Feb 2009 - Purton Magazine

February 2009
Magazine
Purton
Frosted Flower
photo: Gordon Dickinson
45p
LOCAL CHURCHES
CHURCH OF ENGLAND – PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY
Vicar:
Rev Jane Haslam, The Vicarage, 2 Kingsacre, Hyde Lane,
Purton tel 770210 email: revjane.haslam@hotmail.co.uk
www.communigate.co.uk/wilts/stmaryspurton
Services:
See Diary Page in this magazine
METHODIST CHURCHES
Minister
Services:
Rev Stephen Cullis, tel 853197
1, Garraways, Woodshaw, Wootton Bassett, SN4 8LT
PURTON
See Diary Page in this magazine
BRAYDON
Sundays 6.00pm Evening Worship
CATHOLIC CHURCH
CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, WOOTTON BASSETT
Parish Priest
Father J Reville tel 852366
Church of the Sacred Heart, High Street, Wootton Bassett
Services:
Holy Days
Vigil 7.00pm
Holy day 9.30am
Sundays
10.30am
Mass
For times of weekday services please see Church notice board
ST MARY’S CHURCH, CRICKLADE
Priest
Father Philip Beisly tel 01285 712586
St Mary’s Church, High Street, Cricklade
Holy Days
7.00pm
Mass
Sundays
9.30am
Mass
OTHER CONTACT NUMBERS
County Councillor
District Councillors
Doctors
Dental Surgery
Library
Police
Post Office
Purton Age Concern
Minibus
Purton Helping Hand
Purton Parish Council
Veterinary Surgery
Helen Dixon
Geoff Greenaway
Jacqui Lay
Chuck Berry
Purton Surgery
Philip Cooke
Librarians
Cricklade Police Station
Susan Budd
Tony Price
Richard Woodbridge
Pauline Ward
Shirley Bevington
Purton Animal Surgery
770648
771140
770704
01666 577765
770207
771022
770870
08454 087000
770346
770696
770862
770251
771066
771869
Schools and Play Groups:
Bradon Forest Comprehensive
Playclose Playgroup
Secretary
Dawn Phillips
770570
778141
or 07759 583566
771723
770239
Purton Under 5's Community Playgroup Fionna Griffiths
St Mary’s Primary
Secretary
February 2009
Volume 31 No. 2
1st Published 1975
From the Editors
The start of the New Year has given us some very cold and frosty weather with
temperatures well into negative Celsius territory. For many in our community the
icy weather has disrupted road transport but even the several salt/grit bins
distributed around the village by the Parish Council have not been able to prevent
some accidents.
Indeed a photograph of one such accident on Manor Hill was spotted in the
Swindon Evening Advertiser. We are very grateful to the Adver for giving us
permission to reproduce the picture on page 57. We hope it will serve as a salutary
reminder to all drivers in icy weather that conditions are dangerous. Thankfully no
one was seriously injured in that incident but seeing a Police car in such a
precarious position demonstrates perhaps even more vividly just how dangerous icy
roads can be, especially considering all the additional training that Police drivers
receive. Remembering that image when driving past The Pear Tree Hotel may help
to improve levels of road safety in other parts of our village.
We are delighted to include another, altogether much more tranquil image from
those frosty days. Local artist Gordon Dickinson was out with camera and has
kindly allowed us to reproduce one of his photographs on our front cover as a more
peaceful reminder of the recent very cold snap. Many of us have a camera but only
a few are able to achieve such a stunning image. We would be delighted to receive
good quality photographs of topical scenes and events in our community to publish
in future issues. Contact details are on page 4.
It is interesting to note that the government has recently published a toolkit for
nurturing neighbourhoods, claiming that civic pride is a power for good. The
government’s guidance says that people who feel that they belong to their local area
will get involved with local schemes and initiatives, will help their neighbours, will
pull together in a crisis and join together in celebration – all of which helps to build
cohesive, empowered and active communities.
We’d like to think that description sounds a little like Purton and we are very
pleased to bring you yet another edition of your community magazine stuffed full of
local contributions that describe schemes and initiatives with plenty of examples of
people helping their neighbours.
4
performances of “Wizard
of Oz - The Panto” by
PADS on February 5th, 6th
and 7th
- see page 21
75%
of selling price available
from items sold at the
Age Concern Auction on
March 7th
- see page 14
£400
collected by Purton
Peartree Pealers has
been donated to two local
Hospices
- see page 18
CONTENTS
Age Concern
Ancient Greeks
Bradon Forest News
Carnival 2009
Cautionary Tale
Cricklade Country Market
Cricklade Leisure Centre
Cubs
Diary Page
Evening W.I.
Exhibit of the Month
Fire Station
Fire Safety Advice
Guide Dogs
Guide Weekend away
Historical Society
News from the Trustees
On the lighter side
Parish Council News
Ps&Qs: Planning Alert
Purton Churches Together
Purton F.C.
Purton Peartree Peelers
Purton Placard
Purton Postbag: Letters
Purton Proferrings
Rainbows, Brownies & Guides
Registers
St Mary’s Church Choir
Swindon & Cricklade Railway
Tennis Club
Useless Information
Willows Counselling Service
Winter Thought
Your Magazine delivered free!
© 2004 - 2009
Magazine Committee
Avril Ainscough, Barbara Compton, John Creasey, Helen Dixon, Rick Dixon,
Sheila Fowler, Jacqui Lay, Nigel Manfield, Francis Sheppard
Typeset & Printed by: In Touch Services
Advertising enquiries and copy for contributions
by 10th of each month, please
to: Purton Magazine, c/o In Touch Services, 115 Pavenhill, Purton SN5 4DB
tel & fax: 01793 772954
email: mail@purtonmagazine.co.uk
Distribution enquiries only:
John Creasey
Other enquiries and comments for the committee to:
The Secretary, 45 Ringsbury Close, Purton SN5 4DF
Also on line at www.purtonmagazine.co.uk
Parish Council News
Icy Weather - Please take care when out walking and driving during
this cold spell as it is not possible for all areas to be salted.
However as you may have noticed there are several salt/grit bins
distributed around the village and local residents are more than
welcome to distribute the salt on the pavements and roads if they wish to.
A word of warning though – if the salt is brought into premises on shoes it is
advisable to wipe up the residue as the salt is corrosive and can damage floor
surfaces. We have arranged for three more bins to be installed during this cold
spell in areas were we felt they were lacking.
Allotments - We have received a number of enquiries about allotments. The
people to contact are Jill Winson on 01793 772 898 or Arthur Witchell on 01285
888000 as they manage the Church allotments at Upper Pavenhill and on Restrop
Road.
An idea that is being promoted on the Isle of Wight is that people interested in
gardening are being encouraged to take on the gardens of elderly or disabled
people. This has a two-fold benefit in that those no longer able to look after their
gardens benefit by enjoying a well maintained garden and the tenders of the garden
have the opportunity to grow their own vegetables and flowers. This idea seems to
have some good merits and may be worth considering if you have a neighbour who
might welcome such an idea.
Vandalism - Sadly vandalism is an ongoing problem in our village. Graffiti and
mindless damage, caused by a few individuals is a nuisance for all concerned and
it is difficult to understand the mentality of those who carry out these acts. If you
see anybody causing damage to property then please contact the Police
immediately by dialling 999. If it is to report damage discovered after the event then
call 0845 4087000. By reporting incidents it will mean that they get logged which
helps to reflect the true extent of damage that is caused and builds up a more
realistic picture. We are told by the Police that this is a safe area to live in, and no
doubt that is the case, but if you are the one experiencing the anti-social behaviour
you may have a different view point on this. So please report all incidents to the
Police because in the longer term this could help us secure more officers for our
area.
If you are a parent/guardian and your youngsters are out at night do you know
what they get up to particularly when they are out to impress their peers and
possibly are being supplied with alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. Alcohol and drugs
are a significant factor in the behaviour of some of these youngsters.
Moredon Bridge Appeal - The Parish Council were represented and submitted
objections at the opening of the inquiry held for the Moredon Bridge development.
It was felt that the appeal should have been deferred as not enough notice of the
inquiry had been given to the Parish Council and local residents. Initially the
Inspector rejected this request however a day or so into the inquiry the Inspector
reviewed this decision and deferred the inquiry until mid-February.
By
Page 5
mid-February the outcome of the Regional Spatial Strategy should be known which
could impact on the decision and the joint group looking at the possible sites to
accommodate any additional housing proposed through the Regional Spatial
Strategy will have identified sites for consultation to the West of Swindon.
There is no doubt that the outcome of the Regional Spatial Strategy will have a
significant impact on what further land is or is not developed to the West of Swindon.
The following planning applications have been approved by NWDC:
N08/02362/FUL Kempsters Court, 2 High Street, extension to dwelling
N08/02208/LBC Ponds Farm, Ponds Lane, Purton Stoke, conversion of redundant
agricultural building to office use (Renewal of 05/02364/LBC)
N08/02201/FUL Clardon Barn, Clardon Lane, ground floor en-suite bedroom
extension
N08/02449/FUL Egypt Cottage, Purton Stoke, rear dormer window and detached
garage
N08/02474/FUL BP Depot, Purton Industrial Estate, Mopes Lane, erection of
cylinder filling shed
NWDC have refused the following planning applications:
N08/02369/CLE Land at The Pry, Certificate of Lawful Existing Use for use of land
for storing building materials, vehicle machinery and construction
equipment
N08/02551/FUL Braydon Manor, erection of annexe
Planning Applications can be accessed via North Wiltshire District Council’s web
site if you have access to the internet. If you log onto www.northwilts.gov.uk and
click planning it will offer you various options. You can also arrange with the
District Council to be alerted to any application appertaining to Purton via email.
How to contact the Parish Council:
Telephone number 01793 771066; Fax 772646
email address: clerk@purtonpc.eclipse.co.uk
Website www.communigate.co.uk/wilts/purtonparishcouncil
Parish Council’s letter box – The letter box can be found on the wall adjacent to the
side door (entrance to the Parish Council offices) to the rear of the Library/Institute
Building. Post for the Purton Village Hall/Institute Charity, Purton Village Centre/
War Memorial and Play Close Charities can also be deposited in this box.
Useless Information
What is Best Boy, Key Grip and Gaffer?
You may have wondered who are the people with strange names in the credits at
the end of a film of TV programme. The gaffer is the chief electrician, the key grip
is responsible for the sets and the best boy is their assistant.
I always wonder why they want so much dubbing mixing. Is it for their rugby boots?
AVRIL AINSCOUGH
Page 6
News from the Trustees
Could I, on behalf of the Trustees, offer our deepest sympathy to Glenis Hill, her
family and friends, on the sad loss of Victor who did so much for the Charities,
especially the Purton War Memorial and Village Centre. While the Centre is there
we shall all have fond memories of Victor and of the work he has had done there.
Staying at the Village Centre, we have received a grant towards insulation of the
roof of both the Bowls Pavilion and the Millennium Hall, which is good news and
greatly appreciated. We are looking at the doors to the Millennium Hall – through
warping, the gaps are too big to put draughtproofing round, which is a condition of
this grant. As I have said before, and I will say again, we will get there one day but
when I don’t know.
On the bowling green, or should I say the walk ways, the members have been
redoing them all and an excellent job they are making of it. There are plans afoot
at the tennis club to change it around a bit, but the same with most improvements,
it is funding, so we will have to wait and see.
Could we send our best wishes to everyone at the Centre for the coming year,
especially Terry Crumbie, who was taken into hospital at the end of the festive
period. We hope by the time he reads his this he has fully recovered.
At the Village Hall, as you know, we have had a heat survey done and we are
awaiting planning permission. If they do not agree with us having plastic windows
and insist on wooden ones, then we will not be able to have them done – it is as
simple as that. We all feel that the look of the plastic windows compared to what
we have now – metal ones – would enhance the building. Could I thank Cllr. Mike
Bell, a fellow Trustee, for all his hard work in submitting this application on our
behalf. It was an excellent presentation and we are hoping the planners feel the
same. Thanks Mike.
This is the reason we haven’t started any decoration programme yet. Firstly we
had to get all the snagging work done after the disabled facilities we installed. This
is normally done by the builder but, as you know, he has gone bankrupt. This has
now been done and, of course, now we are looking at doing the work
recommended in the energy audit that was carried out on the hall.
Could I thank the Purton Artists for their kind donation towards the decoration of
the Hall. It was money raised at their exhibition. This was greatly appreciated as was
the donation a man gave me towards the Hall – and he doesn’t even live in the
Parish, so our thanks to him. What seems to be a habit – a young lady called before
Christmas and wanted to know what project they could go carol singing for and I
suggested the decorating of the hall, so off they went to sing. When they took the
proceeds to the office for them to count, imagine our surprise – the total was £82.43,
so many thanks once again to Emily Clark and all her friends – you are very kind.
TONY PRICE, Chair of Trustees
Cricklade Country Market
The next Cricklade Country Market will be held on Friday 27th February 2009,
9.00am to 11.00am at ‘The Club in Cricklade’ (near Tesco’s).
Page 7
Purton & District Age Concern
How does one start writing Age Concern’s piece in the magazine
early in the new year? You should be saying ‘happy new year’
and you know full well that this year is not quite like that for
people who have lost loved ones. I sincerely hope that their fond memories and
happy times together will give them a little comfort. Some of the people I know
about and some I don’t but our thoughts and prayers are with you all as He knows
who it is who wants comforting. One person that I do know a little about is Victor
Hill who sadly died on Boxing day – a real village person who loved the village,
doing so much for it and such a part of it. Victor always did things quietly without
any fuss or expecting praise.
The most important thing in any organisation is knowing where to go to get what
you need and, when we were doing the Millennium garden at the bottom of The
Peak, we wanted shingle – two different shades, so I said I would speak to Victor
about it, which I did, and he said ‘Tony, we had better have a trip to Shorncote to
see what we can do’, so we arranged a day and time, he picked me up and off we
went. We sorted out what was wanted and, on the way, he said ‘You will only need
to pay for the transport’ but, what happened? When I went to sort out paying for it
I was told that Glenis and Victor had seen to it but it was ‘Keep it to yourself’ and
that’s how he was. Victor was Purton through and through. I think it was his
grandfather who started the brickyard or should I say ‘brickworks’ at the end of New
Road where the recycling centre is now. He lived in various areas in the village that
I know of, firstly with his mum and dad then later with Glenis. Was it Hills who built
the row of houses on the Common close to Witts Lane? Victor lived in the end one
nearest the railway line, then there was Hillside and the Elms, right on today’s site
of Handy Gas. The Elms was knocked down to make way for the industrial
buildings. Glenis and Victor ended up living in Hyde Lane at ‘Glen-tor’ – no prizes
for guessing why they chose that name.
In the early days, in a company that employed a lot of men, like Hills did at that
time, it was usually a case of the owner and us, the employees, on a different wave
length so to speak, but Victor was never like that. As I said earlier, he was always
part of the village. It was Hills who took the hedge out and levelled the football pitch
when John Scott purchased the Purton War Memorial and Village Centre for us with
village contributions. What vision they had in those days and, knowing John Scott,
I bet he got it done for next to nothing. Going on from there, Hills provided the
venture trail that is in the play area at the Red House. Another part of village life in
days gone by was that Hills would always play the Workmans’ Club on Boxing Day
at skittles and, of course, the principals of the firm were present to treat the players.
This was always arranged by Fred Haines, who was a good club man and, of
course, worked at Hills. A good time was had by all.
When you go into the Village Hall car park in the corner by the entrance, you will
see an engine which used to generate all the electricity for Hills’ brickworks, plus
the Elms and the cottage where Fred and Jean Haines lived. This cottage has now
gone like the Elms but – ‘waste not want not’ – the steam that the engine produced
Page 8
was diverted to dry the bricks so we still have a little part of that history to remind
us of Hills and the brickworks. - Ed: see Exhibit of the Month on page 25.
Victor loved the social side of life as well as work and one of his joys was
dancing, which he was some expert at. I would think he would have gained some
of his expertise from the old time dances they used to have in the hall at the Angel,
where Jesse Reason was MC. Was the trio then Mrs Webb on piano, Mrs Smith
on violin and Bert Jerome on the drums?
Another of Victor’s loves was acting, which he did with the Young Conservatives
Amateur Dramatic Group. They put on several productions in the Institute. That
was always very entertaining. Our president Miss Ward was also a member of that
group. Victor was a past president of the Purton Probus Club that meets at the Red
House on every other Tuesday. It must have given him a great deal of pleasure
walking through the Red House, seeing how good the football pitch looks, then
there’s the venture trail and let’s not forget the Millennium Hall. This was built with
10% of Hills’ money but, like us, they never had any say in who the builder was –
the builder that has caused us all the trouble.
One of the most important parts of Victor’s life, apart from his family, was his
involvement with the Purton Branch of the Royal British Legion. He was standard
bearer for a good many years and how smart and upright he always was and, if that
wasn’t enough to give to an organisation, he was also treasurer for a long time.
The thing I will always remember about Victor was his willingness to help, the
respect he showed people with the touch of his hat, a twinkle in his eye, a cheerful
story to tell and his smile. We always had a card from Victor and Glenis at
Christmas, thanking Age Concern for what we do, something which we always
appreciated. I am sure his memorial service will be very sad but it will also be
uplifting, learning about his life. Victor loved music and was President of Cricklade
Band for many, many years – I know they will be there playing. To Glenis, her
family and friends I would like to say that we in Purton have lost a friend but our loss
is not as great as yours and we sincerely hope that all the happy times you spent
together will give some comfort as time goes by.
Now this is an urgent plea – we need more people to help with our minibuses,
mainly shot guns. They are the people who help get people on and off the buses,
making sure they are belted up etc. Well, it is basically helping the driver. Your
reward would be the appreciation of the people using this service and others like
the luncheon club, the doctors’ surgery etc. While mentioning the surgery, could I
just thank everybody most sincerely at the surgery for their kind donation, which will
go in the minibus fund. Instead of sending one another Christmas cards, the staff
at the surgery had a collection which they gave to us. What a lovely thought – thank
you one and all.
Another nice story – Alison and Keith Instone made wreaths at Christmas, which
they sold and then gave us the proceeds, bearing in mind that they had already
made us up a lovely Christmas hamper which was the first prize in our Christmas
draw, so our thanks to them for their kindness. We still continue with nice surprises
– Dave and Patsy Manners celebrated their golden wedding and asked for
donations for us in lieu of presents, so we thank their friends and family for their
Page 9
kindness and, of course, Dave and Patsy for the thought – also congratulations to
them. Another surprise was a donation from Kath Rawlings’ carol evenings. It is
always such a pleasure to go to Kath’s to sing carols – it is like a Christmas card
scene, with a logs on the fire, Christmas decorations on the beams, home cooking
and, of course, people around the piano singing – beautiful! I said ‘evenings’ early
on, well that came about because John Holland’s friends and family were poorly
and couldn’t make the first evening although he did, so Kath arranged another
special night for them, hence the donation to our funds, so our thanks go to John
and his friends and family for their generosity.
We had our Christmas draw and we made over £600. It was an excellent draw
with over forty prizes, all given, so our thanks to all concerned for the kindness
shown. Another thank you is to the staff at Ashgrove House and the Cedars for
getting their residents gifts with the vouchers which we gave them. We know it is
not an easy job but greatly appreciated by us and the residents.
The carols under the tree on Christmas Eve went very well this year as always,
under the baton of our musical director Mary New. The band is getting bigger by
the year, which is excellent, and the number of carollers is increasing as well, which
again is good. It’s a bit of a worry for Sheila, who makes the punch but, as always,
she comes up trumps. It was as good as always, so our thanks to Sheila for the
punch, Mary and her group for the music and let’s not forget the appearance of
Father Christmas, who had some goodies which he gave to the children and a few
older ones as well. Thanks also to all the people who came along, because it would
be nothing without you. There is one point I would like to make – it is about people
standing on the pavement. It is alright to have one row of people against the
railings but any more is a no go. We do not want people, who are walking down the
pavement, having to step into the road and getting hit by a car... as that would finish
our carols! We don’t want any accidents, do we?
Another nice surprise was when the phone went and it was Simon from the
Angel ringing up to say that the bottle on the bar is full, so we made arrangements
to go and count the money and what a surprise it was when we had counted
£302.61. Simon and Lisa also ran a competition to guess how much was in the
bottle and raised £42 – this means they gave us the generous sum of £344.61, as
Simon and Lisa donated the prize for the winner. So our thanks go to them and
everyone at the Angel – that is the most we have ever received from any one bottle
opening. I don’t know how much we have had from this bottle, but it has been on
the bar since we started raising money for our first bus some 23 years ago and I
believe it is back on the bar now.
We have had an offer of two electric wheelchairs free of charge. If anyone is
interested, please contact me on 770696. This is a very kind gesture by the lady
concerned. Looking ahead, we have our jumble sale coming up on Saturday
14th February at the Village Hall starting at 2.00pm. Anything for this sale can be
left at the Hall between 12 noon and 1.00pm. Nothing will be accepted outside this
time. Following on from this we have our annual auction on Saturday 7th March also
at the Village Hall. Viewing is from 12.00 noon to 1.00pm and the sale starts at
1.00pm. Items for this sale can be brought to the hall between 9.00am and
Page 10
11.30am on the day of the sale – you get 75% of the selling price. We limit the
number of lots, so be sure to get in early. If items don’t sell, we charge £2 for them
going through the sale and all unsold items are to be cleared from the hall by
4.00pm. For further details or an entry form with all the details on, give me a ring
on 770696. We don’t accept useless items, electrical goods that haven’t been
tested, gas appliances, bedding etc and the committee reserves the right to reject
anything for this sale. We have a professional auctioneer – Mr Roderick Wightman,
who always does an excellent job. You can rest assured that he will get the best
price possible, so we hope to see you there.
My final request is concerned with the frosty, snowy weather we have had. The
Council have provided yellow plastic containers in various parts of the village with
salt in and these are for the public to use as necessary to make it easier for all of
us to get about, but particularly the older folk and people who have a job to get
about at the best of times. The Council salt the main roads but they cannot be
everywhere so let’s all help one another and spread the salt where possible to help
us all. If the salt bins are empty, get in touch with Wiltshire Highways or our local
Council office and they will be filled. Thank you.
TONY PRICE
The Ancient Greeks: History, Art and Legend
A series of six talks organized by the Purton Historical Society
(All Meetings are on Wednesday evenings)
· Venue: Upper School Hall, St. Mary’s School, Purton
· Principal Speaker: Mr P. Booy. B.ed Hist. Hons.
· Commencement: Wednesday 25th February at 7.30pm
· Fee: £18 for advanced bookings or £20 on the night
· Further Information: please contact Julia Cook
Programme:
25 February Who were the Ancient Greeks? The Minoans
- History and Myth
4 March
Gods and Goddesses; The Trojan War and
Helen of Troy; The Iliad
11 March
The City States, Arcadia, Sparta, Athens
18 March
The Persian Empire; The Battles of
Thermopylae and Salamis
25 March
The Festivals; The Olympic Games; How men
should live; Pericles
1 April
Greek Independence; Byron: “mad, bad and
dangerous to know”.
The story of Ancient Greece is about beautiful Goddesses
and mighty warriors but it is about much else as well.
Page 11
PURTON PLACARD
Groups are invited to submit to the Editor details of forthcoming events in, for
and on behalf of our community.
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JUMBLE S
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14TH FEBR
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at 2.00 pm.
Lots of barg
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PURTON AMATEUR DRAMATIC SOCIETY
PRESENTS
WIZARD OF OZ – THE PANTO!
By Leonard H Caddy
at Purton Village Hall
5 , 6th and 7th February 2009
th
Performances start 7.30pm with a Saturday Matinee at 2.30pm
Tickets £6 Adults, £3 Concessions
Tickets from:
The Spar Shop (Lower Sq Purton)
Present Event/In Touch Services (Upper Sq Purton)
or Sue Richardson, Lindsey Hall
Book now to avoid disappointment!!
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Pl ac
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!
Mo
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THE RO
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PURTON
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Presents
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Each Wedne
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from 25th Fe
bruary
until 1st Apri
11.45am to 1 l
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at Purton M 0pm
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Price
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RAFFLE mbers or at the d ommittee
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and LIGH
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BRADON
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St Mary's
Quiz Eve
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28 March
Saturday
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770375,
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Evening
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For information
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0375; 770970;
772896; 772563
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Page 13
Purton Peartree Pealers Christmas Appeal
Over the Christmas period The Purton Peartree Pealers, Purton’s own local
handbell ringers, played at several venues to add Christmas cheer.
We played at Malmesbury Late Night shopping, where there was a snow
machine, a steel band from Bath and plenty of other noisy competition and a warm
friendly atmosphere!
We had the joyous opportunity to pay the handbells one Sunday afternoon, in
the beautiful entrance hall of Lydiard Mansion. The acoustics there were perfect
for bells… we were even recorded for ‘Talking Newspapers’ for blind and visuallyimpaired people! We were amazed by the huge audience that greeted us there:
many sat and listened, whilst others wandered around the beautiful house and
heard the sound of the bells drifting into every room. They thought it was magical.
On one night, a few days before Christmas, we visited The Pear Tree Hotel, the
Red House, The George, The Workingmen’s Club, The Angel, The Tawny Owl at
Ashdown Way and, for good measure the Foresters. Our other port of call, outside
Purton village itself, was The Bell at Purton Stoke… very appropriate! Quite a
night… and not a drop of drink was drunk by any of us, unfortunately! In all of these
establishments we were welcomed warmly and people joined in with a short
sing-along while we played the handbells.
The following night we visited restaurants in the area, including The Bolingbroke
Arms, Sally Pussey’s, The Churchill and Woodshaw Arms in Wootton Bassett. At
each venue we held our collection bucket out for contributions; and in one pub the
landlord emptied all his small change into our hands! At another venue a
gentleman gave us his loose change: then, when he realised we were collecting for
The Prospect he went out to his car and came back with even more money for us!
Perhaps the highlight of our Christmas festivities was playing at the Prospect
Hospice itself, where we were warmly welcomed and enjoyed a glass of mulled wine
after a merry singsong. The loving and caring atmosphere of this wonderful place
was heart-warming for us all and we felt glad that our fundraising was for their benefit.
We would like to take this
opportunity to thank all the
landlords, staff and visitors in
these pubs, restaurants and
hotels, for their generosity to
us.
We are delighted to
report
that
£400
was
collected and this has gone
to Helen House Children’s
Hospice and to the Prospect
Hospice in Wroughton.
LIBBIE SHEPPARD
on behalf of the Purton
Peartree Pealers
Page 14
Purton Museum Exhibit of the Month: A Purton Brick revisited
This article first appeared in the May 2004
issue of Purton Magazine. It is reproduced
with additional pictures following the death in
December of Mr Vic Hill (see p 10).
Purton lies on the northern edge of the
Marlborough Downs and the hill at Station
Road takes you down from the ridge that
runs through the village down to the valley of
the River Thames. It also marks a transition from an upper level of corallian rag
limestone to clay. It was because of the abundance of suitable clay that Purton
once had its own brickworks.
The works were built in 1898 by Mr Charles Plummer. Edward Hill saw the
potential of this business and bought it in 1906. At that time, Swindon was still
expanding rapidly – when isn’t it? – and there were thirteen brickworks in and
around Swindon. Many of these quickly became encircled by the newly built
streets but Purton’s still had room to expand. Five cartloads a day took 300 bricks
weighing a ton from Purton to Rodbourne during the early years of the twentieth
century. It was hard and heavy work for men and horses.
In 1912 Mr Hill installed a coal-fired
continuous kiln to replace the old manual
kilns and production reached 65,000 to
70,000 per week. In 1924 Hills installed their
own generator to produce their own electricity
supply – the steam engine which powered
this generator is now displayed in the car park
at the Village Hall. A further continuous kiln
was installed in 1933 increasing production to
150,000 bricks a week and a gas-fired kiln
was installed in 1975.
Inside one of the kilns
Sadly, the works closed in the late 1970s
There will be clearer pictures - some in colour! - at www.purtonmuseum.com.
RICK DIXON, Outreach Officer
Purton Museum is located above the Library,
1 Station Road and is open during Library
hours:
Tues & Fri 2pm - 5pm and 6pm - 8pm
Weds 10am - 1pm and 2pm - 5pm
The brickworks from the air. 1930s? The
railway track is double and the train is
steam hauled. See the web!
Page 15
New Challenges in 2009
2009 will see the UK move deeper into recession with increases in unemployment,
home repossessions and personal debt. Whilst the number of people directly
affected may still be relatively small, the situation is threatening to get worse,
certainly for the first half of the New Year. Some of the consequences can be
devastating for individuals and families.
If you are affected by loss of employment, or an unexpected change in
circumstances, then you may find that having someone to talk it through with will
help to lessen the impact this has on you and yours. Willows Counselling Service
is available to provide a listening ear and help you to explore a way forward in a
changing world.
If you are fortunate enough not to be adversely affected by the changes in the
economy, or in your personal circumstances, then you may be considering what
you can do to help in such situations. Willows Counselling runs a range of training
courses to enable individuals to gain the skills, knowledge and awareness to
effectively help others. If you are interested then why not consider the Introduction
to Pastoral Counselling course starting on 2nd February 2009 in Swindon.
For more information about our Counselling, Training and other Services please
contact us:
Willows Counselling Service
496 Cricklade Road, Swindon SN2 7BG Tel: 01793 706646
E-mail: willows@willowscounselling.org.uk
Website: www.willowscounselling.org.uk
Purton Guide Dog Appeal
A good proper winter is how some people are describing the weather
as I write this (-6°C), while others dread it, either because of the
added expense, or the pain and suffering it causes. It just goes to
show how different we all are, and how external factors have a major
impact on our lives. Why can’t we be more like dogs – they don’t
seem to mind what the weather’s like when they want to go out for a walk.
Especially Guide Dogs!
We received £90.23 as a percentage of profit from the Swindon Brass / Bradon
Forest School Choir on 12th December and £50 donation from a Carol Singing
evening in Braydon. These two amounts go into the Puppy Appeal, taking it to
£1,072.01. Christmas cards sold amounted to £44.25. There was a £20 donation
in memory of a lady’s sister and small donations of £4.50 – these went into the
general account.
We have no event planned for February which is good in several ways as we
have to do a complete stock-take, but we’ll be back – watch this space.
VAL DAVIES, Guide Dog Support Group
Stop press:
We were saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Val. Our thoughts are with
Brian and the family.
Page 16
Purton Historical Society
Our talk this month is on Thursday 26th February. Please note that this
is one of the months when the meeting is changed to the fourth
Thursday. We meet at 7.30 pm in St Mary’s Upper School Hall. Alan
Kirton will be returning and this time he will be talking about Thomas
Cook the Victorian entrepreneur. The firm that we know today started
from the organisation of an excursion for 870 temperance campaigners to a
meeting 11 miles away using the Midland Counties Railway. Remember at this
meeting David will be collecting subscriptions of £10 for 2009.
The Spring course starts on Wednesday 25th February and is entitled “”the
Ancient Greeks: History, Art and Legend”. For more details see page 11.
Look in the library or information offices for the new North Wilts District Council
leaflets on cycling and walking routes in our area. I should have started this piece
“Marnin’ Moonrakers”, (after 30 years I must nearly qualify as a local), as this is the
title of a book celebrating Wiltshire dialect. It is by Countryside books at £6.99, or
ask at the library.
Wootton Bassett Historical Society will meet at the Civic Centre on Thursday
12th February at 7.30pm. Dr Alan Dodge will be talking about the “life of the 18th
century agricultural worker and his family”.
Cricklade Historical Society will meet in the Town Hall at 7.30pm. on
Wednesday 18th February. “Britannia under the Eagle” will be Martin Way’s subject
and will serve as an introduction to Roman Britain.
The Swindon Society will meet at the Broadgreen Centre on Wednesday
11th February at 7.30pm. Speaker: Norman Whitworth - “Life begins at Forty”.
EVE BOOY, Secretary
From the Registers
St Mary’s Church
Weddings
13th December
Gary Gustar and Stacy Barlow
Funerals
13th
Doris Elizabeth Schaps (83)
Basil William Marchant (84)
Ruby Maggie Day (88)
Len Fryer (74)
Victor Hill (82)
Ruth Woodward (81)
November
25th November
12th December
6th January
13th January
14th January
Susan Morley
St. Mary’s was floodlit for three nights, 27th - 29th January,
in remembrance of Susan Morley,
whose birthday it would have been on 28th January.
Lovingly remembered by her family and friends.
Page 17
Purton Diary – February 2009
1
Su 8.00am
10.30am
10.30am
2
4
5
7
8
M
W
Th
Sa
Su
6.00pm
11.00am
7.30pm
10.30am
6.45pm
8.00am
10.30am
10.30am
10.30am
6.00pm
7.30pm
7.30pm
9
M
10
Tu 11.00am
2.00pm
7.30pm
W 2.30pm
Th 10.30am
F
9.30am
Sa
2.00pm
Su 8.00am
10.30am
10.30am
6.00pm
6.30pm
M 7.45pm
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
22
Tu 7.45pm
8.00pm
W 2.00pm
7.30pm
F
9.30am
Su 8.00am
10.30am
10.30am
Holy Communion at St Mary’s
Morning Worship at the Methodist Church
Candlemas Family Service with St Mary’s School at St Mary’s
Church
Evensong at St Mary’s Church
Holy Communion at Purton Stoke Chapel
Wine & Cheese Evening, Silver Threads Hall (Helping Hand)
Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church
for 7.00pm: Pub Games Evening at Silver Threads Hall
Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church
Morning Worship and Holy Communion at the Methodist
Church
Parish Communion at St Mary’s Church
Junior Church at St Mary’s School Infant Hall
Evensong at St Mary’s Church
Friends of Playclose Play Group at The Red House
Purton Parish Council meeting at Village Hall - press and
public welcome
Songs of Praise at Ashgrove
Silver Threads Club: Mr Penney
Purton Yacht Club at The Angel
Methodist Women’s Fellowship at Hooks Hill with Mary Blaylock
Songs of Praise at the Cedars
Age Concern minibus to Swindon for people below Top Sq
Valentine’s Day
Age Concern Jumble sale at the Village Hall
Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church
Morning Worship at the Methodist Church
Celebration of Marriage Service at St Mary’s Church
Evensong at St Mary’s
Informal Holy Communion at the Methodist Church
St Mary’s Fellowship of Women at Methodist Church: Life in
the Air Force - Jenny Corkett
Royal British Legion at The Red House
After Eight: “Late Christmas Meal” at The Maharajah
Holy Communion at Ashgrove
Purton Evening Women’s Institute at Village Hall: Coping with
gluts in the garden and shops
Age Concern minibus to Swindon for people above Top Sq
Holy Communion at St Mary’s Church
Morning Worship at the Methodist Church
Parish Communion at St Mary’s Church
Page 18
24
25
26
6.00pm
Tu 2.00pm
6.30pm
7.30pm
W 11.45am
7.30pm
Th 7.30pm
Every week
Tu 9.15am
7.30pm
W 10.00am
6.30pm
W 7.30pm
Tu 10.00pm
Th 2.30pm
Evensong at St Mary’s Church
Silver Threads Club
Holy Communion at the Cedars
Gardeners’ Guild at Silver Threads Hall:
to 1.00pm: Lent Lunches start at Purton Methodist Church
Historical Society 1st week of course “The Ancient Greeks”,
St Mary’s Upper School Hall
Historical Society at St Mary’s Upper School Hall: Alan Kirton
- Thomas Cook - Victorian Entrepreneur
to 11.30am: Purton Toddler Group at Village Hall
Bridge Club at the Red House
to 12noon: Coffee and Chat at Silver Threads Hall
Rock Solid at the Methodist Church
RAOB Excelsior Lodge at The Red House
to 3.00pm: Purton Toddler Group at Village Hall
Pram Service for pre-school children at Methodist Church
If your Club or Organization’s Events are not included in the Diary Pages,
let us know:
Purton Magazine c/o In Touch Services, 115 Pavenhill
or email mail@purtonmagazine.co.uk
Please note: priority is given to events which are open to everyone.
Purton Profferings – Recycle your unwanted items to a new owner here
To advertise in this section please contact In Touch Services (address on page 4).
Free advertisements for Free goods. 2 lines maximum.
Have your Purton Magazine delivered FREE
You can have your copy of Purton Magazine delivered to your door. The annual
subscription is £5 (40p less than buying monthly) and we deliver FREE in the local
area. Postal subcriptions in 2009 are being held at the 2008 price of £11 per year.
You can join our scheme at any time during the year with the price adjusted pro rata.
For further information contact John Creasey or contact In Touch Services.
DISCLAIMER
Contributions to Purton Magazine are always welcome for consideration on the understanding that the
contributor’s name and address are supplied (but may be withheld from publication on request) and that
all related copyright issues have been cleared for publication in this magazine – especially with those
recognisable in any photographs. It follows that opinions expressed in the magazine are solely those of
the respective contributors.
Advertisements are accepted in good faith and their inclusion does not imply the magazine’s
endorsement of the product or service.
Purton Magazine is a totally independent publication and is, in no way whatsoever, connected to any
other publication, whether local or otherwise.
Page 19
Swindon & Cricklade Railway
to Cricklade
La
Packhorse
Bentham
ne
to The Pry
and West
Swindon
Purton
Station Road
There are no themed days during
February, but the Railway will be open to
the public every weekend, with diesel
train rides on Saturday and steam train
rides on Sunday from 11.00am to
4.00pm both days.
Why not become a member and help
to rebuild the railway link between
Cricklade and Swindon via Mouldon Hill
Country Park? Help is needed for a
variety of tasks.
No experience is
necessary but training will be given for
the more specialised work. Enquiries on
01793 750335 or 771615.
Blunsdon Station is two miles from
Purton village on Tadpole Lane. From
Packhorse Lane carry straight on over
the railway bridge.
The car park
entrance is then immediately on the right.
Railway and
Car Park
t
tree
hS
g
i
H
to Lydiard Millicent
© 2008,2009, In Touch Services Mapping
Purton Evening W.I.
Our 43rd Birthday/Christmas Party was well attended. We had a hot main
course and delicious home made desserts. This was followed by
members playing Pub Games which included dominoes, bagatelle, shove
halfpenny and card games. The games and scoring were organised by
Chris and Barbara Compton, our President. We ended the evening with Christmas
Carols led by our Choir and Drama group. This evening was a great social success.
On 18th February Mrs D.White will be advising us on “Coping with gluts in the
garden and shops. The following
meeting on 18th March is our Annual
meeting.
Visitors are most welcome to both of
these meetings.
JANE SMITH
President Barbara Compton with the
creator of this lovely cake, Mary Hunt,
just before it was cut up to accompany
our coffee or tea after the meal.
Page 20
PURTON POSTBAG
The Editors reserve the right not to publish letters received where space
and content dictate. No correspondence can be accepted for publication
without the proper name and address of the correspondent being supplied.
However those details may be withheld from being published if so
requested.
IAN FREEGARD
Below on this page you will find a notice
about the floodlighting of the church in
memory of our son Ian who died in the
mountains of Scotland in January 1993.
His employers, Mongomery Watson
of High Wycombe had a policy of
insuring their Graduate Engineers for
commercial
reasons
and
they
generously donated this insurance
money to a trust fund in Ian’s memory,
dedicated to the training of young
engineers.
For administrative reasons the Trust
is now being discontinued. In a letter
from the trustees we are told:
“During 2008 we have issued grants
as follows:
· £1,000 to Kimberly Dawson, an
Ecologist with MWH to support her
work on a 12 month assignment on a
conservation project in Mauritius.
· £I,800 to the Arkwright Scholarships
Trust for one scholarship award.
Arkwright awards scholarships to Alevel students who are showing
potential for careers in the
technology sector.
· £3,600 to the Arkwright Scholarship
Trust for two scholarships to be
awarded in 2009.”
“During its life the Trust
has been able to
provide financial support to a good
number of individuals who have sought
assistance in line with the Trust’s
objectives covering further technical
education,
training
with
RedR
(Engineers for Disaster Relief) and
humanitarian relief work in developing
counties”
We should like to thank Mongomery
Watson (now MWH UK Ltd), the
Trustees and Ian’s friends who have
made this all possible.
Doreen and Brian Freegard
IT’S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS
I would like to take this opportunity of
thanking all my neighbours and village
friends who sent cards, flowers and
good wishes when I had the misfortune
to break my foot and ribs. Thank you
Helping Hand, Age Concern and the
Methodist Chapel whose gifts of flowers
brightened those first weeks of
recovery. I am indeed glad I live in such
a caring village.
Margaret Brett
Ian Freegard
The church was floodlit on 5th January
for the 16th anniversary of Ian James Freegard.
From Mum and Dad, Sandra,
Helen and family and friends.
Page 21
Candlemas Family Service – 1st February at 10.30am at St Mary’s Church
As always, we welcome everyone to join us for worship. At this special service we
will welcome pupils of St Mary’s School, including the school choir. We will hear
about some strange ancient Candlemas traditions, as well as the real meaning of
the day, which includes blessing and distributing candles to everyone.
Duggie Dug Dug’s Praise Party – 8th February, 3 - 4.30pm, St Bartholomew’s
Church Hall, Wootton Bassett
Thrills, Funky Music, Puppets, Tricks and fun for all the family. Tickets are £1 from
Ian.Dyer@ntlworld.com or Sandra Dyer on 854232. Limited tickets available. To
find out more go to www.duggiedugdug.co.uk.
Celebration of Marriage Service – 15th February, 10.30am
At St Mary’s on 15th February we invite back all those who have been married
recently in the church to celebrate God’s gift of marriage to them. With traditional
wedding music, readings and prayers it is an opportunity for anyone who values
marriage to come along. There will be an opportunity to renew vows during the
service. Refreshments will be served afterwards.
Prayer for Purton & Prayer Chain
This month the churches in Purton are
praying for everyone who lives and works in
Blacklands, Paven Close, Red Gables Close,
Highridge Close and The Masons. People in
these streets will receive cards through their
doors which will invite them to contact us if
there is anything they would like us to pray for
during our Sunday worship. You can give as
much or as little information as you wish. We
don’t even need to know a name.
Alternatively, if there is anything you would
like prayer for you can contact the prayer
chain via Madeleine Harvey on 770139,
again in confidence. She will contact a few
others who will pray for you regularly.
Good Friday – Advance Notice
We regret that Canon Neville Boundy is no
longer able to join us to lead the Last Hour on
Good Friday. However, in his stead we will
Page 22
welcome Canon Ray Brazier, an experienced priest and currently a Director of
Ordinands in the Diocese. He is well known for his deep faith and ability to
communicate spiritual truth.
St Mary’s Church Choir
What’s it like to be in St Mary’s Church Choir? Charlie Whelan and Anna Haslam
have a little to say about it…
At Christingle in 2008 it
was a real experience
because there was a
powercut and a few
people had to use the
manual organ pump
because the electric
pump didn’t work.
A
bonus point about being
in the choir is that you
get paid at weddings!
The Choir is growing
and is getting a good
balance of children and
adults. There are five
children in the choir now
and two of them, Anna
Junior choir members under the Church Christmas tree and Charlie, wore their
choir robes for the first
time on Christmas Day.
Some of the children
think that being in the
Church choir has made
them more confident to
stand up and sing in front
of other people.
We have lots of fun
singing
together
especially when we had
a Junior Choir Christmas
Party
at
Charlie
Whelan’s house.
We
have all learnt lots of
descants and sang a
solo all together for Silent
Night at the 9 Lessons
The junior choir practise before their Christmas party and Carols Service.
Page 23
On the Lighter Side
Top this for a Speeding Ticket...
Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick. east of Edinburgh, were
involved in an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A1
Great North Road.
One of the officers (who are not named) used a hand-held radar device to check
the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when
the speed was recorded at over 300mph. The
machine then stopped working and the officers
were not able to reset it.
The radar had in fact locked on to a NATO
Tornado fighter jet over the North Sea, engaged in
a low-flying exercise over the Borders district.
Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff complaint to the
RAF Liaison office.
Back came the reply in true laconic RAF style. “Thank you for your message,
which allows us to complete the file on this incident. You may be interested to know
that the tactical computer in the Tornado had automatically locked on to your
‘hostile radar equipment’ and sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore, the
Sidewinder air-to-ground missiles aboard the fully-armed aircraft had also locked
on to the target. Fortunately the Dutch pilot flying the Tornado responded to the
missile status alert intelligently and was able to override the automatic protection
system before the missile was launched.”
London Transport Announcements
Some (supposedly) true announcements heard on the Tube.
“To the gentleman wearing the long grey coat trying to get on the second carriage:
exactly what part of ‘Stand Clear of the Doors’ do you not understand?”
“Please let passengers off the train first! Please let passengers off the train first!
Please let passengers off the train first! Oh go on then, stuff yourselves in like
sardines! See if I care. I’m going home!”
“Ladies and Gentlemen, upon departing the train may I remind you to take your
rubbish with you. Despite the fact that you are in something that is metal,
cylindrical, filthy and smells, this is a tube train for public transport and not a rubbish
bin on wheels.”
“Your delay this evening is caused by the controller suffering from elbow and
backside syndrome, not knowing the one from the other. I shall let you have any
further information as soon as I am given any.”
“Please stand clear of the doors..” [the doors close and then reopen.] “Passengers
are reminded that the big red slidey things on the side of the train are called The
Doors. Let’s try it again, shall we? Please stand clear of the doors.”
Page 24
! Planning Alert!
Purton Liaison Committee
We might well be forgiven for wondering just what this Committee is,
who runs it and what does it do?’
It consists of staff members of Hills, the private company which runs our local
recycling centre and the local landfill site, officers from Wiltshire County Council,
North Wiltshire District Council and the Environment Agency, and representatives
of Purton: local county and district councillors, Purton parish councillors, a
representative from the Braydon Parish Meeting, and Ps and Qs.
The primary purpose of the meeting is to discuss existing and forthcoming
activities at the Mopes Lane site that may affect the parish, particularly aspects that
may affect opening hours, vehicle movements, noise and other inconveniences.
Aspects of noise, smell and flooding are routinely discussed at the meetings, which
take place at about quarterly intervals.
Due to the various extensions to existing activities and also to new activities, it
seems quite unclear what the precise controls are on the activities at Mopes Lane,
how many vehicle movements are allowed, when they may come and go and so
on. The committee provides a forum that clarifies this sort of situation. It is likely
that the tonnage inputs to the landfill will be affected by current economic climate
due to the slow-down in the construction and land development sectors, resulting
in less heavy traffic to the site.
Recycling features regularly at the committee and Hills provide regular updates
of recycling rates.
The committee regularly raises possibilities of additional
recycling and Hills has recently introduced new slots for tetra-pak type waste and
for “other plastic” (in addition to and separate from the plastics coded 1 - 3).
Villagers who take their hard plastics to Mopes Lane may be interested to know that
these are being sent to Brazil for processing.
A representative of Hills is to be invited to attend as a guest speaker at the
Annual Parish Meeting later this year. It has been some years since Hills invited
the village to an Open Day to see what goes on at the site and this is also being
considered for 2009.
Compiled by Richard Pagett for Ps & Qs
Ps and Qs stands for Purton’s Qualities
Valuing Community Life - campaigning for sustainable communities
New members are always welcome
Contact: Jane Smith or Jacqui Lay
or via our web site: www.purtoninfo.org.uk
Mike Gale
St. Mary’s was floodlit on 4th January
in memory of Mike Gale:
a special husband, Dad and Grandad.
Loved and sadly missed by Inez and all the family.
Page 25
From Cricklade Fire Station
A busy December saw crews from Cricklade finish the year
attending 35 emergency calls as follows:1/12/08 at 0810
Car fire, B4696, Ashton Keynes
1/12/08 at 0909
Reported fire, false alarm, B4696, Ashton
Keynes
3/12/08 at 0116
Rubbish fire, Sawyers Hill, Minety.
3/12/08 at 2008
Caravan fire, Chelworth Road, Cricklade.
4/12/08 at 0649
Road traffic collision, person trapped A419 Cirencester
5/12/08 at 0831
House fire, Coronation Street, Fairford
5/12/08 at 2104
Chimney fire, Silver Street, Minety
10/12/08 at 0723
Road Traffic collision, person trapped, Ashton Keynes
10/12/08 at 1119
Workshop fire, Farm premises, Hankerton
11/12/08 at 0813
Bonfire, Stones Lane, Cricklade
11/12/08 at 1914
Portacabins and tyres on fire, Chelworth Industrial Estate
12/12/08 at 0930
Damping down following above incident
13/12/08 at 0745
Flooding, Silver Close, Minety.
13/12/08 at 0820
Flooding, Station Road, Minety.
13/12/08 at 0849
Standby duties, Chippenham Fire Station.
13/12/08 at 0913
Flooding, East Tytherton, Near Chippenham.
13/12/08 at 0949
Flooding, East Tytherton.
13/12/08 at 1156
Flooding, Ashton Road, Minety.
15/12/08 at 1907
Road traffic collision, A419, Daglingworth
16/12/08 at 0216
Road traffic collision, 2 persons trapped, A419, South Cerney
16/12/08 at 1435
Fire in Toilets, Village Hall, Purton
16/12/08 at 1729
Chimney fire, The Street, Latton
19/12/08 at 1901
Road Traffic collision, person trapped, A 419, Blunsdon
19/12/08 at 2220
Emergency service call, fuel spillage, Vasterne Close, Purton
20/12/08 at 0736
Reported fire, false alarm, Mopes Lane, Purton.
20/12/08 at 1513
Automatic fire alarm, residential flats, Bath Road, Cricklade
24/12/08 at 0941
Carbon monoxide detector activating, Marston Meysey
24/12/08 at 1630
Bonfire, Pauls Croft, Cricklade
31/12/08 at 1627
Kitchen fire, Farm premises, Long Newton, Near Tetbury
plus 4 co-responder calls, Cricklade, and 3 occasions standby duties, Swindon and
Chippenham.
We would like to thank all those people who have supported us throughout the year,
particularly with fund raising events. In total we raised £990. We would also like to
apologise for not being there for the street collection on Saturday 13th December.
This is a good fund raiser but we also know always popular with young children but
as you will notice from our emergency calls list we were somewhat busy that day.
If you would like any information about becoming a retained Firefighter, a Fire
Cadet or further information on fire safety then please ring 0800 389 7849
Do not use this number for reporting emergencies, ring 999. Likewise do
not ring 999 for anything other than reporting emergencies.
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Purton Cubs
On Sunday 14th December, 3 teams of Cubs and leaders set about a sponsored
Litter Pick to tidy up Purton for Christmas! This was part of our Global Challenge
badge as we have recently been learning about scouting and life in Nepal.
We hoped to raise £250 between us, to be able to buy another well and
sanitation system for villagers in the Meghauli area of Nepal, where Peter Shore
MBE (an International Scouter), set up the Friendship Clinic, and has fundraised for
some 350 wells in the surrounding areas. Lack of water and sanitation is a huge
problem for some areas of Nepal. Approximately 38,000 children die before their
5th birthday due to illness as a result of poor sanitation and water hygiene. For more
information about the clinic, please see the website www.clinic-nepal.org.uk.
After the morning of litter picking, which we think really tidied up some areas of
Purton, the Maharajah Restaurant kindly warmed us up with a traditional hot
Nepalese snack of dhal soup and chapatis, followed by onion bhajis! Each Cub
was also given a gift of a china mug, by Khalique, the restaurant owner.
We have exceeded our hopes of raising £250 and will look forward to publishing
our final total in excess of £400 I think!
We would like to Thank Everyone who sponsored a cub and supported us in
our efforts!
Purton Rainbows, Brownies & Guides
Christmas parties for all marked the end of the autumn term. Rainbows
held a traditional Christmas party with games and food, at which they
also said goodbye to Beau who left to move on to Brownies.
1st Purton Brownies’ party was expertly organised by Amy and Hannah whose
last meeting it was – party games, decorating biscuits and food were all included.
2nd Purton Brownies deviated from tradition with a “Hollywood” Christmas
Party excellently organised by their eldest three Brownies moving on to Guides.
The Brownies came dressed as celebrities with some very good costumes
paraded on a catwalk. A ‘guess the celebrity’ competition, ‘Hollywood statues’
and a design a dress competition were among the activities. Food too of course
but on this occasion followed by a speech – a 2nd Purton first!
At the time of writing 2nd Purton Brownies are the only unit to have started
back. They spent their first meeting playing games, making new points charts
and discussing their ‘Changing the World’ project which is preparation for the
Guide Association’s centenary celebrations. Further explanation of this to follow
next month.
For more information about Guiding in Purton contact Gill Woodward or Jane
Templar.
A Winter Thought
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly
hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
Edith Sitwell
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Guide Weekend Away, December 2008
A few weeks before Christmas the whole 1st Purton
Guide group went on a festive sleepover. We did lots of
crafts and fun activities, including making Christmas cards, decorations and
scrapbooks made out of beer mats! The Brownies even visited to see what
Guides would be like if they chose to join. Even amongst the people we already
knew, it was a great way to strengthen and start friendships.
We had to wash up after meal times, cook and clean, and on the full day we
ate a proper Christmas dinner. We set up our beds in the main room of Blunsdon
Village Hall where we were staying. My favourite part was making some of the
crafts. It was a great opportunity and a lot of fun, and I liked it a lot.
ELLEN CLEARY
Apologies for the silence but in the run-up to
Christmas I missed the deadline, but do not worry
the Tennis Club is alive and well! And what with
one thing and another we have been quite busy.
Winter League matches are well under way but this has been a quite exceptional
season for the level of cancellations due to bad weather. Rain, ice, fog – we’ve had
them all! Our indoor social sessions continue on Friday evenings at the Delta but
have been somewhat disrupted this autumn because a number of tournaments
have been introduced by the Delta team to make use of what had been a relatively
quiet evening for them.
We are sure many Purton residents have been a bit concerned at the moss
growing on the two courts by the cemetery. Work has now started and they will be
completely re-surfaced and ready for play at the end of March (barring exceptional
rain or wind which could slow the process down!). A few rather irritating cases of
vandalism have left our clubhouse looking a bit neglected but as soon as we have
a spell of decent weather we shall be out spring cleaning and getting it in good order
again.
On the social side we held our Christmas dinner event at the Wiltshire Club in
December and once again had a most convivial time. The only snag was that some
of us had a match the next morning and it was a bit of a struggle to get going! We
are holding our Annual American Tournament at the Delta on Saturday
14th February. Players of all standards are welcome to join in and we have found
this to be a most enjoyable event with often surprising results.
Anyone thinking of taking up tennis either to restart after a break or in an
endeavour to keep fit after the perils of winter over-eating will be made most
welcome at the club. Details of our plans for the year are on our website
www.purtontennis.net or you can contact me on 01793 770525 or at
carolineemclean@yahoo.co.uk.
CAROLINE McLEAN
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Feeling fabulous in February
Having trouble sticking to your New Year’s resolutions to get fit or lose some
weight? Why not let us help you? Our experienced staff can help to keep you
motivated and work out the ideal programme for you. So don’t despair, give us a
call or pop in and speak to someone.
A Huge Thank You to the Cricklade Fun Run – We would like to thank the
committee and organisers of the Cricklade fun run and half marathon for donating
£3000 to us again this year. The money has been put to good use already, with the
mending of the floor tiles in the ladies showers. The rest will be used to buy a tent
for our outdoor events and, to complete the installation of the internal CCTV which
has, sadly, become increasingly necessary.
The Great wall of Cricklade – After a lot of research, we’ve decided to put a
climbing wall into the leisure centre. It will be paid for with some private donations
we’ve already had, specifically for a climbing wall, and through a lot of fundraising.
We hope you’ll back us in this venture and help us to reach our final goal. We’re
hoping to have the work done through the summer holidays, to cause minimum
disruption to our normal timetable. We feel that this project will be a valuable asset
to the whole community, as it will bring new people into Cricklade to use the facility.
My Secret Kitchen – We’re holding a food tasting evening in the bar on Friday 6th
Feb at 7.30pm. This local company, based in Ashton Keynes, will be bringing along
samples. At the tasting you’ll be able to try a diverse range of food including a
versatile Beer Bread, a tantalisingly tasty Red Pepper Cheese Ball mix and a totally
amazing Ultimate Chocolate Brownie. If you like food, it’s an evening not to be
missed. A percentage of any sales made will be going into our Climbing Wall fund.
Hypnotherapy – Have all your New Year resolutions fallen at the wayside? We
have a new hypnotherapist, Ian Ralph, who is here to help you. With special rates
for leisure centre users, he can help without breaking the bank. He can help with
quitting smoking, losing weight, reducing stress and conquering phobias to name
a few. If you’d like more information please give him a call on 07792 262155 and
remember to mention the leisure centre for your special rate.
New Swim, Gym and bounce session starts 10th February – Due to popular
demand we’re going to put on another mother and toddler swim and gym & bounce
session. It’ll be on a Tuesday morning with the swim from 9.30am - 10.30am and
the gym and bounce from 10am - 12pm.
Story Hour – Tuesday 1.30pm - 2.30pm is Story Hour in the coffee shop. Each
week is themed and includes craft activities. Suitable for all preschool children.
Parents can relax and enjoy a cup of coffee whilst the children are entertained.
Coffee Shop Traders – Friday mornings from 10.00am till 12.00am, in the coffee
shop. If you are a trader that would like to sell your goods then please contact Kay
Wright or Vicki Mayers on 01793 750011.
Contact – For full details of all our activities call 01793 750011, check the website
www.crickladeleisure.co.uk or pop in and see us. We lhope to see you soon.
Page 29
Purton F.C.
Both the Hellenic and Wilts League teams have enjoyed really good
seasons to date with both sides lying 3rd in their respective leagues
with the Hellenic still in the Supplementary Cup and the Wilts side still
in the Corsham Print Senior Cup. Warren Fuller and Blaine Fitzgerald
are the leading scorers for the Hellenic side and Craig Hogg and Dave Rendle the
top scorers for the Wilts league team.
Recent results for the Hellenic side has seen them gain a 9-2 win over
Cirencester United, a 6-0 win over Pewsey Vale and a 1-1 draw against
Tytherington Rocks while the Wilts League side although beaten at home by
Wroughton 2-1 beat Westside 6-0 and beat Trowbridge Town Res after extra time
in the cup 5-2.
At Youth and Minor league levels the Under 11s are having a really good season
while the both under 9s sides are at the top end of their respective leagues and the
under 8s in the “non competitive league” have also done really well.
The under 16s sides have both struggled along with the under 14s while the
Under 13s, 12s and 10s will be hoping for better results in the second half of the
season.
Our Easter raffle will be taking place on Easter Saturday at the Red House,
tickets for this will be available from the end of January so please support the Club
by purchasing some, as usual there will be variety of prizes to be won in the form
of Easter goods, wines and spirits and other donated prizes.
Once again sincere thanks to you our supporters of all the teams, your support
is appreciated by us all.
ALAN EASTWOOD – President
Fire Safety Advice - Portable and Static Heaters
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Make sure all heaters are well clear of furnishings, curtains and furniture.
Never use aerosol sprays near a space heater.
Take care with timing devices.
Try to sit at least 1metre away from the heat source.
For radiant fires use a fire guard, permanently if you have children.
Don’t dry laundry by the fire.
Wall mounted fires should be at least 1 metre away from furnishings or doors.
Don’t cover air grilles.
If a chimney flue is required for your heater, keep it clean and have the
chimney swept annually.
For gas appliances ensure a CORGI registered engineer carries out all
installation, maintenance and repairs.
Depending on the type of heater ensure there is adequate ventilation.
Do not turn electrical switches or appliances on or off if you smell gas.
•
Page 30
Bradon Forest School News
Christmas Carol Concert The traditional Bradon Forest Carol Concert
at St Mary’s Church took place on Wednesday 10 December 2008. It
was an enjoyable evening that really ‘showcased’ the talent and teamwork of a
large number of students, staff and peripatetic music teachers. Thank you to
Reverend Jane Haslam and St Mary’s Church for hosting the event and to Miss
Clements, Miss Groom, our peripatetic music team and all staff and students
involved.
Miss Clements, Miss Groom and the orchestra held our annual ‘busking’ event
in the West Swindon Centre on Monday 15 December and Tuesday 16 December
2008. £150 was raised for the Prospect Hospice, who we support every year with
our ‘busking’.
Staff News Mrs Britton (Head of Science Faculty) retired in December 2008 after
30 years service. Mrs Britton was a well respected colleague who has always been
very supportive of the school and generous with her time, helping out at numerous
school events. She has been involved with three major science rebuilding and
refurbishment projects and has helped create a thriving department with nine
laboratories. Mrs Britton served for many years as a Staff Governor and has been
an excellent ‘social secretary’ in terms of numerous end of year/leaving
presentations. On behalf of everyone in the Bradon Forest community, colleagues
and students – past and present – I would like to pay tribute to Mrs Britton for all
that she has done over the years and for her valuable contribution in helping make
Bradon Forest such a good school. We wish her and Brian well for their retirement.
Saving Lives, Supporting Chernobyl Bradon Forest School students (Andrew
Brown, Matthew Chart, Iram Cowdell, Josh Hardy, Alex Hedger, Jack Hegarty,
David Hillman, Sam Palmer, William Smith, Matthew Wisden and Ashley
Yarranton) and staff (Mr Winward, Mrs Martin and Mr Leach) successfully
completed a six mile sponsored walk around Avebury, raising money for Chernobyl
Children Lifeline.
Sam Palmer researched and selected the Chernobyl charity as their cause and
presented it to the group before their quest begun. On 26th April 1986 in Chernobyl,
Ukraine, the world’s worst nuclear accident occurred when the Number Four RBMK
reactor at the nuclear power plant exploded, creating a demolishing fire and
releasing extreme amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. As a result of the
accident, firemen and emergency workers died rescuing others. Approximately
200,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes in contaminated areas and
there have been at least 1800 documented cases of children with thyroid cancer.
The Belarusian territory, populated by over 11 million people, still remains
contaminated to this day.
Chernobyl Children Lifeline offers respite holidays where children experience a
‘Home from Home’ four week stay with volunteer hosts. Sadly, the radiation has
shortened the children’s lifespan but it is said that the four week stay can lengthen
a child’s lifespan by a further two years, as it builds up the immune system and
Page 31
Picture:
Gin McGiffin receives
the donation from Sam
Palmer, watched by
others in the group
reduces the level of radioactive poisoning within their bodies. Matthew Wisden
reflects on their experience of the sponsored walk: “It was really hard work, but
when we consider what we’ve achieved, it was really worth it.”
On 16th September 2008, Gin McGiffin, a host volunteer and the Chernobyl
campaigner and chairperson for Swindon came into Bradon Forest School to
receive the £130 pounds raised through the sponsored walk. When receiving the
donation, Gin explained how the £130 raised could pay for sponsorship of a child
to be fed and go to kindergarten for a whole year. More funds were raised during
the non-school uniform day on 24th October 2008 and a third of the raised funds will
go to the Chernobyl Children’s Life Line. This will be enough to pay for a child’s
airfare and transport transfers to come to England for a holiday of a lifetime, the
chance to have new experiences and raise their wellbeing.
Thank you for your support, it really does make a difference. If you would like
to learn more about Chernobyl Children’s Life Line do not hesitate to speak to Sam
Palmer (11T) or Gin McGiffin, email: gin@mcgiffin.com
School Sports Partnership News - Young Ambassadors Day: Six Year 10
students were carefully selected by the PE Department and invited to represent
Bradon Forest School at the Avon Valley Young Ambassador Training Day. The
six students are regarded as being ‘Gifted and Talented’ and having strong
‘Leadership Skills’ in Physical Education. The students underwent training on
activities such as Wake and Shake, Multi Skills, Warm-up ideas and Top Activities,
all of which were organised by the Avon Valley School Sports Partnership’s School
Sports Co-ordinators. The day was a success and students felt that they had
gained the training they need in order to go into primary schools and deliver high
quality sessions. The new Young Ambassadors for Bradon Forest School are
Matthew Bunce, Anna Coleman, Marley Feeney, Craig Miles, Billi Skinner and Ellie
Symons – these students will be working alongside staff to benefit the primary
school pupils in the Bradon Forest Family.
L SPIERS, Headteacher
Page 32
A Cautionary Tale
Even the experts can get it wrong! After extremely cold weather only 0.5cm
(¼ inch) of snow had fallen on the morning of 6th January 2009 but the hidden ice
left the roads treacherous and minor roads are not gritted by the County Council.
Police rushing to the assistance of an overturned car outside the Pear Tree
Hotel, on Manor Hill in Purton, suddenly found themselves in trouble as they
skidded, clipped the side of the road and also overturned. Fortunately no-one was
seriously hurt in either vehicle.
Picture: Alan Owens
Reproduced by kind permission of Swindon Advertiser
Carnival 2009
Time is racing along and it will soon be Carnival time. Are you planning your banner
for the Procession and is there going to be a strong representation of Talent from
Purton with the winners going through to Swindon Talent Finals? Our Talent
Contest is on Friday 5th June. If you have any enquiries please contact Pauline
Ward on 770251
PAULINE WARD, Secretary
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