The Hook Norton Village Newsletter
December 2003 Series 28 No 6

Arts & Entertainment


HOOKY PLAYERS
Our pantomime in January 2004 will be the well-loved PIED PIPER and rehearsals are now well underway. Performances will take place in the
Memorial Hall from Wednesday 24th January to Saturday 31st January 2004 inclusive, beginning at 7.30 p.m. each night.
There will also be an additional performance this year - a matinee - at 2 p.m. on Saturday 31st January.
The box office, as before, is run by Sheila Rider and will open on 2nd January 2004.
Tickets cost £6 and £4 and if previous years are anything to go by, you will need to reserve your seat early to avoid disappointment.



“BIGGEST COFFEE MORNING IN THE WORLD”
MACMILLAN CANCER RELIEF
On Friday 26th September, we held a coffee morning at The Study Centre, Hook Norton Primary School, 9am-11.30am. We were blessed with good weather, which always helps to draw the guests!
When we opened the doors at 9am, the flow commenced! For the next two and a half hours, the cups and saucers were clinking and together with the constant chatting, you could hardly hear yourselves speak!!! The atmosphere was really good -–a total of 80 guests attended in the two and a half hours, which was a record for us.
As well as coffee and scrummy homemade cakes, we held a raffle with over 20 prizes and we also sold lots of Macmillan Christmas cards. The total taken at the coffee morning was over £650, but with additional card sales and orders processed, the total sent off to Macmillan Cancer Relief has risen to £1002.52p. I am absolutely thrilled – the best coffee morning yet, not just for the total raised, but also for the number of people who were able to attend the event.
I would like to take this opportunity in thanking, not just the people who attended and brought with them raffle prizes and cakes, but for the helpers who “worked their socks off” during the morning. Also to Sandra Fathers and Judy Chadwick from Bencere Ltd, Brewery Lane, Hook Norton, who organised a coffee morning at work and donated the sum of £26 towards our coffee morning.
Many thanks again. What a terrific amount of money to send off to Macmillan Cancer Relief, which is such an important charity to support. Just a bit of extra information – all the Christmas cards are produced by Macmillan, so all money raised from the sale of Christmas cards went to Macmillan Cancer Relief.
Watch this space for the date of the “Biggest Coffee Morning in the World” in 2004!
Julie Wood


HOOK NORTON BRASS BAND
The annual concert in memory of Bill Clarke began the autumn season for the band at St. Peter's Church on 5th October with a programme of music themed on world travel. Beginning at Banbury Cross, the march Ron had written when in his early 20's took us on an imaginary journey as far afield as America, Canada, Switzerland, Greece, Vienna, Ireland and Scotland before returning to England. There was a mix of music, some exciting and adventurous, some melodious and gentle, and several solo items that met with an appreciative response. We were privileged to have the brilliance of Jason Glynn's cornet playing boosting and supporting the band overall. Much in demand over the country, he had been performing in the Birmingham Symphony Hall only the week before and had toured America during August with some of the nation's top brass players. The evening was brought to a close with Vaughan William's beloved English Folk Songs, reminding us of the blessings of our beautiful homeland. The retiring collection for Cancer Research and St Peter's Church realised a total of £332 that was shared equally between the two.
A concert held in the Marlborough Road Church on 11th October included the various organisations that use the premises regularly. The band took their places to play to an audience that overflowed into the adjoining hall. The opening march was "Montreal Citadel" and the programme included Banbury Choral Society, the Townswomen Guild, the Marlborough Road Church Choir and an item from the junior Church choir too. The evening was an outstanding success and enjoyed by all. The band played in two slots to enthusiastic applause and at the conclusion gave a triumphant rendering of "Hallelujah Chorus", joined by the Choral Society. The audience rose to their feet in honour and respect of Handel's great masterpiece, a fitting and satisfactory ending to a night well spent. The concert raised £505 to be divided between the Katharine House Hospice and the Church Organ Fund.
The Remembrance Sunday Parade was led by members of the band marching from The Green in Hook Norton to St Peter's Church for the Remembrance Service. Paul Brook Nolan broke the two minutes silence with 'Last Post' beautifully and movingly played, followed by the "Reveille". We were reminded again of all the many thousands who fell in the two Great Wars and those who have lost their lives in the conflicts that we have been involved in since. Each lost life affects not only their close ones, but also a much wider circle of friends, relatives and neighbours. The supreme sacrifice made by so many was remembered and it has been our privilege to take an active part in honouring their memory.
At the conclusion of the service, the band played the march 'Star Lake' as everyone left the Church. A small party of band members attended Shutford Church in the evening for the Remembrance Service there, when Julie Jakeman played 'Last Post' and 'Reveille', as she has done for a number of years.
On 27th November, the band led the singing in a Remembrance Service of a different kind at the Katharine House Hospice Lights of Love Service at St Mary's Church, Banbury and on 29th November, the 'Prelude to Christmas' concert took place in the Marlborough Road Methodist Church. The band will visit Hook Norton again on Friday 12th December to present a Carol Concert in the Parish Church at 7pm when we hope a good crowd will gather to enjoy some wonderful Christmas music. The British Legion Carol Service will be held on Sunday 14th December in St Mary's Church, Banbury, at 3pm and the final concert of the year will take place in Castle Quay, Banbury, on 20th December, when a small band will play between 10.30am and 2.30pm.
The band M.D. is looking for cornet players of a good standard to join the band, and he would be very pleased to hear from anyone interested on 01295 252395.
Jenny Glynn


 ST. PETER'S CHURCH CRAFT FAIR


ST. PETER'S CHURCH CRAFT FAIR
Over the last eight years, the St. Peter's craft fair has rightly earned itself a reputation for being a craft fair in the truest sense and this year was no exception. As always, there was a vast variety of original work from a host of skilled craftspeople, with a glorious array of stalls. Many of the crafters were working diligently throughout the day demonstrating their crafts, and encouraged visitors to have a go.
The beautiful setting provided by our lovely Church gives this event a uniquely special atmosphere, commented upon by both shoppers and vendors and the added blessing of good weather brought hundreds of visitors who shopped enthusiastically! It was lovely to see the Church busy and bustling with so many happy folk.
Financially too the day was successful; the craft fair and grand draw together making approx. £3,300. Our grateful thanks go to all those businesses and individuals who generously supported us with prizes, as acknowledged at the fair, but especially to Nigel Matthews of N.L. Matthews Plant Hire for the wonderful £100 cash first prize, which was won by Archie Bullard.
Jan Hughes