Twyning Bulletin

TheIssue Newsletter No 118 of The Twyningnewsletter Parish of Twyning Council Parish Council Issue No 118 February 2013

Frosty Sunrise over Twyning by Katrina Bartlam

Flood by Dennis Harvey Front Cover ‘January 15th’ by Bob Walton 2 Content and Comment The really good news is the expected refurbishment and re-opening of the Village shop: see the message from the new owners on P 14 We have three ‘Interesting Villagers’ this edition and I am always hoping for more people to come forward for other bulletins. If you would like to feature or can suggest someone else then please contact me. One of the three, Katrina Bartlam, is hoping to do a photographic record of the village: see P 12. Several people have sent in photos and these are always welcome with a local theme. We have space for seven in colour and others in monochrome so if you have a favourite send it for next time. Andrea Walton Editor

Twyning ‘What’s On’ At the Village Hall:

Monthly Food & Craft Fayre 26 Jan; 23 Feb; 30 March; 27 April

Whalebone - a funky, folksy music group who encourage audience participation - One night only: 22 Feb - Tickets from Maggie Ball

'Old Herbaceous' - a play by Alfred Shaughnessy (Danson Productions) - a must see -22 & 23 March - Tickets from John Reynolds

At the Village Inn: Charity Race Night on 9 March.

Players Summer Production: 7 - 10 May

Parish Council Meetings

Mon 18 February 8 pm Village Hall Mon 18 March 8 pm Ann Townend Hall Mon 15 April 8 pm Village Hall Mon 22 April Parish Meeting 7.30 pm Village Hall

All are welcome to attend Sue Satchell Parish Clerk

3 GORDON SHURMER e-mail: councillor.shurmer@tewkesbury.gov.uk Tel: 01684 772780 YOUR TEWKESBURY BOROUGH COUNCILLOR HAPPY NEW YEAR I should like to take this opportunity to wish all the residents of Twyning a Happy & Healthy 2013. CASH BOOST ANNOUNCED FOR BUSINESS GRANT SCHEME Even more businesses in Tewkesbury Borough are set to benefit from a popular grant scheme, thanks to a funding boost of £50,000.

Businesses can continue to apply for one of the three grants available: • Supporting businesses that operate from home. • Encouraging new business start-ups. • Helping existing businesses to develop and grow. Twyning Borough Cllr. Gordon Shurmer said: “We need to support the local economy as much as we can and the Business Grant Scheme will help to achieve this”. Eligible businesses can employ up to 250 members of staff and must be based within Tewkesbury Borough. To apply for a grant or for more information, please contact the council’s Economic Development Officer Katie Power on 01684 272249 or email [email protected]

WIND TURBINE APPLICATION At the time of writing, the above application is scheduled to go before Tewkesbury Borough’s Planning Committee on Tuesday 5th February 2013. However, I would recommend checking with TBC closer to the date to confirm this (phone: 01684 295010).

COUNCIL TAX 2013 – 2014

Tewkesbury Borough Council will be setting its Council Tax Precept on the 21st February 2013. I will be continuing to support local residents in these very difficult financial times by voting for a freeze on council tax increases. However, due to Government changes in the new local Government Council Tax Support Scheme, there is a risk that a financial shortfall may be passed on to local taxpayers. Once I have more detail of the implications of this, I will update local residents further in my next report.

KEEPING YOU IN TOUCH

4 TWYNING PARISH COUNCIL

I hope that by the time you read this the weather will be warmer, I am pleased to report that the Parish Council is once again up to full strength following the co-option of Councillors Raymond (Ray) Edes and William (Bill) O’Dell, whose contact details appear on the Parish Council notice board. We are very pleased to have them aboard. At the Parish Council meeting 0n the 21st January we discussed the budget for 2013/2014 and after careful discussion we agreed a figure slightly in excess of the total for 2012/13. However it was agreed to keep the precept (the amount we request Tewkesbury Borough Council to collect via your council tax) at the same figure as last year. Nevertheless wholly due to last minute directions from Central Government in the way Council Tax is to be calculated does mean that there will be a slight increase in the Council Tax payable. In respect of a band D property there will be an increase of 2.93 per cent which in real terms will be an annual increase of 75 pence. In order to keep the precept the same the Council will use some of its reserves. The Council have been requested to permit a Bonfire and Fireworks display on the Village green in November and this will be considered at the Council meeting in the Village Hall on Monday the 18th February at 8.00pm. If you have any views on this matter we will be pleased to hear them at the meeting or you can write to our Clerk Susan Satchell at The Glen, Castlemorton. Worcs. WR13 6BE or email [email protected] or telephone me. Your identity will be treated confidentially but your views may be mentioned in public.. Whilst the Council, via the excellent labours of our Village Warden Dave Luckett, will try and treat the footpaths in the event of snow, we can give no guarantee or assurance that this will always continue to be possible Sadly our Responsible Finance Officer Jim Page, has indicated he wishes to retire and pass on the mantle. To say we will miss him would be the understate- ment of the year, he has served the Council for many years with excellent advice and with a smile at all times. Please see the notice on page 30. Typical of Jim he has offered to help any person taking on the responsibility if they wish. A word of warning I am informed that the latest scam is a phone call from a person claiming to represent the Borough Council relating to a refund of Council Tax, such calls should be ignored. Also there are further reports of the theft of oil from properties in the Village. Please keep a careful eye and report anything you think suspicious to the Police. In conclusion I express my grateful thanks to all those who assist the Council to carry out its duties. Unfortunately space does not me to mention names, but you know who you are! D. Jeremy Horsfall, Chairman. Twyning Parish Council 22nd Jan. 2013 5 DRAINS

Adopt a drain today and help prevent the village from flooding. The roadside drains become easily blocked, especially when the plane trees are shedding their leaves or water is running off the fields carrying with it lots of alluvium. If you just sweep clear the drain outside your house, it would have a big impact on the drive to get the water underground. The Parish Council maintains a close working relationship with Gloucestershire Highways, who are very responsive to our needs, but they have a big area to cover with a decreasing budget. If the Parish Council has to call on Highways to provide additional services, such as gully emptying, it will cost the Parish £530 a day, so it would be very cost-effective if we did a bit ourselves.

Sewage over-flow. Manhole 1702 Goodiers Lane Residents living in the vicinity of manhole 1702 at the bottom of Good- iers Lane, are reminded that in order to keep Severn Trent’s register of events current, they should ring their Operations Centre each time the manhole overflows. The number to ring is 0800 7834444. Remember to request the clean-up team to attend to remove the debris. Flooding Residents are reminded that the Parish Council has a supply of sandbags which can be pre-filled and retained for use to prevent flooding to their properties. Dave Luckett Village Warden

6 TWYNING VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (“VHMC”) As I write this, my last VHMC meeting was in Sept 2012, as a hip replace- ment put me out of action until Christmas! However, the Hall has been in good hands with Brian Last taking the Chair in October and Jane Bowers in November, and with Maggie Ball, as always, giving her unfailing, on-going support. I would like to thank them all for this, recognising that my role as Chairman is not indispensable!

The ‘Food & Craft Fayre’ continues to thrive on the last Saturday of every month and will be a welcome regular event in our 2013 calendar. As reported previously, it is an excellent opportunity for local companies and villagers to get together for a couple of hours to buy or sell their produce and crafts. If you are interested in having a stall, please contact Nicki on 07929 918 415 or [email protected]

Two highly successful events took place in the Village Hall during Decem- ber. The first was a spectacular production of ‘Mother Goose’ by the Twyn- ing Players. Well attended over three nights, this pantomime was in my opinion one of the best performances ever staged by the Players. It was great to see so many new young performers as well as youngsters who have appeared in previous productions: the Village has a wealth of talent! Con- gratulations to the Director, Nigel Guilding, and well done to all concerned.

The second event was on the Saturday before Christmas when nearly 100 adults and children got together in the Village Hall to sing Carols. The Ven- erable Ron Hesketh presided over the event, with his usual blend of good humour, anecdotes and seasonal goodwill, ably supported by the Choir from St Mary Magdalene. It was a huge success and one that I hope will be re- peated this year.

I am sure most villagers have seen our splendid new notice board outside the Village Hall. Made of solid oak and of a design similar to the Parish Council’s notice board outside the Village Shop. The Village Hall Manage- ment Committee are indebted to the Friends of the Village Hall, who have covered the cost of this board from funds raised from various events, marma- lade sales, raffles etc during the past three years. Many thanks, once again, to the Friends of the Village Hall whose donations/support amounts to nearly £5,000 since their formation some three years ago. Cont. P10 …..

7 Three Interesting Village People

1. Mary Hunt (nee Wasley)

Mary Hunt (centre) and her family in 1918

Mrs Hunt’s life spans most of the 20th Century. Born in Winchcombe in 1914 she first came to Twyning as an under-housemaid at Twyning Manor in 1928. The Manor was then owned by a retired Bishop: Maxwell -Gumbleton (1872 -1952). Mary joined an indoor staff of five servants: cook, kitchen maid, house maid, and parlour maid. The parlour maid Muriel was to become a lifelong friend, and is the mother of Beryl Ches- coe. Mary stayed at the Manor for three years, her jobs being to clean the floors and the servants’ bedrooms, and empty and wash out the china wear, including those kept under the beds. She recalls that she was ‘kept in her place’. One of the enjoyable things was to go to the regular whist drives, followed by dancing at Twyning Village Hall. The dancing lasted from 9-30pm to 2-00am! And it was here that she met Bill, the man who was to be her husband of 44 years.

Mary is one of a trio of remarkable sisters. Not only is she 98, but she has two older sisters still alive: Eugenie (Jean) 104 and Hilda 108. They are Britain’s eldest trio of sisters. They were all born into a one-up one- down cottage in Castle Street, Winchcombe as daughters of a farm worker. They all went into ‘service’ at a young age. Between them they have 12 children, 17 grandchildren, and 29 great-grandchildren. Mary and Bill had four sons and one daughter and have four grandsons and three great-grandchildren.

After the Manor, Mary went on to work at the Abbey in Tewkesbury and other houses in Suffolk, Cheltenham and at Cuberley Court, before leav- ing to get married. Bill was by then a gardener at Sudely Castle in Winch- combe. In 1945 they moved to the first of their homes in Twyning when Bill moved on to become a gardener at the Manor. They lived at No 3 Church Farm Cottages, Church End. There were three cottages then but since have been converted to a single house. When the family grew to six they moved to Bavon Cottages in 1952. This was during the time that the rent was collected weekly by ‘the rent man’. Mary tells how when she spotted new local authority houses being built at the lower end of Hill Lane she said to the man collecting the rent that as Bill was suffering from bronchial asthma, they would like one of the houses there, to save him climbing the hill twice daily. He said “I don’t see why not”, and later came by to say, “Which one would you like”? Can anyone imagine that happening now?! They were able to move into, and eventually buy, their new house at Hillend Close in 1953, which is where she still lives today with her son Roger.

9 Mary remembers a trip to Twyning with The Girls Life Brigade when she was eight years old. Little did she think then that she would live here for 67 years and become president of the W I in 1972.

The sisters have seen 19 prime ministers, five monarchs and two world wars, and watched as the world changed with the advent of mains water, electricity, public transport, the NHS, world travel and the amazing ad- vances in information technology.

Mary has written a short journal of her life which can be accessed through the Bulletin on request.

… more from VHMC We are looking forward to this year,. Thanks to Ian Southall, we shall shortly be printing and distributing a new promotional brochure for the Village Hall in our on-going endeavours to make the village and the surrounding area more aware of the great facility we have for private hire, e.g. weddings, birthday celebrations, anniversaries etc.

Happy New Year Everyone from all of us on the Village Hall Management Committee

JOHN REYNOLDS (VHMC Chairman)

THE FRIENDS OF TWYNING VILLAGE HALL

The AGM was held in October ,when the accounts for 2011 were adopted. It was also agreed to hold meetings less frequently, although a bring and share supper was arranged for November. Because the date of the November meeting was the 5th it was suggested that we have a bonfire night theme for the food. The evening was very enjoyable with a sausage casserole, jacket potatoes, hotdogs and loads of puddings. The new notice board for the Village Hall was erected in December, having been paid for out of Friends funds, the cost being £1,973.87p. It looks very smart indeed. Anybody who is interested in joining The Friends please contact the Chairman. Maggie Ball

10 2. Mark Goodridge - Hammer Thrower The 2012 London Olympics enthralled the country and I am sure has inspired a number of youngsters to try new sports. For me, it brings back memories of my teenage years. I was fortunate to have parents who encouraged me in any sporting fad that I had, from judo to gymnastics: the list seemed endless! Eventually however I settled on athletics and on the field events shot put, discus, and hammer throwing (of which the later was by far my favourite and best event). I was also fortunate to go to a school which had two teachers, Cliff and Caroline Franks, who were both fanatical about athletics, sharing their enthusiasm through coaching at the Cheltenham Harriers. I joined Chel- tenham Harriers and, coached by Caroline Franks, competed as a Youth, a Junior Man and then a Senior Man. Hammer competitions consist of throwing a 7.26 kg (16 pounds) hammer out of a circle, which for safety purposes is encompassed by a wire cage with two gates at the front, one of which is open. The equipment needed is simple: a leather glove, and a special pair of shoes with rounded soles to assist turning. Athletes all attempt an initial three throws with the top six awarded a further three throws. In numerous competitions that I have participated in, athletes (including myself) have fowled their first two attempts, result- ing in them having only one more attempt to throw far enough to get in the top six,. Can you imagine the pressure on that third throw?! Over the years hammer throwing has been dominated by the Russians, although this is now less so. For me, as a Senior Man, I competed for Cheltenham Harriers and was then selected for the County and then the Midlands, throwing the Hammers about 50 metres. To put this into perspective, the Men’s Hammer in the London 2012 Olympics was won by Krisztian Pars from Hungary with a throw of 80.59 m. Team GB’s Alexander Smith was in 12th place with a throw of 72.87m. So please encourage your children to experiment with sport. Eventually they will find one they like and hopefully will get as much enjoyment as I did. Who knows: they could be future Olympians winning Gold.Medals in the hammer for Great Britain!

11 3. Katrina Bartlam

A freelance photographer and wildlife film-maker, who has lived in the village for a year.

Katrina is looking forward to having a baby in April and, during her ma- ternity leave, is suggesting that she undertake a project to record photo- graphically a year in Twyning, which could result in an exhibition in the Village Hall. These photos would not at that stage be available to anybody else, though this could be individually negotiated later on. Katrina is a wildlife photographer who has recently been filming in East and North Africa and in the Cape, with the team involved with the David At- tenborough series ‘Africa’, spending about 12 months out there. She says that she filmed everything from dung beetles to elephants, rhinos and gi- raffes. Before that, she was working on Countryfile and other BBC outdoor wildlife programmes. In her own words: “I am keen to document a year in the village with my camera, taking photos of particularly interesting or picturesque landscapes, people and events. I would love to get the input of people who have lived in the village for far longer than I have with this. Do you have any ideas on your favourite views in the area that look stunning at a particular time of year? Are there any individuals or families or groups that live and work in the village and would be interested in having images of them at work or play taken? What are the events that I shouldn't miss and get shots of? If anyone has any thoughts or ideas I would be most grateful if they could drop me an e-mail at: [email protected] or by phone Tel. Number 273188

You can see more of my work on my blog: www.capturedbykatrina.co.uk/apps/blog “ (where there are lots of pictures of Twyning’s jubilee celebrations).

I am sure that there must be many amongst us who would be interested in this project. Please contact Katrina direct with your ideas. Ed.

12 Twyning Lawn Tennis Club Fancy a game of tennis but haven’t played for some time? Why not make this the time you decide to take up the racquet? You never know where it will lead. Twyning Tennis Club has a very enthusiastic group of members, many of whom play in the Glouces- tershire leagues or club tournaments. Some of these members never did this before but have become hooked and are keen to improve. Whatever your standard, you will be made very welcome. Why not just pop down on a Tuesday or Thursday evening any time from 6 o’clock, or on a Sunday morning from 10.00am and find out what is going on. If you are interested in tennis lessons, we have a very enthusiastic coach, Simon Filiatrault, who coaches both children and adults at the club. Children’s groups are on a Monday evening and adults are on Wednesday morning at 9.30 am and on Friday morning. The club also enjoys other social activities, barbecues, quizzes and skittles evenings at the Village Inn. For further details on any of the above, please ring Hilary Davies on 01684 299350 or email [email protected]

Twyning Carol Singers raised £2020 during the Christmas season in Support of CLIC, FARESHARE (both county charities) and Twyning Church. Singers and Collectors wish to thank all those who provided welcome refreshments and all those who donated.

Music and Devotion for Good Friday The Good Friday Singers always welcome new voices (no auditions needed!) If you are new to the village and wish to join us, simply turn up at the first or second rehearsal to have a taste of the music. This year we shall sing appropriate anthems and hymns, and will include readings. All rehearsals are at 7.30 pm in church: February 20th and 26th, and March 6th, 12th, 20th, and 26th. Good Friday 6.45 pm in ATH and 7.30 pm in the church. Enqueries to Beryl Chescoe 295352 13 Review of the Players Christmas Panto

I went to the opening night of Mother Goose, performed by Twyning Players in the Village Hall on 6th December 2012. It was a great night out for all the family. The cast were very good with loads of funny sketches. Mother Goose (David Herold) was well supported by the rest of the cast, especially all the dancers and the little Snowmen, beautifully choreo- graphed by Lorna and Willow Herold. One of my favourite parts was when Sam Strachan starred as the hilarious "Who wants to be a Millionaire" TV host and again when he supported Jessie J (a younger version of Mother Goose) on the guitar. Scary bits included: the Demon of Darkness (Phil Essex), Eggwina Goose (Ann Williams) getting "goose-napped"!! and the scary ghosts. The costumes and scenery were excellent and as good as I've seen at any other Pantomime. It was an overall fun night with lots of giggles and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Amelia Huntington - Age 13

OUR SHOP

A message from Glenys Holdcroft of Bowketts, Tenbury Wells on 12th January:

“It is likely to be March before the work is completed. I have met with the shop-fitters, who have measured up. I am now awaiting the plan so that this can be agreed - which should be quite soon. The alterations will then go ahead, and I will then advertise for staff. I was at the shop last Tuesday and met with a few of the villagers, and they were very welcoming and friendly”.

The adverts for the jobs will be in the local evening paper, the shop win- dow and Job Centre Plus.

In hope this helps.

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year ! The Playgroup children have had a very busy December and performed a lovely Christmas Nativity with Christmas songs. We also had a very special visitor in December who along with his sleigh brought gifts for all of the children. We’d like to say a very big Thank You to you Father Christmas. Twyning Playgroup had its Ofsted Inspection in October 2012 and we are really proud to let the Community know that Playgroup has increased its Ofsted grade and has now been awarded a grade of ‘Good’, with thanks to our team of hardworking and dedicated staff. The Playgroup Committee have been fundraising this year to raise much needed funds for Playgroup. We would like to thank the Community of Twyning for supporting our Raffle which was drawn on 29 December at the Village Inn Pub. We raised £552.62 !!! Thanks to everyone who donated a prize or who bought a ticket. We have a fully qualified, highly dedicated team of staff and committee members, which creates a hugely positive environment for young children. We currently have spaces available for toddlers (2-3 years) at £8.10 per session on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and funded spaces are also available for pre-schoolers (3-4 years) Monday to Thursday 9.30 am – 12 pm (until 1 pm Tuesdays). For more information or if you would like to visit Playgroup, please call Sharon on 01684 297557

Village Walks 2013

They start at 11-30 am at the Village Inn and last about 90 minutes

15 PLAYED AT TWYNING VILLAGE HALL

TWYNING SMBC is keen to recruit new members so that they can remain a steady source of income for our Village Hall, which has recently been refurbished. We have Club sessions on Monday afternoons at 2 pm. We usually play for two one hour periods, with a mid-break for tea and biscuits. The game of SHORT MAT BOWLS is not difficult to pick up but is good fun to play, and provides healthy exercise without being too strenuous. Sessions can be competitive but in a friendly spirit. Newcomers can use club bowls and play on the mats in stocking feet.

Session fees are £2.00 per person – where else can you get an afternoon’s entertainment for that small sum? – but your first session will be absolutely free! We also would like to bring back a Friday Evening session 7 pm -10 pm for people who are unable to play during the day.

Do get in touch – you are assured of a friendly welcome. CALL: PAT on 275341 or Margaret on 293822 …………………………………………………………………………. On 22 November, Stephen and I were invited to join Twyning Cubs as they needed to learn a new game and rules for a badge. I chose Target Bowls, which turned out to be great fun for every one there, whether they played or watched. Stephen and I certainly enjoyed ourselves and I would like to give Twyning Cubs a big THANK YOU for making us so welcome.

On a sadder note, we said goodbye to BRIAN SINGLETON who has moved to pastures new so that he can be near his family. Brian has been a member of T.S.M.BOWLS for 12 yrs. He will be much missed by Twyning , other Clubs and Players throughout the County . GOOD LUCK & HAPPINESS in your NEW HOME

Pat Rushby Chairman

THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY MAGDALENE

Canon Barbara Messham will be licensed in Tewkesbury Abbey during January and will be Associate Vicar of Twyning as well as Priest in Charge of the Severnside parishes. She will begin taking some of our services from February. We are very grateful to Ven Ron Hesketh for all the work he has done in the parish since Rev Sarah Miller left; and we hope to continue seeing him quite often in this new phase. Services will continue to be as follows:- 1st Sunday 9.20am Sunday School in the month (in Ann Townend Hall) 9.30am Parish Eucharist 2nd Sunday 9.30am Parish Eucharist 3rd Sunday 9.30am Family Eucharist followed by coffee fellowship and a stall in support of Acorns Children’s Hospice 4th and 5th Sundays 9.30am Parish Eucharist Some special services are:- 13 Feb’ry 7.00pm Ash Wednesday: Eucharist & Ashing 10 March 9.30am Mothering Sunday: Family Eucharist (with coffee and simnel cake) 24 March 9.30am Palm Sunday: Parish Eucharist with donkey 28 March 7.00pm Maundy Thursday: Eucharist and Passion Watch 29 March 7.30pm Good Friday: music and devotions 31 March 9.30am Easter Day: Family Service and Eucharist. All are welcome at these services. Canon Barbara Messham Ven. Ron Hesketh 01684 299 773 mob 0785 238 5022 Churchwarden Margaret Bailey 01684 298 268 Churchwarden Chris Cole 01684 294 325

Twyning Wine Club We have come to the end of a busy and successful year for the club. The September club meeting was our usual successful harvest supper. We enjoyed home cooked food contributed by the members. During the evening, wines made from a set recipe and commercial kits were judged and cups awarded. October was the Annual General Meeting when a new Chairman and Secretary were elected as the previous ones had completed their terms of office. We also enjoyed food on this occasion: this time a selection of home made puddings. At the November meeting, members were treated to a selection of Australian wines at various prices. Not for the first time, many of the cheaper wines sampled were the most popular for members’ palates. In December, we held our Christmas dinner. Following the refurbishment of the Village Hall, a member suggested we have the meal at the hall and we brought in caterers for the event. It was thought to be very successful and we hope to repeat it in the future. Several members provided entertainment, jokes and anecdotes and the highlight of the evening was our synchronised swimming performance to complete the Olympic theme of the year in style.

The Club usually meets at the Village Hall on the third Wednesday of each month. New members are most welcome, please contact:

Jean Turner 01684 772053 Secretary, Twyning Wine Club

18 Twyning Rainbows Regretfully, Twyning Rainbows has had to close at short notice. If anyone is interested in helping to run a new unit, please contact our District Commis- sioner, Mandy Campbell on 01684 773158.

Twyning Brownies

Twyning Brownies had a busy term leading up to Christmas. All Brownies have completed their Seasons Badge which involved knowing which fruits and vege- tables are available in the autumn and tasting some of them; working out which apple varieties were most popular; making a poster about animals that hibernate in the UK and around the world; and designing a number of craft and art projects using fallen natural objects such as acorns and leaves, and art straws. The Au- tumn Term is also always fun and chocolate sparklers were made and then eaten very quickly for 5th November. Brownies also enjoyed a night of cooking and made chocolate and cherry oat cakes. New Brownies were welcomed to the unit and enrolled, and angels were made as Christmas decorations. As a unit, the Brownies are keen on working on badges independently and Com- municator, Collector, Cook, Booklover and Riding badges were all popular. During the Spring Term, Brownies will choose the next badge to work on in the unit, and will be having a party night, as we ran out of time before Christmas. A cinema evening and zumba night are also planned. Any girl aged seven to ten can join Brownies. Although currently the unit is full, we have a waiting list, and places will become available over the next few months. Brownies have fun and meetings are full of games, activities and challenges. If you wish to reserve a place or find out more please contact Carole Clive on 01386 860308. photos and info at: www.TwyningGuides.org.uk

French Group Want to improve your French for your holidays? Why not try coming to our French group on a Wednesday evening, once a month at 7.30 pm? A small group of us meet regularly and enjoy attempting to speak French, trying to express ourselves on a variety of subjects. Newcomers are always welcome, there is no pressure to speak, just come and listen if you like until we encourage you to join in! Evenings are great fun and we always find plenty to talk about. There is no charge but small donations are given to cover wine expenses. If you would like more information please call Hilary Davies on 01684 299350 or email [email protected]

19 PLANTLIFE

Wild plant charity Plantlife (www.plantlife.org.uk), are hoping to reach out to many wild plant enthusiasts and nature lovers by inviting them to become wild plant 'pioneers' and subscribe to a free quarterly e-learning bulletin to learn more about our native wild plants via the 'Wild About Plants' project website -www.wildaboutplants.org.uk . The November e-bulletin is out now! The Wild About Plants project aims to help people reconnect with the outdoors and their local green-spaces. Working with schools, families and communities from all walks of life and with fantastic free downloadable resources, the team hope to engage people with the nature on their doorstep. In recent years subscribers have been asked to record the plant life in their local area and recount what they used to see/pick and forage for. Wild About Plants is funded by Natural England through Access to Nature, as part of the Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme. It is a partnership project involving partner organisations throughout the country.

Finally, did you know that the county flower of Gloucestershire is the wild daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp pseudonarcissus)? http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/plant_species/daffodil_wild/

We enjoyed the Advent Carol Service in the Abbey on 15 December, and also the Commissioning Service of our new Diocesan President on 10 January in Gloucester Cathedral. At our meeting in February we welcome Neville Andrews as our guest speaker. In March we look forward to hearing the Venerable Ron Hes- keth. Visitors are always welcome at our meetings which are held in the Ann Townend Hall on the first Tuesday of the month at 2-15 pm. Sandra Andrews

Many thanks to all who attended the Christingle Service on Christmas Eve and for your generous donations. This year we managed to raise £222.75, which will go a long way towards helping The Children’s Society defend, safeguard and protect all children in need. Over 90 children came forward to collect their Christingles and once again the Venerable Heskith gave a fun and engaging address, which everyone seemed to enjoy. It is not every day that you get party poppers released during a church service! The uniformed groups led the prayers and Josie Palmer gave a very clear reading. Thanks are due to anyone who helped, in any way, in the preparations and running of the service. See you all, same time, same place next year.

Box Holders March is rapidly approaching and boxes are due for emptying. I will send a little note out to all box holders soon and make arrangements to come and collect them. The box-holder scheme is The Children’s Society’s biggest fundraiser and the money raised within the village last year went directly towards helping the children supported by The Society. If anyone would like a box please contact me. Lorna Herold 294292

21 TWYNING PLAYERS

We had tremendous support for our December production of Mother Goose and thanks to all of you who came along. We had some great feedback from our audience with special mentions for the dancers and the costumes. Putting on a pantomime takes a huge amount of work over several months, and having appreciative audiences makes the whole thing worthwhile

Our Director this year was Nigel Guilding. Nigel is one of the original Twyning Players with many years (theatrical!) experience both on and off stage – all of which contributed to an enthusiastic cast and a professional show. You may have noticed that pantomimes these days are becoming quite family affairs with the Khor, Essex and Herold families being particularly well represented. Sam Strachan was also outstanding for his confident hosting of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ and his solo performance. It’s great to have so many young people involved and long may this continue.

As I write this, plans are underway for our next production in May: look out for posters and further information on village notice boards nearer the time.

We continue to have a varied social diary and started the New Year with a walk organised by Ian Southall. Other planned events include theatre and concert trips, treasure hunt, summer barbecue, various outings and our annual rounders match – something for all interests and tastes. New members are genuinely welcome either treading the boards or helping backstage. We rehearse twice weekly on Wednesday and Sunday evenings. Just give me a call if you are interested in coming along.

We look forward to seeing you all in May!

Carol Chapman Secretary 293527

Diary dates: Thursday 9th, Friday 10th, Saturday 11th May

2nd TWYNING SCOUT GROUP – Ian Palmer 296842

The Group has enjoyed another active term including partaking in the village Remembrance Parade, the Children in Need skittles marathon and the Christingle Carol Service. All sections also enjoyed a group bonfire evening hosted by the Ashdown Family (thank you) with a guy provided by Beavers. Hot food was thanks to Sarah Edwards and entertainment was provided by the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. Also in November, the Parents Committee organised another very successful Wine Tasting evening lead by our group sommelier Mark Woodham. The Group also raised a tremendous amount of money (almost £1300) by bag packing at Morrison’s in Tewkesbury the weekend before Christmas. The Group are in need of a new Treasurer and more Scout Leaders – please be in touch if you are able to help.

Beavers – Age 6 to 8 – Tuesday – Kevin Tyson 295026

As part of the Fitness Challenge Badge we managed to spend a couple of sessions on the Green, blessed with good weather and sufficient light, allowing the children the space to run around that they don’t usually get during the winter months. We also combined learning about new cultures with a Partnership Award, writing letters to a friend in the USA, and performing a new action song at the AGM – our take on Alouette, which I’m sure the French would have approved of.

Beavers is open to boys and girls between 6 and 8 years of age and meet on Tuesday evenings during term time. If you have a child of 4 to 6 who would like to join the fun, and be added to the waiting list, please call Kevin Tyson (295026) to request an application form. It is worth noting that children of uniformed leaders and assistants are given priority on waiting lists.

Cubs – Age 8 to 10 ½ - Thursday - Dave Green 296284

During the term the Cubs completed their Global Conservation Challenge. We made bird feeders to support our local wildlife; spent an interesting evening finding out about endangered animals; and another evening understanding the harmful impact of litter on our environment- the Cubs made posters to illustrate this. The final part of this challenge was a two-hour observation walk and litter pick, run by the Explorers. Thank you to Alison Peake and Liz Orchard for coordinating this.

23 Also this term we have worked on the Fitness Badge, testing our own fitness levels and looking at healthy diets and lifestyles. We played sitting volleyball, a new sport to us, inspired by this years Para -Olympic Games. We were also treated to another new sport during an evening of short mat bowls, under the expert tuition of Pat and Stephen

As we approached Christmas we made cards and played games. Term ended with a Christmas Party where the cubs entertained each other. Of particular note were Digby’s magic tricks, Verity, Isabella and Amaya’s dancing and the whole pack singing a pop medley. The leadership team is now very healthy with Sally Tyson and Gary Quinn as Section Assistants and Louise Essex, Anne Green and Mark Goodridge as Assistant Cub Leaders.

Scouts – Age 10½ to 14 – Thursday – Adrian Clough 299812

Thanks to Bill and Liz at Green Farm, the Scouts were able to practise their outdoor skills: erecting tents, pioneering, and cooking over an open fire for the first three weeks of last term.

Eight of our older Scouts completed their Gold Chief Scout’s Award in September, which is the ultimate achievement before moving on to Ex- plorer Scouts. Key to this was a two-day expedition that saw the Scouts kayaking on the Sharpness Canal and then completing an eight-mile hike.

In October we again took part in Operation Bald Eagle, which involves a night hike across Bredon Hill, and various other challenges. The highlight of the weekend was a visit from Bear Grylls, Chief Scout, who flew in by helicopter. But best of all, one of our teams came away with a trophy for winning the Saturday Team Challenge – quite an achievement considering how much competition there was.

This term we shall be completing our First Aid Badge and working towards our Promise Challenge. We will also be taking part in the District Swimming Competition with the aim of retaining our title for the fifth consecutive year (no pressure Scouts!). We also have a trip planned to the ‘Big Pit’ coal mine, and will be going ice skating in March.

24 Dates for 2013: 7th April, 30th June, 29th September , 26th December

Explorer Scouts

In early December, the District Commissioner came to visit us at Puckrup to present the remaining bronze Duke of Edinburgh Bronze awards to those who hadn’t quite completed in time for the County Presentation Evening. The explorers have also been working on the Chief Scout’s Platinum Award. This is basically the DofE Bronze plus some Values- and International-based activities. We are very proud of the 13 explorers who gained this award. The DC said that as far as he knew, it was a record for the most number of Chief Scout awards won in a single explorer unit in one go. We are looking forward to a similar number of Chief Scout Diamond awards being gained next year, to go with the Silver DofE wards which are well underway. Together with Haberpakka Young Leader ESU, we took teams to the National Scout Shooting Competition at Bisley, in Surrey. Extreme ESU didn’t win any trophies this time but we did have some good scores, and were commended on our gun control and sporting spirit by the range officers, particularly in the advanced field target competition. As well as the usual air rifle and pistol competitions, the explorers were able to experience target shooting with .22 and full-bore live ammunition. As well as planning the next DofE expeditions, we are currently making arrangements to take part in the London Monopoly Run. This is a type of scavenger hunt where 50 teams have to get around all the locations in London which feature on the Monopoly board, and take a digital photo of the team at each place, as well as completing other challenges. Later in the year we are looking forward to a narrow-boating weekend on the Grand Union Canal. We have welcomed three new explorers, who have moved up from scouts, and look forward to more joining us in the summer term.

Dan Orchard, Explorer Scout Leader 01684 298788 [email protected]

25 Classic Cars on the Village Green!

We hope that many of you will have been able to see the periodical gatherings last year of classic and vintage cars. This is a charity fund-raising event held by the local South Western Branch of the Austin Healey Club. One of the members, Mark Knight, lives in the village. Mark felt that the Green should be used more often and, with the Village Inn conveniently placed, was perfect for a classic car gathering! As a result the ‘BAT’ was born – the BAT means ‘Breakfast at Twyning’, as the gatherings are usually for a few hours on a Sunday morning with Gary and San- dra putting on bacon rolls and coffee in the pub! Mid-year, we held a Saturday evening BBQ (that’s still a ‘BAT’ of course!) event and put on a charity raffle. This was our busiest event of the year with almost 100 cars turning out – a fantastic result! A very pleasing aspect has been to hear many of the visitors saying ‘what a lovely village, I didn’t know this was here’ and of course to bring a little extra trade into the area. All told, the events held during 2012 raised a total of £853 – a fantastic result, so many thanks to all of you, with and without classic cars, who have supported us throughout 2012. For 2013 we are planning another series of ‘BATs’. The first will be held on Sunday 21st April, timed to coincide with the Federation of British Historical Vehicle Clubs’ National ‘Drive it Day’ – the one day each year when classic and vintage owners are encouraged to get their vehicles out and about on the roads so we can all enjoy them! Do join us: we support local charities, it is always a lovely atmosphere and a great breakfast too! More information: Mark Knight on 07791 417256 or Info@ahc- southwestern.co.uk

26 The Village Inn: A message from Gary and Sandra

We moved into the Village Inn almost a year ago and for our first Bulletin entry we'd like to thank the villagers for making us feel so welcome. We are delighted the refurbishment has gone well and we have had some lovely feedback from customers. We thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the Jubilee Celebrations and the Fete. Great to see good old fashioned British spirit in the rain! We have five skittles teams based here as well as cribbage, darts and pool. The Classic Car group continues to be popular and more events are planned. The skittles day, organised excellently by Jo Davies, for Children in Need raised a fantastic £650 and we are aiming for £1000 this year. We have enjoyed supporting village organisations including Twyning Players, by sell- ing tickets and giving them a warm welcome after rehearsals! We were joined by the Carol Singers and Father Christmas on 22nd December which was a lovely way to start the festivities. We feel we are a big part of the village and are planning some great events to keep you all busy for 2013! Look on our notice board outside the pub for upcoming events or give us a call on 293500. You can email us at [email protected] or better still, pop in for a chat! All the best and we look forward to seeing you soon,

Twyning School

As we all look forward to a new term I would just like to update you on what the children have been doing. Last summer all the children were involved in Art Week, which involved all the children's activities associated with art. They all enjoyed a fun packed and productive week. From this busy week the school collated a mural which will be hung up in the school over the coming weeks. All the children have contributed in some way to the mural and I am told that it is fantastic . In December the children were involved in Young Voices, which took place at the NEC in Birmingham. This is a very large event where many schools come together to sing in unison Over the past number of weeks the children had been practising hard for the event. It was a very long day, so thanks to all the children and staff who put in a lot of hard work to make it such a successful day. Also thanks to all the parents for all their support during the evening. Everyone seemed to have a good time. over 27 Building work (as many of you may have noticed) has been completed on time - a great achievement considering the very wet autumn. This extra space will cre- ate two new teaching rooms, which are much needed, as numbers of children seem to be growing each year at school. Mr Newman left at the end of last term to take up a full time position at Tewkesbury School, and we wish him all the best. Mr Clough is a new addition to the staffing team, taking up the position as teaching assistant . For what's happening at Twyning School and important dates for your diary ,please log on to our new web site www.twyningschool.net

Brian Williams Communication Governor

Showborough Affordable Art Show

Thursday 2nd May until Sunday 16th June Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays. Opening hours 10:30 am - 4:00 pm. There is no entry charge but donations are welcome for charity. There will be sculptures by over 60 sculptors

This stunning garden alone is worth a visit. Ed.

Gloucestershire Village & Community Agents Providing older people in Gloucestershire with easier access to information and services VILLAGE AGENT REPORT Sometimes it’s good to get back to basics, and remind people who, why, what, and where. If you are handy with a computer, as older people in- creasingly are, Village Agents have their own website at www.villageagents.org.uk and this has very recently had a makeover, so is well worth a look. However, even if you don’t ‘surf the web’, the message we want to get across is the same. Providing older people in Gloucestershire with easier access to information and services Village and Community Agents are here to help you to make contact with agencies who are able to provide you with the service or services that you may need. The team offer a free facilitated signposting service primar- ily to the over 50s and are able to visit people in their own homes. 28 Village and Community Agents are employed and managed by Glouces- tershire Rural Community Council (GRCC) and joint funded by Glouces- tershire County Council and NHS Gloucestershire To give you a better idea of what we cover, for this period last year, (January – March 2012) Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue and the Adult and Social Care Help desk received 15% of referrals respectively. 11% of referrals were made to Age UK. Almost half (47%) of referrals made in the Tewkesbury Borough were made to ‘other’ agencies. These included, Mears Safe at Home, GRCC, Gloucestershire Deaf Associa- tion and Wiltshire Farm Foods, but this is only a small representation of the agencies we work with. There are now Village Agents schemes running in several parts of the country, and Gloucestershire Village & Community Agents are frequently approached by other areas with an interest in setting up their own schemes

JANE GRIFFITHS Village Agent 07810 630244 [email protected] Ashchurch, Ashleworth, Chaceley, Deerhurst with Apperley, Forthampton, Hasfield, Maisemore, Sandhurst, Tewkesbury, Tirley, Twyning and Walton Cardiff

Jubilee Bench Keep a look out in the springtime for the Jubilee Bench which is near completion. The bench will be situated on the river bank near The Fleet. The bench has been commissioned by local business Metal Scope and has been purchased from residue funds raised from the Jubilee weekend. I hope you have time to enjoy it and that it can be a lasting memorial to The Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Lorna Herold BRITISH LEGION POPPY APPEAL

In 2012 a total of £1550.30 was collected in Twyning for the Poppy Ap- peal, which was slightly less than last year Thank you to everyone who generously gave, also to the collectors, Vil- lage Inn, Fleet Inn, Crown Inn and Olde Hutte Café for their help and support.

Mary Heeks Hon Organiser (01684 293566)

29 TWYNING PARISH COUNCIL SEEKS RESPONCIBLE FINANCE OFFICER following retirement of present incumbent

The primary responsibilities of the RFO are to look after the finances of the Parish Council and to advise the Council when decisions have a financial impact. The role works closely with the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and the Clerk to the Council. Apart from attending Council meetings the job holder can organise the working hours to suit themselves.

Whilst the job requires a broad knowledge of book-keeping, preparing final accounts, VAT and payroll, the incumbent does not have to be a qualified accountant or tax specialist. The existing RFO will be available for both training and a gradual handover to suit the new RFO.

Remuneration and terms of employment to be agreed.

Please contact Susan Satchell, the Clerk to the Council, at The Glen, Castlemorton, Worcestershire WR13 6BE. 01684 833604, or email [email protected]

Bulletin edited by Andrea Walton 294676 [email protected]

Distribution organised by Mary Heeks 293566

Twyning Parish Council Webmaster - Jon Rogers [email protected]

Published by Twyning Parish Council

Printed by CLK Media Ltd Email: [email protected]

Bulletin Deadline Dates for 2013 5-00 pm 16 May for the June edition and 5.00pm on 16 September for the October edition

Church Bells by Roy Thomas, and Church Choir in the Village Hall by John Reynolds

Sunset Hill End by Roy Thomas and Lambs by Dave Luckett