No TGIF for January
A Month of Beginnings
January (in Latin, Ianuarius) is named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology.
Traditionally, the original Roman calendar consisted of 10 months totalling 304 days. Winter being considered a month-less period. Around 713 BC, Pompilius, is supposed to have added the months of January and February. So that the calendar covered a standard lunar year (354 days).
Here in Stinchcombe
After much thought, we have decided to revert to the calendar before 713BC and not hold a TGIF until … things get a bit better.
The Stinchcombe Wassail 22
Village Wassail
Following on from our first apple day last autumn, and with high demand from several villagers (Jess, Jayne and Steve for a start) AND the kind offer of the use of the orchard at Eaves Barn by Lynn and John, there will be an informal village wassail THIS SATURDAY 15th Jan 3pm-6pm.
What is a wassail?
What’s a wassail? Firstly it’s a chance to get together and toast one another’s good health (Waes Hael in the anglosaxon… to which the reply is Drinc Hael), secondly it is a chance to thank and bless our trees for their bounteous crops last year, and WAKE THEM UP so they give us a good crop this year! It’s noisy and it’s fun. There will be mulled cider and apple juice to warm us up. And you may just get crowned Lord or Lady of Misrule! Dress warmly and bring something noisy for the part in the ceremony when we wake up the trees and bring a mug to share the wassail bowl.
More information on wassailing can be found on the village website
Also read this page
Wotton Area CAN Update Jan22
Public Meetings
We have reinstated our public meetings…below are the next two that are planned.
- Thursday 3rd February Retrofit & Heat Pumps
- Thursday 7th April Transport..Electric Vehicles & Bikes
Our meetings are held at U.T.E.A (the Chipping Hall) Wotton-under-Edge at 8pm.
As far as possible they are COVID secure, with tables set 2mtrs apart and we recommend people to wear face masks. Give us a nudge if you are coming at wottonareacan@gmail.com
All are welcome.
Wotton Area Climate Action Group
Website:- www.wottonareacan.org
Email:- Wottonareacan@gmail.com
Great Migration of Stinchcombe 2022
Our own Great Migration
If you think that jaw dropping Wildlife is only to be found overseas, in Stinchcombe we are blessed with our own Great Migration – the annual return of amphibians to their ancestral ponds. On warm(ish) wet nights in early spring, hundreds of toads (and some frogs and newts) make their way across fields, hedges, ditches, woods to the ponds where they spawned to mate. We probably wouldn’t know it was happening if it wasn’t for something else they have to cross: the roads. If you’re driving down around St Cyr’s at the right time, it is very much the wrong time- the lanes are littered with the little creatures and it is nigh on impossible not to squash them. Unless of course, some kind humans help them.
Toad Patrol
For quite a few years now, Stinchcombe has been blessed with a strong team of volunteer Toad Patrollers who keep a weather eye on the lanes and are ready to grab raincoats and buckets to collect up the toads on the roads. It is now time to put together the team for 2022. It’s an interesting way to spend a February early evening – enjoying the full moon, the stars, owls, badgers, foxes, mice as well as the various amphibians on our patch, and social distancing is so easy!
Gloucestershire Toads On Roads
Tramping up and down the lane on cold, damp nights is not for everyone and there is no guarantee that you will see a toad but there are other ways to help out; investigating sightings, putting up posters etc. If you would like to help out this year, please let me know.
Even better, sign up to Gloucestershire Toads On Roads – GlosTOR– a county organisation linked to the national Amphibian Charity Froglife. They coordinate all the toad crossings in our county and provide guidance as well as feeding our results into the national database for important conservation work. You can sign up to GlosTor here: 2021 GlosTor Signup Form. If you have signed up before, please do so again- they don’t reuse contact details from previous years.
We are in Stroud District and our crossing is Stinchcombe Church Road. They will then put you in touch with me as Patrol Manager (one of my favourite descriptions) and I’ll be in touch with more information.
Jayne K.
End of year update
Dear all
We had our last Parish Council meeting of the year on Monday night which was well attended and productive. Thanks to Marian and Nola for providing the refreshments in the break. I thought I would give you an update of the key points as I saw them. I hope this is useful
Speedwatch Update
We committed last year to the Speedwatch group and they have been diligently progressing a number of initiatives. Progress on the automated sign (VAS) has been delayed because of a key absence at the council but his replacement is now dealing with the matter and there should be a decision after Christmas. We hope to be able to deploy the VAS next year.
There is a county wide campaign to introduce 20 mph limits in all residential areas and it was agreed to support this, along with over 10% of parish councils. There is a long way to go before it becomes Gloucestershire County Council policy and there will no doubt be opportunities for residents to give their views.
The village gateway locations on Taits Hill, Echo Lane and Wick Lane have now been agreed with the council and we are looking to finalise the design, colour, wording, and size in discussion with potential suppliers and Highways. Kath has circulated some mock ups for comments – anyone who would like to be involved, please contact Kath or myself. There will be a chance for the village to comment before a final decision is made.
Facilities Update
We also agreed to fund the feasibility study into an expanded playground and we were hoping for a Playground Group Update which didn’t happen last night. Hopefully we can get that soon and let everyone know the latest thinking.
You may have seen the new bin and flagpole outside the church, with thanks to Craig Lawfull for installing it. Please let us know if you have the village flags – we don’t know who has them at the moment!!! We are also looking into the possibility of a further bin at the end of the footpath across rugby club, by the bus shelter. Hopefully we will also have a new notice board for Old Hill Lane shortly as well.
Footpaths update.
Firstly, I’d like to give the Parish Council’s thanks to Chris Snellock who has served as footpath warden for the last 6 years and has recently decided stand down. Under his stewardship we have seen conscientious care, documenting, and reporting of our 60 odd footpaths – a heartfelt thanks for your efforts Chris!
John Thomas, from Wick Lane has agreed to take over the role, more details to follow.
There has been no real progress regarding the footpaths at Piers Court. I have recently met with a Police representative who stressed the need to record and report any incidents of harassment. A meeting is being arranged for early January with the PRoW office.
In the meant time, if you have any issues with the state of footpaths, (overgrown, access issues, damaged stiles etc) please report them to me (or any parish council member) and the PRoW
If you have any issues with people challenging, harassing or intimidating your legal use of a path, again please report them to me (or any parish council member) and the Police https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/report-threats-verbal-abuse-assault/
We had another incident reported last week where a walker went through a farmers closed gate and left it wide open allowing cattle to get into a field that he did not want them in. Fortunately the farmer noticed before they started damaging hedging that he was renovating. He has no issue with people walking through his fields but quite reasonably does expect that they leave gates as they find them. Please remember that while walking through fields, especially when not on public rights of way, gates MUST be left as they were found.
Other key points
You may also see that the Millennium Oak tree has been trimmed and new protective fences put around it – many thanks to Ian and Sandy and Chris for doing the work.
The Council has registered to be part of the chain of beacons on 2nd June for the Queens Jubilee and we have been allocated two oak trees as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy. Keep the date for next year, I am sure we will be celebrating with more than a beacon.
I took an action a while back to look at how we best use the Parish Council website, eNews and WhatsApp; I will do this over the Christmas period, and if anyone has any thoughts about how we can communicate better or what to communicate, please give me a shout.
On the finances side, we have had payments in of £7413 for this year and expect £5936 for next year. General expenses for this year were £1928 and forecast for next year is £2284. One off costs this year were £622 with a further £1900 planned but not yet spent. We also holdover a allowance of £6000 for the VAS and village gateways and £500 for the playground for next year.
The next meetings will be:-
- Wed 26th Jan, 7.30pm
- Wed 9th March, 7.30pm
- Wed 4th May, 7.30. Parish Assembly
- Wed 18th May, 7.30. AGM
All at the village hall committee room unless covid re-intervenes – just a reminder that all residents are welcome. If there are any topics you think we should be addressing, feel free to drop me an email simon.packer@stinchcombepc.co.uk or give me a call on 0797 363 8792
Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Simon
From the Parish Council
From the Parish Council
Our County Councillor, Linda Cohen, has asked us to publicise two initiatives in the county over Christmas:-
Winter Holiday Activities and Food Programme
Registration for the winter HAF programme is now open for children eligible for benefits -related free school meals. The winter programme will run from 20 – 23 December 2021. Children who signed for the summer programme will be automatically registered.
Families can register at: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/HAF
Strategy to tackle domestic abuse in Gloucestershire
This has been published by the Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board to mark the beginning of 16 days of action against violence. Full details together with a list of support services can be found here: