Alderton Village Newsletter - May 2024

Alderton Village Newsletter - May 2024

​Note from Editor:
Come on May, time for some sunshine and warmth! With two Bank Holidays this month there are lots of fairs and activities, as well as half term coming up. If you haven’t watched the infamous cheese rolling on Coopers Hill I highly recommend it, but please don’t take part…. I don’t want to write ‘get well soon’ notices for head/limb injuries next month!  Enjoy this month as we approach Summer and get more out and about.

Please don’t forget to check for Gareth’s sheep and lambs in fields (or Holly’s behind Cambridge Square) before letting your dogs off leads. Also see the bluebells on Dumbleton Hill they are particularly stunning this year (but be quick).    

​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.  The meeting itself will start at 7pm but doors will be open at 6 for refreshments and we are inviting local clubs and societies to publicise their activities. The meeting will report on events over the past year in the village and the prospects for the next, It is especially 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] 
The Parish Council is waiting to see details of pre- commencement conditions.
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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. Parish Councillors are meeting Pegasus on 25 April and will be asking them to engage with local residents before submitting their detailed plans.

PROPOSED NEW DEVELOPMENT - Land South of Dibden Lane [ 26 affordable houses]
As reported in the last newsletter, the Parish Council has submitted detailed highway comments on issues relating to this proposal. There have been no further developments.
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OTHER PLANNING APPLICATIONS
24/00234/FUL Alley Cottage, Beckford Road, extend height of front dormer and alterations

> READ MAY NEWSLETTER

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW STRATEGIC PLAN
Development of new Strategic Plan for Cheltenham Borough Council, Gloucester City Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council.  The initial period of consultation is complete. The outcomes are awaited.

DEFIBBRILLATOR
The new defibrillator has now been installed outside the Changing Rooms at the Playing Field. The first defibrillator is at Cambridge Square. Just a reminder that defibrillators are devices that give a high energy shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. Anyone can use one. There is no need for advance training. Full instructions will be made available as you access the device.

PLAYGROUND 
Quotes have been obtained to install fencing around the children’s play area.

FLOODING 
Recurring problems have been identified to our County Councillor and Gloucester Highways. We are awaiting a response.

ALLOTMETS
​The Council have applied for a grant to restore the old village shop, located on the allotments, for community use.

​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

SUMMER SUPPER - Friday 27th June, 6.30pm 
Our annual Summer Supper. Please put in your diary and more details will follow in June. 

NORTH COTSWOLD FOODBANK
Many thanks to all who contribute to the local Foodbank at Alderton shop. Over the last 12 months an amazing 244.68kg has been donated. A thank you letter is displayed in the window of Alderton shop. Your support is hugely appreciated.

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

COFFEE MORNING
Our next Coffee Morning is on Saturday 4th May 10-12. Come along and enjoy the delicious, homemade cakes, pots of tea and cafetiere coffee on sale.
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​GARDENING CLUB NEWS
www.aldertonvillage.co.uk/alderton-gardening-club
Phil Kitson/Tom Cullimore

At the April 2024 meeting of the Alderton Gardening Club we celebrated the sixth anniversary of our formation. Prosecco and superb cakes made by our secretary Julie Alvis were thoroughly enjoyed.

Our guest speaker Nick Morgan had an illustrious career as a tutor at Sparsholt College. After that he spent 23 years at RHS Wisley where he was superintendent of the glass house and propagation departments. Nick's talk centred around maximising the usage of your greenhouse. In fact, he supervised the building and planting of the new set of greenhouses at Wisley in 2007.

He began by urging the audience to buy the largest greenhouse they can afford or accommodate. Three main elements are critical for success, light, temperature, and humidity. Ideally a greenhouse should be sited with its ridge running east to west, maximising light levels in spring and even autumn. Nick stressed the need to keep the glass clean not just for hygiene but for growth as 1% light loss equals 10% less growth.

Nick took us through a growing year in his own greenhouse with a season-by-season guide on sowing a wide range of crops from early salad leaves and radish and pea shoots to later tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, peppers and chillies. He covered different types of feed and pests and diseases. Finally, he instructed us on the heating and insulation of a greenhouse. It was one of the most comprehensive, specialist talks we have ever had.

After speaking for 90 minutes Nick took several questions from the audience and sat down to a loud round of applause.

There are only 12 tickets left to sell now for our star guest Christine Walkden who will be coming on the 13th of June. Email [email protected] to secure yours.

Spaces are still available for the club's June 28th trips to Winterbourne and Castle Bromwich gardens leaving Alderton at 8.30a.m again contact [email protected] to book your seat.

Next meeting:
Crayfish on the lawn: Plants, People and Natural History
with Joff Elphick
Thursday November 9th
All welcome 7pm for 730pm start.
£3 members, £6 non-members

ST MARGARET’S CHURCH

FLOWER FESTIVAL AND SUMMER FAIR - Saturday July 27th from 10.30am to 4pm
The Flower Festival theme will be the Olympics and will be held in Church. There will be a variety of stalls in the Churchyard and then refreshments will be served all day in the Village Hall. If anyone would like to help on the day, either with the flowers (we are all amateurs!) or with refreshments contact Helen West ([email protected]) or Sarah Hughes ([email protected])
This will also be St. Margaret's Gift Day

​ALDERTON ACORNS 
www.aldertonacorns.org.uk

3. CLUBS/CLASSES

ALDERTON WANDERERS CRICKET CLUB
Rupert Kinder 07747614815

 For those new to the village you’ll have noticed we don’t have a cricket pitch, some might say we don’t have any cricketers, but we do have a Cricket team. Our matches are on Wednesday evenings against most of the other local clubs…..who do have a pitch….and cricketers….

Hard to believe with all of this rain but the season is now just a few weeks away and the Alderton Wanderers CC have a packed schedule. Aside from games nearly every Wednesday from 1st May to mid August, we also have an annual weekend inter-club game, not one but 2 matches against our friends over the hill in Dumbleton, including the Gordon Hayden Shield match, a mid-season tour to Porto (competing againstmembers of the Portuguese national cricket team – yes, they do have one), an annual trip to the Cheltenham Cricket Festival, the “B***** Good Bloke Award” and the end of season meal.

Oh, and as we enter our 2nd decade we’re also getting new caps!

11 years in and we continue to go from strength to strength, though not necessarily on the pitch, and we are always open to new players, young/old, male/female, regardless of ability. If anyone is interested in getting involved please do WhatsApp me on 07747614815.

BOOK CLUB
Meets every TWO months in The Gardeners Arms. Next meeting is 7pm Tuesday 4th June. The current books are Lucy Worsley’s “Agatha Christie, A Very Elusive Woman” and “The List of Suspicious Things” by Jennie Godfrey. You can read both or just one.

4. ANNOUNCEMENTS

5. WHAT'S ON

May 1st – 6th - Cheltenham Jazz Festival
May 3rd – 6th - Upton Folk Festival https://uptonfolk.org  
May 5th Suffolks - Sunday Market and Jazz Fringe 11am – 4pm, Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham
May 9th – 12th - RHS Malvern Spring Garden Show www.rhsmalvern.co.uk 
May 10th – 20th - Giffords Circus, Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe https://giffordscircus.com 
May 17th – 19th - Winchcombe Cotswold Walking Festival www.winchcombewelcomeswalkers.com 
May 18th - Cheltenham Pride March, 11am-12noon High Street and 12noon – 6pm Imperial Gardens
May 18th – 19th - Tewkesbury’s Big Weekend www.tewkesburybigweekend.co.uk 
May 18th – 19th - Eckington Village Open Gardens 10-5pm www.opengardens.co.uk 
May 25th – 27th - Gloucester Tall Ships Festival www.gloucestertallships.co.uk 
May 26th - The Suffolks Market 25th Anniversary May Fair 11am – 4pm, Suffolk Parade, Cheltenham
May 27th - Cheese Rolling on Cooper’s Hill 12noon onwards
May 31st – 2nd June - Wychwood Festival, Cheltenham Racecourse 

June 1-2nd Beckford Village Open Gardens 1pm -6pm www.opengardens.co.uk 

For more ideas look at www.visittewkesbury.info 

Alderton Newsletter has a new email address for you to send your
​contributions.  It is [email protected]
Next newsletter deadline 25/05/24