Hook Norton Newsletter February 2002

THE

HOOK NORTON

NEWSLETTER

February 2002

CONTENTS

FROM THE EDITORS ST PETER'S CHURCH ST PETER'S TOWER PROJECT VIDEO: c 2001 BAPTIST CHURCH BROWNIES HOOK NORTON GUIDES CUB LEADER HOOK NORTON KESTRELS PLAYGROUP WI THE CARE GROUP LOCAL HISTORY GROUP WILDLIFE NOTEBOOK FIREFIGHTING 1952 - THE JUBILEE YEAR VILLAGE CORRESPONDENT CLIC CYCLE CHALLENGE CONGRATULATIONS OSCAR HOOK NORTON NEWSLETTER JIM – THE END OF AN ERA PHILIP BARNES ANNOUNCEMENTS	PAGE 3 PARISH COUNCIL ELECTORAL REGISTER TRANSPORT Having Transport Difficulties? VILLAGE POSTERS HOOK NORTON REMEMBERED COUNTRY WATCH WILDLIFE ON OUR DOORSTEP – 16 MARCH COMMUNITY COMPOSTING THE TRULY USEFUL NATURE CONSERVATION DIRECTORY
PAGE 2 Valentines Evening Murder Mystery HOOK NORTON COMMUNITY EDUCATION CENTRE CALL MY BLUFF FILM SOCIETY Jubilee Celebrations A JUBILEE BALL HOOK NORTON BRASS BAND Folk in a Field	PAGE 4 Auction of Promises HOOK NORTON SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB Sports & Social Club - Design a Logo Competition HOOK NORTON FOOTBALL CLUB HOOK NORTON CRICKET CLUB HOOK NORTON TENNIS CLUB – JUNIOR SECTION GOLDEN JUBILEE FUNDAY HOOK NORTON SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB - SPORTS PROJECT SUPPORT YOUR SPORTS GROUND

NEWSLETTER TEAM

Advertising:	Judi Leader
Calendar:	Howard Hicks
Distribution:	Julian Bolton
Postal Services:	Mrs M Padbury
Proof reading:	Nigel Lehmann
IT/Web Support:	Martin Baxter
Treasurer:	John Stratford
Directory:	Diana Barber

FROM THE EDITORS
So, 2002 has arrived. I hope Santa was kind to you all!
I will resist the clichés about escape committees but Barbara has finally made it. Ten years as Editor is a fair "stretch" by any standards. I'm sure that everyone in Hook Norton will join the Editorial Team in saying a very big Thankyou and Well Done Barbara. I'm glad to say she hasn't left entirely and I am grateful to Barbara for her continued help and advice.
In my short time in the village, the newsletter has consistently been one of the few publications I read from cover to cover. We will work on the principle that "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" so don't expect to see very many changes. Having said that, if there is anything you would like to see in future editions, please let one of us know. I won't promise to act on all suggestions but if we can accommodate your ideas, we will consider them.
We're pleased to have received many articles this month; please keep them coming! However, some items have to be edited to fit available space and ensure that all contributions can be included.
Thank you for accepting the new deadline and we remind you that final text and advertising copy date for the next issue is 15 ^th March 2002 .
We must belatedly thank Sarah Knight from Class 6 of Hook Norton Primary School for her cover in the December issue and apologise for missing this in the last edition. Thank you to Dave Morris for the photograph of Jim and Consol on the cover of this edition.
Sadly, we report the deaths of Nancy Austin (late of Hook Norton), Stanica Jovenovic, Philip Barnes and Ivy Cooper. On behalf of the village, we send our condolences to their families and friends.

Newsletter Income & Expenditure Account to year ended 31/12/01

Income

Expenditure

Post Office Box	£248.74	Printing Costs	£3278.00
Donations	£1108.00	Admin. Expenses	£103.75
Advertising	£2221.00
Bank Interest	£4.99
Total Receipts	£3582.73	Total Payments	£3381.75
Balance b/fwd	£3497.02	Balance 31.12.01	£3698.00
	£7079.75		£7079.75

Andy Horne	Helen Foster
hooknorton.news@btopenworld.com	helen@monivea.freeserve.co.uk

Views expressed in the Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Editorial Team

ST PETER'S CHURCH

It is always a joy to see the Church full, as it was for our Candlelit Carol Service on 23 ^rd December and again for the Children's Crib service on Christmas Eve. This year, a crowd of cherubs looked down from the tower as the glass screen had been fitted in time. Both these occasions and the other Christmas services were much enjoyed.
Easter is early this year; 31 ^st March, so Ash Wednesday is on 13 ^th February. There will be Holy Communion at 10 am in St. Peter's, followed at 7.30pm by the service of Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes at St. Giles, Wiggington.
The Lent Course, entitled "Aspects of Prayer" begins on Wednesday 20 ^th February, 7.45pm at the School Study Centre and continues on 27 ^th February, 13 ^th & 20 ^th March.
On Saturday 9 ^th March there will be an Away Day for members of the PCC and DCC at the Mill, Burmington.
The Mothering Sunday service on 10 ^th March will be at 10 am. Details of services for Holy Week and Easter will be displayed on village posters nearer the time.

ST PETER'S TOWER PROJECT

The Glass Screen was completed just before Christmas; the disabled hoist is currently being installed and will be completed by early February. In addition the finishing touches are being made to the Upper Room and that will also be in use by early February. The only work now remaining is the installation of the new clock mechanism, and that is planned to start on the 11 ^th of February. Therefore by the end of February the clock will be back in action with the chimes marking the hour. The new mechanism is guaranteed to keep very precise time.
There has been continued fund raising over the last few months, culminating in the 12 ^th Night Ball at Heythrop Park, which was a superb evening and very well supported. It is hoped that we will hold a similar event next year. In the coming months there are a number of events planned, including:

A Valentines Murder Night at the Sun Inn;
A return visit of The Gwalia Singers for a concert on March 2 ^nd followed by supper at the Sun Inn on Easter Eve,
On March 30th , a concert is being organised by Paul Cann in St. Peter's;
On April l3th in conjunction with the Sports & Social Club there will be a Thomas Hardy Evening in St. Peter's; and
On April 20th there will be a concert by The North Cotswold Chamber Choir in St. Peter's.

Details of all these events will be on the various notice boards around the village.
The fund, including pledges, now stands at just over £120,000.00. Whilst we do have a facility for a loan from The Charitable Aid Foundation, the fund raising committee are confident that the target of £140,000 will be met by the end of the year. Therefore, rather than take up the loan, which of course will attract interest, we are seeking some interest free loans, which will be repaid within 12 months. Any sum will be welcome, if you can help please contact Keith Fowler on 737657, who will be pleased to discuss it with you and organise the loan agreement. We are of course still open to receive either donations or gift aid pledges. We would like to thank all those who have been so generous in supporting this project, with both time and money.

VIDEO: c 2001
Jo Chadwick writes; I have been overwhelmed by the success of this video and would like to thank all those who bought a copy and for the many favourable comments I received. I was helped enormously by David McGill who designed the cover for the video case and advised me on presentation. Over 130 copies were sold and a percentage of sales was sent to the Church Project Fund.

BAPTIST CHURCH

By the time you read this I hope there will be a discernible difference in the hours of daylight, as we look forward to the Spring. Many bulbs will be showing through and snowdrops may even be out. Easter is early this year, it's a time to look forward to. In a world of uncertainty God's sacrifice of His Son Jesus offers to those who believe, the certainty of life eternal. The stark cruelty of Christ's suffering on the cross gives each of us the hope of new life if we will only renounce the darkness of this world and turn our faces to the Light.
We look forward to our joint Lenten series with St. Peter's and our own celebrations for Easter which include a short service on Good Friday at 9.45am. The prayer walk round the village starting from St. Peter's at 10.30am follows the service and ends with hot cross buns and coffee back at the hall. Easter Day starts with Communion at 8am, followed by breakfast, with a family service at 10.30am.
You are welcome to join us for any or all of these events; be assured of a warm family welcome; we are child friendly!
Further dates for your diaries include Saturday Specials on February 2 ^nd and March 9 ^th , both starting at 10-11.30.
Holiday Club this year will be Monday 5 ^th –9 ^th August, with our family barbecue on the Thursday evening. Ian and Elaine will be down, so keep the dates free and don't let your children miss out!

Julie Warren

BROWNIES

The 2nd Hook Norton Brownies would like to thank Mace Stores and all their customers for helping with the collection of foreign coins (and English too!). Now that the Euro has arrived, we are going to send off for one last conversion at the beginning of March, so if you have any foreign currency left, the collecting pot will be in the shop until the end of February.

HOOK NORTON GUIDES

Planning and Fund Raising for our trip to Switzerland in August 2002 is well underway. There will be a total of 33 making the trip from Hook Norton and 9 from the rest of Cherwell Division. Plans are underway to raise funds to help finance the trip. So far we have had a number of donations, including one from Pete Watkins and Derek Matthews who had an event at The Bell before Christmas.
On Saturday 8 ^th December, 25 guides, guiders and parents (including 2 dads!) spent 4 ¾ hours bag-packing at Sainsburys, Banbury. It was great fun, brilliant PR for Guiding and raised £659.58p; a tremendous start for our fund.
We are planning to have another "Groovy Guide Funky Fete" at Easter in the Memorial Hall on Saturday 16 ^th March from 2pm-4pm. We shall have the usual things; a raffle, tombola, book and toy stall, cakes and refreshments. Please put the date in your diaries.
With effect from 14 ^th January, we have a total of 30 guides after another 4 joined us from Brownies; Amy Riley, Charlotte Smith, Sophie Allman and Rachel Wallington. Sam Baptie and Vicky Hills transferred to us from other units.
Vicky very kindly brought her mother Irene along with her and Irene has now joined Marieanne and I on the team. We have a fun packed term lined up with the Guides organising some of the activities themselves.

Julie Wood

Becky Watkins writes of the Girloree on Sunday 30 ^th September "Girloree is a competition with all sorts of activities like rock climbing, pushball, pioneering, camp skills (tents, wash stands) and first aid. We did activities in the morning and then had our lunch before doing more activities in the afternoon. There were lots of different units taking part and one of Hook Norton's teams came joint 3 ^rd . I had great fun and I will definitely go again if I can."

Hannah Butler writes of the trip to Wembley on 27 ^th October "The Big Gig was very loud and the stars were all jumping around. We went to Wembley by coach and there were about 50 Guides and Guiders from Bloxham and Hook Norton. There were lots of stars there like:- BB Mak, A1, Alstars, Louise, Liberty and the star guest was Geri Haliwell. My favourite was Alstars who sang "Bump in the Night" It was really good fun. Corrie Ricardo and Jessica Nicholls made their promise whilst Geri Haliwell was singing".

CUB LEADER

Wanted; Fit, enthusiastic person to become an uniformed helper with cubs for 1¼ hours on a Friday evening. Did you attend cubs or guides in your school years? Did you enjoy the camping, tracking, and other activities with your pack? Now it can be your turn to help the existing leaders at Hook Norton Cubs. We are desperately in need of a third uniformed leader to help us. Do you fit the bill or know somebody who does? Call us for more details.

Philip Shepherd or Gary Brown

HOOK NORTON KESTRELS

On 12th January we walked under the old railway viaduct to the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust Reserve in Hook Norton. The children pretended to be badgers foraging for food in the depths of winter. Tasty badger snacks found included a hibernating male smooth newt (which had travelled a long way from any pond), ladybirds, centipedes, millipedes, earthworms, snails, slugs and woodlice. Everyone had an enjoyable if somewhat muddy time and we would like to thank BBOWT and Mr . and Mrs. Page for permission to visit the site.
Future meetings include birdwatching in the Cherwell valley, a bluebell walk and a spring visit to Broughton Park. Hook Norton Kestrels is a joint RSPB/Wildlife Explorer/WATCH group for children aged six or over. We have a waiting list but if interested please contact me.

Tabby Lucas

PLAYGROUP

The staff, committee, parents and children of Hook Norton Playgroup wish to thank everyone who contributed to the Christmas Float. We raised £432 towards the refurbishment of the cloakroom. We are very grateful.

Hooky WI is pleased to welcome several new members and look forward to an interesting and eventful New Year. The Christmas Lunch on 18 ^th December at the Red Lion in Little Compton was immensely enjoyable and by the time this goes to press we will probably all have expert knowledge of canals and canal boats; the topic of the first meeting of the New Year on 15 ^th January. On 19 ^th February "Science in the Picnic Basket" is the intriguing title of a talk to be given by Mrs. Maureen Rhymes and the AGM will be held on 19 ^th March.
Look out for news of future events and outings in the Banbury Guardian District News and on the village notice boards. Meetings are held on the 3 ^rd Tuesday of each month at 2pm in the Baptist Hall and guests are always welcome.

Marion Roberts

THE CARE GROUP
The Care Group meets each Monday between l0am & 3pm at the Baptist Church Hall and is for elderly residents of the village and the surrounding area. Transport is arranged for all the guests and refreshments and lunches are also served / provided. Visitors, helpers and guests engage in a varied programme of activities and interests each week. The occasional shopping trips and outings are also organised for the guests.
We have enjoyed another happy and successful year together and would like to express our thanks to all the voluntary helpers and drivers who have helped to make it possible. Special thanks go to the group's coordinators, Sheena Maule and Anne Mckee.
If you would like to join the Day Care Group or know of someone who would benefit from getting involved, do get in touch.

Rev'd. J P Taylor. Secretary for the Care Group

LOCAL HISTORY GROUP
At the January meeting Ralph Mann entertained the group with stories of Oxfordshire riots and affrays in times past. We look forward to another visit in the future. On February 5th, Tony Higgins will talk about his recent publication "Soles and Souls" which relates the adventures of Swerford born John King as a missionary to New Zealand.
Those of you who remember the talk on Dad's Other Army will welcome Bill King as he returns on March 5th to tell us about Women In Air Force Blue.
We would like to thank the Hook Norton Market Stallholders for their generous gift.

Sheila Terry

WILDLIFE NOTEBOOK

Since seeing a Nuthatch on his bird table in his garden on 26 ^th October, Cedric Brain has seen a pair every day. Nuthatches are 14cm in length, can climb in all directions and an important ID feature is the gravity-defying posture with head pointing down. They are very attractive birds with a blue/grey back, rusty breast and belly and prominent black eye-stripe. They are alert and constantly on the move and their slightly elongated, streamlined shape also distinguishes them. Cedric has also seen a Willow Tit on his bird table and on 17 ^th December at least 14 Long Tailed Tits. A Green Woodpecker, which was seen in early December by Carol Stowe in the Glebe, stayed in the garden for a while. A male Blackcap and Bullfinch have been seen in Austins Way.
On 12 ^th January I received a phone call from Joan Stirling to say that for over a week a Wood Pigeon has been sitting on a nest in a prunus tree in her garden. Wood Pigeons usually nest between late-March and September, but Pigeons are unique among birds in producing a special fluid on which to feed their young. It is manufactured in the crop, is analogous to the milk produced by mammals and is called crop milk. They are not reliant on insects therefore are able to breed at any time of the year. We wait to see if the eggs hatch.
Many flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings have been seen around the village. Flocks of Lapwings have been seen on four occasions, two consisting of about 100 birds.
Already there is a morning chorus by some birds such as the Song Thrush, Robin, Wren, Dunnock, Blue Tit and Great Tit. In February listen for the first proper songs from Blackbird and Chaffinch - then you will know that spring is really coming.
When the snow was briefly around at the end of December fox prints were seen. The fox trail is almost a single line because a fox puts its hind feet into the prints of its fore feet and draws in its feet below the mid line of its body. Muntjac deer have been seen on several occasions.
In early February look out for frogs emerging from hibernation, seeking small pools and ditches. They wander a kilometre or more in search of suitable sites, males arriving before the females.
I have been in touch with Steve Holliday who has offered to lead a "Birds and Birdsong" walk on Saturday 20 ^th April. Our thoughts are to begin at 8.00am to get the best of the birdsong - any comments?
Thank you to those of you in the village who contacted me. Please get in touch as I really do like to report your sightings of any wildlife.

Geraldine Moore geraldine.moore1@btinternet.com

FIREFIGHTING
During 2001 Hook Norton Fire Fighters answered 147 calls for assistance, ranging from standbys to house fires, from alarms to Road Traffic Accidents; responding 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.
Hook Norton Fire Fighters answered a total of twenty three calls from 1 ^st Dec 01 to 11 ^th Jan 02. Of these, twelve were for standby at Banbury & Chipping Norton, three were chimney fires, two were false alarms with good intent; a boiler overheating on a canal boat in Banbury and a smell of burning at a shop in Chipping Norton. There was also one call to a Road Traffic Accident on the A361 where a car had overturned. Fortunately, the occupants had released themselves before the Hooky Fire Fighters arrived. The remaining five calls were to fires in homes around the area.
One was to a small fire in a bedroom in the Banbury area, one to a boiler on fire in Brailes and one to a roof fire at Souldern on New Years Eve. The remaining two house fires answered before Christmas could have claimed lives. One call was to a house fire at Hempton where a child had lit a candle to read a book. The candle had ignited bedding and the whole of the first floor was gutted, making the family homeless.
The last call was to a bedroom fire at Milcombe, with Hooky's fire engine being the first to arrive. On arrival they found a first floor bedroom on fire, while an elderly couple were calling for help from another bedroom window. The couple, trapped in the bedroom by smoke, was rescued from the house by firefighters using ladders to gain access. The fire was caused by a cigarette, which had not been extinguished properly. Thankfully neither of the couple was seriously injured and were out of hospital after one night.
Of the five house fires attended, only one house had smoke detectors installed and working. Thankfully, they alerted the occupier to the fire. Our message is very simple; "Wake Up And Get A Smoke Alarm". They can cost less than £10, are easy to install and they save lives. The incidents we have attended could have easily resulted in fatalities.
Every year over 400 people die from fires in the home and over 10,000 are injured. If you require any advice or assistance with smoke alarms or any fire safety issue, please call The Community Fire Safety Help line on 01865 719900 or E-mail: community.safety@oxfordshire.gov.uk

1952 - THE JUBILEE YEAR
What were you doing in 1952? Were you living in this village? What was happening to you? The Local History Group would very much like to hear about your memories of your life in Hook Norton during that year and to see any photographs of that time (& if possible borrow them for a while).

Nancy Pargeter or Barbara Hicks

VILLAGE CORRESPONDENT
Marion Roberts writes "I have been village correspondent for about 12 years and have decided that now is the time for graceful retirement. I cannot attend many village do's now and have been relying on second hand comment. There must be someone else seeking fame and fortune { 6p a line!}. It has been an interesting job and it keeps the brain ticking over. Email and Fax are both useful assets. Please call me if you are interested"

CLIC CYCLE CHALLENGE

Philippa Collins and Ricky Neal would like to thank everyone who helped raise over £5500 on our cycle challenge across Spain. As most of you are aware, the location was changed from India to Spain for safety reasons. In November, eighty six cyclists set out in two separate groups from snow capped mountains in Granada to sunny Seville. We cycled just over 240 miles in four and a half days, contributing towards the £210,000 raised for CLIC to date.

CONGRATULATIONS OSCAR

Back in 1937 when his local church was short of bell ringers, twenty two year old Oscar Hemmings went to help out and became a member of the Oxfordshire Guild of Church Bell Ringers the same year. He was so taken with bell ringing that he has never stopped; at Hook Norton, Great Tew, Bloxham, Deddington, Adderbury, Brailes and Bodicote churches.
At home in Hook Norton he has testimonials and certificates which mark his achievements over the years. In 1977 a 1260 Grandsire Triples was rung to commemorate his forty years as a Guild bell ringer and again in 1999 another 1260 Grandsire Triples was rung to commemorate his 62 years of ringing. At Brailes in 1971 Oscar took part in a 1260 Plain Bob Minor. This was described as ' The third successful quarter peal on the second heaviest ring of six in the world.'

He felt 'deeply honoured' to be able to ring in the Millennium at Bloxham and to take part in the noonday Millennium "ring" in at Hook Norton on the New Years Day. Oscar has taken part in some marathon peals and in recent years has been part of a team that has rung 5040 changes. 'I won't be doing that again' he says, 'It can take all of three hours'.
This New Year marked the sixty fifth time that Oscar has rung in the New Year. There can't be many people who have done that.
Oscar believes in keeping things in the family. He has a nephew Claude and of course, it was Oscar who introduced Claude to bell ringing when he was a young man. Claude has only rung in the New Year fifty times!
Oscar, Hooky sends you its warmest congratulations.

Barbara Hicks

HOOK NORTON NEWSLETTER
I am an avid reader from Australia of your excellent Newsletter as my paternal grandfather was born in Hook Norton. Frank Wyton was born to Annie Wyton in 1875. Annie later married Thomas Cox in 1876. I believe that Thomas Cox was the builder of his family home in Down End, Hook Norton. Is anyone aware of which house it is and if it is still standing, is it presently occupied?
I have recently read about the damage done to the cemetery in Tite Lane. I find this appalling and hope that the culprits will soon be found.
I thank you and the team for all the hard work that is done in preparing your newsletter. Keep up the good work.

Lee Oates loatesm@netscape.net

JIM – THE END OF AN ERA

Jim – If only we could see and hear those big heavy hooves going inexorably about their leisurely surefooted business of delivering beer in Hooky. No more; for Jim passed on after an awful onset of colic on Thursday 10 ^th January. Jim and Consul – his stablemate – had been a special part of daily life in Hooky, some 12 years in Jim's case. Participating in many shows, fetes, and parades, Jim was always such a gentle, genuine gentleman with an uncanny sense of occasion and these attributes made him so popular with children and adults alike. Jim took part in every Rural Fayre and Beer Festival over the years; mostly with Consul. The pair of them were such a memorable feature and much photographed… but no more. Farewell Jim, we'll miss you.

Roger Hughes – Hook Norton Brewery

PHILIP BARNES
Mary Barnes and Carol & David Chambers would like to express their gratitude to all friends and neighbours who have made the sad loss of their dear husband and dad, Philip, in December, a little easier to bear. Such kindness and support from all around has been so much appreciated.

Carol Chambers

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Harvey James, born 21st July 2001, son of Paul and Angela Sivell was baptised at St Peter's Church December 9th 2001.
Luke Charles, born 10th June 2001, son of Michelle Dix and Ian Street was baptised at St Peter's Church on December 2nd 2001
Barry & Linda are pleased to announce the safe arrival of their second son, Timon Connor Chapman on 16 ^th January, a brother to Kieran.