Newly formed Flyball Club, Box Clever, based in the Malmesbury/Tetbury area sent 2 teams to their first ever National Championships and came home with 2 great results!!!
Turned out in their brand new kit sporting the logo of the Club’s main sponsor, Baleman Services Ltd the teams looked a picture and stood out from the, over 300, established teams competing.

The Box Pacers team competing on Friday with a mix of experienced and debutant dogs got stuck straight in and by the lunch break had notched up 2 wins and just one loss. The afternoon saw some incredibly tough and competitive racing and the Pacers finished in a very creditable third place in their division. Debutantes Zillion and Libby put up a great show and were ably supported by experienced dogs Evie, Mopp and Fergus.

The Box Clever senior team competing on Saturday had an enforced line up change, giving Flynn a welcome return to Flyball, deputising for the unavailable Wilson, they found themselves in an amazingly competitive division with all teams only separated by one tenth of a second in their seed times. The rejigged line up of Reuben, Flynn, Rona and Cerys set about establishing themselves and by lunch had managed 2 wins and 1 loss, this gave no indication of the incredibly exciting afternoon to come! Lining up straight after lunch against the unbeaten and now favourite Dundee Dynamutts it looked all over for the Box’s but the reshaped team had now found it’s paws and set about the division leaders with aplomb racing to a 2 nil lead, the wily Scots fought back hard but the southern raiders punched out a fabulous win in the final race by just 4/100’s of a second. That shock result blew the division wide open and the Box’s suddenly found themselves going to their last match needing a win for outright victory. This was against the rapidly improving Lightening Strikes who bolted to a 2 nil lead, the fighting Box’s pulled it back to 2 all, so the whole division went down to the very last race of the day. Box’s suffered a heartbreaking knockout blow losing by a fraction of a second and finished very worthy runners up in the division after an incredible effort.

All in all a fabulous Championships for the new club formed only a few months ago making their debut at National Level.

Hello! As I write this it is a beautiful day and the sun is shining, but it won’t be long until the days get shorter as the nights draw in. Sorry to bring the subject up, but winter is coming! How about trying something different this year to stave off the winter blues? Couple of ideas to think about:

Using your computer? Thinking about buying a Tablet? Would you like to “skype” your family? Then the Digi Champion group could be for you! A very friendly group meet in the library every Wednesday between 3 and 5pm in Malmesbury Library and are happy to help and support anyone who is struggling to get to grips with the technology. Why not pop along to see if they can help you? Of course, if you are a whizz with technology, perhaps you could support others to learn? Drop in to find out more.

Time to spare? Could you help someone who has been in Hospital? The Royal Voluntary Service is looking for people who could spare an hour per week to visit someone who has recently come home from a stay in hospital. The duties may be to check all is well and perhaps fetch a little shopping, run the vacuum around, pop the washing out or just be there to show someone cares. The commitment last for 6 weeks to support that person get back into the normal routing of life at home. If you can help, call Emma Dowie on 07766 473267.

Area Board. Ever wondered what an “Area Board” is? Did you know that it can offer financial support local groups and projects? Why not pop along to the next Area Board meeting on 9th November in Malmesbury Town Hall. The meetings are friendly and informal and there is chance to meet and talk to the Councillors as well as people from all around our Community Area. For more information, call Ollie Phipps on 01249 709404 email: ollie.phipps@wiltshire.gov.uk”

Extra Cash for you? Do you receive Pension Credits and receive your water services from Wessex Water or Bristol Water? If so, you may be entitled to a 20% discount on your charges. Give me a call to find out more.

Benefit Cap…. Is coming. Just a reminder to please, don’t ignore any letters about this! We may not like or agree with the changes, but the rules are changing and you will receive a letter if it affects you or your household. There is always help available, so call me or pop into the Citizens Advice office if you need some help.

As ever, I am around for general help and support on a wide variety of issues including transport, mobility and safety around the home and reducing the feeling of loneliness. Give me a call on 07557 922020 and leave a message. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

WEST COUNTRY FOOD & DRINK CHAMPIONS ANNOUNCED
Brinkworth Dairy are delighted to announce that their lovely cheese, Brinkworth Blue has been awarded Champion Cheese at the Taste of the West Awards 2016.
The Champions in the 2016 Taste of the West Product Awards were announced this Tuesday at a prestigious ceremony held at Exeter Cathedral.
The Awards, now in their 23rd year, celebrate the best food and drink across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire and are a benchmark for excellence across the region. In 2016, 1,200 products and over 300 hospitality and retail establishments entered the awards, with the highest standard ever being set for judges to select winners from. At today’s ceremony, the overall winners of each of the Hospitality & Retail classes were announced, followed by the Champions of each Product Category.
Three generations from Brinkworth Dairy were at the ceremony to accept the award; Farmer, Joe Collingborn with his daughter, cheesemaker Ceri Cryer and her son, the future, 10 month old Eric. The Champion cheese award, won by Brinkworth Dairy for their Brinkworth Blue, which were described by the judges as “ an incredibly complex, charismatic and dense cheese that punches well above its weight…”
The ceremony was attended by over 400 people, with representatives from award winning producers, hospitality establishments, retailers, top chefs, food writers and others involved with and supporting the industry. With a lunch menu specially created using Taste of the West Award winning products from across the region, the event was a culinary feast and a great celebration of the quality of food and drink in the South West and the passion of those who produce, serve or sell it.
Ceri Cryer of Brinkworth Dairy said, “Brinkworth Blue has been slowly working its way up the prize leaderboard. It’s first ever award was bronze at the British Cheese awards. \everyone on the farm cares about the cheese and works hard to get it right. It starts with Steve spreading the muck on the fields and feeding the cows making sure he balances their diet so the milk has the right constituents for us. Ro selects bulls to breed with our cows to make healthy long living cows. Joe, Danny and Alex milk the cows calmly and keep the cows healthy to give us clean milk. Our cheesemaker, Lewis, works hard to consistently produce this excellent fruity tasting cheese all year round. Lewis even works during nights to ensure a continuous supply of cheese even in the school holidays when childcare comes first”.
Mike Anderson of Hale Events, organisers of The Source Trade Show and sponsors of the Awards said “The venue was stunning, and the food as always was amazing. I always come away really pleased to have tasted so many award winning products. It’s something we talk about all the time both to colleagues, and also friends, to share the story of the region’s amazing produce.”
John Sheaves, Chief Executive of Taste of the West, announced the winners who were presented with their awards by BBC Spotlight presenter – Victoria Graham.
John Sheaves said, “We are absolutely delighted with the response by industry to our awards programme this year. With over 1200 products entered, and over 60% of these receiving an award, we are justly proud of our record for driving excellence based on our core values of Quality, Integrity and Provenance. These awards announced today underpin those values and strengthen our regional brand, a brand which is attracting considerable interest from new markets – both nationally and internationally, and is now opening up new opportunities for the region’s foodie sector. There is a real energy and excitement about our group now which is very gratifying.”

Members of the general public across the Royal United Hospital’s catchment area are being urged to plan for the future by making or updating their Wills. To encourage this, local Solicitors are donating their Will writing fees to the The Royal United Hospital’s charity, The Forever Friends Appeal.

This year, solicitors collectively covering 26 offices across the region, have teamed up with The Forever Friends Appeal to support its annual ‘RUH Will Month’ initiative which runs throughout September. They have agreed to generously donate their time and expertise for drawing up a professional Will for the general public who wish to have peace of mind, by putting their affairs in order. Forrester Sylvester Mackett Solicitors, Awdry Bailey & Douglas, BLB, Farnfields are the four participating firms to kindly come on board to help raise the importance of will writing to the people living in Malmesbury and the county of Wiltshire.

To help raise as much money as possible during September, the participating solicitors will prepare and draw up a single standard Will at a specially reduced fee of £100 or two standard Mirror Wills for £150.00. The fee will be donated directly to the charity to help the RUH continue to provide the high quality care for all its patients treated and cared for across the Trust. The client will also be able to request that the fee is donated to a specific area of the hospital, which may have a special meaning to them, their family or friends.

Making a Will is one of the most thoughtful and important things you can do to protect those you love; yet it is surprising that the Wills of fewer than half of the population are up to date. Knowing that your partners, family and friends will be looked after when you die, is reassuring and offers great peace of mind and security for you and them. Having a Will prepared professionally can also help avoid any confusion over your intentions and ensures your estate and possessions can be distributed as you wish. Whatever your age, making a Will, ensures that your assets (house, savings, business etc), are distributed to the people and causes in accordance with your instructions. It will also make it a lot easier and quicker for your executors & beneficiaries to administer your estate.
John, an RUH patient and supporter of The Forever Friend Appeal, was delighted to take the chance to make a Will and help his local hospital last September when the scheme was launched for the very first time. He says “My Wife and I have been putting off updating our Will for some time. We like to support the RUH’s charity when and where we can. When I saw the information about RUH Will Month, it made us do something about it. The participating solicitor we chose gave excellent legal advice and everything was explained simply and clearly. Thanks to this wonderful scheme, we not only have peace of mind that our Will has been written professionally and our affairs are in order; but we have also had the opportunity to support our local hospital which has given us great care over the years, and continues to provide long-term specialist treatment”.

Jan Witt, In Memory & Legacy Officer, The Forever Friends Appeal, says, “Some of the best and worst days of our lives will be spent in the Royal United Hospital. By taking part in the Will writing scheme and putting your own affairs in order, will not only help your loved ones in the future, but also the patients, family and their friends cared for by the RUH.” The scheme was extremely successful last year raising a fantastic £33,000 towards the care and treatment of our patients across all areas of the hospital. We hope that this important Will Writing scheme will continue to go from strength to strength and the general public will come on board and give the same fantastic support again.

Jan Witt continues “We are enormously grateful and absolutely thrilled with the number of solicitors who are generously giving their time for free again and providing the public with affordable Wills in support of the RUH to help continue its valuable work it does, it is truly appreciated!

Appointments with the solicitors can be booked from now for September. Details of participating solicitors can be found at www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk or for an information leaflet, please contact Jan Witt on 01225 825819 or email jan.witt@nhs.net.
*** please note John a patient of the RUH is also a resident of Malmesbury***

If you require further information regarding the fundraising scheme , please contact Jan Witt, Legacy Officer, The Forever Friends Appeal Royal United Hospital 01225 825819 or email jan.witt@nhs.net or wish to speak to a solicitors regarding the importance of making a Will please contact the participating solicitors direct or via Jan Witt

Christmas has arrived in Malmesbury!

Christmas has officially arrived in Malmesbury this Friday 4th December when Malmesbury’s Late Night Christmas Shopping & Festive Entertainment evening takes place. The Christmas trees are twinkling on the High Street and retailers, stallholders and Businesses in the town are getting ready to welcome everyone with their unique range of Christmas gifts, free nibbles and festive drinks!
There will be a real Christmas market feel with over 40 stallholders lining the charming streets and an indoor market being held in The Hub at the Town Hall. The bells in St Paul’s Tower will chime from 5.30pm to welcome everyone and Father Christmas arrives on his sleigh at 6.00pm accompanied by children from St Joseph’s school and the Mayor. Highlights of the event include a Live Animal Nativity, a mini children’s funfair, Santa’s Grotto, live music and a free prize draw. There will be additional musical entertainment with festive Morris dancing and two exciting musical concerts happening in the Abbey and Abbey House later the same evening.
The weekly Friday Artisan and Farmers’ market will continue into the evening and there’s an enticing range of pubs, cafes and restaurants for relaxing later or a quick pick me up!
For a map of events and concert ticket details visit www.discovermalmesbury.life

Friday 5th February, 7.30pm
Richard Navarro: “Firewatching”.
Kington Langley Village Hall, SN15 5NJ.
Virtuosic violin, swirling a cappella singing, bouncing bass lines and unforgettable melodies – this is music that will move the feet and enrich the soul.
Richard juggles violin, trumpet, piano and percussion to bring to life his original songs in performances that sparkle with wit and creativity. Writing and performing with double bassist Nicholas Thurston, Richard is a master of the loop pedal, allowing him to build spellbinding arrangements through the layering of his voice and instruments live on stage. The duo’s live show features extraordinary visuals including illustrations and animations specially written for the songs.

Tickets: £7, concs. £6, child £4.50;
events@klvh.org or 01249 750362;
www.klvh.org

The sun shone for the launch of Malmesbury’s “fantastic new market” as Mayor, Cllr John Gundry said in his official opening statement watched by a crowd of happy shoppers & traders. The town’s atmosphere was filled with excitement as this new weekly Friday market was warmly welcomed. The Market featured plenty of wonderful produce for shoppers to browse, taste and try, including artisan breads, organically grown fruit and veg, beautiful hand-crafted stationery, wood products, handmade soaps, tasty preserves, indulgent cheeses and scrumptious pies. The Mayor also described the market as a “magnificent initiative” and his feeling was shared by shoppers and traders. Alex from Eat Square said he was “delighted to be trading once again in Malmesbury,” and Steve from Aunt Addie’s Farm Project looks forward to “weekly trading in this historic market town.” The market takes place at Malmesbury’s Market Cross, which dates back to 1490. Shoppers can walk in the steps of Henry VIII who famously visited Malmesbury’s weekly market nearly 500 years ago! As England’s oldest borough and one of North Wiltshire’s most fascinating towns, the streets of Malmesbury display a rich array of history combined with a vibrant selection of independent retailers and attractive places to eat and drink. With the recent announcement of 2 hours FREE parking in Malmesbury, there’s never been a better time to visit! Visit Malmesbury’s Artisan and Farmers’ Market, EVERY FRIDAY 9-3pm at the Market Cross.