Ampney Crucis TimesEdition Number 4 |
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A weekend to remember "We should do it more often…" "The balloons were a brilliant idea" "Something we will remember for a long time…"
These were just a few of the comments made following the village's Millennium Event on July 8th / 9th - feedback suggests that everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, with all the activities very well supported. One long-time resident said he'd never seen the village get together so well in 50 years. As an added bonus, £1500 was raised, which will be shared equally between Village Hall and church funds. A further £700 donations were collected at the church. Sally Hebbs, on behalf of the rest of the committee, would like to say a big thank you to all the people who worked really hard and gave up their time to support the event, and to the hundreds of villagers (literally!) who came along to all of the activities and had a good time together. I am sure everyone will share with us in passing on our thanks in turn to Sally and the committee - Christine Cridford, Liz Anderson, Rosemary Franklin, Franks Perkins, Anne Bridges and Ann Bullock - who put in hours of work to make it happen. Answers to the village trail will be put up on the village hall noticeboard in a few weeks, for the benefit of people like me who haven't had time to do it yet! Meanwhile, congratulations to Alf Hilton who had the first, all correct sheet drawn out of the bag at the Barn Dance. Unclaimed raffle prizes: if you still have any of the following numbers, claim your prize from Sally Hebbs: 130 - bottle of Teachers whisky 575 - a bottle of German White Wine 15 - a bottle of Cherryade Lost property: (contact Sally Hebbs) A pretty umbrella A woman's sweater Charm from a necklace, found on the Bouncy Castle A display of photos is planned for the Village Hall and to put up on the web site, so if anyone has any they are willing to donate or loan, please pass them to Sally Hebbs or Fran Huckle. If possible, we will scan them into a computer file and a permanent record can be held for posterity. Watch out for the next event being planned for October: an Evening of Fine Dining in the Village Hall. Details to follow shortly. Here are some ideas for other future events: Race Night If you have a good idea for a simple one-off event give Sally a ring. You won't have to organise it all, just share your idea and we can work together to try to make it happen. |
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Top marks for village schoolAmpney Crucis School leavers can congratulate themselves this summer as they prepare for secondary school in September - they have achieved an excellent success rate in this year's SATS (Statutory Assessment Tests) for Key Stage 2 pupils, with all children reaching or surpassing the national standards for the age group. This is the third year running that the school has gained a 100% in the Science tests and the second in English. Eight children were presented with the traditional dictionary and Bible awarded by the Robert Pleydell Trust to school leavers at a special end of term service. Six will be going on to Kingshill School, one to Farmors and one to Deer Park. Other highlights of the school year include: a trip to the Millennium Dome for the juniors; the school production of 'The Saga of Forkbeard the Viking'; third place in the South Cotswold area Schools Nature Quiz; a week's field trip for class 3 to Devon and the opening of a new library with computer facilities. Grateful thanks go to the Friends of the School for all their help and fund-raising efforts and to the Robert Pleydell Trust for its support, without which some of these events and many others would not be possible. |
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Neighbourhood WatchSeveral new schemes have recently been set up with the result that now almost the whole of the main village is now included. Details of the local co-ordinators and areas are as follows:
West of village: Sandie Westmacott Pleydells: John Pizzey School Lane Heather Masek East : David Vessey (including Dudley Farm, Ridings Lane and Ashbrook Lane)
If you would like to be included in one of these schemes, contact the local co-ordinator. If you feel none of these schemes cover your part of the village and would like information about setting one up, contact David Vessey who can point you in the right direction! On the subject of crime, a resident in the Waterton area has notified us of a recent theft from his garden shed and cautions us to 'beware'. If you do suffer a similar fate, contact the Fairford Police Station.
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In recognition of your work earlier this year, CDC have presented us with this certificate
however…. |
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Fly TippingThe Parish Council is concerned about the increase in the amount of waste disposed in the verges in the lanes around the village. Having consulted the District Council for advice, the following item was kindly submitted by Mike Wier-Wierzbowski, Divisional Manager, Waste Management, Cotswold District Council.
If you have garden waste, there are a number of options - compost it at home (the Council even subsidises the sale of compost bins toCotswold householders), or use the special green sacks sold by the Council. Alternatively, take it to the County Council's Household Waste site at Fosse Cross. If you are carrying out DIY work at home, you can take small amounts of waste arising from the work to Fosse Cross. If you've got the builders in, you have to accept that the disposal of waste arising from the work is part of the cost of the job, like paying for materials, or labour. If your builder offers to take away the waste, ask to see his licence to carry waste - and if he hasn't got one, tell the Environment Agency. If you see anyone fly tipping please contact the Environment Agency (( 0800 80 70 60), or call the Waste Manager at Cotswold District Council ((01285 643643 extension 3603). Come on, do your bit to protect your environment!"
BT phone books and yellow pages
The Council can now take your old BT Phone books and Yellow Pages for recycling - just put them in your recycling box along with your newspapers and magazines, glass bottles and jars, and food and drink cans. |
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New College coursesCirencester College will be running two new short courses in the Village Hall in the autumn term: 'Nowt so queer as folk:' a gentle introduction to studying people in society. 12 weeks from Monday 30th October, 7-9pm., £17.50 (concessions £8.75) 'Ageing in society' A discussion group on how life has changed in the 20th century and its effect on family life, particularly the retired. 10 weeks from Friday 22nd September, 10am. - 12 noon, £46 (concessions £28.50) Contact the Enrolment Office of Cirencester College for details (640994. |
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Transport to work
For more information contact: Adam Tugwell, Gloucestershire Rural Community Council, Community House, College Green, Gloucester, GL1 2LZ. (: 01452 422427. |
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Changes in the wardsThere are some 63,000 electors in Cotswold District Council and they are represented by 45 Ward councillors. The average per Ward is therefore 1,400 but, in practise, the number ranges from around 800 to over 2,000. The underlying democratic principle, however, is that each elector’s vote should carry equal weight and so the Local Government Commission has the task, every 10 to 15 years, of reassessing these figures and adjusting the Ward boundaries so as to bring all Wards nearer to the average. This reassessment is called a Periodic Electoral Review and the review of the CDC Wards had just begun. The first stage is for CDC to issue their initial ideas for consideration by the Parish Councils and this will take place during July and August. The final recommendations of the Commission are expected in June 2001. The building block of each Ward is the Parish Council and a Ward will typically consist of several parishes grouped together. The Ward councillor for the Ampneys Ward (which also includes the parishes of Ampney St Mary, Ampney St Peter, Driffield and Preston) is Bruce Evans and as the electorate numbers just over 1,000, it is almost inevitable that his Ward will be expanded to bring it closer to the average. The impact will only be on Ward boundaries; it will not affect the Parish boundary and (apparently a common question) it will have no effect on Council Tax bands! |
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Charity wind-upThe John May Charity is one of three parochial charities in the parish (the other two are the Village Hall and the Robert Pleydell Trust). The charity was set up in the 19th century to provide bread and medicines for the poor of the parish. The objects of the charity are therefore effectively redundant and, as the assets of the charity are very small, there have been discussions with the Charity Commissioners on how the position could be resolved. A procedure has been agreed and was explained to a public meeting on 13 July. Provided the trustees agree, the remaining assets will be distributed within the parish and the charity wound up. Details of the distribution process will be placed on the notice boards and the village newsletters in due course. |
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New tree warden
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Toddler GroupIt is hoped that this will be starting up again in September after the school holidays. Look out for further information on noticeboards or contact Martina Richt or Flora Ellis |
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Web siteFrank Skinner is still developing and adding content to the web site and would like to encourage village clubs and organisations to send in their contact details and programme of events. He has monitored a substantial number of visitors to the site and all communication is through e-mail via the web site address - no phone numbers or addresses are published, for privacy reasons. Go and look at the site on: http://www.ampneycrucis.f9.co.uk/ phone him on 654597. |
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Gardening Club outingGardening Club members and guests recently enjoyed a private evening visit to the Rococo Gardens at Painswick House. These unique and secluded gardens are undergoing a gradual process of restoration to their original 18th century design. After a brief introduction to the history of the gardens, members could explore the grounds at their leisure. The visit ended with a home-made supper at the Garden’s own restaurant. Next meeting: Thursday, August 17th, 7pm. Village Hall: Enjoying and using herbs. |
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5 Valley WalkWe have been asked to bring your attention to this year's 5 Valley Walk in aid of the National Meningitis Trust, which will take place on Sunday 1st October . This 21-mile circular walk around Stroud takes in the valleys of Nailsworth, Golden, Toadsmoor, Slad and Painswick and is a major fund-raiser for the Trust. It can be done in shorter stages and there is a section suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Registration fee: £3.00 or £8 for a family group. Contact Laura Butt, National Meningitis Trust on 01453 769026 for details. |
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Deadline for October editionItems for the October edition should be sent to Fran Huckle by Friday 15th September |
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Classified adsImmaculate Scottish Highland cottage for holiday let, located amidst glorious scenery -fishing, walking, boating, etc. Please ring (01285) 850124 or 01463 224343 for details |
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Personal ads in this column cost £1 per ad per issue. Local businesses can place an ad (£5) or sponsor an issue (£10). Contact the editors for details. Adverts will be placed on a first come, first served basis and space is limited to up to 5 ads per issue.
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Produced by Ampney Crucis Parish Council for the information of residents. No liability can be accepted by the Council or Councillors for any losses, however caused, arising from this publication. |
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