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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY NOVEMBER Saturday 1 2 - 4pm Cobalt Appeal Annual Sale in Coates
Village Hall Sunday 2 7pm RBL Festival of Remembrance at
Gloucester Leisure Centre Monday 3 BEAT AGM Monday 3 7.30pm Coates Parish Council meeting Wednesday 5 7.30pm BEAT meeting Thursday 6 7.30pm Coates Gardening Club AGM and
meeting with Canon Andrew Bowden talking on The History of Poultry
Thursday 6 10am Time Out Bible Discussion Thursday 6 10.30am Frampton Mansell Coffee Morning Tuesday 18 7.30pm Frampton Mansell Rural Cinema Belle Thursday 20 10am Time Out Bible Discussion Thursday 20 2.30pm Good Companions Meeting Friday 21 7.30pm Talk by Dr Ian Davies Polar Adventures Saturday 22 1pm RBL Women’s Section County
Conference Saturday 22 Sapperton Village Hall Quiz Night Saturday 22 7.30pm Country & Western Barn Dance in
Rodmarton Village Hall Monday 24 Mobile police station vising our villages Tuesday 25 11.55am Mobile library visiting Coates Thursday 27 2.30pm RBL Women’s Section AGM in Kemble
Village Hall Thursday 27 10am - 1pm GRCC’s In Touch 50 Plus Activity Event Friday 28 Christmas Craft Day at Sapperton
School DECEMBER Thursday 4 7.30pm Coates Gardening Club Christmas
supper and quiz Tuesday 23 11.55am Mobile library visiting Coates
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November 2014
THE WATERSHED MAGAZINE
St Osmund’s, Tarlton
2
RECTOR
Rev Trevor Kemp 770550
Coates Rectory, Coates GL7 6NR
Email [email protected]
CURATE (Non-stipendiary)
Rev David Austin 860692
READER
Richard Marlowe 770401
Barrie Cran 770809
STRATEGIC YOUTH MINISTER
Anton Wynn 07816 315423
COATES
Church Wardens: Dickie Randall 771300
Tony Berry 770220
Flower Team Leader Heather Wheatley 770829
SAPPERTON WITH FRAMPTON MANSELL
Church Warden: Jeremy Hoskins 760227
Elizabeth Pick 01453 884791
Deputy warden St Kenelm’s Mark Hamer 760715
Rotas Kate Gordon-Lennox 760651
Secretary PCC Natalie Hunt 760421
RODMARTON AND TARLTON (Chapel of Ease)
Church Wardens
Rodmarton Mary FitzGerald 238607
Sophia Kinmont 841222
Tarlton Jasper Biddulph 770230
Flower Team Leader Sarah Pope 841253
Secretary PCC Jane Marlowe 770401
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USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS Watershed Editor Bob Merrill 771496 Watershed Treasurer Janet Loines 841578 Watershed Intercession Group Anne Chilton 770726 Coates Parish Council Bob Allen 771229
Coates Parish Council clerk Libby Harrison 07791 943822 Coates PCC Treasurer Janet Trinder 770525 Coates Gardening Club Margaret Reynolds 771354 Coates Social Club secretary Annabelle Crapper 770266 Coates Tree Warden Geoffrey Moore 770869 Coates Village Hall Susan PJ 770596 Coates Neighbourhood Watch Liz Allen 07771 553061/771229 Frampton Mansell Village Hall Bookings 760102 or 760300 Rodmarton & Tarlton PC C/man Paul Drake 770267 Rodmarton & Tarlton PC clerk Susan Hare Rodmarton PCC Treasurer Simon Biddulph 841462 Rodmarton School Colin Jones 841284 Rodmarton Village Hall Norman Hopkins 07514485555 841287 Jasper Biddulph 770230 Rodmarton Cricket Club Nick Clarke 841421 Sapperton with FM PC Chair Sarah Osborn-Smith 760874 Sapperton/FM council clerk Ruth Pittaway 644201 Sapperton/FM PCC Treasurer Peter Mammatt 760852 Sapperton/FM Snow Warden Mark Franklin 760226 Sapperton Tree Warden Paul Dingley 760788 Sapperton Village Hall Annette Bullock 760468 Sapperton School Dawn Thomas 760325 Royal British Legion John Chilton 770726 Good Companions Betty Mixture 770569 Watershed RDA Bob Merrill 771496 Watershed Farm Club Liz Collins 770621 District Councillors Thames Head Ward John Birch 770360 Avening Ward Jim Parsons 01453 836596 County Councillor S D E Parsons 821451 Member of Parliament Geoffrey Clifton-Brown 01452 371630 Cirencester Hospital 655711 Police non emergency (24hrs) 101 Lynn Saunders - Village Agent 07776 245 754 Coates Resilience plan agents John Birch 770360/07989946224 David Lattimore771006/07836511011
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CLOSING DATE FOR THE DECEMBER/JANUARY
MAGAZINE - 12 November
Contributions should be sent to Bob Merrill at Glebe House, Coates, GL7 6NU. Tel 771496, mobile 07866 972389 or by e-mail to the Watershed magazine at [email protected]. Articles should be in Arial font at 11 point with formatting kept as simple as possible. The editor reserves the right to edit any articles. All articles should be submitted by 12 November at the latest for inclusion in
next month’s issue.
MOBILE LIBRARY VISITS
The mobile library visits Coates every 4 weeks. The visit for the next
months will be on Tuesday 25 November and Tuesday 23 December
between 11.55am and 12.55pm outside the village hall.
ADVERTISING IN THE WATERSHED
If you wish to advertise in our parish magazine please contact Bob Merrill at Glebe House, Coates, GL7 6NU. Tel 771496, Mobile 07866 972389 or by e-mail to the Watershed magazine at
Adverts at a third of a page cost £15 for a single issue or £60 for 5 issues. Adverts at half a page cost £23 for a single issue or £90 for 5 issues. The magazine is published 10 times every year; July/August and December/January are joint editions. Cheques should be made payable to Watershed magazine.
MOBILE POLICE STATION The mobile police station will be visiting our villages next month at the following times:
Monday 24 November Frampton Mansell 9 - 9.45 Sapperton 10 - 10.45 Coates 11 - 11.45 Kemble 12 - 12.45 Somerford Keynes 1 - 1.45
There will be no visits in December.
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FORTHCOMING SERVICES IN THE BENEFICE 2 November 4
th Sunday before Advent
9.30am Kemble Holy Communion 9.30am Coates Holy Communion 11am Poole Keynes Family Service 11am Rodmarton Holy Communion with Choir 11am Sapperton Family Holy Communion 5 November Midweek Wednesday 10am Kemble Holy Communion 9 November 3rd Sunday before Advent 9.30am Kemble Family Service 9.30am Coates Holy Communion 9.30am Poole Keynes Holy Communion 11am Tarlton Holy Communion 11am Somerford Keynes Holy Communion 11am Rodmarton Mattins 11am Frampton Mansell Holy Communion 3pm Kemble RBL Service 12 November Midweek Wednesday 10am Kemble Holy Communion 16 November 2nd Sunday before Advent 9.30am Kemble Holy Communion 9.30am Coates Family Service 9.30am Frampton Mansell Family Service 11am Poole Keynes Morning Prayer 11am Somerford Keynes Family Service 11am Rodmarton Holy Communion 19 November Midweek Wednesday 10am Kemble Holy Communion 23 November Christ the King 8am Tarlton Holy Communion (BCP) 9.30am Kemble Morning Prayer 9.30am Coates Holy Communion 9.30am Poole Keynes Holy Communion 11am Somerford Keynes Holy Communion 11am Rodmarton Family Service 11am Frampton Mansell Holy Communion 6pm Kemble The Source 26 November Midweek Wednesday 10am Kemble Holy Communion 30 November First Sunday in Advent 3pm Kemble Advent Messy Church
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THE ARCHDEACON OF CHELTENHAM, THE VENERABLE ROBERT SPRINGETT, REFLECTS ON THE FIRST WORLD
WAR
In August our Cathedral gave a whole day to readings the names, from war memorials across the county, of all those killed in the Great War. It was deeply moving, a reminder of how that war affected almost every family and community.
Its deepest power was though simply in the reading of names. Names are so precious, the way in which we are known to each other as father, son, daughter, husband, partner or lover and of course they are the way in which we are known to God, whom the psalmist says formed each one of us in our mother’s womb, who call us, who holds us as beloved.
As the names of those killed in the Great War recede into the carved stone of our memorials it would be easy to forget. In this centenary year let us remember them, the humanity, the vulnerability, the uniqueness of each person, and those who loved and mourned them.
In our world today where still innocent victims of every race and creed lose their lives in war and conflict, it is in this remembering that we discover anew our common humanity, our hope for peace and commit ourselves to a better future, for which they laid down their lives that we may have a new heart and a new spirit.
LETTER FROM THE BISHOP OF TEWKESBURY, THE RT
REVD MARTYN SNOW, TO MEMBERS OF THE DIOCESE
I am very pleased to be able to write with the news that we were notified yesterday by Church House, Westminster that the Metropolitan Police, following their enquiries, are to take no further action against Bishop Michael. He has himself issued a statement saying: ‘It was right that the allegations should be fully investigated and I am gratified that the police have completed the investigation and concluded that there are no grounds for further action to be taken. My family and I are profoundly grateful for all the support and affirmation we have received through this very difficult time.’’
PRAYERS IN THE BENEFICE
Wednesdays at Kemble at 10am (Holy Communion)
Tuesdays at Kemble at 8.30am
Fridays at Rodmarton at 9.15am
Saturdays at Somerford Keynes (first Saturday in the month only)
21
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5
BAPTISMS Christina Adelaide Jenner daughter of Angela & Edward Jenner at All Soul’s, Kemble on 14 September.
Lucy Elizabeth Plummer daughter of Nicholas & Catherine Plummer at Somerford Keynes on 21 September.
Zara Alexandra Cole daughter of Inglis & Kirsten Cole at All Soul’s, Kemble on 19 October.
Our love and blessings go to them all.
RIP Margaret Elizabeth Bullock. Her funeral was at St Luke’s, Frampton Mansell and she was buried in Chesterton Cemetery on 23 September. She had been with us only a couple of months ago for the baptism of her great granddaughter. We pray for her, her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Desiree Violet Hancock (née Muntz) widow of John Hancock on 6 October. Her funeral was on 21 October at St Matthew’s, Coates.
Freda Sanders on 8 October. Her funeral was on 24 October at St Matthew’s, Coates.
THANK YOU
A huge thank you to everyone who helped to make Sunday 28 September such a special day. It was a truly wonderful benefice occasion. It was also good that so many were able to stay on for lunch in the village hall. Thanks too for all whom helped with the meal, its preparation, serving, preparing and tidying the hall afterwards. We could not have managed without you.
Thank you so much for all your good wishes, for cards and messages, flowers and of course donations to the cheque which really knocked me off my perch!
I look forward to meeting up with you all again.
Love and blessings.
Pepita
TIME OUT BIBLE DISCUSSION
The Time Out Bible discussion group for mothers of school age children in the benefice will meet at 10am on Thursday 6 and 20 November. For more details and venue, please contact Julie on 770123 or email [email protected] or [email protected].
6
NEWS FROM COATES
COATES GARDENING CLUB Our meeting on Thursday 6 November at 7.30pm in Coates village hall will begin with a brief annual general meeting, followed by Canon Andrew Bowden's talk on the History of Poultry. Lots of us remember the unusual and handsome birds that he kept at Coates Rectory in the many years that he lived there. There will be a raffle and refreshments afterwards.
We will round off the year on Thursday 4 December with a delicious Christmas supper and a glass of wine. Carol Wilson will conduct a light -hearted quiz – no trophies or huge prizes, but it will be fun! Do join us. Visitors pay £2.50 for the evening.
Margaret Reynolds
A TRIBUTE TO OUR WONDERFUL SON, LEE
Lee was born on Boxing Day 1983 at Malmesbury Hospital, a little brother for Melissa, his sister. We were living in Rodmarton at the time and then moved to Coates in 1985. As the primary school closed 6 months later, the children attended Sapperton school gaining an exceptional education under the head teacher Miss Pinnell then Mr Weekes where Lee made lots of friends.
He moved to Deer Park secondary school, making many more friends. On leaving school he gained an apprentiship at Mitsubishi as a mechanic and was awarded apprentice of the year in 2002, making more friends.
He then changed jobs working at Ferrari, Vauxhall and Volkswagen making even more friends! His last job was trying his hand at carpentry.
Lee grew up to be a warm, kind, loving and generous man with a fabulous sense of humour. He loved his family, especially his two nieces, Annabel and Beatrice, and nephew Jacob who idolised him.
Sadly Lee was taken from us on 21 August and it only became apparent how many lifelong friends he had made when over 200 people, as well as family, attended his funeral on 4 September.
Tom and I would like to thank family, friends and neighbours for their support and kindness.
Donations are being made to Great Western Air Ambulance and Wiltshire Air Ambulance.
Tom and Jane Galbraith
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18
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Painting & Decorating – interior and exterior Handyman Service (1/2 day minimum) Tree Surgery
Carpentry – kitchen fitting, wardrobes
Contact: 07887 591971/01285 850672
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Tel: 01452 770337 Mobile: 07082 154968
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Reliable friendly professional service References available on request
Interior and exterior Email [email protected]
Telephone Mike Sawyer in Coates on 07516 641657
7
THE GOOD COMPANIONS
The Good Companions will meet on Thursday 20 November at 2.30pm in Coates village hall. Sarah Clifton-Gould will give advice on keeping well including some gentle exercise. A raffle and refreshments will complete the afternoon.
Betty Mixture
COBALT APPEAL
The annual sale for Cobalt funds will be held on Saturday1 November in Coates village hall from 2 - 4pm. There will be stalls for cakes, bric-a-brac, gifts including some lovely hand knitted soft toys, tombola and raffle. Please come and support this worthy charity!
Betty Mixture
Coates Village Bonfire and Fireworks Saturday 8 November
Coates Village Hall 5.30pm – Bar Open 6pm – Bonfire lighting and food available 6.30pm – Fireworks Hot food – Baked potatoes with fillings £2, tuck shop and bar
snacks also available. The Social Club will have a full licence for this evening so everyone is welcome to use the bar - members or not - please invite your friends.
This event is free of charge - however, we would very much
appreciate your voluntary contributions towards the firework display
on the night so that we can continue to put on this village event in the
future.
THE WATERSHED RDA GROUP invites you to an illustrated talk given by Dr Ian Davis
POLAR ADVENTURES Friday 21 November at Daglingworth Village Hall
Bar opens at 7.30pm; Talk 8pm
Tickets in advance: £10 to include coffee and cake
(On the door if available £12.50)
For tickets phone: Kate on 821102 or Bob on 771496
8
COME AND JOIN US! At Kemble Primary School
Monday - Friday 8.45am – 12.45pm
(with an option to collect at 11.45am)
Now also open Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from
12.45pm – 2.45pm
Open to all children aged 2 – 4 www.kembleplaygroup.co.uk
Find us on
COATES VILLAGE LOTTERY The sixth draw of the Coates village hall lottery year was held at 7.30pm on 3 October. There were 57 participants. Prizes were awarded as follows:
First Prize: £50 to No 51 Jeanne Wilkinson Second Prize: £30 to No 07 Bob Crawford Third Prize: £20 to No 88 Roy Pond
We have completed the first half year of the lottery and this seems a good time to thank all those who contribute and all those - you know who you are - who help to keep the lottery running in various ways. Special thanks must go the succession of village children who help us each month by drawing the balls which determine the prizewinners.
New contributors to the lottery are welcome at any time, and can pay for any number of months from one to six. Forms are available from Diana Crane, Betty Mixture, Roy Pond, RonSmith or Michael Vaughan.
Diana Crane
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Our annual general meeting takes place in Kemble village hall on Thursday 27 November at 2.30pm when all members, friends and visitors can join us. Delicious tea and cakes will be served and Alan Willis will give one of his marvelous slide shows.
Membership renewals are due for the year at the cost of £6.50; do please think about supporting this national charity locally.
Thank you for the response received from last month’s request for helpers for the poppy collections.
Pat Ayres Hon Sec and Standard Bearer.
GOING ON HOLIDAY TO GREECE?
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Private lessons and small groups available at different levels
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See the website greekconnexion.co.uk or call Linda on 01285 760813 or e-mail [email protected].
We also have social events - next one 1 November.
16
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
A short service of remembrance will be held in Coates at the village war memorial at 12.15pm on Remembrance Sunday 9 November, when a wreath will be laid and the Names of the Fallen read aloud. Everyone is welcome, especially children. Please wear uniform where applicable - Scouts, Guides, etc.
In the afternoon the Kemble & District Branch of the Royal British Legion will hold their Annual Service of Remembrance in Kemble Church at 3pm. Cirencester band will be in the church from 2.30pm and after the service light refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome.
John Chilton 770726
KEMBLE AND DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
WOMEN’S SECTION
The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance will take place on Sunday 2 November at 7pm at Gloucester Leisure Centre. Those appearing include Mary Jess, who shot to fame winning a show that the UK called the Chinese X factor, the Lydbrook Band, Osian Griffiths singing a moving song Tell my Father, Innsworth Military Wives choir, Gloucestershire ACF Band and The Rifles. Tickets available from the leisure centre direct only at £7 each.
The Kemble and District RBL service will be held on Sunday 9 November at 3pm in Kemble church. The Town Hall in Cheltenham is the venue for a Festival of Remembrance concert at 7pm with the Gloucestershire Constabulary and Gloucestershire Police male voice choir.
Please gather at Kemble Memorial near the church on Tuesday 11 November at 11am to observe the national silence.
All are welcome to support our president, Mrs Anne Willis of River Cottage, Kemble Road, Ewen when Anne and Alan hosts their annual Thinking of Others event on Friday 21 November from 10.30am. Festive drinks, coffee and nibbles with raffle and bring and buy. Any donations appreciated either in goods or cash!
The county conference will be taking place on Saturday 22 November from 1pm in Severn Vale school, Quedgeley; representatives from the branch will be attending.
9
NEWS FROM SAPPERTON AND FRAMPTON MANSELL
FRAMPTON MANSELL WEBSITE
This is a reminder about the website which you might like to access for a variety of information, to look at the calendar of events (What’s On), enquire about booking the village hall or other general and historical information about the village. Visit tinyurl.com/framptonmansell for more details.
FORGET - ME - NOT
Remember, remember…
…the fifth of November- gun-powder, treason and plot…
“At the going down of the sun…We will remember them!”
Surely this is the month of remembrance - an activity which has been greatly enhanced this year as we have recalled those who died in the First World War a hundred years ago. Great efforts have been made to make the events and emotions of those times real for us. As I visited the centenary exhibition at the Corinium museum I was especially touched to learn of the high percentage of Gloucestershire soldiers who were killed in what was such a tragic waste of youthful life. Many died to save the nation and many more survivors paid the price of widowhood, bereavement and disability for years afterwards. The amount we owe them is enormous and it is right that younger generations recall it. The many imaginative ways that they have been doing this have often been moving and inspirational.
A unique act of remembrance also stands at the heart of the Christian faith. The difference is that here the selfless act of one has impacted and will continue to impact, millions across the world, not only for decades but for centuries. The many died for our political freedom, the one for our spiritual and emotional liberty.
This November, as we stand around the war memorials, look at the list of names of those who died on the walls of our churches and watch Remembrance Day services, perhaps we could think of Jesus’s immense sacrifice too. We could also take a meaningful part in that special memorial service of holy communion as we recall his words, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
Just as our forebears wanted to make sure that no one forgot the unmasking of the plot to blow up parliament, let us pass on to our descendants this torch of remembrance of the greatest sacrifice of all.
10
SCHOOL TIES - SAPPERTON CHURCH
OF ENGLAND SCHOOL NEWS
School’s Out! The Indian Summer is continuing and, before we know it, it will be half term!
And just what a busy term its been: All school clubs – before and after school - have been busier than ever with regular attendances of 40 pupils on Thursday nights and 19 attending watersports (now over for the year). Tennis lessons too have enjoyed a huge success across the school and there is now talk of a new activity – archery - hopefully becoming available soon (and as regular readers will recall, Sapperton did quite well in this field last summer).
Also on the subject of numbers, the Harvest Bacon Buttie Breakfast on 3 October at the School raised £130, courtesy of the Friends, and the 5th October Harvest on the Farm Service at Park Corner Farm enjoyed a huge turnout of 85 people – pupils, toddlers, parents and villagers alike – and that’s not counting the animals! Yes, this was also a special animal service which was enjoyed by numerous dogs, a pony, a guinea pig and two gerbils. As ever, the service concluded with a romp over the hay bales for the younger attendees and a very welcome hot lunch provided by Jeremy and Stevie Hoskins – very many thanks to you both again.
Elsewhere, the new reception class have settled in well and are working hard; Year 3 has moved downstairs to the new classrooms as they commence their junior education and, in conjunction with Years 4, 5 and 6, will be studying the Ancient Greeks in history classes. It is understood that there will be a classical activities day on 14 November. Will this be on an Olympian or Siege of Troy theme? Watch this space for further news.
School returns after half term – or starts Term 2 under the new nomenclature - on 3 November. Looking further ahead, and even though your correspondent is a firm believer in KCID (Keep Christmas in December), it may be worth mentioning a few dates before diaries get filled up; a Christmas craft day – decorations etc - will be held on Friday 28 November and a Christingle service will be held in St Kenelm’s church at 2pm on Tuesday 2 December. As ever – all welcome.
Molesworth
15
wet half term holiday?) set the developing nests back badly? But the beasts should have made up for it during the warm sunny weather of June and July. The cool, wet August would have set them back again, but surely not to these levels of scarcity; and why have they fared much better in Northern Ireland, which is renowned for its cool, wet climate and suffers from bad weather far more than Gloucestershire? That’s the bit that scares me. It is, though, unlikely that our ordinary wasps have suffered from the side-effects of neonicotinoid pesticides, which have almost certainly decimated their cousins the bees.
If the wasps don’t reappear next year we will need to ask why…
Matthew Oates
NOTES FROM CULKERTON (cont)
CIRENCESTER EATING DISORDER SUPPORT GROUP
The local team will be on hand for the monthly meeting to be held on Wednesday 5 November which takes place in St Peter’s Lounge, St Peter’s Court, St Peter’s Road, Cirencester from 7.30 - 9pm. This is for sufferers and carers of those who are distressed and coping with anorexia or bulimia.
The AGM of the committee will be held on Monday 3 November when the financial statement, which has been professionally audited, will be approved. Outline plans for 2015 will be discussed.
Further details about the group in confidence can be obtained from Pat 01285 770385.
GRCC'S FREE IN TOUCH 50 PLUS ACTIVITY EVENT
Come along and try a new activity, speak to local agencies and meet new people!
Daglingworth Village Hall
Thursday 27 November, 10am to 1 pm
Free refreshments
To book a place and/or transport, please call Katie Lake or Julie Pritchard on 01452 528491
14
buds make an appearance from March to April, depending on the temperatures coinciding with the first warm days of early spring and smelling gorgeous. I associate these with bee flies; a bumble bee look-a-like with a long proboscis, which tend to hover in flight.
Tidy green houses, ready for spring planting. As this year seemed very damp at times, I notice that additional green algae is present on the inside glass. Clean this with warm water and washing up liquid, or kitchen surface cleaner.
Sally Oates
NOTES FROM CULKERTON (cont)
A PAEAN FOR THE WASP
Missing from this year’s autumn glory has been the common wasp Vespula vulgaris. Normally, these less-than-well-loved insects are numerous and prominent during the autumn, eating out rotting apples and gathering in numbers on ivy blossom – not to mention getting increasingly grumpy towards humans. Yet this autumn they have been all but absent in the district. In our garden I have seen just two workers and a lone queen, which suggests that the species is not about to become extinct here. In southern Britain generally I have seen more hornets than ordinary wasps. The only place I have seen wasps in any numbers was Northern Ireland, where they were numerous, plus a smattering along the Suffolk coast.
“Good!” You all shout. That’s one pest less, and as one who has to retire to bed with two cats after a wasp sting (some people react badly) I have some sympathy. But why have wasps been so scarce? We don’t rightly know. Certainly, winged insects are prone to huge population ups and downs, driven by the vagaries of our climate and by less obvious factors like parasite cycles and predator abundance. Common wasps have had poor years before, but none this bad.
It may be down to a sequence of adverse weather events over three years. First, the wet and miserable ‘summer’ of 2012 was disastrous for most winged insects, and wasps certainly took a major hit. Then the wonderful hot weather of July and August 2013 probably came too late for the wasps, which had been badly set back by a cold late spring. But surely they would have recovered this year, when we had a reasonable spring – bar a couple of wet spells – and plenty of hot dry weather during June, July and September? That is the difficult bit. Perhaps wet spells in late April and at the end of May (remember the
11
FRAMPTON MANSELL COFFEE MORNING
Thursday 6 November - 10.30am to 12pm at Woodstock. Please join us for a coffee and a chinwag! Everyone welcome.
FRAMPTON MANSELL
RURAL CINEMA
TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER at 7.30pm
BELLE (12A)
Please join us at the Village Hall
Tickets only £3.50 for adults, £2.50 under 16.
Plus our famous home-made refreshments!
12
NEWS FROM RODMARTON, TARLTON, CULKERTON AND HAZLETON
13
NOTES FROM CULKERTON
GARDENING TIPS FOR NOVEMBER
‘In the garden more grows than the gardener sows’. Spanish proverb.
The change of season is now very advanced and we are moving into winter gardening mode. Now is the time to make the most of good weather days to work on the ground; look to see where to winter prune, tidy up the shed and keep weeding. If the weather is too wet or frosty, don’t garden!
As the temperature cools, autumn and winter flowers appear; autumn snowflake (Acis autumnalis syn. Leucojum autumnalis), early hybrid hellebores, autumn crocus followed by winter flowering honeysuckle, sweet box and Algerian iris (Iris unguicularis).
Pleasant sunny dry days are a real treat this month and it is an excellent time to plant dormant roses, shrubs and trees. Buying bareroot plants is recommended. Prepare planting holes by making them much larger to comfortably fit the roots, plus some more, and incorporate good compost into the soil. I also fork in fertiliser in the bottom of the planting hole, making sure the soil is not compacted, as this will inhibit drainage. Firm the ground after filling in the planting hole but take care not to over-do this, and whatever the weather, water the new planting; this allows fine particles of soil to cover the roots.
This is the right time to split existing rhubarb or to plant new crowns. Choose a free draining sunny spot. Add some extra compost to the soil and plant the crowns just below the surface. Do not over harvest in the first year but wait for the plants to grow vigorously.
To prepare existing rhubarb clumps for forcing, remove old foliage. Carefully loosen any compressed soil, but only work the surface, not going deep as this will damage the roots. A hand fork might be more appropriate than a digging fork. Apply a good dressing of well rotted manure, or compost. Cover with straw and a tall forcing pot from December to the middle of January, I choose the time carefully and do this during mild weather, so cold soil is not trapped inside the pot. Check on the progress of new shoots every couple of weeks. Next year give a feed of general fertiliser during spring and summer.
There is still time to plant tulips and hyacinths, in fact this is a much better time to plant tulips, as this helps to avoid fire blight, which discolours and distorts the leaves, inhibiting strong flowers.
Hyacinths planted in sunny well drained borders, do very well in the Cotswold area, and left undisturbed flower year after year. The flower
