CHADRA

Supporting local groups, businesses and charities

Monday 5 May 2014 Charfield Playing Fields 12–5pm

Over 30 stalls
Live music – Food and refreshments – raffle entertainment – candy floss
Tug of war – football tournament – art competition

There's loads going on!

• The head brewer of Wickwar Brewery will be on hand to answer questions and will be giving away free samples and Money off vouchers
• Tug of War (Men, Women, mixed children and mixed seniors) Come along at 3pm to join a team
• Charfield Primary School Art Competition is back!
Come and see who in each year group is awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
• Raffle to include a cash prize of £100
• Dance demonstrations by local groups
• Charfield's Got Talent winner and runners up will delight you in the music tent
• Fancy Dress competition for 0–5 year olds and 6–11 year olds with a CASH prize

And much, much more!

With thanks to our sponsors:
Charfield Parish Council, Charfield Village Plan Steering Group, Charfield Service Station, MJ Fews and Renishaw

For more information please email: xxxx @ gmail.com

2

Next Copy Date – 6 July 2014

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

IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR COPY OF CHADRA DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR PLEASE CONTACT MARION SMITH FROM THE ABOVE CONTACT PHONE NUMBER LIST

3

Well what a start to the year!!! I would like to start off with some fantastic news. We are extremely proud to announce that we have been awarded the ‘Bristol Standard’. This is a great achievement for the Pre-School a lot of time and effort has gone into evaluating the framework. We would like to say a huge Thank You to Lucy all her hard work has paid off. Well Done.

WHAT IS THE BRISTOL STANDARD?
The Bristol Standard is a self-evaluation framework that supports all settings to develop and improve the quality and effectiveness of their provision. It is an annual cycle of reflection, which is ongoing, using a whole team approach. Practitioners work together, to reflect on their practice, in order to improve outcomes for all children and their families. A portfolio is submitted annually for validation.

The Bristol Standard has been designed to support the process of continuous quality improvement which is a journey, not a destination. It is organised into ten dimensions, so that settings can evaluate one area at a time in a manageable way that promotes ownership. Involvement in the Bristol Standard demonstrates that you are reflective, self-evaluating setting, committed to improving on your previous best.

One of the objectives of the Government's child care strategy is for settings to take part in their own quality assurance scheme. In line with legislation and providing for the rights of children, settings must examine how inclusive they are for all children and families within their community. It is essential that inclusion and equality are evaluated in respect of all ten dimensions.

We had a great result from this year's Pre-School Quiz Night. THANK YOU very much for everybody who supported the Pre-School Quiz Night, it has been our most successful year yet raising a WHOPPING £450!!!!!!! We would especially like to thank Jon and Elaine Godfrey for preparing the themed based questions and for being our Quiz masters for the fourth year running.

As you may remember back in October last year we were awarded a grant funding of £1,350 towards our new Interactive Learning Journey project. We have been trialling this project with a few children over the last few terms to get to grips with any teething problems. The learning journey project will be launched to all children from September. This exciting project will introduce iPad devices, upon which both the staff and children can take photos and videos to be uploaded into their Learning Journeys.

As always we are relying heavily on fundraising and marketing the Pre-School in and out of the village … So Why not join our Lottery Club? Enter our monthly prize draw and win a cash prize! This is a great way for grandparents, aunties/uncles and family friends to support Pre-School every month … as the saying goes, “you have to be in it, to win it”!

If you would like to chat about registering your child as a new starter, or about extending your existing hours please call Debra on 07966 61xxxx. We are currently operating a waiting list. Please call or e-mail us for more details (xxxx @ gmail.com).

Karen Stainthorpe
Chair

The 44th Festival includes three music concerts, St George's Day celebration with children's workshop, Festival Art Exhibition, two talks, a film, and an evening to mark the centenary of WW1. On Turning the Tables evening, Ali Vowles interviews two local celebrities, and we play some of their favourite 4music. The week concludes with Band Sunday, on Wotton Hill and the Festival service in St Mary's Parish Church. Something for everyone.

Look out for the Festival Brochure for all the details or visit
www.wottonartsfestival.org.uk

Three charming gardens are opening over the Spring Bank Holiday on Sunday 25th and Monday 26th May in the village.

Warners Court, the largest, with a formal garden, shrubbery, wildlife area with large pool, vine house and productive vegetable garden to explore.

10 Station Road is a beautifully planted garden in the country cottage style, packed full of delightful plants and with a successful vegetable and fruit garden and lovely front garden.

Pemberley Lodge is a modern garden, which wraps round the house and was professionally designed to provide all year round interest with low maintenance. It has an unusual roof garden that gives a great view of the village.

There will be light refreshments and delicious cakes on offer at Warners Court and Pemberley Lodge and plentiful parking convenient for all the gardens. The more energetic could plan a walk around the village to visit them all. For all visiting plantaholics there will be plenty to buy as you visit the different gardens.

Make a day out of it and have lunch in one of our village pubs. And visit Charfield Meadow, an Avon Wildlife Trust site and the C15th St James Church.

We have raised over £9000 for charity from our two openings in 2010 & 2012. Please help us to continue with this amazing success.

The gardens are open on 25th and 26th May (Sunday & Monday) from 1pm to 6pm and entry is £6.00 for adults with children going free. The one entrance fee admits you to all 3 gardens.

Apologies in advance to anyone who may find the village is busy that weekend but it is for a good cause.

We look forward to seeing you all in May. Any enquiries ring Yvette on 01454 26xxxx.

Charfield Junior Football Club is trying to raise as much money as possible to purchase a lawn mower/ tractor for the football club.

We are holding a Promise Auction at the Memorial Hall
7:30 pm on Saturday 24th May.

Everyone is invited and I already have a list of Prizes donated, but hope for more if possible.

Tour of Renishaw's for 2 people and a 2 course meal
Forest Green Rovers Family ticket for a home game
5 Junior Vouchers for Gloucester Rugby match
Signed Pennant from Manchester United Football Club
2 Complimentary tickets to a Bristol Rovers football match
3 Course Dinner for 2 people at Tortworth Court Hotel
4 Ball voucher from Thornbury Golf Club
Family Tickets to Slimbridge WWT
Family ticket to Old Down Country Park
4 tickets to Cattle Country

If anyone wishes to bid for anyone of the above prizes please come along. Alternatively if you would like to add to 5the list, perhaps mow somebody's lawn or wash a car I can add anything to the promise auction for bidding on the night.

Dave Arkle

Spring at last!

I hope you all noticed the crocus Thommasinianus that appeared in late February throughout verges along the Wotton Road. These will multiply over time and in the years to come there will be a swathe of blue edging the road.

The CUGUC volunteers continue their fantastic job in the car park of the Memorial Hall. The front stone wall has been rebuilt, a new bench installed and the railings are getting a much needed coat of paint. There is still a lot of clearing going on but now we are looking to do some planting. The inspiration for the planting scheme is British native woodland – so wild privet, hawthorn, dog rose, wild cherry, holly, yew, laurel, amelanchier under planted with a selection of spring bulbs. This will provide excellent sources of habitat and food for insects and birds. All in all, the site is looking great. Thanks to the team who have taken this site on – you are doing an amazing job!

We have started to tidy up the area outside the school and have submitted planting plans to the school for their approval. The frontage already looks much better. So any parents that would like to help either at that site or more generally in the village would be welcome.

We have submitted our plans for a number of other sites to South Glos Council and are waiting to hear if we can be licenced to maintain them. We are raring to go but these things have to be done properly. And we will need volunteers to help so please get in contact with us to do your bit. It is great fun!

Don't forget to let us have your ideas, comments and donations. Details of how to contact us are detailed below and on the contact page at the back of this magazine.

Yvette Andrewartha
Chair CUGUC
www.charfieldparishcouncil.org.uk/####
email: xxxx @ gmail.com

Are you passionate about promoting the welfare of our children and young people and can you help us make better links with local communities?

Can you challenge us to make our policies and procedures more accessible to the public, children and young people?

The South Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Board is looking to recruit two representatives who are resident in South Gloucestershire, aged 18 or over, to become volunteer lay members of the board for two years.

This is a great opportunity to help us to ensure that all of our agencies and organisations are safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people across South Gloucestershire.

You will need to have an understanding of the needs of children and young people, an ability to communicate effectively within meetings and confidence to ask questions and challenge people in a constructive way.

Our lay members' main duty will be to attend the board meetings and other sub-groups as appropriate.

6We will provide induction training for those appointed and other training opportunities will be available, which will enable the position holders to increase their skills and understanding of safeguarding issues. Out of pocket travelling expenses to attend meetings will be paid if required.

Successful candidates will be asked to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and provide references.

For an informal discussion contact Catherine Boyce, Strategic Safeguarding Service Manager on 01454 86xxxx or xxxx @ southglos.gov.uk

Expressions of interest to be received by 31 May

Interviews will be held at South Gloucestershire Council offices, Badminton Road, Yate, BS37 5AF at a date to be arranged.

Dare I say, at last spring is here? In fairness Charfield took far less of a hit than places to the north and to the south of us, weatherwise, but it's still marvellous to see good honest sunshine. And did you love the crocus heads as they popped out of the grass verges? A huge thanks to CUGUC for their work, including the continuing improvements at the Memorial Hall car park. The crocus succeeded snowdrops and gave way to daffodils planted previously, and gave a bit of life to the bland grass verges. Let's see what else can be done over the years, and do get involved directly by contacting them via their Facebook page or web site.

In other grass areas, you'll have noticed the blue hut is at last gone. Damaged beyond our ability to repair it, we had it removed to make way for planned new improvements including a MUGA (Multi Use Games Area). The cost of this means it's not about to arrive immediately, but funds are being accrued and plans drawn up. I try hard not to tarnish everyone with the same brush and I don't mean to when I say every pound we spend repairing vandal damage is a pound we can't put towards the new infrastructure. Please keep an eye out and report damage when you see it. It's a sad side to council work but we don't want anyone harmed by those who care less than we do.

Now April has arrived, you'll be aware that South Gloucestershire Council have decided not to continue with green bin collection unless we stump up another thirty six quid. I've not decided whether to retain my bin collection, as most of my garden waste goes to compost or bonfire, but remember you can get smaller bags to send garden waste away in from the local shop. It was previously going to be John's post office but that has now closed and the post office business is being run by Steve's Shop. Thanks to Steve for picking up a valuable local service and thanks to John and Sandra for many years of service, and for still being our ward councillor.

One of our local footpaths has been out of bounds for some time, but recently OCH8 has come back into service along a slightly diverted route. OCH8 runs from New Street across the railway line to Poolfield Farm, behind the school. It was likely to close forever but after pressure was applied it is to formally open soon with a new stepaerobic climb up the railway embankment and down the other side, but is informally open now. It's a good short walk down New Street up and over the railway and back into the village, and the views from the top are as you can imagine extensive! You're not supposed to stop on a public right of way for any length of time, but frankly by the time I get to the top I need to catch my breath! 7All the public rights of way in Charfield are shown on the map available from the parish web site, and all of them get walked through the year to ensure they are passable.

The annual meeting of the parish takes place on Thursday May 8th, and everyone in the parish is cordially invited to attend. It's not a council meeting – it's your meeting. With a bit of luck, I'll still be Chairman of the Parish Council after it, but we have speakers lined up to offer interesting presentations too. This year we have two Parish Clerks, Kieran Warren from Frampton Cottrell and Wendy Mayo from Dodington, who are going to talk about allotments. We don't currently have any allotments in Charfield but we have been looking for land to establish them, following approaches by parishioners and the report in the Village Plan. Kieran and Wendy will be able to answer questions about setting up from scratch a new allotment organisation. We may have other speakers too, but you'll have to cop me and see for yourselves on Thursday May 8th, in the Memorial Hall 7.30.

It's hard to avoid talking about dog bins … but I'm getting therapy. You'll have noticed perhaps that the litter bins and dog bins have been labelled recently. Both litter and dog waste can now be put into litter bins. In order to reduce the number of bin collections and the cost of emptying them, we are planning to remove several dog bins particularly where they are adjunct litter bins. We will also put out some new litter bins where none lived before. Do look out for those.

In terms of rubbish too, can I just say that the general parish noticeboard is for the use of parishioners, but that I tend to remove without notice (heh) any leaflet that is pinned to the oak wood of the noticeboard rather than the cork surface. It's not hard, please don't pin to the wood; it damages the board and looks untidy. Likewise, I'm hopeful that we can start removing all the tatty adverts that get pinned to the telegraph poles around the village too.

That's enough from me (hear the cheers). Do remember you are all welcome to attend the full Parish Council meetings that are held in the Memorial Hall Sportsman's Lounge at seven thirty, generally on the second Tuesday of each month, and bring matters to our attention during Public Participation. Alternatively give Hannah a call on 01454-29xxxx or email clerk @ charfieldparishcouncil.org.uk

Mark Rosher – Chairman
Charfield Parish Council

Friday 25th April 2014 7–9.30pm

ST JOHN's CHURCH, CHARFIELD

Tickets £5 if purchased in advance On the night £6
Children under 16 Free

Tickets can be purchased from Steve's Shop,
Rosemarie on 0771714xxxx or Ruth on 0145426xxxx
Proceeds to St Johns
Do come and enjoy a great evening of music and song

8

So my first CHADRA report of 2014 for the village hall and maybe my last as Chair – but more of that later. The hall management committee continues the non-stop process of trying to make YOUR village hall, and playing fields, the best they can be within the limitations that time and money allow. The main hall is now pretty much as we would like it with a new ceiling, new lights, new paintwork, new stage curtains and even new cookers in the kitchen. Thanks to all those who helped raise the money for that work, to Deb Field for her continued grant application efforts and to Rob Melville for co-ordinating most of the contractors to complete the work. I do hope that all hall users appreciate the time and effort involved.

Now we move our efforts to the “outside” of the building – the doors, the windows, the entrance gates, the rear of the building and, as always, the roof and guttering. We are hoping to get significant grant funding to assist us in sorting out many of the inherent faults caused by the design and age of the building. We also intend to focus this year's Parish Council precept money in the Sportsman's Lounge end of the hall. Perhaps by the autumn we will see significant progress in all these areas. The car park itself continues to be tidied and spruced up by our friends from CUGUC – again as time, resource and funds allow.

None of this comes cheaply, as I'm sure you will be aware, and clearly we do not want to raise hire fees as this would have a direct impact on the many clubs, groups and individuals who use the hall. However our basic running costs continue to rise, so fundraising remains integral to our efforts. By the time you read this we will, I hope, have hosted a successful Easter Fair and another Rural Arts event. Plans will be almost finalised as well for the Village Fete on Monday 5th May. Thanks to Margaret Gargett and her team for their continued hard work planning and running these events. Let's all pray for good weather in May!

Also in May is the hall AGM. As I mentioned earlier I am planning to step aside as Chair after another 3 years at the helm. It has been hard work but very rewarding and I hope a suitable candidate comes forward to replace me. The hall has an excellent committee who only need more support, and numbers, from the wider village community to ensure that Charfield has a community facility it can be proud of for years to come.

On that note, the bit where I moan. Again. Vandalism and anti-social behaviour, around the hall and playing field, appear to be increasing slightly again. I hope with the better weather and longer days that this is not a sign of things to come. If you do witness anything that you are worried or concerned about, please tell the proper authorities i.e. the police. We do not need the mindless minority spoiling things for the vast majority of Charfield residents who just want to use and support all that the hall & playing field can provide.

Thanks very much,
Tim Hill. Chair

What a wet winter we have had! It is so great to see some sun shine and warmer days at last.

Since the New Year it has been a relatively quiet time in terms of fundraising events. Movie night at the school was our first event of the year. We had a great turn out from the children with 130 attendees eagerly awaiting the start of Turbo! After some technical hitches we finally managed to start the film much to the relief of all the Friends attending (what would we have done with 130 children if we failed to get the movie running …). We had a tuck shop and a new addition of popcorn which could be 9purchased on arrival. Little did we know how popular the popcorn would be, we were sold out within 10 minutes! The event was a great success and we were able to raise a staggering £439 on the night. All the children who attended were a credit to both the school and their parents as the behaviour was exemplary. It was a thoroughly enjoyable night with both children and Friends getting engrossed in the movie. Thanks to everyone who helped with the preparation and running of the event.

Whilst the Friends have been busy raising money we have also been spending it through the requests raised by various members of the school staff.

The redevelopment of the adventure playground is finally complete and the children are enjoying the new layout and new equipment. There will be an unveiling ceremony in Spring when the weather is a little nicer so look out for it in the papers and the school newsletter. A massive thank you to everyone's support in helping to fund the rebuild, it has been a huge success for the Friends and for the school. A smaller project we are helping to fund is the purchase of iPads for the ICT department which will provide another dimension to the children's education of how these devices are being used for learning. We are also hoping to help the school with larger projects and will be working with the school to prioritise the purchase of new equipment. With the above in mind we are also waiting on applications for a number of community grants and charity matched giving initiatives – whilst I appreciate we are experiencing tough times, if you work for a company that runs such a scheme and are stuck for a worthwhile cause to support then please do get in touch!

Looking to the future at up and coming events a number of committee members and school staff have signed up for the Bristol 10K race on the 11th of May (including me) which we are busy training for. If you would like to donate to the Friends charity we are organising a couple of ways in which you can do this, one will be via PayPal, the donation button will be located within the Friends area of the school website. We are also (hopefully) going to have a Virgin Money donation site which is being organised as I write (we are in discussion with HMRC to complete the application). If you feel you are able to sponsor us to help us raise money for future purchases at the school your donation would be most welcome. Further information about these sponsorship sites will be in the school newsletter shortly.

The Friends have a couple of activities at the May Fair. There will be a welly whanging competition with prizes for the furthest throws and also a slightly alternative take on a lucky dip, you will have to visit our stall to find out more …

On the 28th of June Charfest will be back!!! We are building on the success of last year and adding to the activities to make the event an even more fun day for the entire family. Further details of the bands and the activities will be provided closer to the time so make sure you put a note in your diaries to be there!!

If you feel you have some ideas about potential future events please get in touch as we would be delighted to hear about events you feel would help support our local school and also bring the community together.

In the meantime, another way that you can help The Friends is through Easy Fund Raising. The way it works is that when doing your online shopping, rather than going to that company's own website, you access it through the link below, we then receive a percentage of what you spend via the site, it doesn't cost you a penny! It couldn't be simpler to get involved you just need to register using the following link; www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ causes/ friendsofcharfieldschool. There are over 2000 retailers listed including Amazon, John Lewis, M&S, Ebay and Argos etc. so the next time you are online please try it out, 10we have already managed to raise over £800 to date through this scheme!

If you are reading this and want to get involved in The Friends then it could not be easier, all you need to do is to come along to the next committee meeting and get stuck in! Drop me text if you'd like to know when the next meeting is taking place.

I look forward to keeping you informed of our future events, until then, once again, a very big thank you to everyone who has worked with and supported the Friends.

Dave Ashby
Chair – The Friends of Charfield Primary School 07904 02xxxx

Hello, Welcome Spring! Firstly, I want to yell out Happy Wedded Bliss to dear Steve and Tracey. I was a bit off the boil (OTB) when the last CHADRA was due so am now announcing, although I'm sure half the village helped them celebrate.

Wow! So much to say, although I have mislaid my scrappy envelope with all my jottings on. Still have been making notes, so here goes. I went to the Doctors stating that I had obviously been bitten on the neck, no, not by a vampire but some gruesome insect whilst getting a ball out of the hedge for some tiny tot at school. However, the medical profession had other ideas. “I do beg to differ, Mrs Smith, but you have got shingles.” SHINGLES!!! Seconds later, I was armed with penicillin and enormous tablets, five a day for seven days AND I was highly infectious to children.

Later on, Sophie googled shingles, apparently, it can be caused by age, we'll ignore that, or stress. Going back a bit, with a few bubbly drinks inside us and after having stuffed the bird, yes, I've gone back to Christmas, Mum and I were talking about stress. It's a little word that gets bandied about quite often. We, Mum and I, that is, decided that stress was when you'd spent the night in an air-raid shelter, got out the next morning, hoping that your house was still standing. Now that was stress.

I was lying on the sofa contemplating the Disney Channel or Storage Wars, feeling absolutely awful. I realised that I had been feeling OTB, for quite a while. Armed with my Collins Super Dictionary, I looked it up. There were about seven examples, I honed in on number 6. Stress: A mentally or emotionally disruptive or disquieting influence. A state of tension or distress caused by such an influence. Blimey, that summed it up. Mind you, I do think it could do with a few more letters. That's a lot of heavy stuff for something only six letters long.

Talking about age, obviously any young chicks reading this will not have a clue what I'm talking about, but you of tender years will know that sometimes words escape you. I was in class just before my outbreak of ‘shingleitus’ telling a lovely little Year 3 pupil where to put the date. I pointed to the area on the page with a faint red line running down. She gazed up at me and said, “Mrs Smith, do you mean the margin?!”

Those of you who know my Mum, will agree how fab she is, nearing the ripe age of 91. I phoned a few weeks ago just checking she was alright. “Am I interrupting your TV viewing,” I asked. “No,” she replied, “I'm just watching The BRITS!”

Well I'd better sign off in a jiffy, but will end by thanking you for your good wishes, (those who know about my bits and bobs), and finally to lovely Pauline, whom I met in Thornton's cards last Saturday. After catching up with our news, we both decided that the only way forward was to “keep your pecker up.”

Lots of love to you all.
Maz xxxx

11

The cricket club welcomes new or returning players for the 2014 season.

On Saturday afternoons we run two league teams:
- 1st XI – County League Division 5 (finished 5th in 2013)
- 2nd XI – District League Division 3 (finished 3rd in 2013)

We also have friendly matches on Sundays and occasional midweek games

Our season starts on Saturday 3rd May

All players are welcome at our indoor nets at KLB, on Sundays at 6pm, on 13th April and 27th April

For details please contact:
Ben Foxwell 07912 94xxxx
Jeremy Hull 01453 52xxxx or 07580 87xxxx
Tony Field 01454 26xxxx or 07877 03xxxx

It certainly doesn't seem like three months have passed since the last edition of CHADRA was being written in the dark days of January! The children are beginning to enjoy playing outside. Hopefully Spring is now finally on the way.

As usual there has been a lot going on at the club which continues to be open, and very busy, every morning and afternoon during term time. The children had great fun during February half term. The topic was the Winter Olympics and the children enjoyed crafts, challenges and competitions that covered the sports, snow and Russia. During the Easter Holidays the children will be enjoying lots of traditional Easter activities including cooking and chocolate fun!

Fundraising continues. The club is holding an Easter egg raffle and on Sunday 13th the club has organised a Bunny Hunt jointly with the Village Hall. The club will also be at the May Fair on 5th May with a “name the teddy” stall, we look forward to seeing you there!

Bookings will soon be taken for the May half term, so if you need holiday childcare or if your children would simply like to play in a structured and caring environment, please contact the club for a booking form.

The Committee would also like to say a big thank you to Wotton Accountancy Associates Limited for their excellent service and continued support with the preparation of the clubs financial statements. Their assistance is invaluable to our community driven non-profit making organisation.

Don't forget our club is open to all children attending school up to the age of 13. During term time we are open from 07:30 until the start of school, and after school until 18:00. During holidays and In Service Training days we are open from 07:30 to 18:00.

Check out the school website for more details www.charfieldschool.org.uk and follow the links. Please give it a go, we are sure your children will enjoy it and you will be impressed!

The Out of School Club Committee

Back in February, a Pop-up Café took place at The Plough Inn, with the aim of looking at what support services were available to residents of Charfield and the surrounding villages who were living with, or caring for someone with memory problems.

We had a lovely morning, and enjoyed a number of quite lively discussions 12regarding services available, and what people would like to see happening.

It was widely felt that although services were available further out towards places like Stonehouse or Frenchay, as a village we often feel forgotten due to our size and location, particularly being just the other side of the county border from the nearest GP.

As a result, a small and informal group has decided to meet on a regular basis with the aim of developing a support network for local people to share knowledge, experiences, and support.

With special thanks to Jeremy and Teresa at The Plough Inn, who have kindly agreed to support the start-up of the group by providing us with a regular venue, dates for future meetings are detailed below. Please do come along between 10 and 11am – everyone is welcome!

Weds 23rd April
Weds 7th May
Weds 11th June
Weds 16th July
Weds 13th August
Weds 17th September
Weds 15th October
Weds 12th November
Weds 17th December

For further information please contact Amanda on 07814 69xxxx or email xxxx @ hotmail.co.uk

“Working together to build a dementia friendly community”

Dog owners in South Gloucestershire are being reminded to dispose of their dog's waste responsibly as part of a new campaign launching this month. The ‘Bag It and bin It’ message aims to remind dog owners that they can dispose of dog waste both in their black household waste bins as well as in any available litter bin – and that waste should never be left behind.

Chair of the council's Communities Committee Cllr Claire Young said: “Lots of our residents enjoy keeping a dog and most of them accept that responsible ownership includes the chore of cleaning up after them. “However we've all seen occasions when people either don't clear up at all, or bag the waste but leave it hanging on a nearby fence or hedge. “As well as being unsightly this is a nuisance for other residents and can be a significant health hazard because dog waste can carry diseases including Toxocariasis, which can lead to serious illness, including blindness. “So this campaign aims to remind people that they must clear up after their dog, ideally by taking waste home for disposal in their black bin or by disposing of it in any nearby litter bin.”

As part of the campaign, ‘dual use’ plaques will soon be placed on South Gloucestershire litter bins to remind dog owners that all litter bins can be used for dog waste. Changes to national legislation in recent years dispensed with the need to separate dog waste from other forms of waste. Some parishes within South Gloucestershire intend to continue providing dog waste bins, but others will be dispensing with dedicated bins altogether in coming months.

Posters have been placed in the district's parks to highlight the message that litter bins and black bins can be used for dog waste. Anybody walking a dog – whether it is theirs or not – is legally required to clean up after them and failure to do so can lead to a fixed penalty notice and possible prosecution.

Further information on dog waste disposal in South Gloucestershire is available from www.southglos.gov.uk/dogfouling

13

[Graphic]

Charfield BIG Spring Clean 2014 Saturday 26th April 2014 10am–2pm

Refuse sacks, gloves, litter pickers all provided
Come along and help keep the village tidy – even a half hour helps!

Please Meet in Car Park of Memorial Hall.

[Graphic]

[Graphic: Girlguiding UK girls in the lead]

1st Charfield Rainbows
Sadly the 1st Charfield Rainbow unit has now closed, as despite appeals, new leaders have not been found. We are hoping that this closure will be temporary as there are girls in the village who would love to be Rainbows. Anyone who is interested in helping to reopen the unit is asked to contact Sarah Norton 01453 52xxxx / xxxx @ tesco.net. There is a mentoring scheme for new leaders as well as support from the Guiding family.

We have been very grateful to Jane Vaslet who has kept the unit going this term – thank you Jane. The Rainbows have had fun, finishing with a party on the final evening. They tossed and ate pancakes for Shrove Tuesday, they learned about different types of shoes, did aboriginal painting, made gifts for Mother's Day, as well as playing games and thinking about their Rainbow Promise.

We would also like to thank Hannah Taylor, Emma Taylor and Megan Tymms for the time they spent as leaders with the Rainbow Unit.

2nd Charfield Brownies
We have spaces at Charfield Brownies, running on Tuesdays from 5:30–7pm at the hall. We have loads planned this year to celebrate 100 years of Brownies. Have already spent an evening at Cattle Country. And have evening trips planned to WWT, Charfield Church, Picnic in the woods, Toasting Marshmallows at Conygres, Westonbirt Arboretum, Godshill Farm, Swimming at Wotton Pool and I'm sure there's some more somewhere!!!

We are in need of more helpers if anyone is interested?
Leader Nicki Brain: mobile 0774311xxxx or xxxx @ msn.com

2nd Wotton (Charfield) Guides
Thursday 7.30pm–9pm at Charfield Memorial Hall (Summer Term) for girls 10–14 years old.
Last term we have been planning a Guide extravaganza, due to be held at Wotton Town Hall on the 10th May. The girls have written the script, as well as organised the backstage crew. There will also be a Talent Show for the second half. Anyone interested in coming along to see how fun Guiding can be is encouraged to get in touch!

14Some of the older Guides are cycling from Bristol to Bath and back again – a round trip of 24 miles to raise money for an Adventure Weekend as part of their Baden Powell Challenge.

This term we are meeting in Charfield Village Hall and are planning lots of outdoor activities, including a camp with Guides and Scouts from across the county.

We are always looking for leaders, please get in touch if you think you would like to get involved! Please contact xxxx @ hotmail.com

Senior Section
Will meet every other Thursday from 5th June – 7:30–9pm. Wotton United Church Hall. Senior Section is coming to Wotton! It is a very exciting time to get involved – the leaders Dawn and Lynsey are looking for girls who are looking for fun activities in the Wotton area. Do you fancy yourself as a masterchef candidate? Are you a superstar performer, keen to showcase your talents? Do you want to spend time with girls your own age, in a relaxed and comfortable environment?! If so, Senior Section is for you!

The unit will start on the 5th June at Wotton United Church Hall and meet every other Thursday from 7:30–9pm. There is a large area for games and activities, as well as a wonderful kitchen for lots of cooking activities. The leaders are open to suggestions for meetings, trips and holidays – they just need the girls! The unit really can be whatever you want it to be! If you are interested and are over 14, please get in touch with the leaders on xxxx @ aol.co.uk. You do not need to have been a Brownie or a Guide before, just a sense of adventure!

If you would like your daughter to join Girlguiding UK please contact the relevant leader, or go to http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/ get_involved/ volunteer/ register_your_interest.aspx

Firstly I would like to say a massive thank you to all of you that came out and supported us for our 2014 Pantomime Jack and The Bean-Stalk, making it our most successful show ever!!!

Next January it will be 5 years since I placed a small poster in the shop window asking if anyone would like to perform in a village show in the summer. Well 6 shows later, 15 performances, 1200 tickets sold and lots and lots of fun and laughter along the way. I think we can honestly say Charfield Amateur Dramatic Society has well and truly grown into something none of us could have imagined. Not bad when you think we started off with nothing, not even a penny, just a group of like-minded people wanting to give something back to the village and have a laugh at the same time.

Where the next 5 years will take us I have no idea?!? But one think we are certain off is we need more help from people like you reading this ☺. From the start we have printed our own tickets and merchandise, constructed and decorated our sets, built our props and made our costumes, plus much, much more. All this on top of rehearsing for our shows. A little insider secret during one of our recent shows the paint was still wet on our set as the curtains opened on opening night.

This is why we are reaching out for other members of the village (or surrounding areas) to join our family. We desperately need people to take roles in fundraising, grant application, set design, lights and 15sound, props, front of house or even just to make a decent brew. ☺

So if you came to our shows and liked what you saw, but have no interest in getting up on stage and can spare an hour or 2 a month please come along to our AGM we'd love to meet you.

Steve

Jack and the Beanstalk

Frankly, it had everything for children of all ages:

• Competitive rehearsals for boo-ing and hissing.
• Community singing to cracking tunes (Amarillo and Delilah).
• Things that were done imaginatively and well.
• Things that went unexpectedly and hilariously not as planned – the beanstalk seemed to have a mind of its own.
• Very impressive costumes – although Baron Landscape had trouble getting his Joan Collins shoulder pads on and off stage. Daisy the cow could have done with a larger head and perhaps two more legs, but we got the general idea.
• The set was simple but attractive and very effective.
• The principal boy was noticeably and laudably very secure in her lines.
• Both fairy and dame sported beards.
• A convincing and fearsome baddy – Fleshcreep (Nicky McNamara's talents were given full rein.)
• Star of the show was the eminently likeable Princess Jill. Sasha Northover's accomplished, confident and relaxed performance, combined with a stunningly good singing voice, was a delight. Singing will expose any lack of confidence or technique, and any audience will suffer a poor rendition by an amateur with sympathy and with impatience. Not the case with Princess Jill. Wonderful control, lovely tone, a joy to listen to. The listener could relax and let the voice do its magic. A star is born!
• Plenty of high-class heckling. (Oh yes there was …)
• Plenty of exclamations of wonder, surprise, delight and laughter from the little people at the front of the audience.
• The best cakes and tea at the interval.
• A raffle which avoided the dreary dragging bore of people strolling up to choose their prizes and draw the next winning ticket at a SNAIL's pace by making the draw for pre-allocated prizes. Genius.

All at CADS, on stage and behind the scenes, are to be congratulated for bringing home-grown traditional entertainment to the village hall; it is a huge commitment in time and energy, and we should be grateful to them.

Julia.

16

As we move in to spring I thought it may be useful to have a round-up of what has been going on so far this year, as everyone is aware the Council budget has been set with no increase to the Council Tax for a further year, the central government grant has also been reduced with the Council once again looking for cost effective savings and value for money whilst protecting front line services the most obvious changes are the maintenance of grassed areas where the responsibility is now on town and parish councils to outsource the service or buyback from the Council also the charge for the green waste bin takes effect from 1st April, at this time 22,000 households have opted to retain the bin and pay the charge.

Superfast broadband, the commons select committee appears to be still critical of this rollout, however you may have noted BT Openreach working on the green cabinets in Charfield laying the fibre cable, and this is still on target and should be available from all providers from the summer.

LED lighting was rolled out in Charfield at the beginning of the year as the pilot for the project, this had a mixed reaction from residents as the LEDs are more directional and do not have the spread of light that the old lamps had, Streetcare will assess the areas where there are problems such as dark sections where a problem could exist, some news on part night lighting which was driven by the urban areas where night busses run till after midnight is that the lights will remain on until 1am as opposed to midnight, this change will be throughout South Gloucestershire.

Some highways news, at the Severn Vale Area Forum on 5th March I was able to bring forward a scheme for a safe crossing point at New Street/Wotton Road which will also include raising the Kerb at Charfield Service Station to prevent drivers parking on the footpath and obscuring the vision of those exiting New Street, whilst this is not the pedestrian crossing that most residents wanted I have also been able to bring forward an investigation scheme for a pedestrian crossing in this area.

Major planning applications, the application at Dayleaze by the school for a care home and 31 dwellings was refused by the Council, reasons for refusal were that this is outside the settlement boundary and was not compliant with the recently adopted core strategy, the applicant has 6 months to lodge an appeal against the decision. The other application at Charfield Green has been reduced from 140 to 106 dwellings, this application should be decided shortly, as a point of interest this was the original area that was known as Charfield Green before the street name took effect further into the village.

On a completely different subject Post Office relocation, this was part of the Post Office Network Transformation programme. The new vision for the Post Office is the Post Office Local format which many of you will have now seen. As sub postmasters we were given choices to move to the Post Office Local format, stay as we were, however even Post Office Ltd recognised that the old format was becoming outdated and challenging, or leave the network if the Post Office could be relocated. If the Post Office could not be relocated then we would stay as we were as Post Office Ltd were adamant that this was not a closure programme and Charfield would retain a Post Office.

There was no doubt that the new model was the way forward, but did we really want this upheaval at this stage in our careers? We decided to leave the network if the Post Office could be relocated this would also help to make the existing businesses more sustainable. 17As most of you are aware the relocation has now taken place and I would wish Steve and Cathy Bindon every success in their new venture.

So what happened to all the stock that was left over, the alcohol is being donated to village groups to use as raffle prizes. Virtually all the other stock, food, confectionery, soft drinks, nappies, stationery etc etc was donated to Yate Food Bank. They operate and organise three food banks including Thornbury, and they will ensure that those most in need receive the benefit of the stock. I would also take this opportunity to thank all of you who have supported us over the last twenty years and remind you as the Ward Councillor that I am here to support you.

John O'Neill

ANOTHER GOOD SEASON & FUNDRAISING

Hello again from the Villages Junior Football Club. This season has seen the Club go from strength to strength with more teams and more players signed on than before. We now have teams ranging from Under 7s to Under 18s, although most of these are at Under 12 and below. All the boys and girls have a great time and win or lose they always seem to be smiling at the end and sometimes have way too much energy at the end!

Our stand out performers this year are the Under 12 Blues, who are looking to finish second in their league and have made it to the cup final for the second year running. We are hopeful for a victory this time around as they have already beaten the other finalists in the league this year. My own team the U18s are third in their own league but there is still time to improve. We also have a cup semi-final at the end of April and it would be nice to reach our third final in successive years.

What was also good to see in March was the Under 10s winning their first game. They have come very close before but they were so excited when the final whistle went with their proud parents looking on.

Beyond thanking all the players, parents, managers, assistants and our Committee for keeping the club going, I would also like to thank John O'Neill for his help recently when we submitted a small grant request to South Glos Council. The Council had decided to award us £500.00 but John explained to the funding panel the good work our Club was doing in Charfield and the eventual award was doubled! Many Thanks John!

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

Thank You.

Nigel Cloke
Club Secretary/Under 18s Manager

PROMISE AUCTION

Date: 24th May 2014
Time: 19:30

Please come along to our Promise Auction to raise as much money as possible to purchase a lawn mower/tractor to maintain the football pitches at the Morton Ground. We have many great prizes up for grabs that you can bid on. See below for details;

• 3 Course Dinner for 2 at Tortworth Court Hotel.
• Signed Manchester United Pennant.
• Four Ball voucher from Thornbury Golf Club.
• Tour of Renishaw and 2 course meal.
• Bristol Rovers Home Game tickets and many more prizes.

At Charfield Memorial Hall.

[Graphic: CHARFIELD JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB]

Contact: Dave Arkle 0755394xxxx xxxx @ xxxx.plus.com

18

South Gloucestershire Council, in partnership with not-for-profit organisation Wessex Resolutions CIC, may be able to provide homeowners with finance to carry out essential repair work to their homes. You may be able to receive a subsidised loan for a replacement boiler, damp repair, cavity wall insulation, structural work, fixing a leaky roof, electrical and plumbing jobs, and replacing rotten or draughty windows.

For more information about a home improvement loan, please call the Council on 01454 86xxxx or visit www.wrcic.org.uk.

Also, don't miss out on the recently launched South Gloucestershire Home Energy Loan!

Homeowners across South Glous. can apply for subsidised finance to improve the energy efficiency of their home by installing a range of suitable measures. The assessment process is led by not for profit organisation Severn Wye Energy Agency.

For more information about a home energy loan, please call Severn Wye on 0800 500 xxxx or visit www.severnwye.org.uk.

[Graphic: South Gloucestershire Council – Wessex Home Improvement Loans Lending Our Support]

[Graphic: YOU'RE WELCOME – Safe Place – A safe and friendly community]

My name is Sam Wiles and I am a Year 10 student at KLB School in Wotton. In June 2015 just a few weeks after completing my GCSE exams I will be joining a team from KLB with organisers World Challenge trekking to Ecuador for 4 weeks. My trek will take in Quilotoa Lagoon, in a mountainous and rough terrain. We will complete charity work within a school environment, supporting children who are living in poverty and with basic school facilities.

This is a most amazing opportunity and at the moment it seems a very long way away, particularly with a mountain of revision and exams to get through first. However there are times when the reality of travelling independently so far from home becomes a reality, particularly when researching the vaccinations I will need and travel Visa's. Another reality is the fact that to undertake this amazing opportunity I need to fund raise £4000. But I am determined to do it, and have already started babysitting, selling items online, washing cars and have managed to secure a part-time cleaning job, all funds from which go to my Ecuador fund.

As part of the project will be to support a community in an education setting, it got me thinking that it would be great to have a community event in Charfield, which would benefit the Memorial Hall, and at the same time give the residents of Charfield a great evening of entertainment.

I have arranged a fund raising event for Saturday 7 June when an amazing soul and reggae singer by the name of Delonzo Gee (an early former member of the band Azwad – my mum tells me they were great!) to entertain us for the evening. My mum and dad, Pete and Lisa 19Wiles along with supportive family and friends are helping me bring this evening together, to make it a great night. I will also be fund raising for the RNIB, close to our singer's heart, as his wife lost her sight through diabetes, and he works tirelessly to support this charity.

So an early warning of a great event, tickets will be on sale from us (01454 26xxxx) or from Steve's Shop (thanks to Cathy and Steve for their support) from early May, and will be £6 per person. We will also have a fabulous raffle, with some great prizes. Look out for posters and leaflet drops through your doors. I couldn't put this event together without the support of sponsors for the evening, Courtyard Clinic in Dursley, who have kindly agreed to support me. They are a great Clinic in Dursley specializing in Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Complementary Therapies, such as Hot Stones Massage, Reiki, Reflexology, Acupuncture, Sports Massage to name just a few.

I do hope that I can tempt you along; it should be a great night for all. Thank you Charfield for your support.

Sam Wiles

Following consultation and notification last year that the Blue Hut was to be removed from Memorial Hall Playing Fields, you will note that it has been taken down and removed from the site.

The Graffiti Boards that were produced in memory of Chris Pegler were removed in one piece and are currently stored securely with the Parish Clerk. Should the young people that were involved in this project a couple of years ago like to arrange to collect them – please could they either call Hannah Saunders – Parish Clerk on 01454 29xxxx or email clerk @ charfieldparishcouncil.org.uk The Parish Council are currently looking at plans for a Multi Use Games Area to be installed where the Hut and Trim Trail were. Final drawings and costing's are being looked at, and there will be updates available each month at Council Meetings or on the PC website.

Parish Council

The 200 Club is a lottery which raises money for the Village Hall. All members pay a yearly subscription of £12 (only £1 per month) of which all proceeds go towards the maintenance and daily management of the Village Hall. Once subscribed, they get to choose a number which is theirs for the year. Every month it is entered into a drawer with cash prizes of £25 and 3, £10 prizes. Once a quarter we have an extra special prize of £50 (whoooooo I hear you all shout).

ALL 200 club members will also be entitled to discounted ticket rates to certain Village Hall events. This will be indicated on the advertisement for the event, so keep your eyes peeled!

If you are interested in joining or you are already a member and want to subscribe now for 2014–15 then please contact Liam on 07947 43xxxx or email him on xxxx @ gmail.com

Here are the winners for the last quarter.

January
£25 – 136 Ken Screen
£10 – 170 Mrs P Davies
£10 – 244 A Gannon
£10 – 202 Sue Thorne
£10 – 269 Colin Wadsworth

February
£25 – 227 Mr P Beresford
£10 – 170 Mrs P Davies
£10 – 161 Mr J Russell
£10 – 157 Mrs S Weston

20March
£50 – 267 Debra Wilson
£25 – 155 Hilary Wignall
£10 – 117 S Carnegie
£10 – 248 Mr A Wilson
£10 – 215 Mr Stainthorpe

Thank you!
Liam

South Gloucestershire Council officially launched a new MOT testing station on Tuesday 4 March.

The purpose built MOT testing station and tachograph centre is an Authorised Testing Facility (ATF), staffed by the government's Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA). Based at the council's Broad Lane depot in Yate, the facility features two dedicated testing lanes along with drive-through facilities. MOTs can be processed quickly, reducing the time a vehicle is off the road.

Working in partnership with VOSA we are able to offer a full range of MOT services including testing heavy goods vehicles (HGV) weighing up to 44 tonnes, all public service vehicles (PSV) and specialist tests such as ADR (carriage of dangerous goods). These will be provided in addition to the class 4, 5 & 7 MOTs that are currently available, catering from cars through to lorries, with the capacity to test up to 16 vehicles per day.

We will additionally be able to provide a full range of tachograph services at the testing station and are able to offer vehicle operators the option to hire loads when carrying out MOT tests. We will also continue to provide an impartial MOT service to the general public.

Commercial vehicle operators previously had to travel to Bristol, Wiltshire or Gloucestershire to access these facilities, so having a dedicated testing station located in South Gloucestershire will benefit a large number of local businesses. The facilities will also help the council to reduce our own mileage, with our fleet of 40 HGV and PSV buses no longer needing to travel offsite for MOT tests.

Cllr Howard Gawler, Vice Chair of South Gloucestershire Council, officially opened the facility. He said: “Commercial vehicles are required to take an MOT test every 12 months the same as cars, but there are only a limited number of specialised testing lanes in Authorised Testing Facilities available. This new centre will help local businesses improve their productivity by bringing the vehicle testing facilities right to their doorstep in the heart of the local community.”

Cllr Brian Allinson, Chair of South Glos Planning, Transportation and Strategic Environment Committee, added: “The testing station will be of great value to local bus and haulage companies as they will no longer need to travel long distances to be tested, saving them time and money, as well as reducing emissions and CO2. It will also be a major benefit for the council, we have a large fleet of vehicles and having test facilities based in Yate will save us time and resources.”

The centre is currently operating two days a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. For more details and for bookings contact 01454 86xxxx or email StreetCareTransport @ southglos.gov.uk

I retired in November 2012 having spent 27 years as a self-employed driving instructor. As you can imagine, it's not the healthiest of occupations: no exercise, vehicle fumes all day and the odd bit of stress!

Shortly after my retirement my brother-in-law David, ten years my junior and very 21physically fit, asked me if I fancied joining him in an unsupported cycle ride from Land's End to John O'Groats in the summer of 2013.

And so it was that, after many months of jogging and cycling around the local lanes I set off with David from Land's End in heavy drizzle on Tuesday 25th June last year. The rest of the UK was bathed in sunshine at the time and, in fairness, the sun shone on us too after about an hour's riding.

We'd been warned about how hilly Cornwall and Devon are but the relentless nature of the ups and downs still took us by surprise! I was off the bike and walking within the first half an hour and soon wondering about the wisdom of trying to cycle 1050 miles in 15 days aged 67. All our accommodation had been booked in advance (mainly in youth hostels) so we were committed to averaging 70 miles a day with a couple of days topping 100 miles.

Our first overnight stay was at St Austell, with 76 miles completed. We were assured, when booking, that we could hire towels. Sadly, not so and a hot shower was followed by a quick rub down with a 12 inch square facecloth! This was followed on the next morning by a cold shower of Coca Cola tipped on me while I was loading my bike by one of the lads in a school party from a bedroom window. The teacher had already summoned his parents from Nottingham to take him off her hands after some previous misdemeanours. Both I and the bike got steadily stickier as the day heated up.

Our next overnight stay, 81 miles on, was to be in Exeter. Somehow, by mistake, we found ourselves on the busy Exeter by-pass. The good news was that we were able to average 25 mph without pedalling for 3 miles as it was mainly downhill with the wind in our backs. The bad news was that it was scarily busy and was where two cyclists died about a week later after being run over by a lorry.

The mainly flat roads of Somerset provided welcome relief after Cornwall and Devon and even the Cheddar Gorge seemed easy after those first two days. We stayed at the YHA in Cheddar, arriving in heavy rain, after completing 63 miles for the day.

Friday afternoon at 2pm saw us at my home in Charfield (after just 40 miles) for a welcome shower (and towel!), a quick trip (in the car) to Wotton for some new brake blocks, a good feed and a good night's sleep in my own bed.

An early start was needed as we had a 100 mile ride ahead of us to our next overnight stay, at David's house near Telford. Day six took us 65 miles to my brother's house in Sale (Manchester) and day seven took us to another of my brothers in law's home in Garstang, a fairly easy ride of 40 miles.

Having run out of family accommodation it was back to youth hostels and B & B's and a 90 mile ride to Carlisle at the end of day eight. The highlight of the day was being guided through Lancaster by an elderly cyclist with a long flowing white beard. His specs had lenses like jam jar bottoms and he must have been well into his eighties. Having got us through Lancaster he gave a cheery wave and said, “I'm off to meet a few other coffin dodgers now to go for a ride!” We were very grateful to him and have since heard stories of him guiding other riders through Lancaster.

Our next destination was just north of Castle Douglas (66 miles) where we spent a freezing cold night in a yurt. But it was Scotland at last after 9 days in the saddle! Our next day saw us soaked to the skin after relentless rain from 7am until 1pm and found my bike needing a new crank bearing. Further destinations (with mileages in brackets) were 22Lochranza (90 plus a ferry ride), Glencoe (84), Loch Ness (65), Bonar Bridge (58) and Tongue (50).

Fourteen days down, one to go and a decision to be made! We had been told (at Cheddar YHA) that John O'Groats is NOT the most northerly point on the UK mainland; Dunnet Head is. This appeared to be the case on checking the map and meant an extra 10 miles if we were to divert to it. How could we not? We were told that we would see puffins there too.

Well, we did get to Dunnett Head although we didn't really see it, let alone the puffins! There was a thick mist with visibility down to about 20 metres. Another 15 miles (72 for the day in total) and we were at our final destination for the inevitable picture opportunity, cold, wet but very happy that we had completed the challenge and raised several thousand pounds for charity between us in the process. A nice hotel for the night was a great end to the adventure.

The bikes had held up well, with no punctures (amazing!) and only a replacement crank bearing needed on my hybrid bike which I had only paid £138 for 10 years earlier. 1053 miles was our final tally (which included the odd extra commutes to shops and pubs from our accommodation).

Our bodies hadn't let us down either and it was great to spend a couple of weeks eating extra-large meals without piling on the pounds. We burned an average of 6,000 calories a day so I lost weight despite all the pasties, chips and the odd pint of ale!

Ideas for my next adventures (if it ever stops raining!):

• To cycle from Charfield to my brother's in Manchester (about 150 miles) in a day.
• Charfield, London, Edinburgh, Stranraer, (by ferry to) Belfast, Dublin, Rosslare, (by ferry to) Fishguard, Cardiff, Charfield in less than 3 weeks.

All I need now is the motivation (and some favourable weather)!

Alan Hamer.

[Graphic: Charfield Memorial Hall & Playing Fields]

Run by the Community – For the Community
Hire your local village hall for your special events!

• Main Hall with large stage for bands, plays etc. (Capacity 200 standing) = £12/hour
• Sportsman's Lounge (small separate room) = £6/hour
• 2 Fully Licensed bars for hire and 2 kitchens available

For more information and to make a booking visit www.charfield.org/hall or call 07774 41xxxx

To make a donation text: CHAR12 £2/£5/£10 TO 70070 Reg. Charity no. 301482

23

I'm writing this during Lent, when we usually try to resist temptation by giving up chocolate, alcohol or something similar. This year Bishop Michael has encouraged us all to have a ‘carbon fast’ during Lent. With the warmer weather, that prompted me to turn down the Aga and the central heating and reset the timer for fewer hours. And then the weather changed … Ah well.

Easter is late this year, on 20 April. Our special services and other key dates are printed on CHADRA's Diary Page.

We have several new initiatives aimed at supporting our own community and also those in the wider world who need our help.

Change 4 Good – This is an initiative to identify a deserving cause on a quarterly basis and to encourage everyone in Charfield to support it, whether with money, prayer or action. Our first cause is the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Syria Appeal. I doubt I need to remind you about this massive tragedy. 2.5 million people – that's more than four times the population of Gloucestershire – have been displaced out of Syria into surrounding countries and a further 6.5 million are displaced within Syria. It's hardly possible for us to imagine the scale of the tragedy and, as always, it's the innocent children who suffer most, with no inoculations for babies and diseases such as polio resurfacing. We are asking every single person in Charfield to turn their attention to Syria during May–July. Please donate as much as you can, carry out any fundraising activities and pray for Syria. If we could all say a short prayer every day, that would be fantastic, but at least once a week isn't too much to ask, I think? You can donate via the DEC web site at www.dec.org.uk/appeals/syria-crisis-appeal. Please, please, don't just turn this page and move on. Support our fellow human beings who are in so much more need than us.

Church Coffee Shop – Coffee, tea, cakes and good company are available on Wednesdays 10.45–12.15 from 30 April. Join us at Charfield's only coffee shop.

Traidcraft – (www.traidcraft.co.uk) is a registered charity that fights poverty through trade, helping people in developing countries to transform their lives. We now have a Traidcraft stall in church after the family service on the fourth Sunday of each month, selling gifts and also foodstuffs. If you can't get there then, but would like to order, ask Ruth (01454 26xxxx) for a catalogue and place your order through her.

Prayer space – St John's is open every day, all day for use as a place of quiet, reflection, and prayer. You may like to make use of our recently enhanced prayer space – a newly carpeted area in front of the pulpit where you will find some interactive prayer ideas and prayer cards for use if you want. If you would like to leave a prayer request to be included in our public prayers on Sundays, there is a book for you to write your message in.

Reading group – We now have a monthly reading group with surrounding parishes and this next meets on Tuesday 29 April at Charfield Congregational Chapel from 4.00–5.30pm. If you are interested in taking part in future sessions, contact Chris Mason on 01454 26xxxx or e-mail xxxx @ btinternet.com.

For details of regular services, see our ad in this issue. To contact the clergy see our details on the Village Organisations Contact page in this CHADRA issue.

Sue Thorn – PCC member

24

CUGUC are staging a summer pot competition which anyone who lives in the village is invited to enter, old or young!

There will be two sections and one outright winner combined from both sections. Judging criteria will be well grown plants and the visual impact. A small prize will be awarded to the winner of each section.

Section 1 – One pot/ container planted with one specimen plant of any variety.

Section 2 – One pot/ container consisting of a mixed variety planting.

An entry form is printed below, or you can collect one from Steve's Shop, completed entry forms should also be handed in at Steve's Shop.

Many thanks to Steve and Cathy for their support.

The basic rules are:

• All exhibits must have been grown by the competitor for at least two months.
• Entries close on 30th June and judging will take place in the week commencing 27th July.
• Competitors do not need to be at home when judging takes place.
• Pots must be placed in front gardens with a green plant label inserted to identify which pot is to be judged. Labels can be collected when the completed entry forms are returned to Steve's shop.

So … get planning and planting your favourite plants – fuchsias, petunias, busy lizzies … and support this new endeavour!

The CUGUC Team

Clean Up Green Up Charfield

Summer Pot Competition.

Entry form:

Name:
Address:
Telephone number:
Number of entries:
Section 1 –
Section 2 –
Please return this form to Steve's Shop.
Entries close on Monday 30th June and judging will take place in the week commencing 27th July 2014.

Charfield Residents Are Invited To The

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
Thursday 8 May 2014 7.30 @ Memorial Hall

AGENDA
Approval of 2013 minutes, Chairman's report, Clerks report, Guest speakers
Presentations. Allotments. Village Plan update/actions. Other village organisations updates. Q & A session. Any other business.

Clerks to Dodington & Frampton Cotterell PC will give a presentation on developing allotments for local villagers.
Clean Up Green Up Charfield 1 year on.
Reps from the Village Plan Group will give an update
Multi Use Games Area (one step nearer)
Interested in what has been going on in Charfield? Any burning issues? Anything you would like to find out more about? Please join us for an informal meeting and chance to talk to your Councillors.

#

Advertising

[Advert for Well Fed Birds]

[Advert for Steve's Shop]

[Advert for At Home Curtains & Blinds]

[Advert for Cotswold Edge Carpets]

#[Advert for Liz Armstrong Creative Pottery]

[Advert for Barbara Daw]

[Advert for Deborah Jayne Pringle]

[Advert for Kopperz]

[Advert for Charfield Newsletter]

[Advert for Ovenu]

#[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]

#[Advert for Sara Stone travel counsellor]

[Advert for RK Aerials]

[Advert for Manor Garden Maintenance]

[Advert for Oak Tree Nursery]

[Advert for PC Repairs & Maintenance]

[Advert for Alan Hamer driving]

#[Advert for Acucare]

[Advert for Pass & Totterdell]

[Advert for Evergreen Computing]

#[Advert for Greenline Tanks]

[Advert for Falcon Cottage B&B]

[Advert for The Edge Health & Beauty Centre]

[Advert for Buddug Green reflexology]

[Advert for Elcombe Fire Wood]

[Advert for Bradley Garage]

#[Advert for Thornbury Area Music Centre]

[Advert for St John's Charfield]

[Advert for Charfield Little Stars]

[Advert for Robinsons Florist]

#[Advert for Zumba]

[Advert for Add Plant]

[Advert for Ashworthy Cattery]

[Advert for The Farmers Table]

[Advert for D.R. Vizard]

[Advert for Tree Care]

#

April
18th Good Friday
20th Easter Day
21st Easter Monday Bank Holiday
25th Wotton Arts Festival begins
26th Parish Council Big Spring Clean

May
5th Charfield Community Fete (Bank Holiday)
8th Annual Parish Meeting
24th Jnr Football Club Promise Auction
25th/26th Charfield Open Gardens Scheme (26th Bank Holiday)
28th CADS AGM 8pm

June
7th Musical Evening @ Memorial Hall Sam Wiles
15th Father's Day
30th Closing Day for Summer Pot Competition CUGUC event

July
4th/5th CADS performance

St John's Church Diary Dates
Thursday 17th April 7.30pm The Last Supper and opportunity for prayer vigil
Friday 18th April 9.15–9.30am Pilgrimage walk from St John's to Church End – short service and hot cross buns – all welcome
Friday 18th April 2.00pm Good Friday Devotion
Sunday 20th April 9.30am Easter Day Service – with Easter Egg Hunt!
Friday 25th April 7.00–9.30pm Evening of musical entertainment – all welcome
Sunday 11th May 9.30am Archdeacon Jacky Searle welcomed at service
Saturday 17th May 10.00–4.00pm St John's Plant Sale
Sunday 8th June Pentecost Praise at Congregational Chapel, all welcome, watch for details on notice board
Sunday 15th June 9.30am Special service for Father's Day
Sunday 29th June 11.00am Benefice Service at Holy Trinity Church, Wickwar and 20th anniversary celebration of the ordination of David Russell and Chris Mason
5th & 6th July 11.00–3.00pm St John's Summer Fair and Flower Festival
Sunday 6th July 6.00pm Songs of Praise

Village Hall Regular Activities

CUT OUT THIS PAGE AND PIN IT TO YOUR NOTICEBOARD

#

If you wish to alter the entries below email xxxx @ gmail.com

British Legion
David Millman (Hon Sec) 01454 26xxxx

CADS (Charfield Amateur Dramatics Group)
Steve Picking 07583 56xxxx

Charfield Pre-School
Debra Davidson (Manager/Admissions) 07966 61xxxx
Email:- xxxx @ gmail.com
Louise Sydney xxxx @ gmail.com

Charfield Primary School
Dafydd Lawday 01454 26xxxx

Childminders
Hazel Stone 01454 26xxxx

Church – Congregational
Nicky Lanyi 01454 26xxxx

Church – St. John's
Rev Chris Mason 01454 261971
Rev David Russell 01454 294267
Email xxxx @ gmail.com

Clean Up Green Up Charfield
Vanessa Cole
Email xxxx @ gmail.com

Community Dementia Link
Amanda Pearson 07814 69xxxx

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

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

Cricket Club
Chris Shearwood 01454 77xxxx

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

Friends of Charfield Primary School
Dave Ashby (Chair) 0790402xxxx
Email xxxx @ yahoo.co.uk

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
Chairman Tim Hill 01454 26xxxx