The Grapevine MagazineFebruary 2007 Issue No 218 |
Directory |
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DIRECTORY OF USEFUL CONTACTS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES
To give more people the opportunity to be included we have delayed publishing the Who’s Who in Lewknor until next month.
If you would like to be included please supply Louise Boitoult with your name, contact details and type of business or organisation. This is to provide a directory of useful contact numbers and also to promote and raise the profile of local businesses in the community.
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Unfortunately, the problem of dog fouling in the village has resulted in several residents asking us to raise this issue once again in Grapevine. The situation has been particularly bad in recent months and is of particular concern in the area around the school, for those with young children walking in the village and those that use the recreation ground.
In addition, the matter has been raised by the Parish Council, who would like to remind dog owners/walkers in the village that they have a responsibility to clear up ANY dog mess their animals deposit either on the pavements, or on any verges including the recreation ground. To help with this there will be free dog bags on the dog bins from next month.
The penalty for allowing your dog to foul a public area has now increased to a maximum fine of £1000 and a record. Any member of the public can report a non- emergency crime on 0845 8 505 505.
So a plea to all dog owners: please help to keep the walkways and environment of Lewknor a pleasant place for all to enjoy.
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On Friday, 29 June 2007 the Company will be marking the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Watlington Branch Line. The aim will be to recreate the last day of passenger operation with steam trains working between Chinnor Station and Thame Junction; at some stage during the day a special train will make the run carrying invited guests. The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway will also be open to the public and running trains over the following week end, 30 June-1 July.
Anyone who worked for the railway locally or who used to travel on the Watlington Branch is encouraged to get in touch with the organisers and to contribute recollections, photographs and any other memorabilia – you just might even find yourself among those invited to ride on the train. Your point of contact is Brian Dickson: Tel 01296 622569 or email brian@dicksons.screaming.net
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| Ref No | Remarks | LPC Comment | SODC Status |
| P06/E1030 | 1 & 2 Hill Barn Cottages, S Weston – agricultural land to domestic garden. | NSV | Granted |
| P06/E1179 | 9 High St, Lewknor – change to roof design of approved new garage. | Object | Refused |
| P06/E1229 | Hamilton Cottage, Church Lane – extension & porch. | Object | Current |
| P06/E1231/RET | Beech Farm, Salt Lane – siting of ISO Containers. | NSV | Current |
| P06/E1367 | Copcourt Lodge (Aston Rowant) – demolish and rebuild. | NSV | Current |
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| County Councillor | Roger Belson | 01491 612091 |
| District Councillors | Rodney Mann | 01844 281426 |
| Rev’d Angie Paterson | 01491 614033 |
Unwanted Christmas Presents?
Hopefully you will have been delighted with the Christmas presents you received. But if you have been given something you are not likely to use why not pass them on to someone who actually wants them? CAG Oxfordshire will be running a series of special “swap shops” on 10th March. The swap shops are cashless give and take events which aim to find good homes for unwanted items that would otherwise have ended up in the bin and gone to landfill.
The CAGs were the first of their kind in the country and were set up by The Recycling Consortium in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council. CAGs in this area in Wallingford and Wheatley. For further information contact Moira Dorey on 01865 815871 or moira.dorey@oxfordshire.gov.uk. or visit the CAG website www.cagoxfordshire.org.uk
New initiatives aimed at young people...
South Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet has agreed plans for a range of new initiatives aimed at young people, as part of its new Young People’s Strategy. The plans, which the Council will deliver in partnership with a number of other organisations, focus on six key themes, identified by young people and those who work with young people across the district, as being important to them. The themes include - engagement and communication, recreation, being safe, improving the image of young people, life skills and protecting the environment. The plans will help to provide a wider range of activities for young people in the district, and increase access to the information and skills they need in order to live safe and fulfilled lives through into adulthood. They will also provide opportunities for them to become involved in local democracy and in their local communities.SODC Disability Equality Scheme published
South Oxfordshire District Council published its first Disability Equality Plan in December. This sets out how it will support local residents with disabilities over the next three years. Plans include reviewing access to car parks and raising awareness of accessible facilities in the district, as well as making the Council’s own services as accessible as possible. The Council worked closely with disabled people and representative groups to develop the scheme. Improvements will begin straight away and will be gradually implemented during the three year life of the plan. The scheme builds on the positive things the Council has already been working on this year, including improving disabled access to leisure centres, swimming pools, public toilets and at the Council’s offices.Local residents get £20,000 for better countryside access
Twenty eight local communities and organisations have won a share of £20,000 from Oxfordshire County Council to improve access to the countryside in their areas. The Community Rights of Way Improvement Fund has been piloted to encourage communities to think about simple ways to make access better. It is anticipated that the majority of the projects will be completed before Easter. Among the approved grants was £3000 to help create a route for disabled people to Watlington Hill with Chilterns AONB and the National Trust.Council Improves its Financial Management, Say Independent Inspectors
The County Council has made real progress in the way it manages its finances and other resources according to an inspection by the Audit Commission. The Council has improved by one star across the board. Its new ratings are three stars for financial management, financial standing, internal control and value for money. The council has two stars for financial reporting. Its overall use of resources score is three stars. Three stars is described by the Audit Commission as ‘consistently above minimum requirements - performing well’. This news represents real progress for the County Council. The structures that we have put in place have borne fruit.
Compiled by Angie Paterson.
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Oxfordshire County Council is set to lead the way in the fight against climate change as part of its budget proposals for 2007/08.
The council's cabinet has recommended a 4% council tax rise for the new financial year. The council had originally been planning a 4.25% rise. A meeting of the council will make a final decision on 13 February. As part of the budget there will be a total of £450,000 for projects that will help reduce the council's 'carbon footprint' and, as a result, save money in future years.
What is a carbon footprint? Carbon footprinting is a way of measuring how much carbon we emit as individuals or organisations. Carbon is one of the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change.
The council will aim to reduce carbon emissions from its own buildings and activities by 2012. This commitment has attracted a further £300,000 from the Carbon Trust, bringing the fund to a total of £750,000.
All projects funded will need to demonstrate not only carbon savings but also significant financial savings for the council over the next five years. These financial savings will be made through reducing energy, fuel and waste disposal bills. The council's Carbon Management Plan will be launched in April 2007.
Where else will money be spent?
An extra £665,000 has also been set aside for the fire and rescue service, including money to pay for more part-time firefighters and the "365 Alive" campaign. The campaign aims to save 365 lives through increased safety education over the next ten years.
An extra £700,000 will be spent on fuel and other costs associated with school buses and an extra £800,000 to cover escalating energy prices including street lighting.
Councillor Charles Shouler, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "I am delighted to be able to say that the council tax rise will be lower than expected.
"A recent Audit Commission inspection of our services told us that our rigorous approach is providing value for money for people in Oxfordshire. The budget for 2007/08 continues on exactly the same lines. Tax payers expect their money to be spent carefully. We have a strong reputation for doing that and I am determined that this will continue.
"Our £450,000 commitment to reducing our carbon footprint makes obvious environmental sense. However it also makes good financial sense. We are investing now to save in future years. This is another example of our determination to provide value for money."
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In January the book we discussed was “Gem Squash Tokolosh” by Rachel Zadok set primarily on a farm in the Transvaal in South Africa. It is the story of a six year old white girl, Faith, whose father deserts her and her mother. The latter is obsessed with the myths and fairy tales of the native Africans which she illustrates in her paintings- one of which is an evil spirit, the Tokolosh. Faith is understandably frightened by the images in her mother’s pictures and comes to think of them as living all around her. Following her husband’s departure, Bella sinks slowly into an acute depression neglecting Faith so that eventually a young African woman, Nomsa is found to take care of them and the farm. Faith comes to find comfort and security with Nomsa until the night when Nomsa is shot and her mother arrested.
After this the book jumps a number of years and Faith now in her early twenties and living with relatives in Johannesburgh hears her mother has died in a mental asylum and that she has inherited the farm. She returns and is able to solve the mystery of Nomsa’s death and is finally able to come to terms with her childhood fears of the Tokolosh and the other spirits. We decided that the author had not been entirely successful in describing the setting of her novel and had left too many questions unanswered until the very end by being too obtuse in the clues she had given at an earlier stage. Points out of 10 possibly 5 but one of the group liked it a lot.
For February we are reading , Zadie Smith’s second novel “On Beauty”, then in March, “The Accidental” by Ali Smith and after that “Old Filth” by Jane Gardam, Two further novels to read include ones by Sebastian Faulkes and Colin Toibin. Later in the year some of us may have the opportunity to go to a recording with Germaine Greer for Radio 4’s Bookclub to discuss her book “The Female Eunuch”.
Elan Preston-Whyte.
Year-round gardening is becoming evermore popular as people are discovering how many plants can bring the benefits of foliage, flowers or form right from the start of the year. Beautiful plant life in all its forms quite simply makes us feel better. Even if we don't realise it, our bodies and minds are so much happier when they are presented with plants. At this time of year more than any other it is essential to get our daily allowance of green and living nature, and winter gardening is a fantastic way of doing this.
Viburnum is a winning candidate for a place in the winter garden. Viburnum x bodnantense flowers from late autumn into spring and as with many winter-flowering plants has the added benefit of very fragrant flowers. A deciduous shrub, the large clusters of small flowers develop on bare stems and are a fabulous source of winter colour. Even on a frosty morning, the cheerful blooms have the power to lift the spirits with the warming impression they create.
Viburnum x bodnantense can reach a height of 3m and a spread of 2m, so it's best positioned towards the rear of a border or in a more open space, like a woodland garden. Look out for some star varieties: 'Charles Lamont' produces bright, pink flowers, 'Deben' bears white flowers which flush faintly with pink during the winter months or Viburnum grandiflorum, which is a slightly more compact shrub and bears pink-flushed white flowers from winter to early spring. Viburnum foetens is another slightly smaller variety and flowers from late autumn through to early spring with pink-tinged white or pure white flowers.
To get maximum benefit from a new plant, consider combining it with others that will help show off its best features. Perfect planting partners for winter flowering viburnum include other winter-flowering shrubs, or berrying plants and evergreens that can provide the perfect backdrop to the viburnum's blooms on bare branches.
These viburnums will grow well in full sun or partial shade, and are not fussy about soil type, as long as they are moderately fertile, and moist but well drained. Very limited maintenance required beyond a tidy-up after flowering to trim back any untidy shoots. Don't be afraid to remove older branches if the plant is Newington Nurseries (cont) getting too dense, as this will encourage additional growth of young wood that bears extra flowers.
This selection of viburnums will bring enjoyment through the time when much of nature seems to be sleeping. Winter flowers will 'warm' borders with their happy colours and whether you choose to do your winter gardening from the sitting room window, or out in the garden proper, you are sure to feel better from a little plant magic.
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This January the Special Trees and Woods Project, which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, celebrated its first anniversary. For the past year, with help from the public and a team of volunteers, more than 80 special trees and their stories have been recorded.
Liz Manley, project coordinator said “The Special Trees and Woods Project, has got off to a great start! We are finding special trees of all shapes and sizes, on commons, in local parks, churchyards and in the wider Chilterns countryside. Already recorded are the Mushroom Tree, the Bus Stop Tree, the Umbrella Tree, All Saint’s Strawberry Tree and the Crucifix Tree, and these are all in the Chilterns!”
Many are displayed on the interactive map on the project website - www.chilternsaonb.org/special Why not log on and see if there is a special tree near you?
Liz Manley.
Science Mad
Lewknor C of E Primary School has long been noted for its creative approach to the curriculum. As Charlotte in Year 6 reports, last month was no exception, when the normal timetable was abandoned for a special week of science activities.
The school held its annual science week from 15th to 19th January. The children tried out lots of different challenges in the three different classrooms. There was a classroom on animals, a classroom on plants and a classroom on humans.
On Monday, a man from ZooLab came in and showed the children some animals. There was a corn snake called Goose, a salamander called Sydney, a tarantula called Rosie, a millipede called Millie and a giant African snail called Brian! On Tuesday Mrs Marshall, a real scientist, came in and told the children how to become a scientist and what skills would be needed. It was all very exciting.
During science week, Mr Hanwell’s classroom was turned into a room all about humans with different activities and experiments, such as testing how your heartbeat gets faster when you have just been running.
Mrs Needham’s classroom was turned into a plant room, where the children were, for example, doing experiments with cut flowers and food colouring. Mrs Morgan’s classroom became the animal room, where the children did an experiment to see what food some ants liked best!
On the last day of science week, the school held an open evening for all the parents to come and have a look at what the children had done. Everyone thought that the evening was very enjoyable.
All the children said that they loved science week and couldn’t wait for the next one to come along! They enjoyed all of the experiments and learning. Let’s hope the next one will be just as much fun.
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Did you know there are 60 000 children in local authority care in this country? And that 5 000 are waiting for adoption because home is not a safe place to be. Of these 5 000, 2 000 will never get the new ‘forever family’ they need, as there simply aren’t enough prospective adopters coming forward.
One of the agencies working most vigorously to make a dent in those stark statistics is local charity Parents And Children Together. Like many adoption agencies, PACT started life as a completely different organisation: one which relied largely on unpaid church people helping to keep mothers and babies together in – 95 years ago – a very different society to today’s.
Now PACT has a housing and community division which operates family support schemes and Family Centres throughout Berks, Bucks and Oxon; an education division which delivers qualifications for the care sector “from creches to care homes” and, of course, the original mission: finding carers for permanent placements (through adoption or, now, long-term foster placements as well) and supporting them – sometimes for a lifetime – post-placement. All this under the banner of “we build and strengthen families”. “There are so many pressures on the family unit”, says Chief Executive Yvette Gayford, “that PACT hs constantly to develop new ways of supporting those who are struggling”.
Lewknor has a special connection with PACT this year because the school invited the charity to profile its services (and sell a few Christmas cards) at its Christmas Fair in December. Liz Roberts is the charity’s press officer and has the task of making and nurturing relationships for fundraising as well as ‘spreading the word’ about the need for new adopters, fosterers, and volunteers of all types throughout the housing and community projects. “It was such a happy evening”, she says: “not only did I get a warm welome but it is always so encouraging to come and be reminded what good will exists towards organisations which support some of the most traumatised families in our – on the face of it – prosperous Thames Valley. Our aim is to make a difference to families every day and the school made all the difference to us in helping us be more visible.” If you are interested in learning more about PACT, see www.pactcharity.org or contact Liz on 01235 83 42 95.