WEEKLY COLUMN of Fairford and Lechlade news by Chris Roberts 

1. Well-established and popular Christmas lunch 

 The now well-established and popular Christmas Day Lunch will be held on Wednesday December 25 in Fairford Community Centre.

The lunch is for individuals and couples, who would otherwise be on their own on Christmas Day and would like to spend some festive time in the company of others. People living in Fairford and surrounding villages, including Lechlade, are invited to attend the lunch, which will take the same format as in previous years, starting at 12.30pm and finishing after the showing of the King’s Speech at around 3.30pm. Transport is available for those that need it.

A donation of £5 is suggested per guest.

The Christmas Lunch organisers are amazed each year by the generosity of the local community which has, in turn, enabled them to make up Christmas Lunch Hampers for local families, especially those with children on free school meals at Fairford Primary School. With your help, the organisers will be doing the same again this year.

Volunteers are needed to assist in helping with the preparation and cooking of the meal, serving the food and clearing up afterwards, as well as drivers to collect and return people to and from their home and others to act as hosts/hostesses during the day. Don’t be shy, please apply! Any financial donations would also be most welcome.

If you would like to attend or you know someone who might like to have some company on Christmas Day, please book your place early. Or if you would like to donate to this community event, please contact Amanda and Mervyn Cully on 01285 712700 or email cully.amanda@gmail.com.

2. Remembering in Fairford and Lechlade 

The Royal British Legion (RBL) Poppy Appeal in Fairford officially launched on Saturday October 26 in Fairford Market Place.

The appeal will run until Remembrance Sunday on November 10.

RBL volunteers in Lechlade will continue the Poppy Appeal collection outside Budgens, Lechlade Garden Centre and the Co-Op petrol station on November 8, 9 and 10. There will also be RBL Poppy Appeal boxes in retail outlets and pubs around Lechlade.

The Remembrance Day Parade and Service in Fairford will be on Sunday November 10.

Parade members will gather outside the Hyperion House Care Home in London Street at 10.30am and will start off at 10.35am to march to St Mary’s Church, where there will be a Church Service conducted by the Rev’d Caroline.

After the two-minute silence at 11am, the members of the Parade and congregation will gather round the War Memorial for the laying of wreaths. The Parade will then march off to the Market Place and disperse.

The Parade will comprise members of the Royal British Legion, Fairford Town Council, the Town Crier, RAF Fairford, USAF, Red Cross, FEST, WI, Fairford Fire Service, Fairford Primary School, Farmor’s School, Brownies, Scouts and local businesses.

3. Pre-loved sale at Palmer Hall 

Why not book a stall to sell your unwanted but pre-loved baby, toddler and children’s clothes, toys, books etc? The Pre-Loved Sale will be held on Sunday November 24 from 1pm-4pm in the Palmer Hall, Fairford GL7 4AQ.

Stalls measure 5’ x 2.5’ and cost just £20. Teas, coffees and festive treats available. Free, unlimited parking in the Market Place or the car park at the top of the High Street. Book soon: Contact Sarah on 07702 249229, prelovedfairford@gmail.com.

4. Next meeting of Fairford Art Society 

The next meeting of Fairford Art Society is on Thursday November 7 from 2.30pm till 4.30pm in Fairford Community Centre. Jonathan Newey will be demonstrating Pen and Wash painting. Cost £2 for members or £5 for non-members.

Includes refreshments. Why not try a taster session? For more information about Fairford Art Society, visit: www.fairfordartsociety.weebly.com.

5. Firework display 

Fairford Primary School PTA presents the biggest firework display in the area on Saturday November 9 at Fairford Cricket Club. Gates open at 4pm. Barbecue, bar, hot drinks, rides. For tickets, visit www.fairfordprimarypta.com.

6. How to help the community 

Do you love helping your community? Want to boost or enhance your communication skills while making a real difference? Looking for valuable experience community outreach, or volunteering?

If so, come along to the Neighbourhood Alert team’s information event on Monday November 11 from 10.30am-1.30pm in Fairford Library. No prior knowledge is necessary. Ideal volunteers are those who are available during daytime; can attend online training sessions; are able to travel to event locations and share Neighbourhood Watch values. For more information, contact: https://tinyurl.com/yz4u6aft.

7. Christmas markets 

The Craft Boaters Christmas Markets are on Sunday November 10 and 17 from 10am-4pm in Lechlade Memorial Hall. Free entry. Refreshments available. Proceeds to Lechlade Community Library.

8. Meetings of clubs 

The next meeting of Lechlade with Fairford Mothers’ Union is on Wednesday November 13 at 2pm in Lechlade Memorial Hall. Hope Price will talk about ‘God at Work’. Donations to Embrace the Middle East Charity.

At Lechlade Gardening Club meeting on Wednesday November 13, Andrew Mikolajski will be talking about ‘Permaculture – Gardening with less impact on the environment’. The meeting starts at 7.30pm in Lechlade Memorial Hall. Membership is £5 per person per annum, after which it is £2 to attend each meeting or £3 for visitors. For more information, contact 01367 253309 or 01367 252286.

The Art Society Upper Thames is pleased to invite you to a talk with Joanna Rhymer on ‘How to Look Slowly: Post Impressionists’ on Thursday November 14 at 2pm in Lechlade Memorial Hall. Please arrive by 1.50pm. The wide reproduction of paintings by Georges Seurat and Vincent van Gogh has led to a sense of familiarity and potentially a diminished desire to look closed at the real art itself. Please pre-book by email to info@tasupperthames.org.uk and pay £7.50 on the door.

9. The Holdovers shown at Palmer Hall Cinema 

The next Palmer Hall Cinema is on Wednesday November 13. The film being shown is ‘The Holdovers’.

A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker and with the school’s head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Entry is £3.50 to include a free tea/coffee and a biscuit or £3 extra for a glass of wine. No booking required, just turn up. For more information, visit www.thepalmerhall.org.

The Holdovers being shown at the Palmer Hall