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The 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day is marked on 8th May. As it is such a momentous moment in our history, the museum is opening its doors for this special occasion and invites you to see their special Shipston Remembers display.

The collection recognises local people, from the Women’s Land Army to the Royal Flying Corps and the Home Guard. The cabinets include memorial plaques, medals, and civil defence
leaflets. One highlight is the rare example of a Royal Flying Corps tunic, the uniform prior to the RAF. Not surprisingly this is fragile since it was last worn over 100 years ago. Items such as this are too delicate and precious to touch, but there are also some ‘handling’ items like the VE Day and D-Day newspapers to look at and some ration books, war food recipes and cards. All are reproductions and touchable!

Trustee Stephen Hartley says: ‘Eighty years ago the United Kingdom and its allies from around the globe celebrated VE Day – the end of the war in Europe. People from Shipston and the local district contributed to that existential effort. On Thursday, 8th May 2025 we come together to commemorate what came to be known as VE Day, and our thoughts turn to thanksgiving and remembrance of those millions that gave so much to achieve the freedom that we all enjoy today.'

Shipston & District Museum is usually open weekends from 12 noon-4pm at Old Clark House, West Street, set back from the Council offices. You are especially welcome to call in on VE special open day on 8th May from 12 noon-4pm.

Shipston’s Great Big Green Week  takes place from  7th June - 15th June

Saturday 7th June

• Teddy Bears’ Picnic, 12 noon-2pm, at the Scout Hut and Little Recreation Ground CV36 4AW.

After the usual monthly litter pick, Great Big Green Week will begin with a community Teddy Bears Picnic. It’s free to attend – just bring your own picnic and a teddy.  Plant-based picnics free of single-use plastics are encouraged.  Contact SAFE (see below) for some tasty picnic suggestions and recipes.

Music will be provided by the Ukulele group  and there will be a plant/seed swap - feel free to bring some along.

Dress up your teddies in their finest homemade outfits – there will be a prize for the best dressed bear. If wet, the picnic will be in the Scout Hut.


• Free film. The Age of Stupid. 7pm for 7.30pm, at the Scout Hut CV36 4AW

This film from 2009 starring Pete Postlethwaite is part drama, part documentary and part animation. It is set in the year 2055, in a world devastated by rising sea levels and various natural disasters; an archivist examines videos from 2008 to understand why humans didn’t stop climate change before it was too late. Sixteen years later, are we any wiser?
Refreshments will be available, and the film starts at 7.30 pm.

• Fashion show and competition, 2- 4pm, at St Edmund’s Church, Shipston.

Using clothes that are second-hand, home-made or from charity shops.
Children will be signed up either through the primary school, the youth club or the High School. Two age groups: Under 10 and 10-15, plus a couple of surprises!

Two categories: Smart and Casual

Sunday 15th June

• River Day 10am-12 noon Bridge Car Park, Shipston CV36 4AW

There will be a Blessing of the River Stour by Shipston’s Druid, Martin Russell to help us celebrate our river, now and in future.
There will also be music and an opportunity to try some citizen science. You can learn how to test the river water, and how to check for invertebrates using the kick sampling method.

• Free ‘Wild Forage Walk’ by Katie Beswick, starting at 1.30pm outside her shop, Little Bird Soaps in the alleyway next to Telegraph Street car park. CV36 4AF

For more information or for help in taking part, please contact Verity on 07929 889091 who will put you in touch with the leaders of each event.

The Scout Hut was a hive of activity on Easter Saturday as children decorated special biscuits, showed off their Easter bonnets, and searched for the cuckoo in the nest.

As usual it was the Rotary Club who made the magic happen, and the organisation has extended its heartfelt thanks to Shipston MidCounties Co-op and Margaret Gill for their kind sponsorship, as well as to Mayor John Dinnie for judging the Easter bonnet competition.

The deadline for responses to the South Warwickshire Local Plan has now passed, after Stratford District Council and Warwick District Council completed their public consultation of Part 1 of the plan on 7th March. Within the plan, 14 sites around Shipston have been identified as potential development areas for approximately 3,000 houses.

The Town Council has objected strongly to the level of landowner/developer proposed development, mainly on the grounds of inadequate existing infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Save Our Shipston campaign has been working hard to help residents understand the potential impacts of the proposed development plan and encouraging people to submit their personal responses.

“We now await a decision at the end of the year to determine whether Stratford and Warwickshire District Councils will be persuaded that Shipston is not an appropriate site for such a large-scale development,” said a spokesperson.

Cllr Paul Tesh explains the procedure and the Town Council response on page 3 of The Shipston Forum while Save our Shipston sets out how they have campaigned on page 8.

The NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has announced that there will be no beds at the Ellen Badger hospital in Shipston.

Following a decision made at an ICB Board meeting on 19th March, the 35 community rehabilitation beds in South Warwickshire will be permanently located at two sites, Leamington Spa Hospital and Stratford Hospital – a continuation of current arrangements, which have been in place since works began at the Ellen Badger in January 2022.

This went against the very clear preference of the town and surrounding area. Responses to the six-week consultation process showed 82% in favour of having beds in three hospitals including Shipston’s Ellen Badger.

The ICB has recognised the need for a wider consideration of health services for rural communities and will now adopt a “whole system approach to engagement with communities, prioritising rural communities initially.”

The Beds for Badger organising committee has responded by saying: “We must now use this opportunity to get the focus on patient-centred care in our rural community.”

The ICB Board and NHS provider SWFT will now work in partnership to develop a full implementation plan. Read more about the Beds for Badger Campaign’s reaction on page 5 of the Shipston Forum.