FRIDAY NIGHT FERRET FRENZY A SELL-OUT SUCCESS!

£4000 raised for local funds

Building on the successful Ferret Racing evening held nearly 2 years ago, the Village Fund Raising Committee decided to repeat the event making it bigger and better. The event held in the Hunt Paddock, was attended by over 300 people including some 37 children, all eager to join in the fun on what turned out to be a gloriously warm and sunny evening.

The Feisty Ferret Bar was the first port of call for many, serving beer, wine and soft drinks and a separate Gin Bar proved to be very popular. For the children there was an old fashioned sweet counter and also delicious locally made ice cream courtesy of Stratton Barn.  With music and a master of ceremonies making regular announcements, everyone was kept informed of proceedings which helped move the race programme along at a steady pace.

The first of 8 sponsored races got underway at 6.30pm with 4 ferrets taking part in each race (from a pool of 16). Everyone joined in with brisk betting on the Tote. At the interval tasty hot Fish and Chips were served courtesy of Barberry’s of Bure Park and a Heads & Tails game plus a draw for the Grand Raffle took place. Between races children and adults got up close to hold these cute little animals who seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as everyone else.

The event proved highly successful in doubling the amount achieved over the previous occasion and raising just over £4,000 which will all be distributed between The Church Fund, The Village Improvement Fund and Sobell House.

Our thanks once again to all the volunteers and sponsors of each race plus the overall co-sponsors Glebe Leisure Caravan Park and Finders Keepers for their support.

Anthony Flack & John Honsinger (On behalf of the Stratton Audley-CLP -Village Fund Raising Committee)

 

See us also on facebook https://www.facebook.com/StrattonAudleyParishCouncil/

 

“Last Night of the Proms” returns. ALL SOLD OUT BAR ONE TICKET!

Enjoy a special event supper and drinks in Stratton Audley Church whilst watching live coverage from the Royal Albert Hall, on Saturday 14th September, 2019 at 7.30pm

After last year’s successful event, we are again hosting “ Last Night of the Proms” in the unique atmosphere and surrounding of St Mary & St Edburga Church, whilst enjoying a delightful 2 course meal with wine and soft drinks for just £25.00 per person (dietary options available on request). On arrival you will be given a glass of sparkling wine or a soft drink prior to dinner. Individual ticket sales are welcomed but why not book a table for 10 by inviting friends and neighbours to join your party?

 This event has limited places and is already selling out quickly so you need to buy your tickets now. To make a booking for this popular fun event please called Anthony Flack directly on 01869 277 511 or email strattonaudleyclp@gmail.com 

All money raised will go towards the Church Fund to improve community facilities.

Bright clothes to be worn to celebrate the end of summer!

Full House for Annual Parish Meeting

The Annual Open Meeting of the Parish was held in the church on Tuesday 9th April and attended by 59 residents.  The meeting was chaired by the Parish Council and attended by speakers from the Conservation Area team at Cherwell District Council, Bicester Heritage and both District and County Council Officers. Being an open meeting questions flowed from the floor and you can read the full reports here.

If you are interested in knowing what is going on in the parish and were not able to attended the meeting then I urge you to read these reports.

APM Draft Minutes April 2019

Clerk Report about the year 2019

 

Bicester Heritage Unveils Plans for Enhanced Site

As you may have seen in the press, Bicester Heritage has created a new master brand -Bicester Motion and has unveiled outline plans for the next 10 years. Bicester Heritage will continue to be the lead brand but increasing the site will be promoted as a leisure, technology and business centre and historic motoring will be joined with current and future forms of motion. They expect to attract a million visitors a year which should provide a big boost to the local economy. Their plans involve some track and driving facilities utilising the existing site, together with cycle tracks extending into the newly acquired Elm Farm Quarry with the possibility of some holiday rental lodges located around the lakes.

The Parish Council wishes to see better cycle access to the village as well as some public use of the old quarry site and are engaging with the owners to that end. They in turn wish to be good neighbours and as previously mentioned have kindly accepted our offer to attend the Annual Open Meeting on 9th April to explain more about their proposals and listen to the views of the community.

Here is their outline plan which  will also be on display at the Open Meeting

FULL STREAM AHEAD WITH FLOWING RESULTS

After all the hard work in October it is nice to see that the stream has filled up over winter and there is a stead clean flow.

     

___________________________

Report  from October 2018

Preventative action has been taken by the Parish Council in an attempt to reduce flooding on and around Mill Road this winter, by clearing the stream that flows from the pond under  Mill Road and out past a number houses into the countryside. It was a full days work and resulted in about 300m of bank and bed being cleared!

Organised by Cllr. Hopkins, a team of gentlemen spent a day with chain saws, hedge trimmers and other cutting-edge tools clearing the way for a mini digger to scoop out the debris and mud that has collected in the stream over many years. The Parish Council hired a mini digger which  was skilfully operated by Simon Goss’ brother Nigel who travelled from Gloucestershire to help out. According to Simon and immediate neighbour Henry Pappenfus who also got stuck in, the stream has not been cleared out properly for at least 20 years!

  • Specific thanks go to Anthony Flack, Tony Walker, Henry Pappenfus  and of course Stewart Hopkins and John Honsinger for their athletic toiling and many hours of manual labour
  • to Simon for utilising his JCB digger and disposing of the waste throughout the day and also working until dusk
  • to Simon’s brother, Nigel, for operating the digger
  • and to Caroline and Babs who supplied teas and biscuits

While the pond and stream are so low at the moment, it is difficult to assess how effective it will be and the true benefit will only be realised in time. Nevertheless it was a job well done and is all part of the drive to improve the overall look of the village.

                             

 

Where in the world….?

Where on earth is this taken from?

The answer all depends on your point of view! In this particular case the photos here were taken from the top of the bell tower of the church in 2018. Quite a birds eye view!

     

     

POUND GROWTH CUT BACK

Keeping you updated on what’s happening on the old Pound area in the village.

Click on these links to see the comparison photos from before, during and after the works.

Pound Area Comparison 1

Pound Area Comparison 2

Pound area comparison 3

Work by the Parish Council has begun on restoring the area of land known as the Pound, located on Launton Road  by the entrance to the Bucks Way footpath. So called, because in the old days it was a small enclosed area in the village where any stray or lost sheep were put until collected by their owners.  As a result of removing the undergrowth and lower branches of trees, an area twice the size has been created and with the ivy removed from the stone walls, there is now a delightful view of the field beyond which contains the outline foundations of the medieval castle.

Further ground works will be carried out in 2019 and the intention is to provide additional seating, and an information board to explain the importance of the site. The stone wall is in a poor condition and at some point will require rebuilding or at the very least some temporary repair to the structure.  If the area is to be more fully used, then a wall to enclose it and make it safe will be an added requirement. Consideration will also be given to placing a replica set of Stocks on the site as records show  this is where they were located in the 19th Century. Some money from the Village Improvement Fund will be used but much will depend on obtaining other funding.

The manual work was undertaken largely by Stewart Hopkins and John Honsinger over four days with support from others including removal of debris courtesy of Simon Goss and hedge trimming by Mike Gore.

 

 

 

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

17th November 2018, Stratton Audley Church @ 7.30pm

For the 100th anniversary of the Armistice the Historical Society is planning a presentation which will feature diary and letter extracts from individuals from all walks of life, via the stories of people who were there during World War 1.   The presentation will mainly showcase the stories of five or six individuals

This is based on the amazing project undertaken by our speaker, David Hargreaves, who, for the past four years, has been writing Century Journal, a series of weekly essays about The Great War, as it was fought, experienced and understood, at home and abroad.   Each essay is related to a specific week exactly 100 years ago, mainly from the British point of view, but also including individual stories from Russians, French and Germans.   The project is ongoing and, when he reaches the time of the Armstice on 11th November 1918, he will have produced 220 weekly essays which can be seen at www.centuryjournal.com

David Hargreaves read Modern History at Oxford and taught history for many years,  at Westminster School.

There will be a charge of £8 per person to include a glass of wine or soft drink, canapes and nibbles.

Any profits from the evening will be donated to the Royal British Legion.

Oxford to Cambridge Expressway Route B Chosen

The government has today announced the preferred Corridor for the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/route-announced-to-unlock-full-potential-of-englands-economic-heartland).

Oxfordshire County Council Statement: Highways England’s announcement of preferred Corridor for the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway

 Oxfordshire County Council welcomes the announcement of a preferred Corridor for part of the Oxford-Cambridge Expressway as it offers a degree of clarity on where the final scheme would go. However we are very disappointed that we still don’t know about  access to the M40 through Oxfordshire.

 Highways England, who are leading on this national project, have identified Corridor B as their proposal, the central corridor from the three broad corridors being considered. However, we still have no indication on which of the sub-options around Oxford would be taken forward.

 We will now carefully study the Corridor put forward, including the justification and technical detail which has led to this choice, and how it would affect already stretched roads, such as the A34 and interface with other schemes including East West Rail.

 As a member of the Oxfordshire Growth Board, we strongly support better transport links and other infrastructure between Oxford and Cambridge in this strategically important corridor. However, we have set 3 tests to assess the decision-making process for that corridor and, eventually, the final route choice:

  • Impact on the A34: it should provide relief to congestion on the A34 and function as a separate strategic route, allowing the A34 around Oxford to work better for local traffic
  • Pressure on existing roads: It should not increase pressure on overstretched roads
  • Conflation with other schemes: It should be developed separately but alongside other local schemes, to ensure the highway network works for Oxfordshire overall

This initiative aims to be a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to unlock growth that can help us to continue developing thriving, well connected communities for all in Oxfordshire. Invariably, a project of this magnitude and ambition will have an impact, which we will need to ensure is mitigated. That is why we are working with Highways England and in partnership with other councils, organisations and businesses to get the best deal for Oxfordshire.  We will continue to do this, and seek clarity on how the corridor choice is developed so that a decision can be made on the best route for the scheme.

 

PROMS NIGHT SELL OUT SUCCESS!

What an evening!!   With bubbly to start, wonderful food, and rousing singing and flag-waving to finish.   The rafters rang with sea shanties, Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem and many people were hoarse by the time they left.   In all there were over 80 people involved, with Jeff Wakefield starting the proceedings off by relating the history of the Proms from the vantage point of performing there for 33 years as Leader of the 2nd violins, alongside his wife Audrey with her 25 years experience with the 1st violins.

Many thanks are due;  to Anthony Flack who organised the whole event and the drink procurement, to Michael Gore who solved the problem of getting a signal into the Church, Tony Fox who laboured long and hard on the logistics of setting up and taking down, Jackie and Dorothy for the super food, John Honsinger for his help with publicising and decorating of the Church, Alex Smith of TMI Foods for helping to sponsor the supper, everyone who donated raffle prizes and all those who entered into the spirit of the evening in their patriotic attire.  The icing on the cake is that there was an overall profit of £1463 towards the redesign of the teapoint/kitchen area.   Congratulations to everyone involved.