Any latest news provided is situated at the top as an UPDATE.
Flower Show 2010
This year the show is on Saturday 4th September and the committee are urging people to take part to ensure its continuing success. It is open to residents of Chilcompton and Stratton on the Fosse. People living outside these villages and are members of a Chilcompton organisation (Gardening Club, Poetry Circle, Art Group, Line dancers, Badminton, Pilates etc.) are also eligible to enter. This year the Gardening Club is offering a new cup for their club entry. Sections include vegetables, flowers, arts and crafts, cookery and children’s classes. Although the flower show is traditionally a competition looking for the best in each class, this is a small, friendly village show where enjoyment is more important than winning. So why not have a go?
Schedules are available from David. 233142.
Chilcompton Celebrates! 2010 cancelled...but it will return on 16th July 2011
The first Chilcompton Celebrates! took place in 2006 and each year the event has gone from strength to strength. The day provides the village with a fun day for all and has raised £1000’s for local projects.
In 2009 there were well over 100 stallholders and despite the less than ideal weather, several thousand people attended. If you are a regular reader of this newsletter you will know that Chilcompton Celebrates! is planned by a small organising team (sometimes called a ‘Committee’ but that’s far too formal).
Unfortunately most of the 2009 team are unable to commit to undertaking the planning for 2010 and for very good reasons...baby on the way, house building, bouncing back from ill health, extensive work commitments etc. It was felt that the event could not be delivered to its high standards and large scale with key individuals somewhat unavailable. The decision to cancel the 2010 event was taken very seriously as the organisers know how much villagers enjoy the event.
Can you help make Chilcompton Celebrates! 2011 another great day? The existing Chilcompton Celebrates! organisers would like to thank everyone who has supported Chilcompton Celebrates! in the past and hope to count on your support again in 2011. If anyone is interested in becoming involved in planning the 2011 event then it would be great to hear from you.
For an informal, commitment free chat about how you might get involved, please contact Christine Foster on 01761 232158.
Watch this space for details of Chilcompton Celebrates! July 16th 2011
Christine Foster
Cherry Tree for Peace
Everyone who has been working in the memorial garden part of the Old Recreation Field was very pleased when the Somerset Group for Peace offered to give to any Parish Council who wished to have one, a flowering cherry tree as a mark of remembrance of all those affected by the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima at the end of World War II.
Arrangements were made for a representative of the Group to attend the annual Service of Remembrance at the War Memorial on Bowden Hill, when a wreath of while poppies for peace was laid. Afterwards a group of people walked to the playing field to plant the tree. The ceremony was simple and moving, and we now await the pleasure of the blossoming of the tree and the opportunity of remembering again.
Chilcompton Skaters
We are continuing to maintain the Skateboard Park and have built up a healthy bank balance to contribute to future expansion. We would welcome anyone who has an interest in the Park to contact us. In particular we would like feedback from current skaters about the facility and anyone who would like to support us in the maintenance and development of the Park.
Vyvyan and Margaret Pugh 232042
Chilcompton Gardening Club
With another cold winter behind us Gardening Club members have been busy preparing their gardens for spring and summer and looking forward to spending more time outdoors now that warmer weather has arrived. The Gardening Club is very popular and continues to grow with new members joining at our AGM in January but we have room for more. If you enjoy your garden and would like to spend time with like minded people then why don’t you come along to one of our meetings at the Village Hall where you can be sure of a warm and friendly welcome. We usually have a speaker and the programme for this year covers a wide range of topics from composting, the use of pesticides, designing gardens through to growing dahlias.
To find out more please telephone 232679 or 233029.
Christine Scarterfield, Chairman
The Mills Children Centre
We are pleased to say that our new Children’s Centre, based at St Vigor & St John Primary School is now open. The building is truly lovely and, as such, provides a quality and stimulating environment for local families with children under seven. Services on offer include regular ‘stay & play’ sessions where parents and carers can come along and enjoy spending time with their child and a weekly ‘Time Out’ session where parents-to-be and new parents can come together and share experiences.
We also offer childcare and education in our nursery which is open for babies 4 months – 4 years. Our architect designed and landscaped gardens provide children and their families with an inspirational outdoor learning environment which features a water run, a digging area, gardening boxes, roly poly mounds and a sensory area.
For more details of our all year round services, please call 01761 233847.
Mendip Health Walks
Walks are still continuing Wednesdays fortnightly leaving the village hall at 10.30am. A group of up to 14 people walk in and around Chilcompton for about an hour and a half and finish at the hall with tea and biscuits.
Call 232774 for details & dates.
Chilcompton Society - Newsletter Editorial Team
Sharon Burge, Martin Stevens, Jessica Parry, Sue Evans & Penny Anne Windsor. We compile the newsletter in Feb/Mar for the Spring edition and Aug/Sept for the Autumn edition.
We now have an email address where you can send any contributions, reports, adverts and photos: chilcosoc@googlemail.com or phone 239121. It’s your newsletter so have your say!
Chilcompton Sports Football Club
Adults
The two adult sides are coming to the end of the current season. At the time of writing both teams are third in their respective divisions with the reserves in with an outside chance of promotion. Since Christmas the club has benefited from the successful youth setup with a number of players making the transition from U16s to adult football. It has also been noticeable that former players have been coming along to the ground in recent months either to watch the football or enjoy a sociable get together (or both!!). The Club would like to extend an invitation to all ex players (especially those who played at the old rec. or before) to come along on a Saturday and share stories with each other over one of Terry’s cups of tea.
Youth
Similarly the youth teams are coming to the end of their season with some of the age groups contesting for honours. Members of the Club will again be visiting Montsurs in May as part of the twinning exchange. The Saturday morning training will stop at the end of April when the Club moves to its summer timetable of coaching. The Club are always on the lookout for adults (above 16) who are prepared to get involved in the Club, either as a coach, manager or with administration. More information and contact numbers, on both sections of the Club, can be found on the Clubs website www.chilcomptonsports.com
Tim Curtis
Chilcompton Netball Club
We've been successful in securing funding to support the club, and will continue to do so, but if any business out there is willing to support the club further, then we do offer sponsorship opportunities. Why not check out our web site - www.chilcomptonnetball.co.uk. If you are interested in joining our club and or would like more information then please contact:-
Seniors Jodie Boyce 07958 219190
Juniors Chris Love 01373 812261
Sharon Goodenough
Chilcompton Tennis Club
The Chilcompton Tennis Club is a very informal group of adults who get together once or twice a week for a game of tennis. We meet at the New Recreation Ground, Bennel on a Sunday 10.00 to 11.00am all year round, weather permitting. Newcomers are always welcome. The cost of a session is £2.
Contact: Sue Rankine 233244 or Ruth Worsley 232898.
Chilcompton/Montsūrs Twinning Association
Chilcompton Twinning Association welcomed a group of 55 people from Montsūrs, consisting of 37 staying with host families and 18 young under 14 footballers and their adult carers. It was a struggle at times to find hosts for all these people especially the footballers who did not want to camp at our lovely campsite at Emborough.
The previous year, our footballers camped in Montsūrs but were rained out one night, so this experience may have put the French off!! Finally, thanks to the Recreation committee, we were able to house all 18 in our new pavilion on the recreation ground. Rachel Smith, Nicky Robinson and Tim Curtis transformed the Pavilion into a 4 star hotel with en suite rooms!! Well there were certainly plenty of showers! Thank goodness the weather was fine and most of the meals were held outside and a BBQ lunch laid on for the football matches played on the Saturday. A team from Holcombe came and joined in and the day finished with a “Father’s Match”. This funnily enough, ended in a draw! New friendships were made and all vowed for a return match next year in France.
Meanwhile a trip across the border to St Fagans, just outside Cardiff, was arranged for the Friday for all who were able to come. Two coaches went across taking everyone to enjoy this living museum and picnic in the extensive grounds surrounding all the old buildings.
The weekend ended with a gala dinner held in the village hall for 90 people and a buffet meal at the Redan for the footballers. Everyone enjoyed a farewell glass of wine together before their departure the next morning.
Plans are now in hand for our visit to Montsūrs in 2010. We hope this will take place over the last Bank Holiday weekend in May, to coincide with half term for the footballers. For others not involved with football, we have suggested that the weekend takes a walking theme for various levels of fitness! All this still has to be confirmed but anyone interested in joining in and becoming a member of the Twinning Association please contact Ann Brown 232227 or edandannbrown@supanet.com . Membership is only £5 a year per family.
Ann Brown
Clearly A Fantastic Job!
After years of negotiation with the powers that be, grant applications, and much frustration, the ponds were finally cleaned this summer. But the railings were in disrepair and so Chilcompton Celebrates! paid to weld them all back together and to reset several in concrete; and also funded materials for the preparation and painting – the latter all done by villagers! So thanks to them but especially to Paul Jevons who did most of the work involved in getting the ponds cleaned (and I helped a bit!).
Christine Foster