This Month's Diary
Parish Council Thurs 6th 7.30pm Village Hall Village Hall Committee Mon 10th 8pm Village Hall Friendship Club Mon 18th 2.30pm Trevose Pilates Tuesdays 6.30pm Village Hall Mobile Library Thurs 13th Toddler Group Alternate Thursdays 10-11.30am Village Hall
2 8.00 Eucharist Burton Dassett
10.00 Eucharist Fenny Compton
11.15 Morning Service Gaydon
11.30 Eucharist Farnborough
9 9.00 BCP Eucharist Fenny Compton
10.00 Family Service Farnborough
10.00 Eucharist Northend
11.15 Family Service Gaydon
6.00pm Evening Service Burton Dassett
16 8.00 Eucharist Farnborough
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Gaydon
10.30 Morning Service Fenny Compton
10.30 Eucharist Northend
23 10.00 Eucharist Northend
10.30 Family Service Fenny Compton
11.30 Family Eucharist Gaydon
6.00pm Evensong Farnborough
30 11.00 Joint Service Fenny Compton
Letter to the Editor
May I, through your columns, urge all residents to actively support the Village Store.
We are not being asked to change our shopping habits drastically but could we all make a point of visiting the shop and buying one or two items every week?
I can recommend the Vegetable Boxes: these are exceptionally good and you can order as much or as little as you wish for next day's delivery. Of course, it costs a few pence more but the produce is fresh and has not been picked over and thrown about by other shoppers as happens in the supermarkets!
Have you considered volunteering? To do just one hour a week is acceptable - at times to suit you. Once you get the hang of it it's an enjoyable experience.
Please give the shop all the support you can. We all know the saying 'Use it or lose it' and that could be a real possibility here; and with it would go what could be Gaydon's last chance to consider ourselves a community. Mary Fox
This year Gaydon once again donated a record amount to the Poppy Appeal: £1283.60. Thanks are due to all who donated, to all the volunteers who worked to collect the funds and to several others behind the scenes. If you would like to help next year, please let John Goldsmith know by ringing him on 642571.
The Library will visit Gaydon on Thursday 13 January 2011. It will be at the Telephone Box from 1.50pm to 2.10pm and at St Marks Close from 2.15pm to 2.35pm.
The meeting this month will be on Tuesday 18 January at 2.30pm at the home of Mrs Pauline Layton, Trevose, Kineton Road.
Children's Society boxes are due for collection in January and if you could return your boxes to me at 4 St Giles Road I would be most grateful; otherwise I will come and collect. Jane Goldsmith, Gaydon rep.
We are pleased to announce that the Reverend Mike Cadwallader is to be Priest-in-Charge of the Dassett Magna Group of Parishes. Mike is at present a full-time curate at St Aidan's Church, Hull, in the diocese of York. Depending on the date of his licensing by the bishop, he should start his ministry here in about February.
Happy New Year to all our customers and volunteers! Thank you for all your support in 2010.
The good news is there will be NO VAT INCREASE on existing stock as we hold our 2010 prices.
The bad news is that we need more of the village to use the shop or to volunteer (just a flexible hour a week) or we will not make it to 2012! Before you get into your car to do a top-up shop, why not ring the shop on 641805 or pop in and see if we can help?
You could save both time and money and be supporting your local community. Remember, you can order fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, cakes and papers - all from local suppliers; and we always welcome ideas on additional services or products you wish to see in the shop.
Make it your new year resolution to visit the shop, or volunteer and support the village: you may be surprised!
We welcome Mike and Andrea and family who have moved into one of the houses in Manor Farm Lane. We hope you will enjoy life in Gaydon.
The Over-Sixties' Christmas lunch was held in the Village Hall on Sunday 5th December. About forty guests were treated to an excellent traditional Christmas meal - a great deal of hard work for the noble band of helpers but a tremendous treat for the participants. We really do appreciate all the organisation and hard work of Liz Thomas and her helpers and thank them all.
From the 'old' over-60s and those new to the 'club' this year, a very big 'Thank You'! RD
As I write this we are entering the second week of the "Big Freeze", with exceptional sub-zero temperatures that even extend to the daytime. Gaydon, like much of the Midlands, is covered in deep snow. Most people will be feeding the local birds already.
This season, many more shy species are to be seen: I have seen Bullfinches for the first time in years; several pheasants; a Moorhen; and Fieldfares seem to have taken up permanent residence. Others you may see are small flocks of Waxwings which will strip berries from Cotoneasters and Ash trees, together with Black caps, Reed Buntings and Red wings. These rather exotic birds stand out amongst the Sparrows and Starlings and will move on when things get warmer.
The snows around the the boundaries of Itchington Holt and the Army Camp tell their own story as the hoof marks of Roe Deer, Wild Boar and Muntjac are seen in profusion. Tracks of Badgers, Foxes and Rabbits show activity usually unseen. Larger mammals tend to be nocturnal and secretive and do not leave such blatant clues to their movements. Times are hard for wildlife at present though many will be in hibernation, tucked in a cosy burrow.
In these low temperatures Aquatic birds like Kingfishers and Herons may well die in large numbers but the area around the village sewage works never freezes. I have often seen Curlew, Snipe and Woodcock around the outlets and today two herons were there.
Should you see an unfamilar species at your bird table, let me know!
I hope to have news of the missing Milestone in the new year. Season's Greetings to all in the meantime! Bernard Price
Cosy by the fire, sat on the couch having a nice hot drink with friends - you could be if you were at The Gaydon Inn! Saturday 29th January
Live music by the Zoids starts at 8.30pm
Sunday 30th January
Clairvoyant night
(Another Clairvoyant evening on Sunday 17th April- book early for personal readings!)
Saturday 26th February
Live music by Catch 23 starts at 8.30pm
Would anyone be interested in having Car Boot sales in the Gaydon Inn field, through April to September? Or do you have another event people would be interested in? Please let us know via e-mail (address at bottom).
FOOD is served 12 - 9pm every weekend. Take-away Pizza is also available any day, prices from £5.95!
Love dogs? The Gaydon Inn has a fly ball team called Active8 dogs which train every other weekend in the field next to the pub - interested? Then get in touch! thegaydoninn@btconnect.com
The arrival of the New Year reminds me that yet another year in the life of the Parish Magazine has been completed. It has been in print now for over a century and I would like to make the whole archive available on the world wide web.
At present, the years from 2006-2010 can be seen on the village website at www.gaydon.org.uk - but it will take a lot of typing to get the other hundred or so years online!
As usual at this time of year, I would like to thank my many helpers in the production of the magazine: those who deliver door-to-door; the collators and staplers; the editorial team; the technician and the contributors.
The support of the Parish Council and the businesses who advertise is much appreciated, as is that of our readers, not only those in Gaydon and Chadshunt but in the world beyond.