Edition 576 February 2025
Printed courtesy of Mrs Annette Haynes as a service to the community
Please email your entries for the March 2025 issue to: ThePennant@mail.com by 21st February 2025
AN EXTRAVAGANZA OF JAZZ AND BEAUTIFUL ECLECTIC MUSIC
Saturday 1st March (in aid of the Church Heating Fund)
An evening of fabulous entertainment with something for everyone……
Featuring Iain Houston on saxophone (ex: Bradford Abbas …’Ruby’ the Airedale’s owner!) with the Jazz Standards Trio, and Wendy Partridge on guitar (Bradford Abbas …’Mollie’ the Flatcoat’s owner!), with Amicale, a trio of friends who love to perform and entertain together, two with guitar and flute, and the other a master storyteller.
1st March in the village hall, Bradford Abbas
Doors open 6.30pm. £10 entrance.
Wine & soft drinks and pulled pork rolls available to buy. Raffle.
Come along to enjoy an evening of great entertainment and to support a much-needed cause.
Tickets available from church members or
Alan Fall tel: 01935 425747…..or book a table with friends and family.
Bradford Abbas Art Exhibition, 5th-6th April
Following the huge success of the first Bradford Abbas Art Exhibition in November 2023, we will be holding our second exhibition on Saturday 5th – Sunday 6th April, 10am-4pm, at The Old Mill House, Mill Lane, Bradford Abbas (behind the school). All welcome! All proceeds will go towards the Church Heating Fund.
If you are a local artist and would like to exhibit your work(s) then we would love to hear from you. Please contact Squish Harris, email: squisharris@gmail.com.
Rose and Crown, Bradford Abbas
We would like to thank everyone for making us feel extremely welcome as your new Landlord and Landlady of the Rose and Crown.
Our phone number should hopefully be restored from 31st January, when you can contact us on: 01935 423199 for any enquiries. Until then please call our temporary number on 07706865836.
We have some exciting events coming up throughout February:-
- We would love to invite you all to join us for our Grand Opening night on Saturday 1st February when we will have live music and a Hog Roast.
- Enjoy time with your loved one this Valentine’s and sample our Valentine's menu on Friday 14th February.
We are pleased to announce our first Charity event;
A Family Friendly Race Night on Saturday 22nd February, first auction is at 7.30pm.
Any funds raised will be split between St Mary's Church Heating project and Yeovil Heartbeat, in loving memory of Bob Hindle.
Please contact us to book your table.
Look out for Grill nights throughout February. Sunday Carvery has returned to the Rose and Crown. Bookings advised.
Please pop in, call us or contact us on social media for any bookings or enquiries.
Thank-you for your continued support and we hope to see you soon,
Arran Gosney and the team at the Rose and Crown
St Mary’s Community Trust
RECENT EVENTS
Friday 6th December – CHRISTMAS WREATH MAKING
We had about 20 people making wreaths and other Christmas decorations. If this is your sort of thing, why not join us in December 2025 when this event will come round again?
Christmas Eve – OUTDOOR CAROL SERVICE and CHRISTMAS RAFFLE
We estimated about 200 of you came to kick off Christmas with our outdoor carol service. Thanks for coming. It was a lot of fun. Our Christmas raffle was drawn with prizes of £300, £200 and £100 all going to people who live in the village. After paying costs and prizes, there was a surplus of £1000 which has been given to the church for the heating project fund.
Saturday 25th January – WASSAILING
At the time of writing, this has not happened but we are hoping to avoid the storms as we make fools of ourselves while keeping up a wassailing tradition.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sunday 9th March – THE BIG BREAKFAST
Join us between 9am and noon for a delicious cooked breakfast in the church.
Saturday 24th May – THE CHURCH THAT ROCKS
Back after a year off in 2024, we’ll have music acts to entertain you in front of and inside the church. 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
St. Mary’s Church, Bradford Abbas
REVEREND GEORGE MOODY
Following the retirement of Rev Tony Gilbert last summer and curate Jenny Nelson moving on to a new parish in Bradford-on-Avon, Rev George Moody has been our only paid member of the clergy in the Three Valleys Benefice, covering 16 parishes with help from retired priests and lay leaders. We are delighted to tell you that after going through the exhaustive and exhausting process surrounding these things, George has now been appointed as the rector of our benefice. We now hope that later this year the church will be able to appoint another vicar to share the workload and responsibilities.
Congratulations, George!
CHURCH HEATING – As readers of The Pennant know, we are trying to raise £50,000 to install a modern heating system into the church. Thanks to everyone who came along to our musical evening in the Village Hall on 11th January where we were treated to a variety of local acts. Our special thanks go to all the entertainers. This raised around £660 for the heating fund.
Please consider taking one of our “spare change” jars for an easy way for you to join in the fund-raising efforts. Perhaps pop in on Saturday morning to collect a jar and someone will be able to talk you through how the scheme works. Any contribution you might be able to make or any help you can offer in other ways will be gratefully received.
We have more events coming up to help the heating project. In early March (probably Saturday 1st March) there will be a jazz evening in the village hall (see page 1).
Over the weekend of 5th and 6th April, there will be an art exhibition, showcasing art by local artists with many works available to buy.
On Saturday 10th May, there will be a car show in the village, 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).
UPCOMING SERVICES - EVERYBODY IS WELCOME
SUNDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 10am Morning Worship (lay-led)
SUNDAY 16TH FEBRUARY 10am Holy Communion (led by Richard Kirlew)
SUNDAY 2ND MARCH 10am Morning Worship (lay-led)
SUNDAY 16TH MARCH 10am Holy Communion (led by George Moody)
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.
Chatty Craft
We are starting up an informal Craft Group to be held monthly in the afternoon at the Rose and Crown. Time and date to be finalised and will be published in the March issue of the Pennant. Come and join us to craft and chat on any craft you are interested in. All abilities welcome. For further information, please contact Brenda Gosney on 07970159093 or Sue Gully 07812430092 - 01935 471901.
Bradford Abbas Variety Club
Belated New Year wishes to you all and trust you all had an enjoyable festive season.
Our first planning meeting for the 2025 Variety Show was held mid-January. Sadly, it was poorly attended and with the diminishing number of performers coming forward, the ‘back-stage’ help outnumbered the cast!
In view of the above, it is with disappointment that we have to CANCEL the shows planned for March 2025. Whilst we appreciate that this will come as a significant financial disappointment to the benefactors in the village, we are hoping to do a VARIETY CLUB CHRISTMAS SPECIAL in NOVEMBER 2025 (dates to be confirmed).
We will only be able to bring you this show if we have enough performers! If you can sing, dance, juggle, play a musical instrument (or spoons even!), tell jokes, model balloons or act, we’d love to hear from you, regardless of your age! Please contact lou.silk@hotmail.com or come and join us at our Summer BBQ on Sunday 29th June from 2-6pm at the Sport & Social Club and have a chat with us.
Bradford Abbas History Society
It is with the deepest regret after 46 years that the committee has agreed to place the History Society into suspension for the foreseeable future. This is due to the drop in attendances and no one coming forward to take over the Chairmanship position. Future developments will be notified to the remaining individual members and also in the Pennant.
The Friendship Club
Our next meeting is at 2.00pm. 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 Parish Council
Ribble Valley Bus Service
This bus service is proving to be a great success and we would like to thank all those of you who have been using it on its fortnightly trips to and from Yeovil. Dorset Council and the bus service provider are currently looking at the possibility of fortnightly trips between Bradford Abbas and Sherborne, alternating with the current trips to Yeovil. Watch this space or Facebook for further announcements. (Please note, the Parish Council is supporting this venture through its Precept funding.)
Precept funding
The Precept payment (the amount the Parish Council charges via the council tax to fund its expenses) has been increased this year to 2.6% in order to meet increasing expenses. This amounts to £1.18 per annum on a Band D property.
Playing field
Please do not use the litter bins in the playing field for dog poo bags or used nappies.
Blackberry Solar Farm (previously known as Wyke Solar Farm)
As soon as we hear that a planning application has been made to Dorset Council regarding the solar farm, the Parish Council will convene for an emergency meeting to discuss the proposal and to vote on it. Residents will also be given the opportunity to write to Dorset Council to express their views. Please watch this space or see The Pennant’s page on Facebook.