Gaydon Parish Magazine March 2019

index of magazines

This Month's Diary

  
  Parish Council              Tues 12th 7.30pm            Village Hall 
  Coffee Morning              Sat 9th 11am                Village Hall 
  Village Hall Committee      Mon 11th 8pm                Village Hall 
  Friendship Club             Tues 12th 2.30pm            19 St Giles Rd
  Litter Pick                 Sat 16th 10am               Village Hall 
  Library                     Mon 11th                    Telephone Box  
  Pilates                     Tuesdays 6.15pm             Village Hall  
  Tai Chi                     Weds 7.30pm & Suns 1.30pm   Village Hall 
  Cake & Crafting Circle      2nd & 4th Suns 5pm          St Giles' Church
                            
                             Gaydon Calendar  
  Over 60s Fundraiser        Sat 13th April            Village Hall
  Village Fete               Sat 15th June             Church Field
  Big Lunch                  Sun 14th July             Village Hall
  O'65s Lunch                Sun 8th December          Village Hall

Parish Council News

Neighbourhood Plan

GPC have begun to apply for grants to help fund a neighbourhood plan. While we recognise that it is a huge undertaking, a neighbourhood plan will become as important to Gaydon as the Core Strategy is to Stratford District Council. It holds a lot of weight when it comes to protection and planning in the future and most of our neighbouring parishes have either begun or started to submit their own plans.

Our Parish Plan is outdated (published in 2012 and expired in 2017) and we believe that in order to be able to make informed decisions on behalf of all our residents, we need to know what is important to you. The key starting point of the process will be collecting data about residents in order to give us an up to date picture of our present demographic. This will enable us to form a 'Parish Strategy' in the meantime, so that we can focus on the village priorities that are identified.

Our population has grown by approximately 30% since our last census in 2011 and we would prefer not to wait until the next census to gather this important information. We will engage external specialists when creating the surveys and interpreting the responses and hope to gain more volunteers to form a steering group. What's the saying? "Many hands make light work." So, hands up! Who's in? Email eleadbetter.gpc@gmail.com

Traffic Calming

An estimate of £17,000 has been received from the Road Safety Team at WCC and we are working to finalise the project before the new financial year to ensure we do not lose the £10,000 funding from Councillor Williams. GPC have reserved funds to cover the cost of the shortfall, although we are hoping to bring the cost down. While we are not able to extend the 30mph speed limit on the Kineton Road, as the Police feel it is not enforceable, we will have: Gated entrances;

Vehicle-activated 30mph sign with 'Slow' legend will be repaired;

Pronounced 30mph road markings will be painted.

Speedwatch

Community Speedwatch continue to volunteer for our village and it does make a difference when they are monitoring. It also raises awareness and they are seeking more volunteers. In January they spent 6 hours monitoring speed and 54 vehicles were found to be exceeding 35mph (this is the speed at which the Police will send warning letters to the drivers). 21 of these vehicles were driving at 40mph or more in the 30mph limit. 2 of these were caught for the second time, so will be receiving a police visit.

We have also had speed monitoring by the Police recently, which kept them busy! They pulled over a lot of cars on the Kineton Road. In February, during a speedwatch session on the Banbury Road, 19 vehicles were found to be exceeding 35mph, 2 were repeat offenders and one was captured doing 57mph between the hours of 11.45 - 12.45 on a Monday.

Self-discipline

The way we could make the biggest difference as a village, is to drive at the speed limit ourselves. It's easy to find yourself going above the limit as the engineering of the roads almost lend themselves to it. But if we all make a conscious effort to slow down, then most people driving behind us will follow suit. If you can spare even an hour a week, please contact Geoff about becoming a volunteer. You will receive training and there is no vetting process. geoffsmith84@googlemail.com

Play Area

The area remains closed as certain aspects of the area were deemed unsafe by the Health and Safety Inspector. We are currently exploring the most cost-effective methods to fund the essential maintenance. Please bear with us. It's top of mind and in the meantime, we are hoping to be able to provide an alternative facility in the Village Hall. Watch this space: we are hoping to have some news following the March meeting.

Precept

We have sent the budget for '19/'20 to Stratford DC and await confirmation of the precept for the coming year. There will be an increase to reflect an increase in grass-cutting and village maintenance as well as training for new councillors. We believe this is necessary in order to provide a good service. Once the precept has been announced we will publish this on the website.

Street Light

The broken street light on Church Road is being removed and will not

be replaced.

The Old Warwick Road

The Steel Gates which were manufactured specifically for the Old Warwick Road have now been installed. We hope that this will prevent any future unauthorised access.

Orbit tenants

Councillor Chris Kettle reported at February's meeting that Orbit Tenants continue to have ongoing maintenance issues. He has asked that anyone having difficulties gets in touch with him directly. In a broader sense, let's look after our neighbours.

May Elections

They are coming up and soon any prospective councillors will need to submit their nominations. Please get in touch with the Clerk if you wish to stand for election, or have a chat with any current or past councillors to find out what's involved. Put your heart in the community by being in the heart of the community.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 12 March 7.30pm in the Village Hall, and as usual there will be 15 minutes allowed on the Agenda for Questions from the Public at the beginning of the meeting. In the interests of keeping to the Agenda and Timing, any further questions from the Public during the meeting are at the discretion of the Chairman.

Church Services in March

Sunday 3rd       
      9.00   Holy Communion BCP    Northend
     10.30   Morning Prayer        Farnborough
     10.30   Holy Communion        Gaydon
      5pm    Songs of Praise       Fenny Compton
Wednesday 6th
      7.30pm Holy Communion        Gaydon 
Sunday 10th        
      9.00   Holy Communion BCP    Farnborough     
     10.30   Morning prayer        Gaydon
     10.30   Holy Communion        Fenny Compton
     10.30   Morning Prayer        Northend
      6.00pm Evening Prayer        Northend      
Sunday 17th     
      9.00   Holy Communion BCP    Gaydon     
     10.30   Holy Communion        Northend   
      6.00pm Evensong              Farnborough 
Sunday 24th        
      9.00   Holy Communion BCP    Fenny Compton
     10.30   Holy Communion        Farnborough 
     10.30   Prayer and Praise     Gaydon     
     10.30   Morning Prayer        Northend
Sunday 31st
      6.00pm Group Communion       Gaydon



The Vicar's Letter

The people of God sing. God calls us to worship and we often respond in songs of praise. God's people have sung hymns in honour of the Almighty since the time of Moses and before. David sang the "new song" God gave him and taught others to sing "a hymn of praise to our God". Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn at the Last Supper. The early church sang hymns as part of their regular gatherings. Music has enormous power to engage the emotions, and the Bible resounds with praise and thanks to God through music.

There are three ways in which singing serves God and the Word:

1) Singing can help us remember words.

Ever notice how easy it is to recall the words of songs you haven't heard for twenty years? We store literally hundreds, even thousands of songs in our memory vaults. Music has an unusual mnemonic power. We remember patterns in music much better than patterns in words alone. Rhyme, meter and song are the most powerful devices which help us to remember words.

2) Singing can help us engage with words emotionally.

Music is a language of emotion in every culture of every age. It is capable of affecting us in profound and subtle ways. We sing when we're happy, sad, to give us courage or just for the joy of it.

3) Singing can help us use words to express our unity.

The first two points can be accomplished when we sing by ourselves, but this last point needs other people. People sing together in the strangest places: rock concerts, sporting events, birthdays, weddings, funerals. Singing together tends to bind us together. It enables us to spend extended periods of times expressing the same thoughts

and passions.

Music is the natural overflow of a heart in fellowship with the Lord. The songs the church sings are not simply a musical exercise; they come from the heart and not just in the mouth. Some people say they can't sing but, however good or bad the sound that comes from your mouth, you should sing, for a Spirit-filled Christian is a singing Christian.

Fenny Compton - Songs of Praise - Singing Sunday at 5pm on the first Sunday of each month. (Methodist church until further notice). Learn new songs and hymns, You choose the songs and hymns. Join the choir (adult and children) 4pm for choir practice. Let us come before the presence of God with music in our hearts and thanksgiving on our lips. Amen.

Take a Spiritual Journey

Tuesday 7.30pm in the Chapel of Ease, Northend for 5 weeks from 13th March to 9th April. We will explore ways to encounter God through various spiritual disciplines. For more information contact Rev'd Nicki.

Box Holder News

The Children's Society is very grateful to box-holders for their support each year. The change collected in boxes is helping to transform children's lives and enables the Society to assist even more vulnerable young people now and in the future. The aim of the Society is to create an environment where no child feels alone and frightened. Box-holders change the lives of young people up and down the country. This year Gaydon supporters have raised £192.53 with their collections of loose coin: thank you all. If anyone else would like a box, please ask Julie Rickman on 640349.

Millennium Group News

Thanks to everyone who supported our second event, Souper Saturday, on the 2nd February. The different soups, all homemade and donated by the committee, went fast and the atmosphere in the hall was great. Enough money was raised to cover the two portable hobs, the rent we owed the Village Hall (as they had kindly let us delay paying for Apple Day so that all the money raised then went to fund the Defibrillator), and there is even a small amount left to put in the bank. Thanks to the committee for their continued hard work and enthusiasm.

We are delighted to say enough volunteers came forward to support holding a village fête, provisionally planned for Saturday 15 June.

As soon as we have received the go-ahead from the PC to use the field, we will hold a meeting to start the ball rolling. We would like to reinstate the tug-o-war competition - the rope is in store!

Watch out for further information in the Parish magazine and on social media. Debbie Price

Gaydon Village Store

Thank you to all of you who have already signed up for membership to the shop for 2019. For just £12 a year, not only will you be supporting your local community shop, but you will have the chance to win one of our raffle prizes (drawn a minimum of three times a year).

To join, please either pop into the shop and fill in your name and address on one of our forms; or alternatively you can pay by bacs to:

Gaydon Village Store: Sort: 40-43-19; Account: 21898515

Without this scheme last year we would have struggled to break even, so please support it so that we can provide you with a local shop. If you have an hour or more to spare please join our team of volunteers. We desperately need you and it's a great way to meet people - just ask in the shop. SR

Mobile Library

The Library will visit the Telephone Box at Gaydon from 1.35-2.05pm on Monday 11 March.

Friendship Club

The March meeting will be on Tuesday 12th at 2.30pm at the home of Rosemary Cheshire, 19 St Giles Road.

Coffee Morning

Village Hall on Saturday 9 March at 11am. Coffee and biscuits 50p. Profits in aid of the parish church of St Giles.

Gaydon Cake and Crafting Circle

We meet every 2nd and 4th Sunday 5.00-6.30pm (ish) in the church. Do you knit, crochet, sew or wish to learn how? Come to our next meetings: Sundays 10th and 24th March. Find us on Facebook. Jo Hotchkiss 642248

Gaydon Over 65's Christmas Lunch - Fund Raiser

We are organising a fund raiser for this event on Saturday 13 April
at the Village Hall from 10am to 12.30pm
Coffee and Cake and Raffle.  Also including a Table Top Sale
Anything you like: bric a brac, cakes, plants, crafts etc
£5 per table to go to fundraiser and keep your proceeds
Book tables in advance to Kate Sutton 07753 900050
Open to Everyone and All are Welcome

Date for your Diary: This year's Christmas Lunch Date will be Sunday 8 December 2019

Village Hall News

The next meeting of the Village Hall Committee will be held on Monday 11 March at 8pm in the Village Hall.

Birth

Congratulations to John and Holly Philpott of Church Lane on the birth of a son, John.

Allotment News No 1

Villagers who walk across the field behind the church may have noticed renewed activity on the allotments. These were established some years ago as a result of a request from a group of residents to revive a long-standing tradition of self sufficiency. This season, with the arrival of new allotmenteers, we are commencing with the no dig method of cultivation. This depends on building layers of compost and manure on top of cardboard to suppress the existing weeds and grass.

We are extremely grateful to the village shop for providing cardboard, and to local stables for manure. Other residents have donated cardboard and bags of leaves. If anyone has old gazebo frames to get rid of, we would be delighted to make use of them to cover our soft fruit beds. We are also planting fruit trees, wild flowers, insect-attracting plants and herbs. We are looking forward to an abundance of produce in the summer and autumn. Time will tell... The Levellers

Our cover picture shows Gerard Winstanley's 'Diggers' who were an off-shoot of the 'Leveller' movement during the Civil War. Ed.

Village Spring Clean

The Parish Council are running a litter pick on Saturday 16 March starting at 10am outsided the village hall. Black sacks, picker-sticks and gilets jaunes will be provided and it is hoped that plenty of villagers will turn out to tidy up. Let's hope it stays fine for us!

Christening

Erin Bourne was welcomed to the family of Christ's church here in Gaydon at a Christening Service on Saturday 26 January. The Vicar, the Reverend Nicki Chatterton, officiated and refreshments were served at the Village Hall following the service.

Funeral

Barbara Alice Holloway 6 May1937 - 25 January 2019

The funeral of Barbara Holloway took place at St Giles' church on Friday 22 February. The service was conducted by the Reverend Nicki Chatterton and the church was filled to overflowing with mourners who had come to pay their last respects. Everyone was invited to attend the committal at Gaydon Cemetery and donations in Barbara's memory were to the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.

Nature Notes for February and Frogwatch Information

February is traditionally a bleak, cold month but this year the final week has been quite different. The daytime temperatures have been in the balmy teens, as high as 18°C in the direct sun. Already, bees are on the wing pollinating early Snowdrops and hellebores. Today there were several large Bumblebee queens seeking new nesting sites, whilst sunny wall areas attract early bluebottles that have emerged from hibernation. Primroses have begun to flower in Itchington Holt and Chesterton; and the first Coltsfoot and Dandelions have the odd flower. Could this be the beginning of Spring? I hope so! In my garden a pair of Woodpigeons are nesting already - the tell tale evidence is the egg shells which birds always remove from near the nest site.

Rooks, too, are re-occupying their old nests. The colony on the edge of Lighthorne Heath test centre has increased by 100% in the last few years. One very sure sign of spring may be the dawn and evening chorus which has begun as territories are established. These are dominated by Song Thrushes and Blackbirds that are also seeking nesting places, so look out for the bright blue eggshells soon.

We have had some lovely clear skies recently with a bright full moon. It's sad to know that over 40% of UK households are deprived of seeing the 'milky way' and other constellations owing to excessive light pollution. In Gaydon we suffer badly from this problem, where the large area nearby of the MoD Camp is often mistaken for Banbury by drivers. There are ranks of lights on the new roads from the M40 too.

It is very sad that our environment at night is so degraded now. We were delighted that one of the sickly intrusive lamps in Church Road has broken down - we never reported it - and glad it will be removed soon. The cost of keeping these lights is huge and every villager could be given an environmentally friendly security light at a fraction of this cost. In nearby Combrook village, they have never had street lamps and the savings are thousands of pounds, plus a proper night-time that is only a memory to many of us.

I'm hoping to set up a "frog watch' in the village this year.

A very generous villager is at present preparing the signs which will ask drivers to 'Slow Down' around the village at the crossing points of amphibians. Toads, frogs and newts often cross the roads at night to reach our local ponds to spawn each year and many are squashed en route. We have several large colonies of the rare Great-crested Newt in the village so look out for the signs and hopefully we will save a few of these creatures and slow down the traffic at the same time. If you spot one crossing, help it to reach the other side! Pillerton Hershey has an active rescue group because of the sharp bend which many of us know near their pond. Bernard Price