Gaydon Parish Magazine May 2024
index of magazines
Gaydon Gazette for May
Parish Council Tues 7th at 7.30pm Village Hall
Plants & Coffee Sat 11th at 11am Village Hall
Mobile Library Fri 10th at 2.40pm Phone Box
Book Club Mondays at 7pm Village Hall
Tai Chi Wednesdays at 7pm Village Hall
Clubbercise Thursdays at 7pm Village Hall
May Church Services
5th 9.30am Holy Communion Gaydon
10.00am Holy Communion Burton Dassett
9th Ascension Day
7.00pm Holy Communion Northend
12th 9.30am Prayer and Praise Gaydon
10.00am Morning Prayer Northend
19th 9.30am Agapë Service Gaydon
10.00am Holy Communion Northend
26th 9.30am Songs of Praise Gaydon
10.00am Morning Prayer Northend
Roman Catholic Church of St Francis, Kineton: Sunday Mass 11am
Ascension Day
There will be a service of Communion on Thursday 9th May at 7pm at the Chapel of Ease, Northend.
May Memorial Book
2016 4th Alfred Diston
2001 11th Violet Simmonds
2022 13th Geoffrey Gordon Pinches
2002 15th Jack Talbot
2003 23rd Mabel Middleditch
1999 26th Joyce Povey
If there is a special entry that you would like to see, let me know and
I will try to make sure that the Book is open on that day. Julie Rickman
Parish Council News
The meeting held on 2nd April was attended by Parish Councillors John Davies,
Mark Ashton, Stuart Richardson, Karen Ward; County and District Councillors
Chris Mills and Alan Scorer; and five members of the public.
Access to Play Area
Cllr Mills undertook to enquire at WCC about the creation of better access for residents of Barnfield to the Play Area.
Playground Repairs
The higher of two quotes was agreed upon as it provided the longer term solution. Pathways were approved to be cut through the wild flower area in the cemetery.
Planning Applications
There was no objection to the extension at Braid House, Kineton Road, because it was in keeping with the neighbouring properties.
The Council decided to object to the application for a further 7 houses in addition to the 16 already applied for at Edgehill View.
Next Meeting will be on Tuesday 7th May at 7.30pm.
Parish Clerk email: clerk@gaydonparishcouncil.org.uk 07841 010791
Parish Village website: https://gaydonparishcouncil.org.uk
County Councillor's Report
Domestic Abuse: For help and support go to ww.talk2someone.org.uk
Student Mental Health: There is help available to students at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/5058/supporting-students-with-their-mental-health
Bird Flu: In order to protect the poultry industry all bird-keepers must register their birds and update records annually, regardless of the size of their flocks. Go to: www.gov.uk/government/new/new-measures-to-help-protect-poultry-industry-from-bird-flu
Measles: Two doses of the MMR vaccine offer protection for life against measles, mumps and rebella. Are you and your family protected? If you are not sure, contact your GP about getting catch-up jabs. Look at www.nhs.uk/MMR for more information.
Whooping Cough
Pregnant women are advised to get vaccinated to protect their babies from birth; and parents should ensure that infants receive their vaccines at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age.
Whooping cough affects all ages, but for unvaccinated babies and very young children it can cause serious complications.
Police and Crime Commissioner Election 2nd May
Make sure that you are registered to vote at this important election and don't forget to take your Proof of Identity to the Polling Station at Gaydon Village Hall.
Date for your Diary
BIG LUNCH
Saturday 1st June
Gaydon Village Hall from 12 noon
This is a country-wide event and we hold a BIg Lunch every year at the Hall. It will be an American Buffet i.e. we all bring a plate of food to share. There will be free tea, coffee and squash but you can bring any drinks you like. All villagers welcome - please come!
Coffee Morning and Plant Sale
Saturday 11th May at 11am in the Village Hall. Raffle, Book Stall, Bric-a-brac, Coffee and Biscuits. Bring and Buy Plant Sale. Please donate your surplus plants! All money raised is for Church funds.
Mobile Library
The Mobile Library will call at the Telephone Box at 2.25pm for half an hour on Friday 10 May.
Clubbercise
Village Hall onThursdays 7pm-7.45pm. £6 per session, PAYG - pay-as-you-go
Gaydon Village Store
Did you know that Gaydon Village Store is a community shop run by volunteers? Our volunteers are essential to our staying open.
Can you help by giving an hour or two of your time every week to serve in the shop?
Or help by undertaking some of the background tasks that need doing?
Or maybe join our shop committee and help us shape the future of the shop?
If you think this could be for you, please leave your details and we will be in touch to give your more information about what is involved.
Or email: gaydonvillage store@ gmail.com
Thank you!
GVS AGM Monday 3rd June at 7pm.
Gaydon Parish Council AGM
The Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council will be held in the Village Hall on Monday 6 May at 7.30pm.
Village Hall News
The AGM of the Village Hall Committee will take place on Monday 20 May at 8pm.
Tai Chi
The Tai Chi group meets every Wednesday evening at 7 o'clock in the Village Hall. Please text 07514 011406 so that we can look out for you. After a month, please donate a coin for the hire of the Hall.
Nature Notes for April
I am still a bit limited due to post-illness fatigue this month, though it does give me time to observe some of the Spring butterflies that have ventured into the early, albeit rather chilly, temperatures. The first sighting from my window was the hardy Brimstone. This is the longest- lived butterfly in the UK and may have been on the wing since last July, having hibernated over winter. If you plant Alder buckthorn in your garden you are sure to attract them. The male is bright yellow whilst the female is a pale greenish-white.
The other hibernators seen are the Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell, both feeding on nettles and most familiar, as they have several broods a year. An early Orange-tip was seen in my garden last week. This delicate species overwinter as pupae and only the male has the distinctive Orange wing-tips. Other early hardy species are the Speckled Wood and Holly Blue; not yet observed but expected to be around very soon.
Spring is always a colourful time in Warwickshire: the early Blackthorn Blossom is on the turn but will be replaced very soon by Hawthorn and crab apple blossoms and golden Gorse.
The remarkable sight, on many of the banks of the M40 in both directions, are huge areas of yellow Cowslips which have been spreading on the motorway banks for several years and are at their best now. This was a scarce plant only fifteen years ago, having been wiped out by pesticides and invasive Rye Grass. There are also. areas of them at Chadshunt churchyard and smaller clumps in Gaydon churchyard, too.
Once upon a time, the meadow behind the church was also full of cowslips. Mrs Watts, the Churchwarden's wife, who lived at The Forge used to collect bunches of the flowers to make a potent and delicious wine. I tasted it a few times! There are still a few plants there today which I hope will be carefully mown around so that they may increase. Bernard Price
Gaydon Book Club
Please bring a pound towards the Hire of the Hall - and whatever drink and nibbles you fancy. Anyone wishing to join us, please message me on 07917 873856 and I will add you to our WhatsApp group; or you can find us on Facebook by searching Gaydon Village Book Club. Holly
BMM Events in May
Gaydon Landrover Show Weekend 4-5th
UK Slot Car Festival Weekend 11-12th
Young Driver Lessons Saturday 11th
Young Driver Classic Cars Saturday 11th
Young Drive Fire Engine Saturday 11th
Gaydon Gathering Tuesday 14th
Jaguar Breakfast Meet Saturday 18th
Mini MotoristsMondays Monday 20th
Ultimate German Car Meet Sunday 26th
Half-term Special: 25 May - 2nd June: Taking shape, Patterns in the Museum.
Information and tickets at www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
Gaydon Development - May Update
On 16 April the United Arab Emirates - and the cities of Dubai and Sharjah in particular - suffered catastrophic flooding as the equivalent of 18 months of rain fell in 24 hours. A week before, on 11 April, it was reported that UK farms had experienced unprecedented flooding and a consequent loss of crops (with its knock-on effect on food prices) during the 18 months period from October 2022 to March 2024. The phrases ‘extreme weather event’ and the more ominous ‘since records began’ were used in both cases. So, what has this to do with Gaydon and the proposed industrial/commercial development?
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) is an international organisation which provides authoritative information about the past, present and future climate in Europe and the rest of the world and their latest report (22nd April): https://climate.copernicus.eu/widespread-floods-severe-heatwaves-esotc-2023-puts-europes-climate-focus makes for sobering reading which cannot be ignored by any community in the process of land being proposed for development for commercial (as in Gaydon) or housing purposes in teThank you!rms of the risk of extreme weather intensifying flood risk. We, in Gaydon, have not had the luxury of debating the theoretical possibility of being flooded. It has happened. It was real. Most notoriously in 2007. The provision of ‘bunds’ (protective clay flood barriers) have helped to mitigate the flood threat from then until now. However, with the above forecast of extreme weather events and enhanced flooding risk, we have to consider the ‘the elephant in the room’: do we, in Gaydon, have adequate drainage to cope with this future threat?
You may have noticed that UK water companies do not have the best record when it comes to drainage and sewage elimination. You may also be aware of the ways those companies have used their gilt-edged assets (clean water and sewage disposal are an obvious necessity for civilised societies) to borrow money against and pay eye-watering sums to their private owners following the companies’ removal from (debt-free) public ownership by the government of the 1980s. Unfortunately, too little of the money created found its way into improving the drainage and sewage infrastructure that was required to keep up with current needs - let alone future demands! It seems that OFWAT and the government have taken their ‘eye off the ball’ over the past 14 years and the crisis was further intensified by the UK leaving the EU, which meant that UK water, drainage and sewage were no longer covered by the stricter European standards. We all know the consequences and we are struggling to live with them now: massive water bills, flooding, increased insurance premiums and the filthiest rivers and seas in Europe.
It is against these contexts of the increased likelihood of extreme weather and flooding affecting a totally inadequate drainage and sewage infrastructure which must be urgently considered when any development which plans to concrete over the elevated area above the village of Gaydon is proposed. At the moment, the fields create a natural soakaway which helps to absorb rainfall and takes the pressure off the roads, drains and culverts which carry the water away. To introduce what effectively would be an impervious ‘seal’ of concrete over several elevated acres would be a prospective disaster in any ‘extreme weather event’ as storm water, in much greater volume, makes its inevitable way down the sloping roads of Gaydon threatening our homes with flooding…again.
The news came too late for the April Update, but the Banbury Guardian (27 March) reported that Cherwell District Council have rejected a similar warehousing scheme which was going to be imposed north of Banbury: (“Developing the area would have a hugely detrimental impact on our local landscape and heritage”). The full report is here:
https://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/people/councillors-reject-plans-for-warehouse-site-on-farmland-just-outside-banbury-4571703
Every argument that we have made against the Gaydon development is matched in the opposition to the Banbury development, but with one important difference: the topography of the two sites. Unlike the Banbury site, the Gaydon development’s elevated position makes it vulnerable to all of the issues and ominous possibilities, outlined above. And so, along with the precedent of the Banbury decision, Gaydon has even more justification in preventing this development. Flooding and pollution issues must be among the most prominent reasons for rejecting this scheme: in the light of this, it is hoped that CEG (Malta) Ltd. will do the honourable thing and graciously withdraw their proposal and find a more environmentally suitable and practical location. Tony Hughes
Obituary
It is with sorrow that we record the death of Sue Povey, at home in St Giles Road, on Saturday 20 April. We offer our condolences to all her family and friends.
Funeral
The funeral of my Mother, Mrs Susan Povey, will be held at the natural burial site, Sunrising, at Lower Tysoe, CV35 0DG. The funeral is on 9th May, arriving at 10.15am for the ceremony at 11am.
If you would like to attend, please telephone me, Darren Povey, on 07925 875180 so that I can let Sunrising know roughly how many people might attend; the maximum is 80.
Annual Parish Meeting
St Giles' Church Gaydon
The APM was held in church at 7pm on 25 April. The Annual Report and Accounts were presented by Martin Phelps. Those attending were the members of the Parochial Church Council and two members of
the congregation.
The report made clear that of nineteen people on the Electoral Roll of the church, only ten ever attend a Sunday service and congregations are usually made up of six to eight people.
In the light of this dwindling attendance, St Giles's is unlikely to attract the grants required to carry out the essential repairs identified by the Quinquennial report in 2021, amounting to half a million pounds.
Therefore, the PCC have to start a process of investigation into the closure of our church building. This will involve consultation with interested members of the community at an early stage in the process.
We are grateful to those who help keep the church clean and presentable throughout the year.
Flag
The Union flag flew on 9th April to celebrate the Wedding of the King and Queen. The flag of St George was raised on 23 April in honour of the Patron Saint of England; and to commemorate the birth and death of our beloved William Shakespeare, Bard of Avon. If you have something to celebrate or commemorate, contact
Siobhan Hannan on 07780 689582, and she will raise the flag for you in return for a £5 contribution to Church funds.
All Saints' Church, Burton Dassett: Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra
A concert is being given in All Saints' Church on Friday 7th June by the excellent Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra (MYJO) playing Big Band Music with a 40s theme. Weather permitting, you might like to bring a picnic to enjoy before the performance begins at 7.30pm.
There will be a bar, opening at 6pm, and again in the interval; and a raffle. We hope you will take the opportunity to support these young people who have played on radio and television, and in many jazz festivals all over the world. To book call Norma King or Chris Compton on01295 770292 on 770355; or email BDPCC-Sec@compton-family.eu