A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all residents of Bradford Abbas!
Bradford Abbas Ultrafast Community Project
People in Bradford Abbas are enthusiastically taking up the offer of the UK government to pay Openreach to connect their premises to the internet by fibre optic cable thus - if we can only get a few more people - going from a typical 20 Mbps now, to a possible 900 Mbps.
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It doesnāt cost anything to pledge at https://www.openreach.com/connect-my-community
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Your pledge attracts Ā£1,500 (or Ā£3,500 for a business) of government money paid to Openreach.
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Should Bradford Abbas meet the target, people making the pledge are expected to connect to the internet via service providers like BT, Sky, EE, etc.
But weāre almost but not quite there yet! Openreach need a few more of us to sign up.
Thereās more detailed information at https://bradford-abbas.uk/ultrafast-community-project
Church Fabric Fund
The magnificent sum of Ā£555 was raised by Rob Ireland for the Dorset Historic Churches Trust āRide and Strideā Event, cycling to 21 churches and covering 51 miles. The DHC Trust has given our church substantial grants in the past towards major repairs and will return half the amount raised by Rob to our church Fabric Fund. Well done and a big thank you Rob, and many thanks also to everyone who sponsored him.
Church Christmas Post Box
Regrettably, because of the current situation, the Post Box cannot go ahead in the Church. As a result, and because of the risk of infection from handling the cards, there will be no delivery service this year. Thank you for your past support, we will be back next year!
Bradford Abbas Variety Club AGM
Takes place on 14th January at 7pm. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, we have had to move our Variety Club AGM online this year.
Please can you contact us on babbasvc@gmail.com for details of how to join, or contact Merys on 07834 547578
Bradford Abbas Variety Club news
After another amazing Variety Show in February this year, way back before lockdown, the club are happy to report that they will be donating Ā£2000, shared across the following village organisations: Bradford Abbas Pre School, Bradford Abbas PTA, Bradford Abbas Scouts, St Maryās Church Fabric Fund, Bradford Abbas Village Hall, Bradford Abbas Telephone Box Refurb and Maintenance.
The club would like to thank everyone who came to see the show and to everyone who helped to make it a success.
Our secretary Jackie Brooks has had to step down as she has moved from the village. The Club and committee wish her and George well and thank them both for their support of the Variety Show. If anyone would be interested in taking up a secretary role for the Variety Club then please come along to the AGM in January.
Bradford Abbas Village Hall Management Committee
At this time the Pre-School are the sole users of the Hall due to the Covid 19 Virus. They are providing a brilliant service to the community and now have added Thursday afternoons in place of the Post Office. The Helen Laxton Dance School applied to hire the Hall on Monday evenings for Ballet Classes which was agreed when audit-able documentation was put in place that meets Covid 19 cleaning Requirements and successfully interfaces with the Pre-School Cleaning. It is not possible to reintroduce any more clubs or users at this time as it is not practical to interface the cleaning required.
The Entrance Hall Committee Room and Kitchen have been re-decorated by Malcolm our Caretaker assisted by Dave Chapman and the windows re-varnished inside and out. We are currently obtaining estimates to install hot water to the hand basins in the toilets.
Our income is currently less than our outgoings but we have sufficient cash reserves for us to continue, a situation we are keeping a close eye on. A review of the Grants System strongly suggests that with a good cash reserve we would not qualify, however if a positive cash source and specific application form is provided, we would consider it.
The Post of Secretary to the Village Hall has been unfilled for more than a year, it would be an ideal time, during Covid for someone to come on board and take over as there are
currently no meetings but when there are, we only need action notes recorded, there is very little letter writing involved. It's just a nice way to be involved and make a contribution. Go on give me a callā¦.
Bernard Hunt Chairman BAVHMC, Tel 474681
Sherborne Bradford Abbas Camera Club
Due to the Covid Pandemic all meetings are being held on line. Meetings second and fourth Tuesdays in the month at 7.30pm:-
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Tuesday 8th December: Seasonal get together on zoom, āmost unusual imageā plus a quiz, all with virtual(ly no) mince pies!
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Tuesday 12th January: Critique evening with membersā images.
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Tuesday 26th January: āShoot a themeā competition, subject is āGolden Hour/Blue Hourā judged externally on zoom.
Yeovil Railway Centre
December 2020 - Santa Specials are running on the following dates:-
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Sunday 13th, Sunday 20th and Wednesday 23rd December.
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Government Covid-19 rules are in place, observe social distancing; wear masks on the train and in the visitor centre. Parties are limited to a maximum of 6 people (rule of six).
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Bookings are on line only, and with āno on the dayā entry, pre-booked only.
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This year there is no catering or snow, so the reduced entry charges reflect this.
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Places are filling very rapidly, so book early.
January 2021: There are no public events this month
Please use the Parish Council website
For the latest news on what the Parish Council is doing on our behalf, why donāt you enter your email address in the āsubscribeā box at https://bradford-abbas.uk You wonāt be bombarded with emails, but youāll get to know when the Parish Council has something important to say.
Also, if thereās something in particular youāre looking for, thereās a āsearchā box where you can easily find it. With a single click you can do a word search through all Parish Council minutes and various other documents going back to November 2015.
Bradford Abbas Village Store
No buyer has been found and so, very sadly, due to the health of Wendy and myself and to the falling trade, which has meant we are actually funding the shop to open each day, the shop will be closing in January 2021. Until thenā¦
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Let 2020 go out with success for the old tea room, now a Christmas gift shop! There are various crafts, hampers and all sorts of artwork and clothing, all produced by local people showing what they already sell online. Also, a wonderful selection of jewellery and linen where all the proceeds go to the leukaemia fund.
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Daisy, our real milk machine, is flowing well and we now have half-litre bottles.
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We now encourage you to order your weekly groceries which can be delivered to you.
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Come and check out our amazing wine selection, as good or if not better than your online suppliers, and at a great price, plus 5% discount if you buy six bottles and 10% if you buy 12ā¦all delivered locally!
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During December we will continue with our amazing ābetter than supermarketā prices, such as our Kelloggās cornflakes and Cadburyās orange fingers and buttons.
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Lastly, order now your fruit & veg boxes - let us know what you would like in them and you can either collect from the shop or weāll deliver them to your home.
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If you canāt see what you need for Christmas in the shop please ask and we will see what we can do!!
Best wishes, Alan & Wendy
Contact us on tel:01935 42068 or email:store@bavillagestore.co.uk
The Post Office
Please note, the Post Office, which is located in the Village Hall, is open on Tuesdays only (opening times: 1pm ā 4pm).
The Rose and Crown
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We re-open on Thursday 4th December, with lunches served from 12 noon until 2pm and evening meals from 6 30pm until 9pm. Please see the website for the new menus.
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All tables must be pre-booked with no more than six per table. Sunday lunch must be booked by 1pm on the previous day.
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We will continue with deliveries at lunch time and takeaways at lunch times and evenings.
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The Christmas party menu is now out - please book early, maximum six per party (due to rule of six).
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We will be open Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until further notice.
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There will be no food served on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Boxing Day but this may be revised on 16th December - please watch the boards outside and the Pennant on Facebook.
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Thank you all for your support, keep safe and best wishes for Christmas and the New Year from Mary and all the staff at the Rose and Crown (phone 01935 774506).
Bradford Abbas History Society
Intriguingly we should have been hearing a talk entitled āTo My Worthless Son, One Pennyā at our December meeting, but of course that is not possible right now. There will be no History Society meeting in January, which would have been our AGM, and a talk by Ted Udall on āFrom Slavery to the Workhouseā.
We wish everyone a safe, secure and healthy Christmas and hope for a better New Year in 2021.
CHURCH NEWS
Service Schedules for December, Christmas and January
Dear Friends
You donāt need me to tell you that this has been a difficult year. Covid-19 has disrupted all our lives and that seems set to continue for some time to come. As I write this note we are beginning our second lockdown. Although we have been assured that it will end by the 2nd of December and that we can expect to have a near normal Christmas we donāt know what other restrictions might be placed on us that will affect church services.
It is the clergy teamās intention to hold December and Christmas services where we can and to which you are all invited. However, we canāt know at this time exactly how we will provide them nor what we will be permitted to do in December or indeed in January. That means that I canāt give you the normal schedule of service times that you would expect to see in the Pennant. All we can do is to ask you to keep an eye on your church notice board and the Three Valleys website (http://www.threevalleysteam.org) where we will do our best to give you up to date information.If I may remind you that above all else, Christmas signals hope for a better tomorrow so although things may look dark at the moment, we know that the coming of the Christ child signals hope for us all.
Let me join with the whole team in wishing you a Blessed Christmas.
Yours
Tony Gilbert
Team Rector