CHADRA

With gale force winds and heavy showers forecast – all things considered the annual village fair (just two days ago, as I write) came off pretty well with regard to the weather. There certainly were some wet moments and the wind definitely made its presence known. But, try as it might, the wind couldn't uproot the many gazebos erected for the protection of the stalls and stallholders! Mind you there was occasion, where I was – under the ‘Friends’ canopy, for human weight to be added to the poles to keep it in position and more than once I saw the bottles blown over on the wine and water stall – thankfully with no casualties. Luckily for me I was not one of the people who had to erect or pack away said structures – I take my hat off to all of you that did and thank goodness for guy ropes! I think everyone had a jolly good day – if rather windswept – and our thanks must go to the organising committee (led by Graham Pedley) and the many people who helped out on the day.

As usual I should like to thank all the contributors to this issue of the newsletter. Geoff and I are now in our tenth year of collation of the newsletter and I must say it has certainly become easier over the years. Without a doubt the advent of email and the efficiency with which we receive articles has reduced the amount of time it takes to produce a master copy for duplication – and for that we thank you.

As we career towards the school summer holidays here's hoping the weather becomes more settled – nice and sunny and warm would be lovely.

Regards, Hilary

Next Copy Date – 6th October 2008

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Thankfully Derek Leahy has come up with another great picture for the cover of this issue. This time he has drawn New Town – viewed from the playing field. Thanks very much Derek, your prize will be with you soon.

Please, please, please can someone give Derek a break from my emails requesting another picture to avoid a blank cover? Brilliant as Derek's pictures are it is lovely to get contributions from other people, young or old, in the village. YOUR picture or photograph on the broad theme of ‘my village’ could be on the cover of the next issue. No more than 16cm square, please. Whilst we prefer black and white, contributions can be in colour just so long as they will still look good when we print them in black and white.

The Memorial Hall Committee have decided, as an experiment, to open up the Sportsmans Lounge at the village hall twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2.30 till 4.30 during the school summer holidays as a place where the village youngsters can “hang out” for a couple of hours if the weather is poor or if they just fancy a change of scenery! It is due to start on Tuesday 29th July and will end Thursday 28th August.

It will be available to members only but membership is free as are the very modest refreshments. The Hall Committee does have a few games and things which they will make available and there is a TV and a player, so I hope that they will bring their favourite DVDs and games! Maybe croquet outside?

It is however just an experiment and the more pessimistic believe it will not last the first week. We will see!! What a shame if some of the lads and lasses can't handle it? Still nothing ventured, nothing gained?

I hope to see lots there and I will do my best to look after them.

Colin Wadsworth

I'd like to begin my first piece in the Charfield Newsletter by thanking Paul Ashford, the previous Chairman of Charfield Parish Council, for his work with the Council on behalf of the Parish. I'm happy to say Paul has agreed to take the post of Vice-Chairman for the next year (or so) while I find my feet. Of course, a change of Chairman has no immediate effect on the ongoing work of the Council, and work that Paul spoke of in earlier briefs continues.

Play Area
A Working Group has been set up to develop a replacement strategy for the play equipment situated between the Memorial Hall and Little Bristol Lane. This equipment is purchased and maintained by the Parish Council, and the replacement of each item as it nears the end of its useful life takes careful consideration. We would be very interested to hear from anyone with ideas regarding this issue. Obviously not all wishes can be fulfilled, but the Council wants to provide a play environment best suited to the needs of the whole Parish. The costs of providing, maintaining (and repairing, after the occasional incidents of vandalism) do come, after all, from you via the precept. Contact the Clerk (or a Councillor if you know one!), details further in this piece.

Corner of Manor Lane and Wotton Road.
Another Working Group has been making great advances with this project, and the central map for the new notice-board 4will have gone to the printer by the time this piece is printed. The layered hedge and the Willow, which admittedly looked a little sparse immediately after pruning by South Glos Council, are now in full growth and looking far stronger. The Working Group is now looking to plant bulbs and other flora adjacent to the now well used new seat and new bin, which will make for an even more pleasant outlook in the future.

Planning Issues
Planning law is about to change with the new Planning Bill going through Parliament. Planning Applications come before the Parish for comment before going to the County Council for permission or refusal. Most folk in the Parish will be aware of the current Applications and Appeals for both the Wickwar Quarry and the (very well advertised, thanks to CHADRA!) 14 Flats in Little Bristol Lane. These issues are important to the whole Parish, over and above the normal extensions and conservatories we also see applications for, and news is posted to the Parish Council Website as we have it. The web site also has links to the South Gloucestershire Planning Portal where it is possible to search for and comment on all ongoing Applications.

Web Site Award
Am I allowed a small plug for the web site? Yes? Good. We were very happy to learn recently that our new web site had been awarded second place in the LCR/Cooperative Bank Website of the Year 2008. A copy of the certificate, which currently sits in my study, is posted on the web site itself. The web site contains details of the Council, who we are and what we do, and news about the Parish as well as links to local services and contact details for the Council.

There are a few pictures on the web site already, and we hope to put a small gallery of photographs of local landmarks on the site in the future. Please feel free to offer your own work via the Clerk. Not all contributions will be used but all will be acknowledged and all used will be credited to their authors.

The web site can be found at http://www.charfieldparishcouncil.org.uk

Burial Ground
As you will recall, the Parish was surveyed a year or so back to ascertain the need for a new burial ground, there having been no facilities for burial within the Parish for over a decade. The overall positive response led the Council to accept the kind offer of land at Churchend from Lord Ducie and the Tortworth Estate, and a Working Group has been set up to develop a business plan for what will be perhaps one of the largest endeavours in the Parish Council's history. The transfer of the land to Council ownership is slowly moving towards completion, environmental assessments have taken place and the clearance of scrub around the perimeter is currently being carried out with the cooperation of Leyhill Prison.

Once the Working Group has presented options and recommendations to the Council, we will hold a Parish Meeting in order to outline the project to the Parish and answer as many questions as we can. In the meantime, interested parties can contact the Council via the Clerk.

I'll sign off now with best wishes for the remainder of our traditionally sunny, rainy, windy West Country summer. Remember you can always speak with the Council, which is after all there to represent you. Contact the Clerk on 01453-51xxxx, or via email (address on the web site)

Mark Rosher
Chairman

5

Since my last epistle we have been a little bit busy. We've most recently pulled the carpet up in church. It wasn't an act of mindless vandalism … unlike the damage someone did to the porch … it was planned. The Architect told us it was dangerous, so it's gone. We now have to decide whether the Vicars' tea party … where we always have biscuits to eat and sometimes have tarts (to eat also!!) … should also advertise for help for scrubbing … you can imagine the advert!!! We shall continue to clean the floor tiles until we either die of exhaustion or someone comes up with a better idea.

One good idea we had recently … the royal we … was the Disco. I have to say that Annette did a SUPERB job in organising the event and the prizes she managed to talk people into donating were really good. She raised £680 for the start of the ‘Get water into St John's’ fund. We hope to move the font and put in an area, with disabled access, of toilets, changing facilities and the like. Moving the font only needs a few well built people and maybe a stone mason. The rest of the work requires architects, plans and money!! We WILL get there.

The Junior choir are practising hard and singing well. They've sung at 2 services so far and are being well received. They bring their mums, dads, grans and aunts with them so we all get to enjoy the music they make. They continue to meet after school on Friday and are eating me out of biscuits!

I guess with the summer holidays approaching we're hoping for some decent weather. Don't forget that the Play Scheme is running at Kingswood Village Hall from Monday to Friday, August 11 to 15. Let me know if you'd like a form to register. It's for children of Primary school age … and this year is looking at the theme of Junior Heroes.

In case any of you know about the Bird that's taken up residence with us … it's a Tumbler pigeon … he's obviously lost from an aviary and is quite tame. We've called him Picken (pigeon/chicken) … BUT if you know where his home really is, please tell us, or the owner. We don't mind him at all but he looks lonely sometimes.

Church life moves on in many ways, not just the ‘fabric’ of the building. The youngsters are preparing for Confirmation classes and 2 Oldies have joined them as well. The service will be on October 24th, with the Bishop. Before then we have to say farewell to our year 6 pupils as they move on and then celebrate Harvest.

It's unbelievable to think that we've been here almost a year. Time flies, especially when having fun and that's what I'm doing. Thank you all for sharing the fun with me.

Best wishes for a good summer,
Viv K

By the time you are reading this Wimbledon will be over for another year and Andy Murray has shown us all that he could indeed fulfil his promise and be the Men's Champion one day soon! … what a great fight back against Gasquet and he had all of us that watched or listened to the radio pinned to their seat, shame he had to meet the powerful Nadal next – probably 2 years to soon, it will come and the great thing for the future of British Tennis is that the youngsters will try and emulate him!

Thank you to all those that have renewed their memberships this year and welcome to new members, it is both satisfying and rewarding for the volunteer committee that you not just love the game, but are voting in this way 6that you are happy with the job we are doing

Don't forget in return you have the full facility of the court being bookable in advance by using the IBOOKA system via the Tennis Clubs website on http://charfieldtennisclub.ibooka.com/

This system is only available to members of Charfield Tennis Club. If you do not have a user name and password please contact the club to provide one for you.

It is a great system which Charfield Tennis Club pays for on behalf of its members, but please ensure that you only book the court when you are certain that you will be using it (weather permitting!) as there is a charge for every booking made.

Since the last Chadra report we have been very busy, as you would expect coming into our peak time of the year: Below are some of the things that have happened or are about to:

• A Quiz Night held in the great facility which is The Memorial Hall (Bookings can be made via email at xxxx @ virgin.net or via telephone on 07774 41xxxx.) was a great success raising valuable funds for the 2nd Court Project.
• A Junior Tournament took place on the 8th June and we had 15 players entered, which split into 3 teams all playing mixture of singles & doubles matches. The winners were Sam Wiles, Simon Aston, Philip Whittaker, Harry Barnes & Andrew Francksen. A competitive yet thoroughly sporting morning which produced some fabulous tennis. All players received a medal and special big tennis balls for the winning team members.
• The OPEN Club Tournament on the 8th June was brilliantly supported thanks to all, with 34 members entered. Pairs were drawn and the battle ensued! 22 tie-break matches in the Round Robin part of the tournament, knockout Quarter Finals, Semis & Final. Again, the juniors excelled themselves, 3 appearing in the semi finals, (Phil Whittaker, Tom Watkins & Chris Field). The victors on the day, winning boxed medals and prizes and beating Chris Field & Jake Barnes in the Final, were Gail Kemp & Phil Barnes – congratulations to them and to all who entered. (The most entertaining player award goes to the youngest player in the tournament, Michael Riley, who played some brilliant tennis against some very tough opposition ) The weather was proper tennis weather, the Pimms flowed and a great afternoon was enjoyed by all.
• The Mens Doubles was an interesting affair; with at last the muscular toned men of the village coming out and in true gladiatorial battle on the court for all the swooning ladies to see. The final victors were Phil Barnes & Nigel Cloke with a great display of power & balletic movement around the court.
• The Mixed Doubles was again very enjoyable and made more exciting by the gale force wind that stayed with us over the two days, wreaking havoc with serves and anticipation of a balls eventual direction, with 11 couples taking part in the draw. The eventual winners were Gail & Mike Kemp, after a thrilling final vs Tony Field & Cathy, watched in the sunshine by a Pimms soaked appreciative crowd.

Looking ahead, though some may have happened in between my report being submitted and this issue, we will have had (a report to follow in the next Chadra):

• 7‘Inter Club’ Matches – some friendly matches have been organised between Charfield, Kingswood and Coaley Tennis Clubs. The first Ladies Match against Kingswood was drawn 2–2. A junior match against Coaley is currently being organized, and more will hopefully follow against other clubs. Competition is great for improving everyone's tennis and great fun socially too!
• Ladies Doubles Tournament – Finals on July 13th
• Men's Singles Tournament on the weekend of the 19th / 20th July
• Family Tournament PRIMARY – 15 pairs entered ages 6–11yrs, 4 boxes, top 2 in each box go through to Knock-out Quarter Finals, Semi Finals & Finals at the Summer Fete
• Family Tournament SECONDARY – 10 pairs entered ages 12–14yrs, 4 boxes, top 4 in each box go through to Knock-out Quarter Finals, Semi Finals & Finals at the Summer Fete
• We will also be organising members social events; including in November ‘Frog Racing!!’ a quiz Night in May & a repeat of last years sell out Xmas Lunch.

Coaching continues, with sessions for children aged 3–13yrs. Adult coaching sessions are also running mid week. Summer holiday sessions will be taking place in August. Contact Jake Barnes for details – 07971 93xxxx.

We are now seriously into the necessary representations to raise the challenging funds to begin work on our exciting, much needed, 2nd Court Project. As a reminder, the planning permission for this project has now been passed (subject to some conditions), but we now need to raise some £40k in order to take it to fruition. I have now made 3 formal requests for funding from identified local & national bodies that can grant such and now it's a case of ‘keep you fingers crossed’ that we are successful. May I say a special thank you to the Chair Tim Hill, his wife Angie and all of the Trustees & Committee members of The Memorial Hall for their valuable support in this project?

Also a major thank you to my committee and the other helpers for their continued efforts and dedication.

Do not hesitate to either contact myself or Jake if you are interested in joining or need any more information.

See you on court?

Chris Riley, Chairman, 07795 66xxxx

Following its launch in the last issue of CHADRA, a number of people have expressed an interest in becoming part of a Charfield support group for single or Solo parents.

Two lively and interesting evenings have been held so far and we would be happy to hear from anyone else who is bringing up children on their own, who might like to join us

We meet once a month at present, for an exchange of views; a sharing of coping strategies and mutual support, from others in similar situations.

If you would like more information, any one of the following would be happy to receive a call from you. All calls are treated in the strictest confidence.

Contacts:
Daryl-Anne 01454 26xxxx
Julie 01453 84xxxx
Sandy 01454 26xxxx
Steve 01454 26xxxx.

8

A local garden is opening for the NGS on a couple of evenings this summer. The garden at Pemberley Lodge is a wonderful example of what a gifted designer can do for an “ordinary” sized garden. The late and much missed Lesley Rosser who had her own beautiful garden in Charfield designed this garden in 2002. Loved and cherished by the owners, the garden is maturing well. It is colourful and interesting all year round and incorporates trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs, grasses, water, gravel and hard landscaping to provide a tranquil outside space full of beauty and stunning plant combinations.

There is also an unusual roof garden which was built in 2006 and this will be open to visitors for the first time this year.

The garden is opening on two evenings to enjoy the late afternoon and evening light setting on this beautiful garden.

Opening Details:
Pemberley Lodge, Churchend Lane, Old Charfield, GL12 8LJ.
The garden can be found off the B4058 from Wotton-under-Edge through Charfield village then at the top of the hill turn left. From the M5 J14 take the B4509 east and at the crossroads go straight across into Churchend Lane.

Open Thursday 7th August and 28th August from 4pm to 8pm.
Admission £4.00, children free with all proceeds going to the NGS sponsored charities.

Light refreshments including wine will be available.

Visitors also welcome by appointment at other times – ring 01454 26xxxx.

Sue and I had put our names down for face painting at the school May Fair. We had done two Christmas sessions and were well sorted in adorning tiny cheeks with Christmas trees, snowmen and different coloured snowflakes, (handy for when all the white had run out). Sue had done last year's May fair and so had some good ideas. We met at the end of my road. “I feel sick,” I said. “Me too,” said Sue. We were going to be charging for this art. I'd had to let a couple of snowmen with red scarves slowly drooling down a few little cheeks go for free, at Christmas, so I was well panicking. O.K., flowers were alright for little girls, but what would the boys want? Before I knew it, we were in the swing. Sue had printed off some ideas off the ‘net’ and we were away. She doesn't appreciate her own brilliant skills and, delightfully, made it into the Gazette. Fortunately most of my ‘clients’ were girls – so butterflies seemed to be my thing. I did have a great moment when a lovely little customer who, incidentally, is coming to our school in September, asked for a snowman!!! How fab was that?

Yesterday, I went on a course called “Smart Moves” at a school in Thornbury. We all sat on the most tiniest of chairs and I was the only one wearing a skirt. It was extremely hot in the hall and when I got up, my slender thighs were stuck to the chair. Smart moves I certainly did trying to stand up with this object suctioned to me. Fortunately everyone was getting up so hopefully no-one noticed, despite me going “Oh, Oh, Oh!”

I'm going to be a bit cheeky here but to tell you about A) this new cattery that has opened. It's called Ashworthy and it's at Tytherington run by Nicky Pittman on 07799 80xxxx. Lovely place, I can highly recommend it and, B) my dear chum Chris has gone all alternative, you 9can see her ads in this Chadra. If you've got stresses and strains of life bothering you, one of her head massages will do the trick.

On the subject of advertising, I've been going to London a lot on National Express Funfares. The cheapest I've gone for is £2 return!! It costs Keith more to take me to Bristol Coach Station. I told Mum it was Chadra time and she said, “Oh you're not writing about me again are you?” Well yes Mum but only to say that at 85, she's brill and had just joined an art class. I normally go up early on Saturday mornings and return at Sunday lunchtime so that I don't leave my precious for too long (Keith that is). I tell him to just pretend that I'm doing a long stint in the kitchen and allow him full reign on E-Bay.

Well, before I get on the coach to come home, I nip into the Ladies at Victoria. There's this lovely chap in charge of the loos, overseeing that no-one jumps over the entrance machine and we always have a laugh, etc. He hadn't been there for a while. However, on my last trip, there he was. “Hello,” I said, “How are you?” and all the other pleasantries and ended by saying, jokingly, “We can't keep meeting like this.” What I meant was, definitely not in the toilets. Next thing, he's asking me for my phone number and did I still travel to Bristol. I told him that I didn't think that my husband would be too pleased and then, HE apologized. It should have been me saying sorry, yacking on too much as usual. Mind you I did get on the coach with a bit of a glow. He might be a loo attendant but he was dripping in gold.

We went to visit Lawrence in April, New York!!! for those of you who don't know. Wow, I love this name dropping. Anyway, don't be too envious, on our first day there were we up the Empire State Building? No, we were in Ikea, buying dining room chairs. We had a fantastic week, eating in these swanky restaurants. My daughter-in-law phones up for reservations and you can hear her say, “But, honey, I'm on the list.”

Oh yes, finishing off, there was a dead mouse in my shoe. Naturally, I accused Keith. I didn't think our cat would be that ingenious. Mind how you go.

Best Wishes, love Maz.

A potted planning history

The Parish Council, CHADRA and others have been active in objecting to the proposed block of 14 flats on the corner of Little Bristol Lane and Wotton Road, backing on to the railway. A Government Planning Inspector will decide an appeal made by Markey Developments against South Gloucestershire Council's refusal of planning permission. What do you know about the history of this site? Here are a few facts I have put together.

• September 1974. The erection of a scout headquarters building was approved.
• October 1997. British Railways sold most of the site at auction for £26,600. The Parish Council wanted to bid for the land for community purposes, but the bids rocketed past their valuation!
• 1997. Application made by a developer for outline planning permission for 2 retail units.
• April 1998. South Gloucestershire Council refused permission on highway safety grounds.
• August 1998. An appeal Inspector misunderstood the traffic information and ruled that highway safety was acceptable. Nevertheless he dismissed the appeal, primarily on a technicality, and refused permission.
• 10August 1998. Another application for outline planning permission for 2 retail units.
• January 1999. Permission granted by South Gloucestershire Council, as the new application dealt with the Inspector's technical problem.
• January 2002 (or maybe 2004). Permission for retail units expired.
• 2006. A different developer, Markey Developments, applied for full planning permission for 14 flats, but the application was withdrawn.
• 2007. After discussions with officers of South Gloucestershire Council, Markey Developments submitted a revised application for the erection of 14 flats.
• November 2007. Although officers recommended approval, the Development Control Committee of South Gloucestershire Council refused planning permission primarily on grounds of poor design, noise affecting occupants of the flats, and lack of amenity space for occupants.
• April 2008. Markey Developments appealed against the refusal.
• Watch this space!

John Acton

The Markey Developments planning appeal – a not-so-potted history

The Auction
Back in 1998, the front page of the Winter issue of the CHADRA newsletter recounted the sad tale of the Parish Councillors who went to auction to buy a bit of British Rail land for the village, and came back empty-handed. Confident that the site had no development potential because of its location, size, and traffic issues, they had expected the District Valuer's guide of £500–£1000 to be accurate. Oh dear – how wrong could one be? The article says they “drove back to Charfield, howling with laughter at the absurdity of it all.” They asked themselves, “What had we all missed? What was so valuable? Time will tell.” (I may as well confess, I was one of those bewitched, bothered and bewildered councillors.)

The Application
John Acton outlined the planning history of the site above; and so we come to Markey Developments and their current application re 14 flats. The Parish Council objected strongly, and various residents wrote to register their concerns. Thanks to the intervention of our local Councillor, Sandra O'Neill, this decision was referred to the Development Control (West) Committee of South Glos (hereafter DCW). Otherwise, it would have gone through on the decision/recommendation of the Planning Officers, and been a done deal.

The Site Inspection
Just as the October 2007 newsletter was being printed, we learned the date of the visit of the DCW Sites Inspection (SI) Sub Committee. At such visits, those for and against are allowed only a few minutes to speak. However, if people turn up to such site meetings, if only to witness proceedings, the strength of feeling/interest is crystal clear to the SI members. It concentrates the mind wonderfully.

It was too late to include something in the newsletter, so some notices were put up quickly around the village, and word of mouth helped to assemble a large group of villagers to await the arrival of the SI committee. Carol Parton, Charfield Parish Councillor, spoke eloquently about the objections and concerns. Carol had also had the presence of mind to count the traffic movements in the hour she had been there, which suggested a busier junction than the planners thought. It was also interesting to see what traffic havoc was occasioned by the parking of the committee's vehicle on Little Bristol Lane. The committee took its time, and 11walked over the bridge to get a good impression of the site.

Planning Meeting
So to the DCW committee meeting at the Thornbury Council Offices in early November. Sandra O'Neill, and Ian Kershaw and Paul Birt (both Charfield Parish Councillors) attended (I sat in the cheap seats to observe). It started at 3pm, and we were third on the agenda. It was our misfortune that one of the largest developments in recent history was up for discussion – the North Filton Airfield site. It took HOURS.

At long last, about 4 hours into the meeting, we reached our agenda item. Again, only 5 minutes are allowed in total for those speaking for, and 5 minutes for those speaking against the proposal. Ian Kershaw spoke forcefully on the PC's behalf, rehearsing its objections (density too high, inappropriate design in a village location, schools capacity, noise, impact on Brunel station, etc). His master-stroke was to bring a copy of the objection from Network Rail; this he had pulled from the council's website, but it had not been mentioned in the planning officer's report to the committee. Network Rail said the application site includes land owned by Network Rail, that the proposed retaining wall below the embankment could compromise stability and safety, as could surface drainage. Network Rail requested refusal of permission.

Paul Birt then switched on his microphone, took a deep breath, but only managed to say, “Mr Chairman …” before Mr Chairman cut him off quite brutally, saying that the 5 minutes were up. Fancy waiting four hours for that.

Sandra O'Neill, allowed to speak as a SG Councillor, then echoed Ian's points, and added the lack of amenity space and the danger for children crossing the road to the public open space (the playing field).

In the end, the application was refused (on a majority vote) on the grounds of scale, density, impact on street scene due to out-of-character massing, unacceptable noise disturbance making living conditions unacceptable, lack of access to amenity space, absence of Section 106 agreement to achieve affordable housing, contributions to open space, and highway improvements.

On leaving the council chamber, gasping for a cuppa after the marathon (I noted that Councillors have the benefit of a well-stocked tea-trolley), I asked one of the DCW committee members, who was from an urban ward and who had voted in favour of the development, why he was so minded. ‘We've allowed worse,’ was his answer.

For once, I was speechless.

The Appeal
In due course, we were alerted to the existence of the appeal against the refusal of planning permission (in late May). The CHADRA committee decided that the village should be made aware of the appeal, so that interested parties could express their views to the Planning Inspectorate.

It was a wonderful team effort; the leaflets and posters were produced and distributed within days, and the banner attached to the site. (We thought this necessary as so many villagers could not believe that this piece of land was indeed the one in question.) We are extremely grateful to all our distributors who delivered leaflets to their rounds, and to village shops for agreeing to hold some leaflets for non-subscribers. We are also indebted to Andrew Cope who put the information on the charfield.org website within hours. If you helped in any way, we thank you.

12Whether you are for or against the development, this effort meant that you could have your say; we understand that many villagers took the time and trouble to write to the Inspectorate.

The CHADRA organisation is very grateful for the kind and appreciative comments received from so many of you, including Steve Webb MP (via Ian Kershaw): “… had I been asked to help, I would have done exactly what you [CHADRA] have done. I always try to make sure that constituents know how to use the formal procedures to make the best representation possible, and your flyer is an admirable example of how to do this.”

We are pleased to have been of service.

Now we have to wait a few months for the appeal decision. We'll keep you posted!

Julia O'Connor-Beach

Anyone wishing to join, please contact Mr J Russell on: 07711 55xxxx or 01453 52xxxx

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22

Since my last article, the hall committee has held its AGM and we have had a change in some of the officers. Angie Hill has stood down after 3 years superb work as secretary. My thanks to her for all her efforts during that time – especially as she took the job on at a time when the hall was faltering to say the least. Luckily for us she is staying involved with the hall and will be co-ordinating some of our grant and other fundraising efforts. Angie has been replaced as secretary by Annette Carter – my grateful thanks to Annette for joining the “team”. I also now have a Vice Chair for the first time in a couple of years – Deb Field has taken on this important role, and I hope that between us we can continue to drive the committee forward as we battle to keep the hall afloat.

As part of these efforts we had a working day at the hall at the beginning of June. This was supported by my employer, Delphi Diesel Systems, as part of their global charity week. About 15 Delphi employees and committee members spent the day working hard on both external and internal projects. The day was a great success and my thanks to all who gave their time and worked extremely hard for the cause. A special note of thanks must go to Andy Phipp and Charles Davis who both gave up their afternoons to help get rid of the concrete steps – without their efforts this would simply not have been possible.

The new disabled toilet is now complete and we are working hard to secure the final funding necessary to allow us to revamp the gents' toilet. This seems like a project that already has been going on for ever but it shows the hard work required to complete this sort of activity at a charitable organisation.

As I write this, we are a couple of days away from the annual Summer Fair. The plans for it are complete and hopefully the weather will be kind and the whole village will come out to support this major community event, have a great day and put some money into the hall's coffers and that of the Friends of the school, who jointly stage this event with the Hall team.

On a sour note, the hall has suffered a particularly bad spate of graffiti over the last couple of months. Once again this is both annoying and disappointing as key resources have to be re-directed from positive activities into cleaning this graffiti off the brickwork and windows. I'm pleased to report though that the likely culprits have been identified and we are currently working with the authorities to secure the evidence which will lead to convictions.

Finally looking ahead, we have another Casino Night planned for the beginning of October and Steve Yeo continues his efforts to organise Charfield's very own talent contest – also in the Autumn. Please watch out around the village for posters advertising both these events. Thank you.

Tim Hill, Chair

There is good news and not so good news. The not so good news is that this is my final article as part of Charfield Rainbows. The good news – no brilliant news – is that we have someone to take over from me in September.

23I would like to welcome Jo Holloway as our new Rainbow leader. Jo comes in with bags of ideas and enthusiasm to take Rainbows forward into the future with Andrea.

Rainbows have been busy again this summer term enjoying all the activities. Highlights have been the sleepover – pj's, hot chocolate and sleeping bags all squeezed into an hour – what fun! We have been to the Wotton farm shop to pick strawberries, we couldn't have asked for a better day or strawberries.

To end our term we are having a swimming party at Wotton pool – hope the water is warm!

As from September Rainbows will be starting slightly later at 4.15 pm–5.15 pm – not quite such as rush after school.

Finally I would like to thank everyone for making my time at Rainbows so enjoyable. I am still going to be involved in Guiding so I hope to see some of you around.

Kathryn Schofield
Andrea Barnes – 01453 84xxxx

Over the last few months we have had many reports from residents in Charfield and surrounding areas of people cold calling and offering an array or services on the doorstep. These services have ranged from gardening, resurfacing of driveways and the selling of cleaning products. Some of these people have been very aggressive in their manner to push their services.

It is our recommendation to resident not to use these people for a few reasons. Firstly if they are not a registered company, or locally known, or a personally recommended trader any disagreement over contracted work may not be resolved.

Another reason is that these people may have motives other than the one's they are promoting; these often result in the removal of some of the homeowner's property by way of a distraction.

Our advice is to only use firms that are registered and have a landline, if you have ANY doubts about the reliability and honesty of these people do not use them, do not let them into your property and alert your neighbours, and the police.

We urge people not to be bullied into making an arrangement that they are not comfortable with. Remember it is your door they are knocking on and they are asking you for something, if you don't want something you are not even obliged to open your door to them!

I would like to talk now about a recent spate of thefts of quad bikes and off road motorbikes from farms and other secluded rural properties in South Gloucestershire and outlying counties. Over the past couple of weeks an organised group have been stealing these specific vehicles.

Farms, due to their remote situations, have always been a soft target and with escalating fuel and heating oil prices will no doubt become more attractive to thieves. Lock up quad bikes, bikes, horse boxes and trailers and put them out of sight when not in use, it may be prudent to do this with stored fuel, or store less. Lock up farm entrances if possible, and be wary 24again of people cold calling with the aforementioned services.

For the young people of Charfield and surrounding areas who would like to air their views and have their voices heard, we shall be holding a meeting on Wednesday the 30th of July at 7pm in the Memorial Hall. This is specifically for young people only! This will be your chance to talk to your local policing team. We will be bringing pizza and cola for your eating and drinking pleasure.

I will finish this report with the latest news regarding Charfield Primary School's participation in a program of cycle proficiency courses that I have been running for the past year with the support of enthusiastic parent helpers. These courses are run over six one and a half hour sessions on roads within the village and are designed to give the child skills and knowledge to travel on a bike safely on the road.

We have to date completed five courses with twenty five pupils successfully passing the training. I look forward to continuing this program after the school summer holidays.

Please use the beat surgeries and Safer Stronger Communities Group to air any concerns or share any positive thoughts.

Kind regards
Police Constable Lee Bainbridge
PCSO Haley Harrison
PCSO Sean McKinnon

Are you a newcomer to Charfield, or do you know someone who is living alone and feels in need of friendship? Maybe someone feeling strange and isolated in new surroundings?

Why not take the opportunity to meet others and make new friends? We all need understanding friends and a feeling of belonging. Then why not join Charfield Friendship Club?

We meet in the Sportsmans Lounge of the Village Hall every two weeks, on Wednesdays from 2.30–4 pm, for companionship with a chat and laughs, and a nice cup of tea and delicious cakes.

Sometimes, depending on numbers, one or two outings are arranged. So never feel ‘cut-off’ and in need of company; make an effort and come along to Charfield Friendship Club, where you will be warmly welcomed. Just give Mrs M Ealey a ring (01454 29xxxx) – she will be delighted to tell you more and arrange transport if needed. Or you can call Rosa on 01454 26xxxx.

Don't be shy!

We, The Friends, are having a busy few months! Here is a summary or our achievements:

The adventure play area has had a fabulous makeover. It now has a footpath from the tarmac play area, so the children can use it on dry days now even if the ground is wet, without making a muddy school caused by muddy shoes and muddy trousers! It also now has 27 cubic metres of new bark added, as well as rope adjustments and nuts and bolts tightening. All this hard work was done to comply with Health and Safety Regulations. It has all been very exciting for the children and it is certainly money well spent.

25The Friends have recently purchased some new equipment for the children to use at lunchtimes, such as hula hoops, soft balls, skipping ropes, cats cradle and french skipping. There is always so much we want to spend our hard earned fund raising money on.

Talking of fund raising, we held a fantastic May Fair on 10th May. We would like to thank every single person who supported us. A fantastic amount of money was raised, over £1500, including £500 from HBOS matching scheme, courtesy of Ian Kershaw. This money is going towards a new outdoor learning area for our school. We were very proud of all the people who gave up their time to help, everywhere you looked there were parents, friends and teachers helping out, it was just fantastic. Some children from our school did their country dancing, and we had morris dancers and lots of other stalls and entertainment. We hope you had a good day if you came along.

Yet again we excelled ourselves as a team on the 5th July at the Summer Fair. We ran the Barbeque, teas, coffees and cakes, and our legendary wine and water stall. Lots of help was required on the day and there were so many willing volunteers around. What a great team!

Congratulations to three mums from our school, Helen England, Kirsty Rummels and Eleanor Sanville who completed a 50 mile Cycling Challenge on a very hot Sunday, the 8th June. Their journey took them from Charfield, through Tetbury, on to Cirencester Water Park and back. Phew! In total, taking out the breaks, their 50 mile trek took them 6hrs 15mins. They were raising money for the outdoor learning area for the school, they received £1500 in sponsor money. Marvellous, and worth the saddle sore bums for the following week!

A date for your diaries, our annual AGM will be held on Wednesday 1st October 8pm at the school. We hope to see as many parents there as possible, as all parents are automatically members of the Friends. We would like to take as strong a committee into the 2008/2009 school year as we have this year, as the work of the Friends is vital to the smooth running of the school.

Our Fireworks night can also be noted on your calendars, Friday 7th November, which is always a great village event.

We could not run these events without lots of hard work by dedicated parents and carers, so thank you.

The Friends Committee

[Graphic: Charfield Junior Football Club]

Charfield Go Dutch!

Hello again from the Villages' Junior Football Cub!

Although the team's respective seasons have been over for a good few weeks it has been far from a quiet time for everyone associated with the Club. The Under 15s travelled to Holland to take part in the Amsterdam Cup. They finished third in their group with the highlight of the trip being a 6–4 victory over AVC Heracles C1. The 26Boys of the U15s and the Club would like to say a huge thank you to their sponsors and parents, without whose help the tour would not have been possible. Thank you also to Colin Wood (the Manager), Steve Kingston (Assistant Manager) and Alan Rosser for looking after the boys whilst on their travels.

Unfortunately the U16s season has ended in frustration for the team, Managers and Club with the Stroud League calling time on the season with them being unable to play their final game when the opponents cancelled the game. This resulted in the title going to Minchinhampton. We have appealed this decision with the Gloucestershire Football Association and hope for a positive outcome. In the mean time though the Club would like to thank Managers Kevin Bath and Ian Hugglestone for all their time and support they have given the Club over the last few years and wish them and the players all the best as they move up to U18 football with the Senior Football Club.

Next years Under 13s and Under 12s would normally be enjoying the early summer months off but with the move up from 7 a side football to 11 a side matches both are keen to do well in the forthcoming season and have decided to carry on without a break. Both have recruited new players and further new additions are always welcome.

The Club also recently held its Annual General Meeting and it was good to welcome on board some new committee members. Like other organisations in the Village everyone associated with the Club are volunteers and without their time and efforts the village would not be able to boast a successful youth football club with its own pitches and facilities. Sponsorship helps to!

With all volunteer organisations fund raising is the life blood of the club. Planning is already underway for the third annual Beer Festival to be held during the first weekend of March 2009 (a note for your diary) and we are also having our ever popular quiz night on 15th November.

Due to having our own facilities (adjacent to Tortworth School) we are also happy to let other organisations use them to raise funds where appropriate. On 16th August there will be a Street Care Fund Day and Beer Festival. The event kicks off at 2.30pm with activities for all the family, including a BBQ, with the beer festival starting at 6.30pm. There will also be live music from the Villages favourite local group The Ultimate Echoes. Look out for more details around the village.

For the forthcoming season we will have teams competing in the under 16, under 13 and under 12 age groups. We would like to attract more teams and players for other age groups as well as any budding managers out there who would be happy, with the support of the Club, to start a team or just to undertake training sessions with a view playing games at a later date.

If you would like to join or help the Club in any capacity please contact me on 01454-26xxxx.

Thank You.

Nigel Cloke
Club Secretary/Under 12s Manager

27

[Graphic: Charfield School]

Striving for excellence …
Learning for life

As this is my first newsletter to CHADRA, I would like to begin by thanking everyone for their warm welcome and support during my first term here at Charfield Primary. I am extremely proud to be the new head teacher at this school. My first term was one of utter amazement at the fantastic work that goes on within the school. I am sure you will echo my thanks to Mrs Gordon for the fantastic job she did in terms 5 & 6.

WHAT's NEW?
Term 5 saw the introduction of LEAP into our School. LEAP stands for Leadership, Enjoyment, Achievement and Participation. The system involves children gaining awards (bronze, silver and gold) for activities they do within school. The initiative has been a HUGE success. Already in the school has achieved over 60 bronze certificates, 25 silver and 3 gold.

STAFF NEWS – TERMS 5 & 6
Sadly in my first term a number of fixed term contracts ended. Firstly thanks have to go to Mrs Tipping and Mrs Dallimore for their hard work on the run up to our assessments.

Secondly Miss Taylor's contract ended with us at the end of Term 5. Many parents commented on the fantastic job that she did with the reception class and the progress she made. This term saw the return of Miss Gordon to her class. I know she was chomping on the bit to get back in there!

As many of you know we will be having an unusually large reception year in September and the local authority have provided some additional funding for us to do this. To accommodate the pupils we have employed a further reception teacher, Miss Dennis to start in September 2008. We have invited our new reception parents to meet her on the afternoon of 11th July.

WANTED
We have an opening for an School Meals Supervisory Assistant to work with our team of experienced SMSA's. The job is for 6¼ hours a week. Are you interested? Ask for further details and an application form in the school office.

EVENTS AT CHARFIELD PRIMARY
I am continually amazed at the level of support our community gives to the school. My first event was the May Fair. All I can say is that it was an excellent day (if not a little wet for teachers). Thanks have to go to the Friends for putting on such a superb event which raised approximately £2000!

The second event was Dads Day. This event was something really special; I have never seen anything like it! 91 men turned up dressed as policemen, crime fighters and super heroes. The whole school spent the day taking part in activities such as solving mysteries, taking finger-prints, tracking criminals, designing gadgets and other exciting activities.

To end the day a murder / mystery play was performed and directed by Charfield pupils and dads. This drama activity was organised by Ms Clare-Hudson and students from KLB.

28Another example of the community spirit of Charfield was the Bike for Friends event held by our school Friends. Three people volunteered to cycle 50 miles to raise money for the school.

CHARFIELD SPORTS STARS!
Charfield's Sporting events have continued in terms 5 & 6. The children have taken part in many events. Mrs. Windram, our sports coordinator, and many other adults have helped the children take part in events such as:
• Football
• Netball
• District Sports
• Sports Day
• Rounders
• Tennis (led by Jake Barnes and Debra Wilson)
I will update you in future CHADRA newsletters of Charfield Primary successes in sports.

Do you have any sporting skills?

We are keen to involve people from the community in promoting sports. If you have a sporting skill and would like to share your talent with young people we would love to hear from you. Indeed if you have any skill, talent or passion that children can benefit from and you have some time to spare, get in touch. Come into the school office to collect a letter and declare your interest.

BUSINESS LINKS
Many thanks to Renishaw for their kind invitation to give pupils a view of ‘the world of work’. It will be a massive benefit for the children to see how the company works and what they produce. Charfield Primary School is constantly looking to link to other local businesses and develop a relationship where the children can get a taste of the work environment. Can you help?

AND FINALLY
As we begin to think of the next academic year we are looking for ways in which the school can play a larger role in Village life. We welcome ideas that would develop our community links. I'm eager to talk to you and find out what you can do for Charfield Primary School and vice versa.

Dafydd Lawday
Headteacher

American Square Dancing Club

No, not Line Dancing, it is SQUARE DANCING – A very good way of enjoying gentle exercise, whilst meeting lots of new friends.

Basically it is dancing with your partner in groups, to set moves that link together, using a caller. No two dances are the same, and often end up with the chuckle muscles getting an awful lot of exercise.

We meet most Tuesday evenings 8 o'clock, at the WADCA Hall, Watleys End Rd, Winterbourne, and the usual cost is £2 per person per evening.

However, the club is now looking for new dancers. Starting on Tuesday 2nd September, we are offering 3 taster evenings, free of charge, so come along and do something quite different; it is your chance to be a square without being square – don't worry if you have two left feet, as long as they both go in the same direction, and your body follows, then you will be fine

If you want more information please telephone Judy on 01454 26xxxx, or John on 01454 88xxxx

29

Is anyone is interested in exploring the possibility of forming (or re-forming) an amateur dramatics group in the village? I would be happy to organise an initial meeting of any interested parties. No experience necessary! Please give me a call on 01453 84xxxx.

Dave Woodhouse

Minister – Rev. Philip Hopes
Tel: 01453 84xxxx
Sunday Morning Worship at 11 am.
Sunday School 11 am.
Family Service 1st Sunday of each month at 11 am.
Monday 8 pm. Prayer and Bible Study

A BIG thank you to all who visited our tent on Show Day, you will recall our efforts, on behalf of ‘Farm Africa’, attempting to purchase as many goats as possible, each costing £30.00, well, because of your generosity we were able to purchase 3 goats costing £90.00. So again, A BIG THANK YOU.

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Forgive and Forget?
How often have you heard someone say, “I'll forgive him but I'll never forget …”? On the human side this may be true. We can make a choice to forgive but we cannot choose to forget in the truest sense of the word. To forget is to be unable to remember. We are not masters of our memories – they come and they go. Sometimes, it seems the harder we try to forget a thing – the more we remember it! On the other hand, a song, a scene or a smell can cause a once forgotten incident to come to mind.

This verse amazes me each time I think of it. God will not remember my sins! It's mind boggling! Because we remember them constantly some of us have a hard time believing that God has forgotten them all!

When the Lord forgives – He forgets! You have His word on it. He wants us to forget too. In Hebrews 10:22 it says, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience …” Christians are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus (1 Peter 1:2) God forgives and forgets on the basis of what Jesus has done for us. “He sacrificed for our sins once for all when he offered himself.” (Hebrews 7:27)

Our minds tell us we are guilty and should be punished – the world and the enemy cry out the same but hear what God says:

Psalm 103:10,12 “He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities … as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Still more from Isaiah 53:5-6 “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Thought for Today:
Father, thank you for your complete forgiveness. Cleanse my conscience and free me from the Accuser. Praise to you Jesus – for carrying my sins, for 30bearing my punishment, for being my peace, for healing my conscience. Please come into my heart and be my Saviour and my Lord. Let me consider you and your work when I am reminded of the sins God has forgotten.

Due to the surprise return of a previous leader into the Group we decided to bring forward the start date of the new Lion Cub Pack to April 2008, this is now running successfully on Thursday evenings. They do overlap into the Sharman Explorer time slot by half an hour but we are managing to work around it. Jean Legood (Chil), who has now completed service in all of the Scout sections, starting off in Beavers when Peter and I were Cub Assistants, moving on to Scouts and then Explorers, has agreed to take on the Pack leader role assisted by Sam Watson (Bagheera) who recently moved to Cromhall from Frampton Cotterell where she had just begun her appointment application as Assistant Cub Leader. Jean's son Nigel (Kaa), a grown up Lion Cub, now an Explorer, is a regular helper at Lions meetings and at Scouts on alternate Mondays and Tuesdays and does a magnificent job. We also receive help on the Tiger Pack's evening from another Explorer Scout, Gavin who once was one of our Cubs himself.

I mentioned in the last issue we would be “doing” Town Hall Teas in Wotton, this went really well with a lot of support from the parents and the Scouts who “waitered” for us. We had some unusual cakes including “chocolate and courgette” and “chocolate and beetroot”. Tasters were offered to customers to encourage sales.

This year's St George's Day event took place at Woodhouse Park. As the organiser of this District event I was extremely relieved that it went well. Following a march through Woodhouse and a short ceremony of renewing our promises all of the sections and their families ate their picnic lunches. Then the activities started. Each group had to provide a number of activities so that all ages could take part in, from chopper bike racing, to making St George shields, blind trails to giant dominoes. All commented on the fact that each of the sections beavers, cubs, scouts and explorers were all joining in activities together and having fun. The feedback I received was positive and all would like a similar event next year.

I also mentioned that the Scouts would be going to South Cerney on the last weekend in April. I can't believe that we were camping so early in the season, but we did and it was a great camp, good weather good food and the Scouts gained the first part of a sailing qualification.

As reported in the last issue, the Beavers did go to Weston on the train, went on the pier and in the fun house, and a good time was had by all was the report back. I would have loved to have tagged along on that one but Peter and I sneaked a holiday away on that particular week.

So the week after that Julie (Rama) held her “Cub Camp – basic camping” camp for all our new members. This was on the hot dry weekend in June, tents were put up and down a few times, a bit of map reading and walks along the river side, fire lighting, camp fire and ended with the water slide out. 31A perfect camp. My memorable moment? Letting the Cubs loose in the next field which had just been cropped, let them run and run then whistling them in twice in a row, they were so exhausted they were all asleep by midnight! The Scouts on the same weekend were doing the real thing at the Post and Press competition at Woodhouse Park a bit more experience and maybe they'll win it next year.

Last weekend I joined the Scout Troop at the Malvern Challenge near Cheltenham. This is a 7 mile hike with challenges along the way and a funfair the following day. Attended by 3400 scouts and explorers consisting of groups from the South West, London, Wales and even Northallerton right up in Yorkshire, now that's dedication for you and a 5 hour drive. We were given the task of seeing the Scouts across a main road, quite boring but made it interesting by talking to the Scouts passing through, and encouraging them to keep going the last mile or so. I even sang the “Pirate Ship” song with a bunch of guides when the traffic became to heavy to cross, we got all ten verses in. The police attending weren't too sure what to make of us. Unlike last year the weather was very kind to us and I returned to work this Monday to the comments of “You've been camping again haven't you?” My face just turns red with the slightest bit of fresh air.

Anyhow it's the District Cub Scout weekend this weekend so I have to prepare my home contact, medicines list, tent allocation, equipment list and shopping list for Friday. No rest for the wicked!

Yours in Scouting, Sandra Carnegie

Severe weather warnings and storm force gales; what a day for the Fair this year!

As luck would have it, however, the rain waited until almost the end and for the most part we had a dry, if blustery, day, which allowed all the planned activities to take place, although inevitably the weather forecast had an impact on numbers. Huge thanks to all of you who did turn up though – after all, what would the English summer be without rain – and enjoyed the fabulous music from Tundra and Double Vision, some fiercely contested football matches (well done Phil Barnes and Nigel Cloke for keeping order!), enthusiastic racing from all ages (thanks to Lisa Wiles and Mo Kane for marshalling all the entrants, ably assisted by Mrs Peer and Mrs Bradley), though it has to be said that the adults were largely conspicuous by their absence this year with only the new school Head, Mr Lawday, brave enough to take on the youngsters in the men's race! Congratulations to all the competitors and winners (Charlie Bennett, Iris McNeil, Charlie Hitchins, Ed Fuller and Emily Norman), who took part in rather testing conditions.

The country dancers from Hillesley primary school entertained us with their beautiful dancing and the little ones marvelled, wide-eyed, at Bryan the Magician, while the Kangaroo boxing was a great hit again this year, as was Ronnie the sheep and her companion (110lbs if you were wondering); thanks to Mike and Barbara Adams for bringing them along. As always, proceedings drew to a close with the ever-popular Tug of War competition, although surprisingly there were no teams from any of the 32pubs this year so the Railway Tavern, who had kindly donated a new trophy, lost their crown to The Hunts of Charfield, led by Andy Leeds. Debbie Pringle guided the Ladies Tennis Club team to victory again while Team Spiers were winners of the U17s trophy and Source Force, headed by Georgia Olds, took the Primary title. After the Grand Draw, Double Vision played a final set and the heavens opened, just in time for the packing up!

There are so many thank yous it's hard to know where to start: to all the village organisations and stallholders who shivered and held on to gazebos, to those who helped with setting up and clearing away, Tim and Angie Hill and the village hall committee, all the volunteers on the stalls, the KLB students manning the gates, everyone who bought Grand Draw tickets, the children for the fantastic scarecrows, plates and all the other entries in the horticultural show, the bar staff, the Friends of Charfield Primary school for the BBQ and refreshments and especially to Jason Lugg for playing an absolute blinder and providing First Aid cover on the day. Photographs of the event were taken by Trevor Young Photography and we hope to have some of these available to view at Charfield.org shortly.

So, it's all over for another year and the gents toilets are a step nearer their overhaul. It would be a shame if this were to be the last one; if you'd like to do your bit to ensure this piece of local tradition remains intact by helping with next year's Fair, please contact any one of us or a member of the village hall committee.

The Village Fair Organising Committee
Graham Pedley, Jayne Pedley, Deb Field, Sandra Nute, Claire Adams

How do you decide whom to marry?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. — Alan, age 10

What is the right age to get married?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. — Camille, age 10

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. — Derrick, age 8

What do most people do on a date?
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. — Martin, age 10

What would you do on a first date that was turning sour?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. — Craig, age 9

When is it ok to kiss someone?
When they're rich. — Pam, age 7

Is it better to be single or married?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. — Anita, age 9

And the #1 Favourite …
How would you make a marriage work?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. — Ricky, age 10

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To be held at the Charfield Memorial hall during September and October 2008

The first round heats will be held: From 8.00pm Friday 5th & Friday 12th September
Semi finals will be held: Friday 26th September & Friday 3rd October
The grand final will be held 8.00pm Friday 24th October 2008

Entry to the competition will be free.
Competition is open to all ages and all variety of acts are eligible to enter.
Strictly no acts with adult content or adult humour.
No professional acts allowed.

Each act must supply their own music on c.d. or mini disc unless playing live and all acts to supply their own instruments & props etc. A small P.A will be provided for any acts which require amplification.
Five minutes will be allocated for non singing acts.
One song only for singers/bands.
The audience will decide who goes forward to the final stages so bring as many friends and family as you can. The grand final will be decided by a panel of expert judges.
Audience entry fee £2.00 for all heats and semi finals and £5.00 for the grand final.

1st Prize = £100   2nd Prize = £50   3rd Prize = £25

For an entry form Tel: 0777 441xxxx or E-mail xxxx @ virgin.net
All proceeds go towards the Charfield memorial hall and playing fields.
Registered charity number 301482

34

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

Baby and Toddler Group
Alex Montgomery 01453 84xxxx

Bingo Club
Sue Scoble 01454 26xxxx

British Legion
David Millman (Hon Sec) 01454 26xxxx

Charfield Pre-School
Donna Allen (Play Leader) 07866 04xxxx
Collette Walker (Chair) 01453 84xxxx
Emily Lock (Admissions) 01454 29xxxx

Charfield Primary School
Dafydd Lawday 01454 26xxxx

Childminders
Sarah Gazzard 01454 26xxxx

Church – Congregational
Rev Philip Hopes 01453 84xxxx

Church – St. John's
Vivienne Kerner 01454 26xxxx

Council – Charfield Parish
Sue Bailey (Clerk) 01453 51xxxx
Email clerk @ charfieldparishcouncil.co.uk

Council – South Gloucestershire
Sandra O'Neill 01454 26xxxx
Email xxxx @ southglos.gov.uk

Cricket Club
Diane Bradley 01453 84xxxx

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

Football Club
Nigel Cloke 01454 26xxxx

Friends of Charfield Primary School
Lisa Burner 01454 26xxxx
Helen England 01454 26xxxx

Foundation Room
Bryan Grantham 01454 26xxxx

Friendship Club
Mrs. M Ealey 01454 29xxxx

Keep Fit Club
Christine Parfitt 01454 26xxxx

Luncheon Club for the Elderly
Jane Higgins 01454 26xxxx

Memorial Hall
Bookings 07774 41xxxx
Email xxxx @ virgin.net
Tim Hill (Chair) 01454 26xxxx