KKiinngg''ss TThhoorrnn && TThhee BBiirrcchheess NNeewwsslleetttteerr A Newsletter for the Villages of King's Thorn, Little Birch & Much Birch – April 2007 Gardening Club DIARY DATES MARCH/APRIL 2007 The March meeting of the Kings Thorn and Little Birch Gardening Club is being 28TH MARCH – Gardening Club held at 7.30pm. on WEDNESDAY, 28TH 29TH MARCH – Easter Bingo MARCH This month will be the AGM 30TH MARCH – Lent Lunch and will include a Gardening Quiz and 30TH/31ST MARCH – Halfway Theatre Concert Bring and Buy Plant Sale. 5TH APRIL – Much Birch Parish Council Meeting _________________________________ 10TH APRIL – Evergreen Club Trip to Oxford Easter Bingo 11TH APRIL – Whist Drive TH Little Birch Village Hall – THURSDAY, 14 APRIL – Flicks in the Sticks TH 29TH MARCH - Eyes down at 8.00pm 17 APRIL – W.I. Open Meeting TH Proceeds in aid of Village Hall 25 APRIL – Gardening Club TH refurbishment fund. 26 APRIL – Bingo ______________________________________ ADVANCE NOTICES Lent Lunch 5TH MAY – May Day Celebrations TH On FRIDAY, 30TH MARCH Little Birch 8 MAY – Aconbury Woods – Walk and Talk Church will host the Lent Lunch at Little 12TH MAY- Flicks in the Sticks – Miss Potter Birch Hall from 12.30pm. to 2.00pm. There will be a choice of four soups with course, shops. The University Botanic WEDNESDAY, 11TH APRIL starting at bread rolls and cheese. Donations, as Gardens boasts 3,000 species of plants and 7.30pm. Entrance fee £1.50 to include usual, will go to Sightsavers International. is by Magdalen College. The Cathedral in refreshments Please support this event if you possibly Christchurch College is well worth a look. Proceeds in aid of hall refurbishment can. Walking tours are available and there are fund. __________________________________ hop-on-hop-off buses to help get around __________________________________ the city. Concert The fare for members is £8 (£10 Non- Flicks In The Sticks The Halfway Community Theatre will be in association with Arts Alive members) and the pick-up times are as presenting their next Concert on FRIDAY This month’s film is THE HISTORY BOYS follows:- TH & SATURDAY, 30TH & 31ST MARCH 15 on SATURDAY, 14 APRIL at Much 8.45 Brandon Coach Station Birch Community Hall, in Much Birch Community Hall 8.55 Tump Lane Bungalows commencing at 7.30pm, doors open from Based on Alan Bennett's play and starring 9.00 The Park, Wormelow the original stage cast, The History Boys 7.00pm. The theme is AT YOUR 9.05 Poor Clares Convent . The content of the is set in a school in the north of England REQUEST 9.10 Kings Thorn Bus Shelter programme has been taken from requests in the mid 1980s, where the Headmaster is 9.20 M.B. Church Bus Stop desperately trying to send boys to Oxford made by the audience in a Questionnaire 9.25 Axe & Cleaver Bus Stop and from the performers thems elves and Cambridge. To do this he enlists the 9.35 Peterstow Bus Stop during the concert in November. The help of a supply teacher to coach his 9.40 Merton Hotel Bus Stop brightest pupils for the exam. The boys Programme will include a mix of songs 9.45 Fonteine Court, Ross and poems taken from our past shows plus however are torn by their loyalty to the To book, please ring 01981 540406 by eccentric, poetry-spouting English master several new items. Tickets can be st Sunday, 1 April, so that we can provide Hector (Richard Griffiths). purchased by contacting Mrs. Webb on Golden Pioneer with our numbers. The Doors open at 7.00pm and the film commences 01981 540406 (01981 540502 if Mrs. following trip will be on TUESDAY, 8TH at 7.30pm. Tickets are £3.50 (£2.50 under 16s) Webb is away). A light supper is included MAY to Cheltenham for an early lunch and are available in advance or on the door. For in the price of £8 but please bring your and then a scenic tour, to include a tea further information or to book tickets please own bottle and glasses. Since these call Bryony Connolly on 01981 541274. stop, of part of the Cotswolds with a Blue TH concerts are so popular, please book early Next month – SATURDAY, 12 MAY Badge Guide on the coach. Make sure MISS POTTER so as not to be disappointed. you put both dates in your diary or on your __________________________________ __________________________________ calendar. __________________________________ W.I. The Evergreen Club TH Our first outing for 2007 is on Whist Drive TUESDAY, 17 APRIL is the Much TUESDAY, 10TH APRIL and the Following the success of our first Whist Birch WI Open Meeting in the destination is the dreaming spires of Drive, we will be holding a further drive at Community Hall, Much Birch. The Oxford with its riverside walks and, of Little Birch Village Hall on speaker will be Mr. P Ralph and his subject is 'The History of the Royal Forest the National Fire Service) in Coventry sister, Margaret Sutton, our deepest of Dean-Canute to Elizabeth II'. The until the end of the war. He settled in sympathies. meeting begins at 7.30pm. for members - Warwickshire and married his first wife A number of friends have been in hospital 8.00pm. for visitors and promises to be and they had a son, Jez and a daughter. recently and it is good to report that most most interesting. Refreshments will be Sadly, in the space of a few years, John’s have returned home to recuperate and provided by the Committee. wife and their daughter both died. Later, hopefully missed the dreaded infections For further details of meetings and joining John met and married Gill and they moved which have been prevalent in the County the WI please contact Barbara Wilson to Wrigglebrook lane, Kings Thorn with Hospital Several friends have and still (President) on 01432 840559 or Kath son, Ben, in the early 1970’s. are travelling to Cheltenham each day and Watts on 01981 540382 Subsequently, Becky and Ruth were born we ask for your prayers for a successful __________________________________ and all three children attended Much Birch outcome after their treatment. School. Ben went on to study Art and ___________________________________________ Gardening Club Becky to University. Jez recalled that TH Little Birch Lanes On WEDNESDAY, 25 APRIL the both he and his father had a great love of Several complaints have been received by Club will welcome Mr. D.J Cramp who music and spent much time together Little Birch Parish Council concerning the will give a talk about ‘Wildlife In The walking in the countryside. Ben told of use of local lanes. A minority of locals and Garden’. This meeting will start at 7.30pm the happy family holidays in the caravan, 'others' are driving along these lanes and will include a Bring and Buy Plant usually in Wales, and particularly on the during wet weather as a 'short cut' or for Sale. Gower coast. John was very much a fun in 4 x 4's leaving these lanes Further information can be obtained from countryman and always wanted to live a impossible to use. As a number of these Helen Fox on 01981 541004. ‘self-sufficient’ lifestyle and dreamed of lanes provide necessary access for local Bingo eventually settling down on the businesses and homes, the Parish Council Little Birch Village Hall on THURSDAY, smallholding. When the family moved to TH request that drivers use these local lanes 26 APRIL eyes down at 8.00pm. Glendene on Wrigglenbrook Pitch, John responsibly. Failure to do so will become Proceeds in aid of hall refurbishment had a large garden in which he grew fruit quite divisive, in a small community such fund. and vegetables, which he exhibited at the as ours. Co-operation rather than _________________________________ Annual Show and he also kept poultry. confrontation is essential. John was elected to the Village Hall __________________________________ May Day Committee at an Open Village meeting in May Day celebrations will take place on History Group TH January 1977 when it was decided to re- SATURDAY, 5 MAY at Little Birch open the Hall and edited the first Little Birch and King’s Thorn History Village Hall to include May Queen Newsletter in February 1977. The Group sent a copy of their book Little competition, glamorous Granny Newsletter appeared every month with Birch on Aconbury Hill to Prince Charles competition, best dressed Jack in the John as Editor, Gill typing the copy, Ian since the Duchy of Cornwall own land Green for the boys and much more. More Porter printing the copies and the Danks adjacent to the parish. We received a very information in the next newsletter. family walking around the village to nice letter of thanks in which he sends his __________________________________ deliver to each household. This very best wishes to the community of the Aconbury Woods continued for many years until the parish of Little Birch. Copies of the book There will be a walk and talk on Resource Centre opened at Much Birch continue to be available at local TUESDAY, 8TH MAY - Come and learn and the printing was done there and a few bookshops, the Castle Inn and The what is currently happening in the woods others joined in distributing the Newsletter Pilgrim, also from Alison Clarke 01981 and what the future plans are from Geraint which helped the Danks family somewhat 540791. Richards, Duchy Agent. The walk will in a very onerous task each month. John __________________________________ start from Little Birch Village Hall at helped with the Jubilee Celebrations Much Birch 100 Club Draw 6.30pm and finish at the hall around centred around the Hall in June 1977, was The March draw took place on a tireless worker in the staging of the 8.00pm where a Ploughman’s supper will Wednesday, 14th March 2007 at Much Mini-Agricultural Show in September and be available.