Dear All.
Another quiet week for news and a time for reflection.
The funeral of William J. “Frank” O’Neill
There will be a procession from Hall Farm starting at 12.50 when we will follow the hearse into the village, past the pub and the church, and looping round via Cavendish Place and Cherry Street. As the coffin comes up Church Street once more, it will stop for 5-10 minutes outside the pub and there will be a small socially distanced ‘event’ when some music will be played.
The service will start in the church at 1.30pm. Due to government guidelines on public gatherings, the funeral is sadly very limited, however it will be streamed on the following link which will be activated on Monday:
William O’Neill Funeral 22nd February 1:30pm
No flowers. If people wish to make a donation in Frank’s memory, the chosen charities are The Injured Jockey’s Fund and the British Heart Foundation, both of which Frank supported. There will be a collection plate in the church and Tony Jones will have a collection jar outside the pub, and we will divide donations between the two charities. If people would prefer to donate directly, the websites are here.
British Heart Foundation https://www.bhf.org.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxcPbs5nx7gIVgp7tCh23qwemEAAYASAAEgKZvPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Injured Jockeys Fund. https://injuredjockeys.co.uk
Local COVID-19 Update
For those who are interested in more precise information on infections, area by area, the link below is useful:
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map
For full details on the rules and regulations visit:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know#high-alert
Litter Picking
Thanks go to Sally and Martin Rowe from Willows Lodge, who took up the offer of a pair of litter picking sticks plus sacks, and volunteered to clear Stoke Lyne Road where they collected some 8 bags of mainly cans and bottles. Spurred on by the sheer amount of rubbish, they decided to tackle Bicester Road where they were joined by Stewart Hopkins. Together they filled a similar number of bags which were then collected by Cherwell Council. Thanks also go to John and Maggie Woodward who on a regular basis pick up litter on Mill Road as far up as the cross roads.
Flooding and Foul Water
We are awaiting a detailed response from Thames Waters to the complaints submitted on 4th February.
Interest in a Village Allotment
Investigations are on-going as per previous emails.
A total of some 14 have indicated interest in an allotment.
However the immediate issue remains finding a suitable parcel of land. If you are a land owner and have any suggestions, please get in touch.
Tree Planting
Investigations are on-going as per last weeks email. Over a dozen people have volunteered to help plant trees as and when required.
East West Rail Local Update
The Bicester Road that leads to Marsh Gibbon from the crossroads at Billy Evans farm remains closed and the latest information is that it will not open until 12 March as the removal of the bridge and other works have been rolled together.
The safety report on the new junction at Stratton Audley Park Road and the A4421 is still under review with the County Council, so EWR are therefore unable to comment at this stage.
Shelswell Parishes Church Service
There will be the usual 10am service on Sunday morning which will be available on-line. Find it on Facebook Shelswell News Group or YouTube Shelswell Parishes channel. It will actually have been recorded (rather than livestream) to try and get round some of the technical issues they have been having with the signal needed for livestream.
The 10 Year National Census – Sunday 21 March, Advance Notice
The census is a survey that happens every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The census is unique. There’s simply nothing else that gives so much detail about us and the society we live in.
For information about why and how the census will take place during the coronavirus pandemic visit www.census.gov.uk
All kinds of organisations, from local authorities to charities, use the information to help provide the services we all need, including transport, education and healthcare. Without the census, it would be much more difficult to do this.
The first census was in 1801 and the most recent in 2011. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) runs the census in England & Wales and the next one will happen on Sunday 21 March 2021.
Collection Point for Disposal of Ink Jet Cartridges
Please continue to pop your ink jet cartridges into the basket in the Glen Close bus shelter. Please don’t drop larger toner cartridges off as these are not recycled by the RSPB. If you are not sure if your cartridges are suitable for recycling, you can contact Rachel Dewhurst by email at treehouse0@sky.com
