Owl attends coffee morning

Hilda Selway and Jean Carter at a coffee morning with stalls at Hinton Blewett Village Hall. This was a small fundraiser after the annual fete was cancelled earlier in the year. It was a lovely get together for many of the village and over £150 was raised. The annual fete is planned for the spring of 2008. Photo by Rosie Sage

Drummers of Clutton

Every child in Clutton Primary School had an opportunity to play the drums or percussion instruments one Friday in November. Simon Carver of Humdrumstrum in Bristol holds regular workshops in schools, companies and community associations where he teaches participants the basics of music making, and time keeping. Each class had its own workshop, and then at the end of the afternoon, all the children met in the playground to give a performance for their parents. There were different drums from around the world, tambourines, cowbells, wooden tubes, plastic tubes and discs, and every child made a sound. Words and photo Pat Williams

School goes solar

The new solar panel installation at Chew Magna Primary School gives an impressive boost to the school's green credentials. During the day the panels generate clean (carbon free) electricity which is first used by the school, and then any excess generated, mainly during holidays, is fed into the national grid. This has created an extra incentive to minimise energy waste as, with this new technology, the school has the potential to be completely self sufficient in electricity

With its sights set on the prestigious Eco-Schools status, the school already recycles or composts whatever it can. Now its newly formed eco team of staff, parents and pupils are looking into more ways that the school can 'go zero' on waste. There are also plans to create wildlife areas in the playing field to increase biodiversity in the school grounds. Support from the Parish Council and the Go Zero community project helped a successful bid for full funding for the solar scheme.

A grant from the government's Low Carbon Building Programme was matched by an award from the EDF Energy Green Fund, which is supported by their customers' green tariff. The Bristol based company Solarsense carried out the installation over a few days during the October school holiday, so the children were able to see the solar system in action on their return. The live data from the photovoltaic panels will soon be linked to the ICT network and used by the children in environment projects.

Transition Wrington hears about 'Last Oil Shock'
Over 50 people came to the Sports Pavilion in Wrington to hear about how our lives are going to change dramatically over the next few years. David Strahan, investigative journalist, TV broadcaster and author of 'The Last Oil Shock' had been invited by Transition Wrington to give a detailed analysis of many aspects of Peak Oil. World oil production is about to reach its all time maximum, and it has already peaked in 60 of the world¹s 100 oil producing countries including the US and Britain.

David Strahan explained that oil production always peaks once half the oil has been extracted (and often less than half because it is impossible to extract all the oil in any one field). After this point, oil production goes into permanent decline and oil becomes harder and more expensive to extract. All analyses makes it clear that this will happen within the next ten years. David warned that many of the more biological alternatives also have high CO2 outputs and also pointed out a decline in oil production may bring serious recession as prices rise and oil becomes more scarce.

Such a recession is highly likely to mean that tackling climate change and safeguarding our planet take a back seat as day to day survival becomes a key issue. David Strahan's mission is to inform us all so that we may make governments and big business sit up and take a realistic look at what is happening. The commodity we have all relied on throughout our life times for most things we now take for granted, is unlikely to be around throughout our children's life times. We have to start looking at the way we consume energy and travel, in fact the way we live our lives today, as the key to surviving the last oil shock. Nicki Sellars

Farewell to the Acoustic Club
Due to new management's plans to refurbish The Kings Arms it is with regret that The Old Down Acoustic Club will be closing. Its final Wednesday Special will be on December 5. The last Open Mic night will be on Wednesday December 12 at The Kings Arms. A big 'Farewell Party' has been arranged for Wednesday December 19 at The Blue Bowl, West Harptree. The whole of this large pub will be used for the event and there will be three areas for musicians to perform alongside a party atmosphere.

All supporters are welcome to come along and celebrate all that the Club has achieved over a four year period. Of all the many talented performers on the local circuit Mike Scott is without doubt the most respected and loved, enjoying a huge local following and is a perfect guest choice for what will be the last Wednesday Special for this Club. Mike will be playing for an hour at The Kings Arms on Wednesday December 5. The evening starts at 8pm and entrance is only £2.00 For more details ring Cathy on 01761 241235, John on 07766 442490 or visit www.theolddownacousticclub.co.uk.

Help for Bangladeshi Cyclone survivors
The Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge has again mobilised help - this time for survivors of a cyclone that devastated large parts of southern Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi Red Crescent Society, the country's main humanitarian group, estimate that up to 10,000 people were killed by Cyclone Sidr¹s 150mph winds. Hundreds of thousands of survivors have been displaced and in the worst affected districts, 90 per cent of homes were obliterated by the winds, which generated a 20ft tidal surge that swept everything from its path.

A consignment of 100 Water-Survival Boxes left Gatwick airport today and will arrive in Dhaka on Friday. The Rotary Club is working with Humanity First Bangladesh who will organise onward transportation and distribution to those most in need. Each Water-Survival Box contains water purification equipment sufficient for a family of four people for four months and a variety of survival items including basic shelter, utensils for eating and drinking, cooking pot, health and hygiene, general household items, and simple tools. More funds are urgently needed if further help is to be sent.

Donations should be made by cheque to 'Worldwaterworks Limited' and sent c/o Rotary, The White House, Pensford, Bristol BS39 4NE. WorldWaterWorks Limited is a Registered Charity sponsored by the Rotary Club of Chelwood Bridge. For more information see www.worldwaterworks.org or call 01761-490369.