EDITORIAL
News: Aston Ingham, Bromsash, Lea, Linton, Upton Bishop & Combined.
GORSLEY NEWS
If you have any special news, events or ideas about what you would like to see in the Gorsley section of the magazine, please get in touch!
GORSLEY FLOWER, PRODUCE, ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW 2025 – ONE HUNDRED YEARS ON !This year’s show was held on Saturday 30th August — almost one hundred years to the day of the first Gorsley Show. Fifty-four people submitted 208 entries across the seven divisions of fruit and vegetables, flowers, floral art, children’s, baking and preserves, photography and arts and crafts. The judges were very impressed by the standard of the entries, and 116 class prize certificates were awarded. What a talented bunch we are! It was wonderful to see some of the trophies from the early shows being presented to the 2025 winners. In addition, we had five new trophies provided from our generous sponsors including Denise and Chris Elson and Gorsley and District Garden Club (see list of winners on page 16). Despite the rain, over 150 people came to the public opening in the afternoon and were able to view the entries and wonder at the talents of those who entered. The hall was buzzing, with people excited to see if their entries had won and meeting up with friends and family. There was a historical display of photographs and articles
providing glimpses of winners, entrants and activities from shows over the past 100 years.
If viewing and inspection of all the delicious bakes brought on hunger pangs, fortunately the Kilcot and Gorsley Women’s Institute were on hand to serve “just as delicious” homemade cakes and drinks.
The Show raised £600 for the Village Hall funds.
A big thank you to Gorsley Community Shop for displaying the schedules and accepting the entries, to Gorsley.com for the show webpage, to Gorsley Baptist Church for allowing us to use their field for parking, to local businesses for being so generous with raffle donations and of course to the wonderful show team who made sure the show was publicised, entries were processed, judges were supported and visitors were welcomed.
Thank you to everyone who entered the show and to all you wonderful people who came along to join in the fun!
The show was organised by us as a small sub-committee of the Gorsley Village Hall Committee. They encouraged us and supported us throughout the process, and our final thanks go to them for trusting us to put on the show.
(Written by Jill and Catherine)
GORSLEY VILLAGE HALL
Notice: We now have a new Treasurer, Sue Scregg, who will be taking over at the AGM, but we are still in need of a Booking Clerk. Please apply to Nigel Poole (Chairman) Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page. Our committee meetings take place on the first Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm. We always welcome new people to help us put on a programme of activities to involve the village and to raise money for the hall’s maintenance.
100 Club winners
for June are: Joanne Meir - £25; Max Gough - £10; and Jane Wheble - £5.
Funds raised by the 100 Club are for improvements to the village hall, including lighting and heating. For more information please contact: gorsleyvh@gmail.com Hall Secretary, Anne Course: oldmole@btinternet.comHall Bookings Secretary, Margaret Evans: Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
HALLOWEEN FANCY DRESS QUIZ NIGHT – 1st November 2025
Following last year’s hugely popular and fun evening, we will be holding another on November 1st at 7pm at the Gorsley Village Hall.
£5 per person. (Fancy dress optional… but quite fun!) There’ll be a cash bar, nibbles, various prizes and a raffle. Teams of up to four people – adults only.
Limited tables available. Please text or call Jo Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page to make a reservation or for more info.
GORSLEY COMMUNITY SHOP & POST OFFICE
Our Community Shop plays a vital role in serving residents, and creating a welcoming space for
everyone. To keep it running smoothly and sustainably, we rely on the generous support of
volunteers.
We are currently looking for new volunteers to help us out in the shop. There are two flexible
ways to get involved:
• A regular shift per week/month: Commit to helping out for a few hours per week. We currently need a volunteer for the 4th Saturday morning of every month, with other weekly shifts becoming available soon.
• Ad Hoc Hours: If your schedule doesn’t allow for regular volunteering, you can still help on a more flexible, as-needed basis.
No prior experience is necessary — just a friendly attitude and a willingness to pitch in. Full support
and guidance will be provided.
For more information, please either call into the shop for an informal chat, or contact Jacky by
email at manager@gorsleycommunityshop.co.uk or telephone Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
GORSLEY BAPTIST CHURCH
Everyone is welcome to our Sunday morning service at 10.30am. Separate creche, children and youth activities take place at the same time, so there is something appropriate for the whole family. If you want to see if our service is to your liking, all services are also live recorded and available on YouTube. We would love to get to know you, however, and YouTube cannot go as far as serve
you the coffee and conversation which takes place after the service. It would be great to see you!
www.gorsleybaptist.church Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
CHRIST CHURCH GORSLEY
A Time of Harvest
We have had a very busy church summer: celebrating Reverend Canon Simon’s birthday; and thanking the Reverend Pat Phillips for her many years of service to us. Evensong services have also been led by Reverend Mark.
So, as October brings autumn colour to our churchyard, we extend a very warm welcome to our regular 10:30 am Sunday services. Please note that the first service of the month is one of Holy Communion. On Sunday 12th of October, we will hold our Harvest Gift Day Service where money raised is given to our chosen charities. For further details of any of our services, please contact gorsleychurch@btinternet.com
GORSLEY AND DISTRICT GARDEN CLUB
Gorsley and District Garden Club 2025-2026 Programme
Welcome to our 2025-26 evening programme — meetings are held from 7.30-9.00pm at Gorsley Village Hall. Entrance is free to members, £3 for visitors. No need to book - visitors are very welcome.
20th October - Samantha Hopes - Winter in Bloom
Samantha will highlight a whole range of winter flowering shrubs, herbaceous plants and bulbs to tempt you out into your garden in the winter months.
17th November - Tamsin Westhorpe - Prepare for the Perfect Spring
Tamsin shares the practical tasks that need to be carried out in autumn to have your best spring ever. She’ll also highlight her favourite plants for the spring garden
19th January - Annual Seed Swap and Quiz
Come along and join in our fun quiz. We also use this as an opportunity to share any surplus seeds we have.
16th February - Mick Poultney - Compost Ready within a Month
Mick will explain how to make a natural, cost-effective and highly efficient compost, which is ready to use in just a month.
16th March - Pip Smith - Garden Design Tips and Tricks
A Landscape Designer with over 17 years’ experience, Pip will share some of
his favourite design ideas and simple tricks of the trade to help you get the most out of your outdoor space.
If you would like to know more about Gorsley and District Garden Club, please call Charlotte Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
NEWENT & DISTRICT PROBUS CLUB
Friendship, Talks, and Good Company
As we head into the final stretch of 2025, it’s hard to believe how quickly the year has flown by. The Newent & District Probus Club has enjoyed a vibrant and successful year, welcoming several new members and hosting a fascinating variety of talks.
We’re a friendly, welcoming bunch. Why not come along to a meeting with no obligation, see what we’re all about, and perhaps make some new friends?
For more information, please visit our website: newentprobus.com or contact our Club Secretary: Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
KILCOT & GORSLEY WI
Visitors are welcome, we are very informal and don’t sing Jerusalem except on special occasions! For more information, call Anne Course Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
COMMUNITY LIBRARY
The library is located in the shed next to Gorsley Village Hall – mind your head as you go in! There is a good selection of books, DVDs, video games and jigsaws to borrow on a ‘trust-based’ system.
KARATE
Karate classes take place at Gorsley Village Hall on Friday evenings from 6.30pm. For further details, please contact Pam Bennett: Contact Details on PDF copy on Home Page
BINGO
Bingo is held at Gorsley Village Hall on every 4th Tuesday at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. The cost is £5 for 6 games with a break halfway through.
PILATES
6-week classes are held on Wednesday evenings at Gorsley Village Hall. Please contact Alex Hall for upcoming dates/further details: alexhallphysiopilates@outlook.com or alexhallphysiopilate.wixsite.com/website
YOGA
Thursday mornings at Gorsley Village Hall: Mat Yoga 9.30-10.30am and Chair Yoga 10.45-11.30am. Contact Jeni: jeni@jenihowland.com for more details.