september 2017 no 444 - biddestone village · clearing growth from drainage grips, drain gully...

September 2017 No 444

Editorial Committee [email protected] Editor Linda Lobl-Smith Home Farm 714475 Treasurer Annalisa Duff Willow Lodge 712247 Carolyn Madley Stonehaven, The Green 712831 Julie Walton The Old Rectory 701784 Chris Draper Home Farm Cottage 7’[~

Biddestone Broadsheet and the website seek to reflect the life and interests of the village. Written contributions are invited from readers on any subject that will be of interest. Photos, Drawings and Art work would also be welcome. Any opinions expressed or implied within this publication are not necessarily those of the Editor or Committee and no responsibility can be accepted for any errors of fact printed in these pages. We will of course endeavour to be as accurate as possible.

Last copy date 3rd Sunday in the month, copy should be sent to the Editor at the email address above.

Biddestone Village Website www.biddestonevillage.org.uk A full colour version of the Broadsheet can be found online, If you do not wish to have your contact details published

online then please make the editor aware of your preference. Any other notices or contributions to be posted specifically

on the website should be sent to the email address above. The website also has a live feed from the Biddestone Village Face-

book page ( you can view this without having your own Facebook account )

To post an item on the Facebook page, please email [email protected]

To post an item on the Biddestone Village Website, please contact the Editor Linda Lobl-Smith

Classes available in Biddestone Village Hall Monday 8.00 am – 5.00 pm Play Therapy Sarah Bentley – 07771923097 or [email protected] Monday 9.45 – 11.45 am Painting Group Sue Tennant – 01249 720615

Monday 8.00 – 10.00 pm Hips & Haws Clog Jan Field – 01380 827140 or [email protected] Tuesday 9.00 – 10.00 am Real Life Yoga Emma Cawthra – 07771662567 or [email protected]

Tuesday 7.00 – 9.00 pm Iyengar Yoga Class Edgar Stringer - [email protected] Wednesday 10.00 – 11.30 am Iyengar Yoga Class Lydia Holmes – [email protected]

Wednesday 10.00 – 12.00 am Writing Group Tim Smith – 01249 714455 or [email protected]

Wednesday 2.00 – 4.00 pm Womens Institute

(3rd Wednesday in month)

Wednesday 6.00 – 7.00 pm Circuit Training

Simon Bennett 07815619138 or [email protected]

Thursday 9.00 – 10.00 am Real Life Yoga Emma Cawthra – 07771662567 or [email protected] Thursday 10.30 – 11.30 am Pilates for beginners/intermediate The Stonehouse Clinic -01249 700417 or stonehouseclin-ic.co.uk

Friday 10.00 am – 12 noon Yoga with Naomi Naomi Seager 07727124097 or www.pranastar.co.uk Friday 6.30 – 8.00 pm Yoga for healthy Backs, Knees and Shoulders - Lydia Holmes – [email protected]

Sunday 5.15 – 6.15 pm or 6.30 – 7.30 pm Real Life Yoga Emma Cawthra – 07771662567 or emma-

[email protected]

Village Steward The Parish Steward will be in Biddestone & Slaughterford on 20th and 24th July and 21st and 25th September. Clearing growth from drainage grips, drain gully covers. Hand clearing of blocked drains, gullies, grips, culverts. Unable to jet wash. Painting pedestrian barriers. Cleaning and securing road signs. Removing graffiti. Hand clearance of encroaching vegetation and soil on footpaths . Re-pair of small potholes on the road and footpaths. If you need to report any work that needs carrying out contact me on 01249 715963 or owl-cottage @hotmail.co.uk Di Webb

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.pranastar.co.uk


Front Cover , thank you to Emily Draper for this months cover drawing of the Village Green.

Welcome to Giles Wareham and Louise Manfield who will be moving into the Biddestone Arms, we hope you enjoy living in Biddestone and look forward to meeting you both soon.

Biddestone Village Hall & Recreation Trust

The AGM of BVH&RT will take place at the Village Hall on the 19th September at 7.30pm. All welcome.

Sept 2017

Bridge Club The Bridge Club will meet on Monday 2nd October at The White Horse Pub. Beginners and Advanced welcome. Anyone interested should contact; Ian Smith 01249 714475 Jane Iggulden 01249 713311

Neighbourhood Plan On 13th September at 7 pm we would like to invite all Biddestone and Slaughterford residents to an open meeting in the village hall to explore whether as a community we would like to develop a Neighbourhood Plan. Under the Localism Act, local communities have been able to produce Neighbourhood Plans for their local area, putting in place planning policies for the future development and growth of the neighbourhood. Please visit the following link which will provide an outline of what a Neighbourhood Plan entails: http://locality.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Quick-Guide.pdf We are hoping to attract a speaker who will be able to enlighten us further on all aspects of what this would involve. The Parish Council are acting in the first instance to bring people together to determine whether as a community they would like to formulate a Neighbourhood Plan. If the community would like to progress this, then a group will be formed which is independent of the Parish Council to move this forward. Simon Bruce 01249716330 Biddestone and Slaughterford Parish Council

Film Review Houston, we have a problem! Director: Ziga Virc, Slovenia, 2016, 88min The Apollo space programme, along with other iconic events in the USA during the 1960s, has long been fertile ground for conspiracy theories. Few though are as preposterous as the premise of this film – at least as it initially appears. In the early 60s, when the US was falling dangerously behind the Soviets in the space race, the CIA report-ed that Yugoslavia had much more advanced space technology. Kennedy negotiated with President Tito to purchase the entire programme for the equivalent of $50bn, only to find it virtually useless. The impression that this is an obvious spoof is (presumably deliberately) reinforced by the initial scenes, of Yugoslav peasants lighting oversized fireworks with their roll-up cigarettes, and sending the first pig into space. But then something strange happens. The archive footage becomes more and more convincing, including recordings of phone conversations between Ken-nedy and Tito, recently released classified documents and visits to the spooky ruins of Yugoslav rocket sites. The story of a Yugoslav space scientist, spirited away to the US under cover of a fake car crash, initially seems implausi-ble, but as he rebuilds his relationship with his long-lost daughter he appears increasingly genuine. If this is indeed a spoof, the production team have gone to great lengths to make it appear real. And this is in fact the goal of the film. The director has described it as ‘docu-fiction’: a genre reflecting uncomfortably our current post-truth era of ‘fake news’. The film includes commentary by Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek (who appears in the archive footage as a dissident against the Tito regime). He says at one point ‘even if it didn’t happen, it’s true – and that’s the crucial message.’ His reflections on how contemporary myths are created remind us to be sceptical, and yet the documen-tary footage is so compelling it is impossible to see where the line between truth and fiction is crossed. A thought provoking – and highly entertaining – film for our times. Adam Walton

Moviola @

Grittleton Village Hall on

Wednesday September 27th

To commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Partition of India in August 1947 we start our Autumn season with

VICEROY'S HOUSE [12A]

Viceroy’s House in Delhi was the home of the British rulers of India. After 300 years, that rule was coming to an end. For 6 months in 1947, Lord Mountbatten, great grandson of Queen Victoria, assumed the post of the last

Viceroy, charged with handing India back to its people. The film’s story unfolds within that great House. Upstairs lived Mountbatten together with his wife and daughter; downstairs lived their 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh serv-

ants. As the political elite – Nehru (Tanveer Ghani), Jinnah (Denzil Smith) and Gandhi (Neeraj Kabi) – converged on the House to wrangle over the birth of independent India, conflict erupted. A decision was taken to divide the country and create a new Muslim homeland: Pakistan. It was a decision whose consequences reverberate to this day. The film examines these events through the prism of a marriage – that of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten (Hugh Bonneville and Gillian Anderson) – and a romance – that between a young Hindu servant, Jeet (Manish

Dayal), and his intended Muslim bride, Aalia (Huma Qureshi).

Tickets £6 adults from Lesley on 01249 783157 or email [email protected] [underscore between l and p] Doors open 7pm, programme starts at 7.30pm

Future dates for your diary

All Wednesdays 25th October Their Finest

22nd November Miss Sloane 6th December Beauty and the Beast

‘Open Arms’

The Biddestone Arms Louise Manfield and Giles Wareham, who together ran the Rising Sun at Christian Malford for four years, are now managing the Biddestone Arms on a temporary basis while a permanent team are found. Louise who has had experience of running restaurants in France and Jersey said "I thought we had gone into retirement but we were offered the Biddy on an interim basis and having seen the pub and beautiful village decided we just had to take it on! We will soon be offering well cooked pub food and classic dishes - some with a new twist." Louise's partner Giles will be in charge of the wet side of the business "We will start with a small range of the most popular drinks and get customer's feed back on what we should add to the list in the area of beers and more exotic spirits. We have a good well priced wine list which will also expand as the business develops and our wines will be available for both on and off sales". The couple have often been compared by previous customers as Wiltshire's own Basil and Sybil Fawlty....

VILLAGE AUTUMN CLEAN UP.

FOLLOWING THE MESSAGE IN LAST MONTHS BROADSHEET, WE HAVE NOW PLANNED SUNDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER FOR OUR VILLAGE CLEAN UP. THE PLAN IS TO WORK OUR WAY DOWN THE

VARIOUS LANES AND ROADS THAT ENTER AND LEAVE THE VILLAGE. WE PLAN TO PICK UP LIT-TER AND GENERALLY MAKE THE ROADS/LANES LOOK MUCH TIDIER.

BLACK PLASTIC BAGS / WASTE PICK UP DEVICES / HIGH VIZ JACKETS – WILL ALL BE PROVIDED.

MEET 10AM ON GREEN ON SUNDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER. CAN YOU EMAIL ME ON – [email protected] or call on 07795326518 to confirm that you are willing

to help.

HOPE YOU WILL GIVE UP 2 HOURS TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY AND MAKE OUR VILLAGE LOOK

BETTER!! THANKS.

BIDDESTONE FETE KNITTED DUCK STARTS NEW LIFE IN THE U.S.A The knitted Mallard duck, which was a prize for the Treasure Hunt on The Broadsheet stall, was won by Mr Phillip Ellsworth and his wife Therese, who live in Washington D.C. They named him Mr B. They thought we would like to know how he is getting on. ‘Attached you will find 2 photographs of Mr B. one shows us teaching him how to play bridge at our friends’ home here in Washington.

The second photograph shows Mr B taking his first taste of scotch whiskey. He didn’t like it.

Mr B is without doubt enjoying himself here in the United States. He wants to see and do everything. From time to time we will let you know how he is doing. “ Julie Walton


BIDDESTONE BOOK CLUB

Thank you to Angela for hosting our August meeting when we talked about ‘Exposure’ by Helen Dunmore and thank you to Kate

for hosting July. The next meeting will be at 7.15pm. on Monday 11th September at Lorena’s house. We will be discussing ‘The

Improbability of Love’ by Hannah

Rothschild which looks at the world of paintings and fine art. In October the book is ‘The Place Called Winter’ by Patrick Gale.

If you have any questions please phone Diane on 712105.

BIDDESTONE GIFTS

Apron £8 Canvas Bag £4

Mugs £4.50/per or 2 for £8 or 4 for £15

T-Towels £3.50/per or 2 for £6

Pack of Cards £2

All available at Home Farm, Harts Lane, Biddestone.

For more information please call 01249 714475

#FRIENDS OF ST. NICHOLAS - OUTCOME OF AGM

The first FOSN AGM in several years was held Aug 1st in village hall at 7pm - over 20 villagers attended including the outgoing/new

committees and many of the new PCC .

Outgoing Chair Andrew Stafford gave a report of previous 7 yrs along lines of his July broadsheet article. Great start 2010/11 under

leadership of the late Sir Brian Shaw , £25,000 + raised and in 2012 able to fund major Church roof repairs costing £18k.. Thereafter

progress stalled and in 2014 FOSN decided to cease any more fundraising because it had not been possible to allocate funds already

raised to specific projects.The meeting discussed the reasons for this prolongued period of inactivity and looking to the future all hoped

that new faces on the PCC and FOSN would provide fresh momentum.

Nick Davis presented a summary of annual accounts from 2011-16 showing funds fell from £2000 to £420 pa in the last 4 years all

standing order donations. Balance £10,000 .

The new Friends of St Nicholas Committee was then unanimously voted in ;

Simon Bruce- Chair, John Owen -Treasurer ,Paul Sneddon- Secretary and Stewart Entwistle- Trustee & PCC link.

The retiring team members, Andrew Stafford, Nick Davis & Richard Madley were thanked for all their efforts and then the new team

outlined its initial plans .

Simon reminded everyone that the FOSN is a charity whose prime purpose (as per its Constitution) is;

'''' The advancement of culture & heritage by the preservation and maintenance of the Parish Church of St Nicholas Biddestone,

and its monuments and fittings ''''

The meeting clarified FOSN is responsible for raising funds for Church improvement projects and the PCC is responsible for imple-

menting those projects succesfully.

Looking ahead the new FOSN will ;

1.Pledge to work very closely with newly formed PCC team . Stewart Entwistle wears both hats. The last Quinquennial Report 2015

identified projects in Category A (immediately required) and B (work advisable within 12 months ) which have clearly slipped. Based

on our initial review we will strive to raise new funds in the next 3 yrs of around £20,000 to enable the PCC to complete these before the

next report due 2020.

2.However we must also show villagers & visitors St Nicholas church is improving now and provide evidence existing funds are being

used for Church and community benefit.

3. It's 5 years since the church bells rang in Biddestone .The priority project is Bell tower restoration & bells overhaul . Funds are availa-

ble and the new PCC are trying to fastrack the project so we can '' RING THE BELLS IN BIDDESTONE AGAIN SOON !''

(PCC progress updates to follow.)

4.New fundraising events are under review for next 12 months and some are firm i.e..

Safari Supper & Auction Nov 25, Advent Supper Dec 15 ,Caroline Dale Christmas Concert Dec 22. Details to follow soon of these

and other events/ideas.

5.We pledge to communicate progress at least quarterly and commit to AGM every year .

There being no further business the AGM ended at 8.10pm

Simon , John , Paul , Stewart

FRIENDS OF ST NICHOLAS Safari Supper and Auction

We will be holding a Safari Supper and an Auction of Gifts and Promises on Saturday 25th November. All funds raised will go to the Friends of St Nicholas. The evening will start at 7pm at the Oak House with drinks where people can view and bid for the auction lots and collect the loca-tion for their main course and pudding! The main course will be served at 8pm and at 9pm, people move on to their pudding location. All then gather back at the Oak House at 10.00 for coffee and port where the auction will be held to draw the final bids on each lot. Anyone with mobility problems can stay at the Oak House for their meal. We will be displaying the bid sheets in St Nicholas during the week before the supper and people will be able to see what is availa-ble and place written bids. We have already received some very generous pledges, including: · A lawnmower service. · A Christmas cake. · A painting by a local artist. · A lift to and from Bristol Airport for up to 4 people. If you would like to pledge a promise or a gift to be auctioned, please let us know what you would like to offer. Pledges could be for anything really but for instance babysitting, baking, gardening, shopping, hospitality, music or computer lessons. Gifts could be art or craft items, whatever you like! Tickets are £20 each person, BYO wine for the main course and pudding. All funds raised will go to the Friends of St Nicholas. Please contact Simon or Charlotte if you are able to make a pledge, host a table or for tickets on 01249 716330 or [email protected]

Lore

Job Davies, eighty-five Winters old, and still alive

After the slow poison And treachery of the seasons.

Miserable? Kick my arse!

It needs more than the rain’s hearse, Wind-drawn to pull me off

The great perch of my laugh.

What’s living but courage? Paunch full of hot porridge

Nerves strengthened with tea, Peat-black, dawn found me

Mowing where the grass grew,

Bearded with golden dew. Rhythm of the long scythe Kept this tall frame lithe

What to do? Stay green. Never mind the machine,

Whose fuel is human souls Live large, man, and dream small.

R.S Thomas 1913-2000

Birches When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I like to think some boy's been swinging them. But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay As ice-storms do. Often you must have seen them Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning After a rain. They click upon themselves As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel. Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystal shells Shattering and avalanching on the snow-crust— Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away You'd think the inner dome of heaven had fallen. They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load, And they seem not to break; though once they are bowed So low for long, they never right themselves: You may see their trunks arching in the woods Years afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground Like girls on hands and knees that throw their hair Before them over their heads to dry in the sun. But I was going to say when Truth broke in With all her matter-of-fact about the ice-storm I should prefer to have some boy bend them As he went out and in to fetch the cows— Some boy too far from town to learn baseball, Whose only play was what he found himself, Summer or winter, and could play alone. One by one he subdued his father's trees By riding them down over and over again Until he took the stiffness out of them, And not one but hung limp, not one was left For him to conquer. He learned all there was To learn about not launching out too soon And so not carrying the tree away Clear to the ground. He always kept his poise To the top branches, climbing carefully With the same pains you use to fill a cup Up to the brim, and even above the brim. Then he flung outward, feet first, with a swish, Kicking his way down through the air to the ground. So was I once myself a swinger of birches. And so I dream of going back to be. It's when I'm weary of considerations, And life is too much like a pathless wood Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs Broken across it, and one eye is weeping From a twig's having lashed across it open. I'd like to get away from earth awhile And then come back to it and begin over. May no fate willfully misunderstand me And half grant what I wish and snatch me away Not to return. Earth's the right place for love: I don't know where it's likely to go better. I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more, But dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches. Robert Frost 1874-1963

Thank you to Hilary Noyes for this months poetry selection

Open Gardens 2017

We changed the open garden from one day to two as the first time we opened our gardens there was a virtual monsoon from 2pm to 6pm and then 6pm the sun came out. We felt opening for 2 days we had a 50/50 chance of the weather being reasonable. How wrong can you be? The date was later due to Wimbledon and local events. The later date, although challenging did not faze the gardeners: they proved that with thought and planning you can have a garden full of colour to enjoy throughout the summer. We had visitors from across the county many making a return visit. All suitably kitted out proving gardeners are not a fair-weather breed. It was quite clear if the weather had been better we would have been inundated with visitors. Teas were provided by Hennie Symington raising money for Tibet. Simon and Charlotte Bruce for the Friends of St Nicholas. There was also live music to entertain the visitors whilst they had their tea. We had the added attraction of a red Gazebo providing Pimms courtesy of Paul and Annie Sneddon for the Friends. Watch out for that Gazebo I am sure it will be popping up all over the be village. Thank you Gardeners without your continual support and commitment this event would never be possible. We all know how stressful it is opening your garden to strangers but I think you will agree with me the visitors don’t come to criticise they come to enjoy. Thank you. Di Webb

Accounts for Open Garden Event 2017

Income from Garden Tickets £1015.00

Donations £30.00

£1045.00

Less Expenses

Printing Garden Leaflets 52.00

Public Liability Insurance 118.50

Ticket and Publicity expenses 22.87 DISTRIBUTION

Advertisements 126.00 Wiltshire Air Ambu-lance

350

Dorothy House 350

To Reserve Account 25.63

Monies available for distribution from the gar-dens

£725.63 £725.63

FACEBOOK ~ WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PEACOCKARTSTRAIL TWITTER ~ HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/PEACOCKTRAIL ENQUIRIES ~ [email protected]

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https://twitter.com/peacocktrail

This crossword was first published in ‘The Honeycomb’ in September 2013

ACROSS 1. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael as decorative features in St Andrew, Castle Combe? (10) 6. Hispanic a variety of this sparkling drink bottled - not champagne. (4) 9. Land Ray confused as he raised Blue Peter on this? (7) 10. Desk Idi destroyed for fellow pupils at 26 across- infor-mally? (7) 12. Clergyman’s breakfast? Partly good and partly bad! (7, 3) 13. Sleeve contains this gun? (3) 15. Tempt to enjoy what’s found in event I celebrate. (6) 16. Realised about the stars in Madrid’s team? (8) 18. Part of the body- guts or spine? (8) 20. Productive Prodigal Son, for example, losing head? (6) 23. Woman from the night before? (3) 24. Scan for baby sorts out lad! Runs in the family! (10) 26. Short Victorian mixes gins with note for local historic school… (9) 27. …While this is an ingredient of beer brewed by Yeats. (5) 28. Feudal labourer on 20 across land - but we hear the sea! (4) 29. Local town serves a portion of potato with swan and hog meat. (10) DOWN 1. Old Scotch blends - dual purpose? (4) 2. Show way to play music for orchestra? (7) 3. Relatively speaking, playwright distresses Lana with pain endured on the radio! (4, 9) 4. Ingenious device for cartoon inspector. (6) 5. One of the five greats make a lie reek horribly! (4, 4) 7. An inmate loses one name to enliven. (7) 8. Meetings of pupils at 26 across? (10) 11. Early photo of Lacock Abbey or eye pet guard developed? (13) 14. Robins or uncooked chicken pieces? (10) 17. ‘Cobbled together chin!’ tuts nursing supervisor – undo…(8) 19. …Injured by this - a clever mistake? (7) 21. Under Little Weed, found in flower pots, Bill and Ben eat heartily. (6) 22. Short daytime sleep for feline card game… (6) 25….A male cat gives a tiny part. (4)

1 2 3 4 5 a 6 7 8

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9 a 10 11

a a a a a a a

a 12 a 13

14 a a a a a a a

15 a 16

a a a a 17 a a a a a

18 19 a 20 21

a a a a 22 a a a

23 a 24 a

a a a a a a a 25

26 a 27

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28 a 29

CPRE WILTSHIRE BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION 2017

SPONSORED BY HILLS GROUP AND PRINCETON HOMES

SECOND ROUND RESULTS

LARGE VILLAGES 1st Great Bedwyn (Kennet) 88 points 2nd Bratton (West Wilts) 87 points 3rd Alderbury (South Wilts) 86 points 4th Box (North Wilts) 81 points MEDIUM VILLAGES 1st Mildenhall (Kennet) 79 points 2nd Shaw (West Wilts) 76 points 3rd = Biddestone (North Wilts) 73 points 3rd = Hindon (South Wilts) 73 points SMALL VILLAGES 1st Tollard Royal (South Wilts) 86 points 2nd Upper & Lower Seagry (North Wilts) 79 points 3rd Bishopstrow (West Wilts) 70 points

LAURENCE KITCHING AWARD RESULTS

1st Rushall 79 points 2nd = All Cannings 77 points 2nd = Aldbourne 77 points 4th Great Somerford 76 points

BEST NEWCOMER AWARD 1st Urchfont 82 points 2nd Shalbourne 78 points 3rd = Oaksey 75 points 3rd = Wroughton 75 points

MERIT CERTIFICATE FOR CONSISTENT EFFORT

1st Box

Dear All, Please find attached the Second Round and other results for this year’s Best Kept Village Competition in Wiltshire. Many con-gratulations to all the winners. Congratulations also to every other village: the standard was, as ever, very high. In that regard, please do not compare the scores for each village against those in other categories: they were judged by different pairs of judges and some can be more strict than others! I shall shortly be in contact with the three main competition winners and with Rushall, the Laurence Kitching winner, to make arrangements for the Presentation Day on Sunday 1st October. I shall also put the three main winning villages in contact with their corresponding villages from 2016 so that you can arrange for the transfer and emplacement of the BKVC standards before 1st October. Certificates for other awards (Merit Prize, Newcomer and 2nds and 3rds) will be presented under arrangements to be made by CPRE’s district group coordinators. These presentations should take place on a mutually convenient date, either at a village event or at a parish council meeting after 1st October. We much prefer to pay prizes by online bank transfer. We have some account details from last year but I shall ask for missing details in due course. I shall publish the results on the CPRE Wiltshire website in a few days’ time and will also aim to issue a media release next week. This year there was increased interest in the First Round results from both BBC Radio Wiltshire and local papers, so I hope that there will be similar interest in the Second round results. I shall let appropriate villages know about this as it arises. Best wishes, Mike Manson Mike Manson Project Officer, CPRE Wiltshire 01380 722157

Record of Meeting of Biddestone & Hartham Women’s Institute 16 August 2017

As is customary in August, there was no formal meeting. Instead five members (it should have been six, but one had to pull out at the last minute) met for lunch at the Hare and Hounds in Corsham, and then visited Corsham Court. Some of us had been before but not for many years, and it was good to be reminded of the extensive collection of 16 th and 17th century old masters displayed in this imposing house. Afterwards we divided up to look round different parts of the large gardens. Many thanks to Betty Evans for organising the lunch and the visit. Our next meeting is at 2.15 p.m. on 20 September, when we will have a talk by Mrs. Win Quinney on Caring for Bats. Visitors welcome.

Farming Notes There has recently been a well-publicised clash between the Vegan Society and leaders of the Dairy Industry who, mistakenly in my view, took legal action against an advert accusing those involved in milk production of cruelty. I say mistakenly, not because I agreed with the statements made in the adverts, but that I have learned over the years that to argue with vegans is about as enjoya-ble as having your head boiled as they seem to consider themselves God’s dietary representative on earth and that not consuming animal products makes them in some way morally superior to us poor mortals who think that life is too short to live on nut cutlets almond juice and lettuce. However I can see that there is a moral position which people are perfectly entitled to take about human exploitation of animals, a stance easy to take in a time of benign climate with hard working farmers who ensure that there is a surplus of food available to allow people to be fussy. A good example of this surplus is the historically astonishing feat of clean, nutritious milk being readily available to everyone in their local shop or supermarket. This I would call a triumph of civilisation and something to be celebrated. As for the specific charge of abuse of dairy cattle I can say that no farmer ever got rich keeping ill-treated animals. Two of my sons and three of my best friends run large dairy herds I would willingly take anyone to any of these herds and they would see contented well fed cows, happily allowing themselves to be milked and kept in comfortable condi-tions. Farmers in this country have to operate under strict animal welfare and food pro-duction laws, nothing makes them more angry than after having complied with these rules they see food on sale from countries where these regulations are less stringent. If we accept the vegan view of no animal products to be consumed the result would not be herds of happy cows roaming the fields it would be no cows. Ian Smith

Abridged Draft Mins for Biddestone & Slaughterford Parish Council meeting 8th August 2017 held at the Village Hall Biddestone. Following the usual legal requirements the following were discussed: Date for an Open Meeting to discuss whether Biddestone should have a Neighbourhood Plan either Wed 13th or Thurs 14th Sep-tember at the Village Hall. Clerk to secure speaker once date agreed. Village Clean Up 24th September10am The Green, Volunteers needed Andrew Short organising. To Receive Notification of Planning Applications Approved: 17//05489/TCA St Nicholas Church, Church Road, Biddestone, SN14 7DR Proposal: Fell 1 Chestnut Tree 20% Crown Lift to Sycamore Tree and Crown Lift 4 Yew Trees to 4.5 mtrs from Ground Level on Road Side. To Receive Notification of Planning Applications Received: NO OBJECTIONS 17/05826/LBC Home Place, The Green, Biddestone, SN14 7DG Proposal: Removal of Internal Wall Between Kitchen & Dining Room NO OBJECTIONS 17/05441/LBC Weavers Cottage, 9, Cuttle Lane, Biddestone SN14 7DA Proposal: Cavity wall insulation for 1970s extension to house. NO OBJECTIONS 17/06609/FUL & 17/06708/LBC Mountjoy Farm, The Butts, Biddestone SN14 7DY Proposal: Demolish existing outbuilding and replace with similar. Move siting forward of ex boundary wall and rebuild NO OBJECTIONS Cotswold Ward Report – The Wardens will cut back the footpath at Challows Lane on 9th August. Finances Current Account 42659.29 #2 Acccount 5405.28 48064.57 To Approve cheques amounting to £378.91 Proposed for payment by SB and APPROVED. Representatives & Working Party Reports: Biddestone Village Hall & Recreational Trust – Biddstock was a major success with over 600 attending. BVHRT AGM will be held 19th September. Bookings for hall going well. Parish Steward’s Report - Footpath from Green to Biddeston Arms cut back, earth holding up wall. Blocked drains reported, gully wagon needed. Work starting at end of month on collapsed culvert near #10 Cuttle Lane. Slaughterford Update – Flooding caused by verges being pushed into ditch and blocking culvert, to be discussed at next Chippen-ham Area Transport Group meeting. Replacement grit bin needed and phone box needs to be repainted. Request for One Day Overnight Filming in September – Film company requiring possible location shoot 5pm to 5am in Septem-ber in centre of village for donation of a piece of play equipment. It was felt that one nights’ disruption was not a viable proposi-tion. Verges – Protests received regarding the cutting back of wild orchids and other wild flowers on the parish verges, Clerk has ob-tained maps showing where the Protected Verges exist in the parish and will follow up on any that have been cut back with the Wiltshire Council sub-contractors. There being no further business the meeting ended at 9.00pm

CHURCH SERVICES FOR SEPTEMBER 2017

ST NICHOLAS, BIDDESTONE 3 Holy Communion 11.00 a.m. Phil Harrison 10 Evensong 6.00 p.m. Lay Led 17 Morning Praise 9.30 a.m. D Ross-Smith

Every Wednesday there is a service at 9.15 a.m. This is either Holy Communion or Morning Prayer and includes prayers for the suffering.

ST NICHOLAS, SLAUGHTERFORD 10 No Service St. Nicholas ‘Coffee in Church’ every Thursday 10.30 a.m. – midday. Any arrangements for marriages, baptisms and funerals or any other enquiries can be made at the Benefice Office, The Bell Inn, Yatton Keynell, SN14 7BG. 01249 782704 [email protected] www.bybrook.org.uk

St Nicholas ‘Coffee in Church’ every Thursday 10.30am—midday

Full colour issue online: www.biddestonevillage.org.uk

* STOP PRESS* Missed the BBS deadline? have something urgent to tell the village? Lost dog, cat ,phone! An event to publicise? Then put it on the Village Facebook page, contact Anita or Linda at [email protected]


september 2017 no 444 - biddestone village · clearing growth from drainage grips, drain gully...

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