Parish Council Thurs 7th 8pm Village Hall
Remembrance Day Sun 10th 10.45am St Giles' Church
Village Hall Committee Mon 11th 8pm Village Hall
Friendship Club Tues 19th 2.30pm Trevose
Christmas Cracker Sat 30th 2pm Village Hall
Pilates Tuesdays 6.30pm Village Hall
Mobile Library Thursday 21st
Gaydon/Lighthorne Settlement
At just past 5pm on Monday, 14th October, we received notification of an amendment to the District Council Cabinet agenda for 21st October. The amendment included an enlarged settlement area which now includes the area from the M40 junction to opposite the Gaydon Inn Field, around the petrol station and around the properties on the top of the hill (Village Farm Stables, The White Bungalow and Village Farm Kennels) and then continues down to the M40. This development would join Gaydon to the settlement.
A public session was organised by the Parish Council for Saturday, 19th October, in the Village Hall and District Councillor Alan Scorer answered questions. Cllr Annette Conway spoke at the Cabinet Meeting against this development, as did a representative from Lighthorne Parish Council.
This site has not been considered for inclusion in the Core Strategy but we understand that it will be in the future. More detailed analysis work is currently taking place and we understand from the District Council that this could take between 8 to 10 weeks. Residents are advised to keep an eye on the Parish Council website and noticeboard for any information regarding further consultations. Our advice is to be particularly vigilant around the Christmas period as the last consultation took place in the middle of the summer holiday period and lasted only
6 weeks. If we are successful in securing a further consultation it might be for only 2 weeks!
Gaydon Parish Council has been advised that a further consultation should take place and how to pursue this aim will be an agenda item for our November meeting. Cllr. Rickman has produced a number of photos showing Gaydon now and what it would be like after this development; they can be viewed on the website:
http://www.gaydon.org.uk/info/glh/index.html
Flood Defence System
Contractors have been engaged to work on the ditch at the back of the Kineton Road houses. We have been advised by Warwickshire County Flood Officer that this should help to prevent the flooding of Church Road, Kineton Road and the bottom of St. Giles Road.
Roundabout Repairs
Residents living along the Kineton Road were refused access to their properties. Concerns have been passed to the contractor.
Oil Spillage
Highways have been made aware of the oil spillage in Gaydon and are currently investigating.
Next Meeting: Thursday, 7th November, at 8pm in the Village Hall.
3rd
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Burton Dassett
10.30 Morning Prayer Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Gaydon
6.00pm Evensong Farnborough
10th
9.00 Group Remembrance Burton Dassett
10.45 Act of Remembrance Gaydon
6.00pm Evening Prayer Burton Dassett
17th
9.00 Holy Communion Farnborough
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Gaydon
10.30 Family Service Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Northend
24th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Farnborough
10.30 Prayer and Praise Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
Weekday Services
There will be a service for All Souls' Day on Saturday 2nd November at 7pm at Northend Chapel of Ease; and a service of Holy Communion at the Church of St Giles, Gaydon, on Thursday 28 November at 10.30am.
On Sunday, 10 November, there will be a short Service of Remembrance at St Giles' Church, Gaydon. We shall gather at the church porch at 10.45am to be ready to lay the wreath of poppies at the War Memorial at 11 o'clock.
There will be a Messy Church at Fenny Compton on Sunday 10th November at 3.30pm; and at Temple Herdewyke on Sunday 24th.
Saturday 30 November 2pm in the Village Hall Father Christmas raffle bric-à-brac Gift Tree face painting and games jewellery and gift stall mulled wine home-made cakes teas
Father Christmas will be coming to our Gift Day again this year and we hope that you will bring your children along to see him in his Grotto at the Village Hall. The other entertainments are listed above and we would be very grateful to receive contributions of home-made produce, second-hand books and bric-a-brac to help raise funds for St Giles' Church. *
All the money raised will go towards the upkeep of the Church so that we can continue to serve the village community by providing services including Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals. You can also help by putting a gift of money in one of the golden bags on our Gift Tree.
*Donations of cakes etc. can be brought to the hall in the morning.
We look forward to seeing you on the 30th!
Late Autumn
I've been abroad for the past two weeks but seems we were still enjoying balmy temperatures back home. The autumnal leaf colours in Estonia were more advanced. The Maples were a sea of gold, and looking out from the high mediaeval city walls of Tallin, they reached the blue waters of the adjacent Baltic Coast and the black domes of the huge Czarist régime Sea Plane Hangars.
There are more wild animals than people in most of Estonia as the forest encroaches everywhere and often it is miles before you see a light. I spent a lot of time waiting to see Lynx and Bears in the well- equipped hides which even have GPS! My best sighting was of three wolves from a hunter's tower in the far Eastern region near Tartu, where they were attracted to the portions of Elk meat left out by hunters.
Thousands of migrating Geese were arriving in the marshlands and Cranes and Egrets were leaving for warmer climes. The migration crossroads is magical and must have been unchanged for centuries. There is some controversy regarding the re-introduction of European species like Wild Boar, Wolves and Beavers (which all thrive here) into the UK. They are always secretive in the vast forests, whilst the Deer in the UK are much more high profile, having no natural predators. Estonian Swans are shy, too. I explained how different were our tame habituated birds in Stratford upon Avon, all owned by the Queen, to the amazement of the local Estonians!
Old Russian ladies were gathering boletus mushrooms and Rowan berries and one of them gave me some delicious blueberry cakes, so glad I was able to share their interest regarding the good finds! One thing very noticeable was the road kill: mostly Racoon dogs, Red Squirrels and Pine Martins - not a Magpie or Badger to be seen.
The acorn and berry crop is good here at home and so large flocks of Jays and Waxwings may arrive later on in Gaydon, if the weather becomes cold! Bernard Price
The Library will be here on Thursday 21st November. The van will be at the Telephone Box at 1.50-2.10pm and at St Marks Close from 2.15-2.35pm.
The November meeting will be on Tuesday 19th at 2.30pm at Trevose, the home of Mrs Pauline Layton, in Kineton Road.
Seeks a part-time shop assistant, must be 18 or over
to work two afternoons a week, between 1pm and 4 or 5 pm
£7.50 per hour following successful probationary period
a non profit making community shop
Application packs available from the shop between 9am and 6.30pm
or via email: gaydonvillagestore@gmail.com
Closing date: 15 November 2013
Father Christmas will be at the Village Hall on Saturday 30 November at 2pm; also teas, mulled wine, home-made produce, gifts and raffle. Come and help raise funds for your village church!
(Near the Aston Martin/Jaguar Land Rover Works on the B4100)
Avon Valley Indoor Bowls Club is a friendly, long-established local indoor bowls club, membership of which is open to everyone.
It has great facilities - including 6 rinks, a bar and social area. You don't need to be an experienced bowler or know anyone in the club. There are galas each week which any member can turn up and play in, leagues, competitions; or you can simply go to the club for a "roll up". You will soon meet new people and make friends.
The club is holding 5-week beginner coaching sessions from Saturday October 26th (don't worry if you have missed the first few sessions!). You don't need to be a member, have any equipment or have played before.
It's a wonderful opportunity to try indoor bowls and it is only a mile from Gaydon! Call 01926 640831 for details.
Visit the website at:- www.avonvalley-ibc.co.uk
The funeral of Mrs Heather Brightman, formerly of Gaydon, was held at All Saints' Church, Burton Dassett, on Friday 27 September.
Julie Anne Wassall 1969-2013
We are saddened to report the death of Julie Wassall, née Hinds, who lived in Gaydon as a girl. A funeral service of thanksgiving for her life was held at St Peter's Church, Wellesboune, on Thursday 17 October. It was conducted by the Reverend Kate Mier and the Reverend Canon Norman Howes. The church was full of mourners, testament to the love and respect felt for 'Jules' by her friends and community. Interment in the churchyard followed the service and there were refreshments at the Kings Head later. We extend our sympathy to her family in their great loss.
Local authorities up and down the country are facing extreme financial challenges over the next four years and Warwickshire County Council is not exempt. Reductions in Government grants, rising inflation and demographic pressures mean we must identify savings amounting to around £92 million by 2018. For more details and to give your feed-back and comments please key in the link below:
http://askwarks.wordpress.com/2013/10/07/shaping-the-future-warwickshire-county-councils-consultation-on-our-budget-and-financial-pressures/
Amanda Wilson-Patterson, Localities and Communities Officer, Warwickshire County Council
Designer Sale on Friday 8 November 9am-8.30pm Annual Sale of Fabulous Designer Clothes and Accessories at Darlingscott Farm, Shipston on Stour. Christmas Gift Fair at Longbourn Farm, Pittern Hill, Kineton Tuesday 19 November 6pm-9.30pm and Weds 20th 9.30am-4.30pm For more information, please call Rebecca on 01608 674929.
Invitations for the Over-60s Christmas Lunch on Sunday 8 December will be sent out this month and helpers will be contacted shortly. Julie Rickman 640349
In spite of the autumn weather, we are keeping warm here at Lighthorne Heath with a very busy term and lots of exciting things happening! The younger children in reception and years 1, 2 and 3 have had the topic of 'Transport' and have been on a trip to the Coventry Transport Museum. They found out all about the history of bikes, looking at examples of a bone-shaker, a safety bike, a tricycle and a penny farthing. The children really impressed our hosts at the museum with the knowledge they already had from their lessons in school and they were thrilled when they were able to test out the tricycle and a penny farthing. To top the trip off, they learned about the Thrust SSC car which broke the land-speed record and took a ride on the simulator to see just how fast it felt! A great day!
All of the children have been kept busy after school too, signing up to our wide range of after school clubs including table tennis, gardening, film club, construction and ICT. The clubs are always well-attended and lots of children have been working towards achieving Children's University awards by recording the hours they spend in extra-curricular activities. We have ten children who are due to receive their Gold Award at a special ceremony in November to acknowledge their dedication - they have all spent 100 hours taking part in exciting after-school activities!
Gaydon Report: we are happy to report another quiet month.
British Heart Foundation
On the 11th of October at about 6 pm, five men wearing red jackets marked "BHF - British Heart Foundation" entered Gaydon and started calling door to door. They carried identification badges and claimed that they were going around "to make residents aware of the BHF".
We could not verify their authenticity and so, in view of the relatively late hour, we wrote to the BHF about it, stating that some people in the village could be intimidated by an evening "knock on the door".
We received a reply thanking us for our concern and confirming their legitimacy. Their fundraisers work between the hours of 3.30pm-9pm on weekdays, and between 11am and 6pm at the weekends, which abides by the Door2Door fundraising code. We were assured that they understood that calling until 9pm might be too late for older people or those with young children and said that our feedback would be passed to their Supporter Development team for future consideration.
I replied that I was not happy with their reply, having received three phone calls from senior single women wanting to know whether the callers were legitimate.
The code quoted by BHF states: "Collectors ought not to approach individuals who may reasonably be considered to be vulnerable adults"; and "Fundraisers should take extra care when calling once darkness has fallen so as not to cause alarm or distress to householders".
I will publish our exchange of e-mails in the next Village newsletter and let residents decide for themselves as to further action, if any. Ian Miller, Gaydon Neighbourhood Watch
Something to sell or a service to offer? Send us your small ad and we will print it free of charge!
Cat Bed, Igloo style, Tan Suede effect. Never used - not even sniffed at!
Cost £24 now for sale at £15. Tel 01926 641834
In the last month there has been considerable activity with the FORSE campaign. The three Parish Councils submiitted their responses to Stratford District Council (SDC) on 27th September and it also emerged that Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) had objected to the proposed development. JLR want to expand on land on the other side of the B4100 and if the housing development goes ahead, they think that it will stop them from being able to enlarge their operations at Gaydon. As you know, JLR's growth plans were one of the key elements in the justification of the development. SDC has produced a summary of responses from residents and key stakeholders, as well as current key issues which include two entirely new alternative locations for the development (at Stoneythorpe and Southam), and JLR's ambitions to further develop their Gaydon site. You can read the document here:
https://democracy.stratford.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=22634
A Cabinet meeting was held on the morning of 21 October to discuss the outcome of the consultation and decide on its recommendations. There were four options open to the Cabinet:
1. To include the current proposed development in the Core Strategy.
2. To include the new settlement proposal in the Core Strategy but in a revised format that incorporates the provision of land for Jaguar Land Rover, with a consequent reduction in the overall housing capacity and the relocation of the site for more general employment purposes to land south of the B4511.
3. To undertake further work on the soundness of the new settlement proposal in light of the responses to the consultation, including the proposals for development at Stoneythorpe and Southam, and the issues raised.
4. To remove the new settlement proposal from the Core Strategy and identify alternative means of meeting a comparable scale of development. An SDC statement explains: a number of issues have been raised in relation to the new settlement proposal, which identify the need for further detailed assessment work to be undertaken prior to the Council determining that this proposal is the most sustainable option for the District.
This detailed assessment work is likely to take around 8-10 weeks to complete. At the Cabinet meeting several councillors spoke against the proposal and others pointed out that SDC was in danger of losing credibility because of the way the consultation has been handled.
Final decisions on the strategy have been delayed significantly thanks to the objections and the efforts of FORSE. This is a fantastic step forward for the campaign. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported FORSE so far. SDC received a total of 428 responses from local residents, 91% of which opposed the development. Special note should be taken of option 2 (above) as this is a modification that brings the development into Gaydon itself. Like the original plan, this has come out of the blue and will be vehemently opposed by FORSE.
You can make a donation either by sending cash or a cheque to our fundraising team at The Gallery, Church Hill Court, Lighthorne, Warwickshire CV35 0AR, or online by visiting our website at www.forse.org.uk
Cheques should be made payable to FORSE and your name and address written on the back of the cheque.
To whom it may concern:
On Saturday 5 October we got up to find that someone had kindly decorated our garden with 25 GNOMES .
They were placed on the lawn, hanging in the trees, on our garden table and on the fences. This is just to say 'Thank you very much' as it's given us and so many other people such a good laugh - including the Police who say the gnomes are ours after three months. So watch out, there's a gnome about! GD