From the Vigo Presses Facebook page

It looks like the video of Jayne wassailing her apple tree in Stinchcombe has gone global! Well, nearly..

Read more about The Stinchcombe Wassail and download the words that she uses.

Vigo Presses

Virgo Presses story begins in Hungary in 1981 with a quick glimpse of a little fruit press in a shop window. Alex Hill, then a fresh-faced graduate seeking a break from motorcycle-messengering in London, had cycled from London to Budapest. This glimpse was enough to entice him to despatch the little press back to London and try his hand at home wine and cider making. Back at home the press became an attraction amongst his friends, who put in requests for their own, and it was from this small beginning that the seed was sown to start a mail order business selling fruit presses.

In true entrepreneurial spirit, he bought a small number of presses, borrowed a car and drove around London offering the presses to enthusiastic Home Brew shop owners, before taking the plunge and ordering a lorry load. The presses were stored under the railway arches in Battersea, London, and advertisements placed in the Saturday newspapers.

In 1987 he and his wife moved down to the very heart of “cider making country” – the West Country – where they continued to encourage those with a fruit garden or orchard to share their passion of making fruit juice and cider. Demand for products rose and, alongside selling presses to home users, they took on employees and began selling equipment for commercial apple juice and cider makers, vineyards and wineries.

The deadline is approaching

The EU Settlement Scheme is open for applications for all EU, EEA (European Economic Area) and Swiss citizens (including any non-EU family members) who live in the UK, and want to continue to have the right to live, work and study in the UK following Brexit.  The deadline for applying to the EU Settlement Scheme is 30 June 2021, so we are urgently seeking all those who may not yet have applied.

In Gloucestershire, Citizens Advice and Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS) are partnering with Gloucestershire County Council to offer free advice and help to any individuals or families applying to the EU Settlement Scheme. 

Free advice

For free advice and help, people can contact Citizens Advice (jennie.watts@gloscab.org.uk / 01452 527202 ext 262) or GARAS (admin@garas.org.uk / 01452 550528).

Website for Walkers

Are you fed-up with doing the same old walks?

Walking in Gloucestershire is the website for you!  

With hundreds of walks to download and print, free, it also has books of walks, contact details for all the walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group all the information is there in one place.

John said ‘There is so much walking information on the web but it is difficult to find. Walking in Gloucestershire, part of the Walking in England suite of websites – one for each county in England, has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you’.

With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy.

So home or away, check out the websites and get walking!

John Harris#

• Walking and Cycling
• Rights of Way online map
• Lost – 49,000 miles of footpaths
• Slow Ways
• Colesbourne Snowdrops

Stinchcombe Parish Council Minutes

Stinchcombe Parish Council Minutes for 2021

A Little More about Vehicle Activated Signs

Yesterday a resident emailed me with some very sensible questions about Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS).  I have, of course, replied directly to them.  The questions and answers  below may be of interest to some residents.

Would we need a VAS for each speeding hot spot?

No, the type under consideration can be moved from place to place.  Slimbridge have one that they move between twenty locations.   The number of locations in Stinchcombe would probably be less than this.

An advantage of varying the location is that drivers do not become so accustomed to the VAS that they no longer notice it.

How is the VAS powered?

Mains, battery and solar options are available.  Rechargeable batteries might suit us best.  They would need to be changed every 2 weeks.

Who would change the batteries and move the VAS?

Speed Watch Group volunteers working to risk-assessed procedures would carry out these tasks.  Volunteers are also used in Slimbridge.  They advise using 2-3 people because the batteries are quite heavy.  The VAS and accessories can easily be transported in the back of a car.

What data would be logged?

The data logger records the time and speed of every vehicle  that passes the VAS.  It logs the vehicles in both directions, not only the way the sign is facing.  It does a similar job to human speed watch teams, but 24/7 and in all weathers. 

How would the data be used?

The data would be downloaded to a phone or laptop.  They would be processed using software supplied by the VAS manufacturer. 

Vehicle registrations are not recorded so the data would not lead directly to prosecutions.

As with data from human speed watch sessions, they would help the Police prioritise enforcement activities.

What is the point if VAS don’t identify speeders?

There is evidence that VAS speed reminders achieve reductions of between 2 mph and 6 mph in 85 percentile speed on 30 mph roads.  The 85 percentile speed is the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles are travelling. 

That might not sound like a big reduction but …

• an average speed reduction of 1 mph reduces crash frequency by 5%
• a pedestrian hit at 30mph has a one in five chance of being killed compared with  a one in three chance at 35mph.

These figures come from the road safety charity, Brake

Is there a risk of the VAS being damaged or stolen?

Yes, there is a risk which we would try to minimise.  Slimbridge lock their VAS to a post.  The price of the post is included in the estimate.  The VAS would also be insured.  My research indicates that this would cost about £100 per year. 

How much operating experience is there locally?

Slimbridge purchased the Morelock MSID Vario and are pleased with it.

Speed Feedback Signs

There is considerable experience with using this model in Stroud District.  The Stroud District Road Safety Group owned two, which they loaned out to members.  With the Group’s recent demise, they have been sold off to members. 

Other speed feedback products are available!

Kath

Next Testing Date

An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur.

The mobile testing unit is available at many locations across the county.

Dursley Rugby Club, Hounds Green, Dursley GL11 6AJ is one of the locations and will be next used on:

• 15 Jan 2021
• 21 Jan 2021
• 22 Jan 2021
• 27 Jan 2021
• 28 Jan 2021
• 29 Jan 2021
• 02 Feb 2021
• 25 Feb 2021
• 26 Feb 2021
• 01 Mar 2021
• 02 Mar 2021
• 15 Mar 2021
• 16 Mar 2021
• 22 Mar 2021
• 23 Mar 2021
• 26 April 2021
• 04 May 2021
• 06 May 2021

Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away.

To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.

Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) store

We have two nearby nuclear power stations being decommissioned, at Berkeley and Oldbury. Especially at Berkeley the decommissioning is now well advanced.

Accordingly an Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) store has now been constructed at the Berkeley site. Following the finish of its construction as ILW is being removed from the waste vaults and the new ILW store is now being filled.

Magnox

The owner of the sites is the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Magnox, a company set up by the NDA, is the managing agent for the decommissioning. The mission statement for Magnox is on their website .

If you have any specific questions relating to decommissioning please contact Chris Davies

Chris Davies used to work in decommissioning at Berkeley and is now the Parish Council representative on the Site Stakeholder Group (SSG). They meet quarterly where they discuss progress, problems, and the Regulators give their reports. All local councils have representatives.