Of the village, by the village, for the village August/September 2013 FinstockServing Finstock, Fawler, Wilcote, Mt.SkippettNews and Finstock Heath 81 Events: FFF; Forest Fair ; WOOF ................. 2 School; FoFS; Chipping Norton panto ............... 8 Village Hall; First Responders ..................... 3 District news; Cornbury Park; protection .......... 9 Scouts; Food Bank; Green Travel �������������� 4 Girlguiding – Brownies & Rainbows ...................10 Broadband; JOGLE; Soldiers of Oxon........ 5 Gardening; climate friendly garden ...................11 Conservation: bee & soil apps; recycling ... 6 Wine; Trains; Woodpecker ................................12 Shop & PO; Cogges; signs; CHoC ............. 7 sunny summer makes a nice change as we welcome Rodney Rose, our new County Councillor to the Finstock News pages. The School Fête and Finstock Festival may be gone but we have a Film in the Field and the first Finstock Ale and Folk Festival to A celebrate in August and September. Please join the village fun by attending these events. Finstock welcomes the new tenants at The Plough. Would Barbara Pym know Finstock today? Since 1980 when she wrote A Few Green Leaves in Finstock, hear the news. Now planning permission has been granted the village has changed enormously, although we are fortunate for an extension to increase its scope: if we can find the funds. in still having families born and bred to recall the old days. We are lucky still to have our school. Housed in its Victorian Change, even for the better, involves upheaval and costs building, it has been remodelled to accommodate the needs money. Our village hall has served us well but needs upgrading. of today’s children. The school plays an important part in the Fortunately the Parish Council and the Village Hall Committee community and values the contribution of volunteers to the had the imagination to see how refurbishment could create children’s activities. Support for school fund-raising will benefit improvements to serve us for decades more. Plans are future inhabitants. underway! So money must be found for such improvements; but this The Village Shop, once the stable of The Crown, has been can be fun too. If you have spare cash, give generously to prime cleverly converted into a Tardis of a community amenity the pump; if you’ve no money, give time or ideas. Support providing not only basic supplies but treats and good wine too. the barbecues, quiz nights, etc. with neighbours or dream up It hosts the Post Office, serves as an unofficial information point new ideas for enjoying ourselves as we strengthen the Finstock and equally important, offers a chance to meet neighbours and community. Barbara Pensom News from Cllr Rodney Rose (County Council) proposed savings of £74 million in the coming four years. Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Funding Opportunities Committee There are a number of funds available to local organisations Oxfordshire is the Lead in the Division. Local Flood Authority for all Councillors Community Budgets that flows into the Thames We have continued to fund these popular local funds to north of Reading. I represent support local organisations. If you know of any organisations all counties and districts that that might be interested, please contact me or seek further this represents, which includes all of Oxfordshire, plus those areas information at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/councillor- of Swindon, Gloucester, Warwick and Northampton which have community-budgets. rivers or streams that join the Thames. The Committee grant aids Area Stewardship Funding some £40M per annum to Flood Alleviation. The photo was These are continuing but are now organised differently. I will taken at the Thames Barrier – I am with Amanda Nobbs, who is attend meetings with other councillors in my locality to pool our Chairman. The Committee has responsibility for all of the Thames funds together for greater effect where possible. It is used to fund to this Barrier, and then on to the coasts of Kent and Essex. highway issues in particular. Spending Review Chillout Fund The Chancellor announced the latest spending review at We have continued a £100,000 fund to support projects for the end of June for the year 2015-16. There will be a further children and young people across the County. More information reduction in government funding for local authorities of 10%. The is available at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/chill-out- exact details are not yet known; they should become apparent fund-youth-activities-and-projects during the autumn. This will mean further pressures on the Contact Rodney on 01865-810419 or rodney.rose@ council on top of the £127 million already saved along with the oxfordshire.gov.uk for more information. 0 . VILLAGE EVENTS 0 . Funds for Finstock Look out for the Finstock 2014 calendar on sale October/November, WOOF Update at an affordable £5. Your purchase supports the smaller groups in the village and is Two bins have been installed; one appreciated. Carol, Nicky and Pat opposite the Plough and the other half-way The Bag2School Collection, which took place on May 18th, raised £77 for Finstock up the High Street, near the entrance to Primary School. A huge thank you to all of you who donated your unwanted items Viv’s field. Thanks to Shaun Morley and to this cause, it is very much appreciated. Tracy Mike Woodfield on the Parish Council Finstock Local History Society who championed this work! Julian Friday September 20th The Journals of a Charlbury Quaker with Hannah Jones William Jones was born into a family of Quaker weavers in Charlbury in 1761 and Further doggy news remained in the locality until his death in October 1838. In 1784 he began to keep a You could be fined up to £5,000 if your journal, a habit he kept up until a few days before he died. The journals comprise ten dog doesn’t wear an identification tag. It is volumes of varying length and contain a startling variety of historical information: a legal requirement that a dog must wear a from details of his own life and work in Charlbury to events of national significance. collar and tag with its owner’s name and Meetings are generally held on the third Friday of the month at 8pm in the Village address on it when out in a public place. Hall, Finstock. Members free; non-members £2.50. For more information about tackling dog fouling in the community or to report Good Companions a problem: www.westoxon.gov.uk/litter; or Better late than never, but on Saturday December 15th we had our Christmas party ring 861020. (Creating Futures – WODC) as ever. It was a good party where everyone enjoyed themselves. The meal was Annual Wychwood excellent as usual. Thanks to Sara and Donna. The entertainment was good and a Forest Fair sing-a-long was had by all. As usual I invited a few from the Leafield Evergreen Club. The 14th annual Forest Fair will be Thanks to Horace, for his hospitality. We do appreciate him letting us have our held on Sunday September 1st on the party there. Thanks to Daisy for her help again. We made £131 on the raffle, so that Wychwood Project’s land at Foxburrow is a start for this year’s party. Hopefully we can raise enough through the year for Wood, Crawley Road, Witney from 11am our Christmas Party 2013. Eileen Peters to 5pm, entry £6, under 12’s free. Over Toddler Group: Thank you! 160 stands promoting local products and services, local suppliers of food and drink, Despite Toddler group now being on hold for the Summer Holidays, we have had a entertainers from Morris Dancers to ferret really positive start to the new sessions and our numbers have been higher than ever. racing and a Rural Craft area. All the Everybody has been chipping in with baking cakes and coming up with great activities profit from the event will go towards the and messy play ideas; the children love it. on-going work of the Project in its work of Over the holidays we are still meeting up. If you would like further information on Restoring Landscapes, Inspiring People. where we are and what we are doing, please call me, Caroline Stevenson, on 868430. Further details: Michael Drew on 702624, We will be back in Finstock Village Hall from September 3rd at 10am. email [email protected]. Visit To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research. www.wychwoodproject.org. Elbie House Bed & DECORATOR & TRADESMAN Breakfast Accommodation - HOUSE & HOME SERVICES If you have suffered bereavement or just want to STOP unsolicited mail, register Four Star Silver Award Painting and Decorating. with the Mailing Preference Service a FREE service to enable consumers to have Lovely ensuite rooms to Maintenance and Repairs. their names and home addresses in the UK Help around the home. removed from lists used by the mailing accommodate your visiting industry. www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/ friends or family. Reliable Local Tradesman. (The Key, Resource Futures) Mandy Buck, East End, Richard Buck, Elbie House, North Leigh OX29 6PX East End, North MARK BILLINGE www.cotswoldbreak.co.uk; Leigh, OX29 6PX CHIMNEY SWEEP [email protected] Tel: 01993-880166; For a clean and efficient service Tel: 01993-880166; Mobile - 07791 046583 Tel.: 01367-243052 Mobile - 07791241905 2 VILLAGE HALL REGENERATION PROJECT raise money for the Village Hall. For Fantastic Mr Fox tinyurl.com/yctszwr this weekend we sought to raise £350. Brave tinyurl.com/3mu5ade In fact we exceeded that and made Finstock will host its first ever Beer £595. Together with the fundraising and Folk Festival, The Finstock Ale, events in May, we are already ahead of featuring beers and ciders focusing on our projection.