Sunday, 1 December 2024

Christmas 2024 and New Year 2025 services

The following events and services will be available in Wichelstowe and East Wichel over the Christmas and New Year period.

With several events in the first week of December, we’re publishing this earlier than usual, and will update the article as additional information becomes available.

Community Association Cheese and Wine Party and Annual General Meeting

Friday 6^th December from 7 pm to 9 pm at The StoweAway Community Centre. Come and join East Wichel Community Association for their annual Christmas cheese and wine party, with cheese, wine and freshments, a fun-for-all-the-family quiz, and annual general meeting of the Community Association. Free entry for all residents and friends of East Wichel. Meet your neighbours, start the countdown to Christmas and find out more about the work of the Community Association, including presentation of the annual accounts.

Kingfisher Christmas Fayre

Saturday 7^th December from 11 am to 2 pm at Kingfisher Academy, with lots to see and do while supporting a local school.

Santa’s Tractor Visit

Thursday 19^th December from 6 pm to 7 pm in East Wichel. Assisted by the Wiltshire Agricultural Preservation Group, Santa will be making his way through Wichelstowe on the evening of Saturday 7th December and anticipates being in the area for about an hour from 6 pm, with his grumpy sidekick, Ebeneezer Scrooge, who can’t wait to not see you all! Santa will be making one special stop in front of the shops, where you and the kids can catch the magic of the season for around 20 minutes! It’s a perfect opportunity to wave hello, snap some pics, and share in the festive spirit before Santa heads back to the North Pole.

The Stowe Church

Community Christingle: Thursday 12^th December from 5 pm to 6 pm at The Deanery Academy. Make a Christingle, enjoy festive music and refreshments, before gathering around a Christmas scene.
Beer, Carols and Christmas Pub Quiz: Wednesday 18^th December from 7.30 pm to 10.30 pm at The Wichel Inn. The quiz is free to enter, but booking a table in advance is recommended.
Carols and Hot Chocolate around the Tree: Sunday 22^nd December from 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm on the ‘piazza’ on Trevello Road (opposite the postbox). Enjoy a hot chocolate and sing carols together in East Wichel.
Carols by Candlelight: Christmas Eve, Tuesday 24^th December, 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm at The StoweAway. A traditional, joyful and peaceful start to Christmas.

Waste and recycling collections

Waste and recycling collections will continue as normal up to Tuesday 24^th December. After Christmas, collection days will be moved back by two days. This means that the food waste, recyclable waste and non-recyclable waste collections will be on Wednesdays in East Wichel, starting on New Year’s day 2025. There is no change to green waste collections, but there will be no collections during the two weeks of Christmas and the New Year.

Christmas trees

As happened last year, Swindon Borough Council will only be collecting Christmas trees for recycling from those with a garden waste subscription. The only alternative offered by the council for everyone else is to take their tree to the Household Waste Recycling Centre – for which a timeslot must be booked in advance on the council’s website. As an alternative, Prospect Hospice is collecting Christmas trees to raise money for the hospice. Collection must be booked by midnight Tuesday 7^th January. Trees will be collected on Saturday 11^th or Sunday 12^th January.

Pubs & Restaurants

The Wichel Inn

Details have not been published yet.

H&W Wichelstowe

Open as usual except:

Christmas Eve, Tuesday 24^th December	open 9.30 am to 11 pm
Christmas Day, Wednesday 25^th December	open 11.30 am to 6 pm
Boxing Day, Thursday 26^th December	open 11 am to 7 pm
New Year’s Eve, Tuesday 31^st December	open 9.30 am to 1 am
New Year’s Day, Wednesday 1^st January	open 11 am to 7 pm

Takeaway

As in previous years, Wichelstowe Fish Bar will take a break from just before Christmas until early January. They will close at 8 pm on Saturday 21^st December, and reopen at 4 pm on Thursday 2^nd January.

Shops

Shops in Wichelstowe are expected to have the following opening hours over the festive period, though Waitrose are only publishing their opening times one week in advance.

Date	East Wichel Co-Op	Waitrose
Monday 16^th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
Tuesday 17^th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
Wednesday 18^th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
Thursday 19^th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
Friday 20^th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
Saturday 21^st December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
Sunday 22^nd December	7 am to 10 pm	10 am to 4 pm
Monday 23^rd December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 10 pm
Christmas Eve, Tueday 24^th December	7 am to 6 pm	7 am to 6 pm
Christmas Day, Wednesday 25^th December	closed	closed
Boxing Day, Thursday 26^th December	9 am to 5 pm	closed
Friday 27^th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
Saturday 28^th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 8 pm
Sunday 29^th December	7 am to 10 pm	10 am to 4 pm
Monday 30^th December	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm
New Year’s Eve, Tuesday 31^st December	7 am to 8 pm	7 am to 6 pm
New Year’s Day, Wednesday 1^st January	8 am to 6 pm	closed
Thursday 2^nd January	7 am to 10 pm	7 am to 9 pm

Bus Services

Monday 23^rd December: Swindon’s Bus Company will operate a normal Monday bus service. Stagecoach will operate a Saturday service.
Christmas Eve, Tuesday 24^th December: For most of the day Swindon’s Bus Company will operate a normal Tuesday bus service and Stagecoach will operate a Saturday service, but services will finish earlier in the evening than usual. The last Swindon’s Bus Company service 11 from Middle Wichel will leave at 7.38 pm and the last Swindon’s Bus Company service 11 from Princes Street will leave at 8.30 pm. The last Stagecoach service 9 from Wroughton will leave Wroughton High Street at 5.16 pm and the last Stagecoach service 9 from Swindon Bus Station will leave at 5.20 pm.
Christmas Day, Wednesday 25^th December: No bus services.
Boxing Day, Thursday 26^th December: Swindon’s Bus Company will be running a Sunday service on service 11. Stagecoach’s service 9 will not operate.
Friday 27^th December: Swindon’s Bus Company and Stagecoach will be running a Saturday service. On service 11, there will be an additional early morning service from Taw Hill at 5.07 am, Princes Street at 5.40 am, and arriving at Middle Wichel at 5.55 am. There will also be an additional bus from Wichelstowe to the town centre and Taw Hill, leaving Middle Wichel at 6.03 am.
Saturday 28^th December: A normal Saturday bus service will operate.
Sunday 29^th December: A normal Sunday bus service will operate.
Monday 30^th December: Swindon’s Bus Company and Stagecoach will be running a Saturday service. On service 11, with there will be an additional early morning service from Taw Hill at 5.07 am, Princes Street at 5.40 am, and arriving at Middle Wichel at 5.55 am. There will also be an additional bus from Wichelstowe to the town centre and Taw Hill, leaving Middle Wichel at 6.03 am.
New Year’s Eve, Tuesday 31^st December: Swindon’s Bus Company and Stagecoach will be running a Saturday service. On service 11, there will be an early finish and additional early morning services. An extra bus will run from Taw Hill at 5.07 am, Princes Street at 5.40 am, and arriving at Middle Wichel at 5.55 am. There will also be an additional bus from Wichelstowe to the town centre and Taw Hill, leaving Middle Wichel at 6.03 am. The last service 11 from Middle Wichel will leave at 7.38 pm and the last service 11 from Princes Street will leave at 8.30 pm.
New Year’s Day, Wednesday 1^st January: No bus services.
Thursday 2^nd January: Normal bus services resume.