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

  • ARRANGEMENTS for this summer’s Royal International Air Tattoo taking place from July 8-10 are being organised now. Please be aware that on Saturday, July 9 and Sunday, July 10 from 6am a one-way system will operate on the entire length of Whelford Road, from the Shell Garage on the A417 to ‘Allotment Corner’. Once RIAT Traffic Control is satisfied that the majority of RIAT-bound traffic vehicles have parked, the restriction will be lifted to allow a two-way traffic again until the departure phase when the one-way system that was in operation in the morning will be reversed. Timings for this will be determined by RIAT Traffic Control based on the prevailing traffic flows.
  • KEMPSFORD Cricket Club have confirmed that the match this Saturday, June 25 is at home and is against the Fleet Street Strollers with a 1.30pm start.
  • THIS Saturday, June 25 is the next walk for Kempsford Footpath Walkers. Meet at 10.30am outside The Jolly Tar in Hannington and the walk will be on some of the paths on Lus Hill, which offers a good network of paths. This will be a circular walk lasting approximately 1.5 hours. The walks are open to all so please come along and join in. There is no need to book, just turn up on the day. For further information please contact Mark Strange on 01285 810635 or Dawn Penman on 01285 810419.
  • FURTHER Help is needed with Kempsford’s School Fete and Fun Run on Saturday, July 16. Please contact the school on 01285 810367 or admin@kempsford.gloucs.sch.uk if you are able to assist in any way.
  • VOLUNTEERS are needed for the Air Tattoo Breakfast Cafe to cook, serve and set-up on the mornings of the Friday, Saturday and Sunday (July 8-10), raising funds for the Whelford Village Hall Trust. For further information please contact Sue Griffin on 01285 712979 or Lindsey Knott on 01285 712012.
  • HOLY Communion, 10am this Sunday at Kempsford Church will be led by Rev Curwen Rawlinson.
  • WORKING in close cooperation with the Cotswold Canals Trust, it is proposed that a Kempsford Canal Restoration Group is formed. The aim is to open up as much of the Thames and Severn Canal that passes through our parish and surrounding areas, in the short term to provide additional footpaths and in the longer term full canal restoration. For the last two years regular work parties have carried out clearance work at Oatlands Bridge, Kempsford Manor and latterly at Stubb’s Cottage. The group meet at the church every Thursday evening from 5pm and undertake clearance of the canal bed at Stubbs Cottage, last property on the left as you leave the village towards Hannington. Equipment is provided but feel free to bring your own saws, loppers, etc. It is suggested that you wear stout footwear and gloves. If you require any further information, please give Doug Moore a call on 01285 810810.

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

  • THE League of Friends of Fairford Hospital need more volunteer drivers. Please can you help people in the community to get to their medical appointments and join the volunteer drivers’ scheme? Costs incurred are covered and all drivers are required to undertake a DBS check. If you think you can help, please contact Christine Barker on 07767 408409 or email fairford.lof@hotmail.co.uk.
  • THE League of Friends also requires a new Treasurer. If you would like to be considered for this rewarding role, please contact Paul O’Shaughnessy on paul atscissor@btinternet.com or Graham Hewitt on 01285 851022.
  • VOTING takes place today, Thursday, on the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union. The polling station in Fairford is at Fairford Community Centre and is open from 7am-10pm.
  • DR VICTORIA Edwards OBE has been appointed the new Chief Executive of the Ernest Cook Trust (ECT). She will replace Nicholas Ford, who has been the CEO at the ECT’s office in Fairford for over 14 years. Dr Edwards is a rural chartered surveyor and academic and is currently Associate Professor and Rural Programmes Director at the University of Reading’s Henley Business School. She has also been a Trustee of the Ernest Cook Trust since November 2007 and has resigned from the Board in order to take the job. She takes over on Saturday, October 1 following Nicholas Ford’s retirement.
  • THE theme for the Royal International Air Tattoo is “The Next Generation: Inspiring Innovation” and, in keeping with its commitment to youth, RIAT 2016 will stage official celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the Air Cadet organisation. In addition, aviation history is set to be made in the UK when the F-35 Lightning II makes its international display debut at RAF Fairford. The airshow’s community helpline is 01285 713000. A limited number of residents’ newsletters and passes are available from the Fairford Town Council office in the Community Centre.
  • AT THE June meeting of Fairford WI, one of the WI members, Sheila Panther, spoke about quilting. The meeting was well supported by members and visitors, some of whom were from the U3A Quilting Group. Sheila began by giving her ideas for the WI centenary banner, which is to be started soon in time the 100th anniversary celebrations in April 2017.  Numerous samples of different types of quilting methods, some by hand and others by machine, were passed around. The competition for a piece of quilting was won by Sue Middleton, who entered a square of a quilt in progress. 

Lechlade
M Hing
mzh@stickonsigns.co.uk

  • BORIS and Huntsman are two fantastic police horses in Gloucestershire, trialling out this form of policing for a year. They are on loan from the metropolitan police and came to visit Lechlade last week. People are pleased to talk to them and the police become very approachable. They are timetabled to make regular visits to the town during the day and night.
  • UNDETTERED by the loss of flag poles in the recent fire at the Memorial Hall, the Lechlade and District Lions have worked their magic and the annual Flag Festival has gone ahead as usual. The flags are flying again thanks to the combined efforts of Dominic Smith, proprietor of Old Bell Antiques and the Lechlade and District Lions. Dom offered to supply new poles and the Lions, who had regularly put up the flags, took on the task of collecting all of the available flags and sourcing some new ones. All of the Societies and Organisations that had previously flown a flag stepped up and retrieved their flags. Several people offered new flags and the result is that nearly 40 flags are now flying in Lechlade until early September.
  • DEMOLITION of the old Memorial Hall starts Monday and will take up to two weeks. The all-weather pitch will be back in use about a week later. There is more work than anticipated to restore the pavilion and it is out of action until the end of August. There will be a lot of fund raising to ensure that we have a splendid replacement hall. 
  • THE Lechlade Art Society held a painting day at Buscot House which included a guided tour of the gardens and house, given by Lord Faringdon who is patron of the society. Members then went off to make sketches in the beautiful gardens. The AGM was held at the New Inn. It looked as though the annual art exhibition would be cancelled this year. It is usually held in the Memorial Hall and after the fire arrangements were made to use the pavilion. Display screens had been procured for hire from Carterton but hopes and plans were dashed when fire broke out at the pavilion too. The New Inn has offered its function room for the annual art exhibition so there will be a slightly scaled down event over the August Bank holiday weekend. 
  • ARSON attacks by thoughtless vandals have not stopped people in Lechlade getting on with all the activities they love. The monthly cinema found a new venue in the function room of the New Inn when a full house turned out to watch ‘The Dressmaker’.