Kempsford & Whelford
Margaret Wolfenden
01285 810477
mwolf@waitrose.com

  • BEER Festival this Saturday, March 18 at Kempsford Village Hall. Watch the Six Nations rugby live and take part in the rugby challenge. Scotland v Italy from 12.30pm, France v Wales at 2.45pm and Ireland v England at 5pm. A selection of real ales, cider, wines and bottled lagers and hot food available all day. All profits to Kempsford cricket club and the village hall.
  • WORK on the new kitchen at Whelford Village Hall is progressing well. Howden’s in Cirencester have kindly donated the units which are currently being installed. Due to unforeseen circumstances the project cost has exceeded the funding raised and to enable the project to be completed, a person within the community is to loan the trust the required funds. As a result we need to work hard on fundraising, any ideas would be welcome. The main item required for the new kitchen to be fully functional is a cooker but also many other smaller items such as a kettle, teapot, etc are also needed. If anyone is planning a kitchen upgrade, we would be extremely grateful for any donations of equipment, utensils or crockery. The kitchen and toilet improvements will make a huge difference to existing users and, together with the superfast broadband due to be installed shortly, will make the hall more attractive to other groups. For further information on the hall or to donate items please contact Sue Griffin on 01285 712979.
  • LENT Lunches have already started and the next one is on Tuesday, March 21 at 12.30pm at The Mill, Whelford. No charge but donations for the church are welcome.
  • HOLY Communion service this Sunday, March 19 is at 10am, St Mary’s Church, Kempsford led by Rev Lynn Hayler.
  • WORK will start shortly on the new reception area and security fencing to be installed around the front of Kempsford School. It will be a much improved reception/welcome area for parents and other visitors to the school. It will also increase the secure arrangements for all the children, before, during and after school.

Fairford
Chris Roberts
0744 350 0744
chris@cotswoldwireless.co.uk

  • THE Cotswold Hare Trail is coming to Fairford, starting on March 25, with all five of the sponsored hares being on display in and near the town until September 10. At the top of the High Street by Farmor’s School gates will be the deconstructed hare sponsored by the Ernest Cook Trust called “Hare today, gone tomorrow”. A bit further down the High Street, outside the community centre, will be the town council-sponsored hare painted by Jake Sutton to depict a Fairford town crier. Outside the newly renovated Bull Hotel, the Arkells hare will take pride of place sporting a 3Bs tie, hop buttons and showing some of the history of Swindon railway. On the green opposite the Marlborough Arms pub will be the hare sponsored by the Royal International Air Tattoo, who will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the US Air Force at this year’s Tattoo. Then outside the gates to The Lakes by yoo, there will be a fifth hare showing the natural countryside, flora and fauna to be found around the lakes. It is hoped that these unique and quirky additions to the town will bring the community together and encourage visitors to the town.
  • FAIRFORD Town Council is inviting nominations for the three annual citizen awards: citizen of the year, the Geoff Chick award and the Albert Alder award. To nominate anyone for any or all of these awards, write to the town clerk on clerks@fairford-tc.co.uk by Friday, April 7. The winners will be announced at the annual town meeting on Thursday, May 25.
  • FAIRFORD pre-school spring fair is on Saturday, March 18, from 10am-12.30pm at Fairford community centre. Family fun, Easter trail, crafts for kids, Mothers’ Day gift-making, Easter craft tables, chocolate and bottle tombolas, gardening for kids, games, toy and book stalls, face painting, lucky dips, pre-school craft competitions, cake stall, café, fresh Chinese dumplings and more, everyone welcome.
  • MESSY Space is on Saturday, March 18 between 2pm and 4pm at Fairford community centre. Family crafts and coffee shop, this month’s theme: How does it work? Special craft: Batteries and Bulbs. For children aged between 4 and 12 years, £2 per child, max £5 per family, with concessions available, contact Maureen Partington on 01285 712480.
  • FAIRFORD Art Society Get Together session on Thursday, March 23 is “Exploring Abstracts” or “Do your own thing”. Sessions start at 1.30pm and go on until 4.30pm in Fairford community centre, visitors are welcome at £3.50 per session. For more information, contact Sallie Seymour on 01367 850385 or chairman, Jill Skarda on 01285 740496.
  • THE next meeting of Fairford & Lechlade Business Club will be a breakfast meeting on Thursday, March 23 at 8am at Wrag Barn Golf Club, Highworth. Guest speaker will be Ian Sumbler of Morris Owen explaining about digital accountancy. A full English breakfast costs £8 and can be booked on line at flbc.org.uk/events, booking essential. 

Lechlade
Margaret Hing
mzh@stickonsigns.co.uk

  • LECHLADE community cinema will be showing the film I, Daniel Blake, cert 15, in the Pavilion at 7.30pm on Sunday, March 19. Ken Loach’s powerful film centres around the lack of humanity in the benefits system. Lechlade Pavilion has a recently installed a three-metre-wide screen. Doors open at 7pm for refreshments, funds raised will be used to support the project to build the new Memorial Hall. To reserve a seat contact the organiser on 01367 253633, tickets cost £3.
  • IN ADDITION to being an informative and enjoyable day, Mike Read’s Saturday photography courses raised a magnificent £702 for the Memorial Hall rebuild. Thanks go to Mike and his band of helpers and the cake makers.
  • LECHLADE Gardening Club met last week. Jon Mason from Highfield Gardening World, Whitminster, is a regular visitor having talked about topics such as lawns and pruning in the past. This time he came along to give some spring gardening tips. As always he was most entertaining. He did make comment to the 50-strong audience that Lechlade is unusual in having such a large membership and the club always so welcoming. The gardening club is ever-growing and is always happy to increase its membership. For more information go to lechladegardeningclub.org.uk or call 01367 253309/252286.
  • THE Lechlade History Society will meet on Monday, March 20 at 7.15pm for 7.30pm in the Pavilion. The title of the talk is “The rise and fall of the English public house”. Mike Marshman will look at this institution from the Saxon taverna via the medieval ale house, coaching inn, beer house and gin palace to the public house of the 20th and 21st centuries. Mike, now retired, was county local studies librarian at the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre. Guests welcome – contact Marian Winckles on 01367 252851 or visit lechladehistory.co.uk.