Green Nappies has been supporting the 12th annual Real Nappy Week, April 21st - 27th; The Green Nappies team arranged to visit various groups to promote the use of cotton nappies. The picture shows Robyn attending the 'Time for Play' session organized by the Ross Children's Centre held at the Ryefield Centre in Ross.

Wyenot News received a letter from Mrs. Joan James, who is researching her husband's grandfather John Sampson James.

After a previous enquiry, Joan was informed that John brought back a memorial from India, where he served as a soldier until 1878. It bears the inscription: 'Brought home from India by John S James where he spent 7 years as soldier in India before marriage.' It also has the name Pte Joseph Frank Magill on the front and Joan thinks that this may have been erected somewhere in Ross-on-Wye.

Joan would also like to hear from anybody who might know of any books that would have been written regarding the period 1800 to 1880's about the area of Ross and if they are still available.

If you have any information that may be helpful to Joan, she can be contacted by email at joanald@iinet.net.au

Local music gets a boost on Thursday, 29th May when Wye Valley Music gives its opening Gala Concert in the Great Hall of Eastnor Castle. Soloists from Cardiff's International Academy Of Voice will perform a sparkling selection of arias, duets and quartets by great composers from Mozart, through Donizetti, Rossini and Bizet to Puccini and Verdi.

This is a rare opportunity to hear opera sung by world class voices being coached for top roles at the leading Houses. The show will be introduced with wit and wisdom by Norman White, creator of the famous Prima Voce CD label of historic singers.

Eastnor Castle, the early 19th century, mediaeval-style home to the Hervey-Bathurst family, has hosted a number of successful musical and cultural events in the recent past and the Great Hall is a spectacular venue for a prestige occasion.. This is a 'by invitation' fund-raising event and tickets are £40 each, to include wine and canapés whilst viewing the castle and grounds during the interval. If you would like to be there, send a cheque for tickets to Wye Valley Music, PO Box 143, Chepstow, NP16 9AE.

WVM is a new venture by St Briavels Music Society, who attract musicians of national and international standing to play for enthusiastic audiences in a Gloucestershire village church. There is a strong association with the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival, which gives concert series in venues from St Briavels to Hereford in September and January. The aim now is to promote top class musicians at different stages of their careers. This will include leading orchestras as well as intimate ensembles. One plan is to repeat concerts in different places, to attract artists who won't travel for a single event. At the same time, it provides convenient access to inspiring performances of a high, professional standard to music lovers from all parts of Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Gloucestershire and beyond.

To create wonderful music, performers need not only wonderful instruments but a hall that truly projects the sounds they mean to play. St Briavels church is almost perfect and other venues are being carefully chosen for their sound quality as well as convenience. The WVM orchestral concerts hope to use Wyastone Concert Hall which has all the attributes of a bright, clear acoustic, a good stage and a Steinway, excellent access from the Monmouth-Ross highway, a beautiful location and easy parking. Put all these things together, and it seems a golden opportunity to turn the Wye Valley into an Area of Outstanding Musical Activity. 'Wye Valley Music will continue its St Briavels concerts and, by adding other suitable venues, expects to promote first-rate concerts throughout the year for the benefit of a much wider public,' said Keith Norman, chairman of the St Briavels society.

WVM is a charity run entirely by volunteers. It's always looking for more volunteers to get their teeth into a variety of interesting and more or less demanding tasks. If you think you might want to help, contact edgar@wvm.org.uk

Ross Rowing Club started the competitive regatta season in fine style at Evesham, picking up 9 wins over the weekend including the prestigious Victor ludorum for the most successful club on the Sunday.

This high class, well run event attracts a wide range of competitors and the Ross club found strong competition in all events. On Saturday over a shortened course due to the river conditions, the honours were taken by the WJ14 2x of Rosie Lindley and Kelly Morris and in the WJ15 2x of Katie and Louise Hudd. Both crews rowed in exemplary style in wine through their semi finals and comprehensively win their respective finals. Ellie Blackwood had the toughest competition of the day winning through 3 rounds to loose narrowly in her final to her local Worcester rival and the WJ14 quad of Rosie Lindley, Kelly Morris & Lucy Jones, Morgan Baynham Wiliams and Olivia Baynham Williams lost in their very competitive final to a strong crew from Gloucester. The Ladies Novice iv of Geena, Watling, Hannah Jones, Emily Preece, Jasmine Brandram Jones worked having won their quarter final lost to the eventual winners in their semi final. Many thanks must be given to Kate who ably coxed the four at short notice. From the men's squad the senior 3 eight were will beaten by a much younger (j16) Royal Grammar School crew and the men's double scull were also beaten by local rivals Hereford.

Continued . . .

Fortunes changed dramatically on Sunday. The first win of the day was provided by Ellie Grindle and Amy Surman who dominated their Wj12 doubles event, the it was the turn of the men's squad. First up was the men's Vet C eight, of Phil Davies, Graham Watling, Ian Howell, Jonathon Preece, Phil Palmer, Dave Sykes, Richard Ceci and Dave Morris coxed by Morgan Baynham Wiliams racing against a highly competitive Bristol Ariel Crew won their Sprint final by half a length. Momentum was swinging now in Ross's favour. Almost the next race down was the final of the men's Snr 2 double sculls. Borris Darcy and Joe Bunting learning from the previous days defeat sharpen up their technique and convincingly beat their opposition. Finally in the morning it was the turn of the clubs youngest competitive members who made up the J11 quads. Helped out by j16's Jasmine Brandram Jones and Geena Watling, the quads made up from Isabelle Godden, Georgie Jones, Olivia Baynham Williams, Gregory Fitz Horswell, Nick Burden, Jess Crossman stole the show. The entire crowd stopped and watch in amazement at the quality and tenacity of these Junior Academy graduates. After an incredibly close run race it was the crew of Geena Watling, Olivia, Georgie and Jess that won by the closest of margins.

In the afternoon the winning continued. Amy and Ellie repeated their success of the morning by winning the Wj13 2x and the Wj14 4x avenged their loss their previous day by convincingly over hauling the Gloucester boat. The highlight of the whole day has to be the success of the ladies novice iv of Geena, Watling, Hannah Jones, Emily Preece, Jasmine Brandram Jones coxed by Morgan Brandram Jones. Having convincingly won their Semi final they were up against a older crew from Avon County. The crew delivered a perfect race winning by a large margin to the delight of their coach Alex Woodwood. This meant Ross had total haul of 7 wins meaning they took the coveted Victor Ludorum as the most successful club on the day. The margin of success could have been much bigger as the clubs crews competed in another 3 finals that afternoon the closest being Elle Blackwood after dead heating in her semi final and then winning the re-row. She dead heated again in her final only too loose narrowly to her Worcester rival in the re-row. Congratulations also need to be given to the Vet Ladies Crew of Karen Blackwood, Jackie Baynham Wiliams, Dawn Evans and Leigh Howell coxed by Sheron Dean Lucas who won their first competitive race as a crew only to be beaten in the final.

Continued . . .

While this event was taking place Ross had another crew attending the premier level Wallingford regatta. This crew of Chris Mellor, Steve Tuck, Anthony Dixon Gough, Roland Robinson and Coxed by Fraser Blackwood competing in their first event together over the Olympic Regatta course posted the 5th fasted time of the day in their event and were unfortunate not to make the final. This is a tremendous performance and puts the crew on course for their quest to qualify for Henley in July This tremendous success can only be achieved by a huge amount of support and the club would like to thank the coaches especially John Lewis, Robin Fletcher, Jackie Baynham Williams, Alex Woodwood for their work with the Juniors, Jane Delicata for the Men's squad and Sheron Dean Lucas and Ruth Davies for their work with the ladies squad and the supporting parents who got stuck in and helped throughout the day. Overall it was a remarkable start to the regatta season.

Ross-on-Wye Weather Station is located by the tennis courts and bowling green at 'Crossfields' and is one of the important stations around the country which regularly sends data to the Meteorological Office. This is why Ross-on-Wye is sometimes mentioned on the BBC weather reports. It is currently still a manually monitored station and readings are taken twice per day by husband and wife team, June and Rex Swallow.

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