The village continues to be in the grip of freezing weather and of course it is a hard time for our local birdlife. In the garden I have regulars who depend on my feeders: a family of Long-tailed tits, a Wren, a Robin; small flocks of Goldfinches and Chaffinches; and the Blue and Great tits - even a very attractive Coal tit - never leave the nearby bushes except to grab a peanut to carry away.
Goldfinches have a great liking for NIger seed and as they cling to the side of the special container they spill a lot on the ground beneath, which is then cleared up by the Chaffinches which do not have the ability to feed in such an acrobatic way. Even relatively shy birds like Green Woodpeckers have been observed on the Banbury Road although many woodpeckers migrate South in cold weather. They prefer insect food and I usually buy a dried insect mix that is also liked by Robins and Thrushes.
This is a good time to look at the Seagulls. We often tend to assume that they are all the Black-headed or Herring Gulls which have black wing tips; but you may also see the rarer Iceland Gull which has almost pure white wings and the larger Glaucous gull. Both of these are winter visitors and can be be seen around junction 12 of the M40 perched on the lamps. The Buzzard usually perched there has moved to a more sheltered spot!
A small herd of Fallow deer often graze on the nearby fields that skirt Itchington Holt - the stag has a fine set of antlers. The days are getting noticeably longer and there have been some magnificent sunsets in the wintry skies in the past few days, though sleet and cloud often intervene. The first snowdrops are peeping through.
The recent gales brought down a few trees and, inevitably, discarded plastic litter becomes more visible. At last there seems to be some action on this blight of unnecessary packaging: perhaps inspired by David Attenborough. Promised legislation still may be a while off and governments are prone to 'greenwash' rather than action. It can't come too soon, as we are way behind much of Europe. Norway was recycling all plastic bottles years ago! Bernard Price
Washing, Cutting, Colouring, Perming, Hairups, Blow dry or Set... I live in the village, so I can come in the evenings as well as daytimes. Phone 07748 901701 for an appointment.
The Library will visit the Telephone Box at Gaydon on Monday 19 February from 1.35-2.05pm.
The February meeting will be held on Tuesday 13th at 2.30pm at 'Trevose', on Kineton Road, the home of Mrs Pauline Layton.
Our coffee mornings will start again on Saturday 10 February at 11am in the Village Hall. There is a bring and buy stall, a book stall, a raffle and, of course, coffee and biscuits (50p). We raise money for our local parish church, St Giles, and welcome any contributions.
St Valentine's Night at the Malt Shovel
Wednesday 14 February £24.95 per person Reservations Only 01926 641221 malt.shovel@btconnect.com
Friday 23 February at 8pm Teams of 4 Entry £5 per person Includes cheese and biscuits Raffle Tickets on Sale on the night Book your table of 4 now to avoid disappointment! 01926 641221 malt.shovel@btconnect.com
Thank you to everyone who has rejoined the village store membership scheme. You can join for £12 a year and will be eligible for our regular prizes: for example, beauty treatments, meals out and museum visits. Don't miss out, support your village shop!
What is the Gaydon Community Speedwatch (CSW) Group?
The CSW Group is a team of volunteers from the village, who are working proactively towards improving the safety and quality of life for everyone in the village. Speeding has long been an issue in Gaydon, predominantly due to the nature of the location of the village (direct M40 access) and the surrounding businesses which employ large workforces. The Speedwatch Group currently has seven active members. The CSW scheme aims to support the local community in order to:
Reduce injury on the roads
Improve the quality of life for the local community
Reduce the speed of vehicles to the speed limit
Increase public awareness of inappropriate speeding
What does the CSW Group actually do?
Currently, the CSW team monitors speeds of vehicles by using a speed-gun to detect vehicles speeding through the village. Vehicles exceeding the speed limit are referred to the Police and a formal letter is issued to the vehicle owner from the Police, with the aim of educating drivers to reduce their speeds. Since the Group officially started operating in July 2017, it has conducted 18 speedwatch sessions, totalling 14 hours, capturing 162 speeding vehicles, with 2 repeat offenders. Letters have been sent to all of these drivers.
We currently share a speeding gun with Bishops Itchington, so we only have use of the gun for two weeks every month. We are trying to make the best use of the time when we have it.
What else is the CSW Group planning to do?
A traffic survey that was carried out in the village in 2016 confirms there is a speeding issue through the village. We are using this data, along with working with the Parish Council and other local authorities, to put a stop to speeding. We are currently working on a plan and this is where we need your help.
How can I help?
We are looking for more volunteers to join our Group. There are lots of opportunities, so if being involved in actual speed catching is not your thing, still let us know that you are interested in joining our mission as there are lots of other areas you can support us with. Also, we would really like to know your ideas on how we can help reduce speeding.
Who do I contact?
If you are able to spare some of your time, even as little as one hour a month, it will be much appreciated.
Please contact Cliff Rendell: E: cliff.rendell@hotmail.co.uk M: 07834 997180
Wednesday 14 February Menu Roasted Pumpkin and Thyme Soup (G) Crab and Gruyere Tart Brushcetta with Broad Beans, Ricotta, Peas and Mint Wild Boar Terrine with Juniper Berries Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb served with Pommes Boulangères and seasonal greens (G) Grilled Seabass Fillet on Cannellini Beans, Chilli and Parsley served with salad (G) Casserole of Pheasant with Apple and Red Cabbage served with Pommes Boulangères and seasonal greens (G) Beetroot, Goats Cheese and Potato Gratin served with salad (G) Orange Flavoured Pancakes with Grand Marnier Butter Baked Chocolate Mousse with Clotted Cream (G) Pinenut and Ricotta Tart with Raspberry Compote Cheese and Biscuits or Ice Creams available upon request G = Gluten Free £24.95 per person Reservations Only 01926 641221 malt.shovel@btconnect.com
Parish Council News conntinued from page 3
Orbit Housing Tenants: If you have received a letter from Orbit Housing regarding charges for maintaining the grass areas please let District Cllr Kettle know. He can only represent residents who provide their name and address to him, in confidence.
Service Station Extension
Gaydon Service Station is appealing against the District Council's decision to refuse their application for a proposed shop extension at side, replacement storage unit at rear and reconfiguration of parking area (retrospective); planning application number 16/02749/FUL.
The appeal is being dealt with by written representation. Any representations made on the proposal at application stage will be forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate. If residents wish to make further representation please send your letters to:
Ann Edmonds, The Planning Inspectorate, Room 3M Kite Wing,
Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN
or access the online appeals service: https://acp.planningportal.gov.uk. Please note that any details you provide might be available online. If you wish to discuss this matter with Ms Edmonds her telephone number is: 0303 4445305.
You must quote the Planning Inspectorate Reference Number:
APP/J3720/W/17/3190869 and enclose 3 copies of your letter. If you do not have facilities to copy your letter, I suggest you state this in
your letter. The deadline for responses is 23rd February 2018.
January has been a quiet month. However, a Kineton Road resident reported on the 19th of January that a man was seen looking up driveways rather suspiciously and finally relieving himself against one of the fences. When confronted he apologised and walked up to the roundabout, still looking up drives. He is described as a black male in grey hoody and trainers. Another resident also saw a man urinating in another driveway that week. Check your security in case these incidents are a sign of impending burglaries.
The Police have recorded this incident under Incident Number
123 -20/01/2018. If anyone saw anything please call 101 and report it quoting the reference number. The only way that we are going to stop the occasional opportunist burglary is to be observant.
Please call the Police immediately if you see anything similar and they will respond immediately. gaydonnw@gmail.com 077 3400 7236 IM
Street lighting on Gaydon Inn development: Spitfire have informed the Parish Council that their planning application to replace the street lamps on this development with bollards has been sent to the District Council. We requested that Spitfire liaised with residents on this development prior to this submission and hope that this happened.
Kineton Road development: The Parish Council has been asked to suggest names for one road on this new development. Suggestions have been received for: Dassett Vale, Edgehill View and Dassett View. If you have any suggestions please email or telephone the clerk with your suggestion. A decision will be made at the February meeting.
Gaydon Lighthorne Heath development: Tom and John attended a meeting with neighbouring parish councils about a Local Governance Review of the Gaydon Lighthorne Heath development. Unlike the rest of the process leading to GLH, this governance review has been the most genuinely open part of the process in the opinion of those who have been involved so far. The Parish Council will look out for proposals that have been locally agreed but need residents to be consulted on. Residents should be aware that there will be a map and specific recommendations that also need to be shared.
Church Clock: We are arranging for the clock to be serviced.
Church Lane Field: The dividing fence has been erected by the developer. The hedges will be cut before the bird nesting season.
Flooding on the link road: County Cllr Williams informs us that engineering work is required to resolve this issue.
Grit bin: Early December County Cllr Williams was informed that our grit bin needed replenishing. It is now mid January and councillors are concerned that it hasn't been filled yet. Let's hope that it is filled before more bad weather.
Next meeting: Tuesday, 6th February at 7.45pm. All residents are welcome to attend.
Church members would like to thank everyone who joined in the celebrations, especially those who helped with serving and clearing up. We made about £850 profit, which is a good contribution towards our £12,000 per year running costs; but only a tiny proportion of the quarter of a million we need to repair the church building!
Our congregation is much smaller than in days gone by and so there are fewer of us to do the cleaning and gardening required to keep the church and churchyard neat and attractive. It would be greatly appreciated if a few villagers could spare some time to help with our new cleaning rota or do some tidying outside amongst the graves.
Sunday 4th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Northend
10.30 Morning Prayer Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Gaydon
6.00pm Evensong BCP Farnborough
Sunday 11th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Farnborough
10.30 Holy Communion Fenny Compton
10.30 Morning Prayer Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
6.00pm Evening Prayer Northend
Ash Wednesday 14th
7.30pm Holy Communion Fenny Compton
Sunday 18th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Farnborough
10.30 Family Service Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Northend
Sunday 25th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Farnborough
10.30 Prayer & Praise Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
During Lent, there will be a service of compline each Wednesday. The first will be at Farnborough at 7.30pm on Wednesday 21 February; and the second at Gaydon on Wednesday 28th.
On Sunday 4 February there will be P@THWAY PRAISE at Temple Herdwyke Community Centre. It starts at 4.15pm and includes refreshments and informal worship. All are welcome.
For more details, see www.dassettmagna.org.uk
The Reverend Canon Roy Brown
It is with great sadness that we record Roy's death in Myton Hospice on Monday, 22 January. He was well known and loved at St Giles where he often took services when we had no vicar of our own. There will be a Service of Thanksgiving at Harbury Church on Wednesday, 7 February, at 2pm.
Christmas may be a distant memory but in the church calendar the Christmas story continues into the season of Epiphany which finishes on 3rd February. Epiphany focuses on the visit of the magi, or wise men, to Jesus; an event that is thought to have happened not at his birth but when Jesus was a few years old.
But how did the wise men find him? They followed a star that led them to Jesus. They were faithful in following where God led them and God still leads people today. Christians are called to follow wherever God leads us.
Following the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ will mean something different for each one of us at different times in our lives: in the work we do, in our relationships with others and as part of the church. Where are you on the journey of following Jesus Christ?
As you go forward into this New Year, things may feel different.
You may realise that you need to change something you do, or an attitude you have. You may have seen that you need to put something right: to go and talk to someone, or explore something further. You might realise that this year needs to be lived differently, at a different pace with space for reflection and, possibly, with prayer and with a desire to see God in your life.
You might also have seen that the heart of that change is Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem; whose words and life are not just a story, part of history, but speak to us today. By his holy spirit, he lives in us today and walks alongside us. God with us always.
When Jesus called the first disciples to follow him, he didn't give them a manual or a pep talk, he simply said, come and see. I invite you to step out, walk with Jesus and see what happens. May God bless you as you follow wherever he leads you this year and beyond! Rev'd Nicki Chatterton
Parish Council Meeting Tues 6th 7.45pm Village Hall Coffee Morning Sat 10th 11am Village Hall Friendship Club Tues 13th 2.30pm 'Trevose' Valentine's Dinner Weds 14th 7.30pm Malt Shovel Quiz Night Fri 23rd 8pm Malt Shovel Library Monday 19th Telephone Box Pilates Tuesdays 6.15pm Village Hall Tai Chi Wednesdays 7.30pm Village Hall