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Ramsbury & Axford Community
Village Diary - August 2007 |
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| Please may we have items for the September Diary by 18 August. 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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We may not be having the high summer temperatures of recent years but there are compensations. The lawns are green with no late frosts and the fruit crop is proving good again. The lack of sunshine is helping to keep the cabbage whites from ravishing the brassicas. When the sun does shine a variety of other butterflies may be seen, such as marbled whites and ringlets on the downs but they do not seem to come into the village. The male ringlet is a very dark brown, while the female is a little paler and larger. I have not seen many peacocks or small tortoiseshells but perhaps they and others such as the red admiral will become more numerous now the buddleia is flowering. It is surprising what can be seen without leaving home. On looking out of my window the other morning a pair of green woodpeckers took off from the back lawn, perhaps they had found some leatherjackets in the soil. I have twice seen scarlet tiger moths, the hind wings give rise to the name while the fore wings are black with a white and yellow pattern. This moth is said to like the damp water meadows so their presence in the garden is no doubt due to the recent wet weather. The third unexpected find was a small black bee with very narrow yellow bands on its abdomen. A book suggests that it was Halictus Caleatus and it does not have a common English name. Its pollen sacks indicated that it was a worker bee, which no doubt nests in the ground. Like our garden plants the wayside ones have their flowering season. At present in mid July the yellow meadow vetchling is in full flower, also the meadow crane’s-bill and the tiny hop trefoil, while in Tankard Lane the tall rather attractive blue sow thistle is flowering. A few miles away on the downs a great variety of plants were flowering including the common spotted orchid and in damp places masses of a marsh helleborine, one I had never seen before. Quite recently I had a report of a wild boar being seen in Savernake Forest, so it would seem that the species is moving westwards. Will steps be taken to eradicate any in the area I wonder? Can they co-exists with the deer and how much damage do they inflict on trees and shrubs if given the chance to become established? Look out for the hawk moths and their caterpillars as it is usually towards the end of the summer that they are seen. Rosie Pauline To be added in August. John Marshall Rainfall for the month to 18 July was 2.38 inches, average 1.97 inches. |
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Congratulations to the Youth Club and the Village. Ramsbury came second by one point to Great Bedwyn in the first round. The judges singled out the Wild Life Area, the Churchyard and the War Memorial as excellent. They also found no Fly Posters (they cannot have been to Back Lane!). Memorial Hall, a Vision for the future The Trustees of the Memorial Hall are buying the adjoining building, using their own resources and a loan from the Charity Bank. The premises can be adapted for renting by one or two tenants. Enquiries are welcomed now by the Chairman Robert Osmond on 01672 520568. A new Pre-school for Ramsbury Ramsbury Pre-school is raising funds for a brand new facility on the Primary School site. A project is being launched ‘Building our Pre-School’ to raise money for these new premises. Contact Jacqy McQue 07775648307. Email ramsburypreschool@hotmail.co.uk It now offers early years education for children between the ages of 2½ and 5, but the current premises, virtually unchanged for 30 years, no longer meet the children's needs. Brand new, purpose-built premises will provide space for play and physical education and will offer facilities for disabled access. Being near the Primary School will mean that activities can be shared with the reception class, and the two parts of the Foundation stage of learning (Pre-School and Reception Class) will be brought closer together. Children will find the move to the ‘big school’ less daunting. The target to build and equip the School is £100,000. Home Waste Food Digesters at Bargain Prices Wiltshire County Council is generously subsidising the supply of Green Cones (RRP £70) for just £19, delivered to your door. Green Joannas (RRP £99) are available at £24 delivered. Green Cones are designed to work in full sun and Green Joannas in shade. Both are allegedly rodent-proof and easy to install. If you would prefer not to have your food waste in your black wheelie bin and would like to pursue a potentially greener solution, why not try a Cone or a Joanna or both? More information and order online at http://www.recycleforwiltshire.com/recycling/food-waste-digesters.html or telephone Green Cone on 0800 019 2064 (freephone). Waste The black wheelie bins will be emptied and orange sacks taken on 14 and 28 August. Black boxes and green wheelie bins will be emptied on 7 and 21 August. There will be skips at Ramsbury Surgery on 7 August and at Aldbourne Pond on 21 August. The Kennet-wide average recycling rate has leapt from a lowly 10% to over 40%. The unofficial Whitton Benefice area rate for Axford, Aldbourne, Baydon, Chilton Foliat, Froxfield and Ramsbury is over 50%, making us as good as the UK’s top recycling councils. Even better news is that, for the first time in living memory, the total amount of rubbish we landfill in Wiltshire, has actually gone down. This is fantastic news for our environment. It is way ahead of predictions and is almost entirely due to West Wiltshire and Kennet residents’ embracing alternate weekly collections and really working those black recycling boxes. Neighbourhood Policing Teams Ninety Neighbourhood Policing Teams have been set up in Wiltshire, working from 23 police stations with 30 new contact points. Marlborough's team consists of three Community Beat Managers, one Community Beat Officer and three Police Community Support Officers. The results of their first consultation to set local priorities are being processed and evaluated. Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal The Wiltshire Air Ambulance has been amalgamated with Avon and Gloucester to form the 'Great Western Air Ambulance Trust'. Each of the three areas will have their own helicopter. Today the WAA needs continued support for their Charity to keep their helicopter flying for the people of Wiltshire. |
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Ramsbury WI Ramsbury WI will meet on Thursday 2 August in the Methodist Schoolroom, Oxford St, when Jenny Whiting will talk about "Skin Care for All". Doors open at 7.15 pm and the meeting starts promptly at 7.45 pm. New members & visitors welcome. Horticultural Society A special talk has been arranged to help entrants to the Society's Summer Show. It will be held at 7.45 pm on Monday 6 August in the Memorial Hall. Show judge Dave Tucker will give advice and help to all who would like to get the best out of their flowers, vegetables etc. Everyone is welcome. Axford Bingo There will be Bingo in Axford Village Hall on Wednesdays 8 and 22 August at 7.30 pm. Ramsbury Flyer The next visit to Newbury will be on Thursday 9 August, leaving the Tree at 11.30 am and returning from Newbury at 2.30 pm. Book with Muriel Lye on 520555. The next outing is to the Newbury Show on 15 September leaving the Tree at 9.30 am. The fare is £2. Book with Muriel Lye on 520555. Due to lack of support the visit to Beaulieu and the Mystery Trip had to be cancelled. The Community Bus also has its own page - just follow the link. Horticultural Society’s Summer Show The Horticultural Society’s Summer
Show will be held from 2 - 4.30 pm in the Memorial Hall on Saturday
11 August. The show schedule is available from the Post Office,
from Sue Arnold on 520322, or Allan Davison on 520591. Entries
will need to be made at our desk in ‘The Bell’ on
Friday 10 August, 6 pm-9 pm, or by post or email to the Entry
Steward, Brian Twigger, Dove Cottage, Axford, email brian@twigger.org.uk There are two new classes in the 'Writing' section i.e. 'Young Person’s Press Article', 'Report on a horticultural environmental' or 'wildlife subject'. The Wiltshire Gazette & Herald have confirmed that they will publish the winning entries. So please encourage your youngsters (maximum age 16) to submit their entries to the Literature Steward, Geoff Rissone, by no later than 4 August. For discerning gardeners there will be two plant stalls adjacent to the hall – one stocked by Mike Burgess and the other by the Wanborough Herb Nursery. Ramsbury Amenity Group Guided Walks There will be a 4 mile guided walk to Snap on Sunday 12 August, and a 4 mile walk to Crooked Soley (No 4) on Sunday 26 August. Everyone welcome with dogs under control. Meet at 2 pm at the Tree. Shared cars. Amenity Group Outing Cancelled Unfortunately the outing planned for August to Wilton has been cancelled due to lack of response. Parish Council The Parish Council next meets on Monday 20 August at 7.45 pm. All are very welcome. There will be a Police Surgery with PC Batchelor from 6.30 - 7.30 pm in the Alexander Room in the Memorial Hall. |
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The Horticultural Society is very grateful to the many people who supported the Gardens Open, which despite the weather, enabled us to raise £300 for the Prospect Hospice and £300 for Ramsbury Pre-School. The 30th ARC Coffee Morning, held in the Memorial Hall on 14 July, raised £1407.81. Once again Marion Young would like to thank everyone involved for their help and dedication to this worthy cause - it is very much appreciated. At the AGM of the Lunch Club held on 18 July, the Chairman Mair Reed paid a warm tribute to the retiring Hon. Treasurer, Isabel Henry, for her 20 years of service from the founding of the Club. She reported that there were 21 members, and over 40 helpers and drivers who were also greatly appreciated. The Ravensbury
Players thank everyone for their support at the Mediterranean
Street Fair. The answers to their 'grope boxes' were: The Bella Voce Choir thank everyone who came to their recent concert which was most successful. The Ramsbury Preschool Project will receive £300 and the Children's Health Project of Azafady will receive £100 as a result of the audience's generosity. |
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Following its first successful year as a Language College, St John's School and Community College will be running 10 week beginner and intermediate language evening classes in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Arabic and Mandarin Chinese starting 1 October. More details will follow in September. The next season at the Ramsbury Roxy will start on Friday 14 September with 'The Holiday'. Tickets will be available from the Post Office. There will be a series of eight lectures given by Mora Abell in the Memorial Hall on ‘The Masters of the Renaissance’ starting on 4 October. Contact Molly Sawbridge 521079. Radio 4's 'Gardeners Question Time' team have accepted an invitation from the Horticultural Society to visit Ramsbury and will be here on 9 October. Further details will follow. The Diary is published in paper form, and is incorporated here by
kind permission of the Ramsbury Amenity Group. |
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