APM Thurs 7th 7.30pm Village Hall Coffee Morning Sat 9th 11am Village Hall Mothering Sunday Sun 10th 10.30am St Giles' Church Village Hall Committee Mon 11th 7.30pm Village Hall Friendship Club Tues 19th 2.30pm Dormers Pilates Tuesdays 6.30pm Village Hall Mobile Library Thursday 14th
3rd
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Burton Dassett
10.30 Holy Communion Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Fenny Compton
6.00pm Evensong Farnborough
10th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Farnborough
9.00 Holy Communion Gaydon
10.30 Mothering Sunday Service at Gaydon
10.30 Holy Communion Fenny Compton
10.30 Communion by extension, Northend
6.00pm Evening Service Burton Dassett
17th
8.00 Holy Communion BCP Fenny Compton
9.00 Holy Communion Farnborough
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Gaydon
10.30 Holy Communion Northend
6.00pm Songs of Praise Northend
24th Palm Sunday
10.30 Family Service Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Farnborough
10.30 Prayer and Praise Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
Holy Week
Monday 25th 7.30 Evening Prayer Northend
Tuesday 26th 7.30 Evening Prayer Fenny Compton
Wednesday 27th 7.30 Evening Prayer Farnborough
Maundy Thursday 7.30 Communion & Passover Northend
Good Friday 6pm Readings and Reflection Gaydon
Saturday 30th 6pm Walk from Northend to B Dassett
7pm Easter Vigil at All Saints
31st Easter Day
9.00 Holy Communion Farnborough
9.00 Family Communion Gaydon
10.30 Holy Communion Fenny Compton
10.30 Communion by extension, Burton Dassett
Resignation
Jonathan Crowe has resigned from the Parish Council and Cllr John Rickman has agreed to be chairman until the May meeting. Any resident interested in being a councillor please contact the clerk.
M40 Extension
We understand that the consultation for the dual carriageway from the M40 to JLR will start shortly. This consultation will last for 6 weeks and all residents are able to comment. Once we have been formally told, notices will appear in the magazine and on the village notice board.
Horse Chestnut Tree
Work has taken place on the Horse Chestnut on the Village Green to remove some of the lower branches. Further work will be discussed at the March meeting.
Warwick Road water leak
The Clerk will be meeting Severn Trent and the County Flood Prevention Officer to try and get this sorted out.
5000 Homes near Gaydon
We understand that Stratford District Council's Cabinet discussed a transport and housing report on 18th February which mentioned an option of 5000 homes near Gaydon. Chris Mills and Alan Scorer, our District Councillors, attended this meeting and said that the option of housing near Gaydon was not mentioned. We have requested a copy of the minutes and will be monitoring the situation and, if necessary, keeping you informed.
Next Meeting
Our Annual Parish Meeting will be taking place on Thursday, 7th March at 7.30pm. This meeting reports on the year. It will be followed by the ordinary Council Meeting. All residents are welcome to attend.
As the snow eventually melts and we begin to warm up, things remain very busy at Lighthorne Heath Primary School. This year we have focused particularly on improving children's writing skills, implementing a new way of teaching writing that has already had an impact
on standards.
Here are some space poems that the younger children have written:
Pluto
Small Pluto
Small Pluto shivering
Small Pluto shivering, cold as ice
Small Pluto shivering, cold as ice near Neptune!
Pluto By Lydia
Stars
Shooting stars
Shooting stars flickering
Shooting stars flickering brightly
Shooting stars flickering brightly around
Shooting stars flickering brightly around an orange Venus
Stars By Lily
Juliette Westwood (Exec. Headteacher) and Michelle Cragg (Associate Headteacher)
Warwickshire Community Oil Syndicate has negotiated another cracking deal on behalf of its members. Orders were gathered from across the county in January 2013. In the north of the county the order was won by Barton Petroleum at 59.45 p per litre, a saving of 8.92 p per litre against the average market price, whilst the remainder of the county are supplied by Hingley and Callow Oils at 61.95 p per litre, a saving of 6.42 p per litre against the average market price.
If you are reliant on heating oil and would like to join our members in making savings please email oil@wrccrural.org.uk, telephone 01789 472611 or have a look at www.ruralwarwickshire.org.uk/oil.
The syndicate is open to households, community groups and businesses and is run by Warwickshire Rural Community Council, one of twenty-two Rural Community Councils (all long-standing independent charities) across England running an oil syndicate. We have no connection to any oil supplier and are simply interested in obtaining the best possible price per litre for our members.
Sarah Brooke-Taylor sarahbt@wrccrural.org.uk
Warwickshire Rural Community Council, Warwick Enterprise Park, Wellesbourne, Warwickshire CV35 9EF
Tel: 01789 842182 www.ruralwarwickshire.org.uk
Easter Day is on Sunday 31st March & British summer time begins.
St Giles' Church on 10 March at 10.30am. There will be an informal service at to celebrate Mothering Sunday.
Mothers and children of all ages are very welcome!
The Library will be here on Thursday 14 March. The van will be at the Telephone Box 1.50-2.10pm and at
St Marks Close 2.15-2.35pm.
The next meeting will be at 2.30pm on Tuesday 19 March at the home of Mrs Gay Talbot, Dormers, in Church Road.
The March coffee morning will be on Saturday 9th at 11am in the Village Hall. As usual there will be a raffle, cakes and bric-a-brac. Funds raised are in aid of the church fabric fund. MF
Gaydon Report
The village had a quiet month in February.
'Lookout' Reports in the County
Tarmac Gangs have been to some other Villages. Bargain-priced tarmac is shoddily laid, with aggressive tactics to collect payment.
Church Burglaries
Three churches have been broken into in the area in the past month.
Useful Contacts
To call Warwickshire Police in an emergency, when there is a crime in progress or life at risk, always call 999 or 112 or use Emergency SMS. To report less urgent crime or disorder call 101*, the non-emergency number, or Typetalk 18001 101. 101 can be used for: Reporting a crime that has happened; Providing information about a crime; Asking for information and advice.
General contact details: Tel: 01926 415000; Website: www.safer-neighbourhoods.co.uk
Warwickshire Crimestoppers: Call anonymously with information about crime: Tel: 0800 555 111
Website: www.crimestoppers-uk.org
Warwickshire Police Authority: Website: ww.warwickshirepa.gov.uk
WADA: Tel: 0800 408 1552; Website: www.talk2someone.org.uk
Hate crime helpline: Tel: 0845 129 2221
Calls from landlines and mobile networks cost 15 pence per call, no matter what time of day or how long your call.
Complementary Health & Therapy Open Day Saturday 9 March at SoulStreamArts, Burmington House, Burmington, Shipston on Stour, Warwickshire CV36 5AF
10.30am Therapies: £20 for 3 Sessions; 6pm Champagne & Canapés Telephone 01608 664972
or info: soulstreamarts.com
WRCC, a local charity, is looking for people to submit original photos which depict both rural Warwickshire and its communities to brighten and illustrate their website, which is currently undergoing a makeover.
Those submitting photographs will be credited when their work appears on the website. More details at:
http://www.ruralwarwickshire.org.uk/whats-your-view-warwickshire
Our Threatened Wildlife
Trudging through mud and ice around our local fields and woods, my sympathies are with the solitary Kestrel searching up to dusk along the frozen hedges. Last week I heard the hoot of an Owl so close that at first I thought it was my friend nearby having a joke. We were out roost shooting and on looking up, saw a Long-eared Owl which was quickly mobbed by two Jays emitting a louder discordant screeching.
We are fortunate in this corner of Warwickshire: Skylarks and Cuckoos are still heard, orchids and cowslips still grow and herds of deer are a common sight; but all this is sadly under threat.
I note the decline in Barn Owls, Grey Partridge, Lapwings and Golden Plovers over the years. Perhaps the example of Hares is the most stark. They were common around Gaydon, often as many as a dozen seen "boxing" in March across the fields in any direction. You are lucky to see one now, unless you venture as far as the army camp.
Why is this? Well, it's clear to me that loss of habitat like rough verges and field corners may be one reason; but more likely is the shadowy practice of Lamping and netting by highly mobile groups with lurchers. Night time intrusions into our graveyard may possibly have been by such individuals.
Hedgehogs are falling victim to the increasing numbers of Badgers. London's Sparrows are already nearly gone - no places to nest - yet urban foxes and Gulls thrive on the excessive waste produced and dumped. Last year's wet/wettest summer has been a disaster for insects. As a result, there were very few Swallows or House Martins, whilst there was a time when the telegraph wires would be laden with them. We must hope that 2013 will be a drier, warmer year.
There is more awareness of climate change and environmental threat now and it is strange that in the UK, Green politics has a minority vote whilst the main parties, that promote intrusion into the green belt, road building, factory farming, Badger culling and faster planning applications, are still voted in.
An example of this is the unworkable hunting bill: true, Fox-hunting was inefficient but it kept a balance. Now we have Urban fox scare-stories, the only alternative for councils being the self-styled, often inept, vermin controllers. Or sheer sentimentalist stances!
I am much in favour of constructive actions like feeding birds on a regular basis, protection for some so-called vermin like Jays, Hares and Jackdaws; and also for Woodcock, Plovers and Snipe. Bernard Price
Hospice at Home in Shipston, Wellesbourne and Kineton
Spring Fashion Show by Justina of Wellesbourne, at Walton Hall on Thursday 14 March at 7pm.
Champagne and Canape reception followed by 2 course dinner.
Also an auction of Jewellery, donated by Howard Jewellers will be held by none other than "Nick Hewer of The Apprentice". Tickets £40 from Rebecca 01608 674929 or Justina 01789 841562
Abraham's Keswick Gingerbread
4oz butter 4oz soft brown sugar 2 egg yolks ½ tsp ground ginger 2oz ground almonds a little milk 2oz chopped stem ginger 8oz SR flour
3oz golden syrup chopped almonds to decorate
Method
Warm the butter slightly. Mix with the golden syrup and add the egg yolks.
Blend in the flour and ground ginger, sugar and ground almonds to form a stiff paste.
Roll out half the mixture to ½" thick and put in a greased tin.
Sprinkle with chopped ginger after brushing with milk.
Roll out remainder and put on top. Brush with milk and sprinkle with chopped almonds.
Bake in the oven at 170° for 35-45 mins until almonds are golden. Cool on a wire tray and cut in slices.
Upton has another year of great events lined up and as always we would love to see our local residents making the most of them.
9,10 March - Mother's day weekend. Bring your Mum to Upton for 1930s beauty, fashion and makeup.
29 March - 7 April: Easter Egg Trails - search for clues and answers to win your Easter chocolate. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/uptonhouse
As part of the Parish Plan the website has been enlarged and made easier to use. The Webmaster would welcome any comments. www.gaydon.org.uk
The village shop is now open all day Monday to Friday from 9am till 6.30pm.
This venture is for a trial period of 6 months, so spread the word and use the shop - so that it can continue to serve the community far into the future.
Even more good news: Boo is back with her beautiful bakes every Friday and Saturday, from Friday 1st March - more delicious delicacies for you to savour.
We look forward to seeing you in the shop where you can meet Sally and Gayle who will be serving you between 1 and 4 during the week.
The cemetery gates have now been re-hung after cleaning and repainting at Kineton Coatings. The playground roundabout has been similarly refurbished and is now awaiting re-assembly. A bit of spring weather is required for this work!
At a planning meeting at Kineton High School on 20 February the Parish Council objected to the barn conversion at Gaydon Farm on the grounds that Gaydon's sewers are already over-loaded. Any additional connections will aggravate what is already a severe problem.
Whenever flooding occurs in Kineton Road and Church Road, sewage overflows into the roads and properties. The flooding is caused by surface water from the fields behind Kineton Road and the new houses at the farm will suffer from a similar run-off from the fields.
Gaydon Parish Council supports additional housing in the parish but believes that the infrastructure for sewage and drainage should be put in place before there is any further building. This means upgrading the sewage system, changing the run-off from the Warwick Road and bringing forward the scheme to build a holding pond/bund behind the Kineton Road.
In spite of the above, the planning permission was passed because every house has a right to join the sewage system, even if there is no capacity.