ON RAISING THE ROOF

I’m often intrigued by words and phrases that can be used in apparently opposite ways – one example being cleave, which links both to the cleaving together and to cleaving apart – depending on whether you are using the old prayer book marriage service or an axe.

‘Raising the roof’ is another such phrase:

The concert was so amazing the applause raised the roof.

They were so furious that they raised the roof at the next meeting.

Both relate to noise and uproar; but the emotional content expressed is different.  I found myself noticing that whether something is good or bad might be as much about how I respond to an event as the event itself.  And of course, both praise and anger can be effective at energising people and events.  It is, however, normally easier to be on the receiving end of encouragement rather than fury!  I’m not, I hope, naively or foolishly copying Pollyanna.  There’s a place for the expression of difficult or unhappy feeling and if you live with depression, pain or some other challenge it is not always possible to look on the bright side of life, in spite of the song in Monty Python’s ‘Life of Brian’.

The phrase ‘raising the roof’ has been on my mind because Christ Church in Broad Town has discovered that the church needs a new roof within a twelve month.

Yet to my surprise I find I am excited about the possibilities offered by the difficult challenge of ‘raising the roof’ in Broad Town – and delighted at the way people have responded.  There has been no uproar, but a lot of extra work has been undertaken – mainly by people giving their time and skills voluntarily.

The cost is approximately £46,000 and over £10K has already been raised by the church and the village friends in the past for such an eventuality.  In one meeting we worked this out as needing in 2016 to raise £900 for each person on the church’s electoral roll of 40 – its active membership if you like.  This would be an enormous ask for many but there’s something about knowing what we are looking at that helps. Beyond the Church this would in the Village work out as £90 for each person in the village (using a ballpark figure for Broad Town of 400).  For some people this would still be an enormous amount of money to find as an extra.  Yet – it seems within our grasp – especially if we continue getting a little bit of help from our friends and that ‘raising the roof’ might also build connections and friendships.  It also reminds me that while we are facing at least a temporary time without a roof under which to worship God or welcome a newly christened child, or a couple getting married or saying farewell to a loved one that there are those who are without a roof for daily shelter.

It may be that for these too we should raise the roof in either celebration or a passion for justice.

The Reverend Rachma Abbott, Priest in Charge, Woodhill Benefice.

The Vicarage, Clyffe Pypard, SWINDON, SN4 7PY. 01793 731134  

 

THE ROOF

We have now had our letter of support from the Archdeacon of Sarum so we can now put forward our application to the “Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund”.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

6^th March                         Closure of Railway Bridge at Marlborough Road RWB

11^th March                       Big Gig committee meeting

12^th March                       Hilmarton Moviola

18^th March                       Concert by Dodecantus

24^th March                       End of School term

6^th April                           BT CLPG meeting

11^th April                         Back to School

18^th April                         BT Village Hall AGM

30^th April                         Gentleman’s Breakfast Club

2^nd and 4^th Wednesday     Community Coffee Mornings

 

THANK YOU

Thank you to all who came to the pancake coffee morning - £281.80 was raised for the upkeep of the Church.

 

MOTHERING SUNDAY

There will be a Family Service at Christ Church, Broad Town on Sunday 6^th March at 11am.
This will be suitable for all ages and we hope to see you there.

 

COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS

Following the success of our first two coffee mornings which were attended by over thirty villagers, we really hope you will join us on the 9^th and 23^rd of March for coffee, tea, hot chocolate and homemade cakes.  Come and meet up with neighbours and friends.
Coffee mornings are held on the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesdays of each month in Broad Town Village Hall from 10am to 12 noon.
If anyone would like a lift please ring Carolyn on 852754 or Ray on 731564

 

CONCERT BY DODECANTUS

There will be a concert by Dodecantus in Christ Church, Broad Town on Friday 18^th March at7.30pm.  Tickets are £7, refreshments will be available as will a Portaloo.

They will be singing “The Chilcott Requiem”.  This will be a most enjoyable evening.

 

 

BROAD TOWN VILLAGE HALL AGM

Our Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday 18^th April at 6.30pm in the Village Hall.  Everyone is welcome and we rely on volunteers to help run and maintain the Village Hall.  If you would like to have an input into running the hall, please come along (no experience needed).  We look forward to seeing you on Monday 18^th April at 6.30pm

 

CLERKS CLIPPINGS

1 It is planned to deliver one page questionnaires to each house in the
Village to assess views on future building. This will be the final item to
enable the draft Neighbourhood Plan to go forward.
2 Now that the road safety improvements are finally complete, it is time to
revitalise Community Speedwatch to assess its effectiveness. Volunteers are
required.
3 Parking on Chapel Lane. The fire service requires a minimum of 10 feet
between vehicles parked on opposite sides of the road to enable fire
vehicles to get through. Parking on Chapel Lane is poor and this is often
not the case.

 

THE BIG GIG

Broad Town Big Gig - After a successful Big Gig in 2015 we are looking for several new committee members to allow us to go ahead and plan and host the event for 2016.  The Big Gig is a local music festival held in Broad Town, organised and run by volunteers to raise money for local charities.  If you are interested in being a part of this great local event, please contact info@broadtownbiggig.com and come along to the next committee meeting on the 11th March at Broad Town Village Hall at 20:30 the bar will be open.  In the meantime, to see what it's all about visit www.broadtownbiggig.com

 

GENTLEMAN’S BREAKFAST CLUB

30^th April 2016 at St. Michael's Church Hall, Lyneham.  

Tea, coffee & toast available from 9:15am, full English breakfast at 9:30am

£7.00 p.p. + a raffle.

There will be no event in March due to Holy Week but the April breakfast will be on 30^th April when Revd Paul Needle will talk about Rail Disasters.

Contact David May davemay104@yahoo.co.uk if you would like to attend.

 

BROAD TOWN COMMUNITY LED PLANNING (CLP) GROUP

Although Purton has decided to move away from the Area Neighbourhood Plan process to form its own individual plan, it is still not clear what the intentions of the other six villages are, as decisions have to be made at their respective parish council meetings in March and April.  It will therefore be some time before we know for certain what will be happening in Broad Town.  The wait means that there is an opportunity for the Parish Council to hold a Broad Town Housing Survey to find out the views of everyone in the village about future development.  A simple Housing Survey template has been suggested by another parish council and the CLPG has been invited to comment on the template.  The housing survey template and comments will be posted onto our Community Group website at: www.broad-town.co.uk/CommunityGroups/CommunityLeadPlanningGroup

We are in full support of a clear, simple and straightforward survey and we encourage you all to keep a lookout for it and make sure that you complete it so that your opinions are counted.

Do you want to find out more about the neighbourhood plan process?  Our next meeting is on Wednesday 6^th April at 7.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall, all residents are welcome.  Please contact us if you would like to go on to our mailing list on broadtownclpg@gmail.com.

 

DEVELOPMENT IN BROAD TOWN: WE NEED YOUR OPINION!

From Stuart Hinson, Chairman, Broad Town Parish Council

We need to collect the opinions of all Broad Town residents on development in our village, to mould our Neighbourhood Plan.  The importance of this Plan is that it will be used by Wiltshire Council to inform their decisions on future planning applications in this parish.  Do you want no development at all (other than infill), lots of new houses, or something between these two extremes?  Two copies of a brief development-only questionnaire will shortly be delivered to every house in the parish.  Please fill in one for each adult at the address (more copies are available) and return the questionnaires to the collection points which will be described in the questionnaire’s covering letter.  It is difficult to overstate the importance of filling in and returning the questionnaires.  Our Plan cannot possibly represent opinions of which we are not aware.  This is your chance to make your voice heard, on what YOU would like to see happening to our village over the next 10-15 years, and further beyond.

 

WILTSHIRE MOVIOLA

The Next film is on Saturday 12^th March is Spectre (12A)

Hilmarton Parish Hall, Doors open at 7pm, Tickets £6 from:-

27 Poynder Place Hilmarton 01249 760215

Breda Cottage 34 Church Road Hilmarton 01249 760312 (opposite the Chapel)

The Duke Hotel 01249 760634, where you may also order a pre-cinema meal at a special price, or E-mail MarkRickaby2@gmail.com

For more information call Geoff Procter on 01249 760312

GOOD NEIGHBOUR CO-ORDINATION SERVICE

It is with regret that I have been asked to forward the following message to you regarding the Wiltshire Good Neighbour Service.  It has been a very unsettled few months for us all as we have strived to keep the service going, supporting older people in Wiltshire.

Closure of the Good Neighbour Co-ordination Service

Wiltshire Council is working with area boards to change the way it works with communities to facilitate local wellbeing.  As a result of this the Wiltshire Good Neighbours service which has operated successfully in parts of Wiltshire since 2010 is to come to an end.  Local area boards across Wiltshire will set up local wellbeing groups that will bring together key individuals and organisations to ensure communities have the information and opportunities to remain healthy and well.

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said: “Our local area boards sit right at the heart of our communities and are ideally placed to provide and coordinate this new way of working.  The new approach will build on the success of existing networks and links the area boards have.  This will ensure local people connect with the resources and services they need to improve their wellbeing and help them remain independent within their community.”

“We would also like to acknowledge the work that the Good Neighbour Co-ordinators and Community First have delivered over the last five years.  This work has contributed significantly to our understanding of the support that vulnerable and older people across Wiltshire need.”

Lynn Gibson, Community First’s CEO said: “The work of the Good Neighbours has been well recognised and respected by partners and the people who have received it.  We are therefore disappointed and saddened that this good work will no longer continue in its current form.  However we are working with the council to ensure people who need support can receive it and looking at the arrangements going forward”.

The Good Neighbour Co-ordinator service will close on Thursday 31^st March 2016.

At present, the exact arrangements being put in place by each area board have yet to be finalised and anyone requiring support in the meantime should contact the Wiltshire Council Adult Care Help Line on 0300 456 0111 or email customeradvisors@wiltshire.gov.uk

Now for the good news!  I have been working with the Area Board and things are progressing well.  At time of going to print, nothing is settled, but I hope that the replacement service will be available as soon as possible after 1^st April and that I shall be around to continue to support older and vulnerable people in the area.  Details to follow.

Ellen Blacker

Good Neighbour Co-ordinator and Older Persons Champion for Royal Wootton Bassett, Cricklade  and the Villages

Tel: 07557 110414

I am hoping to raise some money for local Alzheimer projects by selling at a car boot sale in early March.  If you have any unwanted but reasonable items, (books, jewellery, ornaments, clothes,  etc) that you would like to donate, please drop them off with Rosie Law @ 1 Pye Lane or give me a call & I will collect. (01793 731472)

 

THE GUILD OF WILTSHIRE ARTISTS

Run workshops at the Village Hall on every third Saturday of the month from 10am to 4pm.  All are welcome including painters who are beginners.

Tea and Coffee provided but do bring a packed lunch.  Help will be given to those who request it.  Contact telephone numbers 731154, 731519.

 

HATHA YOGA

Weekly Hatha Yoga at Broad Town Village Hall.  For more details please contact Polly Fouracres by email - polly@4fouracres.com.