News Update no 98, September 7th

This newsletter contains a number of new items of interest including several that relate to this weekend, so well worth reading as soon as you can.
Bicester Hunt with Whaddon Chase Free to enter Open Day

Delighted to say that the delayed Open Day (due the extreme heat at the time) is happening this Sunday 11th September and it is going to be a great fun occasion for all the family. 

Ride & Stride for Churches Saturday 10th September
A final reminder for anyone who wishes to take part in this fun cycle event this Saturday. Sponsorship forms are in the SA church porch on noticeboard or you can sign up on line https://ohct.org.uk/ride-and-stride/
If people don’t wish to cycle, you are welcome to donate a sum either using a sponsorship form or by giving to the welcoming team at the SA church between 10am and 4pm. Everyone is welcome to participate, individually, as a family or a group of friends.

Stratton Audley Church
The following is from Becky Adams:
The next service in Stratton Audley Church will be a Morning Service on Sunday 11thSeptember at 10.45am – 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 9.30am and finishing at 11am. Our new term has now started. Just turn up or for more information contact Alice  at rector@shelswellparishes.info “.

Stratton Audley Barn
The following is from Richard, Sara and the team:
“Breaking News from the barn this week! Christmas is coming to the Barn very soon, so it’s time to make some room for gonks, garlands and much much more! 
!SALE STARTS SATURDAY 10th SEPTEMBER!
Huge sale on selected home and accessories starting on Saturday 10th September with 30% off all sale stock! Pop on down and grab yourself a bargain. Why not sup a fine Coffee, indulge on a generous slice of cake, tuck into a tasty toasted Panini or enjoy one last homemade Ice Cream before the season ends too!
Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-4pm (Panini’s served 12-2pm Tuesday to Saturday)
Look forward to seeing you soon”.

John O’Neill (1947-2022) RIP
The funeral of John O’Neill took place at 12 noon on 1st September at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Bicester, then afterwards at the Red Lion for the wake. Both events were attended by hundreds of people and whilst a sad occasion, was also a chance for everyone who knew John to pay their respects and raise a glass to him in a way he would have appreciated.
The family has set up an email address where people can send memories, including photographs of John: johnoneillcondolences@gmail.com

Padbury Solar Farm Community Meeting
A public meeting will be held in the Stratton Audley Church at 7pm on Tuesday 20th September at which JBM, the developers, will present their proposals.
This will give residents a further opportunity to find out more about what is proposed and ask questions of the developers prior to them submitting a formal planning application.
The Parish Council is keeping an open mind on this matter and will be guided by the feedback from residents. This is a large-scale development and whether you are in favour or against, this is your opportunity to make your views known.

100 Club Winners
The Winners in the 100 club draw for the month of September 2022 are:
£30                      Margaret Holmes (140)
£20                      Iball Family (104)
£10                      Lesley Korsak (133)
£10                      Mike Haddon (148)

East West Rail Update
East West Rail produced a bi-annual newsletter and the Summer/Autumn one has just been published. The complete online, interactive version is available to view here: EWR2 Project Newsletter – Summer/Autumn 2022
However the most relevant part for us concerns the Bicester area report which can be viewed here: https://sway.office.com/BeGnCQ7qBkLHI2Xl?ref=Link&loc=play
The good news is that they have now started to lay track in our area for commissioning in summer 2023, so HGV traffic is now much reduced. Restorative works to the roads leading to the compounds are in the final stages of agreement with OCC Highways.

Parking on Grass Verges
A number of comments have been relayed to the Parish Council about cars being parked on more than one occasion, on the grass verges in the village. This is sometimes unavoidable, however it can be a danger for pedestrians especially where the verges are used by pedestrians in the absence of footpaths. It is also a problem when the grass is to be cut which is done on a frequent basis.
The verges are an attractive part of the village and we are lucky to have such greenery, especially in the absence of a proper village green and not only is it unsightly, some verges are slowly being eroded.
It has long been the convention to keep the verges free of vehicles and the Parish Council respectfully wishes to take this opportunity to bring this matter to the attention of everyone especially those new in the community.

Bicester Heritage October Scramble
Tickets for the next Scramble meeting, set to be held on the 9th of October are on sale and still available. 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

Church Street and Launton Road Closure
There will be a full road closure of Church Street and Launton Road on Monday 17th October from 19:00-06:00hrs, where Highways will carry out some wholesale resurfacing.This includes  inlay areas between the Red Lion and the Church, the junction with Launton Rd/Mill Rd/Church St and a narrow section further down the Launton Road which is suitable for overlay.
There will be subsequent full road closures of Church Street & Launton Road on Tuesday 18th & Wednesday 19th October from 19:00-06:00hrs, for additional patching including overlay works up to the turning with the Bradburys.
This work has been under discussion for several years but was delayed due to Covid and other priorities and the good news is that there are no planned day time works, so disruption around the village should be minimal.
In summary all works (inlay/overlay & patching) will be overnight and via the full road closure over the 3 nights.

And a few previous items that are still relevant:
Keeping Dogs under control in open fields
There is currently a foal in the field immediately adjacent to The Pound at the start of the Cross Bucks Way and this week a dog was seen off the lead, harassing the animal and its mother. Signs have been placed in the field by the owner, to ask those with dogs to keep them on their lead when walking through on the footpath for the time being. Whilst most people know it is not illegal to have a dog off the lead providing you have it under control, it can present a danger so to be on the safe side your co-operation is appreciated.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/
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 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)