The Wotton Times - October 2019

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Wotton Times The

Issue 12, October 2019

News for Wotton-under-Edge, Kingswood, Charfield, Wickwar, Hawkesbury, Hillesley, North Nibley and the surrounding areas

50 Years worth shouting about

For many, George Carpenter will have been the town crier for longer than they’ve been alive. After half a century in the role he is as much a part of Wotton-under-Edge as the clock tower or the war memorial. To hear him tell it the role didn’t come about overnight.

Wotton Times exclusive

Tesco Job Losses FIVE JOBS are to go with four more part-time contracts not being renewed, according to a whistleblower from Wotton’s branch of Tesco.

The tip-off, which warns of frustrating times ahead for customers, appears to have caught Tesco management on the hop.

The Wotton Times asked Tesco’s media office if it could confirm our whistleblower’s claims that Wotton’s Tesco Express will see: • Five redundancies of staff, including a mother and daughter who together have served in the store for thirty years • Four cancelled contracts with students who are usually hired to cope with busier holiday traffic

Wotton has never demanded anything from me at all. Never. It doesn’t matter who’s been mayor, they’ve never asked anything from me

• Closure of one of the tills, leaving just one staffed till and the self-service till.

Wotton Blues Festival Page 15

Ding Dong Gone!

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Next Issue of The Wotton Times: Friday 1st November

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“When I first became crier, I was taking part in a production of Robin Hood with the Wotton Amateur Dramatics Society,” recalls George. “I was one of the merry men. During rehearsals the organisers asked me if I’d like to go out and advertise the show.”

George subsequently began going out on weekends to help promote the activities of different organisations across the town.

“Scouts, Guides, the schools, whoever had anything on… I’d go out on a Saturday morning and give them a bit of a boost with an advert for what they were doing, and that’s how it started off.

“I found out that the town trust had the old town crier’s hat and coat, which Mr Lewis Allen, the previous town crier, used to wear.” The crier’s hat and coat were in the care of Oliver Mills, then resident on Church Street. “I went to Oliver and asked if I could use the uniform. He said ‘Of course you can’t.’”

Continued on page 4

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Bank Yard Garage

• A new timetable that sees a “one on one” staffing level – one customer assistant and one shift leader making up the entire workforce from 10.30am.

When asked about the changes, a Tesco spokesperson said they couldn’t comment on the details for Wotton: “We are still undergoing a consultation with colleagues across the UK affected by the changes to our Metro and Express stores, so we’re not yet in a position to share details of changes in individual stores until this process has been completed.”

Continued on page 3

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Sign of the Times Hello and welcome to the newly revamped Wotton Times!

We’ve got a new team and some superficial changes to the paper, but we’re still very much providing the same content as before and (fingers crossed) delivering the same quality and appeal. This is the first issue of the Times for us, but hopefully for everyone reading it will feel like a natural continuation of a community staple.

It would be improper not to start off by giving a massive thank-you to Matt Bigwood and Simon Hacker, who’ve both been incredibly helpful in the process of handing over. Simon will continue to contribute to the Times with his monthly car column, while Matt will still be taking photos for us as and when. Neither of them wanted to have to step back from the paper, so we hope to carry on their good work.

Here are the new team: Ben Norris: Editor Although he hails from Stroud, Ben has some Wotton heritage: his great, great grandfather, Charles Norris, was a postman and celebrated figure in the town at the turn of the 20th century, and his great grandfather Les Norris grew up in Wotton before moving to Bristol. After studying Ocean Science at Plymouth Ben made a sharp left-hand turn into journalism, having written a series of travel blogs in New Zealand that were circulated around his family to mild praise. As his aunt said: “We had no idea he was that smart!”

As a reporter, Ben cut his teeth at the Brighton Argus and Men’s Health UK before returning home to join the team at the Wotton Times.

In his spare time he enjoys playing guitar, walking his labrador and using his taste in music as a substitute for having a personality.

Jason Titley: Design and Layout Jason moved to Wotton 13 years ago with his wife and children and has never looked back. He has worked in the print and publishing industry for the last 30 years, with some of that time spent with the Bath magazine

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Jan, Ben and Jason the Wotton Times team.

publishers Future Publishing. As well as being a skilled designer Jason is also a keen musician, having toured across the country playing Bluegrass guitar as well as more locally on drums with the Wotton country blues outfit the Bad Dads. In between all of this, he helps to run Wotton’s very own monthly disco with a difference, Eclectic Avenue. Jason now works from home as a freelance graphic designer and is very happy to be part of the Wotton Times team.

Jan Baber: Publisher Jan’s background is as a legal secretary, which has put her in good stead for keeping a watchful eye on the new incarnation of the Times. She spent seven years working for an HR publication, where she wore many hats and learnt the ropes in getting a well-respected magazine to print.

Having previously acquired both the Wotton and Five Valleys Directories, she decided to buy the Waterworks and the Electrical Company, taking over the Wotton Times from Matt and Simon in August. Jan moved to Charfield in 1997, and after a stint across the pond in Arizona returned to the village in 2008, where she’s been ever since. She has three grown up children – Mel, Richie and Jenessa – who’ve all been through KLB. Jan loves going to shows and concerts, travelling when time permits and spending time with Merlin, her labradoodle.

All three of us would like to thank everyone for the words of encouragement we’ve received; although superficially it’s been slightly daunting taking over from Simon and Matt, they’ve both been a great help in getting everything up and running, and the amount of enthusiasm the residents of Wotton have shown towards this paper is sincerely humbling. Our main aim is not to squander that goodwill, and (to quote Simon) to continue to provide a paper that places an emphasis on the positive stories that abound in and around Wotton.

Now that we’ve got this issue out of the way we’re returning to a regular release date on the first Friday of every month. We hope you enjoy the stories in this edition, and look forward to seeing you in November!

Artwork by kind permission of Richard Edwards

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Free delivery for orders over £10 From page 1 In a blanket statement on these changes, the shopping giant added: “In a challenging, evolving retail environment, with increasing cost pressures, we have to continue to review the way we run our stores to ensure we reflect the way our customers are shopping and do so in the most efficient way. We do not take any decision which impacts colleagues lightly, but have to make sure we remain relevant for customers and operate a sustainable business now and in the future.”

Ahead of these imminent changes, our whistleblower said morale was already at a low.

“These changes are going to be disastrous to the shop. It will cause bigger queues and more empty shelves as there just clearly won’t be enough staff in the building to fill the shelves or serve the customer. Morale has hit an all-time low in the shop – and it puts

questions on what the future of Tesco in Wotton will be,” our anonymous source said.

Tesco’s cutbacks in Wotton come against a backdrop of national job losses, with staff at Metro stores bearing the brunt. Around 4,500 staff are to leave their posts from 153 tesco Metro Stores under the brand’s latest round of redundancies. In total, Tesco employs 340,000 people across the UK and Ireland.

Management believe the changes, as part of its “turnaround strategy” will save costs by bringing in a “faster and simpler” way of filling shelves, with fewer products stored in back rooms and more stock going straight to the shop floor. Meanwhile, staff will be directed to work “more flexibly” across the store to improve customer service at the busiest times of the day.

Contact us If you have a story, photo, event or sports story you’d like to share with us, email: news@wottontimes.co.uk Or call the Editor, Ben Norris on: 07932 377023 Publisher, Jan Baber: 07581 309007 For advertising enquiries, email: advertising@jbpublishing.co.uk

www.wottontimes.co.uk The Wotton Times The Wotton Times is independent. We cannot take responsibility for content or accuracy of advertising; it is advertisers’ responsibility to conform to legislation.

Opinions published are not necessarily those of the editor. See wottontimes.co.uk for distribution and advertising queries.

Printed by Jam Print • © Copyright JB Publishing Ltd 2019

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October 2019

George Carpenter: 50 Years as the Town Crier From page 1 Undeterred, George kept going back on subsequent Friday afternoons or Saturday mornings, armed with the same request.

“Eventually, he told me that I might as well hang on to it, as it looked as though I was going to be Wotton’s next town crier.”

Since then George has represented Wotton at countless events, locally, nationally and sometimes much further afield. “I was wanted for fetes, remembrance events, everything like that…

I was very busy in that time. I did some weddings as well – usually when the bride and groom didn’t know anything about it. I’d be tucked away in the pews down at the corner of the church, and I would step out as the photographs were being taken and greet the two families, wish them all the best for the future.”

As well as town happenings, George also officiated at different events with some of the local firms. “If we had the lower lieutenant of the county down to visit at Renishaw, I’d walk around with them and if they had something to say I’d introduce them.”

“I did the World Wine Fair in Bristol for five years, starting in 1978. I used to go down and introduce the mayor because they never had a crier there.” Here, George would greet whichever dignitaries turned up and escort the mayor through the crowds with his coach and horses. “That was big – especially the year when they covered Venice, because they actually built a replica bridge across the harbour.”

George balanced his duties as town crier around his work as a carpenter, and devoted much of his spare time to heralding events nationwide.

“I used to get home at 5 o’clock on the Friday and take off up to Blackpool for a competition which would be on the Saturday. Then it’d be home Sunday and back to work on the Monday. I spent

a lot of my own money on representing the town, but I enjoyed what I was doing.”

In his time as town crier, George’s duties have been manifold, taking him as far afield as Halifax and Nova Scotia. “When the Women’s Institute heard that I was going to Canada, they presented me with a cloak from Cam Mills - they didn’t want me to get cold.” George was heavily associated in the twinning ceremony with Beaumont-leRoger, when the charter was signed. “There was no crier in Beaumont, but I went out there with the mayor and a coachload of people who wanted to go. It was quite an elaborate affair.” On one occasion George was part of an event with British Airways, who wanted him to greet 13 jumbo jets.

“They took me out to the pod as they called it and when they pulled up to the steps and opened the door and say: ‘On behalf of British Airways I would like to welcome you to Great Britain and wish you a wonderful time.’”

Although the years are starting to catch up with George, nothing has diminished his enthusiasm for representing the Wotton community.

“I hope to be out like I always am for St George’s Day, and I’m also out on the first Saturday in December – that’s when Wotton has the day they close the streets and have the stalls out then.

I usually escort Father Christmas up the street to the grotto and talk with the different stallholders, so that’s been a success.”

“Wotton has never demanded anything from me at all. Never. It doesn’t matter who’s been mayor, they’ve never asked anything from me.

It was always ‘If we let you know, could you?’, or ‘They’re all doing so-and-so George, if you’re feeling well enough do you reckon you could help us out?’; nine times out of ten I do it, it’s very rare I’ve had to say no. I don’t think I’ve let anyone down yet.”

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The team at Pennwood Lodge was delighted to receive an impressive report that rated the home as ‘Good’ in all areas, demonstrating that the home is providing high standards of care for residents.

The inspectors were full of praise for staff at Pennwood Lodge, in particular highlighting the ways in which they provide care for people living at the home. This sentiment was echoed by residents and their relatives. “Staff are always ready to help,” said one. “Nothing is too much trouble for them.”

The report reflected the variety of stimulating activities available to those living at the home, including musical entertainment, a gentleman’s group and visits from school children.

The home was recognised for its efforts to integrate people living with dementia into the activities programme, as staff used a caring and supportive approach and utilised recognised initiatives to benefit their wellbeing, including doll therapy.

Irene Kirui, Home Manager at Pennwood Lodge, said: “I am so proud of the team at Pennwood Lodge

for working hard together to achieve such a fantastic result.

Ruth Yates, Managing Director at The Kind Care Company which oversees the running of the home, said: “Pennwood Lodge’s CQC rating is fantastic news. I would like to thank the whole team for their commitment and hard work and congratulate them on such an impressive report.

“The Kind Care Company is dedicated to achieving its aim of being the care provider of choice by delivering the very best care and support, and employer of choice for the best, most professional, and kindest care staff.”

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‘River plague’ risk identified in Wotton Exclusive by Simon Hacker

AN OUTBREAK of water-born plague looks likely in a stream that runs through Wotton-under-Edge – thanks to the arrival of an aggressive American predator.

In the wake of speculation on social media that the invasive species of American Signal Crayfish is evident in the stream, the Wotton Times can confirm that the Environment Agency is now investigating the extent of the threat.

Signal crayfish were introduced to the UK in the 1970s. Bigger and more robust than whiteclawed crayfish, they were seen as a lucrative investment for farming diversification, their meat exported to Scandinavia. But they soon managed to escape and spread rapidly through Britain’s waterways, now being blamed for pressure on the status of our indigenous and protected crayfish.

You can go and observe them at the stream, but it’s illegal to remove any crayfish without a licence.

The invading species, which is in evidence in Wotton’s stream, is chiefly differentiated by red colouring on the underside of its claws. As well as its ability to overpower and kill Whiteclawed crayfish, the Signal species carries a fungal plague disease, the spores of which spread virulently and attack other aquatic life forms.

The Environment Agency was quick to react and is taking steps to monitor the stream, which is a tributary of the Little Avon. In September, the Agency reported the deaths of dozens of White-clawed crayfish in a river in Herefordshire and identified crayfish plague as the cause.

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency’s Wessex office told The Wotton Times that as well as seeking to identify crayfish numbers, samples would be taken to test for plague spores which can spread rapidly through watercourses.

“The bad news for the native species is that the plague kills them and because they are bigger and nastier they simply out-compete.

This is an increasing problem, because they are so good at spreading up through waterways.

“We’d advise the public to help us limit the risk of future deaths of this endangered species,” he said. “You can go and observe them at the stream, but it’s illegal to remove any crayfish without a licence.”

Because of the plague spores, he said, anyone making contact with the water must clean and disinfect boots and any equipment.

Crayfish plague spores can last up to 22 days on damp fishing tackle, footwear clothes or any machinery and could potentially spread the disease.

The Inland Waterways Association warns that white-clawed crayfish were once a widespread and common species in English and Welsh rivers, but have suffered a decline of 50–80% across their European range in the last ten years and are now

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classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species, with a risk of global extinction.

“The native crayfish is being driven towards extinction through the spread of crayfish plague and competition for resources. Signal crayfish are bigger, grow faster, reproduce more quickly and are more tolerant of a wider range of conditions than native crayfish. They feed on fish and amphibian eggs, tadpoles, juvenile fish, aquatic invertebrates, detritus and aquatic vegetation and, where present, reduce populations of native species and affect food webs.”

If you spot dead crayfish in any watercourses in the Wotton Times area, call the Environment Agency on 0800 807060 – and do not handle live or dead crayfish.

It is illegal to handle native crayfish without a licence from Natural England, while trapping of any species also requires licensing from the Environment Agency.

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October 2019

Extinction Rebellion banner appears on Tyndale Monument A banner bearing the Extinction Rebellion emblem was hoisted on North Nibley’s Tyndale Monument on Saturday 5 October,

The banner, which proved to be divisive amongst the community, bore the words “If not you, who? If not now, when?”, and appeared prior to two weeks’ planned climate protests in London.

Some were supportive of the move, arguing that William Tyndale would have approved of the message behind it.

Stella Laing said: “Bearing in mind William Tyndale’s own story I think it is very apt. I don’t agree that people who want to stop the destruction of our planet are ‘selfish’.”

William Tyndale was executed by Henry VIII for translating the New Testament into English and opposing the annulment of the king’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Tyndale Monument was built in 1886 near the site of Tyndale’s birthplace.

Not everyone was supportive of the banner, however.Kay Russell, who lives in North Nibley, said: “Put it up on Wotton Church then – don’t deface North Nibley’s beautiful monument!”

The banner was later removed; at the time of writing no arrests have been made related to the incident.

The monument, which is clearly visible from the M5, is regarded as one of the gateways to the Cotswolds and can be seen from as far away as Bristol.

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Extinction Rebellion are a climate protest group demanding radical policy change from the government in response to a global climate crisis.

Their latest demonstrations are reported to involve activists taking to the streets in over 60 countries to protest against climate inaction.

Photo by Matt Bigwood

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‘Flat demand’ underpins bid for shop conversion

Simon Hacker

RECENTLY closed shop premises in Wotton’s Long Street will be converted into residential accommodation if a planning bid gets approval.

D Cole Building Supplies, run for many years by Jim Cole, who now trades from Uley, ceased trading earlier this year. The shop at number 22a, which is accessed via a covered walkway opposite Lloyds Bank in Long Street, faces potential conversion.

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Surveyors acting for the bid have told Stroud District Council that the change of use, with minor internal and external alterations to the Grade II listed building, will also address a need for “extensive repair”. The Ethical Tea Shop, LoobyLou Yarns and Mint will not be affected by the work.

Details of the plan include the demolition of a modern lean-to on the front elevation, conversion and restoration of the building’s rear projection to create a two-storey, two-bed dwelling and external landscaping for garden space.

A retail impact statement to support the bid, made on behalf of Clipper Properties Ltd, paints a sombre picture for the town’s retail activity against a sobering national backdrop: “The retail sector is under significant pressure; in the last year there has been an acceleration in the number of store closures with over 7,500 net store closures in 2018, a 36% increase on 2017.”

“More worryingly,” the report continues, “retail sales for June 2019 fell by the biggest margin for 10 years. More closures are inevitable as retailers adapt to consumers new spending habits and in particular the increase of online shopping.”

The report adds: “More than 50% of the households go outside Wotton-Under-Edge for their main food shopping to either Dursley, Yate, Stroud or Nailsworth. There is a regular turnover of retail occupiers in Wotton Under Edge and at any time there are always several shops available.

“Research suggests that rents have remained stable for several years which reflects flat demand and a regular supply.

The majority of shops are rented to tenants and leases tend to be for short term periods. This lack of commitment further reflects the uncertainty of the market.”

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ITV stars draw in the crowds A PAIR of TV stars drew sizable crowds to the Ancient Ram during a visit to Wotton on Thursday 19 September.

Love Island star Maura Higgins and presenter and actor Joe Swash were on location with film crew for the production of a new ITV show, but found time to chat and pose for selfies with fans.

Landlady Caroline Humphries said she was delighted to host the celebrity duo, and that it made a change to her typical Thursday routine.

“They were both really friendly – they kept leaving the filming to give autographs and talk to the people gathered outside,” she said.

“When word got out that we had Maura and Joe here it spread like wildfire, it seemed like we had half the town at the door.”

Since first appearing on screens in 2015,

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October 2019

The Mystery of the Wotton Bells

RESIDENTS of Wotton-under-Edge have had one question on their lips for the past few weeks: where have the bells gone?

the popular ITV franchise has been adopted in Australia, Germany, Sweden and the USA. A winter series is due to air in January 2020.

The bells at St Mary’s Church, which normally ring vocally throughout the week and fill the town with music, have been unusually silent recently.

So where have they gone?

According to Adrian Davis, there’s an ongoing issue with the bell ringing mechanism.

He said: “Unfortunately we have had to stop the church clock due to an issue with the automatic winding mechanism for the chimes.

“We hope to have it resolved as soon as possible.

Sorry for the loss of the chimes.”

In the meantime the bells will be rung as normal, Tuesday 7:30 - 9pm and Sunday 9:30 - 10:15.

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The Wotton-under-Edge Bridge Club Have you considered playing or learning how to play bridge? Bridge is a fascinating card game and an ideal pastime for anybody who wants to get away from the TV or the computer screen.

It provides the opportunity to go out and meet people, to make new friends and to be stimulated mentally - all for less than the price of a pint!

The Wotton Bridge Club is thriving. We have been meeting on Wednesday evenings for nearly 25 years and now regularly have 10 or more tables. Last November we started a second

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session, on Monday evenings, and this has been successful with 5 or 6 tables usually in play.

There is plenty of scope to accommodate more people, especially on Mondays.

For the last 15 years, lessons have been available, with many of the attendees subsequently joining the bridge club. There is also a “gentle” bridge club in Wotton, which caters for less experienced players and for those who are still learning.

The Club will be offering lessons again this autumn, based in the Civic Centre. You can come

as a complete beginner or as somebody who might have dabbled in the past. If you want more information, please refer to the club’s website for details – www.bridgewebs.com/wotton

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To farm or not to farm?

So can we go back to figuratively sitting atop Wotton Hill as it’s a great spot to continue our perusing about what is good and what is bad in fish? We’ve talked much about wild salmon over our last two vignettes, but what about all the farmed stuff?

Without often realising it, much of our fish these days comes from aquaculture.

Some is good but most isn’t that brilliant, but there’s no way out of it - some fish farming has to play its part in feeding the world’s growing population.

Now, firstly, fish farming has been around for centuries. Perhaps not in the way we think about it these days but look around the derelict monasteries in the country and hidden beneath the undergrowth there’ll be some form of pond or ponds once used to rear fish in freshwater. Common carp were bred by the church in their thousands to feed both the monks and the locality.

Before that it was the Romans who introduced it into Northern Europe, including the UK. This fish - Cyprinus carpio - originates from Southeast Europe, the Black Sea and much of Asia. However it was the Chinese who first farmed fish back some 4000 years ago.

Closer to home are various trout farms, another freshwater species has been farmed by man for generations: our own local Nind ponds are an example. Freshwater fish are relatively easy to produce in this way, only needing a source of oxygen in the water and some food.

Oysters have been ‘cultivated’ for centuries, and again it was the Romans who first practised it in Europe when they started the process in Southern Italy.

Today oysters are grown in various ways in coastal areas all over the world.

Mussels are perhaps the best example of farmed seafood. Although they grow wild in very many parts, they are easily farmed as they will attach themselves to ropes or columns, and need no food as they simply filter seawater. In fact mussel production has been described as the ultimate answer to food production because of its almost zero-carbon footprint. I love them – give them a go!

Prawns are another popular seafood. King prawns, Tiger prawns; call them what you want, but the vast majority of these freshwater prawns are farmed in grubby ponds in India and Southeast Asia. First practiced in

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Mike Smylie with a cod in Unst, Shetland.

Malaysia in the early 1960s, prawn farming is now a massive industry, often imported into the UK at the expense of our much tastier North Atlantic prawns. These cold water prawns have been landed in the UK for generations but I often find them scarce on supermarket shelves whereas these very same shelves are full of the farmed variety.

And then, of course, there’s saltwater fish. Many shoppers will have purchased sea bass or bream, unaware that this is mostly farmed. Yet go to countries like Greece and you’d be surprised at the number of fish farms that have popped up over the last decade or two. Read the labels at the supermarket to see how vast amounts of these fishes come from Greece, whose warm waters are regarded as perfect for rearing such fish.

Warm seawaters, though, aren’t good for that king of farmed fish - the salmon. Scotland produces tons of it, some labelled ‘organic’, as does Ireland, though the majority of these farms are actually Norwegian owned.

Roughly 189,707 tonnes were produced in Scotland alone in 2017, giving work to some 123,000 folk. Even though supermarkets can sell slabs of salmon at knockdown prices, the practice of salmon farming manages to attract a huge amount of bad press. Pollution, disease and mortality rates are all reasons to avoid the poorest of quality. Apparently 9.5 million salmon have died in Scotland through disease since 2016, with one regulator quoted as saying “the regulated structure isn’t as good as it should be”. Hundreds of tons of chemicals are used to try and beat the disease that farmed salmon can suffer, largely due to the fact that they swim around in pens for a couple of years, these pens otherwise allowing parasites in and the salmon’s waste products to sit on the seabed below the pen. The companies like to market their products as healthy, sustainable and environmentally friendly but, in my mind, they are not. Farmed salmon is generally fatty, low in Omega-3 and environmentally destructive, and poses a danger to wild salmon due to the risk of disease. But that’s only my opinion. Sadly, as we’ve seen, wild salmon isn’t available these days while a million meals of farmed salmon are said to be eaten in the UK each day. Yuck!

Is there an alternative? Yes – try Alaskan salmon. Although some refer to this as ‘farmed’ simply because the salmon fry are grown ashore and then placed into the cold rivers, it is well managed and the fish are allowed to mature. Fishing takes place at sea in the normal way for short periods and the taste of the salmon far outweighs anything you’ll find grown artificially here in Europe. The downside - it has to travel by air to get to Wotton!

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Let’s get this show on the road Glorious weather and a Carribean theme saw visitors flock to this year’s Kingswood Showday on Saturday 7th September.

Entertainment was provided in the Caribbean music marquee by Steel Appeal steel band, as well as the ebullient Mister Disco’s Lennox Blackwood.

Later in the day, local band The Hypothetics played an energetic set to enthusiastic crowds.

Arena activities included limbo dancing and a defibrillator resuscitation enactment as well as the ever-popular classic car and bike parade.

Fun for the whole family was provided by the Fun Dog Show, WI Teas, Pimm’s/Prosecco Bar, Caribbean Rum Punch Bar, the famous KVA Burger BBQ and Sebs Ice Creams.

Outside there was plenty of entertainment for the kids, including the surf-board simulator, jungle run obstacle course, Punch & Judy shows, coconut shy, pot painting and sand art, as well as numerous other creative games stalls.

A spokesperson for the event said: “We were very pleased with the quality of the exhibits this year in the produce and handicwraft show, despite Kingswood Village Association volunteers on barbecue duty. a slightly lower number of exhibitors.

“The appearance of the village hall was superb due to the paintings, Purvis challenge cup ( flowers) Angela Stephens drawings and poems produced by playgroup and Kingswood Primary school.

Edgeveg trophy ( fruit and veg) Julie Devine “A special thanks should be given to the local guides and brownies, who Village Association Cup (food/drink) Ria Kendall not only ran their stall but helped on the gate all afternoon.

KVA Arts and handicraft cup ( creative) Mike Cromie “We’d also like to big thank you to everyone who came along and spent their money, as well as all our helpers, sponsors and advertisers.

Marcus Kemp Teddy trophy ( pre-school) “This year we had numerous local crafters join us with their beautiful

and Lydia Stacey products ranging from jewellery, cards, candles, art and mosaic along with Toby Gambrill Holmes junior cup (3-6 years) the opportunity to sample tasty pickles and jams.”

Howard Messenger trophy (7-10 years) Ellie Ponting Visitors also had the opportunity to browse an impressive collection of Alexander showday trophy (11-16 years) Jenna Kitson vehicles in the Classic Car Show.

Jeff Trueman Senior citizen trophy All funds raised by the Kingswood Village Association are put towards WI trophy Haidee Jackson donations to other Kingswood organisations for the benefit of the village.

Sarah Case showday trophy If your organisation wishes to be considered for a donation, contact (best exhibit in show) Mike Cromie www.kva.btck.co.uk.

This Year’s Winners

The usual display of classic cars graced Kingswood Playing Field at the annual Showday.

A pup not happy about entering in the dog show.

Photos by Matt Bigwood

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October 2019

Shaenna saddles up for a hot savannah challenge WOTTON charity hub creator Shaenna Loughnane and her dentist husband Phil are gritting their teeth for a Herculean bike challenge: a ride from the shadow of Kilimanjaro all the way to the Ngorongoro Crater in Africa.

The breathtaking five-day, 360km ride across Tanzania’s savannah and through the Great Rift valley will kick off on November 2nd. Heading to the shores of Lake Menyara and the World Heritage landscape of the giant Ngorongoro crater, the couple will be joined by dentist Sally-Anne Barnes and a team of five friends.

The peloton hope to raise funds to boost the crucial work of Wotton-based charity Bridge2Aid, of which Shaenna is chief executive.

Shaenna, who established The Keepers charity hub in Symn Lane, told The Wotton Times: "We’re a small charity based in Wotton that trains rural health workers in East Africa in emergency dental care. In Tanzania there are 111 dentists for a population of 56 million, while in Malawi, just 18 dentists for 18 million.”

Husband Phil will also be in Tanzania for two weeks before the ride assisting on one of our dental training programmes.

"Between the eight of us, we’re hoping to raise about £12,000 which would pay for the training

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Sally-Anne Barnes (l), Phil and Shaenna Loughnane poised and ready with their bikes. of two rural health workers. They will be able to offer ongoing emergency dental care to around 20,000 people who wouldn’t have had it before,” Shaenna added.

To support their incredible journey, you can find more information on sponsorship via bridge2aid. org or go direct to justgiving.com/fundraising/ philandshaennascycle.

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Restored fingerpost gets the point across FOLLOWING years of neglect, the fingerpost in the centre of Kingswood has been restored by a team of volunteers.

The fingerpost, which stands next to the village war memorial, had fallen into a state of disrepair after one of its arms was damaged by a vehicle several years ago.

Led by David Hatton, a former chairman of Kingswood Parish Council, a group was put together to restore the post following fears that it would be demolished.

Other members of the group included mechanical engineer Bill Howgego, civil engineer Stewart Lloyd and architect Mike Rousseau.

Despite Gloucestershire Highways giving a quotation of £18,000 to carry out the necessary work, the group managed to restore it for a fraction of the cost.

Together, they carefully repaired the damaged arm and finial, replaced missing lettering, and completely redecorated all the components of the fingerpost.

David said: “We needed the expertise and equipment of McAllister Masonry of Stonehouse to dismantle the fingerpost, but once they had taken it down we could do the rest.

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“We also got some help from the Rowe Veterinary Group who kindly X-rayed the damaged arm so that we knew where to find the steel reinforcement.”

The Gloucestershire concrete fingerposts are large, with each of the arms weighing about 45 kilograms.

The fingerpost was reassembled by McAllister Masonry on September 23.

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October 2019

Sari Schorr at the Town Hall

The Liam Ward Band live at The Star

Built 4 Comfort at The Swan

Blind justice Page live at The Falcon

Keith Thompson Band live at UTEA

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Built 4 Comfort at The Swan

Blues Festival is ‘best yet’ ON a bright weekend in early autumn, the spirit of 60s Memphis made its way across the Atlantic for the fourth annual Wotton Blues Festival.

Photos by Sarah Clough and Dave Draisey

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Taking place from September 20 to 22, the festival saw performances spread over six venues across the town centre, with Gloucestershire artist Sari Schorr headlining at the town hall on Saturday night.

Dave Draisey, chairman of the Wotton Blues Festival Association, told the Times that he felt it was the best festival he’d seen so far.

“It’s a great event for the community, and it’s good for the town – a lot of people come in for the weekend and hopefully find a couple of new bands to follow.

“We have a rule that each band can only come and play for two consecutive years to increase the diversity of the acts we have.”

Dave expressed his gratitude towards everyone who contributed to the organisation and funding of the Blues Festival.

“I’d like to thank Renishaw Engineering, Wickwar Wessex Brewery Co, Nibley Festival and all the pubs in Wotton who gave us space to put on the acts.”

As well as a wide array of live acts for audiences to enjoy, there were also an assortment of workshops for those looking to get up close

and personal with the music.

These workshops included electric guitar with Phil Harris, harmonica with Ben Hewlett and blues slide guitar with Steve Page. Page and Hewlett also gave an intimate blues tutorial, with the two musicians breaking into impromptu jams on harmonica and guitar.

Peter Davies, who was behind the online organisation for the event, agreed that this year was the best one yet.

“Our aim is that the Blues Festival should be inclusive to all comers by offering free entry to the events, along with promoting Wotton as a destination for music lovers.

“I think we achieved this again in 2019, and I was so pleased to see people attending from around the country.

“The whole festival ran smoothly, which is down to the hours of planning put in by the committee during the year, then delivered with the help of our volunteers.​” Peter praised the town for its support for the festival: “Many local traders had blues-based music themes in their shop windows. We even turned the famous Tolsey Clock a deep moody blue over the festival weekend.”

Planning is already underway for next year, which has been earmarked for the third weekend of September 2020.

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October 2019

KLB students on top of the world at prize giving Climbing mountains was very much the theme at Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School’s annual prize-giving event where the school celebrated the achievements of its students over the past year.

The guest of honour this year was motivational speaker Bonita Norris, who at the age of 22 was the youngest woman to successfully climb Everest.

During her enthralling illustrated talk, Ms Norris described her journey from university media studies student to record-breaking mountaineer, and in doing so skillfully wove in a number of life lessons that she had learnt on her way to the summit of the world’s highest mountain.

Among the pupils receiving prizes were those who had excelled in academic study, as well as those who, like Bonita Norris, had achieved what they never thought possible; those who had climbed their own personal mountains. Winner of the prize for Academic Excellence at A-level was Simon Alliston. Simon achieved A* grades in mathematics, further mathematics and physics and was delighted to receive his award before heading off to the University of Cambridge to study Natural Sciences. At GCSE, this year’s star performer was Archie Gent with nine passes at grade 9, the highest grade, and two at grade 8.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection report the school was praised for its peer-mentoring scheme,

Talking in Confidence, where Year 13 students provide valuable support for younger students experiencing difficulty. It was for her outstanding contribution to this scheme that Sophia Johnson won the Prize for Community Service. Head of Sixth Form, Hannah Khan, said: “All students work hard to support those who are assigned to them, but Sophia’s contribution exceeded all expectations. She was wonderful!”

It was left to headteacher Tim Rand to bring the evening to a close. “What a wonderful evening and congratulations to all our students who have received awards tonight. You should be extremely proud of your achievements. Thank you to Bonita Norris for her motivating speech; we might not all climb Everest, but I am sure that her words have helped inspire us to conquer our own challenges in life.”

Peak performance: motivational speaker Bonita Norris inspired students at KLB school’s achievements night.

Coming up at Under The Edge Arts: Oct 11- Nov 11 Friday, October 11 SCJC Jazz Jam: 8pm. Bringing jazz to the local community and to all levels of ability.

All instruments/vocalists will be made welcome. If you can play the blues and want to have a crack at jazz then this is for you!

All welcome - free entry.

Saturday, October 12 Alan Burke: 8pm. Widely regarded as one of the finest ballad singers of his generation, Alan Burke possesses an almost inexhaustible repertoire of traditional, contemporary and self-penned songs in both English and Irish. £10/£8.

Friday, October 18 Friday Night Fred Talks: 8pm. Fred Talks returns with another three fascinating short talks by invited speakers. £5.

Saturday, October 19 Nature in Needle Felt - Workshop: 10am - 2pm.

Make a realistic needle felt picture of your favourite animal, wildflower or landscape at this workshop with local artist Sophie Wheatley of All Things Felt & Beautiful.

All equipment and materials are provided - just bring a picture to follow. For more info contact Sophie on 07706 279252. £65.

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Saturday, October 19 Vinyl night: 8pm. Bring your favourite vinyl tracks on the theme of TV shows - bar open.

All welcome - free entry.

Saturday & Sunday, November 2nd & 3rd KLB Exhibition: 10am - 4pm. A display of work by the A Level art students at KLB school. Free entry - refreshments available.

Friday, October 25 All About That Bass: 8pm. Paul Marshall invites you to a relaxed, informative and entertaining evening, dedicated to his less celebrated instrument of choice: the bass guitar! Paul will convey his passion for all things bass via a multimedia experience. This is for all ages and musicians and non-musicians alike. £5/£3.

Friday, November 8 SCJC Jazz Jam: 8pm. See 11th October for details.

Saturday, October 26 British Summer Time Ends featuring South Cotswolds Jazz Club Players: 8pm. The South Cotswolds Jazz Players are all regulars of the Jazz Jams at UTEA. Shairon Lloyd will be providing vocals on classics such as Route 66, Sway and Let’s Do It. Celebrate the end of BST with jazz, a sprinkling of blues and a friendly cafe-style ambience. £8/£6.

Friday, November 1 Vinyl Night: 8pm. Let us spin your favourite ‘Sport’ vinyl tracks, or just come along to listen and enjoy a drink. Free entry.

Saturday, November 9 Nature in Needle Felt - Workshop: 10am - 2pm.

See 19th October for details.

Saturday, November 9 Gigspanner: 8pm. In the wake of his departure from Steeleye Span, legendary fiddle player Peter Knight has turned his full attention to his trio Gigspanner, and in the process established their reputation as one of the most ground-breaking forces on the British folk scene.Visit www.gigspanner.com for more information. £15.

Alan Burke: Saturday, October 12th

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2020 calendar gives a snapshot into the town’s past and present The latest edition of Wotton Heritage Centre’s popular calendar series will provide an insight into life in the town a hundred years ago.

The calendars, which will be available to buy in the coming weeks, will feature a selection of historic photos from the turn of the 20th century.

Jeff Walshe, who has been producing the calendars with his wife Janet since 2005, says the inspiration for the theme came from a poem by U. A. Fanthorpe, who lived in Wotton-under-Edge in her later years.

“For this year’s calendar, we thought we’d do something different by featuring old pictures of Wotton. In particular, pictures that show what life in Wotton used to be like.”

“We’ve been enhancing the photos so you can actually see the people and faces, rather than just anonymous figures.

“These pictures date from the turn of the 20th century to the 1930s – my favourite is one of a boy on a bridge, he’s wearing an expression very much like one you or I would wear were you standing in the same spot.”

The depiction of Wotton in sepia tones is sure to strike a chord with older residents whose memories of the town date back to the 40s and 50s.

Jeff said that Wotton Heritage Centre began selling their own calendars featuring the town in 2005, promoting the image of Wotton as a rural postcard community.

“After our first run we started using different themes. We have twelve sponsors, and each one has their own page.

“We have had one or two competitions with people sending photos in. The most popular are the ones that promote Wotton’s ‘chocolate box’ image.”

Hawkesbury Primary School A thriving village school where every child is a highly valued individual

Open Day Tuesday 15th October

Telephone 01454 238629 enquiries@hawkesbury.org.uk

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October 2019

A View From The Pew Tom Wharin: Could Westminster stand to learn from the country’s churches?

The division of Wotton into church people and chapel people is still just within living memory.

In the 1700s this reflected differing views of the church, the state and baptism, and meant genuine personal sacrifice for those who differed from the prevailing opinion. By the mid 20th century the labels were mostly family traditions or convenient covers for personal agendas and arguments. Either way, the division was a real part of life in Wotton.

Maybe it was the decline of UK churches in general, or maybe it was the realisation that Christian churches have a core of common faith which is much bigger than the mantle of their differences but the churches in Wotton have put aside their divisions, working together to share the Christian story and to work for the good of the town. In addition to the shared services – Easter sunrise, Good Friday march, Remembrance Sunday and the Living Crib – Christians from across the churches also run Wotton Foodbank, the Ark café, Christian Aid week, Open the Book and leavers services for our primary schools, Holiday at Home for older folk and lots of other one-off events and activities.

The churches are also committed by a recently renewed covenant to understanding and respecting

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our differences, as well as speaking well of one another in public. It’s not just in Wotton either – mainstream Christian church leaders don’t just stand together at the Cenotaph, they work together against poverty and injustice and for the sharing of the good news of Jesus across the country.

Watching the news recently, I wonder whether it’s time for the mainstream political parties to learn something from the churches. We all know that there are cross-bench committees doing great work behind the scenes at Westminster and that cross-party collaborations at district level can bear fruit for local communities, but the headlines are still full of top level party divisions. Maybe Brexit (or No Brexit) could become an opportunity to put the old tribal loyalties down, to learn to listen and understand the reasons for our divergence and to start working together on what unites us for the good of the nation?

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Autumn dangers posed to pets Autumn brings a new set of challenges for pet owners and their pets: be prepared this fall and know what to look out for.

Acorns are a sign that autumn is well and truly here, but can be dangerous for our pets. When ingested they can cause an intestinal blockage.

They also contain a toxic ingredient called tannic acid, which can cause damage to the liver and kidneys. Signs include lethargy, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort.

As the weather gets colder it brings frost and ice, meaning antifreeze is used by many of us. One of the main components of antifreeze is ethylene glycol which is sweet tasting and very palatable to pets. The ingestion of a small quantity can cause serious damage to the kidneys and be fatal. If intoxicated, your pet may appear drunk. If you know or think your dog has ingested

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antifreeze, contact your vet without delay.

Halloween festivities mean that sweets and chocolate are everywhere we turn. Great for us, but not for our furry friends. Chocolate contains a stimulant that is poisonous to dogs called theobromine. This stimulant mainly affects the central nervous system, heart and kidneys.

Symptoms may include vomiting, diarrhoea, restlessness, rapid breathing, loss of coordination, increased heart rate and seizures, and will occur between 4 and 24 hours after ingestion.

Fireworks are not limited to the 5th November - they are often let off regularly throughout the festive season. They can cause quite a lot of distress to our pets, so where possible, don’t leave your pet alone when they’re going off. Keep them indoors and keep all windows and curtains closed to keep noise to a minimum, providing them with somewhere to hide if possible. Walk your dog

before it gets dark and the noises start, keeping them on the lead so they can’t run off.

Ingestion of grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure for our pets. The toxic substance that causes this is unknown. It may cause an even more serious reaction to dogs with existing health problems.

If your dog consumes any leaves that have fallen, it can lead to gastrointestinal upset as mould and bacteria can develop amongst piles of leaves.

Please be extra vigilant this autumn, and if your pet displays any of the signs or symptoms mentioned, please contact your vet as soon as possible.

Rowe Veterinary Group have surgeries at Yate, Thornbury, and Bradley Stoke, as well as the Wotton Veterinary Surgery and MRI Referral Centre at Bradley Green, 01453 843295.

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October 2019

Bedposts and bishops: waste not want not It was not so long ago that I attended a property locally, to prepare a probate valuation of the contents.

The solicitor had provided me with a list of bequests, specific items that the deceased had bequeathed to family and friends. It was quite a list but I was able to locate everything, with the exception of a Georgian mahogany four poster bed - quite the largest object in the house and, you would have thought, quite unmissable. I came to the conclusion that it had already been sold and the will simply not updated.

With the house search completed, I went through the outbuildings which contained the usual garden sundries of little value.

The final outbuilding was a tin shed, partly covered in brambles at the very far end of the orchard. I hacked my way towards it and managed to haul open the door and peered into just another shed full of dry old boxes, garden tools, step ladders, etc. I put my torch to work to scan the depths, hoping to avoid going in and there at the back I saw one of the bed posts standing neatly in one corner and, in the other corner, another bedpost, equally upright. I shone the torch to my near left and right and found two more posts, equally upright and standing in each corner. It seemed that the bed had been dismantled in the house, taken down to the end of the orchard, reassembled and clad in corrugated iron creating a perfect shed frame, about 6 feet in length and about 5 feet in width and it had survived surprisingly well.

The beneficiary was of course delighted to hear that I had found the bed in such good condition, less so when they learned that it had been converted to a garden shed; fully salvageable, but not before a good deal of work and effort had gone into it.

Perhaps the most bizarre object I have ever sold I found in the hallway of a farmhouse. The tenancy was due for renewal after three or four generations. The family, with no sons to take on the land, had decided to give up the farm and retire and could I go and advise on the contents?

This I did willingly. In the hallway I noticed a very gnarled oak carving, which although very weather damaged clearly resembled a bishop wearing his mitre. He stood about three feet high and was I thought 17th century, if not earlier.

“If you think that’s a 17th century carving,” the farmer’s wife said, “You are as daft as my husband. That”, she said, “is a weathered oak post we took out when we cleared the rick-yard fence.

I brought it in to burn and my husband said “that old post looks just like a bishop” and he would not let me burn it, and that’s why it’s on the wall.

It’s just a weather beaten old stump of wood.”

When we collected the furniture for the sale some weeks later, the ‘bishop’ was still on the wall.

“Can I take it?”, I enquired. “lf you think your reputation can stand it, please do,” said the farmer’s wife.

I catalogued it carefully, in a non-committal sort of way, ‘An early oak figure of a bishop,

Philip Taubenheim shares some of his stranger finds heavily weathered,’ and estimated it at £80-£120.

Strangely, once in the saleroom, it looked less like a bishop than it did in the farmhouse and at the auction it failed to sell. You had to have a certain imagination to understand the piece and well we were just short of imaginative people at that sale.

However, after the auction, a dealer arrived to collect a purchase and saw the piece.

“Did you sell the carving?” he enquired.

“Not quite,” I replied, “I actually didn’t get a bid.” “Well,” he said, “I do have a German client who buys early carvings. He particularly likes the weathered and ancient appearance that these pieces acquire when they are exposed to the elements over hundreds of years.” I could not have agreed more with him and he gave me the £100.

Some months later, I ran into him again.

“Did your client like the bishop?” I enquired.

“Like it?” he said, “He considers it one of the best pieces in his collection! The only thing that he didn’t understand was that, when he was cleaning it and preparing it to be polished, in the back he found a staple and a length of barbed wire!” “Oh I know,” I replied, “it had had a very rough life,” So, who knows what has happened to these ancient pieces of timber over the years, but I am just so pleased it is now part of an important collection!

Victorian library Table – sold for £2,400

Moorcroft vase – sold for £820

Lava cameo bracelet – sold for £240

Victorian claret jug – sold for £220

Auction Dates: Viewing day: November 18th Sale Dates: November 19th & 20th

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A nice morning for a bloodbath A milestone for a bloody battle on our doorstep is looming. Simon Hacker joined a compelling walk into its grim details

AS ANYONE with scarred memories of those school lessons knows, history isn’t horrible, it’s boring.

Little wonder then that, judging by the popularity of Game of Thrones, many of us prefer our stories of dead people to be fictional. Against a backdrop of declining interest in the humanities at A-level, the question might not be so much how we engage with the past as whether we even should. Yet as Churchill said when he borrowed the phrase in 1948, "those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”

Next year, it will have been 550 years since two local aristocrats decided to knock seven bells out of each other at North Nibley. Think of this bizarre moment as a macro lesson from history delivered on a micro level (though an estimated 150 people were gruesomely butchered and, to them, it was very much a macro day). Should we care about the Battle of Nibley Green, or should we let it slide into the haze of history to be no more than a faded footnote in some forgotten tome in the county's archives?

Those who’d shrug and say the last private battle on English soil is pretty meaningless to our lives today might want to linger a little more on Churchill’s warning. Or better still, find out a bit more about the work of the Battlefields Trust. This is the UK charity dedicated to the protection and promotion of Britain's historic fields of conflict.

That itself appears a bit dry, but the reality is more Ramblers Association meets time travel. Sounds more juicy?

As an ambassador for the Trust, Adam Dolling, who lives in Wotton-under-Edge, inadvertently stepped into a role as the expert guide for Nibley’s compelling story. “I was always fascinated by what happened on that fateful day and I wrote a piece for the Trust’s magazine. The next thing I knew, they were asking me to lead people on a step-by-step guide to what happened,” he says.

I note he doesn’t say “exactly” what happened, but that’s what makes history so intriguing: it never delivers a complete picture. As we are to discover, as some thirty of us trundle off down Frog Lane from North Nibley’s St Martin's church into a gorgeous September morning, the half we don’t know is what makes such events so instantly absorbing.

Understandably, everyone wants to know the backstory to why Thomas Talbot, aka Viscount Lisle and the boss of Wotton, decided to challenge William (Lord) Berkeley. As part of what would become the longest running legal dispute in English history, at least pre-Brexit, we’d need a four-page supplement to cover these details.

Suffice to say the conflict at hand lay between this 19-year-old upstart and the comparatively cool-headed Lord Berkeley: it had been festering for generations and was a source of handsome income for many a lawyer. Talbot, “a hothead” as Adam tells us, had recently bungled a sly attempt to sneak into Berkeley Castle and challenged Berkeley to a fight in a fit of pique. They’d meet

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On the trail: history sleuths congregate at St Martin’s parish church in North Nibley. the next day on the common, both parties knowing the chaos of the ongoing Wars of the Roses would ensure little chance of state intervention.

In many ways, this is a parable of the perils of youthful impetuosity. Talbot called on all his local supporters to assemble, a force which included subjects from his Wotton powerbase who’d have little choice but to obey his orders. In all, with little notice, he probably mustered some 300-400 men. William Berkeley, by contrast, cast a wider net, being the county's foremost landowner. Sons of the soil made up a good part of his contingent, but so, too, did artisans of war: mercenaries, seasoned longbowmen, the kind of men who knew how to fire arrows at a rate of ten a minute.

The kind who’d get the job done. A thousand rose to the challenge. I suspect you might guess where this is going.

Our walk, interspersed with these ominous vignettes from Adam, takes us left from the bottom of Frog Lane and past the Isle of Rhey as we draw closer to the edge of Nibley Common, or at least where it lay before those newfangled things called hedges came along. The lane west towards Bush Street Farm gives us increasing perspective of the impending horror of that day.

Lisle’s Wotton retinue had amassed on Shankley Hill and somehow, probably out of sheer bravado and, as Adam says, "not wanting to lose face,'' Talbot literally sacrificed the advantage of the high ground and led his ensemble down to the Common.

Ahead, he could see a similar-size group of soldiers at the leading edge of Michaelwood Forest. What he couldn’t see, was that another 700 or so men were concealed further back in the greenery. Adam caveats the sequence of events as shrouded in a certain fog of interpretation, but the bottom line was that Talbot did lose face.

Literally: perhaps he was showing off, but when he dropped his neck guard so he could take a breather, two crackshot archers shot him through the throat and temple.

“He fell to the ground somewhere close to here and was finished off by with a dagger’ says Adam, showing us the fateful spot, or thereabouts, which is close to the foot of the famous Sessile oak tree, a

specimen that was already a well established tree on that day. Most of us can’t help approaching the tree and touching it, wondering what dreadful sights and sounds once surrounded its implacable frame.

But there’s worse. In a sense Talbot got what he asked for, but Adam explains how the darkest moments of such battles were most often the aftermath. “The rout was when the death toll was heaviest, as Talbot’s army, now leaderless, saw how desperately outnumbered they were, many dropping their weapons and fleeing literally to save their lives.”

Berkeley was, it seems, in no mood for mercy. At the end of the track for the farm, the lane split three ways and fleeing soldiers parted in all directions: left for Dursley, right for Wotton, but most straight uphill along the lane that cuts into Shankley Hill, for Nibley village.

Many were cut down here, and as we trudge up the incline between the lane’s tall, enclosing banks, it’s not hard to imagine their pitiable last moments. Why would Berkeley have so ruthlessly hunted these men down, many just ordinary peasants dragooned into war by their master? Chillingly, Adam says such postbattle moments were common: “The red mist would set in, especially when the opposition is on the run with their backs turned. Killing them spelled an irreversible advantage."

Back at the church, we are shown where workmen in 1864 underpinning the wall of the church during restoration discovered a large communal grave pit of numerous skeletons, and where their bodies are thought to have been relocated. Dead and buried, perhaps, but the poignancy of Adam’s walk conjures their image into vivid colour.

Let's hope the story of these victims, ordinary men and boys coerced into battle, continues to be brought to life by the enthusiasm and energy of Adam and the Trust – not least next March, when we might pause to recall this epic day in local history. And as Churchill entreated, let’s keep history alive, for fear we never repeat it.

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Wotton Times The

Cryptic Crossword 4

Compiled by Colin Moore

Energy forecast for October As we enter October with recent new moon energy, we get a sense of renewal coming in all areas of life.

Things have been stagnant or out of balance for some time, it may have felt like a constant brick wall was in front of you.

Now it’s time for life to offer balance & for things to go in your favour.

Take a look at how far you’ve come this year, it may have been tough, but you’ve shown strength in ways you thought impossible. This month brings us a full moon & completion of healing old wounds. Self-love & reflection is key to finding abundance & the more you believe in yourself the more the universe delivers rewards.

For many, this month sees new locations with careers or for a soulmate connection to be found. We’re in Libra season & this starsign is all about love, justice & balance.

Anything is possible now & it’s time to explore opportunities that arise in this time.

The full moon on 13th October brings out many emotions, including passions. Hidden feelings are about to coming bubbling to the surface & a declaration of love shall be made. For careers, this is the perfect time for interviews & success. If you believe in yourself, then you shall succeed.

Crossword Three solution

Across

1 A loo for a saint or king? (4) 3 Sounds like a negative feeling for Simon (4) 6 Call zero for drummer (5) 10 One French drawer rifled for lingerie (9) 11 Belief with no proof for pet’s mum (5) 12 Tend by railway place for the young (7) 13 Struggle to be dry in tightly bound situation (6) 14 Hi knockout imagine inspiration (4) 16 Boy King (6) 18 Bridge of Sighs shape shortened to produce this shape at the top (3) 21 Sounds like you can’t hear yet it’s brilliant (3) 22 Tend to choose a cigarette which loses drug but gains power (6) 23 Leap around request (4) 25 Spoil can for freeman (6) 26 Winning car (7) 29 Some soldiers who sound like they are a travelling group of performers (5) 30 Thelma and Louise drove badly with nothing but French friend (4,5) 31 I land awkwardly in California (5) 32 Sang with 3 and Mary but then lost start of rhythm (4)

Down

1 Endure joy moving from place to place (9) 2 Someone who is concealed if badly hired (5) 4 Flammable gas demolished teeny lace (9) 5 Bird having fun (4) 6 Communist encountered embarrassment (3-5) 7 After sunset Autumn follows a bad thing (9) 8 Talk inside flora temple (5) 9 Equipped with weapons then hurt losing leader (5) 15 In car fork tampered with sawtooth-edged leaves (5,4) 17 Ten errant modified to get back in (9) 19 Fail exam but prove vehicle safety (5-4) 20 Pale tips spoil soup ingredient (5-3) 24 Small farm animal by start and end of May (5) 25 Copper met Al Capone inside (5) 27 I move to see film (5) 28 Hold but begin to get torn (4) Answers can be anagrams, word play, hidden words in clue etc.

See how quickly you can find the theme and then see how many theme words there are.

For hints or complaints message AtyeoX@yahoo.com

Solutions will appear in the next edition of The Wotton Times

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Wotton Times The

Leaving photos and sentimental items Planning ahead now can save grief down the line, writes John Baden-Daintree

I am sure that we all want to be remembered for the right reasons and not for causing a family dispute. The service provided by our local experts, Simpson Solicitors, goes beyond just helping you prepare your will.

Eleanor Shepherd, of Simpson Solicitors, says: “It is often not money but the sentimental items that turn out to be most important to the family when someone dies. That is why our service includes help recording what is to happen to items like photos, medals, pictures and letters.”

It gets even more complicated now that a lot of our personal treasures are kept online, as shown by a recent court case. Rachel Thompson’s husband, with whom they had a seven year-old daughter, died in 2015. After losing him she realised that his most precious assets were his collection of family photos and videos.

However, these photos had been taken on his smartphone and were stored online by Apple.

They learned the hard way that without her husband’s password they could not access them.

He also had not specified who he would want to have access if he died.

This forced Rachel to spend three years and thousands of pounds locked in a legal battle with Apple trying to gain access. Although

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she won, she felt this really dragged out the grieving process.

Eleanor explains that to avoid this upset, Simpsons will help you to be clear what you want to happen.

“With computers and mobile phones, they can pass under your will. So you can leave a direction as to what you’d like to happen with what’s stored on them.

“With photos, videos and music stored online, the law is less certain. These digital records are usually owned by the social media giants – Apple, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter – each with their own rules to comply with. So it’s best to leave with your will a list of usernames and passwords and to record who you give permission to access them when you die.”

It isn’t just on death that recording your wishes is important. In case you become seriously ill or suffered a grave injury, you should appoint someone you trust to make decisions for you. Digital records are yet another reason to put in place a Health Power of Attorney. Can you imagine the Kardashians not having one and their social media accounts being frozen?

Whether it’s family heirlooms or treasures stored online, Simpson Solicitors’ comprehensive service is all about keeping your memory alive and keeping families together by avoiding disputes.

Eleanor Shepherd.

The first step is to book a free review meeting.

If getting to their Thornbury office is difficult they offer a free home meeting throughout our area – just call their friendly team on 01454 412278.

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October 2019

Wotton Times Motoring The

N Test: Nissan Leaf

Nissan turn over a new leaf Petrolists, look away now. The Japanese maker has zapped-up its sectordominating electric car with results that, next to the traffic lights, will leave (or leaf?) Golf GTI drivers with their faces stuck on red.

Originally a model styled to lure the ecoconscious with the same kind of design anaesthesia

that compels lovers of garden centres to buy the Honda Jazz, the Leaf now packs a punch sufficient to shatter everything you might have thought of its forward-thinking but functional image.

The Leaf 62kWh e+ Tekna, you see, isn’t just sparky, it’s madly electric. In all fairness, it really makes you want to weep for those who have continued to invest their hopes and dreams for

Have Nissan created the EV to rival petrol cars?

Simon Hacker thinks so

Nissan Leaf e+ Price: £35,895 after plug-in grant.

Power: electric motor with 62kWh lithium-ion battery.

0-62mph: 6.9 seconds.

Top speed: 98mph.

Range: 239 miles (WLTP).

Recharge time: Domestic socket, 32 hours; home charger 11.5 hours; fast charger 1 hour.

Standard kit includes: eight-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 405 litre spacious boot.

WT verdict: Knocks EV angst out of the park.

9/10 roadgoing thrills in combustion motoring. And perhaps cruelly, there’s nothing visual obvious to flag this potency. So apologies to the chap in the Fiesta ST I overtook on the first day of testing; I was as shocked as you were. I’d have explained, had I the time, that this car used to be 148bhp as a standard choice, but this new e+ option has 214bhp.

Aha, you cry: Fred the Fiesta driver will surely have the last laugh when he breezes by at the nearest electrical charge point (a somewhat mythical concept as here in the environs of Wotton we have a grand total of… none).

A more powerful derivation of the Leaf must spell shorter moments of combustion-free joy between

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October 2019

enforced periods of overpriced coffee while the charge meter clicks over with all the drama of a kettle boiling under a very small flame?

Er, wrong again: the Leaf e+ can use the latest rapid chargers. So with its standard charging rate of 70kW, it can reach 80% of full zap in 40 minutes, just like the 50kW-limited regular Leaf.

Furthermore, those coffees are less necessary now: while the standard second-generation car needs a pitstop after around 130 miles (and the first model only covered 107), this option boasts up to 239 as per the new WLTP test. That’s the World Harmonised Light Vehicle song sheet car makers now have to sing off. WLTP is said to be more realistic than the kind of lab-based nonsense makers could hide behind before, and my week with this model proved Nissan is telling the Gospel truth. In fact, I was astonished

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at the Leaf’s obstinate resistance to letting go of anything more than a couple of percentage points over local journeys.

So what you see here is a car with green credibility and true driving spirit. The truth of this claim can be further underlined when you pilot the chassis around a tight roundabout, enjoy the satisfyingly slice of the steering around country bends or, as can be compulsive, just prod the throttle to grab that space in the traffic ahead.

You would, however, be missing a point amid such frolicking. For while credible EVs might need to take on the old world’s benchmark cars and prove that they can deliver thrills as well as family practicality, there’s another dimension of pleasure here, an unknown pleasure beyond the old world of motoring. Although the Leaf

has an Eco button which conserves power, it also comes with an ‘e-pedal’. Activate this and you might as well throw away the brake: the setting calibrates the throttle, making it so keen to capture momentum from acceleration and return the energy to the batteries that with little practice you can quickly become a master of one-pedal motoring.

It’s a driving mode that dovetails neatly with smooth and safe progress, encouraging you to think further ahead and judge safe distances and necessary imminent manoeuvres with far more forethought and precision that you’d apply when you drive “on your brakes”. And should you get bored by such virtue, there’s all that power on hand to just blat your way home regardless. The best of all worlds? If you can afford the margin of £4,900 over a standard Leaf, certainly.

Call off the dogs?

We’re unable to, says council

“The chairman advised that the parish council could fence the play equipment area and that dogs could be legally excluded from this area only,” clerk Mary Leonard told The Wotton Times.

“He explained that the power to exclude dogs or to demand that dogs were on lead was with Stroud District Council (SDC), not Kingswood Parish Council,” she added.

The legislation is written in such a way that district councillors cannot ban dogs from Kingswood’s playing field without applying a blanket ban to all playing fields in the Stroud area.

“The chairman also asked for the community to give the parish council the evidence of the issues, as this way we would have a record and could take up any issues of dog fouling or misuse of the facilities. He asked for photographic evidence which would have a date stamp.”

However, Cllr Ken Wood proposed a few options to help solve the issue. The council could, he suggested, consider paying for a permanent patrol, add more CCTV and fence off a small dogfree area within the playing fields.

Urging residents to write to SDC to lobby for a law change, Cllr Wood successfully proposed a new budget of £250 for future signs at the playing field.

No speeding issue, say police POLICE have run tests to find out how bad speeding is along Wotton’s Coombe Road – but their findings suggest there’s no problem.

Wotton Town Council has been told by County Councillor John Cordwell that a “random” trial from police community support officers to monitor traffic behaviour unearthed no apparent evidence of speeding. The tests came following of emails from concerned residents to the council.

Cllr Cordwell warned that vehicle-activated signs and automatic number plate-reading cameras were very costly, with a tag of £6,000 and upwards, and that he had been informed by the county’s Highways Manager that more evidence would be needed to demonstrate any problem in Wotton. In the meanwhile, additional 30mph signs would not be allowed on Coombe Road due to the regulations governing their location.

Councillors have now asked the police to meet them over the issue, and are looking to determine if Community Speedwatch, which is a national initiative to monitor speeds and gather evidence, could be called in to help gather evidence.

DOGS are spoiling everyone’s fun at Kingswood playing fields – and local residents say it’s time to call them off.

A group of concerned residents gathered at the latest meeting of Kingswood Parish Council to urge members to bare their teeth and clamp down on irresponsible pet owners who are spoiling the village facility.

The residents want a “No Dogs” sign previously displayed at the fields to be reinstated and for dogs to be officially banned. As well as the obvious fouling, they say their children are intimidated by dogs roaming free. With North Nibley, Hillesley, Dursley, Wotton Community Foundation and Synwell all using signs to deter dogs, why couldn’t Kingswood follow suit?

But council chairman David Rockey advised that current legislation did not allow for the parish council to exclude dogs because it is a public open space.

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Wotton Times The

October 2019

Photography club is best in show The middle of July saw Tyndale Photography Club hold its triennial exhibition at Dursley Methodist Church.

The event, which was part of the Dursley Festival, was opened by Dursley Mayor Neil Grecian and was held from Friday evening to the end of Saturday afternoon. The exhibition included over 200 prints taken by 23 club members which were displayed around the church. There was also a digital slideshow with relaxing music on offer for people to sit and watch.

The photos displayed were of a wide variety of different genres, ranging from wildlife to speedway, and included a mix of pictures taken in the local area and further afield.

Making a splash in the Welsh Rally

by David Arkwell.

Old Jack by David Arkwell.

The exhibition was a big success and attendees were very impressed with the quality of the photos on display. One visitor said: “I am truly inspired by the subject matter and the brilliance of the presentation of all the images.”

The photography club has recently begun its 2019/2020 season: for more information visit www.tyndalephoto.org to find details about the club and winning photographs from previous competitions.

Children Club Together For Holiday Fun

The blue group (years 5 and 6) are pictured on their way to race their chariots on Blue Coat field by kind permission of the school.

The ‘Incredible Holiday Club’ was the 12th annual holiday club at Wotton Baptist Church from Monday 22nd to Friday 26th July.

Over 100 primary school aged children attended the sessions every morning to learn bible stories, sing and dance, engage in a wide range of crafts and games and participate in the

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famous gunge quiz. Families got involved with a sunny barbeque and games afternoon, end of club barbeque and holiday club celebration service at the end of the week.

The club was by led by WBC volunteer Karen Dover who wrote this years’ material with WBC minister, Tom Wharin. A team of more than 50 other volunteers setting up and running the

free club included 25 past attendees as well as group of 7 who travelled from the U.S. to help out. Rev. Wharin said ‘there’s a huge amount of preparation, energy and clearing up involved in running these clubs smoothly and safely for kids.

This is the 10th WBC holiday club I’ve been involved in and it still amazes me how this team of volunteers can pull it all together.”

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Wotton Times Sport The

Lions 10K run raises £3,000 Wet weather did little to dampen the spirits of those taking part in 10,000M Under The Edge on Sunday 22 September. Organised by Wotton Lions, a total of 253 runners took part in Wotton’s first 10K event, with a strong spectator turnout for the morning.

The runners were kept cool by the downpour and the marshals performed in spite of the adverse weather.

This first event was not without its teething problems, including a bottleneck at the beginning of the course and a missing marshal at the 9.5km point, which caused the first 20 runners to initially go the wrong way. However, the comments from

one of the runners affected by this slight detour summed up the goodwill expressed towards the first Wotton 10K. “This was an excellent event.

It was a great course, well organised and with an outstanding community feel. All those involved with the organisation should be congratulated on making the event happen.”

Pat Comer, president of the Wotton Lions, said: “The reaction to this inaugural event has been encouraging, with comments such as ‘one of my favourite races to date’ and ‘marshals were brilliant, and loads of them’. This gives us great encouragement for next year. We know how to resolve the issues raised and will put these right for future events.”

Mr Comer praised the efforts of those who took part and the response from the community.

“This year we will have raised over £3,000 for Wotton Community PARC and Lions charities.”

Local support was excellent, with over 30 running clubs represented. Prizes for the first three male and female finishers provided by Gloucester Sports were won by Heidi Siddle (47:08), Margaret Mclachlan (48:00) and Lindsay Heeley (49:27), and Andrew Kirkup (41:15), Andrew Pickford (44:32) and Giles Dakin (44:33).

Wotton Lions would like to thank all the sponsors and volunteers who made this event possible and can confirm 10,000M Under The Edge will be back in 2020.

Luncheon Club celebrates 50 Years In what’s turning out to be a bumper issue for 50-year anniversaries, the Charfield Luncheon Club recently celebrated 50 years running in the village.

The most recent meeting took place on Wednesday 2 October at Charfield Village Hall, and was well-attended by residents from across the Charfield community.

Alex Threlfall, vice chair of the Luncheon Club, praised the goodwill and community spirit of everyone at the event, thanking the volunteers

who helped to run the event. would enjoy a wholesome two-course cooked “Lady Ducie’s Mother-in-law, the then Lady meal with games afterwards.

Ducie, was involved in originally setting up the The next meal will be on November 6. Anyone Lunch Club, and it was brilliant that this link can seeking more information can contact 07709 565 589. be maintained 50 years down the line!

“We would like to extend a warm invitation to any elderly or infirm members of the community – and anyone From hard landscaping to kitchens who supports them – who

Garden & Home Improvements Ltd and bathrooms, plumbing and decorating, all home jobs are covered. Both new installations or maintenance tasks undertaken.

No job too small!

Call Dave Ashpole on 01454 430392 or 07751 457410 email dave.ashpole@lineone.net

www.gardenandhomeimprovements.co.uk

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October 2019

Sport

Jack Jones Memorial Match

At the start of August, Charfield took on Wotton Rovers in a match to remember Charfield resident Jack Jones. Jack’s mum, Lea Watson, told The Wotton Times how the match came about: “The Jack Jones Memorial football match was the idea of Adam Spiers, one of Jack’s best friends and a Charfield AFC player. Adam really wanted to find a way to celebrate the life of Jack and also to raise some money for charity. Jack had been an active part of Charfield AFC for many years, so a football match seemed like a good idea.

“Shortly after Jack’s death, Charfield had played Wotton Rovers at Synwell where money had also been raised. Some of this has been used to fund

a defibrillator for the village and some has been used to provide new dug-outs for Charfield AFC. The rest will be used for a commemorative bench when the Memorial Hall and playing fields have finalised their improvement plans.

“To make more of a night of it, Adam suggested a BBQ and raffle in order to raise funds so we decided that the money from the bar and BBQ would be donated to Charfield AFC and the proceeds from the raffle would go towards the Great Western Air Ambulance. We were really blessed with the incredible donations from many local businesses and The Railway Tavern who sold tickets for those who couldn’t make the match and also donated the proceeds of their quiz night to be split between the two causes.

“As Jack’s mum, I was truly overwhelmed by the amount of people that came to the match and astounded by the amount of money raised. The Great Western Air Ambulance will receive £1,000 and the bar and BBQ made nearly £1,000, which is a tremendous amount for such a small club.

“The match ended in a 3 – 3 draw, with a penalty shootout that saw Wotton Rovers be the first to raise the memorial trophy. Jack would have loved the evening and the fact that so much money has been raised in his name makes me so proud. We live in such a great community and we are grateful to the players, those business that donated raffle prizes, the volunteers of the bar and BBQ and everyone that attended to make it such a special night.”

THE

CAR CLINIC Find us at Wotton Road, Kingswood Tel. 01453

842239

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