Each week, BBC Radio Gloucestershire visits a different village. They interview local residents, discuss local issues, and generally try to get under the skin of the place. In short, they try to find out why the particular village is a good place to live.
At the beginning of December it was our turn.
Over the course of several days, the BBC’s reporter and presenter Dominic Cotter met up with various people from around the village and recorded a series of interviews that were broadcast as part of his regular programme.
He interviewed several newer (and some older) local residents and asked them what had brought them to Eastington and what they thought of the village. A range of reasons were given that included good local shops and amenities, a thriving busy social scene, and a good combination of decent housing with easy access to the surrounding countryside. Many people found the latter to be of particular importance and felt that our green spaces should be retained and protected.
Representatives of most of the village organisations were interviewed. These included the Camphill Community at Orchard Leigh, Julie Gilbertson at the Old Badger, the Owen Harris Community Centre, the Eastington Community Orchard, St Michaels and All Angels and its Christmas tree festival, and the Cotswold Canal Trust Volunteers. I added a bit on the conversion of Millend Mill and the history of the woollen cloth trade in the village.
The overall impression that came out of Dominic’s programme was that Eastington is not a bad place to live – but we knew that already, didn’t we!
Steve Mills
