Happy New Year

2014

• The Year of the Horse
• The centenary of the start of the First World War
• The year of the XX Commonwealth Games
• The year of the Sochi Winter Olympics
• The year that will see a Scottish Independence referendum

But what will it bring for Nocton I wonder?

Local properties should continue to change hands, bringing new arrivals to the village, with others moving away.

Nocton Parish Council still has a number of items to materialise before the financial year end. The installation of a new 'Finger Post' in the village and repairs to the Village Hall floor slab are two such examples.

Nocton Village Hall has a new Constitution in place, which will provide a modern professional framework for managing the valued community asset in the future. This may create more opportunity for volunteers to get involved serving on the Village Hall Management Committee, building on the continued success of Nocton Club's Committee.

Nocton Cricket Club are determined to make progress in Division 3 of the McKinnells Lincoln & District Cricket League. The Club is on the look out to add further strength to the team.

The new Caravan Club site located at Kelkherd House, Main Street may see its first arrivals.

Beeswax Farming Ltd may decide to organise a Farm Open Day, so that local residents can learn more about the progress on improving the Nocton Estate land.

A detailed model railway [4mm Scale - 9mm gauge track representing 60cm narrow gauge], inspired by the Nocton Estates Light Railway (which was constructed with First World War surplus materials), has been created especially for the Staffordshire 'Tracks to the Trenches - 2014' Great War Centenary Event.

The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway is planning to hold an open day during June 2014 (date to be announced shortly), when its WW1 trench railway stock and Nocton potato railway vehicles will be demonstrated on the running lines, hauled by LCLR Simplex diesels. Supervised access will be possible to the WHOLE of the lineside, including that at the south of the line not normally accessible to the public, upon payment of a supplement. Admission to lineside will be limited and we advise prebooking for this by email.

The second stage of consultation for plans for a wind farm on Nocton Fen by Vattenfall should take place... which will include an update on the research and development and provide an initial site layout for debate.

We may even see Nocton Hall used as a film set again in 2014.

There never seems to be a dull moment in Nocton - have a good year!