Parish Plan Tues 5th 8pm Village Hall Gaydon Gourmets Sat 16th 7.30pm Malt Shovel Inn Friendship Club Tues 19th 2.30pm Offchurch Cottage Coffee Morning Sat 23rd 11am Village Hall Mobile Library Thurs 7th & 21st
3 8.00 Eucharist Burton Dassett
11.15 Matins Gaydon
10 10.00 Eucharist Northend
11.15 Family Service Gaydon
17 9.00 Holy Communion Gaydon
10.30 Village Service Northend
24 10.00 Eucharist Northend
11.15 Holy Communion Gaydon
6.00 Evening Prayer Burton Dassett
This month's cake sale and coffee morning will take place on Saturday 23rd instead of Saturday 9th - please note the later date. The place and time are still the same: Village Hall at 11am.
NB We hope to hold our usual Spring Plant Sale on 11 June.
This month the van is due to be at Telephone Box Green at 1.10pm and at St Marks Close at 1.25pm on Thursdays 7th and 21st.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 19 April at 2.30pm at Offchurch, Banbury Road, by kind invitation of Mrs Betty Davies. Anyone interested in a quiet afternoon of friendly conversation over a cup of tea will be made very welcome.
The flag was raised in March for the Birthday of the Duke of Wessex.
The Village Flag Officer is George Hayward at The Old School, Kineton Road, 642963. Please contact him if you would like the flag flown for a special occasion.
At the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, held on Sunday 13 March after Morning Service, Mrs Margaret Phelps and Mr John Goldsmith were elected as Churchwardens for the coming year. Dr Martin Phelps continues as Treasurer and the other members of the PCC are Mrs Corner, Mrs Rickman, Mr Wood Roberts, Mr Kettle and Mrs Fox.
We all pass by the Churchyard in Gaydon which is central to the village. It's not been used for burials for some time and has some interesting old stones and even a mediaeval stone coffin (predating the building).
You may have noticed the paths recently mown and the marking pegs which are a result of a village working party formed to restore it to a more natural place with native wildflowers and grasses.
If you have visited our other graveyard in Chadshunt, at present white with snowdrops, later with primroses, cowslips and orchids, you will, I am sure, agree that it's a magical place.
We hope that Gaydon will be too! These wild areas need careful management and cutting. We also need to plant native species and clear invasive weeds. If you can give any time to help or can donate some bulbs or plants it would be an excellent impetus. We are also hoping to install some Bird nesting boxes and Bat boxes.
We need any of the following:
(1) Birdboxes;
(2) Feeders;
(3) Plants such as Hellibores (Lenten Rose), Foxgloves, Native Cowslips/Primroses/Oxslips, Honeysuckle and other native species such as Stinking Iris, Teazels, Wild geranium and Cranesbill;
(4) Bulbs, snowdrops (in the green), Native Daffodils/Narcissus, Aconites, Bluebells, Crocus speciosa, Commassia, Fritillery;
(5) Gravel Species like House Leeks and Stonecrop or other succulents;
(6) Butterfly attractants like Sedum, Ox eye Daisy, Trefoils, Buddleia; (7)Packets of Wildflower seeds such as Haymeadow selections.
You may have others. Most of all, some of your time spent planting would be of great value. We also need some professional laminated notices made to log progress if you have graphical skills.
Please contact me or Philip Francis if you can help or would like to join the working party.
NB
Later this month frogs, toads and newts will hopefully begin to spawn. Look out for them on the roads and help them on their way to ponds and pools! These creatures are great eaters of insect pests. Some even came into the Village Hall last year! Bernard Price.
There will shortly be a vacancy on the Parish Council.
If you are interested in serving the community as a councillor, please contact John Rickman on 640349 or at the
Old Bakehouse for more details. There will be an election if more than one person applies.
There will be another meeting to discuss the Parish Plan on Tuesday 5 April at 8.00pm in the Village Hall.
All are welcome to attend, we will shortly be distributing a major questionnaire to determine village issues, so if you want to have a say please come along.
If you cannot be there please contact Jonathan Crowe on 640394.
Plans are under way for the next Gaydon Village fête in June. If you have any ideas or want to be involved please contact Madeleine Hill
on 640636.
March is proving to be the coldest month this year. Winter migrants like Waxwings and Fieldfares are still with us and show no inclination to return to colder climes.
Very large flocks of Lapwings or Green Plovers have been seen in the skies around Gaydon. This species is much diminished in the UK and the sightings are most welcome. Buzzards and Kestrels are frequently seen perched on low trees on the Kineton Road but it's a hard time hunting for food at this bleak time; though lambing will bring in some carrion and their excellent eyesight is put to good use in the leafless landscape.
As I have been lambing myself this week, I notice that crows arrive almost by instinct if a Ewe has given birth. Most sheep now lamb in sheds which, though less healthy, avoids the dangers of Corvids eye-picking and foxes taking weaker lambs.
Reminder of Plants needed for the Churchyard
Hellibores (Lenten Rose), Foxgloves, Native Cowslips/Primroses/Oxslips;
Honeysuckle and other native species such as Stinking Iris, Teazels, Wild geranium and Cranesbill;
Bulbs, snowdrops (in the green), Native Daffodils/Narcissus, Aconites, Bluebells, Crocus speciosa, Commassia, Fritillery;
Gravel Species like House Leeks and Stonecrop or other succulents; Butterfly attractants like Sedum, Ox eye Daisy, Trefoils, Buddleia; Packets of Wildflower seeds such as Haymeadow selections;
Agrimony, Betony, Birdsfoot trefoil, Bugle, Common knapweed,
Cuckoo flower, Cowslip, Field scabious, Goat's beard, Lady's bedstraw, Meadow buttercup, Meadow cranesbill, primrose, Salad burnet, Wild carrot, Yarrow, Yellow rattle;
Buddleia, Hyssop, Lavender, Ice Plant, Red valerian, Heliotrope, Sweet rocket, Catmint, Aubrieta, Thyme and Sweet scabious.
Rhubarb Fool for April Ingredients 2lb rhubarb 2 tbs honey or Barbados sugar ¼ pt double or whipping cream Method 1 Wash the rhubarb and cut it into ½" slices, put it into a saucepan with a little water and stew until soft. 2 Mash the rhubarb with a fork, mix in the honey or sugar and leave to cool. 3 Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks, then fold in the rhubarb to make a marbled effect. Serve in sundae dishes.
GAYDON CONTACTS
Vicar Revd Philip Francis BA MTh 01295 770400
email: Philip.francis@regents.ox.ac.uk
Editor Julie Rickman 640349
email: rickman@argonet.co.uk
Parish Clerk Corinne Hill 641220
email: corinnehill@parishgaydon.freeserve.co.uk
Churchwardens Margaret Phelps 640559
John Goldsmith 642571
Village Hall Chair Debbie Price 640757
Bookings Sue Middleditch 640695 22 St Marks Close
Neighbourhood Watch Ian Miller 641796
WANTED: JOBS
If you have any odd jobs that want doing just call Lewis Warner & Josh MacAvoy. 01926 641083 or 07791653555
Prices will vary depending on the job!
Real Food Real Ale Come to another GAYDON GOURMET EVENING at the Malt Shovel Saturday 16 April at 7.30pm for 8pm MENU Spring Vegetable Soup Tomato, Goat's Cheese and Basil Tartlet Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb served with roast potatoes and roast vegetables Selection of Continental Cheeses Raspberry and cinnamon Torte served with raspberry sauce and cream
£15 per person £5 deposit payable by Saturday 9 April Make a note in your diaries for two further evenings: Saturday 2 July and Saturday 15 October Thank you for your support! Richard & Debi Morisot
DAN'Z VAN NEED HELP WITH LARGE ITEMS? FENCING, POSTS, SHEDS, ETC DAN'Z YOUR MAN RING ME ON 07881555696
Weekday Services in Gaydon
Holy Communion is celebrated every Tuesday at 8am.
Holy Communion will be celebrated on Wednesday 20th at 11am.
Anniversary of Baptism
Ashleigh Marie Taylor Vance was christened at St Giles' Church
on 8 April 2002.
St Giles Gentlemen's Group
Our next meeting will be on Thursday 12 May at 7.30pm
in Gaydon Village Hall.
Mr Brian Aldrich will speak on the subject:
'40 Years in Design and Construction'.
All men are welcome.
Please bring a plate, bowl, knife, fork and spoon.
A small donation would be welcome
to keep the cost of the meal and wine down.
Please let me know if you are coming, to help me cater.
Philip Francis 01295 770400 philip.francis@regents.ox.ac.uk
The Vicar's Letter
With signs of spring all around us, it is good to see the churchyard at Gaydon marked out for our conservation project. The paths are mown in the areas where we hope to sow and plant annual and perennial wild flowers.
My letter this month is an appeal for your help. Perhaps you could please help with the purchase of a packet of seeds, or better still, plugs of the following plants? The lists is long and varied!
Agrimony, Betony, Birdsfoot trefoil, Bugle, Common knapweed, Cuckoo flower, Cowslip, Field scabious, Goat«s beard, Lady«s bedstraw, Meadow buttercup, Meadow cranesbill, Primrose, Ox-eye daisy, Salad burnet, Wild carrot, Yarrow, Yellow rattle.
We also require bird feeders and a supply of nuts and seeds. Now that you may be going over your borders, any cuttings or clumps of the following plants would be welcome to develop a butterfly garden:
Buddleia, Hyssop, Lavender, Ice Plant, Red valerian, Heliotrope, Sweet rocket, Catmint, Aubrieta, Thyme and Sweet scabious.
Foxglove plugs and snowdrops in the green and wild daffodil bulbs would also be welcome.
It will take time to see our churchyard develop and flower with flora and become a habitat for fauna. I hope a growing number of people will become interested and involved in the project and help develop a diverse habitat within the centre of the village.
Plants and seeds can be left in the church porch or given to John Wood Roberts, Bernard Price or Margaret Phelps.