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Ramsbury & Axford Community
Village Diary - October 2006 |
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| Please may we have items for the November Diary by 18 October. They can be left with Sylvia Judge, 55 High Street; Ben Tottenham, Vicarage Cottage, Back Lane; at the Post Office; or by email to diary@pccare.ltd.uk | ||
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After variable weather during the past month we are still enjoying some quite warm days in the middle of September, once the sun gets through. In fact it was stated on the news that September 11 was the warmest day since July, that is until the thunderstorm arrived in the late afternoon. As a result of some August rain many plants were able to recover from the excessive heat of July. The runner beans came back into flower and while one of my greenhouse cucumbers gave up, the other put out a fine green shoot that now has eight small cucumbers on it, so with luck I will be enjoying them throughout October. Insects seem to have survived the conditions giving rise to a few less familiar ones, such as the hairy yellow caterpillar found on a rose bush during pruning. I think it would become a pale tussock moth, hairy ones can cause skin irritation. I have received several reports of hawk moths and I think one paid a fleeting visit to a morning glory flower but it did not appear to find it suitable sustenance. When mowing the lawn I disturbed two pale brown bush crickets. While on the vegetable patch I have found several shield bugs of a type that I have not noticed before; their brownish colour suggested that they are the tarnished plant bug, their eggs pass the winter under tree bark and the adults are most often found in the autumn. The weather appears to be favouring the emergence of crane flies (daddy long legs) from the leather jackets that inhabit grassland including our lawns and can cause bare patches. A more unusual insect was the green dragonfly at Swans Bottom this was the first time I had seen this southern Hawker. This is the season for fungi, the most spectacular mass seen so far was on a mature beech tree on White’s Hill, its surface roots had ten clustered masses of a bracket fungus Meripilus giganteus. At the beginning of September it was in its prime, light brown with zoning, although it will be past its best by now these hard bracket fungi usually persist for several months. How many uncommon ones will appear I wonder? Rosie Pauline Further to last month's notes and in particular the item on Buzzards Pellets, it transpires that the digestive juices of birds of prey dissolve all the bones, leaving behind beaks and claws and beetles. While on holiday this summer we found the pellets of a Peregrine Falcon, they were about 2in in length and, as with the Buzzards' Pellets, they were full of beetle bodies! Half a dozen or so Green Piper were seen at Park Farm in the middle of September. The number of Hobbies sighted in August was almost up there with the sightings of Buzzards. Three Yellow Wagtail were seen on the plough on the other side of Aldbourne, they were probably an advance party of migrants starting to move south. Fields that have just been put under plough are superb larders for other migrants such as Wheatear and Whinchat at this time of year. Other reports this month include Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Witcha and Hummingbird Hawkmoths seen in the Paddocks and Whittonditch Road. John Marshall The rainfall for the month to 18 September was 3.08 inches, average 2.43 inches. |
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The Amenity Group prints large print copies of the Diary each month for people with poor sight. Call 520652 or 520308 if you would like a copy and it will be delivered to you. St Mary's Church Axford Axford is investigating the history of some objects in the Church as a sideline to the 150th anniversary of St.Mary's. The Lectern Bible was donated by a Miss Chambers of Grove Farm, who may have taught at the Sunday School. Does anyone remember her or her family and the year? If you do, please contact Bridget Treherne on 512406. Ramsbury Memorial Hall The Trustees of the Memorial Hall have two offices available for rent in the Memorial Hall complex. If anyone is interested they should contact Gilbert Mills on 520167. |
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Ramsbury Horticultural Society Talk The subject for our first talk this autumn will be 'Colour for the Marlborough Area', and will be given by Jeanne Bliss in the Memorial Hall on Monday 2 October at 7.45 pm. Anyone wishing to join the Society is very welcome to come along at this time. Waste The Black boxes and Green Wheelie Bins will be emptied on Tuesdays 3, 17 and 31 October. There will be Skips for plastic and cardboard at the Surgery from 8 - 10.30 am on Tuesdays 3 and 31 October. The Black Wheelie bins will be emptied and orange sacks collected on Tuesdays 10 and 24 October. Autumn Lectures - ‘How China discovered the West’. The course of eight lectures will describe the history and art of the Silk Road covering the period 206 BC (The Han Dynasty) to the European explorers of the 19th Century. The lectures begin on Thursday 5 October in the Memorial Hall from 10.30 am to noon. For further information please contact Molly Sawbridge on 521079. Ramsbury WI Ramsbury WI will meet in the Methodist Schoolroom on Thursday 5 October, when the manager of Marks and Spencer’s lingerie department will describe a day in the life of this fascinating place. Doors will open at 7.15 pm and the meeting will start at 7.45 pm. New members and visitors (ladies only this time) are welcome. Ramsbury Amenity Group Guided Walks October is the 5th Anniversary of the start of our walks to get our paths used again after the Foot & Mouth outbreak. At the tea after the first walk, a number of people wanted more four mile walks for health and enjoyment, twice a month. We have now covered about 440 miles! But numbers are now decreasing. Are you interested in joining such walks? Would anyone like to lead some? I may not always be able to! There will be a guided
walk on Sunday 8 October to Littlecote (no. 3) five miles starting
from the Tree at 2 pm and ending at 15 Union Street for tea.
Please RSVP Ronny Price on 520652 for the tea. Axford Bingo There will be Bingo in Axford Village Hall at 7.30 pm on Wednesdays 11 and 25 October. Ramsbury Flyer The next visit to Newbury will be on Thursday 12 October, leaving the Tree at 11.30 am and returning from Newbury at 2.30 pm. Book with Muriel Lye on 520555. The Community Bus also has its own page - just follow the link. Ramsbury Roxy Friday 13 October ‘Fried
Green Tomatoes’. Friday 27 October ‘March of
the Penguins’. Doors open for pre-film drinks at 7.30 pm, films start at 8 pm. Tickets at £3.50 from the Post Office or £4 on the door. Parish Council The next meeting of the Parish Council is at 7.45 pm on Monday 16 October in Axford Village Hall. There will be no Police Surgery in October; the next is planned for November. Members of the public are welcome. Horticultural Society Plant Sale The Plant Sale and Autumn Fruit day will take place on Saturday 21 October in the Memorial Hall from 10.00 - 11.15 am with the usual fruit classes, plus for children, classes for Halloween window decorations and pumpkin lanterns. Full details are in our schedule, available from the Post Office. Please submit entries to brian@twigger.org.uk, or on the show morning when bringing your exhibits which must be staged between 9 & 9.30 am, since judging will start at 9.30 am. A delectable Cake Stall will also be present run by "Ramsbury WI Friends", the proceeds of which are for a children's hospice in Africa. Ramsbury WI will be providing refreshments during the show. For the Plant Sale we would welcome any contributions from 8.30 am onwards. We welcome any suggestions or comments on any aspect of our activities, fixtures, outings, show schedule etc. Please let our secretary, Sue Arnold, know by writing to her at Cranmer Cottage, Scholards Lane or emailing to hortsoc@ramsbury.org so that consideration may be given for our events next year. Ravensbury Players Table Top Sale The Ravensbury Players Table Top Sale will be held in the Memorial Hall on Saturday 28 October at 10 am. Cake stall, plants, crafts, gifts and much more. There will be Tea & Coffee on sale. Some tables are left at only £7. Book by calling Alison McFee on 520619, or Gaye Adolph on 520068. The proceeds of the sale will go towards the Players' November production 'Tons of Money'. This is a hilariously funny comedy, with something for all the family, and it will run from Wednesday 15 November to Saturday 18 November in the Memorial Hall. Doors open 7 pm. Curtain up 7.45 pm.Tickets £6 will be available from Wednesday 11 October at the Post Office and Midway Stores, or by calling Gaye Adolph on 520068. Book early to avoid disappointment. Ramsbury Branch of the Royal British Legion The 84th Annual General Meeting of the Ramsbury Branch of the Royal British Legion will be held on Friday 27 October at 8 pm in the Legion Club. |
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After I was mugged in the High Street on Thursday 31 August, very many thanks to my neighbour Mrs Farr and her family for being so concerned and looking after me until the police, doctor and my daughter arrived. Also many grateful thanks to everyone in Ramsbury for being so caring and bringing me such lovely gifts. Ramsbury is a very friendly village. I hope this does not happen to anyone else. Stella Newman |
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Bella Voce will be taking part in a fund-raising concert on Saturday 4 November in St. Peter's Church, Marlborough. The concert is in aid of the charity currently being set up by The Marlborough Natural Health Centre. It will be a picnic concert. The audience can bring a picnic & wine with them. The first half will be a selection of opera solos and choruses, with the second half a selection of Gilbert & Sullivan and Traditional jazz numbers from the soloists & Bella Voce. Contralto Fiona Scott-MacArthur, international mezzo-soprano Ameral Gunson, and soprano Lisa Benn will be the soloists, with Colin Hunt and Kevin Bates the accompanists. The Flyer will be going to Bath on Monday 13 November, and to London on Saturday 2 December. More details will follow soon. Pianothon in aid of Children in Need!! On Sunday November 26 in Ramsbury Memorial Hall, Simon Cole, local piano and sax teacher, is planning to play a programme of classical piano music for eight hours (probably 9 am-5.30 pm (?)). Simon has opted to do this instead of shaving his head. Volunteer page-turners needed! You can contact Simon on 01672 520554. Watch out for the Christmas Lights on Friday 1 December. This will be the 5th year of collecting for charities. More details will follow later. The Diary is published in paper form, and is incorporated here by
kind permission of the Ramsbury Amenity Group. |
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