GR A PEV INE THE
octobeR/novembeR 2014 edition 288
newS fRom tHe paRiSH As I sit finishing off this penultimate edition of the year, a large flock of migrating, noisy geese are making their way to warmer climes overhead. A sure sign that the days are drawing in and the Christmas cards will already be on display in Clintons.
behalf of krakatoa Pre-School. Every year this is a really successful event, and for anyone who has never been and wonders what it’s all about, and for anyone who went but can’t remember what it was is all about, Alison Swain has written a column about the event on page 19.
A fantastic time was had by all at the annual Horticultural Show last weekend. As usual I brought a marauding selection of family members to take over the event with their competitive welly wanging and feverish tombola excitement. An excellent display of cakes, handicrafts, fruit and vegetables, and flowers were on display. What a talented lot we all are. A full run down of who won what and who to beat next year is on page 3.
I would just like to say a personal thank you to Luarena O’Sullivan for her clever idea in making this edition a little easier to put together after a very silly editor lost everything a few weeks ago! Many thanks & much good luck on the opening of your new studio in the village.
On Saturday the Safari Supper was held in the village on
DATES FOR THE DIARY: Dad’s Day Out Auction (Leathern Bottle) - 27th Sept. from 5.30. facebook.com/krakatoapreschool Halloween Party - 31st October (see page 12)
fRom tHe editoR
If you have any suggestions, or would like to write a regular column, submit a piece to be included in the next edition or have a local photograph new or old, please contact Sara-Jane on the new Grapevine email address: grapevinemagazine@hotmail.com.
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THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
exciting defibrillator news
news from st. margarets
The Parish Council is nearly in the position of ordering defibrillators from the Community Heartbeat Trust (www.communityheartbeat. org.uk). Planning permission has been granted by SODC to site one at the Leathern Bottle, and one at England’s Rose in Postcombe. The cabinets are fixed on accessible wall and accessed by a code.
A very big thank you to everyone who came to clear the churchyard.
Martin Fagan from the Trust has kindly agreed to come and visit us for an awareness session on Thursday 2nd October at 7.30pm at Lewknor Jubilee Hall and on Friday 3rd October at England’s Rose at 10 am. Please do put these dates in your diary as it’s not only an opportunity to see how the AED works, but also to learn more about how to be a ‘first responder’ and ask any questions you may have.
Thanks to the efforts of Tony and Christine Smith, Mr Dulake and Graham from Church Lane, plus a couple of others, the churchyard looks absolutely amazing and I hope a few others get inspired to come along and do a bit to keep it tidy.
If you would like to see one that is already in situ, there is one installed at The Wheatsheaf in Chinnor.
on Thursday 13th November the Annual general meeting for the chiltern’s environmental group is being held at the jubilee hall in lewknor at 7.30pm. please do try to attend as there will be two Prominent guest speakers in Attendance. 2
Søren and Caroline Hjorth, Fran Hollywood, Bea and Debbie Ellis, Heather and Paul Weston, Alex and Ian Hinckley, Alex Eastick, Sue and Gary Brown and Julie plus their children. You all did an amazing job and in just a couple of hours, everything was moved and burned followed by a delicious Bar-B-Que at Alex and Ian’s house.
I will just mention that the compost bin on the right of the churchyard has now been uncovered ready for the grass cuttings and used f lowers to go in, but please, no plastics or wood as these do not compost down.
Stefanie O’Bryen Family Solicitor Divorce • Conveyancing • Probate • Wills Contact your local solicitor for a friendly and efficient service Telephone: 01491 614 700 20 Shirburn Street Watlington, OX49 5BT Email: SOBfamlaw@hotmail.com Home appointments by arrangement
Royal Horticultural Society Qualified Female Gardener Knowledgeable gardening service including plant care advice, planting plans, seasonal pruning, garden maintenance Phone: 01844 354097 / 07977 853522 Email: BESgardening@talktalk.net
THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
lewKnoR fete and SHow Our village Show and Fete took place on Sunday 14th September and, unlike last year, the weather was kind, only one little shower just after 4 o’clock. The organisers were so pleased at the number of entries in the show – there were twice as many entrants as last year, which meant that the hall was filled with beautiful flowers and vegetables and the scents of fresh baking were wafting around, making some people feel rather hungry. The children did particularly well – Lewknor school encouraged every child to enter a picture of farm animals – some of the winning pictures were fantastic- well done! There were also a couple of really good scarecrows, one of which would certainly scare any crow, or possibly even person, they met! The standard of entries for adults was very high too, sometimes it’s difficult to remember what a small community this is – there are some very talented people in our midst! If anyone is wondering, the exhibits are judged by experienced professionals, who live elsewhere and they are completely impartial. The fete was also very successful, the tombola sold out, the raffle had some great prizes, (one lucky person even won Afternoon Tea at the famous Brown’s restaurant in London), the various games were well supported and of course the bouncy castles were busy all afternoon. Rosemary and her team were kept busy serving teas and delicious cakes and Tara and Ian provided a great barbecue. The total, at the end of the day, was £1665, a great result, to be split between the 4 groups who put the whole show together – Lewknor school, krakatoa preschool, St. Margaret’s church and the Jubilee Hall committee. All the helpers worked really hard, either on the day or behind the scenes. It is the one day in the year when all the groups come together and work collectively to make a successful and very sociable afternoon. nOW FOr tHe sHOW Winners: The Middleton Cup for the most points in the show – Christine smith The Ridone Cup for the runner-up – karl rolfe The Scott Cup for the family with most points – robert and kathy anderson The Rose Bowl for the best flower arrangement – Val rolfe The Gifkins Cup for the best entry in the show, a display of mixed veg – karl rolfe And, finally the Junior Shield was won, once again, by elliot seston – well done, Elliot, and all the other winners. neXt, We HaVe ePPy’s rePOrt On tHe ParisH garDens: “Once again judging took place in early July and what great surprises! Everyone has worked hard again this year despite a cold May and slugs and snails in plentiful quantities! Roses have been beautiful but vegetables not quite the high standard the villages are used to – some things work, some things don’t! My garden – a typical example! Oh dear, what has happened to the Allotments? I know we will all get busy again for 2015” eppy Hodgson. garDen Winners The Alabaster Cup for the best garden – David and Jacqui Dulake The Trotman Cup for the runner-up - Pam ritchie The Rose Bowl for the best containers – mr. and mrs. scott The Desborough Cup for the best vegetables and fruit – joint winners – les and Julie gordon and Celia Pope and The Barbara Mullins Cup for the best wildlife garden – anna morgan So, well done everybody - let’s have continued success and good weather (and fewer slugs!) next year.
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THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
BOOK CLUB at lewknoR miss garnet’s angel Salley vickers Miss Garnet’s Angel written by Salley Vickers was her first best seller and was interesting to read in order to compare with another of her novels, The Other Side of You, which we read a few months ago. By general agreement, Miss Garnet was considered by us to be the better book. The setting is Venice where the eponymous heroine, a recently retired teacher and spinster, decides to live for six months. Her life until that time has been remarkable only for its mundanity. She meets a suave attractive Italian man and a young man and woman, whom she believes are twin brother and sister, who are working on the decayed Chapel of the Plague. They are part of the project to restore the buildings Venice after the destruction produced by disastrous flooding in the past. Miss Garnet finds herself deceived in different ways by these new acquaintances but her personality subtly changes as a result of her experience of living amongst the local Venetians and also by her interest in tracing the history of the Chapel. The author interweaves this story with that of Tobias and the Angel appearing in the Jewish Apocrypha, and introduces a mystical element when Miss Garnet believes she has visions of an angel which she finds comforting rather than frightening. The stories involving the other main characters are satisfactorily unravelled by the end of the book but the fate of Miss Garnet herself is left indeterminate. However, anyone who has been to Venice or hopes to go for the first time will enjoy this book. Quite coincidentally our next novel was also partly about Italy. It was by E.M.Forster which he had begun after he graduated from Cambridge but did not publish until four years later when he was only 28 years old in 1908. The room in question is one overlooking the River Arno in Florence which young Miss Lucy Honeychurch and her cousin, who is her chaperone, aspire to occupying at the pension they have booked. Lucy has several unexpected ‘adventures’ in Italy which involve George, the rather strange son of the even stranger Mr Emerson. The latter believes and expresses some high-flown ideas to explain his bias against religion but love of the natural world. All the main participants in the Italian setting meet
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again at Lucy’s home on the Weald in England. We learn that, since her return home, Lucy has become engaged to Cecil Vyse who has a personality completely incompatible with that of Lucy’s. However, the book ends very satisfactorily with a young married couple in Florence in a room with a view. This is a classic novel which can be read and enjoyed more than once. September’s book was The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. This meant an abrupt climate change from hot Italian sun to the long cold dark days of Alaska. The story relates the trials of a married couple, Jack and Mabel, who when past middle-age, leave their families and friends in America in the early twentieth- century after a tragedy to begin a new life in the harsh climate of the north. The theme and inspiration for the book, we are told by the author, was a Russian fairy tale, which appears in a book by Arthur Ransome, telling the story of a small child who appears out of the snow to a solitary couple who come to love her but who eventually disappears into the unknown land from which she has come. The novel has a depressing start and the description of the early privations the couple suffer do not appeal but gradually the landscape takes on an almost magical quality as a real or fantasy child, the reader has to puzzle out which for themselves, appears at their cabin in the depths of winter and disappears as brief summer season approaches. Opinion was divided on the novelsome of us loved it for the quality of the writing whilst others were more perplexed by the magical realism which the author failed satisfactorily to deliver. Next month, we are back in Southern Europe in the early years of the Second World War in neutral Spain. The book is Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansome. Elan Preston-Whyte. Tel. 01844 350 382.
JACK GORDON DECORATING all types of decorating undertaken interior or exterior Large or small Ring or email for a free quote: jackgordon44@aol.com 07590 517 444
THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
Struggling to get the children to school? School phobia, school refusal…. What ever you call it and whether it has been diagnosed as a separation anxiety disorder or not, struggling to get your child to go to school on a regular basis can be extremely stressful for them, you and the rest of the family. There are so many reasons for it and two cases are never the same but whatever the cause, it is time to take action. Whatever the circumstance, always talk openly with the school about it right from the beginning. Meet with the teacher, or such like, explain the circumstances and what you have tried to solve the situation yourself. Once you have opened up this line of communication with the school and they know what you are tackling then think about the following: • Have they had an argument with a good friend/ issue with a teacher (or similar) to trigger this off? • Has your child completed all of their homework etc that is due well before they start their bedtime routine? • Is your child getting sufficient sleep and waking up ready to operate? • Do they get up early enough to get dressed and have breakfast in a calm manner (a good hour is needed)? • Do you allow enough time to get to school before the huge crowd arrives in the playground (very daunting)? • Are you getting down to your child’s level and using a calm , patient voice to explain to them clearly about school and the expectations? • Could you get one of their friends to come to the house to go with them to school. • When you get to school, before you go into the gates, discuss with them the issues that you have talked about at home and encourage them to try some relaxation techniques with you. • See if a favourite teacher/teaching assistant can meet them at the gate (also takes the pressure off you!) and take them in. • If things do not get better then ask the school about a reduced timetable so your child can gain confidence once again.
WATLINGTON GARDENING CLUB Why not join our Gardening Club or come as a visitor to see if you enjoy our talks including free coffee and biscuits at the end of the meeting? We meet on the first Wednesday of the month in Watlington Town Hall at 7.45pm. Free parking is close by in the town car park. During the summer months we also do garden visits and a coach trip further afield. Our new programme for 2014/2015 includes many interesting topics such as all aspects of plant feeding , dahlias , the work of the NGS , The Monastery Garden and much more including ‘ Behind the Scenes in Waterperry ‘ and Flower Power - how plants control animals. Annual membership fee is £15 from October and guests and visitors, who are always welcome, are charged a small fee. NEXT MEETINGS: 7.45pm in Watlington Town Hall. Wednesday 1 October. Speaker: Paul Patton. Subject: ‘A Diet for Plants’ all aspect of plant feeding, including nutritional benefits of composts, different types of fertilisers and how to use them. Wednesday 5 November. Speaker: Graham Talbot. Subject: Dahlias Wednesday 3 December Christmas Social Wednesday 7 January. Speaker: Priscilla Frost. Subject: The work of NGS. For further information please contact Caelia Pereira, Chairman, 01491 612368 or Email: caeliaperiera@aol.co.uk
Remember, the progress is likely to be subtle and small. Praise every positive step, reassure and be patient! Your child will pick up on all your negative vibes however hard you try to cover them up. For more information and advice please contact: Victoria Balls 07899914221 Harmony Child Behaviour Consultancy (Oxfordshire) www.harmonycbc.m-b-g.co.uk www.facebook.com/HarmonyCBC
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THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
Children’s Church For pre-school and primary aged children
Second Sunday of every month St Mary’s Church, Lewknor 10.30-11.15am Bell ringing! Meet friends Make new friends Fun songs to sing Stories from the Bible Craft activities & colouring Delicious home made cakes ! Tea & coffee for parents/carers
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THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
St. Mary Magdalen, Stoke Talmage
Harvest Festival and Gift Day Sunday, 28 th September at 6.30 p.m.
followed by refreshments where everyone is welcome Donations of produce and flowers gratefully received at the Church on Friday, 26th Please join our SCARECROW COMPETITION – bring your entry to the Church over the weekend for judging just before the service. Make sure you attach your name and age (if under 18)
N .B. Carols by Candlelight - Monday, 22nd December at 7.30 p.m. Christmas Wreaths and Decorations for sale in the Church porch from 1 st December All proceeds to Church funds.
KRAKATOA PRE-SCHOOL Jubilee Hall, High Street, Lewknor, OX49 5TL Registered charity 1022381
Pre-school Assistant required Krakatoa Pre-school, situated in the village of Lewknor, are seeking an assistant to join our team three mornings a week (8.30am – 12.30pm). Ideally the candidate will have previous experience of working with children, knowledge of the EYFS and will either have or be aiming to obtain an NVQ qualification. In addition the candidate should show a commitment to the safe guarding of children and child protection procedures. A clear enhanced DBS check and two written references will also be required. Krakatoa is an integral part of the village and community and welcomes all children from the local area aged from 2.5yrs to 5yrs. We are a warm, friendly and enthusiastic team and love what we do. We are OFSTED approved and received a ‘Good with outstanding aspects’ at our most recent inspection. Please contact Jeanette (Supervisor) on 07919 081088 for further information or to request an application pack.
CLOSING DATE Friday 24th October 2014
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THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
food and dRinK
witH catHeRine GallacHeR
tHe PerFeCt rOast
As it is now officially autumn our thoughts turn to comfort food; hearty roasts and rib-sticking stews, nursery puddings and sticky cakes. With plenty of autumnal walks to work it all off, of course! The traditional Sunday morning marinating of meat in preparation for a late afternoon barbecue gives way to the peeling of winter vegetables for the Sunday roast - what nicer way to spend a lazy Sunday than crafting the perfect roast? The easy bit, of course, is the roasting of the meat and potatoes. vegetable accompaniments are as straightforward as you choose to make them but the two elements of the traditional roast which seem to send most cooks into a right old panic are the gravy and Yorkshire puddings. Panic no more, good people of Lewknor, we have a fail safe method for both: This recipe for Yorkshires (“Daddy-cakes, to our kids”) Makes enough to feed 5-6 if you’re making a big one, or roughly 9 individual puddings. It is better made in advance then left to rest at room temperature for at least an hour, longer if possible, before cooking. You will need: • • • • •
125g plain flour. if you use strong bread flour you are guaranteed extra tall and fluff y puddings! 1/2teaspoon salt 2 very large eggs or 3 small ones. if you can get them, duck eggs give added richness 150ml water 150ml milk
Put these ingredients together into a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times for ten seconds at a time, until the consistency is like that of single cream. Leave to rest for as
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long as you can as this helps them to rise. 3 hours is ideal. When you are ready to cook them, crack the oven up to 220c and warm your cooking vessel then add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to your muffin tin/cake tin and put it back in the oven for a few minutes until the oil is smoking hot. We normally put them in once the meat is resting as they can’t hang around once they are cooked. Add the batter mix to the hot oil in the tin, filling it up a little over halfway up then cook for 20-25 minutes until golden, fluffy, gooey and delicious, just crying out to be filled with this: The perfect gravy is meaty, rich and full of flavour so to get maximum taste you need to start before you roast the meat. Get a couple of whole carrots, an onion roughly quartered and a couple of sticks of celery and place them in your roasting dish before you put the meat in. Use your imagination: if you’re roasting pork add some sage and a quartered apple, for lamb use rosemary twigs, for chicken add some lemon, thyme and garlic and so on. I tend not to use any veg underneath roast beef (although I do stud it with slivers of garlic) as I like the crustiness created by the roasted beef on the bottom of the roasting dish, it makes top gravy. So, once the meat has roasted take it out and put it in a warm dish to rest. You need to decant the liquid from the roasting dish into a Pyrex jug, holding the bits of veg back with whatever utensil works for you! Put the veg-filled roasting dish on the hob on a medium heat and stir it a bit. Add a good handful of flour, stirring all the time and add a bit more flour if there is still fat in the roasting dish to soak it up. keep stirring, it will be quite dry by now. Then add, a glug at a time, a couple of glasses of white wine, or red for a heavy, richer gravy. Bring it up to the boil then add a stock cube or one of those pots of the appropriate flavour. Home-made stock is too much liquid and you can’t have runny gravy! Then use your loaf, as my Nana said; if it’s too thick, add water. If it’s too runny there is an excellent product made by McDougalls called, appropriately, Thickening Granules which work very well without leaving a floury taste. You will need to sieve it to remove the bits of veg and herbs. Easy! I only have one wine recommendation this issue and it is from Asda, who have a truly great buying team at the moment. The wonderful Chilean producer Luis Felipe Edwards has a Sauvignon Blanc and a Merlot at two for a tenner. This is unbelievable value for real quality wines and great winemaking. Highly recommended. Cheers!
THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
ww1 in Lewknor Since this year is the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1, I thought it appropriate to commemorate those who died in service of our country in some small way. I have been researching the names on the WW1 memorial plaque in St Margaret’s Church. I have been able to find the regiments that these heroes served in, when they died and where they are buried, and in some cases, who their parents and siblings were. I am sure there must be some descendants still in the village who would be interested in this information, or indeed, have more information that could be added to a booklet to be kept in the church for future reference. The information I have gathered has been found on Ancestry.co.uk, and on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, but it really doesn’t tell us an awful lot about their lives here in Lewknor. All of them were someone’s son or brother. John and Mary Ann Bowler must have been devastated by the loss of two sons. Perhaps we can spare a thought for these local people on Remembrance Day. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Robert Lawrence Binyon Edward James Bowler, service number 18212, died 9th August 1916 aged 26 in France and Flanders, Served in Hampshire Regiment 2nd battalion, is buried in Potijze Chateau Wood Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium. Edward is listed as living in Lewknor, son of John and Mary Ann Bowler and was a farm labourer before enlisting. Edward had siblings listed as Thomas, (who was also killed) Edith and Henry on the 1911 census. Thomas Stanley Bowler, service number 15761, died 20th October 1916 aged 23 in France and Flanders, served in Royal Berkshire Regiment 2nd Battalion is buried in Vermelles British Cemetery, Calais, France. Thomas is listed as living in Postcombe, son of John and Mary Ann Bowler and was a farm carter before enlisting. Thomas had siblings Edward (who was also killed) Edith and Henry on the 1911 census. Arthur George Fulker, service number 16648, died 29th February 1916 aged 27 in France and Flanders, served in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 6th Battalion, is buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, Belgium. Arthur is listed as living at 31 High Street, Lewknor, son of Thomas and Sarah Fulker, and was a farm labourer before enlisting. Arthur had siblings listed as Harry and Frederick on the 1911 census.
William Mitchell Graham, service number 65556, died 26th August 1916 aged 28, in France and Flanders, served in the Royal Engineers, is buried in Authuile Military Cemetery, Somme, France. Wiiliam lived at Hill farm, Lewknor. Reginald Hobbs, service number g/21498, died 5th October 1918 aged 28. Served in Royal Sussex Regiment and is buried in High Wycombe Cemetery. Son of Arthur and Ruth Hobbs of 11 Weston Road, Lewknor. Reginald was a gardener before enlisting. He had siblings listed as Frank and Walter on the 1911 census. James Alfred Martin, service number 9859, died 3rd September 1916 in France and Flanders aged 21, served in Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry 6th Battalion, is commemorated on Theipval Memorial , Somme, France, son of James and Emily Ann Martin of West Street, (?) Lewknor. James was a cattle boy on a farm before enlisting. James had siblings listed as William, Ernest, Edward, Victor Martin and Hilda on the 1911 census. Sidney George Quartermaine. Service number 67415, died 26th October 1917 in France and Flanders aged 29, served in 2nd battalion London Regiment, is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, Belgium, son of George and Emily Quartermaine (latterly Emily Allnutt) of 3 Primrose Terrace. Sidney was living in Essex and working as a baker before he enlisted. Sidney had a sister Flora and a stepbrother Walter on the 1891 census. Mark Albert Ravening, service number 13066, died 7th November 1914 in France and Flanders aged 26, commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium. Served in the Grenadier guards 2nd battalion, and lived in North Kensington. Son of Mark and Louisa Ravening of South Weston and married to Elizabeth. Mark had siblings listed as Fred, Frank and Alma on the 1911 census. Alfred Felix Tutty, service number 2241, died 24th June 1916 in France and Flanders aged 26, served in Kings (listed as Queens) Own Oxfordshire Hussars Household cavalry and cavalry of the lines, is buried in Bailleul Community Cemetery Ext, Nord, France. Son of Alfred and Caroline Tutty of Postcombe. Alfred had siblings listed as George, Cecil, Frank, Harry, May, Jenny< Emma and Olive on the 1911 census. And also, Harry J J Tilley, service number 14535103, died 4th October 1944, a driver in the Royal Engineers, aged 20. Harry is buried in Longuenesse Cemetery, St Omer, France and was the son of James and Beatrice Tilley of Lewknor. Jean Senior
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THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
needleS and pinS
witH aliSon Swain
I love this time of year when the weather has been good and I can pursue my favourite sewing passions sitting outside in the garden. A time when hopefully there has been some much needed holiday, allowing more chance than usual to dig out and get stuck into all those unfi nished projects. With the Lewknor horticultural show only several days ago, perhaps some of you have had a thought about the sewing and knitting categories and plan to have a go at creating a hopefully winning entry for next year!
Having started to learn about this amazing art, I am now keen to see if I can incorporate this into a cross stitch design. Such designs have been used before in a type of cross stitch/embroidery known as blackwork, the origins of which in this country date back to the time of Henry vIII. In fact one of his wives, katherine of Aragon, was believed to have been the one to introduce this to England. As she came from Spain, it was originally known as Spanishwork, however the name was quickly changed to blackwork after Henry divorced her!
Th is issue I want to share with you my growing interest in a particular type of stitching, along with another, (non-stitching), activity of mine, that of calligraphy which the Oxford dictionary defi nes as decorative handwriting or lettering.
I’ve just read a fascinating book I came across on the subject of Celtic calligraphy and Celtic knotwork. The book gives step by step instructions as to how to produce this wonderful artwork which I have only just begun to practice – see picture! Celtic knotwork was used to embellish and illuminate religious manuscripts and monuments, with its’ origins going back as far as the third century AD. Some of the earliest and most beautiful examples are to be found in the treasured Irish, ‘Book of kells’, written in around 800AD. The knotwork design has also been called the ‘endless’ or ‘mystic’ knot – the continuous lines representing the endless cycles of birth and rebirth. The uninterrupted line was meant to prevent ill health or setbacks in the journey of life and was thus seen as a good luck charm.
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Blackwork uses close intricate designs with both straight and cross stitches and, contrary to its’ name, other colours besides black, particularly gold was used if the stitcher was wealthy. This picture shows some blackwork I have just started, using what were very common motifs of f lowers and fruits. It was often used to cover collars and cuffs on clothing, as a cheaper alternative to lace; and to disguise dirt in a time when the washing of clothes and general hygiene was distinctly lacking! As there was no printing in those days, there were no patterns or design books, so people shared them with each other by stitching them onto long narrow bands of fabric known as band samplers. The knotwork patterns were regularly used and also became a classic feature of Elizabethan knot gardens. I haven’t been there for years but if you want to see one, I believe Waterperry Gardens near Oxford has a formal knot garden. Perhaps before the next Grapevine I’ll have chance to check this out and let you know.
THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
tHiS montH in tHe GaRden
witH SaRa jane moRley
FeeD tHe BirDs
be used round the base of plants. One of the nicest jobs at this time of the year is planting out your spring bulbs and dreaming of the first shoots emerging next spring. There are some great bargains to be had if you shop around. Asda had 2 kilo bags of mixed bulbs for just £2.50. Personally I think bulbs look best in abundance...even if it’s just to put a smile on your face in February. It’s also worth checking the garden centre for less than happy looking perennials that have lost their shelf appeal and have been put in the bargain bin. If you’re careful and treat them kindly they’ll pop up again next year along with all the rest.
I completely admit that my garden looks a proper mess at the moment, and if the cat stops sleeping on my kneeling mat, I might get out there and do all those jobs I’ve been putting off...like the weeding. Ok, that’s a feeble excuse. I’m sure everyone has been absolutely blighted with slugs and snails this year. And woodlice... Every where! I couldn’t work out why my trailing fuschias were having such a hard time until I decided to re-pot them. When I pulled out the root ball it was infested with them. They were eating the containers from the bottom up. The RHS site don’t consider them to be a pest and I don’t seem to be able find much about controlling them, so I’m hoping there weren’t be so many of them about next year. It’s time to have a really good tidy up and mow lawns and trim hedges for the last time. Perennials that have died off can be cut right back along with pruning trailing roses. Although it seems a thankless task, leaves should be raked away from lawns regularly. Rather than throwing the leaves into the bin, have a go at making your own leaf mulch. The most basic way of doing this is to punch some holes into a black bin liner and place your raked leaves into the bag. When the bag is 3/4s full, sprinkle some water in, tie and leave out of the sun for the next 12 months. By next Autumn you’ll have a rotted down, crumbly mixture that can
And don’t forget the birds. They start to need a little extra help as things get colder in November. Mixes of seeds and peanuts are all readily available and great for wild birds. If you’d like to have a go at making your own treats, pour melted fat (suet or lard, do not use fat from a roast etc as this can be a breeding ground for germs) onto a mixture of ingredients such as seeds, nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal, cheese or cake. Use about one-third fat to two-thirds mixture. Stir well in a bowl and allow it to set in a container of your choice. An empty coconut shell or plastic cup makes an ideal bird cake ‘feeder’. Or, you can turn it out onto your bird table when solid. Happy digging.
need Help witH youR computeR? • • • • •
Using the internet Setting up email Buying and selling on Ebay Downloading your digital photos Word-processing, spreadsheets, etc For affordable, one-to-one tuition in your home, call Sharene on 08711 296 454
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THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
h al l o we e n par t y
Friday 31st OctOber 3-5pm at Jubilee Hall ÂŁ3 per child entry fancy dress competition. pumpkin carving competitions (both adults and kids): 50p per entry. food and drink to buy. games and mildly spooky disco!! open to children 7 and under.
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THE GRAPEVINE oct/nov 2014
LEWKNOR PARISH COUNCIL www.lewknor-pc.org.uk
Recent Local Planning Applications Below are the planning applications that have been considered by the Council and their current status: P14/S1813/FUL Meynell, Shirburn Road, Lewknor Erection of stable block, turn out area and chicken coop Approved P14/S1990/HH Field House Salt Lane Postcombe Proposed first floor side extension over existing carport Approved P14/S2425/HH Meynell, Shirburn Road, Lewknor New first floor, single storey side & rear extensions. Detached garage & additional site access (re-submission) LPC voted to Refuse, Planning decision still awaited P14/S2544/LB Ye Olde Leathern Bottel, High Street, Lewknor Installation of defibrillator on extension wall Approved P14/S2341/LB Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rose, London Rd, Postcombe Installation of defibrillator on extension wall Approved To view the full planning register go to: www.southoxon.gov.uk/services-and-advice/planning-and-building/find-application/planning-application-register
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INTERIOR
AND EXTERIOR DECORATOR
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! ! ! ! !
PARISH OF LEWKNOR IN THE WATLINGTON WARD
CASUAL VACANCY
! ! Notice is hereby given that due to the resignation of: ! ! IAIN CROCKATT ! ! a vacancy exists in the office of Parish Councillor for the ! WARD PARISH OF LEWKNOR IN Parish THE WATLINGTON of Lewknor in the Watlington Ward ! CASUAL VACANCY !
The vacancy will be filled by election if any ten local government electors forthat thedue said electoral areaof:submit a written request for an Notice is hereby given to the resignation election to held to fill the vacancy to the Returning Officer, Council Offices, South Oxfordshire District Council, Crowmarsh Gifford, IAIN CROCKATT Wallingford. OX10 8ED within fourteen days after public notice of the in vacancy beenCouncillor given. In these fourteen days a vacancy exists the officehas of Parish for computing the mentioned above you disregard a Saturday or Sunday, Christmas Parish of Lewknor in the Watlington Ward Eve, Christmas Day, Good Friday or a bank holiday or a day for government Public Thanksgiving orsaid Mourning. The vacancy will be filled by electionappointed if any ten local electors for the electoral area submit
! !
a written request for an election to held to fill the vacancy to the Returning Officer, Council Offices, South Oxfordshire District Council, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford. OX10 8ED within fourteen days after public If In nocomputing such request is made the vacancyabove will you be filled by aCo-option by notice of the vacancy has been given. these fourteen days mentioned disregard Saturday or Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Good Friday orthe a bank holiday or a day appointed for Parish council. Public Thanksgiving or Mourning.
! ! If no such request is made the vacancy will be filled by Co-option by the Parish council. Dated this 21st day of September 2014 ! Dated this 21st day of September 2014 Signed:
Signed: !
! !
Parish Clerk
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Visit us at: The High Street Lewknor Oxfordshire OX49 5TN 01844 350350 fabricfields@aol.com Opening hours: Tuesday - Friday 9.30am - 4.30pm Saturday 9.30am - 1.30pm
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“Overheard in Lewknor” a host’s eye view of the Safari supper
OK so it’s around 7pm on Saturday night … numerous couples are loitering outside the Leathern Bottle, but not going in for a drink – very strange. Meanwhile in a number of kitchens around the village the heat is on, the chips are down and wine bottles are being uncorked. A f ly on the wall observer would witness activities reminiscent of ‘Masterchef ’ meets ‘Saturday kitchen omelette challenge’ sprinkled with a large helping of ‘Come Dine with me’. To the untrained eye, this would all appear rather odd on a calm autumnal evening in the ‘shire. But to those in the know, it can all be explained by that exciting, absolutely essential, definitive social event in the Lewknor calendar – yes - it’s time again for the Safari supper! Now it’s beyond belief that there is any Grapevine reader out there who is not familiar with the rules of the game – but for the potentially uninitiated (maybe you just moved in) here’s a quick recap. On purchasing of a ticket – all in a good cause – (quick plug for Krakatoa) – you will enjoy a delightful evening dining out in the village with a variety of hosts, a different one providing each course, and accompanied by a mixture of different guests. After each delicious culinary offering, there ensues that wonderful ‘Oscars’ moment of tense anticipation when your host opens the golden envelope to reveal where you will eat next. Groupings all entirely random of course! Back everyone goes to the village crossroads for some more loitering, a little more worse for wear this time. This is in order to give your next host sufficient time to glug down a few more glasses, make sure the next course hasn’t burnt whilst they’ve been cheerily entertaining and then dig out some more clean cutlery before the doorbell rings – ding ding - round 2! And so it goes on … until finally, if (and that’s a very large if ) anyone has been brave enough to agree to open their doors till late on to host an ‘after party’, then guests and hosts move on to party until the cows come home. So onto this year’s event …with precisely 4 minutes to spare, amazingly everything was ready for when the first guests arrived. A welcome glass of fizzy began the evening well. This year the numbers were a little smaller than usual – we had five to entertain for starters and four for main and dessert. There was a lovely mix of both familiar and unfamiliar faces, one
of the great delights of the Safari supper is seeing old friends and meeting new people. As the evening progressed, feedback (excuse the pun) was very positive regarding the culinary delights experienced around the village. As an illustration, my own menu consisted of mozzarella, basil and tomato salad, lamb casserole with oven roasted garlic potatoes, and strawberry & raspberry pavlova and I was both very pleased and relieved to see clean plates all round. The evening passes very quickly as a host, especially with the quick rearrangement of plates, and glasses and finalising food between courses. At the changeovers, guests this year had either a very short stroll or a good walk to their next location, as three hosts were centred around Hill Road, with the others at Barley Close and the Old vicarage. The old vicarage was also the scene of an excellent after party where guests and hosts all gathered together and consumed just a little more wine! For anyone who has not yet tried out this event from either perspective, please do consider it next time round. Everyone seemed to have had a really good evening and hopefully it also raised a good sum for Krakatoa. Long may it continue. Alison Swain
“Quiet a moment, everyone Gavin wants to say something offensive.” 19
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LEWKNOR PARISH DIARY october 2014 5th october family service 9.00am st. lawrence 12th october family service 10.30am st. lawrence 13th october parish council meeting 7.30pm jubilee hall 19th october holy communion 9.00am st. margaret’s
november 2014 2nd november family service 9.00am st. lawrence 10th november parish council meeting 7.30pm jubilee hall 13th november m40 ceg agm 7.30pm jubilee hall 16th november holy communion 9.00am st. margaret’s THERE IS A NEW PARISH COUNCIL FACEBOOK PAGE, JUST SEARCH LEWKNOR PARISH COUNCIL If you would like to include any events or meetings in the diary, please let the editor know via the grapevine email address: grapevinemagazine@hotmail.com an online version of the grapevine is available at http://issuu.com/grapevinezine/doc
m40 chiltern’s environmental group The M40 Chiltern’s Environmental Group has found out that a stretch of the M3 near Chandlers Ford towards Winchester is to have ALL lanes of the motorway re-surfaced with noise reducing tarmac. This has been secured by their MP putting pressure on the Dept of Transport. Our stretch of the M40 between junctions 5 and 7 is due to be re-surfaced in 2015 (delayed from Autumn 2014). But only the one lane is due to be done. SO, we need you to write to our MP (details below) to say how much the M40 noise affects your local area, and re-surfacing ALL the lanes should be considered the highest priority for, as we know, this is the one single thing that could improve the noise pollution that blights our lives. Points to consider mentioning are: • Precedent set by MP Steve Brine, his action demonstrates that something can be done. • By treating only one lane on each side there will be no substantial impact on noise reduction. The only way to do this is to treat all lanes.
PLEASE WRITE A LETTER TO: John Howell MP House of Commons LONDON SW1A 0AA OR SEND AN EMAIL TO: howelljm@parliament.uk
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