PARISH COUNCIL NEWS
OVERHANGING HEDGES
May we remind parishioners that overgrown trees and hedges, which hang over roadways, can produce a dangerous reduction in visibility. Please check your trees/hedges and if necessary cut them back. Hedges adjoining pavements and footpaths can also be a nuisance and a possible danger after dark to pedestrians and should be kept trimmed back at all times. Work to trees and hedges should be carried out in the near future before the birds start nesting again.
PARISH PLAN
It is some years since a Plan was produced for Hook Norton and the Parish Council wonders if we should now be thinking in terms of producing another? A Parish Plan sets out a shared vision for a community and contains a detailed action plan to achieve that vision. The Plan would contain issues which matter to the village such as transport, parking, affordable housing, providing amenities for specific needs such as the elderly or youth groups, and the Plan can be used to demonstrate needs when applying for outside funding. Recently a Plan produced by Duns Tew led to the refurbishment of the Village Hall and a youth shelter, while the Deddington Plan has shown the need for recreational space. Oxfordshire Rural Community Council will provide both guidance and financial support for the process. If you believe such a Plan would benefit Hook Norton and would like to be involved please contact the clerk, Ken Porter, on 01295 758352 or by email kenneth_i.porter@virgin.net. If there is sufficient support we will arrange a meeting to provide more information. While the Parish Council will support the Plan, the intention is that an independent Steering Group should be formed to canvass the village and produce the final document.
RECYCLING
Following on from recent information about tetra paks we are now told that batteries can be recycled and one of the collection points is Hook Norton library. Others include Tesco and Sainsbury stores in Banbury.
We have been chided for not explaining what tetra paks are – they are the containers used for fruit juices and they usually have tetra pak written on somewhere. Oxfordshire County Council has informed us that it has now put in place special collection bins for tetra paks at the recycling centres at Grove Lane, Chadlington and Alkerton.


HELP – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The League of Friends of the Churchill Hospital are desperate for volunteers of any age who are able to spare a couple of hours a week, or could provide occasional relief cover to work in the tea-bar and shop to keep it fully open for patients, visitors and staff. From the income generated the League helps provide facilities and equipment for the hospital. It's a great way to discover a new circle of friends and at the same time enjoy a lot of job satisfaction.
All travel expenses are refunded. To have a chat please telephone 01865 771945 anytime or email at: lof-ch@orh.nhs.uk


FIREFIGHTING – DECEMBER EDITION 2007
Well it's certainly been busy at your local fire station, both on calls and on the charity front.
During July to October we have answered 57 calls for assistance. We've had to answer 32 calls for standby cover at Banbury & Chipping Norton, 11 False Alarms including an impending light aircraft crash in Adderbury. Fortunately this was averted. A fire at Churchill Church, an electrical fire @ Spiceball, a barn fire & field fire in Churchill & Chipping Norton, a car fire at Swerford & on the M40, 2 chimney fires & a cooker fire. The remaining calls came over what should have been a hot summer. Instead it was a wet one, where we assisted in Black Bourton, Bloxham, Great Tew, Banbury, the Osney Area of Oxford and Shipton Under Wychwood where we had to evacuate 60 elderly residents, 1 cat & a budgie from a nursing home using 2 boats from Manchester and a local farmers tractor & trailer. The residents remained in high spirits!! Literally throughout the evacuation.

Have you had your chimney swept? There has been a five per cent increase in chimney fires across Oxfordshire over the past three years. The increase has been directly attributed to residents not sweeping their chimneys on an annual basis before lighting the first fire of the cold season. Looking at data from the past three years, we can see that the most fires (42) occurred in March 2006. The safest month was June 2005, with no chimney fires.
Remember...
Apart from the calls side, we have been busy raising money for charity, So far this year we have raised over £7,000 from events such as Music at the Crossroads which was just over £2,000, £850 from the station open day, £3400 from the bonfire at the brewery - which has to be said was probably our best bonfire ever and could still be seen glowing from the sky at midnight. A donation of £800 from Nigel Matthews' Bonfire, plus other donations from organisations & collection boxes and we're not finished for this year yet!! Out of this we have donated over £5,000 to the Fire Service National Benevolent fund, £800 to Thames Valley Air Ambulance, and £1,000 to the Hook Norton Charitable Association.

We have also donated £500 + £25 from each fire fighter at Hook Norton to the Warwickshire Fire fighters appeal where 4 fire fighters lost their lives. If you wish to make a donation, hand it to any Hooky fire fighter or log on to www.warwickshire.gov.uk Our thoughts are with their families, friends & our colleagues.

We are still on the look out for new recruits; in particular we could do with a few more fire fighters for day cover to ensure we are at full capacity every time we go out. If you would like more information then call Ivor Matthews on 07967 317820 or call 0800 5 870 870 to register your interest and get an information pack

Hooky station gets 3 awards, first of all Crew Manager Nigel Matthews finally received his 20 years long service & good conduct medal from Chief Fire Officer John Parry, at the same time the crew of Hook Norton received 2 awards for continuously providing cover to the Hook Norton area 24 hours a day 7 days a week during 2006 but also for maintaining 2000 continuous days cover which is a testament to current and past crew members that we are always available.

Congratulations to Ben & Melinda on the birth of baby boy Oliver George.

Thanks to everyone who has supported the station through various situations, incidents or events - it is appreciated. In particular, our families & partners who are quite understanding at 3am or when the tea is ready....you get my drift!! Thank You!!
All it remains for us to say is have a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. Remember to be safe on the roads. Ensure you have plenty of batteries. DO NOT take them out of your smoke alarm for the kids toys even for 5 minutes. Turn your Christmas lights etc off before you go to bed but most of all - be safe!!
If You Need Fire Safety Advice, call 0800 0 325 999
Remember To Toast New Year. Not Your Tree!!


SPECIAL EVENTS SAY GOODBYE TO OXFORDSHIRE'S MILLENNIUM
Symphonie Conique in Chipping Norton and Henley
Centrepiece of the celebrations is Symphonie Conique, a magical forest of spires - some of them up to 40 feet high – which change colour and also respond to people around them with different sounds. A soundtrack unique to Oxfordshire has been created, which includes bells, horses' hooves and even the Friday night chip shop!
Symphonie Conique, which is produced by French company Airvag and has travelled around the world, will make an appearance in Chipping Norton on December 6 (creating an echo of the ancient Rollright Stones on the Common), Henley (reflecting in the water and on one thousand years of history by the riverside) and Oxford (Broad Street) on December 7. All ten cones will then be reunited in Oxford for one magical showing.
Symphonie Conique will add a millennium dimension to the Christmas lights switch-on and festive celebrations in Chipping Norton and Henley.
In Chipping Norton, a candlelight procession to the Common is part of an evening which also includes late-night shopping (until 9pm), stalls, roundabouts and rides, a Christmas bazaar in the Town Hall and a pig roast. In Henley, traditional celebrations also include late-night shopping, plus carol singing round Christmas tree in the town square.
Thursday December 6: Chipping Norton Lights Up
6pm-10pm, Chipping Norton town centre and the Common Ground, New Street,
6pm, Christmas lights switch-on with Mayor followed by 6.30pm, procession to Common Ground
Produced in partnership with Chipping Norton Theatre, Chipping Norton Town Council and Chipping Norton School. Supported by Oxfordshire County Council, Arts Council England, Emma's Trust and Chipping Norton Town Council.

HEARD ABOUT “CARBON FOOTPRINTS”?
DO YOU WANT TO WORK OUT YOURS ?
When you hear the pieces in the media about International Climate Change Agreements in Bali does it make you question “well can I really make a difference here in Hook Norton” ? Well, yes we really can make a difference, because showing that we are making choices to counter climate change gives the clearest signals to our political leaders that it is time to stop taking about climate change and taking action! An excellent example is Hook Norton school where, led by Nellie Crouch and the eco committee, we are now releasing 3 tonnes less carbon dioxide per year – that is the equivalent of 300,000 normal sized balloons filled with carbon dioxide ! The beauty as far as the school is concerned is that is also saving £600 every year. Has this needed large investment? No ! The savings have largely come from the children empowered to remind teachers about turning lights and computers off when they are not needed.
It is when groups of us come together that we can make a real difference and the changes each of us make soon add up. We do not all have to be at the “cutting edge” of sustainable living but so we can all demonstrate that we are truly thinking about our own energy use and minimising it year on year.
The “eagle-eyed” amongst you might have spotted a review of carbon calculators in the Sunday Observer on the 4th November. Carbon calculators help people work out the amount of energy they use in a year – often referred to as your “carbon footprint”. The one we have just put together at the charity I run, The National Energy Foundation, came out top of all those reviewed and comments included “the recommendations section is brilliant”.
So I thought you might be interested in having a go at working out your carbon footprint and seeing ways in which you can save money, reduce carbon emissions and make a personal contribution to countering climate change. Please have a look at the web site below; as the Observer correspondent found it only takes 8 minutes! Just go to: www.nef.org.uk and see.
Alternatively, if you want to get together with a group of like-minded people for a session where we can talk through what is involved and share ideas on what we can do as individuals and as a community, then please let me know (contact details below). Hook Norton primary school has kindly said that they would be happy for me to arrange a session using their computer room on one evening that fits in your and the school's busy diaries. So if you would like to come for a 30-60 minute session at the school and walk out with your carbon footprint and some practical steps you can take then do give me a ring or drop me an e-mail.
It's confession time for me on this point ! When I joined The National Energy Foundation (NEF) in 2005 I had been working in the broad “environmental” area for 15 years on issues such as how to minimise the impacts of major oil spills by working with natural processes rather than against them. I would have said I was environmentally aware person.
But then along with everyone else in the team at NEF I calculated my carbon footprint. I was horrified to see that the personal footprint that I had direct control over was 11 tonnes, compared to the average UK person of 5.5 tonnes.
I was at double the average! Why was this? Well my personal travel contributed 9 tonnes to the total having flown over to Australia to visit my sister in 2005.
In 2006 I managed to get this down to around the UK average of 5.5 tonnes through a combination of cutting out long haul flights entirely (although not being able to resist one flight to Switzerland for some ski mountaineering). Reducing emissions from my house through topping up loft insulation (not only cutting down heat losses but also now knowing where everything is in the loft !), installing a condensing boiler, putting in 4m2 of flat plate solar panels to provide half my hot water needs, and switching my electricity supply to Good Energy with its 100% renewable sourcing.
But that still only got me down to the UK average, and here I was leading an organisation that is itself providing leadership in the UK on climate change.
So what was the largest source of my emissions? Well I was still commuting a regular 35 miles each way in a fairly standard 1.6 Rover doing 35 miles to the gallon.
So the step change in 2007 was changing my car from a petrol car that did 35mpg to a 2004 Polo diesel at 60 mpg. I also run it on 100% biodiesel from waste oil, reducing my emissions by a further 70-80% on top of making the switch to a more fuel efficient, smaller diesel. I have also concentrated on reducing the mileage by reducing the number of journeys, and also cycling 10 miles each way (a 1/3 of the distance to work) on average one day a week.
I have reduced my footprint in 2007 to down to just below 2 tonnes - which is the UK Government target for 2050.
And do I feel “I've cracked it” ? No, certainly not. I know that while I have been able to reduce my own personal emissions by using waste oil derived biodiesel, it is a limited supply. So, I need to do more to reduce my mileage more and “Get on my Bike” !
Can I really justify living 35 miles from my place of work even though we all know there is no better place in the world than Hook Norton? Or given we are not on mains gas could we encourage a local supplier of wood pellets and switch from dwindling oil stocks to sustainable wood fuel? Since cars are here to stay in Hook Norton would other people like to be able to buy biodiesel from waste oil in the village?
So it is a journey ! Would you like to be on the journey together?
Contact Tim Lunel on 730446 or lunel@btinternet.com


BOOSTING RECYCLING, SUPPORTING LOCAL GROUPS

WHAT IS CHERWELL'S BLUE BIN FUNDRAISING SCHEME?
Following a trial period, Cherwell District Council would like to push its blue recycling wheelie bin fundraising scheme with Parish Councils further, to encourage more householders to use bins. By supplying more blue recycling 'wheelie' bins, Cherwell hopes to promote further recycling.
These wheeled containers means that householders have more space for their recycling, keeping it securely out-of-doors and making it easier for it to be moved to the pavement on collection day.
Bins are available at the cost of £20; when provided through a Town / Parish Council or other not-for-profit group. Of that, £5 will go to the Parish Council or group to spend as they wish as a commission payment from Cherwell District Council.
Mixed dry recyclables from your blue bin or boxes – that is food/drink cans, plastic bottles and containers, paper and card, newspapers, directories and magazines and aerosol cans – can be taken for recycling, rather than dumped in landfill tips.
Please do get in touch if you'd like more information from Cherwell District Council; email customer.service@cherwell-dc.gov.uk or call 01295 221940.


ARE YOU AGED 60 YEARS OR OVER?

HAVE YOU HAD A RECENT FALL? ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT FALLING? AGAIN?
The problem of falling increases as we get older. Falls are usually caused by a number of things, by changing some of these you can lower your chances of falling.
The Oxfordshire Falls Service offers programmes to help reduce the risk of falling.
If you would like any information about our service for yourself or for a friend/relative, please call our office on: 01993 209556. The Falls Prevention Service is delivered in partnership between the Oxfordshire PCT and Social and Community Services.
Oxfordshire Falls Prevention Service Exercise Sessions
Gentle seated exercise - free taster sessions for clubs/groups with a fully qualified Keep Fit Association teacher. The benefits of exercise are numerous:
Give more energy and help you sleep better
Make your heart stronger
Make your bones and muscles stronger
Help with mobility and flexibility
Improve self-esteem and sense of well-being
Have fun and socialise with friends
All exercise takes place in a seated position and involves music and the use of small apparatus. For further information contact: Shirley Wong, County Exercise Coordinator For Older People in Oxfordshire, Social & Community Services in partnership with Oxfordshire Falls Prevention Service Tel: 07765282734

CHILDREN'S CENTRES IN OXFORDSHIRE - CONSULTATION ON NEW DEVELOPMENT
As many of you may know the County Council is already developing children's centres in many areas of Oxfordshire and will have 29 children's centres by March 2008. If you're not sure where these centres are, please look on our website www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/childrenscentres or phone Oxfordshire Children's Information Service 08452 262636.
We are now planning to develop children's centre services across the rest of the county. This development will take place from April 2008 to the end of March 2010. There are likely to be another 17 centres.
A consultation, taking place this autumn, will include open evenings in the proposed areas for development, questionnaires, and focus groups. You can also get more information about the consultation and how to respond by visiting the County Council's website www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/childrenscentres. If you would like a paper copy of the questionnaire sent to you individually, please contact the Early Years and Childcare Service on 01235 549331 or email judi.clark@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

OXFORDSHIRE CHILDREN'S INFORMATION SERVICE
Oxfordshire Children's Information Service provides a wealth of FREE information and advice on childcare and services for children, young people and families. Your child may soon be starting school, so you may like to consider returning to work. OCIS offers advice both on choosing suitable childcare options and financial help that may be available to you, such a child tax credits.
If you have just moved to the area, or have just had a child, you may be looking for a local nursery or toddler group. We have a comprehensive list of all pre school provision in your area. We can help you find your local children's centre; an excellent place to get to know people and to take advantage of all the services they offer, such as crèche facilities, a drop in or childcare services.
We also offer information on careers and jobs in the childcare sector and one to one support if you are new to this type of work. Or, if you want to get straight into a job, we also produce a newsletter giving information on live vacancies in your area.
For all the information your family needs, call us on 08452 26 26 36, text 'information' to 07895 070818 or visit our website www.oxoncis.org.uk