th January - 10-11 am
Wednesday 22nd January - 10-11 am
Wednesday 29th January - 7-8 pm.

Acton Bridge Village Hall -
To be advised.

Please attend if you would like to discuss any concerns you have around the ward.

For daily updates regarding whats going on in our ward please follow your local community policing on Facebook/Twitter
     Weaver and Cuddington police Facebook 
     @weaverCudPol - Twitter

Following several requests to set up an evening WI group for those who cannot attend during the day, Pat Sharp (Advisor for the Cheshire Federation of Women’s Institutes) was given the task of setting one up and has received expressions of interest from more than 40 women.  After 2 preliminary meetings, they have set up a Formation Meeting at the Blue Cap on Wednesday 8th January at 7.30pm.  Visitors welcome.  Thereafter the monthly meetings will take place on the second Wednesday of each month at the Blue Cap.

For further information contact Pat Sharp at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Monday 20 to Thursday 23 January:
The 2341 from Manchester to Chester (due Cuddington 0045) is replaced by a bus, calling at Cuddington at 0136 only if required to set down. An additional bus starts from Knutsford at 0025 (Tuesday to Friday mornings) to Chester, calling at Cuddington at 0108.
The 22:52 Chester to Manchester (2314 from Cuddington) will be replaced by a bus, calling at Cuddington at 2342. The 2223 Cuddington to Manchester will call additionally at Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme and arrive Manchester Piccadilly at 2335.

Cancellations:
Train cancellations due to crew shortage are currently averaging three a day and may become even more frequent. You are strongly recommended to check before you set out, especially as the Customer Information Screens on the station do not always work. An easy web site to use (also available from our Home page) is http://www.livedepartureboards.co.uk/northern/summary.aspx?T=CUD&R=1

Always check before you travel, alterations can happen at short notice: www.northernrailway.co.uk, or 0800 200 6060.

Danebridge staff presented a draft project plan to a recent meeting of their Patient Participation Group (PPG) with the aim of consulting with patients, NHS groups and Cheshire West & Chester Council departments prior to closing the Sandiway Surgery.

A letter went out before Christmas from Danebridge Medical Practice to all their patients (c. 25,000) explaining the key reasons behind their decision and requesting the completion and submission of a survey questionaire, which will also be available online (it should be noted that the majority of their patients reside away from our parish and hence have less interest in maintaining the status quo). There are roughly 5000 patients in and around the Parish who would choose to use Sandiway Surgery and they will need to make their opinion count.

Many of you will have met new PCSO Imogen Graffham who recently joined Cheshire Police and completed training last month in her new role.

Imogen works alongside PCSO Nichola Devey in covering the community area of Weaverham, Acton Bridge and Cuddington and Sandiway, and with this extra resource we are now able to get more attention to our community.  Imogen was previously a call handler in the Cheshire Police control room.  She is keen to meet people at her regular surgeries in the village to hear any concerns, and is planning to work with Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators in the New Year to cover local issues and assist them with crime prevention. Please contact her using This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and follow the Twitter account @WeaverCuddPol.

Brian Gray was recognised as a Recently Retired Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator and thanked for his almost 30 years of service to the community by the Cheshire Neighbourhood Watch Association at their recent AGM in November.  Brian was unable to attend the AGM to receive his award last month, but was presented with his certificate and gift voucher at his home by Heather Thompson, Communications Administrator for the CNWA.  Brian and Heather both live on Hadrian Way and Heather took over from Brian as Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator in this area in February 2019.

Brian was first 'volunteered' as a 'senior co-ordinator' by PC Phil Woods when Homewatch schemes were set up in Sandiway following a series of public meetings.  This was probably around 1990, and before e-mail was common in the wider community.  Most distribution of information to members was on little pieces of paper pushed through letter boxes and about six 'co-ordinators' were also 'volunteered' to be a focus for a group of ten houses or so to share the work.  Brian was supported by his wife Vivienne, and they welcomed newcomers to their Homewatch patch by giving out copies of the Village Directory booklet.

Fortunately Cuddington and Sandiway is a very low crime area, but over the years Brian passed information to the police on several occasions, once to alert them to a suspicious vehicle parked on Hadrian Way that later turned out to have been used by burglars who raided Moore’s garage.  The perpetrators were later caught by the police.  Brian was amused to be informed by Phil Woods that one report he submitted about 'suspicious activity' by a group of young men one afternoon meant that he had picked out a plain clothes police drugs squad working in the village after action along Kennel Lane! Importantly his regular contact with neighbours enabled everyone to know what was going on and help residents to feel safer before the village website was so comprehensive.

Homewatch started first in Cheshire and spread across the country.  It has recently been re-branded Neighbourhood Watch and the network covers 2.7 million households nationwide.  The purpose is to keep communities safe via the simple principles of 1. Know your neighbour, 2. Be neighbourly, and 3. Be active in the community.  Neighbourhood Coordinators registered with CNWA receive community safety messages directly from Cheshire Police and work with their local PCSOs on crime prevention and to address any issues.  If you are interested to join Neighbourhood Watch, get yourself registered on http://cheshire.ourwatch.org.uk or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out more.

British Telecom started a consultation process for the removal of these two public payphone boxes back in September.  These boxes are located in Poplar Close/ Mere Lane and on Norley Road (in front of Cuddington shops).  The borough council asked whether our local Parish Council, or maybe a community, want to 'adopt' one or both of these telephone boxes - the Parish Council responded earlier in November by deciding to 'adopt' both boxes.

A public survey will be carried out in December to decide upon future usage of these facilities: the survey is available online ( press here ) or paper-based available at John Dudley's Hairshop on Tricket Lane, Handley's Newsagents in Sandiway and Delamere Park Clubhouse.

The council decided to go ahead with the reduction of the speed limit on Mill Lane, Cuddington Lane and Barrastitch Lane.  Currently it is 60mph and this was considered to be too fast for the conditions on these narrow winding lanes so it will be reduced to 40mph.

The lowering of the limit has been requested by residents with properties on these lanes and on Delamere Park.  The project will cost £7,000 of which CWAC will pay half, our Ward Councillors will pay £1,750 and the cost to the parish will therefore be £1,750.

The Ark will again be supporting the Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day on December 13th. Come along in your Christmas jumper and enjoy their culinary delights!  All profits from the day will go to the Save the Children Fund.

The Ark will then be closed for its Winter break & panto use, reopening on February 14th.

The village is to have a Memorial Garden. It will be on the grass outside Sandiway School and will consist of 2 brick walls with granite inlays engraved with the names of the fallen from the two World Wars. There will also be a bench and flower beds. The bricks and labour will be provided by Weaver Vale Housing Trust, the engraved plaques will come as a donation from our ward councillors’ members budget, and labour will be provided by CWAC apprentices.

New timetable commences Sunday 15th December. Times at Cuddington are unchanged, except for two trains to Chester: 0847 Monday to Friday will depart at 0851, and the 0045 Monday to Friday nights will depart at 0048.

Monday 9 to Thursday 12 December: The 2341 from Manchester to Chester (due Cuddington 0045) is replaced by a bus, calling at Cuddington at 0136 only if required to set down. An additional bus starts from Knutsford at 0023 (Tuesday to Friday mornings) to Chester, calling at Cuddington at 0106. The 22:52 Chester to Manchester (2314 from Cuddington) will be replaced by a bus, calling at Cuddington at 2342. The 2223 Cuddington to Manchester will call additionally at Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme and arrive Manchester Piccadilly at 2335.

Christmas and New Year

Tuesday 24 December. The last train to Manchester will be the 2102 from Chester, 2123 from Cuddington. The last train to Chester will be the 2041 from Manchester, 2148 from Cuddington.
Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 December: no trains
Tuesday 31 December: The last train to Manchester will be the 2102 from Chester, 2123 from Cuddington. The last train to Chester will be the 2041 from Manchester, 2148 from Cuddington.
Normal service on other days.

Please check before you travel, alterations can happen at short notice: www.northernrail.co.uk, or 0800 200 6060.

At Monday's Parish Council meeting Malcolm Hill was co-opted on to the council representing the Sandiway Ward. This brings the Council back up to its full complement following a recent resignation.  Malcolm can be contacted via email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Currently the Girlguiding leaders operating from our Village Hall are having to place girls on waiting lists for places as the units in the village are full. With more leaders they could offer places to more girls who are keen to join.

If you are able and willing to offer your services as a volunteer, please put your name forward at www.girlguiding.org.uk.

Thank you.

Sandiway Library closed for building repairs in September this year and although initial estimates scheduled it to reopen this month, the work will now take a little longer.  It is now anticipated the library will re-open at the beginning of February 2020.

Construction work has involved complex internal and external piling. The entire building will then be re-carpeted, ceiling lights replaced, internal redecoration completed and also the restocking of library equipment to transform it back into use for its many customers.

Since September alternative arrangements have been available at nearby locations to help customers return or borrow books during the closure and these will continue. All previous loans will have their due dates extended again to the beginning of February 2020.

The extended opening hours at Barnton and Weaverham Libraries will continue during the temporary closure.

BARNTON LIBRARY, Townfield Lane-01606 274360 
Monday 2pm-7pm 
Tuesday 9.30pm-1pm, 2pm-5pm 
Wednesday 2pm-7pm 
Thursday 10am-1pm, 2pm-5pm 
Friday 2pm-5pm 
Saturday 10am-1pm

WEAVERHAM LIBRARY, Russet Road,01606 274344
Monday 9.30am-1pm, 2pm-7pm 
Tuesday 9.30am-1pm, 2-5pm 
Wednesday 9.30am-1pm, 2-5pm 
Thursday 9.30am-1pm, 2-5pm 
Friday 9.30am-1pm, 2-7pm 
Saturday 9.30-1pm

In addition the mobile library will continue to stop at Cuddington and Sandiway Village Hall between 9.30am and 12.30pm each Saturday until the Library reopens.

The Council’s Director of Place Operations, Maria Byrne said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers while this building work continues. Many customers will be disappointed that the Library is not able to reopen this month as planned. Our contractors assure us they are pushing the project along as quickly as possible, despite challenging construction issues."

“During the continued temporary closure loans have been extended and won’t be due back. Temporary arrangements at nearby locations will continue and our usual 24/7 on-line services are also be available.”

Opening hours of all libraries are available online and, if required, items can be renewed online or by phone 24 hours a day:
   https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/libraries
   0300 123 7739

For more information visit www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/libraries. You can also follow Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Libraries Service on Facebook or Twitter.

The village’s Centenary Remembrance Service took place on Sunday November 10th at 11am.

The service was preceded by a Parade from Sandiway shops to the church. The laying of wreaths and a period of Silence took place from 10.50am.

The following report comes from the Delamere Park Bus Service Working Group which masterminded the redirecting of the 48A Bus Service between Frodsham and Northwich to serve Cuddington (see full report in the 'August' Newsroom below):

“As you may be aware, Cheshire West and Chester council have provided a one day a week (Wednesday) limited bus service between Delamere Park, Northwich and Frodsham, which commenced on 31 July 2019.

The service is receiving regular patronage to both Northwich and Frodsham from Delamere Park residents. It is also successfully supporting a local new housing development (Eden Grange) by virtue of this new route. We intend to link up with other local communities to further increase the profile of this bus service.

Cheshire West and Chester are aware that we require greater than one day per week but we accept that the one day service was offered as a 12 month trial in the first instance.

The original Delamere Park survey revealed that most potential passengers would prefer a market day service, ie Thursday, and this is clearly what would be more beneficial to the residents, in addition to the need for greater than a single day per week bus service.

We plan to contact John Ellis Jones at CWAC early in the new year to review the successful progress of the bus service so far and to consider any potential further enhancements that may be offered.

We will keep you informed of any developments.”

Please help to make Christmas special for a needy child in our local area by supporting Vale Royal Lions Christmas Appeal. St John's will be collecting unwrapped new toys until Sunday 1st December. The age range is one week to 16 years, and the Lions particularly request items for teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16. Please bring your toys to any service, or the Ark on Fridays, or to church on Saturday morning.

The Parish Council is very concerned about the level of vandalism currently occurring in the village.  Not only is it undermining the morale of residents and spoiling the appearance of our village, it is extremely costly to make good the damage.  Our Tommy has been damaged twice and has now been moved to another location.  Conditions at Boundary Lane Green Play Area are far from ideal for our children with broken play equipment creating safety hazards.  The bill for repair of damage in the 7 months of this financial year has come to £1,378 and the cost must be borne by residents through the parish precept.

Residents are asked to report incidents on 101. Our PCSO Nicola Devey holds monthly surgeries which are advertised below in this 'Newsroom'.  Parents are asked to be vigilant about where their children are and what they are doing.

Eddisbury Flower Club began life in Hartford but has for many, many years used St John’s Church Hall, Norley Road, Sandiway as its venue.  On September 10th, 51 club members plus three Cheshire NAFAS Area guests celebrated 60 years of Fun Friendship and Flowers by holding an Afternoon Tea at Willington Hall, Tarporley.  It was a very sunny afternoon and the conservatory looked beautiful decorated with impressive white flower arrangements and the odd “diamond” to add the sparkle!!

The savouries, sandwiches and scones were enjoyed by all, after which the celebration cake was cut by Chairman Mrs Sue Williams and members toasted, with Prosecco, the success of their club.

Now called 'Eddisbury and Sandiway Flower Club', they always welcome visitors and prospective new members.  They meet at St John's Church Hall on the 2nd Tuesday of each month (except January and August) at 2pm.  For more details, please contact 01606-75405.

PS. if you are wondering, NAFAS stands for National Association of Flower Arranging Societies and likewise has been in existence for 60 years - take a look at their website.

British Telecom have started a 90-day consultation process for the removal of two public payphone boxes in our Parish.  These boxes are located in Poplar Close/ Mere Lane and on Norley Road (in front of Cuddington shops) - PRESS HERE for BT's consultation letter. The borough council are also asking whether our local Parish Council, or maybe a community, want to 'adopt' one of these telephone boxes.

The consultation date closes on 11 December but the residents should be aware that the Parish Council need to respond by 22nd November and so they will have it as an agenda item for the meeting on 21st October 2019.  If you feel strongly, please make your views clear to the Parish Council Clerk (see 'Contact Us') before then.

Update: The Parish Council has decided to 'adopt' these two telephone boxes and will be carrying out a public survey in December to decide upon future usage of these facilities: watch out for further news on this in December's 'Newsroom'.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has a four year programme to introduce 'signed only' 20 mph speed limits on all roads that meet Department for Transport criteria.  They have completed the assessment of the 'year four' schemes and are proposing to introduce four schemes within our parish.

They will be advertising the proposed speed limits during the week commencing 21 October; the period of consultation will end on Friday 15 November. They will be delivering leaflets to all residents within the proposed 20 mph speed limits, leaflets will be delivered in the two weeks prior to advertising the proposed speed limits.

Only roads meeting the criteria for signed only 20 mph speed limits are included in the programme, all other speed limits, including traffic calmed 20 mph limits, are dealt with through a different speed limit process. If you wish to make comment on the proposal please respond to the council before the deadline of Friday 15 November.

Press on the descriptions below to view more detail for each scheme:

Delamere Park

Cuddington North

Sandiway (Chilton Close/Hadrian Way)

Sandiway (Mere Lane/Ash Road)

A group of residents has got together to open a new Youth Club in the village. It is hoped it will open for a 3 month trial period on October 4th from 7pm until 10pm and then each Friday night from then on. It will be open to children from 11 to 17 years.

They have a fundraiser coming to help with set-up funding; they are preparing the documentation and sourcing materials but all will be pointless without volunteers and support so please help where you can. Full details will be given on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/2633165580087609/

Update: The opening of the Youth Club has been postponed until further volunteers come forward. A note from one of the organisers:
"YOUTHS, INTERESTED PARENTS, VOLUNTEERS.
Anyone that has a transferable DBS check that they can bring on the night.
Let's get the whole village inside the Youth Club on Tuesday night, 8th Oct at 7pm and MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!"

Our local PCSO, Nichola Devey, will be available at Cuddington & Sandiway Village Hall 5.00 to 6.00pm on Friday 25th October.

Below are the other PCSO surgery dates for the Weaver and Cuddington Ward:

Weaverham Communty Centre -
October 9th 10-11 am,
October 16th 7-8 pm,
October 21st 10-11 am,
October 30th 10-11 am.

Acton Bridge Village Hall -
October 19th 2-3 pm.

Please attend if you would like to discuss any concerns you have around the ward.

At the September Parish Council meeting Nichola reported the following issues and actions:

• There have been complaints about speeding on Norley Road and Weaverham Road and speed checks have been carried out with several people being caught and reported. Police do not handle prosecutions themselves but send the details to a central body to be processed. She does speed checks in the village at least once a week when possible.
• Antisocial Behaviour increased over the summer which is a regular annual pattern. When this has occurred on the playing field the PFA have been able to provide CCTV footage to enable the culprits to be identified. Nichola can then work with Weaverham High School to contact parents of regular offenders in the hope of getting signed contracts from them concerning their children’s behaviour. Mainly these children are in the 12-14 age group. She will also work in the school with such things as peer group sessions.
• There has been a white van with no identification touring the area looking for signs that properties are occupied by elderly people. One resident was charged £600 for hedge cutting.
• Nichola is working in both our primary schools on topics such as Stranger Danger and issuing notes to parents who park in dangerous places.

For daily updates regarding whats going on in our ward please follow your local community policing on Facebook/Twitter
     Weaver and Cuddington police Facebook
     @weaverCudPol - Twitter

SMALLWORLD HOLIDAY CLUB is offering Pre-School, Breakfast, After-school and Holiday club care for those aged between 2-11 years during the period October 28th to November 1st.

Halloween Activities:
Ghoulish Crafts, Halloween games, Spooky fancy dress, Critters and Creatures, Sports, Bouncy Castle, and much more!

Located at Sandiway Primary School.
Contact: 01606 882821 email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   www.smallworldpreschoolsandlinkclubs.co.uk

Monday 28 to Thursday 31 October: The 2341 from Manchester to Chester (due Cuddington 0045) is replaced by a bus, calling at Cuddington at 0136. An additional bus starts from Knutsford at 0023 (Tuesday to Friday mornings) to Chester, calling at Cuddington at 0106.
The 22:52 Chester to Manchester (2314 from Cuddington) will be replaced by a bus, calling at Cuddington at 2342. The 2223 Cuddington to Manchester will call additionally at Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme and arrive Manchester Piccadilly at 2335.

Music Train - Wednesday 2 October: Time Bandits playing on the 19:22 train to Plumley and at the Golden Pheasant, 2229 return.

Please check before you travel, alterations can happen at short notice: www.northernrail.co.uk, or 0800 200 6060.

The countdown has begun for the reopening of the Youth Club and it’s only a few weeks away. There are still not enough volunteers and they need to start DBS checks and training.  If you are willing to give one Friday evening a month (that's 12 evenings a year if the club is successful!) please let the organising committee know.  This will be a massive positive for the village and the young people who attend but only if the community work together.

They have a fundraiser coming to help with set-up funding; they are preparing the documentation and sourcing materials but all will be pointless without volunteers and support so please help where you can. Full details will be given on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/2633165580087609/

"Please remember that a lot of time has already been invested, so we really do need volunteers to keep the ball rolling.  We have come so far, let's not let it fizzle out as we have all said how much a 'youthy' is needed for this amazing village.  If you have any children aged 11-17 who might be interested, please get them involved in this project so they can really take ownership."

Update: The organisers' current plan is to open the Youth Club doors on Friday 4th October for a pizza night - more details to follow. Volunteers are still urgently required - any volunteer who is offering to give a couple of hours on a Friday night will need to have a DBS check (due to safeguarding regulations), so please put your name forward quickly so that the application can be done in time.

We have had confirmation that Sandiway Library will need to close for approximately 10 weeks to have some structural building repair work done from 9 September; that is, it will be closed until late November!

Alternative arrangements have been made at nearby locations to help customers return or borrow books during the closure.  Note that loans will be extended and won’t be due back during the period of closure.

The opening hours at Barnton and Weaverham Libraries will be extended during the Sandiway closure.  In addition to usual hours, Barnton Library will be open 9.30am-1pm and 2pm-5pm on Tuesdays and Weaverham Library will be open 9.30am-1pm and 2pm-5pm on Thursdays.

The mobile library will stop at Cuddington and Sandiway Village Hall between 9.30am-12.30pm every Saturday from 14 September for 10 weeks.

Opening hours of all libraries are available online and, if required, items can be renewed online or by phone 24 hours a day:

• www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/libraries
• 0300 123 7739

The Library staff apologise for any inconvenience and look forward to seeing you when they re-open.

After discussions with Cuddington Parish Playing Fields Association, the youth club organising committee now have a three month trial of the new Youth Club in the old "69ers" building next to the Village Hall.  Their first request from our wonderful Community is help with a BIG COMMUNITY CLEAN UP of the building.  Elbow grease, muscles, feather dusters at the ready.. it might even be....FUN?  The dates suggested are Monday 26th August, Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September, Full details will be given on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/2633165580087609/

"Please remember that a lot of time has already been invested, so we really do need volunteers to keep the ball rolling.  We have come so far, let's not let it fizzle out as we have all said how much a 'youthy' is needed for this amazing village.  If you have any children aged 11-17 who might be interested, please get them involved in this project so they can really take ownership - ready for our first night, Pizza Night."

The Sandiway Pantomime Group Committee recently met and they have decided the 2020 production will be Aladdin, a new script from the mighty pen of Phil Hosker who brought you 'Dick Whittington and the 2012Olympics' and 'Charlotte in Candyland'!!

Press Here for full information of the production timeline.   So shake out your acting skills and come along - it's always fun!

It’s now become easier to buy a ticket but the penalties for fare evasion have been increased.

Northern have now installed a ticket machine at every station on the Mid Cheshire Line (except Mobberley and Lostock Gralam). The machines take payment by card and issue most tickets. If you can’t get the ticket you want then you must collect a "Promise to Pay" card from the machine instead - and show this to the conductor or ticket inspector as proof of where you started your journey.

You can also buy a ticket via the Northern app on a smartphone (in which case you don’t need a physical ticket) or pay for a ticket online and collect it from the ticket machine using the same credit card. Or buy from the ticket offices at Altrincham, Hale, Knutsford, Northwich or Chester, when they are open.

With the ticket machines and "Promise to Pay" cards comes a new approach to tackling fare evasion. This means that if you get on the train without a ticket or a "Promise to Pay" card then the conductor cannot sell you any ticket except a full price single and, if there is a ticket inspection, you may be liable to pay a Penalty Fare of £20. A team of ticket inspectors is now active along the Line. They check all tickets - at stations and on trains.

In practical terms this means that you need to allow time to buy a ticket from the machine – which might be on the other platform. At Cuddington, the ticket machine is on the Manchester-bound platform (next to the car parking) and so you will need to cross the line if you're travelling towards Chester.

Not all machines yet issue DUOs although they are gradually being converted to do so. Ticket inspectors do have some discretion for people with mobility problems which make it very difficult for them to access the machine if it is on the other platform.

A working group made up of residents of Delamere Park, with help from local MP Antoinette Sandbach, has persuaded Cheshire West and Chester Council and Warrington's Own Buses bus company to add Delamere Park, Cuddington Station and Eden Grange to the #48 service (running between Frodsham and Northwich) every Wednesday for a trial period, commencing on 31st July 2019.

The proposed Wednesday #48A bus timetable (PRESS HERE for leaflet) will offer access to the following:

Delamere Park to Northwich -

• Shops and train station at Cuddington
• Shops at Weaverham
• Shops, restaurants, cinema at Northwich

Delamere Park to Frodsham -

• Direct access to Morrisons supermarket (located next to the bus stop)
• Shops, tea shops, restaurants and pubs
• Train station with excellent links to Chester, Warrington and Manchester

It is extremely important that this trial service is supported, otherwise it may be lost or not extended into a more regular service.

Sandiway Pantomime Group will definitely be presenting their 2020 production, but the title of the pantomime to be performed is a closely guarded secret!  So secret that not even the Committee will divulge this information!

However, what we do know is that the following dates have been pencilled in:  Read Through (including Parent / Guardian Briefing) will take place on Sunday 29th September 2019 from 2:00pm to 5:30pm with Auditions on Sunday 6th October 2019 from 2:30pm to 5:30pm. Casting will take place on Sunday 13th October 2019, followed by the First Rehearsal.

Rehearsals will then continue on Sundays from 2:00pm to 5:30pm and Wednesdays from 7.00m to 9.00pm with half–term, Christmas and New Year holiday breaks. All these happen in St John’s Church Hall, Norley Road, Sandiway, CW8 2JX.

The Performances will take place on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st January 2020 at 7:30pm, Saturday 1st February 2020 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm and Sunday 2nd February 2020 at 2:00pm.

All budding actors, backstage crew and other helpers very welcome.

For further details, please contact Bob Barker on 01606 882956 or Jim and Wendy Wren on 01606 883955.

Any updates to this will be posted on www.facebook.com/SandiwayPantomimeGroup and this website.

The ‘Youth Club Group’ has submitted a business plan to Cuddington Playing Fields Association (CSPPFA) to open up a new youth club in the former 69ers youth club building on the playing field.  This group of people from the community have come together through a common wish to see a youth club in the village again.

The village will soon have a Garden of Remembrance. It will be created on the triangle of land outside Sandiway school at the Weaverham Road/Norley Road crossroads where our WW1 commemorative bench is already situated.

Recently there has been an increase in scams being reported. The scams vary between:  Romance Scams, Lottery Scams, Banking Scams, Door to Door Scams. Telephone scams etc.

Here are some golden rules to follow to help protect you from becoming a victim of a scam:

1. Be suspicious of all ' too good to be true ' offers and deals.
2. Do not agree to offers and deals immediately. Insist on time to obtain independent /legal advice before making a decision.
3. Do not hand over money or sign anything until you have checked the credentials of the company.
4. Never send money to anyone you do not know or trust.
5. Never give banking or personal details to anyone you do not know or trust.
6. Always log on to a website directly rather than clicking on a link provided in an email.
7. Do not rely soley on glowing testimonials find solid independent evidence.
8. Always get independent /legal advice if an offer involves money,time or commitment.
9. If you spot a scam REPORT it ! Contact Action Fraud on 0300 1232040 or online www.actionfraud.police.uk
10. DO NOT be embarrassed to report a scam. Scammers of cunning and clever. There is no shame in being deceived. By reporting a scam you will make it more difficult for them to deceive others.

Please share this with friends and family.

Regards,
PCSO Nichola Devey (Police, PCSO, Northwich)

The Summer holidays are here! We certainly all want to enjoy the sunshine, and the hot temperatures, but you might want to consider doing it safely!

Please take a look at some of the suggestions below...