1 BLEDINGTON FOXHOLES AND FOSCOT NEWS November 2020 No 441

Female Sparrowhawk with its pigeon kill at the top of our Old Forge Close garden.

2 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY NOVEMBER 2020 Mondays and Fridays; Post Office, Oddington Vill. Hall (p 3) 10.30 to 12.00 Monday 2 Foxholes/Foscot WODC Green Collection Day (p 21) 6.00am Monday 9 Foxholes/Foscot Grey Collection Day (p 21) 6.00am Monday 9 Bledington Parish Council Meeting (ZOOM), (p 17) 8.00pm Tuesday 10 Bledington CDC Recycling Day (p 21) 7.00am Thursday 12 Walking Group, contact Pat Jenkin 659215 10.00am Monday 16 Foxholes/Foscot WODC Green Collection Day (p 21) 6.00am Monday 23 Foxholes/Foscot WODC Grey Collection Day (p 21) 6.00am Monday 23 BLEDINGTON NEWS COPY DEADLINE (p 2) 12.00noon Tuesday 24 Bledington CDC Recycling Day (p 21) 7.00am Thursday 26 Walking Group, contact Pat Jenkin 659215 10.00am Monday 30 Foxholes/Foscot WODC Green Collection Day (p 21) 6.00am

BLEDINGTON VILLAGE HOUSING ASSOCIATION Tony Windsor (658525) Flat 1 on the ground floor of Middle Orchard will be available to qualifying applicants in November. Anyone interested should approach me and I will let them know of further steps.

WE WELCOME NEWS CONTRIBUTIONS TO BLEDINGTON, FOXHOLES AND FOSCOT NEWS

Please send your news contributions for the December 2020 and January 2021 Issue at any time. Copy deadline 12.00 Noon Monday 23 November 2020. Please send news contributions for Bledington News to the editors, Wendy and Sinclair Scott, by paper copy to 4 Old Forge Close, Bledington, Chipping Norton, OX7 6XW or email us at [email protected] Tel: 01608 658624. Bledington News is published in full colour at www.bledington.com Please ensure you have a prompt acknowledgement of your contribution sent by email; this makes it certain we have received it. News contributions may be subject to editorial adjustment and regrettably, if received after the deadline time, cannot be included.

3 FROM THE EDITORS Wendy and Sinclair Scott As you may already have discovered the Sunday opening hours for the Community Shop have changed and are now 9.00am to 1.00pm. Our Apologies. Last month we should have credited the excellent photo of Nigel and Theo on the steam engine to Nigel Barker. In the past years many residents have contributed used stamps to raise money for the Air Ambulance service. Royal Mail have now said that it is illegal to sell stamps twice and therefore no more stamps can be processed for charity. See page 11. Our Rector, Richard Rendall and Anita have been serving residents of Bledington and the other villages in the Evenlode Vale Churches for 15 years. In November they will be leaving us, retiring and, as is normal in these circumstances, a replacement will not be immediately appointed. Richard has provided us with countless contributions to Bledington News over the years and we thank him for this and together with Anita for all their care and service. We wish them both a happy retirement. See page 5. Regrettably, this year a ‘Bledington News Dinner’, normally held in November is out of the question with COVID-19 restrictions. We so much enjoyed these evenings but needs must; perhaps all will be back to normal next year. We can but hope! As usual our next Edition is a combined December and January issue. So whatever you may have planned to advertise for January or early February should be sent to us before our deadline on 23 November.

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

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

4 BLEDINGTON COMMUNITY SHOP AND CAFÉ—OCTOBER UPDATE Jo Shaw, Bledington Shop Manager "May you fall in love with October and all the beauty it brings, May your life be as colourful as the turning of the leaves, on each blessed autumn day" October is one of my favourite months, and not just because I celebrate a birthday! I think there is nothing more gorgeous than the changing of the leaves to autumn colours. Although, as I write this there has been constant rain, we have still been blessed this month with blue skies and sunshine, allowing customers to sit outside the shop, enjoying coffee and homemade cakes. As we know the café is an important part of the shop. We have provided our customers with a sheltered space to enable them to continue to use it by erecting a temporary marquee to allow us to have covered seating whilst complying with Covid safety guidelines. (See page 14). We have had lots of new products arriving this month - a great range of Chapmans Seafood, which has been extremely popular, Cotswold Fudge, a change of bread from La Parisienne and “Mark’s” famous Fruit Loaf at the weekends. Also from “Marks” are frozen pizza dough balls, so you can make your own at home - and we also have a great range of toppings you can use to put your pizzas together. Other popular new additions are Madjool Dates, Wild Mushrooms, Satsumas and, of course, Brussels Sprouts. We are also stocking a range of Pumpkins, that are a great price, and perfect for either carving or cooking!! One of our local suppliers, Hook Norton Jams, have extended their range to include seasonal jams and chutneys and we will be adding to these in the run up to Christmas. I hope you have seen the beautiful range of flowers outside the shop provided by Stow Flower Shop - these have been extremely popular and we are delighted to be working with them and supporting another local company during these difficult times. They will also be providing wreaths etc. for Christmas, which can be pre-ordered, so look out for these coming soon. I know I have now mentioned the “C” word twice, but we have been busy preparing and looking into what we can offer our customers for the festive season. Sarah, who makes our gorgeous cakes, is offering luxury homemade Christmas cakes and puddings, biscuits, mince pies and tarts, which can be pre-ordered. I am hoping to have some tasters for our customers to sample soon, and forms to make your orders. Adlingtons, who currently supply our chicken products, are primarily award winning Turkey farmers, and we will be offering an ordering system with them too. All these and lots more will be available in the shop over the coming weeks, so please come in to see for yourself. If you have any specific requests, then do please let me know, and I will do my upmost to try and help. Continued on page 5

5 Continued from page 4 We are delighted to have poppies in the shop for the Poppy Appeal, especially as they are unable to go door to door this year which has reduced their footfall. They are situated by the till, so please help this amazing charity during this difficult year. This month we will be launching our Photography Competition, so look out for more information regarding this! October has been another really busy month in the shop, which is absolutely fantastic, and the volunteers, committee and myself are really grateful for your continued support and custom, so thank you.

Community Shop Open Monday to Saturday: 9.00am to 4.00pm Sunday: 9.00am to 1.00pm Note: Closing time now 1.00pm on Sunday Tel: 01608 65 99 77 Email: [email protected] Send your shopping list in advance for collection

ST LEONARD’S CHURCH RICHARD RENDALL RETIRING Barry Way and Aloÿse Packe: Churchwardens Many of you will know that our Rector, Richard Rendall, is retiring. It has been decided to present him with a large glass bowl as a leaving gift from everyone in the Benefice, engraved with each of the eight churches for which he is Rector. We know that many of you would like to donate to this gift and you can do so in the following ways:  Give cash or cheques to Barry Way at 5 The Paddocks, Bledington. Cheques should be made payable to Evenlode Vale Churches.  Online through the Evenlode Vale Churches bank account. Sort Code: 30-95-75, Account No 01205946. Please include the reference RJR. Richard and Anita have been in the Benefice for 15 years and we are sure you would like to wish them well in their retirement.

6 BLEDINGTON VILLAGE HALL Jenny Beacham The Village Hall is available for hire with restrictions and regulations. Please do get in touch if you wish to use the Hall and I will let you have copies of the Risk Assessment and procedures. We have fitted automatic hand gel dispensers in the entrance hall and by the kitchen and there are also containers in the toilets. The fire exit is designated as the one way exit to avoid the ‘pinch point’ of the entrance, social distancing should be observed when entering and when the toilets are in use. The committee advises that the kitchen should not be used at present as this will involve the hirer in extra cleaning after the event is over. Please note, the Hall is cleaned thoroughly before and after each hiring but hirers are asked to clean at the end of their session as they know what has been used/touched. Cleaning materials are provided with blue paper roll which should be removed by the hirer. Further details are available from me. COMMITTEE Mrs Hazel Furneaux has been a committee member for at least 27 years. She joined the committee as a W.I representative with Mrs Eileen Lofts. She has worked tirelessly for the Hall, producing copious amounts of cakes, nibbles, puddings and energy for the Village Hall. Sadly, Hazel has decided it’s time to resign from the committee. We thank her for all her hard work but hope she’s had some fun along the way! Although there is little going on at the moment, the committee has had to deal with the ever-changing advice from the Rural Community Council in relation to Covid-19. If there is someone who would like to join the committee, please let Rodney Beacham, the Chairman, know. We are able to co-opt to fill a casual vacancy and a new person would fit into the rolling committee election process, coming up for re-election in due course. CHRISTMAS Obviously our traditional Christmas activities at the Hall will not happen this year but we are suggesting that people might like to make a Santa scarecrow to put outside their house around Christmas to cheer everyone up. There will be no charge, just put your thinking caps on!

Why did the boy take his HB pencil to bed? So he could draw the curtains.

A friend became engaged to a pencil. She was introduced as his bride 2B.

7 BLEDINGTON SCHOOL Mrs J Kewley: Headteacher Every Autumn at Bledington Primary we think about our routines and expectations for behaviour across the school. The children agree their own set of Whole School Rules and each class comes up with a class charter showing what they want everyone in their group to adhere to. Each week we have a celebration Assembly during which the teachers give out certificates for good behaviour and for great attitude to learning. The Headteacher also awards certificates to pupils who have gone “above and beyond” normal expectations. We also celebrate achievements which have happened outside of school and encourage our pupils to bring any awards in to share with their peers. This week we are pleased to congratulate Lilah who submitted an amazing story to the Young Writers’ competition. She has been awarded a goodie bag which is full of books, paper, book light, book marker, stickers and a journal- everything a budding author needs! Congratulations! Lilah is also a member of our Eco-council and recently wrote this poem based on the class topic Extreme Earth. It is entitled Re-forestation.

Re-forestation While jaguars, Take a map and trace your finger, As black as the night, To where the rainforest should be, Flick their tails, Where now there is only a big dark blot, And send breath-taking scarlet The chainsaws mark, macaws, See pictures of beautiful, spreading trees, Soaring into the sky, Cut down by the chainsaws cruel blades, The jaguar hones in, Do we stand and watch? On one small, white rodent, While loggers lay waste to wild areas, full of life, With a pink twitching nose, And leave only destruction, He pounces, NO! We don’t, we act, But the mouse is too quick But hashtags and likes won’t bring the forest It darts away back, Into the re-growing trees, We need to help out for real, Maybe next time… While out there, But for now, The forest is fixing itself, The jaguar lies down, New saplings sprout from the near dead ground, Beneath a shady palm tree, And sleeps zzzzzz

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WE NEED YOU Would you be interested in supporting Bledington Primary school by becoming a governor? We have vacancies for two co-opted governors and are looking for keen and enthusiastic people to join our dedicated team. You do not need to be an expert in the field of education. What you do need is an interest in the school and in the welfare of its pupils, together with the time and willingness to get involved. You will need to attend 4 full governors’ meetings and 4 sub- committee meetings per year.

If interested, contact Sarah Newton ([email protected]) or Jill Kewley ([email protected]) 01608 658388

Bledington Primary School are looking for committed people to join our Governing Board We have a number of vacancies in the co-opted governor category and would welcome applications from people with experience in:

 Finance (Accountant, Finance Manager etc)

 Human Resources

 Legal (Paralegal, Solicitor etc)

 Health and Safety (H&S officer, union rep etc)

 Capital projects management The Governing Board of our school is made up of parent, staff, local authority and co-opted governors. The recruitment process initially requires you to complete an application form and a skills audit, to allow the Governing board to understand your skill set. The final stage is an interview with the Headteacher and Chair of Governors. Continued on page 9

9 Continued from page 8 The Governing Board operates at a strategic level and is not involved in the day-to-day running of the school. We are responsible for both the conduct of the school and for the promotion of high standards. We carry out this role by setting the vision for the school, ensuring that the school works efficiently and effectively towards achieving its vision, and that the school provides a high-quality education for its pupils. This is done by building a thorough knowledge of the school and its community, by both supporting and constructively challenging the school and by ensuring accountability and compliance. Governors need not be experts in the field of education. What they do need is an interest in the school and in the welfare of its pupils, together with the time and willingness to get involved. The skills you have can be very useful to the Governing Board. Governors also need ‘soft skills’ – the ability to be able to build relationships with a range of people, to be able to work as part of a team, to be able to question, and to make connections between different types of information. All governors are expected to be able to read budget reports and data on school standards. Our Governing Board has certain expectations of governors, which currently are:  to attend and contribute to monthly meetings of the full Governing Board,  when required, to sit on any committee or working party and attend all associated meetings,  to monitor a subject link area within the school, e.g. Numeracy, Literacy, Special Educational Needs, Early Years, etc., and meet with the staff subject leader on a minimum of a termly basis, reporting on each visit to the Governing Board,  to visit the school formally for monitoring purposes as directed by the Governing Board,  to visit the school informally on occasion,  to commit to attend training courses,  to comply with the expectations set out in our Code of Conduct. In return, our Governing Board commits to:

 provide you with an experienced governor as mentor,

 provide you with a structured induction,

 provide access to quality training via the National College for Teaching & Leadership or local authority Governor Support Unit,

 develop your skills in strategic management, Continued on page 10

10 Continued from page 9  offer you an insight into the wider perspective of the school,  give you the opportunity to make a difference to our school and the outcomes for our pupils. If you would like to find out more about how you can contribute to governance at our school, or have any questions about anything, then please contact the school office which will then arrange for a governor to contact you. To apply for one of the vacancies please contact Sarah Newton [email protected] or Jill Kewley [email protected] to obtain and complete a form and return it to the Headteacher. BLEDINGTON DIRECTORY LAST CALL - CLOSING DATE 7 NOVEMBER Tony Windsor 658525 [email protected] The time has come to update the Bledington Directory for January 2021. As usual, I need your help in ensuring that the information is correct. I estimate that there are more than twenty alterations to be made following removals, deaths and newcomers. Most households should have received a letter asking for their details to be entered in the new directory but, in case you have not had yours, please let me know your name, address and telephone (landline or mobile) number as well as e-mail address if you wish that to be listed. If anyone wishes to place an advertisement or knows anybody who might, then please let me know; quarter, half and full pages are available at competitive rates to villagers. PRE-LOVED LAPTOPS Thrive-North Ox If you have an unwanted laptop hiding, Thrive-North-Ox can wipe, upgrade and donate it to a local student for home learning. Contact: [email protected] www.thrive-northox.co.uk/laptops-for-thrive

What do you call a fake noodle? An im-pasta.

What is the best thing about Switzerland? I don’t know but the flag is a big plus.

11 BLEDINGTON SCHOOL ASSOCIATION ‘100 CLUB’ WINNERS FOR OCTOBER

The following numbers win £5 each in October’s draw: 67 Rob Pearson 86 Nicky Hunt 3 Plum Brackenbury 19 Polly Ingestre Congratulations to the winners! Joining the 100 Club is a great way to support Bledington School. New members are always welcome. For just £12 per year, you can win £5 in our monthly draws and a big cash prize at the end of each term. To join, please contact me on the number below or catch me at the school gates.

Registered with: Cotswold District Council under Gambling Act 2005. Registration Number: 07/01271/GASSP Promoter: Annie Hammerstein, Harwood House, The Green, Bledington, OX7 6XQ. Tel: 01608 659819.

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY APPEAL Debbie Smith Although, because of Covid, the Royal British Legion has cancelled its House-to-House Poppy collection, poppies are now on sale in Bledington Shop, Bledington School & The King's Head.

AIR AMBULANCE - NO MORE STAMPS THANK YOU Wendy Scott It is with much disappointment that I have to tell everyone that the Royal Mail have told the Air Ambulance team that they cannot collect used stamps any more as they cannot be sold twice!! I’m not sure what that means exactly and if that is the case what about professional Stamp Dealers, I wonder? THANK YOU VERY MUCH indeed to everyone who has so loyally collected their used stamps over the years and supported the Air Ambulance. Your support has been very much appreciated. But sadly we will not be requiring any more in the future.

12 AN APOLOGY The Editors Last month’s cover photograph was attributed incorrectly and should have mentioned Nigel Barker as the driver of the steam engine. Our apologies. HP PRINTER/SCANNER An HP 2312 Desk Jet Printer was left with us by Jennifer Steel before she left to live in Hereford, to advertise to those in Bledington. It has a USB connection lead and will need to have its driver software downloaded from HP website (free). This printer is open to offers, was apparently working some months ago and may be seen at 4 Old Forge Close (658624).

COVID-19 ANTIBODY TESTING Tony Windsor Sue and I recently arranged for anti-bodies testing for corona virus at home. We discovered that we had both had the virus and had anti-bodies and although this does not guarantee protection against future infection it is VERY rare to be re-infected apparently. The test was easy to do at home and the answer came very quickly at a cost of £39. You can find details and order it from testingforall.org

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

13 COLD CALLERS IN THE AREA The Editors, Rebecca Allen and Simon Aldridge In early October many people in Bledington, Kingham and Churchill received cold doorstep visits offering to sell low quality household goods. Perhaps by now this ‘invasion’ will have disappeared but we have some fall out to report and advice from the Police. A number of people who were visited started conversations with these people; they were wearing no masks and some residents were intimidated by their persistence. The sellers reputedly came from ‘up North’ from an organisation called Morgan Wholesale or the’ Nottingham Knockers’. Police were informed and clearly stated that pressurised selling is illegal and urged that nobody should part with money to cold callers at the door (or to those who phone). If you are intimidated by someone call 101 and report the incident to the Police. However if we all simply close the door on these callers, if you wish with a polite ‘I do not buy from cold callers’ the organisation behind these people will realise Bledington is a no-go area and will not return in the future. ‘No Cold Callers’ window stickers are available and a small number were distributed in the Village in October and a visit to Stow Police station may elicit a sticker if you want one. DVLA SCAM FROM PC 2201 NICK WESTMACOTT Drivers: watch out for emails claiming to be from the DVLA asking them to verify their driving licence details. The email asks recipients to click on a link to verify their details with the DVLA, who is said to be upgrading their database. Remember: the DVLA never sends texts or emails which ask you to confirm personal information or payment details via a link. The scam involves drivers receiving an email that informs them that their latest vehicle tax payment has failed. The DVLA says, “We never send emails that ask you to confirm your personal details or payment information. “If you get anything like this, do not open any links and delete the email immediately”. Many thanks.

14 COMMUNITY SHOP Graeme Ferrero Thinking outside of the box? It may seem a little hasty, but the shop committee are beginning to think about expansion! In the nearly twelve months that we have operating we have learned a great deal about what the village expects and what our visitors look for. In summary, our fresh fruit, vegetables, bread and dairy sell well, as do our wines, beers and sprits. Visitors like our café service and local products such as jams and preserves. Being able to serve both markets is important and to continue to do this requires more space, particularly in the winter.

You will have seen the temporary winter protection we have just erected and it will be interesting to monitor shop sales in the colder weather. We were surprised to find that the middle Saturday in October was our best day of the year, but the previous weekend had been cold and wet and very slow. Maintaining a full service requires more space, and more space takes time to plan and build. PS: The success of the shop is both satisfying and demanding, so volunteers are always welcome. Afternoons are quieter but seem to have more vacancies. Why not give Jo a break to catch up with the paperwork by lending support in the afternoons?

15 COMMUNITY SHOP AWARD FROM CPRE The Editors On 1 October the Community Shop received an award from Richard Lloyd Vice Chairman of Gloucestershire CPRE, the Countryside Charity. This was received by Michael and Robin McCulloch, previous joint chairmen of the Bledington Community Shop.

There were a number of awards given. To the management team represented by members present, Michael and Robin McCulloch and Louise Jackson, and the builders represented by Mike Logue. The designers also received an award in their absence. The framed award and the CPRE plaque is to be displayed in the shop.

THANK YOU. Jane Oldridge To all my friends and neighbours I wish to send a big thank you for prayers in Church and the lovely cards and messages I received after my hip operation. Special thanks go to Jenny Beacham, Hazel King and my beloved husband Robin and my lovely family for their support at this time. It is so much appreciated. Thank you.

16 BLEDINGTON PARISH COUNCIL Notes by the Editors from the Minutes of the Bledington Parish Council (BPC) meeting held on Monday 12 October via video conference. Present: Mr R Pearson (Chair), Mr B Ball, Mrs R Gaskell, Mrs R Pawley and Dr S Rawstorne with acting clerk Mrs H Pearson. Also C Cllr N Moor, D C J Beale, Mrs C Chichester, Mr I Simpson and Mrs J Wilson. Matters Arising. Chapel Lane. The proposal to put in kerb stones is still been discussed. Reports from County and District Councillors. County Cllr N Moor. Trees. Cllr Moor outlined the Gloucestershire Tree Strategy. This is intended to increase tree cover by 20% with the planting and management of 35 million trees over the next 10 years reducing carbon emissions by 10% over the county. A copy of the Tree Strategy Report will be made available to BPC. Cycleway. An extension to the cycleway along the disused railway line in now part of the Transport Plan. Recycling sites. These will be increasing the number of slots available for booking. Traffic Monitoring. Monitoring is taking place in Bledington, Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow-on-the-Wold to see the impact of weight restriction on the Adlestrop Bridge. The results should be available in November. Roads. Four areas of Bledington are included in the budget for improvements to the roads amounting to £43,000 of repairs by the end of the financial year. District Cllr J Beale. Road Signs. Old Burford Road replacement has been delayed due to Covid difficulties. Leisure Centres and Museums. CDC will be holding a special meeting to discuss grants. Road Closure. The Fosseway between Donnington and Longborough will be closed between 5-11 November to allow diseased Ash trees to be felled. Dr S Rawstorne queried the methodology used for obtaining data of traffic flow through the village. Cllr Moor will seek further information from the Highways Department. Kerbing along Chapel Lane. Kerbing stones that are flat to the road have been requested by BPC. Cllr N Moor requested confirmation by email, he would then follow this up with the Highway Department on behalf of BPC. FWAG Report. This will be discussed in full at the November parish council meeting. Jenny Phelps will be invited to the meeting to answer questions which should be sent in advance to Mrs Chichester and copied to both Mr Simpson and Mrs Wilson. The most appropriate way for the brook to be cleared of weed would be investigated by the Flood Group. Willow Trees. Trees on the Green at Chestnuts have been identified as a problem with the root system affecting the foul sewer. The owners of Chestnuts is looking into removing two trees. Thames water will be repairing the sewer. Continued on page 17

17 Continued from page 16 Affordable Housing. To be discussed when it is possible to have a public meeting. Eileen Lofts memorial tree. Dr Rawstorne will seek further information on the type of tree that would be a suitable to replace the silver birch in the church yard. Hazel Gibbs bench. Mr Ball will put out a request for volunteers to help with installing the bench on the village green. Risk register. Mr Ball will advise on the compliance of the parish council website with government legislation. Dr Rawstorne will update the risk register. Correspondence. Mr A Tyack’s request regarding giving up right to centre of field for strip of land against the wall was discussed at length and would seek comments of all parish councillors at the November meeting. Any Other Business. Weed clearing. Mr Pearson thanked the large turnout of volunteers that helped to clear the brook of weed on Saturday. Churchyard Seat. Mr Harries will be renovating the seat at a future date. Footbridge over the village brook. This requires repair. Mr Pearson has the timber for the works. Mr Ball will put out a request for volunteers to help with the repair. Duck Sign. Mr Ball was hoping to reinstate the village duck sign if it could be located. Date of next meeting – Monday 2 November at 7.00pm

VILLAGE BROOK CLEANING The Parish Council would like to say a big thank you to all those who donned wellies and grabbed spades, garden forks, rakes etc and set about clearing the village brook of weeds on Saturday 10 October. There was an exceptional turnout of 20+ with several new village residents joining in. Thank you to the King’s Head for providing well received refreshments after a couple of hours of fun and laughter and weed tugging to a group of mud splattered volunteers.

18 VILLAGER BUS SERVICES Timetables and information - www.villagerbus.co.uk Villager bus routes will be running subject to drivers being available. All passengers are by law required to wear face masks. The number of passengers on buses will be reduced if required to allow safe separation of passengers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 WEATHER RECORDS Robert Pearson 20 SEPTEMBER TO 19 OCTOBER 2020 2020 2019 Total rainfall 170.5mm 189mm Wettest Day 45mm on 3/10/20 24mm Highest day temperature 17°C on 8/10/20 25°C Average maximum day temperature 15.3°C 21.7°C Lowest night temperature 4°C on 10/10/20 2°C Average lowest night temperature 7.5°C 9°C The 75.5mm (3”) of rainfall we had over the 48 hour period on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October was the highest amount of rainfall over a short period since the big flood in July 2007 (150mm over 24 hours). Luckily this time the ground was relatively dry and the water table relatively low so the flooding was a lot less. The weather continues in its ‘roller coaster’ pattern with weekly temperature fluctuations and luckily the ground has dried up over the past two weeks in readiness for the next deluge. Editors. Our thanks to Tony Windsor who on Sunday 4 October got his feet wet taking this photo from outside the Old Village Post Office of our flooded village green.

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

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

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

21 WASTE AND RECYCLING COLLECTION DATES BLEDINGTON - COTSWOLD DISTRICT COUNCIL WEEKLY: EVERY TUESDAY: Small grey food waste caddy. Uneaten or out-of-date food, eggs, egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds, kitchen roll, paper tissues, small amounts of oil/fat, animal hair. NOT food packaging, animal faeces, pet litter/bedding/carcasses, cardboard, nappies. FORTNIGHTLY: TUESDAYS 10 AND 24 NOVEMBER: Large green wheeled garden waste bins (licence required). Grass cuttings, leaves, bark, tree prunings and branches up 2” across, tree stumps up to 4” across, rabbit and guinea pig bedding, flowers, plants, weeds, fruit windfalls, cold wood ash. Grey wheeled bins for land fill waste. Cat/pet litter/bedding, nappies, light bulbs, crisp packets, plastic bags/wrapping. NOT fluorescent tubes. Blue bag for cardboard. Cardboard must fit into bag. Remove packaging tape. NOT card with glitter. White bags for tins, cans and rigid plastic. Plastic tubs and bottles, clean foil, aerosols, tetra paks. NOT crisp packets, plastic bags, clingfilm. Black boxes: 1. Glass bottles, jars. NOT broken glass, light bulbs. 2. Paper, catalogues, newspaper, magazines, plain wrapping paper. Also in Black boxes, wrap in separate carrier bags:- 1. Small electricals, batteries, e-readers, fairy lights, toys. 2. Shoes, clothing, hats, gloves, belts, scarves, textiles, handbags.

FOSCOT AND FOXHOLES WEST OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL FORTNIGHTLY GREEN WEEK: MONDAYS 2, 16 AND 30 NOVEMBER: Grey food waste bins. Blue lid bins for recycling. Green lid bins for garden waste. FORTNIGHTLY GREY WEEK: MONDAYS 9 AND 23 NOVEMBER: Grey food waste bins. Grey lid bins for landfill waste.

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

22 EVENLODE VALE CHURCHES ST LEONARD BLEDINGTON Helkias Mapimhidze There are fewer and fewer surviving veterans of World War II. In a generation they will all be gone. I hope that the memory of their sacrifices will not go with them because it is concerning how many young people are unaware of the recent history that has shaped our country for the better. Polls of young people have shown alarming ignorance of Fascism, the Jewish holocaust and just how close Europe came to the brink of subjugation under the boot of Hitler. Even more disappointing is the ignorance of the sacrifices made by brave young soldiers, who fought for our freedom from oppression. Few would even appreciate the apt words by Churchill of RAF pilots who gave their lives for kith and kin in the Battle of Britain- "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few". The quickest way for a culture to die is to forget from where it came. We have enjoyed much prosperity and freedom because of the sacrifices of our forebears. We cannot take them for granted- we must not. May we not be the generation that will lose the memory of those, who by God’s common grace gave so that we could enjoy the privileges that we have today. Remembrance - lest we forget.

ST LEONARD’S HARVEST FESTIVAL Aloÿse Packe Thank you to everyone who contributed food items for the Harvest Festival. Two large boxes were taken to the North Cotswold food bank along with £95.00 which was raised from the sale of flowers, jams and donations. The food bank were very appreciative and send their thanks.

Evenlode Vale Churches Website: www.evenlodevalechurches.org

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CHURCH NEWS – NOVEMBER 2020 Remembrance Sunday We will be celebrating Remembrance Sunday differently this year. We will not be holding our usual Joint Service for the four northern parishes because of the numbers involved and the need to comply with Covid regulations. Instead there will be short services in all seven of our parishes. Where there are memorials outside, the services will be held outdoors. We will be observing the ‘rule of 6’ and keeping 2 metres away from those not in our household or support bubble. Face coverings are not required outdoors but people may wear them if they prefer. Please see the list of services in this newsletter for details of the commemoration taking place in your village. United Service Our next United Service will be recorded at St Mary’s Icomb and broadcast online on Sunday 1 November at 10.45am. The service will be led by Stephen Blake and Richard Rendall will preach on the subject ‘Changed Lives’. As part of the service we will be presenting a medal to Tim Royle who has been made a member of the Company of St Kyneburga, in recognition of his service in the Diocese of Gloucester over many years. You will find a link to the service on the Resources page of the Evenlode Vale Churches website: www.evenlodevalechurches.org/spiritual-resources. Morning Praise We will be resuming our Morning Praise Services at Holy Ascension Oddington on Sunday 15 November at 10.30am. This is a more informal service suitable for all the family which this month will be led by Stephen Blake with Helkias Mapimhidze preaching.

ST LEONARD, BLEDINGTON CHURCH ROTAS MAIN CLEANING FLOWERS AND BRASS TO ALTAR AND SIDE ALTAR November 2020 Week Commencing: Monday Week Ending: Saturday 2nd Mrs Oldridge and Mrs Packe 7th Mrs Diane Angwin 9th Mrs Cooper and Mrs Jenkin 14th Mrs Louise McLean 16th Mrs Cooper and Mrs Jenkin 21st Mrs Fiona Milhench 23rd Mrs Pearson and Mrs Algar 28th Mrs Jane Oldridge 30th Mrs Pearson and Mrs Algar

24 CHURCH SERVICES - NOVEMBER 2020

Sunday 1 November 2020 All Saints Day, Trinity 21 10.45am Morning Prayer Online Service only recorded from St Mary, Icomb

Sunday 8 November 2020 Trinity 22 10.45am Remembrance Service St Mary, Adlestrop 10.45am Remembrance Service (Outdoors) Bledington War Memorial 10.45am Remembrance Service St Edward, Evenlode 10.50am Remembrance Service (Outdoors) Broadwell War Memorial 10.50am Remembrance Service (Outdoors) Oddington War Memorial 10.50am Remembrance Service (Outdoors) Westcote War Memorial 10.55am Remembrance Service (Outdoors) Icomb War Memorial

Sunday 15 November 2020 Trinity 23 9.00am Holy Communion (BCP) St Leonard, Bledington 9.30am Holy Communion (BCP) St Mary, Icomb 9.30am Morning Service (CW) St Mary, Westcote 10.30am Morning Praise Holy Ascension, Oddington 3.00pm Baptism Holy Ascension, Oddington

Sunday 22 November 2020 Sunday next before Advent 9.30am Holy Communion (CW) St Mary, Adlestrop 9.30am Morning Service (CW) St Paul, Broadwell 9.30am Morning Prayer (BCP) St Mary, Icomb 11.00am Holy Communion (CW) St Leonard, Bledington 6.00pm Holy Communion (CW) St Mary, Westcote

Sunday 29 November 2020 Advent Sunday 9.00am Holy Communion (BCP) St Leonard, Bledington 11.00am Advent Candle Lighting St Edward, Evenlode 11.00am Joint Service St Mary, Westcote

All services (save for Family Services and Morning Prayer) are specified as being traditional Book of Common Prayer (BCP) or more contemporary Common Worship (CW). Family Services and Morning Prayer are both contemporary services.

Bledington, Foxholes and Foscot News is printed by KopyRite, Worcester Trading Estate, Chipping Norton.