Cotswold Link (West Ox) March-April 2017

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March / April 2017

Don’t Forget

Mother’s Day 26th March

Grange Cottage, Amberley

Are You Ready to Maximise Your Holiday Cottage Income this Summer?

Cotswold Link talks to local holiday letting expert, Character Cottages, about what cottage owners should do to ensure they make the most of this year’s summer letting season

Honeystones, Bourton-on-the-Water

Bank Cottage, Bibury

When does the summer season start?

Prices start to increase from May onwards, reaching a peak during the school holidays, which run from the middle of July until the end of August, when demand is high from families seeking a beautiful country holiday. Prices reduce a little in September, however, this can still be a popular month in the Cotswolds, with the famous towns and villages a little quieter than during the school holidays.

What booking values can I expect during this time?

The prices that can be charged vary depending on the size and quality of your cottage, however, a typical, well presented four bedroom cottage, capable of sleeping eight adults, could fetch over £2,000 a week in August.

An important aspect of the holiday letting market in the Cotswolds is the demand for short, flexible breaks. As long as booking slots are correctly priced, owners who offer guests flexibility can typically make significantly higher profits than those who only offer week long bookings.

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Why does offering flexibility mean higher profits?

Flexible break strategies typically involve splitting a week into two main time slots: a mid-week slot and a weekend slot. The key to higher profits is to ensure that the price of these shorter slots is not just a pro-rata of the weekly rate, but that they are priced according to market demand. Typically, this means that weekend rates are 70-75% of the weekly rate and mid-week rates are 65-70% of the weekly rate.

During the summer, a popular property can expect to get a good mix of week long, weekend and mid-week bookings. In those weeks where there is both a weekend and a mid-week booking, the owner will earn approximately 135-140% of the weekly price! While there are two turnarounds to deal with in such a week, rather than one, owners should still make much higher profits than if they stick to the old adage of “weeks only in summer”.

I am sold! What are the next steps in order to get started?

If you have a characterful property finished in

a modern, contemporary style, sleeping five or more people, then get in touch! We provide a range of guidance and support, and it can take as little as two weeks to get your cottage ready to holiday let.

Once the property marketing has started, many owners are amazed at how quickly the bookings start to come in!

Pearl Cottage, Blockley

www.character-cottages.co.uk letmycottage@character-cottages.co.uk Tel: 0208 935 5375

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inside

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18

On Your Bike!

We look at a new local Community Project setup to provide cycle safety advice, training and bike maintenance

Garden View

How to tame your garden this Spring

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02 Maximise your holiday letting local news: 06 Sarsden Washpool restoration business 08 2 Pages of New Businesses & Services education: 10 Can you over study? local news: 12 Oxford Race for life 2017 events 12 Seasonal events across our area advertorial

FEATURED

FEATURED

FEATURED

Race for Life

Get involved in some lifechanging events

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14 The Cassini Mission local news: 16 Windrush Bike Project mother’s day: 17 Mother’s Day origins and recipe garden view: 18 Spring has sprung local news 20 Council local news cotswold link 22 Advertiser Index astronomy

FEATURED

FEATURED

FEATURED

Welcome to the March - April issue

As the weather turns warmer and Spring arrives, we look forward to a wide range of local events, news and updates. The Sarsden Washpool restoration (p6), provides a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era, whilst cycling is the order of the day on p16, as we look at the Windrush Bike Project.

Don’t forget, if you have any news, events, updates or stories 01609 777401 01609 779097 of local interest, please send them to editorial@jkanorth.com and we’ll do our best to publish them for you. cotswoldlink.co.uk I hope you all enjoy this issue and I’ll see you again in May. Best wishes,

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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The History of Cotswold Sheepwashing and the Restoration of the Sarsden Washpool: March-Sept 2017 The Churchill and Sarsden Heritage Centre, possibly Oxfordshire’s smallest museum, is putting on a NEW EXHIBITION for 2017 and there will also be an OPEN DAY

The older inhabitants of the village can remember seeing the Sarsden washpool in action, but it has been overgrown and overlooked now for many years. Happily Rupert and Amanda Ponsonby, who live at Sarsden Glebe, have been working hard to restore the pool, and research its history. There is also a connection with William Smith, who would have been able to watch the sheep being washed from his home, and in 1818 was asked to prepare an irrigation and drainage scheme lower down the Sars Brook - of interest because there are so few physical remains of Smith’s work in Oxfordshire.

We plan to celebrate the OPENING OF THE WASHPOOL on Saturday 20 May 12-2pm – with a demonstration using local sheep. There will also be a talk from an expert on Cotswold sheepwashes, and an exhibition of hurdle making. Washed down with locally brewed cider and a selection of local bread and cheese, everyone is welcome.

Please contact Janie Hextall 01608 658278 / 07717 296993 or janie.hextall@btinternet.com Churchill and Sarsden Heritage Centre www.churchillheritage.org.uk

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Local Company brings Italian pizza ovens to the Cotswolds Cotswold stove company Fosse Fires are now stocking high quality Italian pizza ovens ready for summer 2017.

General Manager Russell Mulligan explained the company’s decision: “We had a number of customers enquire about pizza ovens but it was something we were reluctant to get involved in. I went to a pizza party a couple of years ago, and it took forever to get up to temperature, I think we waited about 4 hours for this terracotta thing to get up to speed. It was funny but not something I was keen to ever repeat.

Last summer our company went to a heating industry trade show and we found Alfa Pizza, we got talking about pizza ovens and I recounted my experience and they laughed. They fired up one of their ovens and told me to come back in 15 minutes. When we returned the oven was up to 500°C and they cooked a pizza for us in 90 seconds! We were blown away.

You can cook everything on them, its not really about pizzas its about cooking with fire. I’ve had one for a while now and have cooked a three course meal on it and we did the roast potatoes on it on Christmas Day. We’ve got them in the showroom and one is under fire so come and see for yourself, if you arrange a visit, I’ll even cook an authentic Italian pizza for you.”

For more information contact Fosse Fires on: 01242 620 662, email: info@fossefires.co.uk or visit the website: fossefires.co.uk

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JACQUELYNE MORISON HYPNOTHERAPY TRAINING The Hypnotherapy Practitioner Course with Jacquelyne Morison Hypnotherapy Training is designed for those who wish to become sincere and dedicated professional practitioners of clinical-analytical hypnotherapy as a psychotherapeutic and stress-trauma resolution discipline.

The Hypnotherapy Practitioner Course focuses principally on Analytical Hypnotherapy or Hypnoanalysis – a psychodynamic therapeutic approach which Jacquelyne Morison has pioneered and promoted for over 20 years. The analytic approach centres on dealing with the underlying originating cause of the client’s distress by providing a deeply investigative therapeutic environment.

Analytical Hypnotherapy practice means not merely treating the client’s symptoms superficially or providing a method of coping with life’s problems but actually handling cases of intense psychological malaise by resolving dilemmas naturally and effortlessly at the root of the problem. The client can thus deal with distressing conditions, such as really deep-seated fears, crippling anxieties, stubborn habit disorders, low confidence, stressful-traumatic manifestations, relationship difficulties, grief, bereavement issues and the devastating effects of childhood abuse, neglect and abandonment. Analytical Hypnotherapy can, of course, still equally be applied to relatively simple problems for which clinical hypnotherapy is popularly renown, such as weight management, smoking cessation and pain management, without inferring that hypnotherapy is a quick-fix methodology and, thereby, giving the profession a disreputable name.

Jacquelyne is a wonderful teacher whose approachable, accommodating demeanour makes studying to be a hypnotherapist a life-changing experience. I wholeheartedly recommend this course for anyone seeking a stimulating and holistic approach to hypnotherapy training.

Kazia Tyszka-Baxter, Mind Nurture Hypnotherapy

Exceptional Kitchens & Furniture from a local firm We spoke to Nick Reeves about his made to measure kitchen & furniture business.

Whether you are looking for a truly unique kitchen or simply an island, a large project or something more modest, a study or a desk, Belfast sink unit, utility, bookcase, wardrobes and much more to fit your space, we can help, whether in pine, oak, ash, beech, cherry, maple, walnut or a painted finish utilising tulipwood or pine. Where possible, we use sustainable timber.

We create kitchens designed to be functional: for example giving good access into corner cupboards with bi fold doors. Base units can be deeper than standard, which gives the benefit of more worktop space.

Upper units can be taller to maximise storage space. Base units can be made to non standard heights to fit in with the clients needs Traditional proven construction methods are used in the manufacture of our kitchens and furniture. Mortice and tenon for added strength,

dovetails in drawers. Doors are a robust 30mm thick. The sides of the carcass are trenched out to give extra strength to the horizontal construction.

We make our own wideboard worktops using kiln dried hardwood. So if you require an island or table with worktop of 3 metres long by 130cm wide, we can make it, alternatively we can supply granite worktops.

Why buy from us?

We make and fit our kitchens to the customers requirements. We do not sub out any of our design, manufacture or fitting work and we do not make plastic style kitchens. Therefore we offer the best price possible for a unique bespoke kitchen.

The area we cover We are based in the beautiful Cotswolds, but work countrywide ......................................................................

For more details contact Nick on: 07934 976643 / 01451 810023 Email: info@onceatree.uk www.onceatree.uk Unit 2, Manor Farm, Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire. GL54 2JJ

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Can you Over Study?

A recent article in the monthly journal of Nature Neuroscience reported of a study which suggests in its conclusions “……. that you should keep practicing for a little while even after you think you can’t get any better”.

There is always the potential risk of students leaving their studying until the last minute and cramming in their revision which can lead to “burn out”.

ADVICE TO STUDENTS OF ALL AGES Preparation • First and foremost you will need some self-discipline. Turn off all your social media apps. • Prepare a revision timetable • The internet can be a phenomenal help if used properly but, if you use the internet in assisting with revision ensure that you know in advance which sites you are going to visit. Too much time can be wasted searching for information during a session and there are too many distractions.

• Prioritise your studies focus on topics you have difficulty with, not those that you fully understand.

• The earlier you start the better.

Now is the time to kick the cramming into touch, not next week.

• You need to do a little studying a lot of the time not a lot of studying over a little time. In other words shorter sessions are more productive than longer ones.

• Ensure that your organised notes and text books are all in

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position and at the ready.

• Continuously doing past exam papers are not necessarily the most productive way to learn.

Consider your weak topics and search past papers, extract the questions on these weak topics (along with the answers). Attempt these questions once you have revised the topic, this will help build up your confidence.

The Session • Take regular breaks: say 30 minutes study 10 minute break.

• Don’t be passive by just reading from your exercise and text books; write down notes, produce memory maps, draw diagrams, attempt past exam questions be active throughout your session.

• Flashcards are a good method of study. Produce some to carry in your pocket and frequently refer to them.

• Decorate your bedroom/Kitchen/ Corridor with short colourful notes, phrases, and formulae.

• Make notes on what you have covered. Note the topics that you are now confident with and the topics that you need to revisit.

After the Session • Put everything away in a neat orderly fashion. Remember you are going to need access to the work that you have done.

• Relax, get some exercise go out with your friends but do not overdo it.

• Above all be positive, set yourself up so that no matter what happens you can always say hand on heart that you did your best.

John Harris

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Out & About Every 4th Thursday

n Chipping Norton Flower Club

MAKE 2017 STRONGER, BRAVER AND PINKER WITH RACE FOR LIFE OXFORD Oxford women are being encouraged to make a difference by signing up now to Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life 2017.

Now is a great time to embark upon a new challenge and the charity is urging women of all ages, shapes and sizes to choose their event Race for Life 5k, 10k or Pretty Muddy - and pledge to take part in Oxford The 5k and 10k events take place on Sunday 09 July and Pretty Muddy is scheduled for Saturday 16 September.

There’s no better time for ladies in the South East to pull on their trainers, get a little more active and join like-minded women committed to the cause. Money raised will help Cancer Research UK scientists find new ways to treat cancer and save more lives.

Kelly Rumble, Cancer Research UK’s Oxford Event Manager, said: “Signing up to take part in Race for Life is a great way for women to set themselves a new and exciting challenge for 2017.

“Race for Life events are noncompetitive and participants can choose to walk, jog or run around the course. Whether

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they’re planning a 5k amble with friends, a 10k sprint or a mud-splattered race around Pretty Muddy, every step women take will help to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.”

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an inspiring women-only series of 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy, Marathon and Hiking events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer sooner by funding life-saving research.

Last year, Race for Life Pretty Muddy took place for the first time in the city. The women-only, non-competitive 5k obstacle course - with an extra helping of mud - received a whole-hearted welcome from the thousands of women who took part.

Thanks to their enthusiasm, this exciting event will be returning and organisers are urging women to secure their place as soon as possible.

To enter Race for Life today visit raceforlife.org or call 0300 123 0770.

With demonstrations, outings, workshops and more. Join us in the Lower Town Hall every 4th Thursday of the month Starting 22nd September at 7pm For more information tel: Ann. 01608 683289 or Kaye 01993 831146 ........................................................

9th March

n West Oxon Decorative and Fine Arts Society

Lecture by Leslie Primo; The Cult of the South Pacific from Cook to Gaugin Methodist Church, High Street, Witney OX28 6HG 7.30pm-8.30pm Refreshments from 6.45pm Visitors and Guests £6 For more information: www.wodfas.org.uk ........................................................

11th March

n Burford Orchestra Spring Concert

Burford Orchestra returns to Witney High Street Methodist Church for its annual Spring Concert, under the baton of Andrew Gray. The programme has a distinct Nordic flavour featuring Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, which contains perennial favourites ‘Morning’ and ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’, and the evocative first symphony of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

The concert kicks off at 7.30pm in rousing style with Johannes Brahms’s Academic Festival Overture, written to celebrate being awarded an honorary doctorate.

Tickets cost £7 in advance and £8 on the door with £1 entry for

under 16s. For info and tickets contact Helen on 01993 830559 or info@burfordorchestra.org.uk ........................................................

11th & 12th March

n Stow Flea Market and Collectors Fair

Stalls in the famous historical St Edwards Hall in the middle of Stow selling a multitude of interesting items including - Antiques, brica brac, militaria, ephemera, art and crafts, glass, metalware, silver, jewellery, teddy bears, greeting cards, vintage items galore, beautiful powder compacts, toys and gifts. Upstairs is Isabel’s famous cafe with delicious hot or cold snacks, tea and coffee.

Takes place every month - check out our facebook page ’Stow Flea Market and Collectors Fair’ plus Antiques-Atlas’ for future dates and information.

From 10am - 4pm. Free Entry St Edwards Hall, Stow 07704 145099 ........................................................

12th March

n Volunteering open morning

10.30am-12: Chedworth Roman Villa Come along for a cuppa and chat with our team about getting involved in National Trust work as a volunteer at the villa. ........................................................

17th March

n A PIlgrimage to Medieval Gloucestershire

7.30pm. An illustrated talk by Tim Porter, to include Hailes Abbey much visited by Pilgrims during the reformation.

Venue Little Rissington Village Hall.

Visitors welcome £3 to include refreshments. 01451 820233. ........................................................

Charlbury Art Society Spring Exhibition Held in conjunction with the Garden Society in the Memorial Hall, in Browns Lane, Charlbury, Saturday 8th April & Sunday 9th April Please visit the website, www.charlburyartsociety.co.uk for further 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.

20th March

n The Wonders Westonbirt Arboretum

of

Martin Green will give a talk on Westonbirt Arboretum - 7.30pm Monday 20th March at Hailey Village Hall. Admission £2, Hailey Gardening Club members free.

Tel 01993 899125 for info. ........................................................

25th & 26th March n Matronalia at the villa

11am-3.30pm: Chedworth Roman Villa Throughout the Mother’s day weekend an expert will be sharing the beauty secrets of Roman times. You can craft your own hand-made gift and treat your mum to delicious cake in the café. ........................................................

8th – 13th & 18th - 23rd April n Easter activities

10.30am-4pm: Chedworth Roman Villa Did Romans celebrate Easter? One way to find out is by completing a seasonal trail at the Roman Villa. ........................................................

8th & 9th April n Art Society Exhibition

Spring

Charlbury Art Society’s annual Spring Exhibition will be held in conjunction with the Garden Society in the Memorial Hall, in Browns Lane, Charlbury, on Saturday April 8 and Sunday April 9. Charlbury is lucky to have some well-known, and also some lesser-known but highly accomplished, artists and this is a great opportunity to see some new and innovative work.

Please visit the website, www. charlburyartsociety.co.uk for further information and take a peek at artists’ new work in the Gallery Section, or email Kati Eidenbenz on secretary@ charlburyarts.co.uk. ........................................................

13th April

n West Oxon Decorative and Fine Arts Society

Lecture by Vivien Heffernan: British Artists in love with Landscape from Gainsborough to Hockney Methodist Church, High Street, Witney OX28 6HG 7.30pm-8.30pm Refreshments from 6.45pm Visitors and Guests £6 For more information www.wodfas.org.uk ........................................................

14th – 17th April

n Cadbury’s Easter egg hunt

10am- 4pm: Chedworth Roman Villa Cadbury’s bunny has been over to this ancient site and left a trail of clues for you to find and a chocolate prize at the end! £2/ trail. ........................................................

29th April

n Children’s mosaic workshops

10.15am-12.15pm and 1.45pm15.45pm: Chedworth Roman Villa Workshop with Sadie Rowlands making mosaic shaped as a songbird. Light snack included. £17 per child. Booking essential on 0344 2491895. ........................................................

7th May

n Dawn chorus walk

5am -7am: Chedworth Roman Villa A truly memorable experience listening to the dawn chorus on a walk guided by the National Trust rangers. Light breakfast provided. £9 per person. Booking essential on 0344 2491895. ........................................................

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.

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The

Cotswold Sky

The Cassini Mission Apologies to all readers for the misprint of the incorrect image in the previous issue of Cotswold Link regarding the Cassini Mission. Fortunately the next phase of the mission commences on 22nd April. On this day the spacecraft will take the first of its 22 orbits between the rings of Saturn and the planet. This will be a spectacular achievement, so keep your eyes peeled on the press reports and for up to date information on: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html

Diary

Spring Equinox: 10. 28 hours GMT

Monday 20th March. The moment the Sun crosses the equator on its journey North. On this day the whole Earth has effectively 12 hours daylight and 12 hours darkness.

British Summer Time: Commences at 01.00 hours Sunday 26th March.

Do not forget to put your clocks forward by one hour.

Planets

Mercury – Will be visible towards the

end of March and beginning of April as dusk settles in the West.

Venus – Brightly visible as the Sun

Illustration showing Cassini Spacecraft’s orbit of Saturn (courtesy of NASA)

The clearest images of Saturn’s rings have been released by NASA. They were taken by Cassini in its first phase of flying past the outer rings (courtesy of NASA)

sets in the West but by the end of March Venus will have disappeared from the evening sky. However it will reappear again in April, this time in the East rising one hour before the Sun. Mars – Can be observed a little high-

er and to the left of Venus during March and will continue to be visible in the western sky up to 23.00 hours in April.

Jupiter – Rises in the East during

March around 20.30 hours so by 7th April will be visible all night long.

Its 4 Galilean Moons Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto can even be viewed by binoculars (held steadily) changing position each evening as they orbit the giant planet.

Saturn – is for the early birds in March

These images show details as small as 550 metres, that is the height of a skyscraper on Earth. Cassini has now been taking views of the rings for the past 13 years, but the latest information derived from the images are giving the NASA research team a better understanding of the makeup of the rings. They are anticipating new surprises.

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and April rising in the early hours between 01.00 and 02.00 hours each morning.

Meteor Showers

Lyrid: April 22nd in the East around

10 – 20 per hour.

John Harris

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Windrush Bike Project Brigitte Hickman, English Teacher, and Kath Cochrane, Project Manager, first met in late 2014. Brigitte and Kath shared the conviction that getting onto a bike for short journeys can have a dramatic impact on physical and mental health, as well as wider benefits of reduced congestion, better air quality and quieter, safer streets.

After 18 months of knocking on doors, making calls and raising funds they launched the Windrush Bike Project in March 2016.

The Windrush Bike Project now has a full programme of work, making positive steps towards more active travel in West Oxfordshire.

Bikeability cycle training Over 400 local children from the age of 7 – 13 will receive cycle training covering 3 skill levels. Brigitte, who has spent many years inside the classroom says, ‘giving children the competence and confidence to ride on today’s roads is a key life skill. Children that can walk, scoot or cycle to school will benefit from better health and better concentration; the wider community will benefit from less congestion and pollution’.

Children who cycle to Secondary school will be able to complete an advanced road skills course (Level 3) giving them the skills and confidence to cycle on busier roads.

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Giving people the skills to maintain bikes.

We now have base at Cogges Manor Farm offering fun and practical bike maintenance courses. On 25th March, we will launch our open workshop.

Open Workshop is a community space where people can bring their bikes and repair them, with advice and support from trained mechanics. We will be open every Saturday and Tuesday (10am-2pm). We will also be busy taking in old or abandoned bikes and refurbishing them. Through the Bikeability Recycled scheme children’s bikes will be made available to school children who do not own one. Adult bikes will be used in our ‘build a bike’ courses for vulnerable or disadvantaged people, or sold to generate funds for the project.

Campaigning for better infrastructure for cycling.

Some people don’t cycle because they feel unsafe sharing the roads with motor vehicles. We work with the local councils to promote a proper cycling network linking homes with schools, shops and places of work.

The Windrush Bike Project team is growing and includes cycle trainers, bike mechanics, volunteers and campaigners. Anyone who wants to take a step towards active travel, however big or small, please get in touch we would love to hear from you.

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Mother’s Day 2017

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This year we celebrate Mother’s Day on 26 March.

You may not realise, but Mother’s Day happens on the fourth Sunday of Lent and originally had religious traditions attached to it. In the sixteenth century, it was a celebration of the ‘mother church’ and people would return to the church in which they were baptised or where they attended as a child. Thus families would be reunited. This was known as going ‘a mothering ‘or Mothering Sunday. It was commonplace for the Lent fast which prohibited sweet, rich foods and meat to be lifted a little and for a Simnel cake to be shared.

Years later, youngsters working as servants were given an annual day off to visit their mothers and would take gifts. This was called ‘Mothers Day.’

The celebrations of Mothering Sunday and Mother’s Day have generally

of printed

combined into one annual occasion.

greetings cards. Celebrating the day became less popular. It wasn’t until

The first official Mother’s Day was

the second World War when soldiers

organised by Ann Jarvis in 1908 in West

wanted to acknowledge their distant

Virginia as a memorial to her mum. By

mothers, that the day grew in popularity

the 1920’s however Ann had become

once more.

disillusioned by the commercialism of the day and especially the common use

By Susan Brookes- Morris

This Mother’s Day treat your Mum to breakfast in bed!

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 2. Place the tomatoes and the diced muffins on a shallow baking tray. Pour over 60ml of rapeseed oil and add a pinch of black pepper 3. Place the tray into the oven for 12–15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are just tender and the muffin cubes are a light golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and set aside 4. To cook the eggs, bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil and add the white wine vinegar. Adding a dash of white wine vinegar will help the eggs stay together as they cook – a canny trick for mastering the art of egg poaching 5. Crack the eggs into separate ramekins or cups, ensuring there are no pieces of shell 6. Gently tip each egg into the water. The eggs should drop

to the bottom of the saucepan and then begin to float back to the surface

Ingredients

Older children can be trusted to plop the eggs into the water and follow the cooking instructions. Keep some spare eggs handy in case it goes wrong

240g of smoked salmon

7. Poach the eggs for 3–4 minutes and then remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Place the eggs on a plate with a sheet of kitchen paper to soak up excess water

80ml of rapeseed oil

8. Serve the eggs on a bed of smoked salmon, muffin croutons, roasted tomatoes and wild rocket. Drizzle the remaining rapeseed oil over each plate and serve Encourage your little helpers to assemble the finished dish themselves, before plonking onto a tray and serving as breakfast in bed. Breaking the egg yolk before serving is always a nice touch

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200g of cherry tomatoes on the vine 4 eggs 2 English muffins, cut into rough 1cm cubes 50g of rocket, washed 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar 1 pinch of black pepper

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GARDEN VIEW

Spring has

Sprung

The other day someone said to me,

the flowers fade. If you haven’t already

‘You are so lucky…you have a beautiful

pruned your bush roses, now is the time.

garden.’

Leave about an inch of last year’s growth

I thanked her of course, but I really wanted to say, ‘Luck has very little to do with it. A beautiful garden does not happen by pure chance. It takes a bit of work and planning.’

As the spring equinox looms, the trees blossom and daffodils bloom. The garden

to encourage bushiness and lots of flowers. Shrub roses don’t need such radical treatment but would benefit from losing a third of their old, thick, woody stems.

Then a bit of lifting is required. Lift congested clumps of snowdrops while they still have leaves showing.

from. Three bulbs fit nicely into an 8inch / 20cm pot and five fit into a ten inch / 25cm pot. I’ve found terracotta pots best because lilies are tall and terracotta provides enough weight to prevent them tipping over.

Lilies need a well-drained open plant-

is waking up from its winter

Finally, stay on top of the

sleep and is full of promise.

weeds from the outset. If

I am excited to be out-

you leave them, weeding

side in it but I’m aware for

quickly becomes an insur-

non-gardeners it can seem

mountable chore.

ple of inches below the compost. Keep

But of course gardening is

surface of the compost looks dry. Once

daunting when everything (including the weeds) starts growing at once! So where to begin? There are three fairly simple tasks which will get you off to a flying start.

Pruning is the first task. It’s time to hard prune late-flowering shrubs like Buddleia, Leycesteria and Lavateria, but only if the risk of hard frost is past. Spring flowering plants such as Forsythia and Winter Honeysuckle should be pruned immediately

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about planting things and one of the best things to plant now is lilies.

If you have a bit of a slug problem like I do grow them in pots. Pots also have the advantage of protecting the bulbs. I hate slicing through them accidentally when hoeing. And pots mean you can grow

ing mixture so I use a mixture of potting compost plus a soil-less multi-purpose compost. The bulb tips should be a couin a sheltered spot and water when the the buds have formed, feed weekly with dilute tomato food until late summer.

When the blooms fade, cut the stems down and place in a sheltered spot. Each spring, scrape away a couple of inches of compost and add fresh mixture, then repeat the instructions above. Treated like this your lilies will reward you for three

them even if you only have a balcony.

or four years before they need re-potting.

There are loads of varieties to choose

Rachael Leverton

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Council to acquire meadowland in Witney

Government gives green light for garden village

West Oxfordshire District Council has welcomed the announcement made by central government that it will contribute funding for a locally led Garden Village in an area just off the A40 and to the north of Eynsham.

Government support would help deliver around 2,200 homes by 2031, as well as the facilities required to create a standalone village settlement.

Cllr James Mills, Leader at West Oxfordshire District Council said, “With such a high demand for housing in this area, we believe a new garden village will be a major contribution towards providing much-needed homes in a high quality living environment. It will also unlock funds to improve infrastructure and in particular boost the case for improvements to transport links, including upgrading the A40 - good news for everyone using this route.

“In addition to village facilities, such as a school and community resources, the settlement would have a science/ business park. This will lead to the creation of highly-valued and highly-skilled jobs reducing the District’s reliance on jobs in Oxford.

“I want to stress that this new village is a distinct settlement and should not be seen as an expansion of the existing village of Eynsham, or in any way dependent on it. However, we will be asking the neighbouring communities for their views and contributions on many aspects of the village development from naming it to commenting and influencing its design.”

Under West Oxfordshire District Council’s current draft Local Plan, the proposed Garden Village forms part of a total of 15,950 homes set to be built by 2031, of which 2,750 have been allocated as the District’s contribution to Oxford’s unmet housing need.

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Cabinet members have given the green light for West Oxfordshire District Council to acquire an area of meadowland near Witney town centre.

The site covering 0.92 acres is adjacent to Bishop’s Farm Mill off Witan Way and has been offered as a gift to

the council by developer Hills Homes Developments.

Bishop’s Farm Mill has recently been converted to residential use and planning agreements state the area in question should remain as meadowland. Cllr Jeanette Baker, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Health, said: “This piece of land fits in with our strategy of maintaining

accessible green areas in and around Witney.

“The open spaces along the River Windrush are a defining characteristic of the town and their value will be enhanced with planned increases in development and population in the future.”

West Oxfordshire Superfast Broadband Delivery West Oxfordshire District Council is preparing to take on the lead role of delivering superfast broadband to the remaining 10 per cent of properties within its district, ensuring access for those in the most rural areas and the ones generally regarded as not being commercially viable.

This follows an announcement by Cotswolds Broadband and its supplier, ITS Technology Group, that they are withdrawing from the rollout following issues experienced with the network build.

Cotswolds Broadband had intended to provide superfast broadband coverage for all premises not already covered.

They will not continue with an alternative project.

West Oxfordshire District Council and BDUK are determined to ensure superfast broadband coverage is available throughout the entire district as soon as possible and both confirm that public sector funding remains available to make this happen.

The District Council is commencing a new project immediately. This will start with a formal Open Market Review (OMR) followed by public consultation to determine, with as much accuracy as possible, which premises need connections. The Council will then pro-

cure a new supplier. It is estimated that this process could take in the region of six months with the build starting three months after that.

Cllr Colin Dingwall, Cabinet Member for Broadband at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “It is very disappointing that Cotswolds Broadband’s project failed after so much hard work. The delay for residents is really frustrating.

“Taking on the procurement process ourselves demonstrates that we are absolutely committed to securing superfast broadband access for everyone in the district as soon as possible.

“We are working very closely with BDUK on the new project and are confident that it can be delivered successfully.”

Whilst the broadband project procurement and delivery phase is taking place, those individuals and businesses with little or no connectivity (under 2Mbps) can apply for a subsidised basic service through the Government’s Better Broadband Scheme. More information, including an application form, is on the Better Broadband for Oxfordshire (www.betterbroadbandoxfordshire.org.uk/cms/content/ want-better-basic-broadband) website.

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Education Cotswold Tutor: p10 Elderly Services The Langston Care Home: p11 Electrical Services Cotswold Aerials: p21 Mayday Aerials: p6 PJC Services: p14 Flooring Amanda Hanley By Design: p1 Chipping Norton Flooring: p7 Furniture Amanda Hanley By Design: p1 Bob Dadge Carpentry: p15 Cottonwood Interiors: p3 Heartwood Furniture: p23 MRK Services: p19 Once A Tree: p9 Gardening & Outdoors Fig Garden Design: p3 Get Rid Removals: p23 Luke Dadge Drystone Walling: p19 Russell Nichols: p19 Healthcare & Wellbeing Cirencester Dental Practice: p11 Footworx Clinic: p11 Ramona Gogolos Foot Health: p10

Heating Cotswold Oil & Gas Services: p14 Cotswold Stoves & Chimneys: p23 Fosse Fires: p8 Gas & Oil Heating Services: p23 Heat Store: p4 Hire Cotswold Marquees: p8 Holidays Character Cottages: p2 Home & Interiors Amanda Hanley By Design: p1 Associated Blinds: p24 Chipping Norton Flooring: p7 Cotswold Stoves & Chimneys: p23 Cottonwood Interiors: p3 Country Bathrooms: p15 Fosse Fires: p8 Heartwood Furniture: p23 Once A Tree: p9 Paul Dadge Interior Design: p1 Sewing Tuition: p10 Hypnotherapy Jacquelyne Morison: p9 Kitchens & Bathrooms Country Bathrooms: p15 Cottonwood Interiors: p3 Goose Kitchens: p15

Dist: w/c 1st & 8th May ‘17 Copy: 5th April ‘17 ............................................

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West Oxfordshire May / June 2017

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Once A Tree: p9 P & S Property Services: p15 PJC Services: p14 Laundry The Laundry: p6 Locksmith P & S Property Services: p15 Logs Walkers Logs: p5 Painters & Decorators PMO Decorators: p15 Pets & Animals Dial A Dog Wash: p13 Vets Home Visit: p13 Plumbing Carl Thompson Plumbing: p4 Cotswold Oil & Gas Services: p14 Gas & Oil Heating Services: p23 PJC Services: p14 Property Maintenance Bob Dadge Carpentry: p15 Cotswold Oil & Gas Services: p14 Cotswold Stoves & Chimneys: p23 CR Building & Small Works: p19 Gas & Oil Heating Services: p23 Get Rid Removals: p23 JA Shirley Building Services: p23 Mr Sweep Chimney Services: p4

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P & S Property Services: p15 PJC Services: p14 The 50 Plus: p23 Recruitment Burford Garden Centre: p3 Removals Get Rid Removals: p23 Sewing Sewing Tuition: p10 Sound & Vision Cotswold Aerials: p21 Mayday Aerials: p6 Sport & Leisure Cotswold Riding: p13 Travel & Tourism Character Cottages: p2 Tree Surgery Russell Nichols: p19 Tuition Cotswold Tutor: p10 My Computer Tutor: p10 Sewing Tuition: p10 Weddings Cotswold Marquees: p8 Windows Milena Windows: p21

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