Seeing the bigger picture A friend was letting me

Benefice community newsletter for Cromhall, Falfield, Tortworth, Tytherington and Rockhampton
Volume 12 Issue 1
January 2015
Seeing the bigger picture
A friend was letting me have a look through his new telescope the other day. We
weren’t looking at the amazing night sky but we were at Slimbridge, that wonderful
research and wetland reserve started by Peter Scott in 1946. The fields were full of
waders and ducks of every variety. Among them were several
Lapwing, the green plover whose elusive nest my mates and I
would try to find when we were kids. Sadly we don’t see it in our
fields round here nearly as often as in the past. As I swung the
telescope back to my friend a peregrine falcon appeared in the
distance. The whole area erupted as everything took to the air in
Lapwing
fright. Trying to follow the falcon my friend zoomed in on the rapid predator. Empty handed except for my small binoculars I just stared at the incredible spectacle that was rising, twisting, turning and wheeling in front of me.
Thousands of Lapwing wheeled around, showing that fantastic black and white colouring, They were followed by thousands of smaller Golden Plover flashing white
then gold in the low Winter sunshine. Every duck and wader in the whole of Britain
seemed to have risen into the air in panic but keeping their formations as they followed each other against the blue sky. As I wondered at the scene unfolding in
front of me, my friend clicked and tutted as he tried to keep the fast disappearing
falcon in his viewfinder.
What has this to do with this expectant season of New Year? It
struck me that we all find it difficult to see, let alone understand,
the great spectacle that is unfolding in front of us every day.
We zoom in our particular worries and concerns and yet there
is a bigger picture which is so hard to see. My friend and I didn’t know that Peregrine was going to appear, in the same way
that we don’t know what will happen in this coming year. For
us, that falcon provided a wonderful sight; for the thousands of
Peregrine falcon
small birds quietly grazing below it was devastating. Let us just
try to be prepared for whatever is thrown at us; wonderful or devastating. As that
thoughtful Desiderata prayer says “Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the
Universe is unfolding as it should.”
Have a great open-minded New Year!
Fen Marshall
1
SUNDAY 18TH
EPIPHANY 2
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
9.30am Cromhall
Eucharist
9.30am Rockhampton
No service
11.00am Falfield
Eucharist
11.15am Tortworth
No service
11.00am Tytherington
Eucharist
When there is no service in your parish church,
please join with one of the other churches.
‘SPARKLERS’ FIRST FRIDAY
Thursday 22nd
9.30am
Tytherington
EACH MONTH AT
ST GEORGE’S CHURCH, FALFIELD, AT
10:30AM
NO SPARKLERS IN JANUARY
An opportunity for toddlers and pre-schoolers to
play, sing and informally hear stories about Jesus
with their parents, grandparents or carers. (Cost
£1 to cover refreshments)
SUNDAY 4TH
9.30am Cromhall
9.30am Rockhampton
11.00am Falfield
11.15am Tortworth
11.00am Tytherington
SUNDAY 25TH
UNITED BENEFICE SERVICE
10.00AM AT ST GEORGE’S, FALFIELD
6.00pm Inclusive Church Eucharist
at St George’s
Everyone welcome
Inclusive Church’s statement of belief is as
follows: We believe in inclusive Church church which does not discriminate, on any
level, on grounds of economic power, gender, mental
health, physical ability, race or sexuality. We believe in
Church which welcomes and serves all people in the
name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which
seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation;
and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the
love of Jesus Christ.
Tuesday 6th
Benefice 12th Night
Epiphany Party
at Falfield Village Hall
7.00 — 10,00pm
Details from Fiona Shipston on 01454
412449 [email protected]
Said Eucharist
Tuesday 27th
11.00am
Tortworth
Said Eucharist
SUNDAY 1ST FEBRUARY
CANDLEMAS
PRESENTATION OF CHRIST
IN THE TEMPLE
9.30am Cromhall
Morning Prayer
9.30am Rockhampton
Eucharist
11.00am Falfield
Eucharist
11.15am Tortworth
Service of the 5 Candles
11.00am Tytherington
Morning Prayer at
St James’
SUNDAY 11TH
EPIPHANY 2
BAPTISM OF CHRIST
9.30am Cromhall
Eucharist
9.30am Rockhampton
Morning Prayer
11.00am Falfield
No service
11.15am Tortworth
Eucharist
11.00am Tytherington
No service
Tuesday13th
11.00am
Tortworth
EPIPHANY 3
CONVERSION OF ST PAUL
WORLD LEPROSY DAY
EPIPHANY
Morning Prayer
Eucharist
No service
Eucharist
Covenant service at
Baptist Church
Thursday 8th
9.30am
Tytherington
Said Eucharist
NB Midweek services are liable to change. Please
check with weekly pewsheet.
BENEFICE PHONE: 01454 260096
E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]
Priest: Rev. Jenny d’Esterre Home: 01453 890384
Mob. 0754032 2744
Said Eucharist
2
For all Benefice Business
Please ring
01454 260096
and leave a message
or email
[email protected]
Visiting
Visiting is part of the Church’s Ministry.
If you would like a visit from someone
from the church, please call the Benefice Office and we will do our best to
arrange it.
If you are going into or in hospital…
You can help to make sure that the church team can
respond as you would like us to when you are ill.
It’s important that if you are admitted to hospital, you
do three things:-
The office will usually be open from 10.00am until
1:00pm on Fridays when messages and emails will
be dealt with.
If you would like to make an appointment to speak to Rev’d. Jenny; phone
01453 890384. You might need to
leave a message and she will return
your call as soon as possible as she
is entitled to time off!
1.
2.
If you would like someone to bring
Holy Communion to your home
please ring 01454 260096 and leave
a message. We are more than happy
to do this.
Midweek Eucharists are held either on Tuesdays
at Tortworth or Thursdays at Tytherington alternating each week. Please see weekly pewsheet for
details.
3.
.
Visit the benefice website at www.croftt.org.uk to
see the pewsheet, make a prayer request or visit
Rev’d Jenny’s blog. You can also follow Rev’d
Jenny on Twitter
Make sure someone tells one of the ministry team that you are going into hospital
– ask them to pass on the message as
appropriate.
Make it plain to the hospital staff whether
(or not!) you would like a visit. This means
that when someone rings up, they won’t
have to spend time saying ‘hang on, ‘I’ll
just ask him/her…’
Make it plain what sort of visit you would
like: would you prefer a friend from the
church or one of the visiting team or
would you particularly like a clergy visit? If
you want to be certain of a private, one to
one chat, don’t be afraid to ask the hospital staff if they will allow your minister to
come outside normal visiting hours, so
that they don’t take up precious time and
space from your family.
Thank you for donations from Mr and Mrs A Godsell and Anon
This publication is dependent on donations and advertising to keep going.
One of the ways of making regular donations is by standing order. If you would like to
make a payment using this method please contact our Treasurer, Mr Geoff Crosthwaite

by telephone on 01454 294140

by email at: [email protected]

or write to him at The Barn, Townwell, Cromhall, Wotton-Under-Edge, GL12 8AQ.
Cheques, payable to Benefice Newsletter, may also be sent to our treasurer, Geoff Crosthwaite, The
Barn, Townwell, Cromhall, W-U-E, GL12 8AQ or the editor.
Please remember to make cheques out to ‘Benefice Newsletter’.
Macmillan cancer information
and support service
5 ALIVE DISTRIBUTOR REQUIRED IN
FALFIELD
Specially trained Macmillan advisers hold information
sessions for anyone with questions about cancer, for
themselves or someone they know. Sessions take
place regularly at Thornbury Library. The sessions
are free and no booking is required. Please check at
Thornbury Library for upcoming dates, or check the
Macmillan website at:
www.macmillan.org.uk/howwecanhelp and select
“Local information centres” from the left-hand menu.
Distributor wanted to deliver approximately
ten magazines a month in Moorslade Lane,
Falfield
Anyone interested please call 01454 260433.
3
FALFIELD PARISH COUNCIL
The Parish Council publically noted that PC Natalie Draper had received the Neighbourhood
Beat Manager of the Year award.
The Commuter Parking scheme on Sundayshill Lane has been put out for consultation with the
layby excluded and it is hoped that the work will be completed by April 2015. The changes to the
bus services have had a detrimental effect on the parish and a letter will be sent to the Ward
Councillor, who has already raised the issue with South Gloucestershire Council (SGC), after the
HMP Eastwood Park meeting as they are also affected by the changes. Some of the Parish
Council records are now stored at the Gloucestershire Archives and can be viewed by the public
there. Responses to the Community Engagement Review and the Policies Sites and Places Consultations were read out at the meeting and have been submitted to SGC. The Parish Council
budget for 2015/2016 has been set which includes a donation to the 5Alive magazine and the
precept will remain the same as last year (£6150).
Mr Spedding from South Gloucestershire attended the meeting and gave those present an update of the Orchard View track. In summary, owing to a delay in the required quality of planning’s
being available the work of relaying the track has had to be postponed until March 2015.
Next Meeting: Tuesday 20th January 2015 at 7.30 pm in Falfield Village Hall.
Date for the Diary – Horizon Nuclear Power - Plans for Oldbury Presentation on 17th March
2015 at 7.30 pm.
For further information about the Parish Council please look at the Falfield website
www.falfield.org.uk
On behalf of Falfield Parish Council may I wish everyone a Happy New Year.
Dawn Bramley, Clerk to Falfield Parish Council
[email protected]
Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal
THORNBURY and Falfield Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, which includes Rudgeway,
Alveston and Oldbury-on-Severn, raised a total of £18,216.07 during the 2014 appeal; a
little more money will come in once the Gift Aid return has been calculated at the end of the financial year.
A big thank you to Alan Cole and the staff at St Mary’s Centre, to Specsavers in Thornbury and to
everyone who gave generously and supported the appeal by raising much-needed funds. Without your help they would be unable to continue their vital benevolent work.
ASHWORTHY CATTERY
ASHWORTHY FARM, TYTHERINGTON,
NR WOTTON-UNDER-EDGE, GLOS GL12 8QD
We are a family run business dedicated to providing the perfect environment for your cats
to stay.
Set in a quiet, secluded countryside residence, this newly-built cattery has been constructed to the highest standards and is fully licensed by South Gloucestershire Council.
For all enquires please contact Nicola on 07799805996
4
Painting & Decorating
Free estimates
Competitive rates
Fully Insured
Testimonials available
No job too small
Ian Street 07795 663991
[email protected]
www.ianstreet.webstarts.com
Thornbury Picture House:
The charming British film –
‘About Time’ (12)
Cossham Hall at 7.30pm,
Friday 9th January
For full details please view our
website: www.thornburypicturehouse.org.
£5 on the door for non-members
Octopus present their 2015 Pantomime
‘The Nutcracker Soldier’
an original pantomime written and directed
by Alison Bagnall
at
Christ the King Church Hall,
Castle Street, Thornbury
St Andrew’s Parish Church 100 Cub
The winners of the final draw for 2013/14 are
as follows:
Weds 7th - Fri 9th Jan 2015
at 7.30pm
Sat 10th Jan at
11.00am and 2.30 pm
£30 Nancy Harris
£20 Callum Bird
£10 Carol Lowe
Tickets £6 (£5 concessions) available
from 13th December at RA Bennetts on The Plain or
Karen on 413783 or you can order them on-line
from www.octopus-thornbury.co.uk.
Many congratulations to the lucky winners
and a sincere thank you to everyone who has
renewed their membership for 2014/15. The
next draw will be on Christmas Eve at 11am
in Cromhall Village Shop when one lucky person will win £50. A welcome early Christmas
present!
Pre-School StoryTime and RhymeTime
at Thornbury Library
Calling all pre-schoolers and babies! Our regular
StoryTime sessions return in 2015 on Monday 5th
January at 2.15pm and RhymeTime returns on Friday 9th January at 11am. Sessions run weekly during term-time. There is no charge and no booking is
required, new faces welcome. Nappy changing facilities available (please take used nappies away
with you). Breast-feeding welcome.
If you would like to be in with a chance of winning, we still have numbers available. Just put
a ten pound note or cheque made out to
CROMHALL PCC and either pop it through
my letterbox at ASHLEIGH, COWSHIP LANE
or leave it for me in Cromhall Village Shop. St
Andrews Church will be very grateful for your
support and you will have 14 chances of winning your money back throughout the year.
Alveston Local History Society
Wednesday 28th January
Methodist Church, Alveston 7.30pm
Clifton:
The handsomest suburb in England
Mike Rowland
Best wishes and good luck!
Mandy Bird
5
Brain Tumour support is the new name for
Hammer Out Brain Tumours and is a registered
charity supporting those affected by a brain
tumour, to let them know they and their families
are not alone.
Classes
Weds 10.30am Cossham Hall
Weds 6pm Severn Beach Village Hall
Thurs 8.20pm Gillingstool Primary school
Support meeting times at Brain Tumour
Support Thornbury, (Unit 1, Thornbury Office Park, Midland Way, Thornbury. BS35 2BS)
take place on 3rd Weds of month 10.30am to
12.30pm.
Booking essential at www.armstrongfitness.co.uk
Please see our website,
www.braintumoursupport.co.uk or phone us on
01454 414355 for further details.
WINTER WARMER LUNCH
St Peter’s Hospice Severnside Support
Group
Methodist Church Hall, Thornbury
on
Wednesday 28th January at 1.00pm
Cottage Pie and Crumble followed by tea/
coffee – vegetarian option will be available.
Tickets: £8.00 per person available from the
Town Hall, Thornbury, from 5th January 2015.
Please come along and support St Peter’s,
your local Hospice.
The Churpel Society
presents
Spotlight Publications
Written by
Emma Houldersham &
Samantha Cartwright
“WHERE’S BOOKSTART BEAR?”
HUNT
Especially for pre-schoolers and
their families.
Directed
by Sue Baines
Choreographed
by Debbie Llewellyn
Join our bear hunt around Thornbury. Each month
we will hide a picture of Bookstart Bear in the window of a different shop or business.
Show Dates
4th, 5th, 6th, 7th March
Evening Performance 7.30 p.m.
Saturday Matinee 2.30p.m.
Tytherington Village Hall
If you find our special poster, return to Thornbury
Library to tell us where you found the Bookstart
Bear poster, and what book he was reading. If
you can find the poster we will enter you into our
prize draw.
Tickets on Sale at Tytherington Village Hall:
Thursday 15th January 6.30pm
Thereafter: Tuesdays and Thursdays 7.00pm
Box Office: 01454 418553
Post your pics of the Bookstart Bear hunt posters
to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/
sgloslibraries
6
Come, sing with us
Thornbury Choral Society cordially invites you to come and join
them for an all day workshop to
study the exciting Verdi’s Requiem using the Ricordi score. We will be conducted by Steven Kings
and accompanied by Robin Baggs.
Thank you Joyce
In December, our Assistant Manager Joyce
Vizard took the difficult decision to reduce her
hours at the shop and will no longer work ‘the
lion’s share’ of the early shifts, opening up the
shop and sorting out the newspapers ready for
collection.
Venue: Thornbury Baptist Church, Thornbury
BS35 2EG.
Joyce has managed the papers since the shop
opened in 1998 and the whole community
greatly appreciates how much she has done
for the shop in this and many other ways.
Timetable: Saturday 21st February 2015
First Rehearsal
10.30 a.m. – 11.30 a.m.
Coffee Break
11.30 a.m. - 12.00 p.m.
Second Rehearsal 12.00 p.m. - 1.00 p.m.
Lunch
1.00 p.m. - 2.00 p.m.
Third Rehearsal
2.00 p.m. - 3.30 p.m.
Tea Break
3.30 p.m. - 4.00 p.m.
Workshop performance 4.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m.
(free entry with a retiring collection)
We have come to rely on Joyce’s willingness to
be generous with her time but we all recognise
that she cannot continue the early starts especially through the winter, walking down the
road in all weathers, as well as working both
Saturday and Sunday every weekend. Although she is cutting down her hours, we are
very thankful that Joyce will still be in the shop
later on most weekday mornings, keeping a
firm eye on all the admin for the newspapers.
Tea, Coffee, juices, biscuits and cake at tea are
included in the cost of the ticket.
Scores: Available for hire for £2
Lunch: Available only by prebooking for £7.50
New Year Resolutions
Booking forms can be downloaded from Thornbury
Choral Society’s excellent website –
www.thornburychoralsociety.org.uk or obtained
from Jos Gregson: email
[email protected] or by phone 01454411652
So –now we need some more volunteers to
take a turn on the newspapers or more generally in the shop on Saturday or Sunday mornings. If you were struggling to think of a New
Year Resolution – here it is!
One session once a month or every six weeks
would be a big help and hopefully not too much
of a burden.
Falfield VH 100 Club
Winners for November:
Now’s your chance to make a difference!
1st 187 Colin Smith
2nd 115 Rob Child
3rd 104 Mrs G Barber
If you think you can help, please contact Debbie at the shop.
Happy New Year from all at TVSA
7
2 Men Went To Mow
Report from Councillor John O’ Neill
I have had reports of poor quality broadband in
the Falfield area and felt that it is worthwhile to
bring everyone up to date with the South
Gloucestershire Council Superfast Broadband
project. As we are aware the programme consists of laying fibre to the green cabinets to upgrade the broadband speeds. The cabinets that
are live in Falfield are 1, 6, and 8 which are
ready for service, Falfield cabinet 3 by Rockhampton Green has been a more complex deployment but should be available over the coming weeks. There are also a number of properties that are connected direct to the exchange
in Falfield and a new cabinet 5 is being deployed to pick those lines up and will be live
and ready for service by March 2015.
Garden and Tree
Service
Local Friendly and
Reliable
Tree Surgery (NPTC Qualified)
All Types of Tree Work undertaken
Contract Grass Cutting
All Aspects of Garden Maintenance
Beds and Borders Maintained
Planting
Plants and Shrubs Supplied
Pruning and Hedge Trimming
If you wish to know which cabinet you are connected to please use the BT line checker.
http://www.dslchecker.bt.com/
Garden Rubbish Removal
Fully insured
Tel. 07956 311901 or 07557 365661
Last time I wrote I mentioned that Tortworth had
been excluded from the rollout as they aimed to
cover the most populated areas first, I am
pleased to report that South Gloucestershire
Council has made available £500 000 which will
be matched funded by BDUK to make available
a further £I million to implement phase 2 of the
superfast broadband project to which I have
ensured that Tortworth will benefit from.
Email [email protected]
Free Estimates
George Cullimore
A familiar figure from the lanes around
Tortworth has disappeared from the scene with the death of George Cullimore
after a long illness.
Just one other update to give you, the work to
reconfigure the A38/B4061 junction will go out
to consultation soon, if you wish to view the
plans and make a comment visit the South
Gloucestershire Council website/ consultations.
The aim is to have this work complete by the
end of March 2015.
George’s roots lay in Wotton-under-Edge
where he attended Katherine, Lady
Berkeley’s School before winning a
scholarship to Cannington Agricultural
College in Somerset. There he learned
the skills which equipped him for his life
as a farmer, much of which was spent at
Old Lodge Farm, Tortworth.
May I take this opportunity to wish everyone a
happy and prosperous New Year.
5 Alive online
For those wishing to access 5 Alive
online from a smart phone or tablet
the QR code is now available and
will give access to the Falfield website.
A quiet and unassuming man who was
always happy to chat, George’s respect
for nature and the land which he worked
always extended to those whom he encountered. He was a true gentleman
whose presence will be greatly missed by
his family and all who knew him. We offer our sincere condolences to his wife,
Joy, and family.
FREE LibrariesWest app available from Google
Play or App Store: make the most of your library
membership on-the-go. Search the catalogue with
the built-in barcode scanner. Simply scan the ISBN
barcode of any book to check availability in libraries
and reserve online. Borrower number and PIN required.
8
Severnside Ramblers
Join Severnside Ramblers for some fresh air and exercise, you will also enjoy some great views
and hopefully see some wild life.
Join Severnside Ramblers on a ramble. Non-members are always very welcome.
For more information about walks in January 2015, log on to www.severnside-ramblers.org.uk, or pick up a
programme at your local library. A contact name and telephone number is given for each walk. We meet for
Saturday and Sunday walks at Aztec West, Blue Zone Parking area, near the Management Centre, at
the times shown for each walk, and share lifts to the start of the walk. Friday Walks, the meeting point is ALDI
Car Park Bradley Stoke. Please bring packed lunch and plenty of fluids. If you want to go directly to the start
of the walk, please contact the walk leader
Time &
Meeting Point
Length
of walk
Contact
Details
Dyrham & West Littleton. Gently undulating landscape, tracks & fields.
9.30
Aztec West
8 miles
Kathy
07890 113179
10.00
Aztec West
18 Jan
Historic Usk. Wonderful scenic and easy walk with
few stiles. Along a river, through woodland & ancient battle site.
Five Villages Walk. Exploring Hinton, Dyrham,
Doynton, Abson and Pucklechurch
9.30 Aztec
West
miles
Joy
01179 334998
Sun
25 Jan
Portishead. Varied scenery in a walk covering
various parts of this area.
9.00
Aztec West
10
miles
David
01275 843547
DATE
Sun
4 Jan
Sun
11 Jan
Sun
Venue
Businesses beware
5 miles
9
Jenny & John
01454 777963
Recycle your Tassimo coffee machine pods
I have recently become a public collection point
for the recycling of used Tassimo coffee machine pods (plus their outer foil packaging) via
the Terracycle.co.uk website. The scheme donates £15 to my charity of choice for every
10kg of pods I send to them. The charity we
are collecting for is MyelomaUK, as we have a
family member with Multiple Myeloma.
(Myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma, is
a cancer arising from plasma cells, a type of
white blood cell which is made in the bone
marrow.)
South Gloucestershire Council Trading Standards
would like to remind businesses to be vigilant when
receiving unexpected telephone calls demanding
money.
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has advised
of a scam whereby cold callers are purporting to be
bailiffs chasing an outstanding debt and are using
the threat of legal action to extort money from their
victims. It appears the scammers are using the
names of legitimate debt recovery companies to
dupe their victims.
Complaints have been made from all over the UK
and it appears current targets include nurseries,
guest houses and B&Bs, although any business is a
potential victim.
The scammers are claiming that money is owed for
advertising space in a business directory. They
claim a one off payment has been made in the past
and there is a contractual obligation to make repeat
payments on a monthly basis. They pressure the
business into making a bank transfer in order to settle the debt.
Currently, I don't believe we have the facility to
recycle these pods in the Sort-it recycling centre so this is useful for any residents who create this waste, but want less black bin waste.
Terracycle use the pods to create other products like plant pots
and bins. See the
website above for
further details!
It is important that businesses remain vigilant when
dealing with calls claiming debts are owed, and it is
encouraged that all members of staff are warned
about the potential for fraud.
If you believe your business may be the victim of
such a scam, please report it to Action Fraud on
0300 123 2040 or visit their website
www.actionfraud.police.uk.
I have a collection bin for them outside my
house (15, Watermill Close, Falfield), or they
can just be left in my front garden. So far we
are doing fairly well collecting the pods, but
further donations would be gratefully received.
I don't make any money from this, it is purely to
raise money for the MyelomaUK charity.
Karen Verrall
9
TYTHERINGTON BAPTIST CHURCH
FOR FURTHER DETAILS OF ANY OF OUR SERVICES/ACTIVITIES, PLEASE CONTACT
Mr Brian Allen (Pastor)
Contact Number: - 01179 793104
Email:- [email protected]
SEE ALSO THE CHURCH WEBSITE:
www.tytheringtonbaptistchurch.org
JANUARY SERVICES
4TH
11:00am
11TH 11:00am
COMMUNION SERVICE
18th
10:30am
MORNING WORSHIP
& SUNDAY SCHOOL
Brian
25TH 11:00am
MORNING WORSHIP
& SUNDAY SCHOOL
Brian
TYTHERINGTON BAPTIST CHURCH
EXPLORERS
TUESDAYS 4:00 – 5:30
5 – 11 YEAR OLDS
SN
GAMES
AC
KS
ZES
QUIZ
Brian
FAMILY SERVICE AT CHAPEL
STORIE
S
MUSIC
CRA
FUN, FUN, FUN
& SUNDAY SCHOOL
Brian
Our Childrens’ Club (“EXPLORERS”) continues to meet each Tuesday (term time) between 4:00 - 5:30pm New children aged between 5 & 11 are always welcomed. The
new term begins on Tuesday 6th January
FTS
Our MUSIC GROUP continues to meet each Tuesday (term time) at 6pm
(until 7:15pm) where we shall learn new hymns & songs. Meetings will resume on
Tuesday 6th January 2015 at 6p.m.
Everyone is welcome to join us.
The CRoFTT Benefice
invite you to a
Twelfth Night Party
The Pied Piper
Thornbury Musical Theatre Group are pleased to
announce that their 2015 pantomime is ‘The Pied
Piper’.
This original pantomime is written and directed by
our very own Gary Kennedy, who wrote ‘Little Red
Riding Hood’ recently nominated for an Evening
Post Rose Bowl award.
The town of Hamelin is overrun with rats! The once
happy townspeople are at their wits’ end, and look
to their Mayor for help. He hires the services of the
enigmatic Pied Piper, a man with a mysterious
past. Can the Pied Piper rid the town of the rats
and at what cost?
This is a traditional all-singing, all-dancing family
pantomime. There’s an outrageous Dame, silly
slapstick and a baddie to boo. With songs ranging
from Bruno Mars to Disney, to Morecambe and
Wise, there’s something for everyone!
Tuesday 6th January 2015
Bring and Share Supper
Falfield Village Hall 7-10 pm
Armstrong Hall, Thornbury, BS352BJ
7.30pm Wed 18th-Sat 21st Feb 2015
2.30pm Fri 20th/Sat 21st Feb 2015
Welcome the Wise Men at
7.00pm
Adults £10/£12 Concessions £10/£8
Family Ticket £36/£30
Online box office www.tmtg.org.uk
Mobile box office 07516270140
Further details from Fiona Shipston on
01454 412449 [email protected]
(Bring your own bottle and glasses)
To avoid disappointment book your tickets now,
either on line (no booking fee) or by phone.
10
TORTWORTH PARISH MEETING
A parish meeting was held on December 2nd. 9 parishioners were present. Councillor John O’ Neill
also attended with Jacqui Ward from South Gloucestershire Council. This is a report of the main
issues which were covered.
Sally Moreton again told the meeting that there is still a vacancy for a School Governor. Anyone
who might be interested please either contact the Clerk or the School directly.
Fen Marshall reported on various matters relating to Churchwood Quarry.
Councillor O ‘Neill reported regarding on Broadband. There is a new proposal with funding available that Tortworth is now on the programme to upgrade the Broadband. Further details on this will
follow.
Resurfacing works at Avening Green and Damery Road are complete but parishioners expressed
concern about the standard of work in the Crockleys Farm area. This is to be taken up with SGC.
Councillor O’Neill reported that he hopes to have a proposal for improvements to the school junction to go forward to the March Area Forum from SGC.
A number of planning applications relating to the former Tortworth Visitor Centre have been submitted. The Parish’s planning committee had responded to each application. Some applications
have been withdrawn but decisions on other applications are awaited.
Planning applications for alterations to The Estate Office Yard and Gascote Sewage works were
approved. However parishioners expressed some concern about the new arrangements at the
sewage works. This is to be taken up directly with Wessex Water.
An application by Tortworth Court to extend licensing hours was discussed. It was noted that firework displays must finish by 10pm. An application by the daytime burger van was fully supported.
The recent flurry of burglaries in the village and Charfield was noted. Parishioners are asked to
keep an eye out for suspicious vehicles.
Councillor O Neill reported that there are grants available from the New Homes Bonus. Any organisation in the village looking for funding should contact the Clerk or Councillor O’Neill.
Parishioners were updated on the Policies Sites and Places Guidance. This is to be formally approved by SGC.
A small precept of £100 is to be raised in 2015/16 as in 2014/15 and the Spring Clean will take
place on Saturday 21st March – please put the date in your diary.
The next meeting is on Tuesday 3rd March 2015 at 7.30pm at The Estate Office. This will include
the Annual General Meeting. All are welcome. Finally the Chairman wished everyone a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2015.
Robert Killen, Clerk. ([email protected] or 01454260268)
Jazz with Jessica
Cromhall Senior Citizens
Back by Popular Demand!
Tat3
Jessica Radcliffe
alongside a jazz quintet led by local
jazz saxophonist Gareth Williams
Thursday
15th January
at the Armstrong Hall
in a relaxed Jazz Café setting
Friday 6th February 7.30pm
Cromhall Village Hall at 3pm
Contact Ann 294200 or Eva 299251
if you would like to be picked up
Bar available.
In aid of the Armstrong Hall
Re-development Project.
Tickets: £10 each from Thornbury Town Hall or by
phone on 01454 412272.
11
THORNBURY FOODBANK NEWS
looking to put debt advice centres where
there are Foodbanks. We have already
started doing this here as we advertise
New Start Debt Advice (NSDA) as part of
our signposting. We give out lots of NSDA
business cards but get very little response.
Volunteers will soon be given a short form
which provides more details e.g. a name
so that NSDA can make appropriate contact.
Over the past year we have
seen a continuing demand for
emergency food from families
and individuals in our town
and the surrounding area.
Our volunteers have done a sterling job in
staffing the Foodbank each Friday, helping
at the warehouse and providing transport.
We have also improved our signposting
skills, enabling clients to access other
agencies who can help them. Donations
continue to flow in from the community, and
we must thank all those who co-ordinate
this vital part of our work.
Please continue to donate generously using the monthly lists of required items –
these can be found on food collection boxes, news sheets, MyThornbury website,
St.Mary’s C of E website & Facebook and
Thornbury Baptist Church website. Stocks
would soon be depleted if people did not
keep giving.
We were particularly grateful for the contributions from various school harvest festival
collections which totalled two-thirds of a
tonne of food - a magnificent effort!
(Tortworth Primary School contributed
33.88kg.)
There is a collection box at the back of
St Leonard’s, Tortworth, for anyone in
the benefice who wishes to donate.
For the past year to 30th November 2014,
we fed a total of 763 people (average of 15
per week), and distributed 6682kg of food
(average of 128kg per week). 7278kg of
food was donated in total during this period
(average of 140kg per week) - a huge
thank you is due to the generosity of the
Thornbury community and this never ceases to astound us!
WEATHER RECORDS FOR FALFIELD
NOVEMBER
TEMP oC
Min
- 1.9
Max
19.5
87.3
Yr to date
874.9
RAINFALL (mm)
Other statistics which may interest you:
Total in month
Number of vouchers fulfilled – 313, an average
of 6 per week
Number of adults fed - 475
Number of children fed - 288
Rain Days in month
29
Yr to date
1168
Air Frosts in month
3
Yr to date
26
Referral reasons:
Referral agencies:
Benefit related 45%
Shops 63%
Low Income 22%
Debt 9%
Other 24%
South Glos One Stop
Lat:
52.3.15 N
Longi: 2.46.19 W
Elim Housing 13%
Other 24%
Foodbank and debt issues
The above information recorded
is taken from a basic weather station and from time to time
some data can be corrupted
leading to some inaccurate information displayed. Where possible this has been corrected but
from time to time some inaccuracies may occur.
If you want to see a more detailed and accurate record of
local weather then take a look at
either of the following web sites
www.alvestonweather.co.uk
www.thornburyweather.co.uk
At a recent conference, a representative
from Trussell Trust (TT) shared the new
initiative ‘More than Food’ where TT is linking with Community Money Advice (CMA)
12
Find out how Thornbury Volunteer
Centre can help you!
Josiah Pullen –
the brainiest Tytherington villager ever?
Christmas has been and gone and many
of us dread the long dark winter nights
which seem to go on forever. Getting out
and about in your local community and
helping others less fortunate than yourselves is a
good way of banishing these winter blues and
Thornbury Volunteer Centre may be able to help
you.
Many families have lived for
hundreds of years in Tytherington but none longer than
the Pullens, who are still here
in 2015! In 1554 there is a
record of a Poolyng (Pullen)
paying rent to the Lord of the
Manor. Pullens, more perhaps than any other family,
have personified Tytherington. By 1608, five Pullens
were husbandmen, Thomas, James, Henry,
William and John, and as farmers they subsequently lived at Tower Hill Farm, Mill Farm, New
House Farm and The Laurels in Itchington.
We hold information on volunteering opportunities in
your local area and offer advice on opportunities
which best suit your needs, experience and time
available, ensuring that you find volunteering an enjoyable, worthwhile experience.
Local groups seek volunteers from all walks of life,
with a variety of different skills to offer and time
available. We can offer clerical work, befriending,
gardening, fundraising, counselling, shop work, driving and much more.
In 1631 Josiah Pullen was born at Tower Hill
Farm and famously rose to become a very distinguished vice-principal of Magdalen Hall, at
Oxford University. He graduated as a Bachelor
of Arts in 1654 and an M.A. in 1657, and in the
same year became viceprincipal of the Hall, which office he retained till his death in
1714. Pullen, who was familiarly known as ‘Joe Pullen,’ was
long remembered in the university on account of his eccentricities.
There is no barrier to volunteering. Anyone, who is
able to spare some time, from an hour a week to
once a month or just on a one-off basis, would be
warmly welcomed.
To find out more please contact Thornbury Volunteer Centre on 01454 413392; email mail@volunteer
-thornbury.co.uk
;
visit
our
website
on
www.volunteer-thornbury.co.uk; follow us on twitter:
@thornburyvc or be our friend on Facebook: thornburyvolunteers. Alternatively, call into the office at
Thornbury Town Hall between 10.30am-12 noon
Monday to Friday.
Find out more about 'Joe' and his eccentricities
in Tytherington's very own local history web site
at www.tytheringtonroots.co.uk
Comedian Jo Caulfield to star in
Thornbury Arts Festival
AWARD winning comedian Jo Caulfield
will be among the headline acts at the
2015 Thornbury Arts Festival.
Have you seen Minky?
The star of many TV, radio and live shows will feature in a packed programme of music, literature, performance and visual art that the festival team is currently finalising.
One of the late Jill Whittaker’s cats, Minky,
which is tabby and white, was re-homed in
Falfield but disappeared and may have tried
to make its way back to Tytherington where it
is well-known. If you see it, would you please
ring 01454 260385.
The 10-day festival runs from April 17-26, with
events to be held at a various venues.
Among other confirmed appearances at the festival
are Theatre Temoin with their production of Nobody’s Home and the 5-piece gipsy jazz band Moscow Drug Club, whose infectious music will help
bring the festival to a close.
Thornbury Library
Digital Camera talk…coming soon!
In late January/February we plan to host another popular and practical Digital Camera
Talk for beginners, helping you to get the most
out of your digital camera. Date TBC: please
enquire at Thornbury Library after Christmas.
All proceeds to charity.
The programme will also feature film, storytelling,
talks and a concert by performers from the annual
Thornbury children’s eisteddfod to be held from
March 7-15 under the umbrella of the festival.
From April 30-May 10.the Severn Vale Art Trail will
give visitors the chance to visit artists’ studios and
exhibitions in and around Thornbury
13
Rural Arts South Gloucestershire
present an evening
with Gypsy jazz quartet
Thornbury & District Flower Club
Thursday 22nd January
Practice: Still Life
THE SCHMOOZENBERGS
Thornbury Methodist Church Hall
7.30pm
Saturday 28th February 2015
at 7.30pm
Defibrillator Familiarization
The South West Ambulance Service NHS
Trust, in conjunction with Tytherington Rocks
Football Club is holding a Defibrillator familiarization session, lasting approx 1 hour at the
Hardwicke Playing Field Pavilion on Wednesday 14th January 2015 from 7,30pm to
8.30pm.
Doors and Bar open 7pm
Tickets £8 are available from
Roger Watkins on 01454 260 530
This will be an opportunity for those present to
see how a defibrillator (Automatic External Defibrillator) is used, and the Club would welcome representatives from other groups in Tytherington to attend the evening at the Pavilion.
The Schmoozenbergs are a group conjuring up the
mood of 1930's Paris, fused with the energy of the
gypsy campfire jam session. They are a quartet of
musicians with a passion for gypsy swing music
providing irresistible rhythms, lyrical melodies and
their own little bit of "special sauce" give the ingredients for a heart warming, foot tapping, hip swinging sound that will bring a smile to your face .
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) affects over
30,000 people every year in the UK.It can happen to anyone at any age at any time. However immediate treatment can save lives. The
survival rate after a SCA with CPR
(Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) alone is 5%
but by using a defibrillator, the survival rate
increases to 50%. An AED will only shock a
patient that is in SCA who needs shocking.
This means that the defibrillator can be used
safely by people with no medical background
or training and should not be restricted to use
by trained personnel only.
Bristol based Schmoozenbergs consist of Sam
Stennett and Tom Brydon Smith on dueling guitars,
Alex Taylor on violin and Ron Phelan with double
bass.
THORNBURY CASTLE RE-VISITED
Seventeen months
ago the book A History
of Thornbury Castle
was launched at
Thornbury Castle. The
author, Tony Cherry,
revisits the castle on
Friday 23 January at
7.30pm to give a talk which reveals more
information about Thornbury Castle. The talk
will also include photographs from several
private collections which have not been seen
before in public.
If you would like to attend, please let Barrie
Whittaker know by phone or email ( 01454
414631 or [email protected] , before January 7th if possible, as places at the Pavilion
are limited.
ALVESTON GARDENS ASSOCIATION
Jubilee Hall, Alveston at 7.30pm
Monday January 5th
Cathy Williams
‘How to enjoy your winter garden
Plants & Colours’
Visitors are welcome (£2)
This is a ticket-only event (£5 per person) in
the Tudor Hall of the Castle and is part of
Thornbury and District Museum’s Winter
Talks programme. As the Museum is closed
for general maintenance during January, tickets can be reserved from the museum by telephone on 857774, or by email: [email protected]
THORNBURY LIBRARY NEW YEAR OPENING
14
Thursday 1 January
CLOSED
Friday 2 January
Saturday 3 January Usual opening
hours resume
CLOSED
9.30-5
ADVERTISEMENTS: To advertise in this publication please contact Kay Rea,
The Bungalow, Moorslade, Falfield. Tel:01454 260364 Email [email protected]
Children’s Day Nurseries
Full and part-time childcare
Open 51 wks/yr 8:00am ‘til 6:00pm
Large indoor and outdoor play space
Home-cooked organic food
Qualified, caring staff
Fun themed room
Nursery Education Grant funded
All Childcare Vouchers accepted
Please contact us for further information
Alveston
Charfield
Tel: 01454 419419
Tel: 01454 269500
www.ncnltd.co.uk
[email protected]
W N NEWMAN
TRADITIONAL
BUILDERS
RENOVATIONS AND IMPROVEMENT
CARPENTRY AND JOINERY SERVICE
STONEWORK AND
GENERAL REPAIRS
TEL: 01454 416109
MOBILE: 07771702201
15
New Telephone Scam
South Gloucestershire Council Trading Standards would like to remind residents to remain vigilant when receiving unexpected telephone calls where the caller purports to be from your bank or credit card company. These
are known as ‘vishing’ scams.
Callers are very persuasive and use high pressure selling tactics to convince the recipient that the call was legitimate and that they need to take action.
The caller supplies certain information and asks them to ring them back. The caller does not put the phone
down their end in the hope that the recipient will immediately phone to check their authenticity and provide the
personal financial details they require to empty the recipient’s bank account.
At the moment the ‘phone line’ will not be cut off for about 20 minutes and the telecoms industry is working on
this to try and reduce the time or eliminate the fact the call has not terminated if one person remains on the line.
The advice being offered by the banking industry is:
 using the same phone line, the recipient of the call should telephone somebody that they know personally
for a quick chat, which will have the effect of terminating the previous call and the scammer who is holding, or;
 telephone the person back using a different phone line. It is likely that the number will either be unobtainable or the call will go to the genuine banking organisation and they will advise whether the call was a scam or
not.
If you think you may have fallen victim to this or any other type of scam, you can report it to Action Fraud on
0300 123 2040 or via their website www.actionfraud.police.uk.
CROMHALL CHAPEL SERVICES
www.cromhall.com
SUNDAY
10.30am
6.30pm
Morning Worship & Children's Sunday Club
Evening Worship
WEDS
7th at 7.30pm – House group Bible Study and Prayer at various homes in the area.
Please ring 01454 294065 for details.
21st & 28th at 7.30pm - Bible Study & Prayer in the Chapel Hall.
Sunday service speakers during January are :4th (am) Trevor Doherty; (pm) Peter Cresswell.
11th (am) Paul Ashford; (pm) Jonathan Steeds.
18th (am) Trevor Ranger; (pm) Rory Jones.
25th (am) Stewart Heap; (pm) Brian Knowles.
There is now a prayer box on the outside wall of the Chapel. If anyone has a concern they would
like our small prayer group to pray for, please do drop us a line.
A warm welcome awaits you at all of our meetings
16
Jill Whittaker
Jill’s life began in Surrey about four years
before the start of World War II, later being
evacuated to Reading where she and her
sister spent much of their free time exploring the countryside. Towards the end of
the war, the family moved to Sheffield
where Jill’s affinity with animals and love
for horses developed as she proved a
competent rider.
FALFIELD VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT
COMMITTEE
After she had obtained her Art degree in
Newcastle and started teaching locally
here in Gloucestershire, cats became a
significant part of her life and she eventually became known in Tytherington as ‘The
Cat Lady’. However, Jill’s interests and
talents extended beyond the animal kingdom as she demonstrated her skill for discovering and exposing hidden structures of
15th and 16th century houses. In addition to
all this, Jill was a skilful nurse. Having
qualified at the London Westminster
School, she spent several years on permanent night duty, later devoting herself to
nursing and caring for her parents.
SAT 31st JANUARY 2015
7.30PM
(Registered Charity No. 1041147)
ANNUAL QUIZ NIGHT
FALFIELD VILLAGE HALL
£12 PER TABLE OF 4
TO BOOK A TABLE RING
01454 260388
Bring your own alcoholic drinks
Soft drinks available
(If you do not have full team please ring as we may be
able to help make up a team)
Proceeds to Falfield Village Hall
Over the years Jill became a well-known
figure in Tytherington, serving on the Parish Council where she fought to preserve
the rural character of the village. She also
created, edited and produced the Tytherington Calendar, which she determinedly
sold by going from door to door at every
house in the village, regardless of winds
and weather; each contributor, some of
whom were former pupils, had a biography
supplied by Jill.
Dry, Seasoned
FIREWOOD
Jill was a woman of many talents and interests which she put to good use for the benefit of others and she will be missed.
Please call
07866486808
www. m-g.org.uk
ALVESTON GARDENS ASSOCIATION
Monday February 2nd
a speaker from
The National Arboretum
will give us a talk on
“The Wonders Of Westonbirt”
The Jubilee Hall, Alveston
at 7.30pm
visitors are welcome (£2)
17
Your magazine: How to send copy, adverts or gifts for ‘5 Alive’:
NEWS COPY:
Where? News items should be sent to Kay Rea, The Bungalow, Moorslade, Falfield, GL12 8DJ
Tel. 01454 260364 Email: [email protected] NB If you are posting copy, please mark the envelope ‘5
Alive’.
When? Copy date is strictly before midnight on the 19th of each month, please, ready for typing on the
20th. The earlier we receive material the better, as it avoids the rush and lessens the risk of error.
In what form? If at all possible, please submit your material by e-mail (attachments should be in Word or
Publisher format). There is then no need for re-typing, which not only saves time but also means there is
less chance for inaccuracies to creep in. (We do, however, reserve the right of the editor to edit, and you may
find that small changes are made for the sake of space etc) If you want to submit an advertising poster or similar, it helps if it’s in black and white, as it reproduces more clearly. Charities wishing to advertise events
should quote their charity number.
ADVERTISING: The deadline for requests and payments for advertising in 5 Alive is the 12th of the
month preceding publication.
Enquiries about advertising should be directed to Kay Rea, The Bungalow, Moorslade, Falfield, Nr Wottonunder-Edge, Glos, GL12 8DJ. Tel. 01454 260364 Email: [email protected]
Charges per issue are now as follows:
Business Rates
Rates for businesses within the benefice
Half page:
£28
£18
Quarter page:
£18
£15
Eighth of page:
£10
£8
There is a 10% discount for advertisers paying for a year’s advertising in advance and 5% for those
advertising 6 months in advance
Cheques should be made out to ‘Benefice Newsletter’ and sent to Kay Rea (as above).
World Leprosy Day
Leprosy is a disease of poverty. It can impact on every area of a
person’s life: health, education, employment, marriage prospects
and relationships with family and community. The Leprosy Mission
helps to restore lives destroyed by leprosy by providing the rehabilitation, schooling, job prospects, housing and sanitation required to
lift a person from poverty and enable them to be self-sufficient. In
many parts of the world today, the disease continues to carry a
great stigma. Many people with leprosy-caused disabilities suffer
terrible discrimination. They can be regarded as ‘cursed’ and forbidden from collecting water from the common tap. The Leprosy Mission works to educate their communities, teaching them that leprosy is a mildly-infectious and curable disease and not a curse for life.
On Sunday 25th January – World Leprosy Day 2015 – please pray
for the many millions of people globally who, today, struggle with
the physical and emotional scars left by this cruel disease, leprosy.
If you can, please give a gift of hope and restoration to The Leprosy
Mission England and Wales so that it can continue its life-changing
work across Asia and Africa.
18