News Update no 95, July 14th

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What a weekend there is in store weatherwise…and what better way to spend it than at the Shelswell Art & History Festival at Newton Purcell on Saturday.
On another event, please note that due to the likely excessive heat on Sunday, the Bicester Hunt with Whaddon Chase have reluctantly postpone the kennels open day until a later date.
For Art Lovers 
ARTISTS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE is once again happening this weekend on Saturday and Sunday in the picturesque surroundings of The Old School at Newton Purcell.  There’s a Private View from 6pm on Friday where you can meet the artists, enjoy a glass of Provençal wine with canapés whilst perusing the work of the 10 local artists. You need to reserve by using this link https://bit.ly/3OxI0dh Tickets cost £10, payable on the door. All proceeds in supporting of St Michael & All Angels Church.
The exhibition continues throughout the weekend with artists painting al fresco and welcoming others to join in.  There is a children’s art competition and the Shelswell History Festival taking place in the adjacent field (see details below).
For more information visit the https://artinthecountryside.co.ukShelswell Art & History Festival Saturday 16th July 2022 – Free Entry. 10AM – 6PM.
The Shelswell History Festival is back for one day only and this time being organised in conjunction with the Newton Purcell Art Exhibition (above). The day has so much to offer for everyone whether a history lover or not: vintage cars, machinery, battle re-enactments, pipers and even ferret racing – do not miss this Countryside extravaganza!
All monies raised will go to The Woodland Trust, Oxfordshire Mind and the Shelswell Group of Churches.
Gates open 10am.

100 Club Winners
The Winners in the 100 club draw for the month of July 2022 are:
£30                      Jenkinson family (100)
£20                      Ken Leach (151)
£10                      Leigh-Wood family (161)
£10                      Pam Morgan (78)

News from The Red Lion
The following is from Dillie:
“Come along to the quiz on 21st July.  Will Jones is your Quizmaster and promises to go slower than his father did.
The Table Tennis Tournament is on 24th.  Singles and doubles.  4.30 pm kick off. Put your name down at the pub.  
Those of you who frequent the pub will know the indefatigable Sapphire, so I should let you all know that she has been promoted to Bar Manager.  Well done, Sapphy. 
In the last newsletter, I said we were having Indian night on 31st – apologies – it’s the 30th.  Kick off the August Bank Holiday weekend with a delicious curry in the beer garden.”

Stratton Audley Church
The Following is from Becky Adams
“The next service in Stratton Audley Church will be a service of Holy Communion on Sunday 24thJuly at 9.15am – all are welcome, as ever.
Please check the Shelswell website for details of services elsewhere in the benefice http://www.shelswellparishes.info/services.php

‘Little Lambs’ baby and toddler group continues on Wednesdays in Term time in Stratton Audley Church, starting at the new time of 9.30am and finishing at 11am. We are looking at the possibility of providing some sessions over the summer so if you would be interested in this do email Alice for details at rector@shelswellparishes.info “.

The Shelswell Churches are also running a summer holiday playscheme for children aged 5-11 years. ‘Lighthouse Shelswell’ runs from Monday 25th – Friday 29th July (10am-3.30pm) at Finmere CE School. For more information have a look at www.lighthousecentral.org

Stratton Audley 2022 Boules Cup Competition
This event is scheduled for Friday 5th August, starting at 6.30pm and is being held at Stratton Audley Park, the home of Mark and Emma ter Haar.
Tickets are on sale now and cost £15 for adults, £10 for under 16’s and £5 for children under five. This includes a good Supper and wine, beer and soft drinks, all generously sponsored by Mark and Emma. For tickets please contact Emma at emmaterhaar@yahoo.co.uk or 07867 783938. All proceeds will go to the Stratton Audley Church.
·       Please bring a Boules set with you (if you have one)
·       Don’t worry if you’re on your own, a partner will be found for you to pair up with
·       Play with your partner or child(ren) or mix up with friends!
·       Play to win the prestigious “Stratton Audley Boules Cup” and “the Plate” competition for those knocked out in the first round!
Non-participants are very welcome to come along for the fun of it and the same prices apply to cover food and drink.Bicester Heritage October Scramble
Tickets for the next Scramble meeting, set to be held on the 9th of October are on sale now. Once again, local residents have discounted tickets allocated to them at 50% off, accessible via the sales agents – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/
Promocode: BristolBoxkite

Defibrillator Training – View this short video
As you know we have been planning to run some defibrillator training in the church for some time and this has not happened for a variety of reasons. Over a dozen people put their names down for it and it is not being abandoned.
However a new Parish councillor, John Edwards came across an excellent short St John’s Ambulance video on YouTube which is  authoritative, short, and clear and really worth viewing for everyone. This is the link:
https://youtu.be/

Proposals to Reopen Ardley Landfill
Valencia, the new owners of Ardley Landfill Site, are seeking permission to reopen landfill operations.  Ian Corkin our local County and District Councillor considers it totally unacceptable to destroy all of the landscaping completed to date,  and believes that the increase in HGV’s on our already busy roads, not to mention reintroducing a totally unsustainable way of managing waste should be apposed.  For anyone who is motivated to attend, they are holding a public consultation on Thursday 14th July from 2 to 8pm at Ardley Village Hall.  From the 13th you can also view the information on line at www.ardleylandfill.co.uk The application will be heard by OCC and he will keep everyone posted as it progresses.

And a few previous pieces that are still relevant:

Access to The Manor Grounds in Church Street
From time-to-time residents of the Manor have legitimate cause to remind everyone, especially visitors to the village and those who are new in the village, that the grounds of the Manor are private. This is not necessarily obvious as the gates are kept permanently open for ease of access by residents. Situated next to the pub, it means vehicles of people visiting the pub are frequently identified as parking in the Manor grounds. Likewise a few Manor residents have recently seen an increase in dog walking, pushing prams and generally using the grounds as either a recreational area or as a cut through to Mill Road.
The Management Committee of the Manor are looking at new signage to install at the entrance, but have asked for it to be pointed out that the grounds are private for the use of the residents and invited visitors.

Don’t Forget – Fresh Fish every Thursday 
Jack from Grimsby continues to come to the village on Thursday’s between 6.30-7pm and parks his van outside the Red Lion. He has a wide selection of fresh fish and shellfish. You can just turn up or place orders in advance by text and his mobile number is 07535 935119.Fish & Chips Van in the village on Saturdays
For those new in the community, a Howe’s Fish and Chip van comes to the village every Saturday lunchtime from 1.30pm to 2pm. You will hear a bell (like a school bell) and his first stop is in Cherry Street. He then drives along Cavendish Place and stops again at the junction with Mill Road.
Howe & Co was established in 1930 and now has over 100 vans serving villages. You can track each van by going to their website and you need to look for van no 4:
https://howeandcofishandchips.co.uk/#findvan
They also have a general number you can call 07809 901761.

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

Village Questionnaire Top Line Results
A PowerPoint presentation of the findings has been created and will be circulated via email and placed on the website. 106 questionnaires were received which is a very good response taking everything into account. It represents a 55% return rate, which coincidentally, is similar to the last survey carried out in 2015.
A significant majority of residents are concerned about speeding and large vehicle numbers in the village and there is overwhelming support for progressing the idea of introducing a 20mph zone within the village. A majority are in favour of electronic speed signs at the entrances to both the Launton and Mill Road. Most people are against any other forms of physical traffic calming solutions although chicanes are approved of by some 40% of respondents. Finally, a massive 84% indicated they would be in favour of reducing the speed limit on the roads in and out of the village to 50mph.

Local Police Bicester and Kidlington Rural Team News
To report a crime or contact the police there are now three options:
·       Call 999 if you see a crime being committed or in an emergency
·       Call 101 to report anything else to the police – or go online to do so
·       And now police are partnering with CrimeStoppers to remind everyone of ‘The 3rd Number – 0800 555 111’ that enables you to report your information totally anonymously if you prefer.
Finally for the latest crime statistics there is a useful national site into which you can put your post code. Click on this link  Bicester Rural | Police.uk (www.police.uk)