STJOHN'S Church will be celebrating the Queen's Golden Jubilee with a performance by the Marsden Ladies Singers on Saturday, June 1.

On June 2 a Jubilee Picnic Party will be held in the Vicarage garden from 3pm -- villagers are invited to bring their own picnic and chair. Songs of Praise will be held in the garden at about 6.15pm.

BURNLEY Borough Council has given permission for the Church to prune trees in the churchyard.

THE Mother's Union Handbell Concert with ringers from Blackshaw Head takes place on Tuesday May 7. Tickets are £2 in advance or on the night.

THE Parish Council has been informed that residents from the bottom of Gorple Road are very unhappy with the possibility of a bench being placed outside their homes as they feel it will attract unruly juveniles into the village square and have a detrimental effect on their quality of life.

Vandal fears if bench is placed

THE Parish Clerk reported that she had not yet received a response from various organisations within the village regarding the proposal to twin with Gambais in France. If anyone is interested would they please contact Carole Galbraith on 01282 416947.

THE Annual Parish Meeting is to take place on Tuesday May 14 in the Reading Rooms at 7pm. The Annual Meeting receives the Financial Statement of the Parish Council for the year ending March 31 and the Chair will give a brief report on the business of the Parish Council over the last 12 months. The monthly meeting of the Parish Council will commence once the Annual Meeting has finished. All Welcome.

WORSTHORNE County Primary School Parents' Group are to hold an Art and Craft afternoon on Saturday May 25. Items are being collected for the various activities. In particular smooth, clean, glass items for children to paint, such as jars and tumbers are wanted. Please drop off any items at the school.

THE school's hawthorne hedge and small trees which were planted by the children along Brownside Road have survived their first winter with only one or two small gaps needing to be filled.

THE Reading Rooms will be used as a polling station by the Borough Council tomorrow to allow people to cast their vote in the elections. Coun Philip Walsh has reported that a record number of people have applied for a postal vote this year.

A PUBLIC consultation exercise is being undertaken by the Directorate of Health and Social Care North and responses must be received by June 14. The consultation is on proposals to dissolve the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS Trust and the Burnley Health Care NHS Trust and replace these two organisations by establishing a single NHS Trust providing hospital services to the people of East Lancashire. If any villager would like more information about the proposal it can be obtained from East Lancashire Trusts Merger Project Office, Burnley General Hospital, Casterton Avenue, Burnley, BB10 2PQ. Telephone 01282 475170, fax 01282 475173 or email merger@cd.burnleyhc-tr.nwest.nhs.uk