WELLOW CHURCH AND PARISH NEWS

MARCH 2001

Churchwardens: Mrs. J. H. Mannings, Mr. J. R. Wyld

FAITH IN THE FIRE

Last month’s front page article focussed on Ash Wednesday as the starting point of the Season of Lent. This is a special time in the Church’s Year when we attempt to grow further in the Christian Faith as we continue our earthly journey towards God.

This month we see what is available to us within the Benefice as we follow through the first five of the six weeks of Lent.

These weeks of Lent are traditionally a time when Christians (and others) can meet together to study the scriptures and the teachings of the Church, to hear of other Christians’ experience within the religious life and to relate our knowledge of God to the contemporary world.

Tuesday evenings

Churches Together is hosting a Lent Study Course entitled ‘Faith in the Fire’. It is being held in St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Ashgrove, Peasedown St John on Tuesday evenings, beginning on March 6^th. The study sessions begin at 7.30pm and finish at 9.00pm with light refreshments.

The schedule is as follows:

March 6^th: Faith facing Facts

March 13^th: Faith facing Doubt

March 20^th: Faith facing Disaster

March 27^th: Faith fuelling Prayer

April 3^rd: Faith fuelling Action

The course follows the same pattern as last year with a series of participants contributing to each week’s theme through written commentary and a tape. The participants featured on the audio tape are: The Archbishop of York, Rabbi Lionel Blue, Steve Chalke, Dr Leslie Griffiths and Ann Widdecombe MP.

Each week’s session begins with the leader introducing the subject, often being guided by the written commentary. This is followed by the audio tape. The session concludes with discussion on the week’s topic, enabling all those who attend to air their views and share experiences in the Faith (if they wish to do so).

I do hope that many people from Wellow will be able to attend the course. Last year’s sessions were very successful and those who attended found the period of study and discussion well worth while.

New study course for Wednesday mornings

This year there is another opportunity to learn and share the Christian Faith in our Benefice. A course is being held on Wednesday mornings at 10.45am, again at St Joseph’s Church, but this time to accommodate mothers with their pre-school children (although anyone is welcome to attend).

The sessions last for 45 minutes during which a 15 minute clip from the film ‘The Miracle Maker’ will be shown, followed by a short discussion and refreshments.

Hugh Bonsey

For details of Church Services in Wellow CLICK HERE

For details of Church Services in Peasedown St. John CLICK HERE

STATIONS OF THE CROSS AT ST JOHN'S CHURCH, PEASEDOWN ST JOHN On Thursdays of Lent for five weeks, beginning on March 8th, there will be the service of The Stations of the Cross at St John's: this will begin at 7.30pm. In this quiet and moving service we follow meditations of the Way of the Cross, walking with our Lord on his journey to the Cross.

MOTHERING SUNDAY AT ST JULIAN'S: MARCH 25th AT 11.15AM - FAMILY SERVICE On Mothering Sunday there will be a special Family Service, starting at 11.15am, in which flowers will be blessed and given to the children to give to their mothers. (Sometimes all the ladies in Church receive a posy!) This is a wonderful service which is often seen to mark the beginning of Spring. I hope that many people and families will come and enjoy this great occasion.

Church News

The hills will be alive to the sound of music on Saturday March 17^th when a Hymnathon will take place at Dunkerton Church. Why not go along and get sponsored for St. Julian’s Church Wellow? Group A will sing from 11.00 to 12.00noon. Lunch will take place from 12.00noon to 1.00pm, then singing again from 1.00 to 2.00pm. Group B will sing from 12.00noon to 1.00pm. Lunch will be from 1.00 to 2.00pm, then singing again from 2.00 to 3.00pm. Soup and sandwiches or something similar will be on sale at lunch times the proceeds of which will go to Dunkerton church. Sponsorship forms will be available for this and you can sponsor each hymn or give a lump sum overall which ever you prefer. If anyone is interested will they let me know (Joyce Mannings 833335) and I will see you get the forms, we do hope some of you will take part in this and help our church heating fund.

On Saturday March 31^st at 2.30pm we will be holding a jumble sale in the Village Hall, if you have any good jumble, or bric a brac for the white elephant stall, we would be very pleased with it, you can either let Jenny Nixon, Footman’s Cottage, The Square have it or me Joyce Mannings Nethercote Cottage, or if you phone me we can arrange collection. So have a Spring Clean and get rid of those unwanted items.

In May a team of us will be round the village to distribute gospels to every household of every denomination to mark the beginning of the new Millennium.

A lot of work goes into keeping the Churchyard tidy not only for Sunday Services but also weddings and funerals. We welcome people who want to wander round it, but recently there has been a large amount of dog fouling which has to be cleared up. Please don’t let your dog foul the churchyard and if it does please will you remove it, it is not fair to ask Charlie Kyte to do this as well as all the other work he does for us.

Churchwardens

St. Julian’s Churchyard

Charlie Kyte is a well known figure in Wellow, he has lived here for 40 years. For the first 24 years he worked on the farm owned by the Philips family, 12 years ago he retired and took over the care of the Cemetery from Bill Pritchard, this also included care of the Churchyard. The Council now of course contracts out the maintenance of the Cemetery.

Charlie is no stranger to church, as a lad growing up in Woodford, he and his two brothers and two sisters would go to church twice every Sunday where he used to pump the organ. Now he keeps the Churchyard mown and beautifully tidy, taking extra care for weddings. He takes great pride in the job with only one complaint and that is when dogs foul the paths and grass "it flies all over the show when I’m cutting it" He thought for a bit and then went on to say with a wry smile . "As I’m working away there cutting the grass I realise I’ve got over 40 men, maybe more, under me!"

Church Bells

On 17^th January 9 ringers attended our AGM in the ringing chamber, we had apologies from three more ringers. Despite it being bitterly cold outside we kept warm with a small heater and thick coats. We looked back on a successful year. We now ring on 3 Sundays in the month and at weddings, we have attended a training day and had an excellent outing, ringing at 4 different churches. The great triumph has been the restoration of the chiming mechanism which has been broken for as long as anyone could remember, thanks especially to Gordon Hewlett and Geoff Pike who did all the hard work and much more. Restoration work will continue in the Bell Tower and we are saving to buy new bell ropes, the present ones are thin and old and sticky and inclined to shrink in damp weather! We are glad to hear the PCC have agreed to fund an emergency lighting system in the Tower which would come on in the case of a power cut; to have heavy ropes flying about in the dark would be very dangerous. Thanks particularly to Brian Sutton for his patience and skill in teaching us. Our aim this year is to be able to ring Plain Hunt by places. Jill Tremellen secretary 

St John’s Theatre Club are planning a Day Trip to London to see The Mouse Trap and to visit the London Eye.

The date is Saturday 8^th September 2001. The coach will leave the Car Park of St John’s Church, Peasedown St John at 9.00am and will return around 10.30pm.

The cost for the whole day, which includes the coach,Theatre and the London Eye is only £45 per adult, £41 per child and £43 for Senior Citizens.

If you would like to join us for this super day out, please contact me as soon as possible.

Hugh Bonsey 01761 432293 or hbonsey@clara.co.uk

Minutes of Wellow Parish Council held at the Village Hall on Monday 19^th February

Mr. A. Colston and Mr. R. Humphreys gave an update on progress made by the now called Wellow Residents Association and of their meeting with our MP Mr. Dan Norris. Next month should start to see the results of their considerable efforts.

The Architect Carter Hughes, acting for Mr and Mrs Horler sent a new set of plans for "The Batch". The next step is to put the works out to tender

Our District Councillor, Gitte Dawson, will look into ways that action can be taken regarding the Fullers Earthworks in Railway Lane.

She reported on results of a Planning Meeting held on February 14^th which were:

The Banner at the village shop Passed

Mr and Mrs Pitt Middle Twinhoe Barn Passed

Mr and Mrs Colston Greenhayes Deferred

New Planning Applications received from Mrs N Letheby Middle Twinhoe Barn. Miss M Osborne Orchard Lea, Bath Hill.

Next meeting 8 0’Clock, Monday March 19^th, in the Village Hall.

The Parlour Shop

February saw the Battle of the Banner. Our hand-crafted sign had fallen foul of the planning officers, but after a stalwart fight by Councillor Gitte Dawson it won approval from B&NES. Many thanks to her and to the Parish Council which gave the shop its full support. The banner is the only means of letting people know that the shop is there and open; we hope it will continue to attract the extra trade we need. To assist local shoppers we are circulating a list of the basic items you can rely on finding in the shop; more exotic goods we can usually supply on request, given a little time!

Wellow Residents Association

Following our third leaflet, we are pleased to report a marvellous response to our appeal for funds - we have raised some £1,300 at last count - a big thank you to all.

An inter-parish liaison group has been formed with representatives from Peasedown, Norton Radstock, Camerton, Shoscombe, Hinton and Combe Hay. All have similar concerns, in particular traffic generation, the lack of anEnvironmental Impact Assessment and the lack of wide enough consultation.

Concerns have been heightened by the proposals for large scale commercial and residential redevelopment of the Fullers Earth Works on the A367 by the Odd Down Park & Ride. This was news to most of us! Our Traffic Consultant's report concludes that the traffic survey for the Peasedown site is inadequate, especially as it assumes no traffic generation between A367 and A36 through Wellow and Hinton. This report was included in joint representations made to Dan Norris MP last Friday. Mr Norris has assured us of his support and will speak to John Prescott on our behalf. Time is short as a decision must be made by 5th March. But this still leaves time to write to Phil Warry at the Govt Office! We will keep you posted through Parish Council meetings, the Parish Newsletter and website and through further leaflets. Alistair Colston 

Wellow on the Web

Wellow now has its own website which has been designed, published and is maintained regularly by Richard Holland. The site URL address, for those who have access to the Internet, is www.cromwellow.freeserve.co.uk

The aim of the site is to provide residents and visitors to Wellow with a comprehensive source of reference on the Local facilities and services, groups, clubs, societies, businesses, news and just about any other area of interest that serves our Community.

Do please visit the site, and if you wish to publish new articles or alter any of its current content please let me know. You can drop, leave a note or visit me at Wellhope Knowe, Station Road, Wellow or I can be contacted either by telephone/fax on 01225 833348 or e-mail to Richard@cromwellow.freeserve.co.uk

I would really appreciate feedback on this facility and would welcome input from anyone that feels able to contribute to its ongoing success or update me on any errors.

Poppy Appeal

We have just been sent the result of the collection for the Poppy Appeal last year when a record £286.18 was raised in Wellow. So thanks to you all for your very generous support and special thanks to those who did the collecting in the School, the Parlour and the Fox & Badger and to the ‘House to House’ team – it was pretty wet in early November.

Christopher Streat

6th October 1645

The remains of Ursula Hungerford are marked by a memorial and brass plaque in St Julian’s Hungerford Chapel. She wrote her own last Will and Testament "written with my own hands and although it be not clarkly (sic) penned, yet I desire it may be honestly performed to my good intentions and plain meaning."  She left, among other things, to "My brother Fitzwilliam Hungerford, Br. John Hungerford, and to my natural brothers and sisters each a ring to the value of 20s.  -  Five Pounds to the towne of Wellow, to be bestowed in leather buckets and five crooks to be kept in the Church of Wellow." One of her executors was her nephew Giles Hungerford; possibly it is his initials on the Manor House.

There are a few copies of the booklet ‘Wellow Walk 1843’ remaining. Price £5 in aid of St Julian’s heating fund. Gordon Hewlett  833781

The Lunch Club

This month’s meeting will be on Thursday 22^nd March. We hope everyone will be able to come. New members will be welcome; please ring Marian Osborne (832561) for more details if you would like to join.

Janet Earp Marian Osborne

Winners of the Village Hall 100 Club Draw

Thank you for your support

Brian Messer Chair

Wellow W.I.

The next meeting of the Wellow Women’s Institute will be on Thursday 8^th March at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. Our speaker Mrs. R. Caines will talk on Heraldic Crest China a subject which will appeal to many members. The competition will be for a favourite ‘China Ornament’. The scope for this is to encourage members to enter a piece they are particularly fond of. Members are reminded that Tunley will be the venue for the Group meeting on Tuesday March 6^th. New members are always welcome please just come along. Pam Brigden   

Wellow & District Horticultural Society

QUIZ EVENING Thursday 15th March 7.30pm Village Hall. We start off our new season of events with a light-hearted general knowledge quiz with your genial quizmaster Alan Taylor. Who wants to win a prize? All you need is a team of four to enter, cost £1 per person, so phone a friend! Bring your own favourite bottle and enter into the spirit of things. Light refreshments also available on the night.

Enter teams now by ringing Shirley Betts on 833683 to have a fun night out.

WELLOW CHILDREN'S GARDENING CLUB will meet next on Sunday 18th March 10.30am - 12 noon in the Village Hall.

WELLOW FLOWER SHOW will be on a new earlier date this year, Saturday 21^st July (put this in your diary now). This gives an opportunity for different vegetables, flowers and fruit to be grown and a chance for everyone to have a change. Schedules will be ready by May but now is the time to think about planning and sowing your winning entries. Further updates in this newsletter.

Mari Bartholomew

Bath Chronicle

I have to announce that, as from about the end of March, I will cease to be the local correspondent for the Bath Chronicle. For the past four years I have been sniffing out stories to report, and have been invited to make up news items by many co-operative residents of Wellow. However, much as I enjoy this sideline, lately I have found it to be at the expense of other necessary activities of life. Not just that, but my means of communication to the newspaper are far from satisfactory in view of the ‘need for speed’. Ideally I should use e-mail or fax, but I have neither and I don’t want to spend in excess of £1000 just to join the 21^st Century for what one could hardly call a part time job! Fortunately I have been able to locate a successor. Mrs. Kate Rowe who in fact was Chronicle Correspondent for a short while before me, has kindly agreed to carry on after me. Please make a note of her name and number 01225 835954.

I thank everyone who put up with my enquiries and who have given me of their time during the last four years, and I sincerely hope that you will be kind enough to let Kate know what is happening in Wellow. Remember - the Chronicle is happy to print stories about almost anything that is happening in our village. Are you celebrating a very special wedding anniversary, a 100^th birthday, undertaking a fund–raising project, business development, indulging in community affairs, at loggerheads with bureaucracy, etc. etc.? The list is endless. Again thank you for your co-operation, and good luck to Kate.

Alan Taylor 827894

Newsletter Please may I have copy for the April Newsletter by the 20^th March. There is a folder at the Parlour Shop, or you could drop it down to me at St. Julian’s Well, alternatively email me at: julians.well@virgin.net. Thank you.

Jill Tremellen