Parish Council Tues 1st 7.30pm Village Hall
Coffee Morning Sat 12th 11am Village Hall
Apple Day & Harvest Supper Sat 19th 2pm & 6pm Village Hall
Friendship Club Tues 22nd 2.30pm Poplar House
Library Mondays 7th & 28th Telephone Box
Pilates Tues & Weds 6.15pm Village Hall
Tai Chi Weds 7.30pm & Suns 1.30pm Village Hall
Cake & Crafting Circle 2nd & 4th Suns 5pm St Giles' Church
Gaydon Calendar
Christmas Fair Sat 23rd November Village Hall
O'65s Lunch Sun 8th December Village Hall
Burns Night Supper Sat 25th January Village Hall
Big Lunch Sun 19th July 2020 Village Hall
Community Spaces
Cllr Lewis reported that the ecological and archaeological surveys had now been carried out on the village field and we were awaiting the final report from the consultants. Funding was now available.
Neighbourhood Plan
Cllr Leadbetter reported that she had been in discussions with SDC for the Neighbourhood Plan consultation. The draft survey had been circulated to councillors and comments returned. The final version would be circulated before submitting to SDC for production and distribution. The Housing Needs Survey would be an optional part of the survey for residents, depending on need. There would be grant funding to cover the cost of the survey and planning consultants would need to be engaged to help with the production of the Neighbourhood Plan. It would be distributed to households and collected in October. SDC recommended collection by parish council, though there would be a pre-printed envelope, to increase response.
Chair's Report and Traffic Calming
Cllr Davies reported that he was waiting for Warwickshire County Council to sign off the designs and then prioritise when the traffic calming measures could be implemented. The police would be following up their September traffic survey. There would be further defibrillator training in the autumn.
Streetlights and furniture
Cllr Claxton reported a resident's concern regarding work by a local farmer on a nearby ditch. He had been to see it but didn't think it would affect drainage. The damaged pedestrian crossing railings were being fixed by WCC. He asked the clerk to write to Merlin developments about cleaning up at the Old House site. Residents are requested to keep footways clear of greenery.
Planning
The meeting noted the decisions taken since the last meeting and that SDC site allocations plan was due to complete consultation in September. The Clerk will find out when Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money will be due from any new builds in the parish.
Community Engagement
Cllr Hill reported on JLRs community forum in July. Future JLR planning applications on land opposite JLR had been discussed and there were no plans at present to develop here. It was noted that while the parish was in the industrial zone, the district council is working with the local community and JLR on future and existing planning designations as part of the Core Strategy.
Cemetery
Cllr Middleditch reported that clearing up was needed after flowers and pots had been disturbed on several graves. Police were informed. A tidying session using local volunteers was discussed, as was calling on organisations like the probabation service for help in the future. There is now a green bin for the cemetery, which Cllr Middleditch will put out for collection. It was agreed to wait until the autumn to consider the latest applications for headstones.
Next meeting: Tuesday 1st October at 7.30pm.
Sunday 6th
6.00pm Group Service Burton Dassett
Sunday 13th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Burton Dassett
10.30 Holy Communion Fenny Compton
10.30 Morning Prayer Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
6.00pm Evening Prayer Burton Dassett
Sunday 20th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Gaydon
10.30 Joint Service Methodists Fenny Compton
6.00pm Joint Service Methodists Knightcote
6.00pm Evensong Farnborough
Sunday 27th
9.00 Holy Communion BCP Fenny Compton
10.30 Holy Communion Farnborough
10.30 Prayer and Praise Gaydon
10.30 Morning Prayer Northend
Every Sunday at Kineton
11.00 Mass St Francis of Assissi
St Francis of Assisi, Catholic Church, Kineton. Parish Priest: Fr David Tams
Phone 01608 685259 email: father.david@stfrancis-kineton.co.uk
www.stfrancis-kineton.co.uk
Owing to 'unforeseen circumstances' the date of the Harvest Supper has been changed from 5 October to the 19th. The meal will follow on from the events on Apple Day and will certainly involve apples. There will be a Raffle and some Apple Games. See how to book tickets on page 1 please.
The Library will visit the Telephone Box at Gaydon from 1.35-2.05pm on Mondays 7th and 28th October.
Saturday 12 October at 11am at the Village Hall. Bring and buy, Raffle, Bookstall. Coffee and biscuits 50p.
The October meeting will be on Tuesday 22nd at 2.30pm at the home of Sharon Pettit, Poplar House, Church Road.
with Harvest Supper and Raffle* at Gaydon Village Hall on Saturday 19 October.
Harvest Supper Bookings: phone Julie 640349 or Debbie 640757; or Sue Middleditch on 07748901701.
Thanks to everyone who took part in the Garage Sale Trail on 1st September. We will be asking stall holders for feedback as we have had requests to run the event again in the future. We have agreed with the Parish Council to pay for the ongoing costs of the defibrillator, so whenever you support us you know your money is being used for the good of the village.
Our next event is Apple Day on 19 October at the village hall. This National event is to celebrate English apples because many ancient orchards have been destroyed. Preparations are already underway with apples being turned into cider and Apple vinegar. We would also like to draw up a list of the varieties of apples growing in Gaydon, so there will be an identification table this year.
Activities will include Apple Cake and children's Apple Creature competitions, a Barbecue, as well as games and face painting. Please bring spare apples to be turned into juice on the day ready to take home. So start collecting empty bottles! We will be introducing a stall selling produce grown in Gaydon - no air miles involved.
The Harvest Supper will be at 6pm so that families with children can come. Prices are £5 for adults and £2.50 children. Please sign up in the Shop or ring one of the phone numbers below to book your meal.
Look out for more info on the village Facebook page. See you on the day!
Harvest Supper Bookings: phone Julie 640349 or Debbie 640757; or Sue Middleditch on 07748901701.
Having visited Wolvercote Community Orchard near Oxford several times, I think it would be amazing to develop something similar in Gaydon. Debbie Price
Thursday 31 October 5.30pm to 9pm
Looking for a good way to avoid the trick or treaters? Come join us for a night of all things 1970s instead!
The British Motor Museum is taking part in the national 'Museums at Night' festival to open up the collections to those who cannot come during normal opening hours. Come and meet the Archive Team and view press, advertising and sales material generated in the 1970s. You will have access to the Reading Room to view bookbinding by the Conservator, be able to see the restored 'K's from Longbridge's famous gate and watch 1970s motoring footage in the cinema.
Enjoy a hot and cold buffet and refreshments, view some of the iconic 1970s designed cars on display, including the recently donated 1971 Morris Marina 1.3 deluxe, a Triumph Dolomite Sprint, Austin Maxi 2 and a Triumph TR6. There is also full access to the main Museum and an exclusive 1970s themed tour with a costumed guide.
Do come and join us for a fun and relaxed evening! It is intended to appeal to not only motoring enthusiasts and those who love British motoring heritage but also to those with an interest in 1970s culture, iconic advertising and design; and those with an interest in gender studies, social history and diversity.
Tickets are £10 per person. Visitors who hold a Gift Aid Annual Pass will pay a £6 supplement for the evening to cover the catering.
Buy tickets at British Motor Museum, Banbury Road, Gaydon CV35 0BJ; or telephone 01926 641188; or on the website https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/events/museums-at-night-1970s-throwback-evening
We hope that you have enjoyed a good summer and we would like to thank you for all your support and custom.
We are pleased to announce that the winner of our latest membership draw is John Philpot, who has received a meal voucher for two at The Falcon. We're sure that you will enjoy your meal. We thank The Falcon for their generosity.
As always, we are looking for more volunteers to help us in the shop to share the time, especially when people are on holiday. If you can help please leave a message in the shop and we'll get in touch with you. It's a great way to meet new people and help your community. SR
Many thanks to everyone who joined the Parish Council's work party on a very hot Bank Holiday Saturday and helped tidy the old graves. We now know that it is definitely ravens disturbing the other graves. They were seen early one morning picking out the flowers and scattering them! SM
'The circling year'
One notices slightly weaker sunshine, shorter periods of daylight, or a heavier dew on the grass this month. The early morning fragility of the spiders' webs - often centred by large Garden spiders - are a feature at this time of year. The colourful Nymphalidae family of Butterflies, notably the Small Tortoishell and Peacock, feed on the fallen fruit; whilst the spectacular Red Admiral, which lingers a while longer before hibernating, has been very numerous around the village this year.
The many Painted Lady migrants are likely to migrate back south; but the others may well try and enter your houses during a cloudy spell. If you discover one in a hidden corner, have a jar and a piece of card handy and you can then remove it to a shed, Barn or Garage. They are unaware that your heating will be turned on and that they will wake up in the middle of winter; whereas a constant temperature will help them to go torpid and hibernate successfully until Spring when they will mate to commence a new generation.
Leave a bowl of water in an "out of the way" spot with some sugar or jam in it; this will feed the worker wasps and hornets evicted now from their nests and give a 'sugar rush' before the early frosts kill them off. Again, the much larger Queens may accidentally come indoors seeking a place to spend the winter - remove these in the same way.
A few Swallows may hang on to rear a late brood but most, along with the Swifts, will have headed for warmer climes. Look out for new visitors, flocks of Goldfinches, that often invade the village to feed on seed heads; their tinkling calls, along with the beautiful plumage, do justice to the old collective noun 'a Charm'.
The mystery of the interference with floral tributes in the cemetery has at last been solved by a sharp eyed villager: the culprits are a pair of Ravens often seen and heard over our houses! They were seen playing with the colourful wreaths!
Now fruit is falling from the many apple trees in the village and soon it will be 'Apple Day'. It was a great success last year and we are hoping to identify the many old varieties found locally. One old tree had a large woodpecker's nest in the trunk.
Today there are Buzzards round Gaydon and Red Kites around Warmington Hill; even a Black Kite near the Farm Stores, a sure sign of global warming. Egrets and Great White Herons are nesting in nearby Wellesbourne, in the past seen only in North Africa!
Log piles in a Church Road garden revealed large lesser stag-beetle grubs - so check your wood before burning! We were very grateful to receive the first jar of Bramble jam collected from around the village; it promises to be a large crop this season. BP
Saturday 19 October at 6pm
Gaydon with Chadshunt's Harvest Supper will follow the Apple Day events in the Village Hall. Sign up in the Shop for tickets or ring numbers on page 1.
Please note the revised date.
Gaydon saw its first Scarecrow festival last month, with a surprising 33 registrations - a figure which far exceeded neighbouring villages with established annual events!! Some residents even had multiple scarecrows:
Go Gaydon!
On the run up to the event, it was really exciting to see scarecrows popping up around the village and although there was no set theme, road safety was suggested as a way to gain some additional kudos. You totally embraced this as we witnessed with Hi-Vis jackets, clever cricket montages with 'Gaydon CC, 30 not out!' signage; a racing flagman with stacked tyres and a poignant 'This is not a race track' message. Minions wielding 30mph signs, a 'fatality' on the Banbury Road, which when reported on Facebook in a mock BBC news bulletin, definitely fooled us!
Community Speed Watch really put in the hours, monitoring traffic 24 hours a day for three weeks on the run up to the event. The real speed watch team (our local heroes) were somewhat frustrated when they caught so few speeders. It had a huge impact on reducing speed!
Every road, street and lane in Gaydon participated with a scarecrow and it was great to meet so many new people on the day. There were even visitors from Harbury, Snitterfield, Temple Hardwyck, Fenny Compton and some people just stopping to see what was happening while on their travels. There was a really good atmosphere and community spirit.
There was one apparent theft though. Vera, a very attractive scarecrow, either came to life overnight and took up sticks, or was taken by an unknown perpetrator. Despite efforts to recover her, Vera's disappearance remains
a mystery.
The worthy winner was number 19, 'the local Gardener living life in the slow lane', who will take up permanent residence on the allotments.
We owe a lot of 'thank you's: for our straw donation, to our promo team the Falconbridges, the bakers, the kids, the washer uppers, the prop makers, and most of all - the scarecrows! We think we'll do it again next year. KOG
Polish up your kilts! There will be a Burns Night event on Saturday 25 January. Usual wee drams and haggis etc. on the menu so please put the date in your diaries and look out for further information. Prize for best fancy dress!
Invitations will be sent next month to all those who regularly attend this event. If you have not been before and would like to, or if you have recently become "of age", then please let me know.
Kate Sutton, Last Cottage, Banbury Road; 640661 or 07753 900050
Email: kate.sutton@dovecotepark.co.uk NB: Helpers: I will be in touch soon!
Margery White 12 January 1928 to 8 September 2019
Marg was born on the 12th of January 1928 and grew up in Wolston, a village near Coventry. She spent many happy times in the Land Army and loved to tell stories about those wartime days. She met James Rex White of Gaydon and they started married life living in a double-decker bus at Cottage Farm. They had two sons, Terry and Steven, and later moved to 1 St Giles Road. They took on a milk round and became Gaydon's local milk people, delivering also to CAD Kineton (the army camp) and other villages nearby. Next they moved to Hillside in Kineton Road and became involved in vintage car rallies, buying their own Austin Hereford motor and a David Brown tractor. When Rex died, Hillside became too much for Marg so she moved to a bungalow in Northend, to be near to Steven. Marg enjoyed life there, together with coffee mornings at Fenny Compton Chapel and jazz nights in Bascote. She spent many weekends with her great-grandchildren, Evie, Jago and Marlowe, doing puzzles and singing songs. In June this year Marg became very ill with cancer and, sadly, died on the 8th September. She had a great sense of humour and was loved by all.
Margery's funeral was held at St Giles' Gaydon on 30th September. We extend our sympathy to all her family and friends.
At our recent Pet Service when I was asked 'Do animals have a soul?' my instinctive answer was 'yes'; but how do I know this? Well, feelings form the basis for what humans have described for millennia as the soul or spirit and studies increasingly show that many non-human beings feel emotionally. Science is rediscovering what Charles Darwin concluded, that the variations between humans and other species in their capacity to feel and express emotion are differences in degree rather than in kind. It's a short step from there to recognising that individual animals have personalities and don't just live but have lives and souls.
The capacity of an organism to feel, is fundamental to being alive. So as humans have souls, is this more about being able to feel emotionally than about being alive? We're motivated far more by passion than by intellect. What we feel deeply is what drives us, for good and ill, right and wrong. Anyone with a dog will tell you that they know right from wrong and will intentionally do things to please their human companions.
As long as we're alive and therefore feeling we're connected to one another and to the natural world - we are 'ensouled'. There are extraordinary examples of ensoulment among animals demonstrating compassion, from an ape saving a crow to a gorilla protecting a three-year-old boy when he fell into her enclosure.
Animals that express gratitude, play, contemplate nature, act to save a fellow creature, or react mournfully at the loss of family or close companions are all, in my view, demonstrating aspects of connectedness. This is the root of spirituality, with the capacity to feel and emote being central. The stronger the capability of a given species for fellow-feeling, the more that species can be said to exhibit soulfulness. Viewing things in this way helps us to understand our place in creation and to appreciate the inheritance we hold in common with other sentient beings on this increasingly small, restive, and fragile planet. Rev'd Nicki Chatterton
The poet Keats was pretty shrewd when he acknowledged in his famous "To Autumn" poem that Summer still likes to intrude into the 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' and so, in this third week of September, we 'think warm days will never cease'. The plots are now starting to take on russet and golden fringes as the plants give up their mature vegetables and fruits. The 'Levellers' had a productive day in September when we acted on that self-description and endeavoured to tidy and level the whole area before the onset of wintery weather.
The evident success (to judge by many villagers' enthusiastic participation) of the scarecrow competition (some really inspired and amazing handiwork!) has got allotmenteers discussing the creation of some permanent 'residents' on our allotment to scare off the larger birds who take seedlings and immature plants as opposed to the smaller birds who tend to harvest insects rather than our crops. Certainly the aim is to have some straw-based occupants by the time of the open day we plan to have next Summer. You can't keep Keats down this time of the year... As I write, a number of allotmenteers are already 'by a cyder-press' watching 'the last oozings hours by hours' ready for Apple Day on the 19th October!
We would like to welcome new residents to the village, Jordan and Jonathan who have moved into Church Lane.
We hope that you will enjoy life in Gaydon.