Report into the recent NPL visit.

NPL Visit 20th May 2014

Dave Wood commented that the frontages needed tidying before the inspection! As a result, a certain person took a shovel and wheelbarrow and personally cleared the frontage curbs on his own for all of the houses around the entrance to Follyfield and for extensive area within the estate. As can be imagined this took a very great deal of effort and those residents who know of this are very grateful, and those that do not realise that this has been done are hereby informed.

Hopefully this will help our village cause during the annual inspection for the Best Village competition. Who do we have to thank for this generous act? David Pynn is our Hankerton ‘Man of the Week.’

Anon.

Date – Thursday 19^th June 2014.

The site of the birth of motorsport in the UK contains the remnants of the old and most impressive banked circuit which still can be traced for some of its length. You can try yourself to walk up this banking and imagine driving it. The Museum which is situated in the middle of the circuit displays a wide range of Brooklands related racing motoring and aviation exhibits ranging from giant racing cars, motorcycles and bicycles to an unparalleled collection of British built aircraft including Concorde which has access at a small charge.

In addition you have access to the London Bus collection and Mercedes World. In the latter you’ll find yourself up close to an array of automotive icons past and present. From the Gullwing and Patent Motor Wagen to modern-day supercars such as the SLS AMG, there’s so much to discover, even an F1 exhibition as you have never seen before. And if this is not enough you can take yourself out on the Mercedes test track in one of their powerful cars or be a passenger (it does cost though!!).

There is a restaurant for lunch or snacks in the museum and there are good disabled facilities.

We will travel by coach from Cirencester Beeches Carpark leaving at about 8.15am and returning about 6.00pm. The coach fare will be £24 per person. There is a charge for entry to the museum which is £11.00 (gift aid) but if there are sufficient numbers I may be able to get a group discount and this would mean a prepayment to me.

Please send your cheques for the coach fare only, payable to ‘FCCC’ to Bunny Lees-Smith at

1 Follyfield, Hankerton, Malmesbury, SN16 9LA. You can ring me on 01666 577275 for more information or an update.

On the wettest Saturday morning for many weeks a team of stalwart (is that the correct word?) villagers turned out to spruce up the Village Amenity Area and its surrounds at the end of Old Farm Close. There was much chopping back of the growth to open up the paths around the pond – and to allow the grass to be mown. Many thanks to Ted Grierson for the loan of his big trailer to take away the clippings.

By the finish the team were soaking wet (see photo), so many thanks to Frances Dalton for the provision of hot coffee – even if it was in  CHAOS plastic cups!

Peter Wyman

The Memorial Bus Shelter seat is now fitted.

Thanks Chris for your supply and Thanks Brian for fitting it with the help of myself as the “lackey”

New village signs and new seats what is next?

David Wood

I returned from a walk last week to see what at first sight appeared to be some leaves attached to the top of my fence.

On closer inspection I found two moths sharing an intimate moment. Bearing mind that the fence post is four inches across, these moths had a wing span of at least three inches.

Having spoken to Steve and Lynn Davis it would seem that they are most likely to be the Poplar Hawk Moths. Other Hawk Moths have been seen in the village before.

Bunny Lees-Smith

I opened up the Church at 6.15am for the Euro voting on 22nd May and locked it up again at 10.15pm.

Of 244 villagers entitled to vote, 87 voted in person and a further 60 in the village used their postal vote, giving a total of 147 who voted, which is a 60% turnout.

This is probably significantly higher than the national average, when the full figures are announced on 25th May.

Well done, Hankerton villagers !

Philip Carter

Volunteers needed to make up a working party to come and help clear up the Village Amenity Area (pond at Old Farm Close).

Time 10.00 on Saturday 24th May.

Also it was mentioned that some frontages to some of the houses in Follyfield needed a tidy up as the Best Kept Village Competition is nearly upon us.

David Wood

Over 30 people came along to the hear the Ukey Dukes ukulele band. The band, from Ashton Keynes, played a full evening of songs from the 1950s to the present, which had the audience singing along. The event raised over £200 for Prospect, the Swindon-based cancer charity.

John Thorne