Oct07Newsletter

The Council meeting held on Wednesday 12th September was attended by three Parish Councillors, the County Councillor , the District Councillor, the Clerk and one member of the public.

Mr Peter Ronald of OCC has stated that there is no funding available to support the possible closure of the slip road from Haseley Road into Gold Street . The cost is estimated at £4,000.

The problem of surface water on the slip road from Haseley Road into Gold has not yet been addressed and the Clerk expressed the concerns of a local resident that the road surface could be extremely hazardous in the winter if the problem is not corrected. Mr David Turner stated that he would take the matter up again with OCC Highways .

Mr David Turner reported that the survey that had taken place in June 2007 indicated a similar level of vehicles to that in 2001. A meeting of the Five Parishes plus Marsh Baldon and Toot Baldon has been arranged for Thursday 11 October 2007 to review the data and consider what the next steps of action should be. Mr Peter Ronald of OCC Highways will also attend the meeting.

The Clerk informed the meeting that each house in the village would receive a pack of information on Thursday 13th September. This was being coordinated by Lesley Nesbitt, Crime Reduction Advisor.

The Chairman welcomed Mr Kevin Brophy of OCC Youth Service and Mr Eddy Lofthouse of Active 10/20. The Chairman gave a brief background on the recent survey that had been conducted in respect of the Youth Shelter. He explained that the Council were seeking other options to support the youth of the village.

Mr Kevin Brophy explained that the Youth Service supported Rural Youth facilities although funding and resources were very limited. Mr Eddie Lofthouse highlighted the role of Active 10/20 within Youth Service as it is a voluntary organisation. Mr Lofthouse stated that a double-decker bus was available to support rural communities as a way of engaging young people in informal surroundings. The Council RESOLVED to invite Active 10/20 to bring their bus to the village on an agreed date to help determine the best way forward in supporting the youth of the village.

The Chairman presented to the Council of the issues arising from the audit for 2006/07. The audit report highlighted the need for the Council to consider the level of fidelity guarantee insurance cover. The Council RESOLVED to maintain its current level of cover as it considered the additional cost of cover disproportionate to the risk involved. It also RESOLVED to accept the Annual Return for 2006-07.

The clerk circulated a projected cash flow for the year ending 31^st March 2008. The projected cash flow showed reserves increasing by £3,115. The clerk drew attention to the

demands on the reserves in 2008-09 due to the expiry of the lease on the Post Office and the possible extension to the Village Hall

The Council RESOLVED that this planning application should be approved by South Oxfordshire District Council.

P07/W0699: The Old Cottage Stadhampton Road : Enlarge conservatory and integrate with kitchen

This application has been granted planning permission by South Oxfordshire District Council.

The Chairman outlined a letter from SODC in which they suggested the transfer of the amenity land in Chiltern View to the Parish Council. This matter had been considered before and after further discussion the Council RESOLVED to decline the offer. The members took the view that there would be no advantage to the Council if they had the land transferred to them but the Council would be required to maintain the ground.

The Chairman informed the Council of a request by Thames Valley Police to nominate a Councillor to act as champion for the parish on neighbourhood policing. The Council RESOLVED to appoint Cllr. Alison Shelton as the point of contact with Thames Valley Police on Neighbourhood Policing.

The Chairman informed the meeting of the publication of the Panel Report on the Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South East. The Clerk pointed out that the Panel had recommended a relaxation in the Green Belt policy south of Grenoble Road .

The Chairman informed the meeting on the recent meeting with representatives of the village hall and the Post Office steering group. He highlighted the need to update the lease with the site plan that delineated the area occupied by the village. He also informed the meeting that the chairman of the village hall had written to the Charities Commission and that it would appear that the village hall could allow a shop/post office to operate within the charities premises. The Chairman referred to the existing level of rent in the current lease between the Parish Council and the Village Hall. The Council RESOLVED to discuss this matter at a future a future council meeting.

The Parish Council will meet on Tuesday 9th October 2007 at 8.00 p.m. in The Pine Lodge Little Milton unless there is a need to convene any planning or other meetings.

Please note that the complete minutes of the Council are now included on the Council website www.littlemilton.org.uk after they have been approved by the Council.

Residents can see the records of the policies and practices of the Parish Council

consultations, on request from the Parish Clerk (Raymond Fergusson –279150). Current Council member are:

Cllr. Mabel Wood, Cllr. Alison Shelton , Cllr. David Wakeling, Cllr. Tim Robinson

An exhibition about convicts transported to

Australia

has gone on display at the Oxfordshire Record Office, Cowley, which is run by Oxfordshire County Council.

Between 1787 and 1867 more than 1500 Oxfordshire men, women and children were sentenced to transportation for crimes such as theft, poaching, forgery and bigamy.

Most of them were sent to

Australia

and neighbouring islands, and the exhibition, Banished Beyond the Seas, tells some of their stories.

The exhibition, which is based on the researches of Oxfordshire-based Carol Richmond, who wrote six booklets, published this week, entitled Banished! Sentences of Transportation from Oxfordshire Courts, 1787-1867.

These give information on the crime, sentence and ultimate destination of the convict, as well as additional biographical details.

Carol used Oxfordshire Record Office sources for her researches and the exhibition put together by Oxfordshire Record Office staff also draws on documents from the National Archives in Kew , and the Archives Office of Tasmania.

The exhibition also includes photographs and other memorabilia provided by private individuals, many of whom are descendants of convicts featured in the exhibition

Oxfordshire County Council’s Senior Archivist Mark Priddey said: “As has been well publicised 2007 marks two centuries since the ending of the Slave Trade and also 1000 years of Oxfordshire history. Less well-known is that it also marks 140 years since the last convicts were transported from England to Australia .”

“This is a fascinating exhibition that looks at what happened to some Oxfordshire people - men, women and children - who were sent half way round the world, sometimes for quite minor crimes.”

The exhibition at the Record Office in St Luke’s Church, Temple road, Cowley, runs until 10 November. Record Office opening hours are Wednesday to Saturday 9am to 5pm. Tel. 01865 398200 e-mail: archives@oxfordshire.gov.uk

For a charge of £35 residents can arrange for their unwanted vehicle to be collected from within the District and a charge of £7.50 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 .

Your bin will be collected on the same day as your normal refuse and recycling. Please ensure however that your bin is placed in a safe place that does not obstruct the pavement or highway. The dates for October are as follows:-Tuesday 9th; Tuesday 23rd

If you are interested in this service please contact SODC Public Amenities on 01491 823416 or email: public.amenities@southoxon.gov.uk or visit www.southoxon.gov.uk

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.

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

OXFORDSHIRE HISTORIC CHURCHES PRESERVATION TRUST RIDE AND STRIDE ON SATURDAY 8^th SEPTEMBER.

I should to thank George Dennis for flying the flag for St James’ as he was our sole “Rider”. He raised about £80. I should also like to thank all those ladies who gave up an hour on Saturday 8th September to welcome visiting Striders/Riders. Well done to everyone.

We welcome into the Lord’s family Lydia Charlotte McLean who was baptized in St. James’ Little Milton on the 25th August. Please do pray for Lydia , and Sarah and John, as Lydia begins her Christian journey through life.

As you would know, we have a new Diocesan Bishop, John Pritchard. Bishop John is very much a person who listens, and who cares. At the present time he is visiting the Deaneries of the Diocese, and in October he will be coming to our Deanery and he wants to listen to us.

As part of this process he has launched the ‘Tell Bishop John Campaign’. The Bishop of Oxford is appealing to people who have given up coming to church to tell him why-and let him know what might bring them back again. Bishop John says: ’We know people fall out of the habit of coming to church for all sorts of reasons, sometimes simply because they move house or their family circumstances change. Whatever the reason, I’d like to try and understand-and to find out how we can make our churches as welcoming as possible to all comers’ People can contact Bishop John by visiting the website www.tellbishopjohn.com or by writing to ‘Tell Bishop John’ at Diocesan Church House.

Please do feel free to contact Bishop John. I’m sure he would be pleased to help you.

It’s always a real joy, delight and pleasure to have our school come into St. James’ for their Harvest Festival Service, and this year they will come into Church on THURSDAY 4th OCTOBER at 9.00 a.m.. Do make a note of this, and join with our school on the Thursday. We would love to see you.

On the second Monday of each month there is a service of prayer, readings and hymns in Fullers Field Community Room, Great Milton. The service is shared with our Methodist friends. The service starts at 6.00pm and lasts about 30 minutes. The next service is scheduled on Monday 8th October 2007. If you would like to attend the service but require transport please contact Raymond Fergusson of 27 Chiltern View; telephone number 01844 279150 who will ensure that you are taken to the service and collected after it is finished.

One day in Evesham, the BBC came to our Church to record a test programme for their students at their nearby training college at Wood Norton. That experience was interesting for that was the time when I was introduce to the mysterious world of ‘atmos’.

Atmos, or ‘atmosphere’, is in part those little sounds that are made when people come together, trying to be silent. Like the sound of two hundred people breathing, the slight rustle of paper, a mother whispering to her child. It’s amazing how noisy silence can be; how many sounds we train ourselves not to hear. That in itself makes you think. But what surprised me was that this Atmos can be recorded. So when we had to re-record a piece after everyone had gone home the Atmos was pasted into the background so that the church didn’t sound false and empty.

Thinking now of that experience, it occurs to me that for most of us, most of the time, God is the Atmos in our lives-unnoticed in the background. Perhaps we even learn not to be aware of the rustle and whispers of God’s Spirit. Just occasionally and unexpectedly God catches us up unawares and we find we’re able to hear what has been there all along, little sounds suddenly amplified.

Jesus encouraged us never to despise the small and weak-to find in those people and things we otherwise overlook, a hint of the presence of God.

One of the instances in Jesus’ life which has helped me time and time again is when he took Ter, James and John up a hill, to pray up a hill, away from it all, away from the clamber of the crowds, the noise of the streets, to enjoy the serenity and calm. We all know something of that feeling, “to be away from it all”. We can echo those memorable words of Peter and say, “How good it is to be here”. But for Peter, arising out of that stillness, he came to perceive Jesus in a new way. Peter along with the others had their ears opened in a new way. To discover that they must be still enough to hearken to the things that Jesus was to teach them.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Pastor, said, “Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians because these Christians are talking when they should be listening. But he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer be listening to God either. He will do noting but prattle in the presence of God.”

I hope that Bonhoeffer would not say that about us. And the way to prove Bonheffer wrong, is for us to listen to God’s voice it to deliberately enter the stillness of God, to put aside the insistent and strident voices that lure and threaten and demand, and to hearken instead to the almost unheard voice of God; so much a part of the Atmos that we have learnt not to pay attention, and yet without which our lives would sound false and empty.

APRONS

Calling all cooks………………..

Does your ‘Little Milton Apron’ need updating or have you never had the pleasure of owning one?

Buy a newly designed apron with artwork of St James’ Church, The Lamb and Little Milton Primary School in burgundy on a white background. With its own little pocket you and your mobile need never be apart!!

Only £7.50 each.

They make ideal Christmas presents.

Special Note: Sunday School has been asked to lead the Family Service on October 14th.

An improvement in the weather heralded our return to school! This Term we have welcomed ten new children, a teacher and a teaching assistant! Our number on roll has now risen to 62 – the highest it has been for some years. Leonora Barlow, Sophie Brough, Victoria Dalby, Sarah Emin, Amelie Freear, Isobel Jones, Elena Kippin, Esmee Knight, Cameron McCaig and Frank Sedgwick-Coward are our new Reception Class, and they are all settling in very happily.

Mrs Shona Bull is teaching Year 5 / 6 in the refurbished classroom. More work took place over the summer holidays, and we now have a state of the art classroom, with sixteen desks housing sixteen computers, an interactive white board and lots of new equipment!

Our Year 3 / 4 children enjoyed a visit to Sulgrave Manor at the start of term, when they all dressed up as children from the Tudor age. They enjoyed seeing the beautiful house and grounds, and learning about the people who lived there many years ago.

A trip is planned to the Didcot Railway Centre for children in Reception and Year 1 who have transport as their topic for this term.

Our next event is Harvest Festival. The service will be held in St James Church on Thursday 4^th October at 9.00 am. Children from The Orchard will be joining us – please do come along if you have an hour to spare that morning. We are busy learning new songs and writing poems and prayers for the service. This year, we are supporting Mary’s Meals, a charity whose aim is to school children in poverty stricken areas in the developing world a meal every day. So far, they feed 200,000 children on a daily basis.

Now is the time of year that the admissions process for entry into school during the academic year 2008/2009 commences. If your child was born between 1st September 2003 and 31st August 2004, you should be looking at schools, and filling in your application forms! Applications can be made on line, or if you would like to call in, we have the admissions booklets and forms in school.

The prize wining numbers were drawn by the Little Milton School Children at their Good Work Assembly and were as follows:

Under the Parish Council news there is reference to an organisation called Active 10/20. The Parish Council have invited them to bring their “Activity Bus” to Little Milton in November. The precise date will be in the November Newsletter. This organisation engages with young people between 13 – 19 years old and has an excellent team of professional staff. If the venture proves to be of interest to the young people then it will help the Parish Council to work out whether this type of activity is worth supporting in the future. At the moment I have provisionally organised a session between 5.00 – 6.30 pm. I would be interested in hearing from parents or youngsters if they think this is a good time or to hear other proposals

Friday 5th Oct.	Chalgrove Village Car park	8.00 – 11.00 am
Friday 12th Oct.	Chalgrove Village Car park	8.00 – 12.00 pm
Saturday 13th Oct.	Wheatley Primary School	8.00 – 11.00 am
Friday 19th Oct.	Chalgrove Village Car park	8.00 – 11.00 am
Friday 26th Oct.	Chalgrove Village Car park	8.00 – 11.00 am
Sat 27th Oct.	Wheatley Primary School Chalgrove Village Car park	8.00 – 12.00 pm 8.00 – 12.00 pm

7th	9.30 a.m.	All age worship led by Rev Charlotte Collins
14th	11.00 a.m.	Morning Service led by Mrs Betty Blake
21st	11.00 a.m.	Morning Service led by Mr Colin Watts
28th	11.00 a.m.	Sacrament of Holy Communion led by Rev Derick Chambers

LITTLE MILTON

GREAT HASELEY