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EMILY RIDES TO TRIUMPH AT 100
A ride in a pony and trap through sunny Shrewton brought Emily Jenkins to her second birthday party, where friends and family waited to greet this amazing 100-year-old lady.  Friends at Till Valley Day Centre had already helped Emily to celebrate two days earlier on her actual birthday, with a party and a show.
Emily was born Emily Nugent on 11th June 1909 in Liverpool, the oldest of five daughters born to a carpenter and his wife.  She married her husband Arthur in 1925 and the couple had two daughters, Margaret Turner, who lives in Meadway, Shrewton, with partner Arwel, and Kathie, now in New Zealand.  Emily also boasts seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and one great great grandson!
“I wasn’t going to go to the Day Centre, because family were coming over, but Margaret told me I had better go,” chuckled Emily, a keen member of the centre and of Shrewton Methodist Church.
“When I got there they had a surprise party arranged for me, with my favourite dinner – cottage pie – and some entertainers.”
~The fun continued at the weekend, with around 50 friends and family coming from as far away as Australia to another surprise party, with flowers, banners and balloons decorating the Methodist Hall, a photograph display and a “This is Your Life”-style book of memories.
“It was wonderful,” said Emily, who moved to Shrewton eight years ago to be near Margaret.  “I have had about 150 cards and I have lost count of all the flowers I received!  I have never regretted moving to Shrewton; it’s such a friendly place.”

BROTHER’S  GOLFING GIFT GIVES JOY TO DAY CENTRE
Till Valley Day Centre guests are celebrating after receiving a generous donation raised through a golfing tournament funded their trip to Longleat Safari Park next year.
Dan Jones (pictured presenting a cheque to Marian Lacy, Hazel Burns and guests at the centre) tragically lost his twin brother Peter 12 years ago, and has since brought good from his own sadness by raising cash for good causes.  He set up a trust fund in memory of his brother, who was a keen golfer, and holds annual fundraising events when friends and family meet at Erlestoke Golf Club for a charity golf tournament in Peter’s memory. The holes are sponsored by local businesses and a good time is had by all. The day concludes with a dinner at the club in the evening.
Day Centre organiser Hazel Burns said, “On behalf of all at the Till Valley Day Centre, I would like to thank Dan Jones, his family, friends and sponsors for the generous gift of £600. The proceeds of the event are given to a nominated charity and this year we feel very privileged to have been chosen.  This kind gift will be used towards the funding of our spring trip to Longleat.
“Once again our heartfelt thanks.”
Hazel Burns 
 

WE WILL BE AMUSED!
Or at least entertained by the new Shrewton Film Night offering for Monday 13th July, “The Young Victoria”, which will be showing at the Rec at 7.30pm. Aged just 18, the young girl was woken one morning in 1837 by her mother, the redoubtable Duchess of Kent, to be told she was queen of England, and the first power struggle she faced would be with her mother…  The Devil Wears Prada star Emily Blunt plays Victoria, and the script was written by Julian Fellowes who knows his stuff.
This promises to be one of the highlights of our movie year. “This film chronicles the life and troubles Victoria faces before during and after becoming Queen. The death of her uncle initiates a positive orgy of intrigue and a power-struggle between herself and her mother who wants to be appointed co-Regent with Lord Conroy, and later between Prime Minister Lord Melbourne and his rival Sir Robert Peel. This is one of those beautifully intense movies that draws us in and is a remarkable glimpse of a remarkable time in Britain’s history. Emily Blunt simply shines, giving a solid, convincing performance which catches young Victoria's regality, temper, and vulnerability. Also, the production is outstanding in every way: style, substance and sensitivity. Rupert Friend is excellent as the ever so patient and compassionate young Prince Albert, vying to win the young Queen's attention, and Paul Bettany (Lord Melbourne) was engrossing to watch. There are also strong performances from Jim Broadbent, Miranda Richardson and Harriet Walters Mark Strong. Victoria is portrayed as feisty, passionate and strong willed. A far cry from the image of Victoria in her later years, when she is a little fat old lady in perpetual mourning, wearing a white hankie on her head!”  (Review courtesy of www.imdb.com)
This film is likely to be very popular as it’s a good story with an excellent British cast, so it might be a good idea to buy your tickets in advance. We do hate turning people away! As always tickets are on sale in Londis. Doors open 7.00 pm, film starts at 7.30 pm.

SAMMY SUNSHINE BRIGHTENS SHREWTON
Local youngsters were shrieking with laughter and enjoyment as Sammy Sunshine (left) arrived, red nose glowing and huge shoes flapping, to join the fun at Shrewton Rec recently.
Sammy, from Fordingbridge, is 80, but came out of retirement for this very special day organised by members of the village Mothers’ Union as part of the MU’s national Family Week.
More than 3,500 events were organised across the UK for the week, which recognises the importance of families in the community.  Local youngsters and their mums and dads and some grandparents enjoyed a delicious spread prepared by MU members resplendent in bright yellow T-shirts with the logo “Mothers’ Union Cares”, while balloons flew overhead to celebrate the event.

 

BIG SUMMER FAYRE FOR NEW SCHOOL
Get your sun hats on and mark 27th June in your diary for the big summer fayre being held in aid of Shrewton School, currently undergoing its new build.  The fayre is being held from 2pm top 4pm in the Methodist Hall.  Stalls galore, a super raffle and delicious cream teas, plus fun for all the family.  Don't miss this event. Come along and support Friends of Shrewton School.

COUNTRY MARKETS IN SHREWTON?
A meeting was held at the Village Hall at the Recreation Ground under the auspices of Wiltshire Country Market Society Ltd (see their national website for details on how a Country Market works http://www.country-markets.co.uk/) about the possibility of running a Country Market in Shrewton on a regular basis. The meeting concluded that such a facility would be useful.

The next step is to hold a further discussion evening, inviting local crafts and small business people to come along and see how they might sell their produce (vegetables, plants etc) or craftwork products directly to other local people.

 

OLLY’S AFRICAN DREAM

Shrewton teen volunteer Olly Kinsey has returned from the heart of Africa full of memories – and thanks for the local people who helped send him there. His gap year adventure involved working with AIDS orphans, getting to know wild animals….and braving everyday dangers like venomous spiders and snakes.

Last year Olly’s request for sponsorship was printed in Arowheadand he managed to raise around £4,000 cash by any means he could, including odd jobs.  Then in January he jetted out to spend three months at Kwa Madwala, working as a trainee game warden in the Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s largest safari parks, doing conservation work and helping out at the local AIDS orphanage.

Now back in the UK, Olly is preparing to give talks to local groups about his trip and the things he learned from it.

Olly's account of is trip, which includes accounts of many adventures and moving descriptions of the plight of some of the people he met, will be published in Arrowhead starting in June's edition.

The adjacent pictures show Olly teaching at a school and making friends with a leopard in a game reserve.

Here's how Olly sums it all up....

"After three months of being in Africa you get used to everything: from being paranoid that everything was going to eat me in my first week I was now sitting on the sofa watching bugs fly inches away from my face and not even flinching, I had a spitting cobra crawl from under the sofa right near me, I’d had an elephant charge at me and had come within metres of lions!  But after surviving all of that it’s hard to come back to murky England with its weird weather and knowing that there is no longer a chance of being mauled by a crocodile for standing too close to the water.

All in all I had the best three months of my life and being back in the UK now is a complete shock especially the weather being so cold! Thanks to everyone who helped me raise the funds I needed to go!"

Anyone who is interested in booking Olly to speak about his trip, please contact him on 620524.

LINK – NEED RISING
Demand for help with vital transport is rising, say Till Valley Link, who report they dealt with 668 requests since their last AGM, a rise of 89 on last year. Most of these requests have been for lifts to hospital, dentist, shops or hairdressers, but Link are keen to stress that they do provide other services.

The good neighbour scheme also offers many different kinds of help, including company for the lonely and mobility help.

“Do you have any ideas of ways that we can be of help?” they ask in their latest report.  Volunteer drivers are always needed – please contact Margaret Turner on 620565 if you can help. To find out more about Link, click HERE

WI TO HELP WILTS AIR AMBULANCE
How many local people can say they do not know anyone who has been helped by Wiltshire Air Ambulance, flying paramedics who can get to accident victims in hard-to-reach places in record time?

Shrewton WI, who last year chose Wiltshire Air Ambulance as their Good Deed of the Year, will be walking for the service on 27th June…then recovering the shed calories with a cream tea!

Why not join us for a stroll around the village area, meeting at the WI noticeboard in Salisbury Road at 2pm? 

All are welcome on this Community Walk, whether or not they are WI members or are taking part in the sponsored walk.  But if you would like to support our parish magazine, please speak to any WI member about getting a sponsorship form.

The walk will be no more than five miles and will be at a gentle pace.  Join us in Maddington Scout Hall afterwards for the cream tea, whether you walked with us or not.  Please help us to help this vital service.

ART DISPLAY PLAN FOR SHREWTON DAY CENTRE
Budding artists at the Day Centre hope to have their work displayed in July after winning a PAWS grant to pay for art tuition from artist Jill Hillman, founder of the Colour Design Studio in Trowbridge.

The Day Centre guests had decided that they would like to learn how to paint, so the application went in and was accepted. Jill Hillman arrived a few weeks later laden with an array of equipment and lots of enthusiasm.

“We began by using watercolours on pictures pre printed from local landscape photographs which Jill had taken. The results were very pleasing. On the second session, our confidence grew and Jill introduced us to new medias" said Hazel Burns, Shrewton Day Centre Organiser.

During the last two sessions we progressed to line drawings and freehand. We also tried acrylics, Indian ink and pastels, learning how to blend using our fingers to create different effects. This project was greatly enjoyed and produced wonderful results. We hope to have the work on display at the Methodist Church at the beginning of July.”

Hazel has also been contacted by Age Concern, and is hoping to have light exercise/Tai Chi sessions for 60+ up and during May 2009.
 

LOCK UP AND STAY ALERT - POLICE
The spring weather is encouraging us all to spend as much time as possible outside, either in the back garden or catching up with friends on the front doorstep.  Wiltshire Police  want to remind people that unlocked doors and windows can be a gift to burglars.

There has been a recent increase in such crime, which is being actively policed by high visibility patrols and detailed investigations.  Residents can help prevent themselves becoming a victim by following this advice:

Remember to lock front and back doors and don’t leave accessible windows open in unoccupied rooms, to reduce the chance of a “walk in” burglary taking place. Thieves will often target UPVC doors because they have a 'double lock' system which means that when the door is closed it is not necessarily locked. Once inside handbags, wallets and car keys are usually easy to find and the burglary can take seconds rather than minutes

When going out, securely lock all doors and windows – no matter what the temperature and no matter how long you intend to be away. ‘Just popping across the road for a minute’ or ‘just nipping down the shop’ is ample time for a criminal to strike.

Do be a nosey neighbour – tell us if you see anyone acting suspiciously in or around premises in your neighbourhood, and if possible, take the registration numbers of any unusual vehicles in your area.

Don’t approach any suspicious persons – tell your local police about them with as much detail as possible, and try to include personal descriptions, and what clothes they were wearing.

Detective Sergeant Andy Beaven said, 'We live in a very safe part of the country with a very low burglary rate but there are still people who will enter your home to steal given the opportunity. It's important that the public take a good look around their homes to see if they can identify possible entry points. If they can see any - then an opportunist thief will also spot them.’

DS Beaven continued, ‘Generally thieves like the easy option, so simple efforts like making sure that doors and windows are secure when you go to bed will put them off. Burglaries also happen during the day so if, for example, you are in the back garden, lock the front door. Simple advice but often forgotten.'

For more information on how to improve your home security please contact the local Crime Reduction Officers or your Neighbourhood Policing Team on 0845 408 7000.

 

FILM NIGHTS IN JEOPARDY:
The organisers of the Shrewton Film Night events have been informed by Dorset Film Touring (Moviola) that they are currently subsidizing our film nights by up to £90 each because in recent months audience numbers have consistently fallen well below their break-even point. Moviola is a charity with no external funding and therefore cannot afford to subsidise us indefinitely.

Consequently, unless we can increase our audience size to over 60 people per film then this wonderful opportunity to see top class films at a reasonable price in our village will finish in August. Please don’t let this happen! In these cost conscious times where else can you go locally for an entertaining evening out, in pleasant surroundings, meet your friends and neighbours and provide much needed funds for the Village Hall – and only for a fiver!

So do please come along and help support your local community. Details of forthcoming films are published here on the Shrewton Website, in Arrowhead and the Tilshead Newsletter as well as on posters in Shrewton and nearby villages. If you can think of any other inexpensive ways we can draw people’s attention to Shrewton Film Nights do please contact Christine Jerrom, Jan Blake or Peter Sturt with your ideas, or email the webmasters and we will be pleased to pass on your suggestions

BY THE BOOK
In the wake of the successful Exhibition of the History of Shrewton School last year, the Friends of Shrewton School are now looking for sponsors to finance a book on the school’s history.

The book will be sold in aid of the school.  Of course an acknowledgement will be put in the book of all sponsors. If you can help, no matter how small a contribution, then contact Margaret Mills on 620883.

KIRSTY'S NEW BOOK WILL BENEFIT ARMY CHARITY:
 

When mums and dads serving in HM forces go off on foreign tours of duty, it can be hard for very young children to understand what's going on. Shrewton-based author Kirsty Marvell has published a new book which aims to help explain.

“Soldier Oli” by Kirsty Marvell (pictured with her young sons, Will and Freddy) is a rhyming picture book, written specifically  for pre-school children.  It is the story of a soldier leaving his family to go away on tour with his regiment.  Although written for children from army families, the story and pictures can be enjoyed by all children. 50p of the proceeds from the sale of every book goes to the Army Benevolent Fund. To purchase a copy please visit http://www.soldieroli.com

Obituary – Lady Joyce Delacombe:
We report with great sadness, the death of Lady Joyce Delacombe and republish the the following obituary by Christopher Delacombe.

"Goodbyes are sad but this piece aims at remembering a most remarkable person and mother. A person who brought friendship, humour, joy and loyalty to those who came into contact with her throughout her long life; a keen sportswoman who played at Junior Wimbledon; a person who set the highest of standards, both for herself and for those around her, right up to the end. A great stoic, always determined to keep going. One letter to me wondered how the grim reaper even dared to step inside the room. Many others commented on the inspiration the writer had received in the way she confronted and overcame the obstacles she faced in life.

Joyce was a Yorkshire lass through and through; tough, independently minded, but a great source of support and encouragement to all in hard times. She suffered throughout her life from severe rheumatoid arthritis which she contracted in her early twenties, and by the age of 25 her hands and feet were virtually crippled. She lived the rest of her life, much of it an official one, with the inevitable hours of standing at formal functions, and enduring the long reception lines, without a word of complaint.

Her early days of married army life were difficult with ‘Jumbo away at the war’ with only periodic visits home. Home at this stage was Egton in the Yorkshire moors.

Thereafter army life became more comfortable. Jumbo’s commands had been during the war so Joyce never experienced the joys of the CO’s wife. Life took her to Edinburgh, Germany, briefly here to Shrewton, Scotland again, and then Berlin. On returning to Shrewton in 1953 they unpacked many of their wedding presents for the first time – twelve years after their wedding.

In 1962 Jumbo’s army career came to an end and she felt that at last she would be able to enjoy her own home, and cook in her own kitchen. It was not to be. In 1963 she and Jumbo set out for Melbourne. They were there for eleven years while Jumbo was Governor of Victoria and this was one of her happiest times.

She entertained at Government House everybody from Her Majesty the Queen to President Lyndon Johnston, to mention but two. She hugely enjoyed organising State Dinners and they were always immaculate with marvellous food and wines. Formal entertaining can be daunting to those attending. She settled on a wonderful way of starting official receptions on a lighter note. Guests would be assembled in the State drawing room. The moment would draw near when H.E. the Governor would make his formal entrance; at the exact moment the double doors would be thrown open, and in would come …. Zara, the Labrador.

In Melbourne she was far more than just the Governor’s wife. She was appointed a Commander Sister of the Order of St John for her services, and subsequently she took enormous pride in receiving the Australian Centenary Medal from the High Commissioner at a ceremony in 2003.

Despite her hands she has always loved embroidery. It was while she was in Melbourne she became aware that there was no producer of tapestries in the Southern Hemisphere. She felt strongly that this should be rectified and set about drumming up support. She teamed up with the redoubtable Dame Elizabeth Murdoch, who recently celebrated her 100th birthday, and between them the Victorian Tapestry Workshop was born as the Aubusson of the South. She retained her close association with them and this wonderful legacy flourishes to this day.

In 1974 came retirement at last. Shrewton became a home again where they could entertain their friends, open the garden, and become involved in a community. There were 17 happy years before Jumbo died in 1991, and a further 17 years on her own. During these years she devoted herself to the development of the garden which many of you have seen in all its glory. She also had the joy of seeing Christopher, Lucy and her three grandchildren as they grew, and subsequently the marriage of Frances to Norman Caldwell in Australia and their two children.

Very much a family person, she kept close contact with her many relations in the UK on both of the family. In 2007 she welcomed Richard to the family as her new grandson-in-law. She was looking forward to extending the same welcome to Lachlan’s fiancée, Amanda, in Australia. Sadly this was not to be.

It had always been her wish that she saw out her days at Shrewton. This happily she was able to do, only needing live-in support over the past 2½ years in the process striking a great rapport with a number of her carers.

Joyce, then, was a wonderful person. She was fun, with a twinkle in her eye. The measure of Joyce, and the one I shall always remember, is her reaction to the word ‘party’. The back would straighten, a glint would come into the eye, and she was off! Her 90th was a wonderful party, spread over two days, with a marquee and the village silver band. Her 93rd was a lunch party for 25, and she was already planning her 94th. This is the woman who landed a 9lb salmon and a 9lb baby boy within 24 hours; this is the woman who only last year enjoyed a day at Number One court Wimbledon.

Some woman, some mother, some memories."

Christopher Delacombe

SAVE MONEY ON HEATING OIL WITH SOS:
The Shrewton Oil Sheiks (SOS) is a consortium of local people who bulk buy home heating oil at cheapest available prices. If you want to be part of this excellent scheme, and save yourself some money on your heating oil, please see organiser Mike Badham-Thornhill's latest update by clicking HERE, where you'll also find details on how to contact him.  

JOHN RUTTER CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION: DECEMBER 2009.
Christmas may seem a distant prospect on a spring day, but Michael Knight is planning ahead ...

"Anyone for stalls in the hall? ……..in the Royal Albert Hall that is, on Saturday 12th December 09.  

John Rutter’s Christmas Celebration is back at the Royal Albert Hall this year with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Hospital School Choir.  John Rutter will present a magical selection of Christmas delights including Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and not forgetting a sing-a-long of carols.

The concert starts at 3pm and the coach will leave Shrewton at 11.15am.  The inclusive cost is £44.00 giving us some of the best seats in the Albert Hall in the central area of the stalls.  The view should be perfect.  Last year our driver gave us a tour of the Christmas lights in the West End on the way home which finished off a very enjoyable day and I hope he will repeat that this year!

Please ring me (620956) if you are interested in going and I will add your name to a provisional list with your confirmation and payment required by 30th September. Don’t forget to put the dates in your diary.

Michael Knight"