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March 2007

St Thomas à Becket, Pucklechurch
Folk Dance Club
Pucklechurch Gardeners' Club
Girlguiding
Help!
The Annual Cheese and Wine Quiz
Parish Council Chairman’s Notes
South Gloucestershire Council
Pucklechurch Community Association
Raring to Revel
Smile!
Shortwood Public Meeting

St Thomas à Becket, Pucklechurch

On Sunday, 1st April, we are having a special service of Baptism Celebrations to which all those people who have been baptised are invited to attend along with their families. This will be a short, informal service suitable for people of all ages, from 0 to 100. We look forward to seeing you. Refreshments will be served after the service.

Mothering Sunday
Sunday, 18th Mar Mothering Sunday Service
(a child-friendly service)

Easter and Holy Week Services
Sunday, 1st Apr Palm Sunday
10am, Family Communion
3pm, Baptism Celebrations

Thursday, 5th Apr Maundy Thursday
8pm, Holy Communion

Friday, 6th Apr Good Friday
10am, All-age worship
 2-3pm Last Hour at Cross

Sunday, 8th Apr Easter Sunday
10am, Festival Family Communion

St James the Great, Abson

Sunday, 8th Apr Easter Sunday
11.30am, Holy Communion followed by an Easter egg hunt

Folk Dance Club

Pucklechurch Fold Dance Club celebrated its 30th birthday with a party in the Community Centre on Tuesday, 23rd January. During these past years the Club has been asked by various organisations in the village and around the area to perform dances for events such as fetes, garden parties, and even the Bristol Flower Show.

We run very successful club evenings every two weeks in the Community Centre, with an average of 40 to 50 people attending. We also have two special dances in December, one of which is a dinner dance on New Year's Eve.

Les Whittock

Folk Dance Club Upcoming Events

Dances are held every other Tuesday in the Community Centre commencing at 8.00pm.

March 5 Pete Howarth and John & Mary
March 20 AGM and Reg Woolford
April 3 Val Webster
April 17 Malcolm Smith

Pucklechurch Gardeners' Club

Although it seems a long while ago now, the Gardeners' Club Christmas quiz and buffet went down well with all who attended. Our winter season started again in February with a talk by George Alway on wildlife in the garden. We learnt how good ladybirds are at eating the aphids and how hedgehogs enjoy a tasty meal of slugs and snails.

We are planning our summer trip away to Hestercombe in July.

Our next meeting will be held on the 7th March in the Village Hall. Do come along at 7.45pm and listen to Dr G Hargreaves give a talk on the seasons at Westonbirt.

Girlguiding

I am delighted to report that all sections of the Guide Association are flourishing in Pucklechurch. Guiding is great! Update your views: Guiding is modern and relevant in today's society. 

Guides

Guides thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Redgrave Theatre to watch one of our members in the pantomime. And what are we doing in our weekly meetings?  Old-fashioned things like tying knots and darning socks? Not likely!  We’re bang up to date. We have four patrols, and each one is doing something different. We decide for ourselves what we need and make sure everyone is included. One patrol is exploring chocolate -- how and where it’s grown, how much the farmers get, etc, plus a lot of tasting!  Another is trying football. The Guide Association has been sponsored by the Football Association to encourage more girls to play football.  A third patrol is organising a party, and the fourth is looking at fitness.

To help us organise all of this, we have two fabulous leaders, but we need a third adult.  Why don’t YOU come and help us?  Phone Lynn Ford on 937 3381 and make a difference to young lives.  We welcome ANY time or support you can give.

Brownies

1st Pucklechurch is thriving and busy working on the wildlife badge. We thoroughly enjoyed making our own messy footprints by treading in paint with our bare feet and running over lots of paper.  It made us look more carefully at animal and bird footprints, and we have made a bird feeding station. We went to the zoo and had a great time. We are also working on our collector badge.

2nd Pucklechurch has a new Assistant Leader. Hannah has returned. Thanks Hannah! We’re working on our animal lover badge. We have spaces for more Brownies and we would like YOU to join.  Phone Lynn on 937 3381 for more information.

Rainbows

Nationally we are celebrating 20 years of Rainbows this year!

1st Pucklechurch has been talking about pets.  We went to the local pantomime and thought it was very funny.  We’ve looked at how bulbs grow, and we’re collecting stamps for Marie Curie.

2nd Pucklechurch has only SEVEN Rainbows at present, and we’d like MORE. Rainbows are aged 5 to 7 years, and if you’d like to join us please phone Lynn on 937 3381. We had a ‘Bring a Buddy’ evening recently to show our friends what we do.

Senior Section

This is a relatively new group for age 14+ girls. We meet on the second Tuesday of each month in the Scout Hut. We welcome new members, and you don’t have to have been a Guide. You will be eligible to join in all the opportunities offered by Girlguiding to this older age group, and we have our own programme too. Phone Lynn on 937 3381.

Ros Abbott, District Guider
You may contact me for information: 937 2157

HELP!

The Community Plan Group needs HELP in distributing, collecting and possibly HELPING residents to fill in a questionnaire that has been so lovingly put together by a small team of folks over the last five months. The purpose of the questionnaire is to find out how the residents of Shortwood, Parkfield, Pucklechurch and Lyde Green want to our community to develop in the next few years. The questionnaire will cover topics such as transport and traffic, the environment, community spirit, housing and making our community a safer place to live.

Unfortunately all the hard work will count for nothing if we cannot get HELPERS. Our target is about sixty people, and we estimate that each would have to visit six or seven houses over three or four days. If you can help or would like to know more, please phone Alan Holder on 937 2818.

Parish Council Chairman’s Notes

For many years, people living in and around Becket Court and St Aldam’s Drive have suffered articulated lorries parking outside their houses overnight, prior to entering the trading estate the following day. The Council have had both talks and correspondence with South Glos Council regarding this matter but with little success. Now, at last a possible solution may have been found. Where lorries (over 7.5 tonnes) are parked on the highway at night, residents can raise the matter with the Vehicle Licensing Authority at the following address: Operations Licensing Department, 2 Rivergate, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6EH. The Authority would need to know the precise problem, the vehicle registration number, and details of the vehicle operator (usually indicated on the side of the vehicle). Where vehicles are causing an obstruction, this is a matter for the Chief Constable, and the Staple Hill police station should be informed.

You may have noticed that new goal posts have been installed on the Rec since the start of the current football season. Unlike the previous wooden ones, the new posts are made of a lightweight aluminium material and are not made for frequent dismantling. The Council reluctantly agreed they should be allowed to remain until the end of the season at the end of April/early May. The Football Club had no option about the posts, as they were instructed to have them by the local F.A.  There are some other ongoing issues which the Football Club have raised with us, not all of which may have an outcome to their liking. The Council are keen to support sports activities of all kinds on the Rec (particularly for our young people and children) but are also mindful that the Rec is a public open space for all villagers to use. It is adjacent to the church and conservation area and is a precious part of our village environment and heritage.

Finally, might I draw your attention to the fact that this is an election year. On Thursday, May 3rd, you will have a chance to elect a new Parish Council and also two members to serve on South Glos Council. I don’t know how many of my current colleagues are seeking re-election in May, but on your behalf may I thank them all for the many hours of work which they have given during the last four years (and in some cases for many years before ). I trust that you think our village is a better place because of the decisions your Council have made and the innovations we have initiated.

Omar Beg

South Gloucestershire Council

Pucklechurch Speedwatch

The Speedwatch scheme for the parish of Pucklechurch is progressing well, with risk assessments having now been carried out by PC Skelton at several locations in the village. Shortwood residents have indicated an interest, and we hope that a location in Shortwood will be chosen for risk assessment soon. Funds for the scheme have been boosted by a donation from the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, and the Speedwatch Group were invited to apply for a grant from the Kings Forest Area Forum in the closing weeks of 2006. With the scrutinising of this application currently ongoing, the Speedwatch Association found it necessary to turn down an offer of £250 towards their funding from Pucklechurch Parish Council on the grounds that acceptance of this generous donation might jeopardise the grant application. Speedwatch already have enough funding to purchase a speed gun for use by parishioners but still need to purchase high-visibility clothing. They are confident of obtaining this extra funding. For further information, phone Frank Rogers 937 3067, Peter Rendall 937 3869, or Sandra Grant 937 3164.

Council Budget 

South Gloucestershire Council is in the process of setting its budget and striving to keep the council tax rise below 5%, requiring the Council to make savings of £3 million in total. The Council hopes to agree on changing the budget from what was proposed to protect grants to voluntary groups, retain Saturday afternoon opening in libraries, and invest more to expand the plastic recycling scheme.

Cllr. Sandra Grant

Pucklechurch Community Association

Over 60 members attended the PCA seniors' party held on January 14th, which was a roaring success. Thanks to all those who prepared food and the helpers who served the guests.

The Pucklechurch Community Association AGM will take place on Tuesday, 8th May, at 8.00pm in the meeting room of the Village Hall. If you would like to help on the committee, please ring our Chairman Les Bence on 937 3140 for further details. You would be most welcome!

What's going on in your Village Hall?

The PCA runs the Village Hall on behalf of the residents of Pucklechurch. The Village Hall hosts a wide variety of groups and activities. The regular weekly calendar includes:

• Sunday:  Bowls, Badminton
• Monday:  Playgroup, Mums and Minors, Bowls
• Tuesday: Playgroup, Happy Circle, Folk Dance Club
• Wednesday: Playgroup, Bowls
• Thursday:  Playgroup, Band Practice (evening), Drama Group
• Friday:  Playgroup, Star Jumpers

You can view the full list of events and send booking information on the PCA page here...

Additionally, a number of groups, such as the Gardeners' Club and the Twinning Association, use Village Hall facilities on a monthly basis. On Saturdays, the Village Hall serves as the venue for special events of all types. In March and April, these include a Latin American tango workshop, a dog show, a fundraising event for the church, and the NSPCC Wine and Cheese Quiz. There will also be a Red Cross blood donor session in the hall on Thursday, 15th March, from 12.30 to 8.30pm.

Raring to Revel

The Revel Committee are already deep in preparations for this year’s Revel Day, which will be held on Saturday, 16th June. As is traditional, there will be a week of special events leading up to the big day, including the fancy dress pram race and the children's folk dance. One of the main features of Revel week is the Beer Festival held on the Friday and Saturday nights, again featuring live music and 24-plus real ales and local ciders.

The main arena event this year is the “Battling Cumberland Giants” (comedy wrestlers, not sausages), a not-to-be-missed event for all the family. 

The Revel Parade marks the start of Revel Day and will involve floats and walking entries created by village groups. The impressively high standard of entrants each year is a testament to the hard work and effort of the group organisers. The revellers decorate themselves and their floats in accordance to the year’s theme, which this year is “Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales”. The Revel Committee are calling for all entrants to excel this year in the hope of receiving the coveted awards from the judges, who will include some special guests.

For more information about the Revel events planned for this year, visit the Revel pages here...

Smile!

We are coming to ask you some questions...

…and we promise to listen to your answers

During June volunteers from the Community Plan Group will be visiting every house in Shortwood, Parkfield, Pucklechurch and Lyde Green with a questionnaire for you and your household to fill in. We hope that you will SMILE at each other as you fill in the questionnaire.

All your answers will be confidential. They will be combined with the other thousand responses we shall have, and then all these answers will be blended into a plan that can be used by the Parish Council, South Gloucestershire, and anyone else who has an interest in promoting and preserving the characteristics of our community.

We need your opinion to shape the way our community develops in the years to come, so please help by SMILING as you fill in the questionnaire.

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