We are delighted to welcome Golfstorehouse as the new operator of the golf course and café in Westminster Park. The owners live locally and two of them grew up learning to play golf in Westminster Park and now play off handicaps of two and scratch. They are strongly committed to reviving the golf course as a family-friendly community golf course with a strong emphasis on providing coaching and playing opportunities for junior golfers from the locality and from local schools and colleges. They also plan to reinstate the putting green. They are keen to develop the café and to make it a more attractive venue with a wider offering of food and beverages for all users of the park. After several years of drift and neglect, these improvements are bound to take some time to implement in full but the new owners have been working hard since they took over responsibility for the facilities at the beginning of April. Your support will be much appreciated.

Despite much needed refurbishment last year, the public toilets have continued to be a source of frustration and disapointment with regard to cleanliness and irregular opening hours. Although they are located in the same central building, the toilets remain the responsibility of the Council rather than the operator of the café and golf course. Following a mounting series of complaints and intervention by our local councillors, we have recently received assurance from the Council that new and improved arrangements are being put in place for further refurbishment, more frequent cleaning and more regular opening hours. We shall continue to watch the situation closely as clean and reliable toilet facilities are essential for a public recreation area that is as popular and well used as Westminster Park.

David Guyton