Tetbury Advertiser May 2024

The Team

Advertiser Limited (VAT number 338322801), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tetbury Lions Trust; Charity number 1152090. www.tetburyadvertiser.co.uk

1st May Tetbury Lions monthly meeting including talk by Severnfreewheelers

The Priory Inn, 7.30 pm. ALL WELCOME

1st May Tetbury Art Society

Demonstration by Mark Warner, 7.30 pm at the Dolphins Hall.

2nd May History of Tetbury Society

Talk about hidden Cirencester by David Elder, 7.30 pm at Christchurch.

5th May

St. Marys’ Church

Heart and Soul evening worship service. 5.15 pm at St. Marys Church.

13th May Tetbury WI

Monthly meeting, 7.30 pm at the Goods Shed.

13th May Tetbury Town Council

Annual Town Meeting, 6.30 pm at St. Marys CE VA Primary School.

20th May Tetbury and District u3a

Monthly talk by Stewart Linord, 10.30 am at the Goods Shed.

22nd May Greening Tetbury

Monthly Meeting, 7.30 pm at St. Michael’s Church Hall.

24th/26th Tetbury Bowls Club

May BIG Weekend. See article for details.

27th May Woolsack Races

10.00 am - 5.00 pm.

Friends of Tetbury Community Transport

May trips: To book 0345 680 5029

Sat 4th BATH 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Sat 11th WORCESTER 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Sat 18th WESTON-SUPER-MARE 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

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

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

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

Talking Rhubarb

As a fair-weather gardener, I’m only now emerging from hibernation to tame the garden for the summer. In my personal horticultural calendar, I have a limited window for tackling weeds. If I haven’t got my plot under control by the start of September, I give up. I know nature will soon side with me and stop the weeds

By this time, the task of clearing the weeds seems overwhelming. But it doesn’t take much to lift my spirits. Discovering bright bouquets of rhubarb quietly colonising the vegetable patch does the trick. (Technically, rhubarb is a vegetable, not a fruit.) Lime-green leaves unfurling from blushpink stems send a welcome semaphore message: “It’s crumble time!”

We’ve long since exhausted our frozen stocks of last year’s apples, plums, and pears. This year’s crop of tree fruit is still months away, and the apple trees haven’t even started blossoming yet. So, this copious crop of rhubarb, ripe for pulling, is a welcome sight indeed. There’s enough here to keep us going for months of Sunday lunches. Rhubarb offers a generous return on very little labour. The only maintenance it requires is the division of its crowns and the occasional feed. It’s a bonus that the vast leaves, though poisonous to eat, make a useful addition to the compost heap.

Foxtailfootcare@gmail.com

the word on stage in crowd scenes. It’s a very soft word, as shapeless and slithery as stewed rhubarb. (Unlike carrot or potato, for example.) When we hear actors mumble “rhubarb, rhubarb”, we know they’re saying something, but we can’t make out what. We recognise the chattering of the crowd, but we’re not distracted by meaning.

07707154914

Corns & Calluses

Fungal infections

Dry cracked heels

Diabetes foot screen

Nail cutting & thinning

Pressure relief interventions

In my Cotswold garden, rhubarb is so easy to grow that I’m surprised it’s not native to Britain. It didn’t reach Europe until the fourteenth century, first via the Silk Road and later from Russia. This long journey made rhubarb an expensive status symbol, alongside silks and spices.

Ironic, then, that its name has become a slang word for “rubbish”, as in “You’re talking rhubarb”. Why be so rude about rhubarb? The answer lies in the traditional use of

In 1970 Eric Sykes celebrated the tradition with his television comedy special, Rhubarb. Its only dialogue is the repetition of the word “rhubarb” – surely the easiest lines any actors have ever had to learn. He made a second version ten years later, called Rhubarb Rhubarb. It seems I’m not the only person who can’t have too much rhubarb.

Debbie Young www.authordebbieyoung.com

Foot Health Practitioner (MSFHP, MAFHP)

Hooray, at last a glimmer of summer to cheer us all after the dreary winter and it encourages our summer events too.

Sadly, there will be no Wacky Races this year but there is the possibility of another Lions Big Quiz at the Great Tythe Barn midsummer and very likely one in December. The draw for the raffle that was run at the Quiz and outside the Post Office before Easter has now been made, the winners have been notified. Bad luck if you didn’t

win the Giant Easter Egg, the wonderful Hamper or the lovely bottle of champagne but rest assured your contributions will go to good causes. We will run a car Treasure Hunt around the area on the 7th of September which will be open to all (contact Keith Hodgson keith.hodgson@ hotmail.co.uk).

Pixie Lock Ltd

Professional Locksmith & uPVC Repair Specialist

‘Local & Independent’

24 Hr Call Out - No Call Out Fee – Fast Reliable Service

Non-Destructive Entry (Wherever Possible)

Keys Cut on Site – uPVC Repairs

All Work Guaranteed – Fully Insured – CRB Checked Free Consultations

Call Ollie on01666 848097 – 07823881639 – info@pixielock.com www.pixielock.com

This month we made our regular donation of £200 to the Foodbank and £250 to this summer’s Tetfest. To request a grant from Tetbury Lions contact Lion’s President Derek on derekandveronica@aol.com. To fit with our Charity process, it’s best if requests can be made near the start of the month.

This year’s Tetbury Lights Switch on event will be on the 29th of November run in conjunction with Tetbury Town Council, the Feoffoes and Tetbury in Bloom. We hope that more of Long Street will be available for stalls so if you or your business would like a stall please contact Saxon on 01666 504715.

This month’s winners of the Lion’s 200 Club were Mrs Lewis, Mrs A C Ashbury, Mrs L Stead and Mrs T. R. – congratulations to you all.

Our monthly meetings are at 7.30 pm on the first Wednesday of the month at the Priory. Contact Saxon if you would like to come along and see what happens. Our meeting in May will commence with a talk by the Severnfreewheelers who deliver urgent medical supplies around the area and to whom we donated to in March.

Derek Harvey Lions President

Girlguiding

Girlguiding Tetbury celebrated one hundred years of Guiding in Tetbury in 2020.

We held a tea party in the February for Thinking Day in memory of Trish Dent who had passed away the previous year. We planned an outing to Legoland and a Residential event and lots of other events to take place during 2020. But then . . . Covid hit and apart from the tea party everything else had to be cancelled. We ran some unit meetings on Zoom until we were able to meet together outdoors.

Gradually we have rebuilt our units and finally last month we were able to run a District Residential for our current members. Over fifty young members and adult leaders took part in a fantastic fun weekend at our County HQ near Cheltenham.

The girls took part in lots of outdoor adventurous activities including a zip wire, archery, low ropes, and tunnels. They also got to try frisbee golf, with two Brownies scoring holes in one! Indoors the girls played giant connect four, and curling was

a great hit. The QMs (cooks) did a good job in keeping us all fed, particularly with our one meal altogether on the Saturday evening. A visit to the shop and midnight feasts were enjoyed as a traditional part of any residential! Young Leaders were put in charge of the Brownies on the Saturday evening so that the leaders could have a couple of hours free time and a chance to chat – a rare event when we are away. Well done Nia and Daisy – you did a great job!

We all had a great time and one Brownie unit has already booked their residential for next year.

Coming up the Guides are taking part in the Bubbs Hill Challenge day again and

Alan

C. Sanders

later this term members from all sections are going on a day out to a Region event near Bristol.

We are lucky to have one of the Tesco stronger starts blue token boxes until the end of June and would welcome any support that you can give us.

Volunteer’s week is the first week of June and ends with the Big Help Out weekend. This is a great time to get involved and we would love to tell you more about how you can help us ensure our girls get the best experiences. I can guarantee you will have fun and learn new skills too!

Sue Doidge tetbury@girlguidingglos.org.uk

Book-keeping & acountancy services

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

Scan & book

your pet in here

Try Tetbury Hardware First!!

Please to try to support your local retailers, you will be surprised at the range of products and services they o er o en at very competitive prices. We at Tetbury Hardware have been your local store for 12 years. We can deliver items locally subject to value, try us rst before you travel!

We are proud sponsors of TetFest24 – July 13th get your tickets on line now

Narrow Dog to Carcassonne

by Terry Darlington

Terry and Monica have both retired and enjoy sailing their narrowboat along the local canals, accompanied by their reluctant whippet, Jim. The morning after a night out with his friend Clive, Terry wakes to realise he has agreed to accompany Clive across the Channel to sail the French waterways to Carcassonne. Narrowboats are not built for the sea, so in preparation they sail from the Midlands, down to London, along the Thames and up the Bristol Channel, passing through many once thriving settlements, now merely backwaters full of dubious locals.

After months of preparation and dire warnings from all the experts, Clive backs out of the trip. However, Terry feels the weight of expectation from all those who know what they have been planning and so he and Monica set off on their own.

Pet Products: Most major brands of Pet Foods can be obtained for you. We have a wide range of treats, bedding, toys and other pet items. Come and browse.

Garden Care: A full range of 2024 Mr Fothergills Seeds available. Get a 10% discount all season (Min 3 packets to qualify). We stock most fertilisers, chemicals and composts. If you have any special needs for your garden just ask.

We are your local suppliers of DIY products, all cleaning products, electrical goods as well as fuels. We can also get your videos etc moved to DVD, as well as Key Cutting.

Once you have grown accustomed to Terry’s writing style, with its sprinkling of poems and song lyrics, this is a charming book, detailing his wry observations of the places and people they meet along the way. Some descriptions are laugh-out-loud funny, others convey the very real terror of the perils of open water. Despite the fear of the unknown (and also the fear of what they do know) the journey through Europe is an eye opener. France is mostly closed unless the carnival is in town. Locks are on a huge scale compared to in England and the barges that still carry freight along the waterways pose a very real risk to Terry and Monica’s comparatively small boat. What seems to be universal, however, is that a whippet is a great icebreaker, even if he would rather be running along the banks than travelling in the boat.

This book split the Bookworms, but most felt that it was worth persevering.

We have reached the end of a very successful season.

Tetbury Film Society established a healthy membership, with many first-timers joining our audience. We were also delighted to welcome many visitors who joined us as guests for the occasional film.

We are a member of Cinema For All, the national support and development organisation for community-led cinema, film clubs and societies such as ours. We aim to offer something a little different to the mainstream. We tend to show films that are produced by smaller film production companies. Films such as ‘Broker’, ‘Lunana – a Yak in the Classroom’, and ‘Photograph’. Approximately half of our programme comprises gems from around the world.

We travelled the world from France at the beginning of the 19th century, to war torn Ukraine in 2013, to modern day Korea and Canada. My favourite film of this season was ‘Confetti’ the tender story of dyslexia suffers and how differently they view the world.

We are delighted to continue to support Longfield Hospice. Together we raised £1,040 by showing Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson’s last film ‘The Great Escaper’.

Having attended the Independent Cinema Office (ICO) spring and autumn screenings, and after watching dozens of films (and skimming through many more!), we are finalising the 2024/25 programme and we are now accepting members for next season. Please contact our membership

secretary, Patricia, on 01666 502085 for details, or visit our website www. tetburyfilm.org.uk for an application form.

Candidates for next year include ‘Past Lives’, ‘Rose’, ‘Ama Gloria’ and ‘Blue Caftan’. If you have any ideas for suitable films, do please get in touch.

Thank you to all the committee members for all their hard work and support.

In the meantime, we hope you have an enjoyable summer and we will see you on Wednesday the 18th of September. (Please note that for one time only this is a week later in the month than normal.)

Liz Farnham Chair Tetbury Film Society Member of Cinema for All

•

•

•

•

Our solar panel install Green Team One

L i k e m a n y p e o p l e , w e h a d b e e n thinking about getting solar panels for a while and we finally took the plunge in January.

It felt like the right time, not only because of the latest upgrades in both panel and hybrid inverter technology, but also the advent and refinement of the time-of-use and export tariffs from the electricity suppliers would allow us to maximise our revenue by grid trading.

C h o o s i n g a n i n s t a l l e r l o o k e d l i k e a minefield but thankfully we came across Rob from Green Team One. Whilst he was c l e a r l y ve r y k n o w l e d ge a b l e , w h at we really liked was his ability and patience to explain it all in a clear and understandable way. Together, we were able to design a system which best suited our needs, and w h i c h a l s o m a x i m i s e d o u r re t u r n o n investment. We didn't make it easy for him either, asking for a non-Chinese panel with traceable fair-trade origin (having read about the wo rking conditions of some manufacturing plants). We were absolutely delighted with the effort and diligence that Rob put into sourcing the right product for us and so pleased with the result.

We finally specified 6kWp of solar panels, a 5kW Generation 3 hybrid inverter and a 9 . 5 k W h b a t t e r y. T h e w h o l e i n s t a l l , including all the compliance paperwork, training and support came to less than £11,000.

S u r p r i s i n g l y, w e w e r e n ' t a s ke d fo r a deposit straight away. Green Team One h ave a ve r y t h o ro u g h i n s p e c t i o n a n d compliance programme before the order is taken. Liz, from the admin team, did all the necessary checks on the development

a n d p l a n n i n g f o r m a l i t i e s a n d a l s o submitted the application for permission to connect to the grid; whilst Tom, the technical engineer, did a comprehensive site survey which included a structural report and established the location of the inverter, battery and cables.

The installation team were tidy, polite and p r o m p t ; f r o m t h e s c a f f o l d e r s t o t h e roofers (Ryan and his brother Nigel) and the electrical team lead by Amy, who, as it t u r n e d o u t , i s a ve r y h i g h l y re ga rd e d electrician in this area.

The whole process took four weeks from first meeting Rob to the commissioning of the system, and it all went very smoothly i n d e e d w i t h exc e l l e n t c o m m u n i c a t i o n throughout.

T h e re a l wo n d e r a n d va l u e o f t h i s system became apparent when Green Team One began training us on the monitoring portal.

Yo u c a n g e t a n i n s t a n t a n d e a s y t o understand overview of what the system is doing or delve as deep as you like into the current and historic performance and activity of the system. The inverter even l e a r n s y o u r u s a g e h a b i t s a n d d o e s a weather forecast so that it knows how much power to store and reserve in the battery for future use.

We are both thrilled with the addition of t h i s s y s t e m , w h i c h g i v e s u s u l t i m a t e control over the power flow in our home and satisfaction in the knowledge that we are making a difference. But we are also excited as we take the next step and allow o u r s u p p l i e r, O c t o p u s , t o t a l k t o o u r inverter so that it can automatically read the highs and lows of the grid demand and charge or discharge the battery according to the spot price of electricity thereby m i n i m i s i n g o u r r u n n i n g c o s t s a n d maximising our payments for export.

Warren

and Audrey Hateley in Tetbury

HANSEN TREE CARE LTD

For a professional and efficient service including felling, pruning and hedging contact Piers Hansen (B Eng Hons) on 01453 836207, 07770 745642, piers.hansen@btinternet.com Fully insured and NPTC qualified

Following on from last month, this month I would like to extend the grateful thanks of the Feoffees to Grayham Cleaver,

who has provided unstinting support to the Charity and particularly to Feoffee Will Cook, over recent years, working in and around the Railway Line, Herd Lane and Preston Park. His dedication and time have helped to make and keep these public areas accessible and enjoyable for all our community, Grayham has been presented with a Feoffee medallion and certificate of appreciation – thank you Grayham.

I am pleased to confirm that the Annual Community BBQ, organised by the Thirteen, will take place on the Millennium Green at 6pm on Friday 14th June. For those of you who have never attended this event, the BBQ is provided by the Feoffees to all residents free of charge – please bring with you any chairs, picnic blankets and drinks. This is a great opportunity for us to meet up with friends, old and new - All are welcome.

Dates for your Diary

27th May – Woolsack Races

14th June – 6.00 pm Community BBQ on the Millennium Green

September – dates to be confirmed, Heritage Weekend and The Annual Beating of the Bounds

I am also pleased to confirm that we have recently supported groups and individuals with the following grants:

An educational grant towards a laptop for a local student. Two grants for tools for two local young people undertaking apprenticeships. Club 77 - £200 grant to their group.

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

Area Youth and Community Trust

This half term we are excited to be working with Westonbirt Arboretum to run our Wild Westonbirt evenings.

This project aims to provide a group of young people with a safe space to relax and unwind after a busy day at school, to build self-esteem, confidence, learn new skills and to connect with nature. We will be taking a group, by minibus, accompanied by our youth workers to meet with the team at the Arboretum and to spend time in their fantastic community shelter each Tuesday evening. This project will conclude with a celebration event where the young people are invited to bring friends and family to the shelter during the May half term holidays to show them around and demonstrate some of the skills they have learnt. We can’t wait to hear how the group got on.

Alongside this we will be running our usual, increasingly busy, drop-in youth sessions and are really hoping that by the time this is being read, it will be dry enough for us to get outside on the Rec.

After a fun-packed Easter holidays including youth drop-in sessions, a supported bus trip to Cirencester, Cookery Workshops, an

outdoor family play session on The Rec and access passes to Westonbirt Arboretum, we are now looking ahead to May half term and the Summer Holidays.

Please follow us on social media for up-todate information about our sessions and holiday activities.

We are always looking for volunteers to help support our sessions, no experience necessary just a friendly face with a willingness to help set up and pack away and support activities when needed is all we are looking for. If you think you may be able to help, please contact lisa.hoult@ tayct.org.uk. It makes a huge difference to us to have that extra pair of hands and will allow us to continue to engage with and support the huge number of young people who are currently accessing our sessions. Please get in touch, we need you!

The TAYCT Team

Surrounded by scenic views and tucked away in a secluded location, this stylish home is ideal for those seeking a tranquil retreat, but just five minutes from Tetbury.

Detached house in a rural hamlet, not far from Tetbury

• Beautiful light filled rooms

• Kitchen with room for a breakfast table

• Open plan sitting - dining room with a double sided wood burner

• Utility room and downstairs cloakroom

• Mezzanine hallway, with oak front door

• Luxurious principal bedroom with en-suite bathroom and dressing room

• Double garage with electric doors and potting shed behind

Lock up and leave or perfect second home is ideal for those looking for somewhere to base themselves in the heart of Tetbury.

“Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.”

If you have ever wanted to learn a new skill, such as woodworking or gardening or learn a new language come to Tetbury Library for a chat and a browse. We can order you books from across the county on a myriad of topics. We also offer a Inter Library Loan service, should your chosen book only be available at the British Library for example. There is a small fee for this fantastic service.

STOP PRESS – As we said in the April edition of the Tetbury Advertiser, we now have the equipment and new system to complete new BUS PASS applications for those of you

Golda Meir

over sixty five years of age and to renew bus passes if they have expired.

Our local Scrabble group are looking for some more players, see the date of the next meeting below. Our Paper crafters, who meet once a month are looking for a few willing people to join them, ‘no talent required’! Library Club meets once a month too and we can provide free transport to the library for Tetbury residents, so if you would like to come along for a coffee and chat give us a call on.

Woodland Trust delivered more saplings and were planted in March to create beautiful hedges in the future to support local wildlife. On the topic of wildlife, the Tetbury Library gardening team found some wild white comfrey covered with rare Scarlet Tiger Moth caterpillars, which turn into beautifully coloured day flying moths. Let us know if you spot one and take a picture, if you can, that we can add to our Nature Club board. In May, during half term, there are some great Greener Together events being held in various Gloucestershire Libraries. Check out the Gloucestershire Libraries website to book and find out more www.gloslibraries.uk

Forthcoming Events:

Baby Bounce and Rhyme Time

Every Wednesday 2.15 pm – 2.45 pm

TREE SERVICES LTD

Lego Club

Every Friday 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm

Saturday Club for Children

Saturday the 4th of May, 11:30 am

Storytime and Craft

Saturday the 11th of May, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Paper Crafters

Saturday the 11th of May 10.30 am – 12.00 pm

Knit and Natter

Tuesday the 14th of May 2.00 pm – 3.00 pm

Scrabble Club

Wednesday the 15th of May 1.30 pm – 3.00 pm

Nature Club

Saturday the 18th of May 11.00 am – 12.00 pm

Library Club

Friday the 31st of May 10.30 am – 12.00 pm

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 proof of age and address to register. Did you know books can be returned to any of our Libraries across the county?

Adele, Linda, Sophie, Fran and Sam

What a fabulous opening gala we had!

All of us had eagerly awaited the start of another outdoor season. And the familiar sight of bowls gliding gracefully across the meticulous green was truly heartwarming.

Over forty players participated, with many friends reuniting after a long winter’s break. Bowls raced toward the jack, aiming for that winning shot. But it wasn’t all immediate accuracy—the weight of the green caused some consternation. Those who had played indoors wavered between short and long shots, their enthusiasm sometimes outpacing precision. The ‘rested’ bowlers, eager to dust off their skills, found their rhythm after a few ends.

Laughter and camaraderie filled the air as members reconnected, both on the mat and over the post-game buffet.

Our weekend and midweek friendly fixtures got off to a good start. These games against teams from Malmesbury, Cam, Bishops

Cleeve, Calne and Chepstow -– familiar names and friendly faces -- are more than contests; they’re sociable gatherings where winning takes a back seat. No pressure, just the joy of playing the game we love.

For those curious readers, we’re out on the green this last weekend of April, in our free open taster sessions. This is your opportunity to explore this gentle, but occasionally competitive sport. Anytime from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm this Saturday (the 27th) all are welcome, and between noon to 3.00 pm on Sunday is primarily for juniors. Why not come and feel the weight of the bowls, test your aim, and discover if this sport is for you?

Our calendar is full of activity. In addition to the friendlies, Tetbury Bowls fields teams in the South Cotswold, Corinium, and Stroud Valley Triples leagues against local rival clubs. Our players challenge themselves in county and national competitions. Some even wear Gloucestershire kit, representing our county in friendlies or competitions like the Middle England League.

On the 12th of May, our weekly Sunday morning junior coaching sessions begin at 10.00 am. Young bowlers, aged nine

to eighteen, gather to learn the art, rules, and etiquette of the game. It’s a stepping stone—a chance to hone skills before joining in Tetbury’s friendly matches. Visit www.tetburybowlsclub.co.uk/juniorsection for more information.

If you were unable to attend the April open sessions, don’t worry! We have additional events scheduled that might better fit your calendar. We’re hosting two sessions during the Bowls Big Weekend national event. For a taste of lawn bowls and to find out how you might benefit from bowls, join us on Friday the 24th of May (evening) or Sunday the 26th of May (afternoon). You can find the exact times and other information on our website, www.tetburybowlsclub.co.uk

Also mark your calendar for our Annual Corporate Day on the 1st of June! This exciting tournament is open to non-bowlers and has attracted teams from various clubs, companies, families, and groups of friends. Everyone competes for a delightful hamper of goodies. If you’re interested, we still have a few slots available. Visit our website for more details and contact us to sign up!

Susanne Knaus Tetbury Bowls Club

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

Telephone 07469 187004

info@tetburychiropractic.co.uk

www.tetburychiropractic.co.uk

Tetbury Chiropractic Clinic, 2 Silk Mill studios, 2 Charlton road, Tetbury GL8 8DY

Jwala Gurung

Doctor of Chiropractic, Mchiro, CCEP, LRCC.

Call now for a consultation!

House Cleaned

Washing up done

Clothes washed & ironed

Beds made

....making life easier

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.

With May arriving, the spring displays are now almost at an end…

…and although we will deadhead the daffodils and tulips as part of maintaining the beds and keeping them looking tidy, we’ll be leaving the foliage to die down naturally so it gives the bulbs the best chance to reabsorb the nutrients from the leaves to allow them to flower successfully again next year.

Over the past few weeks, we have studied all the beds that we tend and have taken note of where we can enhance the displays for spring 2025. The lovely mauve daisylooking flowers - Anemone Blanda, which

we planted last autumn in the bed at Braybrooke Close, did exceptionally well and flowered non-stop for several weeks, despite all the rain! So, we’ll be planting a lot more of those in other beds too come September/October, and next spring they will provide additional colour after the crocus have finished.

We’ll also be planting additional tulip bulbs in several of the beds. When in bloom, they give a vibrant colourful display and some of the red varieties we use overlap the later flowering daffodils which give a

lovely contrast. However, over the years, tulip bulbs tend to ‘disappear’ for various reasons, so to keep the displays looking full, we find it best to add more to the beds every other year in rotation.

Although the beds, tubs and troughs are going to look untidy over the month of May due to us leaving the dead and dying bulb foliage to die back, come Tuesday the 4th of June, normal standards will resume when we start a four-week work schedule to prepare and plant up the beds and troughs throughout the town, ready for the summer months to come.

Sue Hirst, Team Leader, Tetbury in Bloom

Paul Carpenter Carpentry Services

Tel: 07952 931552

We’ve welcomed spring at TNP, the beautiful cherry tree in the playgroup garden reassuringly blossoms each year, and we use it throughout the year to show the children changes in nature. In the spring we explore the blossom itself, drawing it, painting it and using it to craft and print with. At the moment we also have baby caterpillars eating their way through their food, hopefully soon ready to move to their butterfly house before they emerge from their chrysalides, it’s a highlight of our year when we release them to fly off into the spring sky. The children have lots of seeds to plant over the coming weeks and we are also going to attempt hydroponic gardening with some herbs and vegetables, this will help them see what the roots are doing and is not so weather dependent.

As the school year progresses our Wednesday pre-school sessions focus more on ‘school-readiness’, we encourage

and support our preschoolers to listen for a little longer and follow instructions, to take turns more and to learn to recognise their names and become just that little bit more independent.

Sometimes children can become overwhelmed about the thought of moving to primary school and being only three or four they aren’t able to communicate their worries about that. We work with the children to make the transition from us as smooth as possible, you won’t hear us saying things like ‘you’ll have to do that when you get to big school’ or you need to be able to do this, you’re going to school soon’. We also try to encourage parents not to talk about the move too much and to make it a positive thing, as putting emphasis on it can cause a lot of worry which can make the move a little more bumpy.

We’d like to thank Tetbury Tesco for their kind donation last month. We are currently looking at plans to rework parts of our outside space, so donations like this help towards it.

If you’re looking for a playgroup space for your child, you’re welcome to make an appointment to come in and look around, please email us at tetburynurseryplaygroup@ eygloucestershire.co.uk or give us a call on 01666 504855.

Tetbury Nursery Playgroup

Recently I had to advise a man who had disposed of his business premises.

The problem was that they had been bought over forty years ago and the names appearing on the deeds were his own, his father’s and his two uncles. He was the last survivor which would have been fine if the original owners had held the property as joint tenants, which means the survivor takes all. The property was however bought by the original owners as Tenantsin-common in equal shares although the other owners had made no contributions whatsoever. The question was who should

purloin the proceeds of sale. You can always tell how the property is owned because there will be an entry in the land registry as a restriction which means that the deceased’s share will pass by will or intestacy. In my case some were married and had children and one did not. There was no evidence of any wills. In the case of the unmarried uncle his parents were first in line whom failing his brothers. The widows were not destined to inherit their late husbands’ shares automatically. Much

L ANSD OW NE L EGAL

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

• DISPUTES

• EMPLOYMENT

• BUYING AND SELLING

A BUSINESS

• PLANNING PROBLEMS

• TAX PLANNING

Home visits by appointment

would depend upon the values of the property at the time of the relevant death. The widows did not survive until the sale and so the children would have inherited from the widows. As some brothers were only owners to provide security, the solicitors should have advised the parties to be more precise in the purchase deed.

You can imagine that with a sale forty or fifty years on there would be a hefty amount of capital gains tax to pay. For that you need acquisition values. If bought before 1982, the 1982 value is the acquisition value but otherwise the actual acquisition value. You pay capital gains tax on the profit. The surviving son was the only one who would pay tax on the difference between his share of the cost and the profit although whatever share he inherited from this father, mother or uncles would be taxed differently because his acquisition value from the others would depend on the value at the time of inheritance. This would be a valuer’s dream because he or she would be asked for the 1982 value and several later values depending in each case on when each party inherited. Multiple valuations would be the order of the day and the situation is more complicated as a part share of 40% is not worth 40% of the property.

My advice therefore is to any punter buying property is to consider the shares and how they should be held very carefully indeed and make a will because the intestacy rules can bring out disturbing results.

On a sadder subject I had a surviving sister of a family of three who had been advised by her deceased sister that she had made particular provisions that she wanted to be carried out. Unfortunately, she never signed the will, and the solicitors would not disclose her instructions. I hope they will be more co-operative when we apply to the court for letters of administration.

Michael Hodge Lansdown Legal

Last month saw the group visiting Sherston for a walk along the Avon River…

…where we spotted some egrets towards the end of our walk, which was followed by lunch at the Rattlebone. The following week was a pleasant walk around Woodchester. We also followed one of our brochure walks - “Seeking Tetbury’s Heritage”. En route we were engaged by an oncoming walker with trousers rolled above his knees. He rightly advised us to divert our route along a slightly drier path! Most recently Michael took us on a drier route along Uley Bury and Cam Long Down, climbing one thousand feet. Challenging but well worth it for the views.

We held our Annual General Meeting in the Market Hall on the 27th of March. Despite the weather, the meeting was attended by an intrepid twenty people! The usual agenda items were followed by drinks and nibbles and an opportunity for members to air their views to committee members. A very convivial evening all round.

Our programme in May includes local walks around Long Newnton, Kingscote, along the Thames and Severn Canal, and another Brochure Route “The Mill on the Fosse”. Details about the walks and other information can be found on our website https://www.tetburywalkers.co.uk.

We are always happy to see newcomers.

John Burton Tetbury and District Footpath Group

Tetbury Walks Leaflets

Try

The Tetbury & District Footpath Group publishes 16 self-guided walks leaflets

On

bespoke framing ✤ conservation ✤ art sales

website. Each stage is roughly six to seven miles long and has suggested parking for vehicles at each end.

After careful planning of numbers of people and dogs, and sizes and placing of cars, we started in April 2023 and completed roughly one walk a month until October. We were then at the halfway point near Edge and took a winter break. We have varied between five and eight members each walk ( and up to four dogs!) and are hoping to complete the second half to

wondered if I could still do it? Would any others be up for the challenge? Yes! Several other members expressed an interest and

The Cotswold Way measures one hundred and two miles on its journey from Chipping Campden to Bath and I was fortunate to find a breakdown of the walk into sixteen stages on the Cotswold Way Association

BERTIE B’S HOME & LIFESTYLE

A NEW INDEPENDENT HOME INTERIORS SHOP, IN MALMESBURY

SN16 9BG

OPENING HOURS: to Saturday - 5.00pm

• KITCHEN AND DINING: glassware, ceramics, some utensils

• BATHROOM AND BODY: various salts, soaps, bath/ shower gels and other bathroom accessories

• LIVING/SOFT FURNISHINGS: rugs, throws, cushions, a few unique, small pieces of furniture, photo frames, candles, diffusers

OPENING HOURS:

• LITTLE BERTIES: a room dedicated to children: wooden toys and games, eating utensils, lamps and some clothing

Monday to Saturday 9:30 - 5.00pm

A NEW INDEPENDENT HOME INTERIORS SHOP, IN MALMESBURY

KITCHEN AND DINING

Glassware, ceramics, some utensils. BATHROOM AND BODY

Various salts, soaps, bath/ shower gels and other bathroom accessories.

LIVING/SOFT FURNISHINGS

MANY FANTASTIC PRODUCTS FOR EVERYDAY AND FOR BEAUTIFUL GIFTS!

Rugs, throws, cushions, a few unique, small pieces of furniture, photo frames, candles, diffusers.

LITTLE BERTIES

A room dedicated to children: wooden toys and games, eating utensils, lamps and some clothing.

www.bertiebs.co.uk

MANY FANTASTIC PRODUCTS FOR EVERYDAY AND FOR BEAUTIFUL GIFTS!

bertiebs_home_and_lifestyle

As you read this the early Easter will be but a distant memory, children back at school for the summer term and we are looking forward to May the “loveliest of months.”

After a busy Easter at Christ Church, where we joined together with the other churches of the Tetbury area for the Walk of Witness on Good Friday and hosted everybody for coffee and Hot Cross Buns, we are now having a well-earned rest. Our Easter Day service celebrating the resurrection of Christ was joyful.

The past few months have been busy with maintenance to the building which like many of us is feeling its age. This is nearly finished now, just one more lot of scaffolding to be put up and windows to be painted.

All the organisations who use our building are with us again – St Mary’s Playgroup are safely installed in the back hall after their Easter holiday, Tetbury Community Choir are in good voice each Thursday and Baby and Me have just completed another session. The History of Tetbury Society have one more monthly meeting on Thursday before they venture on their summer travels and The Foodbank are with us every Tuesday morning.

As a church we have a Coffee Pot on Wednesday mornings and Chippin’ Chicks (for 0 – 3s) on Friday mornings.

It is good to know that although we are tucked away in The Chipping, we are very much part of the community.

After Easter we look at people who saw Jesus when He had risen. Doubting Thomas was perhaps one of the more well known ones. Poor Thomas being stuck

with that name for 2,000 years! Doubt is a normal human emotion; doubt leads to questions and questions to the truth. We all have doubts, many in ordinary life that we have to question to resolve. Also we can be challenged in our faith, like Thomas who

wanted to see for himself. This is not always possible but there is One who is always there to offer strength and comfort in our times of doubt or worry if we turn to Him.

Love from Christ Church.

The Christ Church Leadership Team

ELISABETH HANCOCK-ERRINGTON

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

• Brochures • Folders • Newsletters • Booklets • Leaflets • Letterheads

• Mail Shots • Greetings Cards • Packaging • Envelopes • NCR Sets

• Tickets • Business Cards • Labels • Postcards • Calendars

• LAMINATING • MINIATURE FOLDING • DIE CUTTING • PERFING

• FOIL BLOCKING • PERFECT BOUND BOOKS • SPOT UV

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.”

Now, there’s a top tip from 19th Century American essayist and poet, Waldo Emerson. From taking that advice, we’ve set up the lab at St Marys’ Church.

Happening once a month, Heart and Soul is a new evening worship service which seeks to go on a journey of discovery, exploring different ways of worshipping God. Held on the first Sunday of the month, each service

may be different but we hope that they will offer something for all, as we focus on what it means to worship God throughout each day. You are invited along at 5.15 pm on Sunday the 5th of May for free tea, coffee and cake. The service begins at 6.00 pm.

Earlier in the year, we had another experiment: for six weeks, holding our main 10.00 am Sunday service in the

school hall at St Mary’s. In the chilly winter months, it gave us welcome respite. Much more importantly, however, it gave us the chance to experience being together in a very different way. As many people said: it was lovely to sit side by side, and to look around and see each other. There was definitely more chatting, compared to sitting in the box pews. We plan to repeat the experiment next winter and see if we get the same results!

Looking to the future, we are also discussing ways we might alter the church building itself, needing to adapt to survive. Currently we lack the most basic facilities: the “kitchen” and “parish office” are little more than cupboards, with one toilet that is hard to access, and no appropriate spaces for meetings or storage. The heating is ineffective and eco-unfriendly. With those fixed box pews there is no flexibility for either community use or gathering together for worship.

Our conversations about reshaping the building continued last month at our Annual Parochial Church Meeting, with an update on the outline plans being drawn up by architects. These will explore three options: a partial reshaping, a radical reshaping, and the possibility of an external extension. These will go to the Parochial Church Council meeting in June, where we aim to choose one approach as the way forward.

In all of this, it’s interesting to reflect on Emerson’s advice. I believe God does call us to try new things. Our faith is often described as a journey, and that does mean the landscape will change around you. Put another way, if the view isn’t changing, you

On an early April evening, when much of the northern hemisphere was hoping to see a total eclipse of the sun,

the chances of experiencing even a partial eclipse in Tetbury was foiled by an overcast sky and light rain, nevertheless, it didn’t prevent a large number of our membership taking part in an introduction to the discipline of Tai Chi, led by local instructor Jaki Hood. It was good to get out of our seats and attempt to follow the graceful movements, even if, as a group, we probably lacked synchronicity. A few of our members had already attended classes, but it was a new experience for most of us and might well lead to increased attendance at local classes - or a new Tetbury WI group?

In March, fourteen of our members met at The Close Hotel for the first meal of the spring season – an excellent two-course lunch, which gave us an ideal opportunity to chat to a couple of new members and catch up with friends. The relaxed atmosphere was well supported by the pleasant surroundings and the excellent service provided by the hotel, for which ‘thank you’ to the team at The Close.

Plans are already in hand for the next lunch in

May, when we hope to take our appetites to The Trouble House, which was the venue for the first meeting of the Sunday Lunch Group in late March, when a small group of six met to enjoy a roast lunch. The plan is to meet every two months for Sunday lunch, although the next date is likely to be at midsummer so that we don’t clash with the May lunch or the Bank Holiday. We’re planning to travel a little further afield and hoping to be able to have a table in a pub garden somewhere in the Cotswolds in the sunshine.

Of course, that will depend wholly on the weather: too many of the walking group’s outings have been limited to the stroll from our cars to our coffee venue as the conditions along the railway path have been quite difficult and the weather

generally has not been conducive to a gentle stroll and good conversation.

The Book Club doesn’t have the same challenges with inclement weather, although some members of the group ventured further afield to attend the ‘Tea with Kim Fleet’ , the author of ‘Paternoster’, which has been organised by the Gloucestershire Federation. ‘Paternoster’ is their most recent ‘read’. Neither does the craft group, whose latest creations with a Japanese theme were hand painted Kokeshi dolls, which are supposed to bring good fortune and protect households from fire.

Due to the date coinciding with the late Spring Bank Holiday and the Woolsack races, there won’t be a coffee morning in May, but we are hoping to have a cake stall at the races.

Our May meeting at The Goods Shed is on Monday the 13th of May at 7.30 pm, when we will know which of our annual Resolutions will be taken forward nationally. We welcome members from Tetbury and surrounding villages, we would love to meet you.

Rowena Palser, Tetbury WI www.tetbury-wi.org.uk

Ridgeway Coach House, 13 Hampton Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8JN

Tetbury’s only family owned business

Full facilities at our premises including chapel of rest

All religious, non religious, creed or faith services cared for

Pre paid funerals

Memorial Masons

Available 24 hours a day

In the twelve months since we opened our doors in the Spring of 2023, we have been amazed at the generosity of the people of Tetbury,

donating tools, equipment cash and their time to help us launch the project. The grant from the National Lottery Community Fund was also invaluable in setting up the workshop, particularly the safety equipment and first aid training we were able to obtain.

Last month we announced that planning permission had been granted to move

our workshop from the Cirencester Road Industrial Estate to its new home at the Goods Shed. So, without delay, we called in one of Men’s Shed’s greatest supporters, Mark ‘Trolly’ Wood on an 8 tonne excavator generously loaned by Eagle Plant. Two hours later, several tonnes of rock, soil and debris had been transformed into a flat location ready for the workshop base. Back at the Industrial Estate, the members have been working frantically between rainstorms to paint the exterior of the workshop unit in GWR colours as part of its transformation into a vintage railway building. We are hoping the “Big Lift” will happen within weeks. Update in the June Advertiser. Those of you who visited the Commemorative Exhibition at the Goods Shed on March 30th may have spotted the first of the refurbished GWR benches on display. Tetbury Men’s Shed workshop are working on the remaining three benches and hope to have them installed in time for the summer.

Men’s Sheds are community space for people to connect, converse and create. They can help reduce loneliness and isolation, but most importantly, they’re fun, many guys join a shed for the tea and banter.

We actively encourage new members who can bake a good cake, so why not join us, you’re never too young. 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

………and from the allotment

Although delayed by the cold and wet weather, a variety of seedlings are now making good progress in the greenhouse and await planting out. Alternatively, these can be purchased over the wall of the allotment, for a donation, if you wish to grow these yourself. Next month we will be bringing on courgettes, runner beans and pumpkins, always very popular items. Growing your own vegetables might take a little time out of your day but with

fresh air and some gentle exercise, it is certainly a great way to combat stress. In addition, nurturing a plant until vegetables are ripe for picking generates a sense of accomplishment. 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 www.tetburymensshed.co.uk

Outstanding and Exceptional

St Mary’s Playgroup is a small, pack away, charity setting which turns fifty next year!!! Each day, we set up our room from scratch, and clear everything away at the

end of every session Despite this, we take great pride in the quality of our provision, the happiness and independence of our children, the exciting and enriching learning experiences we provide and the fantastic relationships we build with our children, their families and our community. Now, we are delighted to announce that the love and care we put into both our Playgroup and Forest School environments has been recognised and rewarded to

the highest level by Ofsted. We are now officially an OUTSTANDING childcare provider and we couldn’t be prouder.

“Children thrive in this exceptional playgroup..”

Right from the start each child is supported in their independence, nurtured as they develop and grow, and cared for as they deal with new experiences and emotions.

“The highly dedicated leaders and excellent staff team deliver a diverse, broad curriculum for each child that attends..”

We take great pride in the learning experiences we create to encourage curiosity and exploration. We have realistic expectations of the age and stage of each individual child and move forward accordingly.

“Children’s behaviour is exemplary..”

Our children soon gain understanding of their rules and routines and as a result we see such positive behaviour within Playgroup, at Forest School and during our visits within the community. You may have seen us out and about, where we get many smiles, waves and wonderful comments as we weave our way around the town!

“Staff provide excellent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities..”

We are extremely proud to be an inclusive setting where every child has the same opportunities to learn, develop and grow. Children are able to effectively support their friends with additional needs, understanding how to be patient and caring, but also treating everyone as equal.

“There are excellent partnerships with parents.

Leaders value the importance of creating positive relationships with families..”

We not only value our children, but also their families, friends, and our local community. Everything we achieve is as a result of working together and supporting each other.

Parents have said….

“The love, care and commitment you have to your children, their families and each other is second to none”

“It may be a small pack away playgroup but you’re huge in heart and nurture every little person that comes through the door as if they were your own”

“I have been privileged to see from the inside the absolute love & care that you pour into the nurturing of every single child that toddles down that side passage”

We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all those who have been part of this journey. We are grateful to you all for your ongoing support.

If you are looking for a setting for your child in September, we are now taking enquiries via our website www. stmarysplaygrouptetbury.co.uk.

St Mary’s Playgroup Team

VISIT THE NEW CAFE & BAR AT JOLLY NICE...

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

for KS2 pupils. The afterschool clubs on offer this term include cricket, STEM, drama and recorder club.

As the weather improves, we are working on developing children’s leadership skills and good mental health through our positive playtimes. We have Year 6 children, our Helping Hands, who are supporting children with solving any playtime problems, as well as Year 4 Wellbeing Leaders who are leading play activities structured around the Five Ways to Wellbeing – connecting with others, being active, learning, giving and taking notice. We have den-making, music, cricket, mindfulness cards, Jenga, Lego and dressing-up amongst some of the things that the children can choose to do and lots of fun is being had all round. Our Year 5 children, in their roles as ‘mini-police’, are keeping everyone safe – tidying the lunch hall and ensuring that our corridor is calm and safe at the end of lunchtime.

Thanks to a very generous donation from a former family of the school, we have a fantastic selection of brand-new books for all age groups throughout the school, which have been shared amongst their classroom libraries and the main school library, ready to be taken out on loan at Friday afternoon library time.

There is plenty of activity in our school garden with weekly forest school lessons as well as our Fledgling sessions for preschool children and their grown-ups every Friday 2.00-3.00 pm. If you are interested in coming along to Fledglings, please contact the school office for more information.

For more information about this busy place of learning, please see our school website: www.avening.gloucs.sch.uk

Avening Primary School Team

Eye appointments at Tetbury Hospital delivered by an exceptional team!

Did you know we have a wait time of just five weeks for a new cataract appointment!

All patients referred to Tetbury Hospital by their Optician or GP follow a consultant-led pathway. This means that you will only see a consultant at Tetbury Hospital, supported by an experienced clinical team. If you require cataract surgery, it will be a consultant carrying out this procedure in our Day Surgery Unit, you will not have to travel further for appointments or treatment.

We have six highly experienced Consultant Ophthalmologists, offering NHS and private patient appointments.

Mr Ian Comaish, Consultant Ophthalmologist says “Everything I do at Tetbury, in the field of ophthalmology, is about helping people live their lives to the full. Life isn’t half so much fun if we can’t appreciate the visual”.

How to book an appointment

We want to offer patients a choice of how to

access their treatment at Tetbury Hospital. We have three options when booking an appointment:

1. NHS patients

If you are an NHS patient, ask your Optician or GP for a referral to Tetbury Hospital. If your appointment is then not booked for Tetbury Hospital, did you know that you do still have a choice. You can call the telephone number on your appointment letter and ask for your appointment to be changed to Tetbury Hospital - It is your right to choose.

2. Self-funding patients

You may decide to come to us as a private patient. If you are paying for treatment, call our friendly private patient team on 01666 501773.

3. Private Medically Insured patients

We are a Bupa recognised hospital and also accept most insurance providers. If you

have private medical insurance contact your provider and ask for an appointment at Tetbury Hospital.

As a private patient, coming to us for cataract surgery, there are a number of lens options to choose from, including toric lenses for distance vision, and multifocal and trifocal lenses for near vision. Your Consultant will discuss these options with you. It is also possible to have both eyes corrected at the same time.

Go to our Consultants page on our website for more information.

Tetbury Hospital delivers exceptional NHS and private patients services, and we strive to keep our wait times short for you. We are proud to provide care on behalf of the NHS through contracts, however, you may not be aware that the money we receive for this NHS work still only covers the running of the hospital. Because we are a charity, and independent provider and not part of the NHS we cannot apply for any extra funding for vital new or replacement equipment or to improve our facility for you. Therefore, the funds that we receive from our private practice, along with fundraising, is so important to benefit all our patients.

For further information about our services and fundraising events, visit www.tetburyhospital.co.uk

Tetbury Hospital

Left to right: Mr Ian Comaish - Consultant Ophthalmologist, Mr John Ferris - Consultant Ophthalmologist, Mr Nitin Anand - Consultant Ophthalmologist, Mr Ric Caesar - Consultant Ophthalmologist, Mr Will Dean - Consultant Ophthalmologist, Ms Guzaliya Safuillina - Consultant Ophthalmologist.

Mike Bottomley, as Myles Coverdale who first produced the first complete…

…printed translation of the Bible into English, spoke to HOTS about Katherine Parr, Gloucestershire’s Queen.

Katherine Parr, born in 1512, was the sixth and surviving wife of Henry VIII. She was the eldest child of the ambitious Parr’s of Kendal, who lived at Kendal Castle, with property in Blackfriars, London, where it is believed she was born. The three children of the family were highly educated, including in French, Latin, Italian and Spanish. Her father died when she was five and unusually in Tudor times, her mother did not remarry.

Katherine married four times, firstly Edward Burgh, who lived in Lincolnshire at Gainsborough Old Hall. He died soon

after the marriage leaving Katherine a young widow at twenty one. Secondly to John Neville, Lord Latimer, who was much older and had properties in the north at Snape Castle, Yorks. Katherine nursed her husband until his death in 1543, leaving her a rich widow.

Rose Maiden heraldic badge used by the queen consort

Thirdly to Henry VIII. She joined Henry’s court in 1543 where she met Thomas Seymour, the late Jane Seymour’s brother, with whom she became friendly. Henry, seeing this and being interested in Katheine himself, sent Thomas away and then wed Katherine in a small family affair of twentytwo at Hampton Court. He then showered

Optimum Mobility

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

Mobility assessments and tuition at home

her with gifts. At this time Henry was fortythree and not at all well. She was the first Queen of England to be Queen of Ireland. When Henry went on his last campaign to France in 1544, he left Katherine as Queen Regent, indicating that she was capable, handling provisions, finances and musters for Henry’s French campaign.

She showed great interest in the new religion and was the first female to be published as a religious author. One publication being ‘Lamentation of a Sinner.’ At this time, her religious views were viewed with suspicion and Henry was urged to draw up an arrest warrant for her. She became aware of this and managed to bring Henry around and he forgave

We are a family business 0851216

The Old Dairy, Pinkney Park, Near Sherston, Malmesbury 01666 840060

www.optimummobility.co.uk

Tel: 0785 505 6769

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

Chartered Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist

her. Shortly after this in 1547, Henry died and was buried at Windsor next to Jane Seymour.

She found herself a widow once again at thirty five, and became re-acquainted with Thomas Seymour, who soon became 1st Baron of Sudeley. An affair at this time would have been difficult should she have been pregnant with the late King’s child. She secretly married Thomas, having a huge household, being Queen Dowager. She eventually became pregnant for the first time in 1548 and moved in June to Sudeley with Lady Jane Grey. She gave birth to her daughter, Mary Seymour, but died a few days later.

Hers was the first funeral service to be held in English, she was buried in the chapel at Sudeley in a lead lined coffin. The chief mourner being Lady Jane Grey.

Next month on the 2nd of May David Elder returns to speak about ‘Hidden Cirencester’, that is at 7.30 pm in Christ Church.

History of Tetbury Society Team

From National Portrait Gallery

Crikey, almost halfway through the year, my how time flies.

Especially when you are having fun – and we have been having a great deal of fun here at The Goods Shed. With sell out concerts including the AC/DC tribute band Hells Bells to be followed the next weekend by Kiki Dee it’s been all go.

May is looking to be as busy – tickets for BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions sold out almost overnight – but if you missed out do get in touch in case we get any returns. Our musical Wednesday afternoon concerts are proving extremely popular, and the start of our new series of Sunday Folk was met with enthusiasm.

In May we are hoping to finalise the new handrails being added to our raked seating – making easier for everyone to reach their seats safely. Next on the list is automated foyer doors. Our current ones are rather “fierce” especially for those using a pushchair or wheelchair. This won’t happen for a couple of months yet but certainly should be this year. Then finally we are looking to expand our Café. This is a major project, needing a lot of money to be raised but the hope is to be able to welcome more people than now, ensure they are kept comfortable and warm as well as increasing our reception area at shows plus opening the main hall for other events during the day.

In the meantime, have you seen our new website? We are pretty chuffed with it –hopefully, it makes it even easier to see what’s coming up and to book your place with us – but if you would rather deal with us in person, then tickets are available via our Foyer. (Remembering the Shed is closed Mondays/Tuesdays). Or the Tetbury Visitor Information Centre in Church Street will also be able to look after you – ticket prices remain the same wherever you choose to go.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Goods Shed very soon.

The Goods Shed Team

502170

WHAT’S ON MAY

SAT 4

SAT 11

SAT 18

SUN 19

WED 22

TALKS

FRI 17

MOSCOW DRUG CLUB

1930’s Berlin Cabaret, Hot Club de France, Nuevo Tango & Gypsy Campfire meet …..this way please and mind your step!

GLORIANA – CAPPELLA NOVA MUSIC OF TWO ELIZABETHAN AGES

Queens Elizabeth I and II both reigned during astonishingly rich and golden ages of musical composition. This concert celebrates English choral music, both sacred and secular, written during their times on the throne.

THE JAZZ DEFENDERS

Back by very popular demand! Led by formidable jazz pianist George Cooper and born from a deep love of Blue Note jazz, this is the funkiest outfit to hit Tetbury in a while!

THE BOOKSHOP BAND

Step into the enchanting world of The Bookshop Band at Tetbury Goods Shed, where the songs unfold like chapters in a grand literary saga.

PLAYTIME WITH THE LAST BAGUETTE

Sidney & Tristan bring you Ratty and her friends for a fun, relaxed participatory theatre session. A Woodland Wonder – join Ratty as she learns about the environment.

BBC RADIO 4 ANY QUESTIONS?

Topical discussion in which a panel of personalities from the worlds of politics, media and elsewhere are posed questions by the audience. From a different location each week.

START 7.30PM TICKET

£15 / U25 £10

Door £18 / £13

START 7.30PM TICKET

£12.50 / U25 £10

Door £16

START 6PM TICKET

£12.50 / U25 £10

Door £16 / £13

START 10AM TICKET

£5

U18M FREE

START 6:30PM TICKET FREE but booking is essential

WED 22 START

WED 29

NATURAL FEEDING & HOLISTIC PET CARE VET NICK THOMPSON

Guidance on natural feeding incl. raw feeding and what that means; the ingredients and quantity; transitioning to raw feeding and the conditions that can be helped by doing so.

A CLOSER LOOK ...FIONA JAMES

A Closer Look at Scientific and Medical Themes in Art. Insights into what motivated artists to include medicine, disease and sickness in their work.

AFTERNOON MUSIC

WED 1

WESTONBIRT SCHOOL CHOIR

CELLI PEPPERS WED 8

WED 15

CHARLIE‘S ANGELS

WED 22

WED 29

THUR 30

Door £12

START

2PM / £3.50

CAROLINE SIMPSON & CLAIRE SMITH

PIANO CLUB

DRIVING MADELEINE (15)

3 APRIL12 MAY

PAINTING BY NUMBERS 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.

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

Members of the group travelled on the 20th of March to The New Theatre, Cardiff to see ‘And Then There Were None’. STEVE

Billed as ‘the world’s best-selling mystery,’ this famous Agatha Christie story is about a group of strangers who are invited to an island off the south coast of Devon. Burgh Island at Bigbury was apparently the inspiration. Their mysterious hosts, Mr and Mrs UN Owen, are absent and the group become stranded there. At first we enjoy some light-hearted moments of comedy but slowly, insidiously, the atmosphere turns dark and a sense of dread prevails. ‘The killer’s not out there; it is one of us.’ One by one, the guests are killed off by an unknown murderer. The play progresses to an extremely dramatic and spine-chilling ending. The production was excellent and the energetic ensemble acting kept the plot fresh and fully engaging. There was happy chatter on the coach back to Tetbury and our excellent driver dropped us off individually at our own doorsteps - a good ending to a very enjoyable day out. Next visit ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ on the 18th of April at the Millennium Theatre, Cardiff. Booking now closed.

Coming up: the following are all matinées. Invitations have gone out to members.

22nd May, Hamilton, Hippodrome Bristol

We have closed the booking of tickets for this performance but, if you can get tickets direct from the theatre, we may still have seats on the coach. Please contact Helen Price.

5th June, Drop the Dead Donkey, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham. Booking now closed.

BREAKING NEWS! Thirty years since the launch of the smash-hit TV series, the GlobeLink News Team are back, live on stage for the very first time. Starring the original cast members, the iconic award-

winning comedy is updated. Expect razor sharp wit and plenty of laughs.

11th July, Three Men in a Boat, The Mill at Sonning Theatre, Reading. Lunch 12.15.pm, performance 2.15pm. This event has been very popular. Waiting list only. Jerome K’s classic story has been adapted for the stage. We are invited to meander down the Thames with Harris, George, and Jerome, as they set sail on an unforgettable adventure through the English countryside. We will enjoy a home cooked lunch seated together at refectory tables in the fascinating old mill building.

15th August Summer outing to visit Windsor Castle. Invitations not yet sent. This will be an all-day visit. For details, see our website below.

Still to look forward to, the 11th of September ‘Lord of the Dance’ in Cardiff New Theatre, 24th of October ‘The King’s Speech’ at The Watermill Newbury, 20th of November ‘Birdsong’ at Malvern Theatre and the 11th of December, a day trip to see Blenheim Christmas Lights. Invitations not yet sent out. More details in next edition of Tetbury Advertiser.

If you would like to join the Tetbury Theatre Group, please contact Diana Challis (Membership Secretary) 01666 502768 or Helen Price (Chairperson) email: retreatcottage17@btinternet.com telephone 01666 503187. Website: www. tetburytheatre group.co.uk

We look forward to welcoming you!

Linda Goodhew, ,

Tetbury Theatre Group

E. stevefloydpestcontrol@gmail.com www.stevefloydpestcontrol.co.uk

Fully qualified (25 years experience)

Fully Insured T: 01285 643750 M: 07933 357373

Greening Tetbury

Wild Flowers and Wild Creatures

Our Chair, Fergus Dignan has sown wildflower seeds across Tetbury. You can see them growing now, and some will be flowering soon. Tetbury Town Council donated £250, and Fergus bought a wildflower mix, making little seed bombs. He added yellow rattle, which as you probably know, reduces grass growth, helping wildflowers establish. Fergus planted in 2022 at sites 6 and 7 on the map. In 2023 he added the other sites.

It reminds me why wildflowers are so important. They look lovely, but also provide vital food for bees and butterflies. They feed small mammals and hold nutrients in the soil. On a summer’s day, an acre of wildflowers contains three million flowers, producing 1kg of nectar sugar. Enough to support nearly ninetysix thousand honeybees working hard pollinating our fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

Nature under threat

The 17th of May is Endangered Species Day. The State of Nature 2023 report shows one in six of ten thousand mammals, plants, insects, birds, and amphibians examined are at risk, including Hazel Dormouse and Turtle Dove.

We can put our head in our hands in dismay, ignoring this news as too depressing, but wildlife can amazingly recover given the chance – preferably before creatures become extinct! It’s not hard to help nature. Sometimes it means doing nothing.

Gardens cover seven times the area of UK nature reserves and national parks put together. But Friends of the Earth has published a report ‘Problems with Pesticides’, which is worth looking up. Many garden pesticides are extremely toxic to honeybees and other insects. From my research I’ve learned Glyphosate use is increasing, as with hazardous pesticides like Cyantraniliprole (a bee killer) and 2,4-D, a carcinogen and suspected endocrine disrupter of mammal hormone glands – which includes us of course. With all this rain we’ve been having, plants ‘in the wrong place’ should be quite easy to pull up – not spray.

Valuing nature

Friends of the Earth reported that a ‘French mega-study showed that 77% of farms could cut out pesticide use by 42% without loss of productivity or profitability. Here in the UK some pioneers of the growing Conservation Agricultural movement are showing us how adopting a low-input approach to farming, despite lower yields, can actually be more profitable.’ Insects actually contribute £650m pa as pollinators. The humble dung beetle is worth £365m, nutrifying the soil and reducing water pollution.

The efforts organisations, governments, and individuals make at this crucial time in human history will determine our planet’s future, in our own lifetimes.

Support the Climate and Nature Bill

The Climate and Nature Bill is being discussed in Parliament. Please ask prospective South Cotswolds constituency candidates to back the Bill. The easiest way to do this is via www.zerohour.uk.

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 pm - 9.00 pm

8th June Count for Nature, St Mary’s Churchyard

15 June Tetbury Big Green Day. Market House, 10:30 am - 3:00 pm

www.greeningtetbury.com

Email: greeningtetbury@gmail.com

Article and photos by Annabel Daldry

On the 29th of February, a chairman’s meeting was held when members were invited to give short talks on the themes, “I have met or I wish I had met”.

Six members really stepped up to the plate and gave us a variety of fascinating anecdotes.

We heard about a great, great, great grandmother in India who was a Bibi, a title

and his transantarctic expedition, a great, great, great grandfather who emigrated to New Zealand in 1841 in a voyage lasting five months and a Father who enlisted in 1939 and fought through Dunkirk, North Africa, Italy and then D day.

It concluded with memories of twice meeting Sir Bernard Lovell and a story involving Medical Research.

All at Sea, History of Latitude and Longitude was the title of Peter Petrie’s talk on

Thursday the 7th of March.

meaning Lady of the House. Bibi’s were Indian women who lived with emigres from Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries and often bore them children. This was followed by stories of Ernest Shackleton

As the world’s oceans began to be, not just explored, but used to transport valuable cargoes, shipwrecks took on a new dimension- loss of vast fortunes. The Scilly Isle disaster of 1707, when the loss of four capital ships, several smaller ones and two thousand men highlighted the outstanding scientific problem of the day - an old one from centuries past, the inability of ships to determine longitude. This led to an act of Parliament, the Longitude Act coupled with a King’s ransom prize of £20,000 to any one producing a solution. Sailors had known how to calculate latitude, i.e. how far they were north or south of the equator by using instruments such as the sextant. However, how far east or west of a common line (the Prime Meridian) i.e. longitude escaped them. Poor charts and this fundamental gap left ships uncertain where they were in open waters, thus causing many wrecks. As latitude was calculated by an astronomical method, it was thought that longitude could be calculated by observations of stars, sun or moon. However, one man, clockmaker extraordinaire John Harrison offered an alternate solution, one based on time. Ship-borne clocks could be calibrated whenever a visible sun’s daily zenith occurred at mid-day. A second clock set to time at any home port gave a reference point, and the time difference between the two gave the longitude using a simple mathematical procedure.

If (a big IF) two such accurate clocks could be created both robust enough for sea travel and small enough to be housed on a ship, according to Harrison the problem could be solved. After some twentyfive years of trial, Harrison created such clocks which were shown to be incredibly accurate compared to other clocks of the time, nearly three hundred years ago.

Modern GPS systems using a receiver, e.g. a smart phone enables location on sea, land or air by signals from Caesium clocks mounted on some thirty orbiting satellites in exactly the same way - as worked out so brilliantly by John Harrison.

Malcolm Parrish Tetbury Probus

Our next monthly talk will be provided by Stewart Linford…

…at 10.30 am on Monday the 20th of May at the Goods Shed. The topic will be ‘The Remarkable Story of our National Chair: The Windsor’.

Stewart built from scratch a multi-million £ furniture making business in High Wycombe. He created a Winston Churchill armchair in the early noughties, and people said he looked a bit like the great Man; That started an exciting journey as a Churchill lookalike.

As an award winning member of Toastmasters International Speakers club he is a maestro of interactive and exciting story telling whatever the occasion.

The u3a Photography Group has been meeting once a month during the autumn

and winter months to share tips and techniques, and critique our favourite images. Our programme during the warmer months will include trips out to practise what we’ve learned.

We recently held a competition from our best images taken during the last year. These were judged independently, with feedback provided. Nigel Bowsher won the competition with his picture of The Needles, below.

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 and District u3a Team

Traditional funerals and woodland burials. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Interest free pre-payment funeral plans available. Let Our Family Care For Your Family

AtleyConstructionLtdoffersafullconstructionservice, coveringallaspectsofyourbuildingproject,including groundworks,drainage,carpentry,joinery,brickwork, plastering,deocorating,plumbing&electrics,everything youneedtoupgrade,extendorrenovateyourproperty, andourlandscapingteamwilltakecareoftheoutsidespaces.

Thismeansthatwecanmanagenewbuilds,extensions, fullhouserenovations,andalsosmallerbespokeprojects includingkitchens,bathrooms,&carpentrywork.

TETBURYBASED.EXPERIENCED.QUALITYGUARANTEED.FULLYINSURED.COMPETITIVELYPRICED

NewBuilds.Extensions.Renovations.HomeOffices.GardenRooms.GarageConversions.LoftConversions GroundWorks.Walling.Carpentry.FittedStorage.Kitchens.Bathrooms.Flooring.Doors&Windows CONTACTUSTODISCUSSYOURPROJECT|info@atleyconstruction.co.uk|atleyconstruction.co.uk|07772732153

Spring 2024 has seen members of the Art Society embark on a new venture.

We were invited by Spencer Gallery to stage our first open exhibition over the Equinox weekend. Nearly 70 artworks were submitted by artists from across the area which were judged in five categories.

The winners were: Best in Show – Jo Davey; Best Figurative – Tania Fullerton; Best Abstract – Jackie Sapp; Best 3D – Sue Hooper; Best Idea – Chris Bullman.

Pictures show some of the work on display at the EQUIMOX exhibition, and work exhibited at Spencer Gallery, Tetbury.

Tetbury Art Society SPRING EXHIBITION 2024

The e Market House, Tetbury

Saturday 4th May until Monday 6th May from 10am until 5pm

Admission Free www

We are pleased to announce that this new venture was a success! Thanks to the generous support of our members and attendees, we raised an impressive £370 for the Restoring Hope Charity.

The Society also held its Annual Meeting on the 20th of March 2024 where following the business meeting Joyce Pinch gave a presentation which was followed by a social gathering.

Our April meeting was held on the 3rd of April at The Priory Inn, when Fiona James BA MA, spoke about the history of Landscape Painting. Fiona has spent many years teaching History of Art to A Level students and adults and is particularly interested in 15th Century Renaissance art of Florence and Siena, 20th Century European Modernism and the avant-garde in Britain.

Please Note - Our May meeting will be held on Wednesday the 1st of May at The Dolphin’s Hall when Mark Warner will demonstrate Sketching, landscapes and seascapes.

Members are currently busy preparing for our Spring Exhibition which will be held over the May Bank holiday weekend with a preview evening on Friday the 3rd of May and then open to the public from Saturday the 4th of May to Monday the 6th of May from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to join us. Guests are always welcome at our monthly meetings held on the first Wednesday of the month from 7.30 pm. Please see our web site for further details of our meetings and exhibitions www.tetburyartsociety.org.uk and our Facebook page Tetbury Art Society. New 2023 or please email us tetburyart.media@ outlook.com if you have any queries.

Tetbury Art Society

Picture copyright of Margaret Mortimore

The summer term is always welcomed at school, cricket on the field, rounders, the summer fayre, residentials, performances and trips out. There is so much to look forward to and so much going on.

As part of their history studies, Year 3 visited the Roman Baths. This is always a very educational day learning about Roman life but it also gives the children the opportunity to experience the beautiful city of Bath.

Reception children thoroughly enjoyed a trip to Cattle Country, despite the rather windy and rainy weather. Children had a talk about farms and then had the opportunity to explore the playgrounds with their friends.

Some of our older children recently took part in a swimming gala at Cirencester pool. They competed against other local schools and we were extremely proud of them.

The children have also been taking part in a ‘Readathon’. Children across the school have been sponsored to read as many books as they can and the children of St. Mary’s have thrown themselves at the challenge.

We are also looking forward to events organised for later in the term – children will be participating in skateboarding workshops at school and Year 4 children are very excited about staying away for a night at a PGL centre, participating in outdoor and adventurous activities. We are also very excited about participating in the Tetbury Woolsack Races once again this year!

We have some spaces available in different years groups across the school. If you are interested in coming to visit our school and experience what we offer our children, please contact the school office on admin@ st-marys-tetbury.gloucs.sch.uk and Mrs Woolley (Headteacher) or Mr Walters (Deputy head) would be happy to give you a tour. Come and see all that Tetbury’s school has to offer your children and the families of Tetbury.

Mrs Woolley, Headteacher

Three Centuries of Educational Legacy

The Elizabeth Hodges Educational Foundation marks a significant milestone this May: the 300th anniversary of its benefactor’s death. Elizabeth Hodges, born in 1687 into the affluent Hodges family of Shipton Moyne, became a pioneering figure in the realm of education and charitable works.

Despite her advantageous upbringing, Elizabeth faced personal tragedy with the premature deaths of her brothers, leaving her the sole heir to the family’s considerable estate. Unmarried and without direct heirs, Hodges directed her fortune towards the betterment of her community, a testament to her forward-thinking and altruistic spirit. Her Will, penned in May 1723, a year before her untimely death from what is believed to have been tuberculosis, established

four Trusts, one for the education of children in Tetbury and Malmesbury, one for poor relief, another for the family and in the fourth laid the groundwork for the transformative educational foundation that bears her name.

Hodges’ vision materialised in 1739 with the establishment of a school in Shipton Moyne, initially supporting the education of six children. By the 19th century, the school had relocated to a more substantial building near the local church, reflecting the growing demand for education within the community. Despite fluctuating attendance and the challenges of maintaining the establishment, the school persisted until its closure in 1971, when its legacy was redirected towards broader educational support for local youth.

Today, the Foundation continues to empower the young residents of Shipton

Moyne, Long Newnton, Westonbirt and Lasborough, Didmarton, Ashley and Tetbury Upton. With grants that have supported over £34,000 worth of educational endeavors since 2010 alone, the Foundation’s impact is profound. Grants have been given to a diverse field of studies, from architecture to veterinary science, supplied tools for those studying apprenticeships in plumbing, gone on educational trips to Peru, and to the United Nations in New York, supplied grants for musical instruments and lessons, and computer software for those requiring extra support at school. The Trust has also given grants for athletic pursuits, such as a grant to a young rugby player who achieved recognition on the England U20’s team at the Six Nations.

As we commemorates three centuries since Elizabeth Hodges’ passing, her legacy shines as a beacon of philanthropy and education. The Foundation not only honors her memory but also continues to embody her visionary commitment to the betterment of society through learning. Elizabeth Hodges’ impact on education in Gloucestershire is a remarkable story of generosity, vision, and enduring influence, setting a precedent for charitable work that continues to inspire and benefit generations.

The Elizabeth Hodges Trust team

Bridge of Sighs

Whilst playing bridge one makes mistakes, particularly if you are an ABP (average bridge player) like me. Maybe expert players do not make mistakes, but I somewhat doubt this.

If you make a mistake - and here I would like to assure you that, if you know you have made a mistake, you are already on your way to being a better player. Because, when you first start playing, you do not even realise what you have done, you may inwardly sigh but, if your partner makes a mistake, under no circumstances must you issue a sigh of frustration, irritation, anger or, indeed, any sigh at all. This would be against the etiquette of Bridge which is laid down so that Bridge remains a quiet, polite, good-humoured game. There is no law against quietly fuming to yourself on the way home, assuming your bridge partner is not in the car with you. Remember the comment last month on why life partners often do not play together?

I do know of friends who, in venturing into a new club have come away humiliated and depressed. Any club that allows anyone to

feel like this should not be in existence. Fortunately, it rarely happens.

At South Cotswold Bridge Club this will never occur. We pride ourselves on being friendly and hospitable, so if you decide to join us, you will find us pleased to meet you and a warm welcome.

Last month we went back to absolute basics. Once you have counted your points you decide whether or not to make a bid. The first bid you learn to make is One No Trumps (1NT). This tells your partner you have a balanced hand and a set number of points. The number varies according to the system you are playing. Your partner passes if they also have a balanced hand and less than ten points but, if they have more than this, they can use a ‘convention.’

A convention is a bid which does not follow a logical, numerical progression but is designed to tell your partner something specific about your hand. One thing about bridge that surprises non-players is that, if you use a convention, your partner must alert the opposing players and tell them what it means. Bridge is not only about communication but fairness. Everyone has the same chance, although not necessarily the same expertise.

Next time we will look at conventions.

In the meantime, if you want to find out more about playing bridge at South Cotswold Bridge Club, attend lessons or find out more, visit our website www. southcotswoldbridgeclub.co.uk. Or email jimedwards811@gmail.com.

Tuesday afternoon at the Great Tythe Barn and Thursday afternoon at Minchinhampton Golf Club.

South Cotswold Bridge Club Team

Luxury Care Home Community

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

We welcome immediate and planned admissions.

Call 01453 541400

thehollies.co.uk

• Email

info@thehollies.co.uk

• Drake Lane, Dursley GL11 5HA

The Terrace for outdoor events and entertainment

Annual Report from Tetbury Town Council 2023 - 2024

Annual Town Meeting will be taking place on Monday 13th May starting at 6.30pm at St Marys Primary School

Please come along and have your say

Mayor’s Report

I am pleased to introduce the 2023/24 Tetbury Town Council Annual Report.

Our aim has been to:

• Produce and agree a four-year business plan, which sets out the priorities of this Council and which we have used to set our budget for the coming financial year.

• Listen to and represent the community’s views.

• Build strong relationships with organisations and community groups.

• Communicate the good work of this Council.

This Council has resolved to work together for the benefit of the whole community. We will treat everyone with courtesy and respect and ask for the same courtesy in return.

We could not achieve everything we have without the continued drive, dedication, and ‘can-do’ attitude of those working for the Council. Thank you.

If you have any questions about the content of this report, please contact Tara Niblett, the Chief Executive Officer, and Responsible Finance Officer, at ceo@tetbury.gov.uk on 01666 504670.

Councillor Liz Farnham Mayor of Tetbury and Chair of Tetbury Town Council May 2023 to May 2024

Finance and Scrutiny Report

The primary role for the Finance and Scrutiny committee is to set and monitor the council’s budget.

A public budget consultation meeting is held every January which gives an overview of how the budget is currently being spent and the proposed precept request for the following year.

Precept 2023/24: £413,565

Band D Council Tax: £152.37

Percentage increase in Band D Council Tax: 2.49%

Total Income for 2023/24: £489,148

Expenditure for 2023/24: £485,841

At the budget public consultation meeting held in January 2024, a question was raised regarding the staff costs. The actual year to date staff costs for 2023/24 was £263,895, this covers 5 full time members of staff (CEO, EO and 3 members of the grounds team). 5 part time members of staff (Receptionist, x2 Visitor Information Centre members, grounds person and Housekeeper).

The Town Council have loan obligations for the Goods Shed and the annual payment for two loans are £31,289. Following a decision made by Cotswold District Council, the Town Council will now contribute to the election costs, so far, the Town Council has paid £2,766 towards these costs.

Finance & Scrutiny Grants Given

Royal British Legion

£466

Dolphins Hall £8,750 (to assist with grass cutting of the recreation ground)

Councillor Steve Scott

Chair of Finance & Scrutiny Committee

Planning Committee

What were the key achievements of the Committee/Working Group in the last year, including benefits this brings to the town of Tetbury?

In the last year, the Planning Committee has scrutinised 140 planning applications which include tree works (6), licensing (2) as well as building applications (132). The most significant application and its impact on Tetbury was the planning application for the doctors’ surgery to be built at Worwell Farm together with a number of other houses. Tetbury Town Council can only comment to the District Council on applications. In this instance it was turned down by CDC in the spring but passed after a resubmission in the autumn.

What challenges did the Committee/Working Group face and how have these been overcome?

The Committee is conscientious in its work of reviewing applications, often going out to look at the potential impact of an application on its neighbourhood.

Councillor Judith Taylor Chair of Planning

Heritage and Regeneration Committee

What were the key achievements of the Committee in the last year, including benefits this brings to the town of Tetbury?

• Christmas light switch on was a huge success. It was great to see so many shops open and although it was extremely cold, everyone who attended and participated enjoyed the event.

• It was agreed that the Visitor Information Centre was to remain open despite the loss of the CDC grant. The VIC is a great asset to the town for not only visitors but also for people who live in Tetbury and may need advice on a variety of things throughout the week.

• The committee are committed to ensuring that planning applications do not detract from the heritage of the town.

• A Disability Accessibility Etiquette initiative has been finalised and passed to the Health and Well-being working group.

• The Police Museum continues to be popular, and the extra events and talks have been well attended. Visitors to Tetbury leave great reviews and this venue remains a lovely asset to the town. The committee work closely with the Museum throughout the year to support, help and advice when needed.

What challenges did the Committee face and how have these been overcome?

• The committee is aware that space in St Saviours Church for burial is reaching a critical point and the decision to remove 5 cherry trees was a difficult one. This has however enabled more burial spaces to be made. Replacement trees are being discussed.

• Financial constraints led to the cutting of some grants for external organisations, the committee are concentrating on in-house projects.

• Traffic in Tetbury continues to be a cause for concern. The Highways Working group work hard with other organisations to monitor the traffic and other road related issues. This working group reports all findings to this committee.

What are the key priorities for the next financial year?

• A Burial Consultation meeting will be held in the near future. The committee are committed to gathering the opinions and thoughts of all residents on this matter. A questionnaire will be produced to gather resident’s feedback.

• The 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings is being celebrated on Thursday 6th June. Plans are being formalised and the committee are following all requirements to ensure this day is in line with the rest of the country.

Who do you want to thank for their support?

The committee would like to thank the Feoffees for their continued support with events and the use of the Market House.

Tetbury in Bloom keep the town looking beautiful for residents and visitors and we thank them for this.

Everyone who has volunteered and works behind the scenes, there are too many to mention, but the committee thanks you for your support.

Patricia Burrell

Heritage and Regeneration

Health, Wellbeing and Youth

What were the key achievements of the Committee in the last year, including benefits this brings to the town of Tetbury?

• The committee remains committed to backing the Tetbury Area Youth and Community Trust (TAYCT), which operates The People’s Pod/The Pod, offering youth services in Tetbury. They extend their support to 1-1 mentoring for young individuals. Furthermore, the trust is expanding its mental health and wellbeing assistance.

• In addition to ongoing support, the committee allocated an extra £5,000 for school holiday provisions. More details regarding school holiday provision can be found by following Tetbury Youth Club www.tayct.org.uk

• The Friendship Café enters its third year with ongoing development. This welcoming space accommodates all age groups with weekly activities on Thursdays year-round. Last year attendees enjoyed an invitation to partake in the Winter Warmers initiative at Highgrove.

• The Health, Wellbeing and Youth Event 2023, celebrating Tetbury, drew a large crowd from the community. Numerous organisations collaborated for a vibrant carnival parade, and despite rainy weather, participants enjoyed activities at the Dolphin Recreation Ground.

What challenges did the Committee face and how have these been overcome?

• Providing support at Christmas – reached out to local businesses who then provided complimentary Christmas Dinners, organised volunteers to deliver on Christmas Day.

• Supporting members of the community with Digital Technology – Health and Wellbeing Co-Ordinator is available to offer assistance for sign posting.

• Health and Wellbeing Working Group – August 2023 saw the relaunch of the Health and Wellbeing Working Group

What are the key priorities for the next financial year?

• Continue support for the Youth

• Provide support for members of the community

• Continue Christmas Dinner Incentive

Who do you want to thank for their support?

Without the support of volunteers from the Friendship Café and Christmas Dinner Delivery, our ability to reach out to members of our community would be greatly diminished. We are also immensely grateful to the Grounds team for their invaluable assistance in setting up and dismantling our events. Special thanks to Tesco and Co-Op for their generous donations.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to The Close Hotel for generously providing Christmas Dinners. Additionally, we want to recognise the hard work of volunteers who help during Christmas and events, including the monumental task of hanging the bunting.

We would like to express our gratitude to the Tetbury Area Youth and Community Trust for their exceptional support and provisions for our young people.

Councillor Zowie Baker Chair of Health Wellbeing and Youth

Climate Strategy Working Group

Our key successes this year are having our priorities integrated into TTC’s 4-year plan and seeing increasingly close working between Greening Tetbury and the Grounds team. We were disappointed that CDC’s climate expert moved elsewhere before he had the opportunity to provide training on climate change for Tetbury’s town councillors. We hope this training can take occur once a replacement has been appointed.

Judith Taylor Chair of Climate Strategy Working Group

New Picket Harper Allotment Association

New Picket Harper Allotment Association – Hampton Street

2023 saw the continued programme of shed replacement and review of plot sizes as they become available. There continues to be a waiting list for allotments on our site and in the town generally and a review of annual fees took place ahead of the new season.

There have been a couple of challenges this year, primarily with the Hampton Street fence blowing down in bad weather, which was re-erected by the Grounds Team from the Town Council and a mature tree which is sited in a bordering property, overhanging the allotment site.

I would like to personally thank the hard-working committee for their time and commitment to the New Picket Harp Allotments and following a very successful Annual General Meeting, welcome the new committee members - I look forward to working with you all in 2024.

Nikki Ind Representative for Tetbury Town Council

Visitors Information Centre

Over the past year, the Tetbury Visitor Information Centre (VIC) has been a bustling hub, welcoming over 8,000 visitors through its doors.

At the forefront of this welcoming environment are Sue and Matthew, who diligently man the front desk Monday to Saturday from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm. Their dedication extends beyond mere information provision; they serve as ambassadors for Tetbury, fielding questions ranging from historical walks to practical inquiries like where to purchase an umbrella. No two days are ever alike at the VIC, reflecting the vibrant tapestry of Tetbury life.

Among the services provided, the VIC caters to the needs of both tourists and locals. Residents often seek out timetables for buses or information about local events, further solidifying the VIC’s status as a community resource. The VIC has facilitated ticket sales for various events, including over eighty tickets for the Goods Shed and regular bookings for the National Express.

In August 2023, the VIC underwent a charming transformation into Cotchester Library for the filming of the upcoming Jilly Cooper drama, “The Rivals.”

In September 2023, Tetbury faced the unsettling news of losing funding from the Cotswold District Council for its beloved VIC. However, amidst uncertainty, Tetbury Town Council made a resolute commitment during this year’s budget allocation to sustain the presence of the Tetbury Visitor Information Centre on the High Street.

Matthew spearheads the VIC’s online presence, providing content for Instagram. With his efforts, the VIC’s dedicated following has swelled to over 2,554 followers on @visit_tetbury. The VIC actively promotes local businesses, amplifying Tetbury’s charm to a broader audience.

Meanwhile, Sue meticulously curates the VIC’s offerings, ensuring a diverse array of products from walking guides to locally crafted gifts. Her creative touch extends to the VIC’s themed windows, which captivate passersby and enhance the High Street. Notably, during the festive season, the VIC played host to “Cards for Good Causes,” stocking over 600 packs of cards to support various charities, a feat made possible through Sue’s meticulous organisation.

The VIC has embraced Tetbury’s pet-friendly ethos, earning its spot-on Dog Friendly Cotswolds. Four-legged friends are warmly welcomed into the shop, with treats generously provided by the Tetbury Pet Shop and a readily available water bowl stationed outside.

Despite the challenges posed by inclement weather in the new year, the VIC remains a beacon of warmth and hospitality in Tetbury. Whether you’re a resident seeking local insights or a visitor exploring the town’s charm, the Tetbury Visitor Information Centre stands ready to help and a friendly welcome. So, next time you’re passing by, be sure to pop in and say hi—you’ll be greeted with a smile and a wealth of Tetbury knowledge.

Victoria Bolwell Visitor Information Supervisor

Highways Working Group

What were the key achievements of the Committee in the last year, including benefits this brings to the town of Tetbury?

The Lorry Watch team protect the fabric of the town advising over weight haulage companies that Long Street and Chipping Street are restricted areas.

Team Leader Jackie Ball arranges Lorry Watch Schedules.

The Speed Watch team protect the town’s community by reporting speeding vehicles to the police. Speed Watch is a police force trained initiative and we in Tetbury are the shining light in the Cotswolds.

Team leader Bill Shepherd arranges regular Speed Watch schedules.

What challenges did the Committee face and how have these been overcome?

• The Committee continues chasing, after many years, Gloucestershire County Council to implement the Tetbury Traffic Regulations Order (TRO) which should be in place by August.

• The Committee continues chasing Gloucestershire County Council for the agreed Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) movable speed signs and hope to see these in place by August.

• The Committee have chased GCC for a schedule for the repairs to Bath Bridge and they are currently scheduled to start on 15th March and finish on the 31st May.

• The Committee continues chasing Gloucestershire Highways many other issues between meetings.

• The Highway Working Group are pushing for speed reductions on Cirencester and London Roads as they are both now built-up areas.

What are the key priorities for the next financial year?

• To have the Tetbury TRO implemented,

• To receive and install the VAS mounting posts and reactive sign.

• To continue to apply pressure to obtain speed limit reductions in Cirencester and London Roads,

• To continue and foster a close relationship with Gloucestershire County Council Highways

Who do you want to thank for their support?

As The Chair I would personally like to thank all the Highways Working Group members for giving their free time to make the roads and environment of Tetbury a better and safer place to live.

For residents to continue to call 08000 514 514 reporting pot holes /Objects on the highways/street lighting issues /Exposed cables/Flooded roads.

Councillor Colin Pearce

Chair of Highways Working Group

Tetbury Police

Crime Comparison Statistics For Tetbury Town Council

Overall, the crime figures have dropped. With a difference of 72.

We are aware of the massive rise in non-dwelling burglaries.

On the night of the 2nd of May 2023, we had one incident where self-storage units were broken into some of the units had items taken from and others not. This one incident was responsible for 26 of the 30 crimes raised in relation to non-dwelling burglaries.

In relation to the robberies. One was reported by a local resident that we have doubts about their credibility. We are obligated to record this, but we have been unable corroborate the resident’s version of events.

In relation to the second robbery this happened domestic setting and the suspect is known to the victim this is still under investigation.

In relation to thefts a 47-year-old man has been dealt by neighbourhood policing team. For offences at the end of 2023 that had occurred in Tetbury and Wiltshire he has received 4 months imprisonment.

A new process has been put in place for reporting and dealing with vehicles that have been breaking the weight limits in Tetbury.

We are also working with the social housing provider and officers in the dog unites to ensure that owners of XL Bullies have been registered and that they are complying with the new regulations.

Proactive work this quarter in the Tetbury policing area (parishes of Tetbury, Tetbury Upton, Avening, Long Newnton, Beverston, Cherington, Ashley, Shipton Moyne, Kingscote, Westonbirt, Leighterton and Didmarton:

• Regular School Patrols have been carried out at St Marys and SWR Schools at the Start and end of the school day.

• A male resident of Tetbury has been arrested on warrant for failing to attend court, he is now serving a driving ban.

• Ongoing work has been carried out with Bromford Housing officers regarding concerns raised over a couple of residents of Tetbury.

• Joint visits carried out with Bromford Housing Officer to a vulnerable resident in Shipton Moyne.

• PCSO has been regularly attending at Tetbury Youth Club.

• Speed Checks have been carried out in Long Newton and Didmarton

• PCSO has attended the Friendship Café, Tetbury

• The schools beat officer has attended both SWR and St Marys Primary and delivered talks to students.

Garett Gloyn, Police Seargent

Edmund Maina, PCSO

Chris Pritchard, Police Constable

Tetbury Police Museum and Courtroom

We had a fun and successful year at the museum in 2023-2024! We have a core group of 10 volunteers who help with everything around the museum.

Volunteers opened the doors on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year except for January when we were closed doing essential work behind the scenes.

We also opened for the May Bank holiday, the Coronation Monday, and Heritage Open Day in September.

We stayed open late for the Christmas festivities and the switching on of the lights on 3rd of December.

We greeted people from all over the world.

Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and almost any country in Europe you can name. Many visitors are on a day out from within 30-50 miles like South Wales, Bristol, Swindon, Somerset but often they are touring the Cotswolds for a holiday from all over the UK

We had a total 2500 visitors this past year!

We took part in the Tetbury Day festival in July and had fun meeting more people from the local area.

Some of the projects we have been doing this past year and plan to continue to do are:

Learning about and setting up our special museum database.

Starting our inventory of the collection

Producing our special display of the Royal Household Protection Unit for the coronation Giving group tours to people of all ages

Making YouTube videos

Increasing our social media presence

Researching our history and the collection

We also had a very special sell out Christmas Ghost Story event in December in the courtroom.

If you would like to know more, please get in touch.

All the Volunteers and Maria Marsh, Curator email: museum@tetbury.gov.uk website: tetburypolicemuseum.org.uk

TETBURY WOOLSACK RACES

MONDAY 27th MAY 10am - 5pm

Come and join us for a fantastic family day out!

Proudly sponsored by:

Follow us for more info

tetburywoolsack.co.uk