December 2010/January 2011
Community Association
AGM – 21 October
Thanks to all our guests at the AGM this year – for attending, and for their many encouraging comments. And apologies for delaying the start while retrieving the meeting’s essentials (Village Stores wine, and glasses) from ‘the wrong car’. I won’t bore you with the details.
We reported another happy year in all kinds of ways. Total income for 2009/10 was £4,529 – higher than last year due to increased takings at the Fete.
The Carol Evening, Quiz Night, and Film Night in October were all sell outs, too. So it meant we paid out record grants to village organisations of £4,182, and also jointly funded with Fairthorne Trust the purchase of Christmas hampers for the elderly in the village.
Our purpose isn’t just to make money, however. We aim to help people enjoy the village community in many different ways. The committee works hard to provide the infrastructure for events, but they only happen with the help of hundreds of others.
Take the Dobbins for example, who last year lent us their garden for the Fete. That ‘loan’ entails an extraordinary amount of work for Jenny and David in preparing the garden, liasing with the committee for months beforehand, and helping from early morning in the set up to a mass clear up in the evening on the day of the Fete.
There are far too many others who help us throughout the year to mention by name. Perhaps the best thing is to focus our thoughts on just one person, Norman Large – a quiet symbol of our wide network of contributors. We lost Norman this year of course. How we will miss his expertise at the piano for our Carol Evening. Norman never asked for thanks, but just knew what was needed, year in, year out. Thank you Norman.
The
committee itself has had a stable year in terms of personnel, with just
three new members. So I’m delighted to report that Helen Baines, Julie
Carr, Frank Farquharson, David Fox, Andy Lewis, Ann Linton and Amanda
Potter were re-elected, and John Burdass, Susannah Mangion and Kelly
Sherwood elected for the first time. The Chairman, Secretary (Sue Booth)
and Treasurer (James Davys) were also re-elected. Our Honorary Auditor,
Jim Sanger, has again very kindly agreed to offer his services for this
year.
Film Evening (Brightwell BAFTAs) – Saturday 16 October
When
Helen Baines suggested some kind of film festival for our October
event, there were plenty of reasons to be nervous. Would we get enough
films? Would they be good enough? Would anyone want to watch them? The
answer was yes, yes and yes. Film has obviously touched a creative nerve
in Brightwell – for the young, not so young, and every kind of interest
group. 22 amazing films made this event exceptional. Thanks to all who
worked so hard to make it a success, from film-makers to designers to
cooks and clearers up.
Hugh Roderick
Son et Lumière
Ten years ago the village put on a show at St Agatha’s Church to look back at a thousand years of village history as part of the Millennium celebrations. It played to packed houses on two nights with some memorable performances from our deep pool of thespian talent.
Now we are re-staging the event with a new cast, new sketches and a revised script. It will feature Stone Age Brightwell-cum-Sotwell and a royal visit to the Red Lion; it will also celebrate the 200th anniversary of the village’s first (and only) Act of Parliament – which changed the landscape of our surroundings forever. A lot has happened in the village over the past decade and the new production will highlight recent events from our history. Leon Cobb has been providing new information from the village archives, Andy Lewis has devised new sketches and Alec McGivan has written verse reflecting on the more bizarre episodes from the village’s past. As before, the Primary School will be playing a key role in the production, with some dynamic shepherding from Wendy Murton. The technical team, led by Ray Carvell and John Burdass, promises dazzling son et lumière to make this an unforgettable experience. Rehearsals will begin in December.
David Dugan
Allsorts PreSchool
Note to self.... ‘Allsorts’of things to do before Christmas.....
Christmas Cards DONE! Pre-school children designing cards to be professionally printed. New kitchen .... DONE!. Thankfully generous grant from the BcS Community Association given so brand new kitchen installed and ready for Christmas and beyond. Go to the bank... Hooray money in the bank! –raised from pre-school firework party, Teddy Bear Drop and from Christmas card printing. Plan party... DONE! Staff are organising staff/committee/parent bowling night Children’s party - last week of term. Book entertainment for grandparents and visitors... DONE! Children have learnt nursery rhymes all this term (encourage angelic expressions whilst singing).
Children can also provide any number of nursery rhyme/fireworks based pictures.
Tidy garden .... DONE! Pre-school working party and WI worked together to do this last term. Christmas Presents .... DONE! Children making presents in school. (Prepare for lots of glitter!) Go to Christmas Show .... DONE! Tania Bevis splendid as award-winning leading lady in Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action award ceremony. Write letter to Father Christmas .... To include: Continued support of the village for pre-school New and enthusiastic committee –DONE! Chrissy Jenkins & Rachel Nickerson – Co-Chairs Paula Moulton – Secretary, Sharon Daly- Treasurer Andrea Gray, Emma Smith, Jo Arnold – Fundraising. Thank you letters... Outgoing committee to thank them for everything they’ve done.School staff –to thank them for teaching/encouraging/caring for all the children (and taking them off our hands for a few hours per week).
Alison Wood for handing over her garden to pre-school for the fireworks party –and for making mulled wine.Church –for money raised from Teddy Bear Drop.WI –for continued help with garden.To any villagers who have donated toys and books.
Rachel Nickerson
WI
‘The evenings are drawing in.’
Once the holidays and light evenings are over, our evening -meeting attendance starts to swell again. Membership numbers now include people outside our village, who have been attracted by the strength and liveliness of Brightwell cum Sotwell WI.
We were delighted to host the Headmaster of Wallingford School, Mr. Willis, in September, in what must be the busiest of school terms. Mr Willis gave a refreshingly upbeat assessment of young people in our local community and their achievements. We felt secure in the knowledge that they would all have the very best support and encouragement to succeed in life. Angel Spencer Harper, assisted by her husband, giving a talk on Graphology, proved to be an amusing double act. We were confronted with the subconscious signs reflected in our handwriting.
In a very short time frame we produced a film for Brightwell’s own film night. The main part of the filming had to take place in one frantic evening. Thank you to Karin Matthews for making sure it happened and to everyone who piled into my small house, in good faith, to don 1940 clothes and take part. We had enormous fun in the making of it. We owe an enormous debt to Julia Costello and Chris and Helen Baines for supporting us in our ventures this summer in film making and sales of ‘Lady at the Well’ posters.
For more information- http://www.bcs-wi.co.uk/
Sue Collett
The Village Stores
Hello again! Firstly I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who helped towards making our open day a wonderful and successful event.
Christmas at the shop
Our first Christmas, I don't think I have been this excited since receiving my Malibu Barbie! I have tried to create a festive atmosphere in the shop and am thrilled with the Christmas selection of stocking filler ideas, Christmas table treats and other festive goodies. We have launched a 'Hamper' service. How many times have you bought a pre packed hamper but wish you could replace the jam for marmalade and the wine for beer? With our hampers you can have exactly want you want. Choose between two sizes of baskets, choose as much or as little as you would like to fill your hamper and for a small fee we will wrap all your goodies together for you to take away that day. If you don't have time to select the items yourself, if you give us a list of likes and dislikes we will happily make a hamper up for you.
Other Important Information!
From the lovely comments I have been receiving in regards to the stocking of the shop I feel that we are finally getting the right mix of products. There are some areas that are still causing problems and these are milk and newspapers and magazines. May I remind you we are still only four months old and ask you to please continue to bear with us while we find solutions for these problems. Delivery of milk is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and unfortunately being a small community shop we have to stick to certain delivery requirements by the suppliers and the solution is not as simple as order every day. As for the dreaded papers we also have strict guidelines there too. We carry minimal excess stock as returns incur a charge for the shop. To avoid disappointment please ask us to save a paper for you. We now ask if you do have a paper saved on the weekends to collect before 11am or it will be placed back on the shelf for resale. I know these problems have been frustrating for some customers and I am aware it is vital to respond to my customers’ needs but I have to moderate that with sensible stock control. After all, my job is to make this enterprise a sustainable business for the community.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Stephanie Clelland
Apple Day and the Village Fruit Press
Glorious autumn weather enticed over 200 visitors to the village Apple Day at the Red Lion. This was the second Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Apple Day. Last year there had been an exhibition of the results of the Environment Group orchard and fruit tree survey. After such a success last year we suggested using the event to raise money for the St. Agatha’s Church Extension Appeal this year.
The pub had a record number of people for the apple themed Sunday lunch and the Orchard Market overflowed with visitors tasting and buying over 15 different varieties of apples, local traditional cider, jams and chutneys made with village fruit and local honey.
Fruit expert Paul Chilton, displayed an incredible 53 varieties of apples from the village, fruit many visitors will never have heard of - Annie Elizabeth, Golden Russet, Monarch, Newton Wonder, Lord Derby, Norfolk Beefing, Miller's Seedling, as well as the favourites, Blenheim Orange, Ashmead Kernel, Lord Lambourne and Spartan.
Over £700 was raised on the day including a generous contribution of takings from Viv Moll, Brightwell Bees and all sales of Harp Hill cider made in Little Wittenham by Andrew Lea. We would like to thank all those who gave their fruit to sell and juice and those who helped on Apple Day.
This enjoyable event has once again helped to promote the enormous harvest of fruit we have in our gardens and orchards. Paul still has a few apples to identify but it is clear we have at least 60 different varieties of apple in the village. A lot of these are trees over 100 years old. The newest trees in the village are in the orchard planted in the school earlier this year.With luck they will be producing fruit for next year's Apple Day.
Alison Bloomfield