November 2011 Newsletter
Contents
Click on the item to go to the article. |
Editorial CommentChristmas is coming and in Trowbridge it all starts with the Christmas light switch-on on November 26th. There are a few other seasonal events in the Forthcoming Event section, but if you know of any events coming up in December that you would like us to include, please let me know. If you have a news item or event you would like to share in the next newsletter, please let me have your contribution by Friday 25th November. You can send it via email to To ensure we have the largest possible distribution, please would you forward this newsletter on to friends and neighbours and encourage them sign up to the emailing list via our website - |
Paxcroft Mead News
Town Council on the move
Trowbridge Town Council, as well as the Tourist Information Centre will shortly be moving into the refurbished and extended Civic Hall.
The Trowbridge Town Council offices at 10/12 Fore Street, Trowbridge, BA14 8HA will close at 5.00pm on Wednesday 30th November 2011 and re-open at the Civic Centre, St Stephens Place, Trowbridge BA14 8AH on Tuesday 6th December 2011 at 9.00am
The telephone number remains the same - 01225 765072
The Tourist Information Centre (currently located in Trowbridge Park) will close at 1.00pm on Saturday 3rd December 2011 and will re-open at the Civic Centre on Tuesday 6th December 2011 at 9.00am. The telephone number is also 01225 765072.
Hope Nature Centre wins Award
The Hope Nature Centre, based at Southwick Country Park, won Most Inclusive Approach at the Voluntary and Community Sector Awards 2011, which were held at the Corn Exchange in Devizes this month. This was awarded for the group's hard work supporting young adults with learning disabilities. The centre allows them to help out, on a voluntary basis, in the tearoom and around the grounds.
Improvements in Castle Place
If you have been into Castle Place recently, you will have noticed the new flooring in the entrance. This is part of a major redevelopment. The exterior of the shopping centre will get a deep clean, while the inside will have a major facelift, with new floors and lighting. The work is due to be completed by December, and will be undertaken in phases to minimise disruption for shoppers.
The owner of Castle Place is Legal and General Property, which has put forward plans for a cinema and hotel on the neighbouring St Stephens Place site.
The return of Past Times
Trowbridge shoppers who enjoyed browsing in Past Times last Christmas will be pleased to see the firm opening up in another town centre shop front. This is another pop-up shop, which will close when their short-term lease ends in the New Year, but they say they are looking for a suitable location to open a permanent branch in Trowbridge.
Francesca Fox - local Olympic hope
Hilperton may have a stake in the 2011 London Olympics is the shape of Hilperton rhythmic gymnast Francesca Fox, who was making her latest bid to impress the Great Britain Olympic selectors this month in Bradford. The 19-year-old and her teammates, who train full-time at the University of Bath, were performing in their second trial event in Yorkshire, hoping to win a place in January's London 2012 test event.
Despite her hectic schedule, Francesca has also filmed television appearances for quiz shows A Question of Sport and A League of Their Own, and was named Sports Personality of the Year at the Wiltshire & Swindon Sports Awards.
Paxcroft Mead resident convicted
The news that a local resident has been convicted for downloading child pornography is most disturbing. The man has been jailed for a year. The local Neighbourhood Police Team already has a plan in place for his release from prison.
Some items adapted from Wiltshire Times - all copyright acknowledged.
On Saturday 22nd October, a day blessed with fine autumn weather, an estimated 13,000 people saw the streets of Trowbridge come alive with the Carnival Spirit.
The crowds enjoyed floats, trailers, walkers, dancers as well as 4 marching bands all parading through town - lots of fun and laughter, lights, colour and sound as well as all the fun of the fair in the Court Street car park.
The Trowbridge Carnival Committee is an independent group of volunteers who all want to see a spectacular show brought to the town each year. Trowbridge is the penultimate Carnival on the Wessex Carnival Circuit and attracts large and small carnival clubs from all over the South West.
We are always in need of a few extra pairs of hands so if you would like to get involved in organising this great show, or helping on the night please get in touch with Maryrose Mantle by phone on 01225 711097 or 07866698278 or by email at maryrose@trowbridge.gov.uk
The Carnival AGM will be held at Roundstone School, Polebarn Road on Wednesday 18th January at 7pm - everybody is welcome - please do come along and see what we get up to during the Carnival year in Trowbridge.
Mark Hough reports there were 59 incidents rurally in the last calendar month of which 3 were in Paxcroft Mead. There were two incidents involving criminal damage and an accident at Paxcroft Farm.
There were 52 incidents in Adcroft and Paxcroft beat area, of which 4 were in Paxcroft Mead. Of these, there were 4 crimes - a theft of a bicycle and thefts from a garage, car and house. The was a minor injury accident in Garth Road and a case of drunk driving at the Red Admiral public house.
There was one rather unusual incident where a youth knocked at a house in Corbin Road and asked for money. The request was refused and the youth was seen getting into a car and being driven off. This appears to be a one off occurrence, but if anyone else has experienced a similar incident, the Police would like to know.
Mark also reports that the expected anti-social behaviour over the school summer holidays was negligible.
To see a full list of the Trowbridge area NPT priorities click here
Half Term Mobile Skate Park Event
The Community Forum's Mobile Skate Park Event, held at the Mead Community Primary School on the first Saturday of half term, was a tremendous success and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who attended.
The event was sponsored by Wiltshire Youth Service, who generously paid for the skate park hire, and enhanced by the presence of the Wiltshire Army Cadets, whose rifle range was very popular. The Friends of the Mead provided excellent refreshments and made us feel very welcome at the school.
There was a great community atmosphere, with lots of fun being had by all. We were heartened to see so many young families attending, as well as dozens of local youngsters and a good number of older youths. Around 90 young people registered to take part in the event and there were several sessions when all age groups used the course together, all with only the most minor mishaps and no incidents of inappropriate behaviour whatsoever.
This event was designed to raise the profile of the Community Forum skate park proposal and to raise the spirits of everyone who supports the idea of a skate park on Paxcroft Mead, and it certainly succeeded on both counts.
People in the Park - Public Meeting at the Community Centre on Saturday November 12th.
A dedicated team of Community Forum volunteers has been pounding the streets of Paxcroft Mead this week, delivering hundreds of leaflets explaining "People in the Park", a new Community Forum initiative which the members of the committee have been working on over the summer.
The People in the Park initiative was formulated in response to comments received that the Forum was focusing too much on the interests of youth with the skate park project, and neglecting the needs of other members of the community. We honestly believe that the skate park project will prove to be of lasting value to the whole community, but we resolved to rise to the challenge and have been working hard to develop an ambitious, but achievable, programme of improvements to the country park of obvious benefit to all age groups.
We have been heartened by the excellent response to our call for volunteers to help deliver the leaflets, and by the dedication shown in their prompt and professional attitude in carrying out the deliveries. If you live on Paxcroft Mead and you have not yet received a leaflet, please get in touch via the website so we can pop one through your door. We want to ensure that every resident hears about our proposals, but with over 1540 households, that is quite a challenge.
We are holding an Open Meeting about "People in the Park" at the Community Centre at 10.30am on Saturday 12th November. There will be a presentation about the proposals and an open forum, after a short break for refreshments. Everyone on Paxcroft Mead is warmly invited to come.
Outreach and Pre-school workshops
Trowbridge Museum's Education Service has just got better with the addition of an outreach service and regular workshops for pre-school and nursery children. Our new outreach service builds on the fantastic museum-based workshops we provide, by offering a range of different themed workshops in the comfort, convenience and cost effective surroundings of your own classroom. Options include Romans, Tudors, and World War Two and they cost from £1.50 plus VAT per pupil for schools within Trowbridge. This service complements our Museum based workshops which are a unique way of experiencing life in the past.
Our regular Monday “Trowbridge Tots” pre-school workshops are open to nurseries, child-minders and anyone who looks after children. We provide a range of exciting and fun themed activities including museum hunts, dressing up, object handling, arts and crafts, songs and nursery rhymes and a drink and snack is included with the cost.
If you would like more information on our new outreach service or pre-school workshops, or any of our other services, please contact the Education Officer on 01225 751339 or email at education@trowbridge.gov.uk.
Trowbridge's history is to be scrolled out…
The Museum gets enquiries from all over the world about Trowbridge's history and so Museum staff and BML Ltd have produced a high quality printed scroll on parchment effect paper containing a résumé of Trowbridge's fascinating history and development combined with an explanation of its unique crest. It will be bound in ribbon and will make the perfect gift for history buffs, friends and family. The scroll will be on sale at the Museum and on its new website, Trowbridge Information Centre, Waterstones and Pitts and will retail at £6.99. There will be an additional charge for postage and packing.
New Museum Website
If you haven't visited Trowbridge Museum's website recently then now is the time to have a look because it has been completely redesigned. The new site provides all the up to date information on what's happening at the museum together with a gallery showcasing our photographic collections and recent exhibitions and extensive coverage of the collections, Education Service and extensive information about the woollen cloth industry.
The site will feature products from the shop including hand-made jewellery and cards, publications and our unique range of hand-finished scarves, and for the more generous out there, you can now donate online. The website has been created by Dentons and it can still be found at www.trowbridgemuseum.co.uk. Take a look, you'll be really impressed.
Forthcoming Events
Armistice Day - November 11th
The Royal British Legion in Trowbridge will be parading at the War Memorial in the Town Park to observe the Two Minute Silence at 11am on Friday 11th November 2011. As well as being a unique time - 11-11-11-11 (1100hrs on the 11th day of the 11th month on the 11th year of the millennia) it also marks the 90th Anniversary of the Royal British Legion nationally - and also for the Trowbridge Branch which was founded in 1921! The Trowbridge RBL look forward to sharing this brief but significant and moving ceremony with visitors and the townsfolk of Trowbridge.
Remembrance Sunday
This year The Royal British Legion are organising the annual Remembrance Sunday events. Below is the timetable for the day.
Bluz 'n' Zuz November
The Bluz 'n' Zuz young people's discos are held at the Moo Moo (formerly Fever) Night Club in Castle Street, Trowbridge. The next session is on Friday 18th November and then on the 3rd Friday of each month.
Full details are available on the Bluz 'n' Zuz Facebook wall.
M·Stars at the Mead Club
On Saturday 19th November the M·Stars will be appearing. Entry is free to members and £1 to guests.
The M Stars Band have quickly become a professional sounding and well rehearsed unit, winning aclaim for their fast moving dance orientated performances.
Top 8-piece lineup :
John - lead guitar, Rob - base guitar, Graham - drums, Suzanne - tenor/alto sax, Pete - trumpet/flugal, Jodie - alto sax + two vocalists, Hayley & Becky.
The band come from a 10 mile radius of Midsomer Norton and are highly qualified musicians. With great audience responses and encores in such venues as Bowood House, Farrington Hootenany an dHaydo Music Festival
With a get up and dance feel, M·Stars perform soul/RnB/Rock 'n' Roll, from the 50s through to the 90s, also playing material from Amy Winehouse, The Maverick, Chicago, Madness and The Committments.
Town Centre Christmas Events
This year, Christmas events start on Saturday 26th November with a day of activities. The poster below gives full details
Friends of the Mead School Christmas Fair
A Dickensian Christmas is coming to Trowbridge Museum on Saturday 3rd December …
Our Father Christmas will be based on the John Leech illustration of the ghost of Christmas present from Charles Dickens ‘A Christmas Carol’ and the Lord of Misrule, so he will be dressed in a long, dark green velvet robe with fake fur trim and a garland head dress. His grotto will be draped in greenery and fake snow. Father Christmas can be seen on Saturday 3rd December, Saturday 10th December, Saturday 17th December, Wednesday 21st December, Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd December from 11-12.30 and from 1.30-3.00.
As well as our unique Father Christmas there will be an exhibition on the origins of Christmas, Christmas story telling, a Christmas trail, Christmas carol word play, fun facts about Dickens, a local choir singing Victorian hymns, spot the differences in the Brueghel the elder's winter picture, a lucky dip, and Christmas cracker and Christmas lantern making workshops for children.
The cost for children to see Father Christmas, to have a present and to have a photograph taken with our unique Christmas character is only £4.50 per child.
There will be a Dickens trail in the town with shops having images of a Dickens character on one side and the anagram of a Dickens book on the other. There will be a prize for the first correct entry pulled out of the box on Friday 23rd December at 3.30pm. We hope that the shop staff will join in the spirit of things and dress in Victorian costume.
Trowbridge Philharmonic Choral Society
The Trowbridge Philharmonic Choral Society will be presenting their Christmas Concert at the Holy Trinity Church on Saturday, 10th December at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10 per adult and children are free.
The programme includes Mozart's Coronation Mass, English Church music as well as a selection of seasonal music and carols.
Tickets can be reserved by calling the Society Secretary, Phillipa Roberts on 761364.
Sunday Club Christmas Lunch
Trowbridge Walking Forum - November 2011
The Trowbridge Walking Forum walks are designed to provide gentle and sociable exercise and are suitable for all ages and abilities.
Wednesday walks are approximately 2 to 3 miles and there is usually a choice of an easy, level walk and one that may include fields and stiles. On Mondays, walks alternate between a longer route of 4 to 5 miles with stiles and some hills, and shorter walks of less that 1½ miles that are mostly on paved paths.
The programme for November is shown below:
| Day | Date | Type | Route Options | Starting Point | Grade |
| Wed | 2-Nov | Moderate walk | Caen Hill Locks and Rowde (shorter walk possible - 2.5m) | Canal Car park, Caen Hill | E S H 4m |
| Mon | 7-Nov | Short walk | Seend | Village Hall, Rusty Lane, Seend | P M S 1½m |
| Wed | 9-Nov | Moderate walk | White Row Farm, Beckington | Park in road outside White Row Farm. Road leads off of A36 Beckington Roundabout | E S 2½m |
| Mon | 14-Nov | Longer walk | Potterne Skyline | Near the Youth Club, Silver St, Potterne | E H M P 4.4m |
| Wed | 16-Nov | Moderate walk | Rode and Tellisford | Vaggs Hill, off the Wingfield to Rode road | E H M 2½m |
| Mon | 21-Nov | Short walk | Paxcroft Mead | Budgens Car park, Paxcroft Mead | E 1½m |
| Wed | 23-Nov | Moderate walk | Seend canal walk | Village Hall, Rusty Lane, Seend | P M S 3.7m |
| Mon | 28-Nov | Longer walk | Bulkington to Marston | Brasspan Bridge at Bulkington | S M 5½m |
| Wed | 30-Nov | Moderate walk | Westwood to Farleigh Hungerford | Westwood Manor NT Car park | S M H 3.4m |
| Mon | 5-Dec | Short walk | Bradford on Avon town & rec. field walk | Canal Car Park (in Baileys Barn, off Moulton Dr, near Sainsburys) | E 1½m |
| Wed | 7-Dec | Moderate walk | Holt and Chalfield | Village Hall CP, Holt | S M 3.1 m |
| Mon | 12-Dec | Longer walk | Corsham to Neston | Corsham Sports Centre | S M 4.25m |
| Wed | 14-Dec | NO WALK | Christmas Lunch | To be decided | |
| Walks start at 10:30AM Bus timetables are at www.traveline.org.uk | |||||
| Short Walks: approx 45 mins, no stiles, mostly paved paths. Moderate Walks: approx 60 to 75 mins, mostly field paths, usually stiles. Longer Walks: up to 2 hours, stiles, some hills. | |||||
| Key: E: Easy walking. H: Moderate hills. S: Stiles. M: Can be muddy. P: Pub lunch possible. s/c: shorter route possible. | |||||
For more information visit http://sites.google.com/site/trowbridgewf/ or contact Alan & Anne on 01225 760492, David on 01225 755639, Mike on 01225 766668 or Pat & Charles on 01225 753735.