MOVES are afoot to give village life at Heighington a boost – and more than a few rockets.

Last year was the first in living memory that the village had no Bonfire Night celebration. For two years, there has been no summer fete.

But that may be about to change.

A public meeting will be held on Tuesday with the aim of reinstating at least some of Heighington’s oncepopular public gatherings.

The fete and the bonfire were traditions going back generations, but in more recent tears, villagers enjoyed celebrations for the millennium, for winning Britain’s Most Perfect Village, St George’s Day and for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

It is thought that the extra work caused by heath and safety regulations may have deterred people from organising such events, but in recent months, there has been a move towards bringing some back.

Heighington and Coniscliffe ward councillor Gerald Lee said: “People are asking ‘how can we go about setting this group up?’.

“So I called this meeting to make people aware of what would be expected health-and-safety-wise, and of everything else involved.

“It is a positive step to get village activities reinstated.”

Coun Lee said he was “almost certain”

there was enough support to organise a bonfire this year.

“It is important to maintain these events,” he said. “I’m hoping this meeting can be the catalyst to bringing them back.”

Coun Lee said typical of the feeling in the village was the woman who approached him expressing sadness that her children would not have the same sort of memories she had of the village fetes.

He said: “Events like these will be in the memories of people way past my age, on the village green on a summer’s day or standing out in the November cold watching a colossal fire.

“These are the kind of things that bring villages and other communities together, when you are out and about, mixing and having fun.”

The meeting starts at 7pm in Heighington Village Hall.