2011 has been a very busy year for Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Co. Ltd. Immediately after the extremely successful festival, the team went straight into the new cider and perry making season! As you may have read, all the apples and pears are falling early so there was no respite after the hectic weekend; it was a case of clear up and start pressing the fruit.

The team up at Broome Farm, Peterstow raise a fantastic amount of money for charities with their brilliant events and at this year's festival a wonderful £1,500 was raised on behalf of Ross Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of Alan Wood, founder of Wyenot.com. This fantastic amount of money was raised in various ways, including the Friday and Saturday raffles, donations from stall holders, people paying to throw wet sponges at many 'volunteers' placed in the stocks and from the sales of food.

Mike Johnson presented the cheque to Alan's partner, Tina and Pauline McRae from Macmillan Cancer Support on Tuesday, 11th October. In addition to this, funds were raised throughout the 2010 / 2011 season for the following good causes:

£500 went to to Bees for Development, ( http://www.beesfordevelopment.org ), a charity which assists beekeepers living in poor and remote areas of the world, and raises awareness about the value of beekeeping for poverty alleviation.

£500 was also donated to Tamwed ( http://www.tamwed.org ). Tamwed’s aim is to increase the quality of life among poor and marginalised people in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu, India.

£600 to was raised for Cancer Research UK .

The dates for the 2012 Cider Festival are Friday, 31st August, Saturday, 1st and Sunday, 2nd September. Tickets will be available from June / July 2012. Book yours early to avoid disappointment!

The committee of Tudorville & District Community Centre are jumping for joy after securing a grant from Herefordshire Housing to start new play sessions at their refurbished community centre. The grant has allowed them to buy in the services of local charity, Jumpstart Kidz, who provide soft play sessions for families with pre-school aged children. From 1st November, Jumpstart will run weekly soft play sessions on Tuesdays from 10:00am to 12 Noon at TDCC on Walford Road in Ross-on-Wye.

The sessions are open to everyone and there is no need to book in advance. Sessions will cost £2.50 for one adult and child, plus £1 for each additional child. Jumpstart sessions are a great way for young children to play with each other and with their parents / carers. Mums, Dads, grandparents and carers can enjoy meeting others and having a chat while the little ones burn off that extra energy.

Active, creative play is important for the development of very young children, both for physical development and for their creativity and imagination. A typical session includes a chance to play on the soft play equipment, dressing up, play games, sing songs and listen to stories. The children can choose what they want to do and will get to climb, run, build, jump, slide and explore. It's also good for babies, as there are sensory toys and special equipment to keep them stimulated and entertained. There is information available on the variety of services for families within the county, as well as occasional visits from people specialising in family services.

Mags Smith, Development Manager for Jumpstart said, 'We are delighted to have been awarded this contract and are really looking forward to working in Tudorville. Our groups are informal and friendly so there's no pressure on you. You can sit and play with your child or join in the chat with other parents, as you wish. You'll make new friends and get some good advice on parenting. If you haven't tried a Jumpstart session yet, then come and join in the fun!'

Michelle Kings, Treasurer for TDCC said, 'We are thrilled to have secured the grant from Herefordshire Housing to allow Jumpstart sessions to start at TDCC. A survey carried out when we first formed TDCC 18 months ago indicated that many local people would like to see a mother and toddler group up and running in Tudorville again so we are very happy to now be in a position to offer this.'

Congratulations to Dr. Simon Lennane of Alton Street Surgery, Ross-on-Wye who was selected as 'Health Champion 2011' in the recent Pride of Herefordshire Awards.

Dr. Lennane, in partnership with the Herefordshire library service, developed the Books on Prescription scheme whereby people who suffer from mental health issues are provided with access to a range of books that can help make a real difference to their lives. Also placed in this category were the Walk Leaders of Herefordshire, a group of volunteers who lead walking groups under the organisation of the Sports Development and Physical Activity section.

Roger Phillips, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for enterprise and culture said, 'This illustrates that the range of cultural services has so much to offer people that want to improve their health and well being. There is strong evidence to show that reading and walking can help people relax , reduce anxiety and increase their overall sense of well being. Congratulations to the award winners.'

Anne-Marie Dossett, Reader Development Librarian said, 'We are hoping the next stage of Books on Prescription will be to develop a collection for young people. There are lots of self-help books for young people and it will be good to provide the best ones in our local libraries so they can be borrowed for free.'

Alan Wood was nominated for the Entrepreneur award by long time friend Nick Stephens. Sadly, as many readers will know, Alan passed away in June after a courageous battle against cancer, after the nomination was made. His partner, Tina Jones was invited to accept Alan's award on his behalf. Although not the winner of the category, Alan would have been proud to be chosen as a finalist in the awards. The winner was Helen May, from Hereford, who set up her own care agency in Hereford H M Care and now employs 20 staff.

Alan's daughter, Sarah was nominated for the Adult Carer Award by Tina, who says that she would have found it very difficult to manage Alan's care without Sarah's help. The winner of this category was Tony Hodden who went on to be selected as overall winner in the 2011 Pride of Herefordshire Awards.

Tony Hodder won the award for Adult Carer for establishing Close House which not only provides youth facilities but also supports youngsters in tackling alcohol and drug addiction, bereavement and mental health issues. His nomination form said, 'Now the disadvantaged young people in the St Martin's area of Hereford area have the benefit of such a dedicated community worker who is someone who can really lay claim to the title of being the Pride of Herefordshire.'

This is the fifth year the awards have been run by Herefordshire Council, NHS Herefordshire, the Herefordshire Partnership, West Mercia Police and the Hereford Journal. President of the Royal Horticultural Society, Elizabeth Banks DL, from Hergest Croft Gardens, Kington, was the guest speaker for the event which was held at the Three Counties Hotel, Hereford. Mrs. Banks gave a very interesting and entertaining overview of the history of the society and her family.

Leader of Herefordshire Council, Councillor John Jarvis said, 'This is the first time I have attended this annual awards ceremony and I was very impressed with the stories that were told. The judges have had a difficult task in deciding on the winners but I think we should all celebrate the fact our county has so many worthy people striving to make Herefordshire a better place to live and work in.'

Other category winners at the awards ceremony, who each received a cheque for £100 and a special trophy to keep for a year, were:

Learner: Matthew Robinson, who left school with disappointing GCSE results but has since studied for a Level 2 NVQ and, whilst working for Herefordshire Council, is also studying for a Level 3 Accountancy diploma and GCSE English.

Courage: Tallon Kingsmill-Poole, 18, who saved a boy and his mother from a house blaze in Holme Lacy, Hereford. Tallon, from Ludlow, was doing some building work in the area when he noticed the fire and rushed in to save the pair.

Young Carer: Luke Dowey, 16, who cares for his mother, who has considerable health problems, and two siblings. Luke also volunteers with St John Ambulance and his ambition is to become a paramedic.

Environmental Champion: Bodenham Flood Protection Group which was born out of the severe floods of 2007 and has since raised funds and worked together to ensure the village is protected against future flooding by ensuring water culverts are cleared.

Youth Community: Hannah Burgess from Ledbury who has volunteered for a series of sporting events, set up a photography club, actively coaches and umpires under eights and under 13s cricket and rugby, as well as helping Ledbury cricket and rugby clubs.

Adult Community: Richard Thompson and Jo Pewsey from Kilpeck who run an annual pantomime. Richard has also raised large sums for charity while Jo works for Herefordshire Voluntary Action and runs a monthly coffee morning for older residents as well as providing a weekly post office morning in the village hall.

Alan, saying that, like Alan, he wanted to put something back into the community he lives in and loves. The work he has done is fantastic and Alan would feel honoured and very proud of our friend. Well done Nick!

Herefordshire Council is to carry out repairs to the Market Hall clock in Ross. The chimes mechanism on the clock in Ross will be repaired by clock maker Smith of Derby in the week beginning 31st October. The replacement mechanism is currently being made by the clock maker in time for its installation.

The repairs are to be carried out in time for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony so that the two minutes silence can be marked and observed.

The 'Spooky' time of year is upon us and lots of Hallowe'en fun will be going on over this coming weekend. On Friday, the Hope & Anchor are holding a Hallowe'en karaoke and JD's are holding spooky events too.

On Saturday there is a Hallowe'en party going on at the Eagle Inn, from 7pm, moving on up to Charlies Bar later in the evening. Lots of fun andgames will be going on and prizes will be given for the best dressed up male and female.

I hope you all have a fun weekend.

John Kyrle High School is operating an innovative programme to assist new Year 7 students to settle into school. During the Autumn Term, Head Teachers from every Primary School are invited in to meet their former pupils and discuss how they are finding the transition to High School. Headteacher, Nigel Griffiths, joins the group later to be updated on progress from students and Headteacher colleagues.

He said, 'We have been running this programme for a number of years and it is really nice to see the excellent interaction between Year 7 students and the people who were such an important part of their lives for many years. We rarely pick up any issues and if we do, they can be easily addressed. Indeed, every year our Primary School Partners are preparing students so well for the step up to High School that students seem to settle in even more quickly than before.'

Tony Griffiths, Headteacher at Goodrich Primary, said he was delighted to regularly have this opportunity to meet his former students. The induction programme for new Year 7 students at John Kyrle was outstanding and began with visits for students when they were in Years 5 and 6. They had no worries about joining the school and he was very pleased with the positive reports he had received from students and the progress they had made.

Cards for Good Causes will be available from Tuesday, 1st November but this year the popular festive shop will be hosted by Mary Sinclair-Powell at Ross Information Service, 36 Broad Street, Ross-on-Wye.

Cards for Good Causes raises money for at least 30 charities. There will be the usual fantastic range of cards and Christmas goods available as well as the choice of purchasing gifts including local crafts and clothing. The card shop is run by volunteers and if you feel that you would like to help out by putting in a few hours, why not go along and have a chat with Mary?

The shop will be open 10.30am to 4pm Monday to Saturday inclusive from 1st November until 12th December. Just look out for the 'Father Christmas' on the street.

To volunteer or make enquiries please call in to the shop, telephone 01989 563056 or email on msprosecottage@hotmail.co.uk. You only have to do as much or as little as you wish to.

Supermarket giant, Morrisons and local firm Arctic Circle have launched a world leading new Refrigeration Technology Centre in Hereford to develop the greener, more efficient refrigeration systems of the future. The collaborative project, which was officially opened by local MP Jesse Norman, will provide a practical training facility for engineers and a new national test-bed for cleaner, natural refrigerants.

The Centre, built at Arctic Circle’s plant on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate, will significantly speed up the development of low emissions systems. Morrisons, the UK’s fourth largest food retailer, already uses new low emissions technology in its eco-stores, such as the one recently opened in Peterborough. As well as new refrigerators, the stores use other innovations such as rainwater harvesting, solar walls, LED lighting and solar panels to reduce their carbon footprint dramatically.

Steven Butts, the Head of Corporate Responsibility at Morrisons said, 'The award winning site is a key part of our programme to reduce our carbon emissions by 30 per cent by 2020. We have already invested over £100 million in new refrigeration equipment over the last four years.'

After opening the centre on Friday, 14th October, Jesse said, ' “I was delighted to open the new Refrigeration Technology Centre in Hereford. It is a great example of the cutting edge technology which is springing up all over the county, and a welcome investment by both Morrisons and Arctic Circle in the long term future of Herefordshire.

We need this kind of hi-tech green growth if we are to achieve the county’s full potential.'

A number of carved wooden sculptures have been installed at Queenswood Country Park and Arboretum and were officially opened by President of the Royal Horticultural Society, Elizabeth Banks on Monday, 17th October, in her role as Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire. Elizabeth is also a past chairman of the Queenswood Coronation Fund, the charity associated with Queenswood who raise money for and provide advice on the management of the arboretum and she unveiled one of the sculptures at the ceremony watched by children from Wellington School.

On unveiling the sculpture, Elizabeth said, 'They are wonderful sculptures and will prove great fun for children to find while exploring the woodlands. They also provide something for everyone regardless of age; beautiful carvings of woodland birds and animals, enriching any visit to Queenswood.'

The two carvers, Steve Elsby and Harry Thomas, who produced the sculptures, were also at the launch. The seven sculptures consist of a range of animals and birds, native and exotic and are located in appropriate areas of the arboretum that reflect the type of habitat they would live in. The trail (a trail guide will be available from the shop at Queenswood and on the council's web site) will lead visitors through the arboretum providing opportunity for fun and learning as well as appreciation of the sculptures for all ages of visitor to Queenswood.

Funding for the sculptures has come from the government's Playbuilders scheme. The idea for using the funding for an animal-themed sculpture trail followed the interest shown when Steve Elsby carved a crocodile at Queenswood in the autumn of 2010.