HARTPURY Building Trust have just received another great boost with the splendid news that they have been given a grant of £134,000 by English Heritage toward the restoration of Hartpury's unique range of Bee boles (housing for hives) built in the middle of 1800 to 1850. The Bee boles, which are at Hartpury College, have 33 ornamental recesses, which house the straw skeps (hives).

The structure, which is in poor condition, will when dismantled be moved to Hartpury churchyard where they will be restored at a cost of £180,000. Permission has been given by English Heritage for its dismantling and removal.

Trust secretary, Mr Jim Chapman, says they have almost raised the balance with other grants, fund raising, donations etc, and the work of restoration will go out to tender to stonemasons in the coming week.

When finally restored the Bee boles will add another historic attraction to what is already an area of great interest in the village with the church, the Tythe Barn as well as the recently opened Old Chapel which has been restored from a crumbling wreck to a splendid community hall for the village.

The editor of the Gloucester Diocese Mothers' Union quarterly publication, Roundabout, was welcomed to the October meeting of Hartpury, Corse & Staunton MU held at The Oaks, Hartpury by kind invitation of Mrs Lilian Brewer. Mrs Denise Farley could trace the history of the then Journal back to its beginning in 1888. The Gloucester Diocese started its own journal in 1903 and Mrs Fenley was able to show a very fragile copy of the earliest which she had which was published in 1917. They were then in leaflet form. Over the years they have changed in size and form and they changed completely when Mrs Fenley became its editor ten years ago and it is now an attractive small booklet which contains much information and news in the diocese and she surprised everyone by reading several extracts which had been sent over the years by our branch leader.

The service of prayer was led by Ursula Groves-Smith, branch leader, and Mrs Pam Baker was welcomed as new secretary. Six members are to attend the special service and lunch at St Andrew's, Churchdown, on Saturday, October 27. There was a bring & buy for funds before a delicious tea.