August 2008
Pilates Tuesdays 8pm Village Hall Toddler Group Thursdays 10-11.30am Village Hall Mobile Library Thursday 14th
3 8.00 Eucharist Burton Dassett 10.00 Family Eucharist Fenny Compton 11.15 Morning Service Gaydon 10 9.00 Eucharist Fenny Compton 10.00 Morning Service Farnborough 10.00 Eucharist Northend 11.15 Growing Together Gaydon 6pm Evening Prayer Burton Dassett 17 8.00 Eucharist Farnborough 9.00 Eucharist Gaydon 10.30 United Service Fenny Compton 10.30 United Service Knightcote 24 9.30 Eucharist Northend 10.30 Family Service Fenny Compton 11.30 Family Eucharist Gaydon 6pm Evensong Farnborough 31 11.00 Group Eucharist and picnic at Farnborough*
*The service on the 5th Sunday for the Dassett Magna group of churches will be a Eucharist at Farnborough followed by a picnic. Please come, bringing your own food; various drinks will be provided.
It is with great sorrow that we record the death of Betty Davies on the 18th of July at Myton Hospice. We offer our condolences to John and his family and friends.
We will be holding our first fundraising event on Sunday 7 September
from 2-6pm at The Old House, home of Hugh and Annette Conway.
Tickets are £5 each and include a sausage and hotdog from the BBQ, salads and vegetarian options will be provided as well. There will be a bar available and games for children, with a boules competition for the adults as well as a raffle. Tickets will shortly be available from behind the bar at the Malt Shovel.
Nature Notes
The rather cool weather so far has reflected on the habits of many local species. In my garden, Woodpigeons, Collared doves and even a Wren are attempting second broods, as it was so cold earlier on that nests were abandoned the first time.
A hobby (small falcon) was see on a telegraph pole on the Bishop's road today. This is one of the few birds that hunts Swifts and Swallows, which are in much smaller numbers this year, so pickings may be slim with this quarry; however, they are pretty omniverous and even take Dragon Flies.
I note that we have several Magpies in the village: these were driven off by local Crows until last year when they seem to have established themselves. They are not, in my opinion, a bird we need as they kill many songbirds and raid nests; so I shall deter them from my garden by the usual methods.
Young Rabbits are very numerous and a food source for many Corvids and Buzzards as they are daily killed on the local roads into the village. It seems that the survivors acquire some traffic sense but it is hard won!
Wild Boar are around again but I cannot ascertain where they come from.
My hens are laying well and I am intrigued to read that Poultry-keeping is the fastest-growing hobby in the UK! A fact confirmed when I visited a garden centre near Birmingham today and saw a huge array of Housing, equipment and birds on sale. How long many urban people will sustain this interest is hard to say but if you have bought a plastic "Igloo" run for £400 there is a degree of commitment!
Many people kept poultry in Gaydon until recent years. I recall a flock of spotted Appenzellers and some geese on the Gaydon Inn field for many years and the early morning clarion call of roosters which is now seldom heard. Recent controversies over intensive poultry-rearing methods are difficult to reconcile and may be one reason for the decline.
Our main problem in Gaydon, if we have hens, is the Fox - which reminds me - I must go and shut up my hen house!
Bernard Price
(That sly fox got the last of our hens this spring at the Old Bakehouse! We are going to rebuild our fortifications before we re-stock the henhouse: we are determined to get the better of him so that we can continue to enjoy the company of a few chickens and the luxury of their delicious eggs. Ed.)
If by chance you discover a duck in your garden, it has probably come from ours. We would be pleased to hear from you. Hugh and Annette Conway, The Old House, Church Road, 640444 or 07836 605999.
If anyone owns a large black tom cat with a white patch on his chest, can they let me know please by the end of August? He seems to frequent the top of Church Lane and gets into fights with the other feline residents, as well as entering their homes and stealing their food. If he really is a stray cat then I will be contacting the RSPCA at the end of the month to arrange for him to be re-homed.
Local News: There has been a spate of machinery thefts in the area, ranging from a JCB Mini-Digger and John Deer forklift truck (Compton Verney) to a Quad bike (Gaydon) and gardening tools (Kineton).
Police have some information and have asked for sighting reports about a white transit type van with red markings that has been seen in the area and two "youngish" men who wear hi-vis jackets.
SNT (Rural Policing Team)
The Police Safer Neighbourhood Team for Gaydon and Chadshunt are based at the newly established Rural Policing office in Wellesbourne. Any non-emergency call should now be made to Wellesbourne Police Station 01789 842114 option 2 then 4600; or by e-mail to: wellesbourne.snt@warwickshire.police.uk
Speed Checks: The Rural Policing Team are to carry out speed checks in this district. In conjunction with the Warwickshire Police Traffic division, our local policeman, PC Cuthbertson, is mounting a series of speed checks over the coming weeks in and around the rural district.
"This is to meet the concerns of our local residents and observations made by The Rural Policing Team. Speed remains one of our major issues across the district. We hope that all drivers will drive with consideration and due care.
"Anyone caught driving in excess of the legal limits may be subjected to prosecution; or if it is deemed that the vehicle is being used in a manner likely to cause alarm and distress, this could result in a Section 59 notice being placed on the driver and their vehicle which, ultimately, could result in the vehicle being seized and crushed". PC Cuthbertson
Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service Alerts
Tax Refund Scam: Beware of emails the falsely purport to be from HM Revenue and Customs offering tax refunds.
Loan Letter: Trading Standards are investigating a letter received by a householder confirming a loan application he had never applied for and requesting £49.50 as 'a set-up fee'. He wisely contacted Trading Standards.
A charity event in aid of Redwings Horse Sanctuary is being held in the field at the Gaydon Inn on Saturday 30 August from 1pm onwards. There will also be a disco in the Gaydon Inn during the evening. Some of the activities that will be taking place are: Pony Patting; Dance Display; Taekwondo Display; Land Train Rides; Dog Show; Frog Gobblers; English Civil War Display; Tug-o-War (Teams Wanted); Bouncy Castle; Tossing the Bale; Welly Wanging; Coconut Shy; Barbecue; Kids Sumo Wrestling; Test-your-strength Striker.
Kelle, Natalie and Marie look forward to seeing you and your family!
Saturday 20 September 2008 1-3pm at Kineton High School. If you would like a pack to sell your goods, please contact Julia on 641839.
New Refuse and Recycling System
From 6th August 2008 our refuse and recycling will be collected on a Wednesday. Every household should receive a letter informing them of the new arrangements. We have also been told that our new blue and grey bins will not be delivered until the end of August and that we should continue to use our black boxes and black bags.
Flood Defence Plan
Await results from surveys which have taken place on the field behind the Banbury Road and also the field behind the Kineton Road. We are also waiting to hear from Highways as to whether the cambers can be changed on the Banbury Road and the Warwick Road.
Play Area
The wall behind the garages has now been mended and the play area is open again. We are still waiting for the bin to be replaced.
Footpath
The footpath along the side of the cemetery from Banbury Road has been cleared of fallen trees and the footpath by St. Marks Close will be cleared shortly.
Maintenance
The bus shelter and the bottom of the flagpole have been repainted and the bench in Church Road is due to be mended later this month. We have asked Highways if they could trim the hedges and trees which are obstructing some of our road signs.
Telephone Box
We have contacted English Heritage and are in the process of completing an application form asking if this box could be listed. We have also written to Stratford District strongly objecting to BT's proposal that this box be removed.
Land Rover Celebrations
We have received a letter of apology from the Managing Director at Landrover and an apology by e-mail from the Liaison Officer at the Hertiage Museum regarding the unacceptable noise levels during the Land Rover celebration weekend 18-20th July. Land Rover assure us that the Flying Machine which was apparently the major source of noise, will not be used again by Jaguar Land Rover at the Heritage Motor Centre.
Firework Display
The Heritage Motor Centre will be having a firework display on 8th August at 10.45pm which will last for approximately 10 minutes.
The polyester sandbags have a life of about a year because they are bio-degradable and UV destroys them. On the anniversary of the Great Floode I discovered that some of mine are now rotten and need replacing. You can apply to the Parish Council for new bags.
JR
The Library Van's next visit is to be on Thursday 14th August.