Ellen
The news this month is dominated by the sad news that, after nearly six years
of dedicated service to the Chalke Valley Community as manager of the HUB,
Ellen has decided that it is time for her to move on to pastures new. It goes
without saying how much all her hard work is appreciated. Without her
energy and enthusiasm there is no doubt the HUB would not be enjoying the
success it does today. Ellen’s departure date has not yet been finalised as
she has generously offered to be available for a handover period once her
successor has been appointed. There will be further announcements about a
leaving party when we will all have the opportunity to thank her publicly for
everything she has done. In the meantime a search is well underway to find
her replacement and although this will be difficult, there is, thanks to Ellen, a
very positive platform for someone new to build on.
Thank you Ellen from us all for your enormous contribution to the HUB.
You will be sorely missed but we wish you every success in whatever you decide to do next.

OTHER NEWS
A new supplier. We will now be stocking Premium Organic Beer from a new
larger-based brewery in the Wylye Valley called Blonde Brothers. The ethos
of the Brewery is to combine the highest organic and environmental standards
with the latest technology and brewing techniques. Their beers are gluten-free
and vegan friendly. The barley is grown on the family farm and brewed with
water from their own bore hole.
Blonde Brothers describe their beers as “clean tasting and balanced…..a contemporary fresh flavour for everyday patrons of honest beer”.

Organic milk
Due to popular demand we are going to start stocking organic milk again
starting with 2 litre semi skimmed cartons and add other sizes as required.

Fresh flowers
Also we are going to start selling fresh flowers again. These will be delivered
each Friday. A typical price for a bunch of seasonal flowers will be about £5.

Forthcoming events
Pancake Day – 5 th March- Shrove Tuesday
Pancake Day comes from the old English custom of using up all the fattening
ingredients in the house so that people were ready to fast before Lent. The
fattening ingredients that most people had in their houses in those days were
eggs and milk. A simple recipe to use up these ingredients was to combine
them with some flour and make pancakes!
To maintain this custom pancakes will definitely be on sale in the Coffee Shop
on Shrove Tuesday!

Mothering Sunday -31 st March
Once observed as a day on which people would visit their "mother" church, it
has become an occasion for honoring the mothers of children and giving them
presents. On this particular day it is most fitting that the HUB is located in a
church and that, at the same time, we are able to stock a selection of suitable
gifts and cards to show appreciation for all that mothers do for their families.

The Annual Members’ meeting will be held in the Broadchalke Village Hall
on Thursday 21 st March starting at 7.30pm. A formal notice will be issued
nearer the time.

Kitchen refurbishment
Remember that the Coffee Shop will be closed from Friday 22 February and
all being well, will open again on Monday 4 th March.

Quotes from the visitors book:
“I have never experienced anything like it. Very cosy.”
“What a brilliant set up. Great use of the building. The apple cake was
stunning”.
“Best use of a church I have seen in decades”,