CHADRA

… That unless a replacement leader can be found for our only surviving Brownie Pack it will have to close at the end of the year.

… That Charfield Pre School has gone from strength to strength since moving to the Foundation Room.

… That the Foundation Room is now available for booking for suitable private events e.g. meetings and children's parties.

… That the Football club are still looking for a Manager for their under 12's.

… That the two parishes of Charfield and Kingswood have now legally joined together with Revd Robert Pestell now having the title of Rector.

… That the Transport Scheme are looking for additional volunteer drivers.

… That Andrew Francksen is making a good recovery following his eye injury reported in the last edition.

… That the first Round Table has officially started in Moscow, Russia.

… That the Memorial Hall are looking for people to work behind the bar.

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Congratulations to Her Majesty The Queen on her Golden Jubilee. We hope your celebrations went well; many thanks to Ken and Margaret for organising the Berkeley Close street party.

Although the recent weather has not been quite what we would have hoped for this time of year we were very pleased to see that the sun has finally come out this weekend – you nearly didn't get a newsletter at all as we would much rather have been out amongst it!!

Have a lovely summer – whatever the weather.

Next Copy Date – 12th October 2002

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I just couldn't start this piece without saying a huge thank you to everyone who stopped me around the village to enquire about Andrew following the last edition of Chadra. Lots of people have been so very kind with their good wishes, anecdotes and advice – even people that I didn't know except by sight!

For the record, Andrew is much better and, behaviour-wise, it is safe to say he is completely back to normal! (Just ask his teacher!) He has another operation in mid July (the seventh!) this time to remove the final 4 stitches and some scar tissue on the lens of his eye. He now has 30% vision in that left eye and it is unlikely to get any better than that due to the damage that was done to cornea when the bamboo splinter shot in to it. However we have a lot to be grateful for – apparently binocular vision, however small is much better than single vision as at least you are aware of something on that side even if you can't see it very well. And who knows – by the time Andrew is 16 there could be all manner of advances in ocular science and a simple procedure could be available which would improve his sight immeasurably – after all, 20 years ago, cataract operations were quite lengthy and rare operations and now, as our Consultant said, they are done by the lorry load!

Thank you does not seem an adequate word to express our deep gratitude to the Bristol Eye Hospital – they have been marvellous throughout and we wanted to do something more concrete for them. On that first dreadful night, the biggest risk was losing Andrew through septicaemia and so he had 3 drips, which were pumping saline, and 2 lots of antibiotics into him simultaneously. The Eye hospital did not have enough pumps and had to send to the Children's Hospital for one – it came quickly but they told us that to have another one of their own would be so much easier but, they explained apologetically, they cost about £1000. You can imagine how I felt as I heard them ringing around – scrabbling around for a piece of potentially life saving equipment that actually costs less than a family holiday!

It will therefore come as no surprise to learn that when John runs his next big race – The Great North Run in October, he will be raising money for the Eye Hospital to fund this piece of equipment. In the past, Chadra readers have been magnificent and I make no apologies now in asking for any sponsors to contact us – 01453 84xxxx. The race is on October 6th so by the next edition of Chadra John will have run it!

I will finish this rather serious piece with proof that the whole episode has left Andrew unfazed and no less sharp than before. Last month on returning from our regular hospital appointment, we were paying for the car park at the Pay-on-Foot machine. (Actually, at those prices I think you do truly pay for the whole car park!) Anyway, on the machine was a note saying “No recits”.
“What does that say?” asked Andrew.
“It's a very poor try at spelling ‘receipts’, I replied.
The man using the adjacent machine said, “yes, it's appalling isn't it – I think my 12 year old could do it better” to which Andrew said proudly “I can spell receipts; r-e-c-e-i-p-t-s”. (I was astounded!). The man was very impressed and asked Andrew how old he was. Six was the reply “AND I've got a poorly eye!”
The man had just received 20p change from the machine for his car parking and gave it to Andrew saying how clever he was. We said thank you and parted company at our respective floors. However once inside the car, Andrew's conscience got the better of him and he confided “I can't really spell receipts – I just read it off the machine where it said push for receipt”!!
As I said – we're back to normal – thank goodness!

Tracy Francksen.

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With the World Cup now a distant memory it is now time to dust off those football boots and begin thinking about the season ahead … The club has had a busy close season, putting the finishing touches to the Moreton Ground at Tortworth in preparation for the village youngsters to hone there soccer skills against local opposition. These facilities will now complement the village pitches as the club grows – over ninety children are expected to be involved at six age groups.

Four teams at under 12's, 13's, 14's and 15's have been entered into the Stroud and District Youth League, whilst two at 10's and 11's will compete in the Mid Gloucestershire Mini League. At this stage the club is still seeking a Manager for the under 12's, if anybody would like details please do not hesitate to contact me on 01454 26xxxx. The role can be rewarding and the pleasure the children receive when ‘three points are in the bag’ is immense!!

The season kicks off over the weekend of 8th and 9th September with training taking place throughout the summer. New players are always welcome and if anybody is interested in getting involved please feel free to come along or again contact me for details …

Jeremy Lewis – Secretary.

Hi there, by the time you read this Toddlers will have ended with our annual Teddy Bears Picnic on July 11th.

As we are fast approaching the end of the summer term, I would like to thank everyone who has made my first 3 months as chairperson not too stressful (apart from trying to make tea/coffee and squash for everyone when you have a screaming 18 month old hanging onto your trouser leg), very enjoyable (I haven't had to sing once yet, thanks Julie) and hopefully successful 5(whenever I'm on door duty I always end up with more money at the end than we should have, sorry Sarah).

Toddlers re-starts on September 5th and one of the events planned for the Autumn is David Elam the photographer who will be visiting us on November 7th.

Finally, I would like to remind everyone that we meet every Thursday during term time between the hours of 10.00 and 11.30am in the memorial hall and that we cater for children from 0–3 years with their parents or carers. Each session costs £1 per adult and 20p per child (your first visit is free) and refreshments are provided for both adults and children.

We look forward to welcoming back old members and also meeting some new ones.

Debbie Wilson, Chairperson.

Useful Tips for Summer

Summer herbs are coming into their own now. Apart from giving delicious flavour to food, their health giving properties are higher than in some fruit and vegetables. Oregano, dill and coriander are good examples and are so easy to grow.

With the current health scares relating to fried foods, crisps, chips etc. and the possible link to cancer, it is absolutely vital to keep up our antioxidant levels and increasing intake of fruit and vegetables is one of the easiest ways to do it. It is partly because people snack so often, especially children, on these possibly cancer forming foods that intake of fruit and vegetables are reduced.

Some research has proved that grapes are particularly helpful and who doesn't enjoy grapes! Raspberries are also thought to help in the prevention of throat cancers. We are lucky to have several PYO's on our doorstep, so get out there and pick some. Remember, good eating habits start in the cradle and you are definitely what you eat!

If you are off to hot sunny climates, your body and skin will become very dehydrated, so drink at least 1–1½ litres of water a day. Plenty of water also helps flagging energy levels. You will know if you are having enough if your urine is nearly clear! Children need loads of water too and don't forget fizzy and sweet drinks actually can dehydrate more. Research has proved that if children drink plenty of water their concentration levels increase!

Why not create a summery fresh atmosphere in your home. Open windows and doors as much as possible but if you can't, burn essential oils of lime, lemon, grapefruit, orange or lemongrass or pop them in your bath.

Remember to protect your skin at all times, even when it's cloudy. Creams or after sun with aloe vera are particularly good and reapply regularly.

Essential for you holiday include:
» Tea Tree oil – for bites, stings, infections.
» Lavender – calming, helps healing and safe for anyone to use.
» Rescue Remedy – mimulus if you are afraid of flying, clarity oil for long distance flights.
» Citronella – a good insect repellent.
» Nux Vomica – for upset stomachs.

Lavender creams, bach rescue cream, first aid cream and anti itch are also useful and natural too.

For more help or advice come in and see us – next door to Alison, hairdresser in Manor Lane.

Some of you may wonder, “What's the Foundation Room, where is it and what's it for?” First, it's the building standing in Charfield Primary School grounds just 6behind the pair of cottages in Wotton Road. You may even have noticed that it's had a new roof recently and, if you've looked inside, that it's been extensively refurbished.

The building and the piece of land on which it stands is owned by a registered charity called the Charfield National School Foundation. This charity was set up in November 1892 under the aegis of the then Rector of Charfield, the Reverend Richard Prankerd Jones. It was originally responsible for the building and running of the primary school and owned both the school building and the neighbouring teacher's house which were both built on land provided by Earl Ducie. On the first of January 1924 the land on which the Foundation Room was erected later that same year was conveyed to the Foundation Governors from Earl Ducie and Lord Moreton. In December 1924 use of the main school building, with some reservations, was handed over to Gloucestershire County Council.

The involvement of local government in education led to a change in the role of the charity and ten years later in 1934 the scheme under which the charity now operates was set out. It became the purpose of the charity to provide support for the wider educational needs of children of the parish of Charfield, which the state system does not provide, insofar as the Foundation's resources permit.

In due course the schoolhouse was no longer required for renting by the head teacher (at an annual rent of £15 per annum) and ownership of the house and the land on which it stands reverted to the Ducie Estate.

The Foundation Room itself continued in use both by the school as an extra classroom or as a kitchen and dining hall and by the Foundation Governors who let the room at a small fee for suitable evening and weekend use.

In recent years the condition of the building had deteriorated badly and it was considered unfit for school diners and of only limited use for school purposes. In 2000 the Governors were approached by the, newly formed, Out of School Club with an enquiry as to its availability for their use. As a result of this request a project was put in hand, with their close co-operation, to refurbish and particularly to re-roof the building. Grants were sought, plans drawn up, permissions applied for, builders approached and fund raising undertaken. Finally, with the help of a very helpful and understanding builder, the Out of School Club was able to open for business on Guy Fawkes Day 2001. In February 2002 Charfield Pre School Group also moved in.

Further work still needs to be done to extend the building to provide more space, facilities for the disabled and so on and, given the availability of the necessary funds, around another £50,000, the work should go ahead in 2003.

Now just a short footnote to clarify who the Foundation Governors are. There are five. A representative governor appointed by South Gloucestershire Council, a representative governor appointed by Charfield Parish Council, a representative governor appointed by Charfield Parochial Church Council and two ex officio governors: the Rector, for the time being, of Charfield and the Rector's Warden, one of the two churchwardens.

The Foundation Room is available for evening and weekend lettings at £5 per hour (May to October) or £6 per hour (November to April) for suitable events. The Governors will also consider applications for small support grants. Contact: Bryan Grantham on 01454 26xxxx or at xx Berkeley Close.

Bryan Grantham

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The Spring edition contained an article “A Rambler Writes” which commented on the ‘urbanisation’ of a Charfield footpath. The following piece has been written in response.

In Defence of Looking After a Footpath …

Dear oh dear. It's hard to do right for doing wrong. Does any one else remember the articles in CHADRA about unkempt footpaths that walkers could scarcely struggle through? And now we are getting complaints about a footpath being too neat.

We can't quite understand how the fencing of the footpath (with pig wire) would cause the path to become excessively muddy although we do know that the cows from the farm next door got through an inadequately maintained fence on the other side of the path at a time when we were having a great deal of rain and tramped about a lot – and ate a nicely established young oak tree that we planted a couple of years ago whilst they were at it.

The corner has been flattened – yes it has. (Though nothing was taken out, only cut back to enable the hedge to be laid). There is no denying it. It was done for a purpose. Well, two reasons actually. One was practical – to be able to put up a fence to make sure the cows don't pay a return visit and the other was to be able to plant a few trees. Which in our book is good for wildlife – and people. The only reason they are not already there is because in February we both had flu – the real sort – which meant we were out of action for a month and so too late to plant this season. They will be planted in the autumn. And, if this isn't too urban for words, we intend to put a simple seat in this very same corner in case any weary walkers would like to rest awhile and enjoy the view, and maybe the bluebells that are flourishing happily now. By the way, have you noticed how wide the footpath is – more generous than the average we think. This was deliberate too. We didn't have to make it that wide but we think it's quite nice to walk side by side if you're not on your own. And the idea behind the fences was that dogs could be let off the lead with neither owners or ourselves needing to worry about them getting involved with our sheep. Never thought we would need to explain that – seemed sensible (and obvious!) to us but I guess we don't all think alike.

Just a small point on the subject of wildlife – when we came here in 1980 there were no ponds on the farm. Now there are three. And in other areas we have left dead and decaying trees to host whatever chooses to come and live there. And nettles for the butterflies. And bramble thickets for the birds. The hedges have been laid to ensure their long term future so that one day, when they have thickened up again they will serve their original purpose to keep stock safe, but that will take time. (And if anyone would like to come and visit us to see the hedges that were done a few years ago they will see that they have been allowed to grow tall again – you know – like they used to be 50 years ago before flails were invented – they are most welcome) At this point in writing I could easily feel quite cross – for goodness sake what does anyone think hedges were planted for originally? Certainly not to prettify the countryside, be a haven for wildlife and please ramblers. But I won't.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise wholeheartedly to all the ramblers who are offended by our footpath although we have to tell you that we shall go on looking after it in a similar fashion just as long as it is in our keeping even if it does mean that the younger generation won't be able to appreciate what a real, overgrown, nettle and bramble infested footpath is.

Barbara and Mike Adams.

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Sorry about the lack of news this year. The April report went astray and hasn't been seen since. We held our first meeting on the 2nd January 2002 and every two weeks after. We are now down to 16 members so there is plenty of room for more. Do try us out.

We play bingo and do quizzes. Easter week we played “chicken” based on “beetle drive” with the winners receiving crème eggs. Miss Cooksley showed slides of local interest and did a small quiz after. A visitor from the WRVS attended the AGM in May.

We have been to Weston with the Wickwar people where a few members visited “the Jill Dando Garden”. We have a short trip to Moreton-in-Marsh planned and another with Wickwar to Minehead in September.

A bring and buy sale is being held on the 31st July with a raffle and usual stalls, starting at 2:30 p.m. Do come if you are able.

M Ealey, Secretary

Another year has quickly passed. We are still a busy unit with 18 girls, 2 leaders, one potential young leader and a very keen mum helper.

In the first half of this summer term we have been talking about the countryside and we had a very enjoyable walk through Wotton Woods. In the second half of this term we have been celebrating the Queens Jubilee making crowns and jubilee plates. At the end of June we had a district event at Kingswood Village Hall where we did certain activities from the 50's, including dancing rock and roll. Then we had a tea party. At the end of term we are joining with Wotton Rainbows to have a mini Commonwealth Games at Watsome Farm.

Next term we will be doing activities connected with the colours of the rainbow.

We have a lot of support from parents and this helps us run a successful unit. Many thanks.

Judith Wenman 01454 26xxxx

This year so far has brought many changes in my life and I hope that the girls who become Brownies also change during their time in Guiding. I hope they gain friendship and confidence. Confidence to do the things they want to do, hopefully with the help and guidance of their parents, teachers and other people who take the time and make the effort to help others.

2nd Charfield Brownies are always busy and this year has been no exception. They have taken part in 2 pack holidays this year and gained many badges. We are in the process of completing the Agility badge.

Last month we took part in the District Guiding Golden Jubilee celebrations in Kingswood village hall. We took part in all the activities: singing, dancing, craft, games etc. and all dressed up in 50's style clothes. ‘Grease’ had nothing on us! Our end of year trip is organised. We will be going to see ‘The Wind in the Willows’ at the Bristol Old Vic on Saturday December 14th 2002.

And now to the bad news. I have been involved with 2nd Charfield Brownies for nearly 15 years (since my daughter was a Brownie) and as much as I have enjoyed myself immensely during that time, I have decided that ‘enough is enough’. So regrettably I will not be running Charfield Brownies after December 2002.

As yet I have not found anyone to take over when I leave, but hopefully I will. I have a full pack of 24 girls and a waiting 12list. Please do not let the only Brownie pack in Charfield close.

As I have already said I got involved when my daughter became a Brownie and I am hoping that some other mums will do the same. It is hard work and time consuming but great fun and very rewarding. I would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported me over the years, especially my family and guiding friends.

If you feel that you can help in anyway please call in to Brownies (Wednesdays 5.45–7.15pm in the Charfield village hall) or telephone me on 0781585xxxx (evenings only please.)

Regards, Trish Cole
Guider-in-charge, 2nd Charfield Brownies

WOW WHAT A YEAR!!

We started our year (last September) opening 3 mornings per week, with 3 or 4 children per session, at the chapel rooms where playgroup had been for years, and with 2 new staff.

In February after much soul searching and tough decision making, we said a sad farewell to the Chapel, and rose to the challenge of moving to the Foundation Room at Charfield Primary School. Here we were made to feel very welcome by the School, the Out of School Club and the National School Foundation, and since then our numbers have grown and grown. We now open 5 mornings per week and have between 15 and 20 children per session, with a lunchtime club Tuesday–Friday.

We need to say a big thank you to lots of people who have helped us on our way to achieving the fun, popular and successful Pre-School which our children are fortunate to have.

So here goes:- To the Chapel for many years of support; to the School, Out of School Club and CNSF for welcoming us; to Mike Cheskin at Charfield Garage for his generous support; to Tony Pearce for the fantastic DIY and storage space he built; to Charfield Post Office, Steve's Stores and Wotton Co-op for their support; to Mandy Champion for the shed; to the village residents for their generous donations; to the parents past, present and future for choosing the Pre-School and supporting the move; to the committee members for giving up their time and being brave enough to make decisions! And lastly and by no means least to our fantastic, enthusiastic and caring staff Cathy Walters and Sue Reynolds who without their dedication it could not have happened, and to Georgina Parker for being there when we need her.

The Future:- we are planning two afternoon sessions, to include a rising 5's session after Christmas and of course lots more fun.

Sandra Nute, Chairperson.

Is there anyone in the village who would be interested in working behind the bar at the Memorial Hall? We are the venue for various functions throughout the year including birthday parties and wedding receptions.

If you are interested, please phone Mark White on 01454-26xxxx or 07813-07xxxx, for more details.

Hello, how have you been? I am not going to discuss the weather, just to say, “When the sun shines, grab the moment”.

Now when I last wrote to you, the shortest of my literary moments ever, I was clearing out. Each room has been “got at”. Keith and I were at the first Leyhill car boot, this year, when Libby, the manageress of the Break shop at Wotton, walked by. I introduced Keith to her and he said that he 13would go and sit in the shop, as half our home was in there. I think that the programme that inspired us, “The Life Laundry”, is back on BBC 2 this autumn, so if you want to get going, watch!

I've been performing again. This time last week, I was shimmying about on the Wotton Town Hall stage – tap dancing. Four of us performed four numbers on four evenings. One of the dances was to, “Have you met Miss Jones?” sung by the gorgeous Robbie Williams, from the film Bridget Jones' Diary. We were wearing long grey velvet dresses with fine straps and holding lilac and mauve feather boas. One of the moves was to seductively drape our boas over the edge of the stage and drag it gently along behind us. Now it was very hot up there and by that time my skin was truly glowing. My feather boa stuck to me. So there was I madly trying to fling my feathers. Needless to say, on the following three nights, I not only had to remember my steps but also about parting the boa from my shimmering shoulders.

Isn't it strange how quite often all your electrical bits start packing up? I was madly treadling away, trying to make a throw to cover up an old well-worn sofa, when smoke started pouring out from my beloved old sewing machine. The washing machine flooded out the kitchen and finally, listening to the cricket on my very old radio, it started crackling and cutting out. Can you still buy radios with long-wave? I know I have mentioned before my love of listening to the cricket. I don't know why. I would never watch a live match or see it on TV. It's just the scene that is described, I suppose, by Blowers and Aggers.

I'm still trying to get my head around the fact, that you can buy gas from the Electricity Board and electricity from the Gas Board and phone lines too, now, I gather. Most strange. Having said that, we've done most of the above.

Don't sounds evoke memories? Every Sunday about 3:30, the ice cream van comes around. I am filled with fond thoughts of us all, and our friend Duncan, putting the finishing touches to our pond, last year. The final paving slab had been laid, the sun was so hot and we were admiring our work, eating cornets.

On the subject of senses, if you walk by the Church, please take time to smell the beautiful deep pink roses in the garden. The perfume is wonderful.

Well I had better sign off. Caroline kindly phoned and Hilary and Geoff are awaiting my bit. Finally, to those who listen to the Archers, doesn't Brian Aldridge need a hefty slap?

Have a good Summer.
Best wishes, Maz.

At the Council meeting in May, Mr. Gerry Thorn agreed to continue as Chairman and I have taken over the role of Vice Chair from Mr. John Acton, a hard act to follow! Fortunately John is continuing as a parish councillor and as he is very wise and patient, I know who to go to for advice.

As most of you are aware, Mrs. Janice Vardon-Smith resigned from the PC earlier this year. Her departure left a vacant seat on the council which we believed would be difficult to fill, particularly in light of the recent publicity about town and parish councils. You may have read in the local and national press about parish councils ceasing to exist because councils were not prepared to adopt the new Model Code of Conduct which requires councillors to complete and sign the new register of interests. This was not because councillors all have something to hide, but many initially felt that procedures were already in place whereby a councillor can declare an interest and withdraw from the meeting when necessary. Fortunately our PC has survived this period of change and we 14were very pleased when three people showed an interest in becoming a councillor. A ballot was held at the June meeting and Mrs. Sandra O'Neill became our new co-opted member. The council wishes to thank the other interested persons. It was a pity that we could not co-opt all three, as they would all have made excellent councillors!

In previous newsletters we have kept you up to date with any developments regarding the skateboard area. We have planning permission and we have set aside some funds for the project but we need more funding to enable the project to go ahead. The PC is applying for various grants that might be used to help fund this project. It was very heartening to learn that a group of youngsters, assisted by their families, have been actively trying to raise funds for the skateboard area. You may have noticed the collecting jars in Steve's shop and in the Post Office. The youngsters have also held a car boot sale recently and they are planning future fund raising events. It is good to see some of our teenagers engaged in this kind of activity. This brings me to a less positive point in my report because whilst some youngsters are trying to raise funds to improve our facilities, there are others who seem determined to vandalise and wreck our existing play equipment. I am sure that you have read recent reports in the local press about the mindless and destructive acts of vandalism that are costing large amounts of money, time and effort to put right again. The PC carry out regular inspections of the play equipment and there is also an inspection, carried out annually by ROSPA. The PC then have to maintain and up-date the equipment which is an expensive business in itself, without then having to continually pay out more to repair the vandalism. I know that it is a very small minority of our young people that behave in this manner. As members of our village community, we should all try to be vigilant and report any incidents that we are aware of to the police. Some of our young people have contacted South Glos. Council to complain that there are no facilities for them in Charfield, so an open meeting was arranged for villagers to discuss this issue and a small working group was set up to try to develop events and activities for the youth of our village. The project is being co-ordinated by Sarah Roberts – Community Development Worker for South Glos. However, for this project to get off the ground, we need people to help, so if you are interested you can contact myself or Sarah.

In conclusion I would like to remind villagers that the monthly meetings of the PC are held on the second Tuesday of the month in the Sportsman's Lounge and these meetings are open to the public.

Jayne Pedley, Vice Chair

Charfield and District Branch
Branch HQ: Charfield Village Hall
Meetings held: First Wednesday of each month @ 20:00 hrs
President: Mr. J. Poskett

It has been a fairly quiet year so far for the branch.

In April the Branch Standard was paraded at the annual A.N.Z.A.C parade held at Leighterton, last years parade was cancelled due to foot and mouth restrictions. The weather was dry for this year's parade, but there was a gale force wind blowing which made it very difficult for the standard bearers. There was a very good turn out of standards and members with the parade being inspected by the Lord Lieutenant of the County.

Members are reminded that the Branch A.G.M. will be held on 04 September 2002 in the Sportsmans' Lounge at 20:00hrs. All existing members are encouraged to attend as the election of officers will take place. Any new members will be most welcomed.

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17

The Farm Nursery has now reached the end of it's penultimate year, our garden party may, or may not have been blessed with glorious sunshine and sixteen children have left us for local schools.

We take 12 children, aged over 2 years 9 months, for five mornings and afternoons dependent on demand, with two members of staff on duty. The morning session runs from 9.05am until 11.45am, the afternoon from 12.15pm until 3pm.

The sessions are structured with table top activities to start off with, crafts, puzzles, cooking, etc. After a break for drinks, biscuits and a chat, the children play outside in the garden. The last part of the session involves the children choosing from all sorts of messy play, imaginative play in the home corner, the dressing up box or the small world toys; or working on their drawing, writing or number books. Of course there is always time for stories and songs before home time.

Our morning sessions for September are almost full, but we will add afternoons if needed, contact Chris Bennett, 01453 84xxxx for information or bookings.

Nursery Grant

All children are now entitled to Nursery Grant from the second term after their third birthday, this amounts about £370 per term for a five session week, and the grant can be split between different settings. As our fees are £7 per session, the Grant covers an 11 week term, there is a small top up to pay if the term goes over 11 weeks.

As I said this is our penultimate year, with our last group of children leaving in July 2003, so although we would take younger children parents must bear in mind that they may would not be able to spend the whole of their pre school time with us.

The formal and legal arrangements for the joining together of the two parishes of Charfield and Kingswood have now been completed and so a new ‘United Benefice’ has been created with myself now having the title of Rector. Sadly, the Rectory at Kingswood has had to be sold as the Diocese of Gloucester continues to have difficulty in raising sufficient funds to meet its budget figure now that support from central funds is almost zero. Each diocese acts independently with responsibility for payments to clergy, provision of clergy houses and other diocesan services. The vast majority of funding comes from the parishes themselves as the Diocese requests payments from the parishes as their share of the ‘Common Fund’ or ‘Quota’. At present, church members at St. John's have to find nearly £8,000 to pass on to the Diocese and Kingswood nearer £9,000, as well as raising other amounts to pay the usual bills and running costs. This is why fundraising events like the Annual Plant Sale are so vital to maintain the income and viability of the parish. The Plant Sale this year raised nearly £1,300 and we are very grateful to all of you who supported this event both in helping and buying. Although, the fund raising is important we hope that the event is a bit more than that, providing a village focus and good quality plants at reasonable prices for the benefit of the community. Next year's plant sale will be on Saturday 17th May, plans are already in hand!

Anyway, enough about money for the time being (although the state of the church windows is a cause for continued concern) there are more encouraging things to speak of. Joining the two parishes together does mean extra work for myself but it also enables the two churches to work together and there have been welcome signs of how both villages can benefit with a bit of give and take. Traditionally, each parish operates independently preserving ‘its patch’ with its traditions and practices but increasingly the advantage of overlap and 18a sharing of resources can bring benefits to all. The two Church Councils have begun to work together as they seek to build a relationship that will allow stability as well as creating new opportunities and plans for the future. It is an exciting time and I hope that you will feel part of it because the church is there for the benefit of all the residents of the village and not merely those who attend on a regular basis. We are pleased and happy to see you at any time and there are services and events that celebrate particular occasions in both the church and the national calendar.

Worship is at the heart of church life and activity and we try to make our services as welcome and accessible as possible for everyone. We are planning to make a few alterations to the service pattern in the Autumn and also to re-launch Sunday Club with some new activities for young people. Holy Communion (also known as The Eucharist) will remain a central feature of the service pattern but we are also planning another ‘family type’ service that will consist of hymns/songs, readings, prayers and talk/activity that will be of short duration – yes, I've heard the whispers about my sermons being too long!

The Summer activities have to be limited this year for a variety of reasons but we are organising two dates for children and young peoples activities. Both will operate between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and a packed lunch will be needed. The event on Tuesday 6th August will be in Charfield starting and finishing at St. John's. The theme for the day will be ‘Light’. On Thursday 15th August the event will be in Kingswood starting and finishing at St. Mary's. The theme will be ‘The Family’. All children are welcome but pre-school and infant age children will need to be accompanied by a responsible person – come and have some fun! Booking Forms for the days will be available from the church porches.

May I wish you all a very happy and enjoyable summer and we hope and pray for some good weather, especially for those of us who will be enjoying a break under canvas!

Revd. Robert Pestell, Rector.

Many of you will by now have had an opportunity to see the wonderful transformation that has taken place to the ‘Foundation Room’. For those who do not know, the Foundation Room is the building that is located on the right hand side of the School Playground that used to be the school kitchen and dining room. The building, and especially the roof, had been in a poor state of repair for many years and it was high time that such a potentially useful building was brought up to modern standards. Through the combined efforts of many people and organisations we now have a building that the village can be proud of which is home to the Out of School Hours Club and the Pre-school.

I am very grateful to everyone who has helped and contributed to this important project with much of the finance coming from local people and local organisations. The total cost of the project has been just over £50,000 and this has been supplemented by the dedication and hard work of many people to get the facility up and running. I would like to give particular thanks to the members of the Out of School Hours Committee for their fundraising activities and all the decoration to the interior of the building. However, much of the finance has come through the efforts of local people with all the small sums, including the 5p coin appeal supported by pupils at the school, ensuring that eventually we could pay all the bills for what became a much larger project than we had anticipated. I say ‘we’ and here I need to fill in a little of the background, for some people may be unaware of who actually runs and owns the Foundation Room.

19Charfield National School Foundation is a registered Charity that was set up in 1894 by a past Rector of the parish to support the educational needs of the children and young people of the village. The charity is administered by 5 Trustees (known as Governors). The Chairman of the Governors is the Rector of the time and the other members are one of the Church Wardens, another Church member and one representative each from South Gloucestershire Council and the Parish Council. The Charity, therefore, operates independently from other organisations although there are close links with other village groups. The Governors are responsible for the Charity's two main assets, some charity investments which produce a small amount of income and the Foundation Room and the land upon which it sits. The Foundation Room is, therefore, not the responsibility of either the church or the school and this has led to much confusion and dispute in the past. Although there are still some legal matters to be resolved the position has been clarified and all parties involved are now aware of where responsibility lies and we can now move forward with the children of our village benefiting from the vastly improved facilities. Apart from the Out of School Hours Club and the Pre-school the building is able to be used on evenings and at weekends by the church and provision has also been made for the school to use the facilities on two or three afternoons a week. The building is also available for meetings and children's parties, bearing in mind that it is a child friendly and child centred facility.

Although we now have a modern and well used facility for the benefit of the children of the village the project is not quite complete. There are still some improvements that the Governors would like to see carried out to the building and this involves putting a 5 metre extension on the side where the toilets are. The extension would provide better toilet, kitchen and storage facilities as well as an upstairs meeting room. These additions would turn an already attractive and useful building into a top class facility and a small group of people are working on a major grant application to the lottery fund for the required finances.

I hope that all this clarifies the situation regarding the Charity and the Foundation Room which I have found to be very confusing on occasions. In the course of dealing with the background and history I, and the other Governors, have had to unearth papers from various sources and hold discussions with the Local Education Authority, the Schools Officer from the Diocese and local solicitors. I shall be very happy to see these matters resolved once and for all, in the meantime we have made considerable progress and it really is wonderful to see how a virtually derelict building has been transformed into a bright and attractive meeting place for our children. Thank you all.

Revd. Robert Pestell
Chairman, Charfield National School Foundation Governors.

From Russia with Love

I have just returned from seeing the first Round Table in Moscow being officially started or “Chartered” and it has been a marvellous experience, which I shared with four other Wotton Tablers. Forget all your preconceptions about a cold, oppressive country whose women all look like shot-putters, you would be quite wrong! I walked about in tee-shirt and shorts in bright sunshine and the ladies were more Anna Kournikova and very stylish (not that that interested me in the slightest, Tracy!)

Moscow RT no.1 has been formed largely by ex-pats but with Russians now joining the Table. Over 200 of us converged on Moscow, which has a population of ten million, as probably the best opportunity we would get to visit Moscow, and the organizers had obtained a very good rate 20at the Metropole hotel very near to Red Square. We arrived on the Wednesday night and checked in, found a bar for a quiet drink and crashed out after travelling most of the day. On the Thursday Lenin's tomb was closed so we headed for the ex-British embassy that is now the Ambassador's residence where the niece of a friend works. Sarah kindly showed us round the wonderful building and we left her with a large jar of marmite (which you can't get in Russia)! The afternoon saw us cruising down the Moskva river seeing the sites, it really is the best way to see Moscow so we took plenty of pictures. As my company has an office in Moscow we arranged to meet a colleague of mine for dinner which was my chance to try vodka for the first time!

Friday was spent looking around the Kremlin and other exhibitions where there was so much splendour in the buildings and artefacts. It is a miracle that so much survived the Revolution. A welcome dinner was held in the evening with traditional Russian entertainment, including dancing and an amazing company of lady violinists who took several encores! Saturday saw the business part of the trip with the new Table being formally opened and the members inducted by the new Chairman. We were then taken for a lunch at a local Georgian restaurant and made our own way back to the hotel thanks to the Metro underground railway. Reading Russian is not easy! Some of us headed to Red Square after that to have our picture taken drinking champagne and waving union flags, but were moved on by the soldiers when we stayed too long! A lively black-tie dinner with music by a rock band and socializing to the early hours completed a lovely day.

On Sunday we were taken to a local market where we could buy our souvenirs after bartering with the stallholders. I bought some Russian dolls and some of us braved the metro again to get back. We finished by relaxing in a park by Red Square listening to classical music and finally making our way back to the airport for the flight home again with Aeroflot (no problems there). I hope to return one day and would recommend visiting this wonderful country if you ever get the opportunity.

John Francksen

The holiday season is now well upon us all, and it does sometimes create quite a problem when trying to arrange lifts for people needing to use the scheme.

Maybe this summer will see some of you reading this article at home after retiring from work.

Can I therefore appeal to any of you that may have time to spare to help with driving other people to doctor, dentist, hospital appointments etc.

I do try not to call on volunteers more than twice a month. The more drivers that are available, the less times they have to do a trip.

I look forward to hearing from some of you, so that the load can be lightened.

Further details can be obtained from Marion Smith
Tel: 01454 26xxxx
Email: xxxx @ asmiths.freeserve.co.uk

Issue number 8 starts “Congratulations to Her Majesty The Queen on her Silver Jubilee – Charfield feels very much part of the celebrations because Captain Mark Phillips lived here for a while and was christened in the village church”.

This edition was 15 pages long and sported a new masthead (not the current one) because a new duplicator had been bought.

21There were several write ups of Jubilee street parties and it seems that the choice of date determined whether you got the good or the bad weather.

In the article from St John's Church they introduce their new style Family Service held on the second Sunday of every month.

The village hall had just had a big spring clean courtesy of local volunteers.

The Sports Day featured Morris Dancing, pony rides and a fly past from the Red Arrows.

Minister: Rev. Philip Hope Tel: 01453 84xxxx
A warm welcome awaits you at all of our services.

Sunday School. Sunday 11am.
Family Service 1st Sunday of each month at 11am
Worship 6pm.
Ladies Bright Hour Alternate Tuesday's 2:30pm.
Bible Study and Prayer Friday's 2:30pm.
Group Practice 7:30pm.

Close your eyes and go back in time …

• Before the Internet or the Apple Mac.
• Before semi-automatics, joyriders and crack …
• Before SEGA or Super Nintendo …

Way back …

• I'm talking about Hide and Seek in the park.
• The corner shop.
• Hopscotch.
• Butterscotch.
• Skipping.
• Handstands.
• Football with an old can.
• Fingerbobs.
• Beano, Twinkle.
• Roly Poly.
• Hula Hoops
• Jumping the stream, building dams.
• The smell of the sun and fresh cut grass.
• Bazooka Joe bubble gum.
• An ice cream cone on a warm summer night from the van that plays a tune
• Chocolate or vanilla or strawberry or maybe Neapolitan or perhaps a screwball
• When Curly Wurly's were as big as your arm and wagon wheels as big as your face

Remember

• Watching Saturday morning cartoons … short commercials
• The Double Deckers, Road Runner, He-Man
• Tiswas or Swapshop?, and Why Don't You – or staying up for Star Trek.
• When around the corner seemed far away and going into town seemed like going somewhere.
• Earwigs, wasps and bee stings.
• Sticky fingers.
• Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, and Zorro.
• Climbing trees.
• Building igloos out of snow banks.
• Walking to school, no matter what the weather.
• Running till you were out of breath, laughing so hard that your stomach hurt.
• Jumping on the bed. Pillow fights.
• Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.
• Being tired from playing … remember that?
• The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
• Water balloons were the ultimate weapon
• Football cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
• Choppers and Grifters

I'm not finished just yet …

22Remember …

• Eating raw jelly. Orange squash ice pops.
• There were two types of trainers – girls and boys, and Dunlop Green Flash and the only time you wore them at school was for P.E.
• You knew everyone in your street – and so did your parents.
• It wasn't odd to have two or three “best” friends.
• You didn't sleep a wink on Christmas eve.
• When nobody owned a pure-bred dog.
• When 25p was decent pocket money
• When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.
• When nearly everyone's mum was at home when the kids got there.
• It was magic when dad would “remove” his thumb.
• When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents.
• When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him to carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.
• When being sent to the head's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home.
• When our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! – And some of us are still afraid of them!!

Remember when …

• Decisions were made by going “Ip Dip Dog Ship.” (yeah I know)
• “Race issue” meant arguing about who ran the fastest. Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in “Monopoly”.
• The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was germs.
• And the worst thing in your day was having to sit next to one.
• It was unbelievable that British Bulldog wasn't an Olympic event.
• Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a catapult.
• Nobody was prettier than Mum.
• Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.
• Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable aspirin.
• Ice cream was considered a basic food group
• Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true
• Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest protectors

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED.

Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their “grown up” life …

(Phil Jones)

Have a great summer

23

Please make use of this diary. Either telephone or drop a note of any additions or modifications to Geoff or Hilary Wignall (01454 26xxxx, x Berkeley Close, or xxxx @ Breathemail.net)

KLB = Katharine Lady Berkeley School
FR = Foundation Room, Primary School
SH = Charfield School Hall
SB = Sportsman's Bar, Memorial Hall
MH = Memorial Hall

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

24

If you wish to alter the entries below, please telephone Geoff or Hilary on 01454 26xxxx

Transcriber Notes

This issue was produced on 24 sides of A4 paper.

Personal phone numbers and addresses have been redacted.

Minor typographical corrections and presentational changes have been made without comment.

Digitization by Brendan O'Connor.

Last update: 2017-02-02.