CHADRA

As mentioned in the last newsletter, this is my last issue as editor. Despite our pleas and advertising, a replacement editor has not been found. Without an editor, it is impossible to produce the newsletter. The CHADRA committee has put a contingency plan in place to publish newsletters to the end of this year in order to fulfil its commitments to both subscribers and advertisers. However, if no-one comes forward to take on the role of editor from 2017, the newsletter will fold at the end of 2016. It would be a great shame to lose this principal means of communication which has served the village so well for over 40 years.

Don't delay! Act now to save your village newsletter! If you or anyone you know would be interested in becoming editor, please contact xxxx @ gmail.com or any committee member ASAP or there will be no village newsletter in 2017.

Alison White, CHADRA Editor

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Next Edition Copy Deadline – 06 July 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

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Change is the only constant and as we move into 2016, change is all around us. How do we adapt to change? How do we influence it, and make it a change for the better? These questions are at the core of the Neighbourhood Plan. Depending on when this newsletter drops through your letterbox, we are either about to hold the Charfield Neighbourhood Plan Wine and Cheese Event, or we've just done so.

For the sake of argument, I'll assume you're reading this before the 26th April and there's still time to make plans to attend. Because we do want you to attend – that's why there's wine!

Even if you're reading this after the event, it is still vital you consider change and Charfield, and how these two interact. There are also post-event opportunities for us to hear from you.

So why are we holding the evening event? What the Charfield Neighbourhood Plan needs most of all right now is to engage fully with the community in Charfield. We are in the information gathering and consultation period of the project and this will continue through the summer and beyond. We'll be seeking ideas and comments from individuals, groups, businesses, landowners, anyone and everyone in Charfield parish.

And to everyone we will be posing the same questions: What do you like about Charfield? What could be improved? How would you like the village to develop? What aspects of Charfield should be protected? What do you think Charfield will look like in ten and twenty years' time?

Everyone gets to have a say, from the youngest child to the centenarian. Ponder this … the youngest child will probably have children of their own within the lifetime of this Neighbourhood Plan. The oldest resident of Charfield might have great-grandchildren living here within the same period. It really is in the best interests of anyone planning a future in Charfield that we find out what the parish as a whole thinks, expects and aspires to. We have a significant choice here – to try and make the Charfield of the future, or have Charfield made for us by people for whom profit is the only focus.

So, if the wine and cheese event is still in your future, please do make every effort to come. We'll be sitting in groups, chatting about our community with people from our community. Some of us will be facilitating at each table, collecting your thoughts and guiding the event. We'll have post-it pads and places to stick them. We'll have your friends and neighbours. We'll have wine and cheese. April 26th, 7pm, Memorial Hall.

If you missed it, or even if you came and had a great time but now want to offer new thoughts or get more involved … no worries. The Charfield Neighbourhood Plan has a website www.charfieldneighbourhoodplan.org or you can get in touch via the parish clerk. As and when we have publishable data, we'll put it on the website and all the meeting minutes of the project group will be there too.

We are all Charfielders, and we all have the best interests of the village and the parish in our hearts. We like it here, we know you do too, and we want it to stay that way.

Mark Rosher – Chairman,
Charfield Parish Council

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Four charming gardens in the village will be opening over the early Spring Bank Holiday, on Sunday 1st and Monday 2nd May under the National Gardens Scheme, which only selects gardens of high standards – so prepare to be wowed!

Warner's Court in the centre of the village is the largest, with a formal garden, shrubbery, wildlife area with large pool, vine house and productive vegetable garden to explore. New to N.G.S. visitors is a lovely hand-crafted summerhouse complete with wallpaper and stained glass windows!

10, Station Road is a beautifully planted garden in country cottage style, packed full of delightful plants with a successful vegetable and fruit garden and a lovely front garden. Our gardener here has had to contend with a particularly energetic new puppy, so come to see how the garden has survived.

Pemberley Lodge is a modern garden, which wraps around the house and was professionally designed to provide year round interest with low maintenance. It has an unusual roof garden that gives a great view of the village. This garden has to contend with a pack of terriers who add their own well-worn paths to the planned design.

And new for 2016 under the National Garden Scheme is The Paddock, Horsford Road. The garden here wraps round a striking modern house and offers space for the children to play, a beautiful garden for the ‘plants woman’ in the family and a spot for chickens and vegetables.

The gardens are opening earlier in the season this year so there will be something new for our previous visitors to enjoy.

There will be light refreshments and delicious cakes on offer at Warner's 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. We are hoping to have some additional attractions to make your visit even more interesting. Make a day out of it and have lunch in one of our village pubs. Visit Charfield Meadow, an Avon Wildlife Trust site and the 15th-century St. James Church.

We have raised over £12,500 for charity from our three openings in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Please help us to continue with this amazing success. The N.G.S. is the largest benefactor of Macmillan Cancer Support and as an organisation raises more than £2.5million annually for this and other charities.

The gardens will be open on 1st and 2nd May (Sunday & Monday) from 2pm to 6pm and entry is £6.00 for adults. No charge for children.

An apology 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. For enquiries ring Yvette on 01454 26xxxx.

[Advert for St John's Church Plant Sale]

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The weather has proved challenging for us all to get on with our own gardens and to keep the CUGUC sites looking good.

Getting the Big Guns In – It is a truism, but as you paint one room in the house, you notice the next one could do with some work, and so it is with our sites. Tidying up the roundabout verges has just made the bits that we haven't done more noticeably scruffy. However, these bits needed major action and were in an area where it isn't always safe for us to be working, so one of the team had a brilliant idea – let's gets a contractor in to tackle the really over-grown stuff and then we can access it to tidy up some more. And that is what we have done. One Friday, the tractor and hedge cutter came and cleared all the overgrowth to the Tafarn Bach bus stop and on the verge towards Cromhall and then on down to the Renishaw exit of the village to improve the visibility and remove the scrubby self-sown saplings. We even discovered a bus stop down there! Very big thanks to South Glos. Council's Marcus Gill who let us have the traffic lights for the afternoon which otherwise would have cost us £200. Great joined up thinking!

And before the Big Guns arrived, CUGUC helpers did a litter pick around these areas to prevent the machines cutting any rubbish into tiny annoying pieces and as a result collected 6 bags of rubbish, part of a car bumper, a car wheel trim and three wheelbarrow loads of twigs and branches. Hopefully we can keep the access to these two bus stops a little easier to get to (neither are safe or really accessible but that's a problem for another day!).

Litter Picking – This windy weather seems to have created a lot of litter, which we don't normally see in the village. Can we encourage everyone when walking around locally to take a small bag, gloves and pick up tools and tidy up any litter that they may come across? Obviously please take care when doing this. If you spot large items that have been dumped or items that you are unsure of, then the Council do have a dedicated on-line reporting form and they are prompt in removing the items.

The Verges Charfield Hill – This area is looking so charming at the moment with the primroses and snowdrops out in bloom. A really up-lifting sight as we enter the village. A few helpers have been seen out there weeding around these tiny spring flowers, tidying up and putting in extra effort outside our planned work parties – thanks for that. We have already got a number of dates in the diary for working on this area over the next few months.

The Memorial Hall – The new notice board provided by CUGUC to fit the existing and very permanent concrete posts has been fitted and looks very smart indeed. This puts a finishing touch to the car park area. Work continues on this large site and the team are so brilliant in meeting every week to keep on top of it all. It will get easier as plants establish themselves and spread out. The first 2 or 3 years of a new garden are always the worst, so that's good news.

CUGUC Helpers Tea Party – We are a friendly bunch and really enjoy what we are doing so it is really nice once in a while to get everyone together in smart clothes rather than the ones we don for grubbing around on our sites. So, we invited everyone who has played a part in our activities whether as a helper, donor or supporter to a Sunday afternoon tea party. No games but a really lovely afternoon with delicious cakes.

This is a good time to remind you that helpers are always needed and welcomed with the added bonus of regular get-togethers with lovely refreshments. 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 detailed below and on the contact page at the back.

Yvette Andrewartha – Chair CUGUC

http://charfield.org/cuguc
email: xxxx @ gmail.com

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Happy spring everybody. I hope everybody has been enjoying the sunshine (when it comes out)! I hope by now you will have seen the hive of activity in or around the hall recently, let me explain …

Rear Patio – One of the top priorities for the committee for this year was to create a place at the back of the hall where families and friends can congregate, where people can stand or sit to watch cricket and where those with disabilities attending community events can be as involved as any other member of the village. With the emerging patio (currently under construction as I type), all of these wishes can be granted. Members of the committee as well as the hard working CUGUC team have come up with a design which includes an extended hard-wearing patio with cemented in picnic tables and bench, flowers and plants, installation of a ramp onto the patio from the back of the hall and the re-laying and making safe of the steps and the path at the side of the hall. We hope that all of the hard work and time pays off and that all of you, as members of the village, get to benefit from it. This could not have happened without your help through the annual precept money we receive, but also due to a large grant from Tesco's 5p bag tax. We also received donated material for the job from Cemex to the tune of £4000, so thank you everyone!

Sportsman's Lounge Interior – We now have a brand new kitchen, flooring (in kitchen and hallways), energy efficient heaters, painted walls and we managed to get rid of the … I won't say it as I don't want to jinx it but the word begins with D and ends in AMP. The next phases are the toilets and doors, but this all depends on money and grants. Rest assured we are working hard to make it happen!

Now that I have explained all of the work happening in and around the hall, I need to mention upcoming events and other important information.

Charfield Community Fete – Now in its 3rd year since being brought back, we would like to invite you all to the Fete on Monday 2nd May, 12–5pm on the playing fields! As most of you know by now, it's a really nice opportunity for all of the community to get together and have fun! The bar will be open the entire time, the donkeys will be back, as well as fun fair rides, stalls, bouncy castle, cakes, teas and coffees, live music, and the balloon race (last year the furthest reached Lancaster!). The NEWEST addition to the event is a massive 7m, 4-sided climbing wall for all ages, so get ready Mum and Dad! Anyone who might want to run a stall, please get in touch (we always have space) – xxxx @ gmail.com

Art Sale – On Sunday 8th May, 2–5pm, a local artist, Maureen Yost, has kindly offered to donate some of her art for an art sale with the money raised going into the hall funds! This was a tremendous event last time so please come along and support her and us! Thank you Maureen for being so generous!

Charfield Memorial Hall A.G.M. – The end of another financial year heralds our hall committee's A.G.M. If you want to come along to see how it works, join the committee in ANY capacity (even if you're happy to be a ‘helper’ at events), the AGM is the place to be. We will have the election of officers at which we will need to fill the vacancy of Vice-Chair. If you are interested in meeting new people and being useful in your community please email xxxx @ gmail.com. The A.G.M. will be on Thursday 12th May 7.30pm start – Doors will be open from 7pm if you want to ask any questions before the meeting starts.

Thank you for reading this, I look forward to seeing you at one of our next events, and I appreciate all of the support that you, as a village, give to the memorial hall.

Liam Balloch – Chairman.
xxxx @ gmail.com

7

This lottery has, and will, raise much needed money for the continued maintenance of the Village Hall. If you pay on or before the 2nd of May you will receive two months free – paying just £10 for 12 months! Payments received after this date will be charged at the current £12. You can drop your money (clearly marked F.A.O. Ruth Balloch) into Charfield petrol station BEFORE 2nd of May or sign up at the Charfield community fete.

Please fill in the form below and include in the envelope if you wish to join/re-join this year. There will be four cash prize winners each month. Last year our prize pot was over £600.

Please contact xxxx @ gmail.com with any queries about the Village Lottery.

Charfield Memorial Hall Management Committee.

CHARFIELD VILLAGE LOTTERY APPLICATION FORM

I/We* wish to pay as indicated below:-
By Cheque/Cash*

How many numbers would you like? …

(Please Print)
Name(s) …
Address …
Signed …
Date …
Email …

[] Please tick if a receipt is required.

* Delete as appropriate

Please make cheques payable to Charfield Memorial Hall and Playing Fields.

Village Lottery Winners

January
£20 – C. Griffiths
£15 – J. James
£10 – J. Russell
£10 – S. Grayson

February
£20 – P. Taylor
£15 – B. Radford
£10 – D. Skinner
£10 – B. Jones

March
£20 – T. Davies
£15 – D. Kingscott
£10 – A. Edwards
£10 – R. Curtis

If you would like to join ‘The Village Lottery’ and be in for a chance of winning some extra cash, please contact us via email – xxxx @ gmail.com

CHARFIELD VILLAGE HALL IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF …

A Vice-Chair

If you want to put your hand up and volunteer, please contact Liam on: 0749686xxxx, email xxxx @ gmail.com to find out more info!

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I know many people, like me, were really excited when the first female Diocesan Bishop, Bishop Rachel Treweek, was ordained in Gloucester last autumn. She visited the Wotton Deanery in February and there was a fantastic turnout to hear what she had to say about her mission in Gloucestershire and South Glos. Hopefully some of you read the write-up in the Gazette.

As I'm writing this, we are well into Lent, having just entered Passiontide (the two weeks leading up to Easter). Referring to Christ's ‘passion’ sounds odd until you consider that the word comes from the Greek word for ‘to suffer’. By the time you read this, Easter will be over and spring will be officially here. The church will be in the season of Pentecost, leading up to Ascension Day on 5 May. In the Benefice there is an early service at Wickwar Church at 7am followed by a breakfast at Wickwar Rectory, to start the day. There will be a day of prayer at Gloucester Cathedral from 11–8.30 and anyone is welcome to drop in. Whit Sunday or Pentecost will be on 15 May with a special Benefice Service (details below). Then, on Sunday 12 June, the church and chapel will get together to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday with a ‘Churches Together’ service at the chapel at 11 am and cream teas at the church on Sunday afternoon. There will also be celebratory flower displays in church all weekend.

The Annual Parochial Church Meeting – the church's A.G.M. – will take place on Wed 20 April at 7.30 pm in St John's and all are welcome to attend. There's a rumour of wine and snacks …

As I'm writing this, we've just had the annual jumble sale, which raised a fantastic sum of over £1,000. Huge thanks to Alison Trueman and all the other organisers and helpers, and to all who donated goods. We are selling tickets at the moment for the Bristol & Avon Police Choir, who will be putting on a concert in St John's on Saturday 23 April. Tickets are available for £8 from Steve's Shop, Rosemarie Berry on 07717 14xxxx, or Ruth Buchanan on 01454 26xxxx. ‘Churches Together’ will have a tent at the Charfield village fete on Monday bank holiday, 2 May, and we look forward to seeing you there.

The annual plant sale, now run in conjunction with CUGUC, will take place a little later this year, on 4 June, in the church grounds. On 19 June it will be Father's Day, which we like to celebrate during our service, so bring Dad to church at 9.30 am and show how much you appreciate him.

We are also preparing a Charfield dog walkers calendar for 2017, which will be available during the summer, so watch out for that (only the dogs will be naked!).

Don't forget you are very welcome to use the children's area in church whenever you like, either during our services or if you have a group of children and not enough room at home; the church is open every day. We have a selection of books for the adults to read while the children are playing too! We also have prayer areas for those wanting time and space for reflection.

[Photo: Rev Chris Mason] Lastly, we are very sad to note that Revd. Chris Mason will be leaving us in May. Chris and his wife, Bronwen, have been in Charfield since 2012 and he has made a big contribution to the spiritual and community life of Charfield. We wish Chris and Bronwen well in their retirement. There will be a service of farewell at Holy Trinity Church Wickwar on Pentecost Sunday at 10.30am where all five congregations will gather to give thanks for Chris and Bronwen's time with us. All are welcome.

Services at Charfield will continue to be taken by Revd. David Russell, our Curate Revd. Peter Fewings and our reader Prof. Patricia Broadfoot, and in time we hope to recruit a new Assistant Associate Priest to the benefice.

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

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

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Letter from Chris Mason at St. John's Rectory

It hardly seems possible, but after some four years of life in rural South Gloucestershire, Bronwen and I feel the timing is right to move on to a new and more relaxed stage of life especially since 2016 brings two big landmark birthdays for us.

Not only has living in Charfield brought the opportunity of lovely countryside walks and visits to some special places, it has brought us into contact with a wide variety of people, which has been a great delight.

Parish ministry brings many opportunities for meeting folk at various stages of life: the joy of new birth, baptism and family celebration, the rejoicing of couples who wish to bring their relationship before God in holy matrimony – or a service of blessing – and of course, the inevitable sadness which comes with infirmity, dying and death. In all of this, I cannot escape that sense I have of the huge privilege it has been to support and accompany people through these stages and do the work. In all of this we are particularly appreciative of the friendship we have been shown during our time here, in St John's, at the Congregational Chapel and throughout the village – so thank you, Charfield!

“So, what will you do?” people sometimes ask. In the short term, the answer is that we will return to our own home in Peterborough and take stock of our situation. We will continue to visit our families in Sussex, Bristol and Exeter and may drop into the Railway Tavern from time to time! I plan to offer time for helping out at church services in Peterborough and fulfil some teaching commitments back in Gloucestershire, alongside exploring my creative ability in pottery. It's all part of being retired (or should that be ‘re-tyred’?), when you can gain a different perspective in life's journey with a new tread!

My last service in the benefice will be at 10.30 am on Pentecost Sunday, May 15th at Holy Trinity Church, Wickwar, to which you are warmly invited.

With my prayers and good wishes,
Chris.

(01454) 26xxxx
xxxx @ btinternet.com

[Graphic: PEWS]

Official Prison Visitors are much needed at H.M.P. Leyhill to befriend prisoners, at the prisoner's request, during their time in custody. “As an Open Prison Visitor you are not part of the closed prison community but a representative of the outside world, whose outlook, attitudes and interests can be refreshingly different and who demonstrates that the prisoner has not been forgotten.” [Taken from the Handbook for Official Prison Visitors]. O.P.V.s come forward from all walks of life – ordinary men and women, of every race, religion and colour who contribute their common sense, compassion, patience and sense of humour as unpaid volunteers. Please consider whether becoming a Prison Visitor might be right for you.

If you are interested to know more, please contact Catherine Todd, Managing Chaplain, by letter, telephone or email at H.M.P. Leyhill, Wotton-u-Edge, GL12 8BT, 01454 26xxxx [ask to be put through to the Chaplaincy] or xxxx @ hmps.gsi.gov.uk. The National Association of Official Prison Visitors has a website www.naopv.com for more information.

10

You are warmly invited to our services and events, please read on for further details.
We look forward to welcoming you.

Senior's Club – Held every Wednesday afternoon, 2pm–4.30pm. Club activities include chess, draughts, table tennis, knitting, crocheting, music and much more. Refreshments are also available. For further details contact Terry Palmer on 01453 52xxxx or 0796874xxxx.

Children's Club – Held every Thursday evening through term time, 6–7pm, for 4–11 year olds (primary school age). Activities include crafts, games, Bible stories, refreshments and much more.

Youth Café – Open every Thursday evening, 7.30pm–9pm through term time. The Youth Café is for young people of secondary school age.

Christmas Shoe Box Appeal – We will be starting to wrap shoe boxes soon, if you have any spare average sized shoe boxes, Christmas wrapping paper, or any other items, please contact us.

Senior Citizen Lunches – All lunches start at 12 noon, followed by musical entertainment from ‘God's Grampies’. Numbers would be appreciated beforehand, please, for catering purposes. Please note these are free lunches. However, donations can be made to one of our chosen charities.
Please note that lifts can be provided for those who cannot make their own way.

Saturday 18th June – Afternoon lunch, selection of sandwiches, cakes, scones, jam and cream.

Special Thanksgiving Service – Sunday 12th June, 11am – A thanksgiving service for the Queen, led by Revd. Ray Avent at Charfield Chapel, followed later with cream teas, 2.30pm at St. John's. Every family will receive a book – ‘The Servant Queen’ and ‘The King She Serves’. This will be organised by both Churches as part of ‘Churches Together in Charfield’.

Coffee Mornings – With bacon, egg and mushroom rolls: Saturday 21st May, 10am–12 noon. All proceeds will go to Water Aid.

Sat 9th July, 10am–12noon. All proceeds will go to CRY (Care and Relief for the Young). CRY is a Christian charity dedicated to caring for disadvantaged, destitute and suffering children, young people and their families.

Bible study – Everyone is welcome to join a brand new series at Charfield Chapel led by Revd. Ray Avent on Tuesday evenings from 7.30–8.30pm with refreshments. We shall be looking at the Acts of the Apostles under the heading ‘The Christian way forward in 2016!’ Ray will be calling on his many experiences overseas to illustrate these evenings. We hold prayer meetings every Saturday morning, 9.30am–10.30am.

Our regular services are held every Sunday at 11am, with refreshments afterwards. There is a Sunday school where all primary school age children are most welcome and a teen class (aged 13–17) which meets at the same time.

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

May the Fourth (be with you)
7.30pm in the Memorial Hall

You are invited to come to the annual meeting of the parish on May 4th, from 7.30pm. The Annual Parish Meeting is held each year in accordance with legislation to facilitate a space for the community to come together. Hosted by the Parish Council, it's more than a top down presentation. It's an opportunity for local groups to speak about their work. So come, and take part in your community meeting.

11

Many of you will be aware that the four unitary authorities of Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire made a proposal to Government for a South West devolution package. That deal has now been agreed by Government and was announced by the Chancellor in the recent budget. The deal is now being examined by the four Councils and it will be the responsibility of the elected members of each authority to vote on if it should be accepted or not in June.

So what does it actually mean for us? Government has agreed an outline devolution deal for consideration by the four councils which would include more power and funds for large scale development projects. This would mean local decision making on schemes and programmes which would focus on growth, the environment and the economy. It would improve transport and reduce congestion to include longer-term planning for more ambitious schemes with a greater impact and the ability to franchise bus services where it would improve the service. It would accelerate housing delivery with stronger strategic planning powers to ensure timely building of the right housing in the right place, something that will not be lost on residents of the Charfield ward and rural area.

It would bring devolution of the entire adult education budget so that skills and training meets local needs and control of the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers. There would also be support and investment for businesses to help create employment and wealth and there would also be more local control over the use of E.U. funds.

The package is worth over £1 billion to the region and is aimed to contribute to the U.K. economy by investing in infrastructure, creating jobs, increasing prosperity and protecting the environment. The Government insisted that the combined authority be headed by a metro mayor, which has been a stumbling block for the councils. However, the governance of this has been resolved with a metro mayor being chairman of a combined authority with the four council leaders as members. This will ensure that decisions will be made on a majority basis.

This will be an exciting and dynamic project that should benefit and enhance the lives of people across the South West region. It is anticipated that there will be further devolvement of areas from Government which will increase local decision making further. It will be even more important if this deal is accepted that local people have their say and I would urge everyone to take part in the consultations and election process. The metro mayor will be elected in May 2017.

On a more local note, South Gloucestershire Council continues with its Council savings programme with the continued reduction in the revenue support grant from Government. The latest cost saving measure is to reduce the amount of committees on the Council with many committees now having a double portfolio for example Children and Young People will merge with Adults and Housing. The Area Forums have also been discontinued and the main community engagement will be at the Safer Stronger groups.

As the Council has reduced over recent years, so has its office space, with the offices at Thornbury now sold for older persons housing. It is consulting on selling the Civic Centre at Kingswood and centralising all services at Badminton Road in Yate. With these reductions to the size of the Council, it is now deemed appropriate to focus on the amount of Councillors that are required for the Council and a submission has been made to the Boundary Commission to review the ward size and the amount of Councillors deemed suitable.

John O'Neill
xxxx @ southglos.gov.uk

12

Role Play – We have had lots of budding ‘Bob the Builders’ and ‘Wendys’ when we had a building site with buildingblocks, a cement mixer and all the tools you can think of. Walls were built and repaired and everyone had a great time. The children helped make a train from boxes and painted and decorated it. They then had some great train journeys and travelled to various holiday destinations. What great imagination!

To learn about and celebrate the Chinese New Year, we sampled Chinese food at snack time and also had a pop-up restaurant to enjoy even more Chinese food. The children painted envelopes red and had chocolate coins placed in them, as red envelopes symbolise good luck.

Our role play area was set up to depict the story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and the children acted out the story once it had been read to them with the use puppets. A display board was created using the children's decorated and painted pictures to represent the story.

The children have been learning to bounce, climb and balance on our obstacle course. We know they have enjoyed this, as we always get a big cheer at the end!

Future Role Play – In the new Term, the role play area will be set up as a Police Station and then a Doctors' Surgery. Wonder if we have any future members of the Police force or medical profession?

Outside Play – We were lucky enough to have a Pirate Ship constructed in our garden last year. The children have great fun on it and it encourages them to be adventurous, take risks and build up their physical skills.

Mother's Day – To celebrate Mother's Day, all the children made their Mummy's beautiful cards. At the end of last year the children planted crocus bulbs and decorated plant pots as a gift for their Mummies. The cards and flowers were presented to our mummies who were delighted.

Easter Bonnet Parade, Easter Cards And Treats – Our annual Easter Bonnet Parade took place on Friday, 18 March 2016 and we were delighted that so many children took part. We have very talented children and Mums, as the bonnets were amazing! The children enjoyed making Easter cards and treats to take home. We hope they enjoyed their Easter eggs from Pre-School.

Rising 5's – Our rising 5 group are the children who will be starting primary school in September. The children have been very busy starting to prepare for this transition. They have been learning to recognise their written names, writing them, practising their writing skills, and have been working together on numbers, shapes, colours, etc. The children have also been undertaking PE sessions where they change into their kits independently and get it right most of the time. Independence is encouraged at lunchtimes with the children being asked to get ready for lunch and collecting their own lunchboxes.

Visits – We have received a visit from our local Police who brought along their car and let the children turn the sirens on, which they enjoyed immensely but our ears were ringing afterwards! Chipping Manor Dental Practice visited and explained to the children the correct way to brush their teeth, what foods are good to eat and they had a bag of goodies to take home. The children had a coach trip to Tesco, Yate for a Farm to Fork Visit. We were able to go behind the scenes at Tesco, visit the warehouse, loading bay, bakery and fish counter. The staff and children had a quick 13visit inside the freezer as it was -18 degrees! The children were also able to sample different fruits, vegetables, breads and some hot cross buns, during a food tasting session. The visit was enjoyed by all. Whilst in Yate we visited the Library, the children chose a book each and used the self-service machine to borrow them. Well done!

Forthcoming Visits will be from a local Vet and our annual rising 5's has been arranged to St. Augustine's Farm, Arlington, which is always popular with the children.

Regards
Debra, Pre-School Manager

Fundraising – St Patrick's Day Themed Quiz Night. The Quiz Night took place on Saturday, 19 March 2016, was well attended and raised £280. A fun night full of laughter was had by all and made even more enjoyable with the Irish stew supper. Many people went home with great raffle prizes. I would like to say a thank you to a few people who made the fund-raising event another success: to the quiz master Luke (Carly Line's brother) for preparing all the questions and supplying the PA equipment; to my husband, Adam Sydney, for preparing and serving up delicious food (the Irish stew went down really well as a light supper!); to committee members Kath and Abbi for asking local companies for donations for the raffle and to Peter, Sam and Carly for all their continued hard work.

Kind regards
Louise, Pre-School Chair

Spring finally seems to be on the way and it is nice to see the children being able to play outside. 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 the Easter holidays with lots of traditional Easter activities and cooking.

The staff also organised an Easter egg raffle and a sponsored search both of which proved very popular with the children. We hope to spend the money raised on outdoor sports equipment for the summer.

Bookings will soon be taken for the May half term, so if you need holiday childcare of 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

14

What a busy Term it has been for Friends of KLB. A new fundraising committee has been formed: Chair – Glenny Greenaway; Treasurer – Wendy Whitehouse; Secretary – Germaine Bath; 80/20 Club: Tempe Stuart.

The Role of The Friends.
Over the years, members of the committee have helped the school community in several ways. We give our time on a voluntary basis to support formal school & foundation events, organise social activities and co-ordinate fund-raising events in support of various projects which directly benefit the students. This quarter, these have included a donation to the school of £7,000 for the furnishing of the newly renovated canteen. In the past, monies raised have been used to purchase a minibus, lighting stands, I.T. equipment and costumes, the list is endless.

We are now using social media, so please find us on Facebook – Friends of KLB. Twitter – @friendsKLB

How Can You Get Involved?
The success of the Friends relies on parental support. Why not play an active role in the things we do? You could help out at school concerts and plays by setting up and serving interval drinks – even manage the bar! If you are really keen why not attend our meetings where you can help shape the things we do. You may be able to offer some personal skills and knowledge that could be helpful in achieving our goals.

And finally, “The Friends” are a great way to make friends with other parents and meet some of the teaching staff, whilst making a valuable supporting contribution to school life. If you can spare the time, we would welcome you on board. For further details please contact:
Glenny Greenaway, Chair – Friends of KLB xxxx @ klbschool.org.uk

Katharine Lady Berkeley School 80:20 Club

WIN cash prizes, whilst supporting your school's fundraising. Join Our Club!

The 80:20 Club is a way everyone can help. By contributing ONLY £2 per month, you will have the chance to win cash prizes in our monthly draw. 20% of the total cash received per month will be paid out as prize money in a monthly draw. 80% is retained by KLB Friends. The bigger the number of 80:20 Club members, the bigger the prizes and the more money KLB Friends raise.

Please tell your family, friends, colleagues and neighbours – the club is open to everyone. To join, please complete an application form available from the school website and return to the school office.

Charfield Memorial Hall is looking for people to work in the bar for our events throughout the year.

Competitive rates of pay!

(on average, a couple of events per month.)

Interested?

Contact Liam:
xxxx @ gmail.com

Tel: 0749686xxxx

15

Well, it seems spring has finally sprung, and what a difference it makes to the soul! All around the village, we are so lucky to be reaping the benefits of the hard work the CUGUC team have been putting in behind the scenes, and it looks truly wonderful – Thank you ☺ Also, anyone who has visited the park this week will have noticed work has started on the Hall patio, which we can't wait to make use of in the warmer months. Having lived here for 30 years, I am so proud to be part of a community that cares so much about the people who live here now, and those that will, for years to come.

Our Calendar is also beginning to fill up for the year, and along with our planned bi-monthly groups, we are looking forward to seeing you all at the Charfield community fete, on Monday 2nd May, where we will have information and crafts for sale made by the group and a ‘Guess the weight of the cake competition’. Do pop along and say hello.

On 16th July, we are really excited to be hosting a fund-raising dance at the Memorial Hall, for which we are thrilled to have the fantastic Rock and Roll band ‘The Alligators’. Tickets will be available from next month from all the usual places – look out for the posters!

Charfield Memory Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month in the Sportsman's Lounge at Charfield Memorial Hall from 10am to 1pm. The group is still free to attend, although donations are welcome. We also offer respite care for the duration of the group session, for a nominal fee. Prior booking is required for this. If you would like to learn more about support services available, contact:
Amanda on 07814 69xxxx, xxxx @ outlook.com

“Working together to build a dementia friendly community”

Carers Support Centre
Bristol & South Gloucestershire

Charity No. 1063226
Company No. 3377199

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO SUPPORT CARERS

Could you please help us develop and increase our support to carers, people looking after an unwell, disabled or elderly family member or friend in Bristol and South Gloucestershire? Could you help us develop the support that carers can access through their G.P. surgery and other sources?

If you are outgoing and could offer two mornings a month to meet, greet and give information to carers when they visit their GP's surgery, I would be very glad to hear from you. Full training and support for this role is provided.

Please contact me, Mike Hatch, GP Carer Link Volunteer on 07503 57xxxx: alternatively please send an e-mail with your name and telephone number to xxxx @ carerssupportcentre.org.uk

If YOU look after someone who couldn't manage without you, and would like some information about our services for carers or would just like someone to talk to about caring for the person you look after, please telephone our Carers line on 0117 965 2200 or visit www.carerssupportcentre.org.uk

16

1st Charfield Rainbows
Rainbows are part of the ‘Girl Guide Association’ for girls aged 5 to 7 years. This term we learnt about space, we made rockets and models. We have no spaces at all at the moment, so if you have a little girl who may be interested in joining, have you thought about volunteering to help? To put your girl's name on the waiting list, please send an email to xxxx @ yahoo.co.uk so their names can be added to the waiting list. – Ruby, Topaz, Sapphire and Moonstone

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

2nd Wotton (Charfield) Guides – We 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 get in touch if you think you would like to get involved! Please contact xxxx @ hotmail.com. This term, 2nd Wotton Guides have successfully completed our First Aid badge which we started before Christmas, learning how to deal with minor injuries and CPR practise on the ‘Resusi’ dolls. We celebrated in February World Thinking Day, the joint birthdays of Lord and Lady Baden Powell the founders of Scouting and Guiding, with an International themed meeting run by the 1st Wotton Senior Section girls. We exchanged Thinking Day greetings cards with a Guide group from Holland; this has shown the guides that Guiding really is a worldwide organisation.

We have also started working on a “get messy” challenge badge which has been developed by the Senior Section. So far we have made cookie dough truffles, marble decorated glasses and last week we made bath bombs, all of which have been very messy! We are looking forward to the upcoming summer term so we can get out for some more adventurous (probably messy!) activities, fingers crossed for some good Spring/Summer weather!

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 Girl guiding UK please contact the relevant leader, or go to: http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/ get_involved/ volunteer/ register_your_interest.aspx

Throw open the windows every chance you can and take a moment to breathe in deeply. What can you smell, hear, and feel? Spring that's what! Yes spring is in the air. Soon the bare hedgerows will be awash with colour and sound as nature awakens from its long deep slumber. Spring is the season of birth and renewal, nodding daffodils, the sweet smell of hyacinths and my personal favourite – a carpet of bluebells on a forest floor. Our bodies (like nature) are also just waking up. Dark nights, central heating and lack of sunshine all take their toll. But walking in nature (any time of year) can have a massive boost to our health and wellbeing. In the modern world of tablets and smart phones, instant meals, 24/7 working hours (you know what I am talking about), I am finding more and more people looking for ways to detox the mind and body and calming the rush of 21st-century living. That's why I am starting up mindfulness walking in South Gloucestershire to help get as many people out in nature as possible. Mindfulness walking in nature is about leaving the stress and worry behind and becoming aware of the beauty and magic all around us and getting fit at the same time.

Mindfulness walking in nature requires no effort or past experience. There is also no network, but I promise you will get a great reception. To find out more please email me at xxxx @ googlemail.com

Steve Picking

17

Many of CHADRA's readers will have noticed that the village tennis court has not been looking its best of recent months. The reason for this is that the Charfield Tennis Club fizzled out of action. It no longer has a chairperson to coordinate the remaining members of the club to raise its profile and encourage more members and players.

However, the club is in the happy situation of having a substantial amount of money in the bank from previous fund-raising efforts made by many members of the Charfield community. It is clear that the court needs to be re-surfaced to encourage more players and more interest in the court and ultimately the club (more on that below). A quote was requested from Courtstall, a local tennis court resurfacing company, which has been accepted and work is expected to commence at the beginning of May. This has only been possible with the help of Charfield Parish Council, who have kindly agreed to pay the VAT on the invoice which the club did not have sufficient funds to cover.

It is hoped that the work will have a minimum impact on the immediate area surrounding the court, but there will, inevitably, be some disturbance along Little Bristol Lane when the work commences. Courtstall will take every possible care to minimise the disturbance caused by machinery, vehicles, plant and other equipment.

IMPORTANT: During the work period, it is essential that nobody enters the work area. Please help us to make sure this is adhered to by talking to your children to make sure they understand that they need to keep away from the court during the resurfacing work and after until Courtshall informs us that the surface has thoroughly hardened. Notices will be put up to let everyone know when it is OK to use the court again.

Once the court is finished, the gate will be left unlocked and the court will be free to use for everyone living in Charfield. A booking will not need to be made. Court time will be on a first-come-first-served basis (pun intended!). This set up will continue for this year's tennis season; thereafter, we hope to have formed a new tennis club committee.

At the moment, the court is being ‘managed’ by Colin Wadsworth (Treasurer), with help from Lucy Culpepper (Secretary), Rita Wadsworth and Nicola Melville.

Calling all players!

Once the resurfacing is completed, we will all step back and hand the management and maintenance of the court over to the Charfield Memorial Hall committee. However, the Memorial Hall committee does not have the manpower to run a club, but it would be fantastic if a new club was set up to encourage more players to use the court and ultimately to get the booking system back up and running. Not so long ago, there were matches, a ladies morning, coaching lessons … queues to use the court! Hopefully a great tennis season will inspire us all to renew our interest in playing tennis in Charfield.

If you are interested in helping to manage the court, please contact Lucy at xxxx @ gmail.com. We will also have a table at the Charfield Village Fete on 2nd May to answer any questions you may have.

Lucy Culpepper

A group of local people, supported by members of Wotton Town Council, are working together to organise a two or three day walking festival in and around Wotton-under-Edge. It is planned that this will take place in April 2017.

If you are a keen walker and would like to help out by joining the organising committee, please come along to the next meeting of the Wotton Walking Festival Working Group which will take place on Thursday 5th May at 7.00pm in the Committee Room, Civic Centre, Wotton-under-Edge.

For more information please contact Roger Claydon, Town Councillor, on 01453 84xxxx.

18

What a brilliant start to the 2015/16 school year! In November we took part in the ‘Scratch Youth Messiah’ – a huge performance of Handel's Messiah at London's Royal Albert Hall. The musicians had a fantastic time singing with a professional orchestra at an amazing venue. An experience to remember for life!

On Saturdays, the orchestras and choir are working hard towards their concert. The pieces include film music, classical and popular music. Some of our senior musicians have formed chamber groups with tutors helping with music arrangements and rehearsals. Anyone aged 18 or under playing an orchestral instrument at any standard (beginners up to diploma!), can come for a free taster session. We also hold an open morning on the first Saturday of each new term.

Our popular Let's Play groups (introductory lessons on Clarinet, Trombone or Violin for ages 6+) are full for this year. The progress the children are making in such a short space of time is outstanding. The improvers groups now have their own orchestra and are enjoying playing together in a larger group. We are taking names for our waiting list for the next year, so if you would like to add your child's name to the list, please contact us.

We would like to extend our thanks to our MP Luke Hall who has donated violins to our Let's Play groups from his community funding scheme. The children all enjoyed meeting Luke and sharing their music making with him.

The junior music centre (ages 4–8) has 3 groups. The Foundation Group and Music Makers are learning about music and making music through singing, percussion, movement and dance. Our recorder group are learning their first instrument in preparation for more advanced music making.

Music centre meets at Marlwood School, Alveston. New members are always welcome and free taster sessions are available.

You can visit www.thornbury-music.org.uk, email xxxx @ thornbury-music.org or phone 01454 29xxxx for more details.

Thornbury Area Youth Music is a registered charity that provides opportunities for music making for ages 4–18. Reg Charity Number 1160302.

Vicky Jones – xxxx @ thornbury-music.org
Twitter @thornbury_music
www.facebook.com/ThornburyAreaMusicTrust

Hopkins Hall in Hillesley is pleased to announce the return of the brilliant Tia McGraff and Tommy Parnham on Friday 20th May to play their blend of American folk, country and bluegrass music. They are huge in the States and we are so lucky that they love performing in our village.

For the past two years, the concert has been sold out and we'd like to do so again. Tickets are amazingly only £10 and we will have a licensed bar. It starts at 8pm but come earlier for a drink. There will be a chance to meet Tia and Tommy to talk about their music and to buy their CDs, including Tia's latest album ‘Crazy Beautiful’.

Tickets can be obtained from:
Peter Whitbread, xxxx @ btinternet.com

Tel: 0783349xxxx or message the Jubilee Field Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/hillesleyjfmc/

19

By Barbara Adams

A conversation with Martin (The Railway) Redmond.

Shock! Horror! At the end of May Martin and Shirley will be leaving the Railway Tavern. For twenty one years they have been serving pints and cooking food for thirsty and hungry customers. Martin laughed. ‘I promised Shirley we wouldn't die in the pub,’ he said. But there is a serious side to this. Shirley has some difficult health problems and they want to be able to concentrate on dealing with these, so at the end of May they will be moving full time into their house in Stoke Gifford. At the moment they spend Sunday nights there – just 30 hours each week away from the endless demands of running a popular and busy pub – leaving after lunch on Sunday and returning in time to pick up the reins again on Monday evening.

Martin has been in catering all his working life, including spending a year working in Switzerland when he was 17. He might never have come back but the cost of travel was high then and home visits were just not feasible, so he settled for catering in the UK – British Rail (as it was then), night clubs, casinos and eventually the N.H.S. and it was during this part of his life he met Shirley. ‘How long,’ I asked, ‘have you two been married?’ Back came the reply, with a huge laugh (Martin laughs a lot), ‘Oh, we're not married! No’, he mused, ‘If it ain't broke, don't fix it!’ Shirley, busy getting ready for opening hours, smilingly agreed. And so together, twenty one years ago, they set about building their business.

They have seen many changes during their time at the Railway Tavern, which came about almost by chance. In Clifton one day, he happened upon a branch of the company who were dealing with pub lets including the Railway Tavern. He registered an interest which, rather to his surprise was followed up about a month later. ‘When we first came it was a youngster's pub – well, they practically ran it – and we sold mainly lagers and ciders but now we are very proud of the selection of real ales we offer. In fact, we might well have been up for a Camra award (Campaign for Real Ale). We meet so many of the criteria. No juke box in the main bar, or fruit machines, no piped music – that's all pretty unusual these days. And 5 or 6 real ales on offer – that's a very good choice for a pub of this size.’ But Shirley doesn't enjoy the limelight, so they settled for the satisfaction of knowing that they were giving Charfield something that many places have lost – a traditional, old fashioned pub.

Martin doesn't stop thinking about food – he'd been busy peeling carrots when I called in for our interview. ‘We don't aim to offer fine dining,’ he said, ‘just traditional pub food, well done.’ And the village has responded with 90% of his business coming from locals, though he admits that trade is not what it was. ‘There is a big change in the youngsters. Now so many go to university and they only come back occasionally, and since Renishaw finishes at noon on a Friday we've certainly noticed the difference. The anti-smoking laws have also made a huge difference, as did the drink driving rules. Of course, he agrees that the latter is essential and also says that the bar is a much nicer place – and a great deal easier to keep clean – without cigarette smoke, but I detect a little touch of wistfulness. He has rarely had to deal with problem customers, though recalled vividly an awful fight some time ago between two burly men over golf balls. Happily it was sorted without too much harm coming to anyone.

The Railway Tavern was probably built in the 1840/50's originally as a hotel and posting house. With the railway station came a demand for accommodation, food and drink and in the original kitchen, below the bar, there are still the remains of the range that 20would have been used. The building has had various alterations and owners over the years – part of it was Jackie Swallow's delightful flower shop for a while – and now belongs to the company Punch who own between eight and nine thousand pubs. ‘But,’ says Martin, ‘the British pub, unique to our country, is disappearing, mainly thanks to supermarkets.’ He is sad but matter of fact. ‘That's the way it is.’ A moment's reflection and then he said cheerfully. ‘But Ireland is keeping it alive!’

I found it quite hard to visualise how Martin would take to retirement but he has plenty of ideas. He is a keen follower of sport – all sports – which he follows on Radio 5 (especially whilst preparing food) and will keep up his interest in Charfield Football Club. And he is looking forward to learning more about the birds that visit his feeders at home in Bradley Stoke. He's fed them for a long time but is scarcely there long enough to work out which breeds he has coming into the garden though he was delighted to have a visit from a greater spotted woodpecker recently. And Shirley? ‘She likes cleaning – big time!’ Martin said, with another huge laugh. and her grandchildren – all four of them. ‘She has an amazing way with children, Shirley has. They adore her.’

I do know that Martin won't be spending his time on a computer. ‘I do what I need to – the books and so on – but that's all. He is bemused watching youngsters in the bar. ‘There were four round a table the other day, all on their I-pads. Nobody was speaking to anyone else. Weird!’

Of course, the obvious question to ask Martin before we finished our very jolly conversation was to ask what might be happening to the Railway Tavern on the first of June. ‘No idea yet’, said Martin decisively. So I've no hot news to pass on. We'll just have to wait and see and in the meantime wish them a long and happy retirement.

Barbara Adams

It was a few weeks before Christmas and we thought Jesus had arrived early. I was in the middle of our Friday evening chicken dinner when the most fierce, bright white light shot across the kitchen from the back of the oven. Then the cooker packed up. I turned everything off at the socket and called Keith. We peered in and there sat the bird surrounded by not quite roasted potatoes. I turned everything on again in case all it had needed was a rest. The fan started twirling. All seemed fine except one thing – no heat.

Right, plan B.

I finished the chicken and spuds in the microwave and put the veg on the hob as usual. Right – Yorkshire puddings, or as our Millie calls them as she mixes the batter, ‘Yorkshians’. I explained that I might turn the mix into a kind of savoury pancake, then I saw my little non-stick pan I use for scrambled egg. I poured in all the mix. Next thing it looked like a four-inch deep, solid creation. Right, sliced up with lashings of gravy what could be better? Millie didn't like it. Well I admit it didn't resemble a pancake. What did we do before the internet? After we had eaten, we placed an order and my new oven was installed before the Christmas excitements.

A couple of weeks back, Keith was taken poorly and was twice admitted to hospital. In the middle of all this goings-on, Sophie had her second baby. At least I could space out my hospital visits. The reason, however, I am writing to you regarding this, is about love and kindnesses shown by neighbours, work colleagues, friends and parents at school, who I include as dear chums, too. I hope some of you may read this. What you gave and offered to do whilst I, too, became OTB, (off the boil), was so sweet natured and caring. Thank you.

Lots of love to you all and when I next write it will be July. Yippee.
Sunny days. Maz xxx

21

The Thornbury Arts Festival is pleased to present its Severn Vale Art Trail from the 29th April to the 8th of May 2016. The trail follows the Thornbury Arts Festival week when examples of the artists' work are exhibited in our Showcase Exhibition in Thornbury Town Hall. This will include work contributed by local schools.

“Legs eleven” lucky new artists are joining the trail in our 11th year. Several are painters, others work with textiles or glass. To visit them in their own homes and studios is fascinating, reminding us of the great talent that exists locally behind closed doors.

We have a growing number of shared venues. In addition to the Thornbury Pound Gallery, Thornbury Museum, the Whitsun Hall at The Hatch in Thornbury, Celebration Fairs, Tomato Jack Gallery in Berkeley, St. Mary's Church in Thornbury, St. Mary's Church Olveston and the Village Hall at Oldbury we have The Anchor at Moreton, The Jenner Museum at Berkeley and Thornbury's CLaSH studios. Many of the Thornbury artists may be visited on a walking trail through the town – a treasure trail indeed!

Sophie Ploeg, portrait and lace painter, will be exhibiting at the Castle School's Octagon Gallery, having shown in many major galleries during the year, including the Portrait Gallery in London. Regular visitors will look forward to seeing the work of many artists loyal to the trail. Prestigious artist, Jane Lampard shows from her home in Wick, landscape painter, Claire Failes in North Nibley, Liz Armstrong, ceramicist, in Charfield and a group of accomplished artists at Thornbury's Whitsun Hall. Rosemary Millar shows her high quality handmade jewellery in Thornbury Museum. There are 62 artists altogether!

Following a trail to access the work of painters, ceramicists, textile artists, photographers, jewellers and glass works is an exciting way to spend your time and offers a chance to purchase fresh works of art for your home. Watch out for brochures in March from Thornbury Town Hall and in outlets in the surrounding towns and villages.

Enquiries to: Jane Parfitt
xxxx @ thornburyartsfestival.com

22nd April – 1st May

The 46th Wotton Arts Festival offers an ambitious programme with more performers than ever before. Taking part will be Dursley Male Voice Choir, Bath Camerata and St. Mary's Parish Church Choir. You could say it will be a three choirs' festival. Add to this the Phoenix Recorder Orchestra, Bristol Ensemble and Wotton Silver Band – we have a cornucopia of varied musical talent. These, together with talks, walks and exhibitions using local talents and guests from further afield should make this a festival to remember – so don't miss it!

Tickets for all events are available from The Cotswold Book Room, Long Street.

Enquiries – please phone 01453 84xxxx or visit www.wottonartsfestival.org.uk

Have you taken a look at The Charfield community website lately? Visit it and you'll find a calendar of forthcoming local events, a local business directory, photos, classified section where you can buy and sell goods (free!) and stimulating discussions on local issues in the ‘Forum’. You can even read archived copies of CHADRA dating back to the 1970s so you can see how the village has changed. It's YOUR community website, so use it! www.charfield.org

22

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#

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
Chris Summers 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
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