The Village Minibus

Our Newsletter

Look out for our regular articles in your Parish Magazine but if you can't find it this is what we wrote!!

December 2011

I can’t believe that it is now nearly seven years since our minibus was first seen on our roads. By the end of our financial year which is March we shall have undertaken more than a thousand trips which I think is amazing for an organisation operated by unpaid volunteers. There are now eleven of us who drive – Adrian Mitra, Geoff Calladine, David Butler, Hannah Fenech, Derek Collier, Tony Eardley & yours truly from Ashleworth, Brian Farmer from Apperley, Pat Sharman from Tirley, Jane Griffiths our Village Agent from Upper Hasfield and our latest recruit, Tim Brown from Corse Lawn. It’s a great team and without them we wouldn’t go anywhere. I started keeping statistics on passenger numbers two and a half years ago and that number now totals over 6,500 which means that we must have carried in excess of 10,000 people since we started. These figures never cease to amaze!

Mrs P (who must not be trifled with) never ceases to amaze either. A legend in her own lifetime with part one of her autobiography completed and four of her novels submitted to the Booker Prize Committee, her latest project gathers momentum. She is full steam ahead with her political ambitions; The Neat & Tidy Party is the name and the manifesto is being constructed. I’ve had a sneak viewing of her policies and anyone who thinks all political parties are the same are in for a big surprise. Nothing is off the agenda – only last week she was formulating plans for “women only” car parks in which all spaces are extra wide and are in single banks so that reverse gear in cars may become a thing of the past. Her next items on the “to do” list are rosette colours, party logo and membership drive. It seems that she plans to go national with this one with the next general election in mind. For my part, I’m happy if she’s happy and I wouldn’t have it any other way!!

November 2011

Goodwill is an interesting word and has different meanings and interpretations depending on the context it is used. In business it is often used to describe the value of reputation. In day to day life it is used to describe benevolence, well wishing. In the world of The Village Minibus it means everything; how we operate; what keeps us going. Our drivers are all unpaid volunteers who do their bit for the community. Our sponsors provide us with financial help to keep the vehicle on the road. Our members who use the minibus provide us with the income that covers all the other expenses and helps us build a fund which will be used to buy a new minibus, hopefully in the not too distant future. So I think it’s fair to say that we ooze goodwill, whether we are giving it or receiving it. On the receiving side I am absolutely delighted to report that as a result of a beer festival organised by Ian Lock, the new landlord of The Boat Inn, Ashleworth we are the very grateful recipient of £500 which represents a share of the proceeds of the event. On behalf of all of us connected with The Village Minibus I heartily thank Ian for the donation which was the result of  his hard work in organising the event and to all those who enjoyed his hospitality throughout the festival.

Mrs P (who is not to be trifled with) is also oozing goodwill at present. It took  a couple of weeks to come to terms with her happy demeanour and smiling visage, especially as in the past such behaviour has been the forerunner to me returning to earth with a nasty jolt, but on this occasion it appears to be the real thing. That said I’m still uncertain what has brought about this state of affairs but having referred the symptoms to The Dowager Mrs P(who taught the untriflable one all she knows)I have reached the conclusion that my dear wife is embarking on a life in politics. She has an almost paranoid fascination in Sarah Palin and tea parties. She has also acquired a new handbag and changed her password for the computer to “The Iron Lady”. As you can probably guess I am keeping my usual low profile but must admit am quite excited that her radar will be set much higher than the levels I operate in. Watch this space.

October 2011

So that’s summer gone for another year and the nights are drawing in. The Minibus is preparing for the autumn & winter trips. We’ve already started to use the 2012 diary so the message continues to be “Book early, book often”. You have to be a member of The Village Minibus to use us but it only costs £2 for individual membership and that’s for life. Clubs and societies are charged £8 p.a. Once you are a member the only other charges that you will incur are £25 to hire the Minibus (£35 for a full day) and 50p per mile. We provide the driver who is MiDAS trained. I think you will agree, it’s tremendous value especially when we can carry up to 15 passengers. Please telephone me to book a trip or for more information. We are always on the lookout for new drivers, too – you can drive as little or as much as you want. Again, telephone me on 01452781055 for more information. If I’m not available, Mrs P (who is not to be trifled with) is well versed in the running of the Minibus, as you can imagine and will be more than happy to give you the benefit of her knowledge. In fact, my dear wife has become more amenable of late and when I asked what had caused such a change in her demeanour she explained that her artistic side has been aroused. I must admit I came out in a cold sweat until she assured me that it was to do with her new found love of writing. Following the completion of her autobiography she has set her sights on a novel. She has knocked together a few short stories to start with which I have read although I have to admit that the writing style is hard to pinpoint; it’s a cross between Catherine Cookson and Stephen King, a blend of romance and blood curdling horror. I am sure that you will all join me in wishing her well in her new venture!

January 2009

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November 2011

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December 2009

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December 2011