The Parish Magazine
September '25
BERWICK ST JAMES
Thank you to Rachael White for taking on the editor job – we wish you all the best, and hope you enjoy it.
We are all so sorry to learn of the death of Gill Brasher on 28th July. She will be greatly missed in the village, and our condolences go to Richard and all her family and many friends.
Our thoughts and condolences are with all those who have recently lost close family and friends.
CONGRATULATIONS to proud grandparents Greville and Gillian Bibby on the birth of their grandchild Douglas Greville Robert Davidson and also to Pandora and George of course.
CONGRATULATIONS to Lucinda and Sam Jobling on their wedding on 19th July at Berwick. A lovely day for all, and best wishes for the future to them both.
GOODBYE to Abi and Jack Mynott, and George and Flora. Good luck, and we will miss you.
WELCOME to Viv Hill and Dave Wilmshurst. We hope you enjoy living in Berwick.
OLD FORGE FARM SHOP
It is with sadness that we say farewell to Sam Shipley-Baker as she closes The Old Forge Farm Shop at the end of August. Her warm welcomes and energy have been a lift to all lucky enough to see her. Kain and the team also have provided thoughtful service and delicious food and drink since March 2023. We wish them all well in their next adventure.
CHURCH NEWS
In September, we have just one of our regular services. Nevertheless, it promises to be a busy month for the church in Berwick.
Firstly, a reminder that at 10.30a.m. on Sunday 31st August, we are having our Annual Pet Service. All pet owners are very welcome to bring a pet to the service, which if the weather is kind, will be held in the churchyard. Do please come along, whether you are a pet owner or not for this friendly, if mildly quirky, service.
At 11.00am on Sunday 21 September, we will be celebrating Harvest Festival, an important event in the agricultural year. The church will be decorated for the service, and residents are asked to donate produce (fruit, vegetables, tins), which will be donated, as usual, to the Women’s Refuge in Salisbury.
On Friday 26th September at 6.30pm, we are holding the village Harvest Supper at the Guide Centre. Each household will receive further details with Community Matters.
Finally, Bill Hiscocks will be participating in Wiltshire Historic Church’s Trust Ride and & Stride in September. The official date for Ride & Stride is Saturday 13th September but due to personal commitments, he intends to complete his walk the previous week. Refreshments will be provided in Berwick church for those participating on 13th September.
TEA and CAKE and CHAT in the READING ROOM
The next Tea and Chats are on Tuesday 2nd September and Tuesday 16th September, in the Reading Room from 2.30pm. Everyone very much welcome. The provisional dates for October are 7th and 21st. We had a great time at the August Tea and Cake and Chats, with lots of friends to chat to, and lovely cakes.
5K RUN FOR HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT AIR AMBULANCE
On Sunday 20th July James from Berwick St James took part in his first ever charity run – the Southampton Runway Run in aid of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. More sofa dweller than runner, James was inspired to train and fundraise for the run after the Air Ambulance saved the life of his 6 year old godson, who was run over and critically injured in Dorset in March 2024 and spent 9 months being treated in Southampton hospital.
James undertook the run at 5:30am on the morning of his 44th birthday before enjoying a well earned breakfast with his family and his godson.
So far he has raised over £1,500 but any further donations would be gratefully received using the following link: https://hiowaa.enthuse.com/pf/james-carpenter
SPEEDWATCH TEAM
Following the reopening of our road after the bridge repair work over the Till was completed, Berwick St James has restarted its Speedwatch Programme after a break of some 9 months. There is no doubt that the occasional presence of our Speedwatch team has a significant calming effect on traffic speeds through the village. Fortunately we have a healthy number of volunteers who are asked to do no more than one 45 minute session (30 minutes in the winter) once a month, but, we are always looking for additional members. So, if you would be interested in volunteering, please contact Neil MacDougall on 07502 565456.
HARVEST TIMES.
As I write this harvest is over, but, as it has finished early, the drilling (planting the crops) hasn’t started but will shortly. It is now the start of the farming year.
Here on Berwick Hill Farm we started Spring Barley 22nd July, and Winter Wheat on 26th July. In the last 18 years only 2018 was earlier (20th July – Winter Oats – which we didn’t have this year). The latest start was 2008 (20th August). We finished harvest this year on 10th August. The earliest finish was 2014 (8th August). The latest being 2008 (18th Sept).
This was one of the earliest starts, and earliest finishes.
Art Appreciation in Berwick-St-James I am pleased to announce that I will be delivering presentations in the Reading Room in Berwick-St-James, opposite the Boot Inn, on Thursdays the 25th September, the 30th October and the 4th December. Presentations commence at 7.30 with doors open from 7.15 pm; payment at the door to include a glass of wine is £5.
The title of the presentation on the 25th September is the ‘The Newlyn School’, a late 19th and early 20th century colony of progressive young artists, based in and around the fishing village of Newlyn and nearby Penzance on the South coast of Cornwall. Their major influence was French painting, especially the ‘Square Brush’ technique of Jules Bastien-Lepage and followers. From the early pioneers of Thomas Cooper Gotch, Walter Langley, Stanhope Forbes, Henry Scott Tuke and Frank Bramley to the later arrivals of Harold and Laura Knight and Alfred Munnings, all produced paintings, which to this day have maintained their popularity. For further information, see Berwick-St-James website, or email Brian Armstrong on [email protected]
WILDLIFE WATCH
Lovely reports of butterflies and moths – including a Privet hawk moth caterpillar, lots of Meadow Browns – over 10 in one place in the heat on Berwick Hill Farm. Also a Jersey Tiger moth and a Rosy Footman moth in Winterbourne Stoke in early August.
Birds – Red Kites, Buzzards, a pair of Hobbys and Marsh Harriers all seen west of the village.
Pied and Grey Wagtails in July in a Berwick Garden. A pair of Water Rail around a bird feeding station in a Berwick garden late July. Stone Curlews on farmland west, east and south of Berwick.
A hedgehog on 2nd August in the middle of Berwick village (be careful driving), and a large hedgehog in a Berwick garden on August 9th.
At Harvest Tea on Berwick Hill Farm we saw a Common Lizard in the grass alongside the harvesting wheat.
All reports very welcome – from all our villages. Nicky Street [email protected] The Dairy House Berwick St James.
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