CHADRA

Were you there on Charfield's Special day?

What a great turn out we had at the Charfield Queen's Diamond Jubilee Event.

We were lucky with the weather. Everything that had been planned happened, contractors and helpers all turned up and most of all the residents of Charfield, family and friends all came too. The event was great fun with something for all ages. Not only that but the World Challenge stalls were very pleased with their takings on the day. The Memorial Hall did very good trade with the bar, and Open Gardens' teas, so increasing their coffers to put towards the new roof fund. Read more inside this issue.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

• Read new results for our Primary School, which show a great improvement in progress.
• Register yourself for Charfield's next Big Sing.

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Next Copy Date – 6 October 2012

If you would like to write an article for the next issue, or make comments on articles published, please e-mail these to xxxx @ gmail.com

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The Jubilee Committee were so pleased to have received sponsorship from CHADRA, Renishaw and M J Fews Land Rover, without whose generosity the day would not have happened. Also it was so pleasing to be able to offer a free event to our community. With tug of war, balloon launch, party hats, magic show and of course not forgetting the opportunity to have your photo taken with ‘Her Majesty’ all free of charge. To our sponsors a very big and heartfelt thank you.

The raffle did very well too with lots of prizes donated from our local shops, garage and pubs. This all helped towards costs on the day.

The balloon launch was very popular with the children. We were amazed how far the winning balloon travelled. We were contacted by someone from the Town Hall in Mantouche, Haute Saone, France with details of a balloon which landed there. The winning balloon had travelled approx 577 miles and was registered to Ben Nolan. Ben (aged 5) received his prize of 2 tickets to Wotton Cinema (kindly donated by the cinema) presented to him and his proud family by Dave Arkell – Jubilee Committee Member.

[Photo]

In the hall being shown on the giant screen during the Open Garden teas, was footage from the Queen's coronation. This and the fantastic bunting decorating the hall all added to the celebratory feel. People who were visiting the village for the open gardens, and came to the hall for teas, had a real treat. The bunting, the majority of which was made by local children, was so pretty. Did you find your piece? Thank you to all who made the bunting, you did a really good job. ☺

The Parish Council as part of their Jubilee commitment will plant an oak tree by the Memorial Hall later this autumn. They have already placed a large stone, which will be commemoratively chiselled, landscaping of the small area and a bench will complete the work.

So as I said at the start, were you there? Were you in the photograph? The official group shot will be framed, and hung in the Memorial Hall for prosperity. Chris Harris took some stunning photo's of the day for us. Go to his web site at www.flickr.com/photos/head_first_only and take a look. Many thanks to Chris for capturing the memories of a really good village day.

The partying went on until late at night with the concert from London being screened in the hall. For those who had the stamina to stay till the end it was a perfect end to a perfect day. We did the Queen proud Charfield!!

DVLA scam email warning

Watch out for emails claiming to be from the DVLA asking you to verify your driving licence details via an online link – it's a scam.

The DVLA has not sent any such email, so if you get one delete it immediately.

This is a copy of the email that is circulating:

4From: DVLA
Subject: Update Your License Details
We are currently upgrading our database and all drivers are required to update and verify their driver's license details. To complete your license verification with us, you are required to fill out the form in the link below. {Fake link}
Drivers that refuses to upgrade his or her details within two weeks of receiving this verification email will lose his or her driver's License and will have to take a fresh driving test.
We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this might have caused you.
Thank you for your co-operation. (c) Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Swansea SA6 7JL

News that our school was in ‘special measures’ came as a surprise to many residents. It is of course a blow to all concerned with the school, the head and the governors now need the communities support more than ever.

The Head Mr Lawday had already taken steps to address the decline before the Ofsted inspection, however these had not had time to show how successful they were beginning to be before the inspection. Being in special measures does mean that a plan is in place to improve all aspects of the school, so this can be viewed as a positive step in itself.

CHADRA decided to run an article on the school to try and inform residents/parents about the OFSTED report (6–7 March 2012), which can be a bit confusing. Also to allay concerns about what changes are happening. The Governors, who are all volunteers, and the Head Mr Lawday have been very helpful in contributing to this article. We offer them our support and well wishes for the future in continuing to get our school back on track. Early indications show that your hard work to raise standards is now showing rewards.

CHARFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL OFSTED REPORT (March 2012) SYNOPSIS

The report explained in layman's terms.

The inspectors found that the school is inadequate in all categories except pupil behaviour and safety where it was found to be satisfactory. The school was therefore placed in Special Measures, which means that urgent and significant improvements must be made in all areas i.e. Achievement of Pupils, Quality of Teaching and Leadership and Management.

The standard of pupils' work as shown by test results and in lessons has fallen from significantly above average to significantly below average in 3 years. The Leadership and Management of the school were aware of the decline and had put measures into place. However these actions had not been effective enough to address the decline before the inspection. There have been intensive actions in place, especially since July 2011.

The key reason why pupils are not making enough progress or achieving as they should is inadequate teaching. Children are not challenged or given enough opportunity to work independently.

Although leaders check the quality of teaching regularly, they have not acted promptly or effectively to secure improvements in teaching.

Leadership is judged to be inadequate because insufficient measures have been 5implemented to address pupils' underachievement.

Although progress is good in Years 1 and 2, there is a significant slowing of progress in KS2, leading to inadequate achievement. Tests at the end of KS2 show that pupils' standard of work is significantly below average and standards in Maths have declined markedly since the last inspection.

Teachers' expectations of their pupils are too low and therefore the work they set lacks challenge.

The inspectors found that the Governing body was now better placed to judge the school's effectiveness.

The report also mentioned that:

• The school was inclusive in its approach
• Pupils were safe within school
• Safeguarding procedures were good. Evidence of this was seen throughout the school
• Assemblies were thoughtful and stimulating
• Teaching & Learning had improved recently. No observed lessons were inadequate, in fact 40% of lessons were judged to be good. The report highlighted examples of lessons where inspectors observed good practice.

South Gloucestershire Council Education Department comments on the Ofsted Report

In recent years, Charfield Primary School has not been a cause of concern for South Gloucestershire. The sharp drop in the Key Stage 2 results in 2011 was not typical but, as a result, the Local Authority undertook a review of the school. Consequently, a range of support was provided to the school. The progress which the school made as a result of this support was recognised by OFSTED during the inspection but the progress had not been sufficient to have had enough impact in that time and so the school was placed in Special Measures.

Since the inspection, the Local Authority has worked with the Headteacher, the staff and the governing body to ensure that everyone understands the implications of the inspection report and to agree the future support needs. It has also worked with the governors to secure Mark Dee, a highly experienced Executive Headteacher, to take responsibility for the leadership of the school in order to bring about rapid improvement and to build the leadership capacity for the future. An experienced Deputy Headteacher has also been appointed to further increase the leadership capacity.

Support for the school includes additional support from the School Improvement Adviser; a programme of leadership development for senior and middle leaders; additional support for the governing body; additional leadership support for senior leaders; support from Teaching and Learning Advisers, Advanced Skills Teachers and Leading Teachers in key subject areas to strengthen teaching and learning; and additional resources to support intervention. The Local Authority and the school have also agreed additional support for teaching and learning sourced from local partner schools.

The 2012 results are showing very significant improvements from the previous year's results which were seen by inspectors. Children's performance in the Early Years, which was a concern in the inspection, has improved dramatically this year. 75% of children achieved the expected levels in 2012 compared to 45% in 2011. This is well above the national 6average (55%) and the Local Authority average (64%).

At the end of Key Stage 2 (aged 11) the provisional results have also improved very significantly, with much better performance in both English and mathematics. The proportion of children achieving national expectations (Level 4 in both English and mathematics) has increased from 64% to 85% and is now well above the national and the Local Authority average. There are also significant improvements in the number of more able children achieving higher levels.

The School Governing Body has general responsibility for the conduct of the school with view to promoting high standards of educational achievement. As governors we have a wide range of responsibilities, these include planning the school's future direction, setting the school's budget, setting performance targets, school policies and the School Development Plan.

As a Governing Body we were extremely saddened by the Ofsted judgement to place the school into Special Measures. The Governing Body had at the beginning of the school year already embarked on an ambitious programme to transform the way it worked, together with ensuring that robust systems are in place to ensure diligent performance monitoring, together with clear strategies to ensure that all children reach their true potential.

The changes being implemented by the Governing Body were positively acknowledged by the Ofsted Inspector and are starting to have the desired impact in achieving school improvement. Furthermore the Governing Body has appointed Mr Mark Dee as the Executive Headteacher of Charfield School. Mark has an excellent track record of improving school performance and currently is the Executive Headteacher of The Park & Parkwall Federation. Mark's appointment will support Dafydd Lawday and the entire school team over the next year in achieving the rapid improvements needed.

The Ofsted judgement was of course very disappointing but everyone involved with the school is feeling positive about the journey ahead of us. The school is committed to taking full advantage of the extra support we will receive to build on the improvements we have made already and work together to drive the school forward. Initial indications are extremely promising regarding the achievement and progress of children this year and we look forward to reporting some positive news in the next edition of CHADRA.

The Governing Body consists of professionally balanced, dedicated and committed volunteers. We are confident that we will see quick progress in the next year and that our time in special measures will be a short one.

Jason Lugg
Chair of Governors

[Graphic: Charfield School]

Welcome to Charfield Primary's CHADRA News.

OFSTED
As you will have read in the news and this edition of CHADRA, the school received disappointing news that OFSTED had placed our school in a Special Measures category. This was following a drop in our results and an inspection of the school in March.

7All members of the school are working incredibly hard to redress the findings of the inspection and we intend this to be a quick visit into this category. Mr Mark Dee has joined us as an Executive Headteacher to support us in the process. We have recently completed a positive review by Local Authority Advisors who judged the school to be ahead of its targeted milestones. We will also have monitoring visits by OFSTED throughout next year and we look forward to reporting the progress of these visits to our parents.

LATEST RESULTS
Our classes take part in assessments every year to judge the progress they have made in the year. The assessments from Y2 & Y6 are used as benchmarks to see how well the school is performing. Below are the results from this year with our 2011 results as a comparison.

We are pleased that these results are showing the impact of the development work that has been ongoing throughout this year. We will ensure that our future development and training will sustain and improve these initial rates of attainment and the quality of our Teaching and Learning.

CHARFIELD SPORTS
FOOTBALL
[Photo] Our Year 5 and 4 boys have begun taking on other schools in football thanks to the hard work of their coach Gary Davis. The boys (girls are welcome too!) competed in their first football match against Chipping Sodbury. As Kieran & Alex said “Although we lost, the whole squad did their best to try and win. We managed to hit 3 goals past them”

In their second game the team were amazing in an enthralling end to end game against Crossways Juniors. The goals came thick and fast and throughout the game the boys' passing was crisp, always found its mark and attacks on goal were numerous.

Early in the second half Crossways struck at us with two goals in quick succession. Charfield showed great team spirit and perseverance. They fought back admirably to equalise. However in the dying moments a Crossways counter led to a vital goal. Our boys attacked with all they had. Three shots narrowly missed the target. However time wasn't on their side and the whistle ended the game. Charfield 5, Crossways 6.

TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Charfield Primary pupils were praised for their skill and determination when they entered a Tennis tournament at Hawkesbury between Alexander Hosea, Hawkesbury and ourselves. This was the first Tennis competition that the school has taken part in and we look forward to seeing our tennis players develop at future competitions and within our after school club.

8WHOLE SCHOOL EVENTS

OLYMPIC TORCH VISITS CHARFIELD PRIMARY
Rob Berry, an Olympic torch bearer, very kindly gave up his time to come into school to share his experience with us. In the assembly we learned about what Rob had to do on the day, the Olympic flame and what the torch design represented. For example did you know the torch has 8000 holes in it? They represent the 8000 torch bearers and the distance the flame will take in its journey to London.

Rob was fantastic and he allowed EVERY (yes every!) child and staff member to hold the torch and have their photo taken.

JUBILEE TEA
To celebrate the Queens jubilee the whole school took part in a Jubilee tea. Parents and helpers came to share in the afternoon by making crowns in readiness for the tea. Our Year 6's organised the whole afternoon and it was a roaring success. Well Done Year 6!

MUM's DAY
At our Mums Day event we didn't let the temperamental weather dampen our spirits! Mums, grandmas, aunties and sisters came to work with their children all around the school. The children thoroughly enjoyed having the visitors share the day with them, and the mums did too!

CAREERS DAY
[Photo] The school was very fortunate to be visited by a number of volunteers to talk about their jobs. We were visited by a journalist, a Renewable Energy expert, a Vet, a Physiotherapist, a Fireman and Specialist Police Officers. The children loved their talks and activities and there was a buzz throughout the school!

[Photo]
Thank you to all volunteers for giving their time to come in and talk to our children!

LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN OUR CLASSES

YEAR 3 ROAD SAFETY
[Photo]
Roz and her team of girls told everybody in Year 3 about road safety. It is very 9important to think about road safety. You might die if you don't. The first activity was where to cross the road. You can cross the road at a zebra crossing, pelican crossing or with the lollipop man. The dangerous place to cross the road is in between two cars. It is also against the law to walk on the motorway.

Think … be safe!

By Daisy W and Megan W.

SATS CELEBRATION
As you probably know, the second week of May was SAT's Week for all Year 6 children in England. We ended our tests on the Thursday and as a reward we were lucky enough to have a little party hosted by Mrs. Gordon, Mrs. Southwell, and all the other adults who helped us prepare for the week (even our teddies were allowed to come!). Mrs. Cornelius was generous enough to bake us a cake, which was in the shape of a pencil, and all my year 6 friends will agree that it was delicious. Also, we had a little time to chat and relax, after all, SAT's are over!
By Matthew W.

EASTER PROJECTS
In Year 5's project about the 20th Century, our homework project was to think about what life was like back then and create a mind blowing project to show it. We all worked hard at home to make a master piece. The next week we all shared our work with each other.

Everyone thought all of the projects were brilliant e.g. Lauren made two old fashioned telephones, Pacey made a sweet shop (with real sweets)! Emily H and Sophie E made Titanic models and Joe made a rocket.

YEAR 5 TREASURE ISLAND WRITING

Dear Diary
I woke up with a startle from my sweat-leaking dream. The dream felt so real. I yawned in disbelief of the nightmare, the dream; the death of Billy Bones. I stumbled down the rickety staircase to find, at my surprise Billy Bones was DEAD. He had received a black spot. My blue veins were turning red with blood, my fear overtook my anger. Moments later I was crumpled up in the corner of the room just staring at Billy lying lifeless on the wooden floor. My mum appeared in the room. Later when I calmed down, me and my mum took a look in the bronze sea chest. All we could find was clothes but at the bottom there was at least 20–30 gold coins all piled up, however, there was a piece of paper.
One hour later we were interrupted by a knock, knock, knock on the door …
Joe D Year 5

MYTHS & LEGENDS
Years 3&4 have looked at Myths and Legends. The children have written their own myths and improved upon Myths already know. Below is an extract from Daisy W's version of Theseus and the Minotaur.

[Image: Child's writing]

103/4W – LOWRY ART WORK
Year 3/4 have recreated art work in the style of Lowry. Below is an example from the class. It is amazing to see how close this work matches a famous artist's.

[Graphic: Picture]

Alesha S

9 September 2012
2–5pm @ Charfield Memorial Hall

Calling All Gardeners!

Ever wondered what you should do with all those plants you divide every autumn? Have you run out of family and friends to give them to?

Then you need to come to the Charfield Memorial Hall on Sunday 9 September 2012 for the CHARFIELD PLANT SWAP being held between 2 and 5pm.

Visitors are invited to bring along up to 4 plants – potted, rooted and labelled please, preferably of various plant varieties – which can then be exchanged for an equal number of new plants. You will also be able to purchase additional plants at very reasonable prices.

Autumn is the ideal time to plant new perennials, so that they can establish decent root growth before the cold weather returns, they will then be ready for a wonderful burst of growth in Spring. There is also the advantage that these plants have survived the Charfield Clay and cuts out the usual question of ‘will it survive in my garden?’ as it has already been tried and tested in the area.

Charfield Teas will also be available on the day, so what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than with a cup of tea, a delicious slice of homemade cake and some new plants for your garden!

We would love to receive donations of surplus plants that you may have, which we can sell or swap. If you are able to give an hour or two of your time to help on the afternoon, either with the plant swap or teas, then we would love to hear from you.

ALL profits from the teas and plants will go towards the renovation of the Memorial Hall – this is such a worthwhile cause so please come and support your local community and, as an added bonus, find some wonderful new plants for your garden!

Vanessa Cole
01453 52xxxx

[Photo: Rose]

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(It's a bit early, but the next newsletter will be too late!) [Graphic: Singers]

October 20 and November 3, 10am to 12 noon in the Primary School main hall.

Conductor – Dr Steven Kings (by popular demand)
Accompanist – Dr James Corbett (by equally popular demand)

Verdi – Nabucco – Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves
In English; gert lush tune, mainly sung in unison, but with a bit of harmony to challenge us … you'll know it when you hear it

Rodgers – Carousel – You'll Never Walk Alone
Not quite the Liverpool Kop's version; spine-tingling if we sing it properly.

If there's time, we can dust off the Hallelujah Chorus Karaoke for the fun of it

Both the new pieces will be very familiar to you, but still offer a challenge as they aren't quite what you might expect. There are also a lot of dynamics in them, so there will be plenty to concentrate on and get our tonsils round.

As this is our second Big Sing and Dr K covered all the basics last time, this time he will have us singing the pieces in both sessions, and will revise technique (and no doubt introduce some more) as he goes.

As we need to be independent of our friends at Thornbury Choral Society and CHADRA in future, this time round I need to formalise the admin. The idea is not only to cover costs but to gain a little seed money so that we can continue with further Big Sings without the umbrella of TCS and CHADRA. (To be crystal clear, any money surplus to expenses will be ploughed back into the next Sing – the Sing is run by volunteers. Only the two professionals are paid.) (Is there an event insurance expert in the village? I could do with some advice!)

So for the Big Sing 2, there will be a participation fee of £6 for adults (ie £3 a session, to include your coffee and biscuits) and £2 for youngsters still at school (who must be accompanied by a parent/guardian). Cheap as chips.

You MUST register and pay the fee in order to secure your place. We had quite a few no-shows last time, so this time I must insist on pre-payment. It would be unfair for people to take slots and then not show up, both because they would deny someone else the chance to join in, and also mess up the budget!

Those who attended last time have until 15 September to register. Thereafter, all are welcome to register. If you wish to go on a waiting list before 15 September, then drop me an email and I'll come back to you in due course.

When you have secured your place, the scores will be emailed to you for you to print. If you need help, just ask. Please use the slip provided to secure your place.

Any questions, ring me on 01454 26xxxx, or email me on xxxx @ gmail.com

It can't possibly be more fun than last time, can it?

Julia O'Connor-Beach

12Charfield BIG Sing 2 – REGISTRATION FORM

An Outreach Project of Thornbury Choral Society
Supported by CHADRA and Charfield Primary School
Organiser – Julia O'Connor-Beach

Open to those who attended the first Big Sing until 15 September.
Open to all after 15 September.

Please deliver to xx Manor Lane, and have your cash payment receipted.

…

To be completed by organiser

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One morning on the way to work I went to a distribution centre in Bradley Stoke to pick up a parcel for a friend. As I waited at the desk, I heard a litany of complaints and outpourings of desperation from the other side. A lady was processing the electronic requests for pick-up to make the lists for the drivers that day. Addresses were incomplete, postcodes wrong … evidently she had to look up the surnames of the customer in order to verify the details. If the surname was Jones or Smith, it was an added misery. Time was ticking, drivers waiting.

She went on, “O woe and lackaday, deary me, whatever next …” or words to that effect.
“At least this one has an unusual name … Cheskin.”
“Not so unusual,” I offered. “I know a Cheskin.”
“Not a Mike Cheskin, by any small chance?”
“Yes.”
“In Charfield?”
“Yes.”
By this time, her face was suffused with delight and wonder.
“The address on the request is 0 Wotton Road, Service S…”
“That's the petrol service station. Can't miss it.”

So I picked up the parcel as I marvelled at the coincidence and went on my way, glad to have made someone's day.

And it wasn't even 9 o'clock.

B O'Connor

A local resident sent in this warning about a dog that killed her family pet a few days ago.

‘Last night a big dog came into my garden (Lercher, wolf hound or similar) and killed one of my cats, then continued to disembody him until I managed to scare it away.

I feel the village need to be made aware of this dog before it harms another animal or worse a child.

After speaking to my neighbour later that evening to warn them (as they have a small toddler) they told me they believe to have heard what went on and when looking outside to investigate, several women were trying to call their dogs back frantically.

When they noticed my neighbour they left very quickly. It would appear that the dog owner knew what had happened and did nothing or very little to stop it, what concerns and worries me is what may happen next time?

If you could help me to warn the local people in an attempt to try and prevent another death I would appreciate it’.

Our leadership teams have been undergoing a bit of swaps lately, Tina (Hedgehog) the Beaver Leader has been helping us out on Thursday Cubs and Allison Trueman (Rabbit) our Assistant Group Scout Leader has been helping to run Beavers. I'm helping at Thursday Cubs and jumping in when needed (or not!) with the other sections.

The Beavers started the Summer term at Avening Green, re-enacting the story of St George and the Dragon wearing character masks that they had decorated themselves. They've also been working on their Fitness Challenge which included a trip to Cribbs, for bowling, this was a really good night and they are all such good bowlers. On the only night they were rained off they drew some beautiful 14pictures of the Queen which we are going to enter into the Cromhall Flower Show which is taking place on Sat 2nd September. To finish the term they have some wonderful outdoor nature trips planned, playing in the woods and a walk down to the river. Some lucky Beavers who will be moving up to Cubs shortly were invited to camp alongside the Scouts on their May camp. This was a first in that we hadn't camped with Beavers before and we'd never held a Beaver sleepover at Avening Green before. The Beavers and young Cubs were working towards their membership into Cubs, so we learned a little about them and a bit about us. We watched Jungle Book on the Friday evening and then went for a walk down the lane with our torches and listened to the noises of the woods. All attendees were really well behaved and absolutely no homesickness at all, they all wanted to stay for another night and I think I wanted them too, truth be told, they were a pleasure!

Many of the Cubs attended their first camp of the year at the end of April. We stayed indoors at Woodhouse Park and all attendees gained their communications badge. Their favourite activity was the adventure Course where they came back to the newly carpeted accommodation block thoroughly wet and muddy. Can you imagine Mums, 30 mucky kids in one go? Since the camp they have completed their Naturalist Badge where they identified wild flowers, trees, insects etc and Thursday Cubs had a little trek around Cromhall on a beautifully warm evening. They have to look forward to some mini-raft building, an American themed night and at the end of term a Joust camp where we will be taking them to Berkeley Joust for the day.

The Scouts have been doing ‘scouty’ type things, knotting which led to building huge ballistas and water balloons, cooking so that on their camp in May they were able to go on a long camp, come back and prepare their own meal on a campfire, just like a full day at work? They slept in Patrol tents on this camp and it was a bit chilly on the second night! The Scouts are given their programme in a cryptic format so they don't actually know what they are doing on a night, knowing Boomer I can translate it a little so I'm guessing they are going to be going down to the river for raft or bridge building, some craft sessions and a big waterslide and BBQ to end with. They do have their trip to the Malvern Challenge at the beginning of July to look forward to as long as the weather is good otherwise plenty of waterproofs and Cup-a-Soups on the menu.

Our newly fitted kitchen at Cromhall is nearly complete, the last bit of tiling is going on and it looks beautiful. The photocopier which was donated about 4 years ago refused to work at the wrong moment and we have had to call an engineer out, £90.00 call out charge!! It's been good to us so far though.

The Group thoroughly enjoyed the Queen's Diamond Jubilee events, although it was a bit hectic. Our Malta participants were raising funds at the Charfield Picnic in the Park with sales of candy floss and tuck shop, we were so lucky with the weather and it was great to see so many people enjoying themselves. On the evening, we dashed up to Cromhall where we were manning a BBQ for the approx 350–400 people who attended the beacon lighting, again a magnificent event and it was good to see past members, children and adults.

We do have some fundraising events coming up, check these out on our website www.1stwoodend.####.co.uk and if you need any information about our group or would like to volunteer please email us on xxxx @ gmail.com.

Yours in Scouting
Sandra Carnegie
Group Scout Leader

15

EASTWOOD PARK
Friday 5th October
7pm to midnight

Tickets £40 each to include:-
3 course meal with coffee, magician, harpist
Disco, raffle, photographer and prize for the best mask.

There is a coach picking up from
Kingswood, Cromhall, Wickwar & Charfield – cost £6pp

Tickets & menu available from Steve's shop. Please leave your menu choices when purchasing tickets. For further information call 01454 26xxxx.
Fundraising event for Charfield Memorial Hall registered charity no. 301482

Do not miss the next production from Rural Arts the write up sounds absolutely riveting.

Mrs Gerrish's Rear Window will be performed at

Charfield Memorial Hall on

Saturday 20 October 2012.

Details of cost and times will be announced nearer the time, but get your diaries out and save this date.
Mrs Gerrish's Rear Window – Once again, we book into Mrs Gerrish's guesthouse, this time for an ‘out of season’ film noir-style thriller where Alfred Hitchcock meets Carry on Constable.

Since her accident, the only relief from boredom that Mrs Gerrish could enjoy was to study the private lives of her neighbours through the rear window. Their curious behaviour fascinates her until one awful evening when she sees something that makes her blood run cold; something that makes the gory murder stories in the pulp fiction novels she has been reading seem as mild as an Enid Blyton Famous Five adventure.

16Set to the music of the period and incorporating true stories of brushes with the law, the MoE will have you gripping the edge of your seat in suspense, hiding behind your settee in terror and rolling in the aisles with laughter.

We are a small group of people running this playgroup; we need the support of parents/carers and their children to keep the group active, so please come along. We are open for all children with their parent/carers.

ON OFFER:
• We provide a variety of toys for all ages 0–99!
• We provide a craft activity each week
• We provide a drink and snack for the children and adults
• We have a sing along at the end of each session

All this for the paltry sum of £2.50, (school age children are charged 50p when attending with their parents during school holidays).

The Toddler Group is a great way to meet other parents/carers in the village, and a chance to have a cup of tea and a chat.

Wow! Hello, I'm back. Well back writing to you all.

I've received some fantastic messages and requests of where was my last ‘bit’. We were getting ready to go off and visit Lawrence. I got onto our old faithful to type up my news when everything froze. We were due back on 12th April so I was hoping that Isabel would have had a restful Easter and that she would be doing CHADRA that next weekend. We had a bit of a car incident on our return and the newsletter went out of my mind. I see Marion Smith most mornings, at school, so she has been a great reminder. So hello my lovelies, let's go.

We had a great holiday visiting Lawrence. He's changed jobs and no longer in the heart of Manhattan and now more up state in a place called Tarrytown, which I do feel is not quite so name dropping, however more suburban and great fun. Apart from some wonderful restaurants and old traditional Music Hall, there was a fantastic wool shop. They were running knitting classes and I asked if I could take some photos. Well you can imagine the colours. Keith wanted to visit Coney Island so off the two of us went, on the subway. It was great walking along the ‘boardwalk’, which separated a giant funfare from the ocean

I had a good bit of fun in Tesco's the other week. I just happened to get in a queue behind, all I can describe as, ‘six gorgeous men.’ Naturally I got chatting. They had rented a house in Sodbury and fourteen of them were going to be celebrating a forthcoming wedding of one of their party. They spent about £400 on food and booze, didn't have a Tesco card and said ‘would this charming young lady’, haha, that was me!!!, like their points. Yippee. They were fab. At least my hair looked quite good that day. Did you see on the news recently that the sculptor, Anish Kapoor has created an Orbit Tower in the Olympic Park. Naturally, Boris opened it. More 17importantly, a few years back I wrote to you telling you about the visit Mum and I made to the Whitechapel Art Gallery where they were exhibiting works by now famous artists, such as Damien Hurst, Tracy Emin, etc, but these pieces were purchased in their early days. It was there that I gingerly touched one of Kapoor's giant blue and black balls!!! Heaven knows what they are worth now, particularly with my forefinger print on one of them.

Now, I'm typing this on Keith's laptop. The ‘old faithful’ is still frozen. I'm going to say cheerio and must admit I'm delighted to be back, writing, despite the space bar sticking. Apparently I have to press harder on it or else you'd think you're doing a word search.

Much love and best wishes, Maz xxx

– An update on progress – June 2012

[Graphic: CHARFIELD VILLAGE PLAN]

[Photo]

The Charfield Village Plan Steering Group are currently working through all the analysis of the survey results, following the excellent 60% return from households, during February/March this year.

The £100 Prize Draw was won by Mr & Mrs Franks of Severn Close – Congratulations to them!

The Business Survey – Over the next couple of months businesses in Charfield will be contacted with a short questionnaire which will cover a range of business related topics. If you want to make sure your business is included please email us at xxxx @ gmail.com.

A selection of the key points from the returned household survey are:

62% of households have concerns over traffic speed in the village
61% think Broadband is so poor it affects usage
77% rate the Memorial Hall and Fields as “Very important to the village”
58% think that there should be a permanent crossing in the New Street/Wotton Road/Station Road area

Plans are in place to start reporting to the relevant bodies on issues arising out of these results.

Towards the end of this year it is hoped to produce a publication for every household that will illustrate the results of the survey, explain the whole process, and list the key action points that come from the process. If you have any photographs of Charfield or village life in Charfield we would be interested in considering including them in the Village Plan. Contact xxxx @ gmail.com and attach your photo if possible.

After the massive success of our first panto back in January CADS is pleased to announce we will be doing it all over next January!! Gem and Steve have 18teamed up again to write another family show, told the only way CADS can with heaps of laughs plenty of audience participation and maybe even a few songs! You will have to wait for the next issue of CAHDRA to find out what the story will be; but I can say we have had an offer from Robin Willmott who would like to put together a 5 piece pit band, so any local musicians please call him on 07866 69xxxx for more details.

For all the rest of you, CADS is all about a group of local people having a laugh and giving something back to the village at the same time. We are always looking for people both on and off the stage, so if you're aged between 8–80 or over, and would like to get involved please drop me a line on the email below!!

xxxx @ googlemail.com

[Graphic: Teddy Bear]

Charfield Pre-School
Registered Charity Number 1029832

Pre School

Yet again the Pre School has had a very busy and enjoyable term!

We have had fun taking part in a Jubilee Street Party and a trip to Bristol Zoo. Our rising 5's also went on a Farm Trip and a Train Trip both of which were very exciting!

A great team of decorators came to the rescue and gave our Foyer a new lease of life! (pictures on our Facebook page). Thank you to Pete Elliott, Claire Cann, Karen Stainthorpe and Ian Wilson for your support, it looks great! Debra and the team plan to make this area into a sensory/quiet room during the sessions with additional equipment such as light and bubble tubes, bean bags, cosy rugs to sit on and lots more! This is something that the staff feel a lot of the children would enjoy, and we have been lucky enough to receive a grant from South Gloucestershire Council to achieve this. We are grateful for this grant and are constantly searching for grants to help develop and improve the Pre School. If you or anyone you know can help please don't hesitate to contact the Pre School Committee. Contact details can be found on our website: www.charfieldpreschool.org.uk

Next term we will be welcoming new and existing children with plans for lots more fun and enjoyment. We do have a limited number of spaces available for September therefore if you have not enrolled your child and would like to please do pop in or give us a call. Mob: 07966 61xxxx.

19We will be holding a Shopping Evening on Wednesday 17th October at the Pre-School as a social evening. It will be a chance for parents, friends and staff of the Pre School to get together and also to meet some of the lovely local business people. Everyone is welcome!

Our ongoing fundraising activities such as DVD/CD collections, rag bags, easyfundraising.org.uk will continue into the new school year and popular events including the Christmas Float and Valentines Quiz will return!

THANK YOU to all of the parents and wider community for supporting our fundraising activities. Without this the Pre School could not offer the varied activities, learning and development that we give to the children of Charfield and surrounding villages.

We would also like to thank Wotton Accountancy Associates for carrying out an independent review of our accounts prior to submission to the Charities Commission.

Our AGM will be held on Wednesday 12th September 2012 in the Foundation Rooms at 8pm.

We will be looking for General Members in particular to help with our Fundraising. If you can help please do come along. The support of new parents is vital to keep the Committee going.

I will be standing down from the position of Chair Person therefore I would sincerely like to thank the staff, committee and parents for the support I have received over the last two years. I have certainly learnt a lot and have been made to feel very welcome as part of the team. Happy memories of meetings around my kitchen table and at the Pre School will long remain! I wish the staff, new committee and families all the best going forward.

Kath Edwards
Chair Person.

[Graphic: Football]

CHARFIELD JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB – LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEW SEASON

Hello again from the Villages Junior Football Club. It does not seem long since the best season we have had for quite a while has finished before we start planning for next season.

The season which has just finished, has seen 4 teams playing competitive league football and we have another two Under 8 teams joining them to bring that up to 6 teams for the next season. Our Under 15s team had their best season to date finishing runners up in the league and making their first cup final.

In recent weeks we had a successful presentation evening when all the league players were presented with trophies and our Annual General Meeting where it was pleasing to see more parents volunteer to join the Committee and help with the running of the Club. As the Club grows more helping hands are always welcome. We also held our second annual camping night at the end of June and amazingly we didn't get wet!

Three of the boys from next seasons U16s (with a little help from their parents) also held a Charfield Olympics event with Michael Rees getting the gold medal for the Under 9s, Dylan Pownall collected gold for the 10s to 12s and Betty Manser won gold in the adult age group. Many Thanks to everyone who supported the event and braved the showers.

As Club Secretary the coming weeks are busy ones for me in ensuring that all the players get registered for their teams in the 3 different leagues we have entered next season. There is always lots of form 20filling and I also have to ensure that all managers, assistants etc get CRB checked. I still have my own team to look after and the training every week is helping to keep them and me fit during the off season.

As ever none of this would be possible without the support of the players parents in getting the boys and girls to training and the games. The Coaches and volunteers who help and run the teams, and the Clubs Committee who hold everything together and ensure that the players have the equipment and a safe environment to enjoy themselves playing football. A big Thank You goes out to one and all.

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

Thank You.

Nigel Cloke – Club Secretary/Under 16s Manager

[Graphic: Friends of Charfield Primary School]

Hello from The Friends! I had hoped that now we are in early summer I would be writing this article sat in the garden, laptop in one hand and a glass of Pimms in the other basking in the warm sunshine – how wrong could I be as I look out the window admiring the howling gales and thundery showers!!

Despite the weather, the spring and early summer has been a busy time for The Friends starting with a very successful May Fair. All sorts of stalls and activities were on offer ranging from quad biking to ‘wellie wanging’. I am delighted to say that the event was well attended which resulted in us enjoying a record year managing to raise over £1,000.00 – thank you to everyone who attended and who helped to make it such an enjoyable day. I would also like to say a big THANK YOU to all of those committee members and helpers for getting everything organised for the event as well as helping on the day.

In addition to the funds raised at the various events run by The Friends we have also been fortunate to receive another community grant. Previously I wrote to advise you of the generosity of Magnox, RWE and National Grid but I am now also delighted to advise you that we have now also received a grant from Renishaw, on behalf of The Friends I would like to say another huge THANK YOU. These grants will help immensely in enabling The Friends to fund larger projects such as the adventure playground mentioned below.

I would like to take this opportunity again to make a plea to anyone working for a company that runs a community grant or matched giving scheme, struggling to find a suitable cause, to get in touch!

In my previous report I wrote to let you know that we were very close to securing the necessary funding to start on the replacement of the adventure playground equipment. I am now delighted to announce that we have now been able to raise sufficient funds to get started on the replacement of the adventure playground. Following on from consultation regarding the design of the new playground with the school council as well as inviting 3 specialist companies to tender for the project, the contract has been awarded to Playdale Ltd.

Work on the first phase of the project, which will be the replacement of all of the outer ring of equipment, will start over the summer holidays, with the new equipment being ready to use at the beginning of the new school year. The 21total cost of this phase of the project is just over £10,000 and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those people who have worked hard to support The Friends in helping to raise such a significant sum of money. I look forward to telling you about the ‘grand opening’ in due course!

Whilst it might seem like a long way a way I am writing to let you know that we have fixed a date for the ever popular school fireworks night, which is going to be on Friday 2nd November – so put it in your diaries now!!

As with every event, we are reliant on the hard work and enthusiasm of volunteers and we are always pleased to hear from anyone who would like to get involved and lend some help. You will be made most welcome, new committee members are always needed, but it doesn't matter if you can't help on a regular basis, there are always little jobs that can be done from home – it may even be a money raising idea you have, if so we would love to hear from you! Look out for The Friends AGM which is schedule for the end of September/early October – more details to follow!!

I look forward to keeping you informed of our future events, until then, once again, a very big thank you to everyone who has worked with and supported The Friends.

Tim Skuse

Chair – The Friends of Charfield Primary School
01454 26xxxx

With just two weeks left before the end of the school year, the Out of School Club is gearing up for a fun packed summer holiday, filled with interesting activities for the children to enjoy. The staff have all worked extremely hard planning the Summer Programme. Our themes are, The Olympics for 3 weeks and Sun, Sea and Sand for 3 weeks.

If your child is interested in attending any of these sessions, please contact the club. Booking forms are now available for children but spaces are filling up fast, as we do take children from several surrounding schools. So book early to avoid disappointment!

Indeed, it has been an extremely busy time since the last CHADRA report in April. Both the Easter Holiday club and June Half Term were well attended. The Easter holidays were filled with lots of fun Easter activities and over half term the theme was ‘I Can Cook’.

Fundraising has continued to dominate the work of the Committee, and in April we organised a jumble sale where we raised £372. The surplus clothes went off in the “rag bags” and raised a further £72. The Jam Jar stall and the cuddly toy tombola at the May Fair also raised a fantastic £185. Thank you to everyone who supported these events. We will be continuing this fundraising effort during the summer, when we shall be running

Tortworth Lake Teas on Sunday August 5th 10am–4pm

As many of you will know, the lake opens on the first Sunday of the month, from February to October, for visitors to enjoy a walk amongst its beautiful surroundings. Local organisations then have the opportunity to provide visitors with refreshments and we have managed to secure that chance on Sunday August 5th. Please put it on your calendars and we look forward to seeing you between 10am and 4pm on the first Sunday in August, hopefully with the sun shining!

The Committee would like to say a huge thank you to The Foundation Trust, Renishaws and Charfield Parish Council who have all kindly made donations to the 22club. Whilst I am pleased to report that the club is in a better financial position than this time last year, fundraising still remains a key priority and the Committee is continuing to apply for grant funding to help the club in these challenging economic times.

The club is still keen to recruit volunteers from the local area who would like to help in holiday times, either by showing the children a specific skill or hobby they enjoy or even if they just want to get involved with the activities already offered at the out of School club. We would love to hear from you. All volunteers would need to be aged 18+ and prepared to undergo an enhanced CRB check as is required for all individuals who work closely with children.

If you know of any new families who would like to use our service, both before and/or after school or during the school holidays, or, if you yourself would like to find out more, please contact us at the club. You can check us out by following the link form the school website: www.charfieldschool.org.uk. The club is open to children up to the age of 13, so even if your children are moving onto secondary school they are still welcome after school and in the holidays.

May we take this opportunity to wish everyone in the village a very happy and relaxing summer holiday, and say a huge thank you to everyone who continues to use the club, or who has supported us with our fundraising activities. Good luck to all our families with children who are moving on to other schools. We hope to see lots of new, as well as some familiar faces, in the autumn. Finally a big thank you to the staff – Pat, Georgina, Jo, Anne and Paul for continuing to make the club an outstanding facility for our village.

The Out of School Club Committee

Well, I hope we've finally got some good summer weather by the time you read this. It's totally up and down as I write. Notwithstanding the weather, though, the plant sale in May went well and thanks are due to Simon Farmer and all the other helpers who made it possible.

Since I last wrote, we've recruited a new Associate Priest to work with David Russell in the five parishes of the benefice. Rev'd Chris Mason will be moving into Charfield rectory in August and Chris will be starting his ministry in September, working part time. We look forward to welcoming Chris and Bronwen. Chris's licensing service will be held in Wickwar on 9 September at 4pm and everyone's welcome. Another special service will be held on 29 July at the old church, St James's, as this is the Sunday nearest St James's Day. This will be held at 10.30 and, again, everyone's welcome.

Also in July, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, will be visiting the diocese. There is a family fun day at Gloucester Cathedral on Saturday 21 July with all sorts of activities including the biggest inflatable slide in Europe! It's free and everyone's welcome – bring a picnic. Look out for posters around the village for full details. On Sunday 22 July, there will be a special service in the Forest of Dean – again, there are posters will full details.

Our services are usually held at 9.30 on Sunday mornings, but keep an eye on the notice board outside the church for the latest information, including services aimed specially at children.

Viv is back taking some services as and when she feels up to it and, as always, our love and thoughts are with her and Steve. Talking of Steve, don't forget you can get a wide range of Vicar's Wife's marmalades – and jams in season – from 23church. Just put your money in the box. They are world class – ‘little pots of tarty wonder’! We also have a good range of books in church for you to rummage through when you need a good read.

We've had several baptisms and weddings at St John's since I last wrote and, of course, sadly some funerals too. As mentioned before, please don't hesitate to talk to us about having a wedding or baptism service at St John's. Baptisms are always joyful family occasions and you'll be made very welcome, whatever the age of the baby or child – or adult.

Baptism and wedding requests can be lodged with Julia, the benefice administrator, on Mondays and Thursdays between 12noon and 4pm or sent to xxxx @ gmail.com. The telephone number for Wickwar Rectory is 01454 29xxxx.

Regular church services are:
1st Sunday – 9.30, normal service with communion
2nd Sunday – 9.30, story-teller service with communion – special service for children
3rd Sunday – 9.30, normal service with communion
4th Sunday – 9.30, family service with communion – special service for families
5th Sunday – benefice joint service in one of the parishes – check the notice board to see where.
21–22 July – special activities to mark the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury to Gloucester Diocese.
29 July – 10.30, St James's Day service at St James's, Churchend
9 Sept – 4pm, Chris Mason's licensing service at Wickwar

Sue Thorn,
Churchwarden and PCC member

[Graphic: Safer & Stronger Community Groups]

Do you care about your community?
Do you want to be heard and get things done?

NEXT MEETING FOR THE CHARFIELD, CROMHALL AND TORTWORTH GROUP:

Thursday 30th August, 7.30pm
Cromhall Chapel, Townwell, Cromhall, GL12 8AG

If you are unable to attend a meeting, or would like to read more about the work of your local group, each group has its own e-group page at http://####.southglos.gov.uk. Here, you will be able to view your group's annual report, minutes and agendas from past meetings, and find other useful information for your area. You can also become a member of the e-group which will ensure you receive the minutes and agendas directly via email. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of the Safer Stronger Communities Team on 01454 86xxxx, or email directly to sscg @ southglos.gov.uk.

In the past few weeks there have been 2 outbuildings broken into in the Charfield and Laddenbrook area.

Thornbury have seen an increase in breaks, having approx 15 in the past few weeks. Motorbikes and cycles seem to be what offenders are after. There has also been a huge increase in theft of vehicles within the surrounding areas.

Please be aware of possible incoming crime.

I would like to start by thanking the Charfield Diamond Jubilee Committee for arranging such a successful event over the weekend of the 4th June. I know considerable work went into putting it all together and, although the weather wasn't always kind, everyone seemed to have a brilliant time. You may have noticed a Commemorative Stone has been laid near the Memorial Hall, and this will be engraved soon. Summer remains 24obstinately variable, and even as I write the rain is lashing across my window, so I hope you are making the best of it. Could be worse … huge hailstones at the end of June wrote off a number of cars in my company headquarters car park in Warwick, and floods have hit many other areas.

I walked past the Burial Ground the other day, and the meadow area is taking shape – admittedly there is perhaps more grass and thistle there still than we would like but these things take time. The mowed area where the interments are located does look very good though, and the rose bushes and lavender in the remembrance garden are in and thriving. We've noticed toads on site and potentially a wild orchid growing in the grass.

Deer, foxes and bats have all been seen on or over the burial ground site. Work continues; our contractors have built compost bins at the bottom of the site to take grass mowings and old flower tributes. We still hope eventually to erect an oak shelter at the top of the site, by the pedestrian entrance, but funds do not permit at this time. If you know any lottery winners, point them this way!

The Parish Council web site has recently had a make-over. The new design places news items in the centre of the screen, with links to other areas of Parish Council work around it. The image at the top of the page was taken by me on a walk down from Churchend, and shows the view looking over the village towards North Nibley and Wotton. There are a few pages yet to complete, but do have a look and tell us what you think of it.

The village does itself proud with two litter picks, one in the spring and one in the autumn, but this year there is a summer pick carried out by youths seeking to earn support for their 2013 World Challenge adventure to India. They will be clearing the verges and picking up litter on Sunday 15th July. The Parish Council is supporting their endeavour, so please consider their cause should they knock on your door.

You'll be aware by now that the five dwellings at the junction of Little Bristol Lane and Wotton Road have finally gained permission, and building will no doubt begin shortly. The larger development at the newly named Kings Meadow (ex-Congregational burial ground and paddock) is obviously coming along.

The Localism Bill has been enacted and henceforth all development seems likely to be permitted if it is ‘sustainable’. But what, exactly, is sustainable? I hazard it means more than simply putting in rainwater butts and extra loft insulation … road infrastructure, shop and medical provision, school places … water, drainage, telephone lines! All these have a bearing. Building a house in the garden may be easy … sustainable, not so much.

Telephone lines … I noticed recently that the Falfield telephone exchange that serves the west of the village (01454) is being upgraded to 21CN in the autumn. Even with this upgrade, which potentially brings ADSL2 speeds, we are so distant from the exchange it will likely offer us only a minor improvement in Internet connection, but an improvement nonetheless … keep an eye on your broadband speeds in November.

Enough rambling waffle from me. Enjoy what summer we have left – if we have any.

Mark Rosher – Chairman
Charfield Parish Council

[Graphic: WE Care & Repair]

South Glos Housing Options Article

Have you ever wondered about moving but don't know where to start?

West of England Care and Repair offer a Housing Options service which gives information, advice and support to older people.

Whether you would like some straightforward advice so you can manage things better yourself, or would like more practical support, we may be able to help you if you live in South Glos and are over 60.

We have been running this highly popular Housing Options service in the Bristol area for over 12 years, and now have funding to offer this across South Gloucestershire.

25We can provide:

• Advice on options, including:
  • Staying out
  • Buying or renting
  • Retirement housing
  • Residential and nursing home care
• Support to identify the right housing for you;
• Help with form-filling and paperwork;
• Help to view properties;
• Help and support through the whole process until you are settled into your new home;
• Advice on getting help from other services.

Mrs B is in her 70s and was living in a family home, which was too large for her to manage, and she was finding the stairs difficult. She contacted the Housing Options Service, who visited her to discuss her situation. Information was given about local retirement schemes, and support to view a number of flats. She has now moved and says ‘I don't know what I would have done without Care and Repair. Look at my new view. I'm really happy here’.

Now that summer is here with us and we enjoy those long summer days, many of us are experiencing that familiar challenge at this time of year, “how do I keep my barbeque alight in all this rain”. With many events washed out we can only hope that it will brighten up for the Olympics and the rest of the world will see us in a better light.

As regards local government we have now moved away from the cabinet structure and are now working with the committee system of decision making. This is working well and topics are debated by a cross party selection of Councillors before reaching a democratic decision. If they fail to reach a decision it can be referred up to the full Council, but this would be regarded as the extreme rather than the norm. The committee meetings are totally transparent and open to members of the public; this is useful if they are debating an issue that affects you or your area, or you may just wish to see how the system works.

I thought it may be helpful if I covered some of the points that we have spoken about in previous issues to see what stage they are at. Speed limits on the B4508/B4509 Charfield, Cromhall and Tortworth are to be reduced, these have been out to public consultation advertised and were signed off by the Executive member before that post was lost in the reorganisation. We are now just waiting for the traffic order to be sealed and the contractors will be appointed to do the changes.

Minor modifications to the roundabout; white line round the outer circle etc. regular users of the roundabout will notice that some of kerbstones on the outer circle are breaking up, we are now waiting for those to be replaced before the modifications can be carried out. Footpath over the grassed area Charfield Hill/Churchend junction, this has been surveyed and I am hopeful that this will be completed before the end of the year. It is also hoped to place a footpath on the other side to link the properties and aid visibility for drivers as they reach the top of Charfield Hill.

The Charfield and 30mph signage as you enter the village from Wotton is reminiscent of a Wild West town; unfortunately this is outside the South Gloucestershire boundary and outside their remit. I have requested Gloucester County Council Highways to look to replacing the signs as a road safety issue.

Development on the corner of Little Bristol Lane; planning permission was granted about two years ago to place five properties on this site, this has always been a debatable area. When this site was offered for sale by railtrack around twenty years ago the Parish Council tried to purchase it for the village but were outbid by the property developers. It was inevitable that something would be developed here, at least the properties will be in keeping with the area. The developer has just signed the S106 agreement which is to assist with funding of local infrastructure and is a sign that they are ready to move forward and start. In keeping with local policy this development will contain one affordable home for rent.

Many of you will have completed the South Gloucestershire Council broadband survey earlier in the year; there was a good response from Charfield residents to the 26survey. Broadband could at best be described as disappointing in Charfield.

The Council recognises the need for superfast broadband, particularly for business and education. It is currently engaged in a project with other local authorities to deliver superfast broadband to 90% of premises in South Gloucestershire, with the remaining premises to have a minimum access line speed of 2Mbps. It will probably take until 2015 to complete the project but the process has already started and this is work in progress. I will give a report on this project and what stage it is at in the next issue.

John.

Recently Neuroscientists have began shifting their research in to discovering what makes us happy from what's wrong with a depressed mind, to what's right with a happy mind. The answer seems to appear quite simple, happy people don't get busy stressing about building a perfect tomorrow, instead they get on with enjoying today!

Even something as simple as a moment in your day dedicated to you and your pursuit of happiness can have a massive effect on your future life.

It might be a cup of tea first thing in the morning as the sun rises before the busy day starts, or a last snuggle in bed with a loved one before you face the day. For me it's snatched last thing at night as my family sleep, then in the darkness of the room I select timeout on my iPod and let my mind float away with all the things I am grateful for. What's yours?!

Reconnect with your passion
Sometimes it can be hard to remember whose life you are living. There are so many demands on it from other people, work, loved ones, children etc. Then over the months and years we gradually lose sight of what we really like doing and what pleasures are.

Sit down quietly with a pen and paper and try and remember as much as you can about yourself when you were 21. What did you love to spend time on? Who did you love to spend time with? What did you long to be doing with your life?

Now try going back to your teens and then your childhood again answer the same question. What did you love to do in the summer holidays, what subjects were you particularly good at?

You see we don't change much in our interests and pleasures over the years. Reconnecting with what we love to do reminds us of who we are and gives us energy. Then in turn our lives become richer and happier so look at the list and choose an activity you have let drop and make a pledge to yourself to start it up again.

Steve ☺

The 200 Club is a monthly lottery in aid of Charfield Village Hall. For £12 per year (that's only £1 per month!) you get the chance to win 1 of several cash prizes (from £10–£25) every month, with a bonus prize of £50 every few months, while also contributing to the upkeep of the village hall. This is absolutely vital at the moment as we have an ever increasing bill for essential repairs, which you will no doubt read about elsewhere in the newsletter.

For your chance to win while helping boost the coffers of your local community facility, please contact John Russell on 0771155xxxx or Deb Field on 01454 26xxxx.

Winners last quarter:
Apr
Mrs Kowalzyk (135), Mr M Evans (257)
Mrs A Hyland (185), Mrs D Field (247)
May
Jeff Swallow (241), Mrs S Edwards (198)
Mrs L Salter (294), Mr J Beans (159)
Jun
Mrs F Langborne (149), Mr C Wadsworth (269)
Mrs M Dimes (293), Mrs S Jamas (109)
Mrs D Wilson (267)

Thanks
Deb

27

Advertising

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[Advert for Charfield Post Office]

[Advert for Eclipse Hair Studio]

[Advert for Bradley Garage]

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28[Advert for Steve's General Garden Maintenance]

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29[Advert for Add Plant]

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30[Advert for Acucare]

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[Advert for Manor Garden Maintenance]

[Advert for PC Repairs & Maintenance]

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31[Advert for Charfield memorial Hall]

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32[Advert for Cotswold Edge Carpets]

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33[Advert for W.S. Franks]

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34[Advert for P.T.Newnes]

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[Advert for Octavia's Nails & Beauty]

[Advert for Charfield Plant Swap]

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35

Hi, I'm Sue Simmons, and I am the new Bookings Secretary for Charfield memorial Hall, playing fields and Sportsman's Lounge.

Have you thought of hiring the hall for your function? Whether it's a party, a fund-raiser or a craft/antique fair, or music event, we can offer everything you need. The Sportsman's Lounge is also perfect for smaller group meetings.

The hall has so many facilities: see our advert in this issue of CHADRA. The hire rates are VERY competitive so feel free to call me for a quote, to check availability, or to arrange to come and see the hall before you decide. My numbers are 07774 41xxxx or 07530 31xxxx, or my email is xxxx @ charfield.org

AUGUST
OUT OF SCHOOL CLUB Tortworth lake Teas on Sunday August 5th 10am–4pm

SEPTEMBER
Cromhall Flower Show Sat 2nd September.

CHARFIELD PLANT SWAP
9 September 2012 2–5pm @ Charfield Memorial Hall
Pre School AGM Wednesday 12th September 2012 in the Foundation Rooms at 8pm.

REGISTER BEFORE 15 SEPT if you attended CHARFIELD'S BIG SING last time, open to all after this date.

October
MASQUERADE BALL EASTWOOD PARK Friday 5th October 7pm to midnight, organised by Memorial Hall Committee.

Pre-School Shopping Evening on Wednesday 17th October at the Pre-School ALL WELCOME

Charfield BIG Sing 2 October 20 and November 3, 10am to 12 noon in the Primary School main hall.

ADVANCE NOTICE – school fireworks night, which is going to be on Friday 2nd November – so put it in your diaries now!!

36

If you wish to alter the entries below, please telephone Isabel on 01454 26xxxx
or email xxxx @ gmail.com

British Legion
David Millman (Hon Sec) 01454 26xxxx

CADS (Charfield Amateur Dramatics Group)
Steve Picking 07583 56xxxx

Charfield Pre-School
Debra Davidson (Manager/Admissions) 07966 61xxxx
Email:- xxxx @ gmail.com
Katherine Edwards (Chair) 01454 26xxxx

Charfield Primary School
Dafydd Lawday 01454 26xxxx

Childminders
Hazel Stone 01454 26xxxx

Church – Congregational
Nicky Lanyi 01454 26xxxx

Church – St. John's

Council – Charfield Parish
Hannah C Saunders (Clerk) 01454 29xxxx
Email clerk @ charfieldparishcouncil.co.uk

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

Cricket Club
Chris Shearwood 01454 77xxxx

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

Friends of Charfield Primary School
Tim Skuse (Chair) 01454 26xxxx

Foundation Room
Bryan Grantham 01454 26xxxx

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 www.charfield.org
Chairman Tim Hill 01454 26xxxx