Cotswold Link (West Ox) July August 2018

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West Oxfordshire

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July / August 2018

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inside

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New Youth Club opens after fundraising

After 12 years of successful fundraising, the new youth club at Woodstock has now opened

Feeling Fruity!

How to grow fresh fruit in your garden

Leisure Centre Extension

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New plans revealed

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06 Land grant for local charity 12 Local events across the area local news local news: 08 Council on National Park designation 14 Carterton Leisure Centre expansion business: local news 08 New businesses & services 14 Swimmers win sports award education: garden view: 10 The origins of money 16 Feeling Fruity! local news: astronomy 11 New Youth opens in Woodstock 18 What is SETI? local news cotswold link 12 Councillor advises on sun protection 22 Advertising Details & Index local news: FEATURED

events

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Welcome to the July - August issue

Summer is now here and we welcome it with a wide range of local news and updates from various local organisations, including the Wychwood project (p6), Woodstock Youth Club (p11) and Carterton Leisure Centre (p14).

Don’t forget, if you have any news, events, updates or stories of local interest, please send them to editorial@jkanorth.com and we’ll do our best to publish them for you.

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

Best wishes,

01609 777401 01609 779097 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 advertising 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 advertisers Your Cotswold Link carry no implied recommendation from the magazine or the publishers. All rights reserved. All information is appearing in Cotswold Link Magazine correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of going to press. Cotswold Link Magazine cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

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Rural project lands major grant award

A charity dedicated to restoring and developing the landscape of West Oxfordshire has been given a major grant award.

The Wychwood Project, based in Witney, has received a £21,759 Community Revenue Grant from West Oxfordshire District Council which will go towards educational visits as well as conserving and developing natural habitats.

Project Director Sharon Williams said: “We have recruited a learning officer who will be running a summer camp for youngsters this year as well as walks and talks and rural craft days.

“Organisations such as Abingdon and Witney College and the Scouts are also engaging with us and so we are very grateful for this funding which allows us to carry out our wide range of activities.”

Founded in 1997, the scheme was originally set up to restore the ancient forest of Wychwood and that remains at the heart of the Project’s activities.

“We have just planted about 1,000 trees near Pudlicote – it’s all about focusing on the landscape and ecology of this area,” Sharon added.

Other sites include Foxburrow Wood at Hailey, Grimes Meadows, Witney and Woodstock Water Meadows.

Activities include deer management, dry stone walling, hedge laying and encouraging birdlife such as barn owls.

The Project now has three full time staff and about 600 members and relies on charitable donations as well as grant awards.

The Community Revenue Grant has been introduced by West Oxfordshire District Council with the aim of offering a cash boost to a range of activities and organisations. Cllr Jeanette Baker, Cabinet Member for Grants, said: “We are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful areas in England and the activities of organisations such as the Wychwood Project help ensure it stays that way.

“We are enormously grateful for their efforts and that is reflected in the grant which we know will be put to good use to protect and improve the environment of the District.”

Picture shows Sharon Williams, Project Director of the Wychwood Project, at Foxburrow Wood, Hailey

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W E N businesses

Council will undertake evaluation of potential National Park designation

s e ic v r e s & in & around our area

“New To The Area” is a new business feature specifically designed to help new businesses and those that are offering new businesses and services to promote themselves cost effectively.

Businesses are invited to submit their adverts to this feature at the regular price (Advert sizes available: 1/8

and ¼) and they will receive the equivalent space in complimentary editorial*. This editorial provides excellent business exposure to 18,500 homes and businesses and allows further explanation of the new business or services available. * Editorial must be supplied completed.

Contact us today to get your business in the Link!

01609 777401 / 01609 779097 01904 709462 / cotswoldlink.co.uk

Members of Cotswold Dis-

The motion - which was pro-

trict Council have agreed a

posed by Liberal Democrat

cross-party motion request-

group leader Councillor Joe

ing officers to carry out an

Harris and seconded by CDC

evaluation of the potential

Cabinet Member for Hous-

benefits and disadvan-

ing, Health and Leisure Cllr

tages of designating the

Stephen Hirst - was given

Cotswolds as a National

unanimous support.

Park.

Following the vote Cllr Harris

Working with counterparts

said: “We know that local

from other local authori-

MPs have generated interest

ties that would probably

in this issue and it is impor-

fall within the footprint of

tant that we now gain a full

a Cotswolds National Park,

understanding of all of the

CDC will aim to gain a bet-

issues involved in designat-

ter understanding of the

ing a new National Park area.

implications for residents, including possible increases in housing costs.

Gigaclear – Ultrafast full fibre broadband for rural Britain Gigaclear was founded in 2010 and is

For the residents of Appleton,

one of the fastest growing broadband

a village in Oxfordshire, the

suppliers in the UK – by the end of 2017

choice of internet connectivity

Gigaclear operated networks in rural

was between slow and noth-

locations across some 17 counties mainly

ing at all – applications such as

in the south of England, with more in

iPlayer were virtually impos-

the pipeline. The company is dedicated

sible to use and downloading

to providing reliable, ultrafast, full fibre

a one hour programme would

broadband directly to homes and busi-

take all night. Appleton’s broadband

nesses in rural Britain.

connection used old-school copper wire

What does this mean for you?

Enjoying the freedom of working flexibly, streaming seamlessly and getting the latest entertainment or box-set with the speed you need – wherever you are. We also understand that rural communities

and major network providers had no plans to upgrade it any time soon – even with Government funding. Villagers got together to take matters into their own hands and researched what alternatives were available.

made people realise what they’d been missing out on for years because of poor broadband. Since connecting to Gigaclear, we’ve been able to take full advantage of the Internet in a way that just wasn’t possible before. We watch TV shows using BBC iPlayer without interruption, access our daily newspapers online and most importantly have regular and reliable Skype conversations with our

rely on high speed broadband to thrive

Local resident, Julian Morris, comments,

grandchildren. Additionally, I’m now able

enabling schools, village halls, shops and

“There were a number of rural broadband

to work just as efficiently at home as in

surgeries to better serve the people of

initiatives out there, but they required

the office. This means that I can miss the

the community. At 1000Mbps, we offer

significant time and investment from resi-

rush hour completely and have a better

a significantly faster service with FTTP

dents to run and manage the service. We

work/life balance.”

connection than standard copper-based

needed a solution from a sound commer-

ADSL connection. All part of our commit-

cial organisation which we could simply

ment to ensuring that rural communities

subscribe and easily connect to. That’s

have access to the latest and very best

why we chose Gigaclear.

technology.

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The company held an Open Day which

One of many comments from happy customers which have contributed to our Trust Pilot 4 Star rating.

To find out more call 0370 224 0600 or visit Gigaclear.com

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How Did The Concept Of Money Originate?

Recently the whole world appeared to come to an abrupt halt when the computer systems controlling bank accounts and their respective credit and debit cards crashed. Overnight the thoughts of a cashless society were put on the back burner.

The thought crossed my mind, “How did the concept of money originate?”

• You do not have to go back thousands of years for a different type of money. At the end of World War 2 In parts of Germany that had been devastated by the conflict, it was not unknown for cigarettes to be used as money.

Societies Early Rules for Money As societies developed they soon learnt that to be useful money must follow a few simple rules: • It had to be accepted as a bartering piece by other people • It had to have an assigned value by all • Needed to be easy to carry • Had to be made of a strong material that could be conveyed between people.

Paper money However there were exceptions to the latter rule. The Chinese introduced paper money. It was light in weight, and could be colourfully decorated and had the added advantage to merchants of avoiding the difficulties in transporting large sums of heavy metallic currency.

The Future of Money?

Early Origins Our distant ancestors had no need for money they would barter using their skills and talents. Surprisingly bartering has stood the test of time for thousands of years because we still barter amongst ourselves in efforts to obtain what we consider a “good deal”.

Our ancestors no doubt came across some complex deals which made it difficult to barter and so something more tangible was needed, and this physical ingredient is what we refer to as money.

Examples of Different Kinds of Money • The shekel was the unit of a specific weight of barley, and equivalent amounts of silver, bronze, copper and other metals. The first records of the shekel date back to 3,000BC in Mesopotamia.

• The ancient Egyptians used “Ring Money”. This was an actual ring made of bronze, copper or gold.

• The Celts in ancient Ireland also used a form of “Ring or Bracelet Money”.

• The Aztecs used small doll figures made of solid gold.

• In ancient India, people used “Money Trees” to store their coins. A money tree was a flat piece of metal, shaped like a tree, with metal branches. At the end of each branch was a round disk with a hole in the centre.

Each of these disks was an ancient Indian coin.

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No doubt developments in money and payment technologies will continue to transform our methods of transferring money. New currencies such as Bitcoin may or may not survive, but we are only a small step away from the next catastrophic failure of an international computer system. I wonder if we are fully prepared for such an event?

Further Reading: A History of Money from Ancient Times to the Present Day by Glynn Davies www.jamesrobertson.com/book/historyofmoney.pdf www.ancienthistory.mrdonn.org/money.html John Harris

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Youth Centre opens its doors after successful fundraising campaign More than 12 years of dedicated fundraising have paid off with the opening of a new purpose-built youth club in Woodstock.

The committee of the Woodstock Youth Centre threw a grand opening event to thank all those who have contributed to the stateof-the-art clubhouse which has replaced the dilapidated original building in Recreation Road.

The project has cost a total of £310,000 and was helped with a £50,000 Community Facilities Grant from West Oxfordshire District Council. Jane Hibberd, Vice-Chairman and Youth Leader at the Centre, said: “I am relieved but extremely happy that the building is now ready. It is everything I hoped for and more - it is difficult to raise money for something like this but people have been so generous with their donations.”

The original building which was more than 50 years old closed its doors last July to allow building work to start on the environmentally friendly building designed and built by Nordic Wood. Now the Centre is looking forward to welcoming new and old faces between the ages of eight and 16 with members able to enjoy facilities including games, computer and art rooms as well as kitchen facilities and a café.

Cllr Jeanette Baker, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Health at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “It is fantastic to see this building come to life as it will offer so many years of fun and education for young people in Woodstock and the surrounding area. This Centre really highlights how grants can benefit communities and it is a shining example of why they are being maintained by the Council.”

Meanwhile, fundraising for equipment is continuing at the Centre which it is hoped will open its doors to youngsters next month.

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Picture shows: L-R: Volunteer Zoe Hibberd, Cllr Jeanette Baker, Vice-Chairman Jane Hibberd, Chairman Kami Parnes and volunteer Matthew Bodinham

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Cabinet Member urges people to stay safe and cover up Following on from national Skin Cancer awareness month, Cllr Norman MacRae, West Oxfordshire’s Cabinet Member for Health, is urging people to stay safe over the summer and avoid the potential harmful effects of over exposure to sunlight.

Although sunlight is the main source of vitamin D, which helps to build and maintain strong bones, it is also the main cause of skin cancer. Cancer Research UK recommends enjoying the sun safety whilst taking care not to burn.

Cllr MacRae has suffered from skin cancer. He said, “I was lucky that my skin cancer was diagnosed early and could be treated, but I know that others are much less fortunate than I was.

However, it hasn’t stopped me going outside and enjoying the sunshine, but I am now really careful and always use high-factor sun cream and dress sensibly.”

Cllr MacRae was treated at the Churchill Hospital by Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Richard Turner.

Dr Turner said, “Whilst we all enjoy going out in the sun, think about timing (later in the day or first thing is safer).”

He added “Look to your clothes to protect you, longer sleeves and dresses do a good job, even if the fabrics are relatively light. Find a hat you like and get into the habit of wearing it especially if going out for the day. Sun screens are important too, look for higher factor (30 is sufficient) and high star ratings to prevent burning and aging. Don’t forget to reapply. Look out for your own skin and friends and if you see something new or changing, make sure you see your GP or a trained skin specialist.”

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and Cancer Research UK says there are around 15,400 cases in the UK every year.

Out & About Charlbury Museum

Charlbury Museum, Market Street, Charlbury, has a new exhibition about Charlbury and the Wychwood Forest. Opening hours are on Saturdays from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm, and on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from 2.30 - 4.30 pm. Admission £1, children free. Come along to our Plant Sale and Coffee Morning on 2nd June, and to the Open Gardens, including the Museum’s garden, on 10th June. ........................................................

Every 4th Thursday

n Chipping Norton Flower Club

With demonstrations, outings, workshops and more. Join us in the Lower Town Hall every 4th Thursday of the month, except August & December.

More details: Ann 01608 683289 or Elaine 07833 522592 ........................................................

7th July

Milton-under-Wychwood Grand Fete

2pm on the village Green. Lots of stalls, live stage and arena entertainment, exhibitions, activities and competitions for all, refreshments, fairground, special activities for children. Come and join the fun.

For details: 01993 831739. ........................................................

11th July

n The Arts Society Cotswolds Lecture

11.30 to 12.30 July 11th, 2018 will see the next lecture of The Arts Society Cotswolds entitled “Angels from the Realms of Glory: the Wilton Diptych and the Roof of Westminster Hall by Mark Cottle. The former is described as one of the most beautiful yet enigmatic paintings ever made and the

latter as the most outstanding in the history of English art. Both appear in the last decade of Richard 11’s turbulent reign and represent a high watermark of a period rich in artistic achievement. theartssocietycotswolds.org.uk ........................................................

14th July

n Ebrington Traditional Village Fete & Family Dog Show Ebrington Cricket

Ground, GL55 6NF. 2 pm – 5 pm. Free parking. Entrance £1 for adults and children over 12.

Plenty for all the family to enjoy – Campden Swing Band, dancing display, classic vehicles, family dog show, children’s obstacle course, traditional stalls, teas, BBQ and much, much more. Proceeds for the church and village organisations. ........................................................

14th July

n 20th Anniversary Celebrations

1.00 - 4.00pm at New Beaconsfield Hall, Station Road (A361), Shipton under Wychwood. Family Fun Afternoon - bring a picnic and join us for an afternoon of fun, games and entertainment for all the family.

6.45pm - midnight Supper Dance to the sounds of the New Starlight Big Band.

Tickets £25 per head. For more information contact anita@fiddlershill.co.uk ........................................................

21st July

n Windrush Valley Flower Show and Fete

From 1:00 p.m.

Come for a delightful family day out in the country. Held at the Great Barrington village hall, set in the beautiful landscape of the Windrush Valley. ........................................................

What’s On? 9 - 22 July

Over 80% of all skin cancers are caused by over-exposure to the sun and/or sun beds.

For further information about skin cancer visit www.cancerresearchuk.org.

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ON CHESIL BEACH (15)

7:30pm Adults £10. Under 16s £7.50 CONTACT BOX OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 - 13 July

ST. MARY’S PRIMARY SCHOOL: ROBIN AND THE SHERWOOD HOODIES

TICKETS £5, SOLD THROUGH THE SCHOOL Please contact the Box Office for more information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Having an event?

Email us your event details to: events@jkanorth.com and we’ll publish it for you. Magazine distribution dates are on p22.

18th - 24th July n Cornwall to the Cotswolds

www.lechladeartsociety.co.uk ........................................................

26th August

Exhibition of paintings by Alan Holmes and John Hutchens, capturing the landscapes of Cornwall and the Cotswolds, and many places in-between.

Lower Slaughter Village Hall 10.00 - 5.00 daily. Admission free OVER 70 PAINTINGS WILL BE ON DISPLAY - all paintings are for sale The full exhibition will be available to view online at www. johnhutchens.co.uk from 10th July ........................................................

28th July

n Compton Abdale Village Fete

Traditional Village Fete set in beautiful gardens. Stalls include: Produce, Plants, White Elephant, Tombola, Books. Fun Dog Show – starts at 3pm. Entrance fee £2 per class. Many games & activities for the whole family. Teas & Ice Creams, Barbecue, Pimms tent, Gloucester Excelsior Band.

Lower Farm, Compton Abdale, GL54 4DS. (just off A40 near Northleach) 1.30 pm - 4.15 pm Admission £2.50 for adults, Children & Parking Free. ........................................................

24th -28th August n Lechlade Art Society Annual Exhibition

Showing in the Memorial Hall, Burford Road, Lechlade GL7 3YP Brand New Hall with extended Extra Parking!

Friday 24th Private Viewing (Members Only) 6pm-8pm Saturday 25th-Monday 27th 10am-6pm Tuesday 28th 10-4pm Not to be missed!

n Minster Lovell Beer Festival and Village Day

Join us on August Bank Holiday Sunday for a selection of cask ales, ciders, wines and prosecco as well as soft drinks, BBQ, cakes and teas at this picturesque riverside setting on the banks of the beautiful River Windrush.

There’ll be music, children’s rides, duck races and a variety of stalls raising money for village organisations. Keep up to date with plans on Facebook events Minster Lovell Beer Festival.

Wash Meadow, Old Minster, Minster Lovell, Near Witney, Oxfordshire OX29 0RN ........................................................

27th August

n Winchcombe Show

Organisers of the Winchcombe Country Show are promising another bumper show this year.

The event takes place on Bank Holiday Monday at Winchcombe Senior School Playing Fields and brings you the best in country show fun. ........................................................

29th August - 1st Sept

n North Cotswold Arts Association – Art & Craft Exhibition and Sale

Warwick Hall, Burford: 10am to 5pm. Free entry wide range of different art work, including oils, acrylic, pastel and watercolour, photography, sculpture, pottery and other crafts.

Contact Sandi Garrett on 01451 822550 or email alexa_buffery@yahoo.co.uk for more information .......................................................

Please note: the editors cannot be held responsible for any changes to events listed. Please contact event organisers directly. All events correct at time of going to press.

30 July - 1 August

3 DAY DRAMA

For 5-7 year olds: 10am-3pm We also have another 3 DAY DRAMA workshop taking place on: 13th-15th August 10am-1pm: £70 For more information or to book, please call the Box Office.

Prices start from £70 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 - 8 August

OCEAN’S 8 (CERT. TBC)

7:30pm Adults £10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

www.chippingnortontheatre.com

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Planning go-ahead for Leisure Centre expansion Plans for a major expansion of Carterton Leisure Centre were approved unanimously in May by West Oxfordshire District Council’s planning committee.

The plans are part of a 10-year, £9.3m, investment programme secured by the Council last year with GLL Better, its leisure services contractor.

Plans include new changing rooms, a four court badminton sports hall and an indoor ‘extreme zone’ trampoline park. The Centre will benefit from a new café, its gym will be upgraded and some of the original building reconfigured to create new fitness and spinning studios and

a crèche. The car park will also be extended.

Councillor Jeanette Baker, Cabinet Member for Health and Leisure, said: “This is an incredibly exciting development that will provide first-class leisure facilities for people in Carterton and the surrounding area.

I’m delighted to see it progressing so well and that we’re on track for the build to start later this year.”

Following planning consent the Council will now tender to appoint a contractor. It is expected that this will be done by July 2018 and that work will start on site early autumn.

Carterton Leisure Centre was opened in 2003 on

Swimmers make a splash at awards evening

Sporting achievements were celebrated recently with West Oxfordshire District Council and its leisure provider GLL presenting awards to the District’s top sportspeople.

Swimming made a big splash with Witney & District Swimming Club announced as the Club of the Year and their Head Coach, Chantal Clavaud, taking the Coach of the Year honour at ceremony held at the Windrush Leisure Centre in Witney.

Nicola Mellings, Chair of Witney & District Swimming Club, said: “I am proud that the efforts of our enthusiastic, dedicated and committed volunteers are being recognised with these awards. Our volunteers give a significant amount of their time and expertise to enable our family-friendly club not only to function, but to grow, develop and succeed.”

Chantal added: “This was a huge surprise. I love the sport and have been a swimmer since I was 10 years old. We spend a lot of time together as a team and this award recognises the hours we put in and the time away from home.”

The Club has 170 swimmers aged between six and

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a site allocated as part of the Shilton Park development. The Leisure Centre had been developed with the intention to allow scope for a future extension.

GLL Better manages Carterton Leisure Centre, along with Bartholomew Sports Centre in Eynsham, Carterton ATP, Carterton Pavilion, Chipping Norton Leisure Centre, Windrush Leisure Centre in Witney, Witney Artificial Turf Pitch and Woodstock Open Air Pool, on behalf of West Oxfordshire District Council.

Illustration of the proposed extreme zone trampoline park. Also attached illustration of the sports hall and café.

18, with 13 competing at a regional level and six in national competitions.

The Unsung Hero award went to Mick Widdows, a groundsman at Chipping Norton & District Cricket Club. He was nominated for maintaining an excellent cricket field standard for the teams to play on, as well as carrying out maintenance work at the club all year round and in all weathers. He even opens the the bar on Fridays.

Youth Co-ordinator, Sue Powell, said: “He has been doing this for longer than I can remember and gets little thanks, but we couldn’t manage without him.

Long may he continue.”

Cllr Jeanette Baker, Cabinet Member at West Oxfordshire District Council said, “I am continually amazed by the depth of sporting talent we have in the District and the wide variety of sports represented here tonight. These awards are our opportunity to recognition the achievement of so many individuals and the support given to them by others, including their clubs and volunteers who work so hard behind the scenes.”

GLL Sports Foundation Awards

More than 50 individual athletes received awards from the GLL Sports Foundation which totalled £28,500 in value. The highest individual award of £1,000 went to swimmer Callum Smart, age 17 from Charlbury, who is currently 21st in the world

ranking.

Callum Smart is on the England Talent programme and hoping to be selected to swim for GB at the 2018 European Juniors in Helsinki; he would like to compete at more world championships and ultimately the Olympics.

Callum, who attends Chipping Norton School, said, “I spend 30 hours a week training in Oxford, and the financial support will help towards my weekly travel cost as well as paying for other expenses when I compete away from home. My ultimate aim is to compete at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.”

Jamie Coleshill, regional director at GLL, said: “It is vitally important to recognise talented athletes. For many this will be the first award they have received and for us it is fantastic to be able to invest in the local community.”

Photo: Witney and District Swimming Club members with their awards - Chantal Clavaud is second left

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GARDEN VIEW

Feeling Fruity Have you ever wished you could grow fresh fruit in your garden but worry the space is too small, or it won’t look pretty, or it’s too difficult?

What if I was to tell you that even a beginner can successfully grow a wide variety of fruit from apples and pears to plums, cherries, blueberries and raspberries, and possibly even figs or nectarines?

The first thing you need to know is that the sweeter the fruit is meant to be the more sun it will require.

Sun boosts sugar levels. If you have a sunny wall it’s an ideal place to train a sun-loving fruit tree like a peach or an apricot. Plant the tree at the base of the wall but not too close (about 30cm is about right) in soil enriched with fertiliser and good quality compost. As it grows splay the branches evenly and attach them to the wall. As the plant grows gradually cut out old straggly branches and tie in new healthy branches. The idea of splaying or ‘fanning’ is that as much sun as possible gets to the fruit, so it can ripen beautifully and maximise your crop. It also has the benefit of being a great space saver. Choose a variety that won’t grow too large.

In slightly shadier spots you can grow gooseberries or raspberries, or my favourite morello cherries. Most of these come in compact varieties and can also be fan-trained against a wall if space is an issue.

I have a tiny orchard of minarettes - space-saving apple, pear and plum trees bought as single vertical stems which I grow in pots. They grow to a maximum of 6 feet / 2m high and no wider than 45cm. My

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children love them! Simply cut back the side stems to about 10cm at this time of year and you’re good to go. Just remember that pot-grown plants rely totally on you for their food and water. Thick glazed / non-porous pots are best because they retain water and act as insulation in extreme cold. Use the correct compost and food for the plant but most will do well with a regular high potash liquid feed from early spring to late summer.

As a gardener I was quite late to fruit-growing, but I realised quickly that it becomes an addictive hobby.

And as a complete bonus I’ve noticed a definite increase in my bee population over the past few years.

Free food, and good for the environment too. What could be better?

By Rachael Leverton

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The

Cotswold Sky

The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) For 50 years, serious efforts have been made by using up to date technology in attempts to communicate with any alien life that may exist in outer space.

So far no contact has been made but the search goes on. The SETI Institute is now in the process of building 350 radio telescopes in California to locate that first communication with outer space. The research does not stop there, it is being carried out throughout the world by many highly respected radio telescope observatories.

The ethics of SETI have created deep intellectual discussions amongst theologians, astronomers, politicians, philosophers to name but a few of the professions. This does not mean of course that we the ordinary people of the world should not have a view; on what is to some; a controversial subject. So who are the people who run SETI?

The SETI Institute (SETI.net)

The SETI Institute is a not-for-profit research organisation whose mission is to explore, understand and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe and is well worth a read by any budding scientist and for that matter by anyone with an interest in astronomy, scientific exploration or just plain curious.

lent to a few substantial computer systems. You; the user are helping with the development of a potential scientific discovery.

So, if it is a rainy day and you have nothing to do with the children?

Challenge them to find out about SETI@home. The excitement of participating in a genuine experiment will help in the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence and further their knowledge in the progress of science.

Detailed information can be obtained from: http://setiathome. berkeley.edu/

Diary

Mercury – Is always difficult to spot.

Look to the right of Venus as the sunsets during the first 2 weeks of July. Mercury appears again around 05.00 hours during the last 10 days of August.

Venus – Can be observed during July in the north western sky after sunset. However; August will be the best time to observe Venus. Look for this brightest of Planets high in the western sky immediately after sunset.

Mars – Rises in the east between 9.15 and 11.15 pm during July and can be seen in the south east during August.

Jupiter – Is most prominent in the southern skies during July and towards the south west in August to the left of a very bright Venus.

Saturn – Is difficult to locate, look to the left of Jupiter, but you need to be up between 01.00 and 04.00 in the early hours during July. By August it will be setting by 01.30 hours

Meteor Showers SETI@home

The SETI@home project utilisers a screen saver which is free of charge and from which the SETI Team download information they have obtained from outer space. The idea of SETI@home is that that thousands of screen savers being used throughout the world are equiva-

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Delta-Aquarids - July 28th / 29th May be difficult to see because of a nearly full Moon.

Perseids – August 12th / 13th We could be in for an excellent show this year.

John Harris

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This advert from only ÂŁ70 every 2 months Reaching 18,500 homes & businesses across West Oxfordshire See p22 for full details.

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Index Bathrooms Country Bathrooms: p19 Blinds Associated Blinds: p24 Builders & Contractors Churchill Surfacing: p20 JA Shirley Building Services: p20 P & S Property Services: p18 SJP Building Contractors: p2 Solid Roofs 4U: p23 The 50 Plus: p20 Children’s Services Cotswold Tutor: p10 Chimney Services Cotswodl Stoves & Chimneys: p21 Heat Store: p19 Mr Sweep Chimney Services: p20 Cleaning Services Chemdry: p3 MRK Services: p3 The Laundry: p15 Dentist Cirencester Dental Practice: p5

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Education Cotswold Tutor: p10 Elderly Services Newlands of Stow: p5 The Orders of St John: p11 The Langston: p15 Electrical Services Cotswold Aerials: p21 Ecosunpower: p6 Mayday Aerials: p2 Flooring Blenheim Flooring: p1 Chipping Norton Flooring: p7 Furniture Bob Dadge Carpentry: p20 MRK Services: p3 Gardening & Outdoors Churchill Surfacing: p20 Get Rid Removals: p20 Greensleeves: p17 Russell Nicholls Tree Services: p17 WHC Hire Services: p17 Gifts Cotswold Frames: p15

Healthcare & Wellbeing Cirencester Dental Practice: p5 David Brookes Foot Health: p15 Feng Shui Engineer: p4 Footworx Clinic: p15 Three Valleys Osteopathy: p4 Heating Cotswold Oil & Gas Services: p21 Gas & Oil Heating Services: p18 Heatstore: p19 Hire WHC Hire Services: p17 Home & Interiors Associated Blinds: p24 Blenheim Flooring: p1 Chipping Norton Flooring: p7 Country Bathrooms: p19 Heat Store: p19 Paul The Painter: p19 Internet Provider Gigaclear: p9 Kitchens & Bathrooms Country Bathrooms: p19 Goose Joinery: p1

P & S Property Services: p18 Laundry The Laundry: p15 Locksmith P & S Property Services: p18 Painters & Decorators Paul The Painter: p19 PMO Decorators: p6 Pets & Animals Dial A Dog Wash: p15 Plumbing Chris Smith Plumbing Services: p18 Cotswold Oil & Gas Services: p21 Gas & Oil Heating Services: p18 Property Maintenance Churchill Surfacing: p20 Cotswold Oil & Gas Services: p21 Cotswodl Stoves & Chimneys: p21 Gas & Oil Heating Services: p18 Heatstore: p19 JA Shirley Building Services: p20 Mr Sweep Chimney Services: p20 P & S Property Services: p18

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Solid Roofs 4U: p23 The 50 Plus: p20 Removals Get Rid Removals: p20 Recruitment Burford Garden Centre: p3 The Orders of St John: p11 Renewable Energy Ecosunpower: p6 Sound & Vision Cotswold Aerials: p21 Mayday Aerials: p2 Taxi Chipping Norton Taxis: p13 Tree Surgery Russell Nicholls Tree Services: p17 Tuition Cotswold Tutor: p10 Windows CN Glass: p2 The Index is a free service offered to our customers. No responsibility can be held for errors or omissions.

Multiple entries included on a space available basis

Have you got a Greenhouse tacked to the side of your house?

A Conservatory is not a habitable room, being too cold in winter and too hot in summer.

Research at Cranfield University has shown that the average south-facing conservatory reaches a comfortable temperature for only two hours a day, unless energy is expended on artificial heating or cooling. The glass or polycarbonate roof and walls have a minimal insulation value, and a conservatory is little more than a greenhouse tacked onto the side of a house.

Unfortunately, instead of paying just a few hundred pounds for a lean-to greenhouse, many people have been persuaded by glossy advertising to pay £20,000 or £30,000 or more, for a conservatory. The conservatory industry has relied on huge profits on a few slick sales points-that a conservatory is a cheaper way of providing space than a proper extension; that it will be erected with little disruption in a week or so; and that conservatories do not require Planning Permission or Building Regulation approval. They do! * The planning permission* argument has always been suspect. Like any addition, a conservatory fell under “permitted development” rights only so long as it was not too big- no more than 10 per cent of the existing building (or 50 cubic metres) for a terraced house, or 15 per cent (or 70 cubic metres ) for any other house.

The Building Regulations situation is more complex. There are in fact several aspects of the Building Regulations that conservatories have always had to comply with-such as those governing structural stability and fire safety.

But the one that was stressed by the salesman was Part L – the conservation of fuel and power.

A conservatory was exempt from Part L as long as it was separated from the house by a closing door, and had a roof area of at least 75 per cent glazed and a wall area at least 50 per cent glazed.

It was this fact that was promoted as a “loophole” by the salesman, and a result in thousands of shoddy boxes being sold, with no oversight from local authority Building Control officers.

For what it’s worth, the percentage glazed area requirement was dropped for the 2010 edition Part L, so there is no longer any difference between a

conservatory and a more solidly built extension. But people continue to be sold the false dream of a habitable “room in the garden”.

The firms that fit insulation and plasterboard beneath conservatory roofs are clearly hoping to cash-in on householders’ disappointment, but I would urge caution. The figures claimed for the expected improvements in thermal performance sound highly theoretical, and I am not aware of any independent evidence to support these claims in practice.

Furthermore, fitting insulation and plasterboard inside an existing glass or polycarbonate roof entails some risks.

Condensation forming on the underside of the glazing on winter nights might drip onto the insulation and damage the plasterboard ceiling. The Companies claim that crossventilation will prevent this happening but- as we have seen with loft insulation in normal house roofs - some degree of condensation is inevitable.

The main reservation, however, concerns over the long term water tightness of the existing conservatory roof. Polycarbonate roofs have a life expectancy of 10 years or less, and even the most expensive glass roofs can suffer rubber gasket deterioration within a similar time frame. Then what happens when the roof leaks onto the new plasterboard ceiling below?

This system should be treated with suspicion.

Estate Agents and valuer’s may list your conservatory on their particulars, showing its attributes, but you will find that no added value has been put onto the property because of it!

Advice - if you want your extension to be truly habitable, with a tangible value, then put your money towards removing the glazing altogether and fit a proper roof.

Fitting a real roof can have a true use and value added to your home.

Solid Roofs 4U Ltd can Engineer, Produce and Build in a choice of Styles and Roof Coverings including Real Tiles.

Call 01904 200 212 or Visit solidroofs4u.com

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