Parish Information Pack
Produced by:
St Briavels Parish Council &
Hewelsfield and Brockweir Parish Council
Introduction
Welcome to our two parishes. This document provides overviews and contact points for all the local facilities and organisations that exist within the two parishes, thus enabling you to quickly make friends and become a valued member of our community.
The document is divided into the following sections:
St. Briavels - description of the Parish and its history
Hewelsfield & Brockweir - description of the Parish and its history
St Briavels, Hewelsfield & Brockweir Village News - magazine information
Parish Directory - local Churches, Hospitals
Parish Directory - Doctors, Chemists, Cinemas, Newspaper delivery, Milk delivery, Hewelsfield & Brockweir Village Shop
Parish Directory - other useful contacts, rooms for hire
Your Elected Representatives
Brockweir Social Club, St Briavels Local Producers & Suppliers Market,Brockweir Bowls Club, Brockweir Wye Valley Festival
Brockweir Youth Club, Church Bell Ringing, Parish Grasslands Project, Brockweir Table Tennis Club
Brockweir Amateur Dramatic Society (BADS), Lower Wye Valley Society, Climate Change Group, St Briavels Playing Field & Pavilion
Dancing Classes in St. Briavels, Garden Society, Nosh & Natter, St Briavels Castle, St Briavels Lunch Club
St Briavels & Hewelsfield Against Quarrying, St Briavels School, St Briavels Playgroup, St Briavels Toddler Group, St Briavels Senior Citizens Club
St Briavels Music Society, St Briavels Women’s Institute, St Briavels Moat Society
Mackenzie Hall Tennis Club, Hewelsfield & Brockweir Village Shop
Local History Group
St. Briavels
Welcome to the Parish of St Briavels, a large rural parish consisting of over 550 dwellings split between the village of St Briavels and the surrounding countryside. The Parish extends down to the River Wye in the west and to Bream Cross in the east. A large proportion of the parish is part of the Wye Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the centre of the village is a Conservation Area. At the heart of St Briavels village is the Castle, which dates from the 12th century but was built on the site of an older Motte and Bailey castle. St Briavels Castle was the mediaeval administrative centre for the Royal Forest and the residence of the Royal Constable who was also warden of the Forest. Several kings stayed at the Castle while hunting, including King John. The building also functioned as a court house, particularly for the Mine Law Court. The castle is now a very popular youth hostel and plays host to large numbers of visitors to the area.
Opposite the castle are the Church and the Pound Wall which is used for the annual “Bread and Cheese” ceremony, held on Whit Sunday, and dating from at least the C14. Cubes of bread and cheese are scattered for people to gather; these were especially popular with Forest miners who believed they brought safety underground. Also next to the Castle is the Bailey Tump, a large level piece of land which may once have been part of the Castle. The village maypole was placed here, for May Day celebrations, but no trace of it now remains. The hill below The Tump is known as Cinderhill and is supposed to have been formed by the cinders left by iron working. The path down beside the Tump is Three Post Lane and at the bottom is St Brides Well, one of several mediaeval wells in the parish. It is said that if a bride washed her face in the water on her way to her wedding, she would always be beautiful.
Other buildings of note in the village include the Alms Houses and the Assembly Rooms, provided by the generosity of Charles Lord Denton and his heir Charles Townshend.
The area known as The Common which is within both parishes is of particular note – it is an area of grassland meadows and is particularly rich in wild flowers.
Hewelsfield & Brockweir
Welcome to the Parish of Brockweir and Hewelsfield. Two communities which lie in the heart of the beautiful lower Wye Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Brockweir, a small attractive village clustered around one of the important entry points to England is located alongside the River Wye. Several new and old buildings indicate a long and varied history going back to Roman times, when the village was an embarkation point for goods being shipped down river. The local pub and Moravian Church are reminders of a colourful past where a boat building industry built sea going vessels of up to 90 tonnes. Brockweir was also a transit point for cargoes which were transferred to shallow barges and hauled up river by teams of men. In front of the Quay House there is a screw and shaft (a propelling mechanism) which is reputed to have come from the Belle Marie, which in 1914 became the last boat to sail to Brockweir. Built in Gloucester in 1860 it was Brockweir's 'market boat' and carried local produce to Bristol on a weekly basis between 1898 and 1912. Before the cast iron road bridge was built in 1904/6, only one narrow road led into the village and access was usually achieved by water, with a ferry taking travellers to and from the Welsh bank. Many of the buildings had river connections, acting as warehouses and although today only one public house remains, there were once 16 inns to satisfy the demands of locals, watermen and shipbuilders! Other interesting buildings include the 16th century Manor House (which stands facing the bridge), the 19th century Moravian Chapel (with its Gothic Windows, Art Nouveau glass and a bellcote) and the Old Malt House (which has a fine Tudor-arched stone doorway). During World War 2, Brockweir and its bridge had a narrow escape when a Wellington bomber, returning from a mission to France, crashed just upstream of the bridge after its crew had safely baled out.
Hewelsfield, situated approximately 8 kilometres south of Coleford, lies on an upland plateau bordering the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It looks east over the River Severn to the Cotswold’s and is designated a Conservation Area comprising of a small accumulation of dwellings loosely gathered around a most imposing Church. The Church dates back to Norman times and probably had Saxon past, in fact the peculiar round shape of the church yard and its location on the trade route between the Wye and Severn probably denote a pre-Roman pagan background.
The St Briavels, Hewelsfield & Brockweir Village News
The Village News Magazine is published monthly and is created and distributed by a hard working group of volunteers from the two parishes. If you want to keep up to date with what is going on in the area, then being on the circulation list for the Village News is by far the best way. There are monthly reports from the churches, both parish councils and many other village organisations along with an events diary, small ads, interesting articles and other useful information.
To get on the circulation list contact: Sally Secrett on 01594 530539, David Rees on 01594 530443 or Carolyn Norman on 01291 689418
PARISH DIRECTORY
Churches
St Mary the Virgin St Briavels, Sunday Services9.30 am, Family Services 1st Sunday3.00 pm, Sunday School during Morning Service, Revd Francis Buxton 01594 531052
St Mary Magdalene Hewelsfield, Sunday Services 11.00 am, Morning Prayer (not Wed) 9.00 am daily, Revd Francis Buxton 01594 531052, Alternative contacts are: Babs Bergdahl,01594 530623, David Rees 01594 530443
St Briavels Congregational Church, Sunday Services 10.00 am, 6.30 pm, Midweek Fellowship (Wed) 8.00 pm., Mark James 01594 530160
Brockweir Moravian Church, Sunday Service 6.00 pmm, Right Revd Beth Torkington 01225 421026, 6 Avondale Court, Bath
Roman Catholic Churches, are in Lydney, Coleford and Monmouth.
Hospitals
Lydney & District Hospital01594 598220, General Wards 01594 598226, Physiotherapy Dept01594 598265
Chepstow 01292 636636
Dilke Hospital Cinderford 01594 598100, General Wards 01594 598114
Gloucester Royal Hospital 01452 528555
Bristol Royal Infirmary0117 926 5001
Doctors in General Practice
Wye Valley Practice, Drs Jennings & Christmas
St Briavels Surgeryappointments 01594 530334, prescriptions 01594 430934
Trellech Surgery appointments 01600 860302, prescriptions 01600 860990
Out of hours service 08454 220220
Website: www.wyevalleypractice.co.uk
Tintern Practice, Drs Colter & Gale 01291 689355
Out of hours service 0845 6001231
Chemists
Lloyds Lydney 01594 842847
Co-op Lydney 01594 843443
Bream Chemist 01594 562271
Boots Chepstow 01291 622042
Cinemas
Coleford 01594 833331
Cinderford 01594 822555
NEWSPAPER DELIVERY
Bream Newsagents (will deliver in St Briavels) 01594 562501
Milk Delivery
Kevin & Karen Wellham 01594 530445
HEWELSFIELD & BROCKWEIR VILLAGE SHOP
Located on Mill Hill, Brockweir, Open Mon – Sat 8.30am – 6.00pm Sun 10.00am – 4.00pm
Sells locally produced products, bread, groceries, stamps and other items. Newspapers can be ordered for collection.
OTHER USEFUL CONTACTS
Forest of Dean District Council, (planning, waste collection, electoral registration, housing etc), Tel: 01594 810000, Website www.fdean.gov.uk
Streetwardens
(abandoned cars, graffiti, vandalism) Tel: 01594 812264.
Gloucestershire County Council
(rights of way, education, quarrying etc)Tel: 01452 425000, website: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk
Gloucestershire Highways
(to report problems on the roads)Tel: 0800 514514
Electricity
(when you don’t have any) Tel: 08457 331331
Village Agent
(face to face services and assistance for older people)Richard Skinner07810 630190
Police
(non emergency calls) Tel:0845 0901234
Community Support Officers: As above Extension 5503
Neighbourhood Watch
Field Officer - Chrissie Parks 01452 335570
Forest Link bus service
01452 423598
Dial – a – Ride 01594 843809
ROOMS FOR HIRE
St Briavels Assembly Rooms Bill Whight 01594 530067
St Briavels Pavilion/Playing Field Jill Skidmore 01594 530035
St Briavels School Hall Jean Saunders 01594 530428
Brockweir Mackenzie Hall Joyce McKay 01291 689910
The Loft at Brockweir Shop Alison Macklin 01291 689995
YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
HEWELSFIELD & BROCKWEIR PARISH COUNCIL
Chairman, Luke Wilson 01594 530039
Councillor Mary Harris 01291 689669
Councillor Andy Stott 01291 689471
Councillor Sandra Mayo 01291 689837
Councillor Tony Summers 01291 689787
Clerk Michele Compton 01291 689236 bahclerk@btinternet.com
Website www.hewelsfieldandbrockweirpc.org.uk
The Parish Council consists of seven councillors and meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7.00 p.m. at the Mackenzie Hall, Brockweir. The Agenda for a forthcoming Council Meeting is displayed on notice boards throughout the Parish and we would like to take this opportunity to encourage parishioners to attend these meeting to see how the Parish Council works, to voice any concerns they may have and to let the Council know of any items they would like them to discuss.
ST BRIAVELS PARISH COUNCIL
Chairman Adrian Cooper 01594 530542
Vice-Chairman Dave Slater 01594 530405
Councillor Marie Bird 07903 477920
Councillor Brian Baker 01594 530277
Councillor Grace Bensted 01594 530939
Councillor Derek Marshall 01594 530076
Councillor Richard Owen 01594 530442
Councillor David Rees 01594 530443
Councillor Arthur Thomas 01594 530961
Clerk Michelle Saddington 01594 560098 shell@balconybs.co.uk
Website www.stbriavels-pc.gov.uk
St Briavels Parish Council consists of nine elected councillors and the council is proud to have been awarded Quality Council status in June 2008. Full Parish Council meetings are held at 7.30pm on the third Monday of every month, currently at the Playing Fields Pavilion while works are carried out on the Assembly Rooms. The Parish Council also has a number of committees which meet to discuss particular issues such as planning, finance, and cemetery. All parish council meetings are open to residents and are advertised with agendas on our notice boards around the parish. The Parish Council is always keen to hear from residents who have concerns or ideas of items for discussion.
District Councillors
Arthur Thomas – (St Briavels & Newland) 01594 530961
Terry Hale – (St Briavels & Newland) 01594 833508
Patrick Molyneux – (Hewelsfield & Brockweir)01594 529174
County Councillors
Bill Evans – (St Briavels) 01594 837211
Brian Thornton – (Hewelsfield & Brockweir) 01594 562373
Member of Parliament - Mark Harper 01594 542800
BROCKWEIR SOCIAL CLUB
Brockweir Social Club has for many years been providing social and cultural events for the benefit of the community. It organises two events a year for the Senior Citizens of the village; a Christmas lunch, with entertainment and carol singing, and a summer coach outing, to which all local people over the age of 60 should receive a personal invitation. It is a very informal organisation; all residents can partake in its activities, which include organising drama, music and dance at the Mackenzie Hall; coffee mornings, walks, and not forgetting the ever-popular biennial Burns Night Supper.
For more information, please feel free to ring Secretary Barbara Lindley, on 01291 689655, Hilary Lee, publicity officer on 01291 689326, or Angela Palmer, events organiser on 01291 689561.
St. Briavels Local Producers and Suppliers Market
This event is held on the first Saturday of each month from 9.30 – 1pm – its regular home is the Assembly Rooms, but during refurbishment works it is being held at the Pavilion. For more information please contact Karen on 01594 530950 or check out the Assembly Rooms website www.st-briavels.com
Brockweir Bowls Club
We are a friendly group of locals who meet on a Monday evening (September – June) at Mackenzie Hall. Whilst we play the occasional friendly match with other clubs, we mainly play for the enjoyment of the game. Newcomers are more than welcome and can be taught the basics of the game. Whatever your age, come along and give it a try. Some practice woods are available and flat shoes should be worn. It is a good way to meet new people and, while not strenuous, it is a good way to keep fit.
Contact Trevor Williams on 01291 689792
The Brockweir Wye Valley Festival
The Brockweir Music Festival was started in 1992 by the late David Taylor and has become a much loved annual event. Although the venue and name have changed the Festival remains a weekend around which locals organise their summer plans and to which regular visitors travel from far afield.
The Festival takes place in July each year in a splendid marquee in the picturesque setting of the meadow by Aylesmore Court. The Friday night programme varies but in 2007 we laughed and sang along with old time music hall and 2008 we had a family ceilidh with a fantastic live band and caller. The classical music and opera evening on the Saturday has been the foundation event of the Brockweir Festival since it began and is a fabulous chance to listen to professional singers and musicians, usually from National Opera companies , whilst enjoying a picnic and relaxing with friends.
The Sunday afternoon is the time to delight in top level jazz in the sunshine.
The Festival is run by a volunteer committee of local people and profits from the Festival are divided between local charities. To help with Festival running costs the Festival committee has recently run occasional fundraising events during the year. Other non-committee people get involved too, particularly at Festival time with jobs like poster distribution, ice cream sales or car parking.
If you would like to get involved or want any more information please call Val or Mike Mackey on 01594 530 648 or take a look at our website www.brockweirfestival.co.uk
Look forward to seeing you at the Festival soon.
Brockweir Youth Club
The aim of the club is to bring young people of the village together to enjoy activities, develop new skills and give opportunities for giving something back to the village and larger community.
Meetings are held in the Mackenzie Hall with some outings and activities at weekends and in the holidays.
The young group – 7 to 10 year olds, meet on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Meetings are from 6.30 until 7.45pm.
The older group -11 to 16 year olds meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Meetings are from 7.00 until 8.45 pm.
To give a flavour of the sort of things we do - since September we have had African drum lessons, lots of Art and craft work, rock and roll lessons, a Talent show and Fete, litter picking mornings, dry skiing, waiting at the over 60’s dinner and providing entertainment, juggling and circus skills as well as lots of games.
For more up date news see our website www.brockweiryouthclub.co.uk or contact Barbara French 01291 689327 or email barbara@johnffrench.co.uk
Church Bellringing
Hewelsfield and St Briavels both have excellent peals of bells and we are always looking for more volunteers to enable us to ring more regularly on Sundays. Practices are from 8 till 9 pm on most Mondays (2nd and 4th in the month at Hewelsfield, 1st and 3rd St Briavels, 5th peripatetic).
Great Britain and its former colonies are unique in the world in ringing church bells full-circle and employing change-ringing methods. No strength needed, just expertise which comes with tuition and time. Children have to be at least 12 years old (we have CRB registration procedure), and youngsters up to 70 are very welcome to have a try-out and take on a new and fascinating interest based on rhythm, co-ordination and simple math’s!
Ring Paul Bergdahl on 01594-530623 or just turn up at a Practice to watch.
Parish Grasslands Project
The Parish Grasslands Project aims to (i) help field owners to conserve and expand the semi-natural grassland meadows whose flower rich flora provide the food for numerous insects, birds and mammals that are a vital part of the Wye Valley environment, and (ii) encourage residents to appreciate and enjoy their immediate environment. We offer advice on the management of these small fields and practical help using our specialised machinery. Each year we produce two newsletters; arrange two winter meetings with speakers on the meadow management, biodiversity and related issues; and run and Open Day in selected fields.
Membership is £5 per annum and is open to all parishioners whether they own a meadow or not. Our Membership Secretary is Jean Pitt (01594-530255). Further information on www.parishgrasslands.org.uk
BROCKWEIR TABLE TENNIS CLUB
Held twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 2.15 – 4.00 p.m. in the Moravian Church School Room. Players of all abilities always welcome – for more information contact Jean Taylor on 01291 689565.
BROCKWEIR AMATEUR DRAMATIC SOCIETY (B.A.D.S)
B.A.D.S has been around in various guises for over 20 years, providing entertainment (sometimes dubious!) for the village and its environs. The main feature of the annual programme has inevitably been the pantomime, which in recent years has been performed in March. All the profits raised are given to three nominated charities which are agreed by members. With few exceptions, all the actors, writers, stage hands and helpers are from Brockweir, Hewelsfield and surrounding areas. It is not an exclusive club, and all are welcome to join in any capacity.
Many hours are spent prior to Christmas by a small band of writers who script the show. This culminates in casting and a read through, then we all go away to try and learn our lines before rehearsals start in earnest on the first Sunday in January. All participants dig deep into their own pockets to buy material for costumes, make-up and props to make the shows as professional as possible.
If you are interested in getting involved please contact our Secretary Chrissy Birch on 01291 689812 or our Chairperson Milly Hollinshead on 01291 689767.
The Lower Wye Valley Society (Charity No. 110437)
The aims of the society are to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. To that end we have over the years looked, amongst other issues, at quarrying, the impact of climate change and the built environment. In the last year we have held well attended public meetings on small scale hydro-electric schemes in Whitebrook and Tintern and taken a second look at the proposed Severn Barrage.
This year the Lower Wye Valley will celebrate its 40th anniversary. We welcome new members. For further information please contact either Diana Bevan, Chairman, on 01600 860046 or Rob Golder, Membership Secretary, on 01600 715179.
Climate Change Group
Never in our history have we faced such a crisis. Yet we seem to be sleepwalking into disaster of a truly global magnitude. This small, friendly group has continued to meet to show that actions, no matter how small, offer us hope. Currently, a project is being developed to create a locally sustainable wood-fuel co-operative. This will help people heat their homes with an accessible and renewable supply of wood-fuel, replace the damaging burning of fossil fuels like oil and gas, whilst nurturing the biodiversity of the area. The group, covering St. Briavels, Hewelsfield and Brockweir, aspires to becoming an encouraging springboard for actions which will help combat climate change. Anyone is welcome to the informal meetings which take place as often as appropriate. There are no fees to pay as we aim to meet in each others homes. Dates of meetings with topics of interest are presented regularly in the Parish News local magazine.
For further information the contact is Chris McFarling, Lorien Cottage, St. Briavels Common GL15 6SE, Tel: 01594 531225,chrismcfarling@totalise.co.uk
St. Briavels Playing Field and Pavilion
The Recreation Ground and Pavilion host a wide variety of clubs and activities. They organise the annual carnival which takes place in June each year. There is a football club and also skittles and darts teams, and there are tennis courts available for hire. For more information about any activities at the Playing Fields and Pavilion contact Jill Skidmore on 01594 530035
Dancing Classes in St Briavels
There are currently two regular dance classes held in St Briavels – their regular home is the Assembly Rooms, but during rebuilding works they are being held at alternative venues – please use the contact numbers given to make sure you go to the right place:
Salsa Classes
Every Thursday from 7.30pm Contact 07950711405 or see the website www.salsaflex.com
Line Dancing Classes
Every Tuesday 7.30 – 9.30pm – Contact Shirley on 01594 833501
Garden Society
The society has 65 members, drawn from the parishes of Brockweir & Hewelsfield and St Briavels and beyond. We generally meet monthly for presentations or talks, usually on subjects of interest to the gardener. Meetings are held at the Mackenzie Hall, the St Briavels Pavilion and the Assembly Rooms, St Briavels. We also arrange visits to gardens of interest and in the recent past we have visited Snowshill Manor in the Cotswolds and Dewstow Gardens and Grottoes in Wales. Members of the public are welcome to attend these events. In March each year we hold a Spring bulb competition and in September a Summer Show. Entry to these is open to members of the public, not merely members of the society. This year, in addition to the programmed events, we have arranged flower arrangement classes. New members are welcome and anyone wishing to join the society should contact Janet Broughton, Membership Secretary, on 01594 530003. Subscriptions are £8 single and £12 double.
BROCKWEIR Nosh & Natter
We are a group of ladies who decided that after the WI and the Mackenzie Ladies’ closed we wanted to continue to meet. So, once a month we get together for coffee or lunch or tea at someone’s house. We have a collecting box and contributions are sent to charity at the end of the year. Twice a year we invite our ‘other halves’- or not- and have an American supper and a Christmas Dinner. There is not organization, and no membership, it is purely a social event and is open to anyone in the parishes of Brockweir, Hewelsfield and St. Briavels. We hope to see you!
For further information, contact Ann Lawson on 01291 689791.
St. Briavels Castle
St Briavels Castle was originally built as a hunting lodge for King John in 1205. It is now a Youth Hostel run by the YHA. For more information telephone 0870 770 6040 or check out the YHA website www.yha.org.uk
St. Briavels Lunch Club
The lunch club meets on the third Thursday in the month at the Pavilion at 11.45 for 12 noon. If you would like to attend, please contact Ida on 01594 530773 or Ann on 01594 530504 by the Monday beforehand, so that they can make sure the meals are booked.
St. Briavels Against Quarrying
This local group keeps a watchful eye on the Gloucestershire County Council who has responsibility for permissions and controls in the area. There is a shortfall in the quantity of rock available in the minerals plan going forward so that pressure exists for new quarry sites to be identified. Although extensions to existing quarries in Clearwell and at Staunton are ongoing there remains pressure for the reopening of Tintern Quarry at Tidenham and there have been proposal discussed for new sites in the Wye Valley at Hewelsfield and closer to home between St Briavels and Bream and near Bream Avenue. Consultations are now under way on a new ten year Minerals Plan for Gloucestershire and vigilance is required to ensure that local amenity is protected. The environmentally aware should contact the Chairman, Alan Dearden on 01594 530582.
HEWELSFIELD AGAINST QUARRYING (HAQ)
Hewelsfield Against Quarrying (HAQ) was founded in 1996 to fight proposals for a new, greenfield limestone quarry site on the Hewelsfield plateau, which would have devastated our part of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Thanks to the efforts of HAQ and others, that threat was defeated. Compared to the position when HAQ first formed, the negative environmental impacts of quarrying are now more fully recognised and, thankfully, being taken seriously. The commercial incentive to develop a quarry at Hewelsfield remains, however, and there is therefore a continuing need for HAQ to seek to influence minerals planning policy to ensure that our landscape is protected.
If you would like to discuss HAQ's work, please contact Mike Mackey on 01594 530648.
St. Briavels School
St Briavels Parochial C of E Primary School caters for children aged from 4 – 11, the school site also hosts the St Briavels Playgroup. For more information about St Briavels School contact the Head teacher, Mandy Lloyd, on 01594 530428
St. Briavels Playgroup
St Briavels Playgroup is located in a room at St Briavels School, and is run by a voluntary committee with fully qualified staff. They run on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday mornings for children from 2 ½ to school age, on a Monday afternoon for pre-school children and a group for 2-3 year olds on a Thursday afternoon.
Contact Jo George on 07799 463229 or on 01594 530531
Little Saints Toddler Group
This group which is affiliated to St Briavels Playgroup runs at the Pavilion on a Friday morning from 9.30 onwards – for more information contact Jo George on 01594 530531
St. Briavels Senior Citizens Club
The senior citizens club meets on the third Tuesday of every month at lunch time at The Crown Inn In addition there is a special Christmas dinner and two outings are arranged each year. For more information please contact Derek Marshall on 01594 530076
St. Briavels Music Society / Wye Valley Music
St Briavels Music Society was formed in 1967 and became a charity in 2002. It currently has some 190 members but all its concerts are open to the public. It presents about 10 concerts a year, normally in St Briavels Church. These consist of chamber music recitals, typically string trios and quartets, ensembles including piano, piano recitals, wind and brass ensembles and solo voice and choirs. The church has an excellent acoustic and houses the Society's Yamaha C7 grand piano.
Concerts are of distinct types: Young Musician, for outstanding players still at school, college or conservatoire; Career Launch, for those at the start of their professional careers; Professional Artists, who are usually of national or even international standing; and Regional Talent, for musicians who live in our area and normally play with leading regional orchestras or ensembles. These presentations are of a very high standard, often featuring artists who have played at leading chamber music venues world-wide. We have hosted Wigmore Hall previews and have welcomed former Young Musicians of the Year. The membership fee is currently £12 per annum, which gives discounted entry to concerts (£10 instead of £12 for the public, or £12 instead of £15).
A new initiative for 2008 is the establishment of Wye Valley Music (WVM) to widen the scope of the Society's activities, in respect of both the geographical area covered and the size of ensemble presented. WVM expects to reach audiences, progressively, in much of the Wye Valley area. It will promote regular concerts, mostly of chamber music in small venues, chosen for their intimacy and acoustic qualities, but intends also in due course to mount orchestral concerts at the Wyestone Concert Hall. As well as its own promotions, WVM will develop mutually supportive alliances with other concert promoters in the area, with the overall aim of improving the musical life of the Wye Valley. Notably, support will continue for the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival, which puts on exciting concert series up and down the area during September and January, and the series of concerts at St Briavels will be retained.
We hope we can welcome you at our future concerts and that you might wish to join our membership so that you can rely on being informed and benefit from advantageous concert prices. Concerts are also promoted by means of posters, the local press and in the Village News magazine.
Contacts: Chairman: Keith Norman 01594 530419
St. Briavels Womens Institute
The Women’s Institute in St Briavels meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm in the Pavilion on the Playing Fields. We are always keen to welcome visitors and new members to our meetings, where we enjoy a wide range of activities and speakers. There is always a poster, placed in our box on the outside of the Assembly Rooms, advertising our meeting each month. We also place a report of our meetings in the Parish Magazine.
As a WI group we try to get involved with events in the village and support the wider aspects of the WI movement, both at County and National levels.
We are a friendly group of ladies and are pleased to welcome more members to join us each month. For someone new to the village it is a good way of getting to know others and getting involved in village life.
If anyone wishes to find out more about St Briavels Women’s Institute they can contact any of our officers:
Anne Rigby – President (01594 562541)
Irene Gent – Secretary (01594 531154)
Nellie Dearden – Treasurer (01594 530582)
ST. BRIAVELS Moat Society
The Moat Society was founded over forty years ago, when local people gathered to create an attractive open area, with grass, shrubs and a pond, out of the rubbish-filled castle moat. Since then the area has been maintained by volunteers from the village, who meet on a Saturday morning once a month during the summer for some tidying, pruning and strimming. These are friendly and sociable occasions, everyone is welcome and there is no membership or fee. For more information and details of this year’s working party dates please contact: Laura Jones (01594 530024), Jill Bufford (01594 530893)
Mackenzie Hall Tennis Club
We have approximately 100 playing members ranging in age from 8–80 who enjoy regular recreational tennis as well as ‘American Tournaments’ (a peculiar format that involves swapping partners and penalties for previous winners) and a club tournament.
2007 saw significant improvements being made to the court. The club was successful in raising funding through the National Lottery and The Foundation for Sport and The Arts to enable the total resurfacing of the court and to make improvements to the fenced perimeter. It is a small and friendly club and we are always eager to encourage new members. Membership fees are very reasonable ranging from £60 for a family (however large) to £20 for a junior.
Please direct all enquiries to the Club Secretary, Rob Johnson who may be contacted on 01594 845319.
HEWELSFIELD & BROCKWEIR VILLAGE SHOP
The Brockweir and Hewelsfield Village Shop Association (BHVSA) is a successful community project consisting of a Shop, Cafe and IT Suite. The building is community owned and staffed by volunteers. It is of traditional oak construction combined with sustainable technology and aims to be environmentally friendly.
The shop has a lot more to offer than just fresh local produce and general groceries - bread fresh from our own bread oven, basic postal services including the facility to weigh parcels, photocopying, regular orders for newspapers and magazines, free book exchange, refills for Ecover products and greetings cards by local artists and photographers .
The shop tries to cater for locals and visitors alike. We stock all the basics such as baked beans, cornflakes, sugar, etc for the customer who runs out of an item as well as luxury groceries for special occasions including Duchy Chocolates, and delicatessen items including olives and sun dried tomatoes. The shop has a wide range of fresh items including fruit and vegetables, meat, and dairy items.
We also pride ourselves on having a wide range of local produce, with over 20% of the shop stock coming from within 50 miles of the shop. Several of our suppliers are from surrounding villages.
The shop and café are open daily with reduced hours on Sundays and bank holidays.
The shop and café are staffed by volunteers without whom the project would not be feasible. There are more than 40 volunteers - some work a few times a week, some only once a month. The benefits of volunteering include making new friends, keeping the mind and body active, fulfilling a useful community service and learning all the latest gossip in the area. The oldest volunteer so far is 82 and there are male and female volunteers. Those that do not want to help out in the shop or café often do deliveries or help with maintenance, and any help is appreciated. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer please pop in for a chat, e-mail us on info@bandhvillageshop.co.uk.or telephone us on 01291 689995.
Local History Group
Since its inception to coincide with the 2000 Millennium celebrations, the History Group has matured and prospered in its ability to attract speakers of standing. In the process it has established itself as a principal element in the social fabric of the community.
Meetings are held through out the autumn, winter and spring months of September through to May. Subject matter closely associated with Brockweir and Hewelsfield is in general favoured and encouraged.
Everyone in the community is welcome to join us at 7.30 pm on the second Thursday of each month in the Moravian school hall.
For further information contact Maurice Harrison on 01594 530501