May10Newsletter

The Council meeting held on Wednesday 14th April was attended by four Councillors, the Clerk, the District Councillor, the County Councillor and one member of the public. The following are extracts from the minutes that the Council need to approve at the May meeting.

The Chairman read out a letter from the Head of Commercial Services at SODC in response to the Council’s letter of 10 February 2010. The letter explained that an error had occurred in respect of the charges and that the necessary corrections had been made that resulted in lower ongoing charges for the service. It also acknowledged that any significant changes to the cost of services provided by the District Council need to be consulted on well in advance of budget setting.

The Chairman informed the meeting that an email had been received from Mr Anthony Kirkwood of OCC Environment & Economy, Road Safety. The letter explained that our request for the consideration of a 20mph outside the school would not go forward to formal consultation until OCC had evaluated the benefits of a large scale 20mph project in Oxford . However they will carry out a visit to the site and hopefully comment upon the request.

The Clerk stated Berinsfield Community Business would cut the recreation ground and triangle for the current financial year as a result of Enterprise being unable to do so following a decision by OCC not to renew their contract for servicing council sports fields.

Following a request by the Recreation Ground Committee the Council RESOLVED to have an annual weed and feed for the recreation ground. The clerk was asked to arrange it through Berinsfield Community Business as it was best value and would co-ordinate the work with the weekly grass cutting.

Cllr. Barry Coward re-iterated the decision by the Council to pursue a suitably drained non-permeable surface. Our preferred supplier, Spade Oak, have drawn up a proposed scheme that meets the Council’s objective and this proposal needs to be agreed with SODC Planning. Although OCC preferred a SUDS compliant solution the cost of such a scheme is beyond the Council’s finances but the Council RESOLVED to conduct a number of soil tests to support the proposed scheme as the land is believed to be sandy and drains well. After this work has been concluded the Council will set up a meeting with SODC to review and agree the proposal.

The Council noted that planning permission had been granted by South Oxfordshire District Council

The Chairman informed the meeting that the Council had received a response from SODC in respect their decision to change the rules regarding the referral of planning application to the Planning Committee. The Clerk stated that he would circulate a copy to members.

The Clerk informed the meeting that SODC Planning had accepted that permission would only be needed for the Pine Lodge sign if it required illumination.

The Parish Council will meet on Wednesday 12th May 2010 at 8.15 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.

The Freedom on Information Act 2000 (FOIA) provides rights of public access to information held by Public Authorities. The Parish Council adopted a new publication scheme on 1st January 2009. A version of the Publication Scheme will be available on the Council Website www.littlemilton.org.uk

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.

The Annual Parish meeting will take place in the Pine Lodge on Wednesday 12th May 2010, commencing at 7.00p.m. This meeting is not a Parish Council meeting but a meeting at which the Council and other relevant organisations report on their activities during the past year. It also allows villagers to raise any matters for discussion. The Parish Council cannot be bound by any decision of the meeting but would need to take note of the comments. This is a good opportunity to hear what has been happening in the village from traffic, planning, finance etc. Please come along and enjoy a glass of wine or a soft drink.

School holiday childcare provision in Oxfordshire has received a boost after the County Council was awarded £45,000 as part of a national pilot scheme. The authority is keen to use the money to develop fundraising skills that voluntary sector childcare providers have, focusing on a small number who target vulnerable groups including disabled children and families living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

OCC has installed four temporary barriers to prevent the illegal use of the Ridgeway National Trail by motor vehicles. Known locally as the Ickneild Way , the Ridgeway is classified as a Restricted Byway between Aston Rowant and Britwell Salome, which means that the use of motorised vehicles is prohibited along it. Despite this, widespread use by motorised vehicles has continued on the trail between Hill Road Lewknor and Hill Road Watlington, posing a threat to pedestrians and riders, and causing considerable damage to the trail’s surface.

Builders are now concentrating on constructing the interior of Thame’s new customer friendly two-floor library after broadly completing work on its shell. The forty week programme by OCC is on schedule and the modern style library in North Street is expected to be open in the summer.

OCC’s Fire and rescue Service has won a special award for its work in encouraging more women and ethnic minorities to consider the Fire Service as a future career. The Fire and Rescue Service was placed first in the national Fire and Rescue Service Equality and Diversity Awards.

For a charge of £68 residents can arrange for their unwanted vehicle to be collected from within the District and a charge of £20 for up to three bulky item e.g. fridge furniture etc. and a further £6.35 for each additional item. 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 .

The Oxfordshire County Council Waste Recycling Centres at Redbridge, Drayton (near Abingdon) 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.

There was ringing in the tower on Friday 23^rd April to commemorate St George’s Day

We laid to rest the cremated remains of Eva Doris Hart in St. James’ Churchyard on the 27th March.

We celebrated Easter in a grand style, and we are grateful to all those who went to such trouble to make it such a memorable occasion. St. James’ sparkled and gleamed in the Spring sunshine, and the flower arrangements were quite outstanding. Thank you to all those who went to extraordinary lengths, each in different ways, to make our Church look so beautiful. Thank you indeed.

It is always a pleasure to hear our bells ringing out as we come to Church, but they don’t ring out on their own. How can we thank enough our dedicated band of ringers who come together so that the air might be filled with the sound of the bells. We are all so grateful to them for everything they do for us.

Bell ringing is an ancient English tradition and it is gratifying that our ringers stand in that long tradition. Of course, they would love to welcome new members to their band, and if you are interested to learn then please do go along to our Tower on a Tuesday evening, which is the time when they practice in readiness for Sunday.

This falls on Thursday 13^th May, and their will be a celebration of Holy Communion in St. Mary’s, Great Milton at 7.30 p.m. that day.

On the 30^th May there will be an evening service in St. James’ at 6.30 p.m. A number of people have said that sometimes they find it difficult to get to a morning service, and we hope having this service on the 30^th will be an encouragement to them.

This was held on Sunday 11^th April following on from the Evening Service. We elected Raymond to be our Churchwarden for the ensuing year. We elected our Church Council and we received our Electoral Roll.

We heard reports on ‘how we are doing’. Our Church is well maintained in every respect, under the watchful and diligent eye of Raymond, and our finances are well managed by Roger even though the financial climate is rather uncertain. We all regretted the temporary suspension of our Sunday School, but we hoped that in due time, when new teachers emerge, we can have as we have had in recent years, a thriving Sunday School for our children once more.

It seems that funding permitting, we shall be able soon to embark on the work at the back of the Church to create the ‘Meeting Space’, something which has been on our agenda for some five years now.

FROM A THOUGHT PROVOKING SERMON GIVEN IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY BY THE PRINCIPAL OF CUDDESDON ON OUR CONSUMER SOCIETY.

But it is the currency of words like ‘duty’, ‘obligation’ and ‘commitment’ that have rather lost their value in recent times. Indeed, such virtues may seem rather unfashionable to some, and perhaps even quaint. It is almost as if the phrase that ccurs in the Eucharist prayer – ‘it is our duty and our joy, at all times and in places, to give you thanks and praise, holy father, heavenly King, almighty and eternal God…’ – has been, arguably, subtly replaced in our consciousness. Today’s is: ‘our choice, and at our pleasure – time permitting – to give you thanks and praise…’.

GREAT MILTON METHODIST CHURCH Minister: Revd. Derick Chambers Tel: 212019

Our parliamentarians returned a couple of weeks ago to Westminster after one of the shortest Easter holiday breaks ever. And everyone was agog for news about the forthcoming General Election. Since then our politicians have been off flying across the land, vying for our support, entering into television debates, wooing us with their commitments and assuring us of their competence. By the time you read this, we might well know who’s been returned to power. For power is what an election is all about, the power to lead and to govern the nation.

The public didn’t go to the polls in biblical times. But people had a very clear understanding of power. And for many of them it was on this point that the campaign mounted by Jesus of Nazareth had failed. He’d made his plea for something he called “The Kingdom of God”. He’d tested those in power to their limits. When they’d had enough, they moved against him and his miserable death by crucifixion was a very visible sign of just who’d won that particular battle.

And yet, the Easter event opened people’s eyes to a quite different understanding of power. The cross might well signify defeat if judged by conventional understandings of power but the resurrection speaks an altogether different language. It reveals the power of God, a power built on self-sacrifice rather than mere self-assertion, on love rather than brute strength, on forgiveness and mercy as opposed to force of arms or dictates from above. God’s appeal is to hearts and minds and his power, power revealed through raising Jesus from the dead, becomes available to all who place their trust in him. No wonder we shout alleluia at this time of the year.

Dear Lord, fill us with your power today and give us strength to follow the path of mercy, pity, peace and love. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

The summer is just around the corner and so is one of Little Milton’s most traditional events: our Church Fete. Sarah and Simon Oddie are once again generously letting us use the beautiful grounds of their home: The Manor, Gold Street .

This annual event is one that makes every visitor appreciate the amazing area and community we live in.

This year it will be an opportunity to see a spectacle that has sadly been missing from our village for too many months, Dave our ex postman, who will be bringing along his ‘Watlington Concert Band’. I imagine this will be quite a ‘crowd-puller’, but I sadly cannot promise Dave in his shorts, something I am sure many of us would love to see (I will send a special request).

The afternoon will offer something for all, from our traditional stalls to the children’s entertainer and pony rides. There will be children’s dancing from Little Milton School , amazing refreshments and much, much more. Please put the date in your diaries and come along, we guarantee an extremely pleasurable afternoon.

The financial success of the fete depends on the support we give the stallholders and the following is a list of stallholders that will need your help up to and including the day of the fete.

The fete is an inclusive day, so just because there is a list of stallholders there is a need for villagers to offer their help and support on the day as well. Please contact Sarah Jones 278120 and she will delighted to hear from you.

We are having a new stall at the summer fete this year of jams, jellies, pickles and preserves and would like to have as many contributions as possible. If you would be willing to make some jam or chutney to help make this a successful stall perhaps you could let me know as soon as possible. Many thanks.

Last month the work party made good progress planting some more hedging along the Haseley Road by the allotments which extends the existing hedge and will provide an excellent habitat for wildlife in the future. In addition, two of the raised beds were lined and filled so they can be used as mini herb gardens. Thank you to all those who gave their time and made the morning really productive.

Already during the latter part of April there has been a dramatic increase in the number of bees, which have been feasting on the spring flowers, especially blackthorn, cherry, and the various garden bulbs. If you want to identify the bees in your garden, visit www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk. Look out for the masonry bee later in the year which is rare now, but we have some around the village.

On May 16th, Great Haseley will be holding a “Mad Hatters plant swap” day and everybody is welcome, whether you have an allotment or are a keen vegetable gardener. Please see their advert which is shown later in the newsletter.

On May 9^th we plan to paint the village well pump and treat the allotment shed to keep things in good order for the coming summer. If anybody wishes to join the work party, or find out about the 235 year old well please join us at the allotments from 2.30pm.

Children in Year 5/6 enjoyed an adventure week at Kilvrough Manor in South Wales at the beginning of March. This was the first trip away from home and parents for some of them, and they all coped very well! We have enjoyed hearing their stories about all their activities – which included rock climbing, caving, canoeing and hiking in the mountains, and games in the evening. Fortunately the weather treated them kindly – no sun burn, but no soakings either!

This year’s Junior Music Festival was held at Bayards Hill School , in the County Music Centre. The new venue proved very successful, and being larger, allowed more parents to attend. Parking was easier too! We joined with other schools from the Wheatley Partnership to perform Ocean Commotion – a jolly cantata about life in the sea!

PE activities during the summer term will take place at the Recreation Ground on Thursday afternoons. It is looking good at the moment, freshly mown with the mole hills flattened. We would be grateful if dog walkers could please “scoop the poop” when walking around the field. Thank you!

And finally, a date for your diary. This year’s Maypole Evening will be held at the Pine Lodge on Friday, 11^th June.

W.I. members enjoyed a thoroughly decadent and interesting evening at their April meeting at the Pine Lodge when our own local beauty therapist Sara Fergusson demonstrated and talked about her work. A ballot was taken to decide who was to be the lucky one to be given a manicure. The winner was Kath Stacey who was delighted with the result.

On Thursday 15^th April members were invited to coffee at Le Manoir and were shown around the hotel and gardens after listening to a talk from one of the managers on the origins of the house and restaurant. We were thoroughly spoilt and made very welcome. Unfortunately they were fully booked for lunch!!

Our next meeting on May 13^th will be a discussion on the WI’s Resolution for 2010, ‘This meeting urges HM Government to introduce clear and mandatory country of origin labelling on all meat , poultry and fish products sold in this country’. This will be followed by a talk by Barbara Gray about Denman College a beautiful house and grounds owned by the W.I. at Marsham and used as a residential college and learning centre.

If you would like any further information the above or any W.I. aspect, do not hesitate to telephone any of the following: Anne Hawkins 279526; Heather Peers 279627 or Shirley Thomas 278976.

The Pine Lodge have two 4 year old Dell Latitude 100L computers which are now not being used. We are pleased to offer these for sale to anyone in Little Milton who may be interested.

The specification is as follows: Celeron 2.6 ghz 256mb Ram ;20GB hard drive;CD Rom, Wireless enabled, Windows XP.

These are being offered at the market price of £100. Please contact me if you are interested. If more than 3 people contact me, names will be drawn at the next Pine Lodge meeting on 16th May.

I am delighted to announce that a transformation is about to take place in the car park area of the Recreation Ground, which to many residents (including me) has been an eyesore for many years.

The Parish Council has agreed to spend just over £20,000 on renovating the Car Park to a high standard, including drainage and a new more durable surface.

This was a Planning Condition set by SODC when the Pine Lodge was built, but we asked for a delay in implementation until the Shop was completed to avoid contractors heavy lorries causing damage.

The Parish Council has made provision for the sum needed in its accounts, and there will be no need to increase the precept to pay for the work. Barry Coward, our Vice Chairman, has overseen the preparation work for this, and we are all delighted by the outcome.

You will also have noticed our new and very smart hedge on the A329 side of the Car Park, which was recently laid by the South of England Hedge Laying Champion! This work has been totally funded by Jeremy and Hilary Mogford, and I would like to express our grateful thanks to them for this very generous gesture. The hedge will continue to grow, but can be neatly trimmed as required and when required.

The old hedge by the Pine Lodge car park has now been re-layered, and very fine it looks too. Many thanks to Mr Jeremy Mogford who kindly arranged and paid for the work.

The hedge had thinned out and grown gappy, as hedges do. The techniques of laying are hands-on and date back to Roman times. The front and side shoots need

to be cut away from the length of the branch to be laid. Then using a hedgelayer’s billhook if they are thin enough or a chainsaw if they are not, you cut partway into

each stem at, or near ground level, and lay the remainder towards the horizontal along the course of the hedge. It must remain connected firmly to its roots by a

Hazelwood stakes are sharpened and driven into the ground at 45 cm intervals along the length of the hedge and binders, thinner shoots of freshly coppiced hazel,

John Savings, who Jeremy Mogford uses for his hedgelaying work, is the current South of England Open Champion. We are lucky to have another local example of

top-quality hedgelaying, too. The hedge between the A329 and Raymond Blanc’s orchard-to-be has been laid by Nigel Adams of Christmas Common. He is

At long last, we have had some gorgeous weather, and the coffee shop takings have taken off! Sitting outside in the sun is now becoming more popular, and we

may need more tables and chairs as the temperature increases! We may soon be offering exotic cold coffee and chocolate drinks, so pop in for your favourite!

New products this month include a range of local beers, which are going down extremely well. We are therefore stocking less of the national branded beers, and

We are also buying more local cheeses, including the ominously named “Spitfire” Cheddar. We always have the famous (and gorgeous) Oxford Blue, College, and

Isis soft cheeses at very competitive prices, plus a range from Marksbury and Crudges cheeses

The wine range continues to evolve, as we find new wines which excite us and our customers. We recently introduced some new wines from a new supplier, and two

in particular have gone down very well- a superb Chenin Blanc from South Africa , and a lovely Pinot Noir from

Chile

. We have also found a

Our next tasting at the Wine Club will be Rose wines, to get you ready for Summer !!!

Next Tasting Thursday 20 May 8.00pm at the Shop Membership for 12 months is £10.

‘Sherlock Holmes’

Detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) and his stalwart partner Watson (Jude Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with nemesis, Lord Blackwood.

Also starring Mark Strong & Rachel McAdams

We met in April on the last Monday (as mentioned) but this month in May we will meet on May 24^th due to the last Monday being a Bank Holiday! We will meet at 40 Chiltern View, the home of Gill Taylor, from 11.00 onwards on Monday May 24^th. Do please telephone Gill on 278617 if you’re planning on staying for lunch as this assists with the catering numbers! Advance date for you diaries…Monday 28^th June we will meet at Spring and Well Cottage, the home of Mary Davies (279471). As well as our usual sewing, quilting and mending we are working on the creation of ‘The Friendship Quilt’ raise money for St James’ Church.

A Friendship quilts first appeared in the 1840s as

America

experienced a migration of its population to the West. As family and friends were uprooted and separated from one another, a great many women carried quilts composed of blocks with precious messages and signatures., Therefore the friendship quilt was made to commemorate a special event, such as a marriage, birth, leaving a community, or even death. A friendship quilt combined the love of family and friends with the love of beautiful fabrics.

The quilt is made up of 35 blocks. Each block consists of seven strips and a centre square made of plain fabric onto which you can write your name, a short message, a permanent reminder of a special occasion, a special person, a special event in your life in Little Milton. To write on a strip will be £1, to write on the centre block will be £4. Therefore each block will raise £10, and the entire quilt will raise £350 (minimum, as “a little extra” is always welcome!). Whole blocks can be reserved in advance (for example for a family), and it will be available for signature at village events including the Fete in June.

It is hoped that anyone with a connection to the village, the church or the school – past or present – will buy a signature strip or the centre square, thereby adding their name to the village history.

If you would like to help us make the quilt – simple running stitch is all you need to do, and it is very basic – please ring Mary Davies 01844 279471.

At the moment the late spring does not seem to be getting any earlier, although as I write these notes it has got a little warmer and the sun is shining the wind being so cold is holding most crops back. The spring planted crops are now showing green having taken them a long time to break surface and face the elements. It is though amazing how the rape has recovered, last month I reported that it was looking very sick, now it seems inconceivable that it is the same crop, by the time this goes to press I guess it will be in full flower, and there will be comments about the pollen affecting us all. I think it is the quantity of pollen about that causes the problem, as years ago there was not so much rape grown if any, a fact that is made worse as it is the only crop producing pollen in any amount at the moment. It just demonstrates the power of nature for crops to recover from what the weather can or has thrown at them, of course I would not be a farmer if I did not make the comment that they could look better. Strange to think that I make the comment last autumn that it would not have surprised me if the Rape might have come in to flower anytime, however it did not and has not as yet, how things suddenly change. Now of course we will have the effect of volcanic ash to content with, good or bad remains to be seen.

SATURDAY 8^th MAY

7.00 for 7.30pm @ The Pine Lodge

It is now being suggested that we should be considering the concept of Double summer time, this may not seem a big issue to most people, it does though make a lot of difference to farmers. To explain, the actual daylight hours will not change, but the hours we can work will move with the clock, as most agricultural operations rely on dry conditions. The effect of moving the clock on an hour moves the dry part of the day forward, so to take advantage of dry conditions we would have to start later and thus finish later. Why should we expect those that work on the land to work until 11pm which is what this would mean? Then there is the extra cost of the overtime if we are allowed to do it, as the working time directive is designed to limit the hours of overtime worked.

I understand that the RAF at Benson are worried about Red Kites being a danger to their Helicopters around the airfield, I reckon they will have to live with wildlife same as we do in agriculture. Why should the military not look after wildlife the same as the rest of us either wish to, or are encouraged to, it is bad enough to have to put up with their disturbance, but to expect nature to make way for the military is a step too far in my book.

I mentioned last month that the Gravel working in our adjoining parishes was rearing it’s ugly head again, I guess by now those who see the local press will be aware that it is a real threat. If we are to be guided by the map in the “Oxford Times” 1^st April there is very little of our county not at risk. What happens to this wonderful area of “Outstanding Natural Beauty”, all the conservation work that we farmers have done both at our own, and the “TAX PAYERS”, expense. As I have said before there are other building materials we can use, I was talking to someone who lives in Sweden the other day who said all their houses are built of wood. Further details of this proposal and objections can be found on a web site that has been set up by “Parishes Against Gravel Extraction”, www.pagecampaign.org

We shall soon know, if we don’t already, our future for the next 5 years, it’s getting very interesting at the moment unlike most Election campaigns. Very soon we will realise who has been telling the truth or has not been aware of the facts. Hopefully the new Government of what ever colour will make a better fist of things than the present incumbents.

Visit the new Science Oxford Networks website for more information about our activities and initiatives supporting the science & technology community.

At last we are seeing a little warmer weather, after the cold start to the year, but fear not, nature has a wonderful way of catching up. Having said that the soil at the time of writing this is still too cold and damp to plant vegetable seeds, but hopefully by the time you read this you should be able to get carrot, beans, spinach, beetroot, etc into the ground. Parsnips, potatoes, onions and some salad crops should already be in and germinating slowly. In the greenhouse prick out annual flower seed, sown last month, and peppers, courgettes, tomatoes, cucumbers should all be well on their way, and can be planted out later in the month when the risk if frost has passed.

Make sure you keep staking herbaceous plants, with hazel twigs, or canes and string, they soon grow away, and at the first heavy rain flop, and are difficult to tie up again. Dahlia tubers that have been in store should be shooting well now, plant up into large pots and keep well watered but frost free, ready to plant into the garden later in the month. The Dahlia judges that gave us such a wonderful talk a few months ago are expecting a lot of entries in the new class for novice Dahlia entries. So get growing!

Keep and eye open for pests and diseases on plants, and take early precautions, spray with Bordeaux mixture for potato and tomato blight well before you can see it. Give spring bulbs a foliar feed to promote good growth and flowers for next year.

Rooksnest is an exceptional 10 acre tradition English garden with a sunken garden that has recently been restored by Arabella Lennox-Boyd. There are terraces, a rose garden, lily pond, herbaceous borders, herb garden and an organic vegetable garden as well as many specimen trees and fine shrubs. Coffee and cakes will be served on arrival.

A newly re-established ten acre garden set within parkland and woodland. The walled gardens and formal areas around the house are distinguished by a strong sense of individuality and contemporary planting. The cutting and vegetable garden is a rich mix of plants in box-hedged enclosures with pathways running under tunnels of willow.

10.00 meet at Rooksnest (earlier start than usual as this is their NGS Open Day but we will have the garden to ourselves until 11.30 when the doors open)

9 acres of garden started in 1976 from a neglected estate have been imaginatively laid out with wonderful views over the Gloucestershire countryside. The garden is partly typical English country house style including rose gardens, immaculately kept hedges, wildflower meadows and so on but with occasional surprises, such as the Hidden Garden , and filled with rare and unusual plants and plenty of water.

6 acres surrounding an old Cotswold Manor House with 20 or so garden “rooms”, including a knot garden, potager, shrub roses, herbaceous borders in muted pastels and topiary, plus many areas of water, most notably twin rills lined with pleached limes. This garden continues to develop.

Please contact Di Cawdron on 01844 278270 or di@cawdron.net for further information or to make a booking. Map and directions on booking a place.

Saturday 1st Meet at Horton Cum Studley (the Millennium Hall car park) at 10:00am for a 10 mile walk to Beckley and Stanton St John via Otmoor RSPB. Pub stop. Sorry, no dogs allowed. 01865 358905.

Saturday 8th MALVERN HILLS . Meet at Redbridge Park and ride (near the exit) at 08:00am for car sharing. Please contact the leader by 1st of May if lift is required. 12 mile walk. Optional pub meal after the walk. Bring a picnic. 01865 874300.

Sunday 9th Meet at Russell's Water (the entrance to the village on the right hand side of the road) at 10:00am for a 6 mile walk to Park Corner, Chiltern Way , Ewelme Park , Ridgeway and Cookley Green. 07767 647714.

Tuesday 18th Meet at Ickford ( Worminghall Road ) at 09:30am for an 8 mile level walk to Worminghall and Waterperry. Pub at end of walk. 01844 339969.

Sunday 23rd GET WALKING DAY. Leisurely 3½ mile walk from Thame Upper High Street car park starting at 10:00am. Circular walk to the county boundary, followed by tea, biscuits and cake in Christchurch Hall. Dogs on leads please. 01844 215624.

Sunday 30th Meet at Wheatley (car park at the rear of the King and Queens PH) at 10:00am for a leisurely 6 mile walk to Waterstock and Waterperry. 01865 874300.

CAN YOU HELP?

As part of my role as food technology teacher at Wheatley Park I am doing a joint project with the metalwork department to build and create a BBQ for Year 7 pupils so they can make the BBQ and then create food and cook it themselves in the summer term. In order to compete this project I need a large metal drum, an old water trough or any other metal vessel that may be suitable to convert into a wood burning BBQ. Other items such as metal grates and old wheels that could be attached would be appreciated. I would even consider an old gas BBQ that can be stripped down. If you think you are able to donate any such items then please let me know. Your help would be gratefully received.

Sarah Sadler 278563

PLANT SALE : HARCOURT ARBORETUM, NUNEHAM COURTNAY

SUNDAY 23RD MAY 2010 11.00 A.M – 4.00 P.M.

The Friends of Oxford Botanic Garden plant sale is held every two years in support of the Garden and Arboretum. Plants from the very rare to the more commonplace are donated by the Botanic Garden, private collections and Friends. Homemade refreshments, second hand garden and cookery books, homemade jams, jellies and chutneys will be for sale. There will also be a raffle, an advice table and a chance to explore the Arboretum.

Free admission, parking, wheelbarrows available to take plants to cars.

All are invited to come and place their bids on the bidding sheets attached to their favourite items.

Then ring in (John Hampden Hall: 01865 891111 preferably or mob: 07720 286605) or call in

At 5pm the highest bidder for each item claims it, pays for it and takes it away to enjoy.

COFFEE MORNING - held on Saturday 24th April at 40 Chiltern View.

We had a very nice morning and the weather was beautiful so we were able to sit outside. The total amount raised was £131.30.

A very big thank you to everyone concerned. You were all so very generous both with time and donations. The cakes and biscuits were as always, delicious and I certainly could not have managed without you all.

Thank you also to all of you who came and spent lots of money.

The raffle prize winners were as follows:-

Ticket No Ticket No

1. Maggie . 18 2 Sylvia 7

3. Theresa 8 4. Cath 29

5. Sarah's Dad 60 6 Theresa 22

7 Anamaria 67 8 Raymond 26

9. Raymond 23 10 Helen 52

11 Sylvia 25

Gill Taylor

Unless otherwise stated, booking is essential for all events.
Please call 01865 407792 to reserve your place. For more information visit www.northmoortrust.co.uk

Listen to the amazing early morning bird song and learn how to identify birds by their calls. Adults £4.50, Children £1.50

If early mornings aren't your thing, but you still want to learn about birds, join us at the more leisurely time of 10am for our summer migrants walk. Adults £4.50, Children £1.50

Learn essential bushcraft skills: fire by friction, shelter, crafts and survival.

On Wednesday, the 17th March, forth-three members and friends set off for our outing to Birmingham . This was a City and Village Blue Badge guided tour. Teamed up with a local guide we spent an enjoyable day exploring this city of a thousand trades which was once the workshop of the world. Morning coffee and lunch in a pub on the canal were included. We had a brief visit to an Art Gallery and a tour of the famous jewellery quarter which is still thriving after four hundred years and boasts its own hallmark.

On the 8th April our speaker was Miss Sylvia Brown who was with us to talk about her thirty-five years on a milk round. Sylvia was born in Old Marston but most of her rounds were in various villages around the Witney area in West Oxfordshire . She used an electric milk float which, of course, had no heating so in the winter weather she put a small paraffin heater in the front of her float to try to keep warm. She worked seven days a week for which she was paid £4 10s 0d.

The level of demand for the service is relatively low in Little Milton but to those who need support it is vital and very much appreciated. Please give it some thought and ring me to find out more information if you are interested in helping or require transport to the surgery or hospital.

If you want advice or general information call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. This is a 24 hour service staffed by nurses who can give confidential advice and information on what to do if you are unwell, have any health concerns and give contact details or self help or support organisations. You can also visit their website at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

If you need to visit a GP or health professional outside of normal working hours you can call our service on 0845 345 8995. We will then arrange for you to see the right health professional in the right place. This service runs from 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 a.m. weekdays and 24 hours over weekends and bank holidays. In an emergency please call 999 to talk to the ambulance service.

FARMER’S MARKET

GREAT HASELEY VILLAGE HALL

Sunday, 9th May 10am -12.00 p.m.

(2nd Sunday of every month)

Many different tables selling; eggs, fruit, vegetables, meat, cakes, wine, cheese, bread, flowers, plants etc

Why not have a bacon butty with a cup of tea or coffee whilst reading a Sunday newspaper!

Deirdre Mann 279334; Will Meadon 077162

What should you do if you suddenly get a letter from a bank demanding payment for a debt of which you are unaware? This may be the first indication that you may have been a victim of identity theft.

Identity theft is a type of fraud which takes place when someone you don't know gets hold of your personal details and uses them to apply for credit or to open an account in your name.

If you have been a victim of identity theft you will usually not have to pay for any money you have lost, unless it can be shown that you have acted fraudulently or without reasonable care, for example by keeping your PIN number written down with your card. You must act quickly:

· contact the bank straight away, keep a record of all conversations you have with them, and copies of any letters sent or received

Dr A Harnden and Partners

Morland House Surgery, London Road , Wheatley , OX33 1YJ

Telephone: 01865 872448

The Surgery and Dispensary is open

Surgery appointments times:

Monday to Friday: 8.30am – 11.00am and 3.30pm – 5.50pm

Saturday: 8.30am – 11.20am

On Saturday mornings we have a limited number of pre-bookable appointments and emergency ‘walk-ins’ until 11.00am on the day.

Please telephone 01865 872448, call at the reception if you wish to book an appointment, make an enquiry or register with the practice. Alternatively, visit our website www.morland-house.co.uk for further information on appointments and the full range of facilities and services that we offer.

The surgery is situated on London Road (just off the roundabout at the top of Holloway Road ). Car parking available.

The surgery is currently accepting new patients from the local area.

When you get an approved renewable energy system installed you can now benefit from a Feed-in Tariff (FIT). Your electricity supplier will pay one tariff for the electricity you generate and one for any electricity you export to the grid. For a standard household Solar PV system they’ll pay 41.3p per kWh generated and at least 3p per kWh exported. and currently costs around £15,000 fitted. A new set up like this will reduce your annual CO₂ emissions by around a tonne. In terms of its positive environmental impact this is comparable to getting loft and cavity wall insulation fitted together. A 2.5kW peak system for a two person household could save/earn you £1000 a year

FITs replace government grants for electricity generating technologies like Solar PV and wind turbines. Grants for renewable heating systems remain but are due to be superseded in April 2011 by the Renewable Heat Incentive. To qualify for a grant your home must be insulated (270mm in the loft and cavity wall filled) with energy saving light bulbs throughout. For the latest information on renewable energy systems and incentives, contact the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012.

DEADLINE REMINDER – Please note that unless articles are in the hands of the Editor by the 20th of the month (unless otherwise stated), such articles will miss the scheduled Newsletter. The views expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Parish Council. All material for inclusion in the June 2010 Newsletter should be with the Editor at 27 Chiltern View, Little Milton, by 8.00 p.m. on 20th May 2010. The Editor reserves the right not to print items submitted for publication and to edit those items, which are published.

I am delighted to report that the litter blitz was very successful and I should like to thank the following people: Jane & Mark Willis, Adam, Lucinda Huw & Gareth Arnold, Hilary Mogford, Mark & Helen Platts, Geoff & Julie Barker, Lyndsey & Natasha Heath, Sally Ann Dennis, David Hawkins, Peter Wheal Jones, Stuart McGill and Sarah Holifield. I would also like to thank everyone who picks up bits of litter every day…it all helps to keep our community clean. If you see verges with litter phone Verdant on 03000610610 they will respond.

Councillor Stuart McGill ( Chairman)	01844 279092
Councillor Barry Coward (Vice Chair)	01844 278970
Councillor Mabel Wood	01844 279670
Councillor Alison Shelton	01844 278144
Councillor David Wakeling	01844 278014
Councillor Tim Robinson	01844 278343
Parish Clerk Raymond Fergusson	01844 279150 fergie.milton1@btinternet.com

	Garden	Non Recycle	Recycle	Food
5 May *	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
11 May	No	Yes	No	Yes
18 May	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
25 May	No	Yes	No	Yes

2nd	11.00 a.m.	Morning Service led by: Revd. Jameelee
9th	9.30 a.m.	Morning Service led by: Mrs. Betty Blake
16th	11.00 a.m.	Local arrangement led by : Mr. Chris Williams
23rd	11.00 a.m.	Morning Service led by: Miss Jean Stolton
30th	11.00 a.m.	Service of Holy Sacrament led by: Revd Derick Chambers

Monday Morning Monday Afternoon	10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. 1.30 p.m. – 4.00 p.m.	Open Door No appointment needed Appointments and phone advice
Tuesday Morning	10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.	Appointments and phone advice
Wednesday & Thursday	Closed
Friday	10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.	Appointments and phone advice

LITTLE MILTON

GREAT HASELEY

‘Sherlock Holmes’

Detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) and his stalwart partner Watson (Jude Law) engage in a battle of wits and brawn with nemesis, Lord Blackwood.

Also starring Mark Strong & Rachel McAdams

SATURDAY 8th MAY

7.00 for 7.30pm @ The Pine Lodge

SATURDAY 8^th MAY