Malmesbury & District U3A February meeting

The February meeting of Malmesbury & District University of the Third Age (U3A) will be held on Thursday, 26th February at 10am in the Assembly Rooms at the Town Hall, Malmesbury.

The speaker will be Paul Deacon, whose subject will be The History of 20th Century Western Art. This will be the second of a two-part talk to Malmesbury & District U3A by Paul Deacon, a well-known local artist and art teacher.

If you are interested in learning more about Malmesbury U3A, then please contact Membership Secretary Julia Batty on 01249-720327 or access our website: www.malmesburyu3a.org.uk

Malmesbury Music Academy is inviting you to drop in and sing with our vocal coach Eleanor and the ARC (Adult Rock Chorus) sessions.   The session runs for an hour from 11:20am. You can drop in at any time during the hour, and stay for as long as you want  The only thing we ask is that you love to sing!  So come along, bring a friend, and discover just how much fun singing can be!

Malmesbury Music academy offers session and lessons for all.  Whether you sing, dance or play, we have classes to suit so come and see what we can offer you. Your first taster session is FREE!  We meet every Saturday morning during term time, from 10am-1pm, at the Primary School.

BRING HOME THE HARVEST FOR BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT 2014
The stage is set, the harvest is home and you are invited!
20th September to 5th October 2014

Sponsored by Tesco and Aramark

With the Scottish Referendum taking place as British Food Fortnight is about to commence, this year’s promotion has an added poignancy as it brings people together in celebration of the wonderfully diverse and delicious food that is produced across the British Isles.

The national food promotion heralds the return of the immensely popular Bring Home the Harvest campaign, which aims to rekindle the tradition of celebrating British food and the harvest across the nation; in homes, in the streets, in schools, churches, farms, hospitals, restaurants, pubs, shops, community centres and indeed any place that lends itself to celebrating with plenty of good food and community spirit! Tesco, British farming’s biggest customer, joins Aramark in sponsoring the event and Tesco stores will be leading the harvest celebrations around the country.

Why is celebrating British food and the harvest important?
Secretary of State Elizabeth Truss, who is leading the judging of the event’s Harvest Heros competition, said: “Food and farming is hardwired into who we are – it’s a cornerstone of our local communities and a powerhouse of our economy.

I want us to lead the world in this vital area and capitalise on the revival of local food. I’m committed to connecting more people with what they eat and drink and increasing the opportunity at every level to choose healthy, seasonal, local produce.

Important events like British Food Fortnight and Bring Home the Harvest help by bringing us together in celebration of all that is great about our wonderful food and drink – from our gastro pubs and chippies, to our Sunday roast and farmers markets.

I’m delighted to be on the judging panel for my first Harvest Heros competition and I look forward to seeing some inspiring examples of communities celebrating our great British food.”

Chris Bush, UK’s Managing Director for Tesco which is sponsoring the Bring Home the Harvest campaign, said: “We are immensely proud to be a part of British Food Fortnight. Supporting UK farming and providing families with fantastic fresh food, is right at the heart of what we do. Harvest is the perfect opportunity to celebrate Britain’s fantastic food heritage, whilst encouraging our youngsters to have a better relationship with food. ‘

Commenting on this year’s harvest celebrations, organiser Alexia Robinson said: “For a fledgling campaign, Bring Home the Harvest captured the nation’s imagination incredibly quickly last year and we already feel we have come a long way to restoring Harvest Festival’s place on the national calendar. There is still much to do, particularly with the younger generations who have not grown up with the tradition of celebrating the harvest. We are so delighted that Tesco has joined the campaign; their wholehearted support is a tremendous boost for our activities.”

She continues: “We are fortunate to live in a country with four distinct seasons: ‘the warmth to swell the grain, the breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain’; a wonderfully varied topography with fells, dales, moors, plains, valleys, marsh, pasture and coast; and a vibrant farming community that despite relentless challenges continues to succeed in producing some of the highest quality food in the world. From our beef and sheep breeds which are the envy of the world; to our dairy farmers who now produce more types of cheese than France; to the abundance and rich variety of fruit and vegetables; to nature’s harvest which gives us mushrooms, haws, hips, blackberries and sweet chestnuts. There is so much to celebrate this British Food Fortnight.”

Highlights for this year include:

· CELEBRATING OUR NATION’S HARVEST HEROES

Love British Food and The Telegraph’s Bring Home the Harvest awards are back! Following the excellent entries last year which ranged from farm discovery trails, inner city interfaith celebrations and scarecrow competitions, we are looking for the communities who organise the most innovative, inclusive and imaginative harvest celebrations during British Food Fortnight. New for 2014 we are also throwing down the gauntlet to groups of young people to take part – the Junior and Youth category entrants are being encouraged this year to give the adults a run for their money!

As well as being presented with an exquisite award handcrafted by the talented letter carver Tom Sargeant and made of oak from the Duchy Estate, there are some fabulous prizes up for grabs. The champions will be treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Michelin Starred Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons gardens, where a member of the expert team will reveal more about Raymond Blanc’s new National Heritage Garden over a delicious breakfast. The winners of the Youth and Junior categories will receive an action-packed gardening workshop with Blue Peter Gardener Chris Collins, plus cookery equipment from Tesco Home Range.

The winners will be chosen by a panel of distinguished judges: The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Raymond Blanc; Adam Henson; Chris Collins and Chris Bush, Tesco Managing Director, UK.

Entries close at midday on the 8th October 2014 and the winner will be announced at the end of October. For full details of the competition, please click here.

· GIVING THANKS AT BIRMINGHAM CATHEDRAL

The National Harvest Service, an event first held at Westminster Abbey last year, and now firmly established on the National calendar, will take place at Birmingham Cathedral on 20th October.

Young people from across the country will take centre stage at the celebration – over 400 children will present their harvest boxes, filled with home-grown and home-cooked goodies which they have prepared themselves. The children will be joined by a host of dignitaries and supporters, including the Bishop of Birmingham who will be giving a special address, and who will be welcomed to the Cathedral by a stunning harvest display, created by Tesco. A harvest poem written by Lauren Williams, Young Poet Laureate for Birmingham 2013-14, will be unveiled, plus at the end of the Service, the produce will be collected from the Cathedral by a horse drawn trolley and taken to the Birmingham Central Food Bank for distribution. The Cathedral will also be the first to welcome the new ‘Harvest Torch’ a symbolic sculpture which will pass from host city to host city, akin to the Olympic Torch.

· #HarvestFever ONLINE!

Harvest time will be brought to the masses during British Food Fortnight thanks to a new #HarvestFever social media campaign backed by Farmers Guardian.

Love British Food and Farmers Guardian are calling everyone from farmers, school classes, allotmenteers and families to get involved by posing with British and home-grown produce and sharing snaps to put a modern spin on a traditional celebration. Show your support by posting your #HarvestFever selfie photos on Facebook and Twitter. Remember to tag @FarmersGuardian and @LoveBritishFood, use the hashtag #HarvestFever and then nominate some of your friends and colleagues to do the same!

· BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT – IT’S HAPPENING NEAR YOU

A new National Committee has been set up to encourage participation around the country. Activities include British Food Fortnight menus and promotions in shops, pubs and restaurants led by Tesco; food festivals in more than half the English counties led by Horsham, Emsworth and Stone; special menus and activities such as sausage making and bake-offs in care homes for the elderly organised by Hallmark Care Homes; school menus designed by Two Michelin Star Great British Menu judge Phil Howard in Cucina Restaurants; and seasonal hospital menus promoted by the Hospital Caterers Association. From large food service organisations and pubs such as Centreplate and Enterprise Inns to smaller groups like Whiting & Hammond and Casual Restaurants, retailers and caterers are putting British first for the Fortnight.

Other special initiatives organised by members of the Bring Home the Harvest National Committee include:

– National Trust food events happening at properties across the country, including especially chosen British recipes in selected tearooms.

– The Church of England website www.aharvestnearyou.com, where visitors can locate their nearest Harvest Service.
What resources are available to help people take part?
Click here for downloadable ‘Bring Home the Harvest 2014’ posters, bunting and shelf-barkers. www.lovebritishfood.co.uk also has details of all the competitions, ideas for taking part and 14 things people can do – one for each day of British Food Fortnight – to join in the fun and bring the harvest alive in their homes and communities.

Who is behind British Food Fortnight?
The Bring Home the Harvest campaign is sponsored by Tesco Plc. British Food Fortnight is sponsored by ARAMARK and a large family of organisations led by Centreplate, Enterprise Inns, Hallmark Care Homes, Cucina Restaurants and Whiting and Hammond.

The Love British Food National Committee is made up of representatives from across the spectrum of food and farming industries. For further details about the Love British Food National Committee, please click here.

From Zumba Dance to charity vocals,  Becky Browning and Jacquie Sherlock who met at a Zumba class, have recently released a charity EP to help raise funds for the British Heart Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Care.

Finkle and Sky Everything has been released and is available for download on iTunes and other stores.   CD’s are also available directly from the girls for £5 by emailing finklensky@gmail.com.

A group of around 30 volunteer readers and recorders work to produce 3 different editions of local newspapers. They try to select articles of most interest and include as much community news as possible.
The service is completely free to all listeners, delivered and returned by free post.
A charity which does not receive any regular financial support and relies on donations and fundraising.
If you know anyone who would like to receive a taking newspaper please contact Gwyn 01249 659305

Rural Broadband 

A Computing2u Point of View Paper

The Problem

The general consensus is that the BDUK rural broadband rollout to date has been less than successful with ALL tender offers going to BT Openreach (BT). The Commons Public Account Committee have been very forthright in their criticism of the process.

Can those of us who suffer from poor broadband speeds expect to see benefits from planned upgrades to Superfast broadband? Superfast is defined as download speed greater than 24Mb per second. We define here poor broadband as having a download speed of under 3Mb per second.

Current Planning

Government targets for broadband speed improvement have been based on the use of fibre optic delivery. For those in major city areas who can have fibre to their house or premises (Fibre To The Premises – FTTP) they can expect speeds of up to 70Mb per second. For most rural users however, the fibre optic link terminates at a cabinet in the street (fibre to The Cabinet – FTTC), with their broadband being carried by the same copper used for existing phone line. See Performance Characteristics below.

The Government and Local Authorities issued all 26 initial contracts to BT. In the second phase (at date of writing) they have issued all 18 further contracts to BT, effectively assuring BT keep a monopoly on broadband provision. In total BT have been given £1.2 billion pounds in taxpayer’s money to deliver broadband to the detriment of the taxpayer and other broadband providers. Unfortunately it is unlikely this investment will deliver the predicted 90% coverage, never mind deal with our rural needs for usable broadband. The expectation of what will be delivered and the actuality are generally significantly different for the rural user.

Performance Characteristics

In order to understand why this should be you need to have some understanding of the delivery mechanism for rural users and the performance characteristics of the existing copper cables used to deliver broadband. As may be seen in Fig 1, rural users who are more than 1.5 kilometres away from the cabinet will see little or no improvement to their service levels. The rapid speed degradation in the first 600 metres, as you move away from the cabinet means that many users may not be able to achieve Superfast broadband. A fact obfuscated by the marketing use of ‘speeds up to’ by BT and other operators. There are just not enough cabinets in place or planned to achieve Superfast broadband speeds to achieve stated coverage.

Is there any hope?

Achieving Superfast broadband even in the most remote locations should and is viable. To date however plans to achieve this by government and local authorities have been via the ‘one trick FTTC pony’. Coincidentally this has also strengthened the BT monopoly.

The reality is that there are a range of technologies that could deliver broadband to rural areas, however to date the ONLY technology the Government department responsible for broadband rollout (The Depart of Culture Media and Sport) and local authorities have supported has been FTTC. The author acknowledges that a robust and resilient fibre infrastructure is central to success, however delivery to remote and rural areas can only be achieved by adopting and implementing complementary technologies to extend the fibre speeds.

In an ideal world every property would be connected with fibre, but this would cost many billions, and with taxpayer subsidies, sparsely populated rural areas would require a disproportionate amount of the funding. By adopting alternative technologies and using these to complement the fibre backbone we can deliver viable broadband to rural areas and at a price that is a fraction of the cost of fibre.

Hybrid networks

We have argued long and hard for the “digital village pump” concept. This would involve a subsidised fibre point of presence being installed within a community or at a strategic location.

From here, local independent providers can radiate service to remote properties primarily over a wireless network. Such networks are very cost effective; they can be configured to provide microwave links to very remote areas, which can then have a distribution hub. This could consist of multiple hops of tens of kilometres.

There are many examples across the country where this has already been done by small  providers working with local communities. The technology is reliable and well understood. In parts of Europe fixed wireless has actually overtaken copper in the last mile.

Over time, wireless and copper could be replaced by dedicated fibre as communities and landowners install ducts or use existing BT ducts and poles. OFCOM have required Openreach to grant access to such infrastructure and whilst progress is slow it is hoped local and government pressure will ensure this becomes viable..

So what benefits could we see?

The illustration shows coverage of an existing fixed wireless broadband network in North Wiltshire. The green areas covers approx 150km2 and shows where broadband speeds of 24Mbps and over are possible. This shows how a  location fed by a single fibre can provide cost effective coverage to a large rural area.

Using a repeater from such a central hub to a suitable location (churches, barns, silos etc) we can further extend the coverage at minimal cost. The investment in terms of hardware is less than £250. Contrast this with the cost of laying fibre, which is in the region of £40 per metre. The example shown would have cost in excess of  £150,000 in laying dedicated fibre. Delivery by the fixed wireless cost less than £500 (0.3% the cost of fibre).

Putting aside the cost benefits, such hybrid delivery solutions also have the advantage in being more resilient to flooding, units can be powered by small standby power supplies (battery, solar, combination). They can also offer fall-back solutions for service critical systems in the event of fixed line outage. They are quick to rollout and flexible in their configuration.

 Are they future proof?

In a word yes! Compared to the gradual, incremental improvements of long distance copper circuits, wireless technology has evolved exponentially giving far greater speeds and capacity over long distances within the same timeframe.

Wireless can also address one of the issues users are already seeing with typical FTTC based solutions. Namely upload speeds being significantly lower than download (Asymmetric broadband). Whilst this has not been a major issue for many, the change to Cloud based computing and storage, the adoption of photo and video sharing and the increase in businesses using e-commerce, social media and particularly voice over IP (internet telephony) means that upload speeds are now very important to many companies.

A fixed wireless network connected to a fibre backhaul is ready to deliver symmetric connections from the outset. We believe that the funding model should take this into account and actually focus less on headline download speeds, and more on overall usability, delivering holistic, flexible services that are suited to all users’ requirements. The analogy being a people carrier and a sports car. One is more impressive, but the other is a lot more useful!

Conclusion

To date the roll-out of Superfast broadband has been costly and slow. Technologies based on wireless and mobile technologies exist to-day that can provide rural communities with Superfast speeds either as complementary technologies extending the existing fibre rollout or as stand alone solutions with their own dedicate fibre links.

Government and Local Authority planning needs to revisit their delivery planning and technology adoption process to benefit from the complementary technologies available to-day that can extend rollout without the need to spend another £1.2 billion of taxpayers money and ensure the taxpayer get value for money from this process and specifically ensure rural communities benefit from speeds that are fundamental to any business or household. Communities who have poor broadband should discuss broadband planning and rollout with their local authority and MP.

The uncomfortable reality is that it is extremely unlikely most people in the countryside will see anything like the headline rate of 24 Mb per second, in fact based on testimony to the public accounts committee only about 30% will see any difference at all to their current situation.

This is clearly unacceptable since we have spent £1.2 billion to get here.  We must ensure the current tranche of public money does what it ‘s intended to do and delivers fast access at 24 Mb or above to the countryside. This means using alternative technologies such as wireless to reach wide areas at low-cost,without this the digital divide in the countryside will grow even wider. What can you do to help? Raise the matter with your local councillors and MP tell them it’s not acceptable to be left in the slow lane no matter where you live.

Computing2u are happy to assist communities’ progress initiatives to enhance their broadband.

Contact us on ruralbroadband@computing2u.com

Check out page 6 of the June issue online now for computing solutions for business that cut time and expense!

Are you a goody bag stuffer? Tea maker or friendly face?  Are you good at organising, or would you like to be?  Are you good at talking to people?

If you would like to meet new people, have a giggle and probably, let’ss face it  share some cake, now is the time to find out about NCT Volunteering.

email  coordinator@malmesburynct.org.uk for infromation