St. Mary’s Week 2021
Who needs stuff in the shops? To make your Christmas go with a bang, the St Mary’s Week Team has the following events. Put them in your diary now.
SATURDAY 4th DECEMBER – CHRISTMAS SINGALONG from 7:30. In the church. Bar.
(Would you like to sing or lead a song or two? Please let us know.)
FRIDAY 10th DECEMBER from 7:30 – CHRISTMAS WREATH-MAKING in the Village Hall (with welcome drink and puddings). £20 per head. Limited spaces. Contact Ruth or Trevor on 01935 700001 to book. See our FB page for full details.
FRIDAY CHRISTMAS EVE from 5:30 – OUTDOOR CAROLS AND NATIVITY (in front of the church)
VILLAGE SANTA COMPETITION. Since we were unable to run a scarecrow competition this year, we invite you to join us by making Bradford Abbas a Santa-filled village. Big ones, small ones, in front of your house, on a poster in your window...any type, anywhere. Please have yours in place by 14th December and on display until at least 1st January. We will select a favourite home-made Santa and a chocolate-based prize will go to that house.
In January or early February (exact date TBC) we are planning to hold a wassailing evening with mulled cider and songs.
Look out for posters and notices on the Pennant’s Facebook page for details of all these.
If you can help with any of these events, please contact us.
Jo, Alan, Rob, Ruth, Trevor and Gary, the ST MARY’S WEEK team
email on info@StMarysWeekBA.org.uk; Social media @BradfordAbbasStMarysWeek
Bradford Abbas Parish Council
If you wish to contact the Parish Clerk, Tricia Chapman, you can email bradfordabbaspc@hotmail.co.uk, phone 473 833 or use the contact page on the parish council website (https://bradford-abbas.uk/).
If you wish to book the village hall please contact the booking secretary, Tricia Chapman, by email bacmvh@gmail.com or phone (01935) 473833. The village hall's diary, booking forms and terms of hire are all available on the parish council website: https://bradford-abbas.uk/hall
Neighbourhood Plan
The Parish Council is considering whether or not Bradford Abbas should have a Neighbourhood Plan which would dictate the planning and environmental issues for the parish for the next 10 years.
The decision is not clear cut so we are having a meeting on 16th November at 7.30pm in the Village Hall to discuss this so that the council can get a feeling from the population of what we should do.
The chair of Hazelbury Bryan PC will give us a talk on their experience of creating a plan which should give us some pointers to help our deliberations.
Everyone is welcome to attend but if the date doesn’t suit you , please get in touch with any of the councillors or the clerk to pass on your views.
Bradford Abbas History Society
The history society now has a new Treasurer, Cherie Capozzoli, and a new Chairman Tony White. Richard Hann is staying as Secretary.
We have organized a choice of either an afternoon meeting on Tuesday 23rd November at 2.30 or an evening meeting on Thursday 25th November at 7.30 in the Village Hall. Both dates are on the same subject which will be an introduction to the history of our village by Tony White, hopefully starting at the beginning circa 4000 years ago. This is an excellent introduction for newcomers to the village or indeed to the History Society. This will be followed by a series of talks by Tony throughout the coming year. He will try to convey his knowledge of the history of the village across to a likeminded audience.
We are trying to encourage new members to the Society and indeed families and hopefully plant a seed of interest that may develop into something rewarding and interesting. A £1 introductory entrance fee per person for this first meeting. 16-year-olds and under are free.
St.Mary’s CE Primary School
At St Mary’s CE Primary School, it has been a busy first half term! We have been so pleased to welcome the children and parents back through the school gates for a new school term and the start of the academic year. We have a lovely, lively new early years group of children who have joined St Mary’s and they have settled in wonderfully under the guiding eyes of Lauren Langdon, our early years teacher, and Marie Lockwood, our early years teaching assistant. Their classroom is always a buzz of activity - inside and out - and it is such a joy to see our new pupils looking so eager and confident already. We have had after-school clubs, sports fixtures and our annual Harvest Celebration, following which Sherborne Food Bank has gratefully received the generous donations from our families.
Last year, Mrs Middleton and her Green Team got involved in leading the Better Energy Awards for schools, organised by The Young People's Trust for the Environment. They gained a Highly Commended for their project: 'Plastic - a poetic reflection’. As part of the work, our pupils took part in making a promotional film, which you can view on Youtube. This year, we are building on this work by participating in the Better Planet Project, which aims to teach children about caring for our environment, global issues and how they can affect change, locally and globally.
Following our half term break, there will be the PTA AGM on the 11th November at 7.00pm in the school hall (all being well). Please come along, meet other parents and staff, and let us plan some exciting events for the year ahead of us. It will not be too much longer before we commence the run up to our Christmas celebrations!
Many blessings from the staff and children at St Mary’s CE Primary School.
Telephone Box News
Operation Daffodil is progressing well. Thanks are due to those very generous people who have given us bulbs etc. If you would like to help with the planting or give us bulbs we would be delighted to hear from you 706419 or 413119.
We will leave the geraniums until we are likely to get frosts. If anyone could over winter them we would be very grateful.
At present we have a healthy stock of books and don’t require any more until the New Year, apart from books for children and teenagers, which fly off the shelves.
Thank you for your support, The Telephone Box Team
Rose and Crown, Bradford Abbas
Over two months in now and after some hard work things are settling down a little! We have remained busy and again thanks to all our customers, both old and new.
Thursday nights, our theme food nights, have been good ,with tapas on the 28th October and steak night on the 4th November the next two.
Quiz on the 16th was well supported and thanks Teepee for conducting that, next quiz 13th November with Terry Scannell.
WiFi is in situ at long last and a bit of decor has lightened up the place a bit.
We have Lewis with some ska and new wave music here in the 30th Oct so come in down, he's great.
Happy hour Tues to Thurs 5-6pm is under way with 50p off all draught pints.
Lastly, Xmas menus and Xmas draw are in full prep so by beginning of November will be ready to view and buy tickets.
Many thanks again, From all the staff at the R & C.
Bradford Abbas Variety Club
The annual AGM was held on Saturday 9th October and the committee are pleased to announce that there is enough interest for us to put on a show in 2022.
Of course, the Covid pandemic continues and we are well aware that it is not a certainty, however we feel that for now we should keep planning.
We are holding a planning meeting at the Rose and Crown in Bradford Abbas on Wednesday evening 17th November at 7.00pm. If you would like to take part in the show or help out in any way, please come on down to talk to us.
If you need any further information, please contact Merys on 07834 547578
Macmillan Coffee Morning
To all those who came along or contributed to my Macmillan Coffee Morning last month, a massive thank you. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces, and a few not so familiar ones, and to spend some time having a chat over coffee and cake in the kitchen. Apologies to Ann from Manchester, not Liverpool, I really should have known better! But it was all for a good cause and your huge generosity helped raise a staggering £565!!! Not bad for some flour, butter, sugar and eggs… Jemma Dempsey
Bradford Abbas Women’s Institute
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 16th November at 7.30 pm at the SOCIAL CLUB, not as usual at the Village Hall. It will be an open Social Evening with a Raffle, Bring and Buy, a Beetle Drive, refreshments to include cheese and wine – plenty of fun and discussion. All welcome – come and let us know what you would like from and can give to your local WI.
Friendship Club
The Friendship Club meets on the first Tuesday afternoon of the month at 2.00 pm in the Village Hall. There is Bingo, a draw, Tea & Biscuits and a chance to buy Eva’s cakes and quiches from our trading table. Also,
there is the opportunity to have a chat and laugh with fellow villagers. Everyone is welcome.
Monday Night Bingo
Monday Night Bingo every Monday at 7.00 pm, with eyes down at 7.30 pm, at Bradford Abbas Sports and Social Club. Everyone is welcome to our weekly light-hearted evening which also includes a chance to win the SNOW BALL, and of course a laugh and chat. We finish at 9.00 pm.
Sherborne Bradford Abbas Camera Club
Tuesday 19th November: “A journey through Africa and Astro Photography” with Will Goodlet Following his last talk to SBACC, Will Goodlet is going to talk to us about astro photography, shot under African skies free of light pollution, together with landscape, bird and wildlife photographs from the Cape Region and Namaqualand together with a detour to the Baobabs at Kubu Island, The West Coast National Park, Lambert’s Bay, Kgalagadi, The Richtersveld, Southern Namibia, Luderitz, Namibrand and the Hartmann’s Valley on the Kunene River.
Tuesday 23rd November: The Overton Cup, our annual black and white competition with digital images only, judge Sara Harpley.
Currently all meetings are held on zoom, but we hope to resume meetings in the village hall in the new year, with facilities to broadcast our meetings for those who feel vulnerable in public spaces. As usual further information can be found on our website sbacameraclub.co.uk
Yeovil Railway Centre
Whilst there are no public events this month, work is proceeding behind the scenes preparing for the Santa Specials in December. Bookings are now open for this. The shop will be open every Sunday morning, 10.00am to noon for a great selection of books/DVDs/souvenirs/Thomas goods and much more! We hope to have our little red engine 0-4-0 Peckett Pectin in service in time for the Santa Specials.
St.Mary’s Church, Bradford Abbas
SERVICES IN NOVEMBER
We have the following services in Bradford Abbas this month, EVERYBODY IS WELCOME:-
THURSDAY 11th NOVEMBER – Remembrance Day Service at the War Memorial. Gather at the War Memorial at 10:50
SUNDAY 14th NOVEMBER – Remembrance Service, 10am
SUNDAY 21st NOVEMBER – Holy Communion 10am (led by David Dunning – please bring your own glass/receptacle to receive communion wine in family groups/bubbles)
On weekends when we are without a service in Bradford Abbas, we encourage villagers to join a service at one of our neighbouring churches. Nearby services you might consider joining in November include:
SUNDAY 7th NOVEMBER 10am Holy Communion at Beer Hackett
SUNDAY 28th NOVEMBER 10am Village Communion at Thornford
CHRISTMAS POST BOX
The post box will be in the church from Saturday 4th December until the last collection on Saturday 18thDecember at 2pm. You may post cards for any address in Bradford Abbas. Gloves and sanitiser will be used by anybody handling the cards for everyone’s protection. This service is provided free of charge, but if you would like to make a donation, please use the donation box in the cafe area (which goes to the general running and upkeep of the church) or the box near the main door (which is specifically for the church’s fabric fund i.e. used solely for works and repairs). If you think you might be able to help with deliveries, please contact Sue on (01935) 471901.
A Message from the Rector
In May 1915 Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps was working in a dressing station on the front line to the north of Ypres, Belgium, when he wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’ which has subsequently become a famous and well-known poem:
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In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. |
Take up our quarrel with the foe; To you, from failing hands, we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
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It is now often remembered as a call to peace by reminding us of the sheer cost of war as the line ‘Between the crosses row on row’ reminds us. However, that was clearly not its original purpose. The poem is actually a call to arms against tyranny. As American Thomas Jefferson famously said 1797 ‘The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
In the midst of the horrors of the first world war a response was penned to Flanders Field called ‘The Answer’ by a nurse Ellen Osborne part of which I quote here. Largely forgotten now but popular at the time…
Sleep peacefully, for all is well.
Your flaming torch aloft we bear,
With burning heart an oath we swear
To keep the faith to fight it through
To crush the foe, or sleep with you
In Flanders Field
Whatever we may think at this time of Remembrance, it is worth remembering that there are people who are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms, be they soldiers in the field, civilians killed fighting crime, or working in the health or fire services, or politicians killed in their surgeries.
Reverend Tony Gilbert
Rector Three Valleys Benefice & Rural Dean of Sherborne
Tel: 01935 873044; www.threevalleysteam.org