Brize Norton Parish Council Newsletter

The Communities of Brize Norton and Carterton

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Here is the text from the March 2005 Newsletter
Published here with permission of the Parish Council.

CHAlR’S REPORT

Currently roads and traffic seem to dominate much of the monthly Parish Council meetings. The Parish Council is actively pursuing the following areas: 

Minster Lovell Road
A request has been submitted for a 50mph speed limit to extend from the new Carterton Road to the access road A40. 

Burford Road
There are an increasing numbers of vehicles using this road, including HGV’S. This is a narrow road and does not appear to have been designed to cope with the volume or weight of traffic now being experienced. The roadside edges are breaking away and potholes are appearing, not to mention during the winter the problems this road suffers with ice. Requests have been passed to the County Council to extend the 30mph speed limit to the Junction with the A40, repair the potholes and roadside edges and also to include this road to the list of roads to be salted during inclement weather. 

Station Road
The County Council carried out a survey of Station Road during September 2004 to determine repairs required. No advice has yet been received as to when these very necessary repairs will be completed.

Allotments

A sure sign that spring is well on the way. A very well attended meeting of the allotment holders was held on Monday 31st January. A request was made for a skip to be positioned on the allotments. This will be ordered when the ground dries out. All plots have been let for this year. The Annual Allotment meeting will be held on Tuesday 12 April.

Parking - Plane spotters 

There is a problem with vehicles parking on the road/verge, at the end of the airfield runway, at the southern end of the village.  Illegal parking, the destruction of the grass verges and the dumping of litter has turned this area into a dangerous eyesore. It has been agreed that the grass verges will be reinstated and bollards erected to prevent further parking in this area. The County Council has stated this work should be completed in 10 to 12 weeks.

Recreation – Children’s Play area equipment 

Much of the equipment in the play park needs replacing and/or updating. Cllr Lindsay Meeks has undertaken the project and is currently obtaining detailed costing of new equipment and details of grants that may be available to help offset costs. Lindsay is also seeking advice from The Playing Fields Association and other bodies. Lindsay is also very keen that the villager’s views are taken into consideration in the planning stages of this project and will be consulting with the pre-school and primary school. Copies of any provisional plans will be placed on Parish Council Notice Boards.

TODDLER GROUP

SOUTHERN SHOTOKAN KARATE ASSOCIATION
Brize Norton Club 

We are a small friendly Karate Club set up in November last year. We are part of a large organisation that has clubs throughout the South of England. We have both children and adult members who will shortly be doing their first grading. My aim is to teach children and adults self-techniques through traditional art of Karate and having fun in the process. 

We meet every Sunday between 5:30 and 7:00pm at the Elderbank Hall and we would welcome new members all year round. So if you would like to see what it’s all about, please come along for a free lesson. For further information, please call Matt Webb on 07909 821030 or 01993 840890.

ST BRITIUS CHURCH

Our Christmas services were well attended; in fact the church was bursting at the seams for the candlelit carol service, when members of village organisations read the nine lessons, and children of all ages took part in the nativity tableau. It was good that so many people took time to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

This remembrance was enhanced when our Christingle Service was he1d at Candlemas. The children prepared the Christingle oranges in school, and hopefully re-lit their candles at home after the service to show that Jesus is the light of the world.

Our family services go from strength to strength. There is great support from parents and much active participation by the children in the service, which is held on the first Sunday of each month at 9.15am. Children are also very welcome at our Sunday Club which meets during the 9.15am service on all other Sundays.

At the family service on 2 January and the Christingle Service the collections were in aid of the Asian Tsunami Appeal.

St Britius Sunday Club hosted a very successful Christmas Party for all the village children in the Elderbank Hall on 15th January.

On Palm Sunday, 20 March, Mickey the donkey from Foxbury Farm will visit church, collecting children from the Burford Road area of the village on his way, and meeting all other children at the Elderbank Hall car park at 9 am before proceeding to church, with the helping hand of carrots and apples!

Easter services include:

• Maundy Thursday – 24 March                           Holy Communion at 7pm
• Good Friday – 25 March                                    Vigil from 2 to 3pm
• Easter Day – 27 March                                     Family Communion at 9.15am
• Easter Day – 27 March                                     Evening Prayer at 6pm

Please watch the notice board or visit the web site at: http://www. brizenorton. org. uk/community

BRIZE NORTON OVER 60’S CLUB 

Although we are well supported by present members, new members would be most welcome. We meet twice a month, an outing and a meeting. 

Our future programme includes:

• Monday February 7 – Nature slides with Harry
• Wednesday February 23’ – Visit to Foxbury Farm
• March 7 to 11 – Group holiday to Bournmouth
• Monday March 21 – Life at the Follies & Monologues
• April 4 – Meal out
• April 18 – Coach trip to Coventry

We meet at 4 Squires Close at 3.30pm. Edna, Carol and Benita provide us with a lovely tea and June bakes home made cakes. Thank you.

Contact Joy Douglas on 842373.

BRIZE NORTON DANCE CLUB

We meet every Thursday 7pm to 9.30 pm. We dance modem, Latin American & sequence dances with tea and biscuits included (thanks to Mabel and Jean). We also hold tea dances on Sunday aftemoon, the profits this year going to the following local clubs:

• £103 to the over 60’s club in October
• £130 to the pre-school in November
• £90 to the brownies in January.

Further monies will go to the Sunday school, toddler group and the necklace project.

Future Tea Dance dates are:

• Sunday February 27” – 2.30pm – 4.30pm (live music from Mark)
• Sunday March 27 – 2.30pm – 4.30pm (strict tempo CD’s)
• Sunday April 17 – 2.30pm - 4.30pm (Arthur Tipper)

Do come along to dance or just listen. Contact Joy Douglas 842373

FOXBURY FARM

The TOP FARM SHOP in the country has been named as Foxbury Farm Shop, Brize Norton at the Meat Trades Journal Topshop awards. It is the Industry’s premier event held as the curtain raiser to the Smithfield Show with the awards being presented by Sir Donald Curry at a glamorous Oscars-style ceremony held at London’s Dorchester hotel.

Foxbury has beaten hundreds of other shops through rigorous judging criteria to be presented with the coveted award. The judge said ”Oxfordshire should be proud to have such a fine shop, it is a pleasure to see a genuine farmer selling quality produce on his own farm, and he is a credit to British agriculture.

Owner Colin Dawes attended the presentation luncheon with his three butchers, John Williams (head butcher), Stuart Cutler & Dave Brockwell. Colin said ”We are thrilled, obviously, and very proud of all the staff, it is a credit and wonderful award to every member of the Foxbury team”. Foxbury Farm shop is actually based on a working farm and is definitely an integral part of the farm. Its own cattle, sheep and Gloucester Old Spot pigs are reared for meat. Most added value items are made at the shop with the few bought-in items sourced locally. The animals are readily available for viewing by customers. Local schools and other groups regularly visit.

Colin and Di Dawes opened the shop on their farm in 200l to sell their home- reared free range meat direct to the public. The shop, formerly a milling barn, now stocks an extensive range of products which are produced on-site, the farm shop has its own in-house butchers shop and kitchen which makes pies, sausages, and a range of ready made meals using all their own produce. Judging was by the Royal Smithfield Club. Shops were judged on a variety of criteria including product range and quality, interesting layouts and displays, the efficiency and knowledge of staff the hygiene and cleanliness of the premises, and their business plan. A major criteria was how well they work with others in their local food supply chain, such as suppliers, and what support they give to their local community. Foxbury Farm attends farmers markets in the region and offers a home delivery service.

BRIZE NORTON LADIES FOOTBALL CLUB

The football season is slowly drawing to an end and Brize ladies are still in a good position to win Division 2 of the Thames Valley County’s Women’s League. They are in second place at the moment trailing one point behind the leaders, Marlow, but do have a game in hand. They have played 12 league games so far, winning 11 and losing only one 5-3 against Marlow.

Perhaps the best game of the season was against Division 1 leaders, Newbury in the Quarter Finals of the League Cup. Brize earned their place in the Quarters by knocking out Division 1 side, Chesham, beating them 3-0. Newbury were clear favourites to go through to the Semi Finals but Brize ladies had other ideas. Missing a penalty in the second half and a fantastic shot from top goal scorer Amanda Townsend hitting the wood work resulted in a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes. Brize were first to score in extra time but Newbury soon equalised when the ball took a cruel deflection off a Brize defender. The score was 1-1 after extra time, resulting in Brize participating in a penalty shoot out for the first time ever. Sadly, they lost 4-2 but certainly gained the respect of their opponents. It was a very exciting game and Newbury certainly had the luck of the gods on their side. Brize were disappointed to have been knocked out of the Cup, but happy in the knowledge that they will be able to hold their own next season, should they be promoted.

I would like to wish the ladies all the best for the remainder of the season and in their promotion hopes

If you are interested in joining and are aged 14 or over, please contact Sam Goodwin on 846827

PRE-SCHOOL

All entries for inclusion in the June issue should be received by the 15th May.