CHADRA

Planning Application for 175 New Homes in the Village

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Parish Council calls a Public Meeting

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Wednesday, 23 October 7.30pm, Memorial Hall

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Crest Homes (South West) Ltd has applied for outline planning permission to build (at least) 175 houses in Charfield. That's the same number as Woodlands Road, in its initial stages, before the density was increased to give 196 houses.

Coming down Charfield Hill, the site begins half way down the hill on the right, and sweeps around in a wide band, following the curve of Manor Lane until it meets the Woodlands Road development (the rear of Hawthorn Close). The land is owned by Reg Baker of Manor Farm, Churchend Lane.

The site is approximately 17 acres in size (one acre = 4,840 square yards, or a furlong (220 yards) times a cricket wicket (22 yards).

The site is wholly OUTSIDE the village development boundary.

This is the third major application from this quarter. The first, about 20 years ago, was turned down. The second was turned down but won on appeal in 1987, and this resulted in Woodlands Road / Hawthorn Close.

Now we have the third bite at the cherry.

The Parish Council Planning Committee met on Tuesday, 15 October, having just received notification. The committee recommended non-approval.

A public meeting has been called and Villagers are strongly advised to attend to look at the outline plans and to make their views known.

Be you for or against, your written comments must be submitted to South Gloucestershire Council by 30 October, it would be helpful if you could provide the Parish Council with a copy of your letter.

The details are as follows:

Mark your letter: P96/2562

Send it to:

Mrs H Ainsley
South Gloucestershire Council
Castle Street,
Thornbury
BS12 1HS

Dear Reader:

We sincerely hope that you had your CHADRA delivered in time for the public meeting on Wednesday 23 October. We were somewhat unlucky, in that the Parish Council only heard of the planning application on Saturday 12 October (copy date!), and received the paperwork by Tuesday 15th. It has been a bit of a struggle to produce the newsletter on such a short turn-around, so please forgive any bloopers.

We must thank all those who place advertisements in the Newsletter for their continuing support – we understand that they find it worthwhile!

Not forgetting the contributors for their articles – even if some do need a gentle reminder when copy date has slipped by unnoticed … You might spot a double helping of Scout news this issue. Nothing came in for copy date, so a nagging call went out on Sunday. By the next day, two articles had appeared. We didn't dare leave one of them out! So you see, it is much better to plan ahead.

All the best for Christmas and a very good 1997 for us all.

Best regards
Julia O'C.

Geoffrey Blower, xx Manor Lane 01454 26xxxx
Copy – Geoff, our Secretary, co-ordinates all copy for the Newsletter.

Typesetting – is done by Jo Pearson-Bond, Garnet Melville, and Julia O'Connor-Beach.

John Butler, xx Underhill Road 01454 26xxxx
Duplication – John handles physical production of the Newsletter.

Marion & Angela Smith, xxx Manor Lane
01454 26xxxx
Distribution – Marion & Angela collate the Newsletter and organise distribution through a team of volunteers.

Julia O'Connor-Beach, xx Manor Lane
01454 26xxxx
Payments – Julia is Treasurer and deals with subscriptions and advertising payments.

3

As mentioned on the front cover, the plans for the proposed development, in very outline form at this stage, will be at the public meeting for you to see. They can also be seen at SGC offices in Thornbury and Yate – telephone 01454 86xxxx to check on availability. You can also contact the Parish Council Clerk to arrange to visit her in Kingswood to have sight of the plans.

Make no mistake – this proposed development would have a huge impact on the community, both physically and socially. If you have objections to it, NOW is the time to make them known, whilst you have the opportunity during this short period before SGC makes its determination.

If you don't want the site developed, you have to make your voice heard.

Here are some comments I have heard in the past on similar occasions:

“There's no point in objecting – it won't make any difference”

Oh yes, it will. Local authorities and Department of Environment appointed inspectors take notice of people going to the trouble to write a letter and, equally importantly, turning up at public meetings and hearings.

“The plan doesn't look too bad”

Artist's impressions are just that – beware of them. Unless you are used to reading technical, detailed plans, it can be difficult to picture the end product – for example, when Hawthorn Close was built, some residents said they hadn't pictured the houses quite so close and tall as they actually were!

Moreover, outline planning permission is just that. What you see at this stage on paper might bear precious little resemblance to the final layout, if it gets that far.

”It won't affect me”

A naïve point of view. One way or another, a development of this size will affect everyone in the village.

”I only came to live here recently and in one of the newer developments. I haven't the right to object to others having the opportunity to do the same”

Rubbish. You have every right. The character of the place you chose to live in is under threat.

Come to the Parish Council's meeting on Wednesday, 23 October, and find out about the grounds on which you can make a legitimate objection, in planning terms. “Not in my back yard” or “I'll lose the view of the fields” unfortunately don't carry much weight with planners.

On your feet, Charfield! Don't think this is the last development in store! There's so much more room between Woodlands Road and Devil's Lane.

The fund has become a great part of our lives, a part that in some ways would be nice to forget but, since my Mother's letter was posted around the village, I have realised how many caring people there are in the village and much farther afield.

The fund at the moment stands at an astonishing £22,400. We are amazed at the number of people who have given to the fund when each week we look in the Gazette and see what is being organised. An amount of £1,485 was raised from the New and Nearly New sale – thanks to Pauline and all the willing helpers.

Thanks to Jim at Leyhill Prison for all the things he has organised – Car Boot sales, Rock and Roll and Country and Western evenings and to many, many more people too numerous to mention.

As I began to write this letter, I received a telephone call confirming my next hospital visit to London for the new complication, which, if you are unaware, is to do with the vertebra in the neck which has two major fractures and a gap which has never fused together. This needs to be grafted before the operation to cure my Spasmodic Torticollis can begin.

At times I find it difficult to cope with everything, especially when I go to functions and then I get up to thank everyone for coming and realise they are there to help me return to a normal life. So next time the newsletter comes out, we hope there will be good news.

Rebecca, Martin, and Rosina

… and so do we all, Rebecca.

4

By the time this article appears in the CHADRA newsletter, the new School Year will already be several weeks old!

The term began in September minus Mrs Sylvia Endicott who took premature retirement during the Summer. Mrs Endicott has taught at Charfield since 1984 and her calm, kindly and caring approach will be remembered I'm sure by all those who passed through her classes.

Children and staff made presentations to Mrs Endicott, together with their best wishes for a happy and healthy retirement from the “chalk face”.

Miss Clement, who covered for a maternity leave during the summer term, has taken Mrs Endicott's place.

Also in September we welcomed the new reception children and their families. By now they must feel as though they have been in school for more than just a few weeks!

Children in Mrs Bradley's class – the oldest year group – were somewhat taken aback when they discovered that they would be receiving weekly French lessons this year! Mrs Cordwell from KLB School is putting the emphasis on spoken French initially and hopefully giving the children a head start in preparation for their move to secondary school next September.

A number of children have also started Drum Tuition, again on a weekly basis. Time will tell whether the Foundation Room roof will cope with the vibrations!

The school has contributed to three worthy causes so far this term. The “Forget-me-not” collection week in aid of Children's Hospice South West was followed by sponsored games to raise money for National Children's Homes “Action for Children” appeal. Proceeds from the sale of Harvest Festival produce were donated to the Rebecca Lock Appeal, Rebecca being a former pupil of the school.

With a main railway line running through Charfield, we are constantly aware of the dangers which this can present, therefore the talk given by PC Jefferies of the Transport Police served as a stark reminder to children of the dangers of playing on or near the railway.

Funding of schools is a constant topic of discussion and cause of headaches. Therefore, it is gratifying to see so many parents who are keen to support schools in a variety of ways.

Our own Parent Teacher Association continues to flourish, the newly elected committee being over-subscribed and several “new” parents being included. Their contribution – not only financial – cannot be underestimated.

Finally, I would like to record our thanks to Mrs Mary Blundell, whose services as a School Governor were greatly appreciated. We wish her well as she embarks upon her new life in Somerset.

C F Sreeves
Headteacher

On Wednesday afternoon, 2 October 1996, the Friendship Club held a brief memorial service for Ernie, the Club's long serving Chairman.

Ernie was one of a family of 7 boys and the youngest two, who were twins, pre-deceased Ernie many years ago. He also lost another younger brother, shot down over Tobruk during World War 2.

Ernie also served in the RAF and he subsequently entered the printing industry in Wotton-under-Edge. Around 50 years ago, he was married in Charfield Church. It was a happy marriage, but sadly his wife Doreen died four and a half years ago and Ernie continued to miss her.

For 15 years, Ernie was a member of the Charfield Parish Council and for many years he served on the village hall management committee.

He always attended the village annual parish meeting, ostensibly to give his report on the Friendship Club but he could never miss the opportunity to pose searching questions during the meeting and he was never going to be “fobbed off”, for he had a good memory.

Now the friendship Club will be needing a new Chairman and Ernie is already being missed, standing there behind the top table, ringing his little bell and calling the meeting to order!

Ernie was cremated at Westerleigh on 3 October and, despite the distance, there were many to bid him an earthly farewell and to give thanks for his life.

Rev David W Parker

5[Advert for The Pear Tree Inn]

Here are a few questions:

• do we want to celebrate the millennium as a parish?
• if we do, do we want anything permanent, or just celebrations on the day?
• if we want something permanent, do we want a construction project, a record (eg a “Domesday Book”), or both?
• how can we get everyone involved?
• where will the money come from?

If you've any comments or ideas, or would like to help, please let the Charfield Millennium Committee know.

The Committee was formed at the public meeting on 12 September. The next committee meeting is provisionally arranged for 14 November.

The Chairman is John Acton, The Jays, 1B New Street, 01453 84xxxx. The Secretary is Garnet Melville, xx Manor Lane, 01454 26xxxx. Committee members are Bob Beavis, Paul Birt, Dennis Booth, Jane Hall, Frank Sreeves, Malcolm Thomas, and Hazel Watson.

Suggestions already made are:

• A bonfire
• Street parties
• Artificial surface pitch for hockey and football
• Footpath / cycleway from Charfield to Wotton via KLB School
• Millennium Club / Youth Club / Coffee Bar
• Acquire from railway, landscape, and provide a seat on land at the corner of Wotton Road and Little Bristol Lane near footbridge.
• Compile a “Domesday Book” of the Parish, with contributions from all organisations.
• Produce a Parish Map
• Compile a history of Charfield and Mills, etc.

What do you think?

John Acton
Chairman

With winter nearly upon us, and gritting lorries visiting when a freeze is due, it would be wise to park your cars on your drives, if space allows, to allow them clear access to do their work.

It also makes driving less hazardous, when conditions are really freezing or when fog descends, if on-street parking is kept to a minimum.

So, if you have a garage not stuffed to the gills with garden equipment, or some space on your drive, please do use it!

6

Mel and I arrived at Stakis Hotel, Nottingham. We didn't have to tell the clerk who we were – everyone seemed to know we were for Supermarket Sweep.

Nerves are strange things, Mel couldn't sleep a wink and my appetite for breakfast had shrunk – just a little.

We arrived at the studios and were ushered into the hospitality room and met our fellow competitors. We were present on the final day of filming – 75 shows in three weeks. So needless to say the cameramen, clipboard girls and production were all in high spirits. We all got caught up in it.

We took our chosen ‘TV’ clothes to Bert, in wardrobe, and then went to make-up. It was all brill.

Suddenly it was time for rehearsal. We went into the studio, just as you see on TV. The rules are read and you have five minutes to to know the layout.

Recording was scheduled for 2.30 – and then there was Dale. All mascara and panstick – he's such a luvvie, and so tall, about 6′3″. In the audience was Deb, from darts, her mum – our supporters.

That morning, whilst sitting up in my hotel bed, Carmen rollers in, watching the Olympics, I yelled out to Mel (in the shower) that I wanted to change my opening chat-with-Dale story. I was going to tell the one about my boot falling out of the boot at Jones' Garage and spending all Christmas alone, on the oil drum. I told Dale, who was holding his cue cards, who promptly declared that Maz, (my nickname) was going to be trouble.

I'm not going to give away what I said but you may be surprised to learn that I started off quite quietly! When those lights go up, your mouth goes dry, your heart beats louder and afterwards, you wish you could say it all again.

Before we knew that we were successful for the final run, the Producer told us all to be calm, that we had one minute to find the clues and that they had not had many winners.

Suddenly it was all buzzing. We were the pinkies in the No 1 sweatshirts (best colour for me – the yellow was horrible). I must admit I was pretty hot on the old buzzer, but in the final run Mel was so channelled. I ran after her like a lap dog. And when she found the cash in the frozen broccoli, all I could do was collapse in the freezer. Everyone was so excited and we were leaping about, hugging dear Dale – bless him!

Debs drove us home and the whole journey was spent in disbelief, then looking at our cheques and saying “Oh I wish I'd said that differently!”

Mel's sister Sue works for the Gazette so with such a ‘hot’ story, the reporter called.

“Will this change your lives?” he asked. I told him that I was going to buy new tap dancing shoes and that I might purchase a tree. He started to mention landscaping and words of that nature. “Don't put that”, I exclaimed, “my neighbours will have a field day!”. Of course when I purchased the paper I couldn't believe my eyes. As my dear neighbour stated, it will take more than £1,000 to landscape my garden. So at the mo, I'm still David Bellamy-ish.

Looking back we had a wonderful, fun, day. Do it again? I think I'd rather be able to each my lunch.

So tune in, Tuesday 3rd December and “GO WILD IN THE AISLES”.

Take care,

Marilyn

Perhaps a certain DW would like to tell us about his success on “Every Second Counts”? Not a lot? We'll see.

[Advert for Tortworth Estate Christmas trees]

7

The Group held its annual Woodend Challenge walks on Sunday 6 October. This annual event is held not only for the benefit of members of the Group, but also to encourage all people living in and around Charfield to explore some of the many footpaths in the surrounding countryside.

As in previous years, there were two routes: a long route of 25km for the more dedicated walkers and for those rising to the challenge, and a shorter of approximately 10km aimed at those who might be daunted by the length of, or the time required to complete, the long walk.

This year, both routes started from the Scout HQ at Talbot's End, Cromhall, and headed out towards and under the motorway. The long walk continued on to Rockhampton Church and then turned up towards Stone before returning to Cromhall via Tortworth. The short walk (which was held both in the morning and again in the afternoon to suit those with other Sunday commitments) took a short cut, which ran parallel to the motor-way before rejoining the long route for the return path via Tortworth.

Entry numbers were down on previous years, which was disappointing, since the weather was ideal for walking. All those who took part (both walkers and marshals) enjoyed the day and I would like to thank Barry Spindler and Duncan Lamont and all those Ventures who planned the routes – and walked both of them more than once to ensure that they were passable and that the instructions were clear.

There have been some changes within the Group. Barry Spindler has stood down as Venture Leader and Lyn Watson has stood down as Assistant Cub Leader. Both have been leaders with the Group for longer than I have lived in the village and I would like to thank them, on behalf of all those Scouts who have been members of those sections, for their dedication and efforts.

Following the retirement of Barry, Duncan Lamont is now Venture Scout Leader, Brian Wright is Group Scout Leader, Phil Lane has taken a warrant as Assistant GSL, and Carl Williams is Scout Leader.

John Barnett
Group Chairman

As President Mary Blundell has moved from the village, I have taken over the Presidency until November when, at our AGM, a new President and committee will be elected.

It is nice to see several newcomers to the village come along to our meetings. We try to make our evenings interesting and friendly, a place to enjoy female company, learn new crafts, exchange ideas and make new friends.

Our speakers have been most interesting recently. Jacki Swallow of Charfield Flowers demonstrated a very different and modern approach to flower arranging and Mo Redfern, a local artist, delighted us all with the watercolour paintings she did as she talked her way through each detail.

If you see any of us taking photos around the village, it is for our update of the scrapbook as we go towards the year 2000.

We have a Group Social Evening at the end of October in the Memorial Hall, when all five institutes in the Little Avon Group get together. A Harvest supper and entertainment are planned, and invitations to other institutes are enjoyed.

With Christmas fast approaching, may I take this opportunity to wish all a Happy and Peaceful time.

See you around,

Pat White

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8

As a newcomer to Charfield only 6 months ago, I was interested to go along to the Playgroup AGM on Monday 9 September. I wanted to see how things were run as I intended to send my 3 year old daughter to the Playgroup. I must admit that I was hoping to melt gently into the background while more vocal parents made their views known and accepted nominations from friends and acquaintances to act on the committee.

Sadly, there was no background into which I could melt and I have accepted the role of secretary, first, as it was Hobson's choice on the part of the Committee and, second, as I felt I wanted to try and contribute something practical to the running of the Playgroup.

I was stunned by the lack of attendance at the AGM. 50 invitations had been sent and 14 people attended, including the outgoing Committee of 10. I understand that time is precious, especially if you are out to work during the day, but the Playgroup does not run itself. It needs and values the support and input of every parent and child in the forthcoming year. I know you will agree that Sally and Liz do a tremendous job in educating and caring for our children at Playgroup but they need our help, financial and otherwise, throughout the year.

Apart from electing a new Committee, mainly from the stalwarts of the previous year, business included comment on the accounts which are reasonably healthy due to the continuing support from Charfield as a whole in terms of fund raising. Many thanks to all those who have contributed in some way throughout the year and here is hoping that 1996/7 is even more successful. I hope to see more faces at next year's AGM.

Joanna Barry
Secretary

Footnote from the Chairman:

I can only endorse Joanna's comments and also thank her for agreeing to take the post for the coming year. She has already proved to be an enthusiastic member of the team and I hope others in future come forward to help. If village members want to offer help during the year, please don't hesitate to contact any member of the Committee.

Finally, we hope we can entertain all the village children with our Christmas Trailer which will be doing the rounds late afternoon and early evening on 15 December. I look forward to seeing you then.

Gary Britton

14 people showed up to the AGM? LUXURY. I can think of half a dozen clubs who'd faint with shock if that number showed up …

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9

Experienced or not, could you pass the new driving theory test? Have an honest attempt at the following selection and see haw you fare.

Too easy or too difficult? If you scored less than 8, be grateful you already have a licence, and re-read the highway code.

Answers are elsewhere in the newsletter. No cheating, now!

10[Advert for CHADRA advertising]

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[Advert for Bradley Garage]

On 1 July this year, an unseasonably cold wind chilled a gathering, several thousand strong, at the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Battle of the Somme. They were there there to mark the 80th Anniversary of the blackest day in the history of the British Army, when 22,000 officers and men were killed, went missing, or were taken prisoner, and 35,500 wounded.

1 July 1916 was but the first day of a battle began in hot summer sun and ended in mid-November amidst the first snow of winter. Approximately 1.3 million casualties were sustained almost equally by the British and Germans. For the latter, the Battle meant that their chance of securing a military victory had gone. For the British, it was a tragic waste of the New Army, comprised of men who had flocked to Lord Kitchener's call in the autumn of 1914.

It was not until almost the final day of the Battle that the Somme claimed a Charfield man.

On the night of 17 November 1916, the first snow of the winter had fallen over the Somme battlefield. As part of a Division whose job it was to reach the village of Grandcourt in the valley of the River Ancre below Thiepval, the 8th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment went “over the top” at 6.10 the next morning into swirling sleet which soon turned to rain.

The ground was half frozen and, where it had thawed, soon turned into chalky slime; poor visibility hampered artillery support and prevented aerial reconnaissance. Pte Charles Millard, age 17, was one of a Lewis gun (a light machine gun) team with the Battalion. His unit had two objectives: to reach Grandcourt and dig in, and to mop up any German resistance in shell holes, dug-outs, and trenches.

The 8th Glosters, remarkably in the conditions, reached Grandcourt but were unable to stay there as units on their flank had not advanced sufficiently, leaving them exposed. The mopping-up parties had a hard time suppressing fierce German machine gun fire. Somewhere in the mud and slime of the shell-torn ground, Pte Millard met his death. Initially he was reported wounded and missing and it was not until March 1917 that his non-appearance 11and lack of reported capture led to the conclusion that he was one of the last to die on the Somme in 1916. No grave was ever found and, if you visit Thiepval, you will find his name amongst the vast columns which record those of over 73,000 who fell in the Battle and similarly disappeared.

Having received confirmation of Charles's death, Mr and Mrs Thomas Millard were soon to receive the tragic news that another of their eleven children had died in the War. Joseph, age 32, had left his job at Tytherington Quarry to join 31 Heavy Artillery Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery, who were responsible for the large guns on the Western Front. On 26 May 1917, taking time off from duties as battalion cook, he went for a swim in a river near Armentieres. It is believed that, with the onset of cramp, he got into difficulties and drowned. He was buried locally.

George and Annie Hughes had four sons serving. The younger two Alex and Harry, aged 19 and 18 respectively, had enlisted together at Bristol in January 1915 and were to serve with the 2nd Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. After initial training, they crossed to France on Good Friday, 1915, and were soon involved in fighting.

Towards the end of April, the Germans mounted a series of heavy attacks designed to drive the British from their defences around the strategically important Belgian town of Ypres – the notoriously dangerous “Ypres Salient”. The long straight Menin Road bisected the battle area and either side of this some of the fiercest battles of the War were fought.

On 9 May 1915, the 2nd Glosters were entrenched just south of the Road in Sanctuary Wood. The Germans were determined to break through and shelled the Glosters' position from 5.30am until 2pm, killing a whole platoon of men in an advance trench, which they quickly captured. An attempt at recapture, over shell-torn ground blocked by fallen trees, met with disaster, with 41 officers and men being killed, and 90 wounded.

It is not known whether Alex and Harry died in the initial shelling or (more likely) in the counter-attack, but a local soldier writing home told of seeing them “bowled over”. Another soldier was to report: that they were buried on the battlefield. No graves were ever found, so these two brothers who enlisted, served, and died together on the same day probably still lie together, somewhere in the now peaceful Belgian countryside. They are commemorated at Ypres, on the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing of the Salient in the period 1914 to 15 August 1917, along with 54,000 others.

James and Eliza Young also lost a son in the Great War and another, tragically, shortly after peace was finally declared. Lance Sergeant Francis Young, aged 22, was with the 2nd/5th Glosters, an experienced Territorial Battalion, having enlisted in May 1916. He had seen much action on the Somme. On the night of 2 December 1917, the 2nd/5th had been ordered to the front to relieve a Guards Battalion which had been heavily engaged in stemming a fierce German counter-attack following initial British success at the Battle of Cambrai, where tanks were used in force for the first time.

At around 2.30am, Francis's unit was resting in a sunken road when a nearby ammunition dump was hit by an aerial bomb and blew up. The blast and shrapnel killed Sergeant Young and 15 others, wounding an officer and 53 men. A cruel twist of fate, made worse by the fact that his parents received the news of his death on Christmas Day 1917. Once again, he has no known grave and his name is on the Cambrai Memorial at Louverval in France.

Francis's brother, Arthur William, survived the Great war as a Gunner with the Royal Marine Artillery, only to drown as a result of an accident in Portland Harbour. You will find his grave in the Congregational Chapel church-yard.

On Remembrance Sunday, let us remember especially these men of the village.

Graham Adams
Woodlands Road

Graham's contributions are based on his research into the names on the Village War Memorial and the Great War generally.

Do come along to the War Memorial to observe the two minutes' silence at 11am on Sunday, 10 November. It is an opportunity to pause and reflect in a very personal way, in the company of your fellow villagers, on the cost in human terms of not only the First World War, but of all conflicts, both past and present.

12[Advert for Positive Pressure]

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By the time you read this, we will have had what we hope will be a very successful fashion show by McKays of Thornbury All proceeds will be going to the Rebecca Lock Fund.

Our November meeting will be a demonstration and talk by Jackie Swallow of Charfield Flowers and there will be a bar and light refreshments.

The Christmas Dinner will be on Thursday, 19 December, in the Memorial Hall, (cost £12). After the meal, there will be some high quality entertainment, so contact me to reserve your ticket! It should be really enjoyable evening.

Margaret Gargett

Contacts – Matthew Fuller has reminded me of how many of our original contacts we have lost. Most moved from the village to pastures new, but I am sad to say some have died.

So here it comes – a plea for volunteers to become contacts. A reminder that it is not a hard or time consuming job. A Contact serves about 15 to 20 houses and will have meetings or information slips to give out perhaps two or three times a year. There are also some 4 or 5 short meetings for contacts in the village hall annually.

The coordinators are there to help and encourage when people are unsure of how to proceed. A contact can make all the difference to someone who has recently moved to the village. So if I have persuaded any of you, please come to the next contacts meeting – November 4th, 7.30 in the Sportsman's Lounge of the village hall – or give me a ring.

My next moan is the usual one. The police are always asking us to report all crime, so why can't we pick up the phone and do so in a matter of minutes! A neighbour spent 90 minutes on the phone to report a car break-in. Perhaps if we make enough fuss, one day this problem can be addressed. Reporting crime is a must. The fewer crimes reported, the less we shall see of the police in this far flung outpost of the district.

Recently, I received a copy of the district policing plan. It reminds us of how big the district is and how fast the area is developing. All this has an impact on policing and most probably means we see less of the police in Charfield.

I hope we don't have problems with neighbours in Charfield, but a recent article in the Filton NW News gives details of a free mediation service, Bristol Mediation, Tel 0117 944xxxx, or write to xxx Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol.

Before I go, just a reminder that as the evenings get dark be extra vigilant when opening the door to strangers. They always seem to call when I'm busy getting tea for the family! Do report anything or anyone that you are suspicious about.

Ilze Hicks

13

I had hoped, when I put the lawn mower away last week, it would be for the last time this year, but the grass still seems to be growing.

As a livestock farmer, you might think that I would be pleased, but grass growth and grass use is never that simple. The nutritional value varies throughout the year and, more importantly, with the growth stages of individual grass plants. Where milk production is concerned, short spring grass could be likened to rocket fuel, while long, soggy, autumn grass full of seed heads is nearer to old sump oil.

Thus, by now, most dairy cattle are on winter rations of silage and concentrate supplements. Most farmers use young stock, sheep, or late silage making to ‘mop-up’ autumn grass, before any frost or snow, which can kill any grass that is left too long over winter, creating problems for next year.

The last few weeks have seen a flurry of activity, i.e., making silage from the increasing acres of maize that are now grown in this country, now that varieties have been bred which are better suited to our North European climate. Almost the whole plant is chopped into quarter inch lengths, having been grown for maximum cob production. A few farmers harvest the cobs only, to produce a concentrated mash.

In the arable fields, there is little time to pause for breath between the end of harvest, and ploughing and drilling the new wheat and barley crops for next year. The urgency is to get the crops growing before the frost slows everything down and the rain makes the soil too wet to cultivate.

So for livestock farmers this seasonal peak of activity will be replaced by the seemingly endless routine of milking, feeding, bedding down, and mucking out, while our animals are kept inside for the winter.

From a local farmer

1. (c);   2. (b);   3. (d);   4. (b);   5. (d);   6. (b);   7. (c);   8. (a);   9. (c);   10. (c).

We have unfortunately lost two of our members recently due to the deaths of Miss Turner and our Chairman, Mr Ernie Orton, but we have been pleased to welcome back Mrs Tilly Marklove and her friend Mrs Mundy, who are now residing in Penn House, in Kingswood.

We had a successful “Bring and Buy” in July, which is a great help to the club in meeting its expenses. Three members ran a stall at the Charfield Fayre making a good profit for the Charfield Hall funds.

Members had a day trip to Exmouth which was enjoyed in spite of the weather (rain again!). A further outing is being arranged to Harry Ramsden's for fish and chips, followed by an afternoon coach ride stopping somewhere for a cup of tea.

Mrs M Earley (Sec.)

First of all I would like to say “thank you” to all the people who very kindly donated pencils, crayons, other art materials and carpet samples. We appreciate your generosity and it just shows that many people read the CHADRA newsletter and respond to the village needs.

The Rainbow unit is going well. The girls seem to be thoroughly enjoying the sessions as we go through the colours of the Rainbow and their meanings, i.e., red means Rainbows are ready to help. The parents were very pleased with that one!

Finally, I would like to thank all the people who sponsored Mike Rowan, Nigel Watkins, and Andrew Poole on their 50 mile walk recently. I think there were a few blisters, but they managed to raise essential funds for our coffers.

On Sunday, 17 November, 2–4pm, we are holding a Craft Table Top sale. The price for tables will be £5. Please contact me if you are interested in having a table for that afternoon.

Judith Wenman.

14[Advert for Animal £xtras]

The fourth and final extract from “The CHADRA Study 1976”

The scale and rate of growth has changed in the last fifteen years [1960–1975] out of all proportion to that in the past. In many ways, Charfield may be thought to have been a better community in the last decades of the nineteenth century.

The railway made possible the market, started in 1878, and a number of new houses were built between this date and the turn of the century. Station Road, with as many shops and pubs as supply the whole village today, including a baker and a slaughterhouse, was busy with railway traffic.

Samuel longs business was finally put up for sale at the beginning of the 1890s and cloth making was replaced by Tubbs Lewis and a variety of other small businesses. Even the oldest inhabitant cannot personally remember the manufacture of cloth at the mills but many villagers have worked for Tubbs Lewis at the Pin Mill and the Bone Mill.

The products gradually changed over the years, bone crochet hooks and bobbins being replaced by plastics but the business provided a fairly steady source of local employment. Tubbs Lewis already owned the mills at Kingswood where braid and elastic were made, so Charfield Mills also supplied small items to supplement these manufactures, such as, large wooden reels, display racks and cards on which the products were wound and the firm was described in Kellys as wood turners.

For a short time at the turn of the century, part of the mill was occupied by Frith and Company, printers, who had pioneered what was then a new collotype process.

The railway made a considerable contribution to the village's ability to find new sources of employment as the woollen trade collapsed, by encouraging the location of new enterprises. The lively market, primarily for cattle, pigs, and sheep, was held twice a month in the station yard [today's M J Fews].

The fortunes of the railway and the market were reflected in those of the Railway Tavern. By 1889, Kelly's directory was describing it as the Railway Hotel and posting house; traps on hire. By 1902 and 1910 it had become the Railway Posting House and Commercial Inn, offering flys, phaetons, brakes, etc., on hire, good stabling and loose boxes. By 1927 it was just the Railway Tavern again.

The railway also enlarged the social and professional range of the village by introducing the first commuters – the ‘residents’ section of Kelly's in 1902 included Joseph Francis Benson, ‘Langleigh’, artist and photographer, and Valentine Cass, Melrose House, Supervisor, Inland Revenue.

During the same period, some rural craft industries declined and some disappeared altogether. From the mid-nineteenth century, the number of shops seems to have increased as mass production brought a new range of consumer goods to the rural community, from groceries, to bicycles (W H Tayler and Co advertised in 1902 as cycle manufacturers and agents) but the same access to the products of urban industry inevitably led to the gradual disappearance of a small but traditional range of craftsmen.

The 1889 Kelly's shows a very similar range of crafts to the 1851 census: 2 blacksmiths, 2 boot- and shoe-makers, a wheelwright and although only one 15tailor and draper instead of two and there was an additional saddle-maker. In 1910, there was still a wheelwright (and there remained a blacksmith until more recently) but Mr Richards, the tailor and draper of the 1889 directory, took up the supplementary work of running the Post Office. Although he still advertised in 1927, he had no successor.

The Great War was very much a point of change. Not only was the shock of bereavement more heavily felt in a small community but an unprecedented number had gained experience outside the village and ideas changed. For the first time, the 1927 directory advertised the motor garage instead of flys and phaetons. A village nurse also appears in the entry and during the thirties a large number of council houses were built. There is a subtle change in the degree of intervention of national government policy in local affairs. The local authority rather than the Lord Ducie or Samuel Long, now provided housing and other forms of social welfare. However, national politics still hardly affected the self-reliant country community in comparison with the town, and Charfield was relatively cushioned against the effects of the General Strike and the years of depression.

A new industry was begun in the late twenties by the Phormium Cavity Block Company Ltd and tiles and later bricks, continued to be made in the village, until recently. [Farm Lees is built on the ‘brickfields’]. The works closed in the early seventies. Unlike Tubbs Lewis, however, the firm tended to employ men who had experience in the industry from outside the village.

During these inter war-years, while the community was not prosperous, the amenities and services seem very good in relation to the size of the community. The village was fortunate to be the recipient of the YMCA memorial hut and local enterprise provided the playing field and later a larger hall.

During the last war, the situation of the village on the railway led to its choice as a first aid centre and distribution point for soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk.

After the war the railway continued to be a valuable link for work in Yate or shopping in Bristol. It became increasingly an uneconomic station both for passengers and goods in the 1950s and its closure under the Beeching reforms seems to have been inevitable.

Brunel's handsome station was closed just at the beginning of the enormous upswing in the population. The cheapness and convenience of the private car had superseded it. The railway had brought new opportunities to a long-established community but the motor car created a very much more mobile population with their work and interests outside the village.

This change, taking place also on a national scale, was reflected by the creation in 1974 of the new County of Avon of which Charfield became one of the most outlying parishes. That world wide influences may still have an effect, however, was brought home to the population by the Arab oil embargo in that same year when the sudden increase in the price of petrol made distances of ten miles seem very long again.

The Charfield Study went on to describe the village, its environs, its streets, and facilities. It then addressed the options for growth at that time.

This is an exercise which it may well be necessary to repeat in the very near future.

[Advert for Charfield Post Office & Londis Latestore]

16

We've good news and bad news. The bad news is that we are still without a rector. The good news is that a new incumbent has been appointed! He is the Revd. Robert Pestell, who is in his early forties and is married with two boys of primary school age. It is expected that he will take up his duties in the parish early in the new year, but the date has yet to be fixed.

Meanwhile, it's business as usual as far as services are concerned – except that there is now a good deal of variety in the people conducting the services. There will continue to be services at 10.15 am each Sunday with the notable exception of the Christingle service on Sunday 8 December at 3pm. Please note that the Carol Service on 22 December also commences at 3pm, although we aim to celebrate Eucharist at 10.15 am on the same day.

Midnight Eucharist on Christmas Eve will be celebrated this year by the Archdeacon of Gloucester. On Christmas Morning, there will be a service at 10.15 (not a Eucharist).

With Christmas in mind, we shall be holding the “Tea and Tinsel” event in the Foundation Room at 2.30pm on Saturday 16 November. There will be cakes, Christmas puddings, books, toys, a tombola, and, of course, refreshments. Look in if you can spare half an hour.

We're managing to arrange for the church to be unlocked during the day so that anyone who wants a few quiet moments or who just want to look round is free to do so.

We'll be pleased to welcome you to any of our services.

Margaret and Bryan
Churchwardens

As most of you know, there has been a very successful plant sale at St John's Church each May for some years now. We intend that this event should continue, as so many villagers and others rely on it for their bedding and other plants.

Next year, it is planned for Saturday, 17 May, so make a note in your diaries. I hope this does not clash with anyone else, but it should be around the middle Saturday in May to avoid frost.

For the last few years, I have grown most of the plants myself, but health problems mean that I am unable to do as much this time. I am thus asking for help with the bedding plants for 1997. Anyone who would like to help with just one or two varieties would be welcome.

I have been asked by the PCC to outline what needs to be done to grow bedding plants for our annual sale. Whether you have green-fingers or are a beginner, I hope you will be willing to help and that you will find the task fun.

I will continue the buying in bulk of seed trays, pots, labels etc and the ordering of seeds, seedlings and young plants. This would ensure a good range of varieties. I hope that you could each provide your own trays to put under plants grown indoors (see above). It is possible in some instances to use aluminium foil for this purpose.

I would co-ordinate and advise where necessary throughout the growing period and provide a list from which you could choose which you prefer to grow. (This would not prevent your adding to the list if you have any particular preferences.) The list would say when each should be sown. You would need to:

EITHER Sow seeds in pots or seed trays. This could be any time from January until April, depending on the species you are growing. These can be covered with a plastic bag and put in a warm place until they germinate. You can spray the soil with a fungicide to prevent damping off.

OR Start with small pots of seedlings, which can now be bought in most of the popular varieties.

THEN In either case:

(1) The seedlings can be pricked out into divided seed trays or pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. They need to be in a frost-free, light position, eg window sill, cold frame or greenhouse. (I find that I can balance a growbag tray on my bedroom sills and these each take 4 seed trays). Again, spraying with fungicide will prevent damping off.

(2) Keep the seedlings well watered but not saturated. If you lose some seedlings, you can move plants into the gaps, thus reducing the number of strips. Try to keep air circulating as much as possible, by giving as much space between trays as is practicable.

17I am happy to continue growing perennials, shrubs, bulbs, etc as I have done for the last few years, but this should not stop anyone else from doing so! It would be helpful to know if you are doing this, just to prevent too much duplication.

If you are willing to help in any way, please give me a ring on 01454 26xxxx to see me at Church. I would expect to hold a meeting early in January which can be arranged to suit as many people as possible. Do ring now if you can, before you forget. Everyone will be more than welcome.

There will be some winter/spring bedding plants and Christmas bulbs available at the Tea and Tinsel.

Kate Ramsay

As usual, I will soon be starting my annual task of making Christmas puddings for sale at Tea and Tinsel on Saturday, 16 November in aid of Church funds. I will keep the costs as low as possible and expect the prices to be similar to those of last year, ie, approximately £2 per 1lb.

It would help if you could let me know your requirements in advance, so that I have some idea of numbers needed. Of course, you can expect some extras to be available on the day, but you may be limited as to size. I normally make four sizes, ½lb, 1lb, 1½lb and 2lb, but larger orders can be taken if you can supply the large basin.

I usually also make a few Christmas cakes, but these sell quite quickly, so come early if you do not want to be disappointed. Orders can be added to the list in the Church or phone 01454 26xxxx.

Kate Ramsay

You may recall my long argument with the Ministry of Defence over what I considered to be a too-low Harrier which whizzed over our rooftops. I could not, of course, prove the point without photographic evidence, so I lost on that Occasion.

Well, I've just lost again. This time, it was a pair of Hercules over Tortworth – so low, the effect was like a total eclipse of the sun. Again, I was not ready with a camera.

However, I have noticed that every time someone complains, the aircraft seem to avoid us for a month or two.

So, just for devilment, I thought you might like to know whom to complain to, the next time you genuinely believe an aircraft to have been under 250 feet minimum separation distance (that is 250 feet from the nearest object on the ground).

Write, fax, or phone:

D J Costley
Secretariat (Air Staff) 2b
Ministry of Defence
Main Building, Room 8249
Whitehall
London SW1A 2HB

Tel: 0171 218 xxxx
Fax: 0171 218 xxxx

Happy hunting,

Julia M O'Connor-Beach

[Advert for Barbara Ealey Dressmaker]

18

(Displaced from the front page by the public meeting announcement – it will be in its rightful place next issue!)

… that the Citizen's Advice Bureau needs more volunteers? Now don't all rush at once.

… that some Gloucestershire Councillors think some traffic calming schemes are a waste of money? Not Charfield's, surely!

… that yet another bridge is proposed across the Severn? A railway-come-cycle path bridge from Sharpness to Lydney, this time.

… that one Charfield lady's birthday present was a drive around the Castle Coombe circuit in a 100mph racing car? Did she get out of 3rd gear? We'd love to know! Drop us a line.

… that they come with spanners and lump hammers, bent on destruction? Is this Bosnia? or Afghanistan? No, the vandals (obviously with IQs to match their shoe size) at the children's playground on the playing field.

… that S Glos Council wishes to close the toilets in the hall car park permanently, because of continuing vandalism? Apparently, the favourite trick is to set fire to the toilet rolls on a regular basis. So what are parents and children using the play area supposed to do, if nature calls? Any ideas on 1how to catch the culprits?

… that some crockery given to a village jumble sale eventually sold for £100 at Wotton Auction Rooms?

… that a coach driver was seen throwing rubbish from his parked vehicle on the Tortworth Road, a complaint was made immediately to his boss by telephone, the boss rang the (very surprised) driver on his mobile phone while he was still parked, and told him to go and pick up his litter? A very satisfactory outcome.

[Advert for Taylor Made Services]

[Advert for Tree Top Carpets]

The new legislation on waste disposal requires the district council to pay a levy of £7 per ton of household refuse dumped at landfill sites. This is, of course, paid for out of householders' rates. It makes sense, therefore, to reduce the amount of domestic refuse we put out for collection by the bin-men.

If you don't already recycle as much as possible out of concern for the environment, perhaps the thought of saving money on your rates will motivate you!

19Perhaps the best place to start is to look at what you are purchasing – try, where practicable, to buy items which are packaged in recyclable materials, or use less packaging altogether.

The dates for the recycling collections are in the village diary at the back of the newsletter. Do make good use of this facility and remember to take your bottles to the recycling bins at the Railway Tavern car park.

27% of household waste is compostable. If you do not already compost your vegetable trimmings along with the garden waste, you might be able to join the compost bin scheme being run by SGC – a number of bins are available at a subsidised price.

Contact SGC's Waste Reduction and Recycling Team on 01454 86xxxx/ 86xxxx/ 86xxxx for further information.

This time of year sees us in the throes of feverish activity preparing for our annual Bonfire and Firework display. The venue is once again Tom Redman's field at Synwell, thanks to kind permission of Tom and his family.

The date is Saturday, 2 November, with gates open from 6.30pm and the format is similar to last year's event with some improvements. The event has been sponsored by over 70 local traders, and over £2,000 has been spent on fireworks, which is a record! We have concentrated on improving the small children's display, while making the main pyrotechnics more impressive. In excess of 1,000 wooden pallets will be used to build the bonfire, and the lucky winner of the Ladies Circle Guy competition will have his/her entry placed on top of it. Judging will take place at 1pm at the field on the day.

There will be plenty of hot and cold drinks, food, burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, rides and sideshows to test your skill! We are hoping to have the hot air balloon glow again, weather permitting, and a new attraction will be a display by the Stroud Juggling Club. Music will be provided by the Simon Dean Disco Roadshow.

Proceeds from the event will be used to fund requests received in response to our “Fix-It” campaign, in association with the Wotton Gazette. Please drop me a line if you have any such requests for manual or financial assistance. Five Fix-its have been completed so far, with more planned.

We are looking forward to a fun-filled, safe evening, so please come along.

Program sellers will be coming to Charfield soon, or you can buy them from the shops in Charfield or Wotton.

John Francksen

[Advert for Charfield Flowers]

[Advert for Sue Trowell Chiropodist]

20

I'm not inspired by my vegetable garden at the moment. The very dry summer has taken its toll, especially since I dislike watering and find every excuse not to do it. Consequently, I've had a very poor crop of runner beans – no chutney this year, the onions are small – and the root crops not very well developed, although the winter greens and leeks seem unaffected and are growing well.

So I decided to change direction a bit – still with seasonal dishes, but not necessarily concentrating on vegetables from the garden. Like the gradual changeover from one season to another – adjusting to the longer evenings and different weather, especially in the autumn (not a season I used to like before I got interested in gardening) when the days can sometimes be very gentle (I hope it's not pouring with rain or blowing a gale when you are reading this).

After a recent excellent holiday in Turkey, I found myself feeling rather sorry for people who don't have this experience. The sun was wonderful (though we did have more rain there than you did in Charfield) but it made me realise (and I speak only for myself!) that I wouldn't like not to have this variation.

So, with winter in mind, the thought of summer dishes with lots of tomatoes and salads feels all wrong, and ideas of hearty soups and comforting casseroles seem very appealing. These recipes are straightforward, easy and good. The ingredients are either from the store cupboard or very easy to buy. I always keep tinned chopped tomatoes – useful for all sorts of recipes – and this is one of the easiest of all. All recipes are for four people, and worry not about mixing imperial and metric measurements – none of these quantities have to be exact.

Cheese and Tomato Soup

25g (1oz) butter
1 small onion – finely chopped
25g (1oz) flour
150 ml (¼ pt) chicken or vegetable stock or water (a cube is fine)
450 ml (¾ pt) milk
1 large tin chopped tomatoes (without added flavourings)
150g (6oz) finely grated cheese (whatever sort you like)
Chopped fresh parsley
Seasoning to taste

Fry the onion gently in butter in a saucepan till soft but not brown. Add the flour and cook for 2 mins. Gradually add the stock (or water) and milk. Cook, stirring until soup comes to the boil and thickens slightly. Add the chopped tomatoes, season to taste, cover and simmer for 10 mins. Remove from heat, add 5 oz of grated cheese and plenty of chopped parsley. Ladle into warm soup bowls, sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and serve with crusty brown bread.

Carrot Soup

50g (20z) butter
1 medium onion – chopped
200g (½lb) carrots – sliced
25g (1oz) rice
750ml (1¼ pt) chicken or vegetable stock
Sprig of thyme

Melt the butter (which really does give the best flavour for this soup) and simmer the onion and carrot onion in a covered saucepan on a gentle heat for 10 mins without browning.

Add the rice, stock and thyme (use a pinch of dried if you don't have any fresh). Cook gently for 20–30 minutes.

Remove thyme stalk and either sieve or liquidize, adding a little more stock if you think it needs thinning. Reheat and stir in an extra ounce of butter and serve with croutons – which are made by cubing slices of bread (crusts removed) which are then fried in butter.

Casseroles are so good tempered. Either of these two can be made up to two days before they are required and kept in the fridge – they will improve with keeping. They also freeze well.

Chicken and Parsley Casserole

Enough chicken for four people – it can be joints, breasts or thighs
75g (3oz) butter
2 large onions – peeled and chopped
100g (4oz streaky bacon – chopped with rind removed
2150g (2oz) flour
600ml (1 pt) milk
1 bay leaf
1 level tspn mixed herbs
1 chicken stock cube
100g (4oz) mushrooms – sliced
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Seasoning to taste

Fry the chicken in 2oz butter to seal in flavour. Transfer to large casserole dish. Add onions and bacon to butter in pan and fry gently till pale gold and sprinkle over the chicken. Melt remaining butter in the frying pan, stir in flour and cook without browning for 2 mins.

Gradually blend in the milk (which can be heated first if you don't mind dirtying another pan), add bay leaf, herbs and crumbled stock cube and cook, stirring until sauce comes to boil and thickens. Season to taste and pour over chicken. Cover with lid or foil and cook in the centre of a moderate oven for up to 1 hour (time will depend on the type of chicken joint used; meat without bone will only need ½ hour and should not be overcooked).

Add mushrooms and cook, covered, for another 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with creamed potatoes and vegetables. If you want to keep or freeze this do so before adding mushrooms; thaw and carry on cooking following the recipe, allowing extra time for reheating.

This beef casserole comes from Margaret Costa's Four Seasons cookery book – a wonderful book first published in 1970, reprinted this year – and excellent for entertaining.

Carbonade Flamande

3 tspn beef dripping or butter
3 large onions – finely sliced
2 cloves garlic – crushed
2 tspn brown sugar
900g (2lbs) chuck steak
Seasoned flour
300ml (½ pint) brown ale – boiled to reduce by half
1 tspn vinegar
Water or good beef stock
Small bunch of fresh herbs or a good pinch of dried thyme
Slices of French bread and French mustard

Cook the onions and garlic gently with the sugar in half the fat till soft and brown – take your time, keep the heat fairly low and stir occasionally. Remove. Cut the meat into inch (2.5cm) strips across the grain, dip in the seasoned flour.

Add the rest of the fat to the pan and fry the meat on all sides. Put into casserole dish, add the onions and one tablespoon of flour, pour in the beer and vinegar and enough water or good stock to barely cover – don't drown it – season with salt and pepper and add herbs. Cover closely and cook in a slow oven for about 2½ hours.

Cut the French bread into 1 inch slices, spread liberally with the mustard. Place on meat mustard side down towards the end of cooking time and cook, uncovered, until the bread is brown and crisp. If you want to freeze, do this before this last stage. Then thaw, reheat gently and carry on.

Bon appetit!

Barbara Adams

[Advert for Kiosks]

22[Advert for Eclipse Hair Studio]

Since the last edition of CHADRA, members of the Parish council have attended various meetings with representatives of South Gloucestershire Council (SGC), and report the following:

30mph limit

Earlier in the year, a petition was presented by residents of Little Bristol to SGC requesting that the 30mph speed limit into Charfield village be extended. Notification has just been received that the proposed extension has been approved, together with a Village nameplate sign, on the lines of “Charfield – Please Drive Carefully”.

It is anticipated that work will be complete before December 1996. The speed limit will now commence on the approach to the Little Bristol development.

Footway

After many years of negotiation (more than twenty), it is likely that SGC will be starting work in the very near future on the provision of a footway in Little Bristol Lane, from the Woodlands Road entrance to the beginning of houses at Little Bristol.

Work will be undertaken in two phases, phase one to include grubbing out the existing hedge and installing a temporary fence. Phase two to be undertaken sometime in 1997 (subject to funding), will include kerbing and tarmacking the footway. It is unfortunately unavoidable that there will be a muddy rough strip of land adjacent to the highway for several months. We trust residents will be patient whilst work is being undertaken.

Emergency Gateway

The emergency gateway which separates Hawthorn Close and Woodlands Road has been the subject of many discussions. There is no dedicated right of way to the side of this gate and the DIY crazy paving which someone laid to make it passable is not on council owned land.

Following complaints from residents, SGC will close off the unofficial pedestrian access adjacent to the gate by means of vertical metal fencing. There is an alternative footpath route linking the two roads which involves a slight detour. It is hoped that this action will not be too inconvenient for regular users of this route.

Grants

Another year has flown by, and it is time once again to be informing Village organisations that grant applications need to be submitted by the end of November 1996, in time for the December Budget Meeting.

As previously mentioned, a copy of the previous year's accounts is needed, and it is now a statutory requirement that a statement of what you require a grant for is included. It will not be possible to consider, applications without this information.

Cath Holmes
Clerk to the Council

Would the parents of the youngsters who have started practising golf (not putting, DRIVING) on open spaces and across footways care to check their public liability policies? It won't be long before damage is done, and let us hope it is not to a child's sight.

23

Well, we're once again back into the swing of things after the summer break. This season sees us with a new chairperson, namely Mel Bain, who has kindly stepped in for Laura Cabry. Due to work commitments Laura has had to resign from her “toddler post”! I would like to say a big thank you to Laura for all her hard work over the past months and wish her well for the future.

Just a reminder that our mums, toddlers (dads, grandparents, childminders, etc!) meet every Thursday except school holidays) at 10.15 to 11.30 am, this currently runs alongside baby clinic every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month.

Forthcoming events include our Nearly New clothes, toy and equipment sale on 16 November 1996 and our ever popular children's Christmas party in December. So don't forget to make a date with us on Thursday mornings at Charfield Memorial Hall.

See you there,

Noreen Berry

[Advert for Martin Farrell Garden Designs]

Free part-time courses, 1996–97

FAMILIES LINK INTO LEARNING

A new programme of short courses to help you understand more about how children learn, feel more confident about helping your child prepare for school, support your child with reading, writing and maths.

H637/03 ten meetings from 21 January 1997 12.15–12.45

H635/03 ten meetings from 22 April 1997 12.15–12.45

HELP YOUR CHILD WITH MATHS

H612/03 ten meetings from 22 April 1997 1.15–2.45

HELP YOUR CHILD ENJOY LEARNING

H636/02 ten meetings from 21 January 1997 1.00–3.00

WORKING WORDS

A short course focusing on practical skills for office work. The course will include formal letter writing, reports, business spelling, proofreading for accuracy.

H638/03 ten meetings from 22 April 1997 10.00–12.00

NEW WRITERS

An introduction to writing for pleasure and self development. Whether writing for yourself, your children, or other readers, increase your writing confidence and develop a writing style, brush up on spelling, grammar and punctuation. Suitable for everyone, especially those who would like to write but need more confidence to start.

H630/03 ten meetings from 21 January 1997 10.00–12.00.

For further information on any of the above, please telephone:

SGC Community Education Service 01454 86xxxx/86xxxx.

24

How long have you lived in Charfield, Mo?

31 years.

You must have seen a lot of changes in the village.

There has been a lot of housing development of course. When we moved in, Manor Lane was only half built. In front of where we lived then were fields of buttercups and ponds with grass snakes and newts. There were lots of mushrooms in the fields as well as loads of wild flowers. One of them was called Ragged Robin Field and we used to stand knee deep in wild flowers. That's where Woodlands Road is now. The Village Hall hadn't been built, either – it was still the Richardson Hut.

What went on there?

I remember the drama group, which was very active. Ernie Nash was a great character in every sense. He stood 6′4″ and had a very strong personality and he used to act in the pantomimes. I remember dancing in a grass skirt in one of the pantos, but I was so embarrassed I spent the whole evening with my head down in case someone recognised me!

Around the hut was a wonderful place for children, although parents would be horrified today! It was like a building site with earthen mounds everywhere and the children used to make dens and have a great time.

I remember a wonderfully eccentric midwife we had in the village as well. In fact, she used to live where we live now on Charfield Hill. Then we were surrounded by fields of lavender rather than other houses.

You taught at Tortworth School. How long were you there and what changes have you seen?

20 years altogether. Physically, because the main part of the school's been there for 200 years, there's not been too many changes. Inside, they've graduated from coke stoves to storage radiators!

What about teaching methods? Do you prefer the ‘older’ or ‘modern’ methods?

I believe all teachers who have been teaching for a long time will use tried and tested methods but they will also incorporate newer ideas as they come along.

The biggest difference nowadays is that parents are much more part and parcel of their children's education. No matter what time of day now at Tortworth, there will be parents helping out so it is very much a case of the community helping out with education. At one time, there was a line in the playground – parents one side, and children the other. How times have changed.

I know painting is one of your passions. When did that start?

I took it up 6 years ago when I retired.

Do you find it relaxing?

No! It is fascinating, intriguing and taxing, but relaxing it is not!

So why do it?

It is having been a city dweller and now being fortunate enough to live in Charfield and having more time to commit to canvas the wonderful place we live in. Charfield is a marvellous place partly because it is so unpretentious and is friendly. Most people who have come to live here have come from a considerable distance and there may not be the support of a family network and the people who have those networks in place seem to accept them. So different to somewhere like Bristol.

We could go on talking for ages but how about 3 things for your desert island, and a book?

To start with, a set of paints and an endless supply of paper. Second, a mountain bike to get around the island and finally … Jim!! Then a comprehensive book on trees on trees and plants so that we'd know what we could and couldn't eat.

Thanks, Mo.

(Interviewer: Dave Woodhouse)

25

Dear Friends,

The summer period for the Group has proved to be both exciting and rewarding, with all sections participating in numerous activities. The Group prides itself on the quality and quantity of adventurous activities such as climbing, caving, camping, watersports, hiking etc, undertaken by its members, and our aim for the forthcoming year is to increase the range of activities we can offer. Most activities involve team participation – team work on such challenges help in the development of physical and mental ability.

The start of the new term has seen numerous changes to the organisational structure of the Group and Committee. New appointments to Group Scout Leader, Scout Leader and Venture Leader have given the Group the opportunity to mature and to meet the needs of the modern day youth, whilst combining the traditions of Scouting.

With these changes in mind, we have the opportunity to welcome potential helpers, instructors or Leaders, warranted, or unwarranted, who feel they would like to help or possibly have a skill that would be willing to pass on.

We are currently on the lookout for past members of the Group who no longer require their old uniforms. Anyone who has any unwanted uniforms should contact Linda Watson, who may purchase these – for further details contact her on 01454 26xxxx.

May we take this opportunity to thank you for the support you have so graciously given the Group over the past years and we look forward to receiving your continued support, because without it, we would find it difficult to continue.

We would also like to welcome all newcomers to the local community, anyone interested in becoming a member of the Scouting Movement, please contact the appropriate Section Leader as notified on the back page. As well as our contribution in this Newsletter, please keep an eye out for our own in-depth Newsletter, published quarterly, covering all sections.

Rob Moore

We must thank Malcolm Thomas and his family once again for repairing a vandalised stile – yes, the same one that was destroyed before. Malcolm is not one to be easily discouraged.

Although the field in question is now the subject of a major planning application, I feel duty bound to have another nag about the vandalism and trespassing going on behind Hawthorn Close, just off Footpath OCH 16. As you walk past the gateway between Hawthorn Close and Woodlands Road on your left, heading for the stile and the path to Churchend, you will see that a fence has been deliberately cut. (If it has been repaired since I last looked, it won't be long before it is vandalised again.) Someone is under the impression that there is a right of way across that particular field and they are taking what they think is the law into their own hands, together with a wire-cutter.

I can assure you that there is no right of way through that fence, and no right of way over the field.

Just because feet have trampled a visible track, it does not mean that the track is a right of way. Otherwise, every cattle track on the way to the milking parlour would be on the definitive map! So please, if you are a good footpath walker, don't follow one person's bad example and compound the damage.

Apart from the Thomas family, I can't remember the last time I heard from one of the footpath volunteers. However, I was fortunate enough to go whale watching off the coast of Maine recently and, apart from having the time of my life and being enveloped in whalebreath a dozen times, I had a brainwave.

You see, to raise funds, the local marine institution encourages the ‘adoption’ of individual whales and, for a small donation, you get news of sightings, and so on. The humpbacks of that area must each have countless adoptive parents. Aha, I thought, why not let our footpaths have multiple adoptive parents too? We'd have the best cared for paths in South Glos! So, if you would like to adopt a favourite footpath, and keep your eye on the stiles, any overgrown hedges or other obstructions, just let me know.

Best regards,

Julia O'Connor-Beach

26

This walk takes us from the centre of Charfield village onto the ridge to the west, then in a southerly direction to the Wickwar boundary and returning at a lower level along the railway line.

[Map]

(LH = left hand, RH = right hand. I haven't walked this for some time, so no guarantees! It was passable when Tony Pearce originally wrote this walk up for you, but I have a terrible suspicion that problems may be encountered. However, if we don't walk it, we've ourselves to blame)

1. From Memorial Hall car park turn right and right again and walk down Little Bristol Lane. Turn right between garages and bungalow (OCH16) and follow footpath through estate to stile at bottom of field. Head up field to cross double stile in LH boundary hedge, continue through gate on right, then diagonally over field to stile in front of Manor Farm.

2. Over stile turn left on Churchend Lane and in 20 metres turn right over gate into paddock, cross paddock to stile, over stile turn left and follow LH fence to gate on to lane. Over gate, follow lane past Church Farm on the left. At entrance to Newhouse Farm, cross stile on RH into field. Follow LH fence to stile next to farmhouse. Over stile continue to follow LH hedge to stile in hedge at opposite end of field. Over stile, bear slightly left to stile with water trough to one side. Over stile (and running water in wet weather) cut across corner of field to gate.

3. Over gate into field, head towards stump of old hollow oak tree. Touch it, and make a wish. Turn left to climb over gate and drop down across field to stile. Over stile, continue down field passing a small cleft/ravine to your left to gate at bottom of filed. Over gate, turn left to further gate into river level meadow with Bunsall Bridge to your right.

4. With river still to your RH, walk across meadow and start to climb back up field to gap in hedge slightly to the LH. Through gap, follow line of hill towards horizon looking for roof line of Uppergreen Farm buildings. Over stile, pass through stable yard and onto lane, turn right passing chicken sheds on LH. Follow lane to junction and entrance to Wheelwright Cottage. Turn right returning through Little Bristol to the Memorial Hall car park.

Walk described by Tony Pearce.

27

Please make use of this Diary – updated copies are posted in various places in the Village. Either telephone or drop a note of any additions and modifications to Brendan O'Connor (01454-26xxxx) xx Manor Lane.

KLB = Katharine Lady Berkeley School
MH = Memorial hall
FR = Foundation Room, Primary School
SL = Sportsman's lounge, Memorial hall

Why not put this on your fridge door or notice board?

28

If you wish to alter the entries below, please telephone Julia on 01454 26xxxx

British Legion
John Poskett (Spokesman) 01454-26xxxx

CHADRA
Geoff Blower (Hon Sec) 01454-26xxxx

Charfield Primary School
C F Sreeves (Headteacher) 01454-26xxxx

Childminders
Pat Loveridge (vacancy coord.) 01454 26xxxx

Church – Congregational
Rev Philip Hopes 01453 84xxxx

Council – Charfield Parish
Catherine Holmes (Clerk) 01453-84xxxx

Council – South Gloucestershire
Eddie Gadsby (Councillor) 01454-26xxxx

Cricket Club
David S Bradley 01453-84xxxx

Football Club – Juniors
Mike Higgins 01454 26xxxx

Football Club – Seniors
Chris Somerton (Secretary) 01454 26xxxx

Friendship Club
Mrs M Ealey

Ladies Club
Margaret Gargett 01454 26xxxx

Luncheon Club for the Elderly
Jane Higgins 01454 26xxxx

Memorial Hall
John Poskett 01454 26xxxx

Millennium Committee
John Acton 01453 84xxxx

Mother & Toddler Group
Noreen Berry 01454 26xxxx

Neighbourhood Watch
David Parker (Co-ordinator) 01454 26xxxx