The following sections are extracts from the PCC Parish Magazine that is published monthly. The historical notes are by Alan Dodge.

HISTORICAL NOTES AUGUST

Some people save newspaper cuttings or even whole newspa­pers, for such times as the day World War Two ended or the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. What is fascinating is to find old newspapers in unexpected places. About 40 years ago we purchased a small wooden trunk form a departing Freshford resident. The bottom of this was lined with a Bath and Wilts Chroni­cle and Herald for June 10th 1947. It had eight pages and cost a penny and a half. This paper provided a brief snapshot of life here 63 years ago. The one advert on the front page was for Camp Coffee and Chicory Essence. The LMS Railway Co ‘Require males aged 16 to 24 years to train as locomotive fire­men’. There is a report on the first concert of the newly formed City of Bath Bach Choir. An even more unexpected find are old newspapers that were used to line wooden partition walls, and were overlaid with wallpaper. In the former Post Office in Freshford, one side of a wall was covered with Pictorial World from 1876 and 1879. In the former was part of an illustration of a ceremony connecte with the Star of India in Calcutta. On the reverse side of the wooden partition was part of a Bath newspaper with a typical adverts fore Macassar Oil and Clark’s Buffalo Biscuits for dogs. The Queen’s Hintsman declared ‘I have decided to use your biscuits in the Royal Kennels’. Also Weaver and Son of Broad Street, Bath were advertising a products from their Steam Power Bedding Manufactory. An even more extensive find was from a wall in The Old Parsonage at Freshford. These newspapers date from 1859, the year a new Rectory was built. There are examples of the Bath Express for June 18th 1859, the Weekly Mail sent to ‘Mrs Fisher, Freshford, Somerset’ with a Victoria penny stamp. There are also a number of pages from the Kentish Gazette, dated Canterbuy November 8th1859.

HINTON CHARTERHOUSE PARISH PLAN

The open meeting held on September 18th last year saw  the Memorial Hall packed with excited villagers keen to be a part of the future development of the village. After an excellent presentation the villagers were given the opportunity to add their ideas to those already gathered by the committee. Two groups allowed further discussion on all aspects of village life to be thoroughly aired.

The success of this venture relies on the enthusiasm of the participants and there was certainly no lack of it on that night. The Ideas came thick and fast from the practical to the downright bizarre.

A QUESTIONNAIRE has now been sent to all residents for completion and the results are being analysed

The Plan Steering Committee comprises:- Nick Helps, Stephanie Birrel, Fiona Cassidy, Fen Dyson, Jo Eke, Callie Mather and Christina Pearce.

HINTON CHARTERHOUSE PLAY AREA BOULES CHALLENGE 2010

So hopefully we’ve all dried out by now? I was amazed that you all stayed  and played on through the raid (which was really heavy at times). You really showed your support that evening. Well done to you all. Nice to see some new faces too. THANK YOU.

In fact it was so damp we couldn’t write the scores on the white board…the markers wouldn’t work!! Good old pen and paper saved the day.

Although numbers were really down (Football eh?) those there enjoyed themselves and competition seems to be getting tougher. The final between last year’s defending champions May Day Helps (Nick Helps, Nev Hoyland and Co) and The Robertson Robbers (Fraser/Sally Robertson and Petér/Alison Hockenhall) was friendly but fiercely competitive. It was a close game and got to 5 all, with The Robertson Robbers literally steal­ing it (sorry) in the end 7 v 5 Fraser and Peter were happy to do a lap of honour with their cup  

The only good thing about the numbers being down was that we actually finished the final in almost daylight. A real first

A HUGE Thank You must go to Denis and his wonderful team at Homewood Park (who also got very wet) with all profits going to the Play Area, bringing us ever nearer to that new roundabout. Apart from the usual suspects who so kindly help out, THANK YOU, a mention must go to Fraser and Sally who we are adopt­ing as honorary members of our committee!! THANKS.

If it rains again next year maybe we should consider holding the Hinton Charterhouse Play Area Water Volleyball Competition in­stead?

 WOMENS INSTITUTE

The speaker at our May meeting, Bernard Tapp, reckoned that this was his 13th visit to Hinton WI. His talk on Egypt however was not a travelogue, but the story of that country’s history from the time when the Sahara was not desert but grassland. The earliest pyramids were natural rock formations which Egypt­ian kings and their architects imitated, and we could see from his slides how their design developed. They studied astronomy and believed that the point of be pyramid would lead their buried kings to the stars. They were the first to calculate that there were 365 days in the year. They also found out that salt was preservative, a discovery with tremendous implications. Theirs was the earli­est bureaucracy. As the Pharaohs became more powerful, their carved stone and buildings became more sophisticated. It was the discovery in the 19th century that the Rosetta Stone contained the same inscription in three different languages that enabled the translation of their hieroglyphics, giving us such an insight into their civilisation.

Our July Garden Meeting will be a picnic, followed by the usual August break. In September, we look forward to a presentation on the fascinating Acton Court near BrIstol, unaltered since Tudor times. Visitors will be very welcome to join us.

Mary Parkes

MOTHERS AND TODDLERS GROUP

Meet on Fridays and any new members would be welcomed. £1 a session. 10.30 a.m.-12.00 noon.  Hinton Memorial Hall 

COFFEE AND CHAT

In  August we will meet at the home of Lorrain Burrows at 1030 on Thursday 26th.

HINTON  BOOK GROUP

At present we meet on the third Wednesday evening in the month but might be able to adjust that to the needs of the group.                                                                 Viv Jackson 723578

CLOTHES SKIP

A CLOTHES SKIP is now in place on the road leading up to the Millennium Green.  This is sponsored by the Air Ambulance

 RIDINGS

Mavis Bennett, the coordinator for Ridings, has recently been assessed by the Somerset Transport and Highways Department as the "Volunteer Coordinator of the Year 2009" for Somerset and was presented with her award on 18 June

. All who use the scheme will surely agree that it is richly deserved.

RECYCLING CHANGES (See Amenities)

PROPOSED NEW BURIAL GROUND (See Church)

 DIARY DATES

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