Embsay churches: On Sunday, the 10.30am service at the Methodist Church will be a pulpit exchange with the Baptist Church. At St Mary’s the 9.30am service on Sunday will be a parish communion and on Tuesday there is a holy communion service at 10.30am and from 2pm to 4pm the church is open for tea, coffee, home baking and conversation. This afternoon there will be a meeting of the Methodist Guild at 12.30pm with lunch followed by a talk by Annette Goldsmith.

Parish council: Arrangements for the forthcoming Tour de France featured strongly at the March meeting of the parish council. Special action will be taken to inform residents about the direct impact this event is likely to have on the two villages. A special factsheet will be produced and distributed to each household and the local implications will be featured at the annual parish meeting on May 20. A community event to be held on the weekend of the Grand Depart and themed banners and bunting are also being considered. Members were informed about recent action relating to the play facility improvements at the recreation ground. The protective perimeter fencing around the playground has been removed and the facility is open for use. Work to extend the perimeter path is due to commence, now that the weather has improved, and a grand opening event is being planned for early spring. A proposal from several residents to form a committee to oversee the local management of the nature reserve was provisionally approved. The annual review of the grass cutting contract was conducted and it was agreed to retain the services of ISS Facility Services. The guest speaker for the annual parish meeting was confirmed and a “new look” newsletter design was formally approved with the first edition scheduled for distribution prior to the annual parish meeting. Various village maintenance matters were considered including the rolling programme of renovation work to the public benches and the flooding of Pasture Road near the pump house as a result of a blocked drain. War Memorial: Villagers are being given an opportunity to make a contribution to the cleaning and partial restoration of the Embsay War Memorial as part of the national commemoration of the centenary of the start of the First World War on August 4, 2014. The memorial was built in 1923 from stone gifted by the Duke of Devonshire and pays tribute to the sacrifice of 21 men from Embsay and Eastby. Once the memorial is cleaned, a special rededication ceremony will be organised involving the Skipton branch of the British Legion. There will also be a commemorative memorial ceremony on Monday, August 4, in keeping with similar ceremonies throughout the country. Donations in the form of cheques made payable to Embsay-with-Eastby Parish Council is the preferred method and should be sent to Robert Kandt, Parish Clerk, Stock Green Farm, Bracewell, North Yorkshire, BD23 3JS.

Council vacancy: Following the resignation of Councillor Jeremy Tuck, Embsay-with-Eastby Parish Council has given formal notice of a casual vacancy. The local returning officer has confirmed that an election to fill the vacancy will be held if a written request signed by ten local government electors is received by April 2. Should ten electors not come forward, the council will fill the vacancy through co-option. Interested electors will be invited to write a brief statement as to why they wish to become a parish councillor as well as an indication of relevant skills, knowledge, experience, etc. Formal interviews, if required, will be held at the parish council meeting on May 6.