Election Thurs 2nd 7am-10pm Village Hall
Rogation Walk Sat 4th 9.30am St Giles' Church
Parish Council Tues 7th 8pm Village Hall
Plant Sale & Coffee Sat 11th 11am Village Hall
Village Hall AGM Mon 20th 7.30pm Village Hall
Friendship Club Tues ? 2.30pm ?
Pilates Tuesdays 6.30pm Village Hall
Mobile Library Thursday 16th
5th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Burton Dassett
10.30 Morning Prayer Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Gaydon
6.00pm Evensong Farnborough
12th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Farnborough
9.00 Holy Communion Gaydon
10.30 Holy Communion Fenny Compton
10.30 Communion by extension, Northend
6.00pm Evening Service Burton Dassett
19th
9.00 Holy Communion Farnborough
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Gaydon
10.30 Family Service Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Northend
6.00pm Songs of Praise Northend
25th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Farnborough
10.30 Prayer and Praise Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
M40 extension road to JLR
If any resident has concerns regarding the plans that the County Council has produced can they please contact either the Clerk or a councillor. The Parish Council will be discussing these draft plans (available on the Gaydon website) at their meeting in May.
Horse Chestnut Tree on Village Green
Unfortunately the tree is to be felled. It will take place on Friday, 3rd May. We understand that the electricity supply will be shut down from approximately 8.30am until 2pm. Residents affected should receive a letter from Western Power. Arrangements for the distribution of the wood will be placed on the noticeboard.
Food Van in Banbury Road lay-by
We have received a number of complaints regarding the food van which has been trading in the Banbury Road lay-by. The Licensing Team from the District Council have spoken to the gentleman who operates the van, explaining that he must have a licence to be able
to trade.
Parking on Footways
Please remember that wheelchair and pushchair access is needed on the footways. We are liaising with JLR regarding the blocking of the footways along the Warwick Road.
Parish Plan
The Parish Plan has been adopted by Stratford District. It is available on the Gaydon website.
Next Meeting
Tuesday, 7th May, at 8pm in the Village Hall.
The Library will be here on Thursday 16 May. The van will be at the Telephone Box 1.50-2.10pm and at St Marks Close from 2.15-2.35pm.
The venue of the next meeting has not yet been confirmed and so members will be informed as soon as it is known.
Coffee Morning, Market and Plant Sale
Saturday 11th May at 11am in the Village Hall
Plants, raffle, cakes and bric-a-brac
Please donate your surplus seedlings,
bedding and perennial plants
for sale at this month's market
Everyone Welcome!
Funds raised are in aid of the church fabric fund.
MF
Cream Teas, Pottery and Crafts Sunday 5 May 11am - 5.30pm Combroke Village Hall Pottery and craft sale with refreshments available throughout Cream teas from 2.30pm onwards
The Combroke Flower Festival will also be taking place in the Church over the weekend.
Don't forget to Vote!
On Thursday 2nd May the County Council Election will be held in Gaydon Village Hall from 7am to 10pm. Please note that the Parish Council meeting has been postponed to Tuesday 7 May.
Our summer term has started with a bang, despite the not so summery weather! Children from year 5 have been visiting London on a residential trip called 'Kip-on-a-ship'. They travelled to London on the train and tube and went to stay on the ship HMS Belfast. The children learned all about how the ship was used during World War II and about the life of the sailors on board. They explored the museum and enjoyed seeing the life-like models. Most exciting of all, they got to sleep in the sailors' bunks at night, which they really enjoyed.
As part of the trip the children also visited lots of famous London landmarks including 10 Downing Street and Trafalgar Square. We walked down the river and saw lots of exciting things. The children also had a go on the London eye and were thrilled to see all the sights of London from above! Tea at Pizza Express was delicious! The children who went have not stopped talking about it since they have been back and have described it as 'the best trip ever'!
To find out more and learn all about the other trips we offer, plus information about the rest of the school, you can visit our new website:
www.lighthorneheathprimaryschool.co.uk
Juliette Westwood (Exec. Headteacher) and Michelle Cragg (Associate Headteacher)
Now that winter is over and gone and the sound of the singing bird is heard in the land, the Gaydon Volunteers will be working in the playground and re-assembling the roundabout. Anyone interested in helping can speak to John Rickman at the Old Bakehouse or ring him on 640349.
The next meeting of the Village Hall Committee will be the AGM and it will be held on Monday 20 May at 7.30pm in the Hall. Please note later date. Villagers are welcome to attend.
Nests and eggs
No doubt, throughout Gaydon we will be observing, often with fascination, when our local birds begin nest-building and the first long-distance migrants arrive. I was delighted to observe yesterday in Banbury two newly-arrived Swallows preening their plumage on a telegraph wire. The sunshine accentuated their bright blue plumage and red throats; a hazardous journey from Africa notwithstanding, they have found their nesting place once again.
Birds' habits are still a mystery in spite of radio tagging. We are still ignorant of their amazing feats of endurance and invention. I've always been fascinated by the variation in nests and eggs: childhood memories of egg collecting (long banned by law) sparked my interest. No longer do children have the freedom to explore the countryside and have first hand experiences.
I remember well, noticing how ground-nesting species like the Golden Plover and Lapwing, once common farmland birds, laid eggs which were very large compared to the layer itself. They were in fact delicious to eat, though the unwritten rule was that you only took one! Each nest had four pear-shaped eggs pointing inwards, practically forming a square and thus enabling the bird to cover them all at the same time! Also there was the beautiful harmony of colouring with the surrounding objects that rendered them very difficult to find! I experimented by moving the eggs but the mother always rearranged them on her return!
Egg coloration is most important and intricate too. Most birds remove the shells so that that no clue of the nest is left. Larger eggs are always small in number so that large fledgelings can feed and run from day one. White eggs are always well concealed whilst mottled ones like the Nightjar and Partridge are on open ground.
Although we are fortunate in Gaydon to have many species of birds, even Woodpeckers and Sparrow hawks in our gardens, indeed, Pheasants and Goldcrests on some occasions in the middle of the village; sadly, it's clear that bird-life is less numerous these days.
A huge increase in the Cat population, chemicals, tidy gardens, Slug pellets and other noxious substances all take their toll. I still nurture any nesting bird, be it Sparrow or Woodpigeon, as it starts the construction of nests and rearing of young.
Keep the rotten tree trunk, dense ivy patch or neglected corner for them; spare the Snails and insects for a while; leave that hole in the wall; or place an East-West facing nest-box in the hope they will adopt you!
Bernard Price
Great walks of Gaydon - walk 3: the Chadshunt Round, 3.5 miles
This circular walk is a bit of a curate's egg as among its delights it includes a stretch of the B4451. It can be tackled clockwise or anti-clockwise but as I prefer to get the boring bit out of the way first, this walk is described widdershins.
Start in Church Lane at the back of the church. Walk West through the snickett, past the end of St Marks and climb over the stile at the end of the brambley path. Head South for 120 yards, go through a gap in the hedge and cross the next field and the lane. Halfway across the next field turn right and walk to the road.
Walk about a mile along the road to Chadshunt, where it is worth a diversion to look round the churchyard and see the wild flowers. Turn left at the crossroads a bit further on and walk down Watery Lane.
In three quarters of a mile you will cross a bridge where the stream from Chadshunt Lake meets Piper's Brook, which runs from Piper's Spinney on Gaydon Hill. Walk on and cross over the old railway bridge to find a galvanised metal gate on your left. The waymark sign has fallen off, but go through the quarter-gate.
The path is straight and well marked for the next half-mile. Cross the corner of a field, through a gap in the substantial hedge and ditch system and turn North.
At the end of the hedge, cross a stile into the small field beside Ireland Farm and go over the footbridge.
Cross the lane over a stile and head up the field towards the village.
At the top of the field you should see the tops of the Old Vicarage pine trees. Head for the pines across an open field, cross the plank bridge, then another field.
A hundred yards further and you are back in the village in Gaydon Meadow behind the church.
Is summer round the corner?
Try our creamy local Ridgway Ice Cream made by Jane and Geoff Ridgway at Downs Farm Epwell, 6 miles west of Banbury. They use milk from their own dairy cows to make - creamy coffee, gorgeous ginger, lovely lemon meringue, scrumptious strawberry and velvety vanilla ice creams.
Use our small individual tubs to Test the Taste. Roll on Summer!
SR
Plant Sale Saturday 11th May 10.00am-12noon at Sheldon Bosley HUB Shipston on Stour CV36 4DQ Delivery of plants from 12.00 noon onwards Friday 10th May For more info call Fudge 07979 904719 or Caroline 07939 368373 Free Entry
Please bring a picnic and join a Rogation-tide Walk around the churches of Dassett Magna. Children and dogs are especially welcome!
Some of the walkers will meet at the warden's hut on the Dassett Hills at 10am to walk to Northend church. Gaydon walkers will meet at the church of St Giles at 9.30am for a walk round the village followed by a drive to join Northend walkers at 10.30am.
The walk will then carry on to Fenny Compton church for coffee. The next church is Farnborough and at 1 o'clock the picnics will be eaten at the Lake (village hall if wet weather).
From there the walk will continue to Avon Dassett where you can buy refreshments at the Avon Inn. The final stage of the walk will be to All Saints Burton Dassett where tea and cakes can be bought at 4.30pm.
There will be a service of Holy Communion at Fenny Compton on Thursday 9 May at 7.30pm.
There will be a Messy Church at Fenny Compton on Sunday 12th May at 3.30pm in the Village Hall.
Warwick University Brass Ensemble makes a very welcome return on Friday 21st June, following the success of last year's concert.
Tickets, costing £12, to include strawberries and cream and a glass of wine, from Norma King on 01295 770292.
Monday 27 May from 2pm to 5.30pm Bank Holiday Teas in Burton Dassett Church
Please help feed local people in crisis by buying items from the list and donating them to your nearest food bank.
Milk, long-life or powdered Sugar 500g Fruit juice carton Soup tinned Pasta sauces Tomatoes tinned Cereals Rice pudding tinned Tea bags and instant coffee Rice and pasta Meat and fish tinned Fruit tinned Jam Biscuits and snack bars
There is a box in St Giles' Church where you can put your donations which will be taken to St Peter's, Kineton, for distribution.
Fruity Rhubarb Cheesecake
For the Base:
30g unsalted butter, 1 tbsp honey, 200g digestive biscuits
Method:
Crush biscuits. Melt butter and honey in a small pan, mix with biscuits, spread over base of a well-greased 23cm springform cake tin. Cook in the oven at 180°C/gas 4 for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool.
Topping
500g curd cheese (eg philadelphia), 275ml sour cream, 2-3tsp vanilla extract, 3 eggs + 1 yolk, 175g caster sugar, 30g cornflour
Method:
Mix cream, cheese and vanilla together. In another bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until thick and creamy. Fold into the cheese mixture with the cornflour. Pour over the biscuit base and bake for 1 hour (180°C/gas 4) until golden and set. Remove from the oven and run a palette knife round the cake to stop the top splitting. Cool in the tin then turn out.
Rhubarb
500g rhubarb, chopped into 1" pieces, 100g sugar, 40g chopped stem ginger, 3 tbsp ginger syrup and 4tbsp water
Method:
Poach ingredients together - the bottom oven of an aga is ideal - until the rhubarb is soft. Cool, and pour off the juice into a jug.
Pile the rhubarb onto the cheesecake and serve with the jug of juice.