Alderton Village Newsletter - April 2024

Alderton Village Newsletter - April 2024

​Note from Editor:
Oh my goodness, will this rain ever end? A smaller newsletter this month. Don’t forget to get any contributions in for May’s edition to [email protected] by 25th April. Any clubs, societies, what’s ons, public messages welcome.  

​Mary Merheim

You can receive this, and all future newsletters via email by signing up here: www.aldertonvillage.co.uk/newsletter-signup

1. ALDERTON PARISH COUNCIL NEWS

www.aldertonparishcouncil.org.uk
[email protected]
​
ALDERTON PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING
This will be held on Tuesday 7 May 2024 at 7pm in the Village Hall. Refreshments will be provided. As well as reporting on events over the past year and the prospects for the next, the Parish Council will be encouraging local clubs, societies and other organisations to use this meeting as an opportunity to publicise their activities. It is hoped that new villagers will take this opportunity to find out more about local events.

PROPOSED NEW DEVELOPMENT – Land West of Willow Bank Road [ 48 houses] 
Final permissions have been given and conditions established for the start of this development.

PROPOSED NEW DEVELOPMENT – Land East of St Margaret’s Drive [48 houses]
The Parish Council have been notified by Pegasus that they are acting for Freeman Homes who will be advancing a reserved matter planning application for 48 homes. Pegasus have said they want to engage with the Parish Council and local residents on the detail of the proposals they will be advancing. Parish Councillors will initially be looking to have an early meeting at which they will reinforce the need to engage residents.

PROPOSED NEW DEVELOPMENT - Land South of Dibden Lane [ 26 affordable houses]
Following discussion with their appointed Consultant, the Parish Council has now submitted detailed highway comments on issues relating to this proposal.

> read april newsletter

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW STRATEGIC PLAN
It was reported in the March newsletter that Cheltenham Borough Council, Gloucester City Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council were consulting on a new Strategic and Local Plan (SLP). The SLP will cover the three council areas and “ provide a new plan to deliver growth, manage development and protect our unique historic and natural environment.”

The Parish Council have submitted detailed comments on the initial thinking and a copy will be made available on the Parish Council website. We have now reached the end of this period of initial consultation.

DEFIBBRILLATOR
The Council have acquired a second defibrillator for the village at the Playing Field. The first is in the Cambridge Square phone box. Installation is the next stage.

PLAYGROUND 
Repairs to the gate and new patching of the surface have been completed.

FLOODING
Reoccurring problems have been identified to our County Councillor and Gloucester Highways.

ALLOTMENTS
A proposal from the Allotment Association to plant trees along the western boundary of the new allotments plot was supported.

All enquiries/correspondence to the Parish Council should be sent to [email protected]. Documents relating to the Parish Council can be viewed on www.aldertonparishcouncil.org.uk.

DATE OF NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING at 7pm, 16 April 2024 in the Village Hall.​

2. ALDERTON & GREAT WASHBOURNE NEWS

Welcome to new residents, wherever you live in the village! This newsletter is published monthly and tells you what’s going on. The village website is at www.aldertonvillage.co.uk and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aldertonglos

We also have various WhatsApp groups:

• ‘Alderton residents’ is for time sensitive information and answers to questions that locals know.
• ‘For Sale/Free’ is our group for selling and exchanging.
• ‘Alderton chatter’ is for chatting!
• ‘Alderton Coven’ is women supporting women.  

To join the first two message Mark on 07973 963539 or email [email protected]. To join the chat and women’s group message Mary on 07826 019476

GREAT WASHBOURNE NEWS
 Karen Cox / 01242 620633

FAMILY FUN QUIZ - Saturday 27th April, 6.30pm - 10pm in St Mary’s church
Our annual family fun quiz will be held in St Mary’s Church. It is suitable for all ages - bring your own team of 4-5 or join one on the night. Tickets: £12 adult (£6 u12s). This will include a 2-course Hot supper & there will be a Bar. Tickets are available from Jane 07711 623 017.
All funds raised will go to the upkeep of our church. We hope to see you there.

ST MARY'S CHURCH AGM - Monday 29th April, 7.30pm 
Will be held in St Mary’s church. Anyone is able to attend so please do come.

SUMMER SUPPER - Friday 27th June, 6.30pm 
Our annual Summer Supper.

VILLAGE HALL NEWS
www.aldertonvillagehall.co.uk
[email protected]  /  [email protected]

COFFEE MORNING - Saturday 6th April 10am till 12 noon. 
The Alderton Village Hall Cafe is open next Saturday 6th April. Delicious homemade cakes, tea and coffee and soft drinks - everyone welcome!

​GARDENING CLUB NEWS
www.aldertonvillage.co.uk/alderton-gardening-club
Phil Kitson/Tom Cullimore

​Another meeting and another wretched evening for weather! This though did not deter an audience of 54 who braved the elements to enjoy an excellent talk from Paul Green of Green's Leaves Nursery in Newent. In the audience Tom counted five people who were visiting us for the first time, so a warm welcome to them all.

Paul trained at Pershore College and afterwards set up his own nursery business. He attends plant fairs and shows throughout the country and talks about his plants regularly at gardening clubs.

As ever a large amount of stock was laid out on tables in the Village Hall with Paul talking about the plant or individual shrub's individual merits, growing conditions and maintenance requirements. Paul is a very engaging speaker and there was much interaction with the audience leading to much laughter. Some of the plants selected for his talk included Willows, Dogwoods, Prunus, Carex, Tradescantia, Polemoniums, Fatsia, Lonicera, Phormiums, Salvias and Chaenomeles.

After speaking for 70 minutes Paul then took some questions. Following this Chairman Tom spoke for 10 minutes about Hydrangeas and then updated everyone on the latest club news. He also presented our member Marie-Anne with a £10 gardening gift voucher for her winning photo of crocuses entered in the club's newsletter competition.
Following this the bumper 11 prize raffle was drawn by our guest speaker, and then it was time for everyone to buy plants!! Paul did a roaring trade on these and that was just for starters from the committee!

Nurserymen like Paul Green bring expert knowledge with fantastically interesting plants and shrubs to clubs like our own. He is a great speaker, and we will have him back again in the future. All in all, it was another lovely and successful evening...despite the weather!

Next month we welcome Nick Morgan from the forest of dean. He will be talking about how to maximise the use out of your greenhouse. Nick trained with Reg Moule at Pershore institute of horticulture and went on to become the head of the glasshouse section at RHS Wisley.

“Make the most of your greenhouse” with Nick Morgan
Thursday 11th of April
All welcome 7pm for 730pm start.
£3 members, £6 non-members

OAK HILL CE PRIMARY SCHOOL
www.oakhill.glous.sch.uk / [email protected]

Well what an egg-stravaganza the Easter celebrations were (slightly ahead of the Easter break) – our lovely school Easter service with Reverend Julia Hook and our amazing children delighted and was followed by a cracking Easter fair at the school attended by the wider community. Thanks to all our community support, we’ve raised an egg-cellent £1008.73 for diversity books in our libraries. Thank you to all who supported, attended and participated, donating or buying from the games and raffle - it was egg-straordinarily amazing achievement.

World Book Day provided a wonderful array of characters, our Key Stage 1 pupils are now all confident in their bike riding skills – thanks to the Bikeability team.

We’re looking forward to more swimming, trips to Nature in Art, Pizza Express and The Science Fair, to name a few.
Our academisation is due to begin with Primary QuEST in early May.

ALDERTON ACORNS 
www.aldertonacorns.org.uk

QUIZ & CURRY NIGHT - Saturday 13th April, 7pm for 7.30pm, Village Hall
Delicious homemade curries (including vegetarian), poppadoms and dips, delectable desserts, your favourite bar drinks (online card payments welcomed), and amazing raffle prizes! (inc. First Prize £100, Cheltenham Race tickets, a Hamper, Sudeley Castle Family ticket and much more).

Come and join us for a great night out supporting your local preschool and toddler group.
Get your teams of 6 together and join us for a night of fun! Raffle tickets available from Yari in the village shop, the team at Preschool and Toddlers, all parents of children at Preschool and on the night.

Thank you so much for your support.

To book your table call Sian on 01242 620906 or 07790 342157 (email: [email protected])

ST MARGARET’S CHURCH

MOTHERING SUNDAY 
We had a lovely Mothering Sunday Cafe Church which was well attended. People enjoyed the short service with small posies of flowers handed out to all people who care for others. Then drinks and cakes were also enjoyed! Over £100 was collected for the Mother’s Union.

CHURCHYARD TIDY UP
Thank you to all those who came to help to make the churchyard look smart - it looks especially lovely at the moment with spring flowers, particularly the primroses.​

ST MARGARET'S CHURCH AGM - Sunday April 14th after the 10.30am service.
Please do join us to hear past and future plans for the Church and share your ideas.
FLOWER FESTIVAL AND SUMMER FAIR - Saturday July 27th.

The Flower Festival theme is the Olympics -  we have a team of amateur flower arrangers so if you love flowers, please join us - it is fun! We would also value any helpers for the Summer Fair where there will be stalls in the Churchyard and all day refreshments in the Village Hall - do contact Helen West - [email protected].
This will also be St Margaret’s Gift Day - when we celebrate our Saint and donate money to support the running of our Church.

3. ANNOUNCEMENTS

IN MEMORIAM
The church bells will be rung ‘half muffled’ on Thursday 11th April at 6pm to commemorate the life of Josie Goodwin.

NOTICE FROM FRAMPTON FARM
​Sadly, even though we have made several requests in past years to the dog walking community, we are again experiencing incidents of out of control dogs being in with the sheep, chasing them and causing a great deal of fear and suffering for the livestock. Signs are being ignored and there seems to be little concern from some owners regarding the damage that can be caused.

We currently have heavily pregnant ewes and lambs, so we would ask that all dogs be kept on a lead whilst on the footpaths through the livestock fields. As we have said before, we appreciate it is a small minority of owners who are irresponsible and some may not even be from the village, but there is absolutely no excuse for letting your dog off the lead near sheep and lambs.

We never want to be put in a position where a dog would have to be destroyed for killing and injuring farm animals.
Many thanks for your co-operation.

Gareth & Mel Watkins, Frampton Farm

4. WHAT'S ON?

7th April - Roarsome Adventure, Cheltenham Prom near Waterstones. Meet a fully grown Raptor and 2 baby dinosaurs
14th April  An Introduction to Insect Identification, Family event. 10 – 12. Tewkesbury Nature Reserve
17th – 18th April - The April Meeting, Cheltenham Racecourse
18th April - Foraging on Tewkesbury Nature Reserve with Rob Gould: The Cotswold Forager. 
19th – 29th April - The 13th Cheltenham Poetry Festival
21st April - Tewkesbury High Street Food and Arts Market
26th April – 28th April - Teddfest 2024 Teddington Hands Truck Stop. Truck Show, £5 adults and over 12, 12 and under free.
26th – 28th April - Fresh:Art Fair, Cheltenham Racecourse

Alderton Newsletter has a new email address for you to send your
​contributions.  It is [email protected]
Next newsletter deadline 25/04/24