BROAD TOWN NEWS – MARCH 2024
Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish
THANK YOU
Thanks to everyone who supported the pancake coffee morning and helped to raise £400 to help keep our Church open. Particular thanks to Linda, Helen, Annie and Kathryn.
Thank you to everyone who donated to another bumper foodbank collection.
The village planters have a new bright mix of spring colours about to bloom thanks to Judy Rendell
PRIZE BINGO. Fundraising for Christ Church Friday 29th March, unfortunately CANCELLED
THOMAS SPACKMAN EDUCATIONAL TRUST GRANT
Are you, or do you know, a young person living in the Clyffe Pypard or Broad Town area who would benefit from a grant from The Thomas Spackman Educational Trust?
The Charity’s main focus is education or work-related training and apprenticeships but The Charity may also be able to help a promising individual develop a particular talent; perhaps help fund tuition in a musical instrument or develop a sporting skill.
Applying is very easy. If you wish to find out more about the application process, please email spackmancharity@gmail.com or contact Karen Hawkins 07788 210960.
All formal applications need to be in by 31st March 2024.
BISHOP’S LETTER
Now the green blade riseth, A century ago, the great journalist and Catholic provocateur G.K.Chesterton wrote a wonderful essay entitled ‘The Priest of Spring’ in which he considered the integration of the Christian seasons with the natural year – and referred to the “armies of the intellect who will fight to the end on whether Easter is to be congratulated on fitting in with the spring or the spring on fitting in with Easter”.
It’s a familiar theme, often replayed in the media at this time of year – if (to my mind) a fairly pointless one. For the authenticity of the Christian celebration of Easter does not pivot on its historical priority to pagan or other celebrations of the natural year, but rather on its - far bolder - claim to fulfil them.
The Biblical account of resurrection is not that Easter merely recapitulates a universal theme, but that it marks an entirely new creative act, pointing to nature’s ultimate liberation from the cycle of growth and decay. We can believe it or not, but the New Testament appears to claim nothing less, St Paul concluding that: ‘if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation”.
The eggs and lambs and green blades that now rise to greet the spring are no less joyous in that light, but – I suggest – even more so, and I pray you will share in their praise.
WHITE HORSE LIMING
It’s that time of year again when preparations start for weeding and liming the White Horse. I have identified Sunday 19 May as an appropriate date and hope we will have a great turn out as in previous years. Please put the date in your diary and I will provide more details in the April edition of the Broad Town News.
For the past few years Bob Clarke and I have worked as a pair with Bob undertaking the paperwork and me the organisation on the day. Bob has decided he wishes to call it a day and we thank him for all of his efforts, especially for keeping things going in 2015 when the previous team of organisers retired. If anyone would like to offer their services, we will include them in all correspondence for the 2024 activity with a view to stepping up to an active role in 2025.
Andrew Law andrewlaw456@gmail.com
07841381301
B. T CHURCH
Services
3rd March 10.30 am Communion followed by refreshments
24 March 5.00 pm Evening Service
28th March 7.00 pm Maundy Thursday - Communion
31st March 10.30 am Morning Service (Non Communion)
Annual Parochial Church Meeting (AGM) 7th April 11.30am in Church - Everyone welcome - 2023 Annual Report will be available.
Fundraising.May – Judy Rendell’s plant stall – date to be confirmed.
All other planned fundraising events are “on hold”
Churchyard Work Mornings. Dates for 2024 - 6th April, 11th May, 1st June, 6th July, 3rd August & 7th September.
From 10.00am to 12 midday. Refreshments provided.
There are a number of tasks to choose from. We desperately need more volunteers so If you and/or anyone you know would like to join our friendly team, please contact Ray Tel: 731564 for more details or just turn up.
MADE IN BROAD TOWN (Crafts & Hobbies Group)
New People Welcome! Our February meetings saw an enthusiastic burst of activity resulting in the production of several completed strings of bunting and many garden cane toppers ready for painting and varnishing
In March our meetings will be on Wednesdays March 6th & 20th. We’d love to see some new faces so please join us from 10-12 noon in the village hall. You don’t need to be creative as everyone is welcome to come along for refreshments and a chat. We’re a very friendly bunch, and if you do feel creative there are always activities available for you to try. A wide range of hobbies and crafts take place during the meetings and it’s always interesting to see what people are up to! We ask for a £2 donation please, to help cover hall hire and refreshment costs. If you have any questions, please email us, we would love to hear from you! We are still looking for donations of any craft materials and plywood, but also any summery/pastel fabric remnants or yarn, we would be very grateful to receive them.
Please bring them along to the village hall or if you contact us, we can collect them from you. Thank you! Email: Linda Boyden lindaboyden12@gmail.com; Helen Greer hjgreer1@gmail.com
BROAD TOWN SOCIAL CLUB & EVENTS
Friday Night Opening
Open Fridays 8pm to 11pm. Reasonably priced drinks and snacks, free pool and darts, and lots of banter at the bar!
If you want to come as a group and have a table and chairs set out let us know and we’ll magic the furniture out of the store!
Food for Thought Evenings
Dates for the next few months are:
· Friday 29th March
· Friday 26th April
· Friday 31st May
· Friday 28th June
Social Club opens at 5pm through to 11pm on these dates for you to enjoy your takeaway in the Village Hall with a drink or two. Feel free to bring your own cutlery and crockery but take it home with you afterwards to wash up!
Menu and details of how to pre-order to avoid the queues https://www.facebook.com/FoodForThoughtSwindon.
For dietary requirements contact them directly. They have limited space for stock but will gladly try to meet all requests.
Thursday 6th June DDAY 80th Anniversary Beacon Lighting
The village will be joining in the national Beacon Lighting initiative on this auspicious occasion.
· Social Club open 8pm – 11pm
· Beacon Lighting (on the hill) 9.15pm
· 1940’s themed dress encouraged (but optional)
PARISH COUNCIL
Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk
Flooding and the Parish Steward. Once a month the Parish Steward visits Broad Town to carry out maintenance on the highways and verges. These include digging out blocked drainage gullies and re-cutting the drainage ‘grips’ which allow water to run off the road into a ditch. On his visit in February he reported some grips were ineffective due to the surface level in the adjacent ditch being above the level of the road. Please can landowners who own land bordering the road ensure that any drainage ditches (for which they are responsible) are re-dug each year to help reduce flooding. See the website for more information on the Parish Steward and Landowner Responsibilities.
Wiltshire Best Kept Village Competition
We are considering entering the Wiltshire Best Kept Village Competition this year. If you would like to help to prepare the entry (not a large task) and/or to join the village team(s) that will present our village in the best possible way for judging, which takes place from mid-May to mid-June, please contact the Clerk at BTPCCLERK@outlook.com
Community Governance Review Consultation
A Community Governance Review is a process to provide opportunity to review and make changes to governance arrangements for town and parish councils and parish areas. This is to ensure that they continue to be reflective of the identity and interest of local communities, and that they are as efficient and effective in their governance as can be. This review includes a proposal for the transfer of the land containing 103 Broad Town from the parish of Clyffe Pypard to Broad Town. The draft recommendation document and online survey can be found at: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council-democracy-cgr
Fire Service Consultation on Community Safety Plan
A 12-week consultation has been launched for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority’s proposed new Community Safety Plan. A copy of the draft plan, a summary video and details on how to give your views – including an online form – can be found at www.dwfire.org.uk/draft-csp-2024-28-consultation
Next PC Meeting - Monday 11th March
The next Parish Council meetings will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 11th March. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course.
COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS
Our Valentine’s Day coffee morning on February 14th proved to be very popular and everyone enjoyed the fantastic spread of cakes on offer which included Valentine’s themed cupcakes and jam tarts. Our younger visitors also made good use of the craft table!
Although we haven’t yet had a fundraising coffee morning this year, your refreshment donations over the last few months have meant that we have been able to donate another £400 to charity, and we would like to thank you all for your generosity in enabling us to do this. Taking a slightly different approach this time, four of the coffee morning committee members each chose a charity to receive a £100 donation. The chosen charities were:
Brighter Futures is the charity for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, providing that extra special level of care to make a real difference to patients, their families, and staff.
Julia's House children's hospice supports the families of seriously ill children in Dorset and Wiltshire.
Prospect Hospice provides the only dedicated end-of-life care service for people living across north-east Wiltshire and Swindon.
Wiltshire Sight offers a wide range of services across Wiltshire and Swindon, including advice, guidance, training, and social opportunities for people with sight loss.
The coffee mornings in March will take place on Wednesdays March 13th & 27th. During our Easter coffee morning on the 27th, the Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) will be in attendance so please come along with your concerns and questions, and there will also be a raffle in aid of prostate cancer as March is prostate cancer awareness month.
Coffee mornings are always on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall, so come along to enjoy delicious homemade cakes, sausage rolls, coffee, tea and hot chocolate.
WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH
The SID has been located at the Broad Acres monitoring Northbound traffic (heading to RWB)
The SID counted 23,328 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 753 a day.
23% of vehicles were speeding.
BUSHTON MANOR PLANT FAIR AND OPEN GARDEN SN4 7PX
Bank Holiday Monday May 6th 11-3pm. Although we had parking issues, the Plant Fair last year was very successful with over 1000 visitors – we hope to be able to use the parking on site in 2024!
The 18th Century Manor House has delightful gardens and this Plant Fair is the only time they are open to the public. About 30 Stalls with Plants, Crafts, Food and other garden related items are scattered throughout the courtyard and lawns. Purchases can be left at the Plant Crèche so that you don't need to carry them around with you. And you can relax on the lawns enjoying home made refreshments or a Bacon Butty from the BBQ. Games and a Treasure Hunt can keep young people occupied.
Entrance is £3*. No charge for children or car parking. Dogs on leads are welcome. Money raised will go to the St Peter's Church Roof Fund, a Grade 1 listed building in Clyffe Pypard. Contact Barbara Davis 0796 223 6678
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
3rd March Communion followed by refreshments 10.30 am
11th March Parish Council meeting 6:30pm
13th March Community Coffee Morning 10-12 noon
24th March Evening Service 5pm.
28th March Maundy Thursday - Communion 7.00 pm
27th March Community Coffee Morning Police Community Support 10-12 noon
29th March Food for thought Fish & chips
30th March Easter Hop Village Hall 8pm to 11pm
31st March Morning Service (Non Communion) 10.30 am
6th April Churchyard work morning 10.00am to 12 midday
7th April Communion 10.30am followed by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (AGM) Church 11.30am
26th April Food for thought Fish & chips
6th May Bushton Plant Fair 11am to 3pm
11th May Churchyard work morning 10.00am to 12 midday
31st May Food for thought Fish & chips
1st June Churchyard work morning 10.00am to 12 midday
6th June D-day Beacon lighting Village hall from 8pm Beacon lighting 9.15pm
28th June Food for thought Fish & chips
6th July Churchyard work morning 10.00am to 12 midday
3rd August Churchyard work morning 10.00am to 12 midday
7th September Churchyard work morning 10.00am to 12 midday
Please note that all copy to be included in the next edition should be emailed to:
BroadTownNews@gmail.com by the 22nd of EVERY month. For any queries, please contact Ray Manley 01793 731564