LITTLE MILTON

NEWSLETTER

www.littlemilton.org.uk

JULY, 2005

PARISH COUNCIL

The Council meeting held on Wednesday 8^th June was attended by six Councillors, the District Councillor, the County Councillor, the Clerk and two members of the public.

Outstanding matters OCC Highways

The Clerk reported that the footpath adjacent to the sub-station in Chiltern View had been satisfactorily repaired. The footpath in front of the SOHA houses was still under investigation. The matter was the responsibility of OCC Highways but not the maintenance section at Drayton. The manhole cover next to the Recreation Ground hedge appeared to be a cover relating to a water meter and could be the responsibility of the Village Hall.

    The Lamb Inn

The Clerk reported that he had spoken to the Area Manager of Punch Taverns and that he had given an assurance that the Lamb was not being considered for closure. It was hoped that the appointment of an interim manager would see the Lamb re-establish itself in the Village.

Triangle of land adjacent to Wells Farmhouse

The Clerk reported that he had received the necessary forms to register the area of land as Village Green status. He requested that Mrs Isabel Fox examine the forms in order to fully understand any legal implications.

A329 Advisory Group

The Clerk stated that he had received comments about the amount of signage in respect of the traffic calming measures as well as concern that the width of the road at the build-outs would allow two vehicles to pass and could pose a potential hazard. Mr David Turner informed the meeting that OCC would produce a report on the traffic flows to allow an assessment to be made as to the effectiveness of the new traffic calming measures.

Planning

P05/W0515 – Orchard House: Erection of single storey extension

   The Council recommended approval of this planning application

   The Barn: Listed Building Consent Application (P05/W0246/LB)

The Chairman informed the meeting that no decision had yet been made by SODC Planning. However there was a site visit planned for Monday 13th June by members of the SODC Planning Committee and that the application would be considered by the Planning Committee on Wednesday 15^th June. (The SODC Planning Committee approved the application at its meeting on the 15th June.)

Correspondence

OCC – Minerals and Waste Development Framework

OCC are replacing their existing Oxfordshire Minerals and Waste Local Plan with a new Minerals and Waste Development Framework. This will be a portfolio of local development documents, including a Core Strategy and Proposed Sites and Policies documents for mineral working and waste management, to be prepared over the next three years. They will set out planning policies and proposals for minerals supply and waste management for the next 10 to 15 years.

SODC Summer Activity Programme

As result of the Easter programme SODC are co-ordinating a comprehensive programme of activities this summer. An A5 colour brochure will be circulated to every child in the Primary and Secondary Schools of South Oxfordshire.

Any Other Business

The Clerk was asked to contact SODC Planning in respect of the recent pointing that had been done at Fletchers Farmhouse. There was a concern that the colour of the cement used was materially different to that used on adjacent buildings.

The Clerk raised some concerns on behalf of some residents, as there was a general feeling that their views were not always fully considered. It was agreed that those residents who had concerns should be encouraged to come to a Parish Council Meeting to share their concerns. It was agreed that the Clerk would inform the residents concerned and arrange a suitable date for the item to be fully considered by the Council.

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 13th July 2005 at 8.00 p.m. in Little Milton School Library unless there is a need to convene any planning or other meetings. All notices of Council

meetings are displayed on the Parish Council Notice board at the corner of Haseley Road and the High Street.

R. Fergusson Parish Clerk

Please note that the complete minutes of the Council are now included on the Council website www.littlemilton.org.uk

Freedom of Information Act – Parish Council Publication Scheme

Residents can see the records of the policies and practices of the Parish Council including minutes, financial information and responses to planning consultations, on request from the Parish Clerk (Raymond Fergusson –279150). Current Council member are:

                        Mr Stuart McGill          Chairman                      Mr Simon Oddie          Vice Chairman

                        Mrs Mabel Wood                                               Mrs Isabel Fox             Mrs Alison Shelton                                     Mr Barry Coward

SODC: WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT

For a charge of £35 residents can arrange for their unwanted vehicle to be collected from within the District and a charge of £7 per bulky item e.g. fridge furniture etc. To arrange this service residents can call the Public Amenities Team on 01491 823416 or print a copy of the form from the Council’s website www.southoxon.gov.uk .

NEW GARDEN WASTE COLLECTION SERVICE

Starting on 4 July, South Oxfordshire District Council will be launching a new trial service to collect garden waste separately at the kerbside for composting.

Under the new service residents in South Oxfordshire will, for the first time, be able to have their garden waste collected for composting. The bags, made from strong paper are for collecting garden waste such as grass, leaves, hedge clippings, plants and flowers.

All garden waste collected from the paper bags will be composted, as composting is a fantastic way to help the environment and reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill.

The garden bags will be picked up weekly using a booking system. To use the service all residents have to do is contact the Council 24 hours before their normal rubbish day to book in their bags for collection. Residents can do this by calling the free phone number or by sending an email.

FREE phone: 0800 7318752   Email: public.amenities@southoxon.gov.uk

Garden waste bags can be purchased the Council, One Stop Shops and various outlets in the district for 65p each. For a detailed list of outlets please visit www.southoxon.gov.uk

This new service will initially run for a trial period of six months (July – November).

NB

I would be interested to hear from any residents interested in this service, as we might be able to supply the new bags from the Post Office.

SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL

REFUSE SKIPS FOR JULY

Our nearest Rural Community Waste Sites are at Chalgrove Village Car Park and Wheatley Primary School, Littleworth Road.

Please note that the following items have now been classified as hazardous household wastes and will no longer be accepted in the community waste vehicles.

TV’s, Monitors, Fluorescent tubes, Air conditioning units, Fridges/Freezers, Asbestos, Tins of paint (even if empty), Oil or Oil tins (even if empty), Car batteries, Gas cylinders.

The Oxfordshire County Council Waste Recycling Centres at Redbridge and Oakley Wood are open Monday to Saturday 8.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. and Sunday 9.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.

CONTRASTING WORLDS - ASPECTS OF VICTORIAN OXFORDSHIRE

A new display at Oxfordshire County Council’s Centre for Oxfordshire Studies helps you to explore the reality of Victorian Oxfordshire through contemporary images and copies of documents and printed materials. Photographs show men, women and children employed in agriculture and in the county’s mainly small-scale domestic industries. Wages were low in both areas of work and job opportunities were diminishing, leading to migration from the countryside into the towns and emigration in search of a brighter future.

The display is at the Centre for Oxfordshire Studies in Oxford Central Library until July 26^th and is open during the Centre’s usual opening hours (closed Wednesdays and Sundays).

Don Seale, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Community Services, says: ‘Forward not back is the Prime Minister’s catchphrase.   But to understand the present and our future it

is important to understand the past. The Victorian period is of abiding interest to many people not least because it was a time of great change during which some of the foundations of modern society were being laid. 

“The County’s heritage collections are a rich resource for anyone wanting to find out more and we hope this display at the Centre for Oxfordshire Studies will encourage many more people to trace their local and family history.”

For further information please contact Stephen Rench on 01865 815616. More information about the Centre’s resources can be found on the County Council’s website at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cos 

Source: Oxfordshire County Council Newsdesk

CHURCH CLEANING ROTA FOR JULY

Week ending 2nd July, 2005                                         -          Mrs L. Lovegrove/ Mrs C Coward

Week ending 9th July 2005                                           -          Mrs E. Summers/Mrs Isabel Fox

Week ending 16th July, 2005                                        -          Mrs. G. Taylor/Mrs H Ridley

Week ending 23rd July, 2005                                       -          Mrs A. Hawkins/Mrs. S. Jones

Week ending 30th July, 2005                                        –          Mrs. M. Davies/Mrs S A Dennis

Sally Ann Dennis 278029

CHURCH FLOWER ROTA FOR JULY    

Week ending 3rd July                                                   -                                             

Week ending 10th July                                                 -         

Week ending 17th July                                                 -                     

Week ending 24th July                                                -         

Week ending 31st July                                                -

If anyone would like to help with the flowers please contact Teresa Quested on 01844 278922

Teresa Quested

GRASS CUTTING ROTA DURING JULY

Week ending 1st July                                                    -          Stuart McGill

Week ending 8th July                                                    -          David Hawkins

Week ending 15th July                                                 -          Raymond Fergusson

Week ending 22nd July                                                -          Phil Jones

Week ending 29th July                                                 -          Ron Nightingale

Raymond Fergusson

BELL RINGING PRACTICE DURING JULY

Just to let Villagers know that the Bell Ringers will be ringing in St. James’ Church, Little Milton on 

Tuesday 5th July                                                                       7.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.

Sunday 10th July                                                                    10.30 a.m. to 11.00 a.m.

Ringing to Commemorate the end of WW 2                              5.00 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.

Tuesday 12th July                                                                     7.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.

Tuesday 19th July                                                                     7.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.

Sunday 24th July                                                                    9.30 a.m. to 10.00 a.m.

Tuesday 26th July                                                                     7.30 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.

Raymond Fergusson (279150)

THE 60th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENDING OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR.

This year will see many commemorations of the ending of the Second World War, and this July we shall in particular be thinking of the cessation of the War in Europe. Prior to 1939, one of the great nations of Europe was in the grip of a regime that set at nothing the liberty, the dignity, the life of all those who stood in the way of racial superiority and the expansion of its territory. Diplomacy had failed. By the summer of 1939 the choice was clear. Germany's European neighbours either had to submit to Nazism or resist it by force. At this time we thank God that with the help of our allies that resistance culminated in a victory in which the Nazi regime perished, and we shall be reflecting on the heavy cost of the conflict which engulfed Europe and extended far beyond it.

Each one of us, whoever we are, whatever our age, needs to give thanks. To help me with my own, I shall always have before me the commemorations held on a bitterly cold day in January at Auschwitz ten years ago marking the liberation of the death camp. Elie Wiesel, the Hungarian Jew and Nobel prize winner who was imprisoned there as a child, spoke words which have always stayed with me. "Close your eyes and look: endless nocturnal processions are converging here and here it is always night. Here heaven and earth are on fire. Close your eyes and listen. Listen to the silent screams of terrified mothers, the prayers of anguished old men and women. Listen to the tears of children. Look

and listen as they quietly walk towards flames so gigantic that the planet itself seemed in danger. Now as then, we ask the question of all questions: what was the meaning of what was so routinely going on in this kingdom of eternal night."

A new society was created there with its own laws and language, its own social structures and psychological traps. What kind of demented mind could have invented this system? The victory, which closed down Auschwitz and such places, is in itself sufficient, cause for thanksgiving. Auschwitz speaks to us all, and reveals the underlying nature of the conflict, which this nation and its allies, faced. We must be thankful to those who rose to the then challenge; those who were prepared to go down into the deep abyss to play their part in building a new creation beyond.

Our Lord on the Cross went down into the darkest depths to overcome the evil of this world, and by His resurrection began the task of building a new heaven and a new earth, and we his people must continue the work, which was begun, in our Lord. Auschwitz was a kingdom of eternal night. God's kingdom is one of light, love, justice and peace. To continue to build this kingdom is our task. In 2005, we have our own more complex struggles-more complex than it was sixty years ago, because it is harder to see where our real enemies lie. But we still need each other. We still need that willingness to be together, and to work together, and to suffer together, without which nothing worthwhile can be accomplished. We also need to remember that we are a company stirred by God's Spirit. So is the Spirit of trust, the courage to face the forces of destructiveness and if need be, go down into the abyss, knowing that God in Christ has been there, and he will not forsake us nor forget us.

We proudly salute those who went before us. Despite the tragedies of today's world, we too can live and die in hope. Beyond the abyss lies the promise of the new creation.

FROM THE REGISTERS

We welcome into our fellowship James Alexander Wicken, grandson of Mary Davies, following his baptism in St James on Sunday 12th June 2005.

FROM THE RECTORY

LITTLE MILTON FETE

This year’s fete held on Saturday 4^th June was a wonderful occasion. The weather could have been kinder but nevertheless everyone enjoyed a lovely afternoon. I would like to thank all who put in a great deal of time and effort to make the afternoon what it was, but I also thank you all for your amazing generosity. The fete profit of £2,300 will help enormously to pay our way.

GREAT MILTON SCHOOL LEAVERS SERVICE 

This year being the 150^th Anniversary of Great Milton C.of  E. School there will be a number of special events. Each year there is a leavers service and this year it will be held on Thursday 21st July at 1.30 p.m. Our Bishop, the Right Revd. Colin Fletcher will be with us and giving the address. Please do come along and show your support and encouragement for the school.

Victor Story 01844 279498

OXFORDSHIRE HISTORIC CHURCHES TRUST

The Annual Ride or Stride will take place on Saturday 10th September. I will be receiving forms in July and if you are interested in taking part please contact me for your sponsorship form. Give me a ring to find out more about this event.

Raymond Fergusson

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK

Thank you again to everyone who gave and to all those who collected this year. The total raised in the Benefice this year is £1,955.84 which includes £152.93 tax recovery from Gift Aid from those who Gift-aided their donation – so by  Gift-aiding what you give, really does make a difference!

The figure is made up of: 5 Lent lunches £478.00, Coffee morning £ 66.65, Christian Aid Week Service collection £80.00, House to house collections in whole Benefice £1,178.26, Gift Aid from house to house collections £152.93

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

S.A. Dennis

ST JAMES’ CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL

Meetings in July will be individually notified to all those that are currently on our register. Anyone else wishing  to join us should telephone the number below to find out when/where we are meeting . Do join us for the family service at 11.00 on July 10^th. All welcome!! We break in August for holidays and we restart our teaching sessions on Sunday September 4^th at 11.00 in Saint James Church.

Currently we’re planning our 10^th Anniversary party for Saturday 1^st October between approximately 4 and 7.00 p.m. in the New Village Hall and the following week on October 9^th Bishop Colin is coming for our family service at 11.00 a.m. We’re also currently discussing plans for a new style of teaching/sharing session aimed specifically at 10-14 year olds and if you’d like to be a part of those discussions, again, please do telephone the number below for more information.

S A Dennis 278029

Stop Press!!  Is there anyone out there who is able and willing to help Little Milton Sunday School by cutting out some small wooden figures from stencils we would provide. This would really help us as we prepare our new 'Godly Play' teaching material for September. If you have any queries and may be able to help please ring a very grateful

Sarah Jones on 278120.

BENEFICE SERVICES FOR JULY

VILLAGE FETE

Although we had the odd shower of rain the fete was another huge success. I would like to thank everyone who came along to support the day as well as a special thanks to everyone who gave up their time to set up and manage the activities on the day. A big thank you to everyone who donated to the stalls. The fete made a profit of about £2,300.

The raffle prize winners are shown below