Parish Council Meeting Tues 4th 7.45pm Village Hall
Coffee Morning Sat 8th 11am Village Hall
Good Friday Children Fri 14th 10.30am Church
EASTER DAY Sun 16th 10.30am Church
Friendship Club Tues 25th 2.30pm No 2 Cottages
Spring Litter Pick Sat 29th 11am Village Hall
Library Mondays 3rd & 24th Telephone Box
Pilates Tuesdays 6.15pm Village Hall
GAYDON CALENDAR PROPOSED DATES
MEET THE VICAR BARBECUE SUN 14 MAY at 1pm VILLAGE HALL
VILLAGE QUIZ NIGHT SAT 10 JUNE VILLAGE HALL
BIG LUNCH SAT 15 JULY VILLAGE HALL
CHRISTMAS FAIR SAT 25 NOVEMBER VILLAGE HALL
CAKE MIXING SUN 26 NOV CHURCH
CHRISTMAS LUNCH SUN 3 DECEMBER VILLAGE HALL
BURNS' NIGHT SAT 20 JANUARY VILLAGE HALL
Church Services in April
Sunday 2nd
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Burton Dassett
10.30 Morning Prayer Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Gaydon
6.00pm Evensong Farnborough
Sunday 9th Palm Sunday
10.15 Donkey Procession with the Bishop
from Millennium Stone Fenny Compton to Church for
10.30 Holy Communion Group Service
Holy Week - see opposite page
Sunday 16th Easter Day
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Burton Dassett
9.00 Holy Communion Farnborough
10.30 Holy Communion Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion BCP Gaydon
10.30 Family Service Northend
Sunday 23rd
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Farnborough
10.30 Prayer & Praise Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
Sunday 30th
10.30 Group Holy Communion Burton Dassett
Parish Council News
Elections:
County Council Elections will be taking place on Thursday 4th May with the new county boundary changes.
We are included in the Kineton and Red Horse Division, comprising of the parishes of Lighthorne, Lighthorne Heath, Combrook, Kineton, Northend, Radway, Ratley, Tysoe, Warmington, Shotteswell and Oxhill. The Feldon ward, which includes Bishop's Itchington, has been expanded to include Fenny Compton, Avon Dassett and Farnborough parishes which were previously in our district. Unlike parish council elections, whereby you must either live or work in the parish, the county elections are different. Candidates from outside our ward are eligible to stand.
Parish Council Election: On the same day we have two parish council positions to vote for. Please do contact the Clerk or a councillor if you would like any information regarding the role of the parish council. Please don't forget to vote: we need County and Parish Councillors who will make a difference to Gaydon.
Gaydon Village Stores: The Parish Council is very supportive of the shop and is willing to meet to discuss the future. It was reported at our last meeting that the shop has written directly to the District Council and will contact us again if they require our support. This is a community asset that we do not want to lose, so please support it.
Footpaths: Cllr Adrian Claxton has been busy removing the stile at the bottom of St Marks Close and making the area more presentable.
Spring Clean: Saturday, 29th April from 11am to 12pm. Meeting outside the Village Hall. Please do help - the more people, the less time it takes. We have asked the Service Station for volunteers.
Old Warwick Road: County Cllr Williams reported that County Highways will be increasing the size of the island near the roundabout to make the road less like a main road. The Parish Council instigated sign in the middle of the road will stay until work commences.
JLR Roundabout: Another danger zone is the teardrop roundabout where the cars heading towards Gaydon do U-turn to access JLR. This was highlighted on the safety audit report and is being removed.
Banbury Road layby: Thanks to our district councillor, Chris Kettle, we have a layby that is going to be litter picked on a weekly basis, two. bins and pest control.
Gaydon's Traffic Calming: After our very constructive meeting with two highways officers, County Cllr Williams told our last meeting that the County Council must have money before will do anything.
50mph signage on the B4100:
Total cost £22,609.44. Gaydon Parish Council would have
preferred funding towards reducing the speed in Gaydon village rather than a 'self-regulating' road with very few properties or pedestrians trying to cross the road.
Treatment of the B4100 through Lighthorne Heath:
Councillors John Brine and Tom Hughes attended this meeting on behalf of the parish. Both were extremely disappointed in the process. Most parishes have asked for a bypass but County Highways will not consider it.
Registering the Malt Shovel as a community asset: This has been approved by the District Council. It means that if the Malt Shovel is put up for sale the Parish Council will be notified. The community would have six months in which to raise funds to buy it and keep it as a pub.
Next meetings:
Tuesday, 4th April at 7.45pm. The evening will start with the Annual Parish Assembly, where councillors will give an annual report. Then we move on to the ordinary parish council meeting.
It is hoped that County Cllr Chris Williams and District Cllr Chris Kettle will be able to provide lots of updates on the good things they have done for Gaydon in the past year. All residents are welcome to come along.
The Children's Society is a national charity that runs local projects, helping children and young people when they are at their most vulnerable and have nowhere left to turn.
Gaydon's box-collection raised £213.23 for The Children's Society this year. Thanks to this sort of support the Society is able to continue its vital work. The funds raised are invested in services that directly impact children's lives and show them that the Children's Society will help them when they are most in need.
Thank you all, who fill your boxes with loose change each year in support of this worthy charity. If anyone would like to start being a Box Holder, please give me a ring on 640349. Julie Rickman
Children's activities take place on Sunday 9th with Taste and See at Temple Herdewyke community centre to be be held at 3.30pm.
Good Friday, 14th April
Children's activities at 10.30am at St Giles' Gaydon - all welcome!
Easter Day, Sunday 16th April
Holy Communion at 10.30am at St Giles' with Easter Egg Hunt after the service.
Vicar's Phone no. 07769871237 - email chat2rev.nicki@gmail.com
A rapid rise in temperatures prior to St Patrick's day; and although cloudy skies returned, the temperatures remain mild. There are positive signs of Spring now. The first bright saffron yellow male Brimstone butterflies have emerged from hibernation and are flying around the village in search of the greenish-white females. It is worth growing their food-plant Alder Buckthorn which is an inexpensive and attractive shrub often encountered in old hedges. The sunshine also brought out some overwintering Small Tortoishell and Peacocks, more hibernates that will be looking for nettlepatches and mates.
Snowdrops are fading now and this is the best time to divide the clumps (in the green) for next season. All bulbous plants seem to be flowering early this year, with lovely displays of Daffodils which are a good nectar source for early Bumble Bees. The large queens will be looking for new nest sites in your gardens at present. There are many different species, identified by the furry bands on their abdomens - some quite rare. The large fox has been seen around the village on most days.
You cannot fail to notice clumps of early Primroses on the churchyard and many trees are in full blossom, Wild Cherry and Blackthorn being spectacular. Hazel catkins are now thickly coated with golden pollen. The many exotic Hellebores and Trilliums in my garden are attracting the attention of midges which are being collected in beakfuls by a pair of Robins in my garden; they have a nest in my shed where I have left them undisturbed. The most numerous birds in the village - Woodpigeons and Jackdaws - have spectacular courtships. The former chase across branches and roofs nodding their heads frantically, whilst the Jackdaws flock and circle making earsplitting cackles. Further out of the village, Rookeries are active rebuilding last year's structures. Recent high winds have left them with lots of materials and it is fascinating to see them coping with quite large branches in their beaks, dropping them into the old nests, assisted by their mates. The peaceful cawing of Rooks is one of the most relaxing sounds of the countryside at this time of year.
We are promised that the very large covering over the Gaydon Inn will soon be removed. The old inn had been a village feature for 300 years, a coaching Inn associated with highwaymen and now a listed building. Many villagers will remember it as a pub when the field was used for tug-o'-wars and fêtes - now covered by new housing.
Rumour has it that an application will be made to demolish and rebuild it using the exact same materials (as with some historic buildings in places like the Avoncroft Museum). This is an expensive and time-consuming process needing expert skill and we should expect this for one of our most historic buildings but in fact, is this needed at all when restoration might be an alternative. After all, heritage is of more enduring value than short term profit. The large fox, mentioned previously, has already had his den built over with houses... Bernard Price
The Library will visit the Telephone Box at Gaydon from 1.35-2.05pm on Mondays April 3rd and 24th.
Gaydon's next Coffee Morning in the Village Hall will be at 11am on Saturday 8 April. There will be books, bring-and-buy and raffle - and possibly some plants will be on sale, too. Do come along and meet other villagers. Proceeds go to the upkeep of the Parish Church.
There will be a meeting at 2.30pm on Tuesday 25 April, at Mrs Jan Ewers' cottage at Gaydon Hill Farm. If you would like to join us for tea and talk, please telephone Mrs Mary Fox on 641834 for further details.
Quiz Night!
Who invented the light bulb? Who was the author of Les Misérables?
Test your skill and general knowledge at our fun Quiz Night!
Saturday 22nd April at Northend Village Hall 7pm for 7.30 pm
£20 for a team of 4 people. Don't worry if you can't make up a team: come along anyway and we can put together a team for you. Tea and coffee will be served in the interval, but if you would prefer something stronger, please bring your own drinks. A raffle will also be held in the interval. Tickets available from Linda Lower 01295 770375 or Kate Hodgson 01295 770194.
Please join us for a very enjoyable evening and help us raise funds for our 'Toilets & Taps' project to provide much-needed facilities up at Burton Dassett Church. We look forward to seeing you!
Saturday 29 April from 11am to 12 noon. Gaydon Parish Council invite villagers to meet them outside the Village Hall for a spring Litter Pick. Please do help - the more people that turn out, the less time it takes.
Congratulations to Mary Johnson who has won a family ticket to The British Motor Museum in our first Gaydon Village Store Membership Scheme draw! It's not too late to join the scheme. Forms are available in the shop.
If you have just moved in to the village, do call in to the shop to find out about our local produce and supplies - and collect your 'welcome' gift.
We are looking for someone to work a few hours on two or three afternoons a week.
We desperately need more volunteers to keep the shop open all day.
If you think you could help, please call in at the shop and speak to a volunteer. Leave your contact details and we'll be in touch. Volunteering is a very good way to get to know people and make new friends. sueroberts134@googlemail.com
I would like to thank everyone who sent gifts, greetings and messages for my 90th birthday. It was good to meet old friends (and new) and to remember my past 30 years in Gaydon.
Many thanks to John Davies for bringing his photograph albums; they helped to revive many happy memories. M Fox (Humble apologies for the lateness of these thanks. Ed.)
The Flag waved on 10 March for the birthday of HRH Edward, Earl of Wessex.
The Parish Church and Parish Council are joining forces to run a Barbecue at the Village Hall on Sunday 14 May at 1pm. We have a new Vicar, the Reverend Nicki Chatterton, and she would like to meet the people of Gaydon. She is also the vicar of Farnborough, Fenny Compton, Northend, Burton Dassett and Temple Herdewyke - so she will have her work cut out to get to know everyone.
What better way to start than with a friendly communal meal in the village hall? If we pray for good weather, we might even sit out in the garden and get some rays!
A planning meeting will be held in April for everyone who would like to help with preparations. Sign up in the shop or ring 640349. Look for leaflets and posters giving a meeting date.
Electoral Roll Members of St Giles' Church, Gaydon, are invited to attend the APCM at 8.30pm on Wednesday 19 April in the church.
Church Officers will be elected for the coming year including Churchwardens, Treasurer and Deanery Synod representative. The vicar, the reverend Nicki Chatterton, will be in the chair.
The church would like to thank those who devoted several hours last month to tidying up the churchyard after the winter's ravages. It looks much better now with the spring flowers on show. The snowdrops from Chadshunt have done well this year and there is a good crop of primroses, too.