Fabulous festival fun at Harptree

The Widders, winners of the fabled fabulous Tourney! The Major Dom is pushed around the Tourney field of play during which time the Chuckers pitch Chooks into the Maund
Harptrees Arts Festival 2007 was a memorable weekend for many people, including visitors from the length and breadth of Britain! They had been at the festival last year and decided it was a not-to-be-missed weekend. The Animation evening on Friday was just bursting with enthusiastic Aardmans in the making, who managed to listen to Jim Parkin, an Aardman man himself, make their models and then go on to make their own short film. A brilliant start to the weekend. Saturday and Sunday gave people the opportunity to try street jazz dance with Oscar of 'Casualty' fame, overtone chanting, didgeridoo playing, painting, sculpture, singing in harmony and many other wonderful activities. The Tourney provided a memorable event, and the Final Fling rounded off a great festival. Full report in the paper edition of the Gazette.

Cheese shock joy

Diana David is feeling a little cheesy - but she still has a huge smile on her face. The 66-year-old gran from Sutton Wick, near Bishop Sutton, was delighted when five flowers suddenly bloomed on the cheese plant in her conservatory. Experts say it is a rare phenomenon - unless the plant lives in a tropical climate. Diana said: "I've had it for 25 years and it was a scrawny little thing for years. But now it is taking over the place."

Now she cannot wait for the fruit to ripen. It tastes like a cross between a pineapple and a banana. And her husband Arthur, 69, is thrilled - he is a fruit and vegetable wholesaler.
Words and photo by Paul Collett

Woollard launches a tradition

The annual duck and raft race took place in Woollard in September, for the second year running. At the sound of the claxon, 250 yellow ducks made their way down the river to the finishing post just under the village bridge. Spectators crowded on both sides, cheering on their ducks which were doing their best to avoid both the weed, and their feathered counterparts! A hotly contested raft race followed, where 2 teams from opposite sides of the river challenged each other. Teams of 4 men and 4 women took part in the event which looks set to become an annual tradition, and was followed by a tug-of-war. The day was finished off with a barbecue, dancing and music accompanied by impromptu singing from various members of the village!

Cool firewalkers
The firewalking challenge held at Chew Valley Rugby Club grounds is expected to raise over £5,000 for the Atiamah Trust. "A fantastic total," said Ann Clifford, one of the organisers. adding: "Looking at the red hot coals, it was difficult to believe you could walk over without burning". But thirty people managed it, with all participants walking at least twice and some even three times. A young xouple even went over the fire holding hands! The ages of volunteers ranged from pupils at Chew Valley school to others well over 60.
The evening went on with Gerald from the Co-op playing some golden oldies at the disco, with even some of the younger ones dancing. On behalf of the Atiamah Trust, Ann said they would like to thank everyone who participated,
The Atiamah trust would welcome any help with future fundraising events, which are sometimes hard work but a lot of fun.Anyone who would like to help can do so by ringing (01275) 332924 to help us to Make a Difference. ³If you would like to make a donation on line then go to Justgiving.com and enter Atiamah in the 'sponsor a friend' box.

Valley villagers back airport objectors
Residents from the Chew Valley filled Compton Martin village hall to raise concerns about the effects of expanding Bristol International Airport. Increased traffic, noise and more pollution were already affecting the area, residents said, at the meeting organised by the Stop Bristol Airport Expansion campaign. Any expansion of the airport's facilities, including new car parks, was likely to be on green belt land, adding to the growing urbanisation of the rural area. Georgie Bigg urged residents to raise the concerns they had with North Somerset District Council, with local councillors and with their MP. More information about the airport's expansion plans is available at www.stopbia.com Stop Bristol Airport Expansion campaign is a coalition formed by the Parish Councils Airports Association, Bristol Friends of the Earth and North Somerset CPRE (Campaign for the Protection of Rural England).

East Harptree prepares for community shop
After months of research and negotiation, two important milestones have been reached in the plans for a community run shop in East Harptree. Firstly, formal permission has been granted by the Charity Commissioners to allow the use of the disused Old Forge in the ground floor of the Village Hall for a community shop. Some minor modifications will be necessary but the bellows, hearth and chimney, once central to the workings of the forge, will be retained and become a focal point in the shop.

Secondly, formal confirmation that East Harptree Village Shop has been registered as an Industrial and Provident Society, for the benefit of the community, is expected shortly. This will mean there will be a comprehensive set of rules in place for the association which will allow the project to seek funding with confidence from both the local community and other organisations. Everyone in the community will be able to have a say in the running of the shop by owning a share in the association.

The shares will cost £5 each and details of how to purchase these will soon be made available to the community. An important principle of the association is that any surplus made by the shop can only be used to develop the business or be put into community projects, no individual member can benefit financially. If you would like more information about The Village Shop Project in East Harptree or how you can help please email ehcommunityshop@tiscali.co.uk for the latest updates. For more about the project, see www.eastharptree.org