Broad Town News-Dec 2012 / Jan 2013

Dec 2012 / Jan 2013 BROAD TOWN NEWS Published by Christ Church

Sponsored this month by the Big Gig

Date/Day	Time	Church	Service	Readers	Sidesman	Chalice	Cleaner	Flowers
Sunday Dec 2	10.30am	Hilmarton	Benefice Communion
Advent Sunday	5pm	Clyffe Pypard	Advent meditation & music
Sunday Dec 9	10.30am	Broad Town	Benefice Communion	D Marshall / C Green	J Wallis	D Marshall	Mrs Cameron-Street	Advent
Advent 2	4pm	Tockenham	Christingle*
Sunday Dec 16	10.30am	Clyffe Pypard	Benefice Communion
Advent 3	5pm	Hilmarton	Carol Service
Thursday Dec 20	6pm	Broad Town	Carol Service	TBA	C Green		Mrs Cameron- Street	Advent
Friday Dec 21	1.15pm	Broad Town	School Carol Service
Sunday Dec 23	10.30am	Tockenham	Benefice Communion*
Advent 4	5pm	Clyffe Pypard	Carol Service
Monday Dec 24	5pm	Hilmarton	Family Service*
Christmas Eve	5pm	Tockenham	Carol Service
	11pm	Hilmarton	Midnight Mass
Tuesday Dec 25	9.15am	Clyffe Pypard	Family Communion*
Christmas Day	11am	Broad Town	Family Communion*	Mrs Marshall / Mrs Green	D Marshall	C Green / Mrs Drury	Mrs Rendell	Christmas
Sunday Dec 30	10.30am	Hilmarton	Benefice Communion
Christmas 1
Wednesday Jan 2	2pm	Hilmarton	Prayer in the day, Held at 48 Poynder Place
Sunday Jan 6	9.15am	Tockenham	Family Communion*
Epiphany	11am	Broad Town	Sung Communion	Mrs Green / C Green	J Wallis	C Green	Mrs Rendell	Mrs Richardson
	5pm	Clyffe Pypard	Evensong
Sunday Jan 13	9.15am	Clyffe Pypard	Communion
Plough Sunday	11am	Hilmarton	Family Service*
	5pm	Tockenham	Evensong
	5pm	Broad Town	Evensong	Mrs Richardson / C Rendell		C Rendell	Mrs McLaren	Mrs Richardson
Sunday Jan 20	9.15am	Tockenham	Morning Prayer
Epiphany 3	11am	Broad Town	Family Communion*	Mrs Drury / Mrs Crocker	C Green	C Green	Mrs McLaren	Mrs Richardson
	5pm	Hilmarton	Evensong
Sunday Jan 27	8am	Broad Town	Said Communion	A Richardson / S Richards	S Richards	S Richards	Mrs Marshall	Mrs Rendell
Epiphany 4	9.15am	Hilmarton	Communion
	11am	Clyffe Pypard	Communion

* Denotes a service that is particularly suitable for all ages.

REVEREND ALISON WAY

‘Light and life to all he brings’ sums up the essence of what Christmas is all about – Jesus bringing light to the world and the promise of life everlasting. This line comes from the well known traditional Christmas carol ‘Hark the herald angels sing’. This carol initially came from the pen of Charles Wesley in 1739, and the legend is that it was inspired when he was travelling on a starry Christmas Eve to a midnight service on horseback. Our usual version of this carol contains alterations to the words by George Whitfield and Martin Madan and it is greatly shortened from the original ten verses(!) to a more manageable three. The rousing tune we know is also not the original! Our tune was adapted by William Hayden Cummings from the Mendelssohn’s oratorio Gestgesang and was not introduced until the words had been in use for nearly 100 years. It is very hard to imagine those words without that tune!

When singing it, it feels a bit like we are joining in with the great song of heaven as we proclaim the birth of the Christ-child once again. I do hope you will take the time to join us in singing God’s praise at the Carol Services in our Churches this year, or join us for any of the other special times of worship as we mark Christmas once again.

May I take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and may the peace of Christ fill your hearts afresh with the ‘light and life’ Jesus brings to us.

As the New Year begins and develops, we take time out to mark the time of preparing the land and sowing the seed through Plough Sunday on January 13^th 2013. In past times this was followed by a rousing procession of the plough through the village, and ploughing began the next day dubbed, unsurprisingly, Plough Monday. Though the practice of farming has altered since the inception of this celebration in Victorian times, the need to pray for our farming community and the rural economy remains deeply important. Do take this opportunity to join us in prayer in each Church of the benefice on Plough Sunday

Perhaps you also might like to use this prayer before supper over the month of January from the Arthur Rank Centre. God of the heavens and the earth, you call us to share in the care of your creation and to bring food and fruitfulness from field and farm. Hear our prayer for all who make their living on the land and make us grateful for the work of their hands and for the generosity of your provision. We ask this in the name of Christ. Amen

At the beginning of a New Year, you may be thinking about taking the next step in faith through confirmation in the Church of England. This marks the point in the Christian journey at which young people and adults take on their faith commitment for themselves and become full members of the Church. The Deanery Confirmation Service is planned for evening of June 27^th 2013, and will be hosted by our neighbours, St Bartholomew’s Church, in Royal Wootton Bassett. Please let me know by the end of January if you would like to explore confirmation. I would also be happy to include anyone who wishes to refresh their understanding of the basics of the Christian faith, and are already confirmed in this preparation. So if that is you, get in touch too.

With love in Christ, Alison Way

Rector, Benefice of Woodhill, The Rectory, Wood Street, Clyffe Pypard, Wilts, SN4 7PY

rectorwoodhill@gmail.com  01793 739044

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

1^st Dec Christmas Coffee Morning

2^nd Dec Advent Sunday

5^th Dec Rectory Prayer and Refreshments

12^th Dec Rectory Prayer and Refreshments

19^th Dec Rectory Prayer and Refreshments

20^th Dec Carol Service

21^st Dec School Carol Service and last day of term

25^th Dec Christmas Day Service

31^st Dec New Years Eve Party

8^th Jan Back to School

11^th Jan Community Led Planning Group

2^nd & 6^th Feb Consultation meetings re. B.T. Plan

FOUND – A BLACK CAT

Has anyone lost a black cat with a blue collar? If so please contact Betty Bastin on 01793 731405

ADVENT – A TIME TO PRAY – come for an hour of reflection and prayer for Advent, followed by refreshments at the Rectory (Wood Street, Clyffe Pypard) on Wednesday 5^th December at 2pm, Wednesday 12^th December at 19:30pm and Wednesday 19^th December at 9:00am – All most welcome.

CHRISTMAS COFFEE MORNING

We look forward to seeing you all at the coffee morning on the 1^st Dec when the raffle will be drawn. There will be refreshments, a Christmas table, a tinsel tombola amongst other goodies. The raffle will be drawn at 11.45am so there will be plenty of time to buy your tickets.

2012 SWINDON AND DISTRICT SCOUT POST FOR CHRISTMAS

The Scouts Xmas Post delivery scheme will again be operating, as in previous years, in the Swindon and surrounding area. Stamps cost 25p and can be purchased from Clive Green, 1 Broadacres, Broad Town. Tel 01793 731511. They are also available from Radway’s Cobblers, The Arcade; Haines & Smith, Opticians, High St, Sainsbury’s Supermarket, Borough Fields and News Plus, Gainsborough Ave, Royal Wootton Bassett, where the special green posting boxes you must use are situated. The last collection from the boxes is 4:00pm on Tuesday 11^th December. You can also post items at 1 Broadacres, Broad Town up to the same deadline. Coverage is detailed on the poster on the outdoor church notice board.

FOUR WAYS BROAD TOWN: YOUR COMMUNITY PUB

Broad Town’s New Year’s Eve Party: THE VINYL COUNTDOWN! Monday 31^st December 8pm to 0030 Tuesday 1^st Jan 2013 – Free Entry: all welcome

Ring in the New Year with some classic tunes! Remember when proper music came on circular black things that went round and around? Still treasure your most memorable records? Dust off your favourite singles and LPs, and come be a DJ for ten minutes on our twin turntables! Every and any era/style/genre welcome – country & western, soul, dance, classical, ska, hip-hop, pop, rock, show tunes... Don't have any vinyl? Bring your best-loved CDs or MP3s instead! Spin two consecutive songs per person, then rejoin the queue!

Cheers! Phyl, Trevor, Jenny, Matt, Tina and the rest of the Social Club committee & bar staff

BROAD TOWN WI

Last month we had a great Bollywood themed evening lead by our speaker and Indian dance teacher Dorothy Clarke, who arrived wearing a dazzling royal blue dress embellished with mirrors and beads. Some of our members had dressed in brightly coloured Indian outfits and Dorothy had brought some with her. The hall was brightened up with draped sari fabric in vivid colours and designs. Although having a very British name Dorothy was born and grew up in Goa in India. She was inspired by watching the dancers as a child but only started dancing herself when she came to England.

Indian dance is a form of storytelling using hand movements and exaggerated facial expressions. Dorothy showed us a beautiful traditional dance about gathering waterlillies. Then it was our turn. We all joined in a dance about friendship, dancing in pairs, with lots of foot work, hand movements and facial expressions to remember. It was great fun; Dorothy was a brilliant teacher and we all had a good time. The evening finished with Indian snacks and dips followed by our formal meeting.

We were very pleased to welcome two new members in November. If you would like information about how to join us visit the web site or phone Jayne on 01793 731565.

BROAD TOWN COMMUNITY LED PLANNING (CLP) GROUP

Just a reminder that the planned events in Broad Town that will bring you the opportunity to be involved in the first stages of the consultation for the Neighbourhood Plan process will now be held in February. These events will allow you to contribute to issues that include land use such as housing, roads and development, so please do look out for further information and come along.

The Neighbourhood Plan process in Broad Town will now move forward alongside that of other nearby villages in the North East Wiltshire Villages group, sharing the expertise of Common Places, the Project Managers. We hope that this new focus will persuade you to come to our next CLP Group meeting to be held at the Village Hall on Friday 11^th January 8.15 p.m. to 9.15 p.m. Please do feel welcome to join us and find out the latest information about the Villages group and the forthcoming events. You can see notes from our past meetings on the Forum page on www.broad-town.co.uk.

PARISH CLERKS CLIPPINGS

1. A new edition of the Village Information Leaflet has been published and should be with you shortly. One missing item; the contact for the Community Led Planning Group is Mrs Lorraine Billis, 731188.

2. Common Places, who are project management for the neighbourhood planning process, are planning a presentation in the Village Hall on 2 Feb 13, followed by a consultation evening on 6 Feb 13. Watch out for the flyer through your door.

3. If you think your dog needs more space when out walking him, tie a yellow ribbon round the lead to let other dog walkers know.

RESPONSE TO LAST MONTHS CLERKS CLIPPINGS

Having seen your comments last month in relation to the footpaths and how it is the responsibility of the landowner and Wiltshire Council, I would like to ask how many of the council actually walk it?

To say that we can help ourselves and carry secateurs to get rid of overgrown vegetation, I don't think any of you have any idea of the state of some of the paths.

There is a young lady who lives in the village that walks a Brown and white dog who clears a lot of paths and I know that what she is clearing isn't with secateurs, it's with a strimmer and chainsaw. Fair play to her, wish there was more like her?

The attitude of some of the landowners is that if the footpaths on their land are blocked then people can't walk it! If you receive a complaint that a footpath is blocked then you know whose land it is, tackle them about it! To ask the general public all the time I think we only have so much generosity.

Concerned local.

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN

Public Consultation - 2^nd and 6^th February 2013. The Parish Plan called for further consultation – this is your chance to influence future planning in Broad Town.

On Saturday 2^nd February and Wednesday 6^th February at Broad Town Village Hall there will be an opportunity for local people to take part in the consultation on the Neighbourhood Plan for Broad Town.

A Neighbourhood Plan is a new initiative by government to ensure that communities are involved in decisions that influence the places where they live with regard to land use planning; this might include, for example, housing, businesses, roads or schools.

Broad Town is part of a group of local parishes called the North East Wiltshire Villages (NEW-V) which using their combined influence and the influence of their local communities are taking this opportunity to ensure that these views are part of planning policy.

Neighbourhood Plans are backed by Government Regulations and are able to become part of the Planning documents produced by Wiltshire Council. The NEW-V Neighbourhood Plan draws very strongly from Parish Plans and other documents but will be seeking more detailed information with regard to Land Use Planning from the consultation events and other engagement from the community.

More information about the events will become available as the events approach but more information regarding the project please contact the Mark Goodman of Common Places, the NEW-V Project Manager, on 01647 432967.

BROAD TOWN COMMUNITY SPEED WATCH

As this is the last edition this year it is a useful time to recap on the year. Over the summer the number of speeding vehicles dropped from 20% down to 10% and the average speed of offenders dropped from 40mph down to 39mph. Unfortunately, now the winter evenings have come, the percentage is rapidly rising back towards 20%.

The local police often work with us and they also carry out their own checks at times we have suggested. Wiltshire Police attention is now focussed on Broad Town and other officers are regularly scheduled here issuing more speeding tickets to offenders.

Before we started it was rare to see any cars passing at under 30 mph. Now about 80% of traffic travels below 30. Some persistent offenders have now ‘got the message’ and no longer offend. We believe that the remaining 20% of speeders don’t actually live in Broad Town, they are merely passing through, although we do have a handful of residents who speed when we are not patrolling.

In the Parish Plan the majority of residents told us of their concerns about speeding. We have been asked to give some tips on how you can help. Many drivers select 3^rd gear, (which is the correct gear), well before the 30 sign and they use the engine to slow the car. This will also save on fuel. They then drive slowly through the village to keep the average speed down. In addition always ensure that if you don’t have parking provision on your property, that you and your visitors park on the road, not partially on the pavement. Any obstruction on the pavement causes problems for mothers with prams and several have complained to us. This combination will slow traffic down considerably. When we are monitoring we see how parked cars really do slow the traffic.

Following requests from residents we obtained permission to increase our monitoring locations to 5. A ‘Metrocount’ was installed in the 40 zone recently. If this reveals a speeding problem, we will also be given police permission to monitor there.

Have a jolly Christmas and a happy new year.

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.

DISCLAIMER

Broad Town Newsletter (BTN) takes all reasonable care to ensure that pages published are accurate. Articles and letters submitted may be the personal opinion of the author and, as such, are not endorsed by BTN. BTN takes no responsibility for the consequences of error or for any loss or damage suffered by users of any of the information published on any of these pages, and such information does not form any basis of a contract with readers or users of it.

FEBRUARY 2013 EDITION

Will organisations or anyone wishing to have news, etc. included in the February edition please note that items must be submitted to Mrs M Green, 1 Broadacres, Broad Town, cliveggreen@waitrose.com BY 6pm FRIDAY 25^th January. It is regretted that submissions after that time cannot be included.

Wishing you all A Happy Christmas and New Year