Offchurch

News The Village Magazine

October 2012

Happy Halloween!

October 2012

Mo n T u e We d T hu F r i S at S u n 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ☺ ֠ 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ☺ S MMM ֠ CCCAAA EEEOOO 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ☺

֠ 22 23 24 25 26 28 ☺ 27

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Village Hall Cleaning for October: Mo Chivers

Offchurch News deadline. All notices for next month to [email protected] or Nine Hills Cottage, Welsh Road by this date at the latest. Thank you.

Grey bin collection Green bin collection

Mobile Library Tudor Cottage 9.35am - 9.55am

Old Post Office 10.00am-10.20am ☺ Offchurch Toddler Group, 9.30am-11.30am, Village Hall p. 7 Bell ringing practice, 7.30pm-9.00pm, Church Tower ֠֠

Offchurch Croquet Club, 5.00pm-7.00pm, Village Green p. 13

Services in St Gregory’s Church p. 5 Offchurch CCC MMMEEE SAAA OOO Sunday School, St Gregory’s Church p. 5

Family Service, St Gregory’s Church p. 5

Upholstery and soft furnishings class, 9.30-11.30am, Vil-

lage Hall

Afternoon Club, Harvest Lunch, 12.00noon, Village Hall p. 7

Village Hall Christmas Fayre Open Meeting, 7.30pm, Vil- lage Hall p. 10 Village Hall Committee Meeting, 7.30pm, Village Hall

Offchurch Offchurch Cameo, 8.00pm, Village Hall p. 16 MMM CCCAAA EEEOOO

Woven Threads Good Bye, 10.00am, Village Field p. 16

Offchurch Crafts, 7.30pm, Village Hall p. 17

Garden Club, 7.30pm, Village Hall p. 19

Tennis Club Night (Thurs); Cricket (Sun), times vary, Off-

church Sports Club

Reading Circle, 8.00pm, private home p. 17

pp. 21- Churchyard Working Group, 9.30am-1.00pm, Churchyard 22 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

From Vicarage A beautiful morning as I write this but the weather is getting chilly in the mornings and evenings - a sure sign that autumn is on its way. The farmers have been working hard to get the harvest in and in many cases it has not been as good as was hoped for this year, disappoint- ing for those who have put in so much work. However, we all know that we won't be going hungry as a result. If we can think back a few generations in these villages, a poor harvest meant a hungry winter for many and hearts would have been heavy as people looked ahead to the winter months. And so it is still in many parts of the world. As we get in our harvests, whether we are farmers or whether it is just runner beans or tomatoes, maybe we could spare a thought and not just a thought but a gift, for the hungry people in our world. For Harvest has always been a time to celebrate, to give and share and to be gener- ous.

As I write this some churches have already had their Harvest Festivals, celebrated in the traditional way with gifts of produce, usually in tins or packets nowadays as they are the most useful way of giving food as they will keep! You would always be most welcome to come to one of those services, and if you have missed out on your own village's, you will be equally welcome in one of the other village churches. But whether we celebrate in church or not, we can all say a private 'thank you' in our hearts for all the good things we have been given in this life and for the beauty of the countryside around us. In the words of the Harvest hymn -

We thank you then, O Father, for all things bright and good, the seed time and the harvest, our life, our health, our food. No gifts have we to offer for all your love imparts, But that which thou desirest, our humble, thankful hearts.

Diane Patterson

PAGE 4 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

October Church Diary and Rota

7th 10.00am Matins Diane / Gordon

10 th 8.00am Holy Communion David / Gordon

Holy Communion with Sunday 14 th 10.00am David School Family Service with baptism of 21 st 10.00am Marcia / Tim Isabelle Weekes

28 th 10.00am Holy Communion Diane / Gordon

Birth Announcement Congratulations to Beth and Patch of Fosse Wharf on the birth of their daughter Daisy Anne at the end of August. Welcome, Daisy Anne! We hope all the family is well.

Engagement Congratulations to Jae Chalfin on the announcement of his engage- ment to Lara Hall of Cherington Gloucestershire.

PAGE 5 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

ST GREGORY’S MATTERS

Cursillo: For some of us, those colourful little signs that appear peri- odically around the village give rise to a feeling of minor curiosity. They are, in fact, there for the benefit of visitors attending Offa House for a weekend course or Cursillo (pronounced ‘coor-see-yo’). During three days, the participants (Cursillistas) “live, worship and learn” together, in order to empower them to “grow through prayer, study and action”. The weekend concludes with a service in St Gregory’s, and although we are not familiar with the nature or content of this event, there is evi- dence that it involves the use of a seemingly huge number of candles! British Anglican Cursillo Council (http://www.anglicancursillo.co.uk/ )

Gregory’s Eggery: It seems like our porch nesters have set up some- thing of a production line. For, no sooner had the first family flown, than yet another clutch of babies were noisily mouthing for food. A pri- mary school “Nature Study” knowledge of these things falls short of answering the question: Is it the original couple extending their tenancy or do nest occupants rotate, on a sort of timeshare basis?

Heritage Open Days: Our involvement in this event proved to be a very rewarding experience, enabling us to meet with the many visitors who came to enjoy the ‘St Gregory experience’. The comments and feedback were all extremely encouraging. Notably, Councillor Michael Kinson, Chairman of District Council and Mrs Kin- Smiles all round, as Jane and Wendy exchange mementos with Cllr Kinson son, spent most of Friday af- ternoon with us. Effusive in their praise, they left with a promise of join- ing us for our Christmas Carol Service. Pride in our Church was enriched by the display of artwork by Caroline and Julie and Brian and Sandy’s slide extravaganza, not forgetting the work of our dedicated cake-makers and tea-urners.

Stop-Off: St Gregory’s also provided a cool and peaceful sanctuary for participants in the Historic Churches Trust “Ride and Stride” event.

PAGE 6 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Having respectfully removed their helmets, saddle-sore cyclists (displaying an imaginative range of body shapes) joined us for some welcome refreshments, and then treated us to a unique sight, as they paraded their weary, Lycra-clad forms up and down the aisle like a procession of fluorescent models treading a fashion-show catwalk. We look forward to providing for them again, next year.

David Varnish

Afternoon Club Our Harvest Lunch is on Monday 8 th October 2012, at the Village Hall, 12.00noon for a 12.30pm start. Names please to Greta 01926 429990 or Valerie 01926 423677. Non-members very welcome.

The November meeting is on Monday 12 th November 2012. We will be hosting Weston-under-Wetherley Club. We shall be having a speaker, Pat Justice, and she is organizing this event, The Recognition of By- gone Objects. Please put the date in your diary.

Offchurch Toddler Group HELP NEEDED!! After 7 years (on and off) of running the playgroup, I will be finishing at Christmas time and am looking for a willing person to take over. The playgroup runs on Wednesday mornings and all the equipment is stored at the village hall. It just requires someone to open up (9ish), get the toys/tea coffee cups out etc, then clear away at 11.15. We currently have a successful music class running in conjunc- tion with the playgroup which attracts a large number of people from outside the village.

If you are interested, please pop along one Wednesday morning and see what’s involved. If no-one is willing to take this on (again), then sadly, the playgroup will have to shut (again!!). Many thanks. Wendy Farquharson 01926 612279.

PAGE 7 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Offchurch Village Hall

Available for hire

Special rate for Offchurch residents: £7 per hour

To check availability and/or to book the hall, please call 01926 336843 or 01926 314926.

Offchurch Village Hall Charges for Offsite Hiring of Equipment

Trestle tables £5 per table

Other tables £4 per table

Chairs (red, in hall) £5 per 10 - inside use only

Chairs (grey plastic, in shed) £3 per 10 - for use outside

Crockery / cutlery / glasses donation

Tea urn £5 - for village use only

High chair £2

Children’s toys donation - for village use only

BBQ x 1 £20*

BBQ x 2 £30* *+ a £20 deposit, refundable when BBQ(s) returned clean and in good order

Contact Mary (01926 336843) or Margaret (01926 314926) for more details.

PAGE 8 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

V{Ü|áàÅtá YtçÜx

Offchurch Village Hall Saturday 24 ththth November 2012 11.00am ––– 3.00pm

Admission £1 (Children under 12 --- free) Includes a cup of tea/coffee and a mince pie Why don’t you stay for lunch as well? Freshly made soups and hot dogs will be available to purchase, with vegetarian options too.

* Santa’s Grotto * Christmas Tombola * * Handmade Gifts * Vintage & Nearly New * *‘Homemade Cakes & Preserves * Water to Wine * * Book s * Grand Raffle * Traidcraft * * Children’s Corner: Face Painting * * Unwanted / Unused Gifts * and more...

We look forward to seeing you!

Proceeds to be shared between St Gregory’s Church and Offchurch Village Hall

PAGE 9 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Village Hall Notices Christmas Fayre Thanks to everyone who was able to attend the Open Meeting on 10 th September to help organise the Fayre. After last year’s success, it was decided that the Christmas Fayre would again be held during lunchtime hours. So, put the date in your diary now: Saturday 24 th November 2012 at the Village Hall, from 11.00am until 3.00pm. Tick- ets £1 (children under 12 free), to include coffee or tea and a mince pie. See separate notice for further information. Another Open Meeting will be held on Monday 15 th October 2012 at 7.30pm to finalise preparations for the Christmas Fayre, at the Village Hall. The meeting will be chaired by Vicky Donajgrodzki. Everyone welcome!

Prizes needed! We would welcome prize donations for the Christ- mas Fayre Raffle. If you are able to give a prize or work for a com- pany that could donate a prize, please save it! Further details on who to leave any prizes with will be provided in the November issue of Off- church News .

Children’s Christmas Party Would someone like to organise a chil- dren’s Christmas Party for children in the village? If you are inter- ested, please contact Kate Sargent on 01926 330307 or Liz Varnish on 01926 886119.

Village Hall Cleaning for October Mo Chivers

Village Hall Committee The next meeting of the Village Hall Committee will be on Monday 22 nd October 2012 at 7.30pm in the Hall.

Village Hall Cleaning On the rota for October: Mo Chivers

PAGE 10 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Christmas Fayre: Donations Wanted!

Can you donate any items for the Village Hall Christmas Fayre on 24 th November 2012? Check the list below and do get in touch! Please contact Kate Sargent on 01926 330307 or Liz Varnish on 01926 886119.

We will need Christmas-themed prizes for the tombola

We will need items [not clothing] for a ‘vintage’/nearly new stall

We will need cakes and produce for the cake stall

We will need crafts for the hand-made gift stall

We will need books for the second-hand book stall

We will need bottles for the Water to Wine stall

We will need unwanted new gifts for the unused/unwanted gift stall

Further details will be provided in the November issue of Offchurch News . Thank you in advance!

Local Thefts There have been recent thefts of front and rear vehicle registration plates from cars/vans parked on the street for use as false plates in “bilking” incidents at petrol stations. Anyone who is concerned about this can apply to the police for a kit containing tamper-proof screws.

Eathorpe, Hunningham, Offchurch and Joint Parish Council

PAGE 11 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Book Stall By popular demand, due to previous success, the book stall will ap- pear at the Christmas Fayre. You may leave books in the porch of 18 Village Street or bring them along to the Village Hall on the day. Thank you.

Helen Wright

Vacancy Margaret Hinksman and Mary Gunthorpe, our current Village Hall booking secretaries, have recently announced that they wish to step down from their roles. They have been fantastic at organising and managing the bookings over the years and we would like to thank both of them for their hard work.

If you are interested in taking on this role or if you would like to find out more, please contact Kate Sargent on 01926 330307. All that is needed is a good sense of organisation. If you feel that you are just the right person for this, we would love to hear from you!

Many thanks,

The Village Hall Committee

Qigong Beginners’ Class Following on from the successful Qigong Taster Session organised by the Cameo group in September, by popular demand we are now ex- ploring the possibility of running a six-week course at the Village Hall with Terry Hartery.

Qigong Shibashi is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It consists of 18 slow, gentle exercises that help maintain health and prevent ill health. Suitable for all age groups, it allows people to take responsibil- ity for their own health status.

If you would be interested in coming to the class - or would like to find out more information - WOULD YOU PLEASE PHONE TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST - Judith Perry 01926 423847 or Kate Sargent 01926 330307. If sufficient people are interested, we are hoping the classes will take place from early November until Christmas.

PAGE 12 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Offchurch Croquet Club

Revenge is, indeed, sweet. Having lost to last month, we turned the tables at our home game on 1 st September. Our top pairing of Stephen and Sandy continued their hot streak with another clean sweep of victories in their three games. This time, the rest of us man- aged to make a sufficient enough contribution to win by 2 points. The weather was kind, the after game tea first class, the pitch improving all the time. Life is sweet for the croquet club.

Hope you can join us any Friday evening from 5.00pm.

John MacPherson

Thank you Thank you to all the people who kindly gave me wool. Look out at the Christmas Fayre, and buy some of it back, in its many different ver- sions.

Denise Boswell

PLEASE, PLEASE, BOTTLES OF WINE FOR THE CHRISTMAS FAYRE FOR SUE AND VALERIE’S STALL " WATER TO WINE ."

You can deliver your bottles to either Valerie 01926 423677 or Sue 01926 633711. Thank you very much!

Valerie Graham

PAGE 13 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

The Big Picture Show – coming to Offchurch

The Village Hall Foundation has been looking at ways to imple- ment the Offchurch Plan and bring more mainstream entertain- ment to the Village. They have teamed up with “Live and Local” arts organisation, which is supporting a pilot project to bring the latest movies to villages. A Cinema Evening will run in the Village Hall on Friday 9 th No- vember 2012 - details below. This will bring high-quality projec- tion and sound systems to our Hall for a performance of the British screen drama “ My Week with Marilyn” .

If the evening is a success, and enough people are interested, other evenings will be arranged on a regular basis. “Live and Local” offer a catalogue with a wide choice – from popular fam- ily films to blockbusters, and screen classics to indie and foreign films.

…Licensed bar…

Tickets £5.00 Available from Janet Seaton 01926 425435 and Kate Sargent 01926 330307

Come and enjoy a great night out right here in Offchurch !

PAGE 14 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk My Week with Marilyn (2011)

(Cert: 15 years and over) In the early summer of 1956, 23 year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), just down from Oxford and determined to make his way in the film business, worked as a lowly assistant on the set of “ The Prince and the Showgirl ”. The film that famously united Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams), who was also on honeymoon with her new husband, the playwright Aurthur Miller (Dougray Scott). Nearly 40 years on, his diary account The Prince, the Showgirl and Me was published, but one week was missing and this was published some years later as My Week with Marilyn - this is the story of that week. When Arthur Miller leaves , the coast is clear for Colin to introduce Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life; an idyllic week in which he escorted a Monroe desperate to get away from her retinue of Hollywood hangers-on and the pressures of work. "If you have a love of British theatre and cinema this is the per- fect opportunity to indulge in feel-good reminiscing of some of its greatest characters. Nostalgic, romantic and entertaining." Sally, Big Picture Show

Performance date and time Friday 9 th November 2012 Offchurch Village Hall 7:30 PM

PAGE 15 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Offchurch MMM CCCAAA EEEOOO Tuesday 9 th October 2012 at 8.00pm

Offchurch Village Hall

A Life in Photography

A talk by Sandy Hedderwick

Everyone is welcome.

Woven Threads – Goodbye! We’ve enjoyed our colourful and original Ju- bilee installation on the Village Field all sum- mer. It served as a talking point in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, brought folk in the village together, and drew visitors to the village during Warwickshire Open Studios fortnight in July.

However, now that the nights are drawing in and autumn colours are taking over, we must think about dismantling our Woven Threads.

The installation was created mostly out of recycled materials, and it has no intrinsic value except as a focus for people’s memories and creativity. With this in mind, if you worked on one of the hoops and would like to keep it as a memento, or if you would like to have one (or more) of the hula hoops, please come to the Village Field on Satur- day 6 th October 2012 , between 10.00am and 11.00 am, and pick up your little piece of history! (If you aren’t free then, let me know if there’s something you would like to keep.)

We will also be taking down the bunting from the field and around the village hall and church, so volunteers to help would be very much ap- preciated!

Janet, 01926 425430

PAGE 16 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Reading Circle The next meeting will be on Tuesday 30 th October 2012 at the home of Sue Lyne, 4 New Cottages, Village Street, at 8.00pm. The book for October is The Shadow of the Wind , by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. We wel- come anyone who would like to come along. For further information, please ring 01926 886119.

The telephone kiosk is being re- launched by the Reading Circle as a Book Exchange . Everyone is very welcome to take a book and enjoy it. You can either return it or keep it as you wish. If you have any books that you have finished with, they can be left in the box for other people. Many thanks.

Reading Circle members

Offchurch Crafts

Next meeting: Tuesday 16 th October 2012 7.30 pm in the Village Hall

Planning for the village Christmas Fayre on Saturday 24 th November is underway, and it will again feature a handmade crafts stall.

Last year’s stall was a great success. Our original, Christmas-themed items were very popular, thanks to the people who kindly made lots of attractive gifts and decorations. So, the sessions this month and next will see us busy making small gifts and Christmas decorations to sell on the stall.

Come and have some fun creating and making!

There will also be materials and patterns available to take away and make things at home.

New members and visitors are always welcome.

Janet 01926 425430

PAGE 17 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Photographic Competition

CLASS 1 Children up to 14 years Theme Any subject photographed during 2012

Print size from 15x10cms [6x4ins] up to 25x20cms [10x8ins] or A4

Entry fee 50p per print

CLASS 2 Adults and Young People (14 years upwards) Theme Action - can include people or other objects, photo graphed during 2012

Print size from 15x10cms (6x4ins) up to 25x20cms (10x8ins) or A4

Entry fee £1 per print

Entrants can submit up to 3 prints per person in colour or black and white. Entrants must not be professional photographers (i.e. must not make more than 35% of their annual income from the sale of their photo- graphs).

Closing date: Sunday 9 th December 2012

Judging criteria All entries will be judged by two independent judges who will select the winning entries using the following three criteria: 1. Technical competence 2. Visual impact 3. Originality The judges’ decision is final.

Prizes will be awarded to the winning entrants. Submission details and entry forms will appear in the November Offchurch News .

PAGE 18 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Free Electric Blanket Safety Tests from Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire Trading Standards Service will provide electric blanket tests FREE OF CHARGE, for people aged 50 or over, between Mon- day 1 st October 2012 and Friday 5 th October 2012. Don’t miss this op- portunity!

Old or damaged electric blankets cause a number of fires each year, which can result in injury or death. These can be avoided by simply getting your electric blanket checked.

Testing, by appointment only , will take place at the following venues around Warwickshire:

Leamington Town Hall , Monday 1 st October 2012 Nuneaton Fire Station , Tuesday 2 nd October 2012 Rugby Library , Wednesday 3 rd October 2012 Kenilworth Library , Thursday 4 th October 2012 Stratford Fire Station , Friday 5 th October 2012

To book an appointment, call the Trading Standards Service on: 01926 414016 (Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm) or email [email protected]

Electric blanket tests are only available to Warwickshire resi- dents. Please book soon as places are limited.

Offchurch Garden Club The next meeting will take place on Monday 29 th October 2012 at 7.30pm at the Village Hall. Topic : God’s Wonderful World . Speakers : Richard and Pauline Higginbottom. There will be a members’ plant table.

For further information, please contact Mo Chivers on 01926 613477 or e-mail [email protected].

PAGE 19 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Offchurch Weatherwatch - August 2012 I’m afraid the technology has let me down as my rain gauge has again been sabotaged by the village spiders. This time a nest was built in- side the mechanism stopping it working for most of the month.

Fortunately the old faithful back up system worked, so at least I can report that we had 72 mm of rain in August, with the wettest day on the 29 th when over 10 mm fell. This is close to our village average of 80 mm but this value is somewhat skewed by two very wet months in 2004 and 2010 when over double this month’s rainfall fell. In reality this was a reasonably wet month.

The rain was very localized. According to the Bablake Weather Station only 58 mm fell over , which was below their average. They reported that Leamington had over 100 mm!

August was warmer than July with an average temperature of 17.6 °C. I don’t have past figures for Offchurch but Bablake maintains August is now the warmest month in Coventry and this may well be the case for Offchurch as well.

Weather sayings: “When summer birds take flight the season goes with them”

When migratory birds such as swallows and swifts leave our shores for warmer lands, it’s a sure sign that the nights are drawing in and au- tumn is just around the corner. In Western Europe it was believed that during the winter swallows curled up together and sank down into the mud at the bottom of pools and marshes, but I think now we know bet- ter!

RKS. PS The rain gauge has now been spider-proofed, I hope!

PAGE 20 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

St Gregory's - A Sanctuary for Wildlife When it freezes and snows in October, January will bring mild weather; but if it is thundering and lightening the weather will resemble April in temper.

The first part is a balance saw which surprisingly works with 64% re- sults. Poor figures greet the second part.

If during the autumn, the winds have been mainly from the south east, or if the temperature has been lower than usual, it generally rains a great deal about the end of the year.

The end of the year was selected as 26 th to 31 st December but results showed little. 4 days out of 6 gave 53%. I don't know about you, but I don't think 53% is "little". However, the winds have been in the west and south-west mostly so far, but we will have to wait and see.

In October, normally the third old wives summer dry period at the end of September continues into early October. Then it becomes stormy from the 5 th to the 12 th , returning to quiet anticyclonic weather in mid month. This see-saw pattern continues until the late autumn rains and storms appear about the 24 th October lasting until about the 13 th No- vember. Something to look forward to.

As I mentioned before, we have been very unlucky with wet Saturday work days this year, leaving long grass which is a so-and-so to cut when wet. However, last month when we chose to make our "big cut", it was a lovely day. John made a super start on the front summer meadow areas then, whoops, the bolt on the cutter blade drive on our scythe mower sheared. Fortunately, Paul was able to fix this (he is a magician) but we lost a couple of hours. This meant we only finished the front of the churchyard. As I write, I'm just hoping that the weather is kind next week when we try again. Flower seeds have been har- vested for next year and will be sown on seed beds created from mole hills - they do have a use.

Sandy made an interesting find last month, a birds’ nest lying on the path with two very small eggs. The nest was like a tit’s, a mossy round

PAGE 21 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk ball, but had been damaged. Who was the culprit? Anyway, we took the eggs to identify them. Sandy thought they were wrens or willow warblers and I thought blue tits. We still have the eggs if you wish to have a guess. The nest wouldn't have been in one of our boxes, probably in the yew trees in front of the church door where the nest was found. So birds, you are safer in our boxes, please note.

Soon the mowing will be done for this year and we can concentrate on our winter jobs. Miff mole has been mucking us about all year and large areas are very uneven. We must level and fill the humpy bits and re-seed with grass. Soon everywhere will look tidy again ready for next year’s growth and it will be "off we go again". Crumbs, that's an- other year gone. Well done team, keep working. How about Satur- days, 13 th and 27 th October, 9.30am until 1.00pm? Good, that's OK then, with hot coffee and cold biccies about 11.00 am. Thanks again to one and all.

Mike Porter

PAGE 22 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

Minutes of the Meeting of the , Hunningham, Off- church and Wappenbury Joint Parish Council, held on Tuesday 24 th July 2012 at Hunningham at 7.30pm.

Present: Councillor W. Redford, Chairman, Councillors M. Burgun, S. Palmer, M. Brooks, Mrs C. Foyer, Mrs M. Green, Mrs J. Seaton, J. Hammon and Mrs M. Weeks.

1. Apologies Received from Councillor Mrs Commander, District Councillor N. Pratt and County Councillor M. Doody.

2. Co-option of New Member Mrs Melicia Weeks was co-opted to fill the vacancy for Eathorpe and completed the required acceptance form.

3. Declaration of Interests None

4. Minutes Having been circulated beforehand, the minutes were taken as read, agreed and signed by the Chairman.

5. Matters Arising Some progress has been made with regard to the speed limits in Off- church, in that they are to be extended. It is to be 50mph along the Welsh Road from towards the bridge and then 30mph throughout the village to the Fosse, and also a little along the Hunning- ham Road. Whilst not being ideal, it will be an improvement.

6. Planning W120271. Fosseway Barns - conversion refused The Stag at Offchurch has received enforcement orders to stop using the overflow car park and to re-instate the surface. Councillor Palmer questioned why we were not advised of this beforehand. Councillor Hammon will make enquiries and Councillor Palmer will also speak to Gary Stephens at planning, as there is a concern that it may result in street parking.

7. Highways A weight restriction notice has been erected on the Long Itchington Road, but it is badly sited.

Councillor Mrs Green reported a large pothole in the main street at Hunningham and a blocked drain. It has been marked for attention, but not yet dealt with.

PAGE 23 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

8. Police Matters Our area has escaped pretty well recently, but some break-ins are re- ported at Baginton, and we are again warned over security of garden sheds, etc. We are also reminded that 15 th November is the date for voting re. a police commissioner.

9. Chairman’s Report There has been a recent meeting with District Council officers re. flood prevention, at Eathorpe. They are to re-assess the situation as far as the Leam and Avon junction. A major problem is the lack of height of the bridge arches. Various options are being considered.

10. Correspondence The various notices etc. received were circulated. 11. Code of Conduct The new standards will be circulated along with a form that needs to be completed by each councillor, and returned to the clerk. 12. HS2 Councillor Burgun gave a detailed update on the present situation, and subsequently provided the following synopsis.

The second community forum meeting on 18 th June was poor, due to the lack of commitment by HS2 to answer mitigation issues and com- mit to bilateral meetings.

Two actions taken: firstly, the centre for all action groups advised and asked to consider legal action due to the failure of HS2 to follow their consultation process and secondly, a formal letter of complaint sent by Cubbington and Offchurch action groups.

An answer is awaited on the first action. However, HS2 have now agreed to hold bilateral meetings with us in August.

A successful meeting held with local landowners on 18 th July, with gen- erally common views expressed on the major mitigation proposals.

Meeting held with WCC engineers on 19 th July, who advised that they saw no fundamental flaws in our mitigation proposals and provided useful advice on how to present further detail to support our case.

There will be a visit to Cubbington and Offchurch by HS2 on 7 th Au- gust, where we point out our peaceful environment and the damage to it that HS2 will cause, hence our case for maximum mitigation to be duly considered and acted upon by HS2.

PAGE 24 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

A consultation on compensation is due to commence in September.

HS2 intend freezing the design in November in order to produce the environmental statement which will itself be the subject of public con- sultation in the spring of 2013.

We have been very critical of the short timescale and completeness of this exercise which is not satisfactory at this time.

High level contacts with government/local MPs are being made where appropriate.

The JPC record their thanks to Councillor Burgun for the hard work put in, for regularly updating us on the position.

13. Finance Payments: chq 027 £192 – mowing; 028 £105 – hedging; 029 £40 – inspection; 030 £240 – clerk; 031 £60 – tax; 032 £213 - play repairs; 033 £113.10 - clerk expns. Eathorpe are to receive a grant of £1,500 from the Community Fund towards play equipment.

14. A.O.B. Councillor Brooks noted that the hedge in the village field at Offchurch needs attention, and it was agreed he contact Andrew Farquarson to attend.

Hedge opposite Corner House Hunningham needs trimming. Agreed to write to Tom Mannion re. responsibility.

Parish land at Eathorpe needs cutting.

Meeting closed at 8.30pm.

Next meeting 18 th September 2012.

PAGE 25 Offchurch News www.offchurch.org .uk

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Repairs and maintenance

Ben: 07876 444096 * Will: 07876 444097

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