Hello. As a big Christmas treat for the residents of Beckworth, and in preparation of the expected winter snow and ice, your well respected and enterprising local council is offering bags of grit as the top prizes in it’s Yuletide raffle. Tickets only cost £1 each, minimum spend £5 per household, with all the money raised going towards getting the council offices redecorated and having the carpets cleaned. First place in the raffle is a big bag of grit, large enough to keep your prized driveway or pavement ice free for a day or two, three max). Second prize is a medium sized bag (enough to clear a short path for an afternoon) and third prize a little bag (enough to keep a bird bath ice free for a few hours). Last years’ grit winner Ricky Gervais was quoted at the time as saying “this is a life-changing win for me… No more slipping up and risking life and limb getting to and from my front door.” So get your skates on, buy some tickets and you too could having a life-enhancing gritty end to the year. Merry Christmas, G. Grimsby. Mayor

(Above) Enter the council raffle and this grit could be yours…