Box News
THE NEWSLETTER OF BOX VILLAGE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE - FREE TO ALL RESIDENTS
Box Village website - www.box-village.com
Selected Pastries from the Spring Trolley
“It’s behind you . . “
- see page 12
Once again a glittering cast of
characters from Box and her
environs entertain us handsomely this time in ‘Robin Hood’
The Future of Box Wood
- see page 2
issue 104, April 2015
HEARTS AND FLOWERS
Many congratulations to Mark Robinson and Gail
Hodgson who were married on April 1 at 12.00 at the
Registry Office in Cheltenham. The village organised a
collection and they were presented with a voucher for
Covent Garden by Chris Ames which Gail and Mark
were thrilled about. We all wish them much happiness
in their future together.
The latest news on our mission to
preserve Box Wood for the
unrestricted use of Box villagers
Election Fever in Box! - see page 27
A fascinating insight into the way the
General Election was conducted
around 100 years ago, from a Box
resident’s perspective
Parting of the Ways
- see page 7
Joy and Richard have moved on!
An affectionate thank-you for
their contribution to village life.
A message from Gail and Mark
Matron’s missing her bugle
- see page 22
The joys of Jerusalem Artichokes
explained in rather too much
detail . . .
The Vigil is now ‘Box Bar’
- see page 15
New title, same old hospitality!
Meet with your friends and
neighbours at Box Village Hall
on the first Friday of every month
Photo Competition Winner! - see page 16
The winner of our fifth Photo
Competition is . . . you’ll have to
turn to page 16 to find out. Please
have a go in the next competition!
"We would very much like to thank all the people of
Box for the wonderful way in which you have adopted
Gail as an honorary villager over the last three years,
for all the cards that you have sent and above all for
the very generous voucher for the opera at Covent
Garden. We have yet to decide what we will be going
to see but we will be thinking of you as we indulge in
this delightful treat."
BOX VILLAGE SOCIETY
All Box residents are Members
In the December issue of Box News I reported on the
special meeting of the Box Village Society held on
October 29th which gave overwhelming approval to
the committee’s proposal to continue investigating
the possibility of the village buying Box Wood. If the
village was successful in its purchase of Box Wood the
plan was that it would be leased to the
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust for 99 years and that
they would manage the property for us at no cost to
ourselves. By the end of January we had received
assurances that this proposal was agreeable to them.
We then obtained expert opinion on the value of the
wood. This strengthened our view that the value of
the wood was less than the £145,000 which the
Novalis Trust had paid for it in 2009. Since then new
rights of way had been established in the wood, a
covenant had been placed on the wood restricting
development and the state of the woodland was
poor. In addition we felt that raising £145,000 would
be beyond our capability. On March 13th Steve
Hemmings and I met Gordon Coles, the Chairman of
the Novalis Trust and
Jake Lukas, the Chief
Executive. We put
our case to them
arguing that our plan
would enable them
to go on using the
wood for their
children’s lessons at
no cost to themselves
and that it would keep the wood in its entirety as
opposed to selling it off in bits, an outcome no one
wanted. We offered £115,000 and this was accepted
subject to their Trustees Board agreeing on May 1st.
Assuming that the Novalis Trust Board agree to our
offer, our plan will then proceed as follows: a subcommittee of the Village Society will be established
to raise the funds for the purchase. Residents in Box
and the surrounding area will be approached for
donations. In 2009 we only had a short time to obtain
donations and were not able to approach people in
the surrounding area, and yet we know that many of
them use the wood. A second part of the campaign
will involve approaches to charitable foundations and
other organisations. As funds accumulate, we shall
establish a ‘charitable company limited by guarantee’
which will be the purchaser of the wood. This will
have a small number of directors and its main and
immediate task will be to lease the wood to the
Gloucester Wildlife Trust. This trust will draw up a
management plan for the wood in consultation with
the company and the residents of Box. If for some
unforeseeable reason the company was unable to
continue, Minchinhampton Parish Council has agreed
to take on the responsibility.
The committee of the Box Village Society are hoping
for your full support in this policy which will ensure
that the wood belongs to the village for ever to be
enjoyed by ourselves, our children and grandchildren.
If you have any questions, helpful suggestions or
comments, please contact Steve Hemmings or myself.
Postscript: At the Box Village Society AGM held on
March 25th the meeting voted to reaffirm the decision
of the earlier meeting to work towards the purchase
of Box Wood following the course outlined above (33
in favour, none against and two abstentions).
Chris Law, Chairman, Box Village Society.
JUST A CLICK AWAY!
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
What do Brazil and the US have
in common with Box? Well, after
UK, the largest numbers of
visitors to the Box Village
website so far this year have
been from Brazil and the US.
Our new website is fast
approaching its first
anniversary, in May. It was
never designed to be a static
site, but has continued to evolve to meet the
requirements of its users. The Home page changes almost
weekly – promoting coming events, news and other items
of interest to everyone in Box.
We have over 80 pages of information on box-village.com
and since the start of 2015 there have been over 4,500
‘page views ‘, peaking at 482 during the week of 15th
March. Not bad for our small community.
So, what are people looking at? Well, the Top 6 pages
viewed in this period were: Box Bridge Club, What’s on in
Box, Box Village Hall, Box contacts, Groups and one of our
recommended walks.
If you haven’t already got into the habit of checking what’s
going on in Box, make sure you click
on the Home page regularly and even
explore the mine of information that
is available on our website.
APRIL
18th: Air in G ‘Magical History Tour’, Beatles
celebration, 7.30pm Box Village Hall
21st: Box Gardening Club, ‘Container Gardening’,
Jon Mason, 7.30pm BVH
28th: Box W.I., Painting Restoration, Paul
Isemonger, 10.30am BVH
MAY
1st: Box Bar, 6.30pm BVH
7th: General Election, 7am - 10pm BVH
9th: St Barnabas Church, Concert ‘Darling Buds
of May’ 7.30pm
10th: Concert ‘Tea for Two’, 3.30pm BVH
16th: Nailsworth Festival starts
26th: Box W.I., Resolution Debate (members only)
30th: Novalis Trust meeting: Box Wood
JUNE
5th: Box Bar, 6.30pm BVH
18th: Box Art Group, Term ends
21st: Box Gardening Club, outing to Stoberry
House and Garden; Henley Mill Garden and
Nursery, Wells
23rd: Box W.I., 25th Anniversary Garden Party
(members only)
It gets even better! We will soon be
launching Villager’s Corner, where
anyone in Box will be able to share
useful information, such as favourite
Capture this QR code on your
pubs and places to eat, potted
smartphone or tablet to take
you directly to our website
histories of their cottages, and even
www.box-village.com
jokes on the website. There will be a
PRIZE for the best entry each quarter this year. Please send
your contributions to Steve Hemmings, [email protected]
Tony Hadfield
JULY
3rd: Box Bar, 6.30pm BVH
16th: Theatre Group, ‘Absent Friends’, Alan
Ayckbourn, Playhouse Theatre Cheltenham
17th: Box Gardening Club, North American Plants
in British Gardens 7.30pm BVH
24th: Box W.I., ‘Hydrotherapy’, Jacquie Adams,
10.30am BVH
THANKS TO VERA HARVEY AND HER FAMILY
Vera Harvey and her family have very kindly donated a
box of historical information to the village and we hope
to share some of this with you in future editions of Box
News. Vera has also donated a copy of ‘Far From His
Native Land He Lies: The story of Men from Amberley,
Box and Woodchester who gave their Lives in Two
World Wars' by N J Thornicroft. This has been an
extremely useful resource for the features we have been
running entitled "We will remember them".
Newcomers to the village may be interested to know
that there is a booklet, 'Box as I Remember' by Ethel
Smith, Vera's mother, that gives a fascinating insight into
Box village during her lifetime. Copies are available
through Box Village Society.
Keep in touch with all the happenings in Box: just
send an email to [email protected] and ask
to be added to the village information email list.
And hey presto!! You will know almost everything
that is going on in the village and surrounding area!
(NB if you are already on Chris Ames’s email list,
there’s no need to register on the BVH list).
3
BOX FRIDAY MORNING COFFEE
How lovely to see so many villagers, their families and
friends coming to our coffee mornings in the Village Hall.
You can always be assured of a
good brew, varied biscuits and
plenty of chat on Friday
mornings between 10.30 am and
12.00 noon. So if you haven't yet
been why not come along . . .
On December 19th we
remembered and celebrated
Daisy Wood's long life and
enjoyed a magnificent cake
supplied by Veronika and
Vagn Madsen.
On January 16th Marianne Lengemann who often
attended Friday Coffee was remembered by villagers
and numerous friends. A wonderful spread of German
cakes and biscuits was on offer baked by those who
attended.
We shall miss these two long-time residents of Box.
Daphne Edwards and the Coffee Team
INDEPENDENT ESTATE AGENTS
LETTINGS, AUCTIONEERS & VALUERS
An established local family firm
supported by a friendly loyal team
who all live locally, specialising in
the sale of traditional country
properties throughout the
Cotswolds and the Severn Vale
Stroud • Minchinhampton • Painswick • Mayfair
01453 755552 01453 886334
01452 814655 0870 112 7099
www.murraysestateagents.co.uk
4
NAILSWORTH FESTIVAL
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Sadly in January we had some break-ins, one to a
house, two to garages and some outhouses where they
stole valuable chain saws and other tools along with 5
bikes, and also an attempted car break-in. This is very
rare in Box but it does remind us all that we cannot be
complacent. One thing the police did say is that if you
are going away for any length of time, please leave
some lights on timers so that the house isn't left in
complete darkness. I have noticed on a couple of
occasions when walking through the village at night,
cars being driven at speed through the village. I think
they are using the village as a rat run between
Nailsworth and Minchinhampton, so they would notice if
any house is in darkness for any length of time. It is so
easy to leave lights on timers, so please think about it.
I notice too that a number of residents have had new
burglar alarms fitted since these incidents. PLEASE
remember to let a trusted neighbour have a key and the
details of how to turn the alarm off in case it goes off in
error when you are away. We had a number of incidents
a year or so ago of alarms going off at all hours by
mistake which do not make for a peaceful
neighbourhood, or happy neighbours!
And finally we have had notification from the police of a
large white van containing two possibly eastern
European males who appear to be driving around the
area looking into the front gardens of properties,
possibly looking for scrap.
We have a lot of builders in the village so it is easy to
just think that vans are something to do with them, but
please just be aware of what is going on and if you see
anything suspicious dial 101 and report it directly to the
police (not to me). Let them be the judge of the
importance of any incidents.
The 2015 Festival starts with the family fun
of Festival Saturday on May 16th in
Mortimer Gardens, Nailsworth. Once again
there will be a wide variety of market stalls
below Mortimer Gardens selling many kinds
of foods, gifts, snacks and crafts. And
around the corner in Market Street the
traders will be spilling out onto the street
with café tables and stalls accompanied by a
programme of entertainment provided by
local street performers.
The legendary poet Roger McGough has
been booked to headline the Festival on
Saturday 23rd May. During the Festival
there will be a range of musical performances to suit most
tastes: jazz with the Huw Warren / Iain Ballamy Quartet;
local singer-songwriter, Hattie Briggs; classical music from
the award-winning Sacconi Quartet and three of the best
musicians on the folk scene, performing as Leveret.
Bestselling Gloucestershire author Dinah Jefferies will give
a talk about her work. Bristol Old Vic Theatre School will be
presenting the classic restoration comedy “The Beaux
Stratagem”. Finally, improvisational comedy will be
provided by Instant Wit.
There is a very full programme of exhibitions, walks,
workshops, drama and other activities planned for the
week.Go to www.nailsworthfestival.org.uk for full details or
get hold of a festival brochure from the Town Information
Centre (where you can also buy tickets), the library or any
of a number of shops in the town.
Contact: Tim Hughes Festival Publicity,
01453 836993
HIRE OUR VILLAGE HALL
Box Village Hall is available for hire, both to residents
of Box and those who live elsewhere. The Hall is a
spacious, light and well-equipped venue, ideally
suited to parties, receptions, club meetings,
If you would like to receive the Neighbourhood Watch
anniversaries, dance functions and concerts. There is
Messages sent to me from the police which I then
a fully-equipped kitchen, folding tables and chairs, a
PA system and Loop installation for those with hearing
forward, please contact me on
aids.
[email protected] or call 01453 836468.
Seating capacity when
Stay safe and enjoy the spring!
using our tables and
Pauline Temple
chairs is 80 persons,
maximum capacity in
accordance with fire
regulations is 100.
Let’s hear from YOU!
The Hall is available for
Contributions to Box News are welcome from
rental at attractive rates:
anyone connected with Box, past or present. Just
Box Residents: £6.00
send your copy in by email to the Features Editor
per hour
Jacquie Hanks ([email protected]).
Non-residents: £12.00
We can accept handwritten or typed pieces too,
per hour, or £16 per
however you prefer to work we will be able to
hour on Saturdays
handle it! Naturally, the Editor reserves the right
All Business Users
to reject or shorten contributions where he
(anyone who makes a
considers they may be too long or otherwise
charge for their services, whether resident in Box or
unsuitable.
not): £12.00 per hour, or £16 per hour on Saturdays.
Please contact Jane Storey on 836649 or email
Please DO send in your pictures - we would like
[email protected] for enquiries or to
Box News to be as lively and colourful as possible!
5 make your booking.
VALERIE ANN JARVIS
10th December 1933 – 12th December 2014
Valerie Ann Taylor was born in Earlsfield in London on
10th December 1933, the youngest child of Robert (a
local butcher) and Ada Taylor. She had a happy
childhood, attending the local school and church,
enjoying gymnastics and dancing, going on summer
holidays to her farming cousins in Hessett in Suffolk
and surviving a bout of scarlet fever, from which she
always remembered the trauma of having to have all
of her possessions burned, including her favourite
teddy bear.
A teddy bear theme
continued
throughout her life.
She would rue the
day that she threw
out an old bear that
turned out to be a
valuable Steiff. Her
knowledge of
antiques and teddy
bears fortunately
improved and she
enjoyed collecting
both throughout
her life.
Valerie showed an independent spirit from an early
age, driving her elder siblings to distraction with her
frequent attempts to escape through the front door
and windows, to experience life 'outside'.
As an evacuee during World War II in West Yorkshire
she decided she should escape back home to the
family in London. Not knowing the way, she was
found determinedly striding along the railway tracks
on which she had travelled north, with her small
suitcase and standard issue mask heading back
towards London. Her second placement led to fonder
memories but ultimately she was too homesick and
elected to spend the remainder of the war in London.
She subsequently accompanied her father, an ARP
Warden, on his duties and therefore saw many of the
terrible sights of destruction and death at first hand.
On Valerie's first 'grown up' holiday to Newquay in
Cornwall with her best friend, aged just 17, she met
Derek, who was at the RAF base in St Mawgan. She
fell in love and a long courtship commenced whilst
Derek completed his international RAF service as a
flight sergeant on flying boats, including seeing active
service in Korea.
She married Derek in 1957 and as
newlyweds they both worked
together at Petrofina in London. They
moved in with Valerie's parents for
several years whilst Derek returned to
night school and they saved up a
deposit for their own home, in
Cheam, where they had their first
child, Simon, in 1964. Following a
move to Fleet in Hampshire, Ann was
born in 1970. The whole family
moved to Box in 1976 and Valerie
became an active member of the
village community.
Valerie was a natural carer both to
her own children and in acting as
'second mum' to some of their
school friends. She would take in waifs and strays of
both human and animal kind - including Dusty the cat,
Hood the crow, Jemima the duck and Archimedes the
sparrow hawk.
In later years she worked as a personal tutor and NVQ
assessor with Stroud College, as a housemistress at
Stonar School in Wiltshire (accompanied by her
beloved golden retriever Bella) and as a Vice Principal
of Stroud Court Community Trust, a home for autistic
adults. She worked here well into her 70s.
Valerie was still running around supporting 'old
people' when she had her first stroke in October
2011, which sadly left her largely bed- and housebound. However this did little to quash her character,
sense of humour and fervent pride in her children and
two grandchildren.
Having lovingly and efficiently run the household
throughout her marriage, there were plenty of smiles
(and occasional chiding) as she watched Derek having
to take on those duties alone, a role he has
undertaken loyally and without complaint for three
years.
Valerie passed away in Gloucester Royal Hospital on
12th December, with her family staying with her day
and night and holding her hand at the end. Although
we cannot know how much awareness Valerie had in
those last days, she would have thought that a very
fitting way to transition to her next great adventure.
BOX TABLE TENNIS CLUB - WANTED!
Volunteers to help organise and run the Club
The club is one of the longest established clubs in Box dating back to
1979 when two Table Tennis tables were donated to the Village Hall.
Since then we have updated and acquired two further tables. Until
recently we regularly had four tables in use on Sunday evenings during
the winter months. However it is a club with mixed fortunes and at times
has been dormant! We would very much like to continue with the club
but need more support from villagers to keep it viable. If you would like
to be involved or chat about its future please contact Jacquie on 836287.
USE IT OR LOSE IT!
6
TWELVETREE VOICES
A FOND
FAREWELL
Young Choir to Sing for St Barnabas Box –
Priority Booking
Many of you will know Elizabeth Rogers, who was
brought up in Box. Elizabeth now lives in London and
in her spare time sings with the BBC Symphony
Chorus. As well as performing throughout the BBC
Proms, they also sing regularly with the BBC
Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Concert Hall.
Elizabeth has put together a small choir - the
Twelvetree Voices - comprising a group of her friends,
many of whom are leading young members of the
Chorus. This May she will bring the Twelvetree Voices
to Box for a weekend of concerts in the village.
We say goodbye
and send our
best wishes to
Joy and Richard
Way who have
moved from Sun
Cottage, Scar
Hill, over the
valley to
Nailsworth (not
too far really, I’m
sure they won’t
lose touch - Ed).
Village members
would like to
extend thanks to
them for organising and managing so capably our last
two Open Garden Events in Box. Open Gardens
requires a lot of careful planning, dedication, and
hard work on the day. On the second occasion they
also arranged for the sun to shine! Richard and Joy
have helped to run Box Table Tennis Club for the last
few years and through their expert coaching skills
have encouraged young and old to raise the standard
of their game. We hope they will continue to wield
their bats with us on occasions.
The first of these concerts will be on Saturday 9th
May at 7.30pm in St Barnabas Church - Darling Buds
of May. Tickets are £7 and proceeds will go to The
Friends of St Barnabas. The programme features
Gerald Finzi’s setting of Seven Poems by Robert
Bridges – ‘a wide-ranging quintessentially English
setting of lyrical poetry resulting in some of the finest
unaccompanied part songs.’ In addition there will be
a selection of choral settings of traditional songs from
around the British Isles. Composers include Ralph
Vaughan Williams and Robert Pearsall.
The second concert, Tea for Two, will be at 3.30pm
on Sunday 10th May in Box Village Hall, with tickets
at £10 which will include tea with scones and cake.
The repertoire for this concert will be close harmony
arrangements of popular songs from across the
decades of the twentieth century, plus a few extra
surprises!
Proceeds from this second concert will help raise
funds for Stroud Choral Society’s project to set up
“the Minpins” children’s choir.
Tickets for both concerts are available from Mark or
Anne Rogers and can be reserved by email via
[email protected] or by telephone 01453
833588. Seating is limited in both venues and the
concerts are expected to sell out. This email is being
sent to villagers in advance of general publicity which
will start in mid-March to give them a priority
opportunity to book tickets for what should be
memorable events in our local church and village hall.
This brief interlude for the Twelvetree voices precedes
a busy summer. They will be singing with the BBC
Symphony Orchestra and Chorus the following
weekend at the Barbican in a performance of Berlioz Trojans and the Death of Cleopatra – featuring local
internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Sarah
Connolly. Later in the year the Symphony Chorus will
be singing at the first and last night of the Proms as
well as a number of times in between.
7
St. BARNABAS CHURCH
Spring has sprung! After the drabness of Lent it was
good to see the church decorated with spring flowers
for Easter. We are grateful to Sarah Mosely and her
band of helpers who made the church so bright and
colourful for Easter Sunday.
We look forward to the concert on Saturday 9th May at
7.30 p.m in St Barnabas Church. It is very appropriately
entitled "Darling Buds of May". It is being organised
for the Friends of St Barnabas by Mark Rogers. The
concert is being given by "The Twelvetree Voices" who
are members of the BBC Symphony Chorus including
Elizabeth Rogers who grew up in the village and is
known to many of you. It should be a most excellent
occasion. Tickets are £7 each and are available from
Mark Rogers (01453 833588). Do come and join us.
Details of the services held at St Barnabas are posted
on the church noticeboard along with contact details of
the clergy. The church is open everyday throughout
daylight hours for those who wish to enjoy a moment of
peace and reflection.
Colin French
PETE THE FISH
Pete visits Box on Tuesdays, 10.30 –
11.30 (except after Bank Holidays) at
the Village Hall car park. All fresh
fish, the only frozen items are prawns.
8
GARDENING CLUB
Spring 2015
We made a good start to 2015 with a well-attended
AGM on January 20th. Members had sent in a wide
range of questions beforehand, so our panel of
experts could do their homework in advance. Lynda
Brown, Chris French and Tiggy Lessner could have
kept going for a lot longer, had time permitted! Mark
Rogers ably hosted the event, which took place after
our official business had been addressed.
Our first talk of the year was given by Will Scott, an
architect with a deep knowledge of the history of
gardening and in particular Walled Kitchen Gardens.
He gave us a witty and informative tour of his own
garden at Rose Terrace, Fort Royal Hill, in the heart of
Worcester city. Will and his wife have restored the plot
from dereliction. They grow all their own vegetables
and herbs, as well as selling plants and herbal
products. It would make a great place to visit. Further
details are on the NGS Yellow Book website.
On March 17th we shall be welcoming Keith Ferguson,
to speak on North American Plants in British Gardens –
illustrating some of our favourites in their original
habitats.
A TRIBUTE TO ROY KENYON
Roy was born and bred in Lancashire, a fact that he was likely
to mention soon after meeting you. He proved the truism that
you can take the man out of Lancashire but you can’t take
Lancashire out of the man!
He took his first of many holidays
to the Isle of Man where he met his
future wife and best friend Barbara.
After 3 years National Service
serving all over the world he finally
came home and married his
beloved Barbara. Roy was
determined to improve his lot and
moved several times in search of the perfect job and lifestyle
for Barbara and their family. He eventually settled down in
Nailsworth working for Stroud District Council in Dursley
mainly dealing with housing matters.
Roy took early retirement and invested his pension in a
bungalow in Hampton Green and he and Barbara both joined
the church in Box and took up a second career as a self
employed meat inspector.
They had a total of 5 grandchildren who they regularly
entertained at Dane Croft.
As a couple Roy and Barbara were as near as perfect as you
could get and they took part in many Village activities
particularly St Barnabas Church. Roy was devastated when
Barbara lost her battle with cancer not long after retiring and
sadly he never recovered from this loss. Although his last
years were lonely and sometimes sad he kept his faith and
made the most of life. He loved his Rugby League on Sky, his
garden and its birds, his motorcycle and of course his family
and friends. Roy was a regular Sunday visitor to St Barnabas
Church always dressed like the true gentleman he was.
He will be sadly missed by all but he is now at peace and at
last reunited with his wife Barbara and son Andrew who was
9
tragically killed in a motor accident some years before.
John Mason, Head Plantsman at Highfield Garden
World, is coming in April to share his love and
knowledge of container gardening. We will surely learn
a lot from him!
Details of our summer outing have now been sent out
to members. This time we are visiting two gardens
near Wells in Somerset, on Sunday 21st June: Stoberry
House and Garden and Henley Mill Garden and Plant
Nursery. Should be a good day!
Further on in the year, we are planning a Summer
Lunchtime Picnic for members and their guests. Mark
and Anne Rogers are kindly offering their newly
improved garden as the venue. The date: Sunday
August 16th, starting at 12.00 noon. Details will be
sent to members at a later date, but we decided it
would be a bring-your-own picnic, so if we are unlucky
enough to get rain, you can munch at home!
Our meetings take place on the third Tuesday of the
month, in the Village Hall. Tea and coffee are served
from 7.30 pm and talks begin at 8 pm. Membership
costs £15 per individual, and £25 for family
membership. Non-members in the village and any
other guests are charged a small fee of £3 to help
cover costs. New members/guests are always made
welcome.
Diana Hayward – Chairman.
PREPOSTEROUS PARAPROSDOKIANS
8. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
Winston Churchill loved paraprosdokians, figures of
speech in which the latter part of a sentence or
phrase is surprising or unexpected.
9. Women will never be equal to men until they can
walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut,
and still think they are sexy.
1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it.
10. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind
the fall of a
successful man is
usually another
woman.
2. The last thing I
want to do is hurt
you, but it's still on
my list.
11. A clear
conscience is the
sign of a fuzzy
memory.
3. Since light
travels faster than
sound, some
people appear
bright until you
hear them speak.
12. I used to be
indecisive. Now I’m
not so sure.
4. If I agreed with
you, we'd both be
wrong.
5. War does not
the famous PM
determine who is
right - only who is left.
6. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom
is not putting it in a fruit salad.
7. In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case
of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR."
potty?
13. You're never
too old to learn
something stupid.
14. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
15. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
16. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any
more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
(cont. p94)
Sean Kelly
THE MAN IN THE GARAGE (R2000N)
Over the years many people have stopped to pass
the time of day as I beaver away in my garage fettling
this, tightening that and generally making sure that
my Morgan is up to scratch. The more people who
stop and chat the better I like it, I probably know
most of the villagers by face but with my memory few
by name!
The reason for the hours spent is simple. Preparation
for “The Morgan Speed Championship” which is a
series of Sprints and Speed Hillclimbs taking place at
venues across the length and breadth of the UK
including classic locations such as Prescott Hill Climb,
Holiday Cottage
available on the Village Green
Weekly or weekend lets available
Call Carolin or Bill Morris - 834562
www.boxgreencottage.co.uk
Goodwood, Castle Combe, Silverstone and Aintree.
All these historic names are where the great and the
good of
motor
racing have
plied their
trade over
the
decades.
Sprinting
and
Hillclimbing
is in theory
a simple
sport i.e get
The chicane at Goodwood 2010
from point a) to point b) in
the shortest possible time
without falling off the blackstuff! The reality is
somewhat different with many technical, mechanical
and human ingredients all having a direct impact on
the end result.
This year I thought I would share my diary with you
and report back on the successes and failures of the
season and in doing so explain some of the
challenges of finding that all important one hundredth
of a second that makes the difference between
winning and losing!
10
Rob Toon
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY WEEKEND
performed in front
of an audience. It
was just wonderful
and although I was
only on stage for
about 5 minutes, I
will always
remember that I
have trodden the
same boards as so
many famous
actors. We were
exhausted but had been treated with such respect by
the director and staff. We were told we could claim that
we had all been members of the Royal Shakespeare
Company if only for a short time!
Last November I was lucky enough to attend a weekend
of workshops followed a few weeks later by acting on
the stage of the RSC.
This came about because the RSC runs something
called Open Stage to encourage amateur societies to
perform Shakespeare plays. Every two years societies
can enter their production for consideration. Then the
director of Open Stage will come and watch your play
and consider whether or not to invite the society to
perform an extract on the stage of the RSC over a
weekend.
The Cotswold Players have been invited on the last two
occasions and last November I was fortunate to be part
of the production of Romeo and Juliet which had been
chosen. It was the most wonderful experience for an
amateur actor like myself to appear in this famous
theatre!
This year the RSC is auditioning amateur actors to take
part in next year’s professional touring production of
Midsummer Night's Dream. The amateurs will play the
parts of the Mechanicals, who are amateurs in the
production. Cotswold players did not get through the
first audition stage but The Arcadians did - they are
made up mostly of Cotswold Players so it feels like a
success. I did not even get through the players’ audition!
Now the Arcadians will audition again in Nottingham
later in the year and if successful will perform a whole
week’s run at Stratford. Amazing!
We arrived on the Saturday morning and after coffee we
went to a rehearsal room for an acting workshop with a
tutor from R.A.D.A. It was amazing. There were six
companies performing that weekend and we then had
an hour each to rehearse on the stage. A long lunch
followed and then we were free, having done our hour!
Sunday was a morning workshop followed by dress
rehearsal with all the other companies in the afternoon.
Then our big moment came in the evening when we all
Carolyn Dolan
11
BOX PANTOMIME – ROBIN HOOD
Another successful show. Thanks to everyone who took part
and to those within the Village who provided that extra little
bit to help the show along!
It wasn’t without its traumas however! Three of the cast
sustained injuries just prior to the show and two more were
quite poorly, but in true tradition the show had to go on.
Only Sean Kelly had to pull out after Thursday’s performance
due to a pulled leg muscle. Steve Hemmings and Mark
Rogers very capably stood in at extremely short notice to
cover Friday and Saturday respectively. I hear cries of “Oh
no they didn’t!”, but oh yes they did. We’ll give Sean a
gentler part next year: the savagery of Brendan Clements
and Roger Ogle as Morris Men was too much to cope with!
See you next year!
Chris Ames, Director
12
13
NEW YEAR’S EVE ‘CRAAZZEE HATS’ PARTY
You don’t have to be crazy to live in Box, but it helps!
A startling selection of titfers tottered through the doors of
the Village Hall and an enjoyable evening was spent
admiring the astonishing creations, playing games, and
doing quizzes (all with a hat theme of course!). Supper was
followed by judging the ‘Best Hat’ contest, and competition
was fierce. We then danced to the Andy “Lightning” Pettit
disco and welcomed the New Year in with a glass of
champagne. Thanks to Carolin and Bill Morris for organizing
the party. A profit of £48 was made and donated to the
Village Hall fund.
Anne Forbes’s winning entry
the fabulous finalists
the blameless organiser
14
NEWCOMERS PARTY
On February 8th in our traditional fashion we welcomed
newcomers to the village of Box. A number of our newest
residents were able to join us.
Penny and Chris have
moved into Thyme
Cottage, Ian and Anna to
Well Cottage, Bev to
Rowan Cottage, Kath and
Alvero to Candlelight
Cottage. Katrina, Adam
and girls to Hillside, Pam
to Jasmine Cottage and Jo
and Steve to Box Inn
Cottage. We wish them all
the very best and hope to
see them at future Box
events.
15
1st
PHOTO COMPETITION
Brian’s overall winner
“Doors” was the subject
Thanks to everyone for entering the photographic
competition. It’s great to see some new people entering
each time!
Our theme this time was Doors, of which we have a good
selection!
The winner this month was this exceptional door sent in by
Brian Dowling, the question on everyone’s lips is Brian,
where is it? Congratulations Brian, a bottle of wine is
coming your way.
2nd prize goes to Rosie Toon, a first time entrant with her
beautiful Greek door, and 3rd prize goes to Beris Hanks for
his door in the UAE.
The theme for our next competition has been requested
and should keep a few of you busy: MY PET with
captions. Don’t forget only 2 entries per person please
(not your entire photo library which I received last time!)
All entries please to [email protected] by Monday
8th June.
Pauline Temple
3rd
2nd
This is how the Photo
Competition works:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Open to all residents of Box
and Hampton Green
No professional photographers
or award winning photographs
please!! (to give us all a chance!)
All ages welcome to enter.
Please encourage our young
people to get involved!
Clever, creative even funny
photos will be smiled upon!
Extreme digital editing will be
frowned upon!
Entries limited to 2 photos
per person.
16
‘WACKY RACES’ IN BOX VILLAGE HALL
On February 28th an excited band of villagers entered the
Village Hall in keen anticipation . . .
No, there wasn’t a horse in sight and we were treated to
race events of a different sort: The Sheep Stakes; Zebra Vs
Human Sprinter; Bicycle Bedlam;
and Cheese Rolling being among
them. Of course winners got wacky
prizes as you can see from the
fetching head gear worn by the
technical
wizard of the
evening,
Andrew
Pettit.
A huge
thank you
must go to
John and
Ginny Martin for all their hard work
in organizing this very entertaining
night out and providing us with
such a scrumptious three course
meal. The ultimate winner was Box
Village Hall as the event made a
profit of £94.09.
So why is our Chair Person looking
so glum after getting three
rosettes?
Photo Competition continued
MADE TO MEASURE
Curtains, Roman Blinds, Wooden Venetians and Roller Blinds
Cushions, Knitted Cushions and Knitted Garments
Alterations
17
[email protected] Tel: 01453 835614 Mob: 07500 220011
Marguerite Abbatt “Daisy” Wood
b. 21st December 1914 † 7th December 2014
English and woodwork in the Waldorf School and Daisy
gave private lessons in English.
Marguerite Abbatt Wood was born at the beginning of
WW1, on 21st December 1914 in Milnthorpe,
Westmorland now Cumbria. More than just the name of
the county she was born in has changed in the time
since Daisy was born. She remembered that her home
was lit by oil lamps, that they went to bed by candle
light, and that one of the teachers at the village school
came on horseback.
They returned to England in 1960 to work at the
Cotswold Chine Home School. At first they lived in a
garret, in a tiny single room. Later on they moved down
into Box village. Daisy was a very good class teacher, full
of humour and consistent in her approach. Cotswold
Chine had challenging children, but Daisy did not have
problems with them and many of her old pupils stayed
in touch over the years.
At the age of
eleven Daisy won a
scholarship to a
private school in
Kendal. After
gaining her school
certificate Daisy left
aged sixteen and a
half and started
work at the
Provincial Insurance
Company as a
‘risker’, assessing
fire risk in
properties needing
to be insured. She
then went to join
Westmorland
County Council.
She enjoyed her work in the Health Department,
compiling reports on the health of the population in the
county, and on births and deaths. Sometimes Daisy
accompanied the doctors when they held their clinics.
This was a time when TB was rife and maternal deaths in
childbirth were not uncommon.
In the 1970s and 1980s, during sabbaticals from their
demanding work John and Daisy travelled to Iceland
(camping!), the USA, New Zealand and various parts of
Europe. They enjoyed visiting sites of megalithic culture
in Britain and Brittany, usually by public transport. They
loved their travels, had friends all over the world, and
nearly always stayed with people they knew. Daisy
enjoyed new experiences and was up for everything!
Daisy met her future husband John Wood at the Friends
Meeting House in Kendal. They were both Quakers.
They married in 1942 and moved to the newly opened
Waldorf Wynstones School near Brookthorpe,
Gloucester. In the
beginning Daisy and
John lived in the
hostel. John took
over the farm and
Daisy was assistant
house mother looking
after a group of boys,
several of whom were
Jewish refugees. She
then became a
kindergarten teacher.
Daisy and John were warm, welcoming and interested in
others. For a number of years when WW2 ended and
Germany was in ruins and the population undergoing
great privation, they fostered German children providing
them with nourishment, safety, security and love.
When Wynstones decided it no longer wanted a farm,
John and Daisy left and went to Germany. In 1952 they
moved to Ottersberg, near Bremen, where John taught
Daisy was musical, she played piano and lyre and
because John loved singing Hebridean songs she also
learned to play the harp. They did not have any children
of their own but Daisy had many godchildren and never
missed their birthdays.
Daisy and John retired from Cotswold Chine in the ‘80’s
and began to translate books from German. John would
write out in long hand and then Daisy would proof read
and type it up. Later Daisy learnt to use a word
processor for this, never shrinking away from learning
something new!
Daisy and John never left each other. They spent their
whole married life together. John and Cotswold Chine
Home School were the centre of Daisy’s world and to
some extent she lived in John’s shadow. He was a
charismatic figure and when he died in 1998 Daisy
blossomed in her own right.
After John’s death Veronika
(John’s niece) and Vagn
came from Denmark to
support Daisy and help her
maintain her independence.
Daisy read a lot, and always
had one or two books on the
go. She had a newspaper
every day and did the
crossword right to the end.
She remained alert, awake
and interested, and her life
ended while she was on the
move, despite her difficulties
walking.
Veronika and Daisy
Daisy died suddenly at her home in Box two weeks
before her 100th birthday. A big celebration was
planned for this occasion and it still took place; we all
shared memories of her long life. In the almost 100
years that Daisy lived the world changed unbelievably.
Society changed. Nations changed. There were two
World Wars and human beings went from travelling by
horse and carriage to travelling to the moon and back.
Veronika and Vagn Madsen
MEMORIES OF MAURICE
He and Jan enjoyed
caravanning and in late
summer would motor up to
the Scottish Highlands. Later
on they spent time in their
motor home revisiting Sussex
and getting to know Devon.
They had a succession of dogs
and cats, amongst them
spaniels, an old English sheep
dog, and ‘Westies’. For many
years Maurice was the key
holder for St Barnabas
Church, opening and closing
it every day. Jan tended the
gardens and her daffodils can
still be seen in full bloom at
this time of year.
(with thanks to Jan and David Newnham)
Maurice was a quiet, private gentleman
who lived in Box for about 30 years. He
died aged 91 last November. He grew up
in Bognor Regis and enjoyed being by
the sea. He showed a keen interest in
ships joining the Sea Scouts as a
teenager. This meant he visited and spent
time at Portsmouth and in Greenwich,
and there are family photographs of
various vessels with which he had
involvement. He joined the Army, The
Royal Corps of Signals, and met Jan his
wife to be, who was serving at Hastings in
the Women’s Royal Army Corps.
Maurice was in telecommunications
during World War II and was posted close
to the front line. He spent much of the
war in the back of a radio truck collecting
secret information from the Germans
which was then relayed back to Britain
and decoded at Bletchley Park.
As a civilian Maurice worked for many years at ICI, with
a short spell in the Territorial Army. He always had
projects on the go and when he moved to Box set
about constructing the driveway and terracing the
gardens at ‘The Bungalow’. Maurice also enjoyed
running and took part in several local half-marathons.
In retirement Maurice
registered with the Open
University, despite it being 50
years since he last studied at
school. He would take himself
off into ‘the cottage’ (his
study) and work each day, reading and writing essays.
He undertook the Arts Foundation Course, and units
such as: ‘The Enlightenment’; ‘Religious Quests’;
‘Running the Country’. The photograph was taken in
1995 by the Stroud News and Journal when he gained
his Honours degree in History and Politics.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS ON
In the last 'Box News' we asked you to consider taking part in
two surveys (wild flowers and wild birds) to update the 'Record
of Box' last undertaken in 1990.
In this edition we include a survey sheet to help you with this. It
has all the wild flowers seen growing in the verges and on the
village green and all the wild birds visiting and nesting in our
gardens during 1990.
Please put a tick against the flowers or birds you see during
2015 and record any others on the survey sheet under 'Others'.
Keep your sheet safe but visible so you can fill it in regularly.
At the end of the year we will tell you to whom to deliver your
completed sheet. Happy flower and bird spotting!
Jacquie Hanks
A tribute on the passing of Mrs Wood by Andrew Conroy (RHODES)
I was saddened to hear of the death of Mrs Daisy
Wood.
I went to Cotswold Chine Home School back in the late
1970's and 80's as a small boy and I remember Mrs
Wood and her husband John whom I met on several
occasions. They both made me feel very welcome and
at ease. Mrs Wood always had a smile on her face and
was very kind caring and as a young boy it was
reassuring to have such warmth.
COLIN BOTTLE
We recently received the very sad news that Colin
Bottle has died of a brain tumour at his home in
Essex.
Colin and Helen were frequent weekend visitors to
Bluebell Cottage, formerly known as Gemini, and
although they had been in Box for a relatively short
time, Colin and Helen were gregarious and took part
in many of the village social events.
Colin will be sadly missed by us all.
Pauline Temple
I remember one late summer heat-wave evening, a very
hot early evening, we all, the staff and children, had a
barbeque in the gardens and some of us went for a
swim in the swimming pool they once had at the school.
It summed up everything about the Cotswold Chine
Home and the staff: a very happy, loving place with
kindness from staff such as Mr and Mrs Wood which all
helped .......
I look back on my times at Cotswold with happiness and
I will remember the likes of Daisy and John Wood as
being a part of that with very fond memories...
Mrs Wood I remember was a quite dignified well
The photo on page 18 shows the school, staff and
dressed lady - she always said grace before the festivals
students.
Andy is in the front row (second from left).
we had at the school (Whit, Harvest and Christmas) and I
always remember her wearing a distinctive beret.
19
MARIANNE LENGEMANN
Marianne Lengemann lived in Box village for nearly forty
years. Marianne sadly died just before New Year at the
age of 93.
Marianne’s life and experiences give us a perspective on
the History of the first half of the Twentieth Century,
which is different from that of other Box women of her
generation. She was born in 1921 in Berlin, and grew up
in Düsseldorf, next to the Rhine in the Lower Ruhr area.
Her father had gone to Guatemala to find employment
and Marianne was not
to see him until she
was eighteen, so she
was brought up by her
mother, who taught in
a government scheme
to educate factory
girls.
Marianne’s early years
were affected by the
post-war economic and
political upheavals in
Germany following the
1919 Treaty of
Versailles. This made
Germany pay
reparations, in 1921
fixed at
Marianne at 36 £6,600,000,000, as
compensation for starting the War. Her birth coincided
with a period of unrest in Germany, as the government
was under threat from both left and right wing groups.
A year before she was born, Communists in the Ruhr
Valley formed a 50,000 strong army and over 2,000
workers were shot before order was restored, but the
fear of a communist take-over remained. This fear
would be an important factor favouring the rise of Hitler.
When the German government failed to pay the second
instalment of reparations in 1922, the French occupied
the Ruhr, Germany’s richest industrial area. Marianne’s
mother worked in the occupied area but lived just
outside it, so, as her mother’s trains from work were
often stopped, Marianne was sent to stay with her
grandmother. The government’s attempts to deal with
economic problems by printing paper money led to the
famous hyperinflation of 1923, so that the cost of a loaf
of bread, which was 0.63 marks in 1918, rose to
201,000,000,000 marks in November 1923. Marianne’s
mother would collect her wages in a suitcase and then
rush to the shops to buy whatever she could get before
the prices rose again. At the height of the
hyperinflation, in 1923, Hitler made his first attempt to
seize power in the Munich Beer Hall Putsch. Its failure
led to his incarceration, during which he wrote his
political and racist ideas in ‘Mein Kampf’ (My Struggle).
Marianne was the only child from her school to go to
secondary school in 1932, but her life was soon to
change, when Hitler came to power in 1933, as she was
a quarter Jewish; her mother’s father was Jewish, but
had been christened and therefore he had been able to
attend university and become a lawyer. Hitler quickly
made life difficult for Jews as they were sacked from
jobs in the civil service, schools, the law and the media.
Marianne’s mother lost her teaching position and had to
find work as a housekeeper. The Nuremberg Laws of
1935 defined a Jew as a person who had one Jewish
grandparent, deprived them of citizenship and forbade
intermarriage between Jews and Gentiles. Marianne’s
friends joined the League of German Maidens, which
was the girls’ branch of the Hitler Youth, giving military
training and education in Nazi doctrine. Marianne,
however, having a Jewish grandparent, could not join
and became isolated, as her friends could no longer
visit her. She became very lonely and spent many hours
reading.
At the age of
sixteen, Marianne
went to gardening
college and by
1939 she was living
in the college as an
apprentice, having
to get up during
the night in a very
cold winter with
temperatures of
minus twenty- four,
in order to stoke
the greenhouse
boilers. She next
worked as a florist
in Düsseldorf, but
. . and at 90
the shop was bombed soon after and
she became a gardener again. She worked with
forced labour from Russia and Poland, as well as French
prisoners of war, but was not allowed to talk to any of
them.
The RAF caused great destruction in the Ruhr, so, with
her mother, she had to shelter from bombing in a
bunker in a small town for safety, or by going into their
cellar. Their windows were broken by the bombing and
they got little sleep, so that Marianne was always tired
at work. By the end of the War, boys and old men were
called up to man anti-aircraft guns, but Marianne did
not have to undertake the women’s compulsory work on
the land as she was already working in a nursery. From
January 1945, the rumbling of the heavy artillery could
be heard from the Western Front, and the nightly
bombing of German towns was accelerated. When the
Allies broke through to the Rhine, in spring 1945, it was
a relief that the bombing ceased, but it was replaced by
the danger of being shot. Marianne had to live in a
cellar for seven weeks to avoid the British guns.
Other people did not escape the violence; the owner of
the nursery was shot in the leg and taken to England as
a prisoner. By 18 April 1945, 320,000 German soldiers,
who had been surrounded in the Ruhr, surrendered.
COUNCILLOR’S CORNER
Vast farming areas of Europe had been ravaged by war,
so that European wheat production in 1945 was only
30% of 1938 figures. There was a lack of food in
Germany and, for eighteen months after the War,
Marianne and her mother had little to eat, until a cook
working for British officers took pity on them and gave
them left-overs.
Box Wood footpaths
It seems a long time ago now that we first submitted an
application to Gloucestershire County Council to
recognise two additional rights of way through Box
Wood.
Soon after the War ended, Marianne and her mother
experienced the division of Europe, which would last
until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. They visited
relatives in Thuringia, to whom, during the War, they
had sent the family linen away from the Western front
for safety. This area was now, however, in the Russian
zone of Germany and, when they tried to return to the
West, they found hundreds of people stuck at the
border, victims of divided Germany, unable to get
across. Marianne’s mother was determined to escape,
so they went to a nearby village and hid in the larder of
a farm house. When they heard a Russian patrol had
left the farm, they revealed themselves to the farmers.
The farmers were used to helping people, because they
had land on both sides of the border and, before the
Russians built a fortified and mined frontier, such farmers
were allowed to cross. The farmers filled a wagon with
pig manure, hiding the women’s cases underneath and
putting a tarpaulin over. The problem was that
Marianne’s mother did not look like a farmer, unlike
Marianne who worked outside, and the Russian guard
was suspicious. The farmer’s wife insisted that they
should be allowed to continue to her land and they
were let through. They were lucky to escape back to
their home, but the trunk containing their linen, which
had been sent separately on a train back to the West,
was found to be empty on arrival.
Like many women of her generation, Marianne changed
direction after the War, in her case by studying
Eurythmy. This was developed by Dr Rudolf Steiner and
is movement which expresses language and music. She
was then able to teach in Steiner Schools, which she did
in both Germany and England. She met and became
friends with Daisy and John Wood, who lived in
Germany at that time. For two years, Marianne worked
at a Steiner school, Potterspury Lodge, in
Buckinghamshire, after which she spent a year in
Venezuela with her father, who was managing a coffee
plantation.
Later the Woods moved to Box to work at
the Cotswold Chine School, and, through visiting them,
Marianne came to know the area. After her mother’s
death in 1976, she bought a cottage in an auction at
Box Inn, with a view to occupying it when she retired in
1981. She lived at ‘Waysmeet’ until her death on ..........,
and was one of our longer established Box residents.
She did, however, keep her links with Germany, and,
amazingly, drove there in 2011 to celebrate her ninetieth
birthday.
Cynthia Garrould and Chris Law
In fact it was a very long time
ago - 30th March 2010 to be
precise - but after five years of
waiting I am now pleased to
advise all local residents and
visitors that the modification
order to create those two
additional lengths of Public Footpath at Box Wood was
published and we are now awaiting confirmation from
GCC that the order has been confirmed.
Hopefully the paths will then be clearly signposted so
that less familiar members of the public can find and use
those paths. For those of you reading this article who
are not sure of their routes, they are as follows.
1. Public footpath from Box to Iron Mills Common and
Scar Hill: From the site of the old Youth Hut (below
Sweetbriar Cottage) running in a generally southeasterly direction for 675 metres to Iron Mills Common;
and
2. From the wooden gate next to Hermitage Cottage
(near the bottom of Scar Hill) into Box Wood where it
runs for 245 metres in a generally northerly direction
until it meets the main north/south footpath through the
wood.
These footpaths have been much used over many
decades by those who enjoy walking in our wonderful
countryside and, now that they have both been formally
recognised, we can all look forward to their continued
use for many more decades to come.
Many thanks to all those who assisted with the footpath
application and also those who submitted evidence
forms confirming the years over which the footpaths had
been in use. I hope you all agree that the effort has
been very worthwhile.
Planning
An application was made to create a two storey
extension to the garage at Beechdene for an office and
a gym but Stroud District Council have refused planning
consent.
SDC granted permission for a new access road across
fields to Scar Hill House from Scar Hill. An application
for a substantial extension to Thyme Cottage has been
submitted but since withdrawn.
Details of all local applications can be found on SDC’s
planning web pages or via Minchinhampton Parish
Council’s web site at
www.stroud.gov.uk/minchinhampton
Cllr Steve Hemmings, Minchinhampton Parish
Councillor, Box Ward.
1 Baycroft, Box, Tel: 01453 832908
21 E-mail [email protected]
ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER!
THEATRE GROUP
At pantomime time Chris Ames is always on the lookout for
props and a Box resident kindly came up with an item on
the list. Chris thanked him with a gift ...
Dear Chris,
As many of you will know, the Theatre Group organises
coach trips to various stage productions throughout the
year. There are visits to Bath Theatre Royal, Malvern
Theatre and Bristol Hippodrome among others, for both
matinées and evening performances. There is usually an
annual trip to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford,
and at Christmas a visit to Bath Abbey for “The Messiah” is
popular.
With reference to the gift of
Jerusalem Artichokes received on
16th Feb in return for the loan of
a bugle!!
Members are circulated information about performances:
venue, cost, pick-up times etc. by e-mail, well in advance of
the date – and if necessary by hand delivery. Places are
given on a first-come-first-served basis, until the deadline
date. If a trip is over-subscribed, a waiting list is drawn up.
The committee are always glad to know what type of
production members like to see. Having said that, tastes
differ and you can’t please everyone all the time! There is
no membership fee. Theatres always expect tickets to be
paid for well in advance in order to supply a group rate, so
forward planning is essential.
Please note
As of March this year, owing to various changes in personal
commitments, and no other Box folk coming forward, the
village no longer has a representative on the Committee.
Some members from Minchinhampton kindly did volunteer
however, and the committee now consists of four Minch
residents. Many thanks to them! Particular thanks should be
made to Anne Mustardé, who successfully ran the group for
ten years prior to this. Also to Helen Stillwell, who was a
committee member for even longer.
If you wish to add your name to the contact list please get
in touch with Val Oldershaw – see below. The same if you
want to check you are still on the list, or wish to be
removed.
Having consulted the recipe
books I elected to make soup
with the aforementioned items, and by
adding the usual stock, cream and seasoning it became
deceptively palatable and Matron and I sat in front of the
fire and enjoyed a couple of bowls each.
Within the space of an hour we both noticed strange
internal rumblings akin to those made by an elderly steam
boiler being overloaded with coke and arriving at a point in
time where the emergency pressure valve would have to be
deployed!
Bedtime was fraught with nervous tension and as the
worries of the day slowly slipped into the soothing calm of
the night the peace was shattered by a series of
cataclysmic postern blasts that not only woke the residents
(and reduced the junior resident into shrieks of hysterical
laughter) but also threatened to remove the woodchip wall
paper that has clung to the plaster for the last thirty years.
Had it been a “one off” situation it would have been
tolerable, however it quickly became apparent that this
gaseous build up was significant in both volume and
pressure. At 1:00am I fitted Matron with a fresh reed and
she managed the first three bars of Flight of the Bumble
Bee without missing a note. My 1812 Overture scored
highly but was eclipsed by Matron’s attempt at the last
stanza of Nessun Dorma which left her both pale and faint!
Please refrain from growing these again. Can I have my
bugle back please .... it’s quieter.
Cheers,
Forthcoming trip
Rob Toon
Thursday 16th July: Absent Friends, Alan Ayckbourn,
Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham; matinée.
BOX SWIMMING CLUB
Contacts: Val Oldershaw – 01453 887022
with Sue Gage, Jenny Smith and Sally Cox
Why not take the plunge and join us!
Email [email protected]
We meet every Thursday Evening at Beaudesert
Park School Swimming Pool: 8.00 to 9.00 pm.
The pool is a good size with lanes to suit
swimmers of varying abilities and speeds.
We have underwater lighting for a relaxing
atmosphere and you are able to swim for the full
hour or just part of the time.
The club especially welcomes members from Box
although others from surrounding villages also join us.
Box Village Hall 6.00 – 8.00 pm
Sunday evenings from October to March
If you are interested in joining us please
contact:
Jacquie - 836287
22
If interested please contact:
Andrew Pettit on 834766 or
[email protected]
DRIVING FOR OLDIES - No. 4
"I'M IN WITH THE JUG BAND,
I GO WHERE THE JUG BAND GOES”
A more smug and self-satisfied lyric
would be hard to find, yet the words
of Billy Page's 'In Crowd' neatly
encapsulate the mood of popular
music in the latter half of the 20th
century - at least, from the early '60s
to the Millennium. What's more, it
includes some truly iconic lines, e.g.: "Other guys imitate
us, but the original is still the greatest". This sparkling
couplet is so good that I suspect the author borrowed it
from something older (answers on a postcard, please).
Now there's little danger that any other guys will attempt
to emulate our Jug Band, but hey, wasn't it Groucho Marx
who said that he wouldn't want to be a member of any
club that would open its doors to people like himself?
If you would like to join a group that is not afraid to be as
farcical as the Marx Brothers, then you need look no further.
Just email me and maybe we can make beautiful music together!
John Storey, [email protected]
JUG BAND
This fourth suggestion for "Driving for Oldies" will take you
through two lovely valleys that you may not have seen
before. But first, the usual warning as it will take you down
narrow lanes and, although there will be very little traffic,
you may meet the odd oncoming vehicle when passing
could be difficult. Therefore, drive slowly and carefully. On
a sunny day this is a most enjoyable drive.
Leave Nailsworth on the Horsley/Wotton-under-Edge road.
Go past the tip turning left at the next road junction.
Follow the Wotton-under-Edge road until you reach the
junction where the road divides to Wotton and Dursley.
At this junction there is a small lane going off to the left
signposted to Ozleworth. Take it and follow the lane for
about half a mile. When you see a left hand turn
signposted, ‘To the Lavender Garden’ take this.
Follow the lane (do not
turn right to ‘The Lavender
Garden’) and continue until
you reach an unsignposted "T" junction.
Turn left and then
immediately turn right
(signposted Kingscote and
Tetbury). Follow this lane
until you reach "The
Hunter’s Hall" on the main
Wotton/Tetbury road. Turn
left and immediately right
to Kingscote. Go through
Kingscote and follow the
lane to Lower Hazlecote
and proceed past Hazlecote Farm up the hill to an
unmarked T junction. Turn left and follow the lane right
through to Tipputts Inn on the A46. Turn left to Nailsworth
and return to Box up the "W".
Johnny and Alison Wilkinson
To see what the Jug Banders
really aspire to, follow this link
https://vimeo.com/65831811
or shoot the QR Code with your
smartphone or tablet:
A COTSWOLD ECLIPSE
A dull, dreary March morning,
Disappointedly grey and foreboding,
Suddenly gave way
As the clouds dissolved
To a most spectacular duel.
(Although only partial we’re told
It was still a sight to behold.)
A sliver, a nibble, a bite,
As Moon devoured our light,
The untimely dusk brought a chill
As crepuscular shadow grew.
Sun came back with her warmth
Returning with innocent guile
Revealing a welcoming smile.
A Box resident
Ideal for Gifts!
23
Please note that
Air in G promotes
entertainments in many
Gloucestershire villages. If
you would like to attend
shows outside Box, you can
get information on their
programme from Sylvia Funston
Tel 01989 566644
or download from
www.airing.co.uk
BOX WI
It seems a long time since our very successful and delicious
Christmas Lunch at Highfield Garden Centre. At the January
meeting we welcomed four new members, which was great,
but we lost one. Rowan Ross has been on the County
Executive Committee for over a year and now has been
appointed Deputy County Chairman.
Well done Rowan and we like to think that Box WI provided
the appropriate platform!
We have recently
entered a County
Competition - a scrap
book entitled "A Year
in the Life of your
WI". Thanks to a very
creative team the
book was of a very
high standard and a
wonderful record of
the past year's
activities.
We are also entering
a team in the County
Quiz Challenge - with
high hopes of
progressing to the next round!
2015 is an exciting year for WI members as we celebrate 100
years of the Women's Institute. Our involvement with the
passing round of the Centenary Baton has passed. It was a
very happy afternoon and a wonderful excuse for the ladies
to don their finery, particularly hats!
In June, one member will represent us at a Royal Garden
Party at Buckingham
Palace, and also in June
a County Centenary
Picnic is being held at
Highnam Court - another
chance to don posh
frocks and hats!
Also in June, Box WI
celebrates a 25th
Anniversary. We will be
inviting former members
- those whom we can
contact - and a few
dignitaries to a Garden
Party in Box.
Regular events have still
been taking place and
LIBRARY OPENING HOURS
Minchinhampton
Monday 2.00pm - 5.00pm
Tuesday 10.00am - 12.30pm, 2.00pm - 6.00pm
Wednesday CLOSED ALL DAY
Thursday 10.00am - 12.30pm, 2.00pm - 6.00pm
Friday 10.00am - 12.30pm, 2.00pm - 5.00pm
Saturday 9.30am - 12.30
Sunday CLOSED ALL DAY
Nailsworth
Monday 10.00am - 1.00pm, 2.00pm - 5.00pm
Tuesday CLOSED ALL DAY
Wednesday 10.00am - 1.00pm, 2.00pm - 5.00pm
Thursday CLOSED ALL DAY
Friday 10.00am - 1.00pm, 2.00pm - 6.00pm
Saturday 10.00am - 1.00pm
Sunday CLOSED ALL DAY
24
members have
attended the
Annual Council
Meeting, Campaign
and Debate Day
and New Speakers
Day. Two members
are about to enjoy
a Walking Holiday
in Derbyshire with
our Federation, and
two members will
be going to Denman, the WI College in Oxfordshire, to
widen their knowledge of classical music.
The speakers at our monthly meetings have not
disappointed - particularly Matthew from Wild Garlic in
Nailsworth. The food he cooked was so good.
APRIL 28th - Painting Restoration with Paul Isemonger
10:30am for visitors.
MAY 26th - Resolution Debate and Zentangle.
Sorry, members only, so no visitors.
JUNE 23 - 25th Anniversary Garden Party.
Sorry, members only, so no visitors.
JULY 28th - Hydrotherapy with Jacquie Adams
10:30am for visitors.
AUGUST - Outing TBA
SEPT 22nd - 100th Anniversary of WI. Sing Song with David
Homer and Lunch
New Members and Visitors are always most welcome.
Any Enquiries please contact:
Joan Davis, 832951
MINCHINHAMPTON LIBRARY NEEDS YOU!
Since opening as a community library in January 2013,
much has been done to improve the facilities. However
the junior reference books are sadly outdated and we
propose to concentrate on quality rather than quantity,
complimenting what can’t be found on the internet.
Books are expensive, and we would like your help.
Would you and your family be prepared to sponsor a
book?
Octavia of Octavia Bookshop in Cirencester will come to
the library on Sat. 27th June from 10am - 12.30, bringing
a selection of children’s non-fiction books for you to
purchase with a 10% discount.
If you cannot attend but would like to sponsor a book,
please contact one of the librarians or phone me on
01453 886401.
Nina Bryan, Trustee
BOX VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Chairman:
Chris Ames, Old Box Inn, Box
832345 [email protected]
Vice-chairman:
Steve Hemmings
832908
Hon Secretary:
Ivy Witts
834347
Booking Secretary:
Jane Storey
836649
Hon. Treasurer:
Mark Robinson
834202
Committee:
Joan Davis
Sarah Kidson
Andrew Pettit
832951
832095
834766
Daphne Edwards
Colin French
Phil Goodwin
John & Jane Storey
Andrew Dawes
832757
832545
832283
883223
832610
BOX VILLAGE SOCIETY COMMITTEE
Chairman
Chris Law, Box Corner, Box
832580 [email protected]
Hon. Secretary:
Hon. Treasurer:
Lynda Brown
Anne Rogers
833118
833588
Committee:
Beris Hanks 836287
Leonie Lockwood 835749
Richard South 839142
Steve Hemmings 832908
John Storey 832757
Richard Hughes 885478
Art Group
Elaine Grainger
887934
[email protected]
Barnabas Painters
Alan Hopkins
825665
[email protected]
Bridge Group
Mark Rogers
833588
[email protected]
Coffee Mornings
Daphne Edwards
832283
[email protected]
Gardening Club
Diana Hayward
832623
[email protected]
Parish Council
Steve Hemmings
832908
[email protected]
St. Barnabas Church
Helen Bailey
882289
[email protected]
Church Convenor
Colin French
883223
[email protected]
Swimming Club
Andrew Pettit
834766
[email protected]
Table Tennis
Jacquie Hanks
836287
[email protected]
Theatre Group
Val Oldershaw
887022
[email protected]
Box Players, Director
Chris Ames
832345
[email protected]
Box Players, Co-ordinator
Jacquie Hanks
836287
[email protected]
Box WI
Joan Davis
832951
[email protected]
Neighbourhood Watch
Pauline Temple
836468
[email protected]
Box News Editor
Brendan Clements
887376
[email protected]
Box News Advertising
Lynda Brown
833118
[email protected]
Box News Features Editor
Jacquie Hanks
836287
[email protected]
Village Hall Bookings
Jane Storey
836649
[email protected]
Box Bar
Andrew Dawes
832545
[email protected]
Website Editor
Tony Hadfield
887548
[email protected]
Website Co-ordinator
Steve Hemmings
832908
[email protected]
VILLAGE CONTACTS
NB The Editor would be grateful if you could notify him of any errors, omissions or changes to this list.
31
ART GROUP
You could have warmed your hands from the glow of
Autumn colours that Box Art Group produced for
Hollie's competition last November, it really was a
stunning display and deservedly won by Roger
Summers who produced a triptych of works entitled
'Morning, Mid-day and Evening Light' showing all the
variations of golds, oranges, reds and browns that are
sadly missing in these grey early spring days.
Nash who goes top of the class for the most wins!
Roxy is having great success with her own work and
has been short-listed for some prestigious awards.
We eagerly await the results but meantime wish her
the best of luck.
Last Thursday was our annual outing organised so
efficiently by Jo Heffernan. This year Jo chose the
stately home and gardens at Stourhead in Wiltshire.
The weather was not particularly spring like but the
rain held off and the group set off in different
directions, well, after coffee of course. Some were
more energetic than others and walked round the
whole lake, others had a leisurely lunch, wandered
through the house with a library to die for enjoying a
vast collection of art works. Like all National Trust
properties, the place is beautifully maintained and
has plenty of enthusiastic volunteers to help with
queries. Good choice Jo and thank you for your hard work.
In February local artist Jackie Garner came to give an
illustrated talk about her travels, writing and art. She
concentrated on how she wrote a wildlife handbook
which she had brought along. Several members
bought the book and the talk was enthusiastically
received. Jackie's work can always be seen at Nature
in Art, Twigworth where she has been the artist in
residence on occasions. She is incredibly talented, do
look her up if you are not familiar with her work.
The term is drawing to a close, but Penny Gillespie
has already planned a treat for next term, the artist
Dee Cowell, who made such an impression on the
group with her vibrant life drawings, is coming back
to do a workshop about feathers, fur and all things
tactile. I am sure it will be fun.
Hollie next set us a challenge that had most of the
group stumped! We had to make a small viewing
aperture from card, find a familiar corner of a
favourite room, look through the aperture and then
go off and paint from the sketches produced. No
photographs to be used! Sadly only three people
took up the challenge (or were clever enough to
know what they were doing!). The gift voucher went
to Alison King for a lovely painting of her sitting
room, but well done to Janet Back and Jo Keyte.
Hollie, when discussing the works presented, gave a
really interesting talk about the value of sketching
anywhere, anytime and anything! It is all about
drawing practice, practice, practice. Anyone who has
been to art galleries will know that artists have always
used sketch books so we have good role models.
Hollie has even rigged up a board that fits over the
steering wheel of her car.......you're all picturing how
that works I'm sure!
We wish all our members who are experiencing ill
health at the moment a speedy recovery. We look
forward to seeing you back making art.
Elaine Grainger
HOURS OF FUN!
Philippe Planel has
pointed out to us that
the NLS (National Library
of Scotland) has recently
put all the 1888 first
edition OS maps on-line
as a seamless set for England as well as Scotland.
You just have to zoom in or out or move about:
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=5
1.70061&lon=-2.20261&layers=171
Also if you look at the bottom right hand corner
you can get a 10 figure or six figure map reference
just by moving the cursor.
In between Hollie's challenges, Roxy set one for over
the Christmas break entitled 'Shine'. Lights, tinsel,
warm fire-glow all sprang to mind but the holiday
period was so busy that I, for one, left it to the last
minute and only had the ideas to present. Luckily
others had found time to produce some lovely
paintings and this challenge was won by Barbara
26
FRENCH WEDDING!
Last November, much to our delight, our son Richard who
grew up in the village, married his girlfriend Karyn. This
was a lovely happy family event with Kate and Max (sister
and brother-in-law) as joint "best men". Both Richard and
Kate revealed hidden talents as speech makers, and all
enjoyed the barn dance after the reception, held in a
somewhat low-ceilinged hall - we were afraid our tallest
nephew might brain himself on a beam!
Richard and Karyn are living in Andover and Colin spends a
large proportion of his time going there to build sheds,
fences, sorting out the plumbing etc, as Richard does not
list do-it-yourself among his accomplishments.
Chris and Colin French
ELECTION FEVER IN BOX - CIRCA 1910
An interesting excerpt from ‘Box as I Remember’ by
Ethel Smith (available from Box Village Society), who
lived all her life in Box.
PHOTOS IN THIS ISSUE
(unless otherwise credited):
Beris Hanks (masthead),
Brian Dowling,
Vagn Madsen,
Steve Hemmings,
Pauline Temple.
Tel
Tel:01453
01453833933
836029
Special Offer 5% discount for Box Connections
E: [email protected]
W: www.boxvillagebandb.co.uk
WISE UP!
BOX WOODS: A CHILD’S EYE VIEW
I like the way Box Lane is sandwiched between the open
space of the Common above and the dark paths of the
woods below.
When I was little I liked to
play ghosts in the wood,
hiding behind walls down
by the stream. Spring is
the best time in the
woods, with mats of
bluebells and masses of
wild garlic. Half of the
wood is a neglected
garden overgrown with
trees. In one place there
is an ornate bridge, the
water below long gone.
(An extract from the
Newsletter 25 February
1989).
Jacquie Hanks
THE WOOD IN SPRING
Toasted leaves, moulding sticks,
Grasped by ravaging ivy.
Bramble creeping,
Spreading wiry hands over the rot.
Green stained bark, stately branches,
Gulleys where water comes rushing.
Wild flowers stand,
Crouching under the trees.
Towering trunks, bare flanks,
Gnarled twigs,
Exposed roots like veins
Creeping out of the ground.
A former resident of Box, aged 12
Printed by Stroud Print, Stroud Enterprise Centre, Lightpill, Stroud GL5 3NL
Adult Tawny Owls are stocky, powerful birds about 38
centimetres tall with large heads. Their plumage is bark
coloured and usually reddish brown in the UK. They have
large black eyes, a small silvery beak and feathery feet.
I was particularly privileged last summer to
witness the fledging of two youngsters
bumbling from branch to branch through
trees near Box Wood. They appeared as
fluffy dumplings with piercing black beads
for eyes that didn’t leave me as they
inquisitively watched every move. Be
warned though if you come across an owl’s nest as they can
be very aggressive during the breeding season. The late
Eric Hoskins, famous bird photographer, lost an eye in an
owl strike!
Design and Artwork by John Storey 01453 832757
During 2014 and early 2015, although you
may not have seen them, you probably
heard the Box Tawny at dawn or dusk
making the iconic ‘too-wit too-woo’
sounds of horror films and Halloween. (In
fact if you listen very carefully the
territorial call of the male Tawny is more of
a ‘hwwh-hwwh’ with the female often
making a penetrating ‘kee-wick’.) If you
were very lucky you might have spotted,
in the dim light, a rare glimpse of them
flying over the village. When in flight they
appear round-winged, dark above and
pale below with white dashes visible on
the wings and barring on the tail.
01453 764251
The Tawny Owl is found in habitats with
old, mature trees: woodlands, parks and
gardens. They breed from February to
June having one brood with the female
laying between two to five eggs. They
nest in tree holes, or take over the
abandoned nests of crows or birds of prey.
The Tawny hunts at night in low light and
pinpoints prey (mice, voles, rats, small
birds, frogs, toads and large insects)
through sound.
If you are taking part in our Bird Survey
you will know that the Tawny Owl was one
of the birds recorded in the 1990 Survey.