We are pleased to introduce 10 new woolly sheep (9 ewes, 1 ram – named Big Boy!) who have taken up residence grazing on the field. Sarah, Chris and Penny from Bell Farm near Hunstrete have taken the grazing licence this year. We are so delighted to be working with the family and appreciate their willingness to help us with the conservation management of the field.
St Stephen's Church as a Community Hub
Keep in touch with St Stephen's
Sign up by Saturday 31st January to be entered into a prize draw
Recollections and Revelations by Revd Philip Hawthorn
A New Year Talk with tea
Bath in Bloom 2025
Do you have a beautiful garden? Entries for this year’s Bath in Bloom competition are being accepted until Saturday 14th June 2025. Entry details can be found on the Bath in Bloom website
The lambs have arrived
Christmas Carols in The Circus
Save the date …. Friday 13th December at 7pm
Join neighbours and friends at CAROLS IN THE CIRCUS. Music will be provided by the Salvation Army. There will be a charity collection at the event, with proceeds going to the Salvation Army
St. Stephen's Millennium Green: Talk with Wine
Join Sheila Gundry, of the wildlife charity “Froglife”, to hear about Charlcombe’s flourishing amphibian population. Tickets cost £12.50 including a glass of wine and are available in advance only through www.milleniumgreen.org.uk/events.
Late Summer Party 2024
Many thanks to Megan and her team for organising another lovely gathering. The weather just about held up! Many thanks also to our hosts who generously opened their garden for us.
Take a look at more party photos on the Gallery page!
Retrofitting Listed Buildings
Wednesday 15th May
Free Webinar
Owners and occupiers of listed buildings are invited to attend the first in a series of events that will help them to understand how they can save energy while also conserving their property.
The events are being organised by the grant-funded Green Heritage Homes project, a collaboration between Bath & North East Somerset Council, Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE), Bath Preservation Trust, the Centre for Sustainable Energy and People Powered Retrofit, which aims to improve understanding of energy efficiency works to listed buildings.
The first event will be a free webinar on Wednesday 15 May and will feature talks from several of the partner organisations: Bath & North East Somerset Planning & Conservation team will talk about applying for Listed Building Consent; BWCE will be outlining the retrofit services it offers to help owners and occupiers; and Bath Preservation Trust will be discussing how the historic significance of a building is assessed when considering energy measures.
More details can be found by clicking the link below:
https://newsroom.bathnes.gov.uk/news/webinar-owners-and-occupiers-interested-retrofitting-listed-buildings
Abseil St Stephen's
Saturday 22nd June
Abseil from the top of the tower at St Stephen’s Church Lansdown. It’s a stunning view at the top, a great challenge both on the way up and then down and a wonderful sense of achievement at the bottom!
The total raised from the abseil will be shared between Genesis Trust and St Stephen’s Church.
Register at:
https://genesistrustbath.enthuse.com/cf/abseil-st-stephen-s
The new residents of Lansdown Crescent
Jazz in the Nave at St Stephen's
Friday, April 19
Jazz in the Nave at St Stephen's, Bath
Boogie on down to St Stephen's for an evening of jazz with SYNCOPATION STATION.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jazz-in-the-nave-at-st-stephens-bath-tickets-862830297647
Neighbour hood Watch Beat Surgery
Gold Winner 2023 of Bath in Bloom!
Congratulations to Nick Bishop who won a Gold award in this year's Bath in Bloom competition.
Our beautiful neighbourhood is establishing a good track record in this competition, you may recall that Gloria Gibson previously won a silver award.
ST. STEPHEN’S HARVEST FLOWER FESTIVAL
ST STEPHEN’S LANSDOWN, BATH
HARVEST FLOWER FESTIVAL
‘HARVESTING FOR HOPE AND GROWTH’
THE EVENT
The Festival: Saturday 30 September until Sunday 8 October.
Free entry to view/donation to display.
Thursday pm 28/Friday 29: Set up
Monday 9 October onwards: take down
Saturday 30 September: open 10 am – 4 pm with refreshments (£5 suggested donation)
Official opening: 10 am with special guests invited
Sunday 31 September: open noon – 4 pm
Monday – Saturday, 1 – 7 October: 10 am – noon
Supporting activities:
Saturday 7 October: 10 – noon: A Farming Year – by Rev Debbie Pow: illustrated talk with refreshments. £5 voluntary contribution.
Sunday 8 October: Bring & Share Harvest Lunch 1230 pm
Children’s crafts: available weekends only – colour/make a mini lolly stick scarecrow; Harvest card-making; pumpkin painting; leaf prints/garlands; Harvest colouring: £5 pp for all crafts.
Guidelines for displays:
HARVEST THEMES
A display/installation needs to be harvest related. It could just include Harvest fruits or Autumn colours, or you could give the display a theme for example:
* A Harvest hymn such as We Plough the Fields and Scatter; All Things Bright and Beautiful; For the Beauty of the Earth
* Harvest associations – scarecrows and corn dollies
* Harvest produce – pumpkins, vegetables, sunflowers
* Eco Harvest
* Harvest-related books – Laurie Lee’s Cider with Rosie
DISPLAY/INSTALLATION SPACE
We have the following space options, with size/location details listed on the booking form:
* Floral pedestals of assorted sizes which could either be single or grouped as a duo/trio
* Standard gopak tables (180 cm long x 75 cm wide)
* Other mid/work surface height flat surfaces
* Quirky church spaces including higher level window ledges; bench seats and backs; altar rails; chancel niches
SET UP TIMES
THURSDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2 – 6.30 PM
FRIDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 9 AM – 6.30 PM
And some ideas to inspire . . .
Remembering Peter White
It is with sadness we must report the passing of Peter White on the 23rd of July.
He had lived on the crescent since the 1980's, following his retirement from a career that saw him travel the world and now will be sadly missed from his daily spot on the bench outside No 5.
He is survived by Charlotte and his daughters, step children and grandchildren.
Sheep update from Doug Creed, Farmer
Jan 2023:
I check the sheep and grass most days even if it is sometimes just driving around the crescent and pulling in briefly to check all is ok.
The reason the sheep gather at the gate now, is because I have started feeding them in the trough just inside the gateway, so I only need to pull up in the Land Rover and they get very excited! I am aware the grass is now quite short, it was my intention to graze the field quite tightly so that there is no carry over of old grass, then I will give the field a rest and I shall be moving the sheep on later this week, but they are being fed and obviously checked regularly.
We are now building up the ewes at home, feeding them up in preparation for lambing again at the end of March. How the seasons come around so quickly.
With the windy weather it is even more important to check that plastic recycling and rubbish bags are secure, especially if put out the night before. Bags of plastic waste are collected weekly from the field and there is evidence that some has been eaten. The Committee used to run weekly clean up rotas after bin day, but it was agreed that all residents would be responsible for litter picking around their own homes or to clean up if waste if it is seen blowing.
Lansdown Place Posse
Thanks to Ben who rounded up a team of volunteers from Lansdown Place East to bag all the wet leaves building up along Upper Lansdown Mews. Thirty heavy soggy bags were filled ready for collection by The Council. The street looks pristine now!
BATH IN BLOOM
Dear Members
The Annual Bath in Bloom competition will soon be upon us. We have had two winners in recent years.
Closing date for entries is 3rd June, link to the entry forms below. Courtyard gardens entries are encouraged.
http://www.bathinbloom.org/bath-in-bloom/bath-in-bloom-competition