CHADRA

311 Bus Route to be Axed

THE BUS service between Thornbury and Dursley is to be axed by First next month.

The number 311, which departs from Thornbury health centre and travels through Falfield, Charfield and Wotton-under-Edge before terminating at Dursley Bus Station, has been deemed commercially unviable by the bus company. This service runs eight times a day and is the only one linking Thornbury and Charfield to the Stroud District area.

A South Gloucestershire Council spokesman said the decision to cut the line was beyond the local authority's control but that it would attempt to replace the service. The decision regarding the Thornbury to Dursley bus service 311 is a commercial decision that has been made by bus company First. South Gloucestershire Council is currently investigating the situation as are Gloucestershire County Council.

Council tax bills are with us already and you may notice a small increase in the parish precept. Mark Rosher (Chairman PC) reported, “It always troubles me when the increase is given in percentage terms, but the actual amount will be about a quid a month on average. The budget reflects the needs you have outlined in the excellent Village Plan and also reflects responsibilities that are being devolved from the district authority to the voluntary sector – us! As ever, we commit to spending the precept carefully; making every penny count.”

Mark Rosher went on to congratulate and thank the Village Plan Steering Group who worked so hard to produce the document. He reported that “the document will be a key ingredient in future reports which will themselves guide how our village responds to the demands facing it, from government, from developers, and from us.”

The burial ground had its first anniversary at the spring equinox. Mark reported: “I think I can safely say the project has proved its worth and it was good to hear we were within budget and on target to be self liquidating by 2017. As the weather improves do take yourselves up there and see what it looks like. Take in the view across the village to the Cotswolds beyond. Watch out as our non-human residents start to make themselves known, and as the wild flowers push up again from the meadow area.”

Next Copy Date – 6 July 2013

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

3

Corner Little Bristol Lane/Wotton Road

In the January issue, we reported that 3 of the 5 dwellings were up, and all was on target for completion/handover to Knightstone Housing by the end of March. That was the plan. In copy date week, we have spoken with Dalton Cullen, Contracts Manager with Markey Construction, and are indebted to him for his update on the site.

The 5 dwellings are built, but the handover of the site will be delayed for approximately a further 8 weeks. The problem has been reaching agreement with the local authority regarding the design detail of the retaining wall for the Wotton Road/ pedestrian footway/ Railway Bridge.

Markey Construction has been between a rock and a hard place. It would have been preferable to get the retaining wall agreed/constructed before the houses were built, but that wasn't possible due to a timed contract; thus the first three homes were built, postponing the two homes nearest Wotton Road to allow working room for the retaining wall. Time ticked by without a design agreement for the highway engineering works, and so the remaining two units were built. You will have seen how close to the road the end unit is. It will be a tight squeeze to get the retaining wall built. When the final retaining wall is in situ, there will be a metre space between the wall and the corner of the house

The temporary shoring of the road is being monitored daily; you will have seen the sheet piles and the earthworks.

There will of course be traffic disruption while the retaining wall is constructed. From approximately mid week 9/10 April (subject to final issues being agreed with South Glos Council Highways), for about one week, there will be single file traffic over the bridge with three way traffic light control between the hours of 9am and 4pm. The construction will cover the pedestrian footway so traffic will be stopped completely to allow pedestrians to cross the bridge; the traffic lights will therefore be manned, not left on automatic. Markey Construction would like to apologise for any disruption this temporary traffic control may cause.

The theft six weeks ago of 3 newly installed gas heating boilers from the site has led to overnight security being provided.

We will have one week of road closure, a further week of work to the retaining wall, then the hard landscaping of the dwellings … all being well, completion in 8 weeks (end May?).

To the layperson, ie not a structural or highways engineer, or developer, or planning officer, or S Glos councillor serving on a planning committee, or a building regs officer, it is very difficult to see how this development was allowed to progress as it has – given the overshadowed situation of the house nearest the Wotton Road, the threat to the integrity of the Wotton Road, and problems with construction – let alone all the concerns raised by villagers at the planning appeal stage (only time will tell if they prove well founded or not). Some of us are left scratching our heads in wonder.

And they want to relax planning procedures. Go figure.

We thought you might like to know what happens with the 5 houses on the site when they are eventually ready.

We are grateful to Mr Mike Day, Director for Development and Homeownership, Arcadia Housing/Knightstone, who explained as follows:

4Knightstone is developing five new homes on Little Bristol Lane in Charfield. There'll be three two bedroom, four person homes and two three bedroom, five person homes. These will all be available to rent.

All the homes will be advertised through South Glos Council's HomeChoice system at www.####.southglos.gov.uk and the properties will be allocated to the applicants in the highest band. To be considered for one of these homes you must have registered with HomeChoice and have a valid application number.

If you're not registered and would like to be considered, you can register on the same website or phone 01454 86xxxx for more information. It can take up to two weeks for your registration to be made live, so if you're interested you need to register now or you may not be able to bid when the properties are advertised.

Following on from the interest shown at the Launch of the Charfield Parish Plan in walking, public rights of way (PROW) and establishing new footpaths/cycle routes, a meeting is taking place in the Memorial Hall early in April to work out a way forward. If you are interested in any PROW topics and would like to join a focus group please contact Steve Hake on 01454 26xxxx

Update on the closure of OCH8
This is the footpath which goes across the Railway track at the Pin Mills end of the Farm Lees Estate.

This has been closed now for over ½ year. A map showing the proposals to move it is printed alongside the closure notices at either end of the footpath. Apparently there were objections to the proposal and it was referred to the Secretary of State (SoS). He has written to the objectors who have another month to reply. South Gloucestershire Council then have an opportunity to comment and then the SoS's inspector will make a decision. It is probable that this will not be concluded before July or August this year.

Are you a voluntary group working in South Gloucestershire? Do you serve your local community to make their lives better? And would a small grant from South Gloucestershire Council help you do it?

All our grants are designed for volunteer groups that want to develop projects and provide activities that meet local needs. They can include art and culture, children and play, community safety, developing communities, enhancing the natural and built environment, learning activities, promoting equality and tackling poverty, sports, and supporting vulnerable people.

Our Capital Grants have no lower limit and you can apply for up to £3000 (Severn Vale area has no maximum).

If you would like to apply for funding, applications can be made from Monday 29 April 2013. You have 6 weeks to apply (closing date is 10 June 2013), and we can help you every step of the way.

Applications are made online at the Council's website. Visit and bookmark the page now.

More information?

Grants Helpline/support 01454-86xxxx Paula Meek

Grants Officer 01454-86xxxx Phil Maswera

Email xxxx @ southglos.gov.uk

5

Launch Day Report and Implementing the Plan

Every household has now received The Charfield Village Plan 2013 Summary document. The action plan now needs implementing.

We would like to thank everyone that came along to support our launch event and the Memorial Hall committee for their help to provide refreshments at the event. For those of you unable to attend, the hall was set up with several information tables with experts on hand to answer the public's questions.

Clearly many of the actions arising from the plan will be within the remit of existing organisations but some will need new groups setting up.

The form below was provided to allow people to register an interest in the listed topics. Contact details were collected so that like-minded individuals could be introduced and new working groups initiated.

There was significant interest in starting a “Charfield in Bloom” committee and many people registered an interest in allotments. The new Youth Group and Charfield Tennis Club also attracted new members. We also had some interest in a Scrabble Club, Table Tennis Club and Women's Institute.

We would like to encourage you to get involved in the new initiatives. If you would like to start a new group you could put an article in CHADRA or post a message on the forum on charfield.org.

There are many grants available for new groups and we could help to point you in the right direction to access the right funding. For more information on any of the topics listed above please contact the Clerk to Charfield Parish Council on clerk @ charfieldparishcouncil.org.uk or xxxx @ gmail.com

Now that the Charfield Village Plan is live, the Steering Group will carry on in an advisory and monitoring capacity, to help set up new local groups and to follow up the appropriate actions taken to achieve the key points of the Plan

Charfield Village Plan Steering Group

6

Sunday 12th May 2013

Looking for an incentive to get a bit fitter and to raise some money for local cancer charities?

Lisa Wiles and Angie Hill are organising 5 and 3 mile circular walks around Charfield, and a 10 mile walk Charfield, Nibley, Wotton and Kingswood to raise money for local cancer charities who have helped families in the village cope with the effects of cancer. More details re the route and events on the day can found on www.Charfield.org.

The first walk starts at 11.00 and there will be events in the hall throughout the day, including stalls selling things you never knew you needed and a raffle with some stunning prizes including £100 cash, tea at Thornbury Castle, a Jo Probert original and £100 worth of Texaco vouchers.

Registration forms are available from Steve's Shop or email: xxxx @ btinternet.com

[Graphic: Walking feet]

[Graphic]

From April there are some new services available at Charfield Memorial Hall, in both the Main Hall and in the Sportsman's Lounge. These have been supplied with support from Charfield Parish Council and are available to our hirers through the Bookings Secretary.
These include:

• Projector that links to your laptop enabling presentations to be shown on-screen
• Large Pull down screens in Main Hall & Sportsmans Lounge
• Internet access via a powerful “Mi-Fi” gadget – great for meetings, live access during presentations etc

The additional cost of using any of these facilities is just £5 per hour (on top of room hire) and an additional Deposit Bond of £100 will be payable for safe return of the equipment after a booking. (This Deposit Bond will then be destroyed as with current Bond cheques)

This offers a range of additional meeting facilities and it is hoped that new groups and organisations will use the facilities for talks and presentations.

For details or to book please contact Sue Simmons on 07530 31xxxx or by email to xxxx @ charfield.org

7

The circular walk along Little Bristol Lane to Devil's Lane, on to Churchend Lane and down Charfield Hill (Wotton Road) is just about perfect for a stroll or indeed a fitness/weight loss yomp at pace. The exact length depends on your route through the village at the beginning and end, but for me it's 2.9 miles – just a nice distance to get some fresh air in your lungs and get rid of the cobwebs.

[Photo]

If we leave aside the odd pothole and bit of mud and muck, or drainage water pouring down Devil's Lane or across the footway down Charfield Hill, it is usable in all weathers when the field walks are nigh impossible and quagmire-ish.

There are enough slopes and dips to get your cardio-vascular workout – but it's all manageable if you want to take it steadily. If you want to up the ante, try walking briskly up Devil's Lane towards Newhouse Farm entrance whilst talking incessantly! If you are on your own, then sing – you seem less like a mad person.

[Photo]

The views are stunning; you can stop at the Church for a visit. Check out where the village pound is. Visit the new burial ground. And the old one for that matter, with the railway disaster memorial. You can walk the route clockwise or anti-clockwise to ring the changes. There is usually plenty of birdlife to watch, and farm animals to admire.

Do watch out and listen for traffic, and take care while crossing the Wotton Road at the top of the hill – a new bit of concrete path has been installed recently to help you (but I still find it safer to cross using the bollard ‘refuge’ at the junction).

So it's not too short, not too long, just right. Not too flat, not too hilly, just right.
Perfect for any Goldilocks.

Julia O'Connor-Beach

The Mobile Library is a free service that runs across South Gloucestershire. It runs to a fortnightly timetable and you can get on at any stop. A range of popular Fiction and Non Fiction titles are always in stock plus Large Print & Children's books. If we don't have the author or subject you require on board it can be reserved for free to be collected next visit. We also stock Talking Books (in both CD & Cassette format), Jigsaws and a selection of films & TV shows on DVD.

You can use the Mobile Library service even if you also use another library so South Gloucestershire library cards or Active Cards are valid on board.

The Mobile Library is equipped with a lift for people with mobility problems.

Details of all the routes and dates are available from any South Gloucestershire Library or at www.southglos.gov.uk/libraries or by phoning 01454 86xxxx. The next few dates for a visit in Charfield is April 10 and 24, and May 8 and 22, visiting Station Approach 2–2.15pm and Charfield Green 2.20–2.35

8

FOR MEMBERS OLD & NEW

Saturday 27 April 2013
Doors open 7.00, starts 7.30 at CHARFIELD MEMORIAL HALL

• FREE BUFFET
• RAFFLE & BAR AVAILABLE
• EXTRA £50 CASH PRIZE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE PAID FOR 2013–2014 ON OR BEFORE THE NIGHT
• ENTERTAINMENT

Please book buffet in advance by contacting Margaret or Liam (01454 26xxxx or 01453 29xxxx).
THIS EVENT IS IN AID OF THE MEMORIAL HALL Registered Charity number 301482

Charfield Memorial Hall's 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 one of several cash prizes (from £10–£25) every month, with a bonus prize of £50 every quarter. All monies raised contribute to the upkeep of the village hall.

On 27th April at 7.30pm we are hosting an event (at the Hall) to re-launch the 200 club for another year! This event is an opportunity for us, as the committee to say a MASSIVE thank you to all the current members and welcome those of you in the village who would like to join.

EVERYONE WHO PAYS THE FULL £12 ON OR BEFORE THE NIGHT WILL BE ENTERED INTO A SPECIAL PRIZE DRAW TO WIN £50!!

For all those who attend there will be a free supper, the bar will be open, there will be a raffle and entertainment.

For catering purposes we need to know numbers so if you would like to come along or you would like information on how to pay before the night please contact either Margaret on 01454 26xxxx or Liam on 01453 29xxxx.

For YOUR chance to win some cash prizes come along!

Winners last quarter:

January
£25 – 132 – Julie James
£10 – 294 – L. Salter
£10 – 222 – A. Carter
£10 – 136 – Ken Screen
February
£25 – 101 – S. Kerner
£10 – 280 – M. Gargett
£10 – 125 – John Russell
£10 – 103 – M. Wilmot
March
£50 – 211 – B Kane
£25 – 127 – J Crowfoot
£10 – 200 – S Hutchings
£10 – 227 – P Beresford
£10 – 115 – D Kingscote

South Gloucestershire police want your help to try to track down stolen car number plates.

Community Safety Inspector Gerry Treacy said: “Thieves steal the number plates of law-abiding motorists and use them to try to avoid detection when committing other crimes.

“Since January 1 this year 48 plates have been reported stolen across the Avon and Somerset policing area – eight in South 9Gloucestershire. If you come across abandoned number plates, whether they are broken or even if they look like they have fallen off, give us a call on 101. We'll ask for the registration details and when and where you found it.”

Neighbourhood teams have been helping local motorists prevent this sort of theft by holding special events at supermarkets and DIY stores, swapping standard number plate fittings with security screws. Insp Treacy added: “It's important to tell us if your number plates are stolen, otherwise if your registration details come up as part of our enquiries into a crime we could be knocking on your door.”

Do you live alone and find yourself at a loose end on a Sunday afternoon, without family and friends to call in?

How about joining one of the 2 local Contact the Elderly groups?

Once a month, on a Sunday afternoon, our groups meet for tea, cake, and most importantly chat and laughter. It's for Men & Women! Most of our guests are unable to get out & about easily on their own. We have lovely volunteer drivers who collect our older guests and together go to that month's host's home to join the other guests and volunteers for a couple of hours. The volunteer drivers then make sure you get home safely again. It's a great way to brighten up a lonely afternoon. Whilst our volunteer hosts and drivers are all ages, our guests are 75+ so there are always lots of stories to share. There are no charges involved and you don't have to host or drive – we have lovely volunteers to do that.

Please get in touch with Helen on 0117 960 xxxx or Sarah on 07773 71xxxx email contact-the-elderly.org.uk xxxx @ contact-the-elderly.org.uk

Coming soon after complete refurbishment!

Our Youth Cafe will start off with the following fun activities:

– Arts and crafts
– Jewellery making
– Movie nights
– Milkshakes/Pizza/Snacks/Paninis
– Discussion topics
– Homework club
– Wii Games

Please look out for posters around Charfield, as further information on dates and times will be published in due course.

We would love your ideas too so please do get in touch. If you require any further information, please contact April on 01453 845679 or e-mail at xxxx @ hotmail.co.uk

Well 2013 has certainly started on an “interesting” note at the hall. We had a pretty serious break in at the hall in the middle of February. Two intruders broke into the rear of the building – looking for cash it appears. Fortunately they were disappointed as we NEVER keep any cash on the premises! Thanks to our alarm system & the prompt response of the police, the two offenders were arrested that same night – one actually still inside the hall – and later charged, convicted and sent to prison. Damage however was extensive inside the hall, with a number of internal doors smashed as well as damage to the fire exit door forced open to gain the original access. The costs for the repairs will run to many thousands of pounds and although this will be mostly covered by the hall's insurance, there will be knock on effects of increased premiums etc. My thanks to 10the hall staff, committee members and users who all worked hard to have the hall functioning again within 24 hours.

On a much more positive note, the hall is already benefiting from the Village Plan. Over 97% of respondents listed the hall & playing field as important or very important! More importantly over 75% of respondents were in favour of a small increase to the council tax precept (charged by the Parish Council) specifically to support improvements to the hall. Thanks to this overwhelming support the Parish Council have implemented this increase for this year and the money will directly assist the trustees in improving the hall facilities for ALL users. As part of this we are currently developing what, we hope, will become a rolling 2 year improvement plan. This will allow us to prioritise improvements – as and when funds allow. If you have any ideas or suggestions for improvements, feel free to contact us. We cannot promise to implement every idea but we do promise to consider each suggestion appropriately.

The hall trustees also hope to be able to use the Village Plan data to support bigger and more wide ranging grant applications. Often these will only be successful if you have the detailed evidence to show that, in our case, the hall is deemed important to the village as a whole. We have that data now so I am hopeful of securing more significant grant funding in the near future. This will be vital if we are to improve and modernise the hall as both users and legislation demand.

Perhaps you would like to help implement the hall improvement plan and we would be delighted to hear from you if that is the case. A perfect forum for this will be the Hall AGM. This will be held on Thursday 9th May at 7.30pm in the Sportsman's Lounge. Please come along, hear about our on-going plans, meet the trustees and perhaps sign up to join the committee and drive your village's only independent community facility forward.

Another recent plus for the hall, and another service that we can now provide, is internet access. Thanks to a grant obtained by the Parish Council, the hall now has a projector, drop down screens in both sides of the hall and Mi-Fi (a wireless router for appropriate mobile devices). To use these facilities please make a booking.

Fundraising remains key at the hall. Indeed it is what keeps the hall open. We raised a net £6,500 last year which is always critical in operating and maintaining both the hall & field. Later this month we intend to re-launch the 200 Club, starting with a thank you evening at the hall for all current & prospective members – if you are currently in the 200 Club you should have received a personal invitation but please see the separate advert for this event elsewhere in CHADRA.

As the better weather & lighter evenings approach, I hope the field will become busy with villagers enjoying themselves and I look forward to seeing you at the hall at one of our forthcoming events in the near future. Thank you.

Tim Hill, Chair

Wotton Arts Associations preparations are well in hand for this year's Festival which will take place on 20th April and 25th April to 5th May.

To kick off the Festival St George's Day will be celebrated at the Town Hall with a dragon workshop for children, Mummers, folk music, and coffee and cakes. Wotton Silver Band will give a concert in St Mary's Church in the evening. The Band will also perform the final event of the 11Festival on Wotton Hill on May Day morning.

In between these two traditional celebrations will be a variety of events to appeal to all. The Festival Art Exhibition in the Civic Centre will give local artists an opportunity to display their work. The Lea Singers choir from Harpenden will perform a choral concert Haydn's Nelson Mass and the Duruflé Requiem, with organ accompaniment on the first Saturday and also sing at the Festival Service in St Mary's the following morning.

The varied programme includes a talk on medieval paintings in Gloucestershire, a French film to mark 100 years of cinema in Wotton, a poetry evening, “Turning the Tables” with local celebrities Ali Vowles and Rob Collins talking to Philip Taubenheim about their choice of music, and an evening of folk music with Dead Dog Cider. The Bristol Ensemble will give the Festival Concert with Erin White, a local violinist studying at the Royal College of Music, as a guest artist.

Tickets are on sale at the Cotswold Book Room.

Look for more details www.wottonartsfestival.org.uk or phone 01453 83xxxx for more details

Take a walk on the wild side this summer.

I am feeling positive, warmer weather is just around the corner. With that in mind I like to start planning outdoor activities. We have some lovely sites and places right here on our doorstep such as Lower Woods nature reserve, the beautiful bluebells in the woods at Damery, and Charfield Meadow local wildlife site.

Having lived in Charfield for 30+ years I am ashamed to say I was not aware of the meadow: so for anyone like me or for those of you new to Charfield, read on.

LOCATION
Map ref ST 717 937, covering an area of 0.97 hectares. From the Wotton Road turn by Mike's garage into New Street. Follow the road to the end at the crossroads by Chappell & Dix go straight on. Just before you get to the railway bridge the meadow is on the left.

HISTORY
The area was created in 1844 during construction of the railway. British Rail sold the land to Avon Wildlife Trust (AWT) in 1988. The land has not been ploughed or sprayed with any insecticides, as far as anyone knows, since its creation. It is probably this fact that has gained its reputation as being a flower rich meadow.

THE LAND
The site consists of unimproved grassland, scrub/emergent woodland, a wooded bank, natural pond, ditch and a marshy area. The pond and marshy area take the run off from the railway slope and so remain wet for most of the year.

BEST TIME TO VISIT
From now to August are the best months to visit, with early spring flowers such as cowslips and forget-me-nots. As the year progresses you will see betony, dyers greenweed, saw wort and ragged robin to name but a few. There are also many species of butterflies to be seen such as orange tips, brimstones, ringlets and meadow browns.

MANAGEMENT OF THE SITE
Avon Wildlife Trust look after the site with a band of volunteers (wildlife action group). Last February they were working on scrub removal in order to promote the expansion of species rich grassland and promote the habitat for wildlife.

I am no good at recognising one species of wildlife from another, but the meadow does sound idyllic and worthy of a visit. It 12will need to warm up considerably though before I venture out.

For various reasons, there's renewed interest in growing vegetables. The survey for the Village Plan showed some requests for allotments in Charfield. So, what crops are worth growing and when should we sow them? I'm very much an amateur, but I've been growing vegetables since Jean and I had our first garden in Yate in 1965. I've also kept records and produced a list to remind me of the earliest dates to sow. Those dates are only a guide and sowing has to be delayed when the ground is too cold, like this year. There's no need to panic: a month's delay in sowing may well mean that the crop is only a week later than usual.

The first seed I sow outdoors is for broad beans. If conditions are right, they can be sown in late February and will produce a crop at the end of June. This year I sowed them on 13th March, since when it has been so cold that I probably wasted my time. Never mind, a sowing by the end of April will be fine. My earliest date for carrots is 22nd March. Again, that was unrealistic this year. Hopefully the ground will warm up sufficiently sometime in April. This could be helped by placing some cloches or polythene on the row a week or two in advance of sowing. I have a lot of seeds listed for 2nd April. I usually sow most of these, such as lettuce, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and curly kale, in containers under a cloche close to the house to be planted in the ground later. Crops for direct sowing will be perpetual spinach and early peas. Last year I sowed both of those on 12th April and both failed! I blamed the wet and cold weather. I sow beetroot around the middle of April. Last year it germinated and then failed completely. This is beginning to sound like a lesson in what not to do! I may sow some beetroot in cells under a cloche and plant it out later: I have tried this before and it does work.

Although my earliest date for main crop peas is 23rd April, I didn't sow them until 20th May last year and they did fairly well despite the lack of sunshine. Around the middle of April is the time to sow some of the really useful and productive crops, starting them off indoors. Last year I sowed courgettes on 12th April and runner beans and climbing French beans on 24th April. They were subsequently hardened off outside and planted in late May when the danger of frost had gone. There are three reasons why I always start these off in a protected environment rather than in the ground: it thwarts the mice which like the seeds, I can be sure of germination, and planting out can be delayed if there is a likelihood of late frosts.

A succession of salad vegetables can be achieved by sowing at intervals or sowing varieties that take different lengths of time to mature. Small amounts of lettuce sown at intervals of perhaps a fortnight will be much more useful than a big sowing. On the backs of most seed packets you can find guidance on when to sow the particular variety of vegetable. Then factor-in the conditions and don't sow too early in the year. Have a fruitful year.

John Acton

It's time again to have a roundup of what has been going on, and report some of the issues that are having an effect on us from the local government aspect.

Firstly I am pleased to report that the Severn Vale Area Forum on 6th March was an outstanding success for Charfield.

Many of the Charfield groups including the Out of School Club, the Amateur 13Dramatics Society, the Pre-School and the Junior Football Club applied for the small grants on offer and all were successful. To build on this success the Parish Council and The Memorial Hall made applications for the New Homes Bonus which were also agreed. This funding will help to give these much valued village assets a boost and help with the aspirations of the groups.

Highways matters: you may recall that I mentioned in the last issue that I was hoping to bring forward pedestrian issues at the New Street/ Wotton Road junction at the Forum, unfortunately the Decide and Assess team at the Highways Department failed to assess the work in time for the Forum. This is probably the most important highways issue in Charfield with young people crossing this road at the busiest time of the day to catch school busses; I am hoping that we can introduce some interim measures until we find a permanent solution for the safety of pedestrians in this area.

A further problem in this area is vehicles parking on the footpath whilst visiting the service station and obstructing the view of traffic attempting to exit New Street. This is a situation that is impossible for the garage staff to control and I have asked the Council to devise a solution to this problem, the solution will be to raise the kerb on the roadside to prevent parking on the footpath.

The roundabout: we have tried to make this area safer for pedestrians with the new footpath. The roundabout you may remember was constructed by CEMEX as part of their planning agreement for extra traffic movements from the quarry. I felt that they should be making further modifications to the roundabout particularly where the outer kerb stones were breaking up and the part they did complete looked less than professional, unfortunately the roundabout has now been adopted by the Council and any further work will be done as routine maintenance.

Superfast Broadband: not much to report on this at the moment other than that surveying is expected to begin in the autumn with the first exchanges enabled with fibre going live in the spring of 2014; unfortunately we do not know where we will be in the survey package only that it will be a mix of urban and rural. It is anticipated that 94% of premises will be able to access superfast broadband i.e. over 24 mbps with all premises to have access to a minimum speed of 2 mbps.

Some of the other items that are current are: the supported bus consultation, much of the public transport is subsidised and this is under review. This will affect the 84 and the 309 routes, whilst we are trying to ensure the service continues if you are a user of this service please respond to the online consultation. The waste strategy is also out to consultation at this time, the part that will be prominent to most is that there is a proposal to charge £36 pounds a year for emptying the green bins to save money. There will be the opportunity to give it up or share with neighbours to reduce the cost, currently Bristol City Council charge £50 per year, once again feel free to have your say on the online consultation.

With an ageing population, wouldn't it be nice if communities could be aware of not only family members but our neighbours and fellow community members. Charfield is thriving and ever developing but there are those who with disability, ill health or reduced confidence may find it difficult to leave their homes to socialise or cook a hot meal which adequately meets their nutritional requirements.

14The winter ‘buddy’ meal scheme aims to support existing schemes such as Wiltshire farm foods BUT not replace them. There are many families in the village who have a ‘fantastic’ cook in the household. If you are anything like myself, there is nearly always surplus to requirements. This does not get wasted, it may get frozen, soup is always a good fall back for left over vegetables but often we may just eat ‘a little too much!’

This extra portion would easily be utilized in the Winter Buddy Scheme! It would provide a home cooked meal to an individual who would otherwise not have a hot meal.

Initially the scheme would run over the winter months but may extend depending on its success. Like all schemes, there has to be a demand for the need and for logistical reasons there will be criteria to access the scheme (although this will hopefully be kept to a minimum and if at all possible, nobody will be refused).

The Proposal:
Are you elderly and living on your own?
Do you often find it difficult to provide yourself with a hot meal?
Have you a pending hospital stay/ operation and require a period of convalescing where cooking would be difficult?
Are your usual carers going away and a hot meal would be welcome for a few days?

Volunteers:
Would you be prepared to cook and supply a family meal portion to the scheme on a weekly basis?
Would you be willing to cook and deliver to a neighbour in Charfield?
Do you know anybody who would benefit from the scheme?

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!
For more information please contact
Julie Phipps 01454 26xxxx
Julie Packham 01454 26xxxx

And what a leap! From singing in Charfield School Hall to singing in the Colston Hall.

That famous quote came to my mind as I stood on the Colston Hall Stage on Sunday March 24th, just as I, along with many others, began to sing the Mahler 8th symphony in front of 1300 people. What had started as a relatively low key event, the Charfield Big Sing, escalated to one of the scariest moments of my singing life!

It all began when I saw the advert for the Charfield Big Sing last year. The piece of music was The Hallelujah Chorus, with which I was familiar, if not rusty. I had been in a small choir previously and thought it would be good to sharpen up my tonsils and return to singing. I had completely forgotten how wonderful singing is.

We turned up at the first session excited and apprehensive, but nervous at the thought of the task ahead. We need not have worried, as we were very quickly made welcome and although no sorting hat was present our leader, Dr Steven Kings, soon helped us to find our respective parts and we settled down to sing. And sing we all did, getting better and better and more confident as the session went by.

We had such fun in our small school hall, culminating in the final performance two weeks later. Led by the best conductor, by the end of the sessions we were all singing our hearts out, whatever our standard. Thornbury Choral Society provided brilliant singing support and delicious coffee and cakes for us all.

It was the best feel good factor ever, and anyone can have a go. As Tom Gauterin, our conductor for the Mahler 8th said at 15the end of the dress rehearsal: ‘Enjoy tonight, it's going to be the best fun you have this year without taking your clothes off’. And, do you know what, he was right. It was challenging, scary and very moving, and by the end of it I was in tears, proud to have been able to have been part of such a wonderful evening.

So … to anyone out there who didn't try the Charfield Big Sing last time for whatever reason, my advice would be to give it a go next time around, you never know where it will lead you …

Linda Felton

Hello, Happy Springtime to you all. Well another incident in our family. I had the laptop all ready, in January, to do my bit and thought I'd phone my Mum first. A few minutes later I'm on the M4.

My Mum had tripped on one of London's dodgy pavements. When I phoned she was a bit cagey and didn't want to tell me as we had just taken her back after Christmas. Eventually, eking out of her news of a swollen wrist and black eye it didn't take me too long to decide.

OK this is where the event, despite not the most welcome, takes a wondrous turn. Mum was on her way to pick up her prescription from the chemist when she had the tumble, outside a petrol station. As she reported later, a really charming chap stopped to help. He offered to drive to her home but Mum felt she ought to go to A&E as her arm and wrist were swollen. The man took her to the nearest hospital and they obviously chatted on the way. He offered to wait, but Mum said she'd be alright. He had business to attend to so, ensuring she was in good hands, he went on his way.

When I got to Mum's she was a bit distressed that she may not have thanked the gentleman enough. She disclosed that all she knew was that his name was Nigel, he lived at Notting Hill AND he was a painter and SCULPTOR! I phoned our Sophie and she googled the information, bearing in mind we didn't have his surname. Next thing she's reading about a Nigel Hall who is one of and I quote, the greatest names in British Contemporary Art. Also a member of the Royal Academy of Art and one of Britain's most eminent practising artists. Wow, how about that. Mum said, “Well he did have a swanky car.” Also, he loved visiting Switzerland. “Oh yes,” said Mum, “he's just come back from there. It's very inspiring.”

The following Monday, Sophie contacted the RA, explained all and was given an e-mail address to the PA of the artists. Apparently they would be meeting up the following Friday at Windsor Castle. On the Saturday morning, Sophie had a phone call from the man himself. Yes, it was he who helped my Mum. He was delighted to be contacted by her granddaughter and could not believe that he was traced on such little information. “Oh the internet's a wonderful thing,” said Sophie. “Never use it,” he responded. He too was delighted to be contacted, as he had wondered how Mum was.

So dear folks, I may have missed my last bit, but what a story I've got for you this time.

Best wishes, Maz

It certainly doesn't seem like three months have passed since the last edition of CHADRA was being written in the dark days of January! The children are beginning to enjoy playing outside, although it continues to be rather chilly. Hopefully Spring is now on its way (at last!)

16We would like to say a warm welcome to Lorraine, our new level 3 play worker who has recently joined the club. Our other three new starters have also settled in well since joining the club in the New Year.

Bookings will soon be taken for the May half term, so if you need holiday childcare or even if your children would simply like to play in a structured and caring environment, please contact the club for a booking form.

We have also been busy fundraising. The Committee organised a jumble sale and ragbags in January that raised £290, so thank you to everyone who supported this event. We received a grant from South Gloucestershire Council of £500, which we will be putting towards new chairs and tables. The Club also held an Easter raffle, which raised enough money to buy a second hand Wii, and we bought a Playstation 3 for the children instead of Easter eggs.

The Committee would also like to say a big thank you to Wotton Accountancy Associates Limited for their excellent service and continued support with the preparation of the club's financial statements. Their assistance is invaluable to our community driven non-profit making organisation.

If there are any volunteers in 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.

Don't forget our club is open to all children attending school up to the age of 13. During term time we are open from 07:30 until the start of school and after school until 18:00. During holidays and In Service Training days we are open from 07:30 to 18:00. Check out the school website for more details www.charfieldschool.org.uk and follow the links. Please give it a go, we are sure your children will enjoy it and you will be impressed!

The Out of School Club Committee

Hello from The Friends! Although this should be my Spring report it feels more like Winter as I look at the snow falling outside along with the howling easterly gales!

Following a busy winter period The Friends are getting ready for a busy period of fund raising during the Spring/Summer period. We are currently planning two events, although at the time of writing this article I cannot give you the exact dates (sorry!). The first event will be one of our ever popular Cinema Evenings at school which are always well attended and supported.

The other event we are looking to organise is a summer party event to replace the usual May Fair – the committee felt it was time to try something new and a bit different so watch this space for an exciting event being planned for the mid/end of June! There will be lots going on so we hope to see as many of you there as possible. As with every event, we are reliant on the hard work and enthusiasm of volunteers and we are also pleased to hear from anyone who might be able to help, if you are reading this and are able to lend some help to The Friends it really would be greatly appreciated – we really would love to hear from you!

As well as helping to fund the various requests received from the school, The 17Friends are looking to support the funding of the second stage of the replacement of the centre section of the school's adventure playground equipment.

In addition to the funds raised at the various events run by The Friends we have also been fortunate to receive a community grant in the form of a Matched Giving grant in the sum of £400.00 generously donated by National Grid. On behalf of The Friends I would like to say a huge THANK YOU. These grants will help immensely in enabling The Friends to fund larger projects such as the adventure playground.

Whilst I appreciate we are experiencing tough times, if you work for a company that runs such a scheme and are stuck for a worthwhile cause to support then please do get in touch!

In my previous articles I mentioned that The Friends now have an Easy Fund Raising Account set up and am delighted to announce that, to date, we have raised a total of £650.00 which is fantastic news! Thank you to all of you who supported The Friends using this initiative, we very much hope that you continue to do so. If you have not used it yet, please do visit our dedicated link at www.easyfundraising.co.uk/ friendsofcharfieldschool, whether you are booking a holiday, a day out or even changing your broadband provider!

If you are reading this and want to get involved in The Friends then it could not be easier! Come along to the next committee meeting, 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!

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

We are preparing for another busy term jam packed with a variety of activities, including visits from our local vet, dentist and fire brigade! In particular, our Rising 5's (those preparing to go to Primary School in September) have a full programme which includes P.E. lessons, visits to the Primary School of their choice, and a trip to St Augustine's Farm at Arlingham.

Following the overwhelming success of our trial session with the song and drama workshop, Petite Academy, we have decided to book them for another eight sessions over the next two terms. We feel that the visible benefits and enjoyment by the children were so big that we are spending some of our hard-earned fundraising money on funding these sessions. We are confident that the children will get a huge amount out of each and every workshop.

In response to some of the feedback received from our Parent Questionnaires in January, we are delighted to launch our new blogsite http://####.blogspot.co.uk. We will use this site to publish some of our key activities and events on a regular basis. To start with our parents will receive a regular link to our Weekly Activity Plan. This will give them a better feel for the sort of free-flow activities that their children can expect to enjoy on each day of the week that they attend Pre-School.

18From a housekeeping point of view, we are hoping to make progress on some new flooring to replace the old carpet tiles which are now very degraded. In addition, we are working closely with the Out of School Club to put in place some new display boards and new tables and chairs, so our shared room will have a long-overdue facelift!

We are thrilled to have been awarded a £1,000 grant from South Gloucestershire Council to recruit a new “Gardening Teacher” for the next 12 months. Sarah Wilcox is already a member of our bank staff and is a gardening expert. Starting in April, she will be attending regular weekly sessions to re-engage our children in the joys of digging, sowing, growing, and harvesting! She will transform our three raised garden beds into productive areas for fruit, vegetables and flowers. The children's practical experience outdoors will be reinforced indoors through new teaching materials. Sarah will also set up our new “Mud Kitchen” for more playful outdoor activities.

Still on the subject of fundraising, we would like to thank everyone who supported our ‘Wild West’ Quiz Night in February. We raised an amazing £360, and everyone had a great time. Huge thanks to our phenomenal quizmaster Jon Godfrey, and to our super-talented head chef Adam Sydney (ably assisted by Dave Ashby in the kitchen!!). Thanks also to all our committee members who helped out on the night to make this such a success … next year's event is already in the planning, so watch this space!

Finally, huge thanks to everyone who donated their old CDs and DVDs for our February campaign, and special thanks to Steve's Shop and Charfield Post Office for being our collection points. We are still waiting for the final tally, but we expect to have raised over £100, which will go towards new toys and equipment.

Best wishes for a long over-due Spring!
Karen Stainthorpe
Chair

[Graphic: Charfield Junior Football Club]

2 CUP FINALS!

Hello again from the Village's Junior Football Club. As we enter the seventh month of the football season I am pleased to be able to report that we have two teams in cup finals in the next month or so. On 28th April the Under 16s play Wotton Rovers at Forest Green's New Lawn ground (5.00 pm kick-off) and on 4th May our Under 11 Charfield Blues team play Rodborough Reds at Slimbridge FC. We do not know the kick-off time for that game yet but if you would like to attend either game and cheer the teams on you would be more than welcome. If you are attending the U11 game please call me on the number at the end of this article and I will let you know the start time when it is published.

We currently have 7 teams; 2 at U8s, an U9 and U10 team, 2 at U11s and an U16 team. We also have some 6 year olds who come along for the training on either the Friday evening or Saturday mornings. Next season each team will move up a year and hopefully the youngsters will form a new U8 team.

Whilst each team have had their moments this season a special mention must go this time around to the U10s, managed by Andrew Hitchings, who did not win a game as U9s but as U10s have just won 6 games in a row one year further on.

A big Thank You goes out to the players parents, coaches and volunteers and club 19committee members, without your help none of this would be possible. As always 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 16s Manager

By the time you read this, we will be heading towards Ascension and Pentecost. We will have an early Eucharist on Ascension Day, 9 May, at 7 am and the Whit Sunday (Pentecost) service will be on 19 May at 9.30.

Another special service coming up will be the one at the old St James's church at Churchend to mark St James's Day. This will be held on Sunday 21 July at 11.30, followed by a picnic. We have a special altar frontal for St James's, worked (like the ones at St John's) by the late Kate Ramsay and it's a beautiful undersea scene on an aqua coloured silk background.

Other upcoming activities include the annual plant sale on 25 May, and a Fete and Garden party in the Rectory garden and church grounds from 11–3 on 15 June. There will be lots of fun activities for all the family, including games, stalls, raffle and a BBQ. Don't forget to put these two dates in your diary. We are also very grateful to the organisers of the March jumble sale, especially Allison Trueman and her family, who raised £830 for church funds. In addition to paying all costs associated with the fabric of the church, we also have to raise money to pay our share of the costs of our clergy, so all contributions to our ministry are definitely gratefully received!

We have finally had a new board produced with the names of all the Charfield clergy over a period of several hundred years and this should be installed by the time you read this. The signwriting was done by canal boat signwriters, to whom we are very grateful. We have now submitted a revised application to have a kitchen servery area installed in the church and hope to be able to install this in early summer. We are also in the process of having a new prayer board installed in the church porch. Once it is there, please do come and add your prayers for anyone who is currently in your thoughts.

Children and families are very welcome at all services and we have a range of games and toys at the back for those who are too young to pay attention for a whole hour – and don't worry if they make a bit of noise). As we are currently reviewing our pattern of services, keep an eye on the notice board for the latest details.

To the older members of our community, if you would like to attend a service but are unable to get yourself there, please do contact us and we will do our best to arrange transport for you. Also, the church's care extends far beyond Sunday services. If you would like any support or assistance from the church, don't hesitate to let us know and we'll always do our best to help, whether it's with something practical, or just a friendly face to provide support and company.

Don't forget the church is open every day for personal reflection and that there are books and the world's best jams and marmalades available too. I take my dogs in with me sometimes when out for a walk, and now they instinctively turn to walk up the church path when we go past. Little angels – sometimes!

Sue Thorn (PCC member)

20

1st Charfield Rainbows

The unit is now full, but if another adult (over 18) helper can be found, there will be more spaces. If you can spare an hour on a Monday, please contact Emma Taylor on Mobile: 0789192xxxx or xxxx @ hotmail.co.uk

2nd Charfield Brownies

Tuesday at Charfield Village Hall, for girls 7 years–10 years old.
Last term we did Rustle, Bustle and Squeak learning new things about the wildlife and plants in our area and celebrated Thinking Day and Easter. Next term we are working on our first aid badge, and have trips planned to Slimbridge WWT, Wotton Pool, grass sledging and a picnic at Deer Park.
There are some places available from September so if your daughter is nearly 7, contact Nicki for a place.
Leader Nicki Brain: mobile 0774311xxxx or xxxx @ msn.com

2nd Wotton Guides

Thursday 7.30pm–9pm at Charfield Memorial Hall (Summer Term) for girls 10 years–14 years old. We are working towards our performance badge which will culminate with our performance of “Where the Wild Guides Go” at Wotton Town Hall on April 20th 7.30pm. Tickets Adult £4 Children £2 available from Cathy 0778863xxxx.

Our last meeting of term was a visit by Clare from www.walks-with-hawks.co.uk, she brought a barn owl, a little owl and a small falcon. The girls all had the opportunity to hold all the birds, and watch the barn owl have its supper – a mouse.

Next term we are back at Charfield and hope the weather is good enough to take advantage of the playing fields too. We will practise putting our tents up for our camping trip in the summer, and will be looking at World Wide Guiding and self-image, ending with a trip to Cattle Country.

We are still in need of a couple more adults to help out so we can reduce our waiting list, if you could spare a couple of hours on a Thursday night, please contact: Sarah Cocker on xxxx @ hotmail.com
If you would like your daughter to join Girlguiding UK please contact the relevant leader, or go to http://www.girlguiding.org.uk /get Involved/register your daughter.

[Graphic: Safer & Stronger Community Groups]

Would you like to make your area a better place to live, work and play? Then why not get involved with your local Safer Stronger Community Group? It works with the Council, Town Council, Police, Fire & Rescue and Health Authority to do just that.

You can: come along to a meeting, go on-line at: http://####.southglos.gov.uk. call your Community Engagement Officer on 01454 86xxxx
email: xxxx @ southglos.gov.uk

The next meeting for Charfield, Cromhall and Tortworth:

Thursday 30th May 2013, 7.30 pm, Tortworth Estate Office

21

Serving postal codes BS32, BS34, BS35, BS36, GL12, GL13

Thornbury University of the Third Age continues to be a thriving group within the local community. The term “university” may appear a little misleading as there is no accreditation or validation and there are no assessments or qualifications to be gained. It is purely a self-help organisation for people no longer in full time employment that provides educational, creative and leisure opportunities in a very friendly environment. The annual subscription is £7.00 per person or £12.00 for two people at the same address. The majority of meetings are held during the day and some in the home of the group leader.

If anyone is looking for something to do in retirement, or semi-retirement, the U3A is a friendly, entertaining and supportive way to enjoy pursuing new activities or to continue with present ones. New members are always welcome, but new membership is now restricted to the post codes above.

Further details can be obtained from the Membership secretary, Tony Turnbull at 01454 61xxxx or xxxx @ cherry-lyn.demon.co.uk. Information can also be obtained from the website: www.thornburyu3a.org.uk

If you know your way around a score and would like to sing Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony in Tewkesbury Abbey in June, under the direction of Nigel Perrin and with the full forces of the Bristol Concert Orchestra, then please do join us! It will be a wonderful event and a huge amount of fun. Rehearsals are in either Thornbury or Stonehouse (take your choice or do both!) in June.

For more information, please visit sccg.info or phone Julia on 01454 26xxxx.

The event is organised by the South Cotswold Choral Group and is non-profit making.

Charfield Village Hall is looking for individuals or groups to enter our talent competition.

All ages and talents welcome from Charfield and surrounding villages.

There will be a massive 1st place prize of £150 for the winner, plus prize money for the 2 runners up! (prize money thanks to local business')

Auditions will be held on 1st June 2013. The grand final will be on the 29th June.
To apply please contact Liam at xxxx @ gmail.com or call 0794743xxxx

Following our AGM the CHADRA committee would like to extend a warm welcome to our two new members. Linda Felton has joined us as Secretary, and Alison White has joined as a Committee Member.

Our thanks go out to you both and we hope you will enjoy working with us.

22

[Graphic: The Royal British Legion]

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
WOTTON-under-EDGE (with SYNWELL)
KINGSWOOD, CHARFIELD, CROMHALL
BR3089

The Royal British Legion is the UK's leading Service charity. We provide practical care, advice and support to serving members of the Armed Forces, veterans of all ages and their families.

Cradle to grave, repatriation to vocational rehabilitation, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Wotton Branch (BR3089) has 32 members with an increasing average age of 69! (from 39 through to 96). 26 in Wotton and 6 in Charfield. Synwell, Kingswood and Cromhall are all unrepresented.

Charfield closed as a Branch some years ago due to falling membership and was absorbed into the Wotton branch. However, its identity, Branch BR 3028, has been retained to allow the Charfield Standard to be used, although use in any parade or outing now needs to be sanctioned by Wotton!

In 2012 Gloucestershire had 860 welfare cases, the 3 services needed £273,000 of funding at a net cost of £49,000 to the County.

23Continued involvement in global conflicts means our dependants ie those in our County, are younger than expected, 7%, are under 30, 8.5% are 30 to 39, 8% are 40 to 49.

We are part of THE SW MIDLANDS area based in Bristol. We will have 2 full time welfare officers to support the volunteers looking after those 860 cases. WE HAVE NO VOLUNTEERS IN THIS BRANCH TO DO THAT.

Supporting these people who have given so much is very rewarding; you will be amazed how grateful they are.

Please think about joining us to help those who have given so much.
Go on-line to http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/membership/being-a-member (putting Gloucestershire as your county), come to one of our meetings at The Star in Wotton on the third Thursday of the month at 11am or contact Richard Arnold on 01453 84xxxx.

[Graphic: Charfield Memorial Hall & Playing Fields]

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Thursday 9th May 2013
7:30 pm
Sportsmans Lounge

*VICE CHAIR AND GENERAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS NEEDED*

Please come along and get involved. Help keep this vital community facility going
This is a great opportunity to meet new people and contribute something to the community.
For more information please contact Tim Hill on 01454 26xxxx

Following on from the launch of the Village Plan afternoon, may I say what a good feeling there was throughout the afternoon. The buzz was tremendous and the steering committee should be commended for organising the event. I think people who attended found the afternoon beneficial and very informative.

Many thanks to you all,

Marion Smith (Charfield Transport Scheme Organiser)

24

It was brought to my notice at the Village Plan Launch afternoon that many residents were unaware that the Transport Scheme is there for everyone. You don't need to be a pensioner to use the service, anyone who has any sort of medical, optical, dental or physio appointments, and unable for whatever reason to get to them under their own steam, can use us

The confusion about the scheme has arisen because it used to be called Elderly & Housebound Transport Scheme, it is now simply Charfield Transport Scheme. If you are not sure, just give me a call on 01454 26xxxx, and we'll have a chat about how the scheme works and how we can help you.

The scheme was set up many years ago, and runs independently but under the umbrella of the Luncheon Club. The Luncheon club meet every 4 weeks at the Memorial Hall and have some spaces available. If you would like to know more about that ring Mrs Anne Goscombe on 01454 26xxxx.

And finally if there is anyone out there who would like to be a volunteer driver, I would love to hear from you.

Marion Smith
Transport Scheme Organiser

The development is well on target for the completion of 17 properties by the latter part of this year (2013).

The land to build the properties was purchased from the Charfield Chapel and ‘Woodstock Homes’ started the build project in September 2012 with the first completions in March of this year.

The properties at ‘Church Green’ comprise 9 four beds / 1 five bed / 2 three bed semi's. Several of the properties are already reserved.

There will also be five affordable homes:
1 three bed house, 2 two bed homes, plus 2 apartments, one of which will be offered on a shared scheme to purchase, with four of the affordable properties for rental through the Knightstone Housing (contact number 0117 984 xxxx).

Open Day
Sunday 28th APRIL
2pm–5pm Sportsman's Lounge & Tennis Court

• 2013 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS / NEW MEMBERS VERY WELCOME
• 10% DISCOUNT ON MEMBERSHIP WHEN PAYING ON THE DAY
• BEGINNERS, INTERMEDIATE OR ADVANCED PLAYERS WELCOME
• SIGN UP FOR 2013 TOURNAMENTS
• TEA, COFFEE & HOMEMADE CAKES
• MEET UP WITH OTHER MEMBERS
• CROQUET & MINI TENNIS ON THE FIELD (weather permitting)

CHARFIELD TENNIS CLUB

A LOCAL, FRIENDLY SPORTS CLUB FOR ALL, WHATEVER YOUR AGE OR ABILITY.

IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY OR LATE TO PICK UP A RACKET,

GET OUT AND HAVE FUN IN THE FRESH AIR.

Check out our website for more info.

http://####.ibooka.com

Advertising

#[Advert for Steve's Shop]

[Advert for Add Plant]

[Advert for Ashworthy Cattery]

[Advert for The Farmers Table]

[Advert for D.R. Vizard]

[Advert for Tree Care]

#[Advert for Octavia's Nails & Beauty]

[Advert for New Street Garage]

[Advert for At Home Curtains & Blinds]

[Advert for Relax-ology]

#[Advert for W.S. Franks]

[Advert for Pat Jeanes reflexology]

[Advert for Claire Saunders]

[Advert for Colin Lane Carpet & Flooring]

[Advert for Littles Curtains]

[Advert for T.W. Services]

#[Advert for Acucare]

[Advert for Plumbtec]

[Advert for Evergreen Computing]

#[Advert for Kopperz]

[Advert for Cotswold Edge Carpets]

[Advert for TuneValley Studio]

[Advert for Salsadem]

[Advert for Ovenu]

#[Advert for Greenline Tanks]

[Advert for Falcon Cottage B&B]

[Advert for The Edge Health & Beauty]

[Advert for Charfield post Office]

[Advert for Eclipse Hair Studio]

[Advert for Bradley Garage]

#[Advert for St John's Garden Party]

[Advert for Barbara Daw]

[Advert for Deborah Jayne Pringle]

[Advert for Zumba]

[Advert for Well Fed Birds]

[Advert for Oak Tree Nursery]

#[Advert for Pass & Totterdell]

[Advert for RK Aerials]

[Advert for Manor Garden Maintenance]

[Advert for PC Repairs & Maintenance]

[Advert for Alan Hamer driving]

#

April
20th Wotton Arts Festival begins
27th Re launch of 200 club Mem. Hall 7pm
28th Tennis Club Open Day 2–5pm
29th Capital Grants funding opens South Glos Council (SGC)

May
9th Memorial Hall AGM 7.30pm Sportsman's Lounge
12th Charfield Charity Walk Mem. Hall
14th Annual Meeting of the P. Council
22th Annual Parish Council Meeting
25th St John's Annual Plant Sale
30th Safer Stronger Comm. Gp. Meeting Tortworth Estate Office 7:30

June
1st Auditions talent contest Memorial Hall
9th Walk For Wildlife 11am–3pm
10th Capital Grants round closes SGC
11th Full Council Meeting
15th St John's Church Fete
29th Finals Charfield Talent Contest

July
9th Full Council Meeting

CUT OUT THIS PAGE AND PIN IT TO YOUR NOTICEBOARD

The wildlife trusts Gloucestershire
SUNDAY 9TH JUNE 2013
11AM TO 3PM

Join us on our annual walk 4 wildlife a five mile circular sponsored walk through our beautiful lower woods nature reserve, one of the largest ancient woodlands in the south-west of England, and enjoy family fun, wildlife activities and a teddy bears picnic.

Earlybird Registration:
Adult £10, Child £5, Dog £5, Family £25 (2 adults, 2 children)
One The Day
Adult £12, Child £5, Dog £5, Family £29
Register Today By Calling 01452 38xxxx
Or visit www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/####

#

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
Rev Chris Mason

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