Topics about organisations and activities in Warminster.
Sunday 30th October 1983
Pictured above is the sponsorship form, produced by Danny Howell and Nina Weeks, for the Warminster Lunatic Fringe’s gnome walk which they co-organised. These forms were used by participants to record the sponsorship they gained for the gnome walk which took place on 30th October 1983. Proceeds were donated to the Warminster Gateway Club for young mentally-handicapped adults.
Warminster Lunatic Fringe, Sponsored Gnome Walk, Sunday 30th October 1983.
As the 28 gnomes gathered in the Central Car Park, Warminster, for the start of their sponsored walk, to raise funds for the Warminster Gateway Club for Mentally Handicapped Young Adults, the Chairman of the Gateway Club, Charles Murby, was given the unenviable task of choosing who was the ‘best-dressed gnome’.
After quite a time deliberating, Mr. Murby picked out 18-year-old Helena Addley, from Woodcock Road, Warminster. Helena was presented with a prize by Mr. Murby. The prize was a splendid hardback book, all about gnomes, which had been purchased especially for the occasion by Gnome Walk Co-Organiser Danny Howell.
The two photographs, above and below, taken by Danny Howell, show Helen after she was presented with the book.
Flanking her are Brigid O’Neil and Ann Barham, who were not only neighbours of Helen’s at Woodcock Road, but entered fully into the spirit of the fund-raising event by dressing up as wizened old lady gnomes.
The book, called Gnomes, featured text by Wil Huygen, and fabulous illustrations by Rien Poortvliet.
Above: The front cover of the book.
The Warminster Lunatic Fringe held a Grand October Prize Draw at the King Arthur public house, Weymouth Street, Warminster, on Sunday 30th October 1983. The occasion was also a social gathering for everyone who had taken part in a Sponsored Gnome Walk earlier in the day.
During the fortnight before the Sponsored Gnome Walk, members of the Warminster Lunatic Fringe sold tombola tickets for a Grand October Draw.
The prizes were drawn and the winners announced, at a social gathering held in the function room of the King Arthur public house, Weymouth Street, Warminster, on the evening of Sunday 30th October 1983 (the sponsored gnome walk having been held that afternoon).
About 60 people attended the social gathering and draw. Danny Howell was Master of Ceremonies for the draw. Proceeds from the draw were added to the sponsorship from the gnome walk and were donated to the Warminster Gateway Club for young mentally handicapped adults.
Above: Prizes in the Grand October Draw.
Above: The Grocery Hamper in the Grand October Prize Draw.
Above: The Christmas Hamper in the Grand October Prize Draw.
During the fortnight before the Sponsored Gnome Walk, members of the Warminster Lunatic Fringe sold tombola tickets for a Grand October Draw.
The prizes were drawn and the winners announced, at a social gathering held in the function room of the King Arthur public house, Weymouth Street, Warminster, on the evening of Sunday 30th October 1983 (the sponsored gnome walk having been held that afternoon).
About 60 people attended the social gathering and draw. Danny Howell was Master of Ceremonies for the draw. Proceeds from the draw were added to the sponsorship from the gnome walk and were donated to the Warminster Gateway Club for young mentally handicapped adults.
The Lunatic Fringe Grand October Draw Winners were:
Mrs. Bundy ~ Christmas hamper.
Pat Whatley ~ Grocery hamper.
Neil Grant ~ Mini hamper.
S.M. Russell ~ Red wine.
Betty Holmes ~ Sherry.
Ben Howell ~ Whisky.
Michael Russell ~ Pomagne.
Chris Holmes ~ Lager.
J. Franklin ~ Wine.
Dave G. ~ Pomagne.
Mrs. Bowles ~ Sherry.
J. Johnson ~ Aftershave.
Chris Holmes ~ Garden gnomes.
Lorraine Curtis ~ Cookies.
A.E. Daley ~ Biscuits.
Mrs. Stella Musselwhite ~ Mints and sweets.
H. Batch ~ Toffees.
Mrs. Brigid O’Neill ~ Fudge and Butterscotch.
S. Nally ~ Cake.
Bob Firth ~ Tea and coffee set.
Chris Holmes ~ Woolworth’s £2.50 gift token.
Sally Blackshaw ~ £4 record token.
Will Bonner ~ Dewhurst £3 meat voucher.
Chris Holmes ~ Gateway Supermarket £2.50 voucher.
Wendy Bowen ~ Chocolates.
S. Nally ~ Casettes.
Rob (King Arthur) ~ Calculator.
A.C. Riddle ~ Camera.
Julie Shore ~ Bubblebath and talc set.
Ifor (Ginger) ~ Ornament.
M. Macdonald ~ Socket set.
Paul Saunders ~ Silver chain.
Enver Mehmet ~ Plate.
Louise Kennedy ~ Cuddly toy kitten.
13th October 1983.
Marie Curie Memorial Foundation,
Appeals Office,
9 Belgrave Mews South,
London,
SW1X 8BW.
Dear Mr. Howell,
Thank you for your letter and the enclosed donation of £15.00 which the winner of the car treasure hunt kindly donated to us.
This most acceptable gift enables us to maintain our services for the welfare of cancer sufferers and your interest in the work of the Foundation is welcome.
Please convey our sincere thanks to the winner for kindly donating the money to us, and we hope you all had an enjoyable day.
Yours sincerely,
Alan C. Barrow,
Appeals Officer.
Thursday 6th October 1983
Warminster’s Lunatic Fringe held a car treasure trail last Sunday afternoon [2nd October 1983]. Thirteen teams took part in this event which was organised by Danny Howell and Jane Bright.
The fifty-five mile trail featured sixty-five clues and was divided into two stages.
Stage One began at Warminster’s Central Car Park and took the contestants through the delightful villages of Bishopstrow, Sutton Veny, Tytherington, Corton, Boyton, Sherrington, Stockton, Wylye, Teffont Magna, Chilmark, Fonthill Bishop, Hindon, and to the half-way point at Willoughby Hedge.
Stage Two continued from Willoughby Hedge, past the East Knoyle windmill to Mere, Alfred’s Tower, South and North Brewham, Maiden Bradley, Horningsham, and back to the finish at Warminster Car Park.
In the evening, everybody met at the Yew Tree, Boreham, Warminster, for the presentation of the prizes and to discuss the day’s fun.
The winning team with a score of 585 points was Kevin Phillips, Louise Kennedy and Gerald O’Connor. They received £10 and the Lunatic Fringe Car Treasure Trail Trophy.
Doreen Williams and Ian Phillips both tied with 580 points, so second place was decided by mileage. Ian’s recorded mileage was 67 miles compared to Doreen’s 65, so Doreen received the second prize of £5.
The booby-prize of a road map and a magnifying glass was awarded to Noel and Brigid O’Neill who failed to complete Stage One of the trail due to their over-enthusiastic stops for tea on route.
The event raised £15 for the Marie Curie Cancer Foundation, a charity nominated by the winning team.
Sunday 2nd October 1983
Warminster Lunatic Fringe, Car Treasure Trail, Sunday 2nd October 1983, Score Sheet:
1st, KEVIN PHILLIPS, Car Registration GHR 243W.
Stage One: 280 points; Stage Two: 305 points; Total points: 585.
2nd, DOREEN WILLIAMS, Car Registration UYC 118R.
Stage One: 290 points; Stage Two: 290 points; Total points: 580. Mileage: 65 Miles.
3rd, IAN PHILLIPS, Car Registration NUL 145E.
Stage One: 300 points; Stage Two: 280 points; Total points: 580. Mileage 67 Miles.
4th, ANDREW SIMS, Car Registration TFK 422R.
Stage One: 290 points; Stage Two: 280 points; Total points: 510.
5th, P. WHATLEY, Car Registration GYD 332T.
Stage One: 260 points; Stage Two: 300 points; Total points: 560.
6th, PAUL TITT, Car Registration SNO 610R.
Stage One: 275 points; Stage Two: 275 points; Total points: 550.
7th, NIGEL GATEHOUSE, Car Registration HTK 293F.
Stage One: 280 points; Stage Two: 260 points; Total points: 540.
8th, RODNEY BALL, Car Registration UOW 993T.
Stage One: 260 points; Stage Two: 255 points; Total points: 515.
9th, KEN ROSE, Car Registration RWV 149N.
Stage One: 250 points; Stage Two: 260 points; Total points: 510.
10th, CHRIS HOLMES, Car Registration SCG 919T.
Stage One: 225 points; Stage Two: 250 points; Total points: 475.
11th, ANDREW DAY, Car Registration NUL 316L.
Stage One: 185 points; Stage Two: 230 points; Total points: 415.
12th, MIKE RUSSELL, Car Registration NVO 721H.
Stage One: 235 points; Stage Two: 155 points; Total points: 390.
13th, NOEL O’NEILL, Car Registration GCG 25N.
Stage One: 240 points; Stage Two: 0 points; Total points: 240.
During June 1983, about thirty members of the Warminster History Society attended a half-day seminar organised by Dr. John Chandler, Local Studies Officer for Wiltshire, and he was supported by Mrs. Lesley Marshman of the Wiltshire County Archaeological Department, and Miss Penelope Rundle, Assistant County Archivist.
Besides speaking on their subject, they brought books and documents for study. Miss Rundle chose Longbridge Deverill as her place of reference and gave a delightful thumbnail sketch of villagers as gleaned from parish records.
At the June 1983 meeting of the Warminster History Society, Mr. Cross, who has had a life-long interest in road transport, gave an excellent talk titled “The History Of Road Signs” and delivered it with great humour and vigor. It was an evening of nostalgia for the many members who remembered the highway “furniture” which has now disappeared into history. It was as recently as 1974 that all signs were changed to those of UN Convention, and the octagon “Stop” replaced “Halt” in 1977. Mr. Cross has done a valuable service by recording, and where possible, collecting obsolete signs.
In his introduction, he stated all sorts of interesting facts: that after the introduction of the pneumatic tyre by Dunlop in the 1880s the surface of roads improved greatly; that the first road signs were small because of the speed at which they were read; that until 1927 all sorts of advertising signs littered the road sides (including “Stop” signs put up by private businesses to encourage custom); that the idea for cats’ eyes came from seeing light reflected off tram lines; and that, like the rest of Europe we adopted the triangle for the “Halt” sign, but in true British fashion it was the other way round until 1944.
Mr. Cross then showed slides accompanied by many amusing comments. He showed early milestones, finger posts and street signs, the latter very high to be read by drivers of coaches, and many curious and often confusing instructions for the early motorist.
It was a very enjoyable evening and it was hoped that Mr. Cross would make a return visit to talk about Wiltshire roads and turnpikes.
Warminster Baden Powell Scout Group,
6th Warminster Guides And Brownies
and
Warminster Ranger Guides
Gang Show
at
The Athenaeum, Warminster,
on
Thursday 7th April 1983 7.30pm,
Friday 8th April 1983 7.30pm,
and
Saturday 9th April 1983 7.30pm.
PROGRAMME
1 Opening Chorus A Twinkle In Your Eye
2 Cheer Ups A Noisy Start
3 Keep Fit Cookery For The Fanatic
4 Rain Ex Members Will Remember
5 Baking A Cake With The Brownies
6 The Girls A Gorgeous Crowd
7 Happiness On Top Of The World With The Guides
8 The Sparrows Occupational Hazards!
9 The Little White Cloud Why Not Join In?
Interval
10 Dreamboat The Full Company
11 Medical Attention We’re Only Joking
12 Shanty Town Join Us Again
13 Six Little Cherubs Lessons To Be Learned
14 Mary Poppins Our Version
15 Keen With The Scouts
16 Final Chorus Going Nowhere
Music: Keith Pearce (Piano); Joyce Pearce (Organ);
Neville Pearce (Drums); Jim Mitchell (Bass).
Stage Managers: Jim Simpson, Cynthia Johnson.
Scenery and Props: Vincent Johnson, Bob Wareham.
Wardrobe: Pauline Hodder.
Lighting: Simon Venn, Paul Sykes.
Sound: Brian McNeillie.
Publicity: Hazel Shepherd, Derek Atkinson.
Front of House: Peter Rhodes, Jean Lee.
Curtain: Barry Wyatt, Martin Bailey.
Treasurer: Pam Simpson.
Make-Up: Mary Bowers, Ann Rhodes.
Stage Staff:
Nick Bowers, Jean Harrison, David Hiscock,
Dawn Harrison, Delphine Burgess, Nick Plankenhorn,
Tina Wareham, Susan Wyatt, and Michael Mann.
THE COMPANY
SCOUTS
Timothy Akers, Matthew Anderson, Neil Atkinson,
Gary Bowden, Sean Bowden, David Bowers,
James Bowers, Dean Carr, Craig Corbett,
Anthony Gordon, Shaun Haines, Julian Hodder,
Barrie Horton, Sean House, Robert Hughes,
Mark Jackson, Duncan Joynt, Philip Lewis,
Carl Ley, Simon Lort, Neil Marsh, Stephen Marsh,
Neil McGuckian, Stephen Mead, Adam Morton,
Jamie Munt, Alexander Rall, Simon Rhodes,
Jean-Paul Sant, Keith Smith, Paul Smith,
Peter Simpson, Robert Simpson, Richard Stuart,
Richard Thornton, Jonathan Witts.
WOLF CUBS
Richard Anderson, Paul Beauchamp, Anthony Bright,
Matthew Bright, Simon Burgess, Rupert Butcher,
William Cazzaniga, Timothy Curtis, Richard Dicks,
Steven Folker, Richard Fuller, Seth George,
Peter Goodenough, Craig Hill, Steven Hill, Paul House,
Christopher Hutton, Michael Kelly, Jason Kent,
Graham Langley, Scott Lawson, Kevin Loud,
Christopher McNarry, Christopher Meaden, Peter Miles,
Kevin Morton, Andrew Pinnell, Nicholas Petty,
Michael Pollard, Mark Potter, Daniel Rose,
Daniel Sage, Richard Saunders, Tony Shepherd,
Gary Smith, Matthew Tazewell, Neal Todd,
Mark Wilkinson, Christopher Ward, Paul Whatley,
Daniel Whitmore, Martin Woodham.
RANGER GUIDES
Cherrie Bishop, Heidi Epps, Sharon Harrison,
Julie Hix, Catherine Lilly, Johanna May,
Jackie Satchell, Mary Thornton, Susan Witts.
GUIDES
Sarah Bailey, Melanie Blake, Clare Bowern, Andrea Burgess,
Leslie Carpenter, Lynda Carpenter, Debbie Cooper,
Sharon Corbett, Sally Darvill, Paula Faulker,
Jane Gazely, Kim Hodder, Emma Hopkinson,
Nicola Horton, Pippa Irwin, Andrea Jones,
Louise Jones, Anne Joynt, Heidi Kervill, Katie Kervill,
Alice Lilley, Rachel Lilley, Dawn McDonald,
Karen Miles, Louise Pearce, Katie Price, Kaye Price,
Melissa Randell, Amanda Rhodes, Alison Rice,
Lucinda Rich, Ann-Maria Rose, Alison Sandell,
Kelly Sant, Joanne Simpson, Susan Whatley.
BROWNIES
Justine Ambrose, Julia Beach, Nicola Blake, Sally Coward,
Maria Dew, Sarah Dias, Donna Reed, Joanna Harding,
Helen Harwood, Sarah Hill, Joanna Hook,
Laura King, Cheryl Knight, Samantha Ley,
Clare Mould, Clair Mulholland, Melanie Mulholland,
Rececca Petty, Sharon Randell, Nicola Simpson,
Cathryn Smith, Seraphina Storey,
Laura Tazewell, Mandy Welch.
Friday 25th February 1983
The junction of Plants Green and East Street,
Warminster, seen from Plants Green.
The photograph was taken by Danny Howell
on Friday 25th February 1983.
The Rose and Crown public house
is centre top of the photograph.
To the east of the Rose And Crown is the
building used as a shop by
Bishopstrow Antiques,
and on the very left of the photograph
is Preston House
on the corner of East Street and Furlong.
