01608 676048 01608 PHONE

July 2020 50p

CHRISTMAS TREES • ROSES BICYCLES

Quality home grown Christmas Trees in December. Wreaths & Seasoned Logs. Digitally printed by Parchment (Oxford) Ltd, from copy supplied Printworks, Crescent Road, Cowley, Oxford England OX4 2PB email: [email protected] www.PrintUK.com

THE PARISH OF BAMPTON WITH CLANFIELD St James, Aston; St Mary The Virgin, Bampton St Stephen, Clanfield; St Mary, Shifford; Holy Trinity, Lew Vicar – Rev. Janice Collier Tel. 01993 851 222 mobile 07494 278 068 email – [email protected] Website: http://www.bamptonchurch.org.uk

Church administrator Camilla Gordon-Finlayson - [email protected] Tel 07586 939 545 Churchwardens Aston & Cote - John Ordish 01993 850 923 [email protected]; Chris Holt 07905 217 070 [email protected] Bampton – Roger Preston 01993 850 415 [email protected]; Philip Humphreys [email protected] Clanfield – Liz Stevens 01367 810 255 [email protected]; Bryn Torrington 01367 810 510 [email protected] Lew – Isobel Miller [email protected]

SUNDAY SERVICES

4th October Trinity 17 9.30am Holy Communion Aston 10.45am Holy Communion Bampton 10.30am Zoom Service

11th October Trinity 18 9.15am Holy Communion Shifford 9.30am Family Service Aston 10.30am Zoom Service 6.00pm Evensong Bampton

18th October Trinity 19 9.30am Holy Communion Aston 10.30am Zoom Service 10.45am Holy Communion Bampton

25th October Last after Trinity 9.15am Holy Communion Lew 9.30am Family Service Aston 10.30am Zoom Service 5.00pm Evening Prayer Clanfield 6.00pm Evensong Bampton

Holy Communion will be held at Bampton every Wednesday at 10.30am

From the registers Funeral Clanfield September 24th Michael Owen Harrison ______

LOWER WINDRUSH BENEFICE St. Denys, Northmoor; St Giles, Standlake; St. Michael, Stanton Harcourt; St. Nicholas & St Swithun, Yelford Rector: Revd Jo Hurst The Rectory, Main Road, Stanton Harcourt OX29 5RP Tel: Rectory: 01865 655 692 Mobile: 07494 278 068 email – [email protected] Website: lowerwindrushbenefice.org Rest Day - usually a Saturday. Emails dealt with on Mondays and Thursdays

Churchwardens & PCC Team Contacts Standlake Sue Miles 01865 300 765 Carol Collinge 01865 300 849 Northmoor Michael Druce 01865 300 480 Henry Herford 01865 300 884 Stanton Harcourt PCC Team contact Gill Salway [email protected] Jane Watts [email protected] Yelford Philip Rogers 01865 300 674 Shirley Warren 01865 300 977

SERVICES IN OCTOBER

Sunday October 4th Trinity 17 Proper 22 Deuteronomy 8:7-18; Luke 12: 16-30 Readings for Harvest Thanksgiving (Lectionary page 364) 10.00am Benefice Harvest Festival with Holy Communion Standlake 6.00pm Evensong (BCP) followed by APCM Yelford

Wednesday October 7th 10.00am Benefice Holy Communion Standlake 8.30pm Online Compline Service of Night Prayer via Zoom link on Benefice website

Sunday October 11th Trinity 18 Proper 23: Isaiah25:1-9; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22: 1-14 10.00am All Ages Benefice Service (non- Communion) Stanton Harcourt in the Village Hall

Wed October 14th 8.30pm Online Compline Service via Zoom

Sunday October 18th Trinity 19 Proper 24: Isaiah 45: 1-7; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22 8.00am Holy Communion (BCP) Yelford 10.00am Benefice Holy Communion Northmoor

Wed October 21st 8.30pm Online Compline Service via Zoom

Sunday October 25th Bible Sunday: Nehemiah 8:1-4a[5-6]8-12; Colossians 3:12-17 Matthew 24:30-35 (Lectionary page 368) 10.00 am Benefice Holy Communion Standlake

Wed October 28th 8.30pm Online Compline Service via Zoom

Zoom link for Compline Night Prayer and the Order of Service are on Benefice website www.lowerwindrushbenefice,org

Families can be complicated creatures

Even the Royal family, even the Vicar’s family, maybe your family has its complications. If your family is a bit challenging you are not the only ones, every family has difficult, broken, annoying, troubled, situations and members. The bible is full of complicated families; let me remind you of one such family, who despite everything, were a founding part of God’s big plan. This famous story starts in the book of Genesis chapter 37, you might want to have a look in your Bible. The head of this family is the father Jacob (who, we read about earlier in Genesis, is a deceiver, who was himself deceived) who is married to 2 wives and has various liaisons with the servant girls resulting in a large family of 12 sons. They live in the land of Canaan. Jacob is not a particularly good Dad; he favours his son Joseph (11th son) over the others and gives him a gift of a magnificent coloured robe with long sleeves. His brothers are jealous. Joseph is good- looking and has many talents, 17 years old, he has visions and dreams, but he is a bit of a show off. His brothers grow to hate him. This is not a happy family. The brothers conspire to kill him, however the eldest, Reuben, tries to save Joseph, he suggests they don’t kill him but throw him down a dry well in the desert instead! Once they have ripped the special robe from him and thrown him into the well, they sit down to eat together and they see a camel train travelling to Egypt. Judah comes up with another idea “What will we gain by killing our brother and covering up the murder? Let’s sell him to these Ishmaelites. Then we won’t have to hurt him; after all he is our brother.” The brothers agreed, so Joseph was sold for 20 pieces of silver and taken the Egypt. But they need an explanation for their father, who will want to know the whereabouts of his favourite son. So, following the family trait of deception they take the fancy coloured robe, dip it in some goat’s blood and present it to their father, saying that they have found it. Jacob recognizes the robe and assumes that a wild animal has killed Joseph, he is grief stricken. The brothers say nothing. They are bound together by a terrible family secret. Their father never really recovers from the perceived death of Joseph. They must have watched him suffer over many years. Meanwhile in Egypt, Joseph does well. Yes, he is good looking and capable but we are told in the account that “the LORD was with Joseph and blessed him.” Eventually Joseph, now aged 30yrs, is put in a position of huge responsibility by the Pharaoh, Governor of Egypt, in charge of everything particularly the plans for time of famine. He has a wife, and children and seems to have a settled life. There are 7 years of plenty, followed by 7 years of famine, Joseph manages this situation well in Egypt. Meanwhile Jacob learns that there is food to be bought in Egypt and sends some of his sons to go and buy food. They find themselves in a conversation with the Governor of Egypt, their brother Joseph whom they do not recognise. But Joseph recognises them, even though it must be at least 20 years since they last met, but he acts as if he does not know them, and accuses them of being spies. He is not perfect either! There are further elements to the story at this point involving sacks of grain, golden cups and Joseph’s younger brother Benjamin. Eventually Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers with much emotion and sobbing on his part, but the brothers were terrified. The big family secret was about to be discovered. Joseph assures them that he will keep them safe, they are to go and fetch his father and the rest of the family to come and live in Egypt. Joseph can see that God has been at work in every situation. Their father finds it difficult to believe that Joseph is still alive but is overjoyed at this unexpected news. The account of this complex family in Genesis frequently reminds the reader that God is with them and is at work in every situation. So, if you find yourself despairing at the state of your family, take heart, you are not alone. If you worry about the actions and lives of family members then pray for them, hand them over to God in prayer. If you have a wonderful family, thank God for them. Janice Collier

Father, I am tempted to worry about so many things. Our world is a mess! Forgive me for focusing on anything or anyone but You. Thank You for the Bible that equips and empowers me to live each day. Right now, I declare that You are my only Hope. Please help me remember that You really are in control. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Canon Roger Humphreys

Editor: Janet Rouse [email protected] 01993 850 162 Your village correspondents have to send in their copy by the 18th of each month; please get your copy to them by the 16th if at all possible to give them two days to collate all the entries before sending them to the editor. Aston: Ann-Marie Pilling 01993850 930 [email protected] Bampton: Janet Rouse 01993 850 162 [email protected] Clanfield: Liz Stevens 01367 810 255 (evenings) [email protected] Lew: Don Rouse 01993 850 297 [email protected] Northmoor: Henry Herford 01865 300 884 [email protected] Standlake: Heather Hickman 01865 300 564 [email protected] Stanton Harcourt: Gill Salway 01865 881 934 [email protected] Yelford: Eva Rogers 01865 300674 [email protected] Advertising Manager: Eva Rogers, Broadleas House, Yelford OX29 7QX 01865 300674 [email protected] Treasurer: Nicola Saward, 01993 852 171 [email protected]

ASTON & COTE

ASTON & COTE St James Church Aston Keeping in touch. The Wardens are:- John Ordish 01993 850 923 [email protected] Chris Holt 07905 217 070 [email protected] Online St James Zoom – Please contact Roger Crossley St James WhatsApp Group – Pleaser contact Tom Jequier The Parish Virtual Online Services These services continue every Sunday. If you are not yet joining in and would like to do so, please contact one of the wardens or the Vicar. St James, Aston and St Mary’s, Shifford open for services A reminder of the service timetables at St James, Aston, and St Mary Shifford St James, Aston 9.30am Each Sunday St Mary’s, Shifford 9.15am Each second Sunday of the month The churches will continue to be closed and locked after each service. And if for any reason you are unable to come to church, there is always the weekly parish Sunday service Online Zoom Service. Please contact one of the wardens or the Vicar if you would like details. Ride and Stride Thank you to all those who volunteered at St James. We had about 13 visitors which were more than usual. Besom Food Bank Food and household goods donations are still needed. If you would like to leave a gift of non- perishable food or household items please leave them for Roger Crossley in the porch of 16 Southlands, Aston

ASTON AND COTE PRIMARY SCHOOL Welcome back to a new school year. I would like to extend a special welcome to all our new families, both those with children in Windmill 1 and 2 as well as those who have joined us in Year 1, 2, 3 and 4. We are sure that even in these unusual circumstances, children and parents will settle quickly into our school family, will make new friends and will enjoy all the lovely opportunities that our school has to offer. We are very pleased to welcome Mrs East and Mrs Gardner back from maternity leave. We are also delighted to welcome Mrs Farrow to the team. Mrs Farrow will be teaching in Holywell Class every Monday. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the staff who have worked incredibly hard over the summer, preparing their classrooms and planning lots of exciting learning opportunities for the children. Mr Haskell, Mrs Woolard and Mrs Smith have also been extremely busy carrying out repairs around the school and giving it a deep clean, all ready for the new term. As you are all aware, this year is unlike any other and the efforts of the whole staff team to make the school as safe as possible is very much appreciated. Mrs Taylor. Blessing of our Year 6 Prayer Flags Our Year 6s were inspired by Martin Luther King’s speech ‘I have a dream.’ They thought about our world and what dreams they have for its future. Placing prayer flags around our school creates a feeling of harmony, increases the spiritual atmosphere and brings to mind the teachings of God. By placing prayer flags outdoors their sacred wishes are imprinted on the wind, generating peace and good wishes. Many thanks to Rev Janice for joining us in our spiritual garden following her assembly and blessing our flags with a special prayer. The finished prayer flags are really amazing, please visit our spiritual garden and read the good wishes written and decorated by the children. Mr Haskell After working at the school for approximately six and a half years, Mr Haskell has decided that it is time to retire so that he has more time to enjoy his hobbies and to spend with family and friends. He will be greatly missed by our whole school family as he does so much for the school. As well as maintaining the school building and grounds, he is our resident health and safety expert. In addition, he has taught many classes of children to play the ukulele and supported Mrs Gardner in running the Gardening Club. He also regularly entertains the staff with his funny jokes! Nothing is ever too much trouble so he really will be greatly missed. We all wish him a long and happy retirement and hope that he will keep in touch with us. Harvest Festival This year our annual Harvest Festival will look a little bit different to usual. We shall be recording an item by each class and these will be put together and then sent to you digitally at the end of the month. As in past years, we shall be supporting the work of Besom which helps people in need in our local area – this year, more than ever, your help is needed to support vulnerable families. Donations of non-perishable foods such as pasta, rice, tinned tuna, etc. can be brought by your child to school in the week beginning 21st September. Macmillan Coffee Morning We shall be holding a fundraising event in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support on Friday 25th September. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we shall not be able to invite parents to join us for coffee and cake, but the children will get the opportunity to buy some cake at break time. Drop off and pick up times We are aware that this is a very busy time of day and we are keen to do everything that we can to support social distancing in the vicinity of the school gates.

BAMPTON

BESOM FOOD DONATIONS Until such time as we are able to leave food donations in the church, I would be happy to receive food donations, which I will pass on to The Besom. Please phone us on 01993 850 218 for our address and to check that we are in before you set out. I can only accept non-perishable food (tins, packets etc) that are well within their sell by date as the food will not be distributed straight away. Unfortunately, Besom is not able to accept homemade produce, such as jams, chutneys and cakes etc. Thank you so much. Rosie Drake

ABSENCE OF BELLRINGING FOR CHURCH SERVICES Since lockdown began we have lost the availability of three ringers for personal reasons and that of two others under the guidelines issued by the CCCBR (Central Council of Church Bellringers). This obviously leaves us very short of ringers. Also, under the CCCBR guidelines, the space between adjacent bell ropes must be 2 metres. At Bampton the spaces range from 0.85 metres to 1.35 metres. Therefore, to overcome this, we would have to ring alternate bells. Under these circumstances we are not certain how musical this would be, even if we had sufficient ringers available. In the meantime, with the agreement of the Vicar and Church Safeguarding Officer, we are going to use the Automatic change ringing system. David Rose, Tower Captain

NEWS FROM BAMPTON CE PRIMARY SCHOOL AND NURSERY It has been good to be able to welcome all our children back to school this Autumn Term and we are all enjoying getting to know families and children new to our school. Things are by no means normal and managing staggered times for the start and end of the day, as well as for playtimes and lunchtimes, has created some timetabling challenges! The staff team has been AMAZING and working hard to support these additional requirements. We are applying all the recommended protective measures to keep everyone as safe as possible in these difficult times and it is wonderful to see the children so happy to be back with their friends. We have also welcomed some new staff members to our team this term. Mrs Jo Wilson has taken over leading our Nursery with Mrs Hatwell. Miss Louisa Bowerman has joined us and is teaching Year 1 and Mrs Racheal Coombes, a Newly Qualified Teacher, is teaching our Year 2 class. We have also employed two additional teaching assistants who join our Key Stage Two team; Miss Megan Cole and Miss Ann Corley. This term our focus value for our collective worship (which has to take place in smaller bubble groups rather than whole school) is Generosity. We are learning what it means to be generous and how we can show generosity in many different ways; in what we say and do and think. Many of our usual termly events will be missing this Autumn but we shall endeavour to enrich the children’s learning in alternative and “Covid-secure” ways. The season of coughs and colds will undoubtably bring further challenges for us all as this term progresses but I hope to be able to keep you updated with positive news on the life at Bampton CE Primary School in the coming weeks and months. Carol Phillips, Headteacher

NEWS FROM BAMPTON CUBS AND BEAVER SCOUTS New term, new challenges, new opportunities. We’re back … sort of. Following a 6-month programme of wholly at-home activities with a few Zoom meetings, we are now running a full programme for our young people aged 6-10 consisting of a few face to face meetings, a continuation of our at-home programme and weekly online meetings via Zoom. Over the last 6 months we have had to be creative to deliver a programme of camps, craft, science and community action for our young people and their families. We have delivered materials and resources to all our young people in Bampton and surrounding villages, from:- Code breaking using Braille, sign language and Morse code Cookie portraits – beautiful and rapidly eaten FIMO oven-dry clay to make key rings Lolly sticks and elastic bands to make catapults Celebrating kindness painting and gifting pebbles Knotting using paracord to make all sorts of items from bracelets to key rings to woggles Making rafts – sticks and strings, square lashings and reef knots Making marble runs out of junk Growing bulbs and seeds Celebrating cultural diversity through art and music from Brazil to Australia to West Africa. Alongside this we have camped several times, in the garden or on the landing it didn’t matter, and we have been really blessed with a marvellous summer weather-wise. Being part of our community is key to us and we have continued to support the Trussell Trust. We are immensely proud that we have been able to make multiple deliveries of food to them from our young people, even in these difficult times emotionally and financially. To deliver this programme we must thank our leaders, as well as local people in Bampton and beyond and the Bampton Community Shop who continue to support us to provide resources for our young people that keep them and their families engaged. We must announce however that Fiona Richmond, our current Cub leader, who founded Scouting in Bampton more than 9 years ago will be stepping down in October. She has been a guiding light in Scouting in our community which has gone from one small group of 13 Beavers at the start to having 50 young people across our Beavers and Cub groups, and a leadership team. Join us in thanking her and wishing her well as she moves on to new endeavours. Susan Allan

BAMPTON COMMUNITY ARCHIVE NEEDS YOU We all hope we are over the worst of the first lockdown and feel now is the time to reflect and record our experiences. Many of us have been finding new and ingenious ways to keep ourselves occupied and to help others so, PLEASE, if you have stories and photos send them to [email protected] …. picnics in the garden, online Zumba, delivering groceries, home-schooling, new hobbies, Zoom chats - we know there will be lots of other activities worth recording. So ... look through those phones and send us your experiences – you will become part of the permanent history of Bampton! Pauline Hawkins

THE ANNUAL COLLECTION FOR THE CHILDREN'S SOCIETY We are approaching the time of year when I usually collect in all your kind donations. However, this year I'm not happy about visiting so many homes or counting all that cash. Actually, most people have less cash available because they have been using their plastic and several friends have already planned to give me a cheque. Therefore, may I ask you all to keep your boxes until next year, when hopefully we shall be out of lockdown, or send a donation to The Children's Society, Bumpers Way, Bumpers Farm, Chippenham, SN14 6NG. Sadly, Covid has made many situations worse for vulnerable children, isolated, worried about friends and family or, worse, trapped in abusive homes. Your help is even more necessary than usual, please try to help if you can. Thank you. Pauline Hawkins 01993 851 066

BAMPTON METHODIST CHURCH We are continuing to hold our weekly services, and these have been reasonably well-supported, with the numbers occasionally running into double figures. In the light of the present situation, it remains to be seen how long the services will continue. We held our Harvest Festival Service at the end of September but, in common with many other churches, we did not receive gifts of fresh fruit and vegetables. Instead items which would be of use to the Witney Food Bank were received, these deemed to be more appropriate and less likely to spread infection. There was no Harvest Supper and Auction this year. Most of our services were transmitted to the homes of our members, courtesy of Matthew Wareham, if they had the facility to receive them. Our weekly Zoom meetings are due to re- start in October, initially on a fortnightly basis. These will serve the dual purpose of spending some devotional time together and enabling news and concerns to be exchanged. We lost our dear friend Ruth Fowler in September, she had been suffering with dementia for some time. Ruth was a lovely lady, much-loved and admired by us all. She has led an exemplary life serving others, including in her earlier days some time working overseas. She always spoke modestly of her life’s work, never showing any undue pride in what she had achieved. Ruth was a long-standing member of Clanfield Methodist Church, before transferring her membership to our Church when Clanfield closed in 2009. Robert Jones

ROMAN CATHOLIC SERVICE IN BAMPTON The Reverend Andrew Foster, St Joseph’s Church, Carterton Tel: 01993 842 463 St Joseph’s Parish Hall: To book the refurbished Hall please contact: www.stjosephscarterton.uk There will still be a live streaming of Mass from Corpus Christi Church, Headington, Oxford www.mcnmedia.tv/cameras/county/oxfordshire The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary ‘My soul glorifies the Lord’ from The Magnificat Susan Phillips ______

LEW

HOLY TRINITY I know I have been critical of the Church hierarchy over their rather draconian attitude during this crisis but now this month I have changed my mind. In my dealings with some of the Civic powers in this area over the Remembrance Parade details, the Church leaders’ recommendations have been very helpful. At the moment the Civic dignitaries are trying to claim that it is a Social gathering and therefore must comply with current social rules of no more than six people. The Church and my volunteer organisers of these events are claiming that as a Priest will be conducting the Service then it is a Religious event and therefore 30 people can attend providing Social Distancing is maintained. The way that things are being adjusted daily, I dare say that it will be changed several times again by the 8th November. The saddest thing in my book about this event is that at the moment there is to be no singing. One civic group that I am dealing with is going to have a Bugler standing on the Town Hall Balcony well over two meters above the crowd to play the Last Post! That certainly got my vote. All this does not bode well for our Carol Service. Like most people, until I have had a good lusty session of Carol Singing, Christmas cannot begin. Our Service at Lew plays a very big part in bringing the village together so I do hope that the situation will have improved by then. Don Rouse

LOWER WINDRUSH BENEFICE

SERVICES IN THE BENEFICE The schedule of Sunday Services in our churches across the Benefice is given at the front of this magazine. Pandemic safety regulations are carefully observed at all our services. Compline, a short Service of Night Prayer, is held on Wednesday evenings at 8.30pm online via Zoom. The link for this can be found on our website: lowerwindrushbenefice.org

CHURCHES OPEN FOR PERSONAL PRAYER Our 4 churches in the Benefice are open on some days each week for personal prayer & reflection, please consult the Parish Wardens, PCC Team Contacts, or church noticeboards re. days of opening. There will be safety advice in each church, please follow the guidance carefully and enjoy some moments of peace and calm within our beautiful buildings.

HELP NEEDED PLEASE! The Benefice needs someone to collate our monthly Newsletter, using information from the Rector, Wardens & PCCs. Please let Jo know if you feel you could help us with this vital task, which keeps everyone in touch with what is happening in our four parishes. The time required is only a couple of hours per month.

LOWER WINDRUSH GARDEN CLUB After a turbulent period when meetings, visits and shows have been cancelled we were delighted to hold our Annual Produce Show on Sunday 6th September 2020. Emma and Paula did an amazing job of organising a show that complied with the Covid -19 regulations. Entry to the Standlake Village Hall was limited to 30 people at any time, hand sanitizer, face masks, one-way markings on the floor; separate entrance and exit allowed visitors to safely view the exhibits. Unfortunately, we were unable to have a raffle, serve refreshments or hold presentations to the winners but visitors were still able to enjoy the wide range of exhibits. We were fortunate that we had a warm sunny afternoon and the sun streamed through the windows to illuminate the floral entries. After viewing the show visitors were able to mingle on the large patio outside the hall – socially distanced of course! Many thanks to the exhibitors and supporters for all their efforts – without their entries there would not have been a show. The winner of the most points at the annual show was Eva Rogers who received the Cyril Collins Cup. A full list of trophy winners can be found on the club website. We were very fortunate to be able to host this event before further restrictions came into force on 14th September. Visit our garden club website for up to date details regarding any future events. www.lowerwindrushgardenclub.weebly.com

NORTHMOOR

ST DENYS’ Church opening - With Covid numbers rising, the church can remain open only on Sundays and Thursdays each week. Please do visit the church, but don’t forget to take the usual precautions.

Pattern of services - Sunday services will be Benefice services rotating round the four churches of our Lower Windrush Benefice. In October they will be as follows: Sunday October 4th 10.00am Benefice Harvest Festival with Holy Communion at Standlake. Donated tinned & packet goods will be given to The Besom Food Bank. Sunday October 11th 10.00am All Ages Benefice Service, Stanton Harcourt Village Hall. Sunday October 18th 10.00am Benefice Holy Communion at Northmoor Sunday October 25th Bible Sunday 10.00am Benefice Holy Communion at Standlake

Annual Parochial Church Meeting - A reminder that our APCM, delayed because of the lockdown, will take place on 6th October, probably by Zoom. This is when the year 2019 is reviewed, and all lay posts are up for re-election. All those on the Electoral Roll are invited to attend, and any suggestions on how the church is run and how it can be improved in the future are welcomed, either at the meeting or in advance via the Churchwardens.

Ride and Stride - Veteran rider Michael Druce mounted his trusty steed on Saturday and visited the churches in Stanton Harcourt, Standlake and Northmoor, thereby raising over £100 for the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust, which gives grants for repairs and renovation of our churches. Four years ago, it helped us renew the roof of the chancel, which is the oldest part of our church, dating back to the mid-13th century.

Apple pressing - A huge thank you to all those who donated their fruit for pressing. We made over 220 bottles of Northmoor’s very own apple juice! Thanks to the hard-working team who worked all day. I have spoken at length with the board of directors, head of commerce, the international sales dept and the marketing team, and we have agreed this year’s price should be £2.50 per bottle. All profits will be split as before between the hall and the church. Please email me direct if you would like to order any at [email protected] * Empty bottles - Please try and keep your bottles and also be aware that we can store your finished-with bottles at Ferryman’s Farm House; Michael Druce has kindly said if you leave them by his gate he will put them into storage ready for next year’s harvest; we can then reduce our purchase of new bottles and lids. Reg Berry

Computer Club The dates of meetings are October 5th October 19th November 2nd

STANDLAKE

ST GILES Annual Election of Churchwardens and Annual Parochial Church Meeting 2020 Due to pandemic restrictions, this year’s annual meetings, due to have been held in April, were held in late September, online via Zoom. Sue Miles and Carol Collinge were re-elected as Churchwardens for 2020-2021, their 8th year in this office. Two new members of the Parochial Church Council (PCC), Anne Carter and Jane Dodds were elected unanimously. David & Hilary Sharrocks were re-elected for a further term of office, to join Mel Bowler, David Collinge, Brenda Edwards, Sarah Evans and Nora Hunt as PCC members. Diana Birkett has resigned from the PCC as she moved to Bampton in the Spring, and Diana was thanked by the Rector for all her dedicated work in various roles for St. Giles’ Church over more than 30 years. Many thanks were also given to David Reid, who has resigned from the PCC after serving as Health & Safety Officer and convenor of the Fundraising Committee. Sue Miles and David Collinge were re-elected as Deanery Synod Representatives for the next 3-year period of office. Phil Miles continues as Sexton/Verger and was thanked for his hard work in this dual role. Sidespersons were re-elected en bloc at the PCC meeting subsequent to the APCM, with the resignation of Diana Birkett and the addition of David Collinge. The next PCC meeting will be held on Friday October 16th at 7.30pm, online via Zoom. If there is anything you would like to raise at that meeting, please contact a member of the PCC.

Benefice Holy Communion on Wednesday mornings has been much missed during the pandemic restrictions placed on churches. There will now be a Communion Service led by the Rector on the first Wednesday of every month at 10.00am at St. Giles. Pandemic safety measures will apply at the Service.

Benefice Harvest Festival - Thanksgiving Service, with Holy Communion, will take place at St. Giles’ Church on Sunday October 4th at 10.00am. Do come and hear the harvest hymns (sadly we are not allowed to sing in church at present) and enjoy the lovely flower arrangements. If you are able to, please bring tinned and packet goods, which will be donated to The Besom food bank in Witney, to help the many people in need in our local area.

Church fundraising - This has been severely curtailed during the pandemic, but a monthly church stall selling jams, chutneys, home-baked goods, garden produce and handmade cards has been very successfully run by Brenda Edwards and Alison Shaw in the car park adjacent to church over the summer months. This has resulted in a profit of a very welcome £490 for church funds and we are very grateful to Brenda & Alison for their efforts to raise our spirits and our funds! Although there will be no more stalls during late autumn and winter, Brenda still has some of these goods available if you would like to ring her on 01865 300 528.

The Besom food bank in Witney - Staff members have told us that they would like to recommence the collection and distribution of tinned & packet goods to those in need in our area. Please bring your donations of goods to church (there is a yellow collection box on a nave pew) when you come for a Service or for a prayer day, and we shall ensure that they are taken to Besom.

STANTON HARCOURT

ST MICHAEL As well as hosting the Benefice Eucharist on September 20th the church has continued to be open on Saturdays and Tuesdays for those wishing to use it for private prayer or simply to visit as individuals. There will be no service in church in October, though an All Age Service is scheduled to be held in the village hall on October 11th. Unless Government guidelines change, it will be open on Tuesdays and Saturdays as usual. Congratulations. It was wonderful to see the church filled with flowers once more when, having surmounted a barrage of problems, Tobie Mathew married Valerie Gilquin on September 19th - the only wedding in church this year and Jo’s first here as Rector. We wish them a long and happy life together.

Flowers at the wedding

VIEW FROM THE PEW Some decades ago, in a move to involve the laity more in the conduct of church services, it was decided to give the responsibility of writing and delivering the intercessions to members of the congregation. This can be viewed as both a privilege - you have to have the permission of the bishop - and a millstone - another chore to be completed before you can set off on a Sunday morning and one that seems to come round more frequently than you would like. And there is rather more to it than, I think, most of the congregation, realise. It would be great if you could just get up and pray for whatever seems most important to you personally on the day but the powers that be propose a set of guidelines which you are expected to follow - prayers for the church, the Queen, for peace, for those “in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness” and the dead should all be included. Add in the requests for prayer for local congregations and special events and you already have quite a lot to get through. Then there may be matters of national or international concern and I have learned to make sure I listen to the news on Saturday evening or, even better, Sunday morning, for last minute notification of floods, earthquakes, fires or any other disasters. The list of the sick and the deceased have to be checked on the Sunday morning for any changes and additions. All this means that the intercessions could become very formulaic, but I think that those of us round the benefice who do them try very hard to make it clear that they come from the heart and are, to some degree, an expression of our own priorities. On the other hand it is important to make sure that you are not going to upset some members of the congregation, so personal hobby horses and partisan political references are out. In the current climate the s/he pronouns bit can get complicated and I even begin to think twice these days about references to “God, Our Father”, though I haven’t been tackled by the feminists yet. I try to introduce the intercessions with a prayer which links them with the readings set for the day. I have found this an interesting exercise in second guessing what the message of the sermon is likely to be and quietly award myself marks out of 10 for how close I have come. And nobody seems to notice if I have got it wrong! Which brings me to ask how attentive people are to what they are being asked to pray for. Maybe I’ll try putting in something really outrageous soon and see how many comments I get. Gill Salway

YELFORD

ST NICHOLAS & ST SWITHUN We held our Harvest Church Service one hour earlier than usual this year because we followed the service with a picnic in the Church Garden. The Church had been decorated by congregational members who wore masks and kept to social distancing on the Friday, two days before the service on the Sunday. We sent all the fresh produce and packaged food to the Charity Besom in Witney together with the church collection. They were very grateful. Unfortunately, our Rector Jo Hurst was unable to take the Harvest Service but we welcomed the Rev. Margaret Dixon from North Leigh. We manned our Church for the 8 hours when the Cycle Ride and Stride took place on Saturday 12th September. As it was a warm sunny day, we were able to sit outside for most of the day. Our sole cyclist this year was Philip Rogers and he visited 27 different Churches around the area. Sadly, a lot of the Churches were locked because of the Coronavirus and the number of cyclists also seemed to be down in number. We are hoping to have our next Evensong Service in Yelford on Sunday 4th October at 6pm. Immediately afterwards we shall be holding our APCM meeting and we hope it will be well supported. Eva Rogers

Gardening in October 2020

Autumn has arrived and we are starting to get a nip in the air. As there is a danger of frosts so we need to take precautions. Try to listen to weather forecasts and if a frost is predicted bring your half-hardy plants into a frost-free environment or give them protection with fleece. Michaelmas daisies will continue to flower but dahlias may be knocked down to ground level as a result of the frost, but if you live in a sheltered situation and have a light soil it may be possible to leave the dahlia tubers in the soil over the winter, but try to give them a protective mulch using compost. Celery is not a truly hardy vegetable but a layer of fleece over the leaves will give some protection provided the frost is not too severe. Autumn is also the time when we start to get wonderful colour on trees and shrubs and in some varieties this can be amazing. It is also the time when we notice colourful fruit and berries and it is a good idea to plant some of these to extend the length of interest in your garden. Pyracantha berries can be very eye catching and they are also a useful source of food for the birds as winter approaches. There also several Cotoneaster shrubs which produce attractive berries that hang on well and are also loved by birds as the weather gets colder. Amongst my shrubs there is a quite an unusual Berbers georgia that has bright red sprays of red fruits in October that are much admired. Pampas grass, (Cortaderia) sends out its impressive plumes in late summer and these can last for several months provided we do not have snow. Pampas can make a fine specimen plant if placed in the right situation and looks attractive if planted in a lawn or near water. If you have a smaller garden buy a smaller variety such as Cortaderia selloana ‘Pumila’ which grows some 4-6 feet tall and is easier to manage. Apparently, the plumes of female plants are silkier than those on male plants. April is the best time to plant pampas and they like a reasonably sheltered sunny site. They are easily increased by division in April Crataegus crus gali (Cockspur Thorn) is a useful small tree that comes into its own in the autumn. It has thorny branches and glossy toothed leaves which turn orange and red in October. It has white flowers in May–June and these are followed by red fruits that last well into the winter. It is a very reliable small tree that is popular in gardens of all types. Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’ the spindle bush has staggering autumn colour and is ideal for a country garden border or a woodland inspired garden. It is a deciduous shrub and a rapid grower but will withstand pruning if it gets too large. The oval leaves turn crimson in autumn and when they fall reveal dangling bunches of strange looking red capsules which open to reveal the orange seeds. The fruits are poisonous so beware if you have young children around. Nerine bowdenii is a real eye-catching bulbous plant that opens at this time of the year. The 45cm (18 inches) stems are topped with large curly petalled bright pink funnel shaped flowers that really stand out as pink is not a colour often seen in the autumn. The strap shaped leaves start to appear as the flowers fade. If these bulbs are to do well, they should be planted where they get a good baking in the summer when they are dormant. They dislike other plants shading their area. So plant them in a sunny border up against a house wall where they will not be disturbed. Their blooms will delight you each autumn. October is an ideal time to plant up containers for winter colour. Bulbs are always popular but their actual flowering time is rather short. A better bet is to buy winter flowering pansies or violas that will flower for weeks on end and especially if the weather is mild. There is also long flowering polyanthus available and the range of colours is large. Containers will need occasional watering but try to keep the soil moist rather than wet. Eva Rogers

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