Jemima, who goes to Kingsdown School, recently won Swindon Young Musician of the Year and is taught by local piano teacher Marcia Scales.

Bridget Palfreyman said: "Marcia is wonderful and gives Jemima a huge range of music to play, I'm sure that's one of the things that really sustains her enthusiasm."

The Rat Trap, Stratton St. Margaret

"Jemima started playing the keyboards at five years old and soon progressed onto the piano when we discovered her talent. We love her playing at The Rat Trap because it gives us a night out too!"

For Claire and Mark Richardson, there are two benefits as Jemima has also started to help their children Amelia, 9 and Benjamin, 11, with their own piano planning. Benjamin also plays a cornet in the Pegasus brass band.

"We love live music and it's terrific to have someone so young and enthusiastic as Jemima. It really gives the pub a fantastic atmosphere," said Mark

More about The Rat Trap...

Arkell's Bottles Everything Up

Bottling It Up: Left to right: James Arkell, MD Arkell's Brewery, Don Bracher, Head Brewer at Arkells, Mihaly Zdevek and Kotecky Lubomir of Cheops -bottling line manufacturer -mand George Arkell, director at Arkell's Brewery

An £170,000 investment has got Arkell's all bottled up.

The brewery has just taken delivery of a brand new bottling line, imported from The Czech Republic, which can bottle up to 2000 bottles per hour.

Head brewer, Don Bracher, is delighted with the new system, which replaces the slower seven-year old bottling line.

"The new line can fill three different sizes of bottle, from 275 millilitres through 330 millilitres to 500 millilitres," he said. "It also requires fewer people to run it, allowing us to redeploy staff in other areas of the brewery where they are needed more and gives us the valuable facility to bottle for other people. Most importantly, we will be also able to produce bottled conditioned ale."

Arkell's opened its first bottling plant in 1937, which was reported on 14th May in The Swindon Evening Advertiser, under the heading: 'Marvels of scientific control at Kingsdown Brewery'. Forty-six years later, the bottling plant closed due to a national decline in the sales of bottled beer. At its height, it employed 20 women, but at the end, just five remained. One of these was bottling manager Don Kenchington, who went on to become Head Brewer before the present Head Brewer, Don Bracher.

But just ten years after closing the bottling plant, the beer-drinking fashion had changed once again. The advent of the 'designer beer' market meant that new machinery was available to produce smaller bottling runs.. Keen to provide customers with beer how they wanted it, both cask and bottled, in 1997 Arkell's invested in a new bottling line in from Czech Republic-based company Cheops.

"Seven years later we have returned once again to Cheops for our new bottling line," says Don.

"The company is a leader in its field and supplies bottling plants across Europe, into Canada and even into Latvia and Belorussia. Over the last week, four members of Cheops have been installing the new line and although we don't speak any Czech and they speak little English, this certainly hasn't been a barrier to a successful installation. It's surprising how much we seem to have in common after a bottle of beer!"

The first beer to be bottled on Arkell's new line this week was Chairman Peter Arkell's 'Moonlight' Ale.

Wiltshire's new High Sheriff Rides into Town

Stepping Into Office: James Arkell

James Arkell, managing director at Arkell's Brewery, was today sworn in as Wiltshire's new High Sheriff.

The ceremony, which took place at Swindon's Crown Court at mid-day, was attended by local dignitaries including the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Sir Maurice Johnson, Mayor of Swindon Councillor and Mrs Derek Benfield, Chairman of the County Council, Jerry Willmott and the Chief Constable Dame Elizabeth Neville, all of whom joined family, friends and well-wishers. His Honour Judge McNaught was also presiding.

As the new High Sheriff of Wiltshire, he will be responsible for undertaking a number of ceremonial duties during his year in office and takes over from the out-going High Sheriff David Newbiggin.

The New High Sheriff was born in Yorkshire and joined the family brewery after some time in the Argentine in 1970. Over the past three decades he has had an extensive career in the Volunteer Army, joining The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry in 1972 as a trooper, was commissioned into The Royal Yeomanry Regiment in 1976 and assumed command of the regiment in 1993.

He is also a Deputy Lieutenant of Wiltshire and in 2003 he became Chairman of Swindon Cares, which fundraises for local charities.

The 53-year old solider and businessman has four children and lives with his wife, Swindon Councillor Cally Arkell, near Highworth.

The office of High Sheriff is at least one thousand years old and is the oldest secular office under the Crown.

As with so many Royal Officers, the Sheriff began life as a royal official above local interest and able to enforce the King's interest in the country. The office is independent and non-political. High Sheriffs are encouraged to undertake duties to help voluntary and statutory bodies engaged in the maintenance and extension of Law and Order.

After the ceremony, the new High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Lieutenant Colonel James Arkell, said: "I am delighted and honoured to undertake this role and will carry out my duties to the best of my abilities for the benefit of all those living and working in the wonderful county of Wiltshire."

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This Landlady's Keeping Her Clothes On!

Taking Over: Kay and Terry Prescott

Whilst the previous Landlady was prepared to 'bare all' for charity in a 'Lady Godiva-style' stunt riding through Cirencester town centre, Kay Prescott has promised to plan other fund-raising ideas for Cirencester Hospital's scanner appeal - fully clothed!

Kay and Terry Prescott took over from the redoubtable Cherie Tancock at The Plough in Stratton last week after she decided to move on to a job working with horses in Yorkshire.

"I was a little nervous when Arkell's Brewery, which owns the pub, offered us the tenancy and I heard that Cherie was planning such a spectacular fundraising stunt. I'm very happy to raise money for such a worthwhile appeal, but I don't ride and I'm definitely keeping my clothes on!"

Kay and Terry are staying fully clothed for another reason, too. They have been hunting all over Europe for a pub or restaurant for many months - even getting as far as putting in offers on properties in Spain, but when they began looking at pubs in the West Country late last year and saw The Plough, they fell in love with it.

"It might be cold and rainy for most of the year in England, but we couldn't turn this pub down - it's gorgeous," said Kay.

Managing director at Arkell's Brewery, James Arkell, said: "Kay and Terry are launching themselves into their new venture with great gusto, and I gather their children are keen to help out too. We were sorry to say goodbye to Cherie, but we have always known that working with horses was her first love and after three years at The Plough, we wish her well in Yorkshire."

Kay and Terry have already started to settle into their new home. "We have been made to feel really welcome," said Terry. "We've lived in a number of places over the years, from Swindon to Stroud, but we feel Stratton is the friendliest yet."

In response to their warm welcome, The Prescotts have decided to give something back to Stratton residents - The Plough is now operating all-day licensing hours.

More about The Plough...

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Brewing New Business in Swindon

Small businesses in Swindon could soon be the envy of their colleagues when Arkell's Brewery finishes a new courtyard development of office and business units right next door to the brewery, on Hyde Road in Swindon.

Diversifying for once from its core business of brewing, Arkell's Brewery is helping Swindon reduce its shortage of high-quality small office accommodation by building eight new units on previously redundant land between the Brewery and Edmonts Joinery.

With one unit already let, the remaining seven will range from 821 to 1722 square feet in size, all with parking and will be finished to a modern standard. Rental offers will be sought in the region of £12 per sq. ft.

"This land has been lying unused for a long time and we felt that providing a range of small business accommodation would be an ideal use for the area and of benefit to the local business community," said Brewery managing director, James Arkell.

According to Jenny James at Whitmarsh Preece Lockhart, who is marketing the development on behalf of Arkell's: "There is a lack of affordable good quality office accommodation for small businesses in Swindon, especially for new start-ups. These new offices will be ideal for such businesses, not least because of the excellent access to the A419 and M4 just 5 minutes away."

James Arkell hopes that any new businesses moving into The Orchard will last as long as the brewery itself. "We've been around for 160 years - and I hope that some of these companies will enjoy equal longevity. Perhaps it's the pint of 3Bs that many brewery staff sup each day that helps keep our business going - if we could prove that, we might throw in a pint a day with the lease terms to help our new tenants on their way!"

The new development, called The Orchard, is now nearing completion. For more information contact Jenny James at Whitmarsh Preece Lockhart on 01793 541000.

Witmarsh Preece Lockhart website...

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