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December 2002
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Series 27 No 6
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Village Affairs
NEWSLETTER TEAM
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Directory:
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Diana Barber
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Advertising:
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Judi Leader
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Distribution:
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Postal Services:
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Mrs M Padbury
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Proof reading:
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Nigel Lehmann
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IT/Web Support:
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Martin Baxter
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Treasurer:
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John Stratford
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FROM THE EDITORS
The final Newsletter of the year and the first complete set for me! Where did
that year go?
The Newsletter Team wish you all
A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
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In addition to the festivities, now is the time to update the
Hook Norton Directory.
The application form for entries into Hook Norton Directory 2003 is available
via the Directory web page, (click the button to the left). We ask that you
complete your
entry and put it, together with the fee of £3, in the Newsletter box at
the Post Office no later than
31st December.
Julian Bolton has decided to leave the Newsletter Team and we thank her for
organising the distribution of each issue.
£51.00 was donated in the Newsletter box in the Post Office this month,
for which we thank you. Thank you too to Julie Wood for the front cover
photograph of last years' school nativity play. (Click the thumbnail to
download to full image.)
Sadly, we report the deaths of Gertrude Anstee, Joseph William (Joe) Bishop
aged 79 years, General Sir Cecil Blacker, Harold Coulton Peter (Roland)
Chadwick aged 77 years, James William (Jim) Hackling aged 88 years, Thomas
(Allan) Morgan aged 76 years and Arthur Harry Page aged 80 years. On behalf of
the village, we send our condolences to their families and friends.
Finally, a reminder that the final text and advertising copy date for the next
issue is 15th January 2003.
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The views expressed in the Newsletter are not necessarily those of the
Editorial Team.
RATES – CHEQUES PAYABLE TO 'HOOK NORTON
NEWSLETTER'
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Text for Village activities
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Free
(a small donation is welcome)
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Inserts for Village Activities
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On request from Judi Leader
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Commercial Advertising
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£20 per page & pro rata per issue
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Commercial Inserts
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£20 per issue
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Donations can be put in the Newsletter Box in the Post Office or posted to;
Newsletter, c/o Hook Norton Post Office, Chapel Street, Hook Norton,
Oxon.
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THANK YOU FROM JULIAN BOLTON
Julian has asked that we pass on a message thanking everyone for their kind
wishes, cards and letters while she has been ill. The messages and kind
thoughts are very much appreciated.
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HOOK NORTON W.I.
September was memorable for the spellbinding talk given by Mr. Tom Smith on his
tales and memories of the lovely, meandering River Windrush and the readings of
some of his poems. The outing to the Coventry Cathedral Flower Festival which
commemorated the 50th anniversary of the new Cathedral, was a tremendous success; the sun shone
through the colourful Piper windows and the cathedral was full of wonderful
floral displays. Everyone congratulated Pat Fletcher for her splendid floral
contribution.
The October meeting was deprived of the expected speaker who was to have given
a talk on Monet's House and Garden. Nevertheless, the meeting was enjoyed as a
social 'get together'. By the time the Newsletter goes to press, we should have
been entertained by a real live 'Santa' on 19th
November. On 11th
December we look forward to a Christmas lunch at The Red Lion in Little
Compton and on 17th December, there will be a Christmas meeting.
Looking forward to 2003, on 21st January, Mrs. Barbara Taylor will be 'The Grandmother Who Went to Everest' and
on 18th February, Mr. Peter Russell will give a talk entitled 'Memories of a Royal
Butler' NOT TO BE MISSED.
As usual, guests are always welcome to meetings which are held in the Baptist
Hall on the third Tuesday of each month at 2pm.
Marion Roberts
WELCOME CLUB
This has been an entertaining time for the Club! After our visit to Cadburys we
had a special Meeting at which we discussed our plans for a holiday next year.
After a lot of debate we finally arranged a holiday at St. Anne's on Sea on
28th June – 6th
July. Next we had a most interesting talk by Mr. Geoff Hillman. This was
followed by a lunch to celebrate our 52nd Birthday - 26 Members enjoyed a
splendid repast provided by the Gate Hangs High. Our next event was a visit to
Millets Farm - this turned into an interesting afternoon as all the toilets
were out of action!! We managed to have an enjoyable time and as far as I know
there were no 'accidents.' Our next event is a talk on flower arranging and
then we shall be looking forward to our Christmas Lunch on 13th
December, again at the Gate.
L.Humphries
Since writing this we have learned of the death of Joe Bishop. He was a
stalwart supporter of the Club and a very good friend and will be sadly missed.
HOOK NORTON GARDEN CLUB
The Garden Club AGM was held on 16th
October in the Memorial Hall when the Chairman, David Coates reported that the
Club had had a very successful year with a pleasing intake of new members. In
addition to the Spring and Autumn shows there had been many interesting outings
and events and the Chairman thanked all those involved in organising and
helping to run these activities. Various amendments to the Club rules were
proposed and unanimously approved. In particular Membership would be open to
any person at the discretion of the Committee thus making it possible for those
living further afield to take part in the Shows.
All the existing Officers were re-elected namely: Chairman-David Coates,
Treasurer-Vicky Mepham, Vice-Chairman-Verity Calderan. Nick Faulkner was
elected as Secretary. Frank Faulkner was thanked for continuing to act as
Secretary during the past year. All the remaining members of the Committee,
with the addition of Frank Faulkner, were re-elected.
Members are asked to put forward suggestions for outings and subjects for the
photography entries at the Shows and a revival of the Annual Summer Show to
celebrate the Club's 50th Anniversary in 2003 will be considered by the
Committee. Members expressed their wholehearted appreciation of the comfortable
new chairs in the Memorial Hall.
By the time you read this, the last event of the year, Any Gardening Questions,
will have taken place. The Club year begins again in February 2003. New members
are always welcome and a Calendar of events will be included in the next
Village Newsletter. Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at
7.30pm in the Memorial Hall.
Verity Calderan
BAPTIST CHURCH
PRESENTS? - Presence of Christ Child - Paper ripped and torn apart
Have we lost the plot?
Is it possible that this Christmas, amongst all the food, drink, parties,
family arguments etc. that we can find space to pause and remember the real
meaning of Christmas and consider why we celebrate with such extravagance. The
fuss, hype and overspending are not obligatory! The simplicity of Christ's
birth takes us back to the reality of his time here on earth, born in humble
circumstances to identify wholly and fully with each one of us. If you haven't
yet made a commitment to follow Him then why not make it a very special
Christmas as you allow him to come into your heart and dwell there in richness,
its the only present you really need and its given freely with love.
We are having a Christmas Saturday Special on 7th
December and joining with St. Peter's and Hook Norton Brass Band to sing
carols outside the Sun on 15th December. This will be followed by a Family Carol Service on 22nd December and the Christmas Eve service with communion. On Christmas morning
there will be a shorter family service starting at 10am.
The Rededication service will be held on 5th January 2003.
We welcome you to any of these services, we'd love to see you and we wish you
the joy and peace of the true Christmas.
Julie Warren
ST PETER'S CHURCH
The Church will have a 'seasonal' stall at the market in the Memorial Hall in
December. Please contact Mary Powell if you have any offerings for the stall
and do come along on Saturday 14th December. There will be pot plants too. There will not be a cake stall and
coffee morning in December, but come on 25th January to buy a cake and enjoy a cup of coffee. Offers of cakes for the stall
will be welcomed by Mary Powell.
Christmas is rushing towards us at a great pace and the first of the Christmas
Services will be the Benefice Family Carol Service on Sunday 8th December at 10am.The usual, lovely 'Carols by Candlelight' will be on Sunday 22nd December at 6.30pm. On Christmas Eve the Crib Service will take place at
5.30pm and Holy Communion at 11.30pm. On Christmas Morning, Holy Communion will
take place at 8.00am and Christmas Morning Worship will be at 10.00am.
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The Bible Study groups will continue after Christmas, in the week beginning
Monday 6th January.
The Annual Church Sale will be in January again this year on Saturday 18th and will be held in the Church – not the Memorial Hall. There will be all
the usual stalls, raffle and teas. Offers of help to Mary Powell please.
Rachel Johnson
ST. PETER'S CHURCH CRAFT FAIR
Once again St. Peter's Church hosted a very successful Craft Fair on 2nd November. A bright and sunny morning meant folk came early from Hooky and the
wider community. By 11am the church was buzzing as folk enjoyed the glorious
array of stalls which offered a vast variety of superb work. Some of the new
exhibitors were amazed and delighted at the enthusiasm of the shoppers, of
course those who have become regulars are well used to the lovely atmosphere,
the fellowship and the fun that St. Peter's craft fair always produces.
Toymaker Ken Bucknell and Silversmith Patrick Foye were heard to agree that a
day at St. Peter's is quite uniquely enjoyable.
Many of the talented crafters gave demonstrations and it was fascinating to
watch a cane chair being expertly woven and re-seated as the day progressed, by
Christine Hodson, just one of the many skilful people who ensure that old and
traditional skills are not forgotten. Technology is great, where would we be
without it, but it's good to know that crafts are still alive as proven at St.
Peter's.
The new upper room in the Tower was put to an unusual and enterprising use for
the day. Reflexologist Angela Way, set up a treatment area and offered mini
sessions of hand or foot massage for which donations were given to St. Peter's.
Also in the upper room a representative of Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness
clubs gave free advice and weighed and tested those who wanted to check their
fitness and body fat! Of course there were many who ventured up just to enjoy
the wonderful view of the busy and beautiful church set out below them.
The Grand Draw was, as always, well supported and the first prize – a trip
for two to Portugal, generously donated by John Perris of Witney Travel –
was won by Kate Rudd who was delighted with her good fortune. The fabulous
Christmas Hampers were sponsored by the congregation and friends of St. Peter's
and due to the generosity of local businesses and many individuals there were
50 other prizes, my grateful thanks go to all who helped in this way.
Thanks are also due to all those who sold Draw tickets prior to the fair, to
all who helped on the day, lifting and shifting, making refreshments, manning
the door and Grand Draw stall and of course the traffic wardens who did such a
grand job especially when the rain tried to dampen proceedings! Very special
thanks also to the small group who cleared and cleaned the Church at the end of
a long and busy day. Financially the Fair and Draw brought in over £3,100
for the Tower Fund, a truly wonderful amount. Thank you to all who supported
the event.
Jan Hughes
ST PETER'S TOWER PROJECT
As you may have noticed, the last two segments on our target board have now
been removed. We have now achieved our target of £140,000 in just over two
years. This is including all those pledges, which have been made, but have
still to be collected. This also means that the interest free loans, which were
given to enable us to complete the works will be able to be repaid, on time, in
February of next year. Our grateful thanks to those who have contributed with
their work and support. We thank God, in our prayers for his guidance to all
those involved in this project. At the forefront of the project have been the
words of Psalm 127, verse 1
'Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.'
TOWER PROJECT PENITENT
This early dissident cannot let the achievement of the St. Peter's Tower
fundraisers in getting £140,000 in two years pass without recording her
admiration for their tenacity, determination, energy and willingness to go on
and on. Whilst reaching their objective, people have been entertained and it is
hoped that some of those activities will become village traditions. Meantime,
surely they're going to have a rip roaring celebratory party.
Sheila Terry
CHRISTMAS TREES
We are sorry that St. Peter's Church will not be selling Christmas Trees this
year. We have always had them supplied by Lidstone Nurseries near Enstone and
we are sure they will be pleased to see any of our old customers and meet your
requirements. Thank you for your support over the years.
Mary Powell
HOOK NORTON LOCAL HISTORY GROUP
This has been a memorable month for our group. Locally born John Leighfield
centred his illustrated talk on maps of Hook Norton and thus we were able to
see its development from the 16th century onwards. The early coloured maps were beautiful as well as clear but
Ordnance Survey (all maps were originally made for military purposes) and our
intricate road systems put paid to artistry.
As a coda to an earlier talk on Bell-hanging, we visited Brian White's workshop
in Appleton on a dry October Saturday and were thrilled to see a mixture of old
machinery still in use and new technology. We watched him create the actual
sound of a bell on his computer. Brilliant!
But the history making (as it were) highlight of the month was the opening of
your own Hook Norton Local History Museum and Archives on 26th October by Richard Munro, our County Council's Head of Cultural Services. It
was a carnival occasion and the guests, most of whom had contributed artefacts,
were astonished by the professionalism of the display. I wasn't. I had watched
for the past year, Barbara Hicks – our Archivist – faithfully helped
by Nancy Pargeter, work herself to the bone to get everything absolutely right
down to the last printed letter.
The Museum is in the room which the Clarke's kindly allow us to use, reached by
the far staircase in the Brewery Visitor Centre. It houses pieces of railway
and equipment, ironstone workings, the village bier, tools, domestic artefacts,
church and band and chapel pieces, photographs, pictures etc. I could go on.
Should you wish to inspect our 1000 photographs or parish registers then please
contact us. Please visit. It is your museum; your history.
Sheila Terry – Chairman
Future dates for your diary are:
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3rd December – Dipping into the Wells,
7th January – Bletchley Park Trust and
4th February – The Aspirin Man.
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DOWN MEMORY LANE
The Local History Group has had a letter from Mr B Cresswell from the Isle of
Man who is descended from the Luckett and Phipps families. His mother was Anne
Luckett, born 1871, daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth Luckett. Anne Luckett
married William Day. Mr Cresswell has sent several photographs of the Day
family men featuring in Tugs-of-War in Hook Norton. Reuben's mother was Harriet
Phipps and his father was David Luckett. In the 1940s Mr Cresswell, as a boy,
came with parents to Hook Norton and visited relatives of the Luckett and
Phipps families. Anne Luckett had at least eight brothers and sisters. Virginia
married a William Phipps and they kept the Six Bells at Headington Quarry.
William served in the Military Police in London. When Reuben and his family
lived in Hook Norton in 1891 they lived at Boswell's Court, probably in
Southrop. Any ideas where that would be? Mr Day has a postcard of a later date
with scraps of an address. No 1 Ba... ford..... Hoo.....Can anyone shed any
light on this address or possibly be a descendant?
Can anyone identify these old Hooky pubs: The Old Red Lion in Southrop, The
Plough High Street, The Crown High Street and The Bird-in-Hand? Also does
anyone know when 'Horse Fair' changed to 'Sibford Road'?
Contact Barbara Hicks
HOOK NORTON REMEMBERED
Our daughter, Amanda, was born in November 1954. My father nagged me to buy a
house so when the semi-detached house adjoining the Police House, came up for
sale I decided to buy and obtained a mortgage from Banbury Rural District
Council.
The house was a typical Victorian semi but needed much work. There was a shared
path leading from the road to the front doors of both houses but there was no
side entrance so anything for the back had to go through the house. There was a
legal arrangement that both houses had a wheel-barrow access to the back
gardens through Mr Lines' farmyard. However, Mr Lines alleged that this had
been abused in the past and so he had put a lock on the gate. John Walker, the
policeman, had ignored the whole thing and as I would have to cross his garden
to reach mine, I too had to ignore it. However when Mr Lines discovered that my
great grandmother was a Lines from Sibford Ferris, his ancestral village, he
said that I could borrow a key from him. I never did because I didn't want to
fall out with the village policeman.
By this time Hook Norton had a piped water supply and sewage system but because
the house had no side access a water pipe had been laid on surface to a stone
sink in the kitchen and no further progress made. There was no bathroom, no hot
water and no flushing toilet. I bought a range-type fire grate with a back
boiler to replace the old cooking range and, with the help of my friend, Nelson
Bowler, I created an airing cupboard and a hot water supply to the kitchen
sink. The bathroom was another problem. With two children and a mother-in-law
there was no spare bedroom so we managed by using a large galvanised bath in
the kitchen. Our toilet consisted of a small lean-to in the back yard
containing a wooden seat over a large bucket and we had to bury the contents in
the garden as and when necessary. The Police House next door had a septic tank
so I asked the Council for permission to connect in. The architect's department
agreed if I paid a fee of £250 and £50 a year in maintenance charges.
This was out of the question so I had to make other plans. The Laurels next
door belonged to the Manor House opposite, so I went to see Mrs Crossman
seeking permission to lay pipes to the main sewer through the grounds of The
Laurels. She agreed but the managing board of Mann, Crossman, and Paulin, the
brewers who managed the property, would not agree. Then, at school one day we
had a visit from the Health visitor, Rosemary Ashby who had recently moved into
a bungalow in Scotland End. She had a chemical toilet in her shed which I could
have. When installed it made a tremendous improvement. The ritual burials still
had to be made but were not so unpleasant, at least until Barbara's brother and
family stayed with us for three months while he looked for work. Mrs Crossman
sent a message asking if I would go to see her. She had a plan of our area of
Hook Norton and pointed out a triangular piece of land between the gardens of
the Police house, my house and The Laurels on one side and land sold to the
County Council for the school on the other. This land surrounded an
open-fronted barn and retained vehicular access to the barn from Watery Lane
and a wheelbarrow gateway through to the garden of The Laurels. She said the
barn had not been used since the school was built and as her sister, Miss
Youell, who had lived in The Laurels had died, the property might be sold. She
thought I might like to buy the land and barn to give me access and a garage. I
didn't think I could afford it, but the nominal sum she asked meant the sale
was clinched. The Council tried to stop me from using car access but Mrs
Crossman's lawyers, sorted the matter on the premise that the access was
attached to the land.
Geoff Walton
HOOKY FIREFIGHTERS
"Providing fire cover for the community of Hook Norton and surrounding
areas 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year"
Firstly on behalf of all Hooky Firefighters can we say a big thank you for all
who attended the annual bonfire at the Brewery. It was a great event and raised
over £1,500. Our thanks go to all who, in one way or another, helped us to
put this event on from the posters to pulling pints and lighting the fireworks.
This year we have decided to split the proceeds to two charities, the first
being the Fire Services Benevolent Fund who support and help not only serving &
retired Firefighters but also their families.
The second charity we are donating to is the Thames Valley Air Ambulance. This
helicopter provides vital medical treatment for the counties of Oxfordshire,
Buckinghamshire & Berkshire. Over the last few years the helicopter has been to
incidents we have attended and with this vital service, patients were given the
best possible care. At a Road Traffic Accident at Sibford last year, the Air
Ambulance attended and within 6 minutes of leaving the incident, the helicopter
had landed at The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with a team standing by to
provide care.
Once again thanks to everyone who contributed in one way or another.
We now have three New Firefighters joining Hook Norton. They will be fully
operational in January and will provide even more cover to ensure we are always
available to respond to an emergency.
Now on to the serious stuff! October and November were again busy months for us
as we answered a total of 28 calls. Standbys at Banbury & Chipping Norton
accounted for 12 calls. There were 2 Chimney fires, 1 smell of burning at Kraft
at Banbury and 2 False Alarms. A Harvesting Machine caught fire at Sibford and
a Car fire was attended at Chipping Norton. 2 Road Traffic Accidents were
attended and thankfully all involved escaped with only minor injuries. A
hayrick at Great Rollright accounted for a further 2 calls.
A fire at a disused building in Banbury was also attended with appliances as
far from Brackley and Oxford also attending. Faulty gas fires at Banbury &
Swerford started two house fires. In the incident at Swerford the elderly
occupier had smoke alarms installed and working. The fire didn't spread thanks
to her quick action in closing the door to the affected room, preventing a far
more serious incident. A chip pan at Sibford caught fire and caused serious
damage to the kitchen.
The final call was to a light aircraft, which had crashed on the outskirts of
Banbury. Sadly, the two occupants died and the cause of the crash is under
investigation.
As we approach Christmas, we hope you all have a festive one, but can we please
remind you to check that your smoke alarms are fully functional, as we hope to
have a quiet Christmas and New Year.
On behalf of all Hooky Firefighters we would like to wish a Merry Christmas and
A Happy New Year, and most of all - Be Safe.
Joe Williams
HOOK NORTON KESTRELS
At two recent meetings, Hook Norton Kestrels went badger watching and fossil
hunting. The children had to stay extremely still and quiet for 45 minutes in
order to see the badgers. While we were on our fossil foray they enjoyed being
caked in mud while finding out about when Hooky was a seaside resort some 165
millions years ago.
Tabby Lucas
Hester Watts (aged 8) writes;
"On Saturday 21st September the Kestrels went looking for nocturnal animals. There were about 12
children and 10 adults and we were hoping to see some badgers. It was in the
evening so we all had to wrap up warm and we took torches and binoculars. When
we had found a quiet space we all sat down and started looking for the animals.
We had to be very quiet for about 45 minutes and some of the children found it
hard and started to fidget but the others snuggled up with their mums and dads.
After a very long time we saw 2 badgers and we had to be extra quiet so we
didn't frighten them away. Colin, the Kestrel leader, shone his torch on them
so we could see their black and white stripes. All of a sudden there was
another badger so we saw 3 altogether. It was very exciting because I had never
seen a badger before.
On our way home we also heard some owls and saw some bats, which were very
small and flew very fast. At the end we all thanked Tabby and Colin for a great
night out and my Dad enjoyed it as well."
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Harry Parman (aged 8) writes;
"On the 9th November Hook Norton Kestrels met at a barn belonging to Mr. Tom Powell just
outside the village. We were looking for fossils. We did a quiz about some
fossils then we went on a fossil hunt. We found a lot of fossils including
belemnites, sea urchins and shells. After that we made a line of dinosaur
footprints. At the end of the afternoon, we made a giant timeline which went
back to when the world was created. We had a very fun afternoon."
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THE 'WILDLIFE RUN'
Having lived in this delightful village of Hook Norton for 7 years we have been
in the fortunate position of being able to walk to the village school.
With a change in schools, due to the arrival of secondary education for both of
our children, suddenly the joys of a 'school run' were now upon us. Having
spent most of my life in Kent before I moved to Oxfordshire the 'school run'
was definitely something to be avoided! This was mainly due to the amount of
traffic on the roads.
Here however, it is something to be experienced. (Provided you don't get stuck
around Traitor's Ford!) The total lack of traffic but abundance of wildlife is
truly wonderful. In fact, the 10 minute drive to Brailes (which Lucy has now
called "The Wildlife Run") ends up with us having a competition in
finding how many rabbits, pheasants, muntjac deer and hawks we can see. How
lucky we are to live in such a beautiful part of the country.
Clare Curtis
WILDLIFE NOTEBOOK - MID SEPTEMBER TO MID NOVEMBER
On 18th September, George Horn on The Green called to say that a Badger had dug a
large hole in their front garden border.
I am pleased to say that several people have called me in connection with my
comments in the last newsletter about Hedgehogs. Thank you very much. Clare
Curtis in Ironstone Hollow said that her husband saw a Hedgehog in their garden
sniffing their dog's food in the evenings during August and September. A lady
in Burycroft Road phoned to say that on 28th September there was a Hedgehog in her front garden and Mike Whitaker in
Sibford Road phoned to say that he had seen a Hedgehog all summer. I received
an email from Robin Tranter on The Green about 2 Hedgehogs living in his garden
which ate bread spilled from the bird table and that one of their dogs went
Hedgehog hunting at night. On 3rd October Rachel Johnston in Sibford Road phoned to say that she had
occasionally seen a Hedgehog, but that last year she had seen several every
night. At the end of September Pat Brayshay in Hollybush Road saw a Hedgehog
eating dog food in her garden and Celia and Kjell Trogstad in East End have
regularly seen Hedgehogs snuffling under the bird table. Julia Swift in East
End had a mother Hedgehog with five babies that were reared from July to mid
August in her back garden. This must have been fun to watch. This female
Hedgehog hibernated in their garden last winter.
Gweneth Edgington from Burycroft Road phoned on 12th October to say that she had seen a Goldcrest on the previous three days. Tim
Burchell has been in touch about Kingfishers seen in the village. One in
Brookside on 3rd October, one by Paul Pickering in
Burycroft Road on 19th October and on
22nd October by John Wheatley from the bridge in Bell Hill.
On 4th November Tim also saw a Cormorant from the corner of Bourne Lane and 7 were
seen on the morning of 15th September flying over East End.
In East End a Buzzard was seen on and off over 2 days eating carrion with Crows
and Rooks in attendance ready to eat when it flew off. Kestrels and Jays were
also seen in East End, together with flocks of Long Tailed Tits flying over
gardens and Pied Wagtails on lawns.
Birds have returned to our gardens after their moult. It is good to see
Blackbirds, Blue, Great, Coal and Marsh Tits, together with Greenfinch,
Chaffinch, Dunnock, Robin and Wrens.
Julia Swift mentioned that she had seen a Grass Snake and Mike Whitaker had
seen a Bat. At the end of September, Bats were seen every evening in East End.
Muntjac deer have also been seen, as has a fox on 18th September. Pat Brayshay has seen 2 or 3 Frogs. Comma and Brimstone Butterflies
were seen on 25th September and a Small Tortoiseshell
on 7th November.
Cedric Brain saw the last House Martins on 2nd October. Fieldfares were seen on
2nd November. If anyone saw them before please let me know. Fieldfares, Redwings
and Bramblings come to this country in the winter. Various species come here to
join our resident birds, mainly from Scandinavia, but also from the Baltic
States and Russia where snow and food shortages force them to leave. These
include Song Thrushes, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Blackbirds, Starlings, Long
Tailed Tits, SkyLarks, Meadow Pipits and Lapwings. Sometimes there are periodic
invasions by Dunnocks, Coal Tits, Grey Herons, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Jays
and Waxwings which we saw in the village two years ago. Please contact me with
your sightings.
HOOK NORTON GUIDES TRIP TO SWITZERLAND
Continued from October issue:
Wednesday 7th
Today we went to Thun. After a stop at the railway station where the children
were allowed to use the disabled toilet as long as the adults paid 2sfr
(£1), we split into groups of 2 adults with 6 - 9 girls, to wander around
the market. Everyone had been given 5sfr to spend on a mid-morning snack so we
all headed for the nearest patisserie! We met at the Lake paddle steamer at
1.15pm for the trip across the lake. This was a beautiful trip and the water
was so clear that you could see the bottom. The coach met us at the other side
and drove us to the Niesenbahn railway where we rode on the train to the top of
the mountain 2362 metres high!
It was an incredible trip and totally breath-taking. At the top, unfortunately,
we were hit by cloud though we did see the lake that we had travelled across
that afternoon. At the top of the mountain we did our official horseshoe and
surprised 5 members of the group by getting them to do their promise! First,
Irene Hills (who is a guider with Marieanne and I) made her promise as a guide
guider, and then Lucy Holliday, Megan Wood, Sharne Reynolds and Olwen Hills
made their promise to be a guide. This was a lovely ceremony and Megan keeps
saying that she made her promise "in a cloud". It was bitterly cold
on the mountain and so we decided to descend on the very plush restaurant at
the top for some hot drinks. We tentatively entered to check if it was alright
but they welcomed us with open arms. We ordered 39 hot chocolates, 2 coffees
and a lemonade – they didn't bat an eyelid! The girls were perfectly
behaved and, as throughout the whole journey, we were extremely proud of them.
As we had promised them the day before, we returned to the indoor swimming
pool, for a swim and a game of volleyball, which they all enjoyed. We returned
to the chalet very late and decided to have a ploughman's for dinner at 9pm!
The girls went straight to bed, after a very long day.
Thursday 8th
We had to meet the coach promptly today and, to the delight of the drivers, we
were actually waiting for them! Terry and Harry drove us about 5 miles to the
bottom of the valley, which left us about a half hour walk up the mountain to
see the woodcarver. It was another beautiful day with perfect blue skies. We
met our guide for the morning who led us on our trek. Once at the woodcarver,
we took it in turns to go and see him at work and purchase gifts while the
others were able to purchase home made cake and lemonade. From the woodcarver,
we had a short walk to the Choleren Gorge where we ate our lunch. We then split
the girls up into groups of about 10 and, with 4 adults in each group, took
them through the spectacular and breathtaking Gorge. We wandered down to the
road, to meet the coach at 3pm and drove to the middle of Adelboden for the
girls to have a look at the shops and purchase an ice cream. We returned to the
chalet to get ready for the Swiss Evening. We had baby birthday cakes and
drinks for Louise's birthday and
then we gave everyone their tee-shirts to be worn at that evening's
entertainment. We caught the coach at 7.30pm to the same gondola that we had
ridden on Sunday. We went to the restaurant to join the other JEKA groups from
Adelboden (about 250 people). After our meal we gathered in a large room to
listen to some Swiss music and the other groups perform their entertainment.
The older girls in our group had written a song that we had learnt whilst on
our coach trips and when it was our turn, it went really well. We left the
restaurant at about 10pm and returned to the chalet by gondola and coach.
Friday 9th
We left the chalet at 10.30am to take the bus to the other end of Adelboden.
The day was, unfortunately, dull again. The 4 person cable car took us three
stations up to Sillerenbalm. Once at the top, we all had hot chocolates and
once again, admired the view of cloud from the glass windowed restaurant! We
split into 2 groups, sending the younger group down first on the scooters. The
scooters were metal and about 2 – 3 times bigger than a micro scooter. The
girls had to wear helmets and after a 10 minute practise, we made our way down
the 3 mile mountain! It was exhilarating and they all really enjoyed the
experience. By the time the second group came down, it had unfortunately
started to rain and was extremely cold but they all made it and I think that
the majority of the girls decided that it was the highlight of the week!
Afterwards we went back to Frutigan for a swim in the indoor swimming pool and
then on to the chalet to get sorted for our mad exit the next day! That
evening, as it was the last, we got the girls to change ready for bed and then
come downstairs for an indoor camp fire where we sang all the songs that we had
learnt during the week.
Saturday 10th
It was go, go, go this morning. We had to be out of the chalet by 12.30 so the
girls got their kit ready to be loaded into the van and the adults went madly
round checking and cleaning the rooms. The girls also had to gather all their
food together for the next 24 hours. When we left it was raining once again so
we settled in the local coach station so that the girls could eat their lunch
and spend their last Swiss francs in the local Co-op. At 2pm we left Adelboden,
with the girls singing! The journey home was much quicker as we were able to
use the motorways, and for supper, we stopped to buy chips to go with the
girl's sandwiches before continuing on to Calais.
Sunday 11th
We made really good time on the journey to Calais and arrived 2 hours earlier
than expected so we caught the 4am ferry to Dover. Once on board, we took
orders for breakfast – croissants, toast, hot chocolate and orange juice.
The English did not greet us at all like we had been by the Swiss! The girls
enjoyed their breakfast, if a bit early! The crossing was good and took just
over an hour. At Dover, we boarded the coach again, stopping at Oxford to phone
home at 7am; to warn the parents that we would be home 2 hours earlier than
expected. We arrived back at the school at 8.15am. The girls trooped off the
coach in their lime green tee shirts to perform the song that we had sung on
the Thursday night, much to the delight of the parents. Then, the girls
gathered their kit and left with their parents for a well earned rest.
Overall the trip to Switzerland was extremely successful. The girls all had a
super time; I am sure a trip to remember. The girls were all perfectly behaved
and a pleasure to take away with us. I would like to take this opportunity to
thank the rest of the team who helped me plan and run this trip. Quote by one
of the guides: "The weather has not been brilliant, but it hasn't spoilt
anything as whatever we have wanted to do, we have done!"
Julie Wood
TRANSPORT
Buses to Oxford.
Some minor changes to the 20 bus service between Chipping Norton and Oxford
took place in June. A change that affects us is that the 1407 service, which
gave a good connection off the 1342 from here, now leaves at 1400, which is
exactly the time our bus is supposed to arrive 150 yards away! Not many people
would rely on this! I have written to Stagecoach asking them to rectify this.
Good connections are still available off the 0942 and 1142 from here, but not
in the afternoon. Returning from Oxford, you need to catch the 1640 (1655 on
Saturdays) from Gloucester Green to connect with our last bus at 1805 from
Chipping Norton. A full list of times is available in the Post Office.
Peter Fry, Parish Transport representative, 730509
FIREWORKS
I sat through ten consecutive nights of fireworks trying to console a terrified
dog. I have nothing against fireworks on the 5th November but ten nights is not fair on owners of pets – large or small.
There are many villagers who feel the same so next year, could we please have
some consideration for our pets and have all the fireworks on 5th November?
Name supplied
ADRIAN'S LEAVING
Sadly we say goodbye to Adrian who is moving on to a new job – we have
given him a reference, but they still want him apparently!
We have made him promise to call in on his way home from work to pick up his
daily cake. Otherwise sales will plummet.
I'm sure that all our customers and staff will miss him, as we will. Adrian has
been a very important member of our team for a long time. We will miss his
sense of humour (most of the time). We wish him all the best and we are sure he
will do very well in the future.
Tom, Gloria and Joe Williams
LOCAL SCOUT UNPREPARED
Howard Hicks was unprepared at his eightieth birthday party recently when Jo
Hawtin, Deputy Commissioner for Venture Scouts in Oxfordshire presented him
with his Kings Scout medal which he had earned in 1939 and had not received at
the time due to the outbreak of World War II. He was also very surprised.
Barbara Hicks
Photo by courtesy of David Fleming
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LEUKAEMIA RESEARCH FUND
The Annual Coffee Afternoon and Sale held on
Saturday 16th November
in the Brewery Visitor Centre, raised over £2,300 and is still rising.
Many thanks to all involved in this event from the Clarke family
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FRIENDS OF BOURNE END SURGERY
On 31st August we went on a sponsored walk and raised a grand total of £635.50.
Many thanks to all of our sponsors and a very big thank you to Mr. Neville
Pearce who raised over £200 for us. We hear his knees are still very
painful so he really did go through the pain barrier and we are very grateful.
We now have sufficient funds for another electric couch for the Doctors' room.
We are so lucky to have so many wonderful people living in the village who give
us so much support. Without you – the villagers – the Friends of the
Surgery would not be able to carry on, so thank you all so very much.
Kim Woodward, Ellen Kershaw & Mary Healey
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Kendall John Warnes and Tracey Amelia Hambidge
were married at St Peter's Church
on 26th October 2002
|
James Alexander Howard son of Christopher and Lucy was baptised at
St Peter's Church Hook Norton on 8th September 2002
Alexander James son of Paul and Victoria Smith
was baptised at St Peter's Church on 15th September 2002
Jacob William son of Peter and Emma Robinson (nee Busby)
was baptised at St Peter's Church on 13th October 2002
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In addition to the festivities, now is the time to update the
Hook Norton Directory.
The application form for entries into Hook Norton Directory 2003 is available
via the Directory web page, (click the button to the left). We ask that you
complete your
entry and put it, together with the fee of £3, in the Newsletter box at
the Post Office no later than
31st December.
Once again St. Peter's Church hosted a very successful Craft Fair on 2nd November. A bright and sunny morning meant folk came early from Hooky and the
wider community. By 11am the church was buzzing as folk enjoyed the glorious
array of stalls which offered a vast variety of superb work. Some of the new
exhibitors were amazed and delighted at the enthusiasm of the shoppers, of
course those who have become regulars are well used to the lovely atmosphere,
the fellowship and the fun that St. Peter's craft fair always produces.
Toymaker Ken Bucknell and Silversmith Patrick Foye were heard to agree that a
day at St. Peter's is quite uniquely enjoyable.
It was an incredible trip and totally breath-taking. At the top, unfortunately,
we were hit by cloud though we did see the lake that we had travelled across
that afternoon. At the top of the mountain we did our official horseshoe and
surprised 5 members of the group by getting them to do their promise! First,
Irene Hills (who is a guider with Marieanne and I) made her promise as a guide
guider, and then Lucy Holliday, Megan Wood, Sharne Reynolds and Olwen Hills
made their promise to be a guide. This was a lovely ceremony and Megan keeps
saying that she made her promise "in a cloud". It was bitterly cold
on the mountain and so we decided to descend on the very plush restaurant at
the top for some hot drinks. We tentatively entered to check if it was alright
but they welcomed us with open arms. We ordered 39 hot chocolates, 2 coffees
and a lemonade – they didn't bat an eyelid! The girls were perfectly
behaved and, as throughout the whole journey, we were extremely proud of them.
As we had promised them the day before, we returned to the indoor swimming
pool, for a swim and a game of volleyball, which they all enjoyed. We returned
to the chalet very late and decided to have a ploughman's for dinner at 9pm!
The girls went straight to bed, after a very long day.
Howard Hicks was unprepared at his eightieth birthday party recently when Jo
Hawtin, Deputy Commissioner for Venture Scouts in Oxfordshire presented him
with his Kings Scout medal which he had earned in 1939 and had not received at
the time due to the outbreak of World War II. He was also very surprised.