Cotswold Chatterblog

New Exhibition on the Road Rescue Industry runs until 1st December 2007

A new exhibition has just opened at the Cotswold Motoring museum at Bourton on the Water celebrating the work of the Road Rescue Industry. We all need them at some time or another yet the national breakdown service that we have come to rely on today is reletively recent.

The exhibition has been put together by the Cotswold Motoring museum and the Recovery Industry Support Charity(RISC).

Breaking down on a journey can be stressful, unpleasant and even dangerous. If you were unlucky enough to have a breakdown before the 1960s there was no automatic “get you home service”. Generally you had to pay up front before anyone would recover your vehicle.

Many of the first garages emerged from the blacksmith’s trade who naturally took to recovering their customers broken-down vehicles, often towed to the garage by horses! As the 20th century got underway two motoring clubs became large enough to have nationwide membership. The Royal Automobile Club (RAC) formed in 1897 and The Automobile Association (AA) formed in 1905.

Today’s recovery industry can be traced back to the late sixties. It was not garages that operated recovery vehicles but coachworks and bodyshops as they needed to find work. They monitored the police radio network, listening for accident reports, and then raced to be first at the scene.

The AA were the first to respond with their Relay Service in 1974 then in 1975 the RAC introduced their service, aptly named Recovery.

Having the correct equipment is essential to carrying out a successful recovery operation and initially a number of army surplus vehicles found their way on to garage forecourts but a number of operators built or converted the equipment themselves.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is a pair of Model T Fords which were converted in the 1930s, one as a service vehicle and the other as a recovery vehicle.

The award winning Cotswold Motoring Museum is owned by the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA) and is open everyday from 10.00 am to 18.00pm

Cotswold Motoring Museum
Bourton on the Water
Gloucestershire
GL54 2BY
Telephone 01451 821255
www.cotswold-motor-museum.co.uk

www.riscuk.net
www.csma.uk.com

Tags: bourton | cars | exhibition | gloucestershire | places | museum

Gloucestershire 1000 is delighted to be working in partnership with The Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, to encourage everyone to plant or sponsor a tree to celebrate the county’s 1000th birthday.

The aim is to plant 1000 trees across the county as a lasting legacy of the millennium celebrations.

You can contribute to the grand total by either planting a tree or making a donation towards a pack of trees being planted by a Gloucestershire school or community group. .Read the attached information pack to find out more.

• Why not plant a tree with your children/grandchildren to encourage an interest in the natural world? Add it to the grand total on our website.
• Thanks to The Woodland Trust’s Tree For All campaign, community groups can apply for a grant to help with their tree planting.
• If you’re a company, why not add a link on your website letting people know that you’re making a donation towards 1000 Trees for every item sold?
• You could even grab a spade and team up with your local community group to help them with their tree planting!

1000 Trees Map

http://www.woodland-trust.org.uk/getinvolved/index.htm

Tags: gloucestershire | trees

New recycling banks for plastic bottles have been introduced in two more Cotswold villages this week.

A large container has been sited at Didmarton Village Hall and a smaller ‘igloo’ style facility has been put in the car park of the Bibury Trout Farm.

In addition, the small plastic bottle banks at Willersey, near Chipping Campden, have been replaced by one much larger container.

The new banks are part of Cotswold District Council’s drive to increase recycling and reduce waste. There will soon be 29 plastic bottle recycling banks in the District, with most residents living within just a few miles of their nearest facility.

For more information on recycling facilities in your area, visit www.recycleforgloucestershire.com.

Article included with kind permission of Cotswold District Council - www.cotswold.gov.uk

Tags: gloucestershire | recycling

Unwanted items ranging from books to bicycles were exchanged for free at a Swap Shop in Tetbury.

Last weekend’s event was organised by Cotswold District Council as part of its drive to reduce waste and promote the re-use and recycling of materials.

Residents were able to bring along unwanted but re-usable clothes, shoes, books, crockery, videos and computer games and take other items home with them for free. The goods exchanged even included two mountain bikes.

Saturday’s Swap Shop was part of the Council’s Check It Out open weekend held at the town’s leisure centre and there was also a recycling activity for youngsters who made models out of junk materials.

Waste Manager Scott Williams said: “We had a very positive response to the Swap Shop, which was a great way of encouraging residents to reduce what they throw away and reuse items wherever possible. “Hopefully we helped to ensure that a lot of unwanted items will now be put to good use rather than being dumped in landfill sites.”

Items that were not snapped up on the day were donated to the Tenovus cancer charity shop in Long Street, Tetbury.
Shop manager Joy Dulare said: “I think the Swap Shop was a really good idea and I would be happy to support the Council again if it did anything like this in future.”

For more information on your local recycling services, visit www.recycleforgloucestershire.com.

Article included with kind permission of Cotswold District Council - www.cotswold.gov.uk

Tags: recycling | gloucestershire | charity

Come to the Corinium Museum, Cirencester this autumn and discover your creative side, thanks to ‘Arty-ology’, a drop-in drawing session for the whole family being held on Saturday October 13^th.

The event, which runs from 11am-3pm, will give young and old alike the chance to draw unusual artefacts from the museum’s collection and experiment with a range of different art materials provided by museum staff. Artist and illustrator Darrell Warner – who has worked with Disney and illustrated classic novels such as Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein - will also be on hand to offer help, hints and advice to budding artists.

‘Arty-ology’ is part of The Big Draw 2007, the Campaign for Drawing’s annual flagship event, which aims to celebrate creativity, encourage art and artists and get everybody drawing. Thousands of people will take part in drawing-themed events at over 1300 venues across the country in October.

The event is being run as part of Family Learning Week, an annual awareness drive supported by the Campaign for Learning, which highlights the importance families can have in supporting learning. This year’s Family Learning Week will run from October 6^th-14^th.

Anyone interested in the event should drop into the museum between 11am and 3pm on October 13^th to take part. The cost of the event is included with the museum admission price, and all children must be accompanied by an adult.

Article included with kind permission of Cotswold District Council - www.cotswold.gov.uk

Tags: art | cirencester

The Campden and District Music Society’s 47th season will start with a concert on Tuesday 9th October 2007 with the Fitzwilliam string quartet and Moray Welsh, cello. They will play music by Borodin and Schubert.

On Tuesday 13th November 2007 Thomas Barber, oboe and James Southall, piano will give the recital, sponsored by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, which supports exciting new young artists.

The Feinstein Ensemble will launch 2008 with a concert on Tuesday 8th January using both modern and period instruments, flute, recorder, harpsichord and strings with music by Bach and Vivaldi.

On Tuesday 5th February 2008 the Kandinsky piano trio will play music by Haydn, Schumann and Beethoven.

The final concert of the season on Tuesday 18th March 2008 is the Wakeford Ensemble Septet, seven players with harp, string quartet, flute and clarinet and music by Mozart, Debussy, Skempton, Saint-Saens and Ravel.

All concerts take place in Chipping Campden School Hall, Cider Mill Lane, Chipping Campden at 8pm. Members also have opportunities to join group visits to ballet, operas and concerts at different venues. Bookings for these will open very soon, so your membership is necessary to participate and attend concerts. New members are welcomed.

Campden and District Music Society Website

(From the Chipping Campden Bulletin. Included with kind permission of Jeremy Green)

Tags: chipping campden | music

The Campden and District Music Society’s 47th season will start with a concert on Tuesday 9th October 2007 with the Fitzwilliam string quartet and Moray Welsh, cello. They will play music by Borodin and Schubert.

On Tuesday 13th November 2007 Thomas Barber, oboe and James Southall, piano will give the recital, sponsored by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, which supports exciting new young artists.

The Feinstein Ensemble will launch 2008 with a concert on Tuesday 8th January using both modern and period instruments, flute, recorder, harpsichord and strings with music by Bach and Vivaldi.

On Tuesday 5th February 2008 the Kandinsky piano trio will play music by Haydn, Schumann and Beethoven.

The final concert of the season on Tuesday 18th March 2008 is the Wakeford Ensemble Septet, seven players with harp, string quartet, flute and clarinet and music by Mozart, Debussy, Skempton, Saint-Saens and Ravel.

All concerts take place in Chipping Campden School Hall, Cider Mill Lane, Chipping Campden at 8pm. Members also have opportunities to join group visits to ballet, operas and concerts at different venues. Bookings for these will open very soon, so your membership is necessary to participate and attend concerts. New members are welcomed.

Campden and District Music Society Website

(From the Chipping Campden Bulletin. Included with kind permission of Jeremy Green)

Tags: chipping campden | music

The Campden and District Music Society’s 47th season will start with a concert on Tuesday 9th October 2007 with the Fitzwilliam string quartet and Moray Welsh, cello. They will play music by Borodin and Schubert.

On Tuesday 13th November 2007 Thomas Barber, oboe and James Southall, piano will give the recital, sponsored by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, which supports exciting new young artists.

The Feinstein Ensemble will launch 2008 with a concert on Tuesday 8th January using both modern and period instruments, flute, recorder, harpsichord and strings with music by Bach and Vivaldi.

On Tuesday 5th February 2008 the Kandinsky piano trio will play music by Haydn, Schumann and Beethoven.

The final concert of the season on Tuesday 18th March 2008 is the Wakeford Ensemble Septet, seven players with harp, string quartet, flute and clarinet and music by Mozart, Debussy, Skempton, Saint-Saens and Ravel.

All concerts take place in Chipping Campden School Hall, Cider Mill Lane, Chipping Campden at 8pm. Members also have opportunities to join group visits to ballet, operas and concerts at different venues. Bookings for these will open very soon, so your membership is necessary to participate and attend concerts. New members are welcomed.

Campden and District Music Society Website

(From the Chipping Campden Bulletin. Included with kind permission of Jeremy Green)

Tags: chipping campden | music

The Campden and District Music Society’s 47th season will start with a concert on Tuesday 9th October 2007 with the Fitzwilliam string quartet and Moray Welsh, cello. They will play music by Borodin and Schubert.

On Tuesday 13th November 2007 Thomas Barber, oboe and James Southall, piano will give the recital, sponsored by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, which supports exciting new young artists.

The Feinstein Ensemble will launch 2008 with a concert on Tuesday 8th January using both modern and period instruments, flute, recorder, harpsichord and strings with music by Bach and Vivaldi.

On Tuesday 5th February 2008 the Kandinsky piano trio will play music by Haydn, Schumann and Beethoven.

The final concert of the season on Tuesday 18th March 2008 is the Wakeford Ensemble Septet, seven players with harp, string quartet, flute and clarinet and music by Mozart, Debussy, Skempton, Saint-Saens and Ravel.

All concerts take place in Chipping Campden School Hall, Cider Mill Lane, Chipping Campden at 8pm. Members also have opportunities to join group visits to ballet, operas and concerts at different venues. Bookings for these will open very soon, so your membership is necessary to participate and attend concerts. New members are welcomed.

Campden and District Music Society Website

(From the Chipping Campden Bulletin. Included with kind permission of Jeremy Green)

Tags: chipping campden | music

The Righton Family fish together

On a family fishing trip to the Whelford Pools at Fairford Gloucestershire the Righton family came up with some big fish.
Rose-Anne Righton landed a leathery mirror carp weighing 16lb 8oz caught with a single tiger nut fished over a bed of mixed particles.

Brother Anthony went one better and landed a 17lb 2oz mirror carp using a Fusion boilie fished over a particle mix. These catches gave dad Kevin a challenge and he came up trumps with a 27lb 8oz mirror carp to show the kids whose boss. Kevin fished with a Tutti Fruti pop-up on a Withy Pool Rig over 5kg of Parti-Blend.

Whelford Pools is a family run day ticket water, situated in the South Cotswolds on the A417 between Lechlade and Fairford. Set in a beautiful location it is home to a wealth of large,Mirror, Commom and Leather Carp, Tench,Perch,Roach, Pike and Bream. It is noted as one of the top day ticket fisheries in Gloucestershire.

www.whelfordpools.co.uk

Another article about Kevin:

Ebrington Angler just misses out on the British record for perch

Tags: ebrington | fishing | gloucestershire