NCH The Children's Charity, used to be known as National Children's Homes. That title has been dropped but NCH's work is still as vital as they quietly and professionally are involved in supporting children and families in the community. They still do run one or two homes and respite centres for disabled children but their work is often now concerned with supporting children and enabling them to stay, where possible, in their own homes.
  The following report should be of interest and concern to all of us, particularly to parents and grandparents of school age children. Please take note and act before your child gets embroiled in undesirable computer 'discussion/chat' sites. Don't think it can't happen here. It already has!

  A third of children, many as young as 11 years old, use blogs and social networking sites at least two or three times a week yet two-thirds of parents don't even know what a blog is, according to a report by NCH and Tesco Telecoms.
  The report, Get I.T. safe, reveals an alarming gap in knowledge between parents and their children when it comes to technology. NCH and Tesco Telecoms are concerned at the risks to children as a result of this gap and are urging parents to get to grips with technology to help keep children safe.
  Nearly half the children surveyed (46 per cent) said they were confident they could remove parental controls and internet security software, including 43 per cent of 11 year olds. Get I.T. safe also reveals that:
  Only one per cent of parents think their children use blogs regularly yet one third of 11 to 16 year olds use these online discussion sites.
  Seven out of 10 (69 per cent) parents admit they know less than their children about mobile phone use.
  One in 10 (11 per cent) 11 year olds said their parents know nothing about who they communicate with online and that their parents never supervise them online (13 per cent).
  79 per cent of children said they use instant messaging regularly, yet only one third of parents understand what Instant Messaging is.
  NCH and Tesco Telecoms are urging parents to increase their technology knowledge and keep children safe. Parents can pick up a free copy of Get I.T? Got I.T! Good! - a family guide to getting to grips with technology at Tesco stores or at www.tesco.com. NCH and Tesco Telecoms are also running a series of 'technology doctor' roadshows for parents and children in selected Tesco stores across the country.
  John Carr, NCH's New Technology Adviser, says: "Children are pretty clued up when it comes to technology but they often lack the worldly wisdom to steer them away from its potential hazards. That's where parents come in. But our research shows they need to increase their knowledge if they want to protect their children. That's why NCH is pleased to be working with Tesco Telecoms to spread the word to Mums and Dads across the country."
  Andy Dewhurst, Chief Executive Officer of Tesco Telecoms, commented: "Our free book is aimed at helping kids to encourage their parents to get to grips with technology.
  "Young people are often in the driving seat when it comes to new technology and mobile phones and internet use can be of huge benefit for families. For example, parents can use texting to stay in regular touch with their children."
  "However, all new technologies bring some risks and we believe that if parents talk to their kids and stay in touch with technology then they can be much more aware of how young people are using their mobiles and computers and can understand and help prevent those potential risks."

  Thank you to everyone who came along to see us as we toured around Sedbergh, Dent and Garsdale last month, it was lovely to meet you all. There is always a slight concern when we set off on our annual summer tour of the constituency that no one will turn up and we will be left sitting there talking to ourselves. Well no worries this time around, particularly in this part of the world. You did us proud; plenty of you came along with an impressive number of issues for us to deal with. I know that my office will not thank me for saying this, but we are here to help you and the more issues that you bring along the better I can do my job.
  If there was a theme to the issues that people raised it was traffic. Given the problems there have been on the road up to Garsdale Head it is hardly surprising that people are becoming a more aware of problems when they arise, particularly on more remote but vitally important roads.
  Top of the list was the appalling state of the bridge over the beck at Cowgill. I have had a chance to look into this a bit since we got back and, as usual, the problem seems to lie with three different organisations not talking to each other. Cumbria County Council seems to have been a bit slow off the mark with sorting things out, in addition there appears to have been some miscommunication with Capita and then, just to make things a bit more interesting, because this involves a river the Environment Agency also has to be involved. Anyway we are on the case and chasing people up to try to ensure that things move along as fast as they can.
  The second most common issue that people raised was the speed that some young people drive along the Main Street in Sedbergh. I found it hard to believe that people could be so stupid as to use such a narrow and windy road for "boy racing" but apparently they do and very alarming it is for people who get caught up in it. I shall be raising the issue with the relevant authorities to see what can be done to ensure that people drive along the street with care and consideration.
  Beyond these issues the remainder of things that people wanted to discuss were very individual, but no less important.
  Finally, on the subject of cars, can I say how pleased I am that the Parish Council and District Council have sorted out their issues and managed to arrange the transfer ownership of the car parks. Thanks to Craig Stevenson for his help in making this happen.
  If you missed me during our visit, there will be plenty of other opportunities to see me when I hold surgeries in Sedbergh over the coming year and you can always reach me at Tim Farron MP, Yard 2, Stricklandgate, Kendal LA9 4ND or by email at tim@timfarron.co.uk
  Thanks for your support,  Tim Farron MP

Amazing! Wonderful! Remember for ever! The wedding of our elder daughter and D was a never-to-be-forgotten day for all the right reasons, the sun shone from sun rise to sun set and we were in the good company of around a hundred people or so all day and into the next and no trouble at all, well, apart from Annie, (who doesn't live around here so I can put her name in) who was rather intoxicated and tried to claim my bag was hers and became very definite and was really stronger than me but I won that battle although it seemed the bag might split in half with us both pulling it, sober she would probably be mortified! We met a lot of J and D friends who up to then had just been names and all of them are lovely, those from Huddersfield and those elder daughter has met around the world and when at college at Durham. They all made sure hubby and I enjoyed the dance floor even insisting they would dance at my pace when I said I could not keep up with them!
  Some folk have got a lot of nerve as was proved by our gate-crashers who at first insisted they knew the bride and groom and then tried to qualify their being there by saying they were camping next door and couldn't sleep because of the noise of our party so decided to join in! Makes a change when it is the locals who disturb the visitors and not the other way around!
  They had drinks, food and a dance or two and then just before midnight I went and told them to leave, which they did, the women insisting they did not want to cause any trouble. After this I commented to my daughter-in-law that it had come to something when I had to move them on and all our men-folk just stood and watched to which she replied 'That is why they need feisty women like us"!.
  Meeting my "sister-mum" who is lovely and all the rest of D's family was lovely and some of them stayed all week giving us time to get to know each other more and for younger daughter to take some of them gill-scrambling and for D's young brother to sample the delights of Barbon Beck in the dark as we drove home from an evening out. Grandad is a bit like "Victor Meldrew" as he calls himself and added a certain something to the proceedings which I will leave to your imagination.
  When I saw elder daughter for the first time all ready in her gorgeous wedding dress I could not speak for a moment or two she looked so beautiful that I couldn't grasp she was mine! My wonderful outfit was a joy to wear including the hat even if on the DVD I remind everyone of the Queen Mum the way I turn and wave at everyone when I arrive, indeed I think I was for the day for the Bride certainly looked every bit the Princess if not the Queen!
  Our thanks to everyone who watched, helped, encouraged beforehand did anything at all to help and our apologies to those in the dale who nearly fell out of bed when the first firework went off! More next month, have fun.

How to survive a day in the garden
  Gardening is a peculiarly British joy.  It's really hard work and there are so many possibilities for disaster.  We can take the blame when everything goes pear-shaped, but when, occasionally, the whole garden is a vision of loveliness, we may modestly pass the credit on up to the Almighty.
  No wonder, then, that gardening in Britain is massive business.  For the privilege of all this thankless toiling, we spend over two and a half billion pounds in garden centres every year.  On behalf of slugs and osteopaths everywhere, I should like to express my gratitude for this excess.
  For the slugs I know no cure.  For the backache, I can offer some help if you follow these very simple golden rules:
1.  Do not jump out of bed and go digging.
  During the night, when you have taken the weight off your spine, the discs are able to swell.  When you first get up in the morning, they are a little 'bulgy'.  This is a bad thing if you plan immediate, heavy exercise because discs, like the rest of us, dislike being woken with a start.  They will settle down for the day in a couple of hours, but in the meantime it is foolish to annoy them.  Have breakfast, take a stroll round the garden, measure up for the water-feature, but do not dig until two hours after getting out of bed.
2.  Don't expose your back to searching winds. 
  Gardening is rather warm work.  Sooner or later, you will start removing layers.  Please wear a long-sleeved garment that you can take off and tie around your waist  when you get hot.  If you tend to neck problems, you are better to strip down to a sleeveless top with a collar than a strappy vest.  You won't notice a cool wind on your back while you are working, but your muscles will!
3.  Take a timer into the garden.
  Once you are engrossed in a job, you may not realise how long you have been at it, but you should not keep at the same thing for too long.  Set a timer for twenty-five minutes, and every time it goes off, change jobs and reset the timer.  It means that you rotate round the garden, leaving half-done jobs all over
the place, but that can't be helped.  Eventually you will be able to tidy up.
4.  Don't go on too long. 
  Be satisfied. When you think it will soon be time to stop, you are already tired and most injuries occur at the beginning or the end of the day. 
5.  Resist the call of the sagging deckchair.
  When a racehorse has been out on the gallops, his jockey walks him home so that his muscles and ligaments can cool gently down in motion.  Keep moving for a while when you've finished, because your tissues too, are happier if they're allowed to come to a quiet halt.  Then shower and change into dry clothes.
  Then, and only then, pour the Pimms    Daphne Jackson.  MSc(Ost).  DO 01539 740452