Edition 578 April 2025
Printed courtesy of Mrs Annette Haynes as a service to the community
Please email your entries for the May 2025 issue to: ThePennant@mail.com by 21st April 2025
Bradford Abbas Art Exhibition, 5th-6th April, 10.00am – 5.00pm
At The Old Mill House, Bradford Abbas (behind the school)
You are warmly invited to visit what promises to be another wonderful exhibition showing the amazing talent that thrives in this village. Entry to the show is FREE. Catalogues available for £3 each. Tea, coffee and cakes will be available to purchase. 20% of any art sales and all proceeds from the raffle, refreshments and entry charge will go to the Bradford Abbas Church Heating Fund.
So, bring your family and friends and enjoy this event in the studio at The Old Mill House and our thanks
go once again to Valda Baker for hosting this event, which will be a cheerful welcome to Spring.
The Bradford Abbas Artists.
Bradford Abbas Classic Car Show Saturday 10th May 2025
YEOVIL CAR CLUB is putting on an exciting CAR SHOW in Bradford Abbas on Saturday 10th May, with other local classic car owners bringing out their cars for us all to enjoy. Please bring your friends and family to enjoy this village event to be held in Church Road. The Pub will be open from 10am serving bacon butties and main meals from 12 noon. Tea and cake etc will be available in the village hall in the afternoon.
If you would like to book your classic car into the show, please ring Graham White on 01935 471814 or 07724 720398 after 6pm. Deadline for bookings is 19th April.
St Mary’s Community Trust
Thanks to everyone who came out to support our Big Breakfast on Sunday 9th March in the church. Not only did you enjoy a great breakfast at an affordable price, but you also helped us to raise £160 which has been handed over to the church for their heating project.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sunday 25th May – THE CHURCH THAT ROCKABILLIES
We have moved the date of our Spring event to the Sunday before the late May bank holiday. This year we’re a-fixing to go with a hillbilly theme. Pull on your jeans and check shirts and join us for an exciting evening of entertainment in the church, including a set by the Moonshine Hillbillies. Yee haw! There will be a bar and hot food. Reserve the date in your diary now and tell your friends.
See you soon.
Jo, Alan, Rob, Ruth, Trevor and Gary, The ST MARY’S COMMUNITY TRUST team
Rose and Crown, Bradford Abbas
We would like to thank everyone for your continued support of the Rose and Crown.
Our phone number has now been restored and you can contact us on: 01935 423199 for any enquiries.
We have some exciting events coming up throughout April:
- Breakfast: every Saturday from 10-12am starting from April 5th.
- Grill Nights: every Wednesday and Thursday evening from 5.30pm
- Takeaways: all dishes from our menu are available for takeaway
- Sunday Carvery: these are extremely popular, reserve your table to avoid disappointment
- Meat draw: every Sunday at 4.30, tickets are available all week for £1
- Quiz Night: Family quiz night on 11th April £2 entry pp, Teams of 4-6. Cash prize or two Carvey's for the winning team.
- OAP menu available Wednesday - Saturday from April 2nd.
Easter Weekend
Friday 18th: Good Friday; Fish and Chips for £10
Saturday 19th: Join us for an egg-citing adventure as the children search for clues around the garden to receive a chocolate treat between 2.30-4.30pm. £1 entry.
We have an Easter Hamper filled with Easter treats up for grabs, just £1 per ticket.
Children's colouring competition throughout April - FREE ENTRY with a prize for the winning entry
Tickets can be purchased throughout April and the winners will be announced at 4.30pm.
GEN X- Join us for an evening of entertainment from Gen X from 8.30pm
Future events:
Medium Night: Thursday 1st May Tanya Burns and her guests are returning to the Rose and Crown. This is a ticket only event, pop in or contact us to secure your seat. Tickets will be £10
We look forward to seeing you all soon, Arran Gosney and the team at the Rose and Crown
Chatty Craft
The next meeting is on Friday,18th April, between 2-4 pm at the Rose & Crown and thereafter the third Friday of the month. For further information, please contact Brenda Gosney on 07970159093 or Sue Gully 07812430092 ; 01935 471901.
The Friendship Club
Our next meeting is at 2.00pm, Tuesday 1st April at Bradford Abbas Sports and Social Club. There is Bingo, a small draw, Tea & Biscuits and a chance to have a chat and laugh with fellow villagers. New members will be warmly welcome. Our meetings are always on the first Tuesday afternoon of the month.
Monday Night Bingo
Every Monday at 6.45pm with eyes down at 7.15pm. at Bradford Abbas Sports and Social Club. Everyone 18 and over are welcome to our weekly light-hearted evening which also includes a small draw and a chance to win the SNOW BALL and of course a laugh and chat, we finish just before 9.00pm.
Bradford Abbas Sports and Recreational Club
Our current opening hours are: Sundays 2:30pm - 6pm, Mondays 7pm – Closing, Wednesdays 7pm – Closing, Fridays 7pm - Closing
We are pleased to announce local band Gen X will be playing here on Saturday 3rd May - The club will be open from 7pm, all welcome - bring along family and friends.
We have a vacancy for a new cleaner; please contact Clare Bagwell on 07484 136717 to discuss more details
Memberships are now due from 1st April please see the club for membership forms.
St. Mary’s Church, Bradford Abbas
CHURCH HEATING – As readers of The Pennant know, we are trying to raise £50,000 to install a modern heating system into the church. One way in which anybody can help is to take home one of our “spare change” jars. Why not pop into the church any Saturday morning to collect a jar and someone will be able to talk you through how the scheme works. (It isn’t complicated!) Any contribution you might be able to make or any help you can offer in other ways will be gratefully received.
On Saturday 1st March we held an Extravaganza Of Jazz And Beautiful Music featuring “Iain Houston and the Jazz Standards Trio” and “Amicale”. Thanks to the generosity of individuals who covered various expenses for the event, all the ticket, bar, raffle, donations and other receipts could be given over to the church heating fund. This amounted to over £1250! Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen and everyone who came along to spend their money.
Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th April ART EXHIBITION showcasing art by local artists with many works available to buy. The artworks will be on display at The Old Mill House (at the bottom of Mill Lane) – open from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and again on Sunday. A proportion of everything sold will go to the church heating fund.
Saturday 10th May CAR SHOW along Church Road, featuring classic and vintage cars. If you own a car which you would like to bring to the show, please contact Graham White who will be happy to give you details (07724 720398). We will also need help to man barriers at each end of the site and to collect donations / entry fees. If you would like to volunteer, please speak to Graham or Jenny Thomas or Gary Siggins.
Sunday 15th June SHERBORNE MARKET We have a stall at the Sherborne Sunday market, selling items made by Bradford Abbas folk. Find us on Half Moon Street, just in front of the Abbey. Please come along to the market that day and buy something from us.
UPCOMING SERVICES - EVERYBODY IS WELCOME
SUNDAY 6TH APRIL 10am Morning Worship (lay-led)
SUNDAY 20TH APRIL (EASTER DAY) 9:30am Holy Communion (led by George Moody)
SUNDAY 4TH MAY 10am Morning Worship (lay-led)
SUNDAY 18TH MAY 10am Holy Communion (led by David Dunning)
On Sundays when we are without a service here in Bradford Abbas, we encourage villagers to take in a service at one of our neighbouring churches. There is always a list of these on display in the church porch.
Variety Show BBQ – Date for your diary!
Sunday 29th June, 2 – 6pm at the Bradford Abbas Sport and Social Club. This will be an opportunity to meet, chat and share your ideas and enthusiasm and be involved in our Christmas Special Show (November 2025).
Look forward to seeing you there! Lou Silk 07786 626402
Sherborne Bradford Abbas Camera Club
- Tuesday 8th April: our first annual smartphone challenge – Three images taken over a week in March ‘within walking distance of my home’. Digital images only.
- Tuesday 22nd April;: this evenings speaker Rose Atkinson will do a presentation called “the Art of the Blur” – intentional camera movement, a voyage of discovery
We meet on the second and fourth Tuesday in the month at the village hall, time 7.30pm. See our website sbacameraclub.co.uk for further details, or follow our Facebook page.
Yeovil Railway Centre at Yeovil Junction
- Sunday 6th April: Steam Train Day with Peckett 0-4-0 Pectin
- Easter Sunday 20th April and Easter Monday 21st April: as well as Steam Train rides there will be an Easter Bunny making an appearance, and an Easter Egg Hunt
- Sunday 27th April: Model Railway Swapmeet (this is NOT a model railway show)
Further information www.yeovilrailway.freeservers.com
Bradford Abbas Parish Council
The Annual meeting of the Parish Council will take place in the village hall on Tuesday 1st April at 7pm.
The agenda includes Chairman’s Report, Reports from other Councillors and Clerk’s Report. All parishioners are invited to attend the meeting and there will be an opportunity to ask questions or make comments.
The Bradford Abbas and Clifton Maybank Neighbourhood Plan is almost complete and will be presented to the Parish Council shortly, after which the Plan will be made available for all parishioners to view and make comments on. Watch this space!
Blocked drains – we’d like to express our huge thanks to Chairman, Cllr Robin Legg, for chasing up Wessex Water regarding the discharge of sewage from the drain on Westbury, near the entrance to the games ground. It is hoped that the matter has finally been resolved. Just a reminder, please report any blocked drains to Dorset Council’s reporting portal: https://dorset-self.achieveservice.com/service/report-a-gully--drain-or-flooding-issue.