Collingbourne Ducis - Everleigh - Collingbourne Kingston

Volume 25 No 5 June 2018 30p if sold

June 2018 The COURIER Office, and Editorial address for contributors: c/o 4 Sunnyhill, , Marlborough SN8 3EP Please note our new contact details with effect from September 2017. ADDRESS for Contributions ONLY: [email protected] EDITOR: (Position vacant) [email protected] ADMINISTRATION: Sandra Fisher (850363) [email protected] ADVERTISING/FLYERS/LEAFLETS: Linda Hardiman [email protected] The COURIER is the Magazine of the Parishes of Collingbourne Ducis, Everleigh and Collingbourne Kingston. Items for publication are most welcome but may have to be edited if space, etc, demands. All items published solely express the views of their author and are copyright of the COURIER unless otherwise stated. Whilst every care has been taken, no responsibility can be accepted for statements made by the advertisers. The deadline for July copy is 6.30 pm on 18th June 2018.

1 The policy of the Courier will henceforth be that contact information (telephone number, email address etc.) submitted with an article will be liable for publication unless it is made clear in the submission that this information is not to be published. If contact information is not submitted with an article, the Courier will not publish this information even if it is known to us. The Courier will always publish the name of the author of an article unless the author explicitly requests in their submission that this should not be done.

Stephen Matanle, Chairman, writes: We had a very pleasant Footpath Walk on Saturday 5th May. A jovial and adventurous group set off with some new faces joining in which added to the enthusiasm. We covered over five miles in around two hours and thoroughly enjoyed familiarising ourselves with the paths up through Summerdown and back via the Airstrip. We were welcomed home with cake and refreshments and remarked on the fact that it was the first walk we have had where we didn’t get wet! Let’s hope for the same when we embark on the autumn walk! I am pleased to note that the Coronation Monument is up and looking splendid. We have not marked the latest accident with a plaque to go alongside the one that records its destruction in 1992! We don’t want to tempt fate! With the reappearance of the Coronation Monument and our hopes to have Village Gates installed at the entrances to the Parish, we would like to get some interest from the community in embellishing

2 these with flowers and shrubs. I think there are many of you who are expert in these things and I would be keen to hear any ideas/thoughts you may have on what we could do. The War Memorial would also benefit from some colour at its base so please include this in your thinking. With the impending anniversary celebrations that are being organised by the Village Hall, we are currently looking at a year without a village fete. The Parish Council would like to find a way of avoiding this and has therefore set up a group to consider what we could do and when. We would welcome the involvement of others in the Parish in helping us to organise an event, fete or similar, before the end of the summer. If you would like to be involved could you please contact Vicky May [email protected] or Fran Dickenson [email protected] or myself [email protected] My final comment relates to the work we are doing to calm the traffic as it passes through our Parish. We are working on a variety of targets including Village Gates and widening the footpath under St. Mary’s. We would welcome contributions or observations from anyone in the Parish on this subject, or any other for that matter. One of the best ways to do this would be for anyone who has some concerns or ideas to attend the Parish Council meetings. All members of the Parish are welcome to come along and we adjourn the meeting at its start to allow for members of the public to have their say. I look forward to seeing more of you at our next meeting. We have a vacancy for one councillor and therefore I include the formal notice as follows:

3 NOTICE OF VACANCY IN THE OFFICE OF PARISH COUNCILLOR NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to Section 87(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 that vacancy exists in the office of Councillor for the said Parish. Should more than one application be received for the vacancy, councillors will decide the appointment by a vote, or a series of votes, in order to obtain a majority decision. To be considered for co-option, applicants must fulfil at least one of the following criteria: � Be registered as a Local Government Elector for the Parish on the current Electoral Register. � Has during the whole of the previous twelve months occupied as a tenant or owner any land or other premises in the Parish. � Has had his/her principal or only place of work in the previous twelve months in the Parish of Collingbourne Kingston. � Has resided either in the Parish, or within three miles thereof, during the previous twelve months. Anyone wishing to be considered for co-option should contact the Clerk to the Council, in writing at the address, or via the e-mail below. [email protected] The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on the 12th June at 7.30pm in the Ruth Fisher Room. All members of the Parish are welcome to attend.

4 Denis Bottomley (01264 852731), PC Chairman, writes: Forthcoming Events in Everleigh: Saturday 23rd June 2-5pm, Midsummer Tea Party, St Peter’s Church Saturday 14th July 5pm, Village Summer Party, Playground There are two village events planned for the summer. Firstly, the annual Midsummer Tea Party in support of the Churches Conservation Trust will take place at St Peter’s Church on Saturday 23rd June 2-5pm. This event is likely to feature traditional cake, book and plant stalls. Volunteers are welcome. Please contact the Tea Party co-ordinators, Robert and Elizabeth East (01264 850449), if you can provide support. Also, in preparation for this event, a village work party will take place to tidy up the churchyard a week beforehand on Saturday 16th June 9am until midday. Please bring strimmers, rakes and shears if you can help. Secondly, our village Summer Party is scheduled for Saturday 14th July at the playground from 5pm. More details will follow in the next edition of the Courier. We are pleased to report that a new councillor has joined the Parish Council team. Cllr Andrew Earle was co-opted at the last Parish Council meeting on Monday 14th May and joins our property subcommittee to utilise his practical skills and local knowledge. The Parish Council is now back to a full complement of seven councillors. We are fortunate in Everleigh to live in a beautiful rural location on the eastern edge of with little threat of crime.

5 However, we should not be complacent and would be wise to implement the following Wilts Police home security advice issued recently: • Keep doors locked even when you are in the house. • All windows should be fitted with locks except those designated as fire escapes. • Never leave a spare key in a plant pot or letter box; a thief will know where to look. • Lock tools and ladders away so thieves can’t use them to break in. • Make a list of the serial numbers of your electronic items and keep it safe. • If you are going on holiday - ask trusted neighbours to keep an eye on your property. • Be vigilant and if you see anyone acting suspiciously take their description and details of any vehicle registration including direction of travel and call the police on 101 or 999 if they are about to break into a property. There is also a threat of theft from cars parked up around Salisbury Plain while owners are out dog walking. The key message from Wilts Police is: ‘Don’t leave valuables on view in your car.’ Finally, the next Parish Council meeting will take place on Monday 9th July at 7pm at Collingbourne Primary School. Everyone is welcome to attend. The minutes of our last meeting and end of year financial reports are available on village noticeboards and the Everleigh web site at www.everleigh.org

OUR LINK COORDINATOR'S NUMBER IS CD 850807 Please try to give them at least 48 hours’ notice to find a volunteer

6 Peter Knowlson (01264 850812), Chairman, writes: Following the Annual Parish Council meeting that took place on the 10th May I am pleased to report that the council is in a good financial position and is looking forward to the next term. I would like to thank those members of the public who turned up and input some thoughts and ideas to the council. For updating the council with their annual reports, I would also like to thank: Gerry Hooper, Collingbournes, Chute & Everleigh Link Scheme; Dan Crossman & Catherine Malley, Collingbourne COE Primary School; David Paterson, Village Hall; Ian Blair-Pilling, Cllr for The Collingbournes and Netheravon Ward; Lucy Wileman, Police. Following the report from Gerry Hooper at the Annual Parish Council meeting, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the scheme to those who may not be aware of it. The Collingbournes, Chute & Everleigh Link Scheme is a community transport scheme that provides transport to those people in our community who cannot access private or public transport for reasons such as health, mobility, personal or costs. The scheme relies on volunteer drivers who are able to spare a few hours once or twice a month. It really is a great and rewarding way to contribute to village life. If you wish to find out more, please contact 01264 850807. I am pleased to report that the Parish Council has now placed an order for a new defibrillator that will be located at the Village Hall. I am expecting delivery in the next six to seven weeks. We need to

Our Community Support Officers can be contacted on 101

7 arrange for the special box that the defibrillator will be housed in to have power in order to maintain the temperature at a certain level during cold weather. Again, I call on any electricians out there who would be happy to volunteer a small amount of time to assist with wiring this in. Please call me on 01264 850812. Our Parish Steward who helps around the village with small tasks has not been available in May as Wiltshire County Council have been utilising his resources in other areas across the county for weed treatment and strimming. He will be back in June. Some of you may have noticed that the old wooden black and white signpost at the bottom of the hill on Tidworth road has disappeared. This appears to have fallen or was knocked down in the snow storm. The Parish Council arranged for the arms of the signpost to be taken away by the Mens Shed in Ludgershall to see if they can be restored or replaced for new. We are awaiting a quote from the Mens Shed but hope to have a new replica back in place soon. I know a few people have been asking about the Village Gates that I talked about some time ago. We have now found a local company in Melksham that we have made initial contact with. The Parish Council will be arranging for a site visit soon in order to ascertain the locations for the gates and the styles and costs. There will be a temporary closure for part of Cadley Road between the 19th and 22nd June from its junction with Saxon Rise in an easterly direction to a point adjacent to property No. 108. The part closure will allow a private contractor to install a new sewer. It is anticipated that the works will take the stated duration to complete, depending upon weather conditions. Access will be maintained for residents and businesses where possible, although delays are likely

8 due to the nature of the works. Full details will be on the village noticeboard. The next meeting of the Parish Council will be at the new location of Collingbourne Ducis Village Hall and is due to take place at 7pm on 5th July. All residents of the parish are welcome to attend. If you are interested in joining the Parish Council we currently have four vacancies and a notice of vacancies is up on the village noticeboard. If you would like to get more involved in the village and help out with future projects please contact our Parish Clerk, Phil Gill, for more details: [email protected]

Dan Crossman (01264 850346), Headteacher, writes: Summer feels like it is on the way at Collingbourne Primary School! The children have been enjoying the good weather by participating in after school running clubs, cricket clubs and even making Andy Goldsworthy-style sculptures out of natural materials in our beautiful grounds. Hedgehog Class enjoyed a fantastic ‘pet afternoon’. Our families brought in all manner of pets to share with the children; we had snakes slithering across the carpet, tortoises tottering on the tables and even ponies prancing in the playground! Kingfisher Class visited Sarsen Energy to find out about businesses in our local area. The children loved the trip and were brilliantly behaved, as always. This week our year six children have been studiously completing their SATs tests. They’ll be rewarded for their hard work with trips to Oxenwood and Lyddington later in the term.

9 A reminder that the local community is always welcome at Collingbourne School. If you’d like to volunteer in school by hearing readers, helping run a club, or even helping in our library then please get in touch.

Natalie Williams, Brown Owl, (01264 850566) writes: Brownies are between seven and ten years old, they’re busy, active and always having great fun; they get together once a week in the evenings during term time and sometimes at the weekends too. Their programme is very wide ranging, with lots of challenges and opportunities. These include celebrating festivals, learning new skills, crafts or recipes, as well as trying out interest badges in things they’re particularly interested in – Health and Fitness, Recycling, Road Safety and Country Code. Brownies work in small teams called ‘Sixes’ led by an older Brownie called a Sixer and Seconder who helps her. The Sixes are named after gnomes, imp, pixies, sprite and elves. Everything about Brownies is an adventure! The programme is structured around three areas: You, Community, and World. Each area allows Brownies to develop self-confidence, learn new skills and discuss ideas through Pow-Wows. They also explore the wider world through activities, games and exploration of other cultures, as well as becoming active citizens and helping out in their communities. The Brownie adventure takes place in two sections, Brownies Adventure and Brownies Adventure On. If you would like to become a Brownie then contact Natalie Williams, Brown Owl, on 01264 850566 or email [email protected]

10 Natalie Williams, Group Scout Leader (01264 850566) writes: The sort of adventure we offer is the chance to try something different and the opportunity to face challenges. Through the adventure of Scouting young people get to take risks in a safe environment and have their first taste of responsibility. Scouting gives young people an exciting range of activities in an informal non-academic environment that complements their schoolwork and provides experiences they’ll never forget. Collingbourne Air Scout Group has a Beaver Scout Colony (for boys and girls six to eight) and a Cub Scout Pack (for boys and girls aged eight to ten years); we want to ensure that young people in our local community are aware of the opportunities and the adventures Scouting offers. Scouting helps children and young adults reach their full potential and develop skills including teamwork, time management, leadership, initiative, planning, communication, self-motivation, cultural awareness and commitment and we want as many young people to benefit as possible. Congratulations to Vanessa Stone (BSL) for being awarded her woodbeads, and to Ted Stitchbury (CSL) on being presented with his twenty years’ service certificate. I was also presented with my fifteen years’ service certificate recently. If you would like to know more contact Group Scout Leader Natalie Williams – [email protected] - [email protected] or telephone 01264 850566

11 Pam Cogdell (01264 850601) writes: Collingbourne Kingston WI spent the evening with Shalbourne WI where eight members and two guests/new members joined Shalbourne WI for their monthly meeting. It was the annual discussion on resolutions and this year the meeting was on mental health, (Mental health matters as much as physical health). All the ladies listened to an informative talk by Janet Wardlock on her thoughts as a retired psychotherapist. Interesting discussions and debates followed on the subject. Going forward our delegate from Shalbourne WI will represent us at the annual national meeting on this issue. Our hosts provided us with lovely refreshments to end our enjoyable evening. The next meeting will be on Thursday 14th June at 7.30pm, when speaker Sara Bottomly will give her talk on ‘My quilting Journey’. Hostess: C.Hoare Raffle: S.Gregory Visitors and new members are always welcome.

Val Patrick and Pat Lincoln write: A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who came to the Coffee Morning on the 12th May in the Village Hall. I'm delighted to tell you that we raised the sum of £506. That was a superb effort, thank you once again.

12 Hibiscus writes: April brought the lovely Lizzie Fairrie from Puggs Meadow Cut Flowers to Ducis Village Hall to give us a presentation on 'The New Wave in Cut Flowers'. Lizzie explained how there is now a movement towards cut flowers being grown by private individuals on smallholdings to supply the local markets with bouquets of seasonal flowers - a group which is called 'flowers from the farm'. She has four acres at Little Durnford on a site which originally belonged to the bishop of Salisbury. It was lovely to see her display of anemones, apple blossom, tulips, even ranunculi (although the latter were grown in a polytunnel) plus herbs and foliage to enhance and define the flowers. The supermarket equivalent will pull together flowers from all over the world and, where we are being encouraged to reduce our carbon footprint, it makes sense to try and source our flowers locally. Lizzie's flowers are pesticide and chemical-free and she has a 'no dig' approach to managing her clay on clay plot which she manages by adding compost to compost to suppress the weeds. One to try for the reluctant gardeners amongst us. By the time you have read this, you will be admiring the plants you purchased at the Plant Sale and (weather permitting, please) have them well established in your gardens. After the Plant Sale the Club enters its summer season with outside visits instead of talks and we have an evening visit to The Court House Garden, Lower Woodford on 24th May, followed by an evening visit to Oare House Garden, at a date in July to be confirmed.

13 Evening meetings begin again in September and if you are interested in any of the above trips and/or would like to join the Club, please contact our chairman, Pam Haverson on 01264 850609

Jim Sperry (01264 790454) writes: The club has got off to a mixed start with the League side losing their first two games, albeit the second by a tight margin, and the Sunday side winning a couple - c’est la vie. We have some new players this season to whom we offer a hearty welcome. Friday practice continues during the season to attract lots of children as well as adults, so if you want to play come along and have a go. The next home League games are: 2nd June, Royal Wootton Basset; 16th June, Melksham.

Jane Crook (01264 850346) announces: The Collingbourne Ducis Village Hall draw winners in May were: £50 P.Wernham 29 £25 Brewer 191 £10 M.Pim 7 £5 V.Scanlan 89 Congratulations to the winners. If you would like a chance to win next month please contact Jane crook on 01264 850436

14 Martin Bevan writes: Due to the new Data Protection regulations we are changing the procedure for our free neutering offer. If you are on a low income or in receipt of benefits and you would like to have your cat neutered call 0345 260 1501. A neutering voucher will be sent to you in the post. Please do not book your cat in at the vet until you are in receipt of this voucher which you will need to present to the vet. We shall be having a stall at Chute Fete on Saturday 16th June starting at 12.30pm. It is an excellent fete. Please come and support us. Scrumpy is still looking for her forever home. Squidge is a beautiful, eight year old, large Maine Coone type cat. She is seeking a home with her friend Zion who is black and younger. Homing Enquiries 0345 260 1501 or andover.cats.org.uk Fund-raising/volunteers 07733 242196 or [email protected] Items for resale 01256 892773

Saturday 23rd June, Pewsey Downs Walk Pewsey Downs National Nature Reserve is one of the finest remaining areas of Wiltshire’s iconic chalk downland habitat. On steep south facing slope overlooking . Meet: Car Park off unclassified road, Alton Barnes - Knap Hill. Grid ref SU116637. Cost: Free. Refreshments: Bring your own. Contact: Alan Bailey [email protected] 07506 843257.

15 Sonny Hamid (01672 811933) writes: The Club’s May session was in two parts: the first was an introduction to basics on how to use a DSLR which was prepared and presented to those who are new to DSLRs or wish to expand their knowledge of their camera so that they may graduate from snap shooters and selfie takers to becoming proper photographers by taking full advantage of their cameras. The second part was to review work done on our photojournalism project. The project was in three sections covering Marlborough, Burbage & Collingbourne Kingston and Great Bedwyn. The section on Marlborough is almost complete and ready to be delivered to interested audiences while the other sections still require some more additions and tidying up which hopefully will be completed by the next Club session in June. We are still looking for ideas for our project and if you have knowledge of any interesting sites and historic activities that occurred in any of the four locations please do let us know. The June session will be held Wednesday 20th June, starting at the earlier than usual time of 19:00 hours, in the Burbage and Easton Royal British Legion Hall Car Park. We intend to travel to Town Gardens, Old Town, Swindon to photograph Victorian Park architecture, the Aviary and practise macro photography on flowers and wild life. Should it rain, then we will revert to our work project activities. We welcome new members from Burbage and the surrounding villages, all of whom are welcome to join us in sharing this exciting hobby. Please contact Sonny on 01672 811933 or Mike on 01672 810574 for more details.

16 Veronica Bacon (01264 771285) writes: A local chamber choir is commemorating the end of World War I, a hundred years ago, with a reflection in words and music at St Mary’s Church, Andover on Saturday 14th July. The Harmonium Singers are well known for their thoughtful programmes of smaller- scale choral music often combined with powerful words. ‘Beyond War, Music of Peace’ will be no exception and promises to be a moving experience. The main work in the programme will be John Rutter’s Requiem, accompanied by a small, high-quality instrumental ensemble. Other music will feature composers directly affected by the war, either as active participants, or influencers of that generation and those influenced by them. Hence there will be music by Charles Stanford, Hubert Parry (who died in 1918), lesser known composers like Edgar Bainton and Patrick Hadley, and inevitably some unfamiliar names whose careers were cut short. The choir’s own fundraising means that the costs of putting on the concert have largely been met already. Ticket money will therefore go to the military charity Combat Stress. The choir’s musical director Bruce Randall explains: ‘In 2014 we marked the centenary of the start of the Great War with the Fauré Requiem, and other music interspersed with words from the trenches. Four years on we have a rather different angle, looking at the lives of affected composers, and a different Requiem. It should be a very thought-provoking and memorable event for the town. And we believe it will be a fitting commemoration in this military area, while directly benefiting military personnel in need.’

17 The performance begins at 7.30pm in the inspiring setting of St Mary’s Church, Andover. Tickets are £10 in advance from Newbury Building Society, The Lights and choir members, or £12 at the door. Further information: Veronica Bacon 01264 771285 or www.harmoniumsingers.org.uk

Peter A Olliver (01264 850318) writes: There is still considerable controversy in the media and government circles regarding grammar schools. They have been in existence for hundreds of years now and are an important educational requirement. I passed my exam at the end of junior school and then went to the Andover Grammar school. At that time our local children either went to Salisbury, Andover, or Marlborough as access by bus or train was still readily available. All types of school are important to the population as our children seek many different occupations when they leave school and decide their futures. I did a seven year apprenticeship when I left grammar school which also involved some days at technical colleges. At one of the technical colleges a short course on ‘relaxation’ was included. It is surprising how important I have found this as being ‘uptight’ does upset one a lot. Modern technology and equipment are being updated continually and it is important for our children to have suitable education to benefit from this. I sometimes feel that I should go back to school myself!!!

18 Louise Knox (01722 691086), Media and Communications Manager, informs: Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is warning people about the fire risks connected to tumble dryers, following a recent house fire in Durrington. Firefighters were called to the mid-terraced property in Windsor Mews at 11.08am, and found a well-developed fire on the ground floor spreading to the first floor. Crews from and Salisbury (two), supported by an aerial ladder platform from Basingstoke, tackled the blaze which caused significant damage to most of the house. Group Manager Tim Gray said that the fire had started accidentally in a tumble dryer, adding: ‘While what exactly caused this fire to start remains under investigation, it is a sharp reminder that tumble dryers and washing machines carry a real fire risk – for example, they contain powerful motors with fast moving parts that can get very hot. We would always urge anyone who owns such machines to do all they can to reduce the risk of fire, through regular cleaning and maintenance.’ There are warning signs to watch out for where a tumble dryer may be at risk of catching fire – if you notice any of these, you should clean the filter and check the vent pipe immediately: � There is a smell of burning � Textiles are taking longer than usual to dry � Dried items feel hotter at the end of the cycle � The external vent flap stays shut when the dryer is on

19 The following advice should also be followed: � Always read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions before using your dryer. � Never leave your appliance unattended or running overnight - there is a risk of fire if a fault develops, and if this happens when people are sleeping, the threat to life is far greater. � Never put rags or materials into your tumble dryer if they have been used to soak up flammable liquids. � Keep your dryer well ventilated, ensuring that the vent pipe is kink free, not blocked or crushed in any way. � Never cover the vent or any other opening, and only use recommended vent pipes and not improvised ones. � Clean the filter in your dryer after every use. � Only vent the warm air to the outside of the building. � Have your dryer serviced regularly by a qualified engineer. � Always have working smoke alarms installed in your home and test them regularly. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service offers free Safe & Well visits – to see if you qualify, or for more home fire safety advice, visit www.dwfire.org.uk/safety

‘I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine.’ William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 2 Scene 1

20 Jo Reid (01264 850385) Team Vicar, Savernake Team Dear Friends, New Year seems so long ago now, doesn’t it? Where has the year gone? Even Easter seems a distant memory! The reason I mention New Year is that I love new beginnings; a chance to put away the past and start afresh. In the church calendar, as I write this, we’re about to celebrate Pentecost, the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Jesus has ascended into heaven to be at the right hand side of God, and the disciples are under instructions to wait for the Holy Spirit to come. When He does arrive, He comes with quite a bang! The disciples are accused of being drunk because they are speaking in tongues and they are giddy with excitement! It must have been quite a party! Pentecost is known as the birthday of the Church. The disciples begin to meet regularly in each other’s homes to praise and worship God, and to study the Scriptures. For the disciples, it’s a new beginning; starting afresh with the message of the Gospel and heading out into the world! Full of the Holy Spirit, they no longer feel afraid, but empowered. In Church, we’ll celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the disciples, but we’ll remember and celebrate that we, too, are empowered by the Holy Spirit to spread the word of God; and that we are not alone as we carry out this task. As Christians, this is an opportunity, like the New Year, to put away the past – our failings, our fears – and start afresh, empowered, and ready to do His will.

21 And we hold on to Jesus’ promise ‘And surely I am with you to the very end of the age!’

Charles Howard (01264 850243) and Nigel Worner-Phillips (01264 850070), Church wardens, write: The problems with the church clock continue. The mechanism that drives the clock hands and the striker consists of two electric motors which were installed in 1994. These and the switches which control them have become unreliable and need to be replaced, otherwise the problems will continue. Some parts are obsolete and no longer available. Each time that we have to call out the clock engineer costs up to about £200 plus VAT. The PCC has taken the decision to replace the automatic winding system, and also to install an automatic regulation system to keep the clock on time, including the two one hour changes for the beginning and end of British Summer Time. This will cost about £7000. We have started the process to obtain the necessary Faculty permission from the Diocese of Salisbury for the work to be done, and are also exploring possible funding options to get this important village asset back in working order. Unfortunately, this is going to take time, and the reliability issues are likely to continue until the work is completed.

Addresses for the village websites: CD: www.collingbourne-ducis.com CK: www.collingbournekingston.org.uk Everleigh: www.everleigh.org

22 Two dates for your diaries: There will be an Open Gardens day on the afternoon of Sunday 8th July. Several gardens in Aughton, Brunton and Kingston will be open to the public in aid of church funds, and we hope that this will be well supported. A flyer will be in the July edition of the Courier with further details. The Harvest Supper will be on Monday 1st October in the Village Hall, and further details will be published nearer the time. And finally, grateful thanks to Antonia and Julian Wethered who so generously hosted two wine parties which raised over £600 for church funds.

Tish Leigh (01264 850867), Church warden, writes: The Starters and Pudding Fest was held on 18th May, just after the deadline for the Courier report. I’m sure that it was the usual culinary feast, and a thoroughly enjoyable way of raising much needed funds to help maintain and repair our beautiful church. Our current urgent projects are to repair some damaged stonework on the church tower and replacing loose tiles on the church roof. To this end, the annual Church Fete will be on 1st September at the village hall from 2–5pm. Please put the date in your diary and come along and have some fun, while helping to raise money for your church. At our Family service on Sunday 20th May, little Edward Smith was baptised; as ever it is always great to welcome young children and babies into our Christian family supported by their friends and

23 families. At our family service on 17th June we have two baptisms to celebrate. These are really happy and special occasions; you are welcome to come and join us! We are now in ‘Ordinary’ time as far as the Liturgical Colours go, so the altar frontals etc. will be green from now until All Saints day on 1st October, when we begin the countdown to Advent. It’ll be Christmas before you know it! On the following Saturdays: 2nd June, 7th July, 4th August and 8th September, we will be tidying up the churchyard from 10am–12pm. We will be tackling jobs such as: weeding the flower beds; digging a trench to take the soil away from the west wall of the church; clearing the gutters of leaves; cutting back ivy from gravestones and walls; digging up nettles and other weeds; even re-pointing the ground gutter with mortar (if someone has the know-how and the equipment). If you would like to help, and the more the merrier, children included, please come on all dates, some, or just one! Come armed with suitable gardening equipment, including wheelbarrows if possible. Refreshments will be provided! At our school, the weekly after school JAM Club (Jesus and Me) is thriving. This club is run by Revd. Jo and her band of helpers. The children hear stories and take part in games and craft activities with a Biblical theme. This term we are focusing on stories from the Old Testament. Some of the work done by the children during their JAM sessions is on display in the church. Pop in and have a look if you are passing. Finally, remember St Andrew’s Church has its own Facebook page where you can keep up to date with events and comment on them! Just log into Facebook and search for St. Andrew’s Church, Collingbourne Ducis.

24 Services in June. Sunday 3rd Morning Worship at 9.30 am Sunday 10th Holy Communion at 11 am Sunday 17th Family Worship plus baptism at Ducis 11 am Sunday 24th Evensong at 6 pm

Services in June Sunday 3rd Evensong at 6 pm Sunday 10th Holy Communion at 11 am at Kingston Sunday 17th Family Service and Baptism 11 am Sunday 24th Holy Communion at 9 am

Peredur Son of Evrawg, The Mabinogion ‘Peredur rode on towards a river valley whose edges were forested, with level meadows on both sides of the river; on one bank there was a flock of white sheep, and on the other a flock of black sheep. When a white sheep bleated a black sheep would cross the river and turn white, and when a black sheep bleated a white sheep would cross the river and turn black. On the bank of the river he saw a tall tree: from roots to crown one half was aflame and the other green with leaves’.

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