Ramsbury and
Axford Village Diary April 2001 published by Ramsbury
and Axford Amenity Group.
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Ramsbury & Axford Village Diary - April 2001
Please may we have items for the May Diary by 18 April. They can be left with Sylvia Judge, 55 High Street or Ben Tottenham, Vicarage Cottage, Back Lane, at the shop counter at the Post Office or by email to Diary@Ramsbury.com.
We have been publishing the Village Diary at www.ramsbury.com/diary since July 1998 and have regular readers around the world. If anyone in Ramsbury would like to find out more about the Internet, please visit www.ramsbury.com and contact Peter Raper by email or phone 521092.
Webmaster's note: Contributions sent by e-mail
to Diary@Ramsbury.com will
be automatically forwarded to Sylvia Judge without my seeing them.
Nature Notes
Weatherwise this is rather a variable time of year, as the past month
has indicated with a fine sunny spell in the second half of February
only to be followed by more rain and some mist, but as we see nature
is very resilient. Despite earlier flooding the snowdrops seems more
widespread and better than ever this year, they and the daffodils
seem to be able to withstand having their bulbs under water while
dormant in winter To my surprise I noticed the purple dog violet is
beginning to flower in mid-March. A few days before from a moss covered
branch of elder a small fresh white bracket fungus was growing. When
next observed it was turning brown, perhaps it was of the Panellus
family, but these are usually found in Autumn.
This is the season when the wildlife becomes more active, the reason
no doubt for the dead badger by the A4 near the Newbury bypass turn
off. It was recently reported to me that water voles were quite active
along the Kennet to the West of the village, and many of you will
no doubt remember that they were often to be seen by the bridge at
the Knapp.
At the end of last month on the pavement by the Boot a snail was leaving
its silver trail, I would have expected the slugs and snails to be
still in hibernation. Given a little sunshine bumble bees are now
on the wing, there are over twenty varieties of these, but they do
not all occur in a given area.
Rosie Pauline
Bird Notes
The present Foot and Mouth Crisis in our area has obviously curtailed
my walking and bird watching, a small price to pay when you consider
the dreadful effect this is having on our local farmers. I do however
have a few sightings to report.
Two people have seen a Red Kite, one over Manor Hill and one over
Chilton Foliat. I have still not been fortunate enought to see one.
I have been working in a house on Spring Hill, the house provides
the local birds with a feeder, and what birds ! There were the usual
Greenfinches, Great, Blue and Coal Tits, but things really started
looking up when a pair of Nuthatches turned up, then a greater Spotted
Woodpecker followed by a Siskin, and the two stars of the show a Willow
Tit and a Stonechat!
There is never a dull moment in the life of a Bird Watcher. I was
recently invited to look at a dead bird in a compost heap in Back
Lane which turned out to be a male Sparrowhawk
John Marshall
Rainfall
The rainfall for the month to 18 March was 3.44 inches, average 2.85.
The total for the six months from September to March was 26.87 inches,
the highest total recorded since our records began in 1968
Parish Council
FOOT & MOUTH OUTBREAK
Due to the outbreak the Boundary Walk 2001 is cancelled.
Anyone wishing to contribute in a practical way to farmers suffering
distress and hardship from the Foot and Mouth Crisis may like to have
the address of suitable charities.
The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, Shaw House, 27 West
Way, Oxford OX2 0QH. Tel 01865 724931 Email rabi@btinternet.com.
ARC-ADDINGTON Fund, National Agricultural College, Stoneleigh Park,
Warwickshire, CV8 2LZ, or by Credit card tel no 024 7669 2333
These addresses and others were printed in the Daily Telegraph on
Friday 16 March.
REFUSE COLLECTION
From 4 April refuse will be collected on Wednesdays. Bags must not
be put out before Tuesday evening.
SKIPS
There will be Skips at Whittonditch and Axford on 13 April, and at
Whittonditch on 4 May.
(Parish Council contacts
and minutes of meetings can be viewed at www.ramsbury.com/council)
Amenity Group
BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION
The village has again entered the Competition which we won in Kennet
District in 2000. The judges will visit the village without notice
in May so we have the month of April, as Spring arrives,to tidy up
the house frontages that flank the roads, and look out daily for litter
to pick up and dispose of. The Amenity Group will do their best to
help in any problem areas, but rely upon everyone to help to achieve
the same high standard that led to victory in 2000
PRINTING COSTS OF THE MONTHLY DIARY AND ANNUAL INSERT
The cost of printing the Diary has recently risen by 25%, and with
the annual list of village organisations will amount in a full year
to over £400. The Amenity Group would be most grateful if all
organisations receiving and using the Diary to advertise their functions
would be prepared to make a regular donation towards the cost.
Ramsbury Flyer
(The Community Bus also
has its own page at www.ramsbury.com/flyer)
The Flyer is making its usual journeys to Hungerford on Wednesdays
and Fridays. The Flyer will also make its regular trip to Newbury
on Thursday 12 April leaving from the Tree at 11.30am. Although this
trip is very popular and usually fully booked, it is always worth
checking the day before on 520555 to see if there are any vacancies.
Large Print Diary
If you are fully sighted and can read the Diary easily you may know
of a friend who has trouble with their eyes, and who would appreciate
a large print version. If so please contact Priscilla Price on 520652
and she can provide one.
Ramsbury Horticultural Society
The next meeting of the Horticultural Society will be held on Monday
2 April at 7.45pm in the Methodist School Room. George Bartlett will
give a talk on "All aspects of Fuschias". Again we would
like to invite any person wishing to join the Society to come along.
Will members please make a diary note of the May meeting which appears
under Advance Notices.
TOPICAL TIP FOR GARDENERS
Sow some annual flower seeds for variety and change from the expensive
tender bedding plants. Hardy seeds like Clarkia, Eschscholzia, Godetia,
Lavatera, Larkspur, Sunflower etc can be sown in any compost in any
shallow plastic container and kept in a cool and warm place like a
bedroom window cill. Then when they are a couple of inches high they
can be grown on outside (in a protected place and safe from slugs)
prior to putting them out into their final place in early May.
Women's Institute
BEST SELLING AUTHOR SPEAKS TO RAMSBURY WOMENS INSTITUTE
The next meeting of Ramsbury WI will be held at 7.45pm on Thursday
5 April in the Methodist School Room. The best selling author Lindsey
Davis, author of the best selling series of "Falco"novels
will be speaking at this meeting. Her first novel "The Silver
Pigs"was published in 1989 and won the Author's Club Prize for
best first novel. Since then she has written 11 more books featuring
Falco, the cynical informer and private detective, who plys his trade
through the mean streets of the Roman Empire, variously helped and
hindered by his strong minded partner Helena, his large extended family
and Nux the Dog. In 1999 she received the Sherlock Award for Best
Comic Detective for her creation Marcus Didius Falco.
Ravensbury Players
The Players will be performing "Three Bs"at 7.45 pm on Friday
6 and Saturday 7 April at the Memorial Hall. Tickets price £5
(to include refreshments) from Midway Stores and Mills Butchers. A
donation will be made to the Surgery Equipment Fund.
Ramsbury Silver Band
MUSIC FOR A SPRING EVENING
Ramsbury Silver Band and the Kennet Accordion Orchestra will be giving
a concert in the Church Rooms on Friday 20 April at 7.30pm. Entrance
will be £2 and concessions £1.
Also please also come along and support the band as they defend their
title in the Marlborough Band Contest on Sunday 8 April at Marlborough
College.
Village Design Statement
The Steering Group set up by the Parish Council and the Amenity Group
has already held two meetings . They are preparing for a public meeting
on 28 April at which maps and photographs of Ramsbury will be displayed
and when the method of consulting the whole village will be explained.
A notice will be delivered to every household in the village. The
exhibition will be open from 10am and the meeting will start at 11.30
am.
Treloar Coffee Morning
This annual event will take place on at 10 am on Friday 27 April in
the Memorial Hall. Entrance will be 50p and include coffee, and there
will be stalls featuring cakes, preserves, plants, gifts, white elephant
(not jumble), books and a raffle.Any contributions can be delivered
to the Hall on the afternoon of 26 April, or contact Evelyn Parsons
on 520624 or Doris Dennison on 520521 if collection has to be arranged.
Marlborough Choral Society
There will be a Spring Concert at 7.30 pm in St Mary's Church, Marlborough
on Saturday 28 April. Dvorak's Mass in D Major and Rutter's Requiem
will be performed. Tickets price £6 at the door, (under 16s
free) or from Bridget Randall 521216.
THANKS
DOROTHY MUTTER
Dorothy Mutter and family thankall those who sent them letters of
condolence after Neville's death, and they were so appreciative of
the tremendous attendance at his thanksgiving service and donations
to the Prospect Hospice.
RAMSBURY METHODIST CHURCH JUMBLE SALE
Ramsbury Methodist Church Jumble Sale/Coffee morning which was held
on 10 March raised £302.80 for Methodist Church funds.
ADVANCE NOTICES
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
The Society will hold a Spring Plant Sale and Coffee Morning at "Millstream"
High Street on the morning of Saturday 5 May from 10am. Please look
out for all those plants which you would be willing to donate and
bring them along on that morning before 10am for labelling and pricing
etc.
RAMSBURY AMENITY GROUP
At their AGM on Thursday 15 March the Amenity Group announced their
programme for the year.
On Sunday 10 June there will be a Garden Party at Ramsbury Hill (by
kind permission). On Wednesday 11 July a conducted tour of Ramsbury
by Mrs Barbara Croucher In September an outing, and on Thursday 15
November the Autumn Supper.
THE BUS COMMITTEE
The Annual General Meeting of the Bus Committee will be held on Wednesday
9 May. The Committee would appreciate a little more interest and support
from the people who use the bus, who could also let us have ideas
as to how to improve the service. Contact 520555.
RAMSBURY FOOTBALL CLUB
The Club is holding its annual presentation evening and disco in the
Memorial Hall on Saturday 12 May. Further details will be published
in the May Diary. Contact 520598.
RAMSBURY LINE DANCE PARTY
There will be a line dance party in the marquee on the Recreation
Ground on Friday 7 September. The programme of dancing will be suitable
for total beginners as well as expeienced line dancers. A fun evening
is guaranteed for all. All proceeds will go to village charities.
Contact 520336.
THE 2001 RAMSBURY BALL
The Ramsbury Ball will be held on Saturday 8 September. 60% of the
tables have already been reserved, so book yours now at the Crown
& Anchor 01672 520335
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