SKENFRITH ENTERPRISES - The community shop in Skenfrith first opened seven years ago and is run entirely by volunteers. Any profits are used to help the community. Over the years, they have given away a lot of money which has been earned by the volunteers giving up their weekends and bank holidays from Easter until September/October, depending on the weather. This year, at the annual meeting on January 5, the shop committee allocated their money, raised during 2003, as follows: £31,500 to St Bridget's Bell Fund; £1,000 to Cross Ash Under Fives; £1,000 to St Michael's Hospice in Hereford; £200 to Cross Ash Luncheon Club, which has recently started again, to help with transport costs; £250 is to be set aside so that Pam and Desmond Pugh can add to the collection of historic photographs displayed in the Parish Hall. At the moment, the volunteers are having a break until the shop opens again at Easter.

SUPPER CLUB - The supper club met on Saturday evening in the parish hall. More than 40 people gathered in the hall to enjoy a meal together. Outside it was a rough and wintry night but it was warm in the hall, the food was good and so was the company. After the meal, David Phillips played for a short singsong, which included a rehearsal of the Welsh National Anthem, in Welsh, in readiness for the St David's Day Supper. Avril Chapman who speaks Welsh gave a brief but helpful lesson the Welsh pronunciation and everyone was given a slip of paper with the words in Welsh so that all can be word perfect by St David's Day.