A series of swaps shops will be held in Twerton, Southdown and Oldfield Park as part of the Christian Hope 08 initiative. The swap shops will all run from 10.30am to 12 noon. The dates are:

1st March: Oldfield Park Methodist Church
5th April: Southdown Methodist Centre
8th May: Rose Cottage, Twerton High Street
14th June: Sladebrook Evangelical Church
12th July: Oldfield Park Baptist Church

Joe, 22/02/08

When the Community Learning Service organised a couple of craft sessions at The White Horse Pub earlier this year, people who turned up to participate enjoyed the activity so much that they asked for it to become a weekly event.

Now a fledgling but very friendly group meets regularly on Wednesdays from 12.30pm to 2.30pm in The White Horse at Shophouse Road. During the last session the group made attractive Easter boxes.

Anyone of any ability is welcome to join or to try a session - it's a great opportunity to make new friends. You can see a poster for the craft group here.

Joe, 26/02/08

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Some dates for March 2008

Here are some dates for events due to take place in March. Please pass on this information to anyone else who might be interested.

March 1st: A Pound of Cheese at The White Horse, Shophouse Road

This is a fun 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s disco that takes place on the first Saturday of every month. The title of the event is taken from the cheesy tunes from those decades which get played. You can take a look at The White Horse Pub website here.

March 3rd, 10th and 17th: Fast Forward course

This is a 3 week course for anybody living in Twerton, Whiteway or Southdown, that offers free advice on getting the job that's right for you. The course will cover topics such as interview techniques, how to write a CV, where to get training, and recognising the skills that you have. It will be held at Rose Cottage, Twerton High Street, from 12.30pm to 3pm. One-to-one appointments can be made for Thursdays at the Time Bank in Twerton High Street, or for a time and a place more convenient to yourself. Contact Shelley on 01225 787910. You can see a poster for the Fast Forward course here.

March 6th: How to Get a Job With a Criminal Record

Sophie Blakely from NACRO will be giving practical help at Project 28 from 1pm to 3pm. Lunch is provided and you can enter a free prize draw. Project 28 is based at 28 Southgate Street. You can see a flyer for the event here.

March 9th: Paint the Park

St Michael's Church will be holding a litter pick at Pennyquick Park on Sunday 9th March, from 2.30pm to 5pm. Permission is being sought to paint the play equipment and the church hopes to run a five-a-side football tournament in the field at the same time.

Joe, 25/02/08

Here's a post for the folk at Southdown. The photographs below come from the Cynthia Turner and Michael Messer collection in the Guildhall Record Office and are reproduced by kind permission of Mr Messer. They show the original St Barnabas Church at the bottom of Rush Hill, which was the predecessor of the present St Barnabas Church at Mount Road.

     

The original church was dedicated in 1903 but was first served by clergy from St Michael and All Angels in Twerton. As more homes were added to Southdown and Whiteway it became necessary to separate from Twerton and a resident priest for St Barnabas Church was appointed in 1933. The new St Barnabas Church was erected in 1958. Although the older church is gone, it is still possible to appreciate the serene interior that a photographer captured on a sunny day, half a century ago.

Joe, 26/02/08

A team of local people got together to give the Redland Park estate an early spring clean on Saturday. Volunteers walked about picking up litter on the estate and in the nearby wood, as well as moving unwanted furniture to be taken away in a truck. The team included Councillors Gerry Curran and Tim Ball, and members of St Michael's Church - some of whom live on the estate.

St Michael's Church are planning to hold a litter pick at Pennyquick Park on Sunday 9th March, from 2.30pm to 5pm. They have asked permission to paint the play area and hope to organise a five-a-side football tournament in the field at the same time.

Spring flowers in the wood

While clearing litter from the wood, I took the opportunity to photograph these daffodils, snowdrops and celandines that I found growing there. Spring is on the way.

Joe, 23/02/08

The Community Learning Service brought Chinese New Year celebrations to The White Horse Pub on Tuesday 12th February. The tea-time celebrations for regulars ran from 4.30pm to 7.30pm and the pub was decorated with traditional Chinese New Year decorations.

Customers were able to sample some Chinese food, learn how to use chopsticks and identify their Chinese zodiac birth symbol and meaning. They were also given the opportunity to learn the traditional Chinese game of Mah Jongg. All the activities were free and a enthusiastic group of builders and locals participated in the fun and games.

The Community Learning Service is funded by the Learning and Skills Council to deliver free fun activities in local communities. By celebrating the Chinese New Year, customers were able to learn a little more about the Chinese culture and the story behind the celebrations.

Feedback from the event was very good and everyone enjoyed learning something new in their local pub. David Mann a regular said, "I enjoyed learning about other cultures." A special thank you to Jacqui Clarke the Landlady, for supporting and hosting the evening.

To find out more about other activities in the local area, ring Christina or Jane on 01225 396834 or 01225 396192.

Jane Fell, Community Learning Service, 13/02/08

A free course introducing people to the basics about computers at The White Horse Pub, Shophouse Road, has become so popular that there is a backlog of people waiting to get on.

The February to March course has started and is full with 7 learners. The course starting in April is also fully booked. There is a waiting list and the organisers are taking the names of people interested in the next course, which will hopefully begin in June. People can book a place by calling Christina on 01225 396834, or Jacqui on 07977 239782.

Meanwhile the free Fast Forward course is due to begin in March. This is a 3 week course giving lots of advice on how to get the job that's right for you. The course will cover topics such as interview techniques, how to write a CV, where to get training, and recognising the skills that you have. It is for anybody living in Twerton, Whiteway or Southdown.

The course will be held on Monday 3rd, 10th and 17th of March, at Rose Cottage, Twerton High Street, from 12.30pm to 3pm. One-to-one appointments can be made for Thursdays at the Time Bank in Twerton High Street, or for a time and a place more convenient to yourself. Contact Shelley on 01225 787910. You can see a poster for the Fast Forward course here.

Joe, 11/02/08