Whitton Ways October 2022

Dear Friend,

Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, many people have spoken about the late Queen’s deep faith in our Lord Jesus. She often referred to it in her Christmas messages. In her first one, in December 1952, when she was looking ahead to her coronation the following June, she said, “but I want to ask you all … to pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you all the days of my life.” Those prayers have been answered, reminding me of the power of prayer. The Queen ended every day in prayer as she said that it reminded her that, although the world had bestowed many titles upon her, she served a higher King and was a servant of the King of kings. She lived this out in her faithful service in the seventy years of her record-breaking reign.

One article in the newspaper last week caught my eye. It was an interview with an Australian indigenous elder who had met the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 1999 ahead of a vote on whether Australia should become a republic. He said that he and his colleagues were “totally disarmed” by the experience, as the Queen “made us feel human.” He continued, “It’s a funny thing, to feel a bit emotional about it, because she was so welcoming. She thanked us for coming…I think for the first time in our lives, we were treated properly.” How awful that they had previously been treated so badly, but how wonderful that Her Majesty showed what it is to value people with dignity and to welcome them. It reminded me that we are all part of a community and society, which is worldwide. After years with the emphasis being upon self and looking after number one, the late Queen has provided an example of what society is about, welcoming others and looking after

one another as our Lord Jesus showed us.

At the state funeral, Archbishop Justin Welby stated in his sermon, “People of loving service are rare in any walk of life. Leaders of loving service are still rarer. But in all cases those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are long forgotten.” He reminded us that loving service is key to community, society and life itself. The Queen’s example illustrates that as Christians we are servants of the King, but whether we are people of faith or none, serving others is an important part of our relationships with others and, for Christians, with Jesus.

Earlier in the sermon, the Archbishop had said, “Jesus – who in our reading does not tell his disciples how to follow, but who to follow – said: “I am the way, the truth and the life”.* Her Late Majesty’s example was not set through her position or her ambition, but through whom she followed. I know His Majesty shares the same faith and hope in Jesus Christ as his mother; the same sense of service and duty.” The second Elizabethan era comes to an end, and we look to the new era of King Charles III continuing his late Mother’s example, trusting in God, who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead “and offers life to all, abundant life now and life with God in eternity.” The sermon ended with these words, “We will all face the merciful judgement of God: we can all share the Queen’s hope which in life and death inspired her servant leadership. Service in life, hope in death. All who follow the Queen’s example, and inspiration of trust and faith in God, can with her say: ‘We will meet again.’”

“May God be with you, ‘til we meet again,” Stephen Methodist Minister

Her Majesty is gone, But her memory lives on. And we wonder how her soul, Was blessed with luck to live so long?

Behind the aged skin, And eyelids closed so thin. They masked the strong heart inside, And strong soul that lived behind.

Blessed and chosen by the Lord God, With greatness washed down from above. With young face so kind and fair, Her beauty and greatness took to air.

With many years of great reign, Occasionally her pride was slain. Conducting many great achievements, Even if some were big predicaments!

With her words done and told, History will know her as a Queen of Gold But now she lays in her tomb of rest Up with her husband, The Queen of the Best.

I dream of a Queen by Daniel, Year 6, Chilton Foliat Primary School

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Reflections on a Special Life

The death of our Queen will surely go down as one of those ‘Where were you when you heard…?’ moments. Life is full of markers, milestones, surprises, shocks and poignant moments. It is as if somebody suddenly holds a magnifying glass to a brief moment in life and enlarges the significance of that moment. These markers and milestones nudge our minds, stir our hearts and, in many ways, change us. It is not just the events that do those things, but the people behind them. As our country mourns its Queen, it is mourning the person behind the title. Her Majesty’s wisdom, dignity, service, interest, dedication, devotion and faith have won her the respect, admiration, thanks and love we see everywhere.

All sorts of people touch and change our lives, from wise grandparents to new babies. When we read the Bible we discover the ways in which the lives of a variety of people were transformed when they encountered Jesus: transformed by his love and grace. Each person is worthy of love, forgiveness, acceptance and affirmation, whatever their rank or status.

Anointed with oil, first at her baptism, and later at her coronation, the Queen recognised the particular way in which her

life was set apart by God for one of faith and service. Both of those events could be described as “magnifying glass” moments, when deeper significance was revealed through fleeting moments in time. For the Queen, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus have been of even greater significance. Whether you are a Christian believer or not, you can’t ignore the story. The choice is whether you want to unite your story with his, in the way we do in baptism and beyond.

The thousands of people who have been making pilgrimages to London, Windsor or Balmoral wish to connect the story of their lives with the story of the life of our late Queen. The magnifying glass effect on one woman’s life has inspired others to let their lives be shaped by the course of her life. As we honour her, and the way in which her life was shaped and directed by her King, Jesus, we prepare to set the next generation on that path of encountering the loving and transforming life of Jesus, which is offered to us for this world and the next.

Adapted from the Revd. Beth Hutton’s sermon on 11th September, the Sunday after the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

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AM - 7.23, 8.48, 9.58,

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October

Memorial

Being part of history

Froxfield’s Toby Till reflects on a momentous week

“There are only a handful of days or weeks in your military career, or even your life, you will remember in detail, but last week was one of them. As Regimental Lieutenant Colonel of the Coldstream Guards, I knew I would be involved in some capacity but I was unsure of the full detail. All Coldstream Officers knew we would be expected to stand in Westminster Hall to protect Her Majesty’s coffin but I was initially unaware of a wider role in the events. It was on the first Saturday that I received a text message, whilst sitting having my haircut at the Gentleman’s Barbers in Hungerford, from HQ London District asking me to be available as a Marshall for the procession. Normal life was put on immediate hold. I was in London the next day for the start of a series of briefings, reading the lengthy operation order (hundreds of pages), early morning reconnaissances of key locations, lengthy rehearsals for the vigils and the early morning rehearsals for the funeral (0200-0700) all whilst still doing some of my day job commanding the Army’s Experimentation Force. This meant some very long days and the need for absolute focus and attention to detail. We were constantly reminded that the whole world would be watching.

The three Vigils I was a part of in Westminster Hall were awe inspiring. To stand over and protect the coffin whilst witnessing both the general public and world leaders pay their respects, was utterly unique. You could hear a pin drop in the cavernous room and the clanging tap tap of a sword on the metal plate would ring out to signal the changeover of the Vigil teams — haunting and poignant — a sound I will always remember. One thing that struck me was how long people had

queued, sometimes with young children and in increasingly cold temperatures. This filled me with utter respect for those who endured those long hours.

The build up to the Monday had not all gone to plan with a series of mistakes on rehearsals, but the plan was refined and everybody focussed on perfecting their individual parts. In Wellington Barracks as buses brought in the thousands of troops who would be involved in the procession you could sense the excitement and need to deliver on behalf of the whole nation. The sight and sound of the Massed Pipes and Drums in those final moments ensured everyone had a chill down their spine. Those involved from all three services were ready to step up and deliver on the world stage. That my family had travelled up to London meant several extra sets of eagle eyes would be watching.

My role was to Marshall a group of senior Generals both in London from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner and then from Windsor Great Park to St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. Following immediately behind members of the Royal Family for much of this route and standing directly behind the Prince and Princess of Wales as the coffin was moved from the Royal Navy Gun Carriage into the

Scenes from the funeral parade

Coldstreamers protecting the coffin in Westminster Hall. I am at the top of the steps.

Entering the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle. I am in the line turning behind the coffin on the left holding the baton. Note the Corgis top of photo.

I am on the left

Standing next to the Coffin in Westminster Hall (next page)

hearse, to walking just behind them through the grounds of Windsor Castle, will live with me for ever.

As the doors of St Georges Chapel closed I retired to a room in Windsor Castle to watch the service with fellow Officers on the Television for the first time. We stood in respectful silence as the coffin lowered and the Piper turned and played. On completion we stepped out into Windsor Castle to witness members of the Royal Family walk or drive back into the heart of the castle.

A final reminder that this was for us the funeral of our Queen but for them the funeral of their Mother or Grandmother.

It was an honour to have been involved alongside fellow members of the Coldstream Guards, some of whom also reside in the Parish or nearby.”

God Save the King!

Colonel Toby Till MBE, Coldstream Guards

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Chilton Foliat Primary back to school

After a restful summer we have returned to school invigorated and excited for the year ahead.

We have had a happy and settled first week back, although tinged with a great deal of sadness following the death of Her Majesty the Queen. In light of this news, we held a special Collective Worship to remember how the Queen lived her life well and to give thanks for her enduring and magnificent service.

Beginning with the May Jubilee celebration, followed by our themed week of Service in July, we have been so fortunate to

have had the time to devote to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and to find out more about the impact she had on the lives of so many over the years. Our thoughts and prayers are with the whole of the Royal family as they mourn their loss. May her Majesty Rest in Peace after her long and dedicated life of public service.

Looking ahead, on Wednesday 5th October, the Right Reverend Bishop Andrew will be holding a very special service to ‘Bless the Rainscape’. He will be joined by Charlotte Hitchmough (and her team at Action for the River

Visit your village library

Aldbourne and Ramsbury Libraries have both reopened and currently offer the opening hours below: Aldbourne

Monday: 1.30 – 4.30 pm and 5 – 7 pm

Tuesday: 10 am – 12 pm * Thursday: 1.30 – 4.30 pm Ramsbury Monday: 2 – 4 pm * Wednesday: 10 am – 12 pm * Saturday: 10am – 12 pm * * Volunteer operated opening hours. Volunteers wanted If you are interested in volunteering contact Jane Hunt on 01225 713792 or at jane.hunt@wiltshire.gov.uk

Kennet), Wendy Allen (garden designer), and all those who kindly gave up their time and volunteered to make our wonderful new Rainscape a reality. With special thanks to North Wessex Downs, the Diocese and the Friends for helping to fund the project. We look forward to sharing some photos of this service in the next edition.

We are looking forward to welcoming prospective parents to our open mornings –Thursday 13th October and Saturday 12th November 9am to 12pm.

If you would like to book an appointment, please contact the school officetel: 01488 682630 or email: admin@ chiltonfoliat.wilts.sch.uk

With thankfulness, courage and love.

Ali Payne School Governor

SEPTEMBER RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT

£100 to Peter Kearns, £50 to each of Paul Snook, Charles Gardner, Sharon Marsh, Judith Francis and Tim Wade and £25 to each of Peter Osmond, Gillian Hill, David Stoyle, Emma Hawes, Chris Morgan and Di Christie.

Thank you to all who have rejoined, especially when it has been so difficult getting the money through to the new account. If you are having problems please do get in touch with me. Many thanks to all of you for your continued support.

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Ramsbury’s Drama Group New Members always welcome including Actors, Backstage and Front of House Contact Chris Perkins Phone: 01672 520515 Email: cfp4176@gmail.com

RAMSBURY

to join us, enquiries to 520908 or 520261.

We still don’t know “who let the dogs out…”, but Ramsbury WI members learned a lot more about their extraordinary abilities in September. Danielle and Tim from the Medical Detection Dogs charity gave an optimistic presentation about the medical advances that are possible thanks to the dog’s highly developed sense of smell. Where a human has 5 million scent

Plans are under way for the Ramsbury Horticultural Society Autumn Show and WI Country Market on Saturday 8 October in Ramsbury Memorial Hall, starting at 2pm. Do come along for homemade cakes, jam, chutney etc. There will also be a raffle for a hamper plus displays of vegetables, flowers, fruit and floral art to admire. Readers may be interested to see me in my “outdoor kitchen” with the start of some marrow chutney. I always cook chutney outside, as otherwise the smell of hot vinegar goes all round the house.

receptors a dog has 300 million: 30% of a dog’s brain is dedicated to smell. Every disease changes the smell of the sufferer’s sweat and a trained dog can identify this, giving an early, accurate and non-invasive diagnosis using just a small piece of fabric. Other dogs are trained as medical alert dogs and live with people who have a condition that causes them to collapse without warning. The 5 minutes’ warning that the dog gives allows them to live with more confidence and security. We had a large number of visitors at this talk and everyone found it fascinating.

Our next monthly meeting is on Thursday 6 October at 7.30pm in the Church Rooms, Back Lane. Dr Gillian White is coming to tell us the History of the Teddy Bear. Gillian gave us a Zoom talk on the Field of the Cloth of Gold during Lockdown so we know what an excellent speaker she is. There will be a competition for My Favourite Bear, so please bring along a furry friend or perhaps a photo of a real bear. Visitors are welcome

There will be the usual coffee morning on Thursday 20 October in Poppies Cafe at the Royal British Legion Club from 10.30am onwards.

I am sure that there will be many tributes to our late Queen in this edition of Whitton Ways. It is well known that Her Majesty had been a member of Sandringham and West Newton WI since 1943, and her whole life epitomised the values of the WI. She was a countrywoman at heart, and put service to her community (in her case the whole Commonwealth) and love of her family above all else. She could be serious without being solemn and she looked to the future with hope and steadfast cheerfulness. We shall all miss her very much, but we must follow her example and go forward hopefully into the new reign of His Majesty King Charles III.

Please contact WI@ramsbury.org or ring 520908 or 520261 if you would like any more information about Ramsbury WI.

Howzat for a season

Whilst the results may not always have been as we had hoped, this has certainly been a great season for the club in terms of team spirit, new players, holding our first All Stars (5-8 year old) cricket camp and adding to our already amazing facilities.

Thanks to volunteers led by Pete Osmond for getting approved, medically trained and checked and for giving up their time over eight sessions on Friday nights in May and June so that we could offer the ECB backed All Stars cricket camp to over thirty 5-8 year olds. Following the success this year we will run All Stars again in 2023 and, subject to having enough volunteers we will also run Dynamos for 8-12 year olds. Anyone wishing to help should get in contact.

Following fundraising efforts during 2021,

Roger Henry for keeping the wicket, square and outfield in good shape.

Thanks to Pete Osmond, our team manager and all he does. We had a positive season with 5 wins and 12 losses. The highlight of the season was beating the champions Purton at home. A great team environment was built this season with huge positivity which has made everyone upbeat for next season. Top bowler of the season was Ian Bourne with 11 wickets and top batsman of the season was the skipper Lee Cowan with an average of 46 and amassing over 500 runs.

Our Sunday side play friendlies and these games are perfect for players who want to get back in to playing cricket or those who want to play a shorter format. On the plus side the lovely weather has meant we have enjoyed plenty of fixtures, membership is up and we have various new players. On the downside, however, we lost every game so we can only improve next year! It was however a very competitive season, with plenty of games that could have gone either way!

grants from the ECB and the Marlborough Area Board and with the support of our sponsors (Ramsbury Brewery and Distillery and Salom Europe Ltd) plus one large private donation we have been able to make the following investments in 2022: a new all-weather artificial strip on the square, a permanent all-weather practice net and a digital scoreboard. These big improvements must make us one of the best equipped village clubs for miles!

We would like to thank our volunteer groundsmen Colin Diss, Iain Cowan and

We look forward to next season and extend a warm welcome to all new members or volunteers who want to get involved in supporting the running of the club, junior coaching, or who just want to join us at our weekly net sessions during the season. We are a fun and supportive club, all ages and abilities welcome, come and get involved!

We do not have any female members but hope that will change in 2023, and we would love to hear from any girls or women who would like to help with this or take part.

Ian Smith

The Knitting Group will meet on Tuesday, 11th October from 2pm at 55a, High Street, Ramsbury. Please ask if there are items you have in mind for Christmas presents; we are building up our stock and might have something suitable. Given time we will knit to order.

We have a very good stock of yarn at the moment - but are always pleased to have further supplies. It is amazing how quickly it runs down.

Estrid Eyles - 01672 520789

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Alternatively drop it into us at 5 & 6 Whittonditch Works, Ramsbury, Wiltshire, SN8 2XB.

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The all new Ramsbury Flyer

Scheduled Services

Wednesdays, from Ramsbury (The Square 10.06am), Chilton Foliat at 10.15am and Froxfield at 10.30am. Fridays, from Aldbourne at 10.00am, Ramsbury The Square at 10.15am and Froxfield at 10.30am. Bus passes can be used!

Marlborough

1st & 3rd Wednesdays each month (5th & 19th October), calling at Chilton Foliat at 1pm (booking required), Ramsbury at 1.10pm and Albourne at 1.30pm. Returning at 2.45pm. Bus passes can be used!

Newbury

2nd Thursday of each month (13th October). Leaving The Square, Ramsbury at 11.30am and returning from Newbury at 2.30pm. Fare £4.

Outings

Monday 10th October to Batsford Arboretum. Leaving The Square, Ramsbury at 9.30am. Fare £16.00.

Thursday 27th October to Dobbies Garden Centre, Cirencester. Leaving The Square, Ramsbury at 11.30am. Fare £10.00.

Pick up can be arranged from Aldbourne and Froxfield if required.

To book your seat(s), please call Janet on 01672 520682 / 07584 253117

Surgery Transport continues every Tuesday and Thursday morning. For news about Surgery transport or further information please visit ramsburyflyer.org

Down on the Farm

with Peter Wilson

As usual it was time to catch up with Peter Wilson, down on the farm, to see how the harvesting was going. Alas, I was too late for my annual combine harvest ride!

“The harvest seemed to go in the blink of an eye this year; it’s amazing how the years can vary. Last year was a late and wet harvest, this year it has been hot, dry and early. Even the canary seed was in the shed by the end of August. Our new combine came just in time. I was starting to get a little nervous! Some people who were waiting for new ones to come over from Europe never got them so the dealerships had to scrape around and find combines to fill the gaps. The supply chains are really struggling at the moment, partly Brexit, but mainly the after effects from Covid. Spare parts are taking a lot longer to come in, assuming they are available. We had the baler breakdown before harvest while hay baling, and the only parts in the world to fix it had to come from New Zealand! This is partly because it’s an older model but still seems crazy.

In general it was a really good harvest, which has been a great relief. I was more confident that the winter wheat would perform well this year, compared with last, as wheat historically comes from prairie grass and a drier climate; the sun levels were significantly

higher and it did not disappoint. The wheat yielded 35% more than last year. I was more worried about the spring crops as they had not received much rain since planting, especially the canary seed. The yield was a fraction lower than last year, but I was relieved to get what I did as the crop had looked stressed this season. I was pleased with how the spring oats performed and I think they benefitted from being planted a month earlier than the canary seed and receiving that little bit of rain early on. The big relief with the dry weather was being able to cut all of the crops dry, and therefore not have any drying costs, especially with energy and fuel prices being so high.

Our problem with the dry weather now is

the preparation for planting our autumn crops. A lot of farmers have not been able to cultivate as the ground has been too hard. We also aim to have a significant number of weeds grow before we plant our autumn crops so that we can control them more easily and cost-effectively. As it is so dry they have not been germinating, meaning that we could have a tricky time this autumn and spring in trying to control them. I am not growing oilseed rape and farmers that do have a dilemma — to plant or not, given the lack of rain during the normal planting window. The rain that we have had has been localised. Patchy seed establishment with oil seed rape increases the risk of the crop being attacked by cabbage stem flea beetle, which can and has wiped out whole fields.

I would usually plan to have a second cut of hay from our grass fields but, as with grass everywhere, after the first cut in June the grass has hardly grown for the rest of the summer. This is creating a lot of issues for livestock farmers. A lot of them have already started feeding their animals food that was allocated for the winter. It is a relief to see some rain, but it’s likely to be too late for any significant later grass growth!

The farm subsidies are in the process of changing from the old Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) to the new Environmental Land Management ELM scheme. DEFRA have launched the first part/pillar of ELM called the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). Pillar 2, Local Nature Recovery, is due to be launched in 2024, but there is no release date yet, and this is meant to replace the current Countryside Stewardship Scheme! At the moment we have not seen what will be available with this scheme. It is very frustrating when trying to plan your business for the future with so many unknowns. What we do know is that our BPS payments are being scaled back and will be totally gone by 2027, but little information on ELM, in terms of funding

availability and what you will have to do to access the funding.”

As told to Claire Costello “Who would have thought that future ‘seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosomfriend of the maturing sun,’ would today be so uncertain for the farmer, even though ‘gathering swallows twitter in the skies’ just as they always have?”

Good luck to Peter for the changes to come.

What’s in a name?

Minerals, naturally occurring chemical compounds, are the building blocks of rocks (rock forming minerals), rather special minerals that we use for their physical and chemical properties (industrial minerals and gemstones), minerals as a source of a specific chemical or element (industrial and metallic ore minerals) and so on. In fact there is a variety of ways that minerals can be classified. But we needn’t bother about that too much as there are hundreds if not thousands of naturally occurring chemical compounds.

We shouldn’t forget that nature has long been divided into animal, vegetable and mineral, and the latter are considered to be the product of inorganic formation and inorganic chemical compounds, but the edges of this definition are a little blurred. Take for example pearl, an inorganic material produced by an organism; the boundaries can be blurred so we needn’t say more than that.

Geology Rocks Pyrite (iron) Chile

Many minerals ‘grow’ into beautiful crystals, especially the ones that grow in a fluid medium, but it might surprise you to know that minerals also ‘grow’ in molten material such as the magmas that form the gases and lavas that are erupted from volcanoes. Even more surprising are the crystals that ‘grow’ from gases and the ones that grow very very slowly by a process called “diffusion” in solid materials. Garnets in metamorphic (Greek meaning a change of form) rocks are good examples of the latter process.

I am often asked why so many minerals end in the suffix “ite” such as malachite, pyrite, cerussite, ilmenite and sphalerite (respectively minerals with copper, iron, lead, titanium and zinc). You can usually turn to ancient Greek or Latin for an explanation, and “ite” is no exception. It derives from the Greek “ites” which is the adjectival form of the noun “lithos” (have I lost you already ?) which means stone or rock. “Petros” is the Greek version of the name Peter, also meaning rock or stone, hence the name “Petrology” for the study of rocks. It is also the play on words noted in the Bible in the words Jesus used. “Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church”.

Mineral names are often very interesting and the history behind the name is often fascinating.

Take for example the bright yellow arsenic sulphide mineral orpiment. The name derives from the Latin (of course) auripigmentum, that is “auri-pigment” or a vivid gold colour. Ground to a powder it formed the basis of the bright canary yellow colouring used, for example, by the ladies of ancient Egypt as a cosmetic. One can only wonder what the liberal use of arsenic sulphide on the skin actually did to those ladies.

And keep a look out for perovskite, a calcium titanium oxide mineral or titanate, now manufactured and finding increasing use in photo-voltaic solar cells and panels.

And of course there are many rare-earth and rare-metal minerals being used as a source for the metals in batteries, supermagnets and other “high-tech” devices. Far from using less minerals we are now using more and a greater variety.

Many minerals were historically the basis of pigments and colours used in art. The cave paintings of SW France, many of which date back 17,000 years to the Palaeolithic (”old stone”) age, include many yellow, red and brown shades obtained from iron oxide and hydroxide minerals typically haematite, limonite and goethite. Shades of green and blue-green are typically copper carbonates, silicates and sulphates. The latter include malachite (green) and azurite (a vivid blue), while whites derive from kaolinite (clay), gypsum and calcite. As an aside, modern

brilliant white is made using powdered titanium dioxide derived from titanium minerals and used in paints, plastics and food (including chewing gum).

But lets get back to names. There are some interesting ones in the geological world.

Let’s take for example “wolframite”. This is a black, iron-manganese-tungsten oxide mineral and the main source of tungsten, often occurring in mineral veins around granites together with tin minerals, as it does famously in Cornwall. It’s a heavy mineral, but then the Swedish speakers among you would be aware of that as “tungsten” means heavy-stone in Swedish.

Which reminds me; I find peoples names can be quite interesting when it comes to interpreting what they mean, and never more so than names relating to landscapes and geology. In English we have Hill, Banks, Beach, Field, Rivers, Lake, Cliff and others. I was amused to meet a mine manager in Chile with the name Carlos Flores (Charlie Flowers). And positively the best one of all in Sweden, a mine geologist with the name of Sten Berggrund (Stone Bedrock).

Definitely not better than but almost certainly as good as Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble.

Chris Carlon

Growing your own vegetables is a great way to save money. Food price inflation is with us for the next year or more.

As well as good fresh vegetables at a fraction of shop prices you can also save on the gym membership — lots of exercise out in the open air.

Not only that, taking home and eating a harvest of your own vegetables is extremely satisfying.

You could also have a cutting garden of

flowers in the summer-fresh flowers all summer.

There is water on site and advice is available from fellow allotmenteers.

If you are interested in an allotment for next year (some available to begin preparation now) contact Denise Edwards on 07867921878 or allotments@ ramsbury.org

Half an allotment costs £30 a year-less than £3 a month.

Malachite (copper) Chile

Award recognises years of NGS open gardens

Ramsbury resident Amelia Tester, who is the County Organiser of the National Garden Scheme for Wiltshire, had great pleasure recently in presenting to Mrs Emma Amati of Dauntsey Park a sundial in recognition of the generous support that they and their garden have given to The National Garden Scheme across thirty years.

In fact, Dauntsey Park first opened its garden and parkland from 1929 through to 1983, after which there was a break until 2002. Since then the garden has opened every year within the Dauntsey Village group. The total amount that Dauntsey Park’s lovely gardens and Parklands have raised individually and within the village group for 30 years for The National Garden Scheme is £19,051.55.

Quite remarkable!

Tricia Duncan National Garden

Welcome Rain and our final 2022 show

The garden is looking so much fresher with the recent rain we have had, but the nights are getting cooler, autumn is here.

It doesn’t seem five minutes ago that we were planning the Summer Show and it’s time to have the Autumn one!

Saturday 8th October in Ramsbury Memorial Hall 2-4pm. Registration of entries either email hortsoc@ ramsbury.org or in person 6-8 pm Fri 7th in the hall.

Don’t forget if you had a “bag and potato to grow” just bring your bag, intact, to the show (you can cut the greenery off) before 10.30 to be dug up and weighed. Not sure what you will win yet; still to be decided.

The WI Country Market will again be

present, doing tea and cakes on the day, together with lovely cakes, tarts, store cupboard jams and pickles etc to buy. Don’t miss the opportunity to get some great things made by our lovely WI bakers.

Ramsbury Art Group will be putting on an exhibition of horticultural-related pictures with some for sale. So come and enjoy some brilliant artwork and maybe buy a piece.

Plans for the much missed Christmas Party (Sat 10th December) are under way and we are in the process of organising an outing to ‘Kew at Christmas’ (Sun 4th December). So make a note in your diaries and get further updates at the Autumn Show.

Diann Barnett

Ramsbury and Axford Poppy Appeal 2022

The British Legion Poppy Appeal will take place between Saturday 29th October and Saturday 12th November. Static boxes will once again be available around key points in Ramsbury — The Surgery, The Crown and Anchor, Midway Stores, The Bell, The Post Office, RBL Poppies Cafe and the School. A house-to-house collection will be available within Isles Court, around Eastridge and Axford.

Despite recent significant challenges, your support remains as important as ever for the Royal British Legion’s work in providing support in times of need for our injured and sick Service and Ex Service personnel. The

2021 Ramsbury and Axford Poppy Appeal raised £2230 towards this extremely worthy cause — see if we can surpass that total this year.

• This will be my last year as your Poppy Appeal Organiser. I will be retiring after 17 successful years in post having helped raise approximately £63,000 towards this fantastic and important Charity. My successor will be Bob Foale whom many will know for his tremendous work within the village and especially within the Scouting community.

Paul Snook, 01672 520970

in October

Jobs this month

Ornamental garden

• Continue dividing and replanting herbaceous perennials

•

Prune hybrid teas and floribunda roses by about a third to reduce wind rock

• Plant up indoor hyacinths and put them in a cool dark place to prepare them for flowering at Christmas

• Lift dahlia and begonia tubers after the first frosts have blackened the leaves to store over winter

• Clean glasshouses and conservatories before bringing in tender plants for overwintering.

• Start mulching borders with well-rotted manure or garden compost to a depth of about 7cms (3 ins)

• If you have ivy growing in your garden, don’t cut it all back but allow some of it to flower as it’s an excellent source of nectar and pollen for insects late in the season

• Plant hardy trees and shrubs while the soil is still warm

• If you need to move a tree or a shrub, October is a good time to do it (providing the soil is moist), as it allows time for the roots to settle in before the cold weather sets in.

Fruit and vegetables

• Plant garlic

•

Sow broad beans such as ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ for overwintering

• Plant out spring cabbages and protect against pigeons

• Harvest any maincrop potatoes you have left. Once the foliage turns yellow cut it off and remove it, then allow 10 days before digging the tubers up. Allow them to dry for a few hours before storing them.

• Continue harvesting apples and store unblemished fruits

• Gather up and burn or dispose of any fallen fruit tree leaves that have scab or rust or mildew – don’t compost them

• If you grow blackberries, tayberries

loganberries or boysenberries, it’s advisable to prune them now. Most produce fruit on the previous season’s growth, so after harvesting cut down the fruited canes at ground level and tie in the new canes.

• Remove any larger remaining figs that are unlikely to ripen now leaving only fruits that are pea-sized or smaller. If you protect them from frost, these may overwinter to ripen next summer

• Collect deciduous leaves to make leaf mould: place the damp leaves in old compost bags or bin liners, seal them and pierce holes in the sides, then leave for 12–18 months to break down before using as a mulch, soil conditioner or potting compost ingredient.

Susie Whimster

LINK is available for medical appointments, shopping, hairdressing etc. Call Penny on (01672) 520111 for details or to book a lift.

The service is free but small donations are welcome. If you interested in driving for us on (01672) 520111 for details.

Mileage expenses are paid.

Ramsbury Parish Council News

Death of HM Queen Elizabeth II

We would like to thank the bell ringers at Holy Cross Church for the excellent ringing and tolling which they carried out to mark the passing and funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II and the Church for accommodating a Book of Condolence and the public Moment of Reflection.

Village Emergency Database

We are currently working on producing a village database to enable us to contact residents quickly in an emergency. You will be contacted in the near future and we are hoping that most residents will be willing to share contact details. Information is also available on the Parish Council noticeboard, our facebook page and www.ramsbury.org. uk

Vaccinate to protect Covid and flu could well show a resurgence this winter. If you are offered a vaccination PLEASE take it. This is the best way to protect yourself and the community.

Hills Stores Charity Shop

The Ramsbury Charity Shop is still thriving. Last month we had a tea party to thank many of the volunteers who help to run the shop, without whom the whole operation would not function.

The shop is currently manned by Scouts, Bowls Club, Church, Lunch Club, Centre and British Legion, with Ravensbury Players and WI taking part at other times in the year. We have given out £9,000 so far this year.

Village shops a lifeline

In the last two years the village shops were a lifeline for many. Please continue to support them. This is going to be a hard winter.

The Parish Council meets in Ramsbury Memorial Hall on the third Monday of each month. All are welcome.

Sheila Glass

Not just Birdwatching with Ted Smith

Some time ago I identified my ‘natural world bucket list’. I hoped to see, in their natural environments, Polar Bear, Tiger and Wolf. I was very lucky with Polar Bear in the Arctic and India provided astonishing views of Tiger but Wolf had always eluded me.

On the 27th July 2019 I set off with Sally at 04.15 on what was to be quite an adventure. We were heading for Oulu in Finland, via Helsinki. Once there we boarded our minibus and set off on the four hour drive to the Eastern border with Russia. The ownership of this area is disputed with both Russia and Finland making a claim so there was a sense of excitement as we arrived.

Our lodgings could not be described as luxurious. It was basically a matter of choosing a hut to sleep in during the day. Some had a toilet and a sink and others didn’t. None of them were locked and occasionally during the day we were woken

by people coming in to see if our hut had already been claimed. The main lodge where we came together to eat was warm, noisy and friendly with people talking about their experiences and sharing photographs. There was a real buzz and the hot dishes were both welcome and excellent.

Our first night was in the Paradise hide which took six people. We were dropped there at 5.30 pm and would be picked up around 5.30 am the next morning. My obsession with seeing wolves was now intense and our guide must have been fed up with my constant questioning about the likelihood of one turning up. I don’t know if I was ecstatic or disappointed when, as we were settling into the hide for the night, an adult female Wolf sauntered across the back of the meadow. I had not even sat down and my bucket list was complete!

I will not forget that night in the paradise hide. It never really got dark given our

Bear

Northern latitude in midsummer. We watched a pack of seven wolves including two cubs and an enormous grey wolf for hours - and the bears were numerous. These were European Brown Bears - enormous animals that can weigh up to 600 Kg and can charge at 56 km/h. The North American Grizzly Bear is a subspecies of the Brown Bear. In the middle of the night something happened that will be with me forever. A lone Wolf in the meadow threw back his head and howled. Others appeared and joined in and howls came from the surrounding woods until the air was full with the wildest sound I have ever heard. Every hair stood up on the back of my neck and I felt tears in my eyes. Sally was able to record the chorus on her phone - it was wonderful.

After a day of rest we were re-energised for another night. As we walked over for our evening meal we noticed Red Squirrels everywhere, some of them very tame. We were wiser tonight and packed warmer clothes as well as sandwiches and flasks of hot coffee. We visited a new hide where we had extremely close encounters with huge bears, one actually brushed up against

the hide so we were separated from an enormous bear by a thin layer of canvas!

On the final night my focus had shifted. I had seen and photographed many Bears and Wolves and now I was keen to see Wolverine - so we were deposited at the best site for that species. It looked as if we were going to be unlucky when just before dawn one turned up and gave us a great show - they are amazing animals.

So all in all a memorable short trip which exceeded all expectations. We were sad to say goodbye to our new friends and head for home. When I wake up in the night I can still sometimes hear those howls...

Wolf

Wolverine

Methodist Church Services

Sunday 2nd October - 10.30am Service led by local Preacher. Sunday 9th October - 10.30am (Homeless & Prison) United Service at St Michael’s Church in Aldbourne.

Sunday 16th October - 10.30am Service led by local Preacher.

Dear All

Sunday 23rd October - 10.30am Service led by Revd Geoffrey Floyd. Sunday 30th October - 10.30am Bible Sunday Service led by Deacon Stephen Roe.

All Services held at Aldbourne Methodist Church. All are welcome to join us.

There are two Methodist Church services which really stand out over the month of October.

The first is our Homeless & Prison

Sunday that takes place on the Sunday closest to ‘World Homeless Day’ — 10th October. Homelessness is constantly around us all; while we are all making changes to our lifestyles, so we can keep our homes safe and warm, many homeless charities will surely struggle to help the people they support, particularly due to the current cost of living crisis. Our Prayers are needed in all parts of our county and the world round us. Meanwhile, Prison Sunday also marks the beginning of ecumenical Prisons Week 9th-15th October — a week of prayers and awareness, raising of the needs prisoners and their families, victims, prison staff and all who work along side of them.

Secondly, Bible Sunday is celebrated Sunday 30th October, through us exploring scripture — and baking cakes! God feeds us in many ways; make this an important day to read the Bible, and see what you can discover. You will be amazed once you begin! Or, just come along and join us at our services here in Aldbourne.

And, as a final thought, we remember our Queen and the memories she leaves us all with. Thank you for being a part of all our lives Your Majesty and Rest in Peace.

All are Welcome to join us at Aldbourne Methodist Church.

Coffee Morning

We will hopefully be move back to the Lychgate Room in the High Street at the begin of October, please look out for posters in our shops soon. Or give me a call (01672) 521085.

Join us for Coffee

Thursday 6th 10am October

Thursday 13th1 10am October

Thursday 20th 10am October

Thursday 27th 10am October

We have been really lucky with the weather all through these summer months — dodging the showers. God seems to be ‘fixing’ the weather for us, and making time for us to join together for coffee and a chat. I guess we are blessed!

We have raised a £150.80 so far, running coffee mornings in our garden, Thank you to all for the support received.

Let’s keep it going; there is always time for a coffee and a chat and all are welcome.

Blessings from your Church Steward, Julie Coe

Our grateful thanks to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for 70 years of devotion to duty, her love of life and guidance to us all. Your gracious Majesty, may you rest in peace with your dear Prince Philip.

wonderful memories of being able to say, for most of my life, she was my Queen.

However that left us with a dilemma should we continue with the meeting as planned or cancel it in a mark of respect?

In years to come I’m sure people will ask, “Where were you when the Queen died”? Well I can tell you I was alone, in the village hall in Chilton Foliat, getting ready for our monthly WI meeting. In a way it was lovely to be alone with my thoughts and the

Quiz & Hot Supper Night

Saturday 12th November Doors open; 6.30pm. 7pm start

Tickets will be on sale soon but you can pre-book tickets via email: womens.institute@chiltonfoliat.com or by calling 01488 683190

We decided to continue and, as advertised, Jim Hynes came along to talk about “Challenges for UK Food Production in a Global Context”

With many graphs and information shown onto a large screen we were able to see very clearly how farming methods have had to change to cope with all the many strains and difficulties in this modern life.

Farming machinery that can drive itself, satellite technology that can accurately determine the amount of nitrate each tiny section of land needs thus only using the exact quantities without any waste. One of the most startling pieces of information was the amount of fresh food we send to the landfill on a daily basis, it was shocking. But one piece of evidence proved that during the pandemic lockdown this amount was vastly reduced as people were no longer

shopping in the same way.

There is also a fact that our parents and grandparents not only grew a huge amount of their own produce at home, but left over’s from one meal were used to make another meal for another day, something that sadly we seem reluctant to do now. Maybe offering help with this is something the WI should be taking on?

A huge “thank you” to Jim for a wonderful, and so informative talk. We are also very grateful to Duncan Lee from Ramsbury Estates and Tim Clarke from the Farming and Wildlife advisory group for their input as well. Between them the picture we have going forward is one of hope that we can farm in a sustainable way that is safe for the local wildlife and still produces enough food for us all but it will, and indeed already does, involve a huge amount of change for our farmers and landowners.

Thank you to all the members and friends who came to the Pudding club on Saturday 10th September. We were down on numbers attending but, under the circumstances, this

Axford Angle

A big thank you to everyone that kindly came to help/support the Axford Fete last month. It was a somewhat scaled down version this year —with some things beyond our control — but a good time was had by all and we made in the region of £900 ( not all monies allocated yet) for the village hall and St Michaels Church.

Despite the water levels in the river being low the duck race went ahead, with thanks to Mary and Callum for catching them at the end and their forays into the undergrowth to retrieve those that got stuck and didn’t make it.

was expected. However, people were happy to come in for a chat to air their feelings and share memories of our late Queen.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday 13th October at 7pm in the village hall when the members will take over for the evening giving the committee a night off ! As always this will be an open meeting and guests are welcome to come along for a small donation to funds. Refreshments will be served and there will be a raffle on the night.

In November we will be having a “getting ready for Christmas” night making crackers and wreaths for the festive season. So, if you would like to come along to get ahead with your decoration you will be very welcome.

For any information please contact the secretary, Julia, at: womens.institute@chiltonfoliat.com or telephone me direct on 01488 683190

Best wishes to you all Liz Outridge President

A big thank you also must go to Ramsbury Estate for the lovely new notice board at the Village Hall, with Axford Village Hall across the top. So hopefully no more, “I don’t know where the village hall is” comments!

Cheers Diann Barnett

on Thursday

from

Peter Osmond on 07971

Clergy

Team Rector

The Revd Beth Hutton (Day off - Monday)

The Rectory, Back Lane, Ramsbury SN8 2QH 01672 520235

whittonteamrector@gmail.com

Team Vicar

Vacant

Retired Priest

Revd. Sue Rodd (Day off - Friday) 01672 541571

revsuerodd@btinternet.com

Licensed Lay Minister Mr Tony Eyles 01672 520789

Licensed Lay Minister

Mrs Jackie Hollander 01488 71012

Lay Pastoral Assistant (LPA)

Mrs Estrid Eyles 01672 520789

The Parish of Whitton Contacts

Churchwardens

Lay Pastoral Assistant (LPA) and Parish Safeguarding Officer

Marianne Adey 01672 540629

Chaplain Froxfield College Reverend Ann Massey Methodist Minister Revd. Stephen Skinner rev.stephen.skinner3@gmail.com

Team Office

Church Room, Back Lane, Ramsbury 01672 520963 (Answerphone)

teamoffice@whittonteam.org.uk

Normal Office Hours: Monday 1pm-3pm Thursday 9.30am – 2pm

Ramsbury with Axford

George Hawes 01672 521223

Aldbourne Methodist Steward Julie Coe 01672 521085

Chilton Foliat

Tim Williams 01488 682987

Peter Camfield 01488 685457

Aldbourne

Krystyna Hagerty 01672 540698

Chris McGowan 01672 541362

Baydon

Robert Smart

Froxfield Deputy Wardens Raine Cully and Jan Heppenstall

Bookings

Chilton Foliat Village Hall07435 307279

enquiries@cfvh.co.uk

Froxfield Memorial HallDavid Watson 01672 841315

Ramsbury Church Roomfionamair601@gmail.com

Other services

‘Phone-in / Zoom services’ are each Sunday — except for the first Sunday of the month, when the morning Team Service is usually livestreamed.

10am Team Services: ‘Live-streamed’ church services of Holy Communion available by phoning 0203 481 5240 or 0208 080 6591 or join us via the internet, using ZOOM if you are able: [Meeting ID: 948 7729 2017 - Passcode: 052157]

11.30am Zoom Services on all other Sundays are available by phoning 0203 481 5240 or 0208 080 6591 [Meeting ID: 948 3407 2630 - Passcode: 343860]

Notes

• Informal Worship services are suitable for all ages

• A short (said) service of Holy Communion takes place each Thursday at 10.00am in Ramsbury.

• Phone number for Zoom services: 0203 481 5240 or 0208 080 6591

Private Prayer; Our churches are open during daylight hours (except for Axford).

Please see the notice boards for up to date information.

Email pcc@whittonteam.org.uk if you’d like to be added to our mailing list for resources.

See also our Facebook page: @WhittonTeamNews and the Team website: whittonteam.org.uk

Please also email helpline@whittonteam.org.uk with any requests for prayer and/or practical help at this time – we are here to serve you.

Team services livestream Meeting ID: 948 7729 2017 Passcode: 052157

Other Sundays at 11.30am: Meeting ID: 948 3407 2630 Passcode: 343860

Whitton Team Worship in October 2022

Sunday When Where

October 2nd 8.00am Aldbourne

Type of service

BCP Communion (traditional language) 10.00am Froxfield Team Holy Communion 4.00pm Ramsbury Team Family Service

October 9th 8.00am Ramsbury BCP Communion (traditional language)

9.30am Baydon Holy Communion 9.30am Froxfield Informal Worship 9.30am Ramsbury Matins 11.00am Aldbourne Commuinty Service - Harvest 11.00am Chilton Foliat Harvest Festival 11.30am Zoom/Phone-in Informal Worship 12.30pm Chilton Foliat Baptism

October 16th 8.00am Chilton Foliat BCP Communion (traditional language) 9.30am Baydon Harvest Festival 9.30am Froxfield Holy Communion 9.30am Ramsbury Informal Worship 11.00am Ramsbury Baptism 11.00am Aldbourne Holy Communion & children’s group 11.30am Zoom/Phone-in Informal Worship

October 23rd 8.00am Aldbourne BCP Communion (traditional language) 9.30am Baydon Informal Worship 9.30am Froxfield Matins 9.30am Ramsbury All Age Holy Communion 11.00am Aldbourne Matins & children’s group 11.00am Chilton Foliat Holy Communion (traditional language) 11.30am Zoom/Phone-in Informal Worship

October 30th 8.00am Aldbourne BCP Communion (traditional language) 10.00am Ramsbury Team Holy Communion 3.00pm Chilton Foliat 3.00pm Froxfield 4.00pm Baydon All Souls Service 4.00pm Ramsbury 5.00pm Aldbourne

Bishop Andrew

The Bell at Ramsbury Freehouse, Hotel, Restaurant & Cafe