a Merry Christmas to all our readers
In this issue:
Village Hall, Thursday 5 December 7.30 p.m.
Following the great success of ‘Dickens at Christmas’ last year, the Village Hall Committee is pleased to announce a further visit from the Wessex Actors Company, who are on tour with another seasonal offering. Charles Dickens' classic story, extolling the heartwarming virtues of Christmas, is a tried and tested favourite with audiences everywhere. In this feel good family show the ghosts make the running. With great glee and plenty of music, they take Ebeneezer Scrooge by the scruff of his miserly neck and transform him into a real human being. In time honoured fashion, he ends up a completely reformed character, as much in love with humanity and with Christmas as anyone could wish. All your favourite characters are here: Scrooge himself, Bob Cratchit, Old Fezziwig, the ghostly Jacob Marley, Belle (Ebeneezer's one time sweetheart) and, of course, Tiny Tim.
Tickets £5 (£3 aged 11 and under) from Fran Huckle (É750788) or Beryl Dunford (É851341)
Please note that the 5 December Film Night has been cancelled owing to a clash of events around that time.
However, we have now acquired a full licence to enable us to show films more than six times a year without incurring substantial fees. As a result, the Village Hall Committee is pleased to announce that in 2003 there will be a monthly Film Night which as a rule will be on the second Wednesday of the month (at 7.30 p.m. unless otherwise stated). The new season kicks off on 8 January with The Importance of being Earnest. The other dates are:
12 February, 12 March, 16 April, 7 May (NB 1st Wed), 11 June, 9 July, 13 August (Children’s matinee), 10 September, 8 October,
12 November 10 December.
Films will be announced nearer the dates, but will mainly be current releases.
Can you help the cinema?
We would like to have back-up cover for the projectionist, Gerry Westmacott, in case of illness, holidays etc. Would anyone volunteer to do this on an occasional basis? It is not difficult and full training will be given.
Please contact either Gerry (É851522) or Fran Huckle (É750788).
…..are getting very popular. Club secretaries should note that the diary is getting very full and therefore it is important that you make sure the nights you want to reserve for 2003 are booked for your club. Likewise, individuals wishing to book the village hall should book well in advance. Bookings are made through Peggy and Paddy Thompson, (851619.
The primary school is pleased to announce that a new headteacher (currently a deputy headteacher with a school in Wiltshire) has been appointed. In common with such teaching appointments, at least a full terms notice is required with the current employer and so he will not be taking up his new role until after the Easter holidays in 2003.
The new head has experience in a range of schools, including small schools, and holds the NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship). He is already taking a keen interest in the school and will be at the Open Day having already attended meetings at the school to meet the Governors and parents’ representatives.
The scheduled Burial Ground clear up took place on a rather wet Sunday i.e. more or less immediately after the Indian summer had ended. Four hardy souls braved the rain and a good deal of rubbish was removed. Thanks to all who turned up especially Don Underwood who disposed of the removed material.
The Parish Council has had to adopt a Code of Conduct regarding making information about the council’s work available to the public. The new code covers two levels of information:
· Mandatory information (which is common to all councils) covers minutes on Parish Council meetings, accounts, decisions on planning applications and so on.
· Optional information (largely governed by the type of work handled by individual parish councils) which in our case covers information on the Burial Ground.
The Parish Council will follow its usual procedure of displaying the agendas and minutes of each meeting (in the Church Porch and also in the Village Hall), making copies of the annual accounts available at the AGM in May and displaying details of all planning applications on the notice boards together with any letters recommending refusal of any individual applications.
The new code also permits councils to levy a charge for access to the council’s files. A full list of the available documents and charges is on the notice boards
The Parish Council is now required every year carefully to assess three main areas of risk and ensure that the risks are covered
· The council has to ensure that its financial affairs are well controlled and regularly reported.
· The council also has to consider areas where it is at risk of claims from the public and carry out any necessary remedial work. It was for this reason, for example, that the Old Cross was recently repaired.
· Finally, the council has to ensure that its assets (which are in reality public assets) are adequately maintained and insured. The new Internal Auditor has recommended a five-yearly revaluation of all assets, some of which will require professional valuations (e.g. the Lych Gate and the War Memorial).
To reduce the costs, it would be helpful if anybody in the village with the technical experience to carry out valuations would be prepared to help out. If you can, please contact the Clerk, Helen Tonks (É640718)
There have been some concerns about speeding in the village. A general assessment of speed levels in the village was carried out about three years ago and the possibility of repeating the exercise is being considered.
There are specific concerns about the stretch of road at the eastern end of the Village Street just before it reaches Dudley Corner. The road here widens and gives a false impression to drivers who believe they have more room in which to drive. Within two or three hundred metres, the blind corner at Dudley Corner is upon them resulting in an all too familiar screeching of brakes. The local residents are to be invited to comment on possible methods of traffic calming on that stretch of road.
The campaign for double white lines along the A417 as it passes through the village has been partially successful. The police requested some small tweaks to the final proposals and work will commence as soon as contractors have been appointed. The main stretch of road covered by the new signing will be that alongside the main wall of Ampney Park. In addition, the proposals cover a stretch of road opposite the Ivy Church and short stretches of road at both the Harnhill turning and the Ampney St Peter turning.
The decision not to include the Crown crossroads in the restricted area is puzzling given the number of incidents there. The Parish Council will monitor the situation with a view to making further representations in due course.
The Local Plan lays down the planning criteria for the whole of the Cotswold District with separate assessments for individual villages. Work on the current plan started in 1991. It lasted for ten years (i.e. until 2001) but only became a legally adopted document in 2000 (Local Plans create a huge amount of debate and discussion).
Work started more or less immediately on the next version which will cover the period up to 2011 and the draft proposals will be out for discussion before the end of the year. The Parish Council will be considering these and will be making representations on behalf of the village.
There have been some changes to the timings of bus 77 which passes along the Village Street on its journey between Cirencester and Lechlade. The new timings (which take effect from 2 December) are as follows:
To Cirencester
Leave Donkey Field 08.07 09.58 14.58
Arrive Market Place 08.24 10.16 15.16
From Cirencester
Leave Market Place 11.25 13.25 16.10
Arrive Donkey Field 11.40 13.40 16.25
Funds are now available from the Countryside Agency to help with rural issues of which transport is one. A group of parishes could multiply these funds and Cirencester Town Council has taken the initiative in examining the possibility of a rural transport scheme
What is needed is an overall view of demand. Would an evening bus service to Cirencester be attractive? Is there a need to link up with the national coach service? If you have any views please contact the Clerk, Helen Tonks (É640718) in the first place. If there is sufficient interest, the Parish Council will consider a more structured survey of the level of likely demand.
Handling waste costs money and more initiatives are coming to encourage everybody to recycle more of it. The Government has set Cotswold District Council challenging targets of raising the current rate of 17% of waste recycled to 40% in 2005/06. The following can be put into your black recycling box:
· Intact glass bottles and jars (no lids, corks or caps)
· Food and drinks cans - washed and squashed
· Empty aerosol cans - not squashed or pierced
· Newspapers and magazines
· Phone directories and yellow pages
· Junk mail, brochures and envelopes (paper only, please, no plastic wrappers or inserts)
Materials that cannot be taken include catalogues, broken glass, glass cookware, ceramics, textiles or organic material. Plastics cannot currently be collected because of lack of capacity on the vehicles. However the Council has applied for funding to buy ten recycling containers for plastics, which would be located at supermarkets and other recycling sites around the region.
To order replacement or additional boxes, call Cotswold District Council É623613
The Parish Council presented free mugs to all children of the Parish aged 16 and under, to commemorate the Queen’s Jubilee. If you live within the parish boundary and your child has not yet received a mug contact Sally Hebbs 32 Ampney Crucis (É850241) or collect from the Village Hall from 2pm-4pm 7 December, during the Christmas Bazaar. If you wish to purchase a mug, as a gift or for a keepsake they are available at a cost of £4.00. They feature the Queen and a coat of arms, the Jubilee motif and the words ‘Commemorated by Ampney Crucis Parish Council’
You will be pleased to know that the Jubilee events raised around £1000, to be shared equally between the Village Hall, The Friends of the School and the Church.
A very pretty bracelet was found during the clear up operation after the Barn Dance. For further information contact: Sally Hebbs 32 Ampney Crucis (É850241)
The football team has not had the best of starts to the season having lost six of its first nine matches. Supporters would be welcome!
Fixtures for the next three months are:
December
7 Smiths – Away
14 St. Marks – Home (Charities Cup)
21 Shipton Oliffe Res – Away
28 FC Electrics – Home
January
11 FC Electrics- Home
25 Warden Hill Res – Home
February
1 Prestbury – Home
8 Siddington- Home
15 FC Staverton – Home
22 Charlton Kings - Away
6 December School Christmas Bazaar, Ampney Crucis School, 3:00 p.m. Please join us for crafts, new toys, cake stalls, teas.
7 December Ampney Crucis Church Christmas Bazaar, Village Hall, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Gift stalls, grand raffle, teas, tombola, lots of fun. Free admission.
Meets monthly Tuesdays Village Hall 7:15 p.m. unless otherwise noted
3 December Christmas party, Village Hall, 7:00 p.m.
11 December Grand Christmas Bingo, Village Hall, doors open 7:00 p.m., eyes down 7:30.
Contact Janet Gibbs É851227
Meets monthly Tuesdays Village Hall 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted
16 January New Year’s Dinner
Contact Joyce Cutts É851540
Meets Mondays Village Hall 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted
2 December Christmas Dinner, The Crown, Cerney Wick, 12:00 for 12:30 p.m.
13 January Talk by Derek Waring
27 January Mr G Field on the keyboard
Contact Paddy or Peggy Thompson É851619
Meets monthly Thursdays Village Hall 7:30 p.m.
23 January Peter Webb will give a talk (with slides) on ‘Stately homes and gardens’
Contact Sonja Payne É850267
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 five ads per issue.
Copy deadline for next issue (February): Wednesday 15 January 2003
Send to: Elisabeth Gerver, Cider Orchard, Ampney Crucis, Gloucestershire GL7 5RY. É850508
Editors: Christine Cridford, Elisabeth Gerver and David Vessey
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.