Gaydon Parish Magazine April 2026
index of magazines
Gaydon Gazette for April
Easter Sunday Service 5th at 9.30am St Giles Church
Book Club Tues 7th at 7pm Malt Shovel
Parish Council Tues 7th at 7.30pm Village Hall
Coffee Morning Sat 11th at 11am Village Hall
Mobile Library Friday 24th Phone Box
Tai Chi Mons & Weds at 7pm Village Hall
Easter Sunday at St Giles Church
Family Service on Sunday 5th April at 9.30am. Everyone Welcome!
April Church Services
1st 7.00pm Service of Compline Fenny Compton
Maundy Thursday
2nd 7.00pm Agape Service Gaydon
Good Friday
3rd 6.00pm Service of Reflection Fenny Compton
4th 7.00pm Easter Vigil Burton Dassett
Easter Sunday
5th 9.30am Family Communion Gaydon
12th 9.00am Holy Communion Gaydon
19th 9.30am Morning Service Gaydon
26th 9.30am Songs of Praise Gaydon
Roman Catholic Mass
St Peter & St Paul 5.00pm Saturday Brailes
Our Lady & the Apostles 9.15am Sunday Shipston-on-Stour
St Francis of Assisi 11.00am Sunday Kineton
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
2024 20th Susan Joan Povey
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
Something to Think About: Cultivating Hope
As I write this, Easter is just a few weeks away, and I’m hoping for some drier weather as the spring progresses. After a very wet January and February, the paths in the woods have been particularly muddy, and it would be nice to take the dogs for a walk without having to spend an age hosing them down and drying them afterwards.
There are many other things I’m hoping for besides less rain this spring... I’m hoping that diplomatic efforts would succeed in de-escalating the war in Iran; I’m hoping that the Strait of Hormuz would re-open, and oil prices would come down; I’m hoping that a lasting peace can be made in the area; I’m hoping that an end can be found to the many other wars in the world, too - Ukraine and Russia, Gaza and Israel, Pakistan and Afghanistan... unfortunately, the list keeps growing.
All the above ‘hopes’ are outside my control, so are they just wishful thinking? Well, the hope for a change in the weather might be, but I bring the rest (and many other things) to God in prayer. It’s not that I think God will smite all the aggressors and force peace: I know that God is not in control. But I also know that God is at work with people who will work with him, and that in praying, I’m lending my support to those efforts. Some psychologists might argue that all it does is remove my feeling of helplessness in the face of things I can’t control, but as someone who has been on the receiving end of others' prayers, I know the difference they have made for me.
Apart from the global concerns that all of us carry, I know many people are struggling with stressful jobs, with family illnesses, with broken relationships, with parenting children, with caring for elderly parents, with grief, and more. We can sometimes lose sight of hope. When we find ourselves in that place, we may need to lean on others and borrow their hope; friends who can believe in a future that we can’t yet see. In these more immediate areas of concern, again, hope is not the same as wishful thinking or optimism. Optimism depends on a particular outcome, whereas hope is grounded in the belief that, whatever happens, we will still find a way forward.
Psychologists suggest that we can cultivate hope by:
Creating spaces around us that nurture encouragement, beauty, and possibility rather than constant negativity.
Spending time with people who support, encourage, and strengthen one another.
Developing daily rhythms, such as reflection, prayer, gratitude or exercise that strengthen resilience.
Helping others can strengthen hope both for them and for you.
Make daily choices that align with who you want to become.
Hope helps people persevere, solve problems creatively, and support others during crises.
At Easter, we celebrate as we remember Jesus rising from the tomb. His friends saw him killed and had lost all hope, but God showed them that even when all seems lost, he will find a way forward.
My prayer for us all this spring is that we’d find ways to cultivate hope and do our part to help others who may have temporarily lost theirs. Rev. Barry Jackson
Parish Council News .
Next Meeting: Tuesday 7th April at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.
Church Clock
How delightful it is to hear the village clock chiming the hours once more! We are grateful to the Parish Council for their care of it and understand that further work is in hand to repair the face that marks time on Church Road.
Gaydon Village Hall Committee News
The March committee meeting decided that in view of rising costs it would be necessary to increase the hiring rates for the Hall. Charges have not been raised for over ten years.
New Hiring Rates for Village Hall with effect from 1st May 2026:
£8 per hour for villagers and £16 per hour for non-residents.
The Hall and Cottage are showing their age and we have to repair and update them so that they can continue to serve the community.
Users of the Hall will have seen that the Disabled Toilet has been out of use for some time. This is the result of a leaking flat roof that we are going to repair now that it has had time to dry out after the wet winter.
The Cottage has had new insulation and heaters installed to meet government regulations. It is now ready for occupation and so we look forward to being able to afford to make further improvements to both properties, of which we are Trustees for the village.
Please make use of your Hall! We are very grateful to our regular customers who help us to keep ticking over but we could always do with more events being held. JR
Gaydon Development - April
Since CEG Ltd’s appeal against the SDC’s unanimous refusal to permit the development was launched, it’s been a hectic few weeks! With the Planning Inspectorate’s fairly narrow submission period and deadline, it’s been something of a mad scramble to get as many objectors as possible to re-focus and submit their comments.
A preparatory meeting was held on the 10th March and - considering the short notice involved - it was well-attended. To give credit where it’s due, it’s only right to name-check some of the organisers involved: Nina, Martin, Wendy, Jonathan, Heather, Adrian and Councillor Chris Mills for their active contributions. (Apologies to anyone I’ve forgotten to mention!)
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to put a figure on how many residents, councillors, councils and other organisations have submitted comments. I’ve contacted the Planning Inspectorate about this restriction of information which seems in direct contrast to the open access protocol practised by SDC Planning. (I’ve also asked whether the same access restriction applies to the appellant CEG…)
It is not at all tenuous to see this proposed development in a wider - indeed international - context. It has become abundantly clear over the past few weeks, in relation to the Middle East, that sources of energy and materials and their availability and costs involved have moved from stable and predictable to variable and unstable.
UK reliance on oil, gas and petrochemicals goes beyond needing vehicle fuel and heating. Manufacturing processes require guaranteed supplies of energy and petrochemical resources at predictable prices to produce affordable building materials and finished goods. Because of the current uncertainty, we could be rapidly entering a period where unrestrained speculative developments - as opposed to planned development fulfilling local and national needs - have to be constrained.
This could end the practice of wantonly peppering the countryside with questionable structures of cement, steel and glass. The government - acting on the new reality - may decide that creating new conglomerations without thoroughly checking out the availability of existing, vacant buildings, warehouses and the like would not be permissible on grounds of cost, supply, sustainability and increased inflation. Needless duplication would be seen to be hostile to the social and economic health of the UK.
That same international situation has led farmers, via the NFU, to reiterate the dangers faced by the UK concerning food self-sufficiency. The USA, Australia and France are 100% self-sufficient. Holland, despite its size, is 80% self-sufficient. The UK is 60%. Alarmingly, 80% of our fruit and vegetables are imported.
In a document ‘Farming for Britain’s Future’ the NFU states: “When it comes to food, we cannot remain over-reliant on imports when other countries are also facing significant challenges economically and climatically.” They call upon the government to set targets to increase food production against a backdrop of loss of farming land. (They cite one 3-year period (2019-2022) when 7,000 farming concerns disappeared.)
Against this context, it cannot make any sense to remove land from food production. For some years farming land has been bought-up by corporates and other financial concerns not principally for its farming potential, but for tax advantages and ‘land banking’. This has led to grossly inflated land prices. Consequently, young and other would-be farmers are priced out of the market and, inevitably, there is a resulting loss of food production.
So, do we really want the green fields of Gaydon to be removed, forever, from food production when we are facing threats to our well-being in uncertain times? How sensible is that? Tony Hughes
Carers4Carers
Friday 24 April from 10.30am-12 noon
We are your local support group for family carers. We usually meet on the 4th Friday of the month in Kineton Village Hall. Loved ones are also welcome; they can join our Companionship Group during
the meeting.
This month, the focus is simply on unwinding and enjoying eachother's company. Anita will be with us to offer soothing hand massages,
and we'll round things off with music. A bit of optional singing together
can lift the spirits beautifully - no pressure.
For further details about our group or help with transport arrangements
to/from our meetings, please contact Gillian on 07947 893504;
send an email to kcarers4carers@gmail.com;
or explore our website www.carers4carersonthefosse.org.uk
Flag
If you have something to celebrate or commemorate, give Siobhan a ring on 07780 689582 and she will raise the flag for you, in return for a £5 contribution to Church funds.
Nature Notes for March in Gaydon
So far March has been rather cold with some fine sunshine. A few butterflies and Bumble bees have already emerged out of hibernation, though not for long maybe! The sulphur-yellow male Brimstone and Peacock butterflies were around on warmer days. Snowdrops are fading and we have some bright displays of Cowslips in the Church-yard along with Cherry and Blackthorn Blossom. Blackbirds and Song thrushes are singing in the mornings to establish territories. Red kites dominate the skies along the open fields. It seems a good year for violets in the hedgerows. At the nearby Ballscote reserve I saw a large group of Bramblings and a colourfull male chaffinch and female. A couple of pheasants that have survived the shooting season were pecking up the fallen debris from the bird feeders. A pair of Hares were sunning themselves on the field and ignoring a circling Buzzard; but so far no sign of our earliest African migrants, the Sand Martins which always nest there... BJP
Mobile Library
The Mobile Library will call at the Telephone Box at 2.25pm for half an hour on Friday 24 April.
Gaydon Book Club
Tuesday 7 April at 7pm at the Malt Shovel.
Tai Chi
Gaydon Village Hall at 7pm
The Tai Chi group meets every Monday and Wednesday evening 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.
Easter Coffee Morning
Saturday 11th at 11am in the Village Hall
We shall be serving our usual Coffee and Biscuits; Books and Jigsaws; White Elephant, Raffle and Chat. Proceeds go to Church funds.
Easter Egg-citement at the British Motor Museum
The Great Big Bunny Hunt - Easter Weekend - Every day:
Fluffy ears… cotton tails… twitching noses… bunnies have taken over the Museum! A cheeky group of Easter bunnies are hiding around the cars, and we need your help to track them down. Hop on the trail and note down the name of each rabbit you find - there are six to discover! Once you’ve tracked down all of the bunnies, hop back to the Family Activity Station to check your answers and collect a reward sticker!
Hatch your own Car
Every day 10am to 3.30pm with last entry at 3pm:
Got a taste for crafty creations? Head to the Learning Hub and try your hand at hatching a car. You’ll start with an egg-shaped base made from card strips, then build up your car’s shape using more card and tape. Once your car has officially “hatched”, it’s time to decorate! Use a range of craft materials to give your car its own unique style.
Once your car is complete, you can take it home to display with pride.
Egg-straordinary Family Tour
Join our costumed explainers for a lively, family-friendly tour exploring some of the eggs-traordinary vehicles in the collection. Along the way you’ll discover fun stories behind the cars and learn about the clever bits of technology that helped get them on the move. Just turn up at the Family Activity station at 11.30am - there’s no need to book!
Information and tickets at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
Local Events at Easter
Good Friday Walk
3rd April at Shotteswell Church, 11.30am.
Join us for a 6.5 mile walk around the Edgehill area with a short service at each of the villages along the way. You can bring a picnic lunch and there will be tea and coffee at the Radway Church stop. Come and enjoy a good walk - everyone is welcome!
Easter Vigil
Saturday 4th April at Burton Dassett Church, 7pm.
A richly symbolic service begins outside the church with a fire in a brazier. The Paschal Candle is lit from the fire and carried into the darkening church. Congregants light their own candles from it, signifying the dispelling of darkness with the coming of Easter.
Easter Communion with Breakfast
Sunday 5th April at St Peter's Church Kineton, 10am.
Come for breakfast to begin the service. Activities for children
include an Easter Egg Hunt in the churchyard. All welcome!
Nature Notes from Cape Verde: Part 2
The botanical gardens near my apartment had a number of migrant birds which had been blown off course from the coast of Senegal in Africa. The six white cattle Egrets were the most conspicuous of these and the lush green lawns, frequently used by them for foraging, had an interesting history. They were a result of extensive research projects to grow grass that can tolerate being watered by salt water. The entire islands depended a great deal on Saline Water treatment Units: the interior was a dry, barren, desert-like plateau with a few extinct volcanoes.
My birding came about by sheer chance. I was able to hire, with a fellow-birder, a fishing boat to the more remote parts of the islands; and apart from catching a few fish en route, found a large area of birds nesting in holes. The Cape Verde Shearwaters were in deep burrows above a rocky incline. However, bringing fish to their young was an ordeal for them as they had to 'run the gauntlet' with huge red-throated Frigate birds.
These impressive robbers had what amounted to a large red bag under their beaks. The function of these, I soon found out. They were in fact extendable crops! These large Frigate birds were rather sinister robbers with two-metre black wing spans, waiting to harass the more numerous smaller species into dropping their catches of fish. These were then swallowed with much gulping into this red, leathery bag under the Frigates' beaks.
Our boat attracted large Lemon sharks, too. The colonies of Frigate birds left their partners on shore to incubate their large single egg. I was able to walk through the very slippery site to a deafening chorus of tapping beaks, occasionaly pecking at my ankles.
The Lemon sharks were large but in the shallows people often paddled and the younger Lemon sharks would swim amongst them. But If a parent shark turned up - harmless but huge - people fled screaming to the shore.
I saw here the endemic Bath-white butterflies and African Monarchs or Tiger butterflies that were attracted to the coastal flowers; and also a few smaller Cape Verde endemic sparrows. All seem to cope well with the permanent winds. Returning to the small fishing village we spotted several whales, quite large,gliding on the surface of the sea.
Although my tan is fading now, I will have great memories of the friendly people of Cape Verde which sadly is now being invaded by tourists thanks to its warm climate in late winter. Most of Scandinavia seemed to be there!
Bernard Price