The NEWSLETTER BRlZE NORTON PARISH COUNCIL

BRIZE NORTON

September 2015

Issue no. 146

Chairman's Report

Summer appears to be leaving us with undue haste, at least over the last couple of days, wind and rain and the nights are drawing in at an alarming pace. Should we go back to double summer time and have nice long light evenings?

All is not over yet we still have the Village Day on Sunday 30th August and there appears to be more attractions than last year, read full details later in this newsletter.

The new school term starts early in September with the pre-school and primary school
awaiting the new arrivals whilst other children will have moved on to their secondary schools. We wish them well. Also in this edition included in the Primary School report are details of the possible change to Academy status. This would be a major change in the school’s structure. Hopefully there will be a full consultation with all parents prior to any decision being made.

The Harvest Festival will be held on Sunday 4th October. How times have changed from the fresh vegetable, fruit and corn dollies to non- perishable items. A box of tinned beans and sardines may not have the same visual appeal as a trug of fresh garden produce, however all items will be gratefully received by the chosen charity.

I have mentioned on many occasions the debt we owe to the amazing numbers of volunteer workers in the village across a whole range of activities. In this Newsletter is a request for volunteers to help with the Brownies and Rainbows. Please consider volunteering for this activity which provides such a valuable start in life away from the school curriculum.

The retirement at the end of last year of our lollypop lady Rose, who has served the community so well and seemed to be a permanent fixture, has left a void which so far remains unfilled. For the sake of the children’s safety is there anyone out there who would undertake this very important role. The Parish Council is pursuing road safety in the village, current ideas are 20mph limit throughout the village and/or possibly a pelican crossing near the school.

Finally, the Parish Council are one councillor below our full quorum of seven councillors. If you feel you would like to make a difference to the village please contact the Parish Clerk.

Keith
 

WIDOWS FUEL ALLOTMENT CHARITY FIELD

We have a small charity in the village which pays out a small monetary gift to Pensioners and Widows at Christmas. The money comes from rent from a field which was given to the village. If you haven’t received a gift before and think you now qualify please let me know by Monday 30 November 2015. This is available to Brize Norton residents only.

Fred Bellenger, 1 Daubigny Mead. Telephone 841189

BRIZE NORTON NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME (NGS) OPEN DAY

This year the NGS Gardens Open Day was held on the afternoon of Sunday 14th June. Six Gardens were open along with the flower festival within St Britius Church.  The weather was kind to us and we had a reasonable turnout of visitors, considering the smaller number of gardens that were open.

We would now like to take this opportunity to thank the gardeners that have worked so hard over the many years to make this a successful event for our village and who have now decided to retire from this event.

As a result we would like to welcome new gardeners from the village to take part in this charitable event. The money we raise is not only donated to the NGS Cancer Charities but a proportion of the money is also donated to our worthy village charities and to St Britius Church funds.

So if you enjoy gardening and would like your hard efforts to be appreciated by a wider audience then please come along and join with us to continue with this worthwhile NGS charitable event. It is simple enough to join, just contact me, Jean Butcher on 841347, or if you prefer by e-mail on: prbutcher1@btinternet.com and I will explain the procedure to you.

You will be made most welcome and will be rewarded by knowing that all your hard efforts will raise money to go towards the donations to these worthwhile charities.

Jean Butcher

THE ELDERBANK HALL

Upright piano, free to a good home. Contact Mrs Diane Davies, The Elderbank Hall Committee if you are interested. 01993 843430

BRIZE NORTON VILLAGE DAY
SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST 2015

This annual village event is once again upon us. As last year, the Village Day is being held on the Sunday 30th August at the Recreation Ground.

There will be the Horticultural Show and the cricket games plus many other stalls, including a chance to meet and see a demonstration by the RAF Police Dogs and a chance to meet and touch the crocodiles from Crocodiles of the World. If you survive that than we have an ‘Auction of Sporting and Celebrities Lots’ - these will be on show during the afternoon and the auction will be held before the final cricket match. For a list of lots and bidding opportunities please visit www.facebook.com/bnsc.
	There will be numerous stalls to test your skill and luck, and the opportunity to partake in some refreshments - tea and cakes, a barbecue and of course the bar will be open. FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY, so please come along and support this village get together. The cricket starts at 10.30am, the fete opens at 1.30pm and viewing for the horticultural show is at 2.00pm.

There is still time to get involved with the Village Day by entering the Horticultural Show. This year the theme is one of our loved events, Afternoon Tea, and in particular ‘Afternoon Tea at The Ritz’. Please do pick up a schedule from the Pavilion, at A K Timm’s or in The Chequers or contact Judy Gush (846730 Painswick House, Carterton Road) or Bev Tryell (843450 91 Station Road) if you have any flowers or vegetables you wish to show. Last minute entries to the horticultural show will be allowed on the discretion of the committee. There are plenty of different classes for all to enter.

Look forward to seeing you on Sunday!!!!

Tim Gush – BNS&SC 01993 846446 - 07715 013863
Painswick House, Carterton Road.

BRIZE NORTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

I would like to mark the end of my first year as head teacher by thanking all those who make the school such a special place. I really do enjoy getting up and coming to work in the mornings, as do so many of the staff and children, because the atmosphere is so friendly and exciting. The staff, parents, children and other supporters are overwhelmingly positive, enthusiastic and prepared to work hard to make the school the place it is. Just as an example, two parents and a couple of teachers recently spent a day up to their waists in mud to excavate a new pond for us – and when, after sports day, I asked for help moving the stage from the Elderbank Hall into the school, about thirty people immediately pulled their sleeves up and joined in. Thank you to everyone.

We had an extremely busy end of term, with far too many events to mention. One particularly special day was when we welcomed students from Uganda, as well as David Tusuubira, the head teacher of our partner primary school there. The students sang and performed for us and we performed for them, before they gave us a chance to try their dancing and drumming skills. Our children also performed in two Music Festivals with children from other local primary schools, as well as two concerts in school for the parents. We had singing, dancing, acting, musical instruments and our very own abridged version of Shakespeare’s “Henry V”. Of course, we also had Sports Day – congratulations to our winning house, the Dragons – and the usual round of sports festivals and tournaments. Our Year 3/4 tri-golfers did particularly well, progressing to the county final and doing well there, which is especially good for a small school like Brize.

Of course, I cannot celebrate the great things which happen at our school without mentioning our results. We endeavour to keep a balance at our school between achieving excellent standards and providing as many experiences for our children as possible; however, the children’s achievements in assessments are a crucial way of measuring how well we are doing. This year, our children achieved significantly higher than the national average at all levels and in all subjects, which was also better than last year. In particular, we did really well in Reading at Key Stages One and Two (100% Level 4 and 71% Level 5 at Key Stage Two) and in Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar, which has been a particular focus for the school this year. So congratulations to all our children, especially those who are going on to secondary school where I am sure they will continue to do well; we will celebrate and then get on with doing even better next year!

Speaking of next year, plans are afoot for the introduction of Forest School, in which children spend time outside developing their teamwork skills and understanding of nature. Mrs Rae has completed her training and we have been working hard to develop our wild area; all our children will experience this during the year, and not just the younger ones as in some schools. We are also introducing Japanese language teaching alongside French, to develop children’s understanding of the wider world.

The governors will also, in September, be beginning a formal consultation process to help them to decide whether Brize Norton Primary School should become an academy as part of the Oxfordshire Diocesan Schools Trust (ODST). The support given to schools by the Local Authority has declined significantly over the past few years, and several local schools which have joined ODST (community as well as church schools) have described their support as being excellent. By the beginning of September, a document explaining the implications of this and including Frequently Asked Questions will be sent out to all parents and posted on the school website for the community to see. If you have questions and would like to know more, there will be an evening meeting in October attended by governors, ODST representatives and myself.  The details of the meeting on Monday 5th October can be found here.  The date will also be advertised on the school website and village noticeboard as well as through newsletters and all are welcome to attend.

Meanwhile, the summer holiday continues. Good luck to all those who are leaving us and, for those of you joining us for the first time at the beginning of September, we are looking forward to you becoming part of our school family.

Thank you to everyone who came along and supported our Summer Fete. We raised an amazing £1,650 all of which will help support school activities, and new resources. There are two events already lined up for the Autumn Term:
 

Autumn Ball – Friday 2nd October 7pm – Carriages at 1am This year the School Association is holding a formal Autumn Ball at the Witney Lakes Resort. Enjoy a fantastic two course dinner, live music and dancing until 1am. Tickets cost £30 each and tables are large enough for 10. Raffle tickets will be available on the night.

Quiz Night and Pudding Competition – Friday 16th October 7pm for 7.30pm start Our traditional quiz night is terrific fun with a fabulous buffet supper laid on by the committee and plenty of desserts at the pudding competition table! Bring a bottle and some friends; maximum 6 per team. Please book in advance. Entry is £6 per person.

For further information or to book a place at either of these events, please phone
Jo Rushton (01993) 844726 or mobile 07554443678. We look forward to seeing you!

You can keep informed of what is happening at the school through our school website (www.bnschool.org.uk) or Twitter (@brizeprimary).

Anna Fairhurst (Head teacher)

COFFEE MORNING IN AID OF MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT

You are invited to a ‘Coffee Morning’ in the Afternoon on Friday 25th September, 2.00pm until 4.00 p.m. in the Elderbank Hall. There will be refreshments and fundraising competitions. Donated cakes to eat and sell would be welcomed. The money raised will help Macmillan fund specialist nurses, new cancer centres and grants to support people living with cancer who have financial problems. For more details contact Diane (843430) or Trudy (850200)

BROWNIES AND RAINBOWS – IMPORTANT APPEAL

Due to family commitments I am looking to scale down my time with Guiding over the next year. If Brownies and Rainbows are to continue to run in the village help is needed. Please come along and see if it’s something you would enjoy either by running activities, helping with the paperwork, organising activities, helping with the accounts – every week or a once a month commitment. All necessary training will be given. If help is not forthcoming then the units will close sometime next year. If you think you may be able to offer any help please contact me 01993 842013 or 07504 446253 (text). Thank you - Barbie Thorne

BRIZE NORTON WOMEN’S INSTITUTE We continue to have a varied programme of speakers and events to keep us all interested.  In June Shelagh Chatterton represented our WI at a tea party for WI members at Buckingham Palace and was introduced to Sophie, Countess of Wessex before taking a tour of the beautiful gardens.  In July the WI were honoured with the presence of HM The Queen, the Princess Royal and The Countess of Wessex at the WI AGM in the Albert Hall which was relayed to cinemas and streamed to computers so that everybody who wanted to could share in the Centenary celebrations of the WI.

We again did the teas for the Open Gardens Day and had a stall at The Tolsey in Burford to raise funds.

In July we had a talk by John Moss on his and Andrea's adventures in Antarctica which was very interesting with some fantastic photos and in August we had an outing to Hidcote Manor Garden, Chipping Campden for a talk before letting us loose on the gardens.
Forthcoming Speakers and Events:-

30 August - We will be having a couple of stalls, a Hoopla and guess the weight of the cake at the Annual Village Fete Day.
8 September - Talk by Ian Jones titled "Bomb Disposal"
13 October - Muriel Pilkington will talk about "Lost Villages of Oxfordshire”
10 November – Talk about the background to "Pub Signs" by Angela Panrucker
8 December - Annual Christmas lunch.

Do come and join us at the Elderbank Hall at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of the month.  You will be most welcome.

Sue Calcutt

UPDATED WASTE AND RECYCLING CALENDARS

Updated waste and recycling calendars, for October 2015 to September 2016, will be available to download from West Oxfordshire District Council’s website from mid-September.

These calendars will remind you which bins to put out on what days and are especially helpful to find out any changes over the Christmas period and Bank Holidays.

Alternatively, sign up to receive FREE email updates about your property direct to your inbox including: * weekly bin reminders * Bank Holiday bin reminders * nearby planning applications. For more information see: www.westoxon.gov.uk

BRIZE NORTON ACTION GROUP

West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) recently submitted their Local Plan 2031 to the Planning Inspectorate and a Planning Inspector has been appointed to establish whether the plan is 'sound.' It is anticipated that the examination hearing sessions will take place later in the year.

On 31 July the Planning Inspector wrote to WODC requesting further information and clarification of several fundamental points in advance of the hearing. In particular, he challenged WODC's methodology for submitting a lower number of new houses to be built in West Oxfordshire as opposed to the higher number contained in the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA).

WODC were granted until 12th August to make what we anticipate will be a robust response. Visit the WODC website for the latest developments.

Meantime BNAG continue to monitor the Carterton Masterplan and several of us attended the Carterton Town Council meeting on Tuesday 21 July. All comments on the Masterplan received by 3rd July are now being collated by the consultants, WYG Urban and Landscape, and the results will be presented to CTC members at a workshop in September. Thereafter the results will be made known to the public. BNAG are anxious that ALL responses to the Masterplan are published in full, are readily accessible and not just summarised

BNAG member Dr Phil Holmes had a letter published in the Witney Gazette challenging the claim that the Masterplan had the support of all the neighbouring parishes. His letter, and other letters to the press from BNAG members may be read on the website at www.bncommunity.org

For those of you who might be concerned by some of the proposals contained in the Masterplan we urge you to study the letter from Chris Hargraves, Planning Policy Manager at WODC, which also appears on the website. This adds a much needed sense of realism to the subject and is essential reading.

So you can see there is much going on!

If you would like to become more involved in local matters why not join us? For more information please 'phone me on 843608 or email me at wwwbeckingham@talktalk.net

From Keith Beckingham on behalf of Brize Norton Action Group (BNAG)

BRIZE NORTON DANCE CLUB

We meet in the Elderbank Hall every Thursday evening from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. We dance ballroom, Latin American and sequence dances to CD’s. We have tea and biscuits in the interval - only £2 per person. Everyone is welcome to join us. For more information contact Joy on 01993 842373

ALLOTMENT NEWS

The next half yearly meting for allotment holders will be on Monday 5 October at 7pm at the sports pavilion. The presentation of the ‘Best Kept Allotment’ will be made at this meeting. Please note that the allotments are private and entry is restricted to allotment holders, friends and family only. They are not to be accessed by non allotment holders, used as a play area or used as a shortcut or footpath for access to other areas. If you would like to be considered for an allotment when one becomes available please contact the clerk (01993 844102 or e-mail clerk@brizenortonparishcouncil.co.uk) to be added to the short waiting list.

BRIZE NORTON OVER 60’s CLUB

We are a village group of 27 members who meet twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays with either a meeting or an outing. Meetings take place at 2pm at 4 Squires Close. After a meeting we enjoy a chat over homemade cakes, sandwiches and tea. Thanks to June, Connie and Benita. Our future programme is as follows:

1 September Gordon to talk on Bonsai trees 15 September Visit the canal at Thrupp for tea 6 October Meal at Lyneham Golf Club 20 October AGM and fun quiz 3 November Coach to Moreton Market 17 November Seated exercise 1 December Coffee Morning 10.30am ALL WELCOME Bring and Buy, raffle 15 December Christmas meal at The Trout, Lechlade

The programme is also posted on the village noticeboard.

For further information please contact Joy on 01993 842373.

WITNEY AND CARTERTON HEALTH WALKS

Witney - We meet at Witney’s Windrush Leisure Centre at 10 am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. There is no charge. We do two walks; one is 1-2 miles long, the other 2-3 miles both ending up with a cup of coffee. For more information ring Joy on 01993 842373. Carterton - On Monday, Thursday and Saturday we meet at the Town Hall, Carterton at 10am. The walks are 1–2 miles long. For more information contact Barbara Goudal on 01993 845923.

BAMPTON PHYSIOTHERAPY

Gym ball classes at Elderbank Hall on Wednesdays 7.15pm – 8.00pm. All abilities and ages welcome. Contact us on 01993 851753 bamptonphysio@btconnect.com www.bampton-physiotherapy.co.uk

ST BRITIUS CHURCH

Thank you to everyone who took time to create the beautiful flower arrangements for viewing on the Open Gardens day.

Recently we have rebuilt a wall in the churchyard and had a bit of a tidy. We are indebted for the help we received and for all the assistance we are given in maintaining a tidy churchyard. Could we ask that if you need to dispose of waste material in the bins in the churchyard that you take care in separating compostable rubbish and general rubbish (grey bin). If you would like to volunteer in the occasional church yard tidy ups we would be very pleased to hear from you. Please contact Rev Maddern.

Please come to support us in our fundraising activities at the following events:
At the Village Day on Sunday 30th August have a go at the bottle tombola stall and take time to enjoy a cup of tea and homemade cake.

Saturday 12 September The annual Oxford Historic Churches Trust ‘Ride and Stride’ event. This is also a sponsored event raising funds for St Britius and OHCT. If you would like to support this initiative by taking part or sponsoring individuals visiting the churches in Oxfordshire please contact Rev Maddern - 844175.

Forest Church starts back on Sunday 13th September from 2.30pm to 3.30pm meeting at the metal horses in Kilkenny Country Park. For further details contact Rev Maddern.

We will be celebrating Harvest at our Festival Family Service in church on Sunday 4th October at 10.00 am. All harvest gifts (non-perishable please) brought to church may be combined with the children's gifts at school and taken to The Porch Charity, Steppin' Stone Centre which helps the homeless in Oxford. This service will be the first of our monthly family communion services – please note the 10am start time, first Sunday in the month. We have revised the format of our family worship and aim to offer an all age communion service with activities arranged for the children attending and refreshments for all.

If you haven't been to church recently, why not join us on Sunday 1 November for our "Back to Church" Sunday. The family communion service at 10.00 am celebrates our Patronal Festival of Saint Britius. We will be inviting all couples who have recently married and families whose children have been baptised at St Britius to join us, and everyone else who would like to come. There will be refreshments afterwards.

Our Service of Remembrance will take place on Sunday 8 November at 10 am with the wreath laying at the War Memorial at 11 am.
For details of the church services refer to the notices on the church door or log onto the website www.brizenorton.org

SAMARITANS PURSE

Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project run by the Christian relief and development organisation Samaritan’s Purse. Make a special connection with a child overseas – give a shoebox gift from your hands into theirs. You can fill your own shoebox gift or make donations of gifts (collection boxes in St Britius Church) that can be used to fill decorated medium sized shoe boxes that are then sent overseas to children in need. The deadline for the boxes to be made up is Sunday 8 November. Look out for further information on the notice boards or contact Carolyn on 01993 844102.

COUNCIL URGES PROMPT ACTION TO KEEP ELECTORAL REGISTRATION COSTS DOWN

West Oxfordshire residents are being urged to help keep public sector costs down by responding promptly, and if possible electronically, when they receive their electoral registration forms.
 
The Council is writing to over 47,000 households in the District asking them to take action by confirming their registration details either by text, by Freephone, online or by post. If changes need to be made to the registration details sent, then the household is asked to notify the Council either online or by returning the form provided.

Electoral registration is a legal requirement that has to be to done each year and residents must be on the Electoral Register to be eligible to vote.  “With it now being so quick and easy to reply we are hoping an early high response rate will reduce the need to send out reminders, as these are costly and could amount to as much as £50,000,” says Keith Butler, West Oxfordshire District Council’s Electoral Registration Officer.   He also added, “Costs can be reduced even further by responding digitally rather than by post.”   The Register is also often used by credit checking agencies and can be required for things such as getting a loan or mortgage or mobile phone contract. Other pitfalls of not being on the Register include not being eligible to apply for certain jobs which require security checks and not being able to open a bank account.   Further information is online at www.westoxon.gov.uk/register.   Anyone who has not received an electoral registration form by 1 September should contact the Council on 01993 861410 or email elections@westoxon.gov.uk.

BRIZE NORTON BADMINTON CLUB

We meet every Monday at The Elderbank Hall and play from 8.00 pm until 10.00 pm; all ages from teenage to active retired are most welcome. It cost just £2.50 per session. For more details ring Tina on 842268 or Laurence on 07771 998821, or just come along to the hall.

POT HOLE COMPLAINT

If you identify a pot hole please report it to Oxfordshire County Council Highways either online at Oxfordshire.gov.uk or phone 0845 3101111 or write to Highway Enquiries Team, Oxfordshire County Council, PO Box 842, OXFORD OX1 9LL

CARTERTON NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING TEAM

The Thames Valley Police Non-Emergency number is 101 but always call 999 in an Emergency. E-mail the team at cartertonbamptonburford@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

WEST OXON WOODTURNING ASSOCIATION

West Oxon Woodturning Association (WOWA) meets on the first Tuesday of every month at the Elderbank Village Hall, Brize Norton. We start at 7.30 pm and finish about 10.00 pm.  Non-members are very welcome but members and visitors must be over 16.  Our meetings comprise of demonstrations either by one of our members or by a professional turner or its just ‘Hands On’.   All demonstrations are enhanced by the use of a video projection system that allows everyone to view the intricacies of the finer points of wood turning.  Please come along and enjoy an evening - your first visit is free! For further information please contact Dave Spittles on 01993 776036 or visit our web site at WOWA.org.uk

CALENDAR OF EVENTS – please refer to newsletter for further information`

30 August Village Day, Cricket Festival and Horticultural show 7 September Parish Council meeting, 7.30pm Sports Pavilion 25 September Macmillan Coffee afternoon 2.00-4.00pm The Elderbank Hall 2 October Autumn Ball, Witney Golf Club, Downs Road BNPS fundraiser 4 October Harvest Festival St Britus 10.00am 5 October Allotment holders meeting, 7.00pm Sports Pavilion 5 October Parish Council meeting, 7.45pm Sports Pavilion 16 October Quiz Night, Primary School, 7.00pm BNPS fundraiser 1 November ‘Back to Church’ Sunday, St Britius 10.00am 2 November Parish Council meeting, 7.30pm Sports Pavilion 8 November Remembrance Sunday service 10.00am, wreath laying 11.00am 1 December Coffee morning, 4 Squire’s Close, 10.30am Over 60’s fundraiser 7 December Parish Council meeting, 7.30pm Sports Pavilion

 

All entries for inclusion in the December 2015 issue should be received by the clerk by
15 November 2015.