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Residents bring Christmas spirit to Sarum Avenue

December 6, 2023
in Latest news
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Residents bring Christmas spirit to Sarum Avenue

RESIDENTS of Sarum Avenue will be getting into the Christmas spirit next week with a dazzling display of Christmas lights and a community street party, to raise funds for Wiltshire Air Ambulance. 

Houses in the street will be decorated with festive displays that will be switched on, on Saturday 2nd December, straight after the Market Place lights are turned on in the town centre. There will then be a community party in Sarum Avenue for everyone to enjoy. 

Resident Terry Weaver, who is one of the organisers said, “We wanted to raise funds for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance because it’s a charity close to a lot of our hearts in Sarum Avenue. My mother was one of the first people to be airlifted by the WAA and if it wasn’t for them, she wouldn’t be here now.”  

People can visit Sarum Avenue in the run up to Christmas to view the lights and help the residents raise funds. 

“Starting 3rd December, Father Christmas and his elves will be in the street every Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” added Terry. “We’ll go all the way up to Christmas, except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and we’ll be taking the lights down straight after New Year.” 

Last year, the residents did a Christmas lights display, but Terry said they only started raising funds the week before Christmas. 

“This year we’re starting nice and early and I think there will be thousands of lights on my house. When we did it last year, I made a small hut for the outside of the house and that had about 3,000 lights on it alone,” says Terry. “It’s going to be really good and if we can raise funds for WAA, then even better.

“Last year we raised £450; hopefully we can double that this year.

“We’d like to thank our sponsors TJ Builders, VK Graphics, Huws Gray Builders Merchants, Meads of Melksham and Melksham Scaffolding.”

Pictured top, part of last year’s display

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  • Festive cheer and friendship on offer this December

A festive event aiming to bring people together and combat loneliness will take place in Melksham this month.

Abney & Baker’s Social and Skills Club is hosting a Festive Gathering on Tuesday 17th December at 1.30pm at That Meeting Space, in the Market Place, welcoming anyone who could use some extra company over the Christmas period.

Guests will be offered mince pies, tea and gentle seasonal activities, along with the chance to enjoy conversation and companionship in a relaxed setting.

The club, run by award-winning care provider Abney & Baker, supports local people to connect through regular social sessions. 

Read more on our website. The link is in our bio.
  • Melksham Times Past

A column about days gone by in Melksham by local historian Lisa Ellis

A Fuller story from Neston Park

The Edwardians loved a good gossip, especially when it came to divorce because it was usually predicated by scandal. And the newspapers of the time didn’t disappoint.

Roland Forestier-Walker and Olive Bassett had married in 1904 and lived at the Manor House in Cliffe Pypard. Both coming from well-respected families, Olive was also financially secure, receiving £3,000 a year. (An inheritance from her father who had died in 1903; roughly £350,000 a year in today’s money).

Lieut-Colonel R S Forestier-Walker of the Monmouthshire Royal Engineers had been deployed to France in 1914. While still serving overseas during World War I, he received a letter from his wife, Olive, announcing her infidelity and offering an uncontested divorce and a settlement of £500 per year. Although she would not say who her lover was, it was discovered that Olive and her maid’s brother, Frederick Jones, had been cohabiting at Fisher-hill, North Chapel, Sussex from October 1915 until May 1916. 

Read more on our website. The link is in our bio.

Pictured left to right -  Olive Bassett, Forestier-Walker (1882-1926); Roland Stuart Forestier-Walker (1871-1938); Norah Jacintha Phipps, Fuller Forestier-Walker (1875-1935); John Michael Fleetwood Fuller (1864-1915)
  • Top praise for primary school in latest inspection

A local primary school has received top praise following a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS).

Shaw Church of England Primary School was commended for ‘enabling pupils and adults to flourish’ and being a ‘warm, welcoming and nurturing school’ in the SIAMS inspection report, which considers the impact of a church school’s Christian vision on pupils and adults.

Inspectors commended leaders for ensuring that the school’s Christian vision is a ‘lived reality’ where adults and pupils are able to ‘let their light shine’. 

Read more on our website. The link is in our bio.
  • Carol service to remember loved ones

A special carol service to remember loved ones who have died is due to be held on Saturday 6th December at Melksham Baptist Church.

The service, at the church on Old Broughton Road, will start at 6.30pm and is being run in conjunction with DJ Bewley Funeral Directors.

Organisers say, “Join us at our memorial carol service to remember those we have lost, particularly during the last year.”

During the service there will be a screen displaying names of loved ones who have died.

If people would like a name displayed on the screen, email mbc.secretary@outlook.com 

Read more on our website. The link is in our bio.
  • Community centre raises funds for toilet upgrade

A community centre in Melksham is raising funds to pay for improvements to its toilet facilities.

The Riverside Centre, a charity based next to the River Avon along Millennium Riverside Walk, has been raising money to upgrade the toilets, which the chair, Chris Pickett, says ‘do not comply with modern regulations.’

He said, “The toilets are a number of years old and we also have issues with one of the main drains. It blocks frequently and costs £100 each time to unblock. This drain is linked to the gents and needs to be bypassed.

“The other drain is linked to the disabled toilet facilities, and we need to add another cubicle alongside the disabled facilities so we can have a ‘mixed use’.” 

Read more on our website. The link is in our bio.
  • Evening of choral music

An evening of music will be hosted by Melksham Choral Society following the Christmas lights switch-on.

The event will take place at Melksham United Church on Saturday 6th December at 7.30pm, featuring Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle.

Tickets cost £15 and are available from Melksham Tourist Information Centre or on the door. The event is cash only.

Organisers said, “Don’t miss this stunning performance of Rossini’s sacred masterpiece. We would love to see you there.” 

Read more on our website. The link is in our bio.
  • Christmas Elf Trail launches next month

A Christmas Elf Trail is launching in the town next month, encouraging families to explore local shops and be in with a chance to win prizes.

The Elf Trail, organised by Melksham Town Council, will run from Saturday 6th and will see Christmas elves hidden in shop windows and inside participating businesses.

During the trail, participants will collect the names of the elves, noting them down on an entry sheet collected from either the town hall or participating shops, which are due to be confirmed by Melksham Town Council.

Once complete, entry forms can be posted to the town hall or uploaded online via a scannable QR code shared on Melksham Town Council’s social media. 

Read more on our website. The link is in our bio.

For more information, contact Melksham Town Council on 01225 704 187 or visit https://buff.ly/sJq8jpb
  • Community Christmas lunch next month

A community Christmas lunch is being held at Spencer Sports and Social Club and all residents are invited to attend.

A full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings will be served on Sunday 7th December. There will be a bar available.

This follows the success of last year’s community Christmas roast, which brought together residents to socialise and enjoy a Christmas meal.

Tickets cost £12.50 per person. Doors open at 12.30pm for a 1pm start. To book or for further details, contact Sue Mortimer 07719 935883. 

Read more on our website. The link is in our bio.

Pictured: Last year’s lunch. Credit Linda De Santiz
  • Nominations open for Melksham’s Person and Group of the Year

Melksham News’ Person and Group of the Year awards are back and it is time to get your nominations in!

The awards will recognise the person and group who have made a real contribution to the community in 2025.

For the Person of the Year award, any individual who lives or works in the Melksham area and has made a significant contribution to the local community can be nominated. This could include someone involved in a local charity, helping to run a sports club or volunteering their time to improve life in Melksham.

For the Group of the Year award, any group, organisation or committee whose work has benefited the area in 2025 can be nominated. The members do not all need to be from Melksham, as long as their efforts have had a positive effect on the local area.

Melksham News editor, Ian Drew, said, “We know there are so many people and groups in Melksham doing incredible things for the community. We encourage everyone to get involved and submit their nominations – it’s your chance to recognise those who make a real difference to our town.” 

Nominations can be made by emailing news@melkshamnews.co.uk or via Facebook Messenger, stating your name, address, and contact number, along with your nominee’s name and the reason for your nomination. (We won’t disclose who has made the nominations.)

If you have contact details for your nominee, please include these. Alternatively, you can write to Melksham News, 31 Market Place, Melksham, SN12 6ES.

Nominations must be received by 5pm on  30th November. The winner of each award will be chosen by a small panel of local representatives and announced in an upcoming issue. 

Read more on our website. The link is in our bio.

Pictured: Melksham News Editor, Ian Drew
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