https://broad-town.co.uk RSS feeds for Broad Town Village 60 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2688/Broad-Town-News--May-2026#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2688 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2688&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2688/Broad-Town-News--May-2026                                                            BROAD TOWN NEWS MAY 2026                                          Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. CHRIST CHURCH The plant stall is nearly here! If you have any plants we can sell to raise funds for the church please contact Judy 01793 731341 or Carolyn 07768 543963. It was lovely to welcome Broad Town School for their end of term service and listen to their excellent singing and confident telling of the Easter story. Thank you to all the flower arrangers who made the church look beautiful for Easter. At the shortlisting meeting for our new rector, we learnt that the candidate has had to withdraw their application for personal reasons, The advert will stay live on Diocesan website and we will be told the new dates for advertising more widely in due course. Please continue to pray for a suitable candidate. It is not easy to keep the church running smoothly without a vicar. Thank you to everyone in the village and beyond for your support especially in maintaining the church, taking the services, including funerals and weddings, maintaining the churchyard and grass verges and helping with fundraising. The dates for services at Christ Church are: 10th May 10.30 Morning Prayer 24th May 10.30 Communion 31st May 10.30 Communion BISHOP’S MESSAGE The elusive hare. One of the many blessings of the spring is the reappearance of that most mysterious of countryside creatures, the hare. Part of their appeal lies, I think, in elusiveness and movement: barrelling along a lane at night, ahead of us as we drive, or veering across the hillside. We were walking this weekend through an ocean of woodland bluebells, when Effie, our dog, startled a hare (almost the size of a muntjac) mere yards away and off it tore, confounding all attempts at pursuit. Always on the move, they are an Easter marvel. I was reminded of the hare’s dynamism when reading St Mark’s account of the resurrection, which that evangelist conveys not as a fact to be proved, or puzzle to be solved, but as a mysterious kind of movement. “He has been raised; he is not here” declares the angel to the women at the tomb. “He is going ahead of you to Galilee”. At which their first response, not unreasonably, is terrified flight, before doing as the angel bade them and relating this to the apostles. Faith, in this light, is our pursuit of the Christ who goes before us. Rejoicing whenever we encounter him, walking his way and hoping earnestly to see him again. +Andrew Ramsbury. COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Our May coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays May 13th and 27th. Community Coffee Mornings take place 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. On May 27th we will be joined by Kelly Hillier, our local Police Community Support Officer, who will be happy to answer any questions or listen to comments you may have about local issues. 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. Any profits are regularly donated to local charities. We look forward to seeing you in the village hall. BROAD TOWN WHITE HORSE LIMING Weather permitting, White Horse liming place will take place on the morning of Sunday 10th May. It should be assumed that we will start at around 10am and conclude before lunchtime. Protective equipment will be available at the site in the form of eye protection and face masks. All participants are requested to wear appropriate footwear and work gloves. If possible, they should also bring a tool that can be used for removing weeds or for spreading the lime. The event will be open to all those who wish to be involved with the only stipulation being that participants should be physically fit and in good health. Would anyone who wishes to be involved please contact Andrew Law on 07841 381301 or andrewlaw456@gmail.com . Fuller details will be provided to all volunteers. Individuals who have already declared their availability to the organizer need not do so again. Andrew Law SOCIAL CLUB The social club is 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 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. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FourWaysBroadTown 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: 24th April This Friday! 29th May 26th June The Village Hall bar will be open from 5pm on these Fridays so why not pop in and enjoy a drink while you are waiting for your supper ! ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP During April we had some great sessions making floral decorations, and fabric bowls. Some of us also had a go at flower pressing which was very relaxing. During our final April session on the 29th, we will be learning origami. There will be May sessions on Wednesdays May 6th & 20th. On the 6th we will be preparing for our plant sale and the 20th will be a relaxing ‘bring along your own craft or hobby’ session. Charity Plant Sale - Saturday May 9th Please come and support Prospect Hospice and our village church at the plant sale, homemade refreshments available. Broad Town 100 Project – free seeds!! Inspired by Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday on May 8th, Made in Broad Town have launched a summer project aimed to get Broad Town growing! With the aim of involving the whole community to increase biodiversity by encouraging nature into your gardens and open spaces around our village, we are giving away free seeds to anyone in the village who requests them. Please see further information in this newsletter. Made in Broad Town sessions run from 10am – 12 noon in the village hall, new people always welcome. If you have any questions, please email us: Helen or Linda, email: madeinbroadtown@gmail.com GOLDBOROUGH RESTING STONE What is a resting stone? It is a seat comprised of a dressed rectangular rock with a base which was put along roads in past times when the majority of travellers walked long distances between towns and villages. The Goldborough resting stone was placed between Broad Town and Wootton Bassett along the Marlborough Road. Its existence was forgotten as the stone has lain in the ditch out of sight for some decades. A chance discovery when reading through old Parish Council records of the 1960s (as part of the research for the Broad Town white horse project) indicated that there was once a resting stone at Goldborough and that councillors had considered it worth mentioning as a historical landmark on a par with the oldest buildings in Broad Town. Discussion at a Coffee Morning in the village hall revealed that some residents remembered it from many years ago and a short foray along the verge soon revealed that the resting stone and its base were still there. On Sunday 19th April a small group of enthusiasts were able to rescue the stone and its base from the ditch, place the base on a levelled portion of the wide grassy verge and manoeuvre the resting stone back into place on its base. It may not get as much use nowadays as it did when Broad Town residents walked into Wootton Bassett, but it works and can now be easily seen from passing vehicles. So next time you go to Goldborough don’t forget to give the resting stone a try. Thanks to Adrian, Andrew, Charlie, Derek, John and Kevin. ANNUAL PARISH MEETING The Annual Parish Meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 26th May at 6.30pm (please note the change of day). You are most welcome to attend and the Parish Council would be delighted to see you there. (This is not the annual meeting of the PC itself, which is on 11th May.) If you represent a community group and would like to update the community about your activities over the last year, or future plans, please let me know by e-mailing BTPCCLERK@outlook.com so I can include it on the agenda. Refreshments will be served. I hope to see you there. With best wishes. Caroline White Broad Town Parish Clerk PARISH COUNCIL Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Exercise caution when walking near footpaths We have received a report of a dog which hurt its leg on barbed wire hidden in the undergrowth and would ask both dogwalkers to exercise caution and also landowners to regularly check their fences and to remove or replace and collapsed fencing to avoid a similar incident. Consultation on proposed Changes to Pay and Display Parking in Wiltshire Have your say before 6th May at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/17245/TRO Parish Council Election Vacancies Following a resignation there are now 3 vacancies and the Parish Council is in need of new members. If anyone would like to join us in serving the parish and helping to make Broad Town a pleasant place to live then please make contact with the Clerk (BTPCClerk@outlook.com) The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 11th May. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. Annual Parish Meeting Tuesday 26th May 6.30pm Village Hall We look forward to welcoming you at the Annual Parish Meeting. This is not a council meeting but is an opportunity for all village groups and associations to share with the village the activities they have undertaken in the past year and their plans for the future year. Residents are invited to contribute to the agenda and/or celebrate local activities and debate current issues in the community. Residents are also invited to raise any issues they want to bring to the attention of the Parish Council for future consideration by the Parish Council. Refreshments will be provided. INTRODUCING THE BROAD TOWN 100 PROJECT Request your free seeds now!! Made in Broad Town have just launched a village project which was initially inspired by the fact that it is David Attenborough’s 100th birthday on May 8th, the day before our charity plant sale. We thought it would be a good idea to do what we can to get Broad Town growing to improve our local environment, to encourage nature and increase biodiversity during the summer in the following ways: Our aim is for our village to create 100 small scale wildlife and plant based projects and/or involve 100 people. These projects can be as small as simply planting a tub of wildlife friendly flower seeds. Other possibilities that we encourage people to try including: - growing a row of sunflowers, or planting a shrub or tree etc. It would be great if everyone could grow sunflowers in their front gardens for others to enjoy too! - putting up a bird box, bat box or insect hotel, or to create hedgehog highways in fencing and hedges etc (please ask your neighbour’s permission before doing this!) - building a garden pond Introducing a bird box, bat box and insect hotel to public locations is also an aim of our project, please contact us if you know of any suitable village locations where you would like to see these put up. Broad Town School – we will help to help improve the wildlife friendliness of the school grounds by: Mini-project 1: planting a mountain rowan tree (one of the best wildlife friendly trees) and bee friendly bulbs in the autumn; Mini-project 2: building and populating some planters on the uncovered tarmac area at the school. We have already made these planters which will be installed on the school playground this week. Free seeds: To push our “Broad Town 100” project forward we aim to provide wildlife friendly or impactful flower and plant seeds to as many people or locations as we can throughout the village – please email us at madeinbroadtown@gmail.com with your name and address if you would like us to post a free starter pack of wildlife friendly seeds through your letterbox . Seed packs can also be collected from the village hall during the following events: May 5th – Broad Town White Horse Talk 7.30pm May 9th – Charity Plant Sale 2 – 4pm Any Wednesday morning: 10 – 12 noon during either community coffee mornings or Made in Broad Town sessions. Photographic Record and Coffee Morning: We will be collecting photographs of everybody’s mini projects, including ‘before and after’ photos – perhaps you could transform a small piece of garden into a wildflower area, or show us your newly installed birdbox for example, or a row of sunflowers in a tub or border. It would be even better if your photos manage to capture any wildlife visiting your mini project such as bees, butterflies or other insects or mammals! All the photos will be displayed at a community coffee morning on Saturday September 12th, and later will be transformed into a photobook as a permanent record of our project. If your photo(s) of your own mini project include people, only email us these if they are happy for their images to be included in our coffee morning photo display, and photobook, thank you. Please email your photos to: madeinbroadtown@gmail.com We aim to collect at least 100 photos as well as improving the biodiversity and colourfulness in our village. The project is open to everyone in our village/parish including children and we hope that as many people as possible will enjoy taking part. If you have any questions, please email us at madeinbroadtown.com, we look forward to hearing from you. Good luck with your project(s)! Helen, Linda, Corinne, Diana & Heather, and the Made in Group Town group Made in Broad Town are grateful to the Bluefield Solar Income Fund for their support DISCOVERING BROAD TOWN WHITE HORSE Tuesday 5th May 2026 Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm Free admission. –refreshments available -Broad Town Village Hall. Join us as we hear the latest research on Wiltshire’s white horses and the exciting feedback from the 2025 Broad Town white horse project.  The talk will start with Brian Edwards, a published expert on chalk hill figures, giving an overview of the origins, meaning and modern treatment of Wiltshire’s white horses.  We will then hear the results of the surveys at Broad Town’s white horse and investigations into the horse’s past incarnations carried by experts and archaeologists in conjunction with volunteers from the local community. Finally, we will unveil the website which has been designed to thoughtfully showcase the results of our project. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Village Tidy Up Saturday 25th April 10am Village Hall Made In Broad Town Wednesday 29th April 10am Village Hall White Horse Project Presentation Tuesday 5th May 7:30pm Village Hall Made In Broad Town Wednesday 6th May 10am Village Hall Plant Sale Saturday 9th May 2pm – 4pm Village Hall White Horse Liming Sunday 10th May 10am Morning Prayer Sunday 10th May 10:30am Christ Church Parish Council Meeting Monday 11th May 6:30 pm Village Hall Community Coffee Morning Wednesday 13th May 10am Village Hall Made In Broad Town Wednesday 20th May 10am Village Hall Communion Sunday 24th May 10:30am Christ Church Annual Parish Meeting Tuesday 26th May 6:30pm Village Hall Community Coffee Morning Wednesday 27th May 10am Village Hall Come and meet your local Policing team Wednesday 27th May 10am Village Hall Communion Sunday 31st May 10:30am Christ Church 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. Any queries should also be sent to this address. BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:23:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2688 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2687/Broad-Town-News-April-2026#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2687 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2687&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2687/Broad-Town-News-April-2026                                                  BROAD TOWN NEWS APRIL 2026                                Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. BROAD TOWN CHURCH April 5th Easter Sunday - 10.30 Communion April 26th - 10.30 Communion Please note that the service on April 12th 10.30 Communion will now be held in Bradenstoke and not Broad Town. PLANT SALE - Made in Broad Town have again kindly offered us a table at the Plant Sale on Saturday 9th May. If the warmer weather is tempting you into the garden and you are dividing or have surplus plants, we would much appreciate them for our table. Do get in touch with Carolyn on 07768543063 or Judy on 01793 731341 and we can arrange a plant drop off or collection. Many thanks If you are passing, do take a moment to visit the churchyard which is looking beautiful with spring flowers in bloom. Thank you to everyone who helps in any way. The Annual Meeting for Parishioners to elect churchwardens will be on Sunday, 26th April beginning at 11.30am (after the 10.30am Communion Service) and is followed immediately by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting. All are welcome. If anyone would consider being a churchwarden, please contact Janet Drury on 01793 850931. BROAD TOWN FOOD BANK PART OF THE SWINDON FOOD COLLECTIVE GIVING FOOD TO THOSE WHO NEED IT Sat 28th & Sun 29th March Always needed: Small jars of coffee, Sugar (500gms/1kg) Tinned Fruit, Tinned Tomatoes, Tinned meat - meatballs, corned beef, spam, hotdogs etc, Tinned vegetables - peas, carrots, sweetcorn etc. Tinned puddings - rice, sago, semolina, custard, angel delight, jellies. Plus any seasonal Easter items – chocolate eggs, hot cross buns, Easter cakes, biscuits, etc Please note - all items should be in date & preferably with a shelf life of 6 months or more. Thanks for your generosity in continuing to support people in need. Please drop off any unopened & unused items to the Village Hall. BROAD TOWN WHITE HORSE – THE NEXT STEP Broad Town White Horse restoration group presentation in the Village Hall, Broad Town at 7.30pm on Tuesday 5 May. In 2025 the Broad Town White Horse Restoration Group started a project to record the White Horse after landslips in 2024 threatened its existence. The project plan was presented to the Community at a well-attended talk in the Broad Town Village Hall in July 2025 entitled “Discovering Broad Town’s White Horse”. Activities took place during the rest of the year that involved members of the community and now it is felt to be the time to deliver the results in a second public presentation. The presentation will be introduced by Jemima Sellwood from our sponsor North Wessex Downs National Landscape. Andrew Law and Derek Greer will explain the major findings from two perspectives: the multiple detailed surveys of the horse and its surrounding landscape and the chronological history of the horse and its upkeep. We are fortunate to be joined by a guest speaker, Brian Edwards, a visiting research fellow at the Regional History Centre at the University of the West of England and local expert on the chalk figures of Wiltshire. He will talk to us about “White Horses, Historical and Now”. The evening will conclude with a presentation of the Broad Town History Website on which all the results of the Broad Town White Horse Restoration Group project will be displayed. The talk will take place on Tuesday 5 May 2026 in the Broad Town Village Hall with doors opening at 7pm and the talk starting at 7.30pm. Entrance is free and all of those interested in their local history are encouraged to attend. BROAD TOWN CHARITY PLANT SALE Saturday May 9th 2 - 4pm, Village Hall ➢ Made in Broad Town plant stall ➢ Broad Town Church plant stall ➢ Refreshments including homemade cakes, hot & cold drinks ➢ Plant donations appreciated please! ➢ All proceeds to: PROSPECT HOSPICE. Wide selection of plants, seedlings, hanging baskets & filled planters available. BROAD TOWN VILLAGE HALL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING to be held in the Village Hall on Monday 27th April 2026 at 6pm Agenda Apologies, Minutes of previous meeting, Matters arising, Chairman’s report, Treasurer’s report  Election of committee , Election of officers, Update of Health & Safety and Risk Assessment, Any other business The Broad Town Village Hall has now gone digital and all bookings and enquiries can be made "On-Line" at the following web address:-www.broadtownhall.com.Look forward to seeing you at the hall. Thank you to Aidan for all his hard work in refurbishing the planters in front of the Village Hall ☺ COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Our April coffee mornings will be after Easter on Wednesdays April 8th and 22nd. Community Coffee Mornings take place 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.We look forward to seeing you and we wish you all a very Happy Easter! MADE IN BROAD TOWN CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP At our last session artist Maggie returned to give us a demonstration on painting Easter cards with watercolours. The session was enthusiastically received. There will be three April sessions - on Wednesdays April 1st, 15th & 29th. On the 1st we will be making floral Easter decorations, on the 15th we will be tackling origami, and on the 29th, fabric bowls (postponed from March 4th). Calling all gardeners...! Following last year’s very successful charity plant sale, Made in Broad Town are having another one this year, on Saturday May 9th, 2 – 4pm, please see separate poster in this newsletter. Many of you in our village were kind enough to grow plants and seedlings for us to sell, and we would love you to do the same this year please – now is the time to start growing, dividing and propagating! We can arrange collection of plants before the sale if necessary, and if you have any questions or would like to keep us updated on what you are growing, please email us at madeinbroadtown@gmail.com. Thank you for your help. SOCIAL CLUB The social club is 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. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FourWaysBroadTown Food for Thought Fish ‘n’ Chips Evenings 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: 27th March 24th April 29th May PARISH COUNCIL Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Village Tidy-Up It’s the time of year for us to give the village a spring clean. Meet at the Village Hall for a village tidy and litter pick up. We will be providing litter picker tongs, gloves, bin bags and Hi-Viz vests to teams of willing helpers. We are also looking for volunteers with spades or shovels to weed the pavements. There will be bacon butties / refreshments provided as a reward! Meet 10 am Village Hall Saturday 25th April Next PC Meeting - will be at 6.30pm in the Village Hall on 13th April. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. FUTURE WASTE SERVICES: CHANGES AHEAD, HAVE YOUR SAY! Wiltshire is preparing for some important updates to waste and recycling services, all designed to improve sustainability, reduce our environmental impact, and deliver better value for money. These changes will shape how our communities recycle, reduce waste, and manage resources for years to come. Before we roll anything out, we want to hear from you. We’re launching a survey to understand how these upcoming changes might impact you. Your feedback will help us tailor our advice, support, and communications as we introduce new services. The survey runs from today until 5pm on Friday 17 April and should take under 10 minutes to complete. Find out more about the upcoming changes to waste collections in 2027 and have your say at  https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/futurewaste WHITE HORSE LIMING - SUNDAY 10 MAY 2026 Weather permitting, White Horse liming will take place on the morning of Sunday 10th May. It should be assumed that we will start at around 10am and conclude before lunchtime. Protective equipment will be available at the site in the form of eye protection and face masks. All participants are requested to wear appropriate footwear and work gloves. If possible, they should also bring a tool that can be used for removing weeds or for spreading the lime. The event will be open to all those who wish to be involved with the only stipulation being that participants should be physically fit and in good health. Would anyone who wishes to be involved please contact Andrew Law on 07841 381301 or andrewlaw456@gmail.com . Fuller details will be provided to all volunteers. Individuals who have already declared their availability to the organizer need not do so again. Andrew Law.   WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH In Summary : 35,195 vehicles passed the SID located at Broadacres monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton) which equates to approx. 858 a day. 26% of vehicles were speeding. BISHOP ANDREW’S LETTER FOR EASTER An eternal address. Living in two places at once, which most of us need to do at some point in our lives, can be a confusing business. Where should our post go? Where do we belong? To make dual residency of any kind work requires imagination as well as practical effort. Christians are called to do this in a spiritual sense, for we believe Christ makes us at the same time citizens of earth and of heaven. At no season of the year is this most clearly evident than at Easter, when we celebrate God’s new creation in the midst of the old. We are people who inhabit the spring, seeing in it signs of this new birth, but whose true hope is in resurrection. The poet John Donne, musing upon life and death, wrote how Jesus makes ‘one parish’ of earth and heaven, which is a lovely image. He adds that ‘Christ was not out of his diocese when he was upon the earth’! Nor (we might add), when he ascended to heaven. The church, then, is a rehearsal space for the kingdom of heaven – and as such must allow for all  the trial, error and excitement this involves. For Christ is risen, we have an eternal address and another country beckons. CHURCHYARD A big thank you to everyone who came to help at the work morning in March. The Churchyard is for the whole Community -more volunteers are needed and will be made most welcome. The 2026 dates for future work mornings will be: 4th April,9th May,6th June,4th July,8th Aug, 5th Sept,3rd October. We meet at 10am and refreshments are provided. If you require further information, please contact Ray Manley, Tel: 731564. BROAD TOWN SUMMER FETE Come and enjoy the fun on the 13th June 2026 at Broad Town School. 12:30- 4pm  Adults £2 entry. 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 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. Applying is very easy. If you wish to find out more about the application process, please contact Rosemary Greenway or email: spackmantrust@gmail.com. All formal applications need to be in by 31st March for the spring round and 30th Sept for the autumn round of awards. BROAD HINTON YOUTH GROUP Come and join our youth club! We meet every Friday from 7pm until 9pm during term time in Broad Hinton Village Hall. The club is for 10-14 year olds and the cost is £3 per session (plus tuck shop money!) Rising 10’s (ie if you will be 10 years old before September 1st 2026) are welcome to start after the Easter break New members are always very welcome. We have table tennis, table football, a snooker table, an indoor net for badminton or volley ball, a PS4, a Wii and an Xbox, as well as a tuck shop. We sometimes have other activities such as art and craft or different sports. During the summer months we have use of the school field behind the Village Hall for outdoor activities. We will start back after Easter on Friday 17th April 2026.Please visit our webpage on the Broad Hinton Village Hall website: https://broadhinton.org.uk/clubs/youth-club/ and for more information please email bhyouthclub23@gmail.com 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. Any queries should also be sent to this address. BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:48:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2687 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2686/Broad-Town-News-March-2026#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2686 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2686&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2686/Broad-Town-News-March-2026                                                                              BROAD TOWN NEWS MARCH 2026                                                          Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. PARISH COUNCIL The Parish Steward normally visits Broad Town once a month to clear drains, fill potholes etc but for the last two months (and probably for next month as well) the stewards have been prioritised to focus on fixing potholes. In his absence you can report any blocked gullies or potholes using the MyWilts app (on a phone) or else at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/mywilts-online-reporting Next PC Meeting - Monday 9th March at 6.30pm in the village hall. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. THE WILTSHIRE BOBBY VAN TRUST Provides free home safety and online security services to vulnerable residents across Wiltshire. We are reaching out to Parish Councils to help us raise awareness of these services within your communities. Your support whether through local groups, village magazines, social media, e-notice boards, or simply word of mouth can make a real difference in keeping people safe. Our Services: Home Security: Our team of Home Security Operators carries out home security and fire-risk assessments, installs essential safety devices, and supports those affected by domestic abuse, changing locks or creating safe spaces until Police assistance arrives. Last year, we secured over 1,500 homes and delivered more than 200 awareness talks. We also offer a Digital Doorbell Service, providing free installations for vulnerable residents. Stay Safe Online: Since 2017, our Stay Safe Online programme has helped Wiltshire residents particularly those over 60 or adults with registered disabilities protect themselves from online fraud and scams. We provide personalised guidance, and group talks to help residents: • Protect themselves from online fraud • Access essential services securely • Stay connected with friends and family • Shop and engage online confidently In 2025, we received 154 referrals and helped 680 people gain confidence online. With fraud now accounting for over 40% of crime in the UK, prevention and education are essential. Referrals & Contact: We receive referrals from Wiltshire Police, partner agencies such as Victim Support and Age UK, and directly from community members. All our services are free, confidential, and tailored to everyone’s needs. For more information, please visit our website or contact me directly: Telephone: 07887474366 Email: rachel@wbvt.org Website: www.wiltshirebobbyvan.org.uk With your help in spreading the word, we can continue supporting residents to stay safe at home and online. On behalf of everyone at the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust, I wish you a Happy New Year and look forward to working together in 2026. WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH In Summary 24,341 vehicles passed the SID located at the School monitoring Northbound traffic (heading to RWB) which equates to approx. 609 a day. 9% of vehicles were speeding. SOCIAL CLUB The social club is 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. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FourWaysBroadTown 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: 27th February 27th March 24th April   BROAD TOWN CHRIST CHURCH Our upcoming services for March. 8th March 10.30am Morning Service 22nd March 10.30am Communion Our upcoming services for April. Easter Sunday 5th April 10.30am Communion April 12th 10.30am Communion 26th April 10.30am Communion COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Charity Donations: Thank you to everyone who attended our coffee morning on February 11th and made suggestions as to which charities they would like us to donate our surplus funds to. We had many great suggestions, and it was a difficult decision, but we eventually decided on the following donations: £250 - Swindon & District Samaritans £250 - Wiltshire Sight Thank you again to everyone for continuing to support our village coffee mornings. March Dates coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays March 11th and 25th. Community Coffee Mornings take place 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. We look forward to seeing you! A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who supported The Full Monty it was fantastic to see 85 people having fun with family, friends & neighbours enjoying their Winter Whopper, Weanie or Green Goddess breakfasts while partaking in the special auction of luxury items Your generosity & kindness raised £1,994.56 for The Prospect Hospice. MADE IN BROAD TOWN CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP Activities in February included making paper butterflies and hearts, and the 18th saw a very busy half-term session making collages and recycling magazines into beads for necklaces. Our March sessions will be on Wednesdays March 4th and 18th. On the 4th we will be making fabric bowls, and on the 18th Maggie B will be leading another of her very popular beginner’s watercolour sessions. Numbers are limited for the painting session, but we will be running our normal session alongside this, so please come along with your craft or hobby, or just for a chat over tea, coffee and biscuits. If you would like a place on the painting session, please email us and we will add your name to the list. All painting materials are provided. Request for unwanted hanging baskets, garden planters or terracotta pots We are already putting plans into place for our May 9th plant sale so please start gathering together any seeds or flowerpots that might be useful. We are very grateful for a selection of hanging baskets and planters which have been donated to us by a village resident. These will be planted up to be sold at the sale, and if anyone else has any unwanted hanging baskets, planters or terracotta flowerpots that they no longer want, we would love to have them. All proceeds from the plant sale will be going to charity so it’s for a very worthy cause, please email us to let us know about them or bring them to the village hall on any Wednesday morning. March sessions Our sessions run from 10-12 noon in the village hall on the first and third Wednesdays of the month and we would love to see you there. There is a voluntary £2 fee which goes towards hall hire, materials, and refreshment costs. Please just turn up or email us if you have any questions. Helen or Linda, email: madeinbroadtown@gmail.com Calling all gardeners following last year’s very successful charity plant sale, Made in Broad Town are having another one this year, on Saturday May 9th, 2 – 4pm. Many of you in our village were kind enough to grow plants and seedlings for us to sell, and we would love you to do the same this year please – now is the time to start growing and propagating! We can arrange collection of plants before the sale if necessary, and if you have any questions or would like to keep us updated on what you are growing, please email us at madeinbroadtown@gmail.com. Thank you for your help. BROAD TOWN VILLAGE HALL The Broad Town Village Hall has now gone digital and all bookings and enquiries can be made "On-Line" at the following web address:- www.broadtownhall.com. Look forward to seeing you at the hall.   BISHOP’S LETTER (DEAN OF SALISBURY) “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17: 4) John Hacket, seventeenth century Bishop of Lichfield, preached that offering to build dwellings for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah was “…the greatest error that St Peter committed”. Hacket’s verdict has always struck me as somewhat harsh. True, Peter does not respond to a scene of unearthly glory with a paean of awestruck wonder. But then Peter was a fisherman. He was good with his hands. He was used to mending boats, gutting fish, and patching up nets. Brought face to face with the light of Heaven he reverts to type. What can he do? Make some ‘dwellings’ – obviously! It's a relief to me that we read a Gospel account of the Transfiguration on the Sunday next before Lent, that we catch a glimpse of the divine before we descend to the wilderness and begin the weeks of penitence and fasting. It’s a relief to me because St Peter manifestly fails to rise to the occasion. He does not do what the circumstances seem to demand. He does not utter beautiful words that we still sing as a canticle in our worship. He does not leave the mountain-top with a serene countenance and a steadfast heart, forever a changed man. No. He reverts to type. He offers to get his chisel and plane out and knock something together. And this is a relief because the weeks of Lent compel me to acknowledge that, like St Peter, I very rarely rise to the occasion. I make vows about abstinence and study, only to break them. I receive ash on my forehead and daub it on the foreheads of others, only to find myself thinking about my supper. I hear the gorgeous music of the Cathedral choir and walk in solemn procession behind them, only to obsess about impossible neighbours, unwritten sermons, and difficult colleagues. In short, I revert to type – gluttonous, distracted, and cross. But perhaps the expectation that I might rise to God’s occasion or live up to God’s moment is just one more example of human vanity, one more instance in which I’m convinced it’s all about me. It’s not. Lent, however imperfectly observed, leads to Passiontide, when God in Jesus does not rise to the occasion. He descends to it. To the scourge, to the nails, to the crown of thorns. He comes down the mountain and joins us. And that’s why there is hope. PLEASE NOTE e-mail any queries or articles for publication to broadtownnews@gmail.com by the 22nd of the month except December. BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Tue, 24 Feb 2026 18:23:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2686 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2685/Broad-Town-News-February-2026#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2685 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2685&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2685/Broad-Town-News-February-2026                                                                                  BROAD TOWN NEWS FEBRUARY 2026                                                                     Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. BROAD TOWN CHRIST CHURCH Morning Worship: 8th February at 10.30am Communion: 22nd February at 10.30am A Thank You. It was good to be able to have trees decorated for Christmas in the churchyard and in the church. Thank you to those who kindly donated the trees, and to Andrew, Chris and David for helping to erect and decorate the churchyard tree. Thank you to Christine and Dave for helping to decorate the tree inside the church. All much appreciated by everyone. Broad Town Christ Church 100 Club Lottery. Are your New Year’s resolutions now a thing of the past. Why not make a new one this month? Why not resolve to join the Broad Town 100 Club Lottery. It only costs £1 a week (£4 per month or £48 per year, payable by standing order or cheque). Half the money raised is given out in prizes and over the past year nearly £1,400 has been won by lucky lottery members. The other half of the money is used to help keep your church open including paying towards essential repairs. If you would like to join, please contact Fiona Holness on fholness@btinternet.com BISHOP’S LETTER It is rare to have the Feast of Candlemas, February 2nd, so close to the start of Lent, Ash Wednesday 18th February. With Easter very early this year, it means that there are only fifteen days between the end of the Christmas cycle and the start of the season of reflection, abstinence and study. Not much time to change gear! Or to use a liturgical description, only two Sundays of Ordinary Time. The name ‘ordinary Time’ comes not from the fact that some days are just plain ‘ordinary’ but that all time is ordered as part of the divine nature. Our telling and re-telling of the Christian Year is not merely a nostalgic rehearsal but the re-living of the truths that shape our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. Seeing life, and in particular living a Christian life as an expression of sharing in the divine nature is therefore anything but ordinary. If we believe that we are all created in the image and likeness of God, then how we live our lives can only ever be extraordinary, regardless of what happens to us. If God sees us and our ‘ordinary’ lives as a gift of himself, how are we to respond? I often wonder what God thinks of us when he sees what we do with this unbelievable gift. Psalm 139.13-14 The Christ-child was cared for by Mary and Joseph at his Presentation in the Temple (2nd Feb) cared for and carried. In Lent, we seek to care more for ourselves with a sacred sense of self-care. How different might this be if we see ourselves as uniquely held by God, whatever the world thinks of us, and, even as we try to better ourselves, see ourselves as a gift, created in the image of God. Yes, this means you. You are the one who created my innermost parts; you knit me together while I was still in my mother's womb. I give thanks to you that I was marvellously set apart. Your works are wonderful-I know that very well. +Stephen, Bishop of Salisbury COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Our 2026 coffee mornings got off to a flying start with a very busy morning on January 14th. Despite the icy weather, the hall was buzzing with conversation whilst the selection of homemade cakes was both diverse and delicious! Our February coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays February 11th and 25th. Community Coffee Mornings take place 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. We look forward to seeing you on February 11th. PARISH COUNCIL Budget & Precept for 2026/27. At the meeting of Broad Town Parish Council held on Monday 12th January 2026 councillors agreed the budget for the 2026-27 financial year. The approved budget results in a total precept of £11,187. The annual amount requested from a household in tax Band D in the village will increase by 3.47% to £40.18 (up from £38.84 last year). The Parish Council precept forms a small part of the overall annual Council tax requirement which will be communicated by Wiltshire Council direct to householders. Grants available for Community Groups. Remember that grants are available for Community Groups to help with any funding needs – each application is assessed by an independent advisory group prior to being submitted to the Parish Council who administers the funding from the Bluefield solar farm (previously Good Energy). Details are available on the website www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk We desperately need volunteers to sit on the Community Fund Advisory Group. The group reviews applications for grants from various Broad Town community groups and collectively decide to recommend granting the money or whether more details are required. This is usually performed remotely via email and tends to be every few months. Next PC Meeting - Monday 9th February at 6.30pm in the village  All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course SOCIAL CLUB The committee would like to thank all the people who helped make the Christmas Carol Singing and the New Year’s Eve party both very enjoyable and tremendous successes. I hope everyone who took part had fun and has now recovered! The social club is 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. Membership Renewal. Last few days remaining to take advantage of the discount when renewing your Social Club annual membership – a bargain at just £2 per person during January (£3 any other time). New members are always welcome. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FourWaysBroadTown 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: 30th January 27th February MADE IN BROAD TOWN CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP The new year kicked off with a busy session making notebooks from old Christmas cards and catching up with friends over tea, coffee and biscuits. Our February sessions will be on Wednesdays February 4th and 18th. On the 4th we will be making paper butterflies and hearts, and on the 18th, we will be making collages and beads from old magazines. Please bring along any old magazines you have for this session, and please also save old newspapers as we may need these later. Children are especially welcome on the 18th as it’s during half-term week. We will soon be putting plans into place for our May plant sale so please start gathering any seeds or flowerpots that might be useful. Our sessions run from 10-12 noon in the village hall on the first and third Wednesdays of the month and we would love to see you there. There is a voluntary £2 fee which goes towards hall hire, materials, and refreshment costs (families with children are free). Please just turn up or email us if you have any questions. Helen or Linda, email: madeinbroadtown@gmail.com WHAT OUR SID SAW LAST MONTH 52,280 vehicles passed the SID located at Broad Acres monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton) which equates to approx. 901 a day. 25% of vehicles were speeding, of which 2 went past the SID at a speed over 70mph ! THANK YOU FROM THE CHRISTMAS CRACKER EVENT A big thank you to everyone who came along to support our village Christmas Cracker event on Saturday November 29th. It was a very busy morning and almost £800 was raised. Community Coffee Mornings also donated some of their funds to increase our grand total to £1000. We have received a thank you certificate from Julia’s House Children’s Hospices which is on display in the village hall. They were overwhelmed by the generosity of our village! Thank you also to everyone who helped to organise the event either beforehand or by manning the stalls and serving refreshments on the day. BUMPS & BEYOND Broad Town Playgroup Bumps and Beyond is a friendly baby and toddler group for children aged 0-5 years old. We are based in Broad Town Village Hall on Tuesday mornings from 9:30-11:30. The cost is just 50p per child. Snacks are provided at 10am along with a hot drink for the adults. We have a different craft activity nearly every week and finish with songs and games. We have a good selection of toys, ride on cars/trikes, books, puzzles and dressing up for the children to enjoy. PLEASE NOTE e-mail any queries or articles for publication to broadtownnews@gmail.com by the 22nd of the month except December. BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:14:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2685 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2684/Broad-Town-News--Dec-2025-Jan-2026#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2684 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2684&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2684/Broad-Town-News--Dec-2025-Jan-2026 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. BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Wed, 26 Nov 2025 16:57:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2684 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2683/Broad-Town-News-November-2025#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2683 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2683&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2683/Broad-Town-News-November-2025                                                                                  BROAD TOWN NEWS – NOVEMBER 2025                                                           Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. BROAD TOWN CHRIST CHURCH SERVICES November 9th Remembrance Sunday – 10.50am (please note time) November 23rd – Communion, 10.30am Please also support our Treasure Quest stall at the ‘Christmas Cracker’ event on November 29th in the Village Hall A LITTLE BIT ABOUT POPPIES Poppies have been sold by the Royal British Legion to celebrate Remembrance Day since 1921 and were chosen as they were among the first flowers to re-grow on the battle-scarred fields of Flanders. In the 1920’s four different types of poppies were available to suit various budgets, and materials included silk, cotton and cardboard with centres made from bitumen. By the 1930s a two-layer silk poppy was introduced and during wartime the number of designs was reduced to two, made of silk or cardboard, due to shortages of other materials. In the 1950s wire stems were reintroduced along with felt petals. In 1967 wire stems were replaced by plastic and in 1987 the poppy regained its green leaf due to popular demand. In 2023 poppies became plastic-free and fully recyclable. There is no correct way to wear your poppy except with pride! All money raised goes to provide lifelong support to the UK's serving military personnel, veterans, and their families. This support covers a wide range of needs, including financial assistance, advice, employment help, mobility and housing support, and mental health services. Funding also supports RBL's broader activities, such as the National Memorial Arboretum, remembrance events, and the costs of running the charity itself. BOTTLES WANTED PLEASE! Please consider donating one or more bottles for the bottle tombola at the ‘Christmas Cracker’ event in aid of Julia’s House Children’s Hospices on November 29th any type would be welcome e.g. soft & alcoholic drinks, sauces, shower gels etc. Thank you to those who have already donated bottles. Please bring your bottle(s) to the Village Hall on a Wednesday morning during the Community Coffee Mornings or Made in Broad Town sessions, or to the Social Club on a Friday evening. Alternatively, please leave them with Annie & Nigel Crocker at ‘Barbary’, Broad Town by November 26th. Thank you very much for your help! SOCIAL CLUB The social club is 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 a pint and there is a free pool table, so why not pop in and check us out. Halloween Evening - The social club is hosting a family Halloween themed fish and chip night with Food for Thought on Friday 31st October with prizes awarded for Best fancy dress for boy and girl (under 12s) and for Best carved pumpkin for under 12s. 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: 31st October (Halloween themed special) 28th November On these Fridays 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. BROAD TOWN CE PRIMARY SCHOOL On Tuesday 7th October, we were very fortunate to have Derek Greer and Andrew Law, from the Broad Town White Horse Restoration Society, come into school. Derek led a very informative assembly with a PowerPoint, video and shared some chalk samples. Andrew prepared a wonderful White Horse Trail for classes 2 and 3, with questions for the children to find the answers to. The children and staff, really did enjoy finding out about the Broad Town White Horse. A great thank you to both Andrew and Derek. Governor Vacancies Open day – Thursday 6th November 9.30am & 11am. Would you like to join our friendly and supportive team of governors at Broad Town School? We are looking for additional governors to be part of our governing board at our welcoming and inclusive school. No previous experience of being a governor is needed as you will be trained and supported, all you need is a commitment and willingness to make what is an important contribution to our community. You would be involved in termly meetings that take place in late afternoons and also have a valuable opportunity to work with members of staff on a particular focus of school life. A DBS check is a requirement but otherwise no other qualification is necessary. If you are interested and would like to find out more, please contact admin@broadtown.wilts.sch.uk Thank you. BROAD TOWN BUMPS & BEYOND Broad Town Playgroup ‘Bumps and Beyond’ is a friendly baby and toddler group for children aged 0-5 years old. We are based in Broad Town Village Hall on Tuesday mornings from 9:30-11:30. The cost is just 50p per child. Snacks are provided at 10am along with a hot drink for the adults. We have a different craft activity nearly every week and finish with songs and games. We have a good selection of toys, ride on cars/trikes, books, puzzles and dressing up for the children to enjoy. ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP Glass Painting: All are welcome to come to our much-requested evening glass painting session this Thursday October 30th, 7-9pm in the Village Hall during which Terri will be demonstrating some lovely Christmassy designs, no prior experience needed. There will be some items available for you to paint but if you would like to bring along your own item such as a glass storage jar, jam jar, empty wine bottle or vase etc, please ensure that the item is clean and dry and that any labels and/or glue residue has already been removed. Please also bear in mind that paint designs show up better on clear glass than they do on coloured glass. All paints and brushes will be supplied. The evening is free although a £2 contribution towards hall hire, refreshments and equipment costs would be very much appreciated if you feel able to contribute. Refreshments will be available. Great Cotmarsh Farm Visit: Wednesday November 5th 10am – a visit to Great Cotmarsh Farm on the edge of the village, during which local farmer Katie Allen will be talking to us all about their organic farm, how they care for their animals to produce 100% pasture fed lamb and beef, and their work with their unusual diversification businesses; a knitwear brand, an artisan veg tannery to produce leather, a botanical dye garden and their farm classroom which has opened its doors to over 250 students since May. The morning will start at 10am with refreshments and a chat, then Katie will talk about the different aspects of Great Cotmarsh Farm before we have a tour of the dye garden. *This promises to be a fascinating morning and if you’d like to come along, please would everyone email us as soon as you can, as we need to know numbers for car parking and classroom seating purposes–thank you! madeinbroadtown@gmail.com If you are making your own way to the farm please arrive by 9.55am, parking is available there. We look forward to seeing everyone on November 5th. November 19th : 10 – 12 noon: please join us in the Village Hall to make Christmas themed decorations and gifts. On Wednesday October 1st the group enjoyed a decoupage making session, creating some impressive photo frames and boxes, and on October 15th artist Maggie B returned to Broad Town to lead another watercolour painting session, helping us to create ‘winter landscapes’. Some great works of art were produced and everyone who took part found it a very enjoyable morning. Please support our stall at the Broad Town ‘Christmas Cracker’ coffee morning and craft sale on Saturday November 29th from 10 – 12 noon in the Village Hall. All proceeds will be going to Julia’s House Children’s Hospices. Everyone is welcome to come along to our sessions for refreshments and a chat, you don’t need to have any crafting skills. We’re very friendly, and if you do feel creative there are always activities available for you to try. We ask for a £2 voluntary donation please, to help cover materials and refreshment costs. If you have any questions, please email us, we would love to hear from you. Email Linda or Helen: madeinbroadtown@gmail.com COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Thank you to everyone who attended our fundraising big coffee morning on September 24th in aid of Macmillan. The fantastic total of £200 was raised for which we have received a certificate of thanks which is now on display in the Village Hall. A big thank you to everyone who gave so generously on the day. We are all really looking forward to our November 12th coffee morning as some of the male coffee morning regulars will be giving the Community Coffee Morning ladies team a rest by running the coffee morning on that day. Please come along to support our rookie ‘Broad Town Baristas’, who we’re sure will do an amazing job! The second Wednesday coffee morning in November will be on the 26th, followed by the coffee and craft sale ‘Christmas Cracker’ event on Saturday 29th, when we hope to see as many people as possible at the Village Hall. We will be donating all proceeds to Julia’s House Children’s Hospices so please support us at what promises to be a very busy and fun morning! Coffee mornings take place on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday mornings of every month (except August) from 10 – 12 noon in the Village Hall. Everyone from the village and surrounding areas is very welcome to come along to meet others, to chat and to enjoy delicious homemade cakes, sausage rolls, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. We look forward to seeing you! LIVE BAND NIGHT - BROAD TOWN VILLAGE HALL Many of you may already know that White Horse Rock n Roll use the Village Hall for dance nights and live band nights. We are a small friendly Dance Club hosting events 4 to 5 times a year. Our next live band night is on Saturday the 15th of November, 7.30 – 11pm. Tickets £12 from www.whitehorserocknroll.co.uk. We offer light (soft) refreshments within the ticket price, but you are more than welcome to bring your own if you fancy something a little stronger. If you are interested in learning to dance, please come along and have a chat with us, we have dance teachers on hand or alternatively come and watch the band! You can find out more on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/whitehorserocknrollswindon PARISH COUNCIL Proposed Speed Limit changes and Consultation Wiltshire Council has posted a consultation on proposed speed limit changes between Broad Town and RWB. These can be viewed at: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/15049/TRO-Consultation-on-proposed Various-Speed-Limits-Lydiard-Millicent-Broad-Town-Royal-Wootton-Bassett and-Broad-Hinton. Comments are invited from interested parties until 24th November 2025 in writing or via email to trafficorderconsultations@wiltshire.gov.uk. Quote the reference HKB/TRO/BTOW. Get Flood Ready - See the information provided by Wiltshire Council on the website https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk/news/get-flood-ready-flood-preparedness-presentation/ Police Speed Enforcement Checks - We feed our SID stats into Wiltshire Police who use the figures to carry out speed enforcement checks in the village. So far this year they have performed 7 sessions which has resulted in 9 drivers having to attend a speed awareness course. Over the last 3 years the checks in Broad Town have resulted in: Speed Awareness Course 40 Fine & Points 4 Court summons 2 The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the Village Hall on 10th November. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. At the start of the meeting there will be a presentation by a representative from SSE who will explain the support and tools that are available to help those that need it most in the event of a power cut. ROSPA inspection of Redhills Playing Fields RoSPA have carried out their annual inspection of the play area at Redhills and no significant problems were found. The report can be viewed at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk/your community/redhills-playing-fields-and-play-area/ NOVEMBER LETTER FROM BISHOP KAREN ‘As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you.’ These wonderful words are used at the start of Morning Prayer each day. It is a rich and powerful prayer asking God to not only go with us into a new day, but also that we may be changed by God’s presence with us. Hence our love being a vehicle of God’s love in the world. This is a powerful prayer for our day and age, as the world so much needs the love and light of Christ in so many ways. We can pray it for ourselves, and we can pray it for others. Our world leaders, our peace makers, those who put their own lives in danger for the sake of others. November is the month of remembrance, where we give thanks for those who have given their lives in the pursuit of peace, and we reflect on our own calling as peacemakers where we are, in our homes, in our communities, in the decision we make and our reactions to others. The prayer however is not just practical, it is also spiritual. What does it mean to have our hearts set on fire with love for God? That takes time and devotion, it takes prayer and worship. I am thrilled when I meet a new Christian whose heart is on fire with love for God. Those who come for confirmation are usually our best evangelists showing others what a change Jesus can make, and enthusing others with the joy of the gospel. For those of us who have been followers of Christ for many years, this prayer can be a challenge, and therefore a good reminder day by day, that we need to regularly rekindle faith, so we blaze with God’s love and light. In a month when we think about remembrance, and light bonfires and watch fireworks, do take some time to pray this prayer in your own heart, so we can all be set on fire with God’s love as we make Jesus known. Bishop Karen. DATES AT A GLANCE: Thursday October 30th – Glass Painting with Terri, Village Hall 7-9pm, all welcome. Friday October 31st – Food for Thought Fish ‘n’ Chips, outside the Village Hall; Halloween Party, from 5pm. Wednesday November 5th – Made in Broad Town Great Cotmarsh Farm visit, 10am. Thursday November 6th – Broad Town School Open Morning, 9.30am & 11am. Sunday November 9th – Remembrance Sunday at Christ Church, 10.50am. Monday November 10th – Parish Council Meeting with SSE Presentation 6.30pm, Village Hall. Wednesday November 12th – ‘Broad Town Baristas’ Community Coffee Morning, Village Hall 10am. Wednesday November 19th – Made in Broad Town 10am, Village Hall. Sunday November 23rd – Communion Service, Christ Church, 10.30am. Wednesday November 26th –Community Coffee Morning 10am, Village Hall. Friday November 28th – Food for Thought Fish ‘n’ Chips, outside the Village Hall. Saturday November 29th – Village ‘Christmas Cracker’ Coffee Morning and Craft Sale, 10 – 12.30pm, Village Hall. PLEASE NOTE e-mail any queries or articles for publication to broadtownnews@gmail.com by the 22nd of the month except December. BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:35:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2683 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2682/Broad-Town-News-October-2025#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2682 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2682&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2682/Broad-Town-News-October-2025                                                                             BROAD TOWN NEWS – OCTOBER 2025                                                        Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. PARISH COUNCIL Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Dogs in the Playing Fields We have received reports of someone walking their dog in the playing fields at Redhills. This is a children’s play area and dogs are not allowed for health reasons. Please respect the signs and keep your dog outside the fence. Help Prevent Flooding Two years ago there was serious flooding in a number of places in the village. The Wiltshire Council parish steward visits monthly and ensures the drainage grips (from the roadway into the roadside ditch) are clear and tries to clear any obstructions where he is able, but we can all do our bit by ensuring that road drain gratings are clear of leaves and any pipes and ditches are free from obstruction. If you see any such problem and are unable to sort it yourself. Please let the Parish Clerk know at BTPCCLERK@outlook.com Similarly it’s time to ensure that all watercourses are free-flowing and cleared of any vegetation and obstruction. Watercourse owners, or ‘riparian’ owners, have a responsibility to maintain ordinary watercourses that run adjacent to, through or under their property. Riparian owners are responsible for reporting incidents such as flooding, and for letting water flow through the watercourse naturally by removing blockages that may cause flooding. The Environment Agency has published a guide for landowners which is available on the Parish Council website at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Environment-Agency_Your_watercourse_rights_and_roles-2024.pdf Next PC Meeting - Monday 13th October at 6.30pm in the village hall on 13th October. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. 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 captures traffic travelling in ONE direction only so the below figures represent approx. half of the overall traffic in both directions. 36,400 vehicles passed the SID which equates to approx. 867 a day. 21% of vehicles were speeding. BROAD TOWN CHRIST CHURCH SERVICES 12th October Morning Service at 10.30 in Church. 26th October Communion at 10.30 in Church. SOCIAL CLUB The social club is 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 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. Halloween Evening The social club is hosting a family Halloween themed fish and chip night with Food for Thought on Friday 31st October with prizes awarded for Best fancy dress for boy and girl and for Best carved pumpkin for under 12s. 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: 26th September – NO SERVICE AS Food for Thought car has been stolen 31st October (Halloween themed special) On these Fridays 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. BROAD TOWN CE PRIMARY SCHOOL Open Day – Thursday 6th November – 9.30am and 11am. We have places available in all year groups.  Broad Town Primary School is a small village school just 3 miles from Royal Wootton Bassett.  It is set in a beautiful rural location.  Broad Town has a friendly family atmosphere where the children are treated as individuals.  We are Forest School accredited, and children are provided with a range of outdoor opportunities. Development of the whole child is central to our ethos.  Contact the school office if you would like to arrange a visit – Telephone 01793 731395. Website: www.broadtown.wilts.sch.uk  Head teacher: Bridget Long. ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP Our September sessions included keyring making, gift bag and box making and a demonstration from Heather of how to wrap a bottle to produce a very smart art deco look. Our October sessions will be on Wednesdays October 1st and 15th from 10 – 12 noon, with an extra evening session for glass painting on Thursday October 30th from 7- 9pm. All these sessions will be held in the village hall. New folk are assured of a warm welcome. Wednesday October 1st (morning) – decoupage using photo frames and toilet rolls and boxes Wednesday October 15th (morning) – watercolour session with artist Maggie (booking required as numbers are limited, please speak to us or send us an email, address below) Thursday October 30th (evening) – a much-requested evening meeting during which Terri will be running another of her very popular glass painting sessions, no prior experience needed. There will be some items available for you to paint but if you would like to bring along your own item such as a glass storage jar, jam jar, empty wine bottle or vase etc, please ensure that the item is clean and dry and that any labels and/or glue residue has already been removed. Please also bear in mind that paint designs show up better on clear glass than they do on coloured glass. The evening is free although a £2 contribution towards hall hire, refreshments and equipment costs would be very much appreciated if you feel able to contribute. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available. Wednesday November 5th (morning) – a visit to Great Cotmarsh Farm on the edge of the village, further details to follow in November’s newsletter. Everyone is welcome to come along to our sessions for refreshments and a chat, you don’t need to have any crafting skills. We’re very friendly, and if you do feel creative there are always activities available for you to try. We ask for a £2 voluntary 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 or Helen: madeinbroadtown@gmail.com OCTOBER COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Community Coffee Mornings restarted again on the 10th of September after our summer break, and it was lovely to welcome everyone back to the village hall. During our second September coffee morning on Wednesday September 24th, we raised money for Macmillan by taking part in their annual ‘Big Coffee Morning’. The total raised will be in the next newsletter, but we would like to thank everyone who came along for their support, and for their generosity in their donations for refreshments and raffle ticket sales. The October coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays October 8th and 22nd.Coffee mornings take place on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday mornings of every month (except August) from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall. Everyone from the village and surrounding areas is very welcome to come along to meet others, to chat and to enjoy delicious homemade cakes, sausage rolls, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. We look forward to seeing you! Save the date – Village Christmas Coffee Morning & Craft Sale – bottles wanted please!! Saturday November 29th from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall A variety of refreshments and stalls including cakes, raffle, bottle tombola, Made in Broad Town crafts & preserves etc. This event is being jointly organised by Community Coffee Mornings & Made in Broad Town. All proceeds to charity. Request: Please consider donating one or more bottles for the bottle tombola – any type would be welcome e.g. soft & alcoholic drinks, sauces, shower gels etc. Please bring your bottle(s) to the village hall on a Wednesday morning during the Community Coffee Mornings or Made in Broad Town sessions, or to the Social Club on a Friday evening. Alternatively, please leave them with Annie & Nigel Crocker at ‘Barbary’, Broad Town. Thank you very much for your help! BISHOPS LETTER FOR OCTOBER During the wistful first week of September, just before our youngest departed for university, we took a week’s holiday in North Cornwall, to revisit a seaside haunt much enjoyed in their childhood. The high-baked summer heat finally giving way to that more familiar British blend of showery spells and sunny intervals, we eschewed the beaches in favour of the ruined splendour of Tintagel Castle, situated on an almost-island along the headland from our cottage. Since 2019, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur has been connected to the coast by an elegant suspension bridge, the crossing of which offers giddily magnificent views. Perhaps helpfully, pedestrians can’t see the rocks beneath them but for a 40mm gap, halfway across. The bridge is constructed in two sections, each drilled into its own side of the yawning chasm. The inch or two between them is, I learned, both structural and symbolic - representing the space between past and present, myth and reality. A lovely touch, I thought. As we cross the threshold into autumn, with its liturgical mood of gratitude and remembrance, let us rejoice that God bridges the ages in Jesus Christ: connecting us not only to the past events of our salvation but also the future hope of his heavenly kingdom. Whatever changes lie before us, he remains the way, the truth and the life. Thank you and God bless. PLEASE NOTE e-mail any queries or articles for publication to broadtownnews@gmail.com by the 22nd of the month except December. BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Sat, 27 Sep 2025 12:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2682 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2681/Broad-Town-News-September-2025#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2681 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2681&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2681/Broad-Town-News-September-2025                                                                  BROAD TOWN NEWS – SEPTEMBER 2025                                             Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish.   SEPTEMBER COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Broad Town Community Coffee Mornings are looking forward to welcoming you all back to the Village Hall after our summer break, on Wednesday September 10th from 10am – 12 noon. Our delicious hot drinks, sausage rolls and homemade cakes will all be available, so come along for a chat and to meet up with friends old and new. During our second September coffee morning on Wednesday September 24th, we will be raising money for Macmillan by taking part in their annual ‘Big Coffee Morning’. Please come along from 10am – 12 noon to enjoy our usual delicious refreshments and there will also be a raffle, so please help us to raise as much money as we can for this very worthwhile cause. Coffee mornings take place on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday mornings of every month (except August) from 10 – 12 noon in the Village Hall. Everyone from the village and surrounding areas is very welcome to come along to meet others, to chat and to enjoy delicious homemade cakes, sausage rolls, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. We look forward to seeing you! PARISH COUNCIL Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Farmers are allowed to start cutting hedges from 1st September onwards (provided there are no nesting birds) so there is no reason not to join them. Do you have an unruly hedge overhanging a road or pavement and need some help? Contact the Parish Clerk to seek assistance and guidance BTPCCLERK@outlook.com Let’s cut hedges back to the boundary rather than encroach on roads and pavements! The roadside drains along the main road and up Broad Town hill have all been visited by the ‘Gully Sucker’ tanker which has unblocked them in time for autumnal and winter rainfall. Residents can report blocked gullies by using the MyWilts app (on a phone) or else at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/mywilts-online-reporting. The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the Village Hall on 8th September. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. BROAD TOWN WHITE HORSE Thank you to everyone who attended the Broad Town White Horse talk on Wednesday 30 July. The hall has rarely been seen so full and those attending were treated to a series of fascinating talks about chalk figures and in particular the Broad Town horse. The evening was introduced by Jemima Sellwood representing the North Wessex Down National Landscape, a major sponsor of the ongoing survey project. Second up was Dr Mike Allan who spoke on chalk figures, focussing on the Cerne Abbas Giant. Mike was followed by Garry Gibbons who gave an overview of the Wiltshire White Horses. After a break for refreshments the evening continued with Andrew Law talking about the history of the Broad Town White Horse whilst Derek Greer concluded the evening with an explanation of the project that has been initiated to survey the White Horse to archaeological standards as a record for future generations. The topics clearly stimulated a lot of interest from the audience judging by the questions raised and the post-presentation conversations. The topographic survey has now been concluded and we are in possession of a draft report from our archaeologist surveyor. The second part of the project to assess land slip risk and hill figure condition is underway and a day was spent auguring the Horse on Thursday 21 August. Time precluded completion of the task and so it is planned to have a second work day on a weekend for which volunteers will be needed. Please look out for further information. As we move into autumn, we are embarking on the third part of the project which includes a historic review of the White Horse including the collection of oral testimony. Project staff will be inviting members of the community to record their memories of the Horse and their involvement in its maintenance. We look forward to interviewing some of the Broad Town News readership. ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP Our school holiday sessions on August 6th and 20th proved to be very popular with the Village Hall being a hive of creative activity on both days. It was lovely to see so many of the village children and their parents and carers coming along to our sessions, and a wide variety of works of art were produced from potato printed wrapping paper, owls and marbled paper to under the sea collages, bracelets and dream catchers – see photos below. Our September sessions will be on Wednesdays September 3rd and 17th. On September 3rd we will be making keyrings and on September 17th we will be creating gift boxes and bags. Other dates to make a note of: Wednesday October 15th (morning) – watercolour session with artist Maggie (booking required) Thursday October 30th (evening) – a much-requested evening meeting during which Terri will be running another of her very popular glass painting sessions, no prior experience needed Wednesday November 5th (morning) – a visit to Great Cotmarsh Farm Summer Holiday Activities: Everyone is welcome to come along to our sessions for refreshments and a chat, you don’t need to have any crafting skills. We’re very friendly, and if you do feel creative there are always activities available for you to try. We ask for a £2 voluntary 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 or Helen: madeinbroadtown@gmail.com 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 £3 for the year - just ask Trevor behind the bar. Draught beers and lagers are for sale Halloween Evening The social club is hosting a family Halloween evening on Friday 31st October with prizes awarded for best dressed boy and girl, and for best carved pumpkin. This coincides with Food 4 Thought so any tired Trick or Treaters will be welcome to partake in some refreshment and possibly win a prize! We are looking for raffle prize donations – please contact Trevor or Tina Hillier or pop into the club on a Friday night. 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:  29th August  26th September  31st October (Halloween themed special) On these Fridays 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. 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 contact Rosemary Greenway: rosygreenway@gmail.com. All formal applications need to be in by 31st March for the spring round and 30th September for the autumn round of awards. SEPTEMBER MESSAGE FROM COMMS September is always a month of endings, as well as new beginnings. As the bright colours of summer fade into the oranges and browns of autumn, shiny new school shoes make an appearance, along with fresh notebooks as we head back to our desks after a break over August. We start again, carrying with us the feeling of a new year beginning. September then is always a month of change, and because of this it can be unsettling. We reflect on or maybe grieve for that which is drawing to a close and can feel a mixture of anticipation about what is new or next. It is likely that we feel this even more acutely this September, living in a world which feels increasingly insecure from the perspective of fast-changing global politics and conflicts around the world that show no sign of abating. All is changing; all feels very fragile and deeply uncertain. One of this country’s much-loved hymns is ‘Abide with Me’, famous for being sung at every FA Cup Final since 1927. The words are based on Luke 24: 29 and were written by the Reverend Henry Francis Lyte, with one of the stories about this suggesting that he wrote them in September 1847 – just after he had conducted his final church service and when very ill with tuberculosis. He died two months later. Putting aside questions of when Lyte wrote these words, the fact remains that they capture the constancy of God’s presence and love, even as the seasons change, our lives change, our world changes, in life and in death: Change and decay in all around I see, O Thou who changest not, abide with me. This then is a beautiful reminder that even though we, and indeed our world, pass through times of change and can feel unsettled as a result, God goes with us. God in Christ abides with us, his presence and love unchanging in our ever-changing world: “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. (Luke 24: 29) WILTSHIRE PCC LINKS https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/wiltshire-police sees-higher-public-confidence-than-national-average-as-efforts-to build-trust-continue https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/tackling-hare coursing-head-on-a-whole-force-response https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/pcc-highlights-the-vital-role-of-cctv-in keeping-communities-safe-this-summer https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/increase-in-reports-of-stalking-and-sexual offences-in-wiltshire-reflects-changes-in-crime-classification-and-public-confidence https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/residents-voice-their-concerns-around-drug crime-as-figures-show-local-and-regional-increase-in-reporting BROAD TOWN CHURCH Many thanks to the churchyard work party for such a tidy churchyard and especially for the roadside hedge which sets off the approach to the church so beautifully. We really appreciate your hard work. The services for September are 14th September 10:30am Morning Prayer 28th September 11am (note change of time) Harvest Service followed by Harvest Brunch (tea coffee WINE and tasty nibbles/sandwiches/Cake) All are welcome and we look forward to seeing you. Donation to the Food Collective would be appreciated. PLEASE NOTE e-mail any queries or articles for publication to broadtownnews@gmail.com by the 22nd of the month except December. BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Tue, 26 Aug 2025 16:05:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2681 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2680/Broad-Town-News-August-2025#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2680 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2680&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2680/Broad-Town-News-August-2025                                                                                                      Broad Town News – August 2025                                                                                    Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. DISCOVERING BROAD TOWN'S WHITE HORSE - Wednesday 30 July  - 7.30pm Village Hall Join us as we journey through the creation, the upkeep and, at times, loss of Wiltshire's white horses and hear about a new project to better understand Broad Town's white horse. The talk will start with Garry Gibbons giving an overview of the county's chalk horses before exploring how research can reveal fresh insights. We then move onto an exciting project at Broad Town's white horse, as a response to landslip activity close to the hill figure. The project will carry out archaeological surveys, track historical changes to the horse, and unearth stories by capturing memories from the community. Free admission, Doors open 7pm, Refreshments available. CALLING ALL DETECTIVES It is believed that the above drawing was used by William Simmonds in 1864 to cut the White Horse. The drawing was found by Mrs Reeves and Mrs Telling when clearing out some cupboards in the old shop (behind the village hall) and at a later date inherited by Mary Hacker (Miss Reeves/Nora Little’s cousin). The White Horse project would very much like to look at this drawing so please get in touch with Andrew Law if you know Mary Hacker or any of her relatives. Andrew can be contacted on 07841381301 or andrewlaw456@gmail.com THANK YOU Judy Rendell rallied the troops to replant the village planters. Armed with their lethal trowels and gardening gloves Rosie Law, Linda Boyden, Carolyn Crocker and Christine Marshall set about clearing and restocking the 8 village planters. Linda Boyden, Roger Buckingham, Richard & Dawn Leppard, Richard & Abi Green, Jean Pearce, Christine Marshall and Richard Wykeham-Martin kindly water and tidy the planters regularly retaining their splendour for us all to enjoy. Thank you all for making Broad Town look loved and cared for. CHURCH SERVICES The services for August are as follows: 10th August at 10.30 Holy Communion (please note this replaces Morning Service for this month) 24th August at 10.30 Holy Communion MADE IN BROAD TOWN CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP School Holidays – free sessions for children! Our August sessions will be on Wednesdays August 6th & 20th and as we are a group for the whole community, we would especially welcome children and their carers to come along to these free sessions. We will have some fun activities arranged for everyone to try including wrapping paper making and paper marbling on the 6th, and collage making and bracelet making on the 20th so come along to the Village Hall from 10am – 12 noon to join in the fun! Please note that all children should be accompanied by an adult during the sessions, and you may wish to bring an apron or overall with you. We still have one July session arranged on the 30th – we will be continuing our ‘learn to crochet’ sessions or bring along your own craft or hobby. May Plant Sale & Tea Update Good news from the Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance that our plant sale total of £660 has now increased to £732.73 with the addition of Air Ambulance sales and direct donations on the day, so the grand total for that event including the £400 raised by the village church is now £1132.73. This is an amazing amount and thank you again to you all for your hard work both before and during the event, and to those who came along to support us. Paper Iris Folding This month we enjoyed a paper iris making session and ended up producing an array of colourful pictures. Everyone is welcome to come along for refreshments and a chat, you don’t need to have any crafting skills. We’re very friendly, and if you do feel creative there are always activities available for you to try. We ask for a £2 voluntary 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 or Helen: madeinbroadtown@gmail.com WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at Chapel Lane 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. 43,247 vehicles passed the SID which equates to approx. 1006 a day. 11% of vehicles were speeding SOCIAL CLUB The social club is 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 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: 25th July 29th August 26th September 31st October (Halloween themed special – watch this space) On these Fridays 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. PARISH COUNCIL Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Do you have an unruly hedge overhanging a road or pavement and need some help? Contact the Parish Clerk to seek assistance and guidance BTPCCLERK@outlook.com Let’s cut hedges back to the boundary rather than encroach on roads and pavements! Next PC Meeting - Monday 11th August The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the Village Hall on 11th August. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Fundraising Coffee Morning – July 23rd Our charity fundraising coffee morning for Breast Cancer Now was extremely well attended and we raised the magnificent sum of £248. We have added an additional £52 from surplus funds so we will be donating a total of £300 to Breast Cancer Now. The raffle was very well supported and the bring and buy table offered items such as Broad Town grown plants and vegetables, jigsaws, cakes and stationery items, and the cake table was groaning under the weight of a wide assortment of donated cakes! Thank you to everyone for your generosity in donating raffle prizes and cakes, and for supporting our chosen charity. August Break Please remember that community coffee mornings will be taking their usual annual break in August, and we would like to thank you all for your support during the last year and wish everyone a happy summer! We look forward to seeing you all again on Wednesday September 10th from 10am – 12 noon in the Village Hall. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Friday 25th July 5pm to 8pm - Village Hall - Food for Thought Fish & Chips. Wednesday 30th July 10am – 12 noon -  Village Hall - Made in Broad Town Crafts & Hobbies Group. Wednesday 30th July 7:00pm for 7:30 start - Village Hall - Discovering Broad Town’s White Horse. Wednesday 6th August 10am – 12 noon - Village Hall - Made in Broad Town Crafts & Hobbies Group. Sunday 10th August at 10.30am - Church - Holy Communion. Wednesday 20th B B TV August 10am – 12 noon - Village Hall - Made in Broad Town Crafts & Hobbies Group. Sunday 24th August at 10.30am - Church - Holy Communion. Friday 29th August 5pm to 8pm - Village Hall - Food for Thought Fish & Chips. Wednesday September 10th from 10am – 12 noon - Village Hall - Community Coffee Morning. DID YOU KNOW? The first official Bank Holiday in the United Kingdom was on 5th August 1871. It was a designated day off so bank employees could attend a cricket match between England and Australia at the Kennington Oval. Responding to pressure from the holiday industry in 1964 Edward Heath moved the bank holiday to the end of August. The date was settled in statute with the passage of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 which remains in force today, with the date specified as "the last Monday in August". PLEASE NOTE e-mail any queries or articles for publication to broadtownnews@gmail.com by the 22nd of the month except December. BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Thu, 24 Jul 2025 17:33:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2680 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2679/Broad-Town-News--July-2025#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2679 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2679&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2679/Broad-Town-News--July-2025                                                                                                                 BROAD TOWN NEWS – JULY 2025                                                                             Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish.   CHRIST CHURCH, BROAD TOWN Services for July are as follows: 13th July Morning Service at 10.30am, 27th July Communion at 10.30am All in the Church, everybody welcome CHURCHYARD WORK MORNING & VILLAGE SHELTER Thank you to everyone who volunteered at the recent churchyard work morning, and to those who have decorated the now summer-themed village shelter. All your hard work is very much appreciated. BROAD TOWN FOOD BANK GIVING FOOD TO THOSE WHO NEED IT Sat 28th & Sun 29th June Urgently needed: Small jars of coffee, Sugar (500gms/1kg) Tinned Fruit, Tinned Tomatoes Tinned meat - meatballs, corned beef, spam, hotdogs etc Tinned vegetables - peas, carrots, sweetcorn etc Tinned puddings - rice, sago, semolina, custard, angel delight, jellies Always needed Non-perishables (tins & packets) Long Life (milk & juice) Thanks for your generosity in continuing to support people in need. Please drop off any unopened & unused items to the Village Hall. BROAD TOWN WHITE HORSE RESTORATION GROUP LIMING 2025 A belated thanks to all of those volunteers from the community who turned out on 18 May to weed and lime the White Horse. Blessed with good weather, a thorough job was carried out that left the Horse looking better than it has for a long time. Comments have been received from a number of sources complimenting the horse’s appearance and as a village, we can be proud of our efforts. Thanks are also due to the Horton Brothers at Cockroost Farm for procuring and delivering the lime, Broad Town Brewery for supporting the event and the Bluefield Solar Farm for granting the funding necessary to buy the associated resources. SURVEY PROJECT Hopefully readers are aware of the survey project that has been initiated to record the White Horse in response to the threat posed by last year’s landslip. Guided by local chalk figure expert Garry Gibbons, requests for grants have been submitted to the Bluefield Solar Farm and to the North Wessex Downs National Landscape to fund the professional support necessary to complete the task to archaeological data standards. The five elements of the project are: Task 1. A topographic survey using drones and GPS. Task 2. An assessment of land slip risk and hill figure condition including an auger survey and a specialist survey of slope and land slip activity. Task 3. A historic review of the hill figure involving the exploration of existing records and their expansion through the collection of new information and oral testimony from the Community. Task 4. Preparation of the data sets for curation in the Archaeology Data Service, the Wiltshire Historic Environment Record and the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre. Task 5. Dissemination of results through talks, exhibitions and information panels. This will include a presentation to the Broad Town community on the evening of Wednesday 30 July. The good news is that our requests have been met, and funding is now in place to initiate the work. It is intended that work on Tasks 1 and 2 will start imminently. All of the funding is conditional on volunteer input throughout the project, and we will be looking for helpers to assist in the work. As the tasks and timings are confirmed, requests for assistance will be sent directly to regular helpers and via Facebook to the wider community. The chance to work on original archaeological research on your own doorstep rarely arises so please volunteer. Please contact Andrew Law or Derek Greer if you have any queries about the project: Andrewlaw456@gmail.com; dgreer05@gmail.com JULY LETTER FROM THE RIGHT REVEREND KAREN GORHAM, BISHOP OF SHERBORNE Some of the joys of a bishop’s ministry are Confirmation Services, we have had a good number so far this year and many more in the diary. The service is both corporate, as the congregation prays for each candidate, and personal, as each candidate makes promises, is prayed for and is anointed with oil. The words of the anointing remind all of us who have been confirmed that God calls us by name. This Pentecost we launched across the diocese a simple ‘Rule of Life’ as part of our discipleship and vocation work. Being called by God means being called to discipleship. Simply put a ‘rule of life’ is our response to what God has done for us. It takes some the teachings of Christ into our own lives. Therefore, we continue a life of inner transformation through prayer, Bible reading, and regular worship; and we contribute to the transformation of the world through generous giving, seeking justice and using our time and talents in the service of God. This all gives us the opportunity to consider our response to God’s love, to the one who calls us. It may be that the Holy Spirit is nudging us to serve in particular ways in the life of the local church, or to live out our Christian life more courageously in the world. Do pick up a postcard from your local church if you have not already been given one and be part of our diocesan vision, not only Making Jesus known but being called so all may flourish and grow. Bishop Karen ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP It has been lovely to see so much creativity and socialising going on during our recent sessions, and also to welcome some new people to the group. Thank you to Heather who recently led a very enjoyable session on flower crafting. Our July sessions will be on Wednesdays July 2nd & 16th with an extra one on the fifth Wednesday of the month, the 30th, all from 10am – 12 noon. Everyone is welcome to come along for refreshments and a chat, you don’t need to have any crafting skills. We’re very friendly, and if you do feel creative there are always activities available for you to try. We ask for a £2 voluntary 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 COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Thanks to your generosity this year we have recently been able to make donations of £200 each to Dressability and Christ Church, Broad Town. Dressability is a Swindon-based charity who adapt clothing. Through engaging with the challenges faced by their range of clientele on an individual basis, the team at Dressability’s focus is on making a positive difference to the lives of individuals living with disabilities. From jeans to jackets, dresses to dungarees and skirts to shirts, the constant whirr of sewing machines in their busy workroom, enables clients to wear user-friendly clothing in which to feel good in – promoting independence and wellbeing. Our Village church will be using their donation to make much needed improvements, and letters of thanks have been received from both recipients. Fundraising Coffee Morning – July 23rd. Our July coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays the 9th and 23rd. On the 23rd we are hoping to see as many people as possible at our fundraising coffee morning for Breast Cancer Now (formed by the merger of Breakthrough Breast Cancer & Breast Cancer Campaign). As well as some sumptuous summer homemade cakes, there will also be a raffle and a ‘bring and buy’ sale on this morning. We would love you to bring along and donate any items that you think others would like to buy whether its homegrown fruit, vegetables, plants or flowers, home baked cakes or preserves, jigsaws or crafted items (but please no books or ornaments). Thank you! Police visit to Coffee Morning Thank you to PCSO Kelly Hillier who visited our coffee morning on May 28th, and who answered many questions and queries from villagers. The community coffee mornings are always on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month (except August), so please join us from 10 – 12 noon in the Village Hall. Coffee mornings are a very informal way of meeting others in the village, having a chat whilst enjoying delicious homemade cakes, sausage rolls, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. If you haven’t been before why not give it a try, we would love to see you. SOCIAL CLUB The social club is 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 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: 27th June, 25th July, 29th August & 26th September. On these Fridays 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. PARISH COUNCIL Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Annual Audit The Parish Council has successfully completed the annual audit with only a few observations and no recommendations. The Auditor’s report is available on the PC website in the Funding & Accounts page under the 2024/25 financial year. BROAD TOWN PARISH COUNCIL AUDIT Notice of Public Rights for Inspection of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2025 As per the provisions of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, Broad Town Parish Council has made its Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for the year 2024-25 available for inspection by any person interested, together with all accounting records; books; deeds; contracts; bills; vouchers; receipts and other documents relating to these records. If you have any issues to raise or wish to see the full accounts, please contact the Parish Clerk on btpcclerk@outlook.com. In accordance with the guidelines the full accounts will be available to view for 30 working days between 11th June and 22nd July 2025. The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the Village Hall on 14th July. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course.   WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at School monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton). The SID captures traffic travelling in ONE direction only, so the below figures represent approx. half of the overall traffic in both directions. 15,619 vehicles passed the SID which equates to approx. 822 a day. 14% of vehicles were speeding WILTSHIRE POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER NEWS: https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/wiltshire-pcc-hears-views-of-young people-at-youth-commission-workshop https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/pcc-working-with-local-charity-to fund-activities-reducing-violence-and-serious-harm https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/pcc-parish-column-keeping communities-informed-with-digital-tools https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/youth-workers-funded-by-opcc have-positive-impact-on-young-people-in-Swindon https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/communities-positively-impacted by-projects-delivered-to-reduce-serious-violence. JULY AT A GLANCE: Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th June – foodbank collection, outside the Village Hall Wednesday July 2nd – Made in Broad Town, Village Hall 10am Wednesday July 9th – Community Coffee Morning, Village Hall 10am Sunday July 13th – Church service 10.30am, Christ Church Monday July 14th – Parish Council Meeting 6.30pm, Village Hall Wednesday July 16th – Made in Broad Town 10am, Village Hall Wednesday July 23rd – Fundraising Community Coffee Morning 10am, Village Hall Friday July 25th – Food for Thought Fish ‘n’ Chips, outside the Village Hall Sunday July 27th – Church service, Christ Church 10.30am Wednesday July 30th – Made in Broad Town 10am, Village Hall Wednesday July 30th – Discovering Broad Town’s White Horse talk – 7 for 7.30pm, Village Hall PLEASE NOTE e-mail any queries or articles for publication to broadtownnews@gmail.com by the 22nd of the month except December.   BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Fri, 27 Jun 2025 15:41:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2679 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2678/Broad-Town-News-June-2025#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2678 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2678&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2678/Broad-Town-News-June-2025 BROAD TOWN NEWS – JUNE 2025 Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish.   PARISH COUNCIL Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Village Tidy-up Thanks to all the residents who volunteered to walk the village picking up litter. We had a very productive few hours and made a noticeable difference throughout the village. Grateful thanks also to those who provided refreshments and bacon baps afterwards, it was much appreciated. Redhills Play Area Please note that the fort in the play area is for climbing up the ramp and enjoying the slide but please don’t allow your children to climb on the roof of the fort. Annual Parish Meeting. The Annual Parish meeting was well attended by members of the public and representatives from the various community groups who gave presentations on their activities for the past year. Reports were made by representatives on: Christ Church, Village Hall, White Horse Restoration Group, Community Coffee Mornings, Made in Broad Town, Speeding data captured by the SID, Broad Town History Website, Community Speedwatch, Parish Council Next PC Meeting - Monday 9th June will be at 6.30pm in the Village Hall. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. WILTSHIRE CONNECT The Public Transport team at Wiltshire Council is pleased to advise that they have extended the popular Wiltshire Connect on-demand bus service to include Broad Town. The service can be used for journeys to Royal Wootton Bassett, Malmesbury and to any location in the operating area which includes the Great Western Hospital, Orbital Retail Park and Kemble Railway Station. Anyone can use Wiltshire Connect and the wheelchair accessible vehicles operate between 6am-8pm Mon-Fri and 8am-7.30pm on Saturdays. Rides can be booked by using the Wiltshire Connect app or by phone on 01225 712900 For more information and to download the booking app, residents should go to the website https://www.connectingwiltshire.co.uk/royal-wootton-bassett-malmesbury. 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 29,088 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 1003 a day. 25% of vehicles were speeding. CHRIST CHURCH The services for June are as follows: • 8th June 10.30 Morning Service • 22nd June 10.30 Communion. Plant sale A big thank you to everyone who supported our plant sale in any way. It was a lovely village event and we raised an amazing £400. We would value your further help in considering and suggesting qualities we would like a new vicar to bring to our village and church. A suggestion box will be available for your thoughts at the Community coffee morning and Made in Broad Town sessions. We can’t promise everything but will do our best! 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: 30th May, 27th June, 25th July, 29th August, 26th September. On these Fridays 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. VILLAGE PLANT SALE RAISES £1060! A big thank you to everyone involved in our village plant sale and tea on Saturday May 10th. It was fantastic to see so many people coming along to buy the plants, to socialise with friends and to enjoy the refreshments on offer in celebration of the 80th Anniversary of VE Day. Whether you grew plants to sell, baked cakes or scones, or simply came along to enjoy the event, we thank you for your generosity and for your support. Thank you also to all those who set up the hall and tidied up afterwards. £660 was raised for the Wiltshire & Bath Air Ambulance and £400 for Christ Church Broad Town, through the joint efforts of Made in Broad Town, Christ Church and the Community Coffee Mornings Team. COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Thank you to everyone who provided cakes and scones for the plant sale and also to those who helped in the kitchen. Police visit to Coffee Morning If you’re reading this before May 28th…Kelly Hillier, our local Police Community Support Officer, will once again be joining us at the coffee morning on the 28th. Please come along with any concerns or queries that you might have. Our coffee mornings in June will be on Wednesdays June 11th and 25th, and we look forward to seeing you there. Please encourage anyone you know of in the village to come along who doesn’t do so already, the more the merrier! Please also remember to visit our book table whilst you’re at the coffee mornings. There is a wide selection of books available to choose from and also a few jigsaws – borrow any items for as long as you like and simply return them when you’ve finished with them. 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. Coffee mornings are a very informal way of meeting others in the village, having a chat whilst enjoying delicious homemade cake, sausage rolls, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. If you haven’t been before why not give it a try, we would love to see you. ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ Crafts & Hobbies Group As well as playing our part in the very successful plant sale earlier this month, we have also been busy participating in a watercolour painting session with teacher Maggie, and a ‘shell craft’ session making wind chimes and photo frames. During the watercolour lesson everyone managed to produce some fantastic hummingbird paintings and hopefully another similar session will be booked for later in the year. Inspired by the first of our three visits to the children at the village school to help them make their own shell wind chimes, we decided that we would also have a go at making wind chimes and photo frames. June Sessions will be on Wednesdays June 4th and 18th. Everyone is welcome to come along for refreshments and a chat, you don’t need to have any crafting skills. We’re very friendly, and if you do feel creative there are always activities available for you to try. We ask for a £2 voluntary 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 BISHOPS NEWSLETTER Jack Spratt’s scrap heap clock St Andrew’s, Wootton Rivers, you will find in the porch a beautiful board telling the story of local character Jack Spratt, who achieved fame by constructing a church clock entirely from local scrap to commemorate the coronation of George V in 1911. As a new installation was too costly, handyman Jack invited villagers to leave him their spare bits and bobs and proceeded to make a clock that ran (and still runs) with pin point accuracy. Instead of numerals on its face, the tower clock reads ‘Glory be to God’. This eccentric and appealing project bears witness to the steady Anglican faith and resourcefulness vital for our churches to thrive and survive. Also, to the creator God whose spirit can work within us to make something wonderful from the scraps and times of our lives. To him be the glory. Also an invitation to place the first signature in their new visitor’s book, after the sixty-year service of its predecessor. These volumes are found in most village churches and remain a quiet record of the thousands who call into our places of worship, usually unseen, and leave their appreciation with a word or two and, often as not, a coin in the box or a tap on the e-reader!   PLEASE NOTE e-mail any queries or articles for publication to broadtownnews@gmail.com by the 22nd of the month except December.   BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Tue, 27 May 2025 13:59:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2678 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2677/Broad-Town-News-May-2025#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2677 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2677&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2677/Broad-Town-News-May-2025 BROAD TOWN NEWS – MAY 2025 Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish.   COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Community coffee mornings are looking forward to helping with the refreshments for the Plant Sale on May 10th, so please come along and see us in the Village Hall! The May coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays May 14th and 28th. Kelly Hillier, our local Police Community Support Officer, will once again be joining us at the coffee morning on May 28th. Please come along with any concerns or queries that you might have .Cake rota – could you bake a cake for us please? Many of you have already very kindly volunteered to be on the rota and we are very grateful to everyone who has baked cakes for us. If you are not yet on our rota, please consider volunteering to make a cake, it would only be 2-3 times a year, and any type of cake would be very welcome, it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. If you are able to help out, please see one of the helpers at the next coffee morning or email Annie Crocker: anniecrocker@hotmail.co.uk 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. Coffee mornings are a very informal way of meeting others in the village, having a chat whilst enjoying delicious homemade cake, sausage rolls, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. If you haven’t been before why not give it a try, we would love to see you. Plant Sale in aid of the Air Ambulance, May 10th. Final preparations are now underway for our charity plant sale, so please come along and support us, all donations of plants or seedlings by anyone with some to spare would be very welcome, please contact Linda, Helen, or Carolyn: Linda Boyden lindaboyden12@gmail.com; Helen Greer hjgreer1@gmail.com Carolyn Crocker carolyn.crocker@hotmail.co.uk This promises to be a busy family-friendly event as not only will there be lots of Broad Town grown plants available, but also an Air Ambulance sales and information table, and refreshments will include homemade cakes and scones in celebration of the 80th anniversary of VE Day. ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ CRAFTS & HOBBIES GROUP May Sessions. We’ve already had two very busy sessions during April which included learning to crochet and making newspaper plant pots, and our final April session will be on the 30th during which we will be trying a surprise activity! On May 7th those with a place on the watercolour painting course will be learning a new skill, and everyone else is invited to bring along their own craft or to help with final preparations for our plant sale. Our second session will be on May 21st. 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 BROAD TOWN SHELTER A big thank you to all who helped decorate the Broad Town Shelter for Easter! It never goes unappreciated and is a highlight of the village. BROAD TOWN WHITE HORSE LIMING - SUNDAY 18 MAY 2025 Weather permitting, White Horse liming place will take place on the morning of Sunday 18 May. Protective equipment will be available at the site in the form of eye protection and face masks. All participants are requested to wear appropriate footwear and work gloves. If possible, they should also bring a tool that can be used for removing weeds or for spreading the lime. The event will be open to all those who wish to be involved with the only stipulation being that participants should be physically fit and in good health. Would anyone who wishes to be involved please contact Andrew Law on 01793 731472 or andrewlaw456@gmail.com . Fuller details will then be provided to all volunteers. Individuals who have already declared their availability to the organizer need not do so again. Andrew Law BROAD TOWN CHURCH It was good to be back in church for our service on Easter Sunday. Thank you to everyone who provided the flower arrangements that made the church look so lovely. A reminder for the church table at the Plant Sale on Saturday May 10th from 2.30 to 4.30pm. We would still be grateful for any surplus plants/seedlings or split established plants that you may have. If you could do with some new plants for your garden - we’d love to help - come to the plant sale and have a look! The services for May are 11th May Morning Service at 10.30 am, (This will be followed by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting) and 25th May, Communion at 10.30 am. Both services will be held in Church. BISHOP’S LETTER Sudan and South Sudan Partnership – A time of crisis. We have been fortunate to celebrate a peaceful Easter in our land, we find Sudan and South Sudan in probably the most desperate state in more than 25 years of our half century of partnership. This Spring marks the second anniversary of the conflict in Sudan, and the BBC has reported that fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has claimed more than 150,000 lives. The UN calls it the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in which some 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes, creating new crises particularly in neighbouring Chad and South Sudan. As the conflict intensified, Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo, his family and staff were forced to flee and with other supporters we helped him re-establish the Episcopal Church HQ in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast. More recently the SAF has recaptured most of Khartoum including the symbolically important Presidential Palace. The RSF is now concentrated in El-Fasher in the Darfur region in the north and west of Sudan. It has been responsible for the most appalling atrocities yet denies it is ethnic cleansing but “tribal conflict”. Efforts are being considered for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate. The UK Government’s recent decision to reduce the Overseas Development Aid budget is very disappointing. In South Sudan, violence has returned too. Many people worry that Juba may be consumed by violence again, most recently triggered by President Salvar Kiir arresting the First Vice-President Riek Machar. The South Sudan Council of Churches has been urging all parties to seek peace and not conflict. “Faith before tribe” should be the guiding principle but that is easily said but much harder to practice. How do we do that ourselves? Our partnership with the Sudans is founded on prayer and fellowship so please continue to hold the people of the Sudans in your prayers. One way in which you can offer practical help is by supporting the Sudan Medical Link Fete, held in my garden on Sunday 15th June at 2pm. All are welcome as we raise much needed funds for medical aid for families in South Sudan. +Stephen, Bishop of Salisbury PARISH COUNCIL Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Village Tidy-Up Saturday 3rd May Meet 10am Village Hall The road-sweeper has visited and done its job along the main road so now it’s time for the rest of us to give the village a spring clean. Meet at the Village Hall at 10am for the health and safety briefing. We will be providing litter picker tongs, gloves, bin bags and Hi-Viz vests to teams of willing helpers. We are also looking for volunteers with spades or shovels to weed the pavements. Refreshments and bacon butties will be provided afterwards as a well-earned reward. REFRESHMENTS AND BACON BUTTIES. Annual Parish Meeting: Monday 19th May 6.30pm in the Village Hall. We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Parish Meeting. This is not a council meeting but is an opportunity for all village groups and associations to share with the village the activity they have undertaken in the past year and their plans for the future. Parish Council Election Vacancies Most existing Councillors are standing again this year but there weren’t enough nominations to trigger an election and therefore they will be elected uncontested. The new Councillors are Ben Davis, Sandra Hartley, Glen Morley, Rupert Pearce and James Rawlins and there are therefore 2 vacancies so if anyone would like to join us in serving the parish and helping to make Broad Town a pleasant place to live then please make contact with the Clerk (BTPCClerk@outlook.com) Next PC Meeting - Monday 12th May. The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the Village Hall on 12th May. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at the school monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton) The SID counted 22,949 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 820 a day. • 17% of vehicles were speeding. SOCIAL CLUB The social club is 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 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: On these Fridays 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. WILTSHIRE AND SWINDON PCC https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/plans-for further-investment-to-improve-victims-services-announced   PLEASE NOTE e-mail any queries or articles for publication to broadtownnews@gmail.com by the 22nd of the month except December.   BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:20:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2677 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2676/Broad-Town-News--April-2025#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2676 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2676&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2676/Broad-Town-News--April-2025 Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. WHITE HORSE LIMING Weather permitting, White Horse liming will take place on the morning of Sunday 18 May. It should be assumed that we will start at around 10am and conclude before lunchtime. Protective equipment will be available at the site in the form of eye protection and face masks. All participants are requested to wear appropriate footwear and work gloves. If possible, they should also bring a tool that can be used for removing weeds or for spreading the lime. The event will be open to all those who wish to be involved with the only stipulation being that participants should be physically fit and in good health. Would anyone who wishes to be involved please contact Andrew Law on 07841 381301 or andrewlaw456@gmail.com. Fuller details will be provided to all volunteers. Individuals who have already declared their availability to the organizer need not do so again. Andrew Law EASTER FOOD BANK COLLECTION At the Village Hall Sat 5th and Sun 6th April 9.30 - 4pm. Tins of Meat & Fish - Small bags of sugar - Cartons Milk & Juice - Small jars of coffee - Biscuits – Tinned potatoes – Tinned Meat - Toiletries & Household Cleaning Products *** Easter eggs and chocolate *** VE DAY 80TH ANNIVERSARY CHARITY PLANT SALE & TEA Saturday May 10th, 2.30 - 4.30pm  in the village hall,    Made in Broad Town plant stall - Broad Town Church plant stall - Crafts and garden items - Refreshments including homemade scones, cakes, hot & cold drinks. Organised by ‘Made in Broad Town’ with help from Broad Town Church & the Community Coffee Mornings team. All proceeds to good causes – details to be announced in the May newsletter. PARISH COUNCIL NEWS Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Village tidy-up. Meet 10 am Village Hall Saturday 3rd May Refreshments and Bacon. It’s the time of year for us to give the village a spring clean. Meet at the Village Hall for a village tidy and litter pick up. We will be providing litter picker tongs, gloves, bin bags and Hi-Viz vests to teams of willing helpers. We are also looking for volunteers with spades/shovels and buckets to weed the pavements. Refreshments and Bacon Butties will be provided afterwards as a tasty reward  Volunteers to join the Community Fund Advisory Group. A couple of the residents who have sat on the advisory group for some years are now standing down. We would like to thank John Bradley and Malcolm Holland for their valuable help and guidance over the years. We are now looking for volunteers to take their place on the panel. The Advisory Group is made up of people in the village who review grant applications and then make recommendations to the Parish Council (who remain legally responsible for the management of the fund). This allows different views to be expressed and provides an element of separation from the Parish Council. Applications are considered via email and if necessary the group requests more details before arriving at a consensus to make a recommendation. If you would like to be part of this group and play a key role in helping community ideas get the funding they need, then please contact the Parish Clerk (BTPCClerk@outlook.com) Bonfires – please don’t burn plastic or other hazardous material. Please consider the environment and your neighbours when lighting bonfires and don’t burn plastic or other hazardous material as the smoke and smell can pollute the air around for some distance. Next PC Meeting The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 14th April. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at Marlborough House monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton) The SID counted 28,798 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 847 a day. 8% of vehicles were speeding. 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 March, 25th April, 30th May. On these Fridays 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. If you would like to pre-order or have any queries, they can be contacted via text, WhatsApp or Messenger on 07515 288414. WILTSHIRE COUNCIL UPDATE Polling day 1 May, 7am to 10pm in the Village Hall Deadline for registering to vote 11 April, midnight  -  Register to vote at https://www.gov.uk/register-to vote Deadline to apply for new postal vote 14 April, 5pm. Deadline to apply for new proxy vote 23 April, 5pm. Deadline to apply for voter authority certificate (if you have no photo ID) 23 April, 5pm. Stop smoking in 2025 to improve your health, wealth, and wellbeing. Wiltshire Council have launched a new Smoke Free app to help people across Wiltshire quit smoking. Quitting smoking not only improves health, but it can lead to significantly more money in your pocket – since the average person who smokes spends around £2,500 every year on smoking. Find out more and download the Smoke Free app now https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/smokefree VILLAGE HALL COMMITTEE AGM The A.G.M. for the Hall will be held on 28th April at 6.30pm. New Villagers are needed for the Management Committee, so why not come along to find out how you can be involved and have your say. Everyone welcome. CHRIST CHURCH BROAD TOWN As we are unable to hold our usual plant sale at Queen Elizabeth Cottage in May, Made in Broad Town have kindly offered us a table at their sale on 10th May. If Spring is tempting you into the garden and you have any surplus plants we would much appreciate them for our table. Do get in touch at carolyn.crocker@hotmail.co.uk or lindaboyden12@gmail.com and we can arrange a plant drop off or collection! Many thanks. Holy Communion will be held at the Church on Easter Day April 20th at 10.30am. VACANCY FOR GOVERNOR Would you like to join our friendly and supportive team of governors at Broad Town School? We are looking for an additional governor to be part of our governing board at our welcoming and inclusive school. No previous experience of being a governor is needed as you will be trained and supported, all you need is a commitment and willingness to make what is an important contribution to our community. You would be involved in termly meetings that take place in late afternoons and also have a valuable opportunity to work with members of staff on a particular focus of school life. A DBS check is a requirement but otherwise no other qualification is necessary. If you are interested and would like to find out more, please contact admin@broadtown.wilts.sch.uk Thank you FOODBANK ORGANISER URGENTLY REQUIRED Would you be willing to organize future Foodbank Collections? If you are interested please contact Ray 01793 731564 CHURCHYARD Thanks to all those who came along in March for all their hard work. The next work morning will be on 12th April from 10.00am to midday. More volunteers still needed please. COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNING Our April coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays April 9th and 23rd. 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. Wiltshire Wildlife trust were very grateful to receive a donation from the Community Coffee Morning for £250 towards their work in our beautiful county. Happy Easter from everyone on the Community Coffee Mornings team! MADE IN BROAD TOWN In early March we spent an enjoyable morning making paper flowers. Our second session was completing our cushion covers. In April we will be meeting three times, on the 2nd, 16th and 30th. There will be lots to do especially in preparation for our plant sale on May 10th, so please join us! Also, on April 9th, we will be learning to crochet. Our members who can crochet already will sit beside those folk who would like to learn the basic stitches. On the 16th there will be an opportunity to continue with crochet, prick out seedlings or enjoy your own crafts. On the 30th there may be a surprise craft idea!! 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 ANDREW & DEREK WARMLY INVITE YOU TO GET INVOLVED Andrew Law & Derek Greer have initiated a project to survey the Horse using various techniques with the aim of creating a definitive record. They have commissioned a land slip assessment which may lead to some mitigations and they are also creating a historical record of the construction of the Horse and its maintenance. The first activity that will take place is to auger the hill-figure at key points to determine the depth of subsurface chalk layers deposited across the horse. This activity will be undertaken by volunteers from the Community having received instruction from a professional archaeologist. If anyone would like to be considered for involvement in this task, please let Andrew know. Andrew Law (Phone 07841381301). BISHOP KAREN'S LETTER Hope is the bird that waits for dawn and sings while it is still dark. This is one of my favourite quotations, which particularly comes to mind this month as the birds start to sing melodiously and signs of colour start to appear in our gardens. The long dark months of winter are over, and we can imagine once again those hazy lazy days of summer. And as the light of the days lengthens, we enter the celebration of the Son, Easter. April is certainly the month of hope. Yet looking at our news headlines, hope feels in short supply. It is hard to remain hopeful for our planet, as world leaders vie for power, and our extreme weather systems indicate all is not well. Sitting in our crowded cathedral at the beginning of Lent speaking to Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and hearing her story of imprisonment as a hostage in Iran and injustice, I was reminded of a religious painting in the Methodist Art Collection. The painting is of the inside of the tomb on Easter morning. It shows the stone rolled away, not allowing us in, but allowing us to step out. Nazanin recalled her experience of re-adjusting to the light of freedom. Stepping out into a life of hope means adjusting to a long-term view, believing that there is more goodness to come. It means enjoying the colour now and living in the hope of all eternity. As Christians Easter strengthens our belief that hope triumphs over despair, that light overcomes the darkness, and love wins. That is our song, which together we are called to sing. Despite everything, including the differences we live with every day, Jesus is Lord, the stone was rolled away so we can walk free and know eternal life. DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 28th March 5:00pm – 8:00pm Food for Thought Fish & Chips. Village Hall 2nd April 10:00am – 12:00 Made In Broad Town. Village Hall 5th April 9:30am-4:30pm Foodbank. Village Hall 6th April 9:30am-4:30pm Foodbank. Village Hall 9th April 10:00am – 12:00 Coffee Morning. Village Hall 12th April 10:00am – 12:00 Churchyard Morning. Church 16th April 10:00am – 12:00 Made in Broad Town. Village Hall 20th April 10:30am Holy Communion. Church 23rd April 10:00am – 12:00 Coffee Morning. Village Hall 25th April 5:00pm – 8:00pm Food for Thought Fish & Chips. Village Hall 28th April 6:30pm Village Hall Committee AGM. Village Hall 30th April Made in Broad Town. Village Hall 1st May Polling Day  Village Hall 3rd May 10am Village Tidy Up  Village Hall 10th May 2.30pm - 4.30 VE Day Anniversary Charity Plant Sale & Tea 18th May 10am White Horse Liming   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) BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Thu, 27 Mar 2025 11:39:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2676 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2675/Broad-Town-News--March-2025#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2675 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2675&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2675/Broad-Town-News--March-2025                                                                                                   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           BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:00:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2675 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2674/Broad-Town-News--February-2025#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2674 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2674&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2674/Broad-Town-News--February-2025                                                                                              Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. BROAD TOWN CHRIST CHURCH On 1st December, Rev Rachma announced her resignation as Rector of the Woodhill Benefice which includes Christ Church. All are invited to her last service at 11am on Sunday, 2nd February at Hilmarton Church followed by a bring and share lunch at the Community Room, Poynder Place {SN11 8SQ}. Our best wishes to Rachma and Steven in their new home in Derbyshire. There is some concern in the village about whether Christ Church is closing permanently and we would like to assure you that this is not the case. Should the church ever be in such a position the whole village would be consulted before any decision was made. Currently the church building can in fact be used, but because we are unable to use the heating it is very cold, so we have opted to use warmer spaces. Permission is needed to install a new system and the PCC is looking at options available; this process has been very time consuming and the solutions expensive. A decision on the replacement system has not yet been made. We have funds to cover part of the cost but once permission is granted, we can apply for grants and begin some fundraising. Message from The Reverend Canon Rachma Abbott ‘I'd like to thank the people of Broad Town and its school. It has been a joy to serve here since April 2015, and while I am excited about moving home there is some sadness in all farewells. Rachma’ Broad Town 100 Club Lottery Are your New Year’s resolutions now a thing of the past. Why not make a new one this month? Why not resolve to join the Broad Town 100 Club Lottery. It only costs £1 a week (£4 per month or £48 per year, payable by standing order or cheque). Half the money raised is given out in prizes and over the past year nearly £1,400 has been won by lucky lottery members. The other half of the money is used to help keep your church open icluding paying towards essential repairs. If you would like to join, please contact Fiona Holness on fholness@btinternet.com or on 07833 683444. I look forward to hearing from you. PARISH COUNCIL Budget & Precept for 2025/26 Unfortunately due to increases across the board in our expenses, and whereas we managed to absorb last year’s increases from our reserves, this year the Parish Council has been forced to increase the precept by 5.34% in order to cover costs. This means that the annual budget will be set at £10,787 and the annual amount requested from a household in tax band D in the village will increase to £38.84 from last year’s £36.87. The Parish Council precept forms a small part of the overall annual Council tax requirement which will be communicated by Wiltshire Council direct to householders. Grants available for Community Groups Remember that grants are available for Community Groups to help with any funding needs – each application is assessed by an independent advisory board prior to being submitted to the Parish Council who administers the funding from the Bluefield solar farm (previously Good Energy). Details are available on the website www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Meet the Local Policing Team Come and meet the local Policing Team at the Village Hall on Wednesday 26th Feb 10.00 - 11.45am (alongside the community coffee morning). Next PC Meeting - Monday 10th February The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 10th February. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at the School monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton) The SID counted 23,716 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 678 a day. 14% of vehicles were speeding. Note the SID captures traffic travelling in one direction. Metrocount results indicate average daily totals of 1,989 using the C415. SOCIAL CLUB 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: 31st January, 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. Membership Renewal Last few days remaining to take advantage of the discount when renewing your Social Club annual membership – a bargain at just £2 per person during January (£3 any other time). New members are always welcome. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FourWaysBroadTown COMEANDMEET YOURLOCALPOLICINGTEAM What matters most in your community? Tell us your views! Where: Broad Town Village Hall On: Wed 26th February 2025 at: 10 – 11.45am Information from your Neighbourhood Policing Team ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ Crafts & Hobbies Group Christmas Fundraising Our stall at the Village Christmas Coffee Morning on November 30th proved once again to be extremely successful. Sales of Christmas cards, crafts, gifts, preserves, home baked goods and decorations raised the amazing total of £423 which we have donated to Alzheimer’s Support. Thank you to everyone who came along to support us, and to all our crafty people, we all enjoyed making products to sell! We were also able to contribute another £81 raised at the Wednesday Community Christmas Coffee Morning on December 11th which was also given to Alzheimer’s Support, and we had a stall at the Broad Town School Christmas Fair on December 5th. Here we raised a total of £128 which has been donated directly to the school. It’s fantastic to have been able to support so many good causes again this year. We started the new year with our New Year nibbles event during which we had a go at recycling old Christmas and birthday cards to create mini gift boxes. We will be holding an extra January session on the 29th, so please join us for more gift box making or bring along your own craft or hobby. The meetings in February will be on Wednesdays February 5th & 19th, please join us from 10-12 noon in the village hall. Patchwork Cushion Making Session on February 19th Diana will be showing us how to make patchwork cushion covers. Fabric will be supplied, but if you would like to bring along your own, you will only need small pieces for the patchwork shapes. Please also bring scissors, pins, and some thread if you have them, and please could those with a sewing machine bring it along too. 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 COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Thank you to everyone who came along to the last Wednesday coffee morning of 2024 on December 11th. The £71 raised was donated to Alzheimer’s Support and contributed to the village’s grand total. The free raffle was also very popular and thank you to everyone who donated prizes for this. Our February coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays February 12th and 26th. Police visit to Coffee Morning On the 26th February, Kelly Hillier, our local police community support officer, will be in attendance once again to answer your questions and address your concerns about any aspect of village life so please come along and have a chat. 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. Saturday Coffee Morning - please save the date: Pancake Coffee Morning Saturday March 15th, 10 - 12 noon Village Hall All welcome! Full details to follow in the March newsletter BROAD TOWN BUMPS AND BEYOND We were very lucky and grateful to receive a donation form the Coffee Morning for our Christmas Party. I wanted to pass on our massive thanks for this. We used the donation to purchase gifts for all 17 children to attended our party and provide Christmas snacks for them. In the three weeks leading up to our party we had Christmas Crafts including, card making, tree decorations making and hand and foot print art. If you are able to pass this information on the those who contributed to the donations and arranged for us to be a beneficiary I would be most grateful. If anyone would.like to join us we are in the village all every Tuesday morning from 9:30- 11:30, £3 per family and 50p per extra child. We offer free play with a variety of toys, snack, craft activities and finish with songs and games. We love to see new families. Claire Maclean-Martin ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT Village Christmas Appeal - £1500.15 raised! A huge thank you to everyone in the village for so generously supporting all the coffee mornings, craft sales and carol singing events which took place before Christmas. It was lovely to see so many villagers coming along to the coffee morning and craft sale on Saturday November 30th. During this morning £1,052.75 was raised from the edible produce stall, the crafts and gifts stall, the raffle, tombola and book stall and refreshment donations, as well as donations from other stall holders, which has all been donated to Alzheimer's Support Wiltshire. A lady from the charity who is one of their ambassadors, came along on that morning to support us, and we know that she and the charity were extremely happy with the amount raised so thank you for all your hard work and your generous donations! Later in December the Wednesday coffee morning and the Friday carol singing events raised a further £447.40, making an amazing grand total of £1,500.15 which has been donated to Alzheimer’s Support Wiltshire. A letter of thanks and a fundraising certificate have been received which are on display in the village hall. Thank you also to our willing band of helpers who made everything run so smoothly! BROAD TOWN WHITE HORSE I’m sure everyone in the Village has noticed the landslip below the White Horse dating back to last September. There are worries that more heavy rain might cause further deterioration; however, fingers crossed and touching wood, there appears to have been no further slippage yet. Concerns within the White Horse Restoration Group led to the feeling that the problem should be recognized and addressed, resulting in the development of the following project: Our iconic White Horse is important to the community. The horse is threatened by recent and possible future landslips so we want to record, safeguard and create a historical record for future generations. Subject to funding, it is planned that the task of recording the shape and condition of the Horse should be done professionally. We already have a dedicated set of volunteers who lime the Horse annually who can take on the task of maintaining and thereby safeguarding the Horse. It is in the last task of creating a historical record for future generations that assistance is now needed. This could include carrying out research and investigation into the history of the Horse using sources such as Aerial Photographs, Post Cards, Council Records, Newspapers and oral reminiscences. No formal knowledge is needed, just the enthusiasm to delve into history and uncover previously unknown facts. Volunteers would work within a team and their output would be developed into a report style and format suitable for archiving and future reference. If anyone is interested in their involvement in this important project, would they please contact Andrew Law on andrewlaw456@gmail.com. FOODBANK Thanks to everyone for the bumper Christmas collection and throughout 2024. Our 2025 collections will begin on 8th & 9th February at the Village hall from 9.30 to 4.00pm. SHELTER Thank you to everyone who helped or contributed to our Christmas and ‘Kindness’ themes. Special thanks to the children from Broad Town School for their contributions. CHURCHYARD WORK MORNINGS 2025 dates for your diary: 8 March, 12 April, 10 May, 7 June, 5 July, 9 August, 6 Sept., 4 October. The Churchyard looks so good and many people who visit - both local and from further away- tell us how grateful they are for the work that is carried out by a few volunteers. We do however desperately need more volunteers, so if you would like to help, please come along and join us at any time. 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. Come along any time between 10am and midday on any or all of the above dates. If you need any further information, please contact Ray Manley Tel: 01793 731564. FOOD BANK COLLECTION VILLAGE HALL Sat. 8th & Sun. 9th February 9.30 am - 4 pm Tins of Meat & Fish -Small bags of sugar, Cartons Milk & Juice, Small jars of coffee, Biscuits, Tinned potatoes, Tinned Meat, Toiletries & Household Cleaning Products. BISHOPS LETTER FOR FEBRUARY 2025 At the west end of your cathedral, on the south wall nearest the main entrance, is a large slate stone which records all the names of the Bishops of Salisbury. Mine is the most recent to have been inscribed. I am number 79. Someone else will follow. It serves to make one feel small rather than important. The first name is that of Herman, whose day falls this month on 20th February. A native of Lorraine (in north-eastern France), Herman was made Bishop of Ramsbury in 1045. He resigned in 1055 when King Edward the Confessor refused to allow the transfer of the see to Malmesbury. He became a monk at Saint-Omer (in northern France), returning to England in 1058 to become Bishop of Sherborne while at the same time being restored to the bishopric of Ramsbury. By 1071, Herman was old and infirm and wished to resign but Archbishop Lanfranc urged him to stay on. There was a plan. Approval of the transfer of the see was given at the Council of London in 1075, thus creating the new diocese of Salisbury, to which you belong. Herman oversaw the initial construction of the Cathedral at Old Sarum but died before its completion, on 20th February in 1078. Herman would have known where you live and known and cared for your patch of the diocese. A diocese is only the sum total of its parts, and whilst it is the Anglican model of apostolic local leadership, the real strength of mission and ministry is to be found in the local, just as Jesus’ ministry was locally based and exercised. We all follow in the footsteps of those who have carried the flame of faith before us in each place. It is that faithfulness, mirroring the fact that God is faithful, that has sustained our communities down the ages, however much the times and the names change. And God will continue to do so, because He is faithful. Stephen, Bishop of Salisbury WHAT ‘COST OF LIVING CRISIS’? Economist Robert Heolbroner describes the luxuries a typical western family would have to surrender if they lived among the 1 billion hungry people in the ‘two thirds world’. “We begin by invading the house of our imaginary family to strip it of its furniture. Everything goes; beds, chairs, tables, television sets, lamps. We will leave the family with a few old blankets, a kitchen table, a wooden chair. Along with the dressers go the clothes. Each member of the family may keep in his wardrobe his oldest suit or dress, a shirt or blouse. We will permit a pair of shoes for the head of the family but none for the wife or children. We move to the kitchen. The appliances have already been taken out, so we turn to the cupboards. The box of matches may stay, a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt. A few mouldy potatoes already in the garbage must be rescued, for they will provide much of tonight’s meal. We will leave a handful of onions and a dish of dried beans. All the rest we take away; the meat, the fresh vegetables, the canned food, the biscuits, the sweets. Now we have stripped the house; the bathroom has been dismantled, the running water shut off, the electricity disconnected. Next we take away the house, the family can move to the tool shed…Communications must go next. No more news papers, magazines, books – not that they are missed since we must take away our family’s literacy as well. Instead, in our shanty town we will allow one radio. Now, government services must go next. No more postmen, no firemen, There is a school but it is three miles away and consists of two classrooms. There are of course no hospitals or doctors. The nearest clinic is ten miles away and is tended by a midwife. It can be reached by bicycle provided the family has a bicycle which is unlikely. Finally, money. We will allow our family a cash hoard of about £4. This will prevent our breadwinner from experiencing the tragedy of an Iranian peasant who went blind because he could not raise the £3.16 which he mistakenly thought he needed to gain admission to a hospital where he could have been cured. ‘Cost of Living Crisis’ - Does this mean we cannot afford the things we need or just the things we want? I wish you all a happy and healthy 2025 Mark Boyden   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 BroadTownNewsEditorAccount Sat, 25 Jan 2025 09:54:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2674 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2671/Broad-Town-News-Dec-24-Jan-25#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2671 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2671&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2671/Broad-Town-News-Dec-24-Jan-25                                                                                   BROAD TOWN NEWS – DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025                                                                                   Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish.                                                                     Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Broad Town News Editors DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 26th November 1pm - 4:00 pm Techie tea party Cotswold House Lyneham 29th November 5pm - 8:00 pm Food for thought Fish & Chips in the Village Hall 30th November 10am to 12:30pm Christmas Coffee Morning & Craft Sale in the Village Hall 4th December 10am to Noon Made in Broad Town in the Village Hall 5th December 3:15pm Broad Town School’s Christmas Fair Broad Town School 7th December 9:30am – 4:00pm Foodbank in the Village Hall 8th December 9:30am – 4:00pm Foodbank Village Hall 11th December 10am to Noon Community Coffee Morning Village Hall 18th December 10am to noon Made in Broad Town in the Village Hall 18th December 10am to noon Local Policing Team Roadshow in the Village Hall 19th December at 7pm Carol Service in the Village Hall 20th December 5:30pm Carol singing around the Village. 20th December 8pm Carol singing in the hall Village Hall 20th December 5pm – 8:00pm Food for thought Fish & Chips in the Village Hall 25th December at 10.30am Christmas Communion in the Village Hall 8th January 10am to Noon Community Coffee Morning in the Village Hall 15th January 10am to Noon Made in Broad Town in the Village Hall 22nd January 10am to Noon Community Coffee Morning in the Village Hall 29th January 10am to Noon Made in Broad Town in the Village Hall 1st February 2025 Noon to 2pm Soup & Pudding lunch in the Village Hall COMMUNITY COFFEE MQRNING Alzheimer’s Support Christmas Fundraising Coffee Morning. There will be a fundraising coffee morning and craft sale in the village hall on Saturday November 30th from 10am-12.30pm with all proceeds going to Alzheimer’s Support Wiltshire. This local charity provides people with dementia and their carers with much needed advice and support in the form of award-winning day clubs, home support, memory cafes and more than 40 community activity groups throughout Wiltshire. Their team of trained advisors are often the first port of call following a new dementia diagnosis and provide invaluable support and advice to help people with dementia to continue to lead as normal a life as possible, keeping both minds and bodies active whilst reducing social isolation. We would love to see you at this charity Christmas coffee morning – please see separate poster. Our December coffee morning will be on Wednesday December 11th. Our proceeds from this morning will also be going to Alzheimer’s Support Wiltshire and as a thank you for all your support throughout the year, there will be a FREE RAFFLE with some great prizes to be won! There will also be plenty of delicious cake so please come along to enjoy our final coffee morning of 2024. The community coffee mornings are always on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, so our first coffee morning of the new year will be on January 8th, followed by one on the 22nd so please join us from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall to enjoy delicious homemade cakes, sausage rolls, coffee, tea and hot chocolate. A Happy Christmas to everyone from the Community Coffee Mornings Team! CHRISTMAS FOODBANK COLLECTION Please donate as generously as you are able so that families who continue to struggle are able to enjoy Christmas. All the usual items of non-perishable food, toiletries and Christmas goodies, sweets and chocolates. Where -Village Hall     When - Sat. 7th & Sun 8th December,    Time. -  9.30am - 4pm CHURCH SERVICES "Wishing everyone Joy and Peace this Christmas and the New Year” Unfortunately, we are currently unable to use the heating system in the church and therefore the Carol Service and Christmas Day service will be held in the Village Hall. So, a 'warm' welcome awaits everyone as we celebrate Christmas at the following Services: 19th December at 7pm in the Village Hall - Carol Service 25th December at 10.30am in the Village Hall - Christmas Communion We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped with the care of the Church in any way over the past year. Your help is much appreciated and valued. Thank you. CAROL SINGING AROUND THE VILLAGE 20th December Carol Singing in the Village. Meet at the hall at 5:30 pm Paul & Anne will be serving their delicious, mulled wine £1 mince pies FREE courtesy of Food for Thought at 8pm for more Carol singing in the Hall. EATING IN THE 50’s 1) Pasta was not eaten. 2) Curry was a surname. 3) A takeaway was a mathematical problem. 4) A pizza was something to do with a leaning tower. 5) Crisps were plain; the only choice we had was whether to put the salt on or not. 6) Rice was only eaten as a milk pudding. 7) A Big Mac was what we wore when it was raining. 8) Brown bread was something only poor people ate. 9) Oil was for lubricating; fat was for cooking. 10) Tea was made in a teapot using tea leaves and never green. 11) Sugar enjoyed a good press in those days and was regarded as being white gold, Cubed sugar was regarded as posh. 12) Fish didn’t have fingers. 13) Eating raw fish was called poverty, not sushi. 14) None of us had ever heard of yoghurt. 15) Healthy food consisted of anything edible BISHOP’S LETTER December is not the best month for a birthday, believe me, I know. Having a birthday in December has always been a bit of an anti-climax for me, especially when one is a member of the clergy and there’s another carol service to do. Birthday cards get mixed up with Christmas cards and bottle gifts get saved for Christmas itself. Consequently, I’ve never been that bothered to celebrate my birthday and have been happy for it to go largely unnoticed, that is, until coming into this job only to find the date gets published in The Times each year! And yet, for us all, young and older, the passing of another year is always a milestone, whether we party or deny the passage of time. In December as Christians, our focus is on the greatest birth of all. Advent prepares us and is a useful time of reflection upon true meaning and how the darkness of our world does become shattered by light. Imagine this dark time of year without the coming birthday of Jesus. And yet, as we celebrate with lights and parties and gifts, our world feels very dark in these days. There is no escaping the terror of war, even if we only watch from afar as the plight of hostage and civilian goes on and on in the lands in which our Saviour was born. The largely comfortable in our world – that’s most of us here – struggle to imagine the plight of the Ukrainian or the Palestinian, the homeless person or the marginalised. And we know, for many, Christmas only exaggerates a time of loss and loneliness. So the only real focus for us all in December, the only place where present is also presence, is the birth of Jesus Christ. Emmanuel, God with us, the almost unbelievable reality that God chooses to be born among us as one of us, as a human child, and still we tell that true story today. For me, this fact is why I believe. Reality in history means real God in real time. One who knows, one who loves, one who lived for us. The incarnation – the birth of love. Whenever your birthday is I send you every blessing. In December, we celebrate the birth of the Word made flesh, the Light of the World and the Prince of Peace. To Jesus our Lord, on my birthday and every day, I pray, many happy returns! The Rt Revd Stephen Lake, Bishop of Salisbury MADE IN BROAD TOWN November 30th Christmas Coffee Morning & Craft Sale. Please see the poster elsewhere in this newsletter. This is a great opportunity to buy Christmas gifts, edible festive treats and decorations all made in our village. We will have a wide range of very affordable items for sale including nestboxes, fabric memo boards, painted glassware & tealight holders, knitted toys, hats & mittens, Christmas cards, bookmarks, keyrings, many types of Christmas decorations, candy cane holders, chutneys, mince pies, fudge and mini-Christmas cakes. Please come and have a browse! All proceeds to Alzheimer’s Support Wiltshire. Stock levels permitting, we are also hoping to run a stall at the village school’s Christmas Fair on Thursday December 5th, from 3.15pm at the school. All welcome!  Glass Painting: We’ve had a very busy last few sessions including having another go at glass painting, this time with a festive theme. Thank you again to Terri for running this extremely enjoyable session: We’ve also enjoyed creating stars of various sorts, some of which are destined to be used as decorations for the shelter opposite the village church. December Meetings: Our meetings will take place on Wednesdays the 4th and 18th when we will be making festive items ready for Christmas. On the 4th we will be making more angels and stars, and the 18th will be a bring your own craft or hobby session but there will be a surprise festive activity too! January Meetings: Our new year will start with a meeting on January 15th, followed by one on January 29th so please come along and join in – please note that we are meeting on the 3rd and 5th Wednesdays in January as the first Wednesday is a New Year’s Day holiday. During our January 15th session we will be kicking off the new year with a ‘New Year Nibbles’ event. Please bring along some festive/new year food or drink to share if you can. If you haven’t been to a Made in Broad Town session before we’d love to see you. Especially now the days are getting chillier, a reminder that everyone is welcome to come along for hot drinks, biscuits and a chat – join in with our craft session or bring along your own craft/hobby or you are very welcome to just watch what others are doing while enjoying some refreshments. We also always have other activities available such as colouring sheets, jigsaws, playing cards and dominoes etc. Our sessions are usually on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday mornings of the month, new crafters and hobbyists are always welcome! Please email us if you have any questions. The sessions run from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall, all welcome, the £2 suggested donation is voluntary. Email: Linda Boyden lindaboyden12@gmail. com; Helen Greer hjgreer1@gmail.com NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING TEAM Broad Town Village Hall 18th December 10am-12noon Come and enjoy FREE mince pies & FREE Hot drinks. When you meet your local Policing team. PARISH COUNCIL UPDATE Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Redhills Play Area - We have installed a new bin, replacing the rusty old bin which had reached the end of its life. Also, RoSPA have carried out their annual inspection of the play area at Redhills and no significant problems were found. The report can be viewed at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk/your community/redhills-playing-fields-and-play-area/ Parish Steward Luckily the Parish Steward managed to visit us the day before he was called onto gritting duties, and he dug out roadside grips and cleared culverts and drains of the leaves which were in danger of clogging them up. If you see a blocked gully or drain, the best way to report it is using MyWilts online reporting https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/mywilts-online-reporting. The next Parish Council meetings will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 9th December and 13th January when we will be agreeing the budget and setting the precept for the forthcoming year. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” SOCIAL CLUB 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: Friday 29th November Friday 20th December (carol singing evening) 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! If you would like to pre-order or have any queries, they can be contacted via text, WhatsApp or Messenger on 07515 288414. Membership Renewal January is the month for renewing your Social Club membership – a bargain at just £2 per person (£3 any other time). New members are always welcome. Find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FourWaysBroadTown 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       Ray Manley Mon, 25 Nov 2024 14:46:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2671 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2668/Broad-Town-News--November-2024#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2668 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2668&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2668/Broad-Town-News--November-2024                                                                                                                                 BROAD TOWN NEWS – NOVEMBER 2024                                                                                                         Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR As we welcome November, the days grow colder and the nights last longer. The Autumn’s last month may be dark and cold, but it makes the warmth and the light all the more inviting. Come along to the coffee and craft mornings for a nice warm drink with friends, wrap up warm and go walking and smell the comfort of the chimney smoke or maybe you would like to sit by the fire watching your favourite seasonal films whilst knitting a sweater. There is excitement to be found for all in these little things, even in the darkest months of the year. The darkness can bring us to find comfort in one another and bring us together, strengthening our community. Look forward to the fireworks, they look the most beautiful in contrast with the blackest skies. CHURCH SERVICES 3rd November (All Saints) 10.30 Communion 10th November (Remembrance) 10.50 Remembrance Service 24th November (Patronal Festival) 10.30 Communion BISHOP’S LETTER Known Unto God. The Somme battlefield takes you by surprise. Visitors pull into a car park in a quiet lane and wander into what looks like a leafy National Trust property. A few yards in, though, and you see the trenches. Gently undulating now, softened by time, but unmistakably the dreadful, snaking pits of our imagination. The Somme, of course, is a river: but, for the last century, a name inseparable from the battle that claimed 60,000 young British lives on its first day. Scattered about the fields nearby are dozens of small cemeteries, of which the majority, with telling anonymity, commemorate simply ‘A soldier of the Great War’. I recently had the opportunity to visit this intense landscape for the first time and the impression made was deep indeed. Most affecting, I think, was an inscription that will be familiar to many on these nameless stones: ‘Known Unto God’. However war may distort the human image, those three words underscore that its dignity is a divine gift that even the most appalling tragedies cannot erase. In this month of recollection, as we give thanks for all those gone before us, the idea that each of them – and us – is ‘known unto God’ is a deep consolation. May each of you find peace in this remembrance.  +Andrew Ramsbury        ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ During October we made pinecone angels and a big thank you to Jenny and Carol W for running our festive card making session which was very productive and enjoyable. Glass Painting Our last October meeting will be on the 30th when Terri will be back to demonstrate some Christmas glass painting ideas. If you’d like to bring something of your own along to paint, please do so but do remember that items need to be baked in an oven afterwards to cure the paint, so please only bring items that are purely glass e.g. a drinking glass, jam jar, bottle or vase etc. We will also have some items for you to paint e.g. tea light holders and bottles, so don’t worry if you don’t have anything to bring along. Appeal for toilet roll and kitchen roll tubes Please save empty toilet roll and kitchen roll tubes which we would like to recycle into decorations for the Christmas themed shelter. Please give them to anyone who comes to the craft group or bring them along to the village hall on a Wednesday morning – they can be left on the doorstep if the hall is shut. Thank you! November Meetings - Our meetings will take place on Wednesdays the 6th and 20th. The sessions run from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall, all welcome, the £2 suggested donation is voluntary. CHRISTMAS COFFEE MORNING & CRAFT SALE NOVEMBER 30TH Please see the poster elsewhere in this newsletter. This is a great opportunity to buy Christmas gifts, edible festive treats and decorations that have been made in our village. All proceeds to Alzheimer’s Support Wiltshire If you haven’t been to a Made in Broad Town session before we’d love to see you. Especially now the days are getting chillier, a reminder that everyone is welcome to come along for hot drinks, biscuits and a chat – join in with our craft session or bring along your own craft/hobby or you are very welcome to just watch what others are doing while enjoying some refreshments. We also always have other activities available such as colouring sheets, jigsaws, playing cards and dominoes etc. Our sessions are always on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday mornings of the month, new crafters and hobbyists are always welcome! Please email us if you have any questions. Email: Linda Boyden- lindaboyden12@gmail.com Helen Greer- hjgreer1@gmail.com COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS On October 9th the choir from our village school gave a fantastic performance of autumn songs from their repertoire. We would like to thank all the children for their enthusiasm in sharing their music with us! Thank you also to everyone at the coffee morning who in total donated £100. This has been given to the school to use for their activities. Our November coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays the 13th and 27th from 10-12 noon. As always, we meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday mornings of the month, and everyone is very welcome. Please join us for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, homemade cakes and sausage rolls in the village hall from 10-12 noon. If you’re new to the village, it would be lovely to see you - it’s a great way to meet new people. ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT. There will also be a fundraising coffee morning and craft sale on Saturday November 30th from 10am – 12.30pm with all proceeds going to Alzheimer’s Support Wiltshire. This local charity provides people with dementia and their carers with much needed advice and support in the form of award winning day clubs, home support, memory cafes and more than 40 community activity groups throughout Wiltshire. Their team of trained advisors are often the first port of call following a new dementia diagnosis and provide invaluable support and advice to help people with dementia to continue to lead as normal a life as possible, keeping both minds and bodies active whilst reducing social isolation. We would love to see you at this charity Christmas coffee morning. BROAD TOWN COMMUNITY BIG BREAKFAST A letter from Prospect Hospice: Thank you for supporting Prospect Hospice. We cannot say thank you enough for choosing to support Prospect Hospice with your recent gift of £1,048.00 towards our work, with the Broad Town Big Breakfast event you recently held. All of us here at Prospect Hospice are committed to ensuring that all individuals with a life-limiting illness can access our services when they need them across our community of 300,000 people in Swindon, Marlborough, Northeast Wiltshire, and the villages of Lechlade and Fairford in Gloucestershire, delivering care both in patients’ homes and at our hospice in Wroughton. We are so proud and humbled by all the continued and new support given to us by so many people in our community; it is because of you that we are able to provide outstanding support and care to our patients and their families when needed the most. Your support at a time when we are all affected by the cost of living crisis, really does mean a lot to us and your donation will play a crucial part in ensuring that we can continue to be there. With thanks from all of us here at Prospect Hospice. Beth Goodyear Fundraising Coordinator. A THANK YOU Many thanks to the villagers who have given their time and energy to making Broad Town look so good: • To Judy, ably assisted by Lucy for replanting all the tubs through the village. They look great! • To the churchyard working party for all their work throughout the year, keeping it so tidy and beautiful for everyone who visits. • And to those who set up the planters outside the village hall cheering up the car park. All your efforts are much appreciated. CHURCHYARD WORK MORNINGS The April – October monthly work mornings for 2024 are now behind us but as you can see, the Churchyard is looking magnificent, thanks to the small number of villagers who volunteer on a regular basis to mow, strim, cut hedges, tidy/restore graves etc. etc. Thanks also to Margaret for providing all the refreshments. Our goal for 2025 is to “sign up” some more willing volunteers. As the saying goes “many hands make light work”. BROAD TOWN SOCIAL CLUB ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) The AGM will take place on Friday 15th November 2023 at 7pm in the Village Hall. Why not come along to find out what we do and how we do it, hear about our financial situation and put forward questions or ideas about future events. EVERYONE WELCOME! Food for Thought Evenings Food for Thought are selling their delicious Fish and Chips (and burgers, sausages, scampi etc) outside the Village Hall from 5 – 8pm on: • Friday 25th October • Friday 29th November • Friday 20th December (carol singing evening) 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. WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at Broadacres monitoring Southbound traffic (entering the village from RWB) • The SID counted 26,850 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 926 a day. • 25% of vehicles were speeding. PARISH COUNCIL Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Survey Wiltshire Council are carrying out a survey of where electric vehicle charging points could be located in rural communities such as ours, where residents are forced to park on-street and therefore unable to install private charging points. The survey closes on 31 October so if you have any suggestions please email the Parish Clerk at btpcclerk@outlook.com before that date, or else complete the survey yourself at: https://surveys.wiltshire.gov.uk/Interview/bdc32af3-87ba-44b1-9681-7e09407158e4 Parish Steward The Parish Steward visited again this month and cleared all the gullies along the Broad Town Road and also filled the potholes which had appeared outside the village hall, Pye Lane and on the road by East View. The gullies had become clogged with leaves and straw. Next month he may be on gritting duties so please help him (and everyone else!) by moving leaves off roadside drains if you see that they are causing an obstruction. For more information on Flooding and Potholes visit Wiltshire Council’s update at: https://mailchi.mp/ef43a07d0d9d/000000000-567262?e=a340d16ab2 How would you prioritise Wiltshire Council’s spending? Wiltshire Council is looking for views on how they should target their budget for the coming year – if you would like to have an input please complete the survey at: https://surveys.wiltshire.gov.uk/Interview/a1a3f516-d175-4d83-9279-891255e5fc56 Next PC Meeting - Monday 11th November The next Parish Council meetings will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 11th November. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course.                                      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.                                                                                                               * Next edition will be for December & January 2025*                                                                                                         For any queries, please contact Ray Manley 01793 731564 Ray Manley Sun, 27 Oct 2024 18:49:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2668 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2666/Broad-Town-News--October-2024#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2666 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2666&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2666/Broad-Town-News--October-2024                                                                                              BROAD TOWN NEWS – OCTOBER 2024                                                                 Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish.   BROAD TOWN CHRIST CHURCH The times for the services at Christ Church in October are as follows: 6th October Communion 10.30am 20th October Evening Worship 6 pm 27th October Evening Worship 5 pmBROAD TOWN VILLAGE’S BIGGEST COFFEE MORNING IN AID OF MACMILLAN A huge thank you to everyone who came along on Saturday September 14th to support our fundraising coffee morning. It was fantastic to see the village hall so busy with people coming together to raise money for this very worthwhile cause. The bottle tombola (back by popular demand!) proved to a big draw again, as was the homemade cake stall. It was lovely to see so many children enjoying the craft and colouring activities too! An amazing total of £475.90 was raised during the morning, which has already been sent to Macmillan. Thank you also to everyone who helped by organising the event beforehand and manning the stalls on the day, and to those who brought cakes, flowers and other items to sell. Save the date: please note that our Christmas coffee and craft morning will be on Saturday November 30th, details to follow in next month’s newsletter. COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS          Our coffee mornings in October will be on Wednesdays the 9th and 23rd. On October 9th the choir from our village school will be singing songs from their autumn collection, so please come along to hear them, it promises to be a very enjoyable morning. As always, we meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday mornings of the month, and everyone is very welcome. Please join us for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, homemade cakes and sausage rolls. If you’re new to the village, it would be lovely to see you, so please come along to the village hall between 10 am and 12 noon. It’s a great way to meet new people! ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ The amount raised on our stall at the Macmillan Coffee Morning contributed to the overall total of £475.90 and thank you to everyone who helped on the stall during the morning, and to those of you who bought from us! Our activities during September included making playing card holders by recycling old CD’s and creating angels from pinecones. October Meetings Our meetings will take place on Wednesdays the 2nd, 16th and the 30th – which is an extra session on the fifth Wednesday of the month. The sessions run from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall, all welcome, the £2 suggested donation is voluntary. On the 16th Carol W and Jenny will be running a festive Christmas card making session, and on the 30th we will be glass painting again with Terri. If you haven’t been before we’d love to see you. Especially now the days are getting chillier, a reminder that everyone is welcome to come along for hot drinks, biscuits and a chat – join in with our craft session or bring along your own craft/hobby or you are very welcome to just watch what others are doing while enjoying some refreshments. We also always have other activities available such as colouring sheets, jigsaws, and dominoes etc. Our sessions are always on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday mornings of the month, new crafters and hobbyists are always welcome! Please email us if you have any questions Email: Linda Boyden lindaboyden12@gmail. com; Helen Greer hjgreer1@gmail.com PARISH COUNCIL UPDATE Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Please help by taking action to prevent Flooding. Last year saw some serious flooding in a number of places in the village. The Wiltshire Council parish steward visits monthly and ensures the drainage grips (from the roadway into the roadside ditch) are clear and tries to clear any obstructions where he is able, but we can all do our bit by ensuring that road drain gratings are clear of leaves and any pipes and ditches are free from obstruction. If you see any such problem and are unable to sort it yourself please let the Parish Clerk know at BTPCCLERK@outlook.com Similarly it’s time to ensure that all watercourses are free-flowing and cleared of any vegetation and obstruction. Watercourse owners, or ‘riparian’ owners, have a responsibility to maintain ordinary watercourses that run adjacent to, through or under their property. Riparian owners are responsible for reporting incidents such as flooding, and for letting water flow through the watercourse naturally by removing blockages that may cause flooding. The Environment Agency has published a guide for landowners which is available on the Parish Council website at http://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Environment Agency_Your_watercourse_rights_and_roles-2024.pdf Next PC Meeting - Monday 14th October will be at 6.30pm in the village hall. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. 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 21,754 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 777 a day. 22% of vehicles were speeding. CHURCHYARD WORK MORNINGS Unfortunately the September work morning was cancelled because of bad weather so there is still plenty to do. The final work morning for this year will be on 5th October, 10am to midday. Please come along to help if you can. Refreshments provided. OPEN THE BOOK Our OTB team celebrated 5 years of ‘Bible Storytelling’ in B.T.School at the end of the School year. To mark this milestone, we enjoyed a delicious cream tea together, on a beautiful sunny afternoon in August, My thanks, as team leader, go to our OTB team: Carolyn, Dave, Christine, John, Carol, Annie, Linda & Ray. Margaret THANK YOU Sandra Hartley for donating the containers and to Mark and Linda Boyden for planting these outside the Village Hall FOODBANK Thank you everyone who contributed to the collection in September and the next village collection will be on 7th & 8th December in time for Christmas. BISHOPS LETTER A Gift to the Church I write this the day after the funeral of the Rt Revd Mark Santer, former Principal of Westcott House Theological College, and Bishop of Birmingham, theologian, and pastor. Mark ended his life and ministry in this diocese, with permission to officiate he continued to serve these last few years in the parish church of St Aldhelm’s, Branksome. His funeral at the church was a wonderful celebration of a life well lived, of his rich ministry and the gift of friendship which so were in receipt of. We have just under four hundred active retired clergy in the Salisbury diocese. Priests and deacons who have not only served for many years in stipendiary or self-supporting ministry in dioceses right across the Church of England and overseas, but who are willing to continue to offer their talents and experience to us here. Bishop Andrew and I with our secretaries manage the renewal of their permission to officiate every three years, and new safeguarding training and DBS checks are part of this. This is a tremendous commitment and a gift to the church for which we must be truly thankful. We also, as bishops, meet all those retired clergy moving in to make sure they feel welcomed and supported with ongoing support offered through our network of deanery retirement officers, and diocesan retired clergy officer. Many of our retired clergy are involved in active ministry in their local church, as well as taking funerals and weddings; others offer spiritual direction, mentoring and coaching or act as reviewers for our ministry review scheme or as deanery and diocesan retirement officers, regularly staying connected with those with PTO and retired clergy who are inactive. This is all a very real reflection of the fact that God continues to use us in many and varied ways throughout our life. Indeed, Bishop Mark preached his final sermon on Easter Sunday at the age of eighty-six! 1st October is the International Day of Older Persons. A day to celebrate the gifts of all those who continue to show us the love of God through their generosity, positivity, and humility. If you include yourself here, thank you! +Karen PCC PHILIP WILKINSON'S OCTOBER PARISH COLUMN In the next few weeks, you will see my proposal for a new Police and Crime Plan 2024-2028. I have taken your feedback from the many responses I received as part of the public consultation conducted in July, where you told me about the areas of policing which matter most to you, your thoughts on the service provided by Wiltshire Police and, crucially, whether you feel safer in your community compared to when I first took office in 2021. It’s vitally important to acknowledge that whilst reviews and statistics may show an improved performance by Wiltshire Police, the real impact we need to make is for our residents in Wiltshire and Swindon to feel safer in their daily lives. This is why I’m looking for your opinions on the Police and Crime Plan, as it will set the framework and strategic direction for Wiltshire Police, as well as making it clear how you will see that the force is making progress in the areas where you want to see improvements being made. As well as taking into account your feedback, the plan will also incorporate the requirements required by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) as part its Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) report, national priorities and emerging local priorities such as rural crime and retail crime. Whilst improvements have been made with regards to policing in Wiltshire since I drew up my first Police and Crime Plan in 2021, I must stress that there is more work to do across key areas within the force, and the Chief Constable is aware of my expectations and shares my belief that the updated Police and Crime Plan needs to reflect our joint commitment to making Wiltshire a safer place to live and work. By giving me your considered thoughts and opinions on my updated Police and Crime Plan, you will help me to create a document by which the performance of Wiltshire Police and my office can be judged. Look out for updates on my website, social media channels when the document will be ready for download during the month of October. Or you can email pcc-consultation@wiltshire.police.uk and we can email you a copy and a feedback form. Contact Information Will Walder will.walder@wiltshire.police.uk                                                                                       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 Ray Manley Sat, 28 Sep 2024 17:23:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2666 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2663/Broad-Town-News--September-2024#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2663 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2663&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2663/Broad-Town-News--September-2024                                                                                                        BROAD TOWN NEWS – SEPTEMBER 2024                                                                               Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish.   MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING TOMBOLA ON SEPTEMBER 14TH, Please help: bottle tombola – we are still in need of some bottles for the Macmillan Coffee Morning tombola on September 14th, so if you are able to donate a bottle or two, please give them to Ray & Margaret Manley, Annie & Nigel Crocker or Helen Greer, or bring them to the village hall on a Wednesday morning or Friday evening. As the prizes need to be labelled up well before the event, the deadline for donating bottles is Wednesday September 11th, which is a community coffee morning day, so they could be brought to the village hall then. Bottles can be any type and size at all including drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, sauces both sweet and savoury, bubble bath, shower gel, etc, or anything else you can think of in either glass or plastic. Thank you for your generosity! CHURCH NEWS CHRIST CHURCH HARVEST FESTIVAL We are holding our Harvest Thanksgiving Service on Sunday 22nd September at 5 pm. There will be Harvest Tea starting at 4 pm. Please come and join us. You will be most welcome, and we look forward to seeing you at Christ Church, Broad Town. Christ Church PCC. COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Our coffee mornings will restart on Wednesday September 11th, and we are very much looking forward to seeing everyone again. Please join us for coffee, tea, hot chocolate, homemade cakes and sausage rolls. If you’re new to the village, it would be great to see you, so please come along to the village hall between 10 am and 12 noon. The second September coffee morning will be on Wednesday 25th. As always, we meet on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday mornings of the month, and everyone is verywelcome. Saturday September 14th Macmillan Charity Coffee Morning in the village hall from 10am – 12.30pm. We are joining in with Macmillan’s ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ by hosting our own ‘Broad Town’s Biggest Coffee Morning’. It would be great to see as many people as possible at this event, so please come along and help us raise as much as we can for Macmillan Cancer Support. *Homemade cakes, hot & cold drinks* *Bottle tombola* *Philip Male’s nature photographs* *Made in Broad Town craft stall* *Free kids’ activities* All welcome, proceeds to Macmillan Cancer Support. Please bring cash as we are unable to take card payments – thank you!        MADE IN BROAD TOWN Macmillan Coffee Morning Stall. Please visit our craft stall at the Macmillan coffee morning on Saturday September 14th – plenty of crafts and gifts to buy! Prices range from 50p to £15 (cash only please).  Hand Painted Candles. During our last session in August, we had a lot of fun painting candles. September Meetings. Our meetings will take place on Wednesdays the 4th and 18th from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall, all welcome, the £2 suggested donation is voluntary. On the 4th, please bring a couple of old CDs with you if possible. Our sessions are always on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday mornings of the month, new crafters and hobbyists are always welcome! Please email us if you have any questions. Email: Linda Boyden lindaboyden12@gmail. com; Helen Greer hjgreer1@gmail.com FOODBANK September collection Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th 9.30 – 4pm at the Village Hall. Foodbanks continue to be very busy, so please be as generous as you are able. CHURCHYARD WORK MORNING Thanks to everyone who volunteered at the August work morning. As always, lots achieved and we still regularly receive lots of favourable comments about how well kept the churchyard is. Come and join us on 7th September, 10 – 12. Our last work morning for this year will be on 5th October. Refreshments provided.   BROAD TOWN’S BIG BREAKFAST In aid of Prospect Hospice on 12th October in the village hall 10:00 am to Mid-day Hearty Combine Harvester Two rashers of bacon, two sausages, two eggs, two hash browns, sliced mushrooms, baked beans, toast & preserves Humble Harvester One rasher of bacon, one sausage, one egg, one hash brown, sliced mushroom, baked beans, toast & preserves Herby Harvester Two Vegan rashers, two Vegan sausages, scrambled tofu, hash browns, sliced mushrooms, tomato Drinks Orange juice, Tea or Coffee PAY AS YOU FEEL Book or just come along (it would be helpful if larger parties (4+) could let us know roughly what time they are planning to be with us). Please call or e-mail Margaret margaretmanley@hotmail.co.uk or phone her on 731564   PARISH COUNCIL UPDATE Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) The Government is proposing to make changes to the NPPF which could have a big impact on Broad Town and other towns and villages in Wiltshire. Wiltshire Council held a webinar which is available to view on YouTube to help you understand the potential impact – this link will take you to Wiltshire Council’s YouTube channel. To review the proposed changes and provide feedback to the Government please use this link. The consultation ends at 11.45pm on Tuesday 24 September 2024. Are you planning to study a vocational course, qualification or undertake an apprenticeship from September? Wiltshire Community Foundation offers grants to young people in Wiltshire and Swindon who need support with the costs of studying vocational subjects such as business, engineering, IT, health and social care, hairdressing, beauty, childcare, cookery, plumbing, construction, electrician and many more…… Grants of up to £1,000 are available to support the cost of books, resources, equipment, study/field trips, IT and software, and travel. See the advert elsewhere in this newsletter. To learn more or to apply for a grant visit the website Wiltshire Community Foundation or use the online application form: Vocational Grant Application Form. Gypsies and Travellers Development Plan consultation You can now have your say on the Gypsies and Travellers Development Plan Document, as the consultation begins on Tuesday 20 August until 5pm on Friday 4 October. An engagement event will be held in Royal Wootton Bassett Library, 11 Borough Fields, Royal Wootton Bassett SN4 7AX on Wednesday 11 September 4.30pm – 7pm. More details are available at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planning-gypsy-travellers Next PC Meeting - Monday 9th September The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 9th September. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due cours SPEEDWATCH The observant (or the speeders) may have noticed the reappearance of Speedwatch on the main road through Broad Town. Led by Chris Woodhouse, the group operates approximately weekly measuring the speed of vehicles through the village. Speeding has been an issue for many residents in Broad Town and the SID (Speed Indicating Device) has indicated that in a typical month, approximately 11% of vehicles travel at 35mph or over through the village 30mph zone. Some, significantly faster. Speedwatch is intended to be educational rather than punitive. All information recorded is passed to the Police for further action and registered keepers of vehicles exceeding the speed limit are contacted - initially with a letter explaining the potential risks and consequences of their behaviour. It is hoped that the group’s efforts will improve quality-of-life in Broad Town by allowing residents to feel safer when using the roads in the Village. Please give us a wave when you pass us by. Anyone wishing to get involved should contact Chris on: woodhousecj@gmail.com BISHOP’S LETTER: BALMY DAYS Dear friends Welcome to this most wistful month of the year, when we sense the shift of summer into autumn, notice the mellowing light and take stock before starting again. I do hope there has been plenty of sunshine for you between the showers! With rhythms fixed in childhood term-times, September is the ‘other’ new year, and always an opportunity for reflection. Yet we could be forgiven for facing this new season feeling more than a little unsettled, for the times are uncertain. Warfare feels close at hand, not only for those who hear the low thump of guns on Salisbury Plain. We think of the Holy Land Jesus knew and loved – and are reminded of the prophet’s cry: ‘the harvest is past, the summer is over, and we are not saved’. Facing the destruction of his land and the exile of its people, Jeremiah asks: ‘is there no balm in Gilead?’ A cry which might be echoed by dispossessed people across the globe. In spiritual songs, the Lord Jesus has been described as the balm so needed by God’s people – the soothing relief who bears our sorrows, binds our wounds and heals our soul. Those who follow and serve Christ might, therefore, see their own ministry as extending this anointing to those who need it most. To be a balm for the world: what a timely way to make Jesus known in the months ahead. May God bless you as you, in turn, are his blessing to others. +Andrew Ramsbury   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 Rosemary Greenway: rosygreenway@gmail.com. All formal applications need to be in by 30th September 2024. The next opportunity to apply will be March 2025   WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at the School monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton) The SID counted 27,723 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 792 a day. 15% of vehicles were speeding   WILTSHIRE POLICE COMMISSIONER’S ARTICLE https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/anti-social behaviour-wardens-work-to-tackle-most-affected-areas-in Swindon   SEPTEMBER AT A GLANCE. Wednesday 4th – Made in Broad Town, 10-12 noon Saturday 7th – Churchyard Work Morning, 10-12 noon Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th - Foodbank Collection, 9.30-4pm, village hall Monday 9th – Parish Council Meeting, 6.30pm, village hall Wednesday 11th – Community Coffee Morning, 10-12 noon Saturday 14th – Macmillan Broad Town’s Biggest Coffee Morning, 10-12.30pm Wednesday 18th – Made in Broad Town, 10-12 noon Sunday 22nd – Broad Town Church Harvest Tea 4pm, & Service 5pm Wednesday 25th – Community Coffee Morning, 10-12 noon Friday 27th – Food for Thought Fish’n’Chips, 5-8pm, village hall car park                                                                                                              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 Ray Manley Wed, 28 Aug 2024 17:47:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2663 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2660/Broad-Town-News--August-2024#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2660 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2660&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2660/Broad-Town-News--August-2024                                                                                                    BROAD TOWN NEWS – AUGUST 2024                                                                            Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. BROAD TOWN CHURCH Services for August Sunday 4th August Communion at 10.30am Sunday 25th August Evensong at 6pm Everyone is welcome at these services. Congratulations to the Reverend Richard Holness who was ordained in Salisbury Cathedral at the end of June. We look forward to him leading some of our services in Christ Church.   COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO COFFEE MORNINGS IN AUGUST – WE WILL BE HAVING OUR USUAL ANNUAL BREAK - thank you to everyone for your support over the last year! Our fundraising coffee morning on July 10th was very well attended, and we managed to send a donation of £250 to our village school. The money will be spent on funding an activity day for the children in September which will include a caving activity, archery, an inflatable assault course and bushcraft skills inclung fire making and cooking. The school have thanked us for our donation and the children are very much looking forward to this day next term. Thank you to everyone who came along, and also to those who helped in any way whether that was setting up tables, manning the kitchen or selling raffle tickets, your efforts were very much appreciated. Our next one will be on Wednesday September 11th, so please make a note in your diary.    Save the Date: Saturday September 14th. The village will be holding a Macmillan Coffee Morning in the village hall from 10 – 12 noon. Further details in the next newsletter but there will be lots of cake, hot drinks, Philip Male’s photographs, and Ray’s popular bottle tombola! In light of this, we would like to ask if you would consider donating a bottle or two please, as we need to collect 100 Bottles? During August we are hoping that people will be able to donate bottles which can be any type and size at all including drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, sauces both sweet and savoury, bubble bath, shower gel, etc, or anything else you can think of in either glass or plastic. Please give your bottle(s) to Ray & Margaret Manley, Annie & Nigel Crocker or Helen Greer, or bring them to the village hall on a Wednesday morning or Friday evening. Thank you for your generosity! Coffee mornings are always on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month (except August), from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall, so come along to enjoy delicious homemade cakes, sausage rolls, coffee, tea and hot chocolate – but please come early if you would like a sausage roll as they always disappear quickly! Everyone welcome, and if you’re new to the village, it’s a great way to meet some friendly faces, so please give it a try! ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ Coffee Morning Stall - Our stalls at the fundraising coffee morning on July 10th and the one at our own MIBT session on the 17th, resulted in an additional £64.50 being raised. This money added to that raised previously, means that in total £375 has been raised since May, which has now been sent to our two charities, Dressability Swindon and Julia’s House Children’s Hospice. We have received letters of thanks from both charities. Thank you also to Linda B and Carol W for running a stall at the Broad Town School concert where the money raised was donated directly to the school. Thank you to everyone who has supported us at all our sales. We’ve had a lot of fun both making and selling items, whilst raising money for several good causes in Wiltshire. Hand Painted Cards - On July 17th Carolyn demonstrated her painting skills and showed us all how to create hand painted cards and gift tags using acrylic paints. It was a fun morning and thank you again to Carolyn for running the session and helping everyone to improve their painting skills. Some of our efforts are shown below: August Meetings - We will be continuing our sessions during August and our meetings will take place on Wednesdays the 7th and 21st, from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall, all welcome, the £2 suggested donation is voluntary. Our sessions are always on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday mornings of the month, new crafters and hobbyists are always welcome! Please email us if you have any questions. Email: Linda Boyden lindaboyden12@gmail.com Helen Greer hjgreer1@gmail CHURCHYARD Unfortunately, the July work morning was cancelled due to bad weather but everything is still rapidly growing. The next work morning will be on 3rd August, 10.00 – 12.00. and more Volunteers are still desperately needed. Please just turn up and we will find something for you to help with. Refreshments provided. FOODBANK Thank you to everyone who donated to our July collection The next Village collection will be 7th & 8th September 9.30am – 4.00pm at the Village Hal FOOD FOR THOUGHT Fish and Chips at the Village Hall 5pm – 8pm on the last Friday in the month. 26th July, 30th August, 27th September 25th October, 29th November and 20th December PARISH COUNCIL UPDATE Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk We would like to offer a big “Thank You” to local residents Keith and Allan Hillier for generously mowing the grass verges along the main road, and also to those residents who cut the grass around the barrel planters and weedkill along the kerbside. This all contributes to enhancing the village outlook and making Broad Town a pleasant place to live. We will also be making a request via the MyWilts app for a street sweeper truck to visit to clear up the straw which has accumulated along the roadside. Hopefully this can be done before rain washes it into the drains. The Parish Steward does a good job each month digging out grips and drains and mending potholes, and next month will be busy removing ragwort from the verges. If anyone sees anything which would benefit from his attention please contact the Clerk at btpcclerk@outlook.com – more information on the tasks the Steward can undertake are listed at : https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk/your community/parish-steward Next PC Meeting - Monday 12th August The next Parish Council meetings will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 12th August. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at the Chapel Lane monitoring Northbound traffic (heading to RWB) The SID counted 26,767 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 923 a day. 11% of vehicles were speeding WILTSHIRE AND SWINDON PCC LINKS https://www.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk/my-office/news/2023/oct/more-community-groups-receive grants-through-the-pccs-community-action-fund/ https://www.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/ https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=zylXTi2FEEWSElEVfKJ PpN_oHaA2MFAlD5cGSmWKvNUNkRYMURSQTE2QzlYVFNBVzFHT1VLV0ZTSS4u&utm_sourc e=Press+release+&utm_medium=Media+&utm_campaign=Police+and+Crime+Plan+consultation                                                                       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 Ray Manley Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:52:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2660 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2657/Broad-Town-News--July-2024#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2657 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2657&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2657/Broad-Town-News--July-2024                                                                                                      Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish.   THANK YOU Many thanks to everyone who gave their time (and energy!) to the churchyard working party in June. The churchyard looks lovely and your efforts are much appreciated. We thank Simon, Rupert & Jim for climbing the hangings to build and light the beacon and everyone who joined the D-Day 80th anniversary commemoration at the Hall. COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS Please come and support our fundraising coffee morning on Wednesday July 10th . We will be raising money for Broad Town School, and there will be a RAFFLE, so please come along to meet and chat and to enjoy some amazing cakes, whilst helping to raise money for this very local cause. There will also be a Made in Broad Town sales table selling items such as garden bunting and cane toppers, fabric memo boards, soft toys and small fabric bags so please come and have a browse! Thank you to everyone who came along to our June coffee mornings. Our second July coffee morning will be on Wednesday July 24th . 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. Everyone welcome, and if you’re new to the village, it’s a great way to meet some friendly faces, so please give it a try. PROSPECT BOXES The majority of past box holders now donate directly but from the 8 boxes still collected in the Village a magnificent sum of £234.58 was collected in April. The Hospice have asked for their thanks to be passed on. CHURCHYARD Sadly a depleted workforce for our June work morning. Nevertheless, lots achieved and our thanks go to the seven villagers who gave up their time and worked so hard. Our thanks also go to the Bailey family for all they do and the Turk family who have restored the 3 benches. There are others (who we don’t know by name) who spend time on a voluntary basis helping to keep up the appearance of the Churchyard. The next work morning will be on 6th July, 10.00 – 12.00. More Volunteers desperately needed. Refreshments provided. FOODBANK         The next Village collection will be on 6th and 7th July from 9.30am to 4.00pm at the Village Hall. Items needed… Baked Beans, Bottles of Squash, Long Life milk and juice, Small jars of Coffee,Sugar, Tinned fruit and tomatoes, Tinned puddings, Angel delight and Jellies. With School holidays approaching, please be as generous as you are able. CHRIST CHURCH SERVICES 7th July Communion at 10.30am 28th July Evening Worship at 6pm BISHOP’S LETTER New Horizons - From my bedroom window I have a great view of both Preston Hill and Hambledon Hill. The Wessex Ridgeway Path passes across them, which spurred me, during my period of study leave earlier in the year, to walk that entire path from Marlborough to Lyme Regis. It took me across many new horizons, across the Wiltshire Downs around Salisbury Plain and down through the Marshwood Vale to the coast. It was a great walk albeit very boggy in places given the February rain. The Summer gives us the chance to explore new horizons, whether it be to revisit somewhere close by enjoying some sunshine, or to explore a new place on holiday or a day out. The Bible invites us to enjoy the splendour of creation, to admire God’s handiwork and to take time out with him reflecting on the past and the future. This summer will also bring a new political horizon, as we pray for our newly elected leaders and continue to pray for the wellbeing of our own country and the peace of the world. Horizons help us journey on through life in hope, with the assurance that the God of the universe cares for us all very deeply. It is by asking Christ to walk with us through each day, whatever that may bring that we find true contentment, and often some unexpected surprises on the way. This next month let’s commit to doing just that and begin each morning with the words of the psalmist. ‘This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it’ Psalm 118:24 - Bishop Kar SOCIAL CLUB Food for Thought will be at the Village Hall on Friday 28th June serving their delicious Fish and Chips from 5pm until 8pm. The Social Club will be open at 5pm allowing people to enjoy a drink with their meal. MADE IN BROAD TOWN Thank you to everyone who helped at our stall at the Broad Town School Fair. The weather really wasn’t on our side, but a valiant effort was made to ensure that the stall was set up on time and that it kept running throughout the duration of the event. £50 was taken which will be added to the total made at the Bushton Plant Sale, to be divided between Dressability Swindon and Julia’s House Children’s Hospice. Glass Painting on June 19th.  We enjoyed a very creative morning glass painting. Thank you to Terri who gave up her time to give us a demonstration on painting techniques and then allowed us all to ‘have a go’, and it was great to be able to produce colourful and functional items to take home. Our July meetings will take place on Wednesdays the 3rd and 17th, from 10 – 12 noon in the village hall, all welcome, the £2 suggested donation is voluntary. We will also be having a sales table at the fundraising community coffee morning on Wednesday July 10th, so please support that event too! On July 17th Carolyn will be leading a session on hand painted cards and gift tags, so come along and have a go our sessions are on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday mornings of the month, new crafters and hobbyists are always welcome! Please email us if you have any questions. Email: Linda Boyden lindaboyden12@gmail. com; Helen Greer hjgreer1@gmail.com PARISH COUNCIL Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Annual Audit. The Parish Council have successfully completed the annual audit with only a few observations and no recommendations. The Auditor’s report is available on the PC website in the Funding & Accounts page. Notice of Public Rights for Inspection of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2024 BROAD TOWN PARISH COUNCIL AU DIT As per the provisions of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 and the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, Broad Town Parish Council has made its Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for the year 2023-24 available for inspection by any person interested, together with all accounting records; books; deeds; contracts; bills; vouchers; receipts and other documents relating to these records. If you have any issues to raise or wish to see the full accounts please contact the Parish Clerk on btpcclerk@outlook.com. In accordance with the guidelines the full accounts will be available to view for 30 working days between 12th June and 23rd July 2024. Maintenance of Watercourses and Flood Prevention Following one of the wettest winters on record, there has been an increase in flooding incidents around the county. While some of these cannot be prevented following the huge volume of rain we have faced, many flooding incidents on highways and other areas can be prevented with good maintenance from the landowner. Most ditches and minor watercourses in Wiltshire are the responsibility of the ‘riparian landowner’, which is the person who owns the land on either side of the watercourse. The landowner has both the rights and responsibilities for the ditches, or other watercourses flowing through or alongside their property. We recommend that landowners have a plan for their property, with detailed information on the watercourses, so that areas of high risk can be identified, and appropriate maintenance work can be planned. It is at the benefit of all landowners to maintain their watercourses to prevent issues occurring in other areas. If a landowner’s watercourse is likely to cause issues upstream, maintenance will need to be carried out immediately. Many spring-fed ditches will have water flowing through them throughout the year, and if water is being held above the designed ditch depth, this will require immediate attention, as the landowner will need to ensure that the ditch’s capacity is maximised. While water may still flow through the ditch during heavy rainfall, even a flowing ditch will struggle if not regularly cleared. Piped highway drainage and private drainage will discharge into watercourses, and these pipes should be above the water line, and above the base of the watercourse. If this is not Parish Council occurring when inspected by the council, work may be needed to ensure that the drainage is running freely. Another indication that maintenance is required is if the depth of the ditch is above the culvert base. To undertake work to a watercourse, for example, a pond, lake, or diversion, planning permission may be required, and the landowner will need to check the permission to ensure they are compliant with the design, maintenance, and other such requirements. Landowners should regularly inspect their watercourses and have a maintenance plan in place, as they are responsible for surface water and soakaways once it crosses the property boundary. WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at the Broadacres monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton) The SID counted 26,619 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 951 a day. 24% of vehicles were speeding The Police enforcement sessions have resulted in 31 speed awareness courses, 4 fines / points plus 2 court actions. *Note the SID captures traffic travelling in one direction. Metrocount results indicate average daily totals of 1,989 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 28th June Food for Thought Fish & Chips 5pm to 8pm. 3rd July Made in Broad Town 10.00am to 12 midday. 6th July Churchyard work morning 10.00am to 12 midday. 7th July Communion 10.30am. 6th and 7th July Foodbank 9.30am to 4.00pm. 10th July Community Coffee Morning 10.00am to 12 midday. 17th July Made in Broad Town 10.00am to 12 midday. 24th July Community Coffee Morning 10.00am to 12 midday. 28th July Evening Worship 6pm.                                                                       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 Ray Manley Thu, 27 Jun 2024 18:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2657 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2654/Broad-Town-News--June-2024#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2654 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2654&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2654/Broad-Town-News--June-2024                                                                                                                                                     BROAD TOWN NEWS                                                                                                                    Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. WHITE HORSE LIMING The White Horse was limed under a blazing sun on Sunday 19 May. An enthusiastic crew of volunteers numbering 20 assembled in Chapel Lane to walk to the Horse, weed it and then spread 1500kg of lime onto the figure. Hopefully everyone ha noted the results of the good work undertaken and those involved should be proud of their achievements. Thanks are due to a number of people including: ❖ The Parish Council for their support. ❖ The village for volunteering. ❖ Rupert Pearce for providing transport. ❖ Jason Bayliffe for providing beer. ❖ Paul Olson for flying his drone and providing photos. ❖ Hortons for procuring the lime and transporting it to the site. We were pleased to be joined by Emma Campbell and Helen Mark who are producing an episode of BBC Radio 4’s Open Country on the Wiltshire Chalk carvings. They had already visited Fovant, Westbury and Alton Barnes and appreciated     the chance to see us in action. The programme airs on 6 June at 3pm so tune in. Bob Clarke has, after a number of years of organising the liming, decided to retire this year. Many thanks to him as he took on responsibility for the liming in 2015 after the last regime stepped down; Derek Greer has kindly offered to assist on the admin side for 2025. Next year will also be my last as organiser and I hope someone will be prepared to take on the responsibility for 2026. Any volunteers - please let me know. Andrew Law CHURCH NEWS A big thank you to Judy Rendell and everyone who helped at Judy’s plant sale – the amazing amount raised so far is well over £400 which will be donated to our village church. Thanks also to everyone who came along to buy plants! Thank you also to Judy & Colin for sharing their garden and providing teas to their many visitors. A tremendous amount of work also went on before the event to prepare the plants ready for sale, as well as keeping everyone busy on the day! Broad Town Church Service dates and times for June: 2nd June - 10.30 am Holy Communion. 9th June - 6.00pm Evening Worship. 23rd June - 6.00 pm Evening Worship.   WORK MORNING IN THE CHURCHYARD Thank you to the 9 villagers who worked very hard and achieved a lot at our May work morning. Please come and join us on 8th June, 10.00 – 12.00 Refreshments provided. More volunteers desperately needed please.   COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS A big thank you to our new cake bakers! Margaret and the coffee mornings team would like to say thank you to everyone who has volunteered to bake a cake for our community coffee mornings. The response to our appeal in last month’s newsletter has been fantastic and it’s good to know that our homemade cakes will still be part of our coffee mornings which have now become a village institution! Of course, we are also extremely grateful to our established band of bakers who have been baking regularly since the establishment of our village coffee mornings in 2016 – we raise a wooden spoon to you all in grateful thanks! Thank you to everyone who came along to our May coffee mornings. Our June coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays June 12th and 26th. 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. Everyone welcome, and if you’re new to the village, it’s a great way to meet some friendly faces, so please come along. PARISH COUNCIL UPDATE Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Village Tidy-up. Thanks to all the residents who turned out on a murky day for the Village Tidy-up. We had a very productive few hours and made a noticeable difference throughout the village. Grateful thanks also to those who provided refreshments and bacon baps afterwards, it was much appreciated. Annual Parish Meeting. The Annual Parish meeting was well attended by members of the public and representatives from the various community groups who gave presentations on their activities for the past year. Reports were made by representatives on: Christ Church, Village Hall, White Horse Group, Community Coffee Mornings, Footpaths Group Made in Broad Town Craft Group, Speeding data captured by the SID, Broad Town History Website, Community Speedwatch and Parish Council. Followed by discussions on the future of a number of important village facilities including: Broad Town Facebook page & group, We are looking for a volunteer to act as the administrator and moderator of the Facebook pages. We don’t foresee this being a time-consuming task but if someone is not found then these may have to close. Playing Field at Redhills. We discussed possibilities for enhancing the playing fields and encouraging wider usage. As always if anyone has a suggestion, please send it to the Parish Clerk BTPCCLERK@outlook.com Next PC Meeting - Monday 10th June -The next Parish Council meetings will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 10th June. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course.   BROADTOWN SOCIAL CLUB EVENTS Food for Thought (FFT) Evenings. These evenings are proving very popular for eating in and take away. It is lovely to see new faces and whole families (and extended families) enjoying themselves and making use of the pool table, table football etcetera. If you are waiting for your takeaway pop in for a drink and a chat - the FFT team will bring your takeaway in when its ready for you, so you won’t miss it. If you arrive as a group with friends or family and it looks full, don’t worry, we have plenty of tables and chairs to hand and these will miraculously appear (!) while you get your drinks and/or takeaway order in. Dates for the next few months are: ❖ Friday 31st May ❖ Friday 28th June Social Club opens at 5pm through to 11pm and Food for Thought open 5pm to 8pm. Feel free to bring your own cutlery and crockery but you have to take it home with you afterwards to wash up! Menu and details for pre-orders to avoid the queues can be found at 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 D-DAY 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) Regular Friday Night Opening The Social Club is open every Friday from 8pm to 11pm. Reasonably priced drinks and snacks, free pool, table football and darts, with 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!   BROAD TOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL SUMMER FETE: ALL WELCOME! Saturday 15th June 11.30am - 3.30pm. Entry: £1 per adult, children free entry A Summer fete will be held at Broad Town Primary School in partnership with Wootton Bassett Hounds Running Club. Alongside a 5km running event, there will be a BBQ and bar, ice creams, entertainment and games including a bouncy castle, face-painting, hay bale hurdles and much more! All funds raised from the fete go towards equipment and activities for the children of Broad Town School. We are also looking for applications from small business owners to take stall spaces. Considerable footfall is expected. The cost of a pitch is £10, and you will be required to provide your own table (and gazebo if you wish). If you would like to apply, then please email: btspta23@gmail.com With: -Business name -Product -Email  Do not hesitate to contact us should you require any more information.   WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at the Marlborough House monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton) The SID counted 24,409 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 787 a day17% of vehicles were speeding.   ‘MADE IN BROAD TOWN’ Bushton Plant Fair. We very much enjoyed having a stall at Bushton Plant Fair on May 6th. It was lovely to be able to take part in this popular annual event in the wonderful gardens at Bushton Manor. Thank you to all our helpers on the day, and to everyone who came along and visited our stall. We are very grateful to Rupert & Judy who generously lent us their gazebo and a large sales table. We managed to make £280 from the sale; we made a donation to St Peter’s Church and the remainder will be divided between Dressability Swindon and Julia’s House Children’s Hospice. – this is a friendly and welcoming independent charity which supports the clothing needs of individuals with disabilities and those with limited dexterity.- provide practical and emotional support for families caring for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition, providing frequent and regular support in their own homes, in the community or at our hospices. Wrapping Paper, in our last meeting we enjoyed decorating wrapping paper. Whether by using stencils or painting freehand, we’ve discovered that there is far more artistic creativity hiding in the village than we realised, and we all had a relaxing morning! Annual Parish Meeting. Thank you to Linda B for presenting our report at the Annual Parish Meeting on May 20th. We’ve had a very busy first year and it was great to be able to share our progress with the village. Although we only started in April 2023, we have become a well-established group and hopefully provide a welcoming and creative social space in the village, which is open to all. We are also proud to have already raised over £900 for at least seven good causes. Broad Town School Summer Fair Saturday June 15th This year we will be having a stall at the school fair so please come along to support us and all the other stalls – we look forward to seeing you there from 11.30am – 3.30pm Glass Painting Our first meeting in June will be on Wednesday 5th when we will be continuing with our wrapping paper designs, and there will also probably be an opportunity to try a mystery activity so come along and find out what that is! For our session on June 19th, we have arranged a glass painting demonstration. Local glass painter Terri will be giving a demonstration on how to decorate a glass item using paints and there will be a chance to have a go yourselves. Please bring along an item you wish to paint. This should be made of clear glass e.g. an old clear wine bottle, jam jar, sauce jar or vase etc. Please ensure that your glass item is clean and dry and that you have soaked off any labels or stickers. Glass paints and brushes will be provided but you may wish to bring an overall or old shirt as well as your glass item. This promises to be a fun morning, and everyone is welcome whether they have been to a Made in Broad Town session before or not – the group is open to all ages and genders, and it would be lovely to see some new faces! We ask for a voluntary £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   BISHOP’S LETTER This month marks two years since my service of inauguration in the Cathedral and so it’s two years since I first ordained people deacon and priest – a powerful and humbling experience. June 2024 will see more ordinations and a special service to mark 30 years since the ordination of women to the priesthood on Saturday 15th June at 11am in the Cathedral. Everyone is very welcome to attend this service, to give thanks for the gift of women’s ministry in this diocese and across the Church. Please join me in praying for all those who are preparing for ordination, as well as those who serve, and have served, in all forms of ministry across the diocese. At the service for the ordination of deacons, the bishop explains that deacons are ‘called to reach into the forgotten corners of the world, that the love of God may be made visible.’ Never before has the world been so connected, so visible, with its remotest parts so easy to reach. Yet despite this, many people still feel forgotten and invisible. Our fast-paced news culture means that stories of suffering, of tragedy or disaster quickly make way for the next headline. The world moves on, but not for those who still dwell, every day, in a place of great difficulty. There will be people around us who have been forgotten and who feel invisible – those who need support but struggle to access it; the lonely, the housebound or those who cannot access technology. You may feel that way yourself. ‘Reaching into the forgotten corners’ of our world and local communities and making visible the love of God, is a calling to all of us – lay and ordained. This is what we see in Jesus – going to the forgotten places; the forgotten people and showing them that God is with them; that God forgets no-one. Let us, as the church of today, ‘Go and do likewise.’ Bishop Stephen   NEWLY RE-ELECTED PCC PHILIP WILKINSON’S BULLETIN: Regardless of political alignment, I'm here to serve you. My determination to represent and serve our communities is unwavering and I am honoured to have been re-elected to serve as your Police and Crime Commissioner for the next four years. It is my responsibility to ensure that your views and lived experiences are reflected in how we work towards making Wiltshire safer and my promise remains the same – to be your voice in policing and to hold the Chief Constable to account for the effective and efficient police service that residents deserve. Regardless of political alignment, or whether you voted for me or not, I am here to serve you and act as your voice in policing and crime. Before the role of PCC was established in 2012 there was a disconnect between the communities and police accountability and since then you have had the power to have your say at the ballot box on who you feel best represents you. My focus now turns to ensuring that those lesser heard voices are consulted in the development of my next Police and Crime Plan which acts as a blueprint for the strategic policing and crime priorities. My responsibilities spread the entirety of the criminal justice system, including policing, victim support, early intervention and offender rehabilitation. It is of paramount importance to me that your feedback is reflected in any decisions that are made. I want to hear more from rural communities, business owners and retailers about the impact of crime on them – and what they need to feel safe and supported by Wiltshire Police and partners. Wiltshire Police was placed into the Engage status or ‘special measures’ shortly after I took office during my first term and alongside my wider office I continue to robustly scrutinise, in addition to supporting the Chief Constable to drive up the standard of policing our residents receive. Tremendous work has been done in that time to improve the police’s response and performance, and especially so since Chief Constable Catherine Roper started in post just over a year ago. Whilst I am proud of the improvements that have been achieved in that time, the Force is still not where I or the Chief Constable would like it to be, and we will not be satisfied until Wiltshire Police is considered an outstanding police force. The following police related links may prove of interest: https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/newly-refurbished-police-custody-reopens-after-multi-million-pound-investment https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/organisations-can-now-apply-for-funding-to-provide-youth-work-in-swindon https://wiltshirepcc-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/more-street-wardens-funded-to-help-tackle-violence-against-women-and-girls-across-wiltshire   JUNE AT A GLANCE: Friday May 31st – Food for Thought Fish ‘n’ Chips, 5-8pm, village hall Sunday June 2nd – Holy Communion, 10.30am Wednesday June 5th – Made in Broad Town, 10-12 noon, village hall Thursday June 6th – D-day Beacon Lighting, 9.15pm (on the hill), social club open 8-11pm Saturday June 8th – Churchyard work morning, 10-12 noon Sunday June 9th – Bishop’s Salisbury Sudan Fete 2-5pm Sunday June 9th – Evening Worship, 6pm Monday June 10th – Parish Council Meeting, 6.30pm, village hall Wednesday June 12th – Community Coffee Morning, 10-12 noon Saturday June 15th - Broad Town School Fête, 11.30am-3.30pm Wednesday June 19th – Made in Broad Town, 10-12 noon (glass painting) Sunday June 23rd – Evening Worship, 6pm Wednesday June 26th - Community Coffee Morning, 10-12 noon Friday June 28th – Food for Thought Fish ‘n’ Chips, 5-8pm, village hall   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 Ray Manley Sun, 23 Jun 2024 10:33:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2654 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2651/Broad-Town-Newsletter--May-2024#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2651 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2651&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2651/Broad-Town-Newsletter--May-2024 BROAD TOWN NEWS – MAY 2024 Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish. PARISH COUNCIL UPDATE Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Annual Parish Meeting : Monday 20th May 6.30pm in the Village Hall. We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Parish Meeting. This is not a council meeting but is an opportunity for all village groups and associations to share with the village the activity they have undertaken in the past year and their plans for the future. Future of the Playing Fields at Redhills Elsewhere in this newsletter you will see a letter from the Parish Council on potential opportunities for making changes to the playing fields at Redhills. The Annual Parish Meeting will also be an open forum for residents to air their views. The next Parish Council meetings will be at 6.30pm in the Village Hall on 13th May. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. For many years, and this coming year is no exception, the play area in Redhills has consumed a large part of the Parish Council budget. The budget is funded by the Parish Precept which is collected in the Council Tax we all pay and is used for designated parts of the village running costs, maintenance and upkeep, which includes the Redhill’s play area. In the coming year, 2024/25 the village will receive £10,146.00 for these running costs, maintenance and upkeep. The grass cutting bill for the Redhills play area is forecast to be £3,181.00 The Parish Council are mindful this represents 31.35% of the community’s collective contribution to the running of the whole village and also that not all residents use this facility. If, whilst continuing to maintain the play area, the football pitch and their immediate surroundings, we were able to reduce the grass cutting costs by repurposing a portion of the remaining playing fields which comprises around two acres, savings could be made and diverted to other projects and the site might benefit more residents than it does now. We therefore seek your views. You may feel that both the cost and the usage are acceptable and need no revision or you may feel that the money might be better spent elsewhere. For example: A community wilding project, including wild meadow and woodland, or allotments? This issue will be published on the Broad Town Parish Council website however, we are aware that not all residents may be able to access the internet. Therefore, this communication is sent to all residents as everyone’s views are important and valued. The issue will be discussed in a public forum at the Annual Parish Meeting on 20th May and all residents are reminded that you are welcome to attend our regular Parish Council meetings, held in the Village Hall, on the second Monday of each month at 6.30pm. Alternatively you can contact the Parish Council Clerk, by email, at btpcclerk@outlook.com. The deadline for receiving comments is end of May. Many thanks for your help, Broad Town Parish Council. WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at the School monitoring Southbound traffic (heading to Broad Hinton) The SID counted 26,329 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 752 a day 17% of vehicles were speeding. COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS – MORE CAKE BAKERS NEEDED PLEASE! Carolyn is taking a break from organising the cake rota (a big thank you for all your hard work on this Carolyn!), and Margaret Manley will be taking over. If you enjoy baking cakes and would like to join the rota, please email Margaret: margaretmanley@hotmail.co.uk or phone her on 731564. If we could add just six more names to the rota, all the bakers would only need to make a cake twice a year. We already have some youngsters and some men on our baking rota too, so please volunteer today to ensure the supply of delicious cakes for your community coffee mornings! All ages welcome, and you don’t have to be a ‘star baker’ either, just someone who is able to produce an edible cake that they are happy to donate to the cause! A huge thank you to everyone who attended our fundraising coffee morning for Prostate Cancer UK on March 27th. It was very well supported, and a very busy morning saw a fantastic total of £250 being raised. This has been sent to the charity and a letter of thanks has been received, they are extremely grateful for our support. Kelly Hillier, one of our local Police Community Support Officers, visited our coffee morning on April 10th. We are very grateful to Kelly for coming along and spending time chatting to us, answering some queries and for bringing along some leaflets and posters to take away. Our May coffee mornings will be on Wednesdays May 8th and 22nd . 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. Everyone welcome, and if you’re new to the village, it’s a great way to meet some friendly faces, so please come along. CHURCHYARD WORK MORNINGS Thank you to everyone who came to our first work morning of 2024. Future Dates: 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. DON’T FORGET Judy’s plant stall – 18th May at Queen Elizabeth Cottage (Proceeds to the Church) MADE IN BROAD TOWN Will be at the Bushton Plant Fair on Monday May 6th. Our busy April meetings saw us completing all our items for the Bushton Plant Fair, as well as making some bunting with which to decorate our stall. The plant fair promises to be a very busy and enjoyable event so please come along and support us. We will be selling a wide range of quality handcrafted items for both home and garden, so come to the fair to find out what we’ve been up to, as well as enjoying a visit to the gardens of Bushton Manor. In May our meetings will be on Wednesdays the 1st & 15th. Please come along on the 1st to help with getting all the items priced up and packed ready to sell before the Bushton sale on the following Monday, the more the merrier! On the 15th we will probably be starting some new craft projects so come along and join in or bring along your own crafts and hobbies. Look out for future news of our craft demonstration sessions where we will be learning some new skills! We ask for a voluntary £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 BROADTOWN SOCIAL CLUB EVENTS Food for Thought (FFT) Evenings. These evenings are proving very popular for eating in and take away. It is lovely to see new faces and whole families (and extended families) enjoying themselves and making use of the pool table, table football etcetera. If you are waiting for your takeaway pop in for a drink and a chat - the FFT team will bring your takeaway in when its ready for you, so you won’t miss it. If you arrive as a group with friends or family and it looks full, don’t worry, we have plenty of tables and chairs to hand and these will miraculously appear (!) while you get your drinks and/or takeaway order in. Dates for the next few months are: Friday 31st May ❖ Friday 28th June. Social Club opens at 5pm through to 11pm and Food for Thought open 5pm to 8pm. Feel free to bring your own cutlery and crockery but you have to take it home with you afterwards to wash up! Menu and details for pre-orders to avoid the queues can be found at 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) Regular Friday Night Opening. The Social Club is open every Friday from 8pm to 11pm. Reasonably priced drinks and snacks, free pool, table football and darts, with lots of banter at the bar! WILTSHIRE COUNCIL ONLINE SURVEY Wiltshire Council is running an online survey gathering information about what local people feel are the important themes and priorities for their area. The short survey asks people to choose their key themes and then, for their top three, tell us further detail about those issues. It shouldn’t take any longer than 10mins to complete. The responses we get back will help to inform Wiltshire Council’s planning for the coming years and also help to shape RWB&C Area Board’s priorities for the coming year. We really want to hear about the issues that are important to local people so we can channel resources into making changes where they’re wanted. It’s available for the next two weeks and will close on 7th May :- https://surveys.wiltshire.gov.uk/s/ad7x4r BISHOP’S LETTER MAY 2024 May is exam month for my youngest daughter, who is undergoing her ‘A’ Levels this summer – the last of our three to pass through that ordeal. I still recall (as I’m sure many of you do too) the sense of elation – almost disbelief – when these were over and a new chapter of life could begin. Somewhere in my loft, I still have the ring file I flung into the air when it was all over! This transition to a new stage of life feels appropriate as Easter turns to Pentecost and the church waits on God to provide all that she needs to serve him in the world. Given the seemingly constant need to find people to help in church life, it is always encouraging to remember how the Lord can take the scraps we offer and make them sufficient. When offput from commencing an apparently huge task, I sometimes say to myself: ‘just do a little’ and, having offered my mite to God, leave the multiplication to him. In annual meeting season, it may be that you are reviewing your responsibilities and wondering about stopping some and starting others. If so, can I encourage you to consider standing for election to deanery or diocesan synod? Synods are our way of sharing the governance of the church and making sure it attends to the things we truly care about. We’d love your involvement and trust that God will work through us ‘to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think’ (Ephesian 3:20). The Diocese of Salisbury are running a new campaign to encourage more people to think of standing for synod #ChurchChangemakers. Diocesan Synod is made up of ordinary people who are committed to sharing the news of Christ's transforming love with our communities. To stand for synod this May, you need to be aged over 16 and on a church electoral roll. In return, you'll be able to hone your skills in debating, decision making, and shaping a Church which serves a million people in this area alone. FOODBANK Thanks to all who donated to our latest Village collection. The next collection at the Village Hall will be in June. Date in next B T News SHELTER Thanks to Rosie, Annette, Corinne and Margaret for decorating the Spring/Easter Shelter. Special thanks to Broad Town School children for adding the Easter Bonnets and Acrostic poems. You are invited to leave any surplus plants/seedlings in the shelter for other villagers to take and enjoy. CHRISTIANS AWAKE Hi, my name is Mark. I came to Broad Town in 2022 and discovered a wonderful friendly community. Thank you for making me welcome. In the book of Acts I read ‘Each day, with one heart, they regularly went to the temple but met in their houses for the breaking of bread; they shared their food gladly and generously; and praised God and were looked up to by everyone.’ I try to live by the ideas and example of Jesus, though I am not very good at it and I was disappointed to find the Christians in Broad Town meeting so infrequently. I would like to start a group here for mutual support, encouragement and comfort of all who live locally. Could we meet weekly, evenings for the young at heart and afternoons for the not so young? The days, times and location to be agreed by the group. We would meet for fellowship, sharing of ideas and arranging help for local friends in need. So - Are you a Christian living in Broad Town? Were you a Christian and think the established churches have become distant and out of touch? Are you a non believer but would like to know why so many people believe Jesus was great? Or are you just a good hearted citizen who would like to be involved? If you like the idea, want to take part or would just like to know more please email me at markboyden999@gmail.com or have a chat with me on 01793 731160 and I will arrange an initial meeting at my home. Best wishes Mark DOG WALKERS. Please be considerate to non-dog owners who may not be as confident round your dog or not want to be pawed with muddy paws whilst out and about – thanks. There have been reports of poo bags being left in Pye Lane, Whiteway and Thornhill, please dispose of them responsibly – thanks. 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 Ray Manley Sun, 28 Apr 2024 11:53:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2651 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2650/News--Extra#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2650 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2650&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2650/News--Extra BROAD TOWN VILLAGE HALL - The AGM will be held on Monday 15th April at 7pm in the Village Hall - Everyone welcome. Ray Manley Thu, 04 Apr 2024 13:36:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2650 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2647/Broad-Town-Newsletter--April-2024#Comments 0 https://broad-town.co.uk/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=324&ModuleID=861&ArticleID=2647 https://broad-town.co.uk:443/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=2647&PortalID=0&TabID=324 https://broad-town.co.uk/Community-Information/Broad-Town-News/ID/2647/Broad-Town-Newsletter--April-2024 BROAD TOWN NEWS – APRIL 2024 Keeping everyone in touch with what is going on in and around our parish A MESSAGE FROM YOUR EDITOR At this time of year, we start to see nature reborn in our gardens. We are blessed with the refreshing sight of the birds nesting, flittering from branch to branch and the buds of primroses and bluebells blossoming once more. Spring is a time of renewal and birth; we start to feel the year come alive and we feel the light return not only to our home but to ourselves. Colour touches our world once more and we find a love for new beginnings and for our ideas to grow and bloom. This April edition is a reminder of all that is to blossom in this coming month in our community, so why don’t you pop down to the coffee mornings or take a look at our Broad Town Shelter? Read this paper to see what your community has been doing and what it can share with you this beautiful time of year! BROAD TOWN CHRIST CHURCH We would like to thank everybody who supports the Church financially by means of contributions from regular services, either via the ‘plate’ or giftaid yellow envelopes, through regular standing orders/donations, ad hoc donations, the ‘100 club’ and for the considerable time and effort volunteers spend fundraising throughout the year. On top of any qualifying donations, we are able to claim gift aid back which amounts to 25% of any donations, however whatever we raise it never seems quite enough to pay all the bills. But did you know there is an additional way that you can contribute? You can donate any amount via the Givealittle website either regularly or ad hoc donations and the Church can claim the 25% extra giftaid back on donations – all without you needing to do anything. Why not give it a try? It’s only the cost of an Easter egg! Link to Givealittle:- Support for Christ Church Broad Town - Give A Little. Thank you for any donations you are able to make to help keep the Church within the community. Regards Brian April Services 7th April 10.30am Communion. 28th April 6pm Evening Service Annual Parochial Church Meeting (AGM) 7th April 11.30am in Church - Everyone welcome - 2023 Annual Report will be available. 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. Fundraising.  Judy’s plant stall – 18th May at Queen Elizabeth Cottage BISHOPS LETTER At this time of year, we are beckoned outside after a long, cold and often wet winter. Spring has sprung and all creation calls us to go outside, to tend to our gardens and to admire the new life around us. The benefits to our health from time outside are well known. Growing something from a small seed to a flourishing plant or flower requires care, skill and patience which not only brings us satisfaction but also slows us down. Unlike life in the modern world, nothing in nature is instant or immediate – it will not be rushed. In this Easter Season, our scriptures also draw us outside. On Easter morning, Mary Magdalene finds herself in a garden, outside of Jesus’s tomb, so much so that she mistakes the resurrected Christ for the gardener. There is a vast passage of time between Adam and Eve’s banishment from the Garden of Eden to that moment when, in a garden, Mary realises that it is the risen Christ who calls her by name. Yet now in that garden, Mary and all who throughout the ages proclaim, ‘I have seen the Lord’ are restored to God’s eternal presence. Maybe then there is something in the Easter Season when the resurrected Christ is ‘made known’ to us that can help us as we – as the Church of today – seek to make him known. Firstly, we need to go outside: to be active in our communities, in our schools and in reaching out to all as we show them the love of God; the God who – through Jesus – calls us by name. And secondly, all of this takes time. There can be an understandable anxiety about the often low numbers of people who come to church. Yet let us never forget that it took time for the good news of Jesus Christ to spread through active discipleship – like growth in a garden, nothing of this was immediate or instant – we need to persevere. As the Declaration of Assent made by all who are being ordained or licenced to a new appointment states, our faith is one that the church is called upon to ‘proclaim afresh to each generation.’ I pray that we can do this; go outside, take time to build relationships with all around us, show to all the love, compassion and forgiveness of God and in doing so Make Jesus Known afresh, to all generations. FOODBANK The next collection at the Village Hall will be 13th & 14th April - 9am – 4pm WHITE HORSE LIMING (HELP NEEDED!) Weather permitting, White Horse liming will take place on the morning of Sunday 19 May. Protective equipment will be available at the site in the form of eye protection and face masks. All participants are requested to wear appropriate footwear and work gloves. If possible, they should also bring a tool that can be used for removing weeds or for spreading the lime. The event will be open to all those who wish to be involved, with the only stipulation being that participants should be physically fit and in good health. Would anyone who wishes to be involved please contact Andrew Law on 01793 731472 or andrewlaw456@gmail.com . Fuller details will then be provided to all volunteers. Individuals who have already declared their availability to the organizer need not do so again. Andrew Law DDAY- A MESSAGE FROM CHRIS STUART I am in the fortunate position to be working for the military team organising DDay 80 having done the same for DDay 70 and 75. However there is a far greater cross government influence this time and sadly we have far fewer veterans attending events. The Royal British Legion funded the travel for almost 450 veterans for DDay 75, with even two parachuting into Normandy. This year we are planning on only 50 attending events in France, but there are UK based events for those unable to travel to Normandy. However, I thought it could be interesting to look at Wiltshire’s contribution to DDay almost 80 years ago and it is surprising which military and civilian units/industry were in the area considering we are so far from the coast and France. The nearest military unit to us in Broad Town would have been the Home Guard who were raised to counter any German Airborne invasion. We came under the 9th Battalion Wiltshire Home Guard Battalion, Swindon Division. Across Wiltshire there were 13 Battalions based on a geographical area or large factories like the GWR had their own battalion. In addition to these there was a Mechanised Transport Company in Salisbury and a Rocket Anti-Aircraft Battery based in Swindon all manned by the Home Guard. Broad Town had its own Platoon as did the other surrounding villages of Clyffe Pypard, Bushton, Tockenham, Lyneham all answering to a higher HQ based on H Company in then Wootton Bassett. The Platoon would have consisted of a junior officer and approximately 30 soldiers ranging from 17-65year non enlisted men. Women were admitted after a while and trained with weapons but were kept to clerical and driving duties. The role of the Home Guard was to try to slow down the advance of the enemy even by a few hours to give the regular troops time to regroup. They were also to defend key communication points, logistic stores and factories in rear areas against possible capture by invading paratroopers. Another key role was to maintain control of the civilian population, to “forestall panic and to prevent communication routes from being blocked by refugees to free the regular forces to fight the Germans”. The Home Guard continued to man roadblocks and guard the coastal areas of the United Kingdom and other important places such as airfields, factories and explosives stores until late 1944. For DDay the Home Guard were used to control key north to south arterial road junctions for military vehicles leading to Portsmouth, Southampton and Weymouth to ensure the strict timetables were adhered to. After DDay the likelihood of a German invasion subsided so from Nov 44 the Wiltshire Home Guard was reduced in size until it disbanded in 1945 with a fitting parade. The Officer Commanding H Company in Wootton Bassett was made an MBE for his efforts upon disbandment. COMMUNITY COFFEE MORNINGS If you’re reading this before Wednesday, March 27th please remember to come along to our fundraising coffee morning in aid of Prostate Cancer UK, as March is prostate cancer awareness month. There will also be a raffle so please support the event generously! Unfortunately, the Police Community Support Officers who were due to visit us on the 27th, have had to postpone their visit until our first April coffee morning on the 10th, so please come along then with your questions and concerns for the PCSOs. There will also be children’s activities available. Our second April coffee morning will be on Wednesday April 24th, all welcome. 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. PARISH COUNCIL UPDATE Keep up to date at https://www.broadtownparishcouncil.org.uk Village Tidy-Up. It’s the time of year for us to give the village a spring clean. 27th April Meet at the Village Hall 10am for a village tidy and litter pick up. We will be providing litter picker tongs, gloves, bin bags and Hi-Viz vests to teams of willing helpers. We are also looking for volunteers with spades/shovels and buckets to weed the pavements. Next PC Meeting - Monday 8th April The next Parish Council meeting will be at 6.30pm in the village hall on 8th April. All are welcome and the agenda will be posted on our website and on the notice boards in due course. MADE IN BROAD TOWN Our March meetings saw us continuing with the production of garden cane toppers and bunting together with some painted wood slices and pyrography items, so we are building up a good stock of products to sell at the Bushton Plant Fair in May. In April our meetings will be on Wednesdays the 3rd & 17th. 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 voluntary £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.co DATA FROM ACTION FRAUD, THE NATIONAL FRAUD AND CYBERCRIME REPORTING SERVICE 22,530 people reported that their online accounts had been hacked in 2023, with victims losing a total of £1.3 million. How are accounts hacked? On-platform chain hacking This is when a fraudster gains control of an account and begins to impersonate the legitimate owner. The goal is to convince people to reveal authentication codes that are sent to them via text. Many victims of this type of hacking believe it’s a friend messaging them, however the shared code was associated with their own account and the impersonator can now use it to access their account. Usually when an account is taken over, fraudsters monetise control of the account via the promotion of various fraudulent schemes, while impersonating the original account owner. Leaked passwords and phishing The other predominant method of hacking reported is leaked information used from data breaches, such as leaked passwords, or account details gained via phishing scams. This becomes prevalent as people often use the same password for multiple accounts, so a leaked password from one website can leave many of their online accounts vulnerable to hacking. How to secure your accounts ·Use a strong and different password for your email and social media accounts. Your email and social media passwords should be strong and different from all your other passwords. Combining three random words that each mean something to you is a great way to create a password that is easy to remember but hard to crack. · Turn on 2-Step Verification (2SV) for your email and social media accounts. 2-Step Verification (2SV) gives you twice the protection so even if cyber criminals have your password, they can't access your email or social media account. 2SV works by asking for more information to prove your identity. For example, getting a code sent to your phone when you sign in using a new device or change settings such as your password. You won't be asked for this every time you check your email or social media. If you live in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, report it at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, victims of fraud and cybercrime should report to Police Scotland on 101. If you receive a suspicious email, you can report it by forwarding the email to: report@phishing.gov.uk. Find out how to protect yourself from fraud: Gov.uk/stopthinkfraud WHAT OUR S.I.D. SAW LAST MONTH The SID has been located at the Chapel Lane monitoring Northbound traffic (heading to RWB) The SID counted 21,494 vehicles passing which equates to approx. 860 a day. 11% of vehicles were speeding                                                                                                                                                        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 Ray Manley Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:37:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:2647