CHADRA

Next Edition Copy Deadline – 6th APRIL 2016

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

For a copy of CHADRA's editorial guidelines, please contact and CHADRA team member or download PDF from The Charfield Community Website at http://charfield.org/chadra/

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

3

After 2 years as editor of the CHADRA newsletter, I am sadly stepping down from the position due to increased work commitments. The CHADRA committee urgently needs a replacement editor. Without an editor to send out copy reminders, gather in all the articles and proofread and edit them to fit the publication, the CHADRA newsletter cannot continue. It's as simple as that!

This is your opportunity to get involved with one of the village's key media. Full training will be given and you will be well supported by the CHADRA committee (as I have been). Don't leave it to others to come forward. Act now or this could be the last ever CHADRA newsletter!

If you are interested, please come along to our AGM on 22nd March (see details below) or email me for further details.

Alison White, CHADRA Editor
Email: xxxx @ gmail.com

Charfield & District Residents Association (CHADRA)

Our AGM will take place on 22nd March 2016 7:30pm
xx Wotton Road, Charfield

The CHADRA team would like to invite Charfield residents to come along to the meeting, find out how the association works, how to get involved, make suggestions for future work, or just simply meet the team.

All are welcome!

Come & See Delonzo Gee!
6th February 7.30pm–11.30pm
Charfield Memorial Hall

He'll be singing Soul, Reggae and R&B favourites. Come and support Ollie Searle and Emily Wilcox as they fundraise for a ‘True Adventure’ Expedition to Nicaragua, where they'll be trekking up five volcanoes and helping expand a school by building an extra classroom.

Tickets are available now (£7.50 each) from Steve's Shop, Charfield Garage or call Angie on 07966180675 or Sarah on 0796954xxxx.

(Cheese & biscuits available on the night)

It was great to see a good turnout for the parade and ceremony and, once again, the weather was dry for the duration, when it had been grisly for days. Odd how that seems to happen most years!

We were pleased to welcome all those who came for a butty and cuppa in the village hall before the parade. Thanks to them, we were able to send £253 this year to Help for Heroes, a charity which continues to give valuable support either directly to those individuals who need it, or to projects, or to other established charities already working hard in specialist areas. We are grateful to Steve's Shop, Cam Family Butchers and (not least) the village hall for their support. All of us involved really enjoy the butty event. This year we were delighted that Jeanette Halliday joined the team and sorted the bacon for us.

If you aren't already on our email list and would like to receive a reminder in October, then drop an email to us at xxxx @ gmail.com and it will be our pleasure to arrange. We offer our appreciation also to the Parish Council and St John's Church for running the parade and ceremony itself. We are in safe hands.

CHADRA Committee

4

Everyone seems to have the family tree bug these days and I am no exception. It is so much easier (and quicker and cheaper) now with the internet resources than it was when I first had a bash 20 years ago, when I had to visit distant archives and leaf my way through endless registers!

Since last November I have discovered the stories of two family members from Warwickshire. My great grandfather, at the age of 35, left his job in a coal mine and his wife and four children and volunteered to be a tunneller with the Royal Engineers in France in 1915. He spent his time digging his way under no-man's land so that charges could be set under enemy positions. He came home declared unfit to serve after barely a year. Eventually he recovered his health and went back to the coal mines.

His brother-in-law Edwin Baker (age 37) volunteered at the same time, left his wife and four children and joined the Royal Warwicks. Within weeks he was sent to the Eastern Mediterranean (from Avonmouth) and was killed at Gallipoli. I had no idea.

I shall spare them both a thought in November. Even those who had the fortune to come back had experienced sights and sounds and privations that no-one should endure. A century has passed, and I may not have known them, but I still want to remember them. I am grateful for the Remembrance Sunday ceremony, which affords me the opportunity to do so.

There will be people in the village who have more recent sacrifices and losses to remember. I hope they find the annual remembrance ceremony of help.

Julia O'Connor Beach [Graphic: Poppy, Lest We Forget.]

[Graphic] For the uninitiated in our village, Boules is the game where two teams attempt to throw a metal ball nearest to the “Jack” ball. It is played in just about every village in France. It is similar to bowls but the balls (boules) are metal and are thrown, not rolled.

In 2006 the Charfield Boules Club was founded, with the ‘piste’ (playing area) in the garden of the Rectory. The membership was originally only about eight but this number swelled to sixteen by the start of the 2007 season. The club moved from the Rectory venue in 2011 and was without a permanent piste, until the PCC of St. John's Church kindly agreed to have a new piste constructed at the west end of the churchyard in 2014.

The season runs from spring to late summer each year, but as it is an outside venue, games are weather dependent. Up until now the club has met on Friday evenings, but if sufficient numbers wished to join there is no reason why other sessions could not be arranged. The only stipulation for membership is that you have to be over 18 and resident in Charfield. All equipment is supplied and no special clothing or footwear is needed. It is hoped that matches against other teams will be arranged in future seasons, if members are interested.

The annual membership cost is £20 and this is payable before the start of the season as funds are needed for the purchase of equipment and for the maintenance of the piste. We are a very friendly club and new members are always made welcome.

If you are interested in becoming a new member, or would like further details please contact me as President, preferably by email on – xxxx @ btinternet.com or on 01454 31xxxx.

Steve Kerner, President

5

Happy New Year to you all and a massive thank you to everyone who came and watched us last year. It was a tough year; we said goodbye to 3 wonderful cast members, had to cancel our first ever show since we began 5 years ago, plus a whole host of negative rumours that we had folded etc. But that was last year and ‘the show must go on’ as they say and as I write this I am very pleased to announce that for 2016, CADS will be proud to present the all new family panto –

‘PUSS IN BOOTS’

We will be live in the village hall on April 23rd at 7.30pm and on April 24th at 2.00pm. A limited number of tickets for both performances will be available from 1st April at Steve's Shop and Charfield Garage priced at £5.00. Prices at the door will be £7.00.

No one ever said it would be easy running a drama group and they also never told me how much fun it would be. As we enter our fifth year I still can't believe how much joy and laughter we are having. Yes we have ups and downs like any other family but when the makeup is on and the lights go down and I look around at my friends Aladdin, Robin Hood, Wishy Washy, Dame Dotty and Cinderella to name but a few, they are brought to life ready to share in the magic that is Panto. It really is a feeling I can't measure.

Puss in Boots will be a very special pantomime for me, as although I have been doing this for almost 20 wonderful years, I have never stepped out as the Dame. I have made many of you reading this laugh (I hope) as Buttons, Dangerous Dave, and Wishy Washy to name but a few. So I hope to bring the same to the stage as Nora the Cook and give a performance that Eric Potts, (the King of Panto Dames) would be proud of.

Also joining me on stage will be my long suffering stage friend Gemma Ball as principle boy Harry. I say long suffering as Gem has been with me since I first started and has never played principal boy. Returning from a little break is Nicky McNamara as the elusive Puss. Nicky is a wonderful actress who brings life to every character she plays. Taking the role of principal girl is Sasha Valentine who has the voice of an angel and I can't believe she has chosen to join our little group. The mother of the group who has showed love and support to me ever since I first brought the idea up at a village hall meeting is Gail Kemp (whose daughter Lotte is our amazing makeup lady). She is the most versatile actress I have ever met and is playing the bubbling King Eric. Last but by no means least, Erin Greenfield, (who originally wanted to remain back stage but was far too bright a star to hide out back) is taking on the larger-than-life role of the Ogre.

2016 will be our biggest and best year yet, with a new light and sound crew (offering a better-than-ever sound and light experience), video diaries for back stage info and updates, plus a brand new website. So if you want to know more or get involved email us at xxxx @ gmail.com or like us on Facebook.

Thanks again for all your support.

Steve Pickin

Monday 2nd May 2016 12–5 pm

Fun for the whole family!

Live music, bar, craft fair, donkey rides, hot food, games, bouncy castle, climbing wall (for adults & children) and much more!

Interested in running a stall or helping out?

Contact Ruth at xxxx @ gmail.com

6

I hope 2016 is being good to you. In this article I want to update you regarding the Charfield Neighbourhood Plan, now pushing away from the starting blocks. First though, I'd like to thank Hannah Saunders as she leaves her role of Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer at Charfield and takes up a larger Clerking role at Dodington Parish. Hannah excelled in her role, with fantastic networking skills, a quick memory and a can-do attitude. As I type, we are about to close applications for the position and I have no idea who will be in post from 2016, but I'm sure we will be well served. I remember the uncertainty of five years ago, when we were last in this position, and we chose the right person then … we will do so again this time.

Of course, the timing for this change could have been better! Just as Yule and Christmas and New Year come around, and just as we embark upon a significant Neighbourhood Plan project, and of course in a continuing national and regional policy of austerity cuts … I hope the transition will be seamless, but please do bear with us as we change clerks. We remain a Council which is understrength, with two casual vacancies for Parish Councillors, and that places an additional burden on the serving members. As ever, I urge you to consider whether you might feel able to serve your community as a Parish Councillor.

The process for establishing the Charfield Neighbourhood Plan passed a minor landmark when in December, South Gloucestershire announced its first Neighbourhood Plan consultation – ours! That consultation will have closed by the time you read this, but it was advertised widely, on websites, Twitter and Facebook, as well as on local noticeboards and other media. The outcome of this consultation is expected to be an approval of the area of the Plan – Charfield Parish itself – and in February, the community engagement starts in earnest. We will be running consultations, focus meetings and surveys throughout 2016, gathering information opinion and demographic and infrastructure data, from which we will be drafting our plan.

The Charfield Neighbourhood Plan will speak about development in Charfield, with the expectation that Charfield will grow over the period of the plan. I know that, following the disappointments of the recent planning decisions, many residents are against further development. However, this plan will be our vision for Charfield over perhaps the next twenty years – to around 2036. It is unlikely (in my view) that the plan would seek further development in the early years, particularly since we would still be assimilating the growth already on stream, and allowing the new residents of Charfield to settle in. However, we do need to accept the national need for housing – as long as any further expansion to Charfield can be made sustainably, with the necessary infrastructure improvements for employment, travel and servicing.

And that's why the Neighbourhood Plan is so crucial. The Neighbourhood Plan will be an aspirational document, identifying the best things about Charfield and also the things that could be improved. It will detail who we are, why we love living here and how we want our community to look into the future. From this basis, it will develop policies for planning, which will be in line with the wider policies of South Gloucestershire but will finesse them with details relevant to our community. There will be some development in Charfield over the next couple of decades, with or without a Neighbourhood Plan, but with one we at least have some say in what is built, where and how.

The Neighbourhood Plan group will be updating you further and repeatedly over the next year, via the Parish web sites, and social media including a new Facebook page. For now, I would ask you to think about your community, and how you would like to see it grow. Don't be shy … tell us! Give us your ideas, comments, worries, hopes. It won't be a small group of Charfielders who create the Charfield Neighbourhood Plan, it will be all of Charfield (and a few folk from around the edges!). It will be your vision for your community, in as far as you all make it so.

I want to end by inviting you all to come and attend the full meetings of Charfield Parish Council. We seek always to be fully transparent and open to scrutiny by you who we serve. You can listen, speak at the public 7participation sections of every meeting, and hear first-hand the work of the Council. And dare I say it, some of you might think “I could do this” and volunteer. Hey, we all dream. The dates for all the full meetings for 2016 are on the Parish Council website now.

Mark Rosher – Chairman, Charfield Parish Council

I'd like to wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year. As we start the New Year I thought that it would be worthwhile to have a round up on some of the issues that may impact on all of us over the next year through Local Government.

The waste strategy is out to consultation at this time and is aimed at encouraging all of us to recycle more. The Council estimates that two thirds of food waste is still placed in the black bin with other items that could be recycled. Residual waste from the black bins goes direct to landfill which accounts for 23% of the waste budget. With the need to make savings, the Council now views waste as a resource that can be recycled, re-used and sold on to help meet cost efficiency savings. The strategy deals with incentivising residents to make recycling less complicated. Food waste will still be placed in the current container with all other recyclable items placed in another container (probably the green box) which will be collected weekly and sorted at the kerbside by the waste operatives. The other significant change is that the 240 litre black bin will be replaced by a smaller 140 litre bin with a fortnightly collection. Those households with large families or special needs will need to contact the council to make arrangements for a larger bin. These changes will probably take place towards the end of the year.

A further consultation at this time is the Council Budget for 2016/17. Council Tax has not increased over the last five years as central government has tried to hold down costs for the public by supporting councils with a 1% grant for not increasing council tax. That grant is no longer available and local authorities will now have to use their reserves or increase Council Tax. It is anticipated that many authorities will increase Council Tax by 2% this year. The Chancellor also indicated in his autumn statement that a further increase of 2% could be made for the exclusive provision of adult social care, where demand-led budgets are under pressure. A 2% increase would add around £25 to the average band D property and a 4% increase around £50 to the annual bill for band D properties. As the budget is under consultation no decisions have been made to increase the rates at this time in South Gloucestershire.

The subject of housing has been well documented over the last year and needless to say, all areas are still at risk from development until the local planning authority can recover the situation of the five year land supply for housing. As you are aware, this was breached by the appeal in Charfield earlier this year and has delayed the submission of the emerging local plan to the planning inspectorate, as the Council seeks to identify further sites for housing through the consultation. It is estimated that the shortfall is around 1,500 houses that will need to be found in South Gloucestershire to ensure the five year supply of housing land is intact.

The event that has the potential to have the greatest impact on us is devolution. In 2015 the four unitary authorities of South Gloucestershire, Bristol City, Bath & Northeast Somerset and North Somerset made the request to government to be considered for the ‘west of England devolution’. The four councils work closely with each other at this time and many of you will be aware of the ‘joint spatial strategy’ which predicts 85,000 houses will be needed over the next twenty years in these areas. Devolution for this region would cover infrastructure, transport, housing and employment with the option to look at further areas later. The deal would be linked to the region achieving economic growth of around 2%. Meetings have taken place with government ministers and talks are ongoing with the Communities Department and the Treasury. However, this is a fast moving project which, if acceptable to the four Unitary Authorities, could be in place by the end of the year. I will keep you up to date with this project as it develops.

John O'Neill – Councillor

8

[Graphic: Charfield Memorial Hall & Playing Fields] Firstly, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! 2015 has been a busy year for the hall and we are looking forward to another productive year.

As I have said in previous messages, we are refurbishing the Sportsman's Lounge and phase 1 is set to be completed very soon, with phase 2 (the toilets) starting early this year. We hope to also start work on a new rear patio as well as applying for grants for new windows and smartening up the front of the building.

We have a few fundraising events already planned for the coming year. We have a performer from The Rural Arts Company coming to us on the 27th of Feb. Mervyn Stutter is an actor, scriptwriter, clean comedian and songwriter. He recently wrote and starred in his own BBC Radio 4 comedy ‘Getting Nowhere Fast’. Tickets will be available from Steve's shop £8 adults, £6 Concessions.

There is a huge amount to tell you about this time, so I'll try and be succinct. Our fundraising activities in the latter part of the year were fantastically successful, with Noreen's delicious Christmas puds raising over £300 and the Christmas Fair raising over £2,000. The fair goes from strength to strength as do the raffle prizes it gives out, which this year included a voucher for Tortworth Court, one for the Gables and several hampers. Many thanks are extended to Rosemarie, Noreen and everyone else who made these activities a success. The shoebox appeals which we supported (school and chapel) were also very successful, I'm told. Thanks to all who donated items.

The Christmas services seemed even more popular than ever this year, with the candlelit carols at St James' being pretty much standing room only. Thanks to everyone who supported these services. It was lovely to see you all and we hope you enjoyed it.

Since then we've celebrated Epiphany, the Wise Men and John the Baptist and we are heading inexorably towards Lent and Easter which are early this year. This is another journey in the life of the church. We will celebrate Shrove Tuesday with the usual scrummy pancakes and then Lent starts the following day. We will mark Ash Wednesday, 10 February, with a combined service at Wickwar at 7.30.

Throughout Lent there will be Lent lunches in church on Wednesdays 12.15–2pm; soup, bread and cheese provided with all money raised going to charity. There will also be a Lent course in Charfield Congregational Chapel on Wednesdays 7.30–9.00 pm starting 17th February. Enquiries very welcome – contact Chris on the number below.

At the other end of Lent we mark Palm Sunday on 20 March at 9.30, Maundy Thursday on 24 March at 7.30, and Good Friday with a Walk of Witness, departing St John's at 9.30 and the Reflection on Jesus's last hour at 2:00. Then on Easter Sunday, 27 March, we have our usual celebratory service at 9.30, with an Easter egg hunt afterwards for the children.

In the middle of all that we have Mothering Sunday on 6 March, when we celebrate and give thanks for the love of our mothers, including those no longer with us. This is a great service for families to attend together.

In March we also have the traditional Jumble Sale, (see details below). Then on 23 April we have another visit from the Avon & Somerset Police Choir, who will perform a concert in church. Tickets are available for £8 from Steve's Shop, Rosemarie Berry on 07717 14xxxx, or Ruth Buchanan on 01454 26xxxx.

The usual plant sale will take place during May, this year organised by CUGUC, who we also thank for the plant troughs outside church.

We've had a lot of compliments on our new children's play area. Feel free to use it whenever you like, either during our services or just for a change of scene on a wet day. We have a selection of books for the adults to read while the children are playing, too!

For details of regular services, see our ad in this issue. To contact the clergy, call Rev'd David Russell on 01454 29xxxx or Rev'd Chris Mason on 01454 26xxxx or email xxxx @ gmail.com.

Sue Thorn, PCC member
xxxx @ yahoo.co.uk

Grand Jumble Sale

Sat 12th March at 2pm Charfield School Hall

All Proceeds to St John's Church

All donations of jumble will be gratefully received.

Doorstep collections will be made during Friday 11th March. Please leave any jumble out first thing (visible from the road and clearly marked!) You can also deliver jumble to the church on that day, or drop it off at the school on jumble sale day from 10:00 am.

Your continued support is much appreciated.

10

Dear Friends in Charfield. Happy New Year! Our first six months here have been busy, but a very rewarding time. We have had lots of genuinely friendly, helpful and supportive help – thank you all so much. The Chapel is pressing on in encouraging ways and starting in January 2016 we plan to introduce occasional pictures and music occasions followed by tea for the local Memory Group. Relatives and friends are also welcome for this chance to look back and remember.

The local C.R.Y. stamp collecting boxes will be collected in January, so your gifts of stamps can be sold to help children, young people and families in 14 countries worldwide. Stamps can also be dropped off at x Kings Meadow, Charfield. Please go on collecting throughout 2016. The first person to donate a genuine Penny Black will be given the ‘Freedom of Charfield’! The rest of our forthcoming weekly programme is listed below and a genuine welcome awaits you at all of these events. If any local individuals or families feel in need of pastoral support or friendship please feel free to contact me. (Pastor Ray Avent.)

NEW – Children's Club. The children's club will be every Thursday evening throughout term time, for 4–11 year olds (primary school age). The start date is Thurs. 21st Jan. 6–7pm. It will include art, crafts, bible stories, games, refreshments and much more.

NEW – Seniors' Club. You are invited to Charfield Seniors' Club every Wednesday afternoon starting 27th Jan., 2pm–4.30pm. Club activities will include chess, table tennis, music and many more, which will be followed by afternoon tea. Bring your crafts, knitting, hobbies along. For further details call Terry Palmer on 01453 52xxxx or 0796874xxxx.

[Graphic: Cup] Youth Café – Our Youth Café is open every Thursday evening at the new time of 7.30–9pm. This Youth Café is for young people of secondary school age. We have a dedicated Facebook page, please ‘like’ us to receive our latest updates. www.facebook.com/CharfieldChapelYouthCafe.

Christmas Shoe Box Appeal – Well done Charfield and district for your brilliant support for the recent 2015 Christmas shoe box appeal. With all your help, we were able to send 315 wrapped shoeboxes filled with essentials and lovely gifts to children, adults and the elderly, in Brasov, Romania and its surrounding villages. A shoe box will be the only gift many of them will receive all year. Our Christmas shoe box appeal is always an ongoing project. If anyone would like to continue collecting items, or to knit hats and scarves for 2016, that would be much appreciated.

A Senior Citizens' lunch will take place on Sat. 6th Feb, from 12 noon onwards. There will be musical entertainment from ‘God's Grampies’. Numbers would be appreciated beforehand, please, for catering purposes. Please note that lifts can be provided for those who cannot make their own way. This is a free lunch. However, donations can be made to the charity C.R.Y which aims to rescue and restore children and young people broken by poverty, oppression, exclusion and abuse.

Special Sunday Services at 11a.m.: On 28th Feb., our Christmas shoe box representative from Blythswood Care, Kate Hunter, will be providing a presentation and update on the Christmas shoe box appeal. Our Mothering Sunday service is on 6th March (there will be a special gift for all the ladies) and Easter Sunday service is 27th March. Both services will be led by Ben Huddleston. There will be an Easter Egg Hunt for the children after the Easter service.

We hold a bible study with short prayer time every Tuesday evening from 8.00pm where we discuss interesting topics. We hold prayer meetings every Saturday morning at 9.30am and services are held every Sunday at 11am, with refreshments served afterwards. There is a Sunday school (primary school age children) and Teen class which meets regularly on Sunday mornings.

For more information on any of the above, please contact: April Palmer, Tel: 01453 84xxxx Email: xxxx @ hotmail.co.uk or Ray Avent, Pastor Tel: 01453 84xxxx, Email: xxxx @ hotmail.com

11

Happy New Year to all our readers! We enjoyed a rather busy run up to Christmas with parties, lunches, afternoon teas and even a little bit of carol singing too!

You may remember that in my last article, we were celebrating a grant from South Gloucestershire Council to develop the Memory Group into longer, more frequent sessions. You can now find us on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month in The Sportsman's Lounge at Charfield Memorial Hall from 10am to 1am. The group is still free to attend, although donations for tea/coffee are welcomed.

Dementia Connections Link Services has been working closely with another not-for-profit organisation (Trust in You CIC) based in Wotton. As a partnership, we have secured funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and the Barnwood Trust, to hold another regular group in Wotton-Under-Edge. This is held at the Chipping Club Rooms on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month. ‘Dementia Connections’ is the collaborative name we will use for our joint projects and ventures.

Finally, warm thanks are extended to our friends down at the Congregational Chapel. Ray Avent has been an amazing support to the group since he moved back to Charfield, and he invited us for afternoon tea and a trip down memory lane. It was a really lovely afternoon, and even my Mum got her singing voice out for a bit of Julie Andrews! We are really looking forward to linking up with them again later in the year for some more fun.

If you would like to learn more about support services available, contact Amanda on 07814 69xxxx or email xxxx @ hotmail.co.uk

[Logo] “Working together to build a dementia friendly community”

[Logo] A very happy 2016 to everyone! [Logo]

Despite it being winter and probably the quietest time of our year CUGUC has still been very busy. The CUGUC AGM was held in the main hall rather than in the Sportsman's Lounge and it was lucky we changed venues as we had a record turnout. It was great to see so many of the people there who make CUGUC so successful.

Each year we have identified individuals or groups who have contributed to the village in some way to make it a nicer and greener place to live. Their actions were ‘just’ part of being a good neighbour. It was an opportunity to say thanks to Keith and Norma Edwards who long before CUGUC started to clean up the ‘Viewpoint’ and the verges did this task themselves. Many of the spring bulbs that we have all appreciated along this bank have been donated and planted by Norma and Keith and they have worked hard to keep much of the bank cleared and weeded for many years. They didn't do it for thanks or recognition but because they love their local environment. They are now very much involved in helping restore this site as part of the CUGUC team.

There was another long standing Charfield couple to thank: Guilda and Mervyn Ludwell, who over many years have maintained a section of public footpath that runs from Horsford Road into Elbury View. The footpath is relatively narrow and doesn't have the benefit of any street lighting or pavement and it can be difficult to navigate during the evenings. So the excellent work this couple do to keep the footpath level and clear of litter, week after week, goes a long way to ensuring the safe passage of the people who walk its length. Over recent years they have been planting the edges of the footpath with wild flowers and now you feel like you're walking through a meadow or a secret part of their garden.

After getting the formal business part of the evening done, everyone stayed to enjoy refreshments and nibbles and to flex the grey matter with the annual quiz. There were a few 12people who we'll view in a different light as their hidden competitive streaks kicked in!

View Point & Bank – Another few Sunday mornings' work saw the ‘this area tidied up again. The trees are beautiful but in autumn as their leaves fall and rot, they obscure the path with a very slippery, mucky surface so we set to and cleared these away. This will be an annual task for us. We have also planted a few more trees and under-planted with cotoneasters and bluebells so the bank should become more stable, easier to maintain and above all, more attractive. These plants are all wildlife friendly providing shelter and food. The Council have lifted the crown of some of the trees which are affecting the view but the tree which is most ill-placed has a Tree Preservation Order on it so must remain. The view in the winter is good!

Memorial Hall Car Park – A lot of work has taken place here over the last few weeks. With help from local prisoners we have got a large area past the container cleared and there is now a short attractive woodland path in place. This was a really hard job and they achieved a lot in the two days they worked with us. Then just after Christmas, Mike and Colin Adams put in some concrete edging at the front of the car park to act as a retainer. Previously the slope had meant that earth was always being washed away causing a real mess on the tarmac and a loss of good soil to that bed. It looks very smart now. The team meet regularly on Thursdays to work on this site. Help is always welcomed. No special gardening knowledge is required as the team will be there to give advice.

[Logo] New Logo
Since we first started up as a group we had wanted a distinctive logo. Local youth groups had provided us with some fabulous ideas and we had our favourites developed by a very talented young lady Jess Cope who we'd like to thank. St John's Church kindly invited us to join their Christmas Tree Festival. The new logo came into its own as we printed the logo onto lots of star shapes and with a bit of glitter, lights and gold garlands the tree sparkled beautifully near the altar.

Helpers always needed and welcomed. Find us on Facebook – just search for CUGUC.

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

Yvette Andrewartha, Chair CUGUC
http://charfield.org/cuguc
email: xxxx @ gmail.com

[Graphic] Hello Everyone! I'd like to tell you a little about our friendly local playgroup for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. It is run by a group of local mums especially for families with small children from the local area, including quite a few from Charfield.

As a Charfield resident I have been going to Tiny Tunes for almost six years, initially just enjoying it like everyone else and then about three years ago I joined the committee of mums dedicated to running it every week. We start at 10am with half an hour of circle-time singing and music, with different songs each week, including action songs and rhymes, plus musical instruments for the children to play. A snack of usually three or four types of fruit, vegetables or cheese, a biscuit and water for the children is provided. We have a great selection of toys, perfect for babies, as well as the bigger children, and we provide crafts or puzzles every week. We try to choose songs, rhymes and crafts which relate to a topical theme.

Why attend a playgroup?
With an emphasis on fun and music we aim to provide the children with an environment to develop their speech, sense of rhythm and co-ordination, through singing songs, nursery rhymes and playing instruments. We also aim to help them develop their social skills and general confidence through play with other children and numerous different toys, and their artistic side and fine motor skills through a different craft activity or puzzles every week. Playgroups also provide parents, grandparents and carers of small children with an opportunity to get out of the house, 13have a chat with a friendly face and enjoy a (much needed!) cuppa and biscuit. Most important of all we aim to provide a fun enjoyable time for everyone!

Our playgroup runs every Thursday throughout the year, only closing for two weeks over the Christmas Holidays. During the Half Terms, Easter and the Summer Holidays older siblings are welcome to join us. We run a number of events every year. Some, like our pre-loved sale, raises money for the group to spend on new toys or equipment, or a special treat for the children such as a Punch & Judy Show at Christmas. Other events are purely for fun or for the benefit of the families, such as our trip to a local farm to see how it works and to meet the animals, and to have the professional photography shoot we organised.

Check out our Facebook page for more details and photos: www.facebook.com/ tinytuneswotton

If you fancy joining us, just drop in one Thursday morning! It's only £2 per session and you can pay as you come – no upfront fees – so you can come as often as you like.

Sarah Gregory, xxxx @ hotmail.co.uk
Tiny Tunes – Every Thursday 10:00–11:30 at Wotton United Church Hall, Bradley Street GL12 7AR

HAPPY NEW YEAR! We would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to our dedicated committee members, to everybody who supported the Pre-School Santa Float back in December and especially to ‘Rio Pools’ for the use of their vehicle and premises to decorate the Santa float. It is our biggest fundraiser of the year and continues to be so as our door-to-door walkers collected £670 this year. We were very lucky to have the weather on our side.

We had an extremely successful Christmas shopping evening at the end of November where we raised £640.

As we move into the forthcoming fundraising calendar the Pre-School will be holding a Quiz night on Saturday 19th March. As always, the quiz is based around a theme and this year's theme is St. Patrick's Day. Please keep this date in your diaries.

We've got a busy term ahead of us as we will be concentrating on literacy and continuing with personal, social and emotional development. The rising 5's have a planned trip to Tesco in Thornbury where they will learn where their food comes from, how it's grown and made. At the end of January we will also be celebrating Chinese New Year with the children.

As always we rely 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 you could 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!”

We would like to congratulate Charfield Primary School for their “outstanding” status in their recent Ofsted inspection. Well done to all the staff, parents and to the children for all their hard work to bring the school back to the status we all believed it deserved.

If you would like to chat about registering your child as a new starter or about extending your existing hours, please call Debra on 0796661xxxx. We are currently planning for the September intake, so it's never too early to start thinking about registering your child. We welcome children from 2 years old (no potty training required!).

For more details email Louise Sydney – Chair at xxxx @ gmail.com

[Graphic: Memorial Hall]

First Friday of Every Month

5th February, 4th March, 1st April 9-11am in the Sportsman's Lounge
(Village Hall)
Tea, Coffee, Crumpets and Chatter

14

See our website www.charfieldschool.org.uk for full details and colour photographs of our classroom and school activities.

[Logo: Ofsted Outstanding School 2014/2015] OFSTED ‘SEAL OF APPROVAL’ ARRIVES

We were very pleased to receive a letter from Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Education, congratulating the school for its recent OFSTED inspection. Enclosed with the letter was our ‘Outstanding’ Logo which we can proudly attach to letters and the website.

STAFF NEWS
Sadly, Mrs Reynolds will be leaving us at the end of this term to begin a new, exciting career. Whilst we are all very pleased that Mrs Reynolds is embarking on her new challenge, we are very sad to lose such a talented member of staff.

CHARFIELD NEWSPAPER
Children in Years 5 & 6 have been given the opportunity to produce a newspaper specifically for Charfield and the surrounding area. Many of our Year 5 & 6 pupils have roles on the paper. A competition to name the paper resulted in Charfield Chatter being chosen as the name. The project has also featured in the Gazette. We are really looking forward to publishing the paper around Easter time. If any local businesses would like to be advertised in the paper, please drop us an email.

DURSLEY TAG RUGBY FESTIVAL
Charfield Y3&4 Tag Rugby Team competed in the exciting, World Cup themed, Dursley Tournament. Each of the 14 competing schools were given a country to represent and we were given New Zealand. The teams were split into 2 groups of 7. We finished 3rd in our group after winning 2, drawing 2 and losing 2 games. We then won our 5th place play-off game against ‘Ireland’.

NETBALL NEWS
At the end of term on a cold December day, 11 of the girls from Netball Club attended a netball tournament held at KLB School. We were immensely proud of their positive attitude, manners and team spirit.

FIREWORKS & CHRISTMAS FAIR
Many of us were again privileged to experience the high quality fireworks display organised by The Friends. There was a great community feeling to the evening and it was lovely to see so many familiar faces. I am very grateful to the Friends, they put an exceptional amount of work into organising the event. Without their dedication an important village event would be lost! The Friends Christmas Fair once again delivered a fantastic weekend experience and raised £990 and an additional £700 was raised from the sale of Christmas trees at the Memorial Hall car park. Thank you all for supporting our events. Every penny helps our school provide fantastic experiences and resources for our children.

GENEROUS DONATION FOR SCHOOL
We'd like to extend a big thank you to Mr & Mrs Bingham and Bing-Go Private Hire for their generous donation of £250 to the school. They kindly offered to donate a percentage of their company earnings from November.

IN THE COMMUNITY
Macmillan Coffee Morning Throughout last term the school were very busy in thinking about and helping others …
[Graphic] Thanks to everyone who supported our Macmillan coffee morning in September, we raised a grand total of £118.48.

Harvest Fundraising
[Logo: JulianTrust Night Shelter] The whole school visited St John's Church for our annual Harvest Festival which was kindly hosted by Rev. Chris Mason. Donations in support of The Julian Trust filled the corridor! The organisation, which provides shelter and food to the homeless in Bristol, was very grateful for the donation from Charfield.

‘Wear It Pink” Charity Fundraiser’ – Charity fundraising continued with our ‘Wear it Pink’ Day. Rachel and Vicky ran the VERY popular ‘Pop-up-Spa’ and thanks also go to Reuben and Cecily M who were the organisers of the event.

15BBC Children In Need
[Graphic: Pudsey] A range of mouth-watering cakes were donated for a cake bake sale. All proceeds went to Children in Need.

C.R.Y. – Saving Stamps To Save Lives
As a school we are supporting this charity by collecting stamps. The children had an assembly led by Ray Avent to explain how collecting stamps raises money for CRY.

Dafydd Lawday – Headteacher

A Happy New Year to everyone in the village from the staff and committee of the Out of School Club. We hope that 2016 proves to be a successful year for all our village organisations that work so hard to make Charfield such a great place to live.

Following the AGM in October I am pleased to report that Vicki Shepherd agreed to take on the role of Chair which she previously shared with Rachel Smallwood. We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to Rachel for all her hard work during her time as Joint Chair and are pleased that she is staying on as a general member. We would also like to welcome Karen Stainthorpe and Louise Sydney as general members. As a committee we are positive about working together and have many ideas about how to build on the success of previous years.

The club has been busy fundraising with a jam jar sale and tombola at the school Christmas fair that raised a fantastic £251. At the same time, the staff organised a Christmas Grand Draw for a Christmas hamper. This was won by the Manser family and raised £95. All our fundraising goes toward buying toys and games on the wish list made up from requests from the children who attend.

The club opened during the Christmas holiday and was very busy with lots of excited children who had great fun playing Christmas games and taking part in festive competitions!

If you know of any new families who would like to use our service, both before and/or after school or during the school holidays, or, if you yourself would like to find out more, please contact us at the club. You can check us out on www.charfield.org/coosc. The club is open to children up to the age of 13, so even if your children are moving on to secondary school they are still welcome after school and in the holidays. Booking forms for the February half term are available now from the club and the Charfield community website.

Thank you once again to everyone who has used the club in 2015 or who has supported us with fundraising activities. Also a huge thanks to our dedicated staff, Pat, Georgina, Jo, Anne and Philippa who work so hard for the children at all times and continue to make the club an outstanding facility for the village. We look forward to a successful 2016.

The Out of School Club Committee

[Graphic: Friends] Happy New Year Charfield! The period from September through to December is always a very busy time for the Friends. We had our AGM to navigate and I am pleased to announce that a committee was elected for another 12 months. A couple of last year's team stepped down from the core and general committee and I'd like to thank them for their time and support over recent years – their support will be missed. We are lucky to have a strong committee at the moment (although we would always appreciate more helpers) and have a great team atmosphere. We gained a few committee members as well this year which is always great news as the support of our parents really helps with organising our fundraising events.

November wouldn't be November without the Charfield School Fireworks Night. We had great weather this year which was unseasonably warm. We hope you enjoyed seeing a fantastic professional fireworks display provided by CTS as well as the BBQ and drinks available on the night. As a result of everyone's support the event raised an amazing £2,800 which was a fantastic result. CM Group in Tortworth very kindly donated £250 to help towards food expenses and Renishaw gave us a generous donation 16enabling us to purchase our own BBQ which will be very useful for many events.

We are grateful to everyone who came and supported our Christmas Fair this year. It was great to see so many people enjoying themselves on the day, made even more special with the arrival of Father Christmas! Thank you to everyone who helped out especially with the organisation in the run up to the day, from all the hard working committee members to the merry band of volunteers who helped on the day and to everyone who donated raffle prizes – your generosity was greatly appreciated. The event was another great success with just over £950 being raised. [Graphic: Christmas tree] Thanks to the team led by Adrian Fallows and Tim Skuse who braved the conditions to help set up and run the Christmas tree sale – we raised a further £700+ during the day which is another fantastic success. With the above funds in mind we are waiting for the outcome of 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 which runs such a scheme and are looking for a worthwhile cause to support then please do get in touch!

We have a few projects in mind, which include an extension to the allotment area to increase the number of raised beds to 7. This will allow our school to grow vegetables in line with the healthier eating initiatives introduced by the government. A larger scale project is in the planning phase to erect a climbing wall in the playground for the children and wider community to use when access to the field and adventure playground is not possible. If you or your children have any thoughts on how we could spend the funds raised please get in touch We are hoping to fund these projects by holding a film night early in the New Year and will be looking at potential movies suitable for the age ranges within the school. We'll also be holding a school disco for KS1 and KS2 around March time as last year's event proved to be hugely popular. 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 in which you can help The Friends is through Easy Fund Raising. 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 2,000 retailers listed including Amazon, John Lewis, M&S, Ebay and Argos etc. so the next time you are online please try it out. We have already managed to raise over £1,700 to date through this scheme!

If you are reading this and want to get involved with The Friends then it could not be easier. Take a look at the school noticeboard for the next meeting or phone or email me (see below).

Dave Ashby Chair – The Friends of Charfield Primary School.
Tel: 0790402xxxx
Email: xxxx @ yahoo.co.uk

Since the last issue of CHADRA, the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts had a wonderful weekend at PGL Liddington. This was on an autumnal weekend in October, not too cold. We went on the zip wire, the obstacle course, the giant swing and we built shelters. We went on a fantastic tree top trail where some of my group even went round backwards! I had a Beaver who held on fast to my leg at one point. The best activity was the canoeing – all of the young people enjoyed playing games on the water.

We had a really good turnout at St. Andrew's Church, Cromhall for this year's Remembrance Service. This is an important part of the Scouting calendar and we appreciate parents allowing the time for their young people to attend. We also held our group carol service at St. Andrew's which wasn't so well attended I'm afraid, clashing with the Bristol Hippodrome pantomime. It was still a lovely event with a nativity activity with a difference from the Beavers, hand chimes from the Scouts and a traditional carol sung by the Cubs.

Each of the sections had Christmas treats. The Beavers and Cubs went bowling and the Scouts went to Air Hop (the new big trampoline place at Cribbs Causeway), then it 17was suddenly Christmas. The Group supplied a Christmas tree to St. John's Church, Charfield along with other community groups. The trees looked amazing. I collected ours on the windiest day nearly getting blown up to Wotton while crossing the road, then found I couldn't get the tree into the car without breaking a branch and getting covered in paint (it was raining as well!). In true Scouting way we are recycling the tree to be used in future Christmas activities at the Scout hall.

This year is the 90th birthday for the Beavers and 100th birthday for the Cubs. This will keep these sections very busy with issues of a special badge each. We also have the Avon Scout Jamboree – an event which happens every 4 years. This is a three night camp for all sections over the Whit bank holiday in May. In April we have a number of Scouts and one Cub going over to Malta where they will be camping with the Fgura Scouts of Malta at the Maltese International Campsite at Ghan Tuffehia. This is conveniently sited next to a 5* hotel and a beautiful beach. Their coffee lounge will be visited by a couple of leaders now and then I'm sure!

As usual Beavers is completely full. However, we do currently have places at Wednesday and Thursday Cubs meeting from 6.30–8pm, for boys and girls aged 8–10½ and at Tuesday Scouts, meeting from 7–9pm, for boys and girls aged 10½–14. Just send an email to xxxx @ gmail.com to register your interest.

We also have Young Leaders in our group. These are young people aged 14–18 who may decide to go on to the Explorer Unit, or to help out with the younger Sections. The Young Leaders are treated as Leaders of the group. They undergo similar training modules to leaders, which looks very good on a C.V. We also welcome any youngster who needs to complete a module for their DofE. Just drop us a line at the email address above.

Yours in Scouting,

Sandra Carnegie – Group Scout Leader
www.1stwoodend.scoutsites.org.uk

[Graphic: Girlguiding UK girls in the lead]

District Commissioner's Message:
Did you see our Christmas tree in St. John's Church? If you didn't, you missed a treat. The church looked splendid through December filled with all sorts of different Christmas Trees decorated by local organisations. Ours was the one covered in all the different Girlguiding promise badges and decorations were made by the two Wotton Brownie Packs and members of the Senior Section.

Charfield Brownie Pack has now been closed for a year meaning that girls in the village have to go to Wotton or Kingswood if they want to be Brownies. This is such a shame. Surely there must be someone in the village interested in running the pack. If that is you, please get in contact with Sarah or Jackie, (the joint District Commissioners). Contact details on the back page of this newsletter.

Sarah Norton – Girlguiding Wotton District Commissioner (joint). Tel: 01453 52xxxx / Email: xxxx @ tesco.net.

1st Charfield Rainbows
‘Rainbows’ is a part of the ‘Girl Guide Association’ and is for girls aged 5 to 7 years. This term, we learnt about celebrations across the world. We currently have one space, with a few more available next term, so if you have a little girl or know of one who might be interested in joining 1st Charfield Rainbows now or in the future, please email xxxx @ yahoo.co.uk so their names can be added to the waiting list.

2nd Charfield Brownies
Closed – seeking volunteers to run the Pack, please contact Sarah or Jackie District Commissioners.

2nd Wotton (Charfield) Guides
They meet on alternative Thursdays at Wotton Baptist Hall 7.30pm. Sadly, due to the lack of leaders we have had to reduce meetings to fortnightly. Please contact xxxx @ hotmail.com if you think you would like to get involved!

For the winter term, 2nd Wotton Guides have been designing and making their own desert islands in the patrol groups of about 6 girls. The results were all very different, but each group did manage to involve some kind of 18sweets or desserts from trees growing sweets to chocolate rivers and gingerbread houses. This task has promoted communication skills and working in groups of varying ages has developed team working skills. We had a unit trip one wet November afternoon to the mall at Cribbs Causeway for a game of bowling, some retail therapy and then a pizza dinner. The 25 guides who attended were all very excited to be let loose in the Mall!

[Graphic: CPR FIRST AID CERTIFIED AND TRAINED] The unit has started working on the First Aid badge learning emergency procedures, how to deal with some minor injuries, how to carry out CPR using the Resusi Annie and Baby Resusi Anne which we will continue with next term. Lastly, another highlight of the term was our Marshmallow evening where we cooked a girl guiding favourite of ‘s'mores’ over candles and also had a competition to build the highest marshmallow tower using marshmallows and cocktail sticks. The highest very sticky tower measured 20cm!

Senior Section
Wanted! Girls aged 14+ for fun filled adventures! Are you interested in having fun, finding new places to visit and meeting new friends? Then Senior Section is the place for you. You do not need to have been a Brownie or a Guide before, you just need a sense of adventure! If you would like your daughter to join Girlguiding UK please contact one of the relevant leaders, or go to:

http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/get_involved/volunteer/register_your_interest.aspx

[Graphic: Lifeboats] The Loss of the TITANIC and a Wiltshire Family – Some Mysteries and Myths

Once again we are organising a fundraising guest-speaker evening at the Cotswold View Golf Club. This year our talk will be on the Titanic and will intertwine the lives of a family from Melksham with the fateful day when the Titanic was lost. Our speaker is Lt. Cmdr. Geoffrey Carr – once Head of Engineering Design at the Royal Naval Engineering College, Plymouth. Lt. Cdr. Carr normally does this talk in return for a donation to the R.N.L.I. In this case, all of the proceeds will go directly to the R.N.L.I.

The talk will take place on Tuesday March 29th at 7.30pm. Tickets will be available shortly from the Cotswold Book Room and Westward Travel (both on Long Street, Wotton) or from me or other committee members.

Look out for the posters that will be going out shortly, or monitor the branch website (http://wuernli.btck.co.uk/) or contact me directly (on telephone number below).

Branch Committee and 2015 AGM – We have been advised by the R.N.L.I. that we no longer need to hold a branch AGM. Past AGMs have largely been a matter of conducting the formal business – reporting on the past year and the ‘re-election’ of the committee. Since we have never been flooded with new applicants wishing to join the committee, the meetings have tended to be a formality, and it has been agreed not to hold an AGM this year.

However, a report on the branch's activities in 2015 will be made available on our web-site www.wuernli.btck.co.uk. If there are shoreline /offshore members (or others) who want to know more about what our local branch does, whether simply to know or because you might consider becoming involved, please contact me.

School and Youth Engagement – The RNLI has a small team of volunteers who engage with schools and youth organisations. Our activities include: providing short presentations on the R.N.L.I. or water safety to school assemblies; sessions with small groups – perhaps in support of a class project (eg: on water; people we look up to; Grace Darling and lighthouses); and similar sessions with youth groups (perhaps in support of badge work). If there are any teachers or youth leaders who would be interested in having a visit from an R.N.L.I. education volunteer, please either contact me or contact the R.N.L.I. education support team by going to the education pages on the R.N.L.I. website (www.rnli.org).

Note: the education pages of the website also offer a variety of free resources to teachers and youth leaders.

19Adult Talks – In addition to talking to schools and youth groups, I have also given illustrated talks to adult groups about the R.N.L.I. I have talked to various local groups and try to tailor my presentation accordingly. If you would like me to talk to your group, please contact me. I do not charge a fee, but would welcome a donation or collection for the R.N.L.I.

Annual Flag Day & House-to-House Collections – Once again, we have a permit to hold a street collection in Wotton and this will be preceded by house-to-house collections throughout the GL12 postal area. This year, the date of the street collection has been brought forward to Saturday 25th June (so that the house-to-house collections avoid clashing with the televised Wimbledon tennis tournament!).

This is the branch's biggest fundraising activity. Last year the street and GL12 house-to-house collections raised £2,230. The amount collected in Charfield was £342.

I would like to thank all those who contributed, but most of all I would like to thank the two seasoned, and one new volunteer who collected in Charfield. Additional volunteers would be most welcome. If you are willing and able to spare a little time in June to go round talking to your near neighbours (or to total strangers if you prefer), your help would be most welcome – please contact me.

John Barnett (Chairman). Tel: 01453 84xxxx

Many everyday behaviours that were once quite acceptable can become either illegal or deemed unacceptable by the majority. The impetus for change of attitudes can be perhaps new knowledge, campaigners, common sense. You can make your own list – having a few drinks and driving home, many prejudices, smoking in public buildings, not clearing up after your dog, etc. etc.

Legislation doesn't always stop the behaviour in its tracks – consider those who still yack on their mobile phones while driving, flouting the law and risking the lives of others, just because their conversations are SO much more important. Sometimes, the prospect of incurring disapproval from the community at large can help make people think twice.

So, we return to the issue of dog poo. We are required to pick up their poop. Some do. Some don't. Some do only if they think someone is looking. Some don't pay attention to their dog's progress and miss an event. Some rush their dogs to the field in the hope that nothing will occur until they get through the gate, just so that they don't have to pick up the poop.

Is that not extraordinary? If the poop is produced in a farmer's field rather than in a public space, does it acquire different physical properties? Does it suddenly not stick to walkers' shoes (or dogs' paws, for that matter)? Does it disappear overnight? Does it magically smell of Chanel No.5? Does it somehow become benign and devoid of bacteria/parasites?

On “Countryfile”, they covered a piece on ‘neospora caninum’. It involves dogs as hosts; the eggs are passed through dog poo. The cows pick up the eggs from the pasture. Amongst other things, the cows abort calves. There is no treatment; the cow has to be sent to market (apparently there is no problem with the meat). It's not great for dogs, either. Look it up ont'internet. So add that to all the other beasties we already know about – tape and round worms, campylobacter, salmonella, coccidia, e-coli, parvo …

So if the thought of spoiling the fields and generally contaminating pasture/silage and hence the food chain with dog poo doesn't tweak your conscience, perhaps the thought of adding to the woes of our farmers might make you do the decent thing and …
PICK IT UP WHERE'ER IT LANDS.
If you don't make this choice of your own volition, perhaps the possibility that others might find you, at the very least, irresponsible and selfish will give you ‘paws’ for thought. I was once told, “don't buy a dog you can't carry home.” I'd add, “don't buy a dog if you can't carry its poop home.” [Graphic: NO POOP ZONE]

Julia O'Connor-Beach (Now, sadly, sans dog … but I borrow others for walks).

20

Wow! We're here, Happy New Year! Firstly, I must apologise to Marion Smith and all the producers of CHADRA. I see Marion most mornings and she reminds me when article time is due. Sue and I were outside school, doing our ‘parent link’ when Marion delivered the October issue. When we went in, I opened the envelope and scanned the contents page. “I'm not in here,” I exclaimed. On searching through, I did find my bit, but without further ado, phoned Marion. You can imagine the conversation can't you? Let's just say that my sentences included words such as “my fans”, “disappointment”, “bereft,” “might not find me.” So, I suppose after writing in CHADRA since, I think, 1982ish, my ego has finally gone whoooooooosh!

[Photo: Marilyn] You know in Leisure Centres and places like supermarket foyers, you get mug shots of the management down to the lowly peeps advising who does what and where? Well we've got them in the school lobby. Obviously latter staff snaps are fully up to date but mine has been pinned there for a few years now. One morning walking through to start our “Good Morning, lovelies” shift, with my newly sharpened pencil, ready to take down very important messages, I decided that my fringe (on the photo), needed a bit of an update. Also, the colour had changed a bit.

Two days later armed with (or so I thought), a suitable felt-tipped pen, I attacked the hair shade. By then I looked like I was sporting a gingery type of halo with black lead streaks. The photo, having been laminated, hadn't absorbed very well. Well it entertained Sue. A couple of people who had taken shelter from the rain had noticed but obviously didn't like to say. However, should any parents, during our ‘link’ conversations, feel a little glum, I would send them into the lobby, safe in the knowledge that they could have a good old laugh at my adaptions. I told my Sophie about this, also following on saying that I was going to sneak my snap home and ‘doctor’ it further.

So, I could be have been found on Boxing Day, downing Australian Merlot, armed with four copies of ‘Red’ magazine, scissors and a glue stick. About one hour later and having taken great pains to become the most glamorous, by choosing particular shades from various models, I had stuck on several bits of dark and light brown with a couple of strands of red and blond streaks. I'm not going to tell you what Sophie said. Suffice to say, that this past Saturday, after hanging out in Bradley Stoke library, I could be found against a pale blue display being photographed by my lovely daughter, proceeding next to Tesco's to log in and print out the snaps. So last evening I cut out my old record of facial history (for future shrieking sessions) and filled the gap with the new me. “Do I look alright?” I asked. “Mum,” responded Sophie”, you're in your ‘…ies’ and you're a granny. Take it into school and put yourself back on the wall.” With Christmas holidays over, that was my first job when I got back to school. [Graphic: Have a Nice Day]

Love you all, Maz xxx

After a great evening with the all-singing, all-dancing group, ‘Bowjangles’, we are really pleased to say that we have raised just over £1,400 towards the building fund for Grace Home in Kathmandu.

With the support of so many friends (as we think of you all) and family, we have helped them to buy their own little piece of land and in the spring, building should begin (if materials are available).

Life is very difficult in Nepal right now, not only because of the aftermath of the earthquake but also because of the blockade on the India/Nepal border crossing, which is causing huge shortages of just about everything. However, our dear friend and founder of the orphanage, Dasharatha Rai, is determined to make the new building happen and we know from past experience that he most certainly will. The cost of building materials has doubled in the last few months so we will be continuing to fundraise. If you are interested in hearing more or being involved please contact me at xxxx @ warners-court.com. Thank you!

Barbara Adams

#

Advertising

[Advert for Memorial Hall & Playing Fields]

[Advert for Deborah Jayne Pringle]

[Advert for Guitar lessons]

#[Advert for Pass & Totterdell]

[Advert for Evergreen Computing]

[Advert for St John's Charfield]

#[Advert for Franks Garage]

[Advert for Pat Jeanes reflexology]

[Advert for Claire Saunders]

[Advert for Colin Lane Carpet & Flooring]

[Advert for Littles Curtains]

[Advert for Ride On Cycles]

#[Advert for Greenline Tanks]

[Advert for falcon Cottage B&B]

[Advert for The Edge Health & Beauty]

[Advert for Buddug Green reflexology]

[Advert for Robinsons Florist]

[Advert for Bradley Garage]

#[Advert for The Park Falfield]

[Advert for Steve's Shop]

[Advert for At Home Curtains & Blinds]

[Advert for Cotswold Edge Carpets]

#[Advert for Barbara Daw]

[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 Zumba]

[Advert for Add Plant]

[Advert for Ashworthy Cattery]

[Advert for The Farmers Table]

[Advert for D.R. Vizard]

[Advert for Tree care]

#[Advert for MB Property Maintenance]

[Advert for Halo Hair]

Advertising Space Available

#

Cut out this page and pin it to your notice board.

ACTIVITIES AT CHARFIELD MEMORIAL HALL

Since the summer there have been some changes which you may be interested in so see chart below. For any contact information please contact xxxx @ charfield.org

Are you looking for a venue for an activity or group? – We now have some prime regular slots – morning, afternoon and evening, at the hall and in the Lounge. So if you want to do something on a regular basis or as a one off please get in touch.

Charfield Memory Group, run by Amanda Pearson, now meet in the Lounge and new people are welcome to come along. Also our local PCSO holds a Beat Surgery at the hall once a month so if you need to know the date please get in touch via the email above.

There are 3 sections to CMH – the Main Hall (M), the Sportsman's Lounge (S) and the Playing Field (F)

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY …

CMH = Charfield Memorial Hall, WTH – Wotton Town Hall, CS = Charfield School
CMHS = Charfield Memorial Hall Sportsman's Lounge, CVGC = Cotswold View Golf Club

#

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

Church – Congregational
Nicky Lanyi 01454 26xxxx

Church – St. John's
Rev Chris Mason 01454 26xxxx
Rev David Russell 01454 29xxxx
Email xxxx @ gmail.com

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

Community Dementia Link
Amanda Pearson 07814 69xxxx
https://www.facebook.com/charfieldanddistrictcommunitydementialinks

Council – Charfield Parish
Hannah C Saunders (Clerk) 01454 32xxxx
Parish Council, PO Box 1947, Bristol. BS37 0BU
Email clerk @ charfieldparishcouncil.co.uk

Council – South Gloucestershire
John O'Neill 01454 86xxxx or 01454 26xxxx
Email xxxx @ southglos.gov.uk

Cricket Club
Jeremy Hull 01453 52xxxx
Tony Field 01454 26xxxx

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

Friends of Charfield Primary School
Dave Ashby (Chair) 07904 02xxxx
Email xxxx @ yahoo.co.uk

Foundation Room
Bryan Grantham 01454 26xxxx

Junior Football Club
Andy Leeds 075801xxxx

Keep Fit Club
Christine Parfitt 01454 26xxxx

Luncheon Club for the Elderly
Jane Higgins 01454 26xxxx

Dementia Connections (Memory Groups and Support Services)
Amanda Pearson 07814 69xxxx

Memorial Hall
Bookings 07774 41xxxx
Email xxxx @ gmail.com
Chairman Liam Balloch 07947 43xxxx