Parish Council Meeting Tues 5th 7.45pm Village Hall Coffee Morning Sat 9th 11am Village Hall Friendship Club Tues 19th 2.30pm 2 Cottages Shop AGM Thurs 28th 7.30pm Village Hall Library Mondays 4th & 25th Telephone Box Pilates Tuesdays 6.15pm Village Hall Tai Chi Wednesdays 7.30pm Village Hall Cake & Crafting Circle 2nd & 4th Sundays 5pm Parish Church Gaydon Calendar Boules & Barbecue Sat 7th July 2.30pm The Olde House Big lunch Sun 15th July 1pm Village Hall Christmas Fair Sat 24th Nov 2pm Village Hall Christmas Lunch Sun 2nd Dec 1pm Village Hall
New Chairman
At our annual meeting Paul Fowle was elected as Chairman with Tom Hughes as Vice Chair. Tom was thanked for leading the council for the past six months.
Litter Pick
Thanks to the residents who supported the litter pick. Many bags of rubbish were collected despite the District Council litter picking Pimple Lane the previous day. It is hoped that this will be an annual event.
Straw
County Cllr Chris Williams has informed us that the straw on the dual carriageway will not be removed until a maintenance check is carried out on this road. The road would need closing and they can't justify the expense just to remove the straw.
Traffic Calming
Cllr Paul Fowle will be meeting County Highways officers shortly to discuss traffic calming schemes which they believe are suitable for this parish. County Cllr Williams has allocated £10,000 for the project.
Play Area
Cllr Tom Hughes will be meeting Orbit Housing to discuss ownership of the play area. It is hoped that Orbit will be willing to arrange for this area to be transferred to us. The Parish Council has maintained this area for at least 50 years and many believe that we own it. We can find no evidence supporting the belief that Southam Rural Council gifted the land to us when the garages were built. This was many years ago and before Land Registry. Since that time the housing association has changed twice with the land now being registered in Orbit's name. We will keep you updated.
Field
Church Lane recreational field is being cut weekly. Please do make use of this new amenity.
Gaydon Inn
Councillors have brought to the attention of the Conservation Officer at the District Council and District Cllr Kettle the deterioration of the Gaydon Inn. This is a Grade II listed building which councillors are keen to see renovated.
Cemetery fees will not be increasing. The fees can be seen on our website.
The accounts are currently being finalised and will be with our auditor shortly. If you wish to inspect them or have any questions please contact the Clerk.
Next meeting Tuesday, 5th June at 7.45pm in the village hall.
Sunday 3rd
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Burton Dassett
10.30 Morning Prayer Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Gaydon
6.00pm Evensong Farnborough
Sunday 10th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Farnborough
10.30 Holy Communion Fenny Compton
10.30 Morning Prayer Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
3.30pm Pet Service Burton Dassett
Sunday 17th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Farnborough
10.30 Family Service Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Northend
Sunday 24th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Farnborough
10.30 Prayer & Praise Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
the Vicar writes, let me tell you a story based upon personal observations and 'churchy' experiences.
Philip who is out walking his dog on the Burton Dassett Hills comes across a man reading the bible. He says "Hello, having a good read?" and the man responds, "Not really as I don't know where to start." Philip says he is the local Vicar and offers to help. The man accepts and, as Philip talks, gets really enthusiastic and wants to know more. Philip invites the man to walk with him and his dog; as they walk they talk about the bible and faith. Eventually they reach the lake below Farnborough Hall where Philip has left his car. The man has been really moved by what he has heard, and asks Philip, "See, here is water. What stops me from being baptised, here and now?"
Philip answers him, "Well, first you must come to church and attend our course of instruction on baptism and then you must complete our course of instruction on confirmation and then you must go to a church and be baptised and confirmed by the Bishop." Unsurprisingly, the man is disappointed and a bit confused. When they part, he thinks for a little while about what Philip has said but then puts it to the back of his mind and forgets it.
This parallels a story written in Acts 8:26-40 - but in the bible story the man is baptised and continues his journey of faith. Unfortunately, today, being christened, baptised and confirming your belief in the Christian faith has become very ritualistic and full of procedures.
There is some preparation, but it need not be so long that ritual and tradition outweigh simple faith. Neither should it be limited to a church baptistry. People can be baptised in the sea or at waterfalls, in a stream, in swimming pools and other such locations. I've baptised at the bedside in hospital, in a child's blow-up paddling pool in a community hall, as well as in fonts in beautiful churches. What matters is faith and a desire to be baptised.
This story teaches me that we must not be afraid to ask questions about the bible and faith. The encounter in Acts changed the life of the Ethiopian forever - he heard of Christ, His mission and His sacrifice; the gift of salvation to all nations, not just Israel, in his generation and for all generations. The Ethiopian was baptised and the opportunity for faith was accepted without delay, and his life was changed forever.
Were you baptised as a child? Would you like to confirm your faith? Were you not baptised and therefore think you have missed the boat? Or would you simply like to know more about the Christian faith? Please do contact me, details in The Directory.
This summer I will be meeting six adults who answered 'yes' to those questions. Come and join us, with no commitment to taking it any further. The Reverend Nicki Chatterton
Seasonal Recipe
Make your own Falafels! Ingredients 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley or curly parsley 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp harissa paste or chilli powder 2 tbsp plain flour 2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 small red onion, roughly chopped Method Pat the chickpeas dry with kitchen paper. Tip into a food-processor along with the onion, garlic, parsley, spices, flour and a little salt. Blend until fairly smooth, then shape into four patties with your hands. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the burgers, then quickly fry for 3 mins on each side until lightly golden. Serve with toasted pittas, tomato salsa and a green salad, an ideal treat for your vegetarian friends and a healthy addition to your barbecue fare!
The Library will visit the Telephone Box at Gaydon from 1.35-2.05pm on Mondays 4th and 25th of June.
The June meeting will be held on Tuesday 19th at 2.30pm at the home of Jan Ewers, No. 2 The Cottages, Gaydon Hill Farm.
Our coffee morning will be in the Village Hall on Saturday 9 June at 11am. Some plants may be on sale and there is also a book stall, a raffle and coffee and biscuits (50p). We raise money for our parish church and welcome any contributions.
University of Warwick Brass Band Friday 15th June Burton Dassett Church at 7.30pm £12 to include strawberries & cream in the interval Tickets and further information: Linda Lower 01295 770395 or lj.lower@yahoo.co.uk Sumer is icumen in Sunday 24th June at Burton Dassett Church at 3.00pm Sweet music for a summer's afternoon with Da Capo £15 to include tea & cake Tickets and further information: Gill Roache 01295 680309 or gillyr@buzzinternet.co.uk
Two spectacular new exhibitions are coming to our local Art Gallery and Park: The Marvellous Mechanical Museum and Peppé's World of Invention. The shows open on Saturday, 30th June.
Do you play? Would you like to play? Come and learn, practise or even compete! Remember, points mean prizes!
Gates open 2.30pm on Saturday, 7 July. Tickets: Adults £8 Children under 14 £4.
First burger free on presentation of ticket. Tickets available at the Village shop, St Giles' Church or The Old House.
All proceeds to St Giles' Restoration Fund. Come and meet your neighbours and other villagers and have fun!
Annette Conway
The flag on the village green was raised on Saturday 19 May to celebrate the Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Unfortunately we still have people who are not clearing up after their dogs. This is evident in our new Local Green Space (the recreational field). May I suggest that the people who cannot be bothered to clear up after
their animals research the illnesses connected with dog waste? They can be very serious for children and pregnant women. Perhaps this is the reason why it is a criminal offence if you are caught: could everyone please be on the look-out for these individuals. You can report in confidence to the dog enforcement officer at the District Council or a councillor or the clerk. Please help us to stop this irresponsible behaviour. Thank you! CH
The mid-May barbecue given by the Church after the morning service was attended by over forty people. Luckily, the day fell during a spell of lovely weather and we were able to sit outside the village hall and sun ourselves. We are grateful to everyone who helped make the lunch such a pleasant occasion. JR
XINJIANG is an area of China little visited by westerners as yet, although crowds of Chinese tourists are already visiting this spectacular region. It is remote; often you have to take a sleeper/bullet train to cover the vast areas and climatic zones. The region is one of the 'Autonomous Provinces' containing many minority groups: Mongolians, Muslim Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Russians and Uzbeks.
It is changing rapidly as the majority Han Chinese enforce control over these exotic groups. It is deeply resented and is in reality under strict military occupation. Foreigners are not exempt and are frequently searched and checked by Swat teams wearing masks and carrying clubs and AK47s. There are also groups of thugs called 'militia' who do the same job armed with clubs and pick axe handles. I will say no more on this because they have not managed as yet to break the spirit of the Muslim majority who are kind and hospitable.
I sit here at present in Turpan, in the famous valley of the grapes, eating fresh Mulberries. A few early Swallows are here but birds are thin on the ground. This is an oasis town in the Gobi Desert, fed by mountain irrigation systems brought here from Persia way back in time. This area and the huge livestock market at Kashgar remain places where people can still gather freely. Many markets have been shut down by the government, as has the famous Knife-making industry. The Karakoram Highway has some very interesting wildlife, huge mountain ranges and bleak deserts. There is still a good population of Snow Leopards here. You can glimpse wild Camels and Yaks - and Alpine Marmots (like prairie dogs) are quite common too. I persisted and at last saw a distant leopard, also Marco Polo Sheep and a wolf. There is much domestic stock grazing here: Angora-type Goats, Sheep and hardy Alpine Cattle, no doubt the reason for the predators' survival. These vast areas can only be covered on horseback and there are very strict rules to protect these 'top priority' species. People are scared to break any law, though there were a few animal skins in the market at Tashtorgan, an exotic town in the foothills with verdant pastures.
I was thrilled to see Curlews and Ibis Bills in the wetland area near here, displaying with plaintive calls.
In the deserts I spotted a rare Pandas Ground Jay. I had already seen several Steppe Eagles; and watched an Osprey fishing on the lakes. A dark phase Lesser Fish Eagle stole a fish from its claws in an amazing aerial tussle. The impressive Mountain ranges still have police check-points beneath the snow-capped ridges and there were groups of House crows gliding above; and in the rock cavities, flocks of more agile Alpine Choughs, smaller and more acrobatic.
The odd black-beaked Magpie also appeared throughout my journey and in the Mediaeval Old Town of Kashgar you could hear the familiar Eurasian Cuckoo, Blackbirds and House Sparrows. The incredible mud buildings have lovely courtyards of fruit trees, a true oasis among the ever-increasing Tower blocks where the recent Han Chinese settlers live. You can see every urban planner's mistake here and the contrast is so great. The excuse that this lovely old city is an 'earthquake risk' is laughable. However, there are great strides being made here with conservation, notably massive tree planting everywhere and the desertification is being halted. I travelled for the first time on a Bactrian Camel (two humps) across the still pristine sands wearing orange sand gaiters. This is a strict rule so that you can be spotted easily although in fact you just stay in a long line! Again a pair of House Swallows went skimming around us catching any flies, the only birds I encountered. Riding a camel feels a bit like 'rising trot' going downhill but you have stirrups and a hump on either side. Back in Gaydon, sleeping off Jet lag, it's wet and the trees are in full leaf. The first rain I have seen for weeks. Bernard Price
We are sorry to say that Barry, who has been supplying our free range eggs since the shop opened, is giving up the business. Our new supplier, Eastwood Farm in Shenington, will keep us stocked up with free range eggs of mixed sizes.
Our Annual General Meeting will take place in the Village Hall on Thursday 28th June at 7.30p.m.
Finally, the lucky winner of the membership draw is Brad and he has won a family ticket for 2 adults and up to 3 children for The British Motor Museum.
Wellesbourne Police issued an alert following a burglary at Chadshunt. A male was seen, described as 'white, medium build, five foot ten-sh, in his forties. He wore a cycle hat and pale check summer shirt and normal glasses; and was riding a folding/shopping cycle.' It is therefore possible that he was fairly local or cycling to a car parked nearby. If you saw anything at all connected with the above, please call the police on 101 and quote
reference 23/20046/18.
The Village would like to thank the resident of Kineton Road who kindly donated the gates that now mark the entrance to the village on the Banbury Road. It is hoped that the gates will help reduce speeding in the 30mph limit.
On Sunday 3 June there will be P@THWAY PRAISE at Temple Herdwyke Community Centre. It starts at 4.15pm and includes refreshments and informal worship. See www.dassettmagna.org.uk
The Pet Service this year is being held on Sunday 10 June at 3.30pm at All Saints' Church, Burton Dassett.
All pets and owners will be made very welcome!