CHADRA

The Third Annual Charfield
Remembrance Sunday Brunch

OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF

Chapel Development Update
At the South Gloucestershire Council Planning Committee meeting on the 29th September, permission was granted – conditions yet to be agreed – for the building of 16 dwellings on the land behind the Charfield Congregational Chapel.

Tuesdays are Charfield's new Café day – INTRIGUED find out more inside.

Charfield Village Plan team
More than 150 residents have now given their ideas for the future. See the article inside this CHADRA edition of what[']s happening and how you can have your say.

Free Course For CHADRA Readers
As a special Christmas gift to CHADRA readers Steve Picking is giving away his 4 week ‘re-launch your life’ home course for FREE!!! – See article inside for details.

2

Next Copy Date – 12 January 2012

If you would like to write an article for the next issue, or make comments on articles published, please e-mail these to xxxx @ gmail.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO Alexandra Cole 9th October – love mum, dad & Edd

BIRTH CONGRATULATIONS TO:- Peter & Isabel Davies are proud to announce the arrival of 2 new grandchildren this summer. A daughter for Claire and Neil Gardiner named Poppy Isabella, and a daughter for Gemma, a long awaited sister for Sam, named Sofia Elizabeth. Well done girls.

3

The Third Annual Charfield
Remembrance Sunday Brunch
In aid of Help for Heroes

[Photo: Supercooks Pauline and Barbara – on kitchen duty again this year!

Dear Fellow Charfielders

You should be hugely proud of yourselves; not only do you raise funds for a good cause, but you turn out in increasing numbers to support an important event in the national calendar and demonstrate what a strong community we have in Charfield.

Last year, even with the Scouts (and their hollow legs) officially up at Cromhall, you ate 120 bacon rolls, 50 snorker rolls, drank gallons of tea and coffee, and were able to pass £576 to Help for Heroes; this sum included many donations from those who couldn't attend on the day, and those who donated far more than the cost of the butties. With the Scouts on parade with us this year, we can only do better!

Help for Heroes continues to do excellent work. The charity's overheads are more than covered by sale of goods from the H4H online shop, so EVERY PENNY donated is passed on to help those in need.

For Charfield's third brunch, same procedure as last year:

Last year we could have sold at least another 40 butties – if ONLY they'd been ordered, so PLEASE tell us if you are going to come along – we'd hate to disappoint you – (and not take your money!)

Please leave your name, address, and phone number, and say how many bacon or snorker butties you wish to have. You will then be catered for, rain or shine, frost or snow, and we will require your £2 whether you turn up or not! (Yes, we will chase it!)

The event is supported by CHADRA, the Village Hall Committee, and Cam Family Butchers.

“Help for Heroes” was founded by Bryn and Emma Parry in October 2007 out of a desire to help the wounded Servicemen and Servicewomen returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. It is strictly non political and non critical; it simply wants to help. Those volunteering to serve in time of war, knowing that they may risk all, are ordinary people doing extraordinary things and some of them are living with the consequences of their service for life. We may not be able to prevent our soldiers from being wounded, but together we can help them get better. [quoted from the Help for Heroes website]

Many, many thanks. Your CHADRA Committee

5

Remembrance Parade

Following on from the Parish Council's article in July's edition of Chadra, I am writing with a brief update regarding the forthcoming Remembrance Day Parade on Sunday 13th November 2011.

Over the last few months the Parish Council (PC) have been co-ordinating the works to the War Memorial – that is desperately in need of repointing before winter. I was hoping this work would be completed over the summer – but our contractor is working on this as I type this article, so it should be complete in time for the Remembrance Day Parade next month.

The PC have also arranged for the closure of roads – nearer the time you will see signs up advertising the road closure and diversion details. In brief Wotton Road will be closed from the junction with Manor Lane – to the junction with Little Bristol Lane – just past the Memorial Hall. Roads will be closed to all traffic (except emergency vehicles) from 10:30am–12:30pm. A couple of Marshalls will be on hand to help out motorists – if anyone is keen to volunteer for marshalling duty then please contact me either via email or phone (details below).

Regarding ‘Protocol’ for the Parade … those wishing to take part – can either congregate at the Memorial Hall from 10:30am, where the procession will start at 10:40–10:45am or you are more than welcome to meet at the War Memorial. The procession is likely to reach the War Memorial at 10:50 ready for all to take their place in time for the start of the service.

David Millman from RBL will read the names from the war memorial, this will be followed by 2 minute silence (at 11am) the end of silence will be signalled by a Bugle playing Last Post. Then we move on to the laying of the wreaths. These will be laid in the following order … Royal British Legion, Parish Council, St John's Church, Scouts, Guides, Memorial Hall, Residents Association, Residents. The remaining service, for those wishing to participate, will then take place in St John's Church, The service will be conducted by David Small in Viv Kerners absence.

If you require a wreath – and haven't already arranged one – please contact Marion Smith on 260651 – who is the Poppy Appeal Organiser for Charfield.

THANK YOU
Hannah Saunders
Clerk to Charfield Parish Council

For some years now, Charfield and Kingswood have been working together as a combined benefice. This has now been extended and the benefice of Charfield and Kingswood with Wickwar, Hillesley and Rangeworthy came into 6being this summer, with David Russell as the priest in charge and Viv Kerner retaining her (theoretically) part-time role with a focus on Charfield and Kingswood. However, as many of you will know, Viv has been unwell for some time and has been unable to take services recently. She has now decided to stand down from her current role, but we are very pleased to be able to announce that she will still be licensed to take services in the benefice and we look forward to her resuming these as soon as she feels able. In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers have been very much with Viv and Steve and I am sure that all of you will join us in this. At the time of writing, short prayers for Viv's early recovery are held in St John's each Saturday at 10.30 and all are welcome. We are very grateful to Rev'd Michael Butler and others who have been taking services in Viv's absence.

There have been several fundraising events during the spring and summer, including the plant sale, the rectory fete and the harvest supper. Many thanks to all those who gave their time to organise these events. We also obtained a grant that enabled us to complete the installation of a much-needed loo in the church. We even had a visit from Bishop John to mark its official opening!

Special services for the period up to and including Christmas have now been set and will be as follows:

Sunday 30 October – benefice All Souls service at Holy Trinity, Wickwar at 7pm. We particularly welcome all who want to remember loved ones on this day.

Sunday 13 November – Remembrance Day service at St John's, Charfield at 11.00 preceded by an Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial at 10.55.

Sunday 4 December – Christingle service at St John's at 4pm. All children especially welcome.

Saturday 17 December – Candlelit carol service at St James's, Charfield at 7pm.

Sunday 18 December – Carol service at St John's at 3pm.

Saturday 24 December – Crib service at St John's at 4pm – children specially welcome – and Midnight Mass at St John's at 11.30pm.

Sunday 25 December – Christmas family service at St John's at 9.30.

Sunday 1 January – benefice service at Holy Trinity, Rangeworthy at 9.30.

We hope as many of you as possible will come to these services, where you can be assured of a warm welcome.

Sue Thorn, Churchwarden and PCC member

Yes it is that time of year again. Between the 28th October to 13th November you will be getting a house to house collector (poppy seller) knocking on your door, so that you can make your annual contribution to the poppy appeal.

This year the collectors will have wrist bands, licence holders, and small poppy pins etc. in their boxes.

As it is the 90th Anniversary of the Legion, I do hope you will think long and hard when your collector calls to make the years contribution even greater than last year.

Marion Smith Poppy Appeal Organiser Charfield, Cromhall, Leyhill, Tortworth.

7

Steve Yeo is tired. Very tired. That's hardly surprising if you are working 16 hours a day (though, hopefully, by now that has eased off a bit). But then again, if you are working on a project that is as exciting as Steve's new venture, you would probably be as happy as Steve is to put in the time.

Tune Valley recording studios are rapidly taking shape in the old Pin Mill in New Street and when we talked (mid September) Steve, together with his two partners, had just a few days to go before their first recording was due to take place. You may even have heard it by now – a nationally released CD by a group of local artists to raise funds for Help For Heroes. ‘They are coming in on Tuesday.’ Steve said wearily, ‘so it's got to be finished’. Then, thinking about what lay ahead, he brightened, ‘We shall be able to give a complete service – photos, art work, own label, publishing, even a stage for performance and we can produce up to 100,000 CDs. And we think we are probably the only outfit in the country to be able to do this.’ he added, ‘at a fraction of the cost of a London studio’. And then he explained how the building was perfect for their purpose having granite walls three feet thick. ‘It means it was already pretty soundproof. It was a bit of a shambles, though’ which no doubt accounts for the tiredness. ‘And,’ he added, ‘We've had a BBC engineer setting it up to BBC standards.’

Many of you have probably heard Steve singing, his voice as rich and brown and large as his eyes but now he feels his singing career, which has spanned 20 years, is coming to an end. Not that I truly think he will ever stop singing. ‘It all started almost by accident,’ he said. ‘I used to work in a warehouse, driving a forklift, and would sing on the job. One day someone suggested I went for an audition with a band and that was it. First I worked with a band, then branched out on my own and eventually formed my own rock and roll band.’ An advert in Trade It produced a bass player from Meat Loaf and keyboard from another well known band – Steve frowned ‘I can't quite remember who now’. (There's been a lot of water under the bridge since then.) Together they played music from the Drifters, Hollies, Platters, Geneva, Pavarotti. All good stuff.

And now he's been solo for eight or nine years, produced 6 CDs and travelled the length and breadth of the country, been to holiday camps, on cruise ships. ‘Well, not many places I haven't been really’ he mused. ‘Since I started singing it's been my only job. So I've been able to see the kids grow up.’

Steve and his very new wife, Lisa, have two children – Erica and Thomas. They've been together for 15 years and live happily in Charfield Green having moved out from Kingswood, Bristol 10 years ago. ‘We love the quiet – and soon (when I've stopped carting cement, pots of paint and goodness knows what else) I'll be able to walk to work.’ Or run – he plans to take running up again. The prospect pleases him.

Photography is Steve's other great interest. He was a keen amateur when young and then was taught everything he knows by a professional friend. The usual repertoire of weddings and various celebrations was captured by him on film but of course, all that has changed now. He didn't sigh for the ‘old days’. ‘It's much easier now,’ he says cheerfully. Studio work is what he enjoys most and he hopes one day to have the time to take this more seriously. I wondered if the photographer at his own wedding had captured the moment when Steve dropped the ring. Laughing, he told me 8about it. ‘I think Lisa was very nervous till then but after that everyone relaxed!’

‘Does he have time for hobbies?’ I ask. ‘Not a lot,’ he says, ‘but I do enjoy being on the computer. Facebook poker is fun though I never gamble. And I've joined CADS.’ I love the acronym of the new Charfield Amateur Dramatic Society. They are producing their own version of Cinderella in January and Steve is one of the ugly sisters. He seems to relish the prospect.

We returned to the topic of singing. I wondered why he is thinking of giving it up and was startled by his response. ‘Three years ago I was diagnosed with cancer of the vocal chords,’ he said calmly. ‘I was one of the lucky ones because I recognised very early on that something was wrong so was able to be treated quickly. If I hadn't been a professional singer things might have been very different.’ Thirty gigs in a row were never a problem but then he found it hard to do two. It must have been very, very frightening. ‘But I had the op – bits shaved off my vocal chords. Afterwards I wasn't allowed to speak – even in a whisper – for six weeks but when I could sing again, after about a year, things had changed. With the smoking ban in place a lot of pub businesses were struggling and it's hard to get back when you've been absent from the scene for a while’.

Hence the studio. ‘Tune Valley is a very good name’ I said. ‘Yes, it's an anagram of my latest album which will be out soon. All totally original songs and it's called Eventually. Not bad for someone who didn't know he could sing until his first public performance! It will be on my shopping list.

Barbara Adams

Oh yes it is boys and girls! Its Panto time in our little village.

After our sell out first production back in July of You Know What! When almost 200 of you packed into the hall over the 2 nights to be entertained, and by the feed back we received we did not disappoint! We have been bombarded by requests to stage a Panto this winter! So with a few new faces and sadly a few good byes from the last show we are pleased to announce CADS will be performing our own version of Cinderella, in the Village hall on 27th and 28th January @ 7.30. A matinee will also be performed on the 28th @ 2.00pm.

Tickets will be available from Steve's Shop and the Post Office from the first of November priced at £5.00 for adults (16 and over) and £2.50 for children!

So just what is CADS?

Charfield Amateur Dramatic Society (or Cant Act Dance or Sing) to give it its full name, is a group of local like minded people from the village who formed last January as strangers with no money, little or no acting experience and absolutely no idea how to produce a show! Just the same goal in mind, to create a feel good community group and give something back to the village and most importantly to enjoy ourselves! Oh and did I mention we had 6 months to achieve it.

Well over the next 6 months strangers became friends and the characters in the script became walking talking people. Then with generous support from the local businesses and fundraising, the set began to take shape, and before we knew it we were back stage in makeup and 9people were taking their seats in front of house!

So on behalf of myself and the rest of the group we would like to say a massive thank you to all who came out and supported us it was an amazing experience that I for one will never forget. We hope to see you all again plus many new faces for our family friendly version of ‘Cinderella’ in January.

Thanks again

The CADS Crew

A PROMISING START TO THE FOOTBALL NEW SEASON

CLUB
Hello again from the Villages Junior Football Club. The new season is just a month old and already things are looking very bright for the four junior Charfield teams.

Our youngest team, the under 8's, had their first game towards the end of September and came away with a well deserved 5–1 victory over Severnside. The under 9's have found their first two games a character building experience but never gave up and with further training are really looking forward to their next game with great determination to achieve a better result. Both these teams are playing their first season of competitive football.

Entering into their second season the under 10s have won their opening two games, the most recent an impressive 15–0 victory in a cup game. The team learnt a lot in their first season last year and this seems to be paying dividends already.

My own team the under 15s have also made a good start winning two out of their first three games which sees them second in the league level on points with the top team. The joys of the British weather have seen us soaked one Sunday and then roasted in the October sun the following week.

Whilst it is still early days all the teams are looking forward to a promising season. Beyond those who play in the league teams we also have a good group of boys and girls who come along to the Friday evening training sessions.

As always if you would like to join or help the Club in any capacity please, or require any information, then please contact me on 01454-26xxxx.

Thank You.

Nigel Cloke
Club Secretary/Under 15s Manager

Since the last newsletter I have enrolled 4 new drivers. Thank you so much for coming forward. You know who you are.

Due to unforeseen circumstances over the last few months, I have lost four drivers, but am now back to normal, which makes my job a little easier, although some weeks, I use up to 8 drivers, depending on the demand.

I can always do with more drivers, so, if you feel you would like to know more, don't hesitate to ring me on 0145426xxxx

Marion Smith
Transport organiser.

10

Residents of Charfield – Have you “had your say”?

The Charfield Village Plan team are currently collecting as many ideas as possible regarding the future of the village, which will eventually lead to the publication of the Charfield Village Plan which will set the scent for the next 10 years.

So far (mid-Sept) comments have been collected from boxes around the village, and via the Charfield websites, and in person at The Fun Day at The Memorial Hall on Sept 4th

****So far 150 residents have given their ideas on****
**** subjects like Transport, Traffic, Facilities, Groups ****

It's your opportunity to shape the future, whatever your age

The team need as many residents to participate as possible so that numbers give evidence to support changes & improvements.

Come and talk to us on Nov 4th
At Charfield Primary School Fireworks Night

If you can't make it – post your views into COMMENTS boxes around the village (Steve's shop/Post Office) or go online at www.charfield.org and click on the ORANGE Village Plan logo, or email us at xxxx @ gmail.com

Coming soon – a questionnaire
to every Charfield household to ask your views on all the key ideas

11

Advance notice of an exciting opportunity for all villagers:

Charfielders – Learn to Sing the Hallelujah Chorus!

(4 minutes of joyous noise)

If the only culture in your life is the mouldy yoghurt at the back of your fridge, come and join us!

If you've watched Gareth Malone get people singing on TV and been envious, now's your chance to have a taste! But we can do better than Mr Malone …

Saturday February 11 and February 25, 2012, 10am to 12 noon
Charfield Primary School Main Hall

Conductor Dr Steven Kings
Accompanist James Corbett

A CHADRA event
Supported by Charfield Primary School

With the Autumn term well underway, our new starters are settling in well, the summer holidays are just a distant memory, and our first few weeks have already been jam-packed with fun activities. Our children have enjoyed a visit to St John's Church to celebrate Harvest Festival, and participated in a “Hello South Gloucestershire” Day, which is a council-run campaign to develop literacy and communication.

Our Cookery Bags are proving very popular this term – we loan bags containing recipes, children's cooking utensils and a diary, so that our children can cook at home with their parent or carer and then let us know what they have cooked. Continuing with the foody theme, we are also planning a number of ‘taste’ sessions with foods from different countries. We have found that this is a great way to help the children really understand about other countries and cultures. If you would like to come into Pre-School to share a cooking activity, or can support the children's learning about foods from foreign countries, please get in touch!

Our brand new website www.charfieldpreschool.org.uk is now up and running, and we are very grateful to Claire Cann for her design work and technical support. You can now also find us on Facebook – please support us by “Liking” our Facebook page.

We are very much enjoying our newly-refurbished toilets (a big ‘thank you’ to our very own team of DIY SOS volunteers!), and have big plans to give the foyer a make-over in the near future. We will also be focussing on acquiring local capital and community grants over the next 12 months, with a view to improving our disabled access and facilities, and potentially refurbishing the kitchen.

Our AGM was well supported, and we are delighted to welcome our new committee members. It's not too late to join our committee, or pledge your support in any way you can … please just drop us a line at xxxx @ gmail.com. We have a lot of innovative fundraising ideas in the pipeline, and hope to tap into some new schemes over the coming months. We will be launching our Grand Christmas Raffle again in November, with some great prizes from local business and our annual (and now legendary) 12Santa Float will be out and about one Sunday morning in early December, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for those sleigh bells!

We are now collecting tokens for Nestlé Box Tops for Books, which offer fantastic FREE books via tokens from cereal boxes. Please look out for the tokens on Nestlé cereals such as: Shreddies, Shredded Wheat, Cheerios, Golden Nuggets, and drop them into Pre-School (we have a collection point in the foyer). The national campaign runs from September 2011 until March 2012, so please get your family members and work colleagues involved too … the more tokens you donate, the greater our library collection will become!

We have also just launched our “easyfundraising” campaign, which is an online campaign linked to internet shopping. As the name suggests, it is a REALLY EASY way for the Pre-School to raise much-needed funds. More details are in the separate advert in this issue of CHADRA, or can be obtained via our website. Please visit www.easyfundraising.org.uk and sign up as a ‘Supporter’. You can really make a difference – simply by shopping.

We look forward to a fantastic Autumn term.

Katherine Edwards – Chairperson

‘Easy Fundraising’ – Shop Online for Pre-School

Started your Christmas shopping yet? Heard about easyfundraising? It's the easiest way to help raise money for Charfield Pre-School. If you already shop online with retailers such as Amazon, eBay, M&S, Argos, John Lewis, Early Learning Centre, Ticketmaster and Currys, then we need you to sign up for free to raise money while you shop!

How does it work?
Its FREE, and it takes just a couple of minutes of your time to sign up to at www.easyfundraising.org.uk, select to support Charfield Pre-School as your chosen Cause.

Use the links on the website to take you to the online retailer of your choice.

Browse and shop directly with the retailer as you would normally, and they will give us a donation for every purchase that you make. E.g. £50 spent on Amazon.co.uk earns us 50p!

It's completely FREE to register and there is no extra cost to shop. In fact you'll also get access to hundreds of exclusive discounts and voucher codes, so not only will you be helping us, you'll be saving money yourself.

Easy!!

Rural Arts Performance
on Sunday 20th November at 2.00 in the Memorial Hall.

Tickets are £7 adults and £5 for children & £20 for a family of 2 children & 2 adults.
Refreshments available.
Tickets on sale at Steve's shop or ring 01454 26xxxx for more information.

Noisy Oyster present The Cat That Walked By Himself This play of light and shadow tells the classic Just-So story of Rudyard Kipling. Inspired by traditional paintings of North-east India, these moving shadows beautifully re-create the story of the time when the world was young, and Woman tamed Man, Dog, Horse and cow but … did she tame Cat? 13Narrated with gentle humour, this magical performance is created using simple technology and will entrance all those over the age of six.

Indoor table top/car boot sale in the Memorial Hall on Saturday 12th November, tables are £5 ring to book on 01454 26xxxx.
Fundraiser for Charfield Memorial Hall

Indoor table top/car boot sale in the Memorial Hall on Saturday 10th December, tables are £5 ring to book on 01454 26xxxx.
Fundraiser for Charfield Memorial Hall.

In a previous News Letter I wrote about the strange habit that Harry, one of Charfield's railway signalmen had, of eating a large cooking apple every morning; well, doing strange things doesn't only apply to human beings, animals are also known to do peculiar things, and not just domestic animals, farm animals can also do very strange things as I will explain.

Lengthmen on the railway not only kept the track in good condition, but also cleaned out the ditches and trimmed the hedges that bordered much of the permanent way. It was while a couple of us were trimming a hedge at the northern end of our length, that I noticed some steers in the field where we were burning branches from a hedge we had just trimmed, doing something amazing, believe it or not – they were “smoking” – yes they were smoking. I will explain. After trimming a hedge we always put the branches removed into a pile, and before leaving for home we would burn it. At the end of one particular day, as the last embers of our fire was dying away with only a few puffs of steamy smoke arising into the air, four or five young steers wandered over to the what was left of the fire, thrust their noses into the smoke, inhaled, then blew the smoke out, looking for all the world like habitual smokers. This strange ritual continued for some time, until we scattered the remains of the fire making sure everything was safe, before making our way home. I have seen some strange things in my life, – but young steers smoking – “Unbelievable”.

A serious question arises from this strange occurrence, how do you explain to a bunch of young farm animals about the dangers of smoking? Another unexplained thing happened while on fogging duty at the signal situated near the foot crossing that connects Poolfield Lane, to New Street. This signal was, and I suppose still is, in a very exposed position, making it a very unpleasant place to do fogging. While working on the track close to this signal one day, in fairly foggy conditions, I noticed a large pile of coal close to the sentry box type of shelter used by fogmen; so thinking, “if I am called out to do fogging at this signal tonight, at least I will be able to keep warm”, unfortunately things didn't go according to plan. As expected, fogmen were called out that night and I was required to do fogging, on the signal in question, this being my usual fogging post. Unbelievably, on my arrival the first thing I noticed was, that the large pile of coal that had been there a couple of hours previously had disappeared, every single lump, so I knew I was in for a cold nights fogging. The strange thing concerning this is, who ever assisted the coal in its disappearing trick, must have used a wheelbarrow, but how did they get a wheelbarrow full of coal over either of the two stiles that safeguarded both sides of the track from encroachment by farm animals.

14The Brickworks always had tons of coal in their yard, so obviously they were nothing to do with it, although someone suggested that one of the workers from the Brickworks may have assisted in the removal of the coal, this I doubt very much. However, I did survive a very cold night, and the following morning I had never been more pleased to see Norman, who was taking over from me, walking down the track; after a few quick words about the disappearing coal I was on my way home to get defrosted, still wondering what had happened to that lovely pile of coal. You may be wondering how coal happened to be near a signal, well, this was due to the thoughtfulness of steam trains crews who, while being held up at signals, usually threw a few shovels full of coal from the train for the specific use of fogmen, this was the type of camaraderie that existed on the railway during the days of steam, and was much appreciated by fogmen.

Before closing, I would like to congratulate the people who cut the grass in the playing field. As I walked along the path to go to the shops on Sunday morning, the 11th of Sep; it looked absolutely wonderful, like a gigantic lawn, it was a credit to the village, well done.

Unfortunately there are two sides to every coin, while some people try to make our village a place to be proud of, others take the opposite view, and try to do as much damage to the well being and structure of the village as they can. This mind boggling stupidity has to be seen to be believed, don't these people realise that all the damage they do in the village has to be paid for by them, or their parents, plus everyone else, through rates and taxes; don't they realize that all Government and council financial grants to playing fields and other organisations, originate from the same source, as described above. Anyway, maybe its a waste of time trying to explain this to the people who cause the trouble; they probably never read the News Letter.

Ken Parker

Stalking, creeping, swiftly running,
Fox is hunting, sly and cunning.
Kingfisher diving in the stream,
Flying dragons blue and green.
Swallows skim the water gleaming,
Neath its surface life is teaming,
Minnows, gudgeon, tadpole leech,
Along the banks grow giant beech.
Within the branches squirrels leaping,
Movement fast, glimpse so fleeting.
In the topmost crows are resting,
Finished building soon be nesting.
Climbing bird with stiff tail prop,
Insects seek from root to top.
Brimstone flying flash of yellow,
Peacock posing pretty fellow.
Cricket hopping, chewing chirping,
Birds called lady searching searching.
Dew anoints the pink field clover,
Owls awakening night takes over.
All day life is sleeping sleeping,
From their holes nocturnals creeping.
Night from day time turn is taking,
Changing ever, sleeping wakening.

Ken Parker.

A Coffee Shop!!!
at the Village Hall!!!? My dream comes true.

Steve and Wess will be selling Tea and Coffee as well as a range of home made cakes in the Sportsman's Lounge every Tuesday morning throughout November 9.30–11.30 beginning on the 1st – hope to see you there!

15

21st October 2011 doors open at 7.30pm at Leyhill Social Club

[Graphic]

Promises Auction

Tickets: £4 (includes dinner) Licensed bar
For tickets or to request a brochure of promises: 0779 044xxxx or 01454 26xxxx or email: xxxx @ bonnerfamily.co.uk

Sealed bids will be accepted before the event.
Proceeds in aid of Tortworth Schools Association

Things are about to change in Charfield.

At the South Gloucestershire Council Planning Committee meeting on the 29th September, permission was granted – conditions yet to be agreed – for the building of 16 dwellings on the land behind the Charfield Congregational Chapel.

The King's Hall will be demolished to facilitate the access, changing the street scene and the properties will be built on the original Charfield Village green.

The supporters and objectors for this development have both put their best efforts into this campaign and it is now time to work together to ensure that this development achieves the quality and sustainability and respect for the environment that we, as a village should be striving towards.

Whatever your opinions are on this particular development, one way we will be able to influence future council decisions is to produce a comprehensive Parish Plan, which will have to be taken into consideration.

So please let the Parish Plan Steering group have your comments, either by email to xxxx @ gmail.com or complete a comments form and post in one of the Parish Plan boxes placed around the village.

Vanessa Cole
Charfield Parish Plan Steering Group

The management committee at the hall continues to work very hard to both improve the look and feel of the hall as well as carrying out legally required 16electrical and plumbing works. All of this costs money however, and hall funds are incredibly tight at the moment. This has led us to reluctantly increase hire rates for the hall – something we have not done for a number of years. This has not been an easy decision, nor has it been taken lightly, as we know the impact it will have on hall users, both individuals and clubs, as they also grapple with ever tighter budgets themselves. However, as trustees, we have a duty to look after the hall and to put it first and this we must do.

We are also looking at all aspects of the hall & field operations in a bid to save costs wherever we can. This may lead to some changes to our bar facilities in the near future – more on this as the plans develop.

Fundraising continues wherever and whenever we can – although this effort is taxing on the small band of volunteers who make up the hall committee and supporters. Recent events include the Village Facts and Fun Day, the Le Roc Evening (held in conjunction with St John's Church) and a Jumble Sale. My thanks to all those who helped to organise and run these successful events. Forthcoming events include a Quiz Night and another rural arts production, for children, in November. Please support these events if you can.

As I mentioned in my last report, we have for some time had issues with leaks to many areas of the hall roof. Recently, however, we have secured some significant funding from South Gloucestershire Council which should allow us to put a pitched roof across the area of flat roof, prone to leaks, at the rear of the hall. My thanks to Jo Davis and Deb Field for their hard work in putting together the grant application, for putting our case across to the council, and achieving a really positive result for us.

I have to end though on a slightly sour note – mindless and petty vandalism around the hall and playing fields seems to be on the increase just at the moment. This is both annoying and costly when we have much more important things to spend our limited funds on. If you witness any activity which you believe is anti social or illegal, I would urge you to report the matter to the proper authorities i.e. the police.

In the meantime I look forward to welcoming you to the hall and one of our forthcoming events soon. Thank you.

Tim Hill
Chair

Christmas Shoe Box Appeal 2011

Our willing helpers have been eagerly wrapping shoe boxes ready for filling, so far 100 have been carefully wrapped, just another 100 to go. These shoe boxes will be collected from Charfield the first week in November and will be sent on to orphanages, poor villages and towns in Eastern Europe. The countries our shoe boxes go to are: Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Pakistan, Romania and Serbia.

We support the charity, Blythswood Care, who combine the Christian message with practical help for those in need. Blythswood Care are involved in many projects; this is just one of them. (www.blythswood.org)

Shoe boxes should be filled with items, such as, toothpaste, toothbrush, sponge, soap, shampoo, scarf, gloves, sweets and a toy. A shoe box can cost as little as £5.00 and will bring great joy to someone living in desperate poverty. Christian 17literature is also put into each individual box. If you would like to help or donate any of these items, please feel free to get in contact with us or visit us at Chapel. Empty shoe boxes most welcome!

[Photo]

We managed to send 115 boxes in 2010 filled to the brim with ‘goodies’ for those under privileged people. This year our target is to send 200 shoe boxes, we hope we can achieve this with your help!

If you would like more information on this project, please contact April on 01453 84xxxx and if unavailable, please leave a message or email at xxxx @ hotmail.co.uk

Please help us give to someone in need this Christmas. It is a very rewarding experience.

[Photo]

The 200 Club is a monthly lottery in aid of Charfield Village Hall. For £12 per year (that's only £1 per month!) you get the chance to win 1 of several cash prizes (from £10–£25) every month, with a bonus prize of £50 every few months, while also contributing to the upkeep of the village hall.

For your chance to win while helping boost the coffers of your local community facility, please contact John Russell on 0771155xxxx or Deb Field on 01454 26xxxx.

Winners last quarter:
Sept
Mrs M Dimes (293)
Mr C Wadsworth (269)
Mr A Wilson (248)
Mr P Birt (157)
Mr J Rosher (251)

August
Mrs S Carnegie (117)
Mr V Make (156)
Mr J O'Neill (129)
Mr C Moneta (174)

July
Mrs S Field (113)
Mr K Williams (130)
Mr J Burfield (220)
Mrs H Griffiths (150)

June and July seemed to go pretty fast in the Scouting calendar; all meetings were spent up at Avening Green, enjoying the fresh air and doing outdoor Scout stuff, backwoods cooking, pioneering etc. The Cubs finished off the summer term with an ‘International’ themed camp visiting Europe in the morning and went 18worldwide in the afternoon. They made Eiffel tours, baked pizzas for lunch, played Maltese games, learnt hieroglyphics in Egypt, rustled cattle in America and made Maori paintings in Australia. The Woodend Cubs shared their camp with Falfield Scouts and a great time was had by all.

The summer break seemed to go really quickly and we were straight back in to Scouting, with a Scout camp third week in. They cycled across to Sharpness and back, a 20 mile round trip, adopting a baby squirrel on the way which was about to be run over. Or it adopted the ASL Fernando, as it wouldn't leave him, even when we deposited him in the woods and ‘legged’ it; the poor thing screamed a couple of times.

Just last weekend, on our earlier than usual Cub and Scout camp at the Welsh Bicknor Youth Hostel, the Cubs and Scouts were watching deer and rabbits from their windows and there was even a boar snuffling around on the evening. The weather was absolutely glorious, the Scouts set off early to kayak down the river Wye whilst the Cubs visited the Dean Heritage Centre and the Sculpture Trail. We only managed to visit 5 of the sculptures as it was far too hot to be hiking around. The next day we visited Clearwell Caves, always worth another visit especially as Merlin and Doctor Who series are being recorded there. Of course the Scouts went further into the caves than the Cubs which was very brave of them. We had none of the youngsters being homesick, which was surprising as we did have a number of first timers, and we had to wake them up on the Sunday morning!

We've already started our fundraising efforts in September by providing burgers and sausages at the Cromhall Fair, the main attraction at this year's event was a display by some cowboys who came with scenery, guns and even a cannon if was brilliant. Our next venture is a bag pack at Morrisons, Cribbs Causeway and the Charities Fair in November where our Akela will be making his famous corned beef pie, you must come along and try it!

Our HQ has now been wood-wormed and all the kit is ready to go back into its allotted niches, the final quote has been received for the refurbishment of the Cromhall HQ toilets, and a quote is being prepared for the Avening Green toilet refurbishment courtesy of the Filton College Construction Apprentices, the Tortworth Estate won the bid to replace the windows at Avening Green HQ with work commencing late October. In our lease we have always had to keep the cottage in a ‘distressed’ state, we have now been given permission to bring it up to standard, which we are looking forward to doing.

We lost over the summer Julie Ashford (Rama), from Cubs who is going to do her nurse re-training but we did gain an additional Akela (Mrs – but not married to ‘our Akela’), Allison Moore is an experienced Cub Leader from another group and has brought with her, Natalie, her daughter who is a Young Explorer, both are settling in nicely into Cubs and the Group on a Wednesday evening. Thank you to both of them for joining us and to Julie for all of her hard work and we do hope to see her back with us at some point in the future. We also have Nigel (Biggles) back on the Thursday Cub meetings for the winter before he returns to PGL Activity holidays and as I have now relinquished the Acting Group Scout Leader role at Falfield I might now be able to take things a bit easier.

Well until at least this next weekend when we will be starting to plan our next trip to Malta Easter 2013. There's flights and transport to cost, excursions to plan and we need to find out how many Cubs and 19Scouts we will be taking? Speaking to them recently it seems they all want to come – help!

We're all planned up to Christmas and slightly beyond. As usual waiting lists are long, we managed to take in a few from outside of the group in September but are now full for at least the next six months. As always we suggest children are added to our waiting list well before they are 6.

Take a look at our new web site www.####.org.uk/

Yours in Scouting
Sandra Carnegie
Group Scout Leader 1st Woodend

It's 10th October. I've two days before deadline. I'm off to darts in a mo, so thought come on Mazzie, get typing. Hello folks!!!

Well what's been happening? Our Millie was one in August and Viv did a wonderful baptism celebration for her and us.

Lawrence has a new job. He's no longer at Ground Zero but way out in the Bronx. Still in computers. I phoned him the other weekend and he said, “I can't talk, Mum, I'm at a seminar in Vegas.” He obviously listened when I said “Grab life by the throat!!!”

A few of my dear buddies say Maz you ought to write a book. Well I could do with the dosh. I know our two darlings are almost self sufficient but now and again they need help, so I do daydream about having a book on Waterstone's top shelf. But what about? Most aspects have been covered and I get right cheesed off with old Titchmarsh. He's written I don't know how many books, got a chat show AND did the Proms the other year and on Sunday evening Radio 2. Why doesn't he stick to gardening. Maz, shut up and keep writing. Anyway on that note, the other evening I was watching the Culture Show. They've got a lovely girl interviewer on there, called Clemency something or other. When our Soph was expecting I kept phoning up with suggestions for names. “How about Clemency Philpot?” There were silences down the phone. So Emilia Beatrice, which I do think is fab, Millie for short, topped the list. They were interviewing a woman who used to be in publishing, I think. I missed the beginning of her introduction. Her name is Diana Athill. She had written several books about her life and the interviewer, Lyn Barber, asked her if she was going to write a novel. She replied that she didn't have the imagination for a novel and was more of a documentary kind of writer. Yippee, I thought that's a bit like me with my Chadra bits. Hope for me yet then.

On the subject of our Viv the Vicar, I received a phone call asking if I would face paint at the Rectory Fete. Sue, who originally wasn't going to be about and then suddenly was, came too. I get a bit sheepish charging, not being qualified in the face painting department still, Sue and I had some 20fun. The first child came and I asked what he would like and he said Tutenkhamun!!! Blimey. I nearly said, it's ladybirds and butterflies in Summer, Snowmen in Winter, anyway I plastered him in gold, blue and black bits for Egyptian writing. He was well pleased. (Must dash, Judy's just phoned, she's picking me up in the layby. Will carry on later). Hiya, I'm back and it's now Tuesday. I bet Isabel's champing on the bit. Anyway, back to the Fete. Suddenly Viv comes up to me and asks if I'm up for a bit of karaoke. A. How could I refuse Our Vicar and B. I think I'm a bit of a closet rock chick!! So next thing we're belting out to Bohemian Rhapsody. I've got to say I loved it. Mind you, I do wonder how I sound to others.

Well, my lovelies, I've got a School Friends Meeting in a jif. I'm going along as they are kindly going to present me with some cash for the School Garden.

I'll sign off now, wish you all the best. I don't know if it's an age thing but it doesn't seem two ticks since I wrote last October AND the previous October to that.

Take care all, lots of love, Maz xxx

Now that I'm on the other half of my century (ahem) I find myself identifying more and more with Victor Meldrew! This is an attitude that needs constant control; I have no particular urge to turn into a grumpy old man. There is a part of me that is ever-twenty, and I'd rather like to keep it that way. Events sometimes conspire, however, to reinforce the grump in me. I'm not here to depress you, so I'll just mention in passing the issues we've had recently with vandalism in the playing fields. You may have seen the article in the Gazette at the end of last month: http://tiny.cc/####. I'm told the problem is escalating in neighbouring parishes as well so maybe it's time we all dug in and said ‘enough’.

As I write this we've just finished up the Autumn Litter Pick, and I'm sure you'll notice the difference (for a while, at least). Thanks go out to all the folk who gave some of their time for the betterment of the village, and to Hannah, our Clerk, who spent much of the day helping out and dealing with parishioners' queries and comments – she is a star! As is the gas fitter who's just spent the hottest October Saturday for years on his knees replacing my central heating boiler water-pump. Funny old year, weather-wise, eh?

So, all the litter picked up … perhaps we'll have a breather before the mindless among us toss yet more out of their car windows. Now if only we could persuade folk not to post illegal notices on the telegraph poles, or at least take them down again before they turn into miserable scraps of paper flag … Oops, there's my grump coming out again; back in the box, grump, it's too sunny for that! It was interesting to note recently that South Glos intend withdrawing a number of public recycling facilities – in our case the bottle bank at the Railway Tavern – due to their alleged commercial use. The notification of this came only a few days before the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles MP stated he was promoting weekly rubbish collections again and apparently had a chuck of spare cash to fund it with. I don't know about you, but having got into the habit of refuse segregation there's seldom enough in my 21black bin for a fortnightly collection much less weekly. Perhaps folk with nappies and other problem waste will be happy but I can't help thinking we could spend quarter of a billion quid elsewhere at the moment. Anyhow, if you see the bottle banks disappear, that's why.

As I'm sure you'll know, planning has been at the forefront of Council business again. Indeed, we don't normally have meetings in August (even Parish Councillors are allowed holidays!) but we've had to fit three extra meetings in during the summer to discuss and comment on plans. After several changes and following a site visit by South Glos Councillors the development on ground owned by the Congregational Church was Permitted at the end of September (8 for Approval against 4 for Refusal). See http://tiny.cc/####. Other significant planning issues during this period include the change of use for the plastic recycling business on Wotton Road, which now looks much improved, and an ongoing application at the quarry that we'll find out about shortly. Anyone who has walked past the burial ground site in Churchend – and if not why not? :) – will have noticed we are nearly there! The gates are up, and the grass has been mowed and the weeds removed. Of course, weeds always return, but we've now got a rolling maintenance regime in hand. Planting is still to be done, and the formal adoption of the rules and regulations and tariff structure (expected by December), and we've had our first customer! No, thankfully not in that way, but we've taken our first plot reservation. I know many of you have been interested in this project and will be glad to see it mature, so please feel free now to approach Hannah for more details.

I know Hannah is also writing a piece about the upcoming Remembrance Parade, which is being formally managed by the Parish Council for the first time, and we will be handling the road closure and order of parade and wreath placement henceforth. Please do come and be involved as we honour those who pay the ultimate price for the creation and security of our nation. And don't forget the Help for Hero's breakfast buns! Until next time, have a good autumn and or second summer!

Mark Rosher – Chairman Charfield Parish Council

Miranda Krestovnikoff – Thursday 17th November

[Photo: Miranda Krestovnikoff]

Miranda Krestovnikoff will be our guest speaker – at a fund-raising event at Cotswold Edge Golf Club on Thursday 17th November (7:00 for 7:30pm).

Miranda will share some of her most memorable moments from the last 17 years of working in the wildlife filming industry, from her humble beginnings as a runner and researcher at the BBC's Natural History Unit in Bristol, through to the present day – working on BBC series such as “COAST” and “The One Show”. She will provide a real insight into the lengths she and the crew go to in order to film the animals and some of the frustrations arising when things don't go quite to plan!

22There will be an opportunity to buy a signed copy of Miranda's book.

Tickets, which are limited to 100 and need to be purchased in advance, are now available from:

• Westward Travel Long Street, Wotton-under-Edge
• Cotswold Book Room Long Street, Wotton-under-Edge
• Andrew Harper 01453 84xxxx, xxxx @ uwclub.net

House-to House Collection

This year's house-to-house collection in Wotton-under-Edge and surrounding villages raised £2002, with the collection in Charfield contributing £185. Both totals were down from last year – in the main due to a shortage of collectors rather than a noticeable drop in the money contributed. (The drop in the Charfield total was partly due to my collecting less in the village because of the need to cover other areas).

My thanks go to all those who contributed, and particularly to the small band of collectors (including those who have collected previously but were not available this year).

We will be collecting again next July and offers to help with the collection in Charfield (or elsewhere) will be most welcome!

Milestone
This is the 19th year since the Branch was founded, and we have just passed the milestone of raising over £100,000 since we were founded. While this sounds a lot and is commendable for a small rural branch with limited fund-raising opportunities (eg no major supermarkets or stores) in our area. However, to put it in perspective, it costs £335,000 a day to maintain the RNLI; thus in 19 years we have funded the RNLI for less than 5 hours at current cost! (On the positive side, the total hours funded has increased year-on-year).

Illustrated Talks on the RNLI and Safety at the Seaside
I continue to give illustrated talks to both youth and adult groups. Planned talks include: Aylesbury & Lydney Beaver Scouts; Cheltenham Sea Cadets; Dursley WI; Tangent (W-u-E).

We do not charge for talks – but a donation is never refused, and offers to hold a fund-raising event (for which we can provide support) are very welcome!

If anyone is interested in a talk or simply wants to know more about the RNLI or the activities of the local branch – please contact me. If the talk is for a youth group or school, you may wish to go through the RNLI Regional Office in Saltash (E-mail: xxxx @ rnli.org.uk; Tel: 01752 85xxxx).

John Barnett – 01453 84xxxx (Charfield)

Local PGA Professional David Gosling is embarking upon a quest to grow participation in golf and where better to start than close to home. David specialises in coaching young players and introducing them to the game by visiting local schools and clubs.

In the past few weeks, using specialised coaching equipment called SNAG (Start New At Golf) he has coached over 500 children including pupils at Blue Coat primary schools and Wotton Pioneers and Pathfinders Scout groups. The next few weeks will see classes from KLB starting an 8 week course of lessons and taster sessions in Charfield Primary School. In the middle of all of this he will be continuing his golf development work on 23behalf of the games governing body, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, in the Central American country of Costa Rica.

Anyone who would like to get into golf at Canons Court by joining the Bitesize golf junior academy or the Bitesize golf ladies sessions can contact David direct or the club at Canons Court. It's a great game for all the family and if you start now you could all be enjoying a round of golf in the spring.

Details: David Gosling
T: 07960 15xxxx
W: www.bitesizegolf.com
E: xxxx @ bitesizegolf.com

Canons Court
Contact Claire
T; 01453 84xxxx

Imagine if your life just suddenly got better, easier, happier, brighter what ever word you would like to use. If everything you wanted just seemed to float towards you, you're always in the right place at the right time! That worry and doubt were a thing of the past and complements replaced criticisms! Sounds good doesn't it! It's what I call IRRESISTIBLE ATTRACTION!

Someone once told me “Steve we all come to earth alone and we all leave alone, so it makes sense to like yourself” and that's the problem most of us don't we have very low self-esteem – but then when your brought up in a world with phrases such as, don't blow your own trumpet and self praise is no praise are common its not hard to see why.

Answer yes or no to these questions based on how you feel right this moment

1) Does life seem unnecessarily complicated?

2) Do all your attempts to make life better seem to fail?

3) Do you feel you are at the mercy of your family, job or other people?

4) Are you feeling slightly sick at the thought of all you have to achieve by the end of the week?

5) Do you feel if you want something you can make it happen?

6) Do you feel you are expressing who you really are through your image, home, work or interests?

Right lets see how you got on!!!!

If you answered NO to the first four questions and YES to questions 5 and 6 then your self-esteem is HIGH at the moment

However if you answered YES to the first four questions and NO to questions 5 and 6 your self-esteem is a little on the low side but nil desperandum try these couple of exercises.

Stop waiting for other people to praise you and begin to praise yourself! It hasn't got to be a massive achievement something as simple as cooking a meal or getting the kids to school on time. What's important is you are shifting your view of yourself

Smile, they are contagious and free and the more you get the better you feel – for when you smile your brain releases endorphins our body's natural happy drug.

As a special Christmas gift to CHADRA readers I'm giving away 24my 4 week ‘re-launch your life’ home course for FREE!!! Here is what people have said about it.

Steve contacting you after reading about you in CHADRA has changed my life. I was on the floor and after doing your course I now have a completely different outlook on life and have never been as happy as I am now.
Karen – Charfield resident.

Steve this course is fantastic. You have created in your own unique way a very easy to follow course that will have a massive effect on peoples lives! Keep up the good work
Sue Stone – celebrity life coach and my personal mentor

To claim yours and to find out details about my up coming talk register your interest at xxxx @ gmail.com

Steve Picking

[Graphic: Friends of Charfield Primary School]

The Friends of Charfield Primary School consists of a dedicated team of parents and supporters of the school. We provide the extras that ensure the children have a little more fun and that their time at school is even more enjoyable. The Friends have supported the purchase of major items such as the adventure playground, outdoor classrooms and laptops, but we also support smaller requests, for example, bean bags, PA systems and Year 6 leaving party!

We raise funds through the many events we organise throughout the year. The Christmas Fair, Christmas Tree Sale, May Fair and Fireworks Night are all examples. We are always willing to try something new and will be having our first film night at the school where the children can watch a film in a party atmosphere.

By the time you read this we will have held our AGM and commenced planning on our fund raising events for the year. We have many events at this time of year so if you're thinking of buying a Christmas tree, want to meet Santa(!), or fancy a night watching a fantastic fireworks display we have something for you!

Here is a list of the forthcoming Friends activities:

1. Fireworks Display will be held on Friday 4th November 2011 at the School, gates open at 6pm, fireworks launch at 7.15pm, BBQ and stalls including Charfield Village Plan display stand.
2. Christmas Fair will be held on Saturday 10th December 2011 between 11am and 2pm at the School.
3. Christmas Trees to be sold on Saturday 10th December 2011 between 8am and 4pm – Location to be confirmed.

Please come to our events and support your village school!

Rob Melville
Chair of the Friends of Charfield School
01454 26xxxx or email xxxx @ btinternet.com

The following two pages (25 & 26) were missed from the print run.

25

[Graphic: Charfield School]

Working together …
Learning for life

STAFF NEWS

Firstly in July Mrs Peer, our longest serving teacher, retired after 32 years of service to Charfield School. Many Charfieldians (including a few generations of families) were taught by Mrs Peer and she is greatly missed. However every cloud has a silver lining and Mrs Peer has agreed to come back to help out as a supply teacher.

Secondly Tracey Loveridge decided to hang up her Dinner Lady yellow tabard. Tracey was a well liked member of the school and we were all sad to see her go.

In September we welcomed a number of new faces as staff. Lisa Joyner joined us as a Teaching Assistant; Karen Williams, Danielle Fearon and Kirsty Parsons joined us as Dinner Ladies.

Our current classes and teachers are:

School Council
Charfield School has a school council that is made up of 2 pupils from each class. They meet each week to discuss school issues and complete projects to make the school better for us all.

Last year the children told the council that we needed a storage place for scooters. They agreed and did a number of fund-raising events to meet their target. They more than met their target amount and bought the scooter rack in July. The rack was such a success that our Friends recently bought a second rack!

Charfield School Friends
Our Friends organisation is a vital contributor to many of our school enrichment activities. Without them we wouldn't have access to many resources and events. The team are always looking for extra help. If you would like to get involved and help our Charfield children please contact the school.

Dafydd Lawday (Headteacher)

Don't close that shed door just yet!

With the bbq put back in the shed till next year and the summer flowers all but over, most of us will be retreating back in doors until next spring – but wait! The year isn't over just yet, due to shifts in the British climate over the last 50 years autumn is no longer a temporary blip separating summer from winter. But a season all of its own with a touch of magic about it, for soon the trees will appear to catch on fire as the leaves begin to ignite into a rich tapestry of autumn reds and gold. Add that low slanting orange sun setting between them, and not forgetting that refreshing nip in the evening air reminding you that winter is just around the corner. Yes autumn really is a 26magical season all of its own so get out there and enjoy it before Jack Frost sweeps the land!

But what about my little garden?

Back when my Gramp was my age (a long time ago) at this time of year gardeners would say ‘oh autumn’ and close the shed door until spring but not now! As with every season October and November have there own tasks.

October is the month to …
Tidy up your boarders, remove summer bedding plants and cut down dead flower stems. Remove weeds and dig over the empty spaces ready for planting. Raise the mower blades or try and reduce mowing and be sure to clear fallen leaves asap to stop your lawn yellowing. Apply an autumn feed to your lawn (it will love you for it) Plant your winter flowering plants and spring bulbs.

November is the month to …
Winterize your garden; what I mean is check the whole garden over for anything that might be at risk from the frost etc. Plant and move bare-root trees, shrubs, roses and hedging. Try and keep off the lawn as much as possible now but continue mowing when needed

Second chance!!!
Plant daffodils, narcissus bulbs and crocus corms as soon as possible. You're late!!!

I'll be back in the spring.
Happy Gardening Steve

I read with interest the Parish Council article regarding the speeds of vehicles in Charfield on page seven of the July 2011 news letter. I felt it necessary to voice my opinion once again with regards to the above points, having expressed my concerns to both a Parish Council rep. and a Safer Communities rep. some months ago.

I have been a resident in Charfield for ten years now in Little Bristol Lane and both my wife and I use Manor Lane daily in our travels to work and back. My main concerns are two fold. Firstly I would agree that excessive speed is a major factor around Charfield mainly through the village itself but equally approaching Charfield from Wotton towards the railway bridge.

A further cause for concern is the manner in which many motorists park their vehicles in Manor Lane and Little Bristol Lane without any regard for the fact that they are obscuring the view of other motorists.

As is well known Manor Lane is a fairly short section of roadway with no less than five quite sharp corners, which are mostly obscured by vehicles parked on these corners making it extremely dangerous for other motorists to see if there is oncoming traffic. In addition there are motorists who flagrantly ignore the Highway code (RTA 1988 SEC 22 & CURRENT REG103) which states that it is an OFFENCE to park a vehicle within 10 meters (32 feet) of a junction unless in a clearly demarcated parking space. I as with other neighbours have concerns about a large white van that is constantly parked on the corner of Little Bristol Lane and the cul-de-sac obscuring any safe exit or entry to our properties. The same situation occurs in Manor Lane with large vans. You will find the same situation on the corner of Manor Lane turning right into Little Bristol Lane where vehicles are constantly parked across the corner of the road thereby making it almost impossible to see oncoming traffic until you have pulled out into the road.

In closing, I cannot but wonder if once again the concerns that I and others have raised regarding speeding and dangerous parking will be swept under the carpet by the Police and Council until such time as a serious accident occurs

A Charfield Resident
(name and address supplied)

27

Advertising

[Advert for W.S. Franks]

[Advert for Pat Jeanes reflexology]

[Advert for Claire Saunders]

[Advert for Colin Lane Carpet & Flooring]

[Advert for Littles Curtains]

[Advert for T.W. Services]

28[Advert for Acucare]

[Advert for RK Aerials]

[Advert for Manor Garden Maintenance]

[Advert for PC Repairs & Maintenance]

[Advert for Probert Electrical]

29[Advert for Cotswold Edge Carpets]

[Advert for At Home Curtains & Blinds]

[Advert for Evergreen Computing]

30[Advert for Bridge]

[Advert for Elcombe Firewood]

[Advert for Rural Arts Performance]

[Advert for Alan Hamer dieting]

[Advert for Sally Taylor Floral Ideas for Christmas]

THE CHADRA COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OUR READERS A SAFE, WARM AND HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND OUR VERY GOOD WISHES TO YOU ALL FOR THE NEW YEAR

31[Advert for Charfield Memorial Hall]

[Advert for Plumbtec]

[Advert for Deborah Jayne Pringle]

[Advert for Oak Tree Nursery]

32[Advert for Greenline Tanks]

[Advert for Falcon Cottage B&B]

[Advert for Charfield Post Office]

[Advert for Eclipse Hair Studio]

[Advert for Bradley Garage]

[Advert for The Edge Health & Beauty]

33[Advert for Add Plant]

[Advert for Kopperz]

[Advert for Ashworthy Cattery]

[Advert for D.R. Vizard]

[Advert for Electric Guitar Lessons]

[Advert for Tree Care]

34[Advert for Steve's General Garden Maintenance]

[Advert for Barbara Daw]

[Advert for Elite Financial]

[Advert for New Street Garage]

[Advert for Relax-ology]

35

Charfield Memorial Hall Regular Events (SL = Sportsmans Lounge)

Diary Dates

November
Every Tuesday, Fancy a Brew Tea and Coffee as well as a range of home made cakes in the Sportsman's Lounge every Tuesday morning throughout November 9.30–11.30 beginning on the 1st

4th. Friday. Fireworks Display will be held at the Primary School, gates open at 6pm, fireworks launch at 7.15pm,

12th Saturday. Indoor table top/car boot sale in the Memorial Hall

17th Thursday RNLI – Wotton-under-Edge & District Miranda Krestovnikoff Cotswold Edge Golf Club

19th Saturday. FLORAL IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS A DEMONSTRATION BY SALLY TAYLOR AT CROMHALL VILLAGE HALL AT 7PM

20th Sunday. Rural Arts Performance at 2.00 in the Memorial Hall. The Cat That Walked By Himself

December
10th Saturday Indoor table top/car boot sale in the Memorial Hall
10th Saturday Christmas Fair will be held between 11am and 2pm at the Primary School. Also Xmas Trees to be sold between 8am and 4pm – Location to be confirmed.

January 2012
27/28th both evenings CADS will be performing Cinderella, in the Village hall @ 7.30. A matinee will also be performed on the 28th @ 2.00pm.

February 2012
11th and 25th Saturdays. Charfield Sings 10am to 12 noon Charfield Primary School Main Hall. A CHADRA sponsored event.

CUT OUT THIS PAGE AND PIN IT TO YOUR NOTICEBOARD

36

If you wish to alter the entries below, please telephone Isabel on 01454 26xxxx
or email xxxx @ gmail.com

British Legion
David Millman (Hon Sec) 01454 26xxxx

Charfield Pre-School
Debra Davidson (Manager/Admissions) 07966 61xxxx
Email:- xxxx @ Gmail.com
Katherine Edwards (Chair) 01454 26xxxx

Charfield Primary School
Dafydd Lawday 01454 26xxxx

Childminders
Hazel Stone 01454 26xxxx

Church – Congregational
Nicky Lanyi 01454 26xxxx

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

Council – Charfield Parish
Hannah C Saunders (Clerk) 01454 29xxxx
Email clerk @ charfieldparishcouncil.co.uk

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

Cricket Club
Chris Shearwood 01454 77xxxx

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

Friends of Charfield Primary School
Rob Melville (Chair) 01454 26xxxx

Foundation Room
Bryan Grantham 01454 26xxxx

Junior Football Club
Nigel Cloke 01454 26xxxx

Keep Fit Club
Christine Parfitt 01454 26xxxx

Luncheon Club for the Elderly
Jane Higgins 01454 26xxxx

Memorial Hall
Bookings 07774 41xxxx
Email www.charfield.org
Vice Chair Deb Field 01454 26xxxx