index of magazines
Gaydon with Chadshunt Parish Magazine
April 2007
This Month's Diary
Coffee Morning Sat 14th 11.00am Village Hall
Fête Meeting Weds 18th 8.00pm Bedford House
Friendship Club Tues 24th 2.30pm Offchurch Cottage
Pilates Tuesdays 8.00pm Village Hall
Mobile Library Thursdays 5th and 19th
Toddler Group Thursdays 10-11.30am Village Hall
Nature Notes
Early spring flowers are fairly conspicuous this month. The very hardy species are already in flower and attracting early insect pollinators. Around Gaydon the Purple/blue Violets and the occasional White variants - which have attractive purple centres - grow on the hedge-banks.
Yellow Lesser Celandines and Coltsfoot are also a common sight. In the woodlands early Primroses are starting to appear. Sallows and Hazel catkins laden with golden pollen have been, until recent cold spells, an attractant for early Bees.
Midges and flies are fairly hardy and the Large Red-Tailed Bumble Bee Queens have their own insulation. I have even spotted the odd butterfly awakening from hibernation like the Sulphur Brimstones and Small Tortoiseshells, although these are more vulnerable to cold snaps.
Chadshunt Churchyard is a wonderful carpet of Primroses at present but the beautiful drifts of wild snowdrops have now died down.
Last year we discussed moving some of these to Gaydon Churchyard and so this year it was essential to begin this whilst they were still in "The Green"; thanks to the good advice and hard work of some kind people at Chadshunt House.
I was able to bring a group of my Conservation Management students to do the job and we spent an afternoon session planting hundreds of Wild local Snowdrop bulbs in clumps in St Giles' churchyard; so we should have a great show next spring which will increase for generations to come!
We have designed a sign to record this event and to inform villagers. Incidentally, any spare Primroses or Cowslips could be planted in like fashion after flowering. (Any offers?)
My students (from Warwickshire College) are very keen to participate in any conservation work as part of their Conservation Management course.
We are also working on old Haymeadows and Grasslands later this term and it is good to see future farmers and conservationists so enthusiastic to restore the biodiversity of habitats like our churchyard. It was great to hear the grasshoppers chirping there last summer!
The mornings are now filled with birdsong as territories are established and Rooks are already repairing last year's nests. Bernard Price
Parish Council
We have again decided to enter the Best Kept Village Competition. Judging will take place in either June or July.
Road repairs have finally been carried out on Church Lane. We are now trying to arrange for the kerbstones along this lane to be reinstated.
The pavement along the Kineton Road is in need of repair and this has been reported. We will continue to remind the District Council of this.
The damage to the telephone box has been reported to BT. They are hoping to fix it in the next couple of months.
Elections
Parish elections will be taking place on Thursday, 3rd May.
Two Parish Councillors will not be standing for re-election, so if anyone is considering, or knows someone who might consider, becoming a Councillor, nomination papers can be obtained from Corinne Hill
on 641220.
These must be delivered to Stratford by noon on Wednesday, 4th April.
Friendship Club
Our meeting is to be held at 2.30pm on Tuesday 24 April at Trevose, Kineton Road, Gaydon.
Mobile Library
The van will be visiting the village on Thursdays 5th and 19th
this month.
Village Coffee Morning
Village Hall
Saturday 14 April at 11 o'clock
Homemade Cakes & Bring and Buy
Raffle
Coffee, Tea and Biscuits
Come along to meet other villagers
and help raise some cash for the upkeep of the village church!
Gaydon Neighbourhood Watch
A quiet month for Gaydon.
Alert from Stratford Police:
We would like to make you aware there have been several recent thefts of stone balls and other high value garden ornaments from rural homes and premises in the Stratford District area.
The offenders may be connected to an S registration Ford Transit van.
Safer Neighbourhoods
Warwickshire Police have set-up a Newsletter on the Safer Neighbour-hood website. Please go to the link below and this will bring you to the Safer Neighbourhood Stratford Rural Team Website where you can access a newsletter plus other information on our area.
http://www.safer-neighbourhoods.co.uk/your-neighbourhood/stratford-district/
Holidays
Please notify your Street Co-ordinator if you would like someone to "keep an eye" on your house.
Village Hall News
The Village Hall Committee would like to remind everyone that hall bookings must be made with Sue Middleditch 640695. Please contact her well in advance so that she can put your date in the Village Hall Diary and ensure that there are no double bookings.
Great Walks of Gaydon Number 1
Although Gaydon is undeniably a country village it is severely challenged in the matter of country walks.
It is securely bounded in three of the four cardinal directions by man-made obstacles.
To the North there is the three mile long fence of the vehicle testing ground.
The South is no more welcoming. The security fences of the Army equally deny the walker the freedom to roam across fields to the beckoning hills.
The passage to the East is little better. The M40 motorway can be crossed in three places only within the parish, quite apart from the constant traffic noise that it inflicts on anyone who walks that way.
"Go West, young man," Indiana newspaper writer John Soule advised in 1851. Sound advice for the Gaydon walker who would like to go for a stroll from the village without feeling fenced in; and there is a footpath that provides an interesting and challenging walk in this direction.
However, this month we describe Gaydon's best known walk "The Cemetery Round".
This walk is short but is not suitable for people of limited mobility and is very mucky in the Winter or after prolonged rain.
Start at the back of the Church and go up the short drive to the kissing gate into what my children used to call the Pony Field (because the owner kept shetland ponies in it).
Cross the field by the well-marked footpath - watch where you put your feet - to the stile on the far side.
Over the stile, keep left and follow the hedge down to the cemetery. It always seems to be farther than you expect.
Turn left at the cemetery and 25 yards on turn to the right into the place where Gaydon's dead have been buried since the churchyard was closed in the 1930s.
After paying your respects, leave the cemetery by the main gate and make your way back to Gaydon alongside the B4100, turning left into Church Road and back to the Church, passing the Gaydon Inn on the way if you can resist the temptation.
This walk can be clearly seen on the map of Gaydon Parish which is on the Gaydon website at ww.gaydon.org.uk. JR
Parish Council
Chairman's Thanks
I would like to take this opportunity to thank a number of people who have all made a significant contribution this year.
Our County Councillor, David Booth, and District Councillors have all made considerable efforts to attend our meetings despite very busy schedules and have been of significant help on any number of matters that we have asked them to help with or comment on.
Corinne Hill gave us a nasty turn when she said that she intended to resign because she carries out the duties of Parish Clerk with a great deal of energy and commitment. I hope she can continue to stay with us.
Bernard Price and Andy Thomas have been of continuous support, attending a great many of the Saturday sessions, and being committed and involved in a wide range of matters that have arisen.
I am extremely sorry that we will be losing John Rickman in May. It was his enthusiasm and commitment that encouraged me to stand in the first place, and I believe he has always had the best interests of the village at heart, and he follows that instinct regardless of what might be thought the normal course of action, or in the face of opposition. My thanks to him.
I am equally sorry to be losing Francis Liddington.
He has demonstrated his commitment to the community over more than 30 years as a Councillor, bringing a wealth of experience of the people and the village to bear on decisions and actions over the years. He also gets involved and acts if that is the best way forward.
In addition, his insight and knowledge of how the village has changed has often helped us to make decisions which I believe continue to maintain its traditions.
He lived and worked in the village all his life up to now, and he got involved in the responsibility of running it, delivering a unique contribution over many decades. At the same time, this is in no way to suggest that he is locked in the past and he has continued to look at issues from a fresh angle and consider the opinions of others on all matters. He is a great loss to the Council, and to the village, and I wish him well in his new home. If they have any sense, they will be asking him to be a Parish Councillor over there!
Gaydon Annual Parish Meeting
This was held on the 6th March this year, attended by the Parish Councillors, with the exception of the Chairman who was abroad on business, and a small number of members of the public.
The main issue raised related to the car parking in the village and whether anything can be done about people using the village as a place to leave their cars while they go off to meetings in a single vehicle.
The following is a summary of what would have been the Chairman's Report if he had been present.
Chairman's Report - Summary
This has been another quietly eventful year for the Parish Council. Nothing extreme has occurred, but there has been a steady trickle of matters requiring attention.
We have increased the precept again, by a small amount, within the guidelines for increases. This is to allow us to continue to pursue our programmes on the refurbishment of the playground and to account for possible additional expenses. For, example, we are now expected to pay for elections if we need to hold them.
We have revised the charges and clarified the specifications concern-ing burials, graves, and the interment of ashes.
Footpaths are generally clear and well-used.
Lights and litter: John Rickman as done a sterling job, almost single handedly, of litter picking around the village.
Play area: plans are still going forward to renew and renovate this area.
We have discussed speeding with the Highways team. Cars still go very fast away from the roundabout, particularly towards Kineton and Banbury, and coming into the village from Kineton.
Flooding has not been a problem this year, although it is still a concern to the residents of Banbury Road because of the amount of water that comes off the fields at the back. We are still in discussion with them and Highways about possible remedies.
Parish Plan: We intend shortly to produce the core questionnaire for discussion.
Gaydon Village Field: We have pledges for about one-third of the 40,000 needed to buy it and are investigating avenues for funding.
Antarctica
We have all been inspired by accounts of the explorations of Scott and Shackleton and for those lucky enough to visit, it is a lifetime experience. The ice cliffs rise above a flat, cold sea; the icebergs float gently along; there are ice floes, some with seals resting on them; and the larger areas of pack ice. To be alone, gazing at all of this, everything absolutely calm, with only the occasional cry of a sea bird to be heard, is to experience God's creation in all its majesty.
Of course, Antarctica is a work place for some people. There are research stations manned by scientists of various nations including Russians, Poles and Chileans, as well as the British. The area is monitored by the Antarctic Foundation Trust, of which Britain is a member. Its aim is to preserve and conserve artefacts from previous explorations, educate young people and promote an interest
in science.
Humans are always anxious to explore and to share in these wonders and the aim of many is to 'walk among the penguins'. This is now possible, although there are very strict regulations controlling these activities. My own view is that the wildlife should be left undisturbed - but this is very much in the minority.
On this expedition some 300 people were taken ashore at Arctowski, a Polish station. They went in polar cirkel boats in batches of eight and had just half an hour on shore. Everyone wore red thermal jackets, waterproof trousers, life vests and wellington boots. Hats and gloves were also imperative. Everything was meticulously organised, both from the safety point of view and with regard to the care of the environment. The operation started at 7.30am and was complete
by 3.30pm.
The next day a similar operational landing was made at Waterboat Point, a station controlled by Chile. The stay here was for an hour with no more than a hundred people on site at once. There were many penguins to be seen in their rookeries, as this is their breeding season. The main comment was on the odour which is overwhelming: after all, the birds' main diet is fish!
On this trip, bad weather prevented a landing at Half Moon Island, a British base, but we were compensated by a cruise through the Lemaire Channel: a passage so narrow that a reconnaissance boat had to be sent out to ascertain that the way was clear of icebergs as there could be no turning round!
The ice cliffs rose sheer on either side. Once in broader water, the vessel could be turned for the return trip and resume the set route which would lead eventually to Cape Horn and then to the passage taken by Charles Darwin in the Beagle up the coast of Chile. MF
5 GOOD REASONS TO COMPOST AT HOME:
1. REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF RUBBISH YOU PUT OUT FOR COLLECTION AND SEND TO LANDFILL
2. PRODUCE A FANTASTIC FREE FERTILISER FOR YOUR GARDEN, VEGETABLE PLOTS, PATIO PLANTERS AND HANGING BASKETS
3. SAVE MONEY BY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF COMPOST YOU HAVE TO BUY FOR YOUR GARDEN
4. HELP TO REDUCE THE PRODUCTION OF METHANE
when organic waste is sent to landfill, it rots without oxygen producing methane - a powerful greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming.
5. SAVE TIME AND PETROL ON TAKING GARDEN WASTE TO THE TIP
The most important tips for making good compost are:
Ensure that you get a good mix of wet (e.g. food scraps, grass clippings) and dry (e.g. paper, card, straw, leaves) materials.
The dry materials will trap air spaces in the compost, which it needs to work properly.
Do not include meat, fish, dairy or cooked food scraps. These are the things that might attract unwanted visitors to the bin!
Compost bins can be purchased at subsidised prices.
The Recycle Now Home Compost programme is a partnership between Warwickshire County Council and WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme).
Three designs of bin are available, starting at £8 including delivery.
For more information or to order a compost bin visit the website: www.recyclenow.com/compost or call: 0845 077 0757.
Don't forget that you also have a local composting advisor -
Penny Holmes - who attends events, gives talks and works with schools to promote successful home composting.
If you have an event that you would like the advisor to attend please contact: penny.holmes@wrap.org.uk
The Vicar's Letter
What we celebrate during Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday and leads up to Easter Day, lies at the heart of the Christian year. Lent culminates in Holy Week with the celebration of Jesus' last days spent in Jerusalem. We gather with Christians throughout the world to celebrate the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday; Jesus' death on the cross on Good Friday; and his burial in the tomb and the vigil of Holy Saturday leads us into the celebration of new life and the birth of hope on Easter day, when Jesus broke the power of death and rose to new life.
To miss celebrating our Lord's Passion and death in Holy Week and just turning up for Easter Day is like missing out on the main course and just eating pudding! So come and celebrate Holy Week and Easter and experience the real meaning of God''s love for the world.
Gaydon with Chadshunt
Services for April 2007 AD
Palm Sunday
1 11.15 Family Eucharist Gaydon
Holy Week
Monday
2 7.00pm Eucharist Northend
Tuesday
3 7.00pm Eucharist Northend
Wednesday
4 11.00am Eucharist Gaydon
Maundy Thursday
5 7.00pm Eucharist of the Lord's Last Supper
and short Watch Gaydon
Good Friday
6 10.30 Children's Service Gaydon
6.00pm Liturgy of the Passion Northend
Holy Saturday, Easter Eve
7 6.30pm Meet Northend for walk to Burton Dassett
7.30pm Easter Vigil Service Burton Dassett
Easter Day
8 11.30am Family Eucharist Gaydon
15 9.00 Eucharist Gaydon
22 11.15 Family Eucharist Gaydon
29 6.00pm Evening Prayer Gaydon
Shipshapes Holiday Club
Shipshapes will be running again in the Easter holidays, on
Thursday 12 and Friday 13 April in Fenny Compton Village Hall.
Each session will run from 10am to noon, at a cost of £2 per child per session and will include the usual mix of games, stories, crafts and drama.
In addition we will be introducing a Lunch and Film Club from 12.00-1.00pm on both days (bring your own sandwiches: cakes, fruit and drinks will be provided) for an additional fee of £1 per child per day.
Shipshapes is sponsored by the Parish Church and is run by local parents for children of primary-school age.
If you would like to sign your child(ren) up for one or both days, please speak to Alysoun (690056) or Kate (770118).
Bon Vivant
This month your restaurant critic reports on a recent trip to the metropolis and recommends somewhere unusual to eat lunch when you are shopping in Oxford Street.
Having spent more than he could afford in the fleshpots of Selfridges, he made his way out of a side door and looked about him for a cheap but delicious morsel to revive him before he headed down towards Leicester Square to choose his evening's entertainment at the theatre.
He found himself in James Street where small restaurants abounded but none tempted him until he saw what appeared to be a grocery shop - although busy tables on the pavement were being served by black trousered, white shirted waiters.
The name above was Carluccio's: yes, the Carluccio, and this was his shop! But as well as a shop it was a bustling and unpretentious restaurant. Your reporter had to wait fifteen minutes to get a table and was advised by the management to go downstairs to the bar. No sooner he had ordered a refreshing lemon granita than the table became available and he was choosing from a short but typically Italian menu involving scrumptious anti pasti and seafood risotti. A straight forward Valpolicella made a perfect accompaniment.
The prices were cheap and the food and service excellent
and friendly and quick: just right for when you don't want to spend hours waiting for someone to get your bill!
Obituary
Derek John Ratty
12 February 1927 - 10 February 2007
We are sorry to report the death of Derek Ratty who lived in Banbury Road for over fifty years. We offer our condolences to his family and friends.
Dates for Your Diaries
Floral Remembrance Event and Art Exhibition
in St Giles' Church and the Village Hall
on 9th & 10th June 2007
Saturday, from Noon until 4.00p.m
Sunday, following service, until 4.00p.m
Theme: Celebrating Thoughts of Loved Ones Past and Present
Gaydon Fête 2007
This year's fete is planned for Saturday 30th June.
So far we are planning to have the children's activities, refreshments, stalls and games, dog show etc. as in previous years.
Last year the Malt Shovel ran a bar and we also ran a barbecue in the evening. But we need more volunteers if we are going to run the barbecue during the day as well, as has been suggested.
We have also invited some military re-enactors to do combat demonstrations.
As usual, we would love to hear ideas and suggestions from anyone and we need lots of helpers, in advance and on the day.
We are meeting on Wednesday 18th April, to start the ball rolling, so anyone with any ideas is very welcome.
The meeting will be at Bedford House (the white house next to the church) at 8.00pm, with some wine and nibbles....or contact Madeleine on 640636, or Anna on 641971.
Concert at All Saints' Church
Stoneleigh Male Voice Choir, organised by the parishes of St Giles and All Saints, will sing at Burton Dassett on Friday 29th June.
Supper and refreshments will be included in the price of the ticket.
Pilates
There is now a regular Pilates class in the Village Hall on Tuesday evenings. There is a waiting list, and also if enough people wish to join then we could organise another class on Thursdays at either 4.30 or 7.30pm. The classes are run by Debbie Birch who is a trained and qualified Pilates instructor. They run in sections of five weeks and if there are ten people it is £35.00 each. If you are interested then call Madeleine on 640636.