Tag: worton

Potterne Vicar Faces Soaking “Baptism!”

by Geoff Baker

It’s going to be a wet weekend whatever the weather for Wiltshire rector Gerry Lynch – as he’s volunteered for a soaking at the Potterne village fete on Saturday June 1st…..

It will be the first church fete for Gerry since he was inducted in January as the new Rector of the Wellsprings Benefice, which covers the parishes of Potterne, Poulshot, Seend, Worton and Bulkington, and he is hoping to make a splash as the star of the Soak The Vicar sideshow.

Gerry is aiming to raise funds for the community and the village’s St. Mary’s Church by inviting fete-goers to throw wet sponges at him at the afternoon event and he’s putting a brave face on his “baptism”.

“I’m game for a bit of ritual humiliation as it’s all in aid of a good cause,” said Gerry, for whom the weathermen are forecasting a warm day with sunny intervals.

Potterne fete’s wet sponge sideshow will be child’s play. Image: Jill Newton.

Organisers have made the wet sponge stall double-sided so that children can have fun soaking their dads while Gerry takes a break to be towelled down.

“You can soak the vicar, soak your dad or soak your husband and we think that last option may be popular with a lot of wives,” said a fete spokesman.

The fete, at Little Mill Field, Mill Road, Potterne [SN10 5ND], will run from 1pm to 4pm and will also feature the popular plastic duck races in the adjoining stream, a dog show, barbecue, licensed bar, tea and cakes, a bottle tombola, a luxury food hamper draw and a variety of other stalls, games and sideshows.

Potterne Rector the Rev. Gerry Lynch prepares to get drenched at the village fete. Image: Jill Newton.

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Rooks; New Single From M3G

Chippenham folk singer-songwriter, M3G (because she likes a backward “E”) has a new single out tomorrow, Friday 19th December. Put your jingly bell cheesy tunes…

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1st Worton & Marston Brownies Need Volunteer Leaders and Assistants

Featured image by LoraDore

After an impressive forty-five years of Guiding in Worton, through Brownies, Guides, Young Leadership, and as the Unit Leader there for many years, it’s sad to hear Vicky Earley has made the very difficult decision to hang up her Brownie Wings and pass over the running of the unit to someone new…

Unfortunately, the Assistant Leaders will also be leaving the unit at the same time so they really need a new Leadership Team.

Full support would be offered to anyone who might be interested in taking on this Volunteer role.

They’ve been sharing recruitment advertisements on social media in the hope that it would interest someone to enquire but as yet have no luck…can you help?

If you, or anyone you know, may be interested in a fun, fulfilling Volunteer role, please do get in touch with them, or the unit is at risk of closure. It would be a terrible thing to lose for the children, after being established for sixty years this June, 

The current volunteers are able to stay until the Summer Holidays. “After that if we have not found a new leadership team the unit will be closed,” Vicky said, “we really hope that it doesn’t come to that.”

“I’m not looking for someone to commit for the next 30 years,” Vicky continued, “that was my personal choice, even if someone could just keep it open for the next few years it is better than it closing.”

Rainbows 1st Potterne Unit are also in need of volunteers.

If you would like some information about Girlguiding and what Brownies do these days please check out the website: 

https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/get-involved/become-a-volunteer

https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/what-we-do/brownies

Or you can contact Vicky directly for a chat here 1stWortonAndMarstonBrownies@gmail.com

REVIEW – Sarah C Ryan Band @ The Southgate, Devizes – Saturday 25th June 2022

Another Great Find

Andy Fawthrop

Ah – you never know what life is going to throw up at you till it smacks you right in the face.  Coming off the back of two weeks’ worth of fare from Devizes Arts Festival, I poked my head in to The Corn Exchange to catch their very last act – Absolute with their Celtic Party Night.  I managed to stay for the first half (and very it good it was too as the crowd began to thaw and fill the dance-floor), but to be honest, there’s only so much diddley-diddley music that one man can take.…..

And so it was, as a late call, I decided to head up the hill to The Southgate to check out the Sarah C. Ryan Band.  And boy am I glad I did.  These guys were a new band to me, despite being quite local (they even rehearse in Devizes), and I couldn’t believe that I’d never run into them before.

In short they were beltingly good – several notches above most pub bands.  But that judgement is kinda unfair – they were much more than a mere “pub band”.  They played mostly self-penned numbers, with just the occasional leavening of covers.  Being a five-piece, and including three guitars, drums, keyboards and the occasional woodwind, gave them a depth and a richness in their sound.  The songs were clean, sharp, unfussy.  Sarah’s singing in particular lifted the performance with her sweet, clear voice, but the whole thing was a complete pleasure to listen to.  Number after number rolled off their set-list, each one bringing huge applause from a very enthusiastic audience.  Their versions of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and the Cranberries’ “Zombie” were absolutely spot-on, working with the crowd and feeding off their energy.

Really good band – best I’ve seen in ages.  And really nice folks to talk to as well.  They told me that they don’t actually gig very much, but I really can’t understand why – they’ve got the right package – good songs, good playing, good sound and an ability to connect with their audience.  Let’s hope we see much more of them in the future!

Well done to Debs for another great booking, and a good night at The Gate.

Future gigs at The Southgate:

Saturday 2nd July                               Jack Grace Band

Sunday 3rd July                                  Jon Amor + Friends

Editor’s Top-Secret Information! I’m sorry to have missed this gig at our trusty Southgate, for although I’ve not had the chance to catch The Sarah C Ryan Band live, yet, I can leak some top-secret information, or, at least, procrastination being the reason I’ve not mentioned it sooner: I’m fully aware how absolutely awesome The Sarah C Ryan Band are, as they’ve kindly donated a tune called A Woman in White, to the forthcoming second volume of our Julia’s House compilation. And you HAVE to hear it!

We just need a few more songs to make this happen; don’t make me beg!

We want your band name on our desk!
You can download the first Volume here!

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One Of Us; New Single From Lady Nade

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Large Unlicensed Music Event Alert!

On the first day of advent, a time of peace and joy to the world et al, Devizes Police report on a “large unlicenced music…

Winter Festival/Christmas/Whatever!

This is why I love you, my readers, see?! At the beginning of the week I put out an article highlighting DOCA’s Winter Festival, and…

Devizes Winter Festival This Friday and More!

Who’s ready for walking in the winter wonderland?! Devizes sets to magically transform into a winter wonderland this Friday when The Winter Festival and Lantern…

Drive-In Harvest Festival!

If the words “Drive In” conjours romantic images of fifties’ American youth, waking up little Suzie before her reputation is shot, we live in a changing era where inventive ideas to celebrate will overcome the restrictions. But here, I’d wager, is one you’ve not heard of before: a drive-in harvest festival!

This Sunday, October 4th the Wellsprings Benefice, a community that worships together across the five churches of Bulkington, Potterne, Poulshot, Seend and Worton & Marston, have a drive-in harvest festival at Five Lanes Farm. Starting at 11am.

The event will also be available on Zoom, if you are unable to attend. What an ingenious idea, and we wish them all the best.

More information here: https://www.wellspringsbenefice.co.uk