Calendar Girls show will boost cancer charities

A NEW amateur production of the hit musical Calendar Girls will support two cancer charities.

The show will be performed by new group Collaborative Productions at Rangeworthy Village Hall from September 21 to 23, raising funds for BUST and Blood Cancer UK.

BUST was founded in 1990 and supports Bristol‘s only breast care centre based at Southmead Hospital.

It treats 1,000 new cancer patients a year for the disease, which affects one in seven women and a small number of men.

BUST has raised more than £1.5 million and continues to raise funds to provide the unit with state-of-the-art equipment to aid and speed up diagnosis and treatment, from ultrasound scanners in every consulting room to the latest additions for mammography and MRI technologies.

Blood Cancer UK also funds world-class research into all blood cancers including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.

It funds 360 researchers are being funded across the UK in search of the next breakthrough, and has already helped transform treatments to the point where the charity hopes the day blood cancer will be beaten is now in sight.

Founded in 1960 as the Leukaemia Research Fund, it has invested more than £500m in blood cancer research since, and rebranded to Blood Cancer UK in 2020.

Calendar Girls is based on an inspiring true story of a group of friends from a Yorkshire WI who do something extraordinary and spark a global phenomenon when they persuade one another to pose for a charity calendar with a difference!

The WI ladies joined forces to raise funds for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research when one of their husbands died of a form of blood cancer, wherein lies our link to Blood Cancer UK, and similarly the local breast cancer charity BUST.

The show is suitable for people aged 16 or over, with three evening performances at 7.30pm and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.

Tickets are on sale from July 1, costing £12 (£10 concessions), with group bookings of 10-plus receiving a free ticket.

For more details and tickets visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/ collaborative-productions, call TicketSource on 0333 666 3366 or visit the Rose & Crown in Rangeworthy for cash sales.

If you would like to support these two charities by seeing this wonderful play, make sure you secure your ticket early, as it is undoubtedly going to be popular.

Sue Smith

Floral Friends of Frampton

ONE of the new planters in the Brockeridge Centre's Sensory Garden is very special.

It has been bought and planted in remembrance of local resident Brian Tyrer, whose family kindly donated the funeral collection money to Floral Friends.

Some of Brian’s favourite plants – lupins –have been planted, along with trailing rosemary (for remembrance) and a mixture of colourful bedding plants.

The new planters all have a mixture of perennials and summer bedding plants. As the weather is so warm and dry, they are being watered on a regular basis to help the plants establish and grow well.

A plaque will soon be added to Brian's planter.

Members of his family were able to see the planter in situ at our recent spring fayre and plant sale.

Our thanks to all those who donated raffle prizes for this event, and to all those who donated plants and refreshments.

These helped to make it a very happy event (the weather was glorious and people were able to sit outside to enjoy their coffee and cake), and altogether we raised nearly £600.

This will be used to fund the continued planting and maintenance of the planters around the village.

Winterbourne Library

WINTERBOURNE Library is hosting stay and play sessions for children starting school next term, so they can make new friends.

The date for Elm Park new starters is July 11, from 10am-noon, and for St Michael’s new starters is July 18, also from 10am-noon.

This year's Summer Reading ChallengeReady, Steady, Read - is at the library from July 8 for all primary school-age children: read six books by September 9 to earn a medal, with activities planned throughout the holidays.

The library is hosting a display called the Travelling Library of the World, celebrating

Floral Friends have been busy planting colourful summer displays around the village.

As well as the new Sensory Garden planters, hanging baskets have also arrived and are located around the village. We hope everyone will enjoy the results.

Floral Friends are entirely funded by donations and we would like to thank all who, like Brian's family, have supported us recently by ethnic diversity and showcasing stories from around the world, until July 14.

A display and sale of paintings produced by members of Frome Valley Art Group is on until July 8.

Lego club next meets on July 8, from 10am to 11am, for children of all ages.

Storytime sessions, on term-time Fridays from 9.30-10am, are suitable for children aged 18 months to four years.

Regular Rhymetimes take place on Wednesdays, 9.30am-10am. Suitable for babies aged up to 18 months.

An adult craft group meets on July 15 and 22, from 10am-noon: join a friendly group of crafters to do your own work and chat –refreshments available.

A digital champion can help people get online, use a PC or phone. The volunteer is making donations. available on Fridays from 10am-noon: booking is essential.

You can donate online to Floral Friends of Frampton, Lloyds 30-98-97, account number 70582363.

If you can volunteer, donate or help in any way, we’d love to hear from you.

Please email us at floralfriendsofframpton@ gmail.com.

Computer classes are held on Thursdays (term time only). Enrolment required with SGS College - for more information call Cindy on 0117 909 2296 or email cindy.corbett@sgscol. ac.uk.

The library is staffed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10am-5pm, and on Saturday from 9.30am-12.30pm. Open Access is seven days a week between 8am and 7.30pm.

For more details of events or bookings, visit the library, email Winterbourne.library@ southglos.gov.uk or phone 01454 868006.

More information is available online at www. southglos.gov.uk/libraries or from library staff.

Hundreds enjoy Medieval Fayre

AROUND 650 visitors came to the Medieval Fayre on June 11, and had a lovely day, despite some much-needed but annoying light rain!

The Company of Chivalry did a succession of talks and demonstrations throughout the day about varied aspects of medical life, from cooking and herbs, to clothing and wool, armour, gunpowder and weapons.

Bygonz minstrels entertained with real medieval music.

The Barn Dance on June 17 was also wellsupported, and despite the very warm weather, folk danced all evening to the traditional tunes played by Sargents' Mess, and cooled down in between with a welcome drink!

Coming up in July we have two fantastic professional drama performancesShakespeare's great comedy Twelfth Night, and a family-friendly version of the classic Hercules story.

The Festival Players, an all-male professional touring company specialising in open-air Shakespeare, perform Twelfth Night on July 20 at 7pm.

IKP perform Hercules at 2pm on July 23.

Two other family events follow shortly afterwards - an adult-and-child fused glass workshop on July 25 and a craft session aimed at younger children on August 8.

We have two fascinating talks - one on the local Aircraft Industry on July 13 at 7pm, and one from the amazing Professor Ronald Hutton about Joan of Arc on August 10.

All events can be booked online via the Barn website - for more details visit www. winterbournebarn.org.uk

Louise Harrison