IT’S HAPPENING IN WELLESBOURNE

What, you are probably wondering, is Hope 08? It is a national initiative of all the nation's Christians (and their Churches) working together to show real Christian love to the people and communities where they live and work. So up and down the country Christians from different churches are talking to each other about how they can work together to be a blessing to their local communities.

After such a conversation, representatives from our local churches have decided we would like to start blessing Wellesbourne by carrying out a Big Spring Clean of the village over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend. So we'd like you to tell us where tidying and clearing are needed and we'll do the work - though you'd be welcome to join in as well if you want. Then, we'd like to help any members of our community who struggle to keep their gardens tidy or need 'odd jobs' doing around the house or garden to let us know, and then we'll arrange a time to do that work also.

So, if you know somewhere we need to clean up, or if you'd like us to help you, just drop us a note or fill in this form and drop either into one of the special blue boxes you'll see in the Library and the Co-op BEFORE 18th APRIL and we'll take it from there.

Rev Andy Laird  
Rev Kate Mier  
Father David  

SQUARE TREE

You may have noticed a new tree and two fine wrought iron tree guards in Chestnut Square. The new tree is a sweet chestnut, and it is the second replacement of the original Joseph Arch horse chestnut tree - the recently felled one was planted in 1949.

Sweet chestnut was chosen by local residents to avoid the problem of bleeding canker which is affecting most of the horse chestnuts nearby - and to keep the name of the square alive.

The tree guards were made by William Thorpe in Chapel Street in about 1900. One used to stand around the old tree, while its sibling was kindly donated by the descendants of William Thorpe.

Photograph by Tony Copeland

As our picture shows, the tree was planted by the square's youngest resident - Libby Robinson (6 weeks) and her mum Lisa - with help from Ken Simons the County Forester.

Funding was raised from local residents, the Royal British Legion, the Village Society, and the Parish Council.

Photograph by Peter Davies


Photograph by Pat McDonaugh