The Grapevine MagazineMay 2006 Issue No 2211 |
Annual Parish Mtg |
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This year’s Annual Parish Meeting will be held at 7.30pm in the Village School on 22 May and will, as usual, provide an opportunity to update everyone on the activities of the Parish Council over the previous twelve months. In the past we have usually been fortunate enough to persuade our local County and District Councillors to say a few words of local interest as well and we hope that they will be able to attend, or be represented, this year too. A reminder will be posted on the notice boards in Lewknor, Postcombe and South Weston a few days before the meeting to which all electors are invited.
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The routine local collections (normally on Tuesday 2nd and 30th May) will actually take place on WEDNESDAY 3 MAY and WEDNESDAY 31 MAY. These collections may also take place at times of day which differ from the normal pattern, but please do not put your rubbish out before 6pm on the Tuesday, 2nd and/or 30th.
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The last pre-arranged collections of garden waste in paper sacks will be on Friday, 2 June and in green plastic sacks on Saturday, 3 June – in practical terms, for local residents, that actually means that the last collections will be on Wednesday, 31 May. Thereafter, the only means of having garden waste collected will be via the new fortnightly wheely-bin scheme which will be introduced at the beginning of June at a cost of £29 per annum. Anyone who has already formally expressed an interest in this arrangement should receive an information pack from SODC end April/early May. Anyone who has not done so and wishes to register (or who has done and does not receive an information pack) should call Public Amenities on 01491 823416. The same office should also be able to provide advice on refunds (if any) for redundant stocks of pre-purchased sacks.
All of that having been said, the preferred option, especially for folk living in rural areas, is home composting, and 330-litre capacity compost converters are available via an SODC-sponsored discount at £6 each (including delivery – maximum of three units per household) from Blackwall Ltd – which, apart from anything else, is a lot cheaper than £29 every year. Call 0870 844 3006 to order your composter.
For further advice on home composting, enter ‘home composting’ into the Search window on the SODC website at www.southoxon.gov.uk
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With effect from 1 April 2006 the system has changed slightly. Anyone over 60, plus the disabled and their travelling companions, may now have a free bus pass. Folk over 70 years of age may chose between a bus pass or £20-worth of travel tokens (but not both). The bus tokens are now ready for collection, as in the past, from Eileen Swell (call 01844 353694 to arrange a suitable time for collection). Application forms for bus passes may also be collected from Eileen or, if you live in Postcombe, from Jeff Jefford (call 01844 281449 to arrange a suitable time for collection). For further information call SODC on 01491 823413 or go to their website at www.southoxon.gov.uk and click on ‘Bus pass and travel tokens’
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Owing to a one-vehicle reduction in the size of the Mobile Library fleet, it has been necessary to reschedule the service with effect from 12 June. For Lewknor the change involves a switch from 11.10 11.20am every other Monday to 10.30-10.40am every other Thursday. The last visit under the existing arrangement will, therefore, be at the Leathern Bottle on Monday, 5 June; the next will be on Thursday, 22 June and at fortnightly intervals thereafter. Details of the timetable are published on OCC’s website at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk (at present this reflects the current schedule, but it will doubtless be updated in due course).
Any queries should be addressed to the Mobile Library Service Manager, Ken Saberi, at ken.saberi@oxfordshire.gov.uk or on 01865 810209.
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Entries in the LPC (Lewknor Parish Council) Comment column will be confined to one of three options: ‘Approve’, ‘Object’ or ‘NSV’ (No Strong Views), the latter being the most usual. Entries in the SODC Status column will be ‘Current’, ‘Appeal’, ‘Withdrawn’, ‘Granted’ or ‘Refused’; all of which are self-explanatory. Further details of individual Planning Applications are available on-line, as follows. Open SODC’s Home Page at www.southoxon.gov.uk. At the top – click on ‘On-Line Services’. On the window that opens, scroll down to and click on ‘Use online planning services’. Then click on ‘View planning applications via the Planning Register’ and follow the instructions to find the specific application that you seek..
| Ref No | Remarks | LPC Comment | SODC Status |
| P06/E0203 | The Cottage, South Weston – erect garage | NSV | Granted |
| P06/E0279 | Highfield, Lower Rd, Postcombe – change of use & build house | Object | Current |
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In April, Ian Orr-Ewing gave details on a report that he gave at the Church Buffet Supper held on 18th March 2006. He wrote about the vital repairs to the church building in Lewknor that have been carried out over the past 2 years. More than £270,000 worth of work has been completed, funded by grants worth about £220,000 and the PCC had paid about £50,000 that has just about exhausted their reserves.
In this article Terry Calcutt reports on behalf of the Parochial Church Council on the second report made at the buffet supper, concerning the future of the church in the 6 villages in general and Lewknor in particular.
The future of the church in our villages is under threat. Rev. Simon Brignall’s contract comes to an end this April. The Diocese and Deanery have made it clear that unless we make some significant changes his post will not be renewed as a full-time clergy appointment. Instead, with the current level of finance that we are bringing in, and without a new plan and purpose, it is likely that the post will become that of only a part time vicar. This is called a “housed for duty appointment”. That means someone would live in the vicarage, and, in return, work in the parishes for 2 or 3 days per week. He would take a much-reduced number of Sunday services. He would also do funerals, weddings etc, but not much else. There would be virtually no pastoral care, no significant relations with local communities, and no growth. Is this what our local communities really want?
Over the past six months or so Simon and the PCC in Lewknor have been considering the future of the church in our villages, and tackling the following issues:
These discussions have resulted in developing the following aim for the future. The church should be an integral part of village life; vibrant, relevant, and actively involved with the local communities and visitors alike. This aim fits in very well with a Diocesan-wide initiative to shape the future plan for the church, especially in small and rural communities.
More recently Simon Brignall and Lewknor PCC have been very active in exploring and setting up a number of opportunities to make some practical progress towards achieving the aim. These have now been put together in “The Gateway Project” which will:
The first phase will be to set up an exhibition in the church. This will cover the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Lewknor village, and St Margaret’s church. It will feature Red Kites in the Chilterns, Aston Rowant Nature Reserve, and The Ridgeway National Trail. The Chilterns Conservation Board is providing the money for setting it up. The exhibition will be the first step in developing links with local organisations, and show the benefits to the community of expanding the range of uses for the church building. At this stage no actual alterations to the building are proposed.
The next phase will make further steps towards building stronger links between the church, the local community, and visitors. First of all effort will be directed towards achieving greater connection with the church school in Lewknor. Discussions with the new head teacher and governors have taken place and detailed plans are being drawn up. We will also work alongside local, national, and international environmental groups and others. This will increase the involvement of the church and the use of the church building by the local community and visitors. As the project progresses we will continue to develop links with local communities, schools, and other organisations within our group of parishes and surrounding area.
In support of this there is good potential for creating a space within the church building that could be used as a school hall, visitor centre, and exhibition space. We could also provide toilets and a kitchen as well as a small meeting room for local organisations and the parish. Such facilities would greatly improve our capability and capacity to achieve our aim. Discussions over the past six months have shown that there is good support for this idea from a range of potential partners and users.
We have also had a number of discussions with members of A Rocha, an international environmental and conservation organisation working to show God’s love for all creation. Their activities and expertise fit in well with the achievement of our aim. They have accepted in principle an invitation to work with us in creating the Gateway Project. They have the necessary experience in project management, networking, and fund raising. They also have access to volunteer workers with a range of practical skills. They have proposed active help for the project by providing advice and assistance across a broad range of activities.
Manpower and Funding We will only be able to make progress with this project and achieve our aim, if the post currently filled by Simon continues as a full-time appointment. As stated above, it is unlikely that the Diocese will agree to anything other than a very part-time post unless we can resolve funding issues and show a renewed strategic purpose.
The Bishop of Dorchester supports our project and has made it clear that he sees that our aim and plans for the future form a new strategy that fits in well with the Diocesan objectives. He has made an initial proposal that a full-time job is split into two parts. One person would be appointed. Half of his time would be spent on the normal parish duties in the 6 parishes. His salary and other employment costs for this part of the job would be paid for by the Diocese through the parish share (the money we all have to pay to have a local vicar). The Diocese would also provide the house for him to live in. The other half of his job would be to develop and run the Gateway Project. This will cost around £20,000 a year for his salary and other employment costs, and around £5,000 a year for expenses and other running costs. The Diocese would provide some funding for the time being, but what the amount and period of time would still have to be agreed. The rest of the money would have to come from the income brought in by the Gateway Project, fundraising, and private donations. More detailed plans are being worked out, and it is hoped that further discussions with the Bishop will lead to a successful result in the near future.
We cannot make this project work without your financial support. Only for 1 year in the last 10 have we been able to pay what we have to pay the Diocese for our share of what it costs to have a vicar. For the last 2 years we have had to struggle to pay even ½ our share. If you want the church in this and the other villages in our group to survive and have a vicar, we need your help now by giving as much or as little as you can afford. If you would like to give us your support, please contact:
Ian Orr-Ewing on 353600 or Elan Preston-Whyte on 350382
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CHAIRPERSON REQUIRED URGENTLY
After two years in the position, Freya will be standing down as Chairperson of the Lewknor Pre-school at the end of the summer term. We are therefore still appealing to anyone who is interested to come forward and take up this vital role. If we can’t find a Chairperson the Pre-School will have to close. By filling this position you would become a much needed and valued member of our village community. It is not necessary to have a child at Pre-school to volunteer. Two people operating as joint Chairs, sharing the role and work, could fill the position; this may make the role more feasible for you. If you are interested in helping on your own, or with someone supporting you and would like more details please contact Freya on 01844 354053.
We would like to thank Gerry Coles for acting as Treasurer for many years and also for raising £50 for Pre-school during her Pampered chef morning. Welcome to Ian Burnham who has replaced Gerry as Treasurer for Lewknor Pre-School. A thank you also goes to Ali Griffiths for organising the much enjoyed Easter Egg hunt. The event was initially rained off, but spirits were not dampened and it was rearranged for the following day. Thank you to those of you who support the Pre-School events.
VANDALISM
We have experienced several recent cases of vandalism to Pre-School equipment – including a broken sand-pit, drinks bottles in the play area, sand thrown at the walls of the village hall and glass found at the entrance steps. If it were not for the conscientious staff these recent acts of vandalism could have severely jeopardised the children’s safety and well being. We would ask you to please report any knowledge of those responsible for the damage or any future incidents to the police. Lewknor Pre-School will not tolerate any damage to equipment and these acts of vandalism, which effect the overall safety of the Pre-School environment for the children.
On a lighter note! We would like to welcome Stuart Hawkes and Kieran Spittles to Pre-School
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In March, the Auction of Promises raised a staggering £5,500. Thanks go to the auctioneer Myles Rose, for a great job in encouraging the participants to bid higher and higher. We would also like to thank everyone who donated either an item or their time, and those who provided refreshments and helped with the organization of the event. The children’s art works were the most fiercely contested lots of the evening and so thanks should also go to them for their artistic talents!
In April, the sun shone for the Plant Sale and £400 was raised for the school. Thanks go to everyone who helped on the day with the plants and refreshments. We are sure the gardens of Lewknor will look very beautiful this year! We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have supported the recent events, it is much appreciated. The money raised does make a real difference to the school environment and the equipment and activities that the children enjoy.
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In April we read “Eve Green” by Susan Fletcher, a Whitbread First Novel prizewinner. The novel was set in rural West Wales and described life in a small community for a young girl living with her grandparents on their isolated hill farm. Eve, the narrator, is writing the book whilst expecting her first child but recalling her experiences of arriving in Wales from the Midlands as an eight year old child after the sudden death of her single mother.
As usual the book got a mixed reception from those who thought it very good to those who doubted the authenticity of the details of the community and the Welsh countryside. I felt the author was writing as someone who had visited Wales but never lived there.
In May we are reading another Jodie Picoult novel, “The Pact” having for once, all enjoyed another book of hers “My Sister’s Keeper” to see if she can maintain the same standard. June’s book will be “Scenes from a Museum” by Kate Atkinson and July’s “ The Lovely Bones “ by Alice Sebold. After that, for something completely different we are taking on Field Marshall Allenbrook’s Memoirs of the Second World War.
The Book Club membership has now risen to 10 but if you are interested in joining us and would like to find out more first, then I can be contacted on 01844 350392.
Elan Preston-Whyte
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AZALEAS ARE EXCITING!
For vibrant colours this spring, azaleas should be top of your list! So if you're serious about putting some real excitement into your garden, then look no further than azaleas for help. From late autumn to late summer, a huge range of different species and varieties are in flower, but the choice is greatest in spring.
Azaleas are a subset of the rhododendrons, regarded by many to be one of the most important plant families. They are smaller-leaved, generally more compact and twiggy in habit. The history of these plants is complex and fascinating. However, all that the practical gardener really needs to know is what they need to thrive and put on that really spectacular display of colour.
Acid soil is a must with nearly all of these shrubs, but if you lack this, containers and raised beds can work just as well in providing the necessary conditions. Ideal soils are moist, humus-rich and acidic, with good drainage. All azaleas are surface rooting, which means that when planted, soil should just cover the root ball. A bonus of this is that it's quite straightforward to move them, should you need to. Maintenance is minimal and easy. Cut off dead flowers and stalks soon after flowering as this will stimulate new growth. Otherwise, prune lightly to maintain the desired shape. As to the choice of species or variety, this depends on the look you wish to create, and what will work best in your garden. To give an indication of what's available, here are a few examples of spring performers:
Among the evergreens, Rhododendron ‘Palestrina’ produces delicate white flowers in spring, whilst those of 'Beethoven' or 'Vuykk's Scarlet’ are pink and crimson scarlet respectively. Flowering shrubs like these offer so many benefits that they really are a must in every garden. Have fun shopping for them this month because our passion for shrubs like azaleas means that there’s nearly always plenty to choose from.