MARCH LOCKDOWN NEWSLETTER 2021
On Ruminating
Like the cattle who have recently come out into a field I walk past I too have been chewing the cud, ruminating on various words, thoughts and possibilities.
Sometimes it is fruitful to dwell on things for a time: relishing the potential, sensing the full depth of flavour, making sure to extract every last bit of goodness. If you have ever chewed a piece of bread and noticed it becoming sweet in your mouth this experience of ruminating may feel familiar.
Sometimes it is fruitless to worry over things: wallowing in blame and hurt, nauseated by the bitterness of anger and shame, wakeful with the awareness of words that couldn’t be found at the moment they were needed. If you have ever chewed a piece of gum and found it tasteless long before you could throw it away you may recognise this feeling too.
Sometimes ruminating on stuff can provoke sadness in one moment and joy in savouring the last drop of delight another. The experience of mourning and the experience of giving into the desire to do something I knew was foolish have, for me, been experiences where both occurred.
The continuation of Covid-19 constraints may be for some of us an experience of having to dwell in the same places with the same people and the same thoughts where repetition can be deadly dull or reassuringly familiar.
May we all be blessed with the wisdom to notice when we are ruminating in a way that leads to wisdom and kindness and otherwise to spit out that bit of mental chewing gum and put it in the bin!
Revd. Rachma
Great News
The Church will be open for a Communion Service on Easter Sunday 4th April
at 10.30am.
If you wish to attend, please book with Ray Manley (731564) by Wed 31st March. It would be lovely to see all 20 places filled.
Deadline for next Broad Town News is 20 March 2021
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Parish Council – headlines from February Zoom meeting
Good Energy Community Fund grant applications: As Community group activities have been so restricted with lockdown this past year, our Grant Fund has continued to grow and whilst applications for this next cycle have closed on 22 February, we would encourage any local group looking to the future to consider making a grant application next time around. The Fund can award grants to community groups and schemes which add value to our local community and support the village. At this time, it can also help with community needs related to the pandemic. If you would like to make an application then please see the information on our website https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk/ or contact the Parish Clerk.
Wiltshire Council grant funding to support pupils engaged in virtual schooling: grants are available to help fund laptops/digital devices and broadband connection costs for children and families who need support at this time. Residents can contact their school or Wiltshire Council for further information
Annual Parish Meeting: The Annual Parish Meeting is not a Parish Council meeting but is a meeting of the residents to discuss parish matters. This year it is scheduled for Monday 26th April 2021 and will be held as a virtual meeting. It is an opportunity for all village groups and associations to share with the parish residents the activities they have undertaken in the past year and their plans for the future. For residents it is a chance to get engaged with everything that is happening in the village. More details will follow in future Newsletters.
Notification of the virtual planning appeal hearing for 19/03874/OUT – Housing Development on land South of Broad Town Primary School: This planning application was refused by Wiltshire Planning in December 2019 and the developers are now appealing that refusal. The appeal hearing is set for Thursday 11th March 2021 starting at 10am. The Planning Officer from Wiltshire Council has advised that residents from the village are encouraged to attend as local opinions are welcomed. Anyone wishing to attend/observe the hearing should read and follow the information on the Wiltshire Council Planning portal or contact the Parish Clerk btpcclerk@outlook.com
Wiltshire Local Plan Review: The consultation into the Wiltshire Local Plan review, and separately the Gypsy and Traveller Local Plan, will run from Wednesday 13 January 2021 until 11:59pm on Tuesday 9 March 2021. Wiltshire Council has to allocate sufficient land to satisfy housing and employment needs up to 2036, and is seeking the views of local communities and stakeholders to see if the suggested distribution of numbers across the county is correct, and which of the proposed sites are most suitable. Feedback during this review consultation will help to shape the draft Local Plan, which will be finalised later in 2021. It will then be used to guide decisions on whether future planning applications for housing, infrastructure and land for employment can be granted. More detail about the consultation can be found at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planning-policy-local-plan-review
Lyneham and Bradenstoke Neighbourhood Development Plan: Wiltshire Council will be coordinating a virtual public consultation on this document between Thursday 7th January 2021 and Thursday 4th March 2021. The draft Lyneham and Bradenstoke Neighbourhood Development Plan submission can be viewed and commented on from the Wiltshire Council consultation portal at https://consult.wiltshire.gov.uk/kse/event/35944
Parish Council Elections: The Parish Council is elected every four years and the next election is due in May 2021. The current Council would be delighted to see more members of the parish consider standing for election. Joining the Parish Council is a very rewarding way to support our village. Please reach out to any of the current Councillors if you would like more information.
Next Zoom Parish Council Meeting is Monday 8th March 2021 at 6.30pm. All are welcome and joining details and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course.
HELP REQUIRED
Can anyone help a respectful, committed, talented young snooker player please? We are looking locally for a privately owned snooker table for my son to use for practice to help get him back up to his previous competition standard (as and as soon as the lock down situation allows). Or do you have a room in your business/home where we could situate a table of our own and rent the space. Please contact Jackie on 07747798859. Thank you so much.
BROAD TOWN BOOK CLUB
For anyone local who may be interested, we’ve recently reconvened the book club - albeit digitally for the time being! As always, the more the merrier and everyone is welcome. We’re not strict and it’s definitely not school, so don’t worry if you don’t think you’ll always have time to finish the book - we don’t mind!
Below are the next couple of books we’ve decided to read:
Ellie and Harp Maker by Hazel Prior (March)
The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan (April)
The next book club is on Wednesday 10th March at 8pm if you’d like to attend. The facebook page (search Broad Town Book Club) has all the details regarding books, dates, times, joining instructions etc - alternatively, for more information you can email: broadtownbookclub@outlook.com
Happy reading 📚❤️
FOODBANK
The next Foodbank collection at the Village Hall will be on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th March 9am – 4pm. Foodbanks continue to be extremely busy.
Please remember those who continue to struggle to feed themselves and their families.
Your generosity is never taken for granted. THANK YOU
NEWS FROM BROAD TOWN CE PRIMARY SCHOOL
We are a welcoming school and it is such a shame that we haven’t been able to hold our usual events over the past year. It seems a long time since Christmas but we hope that you liked the Christmas messages made by the children that were displayed on the school fence over the Christmas break.
We are now open for Key Worker children and teaching the children learning at home using Zoom sessions. It has been fantastic to see how well the children have responded to their home learning sessions – and parents too! Learning topics that we are covering include Queen Victoria, Forces and Magnets in science and Class 3 have made a great video that can be shared with their friends both in school and home. We’re delighted too that in the Dressage Anywhere 2020 Team Challenge competition, Broad Town School finished 12th out of 39 teams. The children were mainly competing against adults and teams had entered from many different countries. Another amazing result for Broad Town. Well done everyone! Although we can’t invite you in to school at the moment you can share in what we are doing on our website www.broadtown.wilts.sch.uk . It’s very informative and has some lovely photos too of our school – there’s even a virtual tour! Everyone at school is looking forward to getting back to normal and being able to have all the children together again.
MARCH 2021 Spring, hope and rebirth – Revd. Karen Rizzello
Dear Reader
It seems that we have had a long cold winter in lockdown and we are all ready for a
break from Covid and all that this virus has brought. I am writing this letter in
February when the nation has been saying goodbye to Captain Tom Moore, a true
hero, and the vaccinations have been rolling out across the country.
At the same time, from my window, I have been looking for the first signs of Spring, for snowdrops, new leaves, the green shoots as the crops grow in the field next door. These signs bring us hope and the promise of renewal.
As a rural community we are tuned to the countryside. The subtle signs we see and hear tell us that the seasons are changing and we feel the optimism of Spring in our bones.
Like many others, I have been shielding once again, and I feel that this second lockdown has been much harder than the first. I am grateful for the connection Zoom and WhatsApp have given me but even these technological marvels cannot compensate for the lack of face to face contact, the freedom of relaxed spontaneous conversation and physical touch.
My faith has given me strength, while family and friends have been so important in keeping me sane but I do yearn for a return to ‘normal’ life.
I am constantly amazed at the way people have found ways to keep themselves occupied at home. Many of us have learned new skills. I have taken Zoom Ukulele lessons while others have spent their time painting, writing, reading, crafting and many other pursuits. It is probably worth reflecting on how we have passed the time and what new shoots we see in ourselves since lockdown.
All generations have a story to tell from the young to the very old. What will we be like when we come out, blinking in the daylight, I wonder? Will we want to return to our old ways or will we somehow change the future through our experiences and hardships?
In the church year we are in the season of Lent, a time for reflection and preparation for the future. As we approach Holy Week and Easter at the end of March our focus moves to the hope of new life that is the promise of the resurrection. The Easter story teaches us that in the bleakest of moments God is there among us, loving us through all things and bringing joy and hope.
‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ (Romans 15:13)
God Bless, Revd. Karen