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The Pucklechurch community website |
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If you have signed up for emails and are not getting them please check the following: |
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Community Reports - September 2008 |
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Parish Council |
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Parish Council Chairman's Notes Bus Shelters We recently replaced the transparent panels in the two shelters in Shortwood Road and will shortly do similar work on those at the bottom of Oaktree Avenue and the one outside the Village Hall. This work was necessary as the previous panels had been scratched and defaced and were an eyesore. May I ask everyone to keep a lookout for people damaging bus shelters or any other facility in and around our village. Housing You may have seen recent publicity about the proposed additional housing which South Glos Council have been told by the Government to provide in addition to that already planned for Emerson's Green East (across the Ring Road from Sainsbury’s). The Government have now told SGC that they need to provide a total of 32,800 houses in the next 20 years. We also know that there plans for thousands of houses near Shortwood and several thousand in Yate and Chipping Sodbury. Already Shortwood have a campaign against the proposals for their village, and I would urge everyone in Pucklechurch and Parkfield to support them in this. What might happen to Shortwood in the near future could easily happen to the rest of the Parish in the longer term. When substantive plans are produced for Shortwood, these will come to the Parish Council for our review. When this will be is anyone’s guess, but we will keep you informed via the Pucklechurch website as and when we have any news. Omar Beg, Chairman Parish Council Omar Beg (Chairman) 937 3695 Diane Bailey (Clerk) 937 2398
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Harvest Festival Sun, 28th Sept All Souls Service Sun, 2nd Nov - 3pm Remembrance Sunday Sun, 9th Nov Advent Sun, 30th Nov Harvest Supper Saturday, 27th September, at 7.30pm in the church. Tickets will be available at £6 for adults and £3 for children under 12 years. Autumn Fayre Saturday, 15th November, at 2pm in the Community Centre -- crafts, Christmas goods, cakes, preserves, tombola, and more. Buy your Christmas presents here! Pews Ten pews were removed from the church in July and have been put in store. Chairs will be used to fill the space when needed. If anyone would like to buy a chair for the church, they cost £88.16, which includes a brass plaque with a suitable inscription. This could be for a memorial ("In memory of…"), an anniversary ("On behalf of … on their 25th anniversary"), or a simple donation ("Presented by…"). Please contact Elizabeth Webb on 937 2516 for details. |
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Oaktree Avenue The Council Officers and Planners tasked with making the new GP surgery a reality are still hammering out the details of the project, including where on the site the surgery will be located. It's a frustrating yet necessary process, but I can assure you that we are keeping a close eye on the project to ensure it keeps moving. Government Housing Targets We must all work together to fight the 33,000 new houses that the Secretary of State recently said must be built in South Gloucestershire over the next 20 years. To make matters worse, she has moved another 2,000 from the Yate area and bolted them onto a much larger extension of the Bristol urban area east of the Avon Ring Road. This is even more of a threat to our Green Belt and to the villages of Shortwood and Pucklechurch. I urge everyone to respond to the consultation, which runs until 17th October. Copies of the Secretary of State’s proposed changes to the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the South West and the reasons for the proposed changes can be viewed on the Government Office for the South West (GOSW) web page: www.gosw.gov.uk/gosw/planninghome/691545/713860/. Proposals for the West of England, including South Gloucestershire, are set out in Chapter 4, paragraphs 4.1 to 4.1.18 of “The Draft Revised RSS for the SW Incorporating the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes -- For Consultation July 2008”. The reasons for these proposed changes are set out in Section 4 of “The SW RSS: Schedule of the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes and Reasons -- For Consultation July 2008.” Questions about the proposed changes should be directed to GOSW on 0117 900 1705. Comments on the proposed changes should be made to GOSW. You can make these online through the above GOSW web site by completing a response form, or by writing a letter and sending it by email to RSSconsult@gosw.gsi.gov.uk, fax to 0117 900 1914, or post at the following address: Regional Planning Team, Sandra Grant |
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Waking up to torrential rain on Revel Day is not one of the highlights of being the Revel Chair! However, a quick look at the Pucklechurch Community website’s weather forecast told me that it would stop raining by late morning and stay dry until around 4 or 5pm. Armed with this I was able to convince the fun fair folks that that it really was going to be worth it to set up their equipment. And so it was that an intrepid band of committee members and helpers gathered in waterproof clothing on the Rec at 8am on Saturday morning to get ready for the day. The build up to Revel Day had been fantastic. Revel Week (or more appropriately Revel Fortnight)
Once again the Beer Festival Committee put on a fantastic event on the Friday and Saturday nights. Expanding the concept to become a “Beer and Cider Festival", they kicked off on Friday night, quite appropriately, with the Mangledwurzels, celebrating the works of Adge Cutler and the Wurzels. They kept everyone smiling (or was it the scrumpy?) as the rain teemed down. Rain again on Saturday night didn’t dampen the spirits, and Rockmungus did what it said on the tin and produced a solid rock set to delight the air guitarists amongst the crowd. On Revel Day Mr. Sean Mason, a Director from YOI Ashfield, had his work cut out as parade judge. The quality of entries for the parade was as good as ever, and the theme of “Music and Dance” really brought out the villager's creative best. The best float award went to Tower Playgroup, while Rainbows took the best children’s entry. In a big turnaround on recent years, the Twinning Association just pipped the W.I. as the best the adult entry with their depiction of the Moulin Rouge. Starting the parade in Hill view Road was also welcomed, with lots of people commenting on how this had improved the safety and also allowed people to see the floats better. We thank the residents of Hill View for cooperating with the committee on this. As is now traditional, the WI served their excellent cream teas in the Scout Hut. The Craft Fayre in the Village Hall was well attended, and the church provided refreshments.
Omar Beg held the afternoon together with his inspired compering. The focus on more children’s stalls and entertainment was also welcomed, and the traditional Punch and Judy certainly proved that you don’t need a games console to delight the kids! The day was topped off with the children’s games organised by the PCA. The energy and enthusiasm from the children being matched only by Alan Holder’s exuberant announcing. Even with the threat of rain, there was a good a turnout and excellent community spirit -- roll on next year! Martin Smith
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was packed with old favourites, plus two new events: the treasure hunt by car and a sponsored cycle ride. Over 20 teams competed in the treasure hunt and a large group gathered at the final destination, the mystery pub (AKA the Rose & Crown), to round off the evening. In January Jaime Todd came to the Revel committee to propose that he, together with Dave Amos from the Pucklechurch Sports and Social Club, organise a sponsored cycle ride to Weston-super-Mare. Jamie wanted to follow in his father Bob’s footsteps of fundraising for the village and although only five riders took part they raised over £900 [check with John] for Revel. Well done to you all!
It is so difficult to know where to start (and stop) with so many generous people putting in their time and effort to support Revel with events of one kind or another. Please forgive me if space does not allow for more than a mention. For children we had the Youth and Family Discos, the treasure hunt on foot run by the PSA, Mums & Minors open day, Junior Folk Dance run by the Folk Dance Club, Tag Rugby and Kwik Cricket organised by the School. Events for adults included skittles hosted by the Pucklechurch Sports and Social Club, the Race Night run by Pucklechurch Players, and a Quiz Night hosted by the Fleur de Lys. For the family we had the Ramble led by Twinning, the Thanksgiving Service at the church, the School Concert, and the Bob Todd memorial pram race, which has become one of the best attended events outside of Revel Day and the Beer Festival. 
As usual the parade was led by Pucklechurch Pixies (Ava Powell and Sophie Turley) followed by the Royal Family (Queen, Amy Pritchard; King, Henry Philip; Princesses Summer Smart and Evie Walkley; Prince, Owen Beaser) in their coach. In the parade and headlining in the arena, we had Bristol Samba. I have lost count of the number of people that have said they were fantastic and asking if we can we have them back again soon. Also in the parade and arena were the Black Panther Cheerleaders, many of whom are local.
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On a hot, sunny July evening… I wish! Let’s start again… On a cold, blustery July evening with threatening grey clouds overhead, more than 100 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Senior Section girls and Leaders from Pucklechurch, Wick and Marshfield met in Dyrham Park for an evening of fun.
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Are you 50+? Would you like to come and join us in the Community Centre on Tuesday afternoons between 2 and 3.30 pm? We have entertainment, quizzes, and summer coach outings (May through October). You are guaranteed a very warm welcome, so please feel free to pop in at any time. We have a couple of seats left for the Hereford trip on October 7th, and we have a Christmas shopping trip planned to Clarks Village on Saturday, 6th December. For more information, contact Liz Archibald on 937 4054.
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