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The Grapevine Magazine May 2003 Issue No 180
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Council for the Protection of Rural England
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The official opening of the new Village Shop will be happening at 11.30am on Thursday 8th May. It is hoped that there will be significant media interest as local TV and journalists have been invited. After the formal proceedings refreshments will be available at the Leathern Bottle. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in the celebrations.
Here is a round up of news and events at Jubilee Hall. There's a lot going on at different times to suit all ages and a wide variety of interests. However, there are some activities that need a few more people to join to make them viable. If you haven't got involved in something yet, but have been thinking about it, why not give it a go? New members are always very welcome at all the classes. While doing the different activities there is the added bonus of getting to know local people and bringing more social life to Lewknor.
Come along to the Jubilee Hall, Lewknor from 7.00 pm on Friday 20th June for an evening of pampering and indulgence. The event is to raise funds for equipment for the hall - so it's all in a good cause too. There will be Champagne and strawberries and fourteen therapists to provide the most wonderful relaxation and beauty treatments. Invitations and information are available from Caroline Haywood on 01844 355175. You will be able to pre-book your sessions, so it is advisable to book early to make sure all the treatments you would like are available.
The Easter sports camp was a great success. Fifteen boys participated, all very keen and eager and they all really enjoyed themselves. Neil Maguire, head coach, and Lucy (assistant) agreed they were a great bunch of children. Their enthusiasm and energies made the course really enjoyable for them too. Matthew Kimber, a golf professional, came on Thursday to teach them the basics of golf and Friday was a trip to the new Jubilee pool in Thame. The boys tried many other sports throughout the three days but the cricket at the end seemed to be a hot favourite. It is hoped that the Sports Camp will run for a week in the Summer holidays (provisional date is week commencing 28 July) - so that's something to look forward to.
It is upsetting and disappointing to have to report some recent vandalism at the hall. A window has been smashed and attempted forced entry. So many people have worked extremely hard to get this fantastic facility up and running, it is a shame that a minority should spoil it. We are struggling financially to provide all the facilities and equipment in the hall, and so using our valuable resources for unnecessary repairs is a waste.
Council for the Protection of Rural England, Oxfordshire Branch Dear Oxfordshire resident, Living in Oxfordshire, you are almost certain to value its landscape and its rural beauty. It has a special character of its own, achieved through its unique mix of lovely villages and attractive towns. Indeed, you live in the most rural county in the south-east of England. The countryside is dominated by agriculture, from canalside Cropredy in the north to riverside Wallingford in the south. The Thames and The Cherwell, The Windrush and The Evenlode enrich and shape our county. The Vale of White Horse, The Chilterns and The Cotswolds all lend their history and geography to create a very particular landscape. Everywhere there is a feeling of a unique blend of town and coutryside, full of interest and tradition. I am sure that you agree that all this is well worth preserving. The questions are: Who will do it? and How will it be done? The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) believes passionately that such an important matter cannot be left to chance. There are so many conflicting pressures on this marvellous part of rural England that we have to work hard to represent it at every turn. The alternative is to risk losing it forever. As our President, Sir Max Hastings recently pointed out, this does not mean we are opposed to change. What it does mean is the fostering of the stewardship of our inheritance: that we see ourselves as guardians of our countryside, working to ensure that our children and grandchildren can also enjoy what we have been privileged to have experienced. We are committed to preserving the rural characteristics of Oxfordshire. A current example of how we are tackling things is our focus on signage. You have probably noticed the proliferation of roadside signs. Many of these are unnecessary, aesthetically poor and just serve to clutter up our villages and towns. We are seeking to influence councils to develop more careful policies so that only signs that are absolutely essential are used. In this way we can help preserve the natural appearance of our environment. We approach all of our work through the support and generosity of the people of Oxfordshire. As it is a registered charity, we rely heavily on subscriptions and voluntary donations. I hope that you will feel that you would like to be alongside us in this valuable undertaking. Please consider joining CPRE as an active way of helping us to preserve Oxfordshire's special landscape. Just call me on 01865 874780 and ask for further information and a membership form. I look forward very much to welcoming you into CPRE. Yours sincerely Margaret Preston, Campaign Manager, CPRE Oxfordshire
Thank you to everyone who made our Art Exhibition such a big success. Our local MP, Boris Johnson came along to support us, and even bought a painting. Eddie Kent our local potter was demonstrating during the weekend and we sold lunches and lovely cream teas. We have raised over £2,000, which we will put to very good use for the pupils.
We are all looking forward to an exciting and action- packed summer term; various events are planned to raise funds for a secure, fenced outside area for the children. Maintaining our bond with the school is an important part of Krakatoa's future and to kick off our fund raising we will be co-hosting with school a dance evening on 7th June at the Hall (further details to follow or call Morag 01844 281752). The 10th June at 11.15 will see us at school, madly doing laps of the playground at our annual sponsored Trike Ride - Do come and cheer the children on - it's great fun! Our AGM will be on May 15th at 8pm at school, and we look forward to welcoming you there. If your child hasn't yet started at Krakatoa, it is a great opportunity to meet the staff, committee and other parents (for further information phone Penny 01844 353727). At the end of last term the children entertained us with a wonderful concert (many budding choristers and pop stars in our midst!) and we said a fond farewell to Madeleine Lee who is moving out of the area and to Jasmin Coles who is starting school, we wish them all the best. Hugo Eddlerton, Kate Cumming and Nowshad Chowdhury have joined us and we hope they have a very happy time at Krakatoa.
News from the Head of Icknield Community College April 2003 As many of you will be aware by now I will be leaving Icknield in September to take up my new post as Head Teacher of Didcot Girls' School. This is a great privilege for me and I am looking forward to running a much larger school. I will leave, however with much regret as I have made many good friends both at school and in the community. I will also miss many of the lovely young people who make up the lifeblood of any neighbourhood. They have kept me on my toes, made me laugh, delighted me by their achievements and surprised me with their ingenuity and imagination. I am sure they will go on to make great citizens of Watlington and its neighbouring villages. I take this opportunity to thank all of you who have supported the school in whatever way. I am sure that you will continue to help the new head. I will still be here until the end of the summer working away to leave everything in good shape. In the meantime life goes on. We are attempting to do something positive about our continuing litter problem. We have started a system of having two pupils as environmental protection officers everyday. The aim is that they learn about the consequences of littering and we get the site cleared up everyday. In addition I will have the hedgerows cleared of litter during the Easter holiday so we should look more respectable soon. I have to extol the virtues of my prefects some of whom were very busy on Red Nose Day organising our £670.00. This was the result of a fashion show and a talent show organised by Gemma Waters and Alexis Barber. There were several other individual efforts with heads being shaved and hair being dyed. Samantha Kidd, who managed over £200 with her sponsored silence, raised the most money! Well done to all these youngsters who worked hard on behalf of others less fortunate than themselves. A message from the governors of the school The Governors have been aware for some time that Paula Taylor-Moore wanted to further her career at a larger school and we wish her the very best of luck at Didcot Girls' School. Paula, her management team and staff have transformed the Icknield over the last 5 years. Increased pupil numbers, new buildings and improving results are all evidence of the change that has taken place. The governors are determined to continue to improve the education offered at the school. We will be looking for a new head Teacher who can build on the foundations that Paula has laid. If you have any concerns about the future of the school, don't hesitate to contact Steve Bolingbroke or any of the Governors.
Now is the time to act! Everyone who cares about our environment and countryside will recognise the plant Common Ragwort (Senecio Jacobaea). It is an obvious weed in July and August when it grows up to 3 feet tall with ragged edged leaves and a yellow flower, but it is NOW that we need to act to eradicate this poisonous plant. Ragwort kills horses, donkeys, cattle, sheep and many other plants. Oxfordshire is one of the most beautiful counties with a wonderful spread of animal and plant life and we all need to be involved to protect it from the spread of this dangerous weed. Join the BHS campaign to eradicate this weed by dealing with any plants you find on your own land. If you see any areas of Ragwort growing please report it to either myself or The Oxford County Council Environmental Services department (telephone number 01869 241144) with full details of the location. For leaflets, further advice on spraying or help identifying Ragwort please contact the BHS welfare officer Miss D M Harria on 01993 702844 or visit the website, www.bhs.org.uk/welfare and follow the links for Ragwort or visit http://members.aol.com/bhssouth/page12.html for details on research that has been undertaken.
Bus tokens are now available from Mrs Eileen Swell at Weston Road, Lewknor. Tokens to the value of £20.00 are available for everyone over 60 years old and can be used on buses, trains and some local taxis. Eileen has very kindly taken over from Alison Ellerton as the local distributor and we are very grateful to her for agreeing to help. Please telephone Eileen on 01844 353694 to arrange a convenient time for you to call and collect your tokens.
The Annual Parish Meeting was held on Monday 28th April at Lewknor School at 7.30 p.m. This is the annual opportunity for local residents to hear what the parish council has been doing throughout the year and to ask questions about how it spends the money raised from the parish share of the council tax. It is also a chance to hear at first hand what our representatives on the District and County Councils have been doing and how decisions at district and county level affect us. Only one member of the public attended! It is hard to guess at the reasons for this apparent lack of interest. Is everyone delighted with the work of the parish council - does everyone think the members of the council do a wonderful job? If this is the case we would like to know. Members of the parish council are all volunteers who are willing to give their time for the good of the community. It really does matter whether local people think they are doing a good job or not. We are sorry that so few people came to the meeting but would like to remind everyone that the monthly meetings of the parish council are open to members of the public. The parish council meets on the third Monday of the month at Lewknor School. From May the meeting will begin at the new time of 8.00 p.m.
Lured by the prospect of being classified among "the younger members of the village", Mike Fletcher has kindly offered to undertake the planting of extra daffodils in the Autumn. Can you please contact him at The Leathern Bottel if you are able to offer him some help in due course. DSH
Pets Service at Church Farm, Lewknor, Friday May 23rd Don't miss out on a special service at Rogationtide. Lewknor Primary School will be holding their Friday assembly in the Farmyard at Church Farm at 9.10am on 23rd May. Rogation is when we ask God to bless our animals and crops in the ground that feed us. Pets have a very important part to play in God's world, they teach us to care for all of God's world. So bring along your pet, make sure it's on a lead or in a cage! Anything counts as a pet even 'creepy crawlies' they all have their part to play! As our special guest on that day we have invited the Rev Glynn Evans, the churches Rural Officer for the Diocese of Oxford. He will be teaching the children about Farming and the care of our countryside.
During the first half of this term Lewknor school children will be doing a 3 week project based on St Margaret's churchyard. The children will be exploring the variety of animal habitats within the churchyard, carrying out wildlife surveys and doing observational drawings. They will be finding out about local village history and the churchyard, 'minibeasts', symbolism, art and design and architecture.
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