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LEGAL MATTERS

RAF STATION CELEBRATES CENTENARY

Marching through a Hampshire parish, drums beating, colours proudly flying and bayonets fixed RAF Odiham celebrated the 100th anniversary of flight at their base. In recognition of the anniversary, ODIHAM Parish Council bestowed the honorary Freedom of the Parish to the station. Presenting a Freedom Scroll to Group Captain Sarah Moorehead, council chair Angela McFarlane said: “The honour signifies trust, loyalty and a sense of community between the village and RAF station and shows our deep appreciation to everyone who serves and works at RAF Odiham.” The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment accompanied the parade and performed a newly composed piece dedicated to the centenary celebration.

INTERACTIVE WAY TO EXPLORE TOWN’S HERITAGE

Time travellers have been active in North Lincolnshire. The KIRTON IN LINDSEY Society has teamed up with local digital developer RES Digital to launch a web-based heritage trail, designed to bring local history to life. Mayor Hazel Fox cut the ribbon to mark the launch of the Time Travellers Trail, which uses GPS technology and a smartphone to visit 21 points of interest, discovering the stories behind historic buildings and sites. Each one has a spoken narrative, words and pictures with some ‘then and now’ sliders. The trail begins in the historic Market Place where users scan a QR code or enter the web address manually to access the website and follow the trail.

Welcome to Rheinbach.

TWINS ENJOY SILVER CELEBRATION

A quarter of a century of twinning has been celebrated by SEVENOAKS and Rheinbach. Members of the Kent town’s Friends of Rheinbach group travelled to Germany for a four-day trip to celebrate the milestone and were warmly welcomed by their counterparts, Freunde von Sevenoaks. A highlight was a formal reception in the council chamber of Rheinbach’s renowned glass museum. The visit ended with a farewell dinner and heartfelt wishes for a continued friendship.

FLORAL BED PAYS TRIBUTE TO SAMARITANS’ 70 YEARS

After weeks of hard work, the annual charity bedding display at Greenhill Gardens in Dorset has been completed. Each year, WEYMOUTH Town Council’s gardeners skilfully recreate a crest in a floral tribute to represent a local charitable organisation. This year’s charity was the Samaritans and representatives from the council and Samaritans gathered to celebrate.

RAILWAY’S HISTORIC CONTRIBUTION MARKED

A national celebration to mark 200 years of the modern railway was joined by GILLINGHAM Town Council. Railway 200 is a year-long campaign, bringing together organisations across the UK to honour the historic contribution of rail to the country’s development, while inspiring a new generation to pursue careers in a forward-looking, green, and innovative rail industry. In 2024/25, Gillingham railway station welcomed about 302,000 passengers and Mayor Fiona Cullen unveiled a Railway 200 display in Station Road, which had been designed and constructed by the Dorset council’s grounds team, using recycled materials wherever possible.

STUDENT SCULPTURES ADD AN IMAGINATIVE EDGE

Two sculptures designed by A-level art students have been unveiled in the Langmoor Gardens in Lyme Regis. The Sculpture Trail, managed by LYME REGIS Town Council, now features an eye-catching dinosaur sculpture, designed by Felix Ford, and a beautiful octopus tentacle designed by Rosie Vincent, from The Woodroffe School in the Dorset town. The striking dinosaur, crafted in zinc-coated galvanised steel by local blacksmith and ironworker Simon Connett, adds a fresh and imaginative edge to the existing trail, which showcases work from professional artists and emerging talent. 

FLYING THE FLAG FOR PARK GLORY

The Green Flag Award is the international quality standard for parks and green spaces, providing the high standards against which sites are measured, and which land managers, local authorities and volunteers pledge to achieve when applying for the award.
DUNSTABLE is celebrating green space excellence with Bennett Memorial Recreation Ground, Dunstable Cemetery, Grove House Gardens and Priory Gardens again awarded the prestigious flags. Impressively, Bennett Memorial Recreation Ground and Dunstable Cemetery increased their overall scores.

JUMP TO IT! COUNCIL CREATES HELPFUL OBSTACLE

A monkey challenge climbing wall has been installed at a Norfolk village hall. HEVINGHAM Parish Council wanted to improve facilities in the village and when they got the opportunity to install the double-sided climbing wall, which is suitable for all ages, they jumped at the chance. Thanks to Finding Fitness, the council quickly submitted an application to the National Lottery and was successful. Within weeks the village had a shiny new ‘toy’ to enjoy, which has attracted a lot of attention.

BENCH TRIBUTE TO CLAIRE

The life and legacy of Claire Sumners (known lovingly as @zerowastemaman) has been celebrated with the unveiling of a memorial in SEAFORD, followed by a community beach clean and party in her honour. Claire passed away in 2022 aged 44 after a short and brave battle with cancer. She was a passionate environmental activist, community connector and inspiring voice in the zero-waste movement. Her vibrant energy, tireless advocacy and deep love for the planet touched countless lives, locally and online. She supported the Sussex town’s council in its efforts to achieve Plastic Free Community status, which was given in 2020.