STREET CLEANSING
Generally the street cleansing gang will visit Hook Norton three times a year to clear debris from the streets. However they will also respond to requests or reports of particular problems and if, for example, broken glass needs clearing they will send a team to deal with it. If you are aware of a need for special street cleaning please contact Environmental Services at CDC via the Customer Service Centre on 01295 221940.
VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY GROUPS IN RURAL OXFORDSHIRE
The Oxfordshire Voluntary Sector Development Partnership (OVSDP), of which ORCC is a member, has developed an Information Points project, which will make it easier for people involved in running or setting up voluntary and community groups in rural communities to access key information including: funding, managing volunteers, legal issues, organization development, publicity and training. There are now local Information Points in Chipping Norton, Banbury and Bicester. They are open for set times each week; some operate on a “drop in” basis, while others can be accessed by appointment. Further information, venues and contact details are available on oxnet, the web portal for Oxfordshire's voluntary sector: www.oxnet.org.uk. In order to provide a guide to using the resources available, there will be someone at each Point to introduce the computer software and signpost visitors to other sources of information.
PLAY AREA
As those using the Area regularly will know one of the basketball posts has recently been vandalised. We apologise for the loss of this facility but, if we are to replace it, we will also need to renovate the other post. However it seems that this facility is no longer being used by the children and we wonder whether such expenditure is justified? If you have strong views on this matter please let us know.
VACANCY FOR PARISH COUNCILLOR
Following the resignation of Archie Bullard we still have a vacancy on the Parish Council. Anybody wishing to become actively involved in local affairs is asked to contact the clerk, Ken Porter, on 01295 758352 or at kenneth_i.porter@virgin.net.
PARISH TRANSPORT
I'm afraid that my contribution as your representative (PTR) has not been as regular as I would have liked. Partly, this has been because there has been nothing new to report that directly involves Hook Norton.
I have been unable to attend the monthly meetings as they are held on a Monday afternoon in Oxford which will always be impossible for me; if there is anyone who would like to go, I am sure they would be most welcome and they might be a more effective rep. than me.
I was able to attend an evening meeting in Kidlington for a consultation of PTR's on what issues we felt were most important for funding purposes. My own opinion was that a maintained frequency – mostly hourly in our case – is most important as it seems to encourage more passengers in the long term.
I do keep a fairly comprehensive collection of bus and train timetables, but it is probably best to ring for information and times on 0871 2002233 for trains, buses and coaches, both local and national. You tell them when and where you want to go and they tell you the best route and connections. I always find them very helpful.
It is worth knowing that bus connections at the Chipping Norton end of our bus route are good as the 488 arrives in good time to catch buses on to Oxford, Witney, Stratford, Charlbury and Kingham station.
The return fare to Oxford from Chippy is £5 for an adult, which is great value and it doesn't take that long if you take the the time it takes to park into account.
Isita Pickering
POST OFFICE NETWORK CHANGE PROGRAMME
In May 2007, following a national public consultation, the Government announced a range of proposed measures to modernise and reshape the Post Office Network and put it on a more stable footing for the future. When developing the Area Plan Proposal for Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, Post Office Ltd analysed a number of factors. These included the proximity of the Post Office® branches proposed for closure to other nearby branches, the number of customers currently using a particular Post Office® branch, the size and ability of nearby branches to absorb extra customers.
The Area Plan for Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire published on the 5th February concluded that Hook Norton Post Office would be retained in the Post Office Network. Each Area Plan Proposal is subject to local public consultation to ensure that the views of local people are taken into account before any final decisions are made by Post Office Ltd. The local public consultation on the Area Plan Proposal for Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire commenced on the 5th February 2008 and will last for a period of six weeks, closing on the 17th March 2008.
All being well, Hook Norton Post Office will remain in the Network following the conclusion of the consultation process, enabling it to continue to serve the residents of Hook Norton and nearby villages for many years to come.
We would like to thank all those who have voiced their support and concern throughout the review process and ask everyone for their continued support for this truly unique local service. As the saying goes use it or lose it.
Kind Regards, Vicki & Julian Russell
FIREFIGHTERS – ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING ONE??
Recruitment Open Evening – Monday 28th April 2008 – 7PM
Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service has launched a recruitment campaign to fill a number of vacancies for Retained Duty System (part-time) firefighters at Hook Norton Fire Station.
Ideally, we want to have a pool of up to 14 people so that the station's fire appliances are available to attend emergency incidents in Hook Norton and the surrounding area 24 hours a day. At the moment we only have 10 people, which means we sometimes have to send in appliances from further afield.
Could you be a Retained Duty System (RDS) firefighter in Hook Norton, or do you know someone who would be interested in becoming one?
RDS firefighters are paid staff who do the same job as full-time firefighters. Many of Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service's 350 or so RDS firefighters combine this work with their day job.
We are hoping that people who haven't previously considered applying will stop and ask themselves whether they can, in fact, provide cover at critical times of the day or night. For example, someone who can be on call for the six hours between the morning and afternoon school runs, coupled with some evening and weekend hours, can make the difference between Hook Norton Fire Station being able to respond to a call for help, or a possible delay while firefighters from another station are mobilised. Like their full-time colleagues, RDS firefighters are trained and equipped to deal with a wide range of incidents and situations. These include fires, road traffic collisions and protecting the community through fire safety work. The difference is that RDS staff are not based in a fire station - instead, they are on standby waiting to be called out. They may be at home, working for themselves or working for a company that allows them to leave work to attend an emergency call.
Their on-call time can be a combination of daytime, evening and weekend hours. They are paid for being on call and called out, and are entitled to paid holidays, sick pay and membership of a pension scheme.
There are benefits for employers who release staff to be RDS firefighters too. The employee will be professionally trained to deal with emergencies, and an RDS firefighter on the staff could help save lives and property in the event of an emergency. Staff can also be trained for further qualifications such as health and safety and first aid, which could help the business as well.
To be a retained firefighter you need to be at least 18 years old, physically fit and live and/or work close to the fire station. Just as important are qualities like common sense, commitment, enthusiasm and the ability to work as a member of a team.
If you would like to find out more about working as an RDS firefighter in Hook Norton, or if you are an employer interested in allowing your employees to participate, you can call in to our recruitment open evening on Monday 28th April 2008 from 7pm If you cannot make it, you can call in on a Wednesday night between 7pm – 9pm, speak to any Hooky Firefighter or please ring the 24 hour information hotline on 0800 5870870. LOW CARBON HOOK NORTON
The first meeting of Low Carbon Hook Norton met on the 12th February at our very own Green Flag school. The things we covered were: 1. We all calculated our individual carbon footprints (using The Carbon Workout from www.nef.org.uk) which ranged between 2 tonnes and 18 tonnes (the UK average is 5.5 tonnes). Even more importantly this allowed us to pick out the areas where we could make the biggest difference in reducing our footprints. In some cases this was reducing the number of flights, in others it was emissions from driving, and for others it is some actions in the home that will make most difference. We agreed that we will all review our carbon footprints in 6 months time to see what changes we have brought about now that we all know what our footprints are and what the main contributions are to our emissions. 2. There were several individual actions people wanted to find out about. To make this easy for people we now have a list of local suppliers. Just let us know if you are interested in this list. 3. The first community project we are keen to follow up on is a new scheme to provide Low Energy Lights to communities at a very low cost (particularly for the elderly and those on benefits) that is just about to be launched by the Lighting Association (with our local contact being Peter Barnet-Hunt). At the meeting we talked about a pilot scheme in Hook Norton led through the parish council. Since our meeting this has grown into a national scheme and Peter says that Hooky can claim some of the kudos for that since the idea started here! As soon as the scheme is launched we will be letting you know how Hook Norton residents can engage with it. 4. A second community level project is to make biodiesel available in Hook Norton. Using biodiesel from waste oil can reduce your carbon emissions from driving by 70%. We have identified 12 people in the village that are keen to use biodiesel in their diesel cars. In addition the new minibus the school is biodiesel compatible. If we can get a total of 20 or more potential users then local biodiesel suppliers have said they will provide a facility right here in the village. So if you are interested in using high quality biodiesel (meeting the international fuel standard) derived from waste oil in your diesel car with no modification needed then please just get in contact and help us get to at least 20 users. 5. We also wondered whether short trips in the village using the car might contribute significantly to Hook Norton's carbon footprint. The school eco-committee will run a survey of travel to school. We can then compare that with the survey in May in walk to school week where there is normally a significant drop in the number of short journeys made and see what difference that makes to emissions.
So if this type of group taking action on climate change sounds good to you then drop me a line, or even better pop along to out next meeting at the Sun Inn on Tuesday 22nd April between 8-9pm.
Just to show that this is a group all about action, not only did everyone calculate their footprints and go away with ideas to carry out in the next six months, Nerys Wright added 5 litres of biodiesel into her tank. A meeting with immediate action!
HOOK NORTON BAPTIST CHURCH
I was thinking recently what a significant part music plays in our lives and how much poorer we would be without it. Of course there are many differing tastes in music and what would be enjoyed by one person, would be hated by another; but I think all would admit that without music, life would be decidedly dull.
Music has been an expression of faith for many of the great composers as well as song / hymn writers. In turn, it is able to inspire and uplift those who hear it. It is just another of those things God has blessed us with – the ability to make or appreciate music.
It is also one of the means by which we can praise and worship God. Our church services provide great opportunities for 'singing our socks off' or quietly listening to music played by others.
For a small church, we have quite a talented music group which regularly comprises two guitars, two clarinets, a cornet, a violin and a piano – with occasional additions, and they make a big difference to our worship times.
Two of the music group members, Ruth and Ann Quartermain, took part in the February 'Just Desserts' musical evening, which also featured professional harpsichordist, Helen Rogers, guitarist/singer Paul Acreman, the Cropredy String Quartet, monologue lady Hilary Wiseman, Victorian railwayman Martin Quartermain and a short sketch by the McDonald brothers. That night, over 120 people crammed into our little church to enjoy the show and the desserts which followed. Over £750 was raised for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
By the time this item is in print, the March 'Just Desserts' event will have taken place and four local people will have shared their life stories and musical choices with us. This time, we are raising money for the Lee Stratford Community Trust.
So, to all who came, all who donated all who took part and 'THANKYOU GOD' for your gift of music as well as everything else you give us. Other news; We extend our congratulations to Ken Conrad who celebrated his 90th birthday on 30th March. Ken and Kitty have been stalwarts of the church for more than 35 years and we owe much to them.
The Wednesday Coffee Mornings have re-started after several weeks' break. Drop in for a tea / coffee or a chat - also table games, bring and buy, books to borrow. Holiday Club 2008 dates; August 4th - 8th
Dorothy Smith, Rev John Taylor 737315
ST PETER'S CHURCH
With Easter now over, the next few weeks nevertheless still represent a major time for Christian celebration and contemplation, with special services on top of the regular pattern of services at St. Peter's. SundayApril 27th is Rogation Sunday, the day when God's people traditionally request His blessing on the land, the crops and animals. In fact, during the 17th century (or thereabouts), Rogation day would have been marked by the parish priest and villagers processing around all the boundaries of the parish, removing obstacles and even travelling by boat if boundaries crossed rivers. At various points along the route, the village boys would be beaten so “they would well remember the bounds of the parish within which they dwell”. Whilst this particular practice, known as 'beating the bounds', may have fallen into obscurity, our request for God's blessing on the land remains. This year, Rogation Sunday will be marked at St. Peter's by a 3 pm Benefice 'Celebration of Creation' service, followed by tea. All welcome. Ascension Day is on Thursday May 1st. Falling 40 days after Jesus' resurrection, Ascension day celebrates Jesus' return to His father in heaven. Please join us for a special 7.30 a.m. Service of Holy Communion and breakfast. Then, 10 days after Ascension day (May 11th this year), we celebrate Pentecost (Whit Sunday), when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles as tongues of fire. Pentecost falls 50 days after Jesus' resurrection, and is commonly considered the 'birthday' of the Christian church.
When you think about it, the apostles had shouldered rather a lot by this time. They had experienced the ultimate grief at the death of their Lord Jesus, and been tested in their faith by His apparent Resurrection and sporadic appearances and disappearances over the following weeks. Just as they were beginning to believe He was truly returned to them, Jesus was reunited with His father in heaven, and the apostles had to prepare to continue His work alone. God's gift to them in the form of the Holy Spirit allowed them to spread Jesus' word throughout the land, and seed today's Christian church. It's a period we have a lot to be grateful for.
On to other news now, as there are a number of social events which should also make it into your diaries:
April 26th is Quiz Night with supper
at St. Peter's. This is not a 'fundraiser', but is intended to be an evening of family enjoyment, so start sharpening those brain cells! Further details from Steve and Sheila Smith.
Friday April 18th, 7 pm at St. Andrews Church, Great Rollright:
Michael Bawtree presents a dramatic reading of Jerome K. Jerome's comic classic 'Three Men in a Boat'. Tickets £10 for performance only, or £15 to include the performance and a post-performance two-course supper at the village school. Tickets from Great Rollright Post Office, or email: rosemullion@cooptel.net. To celebrate St. Peter's day (June 29th), St. Peter's is organizing a Barn Dance, featuring 'Grandma's YoYo', which will be held on Saturday June 28th, atHook Norton Primary School Hall. More details to follow!
Special Services:
Rogation Sunday:
Benefice 'Celebration of Creation' service, followed by Tea. Sunday April 27th, 3 pm at St. Peter's.
Pentecost:
Service of Holy Communion, Sunday May 11th, 10 am.
Ascension Day:
Service of Holy Communion, followed by breakfast, at St. Peter's. Thursday May 1st 7.30 am.
Jesus and Me (JAM) Service
: An all-age service, tailored to our children, held jointly with Hook Norton Baptist Church: Sunday April 20th at St. Peter's (10.00 am), and Sunday May 18that Hook Norton Baptist Church (10.30 am).
Regular Diary Dates:
Fairtrade stalls:
Volunteers from St. Peter's continue run a Fairtrade stall at the monthly markets in Hook Norton and Swerford. The stalls sell all manner of Fairtrade foods and beverages, along with gifts and household items. Other items, including Fairtrade wine, are available to order through the catalogue. Please drop by and support us! And don't forget, there is a Fairtrade stall in church after the 10 a.m. service every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month.
Jesus and Me (JAM) club:
Hook Norton Primary School study centre, every Wednesday, 3.15-4.15 p.m. during term time, for keystage 1 and keystage 2 children (not nursery).
Wheelers and Squealers
: Our regular get-togethers for the village tots, tinies and their parents/carers. 11.00 am at St. Peter's, every second Thursday of the month (see posters for confirmation).
Youth Groups
: The two Youth Groups each meet once a month. The next meetings for 'Energise', the group for all secondary school-aged children, are on April 25th and May 16th, 7.30 to 9 p.m., at the Norman Matthews Memorial Hall. 'Outlook', which is for teenagers in school year 10 and above, will meet on May 2nd, at 8 p.m., also at the Norman Matthews Memorial Hall. Contact Chris and Laura, on 737617, for more details, or see the website (www.stpeters-hooknorton.org.uk).
Benefice Prayer meetings
: Every third Wednesday of the month. Please see noticeboard in church porch or the website for dates and venues.
Font Café:
10.00 a.m. 'til 12.00 noon, every Tuesday and Saturday morning. Fresh coffee, tea and biscuits, served free of charge. It's an opportunity to meet with friends, relax and enjoy a chat. Children and well-behaved dogs welcome! If anyone would like to help out as a Font Café volunteer, even on an occasional basis, please speak to Jan Hughes for more information, or pop along during opening times and speak to any of the helpers on that day! (Please note that until further notice, Font Cafe will be held at the Norman Matthews Memorial Hall, next to the library).
Other News:
Sunday July 6th is this year's Annual Bike Ride from Birmingham to Oxford. The riderscome through Hook Norton, and this year St. Peter's will be running the refreshment stop at The Norman Matthews Hall, from 9 am to 4 pm. Do come out and support the riders on the day.
St. Peter's is still using the Norman Matthews Memorial Hall (under the Parish Council's lease), for the Font Cafe, Youth Groups, and meetings. It is also a community facility, and is available to hire for suitable events, both regular and ad hoc. Further details from either myself, or Keith Fowler.
And finally, it's not too late to make a donation of any amount towards the new chairs in St. Peter's. We have already received donations amounting to some 50 per cent of the total cost of the chairs, and any additional donations are still very welcome, however small! Anyone donating the cost of a 'whole chair', at £75, can also request a small brass plaque for the back of a chair, which can be engraved, perhaps in commemoration or as a memorial to family and/or friends. Please speak to either Keith Fowler or myself if you would like to make a donation. Tax payers can also fill in a short gift-aid form, which also allows us to recoup money from the taxman!
Cherwell launches ground-breaking campaign to tackle homelessness A ground-breaking campaign to tackle homelessness among young people is being launched by Cherwell District Council.
'No Place Like Home' campaign focuses on the merits of teenagers staying with their families, rather than risking the hazards that are often associated with homelessness.
The unique theme is deliberately upbeat. It avoids the more negative approach to homelessness, which usually involves preparing youngsters for life on the streets with support taking the form of drugs counselling, contraception and benefits advice.
Instead, No Place Like Home explores ways of working through the common problems teenagers face in the family home, and offers the whole family support to find ways to cope with typical parent/teenager issues.
Young people aged from 12 to 18 are invited to enter a competition to express their views on homelessness and family life through various media, such as painting, sculpture. photography, music, drama and dance. There are prizes for the winners who will also be able to showcase their work a three major events in Bicester, Kidlington and Banbury in July.
At the same time, Housing staff are working closely with media students at the Oxford and Cherwell Vale College to produce a DVD that will be used to illustrate major issues around family life and good citizenship at schools throughout Oxfordshire.
The DVD explores three storylines, all of which focus on teenagers who are in conflict with their parents. Each follows the young person as they leave home and experience, first-hand, the problems that are commonplace on the streets. Each ends with the young person reuniting with their families using basic communication tools such as compromise, respect and understanding.
Strategic Director for Housing, John Hoad, said: "As far as we know, this is a completely new approach to tackling homelessness among young people. The ideas have emerged from a dynamic partnership between young people themselves, other councils, local businesses, church and faith groups and youth services.
"The concept fits directly in with our new homeless Strategy 'A Season for Change' in which we pledge to meet, and then go on to exceed, Government targets to keep the numbers of homeless people down to a minimum."
Teenagers wishing to know more about the campaign should call Helen Town at Cherwell District Council on 01295 227991.
Additional information
The Kidlington celebration event, which will showcase the competition entries, is being held at Exeter Hall, Kidlington, on 4 July 2008 from 7pm to 10.30pm.
The Bicester event is being held at The Courtyard Youth Arts Venue on 9 July 2008 from 7pm to 10.30pm.
The Banbury event will take place at St. Mary's Church on 10 July 2008 from 7pm to 10.30pm.
Like their full-time colleagues, RDS firefighters are trained and equipped to deal with a wide range of incidents and situations. These include fires, road traffic collisions and protecting the community through fire safety work. The difference is that RDS staff are not based in a fire station - instead, they are on standby waiting to be called out. They may be at home, working for themselves or working for a company that allows them to leave work to attend an emergency call.
3. The first community project we are keen to follow up on is a new scheme to provide Low Energy Lights to communities at a very low cost (particularly for the elderly and those on benefits) that is just about to be launched by the Lighting Association (with our local contact being Peter Barnet-Hunt). At the meeting we talked about a pilot scheme in Hook Norton led through the parish council. Since our meeting this has grown into a national scheme and Peter says that Hooky can claim some of the kudos for that since the idea started here! As soon as the scheme is launched we will be letting you know how Hook Norton residents can engage with it.
5. We also wondered whether short trips in the village using the car might contribute significantly to Hook Norton's carbon footprint. The school eco-committee will run a survey of travel to school. We can then compare that with the survey in May in walk to school week where there is normally a significant drop in the number of short journeys made and see what difference that makes to emissions.