1 BLEDINGTON FOXHOLES AND FOSCOT NEWS March 2021 No 444

Wandering amongst the tens of thousands of snowdrops at Colesbourne Park with the blue coloured water in the lake reflecting the clay minerals in the water.

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DATES FOR YOUR DIARY MARCH 2021 Mondays and Fridays; Post Office, Oddington Vill. Hall (p 3) 10.30 to 12.00 Monday 1 Foxholes/Foscot WODC Grey Collection Day (p 17) 6.00am Monday 1 Bledington Parish Council Meeting (ZOOM) (p 12) 8.00pm Tuesday 2 Bledington CDC Recycling Day (p 17) 7.00am Monday 8 Foxholes/Foscot WODC Green Collection Day (p 17) 6.00am Wednesday 10 Egyptian Art, Walls and Murals (p 13) 10.30am Monday 15 Foxholes/Foscot Grey Collection Day (p 17) 6.00am Tuesday 16 Bledington CDC Recycling Day (p 17) 7.00am Wednesday 17 Music in European Art Collections (p 13) 10.30am Monday 22 Foxholes/Foscot WODC Green Collection Day (p 17) 6.00am Tuesday 23 BLEDINGTON NEWS COPY DEADLINE (p 2) 12.00noon Sunday 28 CLOCKS GO FORWARD ONE HOUR 1.00am

WE WELCOME NEWS CONTRIBUTIONS TO BLEDINGTON, FOXHOLES AND FOSCOT NEWS

Please send your news contributions for the next Issue at any time. Copy deadline is strictly 12.00 Noon 23rd of each month (January to November). Please send news contributions for Bledington News to the editors, Wendy and Sinclair Scott, by paper copy to 4 Old Forge Close, Bledington, Chipping Norton, OX7 6XW or email us at [email protected] Tel: 01608 658624. Bledington News is published in full colour at www.bledington.com Please ensure you have a prompt acknowledgement of your contribution sent by email; this makes it certain we have received it. News contributions may be subject to editorial adjustment and regrettably, if received after the deadline time, cannot be included.

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FROM THE EDITORS Wendy and Sinclair Scott Are we now seeing a relaxation on the horizon of the lockdown? Many in the Village have received the first vaccination jab and we are told we may be able to get a second jab and a haircut in the next weeks! However the Village will not come to life just yet. There will be no Spring Flower Show in April. The June Music Festival is postponed for another year. Are we actually going to see the return of the Lunch Club, the NCANT meetings, Parish Council Meetings with actual people? Perhaps go to church services where we can actually meet and talk to each other. Let’s hope so, as soon as it is safe; ZOOM is a great substitute but we are looking forward to some real meetings again.

Bledington News is uploaded monthly to www.bledington.com See Bledington News in full Colour Bledington.com is Bledington’s website carrying full details of every aspect of Bledington.

POST OFFICE AT ODDINGTON Angie Price Angie Price has made arrangements to open her Post Office in Oddington Village Hall at 10.30am to 12.00noon every Monday and Friday for the foreseeable future. Entrance is through the back door of Oddington Village Hall, adjacent to the hall car park by the children’s playground.

4 BLEDINGTON COMMUNITY SHOP AND CAFÉ—MARCH UPDATE Jo Shaw, Bledington Shop Manager February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March. J.R. Stockton I think in the current climate (weather and Covid!) this is probably a sentiment felt by everybody. I am sure we are all hoping that skipping through to March will provide us with some warmer weather and fewer restrictions! February in the shop has been very similar to January; we are still lovely and busy and very grateful to all our customers who continue to support us and shop local. The weather has been extremely cold; so our hot food offerings have been very welcomed, especially by all the local builders in the area! We also celebrated Valentine’s day and the cards and produce were really well received - must be lots of romantics in Bledington! The heart shaped chocolates flew out, as did the bouquets from Stow Flower Shop, which was amazing. We also promoted Shrove Tuesday, ensuring we had everything needed to have the perfect pancakes! Going forward, we are sourcing lots of lovely Easter chocolate, cards and gifts. With the fruit and vegetables, this month has seen Passionfruit, Kiwi, Blood Oranges, as well as some early Asparagus and delicious Rhubarb. And to brighten us all up, the daffodils are back! Our outside stands of fruit/veg are still a huge draw for our customers, knowing they can get fresh produce everyday. We are delighted to have several new volunteers signing up, which is really fantastic and we are very grateful to have them joining the team and helping to make the shop the success it is today.

Community Shop Open Monday to Saturday: 9.00am to 4.00pm Sunday: 9.00am to 1.00pm

Tel: 01608 65 99 77 Email: [email protected] Send your shopping list in advance for collection

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CARE COMMITTEE DRIVERS - PLEA TO JOIN Sue Windsor With hospital trips beginning to increase and, hopefully, with life becoming more normal in the foreseeable future it would be good to have a few more drivers who would be prepared to do the hospital journeys. So if you are able to spare a few hours a month I would be very grateful to hear from you. It is so important that we keep this worthwhile service for the Village going. In the meantime a very big “Thank You” to our current drivers for all the help they have given us over the past year in very difficult circumstances. Do please contact me if you can help. [email protected]

BLEDINGTON DIRECTORY Sue Windsor In view of the restrictions placed by the rules on Social Distancing you should have received, or will shortly receive, your copy of the Bledington Directory. As this is considered so useful by many of you, it was thought that it would be best this year not to call for the money but we would ask that, if you feel able, you make a donation to the Care Committee either at The Old Vicarage or to Angela Lear at The Trinders. Many of you will know that the sale of the Directory every third year is the major fund raiser for the services provided by the Committee and we would be most grateful for your help in this difficult year.

What do you call a man with a spade? Doug.

What do you call a man without a spade? Douglas.

6 BLEDINGTON SCHOOL Mrs J Kewley, Headteacher Tamsin Year 4 During the Corona virus lock-down I’ve been going into school three days a week because my parents are key workers for the NHS. The other two days I stay at home and do remote learning. When I’m at school I love Art lessons best; we’ve done shadowing. We drew trees in different seasons and showed the features. I also love Golden time because we’ve been doing Hama bead pictures which you have to iron to complete. We have literacy and maths to do every day and we get French and PE lessons too! At home my brother and I have set up a work station at the kitchen table. We do our work at the same time with mummy supervising us and then we have 15 minute breaks, either to watch telly, draw or listen to music and relax. My brother uses his breaks to do lego! We are doing Zoom sessions with our class friends, teachers and teaching assistants twice a week; once when I’m at home and once when I’m in school. This is really good because we haven’t seen each other since before Christmas! Even though we can’t meet up we can still see each other’s faces and tell everyone what we’ve been doing so it’s really fun. I really want Covid to end, I know everyone does. I’m looking forward to seeing more of my friends and family and being able to travel to places again.

BLEDINGTON SCHOOL ASSOCIATION ‘100 CLUB’ WINNERS FOR FEBRUARY 2021

The following numbers win £5 each in February’s draw: 37 Sophie Baldwin 64 Christina Hiatt Edgar 100 Not Allocated 15 Polly Ingestre

Congratulations to all the winners! Prize money will be distributed once school re-opens for all the children. Registered with: Cotswold District Council under Gambling Act 2005. Registration Number: 07/01271/GASSP Promoter: Annie Hammerstein, Harwood House, The Green, Bledington, OX7 6XQ Tel: 01608 659819

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WE NEED YOU Would you be interested in supporting Bledington Primary school by becoming a governor? We have vacancies for co-opted governors and are looking for keen and enthusiastic people to join our dedicated team. You do not need to be an expert in the field of education. What you do need is an interest in the school and in the welfare of its pupils, together with the time and willingness to get involved. If interested, contact Sarah Newton ([email protected]) or Jill Kewley ([email protected]) 01608 658388

NEIL THE POSTMAN Tony Windsor Some readers may have wondered what has happened to our postman, Neil. I bumped into him in Chipping Norton the other day (12 February) and he told me that he had had a seizure at New Year resulting in a hospital stay. Thankfully he is recovered sufficiently to return to work but unfortunately is not allowed to drive so has a round in ‘Chippy’. He looked well and was missing the village and its residents. He sent regards to all his friends in Bledington and looks forward to being able to return in June.

What is a cannibal’s favourite food? Baked beings.

Why wasn’t the little girl any good at spelling? She couldn’t spell propalie.

8 BLEDINGTON FLOOD GROUP Ian Simpson Following the work done in January in the aftermath of the dreadful events of 23 December, the Flood Group has continued to work hard towards a comprehensive plan to protect vulnerable properties in Bledington. We are pushing forward with short and long-term measures to minimise the devastating flooding we experienced before Christmas. Our last article outlined the detailed report on the 23 December flooding which we circulated to all of the key people in the various agencies who have responsibility for flooding. We followed this up with a short film outlining the acute problems Westcote Brook causes when it overflows and have just circulated a film on the role Bledington Brook catchment plays. A third will cover the Evenlode catchment as a whole from Moreton-in-Marsh. We had positive responses from a number of departments within Thames Water, Environment Agency, Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire County Council. This prompted COVID safe site visits from a number of agencies reinforcing Bledington’s standing as a priority. At a recent Teams meeting called by Cotswold District Council the situation was acknowledged and the severity recognised. The public meeting was open to all those affected by flooding within the CDC area.

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BLEDINGTON MUSIC FESTIVAL Jenny Beacham It is with heavy hearts that the Festival Committee has decided they have no option but to postpone the Festival for another year. The need for social distancing is likely to stay with us for some while and it would not be economical to reduce the possible audience to the extent that this would be possible. The musicians have all been consulted and have agreed that this is the only thing to do. Anyone who purchased tickets for 2020 may retain them for 2022 or, if you require a refund, this can be arranged. If the situation changes later in the year, then there are various options open to us but it is hoped that the 2020 line-up will perform at Bledington in 2022. In the meantime we are exploring avenues for grants as all our fund raising at Chastleton was impossible last year and may not happen this year either.

PEBBLY HILL NURSERY Janet Simms We are open for the weekend Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 March (Mothering Sunday) for spring plants, wild and double primroses, polyanthus, spring perennials and compost. We open for our main season from Saturday 27 March, until the end of June from 9.00am to 5.00pm daily.

THANK YOU Moira Payne In December last year volunteers from the Village visited me and others with gifts of Christmas fayre. I would like to thank them all not only for myself but for others who also received their generous hand made parcels.

Clocks go forward one hour at 1.00am on Sunday 28 March

10 LAND WANTED FOR SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT Gill Thomas Tel: 07983 465414. [email protected] I am approaching homeowners and businesses in the local area on the off chance that you, or someone you know, might have a piece of land you would consider selling. Ideally, it would be around ten acres or more with vehicle access and a building already on it. It might be an existing small holding or perhaps just a dilapidated barn or other agricultural building. We are a young family currently living near Stroud. My son is hoping to start at Deer Park Secondary School next year and my daughter has three years left at Oakridge Primary School. We don’t want to move away from the area if we can help it as we have good friends here and feel part of the local community. I have long wanted to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, where my children can understand how, by making positive changes to their lives, they can help make a difference to current global environmental issues. To achieve that goal, I am looking to build a completely zero carbon home that meets Government Code 6 criteria as set out under the UK Code for Sustainable Homes. The surrounding land would be dedicated to supporting British wildlife conservation, a subject I am extremely passionate about. Tree planting, wildflower meadows and large ponds would create new and diverse wildlife rich habitats. These areas would complement and enhance existing eco systems to help reverse declining numbers of native species and increase biodiversity in the area.

BLEDINGTON CARE COMMITTEE Bledington Care Committee is made up of volunteers living in the village. Our aim is to assist the elderly, the disabled and those in distress in the village. This includes: Transport to Hospitals, Doctors, Dentists etc – for the elderly, disabled, those unable to use or without transport. Please ring Hazel Furneaux on 658547 or Pat Jenkin on 659215. Care Line/Emergency Telephone - Sue Windsor 658525. Medical Equipment – e.g. Zimmer frames, wheel chairs, crutches etc, available on short term loan. Sue Windsor 658525. Medical Prescriptions – most pharmacies now provide a delivery service for prescriptions for the elderly, but should this not be possible a member of the Care Committee will collect. Sue Windsor 658525. Occasional catering for funeral refreshments in the village hall - Sue Windsor 658525. Further information about the Bledington Care Committee can be found in the Bledington Directory (pages 15-16).

11 BLEDINGTON PARISH COUNCIL Notes by the Editors from the Minutes of the Bledington Parish Council meeting held on Monday 1 February 2021 via video conference. Present: Mr R Pearson (Chair), Mr N Jackson (Vice-chair), Mr B Ball, Mr Gaskell, Mrs R Pawley, Dr S Rawstorne, with acting clerk Mrs H Pearson and Councillors N Moor (GCC) and J Beale (CDC) and 4 mmbers of the Flood Group. Matters Arising. Drainage on Church Lane. The Clerk reported back with information from the Highway Authority. Highways think that the drainage problems were probably a blocked soakaway on private land and it wasn’t an issue for the Highway Authority. Mr R Pearson will follow this up with Highways to see who actually owns the land. The Light on Main Street. This has been looked at and will be reduced in brightness. Station Road. The blocked drain on Station Road has been unblocked by a resident. Rubbish bin in the play area. Cotswold District Council have confirmed that they are not responsible for the emptying of the bin. Mr Pearson will ask Mr P Jones if he will take on this task. County Cllr N Moor. Councillor Moore referred to his extensive new year report that was circulated at the previous meeting. Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) are investing heavily in both services for children and the elderly. There has been an increase in the numbers of children in care during the Coronavirus outbreak. The GCC budget has increased by 4.5% leading to an increase of £5 a month on the average council tax bill. Train Services. A feasibility study to look at increasing the frequency of trains to London is being supported by the County Council. Ash die back has led to approximately 5000 trees being felled across the county. A £1.3 million budget will include the replanting of trees. The GCC replanting project includes providing young whips/trees to parish councils for planting. Cllr Moor will forward the relevant forms and information. Free school meals are available at half term for children on the County register. Any eligible family is encouraged to apply by phoning 01452 426165. District Cllr J Beale. New signage for Old Burford Road has been made and is awaiting delivery. COVID. There has been good progress made with the Covid vaccination rollout in the District. Flood Group report. Mrs C Chichester, Mr I Simpson and Mr A Orr- Ewing gave a comprehensive review of actions taken and the next steps in finding a way forward to help alleviate flooding in the village. A full report of properties flooded in the village with dates has now been circulated to relevant bodies. A video presentation highlighting areas of concern where there is potential to carry out alleviation works has been prepared and circulated to relevant bodies. The Environment Agency have visited the village and had a good look at the problem areas and provided some verbal advice. Continued on page 12

12 Continued from page 11 There are problems with the sewers surcharging. This is considered to be a health concern. Thames Water have been contacted and have not responded to date. They will be chased up. Mrs R Pawley raised concerns that any alleviation works in fields to the south west of the village could potentially cause flooding at the eastern end of the village along Station Road. The flood group reassured the council that any future flood alleviation works would be modelled to ensure that they did not exacerbate flooding elsewhere. The Flood Group have registered to take part in the Cotswolds Flood Resilience Meeting on 5 March. It was agreed that the Parish Council will hold an extraordinary meeting before that date to discuss the best course of action and draw a plan together to enable The Flood Group to put the best case forward at the meeting. Cllr Moor will contact the Head of Flooding at GCC and the Lead Local Flood Officer and a contact at Thames Water to invite them to the meeting for their expert advice. Flood Response Planning. Dr Rawstorne is working on a first draft which is planned to be available for discussion at the meeting in March. Mr R Pearson reported the concerns of the village care committee. Whilst they are fully supportive of a coordinated response to flooding they did not feel they could take on organising this. They are very much more focused on providing transport and support in other ways in the village. Mr Pearson praised the care committee on the work that they do and reassured them that the parish council were not expecting them to take on this additional role. Correspondence. Speed Limit. A letter from Mr Paul Morrish sought initial interest for support to reduce the speed limit through the built-up area to 20mph. If a number of neighbouring villages are in favour, a coordinated approach to the Highway Authority would seem to be the best approach. This was supported by the majority of the parish councillors. Risk Register. Dr S Rawstorne has updated this to take account of village flooding. The brake trolley on the ‘Flying Fox’ doesn’t appear to be broken and the supplier has been contacted for further information. The bench on the village green by the swings requires repairing. Mr Harries will be asked if he is able to carry this out. Items for future meetings. Mr Pearson reported that GCC Rights of way will be upgrading part of Heath Lane to enable access to the foot bridge across the Evenlode which requires repair work. As part of this a number of lorries will be depositing scalpings along Heath Lane. The bridge on the village green also requires repair to the abutments. Mr Pearson will investigate this further. Mrs R Pawley reported problems with the pavement being eroded by the river along Station Road. Mrs Pawley will forward photographs of the problem to Cllr Moor. Date of next meeting – Monday 1 March at 7.00pm

13 THE ARTS SOCIETY COTSWOLDS Frances Sparkes Wednesday 10 March. AGM (10.30am) and Lecture (11.00am) via Zoom - Understanding Egyptian Art: Wall Reliefs and Murals with Eileen Goulding Egypt has a wealth of artefacts dated to its ancient past that today can be classified as art. This lecture examines one genre, the magnificent representational art displayed in the wall reliefs and paintings found in their tombs, drawing on examples from the Old, Middle and New Kingdom Periods. It identifies the techniques, materials and different styles used and demonstrates its progression through the millennia to demonstrate how their accomplished artisans achieved the beautiful artworks we can still see today, more than 3,000 years after the burial tombs were sealed. About our speaker: Eileen has an MA from the Department of Archaeology at the University of London, is a published author and an authority on the ancient cultures of the world. She specialises in the History, Culture, Myths & Legends of the Ancient Worlds. Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, TASC lectures are now given “virtually” via Zoom. Members receive an ‘invitation’ via the newsletter but non- members are welcome for a suggested donation of £5 either by cheque or by booking via the website on the lectures page. Wednesday 17 March. Special Interest Day: Music in the Great Art Collections of Europe with Peter Medhurst. Three talks will be presented, starting at 10.30am and finishing at 3.00pm at a cost of £15.00. Many of the great – but smaller – European art collections are tucked away in side streets, country houses and provincial towns, known often only to connoisseurs and local communities. With an eye to important paintings, musical instruments and pictures with musical content, Peter Medhurst explores some of these quality galleries, and examines moments from the Mauritshuis in The Hague, The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, The Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, the Vleeshuis in Antwerp, and the Ca’ Rezzonico in Venice. The lecture is illustrated throughout with music. To book and pay, please go to the Special Interest Day page on our website where there is a booking link. For more information, please contact Frances Sparkes on 01993 823943 [email protected] Or www.theartssocietycotswolds.org.uk

Clocks go forward one hour at 1.00am on

Sunday 28 March

14 VILLAGER BUS SERVICES Timetables and information - www.villagerbus.co.uk Villager bus routes are suspended until further notice. Re-started services will only commence when there is a fall in infections and when drivers have been vaccinated and become resistant to infection. Services are listed below but may start again in March; check the website above.

V2 Bledington Green 09.24: Bledington School 09.25 Wednesday arrive Chipp. Norton Co-Op 9.50; Medical Centre 9.53 only Leave Co-op 11.30, Hlth. Centre 11.32 arr. Bledington 12.00

V6 Bledington School 09.39: Bledington Green 09.40 Thursday arrive Stow Square 9.49: Stow Tesco 9.53 Leave only Stow Tesco 11.04: Stow Square 11.08, arr. Bledington 11.19

V9 Bledington School 13.55: arrive Chipping Norton 14.09 Friday Leave Co-op Car Park 15.45 arr. Bledington 16.00. Goes on only to Westcote/Oddington - no return from Oddington.

Bledington Green 09.16: arr. Chipping Norton West Street V19 10.03, Health Centre/Aldi 10.06 (by request). Leave Aldi/ Monday and Health Centre 11.38, Co-op 11.40 arr. Bledington 12.27. Tuesday (This service travels to Milton-u-Wychwood, Shipton-u- only Wychwood and Ascott-u-Wychwood).

V20 Bledington School 09.05 Arr. Witney 10.06. Leave Thursday Sainsbury’s 11.55; Market Sq. 12.00, arr. Bledington 13.02 only (This service travels to Kingham, Shipton-under-Wychwood).

V25 Bledington Green and School 08.56 arr. Witney 10.13am Wednesday dropping off at Hospital, Sainsbury’s and Buttercross. only Witney Buttercross 12.08pm, arrive Bledington 1.29pm (This service travels to Churchill, Shipton, Milton, Fulbrook, Burford, Bradwell, Filkins, Carterton, Minster Lovell).

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WEATHER RECORDS Robert Pearson 20 JANUARY TO 19 FEBRUARY 2021 2021 2020 Total rainfall 153.5mm 102.5mm Wettest Day 23mm on 30/1/21 17mm Highest day temperature 14°C on 2/2/21 13°C Average maximum day temperature 6.7°C 9.6°C Lowest night temperature -5°C on 11/2/21 -4°C Average lowest night temperature 1.3°C 3.4°C During the past month the weather has continued to be extremely changeable, there being two very welcome frosty dry periods with 15 nights in total seeing temperatures from 0° to –5° and the daytime temperatures not above 2° or 3°. However for the rest of the month the temperatures have been around 12° during the day and not a great deal below 7° at night. We have seen yet another very wet month with a total of 153.5mm of rainfall (the average for the Little Rissington weather station for February 1981 to 2010 is 55mm). Not only this but to add to the wet periods a lot of the rainfall has been of the ’downpour type’ that can cause flooding but mercifully this has not been the case. What will the next 28 days bring?

COMMUNITY WELLBEING SERVICE Louise Fletcher, Project Manager All requests for help should be addressed to 07738 016 384 or by email [email protected] The service offers practical and financial help and advice to those who may need any help to stay safe and independent at home for as long as they wish or as long as they can.

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COMMUNITY DEFIBRILLATORS In a life threatening emergency, where a defibrillator MAY be required you MUST CALL 999. Bledington Community Defibrillators are located at: 1. Bledington Village Hall on an outside wall. 2. In the telephone box outside Bledington School. The Village Hall defibrillator is locked; 999 will give you IN AN EMERGENCY the key code. The defibrillator in the telephone box is not CALL 999 locked so does not require a key or key code. DO NOT CALL 111 If Ambulance Control think the use of a defibrillator is required they will ask you to take the nearest defibrillator to the patient. You will be given instructions on how to use the defibrillator. DO NOT DIAL 111 in a life threatening emergency. A defibrillator is used to shock the heart into re-starting if the heart has arrested or is not beating properly. Please report to Sinclair Scott 01608 658624 if you have deployed the defibrillator. Defibrillators are dangerous to use unless under instruction from a 999 call operative or qualified medical practitioner.

BLEDINGTON NEWS The Editors Bledington News is usually distributed free of charge to every household in Bledington, Foscot and Foxholes. We would love to hear from you if you have any suggestions or contributions for news etc. for inclusion. [email protected] or call 01608 658624. Our printing costs are our only expense; they are around £2,000 annually. A huge thank you to those who have made donations towards the printing costs; if you wish to donate please contact our Treasurer, Michael Lear, Trinders, Main Street, Bledington Tel: 659371. Cheques should be made out to ‘Bledington News’.

17 WASTE AND RECYCLING COLLECTION DATES BLEDINGTON - COTSWOLD DISTRICT COUNCIL WEEKLY: EVERY TUESDAY: Small grey food waste caddy. Uneaten or out-of-date food, eggs, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, kitchen roll, paper tissues, small amounts of oil/fat, animal hair. NOT food packaging, animal faeces, pet litter/bedding/carcasses, cardboard, nappies.

FORTNIGHTLY: TUESDAYS 2, 16 AND 30 MARCH: Large green wheeled garden waste bins (licence required). Grass cuttings, leaves, bark, tree prunings and branches up 2” across, tree stumps up to 4” across, rabbit and guinea pig bedding, flowers, plants, weeds, fruit windfalls, cold wood ash. Grey wheeled bins for land fill waste. Cat/pet litter/bedding, nappies, light bulbs, crisp packets, plastic bags/wrapping. NOT fluorescent tubes. Blue bag for cardboard. Cardboard must fit into bag. Remove packaging tape. NOT card with glitter. White bags for tins, cans and rigid plastic. Plastic tubs and bottles, clean foil, aerosols, tetra paks. NOT crisp packets, plastic bags, clingfilm. Black boxes: 1. Glass bottles, jars. NOT broken glass, light bulbs. 2. Paper, catalogues, newspaper, magazines, plain wrapping paper. Also in Black boxes, wrap in separate carrier bags:- 1. Small electricals, batteries, e-readers, fairy lights, toys. 2. Shoes, clothing, hats, gloves, belts, scarves, textiles, handbags.

FOSCOT AND FOXHOLES WEST OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL FORTNIGHTLY GREEN WEEK: MONDAYS 8 AND 22 MARCH: Grey food waste bins. Blue lid bins for recycling. Green lid bins for garden waste. FORTNIGHTLY GREY WEEK: MONDAYS 1, 15 AND 29 MARCH Grey food waste bins. Grey lid bins for landfill waste.

RECYCLING CENTRES Fosse Cross, Cirencester waste centre (CDC) is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm (not Tuesdays) 18 miles from Bledington, signposted off A429 at Hare and Hounds, 6 miles north of Cirencester. All visits must be pre- booked on-line at https://forms.gloucestershire.gov.uk/HRC_CarBooking Dix Pit, Standlake waste centre (WODC) is open from 8.00am to 4.00pm every day. 21 miles from Foscot off the A415 south of Witney.

18 EVENLODE VALE CHURCHES ST LEONARD BLEDINGTON Mark Smallwood Our group of village churches aims to welcome people of all ages to be part of the church. For the past two years my job as Youth Minister has been to support youngsters in the area and to help make the church relevant to their lives. Before Covid came, we had a lot of fun week by week in various clubs and activities but, not surprisingly, most of what we currently do has had to move online. So, now we meet every Friday night to play virtual games and discuss a pop music video. One popular game has been 'Among us'; in this ‘whodunnit’ game where we are all astronauts on a mission there is an imposter among us seeking to sabotage the spaceship. Rounds are played on our phones and then ‘emergency meetings’ are called, where we discuss (over Zoom) who we think the impostor is. In our discussion of pop music videos we consider the worldview and messages they contain and what the Christian point of view might have to say to it. On Sunday nights we have an online Bible study (we are just finishing the Sermon on the Mount) and play some more virtual games. On Monday afternoons at 4.00pm we have been baking over Zoom. So far we have made some flatbreads (with a little help from Jamie Oliver), some Rice Krispie cakes and chocolate cakes! We have given some of the produce of this to the Food bank, but currently all they need is toothpaste and deodorant! Another lockdown innovation has been virtual Murder Mystery parties. We have had a couple of these (and hopefully have another coming up in a few weeks). These are fancy-dress and plenty of fun as well as good mental exercise (the secret is to look for ‘means’, ‘motive’ and ‘opportunity’). I also use this opportunity to show how we can consider the evidence to come to a reasonable faith in Jesus Christ. Looking ahead, we are looking to put on some zoom family fitness sessions, so please be in touch if this interests you! And please contact me if you have a child who would like to join in any of these activities 07584 561 378 [email protected]

19 CHURCH NEWS March Services. We are continuing to hold physical services in most of our churches. We are able to do this because appropriate precautions have been put in place including regular risk assessments and careful security at services. St Paul’s Church in Broadwell will remain closed during March but all our other churches are open. To provide for those who aren’t able to meet in person we are also streaming an online service each month. Our next online service will be on Sunday 21 March 2021 at 10.30am. Recorded from Holy Ascension, Oddington our Curate, Rev Helkias Mapimhidze will be speaking. You can access our online services from our benefice website: evenlodevalechurches.org Please contact the church office on 01451 831424 if you would prefer a DVD of the recorded service. Prayer. We have renamed our monthly prayer meeting Central Prayer to reflect the crucial role that prayer has within our lives. Why not come to our next Central Prayer Meeting on Saturday 6 March 2021, 9.30am to 10.30am at Holy Ascension, Oddington. This is an opportunity to pray for the work of our church and our villages. You won't be asked to read or to pray out loud; social distancing and mask- wearing will be strictly observed; and we'll start and finish on time. Lent Course. 'The cross of Jesus is the centre of human history, and the centre of the Christian faith. And so it should dominate our view of ourselves, our future... and our present' This Lent we are looking at Luke's gospel account of the final day of Jesus' life on earth - the hope and anguish; the joy and pain; and his heart- breaking, life-bringing death. Over five Tuesday evening 'Zoom' sessions we'll be using Mike McKinley's book to discover how Christ's Passion changes our heart and challenges our life, every day. Join us, to consider how Christ's final day changes your every day! Online meetings: Every Tuesday 7:30pm - 8:30pm from 23 February to 23 March inclusive. (It’s not too late to join in with the remaining sessions in March if you would like to.) Zoom link and book copies available price £5 from the church office ([email protected]). You'll need to read two short chapters each week before the online discussion meeting. Youth Update Please see the newsletter this month written by Mark Smallwood, our Youth Minister.

20 CHURCH SERVICES (subject to Government permission for public worship) Sunday 7 March The Third Sunday of Lent 10.30am United Communion Service Holy Ascension, Oddington Sunday 14 March The Fourth Sunday of Lent (Mothering Sunday) 9.30am Holy Communion (CW) St Mary, Adlestrop 9.30am Morning Prayer (BCP) St Mary, Icomb 11.00am Morning Service (CW) St Edward, Evenlode 11.00am Morning Service (CW) St Mary, Westcote 6.00pm Evening Prayer (BCP) St Leonard, Bledington Sunday 21 March The Fifth Sunday of Lent 9.00am Holy Communion (BCP) St Leonard, Bledington 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP) St Mary, Icomb 10.30am Morning Prayer (Online Service) Holy Ascension, Oddington 11.00am Morning Service (CW) St Mary, Westcote Sunday 28 March Palm Sunday 9.30am Morning Prayer (BCP) St Mary, Adlestrop 9.30am Morning Prayer (BCP) St Mary, Icomb 10.30am Morning Prayer (CW) St Leonard, Bledington 6.00pm Holy Communion (CW) St Mary, Westcote

ST LEONARD, BLEDINGTON CHURCH ROTAS FLOWERS AND BRASS TO MAIN CLEANING ALTAR AND SIDE ALTAR MARCH 2021 Week Commencing: Monday Week Ending: Saturday 1st Mrs Warren and Tina 6th Mrs Caroline Bond 8th Mrs Warren and Tina 13th Mrs Caroline Bond 15th Mr and Mrs Beacham 20th Mrs Jane Oldridge 22nd Mr and Mrs Beacham 27th Mrs Elaine Way 29th Mr and Mrs Windsor

Evenlode Vale Churches Website: www.evenlodevalechurches.org

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