February 2020 - Thornbury Weather
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February 2020
My Country
I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!
By Dorothea Mackellar. Published: 1908
4ward
Community magazine for
Oldbury, Shepperdine, Kington and Rockhampton
www.oos4ward.plus.com
EDITOR Chris Tymko,
Fisherman’s Cottage, Cowhill, BS35 1QJ. Tel: 412152
PRINTED BY Oldbury Deckers Tel: 01454 412153
4Ward is an independent community magazine and material is
published at the discretion of the editor. Articles for next month's
edition should reach the editor or email 4wardmag@gmail.com
NO LATER THAN 20th OF THIS MONTH
4Ward Magazine Advertising Charges
Back Cover Whole page - £20 Half page - £10 Quarter page - £5
Inside Pages Whole page - £16 Half page - £8 Quarter page - £4
10% discount on all charges when paying for full year in advance.
Cheques should be made payable to “4Ward Magazine”
Advertising contact Rob King 07494209222
Email: robwjking@gmail.com
Oldbury Community Website www.oldburyonsevern.org.uk
Oldbury Memorial Hall 01454 413380 Contact: Karen Porter
07986 931893 tlk.porter@live.co.uk
Church Contacts
Thornbury & Oldbury www.arildachurcholdbury.co.uk
Parish office 01454 281900 Wed, Thurs, Fri mornings
Methodist www.thornburymethodist.org.uk
Revd Simon Edwards 01454 418176 simon.edwards@methodist.org.uk
Rockhampton
Parish office 01454 260096 www.croftt.org.uk
Christ The King Thornbury 01454 412223 www.ctk-thornbury.org.uk
Morton Baptist Church 01454 413200 Willie Grey
01453 810491 Hilary Grigg
Editorial
Oldbury has always been an outward-looking village, perhaps because
historically it was a port, even if only a very small one. Strangers arrived
on barges with coal from up and down the river, or in search of work at the
clay pits, and were made welcome. Those that stayed very soon became
part of the community, and many new residents have said they find it so
today. Likewise, there have always been young people who have left to
seek their fortune elsewhere, heading off to far distant shores and Australia
has always been a favourite destination.
There can’t be many families in Oldbury that don’t have Australian
connections - friends, family or distant cousins, but whether you do or not,
I’m sure all of us have been following the news of the devastating bush
fires with increasing horror and sadness for the people whose lives have
been affected and the tremendous amount of wildlife that has been lost.
So, looking outwards from the village in this edition of 4ward, the poem on
the front cover is our tribute to Australia. Christian Comment comes from
Western Australia, written by our curate Revd Joy’s mother, the Revd
Peggy Ludlow. Linda Jennings tells us about her recent Australian holiday
and Elly McDonald, born and bred in Sydney, writes passionately about her
homeland. Our thanks to them all, and if anyone else has been affected by
the bush fires and wishes to share their experiences please do let us know.
Closer to home, Miss Bruton’s latest instalment describes the far-flung
outposts of Shepperdine and Cowhill, and George Woollard’s ongoing saga
of working life on the barges berths safely back at Sharpness Docks.
Finally, we wish Revd Joy a safe passage to sunny California on something
called a “training placement”. Meanwhile those of us who are staying put
in Oldbury in this dreary damp February can console ourselves that the
worst that we have to contend with is drizzle and mud, and Spring is just
around the corner.
Chris
Oldbury Memorial Hall News
Annual General Meeting of The Memorial Hall
Tuesday 19th February at 7.30pm
at the Memorial Hall in Camp Road.
All interested parties are invited to attend.
Grumpy Man’s Breakfast
Friday 7th February at 9am AND Friday 6th March at 9am.
Tickets £6 for a full English breakfast, on sale at the
Community Shop or from Keith Miller – please specify which date.
Telephone: 01454 601981 / 07586 348910
Village History AGM
and Afternoon Tea with Mini Talks. Tuesday 11th February from
2.30pm – 4pm Further information from Kim Blanchard: Telephone
01454 413155
Hot Gossip Afternoon Tea
Friday 28th February 3pm – 5pm (doors open 2.45pm)
Ladies, please come and join us for a delicious afternoon tea, whilst
you enjoy tasty morsels of the latest friendly ‘gossip’!
You will be served a selection of delicate finger sandwiches, savoury
bites, tartlets and scrumptious cakes all provided by Thornbury Deli,
together with your beverage of choice - tea/coffee or a glass of
bubbly.
Tickets £9 on sale now at the Community Shop.
To book either the Main Hall (local cost for 2 hours £15) or small Meeting
Room (local cost for 2 hours £10) please contact: Karen Porter telephone
01454 413380 / 07986 931893 or email tlk.porter@live.co.uk
Oldbury On Severn - Memorial Hall 100 Club
January 2020 – Draw Winners
1st prize. £20 Ann Martin
2nd prize. £15 Margot Goldie
3rd prize. £10 Janet Astle
4th prize. £10 Gerald Porter
New members always welcome.
Forms available in the community shop or contact Doug Mills or
Angela Conibere (aeconibere@hotmail.com or 01454 413828)
An update from the South Gloucestershire Flood Resilience Project
“Our inspections show there is a significant decrease in flooding on roads
and outside properties where drainage system work has occurred. In
Oldbury-on-Severn we are still on site tidying up the areas where significant
works were carried out. We are also putting up new fencing which was in
a bad state of repair, planting trees, and making sure an off-road pathway
we used is returned to good condition. A whole new drainage system we
put in place is up and running and working well. There are some final minor
works to take place during the summer but they will not affect road users.
In addition, our engineers are looking to develop a scheme at Oldbury Lane,
Thornbury which will mainly involve jetting and clearing ditches. We have
completed the Flood Resilience Project under budget and on time. With the
remaining funds available, we have paid for a specialist vehicle to target
drainage problems around South Gloucestershire with a powerful jetter.
This will clear difficult areas such as gulleys and cattle grids which we could
not clear using our own equipment.
As well as the improvements and upgrades to drainage systems, we have
worked hard to help communities affected by the works. As part of this we
are planning to re-grass the village cricket pitch in Oldbury-on-Severn.
Thank you to the communities and road users affected by the drainage
works for your patience during the disruption that they caused.”
Severn Vale Crib League 2019/20
2020 has got off to a good start for Sporting as they won both of their first
games in the New Year. The Shipwrecked had a good opening win against
top-of-the-table Odds and Sods but narrowly lost their next game. In
between these opening games the Singles KO competition was played at
the Anchor. There was a good turnout for this event but unfortunately both
of our local hot shots lost in the preliminary rounds. The eventual Singles
KO winner was Jeff Smith of the Dockers Club who beat Paul Wilson from
the Salmon in a hard-fought competition that went right down to the final
take after five games.
For the next two league games the Shipwrecked have the disadvantage of
two away fixtures whilst Sporting have the luxury of two home games in
the Anchor.
Gerald Porter
Miss Bruton’s Oldbury Part 13: 'Shepperdine and Cowhill'
Shepperdine
Shepperdine is the part of the parish furthest up river, and is about three
miles from Oldbury village, being connected by a long road called the Naite,
which used to be a common but is now fairly well populated with farms and
cottages. Shepperdine is part of Oldbury, but it is different. Somewhere
along the road you cross over the border. I am not sure where it is, but
sooner or later you will know you have arrived. The spelling of the name
Shepperdine has gone through many changes, thirteen different ones
being on record.
At Shepperdine the road runs right up to the Severn bank, and for that
reason it is a popular place for motorists at weekends. The old inn, the
Windbound, is built into the Severn bank, from the top of which you are on
a level with the roof. The name originated through sailors, who, finding it
an easy place to put in for a night or two, having to make some excuse for
the delay on arrival in port told the owners they ‘had been windbound’ and
had to put in shore for a while. A local name for it is ‘The Blow’.
Pre WW1
postcard of
the Windbound
from the
land side.
The space in
front of the
fence became
the car park.
There is a fine old house on the foreshore a little further up the river, called
the Chapel House. This used to be the Chapel of St Mary-on-Severn, a
chapel of ease to Rockhampton. It was in existence prior to 1350, in which
year Gilbert de Tyndene founded a chantry and assigned a mill, 70 acres
of land and 20 shillings of rent to maintain a chaplain. Later it became a
farmhouse, and at one time was divided up into three cottages.
A little further up the river is the
White House, where the
lighthouse keeper lives and
attends to the beacon lights in
mid-river and on the shore. These
used to be oil lamps and need
attention every other day, the
keeper walking a mile out into the
river bed at low water. Now they
have electric batteries and will run
for a year.
At one time there was a passage
The White House, Aug 1990
across the river at Shepperdine.
An exciting evening was when, in September 1954, Lord Rufus Noel-Buxton
walked across the Severn from Woolaston to Shepperdine. A large crowd
gathered on Severn bank, wondering if he would succeed and to give him
a great cheer on his arrival. But the locals were unimpressed-
“D’s remember when so-and-so walked it? Aye, – and old so-and-so did it
years afore that.”
It takes a mighty lot to impress a Severn-sider – or to get him to own up
to it. You can tell your very own pet story or adventure, but it may be
received with disdain and a look of mysterious and superior knowledge. It
may elicit some good story, or it may not – it depends on who you are –
what you are – what your business is, and the time of day.
Shepperdine Home Guard used to be put through their paces on Severn
bank. It was a nice open space with the Windbound handy for a ‘let up’
afterwards. The rector, an ex-Army major general, used to drill them but
could not control them. There was the evening when a salmon jumped
close to shore and every man made a dash for it in a flash, leaving the
Major giving orders to nobody! There was the time when the Major had
cause to call a man to order;
“Pull yourself together, don’t you realise that’s the King’s uniform you’re
wearing?”
Which brought the reply; “Is that who t’was made for?- I thought it didn’t
fit very well.”
There was the time when a gentleman brought the R.A.F. cadet band to
play on Severn bank one Sunday evening. It was a great success, and with
pride and satisfaction he packed them off in the charabanc for the return
journey and then retired into the Windbound with a couple of friends to refresh himself. That was the time when his car spent the night in the rheen and he in a cottage nearby. He afterwards became a Lord Mayor, but this incident had nothing to do with his credentials for that office, and all the glory and ceremony of it could not blot of the memory of the ‘rheen night’. From time to time Shepperdine would decide to have a mayor of its own, when for a short while some local personality would assume an enormous sense of importance but if they allowed it to become too great they would be ignored, and their status would collapse very suddenly. There was a Fair Day, which except for the visit of a harpist and violinist was a purely local effort, fluctuating amazingly in enthusiasm according to weather, counter attractions, and above all – mood. The largest vessel ever to come aground at Shepperdine was the ‘Blanch Rock’ of 500 tons about 50 years ago, when she lost direction in fog. She was aground for six weeks, and a team of men were employed to dig around her to let in enough water to float her. Romance came into this happening when the chief engineer fell in love with a local girl and married her. Many years ago a Sunday School was held in a little cottage (now derelict) in Hare Street Lane, and a Nonconformist farmer, living at Park Mill Farm, Thornbury, used to walk the distance across the fields to take it. In about 1890 Church of England services were started in a room of a house called Church Cottage, services being held each Tuesday evening. About the year 1913 a small iron church was built and was the gift of Mr Leigh, father of the rector of Rockhampton at that time, part of Shepperdine then being in the ecclesiastical parish of Rockhampton. The whole of Shepperdine is now in Oldbury parish and the rector of Oldbury takes services there each Sunday and a very successful Sunday school is being run there.
(Shepperdine has been altered so much, starting with the building of the original nuclear power station in the 1960s (now being decommissioned) that it may be difficult to recognise much of this. Chapel House and the White House where the light keeper lived are still fine houses and local landmarks. The famous Windbound Inn sadly was allowed became derelict and in 2016 was completely demolished by Horizon, leaving nothing but memories. Plans for a new nuclear power station are currently on hold and none of us know what the future may bring to the area, however Shepperdine still maintains its own identity and has a strong sense of community. The tin church of St Mary the Virgin, the only public building in Shepperdine, is still in regular use for services and celebrated its centenary in 2014.) Cowhill Cowhill is a small hamlet cosily placed on the sunny side of Church Hill. It has four farms (at one there is a lovely old tithe barn) a few cottages and a brook. It is a nice brook, clean and bubbling. It comes down from the hill side and woods, suddenly decides it will run along by the roadside for a while, then changes its mind, dashes off down a lane and wanders off across fields to the river. One of the farmhouses used to be the old Star Inn, a cider house, where folk sat in the stone paved kitchen on benches or an old settle and yarned. As mentioned before there was a well known character who kept the Star and that’s how his extraordinary parrot learned so much! Parties of shooters used to come out from Bristol for a day’s sport round Cowhill woods, and the landlord always had a real ‘day’ fixed up for them, and afterwards would entertain them with his amazingly good imitations of animals and birds. Boys of Cowhill (no foreigners) loved shooting days. They earned a bit of pocket money, joined in the sport, and wore wonderful red caps to insure against being mistaken for fur or feather. Cowhill like Shepperdine, though being part of Oldbury, is different, but in this case you know just where you cross over the border – it is at the top of Church Hill.
“Life influenced by our River Severn”
An ongoing saga - There and Return
From Holt, a relatively short haul brought us to the last lock, Lincomb, the
smallest of them all, which at summer level required quite a bit of backing
and filling to get into.
One hazard on that
last stretch was
Black Rock, an area
of shallow hard
bottom to be
carefully avoided.
Through the lock,
and cutting, we
passed the cargo
wharf regularly used
by such vessels as
“Severn Trader”,
and British
Waterways dumb
barges, and on to
the oil depot jetties. On this first trip, I knew that I had at last reached a
foreign count(r)y, when a tall lugubrious fellow, in pale blue dungarees,
and a flat cap, approached along the jetty and dolefully asked, “got yow
paypuz” in a broad Midland accent. Documentation inspected, he dipped
the tanks after removing the seals to check ullage, and for water content.
Once connected up to the shore pipe-line, discharging began, six tanks in
strict order to ensure that the correct trim was kept, such that pump
suction was not lost. This was the third hand’s job, and he had to be nimble,
opening and closing valves so that little or no residue remained. Discharge
completed, and all tidied up, there was often a choice. Stay at Stourport
overnight, or return down below Lincomb lock to get a head start in the
morning. This time, we stayed put, and cycled up the path toward the town
to the nearest pub, the Angel, to whet our whistles before turning in. Such
nights, on the river, were really quiet, and peaceful.
The return passage, downstream, was much quicker, and depending on river
levels, straightforward, and relatively easy. In later months, so that night
navigation could be possible, each barge was fitted with a pair of headlights
on a board, which could be fixed to the bow. An incident when serving for a
trip on another barge was quite amusing. As we headed down to Worcester
in the gathering darkness, the Skipper switched off all lights, and instructed
me to go forward, unship the headlights, and hold them pointing toward
the East bank. Slowing right down, almost drifting, he scanned ahead withhis binoculars, and when he spotted his quarry, gave a blast on the siren, and switched on the powerful lights. There, exposed, in the harsh glare, a busy couple under the bank were revealed, and scared witless, scrambled off frantically adjusting their clothing. The best laugh however, came a moment later, when a figure appeared from under a nearby bush, and scuttled off in the opposite direction - the local Peeping Tom. Returning to my account, and our daytime passage, the trip continued to be uneventful, until I noticed a motor barge tied up to a tree, and apparently deserted, in the middle of nowhere. “What’s that all about?” I asked the Skipper. “Oh!, that’s old Tommy, he and his mate are across the fields mushrooming, or poaching”. How un-nautical, I thought. Arrived at Gloucester, we made fast to the quay and awaited our turn to lock up. Regarding the upper river, one occasion has remained in my memory all my life. Just one of those ‘magic’ moments. A beautiful, calm, Winter’s morning, with a cloudless blue sky, a bank full of fresh urging us onward. Trees, and tops of bushes above the water, covered in brilliant white hoar frost. I had sole control, with the wheelhouse dismantled for ease of passage under bridges. We seemed to be ‘flying’ effortlessly along, me wrapped up in layers of clothing, a mug of hot tea at my elbow, and the aroma of frying bacon wafting aft from the fore hatch. A truly exhilarating and wonderful interlude. Could life get any better? Anyway, we took passage down the canal to Sharpness, stopping off at Monkmeadow Dock to take on stores, re-fuel, and catch up on fleet news and gossip from the General Manager. Another peaceful couple of hours before berthing at Sharpness Dock, ready for the next outward tide, with maybe another night at home. Over the ensuing months I was fortunate to sail in several different motor barges with different Skippers. The newer ones were excellent, built up aft, with roomy accommodation also sited aft utilising the full breadth of the barge. A comfortable cabin for the Skipper, a large communal cabin, and a separate sleeping cabin for the crew. I always thought that the Regent ‘boats’ especially, looked almost yacht like, with their pale grey upperworks, varnished wheelhouses, red decks, and dark green pipe-lines, with the red, white, and blue Company logo on each bow. However, the end came when, in mid-Winter, I was transferred to dumb barging, a very unpleasant experience. I did not realise then, at that age, that Company policy was to give all personnel a grounding in all aspects of the operation. Dumb barges were ‘dead’, a beast of burden, with few, if any, comforts, a small, pokey cabin aft, with heating and cooking limited
to an oil stove, and paraffin lamps for lighting. Of course, when in oil docks
these were not allowed to be used, so this became a time of cold misery
until we could get under way again. I always remembered hauling in frozen,
six-inch tow ropes, bare handed, and almost in tears with the agony. One
‘had’ to keep hauling lest the rope drifted aft making the job twice as hard.
It didn’t last for long, for behind the scenes, my widowed Mother having finally
accepted that I was determined to go to sea, like my late Father, somehow
moved Heaven and Earth to get me a position as a deck officer cadet with
a well-known shipping company. But, as they say, that’s another story.
One thing that impressed me about working our River, was the respect,
and camaraderie amongst the crews. Sometimes rivalry, and practical
jokes, but never any enmity. They shared the same life, with good times,
and bad, like fog on the tidal river, violent gales, stranding, and up-River
floods, sometimes, tragedies.
Some years later, I did return to a life on the River, and felt completely at
home in that environment, among such great characters.
N.B. All of this account is purely from personal memory, and no reference
has been taken from articles, and publications touching on the subject. Any
illustrations used are from my own source.
Thank you for your interest, Very Best Wishes.
Regards, George E. Woollard.
Oldbury Cricket Club 150th Anniversary
The Cricket Club in Oldbury was founded in 1870, so to honour the 150th
anniversary we will be hosting a celebratory event in a marquee at the
cricket ground on the evening of Saturday August 15th.
We will be serving a 3-course dinner and have arranged a guest speaker,
band and other entertainment. We would like to invite cricketers, past and
present, villagers and friends to join us and celebrate this event. Tickets
will go on sale in the Spring, so please put the date in your diary so that
you don’t miss out on a very special night.
For further information please contact myself on 01454 413380 or Charlie
Keedwell on 07909 982432.
Gerald Porter
President OOSVCCOldbury History Group
Learning from Sabrina – The Flood of 1607
Dr Mark Lewis, archaeologist from the National Roman Legion Museum in
Caerleon, was welcomed at the Oldbury Village History Group meeting in
January to give us some different perspectives on the 1607 flood.
Dr Lewis wondered why the excavations at Caerleon always flooded at the
time of the high Spring tides. It seemed so unlikely that the Romans would
have built an important port, town and military barracks on a flood plain.
Further investigations have revealed that sea levels have been rising
steadily for several thousand years and the level in Roman times was 1.75
metres below present levels. Modelling the tides of the 1607 period on a
supercomputer has shown that the eye of a storm, high sea levels and a
Spring tide with a ‘wolf’ moon all coincided exactly to cause this tragic
event. The ground was already water-logged and some flooding had
already taken place. Also, the defences were in a poor state partly due to
the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII. (Francis Goodwin, the
Bishop of Llandaff, blamed it all on God’s anger against the behaviour of
people who had recently decided not to attend church services but play
football or practise archery in the churchyard instead!)
Floods in modern memory such as at Lynton and Lynmouth in August 1952
and Boscastle in August 2004 both had heavy rainfall on already sodden
ground. There was also similar topography so there was a funnelling effect
of water from high ground pouring down a narrow valley.
The effects of the disastrous flood were given to us by Rose Hewlett in her
talk last Autumn (see November’s “4Ward”). Plaques in churches
commemorating the disaster were sometimes put up much later or use a
1606 date because the Gregorian calendar was being used, not the Julian
one.
On Tuesday 11 February we hold our AGM plus mini-talks. Offers welcome!
Roger Howell will give us some history about Kington / Kyneton. Please
bring a small contribution to afternoon tea. Ian Bell is having to change the
date of his talk on “A Potted History of Apprenticeships” but we look forward
to it in the autumn. Meg Wise from Thornbury Museum has kindly agreed
to come on Tuesday 10 March and will tell us all about the history of
“Thornbury Park”. We will be planning the September 2020 to March 2021
programme very soon.
Meg Adnams
Oldbury Church Flowers
Oldbury Church Flowers for February - Mrs Carolyn FrostOldbury Pigeon Hello readers! In January, the whole school enjoyed an excellent trip to the pantomime. The children followed this experience with a retelling of the Cinderella story, and designing their own costumes for the different panto characters. As we move into February, we are continuing to explore our new class topics: Class 1: The Great Fire of London; Class 2: Stone Age to Iron Age; Class 3: The Battle of Britain and World War Two. We are arranging for Class 2 to visit the Iron Age remains of the ‘Toot’ in Oldbury village, whilst Class 3 have had a visitor who provided a drugs and alcohol awareness workshop. On 14 February there will be a Valentine’s Day cake sale, and our annual pancake races for all year groups will take place in the playground on Shrove Tuesday, 25 February. Swimming will start again on Mondays in term 4 from 24 February to 30 March inclusive. Finally, advance notice of the school’s Easter Service at St Arilda’s Church, to which everyone is very welcome, at 1.45pm on 3 April, the last day of term 4. The children will also have their Easter egg hunt earlier that day!
Church Services for February 2020
St. Arilda St. Mary St. Oswald
Oldbury Shepperdine Rockhampton
2nd Feb 6.00pm
Candlemas Candlemas/Evensong
Revd Rob Axford
or
Revd Chris Axford
9th Feb 10.30am
Refresh!
Revd Joy Ludlow
16th Feb 6.00pm
CW Communion
Revd Chris Verey
23rd Feb 6.00pm 9.30am 9.30am
Evensong BCP Communion Holy
Matthew Riddle Revd Michael Communion
Vooght
26th Feb 4.00pm
Ash Non-Eucharistic
Wednesday ashing service
Revd Tom Keates
1st March 6.00pm
Evensong
Revd Tom KeatesChurch Services
Thornbury
Catholic Morton Baptist Quakers
Christ the King,
Thornbury Morning Service Chantry
Every Sunday Community Centre
Sunday Mass at on Castle Street
8.30am 10.30am
11.00am Sunday
Holy Cross, Wotton All welcome 10.30am
Under Edge
Saturday
(vigil Mass) 5.30pmCalifornia Dreamin’
I am heading off soon for my third-year training placement, and will be out
of parish for a number of weeks of February - March. However, I really
don't want to leave anyone nervous about who to contact in an emergency.
In case your questions can't be answered by the Thornbury parish office,
open Monday - Friday 9.15 - 12.00 (01454 281900) feel free to try Revd
Tom (01454 885058) or Revd Chris (vereychris7@gmail.com).
Tom, Chris, the whole team and myself are here in a pinch. However, we
work best when we work together - so if you are worried your clergy team
is looking a little thin on the ground then please don't hesitate to get
involved with all the good things we are doing! And, if you get a moment,
please do send up a prayer for your curate off working hard in sunny
California!
Revd Joy
Blessings,
Revd Joy Ludlow, Assistant Curate,
Benefice of Thornbury with Oldbury-on-Severn and Shepperdine.
Telephone number: 01454 853646
Christian Comment from Australia
As I sit in Toodyay, I see from the windows of our home an enormous cloud
of smoke just billowing over the hill towards us. Within minutes Fire
Tenders go by, sirens loud, followed by extra water tankers. A water
bomber has just hovered over us waiting to identify the seat of fire to dump
its load. Ten years ago, a large fire in Toodyay destroyed 35 homes but
thankfully no lives were lost. One of our congregation lost his own home
whilst rescuing neighbours from theirs. People are still scarred by that
event. Western Australia is a dry land and the spring and summer have
been very dry.
This year, over East in New South Wales and Victoria fires started in
September, and many continue to blaze. Huge tracts of land have been
burned – now about the same land area as England. Millions of creatures
have been lost, hundreds of homes and scores of lives. Everyone has an
opinion about cause and effect.But, out of disaster come
stories of bravery and
community. A Dunkirk
spirit where thousands
were evacuated by sea in
flotillas of little boats from
Bateman’s Bay; some
beautiful interactions with
koalas and other
creatures in dire straits;
stories posted on
Facebook. And the Church
– Christians are in the
midst with their
communities. We hear
stories of Ministers who
have gone the extra mile
and who are staying and
praying with their flock.
Prayer is talked about even in our secular papers. Here, people are coming
to Sunday worship with a burden of prayer on their hearts.
Now it’s time for us to pull out the Fire Bag – our essential documents, and
load the cars with a spare set of clothes, extra water and a full tank of fuel.
Just in case we’re told to evacuate. In the meantime, we continue to pray
for our loved ones, those we don’t know, and for our world (a prayer written
by our friend Revd Elizabeth Smith in the Parish of the Goldfields):
We thank you, living God, for the fire fighters
and emergency service workers,
both volunteers and professionals, who risk their own safety
to protect people and property.
Bless and protect them as they serve us in times of crisis.
Give them skill and care as they work through fatigue, fear and danger.
To every community now shadowed by the smoke of bushfires,
give a strong spirit, generous neighbours, and the resources they need
to care for one another and for the land.
To everyone facing lost homes or businesses,
or shattered by the death of a friend or neighbour,
give comfort in the face of terrible loss.
Refresh us in our faith that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Revd Peggy Ludlow (Mother of Revd Joy, resident of Toodyay, WA)Australia We are sure that many of the 4ward readers, like us, will be looking with dismay at the bush fires that are raging in Australia right now. Chris and I had the privilege of spending 7 weeks there from mid-October to early December last year when we leisurely drove down the east coast in an RV from Cape Tribulation to Sydney. Our experiences far outstripped our expectations – every mountain view, every stretch of coastline and every forest was simply stunning. The people were so welcoming and the campsites were equipped with well-furnished kitchens to boot. The fires, however, were already well underway, although they didn’t really interfere with our travel plans until we entered New South Wales where the majority of the inland National Parks were closed. Now we were passing numerous miles of burnt forest either side of the road – some historic, showing good signs of recovery. We had to adjust our plans accordingly but were still able to visit some wonderful locations. The wind direction played a key role; for example, our first couple of days in Sydney had brilliant blue skies whereas on our last day the city was filled with an acrid smoke and the view of the Opera House from the Harbour Bridge was totally obscured. We were very aware of the dangers and the Australian authorities did their utmost to protect residents and travellers alike. Evacuations were already taking place; we were south of Noosa Heads hoping to spend some time around the area but due to raging fires north of the estuary all the campsites within a 40-minute drive or so (and there were many) were full of evacuating people forced to head south. Apart from that it was business as usual in Noosa! Whilst visiting Maclean (the Scottish town) the afternoon sun suddenly became an orange orb in a bright yellow sky as smoke billowed across the river to engulf the small town. The air quality deteriorated quickly and we left with some urgency. We felt sorry for the residents who had little choice but to grin and bear it. En route to Bellingen National Park the smoke lingered across the road cutting our visibility to about 2m in front of us – a little bit hairy as we were up in the hills on quite narrow roads. The fires were several kilometres away but the smoke remained until the wind picked up later in the morning and cleared the skies to reveal stunning views of the untouched forests. Whilst aware of the dangers we did not at any time feel worried for our safety although we did have a couple of instances when the road was shut behind us within hours of our passing such is the speed at which these fires can travel.
One of our lasting memories was of the Koala Hospital at Port Macquarie.
The patients were being prepared for release back into their natural
habitat: they are their own worst enemy when it comes to diet, eating only
three of the thirty-five species of eucalyptus. Due to deforestation this
supply is dwindling fast, as is the number of Koalas. This, of course, has
been compounded by the fires. Sadly, there were already 30 burns victims
being treated in intensive care – including little Lewis whose rescue made
news headlines in Australia and beyond. He sadly died the day of our visit.
With so many being obliterated it is difficult to see how this cute creature
will ever recover its numbers.
We were there during their spring when the rains should have come.
Instead the temperatures were up to ten degrees hotter than the average
for this time of year. Short sharp thunderstorms did occur, with some very
dramatic lightning strikes, clearly igniting many of the fires. There has been
much footage of the devastation to vast areas of forest, homesteads and
animals. We experienced only the tip of the iceberg and did not let the fires
spoil our fantastic trip but our hearts go out to all the victims. The people
of Australia will recover from this and we hope to be back to continue our
adventures down under. It’s a truly wonderful place.
Linda Jennings
“I love a Sunburnt Country”
Growing up in Australia, we always knew about extremes. Everything is
extreme. Snakes could kill you; spiders could kill you; sharks could kill you;
crocodiles could kill you; our cute native animals are unique and extreme
and could kill you. Even the insects are extreme and could kill you (check
out the bulldog ant online!) but even with a lifetime of extremes, the recent
bushfires have shocked and rocked Australia and Australians to the core.
Being a proud Australian is an integral part of our education and most of
us are unashamedly Australian no matter where we choose to live. We
grew up singing songs like, ‘I still call Australia Home’, ‘True Blue’ and
everyone sang the National Anthem in every school assembly. Heck, we
are so proud, we have a National Anthem, a National Song and ‘God Save
the Queen’ and sang all three in school assemblies, loudly and proudly!
Being proud of who you are and where you come from is part of our
National Identity – having a convict in the family was something to boast
about. I must disclose at this point that I have checked (repeatedly) and I
do not have any convict ancestors to boast about. Although some of my
ancestors arrived in Australia in 1832 when convicts were still being sent
out, two branches of ancestors shipped their entire families out to Australia
as free settlers. They both chose to make their home in and aroundWollongong on the South Coast of New South Wales (NSW) and some of the family still live there today, although my immediate family now live in Sydney. Summers have always been hot and long and the effect on the land is the subject of many poems. The most famous in Australia is ‘My Country’ which was written by 19-year-old Dorothea Mackellar in 1908 when she was in London, and missing her brother’s property in Gunnedah. She contrasts England with Australia and the second stanza (on the front cover of this magazine) perfectly describes the Australia I know and love. Clearly, the threats have always been there and we love her for them all. Like many people, I have devoured news on the internet as it covered the utter horror of what was happening during the unprecedented bushfires, especially as I have many friends and family throughout the areas so badly affected. I have been touched by the number of people who have contacted me to check all my family are ok, and thankfully they are, but one day it was getting remarkably close to my sister’s house and they were asked to evacuate. As I said earlier, my family are in Sydney. My parents, sister’s family and brother’s family live on the edge of the bush, like many in Sydney, and their bush inevitably connects to a National Park. While I was there in August, a violent mini hurricane blew through and we discussed dangers of living in the bush. The gum trees are commonly known as widowmakers as huge branches regularly and without warning, fall off, causing significant damage to cars and houses. Bush fires were considered a relatively low risk to any of them as controlled burning is regularly undertaken to minimise the risk. Australians like the bush and the distinctive blue green of the eucalyptus trees which dominate the landscape. The bushland has been fiercely protected and retained by the local councils and you are not allowed to take down trees in the Sydney metropolitan area without permission from the local council. Permission must be sought and will only be granted if, and only if, the risk is considered significant. Australia is a land of extremes and growing up there makes us a hardy lot and unsurprisingly, it takes a lot for us to consider the situation dangerous. On the 12th November, I was closely monitoring the fire situation and following all updates and maps I could, as well as accessing all local Australian news outlets, when I heard that the fires had shifted and were heading towards areas of Sydney. I called my sister immediately who told me they were just packing the car to leave. She had loaded her kids, cat and dog into the car and was taking them to stay with their Grandparents, who lived in the Northern Beaches and were not under immediate threat.
She then sent me videos of the fire which
was only 1km away. There was only a road
separating the fire from the bushland their
house was in. The planes were already
there dropping the pink fire retardant on
everyone and everything in an attempt to
slow the fire should the unthinkable
happen. Worst of all, this was November.
This was not fire season. It hadn’t even
started to get properly warm. Fires
normally happen in February after the land
has had time to dry out and all the
moisture has been sucked from the
vegetation and lawns by the relentless
summer sun.
Australians are used to fires. Our bushland
has evolved to regenerate swiftly after fire
and many seed pods rely on fire to
facilitate opening. It is a normal part of life.
Anyone who has travelled in Australia will
have come across the roadside signs which
indicate the risk of fire. Careful observation
will show you that the lowest risk category
groups together LOW and MODERATE and
the second ‘lowest’ risk is labelled HIGH.
No one at the time knew how
long and how catastrophic
these fires would be. I have
friends all over the state and
have been monitoring
Facebook for updates. One of
my school friends is a senior
member of the team tackling
the fires and has issued many
helpful and significant
warnings and advice on the best way to survive inside your house should
the fire come through your area. We have shared so we can feel that we
have in some way done something to help. She has kept us informed on
the welfare of the fire fighters, many of whom are volunteers and have left
their own families at home to tackle these monsters. Her updates have
included advice on how to care for animals, and sadly, evidence of the
significant loss to the country of many of our native animals. Some
populations are not expected to recover.The utter devastation has been a shock to us all. One of my friends works
as a school counsellor in the Blue Mountains and told me the children were
all ushered into the assembly hall as the fire turned and headed swiftly in
their direction, leaving no time to evacuate or even head home. She said
the children were petrified and could hear ‘pops’ as the fire reached another
house and destroyed it as it raced along the road. They had no idea if it
was their home and if their family and animals were still alive.
In December, another friend posted pictures from the south coast highway
they were trapped on, after following advice to leave the area because fire
was threatening from the south. Holiday makers were caught as the winds
turned and cut off the route to the north.
My cousin lives in Malaysia and they too had devastating fires at the same
time the Amazon was burning and were giving daily updates of what it was
like trying to live and breathe through the constant smoke. Both of these
fires together dwarf the scale of the fires in Australia.
I am in awe of the ‘firies’ and the tremendous effort they have put in to
minimise the loss of life. I am thankful to the firefighters who have arrived
from New Zealand, the UK, Canada and the USA to help their colleagues.
Given the scale of the catastrophe and the vast area affected by the fires,
it is incredible that the loss of life is not significantly greater. Thankfully,
no one I know has lost anyone in the fires.
Australians are thankful for the outpouring of support and funds donated
to help them deal with the disaster, but this is far from over. Fires are still
burning and yesterday (23rd January) family reported the mercury hit 45o C.
The recent rain-storms were welcome and helped to dampen the fires, and
in some areas put the fires out, but in typical Australian style they have
been extreme. In some areas, the storm became hail the size of golf balls,
completely destroying any cars exposed to them, while parts of Queensland
flooded as the parched baked land was so hard, the water ran over it
swiftly. Now, my Facebook is awash with warnings about the infestation of
the supersized deadly Funnel Web spiders which thrive in dry conditions
following wet weather. I do wonder what is next.
Nonetheless, I miss Australia terribly, despite the constant threat to life.
Her extremes are what makes her, and I will always call Australia ‘Home’
although I tend to say ‘home home’ to differentiate between Oldbury and
Sydney (like the famous song says, ‘so good you say it twice’). I just
wonder if currently, it would be more apt to say ‘I love a burnt country’.
Elly McDonaldTide Table: Inward Rocks, River Severn.
February 2020
Day High High High Moon Sunrise Sunset
Low Low
12:05 AM 6:59 AM 12:26 PM 7:20 PM
Sat GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
7:50 AM 4:58 PM
1 GMT GMT
9.38 m 1.99 m 9.23 m 2.14 m
12:49 AM 7:39 AM 1:13 PM 8:04 PM
Sun GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
First 7:48 AM 5:00 PM
2 Quarter GMT GMT
8.77 m 2.33 m 8.62 m 2.51 m
12:23 AM 5:56 AM 12:57 PM 6:23 PM
Fri GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
7:40 AM 5:09 PM
7 GMT GMT
2.71 m 9.04 m 2.33 m 9.47 m
1:28 AM 6:46 AM 1:58 PM 7:10 PM
Sat GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
7:38 AM 5:11 PM
8 GMT GMT
2.18 m 10.04 m 1.68 m 10.47 m
2:24 AM 7:31 AM 2:50 PM 7:54 PM
Sun GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
Full 7:36 AM 5:13 PM
9 Moon GMT GMT
1.51 m 11.07 m 0.98 m 11.42 m
6:07 AM 11:13 AM 6:30 PM 11:39 PM
Fri GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
7:27 AM 5:22 PM
14 GMT GMT
0.04 m 12.17 m 0.11 m 11.56 m
6:51 AM 12:04 PM 7:16 PM
Sat GMT / GMT / GMT /
Last 7:25 AM 5:24 PM
15 Quarter GMT GMT
0.48 m 11.34 m 0.71 m
12:32 AM 7:39 AM 1:00 PM 8:07 PM
Sun GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
7:23 AM 5:25 PM
16 GMT GMT
10.69 m 1.11 m 10.37 m 1.44 m
1:01 AM 6:00 AM 1:32 PM 6:29 PM
Fri GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
7:14 AM 5:35 PM
21 GMT GMT
2.40 m 9.04 m 2.00 m 9.21 m
1:58 AM 6:52 AM 2:23 PM 7:16 PM
Sat GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
7:11 AM 5:36 PM
22 GMT GMT
2.02 m 9.68 m 1.62 m 9.85 m
2:43 AM 7:36 AM 3:04 PM 7:58 PM
Sun GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
New 7:09 AM 5:38 PM
23 Moon GMT GMT
1.67 m 10.34 m 1.33 m 10.45 m
5:22 AM 10:36 AM 5:40 PM 10:52 PM
Fri GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
6:59 AM 5:47 PM
28 GMT GMT
1.17 m 10.97 m 1.22 m 10.58 m
5:54 AM 11:10 AM 6:12 PM 11:27 PM
Sat GMT / GMT / GMT / GMT /
6:57 AM 5:49 PM
29 GMT GMT
1.35 m 10.46 m 1.49 m 10.04 mHill & Rockhampton WI - January Report This month’s speaker Ashley Jones explained the British Honours System’s levels, including those specifically in the Queen’s gift; nomination eligibility for each award; how decisions are made and how different awards must be worn by men, women and those in the armed forces. He also talked about people who had declined awards such as L.S. Lowry, David Bowie, Alan Bennett and Rudyard Kipling. The Queen can also strip people of awards if it is proven they have brought the award into disrepute, such as Rolf Harris, Lester Piggott, Anthony Blunt, Fred Goodwin, Robert Mugabe and Naseem Hamed. When asked why Jimmy Saville had not been stripped of his knighthood, it seems an award can only be taken from the living; as Saville’s crimes were not exposed in his lifetime, he took his award to the grave. Anyone can be nominated using an online form. However, as the process can take two years, nominations must be submitted very early as the nominee must still be in the job or doing voluntary work when the award is made. This year is Hill & Rockhampton WI’s centenary. It was formed under the auspices of Mrs Denton Jenner-Fust as “something for the ladies to do”. To celebrate this milestone, we would like to share some of the history and doings of members over the years. To start this off, below is a poem written by Phyllis Gazard of Scotlands Farm, Hill in 1923. Ann Jones A Person asking another if she would like to join a Women’s Institute A Women’s Institute! I’ll guess I’ll try. Well! Well! I never You’ll see my new hat bye and bye. Got Squire’s permission an’ all Competitions! Well! Did you ever! Well! Well! Again. Well! Just tell me a’ about it, “Just make it nice For I’ve never heard Done in a trice” Not even whispered by a bird So you might say The name “Women’s Institute”. But luck don’t come my way. Meetings too! Oh! You go by vote Well! Well! again Well! Well! Young ones an’ all And people always come Well! Did you ever In sun and rain What! Prizes you say Well! Well! I never did. But none won’t come my way. I wonder now if I went once Yes! I’ll certainly try That they’d think me an awful dunce! If there’s nothing to buy. Well! Never mind Have tea there too! I’ll seek an’ find. What!! Not have to pay! Lectures too! Who is there then Whatever next! what gives things away? Do they give out a lengthy text? I’d like to meet ‘em. And just go by that all the while My! My! Won’t I come! And expect a body then to smile? Well! Well! I never. Oh well! If we can have a chat Next Thursday you say I s’pose you wear your new best hat. Well! Did you ever. Do ‘ye think I could a new hat buy? But I’ll certainly come Well never mind. To join in your fun.
February 2020 at Thornbury Library
Staffed Times Open Access (Unstaffed)
Monday: 9.30am - 5.30pm Every day: 8.00am – 7.30pm
Wednesday: 9.30am - 5.30pm Please note:
Thursday: 9.30am - 5.30pm A 15-minute lapse will occur
Friday: 9.30am - 5.30pm between staff closing time
Saturday: 9.30am - 12.30pm and Open Access starting.
Open Access Information - Thornbury library is closed on Tuesday 18
February with no Open Access, due to our Annual Deep Clean.
Red Herrings Murder Mystery - Saturday 15 February at 2pm
“Assassination Aboard Amphitrite”
A brand-new murder mystery by The Red Herrings set aboard a luxury
yacht sailing the Greek islands in 1963. The crew have vanished and the
body of the yacht owner, notoriously unlucky “Lucky” Jim Vernons, has been
washed up on a local beach... Come along and put your sleuthing skills to
the test to decide which guest you believe to be guilty of this foul deed!
Tickets will cost £3.20 for members and £6.40 for non-members, and are
available from Thornbury library during staffed hours. Please email
Thornbury.library@southglos.gov.uk if you are unable to get to the library
to reserve your ticket during staffed hours. (Refreshments served.)
Have You Read…? - Friday 7 February 2pm (First Friday every month.)
Come and join our friendly library book group. This month’s theme will be:
“Read any book which has a place in the title.”
Lego Club - Saturday 22 February 10.30-11.30am
Come and join us for a story. Create your own LEGO masterpieces, then
display them in the library for your family and friends to see.
Chatterbooks Group - Saturday 8 February 10.30-11.30am
Are you in years 4, 5 or 6? Enjoy book-themed activity sessions each month.
Rhymetime - Every Friday 10.30–11am (term time only)
Rhymes and songs for parents and babies / toddlers to enjoy together.
The Sewing Repair Hub - Saturday 1 February 10am-11.30am
Bring your small items of clothing or soft furnishings for repair
Pre School Storytime - Every Monday at 2pm (term time only)
Come and join us for stories and a simple craft.
IT Support - (Please speak to a member of staff for dates and times.)
Computer volunteers to help with your IT and online questions.
Vision West of England - Thursday 6 February 10.30am - 1pm
Support and advice for people with visual impairments.
Family History and Ancestry Advice - Monday 10 February
10am-11am (30 min bookable slots) and 11am-12noon “Drop in” session.
Come in for some support to delve further into your family historyA Boris Bounce, a Brexit Breakdown, a Trump Tantrum
What to do? The answer is to join the U3A Thornbury Investment Club
which meets at 10am on the second Wednesday of each month in the
Tockington Methodist Church to share views, knowledge and expertise.
The main aims of the Club are Social, Educational and, with a bit of luck,
making a profit from investing. Interested? You do not need to be a
financial expert, just interested in investing, prepared to contribute to the
review of individual shares and make a periodic proposal for an investment.
Why not come to a taster session at one of the Club's monthly meetings?
Please telephone our Chairman Peter Taylor on 01454 418974 for fuller
details of how the Club operates. We look forward to hearing from you.
The Sleeping Beauty
Wednesday 19 to Saturday 22 February at the Armstrong Hall
7.30pm nightly plus matinées at 2.30pm on the Friday and Saturday
Award winning Thornbury Musical Theatre Group is proud to bring you one
of the most traditional and popular pantomimes, ‘The Sleeping Beauty.’
Directed by Alice Walton this is a feel-good show for all the family, packed
with traditional fun - audience participation, drama and romance as well as
upbeat songs, high powered dance routines and lots of laughter.
Adult tickets £12.50, with concessions and group discounts available, are
bookable online at www.tmtg.org.uk by phone on 07516 270140 and at
Lisa Costa Residential Sales and Lettings, 53 High Street, Thornbury.
Please note that all tickets, however booked, are subject to a 50p booking fee.
‘South Pacific’ is set to brighten February half term!
Wednesday 19 to Saturday 22 February, curtain up at 7.30pm
at Olveston Parish Hall in Tockington BS32 4LQ
Olveston Parish Players’ exciting musical production of ‘South Pacific’
promises lively and colourful performances, with memorable Rodgers and
Hammerstein songs including ‘There is Nothin’ like a Dame’, and ‘Some
Enchanted Evening’. Fill a dark winter’s evening with light and song!
Tickets: £10 adults, £7 children, £12 premium. Box Office 01454 202011.
Severn Valley Quilters Exhibition
Friday 21 February 2pm - 5pm & Saturday 22 February 10am – 4pm
at Thornbury Methodist Church Hall, Castle Court, BS35 2AQ
A wonderful exhibition of members’ work. Disabled Access. Admission £3.
There will be traders, a Sales Table, a Tombola and Refreshments.
Proceeds to Western Air Ambulance
Contact for queries: severnvalleyquilters@gmail.comThornbury Choral Society Opera Workshop
Come and Sing with Us!
Saturday 29 February from 10.30am at Thornbury Baptist Church
You are invited to join us and sing some lovely well-known opera choruses,
conducted by Steven Kings and accompanied by Robin Baggs.
Rehearsals on the day will culminate with an informal workshop
performance for family and friends. Tea, coffee, biscuits and cake included;
lunch is available by pre-booking only for £7.50. Scores available to hire
on the day at £2. Workshop price £13.50 (£11 for Thornbury Society
Members). Enquiries Email: workshop.thornburychoral@gmail.com or
contact Tessa Sullivan 01454 417865.
Divorced, Beheaded, Died: An Audience with King Henry VIII
Saturday 29 February at 7.30pm in the Cossham Hall
A performance presented by the Armstrong Arts Group and
the Select Society Company, written by John White and
performed by Jack Abbot.
“The year is 1544 and King Henry the eighth of that name, is engaged upon
Royal Progress about his Realm, and has halted here to afford his loyal subjects
the opportunity to have ‘Audience’ with their Sovereign Lord and King.
The King, recently married to his new and sixth wife, Queen Catherine Parr,
is in poor health; his leg continues to cause him considerable pain and he
is often in poor humour! His Majesty will recount the events of his long
reign; telling of his wives and his children, and His Majesty will invite his
Loyal Subjects to Petition him or question him on ANY related subject.
There may be some surprising answers – a lively Q&A is assured!”
Tickets £12, or £10 concessions over 65, from Thornbury Town Hall or
telephone 01454 412272.
Thornbury Horticultural Society Spring Flower Show
Saturday 14 March from 1.30pm to 4pm at the Armstrong Hall
The Festive Season is now a distant memory, days are drawing out and
snowdrops are coming. Thornbury Horticultural Society start their 2020
season with the Spring Flower Show featuring displays of flowering bulbs
and plants. There are also cookery and photographic classes and children’s
classes, as well as a plant sales table and the chance to ask our experts for
advice. Refreshments will be available.
All adult and children’s classes are open to members and non-members.
Show schedules are available from the Thornbury Garden Shop, T.J. Owens
on the Plain and online: http://www.thornburyhorticulturalsociety.org.uk
Even if you are not competing, why not come along and visit the show?Thornbury Jazz Festival
Saturday 28 March from 6pm – 11.30pm in the Armstrong Hall
The third Thornbury Jazz Festival will provide a full evening of great music
in a relaxed jazz café setting. Top of the bill is virtuoso guitarist Remi
Harris, playing an eclectic mixture of jazz and blues standards with original
compositions and improvisations – not to be missed! Next up are ‘Sinead and
the Sinnermen’, featuring Sinead McCabe (vocals) and Cass Caswell (bass)
who are much admired on the Bristol jazz scene for their original
interpretations of jazz greats. The line-up is completed by popular local
group ‘The Jenner Jazz Quartet’, featuring their new keyboard player Sam
Foster; and the extraordinary wall of sound from the brilliant Kris Nock Big
Band.
Tickets are £20 from Thornbury Town Hall or telephone 01454 412272.
Supper tickets are £7.50, and the bar is open all evening. Early booking is
advised, as both previous festivals sold out quickly.
Christmas Charm with Crescendo Concerts!
On a Sunday just
before Christmas, in
the Cossham Hall,
performance group
Crescendo Concerts
delivered a new and
exciting twist on the
Christmas classic, The
Nutcracker. In this
reworked version, two
children go on the
journey of a lifetime,
meet a host of
beloved Nutcracker
characters, including the Nutcracker, the Mouse King, and the Sugar-Plum
Fairy, and learn the importance of kindness, respect and getting along with
your siblings! Crescendo Concerts’ 50-minute show offered children the
chance to experience fantastic arrangements of Tchaikovsky’s original
score performed by a scaled-back orchestra of five players, as well as fun
circus skills, bubbles and a roller-skating Sugar-Plum Fairy! All the
performers were very versatile, playing multiple parts with very fast and
frequent costume changes, and though the story may have been difficult
for very young children to follow, the show more than made up for that in
heart and pure enjoyment.
J. Barnes (age 16)Thornbury's New Trees
I met the Thornbury Tree warden a year ago as a result of a call out she
put in a local magazine for assistance. The official but unpaid Tree Warden
is one of those quiet, retiring, but in reality, heroic members of our
community who has for the past 10 years worked as a one-woman army in
her sometimes-lonely efforts to plant trees in Thornbury. In that time, she
has single-handedly raised the funds for and planted 180 trees. This has
been a huge amount of work. First a search must be undertaken to establish
if underground utilities are present to get a safe place to plant trees. Then
a suitable native tree is chosen for that space. Sadly, after all this work,
some of these beautiful and expensive trees have been vandalised.
Now suddenly everyone is talking about planting more trees to fight against
climate change and are keen to do what they can. Chris Packham's superb
Channel 5 programme "Plant a Tree to Save the World" raised £300,000 in
one hour for the Woodland Trust who planted 3.5 million trees last year.
In July 2019 South Gloucestershire council like many councils across the
land declared a climate emergency and has pledged to get South
Gloucestershire carbon neutral by 2030. As part of that effort they need to
double the tree cover in this county so their dedicated staff intend to enable
the planting of 6000 trees during this tree planting season with the help of
local communities. Volunteers from the newly formed Climate Action
Thornbury and Surroundings have stepped up to help the Tree Warden with
planting trees in Thornbury and 90 small trees were planted by them in
December. In the new year they’ll be planting around 200 more.
Where trees cannot be grown, meadow is also a good way of promoting
biodiversity supporting pollinators and capturing carbon. The wildflower
meadow outside the Anchor Inn run by Sustainable Thornbury Orchard and
Meadow group is a successful example of this.
But whilst all this effort is going on to plant trees, there is the threat of the
Vilner Lane Wood development which would destroy this well-established
wood at the back of Tesco. Thornbury residents are putting up a vigorous
protest against this threat and the SAVE VILNER LANE WOOD group was
on the streets in various locations in January to publicise the issue and
enable residents to sign a paper petition. Let us hope for a good outcome.
For more information see http://www.sustainablethornbury.org/
Sara May (Secretary of Sustainable Thornbury)
St Peter’s Hospice Severnside Support Group Annual Quiz
Friday 6 March at 7.15pm in the Armstrong Hall
Tables of four, including light supper, £30 per table. Excellent raffle prizes,
bar available. Please come and help us support the vital work of the hospice
within our community. More information from Mary on 01454 412567.You can also read
