BROAD TOWN NEWS DECEMBER 2025 / January 2026
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Broad Town News Editors
Thanks to everyone who bought a bottle(s) of our delicious Broad Town Apple Juice. All 160 bottles were sold making a profit of £450 which went directly to Prospect Hospice Wroughton.
Thank you, Nigel, David, Rupert & Paul for serving refreshments, cake & demonstrating a 3D printer at work at the Community Coffee Morning.
BROAD TOWN WHITE HORSE RESTORATION GROUP REPORT FOR 2025
It’s been a hectic year for the Broad Town White Horse Restoration starting with liming in May. Funded by the Bluefield Solar Income Fund and with support from the Horton Brothers at Cockroost Farm, 18 volunteers weeded and limed the Horse on a Sunday morning in May leaving it gleaming white and visible for miles.
In the background, preparations were being made for the commencement of a project which had been initiated in the light of the landslip below the Horse in 2024.
It was agreed that 5 elements should be addressed and funding was requested and obtained from the North Wessex Downs National Landscape and the Bluefield Solar Income Fund:
- Survey using GPS and UAV photogrammetric survey.
- A condition survey involving a geological survey of land slip activity and an augur survey of the horse itself.
- A historic review of the Broad Town White Horse.
- Archiving of the results.
- Public dissemination of the results.
Interest in the Project was evident when a talk in the Village Hall in July attracted an audience of over a hundred with standing room only for the latecomers. Fascinating talks were given by experts Garry Gibbons and Mike Allen while Derek Greer and Andrew Law completed the line-up. At a later date a school assembly about the Horse and its history was delivered by Derek and Andrew to an appreciative audience at the Broad Town School.
Tasks 1 and 2 have now been completed and the associated reports drafted. Task 3 remains underway and work continues searching out old documents relating to the White Horse to build up a more comprehensive understanding of its history. In parallel a number of interviews have been recorded with villagers who have been involved in the maintenance of the horse and in due course all of this material will be stored in local archives and also the Broad Town History Website - https://www.broadtownhistory.com.
The Broad Town White Horse Restoration Group would like to thank all the people who gave their time for this project in 2025 and hope that they enjoyed their involvement. As the Group reviews the results obtained from the project, thought will be given to whether there is further work that might enhance our knowledge of the Horse and also identify work that might be done to improve the long-term stability and future of the Horse. It is hoped to deliver a second public talk in the Village Hall early next year to cover the results achieved. Looking ahead, we will be out liming the Horse again next spring so please look at the Broad Town News for future dates and help us in our aim to maintain this important symbol of Broad Town.
"You too can participate in maintaining the white horse and be part of its evolving story."
NEWS FROM BT C.E PRIMARY SCHOOL
It’s been a busy start to the new academic year with children & staff making the most of our mild autumn with lots of outdoor learning.
Class 1 have been enjoying their forest Friday sessions making clay figures, leaf rubbings and identifying trees; In October Mandy Cook led a school Spirituality Day with lots of fun outside and we had a visit from local volunteers who told us more about the history of BT White Horse and organised a fun White Horse playground trail.
Children in Classes 2&3 greatly enjoyed a school trip to Hampton Court Palace, where they learnt a lot about the Tudors. The school were beneficiaries of a grant from Historic Royal Palaces Access Fund which funded the whole trip.
Seeking outside support & funding is essential to maintain our school and provide enrichment to our curriculum. Thanks to a grant from the Spackman Trust the school were able to purchase a new set of laptops to add to the ones we already have in school. And thanks to one of our parents we were able to receive some new books for our school library. We also held a fundraising walk /run and raised a fantastic £1,427 to provide much needed maths & phonics resources.
Looking beyond the school, at our Harvest Festival pupils donated a large number of items to pass on to the Swindon Food Collective which were greatly received.
Finally the school would like to recruit some parents, governors and community helpers who would be willing to come into school on a regular basis and read with the children. We are looking for people with an hour or two to spare in the afternoon on a regular basis. Full training will be given.
Please contact the headteacher if you would be interested at admin@broadtown.wilts.sch.uk.
CHRIST CHURCH
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the messages of Christmas seem more relevant than ever. We sing ‘LOVE came down at Christmas’, ‘JOY to the world’, ‘PEACE on earth, GOOD-WILL to all.
We are delighted that this year, the annual village carol service on Thursday 18th December will be held in our ‘warm’ village church! Come and sing carols, listen to the nativity story read by people from the Village and beyond with children creating the crib scene ready for Christmas Day and stop a while after to mingle and chat over a glass of mulled wine, hot drinks and mince pies. The door is open wide and everyone is welcome so please put the date in your diary and bring your best singing voice along for a festive and joyous evening.
Christmas blessings to all.
As 2025 draws to a close, it is a time to reflect on the year and to give thanks to the many people from the Village and further afield who have in any way volunteered their time or given financial support to the church. It is much appreciated.
The church now looks forward with HOPE and we pray that a vicar will be appointed early next year to lead us on our journey. New Year Greetings to everyone.
Church Service dates
14th December 10.30am Morning Worship
18th December 7pm Carol Service
25th December 10.30am Communion
11th January 10.30 Morning service
25th January 10.30 Communion
BISHOPS MESSAGE DECEMBER 2025
At Christmas, wherever we are, and however full or fragile our lives are, we mark perhaps the greatest moment in human history. The very fact that God chooses to lower himself and to be born among us, and to make His home as one of us, marks out the Christian experience from any other in our world. Our preparations and our celebrations make it all too easy to miss the full meaning of the incarnation. The fact that God is with us is a liberation all of its own and calls us to make every home in our world as safe and as free as possible. This Christmas as families, and as some remain alone, let us remember before anything else that the God who made his home among us calls us to return to Him and to live lives that proclaim the good news. May the home coming of Jesus be with you this Christmas.
'MADE IN BROAD TOWN' CRAFTS AND HOBBIES GROUP
Meets every first and third Wednesday of the month in the Village Hall. No crafting skills or experience are necessary, and you are also very welcome to come long just for refreshments and a chat. Some people bring along their own crafts or hobbies to work on whilst others like to have a go at the activities we organise every session. So far this year our activities have included clay work, cushion making, collages, gift box making, paper iris folding, watercolour painting, potato printing, glass painting and Christmas cracker making.
Following our very enjoyable glass painting session led by Terri at the end of October, our long-awaited visit to Great Cotmarsh Farm took place in early November. Organic farmer and sustainable fashion producer Katie Allen, gave us a fascinating talk about their organic and sustainable farming methods, and the animals bred at the farm. This was followed by a tour of the tannery and the dye garden. A big thank you to Katie for facilitating such an enjoyable morning and also thank you to Jacki for helping to organise this event.
Several times during the year we sell items we have made to raise money for charity, and we are proud to have raised almost £2,500 in the two and a half years we have been running. Our plant sale in May raised over £600 for the Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance, and we would love to see you at our stall at the ‘Christmas Cracker’ event on November 29th when we will be supporting Julia’s House Children’s Hospice.
Our next sessions will be on:
Wednesday December 3rd; Wednesday December 17th (Christmas bring and share nibbles and making floral table decorations); January 7th and January 21st
All from 10 – 12 noon in the Village Hall.
Everyone is welcome to come along to our sessions and if you do feel creative there are always activities available for you to try. If you are able to make a £2 voluntary donation, to help cover hall hire and refreshment costs, we’d be very grateful. If you have any questions, please email us, we would love to hear from you. If you haven’t been before simply come along to any of our events or email us at: madeinbroadtown@gmail.com
Wishing you a very Happy Christmas from Linda, Helen, Corinne & Heather
THE SOCIAL CLUB
Open every Friday from 8pm 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 £3.50 a pint and there is a free pool table, so why not pop in and check us out.
THE SOCIAL CLUB AGM
The Annual General Meeting of the Social Club will take place at 7.30pm on Tuesday 16th December in the Village Hall at which the Officers and other members of the Committee will be elected. All members of the public are invited to come along and participate and if anyone would like to join the committee then please make contact with the secretary Chris Woodhouse 07790 815616 or woodhousecj@gmail.com.
Food for Thought will be selling their delicious Fish and Chips (and burgers, sausages, scampi etc) outside the Village Hall from 5 – 8pm:on 28th November,19th December
THE LEGEND OF ROBIN REDBREAST
From A Christmas Stocking by Louise Betts Egan. It tells the story of how the robin got his red breast after burning himself on a fire he fanned to keep the baby Jesus warm.
On that first Christmas, it is said, the night was wrapped in a bitter chill. The small fire in the stable was nearly out, and the Mother Mary worried that her baby would be cold. She turned to the animals about her and asked them for help.
“Could you blow on the embers,” she asked the ox, “so the fire might continue to keep my son warm?”
But the ox lay sound asleep on the stable floor and did not hear her. Next, Mary asked the donkey to breathe life back into the fire, but the sleeping donkey did not hear Mary either. Nor did the horse or sheep. She wondered what to do.
Suddenly, Mary heard a fluttering of little wings. Looking up, she saw a plain, brown-coloured little robin fly into the stall. This robin had heard Mary calling to the animals and had come to help her himself. He went over to the dying fire and flapped his wings hard.
His wings were like little bellows, huffing and puffing air onto the embers, until they glowed bright red again. He continued to fan the fire, singing all the while, until the ashes began to kindle.
With his beak, the robin picked up some fresh, dry sticks and tossed them into the fire. As he did, a flame suddenly burst forth and burned the little bird’s breast a bright red. But the robin simply continued to fan the fire until it crackled brightly and warmed the entire stable. The Baby Jesus slept happily.
Mary thanked and praised the robin for all he had done. She looked tenderly at his red breast, burned by the flame, and said “From now on, let your red breast be a blessed reminder of your noble deed.”
And to this day, the robin’s red breast covers his humble heart.
Another legend says that the robin’s breast is red because of his association with Christ’s death and crucifixion. When Jesus was on the road to Calvary it is said that a robin plucked a thorn from Christ’s temple and a drop of Jesus’ blood fell on the robin’s chest, turning it red.
PARISH COUNCIL
Help support your Community – Join the Parish Council
The Parish Council has two vacancies and would love to welcome new members. If you are passionate about your community and keen to make a change to help improve residents’ lives then the Parish Council is where you can make a start. A Councillor’s role includes setting the council tax precept for the coming year, commenting on planning applications, helping with problems and ideas, representing the community, talking to the community about their needs and what the council is doing. If you are interested then come along to the next meeting to see what we do.
The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the Village Hall on 8th December. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. As it is the last meeting before Christmas we will be offering mince pies and mulled wine after the meeting to allow residents to chat to the Councillors in a more relaxed social gathering.
SIGN UP FOR FREE PRIORITY SERVICE IN THE EVENT OF A POWER CUT
If you, or someone you know, might need extra support in a power cut you can join the SSEN free Priority Services Register. Full details are on the parish council website:
https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk/news/ssen-winter-measures/
WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH
- The SID has been located at the School monitoring Northbound traffic (heading to RWB).
- The SID captures traffic travelling in ONE direction only so the below figures represent approx. half of the overall traffic in both directions.
- 47,824 vehicles passed the SID which equates to approx. 854 a day.
- 11% of vehicles were speeding
CHRISTMAS PUDDING
The pudding we know today began life as a pottage. This was a kind of broth, including raisins and other dried fruit, spices and wine. It was thickened with breadcrumbs or ground almonds. Not dissimilar to the mince pies of yesteryear, it often included meat or at least meat stock.
The original ‘figgy pudding’ was almost unrecognisable from modern Christmas pudding. For example, this medieval recipe was published in Fygey from the Form of Cury from 1392 period:
'Take almaundes blanched, grynde hem and draw hem up with water and wyne: quarter fygur, hole raisouns. cast perto powdour gyngur and hony clarified, seeth it well & salt it, and serue forth.' - Fygey from the Form of Cury (1392)
This plum pottage would be served at the start of the meal rather than at the end of the meal as we do today.
It was not until the end of the 17th century that the pottage took on a more solid appearance. It was served like a porridge or cooked inside a skin, like a sausage. Even then, it was more likely to have been sliced and cooked under a roasting joint and served alongside the main meal or as a starter – not a dessert.
COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS
In the Village Hall on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. We would like to extend a warm welcome to everyone in the village, and especially to those who haven’t been to a coffee morning before, to join us from 10 - 12 noon.
Make new friends, have a chat and enjoy a range of delicious homemade cakes, sausage rolls, and hot drinks. We operate on a donation basis, there is no fixed price for anything, please just donate as much as you feel able to.
Surplus funds are regularly donated to various local charities and recent donations have been made to Prospect Hospice, Breast Cancer Now, Christ Church Broad Town and Macmillan, and we are looking forward to raising as much as we can for Julia’s House Children’s Hospice during our ‘Christmas Cracker’ event on November 29th . Since the coffee mornings started in 2016, over £11,000 has been donated to charity.
A big thank you to our Broad Town Baristas team of Rupert, Nigel and Dave who gallantly ran our last coffee morning and did an amazing job, giving the normal team a chance to relax and enjoy chatting to everyone for once!
Our regular team consists of Annie, Carolyn, Helen, Linda & Sandra, please come along and meet us in the Village Hall on: Wednesday December 10th – free Christmas raffle & Made in Broad Town sales table;
Wednesday January 14th & Wednesday January 28th, all from 10 – 12 noon
Thanks to our regular attendees for all your support during the last year, and we extend our welcome to new visitors to come and enjoy scrumptious cake and a chat – please just turn up and come in.
We wish you all a very Happy Christmas and look forward to meeting you!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Food for Thought Fish & chips 28th November 5-8pm Village Hall
Christmas Cracker Coffee & Craft Sale 29th November 10:00-12:30 Village Hall
Made in Broad Town’ Crafts & Hobbies 3rd December 10am Village Hall
Food Bank 6th & 7th December Village Hall
Parish Council Meeting 8th December 6:30pm Village Hall
Community Coffee Morning 10th December 10am Village Hall
Morning Worship 14th December 10.30am Church
Annual General Meeting of the Social Club 16th December 7:30pm Village Hall
Made in Broad Town’ Crafts & Hobbies 17th December 10am Village Hall
Carol Service 18th December 7pm Church
Food for Thought Fish & chips 19th December 5-8pm Village Hall
Communion 25th December 10.30am Church
New Years Eve 31st December 20:00 - late Village Hall
Morning service 11 January 10.30am Church
Community Coffee Morning 14th January 10am Village Hall
The Full Monty breakfast for Broad Town 17th January 10:00am Village Hall
Made in Broad Town’ Crafts & Hobbies 21st January 10am Village Hall
Communion 25 January 10.30am Church
Community Coffee Morning 28th January 10am Village Hall
Food for Thought Fish & chips 30th January 5-8pm Village Hall
Please e-mail articles for publication to BroadTownNews@gmail.com by 22nd of the month (EXCEPT DECEMBER)
BEST WISHES FOR CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS.