EDITORIAL
Essex Police have announced that their patrol cars are to be fitted with `talking' petrol
caps to remind colleagues which fuel pump to use. Apparently the rozzers cause £10000
worth of damage to their vehicles every year because they forget whether they should go
for petrol or diesel.
How odd that rather than biroing `use diesel' on his shirt cuff, an Essex policeman prefers
the ignominy of being lectured by his petrol cap. Also, if an Essex policeman is in the
habit of forgetting what fuel to put in his car, one wonders what else he forgets.
Presumably chilly nether regions will warn him of the absence of something as
fundamental as trousers. But one can not be sure: Claude Thornhill once walked on stage
to play the piano with the Glenn Miller Band having left his trousers in his dressing room.
Scientists have decided that forgetfulness is the brain's defence against overload: it forgets
what it deems unimportant (which suggests the brain has never had to drain a petrol tank
erroneously filled with diesel.) Pregnant women supposedly forget things as the brain
clears itself of stuff inessential for the task of Bringing up Baby. And there are many of'
us with the sort of flitterbug minds that leap from one thing to another scattering untidy
thought as we go. Some of the mightiest have short attention spans: Leonardo da Vinci
often forgot what he was doing, and rarely finished anything completely, which probably
explains why the Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.
In old age Arthur Balfour summed up what he had learned in life with `Nothing matters
much, and most things don't matter at all.' Which is jolly lucky, because if he had thought
that some things mattered very much indeed, he would probably have forgotten what they
were. It is the annoying paradox of age: just as one has useful experience to impart, one
forgets what it is.
Somerset Maugham rose to speak after his 80th birthday dinner. `There are many virtues
in growing old', he began, and then stopped. After a while, he cleared his throat and said
sadly `I'm just trying to remember what they are.'
Which reminds me of a fellow villager who all his professional life forgot people's names,
and solved the problem by calling all the chaps 'dear' and the women `darling'. A habit,
incidentally, he shares with "Zsa Zsa Gabor.
And it could be worse: Lord Tennyson's dad was a country parson who, when visiting a
parishioner, forgot not only who the parishioner was but also his own name. He walked
about for a bit pondering on this conundrum, then he met a villager who greeted him,
`Good morning, Dr Tennyson'. `Yes, by heaven', cried the good doctor `You're absolutely
right... On both counts!'
Richard Martin
PARISH & BENEFICE SERVICES
Sunday 2nd November — IV before Advent
10.30 am Westwell Benefice Service
JH, NUW
6.00pm Filkins
Evensong
NUW
Sunday November - Remembrance Sunday
9.00am Broadwell
Holy Communion
NUW
10.30am Shilton
Parish Communion & Children's Church EJ
10.50am Shilton
Remembrance Service
EJ
I0.50am Alvescot
Remembrance Service
NUW
I0.50am B Bourton Remembrance Service
HM
10.50am Kencot
Broadshire Remembrance Service AM
10.50am Westwell
Remembrance Service
RL
Sunday 16th November - II before Advent
9.00am B Bourton/Alvescot Holy Communion
NUW
9.00am Holwell
Holy Communion
EJ
I0.30am Broadwell/Kencot Matins NUW
I0.30am Kelmscott Family Communion HM
I0.30am Langford
Parish Communion EJ
6.00pm Filkins
Evensong
HM
6.00pm Westwell
Evensong
NUW
Sunday 23rd November - Christ the King
9.00am Kencot/Broadwell Holy Communion
EJ
9.00am Shilton
Holy Communion
AM
I0.30am Alvescot
Parish Communion AM
10.30am Filkins
Family Communion & baptism
EJ
11.00am L Faringdon Parish Communion HM
6.00pm Holwell
Evensong
HM
6.00pm Langford
Evensong
NUW
Sunday 30th November - Advent Sunday
9.00am Langford
Holy Communion
HM
I0.30am B Bourton Family Communion & baptism
NUW
10.30am Kencot
Parish Communion HM
10.30am Holwell
Parish Communion AM
10.30am Shilton
Parish Communion I:J
10.30am Broadwell Parish Communion IW
6.00pm Alvescot
Evensong
I ,I
Sunday 7th December - Advent II
10.30am Langford
Benefice Service
AM, 1.1, I I M
6.00pm L Faringdon Evensong
AM
Combined services are held in the first-named church
There is a Communion Service at Black Bourton every Wednesday at 10 .00am
CELEBRANTS & SERVICE LEADERS
AM: Alister McGrath, EJ: Liz Johnson, I IM: I Harry Mc Innes, JI I: Julian
uhbard, NUW: Neville Usher-Wilso I'W: Paul Win, hcstcr, RI,: Ron LloydTHE
LECTIONARY
2nd November - IV before Advent All Saint 's Day (G or W)
Revelation 7.9-17
Psalm 34.1-10
1 John 3. 1-3 Matthew 5. 1-12
9th November - Remembrance Sunday (R/G)
Amos 5:18-24 Psalm 70
1 Thessalonians 4.13-end
Matthew 25. 1-13
16th November - II before Advent (R/G)
Zephaniah 1.7, 12-endPsalm 90. 1-8, 12
1 Thessalonians 5.1-11
Matthew 25.14-30
23rd November - Christ the King (R/W)
Ezekiel 34. 11-16, 20-24
Psalm 95.1-7
Ephesians 1. 15-end Matthew 25. 31-end
ALL SAINT'S DAY
FOR 1500 years, every early November, the Church has celebrated the lives of all those
who died for their faith. As with most Christian festivals, there are older elements and
accretions that have been variously disowned (though not very successfully with the
nonsense of Halloween), or assimilated like the Spanish and South American traditions
associated with Dia de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead.
Here is a Spanish poem touching on that most important strand in all religions: the
flickering, elusive line that divides the living from the dead.
Woman with a Sombre Gaze
Woman with a sombre gaze,
Tell me, what do you see in the candles?
are they ghosts in the night
or are they flowers of the earth?
Woman with a tender gaze
the flames of candles reach out;
are they mocking this moment
or are they restfully flickering out.
What do you treasure on your lap
illuminated and transparent,
even in the air
your silhouette appears?
In your illuminated face
life rejuvenates,
to those who love death
this is a golden night in their sight.
Twice as much the pain,
twice as much the loss,
the flowers have become rivers
and the fragrance cries out.
For those who love life
it is a night of confusion,
the wax kisses the flowers
and the flame caresses the emotions
Pondering at night,
vigil of the imagination,
bundle of lights and echoes,
stay up late during the wake
.
...
Julie Sopetran
THE RECTOR'S LETTER
Dear Friends
YOU may be familiar with the remark made by Woody Allen, with characteristic sardonic
humour, when he said `Our civilisation stands at the Crossroads. Down one road is
despondency and despair. Down the other is total annihilation. May we all have the
courage to choose the right one!' That seemed to be the mood of most of the country at the
beginning of October as the Press began to use apocalyptic words about the Global crisis,
and the possibility of another Great
Depression of the kind which began with the Stock Market crash on 29th' October 1929.
At that time, cities all round the world were hit. Personal incomes, tax revenues, prices
and profits spiralled down, and the effects were felt for the following decade.
Nobody is yet able to predict whether the drastic action taken by governments this time
will save us from a similar period. After having lived in a decade of remarkably full
employment and pleasant affluence, the crisis has made everyone feel uncomfortable. As
one comedian said `the future isn't what it used to be!' There is a growing gloom because
so many things seem uncertain.
In one way there is nothing new about this. Economists have long faced the cyclical
nature of the market booms and busts. Empires have come and gone, wars have been won
and lost. The world is an insecure place even though at times we are able to settle quite
securely in it. Perhaps what is happening is simply making us more aware of what is
always the case. It has made me ask myself how those who have seen cataclysmic
disasters in the past have coped without being flung into a deep pessimism or a stoical
resignation.
Supremely, their peace of mind has come from a deep sense of someone who is in
ultimate control. We don't know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future'
does contain a profound truth. The psalmist's voice of 2800 years ago still speaks into our
situation. `We will not fear though t he earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea
.. God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble'. Or the apostle
Paul two millennia ago `I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know
what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plcnty....I can do all things through
him who gives me strength'. There is what has been called a divine alchemy at work in
those who suffer in their faith and hang on to their hope in God. We look back and see
that it was actually our disappointments more than our achievements that have been
transformed into gold.
Harry MacInnes
CHILDREN'S CHURCH
Dear Parents
YOU might be well aware by now of our activities, but if not here it is again. Children's
Church is now in its third year of running and buzzing, with planned activities for the next
two services coming up in November and December.
We explore Christianity through fun activities and play. We have a number of regular
children who come every second Sunday of every month for 40 to 45 minutes to the
village hall in Shilton; and then we join the main Family Service towards the end. This
gives parents a chance to worship and the children to learn through an organised and
structured set of activities. We start at 10.30am so it is best to get to us at around 10.15am.
The service starts at 10.30am in the church across the road.
The next services will be:
Sunday 9th November when we will explore the meaning of Advent, through calendar
making.
Sunday 14th December. This will be our Christingle Service, so we will be making
yummy sweetie Christingles and bringing them into church to share with the
congregation.
The first service in the New Year will be on Sunday 11th January.
So please remember Children's Church meets every second Sunday of the month for some
fun, fun, fun.
New members are always warmly welcomed, so please do not hesitate to turn up on the
day or ring me in advance on 01993 847039.
Look forward to seeing you there. Debs Price
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
OUR next meeting is
on Wednesday 5th
November in the
Filkins Chapel Schoolroom at 2.45pm, as usual. Miss Helen Squire, who is always a most
interesting speaker, will be telling us about her recent trip to Turkey.
Anyone who would like to join us will be most welcome. Marjorie Barstow
Liz Johnson
SHILTON BAPTIST CHAPEL
A Smile
Did you know that it takes half as many muscles, and therefore less energy, to smile than
it does to frown? This is one of those gems of useful information that I picked up early in
my teaching career and put on the back burner for future reference.
Next time you venture out of your front door to go shopping, or to go to work, or take
your dog for a walk, or go to a restaurant for a meal, or hop on a bus, or go to the cinema,
or watch your favourite television soap, or even attend church, make a note of how many
times you see someone genuinely smiling. Unfortunately, from personal observations, you
will not need many fingers or hands to keep count.
My dictionary tells me that a smile is `a facial expression characterised by an upturning of
the corners of the mouth, usually showing amusement, friendliness, happiness,
cheerfulness etc.', yet society as a whole seems to be losing the art of smiling. It seems
that the only news that we hear, or read about, is bad news, constantly reminding us of
doom and gloom; of things that are going wrong in the world that we live in, where
people want to hurt one another, or steal from one another, or who show no respect for
authority, or other people or their property.
Sadly it is a true fact that we live in worrying times, but so did Abraham, Noah, Moses,
Joshua, David, Solomon... and even Jesus. Chapters 6 and 7 of
BIBLE STUDY GROUP
DURING the autumn, we are exploring some of the Psalms in the Old Testament. I've
chosen four written by King David, psalms which express his deepest feelings in the
tumultuous events of his life. Our meetings are held at the Vicarage in Filkins, starting at
7.30pm. At our first two meetings, in September and October, we discussed Psalms 23
and 51, but if you would like to join us this month, you are most welcome. Please phone
me on 01367 860846.
Monday 3rd November - Psalm 73: 'Praying our doubts'
Monday 1st December - Psalm 103: 'Praying our praise'
Matthew's gospel tell how Jesus reassured people who were worrying about the society in
which they lived, and how they could survive the Roman
occupation. `Do for others what you want them to do for you.' This is the meaning of the
law of Moses and the
teaching of the prophets Jesus reminded them of in verse 12 of chapter 7.
Hundreds of years later John Wesley told the congregation to ` Do all the good you can,
by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, to all the
people you can, as long as ever you can.'
Many years later Mother Teresa put the same message more simply `Let no one ever
come to you without leaving better or happier', which brings me back to how important it
is for us, as Christians, to smile.
A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making
poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts
forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor that
he can't be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill in
business, and is the countersign of friendship.
'A smile brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is
nature's best antidote for trouble. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or
stolen for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people
are too tired to give you a smile - so give them one of yours, as none needs a smile as
much as he who has no more to give!'
God bless you - and get smiling.
Mike Barrett
Preachers for November
2nd November Informal
9th November Graham Sparrowhawk followed by communion
16th November Sue Barnes 23rd November Steve Jones
30th November Andy Robinson
All our services will start at 3.00pm during November and until the end of February. You
would be very welcome at any of them.
Please support the Church/Chapel combined Coffee Morning on Saturday 8th November
at Jean Roberts' house in Church Lane if you can. We will be having the usual stall from
the Highworth Christian Bookshop so you can buy Christmas cards, calendars etc. from
that.
There will also be a stall from the charity Helping Hands which will sell high quality
Scottish soaps and African crafts. Plus there will be a Bring and Buy stall, jams and
produce etc. It is always a lovely time to meet so please come if you can.
Elizabeth Harfield
ST JOHN FISHER & ST THOMAS MORE, BURFORD
THE Catholic church of St John Fisher & St Thomas More is at 171 The Hill, Burford,
Oxfordshire, OX18 4RE, and the priest is Ian Ker. Fr Ker can be contacted on 01993
823219. Sunday Mass 9.15am & 11.00am Weekday Mass Times vary, so please ring for
information.
There will be Eucharistic Adoration for half an hour before Mass during the week,
excepting Tuesday and Wednesday when it is afterwards. Confessions usually follow
Saturday morning Mass.
ST JOSEPH'S, CARTERTON
ST Joseph's Church is at Arkell Avenue, Carterton, OX18 3BS, and the priest is Andrew
Foster who can be contacted on 01993 842463. Fr Foster also says mass at St Mary's
Church (C of E) in Bampton. St Joseph's Primary School is on Lawton Avenue.
Mass times
Sunday
9.00am St Mary's, Bampton
11.00am St Joseph's Tuesday 7.00pm St Joseph's Wednesday 9.45am St Joseph's
Continued over
Thursday
9.45am St Joseph's during school holidays
9.30am St Joseph's Primary School during term-time and on some Feast Days. Please
check with Fr Foster.
Friday 9.45am St Joseph's
Saturday
9.45am St Joseph's 6.00pm St Joseph's
Confessions are heard on Saturdays between 10.15 and 10.45am, and at other times by
arrangement with Fr Foster.
Eileen Wojciechowska
CHANGES AT THE VICARAGE
PEOPLE often ask me which days of the week I'm on duty, and my answer has usually
been that I spread my `Sunday plus two days' across the week. In an attempt to organise
my time more effectively(!), I've decided to focus on working on Wednesdays and
Thursdays and in the morning on Fridays, so that everyone knows when I'm available.
I'm planning to start this new pattern from the beginning of November, but it won't affect
meetings already arranged for the rest of the year. I hope this will work well for everyone.
Liz Johnson
FILKINS & DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
Poppy Appeal
THIS year's Poppy Appeal will take place from Saturday 25th October until Saturday 8th
November. Village collectors will be making house-to house collections during this
period. Please give them every support as they brave the elements on behalf of this
essential fund-raising appeal that supports the welfare of ex-servicemen and their
dependants. Boxes will also be available at the usual static points in the Broadshire
villages.
Remembrance Service
This year's service, that marks the 90th Anniversary of the end of the First World War,
will be held at St George's Church Kencot on Sunday 9th November. Please assemble at
the War Memorial by 10.50am for the Act of Remembrance. Medals should be worn.
As has been the case in recent years, a Field of Remembrance will be set up in the
churchyard to enable those, who were known to them who have died as a result of war, to
be personally remembered. Small wooden crosses will be available from village Poppy
Appeal representatives and at the Memorial. The service will be led by the Reverend
Alister McGrath.
Branch AGM
This will be held at 7.30pm on Tuesday 4th November in the Five Alls at Filkins. All
members are most welcome to attend.
Jeremy Taylor
REMEMBRANCE
Each November we remember those who have died in defense of our country, and we
grow accustomed to the explanations of what happened and why, to battlefield maps and
detailed histories. So it is difficult now, to visit the battlefields and memorials of the
Somme and not be overwhelmed by a sense of the immense scale of it all.
But most of those who have written about their experience of war remember best the
small things, for the bigger picture was chaotic, unknown. And of course most soldiers did
not die. But many were wounded, and all served. Let us remember them too.
Here, for instance, is Gunner George Culpitt of the Royal Welch Fusiliers writing about
his brush with death, his wounds and his repatriation in 1916.
In 1917, after recovering from his wounds, George Culpitt returned to France and served
until the end of the war. Later, he became a wholesale florist, and lived in St Albans. He
died in 1962.
We travelled slowly up the road in the direction of Monchy and for some distance all went
well. In front of us however we could hear shells bursting and it became evident that the
enemy was putting up a barrage through which we should have to pass. Gradually we
drew nearer and found that gas shells were also falling around us. We therefore received
orders to put our gas helmets on and this we did, continuing our march in this fashion.
This made our progress very slow for we could not see very far in our helmets and the
road was dotted with shell holes.
We lost one or two on the way and were getting along as quickly as possible when all of a
sudden I heard a whizz and
received a terrific blow in the
left side of the face, smashing
my gas helmet and sending
me flying into a hole where I
stayed until I recovered my
wits and felt my face to see
how much of it was left.
Upon examination however, I
found that I had a cut above
my left lip, my eye entirely
closed up and in addition to
several cuts and bruises the
whole left side of my face
had already commenced to
swell. I had no bandage or field dressing so started back the way we had come for the
field dressing station. On the way I had to pass through the gas zone made by the shells,
and I did not waste any time in doing this.
At length I met a convoy of Artillery and one of them bandaged me up temporarily, and
then I made my way back to the Dressing Station. Here I
was put on a lorry that was going to Arras and journeyed thus to the centre of the town
where they left me to make my way on foot to the Field Ambulance Station, in the prison.
This I reached just before 4am and after being dressed, went and had some tea etc. which
was very welcome. Just before I left, the bombardment started which was to cover the
attack which was made at 4.15 am and in which I was to have taken part.
We went from the Field Ambulance in motor char-a-bancs to the Clearing Station at
Walus, which we reached about 7am. Here we stayed until 9am when a train arrived to
take us to Frevent which we reached about 12 midday, going to the No. 6 stationery
Hospital. Here we were again dressed and had dinner and here told to wait in the
recreation room which we did until 4pm when we once more left the Hospital and boarded
a train for the coast. We had tea on the train and reached Etaples about 10pm that night.
Here we were directed to different Hospitals as the motor which was taking us from the
rail head passed the Directing Officer and I found myself directed to No. 4 General
Hospital, which we reached about 10.30pm. After taking our particulars, we were sent to a
large tent where we spent the night.
Next morning we were given a bath and clean change and a suit of blues, and then
paraded to see the director at the Dressing Tent. As he interviewed each one he marked us
for England or elsewhere and I was pleased to learn that I was marked for Blighty.
FROM THE REGISTERS
WEDDINGS
20th September Broadwell Lisa Wood & Bryan Taylor
October
Langford
Lizzie Connolly & Alastair Nicholas FUNERALS
3rd October Langford
Ruby Tanner died 30th September aged 94
2nd October Langford
Christopher Kibble died 12th September aged 60
1st October Kingsdown Lise Watson died 22"d September aged 95
ALVESCOT
St Peter's
REMEMBER, REMEMBER, THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER,
Once again our hugely popular village bonfire and fireworks party is being held on the
playing field. It's being hosted by the Parish Council on Wednesday 5th November so
don't miss the bonfire lighting at about 6.30pm. Tasty hot dogs and delicious mulled wine
will be served by the PCC and friends of St Peter's to keep you warm from 6.15pm.
Do come and enjoy the fun, it's free to everyone from the local community however there
will be a collection at the gate to help offset the cost of the spectacular fireworks.
Proceeds from the food and drink will go towards the upkeep of St Peter's Church.
Jayne Lewin
TOP MARKS, MISS!
Many of us have had experiences in our educational life which we realise influenced us
for our good, even if sometimes we only recognise this in later years. The Annual
Teaching Awards celebrates some of the good work in our schools by teachers,
headteachers, teaching assistants and Governors.
Although the award goes to one person the pride and success is shared by the whole
school team. The Mulberry School in Standlake, which has many staff
living locally, has cause for celebration this year when Rosie Johnston (from this village)
was awarded Teacher of the Year for the Southern Region.
Our congratulations go to Rosie and the staff at The Mulberry School, who support some
of our young people with the most complex emotional needs. We are also grateful for the
staff in our local schools, from nursery through
to secondary, who work hard to develop our young people. I am sure many of us enjoy the
local school updates we receive in the Pump.
Tessa Farley
ST PETER'S INFANT SCHOOL
This year, The National Year of Reading, we celebrated National Children's Bookweek in
October. Each class based their work for the week around books by a famous children's
author. The children took part in paired reading and shared favourite books. They ran
a`Cook for Books' event, inviting their families and friends for afternoon tea and
selling second-hand children's books. All money raised will be spent on new books for
our `Story Shed'. To end the week all the children dressed up as a character from a
favourite book. Please do take a look at photographs of all the wonderful costumes on the
school's website. (www.st-petersinf.oxon.sch.uk)
The staff held a `Reading Evening' for parents to share how reading is taught in school
and to help parents understand how they can support their children learn to read, at home.
The evening was very well attended and thanks go to the staff who ran the creche,
enabling many parents to attend who would not have been able to otherwise.
At St Peter's we continue to embrace opportunities to extend the curriculum that we offer
the children. This term Julia Neame continues to provide recorder lessons and Alan
Elbourne has been helping the children to improve their tennis. In addition, this term we
provide a French after-school club for Year 2 children, games club, art club and a very
popular gardening club. Thanks go to all the staff and volunteers who run and support
these clubs.
The 50/50 sale held on raised almost £200 towards school funds. Many thanks to all those
who helped on the day and came along on such a glorious afternoon to support this event.
The school's Harvest festival took place on 14th October. Class 2 produced some
wonderful work which is displayed in the church.
The next event is the Gift Evening on Wednesday 12th November at the school so don't
miss the chance of doing your Christmas shopping early. There will be hand-painted
glassware, wooden toys and puzzles, jewellery, and much more. This is always a very
enjoyable evening. Tickets are available for £3.50, in advance from the school office or on
the door on the night, including a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie.
On Saturday 22nd November the school will be holding its annual Christmas Bazaar. This
is always a great afternoon and always highly successful in raising money for school
funds.
Sam King
VILLAGE HALL EVENTS
The Quiz evening raised over £500.00 for Hall funds many thanks to all who helped by
marking answers and preparing the delicious food A special thanks to Terry Pope for
acting as Quiz Master and keeping all under control Terry Morris
Hansel & Gretel on Friday 21st
November. Oxford Touring Theatre are here with their production. `Phone me on 01993
842832 for tickets: Adults £8.50, Children £6.50, families (2+2) £26.00
Concert night with Gordon Giltrap (right) on Friday 6th March 2009. Tickets £8.50.
Phone me on 01993 842832 'Liz'
BLACK BOURTON
St Mary's
CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL
Once again we will be holding our Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary's Church. If you
wish to sponsor a tree please contact me on 01993 844124. You may decorate it yourself
or we will arrange for it to be decorated, the theme is a Christmas Carol or Christmas
Song of your choice.
Doreen Hart
RIDE AND STRIDE
A big thank you to all those who cycled or walked for the Oxfordshire Historic Churches
Trust and St Mary's Church. It was a beautiful day to be out and about. We also thank
those who manned the Church and dished out drinks and biscuits.
Liz Welch adds:
`A very enterprising member of our community, Jane Jones, had been 'in training' for
several weeks before this annual great event. A beautiful day greeted all participants on
8th'' September and Jane set off at the appointed time of 10.0am on her bicycle and
managed to visit a staggering 26 churches before the deadline of 4.00pm.
`She raised £400 through sponsorship and this will be shared with a church of her choice
and the Diocese. I say congratulations jane on this wonderful achievement.'
FLOWER ARRANGING CLASSES
Everyone has been enjoying the classes given by Christine Pope. There will be a break
now until the spring while Christine has a well-deserved rest. We would like to thank her
very much for all her encouragement and hard work. Her demonstrations are a joy to
behold, she has given great inspiration. Thank you Christine.
Doreen Hart
BROADWELL
St Peter & St Paul's
ALTAR FLOWERS
November
June Goodenough
NEWS FROM BROADSHIRES PRE-SCHOOL.
It was lovely to see all the children again after their long summer holiday and to welcome
our new families to pre-school. Our topic this term has been `Shape and Colour' and has
included activities such as making pizzas, the children going on a walk to post a letter to
themselves, and planting pansies to keep the garden looking colourful during the autumn
and winter.
Our Annual Fete in September was very successful and we were lucky to have a fantastic
sunny day for it. The sum raised was just over £1000, so thank-you to all those who
supported us and the many local businesses who generously donated prizes.
We currently have some places available. If you would like further information, or would
like to arrange a visit, please telephone the Supervisor, Mrs. Jackie Overton Tel.: 01367
860729
Alison Rodger
OH! DINE ON, DINE ON HARVEST LUNCH
We had a really good time on 5th October when we gathered together for our annual
Harvest Lunch in Paul and Annabel's barn. All agreed that it was the best ever. It simply
would not have happened like this had it not been for the huge amount of effort and
organization displayed by Georgina Lewis (she will say `It's nothing'... Well it might be
for her, but who else could bring it off like that?) Very many thanks to her, and also to
Roderick Wordie, who somehow managed to fit in cooking the Pig Roast to perfection
with a social schedule that involved lighting the gas on arrival home at 3.00am from a
party in London.
Many other folk put in a lot of effort, and the barn was miraculously transformed from a
garage containing three cars, two motorbikes and several families of swallows into a
cheerful scene, nicely laid tables, candles glowing and bowls of flowers. (Thank you
again, Doug Jackson, for letting us pick all your chrysanthemums... They were lovely.)
The draw and lucky dip made over £200 for the church, and the churchwardens are most
grateful for these much needed funds.
June Goodenough
FILKINS & BROUGHTON POGGS
St Peter's
FILKINS FLOWER ROTA
2nd November Fiona Cowburn
9th November Mary Cover 16th & 23rd November Gill Allison
30th November
Advent
HARVEST FESTIVAL AND SUPPER
We had lots of children at our Harvest Festival this year, who reduced the congregation to
much laughter when they started to eat apples instead of taking them up to the altar. There
was a lovely picture of Ned Morley and Jacob Holden sitting on the bottom step of the
pulpit munching away. Liz
asked the children to hold up letters forming the word `harvest', from which we had to
find as many other words as we could, but the children found eating apples was much
more interesting and gradually slipped away.
The Harvest Supper was held the same evening with its usual convivial atmosphere and
fellowship. Diane Blackett was complimented on her very amusing interactive games and
it was lovely to have Shirley Coates back with us to play some weather-related numbers
and round off the evening with a Harvest hymn.
Expenses have not been finalised, but we hope to send approximately £200 to Farm
Africa.
Barbara Bristow
`X' HITS THE SPOT!
Forget Leona Lewis and Leon Jackson, the second annual Filkins `X' factor has turned up
yet another artist with star potential.
Hannah Greenwood from Kencot was the runaway winner of Filkins X factor 2008 with
her spine tingling version of the classic Bette Midler song `The Rose'. Accompanying
herself on the piano, and with no backing track, Hannah's performance was an almost
impossible act to follow but that did not stop the other entrants from having a jolly good
go at it.
Second place went to Emma Keating (now of Filkins) who sang `Fever' accompanied only
by the clicking fingers of the audience. Emma had not planned to enter the competition
but was overcome by the excitement of the night and bravely stepped forward. Her
impromptu, but smoking hot, performance won the hearts of the audience and made her
little girl very proud.
Third place was won by Barbara Bristow singing the Edith Piaf song `La Vie En Rose'.
Who knew that under that sensible `school ma'am' exterior lurked a sultry French
songbird? (Well we might have had some idea about the French bit I suppose). One had
only to close one's eyes to imagine that The Little Sparrow was actually there in the
Village Hall with us.
Technical difficulties initially threatened Daniel Porter's sterling performance of a classic
reggae tune as every time that he hit a high note the microphone squealed and the lights
went out. However it all added to the atmosphere and hilarity of the night and our team of
technicians (yeah, right) was soon able to sort out the problem. On his second attempt
Daniel's melodious offerings were good enough to secure him fourth place.
Without a doubt the bravest performance of the night came from Matt Simpson. Singing
`I've Got A Brand New Combine Harvester' (well bits of it anyway), Matt had the
audience on their feet in no time (some of them were running for the door) and he clearly
has a big future ahead of him, though possibly not in the music industry.
To add to the entertainment of the night, Show Case performances were given by Bryony
Gibbs who sang a stunning version of `Warwick Avenue' (Duffy) and Emily Redman who
belted out `Breathless' (The Corrs). As second and third place winners from last year's
show, both girls are now working closely with music impresario David Seaton, one of the
judges, and were thus not able to enter the actual competition this year.
The judges this year were David Seaton (Simon Cowell), Mandy Scott (Sharon Osbourne
- though she probably looks a bit more like Cheryl Cole.) and Andrew Bushell (Louis
Walsh). Whilst Mandy's musical credentials are limited to her having watched thousands
of hours of X Factor and American Idol, and Andrew stepped into the breach at the last
minute, David really doe; have some musical clout and gravitas. With his own
management, production and promotion company and the `Bees' Knees' record label,
David works with both established and emerging artists across the UK and Eastern
Europe. For more information and to hear both Hannah and Emily you can visit his web
site at www.musicbeesknees.com
It is almost impossible to believe that we have so much young talent is such a small area.
Hannah, Bryony and Emily all look to have bright futures ahead of them and hopefully
Filkins `X' Factor will have played some part in them receiving the professional help and
guidance that they need to really get their musical careers moving.
This could be you next year. So if you have any musical talent whatsoever, or if you just
want to get up on the stage and entertain people, get practicing now. Filkins X factor will
be back in 2009 - bigger and better.
[If I did not want to spare her blushes for the Cheryl Cole hit, I'd be tempted to reveal that
this review was written by Mandy Scott. Ed]
AN EVENING OF FUN, FROLICS AND FALLING HAMMERS
Imagine for a second our village without its churches.
Horrible thought? Then come to a social evening and
auction of promises in the village hall on 15th' November,
and help make sure our churches are still here tomorrow,
and the next day, and for our children's children.
French lessons, picnic hampers, personal trainers, pictures,
golf, classic cars, books, cakes, outings, rugs, turkeys, gazebo hire, babysitting... The list
of what's on offer is long, and there really is something for everyone.
So, whether you intend to bid in the auction, or just want a good night out with supper and
a bottle of wine amongst friends, come to the village hall at 7.00pm on 15th November.
Tickets are unbelievably reasonable at £3 including supper and a glass of wine from the
usual places around the village.
Ring me (01367 860195) to donate to the auction, or for more info. Rarhara Bristow,
THE COFFEE MORNING...
& Christmas Sale is on Saturday 29th November: back by popular demand! This year our
sale will be held in The Vicarage from 10.00 to 12midday in aid of church funds. There
will be many gift items for sale as well as the usual bargains, raffle, cake stall, and a
chance to catch up with friends. Do let Liz Johnson (01367 860846) or me (01367
860195) have any items for sale.
Barbara Bristow
ROSTER FOR VOLUNTARY CAR SERVICE TO SURGERIES
Covering Filkins, Broughton Poggs, Broadwell, Kencot, Langford and L Faringdon 4th
November Mrs M Cover
860302 20th November Mrs J Higham 860197
6th November Mrs B Bristow 860195 25th November Mr P Coleman 860571 11th
November Mrs C Lauzier 860644 27th November Miss H Squire 860337 13th' November
Mr P Coleman 860571 (All codes 01367)
18th November Mr A Heath 860129
For hospital runs, or with any problems, contact me on 01367 860319
Local surgery runs £2.00
Hospitals: Fairford & Witney £5.00 Swindon & Cirencester £8.00 Oxford £10.00
At the JR, parking charges may have to be paid, and will be added to the bill. Tony
Woodford
STRUTTING AND FRETTING
There is a Children's
Theatre production
on 28th & 29'h
November. Contact
Pat Scott
01993 846255
There will be a Murder Mystery evening on 7th February 2009, in aid of a Ghanaian
Children's Charity.
Daniel Porter
SWINFORD MUSEUM
Yet another season at the museum has finished and we would like to thank all those who
contributed to the exhibitions. Many thanks also to those of you who paid us a visit. Next
year the main exhibitions planned are 'Washday' which will show how laundry was done
in the past, 'Rainy Day Savings' how did people manage their finances in years gone by?
'Trials of Agriculture' have things always been difficult for agricultural workers?
If you have any items you could loan us for the exhibitions please let me know; has
anyone got a blue bag? Any old money boxes in the attic? Give me a ring on 01367860504.
Diane Blackett
NURSERY UPDATE
The Autumn term is now well under way. Our topic of Myself has included a `handy'
week, a `looking' week and a `listening'
week, during which we walked around the
village (see below) listening for the
aeroplanes, cars,
diggers and birds to name but a few. Our
health and fitness week involved cooking
fresh produce from our vegetable patch,
devising a regular morning exercise
routine and turning our role-play area into
a healthy-eating cafe.
Following last year's successful
fundraising for Children In Need, we will again be dressing up on Friday 14th November.
I look forward to seeing the creativity of parents, children and staff?
We have lots of exciting plans during the latter part of the term getting out and about
around the village looking for autumnal artefacts. Preparations are also underway for our
nativity play which takes place during the last week of term along with the traditional
Christmas party.
We have now had our first
long-awaited Ofsted
inspection which went very well. The full report can be read on the Ofsted website, but
we were delighted with the outcome which highlighted the many strengths of our setting
in both care -and education.
Please do take a minute to look at out new website and let us know your thoughts or
suggestions. www.theoldstationnursery.co.uk.
Louise Jenkins
MUSIC & MOVEMENT
Age Concern (a charity working with `all older people and the carers') is going to run
weekly `Exercise to Music' classes for the over 50s in the village hall from 9.30 to
10.30am every Wednesday starting on 12th November.
The classes will cost £2.50 a week, and are run by Sue Hayman who is a qualified Extend
Tutor & YMCA trained.
As an added bonus, Mary-Ann Shaw of Age Concern adds: `To launch this new class
there will also be information available on the day on Healthy Lifestyles including
information on healthy hearts, smoking cessation, osteoporosis, falls prevention, men's
health etc.'
PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes etc: Do please remember that minutes and notices of meetings are displayed on
the notice boards in the bus shelter, in Broughton Poggs in the Village Shop, and in the
Post Office. There is a more comprehensive file of Parish Council bumph in the Cotswold
Woollen Weavers Coffee Shop.
Cris Hoad
HOLWELL
St Mary's
RIDE AND STRIDE
Not all the usual suspects could make it this year, but we claimed the assistance of
Richard Scoulding [a loyal PP advertiser. Ed] and his sister, Helen Gibbs. To be fair,
although his postal address is Filkins, Richard has a yard in the village and spends a great
deal of his time patching and painting the Church and cottages in the village, or having
coffee with our celebrity cook.
Other regulars, peddling hard, included Reggie Heyworth and George, with a couple of
former residents of the Parish lured back for the occasion. Some sponsors have yet to pay
up, so come on. Especially those who were fainthearted this time!
ps: From cycling to re-cycling: if anyone has a surplus of windfall apples there are some
enthusiastic customers in Holwell. Please leave by the field gate (roadside) at the entrance
to the village before the white house. Thanks in anticipation from the equines.
Jane Pegram
[Corrina Rock suggests that by the time this appears in print, the time for windfall apples
will have passed. Possibly so in 2008, but more likely Jane is writing to the saunter of
Holwell time, and so this is a diary note for next year. Ed]
KELMSCOTT
St George's
CHURCH BRASS AND FLOWERS
Lucinda & Honor McFarlane
JUMBLE SALE
The Jumble Sale we held in aid of the British Heart Foundation held on Saturday 4th
October in Kelmscott raised £230. Many thanks to those who supported the event with
their help and their contributions.
Louise Hatton
HANSEL AND GRETEL
Bring the whole family to the Morris Memorial Hall in
Kelmscott on Saturday, 13th December at 7.30pm and enjoy
Oxfordshire Touring Theatre's Production of Hansel and
Gretel.
'Desperate times call for desperate measures! So when food
is short and there are mouths to feed something's got to give.
But when mum and dad leave the kids in the wood there turn
out to be more questions than answers: will the woodcutter
turn out to be a man or a mouse? Will Hansel & Gretel ever
find their way back home? Will the future be free-range or
oven ready? Find out in Mike Kenny's sparkling re-telling of
this familiar tale of breadcrumbs and witches: it's the perfect
recipe for a great night out.'
The show is suitable for everyone aged six and over. Tickets
cost £8.50 for an adult, £5.50 for children/concessions and
£25 for a family (two adults & two concessions). Please call me on 01367 253103 or Jake
on 01367 252607 to book your places now.
Laura Roberts
KENCOT
St George's
HARVEST FESTIVAL
A goodly number attended the Harvest Festival on 28th September. As usual the Church
was beautifully decorated. Our thanks to the flower arrangers and to those who attended
and gave generously to the collection and to the auction of produce. As a result of your
generosity we were able to send £400 to `Parents and Children Together', the Oxford
Diocese charity.
CHURCH FLOWERS
1st to 22nd November Lesley Metcalfe
MOWING
Our thanks to those who have mowed the Churchyard, the Village Green and the verges
around the village during the summer. Due to your efforts we have had a neat and tidy
village, of which we can be proud.
John Barstow.
LANGFORD
St Matthew's
CHURCH FLOWERS
November Mrs. D. Lowden
BELL RINGING
Bell ringing practice restarted in September. Practice sessions take place three Tuesdays a
month at 7.00pm in the bell tower at St. Matthew's Church. The practice is open to
everyone from age 8 upwards, and we welcome everyone from beginners who have never
rung to anyone who may be able to ring peels.
The bell tower will be open from 7.00pm. (Do remember that the steps are steep and
narrow). To find out more beforehand, and if there is a practice on any Tuesday please
give me a call on 01367 860514. Entrance to the Bell Tower is on the right hand side of
the Church looking from the road, just in front of the buttresses.
Andy Tinson (Bell Tower Captain)
BINGO
Come to Bingo on Friday 21st November in the Village Hall. Doors open at 7.00pm, with
eyes down at 7.30pm. There are excellent prizes and refreshments are available. If you
have any items that you would like to donate please contact any of the village hall
members, or ring Tracy (01367 860721) or me (01367 860514). Profits are in aid of the
Village Hall.
Chrissy Tinson
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR
A Christmas Bazaar is to be held on Sunday 30th November at 2.00pm in the Village
Hall. Stalls include Cakes, Grand Raffle, Christmas Gifts and a Bottle/Tombola Stall. If
Father Christmas is not too busy we also expect a
visit from him, at this time we are not sure if Father Christmas wants a grotto, but if he
does we will build one. He is still sleeping saving his energy ready for the big day! Profits
will be split between St Matthew's Church and the Village Hall.
Enquiries to Chrissy (01367 860514) or me (01367 860091). Jenny Pitkin
LANGFORD LADIES
In October Val King came and gave a very interesting and informative talk with slides
about `Fairtrade'. Fair-trade is all about getting better deals for third world products, and
helping the people to support themselves. George Alagiah is the president, Fair-trade has
long been associated with bananas, coffee and chocolate, however there are many more
products you can purchase direct from ships of their catalogues.
Their motto is `Trade not aid: Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, give a man a net
and he will eat for life.' If you would like to know more please visit www.fairtrade.org.uk
Our next meeting is on Thursday 13th November and we will be welcoming a local
speaker, Mrs. Sandra Kirby, who will be talking and giving slides about Alpacas which
she breeds. Alpaca's wool is very soft and is used for making knitted and woven items,
much as sheep's wool is.
We meet every second Thursday at 7.30pm in the Village Hall with raffle and
refreshments available. Visitors are most welcome at £1.50, but you can become a
member anytime. Do ring if you would like to know more on (01367) 860514.
Chrissy Tinson
WHIST
Join us for an evening of whist at the Village Hall on Tuesday 4th November. We start at
7.30pm; however if you would like some tuition please arrive a little earlier. You do not
require a partner, but are very welcome to come with one, or two. The entrance fee of £1
includes tea and biscuits at half time. We play for the enjoyment of the game and the
company, with small prizes. Everyone is welcome. All profits go to aid the Village Hall.
If you need any more information please ring me on (01993) 852378.
Jo Hutchings.
REMEMBER, REMEMBER... THE CHICKENS
As the firework season will soon be upon us the hen-keepers on the village allotments
have voiced their concerns over the holding of display fireworks in recent years. So for
the welfare and safety of our birds we would ask other allotmenteers to be considerate and
hold their displays elsewhere. Thank you.
Andrew Clemons
ST CHRISTOPHER'S NEWS
This year we have changed our Harvest Festival and are really looking forward to it. The
children have already been to St Matthew's Church for their Harvest Service, led by Harry
MacInnes. This year we were thinking about Harvest around the world and chose to
support the charity Seeds for Africa.
This fantastic charity supports African Communities by providing schools with seeds and
expertise to give the children and adults farming skills which hopefully they can then use
to become sustainable communities. As we are in the heart of a farming community this
seemed very appropriate. Each class worked on a different theme and investigated
different crops and festivals around the world. At the children's service in the Church the
children shared some of their work and sang some beautiful songs to reflect this. Thanks
go also the Sheila Henderson and Gez Cornish who organised the service.
On Friday 10th October we have invited all the parents and carers into school to look at
all the work in the classrooms on their chosen theme. Children will be showing their
parents what they have been working on and sharing their ideas and knowledge of the
charity we have chosen. Oak Class have been busy baking with the help of Julie Gibb, and
have cooked an amazing array of speciality breads for sale in the afternoon. Parents and
carers are invited to stay for refreshments and sample some of the wonderful produce both
from Oak Class and that the children have brought in to share. We also have a Fair Trade
hamper to raffle, organised by Willow Class. We will be ending the day with a prayer
circle outside.
As many people are aware, we are lucky enough to have received funding to improve our
playground and parking. In September we held an Open Meeting to canvass the views of
parents and local residents on the preliminary plans. These plans were designed based on
the pupils' views, staff input and ideas from the Diocese and Governors. We were also
pleased that some of our neighbours came along to look at the plans and we really hope
that the development of a staff car park will ease the parking issues around the school. We
are now excitedly awaiting the finalised plans and can't wait for the work to start in the
Spring.
As part of this development we have really looked closely at the needs of the children and
how to make playtimes constructive and happy for everyone. We recently put an advert in
our newsletter for `Playground leaders' and asked our Year 6 children to apply. We asked
them to think about responsibility,
organisational skills, leadership, respect for others and a sense of fair play. Mrs
Brownjohn, Janet and I are now going to run a training program so that the leaders can be
trained in playground leadership and have a set of games and ideas to support all our
children. The course is an accredited one and will lead to the qualification of a Junior
Sports Leader. We have had some fantastic letters of application from the children and
can't wait to get started on this project and see the difference it makes not only to the
younger children in our school but also to the leaders themselves as they take on the
challenge.
The SCPA is also working hard to support the school. Plans are well underway for the
Christmas fete on Saturday 13th December which this year will end with Festive Carol
Singing. Put the date in your diary now and please come along and enjoy the afternoon.
More details will follow. The SCPA also hold monthly `Cook for Books' cake sales.
These are ever popular with the children and raise money specifically for books to go into
the classrooms. This has been of enormous benefit to all our children and we are looking
forward to the next.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact the school with any queries or visit our
website at www.st-christophers.oxon sch.uk to see some of the children's work and find
out more about all aspects of our school.
Sarah Nisbett
LITTLE FARINGDON
St Margaret's
DON'T MISS OUR BONFIRE PARTY ON 7TH NOVEMBER
Known far and wide as an incredibly exciting event, our village Bonfire Party will take
place on Friday 7th November at Little Faringdon House, directly opposite the church.
The gates will open at 6.45pm, and the bonfire will be lit at 7.15pm. The fireworks will
start at 7.45pm, followed by music until 10.00pm.
An amazing array of food and drink will include burgers, hot dogs, beer, mulled wine, hot
chocolate and more. All proceeds from this event will benefit St Margaret's Church and
local charities. Tickets will be available at the gate, but for advance tickets or more
details, please email me now on emma@abdycollins.co.uk.
Emma Abdy Collins
HARVEST FESTIVAL SERVICE
The refurbished church looked absolutely stunning at this year's Harvest Festival service
on 12th October. Our appreciation goes to all those who helped decorate our precious
church and contributed harvest produce and flowers, with special thanks to Rachel Taylor.
We were also delighted to have the Reverend Ron Lloyd return to officiate at this lovely
service.
NOVEMBER CHURCH SERVICES
Please note that our only service this month at St Margaret's Church will be on Sunday
23rd`' November (Communion). However, the Broadshire Remembrance Service will be
held at St George's Church in Kencot on Sunday 9th November. Please assemble at
Kencot War Memorial at 10.50am.
POPPY APPEAL
Rachel Taylor will be selling poppies in the village starting from 25th October. Please
support this very worthy cause. And remember them...
`We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Love and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders
field.'
From 'In Flanders Fields' by John McCrae
TRAVELLING SOUK IN VILLAGE
The Travelling Souk bazaar will be coming to Little Faringdon House on Monday 17th
November from 9.00am to 4.00pm. Please come with your friends to do your Christmas
shopping at more than 50 stalls, and enjoy coffee and a light lunch. Tickets are available
at the door.
The Travelling Souk's visit to our village is in aid of Help for Heroes, Mulberry Bush
School and Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. For more information, please contact me by
phone (01367 252155) or email (emma@abdycollins.co.uk).
Emma Abdy Collins
EVENING CAROL SERVICE
The St Margaret's Carol Service will take place by candlelight on the evening of Sunday
21st December.
To all those who would like to participate (singers, musicians and readers... young and not
so young!, please ring me on 01367 252772.
Barbara Browne
CHURCH FLOWERS
November
Jeanie Pollock
December
No flowers during Advent
Christmas Day Elsa Taylor (altar) with help from everyone please
SHILTON
Holy Rood
HARVEST FESTIVAL SERVICE & SUPPER
Our church looked splendid for the Harvest Festival Service on 5th October and so a big
thank you is due to everyone who gave flowers, produce and a lot of time to make it look
so beautiful. We all enjoyed a very meaningful service and this year we were persuaded
by the Reverend MacInnes to have a hymn that is not very well known. It had a lovely
tune and with Harry leading us all went well.
After the service we crossed the road into our Old School Village Hall where we all
enjoyed a delicious supper. Very many thanks to everyone who helped with the supper - it
is a lot of work (albeit enjoyable) in putting a meal together for 40 folk and so we were
thrilled to bits when we had male volunteers come into the kitchen, put on pinnies and get
on with washing and drying the dishes. Thank you chaps - we did appreciate your help
and you can come again next year.
We managed to raise £203 and this will help towards the upkeep of our lovely old church.
Jean Roberts
COFFEE MORNING/BRING AND BUY
Please support this annual chapel/church coffee morning at Little Viners in Church Lane
on 8th November from 10.00am to 12midday. We will be selling Christmas cards, books,
tapes and CD's from the Christian Bookshop at Highworth, lovely Scottish soaps, African
crafts and other goodies from the charity Helping Hands, homemade cakes, jams and
chutneys.
This really is a lovely opportunity to get together with friends and neighbours to have a
chat, enjoy a cup of coffee and biscuits and make a start to Christmas shopping, and
everyone is very welcome.
Offers of jam, chutneys, home made cakes and bring and buy items will be gratefully
received by me or Elizabeth Harfield. Looking forward to seeing you on the 8th
November.
Jean Roberts
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
Our Remembrance Sunday Service on 9th November will begin at the War Memorial by
the village pond at 10.50 a.m. We will then walk/drive to the Parish Church for the
remainder of the service.
BUCKET OF COFFEE, ANYONE?
An uneventful month as far as the Old School Committee organising anything goes, but
the village did host a Macmillan Cancer Support World's Biggest Coffee Morning in the
Old School on Friday 26th September. This raised £344.36 (to which will be added
another £67.90 of reclaimed tax from the amount Gift Aided).
Thank you to everyone who helped organise and run this event, to all those who
participated and gave so generously, and also to the people who donated to the cause but
were unable to come to the coffee morning.
Shirley Cuthbertson
PARISH COUNCIL
The final Parish Council meeting of the year will be held on Wednesday 3rd December at
7.30 in Shilton Old School.
Katherine Robertson
KEEP FIT
Please remember... Keep-fit every Thursday in Shilton Old School from 7.00 to 8.00pm at
£3.50 per session. Telephone me for more details 01993 706265.
Sandie Hunter
HISTORY GROUP
In spite of dreadful weather we had a wonderful turnout for our first meeting of the
session in September when we had a most entertaining talk, as expected, from Dr.Gillian
White.
At our meeting on the 14th November we will hear all about 'the fascinating story of the
bicycle' from Bill King who suggests that we bring our own memorabilia - and memories
- which he would love to hear. See you there.
Fred Robertson
BRADWELL VILLAGE
(part of Shilton Parish)
VILLAGE COFFEE SHOP
The Coffee Shop is open on Friday in term time from 10.30am until 2.30pm in the Village
Hall selling hot and cold drinks and home-made cakes and savouries. This is a splendid
social focus for anyone with an hour or so to spare. For further details telephone me on
01993 824801.
Sharon Howat
VILLAGE STITCHERS
The next meeting is on Tuesday 11th November from 10.00am until 2.30pm. Visitors are
most welcome, at £2 for the day. The half-annual subscription is
£10. Please bring along your latest project to work on. Drinks and biscuits are provided,
but please bring a packed lunch. For more info ring 01993 824475.
Marion Ellis
UP, 1, 2, 3. DOWN, 1, 2, 3...
There is a new 50+ Exercise Class every Tuesday at 9.30am in Bradwell Village Hall.
Give me a ring on 01993 822781.
Sue Hayman
WESTWELL
St Mary's
BENEFICE SERVICE
We host the benefice service on 2nd November. We will be welcoming Julian Hubbard,
Archdeacon of Oxford, who will tell us how he fits in to the life and work of the Church
in our Benefice, before he expounds on the readings for the day. Please come. I am sure
he will answer questions after the service.
HARVEST FESTIVAL
This year, we celebrated Harvest Festival before all the cereal crops in the village had
been gathered in, happily this coincided with a change in the weather and the combines
were rolling later in the week.
It does occur to me that many of us contribute to a daily harvest in our work, and indeed
the gardens are producing most of the year; so although we choose a very obvious time
for harvest festivals, it is still an arbitrary date in the year, when we can give thanks for
the many good things we enjoy in life.
WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE
After the heavy rains in September the road through Westwell was again running with
water, which was springing up through the tarmac and copiously through the drain
gratings. Someone was able to summon help from the County Council, who were initially
worried that their road would disintegrate. However JCB's arrived and a bit of wisdom,
and it was found that a large underground pipe drain below the road had become nearly
blocked.
Once cleared our floods returned underground, where they belonged, much to everyone's
relief and the county got away with a minor repair. We do thank them for this timely
work.
Chris Fox
FILKINS VILLAGE SHOP
Opening Hours
Monday
3.00 to 5.00pm
Tuesday
10.00am to 12noon & 3.00 to 5.00pm Wednesday 2pm to 4pm
Thursday
9.00am to 12.00noon & 3.00 to 5.00pm
Friday 3.00 to 5.00pm
Saturday
9.00am to 1.00pm & 3.00 to 5.00pm
Sunday
3.00 to 5.00pm
`You Get Back What You Put In'
THERE was never a truer word spoken about village life and one of the best examples of
this is the Filkins Village Shop. A community owned enterprise; the shop has been
running for just over 3 years now. It is operated by our community and run for our mutual
benefit rather than for profit.
The shop is open 7 days a week, for a total 11 shifts each week. 4 of the shifts are covered
by Hilary Skinner, our one paid part time employee, 1 shift is covered by Alma from
Carterton Co-Op, and the other 6 are covered by volunteers.
One of our biggest challenges in running the shop
is having a big enough pool of volunteers to man
it. It is a constant struggle to fill the volunteer
shifts week in, week out. This is surprising really
when you think how many people there are in our
community, how few shifts actually need to be
covered each week, and how much those who do
volunteer get out of it.
So have you ever considered volunteering to work
in the shop? What is stopping you? Here are some
of the reasons that people often give:
•
I do not have the time to work in the shop.
Shifts are 2 or 3 hours long and can be split with another volunteer if necessary.
•
I do not want to make a regular commitment that I might not be able to keep.
Most of our volunteers do a shift as and when they can. For some this means a regular slot
every other week, whilst others prefer to sign up on an ad hoc basis as and when needed
and available.
•
I am worried about operating the till.
If you sign up as a volunteer you will be given full training on the till and will not be left
alone until you are confident. The till is actually very simple to operate and if you ever do
have a problem help is only a phone
call away. Even if you do not want to operate the till there are other jobs to be done such
as date checking, shelf cleaning and helping put stock on the shelves.
•
I do not live in Filkins
The shop is used and staffed by people from all over. For example at least 5 of our
volunteers live in Langford, and one even comes over from Whelford.
Just as importantly - here is why you should consider volunteering?
•
It is a great way to become more involved in village life. If you are new to the
area, or out of the village working all week, then
working in the shop is one of the best ways to
connect with people and catch up on all the village
chat.
•
The shop is a fantastic plus for the village. It is a vibrant hub of village life and
provides a valuable service particularly to those of our residents who do not have a car or
access to internet shopping. It is a showcase for local produce and could save you making
a car trip to Lechlade or Carterton just for a pint of milk or a tin of dog food. However,
the shop's survival depends upon us having enough volunteers, so if you want it to survive
then you need to help.
•
The more you put in to your local community, the more you will get back. We are
fortunate to live in an amazing place where so many people do so much for the benefit of
all. If you are looking for another way to put something back then try working in the shop.
So why not give it a go? Call me today on 01367 860 095 and book yourself in for an
induction and training session.
And don't forget that there are other ways to support the shop too:
•
Buy a share - £10 - only one per person
•
Use the shop yourself - even if you only spend a few pounds a week.
•
If all else fails - donations are always welcome!
Every Little Helps - even if we are not, and never will be, Tesco. Ann Choyce
GOOD NEIGHBOUR SCHEMES
Oxfordshire .:community
Enabling a diverse voluntary and community sector to flourish
GOOD Neighbour Schemes are local voluntary groups which offer a service in their
community for those in need of help and support. The people who may need support may
be older people, people with disabilities, single parents and young mothers, those
temporarily in need through illness or anyone who may be isolated within the community.
The help offered by Good Neighbour Schemes may include:
•
Providing transport for appointments or hospital visits
•
Errands, shopping a collecting prescriptions
•
Household tasks or gardening
•
Visiting or befriending
•
Letter-writing or simple form filling
•
Helping people after discharge from hospital
•
Reading to partially sighted or blind people
•
Providing information
Where the scheme is available to the community is well-used and highly valued by the
residents.
'I am housebound, but my befriender is wonderful. She gets all the right things. She cheers
me up'
As a single woman without family living near I get quite anxious whenever I get ill,
wondering how I'm going to get the prescription, my shopping etc. Knowing that there is
a Good Neighbour on my street that I can call if I have to have help gives me real comfort
and peace of mind'
Would your village like to have a Good Neighbour Scheme?
Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action is currently running a project Funded by
Oxfordshire CC with the aim of supporting local communities to establish new schemes.
A limited number of start-up grants are available to allow communities to meet the costs
of setting up- buying a mobile phone, public liability cover and publicity material. These
grants will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
For further information please contact me on 01865 251946 or email:
liz.pride@ocva.org.uk
Liz Pride
BURFORD SCHOOL NEWS
News from the Maths department
THIRTEEN year 9 pupils assisted by A Level Maths students have begun a code breaking
club after school set up by Southampton University. Over the next few months they will
be joining George Scovell and the Duke of Wellington in their fight to eject Napoleon's
army from
Portugal and Spain. It will be their job to help the British army in its efforts to decipher
French messages.
As the war progresses and the French
ciphers become harder to crack they will need all their wit and skill to break them. The
first challenge begun on 25th`" September and our team of gifted individuals cracked the
code using a cipher wheel and had the completed message in ten minutes.
Fantasy Writer launches Reading Club at Burford
Lucky Year 7 pupils met London-based fantasy writer, Sam Enthoven on Friday 3rd
October. Sam was talking to pupils about his books and how much fun it is to write for a
living. He was helping to launch the Year 7 Reading Club at the school for 2008/9 and
inspiring children to discover some great books to read in his own inimitable and vibrant
style.
An Evening with `All That Jazz'
In May we started a new jazz/dance band called `All That Jazz'. The ensemble caters for
trumpets, trombones, all saxophones, clarinets and a rhythm section. The music ranges
from modern arrangements of pop/rock music to the more traditional jazz standards.
Following the popular and successful performances at the `BSA Beer Festival', `Festival
on the Field' and performing at a Vine Festival' in Italy we are holding an evening with
the band on Saturday 6th December. This evening will have a disco, bar and hot food
available so please make a note of the date for your diaries. Tickets will be available from
the school office from November.
News from Lenthall House (Burford School Boarding House) The summer holiday saw
the completion of the extension to the girls' boarding house. The huge roof space above
the dining room has been sound-proofed and converted into several sixthform study
bedrooms with a large new bathroom.
The new rooms are connected to the main house by a custom built spiral staircase which
sweeps up from where the gallery used to be. This has enabled the boarding house to
expand the number of girls who board in the sixthform and they, have described their new
facilities as `awesome'.
The Modern Languages Department
If anyone has any old or new personal CD player which has now become obsolete and
would like to donate them to the Modern Languages Department, we would be delighted
to accept them and give them a good home for our IVth form pupils. Please hand them in
to Reception and say they are for Miss Santovety. Thanks a lot in advance.
News from the Drama Department
There's lots going on in the Drama Department this month. Pupils are currently rehearsing
an exciting version of William Shakespeare's `The Taming of the Shrew' for the National
Schools' Shakespeare Festival. We have chosen to modernise the staging of the play by
setting it in a nightclub. The characters try to battle wits and dance moves.
The Schools' Shakespeare Festival is a national event in which 500 schools perform 30
minute versions of Shakespeare's best loved plays. Our talented cast have already had an
exciting workshop with the National Youth Theatre on the 10tht'' September. Everyone
enjoyed themselves and learnt a lot about their characters.
The main performance was on the 8th October at the Chipping Norton Theatre alongside
productions by other local schools. The play will be performed again in school during
November. Over several nights, we will be performing `The Taming of The Shrew' and
also `Macbeth' and `A Midsummer Night's Dream' with our year 11 GCSE pupils.
Fashion Show
On Thursday 27th' November Vith Form pupils are putting on a SCCWID Fashion show
in the school hall. There will be a catwalk display of the SCCWID clothing followed by a
raffle and sale. The pupils are taking their turn on the catwalk in memory of Sophie
Watson, a former pupil, who died of cancer. A fashion show held in 2006 raised a
spectacular £4,200 for this charity. Further details are available from the school on 01993
823303.
News of old Burfordians
Alice Freeman (1989-95). Represented Great Britain in the Beijing Olympics this
summer. She competed in the women's eights and helped the team finish fifth.. Adrian
Carter (1973-77) who qualified as an architect has designed and is Director of a Cultural
Centre in Denmark. The centre celebrates the famous Danish architect Jorn Utzon. Further
details www.utzoncenter.org
Simon Halford (2002 - 2004)has been awarded a Master of Engineering Aerospace
Engineering from the University of Southampton.
Lucy Yeatman (1996 - 2003) has been awarded a Master of Arts (Honours) in Geography
and Spanish from the University of St Andrews.
Rachel Alcock (1995 - 2002) has been awarded a Master of Science in Human Rights and
Human Values from the University of Birmingham
Mary Alcock
West Ox Arts Gallery is on the first floor of Bampton Town Hall. The Gallery opening
hours are: Tuesday - Saturday: 10.30am - 12.30pm and 2.00pm - 4.00pm & Sunday:
2.00pm - 4.00pm. Tel: 01993 850137 or email: westoxarts@yahoo.co.uk.
By Sea and Sand: 1st to 23rd November
OIL paintings mainly of Greece and Norway showing the raw beauty of the landscape.
Brien 0 Ruairc's enthusiastic response to Greece has evolved over many visits and in this
exhibition he will exhibit classical landscapes, olive groves,
seascapes and fire burnt hills. His paintings of the icy Arctic
fiords of Norway are a dramatic contrast with their majestic
skies and profound sense of space.
TWO TALKS HOSTED BY WEST OX ARTS
Gimson and the Barnsley Brothers: Tuesday 4th November
7.30pm
The Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 19th and early 20th
centuries was as much a philosophy of life as it was an
artistic movement. The desire to escape from the dirt and crowds of the city and to turn
their backs on the capitalist system led many to seek a simpler way of life in the
countryside. This illustrated talk looks at one such enterprise centred on the Cotswolds;
the work of Ernest Gimson and the Barnsley brothers at Sapperton near Cirencester.
Ashbee and The Guild of Handicrafts: Tuesday 1lth November 7.30pm
Interior designer Charles Ashbee set up the Guild of Handicraft which specialised in
metalwork, jewellery, furniture and book production.
Gill Salway was a Senior Lecturer in the History of Art and Design at N. Staffs.
Polytechnic, and Associate Lecturer for The Open University.
Both talks will take place in West Ox Arts Gallery. Please book tickets from the gallery
(01993 850137 or email westoxarts@yahoo.co.uk). The talks cost £5 each. Refreshments
will be provided.
SPINNING A YARN ABOUT FRENCHMEN
ON Wednesday 12th November, at 2.00 pm, in Bradwell Village Hall (coffee 1.15 to
1.45 pm), The Cotswold Antiques Study Group will host a talk entitled: From Rags to
Riches, The Huguenots of Spitalfields, featuring the silk weavers, their fortunes and
homes, and the patterned silks they produced.
The speaker will be Sue Jackson, who lectures for the National Trust, the U3A and the
City Literary Institute.
Non-members are always welcome. For more
information telephone the Membership Secretary on 01869 345332.
Ray Murray
THE LENTHALL CONCERTS
ON Wednesday, November 5th 2008 at 7.30pm., in
Burford School, we welcome the young German
ensemble, Klanlust directed by Bernt Muller.
Concerto Grosso op 6/12 or op 6/2 Handel Double Violin
Concerto in D minor J S Bach
St Paul's Suite Holst
Holberg Suite Grieg
Tickets are £12 at the door (Students £3.00 Under 18
50p) or £10 in advance from: Red Lion Bookshop, 122 High Street, Burford (01993
822539) or Music Stand 62 High Street, Witney (01993 774890)
THE BURFORD SINGERS
A T 7.30pm on 7th'' December, the Burford Singers (director: Brian Kay) and the
Cotswold Chamber Orchestra (leader: Kate Bailey) will perform Music for Advent &
Christmas in Burford Parish Church.
Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme
Bach
In Terra Pax Finzi
St Nicolas Mass
Haydn
Fantasia on Christmas Carols Vaughan Williams
Capriol Suite Warlock
All tickets now reserved at £17.00, £14.00 and £10 (students half price)
Tickets are available from: The Red Lion Bookshop, 122, High Street, Burford, or
telephone 01993 822539
Jan Campbell
WEST OX ARTS
POTTERING IN THE POTTING SHED
THERE would be few people with an appreciation for gardening who would be unmoved
by the spectacular display of foliage on offer from our parks, woodlands and hedgerows
that comes with the onset of autumn. Despite, or possibly because of the very wet, cool
summer, the leaves this autumn are proving to be very colourful. Leaves contain a
complex mixture of
pigments, which give a species its characteristic colours. The major pigments are the
carotenoids, which produce the yellow hues, the
anthocyanins, which produce the reds, purples &
blues and the tannins (the slowest
pigment to break down), which produce the
brown shades. l he plants genes and the
environment that is chosen for each plant
determine the presence of these colours. Most of
the pigments in the leaf are masked during the
growing season by the green pigment
Chlorophyll, so that in most cases the colour we
usually see during the spring and summer months
is some shade of green There are many choices
available for ensuring blazing colour in the
garden. Here are some that maybe of interest.
The leaves of the unusual deciduous shrub
Cotinus `Royal Red' change to a brilliant red. It
does, however, require plenty of space, as does
Cotinus `Grace', another truly splendid variety
with leaves that turn to a vibrant, glowing red.
Cotinus `Golden Spirit', grown for its yellow leaves, is an alternative where space is an
issue. Also unusual is the philbert, Corylus maxima `purpurea', a shrub with very dark
leaves. It produces edible nuts in autumn, followed by purplish catkins in late winter and
purple leaves. The Winged spindle Euonymous `alatus' exhibits a striking colour in
autumn. A dense, bushy, deciduous shrub, the leaves of Euonymous `alatus' turn brilliant
dark red in autumn, lending a vibrant, warm feel to a shrub border. This plant would also
work effectively as a specimen placed in a prime position in the garden, having ample
character to stand-alone.
Some of the Euonymus varieties take on a pretty pink tint as winter approaches.
Euonymous `Silver Queen' looks good on a wall and will climb a few feet, whereas
Euonymous fortunei 'Coloratus' will reach almost to the eaves. Another shrub of interest
for wall growing is the Myrtus communis, or Common Myrtle. This bushy, medium sized,
evergreen shrub is grown for its aromatic glossy foliage and the profusion of attractive
white flowers which open in mid to late summer. The plant tends to grow quite quickly
when it is young, slowing with age. In warm areas it can be used for hedging but for most
parts of the UK it is best grown singly in a sheltered area.
Acer palmatum `Azuma murasaki' is a cultivar which dates back a hundrded years and
produces a splendid display of scarlet leaves in autumn.
Viburnum opulus, or Guelder Rose, is a large vigorous shrub with stunning bright red
leaves and translucent red berries, which last well into winter. It is especially happy in
boggy conditions
Anne Greenwood
NATURE NOTES
A RECENT trip to Portland and Lodmoor Reserve at Weymonth was quite productive for
interesting bird sightings. Perhaps the best one was a melodious warbler which is a rare
vagrant or passage migrant to this country and was sitting quite unconcerned in a bramble
bush at close quarters, feeding up on insects before its journey to West Africa, where it
winters. Grey green tinged with brown on the back it is pale yellow with a buff brown cast
underneath. This is only my second sighting of this bird having previously seen it in Spain
in March this year.
A little owl can almost be relied upon in a rock
overhang on Portland Bill where it seems to sit all day
(right). This is our smallest British owl closely related
to the American Burrowing owl and is an introduced
species to the U.K. but has been established for more
than one hundred years. Being crepuslular' (mostly
active at dawn and dusk) they also
hunt during the day and feed on small mammals, sucn
as mice, voles, snrews and small rabbits as well as
insects, earthworms, snails, slugs and small fish.
There is evidence to suggest that little owls were
present in Britain between the
last two ice ages, but they seem to have been only an occasional visitor to the U.K. right
up to the latter part of the 19th century. Numerous unsuccessful re-introduction attempts
were made during the 19th century but between 1889 - 90 large numbers of Dutch little
owls were released in Northamptonshire with considerable success. More successful
introductions were made in Yorkshire. Hampshire and Hertfordshire.
Little egrets (left) were seen at Lodmoor. This
is a small white heron with attractive white
plumes on crest, back, and chest, black legs
and bill and large yellow feet. It first appeared
in significant numbers in 1989 and first bred
in Dorset in 1996. Its colonisation followed
naturally from a range expansion into
western and northern
France in previous decades. It is now
commonly seen in coastal sites and
estuaries along the south coast, and in Devon
and Cornwall and has become a
breeding species as well as a winter visitor. I have seen them standing in
shallow water moving their big yellow feet around to disturb small fish which
they eat.
There were also good views of four lovely pairs of yellow wagtails at Lodmoor, feeding
up on the short shore line vegetation before departing for Africa.
And now two large pests I have encountered in the garden. I am having great problems in
a large garden that I look after near Witney. Every morning when I go the lawn has areas
that look like a mine field, the turf has been dug up and pushed back and it takes up to two
hours every visit to repair the damage. Badgers are omnivores and their principal food is
earthworms. Large numbers are eaten on damp nights when they come to the surface and
they are very nutritious. They will also eat insects and their larvae, small mammals,
carrion, fruit, nuts, cereals, roots, bulbs and tubers.
In the same garden I suffer from muntjac deer damage when they eat the new shoots on
the roses. I remember digging out a new rose bed in a garden at Finstock a few years ago
and planting it up with twenty new rose bushes. The next week when I visited the whole
lot had been eaten down to stumps. The muntjac when fully grown is about the size of a
spaniel and originates from South East Asia. It was imported into a country estate and
then, as usual, escaped and became a pest damaging saplings in the woods. It is solitary,
does not form herds, does not have a rutting season and can breed any time of the
year and does can conceive again within days of giving birth. They are capable of
breeding at eight months old. A common name for them is barking deer after a repeated
loud bark which I hear quite often.
The joys of living in the country! David Roberts
WHAT SHALL WE HAVE FOR DINNER?
This month the Guru with the Gravyboat comes over all Autumnal...
Roast Butternut Squash
BUTTERNUT squash is a truly seasonal vegetable. Just as asparagus is the taste of early
summer and tastes plain wrong when imported at great expense in the middle of winter, so
squash epitomises autumn; the colour alone livens up menus as we embrace comforting,
warming food to cheer us up in the dismal days ahead. Even better, whereas cauliflower
and broccoli need eating within a day or so (who has not found a mouldy once-green
vegetable lurking at the bottom of the fridge which you would have sworn you only
bought `the other day'?) squash, pumpkin et al will happily take up residence in the pantry
for weeks.
This way of cooking squash is perfect as an accompaniment to roast meat and is ideal
alongside the turkey for Thanksgiving Dinner, if you are into all things American. It is an
American recipe in fact, which I cut out of the Times a few years ago. This would not be
the most diet-friendly way of cooking butternut squash (no surprises there, then) but is
absolutely delicious and a little goes a long way. I have tried it with other kinds of squash
and pumpkin, and all work equally well.
1 butternut squash
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
Large pinch of salt
4 tbsp maple syrup
3 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
Handful of pine nuts (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 1800C. Peel the squash, cut in half lengthways,
remove the seeds and cut the flesh into 3cm chunks. Spread them out
on a baking tray or roasting tin and sprinkle with a little salt.
Combine the butter, syrup and ginger then spoon the mixture over
the squash. Roast until the tips of the squash turn golden brown (c.
35-40 mins.) Serve
with the pine nuts sprinkled over the top. Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
Angela Galione
RAF BROADWELL
As David Oakey writes, everyone in the Shill Valley and Broadshires must have wondered
what once went on at the old airfield. Certainly I have, particularly when standing on the
verandah around the old control tower, from where all the old concrete landmarks begin
to make sense. Many of us know something about the gliders at Broadwell, but David
paints a vivid picture of what RAF Broadwell was all about...
RAF BROADWELL lies just off the Burford/Lechlade road near Bradwell Grove on the
road to Kencot, which does not follow its original route as it was closed when the airfield
was operational, and re-opened when the airfield closed. The new route for the road now
runs along the old runway, I presume it was cheaper to do that as opposed to building a
new one.
Very often when I'm driving along that road my mind turns to all the young men who
went to war from RAF Broadwell and never came back. I suspect this is the case with
many of the older residents in the Broadshires who can remember the airfield when it was
operational. I also suspect that the younger generation see the remains of the runway and
the shell of the control tower (Joan Forde who married one of the RAF servicemen, says
the young RAF officers used to ride their bikes around the ledge of the control tower, if
you go and have a look at it, it was a very dangerous bit of fun) and wonder what did
actually did go on there, so to rectify that I will in the next few articles try to write
something about the history of the airfield.
I have for the past few years been collecting information and memories from some of the
men who were stationed there, and one contributor said `it is good you are collecting
memories as quite a lot of us are on our final circuit and in fact most of us have already
landed', which I thought was a interesting way of putting it.
The station virtually began its life when an opening-up party of 70 arrived on 15th'
November 1943. The land required for the runways was farmed by the Gardiner family,
and by the Bastons. The requisition order came immediately, and without warning. There
was no time to lift what- was left of the potato crop, and much of the best land was lost for
ever by the farmers.
Work began immediately, with a force of largely Irish labour being employed by
Wimpey's to prepare the runways and accommodation. The airfield was constructed in an
amazingly short time, and an old airman remembers that the runways were not even
hardened off or settled down when they started using them.
The effect on the small villages around was quite dramatic, and The Rose & Crown in
Shilton, in all its long existence had probably never been so busy. Everyone remembers
the noisy and sometimes violent scenes which became common in the village with the
arrival of the Irish workers. Americans, too, were often involved in the fights which
regularly threatened the windows of the Trinder's cottage. Beer supplies did not last the
week, however, so there must have been some more peaceful evenings. Mrs Bowles was
working at The Chequers in Brize Norton, and when supplies ran out there, young people
would walk or cycle over to Shilton in search of a drink; bringing jam- jars, which took
the place of glasses.
On Wimpey paydays the Shilton Post Office was besieged by Irish workmen, telegraphing
money to their families in Ireland. The queue stretched down the garden path and into the
road, and Joyce Read and her father had to work till late at night, wiring off all the orders.
At the start of the war the Post Office was in a part of what is now Barn Cottage. Then it
was moved up near the crossroads, where it served as a small shop as well as post-office.
Transport Command took control on 24th January 1944, and the first party arrived on 2nd
February. The first Dakotas were flown in a few days later, followed by more, bringing
Horsa
gliders.
Broadwell had a threefold role:
•
Delivery of airborne forces and supplies.
•
Transport runs to the Continent
•
Retrieval of wounded troops
By the end of February, 220 commissioned and 1400 non-commissioned men had arrived.
There were several sorties during April to drop leaflets over France, and in May there
were visits by King George VI, and by Churchill, to watch exercises. They saw troopcarriers taking off, to drop parachutists on Salisbury
Plain
On 2nd June 1944 the station was sealed off. Outgoing mail was impounded, and all leave
cancelled; for Broadwell was the starting point for 1000 troops leaving to parachute into
Normandy on 5th June (D day -1). They were followed the next day by Horsa gliders with
more troops, and then by Dakotas dropping supplies. During the following weeks aircraft
left Broadwell with re-enforcements, bringing back casualties on their return journeys.
American wounded were taken to Bradwell Grove, newly constructed as a U.S.A.F.
hospital, (one local lady who worked there as a girl, said it was terrible, the injured troops
were traumatised and when ever an airplane went over they covered there heads or hid),
while the British were dispersed to other centres for treatment. Meanwhile, Harry
Gardiner was issued with a special pass `to tend a foal', that was being reared within the
prohibited zone.
There were dances, in the local village halls which the RAF came to, places like Kencot,
Filkins, Carterton, and Shilton, the Woman's Institute in Kencot used to serve cups of tea
for the RAF, and at least one local girl met her husband there. There were Australian and
Canadian Air Force, and I am not sure if they were just attached to the RAF squadrons or
there in their own right, I think they were with 575 Squadron.
One Sunday morning in mid September, 47 Dakotas took off, each towing a Horsa. The
gliders were loaded with troops, jeeps, trailers, cycles, handcarts, and anti-tank guns. As
they moved towards the East coast they were to converge with similar flights, coming
from all directions, so that the sky seemed filled with the sight and sound of planes, all on
their way to Arnhem, one of the greatest scenes of disaster for the Allies.
Broadwell continued to operate as a transport base until the end of 1946, and was finally
closed in March 1947.
But this was not the end of RAF Broadwell as unknown to most there was an underground
bunker there in the 1960/70's from where the civil defence operated. This was connected
to the local post offices and other civic buildings to give a warning in case of nuclear
attack, the remains of this bunker can be seen behind the old control tower. But now, 60
years after its heyday, cracked runways, a control tower, and a few derelict buildings are
all that
remain.
The memories of some of the pilots and troops are difficult to put in any order, so I will by
and pick out the most interesting. Harry Howard now in 2008, lives in Mindhead
Somerset I visited him in July this year, and spent a very interesting 3 to 4 hours listening
to some of his experiences, he will be 90 next year and wants to go flying again on his
90th birthday
J WAS a Staff Sgt first pilot in 15 Flight, F Squadron of the Glider Pilot Regiment, and
my second pilot was Sgt. Holman with whom I had only flown for twenty minutes prior to
Operation Mallard, which was a landing on the evening of D-Day to reinforce the earlier
airborne operations which took place in the very early hours of 6th June.
Sixth Airborne Division were untried in battle, but, like everyone else who had trained
and trained again for the invasion, we were raring to go. I recall the briefing, the maps and
photographs of the approach along the River Orne and Caen Canal to the landing zone
near Ranville, and the gaiety of the Royal Ulster Riflemen who filed aboard my glider.
Soon came take-off; I had gained sufficient speed on tow behind my Dakota tug to lift the
glider off the runway to a position just above the tug's slip-stream; we were over half-way
down the airfield when to my horror, because the tug was still on the deck, its
undercarriage started to rise and the aircraft bellied on to the runway with sparks flying
everywhere. I realized immediately that it could not become airborne and my speed was
carrying me over and past the tug.
There was still some runway ahead of me, so I released the tow rope, applied full flaps
and touched down beyond the tug which I saw as I passed over it which had fortunately
slewed to starboard on to the grass verge. This meant the runway was still clear for further
combinations to take off, provided of course that I did not block it with my aircraft.
Although the Horsa, was equipped with a skid which was designed for landing in a shorter
distance
than would be possible with the undercarriage, we had long learned to keep the wheels
intact and not jettison them after take-off. They were fitted with hydraulic brakes which
meant that upon touching down the glider could be steered left or right for a distance if
there was an obstruction straight ahead. The skid method gave no such choice and the
braking system was almost as effective in distance travelled before stopping.
I dared not apply brakes and rudder too quickly in case we ground looped and came to
grief. The perimeter fence was looming up very quickly but fortunately I turned left off
the runway and came to rest near the perimeter track. You can imagine the Irish comment
which came back to me from the strapped-in platoon in the main fuselage. I think we all
felt both relief and disappointment. But no sooner had my co-pilot and I taken full stock
of the situation than we heard the roar of one of the station tractors and before we could
fully realize it, we were hitched up, taken back to the start line about two miles round the
perimeter track and coupled to one of the reserve tugs.
I then had this account from Paddy Devlin
WE got ready in the middle of the afternoon after a good midday meal and we were taken
across to the runway where our gliders were lined up in single file on both sides with the
tug aircraft parked off the runway at a 45 degree angle facing towards the take off. As
each combination sped down the runway the next tug would taxi into position and when
the rope was taut, it would speed on its way at one minute intervals. We were shown our
individual platoon gliders and then took it easy until told to get dressed in our equipment
and get on board. I was pleased we were going, this was what I had volunteered for and it
was a nice fine evening, good gliding weather and soon we were on our way. Well not
quite, as far as 18 Platoon were concerned.
We became airborne a few feet up and then we veered off to the left and landed back on
the grass, the glider pilot had released the tow rope. Why? Well looking out of my port
hole window there was our tug aircraft careering down the runway on its belly, the pilot
had pulled up his undercarriage too soon after he became airborne forgetting he was
towing a fully loaded glider which caused it to drop back on the runway. When we halted
someone remarked that, `D' Day was over for us. Meanwhile take off by the other gliders
continued as soon as the RAF pushed the offending aircraft clear of the runway. The other
glider passengers would not even know that there was a problem as they awaited their turn
to take off. We were told to sit tight and soon the RAF hitched a tractor onto the glider
and we were towed along the grass to the end of the runway where we were hitched to
another tug aircraft the RAF had there as a reserve.
In one of the buildings at RAF Broadwell there was a complete model of the north coast
of France where the paratroopers were to land, all the villages hills
completely laid out so the troops were completely familiar with area they were going to be
dropped.
Here is an account by a pilot John E. Richards
SO in order for you to add some information to your quest for the Broadwell story, I will
copy some of the log book pages to show you the sequence of our crew while we were
with 512 and then with 437 at Arnhem and beyond.
I remember Broadwell for the mountains of mud. When we arrived, the quarters were new
and the airstrip wasn't even hardened. I remember the German bombers dropping bombs
around us. I remember the cold nights, when our one bucket of coal was insufficient to
keep us warm, so we would go out at night and cut down the wooden fences that were at
the farms. I remember a Mess call of all the Officers by the Commanding Officer of
Broadwell to assess every one of us a portion of the cost of the fences that the farmers
sustained. But we were at least warmer and the poker games were much more enjoyable.
As far as D Day is concerned. We took a stick of the Canadian 6th into Malaise. And then
flew behind the balloons at Caen, taking in freight and bringing back stretcher cases. We
followed our advances, and flying petrol and rockets for the typhoons Until Arnhem.
As for the Arnhem `do' On 18th' Sept we towed a glider to Landing Zone `Z' without
incidence. Very little flak but small arms fire.
'Then on 21st Sept we went in to re-supply. Very heavy flak and lots of small arms fire.
Our wing aircraft received a direct hit and just disintegrated before my eyes. I was
stationed in the turret dome, so-that I was able to see everything going on.. Our RASC
people-did a good job of discharging the cargo and we were down to about 800 feet and
luck to this point was with us. Not a scratch. We left the Zone and climbed to about 6000
feet. The weather was lousy. Overcast and foggy. None of our fighters were up that day,
at least not at over Arnhem. I remained in the turret and about five minutes into our return
I reported about ten fighters at 4 o'clock high and they were flying towards Germany.
Bob said it must be our boys as they said that they would try to give us some cover. At
that time Bob asked me to go to .the back of the aircraft as his controls seemed to be
acting up. He proceeded to place the ship on auto pilot and I went back to check. Just as I
returned to my station hell broke loose, just like D-Day. I Felt light shrapnel hitting the
aircraft three or four times. I looked over to Bob and he and Stew, who was in the copilot's seat were hit and bleeding badly. They were both slumped over. The port engine
was bellowing smoke and racing away and someone (McHugh) yelled `bail out!' The rest
is history. McHugh, our navigator, myself and one RASC (Jones)
were able to get out before the port side blew off, and the ship went down in a ball of fire
with Bob Alexander, Stew McLintock and three RASC lads. In later years a Dutchman
was able to trace and identify the eventual graves of the people that died that day.
I parachuted and landed about 100 yards short of the German perimeter (I was told later
by one of the 101st) as I landed on the perimeter held by the 101st Airborne. It was at
Sohn right near Eindhoven. The radio operator to the 101s` commanding officer saw us
bail out and he wrote a book called `Hell's Highway'. He signed the book for me noting
that he witnessed me bailing out.
So it turned out that I was lucky not to have been taken prisoner. As a matter of fact a
young Dutch girl about 12 years of age or so, knew exactly where I was hiding and led me
back to the American 101St hospital at Sohn.
I later flew with a number of pilots in the Squadron and eventually did the mission over
the Rhine at Wessel with S/L Bob Joyce.
As far as Broadwell is
concerned I remember the
spirited parties we had at
the Mess (Officers) the
dances with the nurses and
the ambulance drivers.
There are some very
pleasant memories. I recall
inviting a company of
American Army chaps to
experience a ride in the
gliders. It was a thrill of a
lifetime for them.. I made
friends with their company
commander and S/L Rae
was a good kind of Deputy
Commander. As for 575,
Jack Sproule who was the
deputy commander of 575
was sent to form-the 437
Squadron I recall the
supposed action to get
ready to move the
Squadrons to Italy, just
before D-Day. Of Course
this was just a ruse. Whole
bunches of us wound up in
Oxford looking for socks,
Wad shirts etc. A lot of us
were naive and
participated. I remember enjoying my stay at Broadwell and my memories are pleasant..
David Oakey
To see much more about RAF Broadwell go to http://www.rafbroadwell.com, a real
labour of love by David Oakey
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS
(free for private ads)
Upright Piano available to anyone who is interested in giving it a good home. Please
contact Liz Welch on 01367 250021.
3 bedroom cottage to rent in Filkins. £1000pcm. A delightful semi detached cottage in
highly sought after area of Filkins. Accommodation includes cloakroom, living room,
fitted kitchen, dining room, master en suite, two further bedrooms, bathroom, large garden
and off street parking. Very good decorative order throughout and new oak flooring on
ground floor. if interested please call Hannah or Nathan McCree on 01367 860687.