CHADRA

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Happy New Year!

Welcome to the latest edition of the Charfield Newsletter. Thank you to all our contributors new and old.

What a joy the carols by candlelight were on the 23rd December up at St James'! Everyone squeezed in, standing room only, the band, the traditional carols, Rick's manipulation of card and split pins to tell the story of Christmas, catching up with friends, drinking mulled wine and of course munching mince pies! A big thank you to all who organised the event. Please can we have Good King Wenceslas this year?!

This week we held our AGM (details elsewhere from our Chair Deb Field). We said a sad farewell to JOAN CROWFOOT who after many years on the CHADRA team decided to retire from the committee this year. Joan was one of the founding members of CHADRA, always supporting the purposes of the Association. Amongst the many services she provided, Joan (and her family!) housed the copier machine and hosted the collating and stapling mornings putting the newsletter together before its demise and we started outsourcing the printing. We will all miss Joan and her invaluable and insightful advice and knowledge about CHADRA and all things Charfield. Thanks Joan!!

We also said thanks and farewell to LINDA FELTON who has stepped down as Secretary. Linda has been a delight on the committee and will also be sorely missed by the team.

As a result of Joan and Linda leaving, we had some dainty shoes to fill! Jane Wilcox has taken over as secretary and Ruth Buchanan has joined us as Advertising coordinator. We also welcome Sarah Norton as a new member.

Following on from the survey last year and positive feedback, plus the need to cover the additional cost of coloured printing, the cost of the newsletter is increasing this year from 25pence per issue to 50pence per issue or £2.00 a year. This is the first increase in 25 years! The committee and distributors would be very grateful if readers could pay for this year's issues when asked, and ideally at the beginning of the year. Please remember, all the distributors are volunteers doing the job for free and probably don't enjoy asking for the money. Thanking you all in advance.

Please check out the info re Rick the Vic and the Archery competition! plus more comedy nights, bell ringing opportunities and Scottish Dancing!

Please also send me any contact details corrections. (editor.chadra @ gmail.com).

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The Friends of St James' Church is a group of residents passionate about restoring and preserving the grounds of this beautiful historic old church.

The church itself is the responsibility of the Churches Conservation Trust (CCT), however the churchyard is closed and the responsibility for maintenance has passed to South Gloucestershire Council. It is their duty to keep the space in decent order. In practice this means they look at maintenance of the grounds, the walls and the trees.

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The tombs and gravestones are a totally different matter. There are a lot of chest tombs – of which 9 are listed. Chest tombs are relatively rare. Many of them are toppling over, they are covered extensively with ivy and the slabs themselves are becoming so weathered that they have lost their inscriptions. These tombs are actually the responsibility of the descendants of those buried there!

2If any tomb is deemed unsafe and fails the ‘Topple Test’, South Glos Council have the authority to make safe but this would consist of merely dismantling the chest tombs and laying the slabs on the ground. Even the listing of the 9 tombs doesn't seem to provide any extra protection.

The church and its churchyard is a beautiful, atmospheric place and is a wonderful village asset. It is important to remember that churches were originally not only places of worship but also the centre of the community and the space was once used for many secular village activities. It is unusual to have a church like ours that doesn't have pews and is as it would have been originally – a large open and adaptable space. It is also so very light and bright. We know that the village loves this building – it was the character asset most supported by residents in the Neighbourhood Plan survey.

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The Friends are a group of villagers who want to ensure that this asset can be handed on to future generations in good order. They have agreed to focus on the churchyard and have raised enough funding for a conservation architect to carry out a full condition survey. This survey will focus on the ‘built structures’ (tombs, gravestones, boundary walls, gate) and will also propose where to get advice on the ‘softer’ elements, principally trees. As well as identifying defects, the report will suggest remedial works (in outline) with budgetary costs and give an idea of priorities and levels of expertise required.

We think that most of the work will need to be done by specialists but there is work that we could do with the help of villagers. The restoration work won't be cheap but it can be seen as a long-term project.

We would welcome help either with people volunteering their time and expertise or donations as there will be a lot of grant applications to make. Anyone with a successful record in this field please do get in touch. Does anyone have experience of conservation work on old buildings and structures, as there will be a lot of specialist conservation work? We also need to look at the ecology of the church yard so if you have an interest in that field, that would be ideal – you don't have to be the expert but you could help maintain the bio-diversity of the space. We would also welcome volunteers interested in history and genealogy as there is a lot of research that could enhance the enjoyment of the church.

Please do support us in any way you can. Our contact email is: friends_of_stjames @ outlook.com Also, find us on FaceBook: ‘Friends of St James' Church Charfield’ and like & share.

Please let me introduce myself – my name is Christine Ryske and I have recently taken over the position of publicity officer for Tyndale Photography Club.

From the end of September to the end of April we meet every Thursday evening in North Nibley Village Hall. We have guest speakers showing their work and giving talks, members' evenings, and once a month a club competition.
In December we held a Competition Night, judged by Bob Ryan ARPS FRSA. After being introduced to the club members, Bob began by saying how much he enjoyed meeting people and looking at the photographs they had produced. He explained how he had judged the competition entries; he looked at each image for four seconds giving a mark out of twenty and then having ‘judged’ each image he them gave a second look and scrutinized them in more detail adjusting his original mark, if necessary.

Bob spoke for several minutes on each entry giving constructive criticism and ‘hints and tips’ to the photographer.

Brian Wetton won the print competition, which was a set subject entitled ‘Trees’', with his photograph ‘Just Hanging On’.

In the projected digital images (pdi) competition first place in division two went to George Ryske with his image of a ‘Misty Morning over Dursley’ whilst first place in division one was awarded to Diana Baker for her seascape ‘Into the Distance’. Mike Pritchard gave the vote of thanks.

If you've an interest in photography and would like to improve your skills as part of an affable and welcoming group, then please contact us through our webpage at www.tyndalephoto.org.

Wow! Hello. It's December 3rd, I've just been on the phone to my Mum. We're at either ends of the M4 and I've been trying to help her with her Sunday Express crossword trying to win this week's £1000. No chance of that but plenty of laughs trying to sort out the clues. I got off the phone and remembered that the lovely Angie had sent me a message, so here goes.

3I know a lot of you must think I'm at the tender years (no not 40), when I looked at my bank statement and saw that, YES, I'd received my Old Age Pensioners Heating Allowance! Trailing around the aisles of Tesco's yesterday I saw that Croft Original was on offer. I weighed up the fact that turning down the thermostat would equal everything out, I bought a bottle and here I am, having a slurp and thinking of you my lovely peeps.

Our granddaughter was set a task: to ask three people who inspired them. When she asked me I had to say my Mum. My Mum's 94 and such a wonderful character. We talk about meals and managing your budget. She said that if she bought a chicken, she'd have a roast on Sunday, two days of cold with salad etc., a chicken and bacon pie on Wednesday and then stew up the bones and make a stew on Thursday. I asked my mum about her inspiration and she, of course, chose her Mum, my grandmother. I'm sure I've written about my grandmother before. She lost her Mum when she was 10 and at the age of 13 her Dad had to send her out to service. Can you imagine that today? She would light the fires, scrub the front door step and learned to cook and sew. She met my granddad and had four children. She lost her son Jack to measles when he was 8 and her elder son in the war helping to build the Burma Railway, an uncle I never had the chance to get to know. I saw a programme about the Suffragettes recently. What stalwart women they were and the reason we, us females, have the vote today. They campaigned, went on hunger strikes and fought for us so we could have a say in our futures.

I don't know if it's the sherry talking but I've been overwhelmed by a wonderful feeling about our village. I'm not getting political, perhaps it's being a city girl, but whatever changes are made it's for a reason and I shall just embrace every day and all the fantastic people and friends I know in Charfield.

Happy Christmas and New Year. BIG HUGS, love Maz xxx

Happy New Year 2018! I hope you all had a fantastic midwinter break. 2017 brought many challenges to the village and some opportunities. I have no doubt 2018 will continue the trend. I fear we've not been best served by those within the tiers of government above the lowly parish council, but we've done what we can to identify the flaws in the various plans made for our region and our village, and I want to move into 2018 with a positive attitude rather than continue to scream into my coffee cup.

The village Facebook group has been tremendously successful in alerting us all to the impending consultations, road closures, lost cats and broken fences. It's rather difficult to know what to write here that won't already be well known through instant messages and social media and I'm not going to write for the sake of writing. I will note that the Public Inquiry into the future of the green land at Warner's Court is due to begin in March. The Parish Council along with other groups and individuals will put the case for disallowing housing development on the site – largely because of the traffic related hazards that cannot be reasonably addressed – and will present the case of additional centrally located community infrastructure for which the land is uniquely suited.

I'll remind you that Parish Council meetings are held at the Hall, generally in the Lounge, on the second Tuesday of each month (barring August), and you are all very welcome to attend – of course, if you all did attend we'd have to reconsider the venue! The Annual Parish Meeting is not yet scheduled but will take place around May-time, and the date will appear on the Parish Council web site. I'd personally like to thank Paula and all the other Councillors for their work over the past year. It's not an easy thing, sometimes, to be a Parish Councillor, and they do a sterling job.

Mark Rosher – Chairman

My name is Peggy Collett and I am a church bell ringer at St Andrew's church Cromhall. I wondered if anyone would be interested in learning to ring at Cromhall.

Anyone over the age of 11 would be welcome to come and give it a try. We practise every Monday evening from 7.30pm until 9pm and ring before the services from 9am until 9.30am most Sundays. It does take a while before a learner is competent to ring on Sunday mornings.

Anyone interested could ring me on 01454 29xxxx for more information. If I don't answer directly, please leave a message.

Charfield Brownies would love to return to the village this spring. We are currently taking names and contact details of any girls between the ages of 7 and 10 who would like to join the family of girl guiding.

If you'd like to put your child's name on the list or you would like to volunteer alongside myself Helen Date or Helen Perrett then please contact us at either xxxx @ cyberprog.net or xxxx @ btinternet.com We look forward to hearing from you and keeping the tradition of girl guiding alive!!!

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A happy New Year to everyone! As we look forward to the year ahead there is still a sense of uncertainty as to the future of Charfield. South Gloucestershire Council voted to advance the JSP to the next stage of consultation which closes on the 10th January. Many of us will have responded to this last consultation which dealt with the legality and the soundness of the plan. The next stage of the process will be to submit the plan and comments to the Secretary of State who will appoint the Planning Inspectorate to conduct an examination in public over the summer.

When the plan was debated at Council last November I spoke against it and stated why Charfield was unsuitable for this volume of housing reasons included the absence of any strategy which identified Charfield as a strategic development location. The only strategy that appears to be in place is that agricultural land has been offered up for development by landowners. For most, the concerns are around the sustainability of the plan to manage a further 1200 homes in Charfield where apart from a new school no real infrastructure has been identified that would mitigate the increase in population. It is clear from current developments that we are not providing homes for local people and more importantly young people. Instead, the developments attract outside people to move to Charfield. The 5 hectares of employment land identified will not provide sufficient employment to prevent residents commuting. There are already concerns about air quality in Charfield with residents complaining of breathing difficulties due to the ever increasing through traffic emitting CO2 emissions. I have arranged with the Council scientific officer to survey Charfield in January to ascertain the most appropriate areas to monitor air quality. This will be a year-long study to provide an accurate result. The monitoring devices will not be designed to identify dust from the building sites or the quarry but will measure the CO2 emissions from vehicles.

The JSP also identifies a comprehensive traffic calming scheme for the Wotton Road. I don't believe that we could have had a more comprehensive calming scheme than the temporary traffic signals outside the Bellway site before Christmas which created chaos with long tailbacks and created a rat run through Station Road and Manor Lane. People complained about arriving at work late and employers of lost production. We all understand that this is a construction site and there may be some disruption but the developer has a duty to ensure that any inconvenience is kept to a minimum and it was clear that this could not be allowed to continue. I therefore consulted with the Streetworks Department who issue the licences for contractors to work on the highways and a revised traffic management plan was produced for the contractors so that the traffic signals will only be in place from 9am to 15.30pm and will be removed at the end of the working day. The length of signal area will be reduced to the area that is being worked on, and no parking will be allowed in the signal controlled area. This took effect from 2nd January, and the date of completion for this part of work remains unchanged at the 16th February.

There is further work scheduled for this area when Bristol Water will lay the mains water to the site where excavations to the highway may require the lights to be continuous, but we will ensure that signals are only in use when necessary. There was a lesson to learn from the temporary traffic signals: that the Wotton Road cannot cope with this type of work at peak times. With the possibility of a further 1200 homes with sites that will all access and egress onto the Wotton Road (750 new homes and a school at the bottom of Charfield Hill, 250 homes just beyond the New Street junction and further development of 200 homes through the Crest Nicolson site), we will insist that any works apart from those that leave excavations in the highway are completed outside peak times.

A further point that the temporary lights raised was the rat run that was created through Station Road and Manor Lane. As part of modern life we are seeing more and more vehicles parked on these roads and using them as an unofficial diversion created a hazard for other road users. It was dangerous for pedestrians particularly the children who walk and cycle to and from school. I have asked the Council's Decide and Assess Highways team to look at these roads with a view to increasing safety and if possible making them impractical for use as a rat run.

Returning to the JSP, the decision will now rest with the examination in public by the Planning Inspectorate and there is no plan B if it is not judged to be acceptable. However there were other sites that were put forward during the first stage of the consultation, some of them probably more sustainable than Charfield, which could be used as a fall back. If the decision is to place a further 1200 homes in Charfield then it will be down to all of us to ensure that we achieve the best outcome for us and for the village.

A brief update on other developments: Warner's Court: the inquiry for this appeal will be held on the 13 March 2018. The anticipated duration is 5 days, venue yet to be confirmed, but it will be reasonably local to allow residents to attend.

Henage Farm opposite the Gables Hotel in Falfield: the appeal inquiry for this site was to be in February 2018. This has been superseded by the developer submitting a new application for 85 homes (previously 115) and a 100 space park and share facility. This was approved by the Development Control committee in December and now requires a reserved matters application to deal with the site content. Part of that application will deal with changes to the layby and verge just before J14 to prevent commuters using that area for all day parking when the park and share facility is complete.
John O'Neill 07415 37xxxx / 07736 48xxxx John.oneill @ southglos.gov.uk

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Well, we set yet another record for attendance at the Carols by Candlelight service at St James' on 23 December, and those who saw Rick Williams's hilarious nativity story with a few hinged strips of paper standing in for crowns, donkeys, camels, haloes and goodness knows what else, will remember it for a long time. I just wish we'd videoed it. Midnight Mass was at 10pm again this year, but as Rick pointed out, it was midnight in Bethlehem. Our fundraising efforts were successful too, with money from the Christmas services, Christmas Fair and Noreen's delicious Christmas puds mostly going to Christian Aid – and the sum we've raised will be matched by the government. We also supported the Congregational Church's shoebox appeal as part of our ‘Charfield Change4Good’ programme and put together a record number of shoeboxes over tea and cake in church.

During the period covered by this newsletter, we celebrate Shrove Tuesday with the usual scrummy pancakes on 13 February and then Lent starts the following day. We mark Ash Wednesday, 14 February, with a combined service at 7.30 pm. Watch for further notices to see which parish this is in. Throughout Lent there will be Lent lunches in church on Wednesdays 12.15–2.00 pm; soup, bread and cheese provided and all money raised goes to our spring and summer Charfield Change4Good charity: Christians Against Poverty (CAP). This is an amazing charity that helps people who have got into debt and can't see a way out. They work locally and can really change people's lives, setting them free from a lifetime burden of debt and giving them hope for the future. We are hoping to get them to come and tell us about their work in this area. Have a look at their web site, www.capuk.org, and drop them a small donation if you can.

At the other end of Lent we mark Palm Sunday on 25 March at 9.30 and Good Friday (30 March) with a Churches Together Walk of Witness at 9.30 from St John's to the burial ground next to St James', where hot cross buns and hot drinks will be provided. Then on Easter Sunday, 1 April, we have our usual celebratory service at 9.30. Watch the notice board for details of the Lent Course, Maundy Thursday service and the service to mark the Last Hour.

In the middle of all that we have Mothering Sunday on 11 March at 9.30, when we celebrate and give thanks for the love of our mothers, including those no longer with us. This is a great service for families to attend together.

In March we also have the traditional Jumble Sale, which will take place in the school hall at 2pm on Saturday 10 March. Please start looking out your jumble and keep it aside for us. It can be dropped in at church any time from Monday that week or we can probably get it collected if you can't manage to drop it yourself.

The usual plant sale will take place during May, with full details in the next issue of the Newsletter.

Oh, and by the way, chaps – in case you weren't aware, the vicar is entitled to call you all together for archery practice and by law you have to attend! So this is advance notice to get your longbow fingers ready for a date in July at St James'. Women and children get to eat food from the barbecue, play various games and drink the booze (well, perhaps not the children for the latter). Watch this space for more details.

For details of regular services, see our ad in this issue. Don't forget we've also got a Facebook page to keep you up to date about activities; I notice a lot of people used that around Christmas – look up ‘St John's Church Charfield’. To contact the clergy, call Rev'd David Russell on 01454 29xxxx or email parishoffice.wickwar @ gmail.com.
Sue Thorn, PCC member, xxxx @ yahoo.co.uk

As a schoolboy Rick knew that his destiny lay with the Church, but before taking orders he followed his second love, art, at university. Examples of his talent were on the walls of the Rectory when I called in to see him on a snowy afternoon in mid-December and beautiful they are. And he isn't the only talented person to live there. Intricately beautiful embroideries worked by Rick's wife, Mary Frost, were also framed and had their own wall. He and Mary, who has kept her own name, have been married for two years and have returned to the area where she was living before they married.

Rick grew up in Wiltshire, was ordained as a priest in 1990, and had three posts in the East End of London before his longest placement in Southend-on-Sea. ‘5,000 people in a square mile,’ he said, ‘ten percent of the poorest people and ten percent of the richest.’ It was during these early years that he worked a lot with homeless people. ‘Many were at the bottom of the heap’, he said, ‘the drug addicts, alcoholics, the mentally sick, the people who find it hardest to get out of homelessness.’ He was thoughtful as he recalled the difficulties that so many have to face and for a while we puzzled over the growing problem of homelessness in one of the richest countries in the world.

Thence to Salisbury – The Chalke Valley – where his parish encompassed thirteen villages covered by two, or sometimes three, priests. Although he now shares five villages, it is actually a larger community and he concentrates on Charfield and Kingswood. I questioned Rick on the word ‘priest’. ‘Priest is who you are not what you do’, he explained, ‘It's rather like a Captain in the army. You can do all sorts of jobs but 6you are still a Captain. As a priest you might be a curate, vicar, rector, chaplain or archdeacon … or even retired! I am an Associate House for Duty Priest which means the house is free to me in return for the work I do but I don't get paid, so I work part-time. I need to find other things that I can do.’ He seemed pretty cheerful about that. ‘I've never had a proper job,’ he laughed.

I could see from the pictures and beautiful models of old buildings (made by him) in a glass cabinet that Rick is clearly very interested in history so wasn't surprised when I learned that he and Mary both belong to the International Mediaeval Re-enactment Group. ‘You mean you dress up and re-fight old battles?’ I was thrilled – I've always wanted to meet someone who did this. Rick laughed. He laughs a lot. ‘No’, he said, ‘It's not really like that.’ Quite honestly, I'm still not quite sure what they do, except they dress how they like and meet in historic places, the main one being Raglan Castle where the group meets once a year for Mediaeval feasting, and often on a Sunday which causes Rick a few logistical problems. And, amongst other things, they talk about illuminated manuscripts, one of the subjects he loves to paint. He gives most of them away but showed me one that he did for Mary. It was exquisite.

Mary is not a traditional ‘vicar's wife’. She has her own career. Originally from Southampton, then Yate, her job, an aircraft engineer, is based in Clevedon where she heads a new research facility. At this point we were joined by a handsome black cat. ‘We have Jazz and Pixie’, said Rick, fondly stroking her. ‘I say they are my step cats since they belonged to Mary when I met her. This one is very sociable and the other is shy and reserved, but they have both settled down here.’

We pondered for a few minutes on Christmas, obviously a very busy time for Rick, because I wanted to know how he felt about the commercial side. ‘Yes, I do worry about people spending money they haven't got but I worry more about weddings.’ He shook his head and I knew exactly what he meant.

Then Rick jumped to his feet and left the room for a moment. He returned and showed me two books, clearly for children, written and illustrated by him. I loved his rhyming text, the big words he used, words that I know children love to hear, and the humour. Another string to his bow. ‘How did these come about?’ I wanted to know. ‘My daughter started me off when she was one.’ She is 23 now and has a younger brother from Rick's first marriage. ‘And now I have another book in mind. It's going to be about a knight who's not very good at killing dragons.’ Sounds promising.

[Photo: Robin Hood] And as our conversation drew to a close he told me about something else he is planning which clearly amuses him. ‘There's an old law that has never been repealed – I guess no one thought there was a need to. It states that, in my position, I have the right to summon all the men of the parish to take part in archery practice and on July 22nd next year I intend to do exactly that!’ So there you are. As far as I know we haven't had one of those in Charfield for quite a while, if ever, and certainly not in the 37 years I've lived here. So I suggest you put the date in your new diary and either brush up your archery skills – or book your holiday.
Barbara Adams

Wotton-under-Edge & District Branch –
Guest Speaker Evening – Tuesday 6th March – Clifton Suspension Bridge
This year's Guest Speaker evening will be held at the Cotswold Edge Golf Club on Tuesday 6th March when Gordon Young, a volunteer tour-guide at the Clifton Suspension Bridge, will present an illustrated talk about this iconic world symbol of Bristol. The talk will embrace the early history, troubled financial matters resulting in construction being abandoned, eventual completion, and celebratory opening, plus lively little known anecdotes of its subsequent history. Along the way, Gordon will show ‘props’ relating to the bridge and demonstrate (with audience participation) how the chains support the bridge.
Tickets (£10 each) for this event will be on sale from mid-January, but if anyone is interested in reserving tickets in advance, please contact John Barnett (see below).

25th Anniversary
The Branch will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of its founding at a meeting in the Pear Tree, Charfield on 17th March 1993. Our roles as a branch are:

• To raise money – not just through our own efforts, but also by providing support to others who fund-raise locally for the RNLI. (Two examples of the latter are an annual open garden event in Cromhall and a recent and most enjoyable Sea Shanty Evening organised by a small group of RNLI supporters in North Nibley – see photo).
• To promote the RNLI and its objectives (including water safety messages)

[Photo]

7Since we were founded, we have raised over £130,000 for the RNLI. This is not bad for a small inland branch in an area lacking supermarkets or other amenities that draw crowds. However, our Treasurer keeps us from becoming big-headed by identifying the number of hours this equates to, based on the RNLI's annual operating costs. (So far, the number of hours has increased each year, but it has yet to reach double figures!)

Respect the Water – FLOAT
Around 190 people lose their lives at the UK and Irish coasts each year, and over half never even planned to enter the water. The RNLI aims to halve the number of accidental coastal deaths by 2024, not only through its rescue service, but also by promoting greater awareness of water safety.

If you find yourself unexpectedly in cold water, you need to FLOAT:

• Fight your instinct to panic or swim hard
• Lean back in the water to keep your airway clear
• Open your body up; extend your arms and legs, pushing your stomach up
• Actions; gently move your hands and feet to keep your head afloat
• Time: in 40 – 90 seconds, you will be able to control your breathing

Further information on keeping safe and on what to do if you get into difficulty is available on the RNLI website at: https://rnli.org/safety/respect-the-water.

Illustrated Talks and School & Youth Organisation Visits
I have several illustrated talks to adult groups booked for the New Year, including 2 each in Wotton and North Nibley. I do not charge for these talks, but a donation or collection for the RNLI will not be refused, and have plenty of availability!

I also have a few school visits arranged to talk about the RNLI and / or water safety, but again I have plenty of free dates and also other Education Volunteers upon whom to call. So, if you are a teacher (or youth organisation leader) who would like a visit from an RNLI Education Volunteer to talk with your children about the RNLI and / or water safety – please contact me.

John Barnett (e-mail: jabwrnli @ gmail.com; Tel: 01453 84xxxx)

We held the first AGM of the Charfield Association (formerly CHADRA) on Wednesday 3 January. I am delighted to welcome Sarah Norton to the group. We said goodbye to Joan Crowfoot, and Linda Felton. Thanks go to Alison Howard (Treasurer), to Jane Wilcox (Secretary) who has taken over from Linda, Angie Hill (Editor), Marion and Angela Smith for everything they do to ensure the newsletter can be distributed via the team of volunteers (too many to thank individually but you know who you are!) and, lastly but by no means least, to Ruth Buchanan who has relieved Alison of her additional responsibilities as Advertising co-ordinator.

The AGM confirmed the changes to the Constitution which had been proposed to meet HMRC requirements. Copies of the minutes and the updated Constitution will shortly be available on the Charfield Newsletter page of the Charfield.org web-site so please do have a look.

Due to work and personal commitments, this will be my last year as Chair so it would be great if more people could come forward to join the committee and ensure that this valuable village resource can continue. I wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Deborah Field

Hello All,
On behalf of the whole committee here at Charfield Village Hall, we hope you all had a wonderfully magical Christmas and a fantastic New Year, welcome to 2018!!

2017 was another busy but brilliant year for the Village Hall. We had some excellent fundraising events including 2 comedy nights, live music events and another really enjoyable Village Fete. As normal, all the money raised from these events are what we use to keep this vital community building open and make the vital improvements a building of its age needs. The improvements we have made this year include a newly painted main hall kitchen with new flooring, a new bin store area, newly painted showers and toilets in The Lounge end, and (thank you to the support of our planting team!!) we continued to improve the planting around the hall to bring the building some much needed colour.

Thank you for all your support throughout 2017 which made all of the above possible; we hope you will join us for more of the same throughout 2018.

The events for 2018 have already started to come together. Here are the ones we already have planned – add them to your diary NOW so you don't forget!

☺ Sat 10th March – Comedy Night (18+)
☺ Sat 2nd June – Rural Arts Event “The Opera Dudes” a comedy and music event for all!
☺ Sat 30th June – The 5th Annual Village Fete!!
☺ Friday 28th Sept – Live Folk Music from “Ninebarrow” (2017 BBC Radio 2 Folk Music Award ‘Horizon’ nominee)
☺ Sat 13th Oct – Comedy Night (18+)

I hope that 2018 brings you everything you and your families hope for. See you at our events! Best New Year wishes –
Liam Balloch – Chairman

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British Legion – Chris Summers 01454 26xxxx

BINGO – Tony White 01454 26xxxx

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

Charfield Pre-School
Debra Arthur (Manager/Admissions) 01454 26xxxx xxxx @ gmail.com
Jenni Starling, Chair / 07833 75xxxx
Louise Sydney xxxx @ gmail.com

Charfield Primary School – 01454 26xxxx

Church – Congregational
Nicky Lanyi 01454 26xxxx

Church – St. John's
Revd. Chris Mason 01454 26xxxx
Revd. David Russell 01454 29xxxx
xxxx @ gmail.com

Clean Up Green Up Charfield
Sue Simmonds xxxx @ gmail.com

Council – Charfield Parish
Parish Council, PO Box 1947, Bristol. BS37 0BU
clerk @ charfieldparishcouncil.co.uk

Council – South Gloucestershire
John O'Neill 07736 48xxxx
xxxx @ southglos.gov.uk

Cricket Club
Dan Newman 07805 18xxxx
Roger Newman 07764 49xxxx
xxxx @ gmail.com

Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

Friends of Charfield Primary School
Rob Barter xxxx @ hotmail.com
07816 27xxxx

Foundation Room
Bryan Grantham 01454 26xxxx

Junior Football Club
Andy Leeds 0758015xxxx

Keep Fit Club
Christine Parfitt 01454 26xxxx

Luncheon Club for the Elderly
Anne Goscombe

Dementia Connections (Memory Groups and Support Services)
Amanda Pearson 0781469xxxx xxxx @ outlook.com

Memorial Hall Bookings: Chairman – Liam Balloch
xxxx @ gmail.com 0794743xxxx

Police (if not a 999 call)
Call Handling Centre 101
Reporting crimes in person now at Chipping Sodbury Police Station
Following are strictly non urgent and not reporting crime
PC Lee Bainbridge voicemail 0117 945 xxxx / 07919 62xxxx
PCSO Hayley Harrison mobile 07825 38xxxx
PCSO Sean McKinnon 07825 38xxxx

Round Table – Wotton and District
John Francksen (Hon Sec) 01453 84xxxx

GIRLGUIDING:
Rainbows – 1st Charfield – Mon 4.30–5.30pm
Email: xxxx @ hotmail.com
Brownies – 2nd Charfield – Tues 5.30–7pm. – Contact District Commissioners
Guides – 2nd Wotton Thurs 7.30–9pm
Sarah Cocker
email: xxxx @ hotmail.com
Senior Section every other Thursday
Lynsey email: xxxx @ yahoo.com
Girlguiding – Wotton District Commissioners
xxxx @ girlguidinggloucestershire.org.uk

Tae Kwon Do
Andy Reynolds 07909 92xxxx

Transport Scheme
Marion Smith 01454 26xxxx

1st Woodend Scout Group
xxxx @ gmail.com

Beavers Tues 6.00–7.15pm
Tina Rickwood 01454 29xxxx

Cubs Wed 6.30–8.00pm
Alison Moore 07712 47xxxx.
Thurs 6.30–8.00pm
Sandra Carnegie 0789998xxxx

Scouts Mon 6.30–8.30pm / Tues 7.00–9.00 pm
Mike Rickwood 01454 29xxxx

Explorers Thurs 7.30–9.30pm – Kevin Watson 0798027xxxx

Group Scout Leader Sandra Carnegie 01454 26xxxx 0789998xxxx

Assistant Group Scout Leader (waitlists) Allison Trueman 01454 26xxxx
www.####.uksites.org.uk

Out of School Club 01454 26xxxx
Pat Loveridge or 07816 23xxxx

9

Are you wondering what to do on these dark winter evenings? Do you want to exercise your body and your brain? Why not try Scottish Country Dancing? Wotton Scottish Dancers is a friendly mixed-ability group which meets in Mr Grimes' Hall, Gloucester Street, Wotton-Under-Edge (the wooden building opposite the Civic Centre car park) on Friday nights from September to April at 8.00pm (first session of the New Year is 15th Jan). We enjoy a couple of hours of moderately energetic fun, dancing Reels, Jigs and Strathspeys, with a coffee break at half time. Members come from around Wotton, Dursley, and the Vale of Berkeley to try out old and new dances, old favourites from the eighteenth century and dances written within the last few years.

Unlike classic Ballroom Dancing, in Scottish Country Dancing we dance in small sets of six or eight people so don't let the lack of a partner discourage you. We have different partners for each dance. SCD is a group activity, which anyone from eight to eighty can enjoy. You don't have to have Scottish blood; you don't need a kilt or expensive equipment; just come along in comfortable clothes and a pair of soft shoes.

All the dances are walked through and instructions are given, so don't be nervous. Costs are £2 per evening, but your first night is free. For further information phone 01453 81xxxx or just turn up on the night. Come and join the dance!

We meet formally every four months in the Chapel at Cromhall – for the 2018 meeting dates, see below. Concerns can be dealt with at any other time by contacting me directly (0781318xxxx or 01453 84xxxx). You will always receive a reply to the matter which you raise.

Issues which affect Charfield reported at the last meeting on 5th October 2017:

Update from the Fire Service (Area covered by Yate Fire Station)
The service were called to 1 deliberate vehicle fire, 4 deliberate small fires, 21 deliberate large non-vehicle fires, 2 accidental dwelling fires, 17 other fire incidents, and 70 false alarm calls. This represents a 20% increase compared with last year.

Update from Avon and Somerset Police
There was an attempted break-in in Durham Road. There has also been a rise in the number of suspicious vans reported in the area, taking scrap from gardens and fly tipping.
Questions were asked on the following:
Q: With local police resources, how safe are we?
A: The Avon and Somerset police receive approx. 1500 calls for help a day; calls are prioritised.
Q: Is there a balance between rural and Bristol service?
A: Local Beat Officers are kept informed, but may be needed elsewhere depending on work load.
Q: Are thefts of Catalytic Convertors increasing?
A: No.

Report on Youth Group in Charfield.
A full and comprehensive report was given by Mr Simon Gittings (Youth and Community). Two sessions are now running for young people aged 10–12 and 13+. All are going well. Charfield PC grants plus local donations cover the costs. It is thought the group has a positive effect on the local community. Representatives from Wickwar showed interest in Mr Gittings' work.

Update from Councillor John O'Neill.
Bellway site: Work has commenced. Vehicles have been parked in the village hall car park and large vehicles have been reversing into the road near the garage. These issues are to be raised at the next meeting with Bellway.
The new pedestrian crossing is awaiting approval from the SGC legal department.
With regards phase 3 of the broadband installation, it was reported that speeds are still slow in some areas.

Matters for Attention and Report Back
Following a report of theft from vehicles in Charfield on 4th Sept, it took 5 days before the video was obtained from the Service Station which showed the person involved and the vehicle reg number. The response was that the incident was PRIORITISED.
With regards the overgrown vegetation at Woodlands Road/Little Bristol Lane, Street Care have now been informed of the issue.

Matters Resolved From Previous Meetings.
Worn out road markings on Wotton Road: Some have been repainted; the rest are on the Streetcare work list.
Danger to drivers caused by parking at the junction of The Sidings/Station Road. A 10m extension to the advisory white lines has been agreed and is awaiting installation.
Road Subsidence on the B4508 outside the Service Station. Repairs have been logged, but work on the patching scheme for Wotton road is on hold.
Reduction of the speed limit for Church End/Devil's Lane. Local residents are not in favour and no action is to be taken.
Renewal of rumble strips on the railway bridge approach. Street care has been informed and we are awaiting a formal reply.

The meetings for 2018 will be held on:
Wednesday 7th Feb. Wed 6th June. Wed 3rd October.
Please note a 19.00 start.
Thank you, Mike Cheskin (Chair)

10

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM DEMENTIA CONNECTIONS
We are looking for volunteers for 2018 ☺ Do you have a couple of hours a month spare to socialise with others?
Do you have a particular skill or talent that you would be willing to share with the group?
Are you someone who enjoys cheerful conversation and a good cuppa?

We are actively looking for volunteers to help out at our Charfield Group. No previous experience is necessary, just a kind heart, and a willing mind. For more details and information, please give Amanda a call on 07814 69xxxx or call into one of our groups on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month at The Sportsman's Lounge, 10am and 1pm – All Welcome!

A HEARTFELT THANK YOU
2017 has been an emotional year for me, and a time which has – with mixed emotions – become the end of an era as I have decided to move. For 25 years, I have worked in Social care, supporting older people, and travelling many miles across a number of counties to do so. Having lived in the village for over 30 years, I have spent time listening to the people who use these support services, and who have felt neglected by the local authorities. A key factor in this, for many, is that their GPs are across the county border, and so referrals get lost/messy and people get sent too far afield for specialist services. I wanted to change this. I had a dream of investing in the community in which I lived and, 4 years ago, LINK Services (South Glos) CIC was established.

LINK Services is a Community Interest Company, which specifically supports older and socially isolated people in the community.

I wanted a service provided by local people, for local people. No need for payment of inflated travel costs from Bristol, no cancellation of promised visits due to adverse weather. If the snow was 3ft deep, I could still pull on my welly boots, and make it round as promised, with a pint of milk and a newspaper.

From these small beginnings, Charfield Memory Group or Dementia Connections as we now know it, was born, soon followed by a wealth of other Support and Respite provisions. Not bad for a one (wo) man band.

I used to think (as my Granny would say) that if you sliced me down the middle, you'd see Charfield written through me, like a stick of rock. Even my leaflets are printed on a beautiful panoramic view of Charfield (Thank you Red Maple Photography!).

If you'd told me this time last year that I would have sold my home of 15 years and moved on within 12 months, I would have openly laughed at you. I moved here aged 9. I went to school here; both my children were born here, and they now attend the very school that I did all those many moons ago.

Charfield will always hold a very special place in my heart. Dementia Connections will continue as it does for as long as there is a need for us here. The support services I provide will also continue, although now based in Wotton-Under-Edge, it may take me a little longer to get here in those welly boots in the snow ☺

Charfield, it's been a blast. I wish you every success in your future endeavours.

With love and best wishes for 2018, Amanda

St James' Church first had an impact on me when I covered it as part of my photography A Level, with the theme of ‘Seen Better Days’. After capturing the unique nature of this building, it became apparent how special this place is. The quirks and imperfections have given this church an identity that makes it important for many villagers, including myself.

After attending the Carol service in December with my family it was plain to see that St James' still has a role to play in this ever-changing village. The Church looked and sounded incredible, with the main source of light coming from the various candles scattered all around the building. The choir made up of the sea of churchgoers that filled St James' to the rafters was perfectly accompanied by the note perfect brass band whose sound reverberated around the stone walls of the Church.

Looking around it was lovely to see how important this church is to so many people. From toddlers to grandparents, everyone present looked content within the warm surroundings of the Church. Everyone that is, except my dad who had been cajoled into coming along on the promise that his mate would likely be attending with his wife – sadly he turned out to have other commitments that evening! However, after begrudgingly humming the first carol, he began to get into the spirit of the event and has reflected that the simplicity of the church added to the pleasure of the evening.

It was pleasing to see that even through this period of village expansion, the people of Charfield still have a place to come together and reflect. The memory tree was full by the end of the ceremony and was a hard-hitting reminder that we should cherish these times of togetherness.

It would be a crying shame for St James' to become derelict and so I was pleased to hear about the incredible work that the Friends of St James' Church have been carrying out. Nights such as the carol service may seem small and insignificant to some but to many they are a symbol of cohesion within our community, something that sadly could be lost over time. Sam Wiles

11

Happy New Year Charfield! I hope everyone had a relaxing Christmas and New Year.

The period from September through to December is always a very busy time for the Friends. We had our AGM, followed by an EGM. I am pleased to report that we have been able to appoint the committee again for another year. I would like to thank the team members who have stepped down for their time and support over recent years, their support will be missed. We are lucky to have a strong committee at the moment (although we would always appreciate more helpers) and have a great team atmosphere. We gained quite a few committee members as well this year which is always great news as the support of our parents really helps with organising our fundraising events.

November would not be November without the Charfield School Fireworks Night. We had good weather this year. We hope you enjoyed seeing the fantastic professional fireworks display provided by CTS and enjoyed the BBQ and drinks available on the night. As a result of everyone's support, the event raised an amazing £3,500 which was a fantastic result.

As you will probably be aware, this was the final year for fireworks at the school due to the new housing development next door. We use a professional display company for our fireworks which is one of the reasons it is such a spectacular show. The Friends would like to continue to run the fireworks at another venue within/near to the village and have a couple of leads we will be following up early in the new year. It would be a shame if we were not able to run this popular event for the community as a whole in the future.

I also wanted to say a huge thank you on behalf of The Friends to everyone that came and supported our Christmas Fair this year. You helped make it such an enjoyable event with a lovely atmosphere and lots of happy children (and adults). Thank you to everyone who helped out as well, especially with the organisation in the run up to the day, from all the hard working committee members to the merry band of volunteers who helped on the day. This year we had particularly impressive raffle prizes donated by many local people and businesses and we would like to pass on our thanks for your on-going support. It was great to see so many people enjoying themselves, made even more special with the arrival of Father Christmas! The event was another great success with around £1,000 being raised.

Last, but by no means least I would like to say a big thank you to the team led by Tim Skuse who braved the conditions to help set up and run the Christmas tree sale – raising over £1,000 on the day which is another fantastic success. Thank you to everyone who bought a tree from us! The weather was a lot better this year and we sold 58 trees.

During 2017 we managed to raise over £6,000 from our events.

With the above funds in mind, we are looking to apply for a number of community grants and charity matched giving initiatives – 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!

We have a few projects in mind such as a boot room for the children to use when they are doing outdoor learning activities, a playground seating area, permanent goal posts in the playground, a greenhouse & a gazebo-style outdoor classroom. If you or your children have any thoughts on how we could spend the funds raised please get in touch as we'd love to hear your thoughts on what you'd like purchased for the school.

If you have some ideas about potential future events, we would be delighted to hear about events you feel would help support our local school and also bring the community together.

Another way to help The Friends is through Easy Fund Raising. It couldn't be simpler to get involved, you just need to register using the following link: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/friendsofcharfieldschool

Over 2,000 retailers are listed including Amazon, John Lewis, M&S, Ebay, Argos, etc. The next time you are online please try it out, we have already managed to raise over £2,000 through this scheme!

If you are reading this and want to get involved in The Friends then it could not be easier; take a look at our Facebook page for the next meeting or phone me on my mobile or send me an email (contact details at the bottom). As I have found out first hand, it is a great way to meet new people and there is no obligation to sign up for anything or for regular commitment. Please just pop along to one of our monthly meetings at the school and you will be very welcome. We have a great team who enjoy organising these events and we also like to meet up socially every now and again for a drink and/or food (team building!).

Our next committee meeting will be published on our Facebook page in the coming weeks. Please take a look and like our page at: https://www.facebook.com/ Friendsofcharfieldprimaryschool/

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.

Rob Barter
xxxx @ hotmail.com / Mobile: 07816 27xxxx

12

Happy New Year to you all from the staff and committee of the Out of School Club. We hope that 2018 proves to be a successful year for all the village organisations that work so hard to make Charfield such a great place to live.

Following our AGM in November we have seen some changes to our Committee. Both Vicki Shepherd and Rachel Smallwood have stepped down as our joint Chairs after long stints in the seat. We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge ‘thank you’ to both Vicki and Rachel for all their hard work and commitment during their time as Chair. As a committee we are a small team, and their input, ideas and guidance have been invaluable over the last few years. We are delighted to welcome our new Chair, Sarah Tracey, and our new Secretary, Miriam Frampton, and wish them a very happy and enjoyable time as part of our team.

Over the Christmas period the Club has been busy fundraising, with our jam jar tombola at the school Christmas Fair that raised a fantastic £95.50. At the same time the staff organised a Christmas Grand Draw that raised £132.36. A number of lovely prizes were won, including a Christmas hamper (won by Alfie Young). Thank you to EWGA Wines for donating a lovely bottle of wine. The monies raised will go towards some new utd electronic games, which are a firm favourite at the Club.

The Christmas Holiday Club was great fun. We did lots of nice craft activities, games and competitions on a Christmas theme, which the children enjoyed immensely.

The Club continues to be busy for most after school sessions, but we do have spaces on a Friday, and also for the Breakfast Club. Our planned topics for this term are New Year, Winter, Poles Apart, Burns Night/Scotland, Recycling, New Zealand Day and Chinese New Year.

To find out more about our services and availability, please check us out on www.charfield.org/coosc. Booking forms for the February half term will be available soon from the Club and the Charfield community website.

Thank you once again to everyone who has used the Club in 2017 or who has supported us with fundraising activities. Also a huge thanks to our dedicated staff, Pat, Georgina, Jo, Ann and Sarah, who work so hard for the children at all times and continue to make the Club an outstanding facility for the village.

We look forward to a successful 2018.

Remembrance Day was marked with a two-minute silence, which the children managed well. During the two-minute silence, the children watched a CBeebies short animation showing war as experienced by animals in a WWI battlefield. The children made paper plate poppies to acknowledge the day.

Christmas. The children were very busy in the lead up making Christmas cards, and then walking to the post box to post them. They also made gingerbread men, glitter cones and snowflake decorations, and decorated a Christmas stocking to take home together with reindeer food, a chocolate bar, a candy cane and a Reindeer hot chocolate cone.

The Rising 5s dressed up and took part in a Nativity in the Church and a Mini Carol Service was held at Pre-School, followed by mince pies and hot chocolate, which were enjoyed by everyone. Santa attended Pre-School and as all the children had been so well behaved, they each received a present from him. Following the success of last year, a Christmas lunch was again enjoyed by the Rising 5s and staff. Debra kindly cooked lunch for everyone.

Rising 5s – Visits. We are currently planning our annual visits for the Rising 5s from Chipping Manor Dental Practice, Vale Vets and the Police. Unfortunately, the Rising 5s will not be visiting Tesco to take part in their Farm to Fork Trail this year, as Tesco no longer run the Trail.

New Members of Staff. We are pleased to be joined by two new members of staff, Sindy and Lisa. Sindy started at the Pre-School on 11 December and Lisa will join us at the start of Term 3. Both are looking forwarding to meeting all the children and parents.

Primary School Places. Please remember to apply for your child's primary school place before 15 January. Submissions can be completed online at http://www.southglos.gov.uk/ education-and-learning/ schools-and-education/ school-admissions/ primary-school-admissions/ or by downloading an application form.

Fundraising. We had a stall at the Primary School Christmas Fayre which was very successful. Thank you to all who helped man the stall.

Santa visited the village on Sunday, 10 December, supported by his helpers. The snow added to the atmosphere. Thank you to everyone who helped Santa, Santa himself, MJ Fews (for the loan of their vehicle) and to everyone who put money in the buckets. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Regards: Jenni, Chair

13

What an exciting term it's been and what an exciting time ahead!

Our October Focus Week had Charfield School exploring all the four corners of the globe.

[Photo] As part of the week, Key Stage 1 had a visit form “ZooLab” who brought a variety of animals and insects. We learnt all about the types of habitats they live in and had the opportunity to touch and hold some of the creatures. The children were really brave and had a fantastic time! We would really like to thank The Friends for making this opportunity possible.

This year the Friends have raised around £6,000 to be used by the school! Fundraising events included a Disco, Sports Day Teas, a stall at the Charfield Fete, Fireworks, the Christmas Fair and a Christmas Tree Sale.

One of the school's long standing projects has taken a massive leap forward this term, all thanks to The Friends. The area, which we've nicknamed ‘the Amphitheatre’ will offer the children a host of new outdoor opportunities be that singing, science, acting or forest school teaching. Caterpillar class went on an expedition to the new amphitheatre and had an amazing time enhancing their outdoor learning, and even stopped for a drink of hot chocolate!

[Photo] This year we have had Charfield School's Own Field to Fork Project!

All our support staff run amazing projects through the school to enrich the learning of our pupils. We would like to highlight how two projects have been linked in an exciting way.

This year Mrs Tyler and Mrs Smith (Maz to you!) set up a project to grow produce in our school garden. The garden has a raised bed for every class. The dynamic duo then taught the children how to look after the plants to grow some beautiful produce.

[Photo] But the project didn't stop in the garden! Once we had harvested our produce, Mrs Priday taught groups of children how to cook it! On many afternoons there has been a delicious aroma floating along the corridors. Thank you all for your amazing projects!

Staff News: The Charfield Team 2017
There will be some new faces in January. We are very, very sad to see Mr Lawday leave the school (there is a special message from him at the end of this article) but we are delighted to welcome our new Head Teacher, Mrs Mel Willcox. We will also be welcoming two other members of staff: Mrs Riglar will join Mrs Lindsay in Beetle Class (Y3) as Mrs Westwood is moving to lead Lyde Green School as Interim Headteacher; Mrs May will be joining us as an addition to our excellent team of Teaching Assistants.

Message from Dafydd Lawday, Head Teacher:
This will be my last contribution to the Charfield Newsletter. After almost 10 years being a part of Charfield, the time has come for me to take on a new challenge. To say it has been an honour to be Charfield Head Teacher is an understatement. I have met truly amazing people in my time here and learnt a huge amount. We worked together when there have been challenges and shared in great successes. I will miss the place tremendously.

As Roy Castle used to sing, “Dedication's what you need” (kids, ask your grandparents!) – in Charfield School you certainly get that. The people who work here are always doing more than they should. I have come to expect that late night email with a great idea; and to find out someone has sneaked into school on a weekend to get something ready for the children.

The staff here are a team to be proud of! We also have the adults who don't work here, but it certainly feels like they do! We have volunteers in our school almost every day, reading, helping on trips, performing Open The Book assemblies, etc.

Then there are The Friends of Charfield. What can I say? They provide the school with finance and community spirit – FOR FREE! If you know someone who volunteers for our Friends thank them, buy them a drink or give them a cwtch. They deserve recognition!

Finally a message to the most important inhabitants of Charfield: the amazing children I have worked with (yes, even those of you who are now in your 20s). You are the true stars of this place; your enthusiasm, kindness and spirit continually amazed me and put a smile on my face. I have more than my fair share of happy memories of you. It makes me incredibly proud to see what you have become and for the younger Charfieldians I cannot wait to hear! Charfield – you are a place of magic – never forget that!

14

As we begin 2018, firstly let me wish everyone in the village a Happy New Year! Thanks to those of you who came along to our social evening in November and listened to the enthusiasm of Dave Mager regarding Bee-keeping and Laura on the subject of bats. We are hoping to hold events related to both during 2018.

There are always little jobs needing doing so if you have offered some help to CUGUC I will be in touch via email or a note through your door. Any time you can give as a one off or joining a group once a month is really appreciated.

We are hoping that plans we already have will be able to get necessary permissions so we can proceed. We will also have new plans so watch this space and watch for those thousands of bulbs we planted in October popping up in the Spring!
If you would like to find out how you can join in with some of our activities please contact me – Sue Simmons 07530 31xxxx or by email to Cugucvol.2013 @ gmail.com

A happy muddy new year to all footpath walkers, not only are the fields muddy, but farmers ploughing and muck spreading is also adding to the mess. Not much other news on footpaths at the present.

News on the proposed Wotton/Charfield/Kingswood (WCK) Greenway.

The transport survey hopefully supporting the project came to an end on 21st December. Thank you to all of those that filled it out either as hard copy or via the on-line version. The results will now be collated and assessed before we move on to the next stage. If the response is sufficiently positive, then a feasibility survey will be planned; some monies have already been pledged to support this. The next meeting of the WCK Greenway group will be on Wednesday 24th January at the Wotton Civic Centre at 8pm. The meeting after that will be on Wednesday 28th March at the same time and venue. We could do with some more representation from Charfield, so if the project interests you come along and share your ideas. You can follow developments on Facebook.

Steve Hake
(Charfield volunteer footpath warden) 01454 26xxxx @wckgreenwaygroup

THANK YOU ALL

The consultation will be closed by the time the newsletter comes out. Having said that, we would just like to offer thanks to all the people who took the time to turn up at the various events and offer their support and fill in response forms.
We will be in touch again as soon as any more news is available.

Steve Drinkwater

Liane and Kirsty's personal journey through Brazil and beyond …

[Photo]

What an amazing week it was meeting so many inspirational women. The challenge was so much harder than we had imagined. I started this journey to give something back to the Cancer charities that gave help to me and my family when we needed it, and at the same time get my fitness back, but I gained so much more.

We arrived in Brazil on 4th October. We started in Salvador and made our way towards Ilheus in the South. We covered 370 km in five consecutive days, cycling through beautiful undulating agricultural land, small villages, busy streets in towns and wonderful tropical forests and enjoyed amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean. We were greeted by the locals with open arms, blessed by a priest and shown how to dance Brazilian style.

[Photo]

15We all made it, with everyone safe over the finish line with their well-deserved medals. We had completed our 370 km (218 mile) ride in 5 days, climbing massive undulating hills, in 30 degree and above heat with high humidity. More importantly, we, that is the 69 Ladies who took part, raised a massive total of £236,000 for the 3 Cancer charities we were supporting.

To read more of our journey visit: https://charfield.org/liane-cope-vs-cancer We could not have achieved this without your help of encouragement, donations and support with our fundraising.

Thank you, you have been truly generous and helped us raise money for 3 worthwhile cancer charities: Breast Cancer Care, Ovarian Cancer Action and Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust.
Liane and Kirsty

If so, read on

You may recall that CHADRA changed its name to Charfield Association in 2016 with a revised constitution to reflect the change focus of the group's purpose of the group towards newsletter production and distribution.

In the previous guise of Charfield and District Residents Association, the group raised funds to provide financial support to Charfield-based groups and organisations or campaigns and a reserve was maintained to repair and maintain or replace the copier machine, which is now no longer needed.

As a result of the change in focus, the Charfield Association committee now have some monies available, and would like to offer the opportunity to CHARFIELD-based VOLUNTEER organisations or groups to submit requests for SMALL donations of funds, perhaps enough to support a local group who need stationery, craft materials, supplies or who are just starting up.

If you would like to apply to the Charfield Association committee for some of these funds please email editor.chadra @ gmail.com and we will send you a form to complete. Applications will then be reviewed at our upcoming meetings.

To benefit, you must represent a group or organisation based in Charfield and provide services, support, help, or guidance to the residents of the Parish of Charfield. We cannot consider requests from individuals or companies. However, if you are an individual and you have some suggestions as to where funds could be used for the benefit of the village, please feel free to contact us.
Charfield Association Committee

A new group has just hit Charfield, the brain child of Helen Date. Last year she assisted in yarn bombing a shop window in aid of Remembrance Day, and thought why not take this further?

Most of you will be aware that this year commemorates 100 years since the end of WW1. Helen's idea is simple: “turn Charfield red” by filling the streets with hundreds of knitted poppies, decorating doorways, railings, windows and the like making the route to the memorial a sea of beautiful handmade poppies. Wreaths, garlands, poppies on stems and small carpets are some of the ways this can be done.
[Photo]

A simple post on social media explaining her vision has in just two weeks resulted in over 20 residents joining the group, some are avid knitters and others complete novices. The group will be meeting very soon to learn from each other and share more ideas.

One large ball of wool will make approximately 40 poppies on a set of 6mm needles. Wool can be bought relatively cheaply for £1.

The group are looking to recruit members to help take on this mammoth task, any age or ability are welcome. The group are looking forward to welcoming their first male knitter!

If you are interested in joining in or learning a new skill then please get in touch with either Helen Date at xxxx @ cyberprog.net / 07577 14xxxx or Michaela Crumpton at xxxx @ googlemail.com / 07881 44xxxx.

[Photo] We will be arranging to meet in February to exchange patterns and skills. Those of you who are keen to get started then please join the Facebook page for patterns and information at Charfield Yarn Bombing 2018 – 100 year Anniversary of WW1.

Transcriber Notes

This issue was produced on 24 sides of A4 paper.

Personal phone numbers and addresses have been redacted.

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

Digitization by Brendan O'Connor.

Last update: 2018-03-06.