North Moreton News Useful Information

Up-Coming Events

PCSO: call the Wallingford Team on 101 or email: [email protected] Issue 114 September 2016 Non-Urgent Police calls: 101 Crime Stoppers: 0800 555 111 Anything Glyndebourne can do… NHS Non-Emergency Number: 111 Parish Clerk: [email protected] 01235 511427 In the middle of June 2016, Peter and Polly Vacher’s aircraft Parish Council Chairman: Ros Templeman 07969 349 831 hangar was the improbable but hugely successful venue for the SODC Councillor: Jane Murphy 07970 932054 OCC Councillor: Patrick Greene 07899 878 344 inaugural night of Melhuish Farm Opera. Those of us lucky Parish Transport Representative: Veronica Gibbs 01235 813829 enough to get tickets saw the mainly young singers and play- Village Hall Bookings Marion Shipton [email protected] ers of Regents Opera give us a fresh and splendid performance Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators: Elm Road: Derrick Stevens Phone/Fax/Answer m/c 01235 813246 of La Bohême. A few props transformed the hangar into a cold Rest of Village: Nora Haycock [email protected] 812202 Parisian garret in the 1830s and the tragic tale unfolded with Concessionary Travel: 0845 310 1111 or www.oxfordshire.gov.uk great impact. In true Glyndebourne style the audience pic- Didcot Volunteer Centre: 01235 816709 nicked in the long interval – many of us enjoying delicious Postal Services: The Village Stores, Brightwell: Mon. - Fri. 9.30 - 5.30 Sat. 9.00 - 13.00 01491 835551 food from Alice’s Kitchen – and then returned to the hangar to Astons Village Hall Tuesday 9.30 - 12.30 see the inevitable sad ending. Citizens’ Advice Line: 08444 111 444 Consumer Helpline: 03454 04 05 06 www.adviceguide.org.uk All of us are grateful to Peter and Polly and their organising Refuse & Recycling Collections: alternate Thursdays Garden Waste Collection: alternate Thursdays with recycling group for all of the hard work that went into arranging such a Black Bin dates: 8/22 September, 6/20 October, 3/17 November magnificent event, and we hope that it will turn out to be the Green & Garden Bins: 2/15/29 September 3/27 October 10/24 November first of many North Moreton opera nights to come. Please note: Bank holiday changes in bold Nick Sanders Extra garden waste collected on 27th October Stop Press!

Editor: Nora Haycock, Peckwater, North Moreton. Phone 01235 812202 By popular demand, Melhuish Farm Opera with Regents

Email: [email protected] Opera will put on Rigoletto by Verdi on 30th June and 1st July

Printed by the Churn Benefice 2017 - please keep the dates free. Copy for the December issue should reach the Editor by 22nd November Tickets will be on sale in the new year and those living in North Moreton News is published four times a year & can also be read on line at North Moreton will be given one week's advance opportunity www.North-Moreton.com of priority booking. Polly Vacher

Dates for your Diary North Moreton Parish Council including Forthcoming Events Neighbourhood planning Following the Localism Act 2011, there is currently some pressure on parish SEPTEMBER councils to develop local plans for their communities, and the Parish Council, together with South Moreton PC, has already had some exploratory talks 1 Parish Council Meeting, Village Hall, 8pm with the District Council about the options open to us, and their costs/ 9 MCC Open Evening, The Croft, 6 - 8pm benefits. The two types of plan which would be appropriate for North More- 10 Ride & Stride in aid of Historic Churches ton to consider are the Community-Led Plan and the Neighbourhood Plan. 10 Astonbury at The Sweet Olive, 2 - 10pm 14 W I Meeting Village Hall, 7.30pm The Community-Led Plan is cheaper and easier to produce, and addresses 19 Tea & Technology, Astons Village Hall 10am - 12 noon issues which might be of more immediate interest to parishioners – for example, parking, drainage problems, dog-fouling, transport, housing needs, vil- OCTOBER lage halls, cycle routes, footpaths – providing an action plan that the village 1 Concert in All Saints’ Church. 7.30pm can work with local agencies to achieve. Although it carries some weight in 8 Barn Dance, South Moreton School 8 - 11pm the planning process, it has no legal standing. 12 W I Meeting - Harvest Supper, 7.30pm The Neighbourhood Plan sits alongside the District's Local Plan and has full 29 Autumn Book Sale. Village Hall 10am - 3pm status as part of the statutory development plan. Whilst Neighbourhood Plans NOVEMBER can determine where development can take place in a village, they cannot be used to prevent development. The cost of preparing a plan can vary from a 8 Parish Council Meeting Village Hall 8pm few thousand to tens of thousands of pounds, depending on complexity, alt- 9 W I Meeting, Village Hall 7.30pm hough grants are available to help with this. 19/20 Art Exhibition, Village Hall times tba

Both plans take around two years to prepare, and require a considerable amount of dedication and hard work. Although the Parish Council would take a lead, other interested members of the community would be encouraged to take an active part in developing a plan.

If you have any views on these issues – whether for or against – the Parish Council would love to hear from you!

The main features of both plans, and the differences between them, are de- scribed in more detail at http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/sites/default/files/CLP%20NP% 20FAQs.pdf Saturday 29 October and http://www.southoxon.gov.uk/sites/default/files/CLP%20NDP% North Moreton Village Hall 10am - 3.30pm 20DIAGRAM.png Fiction & Non-fiction from 50p Children’s books from 20p Date of Next Meeting: Thursday 1st September in the Village Hall at 8 To donate books please contact [email protected] p.m. Everyone welcome. or call 01235 810880 Collection can be arranged. Ros Templeman, Chairman Light refreshments available Proceeds in aid of church and hall funds

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Bus update September 2016

Thank you to all of you who have registered to use the DVTG group bus to Wallingford on a Friday; you can register at any time on DVTG- [email protected] but don’t forget that you DO need to register to use the service. The timetable is up in the bus shelter by the church but don’t worry too much if the bus is a little late as it has been a few times!

Initially the service was free of charge but from September 1st there will be a charge of £3.50 return (and £1.75 single). Unfortunately, there is no county subsidy, bus passes are not valid and the driver cannot take money for fares. These have to be paid in advance by purchasing tickets (although there may be regular users who are willing to carry/sell them on the bus itself). Patrick at the Bear has very kindly agreed to sell them during pub opening hours! But please let me know if this is difficult for you and I will get them for you. Veronica Gibbs (01235 813829)

Volunteer Transport A reminder that if you are finding it difficult to get to hospital or other medi- cal appointments, either the Didcot or Wallingford Volunteers may be able to help. Both groups ask for a donation of 45p/mile to cover the driver’s expenses; this includes reasonable waiting time – up to two or three hours in the case of hospital visits. Didcot base their charges on the driver’s home and Wallingford from the centre of the town; a typical trip to the JR would be around £25 but this can be reclaimed by those who are on benefits. The volunteers can also help with shopping and visits to hairdressers etc. For more information and to book call Didcot Volunteer Centre on 01235 816709 10 a.m. and 12 noon (www.didcotvolunteercentre.org.uk) or for Wallingford Volunteer Bureau call 01491 836345 between 9.30 and 11.30 a.m. or email [email protected]. If you are a car owner and have time to spare, either centre would be delighted to hear from you. You don’t have to make a regular commitment - some drivers do several jobs a week, others just one or two a month - every journey helps!!

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Volunteer for Oxfordshire’s Water-Blitz North & South Moreton WI

The speaker at our June Meeting was a personal stylist, Mel Hawkins. She Volunteers needed for one day only! Schools, local groups and individuals demonstrated how much we are influenced by the outfits people choose to wear are invited to take part in the county wide water blitz. Check the water quality and gave useful tips on how to select appropriate colours to complement our of your local stream, pond, ditch or river and help build a water quality pic- skin tones. ture for Oxfordshire. For your free sampling pack register today by email- ing [email protected] and join in on 3rd October. EarthWatch Liz Elliot welcomed us to their lovely garden for our July Meeting. Members have volunteered to handle the data and map all results on their global water- and friends had worked extremely hard the previous weekend providing teas for hub with the resulting data available to everyone involved. the Village Open Gardens, so it was great to be able to relax and catch up.

The August Outing to Rousham House was a good day. Members and friends FREE fortnightly Environmental Email Bulletin were given an interesting tour of the house, which we all thoroughly enjoyed. For the latest conservation news, evening talks, or an afternoon of volunteer- The weather was warm and sunny, so everyone had their picnics in one of the ing, plus jobs and training SIGN UP to Wild Oxfordshire's email bulletin. beautiful gardens, before exploring both the formal gardens and landscaped Just click on their website www.wildoxfordshire.org.uk. grounds. Wallingford Garden Club In September we are visiting Goring and Streatley Golf Club as our way of tak- ing part in National Sports Week. The September Meeting will be a Craft Even- Wallingford Gardening Club starts its series of autumn talks in October with ing by one of the ladies from No Two Things in Didcot and the Harvest Supper a lecture by Antony Powell on 'Beautiful Kashmir'. will be in October. Antony first trained with Hillier Nurseries before gaining a qualification in We are always pleased to welcome visitors and new members to our meetings, amenity horticulture at Askham Bryan College. He has worked in nurseries which take place on the second Wednesday each month, mostly at North More- and gardens in England and France and travelled to many other countries dur- ton Village Hall. Please contact Sue Harrison, 817042 for details. ing his horticultural career. He now manages four gardens in North Hamp- Penny Busby shire / West Berkshire.

He will present an illustrated talk about the 1983 Botanical Expedition to North Moreton Safari Supper Kashmir. As an area that is now harder to visit, this talk will highlight the beauty of the country and the flowers that grow there. The next Safari Supper will be held on March 4th 2017, so please make a note The talk will be held at Ridgeway Community Church, Wallingford at in your diary. 7.30pm on Thursday 13th October. As usual, we will have a 'theme', and this year are looking for suggestions for new theme ideas. In the past we have had; Kings and Queens, Black and Gold Visitors very welcome £2. Isabelle Darby 01491-836867 with a hat, Black and White with a mask, and James Bond, to name but a few. Woodland Walk in aid of Sue Ryder Nettlebed Hospice New inspiration is required, and any suggestions will be gratefully received. Some people like to dress up a lot, others not so much, so ideas need to allow for Saturday 24th September 11 a.m. 5km and 10km walks through the woods both ends of the spectrum. Please send your ideas to [email protected] followed by food, games and family fun. Adults £10, Children £5, Family of by end September. four £25.

More details on the evening will follow closer to the time. If you are interested For more information visit www.sueryder.org/nbwoodlandwalk or call in joining the organising committee, also contact the above email address. 01491 64184 ext. 276

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Earth Trust Events Moreton Cricket Club

With the cricket season approaching its last few weeks, we can look back on Discover and Play nd another successful season despite some early setbacks because of the weather. Friday 2 September, 10am-12pm Yet again one of the main highlights of the season was the Beer and Cricket Forest School for the under-5s. Join the Earth Trust for a morning of play and Festival with excellent crowds turning out to watch four exciting days of crick- discovery in our woodlands. Forest School offers hands on learning experienc- et in some amazing sunshine. Congratulations to The Bear team who won the es in a natural environment. £4 suggested donation per child, accompanying six a side competition on Saturday beating our friends from Amsterdam in a adult(s) free. No need to book. close final.

Scything for Improvers A very important date for your diary is Friday 9th September. It is the club Sunday 4th September, 9.30am-4pm Open Evening from 6 - 8 p.m. with a complimentary BBQ and drink to cele- brate our season and look forward to next year. There will be the presentation Scything is the traditional way to tackle long grass and tall weeds. Develop of the Ivan Bond Trophy to one of our junior members and a fun game of 'Kiwi' your technique during this one-day workshop with Clive Leeke. £50; booking cricket. Parents, siblings and junior members are most welcome and if interest- essential: 01865 407792. ed please contact Ed Squires, [email protected]. Fantastic Foraging th Trevor Denning, President Sunday 4 September, 10am-2pm

This month’s Sunday drop-in is all about foraging for food. Find out what’s Cyclists – Your Village needs You! growing around the Earth Trust Centre and learn what yummy things you can cook with it. £4 suggested donation per child, accompanying adult(s) free. No On Saturday 10 September, the annual cycle ride – known as Ride and Stride – need to book. takes place. Usually the sun shines and it is a great day. North Moreton always takes part and welcomes riders and walkers, plus the occasional horse rider who Wetland Wildlife Walk th spend some time visiting the beautiful Oxfordshire churches. Sunday 25 September, 9.30am-11am I seem to be very short of participants this year. It need not take up very long, Enjoy a guided walk around Thrupp Lake (OX10 3NG) with local ecologist but can be all day if you wish and may be combined with a walk around Wall- Ben Carpenter and find out about some of the wetland wildlife that lives there. ingford, Abingdon, Henley where you will be sure of a warm welcome from the £5 adult, £2 child; booking essential: 01865 407792. many churches. Foraging Walk Sunday 25th September, 11am-3pm Sponsorship or donations are optional, but should we raise any money and we usually do, half will come to All Saints and the other half to Oxfordshire His- Discover the autumn bounty around the Earth Trust Centre and nature reserve toric Churches Trust, which supports and maintains our ancient church- and use what you find to create something delicious. £15; booking essential: es. North Moreton has reason to be very grateful to them for three very major 01865 407792. grants over the years.

Water Festival Please let me know if you can help. Sunday 2nd October, 11am-3pm Annual celebration of water and wetlands. Beryl Jones [email protected] For more information and further events visit our website: 01235 510035 www.earthtrust.org.uk.

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Parish Paths Warden Open Gardens for NGS

For many years, North Moreton Parish Council has held a watching brief for its A big thank you to everyone who opened their garden, provided teas, sold public right of way footpaths and has appointed one of its councillors as Foot- plants and books and helped generally to make the village open gardens paths Warden. This has been an informal arrangement, as – rather surprisingly event such a success! Thanks also, of course, to everyone who visited the – footpaths are not the responsibility of the Parish Council but directly of the gardens - despite opposition from Andy Murray, the Tour de France and Countryside Services of OCC. In practice, there have been relatively few prob- Formula 1, we had 293 paying adults and their families and raised £1465 lems and both walkers and landowners have generally acted responsibly. for the National Garden Scheme charities. The WI, Hand of Friendship, village hall and the church amenities fund all benefitted from the teas and In the last two years, some changes have been made to the way things work, plant sales. primarily as a result of financial pressures and shortage of staff at OCC. The County Council has entered into an agreement with the Ramblers Association to set up a countywide system of Parish Path Wardens (PPWs) who will act on Keep Safe from Online and Telephone Fraud! behalf of the County Council and have some limited delegated authority. The It seems that every week someone comes up with a new scam, either online wardens will be volunteers, do not have to be parish councillors, and may pro- or via the telephone, to try to part the unwary from their money. Some of pose themselves or be proposed by someone else. They do not have to live in the latest scams are so cleverly constructed and appear so genuine, that the parish for which they are Warden. They will report into OCC Countryside even the most wary can be caught out. Services but be supported by a local volunteer coordinator who will cover roughly South Oxfordshire. The Ramblers Association have provided most of An example is the mobile phone upgrade fraud where fraudsters imperson- the co-ordinators and also provide training in conjunction with OCC. The PPW ate telephone service providers and contact their clients offering a phone is given a large scale map of their parish footpaths with all key features such as upgrade on a low monthly payment contract. The fraudsters glean all your stiles and footbridges clearly marked. personal and financial details which will then be used to contact the genuine phone provider and order a new mobile phone handset. The fraudsters I was the Parish Council’s footpath’s warden and continue to do more or less will either intercept the delivery before it reaches the victim’s address or the same job (with the PC’s support) under the new arrangements although I am order the handset to a different address. no longer a parish councillor. To keep up with the latest scams you can subscribe to the free Alert service The authority of the PPW is very limited. He or she may replace broken way- from Thames Valley Alert who send out warnings on behalf of Action marks, clear overhanging vegetation etc but not much else. The prime respon- Fraud (the National Fraud & Crime Reporting Centre). For more infor- sibility is to act as a co-ordinator for the parish, walk the Parish paths, identify mation and to subscribe visit www.neighbourhoodalert.co.uk. problems, prioritise them and advise the local co-ordinator and OCC Country- side Services. The most serious issues are blockage of a footpath (by landown- If you unfortunately become a victim of fraud, call 03001232040 or contact www.actionfraud.police.uk. er or fallen tree etc) or some serious safety issue like a broken plank in a foot- bridge. Tea and Technology Members of the public are also encouraged to take their secateurs to any overhanging brambles and other growth. If you have a computer or tablet problem, no matter how big or small, why not pop along to the monthly Tea & Technology session at the Astons vil- Please help me to do an effective job by letting me know if you notice any lage hall? These are held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month (except August problems of any sort on any of the Parish’s public rights of way footpaths. and December) between 10 a.m. & 12 noon - Bruno Brunskill and his Likewise if you have any footpath queries, I’ll be pleased to try and answer team may well be able to help. Full post office services are also available. them. The next session is on 20th September. Roger Haycock. [email protected] / 01235 812202

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South Moreton School PTA Barn Dance North Moreton Village Hall

The next booksale will be on Saturday 29th October. If you have books to On Saturday 8th October 2016, South Moreton Primary donate please email [email protected] or call 01235 810880 - School will be hosting a barn dance with live ceilidh band collection can be arranged if required. A big thank you to those who have vol- “Bathsheba”. Bathsheba play at many events across Oxford- unteered to help with future sales; we will be in touch with you shortly. shire and beyond and are very well reviewed, as the comment below testifies: In November, instead of the soup lunch we will be holding an evening Christ- ‘The dance floor was full for the whole evening, testimony to the band’s fabu- mas Market to the bring on the Christmas festivities! Charity Christmas cards lous music and Diane’s ability to engage with the guests and explain the will be on sale as usual, along with other goodies. We hope to provide some steps’ Jo Spence. Christmas fun for all ages. Details will follow shortly but if you would like to take a stall or help with the event, please contact [email protected] as Please do see Bathsheba’s website for reviews and clips of the band in action. soon as possible.

Our evening will begin at 8pm (till 11pm) and ticket price will include a com- Don’t forget that our tables, chairs and other equipment are available for hire plimentary drink and nibbles. There will be a bar available on the night. at very reasonable prices. For these, and to book the hall for functions contact This is sure to be a fantastic evening of music, dance and laughter so please Marion Shipton on [email protected] / 814372 . grab a partner, book your tickets and we look forward to welcoming you to Nora Haycock, Chairman VHMC South Moreton School very soon. Grants to Young People

Tickets £10 per person. North Moreton Charitable Trust, as part of its remit to support members of the Contact South Moreton School PTA on 01235 813110 North Moreton community, is able to make a grant to young members of the [email protected] village embarking on a course in higher education, an apprenticeship, or a first job. Applications are invited from young persons aged between 17 and 21 North Moreton Village Email whose family has been resident in North Moreton for a minimum of one year

On 6th July all the emails I sent to people with Hotmail accounts were returned and who has not already received a book grant. The grants will be for £75 per person, subject to the number of applications received in any one year. to me with a message “too many unwanted messages are being sent from this address”. Please apply to the Clerk of the North Moreton Charitable Trust, Peckwater

You may well agree with them but if you wish to continue receiving village High Street, North Moreton 0X11 9AT by letter or email emails and haven’t heard anything from me since then, please let me know as I [email protected] giving your age, a brief description of your have no way of knowing whether this was a one off or if a block has been put in further education, apprenticeship or job, and the likely purpose towards which you would apply the grant. place. If the latter, I will need to contact both BT and Mail.live.com.

If you are would like to be added or removed from the list, please let me know Allotments at [email protected]. The Trust also manages the village allotments and has plots available at very reasonable rents. Fly-Tipping – How to report it: Traditionally the allotment year starts at Michaelmas (29th September) to al- Go to southoxon.gov.uk, then click on ‘services and advice’ and type ‘fly- low time to get the land in good heart ready for Spring sowing. If you are in- tipping’ into the search box; click ‘Fly-tipping’ when it appears & fill in the terested in healthy exercise and fresh food, now is the time to contact the ‘report fly-tipping online’ form, or phone 03000 610 610. Clerk to the Trust (as above) who will put you in touch with the Allotment Warden.

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News from All Saints’ Calling all Musicians!

North Moreton has had a fun filled summer with memorable events, lunch- Did you play an instrument when you were younger? Do you wish you still es, weddings and Christenings held in the church and in the village We are had a chance to play it now? Would you like to get out of the house for two blessed with an abundance of caring community helpers whom have made hours on a Monday evening? If so then the Didcot and Wallingford orchestra is for you! efforts to create happy and exciting times for all. The Open Garden Art Ex- hibition was a great success and many thanks go to Nora Haycock and Vick- The Didcot and Wallingford Orchestra meets every Monday evening at 7.30 ie Squires for organizing this. The summer lunch with an intriguing mystery at the Northbourne Centre, Didcot. We are a small, friendly rehearsal orches- trail was super fun and thanks go to Alison Auckland and her team. Nick tra and in the last year have played a range of music, from Bach to modern and Alison Saunders put together a fun quiz trail which led partakers around pieces. Being a rehearsal orchestra means that if making a regular commit- the village and we thank them for their efforts as well. ment is difficult for you then it is not a problem to just attend when you can; it’s quite informal. We would like more players of all instruments to come Autumn marks more exciting events. The annual Ride and Stride takes and join us. place on 10th September and Beryl Jones is looking for participants. This event has had a large benefit in the grants received by OHCT in the past and Please contact [email protected] or visit https:// we are keen to keep contributing to their cause as it directly benefits our an- sites.google.com/site/didcotorchestra for more information. cient church. Please contact Beryl as soon as possible if you are interested on 01235 510035. Inkjet Printer Cartridge and Mobile Phone Recycling.

On 1st October there will be a wonderful concert in All Saints’ put on by Wallingford School are working with Recycle4Charity to raise funds towards Hagbourne Community Choir and Blewbury Brass Band. This event prom- a new school minibus. If you have any old mobile phones or used, branded ises to be a delight with finger food and drinks on offer during the interval. and not already recycled printer cartridges, please drop them into the collec- Several of the choir members come from North Moreton and they would tion box in the Chequers Garage, Aston Tirrold welcome your interest. Please contact John Harrison ([email protected]) or Alice Auckland ([email protected]) for tickets; all proceeds will go to the Church Amenities Project. Vickie Squires

Pre-Christmas Art Exhibition

On the 19th and 20th of November seven or eight local artists will be together again, this time in North Moreton Village Hall. On the 19th they will be coordinating with The Bear who will be holding a Christmas Market. More details to follow.

Church Flower Arrangers Needed!

There is a desperate need for more arrangers to fill the monthly gaps during the year. If you are interested in helping please contact Mary Greene on 01235 813396 or [email protected] for full details.

Many thanks to those who currently help - your help is much appreciated.

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