TOM LONG'S POST Spring is here! - Stroud District Community ...

TOM LONG’S POSTTHE FREE LOCAL PAPER OF MINCHINHAMPTON PARISH COUNCILSpring 2011Spring is here!IN THIS ISSUEPoliceInformation page 7Around theParish pages 12NeighbourhoodWarden page 10News from ourschools page 14,15Spring flowers on the CommonOrchids and cowslipsParish OfficeYee Ha! It’s the Amberley Cow HuntWe’re beginning to feel that winter is behindus, with the lighter evenings and signs ofspring flowers on the way and hopefullysome warmth in the sunshine.Our parish spring clean week will run fromSunday 26th March until Saturday 2nd Apriland we hope that parishioners will take theopportunity to tidy up the areas around theirhomes or take a litter picker with them whenthey are out walking. Litter picking equipmentis available to borrow from the parish office.If you would like to get out and about andenjoy the countryside we have a selection ofParish Walks available from the office or youcan download them from our web site. TheWalking and Wildlife group also have aselection of walks on their web sitewww.minchwildwalks.org.uk. If you wouldprefer to walk with a group then why not jointhe Walk4Health Group that meet everyWednesday at 2pm in the Market Square.If you would like to work the land and startgrowing your own fruit, vegetables andflowers there are gardens to share inMinchinhampton, please contact LindaNicholls on 01453 885248 for furtherdetails.Seasonal fun can be had at theMinchinhampton School Easter Egg Hunton Sunday 27th March, tickets are £2 forchildren and involve a push chair friendlytreasure hunt around the town or a longerroute over the common. All the childrenreceive an Easter Egg on their return tothe school where refreshments will beserved.A little later in the season you can enjoythe third Amberley Cow Hunt onSaturday 7th and Sunday 8th of May,where over thirty wooden cows will bescattered around Amberley village. Afterthe trail there are delicious home-madecakes and teas to be enjoyed on thegreen near to the Black Horse Inn.Don’t forget to put your clocks forward onthe 27th March when British SummerTime begins and we can look forward toenjoying the lighter evenings.The Trap HouseWest End MinchinhamptonStroud GL6 9JATel 01453 731186minchparish@btconnect.comwww.community.stroud.gov.uk/minchinhamptonEditor Jacqui Corrytomlongspost@btconnect.comPlease submit articles andother contributions by e-mail oron disc including photographswith contact name andtelephone number.Views expressed are notnecessarily those of theeditorial team. The editorreserves the right to edit oromit material. No liability isaccepted for loss or damagearising from any omission ofcopy or advertising.Copy deadline:Issue June 2011Copy deadline 15th AprilIssue September 2011Copy Deadline 24th JuneIssue December 2011Copy deadline 21st October

From the editorParish Council NewsMinchinhampton Parish Councilworks in association with thecommunity, authorities and otheragencies to maintain the characterof the whole civil parish, whilststriving towards improving publicamenities and services to enhancethe future for all, in the face of everchangingneeds.Dear Parishioners,Welcome to the SpringEdition of Tom Long’s PostOur PCSO Tanya White,local National Trust wardenRichard Evans andNatasha Anderson the dogWarden are all holdingregular drop in sessions atthe Parish Office. Pleasecome along and discusswith them any concerns orideas that you may have.Dates and times are listedon the back cover.We enjoy receiving all yournews for Tom Long’s Post,but unless by priorarrangement, pleaserestrict your articles to 600words ( 2 columns) as itgives everyone a chance toreport their news. Alsoplease send photographsas a separate JPEGattachment.If you have any news,views or details ofcommunity events takingplace in the coming monthsplease e-mail me at:tomlongspost@btconnect.com or contact me at theTrap House.With best wishesJacqui CorryMinchinhampton ParishCouncilChairman: Mr N HurstCouncillors: Ms J Barber;Mr M Beard; Mr P Callaghan-Wright;Mr T David; Mr S Draper; Mr G Ford;Ms S Morgan; Mr C Morriss; Mr AMylecreest; Mrs L Nicholls; Mr RNicholas; Dr J S Waddington; Mr JWilliams. ( One Vacancy)Clerk: Mrs D WallP.R. Officer: Mrs J CorryParish Councillors can be contactedvia the Parish Office, The Trap House,West End, Minchinhampton GL6 9JA.Tel: 01453 731186 or e-mail:minchparish@btconnect.comHoliday closuresThe office will be closed on Friday18th March due to an inset day.Easter Holidays the office will beclosed on Wednesday 13th, Friday15th, Wednesday 20th and Thursday21st of April.Bank Holidays the office will beclosed on:-Good Friday 22nd AprilEaster Monday 25th AprilRoyal Wedding Friday 29th AprilMonday 2nd MayMonday 30th MayMid Term Break the office will beclosed on Wednesday 1st June andFriday 3rd June.Postage StampsThank you to everyone who hasbrought in stamps to the parishoffice. We have had a fantasticresponse, including some frompeople outside the parish andseveral bags from a Brownie pack.Seven boxes have been taken sofar to the Pied Piper Appeal atGloucestershire Royal Hospital andthe Appeal was absolutelydelighted with them. We willcontinue to collect the stampsthroughout the year.Parish AssemblyThe Annual Parish Assembly willtake place on Tuesday 10th May at7.30pm in The Hub, TobacconistRoad (next to the Youth Centre)Everyone is welcome.Spring Clean WeekSpring Clean Week will run fromSaturday 26th March until Saturday2nd April. We hope that communitygroups and individual parishionerswill join in. We have litter pickingequipment at the Parish Office foryou to borrow for Spring CleanWeek or at any other time.Contact us on 01453 731186 or popin and see us at the Trap Houseany weekday from 9am until 1pm.23

Parish Council NewsTom Long’s PostThe Albert Edward PashCharitable Trust FundThe Charitable Trust Fund was set upfrom the estate of a former resident ofMinchinhampton, Albert Pash.The conditions of the charity are that:1) The total income for a year must beallocated at the end of that year.2) The income must be allocated asfollows:a. A minimum of 25% to hospitalresearch irrespective of location.b. A maximum of 75% to charitablepurposes within the Parish ofMinchinhampton.Applications for consideration by thetrustees are welcomed fromindividuals or groups, and should bemade in writing to Mrs. Diana Wall,Clerk to the Trustees, at The TrapHouse, by Monday 28th March, forconsideration at their meeting in April.It is hoped that cheques will bepresented at the Parish Assembly onthe 10th May.Election Time 5th May 2011The current four-year term of officefor all our Parish Councillors comes toan end this May and, if there are morecandidates than places elections willbe held alongside others on Thursday5th May.Have you thought about becoming aparish councillor? You do not have tobe a “political animal” to join thisdynamic team, just have a wish to seethe best for the community in whichyou live or work.Nomination forms will be availablefrom SDC at Ebley Mill from March.If you want to know more, talk to oneof the parish councillors, or pop intothe Office on Monday, Tuesday orThursday to talk to the Clerk, Di Wall.What better way to give somethingback to this wonderful place!Parish Precept 2011-12MPC Finance Committee met early inNovember to consider the budget forthe next financial year. In view of thecurrent economic climate some areashave been trimmed to allow forincreasing costs in our core services.Therefore the precept request passedby parish councillors on the 29thNovember was for £50,000, the thirdyear that this low level has been held.Community OrchardPreliminary talks have taken placebetween MPC and The National Trustin respect of setting up a communityorchard in the parish (not on thecommon!).It is hoped that this will incorporatebeehives as well as fruit trees andpossibly some native species forshelter.By the time you read this a moredetailed meeting will have takenplace and we will keep you informedof our progress.Goodwill EveningDespite the bitterly cold temperaturesthe Goodwill Evening was a successraising money for a variety of goodcauses including Crack Cancer, Helpfor Heroes, British Legion,Minchinhampton Centre for theElderly and Winston’s Wish.Our thanks to all those who helpedwith the event particularly to TonyEvans our town crier, Ian Hartley andhis team of marshals fromMinchinhampton Probus, Dave andBarbara Boyd for their hot dogs,Stroud Rotary Club for Santa on hissleigh, Avening Silver Band andNorma Mills and her folk musiciansfor their entertainment and to all ourchildren who joined in the parade andsang in the Market Square.We would also like to thank LucyOfford of Tobacconist Farm forproviding the lovely Christmas tree forthe undercroft.A cheque for £360 has been sent toWinston’s Wish from monies raisedfrom the Hamper Raffle,Minchinhampton Rugby Club cakestall, Holy Trinity Churchrefreshment sales, stall hire andfairground rides.Dave and Barbara Boyd raised £120on hot dogs sales which they splitbetween Children in Need and Helpfor Heroes.The Goodwill Hamper, which wasdonated by the traders ofMinchinhampton raised £125 andwas won by Ms. Griffiths ofSimmonds Court, who said ‘it madeher Christmas’.Minchinhampton Parish Councilfund the Goodwill Evening throughthe precept. MPC will not bepromoting a Goodwill Evening thisyear.Election ResultsFollowing the death of Cllr. StephenGlanfield there was a by-election forthe county division of Rodboroughand the district division of Amberleyand Woodchester. Brian CharlesOosthhuysen (Labour Party) hasbeen elected county councillor forRodborough and Rhiannon Wigzell(Conservative Party) has beenelected district councillor forAmberley and Woodchester.Contact details will be published inthe next issue.Dog FoulingPlease do not let your dog foulpavements, without clearing up themess. It is your responsibility.There are several dog bins locatedaround the edge of the common andby Minchinhampton School in BellLane but instances of fouling havebeen noticed particularly in the towncentre in recent weeks.Remember you could be liable for afine!Please also note the common is anot a dog lavatory so clear up thereas well.23

Tom Long’s PostParish Council NewsMinchinhampton Library andYouth CentreFollowing the Public Meeting, andwith the support of the Parish Councila Steering Group was formed to lookat the future of service provision withinthe parish. At the meeting onWednesday 19th January two subgroups were formed, one for LibraryServices and one for the YouthCentre, both tasked with providing amodel or models for the future of theirservice. These will be brought to themeeting provisionally set for the 17thFebruary. Costing and provision offunding has been kept as a separateissue at present, to be determinedafter the models have been received.The expression of interest incommunity involvement with theprovision of library services has beensent to G.C.C, incorporating a missionstatement prepared by the SteeringGroup.“To work with the County, charitiesand other specialist providers, withinand outside the local Community, tonot only fill the gap left by the libraryand youth club closures, but ensuresustainable assets remain for futuregenerations.”There will be regular press releaseson the progress of the Steering Groupin the local press and also on theParish Council web site and on theFriends of Minchinhampton Librarywebsiteathttp://friendsofminchinhamptonlibrary.wordpress.com/Minchinhampton ParishCouncil Traffic and ParkingGroupOver the weekend of 27/28 March2010, the Parish Council carried out apublic consultation exercise entitledPlanning for Real. Residents wereinvited to contribute observations andcomments on a wide range of issues45and to participate in an open debate atthe conclusion of the event. Planningfor Real was well supported byresidents and one of the topics whichattracted many comments was trafficand parking issues withinMinchinhampton.This lead to the setting up of theTraffic and Parking Group which wastasked with looking at possiblesolutions for the future trafficmanagement and parking needswithin the town, the group includesmembers of the Parish Council RoadSafety Team, representatives fromlocal business and residents.In order to assess the current situationobjectively, it was decided to carry outa number of surveys, which includedvehicle parking patterns, speed andvolume. The results are currentlybeing studied so that possiblesolutions to any relevant issues canbe formed into actual plans, these willthen be made available on display forpublic comment.Cllr John WilliamsMinchinhamptonRegeneration CommitteeLast year saw the development ofwhat would be required for the newMinchinhampton Regeneration WebSite, having considered a number ofoptions we have finally decided to runwith our own site which we believe willbe helpful to all groups within the townand beyond.Following a competitive biddingprocess we are delighted to have localresident Mark Strevens of BookmarkComputers on board to help us withthe development of the new site. Wehave researched a number of thepubs and restaurants in the area forinclusion in the site as well as theNational Trust and others. We arecurrently seeking to populate the website and hope to have it available forall shortly. The more we use it for ourlocal activities the better for the website and the ease with which othersoutside the town will find it.In researching the facilities inMinchinhampton we feel that there isa need to promote where we can, thetown, its facilities and those in thesurrounding area, to this end wehave started the process ofapproaching appropriate authoritieswith a view to seeing whether wecould have better signage in the areawhich would encourage visitors andtrade. This is not expected to be aquick process as there have beenrecent changes in organisations, butwe trust that with trading partnersand goodwill on behalf of theauthorities we would see newopportunities to puttingMinchinhampton and area moreclearly on the map.Should you have ideas that youwould like to share concerningMinchinhampton regeneration,please do not hesitate to contactNigel Stapleton atnigels@uwclub.net .Planning for eventualities inMinchinhampton ParishThe early heavy snow inNovember/December served as atimely reminder why many of usneed the help of 'Good Neighbours'to clear snow and collect provisions.We know that many in ourcommunity already act as goodneighbours to friends and family atthese times, but some people still getleft out. We would really like toformalise whatever happens in yourarea so that every house is covered.Already we have volunteers who willbe out and about in the next fewweeks, knocking on doors andmaking sure everyone getsassistance if and when they need it.They will also take the opportunity ofrecruiting you as a emergencyhelper if you have practical skills ordrive a 4 x 4. The 'good neighbours'will be local to your house but if youdon’t recognise them or are in any

Community News and ViewsTom Long’s Postway concerned please contact theParish Office on 731186 who willhave a list of names.Congratulations to Chris Law andand Steve Hemmings who haveorganised the whole of Box Villageinto groups of 4 to 10 houses eachwith a nominated good neighbour.More volunteers are needed forMinchinhampton Town area - if youcan help please contact the ParishOffice.It is suggested that all householdsshould have an emergency box foruse in the event of extended powerloss. E-ON Central ElectricityNetwork have given the ParishCouncil an example of anEmergency Box .It consists of:An analogue corded telephone (asdigital cordless phones will not workin a power cut)Or a wind up mobile phone charger( if you have mobile reception)A torch with batteries, storedseparately - to avoid corrosion.A battery operated radioA foil blanketA reusable hand warmerThey advise that all the above itemscan be purchased at Argos, Millets ormost outdoor outlets if you don'talready have them.Cotswold Club CharitySummer Skittles LeagueThe Cotswold Club is planning asummer Charity Skittles League andis inviting all our community groups tojoin in with teams of 6 people ( itdoesn’t have to be the same 6 ladiesor gents for every game, but you doneed to be over 18). The league willstart in May and the games will cost£2 per player per game and they willplay 8 legs per game. The money willgo towards paying the sticker up( who put the skittles back up againfor you!) and the remainder will gointo a prize pot. The club will primethe kitty with a £100 donation. Theprize money for those at the top of theleague at the end of the season willbe donated to their nominated charityor good cause.Skittles is an easy to learn game andis great fun for beginners and expertsalike and it’s on your doorstep so whynot gather your friends and give it ago.For further details contact John Hunton 885420 or Eric Wall on 883921.A Healthy Living Centre forMinchinhamptonMinchinhampton Surgery has beenvery fortunate in having received anumber of donations and bequests inrecent years. In order to ensure thatthis money is put to best use, theMinchinhampton Surgery CharitableTrust was set up. The Trustees havebeen working to use this money tosupply additional services to patients- beyond what the NHS can provide.Our vision is to establish a HealthyLiving Centre to build upon the excellentbasis of NHS-provided care, - buttake things to a higher level: to makeavailable additional services - thebest that can be found - to the townspeopleand patients of the MinchinhamptonSurgery. It will drawtogether a range of existing services,and innovate new ones. The HealthyLiving Centre will come to full fruitionwith the building of the planned newNHS surgery - but rather than postponeits activities waiting for the building,the vision is to start the servicesin a number of different venues, theneventually to draw them together underone roof.To find out more and tomake a donation to the Trust pleasego to www.minchinhampton.orgDr Andy SimpsonMiss Havisham’s GhostsFresh from the Edinburgh FestivalFringe, Minchinhampton will betreated to a one hour stageperformance of Miss Havisham’sGhosts. Written, directed andperformed by Trish Knight-Webb, itis based on one of Charles Dickens’most notorious and mysteriousfemale characters from the novelGreat Expectations.“Trish Knight-Webb's MissHavisham broods, snaps, smilesand frowns as she contemplates herstrange life before, and since, herdisastrous wedding day. We learnher appalling secret and subsequentrevenge upon men and the world. “The performance will support theMinchinhampton Market HouseRestoration Fund and is in memoryof Trishs’ husband Dr GrahamKnight-Webb who practiced inMinchinhampton from 1959 to 1969.Miss Havisham’s Ghost will beperformed at MinchinhamptonMarket House on Friday 25th Marchand Saturday 26th March at 7pm. Asupper by caterers Sally David andAnnie Murchie (formally of TheKitchen) will precede the show.Tickets are £25 and include a 2course supper with coffee, alicenced bar will be available.Booking forms are available fromM & B Stores, The Crown, The TrapHouse, Taylors Butchers or fromSue Simmonds (889321).45

Tom Long’s PostCommunity News and ViewsMoments in TimeTyphoid Fever Outbreak - 1846Competitions outside Quadra fro"Our town is situated on a considerable elevation … Children our streets in Need are wide, and the inhabitants tolerable cleanly (Sic)… and the place is proverbial for health. I have practised as a surgeon here for sixteen years and … I have norecollection of having had a single case of typhus (typhoid) fever. Within the last two months we have had upwardsof 150." Thus wrote Dr. Daniel Smith, a medical practitioner at Minchinhampton, in a letter to the newly formedHealth of Towns Association in November 1846.According to Dr. Smith, many hundreds of cartloads of dark soil, mixed with bones, were removed from thegraveyard around Holy Trinity Church following the restoration of the building in 1842. This soil was thrown up intopiles and anyone who wished could take it away for use in their gardens or on the fields around the town. Manycartloads were taken to the Rectory and used in the shrubbery, and Dr. Smith reported that the Rector's wife andone of his two children died of the disease, along with the gardener.A dispute ensued, between Dr. Smith and his supporters, and members of the local community, including DavidRicardo of Gatcombe, who had either sanctioned the distribution of the soil, or used it and shown no signs of fever.This continued until the following year through letters, first to the "Gloucester Journal" and later to "The Times" andthe "Daily News" in London. A.T. Playne, writing in the 1880s, ascribed the outbreak to the pollution of drinkingwater by "bacillus typhosus", which he thought could live for a long period in contaminated soil. This would bewashed down through the faults or "lizzens" in the rock, to emerge in the springs or wells that served the town. Itis now more widely understood to be caused by cross contamination from faeces, caused by poor personalhygiene, but the outbreak of fever in Minchinhampton in the 1840s was an important catalyst for the setting up ofproper drainage and water supplies in the whole of Gloucestershire. As an interesting postscript, Prince Albert,consort of Queen Victoria, is thought to have died from typhoid fever. Vaccination became more freely availablefrom the 1890s, and is now a disease more commonly found in the developing world.Children in NeedMinchinhampton raised money forChildren in Need in a variety of ways.Callum Stone, son of Chris Stone ofQuadra raised £100 by running threesimple competitions and giving awayballoons for donations on the day.The Kitchen raised £223.50 from thesale of 60 Pudsey Cupcakes, staffdonating their tips and a Pudseycompetition with a Cream Tea as theprize.At Minchinhampton Primary Schoolchildren came to school dressed intheir house colours and there was a’best loved teddy’ competition. Theschool raised £164.55.67Competitions outside Quadra forChildren in NeedDiana WallChristmas Eve CarolsDespite a bitterly cold day theundercroft was full with festive carolsingers on Christmas Eve.Thanks to Rod Harris for leading ourcarol singing and to Norma Mills andher musicians for accompanying us.A cheque for £35 has been sent toWinston’s Wish from donations formince pies and mulled wine .Jacqui Corry

Community News and ViewsTom Long’s PostPolice InformationPCSO Tanya WhiteAfter a problem free Christmas and aquiet start to 2011 it is unfortunatethat I have to report a few problems.Firstly, I have been receiving reportsof drunken behaviour in theMinchinhampton School groundsduring the evenings. This type ofbehaviour will not be tolerated andpatrols of the grounds will beincreased. If you are found on schoolproperty then expect to be asked toaccount for why you are there.Secondly, I am seeing an increase inthe amount of dog fouling in manyareas in Minchinhampton. I would liketo remind dog owners that it is anoffence to let your dog foul anywherethat the public has access to(common land is exempt from thislegally, but of course not morally).The Dog Warden at Stroud DistrictCouncil takes this very seriously andasks that the public help stamp outthis problem by reporting dog ownerswho are irresponsible. If you arecaught you can expect to be taken tocourt and be fined up to £1000.On a positive note I would like toinform you that over the past fewmonths problems with anti-socialbehaviour in the area have reduceddramatically, I hope that this willcontinue into the warmer months.We are always looking for membersof the community to assist us inpolicing the area by becoming a keymember of the community.Every three months we plan to meetwith our partner agencies and keymembers of the community todiscuss local issues and decidewhich areas to target.We would like you to become a keymember of the community and getinvolved in this process. After allwho knows their area better thanthose that live there? This will giveyou a chance to have your say onwhat you want from the police, thelocal council and agencies.If you are interested please contactthe Safer Community Team.I will be at the Trap House once amonth between 11am and 12 noonon the following dates to offer anyadvice: -18th March, 15th April and16th May 2011.If you have any problems or wouldjust like to meet with me to discussconcerns the please don't hesitatein contacting the Safer Communityteam.Information can be reported in thefollowing ways…Phone 0845 090 1234 (nonemergency) or 999 in anemergency.E-mail:stroudsct@gloucestershire.police.ukandmark for our attention.PIP: situated at the Trap House,Minchinhampton Parish CouncilIn person: At Stroud Police Station.Alternatively, please feel free toapproach any of us - we welcomeyour feedback.PCSO 9148 Tanya WhiteCharity QuizA Charity Quiz held in the CotswoldClub, on Saturday 12th Februaryraised £300, including a donationfrom the Cotswold Club, for thechildren’s bereavement charityWinston’s Wish.Many thanks to John and CarolParker for organising the event.Council Scraps streetclosure fee for RoyalWeddingGloucestershire County Council hasdecided to waive the cost of applyingfor a road closure for people who wantto celebrate the Royal wedding.Across the UK, people will be holdingstreet parties on April 29th whenPrince Williams weds his long-termfiancée Kate Middleton.This means that roads will need to beclosed to traffic for safety reasons.In Gloucestershire, it normally costs£70 to apply to GloucestershireCounty Council for a road closure.But to ensure that people are not putoff from hosting their own celebrationswithin their communities, the councilhas decided to waive this fee as aone-off gesture.Although the fee has been dropped,Gloucestershire County Council stillneeds the normal 12 weeks notice if aroad closure is requested in order tosort out signage and diversions fortraffic.While the council will endeavour toapprove all applications, if a requestcomes in for a main road such as theA38 or A46, this may not be possible.Lawrence Elcocks, the council'sNetwork and Traffic Manager, said:"We understand that people may wantto hold street parties, and on thewhole any applications we receive willbe approved."In areas where the only road is abusy road, then to avoiddisappointment if we cannot allow theclosure to go ahead I'd ask people tolook at whether they can hold a partyin a community hall or nearbycommunity area instead”To apply for a road closure, emailhighways@gloucestershire.gov.uk, orcall 08000 514 514 or write toGloucestershire Highways, ImperialGate Business Park, CoriniumAvenue, Barnwood, Gloucester,GL4 3BW.67

Tom Long’s PostCommunity News and Views2nd Minchinhampton YoungMusicians Festival, Sat 19thMarch - The FriendlyFestival892010 MYM Junior WinnersFollowing on the great success of lastyear's event, Minchinhampton'ssecond Music Festival - or MYM forshort, which will be taking place onSaturday 19th March inMinchinhampton School from 9.30am until the finals are completedaround 7pm. We hope that it willencourage young musicians andsingers to show off their hard-earnedskills in front of a friendly andappreciative audience and alsoreceive advice and encouragementfrom our adjudicators, all of whom arevery experienced in working withyoung people through instrumentaland vocal teaching.Strings and Piano sections are from9.30am to 12.15pm, followed byVocal 12.30pm and Woodwind at1.30pm.Show Songs are from 3.00pm to3.45pm , Brass and Percussion from4.00pm, with the finals starting atabout 5.30pm until the adjudicationsare completed. All times areapproximate.There are two age groups, Under 13and Over 13 and we are opening theFestival up to all young musiciansand singers in the Stroud area - andbeyond if they wish to perform. Thesections are Strings, Woodwind,Brass, Piano, Songs From theShows, Songs Not From Shows,Percussion and a non-competitivesection Two or More Generations(any combination of instrumentand/or voice -e.g. grandfather andgrand-daughter, mother and son etc).Cups, generously donated by manylocal organisations and businesseslast year, are awarded to the winnersof each section and the winners thencompete in the early evening for thetwo major trophies (Junior andSenior) plus the prizes of £25 and £50.Last year we had a large and veryappreciative audience throughout theday who gave every encouragementto the young performers and we lookforward to seeing many moreinstrumentalists and singers takingpart this year. I think everyone whotook part last year thought it was amost friendly event and so if you areable to encourage any young peopleyou know to take part, please do yourbest to get them involved !!Everyone, young and not so young,is welcome to join the audience andentry is free so please come along atany time during the Festival to givethe performers your support andencouragement. You can come andgo as you please during the day andlight refreshments will be available.Entry forms and information areavailable from Festival SecretaryKathy Hurst, tel. 882960,email: kathy@63windmillroad.co.ukor contact David Homer, 882993,email: hypernotes1666@yahoo.co.ukor from Minchinhampton SchoolOffice.Looking forward to see you there !David HomerMinchinhamptonChurchBaptistThe coming year is a big one forMinchinhampton resident, SimonShepherd. At the end of last yearSimon decided to give up the pursuitof his 20 year career in commerceand he stepped out in faith to applyfor the new position of full timeAssociate Minister atMinchinhampton Baptist Church(MBC) and Minister of StonehouseBaptist Church (SBC) on a sharedbasis.His appointment represents thefulfilment of a long held calling toserve full time in Christian ministry.Simon and his wife Anita havealways been very active, on avoluntary basis, in the variouschurches they have attended asSimon's career has moved himaround the country. It was 7 yearsago that Simon's job prompted amove to Minchinhampton andSimon and Anita soon settled in andstarted to attend MBC. It was notlong before Simon was welcomedinto the leadership team at MBC andAnita was employing her talents inthe children's work.Over time and assisted byprompting from friends andcolleagues Simon felt that the timehad come to take the leap into fulltime ministry and when the newposition of Associate Ministerwas instituted he appliedsuccessfully and was commissionedat both churches on 9th and 16thJanuary, 2011 with the full supportof the congregations of SBC andMBC.Simon, 43, is a graduate of LeedsMetropolitan University and hasspent his 20 years in the world ofcommerce as an IT professional.Simon and Anita have been marriedfor 16 years and have three children:Zac, Ella and Sophie, who all attendschool and playgroups in the locality.Simon's family roots are inNottingham and he is a proudsupporter of Nottingham Forest.Ian WattsSimon and Anita Shepherd

Community News and ViewsTom Long’s PostHorsfall House NewsHorsfall House are delighted to hearthe news that Sylvia Morris wasawarded a MBE in the New Year’shonours list, for 26 years of voluntaryservice to Horsfall House inMinchinhampton.The Horsfall House project wasoriginally conceived by Dr ChrisBooth in 1982 with a blank canvasand no money. Sylvia joined the newcharity in 1983 as its chairman andworked relentlessly raising moneyuntil she retired in 2009. Sylviareceived her award at WindsorCastle on the 18th February.MinchinhamptonComing SoonOn September 10th from 12 noonUntil 5pm:Nothing compares toThe Minchinhampton Country Fayre! There’ll beRugby funYour favourite traders and charities running high-street stallsFun fair ridesAmusementsYummy things to eatRe-enactments of an historical natureEntertainment (music, dancing, a church flower festival, vintage vehiclesand much more..)This year, the medieval theme will be back! (Watch this space for moreinformation) and look out for the pre-fayre events (such as quiz nights andpamperiing evenings) from March to August, which will be advertised aroundthe town.For more information - or if you would like to help (always welcome) - ringKatie Jarvis on 882610 or e-mail kt@vale-view.co.uk. Mark it in your diary,now!Ann’s Sponsored SlimEscape to the CotswoldsSylvia MorrisForthcoming Horsfall HouseFundraising Dates for the DiaryOn Wednesday 22nd June there willbe an evening performance of TheTaming of the Shrew at BeaudesertSchool.On Sunday 10th July there will be aGarden Party at 2 - 4pm in thegrounds of Horsfall House.Further details of both events will bepublished in the next issue.Ann Goode’s sponsored slim hasraised £355 for MinchinhamptonSurgery Charitable Trust. Ann lost 3stone and 8lbs on her sponsored slimfrom July to December 2010. Annfeels on top of the world and plans tocarry on losing weight. She would liketo thank Dr Marlowe and SeniorNurse Practioner Carol Stone atMinchinhampton Surgery for theirsupport and encouragement.Housed in the North Galleryadjacent to the 18th century OldPrison in Northleach and aptlynamed 'Escape to the Cotswolds',the new centre tells the fascinatingstory of the Cotswolds - a storybased on stone and wool and howpeople have made a naturallandscape even more beautiful overthe centuries. The centre re-opensat the beginning of April and we arelooking for volunteers to help staffthe centre, particularly at weekends.Anyone interested in volunteering atany time should call the CotswoldsConservation Board on 01451862000 or emailinfo@cotswoldsaonb.org.uk.Travel expenses to and from thecentre will be paid as appropriate.89

Tom Long’s PostCommunity News and ViewsAdvice from yourNeighbourhood WardenAndy Murray10 11Andy MurrayStroud District Council unlike othercouncils in the area offers a free bulkyitems collection service to allresidents of the district.Typically these would include piecesof furniture and free standing objects,such as those you would take whenmoving house. Through this freeservice we DO NOT collecthousehold fixtures & fittings or DIY /building waste.When you request a collection we willneed to know what items you wouldlike collected and the location wherethey can be found on the property.To book a collection either ring(01453) 754424 or go to the SDC website and book a collection via are online service. Once an on line requestis made we will contact you to confirmthe collection day.As mentioned above, items relating tohousehold fixtures and fittings or DIY/ building waste will not be collectedthrough the free bulky waste service.However, they can be removed for acharge, but only one item can becollected at a time and a charge of£22.00 will apply. To arrange acollection of these types of itemsplease contact (01453 754424).Another Service offered by StroudDistrict Council is the Care lineUnit.For many people the telephone istheir only means of talking withfriends and neighbours. But in a crisisthe Stroud District Council Care linecould provide help when you need itmost, day or night. The servicebenefits older people, those with adisability and people feelingvulnerable who need reassurance.What is a Care line?The Care line is a way of getting helpthrough your telephone systemquickly and efficiently at all times. Asmall personal radio transmitter isworn as a pendant around the neck,on a wrist-strap or clipped to clothing.This is linked to a special unit - theCare line - which plugs in to a moderntelephone point with an adjacentelectrical socket.How does it Work?By pressing the pendant a signal issent to the Care line, which will thendial automatically to our ControlRoom. Your pre-programmedpersonal details will come up on acomputer screen and a fully-trainedoperator will be able to talk to youthrough a very powerful speaker andlisten to you through a very sensitivemicrophone.How will they help me?The Control Room will quicklyestablish what assistance you requirei.e. an ambulance, doctor, or perhapsone of your nominated contacts(neighbour, friend or a family memberwho ideally holds a key to yourproperty). The control room staff willstay on the line to reassure you untilhelp arrives.How are they available?A Care line can be bought or rented.There may be some financialassistance available for anyone overthe age of sixty who is in receipt of ameans-tested benefit such as CouncilTax Benefit, Housing Benefit orIncome Support.For those under sixty and in receipt ofDisability Living Allowance (DLA) youmay be eligible for financialassistance if you are also in receipt ofone of the mentioned benefits.How much will it cost?PurchaseTo purchase a Care line Unit costs£160.00* + VAT (keeping yourexisting telephone). Plus £1.45* perweek for monitoring and maintenancecharges. Payment is either by DirectDebit or invoice, six-monthly inarrears.RentalRental of a Care line Unit is £3.01*per week, inclusive of monitoringand maintenance charges. Paymentis either by direct debit or invoice,quarterly in arrears.With Financial AssistanceSubject to qualifying criteria, £1.45*per week, inclusive of monitoringand maintenance charges. Paymentis either by direct debit or invoice,six-monthly in arrears.*VAT is charged at 20 % unless thecustomer is eligible for exemption onhealth grounds. These chargesabove are the new charge rates asof 1st of April 2011.N.B. For a Care line to operate itrequires a modern plug-in telephonepoint and a 13amp electrical socket,these need to be adjacent to eachother.If you would like more details then aCare line representative would bepleased to call on you in your home.They can answer questions andshow you how to use the Care lineService entirely without obligation.To make an appointment, telephone:Stroud (01453) 766321 Monday toThursday between 9.00am and5.00pm and on Friday between9.00am and 4.30pm.Or email careline@stroud.gov.ukPride in yourNeighbourhood EventsPIYN Events are being run by SDCacross the district. On the 14th AprilAndy Murray and Keren Manningwill be leading a multi agency eventwith representatives including thePolice, Environmental Healthandthe Dog Warden on the GlebeEstate in Minchinhampton. Therewill be a litter pick and tidy up as wellas an Easter Egg hunt for thechildren.Look out for posters and leaflets forfurther details.

Community News and ViewsTom Long’s PostMinchinhamptonLegionBritish2011 is the 90th Anniversary of theformation of the Legion. Along withother National and County branchesMinchinhampton Branch will beraising awareness of our branch andthe Legion, our commitment toRemembrance-tideandcomradeship. The Legion has awonderful story to tell about its workover the last 90 years, but itscommitment to today’s servingcommunity is without parallel.Our County Plan for the 90thAnniversary incorporates a pledge tohave 90 events to raise £90,000. Weshall be holding at least two events tomake our local contribution.Last year, we sadly lost three longservingmembers. Arthur Beard ofthe Men’s Section who was one ofthe few remaining “Desert Rats” , andJane Horne and Vi Stephens bothlong-serving members of the Ladies’section.Unfortunately our long-servingSecretary, John Davies, had to retiredue to his health problems and thoseof his wife Betty.However we have been able to passthis important role onto Helen Sims(ex-WRENS Officer). Helen is wellknown in the community for herinvolvement along with her parentsGerry and Sheila Palmer with theStuart Singers. Helen has quickly gotto grips with this role, supported byher husband , Roger an ex Navalmember.2010 ended with a huge honour forthe Minchinhampton Branch, ourstandard bearer Darrell Russell wasselected to attend and parade at thetelevised Royal Albert HallRemembrance performance. Six ofour branch members also attended,returning to Minchinhampton verylate at night to parade at the Churchand our War Memorial Service thenext morning.2011 Fundraising Events.On the Saturday 9th April there will bea concert with a Ploughman’s supperin Minchinhampton Market House,with brothers Nic and Rob Sims alongwith pianist Alex Howgego.Nic Sims is an ex GloucesterCathedral Chorister and has been aguest soloist for Dursley Male VoiceChoir, Gloucestershire CathedralMale Voice Choir as well as a regularperformer with the Stuart Singers.Robert Sims, Nic’s younger brother,began his musical education at theage of 4 , initially playing the cellothen the drums. Roger plays withKing’s School Jazz Band.Alex Howgego is a classical pianistand an accomplished keyboardplayer, he studied jazz with CraigMilverton and has performed invarious venues across the UK and onthe continent.On Friday 26th August a concert andPloughman’s Supper with violinistRachael Auster and her group the“Celtics”. More details in the SummerEdition.Tickets will be available for the Apriland August concerts from The CrownInn, M & B Stores and RBLCommittee Members.RBL Minchinhampton Branch aremost grateful to the two groups fortheir time and effort in supporting thiswonderful charity.Tynecot Cemetary - 44,000 gravesThe Minchinhampton Branch plan tovisit Flanders Fields on 13-17th June,when we will parade our Standardwith members at an evening serviceat the Menin Gate. Places areavailable to join the Battlefields Tour- contact Ken Bucknell 882689.Ken Bucknell -ChairmanMinchinhamptonAssociationSportsChilly days on the playing field.Activities on the playing field before,over, and after the festive seasonhave been extensively weatheraffected although the senior footballteam has managed to play moregames than might have beenthought.Unfortunately all three of therespective club's pavilions havebeen badly weather affected withfrozen taps and tanks, burst pipesand joints being the order of the day.Hopefully though, the workundertaken in the spring of 2010 tooffset the Chafer Bug infestation hasbeen in some way successful.Certainly in the autumn the damageto the field surface was considerablyreduced - fingers crossed we mayhave broken the life cycle for thetime being!Sadly though the field still remainsthe focus for anti-social behaviour.There has been continuing andworsening anti social behaviour inand around the sports field in recenttimes and the MSA has beenworking with the police to controlmatters. The situation improved witha more visible and frequent Policepresence last summer and since butit did not go away completely.The signs are that there are stillfairly large gatherings on andaround the field and car park evenon these dark and cold nights so it isreasonable to assume the problemswill resurrect themselves come thespring and summer.The MSA is pushing forward withgetting the area designated as a NoDrinking Zone but this is a lengthyand time consuming process.We ask the people ofMinchinhampton to be our eyes andears - please don't hesitate to callthe police if you see or hear anyuntoward activities. It is the onlyway we can apply pressure.10 11

Tom Long’s Post News from around the ParishAmberley NewsAmberley Cow Hunt Yee Ha!BluebellThe 3rd Amberley Cow Hunt will beheld on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8thMay from 1.00pm until 5.00pm.Over 30 wooden cows will be weirdlyand wonderfully decorated andscattered around the beautifulCotswold village of Amberley.The fun starts at Amberley ParochialSchool where trail maps will beavailable for budding cow boys andgirls, including a pushchair friendlyroute.One of the highlights has alwaysbeen the refreshments, and again themums and grannies of the village willbe lovingly producing delicious homemade cakes which will be served withtea on vintage china. Visitors canrelax and soak up the atmospherewhile their children play safely oncommon land.12 13Afternoon teaCompleted maps will be entered intoa free prize draw.All profits will go to AmberleyParochial School.Amberley Village EventsFishing for MenAnd other Watery talesFOURMOSAAmberley Village Events presentFourmosa “A costumed andtheatrical concert”. Fourmosa,Fishing for Men and other waterytales will be performed in an eveningof songs and ditties on Friday 8thApril at 7pm in Amberley ParishRooms.Tickets are £10 from Amberley PostOffice and include a light finger buffet.Amberley Scout AuctionAmberley Sscout Group are holdingan Auction Sale on Saturday 2ndApril at 1pm in the parish roomsAmberley. Lots will be accepted onFriday evening but need to be bookedin beforehand by telephoning RoyLeivers on 01453 873665. There is acharge of £1.00 per lot. Viewing isfrom 11.00am on Saturday andrefreshments are availablethroughout the day.Amberley Book SaleThe Amberley Book Sale will be onSaturday 19th March from 9.30 am to12.30 pm in the Parish Rooms.Please come to buy good qualitybooks and CDs and have a cup ofcoffee and a cake. In the past it hasalways been a sociable morning ofbargain book buying with manypeople buying their annual supply ofpaperbacks at very low prices.The gardening Club will be holdingtheir Annual Spring Sale of Plants atthe same time in the Parish RoomsWe are pleased to accept donationsof books, talking book tapes andCDs, and music CDs on Fridayafternoon 18th March or they can beleft in the Church Porch fromMonday 14th March.If you would like them collected,please contact John Pugh 01453872551 after 5th March.The proceeds from the Book Salewill go towards the continuingimprovements to the Parish Roomsand the gateway.Parish Rooms ManagementCommittee.Box NewsThe Box pantomime, Alison inWonderland is being performed inthe Village Hall from March 10th to12th with a matinee performance onSaturday afternoon. Tickets are onsale from Sunday February 13thfrom Carolyn Dolan, 833489.Box Open Gardens will take placeon Sunday June 12th from 2.00pmto 6.00 pm. There will be at least 12gardens open. The Nailsworth SilverBand will be playing and the WI willbe providing teas.Brimscombe NewsAfter the excitements of Christmas,and disruption of the snow, hopefullyby now the Spring flowers will bebrightening the locality.I walk down Brimscombe Hill, the'Slow Down' sign flashes as carsspeed down the hill and their brakelights come on. Obviously it ishaving effect! Thank you GCCHighways.In November, following interment inthe Cemetery, a service took placein the Methodist Church, celebratingthe life of Helen Molden. Specialfriends spoke of different aspects ofher life, mainly emphasising her

Community News and ViewsTom Long’s Postcommitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.To many past and present residentsof Brimscombe and surroundingarea, she had been their DistrictNurse, working out of theMinchinhampton surgery, with DoctorCrawford. Always with a cheery word,and a smile on her face, in particularshe was the local midwife, and morethan that, a friend to the new mums.Over the years Helen began todeliver babies to mums she haddelivered a generation earlier! Theywere all special to her, and she was aspecial person, now missing from thecommunity.Brimscombe village is served by bothMinchinhampton and Brimscombeand Thrupp Parish Councils. Theboundary between them is currentlythe railway line (since 1974) prior tothat was the River Frome, andMinchinhampton parishioners arevery interested in what goes on ‘in thevalley’.Canal RegenerationIn January , Stroud District Councilwith the Canal Trust gave apresentation of plans for BrimscombePort. Two options were shown. In the‘E’ plan, with buildings and moorings;the other, the ‘island’ plan, reinstatingthe Island, with buildings and bridges.This outlines buildings to includedwellings, business and communityuse. A survey form was offered forresidents to indicate their views onthe plans.Parish BoundaryAlso in January, Brimscombe andThrupp Parish Council presentedtheir ‘draft Parish Plan 2011-2016’ toa public meeting. The plan isavailable to be seen on their websitewww.thrupp-pc.gov.uk or printedcopies and response form areavailable from Brimscombe School,the newsagents or The Ship Inn.They request that all concerned, readthe plan, and fill in the response from.The final question on the surveyconcerns the boundary. Whilst this isnot an immediate decision, the viewsof local residents are sought. If youlive in the area, please consider andact!The Nelson TrustTwenty Five years ago, Roy and MaryBrash, took a brave leap into theunknown. They invested their lifesavings into buying the 'Nelson Inn',which they turned intoGloucestershire's first residentialaddiction treatment centre. They kepta small part for themselves and usedthe remainder for clients. There weresix bedrooms, shared bathrooms anda small kitchen. The residents' sittingroom doubled as the group therapyroom. One to one therapy sessionswere in a very small office or thegarden on a sunny day.Getting a place was easy. You had tobe sick and tired of 'using' and youhad to agree to keep to the rules - nodrugs or alcohol, no sex and definitelyno violence, physical or verbal.Provided there was a bed and Royand Mary said OK, you could prettymuch turn up with a toothbrush andsome motivation and you could stay.Times have changed and now theNelson Trust has 64 staff, 41residential treatment places, 8 DayCare places and 23 Resettlementplaces. About 150 clients a yearattend treatment, and about 100attend the resettlement programmesgiving them access toaccommodation, training and careerpathways. Government policy ismoving towards getting people offdrugs altogether and back intoeducation or work. The Nelson Trustis one of few centres with its ownTraining and Education facility. Manyof the clients say this has been crucialto their recovery.The Nelson Trust recently received aprestigious award from the Centre forSocial Justice for the bestorganisation working in the field ofdrug and alcohol treatment and in2010 was cited as an example ofexcellence by the Ministry of Justice.The Nelson Trust still needs localsupport. The local churches andcommunity organisations have beenvery generous, supporting us in manyways over the years and we are mostgrateful to you all. Please keep itup! Thank you so much. If youwould like to learn more about thetrust visit www.nelsontrust.comHoly Trinity Church, Brimscombe.The Annual Parish Church Meeting,which all parishioners are invited toattend, will take place on Monday11th April 7.30pm in the church.Come and hear about what hasbeen happening, and what isplanned.Mothering Sunday Service:10.30am 3rd April. All welcome,especially children and Mums.Come and 'Experience Easter'. Sixstations depicting the major Easterevents will be set up in the church.The school children are invited tocome one morning, to see and hear,and then it will be open for all to seeduring the day. (Anticipated datesThursday 7th April to Easter).Easter Services:Palm Sunday: 17th April. MorningWorship 10.30amMaundy Thursday: 21st April. HolyCommunion (BCP) 7.30pmGood Friday: 22nd April. MorningWorship 10.30amEaster Sunday: 24th April. FamilyHoly Communion 10.30amPauline HillMinchinhamptonHistory GroupLocalLast year there were two eveningwalks around Minchinhampton towncentre explaining some of thehistory.Mrs. Di Wall, chairman of the grouphas offered to guide two similarwalks this summer at dates to bearranged. Numbers will be limited to20 people per walk and there will bea nominal charge of £1.00, whichwill be donated to the group’s funds.Look out for dates and full details inthe next edition of Tom Long’s Post.12 13

Tom Long’s Post News from our schoolsBrimscombe CE PrimarySchoolWe spent most of the last term ontenterhooks, waiting for the phonecall to say Ofsted were going to visit.We are extremely proud of ourschool, the changes that have takenplace in recent years and ourambitious plans for the future and soit was with a mixture of excitementand trepidation that we waited to seeif all the hard work would berecognised.Then Christmas came, with the usualround of the Christmas Fair, MakingDay, Nativity performances,Christmas lunch, worship at HolyTrinity and the traditional panto visiton the last day of term. Christmas issuch a great time at school -everyone is always so busy but thefun and excitement carries usthrough. The extreme cold weatherhad added to the fun this year too.The playground was too icy to usesafely but the playing field was frozento perfection and the hoar frost madea great snow substitute. Minisnowmen were the order of the day,and one of our older pupils created agiant drawing of The Simpsons byscraping the frost off the grass.The new year started and still nonews of a visit. All the classes haveundertaken history projects this termand the younger children have madethe most of the dry days walkingaround Brimscombe researching thelocal history of the canals and portwhile the older children have beenlooking at Victorian Stroud. It hasfitted in well with the public meetingsregarding the future of the portdevelopment and created a lot ofdebate.In addition, preparations have beenmade for Mrs Savvidou and I to visitour link school in the Gambia overhalf term. The children have beencollecting football shirts and makingresources such as number lines andalphabet charts for the classes there.Each class here has "grown" £5 given14 15to them in September through carwashing, "smoothie" sales and cakemaking and with that money theyhave bought skipping ropes, balls,chalks and cellotape for us. We willspend two days actually at KanumaSchool which is in a remote area ofthe bush and will also do someteacher training in the town of Gunjurwhere we will be based.And in the middle of all this Ofstedfinally arrived! For everyone it feltvery much like business as usual asthe inspection team watched a hugenumber of lessons and seemed toappear (as if by magic!) in everycorner of the school. The outcomeremains confidential at the time ofwriting (although will be in the publicdomain by the time you read this).Suffice to say that the inspection wentwell and we are very pleased with theoutcome.Roll on half term!Karen Riordan Head TeacherMinchinhampton School PTANewsWell, it's been a busy time for theschool over the past few months.At the beginning of the new schoolyear, the PTA purchased aScrapStore PlayPod for the children.The aim of ScrapStore is to introducefree play into primary schools. It is atreasure chest of materials andequipment that encourage children toplay creatively, use their imaginationsand energy, make new friends,discover new skills, and enjoy theirplay time. Most of these materials arewaste collected from businesses andindustry by Children's Scrapstore.Already the school is reporting thatScrapStore has been a success. Theteachers think the resource is greatand a lot of fun is being had bychildren.Following on from the huge successof the fireworks display, members ofthe PTA put on a fabulous advent fairwhich took place on the 11thDecember. A variety of activities wereon offer - from malteeser bashing tolollipop lucky dips and jazzy jam jarsto face painting AND as Santa'sGrotto… a fun time was had by all.Parents and children were alsoinvited to spend even more qualitytime with the big man beforeChristmas at a 'Breakfast withSanta' event which was held onThursday 16th December. Santa saton his throne and handed outpresents to the children. The churchchoir also sang carols whileeveryone enjoyed hot and colddrinks and cakes.And the early part of 2011 look setto be just as fun packed.Forthcoming events that children,parents and the community can lookforward to this term include: aValentines Disco, an Easter EggHunt and a Comedy Night.The Easter Egg Hunt on 27th Marchstarts at 2pm at the school. Therewill be two treasure hunt routes, ashort pushchair friendly route and alonger route plus a hunt for cluesover the common. All children willreceive an Easter Egg on theirreturn to the school hall, whererefreshments will be available.Tickets are £2 per child fromMinchinhampton School Office.Everyone is welcome, you don'tneed to attend MinchinhamptonSchool to join in the fun.The comedy night on Friday 11thMarch features Mark Maier, HattieHayridge and James Redmond withcompere Geoff Whiting. The baropens at 7pm and the show starts at8pm. Tickets at £12.50 are availablefrom M & B Stores, The Crown Inn &Minchinhampton School. (TheComedy Show is of an adult natureand under 18s will not be permitted).For further information call theschool office on 01453 883273 orvisit the website:http://www.minchinhamptonschool.ik.org/home.ikml

Community News and ViewsTom Long’s PostHoly Trinity, MinchinhamptonIt was wonderful to see the churchpacked out at the end of Novemberfor the Evening of Poetry Readingwith Sir Andrew Motion and for manyto meet and speak with himafterwards. Despite the cold wintersetting in early we were delighted towelcome the children from the Schoolto our 'Experience Christmas' weekand for their School Carol Service,and to see so many at our Christingleand Crib services. We do thankeveryone who gave so generously toour Christmas Charities: TheChildren's Society; The Marah Trust;Allsorts; and BasicNeeds.With Easter being as late as it can bethis year, April will be a busy month inthe Parish Church.Sunday 3rd April is Mothering Sundayand we hope that many families willjoin us at 10.00 a.m. for our SecondSunday style of service - which is ourshorter, more informal Eucharist.There will be posies for the children togive to their mums at the end of theservice.On Sunday 10th April at 5.30 p.m.there will be a performance of NevilleBoundy's play 'Five Sides of a Circle'when we can hear more about ourfour Gospel writers: why they wrote,who they wrote for, and something ofwhat they thought of each other.Tickets are £5 and available from theChurch Office (01453 889004) or e-mail: [admin@minchchurch.org.uk].At 7.00 p.m. on Sunday 17th April,Music at Minch presents 'Crown ofThorns' an oratorio by localcomposer, Christopher Boodle. Ourtwo church choirs at Holy Trinity,Minchinhampton and Holy Trinity,Amberley, will unite for thisperformance and be joined by invitedsoloists, all under the direction ofDirector of Music, Tim Ingold. Thispromises to be a very movingbeginning to Holy Week so please docome if you can.Holy Week and Easter Services inthe Parish Church are as follows:Mon-Sat 8.00 am Morning Prayer5.30 pm Evening PrayerPalm Sunday 17th April8.00am Said Eucharist9.45am Sung Eucharist beginning atthe Market House.5.30pm Said Evensong7.00pm Music at Minch - Crown ofThorns.Monday 18th & Tuesday 19th April7.30pm Reflective EucharistWednesday 20th April11.00am Holy Communion (BCP)7.30pm Reflective EucharistMaundy Thursday 21st April7.30pm Sung Eucharist of the LastSupper - followed by ‘The Watch’Good Friday 22nd April9.00am Good Friday Liturgy10.45am Children’s Good Friday12.00-3.00pm3 Hours Devotions.Easter Eve 23rd10.00pm The Easter LiturgyEaster Day 24th AprilDawn Service at 6.00am at TomLong’s Post. This is organised by thelocal Churches for all who wish tocelebrate together the Resurrectionof Christ at the start of Easter Day. Allare welcome.8.00am Holy Communion10.00am Sung Parish EucharistWe do hope as many as are able tojoin us for our worship during HolyWeek and on Easter Day - we lookforward to seeing you.Plastic Milk Bottle CapsSharon (daughter of Jackie and FredPrice) is collecting plastic milk bottlecaps. She needs to collect theequivalent weight in plastic milk bottletops for a wheelchair.Please save the plastic tops, (anycolour red , green or blue) and givethem to Jackie or Fred Price at M & BStores. Thank you!Walking4HealthWalking4Health walks take place ona Tuesday in Nailsworth at2.00p.m.(meet at the Library), andon Wednesday at 2.00p.m. inMinchinhampton, meeting at theMarket House (reverting to 7.00p.m.during the lighter evenings). Theroutes vary depending on theweather and the walking ability ofthe group. Volunteer walkers likemyself undertake a short trainingcourse and are first aid trained.Training courses are run by SDCand they are always looking forvolunteers - this spreads the load onthe already stretched volunteers.Walk leading is a rewarding way tovolunteer whilst keeping fit. Thephotograph show a group of walkersusing Pacerpoles, unique walkingpoles designed for walking by aphysiotherapist specialising in thebiomechanics of the body.In addition to the above, I also havea regular walking group on aMonday afternoon in Nailsworthwhen I teach walking withPacerpoles. There is a small chargeof £3.00 and I lend poles free ofcharge, so that the technique can bepractised 'at home' - Pacerpoles aredesigned specifically for posturalgain, assisting balance andstabilising gait whilst walking andnot as an arbitrary walking aid.(Pacerpoles should not be confusedwith the Nordic style of walking).Contact Pam on 01453 832907 formore information.14 15

Tom Long’s Post Dates for your DiaryParish Council Meetings7.00pm in The Trap House (unlessotherwise stated)14th March Planning Meeting28th March Parish Council18th April Parish Council10th May Annual Parish Assembly7.30pm at The Hub (next to Youth Centre)23rd May Annual Meeting of the ParishCouncil followed by Parish CouncilSpring Clean Week26th March - 2nd AprilNational Trust Open House10am until noon in the Parish Office31st March, 28th April 26th MayPCSO Surgery11am to noon in the Parish Office18th March, 15th April & 16th May.Minchinhampton Young MusiciansFestival19th March from 9.30am to 7pm atMinchinhampton School. Entry formsfrom Kathy Hurst 882960. Everyonewelcome to come along and enjoy thechildren’s music.Miss Haversham’s Ghosts25th & 26th March 7pm atMinchinhampton Market House. Tickets£25 to include 2 course supper, bookingforms available from M & B Stores, TheCrown, The Trap House, TalyorsButchers or Sue Simmonds 889321.Music at MinchConcerts at Holy Trinity. Contact JoanSchmeising on 834979.27th March Samuel Draper - (Violin)Music Student from Stroud studying atTrinity College London17th April Palm Sunday - Meditationand Music (Church Choir)1st May Classic Wind - Flute, Oboe,Clarinet, Bassoon and Horn.Stuart Singers2nd April Stuart Singers Concert atWycliffe College Chapel3rd and 4th June Stuart SingersConcerts at Minchinhampton Holy TrinityChurch 7.30pm. Tickets £7 fromMarjorie Russell on 886282 or from theCrown.Minchinhampton School PTA11th March Comedy Night Doors openat 7pm show starts at 8pm atMinchinhampton School. Tickets £12.50from M & B Stores, The Crown andMinchinhampton School.27th March 2pm Easter Egg Hunt.Treasure hunt around Minchinhamptonstarting at the school. Tickets availablefrom Minchinhampton School.Amberley Scout Group Auction2nd April Viewing from 11am sale at1pm Amberley Parish Rooms.Amberley Village Events8th April Fourmosa Fishing for Men andother watery tales. 7pm at AmberleyParish RoomsAmberley Book Sale19th March 9.30am - 12.30pm atAmberley Parish RoomsMinchinhampton Local History Group7.30pm at Cecily Court Lounge.15th March Fore and Aft - The Story ofPurton Ships’ Graveyard - Paul Barnett17th May Edward Jenner in Perspective- Les Mitchell.Minchinhampton Gardening Club21st March Myth’s and Legends18th April Salad Crops for the SmallGarden16th May The Art of Container PlantingMinchinhampton British Legion6th April Branch meeting at 7.30pm inthe Cotswold Club9th April 90th Anniversary Concert7.30pm in Minchinhampton MarketHouse. Concert with Nic Sims, AlexHowega and Rob Sims. Tickets £10 toinclude Ploughman’s Supper from theCrown Inn, M & B Stores and RBLCommittee members1st June Branch meeting at 7.30pm inthe Cotswold Club13th -17th June Flanders Fields tour.Seats and places available contact KenBucknell 882689.Minchinhampton WI2nd March Tobacconist Farm - LucyOfford6th April Vintage wonders - antiquejewellery Mrs Ruth Jacobs4th May Gloucestershire PolicePersonal Safety and Resolutions.June 1st Cotswold Wild Flowers Mythand Magic - Mrs Sue SmithLadies Club14th March Tony Russell - CotwoldGardens.Dazzle Children’s Workshops12th,13th & 14th April 10am- 4pmHansel & Gretel theatre and craftworkshop for 7-13 year olds atNailsworth Town Hall £65 per childwww.dazzleworkshops.co.ukBox Gardening ClubMeet in box Village Hall on 3rdTuesday of the month, refreshmentsfrom 7.30pm, speakers at 8pm. Visitorsare welcome.15th March Tony Russell - theAmazon19th April Timothy Walker - Creatingan All-Year-Round Garden15th May Plant Sale16