As reported previously on this site, proposals have been put forward by WCC for the extraction of minerals (sand) from various sites in Wiltshire. The current proposal for the Calne area includes a large part of Bromham and surrounding countryside.
The entire Calne area, including Bromham, covers the extraction of nearly 26 million tons of sand, of which around 18 million tons (nearly 70 percent) will come from our village, over a 16 year period. The consequences will affect us all: Dust, dirt, heavy lorries traffic, noise from heavy machinery, loss of habitat for wildlife, destruction of nature and devaluation of our homes.
On the initiative of a grop of residents, this issue will be raised at
- tonight's Parish Council Meeting, 6 September 2010 at 7:30pm and
- WCC Meeting, 9 September 2010, 3:00pm, County Hall, Trowbridge
The residents' group are asking that as many as possible attend these meetings. The residents' group can be contacted by e-mail Bromhamquarry@yahoo.co.uk.
The photograph below was taken in January of this year. Beautiful sights like this may soon be gone forever if we do not stand up for our village.
Two ewes gave birth while waiting in a pen outside HF Stiles and Son abattoir in Westbrook near Bromham, a court was told.
They had been brought by William Cleave, 53, of Beaworthy, Devon who told the court that he takes out any obviously pregnant ewes when buying cull animals.
He denied two charges of transporting heavily pregnant ewes from Devon to Bromham in March last year.
After a two-day trial at Salisbury Magistrates Court last month he was found guilty and fined £5,000 and ordered to pay more than £6,700 towards costs. He has submitted an appeal against conviction.
The charges were brought by Wiltshire Council’s trading standards, with help from Devon County Council.
This is Wiltshire - Thursday 2 September 2010
One of our residents, photographer Wolf Kettler, exhibits personal and commissioned work at the Sashay Gallery in Devizes.
On show are a selection of photographs from the cycle “Look, Touch” and nature portraits from areas familiar to the photographer, including photographs from Wiltshire. Wolf Kettler specialises in people photography. His work has been exhibited and published internationally and is held in private collections.
Photographs from the exhibition can be bought ready mounted and framed. Also on sale is Wolf’s 2011 cats wall calendar. Pick up an exhibition flyer at the gallery to get a special deal on a photo session with Wolf.
Sashay Gallery (upstairs at the Healthy Life Company)
4 Little Brittox
Devizes
The show opens on 3rd September and runs until 24th September.
Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm.
Admission free.
More information about the exhibition can be found on Wolf’s blog. You can contact Wolf by telephone (07785-738 000) or through his website.
Police have appealed for information after the headstones of two children were damaged at Devizes Cemetery.
The mothers of Charlie Barnett and Callum Mortimer had gone to the adjoining graves last Wednesday, Charlie’s birthday, to put flowers on the grave.
They were horrified to see the headstones strapped to two temporary wooden props.
Julie Barnett, Charlie’s mother and Callum’s grandmother, said: “We couldn’t believe our eyes. No other gravestones were affected, just Charlie’s and Callum’s. I just don’t understand who could have done this.
“We are all very upset about this, particularly as there seems no reason behind it.”
The vandalism came a few days after the family, from Bromham, reached agreement with the Devizes and Roundway joint burial committee, which administers the cemetery, over a little memorial garden they had created in front of the two graves.
They have now halved its size and moved the toys and ornaments closer to the headstones.
Mrs Barnett lost Charlie at the age of three in 1996. He had a heart condition from birth.
Her daughter and Charlie’s sister, Kylie Mortimer, lost her son Callum to a respiratory infection in March 2008 at the age of two.
Devizes deputy town clerk Simon Fisher said cemetery staff were horrified to have come upon the damage.
He said: “They had gone up to lay turf to cover the area of garden that the family had cleared to make maintenance of the graves easier.
“The two headstones had been pushed, or pulled, right back. It would have taken some doing as they were well anchored into the ground.
“We didn’t have a phone number for the family, so we have written to them to let them know what has happened and what action we have taken.”
Devizes police have been informed and have appealed for information from the public.
Sergeant Ian Thomas said: “We are investigating but as yet there are no witnesses or ideas as to who did it. Any damage to gravestones is a spiteful and despicable act.
“The fact that it is to the graves of two children makes it even more abhorrent and would rightly cause consternation from the local community.
“I would ask that if anyone has any information for them to contact us and I am determined that those responsible will be dealt with accordingly.”
Devizes police can be contacted on 0845 408 7000 or information can be given to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
This is Wiltshire - Saturday 28 August 2010
Bromham designer Mark Wilkinson has created the trophy for the Royal Parks Commission’s half marathon, due to be held in London on Sunday October 10.
Mr Wilkinson, the founder with his wife Cynthia of Mark Wilkinson Furniture, was commissioned to design and make the prize, sculpted from a piece of Burr Oak that Mr Wilkinson found during a visit to the London Parks.
It is finished in gold leaf.
The race, which has raised over £4.5 million for charities in the past two years, starts and finishes in Hyde Park and winds its way past Buckingham Palace and through Kensington Gardens, St James Park and Green Park.
A spokesman for the organisers said: “Mark has a following where all agree he is the best when it comes to quality, design and workmanship.
“Mark’s pieces are all individually breathtaking with a perfect blend of integrity and passion, along with a love of proportion.”
Gazette and Herald - Thursday 26th August 2010
Devizes chef Chris Lugg has been left high and dry after his knee operation was cancelled at the last minute by Great Western Hospital.
Mr Lugg, 32, of Bromham, who is catering manager at Sainsbury’s in Devizes, damaged the cruciate ligament on his right knee while playing football last September.
He was booked in for a major reconstruction operation last Thursday and had changed into a gown and received his pre-med injections, only to be told that his operation could not go ahead.
He said: “They told me the surgeon was on annual leave. I questioned why they couldn’t have told me that before I turned up. People don’t suddenly just go on holiday.
“Because I was sitting there in this gown, I didn’t feel in a position to express how angry I was.
“I couldn’t get angry with the nurses, because they are brilliant. I did speak to someone from the admin office. He said they had phoned me at 11am to tell me the operation had been cancelled.
“I pointed out I had been at the hospital since 10am and I wasn’t allowed to have my phone on.”
The cancellation means that Mr Lugg, who used to help his parents Colin and Pam run the Black Swan Hotel in Devizes Market Place, is not working. He said: “I had given notice that I would be off work for three months and had trained up my replacement.
Mr Lugg is taking legal advice. A Great Western Hospital spokesman said: “Mr Lugg’s operation was cancelled as a result of the surgeon being unwell. “Despite our best efforts we were unable to find another surgeon who was able to perform the operation that day and we therefore had to re-schedule the operation for early September. “We had hoped that we may have been in a position to offer Mr Lugg an earlier appointment if one became available. Unfortunately this was not the case and we are sorry that Mr Lugg was contacted by letter rather than by phone.”
Gazette and Herald - Monday 23rd August 2010
ANDREW Nicholson looks certain to have secured his ticket to the 2010 World Equestrian Games, after his second international win on British soil this season, writes KATE HEALEY.
The Marlborough based New Zealander, who turned 49 at the start of the month and is a veteran of six Olympic Games, was in action at the Mitsubishi Motors Hartpury International near Gloucester.
The event ran one, two and three star sections and Nicholson’s victory came at the highest three star level, in one of two hotly contested CIC (international one day) events.
He led his section from start to finish on the impressive grey Mr Cruise Control, who added just 1.2 cross country time penalties to his dressage score of 41.9 to leave his nearest rival nearly five marks behind.
The nine year old, who Nicholson owns jointly with Nicola and Robin Salmon, was enjoying his first major international win.
He did however make an outstanding four star debut at the Luhmuhlen International in Germany back in June, finishing fourth in a world class field.
These results make the gelding look a hot prospect for the New Zealand team due to travel out to Kentucky for the World Equestrian Games next month, although New Zealand have yet to announce their full squad.
Nicholson nearly made it a double in the second CIC*** section at Hartpury, filling second spot on Rosemary and Mark Barlow’s ten year old Avebury, just over one mark behind Piggy French.
The horse, a winner at Salperton Park this summer, was the only one to come home inside the optimum time cross country but one show jump down cost him.
Nicholson also finished fourth at this level on Nereo, who won the Aachen three star title last month in Germany and was just slower on cross country than his stable mates.
Lower Stanton St Quinton’s Kitty King also impressed in the CIC*** sections.
She finished second to Nicholson on High Havoc, who produced the second quickest cross country round in the competition to move up a couple of places from dressage.
King only began eventing the 11 year old, previously ridden by Marlborough junior international Eliza Sangster, in June but they have quickly established a fine partnership.
She was also 10th in the other CIC*** section on Bee Animas, with whom she won the Longleat two star international back in June.
Bromham’s Lucie McNicol and Bishopstone’s Rodney Powell finished fourth and sixth at three star level on Zeus of Rushall and Zinzan II, after both produced double clears.
McNicol was following up an excellent sixth she gained at the Bramham three-star event in June on Barry and Jane Wookey’s ten year old, who made up for an unlucky fall at Hartpury last year.
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New Zealand veteran Mark Todd, who returned from a seven year ‘retirement’ to contest the Beijing Olympic Games, headed the CCI** 3 day event on NZB Campino, showing he still has that masterly touch.
Tytherton Lucas rider Chris King finished just under five marks behind in second, riding Miss Caruso , also runner up in the CIC** at Barbury last month.
“The heavens opened on cross country day, but that helped the ground,” said King.
“My mare jumped confidently and straight the whole way round, just getting a bit tired close to home, and I was thrilled with her.
“She jumped a lovely clear on the last day and we now looking forward to next year and a move up to three star level.”
Little Cheverell’s Lucinda Fredericks was not far behind in fifth on Flying Finish, who added just six cross country time penalties to a good dressage score.
Foxham’s Georgie Spence filled second spot in the CCI*, the first rung on the three day event ladder, less than three marks from a win.
The former Stonar School student, now 22, rode new partner KBIS Starlet.
The eight year old mare, who Spence took on in May, finished on her dressage score in what looked a promising international debut.
Local riders also went well in the Burghley Dubarry Young Event Horse qualifiers, which lead on to championship finals at the Burghley 3 day event this autumn and have been a starting point for many top international horses.
Marlborough based Jonelle Richards, who rides for New Zealand, won the Four year Old qualifier on Donal Barnwell’s Banjo. It was a second win in a row for the duo, also successful at the Barbury Castle qualifiers.
Another Marlborough based rider, Angela Mace, won the Five Year Old section on Faerie Dianimo, fourth in the four year old final at Burghley in 2009.
CLAYTON Fredericks, the 2008 Olympic team silver medallist for his native Australia, made his long trip to Sweden a profitable one.
The 42 year old, who with wife and fellow silver Olympic medallist Lucinda is based at Little Cheverell, came home with the Malmo CCI** three-day event title under his belt.
His partner was Walterstown Don, owned jointly by Michael Lee, Diarmuid O'Brien and Jackie and Peter Wallis, and the eight year old finished over 12 marks clear of the field.
“I really enjoyed riding Walter in all three phases - his dressage was fab, he was a machine cross country and I never felt he would touch a pole in the show jumping,” said Fredericks.
“This win confirms my feeling that he is a real quality horse and an exciting prospect. Now he’s qualified for the top level and we’ll have to see what the future brings.”
Fredericks, who won the prestigious World Cup final at Malmo back in 2005, also finished eighth in the CIC*** World Cup qualifier on Brookleigh. “This was an excellent result for a young horse making the move to this level of competition,” he added. “Brookleigh performed well in all three phases, jumping confidently around a big cross country track. The experience he gained at Malmo should set him up well for Blenheim, his next big run in September."
TWO regional finals for the Mitsubishi Motors Grassroots Championships, which proved such a big hit when staged at Badminton for the first time this year, were the highlights of a busy day at the West Wilts Equestrian Centre near Holt.
The Centre was staging the second of two BE (British Eventing) one day events it has held to date in 2009, with hundreds of riders signing up to take part.
Chard’s Step Bere and Sadie Wallace, from Pershore, won the two regional finals to book their 2011 Badminton tickets.
Chippenham junior Alicia Hawker had a good day, winning a Novice section on Nankin Des Ruettes and finishing second on her BE 90 ride McGuigans Lad, a five year old at only his second BE event.
The Beaufort Hunt Pony Club member was clear of such top internationals as Nick Gauntlett and Austin O’Connor in the Novice section. Pewsey’s Roo Fox was runner-up on the Dark Brown Horse, the gelding’s best result in his first BE season.
Swindon based Neil Spratt held onto his dressage lead in another Novice section despite one show jump down in the middle phase, winning by a slender margin on the six year old Crown Consort.
Malmesbury four-star international Polly Williamson topped a BE100 section on Luana Edge’s seven year old Dunman.
The pair moved up the order after dressage leaders Leonard Georens and Lydia Hannon both had problems in the show jumping phase.
Bath-based Charlotte Wheeler rounded off a good day for local riders with a win on her BE90 ride House Red, a six year old who was second at his first ever BE event at Shipton Moyne a month earlier.
Wiltshire Times - Wednesday 18th August 2010
This is quite an important item that has an impact on Bromham, read on....
The Wiltshire and Swindon Aggregate Minerals Site Allocation Development Plan Document (DPD) provides detailed local expression to the Minerals Core Strategy in terms of formally identifying land for future aggregate mineral working and aggregate recycling facilities.
Consultation on Initial Site Options for Sand and Gravel Extraction
We are currently consulting on the initial site options for sand and gravel extraction. This consultation will end on 30 September, 2010, at 12pm.
None of the sites at this stage have planning status so it is important that we hear your views to help us to decide which sites should be dropped and which sites should be carried forward into the development plan. To view the consultation document and submit comments online, please click on the link below to our online consultation portal.
We have looked at the source document for this via the link:
http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/environmentandplanning/planninganddevelopment/planningpolicy/mineralsandwastepolicy/aggregatemineralssiteallocations.htm
and then clicking through to
Minerals Initial Site Options Report Consultation
This could have a massive affect on our village - Chittoe, and the residents of Bromham and all of the massive change to our way of life that goes with it.
Certain landowners have already been consulted as indicated on the maps, and are willing to let their land be used for a huge sandpit!!!!
http://consult.wiltshire.gov.uk/portal/spatial_planning/mineralssiteoptions?pointId=1274958488430#section-1274958488430
Ninety-year-old Maurice Smith who was rescued from a fire which engulfed his home and claimed the life of his labrado
r dog, Minnie, has died.
Great grandfather Mr Smith died of a heart attack seven weeks after the fire which occurred in converted stables off Close Lane in Rowde.
His body was found last Thursday at home.
Despite losing all his possessions in the fire Mr Smith moved back to where he lived the day afterwards.
He moved into what had been a storage shed while his son, Mike Smith, rebuilt a home for him in time for the winter.
Mike Smith, 59, a mechanic of Bromham, said his father had been pleased to return to his home.
He said: “That’s all he wanted. He lost everything in the fire. The only thing he had left was a pair of trousers, a shirt, two odd slippers and his pipe. He said he had been in worse conditions than that.”
Maurice Smith suffered a small burn to his arm in the fire as he tried in vain to rescue Minnie from the fire but did not need medical attention.
Mr Smith said his father had had no trouble with his heart and his death was a shock.
He said: “I think he was lucky to survive the fire as it caused total devastation to his home.
“It could have been the fire slowly wore him down but when we last spoke to him he was his normal self. Whether it was gnawing away at him I don’t know. Losing his dog ate him up. He got so attached to Minnie. She was like a shadow to him.”
His father had owned Minnie for just seven months when she died in the fire.Before that he had had a German Shepherd dog for ten years.
Mike Smith added: “My father was capable and his mind was totally intact. He was a very clever man; whatever he turned his hand to he achieved it. He will be greatly missed.”
Maurice Smith, who had ten children, lived at Rowde for 40 years after moving from Reading where he was born and raised.
He served in the RAF as ground crew during the Second World War. He became a plumber after the war and had a successful engineering business in Reading which he gave up to move to Rowde and he kept animals, including pigs and chickens, on his land.
His son said: “He enjoyed living where he did because it was so quiet and peaceful.
“He loved his own company. He used to wander up into the village to the former shop and post office to collect his pension and chatted to people he met there.
“My father had a very good life and enjoyed his life to the full. He took great pride in entertaining his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
“He seemed infallible. He smoked since he was 14 and he said it had never done him no harm. He didn’t go to the pub but he used to have a drop of whisky in the evenings.”
The funeral service for Mr Smith will be on Tuesday at West Wiltshire Crematorium, Semington, at 10.45am.
This is Wiltshire 12 August 2010
More than 350 revellers partied hard for Help for Heroes on Saturday raising well over £2,000 at Bromham Farmfest.
The festival was the brainchild of farmer’s son Matthew Radbourne, 24, an architecture student, originally from Bromham. He decided to organise the event whilst on a break from his studies at Leeds University.
Ten bands and three DJs took to the stage at Abbotswood farm, Bromham, last Saturday to raise money for Help for Heroes and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.
“It all went really smoothly, all the bands were absolutely brilliant. The crowd had a great time, everyone really got stuck in. There was such a fantastic, fun, lively atmosphere.” said Mr Radbourne.
“I think the crowd were surprised by the quality of the bands we managed to get, I mean, it was just a small festival and they were all playing for free. 10p Short were amazing – we were all just blown away. The Lost Audio were great too, they were definitely the most talked about band amongst the crowd.
Help for Heroes will be receiving a £1,500 donation from the event with the rest of the proceeds going to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.
“I haven’t got the final total yet but we’ve raised at least £2,300 which is simply amazing, especially considering the festival was just going to be me and a couple of friends paying to watch bands at my parent’s farm.”
Mr Radbourne hopes to repeat this years success and make the festival an annual event. “Even though it was a bit of a nightmare to organise, I’d definitely do it again. It’s such an easy, fun way to get everyone to do their bit for charity. I’d invite everyone who came this year to come back again and encourage them to tell friends - hopefully we can double the numbers next time!”
Mr Radbourne said “I’d like to thank everyone who helped make this possible. A lot of hard work went into making this event happen and I certainly don’t deserve all the credit.”
This is Wiltshire 10 August 2010