CHADRA

Hello everyone, and welcome to the spring edition of the Charfield Newsletter.

Before I go any further let me introduce myself to you. I am your new Newsletter Producer. My name is Isabel Davies, and I am indebted to Hilary Wignall for holding my hand through this edition of CHADRA. I must admit I am somewhat concerned about trying to fill Hilary and Geoff's shoes, as they have done a wonderful job over the last ten years. On behalf of the other members of CHADRA may I offer publicly our thanks and appreciation for all your hard work over the years.

I have lived in Charfield for the past 26 years; my daughters grew up here, and attended the local primary school. We have over the years belonged to a number of the clubs and societies in the village, and have always enjoyed reading about what is happening in the newsletter. I was horrified to think the newsletter was going to end; this thought spurred me into volunteering to help. Help actually meant becoming the Newsletter Producer, which sounds a bit scary, but I thought well lets give it a go!!!!

Thank you to all who have wished me good luck, and especially thank you to all contributors.

Next Copy Date – 6th July 2009

For back issues of the newsletter please visit www.charfieldparishcouncil.org.uk

3

[Graphic: Big Spring Clean]

Help Keep Charfield Tidy April 25th, 26th

Charfield Parish Council is holding its annual Spring Clean on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th of April. On these days, Councillors will be at Charfield Memorial Hall car park, handing out litter pickers, refuse bags and gloves to any volunteers willing to offer a couple of hours service to the community. A skip will be placed in the car park, in which the collected rubbish can be deposited. Charfield Parish Council Chairman Mark Rosher said, “Charfield is a splendid place to live, but it is tainted by the litter that some people seem so casually to drop. Not only offensive but an Offence, it spoils what otherwise is a beautiful location. As residents, we can either moan about it or go and do something about it, and we choose to do the latter. The days are split into two periods; 09:00 to 12:00, and 13:00 to 16:00. Even if you can't spare the time for a whole ‘shift’, please come along and do an hour.” The new Spring Clean banner advertising the weekend's venture and currently hanging by the Railway bridge was kindly sponsored by CHADRA, the Resident's Association.

Mark Rosher

Our cover picture this issue was drawn by Sophie Keen aged 7. Well done, your prize will be with you soon.

Mrs Windram's class at the school were doing ‘newspapers and newsletters’ as a topic and decided to look at the CHADRA Newsletter as an example of a local newsletter. The children were all very excited when they found names of people they knew (sometimes their parents!) in the last issue. They were most excited to see a phone number for Mr Lawday on the back cover and many of them had made a note of it thinking they could ring him at home!! They were a little disappointed when they were told it was the schools number!!!

Many thanks to all the children for drawing pictures for us, they were wonderful.

Of course, anyone is able to send us a drawing – or photograph – for our front cover. All we ask is that it is a maximum of 16cm × 16cm and will reproduce well in black and white. Please deliver your pictures to Isabel at xxx Woodlands Road. Don't forget – there is a prize for any we publish.

With spring here, and with the longer hours of daylight many readers will be either in the garden or planning to be in the garden very soon. Because of this we strongly advise that before you get engrossed in your gardening tasks, lock your front and back doors! This simple and free crime prevention advice will prevent opportunists and distraction burglars from entering your home whilst you have your back turned.

This report will stay with the horticultural theme and I will take some facts from a crime prevention advice leaflet entitled “to scratch a thief”, this is available from any police station. Your garden is often the first line in defence against crime. Two-thirds of burglars gain entry via the 4rear garden, this is because the access to the back of a property is easy and less likely to be overlooked by neighbours. Now could be the time for you to consider planting prickly plants in strategic positions in your garden, in positions such as beneath ground floor windows, to make a forced entry more difficult for the burglar. Other places to consider would be around your boundaries and drainpipes.

A variety of plants that are suitable can be purchased from most good nurseries and garden centres, these include the Common Hawthorn, Pyracantha, Roses and the Sea Buckthorn. Prickly plants can form an attractive and effective way of making your property less appealing to a criminal by acting as a visual deterrent and physical barrier designed to compliment traditional crime prevention measures.

Remember that more of this advice is detailed in the crime prevention leaflet “to scratch a thief”. For more information on security call 0845 456 xxxx and ask for the crime reduction unit, or visit our website on www.avonandsomerset.police.uk. Thank you for your time in reading this and enjoy your garden.

PCSO Sean Mckinnon

Following the popularity of our 2009 calendar, the Hall Committee would like to continue with the same A3 format but much depends on the printing costs.

For next year we have decided to print a Recipe Calendar. Each month will contain someone's favourite recipe, from men, women or children, together with details of the ingredients and the method. This will be combined with illustrations based around the various elements of cooking. We will try to combine this with the local illustrations, pictures of local children and users of the hall or the playing field, but all with a cooking theme. You can see an example at Charfield.org.

What we need are favourite recipes from our local chefs and cooks of something particularly popular with them, or maybe a dish that has a personal history for them. Perhaps something handed down through their family? It could be a starter, a main course, pudding, a cake or anything you fancy!

There is just one little drawback however because we intend to number each calendar produced and each month draw a number out of a very large cooking pot and ask the person who supplied the recipe to produce this dish during the month in question for the holder of the lucky calendar! Of course the Charfield Memorial Hall will pay for the ingredients necessary.

Now all we need are local cooks to be willing to participate in this, and all we want for the moment would be brief details of the dish in question together with any particular history and then if we need further information we can get back in touch with you. If you are willing to participate would you contact Colin Wadsworth e-mail xxxx @ aol.com, 01454 26xxxx, or drop a note to x Little Bristol Lane. GL12 8LN.

Thanks and happy cooking!

5

[Graphic: Charfield Memorial Hall & Playing Fields]

Registered Charity 301482

CHARFIELD VILLAGE FAIR – SATURDAY 4 JULY 2009 12PM–5PM

Would you like a stall at the Fair? Pitches are free to Charities and local organisations or £15 for commercial organisations.

Can you help? We need people to set up and clear away and to man the stalls during the day. The more the merrier!

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Deborah Field on 01454 26xxxx, Sandra Nute on 01453 52xxxx or Jane Fettis on 01454 26xxxx.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Thursday 7th May
7.30PM
Sportsmans Lounge

Come along and find out more about the work of the Hall. We don't bite! You don't have to get involved, but if you would like to, we need to fill the positions of Chair and Secretary.

This is a great opportunity to meet new people and contribute something to the community.

Unless these essential positions can be filled the Hall will be unable to continue and the village will lose this valuable independent facility.

For more information please contact Tim Hill on 01454 26xxxx or Deb Field on 01454 26xxxx

6

[Graphic: Charfield Memorial Hall & Playing Fields]

As this is probably my last CHADRA report as Chair of the Village Hall Management Committee – I intend to stand down at the AGM in May – I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the achievements of the last few years.

During my time involved with the hall, and due to the hard work of the committees I have had the pleasure to work with, much has been achieved. The hall has been painted, new guttering has been installed, a new disabled toilet has been fitted, the gent's toilets have been refurbished, new tables & chairs purchased and we have plans (& finance) to replace the heaters in the main hall very soon. Use of the hall has also increased with more regular bookings and a general rise in the number of private functions and parties.

The only regret I have is that we have, on paper at least, not increased the involvement of the village as a whole in the day to day running of the hall. We still operate, as a charity; on a shoe string budget and only through the tremendous efforts of the committee does the hall stay operational and break even on a year by year basis. As I have hinted at before though now is your chance to shine – the hall committee needs a new Chairman and Secretary plus new general committee members – so don't be shy, if you want your villages only independent community facility to survive, stand up and be counted now! None of the roles take much time – just commitment, energy & enthusiasm – it's your village, why not put something back into it?

Moving forwards, we intend, with the invaluable help of Andrew Cope from Evergreen Computing, to improve our booking service soon using the Charfield website, http://charfield.org/. This will hopefully include downloadable PDF's of our booking form and terms & conditions, an availability calendar and the chance to make provisional on line bookings. Please keep checking the website as we develop this service.

On a more sober point, vandalism, graffiti and general anti social behaviour continue to blight the hall and its finances. Please don't let the idiots win – report any issues immediately to the police. Only by working together will we defeat those who would seek to damage the hall or intimidate genuine users. It isn't acceptable and they need to know this!

To end on a positive note we have two great fundraising events to look forward to – a Promises Auction (in conjunction with the Tennis Club) and the Summer Fayre. These take place on Friday 8th May and Saturday 4th July respectively. Planning is well underway for both events, so look out for posters and leaflets advertising these events around the village and please support them.

Thank you,

Tim Hill
Chairman

7

Hi Charfield – The Friends are looking forward to another busy year and hopefully with your help as successful as the last. The outside learning area is almost complete – now all we have to do is lay some safety matting and tidy it up and it will be ready for use, it looks really good.

We have also just purchased a new permanent PA / sound system for the school hall. It has wireless mikes, so the school productions will now be in super clear stereo sound, and the teachers can karaoke their hearts out after school – make a change from playing cards. He He he he he

We have also been given support for many other things the school needs. My team and all of you are doing a lot of good for the school, and our little darlings. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

We are looking for more general members to help swell our ranks it doesn't take up a lot of time and you really do get a great sense of achievement after an event. So if you can help just turn up for a meeting or approach one of us in the playground, we are easy to spot. Look for the least populated spot.

Here are important dates for the next year

Thanks again

The Chair

[Graphic: TFM]

Thornbury FM is back on air on 87.7 FM, for four weeks from Saturday 18th April to Friday 15th May. In addition to 51 experienced presenters, we have 17 new presenters and many others helping with advertising, promotion, reception and technical support. The variety of programmes covers all tastes, with something for everyone. We have our regular drive-time and music & chat shows, as well as music of every style. This spring we have a special project bringing in extra involvement from our local secondary and primary schools as well as various youth groups. Full details of the programme schedule are available on our website www.xxxx.org and in the Thornbury Gazette.

We are always keen to promote local activities and publicise events. This information, as well as dedications for 8special occasions, can be sent by email (xxxx @ xxxx.org), text (thornbury + your message to 07766 40xxxx) or phone (01454 41xxxx). We would also love to hear from you if you would like to become involved in keeping your local radio station on air.

You may have noticed that the weekly emptying of the dog bins does not always take place. It should be on a Tuesday or a Wednesday.

We have six bins; four installed and emptied at the expense of South Glos. (cost covered indirectly by our rate payments) and two additional bins installed at the request of the Parish Council (installation and weekly emptying paid for through our Parish Council budget). The charge is £3.65 + VAT per bin per week. There is no such thing as a ‘free bin’!

Apart from the obvious point that poo-bins NEED to be emptied each week for public health reasons, it is particularly annoying to be paying for a service which we don't always receive, and to be fobbed off with excuses when we complain; e.g., “someone was off sick”, “a vehicle was out of action”, “we don't have enough operatives to cover the area”, “a new operative couldn't find the bin” (he could have followed his nose). These are all problems to be solved by the service provider; we just want our bins emptied as per the agreed arrangement. They certainly charge us without any difficulty!

If the bins are left festooned with a festering, reeking, muffin-top of multi-hued, excrement-filled plastic bags, it is a health hazard and it discourages dog owners from doing the right thing.

Most recently, when the bins were not emptied in the week 9–13 March, various complaints were made by me and by your parish clerk, and this time we aimed a little higher up the food chain at South Glos. Council. The bins were emptied the next day, but, more importantly, Mr Mark King, Head of Street Care at South Glos. Council, wrote,

“… I fully appreciate your frustration. The situation is not acceptable and I will speak to the team to see if improvements can be made. Please do not hesitate to contact me if this situation does not improve.”

Full marks. Mr King acknowledged that there was a problem, and said he would attend to it. The use of the conditional (if, can) was a bit of bureaucracy-speak, but we'll let that pass. So, if a bin remains unemptied in any given week past, say, Thursday, ring the council and let them know. They can't do anything, if they don't know there's a problem.

Julia O'Connor-Beach
(and Finn the greyhound)

By the time that you read this, the club will have had its annual Open Day at which time we look to existing and new members to sign up for another year. May I extend my thanks to all that have at this challenging economic time where our expenditure is tight?

Lucky with the weather the day went very well and included exhibition games of Ladies & Men's Doubles on court with Croquet & Rounders on the field. Teas & cakes were gratefully quaffed inside the sportsman's lounge.

9The future of the club & British Tennis, namely the juniors were presented with their prizes for individual achievement and these were as follows:

Year 11 Jonathon Rosser
Year 10 Adam Spiers
Year 9 Matthew Jones
Year 8 Philip Whittaker
Year 7 Harry Barnes
Year 6 Monty Vizard
Year 5 Henry Jones
Year 4 Jack Derrick

And the Overall Winner for the Season 2008/9 was Henry Jones who was presented with a splendid trophy donated by Andrew Cope from Evergreen Computing (www.evergreencomputing.com)

May I extend my thanks to all of the committee and other helpers that chipped in to assist and provide the scummy cakes etc for the day and a very special thank you to Deb Pringle who did an excellent job in coordinating & organizing the event.

We have a very busy season of events already planned ahead for this season,

Junior Ladder
On-going throughout season
Please see Rita Wadsworth to enter
Mixed Doubles Ladder
On-going throughout season
Please see Rita Wadsworth to enter

Tournaments
Please let us know if you are interested in signing up for any of the tournaments or require any more information Email Rita or Deb Pringle. Contact details on website: http://charfieldtennisclub.ibooka.com

25th April
Youth Tournament
HSBC Road to Wimbledon U14

May/June/July
Family Tournaments
Primary & Secondary
(£4 entry fee per pair)
Finals to be held at the Fete on 4th July

6th and 7th June
Mixed Doubles Weekend
(£5 entry fee per pair)

Sunday 5th July
Club Open Tournament
(All Ages) (£1 entry fee)

12th, 13th, 19th and 20th Sept
Ladies' Doubles Tournament
(£5 entry fee per pair)

Men's Doubles Tournament
TBC (£5 entry fee per pair)

Social/Fundraising Events For 2009

Promises Auction – Fri 8th May
Frog Racing Night – Fri 2nd October
Shopping Evening – November

And of course our
AGM
Monday 27th April 2009
7.30pm

Sportsman's Lounge Charfield Memorial Hall

All are welcome to come along and see how the Committee works and join. We have a few vacancies in particular we are looking for a new Chairman.

This will be my very last Chadra report as I will be stepping down at the AGM as Chairman (but staying on the committee), and I would like to thank my committee and all other helpers for their great support over the past 2 years.

But … still see you on court?

Chris Riley Chairman
07795 66xxxx

10

I just can't believe Easter's here and gone … but having had 6 weeks of Lent and the Lunches that went with it, I guess my dishwasher knows all about it. We had a good turn out again at The Rectory with some new recipes … if you have Book 1 of the Soup Recipes, book 2 will be out shortly … on sale £2 in church or the Rectory. We made a healthy sum to send to the Children in South Africa who don't get to go anywhere away from their Shanty Town homes.

At home we're getting closer to having the toilet installed in church and mains water too!! The end wall will need re rendering next and then we can start on the kitchen area. It's all go.

The Jumble sale was another huge success with just over £800 being raised … many thanks once again to Alison Trueman and her family for their hard work alongside our meagre efforts.

We shall soon be having the Plant Sale (May 9th) and already things are growing in pots all over Charfield ready for the Sale. We have a concert coming up on June 20th when our youngsters will be singing and doing other things (!) followed by our Brass Band and maybe even the organist on his Piano-accordion. We will make it at a sensible time so that the little ones can go home to bed whilst we stay and enjoy the rest of it.

We continue with Teas for all on Fridays and the choir meet to sing after school. Do pop in sometime and have a cuppa and a chat. Best wishes to you all,

Viv K

The Rectory garden is undergoing some transformation as a Boules area is under construction. We hope you will come along to play at the Charfield Boules Association (CBA)

… summer evenings, good company, wine, bread, cheese and fun with small metal balls and one even smaller. If you are interested or would like to know more please phone Steve on 26xxxx

When you go into the garden for your blitzkrieg tidy-up in readiness for all those barbecues, do please check on any of your hedges, trees, and shrubs which border the pavement. That innocuous little plant that you positioned so carefully a while ago can triffid-like start to spread rather too far, taking over the pavement and squeezing the available space for pedestrians.

Parents with toddlers and pushchairs can find it difficult to negotiate narrowed pavements, and we really shouldn't cause them to walk in the road. There is also the hazard of overhanging branches, which can catch taller people out and be really quite painful – even dangerous if a branch meets with an eye. Thorns and prickles can also catch legs, arms, and clothing.

So, please just have a look at your edges – do your plants encroach on the pavement space? From foot level to a tall person's height? A bit of judicious secateur-wielding should do the trick, and be appreciated by your fellow villagers.

11

Advertising

[Advert for Heritage Wine Company]

[Advert for At Home Curtains & Blinds]

[Advert for Kopperz Hair Studio]

[Advert for D.R. Vizard]

[Advert for Add Plant]

12[Advert for Charfield Memorial Hall]

[Advert for Wedding Cars]

[Advert for Plumbtec]

13[Advert for Greenline Tanks]

[Advert for Falcon Cottage B&B]

[Advert for Bradley Garage]

[Advert for Eclipse Hair Studio]

[Advert for Alan Hamer driving]

[Advert for Charfield Post Office]

14[Advert for W.S. Franks]

[Advert for Pat Jeans Reflexology]

[Advert for Claire Saunders]

[Advert for Colin Lane Carpet & Flooring]

[Advert for Littles Curtains]

[Advert for Buddug Green Reflexology]

15[Advert for Cotswold Edge Carpets]

[Advert for Barbara Daw]

[Advert for Slimming World]

16[Advert for Terrys]

[Advert for Deborah Jayne Pringle]

[Advert for RK Aerials]

[Advert for PC Repairs & Maintenance]

[Advert for Acucare]

17[Advert for New Street Garage]

[Advert for Relax-ology]

[Advert for Autocheck]

18[Advert for Evergreen Computing]

[Advert for Frocks & Tails at Home]

[Advert for Party From A Box]

[Advert for Manor Garden Maintenance]

[Advert for Ashworthy Cattery]

19[Advert for Local Gardening Services]

Striving for excellence …
Learning for life

Well my first year will be under my belt as we start the summer term and what a lot I have learnt in that time. Nevertheless as I said in the last CHADRA, so much goes on within this school and I learn something new everyday.

Staff News

As parents will be aware this year has seen a lot of changes in our teaching staff due to growing families. I would especially like to say a huge Thank You to our Teaching Assistants who have helped all the new teachers get to know their classes and ensured children were settled during the changes.

This term Mrs Smith began partnering Mrs Bradley in Year 5 whilst Mrs Rolfe is on her maternity leave. Mrs Bennett began partnering Mrs Southwell whilst Mrs Gordon is on her maternity leave. Both teachers have proved to be a great asset to the school and have continued the great progress that their predecessors were making with the children.

Pupil Achievements

The wide range of talents our children display continues to amaze me and makes me very proud to be here. The amount of awards our children gain meant we had to change the Friday Assembly format to fit them all in!! Swimming certificates, gymnastic awards; Cubs, Scouts and Brownies badges flood in for our Achievements Outside School Assembly. I know shortly we will be inundated again as the football and rugby seasons draw to an end.

It is a real privilege to show these awards in our celebration assemblies and the children love to receive them in front of the school. Please continue to send them in so we can show everyone when someone has achieved excellence.

The number of LEAP certificates continues to grow. In fact I'm going to need to order some more soon! These awards allow all children to shine. If you would like to see what areas the children can gain awards in please look in the resources section of our school website

The children's Cross Country Club had a very successful season and some of its members went on to represent the area. The clubs success was purely down to the dedication of Mo, Nicky and Lisa who work tirelessly to make 20the club a fun one for the children. Thank You, I know the children really appreciated your efforts.

Events At Charfield Primary

Quite soon the school's May Fair will be taking place. This was the first event that I attended last year and the turn out was phenomenal. I'll be there defending my title as Welly Throwing Champion and scoffing down a burger or two. The friends committee work really hard to make this event a successful fun day for us all. I look forward to seeing you all there!

Within the school day we have held numerous events and some impromptu ones too. Firstly we had the unexpected excitement of the snow. Before the bad weather ground us to a halt we had an amazing time on the field making snow men and throwing snow balls. The snow had a magical effect on some of the adults in the school. A few adults were ‘showing’ our younger children how to use the sledge.

A few weeks later we had World Book Day. It was great to see the numerous costumes and characters walking around the school. A real treat! We held our book fair that week that was well supported by the parents and helped boost our school funds.

Finally we held a special day for Comic Relief. We all came to school dressed in one colour and called it Smarties Day. This day was a very special moment for me as the themed day was suggested and planned by some of our Year 5 children. On the day more children did things to raise money; some baked cakes at home and then sold them during break and two of our children held sponsored silences!

Future Plans For Charfield Primary

In February the ‘Outdoor classrooms’ were erected. They look really good and we will now begin looking at creating the seating and tables to allow them to be used throughout the day.

I will shortly be holding my first Parents Consultation meeting with a group of ‘volunteer’ parents. As a group we will discuss the SIP (School Improvement Plan) for next year. This is a plan we produce every year following this meeting I hope I will have a better perspective of what parents would like to see improved.

This year we will be updating the infant area, starting with the toilets and moving into the classrooms. This is a project that will put this area in line with the high standards of the rest of the school and hopefully merge both areas together more successfully.

We are still looking at ways for the school to go greener. We have spoken to the council about a wind turbine and we are going to look at solar panel, heat source pumps etc to judge which would be the best solution for our school. If you would like to get involved in making our school greener please let me know.

Dafydd Lawday Headteacher

Wow! Firstly, well done to Isabel for taking over production of this fab publication of village life.

Aren't blueberries expensive? I bought a bush the other year for £7.99!!! and only had twelve fruits on it. So, when they were on offer at Tesco, I bought several punnets and froze them. Brilliant, I get a few out, 21defrost over night and have on my cereal in the morning. Now you remember the saga of the warming up of the mince pies, in the microwave, don't you? Burn-your-tongue-hard-as-rock bullets appeared. Well, this particular morning, I put some in to defrost. They were still cold to touch so put on “warm.” What I hadn't realised as I darted upstairs, getting ready for school was what I had pressed. I came down to see that the blueberries had TWENTY-SEVEN MINUTES to go. They were like bubbling syrup when I opened the door. I didn't have time for them/it to cool down, so just shoved on a few nuts.

Another morning I was waiting for the iron to warm up, to press my trousers. I was already wearing a top and my black cardi. Looking down I was covered in cat's hair from the previous evening of being sat on by our Trixie. So I wound some sellotape around my right hand, ready to pat away the fur. Using my left hand, I couldn't get the scissor angle right to cut off the sellotape, so put the tape up to my mouth to bite it off. Next thing the tape was stuck to my top lip. Pulling it away, it starts bleeding on my white T-shirt. What a morning that was and to think I'm allowed to look after small children.

We were reminiscing at school the other day about one thing and another and I said about how you had to spit onto your Mary Quant or Miner's Block Mascara, in the Sixties. Ugh, came the response.

I had to change my password, at school, on the computer system, and you know what a do I have with certain things relating to you-know-what. Anyway, this charming chap rang up from Systems Are Us, or some such place and gave me this code made up of about 12 letters and numbers. But the worst of it all was that he had such a soft voice and I kept running back and forth into the classroom, from the corridor phone, trying to log on. After much frustration AND me keep asking him to repeat himself, he said would I mind if he knew my password and then he would do it all from his end, so to speak. I can't put in any secrets now, 'cos he'll know.

I was up in London, last week, for a few days. Mum had her second cataract done. We were having a good old gas and she was relating some tales about the war. She'd just got in from work when the air raid sirens went off. She said that she was sitting in the air raid shelter, with her Mum and Dad, (my dear beloved grandparents), when her Dad offered her a puff on one of his Woodbines. She said that they were one of the strongest of tobaccos and that it was a strange thing to do. But like she said, you didn't know if your home, or you, would be there in the morning. After one such raid, she said that when they all went back indoors, all the glass in the budgie cage had shattered. Well there was none left in the windows, and that was obviously the next thing to go.

Well I'd better sign off, go and cook tea before tap dancing. School is as brilliantly wonderful as ever, with my little darlings. And when I next write to you I can report on the exciting arrival of our grandchild in New York.

Wishing Isabel all the best.

Happy Springtime.

Love Maz

22

I love this month. So much seems to happen in it. My birthday is in it. Also, Foster Care Fortnight falls within it, a time when being a foster carer and looking after children in care is highlighted more than it is during the rest of the year, although it is still a very important issue all year round.

Have you ever thought about foster caring at all? Or if it is something you are not able to consider yourself, do you know someone else who might have done?

You may have read me asking these questions before but the need for more foster carers is always there. We will always need more because children are always coming into care and people who already care for us will, at some time, stop doing it, for whatever reason(s) they may have. We accept that and vow to keep trying to fill the pool with new people. It is my job to try and reach out to these new people.

The public perception of foster caring is that it is an onerous task, an unnecessary life-changing event and definitely something that only other people should get involved with. So, how can I address all these points and present reasons why people should seriously think about foster caring and, once completely convinced, then make that first step by contacting me? I shall try to do this below:

Foster caring will always be regarded as an onerous task to those outside the process because it involves taking in a child or young person who needs care. It is, by its very nature, something extra that needs to be done. These children need to be looked after by people who can offer them a nurturing, positive environment and it is carers who can offer this that we are looking for.

Fostering a child or young person will change your life, as will introducing anyone, or anything different, into your lifestyle and household. This is why any carers, when being assessed, are as prepared as possible for the time when a child arrives.

Yes, other people do get involved in foster caring and they are supported every step of the way by this authority. As the ultimate welfare of the children is our responsibility it is in our best interest that the foster carers we attract, assess, approve and, very importantly, retain are people we can trust, call upon and know will provide the best care for the children. In exchange for this we offer generous fees and allowances, structured training, interaction with existing foster carers and continuous, ongoing support.

I'm not going to tell you it's easy, or that it isn't challenging; what I will say is that the opportunities are there to not only help the children and young people attain their goals but, at the same time, develop your own fresh aims and targets in life, which are rarely easy or unchallenging.

If you, or someone you know, want to take that first step of just finding out more information about it please contact me on 01454 86xxxx and I will answer any questions you might have, or you might prefer to read our very comprehensive information pack which can be viewed online at www.southglos.gov.uk/fostering. Here you will also find further information on fostering.

Tony Bray, Recruitment & Marketing Officer, Family Placement Team, South Gloucestershire Council

23Private Fostering

Anyone who is already looking after a child or children under the age of sixteen (18 if disabled), or is planning to do so, for 28 days or longer, where that child is not a close relative, will be classed as ‘privately fostering’ that child or children. This arrangement will have to be agreed by the Department for Children and Young People and an assessment will need to be carried out accordingly. If you are already doing this, or will be soon, please contact 01454 86xxxx for more details. You can also find out more about this on www.southglos.gov.uk/privatefostering

Yes we are still going and continue to support our friends in Romania. We have been travelling to Mina 1 Mai, a poor village situated in Transylvania since 991. Over those years we have seen many changes in the psychiatric hospital there and the village school, and we have made several improvements ourselves. The biggest of these has been the building of a dental surgery at the hospital and a doctor's surgery in the village.

Our project for 2009 is to help build and finance a new ward and to upgrade various outbuildings into accommodation for the patients. Presently the overcrowded wards are horrendous, but under EU regulations things must gradually change

However, as my Mum used to say, “Money doesn't grow on trees”, so we have to put our backs into some serious fund raising. To this end Mike Cheskin at the village garage (who is also a Charity member) will donate 1p to the Charity for every litre of fuel sold during one week in June. He also runs a garage at Chipping Sodbury. Great idea Mike.

If you would like a copy of our annual report detailing last year's projects, please give me a ring and I can deliver. And if anyone is interested in hearing more about the Charity or would like to become a member we should be glad to meet you.

Wendy Stevens 01453 84xxxx

We are sorry to report that due to her workload we are losing one of Beaver leaders, Susan (Mallard has been with us for about two years now and we are sorry to see her go. This leaves Tina (Hedgehog) and Karen (MILLIE). Millie is the only animal name that we could think of for Karen that wouldn't embarrass her when shouted across the play ground or supermarket. It's short for millipede, sorry Karen it's official now! Ideally, in order to cover absences we would like to operate with three leaders so come on someone, do your bit? Our Beavers are a lovely bunch of six to eight year olds who enjoy taking part in craft activities, games and challenges, all of which work towards badges. They have a couple of trips out during the year and get to have a Beaver sleepover just before they move up to Cubs.

As reported in the last issue of Chadra, in February the sixers and seconders enjoyed their sleepover at the HQ. They worked on their new Promise Challenge badge which involved telling the leaders and fellow Cubs of a time when they did their best and a quick talk about people they know or someone famous who did their best and had inspired them. The Cubs 24choices were varied, astronauts, authors, athletes and local volunteers, their talks were very interesting. After lunch the Scouts joined us and we all went off to the Hippodrome to watch the Bristol Gang Show. This was our first visit and definitely not our last, the performance was slick and entertaining and we have noted a couple of sketches for this year's camp fires, its well worth a visit. The District organised camp planned for June is going to be pirate themed, as the Cubs did a pirate camp in 2007, we are totally prepared for this one, time to get the tattoos out and the pirate bandanas along with the parrot. Since September last year the Cubs have worked really hard on the following badges, Road Safety, Personal Safety, Home Safety, Swimming, Communication, Hobbies and the Community/Care Challenge.

The Scouts were asked earlier in the year if they could plant daffodil bulbs in the verges at Cromhall, along with a few older Cubs several hundred bulbs were planted and are looking spectacular. As part of their Community Badge the Scouts prepared sketches and talks based on the Scout Law and the activities they take part in to present to the residents of the Wickwar Nursing Home. They have also been refreshing their mapping skills, talking about their hobbies, a spot of climbing at Gloucester which has encouraged a few of the younger leaders to follow this area further and are looking to become climbing instructors themselves, another asset for the Group. After the Easter break the Scouts will be meeting at the Avening Green site and will be preparing for their first camp of the year on the May Day weekend, by all accounts this is proving to be a popular camp and will be well attended.

Unfortunately our friends in Malta will not be visiting us as planned in July due to the credit crunch and unfortunately two changes of Group Scout Leaders since Christmas. We, however, are still going ahead with our visit in April 2010 and have had confirmation from 36 Cubs and Scouts and 13 leaders. To keep the costs down, the members concerned will be fundraising over the next year. So far we have planned 2nd May Jumble Sale at the Scout HQ, Cromhall, 16th May bag pack at Sainsburys, 5th June DNA disco featuring the band “Area 51” and BBQ this will be a family event which is also open to non members at Leyhill Social Club, 28th June there will be a car wash at Bagstone, why not buy your Dad a Father's day car wash ticket! 4th July we will be taking part at the Charfield Fair and Town Hall teas in September. See our website www.xxxx.com/1stwoodend for more details.

Back to the rest of the Group, we held a successful maintenance day on 28th March where parents in the group came along and cleaned, painted, gardened, woodworked, glazed and demolished at both of our sites. The HQ at Cromhall now has a boy's toilet door which closes fully for the first time in 10 years! The barn doors are draught proofed and the kitchen, stairs and foyer have all been painted, it looks like new and smells so fresh. We have planned two more quotes permitting, the rebuild of the toilet facilities during the summer months, fingers crossed. At Avening Green the hedges have been cut back to increase the size of the car park (making sure no birds were nesting of course), the girls toilets, the kitchen and down stairs room all painted and the cottage completely cleaned. Again a window which has not been shut in years has been fixed and re-glazed. 25We are so grateful for those parents who came along to help especially those at Avening Green who had to keep sheltering from enormous hail stones. We do still have jobs to complete so if anyone feels like painting a bit more, give me a shout and I'll nip down to B&Q for some more paint, we'll supply the brushes and rollers!

On the waiting list front, still high I'm afraid, same old advice get your kids names on the Beaver list ASAP, if you wait until they are 6 it may be too late for them.

It's getting late and it's the night before the deadline, the internet is always a bit dodgy on a weekend in Charfield so I'll sign off.

Yours in Scouting,

Sandra Carnegie

[Graphic: Charfield Junior Football Club]

Cup Final But Unknown Future

Hello again from the Villages Junior Football Club. Since the last article we have had a busy few months that have seen our Under 16 team reach their League Cup Final and a very successful beer festival.

For the Under 16s this is their last season of junior football and we all hope that their last game for the Club will be a happy one with victory in the KB Coaches League Cup. The final is due to be held at Forest Greens New Lawn pitch at Nailsworth on 30th April 2009, kicking off at 7.00pm. Everyone associated with the Club wishes them good luck, and it would be great as well if as many people from the Village could come along and support them. If you watch just one live game this year then make it this one!

On Saturday 7th March the Club held its third annual beer festival and for the third year running it was a sell out with everyone having a great time tasting a selection of local beers and ciders. The “Ultimate Echoes” provided the live music and the now legendary ploughman's was also a hit with those attending. This is the Clubs biggest fund raiser of the year so a big THANK YOU to everyone who helped setting up the event and all those who supported it.

With the departure of the Under 16s at the end of the season the Club also looses a number of key committee members who are following the players to become part of the senior club. As such this provides an opportunity for new committee members with perhaps new views on how the Club is run and how the facilities are looked after. We would also welcome interest from those thinking of running a new team as we have the best facilities in the area and it would be great to have local youngsters actually playing for the village team.

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

Thank You.

Nigel Cloke
Club Secretary/Under 12s Manager

26

Back in the days when diesel trains were just a novelty, being on lookout duty in railway tunnels was extremely unpleasant; Wickwar tunnel was, in my opinion, by far the most unpleasant.

In some parts of Wickwar tunnel the roof is lined with bricks and on one routine inspection by railway engineers it was found that many of the bricks were loose and in danger of falling onto the line, this of course needed urgent attention. A few days later, all the machinery and equipment needed to put this right was in place and everything was ready for the work to commence. On the first available weekend, the wheels were put into motion and work on the dodgy bricks began. Single line working was in use on the down line, the up line was used by the engineers who were working on the roof. Lookout men were obviously required for this job, and the Charfield plate laying gang was called in to help. The lookout duty was to commence at Midnight on Saturday, and end on Midday Sunday. Lookout men were required to warn of trains that were approaching on the running line, ensuring no one was in danger. We were given our positions in the tunnel and our lookout duty commenced. Jim, the number one lookout man, was stationed at the entrance to the tunnel, [Charfield end] I was the next man in, positioned about 60 yards from the tunnel mouth, other look outs were at various point throughout the tunnel, the distance apart depended on the visibility in the tunnel.

I will try to explain how lookout duty “should” work. I wrote, “Should” work, because things didn't always run as smoothly as it should.

The usual way to warn of an approaching train was loud blasts on the whistle, or the blowing of horns, in daylight waving the red flag is usually all that is necessary, although in some circumstances detonators have to be used.

With the accumulation of smoke from the steam trains that were coming through on the running line, plus the dust from the old bricks being knocked from the tunnel roof, in company with the fumy haze coming from the compressors, plus the unbearable noise, the whistles, horns, and the waving of flags were all quite useless. However, we used another warning signal that I haven't mentioned, which worked very well under the conditions just described, it was easy to work, and very effective, namely, the swinging light.

What happened was, the man on duty in the tunnel entrance, on seeing an approaching train, would vigorously swing his lamp from side to side until the next man in the tunnel acknowledged his warning by swinging his lamp back. This was repeated by lookouts all through the tunnel until the train was clear.

That was how it was meant to work, unfortunately, as briefly mentioned above, on one occasion something went wrong.

At the start of our lookout duty, everything went according to plan; trains went in and out like clockwork. Suddenly, at the mouth of the tunnel through the gloom, I saw the silhouette of a train, but most alarmingly, no sign of Jim the first lookout man. My immediate reaction was to warn my colleagues of the approaching train; on a job such as this all trains are of necessity moving very slowly, because 27of this a serious situation was avoided. My next thought was what's happened to Jim, has he been knocked down? I hurried to the mouth of the tunnel, looked around but there was no sign of him, another thought crossed my mind, should I run to the signal box and tell the signalman to stop all trains from entering the tunnel thinking something awful had happened to my colleague, luckily I had no need to do anything so drastic.

As I stood outside the tunnel pondering on my next move, a couple of stones rolled down the embankment, closely followed through some straggly bushes by a very dishevelled Jim, full of apologies and obviously a very worried man, knowing the problems his action could have caused.

Apparently poor Jim had been taken short, and had no alternative but to answer the call of nature or suffer the unpleasant consequences, “perish the thought”, he also thought he could be in some sort of trouble, but I put Jim's mind at rest on that issue, by telling him no one else, as far as I knew, had realised what had happened. However, some time later the story did get out, causing much amusement in certain establishments.

Having worked with Jim in the goods shed at Charfield station, I knew what a good worker he was, I also knew there was no way Jim would have gone missing if he had known a train was any where near the tunnel, even if it did mean that his trousers would have a very exciting night.

A number of people over the years have passed comments about a lady in black who, supposedly, on every anniversary of the Charfield Railway disaster put flowers on the grave of the victims in the old churchyard. Well, there was another person, a real person, who also placed flowers on that grave on each anniversary. This person liked to portray himself as a hard man, which he probably was to a certain extent, but not all the way through, his feelings for the victims of the railway disaster seemed to suggest that he had quite a soft centre. You probably guessed who it was, yes it was Jim.

On the brief occasion Jim worked in the Goods shed at Charfield Station, he always insisted on having two bags of Bibby's cattle food on his sack truck when unloading them from railway trucks into Bibby's storage sheds, everyone else thought one was quite heavy enough. The fact that each bag weighed 128 lbs, so two, obviously, weighed two and a half cwt, had no impact whatever on Jim, but then, that was Jim.

Jim loved living and lived his life to the full, but he never forgot those who, unfortunately, through no fault of their own, were unable to do so.

I know there is one person, a very close friend, who will pay the same respect to Jim that he paid to those who died beneath the bridge just a few yards from Charfield Station, so many years ago.

Jim was in fact two men, one was a hard man, the other was a compassionate man, a man who would never cross to the other side of the road.

The following poem explains my feelings and thoughts regarding lookout duty in Wickwar Tunnel.

Ken Parker.

28THE SWINGING LIGHT.

Midnight is here, its time to go,
Take the lamp the horn and the flags,
The glow worms are shining to welcome us in,
Let's hope it goes well with no snags.

The tunnel mouth widens, as we approach
From within comes an explosion of sound,
There's a smell of hot oil mixed with dust and smoke,
And there's darkness and slime all around.

A shallow recess in the tunnels wall,
Like an upright coffin of stone,
Is home for the night and half of next day,
You're on trust, on lookout alone.

To say you're alone is not strictly true,
There are others to your left and your right,
All armed with their lamps, their Horn's and their flags,
On lookout, with you, through the night.

The picks and the shovels, the hammers and drills,
The compressors producing the power,
Combine to make noise from out of this world,
That goes on for hour after hour.

The noise vibrates around the tunnels walls,
In a shattering crescendo of sound,
As the hammers and drills knock old bricks from the roof,
And they crash and they bang to the ground.

The pulsating noise, the smoke and the fumes,
Have a strange effect on the brain,
Though the terrible clatter should keep you awake,
Your eyes close again and again.

Though you're desperate to sleep, your thoughts must stay clear,
Be alert is the name of the game,
So you stare through the haze for a swinging light,
That warns of a moving train.

As mentioned in our previous article Charfield Congregational Church has taken the first step in a bid to re-open the main sanctuary. For many years, members new and old, have patiently awaited the time when new roofing would be completed. We chose Vizard Roofing to be our main contractor and work was finally completed in January this year to our complete satisfaction with the workmanship and expertise displayed. It is wonderful to know that the sanctuary is now water tight and ready for the next stage – the electrics.

We are now actively fundraising and to this end we will be holding a coffee morning from 10 till noon on the last Saturday of every month, where all and everyone will be welcome. We will have our new recipe book on sale which includes many and varied recipes supplied by local villagers. We are also planning to hold a BBQ in the Chapel grounds this summer – so look out for posters advertising this.

We hold services every Sunday at 11am with tea/ coffee and biscuits afterwards, where a friendly welcome awaits. The first Sunday of every month is our family service and on other Sundays we hold our own Sunday School ‘King's Kidz’, where all primary school-aged children are most welcome. In future, we intend to hold 29‘Zion Club’ which is for primary school children and a youth club aimed at secondary school children. We currently hold our services and activities in the room behind the sanctuary until the latter is refurbished and any decoration completed. We are confident that it will all be worth it in the end.

April Webb

This Years Plant Sale Will Be Held On
Saturday May 9th
All Kinds Of Bedding, Shrub And Vegetable
Plants Will Be On Sale.

See the church notice board for more details.

Stop Press: Congratulations to Maz and all the family on the safe arrival of your grandson in New York. Can't wait to read all about it in the next issue.

30

If you wish to alter the entries below, please telephone Geoff or Hilary on 01454 26xxxx

Bingo Club
Sue Scoble 01454 26xxxx

British Legion
David Millman (Hon Sec) 01454 26xxxx

Charfield Pre-School
Donna Allen (Play Leader) 07866 04xxxx
Lucy Pass (Chair) 01454 26xxxx
Emily Lock (Admissions) 01454 29xxxx

Charfield Primary School
Dafydd Lawday 01454 26xxxx

Childminders
Sarah Gazzard 01454 26xxxx

Church – Congregational
Nicky Lanyi 01454 26xxxx

Church – St. John's
Vivienne Kerner 01454 26xxxx

Council – Charfield Parish
Sue Bailey (Clerk) 01453 51xxxx
Email clerk @ charfieldparishcouncil.co.uk

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

Cricket Club
Chris Shearwood 01454 77xxxx

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

Friends of Charfield Primary School
Scott Curtis 01454 26xxxx

Foundation Room
Bryan Grantham 01454 26xxxx

Friendship Club
Mrs. M Ealey 01454 29xxxx

Junior Football Club
Nigel Cloke 01454 26xxxx

Keep Fit Club
Christine Parfitt 01454 26xxxx

Luncheon Club for the Elderly
Jane Higgins 01454 26xxxx

Memorial Hall
Bookings 07774 41xxxx
Email xxxx @ virgin.net
Tim Hill (Chair) 01454 26xxxx