Willow Brook Townswomen’s Guild
You may have heard that the National Townswomen’s Guild Charity is closing in January 2026. However, we are pleased to say that Willow Brook Townswomen’s Guild is not closing and that we will still meet on the second Tuesday in every month at 7.30pm in the Jubilee Centre, Savage Wood Road, Bradley Stoke.
Willow Brook Townswomen’s Guild has been meeting in the Jubilee Centre since 2009 and has enjoyed craft evenings, talks on a variety of subjects and sometimes party nights.
We are a friendly group of mixed-aged women who love to meet for a variety of social activities. We meet in the evening to give women who work or have young children the opportunity to attend. As well as our monthly meetings, we also have a monthly meet and chat group, a book club, ladies who lunch events, coach trips, a cinema group and a walking group.
Our 2026 programme is as follows: 13 January – AGM and a talk about fire safety in the home; 10 February – A talk about the Brightwell Centre; 10 March – A talk about Next Link; 14 April – Sashiko craft night; 12 May – A talk on Children’s Hospice South West; 9 June – Party night with a 1960s theme; 14 July – A talk about hearing dogs; 11 August – A talk about space; 8 September – A talk about postcards; 13 October – Autumn craft night; 10 November – A Dickensian Christmas evening; and 8 December – Christmas party.
Willow Brook Townswomen’s Guild would love to welcome you to any of our meetings. For further information, contact Jannice on 01454 615040; Ros on rosalindg@tiscali.co.uk; or visit our Facebook page: facebook.com/WillowBrookTG
Stoke Gifford WI
Our new President, Jo Janes, welcomed members to our first meeting of a new year on Wednesday 7 January.
Our speaker this evening was Vera Seaman, who told us how she and her husband decided to buy a very run-down shop and apply to have it opened as a Post Office in a less-well served area of Lockleaze. All the equipment needed to house and run a Post Office, such as a safe, counter and screen, were delivered and they opened in July 1977. They had a trainer come to show them how to deal with selling stamps, paying pensions, postal orders, special delivery parcels, savings bank accounts and giros. Every Friday afternoon at 5.15pm, they had to do a balance of every item sold that week, which all had to be done by hand.
The locals were very supportive of having a Post Office open in the area and Vera got to know the regular customers well, so when the occasional unknown person came in trying to cash a giro, or draw money from a pension book or a National Savings book, it was necessary that she and her employee were fully aware of any stolen items, to refuse to cash them and to confiscate the evidence.
Their premises were raided overnight on a couple of occasions but very little was taken. At that time there was a film crew coming to film the TV series Casualty and, as cameras were fitted on one of the buildings nearby, anyone perpetrating a crime might get caught and the raids stopped.
Vera enjoyed her life and service for the Post Office. However, when the problems with the Horizon computing system threw up so many anomalies it became very unpleasant. It was always deemed to be the Postmasters’ fault that there were money shortages, which caused previously loyal customers to question who was responsible. This caused the demise of the local service and the Post Office was closed down.
At our next meeting on Wednesday 4 February, speakers from the Great Western Air Ambulance will be visiting us.
Visitors will always find a warm welcome at our WI group which is held on the first Wednesday of the month in the Trust Hall, Stoke Gifford, so please come along and join us.
Patchway Men’s Shed
A place to tinker, chat, laugh… and maybe even measure a few things properly.
Are you looking for a new challenge in 2026 or just looking to get out of the house for a few hours each week? Did you know there’s a local Men’s Shed group here in Patchway? No? You’re not alone and that’s exactly why we thought we’d like to take a moment to tell you a little more about who we are, what we do and why you might want to pop in and say “hello”.
Let’s face it, once work life ends, a lot of men find themselves wondering, “What now?” The mates from work aren’t around every day, and it can get surprisingly quiet – and lonely – pretty quickly.
While there are plenty of groups out there, they’re often not quite the right fit for men who just want a bit of banter, a project to get stuck into, or even just a cuppa with good company. That’s exactly why our Men’s Shed came into being.
From humble beginnings, we now have a spacious modern workshop, large covered outdoor working area and, most recently, a Tech Shed.
Now, before you panic at the mention of ‘work’, let us reassure you – what goes on in our Shed is far from hard graft. It’s more like: hobby, a bit of DIY (when we feel like it), plenty of laughs and light-hearted teasing, and, of course, tea, biscuits and some great company.
We’ve got members in their 80s and others still in their 50s (and younger). So whether you fancy learning a new skill, dusting off an old one, or simply enjoying a bit of chat over a cuppa, come and join us.
We’re always happy to welcome new faces. So don’t be a stranger. Come and see what all the fuss is about at your local Men’s Shed, we’ll put the kettle on.
You can find us on Facebook (just search Patchway Men’s Shed) or look us up via the UK Men’s Sheds Association website – we’re listed on the “Find a Shed” page. Or simply pop in and visit us at the Blakeney Road allotment site in Patchway.
We meet every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9.30am to 1pm. We look forward to seeing you in the shed soon.