PUBLIC TOILETS: now that Wiltshire Council have opted out of providing public toilets, Marlborough Town Council is going ahead with the sale of the Chantry Lane toilets and the take over and refurbishment of the George Lane car park toilets. The town council are calling in the British Toilet Association to advise them.
In the meantime Wiltshire Council will be spending a few of the unspent pennies saved from running the county’s conveniences on their new Community Toilet Scheme. Councillors were told (May 16) that grants of £1,000 are available via Area Boards towards setting up these schemes.
Basically the schemes are about persuading cafés and pubs (and any shops as well) which have toilets to open them up to the general public especially visiting tourists. Waitrose has already offered use of its disabled toilet.
If you want some good holiday reading – try Gabriel Chevalier’s classic story Clochemerle (1936) about a small French wine-growing village wrangling over the siting and building of a new and rather grand pissoir. Clochemerle is, however, a satire – and very funny. A Vintage Books edition (right) is still available.
THE QUEEN’S 90TH BIRTHDAY: the Town Council had just one application for a grant to help celebrate this unique event. The Council agreed a grant of £200 to the local MENCAP branch to help pay for refreshments and the hire of the Kennet Valley Hall for their celebration.
MARLBOROUGH’S NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: there will be an Open Day at the Town Hall about the Neighbourhood Plan on June 18 – 10.00am-16.00pm. Details to follow.
MOP FAIRS: now that Wiltshire Council have withdrawn from running Marlborough’s two annual Mop Fairs, talks are going ahead with the Western Section of the Showmen’s Guild to draw up “A new long term agreement to sit alongside the 1204 Charter granting rights to hold the fairs in the High Street.”
Councillor Richard Allen asked with as Wiltshire Council had said they no longer had the resources would they pay for Marlborough’s legal costs: “I worry about the resources we will need.”
Once the lawyers get to work they will, it is hoped, look at the claim that rights were granted in 1204 to hold fairs in Marlborough High Street: it is by no means clear that Marlborough had a High Street in 1204.
MARLBOROUGH PEOPLE TODAY: God, physics…and cake
