September 2020 - Thornbury Weather Station Daily Stats
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
September 2020
Over the rainbow
Somewhere over the rainbow way up high,
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly,
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why, then, oh why can't I?
Written for the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz”, music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Yip Harburg.
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
What a strange time it’s been, these last few
months of isolation and introspection. Half the
country worn out by the burden of being NHS or
key workers, the other half in enforced
hibernation, told their only role was to stay at home and keep away from
others. And then there was that glorious spring where the flowers and the
birdsong have never seemed more vibrant, with a sort of survivor’s guilt
about having all the time in the world to enjoy our wonderful gardens and
lovely countryside around us while the TV news was full of doom, gloom
and people stuck in high rise flats. I can’t begin to comprehend it and how
little I actually achieved in all those months of enforced idleness but enough
of this introspection, it feels good to be up and running with the mag again.
Of course, we have to start off by thanking everyone who kept the NHS
and country running during all that time, and closer to home, the
volunteers who kept the Shop open, and almost everyone else who looked
out for their neighbours in various ways.
There was really only one choice of what verse to use on the front cover -
“Over the rainbow” lifted everyone’s spirits; but we are very sad to
announce that the glorious rainbow appearing through clouds will be the
last of Pat Turner’s lovely illustrations. Pat has been illustrating the poems
on the front cover since the magazine first started over 28 years ago. What
a huge commitment and challenge it must have been! Her original pen and
ink drawings are part of what makes 4ward unique and have brought
pleasure to many. I’m sure that Pat will be as delighted as we are that
Lorna Page will be joining us and carrying on this fine tradition. Our grateful
thanks to Pat and wishing her all the very best in her retirement.
In this edition we have the final part of Miss Bruton’s Oldbury, and to finish
it off, in the centre pages we have printed out in colour her “Ode to Oldbury”
poem which she calls “Odd Bits”. We haven’t quite finished with Miss Bruton
yet, as there are still people in the village who remember the vivacious,
highly intelligent, creative and eccentric person she was and we would like
to gather together a few memories of her, so if you have a Mary Bruton
story or anecdote then please send it in.
The last few months have also been a time of loss for many people, from
the loss of civil liberties, to the loss of loved ones. Loved ones may have
died alone due to restrictions on visiting in nursing homes and hospitals,
and even after death the normal rituals have been curtailed, and funeral
services limited to small numbers. In the last few weeks alone, we have
lost two stalwarts of our community; Clare Fardell, from Kington, a long
serving Liberal Democrat councillor; and Allan Knapp, a born and bred
Oldbury man who did so much for the village. We hope to print both of
their obituaries next month in 4ward. In this edition we have extracts from
the obituary of Jim Bennett who was born in the Anchor Inn and who built
his own house in Rockhampton, written by his daughter Jill. If you are a
reader of this magazine and have lost a loved one in the last few months
and would like to share a tribute through these pages, please send it to
4ward@gmail.com or by post to myself.
Chris
Letter to the Editor – Thank You
Just to say a big thank you to all concerned with the running of our village
shop during the past months of lockdown. We appreciate that it hasn’t
always been easy but all the essentials have been there when needed. Not
only have you kept us all provisioned, but the shop has been a focal point
for the community.
A thank you also to Mark and ‘The Oldbury Chef’ at the Anchor for their
regular take-aways which gave us something special to look forward to.
It will be nice to get back to receiving 4ward again to keep us up to date
with what is happening in our village, and our thanks go out to those
concerned in its production.
Wendy and Richard Durnford
Pushing Pedals Round
This summer I’ve been cycling This summer I’ve been learning
Two wheels on the ground Reflecting on my mistakes
Focused on my breathing When to pedal harder
Pushing pedals round And when to use the brakes
This summer I’ve been exploring This summer I’ve been craving
In search of something new Time and space alone
Found beauty in the hedgerows A luxury in lockdown
A different point of view A grand tour of my own
This summer I’ve heard soft This summer I’ve been cycling
sounds Two wheels on the ground
Loud engines left behind Focused on my breathing
The whisper of the wheels Pushing pedals round.
Calms my racing mind
Written by Arilda Tymko, June 2020
Shop Spot
Firstly, can I thank all our wonderful volunteers who have worked
throughout the Covid pandemic. The Shop has definitely played, and
continues to play, its small part in helping the community through this very
difficult time. A large number of people have openly thanked us for not
closing and it’s become very apparent that the Shop has undoubtedly
provided a lifeline to many in the parish and the wider community.
We have made over 100 local deliveries to people who for various reasons
found themselves in isolation. One of our customers was so grateful they
even wanted to buy the Shop a bicycle with a large basket on the front!
Arkwright politely declined and continues to balance bags on his head and
handlebars!
At the start of Covid we reduced our opening hours, but have gradually
extended them. The current hours are 9 am to 12 noon every day, except
Saturday when we close at 12.30pm. Due to social distancing, the Cafe
inside remains closed, but we are again serving takeaway teas and coffees.
The Committee continues to review the opening hours on a monthly basis.
I would also like to thank the large number of volunteers who have found
time to help, not only working in the shop but also collecting and ordering
supplies, sometimes going from supplier to supplier when there were
national shortages of many items. On this note I would also like to thank
all those fantastic suppliers who have stayed open during the pandemic
enabling us to continue to serve the community. The Shop has been able
to donate more funds to the Thornbury Food Bank during the pandemic
which have been very well received by the volunteers who run the project.
On a general point, even with the reduced hours, we have managed to
maintain the Shop’s sales revenue, except obviously not in the cafe area.
The Shop is due to be painted this month subject to our ever-changing
weather, and the new and larger air conditioning system has proved to be
a lifeline for the volunteers... and for the chocolate!!
Just a gentle reminder that the land next to the Shop is private land and
therefore we would kindly ask if people would respect this and refrain from
parking on it. Thank you for this.
Finally, the Shop would like to pass on its deepest condolences to the family
of our late landlord Allan Knapp who passed away last month. He will be
greatly missed by so many and his generosity some six years ago to allow
us to build the Shop on his land will never be forgotten in the village.
Without this generosity I am not sure we would have the Village Shop we
are now so proud of!
See you next month. Chris Awde
Chair’s report for 2019-2020
to the Annual Parish Meeting
5/05/2020
Well, it should be just that. My Annual Report to the Parish Meeting.
However, for reasons that I am sure are obvious to everybody the Annual
Parish Meeting didn’t happen. However, there are some duties that we
have to carry out and we are doing our best to comply with those duties.
We can conduct most of our business by electronic means or by telephone.
We will also do our best to listen to you all, but you will have to phone or
email your views to us. Please keep in touch, everything is on the website
www.oldburyonsevern.org.uk - we do want to hear from you, whether it is
good news or bad, and we will endeavour to take the appropriate action.
In common with all Parish Councils we have had to skip the Annual Meeting,
including elections and so you have to put up with us for another year, but
if anyone wants to help, as always, you will be very welcome.
Keith Sullivan, Chair
Dylan Griffiths, Vice Chair
Sheila Bedford, Communications
Chris Jennings, Road Safety
Matthew Riddle
Matthew Clothier
John Cornock
Emma Pattullo, Clerk oldburyonsevernpc@gmail.com
Well, what have we been doing?
To start the year, we were two Councillors short, there was no election as
not enough people put their names forward; so, we had to co-opt two
more; then we had too many and had to choose! Thanks to all those who
volunteered and especially to Sheila Bedford and Chris Jennings who are
now performing their duties very well.
I must of course, as usual, thank all Councillors and the many other
committee members who work so hard, we really would struggle without
them. Thank you all.
Flooding and Planning Committee
I must start by talking about the flood relief work, Church Hill is of course
the most noticeable, and I am sort of sorry that it caused such an
obstruction, but a good job has been done and we will have less flooding
as a result. Chapel Road has been completed by now, and the other part
of Church Road seems to have been forgotten, but not by me and the FPC.
And we have not stopped there, we are talking to all the relevant
authorities and I hope we are getting the message across. All these new
houses mean more water, it’s coming down here, we need some of the money that comes with it down here too! The FPC also look at local planning issues as well. Playing Fields Committee The new heating system is installed in the Pavilion and has worked well all winter, a big thank you to the team who worked on this. I hope we can now see more bookings in the Pavilion, it is now a nice warm comfortable room! We can make more improvements, tell us what you want. Road Safety Committee The RSC started the year by giving us all a sticker for our bins, I hope people observe the message. They have followed up with a message you cannot miss, the Vehicle Activated Speed indicator (VAS). They came up with an innovative idea to halve the cost, we are sharing it with another Parish, good idea! Neighbourhood Development Plan This team has worked very, very, hard, it is not their fault the rules keep changing. As Churchill said, it may not be the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning. Please give them all the support you can. And they do want to hear your comments. They always listen. New Nuclear Build Committee Nothing much to say here, we were expecting some announcements shortly after the budget but the virus seems to have got in the way. Communications Committee Through no fault of the members, this group have not had the opportunity to do very much this year. They have made several attempts to get it going and something has always happened. As soon as this virus is gone, we will try again. Admin Our clerk, Emma Pattullo continues to serve us well and corrects my mistakes (sometimes quite a lot of them). There is change, as always. This year we have had to have new accounting software, which has made us look at a few things differently and resulted in changes to our accounting practices, particularly for the PFC. We have also said goodbye to our lnternal Auditor, Bill Pearce, thank you Bill, we will miss you. Memorial Hall The Parish Council is the Sole Trustee for the “Oldbury-on-Severn War Memorial Hall Trust”. That statement carries a lot of responsibility. A fact that I think the PC have ignored for a long time. This year we have been looking at that situation in considerable detail. We have studied the history from the very beginning to the present day, we are writing a new constitution,
and then we must implement it. It will mean that some Councillors will have
to attend meetings. There may be other changes as well.
Some Minor Points
Minor in effort and cost, but maybe high in benefit. We have put a new dog
bin in West End and a handrail to help the elderly get onto the Pound.
Some of the shopkeepers will in future look after the defibrillator.
Thank you for reading this.
Keith Sullivan
Chair 23rd May 2020
During the restrictions due to the pandemic the Parish Council are
continuing to meet using zoom, and, as always, parishioners are welcome
to attend. The joining details for meetings can be found on the agendas
which are posted on the Village Web Site. Any problems contact the clerk.
Westmarsh Playing Fields
Parishioners may wish to know that the fenced hard-court area in the playing
fields is currently equipped for play on two tennis courts. They are free to
use, although should anyone wish to make a donation for use that would
be welcome, payable to Oldbury Parish Council. Generally, the courts are
open between 9am to 7pm daily. The children’s playground has also re-
opened. There are also two football mini-goals set out on the grassed area
behind the tennis courts. Users of all facilities at the Westmarsh playing
fields are responsible for ensuring the observation of all government health
requirements during the Covid 19 pandemic as a condition of their use.
Please be aware that the “scalpings” car park at the playing fields is only
open from 8am to 7pm daily. From 7pm the car park is closed and locked
overnight to reduce the risk of anti-social behaviour which has previously
been detrimental to residents in Westmarsh Lane.
Playing Fields Committee
Rural Broadband
The rollout of better rural broadband continues in South Gloucestershire
and most areas covered by 4ward should now be able to get the better
service including “fibre to premises”. You will need to contact your internet
provider to see if it is available in your road or street, and you might also
need to sign up to a new contract with them to access it.
Cllr Keith Burchell and Cllr Matthew Riddle,
Severn Vale Ward, South Gloucestershire Council
Vacancy: Parish Clerk / Responsible Financial Officer
Part-time: 9+ hours per week (exact hours and work pattern to be agreed)
Location: Home-based, with attendance at meetings in Oldbury on Severn
Salary: NJC scale range LC1 substantive (£19,554-£21,589 pro rata)
Oldbury on Severn Parish Council wishes to appoint a competent and
motivated Clerk / Responsible Financial Officer who will undertake a wide
range of council activities. He / she will implement the aims and objectives
of the council and work closely with councillors.
The ideal applicant will be confident to work independently and have the
organisational skills to manage a varied workload. He / she will have
financial and administrative experience, the ability to deliver projects on
time and the communication skills to promote positive working relations
with the community, principal authority, other agencies and local
organisations.
The Clerk will be required to attend meetings of the full council, normally
held on the first Tuesday of alternate months @ 7pm, as well as committee
meetings which may be during the day or evening.
An application pack can be obtained by contacting the outgoing Clerk,
Emma Pattullo, via oldburyonsevernpc@gmail.com
Applications to be submitted by 7th September 2020. Interviews to be held
during week commencing 14th September via Zoom.
Opportunity for Social Media Volunteer
The Parish Council is considering setting up a Facebook
page to improve communication with those residents who
use social media. We are seeking a Social Media Volunteer
to set up and run the page on behalf of the council. The
volunteer would work in liaison with the Parish Clerk and council
Communications Committee to curate the page, promote council activities
and events and to champion the wider community of Oldbury
parish and the many great things which happen here!
If you would be interested in this volunteer role, please contact
Cllr Sheila Bedford on (01454) 419506.
Memorial Hall Update
Despite lockdown, the Memorial Hall has undergone a few changes, so I
thought I would give you a short update.
Whilst the current pandemic has created mayhem for many of our users,
there has been a silver lining for the Hall in this dark cloud. The Executive
Committee applied for, and received, a grant from South Gloucestershire
Council to the sum of £10,000 as did other village halls. This unexpected
windfall has enabled us to implement a few changes and plan for future
improvements.
The first job was to repaint the ceiling prior to the installation of 32
soundproofing acoustic boards by the Oldbury Film Club – the Hall bought
an additional 6 to enhance the audibility further and to make the pattern
across the ceiling more uniform. This undertaking has been very successful
and has done a fantastic job reducing the ‘reverberating noise’.
The old fluorescent tubes have been removed and will be replaced, in the
near future, with more appropriate ceiling and wall lights, including dimmer
switches, which will enable a more ambient feel when required.
Our next focus will be on improving the structure of the building by
injecting a damp course into the walls, removal of the chimney and
repairing the guttering - all with the aim of reducing damp within the
building itself. There are many more projects in the pipeline when further
funding becomes available.
Our secretary Iris, who has done a fantastic job over the last 24 months,
has asked to step down as soon as possible. Her contributions have been
invaluable. We are now looking for an individual who wishes to be involved
in the running of the Hall to take up this very important role. Please contact
me if you are interested.
The Hall is once again open for hire and we have had a few bookings.
COVID 19 has introduced a new way of thinking on how the Hall can
operate. We have followed guidelines produced by Action with
Communities in Rural England (ACRE) in producing additional conditions of
hire and Risk Assessments, in anticipation of a gradual return to normality.
Bookings can be made through the Memorial Hall Website or Karen Porter.
If you have any questions concerning the Memorial Hall, or want to get
involved, please contact me, Chris Jennings, on 07740 934182 or
cjlj@hotmail.com
Chris Jennings
ChairpersonOldbury Village Cinema Club (OVCC).
As part of our forward improvement plans, we have
now installed an acoustic panel upgrade to the Memorial
Hall. The installation is to enhance the audio capability of the projection
system. This also means that other users of our equipment will reap the
same benefit, which increases the facilities that the hall offers. Including
the OVCC, there were 6 funding contributors, and our membership fees
and financial support comprised 21% of the total cost, the other 79%
coming via funding from the following:-
South Gloucestershire Council
Magnox
The Oldbury Village Shop
The Oldbury Village History Group
Rachel & Paul Pitfield
All the above have received our heartfelt thanks for their support in this
continuing improvement to our community activities.
At the moment OVCC remains suspended and we cannot make any firm
decision about resuming activities until the hall opens again, but even so,
at the last meeting we felt that we would probably not re-commence until
the New Year. Obviously, that could change as circumstances dictate and
we will keep our members informed.
Ian Bell
Chairman – OVCCOldbury on Severn - Memorial Hall 100 Club
Update on the 100 club
Our 100 club has had a successful year and has made a
payment to the Memorial Hall of £750 towards ongoing
maintenance. We have not yet reached our target of 100
members so we would like to encourage more parishioners to participate.
There is an annual donation of £20, with August being the main renewing
month, but new members can join at any time – for details, see below. The
draw for prizes is usually held at the monthly meeting of the cinema club,
but during the ongoing crisis the draw is made in front of two witnesses.
Oldbury On Severn - Memorial Hall 100 Club – Draw Winners
April May June July
Patrick
1st prize £20 M Riddle C Jennings S Keedwell
Mallaghan
Chris
2nd prize £15 A White R Pitfield J Illingworth
Jennings
Jackie
3rd prize £10 C Watkins M Riddle C Tymko
Jackson
4th prize £10 S Grey R Acton R Pitman Gerry Dyke
New members of the 100 Club are always welcome!
Forms are available in the Shop, or contact Doug Mills or Angela Conibere
at Christmas Cottage or aeconibere@hotmail.com or 01454 413828
Oldbury Village History Group
For reasons of safety in the pandemic, the Oldbury Village History Group
will not be meeting this Autumn. However, the small Committee will be
meeting in November to discuss whether the situation will be safer in the
new year, so that we can book speakers for January, February and March
and let everybody know. We are very sorry to miss meetings as we’d had
speakers in mind. The good news is that the sound quality has been greatly
improved by work in the Memorial Hall, which will be advantageous when
we do reassemble! Our best wishes to everyone. Please stay safe and well.
Meg Adnams, tel 01454 416080“Thornbury Parke”
Our end of season talk, (just before the “lockdown”) was by Meg Wise from
Thornbury Museum, always a popular speaker.
As early as the 1330’s royal licences for parks were given out by the king.
These early parks had many functions – as pasture, for crops like corn, for
timber and stone to be used for building, and livestock, including rabbit
warrens and fish ponds. 1,265 acres of parkland at Thornbury brought in,
with fluctuations, an income of £12 per annum before the Black Death.
Often the landlords were “absentee” as they had estates elsewhere and
employed a “keeper” to run it. However, when the 3rd Duke of Buckingham
came and decided to build a castle here, he applied to change the whole
nature and purpose of the “New Parke”. It was intended only for private
hunting for deer, so local farmers could no longer use it. Leland, working
for Henry VIII, recorded that previous tenants “cursed him for ther lands
so inclosyd.” The dispute between the Duke and his tenants lasted from
1508 for another 50 years.
The list of visitors, tenants and owners reads like a celebrity “Who’s Who”.
Jane Austen even mentions “Thornberry Park” in “Persuasion”. Visitors
included Princess Mary, daughter of Henry VIII who spent 19 days there in
August 1525 and famously her father went there with Anne Boleyn 10 years
later with an entourage which included Thomas Cromwell.
Several well-known families owned the Castle and the Park but eventually
the castle fell into disrepair, until in 1824 the Howards inherited and
improved the building. Thornbury Park had been separated from the castle
in the second half of the 16th century and in 1829 Henry Wenman Newman
inherited it from his father. Between 1832 and 1836 he built the substantial
property that we can see today, the first owner to build himself a residence
on the parkland. Later the property was leased out when its owners moved
to Stroud. One tenant was George Strohm, a Russian prince said to have
mysteriously arrived by sailing ship to Oldbury Pill. He lived in Shepperdine
House for a while, later marrying a much younger Sarah Churchill in Paris,
living with her in Athens before moving back to this area to become tenants
at Thornbury Park. He is buried in Oldbury churchyard.
Many intriguing stories of the “Parke” and Castle can be found on the
“Thornbury Roots” website, and valuable research has been done by the
Thornbury New Parke Archaeology Group, the Museum Research Group
and others. In 1952 the house became an administration centre for the
Sheiling School and retains very pleasant surroundings, a walled kitchen
garden and orchard.
Meg AdnamsOldbury Cricket Club
Due to Covid, the 2020 cricket season has been much delayed, which is
unfortunate with this being the year that Oldbury Cricket Club is celebrating
its 150th anniversary. However, no time has been wasted during the shut
down, and the pavilion has been painted, the palisade fence around the
patio renewed and a new north-facing perimeter fence installed. The patio
fence was kindly funded by the Village Shop and the perimeter fence
replaced as part of the new flood relief works. Thanks to Charlie Keedwell,
the square and outfield have been kept in excellent condition.
The first game eventually occurred in mid-July against a Thornbury XI.
They batted first, and with tight bowling from Banks, Riggs and Grey they
were all out for 128 in only 28 overs. In reply, Oldbury lost an early wicket
before Jimmy Garrett and Sam Phelps took control of the game with a
stand of 60 runs, leading to an Oldbury win by 6 wickets in only 14.2 overs.
Next, Oldbury were at home against Hillesley. In a high scoring game,
Oldbury lost their first 3 wickets for only 6 runs but hard-hitting innings by
Jimmy Garrett (56), Chris Terrett (53), Sam Phelps (52) and a tail end 21
not out by Arron Banks gave them a total of 261. In reply, Hillesley began
well with an opening partnership of 78 runs but with good all-round bowling
by the Oldbury team wickets fell steadily, and Hillesley were all out for 202.
The Cricketer Village KO Cup was reconfigured and Oldbury were drawn at
home against Cam. On a lovely sunny afternoon, with a good supporting
crowd, Cam batted first and were all out for 158. Jack Summerfield bowled
well and took 4 wickets. In reply Oldbury lost two wickets early on, then
Mike Nichols (52) and Sam Phelps (59) both played sound innings leading
to Oldbury winning by 4 wickets. In the next round Oldbury had a very
tough draw away to Frocester. Frocester batted first, and with many
Premier League players in their side, they powered to 338-2, with their
opener scoring a very impressive 159 not out. Oldbury were not up to their
best and were all out for just 90 runs. So, the dream of getting to Lords is
over for this year. Oldbury returned to winning ways the following week
against Uley. A lively Oldbury team bowling effort skilfully restricted Uley
to 142 all out. Then a forceful opening partnership by Ollie Cooper (52)
and Jack Summerfield (38) laid the foundation for Oldbury to win with ease.
The President’s game is due to be played on Sunday 13th September and
it should be an enthralling event.
On a more sombre note, we were all very sad to hear of the passing away
of Allan Knapp - a former playing member of the club who was very
involved in the setting up of the playing fields and the new cricket ground.
He will be greatly missed.
Gerald Porter, President OOSVCCMiss Bruton’s Oldbury – Part 16: Jubilees, Coronations and Sports Jubilees and Coronations Oldbury has always gone ‘all out’ on these occasions. An old programme for Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee gives this information: ‘On Sunday 20th June, Service in Church, morning and evening. Before the evening service a Procession, headed by Tockington Band, members of the Benefit Society in regalia. Afterwards a sacred concert on the Rectory lawn. On Jubilee Day, Tuesday June 22nd, at 3 p.m. School children meet at the school and march to Church with the drum of the Brockwar Sea Fencibles. (This drum is supposed to be associated with Napoleon’s first threatened invasion.) A short Thanksgiving Service will take place like that in St.Paul’s, London. The national anthem will be sung from the top of the church tower, and cannon or guns fired from the church and wharf. A dinner for all adults and a tea for children, concluding with flares at the church.’ I remember for the coronation celebrations of George V there were so many villagers in the procession there were hardly any people left at home to see it. We were all in costume and were hauled around in wagons –
round an almost deserted village with only the few aged to watch, a few dogs to bark and a few cats to dash away scared! There was a splendid effort for the Queen Elizabeth II coronation, with a local Queen, attendants, courtiers, heralds and a microphone which the Mayor and the Duke had trouble with, and decided it would be much easier to milk a cow. Cricket and Football There was a Cricket Club in Oldbury in 1870 and probably before that, and the game is still going strong with a cricket pitch on the hill below the school. Popular fixtures are on Whit and August bank holidays, when matches are played against Thornbury. At one of these matches Dr. E.M. Grace (a nephew of W.G.) scored 100 before lunch. A happy football team used to be run with a pitch on the wharf land, the Severn bank making a good grandstand around it. Once or twice a year the tide made a lake of it though, then the seagulls took over. Sailing A Sailing Club was started about nine years ago, and the harbour and jetty are at the mouth of the Pill. There are 50 sailing members and once a year a Regatta is held, when members of Chepstow and down channel clubs join in, and a crowd of visitors come. It is a pretty sight to see the visiting boats sailing off down river on the evening tide. It makes a lovely end to the day.
And Finally
I have come up the old hill to finish this story of Oldbury. It is Sunday
March 30th, the late afternoon of a lovely soft, gentle day. The hills across
the Severn are a delicate blue-grey, the mountains of Wales are but a
shadow.
The village is very quiet – only the sound of sheep and of a dog barking in
the distance. But all around there is a chorus of birdsong. Near me a thrush
is singing loudly and joyously – like a wonderful soloist singing with a
background chorus.
Thornbury’s bells have just commenced their call to Evensong. Oldbury’s
one bell will start later. And all around me are the primroses – Oldbury
primroses – the old folk call them ‘primrosen’ – lovely word!
The ages come and the ages go,
Still on the hill the primroses grow,
Linking us up with times gone by,
Decking the graves where our ancestors lie.
I wonder if primroses grew just the same
In those far-off days when the Romans came,
When in our village long years they stayed
And on our hill their camp they made.
I wonder if they felt the same delight
As we in this lovely springtime sight.
And when we are no more they’ll be blooming still
These primroses sweet on our old church hill.
Mary Bruton
Afterword
With that we finish Miss Bruton’s account of her home village – apart from her ‘Odd
Bits’ poem which you will find in the middle of this month’s 4ward. Oldbury
parishioners will no doubt enjoy playing ‘spot the difference’. (For those who do not
know, ‘Glasgow’ was a journalist called J.Robertson Glasgow who wrote a regular
column about a fictional village called Oldbury.) Several people have asked where
they could get a booklet containing the whole of ‘Miss Bruton’s Oldbury’. There is
no such thing – yet, but we intend that there should be a complete version, so do
keep looking.
A few words of explanation. The text is Mary Bruton’s own, copied from a typescript
which looks as if it is the final carbon copy of an original. Most of the drawings are
also hers, and we are very grateful to people who lent their copies. The photographs
came from various sources: mostly from the late Allan Knapp’s collection.
Photographs and drawings were prepared for publication by Iris Pitman and the
4ward publication team of Steve Horgan and Ruth Riddle. And final thanks go to
4ward editor Chris Tymko, for urging us on when we flagged!
Jane BradshawChurch Services for September 2020
St Mary’s
Thornbury
Covid-19 St. Arilda St. Mary St. Oswald
benefice Oldbury Shepperdine Rockhampton
communion
services
Restricted weekly 13th Sep No services at 27th Sep
services 6:00pm present due to 10:30am
10:00am Evening Service coronavirus Benefice Service
Booking is required Canon Tudor (COVID-19)
by Saturday Griffiths Booking required:
lunchtime. Booking required via 01454260096
Email Andrew Gazard www.croftt.org.uk
jennyovensbb@tisc gazard@naitefarm.co
ali.co.uk or phone .uk
01454 414727. 07831 849742
Thornbury
Catholic Morton Baptist
Quakers
Christ the King, Services restarted
Thornbury Chantry
Due toCommunity
the virus
Sunday Mass Morning Service Centre on Castle
pandemic, the
To attend a Mass you
Chantry is currently
have8.30am
to prebook. Every Sunday Street
11.00am at closed
Holy Cross,
Details Wotton
at 10.30am Sunday
https://www.ctk-
Under Edge 10.30am
thornbury.org.uk
Saturday See
https://mortonbaptist.org
(vigil Mass) 5.30pm
For details
All church services subject to current coronavirus rules. Check before going!Announcement
We are delighted to announce that Revd Joy Ludlow has been appointed as
Priest in Charge of the United Benefice of Thornbury and Oldbury with
Shepperdine, subject to the completion of the usual legal processes.
The completion of Joy’s curacy will be celebrated on Sunday 9 August at a
10am service in St Mary’s and a final evening service at St Arilda’s. Joy will
then take a break from duties for various preparations to be made and will
be welcomed back and licensed, as the new Incumbent, by Bishop Rachel
on Wednesday 7 October at 7pm in St Mary’s Church. The final details of
this service will depend very much on the situation with regard to Covid-
19.
We are sure that you will be very pleased with Joy’s appointment and that
you will be wishing her well and giving her every support in this new role;
an exciting time for her and us as we go forward into the future together.
Our prayer for her is that God will richly bless her now, during her
preparations, and as our new Priest in Charge.
Revd Joy is really excited about taking up the post and is looking forward
to what the future holds with us all together.
Churchwardens: Andrew Gazard, Sandra Grey,
Robin Gupta, Mike Dennett and Jenny Ovens
12 July 2020
Evening Service on 9th August
In spite of the new restrictions in place - limited numbers, social distancing,
no singing etc, our first post-Covid service in St Arilda’s was a joyous and
uplifting occasion as we were all delighted to be able to gather together for
worship once again following such a long absence. The service was taken
jointly by Revd Joy in her last role as curate, and Canon Tudor Griffiths, an
interim priest from the Diocese who will be looking after the benefice for
the next couple of months until Joy returns and is licensed as our Priest in
Charge on Wednesday 7 October.
After the service, Revd Joy was warmly thanked for her ministry over the
last three years by the new secretary of the PCC, Sean Rinaldi, and
presented with a small gift as a token of our appreciation.
Chris TymkoThe Times They Are A-changing
So sang Bob Dylan back in the days of my youth, and don’t those words
seem to apply to our situation today. Wearing facemasks in shops (and
church) and staying two metres apart are just two of the irritating but
essential things we have had to get used to in recent months. There are
many more of our precious freedoms from which we have been deprived
recently, like hugging or even seeing our loved ones, and being unable to
gather together physically as a worshipping community. It will have caused
many of us to re-evaluate what is important to us.
We have learnt again, I think, that the church is not the building but the
people, but I’m sure many of us will have missed worshipping in our
churches and even those who do not attend regularly value the presence
of the sanctity of these places at times like baptisms, weddings and
funerals or just as places to get away to for a while from the hurly burly of
life.
Churches like St Arilda’s have survived floods, plagues and wars during the
centuries, though probably have never experienced the forced closure
which we have seen recently.
Our community has remained strong throughout the crisis and we give
thanks for those who continue to go the extra mile in caring for and
supporting one another. This love and compassion for one another and for
God’s creation are Christian values which are precious and are shared by
many of the World Faiths. As followers of Jesus Christ we are called to live
out this mission day to day.
In this edition you will also see something about “Ride and Stride” in aid of
Gloucestershire Historic Churches. At a time when so many charities
struggle you might question whether it is a priority. My answer to that is
that it is not a question of “either / or” but of “both / and”. I want our
sacred places to be there to stand witness to God’s faithfulness and
something beyond our individual human horizons, for future generations
as well as our own. That is why I will be joining in “Ride and Stride” with
other members of our community, as well as continuing in prayer and
service as best I can to both friends and the strangers in our midst.
As we gradually return to a new normal, with a new but familiar Priest-in-
Charge, let us seek to keep and build on what is precious, and be open to
the new and different opportunities that God will give to us to share his
love with all. Amen.
Revd TomRide and Stride
Ride and Stride 2020, in
aid of Gloucestershire
Historic Churches Trust,
will take place on
Saturday 12 September.
Revd Tom Keates will
be walking with a group
from Thornbury, Oldbury
and Shepperdine, from
St Mary’s, Thornbury to
St Arilda’s, Oldbury and
back.
Any sponsorship for this
would be gratefully
received, either on-line
at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Thomas-Keates3 through Just
Giving, or by contacting Tom direct at tomkeates@blueyonder.co.uk
As with all charities, this is a difficult time and they would be very grateful
for any support. Many thanks.
Revd Tom
Severn Bore Timetable – September 2020
Minsterworth
Severn Bore
Stonebench
Overbridge
Maisemore
on Severn
Newnham
Epney
Date
Star
Inn
08:28 09:08 09:21 09:28 09:43 10:03 10:09 2
FRI
18th
20:44 21:24 21:37 21:44 21:59 22:19 22:25 4
09:09 09:49 10:02 10:09 10:24 10:44 10:50 3
SAT
19th
21:26 22:06 22:19 22:26 22:41 23:01 23:07 4
09:49 10:29 10:42 10:49 11:04 11:24 11:30 3
SUN
20th
22:05 22:45 22:58 23:05 23:20 23:40 23:46 3William James Bennett
20th July 1923 – 7th May 2020
William James Bennett, known as Jim, was born on July 20th 1923, as he
very proudly would recall, in the Anchor Inn, Oldbury on Severn, opposite
Pill House where his parents Fred and Kathleen lived. He was not much of
a drinker but we often wonder if this had anything to do with his love of
making homemade wine.
He was the oldest of three brothers, Don came next (called Scrape because
of all the trouble he got into) then Alan (Little Scrape).
His dad Fred (Seaman) had served in the merchant navy and worked on
the barges bringing coal into Oldbury Pill. Dad recalled from his childhood
being wheeled around the village in a wheel barrow on the top of bags of
coal as they were being delivered, and in the spring collecting baskets of
gooseberries for our gran to make into the famous Oldbury tarts. Fred was
also a fisherman, and Severn salmon would feature heavily in the
celebrations and Sunday teas.
He attended Oldbury School but never really told us much about what went
on in the classroom - it was more about running the gauntlet from the
infamous Mr Parry on being late when playing football. He would often
recall how Allan Knapp, a few years younger than him, would leave his
school shoes at Pill house to change into, as he would have walked along
the Severn bank from Salmon Lodge up until this point, and then they
would all set off up school hill together.
As a teenager Dad would have been found scrumping apples in the many
cider orchards around the village or riding his bicycle as part of the village
gang with only a couple of lights between them, one at the front and one
at the back. They would also venture to Berkeley for dances or a visit to
the picture house. Many of the friendships formed in these early years were
to remain constant throughout his life. Allan Knapp, Jo Osbourne, Tom
Grove, Trev Till to name but a few.
On leaving school he worked for his Grandpa Jones - a master builder -
and then was taken on as an apprentice carpenter by his Uncle Jim in Aust.
Carpentry and building would continue to run in the family, as Nick became
an apprentice to Dad when he left school.
Dad had a passion for sport, playing village cricket in the summer and
football in the winter. I expect every doctor who has ever looked at his legs
or enquired about his knees will have been told the story about the old
football injury which did for his knee as there was proper tackling in those
days.During the war Dad served in the Home Guard from June 3rd 1940 to December 31st 1944. He met my mum, Jean, on Rockhampton Common which lead to his first ambition in life, which was to marry her. Rockhampton Common was to play an enormous part throughout their married life. Dad fulfilled his ambition and they got married on August 13th 1949 in Hill church. It was when he was working for Hawkins, a well-known Thornbury builders’ merchants, that he set about achieving his second ambition, which was to build his own house. Along with Richard Shipp he bought a field in what was then known as Newton, just outside Rockhampton. He told of tossing a coin for which side of the field they each ended up with; like many of his tales it makes for a good story. Richard had a bungalow built on his half, but Dad was determined to build his own house, so he set about it evenings and weekends with the help of his dad. After 21 months he completed the house which was to become home. He moved into Homefield in 1959 with Mum and Nick, just as electricity came to that part of the village, and started his long involvement in the community of Rockhampton. I came along in 1960. It was around this point he decided to leave Hawkins and become self employed as a general builder and decorator, later joined by Nick. During the summer in Rockhampton it would be cricket on the common, where he was one of the instigators of the building of the cricket pavilion during 1960-61. He still holds, I believe, the record for the most runs scored by the last man to go in. Later he took on the role of club secretary. The last Saturday in July would see the village Fete, and a trusty band of villagers would come together to set up and man the stalls, and raise funds for the Church and the Cricket club. The evening would see the main event - the floats all constructed in secret, in different locations around the village. There was always a basket of homemade wine supplied by Dad to be drunk on the way round and distributed when the floats came to a standstill on the common. November would see preparations for bonfire night; everybody in the village would drop off on the common any fallen trees etc, and set about forming it all into an enormous bonfire. Along with the common, the church and the village hall next to it played an important part in Dad’s life. The church meant a lot to him; he was church warden for many years and he was responsible for much of the maintenance. He was on the church council and he could recall who was buried where and where the next grave would have to be dug. He and Nick even dug the odd grave by hand, he would take pains to tell us.
He was also an active member of the parish council, a member of the
village hall committee, the village produce show, and 4ward magazine.
Dad and Mum both loved the garden; Mum, more the flower borders, Dad,
the vegetable patch. While Mum was still alive, they used to enjoy dancing
and going on coach trips with friends to Bournemouth or Brighton, strolling
along the prom or lapping up the evening entertainment.
In his later years, Monday evenings would find Dad in the village hall
playing Whist. Saturdays he would go down to Oldbury or the Armstrong
Hall in Thornbury, where he had such a wide circle of friends who were all
so caring and inclusive that they enabled him to keep playing whilst he still
lived at home. Which brings us onto the shed - as my friend’s husband
recalled - a man cave the envy of many a man. A kettle, a radio, a record
player, table and chairs along with a selection of homemade wine to rival
many a wine cellar. On Saturday afternoons when I would go down to check
on Dad, I did not have to ask where he was, as the sound of the running
commentary of the football match being broadcast was deafening the
closer you got to the shed, and there you would find him peeling parsnips
or apples, stoning damsons or plums, surrounded by brewing buckets and
demi-johns.
Being such a social man, he would have found the current climate very
hard. Early each July the conversation would go something like this - “My
party, I’ve been thinking...”. This would mean Nick finding the tents and
gazebos, collecting chairs from the neighbours, erecting tables, and me
planning the food and ensuring everybody was invited. On the day we
would pray for fine weather, which it usually was. Once food was served,
the homemade wine would flow, along with the tours of the shed. The last
of these big parties was when he was 90; whilst his birthdays continued to
be celebrated it was on a much smaller scale. Dear Dad, we have not been
able to give you the send-off or party you would have wished for today,
but you can be assured that many a glass will have been raised on the
journey here, and that family, relatives, neighbours, villagers and friends
will continue to recall memories of times spent with you, and the fun and
laughter they had with you, in your own words - through your long and
happy life. You are now reunited with your first love, your wife Jean, our
mum. God Bless.
Jill Bryant
Jim was buried on 29th May in Rockhampton churchyard with only a private
graveside service allowed, but as the hearse drove through the village,
friends and neighbours stood outside their houses giving him a wave or
holding a glass of homemade wine in their hands in tribute as he passed by.Evacuated – a WW2 Memoir In 1939 I was 8 years old. We lived in North London, the war had started, and the expectation was that London would become a bombing target. The government advice was that children should leave and go to the country. My parents decided that my sister and I would go to Cornwall. We had been there previously on holidays so knew the place quite well and some of the people there. So, it was off to Waterloo Station with a single suitcase and our gas masks; the memories of the first world war were still very fresh where both sides had used gas. In fact, my father had been gassed whilst in the trenches but he was lucky to survive, though he suffered the effects for the rest of his life. At 10.00 a.m. every day the Atlantic Coast Express left Waterloo – one of the premier trains of the Southern Railway. It was only an express as far as Exeter, from then on it started to drop off coaches to go off on branch lines until the final part, now only just 3 carriages left, would arrive in Padstow after a 7-hour trip. Our final destination was Trevone, a sandy bay about 4 miles from Padstow. Here we stayed in a guest house – most of the guest houses had been taken over by the government to house evacuees whilst the owners continued to look after us, whereas before it had been holiday visitors. It was now October and Cornwall is pretty miserable in the winter, the seas are rough and the weather is poor. The first problem was about schooling, the school in Padstow was full up and there was no school in Trevone. However, a school had moved down from London and taken over one of the larger hotels. It was decided they would have to take in the evacuated children of Trevone. So, one of my first schools was the Wimbledon High School for Girls! As you can imagine the staff were all female and had no idea how to handle boys, so initially our time there was chaotic. Eventually they managed to teach us something, but they had difficulty controlling us, the normal comment was that they were not used to that type of behaviour. Playing football was a joke, they didn’t even know the rules. The war did impact on us a bit. There were three airfields nearby – St Merryn (Fleet Air Arm), St Eval and St Mawgan. The latter two were part of Coastal Command’s Western Defence, hunting U-boats. In later years I trained to fly at St Eval, and St Mawgan is still there as Newquay Airport. Occasionally the Germans would come over and drop a few bombs, but it wasn’t until they occupied France that they had bases well within range. The warning system was pretty basic. Mr Higman – who had the village store – would cycle round blowing a whistle in several short blasts suggesting we should take cover. However, we could hear the bombs long before he arrived to warn us. At the end he would cycle round again blowing
longer blasts for the ‘all clear’, by which time the Germans would be long
gone, back home celebrating with a schnapps.
A minefield had been laid from Trevose Head over to Ireland. There was a
five-mile gap close to the headland so all shipping into the Irish Sea up to
Bristol, Liverpool and beyond had to pass through it. This meant we had a
wonderful view of convoys and warships passing through this narrow gap.
Occasionally a mine would break free from its mooring and be washed up
on the coast. One such mine came into Trevone Bay one day, a typical
large cylinder with horns sticking out of the sides. Great excitement. We
all gathered round on the beach, whilst the local bobby tried to shoo us
away until the bomb disposal squad arrived. Luckily it didn’t go off, which
it quite well could have done if it had struck a rock.
Trevone has one road in, and the same road to get out again. At the bottom
by the beach there is a car park where the bus came in to turn round. One
day I was on the car park by myself and down into the village came a big
motorbike, with an even bigger man on it, clad in an enormous black
leather coat. He stopped opposite me, lifted up his goggles and said in a
heavy Germanic accent ‘excuse me sonny but vere is ze airfield’. I thought,
here is a German spy – what am I going to do? No one else around. ‘Yes
sonny’ he repeated, ‘ze airfield please’. I then pointed in the opposite
direction to where the airfields were, and off he went. When I got back to
the house and recounted my story, they said to me ‘oh yes, there is a
Polish squadron up there now, and you have just sent one of their pilots
on a wasted journey’. And I thought I was helping to win the war!
We returned from Cornwall in 1942 when the danger to London seemed
not so imminent. Looking back, it was an idyllic time, we were integrated
into village life, surfing every day and generally enjoying ourselves –
outside of the girls’ school! In the summer The Children’s Special Service
Mission (CSSM) came for 4-6 weeks; this organisation joined all the
children in the village together. In the morning we all met on the beach
and built a pulpit, decorated it and had a short service with lots of singing.
In the afternoon it was games, these included puddox (a mixture of
rounders and cricket), hockey and hugger-hockey which is hockey played
with a rugby ball. Teams built sand castles to beat the tide, the winner had
the last flag to be swept into the sea. Whatever you think about religion,
they gave us something to do every day throughout the long summers,
and we made many friends.
We have returned to Trevone many times, and even owned a house there
for many years. My sister is long gone, but I still hold that those early days
were some of the best in our life.
Peter Everton / 3 June 2020A new book about Gloucestershire’s coastal communities
Edited by Rose Hewlett
These remarkable Court of Sewers records
open a window on the communities of the
Gloucestershire Levels between 1583 and
1642, and their struggles against
encroachments from the sea in a changing
political climate. They touch all walks of life
from the peasantry to the county’s elite. The
extraordinary detail they contain about
people and places make them a valuable
resource for family and local historians. They
are almost unique in their survival, and of
national significance.
The records survive because of a long-
running legal dispute at Oldbury on Severn
regarding responsibility for the sea defences.
From mud walls to grass embankments fortified with stone, sea walls have
defended coastal Gloucestershire since Roman times, and management of
flood risk and drainage on the low-lying land they protected is documented
from the medieval period. Maintenance was a constant draw on labour,
materials and finances, especially following the great Severn Estuary flood
of 1607 and another significant inundation in 1636. This fully indexed
edited transcription reveals the condition of the sea walls and drainage
systems before and after these events.
‘Sewers’ here are watercourses, natural or manmade. Courts of Sewers
were the forerunners of today’s Internal Drainage Boards, and their form
of local government deserves wider attention not only from historians, but
from scientists and policymakers who seek a better understanding of
historic floods. A comprehensive glossary assists the reader with unusual
terminology.
Rose Hewlett’s doctoral research at the University of Bristol into the 1607
flood is underpinned by these records which shed new light on how
communities on the Severn Estuary Levels coped in its aftermath.
Publication by the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society,
September 2020. Price £30.00 (UK). Postage extra, but free delivery may
be possible.
Copies available from Rose Hewlett: rose.hewlett@bristol.ac.uk or 01452 740894.
Alternatively, become a member of the Society and receive this publication
and other benefits for £25: http://www.bgas.org.uk/about/membership.htmlRockhampton Folk Festival
We’re sad that we couldn’t enjoy a great day of world music and dance in
2020. We had hoped to run a scaled-down festival in September but with
no certainty about restrictions that may be in place we’ve decided instead
to put our efforts into next year and making 2021 the best Rockhampton
Folk Festival yet.
So, save the date...
Saturday 19 June 2021
We're working to make sure that the great artists we had lined-up will be
able to join us next year. In the meantime, we want to do all we can to
support musicians. We'll re-start our outreach work soon and bring music
back to our community. Big thanks to the Arts Council who have extended
our lottery funding into next year. Looking ahead we’re also planning to
expand our popular Winter Series of concerts in Rockhampton, starting in
January 2021 - watch this space. So, until we meet again, take care, enjoy
the rest of summer and here's to a great 2021!
Chris & Nicki
Rockhampton Parish Council
The Parish Council have continued to meet during the pandemic with online
council meetings taking place in July and August.
The internal audit of accounts for the year ending 31st March 2020 has
now taken place, been approved, and sent off to the external auditors.
Highways issues including speeding traffic through the village are, as always,
a concern to the Council who have made requests to South Gloucestershire
Council to replace a number of missing 30 mph repeater signs and white
lines which have disappeared over time; this work is expected to be
completed in the autumn. Avon & Somerset Police have also been
requested to undertake some speed enforcement through the village.
We now have an external defibrillator purchased by the Council with the
assistance of grants totalling £1,300. This will soon be installed externally
on the Old Cricket Pavilion, and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Finally, the next meeting of the Council will take place on Monday 23rd
November and is currently planned to be online. The agenda for this
meeting will be published on the notice boards at Newton and The Wheel
as well as on the Council’s website ahead of the meeting. The website also
contains information on Councillors, minutes of the previous meetings and
the Council’s current and previous year’s finances.
James Carpenter, Clerk, Rockhampton Parish Council.
rockhamptonpc@gmail.com www.rockhamptonparishcouncil.co.ukYou can also read
