This month, the Newsletter Box contained £11.56 – thank you.

Sadly we record the death of Richard (Dick) Bolton, aged 86. On behalf of the village we send our condolences to his family and friends.

Notification for requests for donations from profits raised at Music at the Crossroads 2008 on July 5^th.

This year the weather has not been kind to outdoor festivals with many around the country being cancelled or postponed. The weather affected us too resulting in profits being not as much as we had hoped. However, the HNCA will have funds available to provide donations although the number and individual amounts may not be as great as previously donated. We are particularly pleased that some of the organisations who ran stalls or events at MAC felt they raised enough funds on the day and are not asking for more.

The closing date for requests is OCTOBER 31^st. Please could you submit your requests for donation, in writing with a brief description of your organisation and explaining how your money will be used. Please submit your request by post to Peter Watkins, Little Bowden, The Bourne, Hook Norton OX15 5PB or by email to phil@hookymusic.co.uk

The donations evening is on WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26^th at 7.30 at The Hook Norton Brewery Visitor Centre. For more information visit the website www.hookymusic.co.uk

During w/c 1^st September I managed, by means of a senior moment, to lose the key to my husband's car.

Not too dangerous a situation you might think, but it is one of his business cars (Christopher's Chauffeur Services) and he was not amused when, having turned the house and my handbag upside down, there was still no sign of the key. It was with such a sigh of relief that we received a call from Tesco Store in Banbury telling us that the key, with a clubcard key fob, had been handed in by a lady who had found the key on the road whilst she was cycling through Hook Norton. The lady's name is Sarah Dawes and I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to her for going to such lengths to ensure its safe return. I don't have contact details of any sort for Sarah and, if she doesn't live in the village and have the Newsletter delivered, then I can only hope that someone reading this will know her and pass on my thanks to her. Her kindness is much appreciated.

This Day Centre for elderly members of the community operates each week from 10am to 3pm at the Baptist Hall, Netting Street.

Most members are provided with free transport to and from their homes and enjoy the opportunity for friendship and social support.

A varied programme of activities and interests is provided which includes occasional outings, quizzes, bingo, local history visits, sing-a-longs, music & light exercise, a library service and foot care etc.

Refreshments are provided and and a main meal is served and cooked each week. There is a small charge of £5 per week for each member.

WE CURRENTLY HAVE SPACE FOR 5 NEW MEMBERS. If you know of anyone in the community who might like to join us, please let us know. Telephone Pat Stratford on 737977 or John Taylor on 737315 – or call in any Monday bar a Bank Holiday.

Volunteers Required

If you are able to give practical help serving refreshments and engaging in friendly chats with our guests, the please get in touch. This would be as a volunteer, giving a minimum of two and a half hours a month.

We also require the service of volunteer drivers using their own vehicle to transport local elderly people from their homes to the centre in the morning, and/or take them home at the end of the afternoon session. CRB checks will be arranged for all volunteers.

Application forms will be available later on in the year for two parties (venue and date tbc). The tickets will be FREE to children who live in the village, attend the school or playgroup or are members of village clubs. Instructions and information will be on the application forms

The two parties will be for 3-5 year olds and 6-10 year olds. Under three’s are welcome to attend the first party with a parent, but a ticket must be applied for.

The senior citizens will be invited to join the first party with afternoon tea served.

The Hook Norton Womens' Institute will be having a talk on 'The Mary Rose' on Tuesday 18th November 2008 at 2.15pm in the Baptist Church Hall. As this is a subject of general interest, we invite anyone who wishes to come to join us. The cost for visitors and non-members is £3.00. R.S.V.P. To Alrys Morris Thank you

Well the new school year is upon us and the Friends of Hook Norton School are busy being friendly. We have lots lined up so that we can raise funds to pay for key items - not least the new school mini bus, which has, at last arrived (Hurrah!)

So here are some key dates for your diary. If you are feeling the credit crunch and don't fancy Harrods for buying your Christmas presents this year, how about taking the imaginative, big bargain option - our Christmas Fayre on Friday 5 December. It's fun for all the family and a little goes a long way, especially for children wanting to stretch their pocket money.

And after Christmas, you can be James Bond: come and see the wheel spin during Casino Night on 24 January, for those who want to bring a little glitz to Hooky life, to get a little shaken, if not stirred.

Let's not forget, as well, for those with zip in their legs, that you can look forward to Frog Racing on March 7.

Winter may be coming, but with FOHNS, spring is never far away. Why not join in and help us organize some more activities and raise more money for our great school? Interested? Then contact the school office and we can give you more details of how you can pitch in.

By the time you read this article, the ball will be just around the corner, being held on Saturday 11^th October, in the centre of Oxford. If you are keen to purchase tickets, I am sure there will be a few left, please contact me on the details below.

If you are unable to attend the ball, but would like to support this very worthwhile charity, I would be happy to receive a donation - cheques payable to Myeloma UK, or a donation for the chocolate tombola that I am running on the evening. Basically, we get donations of any sort of chocolate - big/small, box of chocolates, chocolate cookery book - all sorts of things would be fine as we batch the small items up so that there is a bundle of chocolate to win! Then it is run exactly the same as a normal tombola - prize if the number ends in a "O" or a "5". It is a great money spinner and great fun to have a go at. Please let me know if you have anything that you would like to donate to this and either drop it into me, or let me know and I can come and collect it from you. Many thanks in anticipation.

Once again St. Peter's Church looked splendid with the sun shining in on the entries for the Autumn Show. In spite of the weather there was a wonderful display of vegetables fruit and flowers. The flower arrangers excelled themselves and the homecraft and photography sections were of the usual high standard.

The children's entries get better and better at each show - especially the scarecrows.

The cup winners were;

Congratulations to all.

The AGM will be held at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall on Wednesday 15 October and after the formalities Rachael Mortimer will talk on Re-designing an old garden. All members are urged to attend.

Sibford Gower Jumble Sale

Saturday 11^th October, 2pm, Sibford Village Hall

Hospice supporter, Bernie Jones will hold her annual jumble sale with many genuine bargains on offer! Hospice merchandise will also be on sale including a wide variety of Christmas cards. Arrive early to avoid the queues!

Christmas Quilt Raffle

Tickets are now available for our Quilt raffle, at £1 each. Long-time hospice supporter, Shirley Moseley, has made and donated two exquisite quilts, each of a unique design. Tickets can be obtained from hospice reception and our six charity shops and the quilts can be viewed on our website at www.khh.org.uk .

Christmas Merchandise

We have a wonderful variety of Christmas cards and our 2009 calendar on sale at hospice reception and in our shops. Our Christmas merchandise can also be mail-ordered over the phone. We would be pleased to hear from any local companies and organisations who would like to purchase in bulk or perhaps sell cards on our behalf. Cards can be viewed on our website at www.khh.org.uk .

Please call Sarah on 01295 812161 for more information or to order your cards.

Lights of Love Services

Christmas involves the gathering together of family and friends and is a poignant time for those who face Christmas without loved ones.  Our annual services provide an opportunity to remember those close to us.  We produce a dedication form which can be completed and returned containing a message to a loved one and we issue each sender with a special ‘Keepsake’ card recording these details.  We also create Books of Remembrance containing a Certificate for each dedication and these are blessed at our Services.  Christmas trees with lights are placed in Horsefair and Brackley Church and are dedicated to those being remembered.  If you would like to be part of this scheme, please pick up a dedication form from one of our six shops or hospice reception, or alternatively, contact Sarah in the Fundraising Department on (01295) 812161. No previous contact with the hospice is necessary.

This year, our Services of Remembrance will be held at 7.15pm on Thursday 27^th November at St Mary’s Church, Banbury (this will follow the illumination of the Lights of Love Tree in Horsefair at 7pm) and at 6pm on Sunday 30^th November at St Peter’s Church, Brackley. All are welcome to attend.

Recruitment – Following our open evening we welcome Neil Dorman to the crew. Neil will provide much needed day & night cover to the station; he starts his basic training on the 6^th October. However we still have vacancies on station, particularly for day cover; if you’re interested give Ivor Matthews a call on 07967 317820, call in on a Wednesday between 7pm-9pm or go online at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

Congratulations to Watch Manager Ivor Matthews & Firefighter David Page for completing 25 years long service to Oxfordshire County Council & Crew Manager Nigel Matthews for completing 20 years as Station Representative for the Firefighters Charity. All of whom will receive formal acknowledgement shortly. The station will again for the 4^th year running be receiving an award for 100% availability of the appliance for 2007/08 to be presented by Chief Fire Officer John Parry.

365 Alive – Have you visited the website? If not why not log on today it gives information of what we plan to do over the next 10 years reducing Road Traffic Collisions, House Fires, Arson & educating young drivers, you can also take the 365 Alive pledge.

Electrical Blanket Testing – at time of printing this article there are vacancies at Banbury & Chipping Norton Fire Stations to have your electric blanket tested and get further fire safety information, this service is free all you need to do is make an appointment by calling 01865 815607.

Winter Fire Safety – Have you had your Chimney swept yet?

Calls - During June to September we have answered 56 calls, 32 Standbys for Banbury & Chipping Norton we have also answered a variety of calls like 6 False Alarms, 2 Car Fires, a barn fire, flooding at Swerford, a tractor fire in Hook Norton, bedroom fires at Chasleton & Banbury, Electrical fire at Tadmarton, a garage fire & rubbish fire along with a house fire at Chipping Norton, a portacabin at Cropedy and finally a roof fire at Great Rollright with assistance coming from Shipston & Stratford Upon Avon.

At last - we are proud to announce our new club house is open !

Saturday September 13^th 2008 marked the end of a long journey for the club when we finally opened the doors of our eagerly awaited new building. The sun shone, the beer flowed, our Junior footballers enjoyed the bacon butties from our new kitchen and our senior team proudly stepped out onto the pitch from our new changing rooms.

Once again I would like to thank on behalf of the club everyone past and present who made it possible for this day to arrive. There are so many people over the past 8 years who have spent time on this project it would be difficult to list without taking up most of the newsletter, but you all know who you are, so THANK YOU !!!

Thanks too to our brilliant cricketers who despite not getting a home match at the new building have worked so hard over the past 2 months helping Kerrie and I get everything sorted - we couldn't have done it without you; special thanks to Melvyn, Bazza, Dickie, Dasher and Keith Palmer for helping us move all our stuff and fix everything in place and the rest of the team for testing the beer for us on Friday 12^th! (it was a hard job but somebody had to do it) Thanks too to our social boys Licky, Louis , Keith & SANI (and young Ben) for your handy work on our out door furniture and to Terry for making sure sky TV was up and working ready in time.

Well done also to Alistair, Rick, Mike, Chris and Colin, Melvyn, Dasher and Kerrie (my fellow project team) and to Nigel Matthews & his work force for all their efforts. Finally, the Brewery for their help and Chipping Norton Glass via Steve for our lovely mirror.

All that remains now is that we sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labour, may we have as many happy memories in this club as we have had in our old faithful white club down the field.

We hope that at some point you will come and see us for yourselves. We have loads going on now we are settled in so come and join us , opening times are below.

We also hire out the club for parties, events, and corporate days ask at the bar or visit the web site www.hooknortonsportsandsocialclub.co.uk for details. You can also down load membership forms if you wish to join (we are a members only club).

Look out also for updates on SKY TV and SETANTA fixtures on the web site or on the club notice board.

Hope to see you all soon - details of our official celebrations T.B.A soon.

Today is my 64^th birthday so I am sitting at my computer being pensive.

I was stationed at RAF Upper Heyford as a U. S. Air Force Captain from June of 1972 until August of 1975. My wife and I bought a semi-detached bungalow in Middle Barton, and I fell in with the crowd at the Carpenter's Arms. I developed a taste for ordinary bitter and darts, eventually winning a place on the darts team, although I don't recall that we were ever called upon to compete with anyone. I explored on my own a bit since my wife was at home with our son Scott, and the Carpenter's Arms regulars were perfectly at home there except for David Cattermole, one of my neighbors who knew of such delights as the pub in Hook Norton. We went there occasionally. For my birthday in 1973, I went to Hook Norton and bought a wooden keg of Hooky Bitter for a party. We set it up in my garage and drank the last drop. I remember that we got dinner forks from the kitchen so that we could dig out the hops when we were down to the bottom. I repeated this birthday ritual in 1974. In 1975, my last chance, I went to the brewery on a Saturday morning and found the General Manager. I don't remember his name, but he seemed to be the only person there. He was kind enough to take me into the store room, tap several kegs and select a good one for me. I was hard pressed to actually share that one after I got back for the party.

My daughter, Krista Kaye Hamilton Neal was born in the Headington in July 1974. None of us have made it back to England yet, but Hook Norton is high on my list of places to visit. I did find a Hook Norton beer pitcher on Ebay several years ago that is one of my prizes.

In my last article I asked if anyone else had seen or heard a Cuckoo and had one response as John Peck heard one calling on 30^th and 31^st May on Redlands Farm. As the years have gone by the sightings of these birds has diminished greatly. Janet Randall had a pair of Yellowhammers nesting in her garden and has seen a Song Thrush. At the end of July there were young of Blue Tit, Great Tit, Blackbird and Green Woodpecker around and towards the end of August Goldfinch and Robin. Three separate sightings of a Hobby were on 29^th July, 4^th and 24^th August.

Mr Atkinson phoned on 9^th August to say that for about three weeks whilst out walking the fields a mile from Swerford, in a sixty foot oak tree in which a pair of Buzzards had repaired a Crows nest from last year, he had been watching the progress of the young bird. He saw one adult strip a pigeon and feed the youngster and has most recently seen the young bird flying about which had something in its claws which, when dropped, he discovered was a young rabbit. Being able to approach within about five yards of this young bird was a great experience for him.

Flocks of Long-tailed Tits were observed flying across the back hedge of our garden on 22^nd July and 2^nd August. A Heron was flying over the fields in East End on 22^nd, 25^th and 26^th July, 11^th and 31^st August and a Cormorant on 18^th August.

Our last sighting of a Swift was on 18^th August. Please let me know if you have seen one after this date. Swallows and House Martins are still around and could be for a while, but we are now also looking for some early winter visitors such as the Fieldfare, Redwing, Brambling and Siskin.

Since the spring Janet Randall has had a Grass Snake in the compost heap in her garden - this is where they often lay their eggs as the warmth speeds incubation. Anne Swainbank showed me a photo, taken at the end of June, of the Grass Snake by a small pond in her garden. She has two ponds but the one where the snake had been spotted was surrounded by vegetation.

Whilst Mr Atkinson has been on his walks around the fields, over a period of months he has had the unusual experience of seeing about a dozen Badgers in the daytime.

Early August around teatime the buddleia in Martin Madge's garden was busy with bees, white butterflies and a Red Admiral. With better weather for a few days we saw a Comma butterfly a couple of times and there were many butterflies, mainly Peacock and Red Admiral on our buddleia. There was a Speckled Wood on 27^th August and 8^th September. There was an Oak Bush Cricket on 21^st August and also over the last weeks the Grasshoppers have been getting bigger. A couple of times there has been a Dragonfly flying around in circles in our back garden. They are very interesting to watch as they change direction suddenly as they eat, but they are so fast moving that it is very difficult to work out exactly which type of Dragonfly we are seeing. Towards the end of August when we went to move our wheelie bin, we spotted a Toad under it, so please be careful when you are moving yours, just in case.

A big thank you to the few people who contacted me over the last couple of months, but I really would like to hear from more people in the village with their sightings either by phone or email.