Twyning Bulletin

Issue No 114 October to January 2011-2012

Crab Apples on Hillview Lane

TWYNING BULLETIN

The newsletter of Twyning Parish Council

Summer Fete

The Barn Dance

At the Charity Cricket Match

Events around the Village Green this summer photos by Bob Walton, Dave Luckett and Ian Palmer

This time we are celebrating the re- opening of the Village Hall after refurbishment. It has been brightened up with new paintwork and new windows and doors.

The kitchen has been thoroughly modernised and the steps re-done with wheelchair access. The new central heating looks very promising!

The bar area looks smart. The outside surface has new tarmac and solar panels are fitted on the roof. A ‗Grand Opening‘ is planned for 11th—12th November. See more photos on P 31

We have had several events on the Green this summer, notably the TRAC Fete and Barn Dance, but there was also the annual motor bike gathering and the Morris Dancers.

We have two ‗Local Persons‘ this time: Stan Warner, who was born at School Farm and lived here most of his life and Freda Jefferson who was evacuated here in the war to stay with relatives and has returned here on retirement.

There is an article about plane trees: most of you will recognise our two large trees on The Green as planes, also often found in capital cities.

There are the usual reports from all the very many clubs and organisations that we have here in the Village.

You will see that the name Walton appears from time to time! But we would much prefer to see your name here in the Bulletin. We welcome articles from anyone in the village about something local or your photos of events.

Andrea Walton Editor

Contents P 6 Interviews with local people

P 8 Is there a threat to our local way of life?

P11 Twyning Players next Production

P16 Report from the Fete

P21 Picture quiz

P25 Church News

P29 Celebrations to open the refurbished Village hall

P31/32 More colour photos

3 Twyning Parish Council

There are two matters where I feel our Village has earned a ―Well Done‖ Diploma. First the Village Hall. Any of you who have had the opportunity to visit the hall in the last few days will be impressed and delighted with the renovation. The fact that the major works were completed with only a few days delay, is in my view fantastic and clearly shows the fruition of all the hard work, and no doubt sleepless nights, put into the project by all concerned, including the Contractors.

All this has only been possible due to the forward planning and supervision by John Reynolds and his team, including Geoff Haines for preparing the specifications, meeting potential contactors and obtaining estimates, John Reynolds and Maggie Ball for the negotiations with Tewkesbury Council to obtain the transfer of the agreed grant to the renovation of the hall, Jane Bowers for planning and arranging the new kitchen, the Friends of the Village Hall for raising funds not forgetting the Marmalade makers and of course all those who have quietly worked behind the scenes and whose names I do not know, but they will know who they are.

A fantastic job well done, but no doubt, not without its problems and differences of opinion from time to time. You should all be proud of yourselves.

Rumour has it that there will soon be a Grand Opening Party and I hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend.

At last night‘s meeting the Parish Council agreed to contribute just over £10,000 towards the cost of reno- vating the kitchen and also agreed, if funding was not available from elsewhere, to cover the cost of the outside decorations and the purchase of a further supply of comfortable chairs.

The second Well Done Diploma is for the August Bank Holiday Fete and Barn Dance. I am sure everyone who attended either or both events had an excellent time and thanks are due to the members of the TRAC committee for the planning and organisation of the event, and to all those who helped on the day, not forgetting the sellers of the raffle tickets.

I have just been informed that the amount raised, from both events, (which is used by TRAC to maintain the children‘s play area) was marginally in excess of £4000. Well done all.

The Parish Council has been concerned for some time about the appearance along the approach to the Vil- lage from the cattle grid. We have been pressing both the Highways Agency and County Highways to see if they can arrange for the broken fence to be repaired. With the consent of the Landowner our footpath gang are clearing the verges as fast as they can.

The Council are still two members short. PLEASE PLEASE! volunteer to join us by contacting our Clerk, Susan Satchell.

Martyn Ryland has kindly taken on the responsibility for the Minibus booking.

Finally a big thank you to all who support the Parish Council, and its Chairman, in so many ways.

Jeremy Horsfall. Chairman, Twyning Parish Council 20th September 2011.

4 Plane Trees

The village green is dominated by two plane trees, the smaller and more northerly being an ori- ental plane (Platanus orientalis), and the larger and more southerly a London plane (Platanus × acerifolia). The London plane is relatively resistant to air pollu- tion, abounding in city squares, but being relatively uncommon in the countryside. It is usually thought to be a hybrid of the ori- ental plane and the American sycamore, and (in spite of its name) was recorded first in Spain in the 17th century, trees of the two species having been planted near to one another. According to John Vallins (The Guardian, 28 June 2011), the plane is venerated in some parts of the world: Xerxes is said to have halted his army in Lydia to admire the beauty of a plane and to enjoy the welcome shade afforded by its great spread.

Perhaps the most impressive plane trees in the world are the ones that line the entire 240 km of the Canal du Midi, built in the 17th Century on the orders of the Sun King, Louis XIV (shown above). The canal con- stitutes a World Heritage Site, described by UNESCO as not only ―One of the most remarkable feats of civil engineering‖, but also ―A work of Art‖. Sadly, these trees are under threat from a fungal infection, and it is almost certain that they will all have to destroyed and replaced. There must be a risk that our trees will suffer the same fate.

Bob Walton.

Gloucestershire Police are getting a new non-emergency telephone number.

The new number will be launched on the 19th September and will replace the existing 0845 number. The aim of the new number is to make it easier for the public to contact the police. At the present time each constabulary has its own non-emergency number; from the 19th September the country will all use the same number 101. The public will be given the option to speak to the police in the area that you are calling from, or talk to any constabulary in the country.

After being the local officer for the area for the last three years, it is with great sadness I am in- forming local residents that I will no longer be your local officer. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with you all in such a lovely area, and have attended many fun events. Over the next few weeks I will be working alongside your new officer PCSO Angela Parker, introducing her to the local communities. If you see us out and about please come and say hello.

Contact details for PCSO Parker are: Tewkesbury Police Station, Barton Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PR.

Tel:- 101 Gloucestershire Ext 7327

Stan Warner when he was Chair of the Parish Council planting a tree with the W I on the Green in 1972

Interview with Stan Warner

Stan Warner is well-known in Twyning. He was born in School Farm to a farming family, and has lived in the village all his life, apart from a three-year spell in Suffolk. At the age of 10, he went to stay with friends of his parents for a two-week holiday, and liked it so much there that he stayed for three years. He came back to take up a scholarship at Tewkesbury Grammar School, where his main interests were poetry, drama, and singing – not the obvious background for a farming career. At the age of 17, during the Second World War, he volunteered for service with the RAF but his poor hearing disqualified him. Instead, his family encouraged him to help his grandfather (who was in poor health) to run Hill End Farm, even though he knew little about farming. It was at that farm that he spent the rest of his career, and he is still involved there in a small way. During his working life, he had several agricultural interests and achieved a number of successes. For example, he held various regional and national positions, and he had a prize-winning dairy herd. In addition, Stan served on Twyning Parish Council for an unbroken 33 years, many of them as Chairman.

The coming of the motorways had an obvious impact on Twyning and its neighbourhood. Previously, the A38 had been a nightmare on summer weekends, because of the amount of traffic (mainly en route between Birmingham and the West Country). I was particularly interested to hear how else the village has changed during his life-time. When he was young, there were far fewer houses, but the village was almost self-sufficient. There were several farms, orchards and market gardens producing food; four shops; two blacksmiths; a laundry; and a garage with petrol pumps (Warner‘s Garage). The Village Inn had its own brewery, selling beer at 2½d per pint. Most villagers were employed in the village and, at one time, Stan employed a staff of seven.

In spite of so many changes, he still loves the village and has no regrets about all the years that he has spent here. Bob Walton

6 A Wartime Evacuee in Twyning

In September 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, Freda Ratcliffe (as she then was – now Freda Jefferson) and her younger sister and mother were departing Streatham in South London: she remembers the sky appearing solid with barrage balloons. They were heading for Twyning and were being driven in the family‘s Rover 12 by her father (who played trumpet in the Ambrose Orchestra, the famous dance band). They had previously spent a month every summer staying with her maternal grandparents in the village, and their home offered an obvious refuge. But it soon became clear that there was no immedi- ate danger, and so they returned to London. A year later, the blitz was making life increasingly frightening and uncomfortable, and so the girls and their mother returned to Twyning (although they later moved to Church End Farm when her grandparents found it hard to manage).

From September 1940 until 1946, Freda was a pupil at Tewkesbury High School, which was near the Ab- bey. She cycled to and from school, and remembers the roads often being full of military convoys. There were a few other evacuees at the school, but no special arrangements seem to have been made for them. Interestingly, though, the American Army based at Ashchurch organised parties for local evacuee children. Her most frightening experience at school came on the only occasion that the air raid siren sounded. In London, children had been well-drilled to leave the classroom in an orderly manner to go into the shelter, carrying their knitting bags (they were expected to knit squares for blankets to keep them calm and occu- pied). However, in Tewkesbury, they had not been so trained, and no-one moved. She was terrified that the bombing would start with them not in a shelter.

During the war, young people were set to do important work. In the Spring of 1941, Freda and two other children helped to turn Brockeridge and Shuthonger Commons into potato fields. They returned later in the year to pick the crop.

In 1946, Freda returned to London, but she had lots of relatives in the village and would return frequently over the years. In 1991, she and her husband came back to Twyning to make their home here.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH – IS YOUR HOME REGISTERED? If you are affected by debt,Fortunately concerned the aboutlevel of crime in our area has again been low over the last three months employmentStreet-level orcrime worried and antisocial behaviour in Twyning during MAY to AUGUST 2011 aboutBurglary the security1, Anti-social of behaviour 6, Robbery 0, Vehicle crime 3, Violent crime 0, Other crime 6. The yoursingle house, case ofdon‘t burglary bury relates to a property in Abbots Court Drive, Church End, and the vehicle crime in- 0800volved 068 vehicles 8918 parked in lay-bys on the A38.

Some months ago Jean White, who was one of the civilian Neighbourhood Watch officers employed by the Gloucestershire police, retired. As far as I am aware she has not been replaced and in consequence we now have only one employee covering a very large area of Gloucestershire. It may be as a result of this that the communications I have received from the police over the last few months have been few and far between. It is therefore particularly important that residents let me know of any concerns they may have relating to possible criminal activity so that I can give them publicity through the Neighbourhood Watch. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... RIGHTMOVE PLACES http://www.rightmoveplaces.co.uk/ I wonder if anybody has seen this website which was set up quite recently by ―Rightmove‖. I think it has the potential to be a really useful website. I have already posted a number of pictures and articles about our village, including one relating to Neighbourhood Watch. If you haven't seen it, check it out, and maybe you can add to my posts about the village. Dennis Harvey

7 Is there a threat to our rural way of life?

Bill Bryson, although an American, is happily living in England and prepared to take on those who threaten the countryside. As President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England [CPRE] he is using his consider- able skills as an author and activist to encourage a U-turn on proposals for ‗planning reform‘. In the draft National Planning Policy Framework [NPPF] published in July 2011 by the coalition government, planning regulation can be liberalised in order to stimulate house building and construction in order to promote growth. This is felt by many to be a threat to the rural environment. Bryson along with Fiona Reynolds, Director of the 3.5 million National Trust members, and others are urging a fundamental re- think. After the attempt to sell off England‘s forests was halted, at least locally in the Forest of Dean, it can be seen that a wellspring of opinion can make a difference. Although the government planning minister, Greg Clarke, says that building more houses and businesses in England is ‗absolutely crucial‘ to attract companies that are relocating and to provide affordable housing as rents rise, this is countered by those who speak up for the rural interest. The biggest changes in the planning system for 60 years the NPPF states that ―[the local protection desig- nate] will not be appropriate for most green areas or open spaces‖. The draft NPPF opens a way for developers to build on previously unavailable land by showing that there is a need in the area and it is a benefit for the community. If there is no local plan in place within the 6 months that have been given as a limit for councils to get this in place, then ‗development councils‘ will be required to grant permission. The concern is that the government no longer prioritises brown field sites, of which there are nationally 160,000 acres, enough for 3 million new homes, and encouraging developers to move onto out-of-town green field rural areas. There are also three quarters of a million empty homes nationwide. According to data in the NPPF impact assessment report most development proposals are approved, 87% in 2009/10 and of those that went to appeal 80% were also approved. If all this sound very gloomy and you want to find out more, or sign a petition, here are useful websites and addresses: A Walton

CPRE 128 Southwark Street, www.cpre.org.uk London SE1 0SW

National Trust: nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-chl_environment/w-planning-landing.htm The National Trust PO Box 39 Warrington WA5 7WD

Friends of the Earth: foe.co.uk 26-28 Underwood Street LONDON N1 7JQ

Woodland Trust: woodlandtrust.org.uk Kempton Way, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6LL.

8 Term Times this school year

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER Mo Mo Mo 29 5 12 19 26 3 10 17 24 31 7 14 21 28 n n n Tu Tu Tu 30 6 13 20 27 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 es es es W We We 31 7 14 21 28 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30 ed d d Th Th Th 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 ur ur ur Fri 2 9 16 23 30 Fri 7 14 21 28 Fri 4 11 18 25

Sa 3 10 17 24 Sat 1 8 15 22 29 Sat 5 12 19 26 t Su Su Su 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 n n n

DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY Mo Mo Mo 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 n n n Tu Tu Tu 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 31 7 14 21 28 es es es W We We 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 ed d d Th Th Th 1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 ur ur ur Fri 2 9 16 23 30 Fri 6 13 20 27 Fri 3 10 17 24

Sa 3 10 17 24 31 Sat 7 14 21 28 Sat 4 11 18 25 t Su Su Su 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26 n n n

MARCH APRIL MAY Mo Mo Mo 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30 7 14 21 28 n n n Tu Tu Tu 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22 29 es es es W We We 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 ed d d Th Th Th 1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26 3 10 17 24 31 ur ur ur Fri 2 9 16 23 30 Fri 6 13 20 27 Fri 4 11 18 25

Sa 3 10 17 24 31 Sat 7 14 21 28 Sat 5 12 19 26 t Su Su Su 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 n n n

JUNE JULY AUGUST / SEPTEMBER

Mo Mo Mo 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 n n n Tu Tu Tu 5 12 19 26 3 10 17 24 31 7 14 21 28 es es es W We We 6 13 20 27 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 ed d d Th Th Th 7 14 21 28 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30 ur ur ur Fri 1 8 15 22 29 Fri 6 13 20 27 Fri 3 10 17 24 31

Sa 2 9 16 23 30 Sat 7 14 21 28 Sat 4 11 18 25 1 t Su Su Su 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26 2 n n n

Term-time—White Holidays—Grey Bank Holidays—Black

The recently-formed Gloucestershire Neurological Alliance (GNA) is a campaigning group, affiliated to the national Neurological Alliance, a registered charity. We seek to improve the quality of life of Glouces- tershire people affected by neurological conditions. We do this by uniting individuals, groups, charities and other organisations as a single, powerful voice so we can raise awareness, influence policy and thereby improve services. We are all unpaid volunteers.

If you are directly or indirectly affected by a long-term neurological condition then I am asking for your help and support. You may be a clinician, a nurse or a health professional, or you may be a patient, a carer or a charity worker. You may simply be a citizen committed to improving the lot of those who, through no fault of their own, are prevented from making their views known because of neurological conditions.

We have produced a very comprehensive booklet, 'Getting the Best From Neurological Services in Gloucestershire', published on April 15th at a neurology event in Cheltenham. The booklet is aimed princi- pally at those recently diagnosed with neurological conditions and is packed with information to help them find the services, support and advice they need. It can be viewed on-line and downloaded from www.glosna.org.uk; printed copies are also available.

The GNA is committed to addressing ten subjects identified by Neurological Commissioning Support as being badly in need of improvements. They include wheelchair provision, access to buildings, public transport, key workers, access to information, training for professionals and so on.

We seek your support to make this organisation a success, to represent your views in the forthcoming NHS changes and to further our influence in the community and improve services for those affected by neurological conditions.

Please join us by becoming a member of the GNA. Meetings are held monthly and are open to all members.

The annual fee for individual membership is £10 and a membership application form can be downloaded from our website www.glosna.org.uk. We look forward to meeting you at one of our future meetings or events.

David Stokes M.Sc, C.Eng Treasurer GNA

10 TWYNING PLAYERS

SECRETARY: Carol Chapman TREASURER: John Salmon

Twyning Players‘ winter production is under way and you are in for a real treat. We are delighted to announce that this year‘s show will be:

Wind in the Willows.

This much-loved tale of the riverbank features four main characters: Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad. When Mole goes boating with the Water Rat instead of spring-cleaning, he discovers a new world. As well as the river and the Wild Wood, there is Toad's craze for fast travel which leads him and his friends on a whirl of trains, barges, gipsy caravans and motor cars - and even into battle.

Bring your family and friends to this all-time favourite and get December off to a terrific start. Wind in the Willows will be presented at Twyning Village Hall on:

Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings 8th-10th December, with a matinee on Saturday afternoon. Look out for details on posters and notice boards a little nearer the time – and book early to reserve your seats!

Carol Chapman, Secretary

Diary dates: Thursday 08 December Wind in the Willows Twyning Players Friday 09 December Wind in the Willows Twyning Players Saturday 10 December Wind in the Willows Twyning Players

TWYNING VILLAGE WALK, Sunday 10th July Twelve walkers and three well behaved dogs – Digby, Pip and Jake.—join up into car groups and drive round to the Garden Centre at The Mythe for the start point of the walk. Down a track to the Severn, along the river bank and then return along the disused railway line. It‘s a beautiful morning in idyllic surround- ings. It calls for sweeping prose. I don‘t do sweeping prose. I‘ll provide some background research on what we saw instead. King John’s Castle.. A large, old building situated at the side of the track, situated just behind the Garden Centre. Research shows that it was earlier known as The Mythe Manor House or The Mythe Hook Manor House. There is no documentary link with King John but tradition has it that the older part of the house was built by him when he was Prince John, the Duke of Cornwall. Dragonflies. Down near the river there were several sightings of these lovely but now rarely seen insects and speculation that some of them may have been ‗damselflies‘. Apparently dragonflies keep their wings unfolded when at rest, damselflies folded horizontally along their body. Colours – both mostly blue bod- ies but damselflies a lighter shade, emerald or pale emerald. Ponds. One very long pond and one smaller pond on the side of the river bank. They are known as the ‗Red Ponds‘ because The Mythe Brickworks started digging up the red clay here about the year 1800. Many of the bricks were used in Tewkesbury when timbered buildings of the wealthier occupants started to be coated with the fancy brickwork that can still be seen in the town. The last bricks to be made were used to build three cottages, sadly demolished in the late 1900s, two of which were used by basket-making families using withies from the nearby osier beds. The families had to move upstairs when the river flooded over its banks.

The Railway Line Embankment. This was part of the single-track line that ran from Ashchurch, then through Tewkesbury, Ripple and Upton on to Malvern. There is an interesting Second World War aspect of the line‘s use: when American forces came to England in 1942-43, they built several large temporary hospitals in the Malvern area. Initially, they were used for airmen injured in raids over France or Germany, or for the sol- diers hurt in accidents or becoming ill. But their main purpose was to provide extensive accommodation for the many American wounded expected to require treatment immediately after the D-Day landings in Normandy. Thousands of badly wounded men were evacuated across the Channel in returning landing craft or hospital ships, landed at one of the South Coast ports, and then taken to Malvern on Ambulance Trains along that railway line. It was only after the Allied forces advanced well inland from Normandy that suitable buildings could be found or new temporary hospitals built ‗over there‘ that the surge to Malvern was no longer needed and most of the medical units there crossed over to the Continent.

After returning many of us found ourselves enjoying Sunday lunch at The Village Inn after a very pleasant morning.

(I am grateful to Michael Trott of Shuthonger for help with some of the above research.)

Martin Middlebrook NEXT WALK IS ON Sunday October 2nd 11-00am

12 Forthcoming Events:

Do come along to the Ann Townend Hall on Saturday October 15th at 7-30pm to see some films and DVDs of local interest taken and shown by Rev. Brian Underwood, our former parish priest. Admission is free but donations to defray expenses and support our church will be welcomed. Light refreshments will be available. If you would like a lift please ring Beryl Chescoe.

Twyning Carol Singers

Yes! We will be perambulating the village again this year and hope that you may wish to join us either by singing or collecting donations. We shall rehearse on Sundays the 4th and 11th of December at 7-30pm in church. If you intend only to sing around the parish it is not necessary to attend on these dates, they are primarily to learn the harmonies of the lesser known carols for private entertainment and the church carol service. We have licence from Tewkesbury Borough Council to sing between December 20th and the 24th but not on all of these dates at present. We sing at Tewkesbury Hospital and the church carol service. Do ring me to enquire and to have you join us would be pleasing, either to sing or to offer hospitality. Beryl Chescoe

Grand Opening weekend for the Village Hall 11th—12th November

Twyning Chapel - Wednesday December 7th are having a Christmas Carol Service.

Twyning Players present their Christmas Production Wind in the Willows December 8th-10th

Christingle Service at 5-00 pm at the church - December 24th

Village Walk—Sunday October 2nd and Boxing Day. 11-00 am at the Village Inn

T Tewkesbury Mop Fair

Although Tewkesbury‘s two-day Mop Festival is named after the humble domestic utensil, this is not, as you might have thought, a curi- ous celebration of cleanliness. Instead the his- toric fair, dating back to the 12th Century provides the setting for a fun evening out for families from across Gloucestershire every year, with the annual celebrations being held again on: October 10th – 11th.

According to the Tewkesbury Fair Society, the Mop Fair‘s name came about because farm workers, labourers, servants and craftsmen would take along an item to represent their trade to the fair. When the workers had no spe- cific skills they would carry a mop head to sig- nify that they were for free for employment in the hope an employer would spot them in the crowds and give them a job – quite unlike today‘s recruitment fairs, but an efficient way to find employment nonetheless.

While the modern-day organisers of Tewkesbury Mop Fair won‘t be promising career advancements, the celebratory feeling of the street party has remained consistent to this very day. The two-day festival in 2011 will see Tewkesbury‘s Nelson Street packed with visitors, with fun fair rides, traditional games and stalls serving tempting snacks all open for business. Bringing along a mop is strictly optional, but may help with the street cleaning afterwards! [From What on in Gloucestershire]

13 Village Agent Report

I cover all sorts of things in these reports, and I wonder if this ever leads to confusion about the role of a Village Agent in the community, so I thought it might be timely to highlight some of the services we offer people. The main role of a Village Agent is to provide older people in Gloucestershire with easier access to information and services. We can cover a range of topics, including: Social Care * Leisure * Pensions and Benefits * Transport * Home Safety * Health Issues * Volunteering Advocacy * Lifelong Learning and Skills * Housing. We are local people employed on a part-time basis to become a trusted community member and resource. We network extensively with Parish Councillors, Community Nurses, Police Community Support Officers, Fire Safety Officers, Social Group Organisers, Transport Providers etc. We make home visits and provide high quality information and enable direct access to a wide range of services via an electronic referral system. We informally carry out practical checks related to safety in the home (e.g. smoke alarms, falls pre- vention), benefit entitlement and energy efficiency. Our visits are followed up, where necessary, by experts who will provide specialist information, advice and services. All of this means that older people are in re- ceipt of any services that can help them remain independent in their own homes .

I want to emphasise that last point. INDEPENDENT IN THEIR OWN HOMES. For whatever reason, it‘s sometimes difficult to persuade people that remaining independent actually means taking a little help and support now, to stay living independently for longer. In particular, I would encourage older people living on their own to take advantage of the Lifeline emergency call system. This has been brought home to me over the past month with the news of seven elderly people that I know having falls. Three had to go to hospital, one with a broken hip. When I talk to people about the chances of falling, without exception they will tell me that it‘s unlikely because they are ‗So Careful...‘ Unfortunately, those seven people also thought they were so careful, and the one thing I can guarantee if someone falls at home, inside or outside, is that it will NOT be where they can reach the phone. Having a Lifeline installed is NOT the first step over the hill, but a way of retaining independence and giving you and your family peace of mind that you can call for help IF and WHEN you need it. If you would like to talk further about Lifelines, or any other way of retaining your independence, please call me. Your independence - It’s what we’re there for.

Jane Griffiths

Twyning over 60s Lunch Club

This lunch club which has been running for many years meets every Friday during term time in the village hall. The actual meal is served at 12-30 pm, but many members arrive earlier to catch up on the week‘s news with friends. We have completed a successful year with membership running at a high level. Our final meal in the ‗old‘ hall was on 22nd July but on the 29th many of our members and friends enjoyed a club ‗safari‘ to Weston, organised by Joyce Bainbridge.

On Friday 19th August we all met at Fleet Farm bungalow for an informal lunch. The weather was so good some members dined ‗al fresco‘. Thank you to Joyce and all her hard working team.

Friday 16th September we will meet for our first lunch in the re-furbished village hall. We still have a few vacancies for anyone who would like to join.

Contacts: Reg Ross or Sam Haycock

14 Tewkesbury Hospital Friends

The annual Hospital Fete was held this year on Saturday the 27th August in the hospital grounds. Once more the people of Twyning responded magnificently to the challenge. Again we had splendid help from the W.I., who worked hard delivering collection leaflets, collecting goods and labelling items. Once again we thank Judy Marples for the use of her garage. The expected rain kept off until the very end of the fete. The remaining tombola items were sold at the Twyning fete on Monday the 29th September. The Hospital Fete is expected to raise a total of about £5000 of which our village managed to raise £1948-78p. Well done all of you!! We are now looking forward to the time of year when the Christmas order catalogues are being circulated and these will also raise funds for the hospital.

Anita and Sam Haycock

Can you help?

Sam and Anita Haycock are cutting back on their fundraising for Tewkesbury Hospital. Currently they are involved in five such activities each year, and for many years. These take up a lot of their time and don‘t leave them with any time for their own pursuits; also they are getting older and would like to take things a bit easier. So they are giving up the Hospital Fete next summer, the Christmas raffle and the house-to- house collection next June. They are aware that this will deplete the money raised here for the hospital. They are hoping that as a result of this appeal there will be people in the village who will come forward to offer to take on these three events.

They are still going to run the Webb Ivory Christmas catalogue and also the Easter chicks, rabbits etc for the time being (they have some new designs for next time). They have a wealth of experience and knowledge that they would be willing to pass on to anyone and are willing to be supportive.

Anita and Sam Haycock

‘Flu Jabs

This year to save money the Government are not advertising ‘flu jabs and have left the responsibility to remember to arrange these up to the individual. From the 1st

October they will be in your surgery. You are eligible for free immunisation if:

You are over 65

You have a long-term illness

You are pregnant

Don’t forget to check with your surgery if you are unsure about your eligibility. 15 Bank Holiday Fete

The weekend‘s festivities began on Saturday evening with our Family Pig Roast and Barn Dance. 170 adults and children joined together to try and follow the instructions given by the Caller, Paul Weir, with music from ―Brand F‖. Paul was a new caller to us this year and I think he was surprised with our stam- ina. In fact, by his own admission, he said he found it hard to keep up with demand and that ―In 40 years I would put this in my top 5% of events for enthusiasm‖. Well done Twyning!! The bar staff worked hard to keep us all adequately hydrated and the Pig Roast provided by local family butchers ―Halfords‖ was excellent. Thank you to everyone who supported us. Now to the Fete: Once again how lucky were we with the weather? I don‘t think I have ever seen so many people attending the fete and what surprised us most of all was how early everyone turned up. We had people asking for teas and coffees at 11.00am and people trying to buy tombola tickets before the stall was even set up! People came from near and far to join in the day, looking for a bargain on the car boot, sampling our delicious barbecue or just having a nice family day out, looking around the stalls and having a go at the various games on offer. The number of entries for our competitions was a little disappointing and indeed there did seem to be some problems getting entry forms from the village shop in the run up to the event, which perhaps de- terred people from entering. However the standard of those that did enter remained high, making the judges‘ job very difficult. Thank you to everyone who took part and to all the judges. Special congratula- tions are due to Alison Peake who, for the second year running, won the Floral Competition, judged by Hans Haverkamp, and in doing so received our Twyning Floral Competition Challenge trophy. In the main arena we had two dance displays from the children of CST New Image Baton Twirlers. We had another excellent display ―Walk with Hawks‖. Unfortunately it was too windy for their owls to fly but they did manage to show us a fantastic young peregrine falcon and as always there was egg throwing and Tug of War. There were many stalls and activities around The Green and virtually every village organisation was rep- resented in some way, either raising money for their own group or just raising awareness. We had the Wine Club launching burgers, The Scouts having a smashing time with their crockery and The Church showing us the work that is going into their current kneeler project. The Explorers were in the school grounds giving people an opportunity to have a go at Archery and Air Rifle Shooting and we even had a reconditioned fire engine that the children could go on. The refreshments on all parts were fantastic: many thanks to the Ladies of the WI and all those who worked tirelessly throughout the day to keep us all fed and watered. It is difficult to thank everyone who helped make the whole weekend a success individually, but if you did help in any way, large or small, THANK YOU! It is always hard to get new volunteers, so we rely heavily on the same people each year but without them there would probably be NO VILLAGE FETE. TRAC takes only 1/10th of the takings from the stalls, the majority of funds going directly to those village organisations that support the Fete. TRAC is an integral part of our village, with the Tennis Club and Playground attracting many visitors who utilise other amenities. If there were no Fete to raise money, TRAC would have to depend on the Parish Council to subsidise the site at Kilmore Lane, which would ultimately increase our Council Tax. So thank you to all those who turned out to support Twyning Village Fete and we hope you enjoyed your day. See you next year!!!!

Raffle Prizes 1st Pamela Collins - £100 2nd B Gerald – Luxury Hamper 3rd A Spry - Dinner for two at The Yorkshire Grey 4th R Bailey - Dinner for two at The Fleet Inn

16 Competition Winners Vegetable Person Decorate a Paper Plate Cakes or 6 buns 1st Jake Quinn 1st Isobel Shepherd 1st Verity Khor 2ndLizzie Marples 2ndTrevelyan Khor 3rdFreddie Thomas Tray Garden Lego Construction Hama Bead Coaster 1st Max Walters 1st Jared Tombs 1st Daniel Cotton 2nd Eleanor Stiles 2ndLouis Packham 2nd Isabella Quinn 3rd Lizzie Marples 3rd Daniel Cotton 3rd Hannah Thwaites Photo- (theme Reflection) CANAPE Crochet/Knitted item 1st Kiera Watkins 1st Willow Herold 1st Cath Williams 2ndCameron Watkins 2nd Willow Herold 2nd Judy Marples 3rd Gemma Heeks Preserve-Sweet Preserve-Savoury Beverage 1st Fanny Randall 1st Cath Williams 1st Gemma Cooke 2nd Lucie Cotton 2nd Judy Stone 2nd Fiona Packham 3rd Phoebe Randall 3rd Judy Marples 3rd Charlotte Shepherd Cake Open Scones Home-grown Tomatoes 1st Simon Shepherd 1st Steve Thomas 1st Adrienne Bennett 2ndGemma Cooke 2ndHannah Moreby 2nd Judy Marples 3rd Roy Thomas 3rd Molly- Mae Ryland & Jasmin Steger 3rd Barbara Shortt Medley of 3 Vegetables Wine Floral Arrangement 1st Kate Taylor 1st John Stephens 1st Alison Peake 2nd Clay Randall 2ndJohn Stephens 2ndFanny Randall 3rd Ann Spry 3rdJohn Westcott 3rd Rachel Walters

Twyning Chapel th Wednesday December 7 is a date for your diaries !! We are having a Christmas Carol Service with the visit of a choir from Droitwich Salvation Army – what bet- ter way to start your Christmas! Come and enjoy a festive evening with wonderful singing and music followed by your first mince pie! Everyone welcome – bring your Granny and your grandchildren!!

We have lots of other activities at Chapel and all are most welcome. On Sunday mornings at 10.30 we have our Worship Service and Sunday School. During the week we have Friends and Heros monthly on a Saturday morning for primary aged children – great fun had by all. On Friday mornings fortnightly we have Dinkies for pre-school children and their carers – come for a coffee and a chat. Monday afternoons fortnightly is a fellowship time open to all and monthly in the evening a singing group to learn new songs and pray together. On Wednesday evenings we meet for prayer and teaching at 7.30 either at Chapel or as a house group. We do invite you all to join us when ever you can. For more information please see our notice board or visit: www.twyningchapel.org.uk

17 2nd Twyning Scout Group – Ian Palmer 296842 : theian- [email protected]

The whole group have had a very busy summer with activities ranging from St George‘s Day Parade in April to the Twyn- ing Scout Group Great Big Adventure Camp in June when 132 Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Leaders and Par- ents spent a very active weekend at the 50 acre Blackwell Adventure Centre in Worcestershire.

Young leaders Josie and Emily , both ex Twyning Scouts , also had the experience of a lifetime during the summer as they were two of only 36 Gloucestershire Scouts to attend the World Scout Jamboree in Sweden in July and August along with another 40,000 scouts from 192 countries around the world.

Finally many thanks to all villagers who have supported the group by buying a hot dog, participating in the dog show or car boot in July, or smashing crockery at the TRAC Fete in August.

Beavers – meet Tuesday evenings – Kevin Tyson The summer term was yet again a busy time for Twyning Beavers who completed several new badges and awards.

During the first half of term Beavers completed their Promise Challenge, completed a litter pick in Downfield lane and we invested our new Beavers. We also had a good attendance from our Beavers at the St George‘s Day Parade at Tewkesbury Abbey

As part of our Father‘s Day celebrations we invited all dads with their children to try out some bell-boating at Pershore. With three boats there were some good races and, although some fathers struggled to get their boat moving in the right direction and get into the life vests, the Beavers had a great evening along the Avon.

Later on in term, as part of their Air Activities badge, we visited Defford Airfield and were shown around by Clive Porter, who explained some of the things pilots need to know. The Beavers were all able to sit at the controls of an aircraft and build their own helicopter balloon.

We joined the cubs & scouts for their Group Camp in Blackwell and the Beavers had great fun doing some indoor climbing, go-karting, grass-sledging, undertaking a tree-trek, and staying in tents overnight.

As part of our Explore Activity we had a long hike across fields from Tewkesbury back to the Fleet, stopping for a picnic midway. We also had a combined games/activity evening with Cubs and Scouts – complete with hot food.

Twyning Beavers is open to girls and boys of 6 to 8 and meets on Tuesday evenings during term time. If you have a child of 4 or 5 that would like to be added to the waiting list, please call Kevin Tyson .

18 St Georges Day Parade, Tewkesbury Abbey, May 2011

Cubs – meet Thursday evenings – Dave Green

During the term the cubs worked on their Local Knowledge and Cyclist badges.

As part of the Local Knowledge badge we explored Tewkesbury and drew maps of Twyning. We finished the badge by having an evening in Ripple. Ollie and Digby‘s granddads showed us around Ripple Church and Daniel and Trevelyan planned a route around the village.

The cubs enjoyed two evenings working on their Cyclist badge. They learned how to repair punctures, gained some safe cycling tips and cycled around the village.

We also had a few evenings preparing for our group camp. This included setting up tents, packing bags and cooking our own freshly prepared soup – which was delicious.

Group camp was fantastic. We zip wired, climbed, grass sledged, played wide games in the dark and completed our Outdoor Challenge. During the term we also ran a badge test evening where the cubs had an opportunity to show their proficiency for chosen their chosen hobbies.

We entered a team in the district football competition where they put up a great performance just losing to the eventual winners.

Several Cubs also entered the annual district water fun day at Croft Farm, which was great fun.

The Term ended with a joint group event on the village green. There were a number of fun activities followed by a hot dog. Cubs continue to run at healthy numbers fed by our Beaver Colony. If you wish your child to go on the waiting list please e-mail me on the address above for an application form to confirm your child‘s interest.

Scouts – meet Thursday – Adrian Clough

28 Scouts attended the ‗Big Adventure‘ camp at Blackwell in June. This was a ‗full on‘ weekend with activities such as zip wire, crate stack and abseiling.

We made the most of the good weather during last term, frequently getting and doing practical skills; cooking over open fires, geo-caching and playing wide games.

We ended the summer term by joining Cubs and Beavers for a combined ‗challenge‘ event on the village green. This involved various physical and mental challenges, followed by hot dogs and chocolate! Thanks to the parents who helped cook and serve the food.

This term we shall be aiming to complete the Outdoor and Community Challenge badges. For our Community Challenge, we will be doing a litter pick around the village and bag packing for charity at a local supermarket. We shall also be taking part in operation ‗Bald Eagle‘, which will see our two teams having to do a night hike and complete various challenges. There is usually a lot of stiff competition at this event, so we wish them good luck.

Some of the younger Scouts will have the opportunity to go on a weekend narrow boat trip in November, and the older ones will be doing a kayak expedition on the Sharpness Canal.

Another busy term ahead!

Opening Times of the Mobile Post Office at the Village Shop

Tuesday and Thursday 9-30am to 2-30pm

Saturday 9-30am to 11-30am

Sometimes it has been noted that the post-office person goes home early if it is quiet. Do you feel strongly about this?

Does anyone know who these villagers were? And where they are? Some answers on P 22

This is an old photograph of Twyning School. Are or your relatives in it? Let us know. Copied from the Twyning Parish web-site.

21 TWYNING TOTs

So far Tots as usual has had a very busy summer. It all started with the closing down of the Village Hall, where we removed the bigger Tots toys and stashed them in varies mums‘ houses, so we could still carry on with the Thursday afternoon tradition. It wasn't every Thursday but when we did meet up we were always met with familiar faces, lovely chat and homemade cake, yum, ‗hands off kids‘! The other Thursdays were spent down the park having teddy bear picnics, which the older kids loved as they got to meet up with their friends and tear around the park.

The Village Fete was great fun too and it was brilliant to be a part of something so buzzy. A big thank you to everyone who baked cakes for the Tots Stand (especially Joanne who baked loads for us before emigrating back to the States). Well done to Vikki E, Nicki, Vikki K and Hollie for manning the stand and particularly to Vikki E and Nicki, who carried on tirelessly after the fete had finished, by going to the Village Inn and getting all the locals to play "guess the sweets." Cheers girls.

With all the fund-raising we've been doing over the year from the pub quiz, photo shoot and the Village Fete, we've got some great new toys for Tots, appealing to all ages from really tiny babies to the more robust older ones. We're back in the Village Hall now and we meet up every Thursday from 1.30 pm to 3.00pm. There‘s loads of stuff for the kids to do, cake for the mums (more often than not homemade), and drinks and refreshments for everyone. Most importantly there's space and time for people to relax and for the kids to have fun.

Check out the Village Notice Board for oncoming events, it would be lovely to see you.

Any enquires call Hollie

Answer to photo question: Billy Warner‘s Rag-time Band.

And the place Twyning Park, but who are the band members?

Can you name them?

Membership of the vibrant WI in our picturesque village of Twyning provides opportunities for women of all ages to engage with the local community. We try exciting and unusual activities as well as campaigning on a wide range of issues. All this is underpinned by friendship, fun and socialising. The face of the WI is constantly changing as the role and needs of women alter and evolve.

Insightful speakers address interesting subjects, with our current programme including topics such as Barbara Cartland, Costumes in China, and Tudor Living.

Jam and Jerusalem are part of our history! Now you can take part in walks through the Cotswolds, pub lunches as well as sharing creative ideas. You could go even further and enrol on one of the hundreds of courses on offer at Denman College for an exciting new challenge..

More information can be found on the NFWI website www.thewi.org Alternatively, and best of all, join us in the Village Hall on the second Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm where you can be assured of a warm welcome.

Contact Judith Drury

Programme:

11th October – John Dixon will give a talk entitled Barbara Cartland: Stranger in our Midst. If members would like to they can come in pink, looking (a bit) like Barbara Cartland!!

8th November – AGM, Sales Table and a visit from Rebecca Edney of the Acorns Hospice.

13th December – Costumes and Culture of South West China will be the subject of a talk to be given by Jill Salmons.

Our meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 in the Village Hall. Doors open at 7:15pm Lyn Tillotson

Christingle Service.

This year‘s Christingle Service will be held on 24th December 2011 at 5.00pm at Saint Mary Magda- lene Church.

Your support at the service will enable The Children‘s Society to continue their work with children who face life‘s harshest challenges. It is truly a lovely service and a great way to start celebrating Christmas, so if you haven‘t been before please come along and join us. Even the snow couldn‘t keep people away last year!

Lorna Herold

In June we travelled by the Twyning Mini-bus to Evesham Country Park where a pleasant afternoon was enjoyed by all, ending with an ever welcome cup of tea.

August saw some members helping at the Africa Day in Gloucester Cathedral.

Our big event of the year in August was the service celebrating 100 years of an MU branch in this village. Invited guests and our members then enjoyed afternoon tea in the Ann Townend Hall.

Further meetings this year are: 6th October: a meal 1st November a speaker: Angela Cole our church reader in training. 10th December: Advent Carol Service Visitors are always welcome to any of our meetings. We meet in the Ann Townend Hall on the first Monday of the month unless stated differently. Joan Tennant

Twyning Wine Club The 2011 Wine Club programme continues. In May we had a 'British Evening' at which the Club cele- brated British food and drink. The Hall and tables were decorated appropriately and, to the accompani- ment of suitable music, members enjoyed food and drink prepared or supplied by their Club colleagues. June saw our summer outing, when members had the opportunity to enjoy a trip on the River Severn at Worcester, followed by refreshment at the nearby St. Peters Garden Centre.

The Inter-Club Quiz and Wine Competition took place in July, when our Club (as host this year) competed against three other local clubs. Members put a lot of effort into preparation to ensure an enjoyable evening, and we did quite well in both the quiz and wine competition. Taking a chance on the Variable weather, the Club had its annual BBQ in August, kindly hosted by two Club members. The weather was kind, and it was an enjoyable evening. The Club is looking forward to its first meeting at the refurbished Village Hall in September, which is the Harvest Supper. The Club usually meets at the Village Hall on the third Wednesday of each month. Enquiries regarding membership are most welcome. Please contact the Secretary or any Committee member.

Roy Thomas Secretary to Twyning Wine Club

A little visitor seen in a hedge in Goodiers Lane

24 THE FUTURE OF TWYNING PARISH CHURCH

Many people feel that Twyning Parish Church is at the heart of the village. The building has been modernised to provide a welcoming venue for Christian worship, baptisms, weddings, funerals and concerts – including the School productions, choirs etc. Lots of parishioners contributed time and effort in fundraising to enable this work to be completed and we are proud of these community achievements. Now we need to ensure that there is sufficient money coming in to enable us to meet the regular running costs of our lovely old Church. These costs include contributions to the Gloucester diocese for the provision of a parish priest; and payments for goods and services similar to those of your home – including heating, lighting, building and contents insurance, repairs and maintenance etc.

Twyning Church has to be self-sufficient – there is no support available from the national Church of Eng- land or Church Commissioners. The running costs of our church are entirely in the hands of parishioners – so we are taking part in the Gloucester diocese initiative ―Giving for Life‖. The aims are twofold (a) to encourage an increase in the number of people who could devote some time and talents to keeping the Parish Church in good working order. (b) to increase the financial giving on a regular basis. To learn more about the scheme everyone is welcome to come to Church for the 9.30am service on Octo- ber 9th, our Harvest Festival, and again on October 16th when Canon Paul Williams will preach two special sermons. Literature and information will be available to take away. Then on Wednesday 9th November at 7.30pm in the Ann Townend Hall, there will be an open question and answer meeting and again information will be available. The final event will be a Thanksgiving Service in Church on Sunday 20th November at 9.30am to mark the end of the initiative.

Please give some thought to the importance of the Church in your village life. We want it always to be there to meet the needs of parishioners now and in the future. Could you commit time to help, and be more regularly involved ? Could you give money regularly – weekly, monthly or to mark an anniversary special to you - to help keep the church running ?

We would love to hear from you. Your interest and giving could make all the difference.

Margaret Bailey and Chris Cole Churchwardens ———————————————————————————————————————————————————- -Just a few lines from me to say farewell! I shall be leaving Twyning in October to begin a new post as Vicar of Newbiggin Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. I have enjoyed the last four and a half years here in the village and wish everyone in the community well. The Revd Sarah Miller

25 Girlguiding Twyning - www.twyningguides.org.uk

Twyning Rainbows

Last term Twyning Rainbows had a busy programme of crafts, cooking, sports and a fancy dress party. The Rainbows painted pictures of things they did in the holidays, made collages of ladybirds and butter- flies, made Fathers Day cards, learnt how to weave placemats, and decorated pencil pots. They also made an extra big card and decorated a flower pot as a thank you present to Mary Hughes, our Division Commis- sioner, who retired in May. The Rainbows held an enrolment night during the term and a "bring a friend" games evening on Twyning Green. To finish the term had a music evening, a fancy dress party and an adventure day at the riverside.

We have some new Rainbows joining the unit this term and we are especially pleased to welcome Lucy Mason to Twyning Rainbows. Lucy has just returned from Spain and is now helping her Mum, Martine, to run the unit.

Rainbows

Twyning Brownies

The Brownies had great fun last term working on their Traditions Badge. They acted out the Brownie Story, learnt traditional songs and games, traced the history of the Brownie uniform and created poster of what they thought Brownies would be like in ten years‘ time. They also chose to work on Friends to Ani- mals and played animal charades, an animal memory game and made pets pictures. Thanks to the Village Inn for a great fun skittles match which the Brownies enjoyed. They also went on a treasure hunt followed by hot dogs, played parachute games and had a beetle drive.

If you would like to your daughter to join Rainbows or Brownies, or to put your daughter‘s name on the waiting list for the future, please either phone the Unit Leaders or visit our website and complete the Con- tact Form. Please note there is currently a waiting list for Brownies so girls who would like to attend Brownies need to go on the waiting list, this also applies to girls currently in Rainbows.

Martine Mason, Rainbow Leader Carole Clive, Brownie Leader

Website: www.twyningguides.org.uk

Division News

In addition to a new Rainbow Leader we also have a new Division President. We are grateful to Council- lor Claire Wright for agreeing to be our new Division President. Claire is helping to support guiding activities across the Division including Twyning, Bredon, Tewkesbury and Bishops Cleeve.

Sue Lambert Division Commissioner

26 Open Gardens 3 July 2011

Income Expenditure

Teas 365.42 raffle tickets 1.25

Book stall 17.60 wine for MR 9.49 Raffle 92.00 V Hall rent 32.00

Tombola 148.32

Plant stall 239.85 Tickets 742.03 Pimms 26.00

Donations 84.00

Total 1715.22 Total 42.74

Less exp -42.74

Profit 1672.48

Above are the figures submitted to me by Maggie for the Open Garden Day which I am sure you must all agree made all the effort worthwhile and is making a very valuable contribution to the refurbishment of the Village Hall.

I know that all of you will have incurred personal expense in preparing your garden for all the visitors which do not show on the balance sheet for which I wish to thank you all. I would however like the opportunity to draw attention to some of the other expenses covered by sponsors which should be taken into ac- count if wishing to organise a repeat performance.

Suzanne Hedges covered the printing costs of all the tickets and programmes.

Mary Heeks provided, with the help of her very loyal team, all the food and labour to serve such magnificent cream teas and refreshments showing a wonderful profit as a reward for all their hard work and not claiming any expenses. Not forgetting all the people who also donated extra cakes.

Peter Tomkins provided some of the materials for making notices and organising the signs.

Jane Bowers arranged the printing and lamination of the large posters and garden numbers and arrows.

I myself provided posters and advertising fliers.

These items could add up to quite a sizable outlay had they NOT been donated free of charge and should be noted when considering any future events.

Thanks for all the many donations of plants for the plant stall which included Tom Brown‘s bird table and two decorative wheel barrows, books and raffle prizes and to the people who organised the stalls. Not forgetting the garden extra fund raisers such as the Tombola and Pimms on sale in gardens. A great big thank to you all for all the hard work and time so generously given to make the event the success it was. Not all the gardens open belonged to members of the ‗Friends‘ but I am sure you will feel it was in aid of a worthwhile cause. If I have missed any one or anything I apologise. Mary Haines

27 THE FRIENDS OF TWYNING VILLAGE HALL

This summer has seen happen what the Friends have been working towards for the past 16 months come to fruition – the refurbishment of our Village Hall.

We held an Open Gardens event at the beginning of July and raised the magnificent sum of £1,700.00. A lot of people made a huge effort to make the day a success – very many thanks to all of them. Then at the end of August we had a stall at the TRAC Fete and raised a healthy amount of money towards a glass fronted notice board to be sited at the front of the Hall.

During the refurbishment Friends funds have been spent on enhancements to the Hall that were not covered by the Tewkesbury Borough Council grant, namely electric hand driers for the three toilets, a plate warmer for the kitchen and roller shutters for the hatches between the kitchen and the main room – they are a great improvement on the sliding doors they replaced. Last, but certainly not least, a water boiler was purchased with monies raised by a marmalade making initiative started in August 2010 by two members – a fantastic achievement!

Anybody who is interested in joining The Friends please contact the Chairman.

Maggie Ball

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE VILLAGE HALL REFURBISHMENT PROGRAMME

No doubt most people who live in and around Twyning have been aware of the enormous amount of activity at the Village Hall over the past couple of months. Work commenced on the refurbishment on 23rd July when The Friends of the Village Hall gutted the existing kitchen!! From Monday 25th July, contractors were on site with Lance Jones and his team leading the field. Geoff Haines, Project Manager for the programme, in conjunction with Lance Jones, devised a successful work schedule that dovetailed the attendance of various contractors over the ensuing 7 weeks; the Hall was open for business again on the 12 September !

Many people have been involved in this initiative and it has been a remarkable achievement, not without its trials and tribulations as one would expect, but the end result is there for all to see. Geoff Haines has been involved from the very beginning from its Conception stage, Clarification, Consolidation, Commencement through to Completion, es- sentially ‗Five ‘C’ stages‘. I have worked alongside Geoff since taking up the office of Chairman in March and on behalf of the VHMC, I should like to thank him for the time and commitment he has given to this project as a key member of the Refurbishment Committee which consisted of Jane Bowers, Maggie Ball, Geoff and myself. I would also like to thank the many Friends of the Village Hall who have been either ‗hands on‘ or involved with fund raising events. The Friends have already contributed £2,800 to the refurbishment which again is remarkable and significant donations have been made by several organisations who use the hall on a regular basis. Last but no means least is the support we have received from Twyning Parish Council not only for their help last May in facilitating the signing of the agreement with Tewkesbury Borough Council to secure the £135,000 grant, but more recently, their willing- ness to fund the cost of the new kitchen. This gesture will enable the VHMC to progress further refurbishment work, such as the bar area, which was not included in the original budget for the current programme. The Parish Council have also agreed to cover the cost of the exterior decoration/repair work and also the cost of new chairs for the hall to add to the 34 chairs donated to us by Puckrup Hall; our thanks to Peter Tomkins who arranged this.

We now have a Village Hall to be proud of…… Brand new toilets; a splendid wheelchair access ramp and toilet fa- cilities; a new fully equipped kitchen with a commercial dishwasher, hot water boiler, plate warmer; an induction oven; new hot water/central heating system; new Polysafe flooring fitted throughout the hall; PV Solar panels to help with our electricity costs in the years ahead;; double glazed windows and doors; a new flat roof with 100mm thermal insulation and further insulation of walls and roof area to main hall to contain heat loss; decorated throughout in a new colour scheme and to complete this list, the whole parking area around the hall has been resurfaced! Whew!

The VHMC is planning a Grand Opening Weekend to launch the re-opening of the Village Hall. We wish to encourage as many as people as possible in the village and surrounding area to come along and see what has been done

28 to the hall and to view its potential for private parties, weddings and other social events. Cllr Vernon Smith of Gloucestershire County Council, who was instrumental in bringing a community focus to the refurbishment opportunity last December/January, has been invited to formally open the hall on the evening of 11 November. Further details will be advertised but the event will be subsidised and tickets sold on a first come first served basis. Over the weekend, the hall will be open to the public for viewing on Saturday and Sunday. Organisations who use the Village hall on a regular basis will be present to talk about their services and activities in seeking new members so if you have an interest in short mat bowls, wine, model railways, fitness classes, acting on the stage, luncheon club, Explor- ers, Scouts, Cubs, Woman‘s Institute, Play Group and Tots sessions or even perhaps becoming part of the management of the Village Hall, please come and see us.

As part of the Grand Opening Weekend, on Saturday 12 November, the Twyning Players are putting on a special ―Murder Mystery evening” to raise money for the future development of the Village Hall.

John Reynolds Chairman Village Hall Management Committee

Twyning Village Hall Grand Opening Weekend

Friday 11 November 7.00 p.m.

Social evening with live music and free supper ; Cllr Vernon Smith of Gloucestershire County Council, has been invited to formally re-open the hall.

Tickets £4.00 : from Peter Tomkins or John Reynolds. Tickets on a first come first served basis. Tickets include free pint of bitter/lager, glass of wine or non-alcoholic beverage on entry.

Saturday 12 November 7.30 p.m.

Twyning Players are staging a ‘Murder Mystery Evening’ to raise funds for the future development of the Village Hall; Tickets £8.00 available from Ian Southall 01684

Saturday 10.30 a.m. – 3.00 p.m. & Sunday Noon – 3.00 p.m.

The Hall will be open to members of the public; everyone welcome. Free tea/coffee available; Come and talk to the clubs & organisations that use the hall

TWYNING SHORT MAT BOWLS CLUB

TWYNING SHORT MAT BOWLS CLUB are currently looking for new players (experienced or novices).

We play at the Village Hall on Monday and Friday afternoons 2-00 pm and Friday evenings 7-00pm. If you would like to meet new people, learn a new sport or make new friends this could be for you. We are a very friendly club. Our ages range from 16 to 80+ years. A tea break gives time to chatter. During the year you will meet Short Mat Bowlers from other clubs in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and surrounding counties as we play friendly and charity matches.

FIRST SESSION FREE

Parish Councillor Responsibilities Below is an updated schedule of Parish Councillor responsibilities.

Planning

(remit is to comment on planning applica- Cllrs Horsfall, Luckett, Ellis and Herold tions received by the Council)

Environment Advisory Committee Cllrs Luckett and Playdon

Staffing Cllr Horsfall and Herold

TRAC Committee Cllr Horsfall

Tree Warden Cllr Luckett

Village Warden Cllr Luckett

Footpaths Cllr Luckett

Snow Warden Cllr Luckett

Village Bulletin Item Cllr Horsfall

Village Hall Management Commitee Cllr Adams

Parish Minibus Cllrs Horsfall, Ellis, Adams

Road Safety Cllr Playdon

Accounts Oversight Cllr Herold

Web Site Liaison Cllr Murray

Information from : twyningparishcouncil.co.uk

Parish Council Meetings

Twyning Parish Council meets on the third Monday of every month (excluding the August recess and December when the meeting is on the second Wednesday) at Twyning Village Hall or occasionally at the Ann Townend Hall. Meetings commence at 8.00pm and members of the public are welcome to attend. Agendas are normally posted on Parish Council notice boards one week prior to the meeting. Minutes can be viewed on the web-site and are also displayed at the Village Hall and on the notice board outside the Twyning shop.

30 Inside our re-furbished village hall

Do you have any apples?

Motor Bikes on the Green by Clive Stanley

Edited by Andrea Walton Distribution organised by Mary Heeks

Twyning Parish Council Webmaster-Jon Rogers

Published by Twyning Parish Council

Printed by CLK Media Ltd Unit 9 Knightsbridge Business Centre Knightsbridge Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL51 9TA DEADLINE FOR NEXT BULLETIN Telephone: 01242 681168 Email: [email protected] 16th January 2012