THE COMMONERCOMMONER THE VIEWS AND NEWS FROM RODBOROUGH MAY 2016 • ISSUE 50 Published by...

On Friday 13th May, several hundred frisky cattle will be turned out on the Commons. It’s called Marking

Day and we hope Friday 13th doesn’t prove unlucky; every year, some of these cattle are killed and injured by drivers. 8 cattle died in both 2015 and 2014, and in 2013 it was 13. Most are hit by local drivers, often going far too fast. The worst period is from September as the nights draw in and the most dangerous stretch of road is near Moor Court between The Bear and Tom Long’s Post.

New for this year will be a big drive to encourage drivers

COMMONERTHE

VIEWS AND NEWS FROM RODBOROUGH

MAY 2016 • ISSUE 50

Published by Rodborough Parish Council, funded by advertising and the Parish Council and delivered free by volunteers to every home in the parish.

Cows out for Summerwww.rodborough.gov.uk

Roll up roll up to what’s set to be the hottest event in Rodborough this summer….

The Rodborough Summer Sizzle will provide live music, a fun dog show, dance performances, food, drink, family entertainment and more stalls than you’ll know what to do with! Also, get your programme on the door, containing a ticket to enter into an exciting prize draw. Don’t miss out!

And as an extra treat for the family, Children’s author John Docherty will be opening the event and will read one of his stories for the children. So make sure you get there early!

PLEASE NOTEThere will only be disabled parking at the event. Please avoid driving into Butterrow West as there will be very

Rodborough Summer Sizzle 2016

to stick to an advisory 30mph limit across the whole Commons area. As part of this, large fold-down signs will be sited at the seven main entrances to the Commons reminding drivers that the “Cows are Out”, with an advisory 30mph. Each autumn, when the cows come off the Commons, these signs will be folded down. There should also be an interactive message board that will be located by Bownham Park. New too, will be fencing by Crane’s Quarry to try to prevent cattle crossing the spine road unexpectedly and the National Trust has agreed to a trial lighting project around the area most cattle have been killed in previous years. And Rodborough Parish Council hopes to locate its new ANPR camera in the same area, so that drivers who persistently speed can be recorded and formally warned by the police, as is currently happening on the A46 Bath Road.

So the message is, please slow down for the cows, we need them to graze safely in order to preserve the unique flora of the Commons and Rodborough in particular as this is one of only 230 Special Areas of Conservation in England (see http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-23).

Cllr Alick Miskin

‘Like us on Facebook’– search for Rodborough Parish Council

Sunday 12th June | 2-6pmRodborough Community

Hall and Pavillion

limited access and you will be unable to park. Instead, please park on the nearby hills or many housing estates and walk to the event.

HANDYMAN AND MAINTENANCE

SERVICESRoutine maintenance. Painting and decorating. Flat pack installation.

Windows, gutters cleaned. Fences repaired. Smoke alarms, shelves, curtain poles installed.

Gardening and vegetables. References and insurance.

CRB clearance.

Oak Leaf ServicesKevin Lea

01453 762735 • 077408 [email protected]

www.oakleafservices.co.uk

THE RODBOROUGH COMMONER PAGE 2

COMMONERTHE

Published by Rodborough Parish CouncilEditors Kim Richardson, Huw Oliver and Alison Barnes

Distribution Rodborough Parish Council Advertising Joy Jackson Compilation Qwertyop.co.uk

Printer CBF Printed on recycled paperContact The Commoner, Rodborough Community Hall,

Butterrow West, Rodborough, Stroud, Glos GL5 3TZ Tel: 01453 762686

Email: [email protected] for next issue is: 1st July 2016

No article necessarily represents the views of the editor or the parish council unless this is specifically stated.

The theme for the next edition of the Commoner August issue is WW1. Deadline 1st July 2016.

If you would like to provide an article for The Commoner, whether on the theme or not, please send your article to:

The Commoner, Rodborough Community Hall, Butterrow West, Rodborough, Stroud, Glos GL5 3TZ,

Or email a document file for articles or jpg file for photos to: [email protected]

Daphne joined us at the end

of February and has been piled straight into our sometimes quaint ways of working. She hails from Somerset and has a background in HR, finance and education, so brings a range of appropriate skills as well as the experience of already working part-time for a smaller parish council. Married,

she and her husband have four children, ranging in age from 24 to 32 and, so far, three grandchildren, so she is well equipped to deal with the diverse range of ages and personalities that parish clerks have to contend with.

At present Daphne is commuting up from Pucklechurch, but with their house on the market she hopes to be moving closer to Rodborough later this year, enabling her to have time at home between working in the parish office and returning to attend our late evening meetings. A move our way will also bring her closer to the mountains of Wales and the Lake District for the hill walking she enjoys and hopefully provide opportunities for the outdoor life and organic gardening she thrives on.

Our new Clerk, Daphne Dunning

ART EXHIBITIONThe Art Club, which meets on Tuesdays at Rodborough Community Hall, is holding

an exhibition of its work on

Saturday 11th of June -11am - 4pm

Sunday 12th of June - 2pm - 6pm (as part of the Rodborough Summer Sizzle)

Rodborough Community Hall, Butterrow Lane, Rodborough GL5 3TZ

Entrance is Free. Free Car Parking on Saturday. Please park off site on Sunday.

We formed four years ago as a group of friends who just enjoy painting and drawing; we learn from one

another and from the tutors who come along occasionally to give advice and teach different techniques.

Please come along to our exhibition and see some of the work we have produced this year.

ALPHA AUTO SERVICESAt Kingscourt Garage

Your Local Garage.

SERVICINGREPAIRS

MOT PREPARATIONCLUTCHES

All Makes and Models welcome.

Tel Maurice 01453 766197

Commoner Feedback.Thank you to those who responded to our Commoner Feedback survey in the last edition. We would still love to hear from anyone who has opinions on the content, ap-pearance or frequency of the Commoner and the online survey is still available. Just click on the link on the News page of the Parish Council website (www.rodborough.gov.uk). The parish is really interested to hear what you, the readers, want or how you feel about possible changes to the format. Alternatively, always feel free to email us with any comments.

On 1st July 1916 at 7.30am whistles were blown to signal the start of the attack, in what would be the

bloodiest day in the history of the British Army. Along a 15 mile stretch of the front line 20,000 men were killed on that day alone and a further 40,000 were injured.


When I moved to Rodborough from Somerset with my two young sons 35 years ago I felt we had come

home. I could be myself, making pots and renovating the house without being thought odd - as I had been in Somerset. Stroud is so full of creative people. I became the local potter for the next 25 years, selling well at Open Studios, Christmas markets and then the Made in Stroud shop.

Ten years ago I stopped making domestic ware (though occasionally making one-off pots as wedding presents etc.) and made sculptures. If you walk past my house

I live here - Sophia Hughes in Kingscourt Lane you can see some of those 7 foot sculptures in Perspex and steel in my garden. For the past five years I have been painting abstracts and that is my main occupation now.

Living in Rodborough has been a gift. When I had severe sciatica years ago and almost had to learn to walk again – and later, when I had ME for two and a half years – it was Rodborough Common that was my healer. Short walks in such a beautiful place got me through, and many a time I have sat there watching the sun sink, thanking God for where I live.

More recently, I suffered PTSD after falling off a ladder and impaling the whole length of my arm on a sculpture (Google ‘Sophia Hughes Guardian’ to read about it). Again, it was the Common that came to my rescue. When I realised that I was trying to ‘hide’ on one of the benches, I made myself walk the full length of the Common and greet those walking there until I could do so without fear.

Until recently my son Matt was Rodborough’s local IT support guy in Field Road, but a growing family caused a move to Cashes Green. My elder son Ridwan has Aspergers Syndrome and lives with me, expanding his self-taught knowledge of micro-electronics and computing.

Sophia Hughes

BOOKS BOUGHT & SOLD

Cash paid for a wide

variety of secondhand

books. If you are clearing

the shelves or looking

for an ideal gift

Ring Michael Biard on

01453 7508530796 797 1850

Somme Cemetary

At 7.15am on Friday July 1st 2016, a short tribute to them with take place in Rodborough Churchyard, culminating with the sounding of a whistle at 7.30. All are welcome.The Five Valleys Great War Researchers Group will be holding an exhibition at The Bedford St. Church Hall (alongside the Subscription Rooms) in Stroud on Friday July 1st and Saturday July 2nd from 10-1, where there will be the chance to find out more about the men of Rodborough and the Stroud area who fought at the Somme. (The August issue of the Commoner will have a full feature about The Somme).

Remembering Rodborough


Back in 1996, Rodborough Parish

Council did a parish wide appraisal. What this showed was that ’without doubt, traffic is seen by parishioners as the most important and serious factor

affecting their quality of life on a day-to-day basis.’ That was in 1996 and the speeding problem in our parish has got considerably worse.

As chairman of the Rodborough Road Safety Group [RSWG], it has been a very hard task to come up with a solution for this problem. Speed Watch initiatives around the parish were found not to be a solution and a more innovative solution to the speeding problem was required. Even the Commissioner of Police having spent time in Rodborough, understands the issues.

A company that designed ANPR [automatic number plate recognition] software was sourced and after a new radar unit was designed for the camera, the system went live in February 2016. The Police Commissioner has been unbelievably supportive of the project, funding 80% of the camera system and related costs. Chief Inspector Steve Lindsay MBE of the special constabulary and his brilliant team have also supported the RSWG for over three years.

This powerful system has the ability to monitor speed, date and time and report speeding vehicles to the police for appropriate action. Only the police can access names and addresses of registered owners and under this trial project the police will send letters to the worst offenders. They can then target not just those recording high speeds but also serial speeders. If the warned driver does then stick to the legal speed limit, this vehicle will act as a pace car, slowing all the vehicles down to the safe limit behind him. Marked changes in driving behaviour are already being witnessed – one white van had been caught speeding over 44 times in less than a month. Following a police warning, monitoring shows he is now driving at speeds of round 30mph. This is a good result all round; drivers, providing they take notice of the warning, are not fined or get penalty points. Most important for our community, slower speeds means our children and relatives are safer.

Rodborough has received national coverage for its ground breaking system to monitor speeding drivers in our parish and if this project is a success, many other communities could benefit from similar schemes.

Cllr Charles Pedrick

To read the full version of this article, please see the link on the news page of the parish council website – www.rodborough.gov.uk

Big Brother, should protect his little brothers and sisters…

Have you ever wondered why some areas are getting overgrown by scrub while others are cut back? To get

some answers I met up with the National Trust's Richard Evans on a cold but sunny morning in March. Area Ranger for 14 years, Richard has acquired a deep knowledge of the complex ecological web that is perhaps the finest example of limestone grassland in the Cotswolds and southwest of England and, in his words, 'for botanists and lepidopterists simply THE place to go!'

Traditional 'commoners rights' have dissipated over very many years and now mainly concern cattle grazing, the only 'natural' control that prevents scrub (and ultimately woodland) establishing; following WW2 it didn't take many graziers to fall out of usage to allow a marked increase in vegetation. In the mid 1990s the Trust took over (from the Commons Committee) the delicate job of managing the multiple layers of habitat and specialist ecological niches.

This was illustrated perfectly as we walked back towards Kingscourt along the lane from Bear Hill. Richard said this woodland fringe, an extension of Amberley wood, has some 700 years of documentary evidence however is latterly hell bent on extending up the lower slopes of the common, with birch and ash often the first to colonise. But it turns out the 'transition zone' between full woodland and open grass, what you and I might dismiss as 'scrub encroachment', is actually all-important to many species of rarer herbaceous plants and insects. Management is all about creating a balance - and aesthetics are just part of the mix. When he simultaneously get flack for cutting young trees on the one hand and for not clearing scrub on the other - that's when Richard knows he has probably got the balance right!

Geoff MarchNext time: cattle management - and a local rarity

Up on the Common

National Trust's Richard Evans illustrates a point


News from Rodborough Parish Council January-April 2016

The parish welcomed our new Clerk, Daphne Dunning, who took up her post at the end of February.

During March volunteers, including councillors and members of the public, turned out on a cold Saturday morning to litter pick as part of the nationwide scheme ‘Clean for the Queen’. We cleared various discarded rubbish along parts of the Quiet Lanes and even found an abandoned traffic bollard hidden in the hedges.

We held an open meeting for prospective Councillors in anticipation of the May Local Council elections. The turnout was good with four people attending to find out more about what being a councillor involves. The election will be held on 5th May so please exercise your right to vote.

The Council had to temporally close the Rectory Gardens playground for a couple of weeks while the slippery surface was treated. As local families will no doubt be aware, this is an ongoing problem caused by the enclosed nature of the playground. The Parish Council will be looking for long term solutions over the coming months.

The chair of our Planning, Transport and Amenities Committee met with Highways Department to discuss the problems caused by the volume and speed of traffic in the parish, in particular vehicles using The Butts to travel up to the Common. We would like to see through-traffic using Dr Newton’s Way and the A419 rather than the Common and have requested that Highways look at ways this could be achieved.

Our Road Safety Working Group has worked hard to obtain an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) for the parish which has since achieved nationwide fame.

Committee agreed grants totalling £2000 allocated as listed:

The Old Endowed School Decoration of main staircase £150

St. Mary Magdalene Church Graveyard maintenance £100

Stroud and District Citizen’s Advice Bureau

To support work with people in Rodborough

£200

Home-Start Stroud District To support family work in the parish £100

Rodborough Lunch Club For Ring and ride to Club £200

Rodborough Friendly Circle To help with ring and ride and hall hire

£200

Rodborough Glebe Allotment Association

To improve access £150

Insight Gloucestershire Towards work of Home Visiting Advi-sor Service

£100

Rodborough Community Primary School

Sports funding to continue Kick Off Stroud activities

£100

Stroud Sea Cadets For maps, compasses and stoves £100

Remembering Rodborough For an A0 folder for documents £100

Rodborough Cub Pack Towards an archery back stop net £100

Summer Sunday Family Fun Towards equipment and games £100

Rodborough Youth Project Towards equipment and staffing £200

Rodborough Playgroup Interstars floor toy set £100

TOTAL: £2000

Committee agreed the following in kind support:

Rodborough Youth Project Hall Hire for Youth Club (3 hours term time evening hire)

£1,195

Remembering Rodborough Hall hire £300

Summer Sizzle (Fete) Committee Hall Hire (5 x 1.5 hour meetings) Pitch and Hall hire for event (9 hours)

£102£86

TOTAL: £1,683

Grants awarded by the Parish Council 2016-17

For more information see the article elsewhere in this edition.

For more information about what happens in Parish Council meetings, please see the minutes available on our website.

A scout in Japan: a life-changing experience


HOLIDAY EXPERIENCES

In August 2015 I spent my summer holiday at the International Scout Jamboree in Japan.

We started our trip with four days in Tokyo. The heat and humidity were immediately a shock but made it feel more real: we definitely weren't in England any more. During our stay in Tokyo we navigated the tube system, ate bizarre and delicious foods, visited temples and shrines, explored fashion districts, climbed the Skytree and spent an early morning at the crowed fish market, all of which was unlike anything I had every experienced before. At night we got to know our unit better and eventually went to sleep at the National Youth Centre in the old Olympic village.

From Tokyo we travelled by bullet train to the Jamboree site near the beautiful coast of Yamaguchi. The site was huge, with over 35,000 scouts, leaders and IST spread over 15 sub-camps. We spent ten days at the jamboree site camping in up to 50ºC heat with scouts from 152 different countries. Days were spent completing different activities on the theme of ‘WA’, a spirit of unity. I also had the opportunity to visit a local school, and plant trees with a local scout group. Hours without set activities were spent swapping stories, food and badges with scouts from across the globe.

Four ceremonies were also held, with all 40,000 scouts taking part. There was live music from J-pop bands, speeches from various Japanese ministers, the United Nations and several chief scouts as well as an Olympic style flags parade. On the 6th of August we visited Hiroshima, to remember all those affected by the terrible A-bombings. We visited the memorials and museum, which was an upsetting and difficult experience, one that I will always remember and carry with me.

Before leaving Japan we travelled to Hamatsu city in Shizouka, which is the province home to Mt. Fuji. I then spent two days staying with a most welcoming and amazing Japanese family. With them I tried my hand at Japanese calligraphy, origami, watched some stunning fireworks, enjoyed Japanese home cooking, visited shrines and celebrated Obon, the festival that celebrates the return of their ancestors’ spirits to the living world. The home hospitality programme was by far my favourite and most interesting and enlightening part of my whole Jamboree experience. I learnt so much about Japanese culture and life and shared much of our own culture with them too.

It was sad to say goodbye to Japan, but I looked forward to returning home. Spending the three weeks in Japan has been an absolutely life-changing experience and a wonderful opportunity. It took a long time to get used to normal life again but I will never forget my amazing adventure.

Juliet Biard

In April 2015 I was trekking in the Kanchenjunga area

in Eastern Nepal. This was my sixth trip to Nepal. I then moved on to Baseri, a hill village in Ghorka province in central Nepal, to give the school a laptop computer. I have friends who originally

grew up in that village and I always get such a hospitable welcome.

Unfortunately Baseri turned out to be very near the epicentre of the devastating earthquake. All the houses in the village were completely flattened, many animals were killed. We dug some out alive. Amazingly no people were killed in the village, but there were about 10,000 deaths and 750,000 houses destroyed in the surrounding area. I stayed in the village a few days helping out, but they were running out of food, so I left. Many roads had been destroyed and it was a long walk to the bus for a 10 hour trip, stopping in Dhading temporary hospital with a badly injured woman we picked up on the way, and back the chaos of Kathmandu. No power, no water and little food.

Back in the UK we started fundraising, and with the great generosity of the people in the Stroud area, we have sent around £7000 to date. This has gone via my friend Saroj from the village. (No middlemen!) Initially money was used to buy emergency food, and then large numbers of corrugated zinc roofing sheets for temporary shelters.

I went back to the village in October and will be visiting again in 2016. They are surviving. They are tough people and now living in small shacks they have knocked up. Education is very important in the culture, and they had managed to build a temporary learning centre for 330 secondary pupils. They used locally cut bamboo, old timber salvaged from collapsed buildings, old roofing sheets and some of the new sheets. The catchment area for the school covers many villages. The children walk several hours to the school, and then several hours back home. No roads. No buses.

It was the time of the rice harvest on terraced fields cascading several hundreds of metres down the valley sides. A huge thunderstorm hit – shouldn't happen at that time of year – and destroyed some of the rice. Existence is always marginal, another blow.

How can you help?If anyone else would like to help the Baseri villagers and trusts me to get the money directly to them, please send a cheque payable to Keith Eyles to 23 Bownham Park, Stroud, GL5 5BY or email [email protected] for more information. We will continue to support these villagers as best we can. What the people of Nepal really need are tourists! Much of the country wasn’t hit by the earthquake and a lot of what was has been repaired.

Keith Eyles

Nepal after the Earthquake


Holiday Occupation

Exploring the Old City of Jerusalem was amazing. It is such an old city, with so many different cultures and

faiths on display. The sight of the golden dome shining in the sunshine is one that you cannot forget. Nor the view across to the Jordanian hills as they were lit up by the rising sun on Easter Day from the Mount of Olives.

But I was not in Jerusalem as a tourist. I was spending three months in Israel and Palestine, taking unpaid leave to do so. I went as a volunteer Ecumenical Accompanier (EA) with the Ecumenical Accompanier Programme in Palestine and Israel, a project of the World Council of Churches. I imagine living under a military occupation is not most people’s idea of a holiday. Spending your first days on holiday learning about permits, international human rights and humanitarian laws, the difference between Israeli border guards, police and soldiers is also not the usual way of getting into the holiday mood.

We were divided into international teams and my team went to live in Yatta, a town under Palestinian Authority

control where we lived, shopped in the local shops, brought bread and honey from our neighbour, and learnt to sleep through the Moslem call to prayer and the sound of the local chickens and geese.

But we spent most of our days out in villages in the South Hebron Hills, an area of Palestine, within the internationally recognised border of Palestine but under Israeli occupation, where illegal Israeli settlements have taken land from the Palestinians and settlers harass local farmers and herders. The first time we were out shepherding we were ‘moved on’ by Israeli soldiers with loaded guns aimed us even though we were on the shepherd’s land.We visited communities threatened with demolitions referring individuals to agencies that can try to fight these illegal actions through the Israeli courts and we attended peaceful demonstrations with other international and Israeli peace activists where we supported communities like Susiya whose residents were demanding the right to live on their own land.

We also visited Jinba in the Massafer Yatta to get evidence of damage to crops done by the Israeli Defence Forces during military manoeuvres and heard how two young people had been temporarily detained, tied up and in one case beaten and homes had been raided in the night – and all this during the main school exam period too.And after so many sad stories but also after innumerable cups of sage tea and wonderful hospitality, was the time well spent? Well it was certainly worth taking the leave to go.

If you would like to know more about EAPPI go to eyewitnessblogs.com

Theresa Mansbridge

HOLIDAY EXPERIENCES

Since 2008, when I became hooked on

mountaineering while climbing Kilimanjaro for charity, I have been going on mountaineering holidays. I have climbed peaks in in Nepal and India such as Mera Peak,

Aconcagua in Argentina and Cotopaxi in Ecuador. These “holidays” give me the chance to experience something stunningly beautiful and rare, and I consider that I am very privileged to be able to do them.

Some aspects of these “holidays” are slightly unusual: You often have to take your ice axe to the toilet

with you to stop yourself falling off the mountain. The ‘holiday rep’ is often known as the “lead Sherpa”. You could spend a week pinned down in a tent

at 20,000 feet where it gets down to -20ºC at night, whilst waiting for a window of opportunity to summit.

You might spend a morning being shown how to do a crevasse rescue or use a prusik knot to climb out of one.

You might need a rest day in order to let your body catch up with the altitude you have gained.

You might tip a Sherpa for getting you to the summit or saving your life!

A mule brings your pack to base camp whilst you arrive on foot.

But imagine the final approaches to a summit, knowing you have the strength to make it, and the sun has just risen on you, turning the entire snowfield bright pink, with everything else around you being a feature the size of a cathedral, with air so thin that even mountains 20 or 30 miles away are crystal clear . . . you can see that such unusual features come with some incredible rewards.

Phil Blomberg

Hooked on mountaineering

Eappi Protective presence for shepherds in Qawawis


Last summer over 500 hundred people came to look round a selection of Rodborough’s gardens. It proved to

be a splendid day out! This year we’re doing it again. There will be another Rodborough Real Gardens and Sculpture Trail. There are some new gardens and some garden improvements, some new artists and some who exhibited last year. There will be refreshments - home-made cakes, tea etc served at the Endowed School.

Rodborough Real Gardens and Sculpture TrailNone of the gardens are perfect but there is always inspiration to be had by the smallest or most recently created garden. It’s nice to see the solution to a problem you might have in your own garden.

The gardens and sculptures are in and around Church Place and there will be plants for sale, ice cream and other interesting stalls. The Stroud Valley Project will be there again, giving tips on how to make your garden more wildlife friendly and a preloved gardening books sale. Local author Katie Fforde, one of those opening her garden, will be available to sign books and also books not available in the shops. Sadly, dogs are not permitted.

It will cost £5 per person (children free) either in advance from Stroud Valleys Project Shop or the Albert or on the day. The money raised will mostly go to The Old Endowed Schools for their continuing improvements, but the Stroud Valley Project and another local charity, to be decided, will benefit from the rest.

It promises to be an entertaining and informative afternoon out with something for everyone.If anyone would like to volunteer to be a steward, grow plants, bake cakes, or help in any way, we would love to hear from you!

Contact [email protected]

SUNDAY 26TH JUNE 11- 5 pm

ALLOTMENTSPlots of various sizes available at

Lightpill Allotments

Come and join us and enjoy your own crops and free exercise.

Contact Doreen on 01453 872733 for more information.

Rodborough has many narrow roads and we all need to drive and park carefully to reflect this. Kings Road (off Rodborough Hill) is of particular concern and we have been made aware more than once of the problems caused by inconsiderate parking here.

If you have to park here, please make sure that enough room is left for a wide vehicle to get through to the rest of the estate. On more than one occasion recently it would have been very difficult for a Fire Appliance or Ambulance to access homes in an emergency. Don’t let it be your vehicle which prevents them from saving lives.

Parking

It is an offence to plant or cause these species to grow in the wild. This includes moving contaminated soil or plant cuttings. You’re not legally obliged to remove these plants, however, if you allow Japanese knotweed to grow onto other people’s property you could be prosecuted for causing a private nuisance. Also, both Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed are classified as controlled waste, which means

you should use a specialist to deal with them.

There are also a number of weeds dangerous to animals, or agricultural production, and also controlled by law. One of the most common

of these is Ragwort which if ingested by livestock causes liver damage and can be fatal.

It’s not an offence to have ragwort growing on your land, but you must stop it spreading to agricultural land, particularly grazing areas or land used for producing silage and hay.

If you allow ragwort to spread onto someone else’s property, Natural England could serve you with an enforcement notice. You can also be prosecuted if you allow animals to suffer by eating these weeds.

More information on the above plants and others can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-the-spread-of-harmful-invasive-and-non-native-plants

Joanna Bird


The spread of invasive non-native plants causes problems in the environment. The most common of these in this

area are:

Himalayan Balsam - a relative of the Busy Lizzie which has been causing problems along the canal at Chalford, where there have been “Balsam Bashing” events to remove this pesky

invader. It out-competes native species and in winter, when it dies back, can leave the banks bare and exposed to erosion.

Giant Hogweed, related to cow parsley, can grow over 3m tall. It reminds me of John Wyndham’s “Triffids”! They have thick bristly stems, and the sap can cause severe skin burns which may leave the victim scarred and sensitive to sunlight. Definitely not a foe you

want to get up close and personal with!

Japanese Knotweed is a nasty individual which has even been spotted in the Community Hall car park! It is a tall herbaceous perennial with bamboo like stems, which often grows into dense thickets. It out-

competes native flora and can also cause structural damage by growing through asphalt and undermining foundations.

Alien Invasion


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It’s not many months since we attempted to shoehorn

ourselves and our luggage into a Corsa and finally leave Rodborough – with some trouble fitting everything in. In some ways it feels a lifetime ago, in others only yesterday. Mindful that you have all had a cold and grey winter it would seem unfair perhaps to mention that we look out of the window

at yet another day of bright sunny skies. Notwithstanding, we are seemingly acclimatising now for Peggy was heard to complain that it was cold at a 26!

The long summer School holidays are over and most things are getting back to normal now. We are getting ‘stuck-in’ to the work involved with two Parishes but seven church buildings.

From Rodborough to Western Australia

¿Quieres hablar español? Would you like to speak Spanish?

As a Rodborough resident, Spanish teacher and new

Mum, I began a new community class in January 2016, offering parents, grandparents, babies and toddlers the opportunity to come along to a weekly class and enjoy some Spanish.

Since having my first baby, Alice, I'd been developing a

repertoire of Spanish songs to keep her entertained during breakfast, bath time and bedtime. Friends started asking me to teach them a Spanish lullaby or how to play the Span-ish version of Peekaboo, and so I decided to start a weekly class: Spanish with Little Ones.

Each class, we have a new theme and learn some Spanish words and phrases through songs that can then be used at home. It's a great way to practise what you've learnt and also for your little ones to start absorbing the sounds of a new language.

We have plenty of time to chat over tea and home-made biscuits at the end of each session so that everyone can get to know each other.

The class runs every Tuesday (except school holidays) from 2.15 to 3.00 pm at Rodborough Community Hall. For a free taster session please email me at [email protected] plans to bring more Spanish to Rodborough include a conversational class for adults and a Spanish summer school for primary children, so keep your eyes out for post-ers and please get in touch if you are keen to learn some Spanish!Beth Stapleton

We have seen our first snake in the garden - on our patio a couple of feet behind Peggy whilst we were sharing a cuppa with a friend – ironically as Peggy was complaining we had been here some weeks and had yet to see a snake! Most weekends Toodyay is visited by crowds of Bikers from Perth who ride here for a sedate cuppa with friends and then return home. Brian’s mid-life crisis minds him to join them and he has acquired a shiny new HOG (well more of a piglet really) which now proudly sits in our car port; the car is relegated to the garden. He can be seen and heard practising circuits of the church car-park most evenings as he cannot take it on a road before he passes the Aussie motorbike test. The challenge will be getting the Harley to do a ‘U’ turn in a narrow road – why would you when a 3-point turn seems far more sensible?!

Restoration of the Old Endowed School was an experience for us that we are capitalising on here; we already have projects to repair and restore a couple of the Church Buildings, and one was urgent after a mini-tornado stripped part of the roof from a remote but old ‘Pioneer’ church building about 10 miles outside town.

Yesterday Peggy was gardening when a tree fell over in front of her. This is not unusual here. We’ve still a lot to learn.We enjoy sipping a small libation on our back veranda at sundown most days and as it is getting toward that time, we’ll sign off. G’night Cobbers!Brian and Peggy

Rodborough Tabernacle Secretary Peter Freeman 759943

Rodborough Tabernacle URC Minister Eric Massey 766389

Rodborough Toddlers (TOES) Ellen Edwards 07958134873

Rodborough Youth Football Club Darren Vasey 07742 971974

Rodborough Youth Project Dawn Quest 07855426554

Rugby Rascals Toddler Group Sharon Ashenford 750124

Scrabble Club Kim Richardson 07833 336843

South Cotswold Ramblers Richard Davis 762373

Spanish with Little Ones Beth Stapleton 07811 923863

St.John Ambulance 01452 858220

Stroud & Rodborough Educational Charity Shani Baker 860379

Stroud Music & Dance Academy Charles Dyson 07861699198

Stroud Rambling Club Ann Copeland 752654

Stroud Rugby Club Gordon McDowell 07766763476

Stroud Sea Cadets Paul White 755141

The Old Endowed School (TOES)- bookings Louise Ratcliffe 752265

Transition Stroud Seb Buckton 07557 508025

Village Agent for Rodborough Angela King 07776 245791

Wednesday Fellowship (Tabernacle) Dorothy Ede 765978

Woodcraft Folk Cyril Laffort 764698

Yoga Class (Community Hall) Amanda Sultan-Black 755635


COMMUNITY GROUPS IN RODBOROUGHActivity and Organisation Name Contact Phone

1st Rodborough Guides Keeley Burke 07746 710107

3rd Rodborough Brownies [email protected]

5VFit Kim www.5vfit.co.uk

Art Class (Endowed School) Cyril Corio 765649

Art Class (Community Hall) Steve Smith 752159

Baby Massage NCT 020 8752 2494

Break Out Productions Helen Carter 07899848180

Cappella Singers Ken Lawrence 759634

Coffee Pot Jane Tubbs 767557

Community Hall - Bookings Joy Jackson 762686

Croc N Roll Stephanie 07957235413

Dance Pointe Rhianne Banyard 07854298847

Fitness Class (Rodborough School) Julie McNally 750628

Five Valleys Bridge Club Vesta Rock 886404

Gastrells Primary School Headteacher Kate Merriman 765959

Glebe Allotment Association Sarah Zodiates 759422

Gloucestershire Society for Industrial Archeology Ray Wilson 860595

Hayward for the Commons Mark Dawkins 07973 326772

Jolly Stompers Line Dancing (Gastrells) Julie Cole 752480

Kingscourt Educational Trust Jenny Wills 763984

Lightpill Allotment Association Doreen 872733

Meditation and Yoga Classes Elles Theulan 07815 552952

Mid-Cotswold Tracks and Trails Group Pat Harris 823841

Model Engineers (Secretary) W.P. Phillips 883438

National Trust (Common Ranger) Richard Evans 01452 810056

Parish Church Jane Tubbs 765757

Pilates Karen Brown 07957 539634

Radical Stroud www.radicalstroud.blogspot.co.uk

Rainbows Debbie Wood 07810 455774

Remembering Rodborough [email protected]

Rodborough Beaver Scouts Mary Jones 766745

Rodborough Cub Scouts James Lynn 753864

Rodborough Fields Preservation Group www.rodboroughfields.org.uk

Rodborough Friendly Circle Olive Heskins 765379

Rodborough Lionessess Ben Spencer 07960712609

Rodborough Old Boys FC Stuart Thompson 07800589173

Rodborough Playgroup Nicola Hurford 756141

Rodborough Poultry Club Kirsty Tallon 07751181076

Rodborough Primary School Mrs M Halsey 763159

Rodborough Scout Troop Theresa Mansbridge 07793286534

Rodborough Tabernacle - Bookings John Rohrbeck 01452 812934

Rodborough Tabernacle Choir Di Davis 762373

Rodborough Tabernacle Events Carole Oosthuysen 872446

Rodborough Tabernacle Lunch Club Barbara Cook 763026

Rodborough Tabernacle News Brian Oosthuysen 872446

Activity and Organisation Name Contact Phone

RODBOROUGH PARISH WALKSIN CONJUNCTION WITH SOUTH COTSWOLD RAMBLERS

Thursday 26th May at 6.30pmThrough Manor Woods to Amberley – 4 miles.

Thursday 30th June at 6.30pmOver to Selsley – 4.5 miles

Thursday 28th July at 6.30pmLagger Lane to Boundary Court – 4.5 miles

Thursday 25th August at 6.30pmCanals and Railways – 4 miles

Friday 22nd September at 5.30pmRodborough Common – 3 miles.

• This year’s programme of evening walks will be held on Thursday evenings.

• All walks will start from Rodborough Community Hall, Butterrow West at 6.30 pm except the September walk which will start at 5.30 pm.

• Children are always welcome on walks accompanied by adults although the walks not suitable for very young children.

• Most walks will be over reasonable tracks and quiet lanes but the nature of the area is such that there will usually be at least one steep climb.

• There may be pub stops on some walks

• Published walks may be subject to alteration.

• If you have any queries please ring Richard Davis on 01453 762373.


Thursday 5th May All day Parish Council Elections Polling Stations Stroud District Council 766321Saturday 7th May 11:00 Plant Sale (Amberley Gardening Club) Black Horse Amberley Simone 873887Monday 9th May 20:00 Rodborough Summer Sizzle meeting Community Hall [email protected] 11th May 10:00 Remembering Rodborough archive at the Coffee Pot Endowed School Sunday 15th May tbc Pentecost Service & Fun Day Community Hall Tabernacle 766389Sunday 15th May 15:00 Churches together in Stroud Christian aid service Tabernacle Little Chapel Tabernacle 766389Monday 16th May 19:30 Road Safety Working Group Community Hall Parish Council 762686Thursday 19th May 19:00 Volunteers BBQ Community Hall Parish Council 762686Saturday 21st May 11:00 Christian Big Breakfast Rodborough Tabernacle Tabernacle 766389Monday 23rd May 19:00 Annual Council Meeting (ACM) Community Hall Parish Council 762686 Monday 23rd May Full Council Meeting Community Hall Parish Council 762686Thursday 26th May 18:30 Parish Walk (to Amberley) Community Hall Parish Council 762686Saturday 4th June 10:00 Identification of flowers and grasses Rodborough Common National Trust 01453 753358Saturday 11th June 11:00 Art Exhibition Community Hall Art Group 762849Sunday 12th June 14:00 Art Exhibition (part of Summer Sizzle) Community Hall Art Group 762849Sunday 12th June 14:00 Rodborough Summer Sizzle Butterrow West [email protected] 23rd June All day EU Referendum Polling Stations Stroud District Council 766321Sunday 26th June 11:00 Rodborough Open Gardens Church Place etc [email protected] Thursday 30th June 18:30 Parish Walk (to Selsley) Community Hall Parish Council 762686Friday 1st July 07:15 Somme Tribute Rodborough churchyard Parish ChurchFriday 15th July 15:15 Gastrells School Summer Fayre Gastrells School Gastrells School 765959Thursday 28th July 18:30 Parish Walk (to Lagger Lane) Community Hall Parish Council 762686 Sunday 31st July 14:00 Community Café Community Hall Tabernacle 766389Sunday 7th August 14:00 Community Café Community Hall Tabernacle 766389Sunday 14th August 14:00 Community Café Community Hall Tabernacle 766389Sunday 21st August 14:00 Community Café Community Hall Tabernacle 766389Thursday 25th August 18:30 Parish Walk (Canals & Railways) Community Hall Parish Council 762686Saturday 3rd September tbc Mikron Theatre Community Hall Contact Stephen 758138Thursday 22nd September 17:30 Parish Walk (to Rodborough Common) Community Hall Parish Council 762686Saturday 24th September 10:00 Scrub ‘n’ Spuds on Rodborough Common Rodborough Common National Trust 01452 814213

E V E N T S D I A R YDate Time Event Venue Contact

Cllr Philip Blomberg 151 Bath Road, Stroud, GL5 3LL 07767834248 WCllr Joanna Bird 68A Kingscourt Lane, Rodborough GL5 3PX 765461 WCllr Anna Karmilavicius-Guarino 2 Dudbridge Hill, Rodborough, GL5 3HW 753920 NCllr Jane Ansell Please contact the Parish Office 07847391172 WCllr Charles Pedrick 2-3 High View Cottages, Rodborough Lane, GL5 2LH 07879428000 BCllr Alick Miskin Laurel House, Butterrow Lane, GL5 2LX 753024 BCllr Simon Walker Bramble Cottage, Rodborough Hill GL5 3SS 767904 NCllr Steve Ponting Morningside, Swellshill, Stroud, GL5 2SW 885689 WCllr Roy Derbyshire 42 Chandos Road, Rodborough Stroud Glos Gl5 3QZ WCllr Shaun Barker 5 Castlemead Road, Rodborough, Stroud, Glos GL5 3SF NCllr Kiera Jones 12 Woodhouse Drive, Stroud GL5 3SG NCllr Paul Gibson Five Gables Bowl Hill Kingscourt Stroud Glos GL5 5DS S

STROUD DISTRICT COUNCILLORSElections are due to be held on 5th May

GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCILLORCllr Brian Oosthuysen Copperfields, The Street, Kingscourt, Stroud GL5 5DL 872446

www.rodborough.gov.uk | Contact the Clerk: [email protected] or 01453 762686

C O U N C I L L O R S

W = West Ward – 5 CouncillorsN = North Ward – 4 CouncillorsS = South Ward – 1 CouncillorB = Butterow Ward – 2 Councillors* co-option

PARISH COUNCIL – REGULAR MEETINGSFull Council - Usually third Monday of the month 7pm.Meetings in August and December subject to confirmation. Contact the clerk.

Planning, Transport and Amenities Committee - meets monthly – usually the first Monday of the month at 6.30pm

Finance and Staffing Committee - meets once a quarter (October, January, April, July).

The public are welcome to attend all parish council meetings.

All meetings are subject to change.

For a full list of meeting dates please see our website www.rodborough.gov.uk and click on ‘Your Parish Council’.

THE COMMONERCOMMONER THE VIEWS AND NEWS FROM RODBOROUGH MAY 2016 • ISSUE 50 Published by...

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Transcript of THE COMMONERCOMMONER THE VIEWS AND NEWS FROM RODBOROUGH MAY 2016 • ISSUE 50 Published by...