The Grapevine MagazineMarch 2010 Issue No 249 |
Red Kite Park
Our new play area, “Red Kite Park” is substantially finished and looking really good! The mound has been built, trees planted and equipment installed and we are now waiting for the ground to dry out a bit so that grass can be seeded.
The children from Lewknor Primary School paid a visit to the play area on the 12th of February to learn about tree planting and help plant some of the trees. They came home muddy but excited about their new play area.
Thank you to everyone who sponsored a tree. The additional funds allow us to further enhance the play area and make it a true community area. We are able to accept donations through the end of March. If you are interested please get in touch with Victoria.
A plea --- We know that everyone is excited to try out the equipment and have a play but until it has been inspected by an independent body for health and safety (scheduled to take place soon), the grass has been seeded and had a chance to take, could we please ask everyone to keep off the play area? If we are patient now we will have a much nicer place to play in the spring and beyond.
We will let you know when Red Kite Park is officially open and we will hold a grand opening celebration in May when (hopefully) everything is much greener than at the moment.
Thank you,
| Shannon Heiberg | Heather Weston | Victoria Balls |
| 01844 355 904 | 01844 350 040 | 01844 354 277 |
HALL HAPPENINGS!
As I am sure most people will have noticed there is a flurry of activity at the hall and recreation ground.
The play area is near to completion, just waiting for some dry, fine and warm (!) weather for the mud to dry and the grass seed to be sown. In the meantime a little patience is needed before it is operational.
Acoustic panels have been installed in the main hall and have made a tremendous difference-no echo-and conversations are easy! So go on, book your event and enjoy the great space available!
If a smaller venue is needed the meeting room is now available to hire.
Work has started on building the storage extension, which will make a big difference to accessing chairs, tables etc.
The next project will be to re-decorate the hall, and buy some more(comfortable) chairs, for which we will need further funds.
We are organising a sponsored walk through the bluebells at Cowleaze wood or thereabouts with a start and finish at the hall with refreshments (soup, rolls, hot chocolate or ice creams if hot!) after.
This is planned for the 23rd May from 10;00 am
We also plan to hold a table-top type sale of 2nd hand toys and children's books after the Easter holidays, with a small booking fee and 10% of profits going to the hall or school or pre-school. Details to be confirmed.
LPRG&H
The Bookclub at Lewknor.
We read ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ by Thomas Hardy in February. It was a book most of us had read before and remembered it as a required text either in school or at university. Not everyone found revisiting it a griping read. The ending is too well known but this is balanced by Hardy’s wonderful descriptions of the Dorset countryside and of rural life in the mid- nineteenth century. One of us felt that Alec, the villain, became a more attractive proposition than the hypocritical Angel Clare.
In March we are returning to a modern novel which was nominated for last year’s Mann-Booker Prize but didn’t win. It is Sebastian Barry’s ‘The Secret Scripture’ set in Southern Ireland; after that on the list is ‘The Black Monk’ by Boris Akunin, then ‘The Street Philosopher’ by Michael Plampin, followed by the first part of the trilogy by Stieg Larrson, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. We are always happy to welcome new recruits to the group.
Elan Preston-Whyte.
SCHOOL NEWS
This month we have invited the children of the school to contribute towards our news. Here are some of their articles:
Our new Playground
There is a new playground down at the Hall. We are all very excited. It is due to be ready in 3-4 weeks. It includes a climbing frame, a big swing, a kite sculpture, trees and many more things. Although we have a very good climbing frame in our playground, we are looking forward to playing on the new one after school. (At time of press, the play area will have been finished and we have planted our trees. We hope everyone enjoys the play area!) By Ben S (yr 4)
Book review of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,
by Leia (yr 5)
A couple of years ago I read a fantastic book by C.S. Lewis. I found it fascinating. It is part of the Chronicles of Narnia. It is about 4 children who go away from the war. They go to a big house. The four children are called Peter, Susan, Edmund (Ed) and Lucy. Lucy, the youngest child, finds a wardrobe by playing hide-and-seek. I won’t spoil the rest because it’s such a great book.. I hope you read it!
School Topic: (by Jordon Yr 5)
Our school topic is dinosaurs. The videos about the dinosaurs tell us a lot of information. We’ve been making dinosaurs out of papier mache. We’ve also been making dinosaurs in a shoe-box and drawing dinosaurs and getting information from books. We’ve been writing dinosaur stories. In science we’ve been doing experiments.
Jokes - by Leticia (yr 4)
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Doctor.
Doctor who?
Yes that’s right. You just said it!
Inter-school Athletics Tournament: - report by Beth (Yr 6)
Last month a number of children from the Junior Class visited Icknield Community College to compete in a tournament against other schools such as Chalgrove, Ewelme, RAF Benson and Stadhampton.
It was a great success as we came 3rd out of six schools. And only 4 points off coming second! It was great fun and I think our school athletics team was the best team, as we cheered each other on and supported them the whole way. We all had great fun and hope we can do even better next year.
Haiti Earthquake:
By Gemma (yr 4)
Recently, as you have probably heard, my friend Lottie and I have been raising money for Haiti and we are proud to announce that we raised over £400 by doing a jumble sale and a sponsored run around Lewknor. Could we say a big thank you to our friends, Imogen, Emily and Izzy, three pupils at Lewknor School, for their support and also to my sister Jade and our mums. An article about this successfully made its way into the Henley Standard and the money we raised went through Unicef to the people in Haiti. Thank you so much to the sponsors and for the support.
The Lewknor School Green Team:
The Lewknor School Green Team is one child selected from each year group to help with the school’s eco achievements. We are heading towards the biggest eco-award - the Green Flag. The Green team are helping us to win the Green Flag Award with some of our ideas:
We are collecting plastic bottles to create a shed to hold vegetables and every pupil at the school has the chance to help build the greenhouse! Also, the Green Team are planting trees at the Village Hall playing field, to decorate a new village play space being built right now.
The Green Team members are Tessa, Ben L, Sam C, Phoebe, Oliver, Evalyn and Ben V.
-By Leanne (Yr 5)
Final Comment:
This gives just a brief glimpse into the very busy time the children of Lewknor C of E School are having!
They are very enthusiastic about their topic, “Life in Prehistoric Times” and are looking forward to the annual Transformation Evening (24 March) when all families and Lewknor residents are welcome to see the fruits of our labours! The school will be transformed into various scenes from Prehistoric Times, so beware of dinosaurs….
As mentioned by some of the children, we are in the process of preparing for assessment of two very prestigious awards - The Artsmark Gold Award and the Green Flag eco-award, which is the highest school rating available.
On a less joyous note, we continue to try hard to encourage parents to park considerately at school pick-up and drop-off times but were upset to realise that a resident of Lewknor had damaged a staff car during the day. I am sure this was accidental, but we would greatly appreciate someone coming forward to claim responsibility in the spirit of neighbourliness…..
News from Krakatoa
We are welcoming Evie and Harry to the pre-school this month and are very excited they will be joining us.
The Winter Wonderland disco was great fun for all and raised over £300 for the pre-school. Thank you to everyone who helped out and came along.
Our next event is the ever popular Easter Egg Hunt which will take place on Sunday 28 March starting at 11am at Jubilee Hall. Join us for an adventure around Lewknor village ending with Easter Eggs decorating and crafts. Hot dogs, hot soup, cakes and drinks will be available.
We would once again like to thank everyone for their continued support for Krakatoa as strong support from the local community is key to the ongoing success of the preschool.
Krakatoa Pre-school
www.krakatoa-preschool.org.ik
07919081088
News from your District and County Councillors
| County Councillor | Roger Belson | 01491 612091 |
| District Councillors | Rodney Mann | 01844 281426 |
| Rev'd Angie Paterson | 01491 614033 |
| Council | Council Website | Main Switchboard | |
| Oxfordshire County Council | www.oxfordshire.gov.uk | 01865 792422 | online@oxfordshire.gov.uk |
| South Oxfordshire District Council | www.southoxon.gov.uk | 01491 823000 | info@southoxon.gov.uk |
Speed limit changes on some country roads:
Following a recent review the County Council is to go ahead with a list of speed limit changes on several stretches of road. The review was given extra impetus when the Government asked all local authorities to review speed limits on the 'A' and 'B' road network to make sure that national guidelines are being properly applied taking account of a wide variety of factors including the nature and density of road side development and the accident record of the roads.
The Government wants to see as much national uniformity as possible so that people can anticipate the same kinds of speed limits on similar roads wherever they are driving throughout the country.
Road affected near to us include:
- A329 at Milton Common - increase in current 30mph limit to 40mph
- A40 north east of the B4009 - introduction of a 40mph limit to include Butts Way and Lambert Arms
- A418 - introduction of a 50mph limit in place of national speed limit between the A40 and the A329 excluding the existing 30mph limit at Tiddington
- B480 between Stadhampton and Watlington - reduction from national speed limit to 50mph
- A40 Aston Hill - reduction from national speed limit to 50mph
- A40 at Postcombe - increase in existing 30mph limit to national speed limit north of built up area
- B4012 Thame Park Road - minor extension to the south of the existing 30mph limit
Look out for other changes as you drive around.
Campaign to quieter stretches of the M40 moves forward a little:
After years of campaigning members of M40 Chilterns Environment Group <http://www.m40-chilterns.org.uk/index.html> (M40CEG) were delighted to hear news their proposal to quieter stretches of the M40 had moved a step closer to becoming a reality. After considering over 300 proposals submitted by councils on behalf of their local action groups, the Local Government Association (LGA) short-listed 172 schemes. From that short-list the Secretary of State will evaluate and select the proposals it wants to implement. Working in partnership with Wycombe District Council <http://www.wycombe.gov.uk/home-page.aspx> and South Oxfordshire District Council, M40CEG proposed that the Highways Agency take action to permanently reduce road noise through re-surfacing, improving sound barriers and implement speed and night time restrictions between junctions 3 and 8.
No park and ride at Lewknor in the near future:
The County Council together with Stagecoach is moving ahead with plans to try to increase capacity at the Thornhill Park and Ride site.
This means that for the time being no further consideration will be given to the idea of a Park and Ride at Lewknor as there will not be any money available for a further facility of this kind.
It is understood that Buckinghamshire County Council is considering a Park and Ride facility possibly at Junction 4 but the timing of this or indeed whether it will happen is unknown.
Council Tax:
We all know that money is tight and Oxfordshire has been particularly hit by reduced contribution from Central Government Oxfordshire with Oxfordshire County Council receiving an increase of 1.5% this year whilst South Oxfordshire District Council an increase of only 0.5%.
None the less despite huge budget pressure the District Council has been able to set a 0% increase and the County Council has been able to keep it to only 3.75%. The County Council has particular pressure in relation to elderly care and education.
Council signs up to 10:10 campaign:
South Oxfordshire District Council is doing its bit towards tackling climate change by signing up to the 10:10 campaign. <http://www.1010uk.org/> In signing up, the council has joined 100 other councils as well as businesses, organisations and schools across the UK, who have set themselves a goal to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 10 per cent in 2010.
Some of the things the council will be doing to meet this goal include:
- a new energy saving code of practice for staff and councillors at the council offices
- new technologies at our leisure centres such as low energy lights and fans
- waste collection vehicles using on board computers to minimise distances travelled
Individuals can sign up too at www.1010uk.org <http://www.1010uk.org>
WHAT TODO IF/WHEN THERE IS A RAVE
In the early hours of Sunday, 7 February, an illegal gathering/’rave’ was held in theM40 underpass on the disused stretch of Nethercote Lane (opposite the Blue Cross Animal Rescue on the A40).
The police intervened and broke it up, but, since it was subsequently reported that the disturbance had begun as early as 1.00 am, there were some complaints as to why it had taken them so long to react. Police records show that they did not actually learn of the event until 7.34 am. Officers were on-site 35 minutes later; the music was turned off at 9.36 am and a number of arrests were made for alcohol related offences.
The police did receive a second report from a member of the public regarding this incident but not until 10.46 am. It is Thames Valley Police policy to react positively to all such incidents and to intervene by closing the event down as soon as possible and to prevent other persons from attending.
If you become aware of an illegal rave being set up, you should report this immediately using the 999 number, because this will permit it to be nipped in the bud and the event will never take place. If it has already started it should also be reported immediately, but using the non-emergency line - 0845 8 505 505.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN LEWKNOR
As most readers will be aware a scheme, to provide Lewknor with a development of six affordable homes on land adjacent to Barley Close/Weston Road, has been under way for about two years. This has now reached the stage at which it is convenient to carry out a public consultation. The Oxfordshire Rural Housing Partnership, in conjunction with the Parish Council, will be displaying site plans and drawings in the Jubilee Hall between 4pm and 7pm on Monday, 26 April - immediately before the Annual Parish Meeting. Representatives of the Partnership will be on hand to answer questions and refreshments will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.
VACANCY ON THE DISTRICT COUNCIL STANDARDS COMMITTEE
There is a vacancy on SODC’s Standards Committee. The duties include: attending meetings of the committee; promoting high standards of conduct in public life; assessing whether complaints warrant full investigation; hearing the results of investigations into alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct and deciding on appropriate sanctions; attending training and seminars; and keeping up to date on new developments in local government.
For an application pack and more information call Jennifer Thompson on 01491 823619 or email: jennifer.thompson@southoxon.qov.uk <mailto:jennifer.thompson@southoxon.qov.uk> If you would like an initial informal discussion call Jennifer on the number above or Kathy Fiander on 01491 823649.
AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE MORE CLOSELY INVOLVED IN LOCAL AFFAIRS
It is anticipated that there will be vacancy on the Parish Council from May. The basic qualifications for membership are that applicants must be registered electors, over 21 years of age, who have, for the previous twelve months, resided or worked in (or within 3 miles of) Postcombe, South Weston or Lewknor.
Anyone interested in filling this position should apply, in writing, ideally providing a brief CV, to the Chair of the Council,
Mrs Caroline Hjorth, at: 2 The Glebe, Lewknor, Watlington, OX49 5TZ.
If you would like to know more about what the appointment involves and what obligations it entails, the Clerk to the Council,
Mr Jeff Jefford (Tel 01844 281449), can provide further details.
RECENT LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
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.
| Ref No | Remarks | LPC Comment | SODC Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| P09/E1280 | Copcourt House – refurbish, convert & demolish barns | NSV | Current |
| P09/E1281/LB | Copcourt House – refurbish, convert & demolish barns. | NSV | Current |
| P09/E1296 | Oxford Lodge, London Rd (in AR) – extension and demolition. | NSV | Refused |
| P09/E1311/RET | The Barn, Weston Rd – change of use, car storage to car rebuilding. | NSV | Granted |
| P10/E0085 | Moorcroft Barn, Weston Rd – new extension & change of use. | Object | Current |
JUBILEE HALL
Great news……..the trustees will soon be able to improve facilities at the hall.
After two years of fund raising and applying for grants the trustees have almost raised enough money to provide more storage and to install acoustic panels on the ceiling of the main hall. Everyone has been very patient, but the lack of a suitable storage area and the problem with noise reverberation and echo in the hall have been difficult to put up with. At last, however, the end is in sight. What the trustees hope to be able to provide is a good sized extension for storage opening directly off the main hall so that tables, chairs, staging and sports equipment will be much easier to use and put away. The increase in space for storage will also make it possible to offer a better range of sports and other activities which need equipment. Once the acoustic panels are in place the hall will be much nicer to use for all sorts of activities including children’s parties.
The cost of the improvements is nearly £54,000 and the trustees need to raise the last £4,000 before commissioning the works. Donations are, therefore, needed urgently to enable the scheme to progress. All donations are very welcome from £5 to £500! If you are able to help please give cash or a cheque to Penny McCulloch, Chair of Trustees. Her ‘phone number is 01844 353727. Please help if you can. If the trustees are unable to raise this final amount soon, some grant offers may be withdrawn and that would be a terrible disappointment having got so close to the target.
NEW CLASSES AT JUBILEE HALL.
Have you tried Pilates? It is a gentle exercise aimed at improving flexibility and strengthening some core muscles. Most exercises are carried out sitting or lying on the floor and people who do it regularly are very enthusiastic about it and find that it helps them to feel fit and well. There will be 4 introductory classes at the hall on Wednesday afternoons on February 10th, 17th, and 24th and 3rd March from 2.00p.m. - 3.00p.m. The classes are open to everyone so do come along if you would like to give it a try or if you already have some experience of Pilates. There is a special introductory charge of £3.00 per session. It is possible to just turn up to any or all of these classes but it would be helpful to have some idea of numbers in advance. Please contact Lil Roe who will be teaching the classes - her mobile number is 07825 089618.
If there is enough interest in Pilates classes the trustees hope that it will be possible to continue them on a regular basis. If you would like to come to Pilates but cannot manage Wednesday afternoons please let the trustees know - it may be possible to arrange classes at other times as well. Please also contact the trustees if there are other types of classes, sports or fitness activities which you would like to go to at the hall. Please get in touch with Penny 01844 353727 or Gill 01491 612663.
as from march 2010 enquiries about booking the hall should be made to jean senior on 01844 354875
the meeting room is now available for use (from after 1pm term-time weekdays, weekends and holidays any time) for a nominal rate of £5;00 for the first 2 hours and thereafter £5;00 for each subsequent hour or part thereof.
the committee are hoping to organise a fund raising walk in the spring to make the most of the wonderful area we live in - details in next months grapevine.
News from Newington Nurseries
Oranges and Lemons
Citrus plants are sub-tropical and tropical evergreen shrubs, and despite their exotic appearance, are easy to grow at home. This beautiful evergreen plant provides year-round interest: white, highly fragrant flowers are followed by tasty fruits which take between 3 and 6 months to fully ripen.
Citrus has long been in cultivation, both the fruits and leaves being used in foods and medicines over many centuries. The first recorded Citrus plant in the UK was Citrus aurantium (Seville Orange), brought from South East Asia to these shores in the late 16th century. By the mid 18th century, lemons (C. limon) and limes (C. aurantifolia) were being used by the Royal Navy to help sailors combat scurvy.
There are around 16 species within the Citrus family, covering oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits and their hybrids. All will perform well in pots and most are self-pollinating. Fruits start to ripen in autumn or early winter depending on the cultivar. For example, tangerines will ripen by winter but grapefruits can take up to eighteen months to mature.
All varieties of Citrus will need repotting every few years, either into larger containers or by cutting back the outer roots and repotting with fresh and free-draining compost (add horticultural sand or grit to improve drainage). A third of the canopy should be cut back annually and any damaged or dead stems removed. To improve crop quality, excess fruits can also be removed.
The optimum minimum temperature for Citrus is around 10oC although short bursts of temperatures as low as 2oC should not harm the plant as long as the soil is not wet. In fact, Citrus needs to be in a cool environment during the winter months to allow the plant to rest.
Citrus will tolerate high summer temperatures provided there is good airflow around the plant. Open the conservatory on a hot day. Better still, move the plant outside during the summer months. Acclimatise the plant first by moving it to a sheltered and shady position for 2 to 3 weeks then reposition into a sunny and sheltered area. When autumn arrives, move to a shady area in the garden for a couple of weeks then bring back indoors for the winter months. This will minimise stress on the leaves.
Citrus plants should be watered frequently but not excessively and frequency of watering depends on the soil composition and ambient temperatures. Generally speaking, water well in a warm summer and reduce watering to a minimum in the winter months. A good indicator of incorrect watering is leaf colour and texture. Soft, yellow leaves indicate over-watering whilst dry, yellow leaves that easily fall off the plant indicate under-watering.
Although Citrus can tolerate most soil conditions, they prefer a slightly acid medium. Established plants are less prone to disease problems than younger plants although scale and aphids can be an issue in a greenhouse or conservatory environment. Control any outbreaks of this nuisance with a horticultural soap (a highly refined soap made from natural oils which acts as a contact insecticide with no residual effects once it has dried) spray.
Lack of nutrients turns the leaves chlorotic (parts of the leaves turn white or yellow) so it is important to feed Citrus plants during the growing period. Use a specific citrus feed which contains the correct balance of trace elements.
So enjoy your lemons and limes in gins and tonics and your oranges and grapefruits in marmalades or desserts! Newington Nurseries, Newington, Nr Stadhampton, Oxon, OX10 7AW Tel 01865 400533 www.newington-nurseries.co.uk
XXXXXXXX Newington Nurseries, Newington, Nr Stadhampton, Oxon, OX10 7AW TeI 01865 400533www.newington-nurseries.co.uk Top