Of the village, by the village, for the village February/March 2016 96 FinstockServing Finstock, Fawler, Wilcote, Mt.SkippettNews and Finstock Heath Ethiopia ..................................................... 1 Shop, PO, Wychfood ................................. 7 Village Events ............................................. 2 School, Toddlers ........................................ 8 Village Hall, First Resp. ............................... 3 Shop AGM, Ethiopia .................................. 9 Letter, Health, Toads .................................. 4 District Council .........................................10 Sm Ads, Cnty Coun. .................................. 5 Festival, Wine ...........................................11 Conservation ............................................. 6 Gardening, FoFS .......................................12 A happy and healthy 2016 • Laughter is good for you. e look forward to using our new Village Hall this year; please see the Village Hall report and a note from the architect on page 3. The TVSA AGM report is on page 9 and the Wychfood article on page 7 explains Wthe added attraction of buying locally produced food at our Village Shop. A report on the Finstock Festival joins our regular gardening column on page 12. We begin this issue with a visit to Ethiopia by our world travelling villager Rosemary Wise. G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G ETHIOPIA Winter is a good time to set off to little stacks. Cows and sheep were The second week was a bonus - we a warmer climate. In December three everywhere by the thousand, even took off for the 2,400 sq. km. Bale of us flew off to Ethiopia, my 43rd in the centres of the dusty towns we Mountains National Park, 400 km. botanical expedition. Addis Ababa is a passed through. At one point we saw south east of Addis. In the lower, grassy large, sprawling city 2,300 metres above large herds of camels. Acacia trees were areas we photographed the rare Nyala sea level. That night I was introduced dominant, their spreading branches deer, warthogs and baboons. Up on the to Ethiopian food and culture for the providing excellent drying platforms Sanetti plateau the landscape became first time. The staple dish which most for maize fodder, out of reach of the very weird, covered with tiny tussocks households eat at least twice a day is animals. of white-flowered Helichrysums and called Injera. This is a pancake made Climbing higher, the vegetation palm-like giant lobelias. This is Afro- with a batter of flour ground from tef, changed and trees of Juniperus procera, alpine vegetation and the home of a cereal grown in the highland areas, and the beautiful Hagenia abyssinica, the endemic Ethiopian wolf, Africa’s and water which is then allowed to with 30 -60 long panicles of deep pink most endangered canid. Probably ferment for a few days before cooking. flowers dominated. We three were only around 200 exist up here feeding The appearance is slightly off-putting, running courses for the first week in on rodents. How incredibly lucky we looking like a grey-brown dishcloth with the college, the other two teaching were to see one of these lovely animals a surface texture resembling tripe but botanic garden policies while I had a within a few metres. We were now not unpleasant to eat. We had a tray smaller group of seven, five of whom at an altitude of well over 4,000m. about a metre across covered with one were University lecturers, to teach Above 3,700m land is considered to be large pancake with little piles of spicy techniques of botanical illustration. My unsuitable for agriculture, therefore this food dotted over. One tears off bits of second task was to start painting plants region provides them with a relatively injera and with the right hand only and for a planned series of educational safe habitat. (continued on p. 9) uses them to scoop up the unfamiliar posters. Our bungalow on the campus food. was surrounded with vast numbers The following day we drove south to of vervet the forestry college at Wondo Genet. m o n k e y s , This four hour long journey follows the v e r y wide rift valley through predominantly entertaining agricultural land. The harvest was to watch and almost over; not once did I see modern very quick to machinery, the land is ploughed with steal our fruit oxen, the grain is cut and threshed if we left the by hand and the straw bound into Vervet kitchen door Ethiopian bunches to construct the most beautiful Monkey open. Wolf G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G 0 . VILLAGE EVENTS 0 . Finstock Local Our first full event in the new Village Further details, including directions History Society Hall is scheduled for May 20th when to the Turner Hall should you need The Finstock Local History Society Dr Simon Draper, the Assistant Editor, them, are available from Diana Power will be meet on Friday February 19th at of the Victoria County History (VCH), on Tel: 882301. 8pm in the School Hall when Stephen Oxfordshire, will present a summary Community First of the VCH pre-publication work on Barker will be sharing his impressive Oxfordshire knowledge of Oxford during the English the history of the Wychwoods – not to (formerly Oxfordshire Civil War. be missed! Stephen will describe Oxford's role All are welcome. Rural Community Council)) as the Royalist capital through the North Leigh words of some of the people who were We are looking for more drivers on History Society our Red Arrows team, which helps present, assess the impact of the war Our 2016 talks are going to take on the city and surrounding area and people to get around who otherwise place in the Turner Hall in Church would not be able to such as taking highlight what remains of the defences Road, North Leigh, opposite St Mary’s to this day. His presentation will also the elderly to medical appointments. church, but we start at the same time, Could you spare a few hours? Do you look at the impact of the tension 7.30pm and, as usual, while we charge between town and gown, the extent know anyone who would be willing visitors £4 entrance fee, talks for to volunteer? Please visit our website of the city's rapid population growth Members are free. and the roles played by significant and share the details with anyone who February 2nd: Drunk and Riotous – might be interested: http://bit.ly/OxVol individuals. Oxfordshire Friendly Societies. A talk Stephen is a welcome return speaker by Shaun Morley. to Finstock; he is an independent Whatever you know or thought Ladies, give us Heritage Advisor who has worked with you knew about Friendly Societies, be your support! the Oxfordshire Museum Services as prepared to have your views challenged. Give all your unwanted old a trustee of the Battlefields Trust. He March 1st: The coming of the bras a new lease of life and help also works on communication and joint Railways to Oxfordshire. A talk by Liz raise money for breast cancer research. projects with English Heritage. Woolley. Bring them to Joy Murphy at 63 High Street. Against Breast Cancer will receive a donation based on the weight Soldiers of Oxfordshire Mark your calendars for Sunday of bras we collect, so every bra counts! Museum Events (SOFO) September 4th when the 17th Annual All events are held on Wednesdays Wychwood Fair will be held on at the Museum from 7pm - 8.30pm Cornbury Estate. unless otherwise stated. Website: www.sofo.org.uk. February 3rd: Colonel John Bridgeman From the Black Prince to Winston Churchill, from Poitiers to DECORATOR & TRADESMAN Present Day - 600 years of Oxfordshire Yeomanry Tickets £5 HOUSE & HOME SERVICES March 2nd: An evening with Hugo Brunner My father and I Tickets £15 Painting and Decorating. Mummers in Maintenance and Repairs. December Help around the home. Charlbury Society North Oxfordshire Friday February 12th. A talk by Organic Gardeners Reliable Local Tradesman. Martin Sirot-Smith: Food and Drink in Tudor Times. Meet in St Mary’s Parish Rooms, Friday March 11th. A talk by Simon Church Street, Chipping Norton on the Richard Buck Wenham: The History of Salter's 1st Wednesday each month at 7.30pm Elbie House, East End, Steamers. in the winter with visits to local gardens Both meetings are in the Memorial during the summer months. North Leigh, OX29 6PX Hall Charlbury at 8pm. Refreshments Visitors £3, members £1. Annual from 7.30pm. membership £10. Website: www.noog. Tel: 880166 All Welcome. Visitors £3. Students org.uk Contact: Tracy 01295 780710. Mob - 07791 046583 Free. More information on website: www.charlbury.inf/community/22 or call 01608 810359/810130. 2 VILLAGE HALL Community First Responders are volunteers that are trained and equipped Now in the final by the ambulance service to answer Village Hall stages, Finstock Village January 13th certain types of medical emergencies Hall is well on the way in their local communities while the to completion. Local ambulance is on its way. There is good builders Steve and evidence to suggest that if people are Luke Peters have been trained to help someone while the working since June ambulance is on the way, more lives 2015 to create the shell are saved, and because the volunteers which was topped out in operate in their neighbourhoods there December.