A working party has cleared the popular 'Footpath 17' which starts from the track to the left of Forncett School and runs over the area commonly known as 'The Park', over the River Tas to join the Tas Valley Way.  Much of the route is over a boardwalk (to ease passage over some very boggy ground).  Over the years vegetation has encouched on the boardwalk, almost overwhelming it in places.  Parish Council Vice-Chairman, Bev Humphreys, and Footpath Warden, David Peacock, set up the working party (consisting of Bev, David and fellow councillors Claire Jordan and Brian Frith, with Mike Jordan) which descended on the route on Saturday 26th April. After less than 2 hours' work with strimmer, scythe, secateurs, shovels and stiff brooms the boardwalk had been restored to its original '4 plank' width, making it much easier to use in all conditions. See the photos for some 'before, during and after' shots.

Photos by Brian Frith
(click for slideshow)

After a break last year the 2013 Forncett Village Fete was held at the Village Hall and Jubilee Green on Saturday June 29th 2013, the first to be held at the Village Hall, with its adjacent recently named 'Jubilee Green' and the general opinion seems to be that it was a great success! It gave us the Village Hall close at hand for power, refreshment and 'other facilities', and the Tas Well bar was able to operate very conveniently from the corner of the Hall nearest the field. We were favoured with perfect weather and an excellent turnout of visitors (estimated 100 cars parked at one time, as well as many cyclists and pedestrians). It all added up to make a great Village occasion!

Update 20th July: With income and expenditure now totalled, the Organising Committee have declared the total profits (subject to any very late expense claims) to be £2347.05, meaning that each of three groups (Village Hall, School and Little Tractors Playgroup) will receive £782.35 for their funds.  Thank you, everybody, once again!  A truly fantastic result!

Christina Wakeford and Cynthia Finlayson opened their gardens for charity under the National Gardens Scheme on Sunday 23rd June 2013. The weather, though not perfect, provided much sunshine as well as the occasional shower and there was an excellent turnout of visitors. A goodly sum was raised for NGS charities as well as a more modest sum from the tea tent run by the Diggers & Dibblers team which will be donated to the Forncett Village Hall fund.

Forncett Open Gardens; Sunday 7th July 2013.

On Sunday July 7th, ten private gardens plus the Allotments at Forncett End and also St Mary's Church were 'open' from 11 am to 4 pm.

On one of the hottest days of the year and with 'opposition' from Andy Murray's Wimbledon Final, we wondered whether the turnout would be affected.  If it was ... we didn't really notice.  Despite the large distances between some of the gardens, an estimated 150 people visited the village and enjoyed the wide range of gardens open to view (in addition to Forncett St Mary Church and the Allotments at Forncett End).