The Hook Norton Village Newsletter
October 2002 Series 27 No 5

Village Affairs


NEWSLETTER TEAM


Advertising: Judi Leader
Distribution: Julian Bolton
Postal Services: Mrs M Padbury
Proof reading: Nigel Lehmann
IT/Web Support: Martin Baxter
Treasurer: John Stratford
Directory: Diana Barber


FROM THE EDITORS

It's good to see so many photographs in the issue. Don't forget that you can use the Newsletter to 'advertise' or publicise Birthdays, Anniversaries, achievements, family celebrations or announcements – in fact anything you want others to know.
£56.74 was donated in the Newsletter box in the Post Office this month. Thank you.
I have been asked by several who sent copy by email – particularly those outside the village - how contributions to the Newsletter can be made. Donations can be made in person via the Newsletter box in the Post Office, or you can send donations addressed to Hook Norton Newsletter, c/o Hook Norton Post Office, Chapel Street, Hook Norton.
We would like to thank the Hook Norton Charitable Association for the very generous donation of £500, received on 2nd October. This will help defray some of the printing costs of the newsletter, which is circulated free of charge to all the houses in and around about the village.
Sadly, we report the deaths of Arthur Mills aged 88 years, Violet Annie Townley aged 90 years, Jonathan Owen aged 28 years (late of Hook Norton), Eloise Plunkett, Cecil James (Jim) Samways aged 86 years and Percival Reginald Stratford aged 80 years. On behalf of the village, we send our condolences to their families and friends.
The ashes of Nancy Austin, late of Hook Norton were interred in St Peter's Churchyard.

Finally, a reminder that the final text and advertising copy date for the next issue is Friday, 15th November 2002.

Andy Horne Helen Foster
hooknorton.news@btopenworld.com helen@monivea.freeserve.co.uk

The views expressed in the Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Editorial Team.

RATES – CHEQUES PAYABLE TO 'HOOK NORTON NEWSLETTER'        
Text for Village activities Free (a small donation is welcome)
Inserts for Village Activities On request from Judi Leader
Commercial Advertising £20 per page & pro rata per issue
Commercial Inserts £20 per issue
Donations can be put in the Newsletter Box in the Post Office or posted to; Newsletter, c/o Hook Norton Post Office, Chapel Street, Hook Norton, Oxon.        





TEDDY BEAR
FOUND
During the Summer holidays, a creamy coloured small teddy bear with black eyes and a brown nose, was found in Old School End.
REDKEN 5th Avenue NYC is embroidered on the bear's left foot. If you know who the teddy belongs to please phone
Hester
Watts

 



ANNOUNCEMENTS



Matthew Alexander Meadows and Samantha Louise Eagles were married at St Peter's Church Hook Norton on August 3rd 2002

Timothy John Alexander Field and Caroline Sophie Shard were married at St Peter's Church Hook Norton on September 14th 2002




Samuel Gordon, son of Dominic and Sharon Darke was baptised at St Peter's Church Hook Norton on 4th August 2002

James Matthew, son of Mark and Julia Ingham was baptised at St Peter's Church Hook Norton on 4th August 2002

James Alexander son of Christopher and Lucy Howard was baptised at St Peter's Church Hook Norton on September 15th 2002

Eleanor Grace, Isaac William, Madeleine Eve and Ethan Thomas sons and daughters of Andrew and Lorraine Turner were baptised at St Peter's Church Hook Norton on 18th August 2002





LEUKAEMIA RESEARCH FUND

The Annual Coffee Afternoon and Sale will be held on
Saturday 16th November
in the Brewery Visitor Centre, commencing at 2.00pm.
The Clarke family and friends hope you will join them for this annual event.
Look out for posters later.




NATIONAL CANINE DEFENCE LEAGUE
I wish to thank all the kind people who contributed so many good quality articles for the Village Market Stall on 13th July this year. The sum raised for the NCDL was £235.60 – quite remarkable I think for a Village Market.
Many, many thanks also to Patricia O'Shea and Catherine Ashley Boulton who worked so hard to make it a success.
Mina Abbott



HOOK NORTON SURGERY
Thanks to the continued hard work of the band of fund raisers and to generous donations and bequests from villagers, we have been able to purchase some very special equipment for the surgery, including an electronic couch, a digital camera and an ambulatory Blood pressure monitor with ECG facility. The photograph shows Dr. Tim Hurst being presented with a cheque by Kim Woodward.
We are also delighted to display the beautifully embroidered picture created by WI members depicting village scenes. If anyone didn't see this picture when it was displayed in the library it is worth a trip to the surgery just to see it.
Unfortunately we have had ongoing problems with the audible alarm and can only apologise to the to residents of the Bourne for the many occasions when the alarm has sounded during evenings and weekends. The alarm company assure us that the system is now working properly so we should have no more problems and peace should be restored.



FOHNCL
A record turnout at the Brewery Visitors' Centre of Friends and Supporters of the Library heard an upbeat message from Chairman John Wheatley for the future of our Library - more and better facilities, more books and, from this month, a third computer.
However he was anxious to see membership increase. The number of "Friends" who have not renewed their subscription this year is a worry and, despite a healthy increase in new members, the overall figure is down.
Only with a strong "Friends" organisation can we be sure Hook Norton is ready to counter any future dangers to our library facilities and also have one of the best village libraries in the county.
With the business over, a hugely entertaining "Call My Bluff" game took place between School Teachers and the Hook Norton Literature Group. After struggling, the 'Bookworms' came back strongly and overtook their opponents - proving 'fiction is better then facts'!



BAPTIST CHURCH
Following a truly amazing holiday club when we welcomed maximum numbers of children and enjoyed a barbecue where parents joined in too, we now invite children aged 5 – 11 to the annual Lite Nite party on 31st October, starting at 6pm.
Another child based activity in October involves collecting and putting together the shoe boxes for the 'Christmas Child Appeal'. The parents and tots group are happy to make up the boxes, usually during the half term week and are grateful for any items you might like to donate. Janice and Jenny will be able to tell you what is suitable and there will be leaflets available to help you chose the age of child or teenager to buy for.
On 6th October we celebrate our Harvest Festival with visiting preacher, Rev'd Richard Crippen. On 27th October, on Bible Sunday, we look forward to joining with our friends at St. Peter's. We always have a great time at our joint services. Why not join us? You really don't want to miss out. God Bless!
Julie Warren



HOOKY PLAYERS
Rehearsals will shortly be under way for our Pantomime 'The Real Story of Puss in Boots' which will be performed in the Memorial Hall from Thursday to Saturday, 23rd - 25th January 2003. More information will be available at the beginning of December but, for now, please make a note of the dates.
Many thanks to the organisations which have given up their time in the Hall during the week of 20th January to allow us to put this show on.
Whilst the cast has been selected for the Pantomime, new members are always welcome and a variety of opportunities exist to get involved in this and future productions. If you would like details of membership, please contact Brian Rider.
We will be holding a Quiz Night and Supper on Saturday 9th November. Teams of up to 6 will be invited to pit their wits against each other in what is designed to be an evening of enjoyable entertainment. Look out for posters nearer the time, but if anyone would like further information in the meantime, please contact Kevin Hope.




HOOKY PLAYERS ANNUAL DINNER
Friday the 13th, considered by some to be an unlucky date, proved to be the reverse for the group's Annual Dinner. All who attended, including our honorary members, considered the evening an outstanding success. The Wroxton House Hotel, an excellent venue, provided a superb meal in a splendid setting. At the end of the evening John Wheatley proposed a vote of thanks to the social secretary, Sheila Rider, for organising the event.
Brian



W.I.
Mr Geoff Hiliman was welcomed to our July meeting. He has been a frequent visitor to Zimbabwe and South Africa and showed some of his spectacular slides and talked about his exciting safaris and travels. His cottage is the Old Surgery in the village which is depicted in embroidery on the W.I. wall hanging now on display at the new surgery in The Bourne. Beryl White was hostess at the successful and sunny garden party at her home in Rectory Road on August 20th and was enjoyed by members and friends. The Newsletter deadline prevents comment on the two September events — a talk on the River Windrush by Tom Smith on 17th and the outing to the Flower Festival at Coventry Cathedral on 26th at which president Pat Fletcher will be presenting displays. She and Suzi Bolland won awards at the 'treasures from Your W.I.' event at Didcot Civic Hall on August 30th and W.I. members gained prizes at the Garden Club Autumn Show on September 7th. On October 15th there will be a talk on 'Monet's Garden and the Camargue' and on 19th November the speaker will reminisce on 'Being a Santa'. Plans are afoot for two Christmas events, the Christmas Lunch at The Red Lion at Little Compton on December 11th and on December 17th 'A Christmas Event'.
Next year's programme of speakers and outings is well advanced and it promises to be an interesting and entertaining year. As usual, new members and guests are always welcomed to the meetings on the third Tuesday of each month in the Baptist Hall at 2pm. Give us a try! We are not all jam and Jerusalem - in fact, hardly ever.
Marion Roberts





ST PETER'S CHURCH
August and September have been quiet months for the Church .Activities in aid of the Tower Fund and the forthcoming Craft Fair are written about separately.
The Historic Churches Cycle Ride was on 14th September and Breac MacLeod worked hard organising those in our Parish who took part in walks or rides. There were also several on horse back. They were sponsored for visiting as many churches as possible and the money raised is divided between the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust and one's own Church.
The Harvest Thanksgiving and Supper will have taken place on Friday 20th September and the Harvest Eucharist on Sunday 22th. All collections were for the Africa Appeal.
On Sunday 20th October the Bill Clarke Memorial Concert will take place in the Church at 7.30pm. It is always much enjoyed. On Sunday 27th October , the Morning Service in St. Peter's will be at 10.30am and will be a United Service with the Baptist Church. As it is Bible Sunday, the preacher will be the Area Representative of the Bible Society. Don't forget that that is the day the clocks are put back an hour.
On Sunday 3rd November we shall be commemorating All Saints and Soulstide and 10th November is Remembrance Sunday – see posters about the Procession and Service.
Coffee and Cake Stall mornings in the Church will be on Saturdays 26th October and 23rd November .
Rachel Johnston




ST. PETER'S TOWER PROJECT
The target of £140,000 is now very much in our sights. Taking into consideration pledges (some of which still have nearly two years to run) and tax recoveries, the fund total as at the end of August was just in excess of £135,000.
Over the coming months there are a number of fund raising activities, which by their variety will appeal to a wide range of the community.
On Sunday 22nd September, there will be the Readings & Music of Dylan Thomas followed by Afternoon Tea in St. Peter's, starting at 4.00 pm. Tickets are £6.00 for adults and £3.00 for under 12's. See the posters on the village notice boards.
On Saturday 5th October, the Donkey Derby will take place in the Rural Fayre Field. Unfortunately, due to other commitments, the Sports and Social Club have had to pull out of this venture. However, St. Peter's are going ahead. There are ten races scheduled, six of which will be straight donkey races and four 'sulkie' races. There will be refreshments, a 'tote' and a bar. You can sponsor and name a donkey and have it entered on the Race Card for £20.00. Please contact either Janet Collins, Di Walker or Keith Fowler. Entry to the field is free and the Race Card will cost £1.00. This will be a great afternoon's entertainment for all the family.
On Saturday l9th October, the Memorial Hall will be transformed into the 'Nightclub Soufflé' for a performance of 'Just Desserts' performed by The Opera Soufflé direct from The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It is a story of 'lust and intrigue' built around the characters of Don Giovani and Carmen. The tickets, which include supper, are £12.00, please see posters for details of where they can be obtained.
On Saturday 2nd November there will be the ever popular 'Craft Fair' with a host of 'Crafters' offering a wide range of high quality items. This is a great opportunity to get those Christmas gifts with 'a difference'. The fair will once again take place in St. Peter's, we do ask for all drivers to be sympathetic to the 'traffic wardens' who will be trying to ensure that traffic flows freely through the village. In conjunction with the Fair, there will be the 'Grand Draw' with a host of prizes, the first one being a 'Trip to Portugal', be ready to buy your tickets.
On Friday 22nd November at Hook Norton School, there will be a 'Scottish Ceilidh'. More details of this will be on the village notice boards shortly. It promises to be an evening full, of enjoyment and energy.



ST. PETER'S CHURCH ANNUAL CRAFT FAIR
This well established and popular event will take place on Saturday 2nd November 10am. to 5pm . As always there will be a wide variety of high quality handmade crafts, offering unique ideas for original gifts. Several new crafters along with all the old favourites provide an even greater selection of crafts and demonstrations to enjoy.
The Grand Prize Draw will take place at the fair; 1st prize this year, a Holiday for two in Portugal , plus of course many other luxury prizes, including the super Christmas Hampers. Draw tickets are available from Jan Hughes . Please come and join us in St. Peter's. We look forward to welcoming old friends and new.
Jan Hughes



CHRISTMAS TREES
We are sorry that St. Peter’s Church will not be selling Christmas Trees this year. We have always had them supplied by Lidstone Nurseries near Enstone and we are sure they will be pleased to see anyof our old customers and meet your requirements. Thank you for your support over the years.
Mary Powell



FIREFIGHTING
It's been busy for Hooky's Firefighters during August & September, answering 35 calls for a variety of incidents including 12 Standby's, 9 for Banbury and 3 for Chipping Norton.
We attended cooker fires at Banbury and at Chipping Norton and in the latter case, the occupier needed treatment for smoke inhalation.
There were 7 False Alarms with good intent at Chipping Norton, Swerford & Wigginton and we assisted Shipston On Stour's Crew at Whichford and Brailes.
A House fire at Great Rollright is being treated as malicious and Thames Valley Police are investigating. Thankfully the house was being renovated at the time otherwise it could have been more serious.
Also answered were 4 fires involving grass and rubbish, 2 of which were in Hook Norton.
We attended fires involving a grain dryer at Little Rollright, a Window Frame in Banbury and a microwave oven at Tesco's at Banbury. We also answered a call to a large fire involving 4 barns at Dunthrop, a fire in which over 70 firefighters tackled the fire during the night to stop it spreading to adjacent barns and crops.
Finally Road Traffic Accidents in Banbury, on the A361 at South Newington, near Milcombe and in Hook Norton were also attended. In all cases, the casualties involved suffered minor injuries.



HOOK NORTON COMMUNITY EDUCATION CENTRE
Our autumn term is now well under way with some proposed new courses starting after half term as follows:
If you require any further information on any of these of other courses please ring 01608 730052 or contact the Community Education Office based in the Primary School in Hook Norton.



WEA - HOOK NORTON BRANCH
On 17th July a successful Dayschool was held at the Brewery Centre where twenty students heard a lecture on Cotswold Churches given by Mr. Tim Porter. Illustrated by a wonderful set of slides, he dealt with their influence on the landscape and on the villages they serve. After lunch, the group visited two local churches in Steeple Barton and Westcote Barton.
More interesting courses as part of the WEA programme have been arranged, including;
Enquiries about courses and Dayschool to Paul or Janet Warwick



HOOK NORTON GARDEN CLUB
The Autumn Show took place on Saturday 7th September in the Memorial Hall. Over 280 entries ensured an excellent display of fruit and vegetables, flowers and homecrafts and the show was well attended by the public. The standard was, as usual, high and the children's entries of scarecrows and vegetable animals were especially good. Unfortunately there were very few entries in the photography section and the Chairman hoped that more members would be encouraged to enter all the classes in future shows. Congratulations to all the prize-winners and thanks to all who took part and helped to make the show a success.
The Cup Winners were:
* Phil Knights Comrades Cup – Tim Burchell
(Click for larger image)
* Edge & Bolton Cup – Ann Faulkner
* W.I. Cup – Vicky Mepham
* Debenham Cup – Vicky Mepham
* President's Cup – Dave Coates
* Rose Brown Cup –Charlotte Mair
* Brewery Cup – Vicky Mepham

The Certificate of Floral Art was awarded to Nancy Longmore and Certificate of Merit in Horticulture to Tim Burchell.
The AGM of the Club will be on Wednesday 16th October at 7.30 in the Memorial Hall and this will be followed on the 20th November by 'Any Gardening Questions' put to a panel of experts. All are welcome.
Verity Caulderan




FLOWER GARDENS
I would like to give thanks for the dual flower gardens now at the bottom of Middle Hill and for all the work and care that went into their planning. They brighten my frequent journeys up and down the hill and it is a pity they are not seen by more people
Gweneth Edgington




HOOK NORTON MUSEUM AND ARCHIVE
Our Official Opening day will be on Saturday 26th October at The Brewery Visitor Centre from 10.am - 12.30pm. The ceremony itself will take place at 11am.

The photograph below shows a group of Hook Norton villagers at a St Peter's Day party on the Rectory lawn in the 1930s. Can you recognise any of them? Please contact Barbara Hicks if you can.

(Click for a larger image)




HOOK NORTON LOCAL HISTORY GROUP
The happily large number of 43 members attended the first meeting of the season to hear Richard Letherbridge's talk on Oxfordshire's Historic Churches, superbly illustrated by photographs taken by Swerford's David Gillies-Rayburn. Gratifyingly, Hook Norton was mentioned twice; the window over the chancel arch and the Norman font.
On 1st October , we have a talk on the Development of Printed Maps in Oxfordshire and on 12th November , Martin Way will speak on Arts and Crafts in Anglo-Saxon England.
On 19th October we will visit Mr. White's bell-hanging workshop in Appleton, followed by a pub lunch at The Plough. The workshop starts at 11am and the journey takes about an hour so please assemble outside the Sun at 9.45am. Appleton is about 4 miles off the A420 Oxford to Swindon road.
Sheila Terry




HOOK NORTON REMEMBERED
Mr and Mrs Cursetjee arrived in Hook Norton in the late 1940's, bought the house which stands at right angles to the main street just opposite the old school and quickly settled into village life. It was soon a common sight to see the couple about their business in the village; he, a small man, dressed in western clothes and she, in beautifully patterned and embroidered Indian clothes, always walking a few paces behind her husband.
I first met Mr Cursetjee when he approached me at the Flower Show to ask me to explain the phenomenon and concept of growing flowers and vegetables for a competition. Growing flowers to arrange and display and vegetables to feed the family he understood well but to grow them to compete with neighbours to establish who could grow the largest and the best was a concept he found difficult to understand.
During our chat I told him I had spent some of my R.A.F. service in India and from then on whenever we met we spent a few minutes discussing village affairs, strange English customs, or the state of politics on the Sub-continent.
He told me that in India he had spent all his working life as a civil servant in the service of the Raj and when the British withdrew he decided to take his pension and retire to England, the country he had served for so long. He saw Hook Norton and said, "This is it."
He took a great interest in the New Secondary Modern School. He made several visits to the site during its construction and after it was up and running. Two or three times he arrived carrying a brown paper parcel which he placed on the headmaster's desk with the words "I was just browsing in Blackwells in Oxford and thought these books would make a useful addition to the school library".
Oxfordshire was very proud of the new Hook Norton Secondary Modern School and its twin establishment, Windmill School at Deddington, so it was no surprise that when a high educational official from the Indian Sub-continent was to visit Oxfordshire, these two schools were put on his itinerary. It was decreed that the gentleman, together with Mr Chorlton, the County Director of Education, should visit our school for lunch and Mrs Mant, chief cook, said, immediately, "Typically English, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding”. Luckily I heard of this and quickly explained; if he is Hindu- no beef, if he is Muslim- no pork. It was therefore decided to serve a leg of English lamb with mint sauce and green peas to visitors, governors, and staff. It was also decided to invite Mr Cursetjee to make our distinguished visitor feel more at home.
We all looked forward to this important occasion, but it could very easily have ended in disaster. When Mr Cursetjee arrived and introductions were made it was discovered that our distinguished visitor was from Pakistan, but of course our Mr Cursetjee was from India. We had made a dreadful mistake but both gentlemen were very understanding. Mr Cursetjee said to me afterwards. "We both went to British schools when all India was British."
Geoff Walton




WILDLIFE NOTEBOOK - MID JULY TO MID SEPTEMBER
Gillian Liddell from Magdalen Lodge phoned me to say that she had seen a Raven in her garden on 6th July. She had also seen a Spotted Flycatcher, Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, a juvenile Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a Grass Snake. A major observation she made was that she had not seen any Hedgehogs. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has seen Hedgehogs around the village this year. On 4th August Christopher Barry was amazed to see a Canada Goose in his small garden. He has also seen 4 Canada Geese in a field. Canada Geese have been heard and seen around the village with up to 40 on the Wildlife Pond. In June, Russell Jenkins saw adult Linnets feeding a their young.
Victoria Mepham has been in touch with me to say that in the beginning of August, just before dusk she saw 4 large Stags just off the Chipping Norton road at the Rollright junction. They came out of the hedge in front of her car and walked down the road for about 200 yards. They then crossed back over the hedge on the same side and went off over the field towards Heythrop. She thinks that they were Sika deer as they were quite big with clear white spots on their flanks but their antlers, which were quite big, were not flattened like Fallow deer. It must have been so interesting watching these deer for about 10 minutes. A week later, at about the same time in the evening she saw a Stag that looked just like the original ones heading off in the same direction.
Terry Swainbank saw a White Stork on 22nd August which stayed in a field on the road to Chipping Norton for about an hour.
The last Swift I saw was on 18th August. During August there have been lots of Swallows and House Martins flying low around gardens and fields. They have been seen chasing a Hobby and Kestrel. A Hobby is fast enough to catch these birds and often hunts dragonflies over marshes and reed beds on summer evenings. It migrates to winter in Africa south of the equator in August/September and returns at the end of April/May. It is 28 - 35cm in length, has long pointed wings 70 - 84cm, a short tail, and looks dark below with prominent white cheeks.
Swallows, House Martins, Warblers and Chats have been here for the summer, but as these birds are insect eaters, their food does not exist in the UK countryside in winter, so they will soon be off to Africa. Many of these birds put on fat before they leave and can almost double their weight. This is controlled by their hormones and happens after the breeding season. Swallows feed on the wing, catching large insects lower down than House Martins or Swifts. They usually move a few hundred miles every few days and roost at night in large gatherings in reed beds. Most cross the Channel at its narrowest point. They feed as they migrate but find the hot, dry crossing of the Sahara tough so they have to lay on fat for their journey which takes 8 - 10 weeks.
There have been many sightings of Green Woodpeckers, including a juvenile, with up to three seen together. A male Pheasant has been regularly seen with two females in fields behind Ironstone Hollow, as have Yellow Wagtails. Ten Long Tailed Tits were seen in East End on 19th August and a Heron on 24th August. The odd Dragonfly has been spotted as have Bats.
It has been a great time for watching Butterflies and many varieties have been seen. They fly around so quickly that often it is difficult to see exactly what the Butterfly is as their wings look very different open and closed.
Please contact me with your sightings and thank you to those of you who have.
Geraldine More email: geraldine.moore1@btinternet.com




1ST HOOK NORTON GUIDES TRIP TO SWITZERLAND - AUGUST 2002
Friday 2nd After 18 months of planning, the day of departure for 42 Guides, Rangers and adults had arrived. Bags packed and raring to go, we arrived at Hook Norton Primary School to load our bags on the bus. At 3pm, the coach left amidst parents and friends waving us off for our big adventure. The bus was 4 weeks old and, to the delight of the girls, had a DVD player on board. We had a journey of 21 hours ahead of us, which I have to say was quite daunting! We travelled to Dover, and on the ferry to Calais. On the ferry, the girls were able to purchase drinks/food and then we ventured out on deck to see the last sight of Dover. In France, coaches of children were banned from motorways on that particular weekend so we travelled via Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France and then onto Switzerland. We stopped every 2 – 3 hours for the toilet stops and to allow the girls to step in all 5 different countries! (A few of the girls had never actually been abroad before). The girls had taken their own food to cover them until breakfast on the Saturday.
Saturday 3rd After breakfast of cereal, orange juice, yoghurt and rolls, we travelled to Switzerland. Unfortunately, once in Switzerland, the travel sickness hit us as we were going round the bends and up over the mountains. The girls were extremely well behaved on the bus. They watched some DVD's and slept quite a bit as well. We eventually arrived at our destination at 1.30pm. We were driven to within about half a mile of the chalet, our home for the next week. The road was not big enough for the coach to get any closer so the adults loaded the luggage into a van, to be taken up to the chalet. Unfortunately, it was absolutely pouring with rain! The girls stayed on the coach but by the time we had loaded the van, the adults were soaked through and the rain had stopped! It was now time to unload the groups and encourage them up the very steep hill to the chalet! I have to say, it was a shock to all of us, bearing in mind we had to do it at least once every day – but by the end of the week, we were almost running up it! We were shown around the our chalet, called “Sonnenrain”. It was lovely, absolutely spotless and very spacious. We couldn't have had better accommodation. After we settled the girls into their rooms, we prepared a ploughmans lunch for the group. The rest of the day was spent settling into our new home, exploring the village and playing with the parachute in the garden. Marieanne and Louise were in charge of the cooking. The food was delivered daily to the chalet and it was up to them what they served! It is amazing how many different ways there are to serve potatoes! Every night we fed the two coach drivers and discussed plans for the following morning. That night, it poured with rain again with thunder and lightening.
Sunday 4th We intended to leave the chalet by 9am.but eventually left at 9.15am as it takes a long time to get 42 people up, changed, fed, bags packed and out by the time required. We walked for 50 minutes to “Our Chalet”, where I stayed last year. To get there we had to walk down the mountain (steeper than the steepest hill in Hook Norton!), for about half a mile and then climb steeply the other side for about the same distance. From our bedroom window at Sonnenrain, we could see “Our Chalet” across the valley. I had warned the girls that it was a hard walk but they coped extremely well. Once we arrived at “Our Chalet”, we were given a tour by one of the volunteer staff. “Our Chalet”, is one of the 4 World Guiding Centres, so was a must to visit for the girls. Unfortunately, it started to rain again and so after the tour, the girls were able to spend money in the gift shop before we ate our lunch in the dining room. We took photographs on the famous “chalet steps”, donned in our waterproofs! We then walked to Ensligenalp; a gentle walk following the river along to a fantastic waterfall.The walk took us a couple of hours, stopping regularly for photo shoots and drinks. Once we arrived, we took our first trip up on a gondola; a cable car which carries approximately 35 people. When we reached the top of the mountain, the rain had stopped. At the top, we saw some horn blowers playing, which was fun. We also saw cows with huge bells around their necks. The treat for walking was to buy an ice cream from the restaurant, which many did and some shared a huge dish with a friend. We were kind to the girls and the coach met us at the bottom of the gondola to drive us back to the chalet. Some of the group wandered down to the shops at Adelboden. After dinner, the girls changed for bed and the 4 oldest girls organised a “Guides Own” Service, before they went to bed.
Monday 5th Hurrah, a sunny day. We travelled for about 45 minutes to Oeschinensee. Unfortunately, the travel sickness hit us again! (From then on we sang on the coach to keep the girls minds occupied, it worked!). We rode the only 2 man, sideways ski lift left in the world! It was a 10 minute ride, never further than about 30 feet off the ground, and a real experience. At the top, the girls (and leaders) were able to have a go at tobogganing. This was great fun and a definite hit with the group, many had a second go. By now it was really hot so we had an ice cream at the restaurant. Afterwards, we had a reasonably flat walk of about 40 minutes to the glacial lake. The colour of the lake was unbelievable. We found a large spot to settle ourselves for the afternoon, have lunch and go swimming. The girls were able to paddle or have a dip. We had two adults in the water and Louise was on the side as lifeguard. The water was extremely cold but the girls thought this was another fun event. After a relaxing afternoon, we got changed, visited the gift shop and then walked back to the chair lift, followed by free time back at the chalet.
Tuesday 6th Every morning Graham's job was to slice 6 loaves of bread ready for the day! We visited the bank most days to get cash for “our bank” and to pay for the activities that day. We had planned a trip on the Schilthorn today, but low cloud mean't that it was not worth paying for an hour cable car ride if we were not able to see anything at the top! We did drive to the station to see one of the cable cars depart and then drove on to Trummelbach Falls. We went up the middle of the mountain in a glass elevator and continued up the falls by steps. The speed and force of the water was incredible and the girls really enjoyed this. Although we were wearing our waterproofs and woolly hats, we got soaked! We drove back to the chalet via the Frutigan indoor pool which was full so we returned to the chalet to re-charge the batteries ready for the next activity. After dinner we went ice-skating in the village which everyone enjoyed. We were all really tired tonight. To be continued in December.
Julie Wood