Shotteswell Newsletter October 2017 Issue 27 2 3 London Marathon The London Marathon is on a lot of people’s things to do list and I have been applying through the ballot for years in the hope of getting a place. As the years went by I did less and less exercise, until at probably my least fittest, the powers that be thought they’d let me have a go. Almost a year ago I received the confirmation letter, which is when reality hit and the research into training schedules began. Unfortunately, you can’t get away with not training for this distance, so after trawling the internet I embarked on a training program that would see me through. It started off relatively easily, but the distances increased each week. Some runs could be achieved in the relative comfort of the gym, but every weekend came with the prospect of a ‘long’ run. In order not to disrupt our weekend too much (when the body was willing), I got up early to plod along the local roads, kitted out in luminous yellow and clip on lights. The sun rising on a cold wet winter’s morning is always pretty, but for the lone runner it means cars can now see you before they hit you. Also, on those mornings you realise how hilly the surrounding villages are, especially when the last part is up Back Hill! A chest infection and several colds knocked me back a few weeks training so come race day I had only managed to run up to 20 miles in a single run. With arguably the hard part over (training can be very dull) the weekend of the marathon had finally arrived. The day before the race Claire, William and myself travelled to London to register and ‘carb’ up with pasta the evening before (one of us got pasta sauce everywhere!) before an early night. London itself can be a grim place at times, but they do know how to put on a show. The trek from the hotel to the start was straight forward. All the volunteers were incredibly friendly and helpful and treated the runners as celebrities through all the tube stations (runners had free access to public transport). At the start of the marathon there were more sports drinks and water available than you’ll ever need - I made the mistake of drinking too much in the waiting area at the start. As the gun sounded I immediately had to dash to the first available (Continued on page 4) 4 (Continued from page 3) facilities before jogging past Prince William and Kate with a cheerful wave. As I went along the first mile I cursed my phone as I could not get the tracker app and music to work, but you didn’t need music as the crowd was great. They cheered all the runners from mile one to 26. There was water, sports drinks and gels every mile along with tubs of jelly babies which people held out for the runners to take. I remember the vast number of children lining the kerb side, high fiving as many runners as they could. One of the highlights was seeing and hearing Claire and William cheering for me as I ran through Canary Wharf. They had tracked me on the marathon app so were in prime, front row position to cheer me on. I took some advice to get my name printed on my t-shirt, which was a great recommendation. Every time I slowed down people kept shouting ‘come on Andrew!! Keep going’, which was particularly helpful from the 19 mile mark as I hit the infamous wall. The legs just didn’t want to go so I walked, hobbled and jogged, but the crowd kept ‘shouting come on Andrew!’. I got to the stage when I enjoyed the ‘crowd free’ underpasses so I could walk without feeling bad! Even in my poor state I managed a sort of sprint to the finish. Someone put the finisher medal around my neck and somehow I staggered to find the support team (Claire, William and Mum) before making our way home and take away for tea! The beautiful thing about a ballot place is that I didn’t need to raise any sponsorship. However, it would have been foolish to waste the opportunity. My Grandma has a connection to the Cornish Air Ambulance so I decided to support them. We managed to raise over £1,500 for the cause – thank you everyone who has supported me – the donations have been very generous. I set out at the beginning to complete it within a certain time and at 19 miles it was evident I wasn’t going to make that time. I spent most of my training obsessing about time and mileage so when I crossed the finish line I was a bit disappointed. However, after a few days of reflection, the time didn’t really matter. It was just lovely to be part of a really amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone (even if you think you can’t) to sign up for it. Andrew Jeffrey 5 Funding for Roof Repairs to St Laurence Church Repairs to the south chancel and aisle roofs were completed in May 2017. The cost of the repairs was £9,429 plus VAT £1,885 which is refundable. Funding for the repairs was as follows: Banbury Charities £750.00 Allchurches Foundation £1,000.00 Garfield Weston Foundation £3,000.00 Shotteswell Newsletter £200.00 St Laurence Church Fabric Fund £3,000.00 The remainder from our own annual Fund raising events, Fete, Progressive Dinners and Monthly Lunches £1,479.00 Total £9,429.00 The second stage of the Roof Repairs was for the Porch and Vestry at a cost of £6,001 plus VAT. At present we are attempting to raise funds for this work but due to the small amount required it falls below the minimum amount granted for many grants. We will continue our efforts to raise the necessary funds. David Holman I must say that I find television very educational . The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a book. I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it. Groucho Marx 6 Lunch at the Hall THE LUNCH AT THE HALL is continuing to be well supported, although there is still room for more. This is held, where possible, on the first Saturday of the month and a variety of hot and cold light meals are served depending on the time of year. The next lunch will be on Friday 13th October 12.30 to 2pm and the following one Saturday 4th November. Dates do vary slightly due to the availability of the Hall and the cooks. Flyers will be sent round before the events but do please contact one of us if you require any further information. This is another excellent way to have a quiet, relaxing chat with some of your neighbours. Any profit goes towards the upkeep of our beautiful ancient Church. If you would like any more details please contact either: Christine Pym (738948) Elisabeth Gilchrist (730213) or Pauline Tarrant (730687) Since the last Newsletter in April I am pleased to report that we have received a cheque for £56.84 from EASYFUNDRAISING. This money goes towards the maintenance of our beautiful ancient Church, the upkeep of which is considerable. If you are new to the Village and would like some more information about how you could help when purchasing items online please do not hesitate to contact me. It doesn't cost you a penny more as the retailers make the donation to the charity of your choice. Pauline Tarrant (730687) Email: [email protected] 7 Tuesday Club Our first guests in April were Sarah and Ros, who again produced three lovely arrangements of spring flowers, which were won by three of our lucky ladies. We will be welcoming them again for Christmas decorations. On a lovely sunny day in June Sir Martin Dunne welcomed us to his garden in Radway. So many beautiful roses - we were quite overwhelmed! Lots of other flowers too, a surprise round every winding path. Sir Martin and the pleasant lady gardener answered our many questions. We ended our outing with lunch in the garden room at The Castle Inn at Edgehill. In July Anne Watts came for a second time to talk about her nursing experiences in Saudi and other Mideastern countries. This was very different from her work in the Far East during the Vietnam War. She found their cultures were very difficult to manage and had to be extremely careful not to upset anyone! Now in her seventies she is hoping to publish a further book. On another sunny day we visited Rousham Park, a stately home built in 1635. An interesting house with many portraits of the Dormer family and also grand panelling. One bedroom had an original dark brown Tudor panel. The herbaceous borders were at their best with a pretty dovecote and there was a large walled vegetable garden, where we ate our picnic lunch. A walk round Wroxton Abbey ended our summer trips. On August 1st we enjoyed a " Take and Share" lunch in Eileen Spencer's garden and admired her vegetables and flowers. We meet most Tuesday mornings in the Village Hall from 10.30am to noon, except on Library Van days when it is from 10 am to 11.30. You are very welcome to join us, we charge a small fee to cover coffee, rent of the hall and heating.