Welcome to Upton upon Severn

8th February The MV Conway Castle has been taken to Gloucester for her annual check up. The latest newsletter from the Citizens Advice Bureau can be seen from the above link. WCC have repaired quite a few of the worst potholes, and several have been marked with orange paint for repairing. I've reported some via the WCC website and the reaction has been quite good. I've put a link to the reporting page below so if you spot anything that needs doing, you could report it. Make sure to mark the map first though! And put the mark in the middle of the road on the map as it whinges if you don't! There is no category for street lighting so I've clicked on 'Existing signs - unlit' when I've reported lights out. Yesterday's work to clean the riverfront has been unsuccessful. Some areas haven't been touched. Mud from one footpath has been washed to the area under the bridge. Most of the areas that have been attempted still have a slight coating of mud. The Town Clerk is trying to get the job finished. 7th February 9.30am Highways are cleaning the mud away on the riverside. 5th February A link to the Swan Hotel's website has been added next to Recent Additions The latest newsletter from Upton Primary School can be seen from the above link. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 4th February Sammy's Roses have some new floral gifts, for babies and Valentine's Day. A link above. 2nd February Upton Town Council require a Clerical Assistant for two mornings each week. Please apply in own handwriting to: Mrs A Oliver, Clerk to the Council, The Memorial Hall, 8 Old Street, Upton upon Severn, WR8 0HA. 31st January The 4th Upton Triathlon takes place on July 10th, and is now open for entries. Visit the website at www.uptontriathlon.com I added several newsletters yesterday. 30th January The area under the bridge has been cleaned. Everywhere else is frozen, so obviously couldn't be cleaned. 29th January The latest newsletter from Upton Primary School can be seen from the above link. The New Year's Eve party at the White Lion Hotel included 24 carat gold plated salmon! Some pictures from the above link. The latest newsletter from Longdon Primary School can be seen from the above link. A new creative writing course will be starting in Upton after Easter. For details check the Memorial Hall, or contact Lindsay on 01386 800 001. The riverfront is due to be washed down tomorrow or Sunday to remove the mud left behind after the flood. The last few signs that say "Hanley Road Closed" in outlying areas, that are still showing are due to be sorted out today - the road re-opened on the 19th January. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. Every year the cry of 'Where are the ducks?' is heard before Folk & Water Festivals, referring to the plastic ducks used in duck races. However, the real ducks seem to have disappeared! They were there when we had the snow & ice, 'mugging' everyone who came by for food, but seemed to disappear when the river started flooding. The swans are still around, as are the pigeons, but no ducks. Does anybody know where they've gone? 28th January The agenda for next week's Planning and Hall & Finance Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. Upton upon Severn Parish Church Choir will sing Choral Evensong in the Parish Church at 5.00pm on Sunday 7th February. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis will be sung to the Ralph Vaughan Williams setting. The Choir will also sing 'If ye love me' by Thomas Tallis and Samuel Wesley's magnificent anthem 'Blessed be the God and Father'. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available after the service and all are welcome to attend. The Folk Festival website has been updated with the current list of artists who will be attending the 21st Upton Folk Festival. 27th January The White Lion Hotel is introducing a new monthly event 'Dining with Friends'. More details on their website from the above link. 26th January The agenda for the Town Partnership AGM can be seen from the link at the top of the page. The unapproved minutes from the above link. New Street lane is virtually clear of water. The rest of the barriers have been removed. Upton Library provides a range of services. I've added a list of them, including opening hours, to the above link. 25th January 12.00pm The end sets of barriers have been removed. The central section, from Bridge House to The Swan will be removed tomorrow. The water is still on the Old Bridge Abutment, and part way up the ramp. The back of Hanley Road car park is now accessible. 24th January 3.30pm Another slight fall. 9.30am The river has risen very slightly since the last time I looked yesterday. 23rd January The latest newsletter from Pepperpot Players can be seen from the above link. 9.30am The river has come back up overnight. The water in New Street lane is back to the 30mph signs. Under the bridge, which was clear yesterday afternoon, is now covered again. 22nd January 3pm I've added a picture of the gauge to the link above. I did take a picture this morning, but the level hasn't moved since then. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 1pm New Street lane is passable to the back of Hanley Road car park. The river level has dropped overnight. The latest newsletter from Upton Primary School can be seen from the above link. 21st January At the request of the Chairman of the Folk Festival, Richard Hannah, I've put a poster above for a Ceilidh to be held in Randwick, near Stroud, which is in aid of the Haiti Earthquake appeal. Richard also said 'Please support us by coming to dance, join the band, call some dances, or just for the good company and music. It would be nice to have an interval dance display so if you are part of a Morris, Rapper, Appalachian, Sword or any other traditional dance club, please come forward and show off for a good cause - advance knowledge would be useful' 3pm The river level is still dropping. Croome Park has a starring role in an episode of the BBC's 'Survivors'. There is more information in the Malvern Gazette and a link can be found above. 11.30am The river is still dropping. It is now back to the 30mph signs in New Street. Most of the footpath between the Kings Head patio and The Plough is free of water. I've added the current gauge level to the above link. 20th January Upton in Bloom are having a working party on Saturday 23rd. They are meeting outside Collinghurst House in New Street at 2pm. All volunteers are welcome! 5pm Latest weather and flood situation from MHDC: "The precipitation today has been generally less than expected (with some localised exceptions) and tomorrow's rainfall forecast has been downgraded somewhat. The upshot is that river levels are likely to drop slightly overnight before picking up again as the rain/snowmelt comes down the system - but peak levels are going to be lower than expected and there is little risk of any serious flooding. Nonetheless, please remain alert." It is recommended that you keep an eye on local conditions. 3pm The river level is dropping. The water in New Street has dropped back nearly to the 30mph signs. I've added a couple of pictures, from yesterday and today to the flood level page. 19th January From the Town Clerk: "xxx told me that his dept do deal with the opening and closing of the Hanley Road, but as it is part of the operations he doesn't necessarily know about it, so we can't ask him. He referred me to xxx but didn't know her phone no. or department. So I phoned the hub who hadn't heard of her but they did contact Highways to ask the question about the Hanley Road. Apparently, they can't inform us about whether or not they have opened or closed the Hanley Road and shouldn't need to anyway as they have an 'Alerts' section on front page of the WCC website. I had a look at this 'alerts' section which, of course, didn't mention the Hanley Road but did mention the M25 and the M6! among other places. Not sure where to go from here, I'm afraid, apart from maybe talking to Bob Bullock to see if he could rattle some cages on our behalf." 2pm Hanley Road is now open. 11.30am The road is still closed. Someone has moved the fencing on each side of the road and some vehicles are zig-zagging through. 10am I've asked the Town Clerk to contact Highways with a view to them considering opening Hanley Road. 7.15am Hanley Road is still closed. However, the water is only covering about a half of the road. The fencing is still in place and will probably remain until the road is clear and cleaned. 18th January 6pm Another very slight drop in the river level. A report from the Environment Agency on the costs of the Summer 2007 floods can be seen from the above link. 3pm About an hour ago, the HR gauge was showing a mm or so drop in the river level. 12noon There is now fencing across Hanley Road, by the cottages. Countrywide is open. According to the gauge, there has been no rise since about 10am. 10.00am Hanley Road is closed. 8.30am Traffic is moving very slowly through the town and along the Hanley Road. Hopefully this will improve after the morning 'rush hour'. The entrance to HR car park is covered with water. I saw several cars turning round to go back through the town. The water is across the front of Shipps Garage in New Street. The membrane is on the barriers between the Kings Head and The Plough. The barriers end at The Swan. An EA spokesman said they are expecting the river to peak in an hour or so. I've added a picture of the level gauge to the above link. 7.20am There is water up to the kerb on Hanley Road. Flood warning signs are in place. I've been advised the road is passable with care. 17th January Upton Arts Music Group's concert on 23rd January has sold out. 3pm The river is still rising. It is nearly level with the bank opposite the cottages on Hanley Road. The rest of the barriers have been put up, although no membrane on them yet. 9am The water has reached the 30mph signs in New Street. Under the bridge is covered. The Recycling Centre is flooded. The river is against the barriers from Bridge House to The Swan. Sand bags have been laid about halfway along the footpath from the Kings Head patio towards the bridge, so perhaps the river isn't expected to rise much more. I've added a picture of the gauge from this morning. 16th January 8pm The barriers from Bridge House to The Swan are being put up now. From pictures I've taken of the gauge opposite Hanley Road car park during the day, the river has risen about 80cm. 4pm The barriers are going up. The river is over the OBA now. New Street lane will be closed shortly. 1.30pm I had a call from the Mayor, Cllr Paul Thomas, to say he has been advised by MHDC that the barriers could be going up. The river has risen quite a bit since this morning. There is some water in New Street lane. The snow has virtually gone. The river has come up overnight - the gangplank to the MV Conway Castle is level. There is still quite a way to go for the river to reach the steps from the Old Bridge Abutment. 15th January The Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Malvern Hills District Council is keen to encourage public participation in their meetings and have invited residents to attend their next meeting on 19th January. More details from the link above. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 14th January A newsletter from Longdon St Mary's Primary School has been added to the above link. The agenda for next week's Town Council and Planning Committee meetings is available. 13th January The latest newsletter from Upton Police Station can be seen from the above link. Following Mary Wilkinson's retirement from the Town Council, a vacancy has arisen. Details on applying can be seen from the above link. The Town Council would like to hear from anyone within Upton who needs help. If they ring 592273 and explain the help they need, the Clerk will try to obtain help. 12th January I was sent a 'news' report yesterday. It has nothing whatsoever to do with Upton upon Severn, but I think it is so funny, I've added it to the above link. I've been told that local resident Mike Morgan, is on 'The Weakest Link' tomorrow at 5.30pm Information on the The National Flood Forum National Conference can be seen from the above link. Following the snow, some people have asked about grit bins. If you think one should be sited near you, try contacting WCC. The relevant page on WCC website is http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cms/transport-and-streets/streets/gritting.aspx Rowan Thomas of Pepperpot Pyrotechnics is also a partner in CAS Systems which specialise in TV Aerial & Satellite Systems and are Engineers and Consultants. They set up the electrical systems for various festivals, including the Jazz Festival. CAS Systems telephone number can be found above. 11th January We had some snow overnight so the roads are slushy, but the main road appears to be OK. 10th January Hanley Castle School will be open tomorrow. Rob Johnston, Acting Headteacher has opened a blog to keep parents and pupils up to date. A link to the blog above. 9th January The main road and pavements in the Town are in a reasonable state. There is a water leak from the top of the bakers which has created some wonderful icicles, but made the dropped kerb extremely dangerous. The Town Council's Caretaker has put a couple of barriers to block the slippy area. Ice is forming against the river bank by the Village Green & Picnic Area, and thin sheets of ice are floating down the river. I've added a few pictures I've taken over the last few days. The latest MHDC 'What's on in the area' is available from the above link. 8th January 3pm It looks as if Old Street & High Street footpaths, and Court Street to the back of the Co-op have been gritted. Church Street footpath doesn't look as if it has been gritted. The main road looks reasonable now. We're still in the grip of the cold weather. Last night wasn't as cold as the one before, which was -8.3C here. The footpaths are very slippy in Town. The road from Court Street past the back of the Co-op is solid ice, as are many of the side streets. Lower High Street and the riverfront from the Kings Head to the end of the road has been gritted - it looks as if it's been done by a man on the back of a lorry. I'm not sure whether the main road through the Town has been gritted or the passage of vehicles has cleared most of the remaining snow. 7th January The Agenda for next week's Open Spaces & Cemetery Committee meeting can be seen from the above link. 11am The road through the Town has not been treated since it was snow ploughed yesterday, so it is not in a very good condition. The corner by Tourist Information looks particularly bad. Please take care if you come into Town. Someone told me they saw a gritter coming over the bridge and going up Hanley Road earlier this morning. 6th January The Mayor, Paul Thomas, has asked me to publish a document regarding the application for a Dog Control Order for the Sports Field. A link to it above. 2pm Old Street, one side of New Street & High Street pavements have been gritted by Highways. The Town Council would like to hear from anyone within Upton who needs help. If they ring 592273 and explain the help they need, the Clerk will try to obtain help. Notes from last night's Hall & Finance Committee, which have to be approved at Full Council on January 19th: "The plans for a barn conversion at Bury End Farm were approved by the Planning Committee. The Hall and Finance Committee have recommended an increase on the precept of 1.5% and this will be put before the main Council meeting on Tuesday January 19th for confirmation. The heating system in the Hall has been out of action since 23rd December. Due to the holiday, it has been impossible to obtain the necessary spare parts, however, they are expected to arrive today and the Council hope that the heating system will be back to normal within a few days. The Baptist Church, very kindly at short notice, hosted the luncheon club on Wednesday 23rd." The luncheon club and yoga have been cancelled this week. Cllr Mrs Mary Wilkinson has resigned as a councillor and the procedure for appointing a replacement will take place over the next few weeks. Upton in Bloom have cancelled Saturday's Table Top Sale. 10.30am. We've had quite a lot of snow overnight. The main roads have been ploughed, but not gritted, so there are areas of packed snow and areas of slush. The side roads are covered in snow, with tracks where vehicles have gone through. The pavements are covered in snow. 5th January Worcester County Council 'Community Outreach' are investigating starting some courses in the Memorial Hall. These include: Flower Arranging, Digital Photography for Beginners and Improvers, Computing for Beginners and Improvers. If you are interested in any of these, there are leaflets in the Memorial Hall, you can ring 01905 728775 or use the above link for more details on the WCC website. It started snowing this morning, stopped briefly at lunch time, and is snowing again. The main road through the town was clear at about 3pm, but the side roads aren't. 4th January Tina Hill, proprietor of The Writing Box was the winning Trader in the UTTA Christmas 'Shop Local' promotion. Tina can be seen receiving her £200 from Peter Webb from the above link. I've found a contact telephone number for the Upton and Chase Badminton Club which I've added to the Badminton page under 'Things to do'. 2nd January Hanley Art Group are holding an exhibition in the Library. More information and a picture of the pictures from the above link. The 500th Anniversary Party at the White Lion Hotel went very well. All the champagne was drunk, plus more! There will be a Graffiti Workshop for teenagers aged 14-16 years, at the Library on 9th January. More details on the poster from the above link. Spaces are limited. I've added some pictures of ice in Upton Marina to the above link. 1st January 2010 Whilst many people may have been getting over a late night after welcoming in the New Year, a very special game of Cricket was being played on New Years Day at The Glebe, home to Hanley Castle & Upton On Severn Cricket Club, to celebrate 100 years of cricket. A report from the above link. New Street Lane is flooded from beyond the entrance to the back of Hanley Road car park. A Happy New Year to all the visitors to Upton upon Severn!