Cotswold Link (North Cots) May June 2021

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Northleach Court Care Home Because we care...

Family-run care home with family values. High-quality care with very competitive fees.

Northleach Court is a family-run care home that provides exceptional care with lovely ‘home from home’ accommodation and specialises in nursing, dementia, residential and couples care. We deliver high-quality care services, tailored to each specific resident with very competitive fees, offering complete peace of mind to those who may be concerned about a friend or family member transitioning into care.

Northleach Court remains free of Covid-19, and our professional infection control measures mean that our home is the safest and best option in these challenging times. Unlike so many homes we have been able to offer Covid-19 safe visits for months and we continue to do so. We also have free access to Wi-Fi and phones

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throughout the home, so relatives and residents can video/phone call each other 24/7.

The main ethos of our home is ensuring we have a team whose nature is caring and respectful. This ensures the focus is always the overall wellbeing of all our residents and making their time here special and fulfilling.

The home manager is dedicated to ensuring a person-centred approach by working with families, residents and health care professionals to guarantee the unique needs of all individuals are nurtured.

Northleach Court is a welcoming environment set in a stunning Grade II listed building. Our peaceful and tranquil surroundings make us a very popular choice of care homes in the Cotswolds. If you would like to find out more or to arrange a virtual visit, please: Call: 0 1451 798027 info@northleachcourtcarehome.com www.northleachcourtcarehome.com

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inside

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New health & leisure services

and improved health and leisure services in the Cotswolds 08 New following a Council review

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Garden View

All about purple sprouting broccoli

06

New housing

Council funds affordable housing in Moreton

news: 06 local Council funds affordable housing 10 Do we need more exams? garden view: news: 08 local New leisure services 12 Purple sprouting broccoli cotswold link 10 astronomy Dark skies in the Cotswolds 14 Advertising Index FEATURED

education

FEATURED

FEATURED

Welcome to the May - June issue In this issue we look at new housing being funded in Moreton-inMarsh (p6), as well as how to cultivate purple sprouting broccoli in your garden (p12).

Dark skies and astronomy feature on p10, whilst p8 talks about new health and leisure services in the Cotswolds.

I hope you all enjoy this issue and I’ll see you again in July.

Best wishes,

01609 777401 cotswoldlink.co.uk

Christine Campbell | Editor

Cotswold Link Magazine is published in good faith and the editors cannot be held responsible in any way for inaccuracies in reports or advertis-

in reports or advertising that appear in this publication and the views of the contributors may not be the those of the editors. Adverts and Your Cotswold LinkLink Magazine carry no implied recommendation from the magazine or the publishers. All rights reserved. appearing in Cotswold 4ingadvertisers Please YourforCanyotswoldLink when contacting any of our advertisers All information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of going to press. Cotswold Link Magazine cannotmention be held responsible errors or omissions.

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Council funds affordable housing schemes in Moreton in Marsh and Avening Cotswold District Council has agreed to support the building of 29 affordable homes in Moreton in Marsh and Avening by allocating nearly £900,000 from its commuted sums funds.

The homes are being brought forward in partnership with the Cottsway Housing Association and Bromford Housing Association on behalf of Gloucestershire Rural Housing Association.

They will see a mix of social rented homes and shared ownership units built in the coming years, subject to the funding being secured and permissions being acquired, providing houses that those on lower incomes or starting on the housing ladder can afford.

The move forms part of the Council’s wider ambitions to increase the number of affordable homes in the district as house prices soar and local people struggle to be able to afford to buy and rent in the Cotswolds and stay in their local area.

The developer funding used by the Council to fund the schemes comes from Section 106 contributions made by housing developers when they build in the local area. It is ring-fenced for delivering affordable housing only and required to be spent in a certain time frame.

The funding will not only help to make sure housing is affordable but will also enable the developers to deliver housing that is much more sustainable and environmentally friendly, in line with the Council’s ambition to tackle the climate emergency.

Councillor Lisa Spivey, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, said; “In the face of a growing affordability crisis, in February last year we set out our ambition as a Council to increase the number of genuinely affordable homes across the district for local people.

“We have been working hard with housing providers to turn that ambition into a reality. Where we can we are using available funding to create truly affordable homes here in the Cotswolds. This is a great example of that work, and we want to bring forward other schemes in the coming months.

“It is also brilliant to see developments like this coming forward that are not only affordable but also more sustainable than standard housing, benefitting not only our local communities but the environment as well. Again this is the result of engaging with Housing Associations to ensure our corporate goals of improving residents’ lives.”

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Charlbury Artweeks: 1st - 9th May At last! After a year of changed plans for everyone, St Mary’s Church Group artists are pleased their exhibition will open on May 1 at St. Mary’s Church, Charlbury, and end on May 9. Covid restrictions permitting, the opening times, will be 10 to 4 on weekdays, and 12 to 5 on Sundays.

Should circumstances change before we can open, the exhibition will go virtual and you will be able to log in to www.artweeks.org and search Anita Cooper (printmaking), Lee Belcher (painting), Sue Tucker (weaving) and Cathryn Jeff (painting). The Church will be a covid-safe environment and people will be asked to use their face masks at all times. Refreshments will not be available.

Bourton and District U3A

The next 2 meetings of this group will both be on Zoom at 10.30am and will be on Wednesday 26th May when the talk will be by Roger Harris on the subject of “65 Years of Theatre and Opera Going” and on Wednesday 23rd June when the talk will be by Gillian White on the subject of “Henry VIII and The Field of the Cloth of Gold”.. Connection details for the Zoom meetings will be available nearer the time.Although we are unable to hold meetings as a result of the Covid restrictions, it is proposed to hold monthly Zoom meetings until we are able to meet as a group once more. For full details and information about the special interest groups, some of which are meeting, please see our website: www.u3asites.org.uk/bourton

A new vision for leisure in the Cotswolds Cotswold residents will soon benefit from new and improved health and leisure services in the Cotswolds following a district-wide review into leisure provision.

At a meeting earlier this year, the Council’s Cabinet unanimously supported the adoption of the Cotswold Leisure Strategy - an all-new vision for leisure that will provide sustainable physical activity and sport opportunities for residents and local communities in the Cotswolds. The Cotswold leisure Strategy has been designed with a focus on promoting healthy lifestyles and improving the wellbeing of residents. The strategy makes many recommendations for improving health and leisure services across the district, including; improving current facilities, putting on additional activities for target groups and supporting local communities to engage with physical activity.

Cllr Jenny Forde, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “I’m thrilled to announce our new Cotswold Leisure Strategy. Helping residents, businesses and communities access the support they need to ensure a high level of health and well-being is a key priority for the Council and this strategy lays the foundation for the improvements we would like to make.

“We want to work side by side with communities to build a healthy district that encourages and supports its residents to live healthier lives through Active Travel and Active Places.

“A major part of the Council’s work to review leisure was about listening to and acting on what Cotswold residents had to say about their access to health, fitness and leisure. We were able to ask them their thoughts on leisure and exercise, before the pandemic, during lockdowns and what they intended to do afterwards. We had an incredible response to our public consultation which has helped us better understand attitudes towards health, fitness and their local leisure centres and facilities.”

The feedback received from the wider public consultation along with local sports clubs and public health data has collectively informed the Council’s new strategy. Cotswold District Council received over 1066 responses from residents to the online public consultation.

When residents were asked whether they would use their local leisure facilities more or less when lockdowns were eased, 13 per cent said they would use their centre ‘more’, while equally, 13 per cent said they would ‘use it less’.

As a result, the Council will be working in partnership with its leisure provider to improve visitor experience and raise customer satisfaction, while maximising accessibility and ensuring a high level of service is delivered to all users.

The majority of residents (51 per cent) stated that they travel to their place of activity by small or medium cars due to ‘ease of use’ - with just over half travelling 10 minutes or less. Based on this feedback the Council has plans to facilitate partnership work to promote the benefits of active travel for small journeys to work, volunteering or to visit your place of exercise.

For more information on Leisure Centres, Museums and Promoting health and wellbeing, visit: cotswold.gov.uk/communitiesand-leisure/

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9

DO WE NEED MORE EXAMINATIONS?

The

Cotswold Sky

The Cotswolds – One of England’s Dark-Sky Locations In a recent Sky at Night article The Cotswolds have been highlighted as one of the best places in England for observation with specific reference to the Aunt Phoebe’s Recreation Ground in the village of Long Compton, the Rollright Stones ancient monument near Chippinag Norton, the area around Northleach and Guiting Power and Cleeve Hill high above Cheltenham.

These areas have yet to be certified by the International Dark-Sky Association (www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk) but hopefully it will only be a matter of time before the above join a most select list.

You don’t need a telescope to enjoy the beauty of a clear sky. One could argue that you do not even have to have a knowledge of the constellations and it may be that on a clear night you may be able to see the outline of the Milky Way. What is certain is the amazement you will feel looking at hundreds of stars decorating a wonderous sky.

The Milky Way - Courtesy of The Countryside Charity (www.cpre.org.uk)

DIARY Summer Solstice occurs at 03.32 on the 21st June. This is when the Sun reaches its furthest point North during its annual journey.

This day is often referred to as the

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longest day because it is the day when we have the most daylight.

Meteorite Showers The Aquariids reach their maximum on 6th May Mercury is never the easiest of the planets to locate due to its close proximity to the Sun. The month of May provides the best viewing conditions of the year to observe.

On 1st May it will be low on the horizon looking NNW at around 21.30 hours and will be more clearly visible as rises higher each evening until the 17th May when it reaches its greatest elongation (i.e., the largest angle between the Earth, Mercury and the Sun). From this date Mercury lowers itself in the sky each evening. During June Mercury is not visible.

Venus emerges late in the evening towards the end of May and will be observed below Mercury. During June it can be seen very low to the horizon in the north west.

Mars is gradually descending towards the western horizon during May but can be seen close to the Moon at around 21.30 hours on 15th and 16th May. It continues its descent during June.

Those not so young who read this article will no doubt recall a subject called Nature Study in their school days. In Nature Study we would study different types of birds and follow those that migrated, noted they all had different patterns on their eggs, identify leaves off different trees and press them in books, study the different types of fish in the local ponds, canals and rivers. We also learnt of insects, local wildlife and so the list goes on………

I used to enjoy Nature Study and went on to study Biology in what is now Y11. I didn’t enjoy Biology as much as Nature Study because it was too exam orientated for me.

This is what concerns me about a proposal for a new GCSE titled “NATURAL HISTORY”.

The value of the natural world to us is immeasurable but the teaching of it will not be started until Y10 and then only to the those few who select its route.

Jupiter and Saturn will be seen during early dawn during both May and June first in the south east, and then working their way towards the South. Saturn is to the right of Jupiter.

John Harris

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Surely all youngsters should be given the opportunity of learning of the natural world at an earlier age and without the pressure of an examination looming over them? More to the point why was the study of Natural History in the form of Nature Study taken out of the curriculum in the first place?

Examinations are killing the enjoyment of learning Education is more than examinations and positions in league tables. They do not help those students that struggle or those who through no fault of their own are taken down a road that leads to depression and mental health issues.

Examinations are popular with the politicians and one can argue that they help in improving our memory power and sharpen the brain, but the results may not truly reflect what the student has learnt. The student may after all be memorising the content...

...which is immediately evaporated once they have left the examination room.

Teacher Stress The emphasis of stress does not stop with students, teachers also suffer from anxiety because they are also measured by the success of their students results. Paradoxically this leads to the teachers teaching to the passing of the exam paper depriving the students of a more rounded education.

Is there an alternative to examinations?

This is the 64,000 dollar question because we do need to have a process of identifying the ability of students. These can include course work and continuous assessment processes but sadly until we can come up with a universally accepted alternative we must tread carefully with the mental health of our students.

JOHN HARRIS

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GARDEN VIEW

Purple sprouting broccoli Purple Sprouting Broccoli is a beautiful, tasty addition to the dinner table, and the garden. It has a great flavour, a long harvesting season and is nutritionally beneficial. A single portion provides half your daily requirement of carotenoids, plus high levels of folic acid and vitamins A and C. It’s definitely a ‘plan-ahead’ crop though. If you start planting now you will give yourself something to look forward to next January, and as it is a ‘cut and come again’ crop, that long season should keep you going until April or May! Purple-sprouting broccoli is extremely hardy, tolerating temperatures as low as -12oC. You can actually start raising seeds in March, for even earlier crops. I usually start the new year with good intentions of staggering my planting like this (because it is one of my favourites veg), then forget and end up planting in April or May.

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One of the reasons I love it is that I garden on fairly alkaline soil, in which it thrives. It prefers a heavier soil than mine ideally but seems to do well enough in my garden. I dig in a fair amount of leaf mould and well-rotted manure to bulk it up. Purple sprouting broccoli doesn’t like exposed sites, because the wind buffets the stems, so if your garden is more open it will need a bit of protection.

Sow seeds into small pots or multi-cell trays, using a good quality multi-purpose seed and cuttings compost. When the little plants are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out and transplant them into single 9cm pots. Watering them in well.

Once the plants have matured, fork the soil over. Remove large stones and perennial weeds. Even if your soil is heavier it’s worth digging in some organic matter to improve texture and moisture retention. I don’t need

to add lime to my soil but if you garden on neutral or acid soil, you’d be advised to work some in. Transplant when the broccoli plants are 7-9cm tall. Water them well before removing from their pots, and plant them 50-60cm apart, with a similar distance between the rows. Brassicas dislike loose soil, so make sure you firm around the plants lightly with your foot. Water again after planting. Six plants will produce enough broccoli to feed a family of four. I grow more because I love it.

Harvest when the flower shoots are well developed but before the flowers have actually opened. Cut the central spears with a sharp knife first, as this encourages the side shoots to develop quickly. Then crop the side shoots regularly to extend the cropping time.

Happy gardening,

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