Tributes to Alan
The Parish paper is just one of many village organisations which have benefited from Alan’s time, expertise and willingness to help. He was not only our treasurer for many years, a post which he took up with a typical ‘of course I’ll help’ when asked, but also a regular contributor with his much loved Nature Notes page. He will be greatly missed.
Mary Whiting
From the time that Alan and Margaret arrived in the village 27 years ago, Alan volunteered to help local organisations. He became Clerk to the Parish Council and a governor of the School. His profession as an accountant was much in demand by various village organisations: he managed the accounts for the playgroup and audited them when Roz Mullin became the Treasurer.
He was the Treasurer of the Parish Hall Committee and was instrumental in getting the new hall built in 2008 along with Alf Boom, Louise Granger and Fred Worman, to name but a few. He helped set up the Youth Club in the old Parish Hall with Alf Boom. He joined the Parish Paper Committee as Treasurer and was on the committee of Payhembury Provisions, dealing with the finances, and when Annette Lemon took on that role, he assisted on the computer side and became a volunteer in the shop until last July, when he became unwell.
One of his less onerous roles was that of Father Christmas at the Christmas parties of the playgroup and the school, which he carried out with great aplomb! For many years he contributed his Nature Notes in the Parish Paper which indicated his love of and knowledge about birds. He will be sorely missed by the Parish and all who knew him.
Di Somers (Secretary) on behalf of the Hall Committee:
Kevin Wooff (Chair), Martin Wilkinson (Treasurer), Penny Wilkinson (Health and Safety), Louise Granger (Book-Keeping), Rick Jones (Facilities, Utilities and Sustainability), Ashton Mayne (Events and Marketing), Hazel Pike (Deputy Events and Marketing and Hall Bookings) and Jo Vincent (Group Liaison).
What is a Neighbour? Someone who lives next door? Someone who cares? Someone who adds to the neighbourhood? Someone who loves their environment, wildlife and birds, or is it something much more?