Gaydon Parish Magazine April 2024
index of magazines
Gaydon Gazette for April
Parish Council Tues 2nd at 7.30pm Village Hall
Clubbercise Thurs 11th at 7pm Village Hall
Coffee Morning Sat 13th at 11am Village Hall
Book Club Mon 15th at 7pm Village Hall
Mobile Library Fri 12th at 2.40pm Phone Box
Tai Chi Wednesdays at 7pm Village Hall
Parish Council News
Village Grass:
Simon Smith from Benchmark was present. Benchmark provide grass cutting services on behalf of the parish council in and around the village. Simon advised a regular cutting programme usually on a fortnightly basis. Thus, the grass areas look well-maintained and any debris does not accumulate and decompose. In the central area of the cemetery, it was suggested that paths be cut to allow people to walk through it.
Flooding:
Members of the public present at the meeting raised concerns about the lack of maintenance being carried out by the County Council to clear gulleys and drains, which increases the risk of flooding. The Parish Council are to investigate the option of hiring a road sweeper for the main roads in the village.
Planning:
Hillside, Kineton Road: to add a thatched roof and reduce ridge height. Council objected to this application because the thatched roof is not in keeping with other properties on the road and it believes the proposed ridge height reduction is not accurate. There are concerns about the drainage given the depth of the existing foundations.
Manor Farm House: the Council wish to maintain their support for this application as they were advised that the plans would be changed to be in line with the conservation officer's recommendations.
There are now two vacancies for parish councillors. If you are interested in joining the parish council, councillors will be delighted to hear from you. Please come along to the next parish meeting and make contact with the Parish clerk for next steps.
Next Meeting will be on Tuesday 2nd April at 7.30pm.
If you have any problems that you think the Parish Council can help you with, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Parish Clerk Telephone: 07841 010791;
email: clerk@gaydonparishcouncil.org.uk
Parish Village website: https://gaydonparishcouncil.org.uk
April Church Services
7th 9.30am Holy Communion Gaydon
14th 9.30am Prayer and Praise Gaydon
21st 9.30am Agapë Service Gaydon
28th 9.30 Songs of Praise Gaydon
Roman Catholic Church of St Francis, Kineton
Sunday Mass 11am
Nature Notes for March
My observations have been limited this month due to illness. However, I have still been able to observe, through my windows and on short walks in my garden, the burgeoning progress of Spring. Our local weather has, of course, been excessively wet; followed by clear blue skies with sunshine and huge variations in temperature.
I know our local newts and frogs are spawning. On one sunny day two large bumblebees entered through my open window, obviously questing for new nesting sites. The dawn chorus has increased considerably and you now hear song thrushes, blackcaps and the odd green woodpecker. All are establishing their future nesting territories. Last week, I saw a low-flying raven pass my bedroom window with a branch in its beak - the wing beats of this large species are almost as loud as those of swans.
We have a great selection of spring bulbs on the re-wilded area of lawn including oxslips, primroses, cowslips and beautiful snakes head fritillaries. A couple of trees are beginning to leaf up, notably the medlar and quince, both with mediaeval origins.
The news this week that there are far more specimens of the ancient endangered Sequoia Pines (native to California USA) thriving here often goes unnoticed. We have some magnificent hundred-year-old specimens in the village flanking the Old Vicarage drive and visible for miles. There are several more impressive groups at Warwickshire College and Compton Verney. Ironically, they thrive in the damp misty UK climate, whereas global climate change is limiting their growth in their original habitats. Bernard Price
Clubbercise
Starts again in the Village Hall after the Easter Break on Thursday 11th from 7pm-7.45pm. £6 per session, PAYG - pay-as-you-go. Glow sticks available to borrow; or buy your own for £6.
Coffee Morning
Saturday 13th April at 11am in the Village Hall.
Raffle, Book Stall, Bric-a-brac, Coffee and Biscuits 50p.
NB Next month will be a Bring and Buy Plant Sale.
Please donate your surplus plants!
All money raised is for Church funds.
Gaydon Book Club
Our next meeting will be on Monday 15th April at 7pm. Please bring a pound towards the Hire of the Hall - and whatever drink and nibbles you fancy. Anyone wishing to join us, please message me on 07917 873856 and I will add you to our WhatsApp group; or you can find us on Facebook by searching Gaydon Village Book Club. Holly
BMM Events in April
Easter Access Day Wednesday 3rd
Jaguar Breakfast Meet Saturday 6th
Gaydon Gathering Tuesday 9th
Mini Motorists Mondays Monday 15th
Historic Marathon Rally Group Sunday 21st
Museum on the Move Friday 26th
Ultimate BMW Meet Sunday 28th
Lots going on in April up at the BMM - find information and tickets at
www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
Gaydon Village Store
Good people of Gaydon and surrounding areas: we are DESPERATE for new volunteers!
This community store can only run if it is stocked and 'manned' and all the money is added up and the bins are taken out and the dusting is done. We are in need of help - to keep this much-valued asset to our village going...
Fun fact: did you know that a village store like this could add 5 to 7 thousand pounds to the value if your home?
So can you give an hour? Two hours? To man the shop? It can be every week or every two weeks!
Please, please get in touch,
We need you so much.
If you are too shy to serve in the shop you could help behind the scenes with stock-taking, ordering, fetching, carrying or cleaning etc. You could even join the management committee and help take the decisions that will shape the future of the shop in years to come.
If you can help in any way, please leave your details at the shop;
or you can email gaydonvillagestore@gmail.com
Mobile Library
The Mobile Library will call at the Telephone Box at 2.25pm for half an hour on Friday 12 April.
Gaydon Development - April Update
This month will see the revised Determination Date (5th April) as one of the milestones in the saga of the proposed development (23/01054/OUT). To date (22nd March), there have been no new submissions/documents from the developers CEG (Malta) Ltd. I think it’s probable that without a fresh submission that responds to the 28 areas of concern itemised by the SDC Planning Office, the Determination Date will be re-set for a future month as a formality.
At the March Gaydon Parish Council meeting, there was an intriguing, passing reference to the Swallowfields’ JLR Vehicle Handover Centre. (This is located - heading North - on the right-hand side of the first roundabout past the traffic light entrance to the British Motor Museum.) There seems to be speculation about the future use of this location(?). The surface area is comparable to the size of the land upon which the proposed Gaydon development would be located and the area is separated from housing by the protected woods ofGaydon Coppice.
If you recall from last month’s update, I referred to the ways the JLR/AM complex was separated from the housing in Upper Lighthorne and Lighthorne Heath in ways very different to the proposed development towering over Gaydon with its much closer proximity. If you are aware - or do become aware - of any developments
relating to the Swallowfields’ site, it would be helpful to let the Parish Council know. Our particular local experience has made me think generally about such developments in the UK being proposed by corporate companies registered in low tax areas (e.g. effective tax rate in Malta 5%). Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for local areas and the UK in general that major developments must be registered for tax purposes in the UK, if the majority of financial beneficiaries of such developments are resident in the UK? (As opposed to people genuinely resident in other countries who wish to invest in the UK.)
The main reason that it would be better that corporate companies should avoid registering for tax in Panama, Cayman Islands, BVI, Malta, Bahamas, Jersey etc., is that they should continue to share the responsibilities which follow the completion of such developments and the subsequent, continuing consequences and costs involved.
For example, environmental harm, pollution, lower house re-sale values, wear and tear to infrastructure (e.g. roads, energy requirements etc.) should not be just a burden mainly on UK income and council tax-payers, as it is now.
These corporates would be able to demonstrate a financial loyalty to the UK (Corporation Tax 25%; Capital Gains Tax 20%) while making a legitimate profit for genuine enterprise as opposed to excessive profit-taking which cares little for the social conditions of the UK, if they’re paying negligible taxes in some ‘haven’ in another part of the world.
The re-directing of corporate developers’ tax away from tax havens back into the UK would have a two-fold benefit: the tax rate on income (averaging 37% from a figure of 33%, 14 years ago) for most UK citizens could be lowered, alleviating the cost-of-living crisis; and the poorly NHS, the crumbling schools, the child poverty, the cratered roads etc. could begin to be fixed, which would help make a modern, increasingly civilised society. Tony Hughes
Gaydon Guardians
An outpost of Kew Gardens in West Sussex, Wakehurst is an Elizabethan mansion where research into Sequoias is being carried out. The old house is towered over by three giant redwoods but at 40 metres (131ft) high they are still almost saplings at only 150 years old.
The redwoods in Britain are juveniles, not yet mature enough to reproduce themselves: they live up to 3000 years, so it is thought that all our trees were individually planted.
The Victorians were very impressed by the redwoods of California when they emigrated there to make their fortunes. They brought back seeds and seedlings in such large numbers that there are now about half a million of these magnificent trees in Britain compared with only about eighty thousand in California itself. Our still-cool, damp climate suits these trees better than the scorching heat that has spoilt their native country under climate change.
The unique appeal of redwoods is their scale. The oldest of them existed before the English language was in use and are taller than St Paul's Cathedral at 115 metres (377ft).
We are lucky in Gaydon to have six such fine examples of Sequoia Wellingtonia keeping watch over our village.
Perhaps one of our Victorian Vicars was responsible for their planting? JR
SouperSaturday
The Millennium Group raised £160 for the over-65s Christmas Lunch. There were about 30 people in the Village Hall on 23 March to enjoy a variety of delicious home-made soups with crusty bread from the Village Shop. Coffee and cake were also served and there was an excellent raffle. We are grateful to all who came. DP
April Memorial Book
1991 2nd Mary Neal
1998 2nd Muriel Phillips
1979 3rd Frank Lightowler
1993 3rd Roland Phillips
2014 7th Gabriella Talbot
2008 14th Iliana Hayes
1985 16th George Hayes
2004 24th Kathy Welsh
1995 29th Sybil Worrall
If there is a special entry that you would like to see, let me know and I will try to make sure that the Book is open on that day. Julie Rickman
Flag
The flag was raised on 10 March in honour of all Mothers; and on the 11th it marked Commonwealth Day.
If you have something to celebrate or commemorate, contact Siobhan Hannan on 07780 689582, and she will raise the flag for you in return for a £5 contribution to Church funds.
Tai Chi
The Tai Chi group meets every Wednesday evening at 7 o'clock in the Village Hall.
Please text 07514 011406 so that we can look out for you. After a month, please donate a coin for the hire of the Hall.
The Bells
All Saints' Church Burton Dassett has its full set of bells once again.
The 'sign off' ring went well and now most of the work is finished, with some improved lighting both in belfry and ringing floor carried out before Easter. Now all that remains to be done is to settle the bills!
The bells were rung on Easter Sunday from 3.30pm and this was open ringing, to allow as many interested ringers as possible to have a chance to ring.
On Bank Holiday Monday, 1st April, a quarter peal will be rung starting at 11.30am.
The Service to re-dedicate the bells will be led by Bishop Ruth, the Acting Bishop of Coventry, on Sunday 9th June at 3pm.
Forthcoming Events at All Saints' Church, Burton Dassett
Spring Bank Holiday Monday
On Monday 27 May we will be holding the first of our Annual Bank Holiday Teas. We are usually open from midday to 5.30pm but will confirm closer to the time.
We hope that our lovely cake-bakers can provide us with their usual delicious homemade creations for visitors to enjoy, including gluten-free and other 'free from' varieties. We try to provide some savoury treats as well.
If anyone would like to help on the day for an hour or so, please do get in touch - it will be much appreciated. Ring Norma or Chris on 01295 770292 or 770355.
Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra
The second, and very important event, is the concert being given in All Saints' Church on Friday 7th June by the excellent Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra (MYJO) playing Big Band Music with a 40s theme. Weather permitting, you might like to bring a picnic to enjoy before the performance begins at 7.30pm. There will be a bar, opening at 6pm, and again in the interval; and a raffle. We hope you will take the opportunity to support these amazing young people who have played on radio and television, and in many jazz festivals all over the world.
Bookings are being taken now as we anticipate a good turnout.
For enquiries you can call Norma King or Chris Compton on 01295 770292 on 770355
or email BDPCC-Sec@compton-family.eu