Copy for the next edition should be given to Mr. George Adams at "Karibu", Main Street, tel: 680286 by midnight on Thursday, 25thMayplease.
If you normally prepare your material using a computer, it would make my life easier ifyou could submit your offering in electronic form, though paper is, of course, fine. My ‘official’ e-mail address is: news-editor @ oxhill.org.uk if you wish to send me stuff that way.
This edition was edited by George Adams.
May 2
Is the Feast day of Saints Gennys, Athanasius, Mefalda, Wiborada, Waldebert, Exuperius and Zoe, and Ultan of Fosses.
It was the day in 1251 when Simon de Montfort suppressed the Gascon rebellion. That’s Gascon, not Garcon. Nothing to do with waiters. In 1482 Venice, in alliance with the Papacy, declared war on Ferrara, which was supported by Florence, Milan and Naples, and in 1536 Anne Boleyn, was sent to the Tower. She was the first of the Beheaded. The Authorized Version of the Bible (King James Version) was first published in 1611, and in 1670 the Hudson Bay Company was incorporated. Into what, my sources do not say. TheQueen Elizabeth IIset off from Southampton on its first voyage in 1969, and in 1997 John Major announced that he was stepping down as leader of Britain's Conservative Party, thus setting a precedent for all his successors to date.
Catherine the Great was born on May 2nd 1729 and Jerome K Jerome in 1859. There are no prizes for knowing what the ‘K’ stands for. Benjamin Spock followed in 1903, Bing Crosby in 1904, Peggy Mount in 1916 and David Suchet in 1946.
Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519, Joseph McCarthy in 1957, Nancy Astor in 1964 and J Edgar Hoover in 1972. The latter did NOT invent the vacuum cleaner. That was someone else entirely.
Editor
Scarecrow Festival
Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th June
In aid of Church funds
We hope that as many people are going to make scarecrows this year as did last. It was great fun last year.
This time we are thinking of combining the scarecrows with a car boot, plus plant stall, tombola, bric-a-brac and many other attractions. How about a pig roast on the Saturday evening, without the dance?
If you have any bric-a-brac items, plants or tombola prizes please let me know.
If you can think of a theme for the weekend then this might be a good idea, otherwise we could all just do our own thing.
It was so good last time, so come on Oxhill, let’s do it again!
Lilian Welsby, 680468
Thank You
We would like to say a very big ‘Thank you’ to all those people who have been so kind to us whilst we have been unwell.
We now seem able to improve a little each day, and hope soon to be fully back on our feet once more.
One of the advantages of living in a small village is the kindness of neighbours.
Joy, Bert and Heather Bloxham
June Issue
Please could I have all copy for the next issue by midnight on Thursday, 25th May?
If you normally prepare your material using a computer, it would make my life easier if you could submit your offering in electronic form, though paper is, of course, fine.
If you do use electronic form, the best format is a Word file with the page size set to A5 and Margins of 1.5cm all round. The News is currently set in Garamond 10pt, with headings in Lucida Sans Unicode 14pt bold.
My ‘official’ e-mail address isnews-editor @ oxhill.org.ukif you wish to send me stuff that way.
George Adams - 680286
More about Robberies
You will remember the report we carried last month about the robberies that have been carried out recently in Oxhill. The Parish Council, as well as those who suffered from the offences, have been talking to the police.
Good Neighbourhood Watch behaviour, together with basic householder security measures, help to reduce the chance of you being attacked by a burglar, but the police have pointed out another problem.
On the whole they have a pretty good idea of the people likely to have carried out an incident, and are quite happy to go and see possible perpetrators on our behalf. Unfortunately it is all too common for them to find these people with quantities of suspicious goods, but no means of proving that the goods were stolen, nor of identifying the rightful owners.
This is where the new material Smartwater comes in. A flyer is included with this issue of the News which explains Smartwater in great detail, and I urge you all to read it carefully.
Use of the stuff does seem a thundering good idea, and one which I certainly intend to take up. Gwyn and I are happy to act as a sort of liaison group for this. So if you would like to take up the offer made by the police, of a supply of Smartwater for £11.00 instead of the retail £35.20 please let us know and we will organise the collection and distribution.
Since anything you put off until tomorrow will probably never be done at all, may I suggest that you contact us today.
Phone us on 01295 680286, email news-editor@Oxhill.org.uk, drop a note through the door at Karibu, Main Street or knock on said door and talk to us.
As Mr. Nicklaus keeps telling you, “Maybe tomorrow, better today”.
George Adams
Compton Verney Wins Gold
We hear that Compton Verney Art Gallery has been named Small Visitor Attraction of the Year 2006 at the annual Enjoy England Awards for Excellence.
So if you have any small visitors, why not take them to Compton Verney and see what all the fuss is about.
Editor
Church Service Times
St. Lawrence Oxhill
Sunday May 7th - 9:30 - Easter III, Holy Communion. Rev. Bill Rolfe.
Sunday May 14th - 9:30 - Easter IV, Holy Communion. Rev. S. Knight.
Sunday May 21st - 9:30 - Rogation Sunday, Open Air Service. Mrs Tucker. (At Church Farm by kind permission of Mr & Mrs Heritage
Sunday May 28th - 9:30 - Holy Communion. Rev. Morris.
Sunday May 28th - 12 noon - Christening of Harry James Wixey.
Parochial Church Council
The next meeting of the PCC will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday 8th June at Andy Buchanan’s house, by kind permission of Mr. & Mrs. Buchanan.
Di Harper
PCC Retirements
Following the recent retirement from the PCC of Janet Gardner, Ann Heritage and Rosemary Brown we would like to take this opportunity to express our very sincere thanks and gratitude to them for the years of service and dedication to the PCC.
We shall miss them for their past experience in Church matters and we wish them well in the future and hope they will enjoy their ‘retirement’.
Carol Fox
Church Flowers
A big thank you to all who helped with the flower arranging in Church for Easter Sunday. The church looked lovely.
We are grateful to those who provided flowers and garden foliage, which contributed to the beautiful arrangements.
The new flower rota is out, and I am pleased to say that e have three new helpers to replace those who stood down this year.
I would like to express a special thanks to Gwyn Adams, who has helped the church in this way for many years and whom we shall miss in this activity.
Carol Fox
Notes of the Oxhill Annual Parish Meeting
Tuesday 11th April 2006 at8.00pm in theVillage Hall
Three people attended this meeting, chaired by David Hill – Chairman Oxhill Parish Council.
Douglas Nethercleft, Village Liaison Officer, had provided a presentation profiling this project which is run in conjunction with the Council for Voluntary Service. Through this initiative money had been made available to the Village Hall Committee to purchase chairs for the Hall and ideas would be sought for other village projects.
The Adult Learning Centre and Nursery facility at Tysoe Old Fire Station would in the near future need funding to enable it to continue. The Village Liaison Officer asked about the possibility of Parish Councils from surrounding villages giving financial support to this facility. This would be further discussed at the Parish Council Meeting.
There being no other business the meeting closed at 8.28 p.m.
Angela Kean, Clerk
Tea and Daffodils
A very big thank you to everyone who helped and supported in any way on Bank Holiday Monday, in particular to those who provided Oxhill’s famously yummy cakes and biscuits and the two Gaynors for making endless cups of tea.
The sun shone and we raised the amazing sum of £131.16 for Church funds – a good afternoon!
Jill Tucker
Open Gardens
Sunday 9th July - 11.30 onwards
Would anyone willing to open their garden on this date please contact Jill Rodwell on 680247.
Nature Notes
In Anglo-Saxon: Thrimilci – the month when cows give milk three times a day – the dairy month.
“Cow’s milk is not good for them which have gurgulations in the belly, but is very good for melancholy men, and for old men and children”– Andrew Boorde –Dietary of Health1547.
As last year, the Easter weekend was warm and sunny, the skylarks were singing. I heard the curlew calling, and on Easter Monday, driving out of the village, a Curlew flew low over the road, being pursued by a Sparrowhawk (the Curlew would have been too large for a Sparrowhawk to take, it would be defending its territory). I saw several Lapwings, once again doing their mating flights, and a cuckoo flew directly over our garden, but I have yet to hear one call. Also in the garden on two occasions we saw a tree sparrow. I got quite excited about this (sad fellow, I hear you say) because I have been looking for a sighting for several years without success. This is now a rare bird, although I have a farmer friend in Kineton who has a theory that House and Tree Sparrows have now cross-bred, but I somehow doubt this. The distinguishing features to look for on the Tree Sparrow is the distinct while collar with black cheek spots, the top of the head is a uniform chestnut brown (which can look black in dull light), whereas the House Sparrow has a grey forehead and only the male has a while collar. With the Tree Sparrow, both male and female have the same markings, as do the young – please look out for them – perhaps the numbers are increasing.
Checking back on last year’s nature notes for May I noted that five Buzzards had been riding the thermals high over the village. Well also this Easter I had walked the dogs to the top of Mrs Rodwell’s field and had sat down on the stile just to take in the sights, sounds and smell of spring (also a good spot to watch the Lapwings) and my attention was drawn by the familiar “mewing”. Quite close and low were (once again) five Buzzards all circling in quite tight formation like something out of a spaghetti western. As I watched, a solitary crow appeared and started attacking the Buzzards one by one. I could almost hear the Crow shouting, “come on, come on, five to one, that’s fair odds, I’ll take you all on!” He didn’t give up until he had moved all five away from “his patch”.
Recently on two occasions when walking down the hedge side of Church meadow, I have seen a Yellowhammer darting along the hedge only a few metres in front of me. Sadly this small beautiful bright yellow bird, sometimes called a Yellow Bunting or Yellow Yorlin, is becoming very scarce, changes in farm practice and loss of habitat now having the same effect as they have already had on other seed-eating migrants. Chris Mead recently commented that the bird is in dire straits and while the last census returned a population for Britain and Ireland of 1.5 million pairs, this number is now “dropping like a stone”. This little bird is probably best known for its song “a-little-bit-of-bread-and-no-cheese” in northern England, and in Scotland this turns into “may-the-devil-take-you-too”. As the devil’s bird, the yellowhammer was reputed to drink a drop of the Devil’s blood every May morning.
The brock and the toad and Yellow Yorlin
Tak a drap of the devil’s blood ilka May morning
The eggs of the bird are more or less covered with irregular lines or scribbles and these were thought, especially in Scotland, to be demonic messages, consequently the poor little bird was much persecuted. Thankfully this has long died out.
I have recently received a commission, part of which includes painting an oversized Dog rose – Rosa canina. I was curious as to why it is called a Dog rose. The 16th century herbalist Gerard also questioned why the emblem of England itself and its monarchy should have a flower called “dog” suggesting “of no worth”. Apparently the Ancient Greeks called the wild rose “dog rose” because they believed that the roots could cure a man bitten by a mad dog. The Romans adopted the name Rosa canina, which was then translated directly into English – so there we have it!
Grenville Moore
Any Ideas?
Following the recent receipt of grant aid from the Rural Outreach Fund for new seating in the Village Hall, if we can come up with a proposal t that will benefit the village as a whole we may be able to secure further funding.
The beneficiary of any monies received should ideally be an existing village organisation, but this is less important than coming up with a good idea.
Suggestions to the Editor, please.
Doug Nethercleft (VLO, Oxhill)
Cover Pictures
The ever-changing face of Oxhill. Who’s observant, then?
Editor
Letters to the Editor - Speeding in Oxhil
Hallo George,
I would be grateful if you could put this in your next edition of the News.
There are clear signs stating that the speed limit on the road through Nolands Farm is 30mph.
Sadly many locals use it to see how fast their cars can go in a straight line (?) down this narrow lane where very often visibility is impaired by trees, crops, corners and dips, not to mention the cattle grids. Unfortunately there is one particular vehicle - a blue Audi estate with a 'souped-up’ engine who does think he is on the race circuit and goes up and down at great speed, several times in a day.
Watch this space when he and the other guilty speed merchants hit something which will cause tragic consequences.
Robin Hutsby
I am amazed that anyone even considers doing as much as 30 mph along such a twisty lane as the one through Nolands, but then I find it surprising that so many people find it necessary to do well over that speed along Main Street. Editor.
Whatcote Bluebell Walk
Come for a gentle walk up to Hell Brake to see the Bluebells, and enjoy tea and scones on your return.There will be a well stocked produce stall.
The cost is £4.00 for adults and £2.00 for children, (Family Ticket £10.00) and this includes the tea and scones!
Provisional date Sunday May 14th Time: 2.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.
(Note change from provisional date and time)
The proceeds will go towards St Peter’s Church
Strong shoes or boots are essential!
Enquiries Telephone 01295 680007
Sue Price
Refuse Collections in May
May Bank Holiday
There will be no collection on Tuesday 2nd May.
Both refuse bags and green garden waste will be collected on Wednesday 3rd May.
Spring Bank Holiday
There will be no collection on Tuesday 30th May.
Both refuse bags and green garden waste will be collected on Wednesday 31st May.
Editor
Kineton Oil Consortium
The next order for oil will be placed in May. Please order your requirements by 6 p.m. on Sunday 28th May.
I am not able to give a price until after the contract is placed, but please be assured that the best discount will be obtained.
If I have information in time I will try to circulate the price per litre and the company that will deliver the oil.
Future consortium dates will be:
May 28th, September 11th and November 20th in 2006, and January 15th, March 19th, May 28th and September 10th in 2007.
Di Harper
Curry Lunch
SUNDAY 28th MAY - 12.30 p.m.
The Old Rectory
Donation Bar And Raffle
(If wet, in Village Hall)
Tickets for the Curry Lunch are now available, price £6, from Lilian Welsby, 680468, or Rosemary Brown, 680260
Ordination
After a year’s mutual survival between myself and the Queen’s Foundation, I anticipate being ordained on Sunday, July 2nd at 10.30 a.m. in Coventry Cathedral. Anyone who would like to come is very warmly invited.
Back in Oxhill, there will be a buffet lunch at The Old House from about 1.30 p.m. onward, both for those who made it to the Cathedral and for anyone who would just like to come along and join in the celebration.
This is very much a village event. Gaynor van Dijk is very kindly coordinating lunch, so any queries or (especially) offers of help please contact her on 680349.
For those who would like to come to the Cathedral, we have laid on a coach, which will leave from outside the Peacock (in Oxhill) no later than 8.45. This may seem early, but the Cathedral will be full to capacity, and you are advised to be in your seats by 10.00 a.m. Steve has very kindly allowed people to use the pub car park that day. There will be no charge for the coach. If you wish to use the coach please would you get in touch with Mike Collins (680564), leaving him your name and telephone number, so that we know numbers. The coach should be back in Oxhill by 1.30 p.m.
If you prefer to take your own car, we suggest you use the Cox’s Street Car Park in Coventry, opposite the sports centre, but again be early.
It would be lovely to see as many of you as possible then.
Jill Tucker
Free Horse Manure
Matured horse manure (12 – 18 months old) available at Church House.
Please come round the back (with your wheelbarrow!).
Pip Tucker, 680171
Garden Club
The first speaker in the Garden Club’s new year was Lee Sanders who, prior to taking up his present position at a garden centre, had spent many years with a local authority planning the planting schemes for parks, gardens and roundabouts and was thus well qualified to speak on his chosen subjectThe All Year Round Mixed Border.
Mr Sanders began by explaining the use of colour to create various moods within our gardens. With the assistance of a colour wheel, slides and an explanation of different textures and form, both in flowers and foliage, he was able to demonstrate the effects of blue, mauve and white planting to create a cool and calming area and then, in contrast, a hot and sunny bed using vibrant colours of reds, yellows and oranges. Another style of hot bed could be achieved by the use of one colour, e.g. red, but varying the textures and shapes of flowers. One could create a prairie style garden using textured planting in the form of grasses and tall brightly headed flowers - particularly yellows and oranges. The start of each and every bed or border requires structural planting in the form of trees, plants and/or shrubs to create a backdrop. Having put all those elements together Mr Sanders certainly opened our eyes on how to ‘paint a picture’ in our garden.
Our 18th May meeting will be our Annual Plant Sale.
Anne Nethercleft - Programme Secretary
Free Fish
Spring is here and the goldfish and koi in my garden pond are active again.
There are also too many of them.
Please bring a large bucket and come and take some away.
George Adams, Karibu, 680286
Country Cars
We hear that Ray Dagg has grown bored of retirement, and has set up a new business in the village.
Country Cars will carry you to the airport, or indeed anywhere legal, in 4-seater air-conditioned comfort whenever the need arises.
Ray can be contacted on 07855 282757.