Information and pictures of organisations, clubs and societies in Warminster.
Friday 1st April 2011
Warminster Civic Trust, in its newsletter, issue number 33, April 2011, referring to the Warminster Town Plan, noted ~
“Morrisons are likely to seek once again to expand their store. Any such proposals will need to be sympathetic with other users of this part of town.”
Friday 1st April 2011
Warminster Civic Trust, in its newsletter, issue number 33, April 2011, referring to the Warminster Town Plan, noted ~
“The Assembly Rooms. Revisiting the recent debate on the Assembly Rooms would achieve little at this juncture. Suffice to say, potential benefit is likely to be gained from turning the building into a vibrant civic centre, and improvements to the exterior of the building will enhance the immediate environment.”
Friday 1st April 2011:
Warminster Civic Trust, in its newsletter, issue number 33, April 2011, noted ~
“Irene Pickford. Many members of the Civic Trust will be saddened by the recent announcement of the death of Irene Pickford on 29th March in Salisbury Hospital. Irene served on our committee as treasurer for many years and only gave up the role when her eyesight began to fail. She was undoubtedly a great character who knew the town intimately from her very long association with it. Her funeral was so well attended that many of the mourners had to stand. It was a testament to the love and affection in which she was held. Our thoughts are with her family.”
Friday 1st April 2011
Warminster Civic Trust, in its newsletter, issue number 33, April 2011, referring to the Warminster Town Plan, noted ~
“Lakeside Park.* The Lakeside Park* is a significant asset to the town and yet is hidden away from view behind a dense boundary hedge along Weymouth Street. The relatively simple actions of improving the entrance and opening up the views of the park from this part of town would help to promote awareness of the park’s existence and provide for its improved integration with the rest of the town.”
* The Civic Trust erroneously referred to the Lake Pleasure Grounds (Town Park) as Lakeside Park.
Friday 1st April 2011
Warminster Civic Trust, in its newsletter, issue number 33, April 2011, noted ~
“Yeates’ Field, which lies adjacent to Boreham Road, is owned by The National Trust but is currently leased to the Town Council. It provides a green buffer zone between the town’s residential area and Bishopstrow; its present use seems to be limited to dog walkers. Recent debate over the future of this area has been in the local news of late. Ideas for turning it into allotments along with suggestions that a small number of houses might be built on a corner of the land to fund necessary changes have all been aired although no substantial proposals have been put forward. It has prompted new ideas to be floated that the field should be turned into a community garden and orchard, thereby increasing its appeal to a much wider section of the community than at present. It is planned to debate these ideas during the open session after our AGM, and to ascertain how the Trust might assist.”
Saturday 12th June 2010
Warminster – Flers. The Twinning Today
Several organisations in Warminster now have links with Flers.
Warminster folk have learned or improved their French.
Warminster-Flers Twinning Association itself currently has almost 50 members. The Town Council and Lions are currently group members; others who have participated in exchange visits include the Firemen, Choirs, Rotary Club, Round Table, Anglers and Kingdown School.
Many long-standing and true friendships have been forged over the years, many through the contact with their Flers counterparts – on the other hand, some get by happily with sign language!
Warminster-Flers Association
Established by Charter 1973.
The Twinning began as an idea born in France. The town of Flers in Normandy was liberated by the British 11th Armoured Division in August 1944.
Towards the end of the 1960s, Jean Brisset and Father Amiard, both of Flers, confirmed this by making inquiries in London. Eventually some British Old Comrades Association members with connections with the 11th Armoured Division were invited by the Ancient Combattants of Flers (a serviceman’s association) to join in the celebrations to commemorate the 1945 victory. These were held in Flers during the weekend 8-10 May 1970.
It was a general wish that the British links with Flers should be strengthened, and because Warminster had past connections with the 11th Armoured Division, an invitation was sent to Warminster Town Council to visit Flers to discuss “twinning’ the two towns. This meeting took place in March 1972. After a town meeting in Warminster and a visit by the Flerians later in the year, the idea began to take shape. So it was that on the 13th of May 1973 the Twinning Charter was signed in Flers and on the 1st of July of that year the ceremony was repeated in Warminster.
The Association has a President, Edward Moore, assisted by a committee which regularly meets. With regard to the exchange visits, the arrangement is that one year we travel to Flers by coach and cars for a weekend, usually around the end of April or beginning of May. The following year the Flerians come to us and so on. The Association raises its funds by means of a subscription fee, and social events. This money covers the costs of the French guests’ entertainment at the social function organised for them during the weekend when they visit Warminster.
Apart from that, the rest of the weekend is free for you and your French friends to relax together, and perhaps visit one of the local places of interest.
The Association of our two towns has existed now for thirty-four years; it has been an extremely happy union – and we hope that you will consider joining us.
The annual subscription at present is £10 per person or £15 per family.
Activities include:
> Exchange Visits.
> Family Friendships.
> Social Events – Soirees.
> Anglo-French Understanding.
When the Warminster-Flers Twinning Association was inaugurated, its aims were laid down as follows:-
1 To provide the basis of personal friendships between individuals and families in the two towns and districts, and to encourage exchange visits.
2 To foster close ties between schools, societies, companies and other organised groups in the two towns and their districts in order to increase opportunities for participation in the fields of education, culture, sports and pastimes, commerce, tourism and other mutual interests.
3 To encourage the study of the French and English languages as a means of improving communication between people.
Executive And Committee Members 2009-2010
President: Edward Moore.
Vice President: Jeff Allen.
Chairman: Trish Barker.
Secretary: Heather Yates.
Associate Secretary: Anthony Johnson.
Treasurer: Nick Yates.
Membership And Accommodation Sec.: Judy Beer.
Newsletter Editor And Press Officer: Judy Beer.
Committee Members:
Christine Bartholomew.
Pat Firth.
Ingrid Marsden.
If you are interested in joining the Twinning Association please contact one of the following:
Heather Yates, Secretary, 01985 213530.
Accommodation, Judy Beer, 01985 216629.
Chairman, Trish Barker: 01985 219479.
Chairman’s Report at the AGM on Monday 13th October 2008:
As we round off another year of the Local Supporters’ Group, I would like to thank you all once again for your continued support at events and evening lectures through the year.
These included our usual Autumn Lunch at Langford Lakes last October when we were lucky to have a lovely sunny day. It always proves a popular event and was well supported, making about £360, from the lunch and produce.
The January bird watch at the Lakes was replaced with an outing in February to the Shapwick Nature Reserve which was led by Frank Lowe. We are always so grateful to Frank for his wisdom and knowledge (particularly his ability to identify calls of every bird heard!) and the day was a big success.
We have been treated to a good variety of talks and slides, ably organised for us by David Hogbin. David is standing down from the committee this year and so we need to fill his post. I am sure you would all like me to thank him for his thorough and meticulous research in finding speakers for us. We now look forward to another season of lectures which David has already organized.
Anne Sawyer has also decided to leave our committee. Her contribution has been immeasurable. She and her husband David started the group in the early 1970’s and Anne has been on the committee ever since. Her work and knowledge concerning the Smallbrook Reserve has been unfailing over the years and happily for us, she is going to remain a consultant in that capacity. We owe Anne an enormous debt of gratitude for her years of commitment to the Group and the Reserve.
We are also losing both the Chaundys. Having handed over the job of Treasurer last year, Christopher is now standing down. He has also helped us greatly by setting up the sound system at every lecture, which has made such a difference to both speakers and audience, so we hope that will be able to continue. The system is kindly lent to us by the U3A.
Jennifer Chaundy is also leaving after several years and has helped, with Christopher, in holding coffee mornings in their lovely garden, in organizing the coffee rota and various other committee jobs, including previously being Speaker Secretary. We would like to thank them both, together with all the committee for their hard work and help.
We have also lost Tricia Coombe, who has left Warminster. She was an invaluable member due to her voluntary work at the Devizes Headquarters of the Trust, providing a great link for us.
Clive Thomas and John Walpole continue with their tireless work in Smallbrook Reserve and they are always grateful for volunteers any Tuesday. We could not do without them and I thank them for all that they do.
Victoria Coombes and Isabel Buckingham are willing to remain on the committee as Secretary and Treasurer respectively and I would like to thank them both for their efficient help and support throughout the year.
With all these committee losses, we badly need more assistance. The evening lectures and events do need a good team of people to make them work. Please give it some thought and if you feel you could give us some of your time, come forward to offer your help. You do not need to be a committee member to do this.
We would like it to remain the friendly, social gathering that has been established, to enable us all to indulge our interest in wildlife.
After five years as Chairman I am standing down. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that someone will willingly take my place. I shall of course continue to support the group and look forward to seeing you all during the coming year.
Thank you again for attending our events and lectures – please help to keep the group going by offering your services!
Heather Vine.
The Warminster Athenaeum Singers celebrated their 30th Anniversary with a concert at the Parish Church of St. Denys, The Minster, on 7 June 2008.
Under the baton of Gavin Carr, and with the support of the Amadeus Orchestra and two gifted soloists, they gave a performance which many in the packed audience considered to be one of their best.
The opening work, Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, an atmospheric piece which captures the drama and the passion of Goethe’s tragic play, was performed superbly by the Amadeus Orchestra, a training orchestra of young musicians absolutely bulging with talent. It was a spirited performance, the highlight being the fast and furious climax to the overture.
A complete change of mood followed, with Mozart’s concert aria, Vorrei Spiergarvi, O Dio. Here the orchestra accompanied by Elenor Bowers-Jolley, a young soprano just starting out in her career as a soloist. Her interpretation of the aria, perhaps the least well-known of the evening’s works, delighted the audience. The piece is highly charged with contrasting emotions, and as such it requires great skill on the part of the soloist, with some of the notes being right at the upper end of the soprano’s register. Miss Bowers-Jolley took all of this in her stride. She has a lovely voice and was a delight to listen to.
Next on the programme were two popular duets from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Bei Mannern and Pa-pa-pa, with Miss Bowers-Jolley being joined by another talented soloist, baritone Adrian Powter. Both soloists gave memorable performances of these duets, demonstrating fully the range and depth of their musicality.
The Athenaeum Singers’ first piece in the concert was the well-loved composition by Sir Hubert Parry, his Coronation Anthem I Was Glad. This short, powerful piece requires both constraint and energy on the part of the orchestra and choir. It has some beautiful slow and quiet sections but builds up to a climax containing a huge wall of sound. Choir and orchestra coped well with this, expressing exquisitely the joy and beauty of the piece.
The choir had saved the best for their final piece, however, and after the interval the audience was treated to an inspirational performance of Brahms’ A German Requiem, surely one of the most beautiful and moving works in the choral repertoire.
This performance was clearly the result of much hard work and rehearsal. The choir clearly enjoyed their singing and responded well to Gavin Carr’s leadership and to the first rate support they received from the orchestra, as well as from Mark Swinton on the organ. Elenor Bowers-Jolley and Adrian Powter, in their solos, provided inspiration, too. It would be difficult to pick out a highlight but perhaps the middle section How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings as a peaceful interlude to the rousing and uplifting climaxes.
The applause at the end summed up the audience’s pleasure at such a heart-warming performance. We look forward to further delights in the next 30 years.
Report by Phil Jefferson.
April 2008
Class One:
1. Miss Plum; Stephanie Higgins, Frome.
2. Tomas; Emily Miller, Westbury.
3. Forlan High Hopes; Jake Coward, Dilton Marsh.
4. Crossway Calvary; Jasmine Sadler, Frome.
5. Millie; Lucy, Steeple Ashton.
Class Two:
1. Megan; Louise Oldall, Bradford On Avon.
2. Minty; Alexis Symes, Dilton Marsh.
3. Barnaby; Alexis Symes, Dilton Marsh.
4. Marley III; Stacey Martin, Frome.
5. Tomas; Emily Miller, Westbury.
6. Ace; Fiona Perrett, Bradford on Avon.
Class Three:
1. Ace, Fiona Perrett, Bradford On Avon.
2. Byn; Annica Lavis, Westbury.
3. Megan; Louise Oldall, Bradford on Avon.
4. May Deane; Mary Corrie, Teffont.
5. Marley III; Stacey Martin, Frome.
6. Tomas, Emily Miller, Westbury.
There were over 60 rounds altogether for the cross country course and the show jumping.
Clear Round rosettes were awarded to 48 competitors.
Treasurer’s Report for Warminster Branch of the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Year ended 31 March 2008:
We have held two successful fundraising events during the financial year. These were the coffee morning in April 2007 hosted by Christopher and Jennifer Chaundy, and the Autumn Lunch at Langford Lakes. Both events enjoyed good weather.
Our meetings were mostly well attended and the entrance fee covered the expenses. The exceptions were the last two meetings which were less well attended and did not cover the overheads of the speaker and the hire of the hall. Overall the talks almost broke even.
The enjoyable trip to Sheep Drove Organic Farm was funded by those who went. Other trips involved lift sharing but no financial outlay.
The unusually large sum held at the end of the financial year was because we had expected to pay for essential fencing work and tree surgery in Smallbrook Meadows Local Nature Reserve. The work was delayed and the fencing work was not completed and paid for until this summer. The delay to the tree surgery work resulted in storm damage to the large diseased beech tree which made it a public danger and the surgery was paid for directly by the Trust.
We are in a position to be able to keep the cost of the meetings to the same level as last season, despite the cost of hire of the Assembly Rooms and Sutton Veny Village Hall being increased. We will also be able to pay directly, with agreement from Head Office, for the cost of more equipment and maintenance at Smallbrook Meadows. This well visited local nature reserve is much appreciated by the people of Warminster.
The opportunity to visit a son in New Zealand means that I am not able to attend the AGM for which I apologise.
Isabel Buckingham
Treasurer.
