Events Calendar February 5th – Da Capo, the Pavilion, 2pm 8th – Messy Church, St. Giles Church, 10.30am 8th – Working Party, 10am 9th – St. Giles ‘Open House’, St. Giles Church, 11.30am 12th – Uley WI monthly meeting, Uley Village Hall, 7.30pm 19th – St Giles ‘Open House’, St. Giles Church, 6.30pm 20th – Uley Society Meeting, Uley Village Hall, 6.30pm 20th – U3A Monthly Meeting, Methodist Church

March 19th – U3A Monthly Meeting, Dursley Methodist Church

The Revd Canon Michael Cozens Mrs P Jones 860696 Mr J Wood 860236 Parish day off - Fri Messages listened to daily and St Giles Room to Churchwardens Marion Kee 860364 or Mrs P Thomas 860047 Mrs A Hardy 860876

www.ewelmebenefice.co.uk

A FEBRUARY LETTER FROM TONY KING

Dear Friends

February already – and as we celebrate Candlemas (more commonly referred to today with the rather clumsy phrase ‘The Presentation of Christ in the Temple’) nd on the 2 February our thoughts turn. We give a last look back to the celebrations of Christmas – 40 days ago – and our attention is now drawn towards Lent, which starts this year at the end of February. Just before Lent comes Shrove Tuesday – often referred to as Pancake Day or

Mardi Gras (derived from the French for Fat Tuesday). Both these latter terms remind us that traditionally on this day all the rich foods left in the house – typified by milk, eggs, sugar and fat - were consumed before the harsh necessities of the Lenten Fast started. But why Shrove Tuesday? Shrove is an old word – the past tense for ‘shrive’ which similarly is unfamiliar. Referring to the ever-reliable Oxford English

Dictionary, shrive is defined as follows: In Old English - To impose penance upon (a person); hence, to administer absolution to; to hear the confession of.

It was traditional to go to confession in the run-up to Lent, to confess your sins to the priest, who would assign penances (the performance of some act of self- mortification or the undergoing of some penalty as an expression of sorrow for sin or wrongdoing) to be performed during Lent and give absolution.

This tradition is very old. Over 1000 years ago a monk wrote in the Anglo- Saxon Ecclesiastical Institutes: ‘In the week immediately before Lent everyone shall go to his confessor and confess his deeds and the confessor shall so shrive him.’

Not something done very much today in the Church of – though I’m sure it could be arranged if requested! So Shrove Tuesday leads to Ash Wednesday. The use of ashes as a sign of penitence goes back to the Old Testament – the prophet Jeremiah calls for repentance by saying: "O daughter of my people, gird on sackcloth, roll in the ashes", while the prophet Daniel recounted pleading to God: "I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes" Christians continued the practice of using ashes as an external sign of repentance. The public penance that grave sinners underwent before being admitted to Holy Communion just before Easter lasted throughout Lent, on

the first day of which they were sprinkled with ashes and dressed in sackcloth. When, towards the end of the first millennium, the discipline of public penance was dropped, the beginning of Lent, seen as a general penitential season, was marked by sprinkling ashes on the heads of all. This practice is found in the Gregorian Sacramentary of the late 8th century. About two centuries later, Ælfric of Eynsham, an Anglo-Saxon abbot, wrote of the rite of strewing ashes on heads at the start of Lent. Nowadays the ashes, generally made by burning the palm crosses and branches blessed the previous year on Palm Sunday, are ground into a powder and smudged on the forehead in the shape of a cross, with appropriate words. And so, starts Lent – 40 days of fasting, reminding us that Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, fasting and being tempted, before starting his ministry. A quick check of a calendar shows that from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day is actually 46 days – but Sundays are always Festivals of the Resurrection so cannot be fasting days! In theory, at least, this means that we could indulge in whatever we have ‘given up’ for Lent on those Sundays – but I find it easier to maintain the discipline, which is but a pale shadow of the serious fasting undertaken by Christians in past years. And the words used at the imposition of the ashes on Ash Wednesday are a sharp reminder of what Lent should mean to us: - Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ. Tony King

th Sat 8 Feb St. Giles church, Uley 10.30am – 12 noon

Come and join us for an informal time of worship which will include fun activities to make and do and refreshments to share.

Please note, children must be accompanied by an adult for the service.

ULEY PARISH COUNCIL TEL. 07944 066882 E-MAIL: [email protected]

PARISH COUNCILLORS

JONATHAN DEMBREY CHAIR 07801217230

MELANIE PARASKEVA VICE-CHAIR 07929360221

JO DEE 01453 861566

JANET WOOD 01453 860236

MIKE GRIFFITHS 01453 860463

JULIET BROWNE 01453 860710

TIM MARTIN 07772268473

DISTRICT COUNCILLOR

JIM DEWEY cllr.jim.dewey@.gov.uk 01453 860795

COUNTY COUNCILLOR

LORAINE PATRICK loraine.patrick@.gov.uk 01453 546995

COMMUNITY WELL-BEING AGENT

AMBER WALTERS [email protected] 07817866354 Other Information The Parish Council meets in the Village Hall on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm. You are very welcome to attend. Details of the meetings can be found on the notice boards at either end of the village or on the Uley village website at: www.uleyparishcouncil.gov.uk

The February edition of the download from:

Next Market: March 2020

serving you with: bread; cakes; preserves; handmade crafts and much more!

What did the Uley Parish Council do in 2019?

It might interest parishioners to know that during the course of 2019 Uley Parish Council discussed and considered 27 planning applications; 7 listed building applications; 8 proposals for works to trees in a conservation area and one miscellaneous application (for the removal of the telephone box). Additionally, councillors attended Council planning committee to make representations in respect of one planning application which was being considered by full committee.

A number of reports of damage to stiles and blocked footpaths were dealt with by our footpaths officer, and several reports were made to Gloucestershire Highways in respect of potholes; floods and vegetation-obscured signage.

A trial was run by Stroud District Road Safety Group using the VAR camera system to try to identify whether the perceived speeding along The Street is really an issue – and this is ongoing in conjunction with other neighbouring parishes.

Council members also attended, and in some cases organised, meetings of the following local groups to represent the interests of parishioners:

Allotment Association Village Hall Committee Millennium Green Committee Uley Playing Fields Committee Prema Cam Dursley & Uley Joint Woodlands Management Committee Stroud District Road Safety Group Village Shop

Further work was undertaken in respect of playground management; flooding; grass cutting; bus shelter maintenance (gutter painting) and assisting local volunteers in the conservation of grassland on the Uley Bury ramparts. This is not a complete list as many other meetings and presentations were attended by various councillors when required.

The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Stroud Valleys

The Arts and Crafts Movement in the is famous not just nationally, but internationally, and many of the most important figures in this Movement, artists, craftsmen and women and architects, lived in the Stroud Valleys. In the last decade of the 19th century, Ernest Gimson, Ernest and Sidney Barnsley, all three of them architects, took up residence at the eastern end of the Golden Valley, where the River Frome flows through Earl Bathurst’s lands. For a few years, they lived and worked at Pinbury Park, latterly also sharing a furniture workshop with cabinet-makers in Cirencester, but when all three of them were married and two of them needed larger homes, Earl Bathurst gave them permission to design and build their own houses at Sapperton, and this is where, from 1903, they lived and worked for the rest of their lives.

All three of them had been making furniture at Pinbury, but Ernest Barnsley now spent more of his time on architecture, designing and for many years overseeing the building of Rodmarton Manor (of which more, perhaps, later). Sidney Barnsley was much more dedicated to furniture- making, thinking out and making his pieces with his own hands from design to finish. His work is very fine, necessarily rare and enormously sought after. Ernest Gimson had made chairs and plasterwork when they were at Pinbury, but he knew he was better at designing than making, and now with a workshop at nearby Daneway, he continued to employ skilled cabinet-makers to make his furniture, and trained up local men to be equally accomplished at the craft. He also designed for metalwork and needlework.

To see what this furniture was like and to understand a bit more what they were trying to achieve in the Cotswolds, you might go to the Arts and Crafts gallery at the Wilson, (which is the new name for Cheltenham Museum). They also have an exhibition, ‘Ernest Gimson: Observation, Imagination and Making’, which is on until 25th February, and this is accompanied by a new book by Annette Carruthers, Mary Greensted and Barley Roscoe, Ernest Gimson: Arts & Crafts Designer and Architect.

Many artists, architects, craftsmen and -women lived and worked in our part of Gloucestershire. I should like, next time, to tell you about the Simmondses, who sculpted, made puppets and did beautiful embroidery. An exhibition about them is on at the Museum of Gloucester.

Jacqueline Sarsby

St Giles Church Uley – Come and see the plans for your Parish Church!

We are now approaching the final stages of the rigorous process to gain legal approval to carry out the eagerly anticipated re-ordering of St Giles Church. The formal Public Notice of the Faculty application will be posted on 3rd February for a period of 30 days.

Following our public consultations during the early months of 2019, details of the finalised proposals will be on display in St Giles Church throughout February. The Church is open daily from 10am to dusk. In addition, there will be two “Open House” sessions in the church, to which everyone interested is warmly invited to come and discuss the plans and ask any questions: Sunday 9th February, 11.30 – 12.30 Wednesday 19th February, 6.30-7.30 p.m.

Our architect David Newton will be with us for the 19th February session. There will be a final opportunity to submit any comments on the proposals to the Diocesan Registrar.

Please join us to see the exciting plans for your Parish Church. All are welcome.

Ann Hardy & Pauline Thomas, Churchwardens WOTTON WALKING FESTIVAL Planning is well underway for the 2020 Wotton Walking Festival. For the first time we are expanding the festival to four days, Thurs 14th May to Sun 17th May.

Please sign up and join in with the fabulous free guided walks. Everything on

offer from a simple stroll through captivating countryside with great company, to themed walks exploring local history, wonderful wildlife and nature. Snap up the chance learn a new skill, such as Nordic Walking or Mindful Photography. Something for every member of the family to enjoy, including your well-behaved dogs. The program of walks will be released in early April and will be available to see on the walking festival website www.wottonwalkingfestival.com. All the walks are led by volunteers and are free to join. Donations will be collected on each walk as this will help us fund future festivals. Other fund-raising activities please need your support. A quiz evening is on Friday 6th March, 7:30pm at Under the Edge Arts in The Chipping, Wotton-under-Edge. £4 per person to enter, maximum six in a team. Book via the UTEA online booking service or pay on the door. There will be a bar and raffle on the night. The walking festival committee and friends will also be hosting Wotton Town Hall Teas on the Bank Holiday Friday 8th May from 2:30pm to 5pm. For more information: Web: www.wottonwalkingfestival.com Email: [email protected] Facebook &Twitter: @WottonWalkingFestival

ULEY ARCHIVES (Memories)

I wonder what it was like living in Uley in the early 20th Century? There is a little blue book (which some of you may have) in our archive cupboard which contains the memories of the late Reg Beeston who lived in Fop Street. I thought you may be interested in what he had to say, so over the next few months I will give you a glimpse into his fascinating memoirs.

Reg lived in Uley from the age of two. His family first came to Uley in l907. Let's follow his journey through his interesting memoirs. He has many fascinating stories to tell.

Reg left school at age thirteen with several other boys. The first world war was on and times were pretty hard. Four of the boys went to work at the local Saw Mill – it was hard work from 7 am to 6 pm, a ten hour day, and 7 am to 1pm on Saturdays— 56 hours a week for eight shillings. Boxes were made for packing tin sheet being in great demand during the war years. The boys worked behind the benches, but the best job was looking after the engines being the warmest place. It was so cold— mud & slush up over your boots, no wellingtons in those days. There were many incidents & accidents, no safety regulations.

When the war was over, at the age of nineteen, Reg left the Saw Mill and went to work at Listers in Dursley. There was no public transport, one had to walk to work. He worked from 7am until 6pm, a ten-hour day & 7am until 1pm on a Saturday, 56 hrs a week, for eight shillings!

Reg joined the Auxilliary Fire Service (AFS) in l939. The Uley fire station was the Coach House at The Larches, owned by Mrs May Fayle (now the Brewery). When the Germans were bombing Bristol Uley Fire Station was on call most nights.

Ye Olde Uley Feast. This was held on the 1st Sunday in September. There was a parade led by Uley Brass Band preceded by a large banner, carried by four men, it had long gold cords to steady it when the wind blew.

Reg recalls there were flower girls who collected money all through the village and the proceeds were given to Stroud Hospital, so it came to be known as Hospital Sunday. Four or five hundred people would come to the Feast from neighbouring villages. It was quite an occasion. There would be swings, round-abouts, stalls, etc., and it all became pretty hectic when the pubs turned out and there was fighting everywhere!

The Feast was discontinued shortly before the outbreak of WW1 as the Parish Council thought the lights might attract the Zeppelins. Reg tells us in his book that on that Monday night at around 6 pm a gang of boys & girls gathered on the Green with tin trays, buckets, and anything else that could make a noise. Within a couple of hours there were about 200 people from all over the village shouting & singing. They joined hands and danced around the Green singing “The Land, the Land God gave the Land, why should we be beggars with a mallet in our hand, God gave the Land to the people”, and so it went on.... The Police arrived from Dursley but did nothing!

The Uley Feast was revived in 1920 through the initiative of Dr. Campbell, the village doctor. Amusement caterers were hired, and the fair was held on and around the Village Green. The travelling fair arrived on the Saturday and usually stayed until the Monday, there was also a show field for athletic sports, pony rides & folk dancing. After the war, the Feast only survived on the Green for a few more years because of the increase in the number of cars & motorcycles. It was then moved to Bruton's paddock, or the Mill grounds, but quoting Reg “it was never the same”.

However, one Saturday night, Reg recalls, after the Feast there was a murder at the bottom of Rockstowes pitch. Reg thinks it was about 1911 when he and a gang of others went down there on the Sunday morning and saw a lot of blood and cotton wool over in the field. He believes the man who committed the murder was the last man to be hanged in Gloucester.

Sorry to end on such a sad note—more lighter anecdotes in the next edition!

Margaret Groom.

DA CAPO - MUSIC AT THE PAVILION Da Capo returns from its midwinter break on Wednesday 5th February. Da Capo meets at the Pavilion from 2.00-3.45pm on the first Wednesday of each month. At our last meeting in December we listened to recordings of music for Autumn and Winter. The February session will explore the theme of Seascapes. New members are always welcome. For more information call Andy Hastings on 01453 860043.

ULEY WI DIARY

DECEMBER/JANUARY The old decade was seen off in style at the WI with the final meeting of the year being a slap-up party. Of course the food, all provided and cooked by members, was sensational and in an effort to become more green we abandoned the traditional crackers and introduced a ‘secret Santa’. The ladies are well trained and bring all their own crockery, cutlery and glasses which minimises the washing up and means that everyone can enjoy themselves to the full. The New Year sees a new beginning for us as a new committee takes over the reins. As with so many organisations it has been hard to find volunteers to stand for election, so we see some old friends returning and a new secretary. After many years as our indispensable Hon. Sec, Linda Duffett has finally retired. She will be a very hard act to follow, but Belinda Williams has hit the ground running and already made an excellent start. We are still in good hands! Every year the National Federation of Women’s’ Institutes chooses a cause to promote from a shortlist of 5. They are a diverse selection of issues which matter to members and aim is to bring about change for the better. In 1943 it was ‘Equal Pay for Women’, in 1954 it was ‘Keep Britain Tidy’, a slogan still in use today, and in 1971 we were fighting against plastic pollution—way ahead of the crowd. Sadly, it clearly wasn’t very successful, and we have revisited it in recent years. The WI doesn’t shy away from tricky issues! Sally Lamerton, President, (again!)

Uley Society The February meeting of the Uley Society will take place on Thursday 20th February at 19.30 in the village hall. The subject will be: Lydney's Lost Fleet, with the speaker Paul Barnett.

All are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served

From the Registers:

Recently departed Anthony (Tod) Cook and Paul Weeks

Those whose Year's Mind falls in February; Cynthia Hazel Anderson, Basil Blackwell, Ivy Bailey, Ron Baker , Andrew Blackler, John Bowden, Anne Brooke, Bryan Davies, Peter du Feu, Barbara Gallie, Anne Goldingham, Maureen Inglefield, Cynthia Jones, Charles Poultney, David Powell, Austen Robinson, Vera Gertrude Reynolds, Richard John Smith, Pat Stopford, Ivy Taylor, Norma Patricia Taylor, Gwen Valentin, Priscilla Wathen, David Alexander White, Gertrude Broomfield, David Harris.

Have you made (and kept!) your New Year’s Resolutions? Do they include supporting your local Pavilion by joining the 100 club? If not, why not?! It’s so simple to join, it costs £1 a month and you could win up to £20— what’s not to like? All you need to do is email [email protected] or [email protected] for a sign up form and either drop it into the village shop or email it back once completed. Forms also available in the village shop for collection. Any queries contact 07771526082 or 07801217230

President: Sally Lamerton Secretary: Belinda Williams February 12th Research and Plot of a Novel, Glenn Salter. 7.30 pm, Uley Village Hall

Seville Orange Marmalade

Make the most of the brief Seville Orange harvest with a tangy seasonal marmalade ready for breakfasting and gifting!

Ingredients 750g Seville oranges 1 lemon 1kg granulated sugar

Tools Muslin/jelly bag String Sterilised jars and lids Sugar thermometer

Method Peel the skins from the fruit and slice into thin strips. Add to a large pan.

Squeeze all of the fruit and add the juice/fruit/everything to your muslin/jelly bag.

Tie up the bag using your string and add it to the pan with the reserved juice and sliced peel. Add 1.25 litres of cold water and heat until simmering. Simmer for 2 hours.

Remove the muslin/jelly bag and squeeze as much juice as you can into the pan.

Measure your juice/fruit into a pan and add 450g sugar for every 500ml liquid. Heat gently until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Bring to the boil until you have reached a setting point of 205 degrees C. (You can also use the wrinkle test with a very cold saucer if you don’t have a thermometer).

Remove from heat and leave to stand for 10-15 minutes, skimming scum from the surface as required.

Stir and ladle into warm sterilised jars, seal with lids and store in a cool, dry place.

February recipe, Becky Sage

The next Uley Bury Working party will be on Saturday 8th February from 10am until 12noon meeting at the west end.

Coffee provided. All welcome. More info from Janet Wood 860236 or David Sykes 860432.

ULEY COMMUNITY STORES and POST OFFICE DIARY FEBRUARY 2020 Tel Shop 861592, PO 860203 (Eileen, Ailsa, Carolyn and Angela)

The Christmas hamper donated by Debora and Paul Lawrence our Chairman, was won by a delighted Tom Potts. Congratulations.

Uley Community Spirit is once again offering grants for local village charities. Application forms are now available from the shop. Please submit them by the end of February. Distribution of funds for successful applicants will be at the end of March.

The Volunteers party was well attended. Scrumptious food, beverages and good chatter. The raffle was won by Jake our youngest volunteer and a wiz with the Bookers delivery. This is just one of the many benefits of being a volunteer. If you could spare some time and would like any information on becoming a volunteer, either front of house or behind the scenes with business/computing skills; please contact the shop, email below, or pop in for a chat.

Remember to “save the date” Thursday 2nd of April. UCS Committee will hold an evening meeting in the Village Hall (time to be confirmed), to discuss the future of the shop. As the lease is due to expire mid-2022, we need to find out how you envisage the shop moving forward and what you are prepared to do to make that happen. So, thinking caps on!

Always willing to hear of any suggestions for new items you’d like stocked. Please let us know.

Thank you for continuing to support your Local Village Shop. Pami Davis

RUN BY VOLUNTEERS

www.uleycommunitystores.co.uk

NOTES FROM LIVING A PLASTIC FREE TALK (Jan 7th, 2020)

Chloe Turner opened her talk with some harrowing facts about the consequences of plastic on our world. For instance, across their lifecycles plastics account for double the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the aviation sector. Over 90% of plastic ever produced has not been recycled. 1 million seabirds die a year due to plastic pollution.

It's not all bad news, not quite. Chloe was full of information about cutting down on your daily plastic usage, and how to transition to living a more plastic-free lifestyle. Using reusable Tupperware and straws, finding alternatives for shampoo bottles, small things like this were called being part of a ‘tool kit’, the idea that changing a few, simple things makes a difference already—and like a tool kit, they’re everyday necessities.

Audience members were keen to participate; biodegradable plastics were discussed in detail, as well as various bulk-buying methods, sustainable supermarket shopping and where you can recycle all the types of plastic that the recycling bins will not take. Most importantly, maybe, Chloe spoke about community. An imperative thing I took away from this talk is that doing what you can is enough.

All links and resources from this talk can be found below: Chloe Turner, Stroud District Action on Plastic Project Co-ordinator: [email protected] Facebook group: Stroud District Action on Plastic Instagram @strouddistrictactiononplastic Twitter @SDAP_Tweets Claudi’s blog (living a plastic-free life) is available here: http://www.pfree.co.uk/ More information on Transition Stroud via their website here https://www.transitionstroud.org and SDAP has a page there too https://www.transitionstroud.org/stroud-district-action-on-plastic/

Rural OutFIT The outdoor fitness class for all abilities. Burn Fat, improve strength and sculpt your body! Classes run every week at the Uley Playing Fields: Wednesday: 7-8pm Friday: 6:30-7:30pm Sunday: 9-10am Come and have a go. First class is FREE! £6 per class or pay £30 a month for unlimited classes For further information, please contact Becky on 07805 427653, or find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/RuraloutfitandPT

Monthly branch meeting Dursley Methodist Church Thursday 20th Feb Doors open 10.00 am Meeting starts 10.30 am Presenter: Paul Barnett - The Disaster

Thursday 19th March Doors open 10.00 am Meeting starts 10.30am Presenter: Catrin Viveash, Event’s Organiser for National Star

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contemporary or traditional design hardwood or softwood contact Matt to discuss your ideas

t: 01453 861623 m: 07879 638927 visit mattsummersfurniture.co.uk for more information