Harvest Festival and Lunch Sun 3rd Oct 11.15am St Giles' Church Coffee Morning Sat 9th 11am Village Hall Chadshunt Harvest Festival Sun 10th Oct 3pm All Saints' Church Friendship Club Tues 19th 2.30pm Almeley Lodge Pilates Tuesdays 6.30pm Village Hall Mobile Library Thursday 14th
3 8.00 Eucharist Burton Dassett
10.00 Eucharist Fenny Compton
10.30 Family Harvest Festival Northend
11.15 Harvest Festival and Lunch Gaydon
11.30 Eucharist Farnborough
10 9.00 BCP Eucharist Fenny Compton
10.00 Eucharist Northend
11.15 Growing Together Gaydon
3.00pm Harvest Festival Chadshunt
6.00pm Harvest Festival Farnborough
17 8.00 Eucharist Farnborough
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Gaydon
10.30 Morning Service Fenny Compton
10.30 Eucharist Northend
24 10.00 Eucharist Northend
10.30 Family Service Fenny Compton
11.30 Family Eucharist and Baptism Gaydon
6.00pm Evensong Farnborough
31 11.00 Group Eucharist and lunch Farnborough
Harvest Festival at Gaydon Sunday 3 October: Lunch will be served in the Village Hall after the Harvest Festival Service.
Autumn seems to have crept up almost unnoticed this year!
Walking the paths, one is struck with the abundance of Blackberries and Sloes, unlike 2009. Summer migrants, like the housemartins and even the odd swallow, still remain as insect life continues to be active in periods of sunshine. Red Admiral butterflies feast on the fallen fruit and Dragonflies are especially abundant around Ichington Holt. Large Hawkers of several species patrol the tops of hedges, having spent three years underwater as nymphs; they continue to live until cut down by the early frosts.
It is sad that a Badger cull has been proposed and one suspects political expediency here, rather than hard evidence. In the past I have spent years testing Badgers for TB in Warwickshire and have never found a TB reactor though I have come across it in Roe deer more often. It is, of course, benign in most carriers and I think it is activated by modern "factory farming " methods. Stress in farm stock often activates an outbreak: long lorry rides, markets, removal of calves, as well as long periods in sheds, will bring it on. Killing one of our best-known native animals for no evidential reason is sheer folly. The present minister is sponsored by the "Agri-Industry" and so may have been pressurised into this action.
The voluntary nature of this culling may appeal to the cost cutting, "Big Society" theorists but it will only encourage cruelty and persection in my opinion. I'd say 95% of the population is against it. Vaccination is the answer. Certainly, we enjoy many Badger setts around Gaydon and the occupants are seldom seen!
There are also many young foxes around, much to the delight of one of my dogs (a Welsh Foxhound) who now trails them - nose to the ground - at every opportunity.
I notice late broods of Speckled Wood butterflies which, although a woodland species, like the gardens in the village; and the continual ripple of Goldfinch song. After a hard winter it seems as though bird populations have built up again. Bats have also been quite numerous in some parts of the village and if you have a loose tile you could well be inadvertently providing a winter roosting-place. Like the swallows, they will only stay active if the temperature is sufficiently high to encourage insects.
The harvest is mostly cut now and stubble ploughed in. Walking is a delight as the ground is dry, even parched in some places, and one can collect blackberries, sloes and crab apples which are a forager's bonus along with early wild mushrooms. Bernard Price
The Library will visit Gaydon on Thursday 14th October.
Our meeting this month will be on Tuesday 19th at the home of Mrs Olive Richards, Almeley Lodge, Kineton Road.
Saturday 9 October 11am in the Village Hall; Bring and Buy; Raffle. Everyone welcome!
Flooding
The planning application for the Banbury Road pipe is with the Planning Department. We have been told that there is a possibility that funding will be available this year but it is subject to savings being made on a County project which has just started. As soon as funding is available the County will be in contact with the residents affected by this pipe.
We are awaiting a quote from the engineer who has advised us in the past on flood prevention schemes. Our aim is to seek advice on whether he believes the work carried out on the ditches behind the Kineton Road is sufficient to prevent the majority of this water from entering the village.
Highways
The bollard along the Banbury Road has been reported to Highways and should be fixed shortly.
Gaydon Liaison Meeting
Jaguar Landrover are investigating the alarms that are sounding on the vehicles which are travelling on the transporters.
The Heritage Centre is looking into the complaint regarding the car siren which can be heard in the village.
Gaydon Milestone - Jaguar Landrover have received approval from the milestone society and SDC to paint the milestone on Gaydon Road. It's expected that the milestone will be painted in the next two weeks.
This is our annual opportunity to visit the beautiful old church of All Saints at Chadshunt. A Harvest Festival will be held there at 3pm on Sunday 10 October with the Vicar of All Saints' Church, Stratford, taking the service. The church will be lit by candles and decorated with the traditional harvest offerings of the fruits of the earth; sheaves of corn will stand in the aisle and a Harvest Loaf will be placed on the altar.
Parking is often a problem on Church Road, as we all know. There are some elderly people who come to St. Giles' Church on Sunday mornings who are unable to walk any distance. It would be a huge help if a space is left outside the church gate so that they can park as close as possible.
Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Saturday 2nd October
Live Music - Upon Collide a must-see pop band starts at 8.30pm.
Sunday 10th October
Clairvoyant evening - with a curry supper at 7pm prompt. Booking only with ££10 deposit with the total cost being £15.00
Friday 22nd October
Steak Night -Join us for a variety of different Steaks including a veggie option from 6pm till 9pm. Book your table early as this is a busy event!
Saturday 30th October
Early Hallowe'en Night with Live Music from Uninvited, wear fancy dress if you dare!
Saturday 6th November
Bonfire Night! - Fire will be lit at 6.30pm and fireworks will start at 7pm with half of the entrance fee going to Cancer Research UK!
Pilates has moved to the earlier time of 6.30pm The classes are held in the Village Hall on Tuesday evenings.
Pilates is an exercise system that is particularly good for your back. Our instructor Debbie Birch is fully trained and qualified and it costs £40.00 for five sessions. If you are interested please call Madeleine on 640636.
The redecoration of the Parish Office is now nearing completion and the Archive Cupboard for Village Memorabilia will soon be available. Anyone who would like records or photographs to be stored in the cupboard should contact a member of the Village Hall Committee.
Help!
Liz Thomas needs cooks, waiters and waitresses to help her with her Christmas Cracker - the Over 60s Christmas Lunch in the Village Hall!
Please give Liz a ring if you can spare an hour or two on Sunday 5 December: to cook the traditional ingredients of a Christmas dinner; or to try waiting at table; or to lay and decorate the tables.
Would you like to come to the Christmas Lunch?
The lunch starts at 12.45 for 1pm on Sunday 5 December and invitations will be sent out in November. We have a little list - but if you are new to the village or haven't come in the past, just contact Liz or Julie and your name will be added on. Liz's number is 641144 and Julie's is 640349.
continues to do well. Trade is steadily increasing and we hope to be able to appoint a Manager shortly. We hope that you have made use of your £2 money-off voucher to be found in the September edition of the District Advertiser. If not, you'll have to hurry as the expiry date is 9th October 2010!
We continue to welcome new volunteers and if you think you could spare even an hour every two weeks, we'd love to hear from you. It's a great way of making friends and keeping up to date with news in the village. Shares are still available at £10 each; owning a share allows you to have a say in how the shop is managed at our AGM which will be held in May 2011.
For contact details please see our advert on the back page. Thank you to all our customers and volunteers for your continued support. Claire Hamm
Following the great success of last year's Old Time Music Hall, Gaydon Voices present 'Forties Favourites', a nostalgic evening of songs and sketches from WW2. The audience is requested to dress in appropriate costume
Supper is included in the ticket price of £7.00. The concert takes place on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th November at 7.30pm in Gaydon Village Hall. Licensed bar available. Tickets from Gaydon Village Store, The Barn, Church Road, Gaydon.
10-11.30am at Gaydon Village Hall
The Toddler Group will meet fortnightly, during term time, starting on Thursday 7 October. If you could help Kelly with setting up and putting away equipment please get in touch with her; if you would like any more information about the group ring Kelly Hilditch on 07739 354043 or email stgilestoddler@aol.com
Christmas bookings are now being taken at the Gaydon Inn, including Lunch on Christmas Day.
Do visit the current exhibition at Compton Verney if you can spare a few hours this month.
Volcano: Turner to Warhol ends on 31 October and traces the sequence from the calm volcano through first ominous rumblings to eruption, aftermath and extinction. Exhibits include loans from both public and private collections, several from volcanic regions such as Naples and, most topically, Iceland.
The restaurant is very good if you feel you need to build yourself up after the rigours of the exhibition; and you can walk off the calories with a stroll round the lovely grounds.
In November it will be possible to tour the new theatres in Stratford. There will be trips up the Tower and you can eat in the Rooftop Restaurant or Riverside Café. Theatre productions do not start till February but there will be a family show, Matilda, A Musical, playing in the Courtyard Theatre from November to January.
Book online www.rsc.org.uk or ring 0844 800 1110 for tickets and information.
Feldon Valley Golf Tournament Brailes on Thursday October 7th £200 for a team of 4 to include bacon buttie before 2.00pm tee off..... 18 holes Dinner and Auction. To book your team please call Rebecca 01608 674929 or email rebecca@shn-fundraising.co.uk
Parish Councillor Tony McGrath attended the Community Forum which took place at Wellesbourne primary school on 4th September. Whilst the meeting focussed primarily on issues and specific updates for Wellesbourne Village points of interest for the wider community were:
*Stratford-on-Avon District Council has begun a review of open space, sport and recreation provision across the district. The aim is to ensure that local communities have access to facilities and services that meet their sporting, leisure and recreational needs, both now and in the future. The review will cover a wide range of open spaces, from parks and gardens, to outdoor sports, childrenâW/-s play areas and allotments. SDC would like everyone to respond to the questionnaire which you can find on-line at http://www.stratford.gov.uk/survey/open_spaces/_open_space__sport_and_recreation_questionnaire.htm or alternatively contact on Stratford District Council on 01789 260332 for a paper copy.
*Traffic speed measurement - PC Cutherbertson advised that there is a scheme whereby local residents can be trained and provided with the equipment to carry out own traffic speed measurements if required. If you are interested in setting up this group, please drop in to the Saturday surgery in PC office for more information.
The PCC for St Giles are currently considering the layout and furniture contained within the church and are seeking thoughts and ideas from members of the parish on this subject. The idea is to see if moving or removing *certain fixed items might make the church space more usable without detracting from the overall look and feel of St Giles. If you have any thoughts on this matter the PCC would love to hear them.
Please speak to any PCC member or to either of the churchwardens, Margaret Phelps or Martyn Hamm.
*The items being considered are the Victorian lectern and the pulpit. Ed.