No doubt the one thing that most, if not all, of us will remember about 2008 is the recent credit crunch and financial uncertainty that still faces us all. We have seen the demise of the haulage contractor, Harold Read, a long standing industry in the village for more than 40 years.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. The past few years has seen investment in the Latchen Rooms from bodies such as the Environmental Trust, the Forest of Dean District Council, the Longhope Business Association and Cafê Bonnies. It should be noted that since Café Bonnies started in December 2006, it has raised over £5,500 for the cause. We would like to thank the Latchen Room Refurbishment Committee for their continued hard work. Other traditions also continue to survive in the village. The Longhope Amateur Dramatics Society (LADS) gave us their 57th annual performance this year with "One O'Clock from the House" written by Frank Vickery. In a year of odd numbers, we also hosted our 83rd annual Longhope fête but, as the fête committee continue to point out, more people must volunteer their services from an organisational perspective if the fête is to survive.
Back in April our village Post Office was told that it would not be closing and therefore keeping Richard Pett in worthwhile employment for a few more years yet! Also, to quote the Parish magazine:
"From a global perspective the continued competition at the local level will help to keep the price of Shirley's Curly Wurlys down and is to be welcomed by all those of the confectionery consumption age in the village." [1]
Following the floods of 2007, a team of local residents volunteered their services to help clear Hope Brook from large branches, twigs and other rubbish that it had collected over the year. We also saw major roadworks outside Hope Brook School to upgrade the tunnel through which the brook flows so more water could flow.
Happy New Year to all our readers,
The Longhope Village Website