index of magazines
Gaydon with Chadshunt Parish Magazine
December 2007
This Month's Diary
Christmas Lunch Sun 9th 12.45pm Village Hall
Friendship Club Tues 18th 2.30pm Wellesbourne
Pilates Tuesdays 8pm Village Hall
Toddler Group Thursdays 10-11.30am Village Hall
Mobile Library Thursdays
Help, Please!
Martyn and I moved into Oakbeams in July and we are in the process of renovating the cottage.
We are extremely interested in knowing more about the history of our cottage and we were wondering if anyone in the village has any photos, maps or just memories of the cottage and how it has changed over the years?
People can email me on claire.hamm@btconnect.com
Mobile Library
The Van will not be visiting the village during December as there is to be a major reorganisation of the service, with more locations being visited. The dates for the New Year are not yet known but will be available during December.
Changes that we are aware of are that there will be new vans of a different design, promising new books and new facilities.
The service will be based at Southam; there will be a three-weekly schedule instead of the previous two; and the loan period will also be three weeks, as in branch libraries.
Further information available on www.warwickshire.gov.uk/mobilelibraries
Christmas Market
Thanks to the hard work of collectors and stall-holders and the generosity of buyers, over £1300 was raised at the market on 17 November. This is a welcome boost to church funds and thanks and appreciation go to all concerned.
Over 60s Christmas Lunch
The Lunch will be held this year on Sunday 9 December at 12.45pm in the Village Hall. If you have not yet received an invitation and would like to come - or would like to join the team of cooks and helpers - please contact:
Liz Thomas at Ashley House, Upper Farm Meadow, 641144; or Julie Rickman at the Old Bakehouse, 640349.
Friendship Club
The last meeting of 2007 will be at the home of Mrs Josie Liddington, 2 Anson Close, Wellesbourne, on Tuesday 18th December at 2.30pm.
Gaydon Men's Club
The next meeting of the Men's Club will take place on Thursday 17th January at 7pm in Gaydon Village Hall; the speaker will be the Rev. Tom Farrell who was a successful international runner. After supper he will speak on 'The Race of a Lifetime'.
Those wishing to attend should contact Rev Philip Francis on 01295 770400 or John Goldsmith on 642571.
A donation of £5 is requested to cover expenses.
Birth
Congratulations to Emma, Chris and Ryan on the birth of a beautiful daughter and sister, Kelsey Louise Bridle, 8lbs 14oz, on Saturday 27 October; a grand-daughter for Joan and Bill Morgan.
Nature Notes
Animal Tracks
Recent rains often reveal the signs of nocturnal activities by mammals and birds that are not often actually seen. There are numerous places around our local area that are opened up by the recent frost's cutting back of ground cover. I have been checking some of these.
The easiest tracks to identify are badgers which have clear open claws and flat pads. Foxes resemble a small dog and the V-shaped deer tracks often indicate what a large population of Roe and Muntjack deer wander around the village environs at night!
Muntjack are the smaller and often form well-trodden trails through hedge gaps. Roe are much larger and more widespread. They can sometimes be seen grazing in the fields behind the houses on the Banbury Road and in Watery Lane in the early morning.
Wild boar are again venturing into our area. Itchington Holt and the edges of the Army Camp seem to be their favoured territory, though they can cover vast distances travelling by night. The tracks are larger and wider than deer with distinct cloven hooves. Sometimes "Wallows" or mud baths are also encountered. Having hunted them in the forests of Poland a few years back, I know full well that they are past masters at staying out of human contact; and in fact I am amazed to see them here in the UK again after an absence of 500 years.
They are, of course, well recorded in our mythology and history. Many heraldic devices have a Boar's head and they were, in fact, not killed off by hunting but "bred out" by the Feudal right of "Pannage" which gave farmers the right to allow their pigs into the woods to eat acorns and beechmast. They interbred with their wild relations and even today Tamworth Pigs have striped young, which is a throwback to their wild antecedents.
Like many introduced species, the right circumstances occur and lead to their establishment in the native environment. Some are benign enough, like the Little Owl, whilst others, like Grey Squirrel and Mink, have become harmful vermin. The Munjack deer may well be contributing to the decline of Bluebells in woodland, whilst the pheasant's artificial presence in large numbers has led to the disappearance of many native slow worms and snakes.
Longer ago, the rabbit and rat were also introduced but are a vital food for many native predators now and Green parakeets are seen in huge flocks in southern counties; some were even seen in Gaydon a few years back.
I hope villagers will begin to replenish their bird feeders to encourage both native species and winter visitors like Redwings, Piedwagtails and Fieldfares which are here in large numbers already. BJP
Gaydon with Chadshunt Services for December 2007 AD
2
8.00 Eucharist Burton Dassett
10.00 Family Eucharist Fenny Compton
11.15 Morning Service Gaydon
11.30 Eucharist Farnborough
9
9.00 Eucharist Fenny Compton
10.00 Morning Service Farnborough
10.00 Eucharist Northend
11.15 Growing Together
and Baptism Gaydon
6.00pm Evening Prayer Northend
16
8.00 Eucharist Farnborough
9.00 Eucharist Gaydon
10.30 Morning Service Fenny Compton
10.30 Village Communion Knightcote
23
10.30 Crib Service Fenny Compton
11.30 Eucharist Gaydon
3.30pm Carols by Candlelight Burton Dassett
6.00pm Carol Service Farnborough
Christmas Eve
24
6.00pm Crib Service Gaydon
11.30pm Midnight Mass Burton Dassett
Christmas Day
25
9.00 Family Eucharist Gaydon
10.00 Family Eucharist Fenny Compton
10.00 Carol Service Northend
11.30 Eucharist Farnborough
30
10.30 Group Eucharist and lunch Northend
Weekday Services
Eucharist will be celebrated at St Giles' Church, Gaydon, on Wednesday 19 December at 11am.
Pastoral Ministry
To arrange baptisms, marriages, confession, visits at home or in hospital,or for any other pastoral matter, please contact the Vicar on 01295 770400 or email philip.francis@regents.ox.ac.uk
The Vicar's Letter
The peace and stillness of Christmas morning speak of a special time. I just love the quiet and calm of the early morning before the Christmas masses. I marvel at the continuity of the way in which Christians have kept this morning, from earliest times, to celebrate the birth of Christ.
In the dead of winter we celebrate the Light arising in the darkness and speak of our hope for peace and goodwill amongst men; and for a world transformed by sharing God''s love.
''Love came down at Christmas', proclaims one of the carols. Christmas is all about making that love, peace and goodwill last throughout the year. This is the enduring power of the Christmas message.
Long after the tinsel and turkey have disappeared and presents have been put to one side, we can all share Christ''s gifts and work for a world transformed and made new by Jesus's birth.
Royal British Legion
Poppy Appeal 2007 Gaydon
In October the Chairman of the Royal British Legion wrote to Georgina Diston and Sue Middleditch to thank them for twenty years' voluntary service to the Poppy Appeal and they each received a commemorative brooch to mark the occasion. The Poppy Appeal in Gaydon raised £896 and grateful thanks are due to those who contributed and those volunteers who organised house-to-house collections and ensured the smooth functioning of static collections.
Parish Council News
The Parish Council wishes everyone a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!
Highways
A VAS (Vehicle Activated Sign) has been installed on the Kineton Road which we hope will help with speeding vehicles from Kineton. We have asked for a wind powered VAS to be installed on the Kineton Road going away from the roundabout towards Kineton. Highways have said that there is no funding currently available for this. We are hoping that funding will become available next April.
Highways are unable to provide a white "30" marking on the Kineton Road as guidelines state that this type of road marking can not be used where there is a system of street lighting.
Highways have been asked if they could extend the existing 30 mph limit on the B4100 100 metres north west from the roundabout to Lighthorne Heath so that it starts/finishes beyond the last access to
the houses.
Lorries thought to be heavier than 7.5T have been seen using Pimple Lane. District and County Councils are both eager to stop this practice and have asked us to note the registration number of the vehicles and report it to them.
A large number of vehicles have been reported blocking pavements.
It is very difficult to get past a vehicle which is parked partly on the pavement if you are in a wheelchair or have a pushchair. In some parts of the village we only have one pavement and therefore it is very important that we keep it clear. Could you please park considerately and ask your visitors/builders to do the same. If pavements are continually blocked the police are quite willing to contact the owner of the vehicle - note the registration number or in the case of builders the name of the company on the side of the vehicle and phone this information through to the police station.
Dog Fouling
Several reports of a loose dog in the village. The dog is medium size, terrier, white with brown splodges and has a collar. If you have a dog which fits this description could you please check your fences. This dog has been reported ripping open black bags which have been left for the dustman, running in and out of traffic along the Kineton Road and nosing around front gardens. The dog warden has been informed and has asked if anyone sees a loose dog could they please contact her at the District Council and ask that she be called on her mobile. She will then come to the village and take the dog to the compound.
The Parish Council and Flooding
The Parish Council has been presented with a range of flood prevention measures by John Rickman, who has done a great deal of work himself in assessing possible solutions and has canvassed opinions from around the village, as to what should be done.
We will be considering all of these proposals and pursuing their implementation where appropriate with a view to creating comprehensive flood defences for the village as a whole.
As a start point, the Highways Agency has been asked to explore the costs and feasibility of altering the camber on the Banbury Road to direct surface water on the road into the ditch on the cemetery side and therefore away from the houses.
We are looking into the feasibility of 'holding banks' to delay the run-off from the fields and will be visiting an existing scheme in Fenny Compton.
We are also looking at all of the ditches in the area and will be developing plans to ensure that farmers continue to keep these clear, where it is their responsibility, and that we arrange to have them cleared where it is not.
If you have any further ideas, please contact any member of the Parish Council or come along to the office behind the Village Hall on a Saturday between 10 and 11am.
Composting Facility
Kingston Grange Farm was given planning permission to extend the composting facility. However, the site was not awarded the WCC composting contract so its future is under review by the operator.
The current composting facility has strict regulations which are monitored by the Environmental Agency. If you experience odours which you believe are coming from the site could you please report this to the Environmental Agency on 0800 807060. If this happens regularly you may wish to complete a log sheet for the District Council. These sheets are available from the office.
Communicating via email
Unfortunately it will not be possible to communicate parish news via email. News will be communicated via the Village Magazine, noticeboard or by attending the Parish Council meetings.
Next Meeting
The next meeting is on Tuesday, 8th January 2008, at 8pm in the Village Hall.
December Flood Report
This month I must refer you to the Parish Council Chairman's comments in this magazine.
There is nothing more I can do at present and the next moves are in the hands of our local councils.
I am keeping busy overseeing and helping with the flood works on my own house; and I plan to visit other households affected by the flooding in order to see how they are getting on with defensive work. JR
Gaydon Neighbourhood Watch
Gaydon Report
An attempt to remove cash from the phone box in Gaydon, theft of heating oil from a tank in Warwick Road plus the theft of two galvanised sheep hurdles from a Gaydon farm in the last month broke a long quiet crime-free run.
Crime in Warwickshire
According to figures released this month recorded crime is down by 11.35 per cent in the first seven months of this policing year compared to the same time last year. In the past seven months there have been 3,120 fewer victims of crime in Warwickshire compared to the same months in 2006 and between April and October this year 278 fewer households have been broken into across the county.
Car crime is also lower with a 27.7 per cent reduction on last year's figures. There have been fewer cases of criminal damage reported this year compared to last with an 8.9 per cent reduction.
Gaydon Neighbourhood Watch wish you a Happy Christmas.
Heartstart
The Ambulance Service has called out the duty First Responders on a number of occasions this year. We cover the area including Redlands, Lighthorne, Lighthorne Heath, Gaydon and surrounding properties and are trained and tested every six months. Gaydon have had three active Responders during the year working with four from Lighthorne Heath and Lighthorne.
This has enabled us to provide cover on most evenings and some day duties. Responders are equipped with a defibrillator, oxygen and life support equipment and are expected to get to a call within eight minutes to provide emergency care until the arrival of an Ambulance or Paramedic from Leamington or Stratford. Additional volunteers are welcome.
Merry Christmas from your Hearstart Team!