Apart from the difficulty of getting everything in we have also to bear in mind the cost of producing the Newsletter. Printing costs are now up to £450 for each issue of 40 pages. As well as a struggle to get everything in and we are at the limit for size. Donations come from the Post Office Box and usually amount to around £40 each time. Fortunately we have income from advertising, and (hopefully) donations from local charities, which really keep us going. We fight off the need to charge for the Newsletter. Restricting its access is not what we are about. The remedy lies with us all.
First of all, a coin now and then in the Post Office Box from both readers and contributors would be very welcome. We could do with more than we are getting at present. Thank you to those of you who already do this. You gave us £50 .07, including a £10 donation this time; thank you. Secondly, please keep sending in copy but a slight reduction in the length of some articles would help. As you think total copy - reduce it by a quarter!
You will have noticed our rather smart one-off cover for this issue. It celebrates 150 years of Hook Norton brewing and has been paid for entirely by Hook Norton Brewery Co. Ltd and its Hook Norton Pub landlords, John and Carol Sivyer, Stuart Joyce and Susannah Rust and Richard and Jane Hancock. Many thanks to them all.
Two of the pub photographs are by courtesy of Isita at the Post Office and post cards of them are on sale there.
You will find reports on the proposed housing developments further on in this issue. Our Parish Council has been vigilant, effective and quick off the mark and deserves our grateful thanks. I am sure that they would appreciate a few more of us at their monthly meetings in the Memorial Hall from time to time, not just when there is a burning issue.
Do you remember a few years ago we had some correspondence about new people coming to live in the village? How rewarding it is to see so many 'newcomers' pulling their weight in various organisations. They are well represented on the Charitable Association Committee and I am sure on many other organisations. You may also like to know that many 'newcomers' have supported the Friends of the Community Library Group with the Ironstone Hollow addresses topping the list!!
We wish our Rector, John Acreman, a speedy recovery from his present illness.
Sadly we report the death of Fred Hughes and Mary Smith and on behalf of the village send our condolences to their families and friends. Barbara Hicks, Editor 737017
PARISH COUNCIL
June Meeting: Inspector Blake, Thames Valley Police based at Chipping Norton, spoke to the meeting about policing in this area and said that although P.C. Dilsaver had new areas added to her 'patch', she had lost others and was still only responsible for nine parishes. There were 15 officers at Chipping Norton working five shifts with three officers on duty at all times. Fifty four offences had been recorded between January 1998 and June 1999.
Mr N. Woolerton, Cherwell District Council also spoke on Grant Money available and the methods of applying for this. Both speakers were thanked for giving up their time to attend.
The enhancement of the triangle of land in the middle of the village was still being considered, reported Mr Couldrey and it had been suggested that either a small stone wall or posts would deter vehicles.
Committees had met and reported. The Hall Committee asked Mr Wise to clear the ground in front of the air bricks at a price of £45.
The Environment Committee were investigating further dog bins. Could the two red bins on hand be exchanged for green ones? Litter was a problem and the Clerk had written to Chipping Norton High School asking the headmaster to stress the need for tidiness, with litter into bins and not on the ground.
Open Spaces Committee had considered cemetery and allotment fees and decided they should remain as they were. Quotes for additional fencing in the play area were being investigated.
Councillor Gasson and Councillor Couldrey had attended two meetings with the Doctors, their architect and the Planning Officers, to try and resolve the deadlock over the design of the proposed new surgery. A new plan is to be put forward that will go some way to meet the planning requirements.
One applicant for a Parish Councillor casual vacancy had been received and it was agreed that Mr R. Withey would be co-opted.
The proposed road closure that the Parish Council had only received notice of a few days before the meeting, was a subject of lengthy discussion and it was agreed that the P.C. should liaise with those in charge of proposed activities, i.e. Rural Fayre, Folk in a Field, Festival of Fine Ales, etc.
July Meeting: Dr Jan Guilbride and Samantha Morgan from the Vets Practice came and spoke on the need to stop dog fouling throughout the village. They invited the Parish Council to co-operate and support a campaign to make people more aware of the dangers.
Suggestions put forward were to speak to the school children, leaflets, posters, a stand at next year's Rural Fayre, litter pick for dog excrement and the offer of a dog bin outside the Vet's etc. The Environment Committee of the Council is to consider where they can help and liaise.
The Doctor's Surgery is still under negotiation but positive progress is being made.
Did anyone attend the shredding on July 11th? It was a very hot day and perhaps the wrong time of year to shred. September's date will be well advertised and it is hoped that villagers will take advantage of this new facility.
The main topic of discussion was the attendance at Cherwell District Council to oppose the proposal that two of the four sites in the village should be included in the tentative local plan for housing development. Councillors were thanked for all their efforts, both at the meeting and before, when posters and leaflets were distributed throughout the village. The outcome was close but a victory nevertheless. Councillor Gasson said he did not feel that this decision would be rescinded when the whole Council met. The matter would go forward to the Inquiry and it was then that a further effort may be needed. County Councillor Norman Matthews congratulated the Councillors and the residents who turned out in force and won the day.
The road closure, after many meetings and liaison with the County etc. is a little more acceptable although it is still causing disruption to businesses and villagers. The Parish Council was unable to change matters until after the event as it was only aware of the situation at the last minute with no chance to liaise before hand. The Clerk has written to the Oxfordshire County Council asking that they give better notice in the event of any further closure in the village, so that sign-posting can be agreed before hand. Councillor Couldrey thanked Richard Dorey, Peter Bassett, Simon Mead and others from the Charitable Association Committee, Pat Groome for Folk in a Field, Denis Wynn and his committee for Festival of Fine Ales, North Oxon representatives C. Garrett and S. Bowden, for their help in the erection of diversion signs. He also thanked the Lucas family for their sensitive response.
There has been some repair work to pot holes prior to the resurfacing that is planned throughout the village. Will Thames Water come and dig it up later as they are working in Wigginton and heading this way? The Clerk will alert the County Engineer.
The cost of new fencing in the play area is £3,250 and there is no money in the budget this year for this sort of expense. What a pity the new fencing put up so recently is systematically being pulled apart.
Finally; please do not use the skips for dumping furniture and appliances. Furniture can be picked up and reused if it is in fair condition. Phone 01295 267741 and it will be picked up from your door. This also applies to old fridges and washing machines. The Council will pick these up free of charge, phone 01295 252535. Please do not fill the skips with builders rubbish either. The skips are for household waste only and if this is abused we could lose the facility altogether.
The Hook Norton Brewery Company Limited celebrates its 150th Anniversary this year
The Company was founded in 1849 when John Harris set up business in Scotland End as a farmer and maltster, supplying local breweries. It was probably a natural progression that he should experiment with brewing himself. This was a success and in 1872 a small three storey brewery was built adjoining the farmhouse. Demand for his beers increased, due in part to the arrival of navvies constructing the Banbury to Cheltenham Railway. John Harris's son, also called John and his son in law Alban Clarke joined the business and embarked on an ambitious expansion programme. This saw the construction of new offices and cellars in 1896, followed by new stabling in 1897 and finally the new brewery building which was completed in 1900. The newly enlarged firm became The Hook Norton Brewery Company Limited.
Today the Company employs around forty people and distributes its beers within a 100 mile radius of Hook Norton. Seven different beers are produced and there will also be two limited edition brews this year. The first, available from September, will be a 150th Anniversary brew, in both draught and bottled form. The second will be launched on 17th October to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Steam Engine, a milestone in its own right. The steam engine is still in daily use and we look forward to "steaming into the millennium"
NOAH'S ARK at the Rural Fayre
St Peter's Church certainly packed them into the ark; not two by two but a good selection of domestic, farm and exotic creatures - and it didn't rain!
What a wonderful sight the ark made complete with its painted selection of wild animals plus a beautiful rainbow; and what a lovely setting for the actual animals that were gathered together bringing a truly rural flavour to the Fayre. Our grateful thanks to all who kindly loaned their pets and livestock for the day.
All the entries for the Noah's Ark children's art competition were on display; Katie Wood's wonderful collage of Noah and his animals was the overall 'best in the ark'. Katie was presented with a family ticket to the Waterfowl Sanctuary kindly donated by Mabel Warner. A pencil drawing by William Curtis and a painted glass panel picture by Tricia Freeman were both highly commended. Each entrant received a small gift as a thank you for their hard work and enthusiasm; we certainly have some fine artistic talent amongst our young people.
The ark has been dismantled and stored away; hopefully it will house an even bigger selection of animals next year. Mr Noah may well have to add another deck!
THE SUCCESS OF HOOK NORTON CRICKET CLUB
The sun is out, come up to the ground and join in the cricket. Half way through the season we have had an excellent season at all levels and all ages. With the support of a few ringers we even managed to win the competition at the Rural Fayre with a fine performance in the Tug of War, Tractor Pull and Egg Catching - give me a cricket ball any day ! On Tuesday nights between 6pm and 7.30pm the ground is overrun with 6-12 year old boys and girls having a great time running us adults ragged. Now that we have close on 50 children in the club we have been able to get several evening games for them as well. It is a big ground so there is always room for a few more. Those that have worked their way up the junior sides are now forming the core of a young and enthusiastic Sunday side, being kept on the straight and narrow by a core of seasoned campaigners. There are games throughout August and with the holiday season new players are always welcome.
The Saturday league side has gained a few extra players to the squad which has meant that we have been able to turn out consistently good sides and it has shown in the results so far ! The Saturday side plays competitive cricket without the tie of having to be there every week. If you enjoy competitive cricket at a good level then come along to join in a successful and happy club.
One of the real successes this year has been the midweek evening league where all the teams have combined together to produce an all conquering (well nearly !) side where everyone tends to get a bat or a bowl. It is a great introduction into league cricket which is both friendly and competitive. It is also a good way of easing yourself back into the game after a few years off.
We seem to have been playing all our games to date away and the good news is that we now have a large number of home games. So even if you would rather watch a game over a drink rather than put on the whites then still please do join us. We hope to see you up at the ground in the remaining weeks of the season !
Contact: Tim Lunel (Captain) 730446 or Colin Scarrett (Secretary) 737734
WILDLIFE NOTEBOOK
Much interest has been generated in recent months by a green woodpecker which has visited gardens throughout the village. Its large size, red crown and yellow-green rump have impressed those seeing this normally shy bird for the first time. Its sharp bill and long tongue are ideally suited to breaking into ants nests to remove both pupae and adult insects. Reports came in from: Nicola Bassett, Michael Terry, Sue Salter, Jenny Bell, Beryl White, the Goldthorpe and Curtis families.
Great spotted woodpeckers continued to visit gardens and were seen by Pat Saxton on Austin's Way, Marianne Joyce on Orchard's Way and by Becky Bishop who watched an adult feeding a juvenile on a peanut feeder on 19 June.
Eddie Matthews phoned in with a report of three grey herons and a pair of Canada geese with five young on a pond in the east of the village. Roy Page watched a bullfinch feeding on seeds off Rope Walk and Ann Faulkner was fortunate to see a group of five buzzards circling over Bean Acre on 1 June. This may have been too early for a family party although buzzards must be breeding close to the parish this year. The hobby, a long pointed-wing falcon with a short tail, was seen chasing swallows and martins over the village on 10-12 July and there should be regular sightings now until September.
Thanks to everyone who joined my wildlife walk on 12 June. In addition to buzzard, kestrel, cuckoo and over twenty wrens in song we found five species of wild geranium, three species of campion, several speckled wood butterflies and a superb broad-bodied chaser dragonfly. A further dragonfly record came from Buchanans on Whitton's Close with a larval case of a recently emerged southern hawker found at the edge of their pond.
Warm overcast summer evenings are perfect for moths and this summer the Lunel family have joined me in running a light trap. The moths are attracted to a light tube and spiral into a collecting box. The next morning they are removed for identification and then released. In the first half of July we identified around 40 species including the buff-tip which resembles a broken twig, the swallow-tailed moth and both popular and elephant hawk-moths.
It's always a thrill to see a snake in this country and we are lucky to have a small population of grass snakes in the parish. A one year old snake was seen by the Lucas family at the allotment in early June and several sightings were made by Janet and Russell Collins in their garden.
The orange hawkweed has a smart flower like an orange dandelion. The only place I have found it locally is in Shutford so it was a treat to find it growing on a bank in the village. Even better news is that the owner of the bank has carefully mown the grass around it enabling it to flower.
Please keep the reports coming in. Steve Holliday 8 Whitton's Close Tel: 73703
At last the Friends are beginning to see the results of their efforts to improve our library. The group is busy preparing its constitution in readiness for its AGM on September 13th.
We are also happy to tell you that the proposed change in library hours will take place from the week starting 9th August. The library will be closed on Wednesday mornings but open on Saturday mornings from 10am - noon instead.
The group had a successful day at the Rural Fayre. We gained a few more members, sold car stickers and promoted our book quiz. The stall was colourful and informative and was staffed by members of FOHNCL. Thank you to all who helped and to Sarah Gardner who provided both questions and answers to the Book Quiz. The winner of the Quiz is Joyce Hinton who receives a £15 Book Token.
Car stickers "Support your local library" are on sale in the Library.
We say good-bye and thank you to Val Baker who has come to the end of her temporary post in Hook Norton library and finishes work there on Friday 6th August. She has been very supportive to the Friends Group and we shall miss her.
We look forward to welcoming Patricia Weighall from Great Rollright, who starts work at Hook Norton Library on 9th August and who is looking forward to her time at Hooky. Finally we are planning a celebration of the new hours and the arrival of the computer perhaps with a celebrity guest. You are invited to that and to our AGM on Monday 13th September, at 7.30pm at the Study Centre so look out for posters giving details of the celebration.
HOOK NORTON COMMUNITY EDUCATION CENTRE
Our new programme is now out and includes exciting new courses such as photography, upholstery, computing, jumping-beans activities for under 5's, daytime keep fit, reflexology, fencing, baby-sitting, homeopathy, deaf awareness plus all the old favourites.
If you have not already received your copy please give us a ring and leave a message on the answer phone or pick one up in the village shop, post office, dentist or library. HNCEC, The Primary School, Sibford Road, Hook Norton - (01608) 730052
SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB DEVELOPMENT
The Sports and Social Club is making solid progress towards achieving it's objective of providing new facilities which will benefit the whole community into the 21st century. Work is being undertaken on design and funding the scheme which will include a new and much improved building and additional outdoor facilities.
The project is very much alive and a timetable is in place which will lead to real and active progress over the coming months. WATCH THIS SPACE !
BANBURY GUARDIAN
Please keep the items of news rolling in for the space allocated to Hook Norton the Banbury Guardian District News - Clubs and Societies' news, School, Church, Village 'Dos', Achievements etc. Unfortunately, my reports are edited by the Banbury Guardian which cannot be helped but they always seem to leave out the best bits, an example of which was a special mention of the lovely Ark at the Rural Fayre built by Mr Noah, alias Roger Hughes.
Because I have not reached the age of new technology, and probably never
will ! - I have to type my piece or write it when the typewriter has a recurrence of its pre-millennium bug. Deadline is 10-30am on Tuesday morning for village news so it must be in the first post on Monday at the latest. If you have any news, may I have it as soon as possible please by Sunday evening - phoned or put through my letter box. Thank you. Marion Roberts, 'Brambles' Bourne Lane. 730214
WI The 'Members Munchies' afternoon in June went down well! Four members demonstrated favourite recipes, the results of which were enjoyed with an afternoon cup of tea. During the feast, there was a fortuitous visit from a Beauty Therapist from Bloxham who invited members to go to a new salon for a spot of therapy! After this has gone to press, members and friends will hopefully have enjoyed a Summer coach trip to Windsor on July 20th which will have replaced the July meeting. Thanks are given to everyone who supported the WI stall and Tombola at the Rural Fayre on July 4th.
A garden meeting is planned for August 17th - weather permitting - in Barbara and Rachel's garden at The Gables and details for a musical afternoon are under discussion for September 21st. The Tuesday afternoon meetings continue to be a success in preference to evening meetings and more new members are being welcomed. We meet at 2pm in the Baptist Hall on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Posters are displayed in the village and guests are invited to get a taste of what the WI is all about. Denman College, the WI's own college in Marcham has a tremendous range of courses on offer. An interesting programme of speakers and outings is being planned for 2000. On Friday 17th September from 10.30am - 8pm and Saturday 18th from 10.30am - 4.0pm, the WI Wallhanging/Banner, which is being embroidered by a group of talented members, is being displayed at Exeter Hall, Kidlington. It is depicting scenes and buildings of Hook Norton with embroidered signatures of each member on the back. This will be a wonderful memorial of the village and the WI for the millennium. Marion Roberts
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT - ROUND ONE TO HOOKY
Following the public meeting on 24th March, no more had been heard about the possible designation of sites in the village for new housing until Saturday 3rd July, when it was learnt that a meeting of the District Council Development Committee on 8th July was being recommended to agree to include 30 houses on parts of the sites in Bourne Lane and to the north of the Primary School in the Draft Local Plan. Although this would not be the last word, it would have been a harmful first step if these recommendations had been agreed.
Members of the Parish Council met urgently and informally to plan the village's opposition to the recommendations. The meeting of the Parish Council was postponed from 8th July for a week so that members could attend the Development Committee meeting. The Chairman of the Parish Council (Christopher Barry) obtained permission to address the Committee to reiterate the total opposition to more development in the village as expressed at the public meeting, and wrote a letter to every member of the District Council. A leaflet was delivered to most houses in the village asking people to attend the meeting at Bodicote to show the strength of feeling and a good turnout resulted.
The Development Committee was being recommended to include in the Draft Plan sites in eight villages with total provision for 335 houses. Opposition to several of the sites, including the two in Hook Norton was proposed by Conservative councillors and carried by one vote; this time the lottery went in our favour. Our sites have, for the moment, been deleted. This will not be the end of the story. The District Council will have to find sites to replace those deleted and may well come back to some of those sites again. We may think of this as a score of 0-15 on the first service by the planners. Our thanks are due to Christopher Barry, Peter Millar and others who put in a great deal of work in the space of a few days to ensure that the planners' proposals were not rushed through. Peter Fry
DESERT CHALLENGE IN AID OF CLIC
In March 2000, I am going to cycle 300km through the Israeli desert, raising funds and awareness for CLIC - Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood.
CLIC has been supporting children with cancer and leukaemia and their families for over twenty years. Locally CLIC provides a "home from home" in Headington, for children receiving treatment at the Radcliffe, JR or Churchill hospitals.
During the next few months I hope to raise over £2,000 in sponsorship and fundraising. All funds raised from Desert Challenge will enable CLIC to continue its vital work. I am collecting items to be sold in aid of CLIC throughout the summer at car boot sales. If you have any donations I am happy to collect, or items can be left at Lincoln's Inn, Hook Norton.
To complete this challenge I will need lots of help from my family and friends in Hook Norton. If you would like to sponsor me or help with fund raising, please phone 01608 737244. Thank you.. Linda Freeman.
For more information on CLIC please phone Mel Stead: 0117 924 8844
ST PETER'S SUNDAY SCHOOL
St Peter's Sunday School resumes on September 5th.
All primary age children and their parents are welcome to come and find out more about us on Friday 17th September at 3.30pm until 5pm.
Join us in St Peter's to sample some of our activities, meet the leaders and enjoy light refreshments. For more information contact Janet Collins.
PARISH COUNCIL
Following nominations in April, which did not require an election to be held, the current members of the Parish Council are:
Christopher Barry (Chairman), Salfords, East End. 730407 Barrie Couldrey (Vice-Chairman), The Pippins, Bourne Lane. 730990 Brian Clay, Carillon, Bells Lane. 737622 Peter Fry, 23 Ironstone Hollow. 730509 Les Humphries, 8 Austins Way. 737464 Ray Jelf, The Cottage, Down End. 737129 Peter Millar, Staddle Cottage, Bells Lane. 737128 Mike Terry, Rectory View, Down End. 737842
Clive Timms, 9 Old School End, 730202 Keith Wood, Convallaria, Chapel Street, 737443 Bob Withey, 1 Country Cottage, Watery Lane (737819) has been co-opted to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Isita Pickering. The Clerk to the Council is Mrs E.M. Pogmore, The Old Forge, Upper Brailes, Banbury, Oxon. OX15 5AT 01608 685260
RECYCLING
A reminder about the recycling bins at the Primary School, which don't seem to be used as much as they might be. There are bins for glass and cans, but not for paper. (See calendar on back page for dates of paper skip.)
Glass bottles and jars should be clean, with the tops removed, but there is no need to remove labels. Please be sure to put them in the correct bin according to colour. Anything which is not clear or brown should go in the green bin. Bottles and jars ONLY please - no other glass. Cans should also be empty and clean, and preferably crushed. Any cans will do. The bins are collected by the District Council, but they do not remove anything else left at the site. Please do not leave boxes or bags there, as they will just get soggy and make a mess.
TRANSPORT
Trains to London and Birmingham
You may have received a mail shot from Chiltern Railways about special fares to London. Although the ordinary day return fare to Marylebone is £30, you can get a Travelcard after 9.30am, all day Saturday/Sunday, for £19.50 which includes travel on the London Underground and London Transport buses. The day return fare to Birmingham is £8.10. There is a further 34% off for Railcard holders.
Chiltern are also offering tickets for three or four people for the price of 2. This offer does not include the Underground, nor are Railcard discounts applicable. Three or four people can travel to Marylebone for £35. Although the leaflet suggests that the offer applies between any two stations, I was told on the phone that it applies towards London only. It would be worth asking at Banbury if you want to go to Birmingham or Warwick, etc.
A snag about travelling off-peak from Banbury is that the station car park is full some weekdays by 10.30am or even earlier and the last bus home is at 6.05pm.
Shoppers' Bus
The shoppers' bus runs to Banbury every other Thursday morning. The next trips are on Thursdays 5 and 19 August, 2, 16 and 30 September. The numbers using this valuable service have dropped this year and more support would be welcomed. While there is room, th bus can be used by any resident. Names should be put on the list available in the Post Office from the previous Saturday. The charge is £1. More details available from Mr Humphries on 737464.Peter Fry, Parish Transport Representative, Tel: 730509.
1ST HOOK NORTON BROWNIES
Road Safety Badge
This term the 1st Hook Norton Brownies have worked very hard towards their Road Safety Badge. I have guided them through this badge as part of my Queens Guide Award (clause 'Service as a Citizen').
I arranged for WPC Rosemary Dilsaver to assess me by coming to the Brownie meetings. I broke the badge syllabus down into sections and spread the work over a period of four meetings.
The idea of the badge is that the girls should end up with a better understanding of how to use the road safely and to understand issues such as: stranger danger, pedestrian crossings and in general, safety on the road'.
Over the weeks allowed for the badge work the Brownies worked in small groups completing puzzles on the Green Cross Code and we looked at safe routes and safe crossing places around the village. We discovered that there is only one designated crossing – this is the school crossing manned by a lollypop lady before and after school only. The Brownies learnt the meanings of some road/pedestrian terms i.e.: pelican crossing, kerb, subway, vehicle and lots more. We discussed how to use the road in different
circumstances, for example when there is no pavement, or when it is dark. The Guide Association recently brought out some Brownie gloves which are yellow and have a reflective trefoil patch on them. I purchased a pair of gloves and used them as an example for the Brownies to compare the difference between reflective and fluorescent; this gave the girls a greater understanding of safety on the road in the dark. For part of one clause the girls had to design a Road Safety Poster showing safe crossings from the information they had learnt. We then asked WPC Dilsaver to judge the posters and choose a winner (always a difficult task). Camilla Whitehead won and was awarded the reflective Brownie gloves as a prize – well done Camilla!
Once I had completed the badge syllabus and had seen that all the Brownies were confident, I set a small Road Safety Test which each Brownie completed individually. They all got most of the answers right – the lowest score being 11/15! Rosemary also talked to each Brownie to make sure they understood all the information they had learnt throughout the badge work.
The final part of the badge was to 'Walk a safe route'. We took the Brownies out on Monday 5th July and at the same time combined this with a litter pick. Our route was as follows: from the Memorial Hall we walked up towards the Post Office, crossed the road and went up Mobbs Lane, left into Queen Street, then crossed the road, went on through the church yard out into the High Street, to the Library and back up towards the village shop, round past the dentist and back down to the Memorial Hall. Overall we collected six kg of rubbish!
This was an interesting clause to complete and I am delighted to report that on Monday 12th July, twenty three Brownies were awarded their Road Safety Badge. Well done to everyone and a big thank you to WPC Rosemary Dilsaver for all her time. Emma Hughes, Brown Owl
DOG Nui-SENSE
A joint venture has been initiated by the Walker, Glanville & Richards Veterinary Practice and supported by the Parish Council to increase awareness of the dangers of dog fouling. Introduced by Samantha Morgan and Jan Guilbride, among the projects to be launched are talks in schools, leaflets in public places and letter boxes, a stand at next year's Rural Fayre and the practice itself is to fund a dog-litter bin outside it's premises. It is hoped that these activities will reach those dog owners who still have not got the message: that dog mess is a serious menace to health as well as being an unsightly, smelly and thoroughly offensive practice that is no fault whatever of the canines whose owners let them offend.
BOWLS CLUB
The Club is still 'keeping its head above water'. We have played six matches of our programme this year. It has been a difficult and uphill job but the members have shown the utmost loyalty to the Club and have really tried to make up a full team on all occasions, despite the onset of illness and holidays. I am sure there are people out there who would enjoy playing this most friendly of games and who would be most useful members of the Club. Why not come along and see what it's all about. "Roll Up" is on a Wednesday!
A CONCERT - 1
A concert will be given in St Peter's Church on Saturday 11th September, 7.30pm entitled "A Spark of Passion". Given by the Musicke Companye, Philippa Hyde (soprano), Paul Esswood (alto), Jennifer Janse (cello), Helen Rogers (harpsichord) and Elizabeth Pallett (theorbo), return to St Peter's with a thrilling and varied evening of sensuous music from the baroque era. Virtuosic vocal and instrumental music by Vivaldi, Handel, Purcell, Carissimi, Strozzi and Couperin contrast with the world premiere of an exciting new work to celebrate the Millennium by the leading British composer Matthew Taylor. Tickets £7.50 (concessions £5) available from 01608 737172 or on the dooor. All profits in aid of Leukaemia Research.
PLAYGROUP
Many thanks to everyone who has supported our recent fundraising, especially the Jumble Sale and Summer Raffle. We'd like to extend our thanks to Ken Wise at the Memorial Hall for being such a help on the day. It was really appreciated.
This term we say good-bye to Colette Warner who has decided to leave the Playgroup. Colette has been a committed, caring member of staff and we are sorry to see her go. She will be greatly missed by everyone at the Playgroup, most especially by the children. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank her for everything she's done over the last few years and to wish her all the very best for the future. Good Luck Colette.
Hook Norton Pre-school Playgroup plays an essential role in providing our children with a foundation to begin full-time education. Themes for next term will begin with 'Our Holidays' and we have asked all children who are going away for the summer break to bring back shells, pebbles, postcards, or indeed anything suitable to bring to Playgroup. Following this will be 'Occupations' and if you, or someone you know, would be willing to call into Playgroup to talk to the children about your work, then please let us know. alongside these main themes we will also be working on 'colour' and having a 'colour of the week' where children will be encouraged to bring an item for each colour. If you have a pre-school child and you would like to know more about Playgroup and what it can offer, please ring us on 730560.
summer playscheme this will run on the following Wednesdays throughout the summer holidays: August 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, september 1st. the session runs from 9am until 12 noon. obviously numbers are limited and parents are required to sign up for places. Please ring Playgroup for further details.
We have some places available for September for playgroup and Teenytots. Please contact Alrys or Maria for further details or to arrange a visit on 730560 (24 hours answer phone available). Please note there is no planned increase in fees, session rates are £4 Playgroup and £2.50 for Teenytots
Hook Norton Pre-school playgroup would not be the success it is today without the support of so many people in this village. It is always greatly appreciated and we thank you all. Mandy Watkins Chairperson Tel 01608 737143
SOUTH NEWINGTON FLOWER AND PRODUCE SHOW
The South Newington Flower & Produce Show is on Saturday 14th August from 2pm to 5pm and promises to be a day of fun and enjoyment for all the family. Along with a splendid display of flowers and produce, there will be arts and craft stalls, a silver band, children's fancy dress, pony rides, fun dog show, a fire engine display and a grand raffle. Admission 50 pence - children under 16 years - free.
For details of class entries please telephone 01295 720519.
John Dalgleish, son of Jo and Bruce was baptised in St Peter's Church on 27th June 1999
1ST HOOK NORTON GUIDE UNIT
We have had an incredibly busy term since our camp in May. We started off with a Sponsored Ice Skate as you can see from the reports below. We have had a 'cook out' at Horley Camp Site with Bloxham Guides where the girls cooked their tea on fires. They also went climbing and abseiling. We have been for a lovely walk up to Hook Norton Tunnel and have had a line dancing evening. We are ending off the term with a teddy bear's picnic on Monday.
Don't forget to complete a form once your daughter is nine if you wish her to go on to our waiting list. Please ring me if you require one of the forms. Julie Wood (01608) 737998.
On the 14th June, Hook Norton Guides went on an outing to Oxford ice rink. During the time at the rink, Isobel Goldthorpe was enrolled. When we arrived, some skaters were having a lesson so we had to wait before we went on. The ice was quite wet as it was the evening and quite hard to skate on. Quite a few people fell over and got wet trousers. Half way through the session we formed a horseshoe on the ice and Isobel joined the Group. Some girls couldn't ice skate but during the session most of them became fairly confident on the ice. By the time we had finished, all the Guides were tired but very happy! Elizabeth Crawford.
I made my Promise on the ice which was quite nerve racking because I thought I would crash into Julie Wood. I actually managed to stop myself but we had to do it fairly quickly because I probably wouldn't be able to stand up for very long. Lauren Pugh went up with me but I think I was also meant to grab on to her if I felt like falling but she was shaky so I didn't. It all went very well.
Isobel Goldthorpe.
2ND HOOK NORTON BROWNIES
The end of another busy term is here. The highlight had to be our first 2nd Hook Norton Pack Holiday during which Tawny was assessed for her Pack Holiday Licence. We had a very enjoyable weekend at Jubilee House and Lucy Curtis has written a report, an excerpt of which appears below.
The low point for us occurred at the end of term when Hazel Hope retired from her post - or should I say perch! as Snowy Owl. We will all miss her and we thank her for all her hard work over the last three years. Antoinette Hobbs will be our new Snowy Owl at the beginning of the new term and we hope she will be very happy working with the pack.
We have had several new recruits over the past year and a few girls have left to go to Guides. The girls have enjoyed singing with Jenny Mead, swimming at the Pottery, entertaining at the Day Care Centre, an outing to Madame Tussaud's and just recently a trip to the West Midlands Safari Park with all the other Brownies in our District - over 100 of us in all! Thank you Katie Wood for the report given below. We have also discovered some interest badges as a pack and would like to thank all those who have helped us and tested the girls. Thanks also to the Guides for allowing four of our eldest Brownies to join them at Camp for the day as reporters. This was a 'Go! Challenge' which the girls enjoyed tremendously.
Diana (Tawny) 737428
Pack Holiday Report
Day 1 When we arrived at Jubilee House we put our sleeping bags on our beds, our coats on our pegs and our wellies under our pegs, then we all got a badge with a puppy on. An hour later we had tea and we were given a tag to choose a drink and we used it every time. After supper I had a hot chocolate and chocolate chip cake. It was very nice!
Day 2 In the morning I helped cook with the rest of the Jewels. We had puppy names because it was a 101 Dalmation Pack Holiday. After our jobs we played Sleeping Giants, and then we had to find Bones! We had a cooked lunch, then an hour's rest on our bunks. We had sweets then played more games. At night we went to a camp fire. It was very late.
Day 3 After we did our jobs we played games, then we had lunch, then we had to pack up to go home. Lucy Curtis
Brownie Revels - Our Trip to the West Midlands Safari Park
On the 10th July, different Brownie Packs in our District went to Brownie Revels. This year it was at the West Midlands Safari Park. We met at Hook Norton School and the coach left at 8am. When we got there we went around the Park in the coach to see the animals. We saw some lions, zebras, monkeys, giraffes and lots more animals. After we went round the park we went into the picnic area to have our lunch. After lunch we went into our groups of five and went around the fun fair. The first thing we went on was the helter skelter. At 1 o'clock we watched a sea lion show which was good. Some of us went on Zambeezee Drop, which was like a water slide. We sat in boats and got very wet at the bottom. Everyone enjoyed this and also the roller coaster ride. All the Brownies had a brilliant time at the West Midlands Safari Park. We got home at 6 o'clock, then I went straight to bed as I was tired. Katie Wood
PRIMARY SCHOOL
During recent weeks pupils have been presented with a wealth of opportunities to extend their knowledge, as well as working hard on literacy and numeracy. They have participated in a wide range of activities within the school, have visited places of interest both familiar and new and have welcomed many visitors to the school.
Drama and musical events included performances at Chipping Norton Theatre (sponsored by Somerfield) of 'The Last Tyger' and the thought provoking monologue 'Scraping the Surface', reported below by Peter Moulder and Elizabeth Crawford. Performing Arts students at North Oxfordshire College, Year 12 pupils from Chipping Norton School, Banbury Arts Centre and Ragdoll Productions have all worked with children on drama, dance, African drumming and humorous writing.
Year 2 pupils attended a musical workshop at St Mary's School with other local primary schools and parents have been entertained with country dancing and 'Sea Concert', a musical evening with a sea theme. As part of their class work younger children also dressed up and enjoyed interesting activities on their 'Roman' and 'Pirate' days.
Cherwell District Council have encouraged concern for the environment, social awareness and healthy living with their sponsorship of the 'What a Waste' show, a citizenship course at Upper Heyford and visits from the Sports Roadshow Group during Health Week. Parent Governor Bill Young also organized a football training session for each age group which culminated in two football tournaments.
Health Week was drawn to an energetic conclusion with a sponsored skip which will have raised an impressive £1500 for the British Heart Foundation. The School Fete, also with a health theme nearly reached the target of £2000 needed to run the computer room.
There have been local visits to Oxford and Stratford by younger pupils, while the older children travelled further afield on residential visits to Bath and Yenworthy and a memorable visit to the House of Commons, where they had the opportunity of talking with David Blunkett.
The Fire Safety officer, local police officers and school nurse Janet Goves have all held useful and stimulating discussions with pupils. A number of Hook Norton residents also spend time in the school on a regular basis. Their help is invaluable and a sincere thank you is extended to all who have contributed to the education of children at the school during the past year.
We also extend best wishes to the twenty-one Year 6 pupils who are moving on to secondary schools, nineteen to Chipping Norton and two elsewhere.
They have all done extremely well in their recent tests and we wish them every success.
Please note that despite recent press reports, we do have places in the school for anyone wishing their children to attend the village Primary School.
Scraping the Surface - Peter reported :
Year 5 amd 6 from Hook Norton School went to Chipping Norton Theatre on Wednesday 16th June. They watched a play called "Scraping the Surface" which was written and performed by Lyle Victor Albert. He is a Canadian actor who has cerebral palsy. It was about him growing up and how people treated him.
Elizabeth added: I think he was trying to say that although some people have disabilities, if they try hard enough they can achieve just as much as able bodied people can.
HOOK NORTON FESTIVAL OF FINE ALES
Saturday 24th July was a scorcher from start to finish. Forty nine beers were in place in the marquee by Friday morning and from then on were under 'strict supervision'.
On Saturday the early trickle of dedicated seekers of real ale had changed into a steady stream by 1 o'clock as parties and families arrived to stake their pitch in the Festival area and on the closed off roads and wide banks outside the Pear tree. Food was available throughout the day with the product of two excellent Pig Roasts being very much in demand. A barbecue and a Fish and Chip van were also very popular.
The extreme heat did not deter the visitors and all beer had been consumed well before the end of the day. Tickets ran out by 5pm and the last trickle of ale left the barrels at 8.30pm. Thirteen hundred glasses were sold and over 3,000 pints of beer slipped down thirsty gullets.
Musical entertainment was varied. The Owlswick Morris Men, The Hook Norton Brass Band,
St Kevin and the Fallen Women, Outsider, Pete Port Talbot, James and Ryan, Tom Gibbs and Friends and Welsh Buskers entertained throughout the day. Tours around the Brewery were popular.
The occasion was organised by Jem Hayward, Denis Wynn and Bob Murray with the inestimable assistance of the Clarke family and staff of the Brewery and John and Carol and the staff of the Pear Tree.
The organisers wish to thank the many people who volunteered to do so many jobs including those who cleared the site next morning. Special thanks to Alison Oldfield, John Henderson, Dave Coates, Kevin Hope and John and Sheila Acreman.
The organisers give what profit they make to charity, with Leukaemia Research topping the list. This year they hope to have over £6,000 to distribute.
Phoebe Joanna, daughter of Jenny and Simon Mead and sister to Imogen and Esther was baptised in St Peter's Church on 18th July 1999
BAPTIST CHURCH
Our Summer programme is well under way and we are presently making final plans and preparations for the children's Holiday Club week 9th - 13th August. The setting for the week is an adventure cruise and we are looking forward to having Ian and Elaine Coules leading our team of helpers. We will have to limit the numbers of children taking part each day to 60 max for reasons of space and safety. Children who have been taking part in our monthly Saturday Specials are being given priority in registration but there will be some places available to other children. If you have not received a form via the school, please do contact us at the Church Office, 737315.
It was good to join with our friends at St Peter's Church for a time of worship and fellowship on Pentecost Sunday evening and we are hoping to have further times together in the Autumn and Winter. The short open air service together alongside Noah's Ark at the Rural Fayre was also a good time which we would like to repeat again next year.
During August we are making our stock of ten videos of the film 'Jesus' available on free loan to residents of the village; if you would like to view one in your own home, please give the Church Office a call.
Our Harvest Thanksgiving service will be on Sunday 26th September, followed by a shared lunch. Part of the gift day offering will go to the work of Tear Fund.
With the start of the new millennium only a few months away, we are planning to stage a millennium exhibition at the church hall for the months leading up to the new year. There will be coffee mornings which will include opportunities to see the exhibition and purchase Tear Fund and Traid Craft items and books from the book stall. Two Saturday mornings are currently earmarked, 25th September & 23rd October, 10am - 12 noon. In the
meantime we trust you will all have really enjoyable Summer Holidays.
On Monday 21st June our oldest church member Mary Smith died aged 94 years. A thanksgiving and funeral service for her life was held at the Church on Wednesday 30th June. We continue to remember her daughter Dorothy and the family at Well House in our prayers.
A CONCERT - 2
Evening Recital by Arthur Taylor, Dorothy Carrington, Jo Bartlett and the Hook Norton Ensemble, Saturday 9th October, St Peter's Church, 7.30pm. Tickets £5 (concessions £4) from Hook Norton School, The Pottery or Jo Bartlett 01608 737867. Programme will include Lieder, French and English songs, with a selection of music from The Magic Flute and popular musicals. Proceeds for Hook Norton School
WELCOME CLUB
We have had four successful meetings during the last two months. We had a most interesting talk on village life. I am sure this talk took most of us back to our youth. Then we had the Club's annual Summer Lunch, held at the Cross Hands at Salford which was thoroughly enjoyed. Next we had a very interesting talk on quilts. Mrs Hatton brought along a number of quilts, some of which were a hundred years old and some very new ones, all showing a remarkable degree of skill in design and making. Lastly we went to Ashorne Hall, the Nickelodeon Centre near Warwick, where we were entertained by a performance on their Cinema Organ and some newsreel pictures from the Forties and Fifties. Going to the Pictures is not the same now!! Our next outing will be to the Evesham Country Park and then we shall have a 'bring and buy'.
HIGH STREET ROAD CLOSURE
We would like to thank the residents of Hook Norton for their patience during the High Street road closure. The closure was deemed necessary by the County Council for safety reasons, whilst our unstable wall was demolished and rebuilt.
During the work two cast iron pillars that formed part of an old shop front were uncovered. We would love to hear from anyone with information or old photographs of the house.
Frank and Tabby Lucas Tel: 737083
Marriage: On May 22nd at St Peter's, Hook Norton, Edwina Grace Cornelius, younger daughter of Val and Don to Simon John Hicks, son of Pam and John of Great Bourton.
Our thanks to the Reverend John Acreman for the most happy of weddings
HOOK NORTON RURAL FAYRE
This year's Rural Fayre weekend certainly went off with a bang. The main attraction this year was a re-enactment of the Jacobite Rebellion. As well as giving a display on the Sunday they were seen preparing in the Beer Tent at Folk in a Field. The format and layout were greatly changed this year and the feedback has been excellent. Thanks to the hard work and support of everyone involved it has been one of the most successful Fayres in recent years. The Folk in a Field event was even larger this year and again attracted many families who enjoyed a wide range of music. The committee would like to thank all the organisers and sponsors for their help. We would also like to thank all those who turned up to support the events.
Congratulations to the Cricket Club who successfully beat off the challenges of teams from Nash's Bakery, Bicester and the Rockwood Dog Display team in the Rural Fayre competitions. Hooky's honour was upheld despite some decidedly underhand tactics on the part of Rockwood. Everyone taking part had a lot of fun, and many have the bruises, aches and pains to prove it. A special thanks to all teams who participated and those who helped run the competitions and provided ropes, tractors, wellies etc. Next year we are looking for more teams, so start training!
The committee is now enthusiastically looking forward to next year's event and planning has already begun to make it a very special day. Extra help and fresh ideas are always welcome and if anyone would like to get involved please contact a committee member (ifyou know one) or Simon Mead on 730146 or Andrew Parton on 737617. There are all sorts of jobs ranging from committee member to section leader to general helper. Any ideas for events or useful contacts for getting attractions or sponsorship are also welcome. We will soon know how much the Association can contribute to local charities and the committe is about to start deciding how to allocate this year's proceeds. If you are a charity and would like to apply for a donation please contact Simon Mead or Andrew Parton. The
AGM has been arranged for 5th October at 8pm in the Brewery Function Room. It is open to all residents in the parish of Hook Norton.
BIRMINGHAM TO OXFORD BIKE RIDE
As you all no doubt know, on Sunday 4th July, as well as holding the Rural Fayre in Hook Norton, Ken Mingard, Graham Wood and Gary Parkinson took part in the Birmingham to Oxford Bike Ride. They biked for a total of 71miles each and it took them just 43/4 hours to complete.
All the money raised at the event was in aid of Cancer Research. This charity is not only a very worthwhile charity to support, but we have a young girl, Claire, in the village, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer, which was all the more reason for the men to take part and also to raise a large amount of money.
Between them, they raised just over £5,000 which was tremendous. They had quite a bit of help from a number of Sainsbury branches in the area, but we were overwhelmed by the donations given from many people in the village. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your generosity and support which you gave the three men in a most successful event. We will announce the final figure once the rest of the money has been collected.
Macmillan Coffee Morning. It will be held this year on Friday 8th October at The Study Centre, Hook Norton, 9am - 11.30am. As well as making a note in your diary to come along, we would be grateful for offers of cakes, raffle prizes and help on the day. Please contact the following if you are able to help in any way.
Julie Wood (01608) 737998 Julian Bolton (01608) 737153
ST PETER'S CHURCH
On June 29th, St Peter's Day was celebrated with Choral Evensong. The preacher was The Rev'd Michael Belham, who gave a most inspiring sermon. The service was followed by a buffet supper in the church, which was beautifully decorated - altogether a very happy occasion. I hope many of you visited Noah's Ark at the Rural Fayre - see separate report by Jan Hughes* .
We are busily preparing for our Flower Festival, in honour of the Brewery, to be held in the church from 5th to 12th September. It will start with Choral Evensong at 6.30pm on Sunday 5th sung by the Cloister Singers from Windsor. They visited us for our last Flower Festival and we are looking forward to hearing their beautiful Plainsong again. They will give a short recital after the Service.
The church will be open daily - opening hours will be given on posters in the village nearer the time. The church will contain displays representing the Brewery and each of the 38 pubs it owns.
On Saturday September 11th at 7.30pm a concert will be given by the Musicke Companye from London, entitled 'A Spark of Passion'. The Festival will close with a Civic Service at 3pm on Sunday September 12th, to commemorate 150 years of the Brewery in Hook Norton.
Looking further ahead, the Harvest Supper will be held on Friday 24th September at 7.30pm and the Harvest Festival Eucharist at 10am on Sunday 26th.
*The safe haven created by the ark made it easy for youngsters to cuddle and pet the smaller animals and to have close contact with the larger specimens. At 1pm an open air service was held at the ark organised jointly by St Peter's with our Baptist friends and musicians; a lovely chance to praise God and offer thanks for all his goodness in the midst of a busy day. J H. See page 4
FIREFIGHTERS
Calls answered numbered 26 compared with 23 during the previous two months. There were 14 standby calls: 12 for Banbury, two for Chipping Norton and one for Junction 11 on the M40. There were two local calls: flooding at Fant Hill Farm and a false alarm from near the Gate Hangs High where a car engine merely turned out to be overheating.
Elsewhere there was one false alarm, a fire at Kraft Jacob Suchard in their coffee plant, a roof fire in a house under construction in Wroxton - set alight by a blow torch - and an incident at the Wroxton House Hotel. The railway sheds at Wroxton also caught fire.
There were four road traffic accidents - one resulted in a car leaking petrol, one with a car in a ditch - no passengers trapped, an incident between a lorry and a car and another incident involving a car towing a caravan.
LOCAL HISTORY GROUP
On the 26th June, sixteen of us went on an outing to Coleshill, near Highworth, which was the training centre for the proposed underground movement in the event of an invasion during the 1939-45 War. We were met there by Bill King who had inspired the visit by his riveting talk to us earlier in the year on "Dad's Other Army". With a colleague from the National Trust, Bill took us on a tour showing us the site of Coleshill Manor (burned down in the 50s) and now marked out as a garden, with box hedges identifying the rooms. We were the sort of equipment which would have been used by the 'underground movement', an underground storage for weaponry (masked by a water pump!). After a walk through restored woodland we came to an underground (secret!) dugout, formerly accessible only down a steep and now rusty ladder. We were able to enter, admire and wonder! The tour was certainly an experience we shall always remember.
Our first meeting of the the new season will be on Tuesday, 14th September when Maureen Morgan talks to us about Inn Signs. She will show that they contain a comprehensive account of English history.
For further details of this meeting and the rest of our programme please telephone:
Sheila Terry 737842 or Howard Hicks 737017
"Local History Group - Millennium Publication"
The Group plans to capture life in Hook Norton at the end of the twentieth century, mainly by photographs but with a small amount of relevant text. There will be some instances of comparison with earlier photographs but the emphasis will be on NOW.
We shall try to get in as many aspects of Hooky life as we can, of societies and groups, trades, occupations, lifestyles, etc. Certain buildings will also be highlighted.
If you, or your group or society would like to be represented, please let us know as soon as possible and we can then discuss it with you.
The book will be published early in 2000 and we shall be starting a subscription list, soon, offering a discount for prepayment. Reserve your copy and some for your family and friends.
Now is your chance!! Act now!!!
You will have nothing to do except perhaps, furnish us with some information. We will do the rest. Telephone Venice Barry 730407 or Barbara Hicks 737017.
We would also like to have a photographic record for the book of as many people as possible who live in Hooky and who would like to be recorded for posterity. There will be a giant photo shoot one Saturday in September in a central village location. We shall publish details of this as soon as it is has been arranged. Please try to come and be included.
I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT Somnolent Summer Sunday afternoons - just relaxing in the garden after a hard week's work, listening to the wind in the trees, the birds singing, children playing; THEN the lawn mowers start! I do not choose to listen but I have no choice! Please leave Sunday afternoon machine free!