# From the editor
We have the traditional
climax to the end of the summer holidays with the Great Haseley Flower Show and
the Village Fete over the Bank Holiday weekend (see pages 10 and 12 for
details) and further afield will be the delights of the Thame and Bucks Shows.
Harvest Festival is another great tradition (see page 6)
Zena Knight
Please note that the August meeting of the Parish Council will be on 14
August
Sobell House Hospice
Charity Bingo
To all who helped and attended the
bingo or bought plants from our house during the year, we have banked for
Sobell the grand total of £592.23.
The Unit gave us a good foundation for
a hugely successful bingo, of which we for Sobell Hospice are really grateful
to Tiddington.
Many thanks
Dawn and Brian Price
Tudor Cottage
Yoga Classes
After the summer break the Fitness and
Yoga classes will recommence on Thursday, 7 September at 10.30am.
These classes have been running
successfully now for a few years and are open to everyone.
Yvonne Cartwright
Milton Common NHW
(West Side)
Over
the last couple of months distraction burglaries have been prominent, targeting
the elderly; areas affected Kingston Blount, Longworth, and Henley.
Please look out for your elderly friends and neighbours.
We have received several reports, spread throughout our
police area, of assaults on cyclists. The assault takes place from a vehicle,
which pulls alongside the cyclist, a passenger then reaches out, and pushes the
cyclist over. So far nobody has been seriously hurt. Injuries so far have been
limited to cuts and bruises.
Flyers are being posted through letter boxes of
households, in our area, which offer valuation of silver or gold jewellery, and
also to buy pieces. As with all cold callers we advise you not to deal with
these particularly "mobile" operatives.
If you require this type of service, we advise you to go
to a couple of locally based businesses, which have been recommended to you.
If you receive such a caller, and you experience any
problems, please call the police on 08458 505505.
During the Summer School Holidays Dog Watch is going to
be in Operation. If pets need to be looked after during holidays and your
direct neighbours are away – please give me a call.
Elaine
Horne
NHW
Co-ordinator M/C
Parish Council News
Parish Clerk – at the June meeting,
Zena Knight announced her intention of resigning as Clerk and Newsletter editor
to take effect on 30 September. (See advertisement on page 3)
Affordable housing – further site
investigations need to be made, causing more delays. (See Chairman’s column for
details.)
Pelican crossing – the Council is helping
our County
Councillor
to put together statistics gathered over the years to prove its case for a
continuation of the project. (See also Chairman’s column)
M40 road noise levels – as the Council’s
representative, Elaine Horne attended a meeting between the M40 Chilterns
Environmental Group and the Highways Agency to receive a report on the noise
“hotspots” in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Flaws in the Agency’s processes
were exposed and Bucks CC and Wycombe District are becoming involved. (See also
the press release on page 4)
Planning – Sandy Lane Veterinary Surgery has
applied to erect a permanent building on the site of the present surgery.
Tiddington with Albury Parish Council Members
Chairman John Nowell-Smith 339650
Econ.development,
businesses
Vice Chairman Janet Willis 339415
Environment,
conservation, recycling,
waste
Councillor Roy Boughton 339497
Health and safety,
transport
Councillor Ken Field 339671
Housing, planning, building
& controls
Councillor Alan Stratton 339430
Sport, recreation, arts,
tourism, grants,
awards, lottery
Councillor Angela Tremayne 279797
Planning; highways and Milton
Common
Clerk Zena Knight 339340
24 Albury View,
Tiddington
Speed reduction measures, London Road, Milton Common – these have been
agreed by OCC and we hope they will be implemented during this financial year.
Donations – a contribution has been made to the work
of the M40 Chilterns Environmental Group.
Freedom of Information Act
Publication Scheme
Residents of the Parish
can see the records of the Council held by the Parish Clerk or learn where they
may be accessed. Records include minutes, financial information and responses
to planning consultations.
Application can be made to
the Clerk (Tel: 339340) and documents viewed by appointment. Any copies
required will be charged at 10p per page.
Refuse skips
Skips for non-recyclable waste are available
on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays at:
Wheatley Primary School, Littleworth
Road
8.00 – 12.00 or until full
Skips for non-recyclable waste are
available every Saturday at:
Thame Cattlemarket
8.00 – 12.00 or until full
Please note there are no longer skips for
separate garden waste
Refuse
collection
The
collection in August Bank Holiday week will be on Tuesday, 29 August
0845
8 505 505
The single number for non-emergency calls
From your Chairman
Zena Knight
You will have
read elsewhere in the Newsletter that Zena has tendered her resignation as
Clerk to the Parish Council. Not only did this come as a shock to all of us,
but it has been the cause of great sadness and dismay. Sadness because we will
miss her so much as a person and dismay as we will be lost without her.
Zena took up her
position as Clerk in May 1996 and since then she has kept the Council
functioning. Her knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of clerks and
councillors has kept us on the straight and narrow and without her efficient
handling of so many council matters, most of us Councillors would long since
have gone to our graves!
She has worked
tirelessly, putting in many hours beyond the course of duty, all without
complaint, at the same time refusing additional payments to which she would
have been entitled. Throughout all this she has maintained the utmost good
humour.
We have implored
her to change her mind but to no avail. There is a notice opposite seeking
volunteers to replace her – but she is literally irreplaceable.
Affordable housing
We have just
heard that a second contamination survey of the Station Yard is now required as
it was previously used as a sawmill. This will cost approximately £22k and set
the affordable housing project back six months. In the circumstances, OCHA has
threatened to withdraw. Efforts are in hand to see if the cost can be reduced
or if SODC will make a contribution. They have the money and are desperate for
more affordable houses to be built in the district.
Pelican crossing
You will have
gathered that our long awaited pelican crossing has been, if not cancelled, put
on a back burner. This was a decision of the County Council forced on them by
the Government. We are, however, trying to produce arguments as to why we
should be treated as a special case – such as the danger to the disabled and
the fact that the Police have been operating a hand-held speed camera because
the road is dangerous! We will not give up lightly.
Vet’s Surgery
Appeals against
SODC’s refusal to grant planning permission for the building of a vet’s surgery
in the field adjoining Sandy Lane Farmhouse were held recently in the Village
Hall. The Parish Council objected to the granting of permission on the grounds
of the undesirability of commercial development on that site and of traffic
danger. Dr Bennett has now lodged a further scaled down application which can
be viewed by arrangement with the Clerk. It is understood that she wishes to
pursue this application regardless of the outcome of the appeals
John Nowell-Smith
Parish Council Chairman
Tel: 01844 339650
VACANCY
Applications are invited for the posts of
Clerk to
Tiddington with Albury
Parish
Council
and
Editor of
the Tiddington with Albury and Milton Common Newsletter
Salary on Local Government pay scales for five hours
per week.
The posts could be shared by two people.
To commence on 1 October 2006
Apply to the Chairman, John Nowell-Smith
Tel: 01844 339650
For an informal chat about the duties contact the
Clerk, Zena Knight
Tel: 01844 339340
From your District Councillor
You may have
noticed some changes to the roundabouts in the vicinity. They have been tidied
up and advertising signs placed opposite roads accessing the roundabouts. This
has been done as part of an SODC initiative and has been vehemently opposed by
the local branch of the CPRE, whose Chairman lives in a nearby village. The
legality of the advertising signs has been called into question and has aroused
quite some comment in the Press and on Radio Oxford.
More
administrative services are being shared between SODC and the Vale of the White
Horse District Council, which may be an indication of SODC’s preference if
there is a reorganisation of local government.
Worries persist
about the number of new houses the Government wishes to build in this area and
rumours are beginning to circulate of a Stone Bassett type project being
resurrected. In the meantime, SODC and the Vale of the White Horse have
approved an outline proposal for 3,200 more houses in Didcot.
From 2007, when
the new Gambling Act comes into force, SODC will be responsible for licensing
premises for gambling activities, just as they are now for entertainment and
liquor licensing.
John
Nowell-Smith
District Councillor
Tel: 01844 339650
From your County Councillor
Road Traffic
Issues at London
Road, Milton Common.
Peter Ronald, the area highways engineer, advises
that he has placed the order to put warning red surfaced areas on the road, 30mph
roundels on the road and white gates at the sides of the road at the entrance
to the 30mph limit. This he believes
will at least draw a driver's attention to the fact that they are entering an
area where extra driving care is needed.
Pelican
Crossing in Tiddington on the A418.
I have invited Cllr David Robertson to attend a
forthcoming meeting of the Parish Council to explain the decision, following
changes in Government policy, not to proceed with the long awaited Pelican
crossing in the middle of Tiddington. As
you know the planning, including surveying and design, had been done in the
last financial year and we were expecting the crossing to be installed early in
the summer of this year. David Robertson
is the OCC Cabinet member responsible for highway issues. I have also provided the Parish Council with
a 10 year report on accident statistics for the 30mph area of the A418 in
Tiddington. I believe we must keep up
the pressure on this very important issue.
Early Years
Publication.
An interesting publication is now available
featuring Oxfordshire County Council's Early Years Development & Childcare
Partnership Plan for 2006/8. This gives
details of the early learning and childcare teams based within the early years
and family support service which is part of Oxfordshire County Council's Young
People and Families Directorate, which in turn provides education and
children's social services. To obtain a copy please call 01865 815630.
Please feel free to contact me about County
Council issues that concern you.
My contact details are as follows:
Address: 50
Hardings, Chalgrove, Oxford, OX44 7TJ.
Home Telephone: 01865
891169
Email: david.turner@oxfordshire.gov.uk
David Turner
County Councillor
21st
July 2006
400 years until quieter M40
News release
from
Member of
Parliament for Aylesbury
David
Lidington, 17 July
2006
It will take four
hundred years for the Highways Agency to put noise-reduction measures in place
along the M40 in Bucks and South Oxfordshire, under current priorities and spending levels. That was the message
from campaigners to their local MPs at a meeting in Westminster on 13 July.
Members of the
M40 Chiltern Environmental Group met Paul Goodman, Dominic Grieve, David
Lidington and Boris Johnson, to discuss their progress in persuading the
Highways Agency to prioritise the M40 noise problem.
After the
meeting, David Lidington, MP for Aylesbury, said:
“Ken Edwards and
his team told us that the M40 is an old motorway which would fail current
design standards. As a result, my constituents in Stokenchurch and other
residents in villages such as Loudwater, Lane End and Lewknor, live closer to
the route than would be allowed today and suffer from dangerously high noise
levels as a result.
“Yet it could
take decades for quietening to be considered. The Government’s priorities seem
to be weighted against rural areas and do not take enough account of the
environment, for example the fact that the motorway runs right through the
Chiltern Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
“I shall be
tabling questions in Parliament to encourage Ministers to have a good look at
the problems suffered by residents in Bucks and Oxfordshire.”
Help us improve our website and receive £20
South Oxfordshire District Council’s website, www.southoxon.gov.uk,
provides a wide range of information and services. We are continually looking
for ways to improve our site and make it easier for people to use.
Could you spare an hour of your time to
help us test our website?
We are looking for volunteers to help us work out which parts of our
website need improving. The sessions will take place at the Council Offices in
Crowmarsh Gifford, and will involve a few tasks to see how easy or hard it is
to use our site. You don’t need any prior experience or knowledge about
websites to take part. The session will involve looking at the website for
around an hour. At the end of the session, volunteers will receive £20.
If you are interested and able to come to our offices during weekdays
(7am-7pm), please send your name, contact details (address, phone number,
email) and when you are available between 24 Jul - 24 Aug, to:
Sam Shepherd, Consultation Officer
South Oxfordshire District Council
Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford
WALLINGFORD,Oxon OX10 8ED
Tel: 01491 823093
Email: Sam.Shepherd@southoxon.gov.uk
We will contact you to ask you a few details about yourself and to make
an appointment.
From the Vicar
This month’s letter is part of an occasional series when we shall
receive contributions from other members of the Wheatley Team Ministry and is
written by Angela Butler who
will be a familiar face to many of you. Angela has a special responsibility for our
ministry to young people.
If you have ever grown your own grapes, made your
own wine or just planted a vine in your garden, or for that
matter visited a vineyard in France or Italy, you will know
how rapidly vines get going in the spring. It was when I had the job of growing
grape vines for Imperial Chemicals that I made the discovery that the roots of
the vine have a sweet aroma. Vines are truly wonderful plants.
At our Team Eucharist
in Cuddesdon in May there was an exciting moment when the children of the
twelve parishes held up a big frieze of vine which they had created. This large
picture was a demonstration of the way our village churches work together. It
was also a pictorial way of portraying Jesus’ words “I AM the true vine” As Christians we belong to Christ and just as
vine branches remain alive by staying connected to the parent vine and so
produce fruit grapes and wine, so we as Christians by staying part of Christ
can share his life.
I sometimes wonder how
much is lost in life by those who cannot feel part of the spiritual life of
Christ and his family the church. Being able to communicate with God, however
poorly we may think we do it, offers to add a whole huge new dimension to our
human existence. In a phone call from New Zealand
recently an old parishioner of mine said how he had been able to pray in
Intensive Care as he watched the monitor rise and peak and he had felt able to
connect with God. Why do parents so often bring their children to be baptised
in the church which they knew when they were children, surely because it is the
place where they feel they connect best to God or with that “True Vine”. At the end of a wedding service as I stand
with the newly weds in front of the altar I know that once again a man and a
woman have chosen to stand in the “Holy place”
because they intend to be in God’s presence and commit to him at this most special moment
of their lives.
Yes, Jesus is the True
Vine, the one who has made it possible in spite of all our mistakes for us to
connect to God; made it possible for us to discover and light up that part of
us, that spiritual part of us which, when we recognise it can enable us to
produce really Good things for God, for others and for ourselves.
Have a great summer. God Bless. Angela
FUNERAL
22 June Ivy May Coppock
May she rest in peace.
HOLY
BAPTISM
9 July William Henry Bull
Welcome to the Lord’s family
PARTY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Young People in the
Wheatley Team please keep Sunday, 10 September free to come to a party with
boat trips at Angela’s house from 1.15
to 4.00pm.
Give Angela a ring on 01189422055 or email her on angelabutler@nestledown68.fsnet.co.uk
or speak to Caroline on 01865 873451 or email caroline.king@virgin.net and I will
make sure Angela knows you are coming.
HARVEST
FESTIVAL
This year’s Harvest Festival will be on Sunday, 17
September at 6.00pm, followed by a Harvest Supper. There will
also be a children’s activity in church on Saturday, 16 September from 2.00 in
the afternoon. It would be great to have lots of people at both these events.
Oxfordshire Historic Churches
Ride or Stride
The
Oxfordshire Historic Churches “Ride or Stride” is on Saturday, 9 September this
year.
Sponsor forms will be available from
Anne Edwards, Tel: 01844 339794 or support the event by walking or cycling to
as many churches as you can and get sponsors yourself.
Anne Edwards
Oxfordshire County Council
Children,
Young People and Families
Important
dates for your diary
If you have a
child who was born between 1 September 2002 and 31 August 2003, you can apply for a place in an Oxfordshire
Primary or Infant School for September 2007.
·
You can
obtain a booklet entitled “Starting School” from any Oxfordshire maintained Primary or
Infant school from 11 September 2006.
·
The
closing date for applications is 20 November 2006.
·
You will
receive a letter in February 2007 informing you which school your child has
been allocated.
If you live in
Oxfordshire and have a child who will be in Year 6 from September 2006, you can
apply for a place in a Secondary school for September 2007.
·
You will
be able to obtain a booklet from your child’s current maintained primary school
in September 2006.
·
The
closing date for applications is 20 October 2006.
·
You will
receive a letter in March 2007 informing you which school your child has been
allocated.
The closing dates
above are very important, as late applicants may not be successful in getting
the school of their choice.
This year for the
first time you will be able to apply for a school place on-line at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admissions
If you have any
questions regarding this notice, please contact the admissions team by
telephone on 01865 815175 or you can write to the team at Macclesfield House, New Road, Oxford, OX1 1NA
Great Milton
C of E Primary School
www.great-milton.oxon.sch.uk
The
summer term has been a very busy one with plenty of events taking place at the
school.
Venturing
Vikings – What a brilliant week with class five and six entertaining
their families and friends with “The Venturing Vikings”, a history lesson with
a difference! As always the children rose to the occasion and their sheer
enjoyment of performing together shone through
– see photos on the school web site.
Area
Sports - Primary schools in the Thame and Wheatley partnerships
compete each year for an area sports trophy. The children who represented Great
Milton were chosen as usual following sports day this year. The children did
very well, coming a well deserved 3rd place.
Kwik
Cricket - A Year 6 mixed team and an Under 11’s girls’ team have
represented the school at kwik cricket tournaments this term. The children all
played really well and their skills improved with each game they took part
in. They all showed excellent team
spirit and thoroughly enjoyed.
SATs
Results – Best Ever! We are all very pleased, particularly as there was
a change of teacher at Easter which had the potential to unsettle the children
and affect the overall results!!
English Level 4 and above 100%
Cohort # 23
Overall
Level
5
14
61%
Level
4
9
39%
Level
3
-
--
Writing Level 4 and above 87%
Level
5
10
43.5%
Level
4
10
43.5%
Level
3
3
13%
Reading Level 4 and above 100%
Level
5
15
65%
Level
4
8
35%
Mathematics Level 4 and above 91%
Level
5
12
52%
Level
4
9
39%
Level
3
2
9%
Science Level 4 and above 96%
Level
5
15
65%
Level
4
7
30%
Level
3
1
4%
School reopens on Tuesday 5th September – Happy Summer Holiday !
The school web site will be kept updated throughout the
school year with articles and pictures of activities taking place at the
school. The web site can be viewed at www.great-milton.oxon.sch.uk.
Mark Stoker
Chilworth House School
Locals may have
noticed a school sign appear on the A418 between Waterstock Golf Club and
Tiddington.
Chilworth
House School is part of the Witherslack Group of Schools
based in the North West of England and catering for children with various
“Special Needs”.
Chilworth
represents their first school in the south and is a Day Primary School supporting referrals from various local
authorities for children who have a statement of Special Needs. We are
registered for up to 24 pupils who have complex learning and communication
difficulties and challenging behaviour. In April this year we had a successful OfSTED
which described us as a “good school making a very promising start”. The
“values” based curriculum was quoted as being “highly relevant” and “stimulates
pupils’ imagination”.
We wish to
develop community links with the area and welcome suggestions on how to do so.
For further
information or suggestions please contact the head teacher, Mr Robert Marchbank
on 01844 339077 or email head@chilworthhouseschool.com
Waterstock & Tiddington W.I.
Jill Bailey’s experiences researching and filming frogs
with Earthwatch in the wild parts of Australia
brought much admiration from members at the meeting in June. An amusing
interlude for the expedition was the mysterious disappearance of tent pegs –
no, not stolen by other tenters when they had mislaid theirs but by a
kookaburra!
In July the details of Dick Jennens’ trip with Oxfam to Bangladesh
in February were very thought provoking. The deprivation of the people,
particularly the women were very telling, but the excellent work of Oxfam gave
cause for optimism for the future.
On 10 August we will learn about “Clinical holistic
aromatherapy in a forensic setting” with Jane Birchenough, and on 14 September
the speaker, Alan Copeland, has the intriguing title for his talk “Tales of the
unexpected”.
As autumn approaches there will be a variety of events
organised by the County Federation,
including an evening with Pam Ayres on 26 September, poetry reading sessions
and a trip to Wells in October. These and other activities are usually open to
non-members, so please get in touch if interested.
We shall be serving teas and home made cakes at the
Village Hall Fete on Bank Holiday Sunday and would welcome cakes made by
members.
The WI will also be responsible for the produce stall and
would be grateful for any home-grown produce, plants, cakes, pastries, jams,
pickles, etc from everyone.
Our monthly ,meetings are on the second Thursday at 7.30pm in Tiddington Village Hall.
Zena Knight
Tel: 339340
Something for Free
I have two Pine Tall Stools that I no
longer want. They are 27” high with 11” diameter seats.
If you would like to give them a home
please call me on 01844 339415.
Janet Willis
Thames Valley
CRIMESTOPPERS
0800 555 111
Call anonymously with information about crime
Tiddington Village Hall
The Village Hall Fete
& Social Evening 2006
Many of you will remember the great day we had last year, we were not only
blessed with brilliant weather but the crowds came too and we ended up raising
a record breaking £1,100.
Well, we thought we'd do
it all again this year!
The date for your diary is Sunday 27th August. We'll have many of the usual
attractions during the day and the ever popular Pig Roast and Social (including
prize giving) in the evening. The Fete starts at 2pm and we plan to serve the
pig at about 8pm.
During
the day we've got beat the keeper for the kids (and adults) as well as the now
classic egg throwing contest, darts, aunt sally, target golf etc. Refreshments
will also be available throughout the afternoon so bring along your family and
friends. There will be a Books, CD's, Puzzles and Games stall as well as the
Tombola and produce stalls. As usual we welcome any donations of 'stock' for
these stalls. The produce stall (run by the WI) is looking for plants, cakes,
gifts, home grown vegetables, etc.
If
you have anything you would like to donate then please contact a Village Hall
Committee member or call me on 339430. We will also try and do a door-to-door
visit during the week beginning 21st August.
This
year we will be having a special handicraft competition for the kids. It's
their opportunity to get creative and make something special using the raw
materials we will provide. The winner will receive a new trophy which is being
presented in memory of Audrey Taylor, who passed away earlier this year. Audrey
was famous for her brilliant knitted dolls which she very kindly made and
donated to the Fete every year. Some of you will remember having to try and “guess
the dolls name”.
As
I mentioned in the last Newsletter, we really do need your help to make this
event a success. If you can help in any way either on the day or perhaps making
cakes, etc., then please let us know. Even if it's just to give one of the
stall runners 15 minutes off to look round the rest of the Fete!
Looking
forward to seeing you on the 27th
Alan Stratton
Chairman
Tiddington Village
Hall Committee
Tel: 01844 339430
Tiddington Cricket
Club
Whilst I’m sat writing
this article, the day after record July temperatures, I’m thinking like many others
that a break from the sunshine would be a good thing especially for the garden.
Monday or Tuesday would be best so as not to interrupt weekend activities.
On the cricket front it
was sad to have to pull out of the village KO after beating Oxford Downs in the
county quarterfinals, as we realised that a recent rule change meant that one
of our players was ineligible. Downs
went on to win the county final where they beat Shipton under Wychwood and then
progressed to the second national round when they succumbed to Timsbury, the Somerset champions.
The First Eleven are
currently mid-table and still have much to play for as it is a very close
division, apart from Cumnor who are leading by a long way.
The Seconds, after
struggling for quite a few seasons now, are getting stronger and much more
competitive and we have every confidence that they will improve their current
position.
The Thirds, having only
won their first match in the middle of July, are now much stronger too, with
promising younger players making useful contributions. Whilst currently bottom
of our division we have high hopes that we can be very competitive for the rest
of the season.
This season’s junior
teams at under 11, 13 and 15 have all had mixed results but with many playing
for the first time we can see the benefit of the efforts made on Wednesday
evenings’ coaching sessions. A big “thank you” for all parents who have
supported these matches.
Thanks too to all of
the Club coaches for their sterling work running the junior coaching. These sessions
are now finished for this year.
For the first time ever
we have been coaching over 13’s on Friday evenings this year, something we have
wanted to do for some time, but never had the resources to do it. The benefits
have been clearly visible and we intend to continue this next season. Sincere
thanks to the coaches who have run these sessions.
Aunt Sally
Our Wednesday team are
currently 2nd in division 3 of the Oxford and District League.
This is a very competitive division with the top six teams very closely bunched
but it seems that the balmy evenings suit our team as they are in a rich vein
of form at the moment.
The “A” team on Fridays
are also doing well and are in the top half of their division.
Similarly the “B” team
are also doing well and are comfortably in the top half of their section.
Congratulations to Stan on his first ever “Six”!
Fundraising
Sincere thanks to
everybody who supported the Promises Auction by providing the promises or
bidding on the evening. Thanks, too, to the organisational team for their work
prior to and on the evening and to Auctioneer Alan Stratton who “squeezed” an
incredible £2429 for the new pavilion.
This year’s member
versus players cricket match will take place on Sunday, 13 August so as not to
clash with the summer Fete on Bank Holiday weekend and the Annual Dinner Dance will
take place in the Village Hall on Saturday, 7 October.
Ray Manning
Weather
statistics
May
May was the wettest for the past twenty years. We
had 20 days of rain recorded in Tiddington. On the other hand the temperature
for the first fortnight was the warmest since 1945. The highest temperature in
Tiddington was on 5th May at 79degF 27degC
June
A very pleasant month. There were four days of
rain in Tiddington. We had ten days of temperatures over 80degF 28degC.
July
So far, the temperatures have been much higher
than what we used to have. We have had four days with temperatures over 80degF
28degC, three days over 90degF 32degC.
The highest temperature recorded was on the 19th,
with temperatures over 97.3degF, the highest for a hundred years. Tiddington
was down on this at 96degF and was cooler than the previous day.
According to the pundits, we are due for more warm
weather before the end of the month. So let us enjoy it before we face up to the
winter.
Glen Evans
Wheatley
Library
Summer
Storytime
We will be holding two sessions during the school
holidays – 8 August and 22 August. These events will take place from 11.00am until noon and are open to all 4-8
year olds. Tickets are FREE but must be collected in advance from the library.
The Summer
Reading Event takes
place until 16 September and is called the Reading Mission. We have new books
and many exciting initiatives to support this.
Carole Underwood
Library Manager
September is National Pet Smile Month
Pets’
teeth need care too, just like ours. Ideally brushing once a day is the best
way to keep your pet’s teeth and gums healthy.
- To start, you will
need some pet toothpaste (you can’t use human toothpaste) and a very soft
bristle toothbrush or finger toothbrush.
- Begin by putting a
small ball of toothpaste on your finger and giving it to your pet as a
treat, followed by praise.
- Next, as you are
giving the toothpaste treat, just gently rub the toothpaste on to the gums
as your pet is licking it off your fingers. This gets your pet used to you
having your hands in their mouth.
- Now comes the
toothbrush – you can either start with a finger toothbrush which is like a
thimble with bristles or go straight for the big brush. It is very
important to use the softest bristle toothbrush you can find as the gums
can be quite sensitive. Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste on to the
brush and try to push it down into the bristles, then gently lift up your
pet’s lip and brush softly in a circular motion around all the teeth – not
forgetting the back ones!
Teaching
your dog or cat as a puppy or kitten is obviously the best way, but older dogs
and cats can be taught to let you brush their teeth too – it just takes a bit
more time and patience!
For
animals that absolutely will not - no way, no how - let you brush, a gel
product is available that is designed to help fight the bacteria which causes
the formation of plaque and tartar. This works by simply squeezing a bit on to
your finger or some gauze and wiping it over the teeth and gums.
And
if all that fails, there are various treats on the market specially designed to
help promote dental health. If you are in any doubt about the condition of your
pet’s teeth, a check-up is advised as bad teeth and gums can affect the heart,
liver and kidneys and overall wellbeing. Poor dental health is the number one
cause of stroke like episodes in older pets.
This
September many vets are offering free dental health checks to all pets. You can
check www.PetSmile.org to see if your
vet is involved with the program.
Smile!
Newington Nurseries
Patio Perfect using Pots
Plants in pots give instant impact. They bring flexibility and
convenience as well as being ornamental in their own right. Use them to “redecorate”
your patio this summer. Bamboo and flowering grasses are great for creating an
exotic, faraway feel in the most suburban situation! Decorative foliage and
seed heads will also provide a longer lasting effect than many other plants.
Flowering grasses are a plant kingdom all of their own. Here are
examples from some of the main families. Pennisetum villosum (Feathertop) is a
compact flowering grass (height and spread 60cm). In late summer it produces
gorgeous seed heads, covered in delicate bristles. Chinese silver grass
(Miscanthus sinensis “Kleine Fontane”) produces lovely sprays of light brown
seed heads in summer (height and spread 1m and 60cm). Carex flagellifera, with
its arching, evergreen leaves, is perfect for container growing. Flower heads
are brown and form at the end long stalks which will trail down over the edge
of a pot (Height and spread approximately 1m).
For foliage, form and a strong yet sympathetic personality, bamboo
(Pleioblastus) should be high on your shopping list this month. Producing
wonderful woody canes and long pointed leaves, sometimes variegated, they are
fully hardy and range in height from 1.2 - 3m (Pygmy bamboo height reaches
40cm). Looking at specifics, Pleioblastus auricomus is a great choice that would
enhance any garden. The yellow, pointed leaves are striped green and look
fabulous in the sun. Ideal for container growing, this bamboo can spread to
cover larger areas if planted out. Pleioblastus variegatus (Dwarf white striped
bamboo) is another small bamboo well suited to container growing. It reaches a
height of 75cm and carries stylish dark green leaves striped with cream. Some
varieties of bamboo can be very vigorous, so container growing can be an ideal
way to keep them in check and enjoy them too!
Once you've chosen your plants, follow a few simple steps to get the
best results from your pots. Put stones or crocks in the bottom of pots to
ensure good drainage. Choose a good quality, compost; this will help to
preserve moisture and maintain healthy plants. Water and feed plants regularly
during the growing season. Cut out dead leaves on grasses during summer.
Shelter bamboos from cold drying winds. Although most of these plants do not
have any particular soil requirements, always check the needs of individual
varieties. Full sun or partial shade is generally suitable. A layer of slate
mulch or pebbles in the top of the pot will not only help to retain moisture
but enhance both pot and plant.
For more inspiration and advice, visit Newington Nurseries on the A329
just outside Stadhampton.
Tel: 01865 400533 ~ www.newington-nurseries.co.uk
GREAT HASELEY
AND DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
GARDEN VISIT FOR 2006
Le Manoir Great Milton Gardens - Wednesday 6 Sept & Thursday 7
Sept at 6.00pm
A
visit to Le Manoir, to see the garden and vegetable garden in its late summer
glory. We will be taken round by Anne Marie Owens, the Head Gardener. She would
prefer small groups, so we have arranged for two groups, on successive nights
in September.
There
is a limit of 10 people for each group.
Members
£2 Non Members £3
Please
contact Mary Isaac on 01844 279606 or maryisaac606@hotmail.com
for further information or to make a booking.
Great Milton Neighbours’ Club
Outings Programme 2006
16 August Luton Stockwood Craft Museum and Gardens. Tea room for light lunches and a shop. Afternoon at Wardown Park Museum
or we could drop you off at the Arndale shopping centre. Cost: coach only,
entrances are free.
6 September 2-hour river cruise from Caversham Bridge. Arrive at Beale Wildlife Park and gardens for hot and cold meals, train ride. Cost: boat £7.50, Beale Park
£3.40 + coach.
For
more information please ring Celia Cope on 279459.