• Other news

• Marlborough Town Council invites local residents to the Town Hall on Saturday 11 April, 10am to 12.30pm “for a morning bringing together local heritage groups, organisations and individuals. Organised by our partners at The Merchant’s House, this event is a chance to connect, share ideas, and strengthen links across Marlborough’s heritage community while also welcoming members of the public interested in local history.” To book a space or find out more, contact admin@themerchantshouse.co.uk.

• A quick nod to those folks who supported this year’s Easter Eggstravaganza and Duck Race in Aldbourne, raising much needed funds for the Aldbourne Memorial Hall. The adult race was won by duck number 82 and the children’s race was won by duck number 60.

• Marlborough Town Council reports that at least £9,000 has been raised for the Prospect Hospice as a result of the Mayor’s Gala Dinner. Amazing achievement. Click here for full details.

• Aldbourne Royals Football Club has a massive semi-final at home on Saturday 11 April, so why not head on down and give them a cheer.

• Last chance to enjoy St Peter’s Marlborough annual Marlborough Easter Egg Hunt which finishes on Sunday 12 April.  Collect your trail pack from either Ducklings in Hilliers Yard or from the Library on the High Street. Complete your maps by collecting your stickers and treats from independent outlets across Marlborough, then return your map to Ducklings for entry into the prize draw. See more details here.

• Latest information and warnings about flooding in the Marlborough area can be found on the Flood dashboard and our Flooding page where you can also download Marlborough Town Council’s flooding advice leaflet.

• To see real-time sewage discharge in your area, have a look at Thames Water’s storm discharge map here.

• Greatwood charity is running a free accredited equine course for 16 to 24 year olds during the Easter holidays. For full details and contact information click here.

• The lack of social housing, particularly in rural areas,  is consistently under the spotlight, however, villages can source help in a number of ways. Click here for full details.

• Brian Quinn’s second volume of short stories and parodies, Gravity and Rust, is available from any bookshop, including the Hungerford Bookshop, the White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough and the Wantage Bookshop. For full info click here.

• Marlborough Town Council reminds residents to register for two free online courses, run by FACL, to help participants create and stick to a budget, identify good value for money, and reduce spending. To book a place, new learners need to complete an application form, which they can do on the phone or online here. Booking closes one week before the course. Learners can join one or both courses.

Volunteering and jobs

• Click here for local volunteer opportunities.
• Click here for local jobs (includes volunteer roles).

Local events and activities

For more information on events and activities across the Penny Post area, see the website calendar.

• Dates for the diary

• Sat 11 Apr 300th Marlborough Park Run, Marlborough Common

• Sat 11 Apr Marlborough Heritage Networking Event Marlborough Town Hall

• Wed 22 Apr Frank Whittle The Jet Pioneer, Kennet Valley Hall, Marlborough

• Thu 23 Apr Tour of 19th century Marlborough, Merchant’s House, Marlborough.

• Fri 24 Apr Andrew Rumsey The Merchant’s House, Marlborough.

• Mon 4 May Sports and Activity Festival The Rec Salisbury Rd Marlborough

• Sat 16 May St. Katherine’s School Fete, Savernake.

• Regular events

• Kennet Vale Table Tennis Club at Kennet Valley Hall. Juniors meet on Fridays from 5.45 to 7 pm. It is always on the lookout for adults to play socially or competitively. Call Richard on 07568 648468 to book a space.

• Sing-a-long and Social at St Mary’s Church Hall every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm. No need to be alone/lonely, come and have some relaxed fun with tea and biscuits. Call Anna on 07852 191378 for information.

• Ramsbury Horticultural Society welcomes new members and organises events and trips – see details here ramsburyhortsoc.co.uk.

• Walking Rugby at Marlborough Rugby Club. Email simon.barter1@btinternet.com for full details or call him on 07734 724139.

• Aldbourne Curry Club invites you to a monthly feast on the third Tuesday of the month at The Burj curry restaurant in Wanborough, in aid of Aldbourne Community Junction. See details here and how to book.

• St Mary’s Marlborough Bellringers welcomes new members (no previous experience required). Contact marlborough.branch@outlook.com or phone Julie on 07392 768266.

• Marlborough Walking Football offers exercise and friendship. Ideal for the over-50s, meeting on Mondays at 6pm for more details see here.

• Carer Café at the Jubilee Centre, 28 Marlborough High Street on the fourth Tuesday of the month, from 10:30am to 12noon. No booking required. Join in on a relaxed chat over a hot drink with other carers and support workers or volunteers from Carer Support Wiltshire.

• Rhyme Time for babies and toddlers, every Wednesday and Friday 11am 11.30am at Marlborough Library. If you don’t already have a library membership, please sign yourself and your child up before you attend.

• Great Bedwyn Stay and Play is on Mondays during term time 1pm to 2.30pm at Great Bedwyn Village Hall. There are games and free play with lots of themed music to enjoy with your little one. All are welcome. Prices for sessions can be found on its Facebook page.

• Transition Marlborough Hub Group meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7.30pm currently by Zoom. To get involved please email enquiries@transitionmarlborough.org.

• Marlborough Park Run is a free, weekly, timed 5km walk, jog or run at 9am every Saturday. Open to all ages and abilities. Organised entirely by volunteers. Click here to see its Facebook page.

• The Stroke Association monthly drop-in support sessions at The Jubilee Centre for stroke survivors, their families and carers on Monday mornings. See here for the next date. For more details contact Katie Fielding on 07908 952740 or katie.fielding@stroke.org.uk.

• Marlborough Floral Club meets at 2pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Mildenhall Village Hall. For details please see here or call Micky Graham on 01672 514301.

• The Menopause Matters Marlborough Facebook group provides a forum for women in Marlborough and the surrounding areas to access information and support relating to menopause.

• The White Horse Bookshop is offering workshops until the end of the year, click here for the full list.

Community notices

• Have your say on current consultations by Wiltshire Council. Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• Wiltshire Connect on-demand bus service operating in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area can be booked using the online Booking Portal or with 01225 712900. It also operates a number of time-tabled and semi-flexible services in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area. To learn more click here.

• Marlborough Police would like to encourage people to join one of the many watch groups available through Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging. Farm Watch is the most appropriate for farmers and those living in rural areas of our beautiful county to receive alerts and crime prevention advice in real time for the area in which they live. It is a free service and you can join here.

• Scam reminders from Citizens Advice with most common types of scam. The golden rule is if something seems too good to be true or doesn’t feel right it might be a scam, so take a moment and get advice or just ask a friend.

• Marlborough Community Fridge in the Community Room in the George/Figgins Lane Car Park (just behind the public loos) is free to all and a good way to use up surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. See its Facebook page for details.

• Please keep dogs on leads during lambing season as panicking ewes can miscarry. Click here for full guidelines from the National Sheep Association.

• If you fancy a go at walking rugby, then join a friendly bunch who meet up on Marlborough Common, at the rugby clubhouse, on Wednesday evenings between 7 and 8pm. For more information call 07864 012234.

• Girls Rugby in Marlborough offers lots of opportunities to get involved as players, sponsors or volunteers. See here for more details.

• If you have a baby or a child and live in, or near, Marlborough and under five years old, you can enrol them with Imagination.

• Aldbourne Repair Network has volunteer fixers who offer a way for you to repair your broken possessions and keep them out of landfill. To get started just email repairs@carbonneutralaldbourne.co.uk and one of the fixers will be in touch, or check out its website here for more details.

• Marlborough Common parkrun has plenty of different volunteering opportunities and you can still participate as some of the jobs are pre-event. If you’re going to walk, you could be a tailwalker or a parkwalker. Email marlboroughcommon@parkrun.com if you’d like to help out.

• Sick or dead wild birds might be infected with bird flu so please don’t touch them.  Report any dead wild birds you find to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. You can report it online or call 03459 33 55 77.

• An eco-friendly party kit can be hired from Burbage Primary School to reduce waste and help the planet. Click here to apply.

• Bruce Boats fully accessible canal boats based in Great Bedwyn is looking for more volunteers and has a wide range of interesting roles available.

• If you spot a fallen tree, an obstruction or any debris on the roads, please report it via Our Wiltshire and drive according to the conditions at all times. Report now here.

• All dogs are to be kept on leads at all times at Stonebridge Wild River Reserve, Marlborough during bird-nesting season. The designated wildlife site also has a breeding population of water vole, as well as many other vulnerable species.

• Carbon Neutral Aldbourne welcome ideas whether it’s ways to save energy and transition to renewable sources, reduce the amount of waste generated in the village, increase biodiversity or grow more food – they would love to hear from you.

• If you spot an Asian hornet please report it here or email alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.

• 1st Marlborough Rainbows is looking for volunteers. Please get in touch here if you are interested in helping four to seven-year-olds on their adventures.

• Wiltshire Connect buses now cover Marlborough. For more information on the service and to download the Connecting Wiltshire booking app, click here.

• Merlin’s Mound history and information can now be found at marlboroughmoundtrust.org.

• Reading Well book collection at Marlborough Library supports children and teens’ positive mental health. Chosen by children and teens themselves with health experts, these books are free to reserve and borrow from any Wiltshire library.

• Love Marlborough Kids makes sure all Marlborough children have access to free meals as required. No fuss, no forms, no referrals. Just meals for families who need them. See here for how to apply.

• Friends of the Victorian Cemetery is looking for more volunteers to join its existing group. Please email margaretrrose@hotmail.co.uk or check out marlborough-tc.gov.uk/the-victorian-cemetery.

• Wiltshire Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) locations and opening times.

• Marlborough Fire Station is looking for new on-call recruits, ideally those who live or work within five minutes of the station. Part-time, paid, only responding to emergencies when their alert goes off. Please see Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue to find out more and fill out an application.

• For the latest information on rail services between Bedwyn, Newbury and Paddington we strongly recommend following the Bedwyn Train Passenger Group.

News from your local councils

Note: “the most recent meeting” refers to the most recent one for which minutes (in some cases draft) or some other summary is available. Other meetings may have taken place since. Some councils publish minutes more promptly than do others. If the link is scored through this may be because draft minutes have been replaced by approved ones and the drafts file deleted. If so, please follow the links provided to the council’s website.

• The most recent full meeting of Marlborough Town Council for which minutes are available took place on 26 January and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: public questions; crime and disorder; questions to and from Wiltshire Councillors; the Mayor’s announcements; the Cemetery; and the Herbert Leaf Charity.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Town Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for the latest on Marlborough’s neighbourhood development plan.

• The most recent meeting of Wanborough Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 23 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: footpaths; the allotments; financial matters; a report form the Ward Member; the Clerk’s and the Chair’s reports; planning matters; Active Trails; repairs and maintenance; and the annual parish assembly (on 20 April).
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. To see the agendas and minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 16 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: matters arising; correspondence; financial matters; play areas; repairs and maintenance; the nature reserve; the Fire Station (see also above); planning matters; and the Memorial Hall (see also above).
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Chiseldon Parish Council for which minutes are available, took place on 9 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered include: Burderop Park; the Clerk’s report; the Ward members’ report; plann ing matters; and financial matters.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Aldbourne Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 4 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; affordable housing; Ramsbury Fire Station (see separate section above); financial matters; changes to the parish stewards; repairs and maintenance; village events; Councillor reports; the playing pitches; flooding issues; a report from the County Councillor; and the annual assembly (29 April).
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for more information on Aldbourne’s neighbourhood development plan (which has now been ratified).

• The most recent meeting of Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: repairs and maintenance; roads and footpaths; financial matters; councillor vacancies; and flooding issues.
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings and agendas, please click here. To see the minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council, for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can download the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; a report from the Ward Member; highways; speeding; and repairs and maintenance.
To see the dates and agendas for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Great Bedwyn Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 19 February and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Savernake Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 8 October and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. 

• Click here for a list of current consultations being run by Wiltshire Council.

• Marlborough area council contacts

Parishes: Marlborough Town Council, Aldbourne Parish Council, Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council, Great Bedwyn Parish Council, Savernake Parish Council, Chiseldon Parish Council, Ogbourne St George Parish Council, Wanborough Parish Council, Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council  and Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council.

Wiltshire Council: click here to visit the website.

• News from other areas

• Penny Post area: see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn Valley; Newbury area; Thatcham area; Compton and Downlands; Burghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.
• News and views from across the area and beyond: see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

• Other news

• A big shout out to Charoula and Ernie and members of Marlborough Youth Council who joined the Great British Spring Clean last week, tidying up the town centre and Rabley Wood View last weekend. If you would like to spruce up your neighbourhood do get in touch with Marlborough Town Council to borrow all the necessary kit.

• St Peter’s Marlborough is glad to announce that the annual Marlborough Easter Egg Hunt is running through to Sunday 12 April.  Collect your trail pack from either Ducklings in Hilliers Yard or from the Library on the High Street. Complete your maps by collecting your stickers and treats from independent outlets across Marlborough, then return your map to Ducklings for entry into the prize draw. See more details here.

• Congratulations to Marlborough Youth Football Club’s U16 Tigers girls team who won Division 2 in the League with 2-1 victory in their last league game of the season – amazing result.  See their facebook page for more details.

• Crofton Beam Engines invite you to their first steaming of the year at their Grand Easter Steam-up on Sunday 5 April and Monday 6 April with duck races, Easter Egg trail and Easter bonnet making. Watch the mighty Beams rise and fall as the engines work to raise water 40 feet from the well to feed the Kennet and Avon Canal. See all details here.

• Quick reminder that Marlborough Town Council invites local residents to the Town Hall on Saturday 11 April, 10am to 12.30pm “for a morning bringing together local heritage groups, organisations and individuals. Organised by our partners at The Merchant’s House, this event is a chance to connect, share ideas, and strengthen links across Marlborough’s heritage community while also welcoming members of the public interested in local history.” To book a space or find out more, contact admin@themerchantshouse.co.uk.

• There was some recently some good news for Marlborough St Mary’s Primary School which has secured funding from the Department for Education for a brand-new school-based nursery.

• Marlborough Town Council gives notice to residents that, to enable resurfacing of the footpath, the Orchard Road Play Area will be temporarily closed over the Easter holidays. No specific dates have been given, as repairs are weather-dependent.

• Latest information and warnings about flooding in the Marlborough area can be found on the Flood dashboard and our Flooding page where you can also download Marlborough Town Council’s flooding advice leaflet.

• To see real-time sewage discharge in your area, have a look at Thames Water’s storm discharge map here.

• Greatwood charity is running a free accredited equine course for 16 to 24 year olds during the Easter holidays. For full details and contact information click here.

• The lack of social housing, particularly in rural areas,  is consistently under the spotlight, however, villages can source help in a number of ways. Click here for full details.

• Brian Quinn’s second volume of short stories and parodies, Gravity and Rust, is available from any bookshop, including the Hungerford Bookshop, the White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough and the Wantage Bookshop. For full info click here.

• Marlborough Town Council reminds residents to register for two free online courses, run by FACL, to help participants create and stick to a budget, identify good value for money, and reduce spending. To book a place, new learners need to complete an application form, which they can do on the phone or online here. Booking closes one week before the course. Learners can join one or both courses.

Volunteering and jobs

• Click here for local volunteer opportunities.
• Click here for local jobs (includes volunteer roles).

Local events and activities

For more information on events and activities across the Penny Post area, see the website calendar.

• Dates for the diary

• Sat 4 Apr Rodney Branigan The Bear Marlborough

• Sun 5 Apr Grand Easter Steam Up Crofton Beam Engines

• Mon 6 Apr Grand Easter Steam Up Crofton Beam Engines

• Sat 11 Apr 300th Marlborough Park Run, Marlborough Common

• Sat 11 Apr Marlborough Heritage Networking Event Marlborough Town Hall

• Wed 22 Apr Frank Whittle The Jet Pioneer, Kennet Valley Hall, Marlborough

• Thu 23 Apr Tour of 19th century Marlborough, Merchant’s House.

• Sat 16 May St. Katherine’s School Fete, Savernake.

• Regular events

• Kennet Vale Table Tennis Club at Kennet Valley Hall. Juniors meet on Fridays from 5.45 to 7 pm. It is always on the lookout for adults to play socially or competitively. Call Richard on 07568 648468 to book a space.

• Sing-a-long and Social at St Mary’s Church Hall every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm. No need to be alone/lonely, come and have some relaxed fun with tea and biscuits. Call Anna on 07852 191378 for information.

• Ramsbury Horticultural Society welcomes new members and organises events and trips – see details here ramsburyhortsoc.co.uk.

• Walking Rugby at Marlborough Rugby Club. Email simon.barter1@btinternet.com for full details or call him on 07734 724139.

• Aldbourne Curry Club invites you to a monthly feast on the third Tuesday of the month at The Burj curry restaurant in Wanborough, in aid of Aldbourne Community Junction. See details here and how to book.

• St Mary’s Marlborough Bellringers welcomes new members (no previous experience required). Contact marlborough.branch@outlook.com or phone Julie on 07392 768266.

• Marlborough Walking Football offers exercise and friendship. Ideal for the over-50s, meeting on Mondays at 6pm for more details see here.

• Carer Café at the Jubilee Centre, 28 Marlborough High Street on the fourth Tuesday of the month, from 10:30am to 12noon. No booking required. Join in on a relaxed chat over a hot drink with other carers and support workers or volunteers from Carer Support Wiltshire.

• Rhyme Time for babies and toddlers, every Wednesday and Friday 11am 11.30am at Marlborough Library. If you don’t already have a library membership, please sign yourself and your child up before you attend.

• Great Bedwyn Stay and Play is on Mondays during term time 1pm to 2.30pm at Great Bedwyn Village Hall. There are games and free play with lots of themed music to enjoy with your little one. All are welcome. Prices for sessions can be found on its Facebook page.

• Transition Marlborough Hub Group meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7.30pm currently by Zoom. To get involved please email enquiries@transitionmarlborough.org.

• Marlborough Park Run is a free, weekly, timed 5km walk, jog or run at 9am every Saturday. Open to all ages and abilities. Organised entirely by volunteers. Click here to see its Facebook page.

• The Stroke Association monthly drop-in support sessions at The Jubilee Centre for stroke survivors, their families and carers on Monday mornings. See here for the next date. For more details contact Katie Fielding on 07908 952740 or katie.fielding@stroke.org.uk.

• Marlborough Floral Club meets at 2pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Mildenhall Village Hall. For details please see here or call Micky Graham on 01672 514301.

• The Menopause Matters Marlborough Facebook group provides a forum for women in Marlborough and the surrounding areas to access information and support relating to menopause.

• The White Horse Bookshop is offering workshops until the end of the year, click here for the full list.

Community notices

• Have your say on current consultations by Wiltshire Council. Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• Wiltshire Connect on-demand bus service operating in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area can be booked using the online Booking Portal or with 01225 712900. It also operates a number of time-tabled and semi-flexible services in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area. To learn more click here.

• Marlborough Police would like to encourage people to join one of the many watch groups available through Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging. Farm Watch is the most appropriate for farmers and those living in rural areas of our beautiful county to receive alerts and crime prevention advice in real time for the area in which they live. It is a free service and you can join here.

• Scam reminders from Citizens Advice with most common types of scam. The golden rule is if something seems too good to be true or doesn’t feel right it might be a scam, so take a moment and get advice or just ask a friend.

• Marlborough Community Fridge in the Community Room in the George/Figgins Lane Car Park (just behind the public loos) is free to all and a good way to use up surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. See its Facebook page for details.

• Please keep dogs on leads during lambing season as panicking ewes can miscarry. Click here for full guidelines from the National Sheep Association.

• If you fancy a go at walking rugby, then join a friendly bunch who meet up on Marlborough Common, at the rugby clubhouse, on Wednesday evenings between 7 and 8pm. For more information call 07864 012234.

• Girls Rugby in Marlborough offers lots of opportunities to get involved as players, sponsors or volunteers. See here for more details.

• If you have a baby or a child and live in, or near, Marlborough and under five years old, you can enrol them with Imagination.

• Aldbourne Repair Network has volunteer fixers who offer a way for you to repair your broken possessions and keep them out of landfill. To get started just email repairs@carbonneutralaldbourne.co.uk and one of the fixers will be in touch, or check out its website here for more details.

• Marlborough Common parkrun has plenty of different volunteering opportunities and you can still participate as some of the jobs are pre-event. If you’re going to walk, you could be a tailwalker or a parkwalker. Email marlboroughcommon@parkrun.com if you’d like to help out.

• Sick or dead wild birds might be infected with bird flu so please don’t touch them.  Report any dead wild birds you find to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. You can report it online or call 03459 33 55 77.

• An eco-friendly party kit can be hired from Burbage Primary School to reduce waste and help the planet. Click here to apply.

• Bruce Boats fully accessible canal boats based in Great Bedwyn is looking for more volunteers and has a wide range of interesting roles available.

• If you spot a fallen tree, an obstruction or any debris on the roads, please report it via Our Wiltshire and drive according to the conditions at all times. Report now here.

• All dogs are to be kept on leads at all times at Stonebridge Wild River Reserve, Marlborough during bird-nesting season. The designated wildlife site also has a breeding population of water vole, as well as many other vulnerable species.

• Carbon Neutral Aldbourne welcome ideas whether it’s ways to save energy and transition to renewable sources, reduce the amount of waste generated in the village, increase biodiversity or grow more food – they would love to hear from you.

• If you spot an Asian hornet please report it here or email alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.

• 1st Marlborough Rainbows is looking for volunteers. Please get in touch here if you are interested in helping four to seven-year-olds on their adventures.

• Wiltshire Connect buses now cover Marlborough. For more information on the service and to download the Connecting Wiltshire booking app, click here.

• Merlin’s Mound history and information can now be found at marlboroughmoundtrust.org.

• Reading Well book collection at Marlborough Library supports children and teens’ positive mental health. Chosen by children and teens themselves with health experts, these books are free to reserve and borrow from any Wiltshire library.

• Love Marlborough Kids makes sure all Marlborough children have access to free meals as required. No fuss, no forms, no referrals. Just meals for families who need them. See here for how to apply.

• Friends of the Victorian Cemetery is looking for more volunteers to join its existing group. Please email margaretrrose@hotmail.co.uk or check out marlborough-tc.gov.uk/the-victorian-cemetery.

• Wiltshire Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) locations and opening times.

• Marlborough Fire Station is looking for new on-call recruits, ideally those who live or work within five minutes of the station. Part-time, paid, only responding to emergencies when their alert goes off. Please see Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue to find out more and fill out an application.

• For the latest information on rail services between Bedwyn, Newbury and Paddington we strongly recommend following the Bedwyn Train Passenger Group.

News from your local councils

Note: “the most recent meeting” refers to the most recent one for which minutes (in some cases draft) or some other summary is available. Other meetings may have taken place since. Some councils publish minutes more promptly than do others. If the link is scored through this may be because draft minutes have been replaced by approved ones and the drafts file deleted. If so, please follow the links provided to the council’s website.

• The most recent full meeting of Marlborough Town Council for which minutes are available took place on 26 January and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: public questions; crime and disorder; questions to and from Wiltshire Councillors; the Mayor’s announcements; the Cemetery; and the Herbert Leaf Charity.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Town Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for the latest on Marlborough’s neighbourhood development plan.

• The most recent meeting of Wanborough Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 23 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: footpaths; the allotments; financial matters; a report form the Ward Member; the Clerk’s and the Chair’s reports; planning matters; Active Trails; repairs and maintenance; and the annual parish assembly (on 20 April).
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. To see the agendas and minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 16 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: matters arising; correspondence; financial matters; play areas; repairs and maintenance; the nature reserve; the Fire Station (see also above); planning matters; and the Memorial Hall (see also above).
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Chiseldon Parish Council for which minutes are available, took place on 9 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered include: Burderop Park; the Clerk’s report; the Ward members’ report; plann ing matters; and financial matters.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Aldbourne Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 4 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; affordable housing; Ramsbury Fire Station (see separate section above); financial matters; changes to the parish stewards; repairs and maintenance; village events; Councillor reports; the playing pitches; flooding issues; a report from the County Councillor; and the annual assembly (29 April).
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for more information on Aldbourne’s neighbourhood development plan (which has now been ratified).

• The most recent meeting of Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: repairs and maintenance; roads and footpaths; financial matters; councillor vacancies; and flooding issues.
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings and agendas, please click here. To see the minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council, for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can download the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; a report from the Ward Member; highways; speeding; and repairs and maintenance.
To see the dates and agendas for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Great Bedwyn Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 19 February and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Savernake Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 8 October and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. 

• Click here for a list of current consultations being run by Wiltshire Council.

• Marlborough area council contacts

Parishes: Marlborough Town Council, Aldbourne Parish Council, Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council, Great Bedwyn Parish Council, Savernake Parish Council, Chiseldon Parish Council, Ogbourne St George Parish Council, Wanborough Parish Council, Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council  and Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council.

Wiltshire Council: click here to visit the website.

• News from other areas

• Penny Post area: see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn Valley; Newbury area; Thatcham area; Compton and Downlands; Burghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.
• News and views from across the area and beyond: see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

• Other news

• Spring has definitely sprung and that means ducks and ducklings on the green in Aldbourne will be something that everyone should be aware of. For this reason, the duck signs have been re-instated to warn motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike, to slow down,

• There was some exciting news for Marlborough St Mary’s Primary School this week, which was even broadcast on Good Morning Britain on Monday 21 March. Their long-term aim to develop a family centre at the heart of the school is one step closer, having secured funding from the Department of Education for a brand-new school-based nursery.

• Quick reminder that Aldbourne Cafe & Deli is now open on Sundays from 10am  to 3pm. Serving their popular cafe deliciousness with specials, deli food and drinks to eat in and takeout. The shop will also be open including Sunday papers but the Post Office Counter will be closed. See more on their facebook page here.

• Marlborough Town Council gives notice to residents that, to enable resurfacing of the footpath, the Orchard Road Play Area will be temporarily closed over the Easter holidays. No specific dates have been given, as repairs are weather-dependent.

• Latest information and warnings about flooding in the Marlborough area can be found on the Flood dashboard and our Flooding page where you can also download Marlborough Town Council’s flooding advice leaflet.

• To see real-time sewage discharge in your area, have a look at Thames Water’s storm discharge map here.

• Greatwood charity is running a free accredited equine course for 16 to 24 year olds during the Easter holidays. For full details and contact information click here.

• The lack of social housing, particularly in rural areas,  is consistently under the spotlight, however, villages can source help in a number of ways. Click here for full details.

• Brian Quinn’s second volume of short stories and parodies, Gravity and Rust, is available from any bookshop, including the Hungerford Bookshop, the White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough and the Wantage Bookshop. For full info click here.

• Marlborough Town Council reminds residents to register for two free online courses, run by FACL, to help participants create and stick to a budget, identify good value for money, and reduce spending. To book a place, new learners need to complete an application form, which they can do on the phone or online here. Booking closes one week before the course. Learners can join one or both courses.

Volunteering and jobs

• Click here for local volunteer opportunities.
• Click here for local jobs (includes volunteer roles).

Local events and activities

For more information on events and activities across the Penny Post area, see the website calendar.

• Dates for the diary

• Thu 26 to Sat 28 Mar Marlborough Players present: Absent Friends Marlborough Town Hall

• Sat 28 Mar The Armed Man St Mary’s Church, Marlborough

• Sun 29 Mar Car Boot Sale Marlborough Common

• Sat 4 Apr Rodney Branigan The Bear Marlborough

• Sat 11 Apr 300th Marlborough Park Run, Marlborough Common

• Sat 11 Apr Marlborough Heritage Networking Event Marlborough Town Hall

• Wed 22 Apr Frank Whittle The Jet Pioneer, Kennet Valley Hall, Marlborough

• Thu 23 Apr Tour of 19th century Marlborough, Merchant’s House.

• Sat 16 May St. Katherine’s School Fete, Savernake.

• Regular events

• Kennet Vale Table Tennis Club at Kennet Valley Hall. Juniors meet on Fridays from 5.45 to 7 pm. It is always on the lookout for adults to play socially or competitively. Call Richard on 07568 648468 to book a space.

• Sing-a-long and Social at St Mary’s Church Hall every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm. No need to be alone/lonely, come and have some relaxed fun with tea and biscuits. Call Anna on 07852 191378 for information.

• Ramsbury Horticultural Society welcomes new members and organises events and trips – see details here ramsburyhortsoc.co.uk.

• Walking Rugby at Marlborough Rugby Club. Email simon.barter1@btinternet.com for full details or call him on 07734 724139.

• Aldbourne Curry Club invites you to a monthly feast on the third Tuesday of the month at The Burj curry restaurant in Wanborough, in aid of Aldbourne Community Junction. See details here and how to book.

• St Mary’s Marlborough Bellringers welcomes new members (no previous experience required). Contact marlborough.branch@outlook.com or phone Julie on 07392 768266.

• Marlborough Walking Football offers exercise and friendship. Ideal for the over-50s, meeting on Mondays at 6pm for more details see here.

• Carer Café at the Jubilee Centre, 28 Marlborough High Street on the fourth Tuesday of the month, from 10:30am to 12noon. No booking required. Join in on a relaxed chat over a hot drink with other carers and support workers or volunteers from Carer Support Wiltshire.

• Rhyme Time for babies and toddlers, every Wednesday and Friday 11am 11.30am at Marlborough Library. If you don’t already have a library membership, please sign yourself and your child up before you attend.

• Great Bedwyn Stay and Play is on Mondays during term time 1pm to 2.30pm at Great Bedwyn Village Hall. There are games and free play with lots of themed music to enjoy with your little one. All are welcome. Prices for sessions can be found on its Facebook page.

• Transition Marlborough Hub Group meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7.30pm currently by Zoom. To get involved please email enquiries@transitionmarlborough.org.

• Marlborough Park Run is a free, weekly, timed 5km walk, jog or run at 9am every Saturday. Open to all ages and abilities. Organised entirely by volunteers. Click here to see its Facebook page.

• The Stroke Association monthly drop-in support sessions at The Jubilee Centre for stroke survivors, their families and carers on Monday mornings. See here for the next date. For more details contact Katie Fielding on 07908 952740 or katie.fielding@stroke.org.uk.

• Marlborough Floral Club meets at 2pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Mildenhall Village Hall. For details please see here or call Micky Graham on 01672 514301.

• The Menopause Matters Marlborough Facebook group provides a forum for women in Marlborough and the surrounding areas to access information and support relating to menopause.

• The White Horse Bookshop is offering workshops until the end of the year, click here for the full list.

Community notices

• Have your say on current consultations by Wiltshire Council. Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• Wiltshire Connect on-demand bus service operating in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area can be booked using the online Booking Portal or with 01225 712900. It also operates a number of time-tabled and semi-flexible services in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area. To learn more click here.

• Marlborough Police would like to encourage people to join one of the many watch groups available through Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging. Farm Watch is the most appropriate for farmers and those living in rural areas of our beautiful county to receive alerts and crime prevention advice in real time for the area in which they live. It is a free service and you can join here.

• Scam reminders from Citizens Advice with most common types of scam. The golden rule is if something seems too good to be true or doesn’t feel right it might be a scam, so take a moment and get advice or just ask a friend.

• Marlborough Community Fridge in the Community Room in the George/Figgins Lane Car Park (just behind the public loos) is free to all and a good way to use up surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. See its Facebook page for details.

• Please keep dogs on leads during lambing season as panicking ewes can miscarry. Click here for full guidelines from the National Sheep Association.

• If you fancy a go at walking rugby, then join a friendly bunch who meet up on Marlborough Common, at the rugby clubhouse, on Wednesday evenings between 7 and 8pm. For more information call 07864 012234.

• Girls Rugby in Marlborough offers lots of opportunities to get involved as players, sponsors or volunteers. See here for more details.

• If you have a baby or a child and live in, or near, Marlborough and under five years old, you can enrol them with Imagination.

• Aldbourne Repair Network has volunteer fixers who offer a way for you to repair your broken possessions and keep them out of landfill. To get started just email repairs@carbonneutralaldbourne.co.uk and one of the fixers will be in touch, or check out its website here for more details.

• Marlborough Common parkrun has plenty of different volunteering opportunities and you can still participate as some of the jobs are pre-event. If you’re going to walk, you could be a tailwalker or a parkwalker. Email marlboroughcommon@parkrun.com if you’d like to help out.

• Sick or dead wild birds might be infected with bird flu so please don’t touch them.  Report any dead wild birds you find to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. You can report it online or call 03459 33 55 77.

• An eco-friendly party kit can be hired from Burbage Primary School to reduce waste and help the planet. Click here to apply.

• Bruce Boats fully accessible canal boats based in Great Bedwyn is looking for more volunteers and has a wide range of interesting roles available.

• If you spot a fallen tree, an obstruction or any debris on the roads, please report it via Our Wiltshire and drive according to the conditions at all times. Report now here.

• All dogs are to be kept on leads at all times at Stonebridge Wild River Reserve, Marlborough during bird-nesting season. The designated wildlife site also has a breeding population of water vole, as well as many other vulnerable species.

• Carbon Neutral Aldbourne welcome ideas whether it’s ways to save energy and transition to renewable sources, reduce the amount of waste generated in the village, increase biodiversity or grow more food – they would love to hear from you.

• If you spot an Asian hornet please report it here or email alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.

• 1st Marlborough Rainbows is looking for volunteers. Please get in touch here if you are interested in helping four to seven-year-olds on their adventures.

• Wiltshire Connect buses now cover Marlborough. For more information on the service and to download the Connecting Wiltshire booking app, click here.

• Merlin’s Mound history and information can now be found at marlboroughmoundtrust.org.

• Reading Well book collection at Marlborough Library supports children and teens’ positive mental health. Chosen by children and teens themselves with health experts, these books are free to reserve and borrow from any Wiltshire library.

• Love Marlborough Kids makes sure all Marlborough children have access to free meals as required. No fuss, no forms, no referrals. Just meals for families who need them. See here for how to apply.

• Friends of the Victorian Cemetery is looking for more volunteers to join its existing group. Please email margaretrrose@hotmail.co.uk or check out marlborough-tc.gov.uk/the-victorian-cemetery.

• Wiltshire Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) locations and opening times.

• Marlborough Fire Station is looking for new on-call recruits, ideally those who live or work within five minutes of the station. Part-time, paid, only responding to emergencies when their alert goes off. Please see Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue to find out more and fill out an application.

• For the latest information on rail services between Bedwyn, Newbury and Paddington we strongly recommend following the Bedwyn Train Passenger Group.

News from your local councils

Note: “the most recent meeting” refers to the most recent one for which minutes (in some cases draft) or some other summary is available. Other meetings may have taken place since. Some councils publish minutes more promptly than do others. If the link is scored through this may be because draft minutes have been replaced by approved ones and the drafts file deleted. If so, please follow the links provided to the council’s website.

• The most recent full meeting of Marlborough Town Council for which minutes are available took place on 26 January and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: public questions; crime and disorder; questions to and from Wiltshire Councillors; the Mayor’s announcements; the Cemetery; and the Herbert Leaf Charity.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Town Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for the latest on Marlborough’s neighbourhood development plan.

• The most recent meeting of Chiseldon Parish Council for which minutes are available, took place on 9 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered include: Burderop Park; the Clerk’s report; the Ward members’ report; plann ing matters; and financial matters.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Aldbourne Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 4 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; affordable housing; Ramsbury Fire Station (see separate section above); financial matters; changes to the parish stewards; repairs and maintenance; village events; Councillor reports; the playing pitches; flooding issues; a report from the County Councillor; and the annual assembly (29 April).
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for more information on Aldbourne’s neighbourhood development plan (which has now been ratified).

• The most recent meeting of Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: repairs and maintenance; roads and footpaths; financial matters; councillor vacancies; and flooding issues.
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings and agendas, please click here. To see the minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council, for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can download the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; a report from the Ward Member; highways; speeding; and repairs and maintenance.
To see the dates and agendas for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Great Bedwyn Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 19 February and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. 

• The most recent meeting of Wanborough Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 23 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: footpaths; a new bench; financial matters; a report from the Ward member, the Clerk and the Chair; repairs and maintenance; planning matters; communications; Hooper’s Field; the allotments; a cycling and walking consultation; footpaths and highways; and the spring clean event (28 March).
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. To see the agendas and minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 16 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: matters arising; correspondence; financial matters; play areas; the allotments; rights of way; repairs and maintenance; the nature reserve; the Fire Station; planning matters; parking charges; the Parish Steward; and vandalism.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Savernake Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 8 October and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. 

• Click here for a list of current consultations being run by Wiltshire Council.

• Marlborough area council contacts

Parishes: Marlborough Town Council, Aldbourne Parish Council, Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council, Great Bedwyn Parish Council, Savernake Parish Council, Chiseldon Parish Council, Ogbourne St George Parish Council, Wanborough Parish Council, Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council  and Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council.

Wiltshire Council: click here to visit the website.

• News from other areas

• Penny Post area: see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn Valley; Newbury area; Thatcham area; Compton and Downlands; Burghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.
• News and views from across the area and beyond: see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

• Other news

• Aldbourne Cafe & Deli is pleased to announce it will open again this Sunday and moving forwards every Sunday from 10am  to 3pm. Serving their popular cafe deliciousness with specials, deli food and drinks to eat in and takeout. The shop will also be open including Sunday papers but the Post Office Counter will be closed. See more on their facebook page here.

• Marlborough Town Council is proud to announce that, in collaboration with ARK – Action for the River Kennet, a garden bed in Priory Gardens, has been transformed into a rain garden. This is a shallow area of ground which receives run-off from roofs and other hard surfaces, preventing surface water run-off overwhelming the drainage system.

• Marlborough Rugby Club is looking for new semi-professional players to join them, training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with matches played on Saturdays. If you are interested, please email DoR@mrfc.co.uk.

• Our Wiltshire is developing new Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for Marlborough, Tidworth and Ludgershall, Malmesbury, Bradford on Avon and Westbury and want feedback from local residents by 23 March. Your ideas will help design safer, more connected routes that make walking and cycling easier for everyone. As part of this consultation, you can add your comments directly onto an interactive map for each town, highlighting where improvements could make a real difference. To find out more click here.

• Marlborough Town Council gives notice to residents that, to enable resurfacing of the footpath, the Orchard Road Play Area will be temporarily closed over the Easter holidays. No specific dates have been given, as repairs are weather-dependent.

• Marlborough Cemetery is running out of space. The Town Council has been looking for a solution for many years and proposes to extend the cemetery onto part of Marlborough Common.  As the extension will be taking up common land, DEFRA requires the Town Council to offer a new area to become common land in compensation, and to gain agreement from the public. This page on the Marlborough TC website has more information on their proposal to create common land at Hawthorne Meadow and how you can have your say.

• Latest information and warnings about flooding in the Marlborough area can be found on the Flood dashboard and our Flooding page where you can also download Marlborough Town Council’s flooding advice leaflet.

• To see real-time sewage discharge in your area, have a look at Thames Water’s storm discharge map here.

• Greatwood charity is running a free accredited equine course for 16 to 24 year olds during the Easter holidays. For full details and contact information click here.

• The lack of social housing, particularly in rural areas,  is consistently under the spotlight, however, villages can source help in a number of ways. Click here for full details.

• Brian Quinn’s second volume of short stories and parodies, Gravity and Rust, is available from any bookshop, including the Hungerford Bookshop, the White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough and the Wantage Bookshop. For full info click here.

• Marlborough Town Council reminds residents to register for two free online courses, run by FACL, to help participants create and stick to a budget, identify good value for money, and reduce spending. To book a place, new learners need to complete an application form, which they can do on the phone or online here. Booking closes one week before the course. Learners can join one or both courses.

Volunteering and jobs

• Click here for local volunteer opportunities.
• Click here for local jobs (includes volunteer roles).

Local events and activities

For more information on events and activities across the Penny Post area, see the website calendar.

• Dates for the diary

• Fri 20 Mar  Marlborough Mayor’s Gala Dinner Marlborough Town Hall.

• Sat 21 Mar Jazz at the Movies St Peter’s, Marlborough.

• Sun 22 Mar Big Breakfast in aid of Girl Guides Memorial Hall, Aldbourne.

• Mon 23 Mar Art Workshop The White Horse Bookshop, Marlborough.

• Tue 25 Mar Ladies Who Latte Castle & Ball, Marlborough

• Thu 26 to Sat 28 Mar Absent Friends Marlborough Town Hall

• Sun 29 Mar Car Boot Sale  Marlborough Common

• Sat 4 Apr Rodney Branigan The Bear Marlborough

• Sat 11 Apr 300th Marlborough Park Run, Marlborough Common

• Sat 11 Apr Marlborough Heritage Networking Event Marlborough Town Hall

• Wed 22 Apr Frank Whittle The Jet Pioneer, Kennet Valley Hall, Marlborough

• Regular events

• Kennet Vale Table Tennis Club at Kennet Valley Hall. Juniors meet on Fridays from 5.45 to 7 pm. It is always on the lookout for adults to play socially or competitively. Call Richard on 07568 648468 to book a space.

• Sing-a-long and Social at St Mary’s Church Hall every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm. No need to be alone/lonely, come and have some relaxed fun with tea and biscuits. Call Anna on 07852 191378 for information.

• Ramsbury Horticultural Society welcomes new members and organises events and trips – see details here ramsburyhortsoc.co.uk.

• Walking Rugby at Marlborough Rugby Club. Email simon.barter1@btinternet.com for full details or call him on 07734 724139.

• Aldbourne Curry Club invites you to a monthly feast on the third Tuesday of the month at The Burj curry restaurant in Wanborough, in aid of Aldbourne Community Junction. See details here and how to book.

• St Mary’s Marlborough Bellringers welcomes new members (no previous experience required). Contact marlborough.branch@outlook.com or phone Julie on 07392 768266.

• Marlborough Walking Football offers exercise and friendship. Ideal for the over-50s, meeting on Mondays at 6pm for more details see here.

• Carer Café at the Jubilee Centre, 28 Marlborough High Street on the fourth Tuesday of the month, from 10:30am to 12noon. No booking required. Join in on a relaxed chat over a hot drink with other carers and support workers or volunteers from Carer Support Wiltshire.

• Rhyme Time for babies and toddlers, every Wednesday and Friday 11am 11.30am at Marlborough Library. If you don’t already have a library membership, please sign yourself and your child up before you attend.

• Great Bedwyn Stay and Play is on Mondays during term time 1pm to 2.30pm at Great Bedwyn Village Hall. There are games and free play with lots of themed music to enjoy with your little one. All are welcome. Prices for sessions can be found on its Facebook page.

• Transition Marlborough Hub Group meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7.30pm currently by Zoom. To get involved please email enquiries@transitionmarlborough.org.

• Marlborough Park Run is a free, weekly, timed 5km walk, jog or run at 9am every Saturday. Open to all ages and abilities. Organised entirely by volunteers. Click here to see its Facebook page.

• The Stroke Association monthly drop-in support sessions at The Jubilee Centre for stroke survivors, their families and carers on Monday mornings. See here for the next date. For more details contact Katie Fielding on 07908 952740 or katie.fielding@stroke.org.uk.

• Marlborough Floral Club meets at 2pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Mildenhall Village Hall. For details please see here or call Micky Graham on 01672 514301.

• The Menopause Matters Marlborough Facebook group provides a forum for women in Marlborough and the surrounding areas to access information and support relating to menopause.

• The White Horse Bookshop is offering workshops until the end of the year, click here for the full list.

Community notices

• Have your say on current consultations by Wiltshire Council. Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• Wiltshire Connect on-demand bus service operating in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area can be booked using the online Booking Portal or with 01225 712900. It also operates a number of time-tabled and semi-flexible services in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area. To learn more click here.

• Marlborough Police would like to encourage people to join one of the many watch groups available through Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging. Farm Watch is the most appropriate for farmers and those living in rural areas of our beautiful county to receive alerts and crime prevention advice in real time for the area in which they live. It is a free service and you can join here.

• Scam reminders from Citizens Advice with most common types of scam. The golden rule is if something seems too good to be true or doesn’t feel right it might be a scam, so take a moment and get advice or just ask a friend.

• Marlborough Community Fridge in the Community Room in the George/Figgins Lane Car Park (just behind the public loos) is free to all and a good way to use up surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. See its Facebook page for details.

• Please keep dogs on leads during lambing season as panicking ewes can miscarry. Click here for full guidelines from the National Sheep Association.

• If you fancy a go at walking rugby, then join a friendly bunch who meet up on Marlborough Common, at the rugby clubhouse, on Wednesday evenings between 7 and 8pm. For more information call 07864 012234.

• Girls Rugby in Marlborough offers lots of opportunities to get involved as players, sponsors or volunteers. See here for more details.

• If you have a baby or a child and live in, or near, Marlborough and under five years old, you can enrol them with Imagination.

• Aldbourne Repair Network has volunteer fixers who offer a way for you to repair your broken possessions and keep them out of landfill. To get started just email repairs@carbonneutralaldbourne.co.uk and one of the fixers will be in touch, or check out its website here for more details.

• Marlborough Common parkrun has plenty of different volunteering opportunities and you can still participate as some of the jobs are pre-event. If you’re going to walk, you could be a tailwalker or a parkwalker. Email marlboroughcommon@parkrun.com if you’d like to help out.

• Sick or dead wild birds might be infected with bird flu so please don’t touch them.  Report any dead wild birds you find to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. You can report it online or call 03459 33 55 77.

• An eco-friendly party kit can be hired from Burbage Primary School to reduce waste and help the planet. Click here to apply.

• Bruce Boats fully accessible canal boats based in Great Bedwyn is looking for more volunteers and has a wide range of interesting roles available.

• If you spot a fallen tree, an obstruction or any debris on the roads, please report it via Our Wiltshire and drive according to the conditions at all times. Report now here.

• All dogs are to be kept on leads at all times at Stonebridge Wild River Reserve, Marlborough during bird-nesting season. The designated wildlife site also has a breeding population of water vole, as well as many other vulnerable species.

• Carbon Neutral Aldbourne welcome ideas whether it’s ways to save energy and transition to renewable sources, reduce the amount of waste generated in the village, increase biodiversity or grow more food – they would love to hear from you.

• If you spot an Asian hornet please report it here or email alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.

• 1st Marlborough Rainbows is looking for volunteers. Please get in touch here if you are interested in helping four to seven-year-olds on their adventures.

• Wiltshire Connect buses now cover Marlborough. For more information on the service and to download the Connecting Wiltshire booking app, click here.

• Merlin’s Mound history and information can now be found at marlboroughmoundtrust.org.

• Reading Well book collection at Marlborough Library supports children and teens’ positive mental health. Chosen by children and teens themselves with health experts, these books are free to reserve and borrow from any Wiltshire library.

• Love Marlborough Kids makes sure all Marlborough children have access to free meals as required. No fuss, no forms, no referrals. Just meals for families who need them. See here for how to apply.

• Friends of the Victorian Cemetery is looking for more volunteers to join its existing group. Please email margaretrrose@hotmail.co.uk or check out marlborough-tc.gov.uk/the-victorian-cemetery.

• Wiltshire Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) locations and opening times.

• Marlborough Fire Station is looking for new on-call recruits, ideally those who live or work within five minutes of the station. Part-time, paid, only responding to emergencies when their alert goes off. Please see Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue to find out more and fill out an application.

• For the latest information on rail services between Bedwyn, Newbury and Paddington we strongly recommend following the Bedwyn Train Passenger Group.

News from your local councils

Note: “the most recent meeting” refers to the most recent one for which minutes (in some cases draft) or some other summary is available. Other meetings may have taken place since. Some councils publish minutes more promptly than do others. If the link is scored through this may be because draft minutes have been replaced by approved ones and the drafts file deleted. If so, please follow the links provided to the council’s website.

• The most recent full meeting of Marlborough Town Council for which minutes are available took place on 26 January and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: public questions; crime and disorder; questions to and from Wiltshire Councillors; the Mayor’s announcements; the Cemetery; and the Herbert Leaf Charity.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Town Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for the latest on Marlborough’s neighbourhood development plan.

• The most recent meeting of Aldbourne Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 4 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; affordable housing; Ramsbury Fire Station (see separate section above); financial matters; changes to the parish stewards; repairs and maintenance; village events; Councillor reports; the playing pitches; flooding issues; a report from the County Councillor; and the annual assembly (29 April).
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for more information on Aldbourne’s neighbourhood development plan (which has now been ratified).

• The most recent meeting of Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: repairs and maintenance; roads and footpaths; financial matters; councillor vacancies; and flooding issues.
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings and agendas, please click here. To see the minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council, for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can download the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; a report from the Ward Member; highways; speeding; and repairs and maintenance.
To see the dates and agendas for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Wanborough Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 23 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: footpaths; a new bench; financial matters; a report from the Ward member, the Clerk and the Chair; repairs and maintenance; planning matters; communications; Hooper’s Field; the allotments; a cycling and walking consultation; footpaths and highways; and the spring clean event (28 March).
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. To see the agendas and minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 16 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: matters arising; correspondence; financial matters; play areas; the allotments; rights of way; repairs and maintenance; the nature reserve; the Fire Station; planning matters; parking charges; the Parish Steward; and vandalism.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Chiseldon Parish Council for which minutes are available, took place on 9 February and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Great Bedwyn Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 8 January and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. 

• The most recent meeting of Savernake Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 8 October and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. 

• Click here for a list of current consultations being run by Wiltshire Council.

• Marlborough area council contacts

Parishes: Marlborough Town Council, Aldbourne Parish Council, Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council, Great Bedwyn Parish Council, Savernake Parish Council, Chiseldon Parish Council, Ogbourne St George Parish Council, Wanborough Parish Council, Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council  and Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council.

Wiltshire Council: click here to visit the website.

• News from other areas

• Penny Post area: see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn Valley; Newbury area; Thatcham area; Compton and Downlands; Burghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.
• News and views from across the area and beyond: see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

• Other news

• Marlborough Town Council is proud to announce that, in collaboration with ARK – Action for the River Kennet, a garden bed in Priory Gardens, has been transformed into a rain garden. This is a shallow area of ground which receives run-off from roofs and other hard surfaces, preventing surface water run-off overwhelming the drainage system.

• Marlborough Rugby Club is looking for new semi-professional players to join them, training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with matches played on Saturdays. If you are interested, please email DoR@mrfc.co.uk.

• On Saturday March 14 Ramsbury Memorial Hall‘s trustees are putting on an exhibition and open day to celebrate a hundred years since the hall was opened in March 1926, having been built as a WW1 memorial. There will be an exhibition featuring the use of the hall during this time years and information  about its building and then major refurbishment in the late 1980s with tea and cakes. In addition, there will be a re-dedication of the memorial cross which is in a memorial garden next to the hall. This will feature a short service with Ramsbury silver band and a group of enactors, The Wiltshires in the Great War.

• A quick seasonal reminder for dog walkers, that their pets (regardless of their temperament), will always be of concern to a prey animal like a sheep, especially when lambing is taking place. Panic in ewes from encountering dogs off lead may induce miscarriages. Click here for full guidelines from the National Sheep Association.

• Channel 4′s recent hard hitting docu-drama Dirty Business will have confirmed what most of us know, and many of us have experienced first hand, about the failure to protect our rivers from sewage pollution and the devastating consequence for both wildlife and people. Marlborough-based Action for the River Kennet has been highlighting this issue for more than twenty years. You can click here to read ARK’s thoughts about the programme and some of the messages it conveyed. You can add your voice to the call for clean water now on this page on the Rivers Trust website.

• Our Wiltshire are developing new Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for Marlborough, Tidworth and Ludgershall, Malmesbury, Bradford on Avon and Westbury and want feedback from local residents by 23 March. Your ideas will help design safer, more connected routes that make walking and cycling easier for everyone. As part of this consultation, you can add your comments directly onto an interactive map for each town, highlighting where improvements could make a real difference. To find out more click here.

• Marlborough Town Council gives notice to residents that, to enable resurfacing of the footpath, the Orchard Road Play Area will be temporarily closed over the Easter holidays. No specific dates have been given, as repairs are weather-dependent.

• Marlborough Cemetery is running out of space. The Town Council has been looking for a solution for many years and proposes to extend the cemetery onto part of Marlborough Common.  As the extension will be taking up common land, DEFRA requires the Town Council to offer a new area to become common land in compensation, and to gain agreement from the public. This page on the Marlborough TC website has more information on their proposal to create common land at Hawthorne Meadow and how you can have your say.

• Marlborough West Councillor Jane Davies reports that the deadline for both the food collection service and the reduced frequency of bin collections, given by DEFRA, for Wiltshire is 1 August 2027.

• The North Wessex Downs National Landscape team has commissioned a review of access in the North Wessex Downs. The aims are to identify barriers to access, gaps in provision and opportunities to improve peoples’ enjoyment of the landscape. To inform this work, they are keen to understand the experiences and views of both residents and visitors. To have your say click here to take part in their survey.

• Latest information and warnings about flooding in the Marlborough area can be found on the Flood dashboard and our Flooding page where you can also download Marlborough Town Council’s flooding advice leaflet.

• To see real-time sewage discharge in your area, have a look at Thames Water’s storm discharge map here.

• Greatwood charity is running a free accredited equine course for 16 to 24 year olds during the Easter holidays. For full details and contact information click here.

• The lack of social housing, particularly in rural areas,  is consistently under the spotlight, however, villages can source help in a number of ways. Click here for full details.

• A gentle reminder that Brian Quinn’s second volume of short stories and parodies, Gravity and Rust, is available from any bookshop, including the Hungerford Bookshop, the White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough and the Wantage Bookshop. For full info click here.

• Marlborough Town Council reminds residents to register for two free online courses, run by FACL, to help participants create and stick to a budget, identify good value for money, and reduce spending. To book a place, new learners need to complete an application form, which they can do on the phone or online here. Booking closes one week before the course. Learners can join one or both courses.

Community notices

• Have your say on current consultations by Wiltshire Council. Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• Wiltshire Connect on-demand bus service operating in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area can be booked using the online Booking Portal or with 01225 712900. It also operates a number of time-tabled and semi-flexible services in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area. To learn more click here.

• Marlborough Police would like to encourage people to join one of the many watch groups available through Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging. Farm Watch is the most appropriate for farmers and those living in rural areas of our beautiful county to receive alerts and crime prevention advice in real time for the area in which they live. It is a free service and you can join here.

• Scam reminders from Citizens Advice with most common types of scam. The golden rule is if something seems too good to be true or doesn’t feel right it might be a scam, so take a moment and get advice or just ask a friend.

• Marlborough Community Fridge in the Community Room in the George/Figgins Lane Car Park (just behind the public loos) is free to all and a good way to use up surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. See its Facebook page for details.

• If you fancy a go at walking rugby, then join a friendly bunch who meet up on Marlborough Common, at the rugby clubhouse, on Wednesday evenings between 7 and 8pm. For more information call 07864 012234.

• Girls Rugby in Marlborough offers lots of opportunities to get involved as players, sponsors or volunteers. See here for more details.

• If you have a baby or a child and live in, or near, Marlborough and under five years old, you can enrol them with Imagination.

• Aldbourne Repair Network has volunteer fixers who offer a way for you to repair your broken possessions and keep them out of landfill. To get started just email repairs@carbonneutralaldbourne.co.uk and one of the fixers will be in touch, or check out its website here for more details.

• Marlborough Common parkrun has plenty of different volunteering opportunities and you can still participate as some of the jobs are pre-event. If you’re going to walk, you could be a tailwalker or a parkwalker. Email marlboroughcommon@parkrun.com if you’d like to help out.

• Sick or dead wild birds might be infected with bird flu so please don’t touch them.  Report any dead wild birds you find to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. You can report it online or call 03459 33 55 77.

• An eco-friendly party kit can be hired from Burbage Primary School to reduce waste and help the planet. Click here to apply.

• Bruce Boats fully accessible canal boats based in Great Bedwyn is looking for more volunteers and has a wide range of interesting roles available.

• If you spot a fallen tree, an obstruction or any debris on the roads, please report it via Our Wiltshire and drive according to the conditions at all times. Report now here.

• All dogs are to be kept on leads at all times at Stonebridge Wild River Reserve, Marlborough during bird-nesting season. The designated wildlife site also has a breeding population of water vole, as well as many other vulnerable species.

• Carbon Neutral Aldbourne welcome ideas whether it’s ways to save energy and transition to renewable sources, reduce the amount of waste generated in the village, increase biodiversity or grow more food – they would love to hear from you.

• If you spot an Asian hornet please report it here or email alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.

• 1st Marlborough Rainbows is looking for volunteers. Please get in touch here if you are interested in helping four to seven-year-olds on their adventures.

• Wiltshire Connect buses now cover Marlborough. For more information on the service and to download the Connecting Wiltshire booking app, click here.

• Merlin’s Mound history and information can now be found at marlboroughmoundtrust.org.

• Reading Well book collection at Marlborough Library supports children and teens’ positive mental health. Chosen by children and teens themselves with health experts, these books are free to reserve and borrow from any Wiltshire library.

• Love Marlborough Kids makes sure all Marlborough children have access to free meals as required. No fuss, no forms, no referrals. Just meals for families who need them. See here for how to apply.

• Friends of the Victorian Cemetery is looking for more volunteers to join its existing group. Please email margaretrrose@hotmail.co.uk or check out marlborough-tc.gov.uk/the-victorian-cemetery.

• Wiltshire Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) locations and opening times.

• Marlborough Fire Station is looking for new on-call recruits, ideally those who live or work within five minutes of the station. Part-time, paid, only responding to emergencies when their alert goes off. Please see Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue to find out more and fill out an application.

• For the latest information on rail services between Bedwyn, Newbury and Paddington we strongly recommend following the Bedwyn Train Passenger Group.

Local events and activities

For more information on events and activities across the Penny Post area, see the website calendar.

• Dates for the diary

• Sat 14 Mar Comedy in Marlborough  Marlborough Town Hall.

• Fri 20 Mar  Marlborough Mayor’s Gala Dinner Marlborough Town Hall.

• Sat 21 Mar Jazz at the Movies St Peter’s, Marlborough.

• Sun 22 Mar Big Breakfast Memorial Hall, Aldbourne.

• Mon 23 Mar Art Workshop  The White Horse Bookshop, Marlborough

• Tue 25 Mar Ladies Who Latte Castle & Ball, Marlborough

• Thu 26 to Sat 28 Mar Absent Friends Marlborough Town Hall

• Sat 11 Apr Marlborough Heritage Networking Event Marlborough Town Hall

• Wed 22 Apr Frank Whittle The Jet Pioneer, Kennet Valley Hall, Marlborough

• Regular events

• Kennet Vale Table Tennis Club at Kennet Valley Hall. Juniors meet on Fridays from 5.45 to 7 pm. It is always on the lookout for adults to play socially or competitively. Call Richard on 07568 648468 to book a space.

• Sing-a-long and Social at St Mary’s Church Hall every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm. No need to be alone/lonely, come and have some relaxed fun with tea and biscuits. Call Anna on 07852 191378 for information.

• Ramsbury Horticultural Society welcomes new members and organises events and trips – see details here ramsburyhortsoc.co.uk.

• Walking Rugby at Marlborough Rugby Club. Email simon.barter1@btinternet.com for full details or call him on 07734 724139.

• Aldbourne Curry Club invites you to a monthly feast on the third Tuesday of the month at The Burj curry restaurant in Wanborough, in aid of Aldbourne Community Junction. See details here and how to book.

• St Mary’s Marlborough Bellringers welcomes new members (no previous experience required). Contact marlborough.branch@outlook.com or phone Julie on 07392 768266.

• Marlborough Walking Football offers exercise and friendship. Ideal for the over-50s, meeting on Mondays at 6pm for more details see here.

• Carer Café at the Jubilee Centre, 28 Marlborough High Street on the fourth Tuesday of the month, from 10:30am to 12noon. No booking required. Join in on a relaxed chat over a hot drink with other carers and support workers or volunteers from Carer Support Wiltshire.

• Rhyme Time for babies and toddlers, every Wednesday and Friday 11am 11.30am at Marlborough Library. If you don’t already have a library membership, please sign yourself and your child up before you attend.

• Great Bedwyn Stay and Play is on Mondays during term time 1pm to 2.30pm at Great Bedwyn Village Hall. There are games and free play with lots of themed music to enjoy with your little one. All are welcome. Prices for sessions can be found on its Facebook page.

• Transition Marlborough Hub Group meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7.30pm currently by Zoom. To get involved please email enquiries@transitionmarlborough.org.

• Marlborough Park Run is a free, weekly, timed 5km walk, jog or run at 9am every Saturday. Open to all ages and abilities. Organised entirely by volunteers. Click here to see its Facebook page.

• The Stroke Association monthly drop-in support sessions at The Jubilee Centre for stroke survivors, their families and carers on Monday mornings. See here for the next date. For more details contact Katie Fielding on 07908 952740 or katie.fielding@stroke.org.uk.

• Marlborough Floral Club meets at 2pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Mildenhall Village Hall. For details please see here or call Micky Graham on 01672 514301.

• The Menopause Matters Marlborough Facebook group provides a forum for women in Marlborough and the surrounding areas to access information and support relating to menopause.

• The White Horse Bookshop is offering workshops until the end of the year, click here for the full list.

News from your local councils

Note: “the most recent meeting” refers to the most recent one for which minutes (in some cases draft) or some other summary is available. Other meetings may have taken place since. Some councils publish minutes more promptly than do others. If the link is scored through this may be because draft minutes have been replaced by approved ones and the drafts file deleted. If so, please follow the links provided to the council’s website.

• The most recent full meeting of Marlborough Town Council for which minutes are available took place on 26 January and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: public questions; crime and disorder; questions to and from Wiltshire Councillors; the Mayor’s announcements; the Cemetery; and the Herbert Leaf Charity.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Town Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for the latest on Marlborough’s neighbourhood development plan.

• The most recent meeting of Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: repairs and maintenance; roads and footpaths; financial matters; councillor vacancies; and flooding issues.
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings and agendas, please click here. To see the minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council, for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can download the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; a report from the Ward Member; highways; speeding; and repairs and maintenance.
To see the dates and agendas for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Wanborough Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 23 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: footpaths; a new bench; financial matters; a report from the Ward member, the Clerk and the Chair; repairs and maintenance; planning matters; communications; Hooper’s Field; the allotments; a cycling and walking consultation; footpaths and highways; and the spring clean event (28 March).
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. To see the agendas and minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 16 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: matters arising; correspondence; financial matters; play areas; the allotments; rights of way; repairs and maintenance; the nature reserve; the Fire Station; planning matters; parking charges; the Parish Steward; and vandalism.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Chiseldon Parish Council for which minutes are available, took place on 9 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: actions from the previous meeting; the Ward members report; police and community report; planning matters; council leases; financial matters; and risk assessments.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Aldbourne Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 4 February and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for more information on Aldbourne’s neighbourhood development plan (which has now been ratified).

• The most recent meeting of Great Bedwyn Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 8 January and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. 

• The most recent meeting of Savernake Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 8 October and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. 

• Click here for a list of current consultations being run by Wiltshire Council.

• Marlborough area council contacts

Parishes: Marlborough Town Council, Aldbourne Parish Council, Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council, Great Bedwyn Parish Council, Savernake Parish Council, Chiseldon Parish Council, Ogbourne St George Parish Council, Wanborough Parish Council, Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council  and Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council.

Wiltshire Council: click here to visit the website.

• News from other areas

• Penny Post area: see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn Valley; Newbury area; Thatcham area; Compton and Downlands; Burghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.
• News and views from across the area and beyond: see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

• Other news

• Last chance to nominate your community heroes for The Community Champions Award by Friday 6 March. Pick up a nomination form from Marlborough Town Council Office or download one here. Awards will be presented at the Annual Town Meeting on the evening of 27 April.

• Action for the River Kennet (ARK) invites all to the annual review of the Stonebridge Wild River Reserve, a jointly owned 15 acre water meadow near Marlborough with the Kennet flowing through it. The event is on Tuesday 10 March from 6pm to 7pm in Marlborough Town Hall.

• A quick seasonal reminder for dog walkers, that their pets (regardless of their temperament), will always be of concern to a prey animal like a sheep, especially when lambing is taking place. Panic in ewes from encountering dogs off lead may induce miscarriages. Click here for full guidelines from the National Sheep Association.

• Our Wiltshire are developing new Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for Marlborough, Tidworth and Ludgershall, Malmesbury, Bradford on Avon and Westbury and want feedback from local residents by 23 March. Your ideas will help design safer, more connected routes that make walking and cycling easier for everyone. As part of this consultation, you can add your comments directly onto an interactive map for each town, highlighting where improvements could make a real difference. To find out more click here.

• Marlborough Town Council gives notice to residents that, to enable resurfacing of the footpath, the Orchard Road Play Area will be temporarily closed over the Easter holidays. No specific dates have been given, as repairs are weather dependent.

• If you fancy being involved in something creative this year, St Peter’s Marlborough is looking for volunteers to set up and take down the stage, put out chairs, support the box office and generally help run events. In return you will attend a range of concerts and events free. Email suzy.b@stpetersmarlborough.org.uk for more information.

• Marlborough Cemetery is running out of space. The Town Council has been looking for a solution for many years and proposes to extend the cemetery onto part of Marlborough Common.  As the extension will be taking up common land, DEFRA requires the Town Council to offer a new area to become common land in compensation, and to gain agreement from the public. This page on the Marlborough TC website has more information on their proposal to create common land at Hawthorne Meadow and how you can have your say.

• In an effort to address the rise in tool thefts, Thames Valley Police are giving away free tool-marking kits (including faraday pouches and anti-theft number plate screws) for trades people in the area. Click here to apply for a kit while stocks last. TVP are also running free tool-marking sessions – see here for dates and locations.

• Marlborough West Councillor Jane Davies reports that the deadline for both the food collection service and the reduced frequency of bin collections, given by DEFRA, for Wiltshire is 1 August 2027.

• The North Wessex Downs National Landscape team has commissioned a review of access in the North Wessex Downs. The aims are to identify barriers to access, gaps in provision and opportunities to improve peoples’ enjoyment of the landscape. To inform this work, they are keen to understand the experiences and views of both residents and visitors. To have your say click here to take part in their survey.

• On the afternoon of Saturday 7 March, Marlborough is reviving the age old tradition of ale tasting. “If the ale served meets the Town Crier’s exacting standards a certificate will be awarded,” a statement from the Town Council says. This adds that “This tradition dates back to the 1300s and was an important task in the past when it was safer to drink beer than to drink water.” Marlborough TC will publish the itinerary closer to the date: “seven establishments have already signed up,” I was told this week, “hopefully with more to come.”

• Aldbourne Curry Club invites you to a monthly feast on the third Tuesday of the month at The Burj curry restaurant in Wanborough, in aid of Aldbourne Community Junction. See details here and how to book.

• Latest information and warnings about flooding in the Marlborough area can be found on the Flood dashboard and our Flooding page where you can also download Marlborough Town Council’s flooding advice leaflet.

• To see real-time sewage discharge in your area, have a look at Thames Water’s storm discharge map here.

• Greatwood charity is running a free accredited equine course for 16 to 24 year olds during the Easter holidays. For full details and contact information click here.

• Quick reminder that if you see a sick or dead wild bird, it might be infected with bird flu so please don’t touch it.  Report any dead wild birds you find to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. You can report it online or call 03459 33 55 77.

• The lack of social housing, particularly in rural areas,  is consistently under the spotlight, however, villages can source help in a number of ways. Click here for full details.

• A gentle reminder that Brian Quinn’s second volume of short stories and parodies, Gravity and Rust, is now available from any bookshop, including the Hungerford Bookshop, the White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough and the Wantage Bookshop. For full info click here.

• Marlborough Town Council reminds residents to register for two free online courses, run by FACL, to help participants create and stick to a budget, identify good value for money, and reduce spending. To book a place, new learners need to complete an application form, which they can do on the phone or online here. Booking closes one week before the course. Learners can join one or both courses.

Community notices

• Have your say on current consultations by Wiltshire Council. Parish and town councils also run consultations from time to time: see the appropriate website/s below under Council contacts.

• Wiltshire Connect on-demand bus service operating in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area can be booked using the online Booking Portal or with 01225 712900. It also operates a number of time-tabled and semi-flexible services in the Pewsey Vale and Marlborough area. To learn more click here.

• Marlborough Police would like to encourage people to join one of the many watch groups available through Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging. Farm Watch is the most appropriate for farmers and those living in rural areas of our beautiful county to receive alerts and crime prevention advice in real time for the area in which they live. It is a free service and you can join here.

• Scam reminders from Citizens Advice with most common types of scam. The golden rule is if something seems too good to be true or doesn’t feel right it might be a scam, so take a moment and get advice or just ask a friend.

• Marlborough Community Fridge in the Community Room in the George/Figgins Lane Car Park (just behind the public loos) is free to all and a good way to use up surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. See its Facebook page for details.

• If you fancy a go at walking rugby, then join a friendly bunch who meet up on Marlborough Common, at the rugby clubhouse, on Wednesday evenings between 7 and 8pm. For more information call 07864 012234.

• Girls Rugby in Marlborough offers lots of opportunities to get involved as players, sponsors or volunteers. See here for more details.

• If you have a baby or a child and live in, or near, Marlborough and under five years old, you can enrol them with Imagination.

• Aldbourne Repair Network has volunteer fixers who offer a way for you to repair your broken possessions and keep them out of landfill. To get started just email repairs@carbonneutralaldbourne.co.uk and one of the fixers will be in touch, or check out its website here for more details.

• Marlborough Common parkrun has plenty of different volunteering opportunities and you can still participate as some of the jobs are pre-event. If you’re going to walk, you could be a tailwalker or a parkwalker. Email marlboroughcommon@parkrun.com if you’d like to help out.

• An eco-friendly party kit can be hired from Burbage Primary School to reduce waste and help the planet. Click here to apply.

• Bruce Boats fully accessible canal boats based in Great Bedwyn is looking for more volunteers and has a wide range of interesting roles available.

• If you spot a fallen tree, an obstruction or any debris on the roads, please report it via Our Wiltshire and drive according to the conditions at all times. Report now here.

• All dogs are to be kept on leads at all times at Stonebridge Wild River Reserve, Marlborough during bird-nesting season. The designated wildlife site also has a breeding population of water vole, as well as many other vulnerable species.

• Carbon Neutral Aldbourne welcome ideas whether it’s ways to save energy and transition to renewable sources, reduce the amount of waste generated in the village, increase biodiversity or grow more food – they would love to hear from you.

• If you spot an Asian hornet please report it here or email alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.

• 1st Marlborough Rainbows is looking for volunteers. Please get in touch here if you are interested in helping four to seven-year-olds on their adventures.

• Wiltshire Connect buses now cover Marlborough. For more information on the service and to download the Connecting Wiltshire booking app, click here.

• Merlin’s Mound history and information can now be found at marlboroughmoundtrust.org.

• Reading Well book collection at Marlborough Library supports children and teens’ positive mental health. Chosen by children and teens themselves with health experts, these books are free to reserve and borrow from any Wiltshire library.

• Love Marlborough Kids makes sure all Marlborough children have access to free meals as required. No fuss, no forms, no referrals. Just meals for families who need them. See here for how to apply.

• Friends of the Victorian Cemetery is looking for more volunteers to join its existing group. Please email margaretrrose@hotmail.co.uk or check out marlborough-tc.gov.uk/the-victorian-cemetery.

• Wiltshire Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) locations and opening times.

• Marlborough Fire Station is looking for new on-call recruits, ideally those who live or work within five minutes of the station. Part-time, paid, only responding to emergencies when their alert goes off. Please see Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue to find out more and fill out an application.

• For the latest information on rail services between Bedwyn, Newbury and Paddington we strongly recommend following the Bedwyn Train Passenger Group.

Local events and activities

For more information on events and activities across the Penny Post area, see the website calendar.

• Dates for the diary

• Fri 6 Mar Singer guitarist Martin Simpson St. Peter’s Marlborough

• Sat 7 Mar Ale Tasting Marlborough’s Pubs

• Sat 7 Mar Ghost Hunt The Merchant’s House.

• Sat 7 Mar Needle Felt Wren Workshop Manton Village Hall Marlborough

• Sun 8 Mar Birds of Bay Meadows Guided Walk Tin Pit Marlborough

• Sun 8 Mar Sinfonia Smith Square Memorial Hall, Marlborough College

• Tue 10 Mar Stonebridge Management Plan Annual Review, Marlborough Town Hall

• Thur 26 – Sat 28 Mar Absent Friends Marlborough Town Hall

• Sat 11 Apr Marlborough Heritage Networking Event Marlborough Town Hall

• Fri 20 Mar Gala Dinner Marlborough Town Hall

• Sun 22 Mar Big Breakfast Memorial Hall Aldbourne.

• Thu 26 – Sat 28 Mar Absent Friends Marlborough Town Hall

• Regular events

• Kennet Vale Table Tennis Club at Kennet Valley Hall. Juniors meet on Fridays from 5.45 to 7 pm. It is always on the lookout for adults to play socially or competitively. Call Richard on 07568 648468 to book a space.

• Sing-a-long and Social at St Mary’s Church Hall every Tuesday from 6pm to 7pm. No need to be alone/lonely, come and have some relaxed fun with tea and biscuits. Call Anna on 07852 191378 for information.

• Ramsbury Horticultural Society welcomes new members and organises events and trips – see details here ramsburyhortsoc.co.uk.

• Walking Rugby at Marlborough Rugby Club. Email simon.barter1@btinternet.com for full details or call him on 07734 724139.

• St Mary’s Marlborough Bellringers welcomes new members (no previous experience required). Contact marlborough.branch@outlook.com or phone Julie on 07392 768266.

• Marlborough Walking Football offers exercise and friendship. Ideal for the over-50s, meeting on Mondays at 6pm for more details see here.

• Carer Café at the Jubilee Centre, 28 Marlborough High Street on the fourth Tuesday of the month, from 10:30am to 12noon. No booking required. Join in on a relaxed chat over a hot drink with other carers and support workers or volunteers from Carer Support Wiltshire.

• Rhyme Time for babies and toddlers, every Wednesday and Friday 11am 11.30am at Marlborough Library. If you don’t already have a library membership, please sign yourself and your child up before you attend.

• Great Bedwyn Stay and Play is on Mondays during term time 1pm to 2.30pm at Great Bedwyn Village Hall. There are games and free play with lots of themed music to enjoy with your little one. All are welcome. Prices for sessions can be found on its Facebook page.

• Transition Marlborough Hub Group meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7.30pm currently by Zoom. To get involved please email enquiries@transitionmarlborough.org.

• Marlborough Park Run is a free, weekly, timed 5km walk, jog or run at 9am every Saturday. Open to all ages and abilities. Organised entirely by volunteers. Click here to see its Facebook page.

• The Stroke Association monthly drop-in support sessions at The Jubilee Centre for stroke survivors, their families and carers on Monday mornings. See here for the next date. For more details contact Katie Fielding on 07908 952740 or katie.fielding@stroke.org.uk.

• Marlborough Floral Club meets at 2pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Mildenhall Village Hall. For details please see here or call Micky Graham on 01672 514301.

• The Menopause Matters Marlborough Facebook group provides a forum for women in Marlborough and the surrounding areas to access information and support relating to menopause.

• The White Horse Bookshop is offering workshops until the end of the year, click here for the full list.

News from your local councils

Note: “the most recent meeting” refers to the most recent one for which minutes (in some cases draft) or some other summary is available. Other meetings may have taken place since. Some councils publish minutes more promptly than do others. If the link is scored through this may be because draft minutes have been replaced by approved ones and the drafts file deleted. If so, please follow the links provided to the council’s website.

• The most recent full meeting of Marlborough Town Council for which minutes are available took place on 26 January and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: public questions; crime and disorder; questions to and from Wiltshire Councillors; the Mayor’s announcements; the Cemetery; and the Herbert Leaf Charity.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Town Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for the latest on Marlborough’s neighbourhood development plan.

• The most recent meeting of Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council, for which minutes are available took place on 2 March and you can download the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; a report from the Ward Member; highways; speeding; and repairs and maintenance.
To see the dates and agendas for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Wanborough Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 23 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: footpaths; a new bench; financial matters; a report from the Ward member, the Clerk and the Chair; repairs and maintenance; planning matters; communications; Hooper’s Field; the allotments; a cycling and walking consultation; footpaths and highways; and the spring clean event (28 March).
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. To see the agendas and minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 16 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: matters arising; correspondence; financial matters; play areas; the allotments; rights of way; repairs and maintenance; the nature reserve; the Fire Station; planning matters; parking charges; the Parish Steward; and vandalism.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Chiseldon Parish Council for which minutes are available, took place on 9 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: actions from the previous meeting; the Ward members report; police and community report; planning matters; council leases; financial matters; and risk assessments.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Aldbourne Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 4 February and you can read the minutes here. Items covered included: planning matters; outstanding items; financial matters; the possible closure of Ramsbury Fire Station; leases; repairs and maintenance; proposed funding cuts from Wiltshire Council; and Councillor reports.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. Click here for more information on Aldbourne’s neighbourhood development plan (which has now been ratified).

• The most recent meeting of Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 12 January and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates of future Parish Council meetings and agendas, please click here. To see the minutes, please click here.

• The most recent meeting of Great Bedwyn Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 8 January and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. 

• The most recent meeting of Savernake Parish Council for which minutes are available took place on 8 October and you can read the minutes here.
To see the dates, agendas and minutes for future Parish Council meetings (including any committees), please click here. 

• Click here for a list of current consultations being run by Wiltshire Council.

• Marlborough area council contacts

Parishes: Marlborough Town Council, Aldbourne Parish Council, Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council, Great Bedwyn Parish Council, Savernake Parish Council, Chiseldon Parish Council, Ogbourne St George Parish Council, Wanborough Parish Council, Bishopstone and Hinton Parva Parish Council  and Ogbourne St Andrew Parish Council.

Wiltshire Council: click here to visit the website.

• News from other areas

• Penny Post area: see the following separate sections: Hungerford area; Lambourn Valley; Newbury area; Thatcham area; Compton and Downlands; Burghfield area; Wantage area; Marlborough area.
• News and views from across the area and beyond: see the most recent Weekly News with Brian column.

Archives

Please click here to see the earlier columns for this (and all the other) weekly news sections.