CHADRA

Hello, everyone!
We have been giving some thought to the presentation of the Newsletter. At Present we type articles on an old typewriter (manual), to produce a stencil which is duplicated on an equally old duplicator, which has a limited life. This also restricts the form the Newsletter can take – we are not able to produce graphics etc.

Suggestions made so far – a) purchase second hand typewriter & continue with the same format. b) purchase photocopier, capable of producing 6,000+ copies, and offering it for use by others in the village. c) using professional printers such as offset litho, which is quite expensive so more revenue would have to be generated.

Any thoughts or suggestions will be welcomed.

We would welcome anyone who wishes to attend the AGM of CHADRA, on February 26th at 8.15pm at xx Durham Road.

See you all soon,
Best wishes,
The Eds., Mary and Jenny.

Joint Editors Mary Hall xx Durham Road Charfield Tel: Falfield 26xxxx	Distribution Mike Cheskin xx Farm Lees Charfield Tel: Dursley 84xxxx
Jenny Peaster xxx Manor Lane Charfield Tel: Falfield 26xxxx	Duplicating John Butler x Thames Close Tel: Falfield 26xxxx

Published by Charfield & District Residents' Association (CHADRA)

1

Advertising

[Advert for Manor Hair Fashions]

[Advert for Treetops Carpets]

[Advert for Dave Rumbold Carpentry Service]

[Advert for Travel Plan Taxis]

[Advert for Manor Fruiterers]

2

On January 19th at the Village Hall all the girls took Part in a Gala Show. The show opened with the girls singing ‘Kumbaya’ and then ‘Neighbours’ after which the audience were asked to join in.

There were many scenes which included Mary Poppins, Hawaiian Wedding Dance, A Nice Rest, a Scene from a Hospital, Wizard of Oz, Cinderella and Winter Wonderland.

During the interval the Raffle first prize went to Steve Hake who had the lucky programme.

Following the interval, Julie and myself had to sing ‘Sisters’ – for the first time we both managed it without laughing and were called back on stage for an encore! The final scene was from ‘Oliver’.

Those who came along all seemed to enjoy themselves and amongst the audience we were pleased to have the County Commissioner, Arts Adviser and Music Adviser.

I would like to say thank you to everyone who helped back-stage and thanks to Ray and Olive for all their patience and hard work.

February 2nd was our Jumble Sale and again I would like to thank all who gave their time and support.

February 24th is Thinking Day. This is to be held at St. Mary's Church in Wotton.

Mary Westlake
Guide Guider

January 19th – we have just got back from the Guides Gala Evening and would like to say how very enjoyable the evening was and how hard everyone must have worked, on and off the stage.

Well done!

Margaret Shipton & family.

I would like to start by wishing you all a happy and prosperous 1991.

By the time this Newsletter is published the Brownies will have been to see the Panto, Sleeping Beauty, at Wotton. Both Brownie Packs and the Guide Company went en masse and a great night was had by all.

Our next large event is the Brownie District Party on 23rd February. All the Brownies in the District (some 100) get together for an afternoon of games, fun and a magic show. In the past such events have been a howling success (yes, I do mean howling – anyone who has ever been to a Brownie Party will know that 100 girls can make an incredible amount of noise!) and I am sure that this year will be no exception.

Other events in the planning stage are a Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale and a Fun Day at Avening Green. It is also hoped to organise some swimming evenings in the spring.

3A District Barn Dance has been suggested for the late Spring – when I have more details I will let you know.

Over the coming year the Pack will lose almost half its Brownies as they will be moving up to Guides, so if there are any girls of Brownie age wishing to join our Pack please contact me on Falfield 26xxxx.

Vi MacLellan
Brownie Guider

After our successful Flower and Vegetable Show last year, we are holding our second Show in the Memorial Hall on Saturday, 14th Sept. So come on all you keen gardeners let's have a really good show this year and put Charfield on the map. We shall be having a more varied show – more information in the next Newsletter.

I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who would be interested in helping run this event. Perhaps they would contact me in the Spring.

Sec. Pat White
on behalf of
Charfield Memorial Hall Management Committee.

I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome Mrs Sharon Barclay to 1st Charfield Brownies, who took over leadership from Mrs Janet Green in Autumn 1990. Many thanks to Mrs Green for her work and commitment to the brownies over the past years.

This year has seen a variety of activities for the Brownies. The older girls participated in taking their First Aid Badges, whilst the younger girls took their safety in the home badges. A Hallowe'en party was held at the end of October, which was enjoyed by all. Well done to all the girls for their fancy dress costumes. Our thanks go to the kind Policeman who dropped by to assist us when the power went off!

Items for Christmas have been made in the last few weeks, as well as activities based around the guiding programme. Forthcoming events include a visit to the Pantomime and also an enrolment.

If you have a daughter aged between 7 and 10½ who would like to join Brownies, please contact Sharon Barclay on Falfield 26xxxx for her name to be added to the waiting list. For girls who are already 7 or older, present vacancies already exist.

Carolyn Moore
Young Leader

4

If you do not attend a place of worship already please be assured of a very warm welcome at any of our meetings or services.

Did you notice?

One relatively minor casualty in the wake of the recent rough weather happened to be our Chapel notice board, – which on the morning of Christmas Day had all the sorry appearance of having been viciously vandalised, with its front glass panel ripped from its hinges, and a carefully prepared notice advertising our special Carol Service windswept completely away.

A matter, not in itself of so very much importance, and yet it is surprising how often people who are not habitual churchgoers sometimes take the trouble to read words which are displayed upon Wayside Pulpit noticeboards. Some of you may consequently remember one particular eye-catching poster, which was popular a few years ago, simply stating “THIS IS A CH--CH”, and posing the pertinent question “What is missing?” Yes, the penny drops when you think about it!

Save the Children

It was especially pleasing to welcome parents of children from play-group and Sunday School with their children to our special Carol Service on December 9th. We will long remember the very happy scene of some of the children marching happily up and down the aisle playing their tambourines! Our sincere thanks to the Kingswood Choir, the Rev. Philip Hopes, Mrs Tidwell from Bristol, and to our ladies who helped serve refreshments afterwards. As a result of holding this event we were able to send £40 to the Save the Children Fund, and we would also like to thank all who contributed so generously to our appeal on behalf of such a deserving cause.

The Way Ahead

In the preface to his play “Androcles and the Lion”, George Bernard Shaw – not a professing Christian in his day by any means, writes – “I am ready to admit, having contemplated the world and human nature for nearly sixty years, that I see no way out of the world's misery but the way which would have been founded by Christ's will if He had undertaken the work of a modern practical statesman.” The Christian message is however much more positive, and this troubled decade, the last of the twentieth century, and pray for you and ourselves a happy and peaceful new Year, we know that the Christian way is the only true way to lasting peace and happiness.

Preachers

Quote “Do not criticise your neighbour until you have walked half a mile in his shoes”.

E.L.

5

At an age when many of my vintage are anticipating a quiet evening to one's life, I now find myself for a second year as the “caretaker” Chairman of the Youth Club Adult Support Group.

My own youthful years were influenced by my hone, my church, my Scout leaders all created a framework upon which my life could develop. Then, in later years I too became a Scout Leader – taking my “Wood Badge” training, organising a plethora of activities, but in due course having to relinquish worth while, yet demanding, activities to pursue my own Local Government Administration examination studies.

One is therefore understanding of the dilemma today when Youth Club leaders come and go, when they too are confronted with career studies.

The Charfield Youth Club Committee is thus very appreciative of the time and effort put in by the present leaders, functioning as they are with one night a week in the Village Hall and that session only commencing at 8.00 pm because the hall has commitments on other evenings.

Prior to my Ordination to the Church of England Ministry, I had also qualified professionally in Psychiatric Social Work and my duties ultimately included Juvenile Court work. Then later as a “Rev” I spent a few years as assistant Chaplain at the Junior Detention Centre and Leyhill Prison.

To use the cliche that “prevention is better than cure”, is not an understatement but it does imply that some positive response from society at large is equally relevant.

Each and every young person needs to develop his or her own framework. For the many young people I have been involved with because they were in trouble of one sort or another, their frameworks had never really been defined.

However, to keep things in perspective, the vast majority of youngsters do manage to stay clear of breaking the law and so many do like to meet up with one another as the life they know unfolds.

One suggestion from the Committee has been for our Charfield young people to have an annexe to the Village Hall for their own use – but again, it is not just the expenditure, it is not just the planning, it is the adult support and this is where the Committee would welcome any guidance or support from the Community at large. Youngsters too must play their part.

The Village Hall Committee is aware of this suggestion – but a lot of hard thinking has to be undertaken before any action can accrue.

My generation will be only too happy to “pass on the torch” if enthusiasm can be generated among the more vibrant members of the population! After all we “old 'uns” won't last for ever – and then what?

David Parker

CLASSSIFIED ADS – Contact Tel: 26xxxx or 26xxxx

FOR SALE – 2 bar electric fire, 48″ wide, wood surround almost new, £100. Tel. Chipping Sodbury 32xxxx

6

Hello, my name is Sarah Dibden and as one of the many childminders in Charfield I would like to tell you that we have started a group which meets once a month. This gives us a chance to have a chat and discuss any minor worries we might have about the children. We have a Toy Library from which we hire out the toys within the group at a cost of 30p per month. The money is used for new toys and games. If anyone has any unused toys in good condition they would be much appreciated.

To start our funds we had a Car Boot Sale at the end of September which was very successful and we held a Fashion Show in the Village Hall. Profits from ticket sales and tea money were over £80, so thank you everyone who came – it was a very enjoyable evening.

When starting as childminders we don't always have all the equipment that is needed, so if anyone has any baby equipment, i.e. pushchairs, high chairs, gates, etc. which they no longer need, could you please let me know before advertising them.
Thank you,

Sarah.

As retiring Chairlady of Young Wives, I pen my last newsletter. We have enjoyed a very full year so it is with sadness that I hand over the reins to Margaret Shipton at the AGM in March.

I would like to thank my committee who have helped me through the year and wish Margaret and her new committee well.

Members who attended the November meeting will remember that we were struggling for a new committee and had one not been formed Young Wives would have had to fold, but fortunately we were able to form a full committee on the night with Margaret volunteering to stand as chair; so, thank you to all members, old and new, who stepped into the breach so to speak.

1991 sees Young Wives celebrating 21 years in the village; we are, therefore, planning a 21st birthday party on October 24th, to which all young wives, past and present, are to be invited. If you are a past member or know a member who has moved away, please let us know as it will help us tremendously in trying to locate you all.

Best wishes for 1991.

Jenny Bell
Chairlady

Happy New Year to all our members. I am afraid by the time this Newsletter is printed we will have had a meeting to decide the future of the Club.

Lack of members being the reason, our Chairman has resigned and for various reasons all the committee have stood down, having worked hard for the past 2 years to make the afternoons enjoyable – it's a pity more people didn't take advantage of this facility.

Regards,
Pat White (Sec.)

7

Writing to various village organisations and inviting them to join in singing ‘round the Christmas tree’ in the Churchyard was an experiment in getting together just before Christmas. As an experiment it was a great success. There must have been over a hundred people there on a night when, although it didn't exactly rain or snow, it was a coldish evening. Several of the village organisations contributed items of their own to add interest to the evening and after the singing, which lasted an hour, there were biscuits and a hot drink for those who wished to stay, as many did. It was not done ‘in aid of’ anything, and it was a pleasant experience of village unity.

The carol service on the Sunday before Christmas was another happy occasion, with various people reading the seven readings which trace the main landmarks in the Christian (and pre-Christian) story. The magic of the midnight service has an atmosphere of its own and makes a memorable beginning to Christmas day. While many come to these services, there are still many who don't and have never been to one of these events (or any other!). Sometimes this seems sad and strange to me: that people can come to a village (a relatively small group of people when compared with a large town or city) and never come to investigate what is unquestionably the most interesting, and usually the most ancient building in the village. Some, I know, come and have a look when no one is there. I am glad that they do come. I am also very glad that so far we have been able to have an open Church here. I know that people do visit it and use it. In so many places today it is sadly necessary to lock it up. But so often the Church building is no more than an empty museum. Even then it can be of interest. But it ‘alive’ and active in its full sense only when something is happening; when it is being used for the purpose for which it was built: to meet with ‘God’; to learn what this means and how to do it – in itself a voyage of discovery much neglected in the modern world, to our own great and unimagined impoverishment (one cannot miss what one has never had!).

So, if you are reading this, please accept this as an invitation to have a look and even more to come and see why people come and what happens when they do. In my many contacts with people over the years, I find that many today do not know what the essential heart of Christianity is about. The worst of all misunderstandings is that it is a kind of club for the morally good; or worse still, for those who think they are! It is much more exciting than that. I can hardly imagine anything more depressing than to meet in a self-congratulatory manner. So unrealistic too! To be Christian in the way I understand it is to be involved in a voyage of discovery: sometimes tough, sometimes delightful: always positively constructive. As I say from time to time, I am here if you would like to hear about it or talk about it.

In closing I would like to thank our editors, and others involved in the publication of this excellent production, for their substantial efforts in keeping this ‘letter’ going. It is an excellent opportunity for us all to get to know about one another without which we should be less well-informed and our lives the poorer for that. A happy year to all!

Kenneth Grant.

8

The subject of allotments occasionally gets raised at Council meetings. Whilst there are no publicly available allotments in Charfield, we have been fortunate in the past that a resident with a large garden has made a number of plots available. Now this property is to be sold and tenure of the allotments will have to cease. The Council wondered whether there are other people with gardens containing vegetable plots who may not want to cultivate them and would be prepared to rent them to others keen to ‘till the earth’. Any such arrangements would be a purely private arrangement but the Council would be happy to put ‘owners’ and ‘gardeners’ in touch with one another. If anyone has a plot that they would be happy to rent out, please contact me at the address below.

Are you happy that your front garden is tidy? Complaints about neighbours are not a regular feature at Council meetings but do crop up from time to time. Next time you look at your own front garden assume you have just put your house up for sale and the Estate Agent is coming to take a photograph to put in his shop window. Are you still happy that it looks tidy?

Clerk to the Council,
Mrs. Jenny Hughes,
9 Berkeley Close.
Falfield 26xxxx

“There's been a fire at the school!”
“The roof has blown off the new school hall”
Just two of the reported stories circulating the village on Christmas Day following the sight of the Fire Brigade on the premises! We are grateful to the church member who spotted roof panels lifting from the Foundation Room and alerted the brigade who duly covered the roof with tarpaulin. The missing panels were re-fixed by the end of the week only for an article to appear in the Bristol Evening Post on the following Monday claiming that contractors were striving to complete repairs to storm damage in time for the school to re-open as planned for the new term! As a former teacher of mine put it – “Believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see!”

As you have probably gathered by now, the Spring Term began on time without further alarms. Although the term is comparatively short there is, as usual, much to fit in. Design and Technology is the latest National Curriculum subject which we are required to introduce, with the first year of assessment for seven year olds taking place both before and after Easter. We are looking forward to a musical production by Mrs. Keay's and Mrs. Enticott's classes at the end of term in March.

Having mentioned Design and Technology, we shall need to increase our stock of items which can be used in this area. Many items are of a household variety which we would be delighted to receive on an “on-going” basis if they would otherwise be disposed off!
Items we shall need to collect include:-

Paper/Card – containers, tubes, straws, cups, plates, etc.
Timber – wood offcuts, sticks, cane, dowelling, shavings, etc.
Metal – cans, tubes, wire coat-hangers, wire, etc.
Fabric – variety of fabrics, thread, wool, string, etc.
Plastic – bags, tubs, bottles, containers (inc. film spools) etc.
Round items – plastic/card/wooden wheels, cotton reels, beads, boxes, containers etc.

9Please contact us, or parents of children you know if you may be able to pass on any such surplus items which we shall make good use of!

C.F. Sreeves
Head teacher

What will be the surprises for us this year? At present it does not look too bright in the Middle East, or at home.

During the last two months our Committee were kept busy preparing for our “Bring and Buy” and Christmas Draw, two of our fund raising efforts which proved worthwhile. At our last meeting a Christmas Carol Service was held by Rev. Parker, which was greatly appreciated by us all.

Another event was the shopping trip to Swindon for Christmas gifts which we and the Wickwar W.R.V.S. Club look forward to. The year would not be complete without a Christmas Lunch so our Treasurer, Mrs Amer, organised one at Wotton – a fitting conclusion to the year's activities.

But what of this year? A visit to the Pantomime at Bristol Hippodrome is well in hand, a forerunner of events to come. We still welcome new members who are picked up and returned to their homes from our meetings. We look forward to seeing you.

Ernest H. Orton
Chairman

On February 26th there will be a “get together” for Newsletter distributors at 41 Durham Road, at 7.30 p.m. Individual invitations will be issued to those concerned. This will be followed at 8.15 p.m. by the 17th Annual General Meeting of the Association. Nominations for officers and committee members can be made to the Hon. Sec. by Friday 22nd February, or at the meeting.

Volunteers are required to distribute Newsletters in Wotton Road, and Durham Road so anyone prepared to help should contact Mike Cheskin on Dursley 84xxxx or myself. Distributors will also be required for the new estate.

With regard to the function and future of the committee and the Newsletter I cannot see any reason to change my view. If anyone thinks that the Newsletter can be transformed into a general interest ‘newspaper’ they are welcome to try to achieve this. There are four vacancies on the committee and the position of Hon. Sec, is theirs for the asking. If the publication of the Newsletter is to continue, even in its present form, it will be necessary for younger people to takeover in the near future, so please give this matter some thought.

Geoff Blower
Hon. Sec.
Residents Association.

10

Now I'm going to start off in a nature frame of mind. I am at present playing host to a hibernating hedgehog in my conservatory. Well it would be a conservatory if all the paint tins were flung out. Still I have got my secateurs strategically placed and a half dead geranium I'm trying to keep for next year. Anyway last Autumn, Keith walked in with a baby hedgehog, put him in a box for safekeeping. Out came the milk and little bits of bread as all the children's nature books tell you. Well the poor thing was scrabbling to get out, his little feet were waggling over the edge of the box so I thought he'd want to get back out into his surroundings so I promptly put him out into the garden where he shot off into the horizon.

Well it was either a Monday or Thursday as Blue Peter was on and blow me the very next minute after I'd shoved him out the back door, they, at Blue Peter were at a Hedgehog Sanctuary. Well I felt like a major murderer. No way should you give them milk, they cannot digest lactose, bread does them no good at all. Well I'm going to write to all those Usborne books on nature we've got upstairs because they've all got it wrong. Apparently hedgies are carnivores and enjoy good old meat! And, furthermore, should you see one trundling round this time of year, its because it is either too young and didn't manage to hibernate so you should bring it in – if you're that way inclined, of course, give it a good nosh, a dose of cat food will do, tuck it up in a straw bed and say ta-ta 'till Spring.

I've probably got a load of fleas now as well as paint tins out there, still I've done my bit for nature.

I don't think it hurts to put your brain and body through an endurance test now and again, Soph and I certainly had one last December.

We set off at 9.30 am, dolled up to the nines. We had tickets to go to the Clothes Show, Birmingham. Well one hour and fifty miles up the M5 we were in deep snow. It was awful. For one hour we just sat there listening to local radio telling you not to venture out. What a joke, we couldn't move any way. Stupid drivers were actually turning round as best they could and driving back down the hard shoulder. We slid from lane to lane wherever the slow flowing traffic dictated that we follow. Large articulated lorries just sat there. One driver started up his lorry, we were behind him in the centre lane, his back wheels just slid right over to the third lane. The car there quickly reversed as best he could and the lorry just missed him. He surely would have been crushed, it was awful.

I had to be brave for Sophie even though I felt like howling. Every time the stupid DJ on the radio told us to ‘stay indoors’ we both shouted back. Sophie had a good old swear at him too. At least it took her mind off the situation coming out with a few rude ones. We didn't know what would happen, we couldn't get a message home we just went with the flow of the moment. By three o'clock that afternoon we had travelled 58 miles and came upon the M40, which leads to the NEC. It was either that or follow straight on up the M5. Well we didn't want that so I slowly slid behind the cars who had decided to head that way. Thoughts of fashion shows, new hair do's and Jeff Banks slowly slipped from my mind. Local radio told us that the start of the M40 at the NEC was totally blocked off so I knew we would not get there. We slowly edged along and there I saw our saving grace. Earlier drivers had made a pass through the crash barrier and so did I. Suddenly we faced South.

11It was so eerie. You know how quiet the land is when it's shrouded in snow. It was so deep, it had fallen so quickly. I drove along as best I could when suddenly our dear motor went into a skid. Nothing to do with me, of course, and we ended in a deep pile of sludge. I couldn't get off. No amount of coaxing could get the car forwards or back. I got out despairing. There behind us was a sort of transit van, with about 20 football supporters in. Beer cans were all along the dash. Next thing it was action stations. They all got out, one climbed in next to Soph who didn't have time to panic. The others pushed, shoved and nearly lifted our car up. Next thing it shot forwards. The driver got out, “Low gear, love, and not too many revs” he said. I could have hugged them all. For the next few miles they trailed behind. A lone chap was walking along the motorway, no car in sight, I don't know where he had come from. I looked in my mirror and I saw them pull over and help him out. They were great.

We came to the service station, I think it's at Strensham. It was in total darkness. A lady with a torch directed me and Soph to the loos. No one could get petrol because of the lack of power and the queue for the phone was that long. ‘Come on Soph,’ I said, ‘Lets get home’.

I've got to say that in all that time I only saw two police vehicles. One passed us when we were heading North so I can't think where they ended up. The other I saw when we were headed South, they were still on the other North side sorting out a lorry driver. Vehicles were stranded everywhere. Drivers nowhere to be seen. Lorries were just sitting there, forced to give up their journey.

Were we glad to get home. O.K. so perhaps I shouldn't have ventured out, possibly endangering Sophie's life, after having heard the weather forecast, but when we arrived back home at clear-skied, no white fluffy-stuff in Charfield, it was as if we'd been on another planet!

I've got to mention that the 1st Charfield Guides, performed a wonderful show last Saturday (19th January) in the Village Hall, with scenes from various shows. What touched me most was when they all trudged up the centre of the audience dressed as little orphans from ‘Oliver’ asking or should I say singing for more food. Well I could have howled. Music, well some anyway, has a strange effect on me. I've only got to hear a choir or Vic Damone's ‘On the Street Where You Live’ and I'm off.

We had a letter home from school last week on the subject of runny noses. Do you know that some children actually go to school without hankies. Disgusting eh? Well my Lawrence thinks the sleeve was invented, attached to waistcoats, purely for that purpose.

Do you know it's just come to me. I had a dream last night. I sliced right through my sister's neck and stuck her head on a glass shelf and she was functioning quite normally, well, as well as you can from the neck up. I wonder what Freud would have made of that.

Getting back to school. Now I don't want any parents to start panicking, but I am a dinner lady. This involves helping cut up meat, coaxing them to eat fish and tying up shoelaces. The ladies I work with are all in a sweat wondering when I'm going to mention them and tell tales.

12So here's to Mary Bath (my boss) or so she keeps saying, Margaret Clarke, Rose Woodward, Ann Pitts and Norma Edwards. There's Shirley Smith who is temporarily helping in the kitchen with Mim Ealey, Dilys Owen and Pat Male.

There you are, Fame (if you need it) at last!!

Well some of the little darlings say the funniest of things, especially after they've bashed their mate round the head. One little boy said his mate had strangled him, round the neck, and a little girl said she'd been horse-riding at the weekend – on a horse! Great eh!

I lost a clip from one of my ear-rings last week, so thought I'd go in with odd ones and see if anyone noticed. The day's ‘Spot the Difference’ competition.

They were all lining up for dinner and I asked the little ones if they could see anything funny about Mrs Smith. One of the little horrors looked up at me and said, “Yes, Miss, you've got orange hair!”

Why am I in this job?

I was lying in my bed last Tuesday, feeling absolutely rotten. Unable to get up, I could feel something like a germ coursing through my body. My limbs all ached in turn – now don't rush with the daffs 'cos I'm better now.

I was thinking that nowadays if Doctors don't know what's up, they say you've got a virus. Well my brother-in-law, Gary's, very up in computers and a client of his thought there was a virus in the software. That was just what was up with me, I had a virus in my software. Anyway he had to go out and spend £120 on a package to ascertain where the germ was.
I'd have just chucked a Lemsip over the lot!!!

See you,

Marilyn

by Colin Bryant, Licensed Conveyancer

Well you do, of course – if you own the freehold of your property. Why do planes fly through it then without asking me?

Let me start from the beginning. If you own the freehold title to your property then according to English law, in theory, you own all of it co-extensive with its boundaries up to infinity in the sky and down to the centre of the earth, like a giant slice of cake. Without your permission or the right given by Statute or reserved in your deeds nobody should go over or under your ‘kingdom’ without your permission.

Planes overfly you because (a) you can't stop them! and (b) the Civil and Military legislation allows them to do it. But a television company or the like could not take an overhead cable across without your agreement. The Coal Board can tunnel away extracting coal from your subterranean empire because of the Coal Act etc. and there are various other bodies who have statutory rights to intrude. In many cases rights to the minerals and the workings of them are specifically reserved from you in your deeds and in Thornbury very many properties are subject to the right of the Lord of the Manor of Thornbury to mine and extract minerals – though they are hardly likely now to pursue them. Yate could be a different matter and care must be taken because of the active extraction of Celestite.

13

A Happy New Year to all members and friends.

Although it is only January 12th as I put pen to paper, we can already note the signs of the days drawing out, and what a welcome sight that is – and we hope that as the days draw out – so too might the ladies of the village, in wending their way to the Village Hall, on the 2nd TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH at 7.30 pm!!

A group of us made a good start to the New Year with our monthly social outing – to see the pantomime ‘Sleeping Beauty’ presented by Wotton Dramatic Society. One of our members – Mrs Joan Crowfoot was the ‘Wicked Fairy Moldiva’ – and a good one she made too!

Our first meeting of the year started well too with a good number attending. A Gazette photographer was there to put on record the presentation by Mrs Ethel Dodd, of a £329 cheque to Mrs Sue Neale – Chairman of the National Meningitis Trust. This money was raised as you may recall by the raffling of a “Village Farmyard Play Rug”, made by the Handicraft Group held at Mrs Dodd's home every Thursday afternoon from 2 pm–4 pm. Mrs Lambert of Wotton-Under-Edge was the winner. We would take this opportunity in thanking all who so generously supported this worthy cause.

1991 is the Year of Sport – and in the W.I. Pavilion at the forthcoming Royal Show – competing for the Royal Show Challenge Cup, the theme will be “Fun and Fitness with the W.I.” Federations, being invited to design and make an outfit for any sporting activity, incorporating a logo. Following on with this theme, some of us felt we had better show willing with “Fun and Fitness”, and are going once a week to a local swimming pool. Some for improvement, others to learn. Why not join the W.I. and come along with us!!

You are welcome to come along to any evening – you don't have to wait for an ‘Open’ one. If anyone would like transport to and from please let me know. Our members are very willing to help out in this way, rather than you should feel unable to come because of the dark evenings.

NB Misunderstanding To the lady with blonde hair tied with red ribbon

Our profuse apologies go out to you. It was taken for granted that as you arrived and came in with the representative of the Meningitis Trust, that you were with her to give moral support. We learnt of our mistake later. Please accept our sincere regret for our apparent lack of courtesy, and please do come again so that we can rectify our mistake and show you that we are truly sorry.

Daphne Looker
President

The Foundation Room at Charfield School is available for hire.

For further details please contact Christine Temme – Falfield 26xxxx

14

A CHANCE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST INJUSTICE

Every year, the Children's Society helps more than 11,000 children and young people at its 130 projects throughout England and Wales.

The children's Society needs your help to raise its voice against the sorts of injustice that result in children and young people being locked up in prisons and other institutions, exploited and abused, or impoverished by poor housing in deprived areas.

During Children's Society week, collection envelopes will be delivered to more than 2 million homes all over the country. If you receive one of these envelopes please give generously.

You could help even more by volunteering to distribute and collect some of the envelopes. For more information please contact – Christine Temme – Falfield 26xxxx or the Children's Society, Edward Rudolf House, Margery Street, London WC1X 0JL.

Hi! Mums and Toddlers

I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and New Year.

First, I would like to tell you about the Mum's Night Out. We went to the Post House Hotel for dinner and disco. Well, to say we enjoyed ourselves would be an understatement, we partied into the early hours and arrived back in Charfield full of Christmas Fayre and definitely full of Christmas Spirit!!

Next, was the Children's Party. It was good fun and the children enjoyed themselves even Father Christmas popped in to say ‘Merry Christmas’. For those who attended, Kate won the Christmas Cake, what a fix!!

May I please add that this is the last Newsletter before our Annual General Meeting. We need volunteers to form a new committee, if we do not get enough ladies coming forward we will have to close toddlers, which would be a shame. The date and venue of the A.G.M. will be displayed shortly on our notice board. So is you can spare one evening every 4 or 5 weeks and help to organise our events (which aren't many and isn't difficult) then please come along to toddlers and put your name down or contact a member of the present committee. It's great fun, honestly.

Well, that's about all from me for now.

Bye,
Elaine
Secretary

15

Telephone numbers commencing 84… use code 0453
Those commencing 26… 29… 41… use code 0454

Transcriber Notes

This issue was produced on 16 sides of A4 paper.

Personal phone numbers and addresses have been redacted.

Minor typographical corrections and presentational changes have been made without comment.

Digitization by Brendan O'Connor.

Last update: 2017-01-16.