White Horse News

What’s on in May…

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:47:47 +0000

5TH-13TH
Various: Cloth Road Arts Week, for more information see story or visit www.clothroadartists.com

FRIDAY 11TH
Evening: Boxing night at White Horse Country Park. For tickets call Simon Edwards on 07970022949.

SATURDAY 12TH
10.30am-12.30pm: Plant and tool sale at Bratton Church Institute, with locally grown plants and garden tools on sale. Proceeds in aid of St James’ funds.

11am: Bratton Happy Valley Hilly Run. Registration starts at 9am at the Jubilee Hall, run starts at 11am.

2.30pm; Blue Circle Bowls Club Open Day. New players welcome and coaching is available. White Horse Country Park, Call Ann Bartlett, secretary on 01225 753199.

6.30pm: Students from the Guildhall School of Music perform at Edington Priory Church under the direction of Linhe Robertson. Tickets can be booked by either telephoning 01380 831210 or by email: susan. edwards1@btconnect.com. All proceeds in aid of Edington Priory Church.

7.30pm: Philomel Ladies Choir host their Spring Concert at All Saints Church. The choir will perform a mixed repertoire with a wide appeal. The concert is free, with a retiring collection for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Charitable Trust.

SUNDAY 13TH
2pm: Westbury Naturalists Society head to Black Dog Woods – A springtime stoll in the woodlands at Dilton Marsh. Rendezvous at the junction of Stormore and Clearwood in Dilton Marsh.

WEDNESDAY 16TH
6.30pm for 7pm: Open evening of The Rotary Club of Westbury, at the Cedar Hotel.

FRIDAY 18TH
7.30pm: Charity Skittles Night at The Crown, raising funds for Macmillan and Dorothy House. Tickets £3.
Evening: Beatles Tribute Band, ‘All You Need Is The Beatles’ at White Horse Country Park. Tickets £15 to include buffet, available from the park on 01373 822 323.

SATURDAY 19TH
10am-2pm: Westbury Mayor’s Charity Spring Fayre at The Laverton. In aid of Dorothy House and Alzheimer’s Society, with refreshments served by Dorothy House. If you would like to book a table, contact Sue Ezra on 01373 822 547.
Evening: “Giggle ‘n’ Wiggle’ – comedy & dancing – at White Horse Country Park.

Just send your details to: White Horse News, 31 Market Place,
Melksham, SN12 6ES – or email whitehorsenews@btconnect.com

Olympic torch to pass near Westbury

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:10:12 +0000

YOUR chance to be part of London 2012 will come on the 22nd May when the Olympic Torch skirts around Westbury on its way to the Games.
On the afternoon of Tuesday 22nd May, the Torch will leave the celebrations in Frome, before heading towards Beckington and then passing through Southwick on its way to Trowbridge. The Olympic Torch Relay will be a 70-day celebration, starting in the UK on 18th May travelling thousands of miles and bringing the London 2012 Games to almost every community across the UK. The historic Olympic Torch comes to Wiltshire on 22nd May until 23rd May and then travels through part of the county again on 11th July and 12th July. Wiltshire is in a unique position as the Olympic Torch comes through on two separate occasions. Leader of Wiltshire Council, Jane Scott said, “We are encouraging as many communities as possible to get involved in the celebrations and line the torch route on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “I’ve spoken to communities across the county and they are busy planning lots of celebrations which will make the Olympic Torch coming to Wiltshire a truly memorable experience for everyone.”

New coat for White Horse

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:09:39 +0000

WESTBURY Rotary Club has received permission to paint the White Horse. It is the second part of the project, led by the Rotary Club of Westbury, to get the horse looking its best for the Jubilee celebrations.
Last month, volunteers scaled down the horse with brushes and steam cleaners to give it a much-needed clean, succeeding in transforming the horse back from a ‘grey mare’ to a White Horse once more. However, they needed to obtain permission from both English Heritage and Natural England before they could start the second phase of the project, painting the horse, which has now been granted. Poor weather hampered efforts to start painting at the end of April, with painting due to start last weekend, weather permitting.

Westbury presented to the Queen

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:58:09 +0000

THE Queen and Duke of Edinburgh admired projects and activities from Westbury and the villages, as well as meeting local people, at a special Diamond Jubilee event last week in Salisbury.
Westbury’s exhibition was one of the select few visited by the royals at the county’s Jubilee event in Salisbury on 1st May. One of the features in Westbury’s exhibition was a copy of the skull of a 150million year-old Jurassic pliosaur, which was excavated at Westbury in 1994. Wiltshire councillor Julie Swabey showed the Queen around Westbury’s exhibition. She said, “All the cameras were there when I greeted her, and it was lovely to meet her! You feel like you’ve known her all your life, you’ve been brought up knowing the Queen. “It was all very relaxed. I introduced her to Din Ghani, the lute player, and she saw the pliosaur and asked if it was very ferocious! She met David Jenkins and Mike Cuthbert-Murray and had a look at the display boards of the White Horse. “She talked to Mike Pearce about the community orchards in Bratton, and met the young people on the smoothie bar. She asked them about what they were making, and what flavours. They were thrilled!” After the Queen had left, the group was delighted to receive a surprise visit from the Duke of Edinburgh. Mike Pearce presented the Reeves Community Orchard Project in Bratton to the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. He said, “She was lovely, and very easy to talk to. They both asked some nice questions as to what it was and what we were doing. They realised that British orchards are diminishing and asked by how much. And they were interested to know that other villages in the county are now following suit.” Din Ghani, a lute player and lute maker from Dilton Marsh, also met the royal couple. He said, “I was the first in the tent to be presented, and she asked questions about the wood I used and what effect it had on the tone. After she went, Prince Philip appeared – he wasn’t expected! Our tent was honoured by a double visit. “They were both very interested and came across as very friendly. After they went, the public was able to come in and I played the lute a couple of times and people were milling around and saying ‘what’s that?’Kids came up and looked at the music and were fascinated.” David Jenkins, a Wiltshire and town councillor, talked to the Queen about Wiltshire and Westbury’s White Horses. He said, “It was a great honour to meet her, it was something I never thought I would get to do, certainly not in a Jubilee year. When you meet a royal you have a slight apprehension but it’s incredible, once you start to talk to her she has the ability to make you feel relaxed and very much at ease. “She asked me some questions about the White Horse, which I responded to. She asked how many White Horses there are in the county, and how old is the horse. “As far as Westbury is concerned we were certainly honoured that we were one of the tents she visited. It was a day to remember for everyone.” Cllr David Windess, in his capacity as Westbury Mayor at the time, was also greeted by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh at a reception for the royals. The Diamond Jubilee event celebrated Wiltshire’s heritage with medieval-themed activities, including 18 community-inspired jousting tents, music, performances, re-enactments and Morris dancing . Wiltshire Council’s Shine 4 Wiltshire winners, The Salisbury Plain Military Wives Choir, performed along with the Prince of Wales Marching Band. The Cathedral Close also played host to a number of activities with performances from actors in period costume and a display of falconry. An armed services band performed and they also hosted an inflatable assault course for families to enjoy.

Royal performance for Westbury teenager

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:47:37 +0000

A WESTBURY teenager’s composition has been played to the Queen, with the fanfare welcoming Her Majesty into Salisbury Cathedral during last week’s Royal Jubilee visit.
Lydia Shephard, aged 13, was present at the event and also met the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. Lydia’s composition ‘Solero’ was selected in a county-wide competition to compose a celebratory fanfare. Lydia said, “The orchestra played my fanfare as the Queen entered the cathedral, it was just the brass section. The Queen entered and I was waiting in line to meet her, next to the Bishop and the Dean. “She asked me why I called it ‘Solero’ and I said it was because it was based on Ravel’s ‘Bolero’, and I was thinking of the sun lighting up behind the stones at Stonehenge. ‘Sol’ in Latin means sun, so ‘sol’ and ‘Bolero’ make ‘Solero’. “I got to talk to Prince Philip as well, he asked me if I play and I said yes, the violin. I never thought I was going to win the competition and I was really surprised when I found out. It was a great experience and a great honour to actually meet the Queen. I was thrilled when I found out and it was all really exciting!” After her composition had been played, Lydia, who is also a talented violinist, joined in with the Wiltshire and Swindon Youth Orchestra (WSYO), of which she is a member. Valerie Hayward, head of the music service at Wiltshire Council said, “Lydia has had considerable success in her music, joining the WSYO at the age of 10 and taking part in its tour to China in 2010. In spite of being diagnosed with scoliosis, she is determined to play the violin and piano and to compose music. “Our congratulations go out to her for winning this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Lydia’s composition will be featured again in July during the celebrations as the Olympic Torch passes through Salisbury. And spurred on by her success, Lydia says she will continue to do much more composing in the future.

Mayor’s charity raises thousands for good causes

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:23:44 +0000

AS his year as mayor closes, cllr David Windess’ mayor’s charity has raised just over £2,300.
The money will be split between Wiltshire Air Ambulance and Diabetes UK, which was chosen by cllr Windess. He said, “With the Air Ambulance I think it’s an invaluable service, one you hope you will never need but it’s comforting to know it’s there. I’m diabetic myself so that was a cause close to me anyway.” The people of Westbury have responded generously to the fundraisers, which have included a charity auction, quizzes, go-karting events, and a craft fair. Cllr Windess added, “It was just about getting as much as possible, and to get £2,300 in the current climate is absolutely fantastic. Thank you to all who contributed and took part in the events.”

Interschool concert hits the right notes

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:20:02 +0000

MUSIC and song filled Matravers School as the Lions held their annual interschool concert recently. Seven schools from the area took part with around 150 children taking to the stage, offering a variety of performances.
Pupils came from Westbury Infants School, Bratton Primary School, Bitham Brook Primary School, Dilton Marsh Primary School, Westbury Leigh Primary School, and Westbury Junior School, as well as the host school, Matravers. Each school had a chance to shine before joining together for a combined choirs performance at the end of the concert. During the evening, the Lions also presented each school with a cheque for £125. More pictures, page 21

Students to take on Ten Tors

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 09:13:58 +0000

STUDENTS from Matravers will be taking part in the Ten Tors challenge this weekend, walking up to 55 miles over Dartmoor in self-sufficient teams.
Matravers has entered teams for all three distances of 35, 45, and 55 miles. The Ten Tors Challenge is organised by the army and teams visit the ten nominated tors. The teams must be self-sufficient, carrying all that they need to complete their route in safety despite the terrain and the weather. 24 students from Matravers have been training since January with day trips and weekends away to prepare them for all eventualities. You can find out more about the challenge, and watch the progress of the teams over the weekend, at http:// events.exeter.ac.uk/tentors

Westbury twinning team return from France visit

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:56:37 +0000

A GROUP has returned from a bi-annual visit to Westbury’s twin town, Château du Loir, after a weekend of experiencing local culture, seeing the sights, and meeting new and old friends.
Highlights of the trip included a visit to a chocolate factory, a reception in Château du Loir, and a visit to the chateau where Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson were married. With the town’s twinning liaison now in its twelfth year, the Westbury and District French Twinning Association’s trip took a group of almost 40 people to Chateau du Loir from 26th-30th April, who were all hosted by local families in the town. Jean Dew, chair of the Westbury and District French Twinning Association, reports, “We were all due to assemble from 6.30 pm on Thursday the 26th April for a prompt departure at 7.00 pm. The Coach and driver Peter from Chandlers arrived a little before 6.30 and we were all aboard and ready to go 5 minutes early. “The banter on the coach was lively as usual and the time it took to get to Portsmouth soon went. Fortunately this year there were no long hold ups at the dock and we were soon aboard the Brittany Ferries ship and being allocated our cabins for the night crossing to Ouistreham (Caen). The shipping forecast had warned us of a choppy crossing so it was batten down the hatches and get to bed as soon as possible, especially as the alarm call was due for 6.00 am French time and embarkation at 6.45. Everyone appeared bright eyed and raring to go when we rejoined the coach for the short distance to the Hotel du Phare for breakfast. “The next stop was for a visit to a Chocolate Factory in Château Gontier, A short film, a very interesting demonstration and tastings of some delicious chocolate went down very well and the factory shop was well supported by our members. We were soon off to have a lunch break and shopping time at the Leclerc hypermarket in the town. We all boarded the coach for the last leg of the journey to Château du Loir where we were met by members of their Twinning Association and welcomed by the new Mayor of Château du Loir M. Michel Auville at a vin d’honneur [welcome reception]. We were very pleased to hear that he hopes to visit Westbury with the twinning next year. “Friday evening was spent with the hosts and many families joined together for dinner. We awoke on Saturday morning to rain but it didn’t dampen our spirits and we all set off in our coach and French cars for a visit to the château at Candé. There was a lot of English related memorabilia in the Château as it is where Edward V111 and Mrs Simpson were married. It was unfortunate that it was too wet for us to be able to explore the beautiful gardens, and the picnic that had been arranged for us had to be eaten on the coach or in various places that were undercover, followed by an early return to our hosts homes to prepare for the evening celebration. A four course meal was served while we were entertained by Renzo Mayda and two accompanying musicians, followed by some lively songs from Gilles Haillaut one of the Château Twinning members. Before we knew it the clock struck midnight and we all went home for an early night! “Sunday was spent at leisure with the hosts, some making visits to other Châteaux, some to museums or the Le Mans Sunday market, and others just leisurely with the families. “And Monday – it always come around too soon, and it was still raining, this must be the worst weather we have ever had but it seemed to make no difference to the enjoyment and the strengthening of friendship. Our new members joining us for the first time had all had a great time and are already planning what to do with their guests next year. This is what Westbury Twinning is all about. It took us 40 minutes to say goodbye to everyone and we just about managed to leave on time. The journey to Ouistreham was smooth and fast with just a break for lunch, the boat was on time, the crossing back fairly calm and we arrived in Portsmouth at 9.15 pm as expected. After a short delay at passport control we were winging our way back to Westbury, arriving at about midnight, weary, still smiling and already looking forward to next year.”

Group campaigns against wind farm plans

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 08:55:17 +0000

A GROUP campaigning against a wind farm in West Ashton is concerned that many residents in the area – including in Westbury, Bratton, Edington, and Heywood – are unaware of the plans for Grange Farm Wind Farm.
Reg Windpower is proposing to install three wind turbines of up to 130m in height on Grange Farm, near West Ashton. So far, they have gained permission to erect a 16m anemometry mast to measure wind conditions. But the ‘Stop Grange Farm Wind Farm’ campaign has raised concerns about the plans, saying that if Wiltshire’s first wind turbines are allowed to go ahead, more will follow. Campaigner Judy Glasson, of Bratton said, “They are proposing to put three wind turbines in. They are going to be 130 metres high which makes the Westbury chimney look positively small. They’ll be the first in Wiltshire and there’ll be no stopping them after that. “This is an area of outstanding beauty and near historical sites, it’s not the place to have them. “We’ve got this group together and you’ll find a lot on our website. We’re trying to get the news to the villages and we’re proposing a big public meeting in June. “We had Andrew Murrison in the village in March and everyone who came to that meeting was opposed. But it also seems that people don’t know what’s happening so we’re trying to raise awareness.” The campaigners say they are opposing the turbines because the installations rely on generous government subsidies from the taxpayer, yet do not make a substantial contribution to power requirements. They also say the turbines are a disfigurement of the countryside, along with concerns about the visual impact, danger to wildlife, and noise pollution. The campaign says, “The Stop Grange Farm Wind Farm (SGFWF) campaign is pro-sustainable energy, and believes that the UK has sufficient other on-shore and off-shore site options at which to site new wind energy developments. “The three turbines together will comprise an industrial development on agricultural, greenfield land, and a power plant of considerable size – although wind power output and its contribution to the UK’s sustainable energy production will always be variable, and of debatable benefit. “This industrialisation of our countryside will affect not only the residents and businesses of the immediate area, but those all along this western end of the Avon Valley and White Horse Vale. “These turbines will despoil, and become an overbearing feature of, our local Wiltshire landscape, being directly in the line of sight from the Westbury White Horse and the Bratton Iron Age Fort, in the forefront of any view from the town of Westbury, visible from a significant distance towards Bristol to the west, Devizes and Alton Barnes to Pewsey to the east and Bath to the north.” Public exhibitions to explain Reg Windpower’s proposals were held at the end of last year, while the plans can be found online at www.grangefarmwindfarm.co.uk The SGRWF campaign can be found online at www. stopgrangefarmwind farm.com