All Souls' Day Service Thurs 2nd 7.30pm St Giles' Church Parish Council Meeting Tues 7th 7.45pm Village Hall Coffee Morning Sat 11th 11am Village Hall Remembrance Day Service Sun 12th 10.45am Parish Church Village Hall Committee Mon 13th 8pm Village Hall Friendship Club Tues 21st 2.30pm Poplar House CHRISTMAS FAIR & GIFT DAY SAT 25 NOVEMBER 2pm VILLAGE HALL Stir-up Sunday Sun 26th 10.30am St Giles' Library Monday 20th Telephone Box Pilates Tuesdays 6.15pm Village Hall GAYDON CALENDAR DATES CHRISTMAS LUNCH SUN 3 DECEMBER VILLAGE HALL
Feast of All Souls, Thursday 2nd
7.30pm Holy Communion Gaydon
Sunday 5th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Northend
10.30 Morning Prayer Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Gaydon
6.00pm Evensong Farnborough
Sunday 12th
9.45 Remembrance Service Fenny Compton
10.30 Remembrance Service Farnborough
10.45 Remembrance Day Service Gaydon
10.50 War Memorial Northend
Sunday 19th
9.00 Morning Prayer Farnborough
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Gaydon
10.30 Holy Communion Northend
6.00pm Evening Prayer Fenny Compton
Stir-Up Sunday 26th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP F Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Farnborough
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
10.30 Cake-making Service Gaydon
Apology
Councillors would like to apologise to residents for the short notice
in letting you know that our guest, Bryn Patefield, was unable to attend
the last meeting. Unfortunately the Clerk was only made aware at 4.30pm that day. County Cllr Williams has arranged for Bryn, and Jo Edwards from Road Safety, to attend our next meeting on 7 November. Jo works in the department which managed the 50mph speed scheme on the Banbury Road and so should be able to address all concerns relating to this scheme. If for any reason our guests are unable to attend, messages will be placed on facebook.
Old Warwick Road
Residents and local businesses have expressed concern regarding security on the 'stopped up' Warwick Road. The gate on the highway has been damaged again. County Highways are aware that it requires repairing. The gate into the triangular field, which is owned by the County Council, has been left open on numerous occasions. Tyre tracks are visible and a number of visitors have been spotted. We have brought this to the attention of the County Council Estates Management Team who say that they will not secure the gate. This is a sloping field with no electricity or running water and they cannot imagine there will be an encampment. Please be vigilant and report any suspicious behaviour to the Police.
Waterworks
We have contacted Severn Trent regarding the use of 'telephone box green' as a storage area. This land is owned by the Parish Council and permission has not been granted for the storage of equipment. We have no wish for the equipment to be moved as this seems a logical place for it but we do want assurances that the land will be restored to its original condition once the work has finished.
Field
Church Lane field has been cut thanks to our contractor. Quotes for
cutting the hedges are currently being sought but nothing will happen until the works on Church Lane have finished.
Phone Box
We are still waiting to hear whether we can buy the telephone box. The District Council asked us if we wanted to and we responded 'yes please' late last year and have heard no more. District Cllr Kettle tells us that the information has been passed back to BT, so we must wait until they contact us.
Highways
Residents are reminded that any highways matters like street lights not working, blocked drains, blocked ditches, etc. should be reported to the County Council via the website or by calling 410410.
Street Lights
The Gaydon Inn development does not have permission for the street lights. In keeping with our rural character we have asked for them to be removed.
Church Clock
Many of you may recall the saga when our War Memorial (the Church Clock) stopped chiming a couple of years ago. The Parish Council (the owner of the clock) received many requests from residents asking for it to be fixed quickly. With a repair bill of approximately £1600 this proved impossible. Residents offered to try and raise the money by 'knocking on doors' whilst others offered donations. Thankfully, the War Memorial Grant Association came to our rescue. With the clock being an unusual war memorial we were able to secure a sizeable grant but this took time; and finding a company to repair the clock
was not easy. We had two choices: the original maker or the company that repairs Big Ben. As the second quote was more competitive it was
accepted. Getting the clock in and out of the tower proved difficult but a resident kindly helped. It was away for nearly 3 months and we were all so happy when it started chiming early this year; and I know that the
PCC are pleased that they don't have to use a tape recording of Big Ben again for Remembrance Sunday this year.
We are, unfortunately, now in a position whereby Environmental Health have written to the Parish Council advising us that they have a request for our clock to be silenced in the evenings. As many of you know, this is impossible: the clock will have to be silenced completely or not at all. It is wound up and given TLC by two dedicated residents who have spent hours getting the timings right.
The Parish Council will be discussing this complaint at our November
meeting. If you have any comments to make about this please do address them to Karen Dixon at Stratford District Council, Environ-mental Health Department; and come along to our meeting as councillors would love to hear your views.
Next Meeting
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 7 November starting at 7.35pm to allow time for a discussion with our visitors from County Highways. This will be followed by the Parish Council meeting.
October
The extremely mild weather - with the dire portent of hurricane winds in the future - have left the Trees in some trepidation. There has been little leaf fall so far but incredible colours. The bright red of the Acer trees, Maples and Virginia Creeper contrasting with the gilded yellow tints of Hornbeams. Oak and Ash remain green, while Horse Chestnuts, like the survivor on our village Green, were the first to show colour. How one misses our huge tree, which many will remember with nostalgia when it once dominated the the grassy area behind the
bus-stop!
Conkers lie in profusion, though, behind the church. Most of these would have been collected up years ago by local children to play that ancient game and there are still world contests held, I believe, in Tetbury this year. I still remember the rules. If I'd had my Aga then, I could have baked them to unbeatable density before piercing with a red hot needle for the string: to destroy all-comers!
The Sweet Chestnut in the churchyard also has fruits but few reach maturity here in England. Most of our edible Christmas chestnuts are from Spain or Italy. The flour made from these 'Castiglione' is delicious; you can get it at a proper Italian Deli and even Holland & Barratt have it in stock sometimes. It's always available at Wholefood in Piccadilly if you're in London - must have a word with Waitrose!
The season is beginning for wild mushrooms: I've already sampled delicious Chanterelles; and spectacular Puffballs and field mushrooms can be found around Northend and even in our own cemetery.
But BEWARE! some species are poisonous too, so always check as it is easy to fall ill.
The red-spotted Fly Agaric was once used as a fly killer, looks great but has hallucinatory qualities. It is thought to be the origin of Santa Claus's outfit and reindeers flying through the sky; such Scandinavian legends seem to ring true. In France, all pharmacies have a poster on display and resident member of staff to identify your 'finds' as safe
to eat.
There has been a spectacular blackberry season, now on the wane.
Other fruits like Sloes, wild plums and crab apples are in abundance too, sadly wasted; but perhaps a food source if we have a hard winter.
Banbury Road was once blocked by snowdrifts and snowploughs were parked at the Gaydon Inn. How many other events must the Inn have witnessed over the years! What will be its fate now it is up for auction at the end of this month? Bernard Price
The Library will visit the Telephone Box at Gaydon from 1.35-2.05pm on Monday 20th this month.
This month's Coffee Morning will be at 11am on Saturday 11th. Books, bring-and-buy and raffle. Proceeds for St Giles' Church.
The Village Hall Committee meets this month on Monday 13th at 8pm. Organised groups such as Pilates, Tai Chi, Dog Training, Bands etc. are reminded that they should have their own insurance policies in place. The Hall's own public liabilty insurance covers events like parties, dances and meetings.
This month, Sharon Petite has invited us to her home, Poplar House, in Church Road. The meeting will take place from 2.30-4pm on Tuesday 21st.
A mature person, non-smoker, with NVQ Level 3 in childcare and lots of experience with newborns, is available daytimes and evenings. Phone Julia on 01926 640839 or 07543 497171.
Father Christmas will be at the Village Hall on Saturday 25 November at 2pm. There will be teas, mulled wine, home-made produce, gifts and raffles. It is the Church's Gift Day when you are invited to donate money to the Parish Church in Gaydon to help keep it open for Christenings, Weddings, Funerals and other services.
St Giles' is open every day for you to spend some quiet moments in prayer or comtemplation.
Part-time Casual Work at the Motor Museum
Are you 16 years or older and looking for part time work? The British Motor Museum are looking for part time Catering and Conference Assistants. Days, weekends and some evenings available.
Pay is £6.74 per hour - please see website for more information: www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/jobs.
If interested, please contact: enquiries@britishmotormuseum.co.uk giving your name, contact details, any experience and what days/times you are available.
How good it has been to hear the war memorial church clock striking again since February, after such a long absence for restoration and refurbishment. It is especially appropriate that it is back in time for Remembrance Day when we celebrate the sacrifice made by the few for the many, particularly in the First World War. AC
Autumn at Compton Verney is bursting with light, art, poetry, sound and nature. Two new exhibitions opened in October: Quentin Blake Inside Stories and The Lost Words. The Quentin Blake show features over 140 original works, many never seen outside of his studio. In The Lost Words, the writer Robert Macfarlane and the artist Jackie Morris represent nature words through spell-poems and iridescent watercolours. The experiences of this exhibition continue out into the park in the form of two interactive Spell Walks.
Go online to comptonverney.org.uk for more information.
Inside the Church, on the wall beside the Vestry door, the visitor will find two framed documents. They record how the Clock came into being and how the money was raised by public subscription to honour the men of Gaydon who died in the Great War. Outside the Church, on the front wall of the tower, the names of the fallen are inscribed.
We are asking for donations of bottles, unwanted gifts, jigsaws, raffle prizes and bric-a-brac etc. for us to sell on our stalls. Please leave your donations at the Old Bakehouse or take them to the Hall on the morning of the Fair.
The over-65s Christmas Lunch will be held on Sunday 3rd December. Invitations are on their way! If anyone new to the village would like an invitation to the lunch, please ring me on 640349 or call at the Old Bakehouse. Julie Rickman
There will be an All Souls' Day service of Holy Communion at St Giles', Gaydon, on Thursday 2nd November at 7.30pm. On All Souls' Day it is traditional for the church to remember those we love who have died. If there are people you would like remembered at the service, please add their names to the list in the Parish Church.
Fenny Compton Village Hall at 3.30pm on Sunday 19 November. For more details please ring Lesley on 01295 771177.
On Sunday 5 November there will be Tea and Hospitality at Temple Herdwyke community centre. It starts at 4.15pm and includes refreshments and informal worship. All are welcome: children and their families; single people; couples; the young and the elderly. For more details, see www.dassettmagna.org.uk
On All Souls' Day, 2nd November, we have the opportunity to celebrate and give thanks for the lives of the people we loved and who now rest in the eternal arms of God. A few days later we think of all those who laid down their lives in wartime. Gaydon's Remembrance Day service will start outside St Giles' Church, under our war memorial, at 10.45 on the morning of Sunday 12 November. Wreaths will be laid and silence kept as the War Memorial Clock strikes eleven. The service will then continue in the church with hymns and prayer. Afterwards, refreshments will
be served.
We also remember Christmas at the Remembrance Day service because we are already planning the Crib Service that takes place on Christmas Eve every year.
At the end of that lovely candle-lit event we share out the Church Christmas Cake with all the congregation. As it is such a huge cake we ask parishioners to contribute to the ingredients, which are mixed in church on Stir-up Sunday, 26 November - the day after the Christmas Fair and Gift Day.
From Remembrance Day onwards there will be a list of things that you can donate towards the making of the Great Cake. Please look on the table at the back of the church and put your name down for some currants or spices - or whatever you would like to give. Thank you!