Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

I have been asked to circulate this email to our members, that are three attachments:

 Dear U3A members,
As some of you may be aware we are, at St Andrew’s Church, planning some exciting re-ordering of the inside of the Church to include some vital toilets and a small kitchenette area.

We will of course be applying for funding for this project and in order to do so we need to have solid evidence of the support of the wider community of Whittlesey. We are asking for your help please.

Attached are the plans and a survey. The first page of the plans are the Church as is and then after that our plans. Also attached is a printable copy of the survey which can be returned to me at 11 Claygate, PE7 1QL,  in addition there is a QR code which will take you to an on-line version. 

It is very important to us that we get as many responses as possible to this survey so if you could complete one that would be splendid and feel free to forward to anyone else you think might be interested.
Kind Regards.
Coral Cornell.

Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop to enter administration.
The investment firm has owned ‘The Original Factory Shop’ since early last year.

“This has been a very tough decision,” said Modella. “We have worked intensively in an effort to save both businesses, having made last-ditch attempts to rescue them, but neither has a realistic possibility of trading profitably again.”

Modella said that the chains were “highly vulnerable” even before it bought them. It also blamed challenges including the climate on the high street, which it said “remains extremely challenging”, and government policy.

The two shops are the latest casualties of a tough trading environment which has seen high street sales fall as shoppers move online, ditching old favourites facing the high cost of maintaining brick-and-mortar stores.
Read Article On BBC
Ghoster@BBC

Would you like to help with this wonderful Christmas Event…..
Contact me, and I can pass on your details……

To read both the draft Business Plan and Budget, and share your views online, visit: fenland.gov.uk/yourviews2026

Some of use plenty to occupy ourselves with over the festival holidays.
I have to admit I received NO problems/issues on Christmas Day…thank you.
So WTC and FDC back to normal hours as of Monday.

At WTC this week, is a ‘Projects and Planning Committee’ meeting on Monday.
At FDC there is a ‘Planning Committee’ meeting o Wednesday.
Also the online ‘Teams’ meeting with updates from CCC/FDC regarding the UKHSA summary findingson Water and Air Quality….which I hope to report on.

Hello All,
Due to illness this evening’s movie event at Queen St Church has had to be cancelled. If you know of anybody who was planning to go along but who will not have seen this message, would you please advise them accordingly?
Thank you,
Tony Wright
GhosterU3AMoviecancelled.

Although our ‘Golden Wedding Anniversary’ is not until December, I’m in the mood to celebrate early, especially after my ‘very’ close encounters last year.
Make the best whilst we can.

Luckily we have ‘a friend’ who is ‘Platinum’ status at Hyatt and we have a suite on one of the top floors, tomorrow Sunday we shall see if all lives up to the hype?

Probably the largest community group in Whittlesey, well established, well run and attended – lots of different groups.
Below is a list of speakers for the Open Meetings which are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month at Sadie’s (Childers) arrive from 1:30pm to start at 2pm.

JANUARY 15^th Kirsten Bennett. The Fen Ark.

FEBRUARY19th Jane Wright. Mary’s Meals.

MARCH 19^th Jonathan Clough. Northern Lights.

APRIL16th Angela Makey. Setting up an independent bookshop.

MAY 21^st A.G.M. Then Romy Gensale.

JUNE 18^th Graham Davies. Gwhizz charity.

As always you can contact me on cbates2751@gmail.com

My sincere condolences, friend and neighbour Graham Coxell, who pssed away on Christmas Eve. Old SHS School acquaintance Gussie Brooks RIP.

Some residents and The Saxongate Residents Group requested me to ask some questions prior to the planned online event for (some) Councillors to be held via ‘Teams’ on the 07th January.

Below is the response I have received.

Good morning Councillor Gerstner,
Thank you for contacting me.

The series of briefings is being led by county council public health colleagues with the Director of Public Health present at each one. It has been important to include a wide set of briefings due to the number of those to be briefed.

I will refer these questions through to county council colleagues and endeavour to get you a response. My knowledge is that there will be a published document covering key points. The date for publishing this I am not aware of at present, however I have asked this question.
The sessions will run with opportunity for questions to be answered. I am conscious there may be many very lengthy questions however I imagine these have been covered previously and a written answer already available. As I say the sessions are being led by county council public health colleagues so I am not fully briefed myself at this stage.Very best wishes for your recouperation.

Annabel Tighe.
Head of Environmental Health and Compliance.

Another communication to a member of the public…

I have been working with county council colleagues on dates for briefings etc. We have a few matters to complete however we do hope to have a series of information sessions (Councillors, residents and town councils / stakeholders) agreed week commencing 5th January 2026.
I believe the following week commencing 12th will be those for residents.

Ghoster-2026-Saxon.