Open Letter from Malmesbury Carnival Committee 2020

Re Covid19 outbreak 

Dear residents,

Since the beginning of the crisis , the Committee has discussed in depth what the Covid19 pandemic seems to mean for the world and especially our country and of course, for Malmesbury. We have based our discussions, as you will have, on the information available to all via the various news sites etc, all of which continue to reflect an ever-changing and difficult  picture.

At this present moment in time the regular updates provided by the government seem to indicate that the country could expect that many of the current (and proposed) measures to combat the infection could well be in place for the greater part of this year.

It will come as no surprise to you that we all felt that the full programme of events – as currently planned-cannot and will not take place.

This view is based upon all the considerations currently guiding the government’s and everyone else’s thinking. 

Our carnival must take into account

 the high levels of risk involved in groups of people coming together; 

the stress that so many, if not all, of our committee members  may well be under as well as the needs all the providers of the programme’s events; 

the state of the numerous organisations and businesses to whom carnival normally turns to for help and sponsorship;

the need to maintain the carnival’s finances for the future  and, above all else, 

the huge uncertainty as to the overall state of our country and the local populace when the carnival month arrives.

However, the Committee is naturally reluctant to break the continuity of Carnival and so, to ensure that we have some events to brighten the month of August, we are looking at ways of presenting a smaller number of virtual carnival events  and we hope to be able to advertise this programme to you in the next few weeks.

We are also planning for the possibility, however slight, when the country is bathed in sunshine and has been given a clean bill of health by the government so that we can still celebrate carnival with a Procession, and possibly music, of some kind. After all, Carnival is by the Community for the Community.

We will keep you informed of all our plans via the carnival website  and Facebook 

With very best wishes, on behalf of all of the committee,

Mike Harding/Paul Overton (Co-Chairs) Linzi Renshaw (Secretary)Will Taylor (Treasurer)

Donate Your Medlars For A Bee-rilliant Cause! 

This autumn, Malmesbury-based Tracklements, the award-winning condiment-maker, is appealing for locals to donate their unwanted medlar fruit which may otherwise go to waste – give yourself a buzzy boost and give British bees a helping hand in the process! 

Tracklements will transform all medlar fruit donated into scrumptious Aromatic Medlar Jelly (sensational with roast meats or a good, strong Cheddar!). Available nationwide, 50p from the sale of every jar is dedicated to purchasing bee-friendly medlar trees which are not only noted for their beautiful blossom but their ability to attract the nation’s much-loved buzzing insects. 

TV presenter and local farmer, Adam Henson, says: “The Tracklements ‘Plant a Tree, Save a Bee’ project is a great way to help the conservation of bees. A brilliant scheme to be involved in; donate your medlars to help.” 

The Bumblebee Conservation Trust, adds: “We are delighted that Tracklements is taking on such an exciting and worthwhile project. Collaboration is so important in the world of bumblebee conservation, and we wish them (and the bees!) every success.” 

If you have any medlars you won’t be using and you would like to donate them to help save the bees, all you need to do is drop them off at Tracklements (SN16 0RD) from now – 3rd December. For full details on the project and on how to win a tree, visit www.tracklements.co.uk. 

In 1991, the Council of Europe and the European Commission set up European Heritage Days to encourage the appreciation and protection of Europe’s diverse cultural assets. They wanted to throw open the doors to historic monuments and buildings, particularly those normally closed to the public. Today, Heritage Open Days are held in September in 50 countries. England’s Heritage Open Days have grown into England’s largest heritage festival, with over 5,000 events held annually, including exclusive openings and family-friendly activities. This year, for the first time, the festival will take place on two consecutive weekends. It will also mark the centenary of the Universal Suffrage Act with ‘Extraordinary Women’ events, celebrating well-known and lesser-known remarkable women. To find a suitable event or open day near you, hvisit www.heritageopendays.org.uk.

Malmesbury’s First World Memorials Malmesbury Town Council, Town Hall, Cross Hayes, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9BZ A guided walk to visit all but one of the town’s memorials and some graves. A walk starting at Malmesbury Town Hall via Moravian Churchyard, Abbey, Triangle, United Reformed Church and finishing at the Cemetery, Tetbury Hill. More than 7 Memorials will be examined, their history explained and a number of war graves visited. Opening Times Friday 7 September: Tour 1400 Saturday 8 September: Tour 1015 Booking Details No booking required Access Although those with restricted mobility will be welcomed the walk uses narrow pavements (Abbey Row & Gloucester Road) and busy roads have to be crossed. The first part of the tour as far as the Abbey is more accessible. Additional Information Max 25 people per tour/session. Walk takes at least one and a half hours Contact for the day: Charles Vernon 01666 824376 Organised by Malmesbury Civic Trust

Athelstan Museum opens the Moravian Church Malmesbury Moravian Church, Oxford Street, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9AX Athelstan Museum has been working on restoring and converting the Moravian Church in Oxford Street Malmesbury. Now for the first time the finished building is open to the public. Last year we opened the derelict Moravian church in Malmesbury as part of the Heritage Weekend. This year we have finished restoring and converting it to further the work of the museum and for use by the community. Although we have made changes we feel the building still reflects its heritage. Do you? Come and see! Members of the Friends of Athelstan Museum will be on hand to chat and answer any questions. Opening Times Saturday 15 September: 1030-1630 Sunday 16 September: 1030-1630 Booking Details No booking required Athelstan Museum 01666829258 http//www.athelstanmuseum.org

My name is Frances Sheppard and I am standing for the Conservatives in the Wiltshire Council elections on the 4th of May. I am standing because I wish to help people when things can be done by the Council to improve the lives of Malmesbury residents.
I live in Malmesbury and work part-time at Hilditch Auctions. My husband works in Malmesbury too and our daughter attends nursery here. I love Malmesbury because it is such a welcoming, friendly town. I feel very fortunate to live in such a beautiful place and I am often out listening to local residents on the doorstep to find out about the kind of changes they would like to see here.
I am interested to know which local issues Malmesbury residents would like prioritised, and if elected I will ensure these views are heard on the Council and work is done to make things better.
For example, I would like to protect and defend the Neighbourhood Plan, to ensure future housing developments respect the wishes of local residents. There is more to be done to make our roads safer. This is why I have been identifying areas where dropped kerbs are required, in consultation with local residents, and work will soon be undertaken to make these suggestions a reality!
It is clear to me that listening to others is one of the most important aspects of a Councillor’s role, so I would welcome the ideas of as many residents as possible. Please contact me with your views on local issues, or if you would like me to campaign for something in particular.
Email: francessheppard@gmail.com
Tel.: 077 259 788 08
Wiltshire Matters profile: www.francessheppard.org

The first sunny Saturday of the year was perfectly timed for the opening of new Florist Persephone Violet. The shop was busy with customers delighted that the High Street premises, traditionally home to the town’s Florist, was snapped up by local Emily Hepworth, a ‘Young Florist of the Year’ competition finalist.

The first sunny Saturday of the year was perfectly timed for the opening of new Florist Persephone Violet. The shop was busy with customers delighted that the High Street premises, traditionally home to the town’s Florist, was snapped up by local Emily Hepworth, a ‘Young Florist of the Year’ competition finalist.

Coincidently Emily started her career at number 16 High Street, gaining a good understanding of the trade by working with local Florists Karen and Les Reynolds of Flowers Galore. Emily, who has completed her Floristry Level 3 National Diploma and Level 4 Higher National Diploma, both with distinction, started her business Persephone Violet in January 2014, aged only 18!

Emily, who specialises in wedding and event displays, decided on the name Persephone Violet (pronounced Per-seh-fo-nee) combining a reference to the Greek Goddess responsible for the seasons and a traditional flower of Greece.

As well as being a bronze medal winner at RHS Chelsea Flower Show for Young Florist of the Year 2015, she has also been named young business person of the year twice in the Cirencester Business Awards.

Persephone Violet is a blooming asset to Malmesbury, adding another local independent business to the already thriving High Street.

Westonbirt Charities Fair 2016
Tuesday 25th October 10am-7pm and Wednesday 26th October 10am-5pm
At Westonbirt School, Tetbury Road GL8 8QG
www.westonbirtfair.org

This year the Westonbirt Charities Fair will be bigger than ever. Taking place at Westonbirt School on the 25th and 26th October there will be 130 stalls full of exciting, unique products including fashion, accessories, jewellery, homeware, gourmet food, stocking fillers and gifts for children. There will be a new large Restaurant serving delicious hot food, salads, soups and sandwiches.
Upstairs in the school we will be having demonstrations on making Christmas Wreaths, Caring for Orchids and Exciting Gift Wrap which will be free to our visitors. Not only that we have an Art Exhibition, a Reindeer Hunt and displays of some amazing costumes loaned to us from the Wearable Art Festival. The beautiful gardens of the school will be open – these are stunning in October.
We also have some fantastic prizes to win in our Tombola and Raffle – and there will be the chance to win a drive in an Aston Martin.
The Fair will also be hosting a Gala Dinner on the Tuesday night with Dr Dawn from TV’s Embarrassing Bodies speaking. Tickets for this (£60) and entry to the Fair (£7.50) are available from our website www.westonbirtfair.org.
The Fair is not-for-profit and the charities we are supporting this year are Home-Start Stroud, the Nelson Trust, Acorns, National Star and Riding for the Disabled.
Further information and tickets can be found on www.westonbirtfair.org.

Further information from:
Stella Knight – stellaknight2@gmail.com
07879077500
01453 832265

Cotswold-based McGills Chartered Accountants has launched an innovative accountancy app for smartphones and tablets.

The firm, which has offices in Cirencester and Malmesbury, has developed the app which gives its clients instant access to a variety of tax and financial calculators. These include simple VAT calculators as well as more complex calculators including Salary versus Dividend or Company Car benefits.

The McGills App also gives instant access to the latest business and personal accountancy facts, key dates and tax updates in addition to the latest news from McGills.

Simon Nuttall, Partner at McGills, said: “We sum up our ethos as ‘great partnerships start here…’ which reflects the close working relationships we build with our clients. Keeping them informed and up to date is key to this and that is why we have developed this app.

“When we were founded 50 years ago, nobody would have dreamed of being able to provide such a wealth of information in this way. Our new app brings together five decades of accountancy expertise and the latest in modern technology.”

The McGills app is available to download now from http://www.mcgills.co.uk/keep-up-to-date-with-the-mcgills-app/.

The Malmesbury Concert Band’s annual musical extravaganza will be held on Saturday, 29th October, in Malmesbury Town Hall.
The concert, now in its ninth consecutive year, includes light classics, marches, much loved tunes from famous films, popular and big band numbers, and some quality original music for concert wind band.
The concert will again be under the direction of Tony Fleming, its conductor and musical director, now in his tenth year leading the band.
Mr Fleming said: “ We have put together a programme which will have something for everyone. The band includes some excellent musicians and I can promise a wonderful evening.”
Tickets, which will cost £8, or £6 for the usual concessions, are available from A4 Stationers, in Malmesbury High Street, or Michael Thomas butchers, in the Triangle, Malmesbury.
-ends-
More information from:
Web site: www.freewebs.com/malmesbury/concertband
David Hide – Tel: 01666 824148 or email: davidhide@hotmail.co.uk