The Village Gossip

North Newington Spring 2020

Welcome

The main focus of this edition is to share some of the differing experiences of life under lockdown that have been emailed in to us in the last few weeks. The winter edition gave mention of the virus but I certainly would not have anticipated its consequences. The last few weeks will have resulted in differing experiences and I am grateful for those who have sent in their own reflections. On the whole I imagine we are a fairly resilient group of people but even so conversations with others reveal some of the challenges the situation has brought. It’s a pleasure to read some of your stories here. Many point to the strong community we have in North Newington and the different ways we’ve been able to look out for one another.

For me I will remember the bolognaise brought over by our neighbours which Rose (our youngest) declared as the “best tea ever”. The Thursday claps (horns, bells and whoops) is a highlight reminding us of the hard work others are going through in extremely challenging circumstances. There are small but significant personal mementoes for me too. A strawberry plant gifted to us, now established in our rockery; a Rupert the Bear annual now part of Rose’s book collection; the Friday delivery of wonderful bread and perhaps the highlight, memories of an afternoon tea with some of our neighbours on VE Day.

Carol has been working hard digging out a section of our garden untouched by a gardener’s hands for some years. She’s been encouraged along by David and Ceridwen over the fence, no doubt pleased to see it also taking shape. Like others, we have been pleased with the much reduced price of the regular oil delivery helped by the village bulk buying. Of course, it’s easier to write about the positives. For many in the village, our work and the impact on it from lockdown is never far away from our minds. Let us hope the coming months will see the easing of the restrictions but I imagine there will be some lasting consequences of many sorts for us all. With this in mind, let’s continue to look out for one another, remembering we don’t know everything of others’ personal circumstances. Let’s offer kindness - which may well prove of lasting value. Neil Wild

Cover photo: A selection of village rainbows. Thanks to Jess Doidge taking the time to put this montage together.

Easter Weekend

By Easter we were well into lockdown but with the fabulous weather some in the village came up with the lovely idea of an Easter egg hunt. After a message on WhatsApp and an email from Jenny, the whole village was soon full of homemade Easter eggs.

Rowan and Oak Hart spotted 240 eggs within the village with Ellie Doidge spotted 355 including those in the outlying lanes.

As well as eggs there were chalk messages with Easter greetings and naturally an opportunity for some more rainbows!

Village Life in Lockdown (Part 1)

We’ve been pleased with the contributions from the village. Hoping you won’t mind where we’ve needed to make some edits to roughly keep to no more than one per page. We start with: Zena Taylor, Park Lane As a busy Mum of two boys, life in lockdown has been fast-paced and has flown by so far. The lockdown for us started a week earlier than most, as we chose to keep Henry off school to protect my husband Nick. He is a frontline doctor and we didn't want to risk Henry giving him any bugs, which would mean the need for self-isolation and potentially not being able to go into work for several days. The first couple of weeks was perhaps the most stressful, with everyone adjusting to a new kind of normal and finding their daily flow. Henry was okay, he's a home bird and loved it. Nick was run off his feet, with a constant stream of emails, meetings, phone calls, flow charts and policies to all get sorted at work. I've cried for him leaving for work, wondering if he'll get a face full of aerosolised Covid and end-up really poorly. I've sat and thought about life without him. Not the sort of thing you imagine life will throw at you. He's always been the one saving lives. I decided to keep my mind focused on a task and start sewing. Little did I think that six weeks later I’d still be sewing! My husband and I follow the guidance and literature closely and we had a discussion over the benefit of cloth face masks helping to reduce the spread of the virus. I concluded that if the government were to recommend the use of face masks there was no way on earth I wanted people rushing onto eBay and buying precious PPE. Hence I made over eighty masks for locals, with all donations towards The Horton Hospital Charity. I thank you all for your support. I've just finished a batch of another twenty masks for the staff at Bishop Carpenter! Needless to say as the weeks passed the garden became tidier, the house became messier and we learned to live an online life. I guess it's been much the same for lots of people in the village. I doubt it's the same for those in high rises or without the luxuries I feel grateful to have. This virus has taught me lots of things though, not least how to replace a filling or do a haircut! It's taught satisfaction, contentment and thankfulness. Take care all

Jenny Williams, School Lane Life in Lockdown has had its ups and downs. The ups are suddenly unlimited time and freedom to do all those jobs and interests which one has never got round to. At last we have got the better of the garden and it is looking immaculate including a freshly painted shed and drive gate, and what fantastic weather too. We have discovered new walks around the village and met more villagers to chat to as well. That bike languishing in the shed for the past 25 years has been given a new lease of life, and I have enjoyed sending out emails as the new village email service co-ordinator. The downs are of course those missed hugs and kisses with offspring and grandchildren. Thank goodness for technology enabling us to see them through Zoom, Skype and FaceTime. I now have over 90 people on the village email list which is gradually growing week by week and seems to be well received. Drop me an email if you’d like to be added: [email protected]

Emma Nell, Park Farmhouse Since moving to North Newington three years ago we have fallen in love with the God-given landscapes around the village and the castle which act as a balm for the soul and an inspiration for so many thoughts. The sheer diversity of birds, animals and human activity in the small patch in which we walk makes me grateful every day to live in such a beautiful and unspoilt place, a place we consider very close to Paradise. Thank you to all who ensure its survival.

Narisa Chapman, Park Lane Lock down for us has been challenging at times mainly for not being able to see family, but on a positive note Dan has been able to spend valuable time with Nellie and seeing her first roll which he would have missed.

Thanks to house party and zoom we have been able to see family and friends and keep in touch more than we would have done before. We love living in the village. There is always community spirit in hard times, pulling together to beat this together. Stay in, stay safe, eternal thanks to NHS and all that work for it!

Debby Andrews, Main Street I love my job. I get great satisfaction from teaching, I always have. However, lockdown has kept me from work as my husband, Terry, is in the “at risk” age group and my mum is 87. For the first three weeks I was extremely busy, working most days from home. I no longer have a class as I work as a Special Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) across two schools, so I spent my time catching up with paperwork, making referrals, writing reports, attending on-line conferences, having telephone discussions with colleagues…….the list goes on. But then the work slowed down and there was less I could do from home. I have worked hard for 36 years, often completing work in the evenings and weekends as a class teacher, Deputy Head and now SENCO. I can’t remember any time in my life when I have not been busy but, strange as it is, I rather like it! I miss seeing friends and family, giving my 8 month old granddaughter a cuddle, having a coffee in town and going away in the motorhome, but we are still so very fortunate. We have beautiful countryside all around us, a sizeable garden, food on the table and each other. There are so many people who are hungry, lonely and worried about having a job to go back to when this is all finally over. There are families cramped into high-rise flats and domestic violence has increased. For them the “stay at home” message must be worrying, depressing and even frightening. So, whilst I am in practise for retirement, I hope the lockdown will be lifted soon and we can all get back to some sort of normality!

Nick Brown, School Lane As an engineer working in Formula 1, this crisis has prevented us from doing what we love most – racing – and as a by-product, shutting our factories (our summer shutdown has been brought forwards) and stopping us researching and developing the cars. One completely unexpected opportunity was the chance to contribute to Project Pitlane – whereby the dormant Formula 1 industry could find a new target for their combined engineering efforts and try and help support the NHS & the public – in short a chance to be able to ‘put something back’. Of course, the complete irony of the situation is that, under normal circumstances, as competitors, a very important part of our normal working lives is avoiding telling any of the opposition anything. Now, we were all working together and collectively, sharing information - even sharing work spaces – whilst socially distanced and soaked in hand sanitizer. The particular project that I worked on was known as the Remora device (later named BlueSky). This was effectively taking a concept developed by a doctor named Alistair Darwood - an ‘emergency’ ventilator made from an Ambu-bag (the squashy, hand operated bag you see in the ambulance on Casualty) and automating it so it could run without the need for someone to manually squeeze the bag repeatedly. As a reference, in normal times, this sort of project would take 2-3 years. We were attempting (and on target for delivery) to achieve this in 4 weeks. In parallel with this project, many other activities were also taking place. Mercedes High Performance Powertrains were re-engineering a CPAP device (a manifold that regulates positive pressure in a mask placed over the face). They managed to produce 10,000 of them in a week. Many of our colleagues had also volunteered to help assemble existing designs of ventilators so the companies could ramp production from 7-8 a week to 250. Ultimately, the Remora device was dropped, as the disease is more complex than originally thought and required more sophisticated ventilators. However, the ultimate reason it was dropped is that it wasn’t required – the measures put in place prevented the catastrophic consequences that were a very real possibility at the start of this crisis. Although these projects have been borne out of necessity, they have provided an amazing opportunity to work with people across the industry and to be part of a team with a very real purpose – one with a chance to make a real difference.

Anna Wild, Banbury Road

At first it was nice to come home and initially I really enjoyed not having much to do as my uni exams are cancelled. However, now I am missing living in Manchester and feel especially annoyed that I won’t be at uni again until the autumn as I was really enjoying my first year and miss my previous fast paced busy lifestyle and all the friends I had made that I left so suddenly. I love rock climbing and the worst consequence of all this for me is that climbing walls are closed! I am spending lots of my time at home doing training related to climbing, including using my small wall that we have in our attic. (This was built a couple of years ago before I realised how much of a blessing it would be now!) Besides that I am enjoying cooking for my family, watching lots of Netflix and going for nice walks and runs. I’m very glad we live where we do; that the countryside is so accessible.

Rose

Hello, I am in Reception year at Bishop Carpenter. My mummy and daddy told me I might be able to return to school in two weeks but I don’t want to. I like my time at home with my family all being together. School sends lots of work home (my teachers have been very busy and they love seeing photos of my work). We’re doing a pirate theme at the moment.

I have a number line printed on our wall and I have been doing sums with numbers up to 30. I had my 5th birthday last week but without a party with friends. That was sad but I got lots of nice presents from my family and mummy made me a rainbow ice cream cake. And, just before my birthday, Sophie who lives across the road gave me lots of dressing up clothes.

Tina Saynor, School Lane 8 weeks in and maybe a good time to reflect. Things have changed significantly, and some not at all. Both of us work from home, we have an office and so the joys of the dining room table don’t apply. That said, the travelling, something we’ve wished would ease up for years, is now being missed! Major and minor difficulties have been:  Remembering what day of the week it is, weekends don’t mean the same, bank holidays are another day and working at 6 in the morning or at 10 at night seems normal now  The pubs being closed. A social life low, even for a once a week visit!  Missing family and friends to the point where at times it feels like an ache, even for the people you wouldn’t normal hug!  Trying to find something we can send to my mother once a week to entertain, intrigue or delight her is getting harder as is the visit to the post office  What shall we eat?!! That strange combination of kale, one tuna steak, apples, small portion of curry and welsh cakes, all in one evening, delicious   Some people not getting it Positives have been:  We’ve probably spoken to Angharad and Clem (our children) more than we ever have since lockdown.  My elderly mother having been taught to receive facetime calls on her granddaughter’s old iPhone, a real bonus to help her through loneliness and lack of physical presence in her life  The lack of traffic, walking in the middle of the road is strangely cathartic and slightly ‘naughty’!  The bird songs are glorious, although you can have too much of a good thing.  The kindness and thoughtfulness of friends and neighbours. The wonderful community spirit, WhatsApp group and Jenny’s email service have all been so useful and involving All in all, we are the lucky ones, living here in our little community. Each day we remember that and it helps.

Maisie Leonard Lockdown life isn’t the best thing I’ve ever experienced but I suppose we have to do it. Finding things to do to keep yourself occupied isn’t easy but this is a learning curve for everyone. For me I got my GCSE’s cancelled which surprisingly was upsetting for me because I was so prepared to do them and get them done but I suppose it saves me the stress. I’ve started my A level work which has been keeping me busy during the times I have nothing better to do which isn’t the most enjoyable thing to do but it passes the time well!

Elle Hart, Park Lane About four years ago I made a New Year’s resolution to be grateful for my first world problems and during lockdown this has become a bit of a mantra.

Don’t get me wrong: we all have our moments in the Hart household, we are not completely zen, and there have been plenty of disappointments over the past seven weeks including cancelled birthday parties, holidays, gigs and activities, but in the grand scheme of things we are extremely lucky.

We have had weeks of amazing weather where we have had the opportunity to spend time together as a family, teach the kids to ride their bikes and play in the paddling pool in the garden. Oh yes we’ve also had to continue to work, home school the kids and brave the outside world on a weekly basis for the food shop, whilst trying to get at least a couple of beds dug and planted at the allotment ...... as I said first world problems. When I asked the kids what they wanted to say about the lockdown I wasn’t surprised to find the things they didn’t like were not seeing their grandparents or friends. Oak is missing watching the rugby and I’m pretty sure they both wish mummy was a more patient teacher. In my defence if they just taught the subjects the way they did when I was at school it would be much easier. Also I have now discovered that Daddy is the favourite teacher because he rewards good work with Maltesers, hardly fair.

What really makes me smile are the things that they want to do when the lockdown is over and we all start to go out a bit more. Rowan has decided she is looking forward to being able to go to a build a bear workshop and get a new bear, preferably with her grandparents, oh and she really wants to go back to her riding lessons. Her brother on the other hand has decided he wants to be able to go to a restaurant where they have lobsters in a tank so that he can choose the biggest one and eat it ....and he’d like a harpoon gun.

V E Day Celebrations

“What a great turn out we all had for VE day. At our end of Main street there was music, food (some of it on a pole) champagne and loads of good humoured banter. What wonderful neighbours we have.”

Thank you Jess Doidge for the photo montage

Village Life in Lockdown (part 2)

Luci Jordan, School Lane Lockdown …..who would have thought it was even a possibility a few months ago. Myself and my partner, Penny, live at the end of School Lane and we are lucky enough to have a beautiful view from our home as well as a large field and a major footpath running along it! The footpath has been very important to us recently. A few years ago we fenced the actual footpath off from our field, to guide walkers along the right road! This has been a great benefit for us in the last few weeks as we have new puppies and they have met virtually everyone in the village, 'at a safe distance’. We didn’t think socialisation would be this easy during Lock-Down!! So a big thanks to everyone who stops off for a chat with the human owners as well!! As they grow up I am sure they will have made a lot of friends in the dog community of this wonderful village as well as the human mates! Thank you all from Luci and Penny and Sam and Mojo! On another subject, it has been SO quiet around and about, that we have seen more wild life than usual. A great thing in these challenging times. As the Swallows returned, we also have a pair of Canada geese nesting on our island on the lake we built a few years ago. The new members of North Newington are due any time and we eagerly await their arrival. Little bundles of bright green to start with. But we also hope the buzzards and foxes stay away from the family on the island. We both love the Thursday NHS and carers clapping at 8pm and reckon we hear the Shutford road noise from way down the bottom of School Lane and possibly the odd glass clinking! By the end of this Lock-Down I anticipate the whole village will know each other as never before. As a member of the VIG I am very grateful for all our flower planters as usual and all the organisation of checking on each other to make sure all is well throughout the village, just a little bit of cheer in this quiet time. I miss the noise of the children at School and I know the School and Mrs Stevenson are doing a great job to assist parents with their Home Schooling and also they are still open a few days a week for children of critical workers. Let's all hope it isn’t too long before we hear the break time and lunchtime laughter of School again.

Karra McFarlane, Shutford Road

When we heard schools were closing, I emailed all of my colleagues explaining that my working hours would be for two hours before the boys woke up, when they had playtime, and then from when James got home from work until late into evening.

‘Tip-tap’, I hear little feet padding down the stairs at 5.30am, and I’ve only been working for 30 mins. Obviously my grand plan went out of the window on day 1!

I’ve had video calls with a small person in the background shouting “I need a wee!” And home schooling a 9 year old alongside two 4 year olds has been challenging, to say the least. There have been plenty of tears (from me as well as the children).

We’ve had PE with Joe Wickes, and science with Professor Brian Cox and David Attenborough. I don’t think this is an experience any of us will forget in a hurry!

This isn’t a substitute for school, and it isn’t moving our way up the career ladder and producing our finest work. It’s survival, pure and simple. No one is getting it right and no one has all the answers. We’re all just muddling through as best we can.

Karra pictured with her latest work. How does Pete feel when he realises he won’t be able to see his friends or his grandparents? Sounding topical? Available via https://petestayshome.com/ (Editors note).

Roger Shapley, Main Street

I guess lockdown has affected us all differently. There’s been lots of time for thoughts and reflections especially with VE Day to remember. Lots of meaning of life stuff and what’s it all about. Strange answers in odd places. We’re of an age when we’re out of contact virtually completely and we haven’t even been to a shop for six weeks. So we’re totally dependent on neighbours and friends and relatives. And they/you have been fantastic. We couldn’t be living in a better place. Thank you everyone

Jess Doidge, Shutford Road Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! I’m self-employed, with what I believe is called a ‘portfolio’ of jobs. Briefly I am nanny, promotions manager for an equestrian facility, an accounts assistant and an office manager for a farrier. So, when COVID-19 hit my work went from approximately 38 hours to 7 hours a week. Straight away, I knew I needed a job to fill the void. Hello Fresh, seemed easy, immediate start. Just turn up for training, don’t cough and you are in! Guaranteed work. Simple! Here’s an extract of my Facebook post: Social Distancing? What social distancing? Never ever heard of it. It was not a thing. The staff up so close to everyone, people bunching up getting ready, being forced to sign out in a huge group. I truly feel emotional. I know the NHS staff are quite rightly, getting a lot of love and support at the moment for their heroic bids to save lives whilst risking their own. But more must be said about these people in factories getting food on our tables, delivered to our doors. On my line. I was one of two English people (out of 16) processing the food that gets put our table every day, for minimum wage and walking into a death trap. Absolutely no protection, no distancing and certainly no praise from the public. I saw older people, most probably people with health issues and even a pregnant lady. After this post, I was inundated with people telling me I mustn’t go back and sure enough I was contacted by the BBC and made headline news on South Today! The HR director of Hello Fresh even phoned to tell me I was brave to do what I did and to thank me! I believe conditions have improved there now, but I have not been back. THEN!!!!! My DBS check came through! I was put forward for a job in a Supported Living facility in Oxford, for adults with Acute Mental Health Issues. Whilst the job seemed OK, it was in Oxford, 9am-5pm, 35 miles, not ideal with a wage that was just above the minimum. But needs must, it was a job and it also meant our daughter could go to school. I can honestly say it has been one of the most rewarding times of my life. It’s not a job for everyone but for me it’s a pleasure to go there and interact with the residents. I don’t want to share too much about the things I do, but safe to say it was a good move for many reasons. Oh and the Oxford commute at RUSH HOUR!! 40 mins!! Door to door. Amazing! It’s a long day and I still have the accounts assistant and office manager jobs but it’s great to be working again and to feel like I am doing some good and helping in my own small way.

Philip Fine, School Lane As a university lecturer, I’ve in fact been busier with work than previously. This is partly because we’ve had to move all our teaching online, which has been a challenge in itself. I think ‘We R Zoom’ and ‘We R Teams’ could be the slogans of the year. And I’ve taken over a module that would have been taught by a visiting lecturer who has been furloughed.

It’s been really interesting, learning new information and skills, but it has left me with a bit less free time than I might have had! That said, not having to commute has been really helpful, and it’s meant that Derrick and I are on the way to getting the garden we’ve always wanted but never had time to achieve! Well, maybe the weather has helped a bit too.

In amongst all the awfulness of covid19, the best thing about the lockdown has been the village community coming into its own. With the WhatsApp group and regular village emails, to mask making, games suggestions, local farm produce, book offers, people shopping and looking out for one another, not to mention the community spirit on Thursday evenings and particularly on VE Day, we are reminded on a daily basis why we love living here. What’s more, when taking Dexter (woof) for his daily walks, we never cease to remember how incredibly lucky we are to live in this lovely corner of Banburyshire, and not in a flat on an inner-city estate, where lockdown must be nightmarish.

Zoe Telford, Main Street The kids have been uncharacteristically brief in their answers when I asked the good/bad things about the lockdown. Maud replied, “There isn’t anything I don’t like about it - I like being able to stay at home with you (Mum & Dad) more and playing on the grass in the garden!” and Harvey “I miss being able to go to fun places like bowling and The Riverside Hub but I really like being home schooled!” I didn’t get them to say this, honest.

Risa Heapy, School Lane Prior to the lockdown the Heapys were almost packed and due to fly to Florida. However, it came to an abrupt halt when President Trump added the UK and Ireland to the US travel ban. Just as well we stayed grounded at home as Maya, our 13 year old daughter, suddenly developed a high temperature. We all started having Covid-type symptoms and, real or imagined, it set us into panic mode. We downed lemons, oranges and manuka honey by the glass to get that antibacterial punch and were so relieved that Maya quickly bounced back.

Our original concerns over whether Maya would be able stave off boredom were swiftly laid to rest following an onslaught of online “house parties” and late- night zoom calls to friends in different time zones across the globe. In actual fact for the first few weeks we saw less of her than we would have had she been on a normal schedule. Her loud squeals and giggles travelling from upstairs assured us that she wasn’t having any hang ups about being in lockdown.

Like everyone else we’ve been opening up the recipe books and printing online recipes to cook, bake and try those recipes that we’d always wanted to attempt but never quite had the time for. The enthusiasm for mastering the kitchen was dampened only by the sheer volume of washing up that inevitably followed. We were very pleased by Maya’s third attempt at Croquetas de Jamon (Spanish Ham Croquettes, her favourite in Marbella).

The weather has been absolutely beautiful with the sun keeping our spirits high. A highlight in the village has been Mark and Elaine’s gorgeous cherry blossom tree which took me back to the Hanami Festival in Kyoto, and the rolling hills behind the allotments can be mistaken for Tuscany (well, I can dream). Apparently the cuckoo has been singing and the friendly little lambs remind us that time is still passing but at a slowly pace perhaps. We were even able to visit the bluebells more than our usual once ill-timed visit.

The highlight however of our isolation so far was the fantastic atmosphere in the village during VE Day which also so happened to be our 30th Wedding Anniversary! The splendid decorations around the village (we borrowed our bunting from Luci) and the celebratory toast we managed to have with our neighbours in the lane really topped off the occasion for us.

We look forward to celebrating the end of this lockdown with everyone once we’re given the green light. Until then, stay safe, healthy and sane.

Terry Andrews, Main Street Five weeks ago my three children said to me, “Dad you’re 72 and the government says you're at risk because of your age, so we want you to stop full time working and stay at home to protect yourself. So my time in “exile” began. After a week acting like a fish out of water, I began to get used to the idea that I was not going back to work for a while so I had better change my lifestyle. So I started with attacking the flower garden, which had been given no attention for about three years, I went on to digging the dilapidated raised beds and sowing seeds both directly into the soil and then in the reclaimed greenhouse. My shed said a big thank you for a super spring clean as did the small potting shed. The neighbours were beginning to notice! The house needed painting on the outside and is looking better with every (long overdue) brush stroke. These jobs along with making wooden games and things for the grandchildren, repairing and renovating items that were long necessary have kept me busy. I still have the pond to clean, shrubs to trim, a mower to repair, paths to jet wash, logs to cut, more painting (this time indoors), more items to repair and renovate, more seeds to plant, more things to organise and so the list goes on and on. Interspersed with our daily walk and occasional cycle ride.

Our best walks have been over the field to Broughton Castle to watch the swallows skim the water in search of food and also to look at the beautiful bluebells out in full glory on Claydon Hill Covert. Oh I almost forgot that even though I am out of sight of the business, I am not out of mind. The phone calls keep coming, the emails need replying to and decisions still need to be made even though one of my sons has taken over the reins.

Bored, bored ha ha. What on earth does that mean?

As you can read some wonderful contributions. With the next edition of the Gossip later in the summer there will be opportunity to hear from more of us. Do keep sending in your reflections on Life in Lockdown.

Broughton Grounds Farm

A local peasant writes ... A warm dry spring means the swarm season started early this year with the first reported in late March. Some hobby beekeepers are happy to let their bees swarm, but research suggests that less than 20% of swarms survive their first winter in the wild. Bees need three things to swarm; a queen, mature flying bees and young brood (eggs and larvae). There are various ways of trying to control swarming but essentially any method relies on separating those three parts of a colony as soon as queen cells are formed. One of the (many!) challenges of beekeeping is having enough spare kit as any colony manipulation to prevent swarming requires another hive; 10 colonies will soon become 20! Anyway, all being well spring honey will be available in early June. Lambing went pretty smoothly this year. We lamb some of the older ewes outside and a dry April meant losses were low. Big thanks to Meg from School Lane for helping us out in the busiest period. Despite a pleasing lambing, accurate flock performance can only be assessed by dividing all lambs sold by ewes put to the ram (the national average for lowland flocks is about 1.5) so we won’t know final figures until the last lamb is sold next March. There is a lot of uncertainty about the future viability of sheep farming at the moment but thankfully we have a cost of production contract with Tesco which is a great help. For obvious reasons all our school lambing visits were cancelled which felt strange as they have been such a big part of spring over recent years. Our Wednesday farm club members are missing contact with animals and I imagine many of us have reflected recently on the important role the countryside has to play in our mental and physical well-being. As I write we urgently need rain. The autumn and winter was so wet that many farmers, ourselves included, had to wait for fields to dry out before there was any hope of establishing crops. With hardly any rain for two months it’s gone from one extreme to the other, and harvest yields will be down this year.

To end on a sweet note, did I mention that honey will be available in June?

James Taylor

Supporting Local Businesses These are incredibly challenging times for many businesses. The Government support is helpful but does not replace the potential complete loss of revenue for some. The lockdown has provided us with opportunity to sample some of the services of local businesses we’ve not done before. Here’s a sample of some that have been doing their upmost to adapt to changing times. There are many others. Do email us for next edition.

Quarry Nursery, Hornton OX16 6DF Open Again from 13th May www.quarrynurseries.co.uk 07903 655267 Regular opening including Bank Holiday 25th May Take away orders: 01295 678 888

Saye and Sele Arms

We currently have a hot food takeaway/delivery service as well as a shop for household essentials. Please see our "Menus" tab for the current takeaway/delivery menu. We look forward to being able to fully re-open our doors again soon. https://www.sayeandselearms.co.uk/

Weekly delivery to the village. Lots of options available. Contact Nicola on Shutford Road, your local ‘distributor’.

Fancy a delicious steak and onion pancake delivered to your door or even a chicken, ham and stilton or maybe a roasted vegetables and goats cheese plus many more to choose from including vegan, vegetarian and also for those with allergies. Simply order online from Banbury's multi award winning restaurant at www.littleamsterdam.co.uk or call 01295 279140 after 5pm. Takeaways also available.

Your T.V. Screen

Here Noah gives us an excellent selection of what to view on your screen. Viewing is a personal choice and it can be challenging in large households to find a consensus. Perhaps use this opportunity to try something a little different but do check in advance the appropriateness for those watching. At this point in in The Village Gossip I would normally give a rundown of the upcoming films showing in the VIG Screen Programme. The current situation, of course, makes that task quite impossible. Though, all the films that were set to be shown (Sometimes Always Never, Downton Abbey, Knives Out and The Aeronauts) are available online to stream. Instead, and to avoid a film-shaped hole in this edition, recommending some lockdown film viewing available to watch in the comfort of your own home seems a useful exercise. Perhaps recreate the VIG Screen experience for extra realism, maybe even add a short film to complete the programme: dim the lights, sit on a plastic chair and enjoy! It’s quite easy to forget that so many brilliant films are available to watch online for free, through BBC iPlayer and All 4. iPlayer has an ever-changing range of classic and modern films to enjoy. Though, Terry Gilliam’s apocalyptic virus film Twelve Monkeys may not be best suited the current climate, the underrated Ben Wheatly film Happy New Year, in Colin Burnstead shows the British director at his most restrained, the insular family comedy a great contrast from his upcoming adaption of Rebecca. Currently, offerings range from David Lynch’s monochrome masterpiece The Elephant Man, to the forgotten Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy, to some Sunday afternoon comfort in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. The BBC are also championing the theatre industry with their Culture in Quarantine programme. Emma Rice’s sublime adaption of Angela Carter’s Wise Children is a must watch family spectacle, as well as a range of Shakespeare plays from the RSC and The Globe. I’d particularly recommend the gripping interpretation of Macbeth, starring Christopher Eccleston and the ground-breaking production of Othello. Also, in the Culture in Quarantine programme will soon be the Almeida Theatre’s production of Albion, a fabulous state of the nation play that I saw live in February of this year. It’s a gripping and deep work, with a great script by the ever-brilliant Mike Bartlett.

Albion stars Daisy Edgar Jones, an actress who has just risen in prominence in the BBC’s adaption of Sally Rooney’s Normal People. The series is available in full on BBC iPlayer and is a must watch, providing a gripping and explosive adaption, with stellar performances that are sure to have a great impact. The BBC are also currently remaking Alan Bennet’s Talking Heads, the acclaimed series of monologues from the 1990s. The new cast includes actors like Jodie Comer, Lesley Manville and Martin Freeman and is sure to be a necessary watch. All this talk of theatre provides an opportunity to remind of the explosion in theatrical content available at the moment. The National Theatre broadcast a play on You Tube every week, showcasing the very best theatre that Britain has to offer. On Amazon Video and Soho Theatre OnDemand Phoebe Waller Bridge’s Fleabag – from its recent sold out west end run- is being streamed to raise money for charities supporting those affected by Covid-19. Many other theatres are releasing recordings of their productions in an effort to keep the arts in operation: it’s certainly worth keeping an eye out for the current productions available. (Turn to Hampstead Theatre on Demand and originaltheatrecompany.vhx.tv/ if you’re in need of suggestions). Returning to cinema, over on All 4, the documentary For Sama provides a powerful sense of perspective in turbulent times. It is a harrowing watch, focused on the experiences of its creator living in Syria, but is in my opinion one the best films to have been made in the last year. All 4 champions an amazing range of films through the Film 4 channel, with recent offerings including the back catalogue of vital contemporary directors like Peter Strickland and Ben Wheatly, as well as classics like Local Hero and Brassed Off. And from across the globe, the amazing family animation My Life as a Courgette and the Russian drama Loveless. Hope these give you some ideas, Noah Wild Do drop Noah an email via the Gossip if you need any help finding these suggested titles or have any feedback on his choices. [email protected]

Village Volunteering

Thanks to the VIG for coordinating the upgrade of flower tubs. If you happen to live near a tub please can you look after it by watering and weeding if you have a moment. The flowers are supplied by Philip from Quarry Nurseries, Hornton, so do give him a call if you need some flowers or visit his website. He will organise a time for you to collect your requirements.

Face Coverings: Zena Fox from Park Lane has been busy making face coverings. Many in the village have taken up her offer with a donation to the Horton Hospital charity where Zena’s husband works. https://www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/pages/category/horton

Banbury Rotary: Richard Moyle is active with one of the Banbury Rotary clubs. He would in normal circumstances be preparing for July’s annual cycling sportif from Broughton Castle but sadly this has been cancelled for 2020. I asked Richard about the impact of this on their fund raising. “Our charity funds are slowly running down as you might expect. We have just run an email based quiz, funds from which were given to the Trussel Trust to support their Foodbanks locally in Banbury. Additionally we did a hands on project last year at Agnes Court in Banbury (sheltered housing for severely disabled adults, run by Leonard Cheshire Charity) to radically clean up and rebuild an overgrown section of garden. We transformed the area, cleared overgrown weeds / rubbish, dug it, barrier membrane laid, wood chipped and then planted a wide range of plants. This is now fast growing and we will be in to maintain it. Extra volunteers are very welcome.”

Recycling your “junk”: By the way, says Terry Andrews, after you’ve finished clearing out the shed, garage and loft please consider passing onto me the following:- I collect, (when I am not in lock down), household goods that will furnish an empty flat from top to bottom. Rugs, curtains, cutlery, crockery, sheets, towels, furniture and electrical items. Also I have a connection who accepts any sort of tool be it wood working, mechanical, building or gardening tool even if its broken because the organisation can repair it. Want to know more how you can help disadvantaged people please message or call me on 07837848819.

IT’S A DOGS LIFE!

Hello from Oliver (11.75 years young) and Merlot (5.5 years young). We moved from Bloxham to North Newington in April 2018 and brought with us our human parents, David and Ceridwen. We had lived in Bloxham all of our lives and whilst there were some walks from our doorstep, usually we were taken out in the car and driven to open fields, where we could play with our ball, roll in fox poo, eat grass and have lots of fun. Now that we live here, dad takes us for walks from our doorstep and usually it’s a different walk every day. We walk for miles including French’s Covert, Keeper’s Covert, Sore Brook, Giants Cave and Broughton Castle Grounds. We have met some of our human neighbours and some very lovely furry friends. Our mum took us to obedience training from when we were pups and we like to think we learned our lessons well and that we are reasonably well behaved. Being the eldest dog in the family, I (Oliver) am well-travelled (with my own Air Miles account). For work related reasons, in 2010 our family went to live in Australia for 3 years. At the time, I had an older brother called Gyp and we were taken by our mum to Heathrow to catch a Qantas flight to Melbourne. It was a really long journey, with no inflight entertainment nor complimentary refreshment, apart from water, and we were pleased when we landed. We had to stay in quarantine for 30 days but our mum and dad visited as often as they were allowed. Finally, they collected us and brought us to our new home, which was by the sea. We had a fabulous time during our 3 years there although I did not like the 24 hour journey back. All of that was forgotten when we arrived home and no quarantine was necessary. Now we are in North Newington and we love our new home, especially the view from our garden. We have been taken to the pub (we’re regulars) and Dave and Sylvia have made us very welcome. Merlot, who is a bit of a Houdini, occasionally makes a bid to escape the homestead and has been known to visit our neighbours, Neil and Carol. We have made friends with the sheep and lambs in the field at the bottom of our garden and we sometimes almost touch noses through the fence when they come up to say hello. It was the same last year when the cattle were in the field. We joined in the VE Celebrations with our neighbours (socially distancing, of course) and we look forward to having lots of fun in the future. Please say hello if you see us out walking. We’ll be with our dad – he’s the one with two legs.

North Newington BCS Table Tennis Club – The Coach’s Perspective

With the onset of Coronavirus, like all other sports, table tennis came to an abrupt halt in March, albeit towards the end of our league season. Most team fixtures had been completed but the Banbury Championships, the season finale, was cancelled meaning some of our players - including the juniors - were unable to compete and potentially challenge for the area’s top honours.

The NN BCS club has been running now for about five years and now includes three Banbury league teams; the all female ‘This Girl Can’; junior and after school sections. In total this season nearly 50 players participated in playing on three tables in the school hall (not all at the same time!). For the first time we have three Banbury league teams in all three divisions. George and Archie made a big jump up to division 2. David and Nicholas made their debuts in division 3.

From a coaching viewpoint our biggest success came from the development of our all female ‘This Girl Can’ section. The group of ~15 players consists of a wide range from young to slightly older and mother/daughter combinations! The session emphasis was on having fun but all players wanted to improve their table tennis skills and coaching was also included. The group has also developed some self-sufficiency and Geoff and myself have derived great satisfaction and enjoyment from the development of this group. We look forward to expanding this group next season including perhaps some more North Newington lasses?

We’ve been running after school clubs for the last five years with some success. Yes we want to run fun sessions and keep our children engaged with sport but really our aim is to hook and then develop league players to grow TT in the village/school and contributing to improving the Banbury League. Rather disappointingly over the last couple of years virtually no after school club players have progressed to the juniors – in fact none this year. Historically BCS has been the best primary school in the area but this year compared, for example, to Bishop Loveday and Christopher Rawlins our ‘player output’ has been very poor. Considering the 100’s of hours Geoff and myself commit to this project retention levels are disappointingly still very low. We lose a lot of players after transition to the secondary school plus we’re competing against many other activities. In the future we perhaps need to rethink how to run this part of our club.

Nevertheless despite our size, six of our juniors represented Banbury (50% of the composition of these teams) in the National Leagues. North Newington has been also very well represented in recent Banbury graded tournaments. As

coaches we tend to highlight ‘wins’, but I’ve been very pleased with the performance of many players at tournaments

During the lockdown I’ve had time to re-charge the batteries and reflect on the coaching during the previous season but, at the same time – and like many of you – being frustrated at not being able to compete at golf and playing some tennis! During lockdown Table Tennis England have held weekly coaching webinars and I’ve gleaned some useful info to help our players develop better.

Hopefully we can start TT again sometime in the future, maybe in the autumn – Table Tennis England have devised a stepwise plan for TT implementation subject to government guidelines. Next season for our club should be about long term sustainability, spreading workloads, delegating some responsibilities from Julian (the Chairman), the coach and others. From a personal perspective, and to continue enjoying coaching more, I’ll be looking for some help to ‘off- load’ some parts of my portfolio.

For further info about North Newington table tennis club contact Julian [email protected] I anticipate match nights will remain on Mondays with club activities on Wednesday. Come and join us, have some fun playing table tennis, learn new skills, meet other people and maybe get competing! All abilities – from complete beginners - are welcome!

Keep safe and take care – the coach ([email protected])

Update from Parish Council Parish Clerk – Sarah Davison – Tel 01295 738247 Parish Councillors: Pierre Espinasse (Chair), Penny Stocks, Elle Hart, Sarah Holford & Gary Doidge

A reminder that the Parish Council has bulk bought some hand sanitiser for free distribution to residents (max 100ml per household). If you have not already collected some please contact or message Sarah Holford on 07816 782722.

The Parish Council is aware that some residents, particularly those who may be vulnerable, do not have access to social media and we’d like to be sure that they are receiving support where appropriate. If there is anyone who you think may fall in this category and you are unsure as to whether they are receiving support please contact the Parish Council at [email protected] and we will liaise with the VIG to check that appropriate support is being made available.

Please all be on your guard against criminals and scammers exploiting the coronavirus situation.

The Government has now extended coronavirus testing to all key workers and their households who have symptoms. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested

Local testing sites are now operating in Bodicote and Chipping Norton (pre- booking is essential)

The open meeting of the Council, usually held in May has been postponed. More information to follow in due course.

The annual village Spring clean will be postponed until the Autumn (but don’t let stop you picking up litter or doing some weeding as you amble through the village, Editor’s note.)

Speed Cameral Update from Pierre Espinasse, Chair of the Council: Usual average number of cars coming into the village from the Shutford Road end is 3,670 per week.

For the first full week of lockdown, that fell 62% to 1,479. Week of 3rd May it was still 56% down at 1,619 cars. Whereas before there was always a spike on weekdays between 8 and 9 am, now traffic is pretty evenly spread all day.

Average speed of cars hasn't changed much - 28mph now as compared to 29mph earlier in the year.

Recycling

Oxfordshire County Council will re-open Household Waste Recycling Centres on 18 May, for essential use. Essential use means waste that cannot be stored at home, or would cause harm to health if stored. There will be new site rules to ensure social distancing and the safety of residents and site staff. This includes reducing opening hours to 8am – 4pm to allow for cleaning, limiting the number and size of vehicles coming in and contactless payments only. Queues are likely, so if it can wait, please do. If it’s waste that can be disposed of legally and responsibly in another way, such as weekly kerbside collections or district council collection services, please do that. Full information about the changes to recycling centre rules can be found on their website - www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wastereopenquestions New site rules:

 Keep 2m apart from staff and other users.  Only 1 person allowed out of the vehicle at any time, unless help is needed to unload heavy items.  Staff are unable to help unload vehicles but can answer questions and give directions.  Trailers are not allowed.  Hire vans are not allowed.  Contactless payment only for DIY waste charges (receipts can be sent by text or email)  Some sites might mean that only 1 person at a time can access a container.

Every other parking space has been cordoned off.

Covid Jokes

MOVIE PITCH: A pandemic is unleashed by ticks that live on and around the mouths of alpacas. Global chaos ensues. The disease wipes out 99% of humanity, and the desperate survivors are forced to live on in a post- alpaca lip tick wasteland.

Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November, all the rest have thirty-one Except March which had eight thousand.

[meteor hitting earth] Dinosaur: Oh no, the economy!!

They said a mask and gloves were enough to go to the shops. They lied, everybody else had clothes on.

Now is not the time to surround yourself with positive people.

With so many sporting events cancelled they are having to televise the world origami championship. It is on Paperview.

Notice from the association of psychiatrists: Dear Citizens, During the quarantine it is normal to talk to your house plants and pets. Please only contact us if they reply. Thank you.

Just heard there will be a round of applause for delivery drivers and couriers tomorrow. It could be anytime between 9am and 5pm.

Our cleaning lady just phoned and said she will be working from home, she will send us instructions on what to do.

Nail salons closed Hair dressers closed Beauty salons closed Things are getting really ugly out there!

My doctor asked me what my digestive system was like. I replied, "it's like everybody else's. I take the biscuit, dunk it in my tea, then eat it."

A thief has removed all motorway signs in Yorkshire. Police are currently looking for Leeds.

Blokes Book Club

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett This is a recently published novel by the American writer Ann Patchett. It is family story which spans five decades following the Second World War. The club meeting took place online courtesy of Zoom. Reactions to the book were universally pretty positive though within this response was an interesting and diverse range of thoughts. This applies most to the main characters that populate the family story. It is probably fair to say that none of them is overwhelmingly likeable. The two principals, sister and brother Maeve and Danny, share a very close but complex relationship over the five decades. They are very much the product of their fairly dysfunctional parents. On balance these two characters are judged on the right side of OK. But the parents and step mother are most certainly not. For some in the group the lack of empathy felt about most of the characters was an important negative. Yet for others they represent a reality about the human condition: everyone has their redeeming and their unattractive features. These are real people with their foibles and deficiencies laid bare and personality contradictions exposed. The Dutch House itself is a real, physical construct at the heart of the story, which in many ways is a metaphor for the contradiction of the American Dream. Aspiration and ambition can be realised through hard work and determination, but often at a cost. Relationships can become unhinged and collateral damage left on the way. A powerful story, well told and well written. Paul Miller April 2020

Emergency Planning for the Village, from the Parish Council May 2020 In the event of an emergency occurring in the village the appropriate services should be contacted by whoever is affected or first notices the problem. Telephone numbers: - Fire: 999 Ambulance: 999 Police: 999 Road traffic accident: 999 Serious crime: 999 Flood: Highways: 0300 123 5000 or 999 Snow: Highways: 0300 123 5000 or 999 Thames Water: 0800 316 9800 Cherwell District Council: Office hours: 01295 252535 Emergency out of hours: 01295 221531 Oxfordshire County Council: 01865 792422 Doctors: West Bar Surgery: 01295 256216 Horsefair Surgery: 01295 259484 Bloxham Surgery: 01295 722788 Sibford Surgery: 01295 780213

Social care needs Emergency: 0800 833 408 (For the elderly & vulnerable) Defibrillator North Newington have a defibrillator which is located on the west side (village green side) of Bishop Carpenter School, School Lane, to use dial 999 and follow instructions.

If there is likely to be a significant delay before the relevant emergency service can get to the scene please contact one of the following, they will be able to contact local people who are prepared to help in an emergency. Parish Clerk: Sarah Davison. 01295 738247 / 07432 521817 Parish Councillors: Pierre Espinasse (Chair) 01295 730208 / 07721977143 Sarah Holford 01295 738268 / 07816 782722 Gary Doidge 01295 738910 / 07980 434994 Penny Stocks 01295 730928 / 0772 1977143 Elle Hart 01295 738418 / 07506 702270

A Walk Through North Newington North Newington in years gone by.

If you were living in North Newington in 2004, you may remember the Bishop Carpenter School 150th Anniversary celebrations (1854 – 2004) held over a weekend in July and the parallel exhibition run in the school hall of village history and photographs of the village as it used to. Most of that material was saved and Richard Moyle has a file with it all in. Richard has put together a short document containing a sample, called a ‘Walk Through North Newington’. This is being made available and will be emailed out. Let us know if you’ve not seen one and we can email or put one through your door. It’s an excellent document and will we are sure be of interest to those who moved into North Newington after 2003 & have not seen them and a memory jogger for those who did. Here’s some examples of the lovely old photos.

Richard’s Lockdown Walks

Continuing the walking, Richard Moyle has also put together a set of four lockdown walks. These either start from North Newington or with a short drive to a start point. All walks are based on public footpaths with minimal road sections. They start and end at a village green or pub for ease of parking. We will arrange for the document to be emailed out but if you need a hard copy then either ask Richard or email us at the Gossip. [email protected]

Facilities extended for coronavirus

We have greatly expanded our 10 bedded in-patient unit to a maximum total of 26 beds to support the national coronavirus response and need in our community, and from Thursday 16 April the Katharine House Response Centre is now fully operational. Our Chief Executive, Angharad Orchard, said: “The coronavirus pandemic is an unparalleled health emergency which requires an unprecedented response. As a local provider of specialist care, Katharine House Hospice is well-placed to quickly support the NHS by providing staffing and our facilities during this crisis. We are proud that the Katharine House Response Centre will provide much-needed support to our NHS colleagues and care for people in our community who have been so supportive of our hospice for so many years. Over the last week, we have been working with the NHS and funding commissioners to draw up plans and operationalise these in order to re- purpose our hospice building to enable us to significantly extend our service and accommodate the additional beds and equipment required to support the national coronavirus response. The hospice will also continue to support our current patients, and local people diagnosed with a life-limiting illness over the coming weeks will still be able to access Katharine House’s services. A major consideration for us was how we can care for as many people as possible over the coming weeks and continue to provide as many of our existing services as possible whilst also looking after those diagnosed with coronavirus. During this crisis, we have adapted our ways of working to ensure our services are still there for patients and families when they need us. Our teams will continue to ensure a high level of joined-up care and support for all our patients.”

The situation is changing rapidly. Katharine House will continue to review its approach in collaboration with local health services, to ensure that its staff and facilities are used in the most effective way possible during these difficult times, to respond to the needs of people in our community who are facing a life-limiting illness. Please check our website www.khh.org.uk to check up to date information and guidance for visiting the hospice during Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Help to ensure Katharine House can continue to make every moment matter:  Make a donation by post, online (www.khh.org.uk/donate) or by phone (01295 811 866)  Spread the word to friends, family and colleagues that your hospice needs the ongoing support of our community.  Be a regular giver - join the hospice’s lottery by standing order and be in with a chance of winning £1,000 every week (www.khh.org.uk/lottery)

BALLOON RACE – 2 JUNE Take part in the 100% environmentally friendly virtual balloon race and raise money whilst having fun with family, friends and colleagues. Each balloon costs £3 and you can personalise it your way. All the balloons will be launched on Tuesday 2 June. The balloon that has reached the furthest when the race finishes 7 days later, will win a prize: 1st Prize: £500 2nd Prize: Apple iPad 3rd Prize: 10 x lucky winner £10 book vouchers www.khh.org.uk/balloon

VIRTUAL QUIZ – EVERY TUESDAY Join with family and friends, at a distance, and take part in our weekly quiz. There are prizes to be won and fun to be had, all whilst supporting those with life-limiting illness in our community. Sign up at www.khh.org.uk/quiz

Be Safe

Thanks for the contributions this edition. It has made such a difference to the content. If you’ve received this electronically and would like a hard copy of this edition then send us an email and we will drop it round. Likewise if you know of someone who has missed out. The new WhatsApp group and email group seem to have kept everyone informed of news generally or Covid related. So if you are not in those groups please do get in touch with Julian (School Lane) [email protected] for the WhatsApp group and Jenny (School Lane) on [email protected] for the village email group. Information is put on both from anyone who wishes to add to the communication throughout the village.

Do give thought to the staff at Bishop Carpenter. They’ve remained open for key worker children over the last two months. Right now they are preparing to re-open for years Reception, Year 1 and 6 from 1st June. There is much to do in order to accommodate changing requirements for class sizing.

Village Quiz: Tina and Ian from School Lane will hosting a fun and inclusive village quiz, on Sunday evening 24th May starting at 7pm. We will send a link via the village WhatsApp group. A Message to Shutford Road Residents: There are a few of us who will be out on verges from 7.30 onwards every Thursday before clapping, please join us! (subject to fine weather). For the rest of the village, if you are passing through on your daily exercise we would be delighted to have a socially distant chat!

Village Fete: Hopefully, see you for a re-arranged Village Fete and evening party on the playing field as soon as it is possible.

Next Gossip: We will aim to produce the summer edition for the end of July. Keep sending in those contributions. [email protected]