CHRISTMAS FOOD BANK Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December, 9am - 4pm at the Village Hall. Please be as generous as you can, for those struggling this Christmas time.
CHRISTMAS FACE COVERINGS Available to order - phone 731564
BROAD TOWN CHRISTMAS 2020 A very different Christmas for everyone this year, so let’s make it something to remember. Our chosen charity this year is Prospect Hospice - please put your donation in one of the collecting boxes.
Come to see the Nativity Scarecrow Stable and Christmas Tree by the Church. They will be there from 12th December till 6th January. Hear the Christmas music and carols on weekends 12/13 and 19/20 December. Villagers are invited to place messages of hope, and to those they will miss seeing this year, on the tree and hedge.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed in any way to make this all possible.
Do you want a Family activity to do in the festive season? You don’t need to leave the village to have fun at Christmas.
Why not try our Broad Town’s “FESTIVE FAMILY WALK - TREASURE HUNT” - 12th December to 30th December, starting at East Farm House, (by the pillar box).
Children under 11 must be accompanied by an adult.
Explorer packs will be available at East Farm House - simply help yourself to a pack which will be in a plastic box with a lid (hand gel available).
Use your map to walk round the village and solve all the clues. Why not dress for the occasion in your Santa hats and festive attire. Don’t forget to take a photo to mark the occasion……
Return completed forms to East Farm House. All complete entries will be put into a draw on 31st December. The winning family team will receive a bottle of Prosecco and a tin of biscuits.
Whilst this event is free, if you have enjoyed the activity, please can we ask that you put a donation into one of the Prospect Hospice boxes.
SCOUT POST 2020
We are sorry to announce that there will be NO Scout post this year. The Scouts of Royal Wootton Bassett had hoped to run a lesser activity this year for Bassett and the villages, but that was scuppered when the second lockdown was announced.
See you in 2021.
Broad Town Parish Council – November Meeting headlines
Good Energy Community Fund: The Council were delighted to be able to support a grant for £240 to the Broad Town Community Volunteers Group for COVID friendly community Christmas activities in the Village. The Group are to be warmly thanked for all their excellent work in the community during this most difficult of years.
Redhills Playground and Playing Field fencing: The Council has been aware for some time of the poor state of repair of the fencing at Redhills and this was reinforced by our latest ROSPA independent inspection. This is an expensive project which will cost in the region of £10k and the Council has been reserving maintenance funds where we can over the last 2 years towards this. We are also looking to approach the Area Board and other possible grant holders for monetary support. Our hope is that we can raise the required funds to be able to implement this project in Spring 2021. This may include a small temporary increase to the precept.
Bonfires: Please can we ask residents to be considerate to neighbours and to the environment in the timing of bonfires and the type of materials you are burning.
Deliveries (especially Oil): At this busy time of year for deliveries please can ask suppliers if it is possible for them to use smaller vehicles to avoid unnecessary damage to the verges.
New website: Just a reminder that the Parish Council now has a new website to comply with the requirements of the Transparency Code and of the Website Accessibility Regulations. The address is: https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk/ . Many thanks to all involved in making this happen.
COVID Breaches: Please note that the relevant authority to contact to report any suspected breach of the COVID-19 Regulations is Wiltshire Police on 101 or by going to the following web link and completing the form https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/article/5951/Coronavirus-report-your-concerns
Next Meeting: Monday 14th December 2020 at 6.30pm via Zoom. All are welcome and joining details and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course.
On strange Christmases
‘Lockdown’ made it to word of the year, and I’m aware that there are some other objects, words and ideas which will be very 2020 (at least for me).
Earlier in the year the phrase ‘new normal’ came up quite a bit, but we seem to have left that behind as returning to the old normal has receded into the distance.
At the moment I keep hearing ‘strange’ especially attached to ‘season’ or ‘Christmas.’ And there probably will be some unusual aspects about this Christmas.
Like Easter the strange elements of the next festival will be an experience that Christians will share with many people of other faiths: I think all of the faith communities I can think of have had celebrations curtailed and constrained.
For most human beings a festival brings special foods, the sharing of gifts and rituals and the gatherings of friends and family. Whether it was Eid or Rosh Hashanah, Samhain or as I write this, Diwali, Muslims, Jews, Pagans, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists have all had to encounter Covid-19 restraints on the celebrations we treasure.
There was strangeness in the first Christmas too. Mary and Joseph obeying the law to go to Bethlehem faced a difficult and lonely birth without family and friends around them. Like many of us, there seems to have been comfort and support from companion animals and strangers bringing sustenance. In all that small, constrained and strange first Christmas was the seeds of the joy and celebration that we mark now – yes different in all the cultural expressions of the feast of the nativity to this day yet always a day of delight in the birth of a child, the offer of hope and healing and the promise of salvation.
Lots of imagination is already going into finding ways in the villages of giving communities places to mark and celebrate Christmas – maybe the strangeness of being unable to realise our cherished plans will help us to think about what in food, or sharing gifts or gathering with those we love is dearest and most important to us.
Perhaps the strangeness of going without, especially for those of us who have been blessed with many good Christmases will help us remember those for whom this has always been a difficult season.
Above all may we find that we need ‘let nothing us dismay for Jesus Christ our Saviour was born upon this day’ and that this promise will be as true in 2020 as it was that very first Christmas.
At the moment we are scheduled to have a Communion Service in Christ Church on Sunday 20th December at 10.30am.
But that could change! If you wish to go, please book with Ray Manley by Wed 16th.
Winter 2020 Introductions and Remembering – Revd. Karen Rizzello
Dear Reader,
Can I begin this newsletter by introducing myself? My name is Reverend Karen Rizzello and I am the new Associate Priest for the Lyneham and Woodhill benefice. I am also lucky enough to be living at the vicarage in Lyneham which gives me a wonderful opportunity to meet you as neighbours.
I served my curacy in the Whitton Benefice, which is in the neighbouring Marlborough Deanery, and I was trained for ministry at Sarum College in Salisbury. Whitton is a rural Benefice with 6 churches including the villages of Aldbourne, Axford, Baydon, Chilton Foliat, Froxfield and Ramsbury.
Although I moved into the Lyneham vicarage at the end of July I haven’t been out very much. I have been recovering from some planned surgery to the hip which unfortunately was affected by medical complications from other issues making me vulnerable during the Covid19 epidemic and keeping me out of circulation for a lot longer than expected.
I am writing this in November, in the second lockdown. I returned to public ministry on October 18th and I have been working reduced hours while I resolve those medical complications. I am gradually increasing my hours to my usual part-time commitment of Sunday and two other days each week.
In these times of Covid19 it is hard to predict how November and December will be for all of us. The government is telling us we need to get our R number down to 1 or below but that we have the good news of a possible vaccine.
We have managed to see some worship via the internet and outside to serve the very important Remembrance and All Souls services.
I cannot help reflecting on this year and our need for remembrance as individuals and families. We will remember in the context of our war heroes but also for all those we have lost over the past year and in previous years to Covid19 and other illnesses. For those who have been unable to be with their dying friend or relative this time will be particularly challenging. In lockdown we have all been dealing with the pain of separation and isolation as individuals and as a community.
But take heart. Things will get better; we will get through this time of trial. We are on the brink of getting approval for the first vaccination for Covid19. We will come out of lockdown. Spring will follow Winter and the Sun will shine again.
I take comfort from the book of Isaiah; we are assured of God’s tender love and faithfulness, ‘He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.’ (Is.40v11).
God Bless, Revd. Karen