The Grapevine Magazine

Nigel Trotman writes: ‘I have an interest in historical motoring events and have read of hill climbs in the Lewknor area, conducted in the 1930s. Knowing the locality well it seems quite possible that the track leading up to Hill Farm and beyond could well have been used for such events. Should this note jog the memory of anyone having heard of these activities I would be most pleased to hear.’

If any Grapevine readers can remember motoring events in the parish in the 1930s please contact Nigel on 01844 351856 or write to him at ‘Libra’, Aston Rowant, Watlington, Oxon. OX49 5SH.

NOISE, THE M40 & THE SCA

For several years the M40 Chilterns Environmental Group (M40CEG) has been actively campaigning against the noise pollution caused by the M40 (see Grapevine No 205 of October 2005 at www.lewknor.org.uk/grapevine). Significant progress has been made and the latest development is promising. In October 2008 the Sustainable Communities Act (SCA) passed into law. In short, the SCA is intended to permit folk to exert pressure on the system from the bottom up.

If it can be demonstrated, within the terms of the legislation, that there is an issue that has adequate local support, and that cannot be resolved by other existing mechanisms, the SCA provides a means of submitting a case to which the upper reaches of the governmental hierarchy are obliged to respond.

At a meeting held in Land End on 19 May the requisite ‘panel’ was convened to establish the fact that there was adequate concern over the noise created by the M40 and a demand for something to be done about it. To establish the local case, this meeting was attended by a resident from Lewknor and another from Postcombe – all that was necessary at this stage. With the endorsement of Bucks and Oxon County Councils, SODC and all of the Parish Councils adjacent to the M40 between J3 (Loudwater) and J8 (Milton Common), Wycombe District Council is taking the lead from here on. That said, this is the first case to be raised, anywhere, under the provisions of the SCA, so there is no way to predict the likely outcome.

This recent initiative aside, the M40CEG holds a regular monthly meeting in Lane End. If you would like to get involved, you can contact them via their website at www.m40-chilterns.org.uk And even if you don’t, the website will provide background information and permit you to keep up to date with developments.

The Bookclub at Lewknor

“The Outcast” by Sadie Jones which won the Costa Prize for a first novel in 2007 was our choice for May. The story opens in 1957 with the return of Lewis, a 19 year old, to his home in a Surrey village after a two year spell in prison. We are not told for sometime why he was sent to prison but we soon learn that 10 years earlier Lewis had desperately tried to save his mother from drowning when they went swimming in a local river.

Unable to explain satisfactorily the circumstances of his mother’s death, Lewis finds relationships with family and friends increasingly difficult and his behaviour towards others and himself, including self-harming, deteriorates to the point at which he commits the act which gets him arrested and punished.

The book continues with the problems Lewis finds when he returns to the fold facing hostility and ostracism in the community where there is only one young girl who tries to befriend him. Matters from then on build to a climax but end with no neat solutions.

We had mixed feelings about the book. It was well written with convincing dialogue and some of us felt had a believable setting in a small community, others were less impressed with the characterisation and had enjoyed it less. What was interesting we discovered that although this was a first novel, Sadie Jones has had a long career as a screen writer and the blurb on the web implies the book has been optioned for a film and that Sadie has no intention letting anyone except herself write the script.

Our next book is “The Dig” by John Preston, a novel about the discovery of the Sutton Hoo Treasure Trove, and after that, “The Secret Shakespeare” by Jennifer Lee Carrell.

Elan Preston-Whyte.

A Village Playground?

Well, we have good news! We have been successful in securing an Oxfordshire ‘Playbuilder’ Grant for £45,000 and the Lewknor Parish Council have agreed to contribute £5,000 toward the creation of our new play space. This is a great beginning and will enable us to make a fantastic start to our new play area.

We are currently recruiting a landscape architect to help us design the play space and hope to have preliminary designs ready for review by the community before the end of term. We plan to have the play space open by March 2010.

We would like to extend a big thank you to the Lewknor school children for giving us their ideas which helped shape our successful grant application. And, a big thank you as well to Taylor Ottery who drew a fantastic picture of his ideal playground which was submitted with our application.

Watch this space for more information and ways you can get involved. Thank you,

Shannon Heiberg, - Heather Weston, - Victoria Balls

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SCHOOL NEWS

School Celebrates Double Inspection Success

Two recent inspections of Lewknor School have found all aspects of the school to be good or better. The school’s OFSTED report, published in April, describes all areas of the school’s provision as either good or outstanding and cites ‘very good dialogue between pupils and teachers’ as one of the main improvements since the last inspection and the reason that academic guidance is so strong. A report on the school’s church school character, published this week, goes even further.

The village school, which draws pupils from Lewknor, Postcombe and a variety of places further afield, currently has 77 pupils on role between the ages of 5 and 11. It was establish in 1836, one year before Queen Victoria came to the throne, and has provided something of a focal point for village life (standing, as it does, beside the church in the centre of the village) ever since.

The OFSTED inspection report describes the school as ‘highly inclusive’ adding that ‘the level of care and support offered to all pupils is outstanding.’ Pupils are described as enjoying school ‘immensely’ and behaviour is described as ‘excellent’. The report also praises the school’s links with local community saying that ‘pupils play an important part in the life of the locality’ and that these links directly contribute to the pupils’ well being. Headteacher, Jonathan Walker said, ‘Of the 32 different areas about which inspectors are required to make judgements, 14 were found to be outstanding and the rest were good. This is a real tribute to the hard work of everyone at the school.’

The school was founded by the church and is proud to retain its ‘voluntary controlled’ status today as a Church of England School.

This means that the school works in partnership with the local church and diocese to provide a service to the local community that is rooted in Christian values and is open to all. All church schools are required to undergo a further inspection within a term of their OFSTED inspection to evaluate this aspect of the service they provide.

The school was visited by a SIAS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools) inspector last month. In her report, the inspector describes the school as ‘outstanding’ overall, praising, amongst other things, the school’s leadership, pupils’ personal development and the strong set of values that ‘underpin the curriculum’.

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News from Krakatoa

We’re looking forward to the final half term of the year where we’ll be spending a fair bit of time outside getting ready for our Sports Day. We will also be working with some of the older children as they prepare to move on to “Big School” in the Autumn. We are excited for the new experiences that await them but will miss them when they go.

The annual Safari Supper is on Saturday, 27 September and is organised once again by Alex Hopkinson-Woolley. We would like to thank Alex for her hard work in organising this fantastic event each year. It raises much needed funds for the pre-school and is always a really fun night!

Krakatoa Pre-school 07919081088

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News from your District and County Councillors

Wallingford Riverside Pool open for the summer:

Situated by the side of the river on the Crowmarsh Gifford side of Wallingford, this 23m heated outdoor pool provides a great day out for all the family or the ideal location for a lunchtime dip. In addition to the swimming pool there is a free paddling pool, a kiosk selling ice creams, snacks and drinks, a large car park and, for those who want to stay longer, a campsite. The swimming pool opens at 11am throughout the summer season. Admission costs £3.60 for adults and £2.60 for children aged between 4 - 17 years.  Children under four are free and discounts are available to leisure pass holders. 

Under pressure from the credit crunch:

The credit crunch is affecting many people and for some it is bringing real hardship.  There are several ways in which the council or government supported organisations may be able to help people through the rough patch.

• Help for you to keep your home If your circumstances change it can make it difficult to keep up with your rent or mortgage payments. For help and advice on your mortgage or rented home the housing section on the District Council website.
• Local business and employment The District Council can provide you with information on the latest government initiatives and incentives for your business. See the economic development section on the District Council website.
• Facing redundancy? The District Council has produced a booklet giving details of key sources for advice on issues such as employment rights and money worries.
• Been made redundant? Job Centre Plus can help with job hunting, interview skills and seeking training opportunities or an apprenticeship scheme.
• Applying for benefit or discounts: If you’re struggling to meet your rent or council tax payments, you may be eligible for housing or council tax benefit. Contact the District Council for advice.See the District Council website for other opportunities for support.

Latest CCTV results for towns are looking good: South Oxfordshire District Council has reported more good results for CCTV in the district, which has helped support over 300 incidents in local towns over a recent period of three months. The council’s latest CCTV report shows that monitoring staff supported a total of 306 incidents across the district. There were 55 incidents in Thame, 63 incidents in Wallingford, 117 incidents in Henley, and 71 incidents in Didcot, between January and March this year. They also produced a number of evidence packs for court proceedings, carried out searches of CCTV footage and operators supported arrests. to the different Councils and try to attend meetings on a regular basis.

Rogue traders feel the heat in countywide crackdown: Oxfordshire County Council's Trading Standards Service and Thames Valley Police have been turning up the heat on rogue traders in a countywide crackdown. Patrols have been operating throughout Oxfordshire in order to ensure home improvement work is being carried out legitimately and a number of arrests have been made. Trading Standards officers are approaching builders, roofers and gardeners in areas known to be targeted by rogue traders and distraction burglars. They have also been joined on a number of patrols by enforcement officers from the city and district councils.

The logistics for getting all the bins to all the households was not an easy one and not without it’s problems. The team at District Council worked long hours to try to address all the individual concerns of residents.

It is hoped that all are now sorted but if not please do contact your District Councillor or the Waste Team at the District Council direct. Due to the volume of calls received not all calls got dealt with as quickly as had been hoped. The reason for delays was that the admin team in Commercial Services were dealing with an additional 400 calls and approximately 60 emails per week. Many of these enquiries needed a site visit from officers and thus took time.

Many people have asked what to do with the redundant green boxes and dustbins. They can be recycled but if you can reuse them then please do. People are coming up with creative ideas for alternative uses! The green boxes are great for storage or planting potatoes! Old dustbins can also be re-used and turned into a compost bin, water butt, storage drum or planter. You can even use them to make beer and wine once it is cleaned and sterilized! For those residents that can no longer find a use for them after the service starts, we are hoping to have collection points at the four town community waste sites to be able to reuse and recycle them. Residents will also be able to take them to the County Council Waste Recycling Centres (WRC’s) at Drayton and Oakley Wood (once it re-opens in June).

DISPOSAL OF GARDEN WASTE

This includes the waste generated by mowing lawns, lopping trees and trimming hedges and accumulations of fallen leaves, none of which may be disposed of by dumping it on the verge or in hedgerows (it does happen – on London Road and Weston Road). Should such an offence result in a formal prosecution, the consequences could be very serious (fly tipping is now an arrestable offence carrying with it, depending upon the severity of the case, of course, a potential fine of up to £50,000 and/or a prison sentence of up to five years).

One is not likely to attract that level of retribution for a few grass cuttings, of course, but one could well acquire a criminal record – which can have all sorts of unfortunate consequences when applying for a mortgage, bank loan and so on. Action can only be taken, of course, if the time and place of an incident is known, along with the identity of the offender (Who? What? Where? When?).

Members of the public who observe specific cases of fly-tipping (of this or any other nature) may wish report such incidents to SODC. This may be done, on-line at www.southoxon.gov.uk (click on ‘Environment’ and then ‘fly tipping’) or, anonymously if necessary, by calling 01491 823416.

There are, in order of preference, three acceptable ways to dispose of garden waste. It can be composted on-site. It can be stored in one or more of the brown wheelie bins provided by SODC (at an annual cost of £32 each). Or you can take it to one of the Waste Recycling Centres operated by Oxfordshire County Council.

Entries in the LPC (Lewknor Parish Council) Comment column will normally be confined to one of four options: ‘Current’ (ie recommendation still pending), ‘Approve’, ‘Object’ or ‘NSV’ (No Strong Views); the latter is the most usual and is often amplified by specific observations and/or reservations. 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 here
In the box on the right, click on ‘Planning’. Then click on ‘view applications via the Planning Application Register’ and follow the instructions to find the specific application that you seek.

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News from Newington Nurseries

Big Beautiful Blooms

This is the time of year to make a splash with big, beautiful flowers. Peony (Paeonia) is a stylish perennial that’s perfect for delivering fabulous blooms where you want them and when you want them. There’s an exciting range of colours to choose from: shades of pink and strong reds predominate, plus there are white and yellow options too, with many shades in between.

Flower forms are varied and interesting with singles, semi-doubles or doubles in cup-shaped, bowl-shaped or anemone-form on offer. Peony is another of those plants that owes its popularity to the Victorians but found itself sidelined by the gardening public in the middle years of the twentieth century. Now things have changed and there is even a Peony Society dedicated to telling us all how special these plants are and what a wonderful range there is from which to make a selection. The flowers really are breath-taking – brightly coloured and beautiful in form, they develop on the tips of stems, sometimes several to a stem. They’re a fantastic addition to beds and borders, thriving in deep, fertile soil.

Most cultivars are bred from Paeonia lactiflora, a very popular herbaceous species, bearing big, single white or pale pink blooms. Look out for Paeonia ‘Bowl of Beauty’, Paeonia ‘Krinkled White’, the pale or rose pink Paeonia ‘Avant Garde’ or Paeonia ‘Globe of light’, the flowers of which are soft pink with creamy white centres.

Combining with other plants in the border can help to bring out the best of the peony. For example a combination of Paeonia lactiflora ‘Albert Crousse’, Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ and Allium aflatunense will allow the colours of each to harmonise and their forms to contrast. Another interesting combination that challenges expectation is that of Paeonia lactiflora ‘Auguste Dessert’ and the upright yellow-flowered stems of yellow Loostrife.

For the more conservative, delphiniums or lupins would make a subtler blend. Peony is widespread in many regions of the world, but probably most treasured in China where it narrowly missed becoming the national flower in 1994. It wasn’t that another flower was more popular – it just proved impossible to reach a final decision! The European name derives from mythology when Paeon, the physician to the Gods obtained the plant from the mother of Apollo. Interestingly, in Japan the root of peony has long been held to have medicinal powers, including the ability to calm convulsions.

For us however, peony is simply a wonderful addition to the early summer garden, sometimes fragrant and always visually delightful.

Newington Nurseries, Newington, Nr Stadhampton, Oxon, OX10 7AW TeI 01865 400533
www.newington-nurseries.co.uk