Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish.
CHRIST CHURCH SERVICES IN MARCH
9th March at 10.30 Morning Prayer. 23rd March at 10.30 Holy Communion followed by meeting of parishioners to elect Churchwardens.
Please remember there is still no heating in the Church so wrap up well! We look forward to seeing you.
IMPORTANT NOTICE for Christ Church This year a completely new Church Electoral Roll has to be prepared which means that everybody on the existing Roll has to fill in a new Application for Enrolment on the Church Electoral Roll. These forms are available from me. You can join the roll if you are resident in the parish, aged over 16, baptised, and consider yourself broadly part of the Church of England, or another church in communion with it. If you are not on the existing Roll and would like to be on the new Roll I can be contacted at 61 Marlborough Road, Royal Wootton Bassett 01793 850931 drury.janet@btinternet.com. for any information. Forms must be returned to me by 18th March.
Janet Drury Electoral Roll Officer.
Parishioners meeting. We are holding a parishioners meeting to elect Churchwardens on Sunday 23rd March at 11.30 in the church (following the morning service). At the moment we do not have any church wardens and the role is being shared among PCC members which of course is not ideal, especially as Rev Rachma retired at the end of February. If anyone would be interested and like information about this role, please contact Carolyn on 07768 543063. The Churchwarden needs to be a communicant and receive communion a minimum of 4 times a year.
WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH
The SID has been located at Broad Acres monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton) The SID counted 25,083 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 896 a day. 28% of vehicles were speeding.
COFFEE MORNING
Unfortunately, the Saturday Pancake Coffee Morning planned for March 15th has had to be cancelled. This is because a significant number of the coffee morning helpers are not available on that date due to other commitments. Apologies for any disappointment, and there will be a village event later in the year to support the Inspire Spinal Foundation which was to be the chosen charity for this event.
SOUP & PUDDINGS EVENT
Over 50 people enjoyed a choice of 4 soups and 10 delicious homemade puddings on 1st February and in doing so raised the magnificent sum of £700 for Prospect Hospice and Julia’s House. Thank you again to you and fellow residents for kindly choosing to support Julia’s House as part of your soup and puddings fundraiser. We are very grateful! Your very kind donation of £350 could help us to pay for a series of sessions with an expert counsellor to help a sibling or family member work through emotional pressures and challenges, as well as a one-month supply of PPE for the hospice to keep the children we care for safe. Thank you again. We couldn’t continue to provide our lifeline of care for local families without your support. I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for your generous donation of £350 from your Broad Town Community Soup and Puddings event! What a delicious and creative way to raise money! Your support enables us to create a peaceful environment for people with life limiting illnesses and their families. Your kindness plays a crucial role in making this possible. With your help, we can offer not just medical care, but also compassion, comfort, and companionship during the worst time. I want you to know that your generosity directly touches the lives of those we support. Each donation helps us provide a safe space where patients can feel at ease and families can find refuge. It’s heartwarming to know that there are kind-hearted people like you in our community who truly care. Thank you for standing with us and being a part of our mission. We are all connected in this journey, and together, we can make a meaningful difference. With heartfelt gratitude, Amelia Channon Supporter Care Advisor, Prospect
SOCIAL CLUB
The social club is open every Friday from 8:00pm and members and their guests are all welcome. If you are not a member you can join for just £3.00 for the year - just ask Trevor behind the bar. Draught beers and lagers are for sale at just £3 a pint and there is a free pool table, so why not pop in and check us out. Food for Thought Evenings. Food for Thought will be selling their delicious Fish and Chips (and burgers, sausages, scampi etc) outside the Village Hall from 5 – 8pm on the last Friday in the month: 28th February, 28th March, 25th April, 30th May The Social Club opens at 5pm through to 11pm for you to enjoy your takeaway in the Village Hall with a drink or two. Feel free to bring your own cutlery and crockery if you wish, but please take it home with you afterwards to wash up! Menu on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FoodForThoughtSwindon. For vegan, GF and other dietary requirements please contact them directly to discuss. They have limited space to carry stock but will gladly try to meet all requests. If you would like to pre-order or have any queries, they can be contacted via text, WhatsApp or Messenger on 07515 288414.
COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS
Our March coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays March 12th and 26th. The community coffee mornings are always on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, so please join us from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall to enjoy delicious homemade cakes, sausage rolls, coffee, tea and hot chocolate.
‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP
A big thank you to Alan from Newcroft Electrics in the village, who very kindly PAT tested all our electrical equipment for us, at very short notice, ensuring that we can carry on with our craft and hobbies sessions safely. (Air Dried Clay Morning - On February 5th we all enjoyed being creative with clay) (Patchwork Cushion Making Session On February 19th Diana led a very enjoyable and busy session showing us how to make patchwork cushion covers:)
On March 5th we will be continuing with patchwork cushion making, or please bring along your own craft or hobby. We will also be meeting on March 19th. Everyone is welcome to come along for refreshments and a chat, you don’t need to have any crafting skills. We’re a very friendly bunch, and if you do feel creative there are always activities available for you to try. 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.
Email: Linda Boyden lindaboyden12@gmail.com; Helen Greer hjgreer1@gmail.com
CHURCHYARD WORK MORNING
The first work morning this year will be on 8th March – 10.00am to midday and we desperately need more volunteers please. Refreshments provided. There are a variety of tasks to be carried out and a great opportunity to meet up with other villagers over a cup of coffee. If you need any further information, please contact Ray Manley Tel: 01793 731564.
MARCH QUIZ
have fun by trying this seasonal quiz. Answers on page 4
1) Which food is traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday?
2) Which two national saints’ days occur in March?
3) In which children’s book is the March Hare a character?
4) Which couple live at Longleat House?
5) Who was warned ‘Beware the Ides of March?’
6) Who composed the Pomp & Circumstance marches?
7) In which English county is the market town of March?
8) Which book is good to read in the middle of this month?
9) March is named after Mars; what is Mars the Roman god of?
10) Complete the saying: 'March comes in like a lion and goes out like a ....'?
PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk (Flooding Gel Sacks) Thornhill resident Martin Stubbings has obtained some gel sacks from Wiltshire Council and has very kindly offered to supply them to residents who live in a high-risk area or have been flooded or nearly flooded in the past. If you are interested, you can contact Martin on marmmit@yahoo.co.uk or on 01793 731131.
Parish Council Elections are taking place on Thursday 1st May for both Wiltshire and Parish Councillors. Joining the Parish Council is a very rewarding way to support our village, and any new Councillors will be warmly welcomed. Your Parish Council addresses local issues, oversees some village facilities, and approves the distribution of grants from the Community fund which help community groups to function, especially in these difficult times. The Council meets once a month and is supported by a professional clerk, the time commitment is usually no more than a few hours a month. If you feel these things are important and would like to make a difference in your village then please stand as a Parish Councillor in the forthcoming election. Further details are available on the BTPC website www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk and at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/local-elections-candidates. If you would like to stand as a candidate for the Parish Council then: • Download and print a nomination form from https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/guidance-candidates-parish-council elections-england/resources-candidates-parish-council-elections-england • Collect 2 signatures to propose and second your nomination. The Polling District is ‘MJ1’ and your Elector number can be obtained by contacting the Clerk (see below). Let us know if you do not have access to a printer and we can print off the nomination papers for you. The deadline for completed nomination forms is 4pm on Wednesday 2nd April to be handed in to Wiltshire Council Chippenham office. This needs to be done by booking an appointment however, an existing councillor is willing to deliver all the forms together on your behalf. If you have any queries or if you need help with the above, please contact the Parish Clerk btpcclerk@outlook.com. Redhills Play Area Waste Bin We would appreciate it if residents didn’t put used nappies or other hazardous waste in the bin in the interests of hygiene and safety of the councillors who empty the bin. Thank you.
Next PC Meeting - Monday 10th March. The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 10th March. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course.
CLEARING AWAY THE RUBBISH – BY BISHOP ANDREW
Returning recently to my former parish in Crystal Palace, South London, I was reminded of the glorious glass edifice that once stood atop Sydenham Hill, overlooking the city. It was a quite extraordinary building, one of the wonders of the Victorian age and entirely destroyed by fire one night in 1936. All that remains of the Crystal Palace are some grand steps and stone sphynxes leading to a deserted platform: a bleak and thought-provoking spot to this day. It is thought to have been a single cigarette end that ignited the blaze, although what truly caused it was the build-up of decades of combustible gubbins lying beneath the floor. The boards of the palace had been constructed with gaps between through which dust could be swept by cleaners, which meant that, over the years a metres-deep tinder box was being prepared. The story has lessons for our soul, not only health and safety, I think – especially at the start of Lent. Sweeping things under the carpet rarely works and, whether in our relationships, work, or worship, ‘taking out the rubbish’ by honest self-examination, discipline and penitent prayer is both healthy and helpful for us - and can prevent all kinds of disasters. ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me’ cries the sorrowful King David in Psalm 51. A good prayer for us all, together and alone, as the church makes its way through this holy season, following our Lord to the cross and the celestial city beyond.
FOODBANK
Thanks to everyone for your continued support and donations to the Foodbank Collection in February. Our Easter collection will be on 5th & 6th April outside the village hall between 9am and 4pm each day.
POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER NEWS
https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/philip-wilkinson wiltshire-police-and-commissioner-february-column https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/pcc-presents-award-to wiltshire-police-dog-and-handler-for-best-sniffing-and-tracking
COULD YOU BE THE NEXT TREASURER FOR BROAD TOWN VILLAGE HALL?
We are looking to recruit a new Treasurer on to the B.T.V.H. Management Committee. For more information and an informal chat, please contact Ray - Tel 731564 Committee Chairman.
MARCH AT A GLANCE
Wednesday March 5th - Made in Broad Town 10 – 12 noon
Saturday March 8th - Churchyard Work Morning 10 – 12 noon
Sunday March 9th – Morning Prayer, Christ Church @10.30am Monday
March 10th - Parish Council Meeting – 6.30pm, village hall Wednesday
March 12th – Community Coffee Morning 10 - 12 noon
Wednesday March 19th – Made in Broad Town 10 – 12 noon
Sunday March 23rd – Holy Communion, Christ Church, followed by Church Warden elections
Wednesday March 26th – Community Coffee Morning 10 – 12 noon
Friday March 28th – Food for Thought Fish ‘n’ Chips, village hall car park March
QUIZ ANSWERS
1) Pancakes
2) St. David’s Day (Wales) March 1st; St. Patrick’s Day (Ireland) March 17th
3) Alice in Wonderland/Alice Through the Looking Glass
4) The Marquis and Marchioness of Bath
5) Julius Caesar
6) Edward Elgar
7) Cambridgeshire
8) Middlemarch by George Eliot!
9) War
10) Lamb
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. Except December
For any queries, please contact Ray Manley 01793 731564