Larkhall News July13

LARKHALL News

The

Produced by the students and staff of St Mark’s Church of England School

Issue 23 July 2013

It’s official –

St Mark’s is a GOOD school, according to Ofsted, June 2013

Roving Reporters The Valley Schools’ reporters are out and about in our community

Join us for our Summer Show Stopper at St Mark’s - July 16th!

St Mark’s Open Mornings Friday 27 September & 11 October 2013 9-11am As I write, I sit with strangely curly hair from being out in the rain this evening and an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and pride. ‘How can that be?’ I hear you ask. Who can gain pleasure from getting wet? Well, the answer is me!

My colleague and I have been getting our school ready for our Summer Open Morning (summer? pah!), and in the process have been adorning our school site with statements from our recent Ofsted report.You may well see these over the coming weeks so hope that you now appreciate the suffering our endeavours have endured!

For some, this probably won’t mean much but for the staff and students at St Mark’s, it means everything. We are very proud of our school and our achievements, of both those stated within our Ofsted report, and those that we witness amongst our students everyday.

We recently held a forum for our Year 7 students to ask their thoughts and

opinions; their ideas for our school and their advice to their Year 5 and Year 6 peers. The forum was a lively and fun debate with some interesting ideas (the fire and explosions thing I will hand to our Science Department for actionning!), but the thing that struck me was their enthusiasm, honesty and above all PRIDE. They feel passionately that St Mark’s is a GREAT school and want to shout it from the roof-tops. Obviously that would be dangerous - so banners will have to suffice for now!

We have a lot to be proud of, as a school and as a community. I hope that you continue to support us on our journey to Outstanding and look forward to reporting more good news in the coming academic year.

For now though, the hair straighteners are calling me! Happy Summer!

Paula Paula Hawkins - Editor T: 01225 312661 E: hawkinsp@st-marks.bathnes.sch.uk

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In This Edition:

St Mark’s and The Valley Schools Our intrepid reporters hit the streets of Larkhall!

It’s official.

Ofsted state St Mark’s is GOOD Executive Headteacher, Raymond Friel, on news of St Mark’s recent Ofsted inspection under the toughest framework to date

From Larkhall to Ladakh

Swainswick Primary report on what life is like for one family who have moved to the Tibetan border of India

Valley Added + on Larkhall Festival 2013

Our Valley Added+ reporters discover fun, frivolity and festival fever at this year’s Larkhall Festival

An abundance of herbs

Bryan Chalker writes of the benefits to creating your own herb garden

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors.

The publisher does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or errors in content. Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage.

For advertising enquiries contact us on 01225 312661 Published by St Mark’s School Editor: Paula Hawkins, St Mark’s School, Bay Tree Road, Larkhall, Bath, BA1 6ND Tel: 01225 312661 Email: hawkinsp@st-marks.bathnes.sch.uk The Larkhall News is available online at: www.st-marks.bathnes.sch.uk

Enquiries welcome

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St Mark’s Open Evening Thursday 19 September 2013 6.00-9pm

It’s official.

St Mark’s is GOOD. Ofsted, June 2013

By Executive Headteacher, Raymond Friel increases in the levels of attainment for the pupils and the very high percentage of good teaching. I was also very pleased to read the comment that ‘students are proud of their school’, that they feel safe in school, well cared for and part of the ‘school family.’

It is with great pleasure that I am writing with news of our recent Ofsted report. As you may know, a team of inspectors visited St Mark’s on 11 and 12 June.

The summary of the inspection judged every area at St Mark’s as being GOOD. As a number of local schools have discovered, the new Ofsted framework is more demanding than the old one and a number of schools which were Outstanding have been ‘downgraded’ to Good. St Mark’s therefore joins a strong group of schools in the Good category.

The inspectors noted in particular the very significant improvements at St Mark’s in recent years. They noted the dramatic

There are of course points we must keep working on, such as continuing to improve results for all students and to improve attendance, but the majority of the report comments on very positive aspects of St Mark’s.

I would like to thank the very large number of our parents who took the time to complete the Parent View online questionnaire when the inspectors were here. The results were overwhelmingly positive and very encouraging for the staff and governors. The ‘vast majority’ of you consistently ‘Strongly Agreed/Agreed’ that your child is safe and happy in school, is taught well, received appropriate homework and any bullying which does arise is dealt with very effectively.

It was also extremely encouraging to see that 96% of our parents ‘Strongly Agreed’ that

they would recommend St Mark’s to another parent. The results of Parent View, together with the report, can be found on the Ofsted and school website.

As you know, we are faced with very challenging circumstances in Bath, with too many school places for the number of children we have. We have been working hard to tell our local community how Good a school St Mark’s is and what a very good education our children receive, but now it’s official – we’re GOOD.We welcome visitors and prospective families to St Mark’s throughout the school year, as well as our Open Days and Open Evening. If you, or someone you know would like to find out more about our school, please get in touch and we will be glad to show you round.

In the meantime, we will commit ourselves to moving beyond Good and start the journey towards making St Mark’s an Outstanding school. There aren’t many of them around but we only want the very best for your children.

Sporting success from St Mark’s athletes (pictured) at the recent B&NES Minor Athletics held at the University of Bath

St Mark’s Open Mornings Friday 27 September & 11 October 2013 9-11am

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GovernorRetires

By Ben Partridge & Sam Norman

On Friday 14 June, staff and students at St Mark’s School bid a fond farewell to Dr Douglas Peters, to mark his retirement as a Governor after 48 years of service.

The diary entries told of his thoughts and feelings about key events in the history of the school and create a valuable archive record of this landmark school in the east of Bath.

The occasion was marked by a Celebration Assembly, where Dr Peters was presented with a framed certificate and thanked for all of his hard work and dedication to the school over the years.

Speaking of his memories, Dr Peters commented, “I will remember with fondness particular members of staff, that have now retired. As a Governor, it was our responsibility to sign off field trips and excursions and if Steve Walker or Anita Garrett were in charge, I had no problems with signing this off as everything would be taken care of.”

Dr Peters was appointed a Governor, first of the Diocesan School for Girls in 1963, when he was asked by the then Rector of Bathwick and later Archdeacon of Wells, John Lance. During his time as a Governor, Dr Peters kept a diary of his work and it was extracts from this that was read out at the special assembly by students Meghanne Janczak and Rhys Wilcockson.

Dr Peters was thanked for his contribution by Chair of Governors, Mr Roger Coombe and Foundation Governor, Miss Rosemary Harrott, representing the Trustees of Weymouth House Schools.

ShipAhoy!

The wooden train in St Saviour’s Infants School playground was getting very old and broken. We think it had been here for about 20 years. Friends of St Saviour’s raised money from the Christmas Fair, cake sales and fetes to buy us some new equipment. Every class took a vote on what we might like to have. Some of the suggestions were a tank, a tree house, a ship or wooden animals and vehicles.The winning vote was for a ship.

During the half-term holiday work started. Unfortunately the machine that puts down the ‘sea’ broke down so it is not quite ready for us to use. The actual ship is finished and it looks exciting.

Coming down from the top deck there are two firemen’s poles and two slides. It has a climbing ramp and a ladder.

Because it has some rooms to go in, it’s going to be really cool.

Charlotte from Finland class can’t wait to go on the slides and poles. Joe in Turkey class said,“I’m going to be a pirate and have adventures”. Zerryn from Wales class thinks it looks “incredible and the slides are the best.” Sue the School Cook wishes she was “small enough to play on it.”

St

r’s Saviou Nursery & Infant School

By Ollie Knights,Year 2

Let’s hope the ship will last for 20 years as well!

StMark’s School

RovingReporters

Head of School, Mr Ryan, said, “We are honoured to have Dr Peters with us today in order that we can personally thank him for his dedication to our school and service to the community of Larkhall.”

“Being a Governor is not always an easy job but Dr Peters has always been a steady and supportive friend to St Mark’s and we will miss him greatly.”

DiscoFever

By Megan Hamer, Year 2

The St Saviour’s Infants School Council voted to raise money for some more Lego by having a disco. It was held on the last Thursday afternoon of Term 5. It was in the Main Hall which had been decorated with the most beautiful flashing colourful lights and glittery disco balls.

Ed, the Headteacher, was a funny DJ disguised in a fuzzy wig.

The first half was for the Reception and Nursery classes then after play it was Year One and Two’s turn to dance.

We had music – which was very loud – by people including Carly Rae Jepsen, ‘Gangnam style’ and Michael Jackson. Although it got rather hot everyone had a fun enjoyable time.

Belle in Turkey class said it was, “really good.” Jay in Scotland class thought the music was, “fantastic” and Ava from Iceland class said, “It was amazing.”

School Councillor Luke spoke about why the money will used to buy Lego, “Lots of people love Lego. It is great for building for our topics. In Year Two we use Lego to build Roman chariots and temples. Now our topic is Castles and Lego is brilliant for making castles.”

Reception use Lego to make spaceships and houses.Year One like to make weird inventions!

St Mark’s Open Evening Thursday 19 September 2013 6.00-9pm

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Primary

Swainswick

RovingReporters

The Swainswick Primary editorial team are: Finlay Wade, Rex Neilson, Zac Douglas, and Joe Gould. Finlay and Rex organised and carried out the interviews, and Finlay, Rex and Zac took photos.

GorgeousGardens On Saturday 8th June, Swainswick village held an Open gardens event, with the twist that Swainswick School opened its grounds for the first time.

On this beautiful sunny afternoon, many people came to view the variety of glorious plants and vegetables all grown in the picturesque village of Upper Swainswick.

The school also showed off its raised beds that are used by the children for the growing of vegetables.

Quite a few children had volunteered to be guides to the visitors that had come for the day to look around, have tea and scones in St Mary’s Church gardens, and have a go at ringing the church bells.

Most of the visitors commented on how much the school grounds had improved, how much effort had gone into it, and how friendly and knowledgeable the guides were.

“

My favourite plant today is Allium, but if you come back in a week’s time, I’ll have a different favourite.”

Our reporters had the opportunity of visiting some of the other beautiful gardens in Swainswick village, and talked to the owners about their gardens.

Tom Charrington has an architectural approach to planning his garden, and his garden reflects this as he has divided it into spaces he refers to as rooms. He has cared for his garden for the last 37 years, and puts particular effort into his elegantly trimmed hedges.

He has vegetables in small patches surrounded by box hedges.

Some of the vegetables he grows are asparagus (a dutch variety, which only takes a year to mature), mangetout, fir apple potatoes, and chard. Among the herbs he grows are dill and french tarragon.

Joanna Cacanas, has a very different sort of garden, where she achieves a great deal in a very small space. She told the reporters,‘My favourite plant today is Allium, but if you come back in a week’s time I’ll have a different favourite.’

The favourite plant in Beech House are the red roses which grow along the wall. Most of the garden in Beech House is organic, but the exception is the roses which are the owners pride and joy. The roses are treated with slug pellets and pesticide, but everywhere else salt is used instead of slug pellets.

St Mark’s Open Mornings Friday 27 September & 11 October 2013 9-11am

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Larkhall2Ladakh Two children from our school are currently living in Ladakh, which is a village close to the Himalayan mountains in India, near the border with Tibet. We thought it would be interesting to interview our friend Beinn, who is currently in Year 5, to see how different life is in Ladakh compared to Larkhall.

Beinn celebrated his 10th birthday in Ladakh, and talks a little about it in his interview.

Q: What sort of food do you eat?

A: We eat dhal and rice mostly. We have no fridge, no oven, no freezer, no grill and no kettle. We get fresh milk from a nearby cow everyday.

We have to boil this milk first, we also have to boil all the water we drink.

Q: What is your daily routine?

A: We only have hot water to wash with every two days, so we have a shower on that day. First we do school work and then we help Mum with the washing. We do not have a washing machine, so all the washing has to be done by hand in a bowl in the garden. Then we go into Leh and help buy food for the day. We talk to local people and have made lots of friends who all want to say hello to us. We do not have a TV. We play a lot with our bow and arrows in the garden.

Q: What does your house look like?

A: We stay at a Guest House in Leh with a lady called Tashi. It is a big house with a garden and we have a neighbour called Sonam who is very nice and has a dog called Lucky.

Q: How did you celebrate your birthday?

A: I herded yaks for my birthday. We stayed at a place called Yurutse at 4200m. I got given an old Tibetan fire striker, a proper one made of leather with a metal edge and to make fire you have to light it by striking it on a piece of quartz.

Q: What has been your best experience?

A: Our walk along the Markha Valley, which was an eight day trek. I liked staying in Ladakhi houses and meeting lots of people, who are different to people in Leh. The people in the Markha Valley do not have an electricity or instant hot water or shops. It was very remote.

Q: How do you get about?

A: We either walk or get a taxi. We don’t have a car.

Q: What wildlife have you seen?

A: We have seen marmots, golden eagles, ibex, horses, yaks, fish, lizards, dzo, wild asses, donkeys, camels, snakes, wild dogs, cows, hares, rabbits, magpies and pashmina goats. My favourite animal are camels (two humped bactrian camels).

If you want to know more about the adventures of Beinn’s family in Ladakh, visit http://larkhall2ladakh.blogspot.co.uk/ for a variety of information about their experiences.

Primary

Swainswick

RovingReporters

L &L Page 8

arkhall

St Mark’s Open Evening Thursday 19 September 2013 6.00-9pm

ambridge

Beat Team Reports

PC1665 Mar tin Holliwell

by PCSO Paul King

In April, we held ‘Mark in Park’ at Alice Park, and are pleased to report that it was a very successful event. We have been running this for a number of years now, encouraging people to come along to get their bikes security marked. This time, however, we were able to offer a little more in the way of crime prevention as we have recently acquired a new tool in the fight against crime. We endorse the website Immobilise.com which allows people to create an account and add details of their personal property. By doing this it greatly increases the chance of recovery of your property if it’s stolen and can assist in the capture of thieves.

We now have access to a laptop that we can take out and about to community events and can register people’s belongings. Once set up, these details create an Immobilise account that you can then access and add further items. This, I feel, is a worthwhile exercise and even more so now in the current climate where we rely on the advances in technology in our everyday lives. I myself was a little sceptical about how easy this would be - as if we don’t have enough accounts, emails and passwords in our lives as it is! But I can safely say that I have registered my own account and it was very quick and easy.You can find further details at immobilise.com.

We are planning to attend a number of local events throughout Bath over the next few months with the laptop, so do come along and find out more.

(Opposite St Saviour’s Church)

PCSO8124 Paul King

PCSO7315 David Holmes

PACT Meetings We are currently suffering a spate of criminal damage to fences, predominantly across Lansdown and into Weston with a number of incidents reported. Approximately 12-18 months ago, we saw a similar spate of incidents, which then extended as far as Bathampton. The fencing subject to damage is barbed wire and stock net fencing used to secure boundaries and livestock within. The fences are being cleanly cut, possibly with wire cutters, and in many cases the wire is rolled neatly back, often to allow pedestrian access.

As I’m sure you can appreciate, this damage is causing a lot of distress to its victims, concerned that their livestock could escape, as well as the obvious time and cost implications involved where repairs have to be made.

We have liaised extensively with all victims and have spoken to as many local landowners as we can to encourage communication and remain vigilant in an attempt to identify any persons responsible, so please report any suspicious persons, vehicles or behaviour when you see it. The number to report any non - emergency incident is 101.

Paul King, Lambridge Beat Team PCSO 8124, Walcot, Lambridge, Lansdown. www.avonandsomerset.police.uk

Saturday 7 September 2013 10am - Midday at New Oriel Hall If you have any issues or concerns, please come along and meet with a member of your Beat Team and local Councillors

Contact us on 999 in an EMERGENCY or 101 for NON-EMERGENCY

St Mark’s Open Mornings Friday 27 September & 11 October 2013 9-11am

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SummerShowcaseFun Tuesday16July On Tuesday 16 July, St Mark's School would like to invite you to 'A Night at the Movies'.

are keen to road test the new barbecue and some food and a drink will be included in the price of a ticket (price TBC).

A committed group of our students have put together acts inspired by the movies which include our own version of James Bond, a Streetdance inspired by 'Men in Black' and a dramatisation of the first meeting between Bilbo Baggins and Gollum!

You will, of course, be able to purchase more during the evening! Entertainment will be provided in the school hall later in the evening. Any money raised will help fund our new 'Learning to Lead' initiative.

We hope we can rely on your support.

The staff singers will also be appearing and have been rehearsing hard on a regular basis. The evening will begin around 6:30 with a barbecue on the lawn outside the school (weather permitting). The SMSA

Your Opinion Counts At St Mark’s School

we are committed to providing an outstanding service to our students and their families, but we are far from complacent in our achievements and are always looking for ways to improve. As part of our on-going efforts to establish St Mark’s as a school of choice for our local community, we recently invited local families to take part in a short survey asking for their opinions, ideas and feedback on our school.

The results of this survey will help us to understand what we are doing well and where we can still improve.

We were delighted by the number of responses; something that reaffirms the collective desire, held by us all, to create an outstanding school at the heart of our community. We have received a number of very positive and supportive comments and we will be working through these over the coming weeks and months to help us shape the future of our school.

Here is a flavour of the survey’s findings: Community An overwhelming percentage of respondents felt that St Mark’s was an active member of its

community, that it was a welcoming and friendly school and that students were encouraged to engage positively with its community. Initiatives such as Valley Added,The Larkhall News and the Larkhall Festival Day were well received and there were requests for more events like this. On the whole, most respondents felt well-informed about activities and events at the school but some felt that better communication would help.

Facilities The majority of respondents feel that St Mark’s is a safe and secure school. Access to the school is good and that the school makes its facilities available to the local community.

Some respondents felt that school facilities could be further improved through investment and that sporting opportunities could be greater.

Academic Achievement and Learning Of those that did answer the questions in this section, the majority of respondents feel that students perform well academically at St Mark’s School but that there could be improved communication of student successes and performance. This was further evidenced by the number of respondents who selected ‘Don’t Know’.

Almost 100% of respondents feel that it is important that students have a post-16 option available to them at The New Sixth, the school’s new sixth form provision.

Overall Respondents feel that St Mark’s is a good

We urge everyone to join us for what is sure to be the highlight of your Summer!

Tickets will go on sale very soon so please contact the school to reserve your place.

Tel 01225 312661 or email stmarks_sec@bathnes.gov.uk.

school and would consider it as their choice for secondary school. They feel that the Federation with St Gregory’s has had a positive impact on the school. The vast majority of respondents feel that students at St Mark’s are well-cared for and wellsupported. Results show that most feel that students at St Mark’s are well-behaved, polite and presented smartly. There are a small number of respondents who feel that more could be done to improve the presentation of students.

Concerns were raised that the school is still suffering from a poor historical reputation that is no longer deserved and that this has affected pupil numbers negatively. A large number of respondents feel that despite this, the school is making great efforts to turn this around and the school should remain consistent in its ambitions with ‘more of the same’.

We will be inviting local parents to join a Focus Group of local community representatives and school leaders to meet once a term to support the school’s development plans and to help shape the future of St Mark’s School in Larkhall.

The first event will be held this October.

Crèche facilities will be available, if required.

If you would be interested in taking part, please get in touch with Paula Hawkins at St Mark’s School on 01225 312661. We would value your contributions, ideas and feedback.

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St Mark’s Open Evening Thursday 19 September 2013 6.00-9pm

AN ABUNDANCE OF HERBS

F

ORGET ABOUT THE ERRATIC NATURE OF OUR ‘SEASONS’, CONDITIONS ARE IDEAL FOR GROWING HERBS AND THIS YEAR’S CROP IS AS GOOD AS EVER. My interest in herb growing goes back to my early childhood in Sydenham, Kent, where we were blessed with a reasonably large garden. My grandfather, Jack Chalker, was a professional gardener and I obviously absorbed much of what he told me about the value of these versatile plants and their medicinal and culinary properties. Unfortunately, I failed to acquire my grandfather’s deep knowledge of plants but did develop an abiding interest in cookery and the use of countless herbs when preparing various dishes. My wife, Glenys, is an exceptionally gifted cook and between us we have developed an exciting herb garden where we live at Claverton Down and throughout the summer (I use the word loosely) season have on hand a wide range of plants, including tarragon, fennel, parsley, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, wild garlic, celery leaf, lovage, angelica, chives, horseradish, dill and several varieties of mint.

Several years ago both Government and scientists focused on what was initially called Global Warming in a scare tactic aimed at raising more revenue through spurious taxes and then, short on conclusive facts, toned it down to ‘climate change’. Doubtless climatic changes are taking place on a global scale but where this particular country is concerned, where we seem to have ‘weather’ as opposed to ‘seasons’, what we have experienced over the past two or three years is pretty much the norm. Official records go back only as far as 1910 but there are figures in both England and Wales revealing that exceedingly wet years occurred in 1767 and 1872. The Met Office claims, however, that 2000 and 2012 were ‘the wettest years on record’. Conversely, the period 1965 to 2000 were recorded as being ‘unusually dry’.

We have the Romans to thank for the introduction of our herbs and how much poorer – and unhealthier –

“

we’d all be without them.

There is nothing better to Herbs, like oregano, fennel, rosemary, thyme and parsley garnish a good meal than a which were planted in my handful of freshly picked garden more than seven years ago, have withstood strong garden herbs.” winds, torrential rain, heavy snowfall and hoare frosts and are as healthy now as when they were first put into the PICTuReD: ground.

TROUBLE FREE Herbs are pretty trouble free but I must confess that basil does not respond to my ‘green fingers’ and I cannot grow it with any degree of success. The others, however, pop up year after year and we simply leave them to get on with it. There is nothing better to garnish a good meal than a handful of freshly picked garden herbs.

The accompanying photographs show a range of options for growing herbs, from a raised bed, through to a variety of terracotta pots of all shapes and sizes – and even a window-box can be used to plant parsley, thyme, tarragon and mint.

The Larkhall Community Garden is a prime example of how a rough piece of ground can be dug over and developed into a productive allotment, adding a whole new dimension to Alice Park. For further information about this exciting project, I would suggest making contact with Helen Kendall via: helenekendall@btinternet.com, who will happily offer advice on herb growing.

We waste an appalling amount of perfectly edible food in this country annually and it never ceases to amaze me how many people have absolutely no idea of the value of herbs in cookery and how a few sprigs of fresh thyme can enhance a simple dish of scrambled eggs on toast, or lavender adds to the delight of roast lamb. The dark green leaves of horseradish can be used in salads or as a garnish for grilled mackerel. My own particular favourite is lightly grilled king scallops laid on a bed of wild garlic leaves. The wild garlic was harvested by my

A small herb garden of approximately 5ft x 8ft as a raised bed can yield a wide variety of culinar y and medicinal delights and an assor ted selection of terracotta pots adds to the rustic quality of the patch.

St Mark’s Open Mornings Friday 27 September & 11 October 2013 9-11am

Page 11

Another ‘herb’ essential for Italian cuisine is, of course, the bay and, whilst a small bay tree will probably cost around £10 at a garden centre, it’s a thoroughly worthwhile investment. We have two bay trees and both suffered badly during excessively bitter winters but this year’s combination of rain and sun have seen them both spring back to life.

We may constantly whinge about our ‘awful weather’ but that’s what makes us so different from the rest of the world. There’s an old saying, ‘If you can live in Britain, you can live anywhere in the world’. I’ll buy that – but I won’t buy herbs from supermarkets. I grow my own – and so can you!

“

We may constantly whinge about our ‘awful weather’ but that’s what makes us so different from the rest of the world.”

PICTuReD: The Chalker herb garden has evolved to allow some of the plants such as oregano, dill, marjoram and celer y leaf to ‘run wild’.

wife and I from St. Catherine’s, Monkton Farleigh and Monkton Combe. It was simply a case of taking a trowel, digging out the entire plant and re-planting in our own garden. Wild garlic re-seeds itself and spreads rapidly to provide a lush display the following season – roughly March to May – and literally every part of the plant can be used in cooking – even the delicate white flowers!

CAUTIONARY NOTE Where lovage and angelica are concerned, it’s wise to use a degree of caution when using their leaves in salads as both are extremely bitter but each can add a subtle degree of ‘punch’ to a herb salad.

While nasturtiums do not fall into the herb category, we grow them in abundance because, like wild garlic, every part of the plant (except the roots) can be used and the sharp, peppery taste of the leaves gives added zest to a summer salad, or as an accompaniment to certain meat and fish dishes. Nasturtiums are also extremely easy to grow and if slugs and snails are a problem when the plants are young and tender, simply crush egg shells in a plastic bag and sprinkle around the base to deter these pests. If grown in pots, then copper wire or copper antislug adhesive tape is a good repellent and gives the critters a short, sharp shock of mild electric current.

Please do not resort to chemical-based slug-pellets, as they harm wild-life and pollute the soil. Where watering is concerned, a rainwater butt is the obvious answer; or simply re-use the washing-up water.

The old wartime mantra ‘ Grow Your Own’ is now back in popular vogue and in these times of over-population and austerity, it makes good sense to cultivate your own herbs and cut down on weekly grocery bills. Equal savings can be made by saving the seeds of capsicums (red, green, orange and yellow peppers) and hot chillies and planting these out for future use. One small green chilli plant will usually provide enough ‘fruit’ to last a couple for at least a year!

The Larkhall

Village Kitchen

The column that puts creativity back into cooking with the majority of ingredients sourced from Larkhall shops, gardens or allotments.

Herb Salad This really is a delicious and highly nutritious combination of herbal delights from the garden and easy to prepare.

Ingredients: Several cloves of garlic Sprig of marjoram Sprig of oregano Three or four leaves of lemon balm Several leaves of garden mint 1 broad leaf of lovage 1 broad leaf of angelica 2 or 3 sprigs of parsley Sprinkling of thyme 2 or 3 green horseradish leaves 1 leaf of wild garlic Sprig of fennel Chives to taste Method: Rinse the herbs thoroughly in a colander to wash away any garden bugs, roughly chop, toss in a bowl adding a few drops of olive oil and, if to your taste, a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar. If you grow your own tomatoes, cucumbers and spring onions, then these can also be chopped, sliced and added. Serve with any main course of your choice but this salad is excellent with chicken, ham or certain fish.

St Mark’s Open Evening Thursday September 19 2013 6.00-9pm

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news from

New Oriel Hall

The Community Library has added a new dimension to life at New Oriel Hall. Volunteers drop in and out during the day to run the library and they are a great bunch. Parents and grand-parents bring pre-schoolers along to choose from the kid’s section, or to sit and read to them, and people of all ages are discovering it is easy and satisfying to stroll down to the hall, to browse the interesting selection of books we have on offer, including large print and some books on CD. During the summer children visiting our library can take part in the Creepy House Reading Challenge, an event organised by B&NES Library Service. The challenge involves reading six books between 13th July and 14th September and collecting stickers along the way. Another summertime competition organised by B&NES Library involves people turning an old library book into a work of art. You can collect an old book and more details from any B&NES library.

Every so often the hall hosts something totally new and unusual and such an event is being held on July 20th when model railway enthusiasts from near and far will descend on the hall for an all-day exhibition organised by our local specialist shop The Titfield Thunderbolt.

Over the summer most of the regular classes running here take a break, but Weightwatchers and Lin’s Meditation class continue to meet weekly offering support at their regular times.

The hall will be closed from the 5th to the 9th of August for our annual week’s holiday and this includes the library.

The two main halls and the Social Area are perfect for holding celebrations, sales, and meetings and over the summer holiday pe-

07940 022851

riod there is still some mid-week availability, although during weekends this isn’t the case. We have seven brides and grooms and their friends and families celebrating seven weddings over the summer holiday period, a record, the result of word of mouth. All the weddings are different. People hire the space and create their own dream environment, with bunting, drapes and banners, fairy lights and flowers according to taste.

Calling all allotment holders. It’s time to polish up your competitive spirit ready for Bath Area Growers Grand Produce Show being held here on Sunday 25th August. There are lots of different categories and anyone with an allotment can enter.

Most of our classes resume in September so August is the perfect time to plan your regime of activities ready for the months ahead. Some of our classes get fully booked fairly early so whilst you are relaxing in the summer sunshine give a thought to the dark autumn evenings and how you can add some spice into your weekly timetable. There’s something for everyone. You can raise your spirit with classes in Buddhism, Mindfulness, Meditation or Subud. Physical classes vary from high energy Zumba and Body Sculpt to yoga, adult ballet, pilates, monthly Qi Gong and a range of mixed exercise classes for older people, suitable for everyone, whatever your fitness level. The classes for Over 50s are designed to strengthen muscles and bones ad make everyday activities a bit easier.

They aren’t high impact but do improve coordination.

If you love to sing there’s Community Choir for adults and another choir for young people. French classes are run by Alliance Francaise. If you are interested in art you might

like to try a life drawing class but book as soon as possible as places are limited. If what appeals is finding out about art rather than being creative yourself try Desanka’s Art History class. You will learn about great painters, old and new and what inspired their work.

Children are well catered for at the hall. Preschoolers have great fun during Friday morning Sing and Sign classes. At Sally’s popular Thursday morning Mum and Me sessions youngsters enjoy moving around to live piano music, provided by Sue. A new class, Little Dancers, starts on Friday 6th September and runs from 10.15 to 11.15 a.m. For school aged children Kids Yoga takes place on Mondays from 4.15 to 5.15 p.m. and Latin and Ballroom dancing from 4.00 to 6.00 p.m. on Thursdays. Drama crazy kids are catered for on Mondays from 3.30 to 6.00 p.m. at Perform, where they learn all about acting, singing and dancing.

We have been open now for over nine years but a few local people still haven’t been here.

Thanks to a virtual tour on the website you can now have a good look around our beautiful hall without leaving the comfort of your living room but classes require your actual presence. We hope you will find something to brighten the winter months and look forward to seeing you. For more details of all the classes running here please visit our website: www.neworielhall.org.uk, or check out the timetable on the notice board in the Social Area, email: info@neworielhall.org.uk or call 01225 466606.

St Mark’s Open Mornings Friday September 27 & October 11 2013 9-11am

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New clubhouse emerges at Plain Ham

www.pitchero.com/clubs/larkhallathleticfc/ Twitter - @LarkhallAFC After a very successful round of fundraising during last season - thanks again to the Football Foundation and Sport England - work is well underway at Plain Ham to extend and improve the clubhouse facilities.

Come August the clubhouse will feature brand-new, bigger and better-appointed changing rooms for players and officials, an extended bar area, an additional kitchen/servery area that looks out over the

pitch, and a separate meeting/hospitality room.

Apart from improving the experience for all the club's members and visitors, these new facilities will take the Club a long way towards the standard required for Southern League football, which is where the first team aspires to be by the end of the centenary year.There will be a formal opening ceremony for the new clubhouse soon - watch

this space.

The Larks Ladies will start the new season in a new league, having won promotion into the South West Combination Women's League.

2013-14 promises to be a very exciting year for Larkhall Athletic FC! Don't forget to follow the fortunes of the club via the website.

Celebration Day

Saturday 20 July 1-3.30pm There’s been a lot going on at Alice Park Community Garden over the last year and we would like to invite the local community to come and celebrate. We are holding a party to launch Lottery funded work at the garden, including the beautiful handcrafted green oak timber shelter. Built by local volunteers and students from Norton Radstock College, this inspirational structure has been a remarkable achievement for the Community Garden.

Bring a picnic and refreshments are available at the Alice Park Café. Local apple juice will be for sale.There will be a surprise guest and we’ll Toast the Framers.

There will be some activities for children and the amazing Wellstead Roundabout will be set up from 10.30am, so come early to watch, be sure to bring along teddies or your favourite toys for a ride.

Upcoming summer workshops and events at Alice Park Community Garden: Willow weaving workshop Saturday 29 June 9.30am - 12.30pm with Annie Beardsley, local artist and garden volunteer.

Herbal remedies workshop Saturday 13 July 10am - 12pm with Herbalist Sue Hawkey.

Numbers are limited so please book your place by contacting Julia Butler: jbutlerhawkins@btinternet.com Watch out for details of Tim Miles’ Green Woodworking demonstration as he makes a bench for the park early July.

Kilter Theatre will be installing their ‘Roots’ Shed for a short residency.

Bath in Bloom will be judging the garden inside and out with our wild edible flower bed almost in full bloom at the entrance to the park.

Wild Things are running their Friday morning parent and toddler group throughout the summer and a group of children from St Saviour’s Infant School are visiting weekly to join in planting, growing and harvesting and exploring the garden for wildlife.

Regular volunteer sessions continue on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For more information see our website for details.

www.aliceparkcommunitygarden.org www.facebook.com/aliceparkgarden www.twitter.com/aliceparkgarden

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St Mark’s Open Evening Thursday 19 September 2013 6.00-9pm

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Valley Added

RovingReporters Maya White, Year 5 from Swainswick Primary School, and Donna Jimmy,Year 6 from St Saviour’s Junior School, were so inspired by the Valley Added Saturday Workshops they had attended earlier in the year that they took it upon themselves to act as Roving Reporters at The Larkhall Festival in May. As a result they have been invited to be part of the editorial team for The Larkhall News. Who knows, you may see them reporting in a national publication one day… and remember, you saw them here first!

By Donna Jimmy & Maya White

FestivalFun! The Larkhall Festival

The Big Picture

length and 2m in height.

We met Nick Bird who volunteered for the Larkhall Festival and is part of the committee. We asked him why the festival is so important. He said, “It is a festival for the community and run by the local people, showing the talents of Larkhall.”

The inspiration behind this project was for children in Larkhall to do a big picture together. Local artists Simon Hodges and Dawn Lippiatt worked with Paula Hawkins of St Mark’s School and together they formed the idea, 12 months ago, to try to encapsulate the spirit of Larkhall through the eyes of the children themselves.

Galactic Masks

He went on to explain that there are nine people who volunteered for the committee, and that they all make sure that the activities run smoothly.

There were a wealth of activities taking place all over Larkhall, including the New Oriel Hall, St Mark’s School, St Saviour’s Church, Rondo Theatre and Alice Park. Some of the activities were: Music, Arts & Crafts, A Gurning Competition, Doctor Who, Storytelling and Creative Writing, Art Exhibition, Food Festival and a Star Wars Parade.

Approximately 600 children took part in this project, from St Saviour’s Infants, St Saviour’s Juniors, Swainswick Primary School and St Mark’s Secondary School. Their task was to draw the reflection of their own image and they were provided with blank card.

Once all the portraits were done Simon, Dawn and Paula assembled the pieces of art, which took about 10 hours. The finished picture was 5m in

The children who participated in this particular workshop were making their mask for a parade in Alice Park.

They were given cardboard boxes that were cut to the right shape to fit their heads. The cardboard box also had eye-shape holes cut out so they could see and some had ear holes and pieces stuck on, depending on the creature they were making. They had to choose which Galactic creature to paint. Once they had finished painting they waited for it to dry and it was ready to wear.

George said,“I love this workshop because you get to make a mask.” Paul added, “It’s fun and cool making a mask!” They both looked like they were having a great time.

Nadia Cachia ran the workshop. She

St Mark’s Open Mornings Friday 27 September & 11 October 2013 9-11am

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StrictlyCumin Dancing PICTuReD FROM LeFT: Maya and Donna in the Ar t exhibition with the dress called "Builders of Bath", loaned by Cathy Kelly; Kingsley Pillinger with Robin Crispin and Peter Milton from the Larkhall Butchers; Having fun making Galactic Masks (top) and a really small par t of The Big Picture soon to be on permanant display at St Mark’s School.

PICTuReD RIGHT: Students from St Mark’s School preparing for Strictly Cumin Dancing

explained that it was originally Paula Hawkins, the Marketing Manager’s idea to make costumes for the Star Wars Parade.

So Nadia decided to make masks with a galactic theme.

Art Exhibition in New Oriel Hall

The new Community Library was opened

by Stephen Venables on Saturday 4th May. He is an author who lives locally and he is also a mountaineer. He was the first Briton who climbed Mount Everest with no oxygen tank. Su Ross, a volunteer, said that over 20 other people had volunteered for the library.

Ilene Sters is an experienced art exhibition organiser who lived in New York. She then moved to Bath and joined the Larkhall artists group.

Larkhall Food Festival at the Larkhall Inn

She volunteered to organise the art exhibition at the Larkhall Festival. The pieces of art had lots of different styles and were very modern. One piece of art work was a dress made by Cathy Kelly, who makes 18th century dresses with a modern twist.

There were lots of different types of fun activities taking place at the Larkhall Inn.We spoke to Kingsley Pillinger there, whose role is production and director. He oversees the decorations for the Larkhall Festival and makes everything look really pretty. He also organises the technical equipment, Choir by the Fire, Karaoke and the Casino.

New Community Library in New Oriel Hall Everybody thought that Larkhall needed a library for the community, so that people with limited access could get there very easily.

Pavel Douglas joined two of the Larkhall Butchers, Robin Crispin and Peter Milton, on a stage built especially for the event, to show the audience how to tie a sausage as part of the Food Festival.

On Friday, 12th April curious curry-lovers from across the community flocked to St Mark’s School for a Curry Night with a difference, relieved that the event had not been snowed off for a second time.

The fundraiser had been organised not only to raise funds for the Valley Added Project, but to showcase the talents of the enterprising students from St Mark’s who were to bulk-cook curries for the first time.

This was a practise run for their curry enterprise, products from which will be retailed through Alice Park Café.

Local celebrity and chef, Bini Ludlow from Sweet Cumin Indian Cookery School, guided the students with the help of Zoe Balfre, Technology Teacher at St Mark’s, and assisted by a team of students from Norland College. The curries were so popular, the kitchen shutters had to be closed after the customers had returned for third helpings!

Norland College students also ably ran a crèche so that parents did not have to find a babysitter for their younger children. Tony Hickman from Alice Park Café ran the bar, and staff, students and members of St Mark’s SMSA all gave up their time to ensure the evening went smoothly. entertainment was provided by the Heads’ Band from the Valley Schools, who actually managed to get the audience on the dance floor, as did Sallama Fusion Dance Company who wowed the audience with an hour long show including a very talented young guest vocalist, Alex Newman.

The evening raised an amazing £500, a great time was had by all, and I am extremely grateful to the many volunteers and businesses who helped make this event “CuRRY-TASTIC”!

Report by Merryl elias Valley Added Project Manager

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St Mark’s Open Evening Thursday September 19 2013 6.00-9pm