IT may have been a cold and frosty morning, but St James' School was a hive of activity on Sunday, children and adults all enjoying themselves and working hard to make the Christmas Fayre a successful event. It was certainly a fun day; and I’ve now heard that it was also a financial success - the PTA making profit of £815.70. Added to that, the children’s Dragons Den project activities made an amazing profit of £211! Well done kids! So a total of £1,026 - not bad for a school with less than 100 pupils!

Another event not to be missed is the Village Hall Christmas Market which is on Saturday, December 11 from 11am to 3pm. There’s the chance to visit Santa in his Grotto, or, if it’s more your style, have an Indian head massage, reiki or a hand massage. Money raised by the White Elephant stall is going to the Wildlife Hospital and the Acorns Hospice will benefit from the sale of candles and jewellery. There will also be Christmas bits and bobs, handmade crafts, a tombola, raffle and, of course, refreshments – something for everyone!

If you’ve no plans for that evening, December 11, why not pop along to the British Legion Club in Lower Road to play Christmas Prize Bingo. It’s an 8.30pm start, with free entry and everyone is welcome Attendance at Annual General Meetings is rarely good, and Tuesday evening’s Village Hall AGM was no exception – such a shame when they manage such an important and well-used community facility. All but one of the current Committee members were willing to continue, but, sadly, the Committee’s secretary and booking clerk is soon to leave the village (no volunteers to replace her so far!). A representative from the Parish Council was appointed to the committee, as were members of the Samba Band and the Toddlers Group - it is very important for members of groups who regularly use the hall to be represented on the committee. In the Chairman’s Report it was noted that the process of transferring the freehold of the village hall to the Parish Council from the diocese is still ongoing. The Treasurer reported that even after all the renovation work has been completed, the Hall will be in a strong financial position. A plaque has been ordered to commemorate the legacy from Maude Biggins.

I always check the Village website (www.westmalvernhallandvillage.com/) before writing this article and today see that there is a photo of the nearly completed Fisher Hall (part of the village hall renovations). It looks very impressive, and is now just waiting for new windows – the grand opening shouldn’t be too far away now! A new addition to the website this week is the Allotment Association’s page, which has a good photo of healthy looking vegetables as well as details of the committee and how the allotments are managed.

The Community Market is on at the school on Friday, December 10, 3.15pm–4.15pm), and this month it will be a Christmassy one – cakes and decorations, plus crafts and other produce – an opportunity for both buyers and sellers alike.