Editorial/Advertising copy to:-
Mary Roberts - Editor
Tel: 07814 850464
email: mary@wilprintdesign.co.uk
Tony Sykes - Accounts
Rockside, Fox Hill, Tetbury GL8 8XA.
Tel: 07813 091440
email: tony@tonysykes.com
Alan Greenway - Distribution Willowbank, Tetbury, GL8 8BT.
Tel: (h) 01666 504715 (m) 07955 088580
email: alang196@gmail.com
Copy date for the May 2024
Issue is Thursday 11th April 2024
Delivery - 27th/28th April 2024
Please ensure that copy is submitted by the deadline. There is NO guarantee that late copy will be published. No liability is accepted for any loss or damage arising from any error, inaccuracies or omission from any copy or advertising in this publication. The Editor reserves the right to omit any item not considered suitable for printing. All reasonable e orts will be made to meet the wishes of our advertisers and contributors.
Media pack available from www.tetburyadvertiser.co.uk
4th Apr History of Tetbury Society
Monthly talk from Mike Bottomley on Katherine Parr, Gloucestershire’s Queen. See article for details.
7th Apr St Marys’ Church
Heart and Soul evening worship. See article for details.
8th Apr Tetbury WI
Taster evening of Tai Chi. 7.30 pm at The Goods Shed.
10th Apr Tetbury Film Society
‘The Lesson’ (Cert. 15). See article for details.
11th Apr The Goods Shed
The Big Cream Tea event. See article for details.
12th Apr Avening WI
Charity Village Quiz. See article for details.
16th Apr Tetbury and District u3a host a monthly talk by Kirsty Murray 10.30 am at The Goods Shed. See article for details.
21st Apr Badminton Estate Open Garden Days.
27th Apr Tetbury Bowls Club
cover full page £220
Pre-printed inserts £300
PLEASE QUOTE YOUR INVOICE NUMBER IN PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS
Prices shown do not include VAT charged at 20%.
Produced by The Tetbury Advertiser Limited (VAT number 338322801), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tetbury Lions Trust; Charity number 1152090. www.tetburyadvertiser.co.uk
CHURCHES
Free taster event. See article for details.
COMMUNITY CONNEXIONS TRANSPORT
Suite 132,Corinium House, Corinium Avenue, Barnwood Point, Gloucester GL4 3HX
Tel: 0345 680 5029
COTSWOLD CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU
TEL: 0808 800 0511
DOCTORS
Phoenix Tetbury, Long Street. Tel: 01666 502303 The Tolsey Surgery, High Street, Sherston. Tel: 01666 840270
HOSPITAL
Malmesbury Road. Tel: 01666 502336
OSTEOPATHS Tel: 01666 503599 & 01666 502214
DOLPHINS HALL COMMUNITY CENTRE Bookings can be made at www.dolphinshall.org or email: contact@dolphinshall.org
LIBRARY Close Gardens. Tel: 01666 502258 (Mon 10.00-1.00, Tue 10.00-5.00, Wed 10.00-5.00, Fri 10.00-6.00, Sat 10.00-1.00)
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Tetbury Town Council, Old Courthouse, Long Street. Tel: 01666 504670 (Mon-Fri 9am - 2.30pm) Council Info. Services, in Council Office. Email: reception@tetbury.gov.uk
Cotswold District Council, Trinity Road, Cirencester. Tel: (01285) 623000
NATIONAL EXPRESS Bookings taken at the Visitor Information Centre. Daily return service from Cirencester to Heathrow. www. visittetbury.co.uk
POLICE STATION The Old Courthouse, Long Street Tel: Emergency - 999, Non-Emergency101 (note new number).
RAILWAY STATION Kemble - 6 miles
Enquiries Tel: 0845 748 4950
SCHOOLS
Sir William Romney’s, Lowfield Road. Tel: 01666 502378 St. Mary’s Primary, St. Mary’s Road.Tel: 01666 502275.
TETBURY SHOPMOBILITY BOOKINGS
Monday-Friday 9.00-3.00 Tetbury Town Council Offices 01666 504670. Saturday 10.00-4.00
Tetbury Tourist Information Centre.
Tel: 01666 503552
The Friends of Tetbury Community Transport Roger Bellairs, 07759 142577
TETBURY CARES, www.tetburycares.org
Website to signpost local health services
TETBURY LIONS, www.tetburylions.com
Tetbury Town Crier Tony Evans, 24 Box
Crescent, Minchinhampton, Nr. Stroud, Gloucestershire GL6 9DJ.
Tel: 01453 731355 Mob: 07969 302042
Email: tonyevanstowncrier@btinternet.com
VISITOR INFORMATION
33 Church Street.
tourism@tetbury.gov.uk Tel: 01666 503552
After the wettest winter that I can remember, I’ve been looking forward more than ever to the spring. January and February are in any case my least favourite months, so I’m always glad when 1st March comes around. But this year, I’m particularly pleased because I’ve just discovered that meteorologists count it as the first day of spring.
How did I not know that before? I’d always believed spring started at the equinox, halfway between winter and summer solstices, around the 21st of March. Now I learn that’s only in astronomical terms.
Date alone is of course no guarantee that it will start to feel like spring. There are more reliable indicators. I used to include the appearance of daffodils and lambs among them, but in recent years I’ve so often spotted them before Christmas that I’ve crossed them off my list.
When I kept chickens, their return to laying was a surer sign of spring, as it’s triggered by the increase in daylight hours. Now the only animals in my household are cats. They have their own ideas about when spring starts, as cats do about most things. Mine must be optimists, because they’ve been
shedding their winter coats since January, even though the weather continued to be cold enough to justify thermal vests (for me, not for them).
By the start of March, they were spending a lot more time out of doors, lured by birdsong and transfixed by numerous frogs playing hide-and-seek in the pond.
Although I lingered indoors in the warm, I kept a watchful eye on the garden from within. Through my study window, I spotted plum blossom on the otherwise bare branches. (Unlike apple trees, plums
produce flowers before leaves). From the French windows downstairs, I noticed a new red tulip appearing every day, then another, then another, until there was a neat row of them along one flowerbed like soldiers on parade. Halfway down the garden I spied bright green leaves unfurling, the rhubarb emerging from subterranean hibernation.
Further evidence of spring arrived when the familiar chime heralded a visit from the ice-cream van, and I realised to my surprise it was no longer too cold to enjoy ice cream, tucking into my first 99 of the year.
I needed only one final proof of spring’s arrival: the start of British Summer Time. Checking my calendar, I discovered that this year, it falls on Easter Sunday. As a churchgoer, I found this double symbol of fresh starts and hopeful new beginnings especially pleasing. It’s also distribution day for the April issue of the Tetbury Advertiser. What more could I wish for? Here’s to a bright and cheerful spring for us all.
Debbie Young
www.authordebbieyoung.com
Join Debbie Young and eight more authors at the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival spring event on the theme “A Sense of Place” at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Hawkesbury, on Saturday 27th April – for more information and to book tickets, please visit www.hulitfest.com.
Our third Lions Big Quiz held at the Great Tythe Barn was another great success.
It was an enjoyable night with the clear winners being “The Flying Dicks” (named after the many Richards in the team we are told?) Thanks go to the Great Tythe Barn for donating the venue, to Rob Gibson of Dolcetti Ice Cream and to the many Lions and others who helped put on the event. We made over £1,300 from entrants and from the Easter raffle tickets sold on the night. It is profits from these events which go towards the donations mentioned below. The next Big Quiz at the Great Tythe Barn will be on the 11th of Dec, a date for your diary.
This month we made our regular donation of £200 to the Foodbank as well as pledging £250 to Severn Freewheelers who deliver emergency medicines etc throughout our area. The Club also agreed to try to run this year’s Tetbury Lights Switch on event which takes place on the 29th of November. We hope this will happen in conjunction with Tetbury Town Council, the Feoffees and Tetbury
in Bloom. Much more on this in future Advertisers.
The donation we made in January to allow Tetbury First responders to buy a second emergency bag, including a defibrillator,
was celebrated together with those First Responders and responders from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue at our March meeting.
Sadly, this month we had to accept resignations from two Lions. Lion Paul Stead has been a stalwart of the Club for many years, taking part in so many fundraising activities and was instrumental in getting the Men’s Sheds allotment project off the ground.
Also leaving was Kathryn Minchen who, whilst joining only a year or so ago, had taken on the task of getting the 200 Club onto a more modern financial footing. Both will be sorely missed.
This month’s big winner of the 200 Club was M J Holliday - congratulations.
Our monthly meetings are at 7.30 pm on the first Wednesday of the month at The Priory. Come along and see what goes on. Your ideas and energy could help support and benefit the community of Tetbury coupled with an enjoyable social time.
Derek Harvey, LionsPresident
Just some of the symptoms that can be helped by treatment:
• Back pain and associated symptoms such as leg pain or Sciatica
• Mechanical Neck pain and associated headaches arising from the neck (cervicogenic)
• Migraine prevention
• Minor sports injuries and problems associated with shoulder, elbow, hands, knees, feet, ankle
• Elbow pain and tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) arising from associated musculoskeletal conditions of the back and neck, but not isolated occurrences
• Joint pains, including hip and knee pain from osteoarthritis
• Generalised aches and pains, Muscle spasms, Muscle tension
• Plantar fasciitis (short term management)
• Shoulder complaints, Rotator cuff injuries and disorders of the shoulder
The wet weather over the past few weeks certainly curtailed the number of mornings we were able to go out and work, but that said, we have managed to keep on top of most of the jobs we have needed to do. The spring displays so far have lasted extremely well and the ‘avenue’ of over one thousand Tete a Tete bulbs that we planted either side of the main path of St Marys’ Church three years ago, has shown itself to have been well worth the effort! The perennials and shrubs that we use in all the beds have now started to show signs of regrowth and they in themselves, together with hundreds of tulips which will come into bloom over the next few weeks, will bring extra colour and structure to all the beds. This will be the finale of the spring displays before we turn our minds to the summerplanting in June. I really can’t believe how quickly the months are going by!
The Tetbury in Bloom hanging baskets that we supply to residents and traders have now gone to the nursery to be planted up. Providing we don’t experience unseasonably cold weather during April and May, they should be on target to be ready for delivery in June. We still have a small number of baskets available to sell, so if you wish to place an order, please see our adjacent advert for details and then contact me on sue@tetburyinbloom.org. uk , or ring me on 504213. You need to do so as soon as possible though before we sell out completely!
Sue Hirst, Team Leader, Tetbury in Bloom
• Repairs To Most Makes Of Television including LED Backlight replacement
• New Equipment Tuned In & Set Up
• Over 40 Years Experience
• Insured & DBS Checked
• Trading Standards Approved 07778 354668 prdowding@hotmail.com
By kind permission of Juddmonte Farms
Start/Finish in the field near the church. Church Lane, Shipton Moyne, GL8 8PW.
Walkers and runners to start between 10am and 11am.
Entry fee which includes one hog roast and all accompaniments:
£20.00 per adult
£15.00 per child 16 and under
Well behaved dogs on leads, are welcome too.
• Very rare opportunity to see glorious Estcourt Park by either running or walking through their beautiful private grounds.
• 2 route options available – 5 miles and 7 miles.
• Proceeds will go towards medical equipment and upgrades to the hospital facilities.
• Live entertainment by Route 44.
• Great day out for all the family.
• Route map and directions.
• Hog Roast between 12pm – 2.30pm.
• Bar open 12pm onwards to purchase wine and beer plus tea/coffee and homemade cakes.
• Free car parking.
Numbers are limited, so please book early to avoid disappointment.
“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”
The snowdrops and crocus pushing through the cold earth are a joy to be seen outside the library in our gardens, carefully maintained by Tetbury in Bloom volunteers. We have had lots of new books delivered so come and take a look at those. You could take up a new hobby andwe will find you a suitable book or browse our quick reads.
Harriet Ann Jacobs
Stop press – we now have the equipment to complete new BUS PASS applications for those of you over sixty-five years of age and to renew bus passes if they have expired, so if you need to apply for a bus pass, pop along and check us out.
Our new Library Assistant, who has moved from Cirencester Library, started in February,
so we have a full team once again. Behind the scenes we are getting ready for the library refurbishment in the coming months, which includes new windows, so we will be very excited to welcome you all to visit our sparkling up-dated library when the renovation is completed. Watch this space. Our paper crafters, who meet once a month are looking for a few more willing people to join them, ‘no talent required’! You are very welcome to come along to any of our clubs. If you want further information just ask at our main desk.
Woodland Trust are delivering some more saplings, keep an eye on our Tetbury Library Events page online as volunteers may be needed for the planting, or on your Gloucestershire Libraries App. Remember, if you are a member, you have access to our Borrow Box App for Digital and Audio books and Press Reader to view free newspapers and magazines. Pop in and you can use our free Wi-Fi to download the Apps onto your mobile phone or other device. Joining the Library is free, just bring some ID and proof of address with you to register. Did you know books can be returned to any of our Libraries across the county?
Baby Bounce and Rhyme Time Every Wednesday 2.15 pm - 2.45 pm
Lego Club Every Friday 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm
Saturday Club Saturday the 6th of April 11.30 am - 12.30 pm
Knit and Natter Tuesday the 9th of April 2.00 pm - 3.00 pm
Storytime and Craft Saturday the 13th of April 11.00 am - 12.00 pm
Paper Crafters Saturday the 13th of April 10.30 am - 12.00 pm
Scrabble Club Wednesday the 17th of April 1.30 pm - 3.00 pm
Nature Club Saturday the 20th of April 11.00 am – 12.00 pm
Library Club Friday the 26th of April 10.30 am - 12.00 pm
Adele, Linda, Sophie, Fran and Sam at Tetbury Library
your thoughts, build emotional resilience
Girlguiding Tetbury units have all been having a go at designing new uniforms.
Later this year Girlguiding will announce a new design for uniforms across all sections. The aim is for them to be more inclusive, sustainable and value for money. The hope is that we will have a cohesive design that means we will be instantly recognisable as one organisation. We know that many people do not link Rainbows with Brownies or Guides unless they were themselves members.
As reported in the last article we all came together to celebrate Thinking Day and the photo shows girls holding up some of the things they made. As I write this month’s article we are on the final countdown to our Residential at the weekend – more of that next month when I hope I can report a lovely sunny weekend for over fifty of us!
Rainbows have enrolled five new girls and have finished the Feel Good badge and started working for the Fruit and Veg badge. They made fruit kebabs and have written some great poems. They had a great session making up some cheerleading dances.
Tuesday Brownies have been working on their Make Change badge as well as learning some Spanish for their Languages badge. They’ve played a Kim’s game to learn what kit they need for the sleepover and a beetle drive to learn how to lay a table. Their last meeting this term will be turning crème eggs into sheep!
Guides have had a visit from one of our County trainers who taught them CPR, the recovery position and discussed other first aid conditions. They also had a great time decorating Easter Eggs, which they of course got to take home. We joined with nearly one hundred Guides from across our Division to take over Stroud Bowl and enjoyed a great game of bowling. Hopefully, this will become an annual event.
Sue Doidge
Girlguiding Tetbury
Choose our professional and friendly practice with strong local connections for all your legal needs, including:-
• MOVING HOUSE
• A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
• MAKING A WILL
• POWERS OF ATTORNEY
AtleyConstructionLtdoffersafullconstructionservice, coveringallaspectsofyourbuildingproject,including groundworks,drainage,carpentry,joinery,brickwork, plastering,deocorating,plumbing&electrics,everything youneedtoupgrade,extendorrenovateyourproperty, andourlandscapingteamwilltakecareoftheoutsidespaces. Thismeansthatwecanmanagenewbuilds,extensions, fullhouserenovations,andalsosmallerbespokeprojects includingkitchens,bathrooms,&carpentrywork.
NewBuilds.Extensions.Renovations.HomeOffices.GardenRooms.GarageConversions.LoftConversions GroundWorks.Walling.Carpentry.FittedStorage.Kitchens.Bathrooms.Flooring.Doors&Windows
TETBURYBASED.EXPERIENCED.QUALITYGUARANTEED.FULLYINSURED.COMPETITIVELYPRICED
CONTACTUSTODISCUSSYOURPROJECT|info@atleyconstruction.co.uk|atleyconstruction.co.uk|07772732153
At Debonhair we have recently welcomed our new stylist Kelly, we would like to offer all new clients a 15% discount voucher for their first visit to the salon with Kelly. She has formerly worked in a Tetbury salon for the last 14 years!
Kelly has 20 years worth of experience in the hairdressing industry. Specialising in all aspects of her trade including Gents.
For further information or to book an appointment give us a call on 01453835916 Or pop into our salon in Nailsworth!
We know how difficult it is to fit housework into your busy life.
The Housekeeper has been created to offer a truly bespoke service to deal with any chores that take up too much of your valuable time.
We’ll do what you need, when you need it... we’re here to make your life easier.
The Seven New Wonders of the World was David Head’s presentation in February.
He covered the seven most exciting places to visit on the planet as voted in the international survey of 2007 when over one hundred million votes were received and the top seven selected.
Presented as a travelogue it covered in depth, the history, myths and facts regarding each of the locations. We saw amazing photographs of each of the places, including La Mano, - The Hand,
Peru’s Lineas de Nasca and the Vinicunca Rainbow Mountains.
La Mano, The Hand was a sculpture by Mario Irarrazabal in 1982 and situated on the beach at Punta del Este in Uruguay. He made exact replicas of the sculpture now seen in Madrid and the Atacama Desert in Chile.
The Lineas de Nasca were a group of geoglyphs made in the soil of the Nasca Desert and created between 500BC and 500AD. The incisions in the desert floor were created in straight lines or represented designs of animals and plants and covered over 800 miles.
The Rainbow Mountains also in Peru were incredible coloured mountains which only became visible when the snow on them melted for the first time due to global warming.
David also covered the history of China’s Tianzi Mountains and the city of Petra in Jordan before ending with a full survey of the Grand Canyon.
All of us remember the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in 1986 and Robert MacLachan took us through the events on the 15th of February.
Nuclear power plants in Russia were under the control of senior Communist personnel rather than people that had any training in the technology. It was also assumed that Russian power plants were 100% safe so there was no training whatsoever on how to handle possible accidents.
In the case of Chernobyl it was decided to undertake a test which involved turning off all the safety elements in the plant. A last minute delay meant it was an unprepared night staff that were involved. It shouldn’t have been particularly dangerous except that the staff were totally unprepared and untrained for such an event and the test was handled very badly. As a result the nuclear reaction got totally out of control and because there was no strong containment vessel there was a massive hydrogen explosion that blew the top off the nuclear plant.
After three days thousands of local residents were “temporarily” evacuated. The accident was responsible for around 68 deaths and the sad thing was that almost non of these people needed to have died if there had been proper precautions and emergency clothing.
Chernobyl should never be used as a reason for not having nuclear power.
Malcolm Parrish. Tetbury Probus.
With the start of our outdoor season just a few days away, we can’t wait to share the fun and passion that comes from playing lawn bowls. But we must warn newcomers, it’s the unexpected benefits and pleasure from this wonderful sport that will catch you by surprise.
Unlike some sports, you don’t need to be super fit, you just need to be able to roll a ball in a vaguely straight line. It’s a motivating ‘get up and get out there’ activity; a sport that you can play for decades – from juniors to 90+! Lawn bowls is also making huge strides in the world of adaptive sports.
Who knew that bending down to roll a ball could be considered exercise? But it is! Lawn bowls is a sneaky workout for
your core, arms, and legs. It’s stealthy yet with a competitive edge. Lost a bit of your mobility? Not to worry, there are bowling aids available. Eyesight not what it once was? With a bit of string and a helper as guides, your bowl will find its way to the jack. You’ll be so focused on delivering the bowl, chatting to your teammates and opponents, and moving up and down the rink that you won’t even realise you’re exercising.
And for mental sharpness, this sport has players strategizing like chess grandmasters, except the pieces are round and you’re trying to gather them around the jack. Every roll, every green you play on are a challenge as you try to outsmart your opponent. If you’re competitive, it’s decisions, decisions, decisions. Where to place the mat? Short or long jack? Which shot to play? But for the casual bowler, the green (and hopefully the sun and breeze) offers an oasis of calm.
Of course, you’ll also meet lots of new
people, whether you’re playing in a team, soaking up the atmosphere as a spectator, or enjoying the occasional members’ BBQ! There’s always chatter, laughter, the occasional ‘good bowl’ compliment, and of course ‘expert’ advice floating around. You’ll make more friends than expected … and maybe encounter a nemesis or two to add a touch of zest.
Lawn bowls doesn’t discriminate – it’s a sport for all ages and abilities and there’s a place for you on the green. So, get out your calendars; everyone is invited to join us for our free taster events on the 27th and 28th of April. Check out the half page ad or visit our website www.tetburybowlsclub.co.uk for more information.
Susanne Knaus, Tetbury Bowls Club
Alan C. Sanders
Accounts prepared at very competitive rates.
Rental accounts from £130. Small business accounts from £220. Call me to discuss your requirements. Available 9 am until 9 pm.
96 Cirencester Road, Tetbury, Glos GL8 8GJ
Telephone: 01666 505324 email: alanc.sanders1@gmail.com
The Hollies Nursing Care Home
Holly Oak Dementia Care Home Apartments by the Hollies
The Hollies, renowned for its excellence in nursing, dementia and residential care provides the ultimate in state-of-the-art accommodation. Spacious, beautifully designed rooms, suites and living areas along with pretty gardens provide residents with a high quality of living. Exceptional dining caters for the most discerning preferences and needs.
At the Hollies, care is not just something we offer, it’s at the core of who we are. We treat every resident as an individual and work hard to tailor our person-centred services and activities to support their every need.
Community living connecting families and friends in a welcoming environment
Bessys Tea Room for special treats and parties
The Old English Pub for social gatherings
Kayes Hair & Nails for beauty and wellbeing
The Terrace for outdoor events and entertainment Call Lara or Jo on: 01453 541400
info@thehollies.co.uk
We welcome immediate and planned admissions.
Call 01453 541400 • Email info@thehollies.co.uk
thehollies.co.uk • Drake Lane, Dursley GL11 5HA
As Easter is so early this year, we have already marked the events of Holy Week, and then the joy of Easter morning at St Marys’ Church. It is always wonderful to unveil the empty tomb at the centre of our worship (pictured here). It’s the sign that darkness, fear and death cannot win out: that, in God, only life, light and love are for all time. And our Easter celebrations will continue over the next fifty days to Pentecost. Do join in, meeting every Sunday at 8.30 am and 10.00 am.
On Sunday the 7th of April we also have our “Heart and Soul” evening worship service, which seeks to go on a journey of discovery
exploring different ways of worshipping God. Held in church on the first Sunday of each month, you are invited to share tea, coffee and cake from 5.15 pm and the worship begins at 6.00 pm. Do come and try it out.
Then, on Tuesday the 9th of April, there is St Marys’ annual meeting, starting at 7.30 pm in the church. This is a chance to review all that’s been happening in the life of our church over the past year. Our loving pastoral care includes many activities, from being involved in the Food Bank, through to visits to individuals at home and to Tetbury’s care homes. The work with children includes the monthly iSingPOP CELEBRATE family sessions, St Mary’s after-school club Faith Explorers, and Little Fishes Sunday School at the
10.00 am Sunday service in church. And there are many opportunities for people to discover more about the Christian faith, and to grow as disciples of Jesus: from our “Being With” explorers’ course, to “Reflect Women’s Breakfasts” and home groups in Advent and Lent.
At the meeting, we also review the finances of the church, and the ongoing challenge of raising sufficient money to continue our work and maintain Tetbury’s incredible Grade One listed church building. We will also discuss the ongoing planning to reshape the building to better serve and support the community. So please do come along: it’s your parish church, so the meeting it is open to all.
Finally, on a personal note, many know that I will be leaving Tetbury at the end of July to move to be vicar in a parish in North London. It will be such a wrench to leave after eleven years in Tetbury, and I will miss everyone so much. But I am going to St Peter’s Grange Park, Enfield which feels like the right move at the right time for my ministry and for my family, many of whom live in London. I am just so grateful we have strong teams continuing all our work in God’s name.
More anon.
And with love and prayers, Poppy
Please ring, text or leave a message for an appointment to keep you up and running throughout the pandemic. Covid-19 risk assessed and following Government Guidelines. Specialising in Sports Injury Diagnostics, Post Operative and Post Fracture Rehabilitation with over 20 years of International, Commonwealth and Olympic Games experience.
Opening Times:
Monday/Wednesday 3.00 - 7.00 pm
Thursday/Friday 07.45 - 11.30 am Out of hours appointments are available on request.
For Assessment, Treatment with Manual Therapy, Electrotherapy, Acupuncture, Biomechanics and Exercise Prescription.
Didmarton B, Priory Park, London Road, Tetbury. GL8 8HZ Web: www.kirtonphysiotherapy.co.uk Facebook/Messenger: Kirton Physiotherapy
Elaine Kirton MCSP HCPC
The Revd Poppy Hughes, Rector St Mary The Virgin & St Mary Magdalen, www.tetburychurch.co.uk www.facebook.com/St.MarysTetbury
Historically, the ‘Tattoo’ was the traditional signal, given originally by drumbeat, which warned British soldiers to vacate the inns and return to their quarters for the night. The drums continued to beat for half an hour, allowing time for soldiers to return home, it was hoped in good order.
Today, it is a massed-bands spectacular performed by the UK Armed Forces and Pipe Bands with all the musicality and welldrilled precision we have come to expect. Highlights of the evening included cheering on our favourite gun crew from the Army, Navy or Airforce as they raced against each other to dismantle and reassemble their field guns. (The Navy won) We enjoyed the well-trained dogs who competed in their own races, meeting every challenge with speed, agility and intelligence. We also enjoyed guest appearances by The Band of the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the Austrian Army. Four hundred young
people, who formed the United Kingdom Freestyle Disco Display Team, gave us an energetic homage to Tina Turner!
Members praised the kind, attentive staff who were on hand to lead us to our seats and help people to negotiate the steep steps in the arena.
The spectacular grand finale saw some one thousand five hundred participants in the arena. The massed bands played a mixture of contemporary and traditional tunes and, at the end, when ‘Land of Hope and Glory’
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is an effective talking therapy for: Stress Anxiety Depression Addiction Bereavement Phobias Insomnia
For confidential advice or to arrange an assessment contact: stuart@tetburycbt.co.uk Tel. 07791161827
www.tetburycbt.co.uk
was sung, we were on our feet, singing lustily. Overall, it was an extremely well organised event and everyone seemed to enjoy the evening.
On Thursday the 18th of April at the Millennium Centre, Cardiff, ‘An Officer and a Gentleman - The Musical’. All-day trip to this waterfront venue. Invitations to members already sent out.
Wednesday the 22nd of May Bristol Hippodrome to see ‘Hamilton’. Booking for this event through Tetbury Theatre Group is now closed but you may be able to get tickets by contacting the theatre booking office direct. There are seats still available on the coach. Please contact Helen Price, details below*.
Wednesday the 5th of June ‘Drop the Dead Donkey’ at The Everyman, Cheltenham. Invitations to members not yet out.
Thursday the 11th of July Sonning Mill for lunch and then ‘Three Men in a Boat’ Invitations to members not yet out.
Thursday the 15th of August Summer visit to Windsor Castle. See our website (below) for details.
Looking further ahead, we have booked performances right through to December 2024, including ‘Lord of the Dance’ in Cardiff New Theatre, ‘The King’s Speech’ at The Watermill Newbury, ‘Birdsong’ at Malvern Theatre and a December visit to see Blenheim Christmas Lights. Invitations not yet sent out. More information in the next edition of The Advertiser.
If you would like to join the Tetbury Theatre Group, please contact Diana Challis (Membership Secretary) 01666 502768 or Helen Price (Chairperson) 01666 503187. *To book coach seats for Hamilton, use email retreatcottage17@btinternet.com.
Website: www.tetburytheatre group.co.uk We look forward to welcoming you!
Tetbury Theatre Group
MUSIC & THEATRE
SUN 7
SAT 13
SAT 20
SAT 27
SUN 28
FRI 19
SUN 21
WED 24
THE BUBBLE SHOW PRESENTED BY THE HIGHLAND JOKER
Join Mr. Bubbles with his spectacular soap bubbles in all shapes and sizes! THEY‘RE MASSIVE!!! The Bubble Show is a unique blend of magic, storytelling, and bubble art!
HELLS BELLS BRING YOU AC DC
Bristol‘s favourite rockers, Hells Bells are one of the most popular and convincing AC DC tributes in the UK having toured extensively for 30+ years. Book now - tickets selling very fast
An acoustic journey of their songs and stories including tracks from their new album, unique covers of songs by artists such as Kate Bush & Frank Sinatra and of course Kiki’s own hits “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, “I Got The Music In Me” and “Amoureuse”.
CELLO RECITAL - ALICE NEARY & VIV MCLEAN
Principle cellist of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Alice Neary will play a beautifull programme by Beethoven, Fauré an Debussy accompanied by the wonderful Viv Mclean.
Jim is an award winning songwriter, musician, proud Devonian & all round entertainer. Jon treads a stylistic path somewhere between Nic Jones and Martin Carthy, specialising in traditional ballads.
MY MOUNTAIN LIFE BY SIMON YATES
Simon is best known for his role in Joe Simpson’s bestseller ‘Touching The Void’ and is one of the most accomplished exploratory mountaineers of all time. This is his amazing journey from that mountain in Peru to some of the remotest places on the planet.
GARDENERS‘ QUESTION TIME
Our expert panel return to sort out your horticultural hassles!
Last year the Georgian Group gave their prestigious ‘Green Award‘ to Cotswold Canals Trust, citing ‘exemplary conservation and restoration projects, achieved by people with vision and commitment’. The wonderfully animated Louise Nicholson tells this remarkably uplifting story.
AFTERNOON MUSIC
WED 3
WED 10
THUR 4
3 APRIL12 MAY
BOX
PHIL HAMBLING AND JOHN LLOYD
ALAN HOGG AND FRIENDS
WONKA (12A)
PAINTING BY
WED 17
WED 24
START 2PM TICKET £9
FAM. TICKET £32
START 7.30PM TICKET £20
Door £24
START 7.30PM TICKET £23
Door £27
START 7:30PM TICKET £20 / U25 £15
Door £24 / £18
START 3PM TICKET
£10
U16 £2
START 7:30PM TICKET
£18 / U16 £16
Door £20 / £18
START 2PM TICKET £6.50
START 7.30PM TICKET £8.50 / £6.50
Door £9.50 / £7.50
2PM / £3.50
BETWEEN THE ACTS
PIANO CLUB
ONE LIFE (PG) THUR 18
WITH DAVID WILSON
David uses computers to create digital pictures, working with shapes, geometric transformations, materials & lighting. Though his pictures take the form of conventional prints, all elements of the composition are modelled in three dimensions.
Box Office: 0333 666 4466
Company
…and with it comes all the lovely daffodils and other flowers and troughs around the Shed. However, the weeds are wanting to join in so if there is anyone out there who might have some spare time to help keep the Shed looking its best, do please get in touch. We have several flower troughs and similar dotted about that could really do with a bit of love and attention.
Our fantastic team of Volunteers are the very lifeblood of the Shed - we simply couldn’t survive without them, and it was great to be able to thank them properly the other weekend when we hosted a special party for them all. Jonathan Adkins played the piano and our Trustees were on hand to express their gratitude as well as handing around the refreshments.
We are always on the look out for more so do get in touch with either Kairen or Kathryn if you would like to join our amazing band of helpers. There are a variety of roles that need filling, from manning the foyer for a couple of hours and answering questions from the general public, to helping with the events taking place : running the box office, general set up, looking after the performers and for those of you with a technical bent then being cinema projectionist is more appealing or maybe looking after the sound and lighting at our various concerts?
Last month we held a wide variety of events, from Comedy to some world class Classical with lots for the Children in between. At the end of the month, David Walker and Paul Lockley with several helpers organised a special 60th Anniversary of the closure of the Tetbury Branch Line. During the day was an exhibition including scale models of several Shed buildings showing the Goods Shed as it was originally. That evening, local musician and composer, Richard George presented tunes from his Railway Album first performed at the Shed soon after we opened – together with a number of dramatic reconstructions and interludes detailing the demise of the line.
Lots more is coming in April – to include top popular music star Kiki Dee on the 20th of April. If you haven’t bought your tickets don’t delay as they are going fast.
Another special event taking place at the Shed on the 11th of April is the Big Cream Tea Party celebrating World Parkinson’s Day. Running 1.30 pm - 3.30 pm everyone is encouraged to wear blue and to come along and show your support. Representatives of our local Parkinsons Group will be on hand and our WhistleStop Café is donating a percentage from the sale of cream teas to the cause. As well as raising funds and awareness of this dreadful disease the idea is to hopefully break the World Record of how many cream teas can be organised throughout the UK in on week!
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Tetbury Goods Shed Team
I was recently delighted to, along with my fellow Feo ees,
present local resident Geoff Turbott with a Feoffee medallion and certificate of appreciation, for all his support with maintaining the public footpath along the old railway line, Berkeley Wood and Preston Park, allowing everyone to enjoy this very special area of our town.
Without his intervention, the footpath would not be as usable and accessible. Geoff undertakes this work voluntarily and the Trustees of the charity wanted to publicly thank him for all his support and hard work over the years.
I am also pleased to confirm that we have recently supported groups and individuals with the following grants:
Tetfest: £1,000 as sponsorship of this growing community music festival.
Three local students: with grants towards their studies.
St Mary’s Playgroup: £500 towards their Forest School Bell Tent repair.
Holiday at Home: £1,500 to support their ongoing projects in our community which
include two summer holiday days, a spring tea and firework tea party.
If you think we may be able to help you or if you are a member of a group who could be helped with a grant, please visit our website
- www.thefeoffeesoftetbury.co.uk – where you can also find out more about the work we do in our town. Finally, if you would like to volunteer to help us, please get in touch or speak to one of our members.
Lance Vick, Chairman
Since I last wrote, we held an election. Welcome Councillors Xam Macutay-Malloch, Alison Figueiredo and Calypso Barnard to Tetbury Town Council.
Thank you to Councillor Zowie Baker for her support as my Deputy.
So, what is the difference between the role of a Councillor and that of the paid officers of the Council? Recently I came across a guide produced by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) as part of their Civility and Respect project.
“Councillors, as the democratically elected representatives of their areas, are here to set the budget and strategic direction of the Council and ensure that the community’s priorities are identified and delivered. The responsibility of officers is to advise the Council on whether its decisions are lawful and recommend ways to implement them.”
It has been my aim during my year as Mayor to meet with, listen to and build stronger relationships with as many residents and local organisations as is practically possible. As I reach the end of my term, I am reflecting on how well I have done this. I hope that in some small way my actions have helped us to progress with a state-of-the-art doctors’ surgery in the town and encourage the reinvigoration of the Chamber of Commerce. This council continues to engage with Stonewood Homes Limited, the developer for the Worwell Farm site. They advise that they hope to be on site in the summer but that this is dependent on receiving the draft Section 106 Agreement from Cotswold District Council.
The highlights of the year have been meeting with representatives of many community groups. We are very fortunate to have so many caring volunteers in Tetbury working tirelessly for your benefit. Thank you.
Thank you, to the Council employees for all their hard work and dedication, also thank you to everyone who has shown their support and confidence in me. It is an honour to serve you.
In the last month I have attended the election count. I was delighted to attend a recital and champagne reception in support of the wonderful Goods Shed. I was pleased to welcome James Padden of the new Flooring South West showroom on Long Street to the town. With the CEO, I am working with the Gloucestershire Association of Parish and Town Councils (GAPTC) to devise dedicated training to improve the effectiveness of the Council. I have drafted terms of reference for the proposed Accessibility Working Group. When I attended the Greening Tetbury meeting, I informed the group that the updated Local Plan was available for consultation until the 7th of April and encouraged their engagement. I have answered various correspondence, including on subjects as diverse as planning and Christmas lighting, and I have responded to the 20mph zone consultation.
If you want to report a pothole or issues with street lighting etc., please contact Gloucestershire County Council at: fixmystreet.gloucestershire.gov.uk
Councillor Liz Farnham
Mayor of Tetbury and Chair of Tetbury Town Council liz.farnham@tetbury.gov.uk
I was delighted to be appointed as the new Headteacher…
…of Sir William Romney’s School in September and have thoroughly enjoyed my first year at the school and the Athelstan Trust. It has been lovely to meet so many of the local community and I have been made to feel very welcome.
Firstly, I thought I would share my career progression. I am originally from Redruth in Cornwall but have spent my entire teaching profession working in Wiltshire until I moved to SWR. I began my career as a geography teacher at The Stonehenge School, Amesbury in 2005. Stonehenge School will always be a special place for me as I met my wife, Ali, and she is still working there as a PE teacher 18 years on. While at The Stonehenge School I was promoted to Head of Geography and then as a Head of Year. In 2010 I moved to The John Bentley School (now known as Kingsbury Green School), Calne as Head of Year before being promoted to Assistant Headteacher in 2014. I left in 2019 to be Vice Principal at
Melksham Oak Community School.
It has been a delight to get to know the wonderful staff and students of SWR. We have had a busy first year at SWR including the launch of a new behaviour
Genuine advice and best value from the local specialist
* Wheelchairs, manual and powered
* Scooters and portable scooters
* Powered rise/recline armchairs
* Household, bathroom and walking aids
* Large display with private test area
* Disabled facilities, easy parking
* Proper maintenance
* Part exchange, new & reconditioned
* Adaptations
policy and the SWR lesson. The SWR lesson is a structure that ensures the best pedagogical practice is happening consistently in classes, while still giving teachers the autonomy in deciding how they deliver their lessons. We have also had significant investment from the Athelstan Trust including new student toilets which led to one student commenting to me that they were “better than the Holiday Inn.”
One of my favourite moments at SWR so far was our Sponsored Walk. Ever since I was appointed, I have been told about this day and I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it lived up to all the hype. We were very lucky with the weather! The walk was a great example of setting ourselves a challenge of walking a significant distance, with many of us having to dig deep and show plenty of resilience. But it was also an opportunity for all of us to talk to each other and get to know each other better outside of the classroom.
Finally, we got to appreciate the beautiful countryside surrounding our school and enjoy some fresh air. Look out for us next September when you see the whole of SWR marching through Tetbury.
Since joining SWR, I have had the pleasure of attending many local events including the Remembrance Service and Carol Service. I have found Tetbury to be a very welcoming community and I am very proud to be the Headteacher of the town’s only secondary school. Our purpose is “Striving for Excellence Together” and the partnership between the local community and ourselves is a very important part of that togetherness. Our vision is to be a beacon of excellence in Gloucestershire and beyond leading to the local community continuing to be proud of SWR and to be the school of choice for our local families.
I am very optimistic and excited about our future at SWR, driven by our purpose
We celebrated our 40th anniversary during our March meeting.
Ted Prince, our founder, had been a schoolteacher here after studying at university post WWII. Ted Prince, back row far right.
He was here for several years before moving to Durham to take a job in the Teacher Training College. After retiring he returned to Tetbury where he was asked to help with celebrating thirteen hundred years of Tetbury’s history. Three years after this, the initial meeting was held in February 1984 to contemplate a history society for Tetbury. Fifty people attended this meeting and subsequently a Steering committee of seven was formed and the organisation of a society was discussed, including aims, officers, subscription and meetings. The committee was appointed and there were thirty members, nineteen of whom would take a journal and membership was £3.00 with visitors paying 20p. The first public meeting took place on the 2nd of March 1984 at The Talbot, Market Place.
Ted seems to have hit the ground running as the first Journal was issued in April 1984, a scrap book was initiated, which is still being produced, and speakers were
organised. It was decided to set up an archive, which has had several homes over the years, but is now housed in The Market House where the horseless fire engine used to be kept and is now digitised. The first photograph was one taken by Ted from the south of St Mary’s church in the snow in 1988, the first booklet was a photocopy of the 1924 Tetbury Almanack and the first document was a photocopy of ‘An estimate of laying the Pavement in Tetbury Market House’. We now have well over a thousand of each category, with more still to be added and more categories such as ‘C’ for collection and ‘E’ for electronic.
We are proud sponsors of TetFest24 – July 13th get your tickets on line
It was decided in January 1988 to meet on the first Thursday of the month, which we still do to this day and as we were formed in March our AGM takes place in March.
The first speakers were either members of the committee or membership, not that the society ever meant to be just about Tetbury, but now our speakers come from all over the county and sometimes beyond, with subjects being far reaching.
The first few talks were quite parochial, the first being on Tetbury in 1851, Eric Hodgson on ‘Writing a History of Tetbury’, the County Archivist, two walks, plus ‘How the Gumstool got its name’.
We have had several ’homes’ beginning at The Talbot, moving to St Michael’s Church Hall, Christ Church’s Hall, The Baptist Chapel at The Close and then back to the church room at Christ Church as our numbers grew and we outgrew our meeting places. We continue to meet once a month, issue a quarterly journal and in the last twenty years have been putting on exhibitions on Woolsack Day and Heritage Weekend.
Next month Mike Bottomley will be talking to us about ‘Katherine Parr, Gloucestershire’s Queen.’ That will be on the 4th of April, 7.30 pm at Christ Church.
History of Tetbury Society
At last we seem to have emerged from the doom and gloom of winter,
the Wardens twice-weekly work parties and footpath patrols are much more enjoyable.
Recently we have had some work parties within Tetbury – focussed both on footpath maintenance and dry-stone walling. We eventually finished rebuilding part of the dry stone wall between St Saviours Church and the Dolphins Hall so I have included photos below showing both work in progress and the finished job.
This month I have also focused on nearby (free) walks organised and lead by the Wardens and have listed some below. No booking necessary – just turn up. People guiding the walks are normally locals who have much interesting knowledge and tales of the surrounding environment and history. Please always remember to wear appropriate footwear - some walks may be steep and muddy in places. Sorry but only assistance dogs are allowed on walks. Warden Leaders will take all reasonable
care and precautions but each walker is ultimately responsible for their own safety, and for determining their capability to complete the chosen walk.
It is also advisable to check the website –www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk - or call the Cotswolds Conservation Board (07841 663607) beforehand for details of any changes, particularly during bad weather.
Tetbury Circular via Ashley
Tuesday the 2nd of April. Start: 10.00 am. Difficulty: Moderate, duration: 3.0 hours, distance: 6.5 miles. Start point: Old Station Yard Car Park by Tetbury Goods Shed GL8 8EY
We leave Tetbury along the old railway path then head to the pretty hamlet of Ashley, returning to Tetbury across fields.
Bluebells and Brideshead Revisited
Thursday the 25th of April. Start: 10.00 am. Difficulty: Moderate, duration: 3.0 hours, distance: 5.0 miles. Start point:
Stinchcombe Hill public car park, Dursley. (Not the golf club car park).
Explore the edge of the Cotswold Hills near Dursley and Wotton Under Edge with not only spectacular views and lovely woodland walking but some interesting history! Suitable for novice and experienced walkers, but may be muddy in places, depending on the weather
Badminton Evening Stroll
Thursday the 20th of June. Start: 7.00 pm.
Difficulty: Easy, duration: 2.5 hours, distance: 5 miles. Start point: At the Junction of The Limes and High Street, Badminton.
An evening stroll from Badminton village to Little Badminton and back through the Badminton Park Estate.
Thank you for reading, I hope the above information will prove useful.
Ian Parkinson, Cotswold Voluntary Warden Warden.Ian34@Gmail.com
mannequins - by giving them a once over with a brush and vacuum in the winter. This takes longer than you would at first think as we have to be very careful!
The museum has had a fantastic year and we have gone from strength to strength…
…with the involvement of our wonderful volunteers. The museum is a fun and interesting place to work. Our enthusiastic team continues to grow. Though it must be said that like all organisations we are looking for more volunteers all the time!
The volunteers have taken on many essential tasks that need doing in the museum on a regular basis. A lot goes on quietly in the background. There is some maintenance, painting to refresh the cell area, and cleaning throughout the year. The most important thing that a museum does is take care of the collection for future generations to enjoy and learn from. We regularly check pest traps and the temperature and humidity and light levels in the museum to check nothing is being damaged. This requires specialist training for new volunteers which we hope to have later this year. In summer we started to inventory of the collection and using our new museum database. This as you can imagine is a long term project. We also care for the displays – including the
We love to work with other groups in the community. For the coronation this past summer we worked with The History of Tetbury Society to present a display of past images of King Charles (then Prince of Wales) and his family in Tetbury and the many areas he has supported in the town over the years. This led volunteers to research including interviewing past and present members of the Royal Household Group (Gloucestershire Constabulary) about their experiences and one of our creative volunteers designed a graphic panel.
Our volunteers have put in thousands of hours to help the museum open regularly on a Wednesday and Friday and on some Bank Holidays, as well as giving tours, planning and running children’s activities on Bank Holidays and some Saturdays. We opened for the coronation Monday holiday and we had fun opening for Heritage Open Days in September. We have had a couple private tours for groups and enthusiastic troops of young people helping to increase our visitors over last year. And we loved having year 5 from St Mary’s visit us!
One of our goals for the year was to be more widely known we have distributed leaflets and advertised at local events such as the Wacky Races and the Beaufort Festival of Polo.
Even though Matt and I got soaked we enjoyed being at the volunteer fair in July.
Another thing we are very happy about is how well attended our events have been. We had a return from the spooky magician at Christmas time when he enthralled a full house of fifty attendees with Christmas ghost stories. We hope to do more events.
We were privileged to be working with two work experience students and look forward to having more come to the museum. Volunteering in museums, as elsewhere, has proven to be beneficial to one’s health and well-being. It also can help your little grey cells by challenging you to learn new things.
Maria Marsh, Curator Tetbury Police Museum and Courtroom museum@tetbury.gov.uk
www.tetburypolicemuseum.org.uk
LEE COOPER (TETBURY) LTD
The Forge, Trull Farm, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8SQ Telephone (01285) 841773
Specialists in custom made Metalwork for Industrial & Domestic use
Please call: Martin or Jon or email: leecoopertetbury@gmail.com www.lee-cooper.co.uk
A stunning well established family run wedding and event venue to celebrate your loves.
Invite up to 200 friends and family to your ideal Cotswolds event at The Great Tythe Barn, our magnificent 17th-century grade II listed building.
Celebrate at our stunning venue and feast and with our excellent caterers and superb bar team.
A classical Cotswold Manor House, The Tythe House accommodates up to 16 persons to stay or is an elegant venue for Parties and Celebrations.
Reserve all or some of our on-site accommodation for up to 90 guests.
The Great Tythe Barn and Tythe House are seeking Staff for this coming Wedding SeasonPlease contact the office for details of employment opportunities.
A local employer proudly supporting the local community Tel 01666 502475 Email: events@gtb.co.uk
£850,000
£645,000 Guide price
Visit our Tetbury Office
3 Church Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8JG
perrybishop.co.uk
Tetbury
2 to 3 bedrooms
Modern detached bungalow, bright, comfortable, and stylish. Enjoy a quiet and inviting atmosphere, with a garden, off-street parking, and garage. Perfect for those seeking convenience and a touch of elegance.
Tetbury
A short stroll from the town centre, this high specification home has a fabulous garden in a larger than expected plot.
Low maintenance and no onward chain are the keys to this exceptional house.
A fantastic modern family house
• Extended, kitchen /dining room
• Garden Room with underfloor heating
• Downstairs bedroom with adjacent dressing room
• Beautifully appointed bathroom and shower room
• Single and a half garage, electric door
• Workshop and utility room
• Summer House
• Enclosed large south facing rear garden
£270,000 Guide price
Property Sales & Valuations
01666 504418 tetbury@perrybishop.co.uk
Tetbury
2 bedrooms
This would make an excellent buy to let opportunity, a first home or a cosy property into which to downsize.
Lettings and Management
01666 504418 (option 2) tetburylettings@perrybishop.co.uk
dressing of soil before seeding. England’s matches in the men’s Six Nations competition have coincided with Saturdays in February and March for touch rugby, where we’ve invited men and women with a wide range of ability, skill and fitness levels for social games of rugby at the Rec. As we move into March and beyond, it’s the women’s turn, and we have taken the opportunity to host a girls’ rugby day at the Rec. The U12 Girls side have also been off on tour to Swansea and South Wales, giving them a chance to adapt to Welsh RFU age grade regulations on larger pitches and with new aspects of the game… as well as show off their Hawaiian shirts as part of their theme!
…will not have come as a surprise to players and coaches at the rugby club! After surviving the coldest months of the winter with most of our fixture list intact, it has been a challenge to keep our sides training and playing on heavily waterlogged pitches. In the last week, large festivals have been cancelled at both Chippenham and Stow-on-the-Wold after several spells of relentless rain, and we have had to work overtime moving pitches between the Rec
and SWR as and when we’ve needed to. Whenever we have taken the decision to switch venues away from the Rec, this has usually been due to standing water on the pitch, caused by significant amounts of clay below the playing surface. This is why the sub-structure of our ground at Pike Field has been so important to get right, and after a period of settling we expect the next steps to include a further top
With the season heading into its final two months, we’re also starting to look forward to the summer and planning for next year.
We’re hoping to add a new Girls U12 side in September for students currently in Year 5 or Year 6 at school, and we’re welcoming boys and girls currently in Reception to our mixed U6 side. This group will train with the U7 side up to Christmas, teaching kids the basics of balance, movement and handling in a fun and friendly manner. We’ll hold an open day at the beginning of September
Dan wrote about World Water Day last month, coinciding with our local U3A talk by Michael Norton, a civil engineer working on water and food security. One striking issue is that our average direct water consumption per person in the UK, i.e. what comes out of our taps, is one hundred and fifty litres per day, while our indirect water consumption, i.e. what we import or use – food, clothes, cars, computers, etc, is three thousand five hundred litres a day. It takes two thousand litres of water to produce one cotton T-shirt and two thousand four hundred litres to produce a beef burger. We have lots of rainwater in the UK but still lack enough reservoirs to mitigate drought. Much of our indirect water usage is from countries experiencing water scarcity. Food for thought.
I expect many of you fortunate to have gardens are planning ahead. April is a time of hope when the vision of what your garden can be hasn’t met the reality of the first waves of aphids or weeks of wet, grey weather when carefully nurtured seedlings are decimated by slugs and snails!
Experienced gardeners know that if you grow a variety of plants, you’ll have both successes and failures, so new gardeners take heart. If you’re patient and encourage them in, along will come hedgehogs, birds, and ladybirds to eat the pests. In your plans why not make some room for wildlife? Data from the British Trust for Ornithology show that UK bird species have declined by 31% since 1970 and for farmland birds it’s a more disturbing - down 60%. Dwindling insect populations are an important factor in this decline.
I know many of you already garden with wildlife in mind, even if it’s just leaving a hole in your fence for hedgehogs or growing flowers for bees, and Bee Roads!
We’re planning an Open Wild Gardens event in September. If you’d be willing to take part so that people can learn from what you’re doing in your garden, please email us. We’re looking for volunteers.
There are many local environmental issues Greening Tetbury could adopt but this is
our current focus, improving biodiversity in and around the town. We’re sowing small patches of wildflower meadow (more on this in next month’s Advertiser) and want to encourage residents to give over some of their gardens to support our native wildlife by avoiding using chemicals and letting lawns and flowerbeds be messier, embracing nature.
We also want to support local farmers to take up government incentives to create wildlife corridors by planting and extending hedges, trees, and wildflower headlands, allowing them to be scrubby, and joining up with their neighbours’ biodiverse patches to allow wildlife to flourish, move freely, and adapt to the changes in climate that are already happening.
Future events
5th May – Dawn Chorus guided walk. Meet in the Goods Shed carpark at 4.45 am
22nd May – Greening Tetbury meeting. St Michael’s Church Hall from 7.30-9.00 pm
Anne Cox
Trustee, Greening Tetbury
www.greeningtetbury.com
Email: greeningtetbury@gmail.com
As we enjoy the spring sunshine, a welcome relief from the wet winter weather,
we can start concentrating on our outdoor pursuits by addressing the four vintage benches at the Goods Shed. Supported by Tetbury Town Council and “Caring for the Cotswolds” we managed to obtain a grant to refurbish the GWR benches and return them to their original condition. On the 12th of March we started to dismantle the first bench and brought the component parts to our workshop. Each bench consists
of four wooden slats bolted to three cast iron supports. To ensure the benches stay looking good for at least twenty years, we decided to replace the slats with Iroko timber. Iroko timber is produced from the wood of a tree which originates from the west coast of Africa. The timber is very durable, which makes it perfect for exterior projects, much like Teak but slightly cheaper. Using the old wooden slats as a pattern, we used a router and plane to reproduce new boards ready to fit to the newly painted supports. If you could spare a few hours to help us with this or any of our projects, why not join us at Tetbury Men’s Shed, details below.
Sheds are mainly ‘grassroots’ community activities that come about in response to
shared needs. These have mostly been for men to access tools, workbenches, skills, and opportunities to make and mend in the company of others. A Shed is not so much the building or location, but the connections and relationships between its members. If you would like to join us, we are open every Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoon. You do not have to book or even let us know you are coming, just turn up on Wednesdays between 9.30 am - 12.00 pm or Thursdays between 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm.
Find out more, contact us on 01666 504715 or email alang196@gmail.com
We are pleased to announce that planning permission has been granted to move our workshop to its new home. Thanks must go to Ian Maslin, Colin Pearce and the Trustees of Tetbury Goods Shed, whose hard work has made this happen. More on the site preparation and the “BIG LIFT” in May’s edition of the Tetbury Advertiser.
We are taking pre-orders for full of nourishment courgettes, tomatoes, runner beans, lettuce, chard, sweetcorn and pumpkin as these are (or about to be) underway. For a donation to Men’s Sheds you can secure your plants and grow your own vegetables, something that may be of special interest to young children. From seed to plate it is accepted that growing, preparing, and eating vegetables, from their own gardening efforts, can help children develop lifelong healthy eating habits. Visit our site in Herd Lane, behind the Royal Oak, or call Ken on 07923 445684 to discuss your selection.
Alan Greenway, Tetbury Men’s Sheds For further details: www.menssheds.org.uk or www.tetburymensshed.co.uk
Specialist in Cotswold Stone Tiling
All types of tiling undertaken; slating, imitation and more…
130208
• Complete re-roofing projects
• General repair and maintenance
• Repointing to brickwork and stone
07721 746109
GLC Williams 22/2/08 22:03 Page 1
Free estimates, friendly professional advice, 45 years’ experience
We will be screening the nal lm of the season, ‘The Lesson’ (Cert. 15),
Garden & Agricultural Gates & Fencing
Rose Arches & Gazebos Field Shelters & Stables
Wrought Iron Work
Large Stock of Timber, Steel, Nuts & Bolts, Gate Fittings and Garden Tools
CHERINGTON LANE FORGE, CHERINGTON LANE, TETBURY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE GL8 8SE
TELEPHONE: (01666) 505040
01666 846445 or 07931 502170
on Wednesday the 10th of April. Doors open at the usual time o 7.00 pm, with the (very brief) AGM at 7.30 pm and the film straight after that. To mark the occasion, your membership or ticket price includes a complementary glass of wine.
This film follows Liam, an aspiring young author, as he takes a tutoring position at the estate of his idol a legendary writer. He gradually discovers that life is not as idyllic as it first appears. This feature debut from accomplished TV director Alice Troughton is beautifully atmospheric. Performances by Richard E. Grant, Julie Delpy and Daryl McCormack had Kevin and I gripped.
We hope that you have enjoyed all nine films this season as much as we have enjoyed sharing them with you. Whilst there is lots of opportunity to see a whole range of films in the comfort of your own home, it is a different experience watching them on the big screen and with company. Our film society offers the opportunity to try something different. I have often heard it said by members how much people have enjoyed a film that they would not have normally chosen to watch! Check it out for yourselves.
Membership is now available for our 2024/25 season. Do get in touch with Patricia, our membership secretary, for details on 01666 502085 or visit our website www.tetburyfilm.co.uk.
We look forward to seeing you again. On this one occasion it will be the third Wednesday of the month and not the second, Wednesday the 18th of September. Until then, have an enjoyable summer.
Liz Farnham, Chair Tetbury Film Society Member of Cinema for All
We are busy rehearsing for our fundraising concert…
…“A life in song” in aid of Longfield Community Hospice at Minchinhampton Church on the evening of Saturday the 25th of May.
The concert programme will be filled with uplifting songs, piano music, and poetry. It will include the very appropriate “Rhythm of Life” from the musical “Sweet charity”, a medley of songs from the musical “Les Misérables”, which represents the best of human spirit and is anything but miserable, and the beautiful “Locus Iste” by Bruckner etc. There will also be many well-known, uplifting songs, which the audience will be encouraged to join in. We want them to leave the concert humming a catchy tune with a smile on their face and full of the joys of spring.
Longfield have been long admired and appreciated throughout the town of Tetbury and surrounding villages for the care and support they bring to those approaching the end of life and to their families and loved ones. Many really
appreciate the “Hospice at Home service” which allows many to die with dignity in their own home surrounded by their loved ones. The choir want to see Longfield continue and grow, helped we hope by the funds raised by this concert.
Tickets will be priced at £12.50 and will be on sale from the beginning of April on the Longfield website www.longfield.org.uk Unfortunately, our brilliant accompanist, Eleanor has not been able to stay with us
due to the pressures of a new job, but we have managed to secure the services of Jonathan Adkins as accompanist until the May concert. We are therefore looking for a future replacement accompanist. This is a permanent paid position. If you or anyone you know are a pianist, free on a Thursday evening, and interested in this position, please email our secretary Sandy Thomas at sandy.thomas.st78@gmail.com. for details and lodge an expression of interest.
Tetbury Community Choir Team
The Cat & Custard Pot Inn is a traditional pub with eight lovely en-suite bedrooms.
It is a stone’s throw from Tetbury, Malmesbury, the Beaufort polo club and the Westonbirt Arboretum.
Sitting in the centre of a lovely village, Shipton Moyne, the Cat has a bustling bar which serves great local beers as well as classic pub food with a modern twist. Relax and unwind next to the cosy log burner or keep up to date with the latest sport, the Cat caters for all!
Our new Pizza terrace is open Wednesday to Sunday and serves authentic Italian pizza produced by our traditionally trained pizza chef.
To book a room or table visit our website or call us 01666 880249
The Cat & Custard Pot Inn
The Street . Shipton Moyne
Tetbury . GL8 8PN
www.catandcustard.co.uk
and a professional will be able to help you with this.
I am personally obsessed with skin care and have been since…
…I studied Human Biology A Level at college. Lots of clients always ask me for skin care tips so here are my best brutal skin care tips for you this Spring.
Most skincare these days focuses on fixing surface issues like spots or broken blood vessels with bleaching or lasers. However, our skin is actually a living organ, not just a surface. When we’re born or when we’re kids, our skin looks great without any products because it’s naturally healthy from the inside.
The problems we see on our skin, like wrinkles/acne/pigmentation, happen because our skin cells aren’t doing their job properly. For example, if you have wrinkles, it’s because some cells deep in your skin aren’t making enough collagen or elastin, which are important for keeping your skin firm and elastic. If you have acne, it’s because your skin is producing too much oil and it’s clogging your pores.
So, instead of just trying to cover up these issues with creams or treatments, we should focus on fixing what’s going on inside our skin. This means waking up our cells and getting them to work together like they do in healthy baby skin. There’s no magic cream that can fix everything, but by restoring our skin’s natural cellular activity, we can improve its health and appearance.
If you’re a regular user of moisturisers, listen up! Moisturisers can trap dead skin cells, leading to dullness and clogged pores over time. I recommend swapping out your favourite moisturiser and investing in a serum or a sophisticated broad-spectrum SPF (which protects you from HEV light too – which is very ageing).
All a moisturiser is doing is supressing your skin’s own natural hydration process and your skin is being tricked by the moisturiser into thinking that it is already well hydrated, when in fact it is not. This will speed up the ageing process, slow down the production of hyaluronic acid and collagen resulting in dull, more wrinkled skin.
The best advice is to lay off the moisturiser and stick to serums and SPFs in my opinion.
Forget what you’ve heard about sensitive skin. In reality, there’s only healthy skin and weak/damaged skin. Healthy skin is smooth, hydrated, and resilient. If you think you have sensitive skin, it’s time to strengthen your skin and make it more tolerant this is a process you have to trust
Collagen and elastin are the superheroes of anti-ageing. As we age, we naturally lose these vital proteins, but sun exposure and lifestyle choices can speed up the process. You can delay ageing skin by incorporating retinols and vitamin C
(actives) into your skincare routine. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, while retinols stimulate collagen and elastin production for youthful-looking skin.
And of course, always use a DECENT SPF daily and reapply throughout the day, come rain or shine.
Michelle Stead, Skin Specialist
We had a lovely walk around Eastington, starting at the…
…Stroudwater Canal where we followed the towpath until we reached the section known as ‘the missing mile’ where the canal bed has been filled in. We then followed the footpath to the Community Orchard, walked past the church and the school and an old Mill building and carried on until we came to The Badger pub, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch. Our next walk was over Selsley Common followed by lunch at The Old Fleece, Woodchester. Our Cotswold Way walkers are due to restart their walking at the beginning of April, having reached halfway before they had a break over the winter months.
Our Bite to Eat team have catered for a wake and ran the village community café where they sold bacon butties together with cheese scones and delicious cakes.
A number of members spent a morning making and decorating clay fruit bowls at a workshop run by Charlie from Little Earthquake Pots. She had brought all sorts of different things to decorate the pots including natural foliage, stamps and
moulds - she is bringing the fired bowls to our April meeting for all to see!
The newly formed Theatre Group went to see Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Fiend at The Barn Theatre in Cirencester. The majority really enjoyed the performance and can’t wait for their next outing. The Book Group are reading ‘Klara and the Sun’ by Kazuo Ishiguro and will be meeting later this month to discuss it.
We entered two teams for the GFWI Quiz Competition earlier this month. Both teams did well and one of our teams has got
through to the final later this year.
On Friday the 12th of April we are running one of our popular charity Village Quizzes in the Social Club, 7.00 for 7.30 pm. £5.00 per person to include a Ploughman’s supper with a maximum of four per table. No prebooking is needed!
We are a thriving WI with over forty members and meet on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 7.30 pm in the Memorial Hall (Village Hall). Visitors are always very welcome.
Liz Knowles, Avening WI
Mark your calendars for the 22nd of June! The Malmesbury Singers return to the magnificent Malmesbury Abbey for a Midsummer’s Eve concert filled with enchanting choral delights. “Folk, Fancy, and Faith” will weave a captivating tapestry of tradition and innovation, featuring some of Holst’s charming folk songs, McDowall’s playful Celtic dance, and Gjeilo’s uplifting Sunrise Mass.
This enchanting choral tapestry weaves tradition and innovation for a genuinely unforgettable Midsummer’s Eve, conducted by Thomas Mottershead, Musical Director of Malmesbury Singers.
This delightful Midsummer’s Eve concert features:
Folk… with Gustav Holst’s Six Choral Folksongs: Experience the timeless beauty of English folk music as arranged by Gustav Holst, a passionate champion of these simple yet profound melodies, collected by George Gardiner. Listen for favourites like “I Love My Love” and immerse yourself in themes of love, loss, nature, and the rhythms of everyday life.
Thomas Mottershead, Musical Director of The Malmesbury Singers, says, “A folksong is defined as a song originating among the people of a country or area, utilising a simple, modal melody with narrative
verses. Holst’s genius at composing folksongs to capture the English spirit allows us to recognise, as Holst himself told Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1920, our “national musical heritage”.
Fancy… with Cecilia McDowall’s Playful Celtic Dance: Cecilia McDowall, a celebrated British composer, infuses her choral works with vibrant energy. Be swept away by lively Celtic rhythms and melodies, evoking joy and celebration.
“McDowall writing is in a very popular style with exciting rhythms, expressive melodies and beautiful harmonies. McDowall says that the word “fancy”, in the world of folksong, ‘features frequently in the vocabulary of young lovers’. These arrangements of four well-loved folksongs are joyful, providing a rather fun sing for the choir and an enjoyable listen for an audience”, says Thomas.
Faith… with Ola Gjeilo’s Uplifting Sunrise Mass: Modern spirituality unfolds in this transcendent work by Ola Gjeilo. Traditional liturgical texts intertwine with his signature soundscapes, inspiring a sense of wonder, renewal, and the optimism of a new dawn.
Thomas adds, “Gjeilo’s music is performed all over the world and he composes music which is rather cinematic in sound, as this is no exception. In the ‘Sunrise Mass’, Gjeilo
Your Local Oil, Gas and LPG Central Heating Specialists
us the number one choice.
• Boiler Servicing and Repairs
• Boiler and oil tank replacements
• Hot water cylinders and radiators
• Free no obligation
• Up
• 0%
merges the text of the mass ordinary with a modern soundscape, taking us on a journey of spirituality – as Gjeilo himself says, “from nebulous and pristine, through more emotional landscapes, to ultimately solid groundedness – as a metaphor for human development from child to adult, or as a spiritual journey”.”
Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass is a work of pure beauty and contemplation. It’s the perfect way to end our journey through folk, fancy, and faith – listening to the sunrise whilst we witness the sunset of the longer summer days.
This captivating programme offers an unforgettable ‘Midsummer’s Eve’ at Malmesbury Abbey – the perfect backdrop to what will be a beautiful summer evening concert.
The Malmesbury Singers is a classical choral society in Malmesbury and the surrounding areas. We are a very friendly, mixed choir performing in Malmesbury since 1961. The chorus is privileged to rehearse and perform at Malmesbury Abbey, perform three yearly concerts with professional soloists and musicians, and have singing days and social events. New choir members are always welcome.
Thomas Mottershead
Musical Director of the Malmesbury Singers
*T&C’s
Thomas is an award-winning conductor and tenor based in South Wales. Thomas has been conducting from an early age and has more than ten years of experience leading choirs and orchestras. Thomas has distinguished qualifications from Cardiff University, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) and the University of Cambridge. Whilst at University, Thomas received the Fujisawa Male Voice Choir Award (RWCMD) and the Sir Geraint Evans Award for the highest mark in voice recital (Cardiff University).
Thomas has studied under many conductors, including Andrea Brown, Greg Hallam, Edward-Rhys Harry, Paul Spicer, Simon Halsey, Neil Ferris, Alice Farnham and Camilo Santostefano. Thomas has been fortunate to have been conducted by many well-renowned conductors, including Sakari Oramo, Xian Hang, Tadaaki Otaka, Mark Wigglesworth and Sir Andrew Davis.
As well as Musical Director of The Malmesbury Singers, Thomas is also Musical Director of The Athenaeum Singers in Warminster and Cheltenham Choral Society; an Animateur for Welsh National Opera, Director of Music and Organist at St Mary’s Priory Church in Monmouth; Artistic Director of the
Prometheus Consort and Assistant Conductor of the Harry Ensemble. He is also the Co-Founder of Cardiff Opera and, in the Summer of 2021, conducted three sold-out performances of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro’.
As a singer, Thomas has performed in various concert halls worldwide and, in 2022, appeared on ITV’s series of ‘The Voice UK’, singing as part of the duo ‘Thomas and Emilie’. For more information, visit.
www.malmesburysingers.co.uk
Morning | Coffee | Cakes | Breakfast | Salads | San dwiches | Afternoon | Burgers | Sausage Rolls | Sid es Ice Cream | Shakes | Evening | Cocktails | Beer | C ider | Wine | Live Music | Events | Open Fireplace
Providing a key platform for locally sourced produc e. Supporting farmers, growers, artisans and micro businesses, that share our vision for a brighter fu ture of food resilience, community and economy. With nature friendly farming at the centre of our e thos.
Head to our website to see our growing programme of music nights, workshops and events.
Seating over a hundred, welcoming dogs and open eve ry day 8am - 8pm. No bookings, tables of two to twenty and everyone g ets served. 15 minute drive from Tetbury. GL68HZ
Professional bespoke picture framing advice in the comfort of your home.
I have 35 years’ experience of working with individuals and interior designers. I frame watercolours, oil paintings, embroidery, jigsaws, mirrors, rugby shirts, three dimensional items - in fact almost anything you can imagine.
To save you the trouble of loading the car, parking and carrying items, I visit people’s homes for a free 30 minute consultation within a five mile radius of Tetbury, bringing samples from which you can choose, then re-deliver the finished item.
I have a wide range of frame mouldings at all prices including bare wood which I finish by hand-painting or gilding to personalise your artwork to your own taste.
Do telephone 07764 302 683 for further information and advice
T: 07833 993249
www.tetburycounselling.co.uk
E-mail: tcsenquiry@outlook.com
Terribly injured in a road accident twelve years before, Kiichi lives a reclusive life in the Mill House, deep in a remote Japanese valley. His only companions are his childlike wife, two servants and the paintings of his famous father, Fujinuma Issei. Only once a year does he allow a few selected visitors to come and view the paintings. Last year, during the annual visit, there was a sudden death, a murder and the mysterious disappearance of one of the guests along with a painting.
• Tree Surgery/reduction
• Tree felling/removal
• Stump grinding
• Planting
• Council applications completed
• Fully qualified and insured
Free quotations and advice
Please contact;
Ben King
T: 01666 500216
M: 07976 262829
E: ben@kingstrees.co.uk
W: www.kingstrees.co.uk
One year on and Kiichi is inevitably reminded of the events of the previous year as his visitors start to arrive once more. However, this time there is an unexpected guest, Shimada Kiyoshi, who feels that the simplistic explanation of events put forward by the police does not feel quite right, and he wishes to investigate further.
Split into two mirrored parts, the book traces the events both in the past - as remembered by Kiichi, and the present as Shimada explores not only the recollections of everyone present, but also the house itself. How could a man simply vanish? Was the theft of the painting the sole motive for the murder? Did the household a secret which might provide some answers?
This is a convoluted tale, filled with a cast of individual, but not especially likeable characters. Keeping track of all the information, and the point at which it is discovered, can be a challenge – indeed it would give Miss Marple some headaches. The final reveal is as elaborate as the rest of the story and the Book Club was divided between those who appreciated a glimpse into Japanese culture and manners and those who found the closed-off personalities of the main characters hard to relate to. Judge for yourself.
Ghilly Vincenti Chelworth Bookworms
‘Fruit and Vegetables’ has been the theme at TNP for the last few weeks.
The children have been encouraged to fully explore many different fruits and vegetables; cutting them, chopping them, printing, cooking, drawing, puzzles, games and of course eating them.
Most of the children have tried things they’ve not had before and there are many benefits to exposing them to new flavours and textures, it promotes healthy food habits, can reduce picky eating and promotes nutrition through variety.
A big thank you to Tetbury PCSO Ed for coming to visit us recently, the children loved listening to him and were keen to tell him how to be safe, they really enjoyed trying on bits of uniform and especially going outside to see the lights on his police car.
At the time of writing we’ve got Easter coming up.
Thank you to Derek Bloxham for giving us some tree stumps for the garden and Mrs Mckenzie for the donation of baby wipes, we are very grateful to them both as donations like these are always very gratefully received.
If you’re looking for a playgroup space for your child, you’re welcome to make an appointment to come in and look around the nursery setting. Please
do give us a call on 01666 504855 or email us at tetburynurseryplaygroup@ eygloucestershire.co.uk
Tetbury Nursery Playgroup Team
2024 is set to be a busy year with a General Election on the cards. You may have also heard of The Renters (Reform) Bill which is one of the most significant pieces of legislation for private renters and landlords in the past 30 years. This means that a large part of discussions in the Private Rental Sector in 2024 will surround the Bill.
If you would like to find out more about The Renters Reform Bill and how it may effect you, please get in touch.
Our next monthly talk will be provided by Kirsty Murray from the Long eld Charity, and will take place on Tuesday the 16th of April at 10.30am at the Goods Shed.
Many of us will know of Longfield and may well have personal knowledge of the organisation either as a volunteer, a client, or because of their excellent charity shop where one can always seem to find what one needs. Kirsty will explain more about Longfield, how it operates, the people involved and the work it does.
We have recently acquired a smart new banner which is being displayed at our monthly meetings at the Goods Shed, and other public events, to signpost where we are meeting and stamp our brand. Our sincere thanks go to the Feoffees for paying for the banner – we really appreciate your generosity and support.
If you would be interested in joining the u3a, take a look at our website www. tetburyu3a.org.uk to see the range of activities we offer, our monthly newsletter, and details of how to join.
Tetbury
One of our Fundamental British Values is democracy, and this is very important to us at Leighterton Primary School.
As we will be used as a Polling Station in May, when there will be an election for the Police Commissioner, we invited Luke Hall MP into our school to find out more about democracy. Luke Hall spoke with the whole school and told us about the Houses of Parliament, The Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben.
We talked about The House of Commons and The House of Lords and found out what they were like inside. He told us that any new ideas have to go to the House
of Commons and then to the House of Lords before the monarch before they can become law. Once the King signs them off, they become an Act of Parliament. We split the children into two groups and half of the school became the House of Commons while the other half became the House of Lords.
Several children talked about issues that were important to them and one of them asked ‘The House of Commons’ to vote whether fossil fuels could be banned. Our
Painter, decorator and property maintenance
Professional, friendly and reliable service
All aspects of the trade
EST: 1986/ Free Estimates
Mobile: 07745495427
‘House of Commons’ agreed to this by voting for this and passed the discussion to our ‘House of Lords.’ Our ‘House of Lords’ discussed this but were concerned that people would not be allowed to use petrol in their cars, and amended the discussion so that only the unnecessary use of fossil would be banned. Our ‘House of Lords’ voted again, and this was agreed with our ‘House of Lords’ amendments included. Our ‘King Charles’ heard the reports and agreed with Parliament to make this a ‘Leighterton Law.’
We were given the opportunity to ask Luke Hall questions about democracy and he asked us some questions too.
Next month, Mr Robert Wheeler, who is the Returning Officer at Cotswold District Council, will be visiting Leighterton to talk to us about what happens during an election. He is going to show us how people who visit a Polling Station collect a ballot paper and go into a booth to make their selection by putting a X next to the person they wish to vote for.
He will also talk about how the voters will put their ballot paper into the ballot box and that this is a secret ballot. We will also find out about the ballot boxes being collected from the Polling Stations and taken to a centre where all of the votes will be counted and the winner declared.
This has made us think about how we are democratic at Leighterton Primary School. Each year, the children in Year 6 are able to put themselves forward as Captains and House Captains. They make a speech to try to persuade their peers to vote for them and then the children vote, using a secret ballot.
These ballot papers are counted and our House Captains are elected.
The Leighterton Primary School Team.
It was almost twenty ve years ago that I rst took my children to St Mary’s Toddler Group.
As a new parent it was pretty daunting turning up and not really knowing what to expect. Of course, I was made to feel so welcome and I soon realised the importance of these environments. Not
only introducing my children to the art of ‘play’ and learning social skills, but also being able to talk to other grownups about the joys and struggles of parenthood.
Fast forward to today and our principles are still the same. It is our aim to create a safe, friendly and welcoming environment for you and your child to socialise, chat and play. It is as important as ever to be able to get out and spend time with others, seek or
give advice on parenting and have a laugh or a moan about one of the toughest jobs out there… raising a child!! However, we now have a whole new approach to getting the best out of our session!!
For those who don’t know, St Mary’s Playgroup adopted the ‘In the Moment Planning’ approach to learning a few years ago. We ditched our plastic toys, dressing up clothes and other ‘pre-prepared’ play. These were replaced by baskets of resources, including lots of natural, wooden and ‘real-life’ objects, loose parts, fabrics and construction equipment. As a result, we have seen huge development in our children’s imaginative play, their curiosity and length of engagement in activities.
We have extended much of this style of play into our Toddler sessions so the children can start experiencing the benefits from an earlier age. In addition, if they then go on to attend our Playgroup everything is more familiar to them thus making their transition easier. We also provide a similar snack in the form of toast and a variety of different fruit or vegetable options accompanied by milk or water. To promote independence, many of our toddlers are already putting their leftover food into a green recycling bin and their plates and cups into a washing up bowl! Parents also get to enjoy a range of hot drinks. We have a designated area for babies, and of course, we still finish with a song!
St Mary’s Toddler Group has always been run for the community and as such, requires fundraising to keep up and running. We are always on the lookout for fresh, new ideas, so if you attend this group, and have thoughts to share, please speak to staff. We are also happy to invite parents to join our Playgroup Committee to get involved with our fundraising team.
So, if you have children between the ages of 0 and 5, and this sounds like the type of group you’d like to be involved in, come and see our wonderful Charlie, every Monday from 9.00 am until 11.00 am during term time at a cost of £3.50. We look forward to seeing you there.
St Mary’s Playgroup Team
If you would like to take up bridge or get back to it after a break, South Cotswold Bridge Club offers two convenient venues. We have recently moved to a spacious, bright venue for Tuesday afternoons at the Conservatory at the Great Tythe Barn. Thursday afternoons we play at Minchinhampton Golf Club. Hopefully, neither too far for anyone.
One of the many advantages of playing bridge as part of a club is an opportunity to meet and chat (although not too loudly
if some people are still playing) and make friends. To communicate.
Bridge is a game of communication and you play with a partner. Using various ‘bids’ and ‘conventions’ you talk to your partner (no kicking under table or secret signals allowed) and, between you, conclude as to your final bid. Sometimes, you may not have sufficient points to bid and remain silent - ‘pass.’
At South Cotswold Bridge Club we can find you a partner if you do not have one. It is a well-known fact of Bridge that not all couples make good Bridge partners.
No one wants to be woken up at 3am by someone asking why you bid three hearts!
We hope the expert players amongst us will excuse us if we go back to basics, both to help potential or new players and as a reminder to those who, like your correspondent, is an ABP (average bridge player).
A bid describes the number of points you have in your hand. Major suits :(Spades and Hearts) are more valuable than Minor suits (Diamonds and Clubs) when it comes to winning points. In your hand, you award a set number of points to each Ace, King, Queen or Jack (honours). You make a bid and your partner responds (or not) as appropriate.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, at the Club, we play duplicate bridge, meaning everyone plays the same cards and has the same chance, we also have Gentle Duplicate sessions (no expert players) on a Monday evening. A new venue is currently being decided upon. Lessons for beginners are starting again in September and in the Summer for improvers. We have a fully qualified teacher.
To find out more, visit our website www. southcotswoldbridgeclub.co.uk. Or email jimedwards811@gmail.com.
Anita Stride Cotswold and District Bridge Club
The Tetbury Lions have been producing the Tetbury Advertiser since 1974. It helps publicise club activities and events in the town via editorial columns, and helps promote businesses and services in the town with cheap-rate advertising opportunities.
Unlike magazines run for profit, any surplus is ploughed back into local facilities, good causes, and to individuals in genuine need. If you advertise, you can be assured that you are also making a contribution to the locale.
in February we walked around Westrip, Wootton under Edge, Nympsfield and from Chavenage Green to Beverston and back. On the plus side the snowdrops and daffodils have been fabulous! We have had good attendances and plenty of boot cleaning has been going on!
Our walking programme for April is on our website, please visit www.tetburywalkers.co.uk.
As ever, we always welcome newcomers on our walks, please let the walk leader know if you wish to join us. We meet at the Goods Shed each Tuesday.
John
The children enjoyed a fantastic ‘cricket taster day’ as part of the Wiltshire Cricket All Stars and Dynamos Roadshow for 5-11 year olds. As voted for by our School Council and their classmates, we’ll be running free cricket after school clubs for Y1-6 pupils as one of our summer sports offerings. For more details about children’s cricket sessions just get in touch with Sherston Magna Cricket Club.
Jo Gale
A huge thank you to the Friends of Sherston School from Year 6 for their fantastic new Sycamore class furniture!
We had a wonderful day celebrating World Book Day. The children enjoyed
22:
Mobile:07742916044
Home:01666503872
‘secret reader’ story time with all the staff, ‘book buddy’ activities, our ‘big book swap’ and lots of other literary themed fun throughout the day. A big thank you to our Literacy Lead, Mr Moran for organising the day, and to Judith Parkyn Photography for capturing this special event for us.
Sherston Primary School Team
E. stevefloydpestcontrol@gmail.com www.stevefloydpestcontrol.co.uk
Fully qualified (25 years experience)
Fully Insured
T: 01285 643750 M: 07933 357373
The Tetbury Supporters Group of Longfield Hospice are pleased to announce that £1040.00 was raised for the Hospice.
A full house enjoyed the film “The Great Escaper” starring Michael Cane and Glenda Jackson. Many thanks to those that provided raffle prizes and gave donations too.
Sallie Dearnley
‘We believe there may be as many as eight thousand unidenti ed young carers in Gloucestershire’
The speaker at our March meeting was Toni Collier from Gloucestershire Young Carers, who explained that they were in contact with one thousand young people from the age of 8 upwards, who had taken on the responsibilities of caring for other family members through illness or disability. The scope of the support the organisation is able to give these young people, often through to their early 20s if their education has had to be extended because of their caring role, is far reaching, including respite events, a Young Carers’ forum, trips out, activity groups and a network of school leaders. GYC also provides an avenue to access practical support from other official bodies along with their volunteers who provide a range of skills from HR to crafts, office to outdoors.
At the same time as many of us were listening to Toni, four of our members were facing
eleven other teams in Bisley Village Hall, the venue for the annual WI quiz, hosted by Bisley WI. Tetbury was represented by Lorna, Jayne, Elaine and Jan. The twelve teams took part in ten rounds of tough questions, with Avening taking the top place and Siddington second. Both teams will go forward to the next round. Oakridge took third place and became the reserve team, while our team took a very respectable fourth place, after having a really good time. According to Jan, the best question of the evening was ‘what is arachibutyrophobia the fear of?’ The answer – the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth! –who knew? She’s not saying whether any of the teams knew either! Thank you to all four for taking part.
The Garden Group faced snow when they went to Kapunda Plants, south of Bath, which specialises in Lenten Hellebores. The Open Garden Day there was very popular and there was great disappointment when, despite arriving only 15 minutes after opening, they were unable to bring home any plants from the shop for their own gardens.
There will be meetings of the Gin Group in April, September and December and – a new initiative - four Wine Tasting events over the coming months, with the first, exploring Chardonnay, on the 14th of June.
The Book Club will be moving on to Thomas Hardy’s ’The Mayor of Casterbridge’ after they review their current book ‘Paternoster’.
The next monthly coffee morning at The Snooty Fox is on Monday the 22nd of April at 10.30 am.
Our next meeting will be on Monday the 8th of April at The Goods Shed at 7.30 pm, when we will be having a ‘taster’ evening of Tai Chi – loose clothing and flat shoes are vital. We welcome members from Tetbury and the surrounding villages, we would love to meet you.
RowenaPalser, Tetbury WI www.tetbury-wi.org.uk
“we have all the time we always had...”
BY NICK PAYNE
DIRECTED BY
JESSICA DANIELS
