Ripples OCT 2019 L&F.qxp_1 LINK – May 07 19/09/2019 18:55 Page 1 100 th Edition October 2019 Ripples OCT 2019 L&F.qxp_1 LINK – May 07 19/09/2019 18:55 Page 2 MAKING RIPPLES Thanksgiving October My wise friend Wikipedia says: ‘Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the News 4 United States, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It originated as a harvest festival.’ Its practices include expressing gratitude, sharing, giving Countryside 12 away and (occasionally) even forgiving the turkey. Home & Garden 18 October is the month of harvest suppers, usually in the Churches and Women’s Institutes. This month, by an accident of timing, we are celebrating 10 years of Local History 20 publication with this our 100th edition. A good time for thanksgiving to the many Learning & Libraries 22 people who’ve worked with us along this journey. Reflections 24 Thank you to our loyal reporters Margaret and Chris who reflect on their 10 years reporting for us on page 24. Without their tireless reporting and hours spent in Councils 26 interviews for our Profile section, there would be no Ripples. Nor would we be Sport 28 here without the army of contributors and readers for whom the magazine exists. Letters 30 For much of our history, Debbie worked the telesales phone for us. Zena, whom we know through the Fairford & Lechlade Business Club, is now the voice of Arts 32 Ripples sales. Special thanks to our advertisers who renew their orders enthusiastically, for without advertising, there really would be no Ripples. Profile 38 The mainstay of our production team is Simon, a graphic designer who has been a Business 40 source of design inspiration from the start. Indeed it was Simon who suggested the Pets 42 name ‘Ripples’, which neatly draws together the spreading of ideas across communities and our local association with rivers and lakes. Holding our hands on Events 43 our website is Jan, another graphic designer with Artwebco, while Raoul of Quidne IT keeps our email and cloud storage systems ticking over. Regrets with printers, Contacts 46 we’ve had a few! But Richie and Geoff at Oxuniprint have never let us down. COVER PICTURE: Teresa leads our delivery team, getting Ripples into more than 6,000 letter boxes. Stork chicks bred at Our current team is Wendy, Sally, Graham, Lucy, Jackie, Zena, Julia, Ken, Craig Cotswold Wildlife Park and Lyn. Photo: Nick Upton (see p12) Our wives Julia and Lesley have backed us all the way in this venture, delivering, proof reading and copy editing. REMINDER: The deadline for our Thank you all from the Ripples partners: November edition is 12 noon, Adrian & Graham Friday 11th October Ripples Community Magazine Published by Adrian Young and Graham Fry © Ripples Community Magazine, 2019. All rights reserved. Named contributors retain copyright on their work. Ripples Magazine is published 10 months a our format or inconsistent with our Email is preferred for contributions, year during the first week of the month; we editorial policy. otherwise by post. take a break in January and August. Make sure you are writing for a general All news, events and announcements: The deadline for contributions and audience, not just your own organisation. [email protected] advertising is 12 noon on 2nd Friday of the Contributions up to 150 words are Paid advertising: month before publication. preferred. If it is too long, we may ask you ripplesmag.co.uk/advertising to cut it down. We may publish longer Opinions expressed in the magazine are not Distribution: contributions, but get in touch first to avoid necessarily those of the publishers. [email protected] the annoyance of a rejection. Contributions may be published in the Tel: 01793 764768 Photographs and artwork should be clear magazine, on our website or on social with good contrast. JPEG electronic format Post: media. Make clear any limitations about is preferred but we can scan from good 2A The Stables, Gilberts Lane, what, how and when we may publish your quality prints. Make sure any identifiable Highworth, Swindon SN6 7FB contribution. people in photos agree to the photo’s Please inform the editor if you spot a We reserve the right to edit contributions publication. Get parent’s consent in the mistake in Ripples so we can rectify it in a and to not publish any contribution or case of minors. future issue. advertisement that is either unsuitable for www.ripplesmag.co.uk 3 Ripples OCT 2019 L&F.qxp_1 LINK – May 07 19/09/2019 18:55 Page 4 NEWS Happy 75th birthday RAF Fairford Young driver wins RAF Fairford celebrated Privately owned static Driving Championship its 75th anniversary at aircraft flew in at no the beginning of cost and each one Amelia Waddicor from Water Eaton, near Castle September with a represented a chapter Eaton, has won the prestigious title of British Heritage Day held in in RAF Fairford's long Carriage Driving Under 25 National Champion, one of the large history. There were also having seen off some very tough competition at hangars on the base. displays and exhibitions Onley recently. by a wealth of air- Around 800 people – related groups and the local dignitaries, base Amelia, 21, and backstepper Morag were lying British-American personnel and deployed second on the first day after dressage and cones Committee. personnel, plus military but, after a thrilling drive round the obstacles on members from other Four huge cakes had the marathon course, moved up to clinch the USAF bases – were been made for the championship. invited to share this occasion and were cut special occasion. by Lt Col Joe Knothe, Amelia drives a rare breed Caspian horse, the only who described RAF pure bred competing in horse driving trials and is RAF Fairford has a rich Fairford as being the sponsored by the Cotswold Wildlife Park. and varied history with ‘jewel in the crown’, ties to both the Royal Air and Squadron Leader Force and the United Jayne Robertson. States Air Force. It has played a vital role to Story and photo: both Concorde and the Chris Roberts Red Arrows. Lt Col Joe Knothe & Sqd Ldr Jayne Robertson cutting the cakes ‘Spirit of Mississippi’ The historic line of planes CONTACT RIPPLES COMMUNITY MAGAZINE For news, events and announcements Your local reporters Email: [email protected] Fairford and surrounding villages or post to: Tel: 01285 712150 Ripples Magazine, Email: [email protected] 2A The Stables, Gilberts Lane, Highworth SN6 7FB Lechlade and surrounding villages Tel: 01793 764768 Email: [email protected] 4 www.ripplesmag.co.uk www.ripplesmag.co.uk 5 Ripples OCT 2019 L&F.qxp_1 LINK – May 07 19/09/2019 18:55 Page 6 NEWS A place of worship for 750 years Lechlade spiritualist church St Mary the Virgin Julie Hincks gave up her career as a finance Church, Meysey manager to open the spiritual shop, Hampton has been a Eclectic Spirit, in Lechlade High Street with place of worship a desire to give something back to society since 9th June 1269, rather than helping the rich get richer. when it was consecrated by the She is thrilled with the success of this new Bishop of Worcester. venture. She holds a service every week at 7.45pm. The first week she booked a small This year, the church’s room in the Memorial Hall but it soon 750th anniversary was became clear that this was just not big marked on 9th June enough so had to decamp into another larger with a celebration room. She now uses the Pavilion. service conducted by the Reverend Caroline The service consists of two hymns, a reading, Symcox. The church an address and a blessing. Each week a was decked out for visiting medium is invited and tries to the occasion with connect with loved ones in the spirit world. bunting and flower After the service there is tea, coffee, and a arrangements, the chance to talk to healers. The whole ethos of bells rang out and her venture is to promote wellbeing and attention was drawn positive thinking. to interesting architectural features Story and photo: Margaret Hing around the church. There were also displays of village Celebrating 750 years at St Mary’s, Meysey Hampton. Photo: John Cresser-Brown history, art and craft exhibits and home-made produce for sale. Visitors chain, used to secure the Bible against theft. In an enjoyed delicious cakes and tea and soaked up the age when books were rare and very valuable, it did historic atmosphere. not pay to leave them unsecured! If you enjoy visiting historic churches, then make sure There is so much more to see and find out about this you take a look at St Mary’s lectern, which is a village church, which is usually open throughout the memorial to a local lady named Christian Cripps, year in daylight hours. who died in 1613. The lectern still retains its original Story: Chris Roberts Fairford nominees for the Pride of the Cotswolds awards Two community champions from Fairford have Sandra Lewis, who comes from Fairford and still has been invited to attend the awards ceremony for family in the town, worked for 20 years with special The Pride of the Cotswolds Awards at The Forest needs children at Coln House School in Fairford, but Green Rovers Football Club at the end of now is at The Peak Academy in Dursley helping September. young people with a range of social, emotional and mental health issues. Sandra Lewis is hoping to be chosen as The Teacher of the Year and Heather Kent is hoping to scoop The Heather Kent is very well known in Fairford for her Child of the Year award.