Village Live no 74

(Text only edition)

April /May 2011

Published for the residents of Sevenhampton  and Brockhampton, Gloucestershire.
Sponsored  Sevenhampton Parish Council

Editorial
It’s sometimes easy to dismiss the local groups  of which you’re not a member but looking at some of their activities you could be missing out.
I’m sorry I didn’t get to the WIs PAT dogs or the Century Club’s  Town Crier talks. The Garden Club is offering an  expert on “Bees & Gardens” in April.
Meanwhile the Century Club and WI have speakers on Silent Cinema & Severn shipwrecks respectively.  Whilst the WI Village Walk in May the day after the Garden Club’s Open Gardens both sound irresistible.  Well worth dipping a toe.
Make a note that our film “The Social Network” will begin at 8pm this time.
Not really local but strong local connections is the Wigmore Hall celebration of Bill Waterhouse’s musical life in “The Proud Bassoon”.  If you will be in London on April 16th, should be a very special concert particularly for woodwind afficionados.
Items for the next Issue (June/July)  by 20th. May Please.
Bill & Anne Jenkin:    820338
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BADS

Mark Ovington and Julia Chandler would like to thank everyone who responded to the recent request for volunteers to help keep BADS going.  There has been an encouraging response and interested parties have already had a couple of meetings to discuss how to take things forward.  The next meeting will be in the Hall at 7.30 on Tuesday 5th April when they hope to decide on a play to put into production.  Everyone welcome.

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Parish Council Election

 - I won't stand for it

Well you should, and don't delay!

The clock is ticking.  Time for Parish Council elections again and time to consider whether you could be a councillor.
Ideally the Council should reflect the diversity of the local population and quite a few have joined the community since the last elections 4 years ago.
The Council consists of seven members and is currently one member short so it would be good to have a full house.  The commitment is to meetings every two month and the purpose is to discuss and act on issues that affect the villages.
Applications must be in by April 4th and each candidate needs two nominees from the local electorate so time is short.  Annie Van Rossem (Weatherly) has the Candidate forms and she’s on 820718.

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Parish Council Spending

Sevenhampton Parish Council spent an exceptionally large amount in the year 2010/12.  The precept from your council tax is £5,000 p.a. The large items of spending were £6,000 on the refurbishment of the village hall (this came from a special fund which gradually builds up over the years for such items), and £1,800 on grit bins and salt.


High Speed Broadband
If you think that high speed broadband is needed for the villages and would like to be part of a group of individuals who want to get things moving or you have some experience or knowledge in this field please visit www.sevenhampton.org/broadband to register an interest.  If we can get a group of people committed to achieving this we may be able to persuade companies to at least undertake a feasibility study.


The Proud Bassoon

The life and work of William (Bill) Waterhouse will be celebrated at a concert opening appropriately with a work for 16 bassoons at:
London's Wigmore Hall
at 2.30 on Saturday April 16th.
As well as being a popular long-term resident, he was a renowned musician and the leading expert on the bassoon.
Members of his family will take part in the concert which includes the UK première of  'In Memoriam W.R.W.' by Graham Waterhouse.
Tickets are available from the Wigmore Hall (www.wigmore-hall.org.uk) and Elisabeth Waterhouse is happy to give you more details on 821161
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The Social Network - cert 12A

Winner of nine major awards
2003 - Harvard student and computer geek Mark Zuckerberg works on a new idea. What begins in his dorm room soon becomes a revolutionary global social network. Six years and 500 million friends later, is the youngest billionaire in history, but this leads to personal and legal complications…
Winner of nine major awards
Thursday 14th April NB 8.00pm
Rhodes Memorial Hall, Brockhampton

Tickets £3.00 from Julia Chandler 820629
http://www.sevenhampton.org/films


VILLAGE DIARY

including church services
RMH = Rhodes Memorial Hall
RR = Reading Room, Rhodes Memorial Hall
CA = ‘Craven Arms’
Ch’A. = St Martin’s Church, Charlton Abbotts
S’h. = St Andrew’s Church, Sevenhampton
H = St. Edward’s Church, Hawling
Hm = Hawling Methodist Chapel.

Every Thursday 
10.30 - 11.30am in the Reading Rom - Coffee Club,
10.00 - 12.00 am  Reading Room - Village Agent.

April
*Sun 3rd  11.00am S’h – Morning Service   
          11.00am H – Morning Service
Mon 4th   7.30pm  RMH - WI OPEN MEETING   
Tue 5th   7.30pm  RMH - BADS
Wed 6th   W.I. Wrkshp, Willow Gdn Structrs
Thu 7th   7.30pm  CA - Quiz Night
Sun 10th  11.00am Ch’A – Matins
         6.00pm  H – Evening Service
Tue 12th  3.00pm  RMH - Century Club
Thu 14th  8.00pm  RMH - 'Social Network’
Fri 15th  7.30pm  RMH - Garden Club
§Sun 17th 11.00am S’h – Holy Communion   
Fri 22nd  Good Friday
‡Sun 24th 11.00am S’h – Holy Communion   
          9.30am  H – Holy Communion
Mon 25th  Easter Monday
Fri 29th  Royal Wedding Day

*Mothering Sunday §Palm Sunday ‡Easter Sunday


May
Sun 1st  6.30pm  S’h – All Parish Evensong
Mon 2nd    Early May Bank Holiday
Thu 5th  7.30pm  CA - Quiz Night
Sat 7th   pm    Village Open Gardens
Sun 8th  11.00am Ch’A – Matins
         6.00pm  H – Evening Service
         tba     WI Village Walk
Mon 9th  7.30pm  RMH - WI
Tue 10th 3.00pm  RMH - Century Club
Thu 12th 7.30pm  RMH - Film Show tba
Sun 15th 11.00am S’h – Holy Communion
Wed 18th 7.30pm  RR - Parish Coucil
Sat 21st all day RMH - Garden Furn Sale
Sun 22th 11.00am S’h – Family Service
         6.00pm  Hm – Family Service
Sun 29th 11.00am Ch’A – Holy Communion
Mon 30th    Spring Bank Holiday
Advance notice:-
Quilters biennial exhibition 17th and 18th Sept

Craven Arms

has regular
QUIZ NIGHTS
on every first Thursday of the month:-

Thursday 7th April
Thursday 5th May
at 7.30pm

all bookings and information
01242 820410

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 W.I.

 WIs 75th birthday year
At our February meeting, events to celebrate the WI’s 75th Birthday Year were planned.
Highlights will include:
A walk - open to all - around the village on 8th May led by Val Smith and Gill Lanfear.  This will provide a special chance for those new - and not-so-new - to the village to learn about all aspects of life here from lifelong residents and sisters, Val & Gill.
Making willow structures:  April 6th brings a one-day workshop with Nora Kennedy on making willow structures for our gardens.
In September there will be a tour of Cheltenham Ladies College.
Tea Party in October: we will host a tea party in the village hall.
February brought, as well as two new members, Cotswold Warden Michael Bates talking about Cleeve Common.  He illustrated the many uses of the Common from walking & horse riding to sledging, snow & skate boarding, kite flying and more. We heard about the wardens’ work, and role, the maintenance programme, livestock, the wildlife and flora.  His slides showed the landscape in all seasons so demonstrating our luck in having such a place so close by.
Our March meeting was well attended when Elizabeth Forbes, accompanied by dog, Poppy, talked about Pets as Therapy (PAT dogs and cats). She explained how the dogs are chosen, the work they do in visiting residential homes, psychiatric units, hospitals,  etc.
Elizabeth obviously finds it a very rewarding occupation.
Next Meeting: OPEN TO ALL - Monday 4th April
 a talk by Paul Barnett on “The Purton Hulks”
(the ship graveyard on the River Severn)

Please come along, you will be made very welcome.
Further information from Georgina Oldham 820423
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Century Club
At our February meeting, we welcomed Mr. Ken Brightwell.  Dressed in his official Town Crier’s "uniform" and carrying his bell, he gave us  an informative and amusing talk about his life as a Town Crier telling us how he became involved and his experiences along the way.  He told us of its hundreds of years of history and how the cry,  "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez" came about. The traditional close of, "God save the Queen", is from the time when only Monarchists were allowed to be Town Criers. 
As always in February, the W.I. treated us to a magnificent tea for which we thank them profusely.  We really look forward to this annual tea as it gives our usual excellent providers a rest  and we always have a splendid tea.
The March AGM started at 3.03 pm and finished at 3.23, quite quick, partly (or mostly) because Iris forgot to bring the minutes of the last AGM.  It was agreed that the minutes be read and signed at the next meeting.  Jenny Stringer gave a resume of the year's events and said that it had been an interesting year. 
Liz Suckling who had previously given a talk on Belas Knap said that she wanted to stay a night there to see if anything unusual would occur or if there was a strange feeling. Jenny Stringer offered to accompany her but was quite relieved that her offer was not taken up.  
Evelyn Timbrell presented the accounts showing a balance of £255.50, just £7.28 down on the year before.
New President: It was announced that Colin Stratford would be taking over as President as Jenny Stringer was stepping down (though she hopes to continue as an ordinary member).  As he and Siana were away in Spain he was unable to take over officially until the next meeting. Iris presented Jenny Stringer with a bouquet in thanks for being President for several years (as none of us could remember how many years!).
As you all may gather even our formal meetings are informal!
After the AGM Iris read poems by Pam Ayres which all agreed were witty and well written.  We socialized until our usual excellent tea was served and enjoyed.
Next meetings:
April 12th; Alec Young - ‘My Father & the Silent Cinema’.
May 10th; Everybody will bring an object & tell the story behind it.
For further information: Contact Iris Young 01242 583098

The Garden Club of Sevenhampton and District
Friday 15th April
Martyn Cracknell
Bees and Gardens
Sat 7th May
Village Open Gardens
with afternoon Teas
Non-members are welcome to attend our meetings for a fee of  £3.
Further information from the Secretary, Cindy Haines 820914
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Good Neighbourhood Scheme
If you need help with transport etc
ring a coordinator
Sheila Agius 820102
Di Brown 820271
Thora Corris 820242