White Horse News Your local family run community newspaper

Across the channel and back again for Westbury swimmers

WESTBURY Swimming Club members collectively swam over twice the distance of the English channel at a sponsored swim last week.

The event served a two- fold purpose of raising vital funds to ensure the club’s survival, and commemorating longstanding member Jon Sims, who died from a brain tumour in March this year aged 25.
A quarter of the proceeds from the event, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday last week, were donated to The Dorothy House Foundation which supported Jon during his illness.

Darts ladies celebrate bullseye anniversary

WESTBURY Ladies’ Darts League’s 50th anniversary bash was saved at the eleventh hour after the caterers booked for the event were struck by swine flu.

The darts league had hoped to celebrate their golden anniversary with a three course meal followed by live music and comedian at Westbury Labour Club, but were left without a caterer just two days before the event.
Luckily for the 156 people attending the end of season awards bash, league member and pub landlord Lynda Brewer stepped in at the last minute and offered to prepare a buffet spread.

Issue 436 – Hilly run started by Olympic silver star

BRATTON’S hilly run 2009 has been heralded as one of the best ever, after almost 120 runners took part. <!--more-->

This was a special year for the race committee who were faced with organising the event following the death of  Roger Broberg, who died in March after a battle with cancer.  Roger founded the race with Bratton School in 1996. The 11km hill race is now organised by the village’s Jubilee Hall Management committee.

A highlight of the event was the attendance of  paralympian Ben Rushgrove, who picked up a silver medal   in the 100m at the Beijing  Olympics last year, with a time of time of 12.35 seconds. Ben started the race and handed out awards to both the adult and youth winners.

Jubilee Hall Committee member Dot Reeve said, “I think Ben might have been the crowd puller - he was fantastic. It was the first one without Roger and we were really pleased with how it went - it's been a highly successful day. Everyone has been coming up to us and saying that it has been brilliant, the atmosphere has been fantastic.

“We really wanted it to be the best ever and I think in terms of atmosphere it has been. It think Roger was certainly up there with a smile on his face - especially when the computers went down and we had to sort out all the results manually!”

Dot thanked Warminster Running Club - Roger’s former club - who assisted with time keeping and route marking. She said, “Before, Roger just brought all the stuff with him so we were really grateful for their continued support this year.”

Dot said that the race's future looked promising after a record turn out of entries and particularly, the highest number of under 18-year-olds in the race's history.

The main race was preceded by a youth race for members of Bratton primary school who completed a shorter circuit.

The event was used to as an opportunity to raise money for the Dorothy House Hospice in nearby Winsley.  Yvonne Brunton - community fundraiser for Dorothy House said, “I was also at the race last year and that was the first time I had the pleasure of meeting the man whose smile could light up a room.  I can't see Roger here today but I can definitely feel him here. 

“He was a wonderful, wonderful man to be associated with and he has left a wonderful legacy."

Winners:

First male: Thomas Craggs Mornington Chasers running club in 45.15.

First female: Tamsin Simmonds of the Swindon Harriers 50:10 

First Bratton runner: Tom Berrington 49:54

Roger Broberg youth Plate: Sam Ladd 48:32

Bratton School Association prize: Sam Reeves  57:51

Male team: Avon valley Runners

Female Team: Warminster Running team.

First place junior race: Peter Brown. 

Junior race medallists Ollie Jeffery peter Brown and Adam Hiscocks with Ben Rushgrove.

dave waller in his horse costume to publicise the wild west themed fete which will be held in the village on Saturday 27the June, featuring a bucking bronco, Western themes and prizes for fancy dress

First place Thomas Craggs Mornington Chasers running club in 45.15 
Martin Chorley 2nd 45.50

Sam reeves won Bratton school association prize -
first over the line who had a linkto the school