MORETON TIMES Issue 32 • June 2009 An independent paper delivered FREE OF CHARGE to every home & business in Moreton in Marsh, Blockley, Bourton on the Hill and Todenham. Copies also go to Batsford, Draycott and Dorn, Great Wolford and Little Wolford, Little Compton and Long Compton Extra copies are generally available in the Cotswold Festival Office (formerly the VOC) and Stow Library. BlockeyBlockey MayMay DayDay alsoalso celebratedcelebrated thethe 1st1st anniversaryanniversary ofof thethe villagevillage shopshop andand café.café. Blockley May Day photos taken by The Cotswold Photographers CLAPTON ON THE HILL SEZINCOTE 3 BEDS - £1600 PCM EXCL 3 BEDS - £750 PCM EXCL STOW ON THE WOLD STOW ON THE WOLD 2 BEDS - £895 PCM EXCL 2 BEDS - £725 PCM EXCL STOW ON THE WOLD BLEDINGTON 2 BEDS - £850 PCM EXCL 2 BEDS - £650 PCM EXCL STOW ON THE WOLD STOW ON THE WOLD 1 BED - £750 PCM EXCL 1 BED - £495 PCM EXCL Finials House, The Square, Stow-on-the-Wold, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL 54 1AF Telephone: (01451) 830119 Fax: (01451) 831618 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.martin-elliot.co.uk 2 MORTON TIMES From the Editor Inside this edition A busy and packed edition this month, with five pages of events – no excuse for sitting inside and getting bored this FEATURES month! And with the weather picking up too, June looks 10, 11 Blockley May Day - pictures like becoming a very enjoyable month. Time to get out the picnic box. 14,15 Kate’s Rally – pictures & story It was really encouraging that our MP, Mr Geoffrey 34,35 Hook Norton Brewery & ‘What makes a good pub?’ Clifton Brown expressed his determination to getting some positive commitments to action and results at 40 A Resistance to Training – Moreton’s Flood Resilience public meeting. Reading Ed Shaw says ‘It’s worth it!’ through the notes produced after the meeting, and the Agency reports that have come in during May (see our REGULARS Index for the appropriate pages), a fair amount of work 5,6 Cotswold Festival update & running the has been achieved – and there is still a long way to go Visitor Information Centre (and with CDC talking about ‘2 years’, a long time too!) but it is becoming clear where the problems lie. Perhaps North Cotswold Rotary – One of the best year’s ever the ‘power of local people’ for this project will be to Keep On Keeping On. It’s already nearly two years since the 7 Gutters to Gargoyles - The Prof on Stow stocks major flood of July 07, and it looks like it will be local focus and local pressure that will keep the issue from 8,9 Local Schools news & reports sliding off the top of the ‘Urgent’ list. I’m sure that Geoff LOCAL INFORMATION AND EVENTS Matthews and his team look forward to working with Cllr Barry Gibb, the new Cabinet Member at CDC who has 17 Flood Resilience – Agency Update also accepted a special commitment to Mr Clifton Brown and the residents of Moreton to keep the town from 18 Moreton Flood Review notes from the Public Meeting flooding. 19 Locals Authorities, meetings and information With all that ambition waiting to be achieved, I hope that 20 Church Services you’ll enjoy this month’s Moreton Times. Every month the new edition is different, and every month there’s an 21 Village Halls & Rural Cinemas opportunity for you to send in a letter, an email, an article 22-25 LOCAL EVENTS or a photo – we really will be delighted to hear from you. Best wishes, Jenni Turner. Editor 26 EVENTS DIARY for JUNE 27 Local walks in June Our copy date for the July editions is 30 Book Previews from Cotswold Bookstore June 16th. 31 Moreton Flood Review notes from the Public Meeting 32 Correspondence Telephone Stow Times on 42 Stow Rugby Club – young stars in the making 07789 175 002 43 Stow Cricket Club – match reviews from Ashley Andrews 45 Ben Eddols, our Motoring Correspondent - ‘Out of Africa’ (The phone will take your messages too – leave your name & contact number and we will return 46 Local Directory of Clubs, Societies & Associations your call.) 47 Local BUSINESS Directory email STOW TIMES on [email protected] Thank you to all our contributors, writers, sources of information and www.stowtimes.co.uk deliverers. Our design team this month was Eagle Design Ltd. P O Box 6, Sheep Street, Extra copies of Moreton Times are generally available at Moreton Area Stow on the Wold, GL54 1WD Centre in the High Street, in Moreton Library and in the Mobile Library. 3 4 THE COTSWOLD FESTIVAL STOW-ON-THE-WOLD From: Cotswold Festival Organising Committee; Stow-on- the-Wold Successful Grant Application The Cotswold Festival organising committee has recently secured a “Grassroots” Grant of £5,000 from Gloucestershire Community Development Foundation to assist with the operation of The Cotswold Festival planned for Stow-on-the-Wold over the last weekend in September (25th –27th September). The Funds will cover costs in advertising the event as well as meeting expenses incurred in insurance, administration, supporting educational activities, etc.. The main Cotswold Festival days of Saturday and Sunday will see Stow Square transformed into a Fair with street entertainers, craft and market stalls, as well as hosting a visit by a regiment of the Sealed Knot. There will be an associated Horticultural Show and the local Primary schools will also be performing some English Country Dances in The Square. It is hoped that all stallholders (and hopefully many members of the public attending the event) will be in 17th century dress, recreating the atmosphere of the town at the time of the Battle of Stow in 1646. The overall event is set to celebrate “Cotswold Life, Crafts and History” and will hopefully attract many visitors to the Scrummy town and The Cotswolds. Further details of the event, with all the attractions taking place over the weekend, food and lite-bites at will shortly be found in detail on the festival website - www.cotswoldfestival.com Plans - These are now progressing apace and by this time next month we will have launched our Grand Draw and our Cotswold Festival Flyer will be available. Pupils at Stow Primary School are already preparing some English Country Dances which they will dance at the Festival. Longborough and Lower Swell schools are looking at A Few Lite Bites, Starters & Mains: ways in which they too can be involved. Photographs for the Calendar competition are being received – but we Hummus or Baba-Ganousch & Crostini £2.50 need more! (see website www.cotswoldfestival.com for Twice Baked Souffle with Oxford Blue & Spinach £5.75 Tomato, Mascarpone & Basil Puff Tart with Dressed Leaves £5.25 details). A special “Antiques Day” is being planned for Scallops with Shallot, Tarragon & Tomato Butter with Chunky Bread £6.50 the Friday of the Cotswold Festival with a competitive Sea Bream with Light Lemony Risotto £10.50 “Antiques Trail” around Stow – anyone can enter and Slow Cooked Pork with Anise, Bay & Lemon, Buttery Mash & Red Cabbage £10.00 hopefully win. A display advertising this and the whole Grilled Goat’s Cheese, Garlic Cream Potatoes, Hazelnut Dressed Salad £8.75 weekend event will shortly go on display in the window of Char-Grilled Aubergine with Haloumi, Marjoram & Tomato Pesto £5.50 the VIP – watch out for this! We are grateful for the Lemon & Ginger Cheesecake support that is being shown by the local business Chocolate Tart with Brandy Cherries & Cream community and we are truly looking forward to a Pistachio Meringue with Rhubarb Compote successful event that will bring many visitors to our Town and area, with all that this generates. MENUS & DISHES CONSTANTLY CHANGE continues next page 5 THE COTSWOLD The Rotary Club of FESTIVAL STOW-ON-THE-WOLD the North Cotswolds continued from previous page From Brian Honess VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE/POINT (VIP) The Rotary Year always runs from July 1st to June 30th so May is normally when Rotary Clubs hold their Annual General Meetings, “surely we cannot ignore this need or the business that reviewing the year that has passed and confirming the officers for visitors to our town bring with them..? the incoming year. Hopefully many of the readers of the Stow Times will “One of the best ever years” have noticed that we are managing to keep the VIP open The North Cotswold Rotary Club duly held their AGM on May 12th for the many tourists visiting Stow and the area. At the when the incoming President, Rotarian David Turtle was confirmed time of going to press we open from 11.00-1.00 and together with his incoming team. The past year’s committee chairman reported on their activities and the Fund Raising Chairman, 2.00- 4.00. A band of volunteers have come together to Will Malings reported upon one of the best ever years for the Club maintain a service for visitors and Cotswold District with the news that Club had raised almost £19,000 for charities and Council have at last told us that they plan to put in a part overseas projects, through the involvement of the Club’s members in numerous fund raising activities. For a relatively small ‘rural’ Club this time Tourist rep from Tuesday 19th May. Alun White, a is a tremendous achievement and many local, national and town Councillor and his wife were a great help in getting international charities have benefited. Some of the nominated charities that have been assisted are Kate’s Home Nursing, The together a weekly rota of volunteers – an unenviable Meningitus Trust, Action Aid, Age Concern, Stroke Awareness and task! We thank all those who have volunteered and are Rotary Foundation (Rotary’s Own Charity).