Copy for the October edition should be given to Mr. George Adams at "Karibu", Main Street, tel: 680286 byFriday, 26^thSeptemberplease.

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.ukif you wish to send mestuff that way.

This edition was edited by George Adams.

September Events

The Plains of Abraham are on the Western edge ofQuebec. Here Gen James Wolfe defeated the French under Gen Montcalm 13^thSeptember, 1759, leading to British control overCanada.

The September birthstone is the sapphire.

The Fire of London burned from 2^ndto5th September, 1666. It started in a baker’s shop inPudding Laneand destroyed four-fifths of the City. More than 13000 buildings, including the medievalSt Paul’s Cathedral, were burnt to the ground.

On3rd September, 1609, Henry Hudson sailed into what later becameNew York Bay. In 1625New Amsterdam, situated at the Southern tip ofManhattan, became the capital of the newly established colony ofNew Netherlandand the following year the wholeislandofManhattanwas bought from the Indians for the equivalent of 24 dollars. In 1664 the city was captured by the English for the Duke of York and promptly renamed.

The St Leger is a flat race for three-year-old horses, run in September atDoncasterover 1 mile 6½ furlongs. It was the first of the English Classics to be established (in 1776).

Labour Day is May 1^stfor most of us, but in the US and Canada it is celebrated on the first Monday in September, in honour of working folk, who otherwise don’t get much fun at all.

Thirty days hath September,
April, June, and November;
All the rest have thirty-one,
Excepting February alone,
And that has twenty-eight days clear
And twenty-nine in each leap year.

Stevins MS. (c.1555)

Hunger allows no choice
To the citizen or the police;
We must love one another or die.

W. H. Auden, September 1^st, 1939

Editorial

The deadline for the October issue is Friday, 26^th September.

Nature Notes

September, the month of Harvest, Hops and Apples. The seventh month of the Roman calendar.

The Buzzard’s latin name Buteo buteo is imitative of its mewing call. Over the past month on hot days I have been alerted by these distinctive mewing calls, and on most occasions saw through my binoculars three buzzards soaring on the thermals. The can gain great height incredibly quickly, but continually keep in touch with their mewing. Ontwo occasions while watching, I observed two birds soaring very close together and suddenly one would go into a “stoop”; they fold their wings over their backs, dip the head down and just plummet like a stone. This is done when they see prey on the ground or beneath them. Onthis occasion though the stoop was short-lived and the bird quickly pulled out and rejoined its companion. It repeated this behaviour for some time and I can only assume that this was an adult bird showing its new offspring how to hunt.

Buzzards have successfully bred in a small wood very close to Oxhill. They are impressive birds with a wingspan of four feet and standing 20 to 22 inches in height. They feed on a variety of prey from rabbits, rodents, small birds, insects, even earthworms. Ten to fifteen years ago you wouldn’t have seen one in Warwickshire; at the beginning of the twentieth century they were virtually extinct due to persecution, and in the 1950s and 60s declined again, probably due to myxomatosis in rabbits. Now this magnificent large bird of prey is, after the Kestrel, one of the most commonly seen hawks.

Did you know that those hugely expensive and desirable residences in London known as Mews were once the site of medieval buildings where falcons and hawks were kept especially while they were moulting, and the name Mews in this case comes from the old French “muer” – to moult.

Towards the end of the month Michaelmas daisies come into full bloom. This garden flower was introduced fromNew Englandin the 1640s, but the native blue-purple Sea aster and the white Feverfew are also called Michaelmas daisies in some counties. The 29^thSeptember sees Michaelmas, the feast of St Michael theArchangeland the greatest of the Autumn festivals. St Michael is the patron saint of knights and warriors and of high places (i.e. St Michael’s Mount inCornwall). He is also the guardian of the souls of the dead, whose good and bad deeds he weighs in his scales.

“If you eat roast goose at Michaelmas Day, you will never want money all the year” –The English Housewife, 1683.

Grenville Moore

The Fly

The Lord in His wisdom made the fly,

And then forgot to tell us why.

Ogden Nash

Church Service Times

ChurchofSt. Lawrence, Oxhill

Sunday, September 7^thTrinity XII9.30- See Below

Sunday, September 14^thHoly Cross Day 9.30 Holy Communion

Sunday, September 21^stHarvest Service 6.30 Songs of Praise

Sunday, September 28^thThree Parishes Walk

OxhillMethodistChurch

The Kineton Methodist Circuit agreed to the closure of Oxhill Methodist Church at the end of June, 2003.

Special Church Service

OnSunday 7^thSeptember there will be no service in St. Lawrence Church, but instead there will be anOPEN AIR SERVICEat 9.30 a.m. on the hill behind Bill Fox’s farm, Willoughby Grounds, on the Whatcote Road.

Transport will be provided is necessary. Cars can park on the drive.

Janet Gardner

Festival Choir

Harvest Festival, September 21^stat 6.30 p.m.in St. Lawrence Church, Oxhill

Summer is now officially over as we start rehearsing for the Harvest Festival.

Practices will be held on Fridays, at 7.30 p.m., in The Old House as usual.

Practice dates are September 5^th, 12^thand 19^th.

We are, as ever, delighted to welcome anyone who enjoys singing and would like to join us to celebrate Harvest. Please do feel free to come along.

Any queries, please ring me.

Jill Tucker, 680663

Village Hall News

Forthcoming events:

Disco for our youth community will be held on Friday 19^th September @ 7.30pm .

Live & Local – ‘The Classic Buskers’ will be entertaining us on Friday 10^th October at 8pm .

To reserve your place for either of these events, please contact Lisa on 680967 or Keith on 680654.

Linda Dagg

Garden Club

Our Summer Garden Party was held on 24^th July, at Forge Bungalow, by kind permission of Doreen Neale. The weather was a little overcast, but this did not prevent members and friends enjoying a glass of wine and a delicious buffet supper in Doreen’s very pretty cottage garden.

Before the party began, 9 entrants in the Children’s Competition huffed and puffed their way to Gilkes Lane, bringing their potatoes via various means of transport, for the ‘weighing in’. After much scrabbling about in mounds of ‘compost’, Lucy Mercer emerged as the winner, with her sister Alice coming a close 2^nd. Prizes were awarded to Lucy and Alice and a small gift presented to each of the other gallant entrants.

The adult competition ‘A display in a container’, was judged on Saturday 19^th July by members of the Ettington Garden Club. Congratulations to the winner Myrtle Knight, and Janet Gardner who came second.

The next meeting will be in the Village Hall , on Thursday 28^th September at 7:30pm, when there will be a demonstration of ‘Winter Hanging Baskets, by Mr R Walker, from Fosseway Nurseries.

Sheila Osgood, Secretary

Swoop 2003 - Monday 10^th November

Royal Spa Centre, Newbold Terrace, Leamington Spa - 10.00 – 4.00

If you are:

Over 50 or
Supporting or advising older relatives or friends or
A carer

The SWOOP (Safety in Warwickshire Opportunities for Older People) is for you.

There will be:

Free flu jabs.
Workshops on home safety, dealing with cowboy traders and doorstep caller, personal safety, improving mobility and flexibility and keeping active.
Over 40 exhibitions, ranging from voluntary sector organisations through health services, pensions and benefits, home improvements, life long learning, will writing and social services to victim support.
Workshops will run for 30 minutes, and will start at 10.30, 11.30, 1.00 and 2.00.

Further details from Nancy Singleton on 01789 260803, or
email nancy.singleton@stratford-dc.gov.uk.

25 Years Ago

The News of September 1978 was, as the Editor said, a short issue – somewhat less than two sides of foolscap, and with well-spaced articles to spread it out that much. Not a lot changes, does it!

The plea for people to give details of their complaints about the telephone service had fallen on stony ground, the Youth Club were to hold another gymkhana as well as a trip to the ice rink.

The Church Council thanked all those who made the Church look so neat, both inside and out, and the Churchwardens gave public thanks for an anonymous donor to the Tower Fund.

Some electric hair rollers were offered for sale.

Again, not a lot really changes over the years, does it?

George Adams

Free !

Black Panasonic Fastext 21 inch television, with stand, remote control and instructions. The whole in good working order.

Dot Richards, Amberway, Main Street. 680475

Not free, but very reasonable!

5 ft by 3 ft trailer. Fairly recently overhauled and repainted, with new tyres and timber. On e of the indicator lamp lenses is broken, though.

Available for a donation to Church or Village Hall funds (your choice).

George Adams , Karibu, Main Street. (680286)

Poetry Corner

Some Notes on English History

Hengist and Horsa

Hengist was coarser than Horsa,
And Horsa was awfully coarse.
Horsa drank whiskey,
Told tales that were risqué,
But Hengist was in a divorce.

Horsa grew coarser and coarser,
But Hengist was coarse all his life.
That reprobate Horsa
Drank tea from a saucer,
But Hengist ate peas with his knife.

Desmond Carter