April 2005
PARISH PUMP is published every month except January, and
should be distributed to every household in the Shill Valley and
Broadshire benefice. If you do not receive a copy, please contact
Jane Brylewski.
Advertising does not cover all our costs, and we welcome
donations (suggesting at least £5/year) which you can send through
your Parish Pump Correspondent (see inside back cover), the
person who delivers your Parish Pump, or directly to Ellie
Maughan. If you have not already done so, please send your £5 to
cover 2005’s issues.
We welcome articles, letters, diary items, or just good ideas for
future articles (and criticism, whether good or bad! Ed). Please
submit through your local Parish Pump Correspondent, or directly
to Richard Martin. Photographs are also welcome. We prefer all
copy to be sent electronically by email to pump@naturalbest.co.uk,
although good old paper is fine too!
All copy for inclusion should reach the editorial office by the 10th
of the month preceding publication.
Advertising enquiries are welcomed, and should be directed to Lin
Edgar.
We are indebted to all the Parish Correspondents, and all those in
all the parishes who make possible the publication and distribution
of Parish Pump every month.
EDITORIAL
G oily, doesn’t a bit of early Spring sunshine make a difference?
We know that it happens just the same every year, but every year
as the dark days of Winter lengthen into evenings light enough to
be useful, it seems like magic. For all our sophistication, the round
of the seasons is still an extraordinarily potent force in all our lives.
It really does make us feel happier and more optimistic. For me the
year really begins in early April.
500 years ago, Geoffrey Chaucer opened his Canterbury Tales with
a description of the season, for he knew that it was the brightening
weather which quickened the eye, and gladdened the heart:
When in April the sweet showers fall
That pierce March’s drought to the root and all And bathed every
vein in liquor that has power To generate therein and sire the
flower; When Zephyr also has with his sweet breath, Filled again,
in every holt and heath,
The tender shoots and leaves, and the young sun His half-course in
the sign of the Ram has run, And many little birds make melody
That sleep through all the night with open eye (So Nature pricks
them on to ramp and rage) Then folk do long to go on pilgrimage...
... or to put it another way, Spring has sprung, let’s get on with life!
Turning to April’s Parish Pump, having just spent an hour or two
formatting the News from Around the Villages, it strikes me what
a lot we can do within a mile or so of our front doors now that
Spring is here. Go to the opera, get confirmed, find out about
hearing dogs, keep fit, learn about an illustrious life in the RAF,
sail the seven seas, whip up a snuffle, go on an armchair-tour of
British gardens... it’s all either here in the pages of your very own
Parish Pump, or Parish Pump tells you how to find out more!
Then we have part two of the story of the Filkins Tornado, and a
splendid piece about Saints and their Symbols. Good stuff all!
Lastly (again!), if you enjoy PP, do send your donation for 2005
via your village representative/ correspondent or directly to Ellie
Maughan (our Treasurer).
Richard Martin
BENEFICE SERVICES
3’d April - Easter I
10.30am Westwell
6.00pm Kencot
10‘h April - Easter II
Benefice Eucharist Service
EJ & NUW
Evensong
Holy Communion
EJ
HM
8.00am Kencot
9.00am Holwell
9.00am Shilton
10.00am Alvescot
10.00am Filkins
11.00am Broadwell
11.00am L Faringdon
6.00pm Langford
6.00pm Westwell
17th April - Easter III
9.00am Langford Holy
9.00am Westwell Holy
10.00am Alvescot Family
10.00am Broadwell/Kencot
11.00am Kelmscott
6.00pm B Bourton
6.00pm B Poggs
6.00pm Holwell
24” April - Easter N
9.00am Shilton
10.00am B Bourton
10.00am Filkins
10.00am Langford
11.00am L Faringdon
6.00pm Alvescot
6.00pm Kencot
6.00pm Westwell
Holy Communion
Holy Communion
Parish Communion
Family Communion
Morning Prayer
Morning Prayer
Evensong
Evensong
Communion
NUW
RM
HM
NUW
NUW
AP
HM
NUW
RM
Communion
Communion
Combined Parish
Communion
Family Communion
Evensong
Evensong
Evensong
Holy Communion
HM
NUW
HM
Parish Communion
Parish Communion
Family Service
Parish Communion
Evensong
Sing for Joy
Evensong
RM
HM
DP
NUW
LB
EJ
HM
EJ
EJ
AP
NUW
EJ
There is also a Communion Service every Wednesday morning at
10.00am at St Mary’s, Black Bourton
SERVICE CELEBRANTS
AP
Arthur Pont
DP
Debs Price
EJ
Liz Johnson
HM Harry MacInnes
LB
Lynda Blair
NUW Neville Usher-Wilson
RM
Roland Meredith
THE LECTIONARY
3’d April - Easter I (W) Psalm 16. 1
Acts 2. 14a, 22-32
Peter 1. 3-9
John 20. 19-31
10” April ; Easter II (W) Psalm 116. 1-4. 12-19
Acts 2. 14a, 36-41
1Peter 1. 17-23
Luke 24. 13-25
17‘h April - Easter III Psalm 23
(W)
Acts 2. 42-47
1 Peter 2. 19-25
John 10. 1-10
23‘d April - Saint George’s Day ®
Proverbs 23. 1-18
Philippians 4. 2-end
24‘h April - Easter N
Psalm 31. 1-5
(W)
Acts 7. 55-60
1 Peter.2. 2-10
John 14. 1-14
1” May - Rogation Sunday (W)
Acts 17. 22-31
Psalm 66. 8-20
1 Peter 3. 13-22
John 14. 15-21
THE RECTOR’S LETTER
Dear Friends
A little phrase which is enormously encouraging and comes a
number of times in the Bible is ‘God is Able’. For example, take
the account of that remarkable man Abraham. Not only did he
leave the comfort of the sophisticated City of Ur, in which he had
grown up, because he was convinced that God had called him to do
so. Not only did he camp out for the rest of his life in obedience to
God. He was even prepared to sacrifice his only son Isaac,
because, as it puts it in Hebrews 11:19, he was convinced that
‘God is able’ to raise the dead.
Centuries before the resurrection of Jesus, here was a man who had
confidence in God’s ability to defeat the last enemy of mankind that is, Death itself. And if God can do that, we can have
confidence in God bringing new spiritual life to us here in our
village, confidence in him bringing a new understanding of the
love of Jesus.
The same little phrase comes again and again in the writings of the
Apostle Paul. In writing to the Christians in Rome, he says ‘God is
Able’ to help us stand against the pressure of the prevailing
culture. In our case it is materialism - a belief that happiness
depends on wealth and health, rather than a relationship with God.
The Good life is thought of in terms of money, clothes, drink, cars,
status, houses and so on, and very seductive these are. Not that any
of them are bad in themselves, but so easily they come between us
and God. They become idols which take the first place in our
affections. However, ‘God is able’ to make us stand in the face of
that pressure.
St Paul tells of how ‘God is Able’ to guard what he has entrusted
to him. He had put his life into God’s hands, and was convinced
that whatever trials he might face and whatever problems he might
come up against, God was well able to see him through.
His experience again and again confirmed his faith. And there are
many in this Benefice who, I am sure, could bear witness to the
same thing in their own lives. God’s sustaining power in everyday
living as an enriching experience. Once more, He speaks of how
‘God is Able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things
at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good
work.’ It is encouraging to know that God will continue to pour
good things into our lives, as we in turn pour ourselves and our
resources out upon others.
Harry MacInnes
Confirmation
On Sunday June 5th at 6.30pm in St Matthew’s Langford, there is
to be a confirmation service for the Benefice. If anybody who is
interested in being confirmed, do please contact me. Prior to this
there will be two preparation groups for confirmation.
For young people: Sunday evenings at 6.00 to 7.30pm
1 17th
The Vicarage, Shilton Who is Jesus?
April
2 24th
The Tallot, Westwell Prayer
April
3 151 May The Vicarage Shilton The Bible
4 8‘h May The Vicarage, Shilton Holy Communion
5 22°d May St Matthews,
What is confirmation?
Langford
For adults: Wednesday evenings at 8.00 to 9.30pm (Except 5)
1 20th
The Vicarage, Shilton
April
2 27th
The Vicarage, Filkins
April
3 4th May The Vicarage, Shilton
4 11th May The Vicarage, Filkins
5 22nd
St Matthews,
Rehearsal at 6.30pm
May
Langford
Children’s Church
I n September we are planning to pioneer a children’s church in
Shilton, for the Benefice, which would run concurrently with the
main service. This would provide, worship, teaching and prayer for
the children during the first part of the service the children would
then join the main congregation for a blessing during communion.
Do contact Debs Price on 01993 847039 if you think that you
might like to contribute to this ministry.
Harry MacInnes
JOE HOMAN’S VISIT
Joe Homan will be visiting Broughton Poggs on Thursday 21”
April. Everyone is invited to a light lunch at Stable Cottage,
Broughton Poggs to meet Joe, and listen to his talk-with-slides
afterwards. Joe is of Dutch origin and came to this country at the
age of two. Joe and another brother became monks, and one of his
sisters is still a nun.
In 1961 Joe was sent to India with the De La Salle order, first to
the north and then to South India. He was recalled to the UK in
1964 and he waited to be sent back to India. It never happened, so
Joe resigned from the order and set off on his own.
As well as seven Boys’ Towns, two Girls’ Towns and three
Children’s Villages, Joe went into village development and started
a scheme of improving kindergarten education which he calls
joyful Learning.
You will enjoy the talk - it is an education to us all, and donations
are not obligatory!
Please let me know if you can come either to the lunch, or just the
talk. (Tel: 01367 860226). Proceedings will start at 11.30am.
Mary Pearce
CHRISTIAN AID
H Help make poverty history! Join a sponsored walk/run for
Christian Aid on Saturday 7‘h May. The fun starts at 2.OOpm at
Cotswold Wildlife Park. For more details, contact
Tom Farrell on 01993 823951.
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
We meet again on Wednesday 6‘h April at 2.45pm in the Filkins
Methodist Chapel Schoolroom. Our speaker will be Major
Thornton of the Salvation Army in Oxford. This is, by request, a
return visit, and we look forward to seeing her again. We are, as
usual happy to welcome anyone who would like to join us for our
meeting!
MAB
FROM THE REGISTERS
HOLY BURIAL
2151 February Black
Bourton
28’h February Alvescot
28‘h February Shilton
Andrew Peggie aged 92 years
Joan Eustace aged 78 years
Laura Annie Maycock aged 99 years
ROUND THE VILLAGES
ALVESCOT St Peter’s
CAROL SINGING
Yes, I know this is late, entirely my fault. Sorry Rosie! Think of it
as a taste of things to come later this year! Ed
On a cold frosty December evening just before Christmas, a few
brave souls gathered together to entertain the villagers with their
glorious renditions of carols old and new. Accompanied by a
golden retriever, a CD player, and some mulled wine, they set off
with gusto. As always the villagers were very generous with their
donations, and sausage rolls. Whether the donations were designed
to encourage us to sing louder, or not at all, does not matter for we
raised £150 and 86 Singapore cents. A huge thank you to
everyone, both those who sang and those who gave. Just one word
to a certain villager whose doorbell we broke. The proceeds were
split between the school’s African Project, the Children’s Hospital
appeal, and the Maya Childcare Trust.
Rosie Johnston
BRIDGE DRIVE
The Annual Bridge Drive was held at The Old Rectory and raised
£764 towards church funds. Very many thanks to all those who
helped to make it such a success, whether by playing, cooking,
furniture shifting or washing up!
Diana Bagnall
VILLAGE HALL AGM
The Annual General Meeting of the Hall Management Committee
will be held in the Hall on Monday 25‘h April at 7.30pm. Come
and have your say about your Hall, we are always looking for new
blood with new ideas. Please telephone me (01993) 841459 if you
want to know more about what is involved.
Wendy Phipps
ALVESCOT SUMMER FETE
This year we are holding our Village Fete on Saturday June 18‘h at
the Playing Field. The day is an important one for our local
community, as it raises much-needed funds for all our village
organisations. We particularly welcome new residents to Alvescot
and our neighbouring villages - you will be
pleasantly surprised by the vibrancy and warmth of this small
village!
The Fete will be open for visitors at 2.OOpm and will start with the
traditional entertainment by the children of St Peter’s School. As
well as all the usual musical events and sideshows there will be a
raffle with cash prizes, lots of games and stalls, and many other
attractions. This year we will be having some new and exciting
ones, some of them on our new hard - surface games area. So,
come and have a cream tea, buy plants and cakes, or just listen to
the music.
However, none of the fun would happen without a lot of hard work
by the organising committee and other Alvescot residents. Every
year we have to tour the village, asking for bottles, cakes, plants &
produce, tombola prizes and good quality bric-a-brac. It would be
an enormous help if you could bring this to us before the day! We
also need volunteers to help with stalls, and to set up on the day
itself and the evening before.
We would love to have a bit more help this year, so if you can
offer your labour or donations of any kind please contact Jayne
Lewin on 01993 842435 or Malcolm Farley on 01993 841357
ST PETER’S INFANT SCHOOL
At the end of February, PC Patrick visited the school and spoke to
each class about his role within the community as well as
addressing some issues regarding road safety. He drove his car
onto the playground and the children enjoyed looking at his car
and setting off the sirens!
A meeting was held for Year 2 parents to explain the new
arrangements for assessment at the end Key Stage 1. This was well
attended and all parents left, reassured that their children would not
suffer the anxieties that are described by the media.
Many of us enjoyed the Mothering Sunday Service at St Peter’s
Church, particularly the prayers read by some of the children and
mothers of the village. Thanks go to Jayne Lewin for kindly
preparing the flowers.
Our annual bookweek was held in March. Unfortunately the
children’s poet, James Carter, was unable to visit through illness,
but his visit has been rearranged for 6th May. All the staff and
children enjoyed the activities that took place throughout the week,
including bedtime stories, dressing up as book characters and
bookmaking.
Class 2 are looking forward to taking part in the Oxford Literary
Festival on 21st March, attending a talk by the author Martin
Waddell.
Class 2 visited Wroughton Science Museum and had a very
interesting day looking at aeroplanes and bicycles from the past to
the present day. Thanks to Keith Brown at the museum for
organising the day and all the parents who
provided transport and helped us.
The Foundation Stage Class and Class 1 are looking forward to
their visits to Farmer Gow’s Farm and The Gloucester Folk
Museum at the end of March.
Peter Killick, from the Cultural Loans Service, returned, this time
with his ‘Fun and Games’ resources and provided a workshop for
Class one on the history of toys. We are looking forward to Peter
visiting Class 2 in April with a‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’
workshop!
The school took part in Red Nose Day on Friday l l th March,
dressing up in red and coming to school with ‘big hair’. Thanks to
everyone who gave so generously. The final amount raised will be
announced in the next issue.
Please remember Sandie Morris’s jumble sale at the village hall on
21” April. Please bring any jumble to the village on the morning of
the sale or, if this is not possible, to the school on Friday 151 April.
Tickets are now available from the school office for the Sixties
Night on 30‘h April. Please buy these early to avoid
disappointment.
Sam King
BLACK BOURTON St Mary’s
ANDREW PEGGIE
Having moved into the village with his wife Pat and family,
Andrew took time to do up Moat Cottage and turn it into a warm
friendly dwelling.
The Church had been the only focal point of village life since
1110, with Christmas services, Easter celebrations and Harvest
Festivals. A fete was held at Burton Abbotts every year in aid of
the church and the village.
In the early seventies Andrew and a few other villagers thought we
should have some say in the way Carterton Council looked after
the village. So they formed a sub-committee of the Council to see
how the system worked and to see if we got the full benefit in the
village.
As time moved on the BBVA or Black Bourton Village
Association was formed. Apart from working with the Carterton
Council, it ran villages events. It jointly ran the village fete with
the Church. Quiz nights, general get togethers and an annual
Sunday drinks gathering in the garden of Moat Cottage were
organised. This tradition has continued until this year. Harvest
suppers and fund raising events for the Church and Village were
held in the
barn at Moat Cottage. Andrew always made everyone involved
most welcome in his house and barn. We were allowed to alter the
furniture arrangement in the barn as long as it all went back
precisely as we had found it. Andrew would always be there to
check up on us!
Andrew then thought that we should form our own Parish Council
and gradually split away from Carterton so that we could control
our own destiny. This was done over a period of time so we now
have a Church Committee, a Parish Council and the BBVA. They
all try to work together for the benefit of the village.
Andrew was always there to give sound advice in a straightforward
way. He ran meetings with a rod of iron and things got done
properly and on time. Nothing was ever too much trouble and he
supported every event and fund raising activity. He had the ability
to think laterally. He was always in and around the village
observing and taking note. Andrew was an inspiration to other
villagers for his never-ending energy and the effort he put into
everything he did. He has played a major part in shaping the
history and events in our village of Black Bourton, which we
certainly took to his heart. We miss him and his counsel.
QUIZ
Saturday 7‘h May 7.30pm Alvescot Village Hall. Tickets only £5
per person including light supper For more information telephone
Jackie (01993 843746)
PARTY IN THE PLAY PARK
Saturday 18‘h June 5.00 pm to midnight. Live Bands, Dancing,
Fairground, Craft Stalls, Bar and Refreshments. For more
information telephone Jackie (01993 843746)
PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENTS LICENSE
Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1982 (As
Amended)
Notice of application for the grant, variation* of a public
entertainment license. Notice is hereby given that the Black
Bourton Village Association applied to West Oxfordshire District
Council on 10‘h February 2005 for a License/Variation of
License* to use premises at Black Bourton Play Park for the
following days and times:
Saturday 18” June 2005 from 5.00pm until midnight.
Any person wishing to object to this application must give notice
in writing stating his objection in general terms within 14 days of
the date of this newspaper’s publication to: Head of Community
Safety and Licensing
West Oxfordshire District Council, Woodgreen, Witney, OX28
1NB
PLANT SALE
Advance notice of the 3rd Annual Charity Plant Sale. If you
enjoyed the sales
in 2002 and 2003 (or if you wondered what you were missing!), I
do hope you can come to the 2005 sale on 17“’ September.
Liz Welch
BROADWELL
St Peter &- St Paul’s
CHRISTOPHER & SARA RAWSON
Christopher and Sara Rawson will be leaving the village in a few
weeks’ time. Throughout their years here, they have both been
involved in the community, and given freely of their support and
concern for those less fortunate, in these villages and further afield.
We must thank Christopher particularly for his work in the church,
ably supported by Sara.
Among other things, Christopher has recently completed his walk
along the Thames for WaterAid, raising a considerable sum of
money for that worthy charity. We wish them all happiness in the
future, and we will miss their comfort and sustenance, so
generously given.
SC & RL
ANNUAL MEETINGS
Don’t miss your chance to influence what goes on in the village.
Come to two important meetings, they are Annual Meetings, so
anyone who lives here can have their say.
April 18‘h is the PCC (Parochial Church Council) at 6.30 in the
Old School, when we will be trying to keep our beautiful church
alive. Any ideas?
April 19‘h (Sorry for the close dates!) is the Parish Meeting, when
anything to do with the village is there for discussion, and probably
argument! 7.OOpm, also in the Old School. Democracy starts here,
so do come!
FILKINS & BROUGHTON POGGS St Peter’s
FILKINS FLOWERS
3‘d & 10‘h April
17 “’ & 26 ‘” April
Mary Cover
Elizabeth Gidman
ROSTER FOR VOLUNTARY CAR SERVICE TO SURGERIES
Covering Filkins, Broughton Poggs, Broadwell, Kencot, Langford
and Little Faringdon
5‘h April
Mrs K Morley
0136
7
7‘h April Mr A Woodford 0136
7
12‘h April Mr A Woodford 0136
7
14‘h April Lt Col J Barstow 0136
7
19‘h April Mrs L White
0136
7
21s‘ April Mrs M Cover
0136
7
26‘h April Mrs J Higham 0136
7
28‘” April Mrs B Bristow 0136
7
860420
860319
860319
860312
860461
860302
860197
860195
Please contact either Mr A Woodford (01367 860319) or Mrs P
Assiter (0136/ 860545) if any problems arise.
Tony Woodford
PARISH COUNCIL VILLAGE LITTER PICK
The 2005 Litter Pick took place on 26‘h February, when a merry
gang scoured the village. A big thank you to all who helped, and
especially to Chris Bristow for organizing this splendid event.
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL
The Annual General Meeting of the PCC will be held on Thursday
21” April at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. For more information,
telephone 01367 860195.
BC
FIVE ALLS DAY CENTRE
Since the last item on the Five Alls Day Centre our newly
appointed deputy has had to resign for personal reasons. As a result
we are again advertising for a deputy co-ordinator for the day
centre. If you are looking for a part-time job (six hours on a
Tuesday), are cheerful and friendly and would be interested in
helping older people maintain their independence, then perhaps
you might consider applying. Further details can be obtained from
Jen Thoburn (01285 712397) or Chris Woodford (01367 860319).
WI NEWS
Our meeting in February saw the members transported back to
1939, organised by the members themselves. This is the time when
the official committee can sit back, have a rest an enjoy others
preparing the evening.
Mrs Blackett spoke about recruiting for the Land Army and how
the Ministry of Food sent recipes to help in a time of rationing.
Lady Cripps, the Billeting Officer, offered soap and combs for the
evacuees and told us about some of the children sent to the area.
Also we were informed of the 6181b of jam, chutney and jellies
being made.
Mrs Wise then spoke about the telephone and telegram service and
then Mrs Farmer finished with a fascinating view of life in the
Land Army. She lived in a hostel at ‘Goodfellows’ (now the
Morley’s home) and worked as a gang labourer. Great fun was had
at parties and dances, with transport provided, and she met her
husband during this time.
All members were reminded not to forget to bring their ‘twist’ of
tea to meetings, otherwise no cup of tea! All had a very enjoyable
evening finishing with a quiz -1939 style, and refreshments.
Back in 2005 members were invited to attend a Group meeting on
21s‘ April in Clanfield entitled ‘How to be a Toastmaster’.
Looking forward to our meeting on 20th April, we have our very
own Pat Clark, with her talk entitled ‘Dog sledding - with 170
dogs, 2 reindeer and 16 moose’. Please bring along friends and
family, it sounds a wonderful experience.
HW
OPERA IN THE CHURCH
Come to a sparkling evening of popular arias and ensembles from
operas and musicals from Champagne Opera. This musical feast is
at 7.15pm for 7.30pm on Friday 22”d April in St Peter’s Church,
Filkins. Afterwards there will be wine and cheese in the village
hall. Tickets (£20, and £10 concessions) are available from Jim and
Mary Cover (01367 860302). Proceeds in aid of church restoration.
SWINFORD MUSEUM
It is that time of year again when the Trustees of the Swinford
Museum consider the forthcoming exhibitions. The topic to be
covered next season will be Filkins during World War II. If you
have any stories or items of interest relating to this please contact
me on 01367 860504, or Ann Cripps on 01367 860209, and let us
know.
We are already learning about the exploits of the ‘pathfinder’
resident of Filkins. Where were you during the war? Please let us
know. Thank you.
SHHH! IT’S A SECRET
A lecture will be given by Mr W King on ‘Dad’s Underground
Army’, Britain’s best-kept secret of World War II, about the work
of the Resistance Organisation based at Coleshill. The lecture is at
7.30pm on Thursday 28‘h April in Filkins Village Hall. Tickets
£2.00 from Diane Blackett (01367 860504) or Ann Cripps (01367
860209)
Diane Blackett
HOLWELL St Mary s
CELEBRATING MOTHERS
The Rector came to Holwell to celebrate our joint Mothering
Sunday service with Westwell. Originally this was the day when
parishioners would make their way to their Mother Church, but
another custom was also remembered with the delightful
presentation of a little bunch of daffodil buds to all the women and
children in the congregation.
Traditionally this was also the one day in the year when
apprentices and young girls in service were allowed to visit their
families, traditionally picking flowers for their mothers as they
walked home through the fields. A far cry from the modern
‘Mothers’ Day’ bonanza for the florists
ANNUAL PCC MEETING
The Annual Parochial Church Council Meeting will take place on
April 11‘h at 6.30pm, at The Willows, Signet, by kind invitation of
the Brylewskis.
KELMSCOTT St George’s
CHURCH BRASS AND FLOWERS Liz Nelson
WELCOME!
Two welcomes this month: the first to Charlie and Brona Lockhart
and their son Dan who have moved into Coles Barn, and the
second to Tristan Molloy and Jane Milne who have moved into
Kelmscott Manor. We welcome you all and hope your time here
will be a happy one. EM
KENCOT St George’s
CHURCH FLOWERS
2°a & 9‘h April
Marjorie Barstow
16‘h & 23‘d April Jane Fyson
30‘h April & 7‘h May Louise Eustace
ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING
The APCCM will be held on Tuesday 5‘h April at 7.30pm in
Kencot Village Hall. It will be preceded by The Annual Vestry
Meeting and followed by a PCC Meeting.
ANNUAL PARISH MEETING
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held in the Village Hall on
Tuesday 12‘h April at 7.30pm. It will be followed by the Annual
Village Hall Meeting.
LANGFORD
St Matthew’s
TSUNAMI APPEAL
Thank you to everyone who helped, the total raised was just over
£300 and is going towards the rebuilding projects.
CHURCH FLOWERS
April 3rd & 10th Mrs R Range
April 17th & 24th Mrs S Kirby
April 30th
Mrs M Webb
ST. MATTHEWS CHURCH
The Annual Parish meeting will take place in the church on
Thursday 21” April at 7.00pm.
JUMBLE SALE
Langford Ladies are holding a jumble sale at Langford Village
Hall on Saturday April 2°d at 2.OOpm. There will be a cake stall
and raffle, profits 50/50 in aid of Longford Ladies and the
Cirencester Scanner Appeal. The
appeal is for an ultrasound scanner as Cirencester do not have one,
this is expected to cost approx. £80,000.
The hall will be open the night before for collections; details will
be on posters or please call Cherry on 01367 860304.
LANGFORD LADIES
On Thursday April 14‘” we invite Heather and her dog for an
evening about ‘Hearing dogs for deaf people’. We meet at
Langford Village Hall at 7.30pm, visitors most welcome £1. Raffle
and refreshments available. Enquiries to Chrissy 01367 860514 or
Beryl 01367 860294.
HAPPY CIRCLE
This is a Social club for those aged 55 years and over. Our
members come from Filkins, Langford, Burford, Kelmscott, Little
Faringdon and Carterton. We currently have 36 regularly attending
members, with four aged over 90!
Meetings take place on the second and fourth Wednesday of each
month. We enjoy outings, speakers on various subjects, bingo,
cards, beetle-drives, quizzes, raffles, tea and biscuits and lots of
chat! The annual subscription is £3.
At the moment we have a problem with transport of members to
meetings. Some members can no longer drive. Is there anyone who
would volunteer to fetch and carry members? We start at 2.30pm
and finish at 4.30pm.
If you are interested in becoming a member or could spare the time
to provide transport, please contact Jenny Pitkin 01367 860091 or
Cherry MacDonald 01367 860304.
PARISH COUNCIL
Our Annual Parish meeting will take place on Tuesday 12‘h April
at 7.OOpm in the Village Hall. Do come along if you have any
questions you wish to put to the Parish Council, or any concerns
you wish to raise.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Arriving at the homes of residents of Langford and some adjacent
villages has been a questionnaire about more affordable housing in
Langford, similar to that at Hooks Close. It is very important to get
as many completed questionnaires as possible returned to ORCC
(the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council) so that the housing
needs of the villages can be fully recognised.
Any information that you give on the forms is strictly confidential
and will not be available to anyone except to the ORCC official.
Should you require any more forms or any other information do
not hesitate to contact ORCC or me.
Rachel Range
NEWS FROM ST CHRISTOPHER’S
This month at St Christopher’s we celebrated world book day.
Each child in school came dressed up as their favourite storybook
character, which included a number of hobbits and Harry Potters.
Each class did a variety of work on fairy tales- Class 5 put the Big
Bad Wolf on trial!
Mrs Brown John organized a sponsored hockey day this month.
We had a cake sale and a raffle-with a signed Phillip Pullman book
as a star prize. Children from all year groups were sponsored to
practice their hockey skills. They tried to complete as many of the
skills as possible in a set period of time. We have also started to
sell red noses as a part of Comic relief. In school we have written a
joke book, where each child in the school has had the opportunity
to contribute a joke.
We have also taken part in a football competition at Cokethorpe
School. The team of Year 5 and 6 children that entered played very
well and enjoyed themselves. We managed to achieve 8th position,
after narrowly missing 7th place on penalties.
Next month some year 5 and 6 children will be spending a week at
the Pioneer Centre. They will take part in such activities as archery
and bridge building. We will also be taking part in a key stage 2
music festival at Burford School.
Paul Cameron
LITTLE FARINGDON St Margaret’s
CHURCH FLOWERS April Helen Lady de Mauley May Barbara
Browne
ANNUAL PCM
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting will take place on
Wednesday 13th April, at 6.30pm at Langford House.
CHURCH LUNCH 2O05
This summer’s Church Lunch will take place on Sunday 26‘h June,
at 12.30 for 1.00pm at Great Lemhill, near Southrop. This lovely
annual event is being kindly hosted by Mr George Ponsonby.
Invitations will be sent out in early May, but please put this date in
your diaries now!
SHILTON Holy Rood
QUIZ NIGHT
Our Quiz Night on 5th March was another successful and
enjoyable evening,
even if it was a rather chilly one - inside and outside the hall! A
total of 7 teams fought gallantly for the Mervyn Whitfield trophy
but the Odds & Sods romped home to take the prize. We also made
£180 for Old School funds, so ; thank you to everyone who
participated.
PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL
The Annual General Meeting of the PCC will be held on 20th April at 6.30pm
Old School. Everyone is welcome to attend this meeting.
s in the
OPEN GARDENS ‘ It will soon be time to start planning for Open Gardens on 19‘” June,
and ! Old School committee members will shortly be contacting individuals in the ; hope
of persuading them to open their gardens or help out in other ways on the day. This event
is the main revenue earner for Old School funds.
;
COME ON, BABY, TOUCH YOUR TOES!
And a reminder about Keep Fit. Phil Farrow now leads an
energetic and enjoyable aerobic/circuits workout every Thursday at
7.OOpm in the Old School. £3.50 per session. Everyone welcome.
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING DATES
30’h March Bradwell Village 7.30pm
11‘h May
Shilton 6.OOpm Ordinary meeting
7.30pm Annual meeting 29th June Bradwell Village 7.30pm
31” August Shilton 7.30pm
12”’ October Bradwell Village 7.30pm
14’h December Shilton
7.30pm
MAINTENANCE DAY
Some time between Easter and Open Gardens we would like to
organize a morning’s spring cleaning in and around the Old School
and doing a bit of
; maintenance - generally sprucing it up a
bit. We’ll be looking for volunteers to help out, perhaps one
Sunday morning, and providing a simple lunch for anyone who
does turn up to help. More details later.
WESTWELL St Mary’s
No news this month
VILLAGE VIGNETTES
I f you like the ‘village vignettes’ drawn for Parish Pump by
Patricia Broughton of Broadwell, why not commission her to do a
pen and ink sketch of your house? Contact Patricia on 0785 552
8023.
WESTMINSTER VIEW
This feature is now suspended until after the election, at which
time our new MP will be asked if he or she cares to write about
parochial affairs from a Westminster perspective. I would like to
thank David Cameron for taking the time and trouble to write his
pieces over the last few months. Ed
DOWN ON THE FARM
This Easter, Cogges Manor Farm Museum re-opens its doors for
its 2005 season. Following a period of uncertainty the Museum
will re-open under the new management mantle of Oxfordshire
County Council, who stepped in during an anxious time last
autumn when the Museum faced closure. Happily those worries are
now a thing of the past and 2005 looks all set to be a bumper year
for the Museum.
As usual we welcome a host of new faces to the Museum for
spring. There will be lambs, chicks, ducklings, a new calf and even
baby rabbits for visitors to meet. Queenie, our much loved
Gloucester Old Spot sow is also expecting so there will be piglets
galore as well. New faces will be welcomed equally by more
familiar faces from the farmyard such as proud Dad Rodney, the
Museum’s Gloucester Old Spot boar, and Mattie our much loved
donkey.
One things for certain, it will be a busy time down on the farm this
Easer, and there will be plenty for visitors to see. For Cogges
Manor Farm Museum it is business as usual in 2005 here at this
very special place to visit.
EVERY CHILD MATTERS
We are very lucky to live in a beautiful part of the country where
most of our children grow up surrounded by love, care and
kindness. Life is very different for many children, some of whom
live where I work less than half an hour away. These children have
lives which are frequently characterised by fear, illhealth and
neglect. Over the past few years we have been increasingly unable
to ignore this sad fact as the media have made us aware of young
children who have suffered, and even died, because no-one has
taken responsibility for them.
As well as seeking to avoid tragic outcomes for children, other
drivers for change in the way we support vulnerable children are:
Widening gaps in outcomes between different socio-economic
groups
The effects of disadvantage which are felt early and often have
lasting consequences for children
Disadvantaged and “at risk” young people lag behind their peers
academically Services do not always work well together There
needs to be a focus on prevention rather than cure
After a consultation period the Government passed an Act of
Parliament - the Children Act - in November 2004. This Act
provides a legislative basis to ensure that all the statutory services
for children will put the child at their centre. On lst December
2004, the Government’s strategy document ‘Change for Children’
was launched. It outlines the national programme of change
introduced by the Act. Change for Children has five aims for all
children:
Be healthy
.Stay safe
.Enjoy and achieve
Make a positive contribution .Achieve economic well-being
These seem such basic expectations that it is surprising to think
that in the 21st century an Act of Parliament is needed to achieve
them. However, 150 local authorities are now developing their
own programmes and plans to ensure that Education, Health and
Social Services work together to bring about these outcomes for
children. With the implementation of the Government’s policies of
putting more money directly into schools; of supporting local
communities through the development of extended schools and the
‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme, the biggest changes
in Education for many years are imminent.
I have been involved in Education one way or another ever since I
started school as an enthusiastic 5-year old and it is my sincere
hope that, perhaps within the next 10 years when plans have
become actions, all children and young people - regardless of
where they live - will be safe, healthy and have the opportunity to
enjoy learning.
Information is available on the Government website:
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk
Lucille Jones
Principal Educational Psychologist for a Local Education
Authority
POTTERING IN THE POTTING SHED
This month, and next, Ann leaves her potting shed, and sets off on
a gardens tour of Britain...
Are you one of those people for whom the gardening year is not
complete without a trip to one or more of the stunning gardens
situated around the British Isles? If so, read on.
This month and next offers an opportunity to consider ten locations
from Ross-shire in Scotland to Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. This
month we begin in the Scottish gardens at Inverewe and travel
through the north west and the north east of England, East Anglia
and the south east of England.
Inverewe Garden, which was created by Osgood Mackenzie in
1862, has a wonderful array of foreign plants, which are well
suited to the Gulf Stream. There are giant yuccas, phormiums and
plenty of other exotic species, from all over the world.
Rhododendrons from the Himalayas, eucalypts from Tasmania,
Oleria from New Zealand and other plants from Chile and South
Africa add to the spectacle. Children delight in searching for the
hairy-armpit tree, or the bamboo in the ‘Bambooselem’. The
gardens are open throughout the year.
Travelling to Cheshire will give us the chance to visit Tatton Park
Gardens considered to be among the most important in England.
One of Tatton’s most famous features is the Japanese garden.
Constructed between 1910 and 1913 it is rated as one of the finest
examples of Japanese gardens in Europe. The Italian and walled
kitchen gardens are also well worth a look. The park is open from
March to October.
Moving east into North Yorkshire is where we will find the Ripley
Castle Gardens home to the National Hyacinth collection. Here the
kitchen garden grows rare cultivars of fruit, vegetables, herbs and
spices. One of the walks will take you into the deer park where the
oak trees are a thousand years old. The gardens are open all year.
Onto East Anglia, and the chosen location of the Beth Chatto
Gardens. These have only been in existence for forty years and
have been transformed from an overgrown wasteland with poor
gravel soil and boggy hollows. They demonstrate the possibilities
available to create water gardens, shade gardens and a gravel
garden with the plants having been selected to suit the various
adverse conditions. The gardens are closed during December &
January.
The last part of this journey is a trip to the University of Oxford
Botanic Garden. It is the oldest botanic garden in Britain and was
built before the English Civil War. It stands on the bank of the
River Cherwell in the centre of Oxford and has evolved from a
seventeenth century collection of medicinal herbs to become the
most compact yet diverse collection of plants in the world. In
addition to the botanical family beds there is a range of
glasshouses including a Tropical Lily House, the Palm House and
the Arid House. The garden is open all year.
Next month: We will look at gardens in south west and central
England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isles of Scilly.
Anne Greenwood
NATURE NOTES
This month David sees the effect of the weather on wildlife, and
helps us tell the difference between rooks and crows...
Since last month’s Nature Notes the mild winter has taken a chilly
turn with the wind swinging round predominately to the north for
the last half of February and the start of March. I recorded a low of
-6 on 28‘’ February and there was snow in the air on several days.
Despite this I see the cherry-plum in the hedgerows is starting to
flower and May bushes are sprouting fresh green leaves in some
hedgerows.
Yesterday, Sunday 6‘h March, on my first visit to Barnes Wild
Life and Wetland Centre in London I saw several large groups of
colt’s foot blooming. It was a beautiful bright sunny day with a
brisk cold north east wind. The sulphur yellow flowers defy the
coldest weather to open in sun light and close again as dusk
approaches. It is unusual in that it flowers before any leaves appear
and will grow in the barest of places. When the flowers have died
the leaves develop and it is from these that the plant takes its name
as they are hoof-shaped.
The last few days of the cold snap have brought a female blackcap
to my window feeder, a small stocky warbler, dirty grey above and
light olive grey below with a red-brown cap. The male which
appeared a couple of days later is a darker grey with a black cap
giving the bird its name. Most blackcaps spend the winter in Africa
but a few have taken to braving the English winter in recent years.
From March through to mid-summer the blackcap has a beautiful
melodious voice which can often be heard in its woodland nesting
area.
Rooks have been busy for some time now re-arranging the sticks in
their tree top nests and adding new material ready for egg laying
very shortly. Rookeries are very noisy areas, particularly at dusk
when the birds all return to their nests after a day in the fields
probing the soil for leather jackets and wireworms. They can be
seen in quite large groups, often accompanied by jackdaws.
There is a story that used to tell the difference between rooks and
crows -‘a rook on its own is a crow, a crow in a bunch is a rook’.
But where carrion crows used to be solitary birds they can more
and more be seen feeding together in groups now. They struggled
to find sufficient nesting places years
ago when most of our large elm trees succumbed to Dutch Elm
Disease and they used to be seen in odd places like electricity
pylons.
The winter waxwings mentioned in the February issue of Nature
Notes are still being reported but not in the immediate area. They
are rather partial to rowan tree berries and there are precious few of
these left now but recent days have seen them at Abingdon in a
couple of groups of sixty or more and as recently as today 23 were
seen in the Iffley Road, Oxford but I have still not seen one.
David Roberts
COOKING WITH KATE
The egg has been the symbol of renewed life after death and
resurrection in many cultures. Ancient Greeks were often buried
with eggs, real or dummy, and Athenian vases show how baskets
of eggs were left on graves. Maoris used to put an egg in the hand
of a dead person before burial
Today Jews still present mourners on their return from the funeral
of a relative with a dish of eggs as their first meal. Christianity
took this ancient sign of rejoicing at rebirth and applied it to the
Resurrection of jesus.
And it is suggested that the tradition of painting the Easter egg in
bright colours may have its origin in a legend that Simon of
Cyrene, who carried Christ’s cross, was an egg merchant. When he
returned from Calvary he found that all his eggs were miraculously
colored and adorned.
This month Kate celebrates with a good eggy recipe, just in time
for the Greek Orthodox Easter at the end of April!
Smoked Haddock Souffle
Serves 2-3 as a main course, or 4 as a starter
250g undyed smoked haddock fillet with the skin removed 300m1
milk
40g butter
2 rounded tbsp plain flour
25gms freshly grated parmesan or gruyere cheese 4 medium sized
eggs, separated
ground black pepper to taste
Pre heat oven to 180C, or gas mark 4, and prepare a well-buttered
souffle dish, or 4 buttered ramekins.
Poach the haddock in the milk very gently for 10 or 12 minutes
until it is just cooked. Remove the fish and flake, keeping 200m1
of the poaching liquid. Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook
for approximately half a minute, stirring continuously.
Pour in the reserve liquid and stir well until you have a smooth
sauce. Then Stir in the cheese and the egg yolks and leave to cool
whilst you whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.
Fold the egg whites into the fish mixture, and pour this into the
buttered souffle. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until set and
the top is golden brown. Serve with a green salad.
Kate Morley
WEST OX ARTS
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.
Six Local Artists
3rd to 24th April. Ken Organ drawings, sculpture from Richard
Morbey, paintings from Felicity Cormack , David Morton with
mixed media, ceramics by Hannelore Meinhold-Morgan, and
paintings by Hilary Taylor.
Sheena Davis: From Swing to Now
7.30pm on 1st April in Bampton Village Hall
‘A superb artist singing superb songs’ is how Radio 2 described
Sheena. Formerly the lead singer with the prestigious National
Youth Jazz Orchestra, Sheena has gone on to become one of this
country’s most respected vocalists, winning several awards and
appearing regularly at London’s Ronnie Scott’s.
Sheena has a terrific vocal range going from high-octane swing to
the sweetest and most gentle of sounds, which alongside her choice
of material has brought her many supporters among people new to
jazz. With a show including songs such as ‘Sentimental Journey’,
‘Cheek to Cheek and ‘Sway’ you can expect an evening of
recognisable and well-loved songs.
Tickets: £8 or £6 concessions from the Cotton Club, Bridge Street,
Bampton, or call West Ox Arts on 01993 850137
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Jesus said to them, ‘Who do you say that I am?’
They replied, ‘You are the eschatological manifestation of the
ground of our being, the kerygma of which we find the ultimate
meaning in our interpersonal relationships.’ And Jesus said, ‘What
?’
MC (Graffito observed at St john’s University, New York MC)
SAINTS AND SYMBOLS
Following Mike Clarke’s article in March’s Parish Pump on
Church names, here’s a piece linking saints and their symbols...
Reflecting on the use of the symbol of the cockerel on a weather
vane to indicate an establishment’s dedication in the name of St
Peter, it is illuminating to think about some of the other images
which we use to remind ourselves about the early Christian
martyrs.
St Peter’s cockerel, of course, recalled the incident of Peter’s
greatest disgrace, and it has an interesting parallel in the badge that
the Church traditionally ascribes to Judas Iscariot, which features
the thirty pieces of silver bordering a piece of rope.
Man’s inhumanity to man (let alone to the Son of man) continues
to fascinate as well as repel, though, and, sadly, recent graphic
reports from prison camps in Iraq and Cuba serve to feed this
fascination much as similar goings-on riveted the horrified
attention of ordinary people nearly two thousand years ago.
As they say, what goes round comes round.
The cockerel may adorn hundreds of church steeples, but St Peter’s
badge, cross keys over an inverted cross, actually recalls the
manner of his martyrdom, in which he requested that he be
crucified upside-down in order that he might look heavenward as
he died.
Perhaps, then, given this precedent, it is not so surprising that
many of the other sainted martyrs who followed Peter have badges
which depict the savagery of their passing.
Of the other Apostles, St Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped
cross, which the saltire of his flag now represents. St Thomas was
killed by a spear, St Matthias by an axe, St James the Less by a
saw, and St Bartholomew was flayed by knives, all of which
implements are depicted on the Church’s emblems of their piety.
Lesser saints also met some awful deaths. Sebastian was shot full
of arrows, Stephen was stoned and Timothy was clubbed to death.
Instruments of torture as well as execution are illustrated. St
Agatha’s badge features some pincers, and St Blaise a wool comb;
St Catherine is represented by a spiked wheel and St Lawrence by
a gridiron. Poor St Clement was bound to an anchor and thrown
into the sea whilst St Alphege was dispatched by a battleaxe
wielded by a soldier who took pity on him as he underwent
unspeakable torture at the hands of his enemies.
Is this iconography not carrying the “lest we forget” principle a bit
far ? Perhaps, but on the other hand we may from time to time
need reminding of the depths into which man is capable of sinking,
even in the twenty-first
century. Was it Gandhi who, on being asked what he thought of
Western civilization, said he thought it would be an excellent idea
?
Towering above everything, though, and in all Christian minds at
Easter time, is the image of the Cross, the instrument by which
Ancient Rome would punish common criminals.
It’s a funny old world. Mike Clark
Mike kindly supplied pictures of the badges displaying the
symbols associated with various saints. How many saints can you
identify from their symbols? Mike’s article contains many of the
clues!
LETTERS
We welcome letters on any subject, so do pickup your pens, and let
the world (well this benefice anyway) hear your views about Parish
Pump, or anything else. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.
Musical Langford
In article in February’s Parish Pump about the wonderful musical
exploits of Mr Avieries, prompts Chrissie Tinson to fill in some
detail about the Langford & Filkim Band...
Sir: In 1939 the band was due to travel to Manchester, to take part
in a brass band competition but was prevented from doing so by
the outbreak of war. Mr Lennon the band master came from
Swindon. Band Practice was every
Tuesday evening in the Congregational Hall, (Known as the Band
room). It has Freddie Jones, Bob Lafford, Horace Blackwell (From
Carterton), Tony Moreing and others.
Christine Tinson
Chrissie has several photographs of the band, and we will try to
print one in a fure issue of Parish Pump.
Music in Church
Following the piece in March’s Parish Pump, we are warned of the
dangers of too free a translation!
Sir: I wonder whose translation you are quoting (or misquoting!)
when you state that Erasmus inveighed against music in churches
declaring ‘We have brought into our churches certain operatic and
theatrical music...’
Given that the earliest recorded opera was Peri’s long-lost
‘Daphne’ of 1597 and the earliest extant opera is Peri’s (aided by
Caccini) Eurydice of 1600 it seems clear that the operatic art form
could not have been known to Erasmus who died some sixty odd
years earlier.
He may well have had a case to make against music in church,
which in his day was largely plainsong - although what a blessing
for him that he didn’t suffer all those turgid four-square Victorian
hymns!
But I imagine it was more likely that it was his criticisms of the
doctrines of the contemporary Catholic church and later of the
excesses of the Lutheran reformers which were more relevant in
his time than his (or your, misquoted) comments on the use of
music.
Colin Newlands
‘Operatic’ (ie pertaining to opera) is 17h century, and certainly
post-Erasmus. However I am not at all sure that one can limit
translators to English words which were contemporary with the
works they are translating. Otherwise one would be hard pushed to
translate anything very much written before the 17th century in a
way which would make much sense to a modern audience!
Therefore, is it not acceptable for a translator of Erasmus to use
operatic to mean simply “(over) dramatic singing”?
I do agree that Erasmus thundered mightily against practices which
would not be acceptable in the Shill & Broadshire benefice today!
Ed
Who was Charlotte, who was she?
In a recent Parish Pump, Kate Morley pondered on the origin of
Apple Charlotte. Here’s an answer from our friends the far Frozen
North...
Sir: I’ve always understood it was named after the frugal Queen
Charlotte, wife of ‘Farmer’ George III. Unlike another queen, she
was all for using bread
rather than cake! Hence the name ‘Queen of Puddings’ which uses
breadcrumbs.
Diana Glazebook
REACH FOR THE SKIES...
Avid for Aviation? A Fan of Flying?
As his contribution to the Talents Scheme in aid of the Churches of
Broughton Poggs and Filkins, John Allison will give an illustrated
talk about his life of flying
From Tiger Moth to Tornado - and Wings in Between Saturday 7‘h
May at 7:30 pm in Filkins Village Hall. Don’t miss it!
Entrance £10, including glass of wine and light refreshments. Get
your ticket from Cotswold Woollen Weavers or telephone
01367860787
... OR TAKE TO THE HIGH SEAS!
Calling all sailors! Here’s a fantastic chance to see the coasts of
Spain, Portugal, and France on a 38ft yacht sailing back from
Lisbon to England. One or two week legs available during July and
August. Share food and Marina costs. Telephone Chris Fox on
01993 823131.
PUMP PRIZE CROSSWORD
Camel rung and his driver (Patrick Coleman) have swanned off to
Australia
so there will be no crossword for a month or two. Apologies to all
cruciverbalists: but at least you can not take the hump, since the
camel has, of course, taken it with him. In the meanwhile, here is
the solution to February’s puzzle:
FROM OUR ADVERTISING MANAGER
Having got the first six months’ issues of the new look Parish
Pump under our belts I would like to say a couple of ‘Thank yous’
of my own in my role as advertising co-ordinator for the magazine.
Firstly, of course, thank you to the advertisers who have supported
us with their bookings even though many committed themselves
blindly to several issues before even seeing what the new format
was going to look like. We hope they have not been disappointed.
My second thank you must go to my boss, Reggie Heyworth, who
agreed for me to carry out all the advertising administration during
my working time here at Cotswold Wildlife Park. This generosity
is greatly appreciated by the Parish Pump team. Thank you
Reggie!
Lin Edgar
Tailpiece: Please God, if you can’t make me slim, could you please
at least make all my friends a bit fatter!’ Jenny Symes
THE BIG BLOW - PART TWO
Last month, you read Part One of Brendan Jones’ and Laura
Gilchrist’s extraordinary story of their chase, last March, across
Southern England after a Giant Storm. And of course, readers in
the Broadshires, and in particular Filkins and Broughton Poggs,
will how that storm ended its life flattening trees and tearing the
roofs off buildings. As we found last month, what became known
locally as ‘The Filkins Tornado; excited meteorologists
everywhere as a possible ‘Supercell; the Holy Grail of UK stormchasers.
To remind you: a simple definition (I tbink!) of a Supercell is a
thunderstorm with a deep persistent rotating updraft
(mesocyclone). This rotation of the storm is the major difference
between supercells and multicell storms. The important point is
that supercells are rare, and to identify one is a prime goal of that
esoteric breed- the storm-chaser.
This month Brendan and Laura turn their attention to an in-depth
description of the tornado’s whirl through the Broadshires, and an
analysis of exactly what was happening in meteorological terms.
As we said last month ‘the cocktail of sober Science (you will need
a dictionary.) and Hammond Innes-style battling the elements is an
intoxicating one! Their story is also interesting because it sets our
‘local disturbance’ in a national setting, and also provides some
entertaining outsiders’ comments about us.’
We arrived in Filkins at around midday on Thursday 25‘h March,
and were greeted by a row of enormous trees, stripped as if put
through a shredder, a flattened wall and downed power lines.
Before we arrived, we weren’t quite sure what to expect; perhaps
some broken twigs, maybe some fallen slates. But we immediately
saw that we had something
much bigger on our hands!
Our trip to Filkins had several purposes. We wanted to know
exactly what had happened here. Was it straight-line winds, a
microburst, or a tornado? The quest to find the answer would
require careful examination of the type of damage, the extent of the
area comprising damage, and eye-witness reports.
The first port-of-call was the local pub, situated in the centre of the
village, for decided that the pub would probably be one of the
gossip points of the village, and could thus provide a wealth of
eye-witnesses. We enjoyed a bite to eat, and although we didn’t
actually meet anyone aside from the landlady, we left bur details
and contact number with her in case anyone would wish to contact
us.
North of the village road, in the centre of an open meadow, a large
oak tree lay in an easterly direction with its trunk was snapped like
a matchstick.
Running parallel to the village road, were several Poplar trees up to
150ft tall. One of these trees was completely flattened, fallen
across the road and demolishing the walls on both sides. The other
trees were stripped to the trunk, with their debris reported to have
blocked the road up to 100m from where they once stood. One
eye-witness described seeing the trees bending suddenly, their tops
being twisted in a cork-screw motion. Then with one loud crack,
they piled onto the road. All of these trees fell in a NE direction.
In the grounds of Broughton Poggs
Manor, the tornado’s passing was very evident. In one place, the
path of the vortex may be clear to see, as daffodils lay flat for some
distance, before suddenly remaining untouched. The flattened
flowers were in a southerly direction, although any manner of
secondary wind or small vortex may have caused this. In the same
area, another tree lies in a sorry state, with the lumber machines
already waiting to take away the damaged tree. Again, this tree fell
in a NE direction.
So the start to our investigation had revealed widespread damage
to trees, walls and powerlines in Broughton Poggs, immediately to
the west of Filkins. From our initial conclusions, all the damage
saw the debris spread in an east to north-easterly direction, and this
would indicate very strong westerly winds. If this was a tornado,
then the southern edge of the vortex would have passed through
this region, as this is where the strongest winds are found.
In the centre of the village, an ancient Cotswold cottage is owned
by an elderly lady, and the garden is awash with fruit trees. It was
only a modestsized garden, but one can imagine it would be quite
easy to get lost in it, such was the density of the orchard. We
spoke to the lady, still visibly shaken by the tornado, who
explained to us what she saw and heard. Firstly she was taken
aback by the size of the hailstones, and the sky to the north which
was pitch black. She recalled how everything went extremely still
and quiet for a short time, before an almighty rumbling sound
came out of nowhere. She saw branches and debris flying past her
window, then her back-door suddenly blew in. No sooner had the
noise arrived, it had gone, leaving deathly silence. This silence was
broken however, as she recalls hearing the deafening screams of
hundreds of distressed birds. She described the sound as
‘horrendously haunting’. As the sun came out, she told us how she
went out into the small garden to see what had happened. Over a
dozen of the old-English trees had been ripped in two, hauled out
of the ground or had been simply stripped to the trunk. Her once
enchanting garden orchard now comprised of a grass lawn,
numerous damaged trees, and debris.
At the bottom of the garden, she had a small summer house. It had
two side walls, a rear wall, a wooden floor and a roof. The front of
the large summer house was open, without a door. The entire
structure was picked up intact, lifted over lm into the air so that it
passed over a garden fence, before being dropped back down into
pieces on the other side of the fence. The flimsy wood and wire
fence was left totally untouched.
Next door to this cottage and its garden was the village green.
Although mostly open, this small walled enclosure contained a
very old Yew tree. Despite its age, we were informed by a local
ground worker that the tree was solid, and that the snapping in two
of this tree simply demonstrated the wind’s strength. Just beyond
the green was a small yard with a couple of large trees, both of
which where uprooted, falling in a north-easterly direction.
Standing towards the eastern side of the village is the old
schoolhouse. Now used as a nursery and playground, it is situated
next door to the village green. Thankfully, it was Sunday afternoon
when the tornado passed close to the school, and thus possible
tragedy was avoided. As the funnel swung in from the west, it
dislodged a heavy iron gate before
rumbling into the playground. Here, it tossed play equipment,
destroyed a
wooden panel fence and left the yard strewn with debris.
The tornadic winds were powerful enough to pick up objects and
launch them as dangerous projectiles. A fence panel, was torn from
a wooden fence, and was hurled over 50m with such force that it
lodged itself between the underside of a roof overhang and a stone
wall. The impact split the panel up the middle, and we could not
dislodged it from its resting position!
Moving progressively eastwards through the village, the damage
started becoming more and more severe. Attached to the old
school, was a house which took the full impact of the tornado. The
damage path then continues across the main road, through another
wooded area and garden, before entering open countryside.
The lady who lived in the old school house explained how she was
downstairs in the kitchen, as very large hailstones began to fall
from a very black sky. Her children were upstairs in the loft room,
playing with their computer games. She went on to describe how,
all of a sudden, there was a noise that sounded like the numerous
low flying jets that go over the village daily, but this was
altogether louder. The next second, the whole house shook and
there was the sound of smashing, cracking and exploding. As she
looked out of the window, she saw tiles and huge stone blocks
falling from the roof, smashing onto the driveway, and also onto
her car. The next second, the garden shed began rolling across the
yard, with all the bikes and tools inside, before it suddenly fell into
pieces. On hearing cries from upstairs, she ran to the aid of her
children. As she went to open the small roof door into the loft
conversion, she suddenly realised there was no roof at all! Above
where the children were playing, a huge area of roof had simply
disappeared, and she could see the dark clouds above.
After the winds passed, the family went outside to investigate
damage. To their horror, the majority of the roof was stripped of
tiles. Most of the tiles had fallen in the yard, badly damaging her
car and smashing windows. The largest hole in the roof, above
where her children were playing, was caused by the toppling of a
chimney. Miraculously, this
chimney managed to skirt across the roof before plunging off the
edge of the house - her children were unspeakably lucky! As well
as the damage to the house, her car had scratches and dents on
almost every panel, and had lost its side and rear windows. Several
trees in the garden were also destroyed.
The lawn at the front of the house is littered with huge chunks of
Cotswold stone: too heavy to lift by hand, and yet ripped
effortlessly from the front gable end of the house. Next door to the
school house, another home was badly damaged to the point where
the residents had to move out. Mr Baxendale later emailed us to
describe how he and his family were indeed very lucky, as they
entered their house minutes before the tornado struck:
‘Our house was directly hit by the tornado. We had just walked in
with our 10-weekold daughter literally five minutes before. I
watched the tornado out of my living room window (stupidly) as
the whole place exploded around me! It brought down
everything gates were torn backwards through their hinges & both
big trees in our garden were felled. The tornado wrote off my car,
and damaged the roof on the house which would have been much
worse if not concreted between tiles. As an example of bow
localized it was, it tore up a tree and yet only three yards away it
left a plastic free-standing clothes line in exactly the same
position... If we had been outside five mins later none of us would
have had a chance!’
Once the tornado had finished with the school house and
neighbouring property, it travelled eastwards across the main road,
and into a small copse of young trees. Some of the trees received
cosmetic damage, although a few were toppled completely.
However, the vortex did destroy a number of slightly older trees,
both within and bordering another property on the eastern side of
the road. Looking eastwards, many of the trees in this garden were
uprooted or badly damaged, most falling in a north-easterly
direction.
Residents of the damaged school building told us that many of the
slates blown off their roof were found in fields opposite, many
digging as much as 15cm into the ground. We found one slate over
300m away from the roof.
Beyond the eastern boundaries of the village, the suspected tornado
now entered open countryside. This mainly comprised of grazing
land, with some bare fields ready for sowing. Between each field
however, were tall hedgerows comprised of trees. There was
damage to these trees, and uprooted trees could be seen from the
road, and these had fallen eastwards into the field.
The tornado now encountered the small village of Broadwell,
which runs along the small north-south orientated lane, and the
tornado merely grazed the southern tip of the village. One resident
witnessed the remarkable events involving his dog-kennel, which
was lifted into the air, past the house, over the wall onto the road in
front of an oncoming car. The roof was lifted off the dog kennel,
over the house opposite, and dropped into a field 180m away.
Just south of this another house was badly affected by the
tornado’s passing, and lost tiles and masonry from the entire south
and east sides of the roof, with many of the tiles carried over 200
yards eastwards into a field. These were once again found drilled
deep into the ground.
Tornadic damage often seems to defy logic! This play-house
would require three men to move, but was lifted into the air,
beyond the stone wall pictured to the right here, and dropped onto
the neighbouring lawn. It had to clear the tree to the right of it, thus
being lifted some 40ft into the air! This seems almost impossible and how was it left in one piece?
Moving eastwards from Broadwell, the tornado encountered more
open agricultural land. However, hedgerows trees had been
affected. Many of the trees had been snapped through the main
trunk, just above ground level. Next we headed for the village of
Alvescot, from where we could reach a bridleway. The theory was
that if we went southwards, then we would intercept the track of
the tornado once again. The theory ran like clockwork!
We could see back westwards to the copse of trees we had
previously seen. A clear “chunk” had been taken out of the trees.
As well as this, a barn in the tornado’s patch had much of the
southern side of the roof missing. The bridleway we followed
southwards eventually ran through a corridor of small trees, and
sure enough, there was a distinct 135-180m swipe taken out of the
trees, with little or no damage outside of this zone, but by this
point the intensity of the damage had reduced, possibly indicating
a decaying vortex. It was clear that, at this point at least, the
tornado had weakened and had perhaps lifted off the ground.
With fading light, we therefore decided to end our tornado
investigation on the ground, and returned home to analyse a
possible damage path, as evidence that this was a tornado, and not
just straightline downdraft winds. The results were conclusive.
With all of the damage locations plotted on the overall map, it is
possible to see a clear track running from WNW ESE
Based on these overview plots alone, the evidence is fairly
conclusive that this path of damage could not have been caused by
any other wind phenomena other than a tornado. The damage is
almost non-existent outside of the main affected track, giving a
path which is far too coherent to have been caused by the likes of
straight-line winds and violent downdrafts.
At the widest point, the damage track as estimated on the above
plots is around 170m wide. However, most of the damage we
witnessed showed toppling to the east, implying that all damage
we saw was most likely caused by westerly winds. In a cyclonic
vortex, the westerly component is found on the southern edge of
the tornado. In this instance, there was enough evidence to suggest
that the tornado was indeed cyclonic.
The following table is used to classify tornadoes in the UK. The
scale classifies tornadoes up to T10, but in the interest of this
particular vortex, we’ve only included from TO to T4.
T0 Light Tornado
Loose light litter raised from ground-level in spirals. Tents,
marquees seriously disturbed; most exposed tiles, slates on roofs dislodged. Twigs
snapped; trail visible through crops.
TI Mild Tornado
Deckchairs, small plants, heavy litter becomes airborne; minor
damage to sheds. More serious dislodging of tiles, slates, chimney pots. Wooden fences
flattened. Slight damage to hedges and trees.
T2 Moderate Tornado Heavy mobile homes displaced, light
caravans blown over, garden sheds destroyed, garage roofs torn
away, much damage to tiled roofs and chimney stacks. General
damage to trees, some big branches twisted or snapped off, small
trees uprooted.
T3 Strong Tornado Mobile homes overturned / badly damaged;
light caravans destroyed; garages and weak outbuildings
destroyed; house roof timbers considerably exposed. Some of the
bigger trees snapped or uprooted.
T4 Severe Tornado Motor cars levitated. Mobile homes airborne /
destroyed; sheds airborne for considerable distances; entire roofs
removed from some houses; roof timbers of stronger brick or stone
houses completely exposed; gable ends torn away. Numerous trees
uprooted or snapped.
We certainly observed dislodged slates and snapped twigs, thus we
can be sure that this tornado exhibited at least a TO rating. Most of
the characteristics for the Tl category were also more than
satisfied.
However, we saw a good deal of damage in the category rated T2.
There were no mobile homes or caravans in the region, but
numerous garden sheds were indeed destroyed. Tiled roofs that
were in the path of the tornado were badly damaged, and there was
at least one instance of a toppled chimney stack.
T3 is the next most powerful tornado rating, and surprisingly we
observed many of the suggested characteristics indicative of this
intensity. Again, no caravans were observed, but a large garage
structure was certainly destroyed in Broadwell. In many of the
badly damaged properties, the roof timbers were exposed as all
tiles, leading and roof felt were totally removed. Also, large trees
were uprooted or significantly damaged. We can therefore suggest
that this tornado is a solid T3 classification.
Although one or two of the characteristics in T4 were satisfied in
this instance, these may have been circumstantial. One point is
worth bearing in mind however. The T3 rating would apply in
general to “average” properties, and average tree-state. In this
Cotswold region however, many of the properties are very strong
indeed, with very thick stone walls, and even use the stone as roof
coverings rather than using conventional slates. If some of the
properties were less-firmly built, one could hypothesise that the
damage may have been more substantial. Due to the time of year,
the trees in the region were not in leaf. Trees which have a full
canopy can have upwards of 20 times more wind resistance than
trees in a winter state. We would suggest strongly that the damage
to trees would have been substantially higher if this tornado had
occurred in the spring, and this may have increased the apparent
intensity rating of the tornado.
However, based on the facts gathered from this tornado, in this
location and at this time of year, we can conclude that from our
findings that the Filkins tornado should be rated T3. Now, T3
corresponds roughly with a strong F1 on the Fujita scale, which
has windspeeds up to 113mph. From isolated damage we observed,
and due to the winter state of the trees, it is possible that the
tornado may have intensified briefly to weak F2, with windspeeds
exceeding 113mph for brief moments. The map above displays the
region where occasional damage was observed, which could be
attributed to weak F2 damage, and this is shown by the green track
colour. However, once again this is based on only scattered
damage, and using the assumption that trees were in winter-state,
and buildings were very strongly constructed.
In the interest of clarity, we will therefore conclude that this
tornado was indeed a strong T3 (Fl) with windspeeds peaking at
115mph. Now, the speed of the actual storm cell was in the region
of 35-45mph. From residents’ reports, and based on the strong
flow at the time, it can be assumed that this vortex was moving
eastwards with considerable speed. Based on how quickly it caught
people out, one could believe that the tornado was in fact moving
at up to 40mph. If we assumed this to be the case, and also that the
strongest windspeeds on the south side of the tornado were
115mph (T3max), then we can roughly conclude that the actual
rotating velocity of the tornado was about 75mph.
This therefore leaves the windspeeds on the northern edge of the
vortex, at only 35mph (i.e. rotational velocity minus system
speed). Clearly, 35mph would be extremely unlikely to cause
damage. In tornado research, the largest degree of damage has
always been observed where the south side of the vortex
encountered obstacles, with damage on the north side more
limited. In the case of the Filkins tornado, 115mph on the south
side would easily cause considerable damage. Windspeeds of
75mph on both the eastward and westward flanks of the tornado
would also cause some damage, although not as extreme. With
windspeeds of 35mph, obstacles on the north side of the tornado
would remain largely undamaged.
But this leaves a dilemma. The damage path is up to 180m wide,
with the most severe damage randomly scattered across this width.
As we assumed that the strongest damage would occur on the
south side of the vortex, this resulting array of scattered damage
could point to one of two things. Firstly,
every element of damage we encountered was encompassed by the
south side of the tornado, and thus the actual vortex diameter was
twice the width of the damage path. However, a tornado of over
350m wide in the UK would be quite spectacular, and is most
unlikely. Another theory may be that the tornado took an
oscillatory track from start to finish. In other words, rather than
running directly along our hypothesised track, it oscillated about
the centre of the track, moving northwards and southwards during
its lifetime.
This is all speculation however, and cannot be proved without
further data.
However, for the purposes of this report, it can be overwhelmingly
proved that this was indeed a tornado with the following attributes
(converted to imperial units):
Wind speeds of 115mph theoretical maximum
Estimated minimum track length of 3 miles
Estimated minimum track width of 150-200 yards
Estimated duration of grounded tornado of 4.5 minutes
We are inclined to believe that this was indeed a small, shallow
supercell storm. One of the main hypotheses for this notion is that
we encountered all manner of severe weather produced from this
storm, in conditions which were not favourable to sustain them. In
other words, there had to be some form of self-perpetuating system
to allow the large hail, torrential rain, mass electrification and
tornado to occur.
So in summary, the cloud structure, radar, precipitation type and
location, and T3 tornado formation all points in favour of a shallow
supercell. The characteristics of the storm in terms of duration and
surrounding atmopshere also indicate this may well have been
supercellular.
Brendan Jones & Laura Gilchrist
Parish Pump is indebted to Laura and Brendan for allowing us to
reproduce this edited version of their paper to a TORRO (Tornado
and Storm Research Organisation) conference. A different, and
longer, version is available on the internet.
ACTION ON THE A361
Most of us who live in the Broadshires are frequent users of the
A361 (the road which links Burford, through Filkins and Little
Faringdon, to Lechlade), and will know how dangerous driving on
the road, and even turning on to it, can be. The problems arise from
the narrow portion of the road past the Wildlife Park, which has
sharp bends, then southwards on to a relatively straight, wide
portion as far as the turn off to Little Faringdon, which then
deteriorates into a narrow road with gradual bends.
Drivers who have slowed down for the Wildlife stretch, then seem
to think that they can go very much faster, often well over the
60mph limit, and often overtake dangerously. Going northwards, a
similar driving pattern takes place.
There have been a number of accidents on the road in the recent
past, some of which have resulted in death or serious injury.
I have drawn the attention of the road safety officers at OCC to the
problem, and a site visit with participation of local councilors from
Filkins and Little Faringdon has generated a road survey with an
investigation into what would be useful ways to slow down drivers
and stop reckless driving. Everyone in the Broadshires will, I am
sure, be relieved that it has now been accepted that the A361 in our
area is an unusually dangerous road, and action will be taken in the
near future to introduce appropriate saftely measures.
Don Seale
Readers might also like to know that separately OCC has agreed
to remark the road marking at the junction of the A361 and the
B4477 in Filkins, which can be a difficult junction, reinforcing
Don’s suggestion that bypasses can often cause problems as well
as solve them.
But let us not forget that the A361 is also a glorious road.• 150
miles long and snaking through some of the most beautiful
countryside across seven counties from Devon up to Warwickshire,
and it is possibly the only road in the UK (the world?) to have its
own website! Ed
BUILDINGS AROUND THE BENEFICE
Continuing the series of old photographs of buildings around the
benefice, here is the Five Alls, Filkins in 1931.
If any reader has an old photograph of the benefice which we could
prin4 do let me know. Ed
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