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The Grapevine Magazine November 2003 Issue No 185
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Red Kites - To Feed or Not To Feed?
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Call My Wine Bluff Evening at The Jubilee Hall Thank you to everyone who helped make the Call My Wine Bluff evening such a success. Almost 80 people came along and enjoyed a fun evening, which started with delicious homemade canapés, glasses of wine and a chance to catch up with friends and neighbours. Everyone sat down in their teams and sampled the wines whilst enjoying the supper of cheese, pâté, french bread, biscuits, fruit, coffee and homemade petit fours. The panel gave some very plausible and entertaining descriptions of the wines, on some occasions persuading even the more expert participants to choose the wrong option! First Prize and the 'Wooden spoon' were both hotly contested - the champagne eventually going to Bill & Paula Dormer's table. Following on was the raffle and auction of fabulous items which included theatre tickets, a day fishing, a picture, flowers and vouchers for ladies dress hire, meals and ladies clothing. Thank you to many people who contributed to make the evening a success :- our business sponsors who gae the auction prizes, individuals who gave raffle prizes, food or their time; people who lent us tables, china, cutlery etc; everyone for coming and particularly Judith and Stuart Marvin who put so much time and enthusiasm into organising the event. We raised a grand total of £1,161 towards the restoration of St Margaret's Church, Lewknor.
After some fantastic fund-raising we now have a secure, fenced area for Pre-School to use, which will allow the children to slosh water and tip sand whenever they like (as well as letting off steam)! The next stage is to install a child-friendly surface, which we hope will be in place early next year. Many thanks to Morag for hosting another successful coffee-morning, raising over £70.00 for the play-area fund. Thanks too, to Charlotte for arranging reps from Phoenix Cards and Usborne Books, which let us all do a bit of early present buying. Jonathon, Charles and Henry have joined us this term and we hope they have a happy time at Krakatoa. We are still hunting for a Supervisor and assistant, so if you are interested or know of someone who might be, please call Penny on 01844 353727 (and also for waiting-list enquiries).
Christmas Refuse Collection Arrangements As our collection day is Tuesday it would appear that there will be no changes this year. Collections will be made on Tuesday 23rd December and Tuesday 30th December as usual.
St. Margaret's Parish Church, Lewknor Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust Annual "RIDE & STRIDE" I would like to take this opportunity of thanking everyone who took part in the "Ride & Stride" on 13th September and also those who helped in the church by signing the sponsorship forms and making coffee and tea for the visitors. The total amount raised was £347.00, which was a very pleasing result and the best for some years. Elizabeth Orr-Ewing
EXOTICS OVER WINTER As winter approaches the main concern for many gardeners is how to keep their hardy exotics alive until spring. And it really is very simple! The first thing to remember is that not all exotics are too delicate. Some - like the Chusan Palm, Yucca, bamboo, hardy bananas, and mature green Cordylines - should survive winter in a reasonably protected spot. For those that won't, the rules are straightforward. Plants that will remain outside should have their foliage gathered up and tied with string, and their base mulched with straw. This will protect them against chilly winter winds and wet weather, both of which damage foliage and roots. Check your plants periodically to make sure the foliage isn't dying back. If it is, remove it and try to dry the plant out before retying and mulching. Red Cordylines and younger green ones should be treated in this way, and if they are in a pot they should be moved to a sheltered spot and kept fairly dry. If the foliage does die back or rot in the centre, simply remove it and allow your plant to dry out. It should eventually produce new heads at the base and sometimes up the stem, resulting in a multi-headed, lovely specimen plant. If you have a Hedychium, or ginger plant, cut back the main stem in autumn and protect the crown with straw. If it is in a sheltered area, the plant should produce new shoots next year. Large Trachycarpus Fortunei plants will survive winter, although younger ones may need some protection against inclement weather. Treat olive trees, Chamaerops humilis and Phormiums in the same way. Some plants need over-wintering indoors. Here the rule is to keep watering to a minimum. Think of winter as the plant's rest period when it is saving its energy to produce next year's foliage and fruits. Citrus trees, Agaves and Agapanthus fall into this category (all of which need a cool environment), as do Alocasias, Colocasias and Heliconias (which like heat). And don't forget your non-hardy bananas! If you come to the nursery during the winter, you'll see a few of our plants tied up and mulched or over-wintering in the glasshouses. We are exposed to quite extreme conditions here so we are well qualified to give advice! Come and see us if you want to know more. Newington Nurseries is on the A329 just outside Stadhampton. Tel: 01865 400533
A very big thank-you to everyone who came to help with the Churchyard Tidy-up in September. The weather was perfect amd thanks to the team effort the Churchyard looks better than ever. Ian Orr-Ewing has written a note on behalf of the PCC to thank the helpers, which we are circulating to as many people as possible - please let us know if you haven't yet seen this and would like to. See you all next year! Caroline and Robin Notley
Cathy Rose, Red Kites in the Chilterns Officer, Chilterns Conservation Board There has been much debate recently about whether or not households should provide supplementary food for the red kites in the Chilterns. A red kite swooping down and snatching its food is breathtaking, and it's not surprising that people leave food out for the birds to encourage this behaviour. The question is whether feeding kites is necessary or helpful to the birds. There are two main arguments against feeding. Firstly, providing extra food may increase densities of birds in areas where kites are common and may slow down the rate at which they spread to new areas. Secondly, the nutritional value of some non-natural food sources has been questioned. Distribution of kites The size and distribution of a red kite population is limited by food availability. Birds will congregate where food is plentiful and will be more dispersed if food is limited. There is no shortage of food for the kites in the Chilterns, particularly in the form of road kill, and with this abundance of food, it's not surprising that in the early years of the re-introduction, the kites did not spread far. While the range of the birds in the Chilterns is now spreading, the population of 177 breeding pairs is still confined mainly to south Buckinghamshire and south Oxfordshire, a relatively small area, for such a large population. While there may be a number of reasons for this, it is possible that supplementary feeding may be contributing to this slower-than-expected rate of spread. Health risks to kites Another issue to consider is what the kites should be eating. In the wild, red kites scavenge on the bodies of dead animals. They feed on all parts of the carcass, including flesh, fat, bone, skin and the internal organs. Although bones, fur and feathers are regurgitated as a pellet, essential nutrients are still obtained from them before they are expelled. In particular, calcium from bones and vitamin D from skin are essential for healthy bone development in red kite chicks. If red kites don't get a balanced diet, and are fed on processed foods, such as sausages, cooked meat, or lean meat with little bone or skin, they can end up with serious dietary deficiencies. In the last two years, three out of the 30 kite chicks taken from the chilterns for release in Yorkshire have shown symptoms of metabolic bone disease. While two of the birds were treated and re-released into the wild, the third was in such poor condition, it had to be euthanased. Birds in the wild with bone deformatives will often die, undetected, at an early age, so health checks of captive birds may be revealing a problem that is far more widespread than previously realised. The following guidelines, issued by the Chilterns Conservation Board and English Nature, are aimed at reducing potential further problems: a) Consider carefully whether to feed the red kites in the first place. Kites are able to range over wide areas in order to locate natural food sources. If you do decide to feed, only put out small amounts and do not feed every day. b) Do not use processed meats which have potentially harmful additives, eg. Salt. c) Limit the feeding of butcher's offcuts which may be excessively fatty with little or no digestible skin or bone. d) Whole or chopped animal carcasses are suitable for feeding red kites. Road kills may be used, provided that sensible hygiene precautions are taken. e) Be aware that the food you provide can attract crows, gulls or rats which may be unpopular with neighbours. For more information, please contact: Cathy rose, Red Kites Officer, Chilterns Conservation Board, 01844 271306, crose@chilternsaonb.org Ian Carter, English Nature Ornithologist, 01733 455281, ian.carter@english-nature.org.uk
Saturday 6th December at 7.30pm Come along to Jubilee Hall, Lewknor on 6th December for a relaxing evening of music. The ticket price for adults (£7.00) includes a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie in the interval. But why not get together a group of friends and bring along your supper or nibbles to enjoy during the performance? The 'Bluesy Susie' duo have a charismatic and friendly approach and will play classic hits from the 1920's to the present day - including Jazz, Folk, Latin, Rock'n'Roll and Pop. Their repertoire includes classic hits by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, Eva cassidy and Norah Jones. They are accomplished live musicians having played many festivals including BBC Music Live and Birmingham Artsfest and venues such as Ronnie Scotts, The Royal Pump Rooms and the National Indoor Arena. Tickets are available from 01491 612663, Adults £7.00, Children £3.50. All proceeds from the event will be used to fund further equipment and facilities at the Jubilee Hall, Lewknor.
Thame & District Citizens Advice Bureau UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT! You may have heard that there are changes afoot at your CAB in Thame. Our new manager, Sarah Westcott, who started in early July, also manages Henley CAB. Henley and Thame CAB trustees are working closely together to merge the two legal entities. But fear not, the service to residents in Thame and the surrounding district, will continue and, we hope improve. We aim to build up the service so that you get the benefit of better access to our high quality and professional advice and information service; we want to offer longer opening hours on more days. But we can't do that without more volunteer advisers. Only Sarah and an Advice Session Supervisor, whose job it is to ensure the high quality of the service, are paid staff. Everyone else in the bureau is a volunteer. We urgently need more. Free and comprehensive training is given. You don't have to know lots of information before you come - you couldn't possibly know all the information that we hold. What we want from you are the right attitudes - recognition of the needs of people in the community and a willingness to help. 'You can never get through to the CAB on the phone' is a common complaint. Help us change that! Volunteer now! Ring Sarah to find out more on 01844 261376 (but if you can't get through (!), try her on 01491 574508). Help us to give advice at the heart of your community!
TRUFLES...TRUFFLES...TRUFFLES! Truffles make a tasty addition to the Christmas Fare and also make ideal gifts - placed in sweet cases and boxed. Easy to make - ideal for the children to make for presents. So here is a variety of recipes - some expensive to make and quite rich, others far more economical. If you have a microwave the chocolate melting is quick and easy, otherwise it takes a little longer in a basin over hot water. French Truffles 4 oz plain chocolate 2 egg yolks 2 oz margarine ½ tsp Angostura aromatic bitters 3 heaped Tbs sieved icing sugar Cocoa powder Dessicated coconut Melt chocolate. Cream together the margarine, icing sugar and yolks and stir into melted chocolate. Add the bitters, beat thoroughly, then leave in a cool place for the mixture to thicken and set. Form into balls and roll half the quantity in cocoa and half in coconut. Put into paper cases. Grandma's Chocolate Truffles 4 large Tbls condensed milk 1 tsp icing sugar 3 oz chocolate - melted 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 peeled, cored and finely chopped apple Mix milk and sugar in a pan. Stir in melted chocolate, essence and apple. When firm, shape into small balls and dust with icing sugar. Rich Liqueur Truffles 6 oz plain chocolate 1 oz butter 4 oz shortbread biscuits, crushed 1 tsp Cointreau or liqueur of choice Chocolate Topping -2 oz plain chocolate Cinnamon Sugar - 1 oz castor sugar ¼ tsp ground cinnamon A little beaten egg white Melt chocolate. Stir in butter. When melted, add crushed biscuits and liqueur and beat well until evenly coated with chocolate. Using hands dusted with icing sugar, roll mixture into 24 balls. Chill until firm. Melt chocolate topping. Spoon a little onto half of the truffles and rough up with the back of the spoon. Mix sugar with cinnamon and roll the remaining truffles into it. Leave to dry for several hours. Lightly brush with egg white, roll in sugar. Wrap and store in cool place for up to 2 weeks. White Chocolate Truffles - substitute white chocolate for plain in both truffles and topping. Assorted Truffles 6 oz dark chocolate 2 oz butter or margarine 4 oz icing sugar 12 oz cake crumbs Melt chocolate and butter. Add icing sugar and cake crumbs, mix well. This is the basic mixture - to this you can add:- 4 oz cherries, chopped or 4 oz raisins, chopped or 4 oz dates, chopped or Nuts Plus Orange juice or Rum or Brandy etc. eg Rum and Raisin, Cherry Brandy. Leave mixture to set a little, then shape into balls and roll in any of the following:- Choc Vermicelli, chopped nuts, icing sugar, grated chocolate, chocolate strands. Party Truffles 3 Tbsp double cream 2 tsp rum 3 egg yolks, threads removed and lightly beaten 6 oz bar dessert chocolate Chocolate strands Dessicated coconut, toasted Bring the cream to the boil, then stir in the rum and beaten egg yolks. Melt the chocolate and then add the cream mixture to the chocolate. Beat thoroughly. Cook for one minute (microwave or over hot water) beating every 15 seconds. Leave for ten minutes, beat again. Chill until mixture is cold and firm but not hard. With lightly oiled hands shape into balls and coat either in strands or coconut. Refrigerate or freeze until required.
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