Bramley Bonfire

Once again the Bramley Bonfire was a huge success. Although haunted by torrential rain for the days and hours before the event when it really mattered conditions were mild and dry leading to a brilliantly large turn-out.
As always the focus of the night is to make sure Bramley residents have a great firework display and bonfire to celebrate Guy Fawkes night and reduce the number of back-garden fires and displays.
The Bramley Bonfire has been running for over fifty years now and is entirely organised and run by volunteers; everyone you encounter on the night is a friend, neighbour or family member from the village, and is one of the reasons that Bramley is such a special place to live.
The Bonfire committee would like to express their heartfelt thanks to all those who step-up and ensure the night happens safely and successfully. 
To everyone that marshals, staffs the food stalls, performs the torch selling, and bonfire-building, thank you so much, and we hope that as well as providing an essential role you have a great night in the process!
Additionally, we are very fortunate to have a large number of people providing support in lots of different forms. From a long list we would like to thank:

• Lord Archie Hamilton has been essential for us being able to put on the event for more than half a century by kindly permitting us to use his field for the event. As a village we are so lucky to benefit from such generosity.
• In order for the tractor ride to the field to delight so many children we have Will Elliott from Whipley Manor Farm, Colin Parrott and Richard Chittenden to thank. They give up their evenings to drive the tractors and trailers to the event and ensure memories are made for young families. Thank you so much!
• Helen Blissett from Rooks Hill Farm supports us all year round with access to the trailer and the other support that is essential for both the bonfire and the village fete.
• Stephen and Margaret Darvill are perennial supporters who kindly allow both the bonfire and fete to have storage space. On top of that, they both contribute hugely to all village events.
• Aurora Fireworks provide a fantastic display for us every year (not surprising considering they have been national champions) and their continued support is gratefully received.
• Our little village benefits from having a fantastic butchers in the form of Kilfeather and Dumbrill’s and this year we were able to serve sausages as well as burgers from them, ensuring that we could proudly provide high quality and local food.
• The bonfire structure itself does not appear pout of nowhere and the pallets and dressing materials are kindly donated by local businesses. Whipley Manor Farm and Ash Vale Sawmill have been essential for us to have the building materials to create such a large bonfire.
• Chris Essex from Four Counties Thatching provided us with the materials to dress the bonfire structure this year meaning we had a fantastic looking bonfire that burned predictably when the weather was so unpredictable! Hopefully Chris’ support will mean we can develop the style of the bonfire even more next year!
• Thanks must also go to our village firework makers who hand-make all of the ground display which they theme every year and is another fantastic tradition we enjoy. Seeing themes when it is revealed and the moving elements is always a great moment!
• Bramley Parish Council always provide essential support for the logistics and operation of the night and this is a year-round task so it is very important we recognise their support and offer our thanks.

Everyone that attended will have seen the hard work of the volunteers, but I hope will also have noticed how much fun they were having while doing so. Being involved on the night or as part of the organising team is a joy and we would love to welcome more people into the team. Whether you are established in the village for a long while, or moved here recently, the bonfire team is a great way to get involved with the village and meet lots of fantastic people. 
Please drop Phil a message using bramleybonfirechairman@gmail.com to find out more.

Bramley Village Society

The Bramley Village Society (BVS) is a charity with the following objectives:

• To stimulate public interest in the area of Bramley village and Parish.
• To promote high standards of development planning and architecture in the area of benefit.
• To secure the preservation, protection, development, and improvement of features of historic or public interest in the area of benefit.

The Bramley Village Society was founded in 1973.

The early years of the Society are detailed in an article from the Bramley Parish Council ‘Centennial Booklet’ published in 1994 to celebrate 100 years of the Parish Council.

Our constitution can be viewed here.

All residents of Bramley are welcome to attend any committee meeting and our AGM, whether it is to discuss a matter of concern or simply to learn more about what is happening locally.

BVS Committee Meetings

Normally held on the first Thursday of each month, at 20:00 in the Village Hall meeting room. Minutes of past Committee Meetings can be viewed on their website here

Bramley Helping Hand

Bramley Helping Hand is a community initiative to fundraise and offer practical help and financial support to all members of our local community.

"Bramley Helping Hand" could be for you, your neighbour or anyone living in Bramley – it’s going to be a challenging time for some members of our village and - let’s face it – we all need a helping hand every now and again.

This is about our community coming together to support each other.

We want to fundraise and offer practical help and support to members of our local community challenged by increased costs of living and looming tough times, particularly in the coming months. Our hope is to coordinate and assist requests for help and to offer confidential assistance, both practical and financial (in conjunction with Smith’s charity administered by Bramley Parish Council).

For any information or to express interest:

bramleyhelpinghand@gmail.com

To donate, please use our JustGiving account link: 

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bramleyhelpinghand?utm_term=2Nxj992Bb

Visit and follow the Bramley Helping Hand Facebook page for the latest news.