For the 2nd year running, Friends of Ryde Town Hall (FORTH) will be hosting a Ryde town litter pick next Sunday. The litter pick is scheduled for Sunday 19th May, from 11:00 to 13:00. This year’s event will again start outside the former Town Hall and Theatre on Lind Street. Zoë Barker, Chair of FORTH, explains:
“This year’s litter pick is a bit different as we are celebrating ‘Ryde Town Hall Day.’ The Town Hall’s foundation stone was laid in May 1830, so we’d like to celebrate the building’s beginnings by inviting fellow residents to do something positive for Ryde at this time each year. We would like this to become an annual tradition. “We’ll also give volunteers a brief update on FORTH’s efforts to help return the Town Hall to public use before we get started.”
Last year, 45 keen volunteers helped Friends of Ryde Town Hall to collect litter in and around Ryde town centre as part of the ‘Big Help Out’ Coronation weekend. Their hard work filled 60 sacks of rubbish, which were collected by Ryde Town Council staff. Litter pickers and rubbish bags will be provided on the day courtesy of Ryde Town Council, Ryde Library and Ryde Co-op. But volunteers are encouraged to bring their own equipment if possible including a robust pair of gloves. 
Well done everyone. I hope the council won’t bill you for the collection. It happened to a group of resident whose council neglected to clear the excessive autumn leaf fall. One weekend they banded together and bagged them all up and contacted the council to collect them. Only to find the council wanted to charge them £40.00 for private waste collection. After much wrangling the council backed down, but not before upsetting so many people. I hope the townhall will one day return to its former glory and Vectis hall too.
What’s wrong? Where’s Bob? You’d have thought he’d have written a letter of support for this grass roots initiative.