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Jazz Brunch In Aid of the Haiti Appeal

at Monmouth Golf Club

Sunday March 21st at 12noon

Music from Jazzophonics & Guests

Tickets £10 including Brunch

Available from Pete Tully @ Monmouth Golf Club

01600 712212

IN AID OF THE HAITI APPEAL

Jazz in aid of Haiti at Monmouth Golf Club

A Jazz Brunch in aid of the Haiti appeal is to be held at Monmouth Golf Club on Sunday 21^st. March commencing at 12 noon.

Renowned local band Jazzophonics and their guests will provide the entertainment and have generously donated their fee to the appeal.

Tickets which cost £10 to include brunch are available from Pete Tully at Monmouth Golf Club, telephone 01600712212

MP SEEKS REASSURANCES OVER FUTURE OF USK PRISON

MONMOUTH MP David Davies has urged the Governor of Usk Prison to confirm or deny rumours surrounding the future role of the establishment.

HMP Usk has been used to house Vulnerable Prisoners since 1990. However, rumours are rife in the town that it is set to change to a Category C Training Prison.

Speaking from his office in Usk, Mr Davies said: "There have been numerous concerns in the past about putting vulnerable prisoners in to the open prison at Prescoed because of the nature of the offences they have committed.

"However, in the 11 years that I have served this constituency, I have not been aware of any complaints about the use of HMP Usk itself to house this type of prisoner because of the high levels of security in place.

Monmouth RFC - Cup Run Ends for Monmouth

On the sunniest winter's afternoon this year Monmouth gave of their very best towards the end of their home Swalec Bowl clash with Senghenydd but ran out 5-10 losers on the day.

At the very beginning Monmouth played with the greatest fire and had the visitors scrambling to defend their line as the home forwards broke through at rucks and lines-out causing a fair degree of panic. The penalty awarded to Monmouth inside the first ten minutes sadly was missed and it was from here on Senghenydd seemed to regain their composure and began to pressurise by quick rucking and speedy transfer along their three-quarters.

A few alarm bells began to ring as Senghenydd began to generate overlaps stopped only by big hits from various of Monmouth's backs forcing knock-ons or forward passes but then on the quarter hour the defence ran out and their left wing slid in virtually untouched in the corner. The conversion was a difficult but successful one.

Council protects money for roads

Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) will protect money for roads in next year's budget in an effort to repair the county's highways after the damaging effects of the recent severe weather.

At a Special Cabinet meeting yesterday (17/02/10), Members decided that the proposal to make savings by cutting £85,000 out of the highways budget was no longer an option. The considerable snow fall of the last two months has left MCC with a highways repair bill of approximately £1million.

Councillor Phil Murphy, Cabinet Member for Resources and Regulatory Services, said:

Monmouthshire's final budget proposals includes cash for frontline services

Monmouthshire Council's Cabinet has recommended a budget designed to provide more money for frontline services while meeting the financial challenges created by the economic downturn and squeeze on public finances.

The proposals were considered at a meeting of Cabinet today, (17th February). Cabinet recommended that the council set a budget of £149.8 million for 2010 / 2011.

For residents, this will mean a 3.9% increase in council tax - about 70 pence a week for a Band D property.

Leader of the council, Councillor Peter Fox, said:

The 50s Rock ‘n' Roll & Skiffle Revival

Paul Legan and his Band The Legends will be appearing at The Blake Theatre, Monmouth on Saturday 13^th March.

Part 1 relives the birth of 50s Rock ‘n' Roll when Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and Johnny Cash topped the charts with Oh Boy, Twenty Flight Rock and Folsom Prison Blues, whilst Tommy Steele and Joe Brown represented the British Hit Parade with Singing The Blues and Picture of You.

Part 2 is dedicated to the ‘King of Skiffle' Lonnie Donegan whose fast moving style gave birth to British Rock music with Rock Island Line, Lost John, Tom Dooley, Battle of New Orleans and Putting On The Style.

Paul Leegan and his band of Legends have been transporting audiences back to the 1950s for nearly a decade and their sensational show is a musical journey you will not want to miss.

www.paulleegan.com

Testimonials: 

"Paul and his band certainly do put on the style" - BBC RADIO 2

"Rock & Skiffles most famous tunes were aired during a frantic and triumphant show" - THE OBSERVER

Tickets priced £14/£12 are available from The Blake Theatre, Tel. 01600 719401, www.theblaketheatre.org

MONMOUTH FESTIVAL WINS MARKETING AWARDS

MONMOUTH'S annual nine-day free music festival has just won three prestigious gongs for last year's successful event.

The committee behind Monmouth Festival were awarded first prize for best 'Promotion Of Young People' and 'Below The Line Marketing Campaign' at the recent Adventa Awards ceremony for marketing and sustainable festivals during 2009.

The Monmouth Festival organisers were also highly commended for its green credentials, which recognises the festival committee's endeavour to make the festival as environmentally friendly as possible. This was largely achieved by undertaking recycling as much as possible and local sourcing policies.

Monmouthshire County Council Reviewing Services at Mardy Park

Monmouthshire County Council has confirmed that it is reviewing the services delivered from Mardy Park Resource Centre in the north of Abergavenny.  Mardy Park provides residential and a range of other social care support to older people. The review will make sure that services remain focused on the health and social care needs of current and future service users. There are no proposals to close the residential home to people who already live there.

Cllr Brian Hood, Monmouthshire County Council's Executive Member for Adult Services, said:

"We are always working hard to improve the services we deliver to local people. In the current financial climate it is also more important than ever that we use our resources wisely to deliver value for money."

He added: