Cotswold Link (West Ox) May June 2015

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May / June 2015

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inside

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Burford Festival

10 days of music, theatre, literary events, talks, open gardens 06 Enjoy & much more

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Holiday Homes

How to boost your holiday home income this Summer

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Award Success

Laurence Home Nursing Team wins award

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06 Burford Festival 2015 14 Charlbury Beer Festival local news: education 09 Is Education too political?

16 Nursing Team Wins Award advertorial: new businesses 10 New Local Businesses & Services 17 Holiday Cottage Summer success garden view: local news: 11 New fixed price boiler scheme 18 Chelsea Flower Show 2015 local news news: Finstock Village Hall update 12 Oxfordshire Artweek: Flying start 20 local out & about local news 12 Seasonal events across our area 20 News from West Ox District Council local news cotswold link 14 Chipping Norton Town Festival 22 Index local news: FEATURED

local news

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Welcome to the May - June issue Summer has finally arrived and we welcome this wonderful time of year with a whole host of fantastic local events and news. Burford Festival (p6) looks like it will be a huge success, as do the interesting events in our Out & About section (p12).

Don’t forget, if you have any local news or a story of interest then please submit them to editorial@jkanorth.com.

01609 777401 01609 779097 We regularly published events submitted to our website too.

I hope you enjoy this issue and I’ll see you again mid Summer. cotswoldlink.co.uk 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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Burford Festival 2015 Friday 5th to Sunday 14th June

The biennial Burford Festival runs from Friday 5th to Sunday 14th June this year. It is a 10-day celebration with musical evenings, literary events, special interest talks, theatrical events, and Burford’s Open Gardens. With around 50 events, there will be something to suit every taste.

The first weekend of the Festival starts with 25 open gardens on 6th/7th June, several open for the first time, and features three very respected guest speakers: Baroness Rebuck (Chair of Penguin Random House UK Publishers), Mary Keen (renowned garden designer) and Deborah Warner (international opera and theatre director). The weekend is rounded off with a baroque chamber concert arranged by, and featuring, the violinist Michael Bochmann.

During the week, literary activities come to the fore with talks from authors (including Jack Straw, Peter Tickler and Scatty Chef - Katherine Frelon), creative writing workshops and a Speed Book Review evening.

These are supplemented by an eclectic series of talks on a wide variety of subjects, including Robin Mills on “100 Days – Elba to Waterloo” commemorated the 200th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo, and Lord Hurd on one of his favourite subjects - “Disraeli – The Double Life”.

Two professional touring groups will bring theatre to Burford midweek: Scary Little Girls will present a ‘Living Literature’ event set around Burford’s secret places, and The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will perform Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ in a romping open air production.

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For art aficionados, the final weekend includes a lecture by Dr Antonia Boström, Director of Curatorial Affiars ar the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City on the creation of an American tradition of sculpture parks.

For the music lovers, the Festival concludes with three quite different concerts: the Corinium Players guitar ensemble, the very popular ‘Night at the Musicals’ celebrating the showtune, and the Festival Finale Concert - a modern choral feast with the Burford Singers and Cotswold Youth Choir supported by the Cotswold Chamber Orchestra.

For more information see www.burfordfestival.org or buy tickets at the Madhatter Bookshop, Burford

Don’t miss this charming Festival in one of the Cotswold’s most beautiful towns.

Hugo Ashton, Chairman, Burford Festival 2015 Organising Committee (07908 256342 or festival@madhatter.co.uk)

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Should Education be Non-Political?

By the time you read this article we will be very close to knowing the makeup of the new Government. Teachers will be taking a deep breath and wondering what changes to the education system will be implemented next?

Our education system is in dire need of some continuity and stability, it has become a political football for far too long. Policies change along with Governments and new Secretaries of State for Education (often referred to as the Education Secretary) who according to a past incumbent said, “Each one likes to leave their mark” this brings along with it uncertainty, insecurity and instability.

Our Educational System has become too political

Since the 1980’s when the National Curriculum was introduced, politicians have slowly gained a stronger influence on Education and as time has progressed they have become more concerned with the potential economic impact of education through raising pupils’ academic achievement in literacy, numeracy and science.

There is nothing wrong with this admirable and correct philosophy however; policies are now introduced by political parties based on ideology as opposed to the benefits of the student. For example there is evidence that examinations are introduced in a race against time to ensure that at the end of a Government’s tenure it is too late for a new government to intervene so the new incumbents then produce multiple amendments. This rate of change to our educational structure is leaving no time for proper trial and evaluation.

There is now the possibility of having our third Secretary of State for Education in less than one year. The situation is on par with that of changing football managers – and we know what happens to football clubs who change their managers too frequently.

An Unbiased View?

A recent study undertaken by The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR); which is an independent charity, reportedly one of the UK’s leading progressive think-tanks (http://www.ippr.org/ ).

The study concentrates on ideas for developing the education of GCSE and A Level students. Amongst its aims are: ‘We want the English upper-secondary education system to ensure that every young person is equipped with the knowledge, skills and capabilities to participate fully in society, whether at work or in further and higher education, and in the wider civic life of the community.”

Everyone in Society would want the above to be achieved by this generation however; the study concluded that the “Upper-secondary schooling system in England today is confusing and fragmented”, and cries out for “a more coherent system of secondary education post-14 (years of age)” Surely it is not beyond intelligent politicians to work together to attain agreed objectives without scoring political points off each other at the expense of the progress of students, who after all are our future generation.

There are countries such as Singapore that treat education above party politics and they have found it necessary to bring on board the Head Teachers.

Yes there will be problems, but in a democratic country disagreements can be overcome without disadvantaging the student.

The Way Ahead?

Non-politicisation of education would free teachers from constant and often unnecessary change allowing them to concentrate on what they do best i.e. teach. Amendments to specifications and syllabi are necessary and can be achieved by constant monitoring as opposed to the present unrelenting pace.

Yes there will still be differences of opinion regarding issues such as, Free schools, Academies, Independent schools and State schools, but our children will have a much smoother journey into the next stage of their careers.

Good Luck

Finally Good Luck to all students taking examinations during the coming weeks.

John Harris

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W E N businesses

s e c i 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 18,000 homes and businesses and allows further explanation of the new business or services available. * Editorial must be supplied completed.

To feature within this section of the magazine please contact us on: 01609 777401 / 01609 779097 | christine@jkanorth.com

Lose Weight With Elaine We spoke to Elaine about her plans to help others lose weight like she did.

forward to supporting you on this exciting new journey.

Hi, I was short listed to be Slimmer of the Year in November 2014.

I have lost an excessive amount of weight with the Cambridge Weight Plan, and I have featured in Pick Me Up magazine. I have finally achieved what I had always considered to be impossible and lost weight and kept it off. I am now able to enjoy every second of life instead of hiding away from it.

I have opened up my home so you can either visit me or I am also mobile so I can visit you in the comfort of your own home. I am very flexible so I can work with you on the best time to visit.

Come on, you have nothing to lose except excess weight but everything to gain. I know I did, I am positive you can too.

You have taken the first step to finding out about this amazing plan and losing your excess weight and I am looking

07480 651376

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I look forward to hearing from you. elaineweightloss2812@gmail.com

Official Cotswolds Smartphone App launched As part of the celebrations for English Tourism Week earlier this year, The Cotswolds are launching a brand new phone app to increase promotion of the area.

People from around the world have commented on the usefulness and high quality of The Cotswolds Official Visitor Guide and this has led to a high demand for a FREE downloadable version to be made available using an iPhone and Android handset. Cotswolds Tourism has been working with technology experts to develop an app which provides an interactive guide to The Cotswolds at the touch of a button. It is a comprehensive directory, providing users with an easy way to discover the best sights, attractions, events, accommodation, food, drink and shopping in the Cotswolds area.

Here are some of the great features which users of the app can enjoy: • Search accommodation and find where to stay • Learn about what to see and do in The Cotswolds • Find out what’s on in your local town or the wider area with our events guide • Search restaurants, cafes and bars and get directions to their door • Find your favourite high street shops and fabulous independent boutiques Featuring rich content, high quality images, opening times, prices and ratings, users will be able to get directions to attractions from their current locations using GPS or Google Maps. They will also be able to save places of interest as ‘favourites’ and build their own itinerary.

Anna Sanders, on behalf of Cotswolds Tourism, is very excited about the launch of the app which has been timed to coincide with English Tourism Week: “This is what people have been a long time waiting for and the apps are now available to download from the destination website. “We are confident that The Cotswolds app will be easy to use and - because the data is stored in the app itself - it will also be very economical as far as phone data charges are concerned. This means that users will only need to access the internet if they want to use GPS or download photos.”

To download the app visit www.cotswolds.com/travel-guide/cotswolds-phone-app

Looking after your best friend! mybestfriend is run by Jon and Clara Roff. They started the business in early 2015 after seeing an opportunity to offer a combined dog grooming, dog walking, doggy day care and home boarding service which would enable them to incorporate their love of animals into their everyday lives.

They are unique in that mybestfriend utilise secure GPS tracking collars when your dog is in their care, the system allows clients to access the easy to use on line app to track their dog at any time.

Based in the village of Langford, mybestfriend are ideally situated to provide services across the Cotswolds and also offer a collection and drop off service for the convenience their clients. They are proud to be part of The National Association of Pet Sitters and Walkers, The Pet Industry Federation and are also fully qualified City and Guild groomers. mybestfriend is offering 10% discounts off their already competitive prices for bookings in June and operate a loyalty scheme giving their clients a free groom on the sixth visit. They also operate a referral scheme to give happy customers more reasons to recommend mybestfriend.

Jon and Clara are looking forward to welcoming you soon!

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New fixed price boiler scheme launched

A new ‘fixed price’ scheme offering a top quality gas boiler is now open to all West Oxfordshire households.

The new scheme not only supplies a high-rated energy-efficient boiler for £2,700, but includes installation by a qualified heating engineer It is arranged by Green Homes Together, a community interest company backed by West Oxfordshire District Council.

Brad Hook from Green Homes Together said “Replacing a boiler is expensive so it is important that households know what the costs are upfront.

Anyone contacting Green Homes Together for assistance can be assured that they will be supplied with a top quality boiler and that it will be fitted by an installation company approved by us. Being hit with surprise repair bills is never welcome and so knowing exactly how much a new boiler will cost will take the uncertainty out of it.”

He added: “Boilers account for about 55 per cent of what householders spend in a year on energy bills, so an efficient boiler makes a big difference.”

To find out more call 0300 111 3330 or visit: www.greenhomestogether.org.uk Green Homes Together can also advise about funding available for loft and cavity wall insulation.

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OXFORDSHIRE ARTWEEKS OFF TO A FLYING START WITH A CHARLBURY BONANZA! With an amazing coming-together of talent and circumstance, the north Oxfordshire town of Charlbury kicks off the annual Oxfordshire Artweeks with an astounding thirty one artists!

The opening date is Saturday 2nd May through to Sunday 10th May, with most events open from 12 – 6pm daily.

This pool of creativity takes place in the charming town of Charlbury, midway between Woodstock and Chipping Norton. There is easy access by train, bus or car, and most of the venues are within walking distance in the centre of the town with its many cafes and pubs.

Charlbury has a thriving Art Society with 150 members. Its chairman, local printmaker, Tony Lloyd, says “I am proud to be a part of this year’s Artweek event. The range of artistic talent in this small town is astonishing, and I am certain that visitors will feel rewarded if they head for Charlbury.”

Out & About Community 15th May

n Charlbury Art Society’s May meeting 7.30pm sharp in the Memorial Hall, Charlbury. Alan Crawford, an important and eminent historian with particular interest in the Arts and Craft movements in England, will talk on “C. R. Asbee and the Arts and Crafts Movement in Chipping Campden” about how 50 Cockney craftsmen moved with their families from London’s East End to Chipping Campden in 1902. Members free, Visitors £5. New members always welcome (phone Roy Coates on 01608 ). ........................................................

21st May

n Stories in Stained Glass West Oxon Decorative and Fine Arts Society present a lecture by Susie Harries ‘Stories in Stained Glass’. 7.30pm at the Langdale Hall, Witney. Visitors very welcome £6. Enquiries 01993 841314 or visit our website www.wodfas.org.uk ........................................................

16th May

Among the skills on display will be a range of painting styles, printmaking, ceramic art, sculptures, silversmithing and as well as crafts, photography, calligraphy and installation art. Venues will include artist’s homes and studios, local churches, and The Bell Hotel.

which includes a Festival Glass, programme and three beer tokens. Beer tokens are worth £1.50 each (beer tokens can also be used to purchase cider, Pimms and wine). Children’s entry is £3 per child, with all activities (excluding the face painting) all then free and unlimited. Non-beer drinkers are free.

We’ve got a whole heap of stuff to entertain the kids, we’ve got great food options throughout the day and night; and yes, there’s live bands, but really it’s ALL ABOUT THE BEER! Chadlington Memorial Hall, Chapel Road, Chadlington, Oxfordshire, OX7 3LX

n Witney’s 3rd Festival of Food and Drink Browse the many local, artisan food and drink stalls and marvel at the range of products on offer or update your cookery skills by watching the experts. Join the kids trying out the farm and food themed activities in the Children’s Tent or enjoy a beer while taking in some live entertainment on beautiful Church Green. Throw in lunch and a cream tea and you have the perfect family day out.

9.30am - 5pm. St. Mary’s Church, Church Green, Witney, OX28 4AW. Tickets £2 on the door, no advance sales. www.witneyfoodfestival.co.uk ........................................................

30th May

n Chadlington Beer Festival From midday. The gate price is £10,

For more information, please go to: www.chadlingtonbeerfestival.com or https://www.facebook.com/ChadlingtonBeerFestival ........................................................

5th - 14th June

n Burford Festival The biennial Burford Festival is a 10-day celebration with musical evenings, literary events, special interest talks, theatrical events, and Burford’s Open Gardens. With around 50 events, there will be something to suit every taste.

See p20 for more details. ........................................................

6th June

n Literary Festival Celebrating the 900th Anniversary of the Church. St Mary the Virgin Church, Shipton under Wychwood. Coffee from 9.30am: 1st Speaker 10.15am. 3 well known lecturers. Tickets £20, to include coffee and a light lunch.

For details and to reserve a place, please tel: 01993 830244. www.wychwoodbenefice.org.uk ........................................................

A locally produced Trail Map will be readily available, giving full details of all artists, locations and opening times. Local Hotels, pubs and other locations will be offering coffee, drinks and food Contacts: Maureen Sparling: maureen@wychwoodgraphics.co.uk tel.01608 810025 Geoff Clifford: geoff.clifford@ virgin.net tel. 01608 811006 mob.

07760376599

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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.

6th & 7th June

n Burford Collectors Club Rally Burford Collectors Club 5th Annual Rally Start 10.00am, Classic Vehicles, Trade Stands, Raffle and Programme draw each day. Admission £4.00 Adults. £2.00 Concessions. Under 16`s Free (Must be accompanied by a paying adult.) Come along with the family and enjoy the day. www.burfordcollectorsclub.co.uk Rough Grounds Farm, Lechlade, GL7 3EU ........................................................

11th June

n Lecture: Modern Art and the Old Masters West Oxon Decorative and Fine Arts Society present a lecture by Valerie Woodgate ‘Modern Art and the Old Masters’. 7.30pm at the Langdale Hall, Witney.Visitors very welcome £6.

Enquiries 01993 841314 or visit our website www. wodfas.org.uk ........................................................

13th June

n Ramsden Fete & Companion Dog Show 1-4pm. A traditional English Village Fete With Companion Dog Show. Fun for all the family in this quiet West Oxfordshire village. Stalls with Plants, New Books, Produce, Bottles & White Elephant. Pimms Tent, Hog Roast & other tastiness! Teas & Homemade Cake. Other attractions include Spitfire Fly-Past, mini Steam Traction Engines, Owl Rescue with Owls to hold, mini Big Wheel, Tug o’ War, Egg Throwing contest, Water Splash & oh so much more! Free Parking on site with Disabled parking right next to the Fete. Dog Show entries 12.30 on field Raising Funds For Ramsden Memorial Hall & St James Church. Entrance Adults £1 Children 50p For more Info. 01993 868764.

Wynters Field High Street, Ramsden, OX7 3AU ........................................................

14th June

n Bridewell Organic Gardens Open Afternoon 2-5pm. The Walled Garden and Organic Vineyard at Wilcote, OX7 3EB is a charity( No. 1158456) providing landbased activities for better mental health. £3, children free. Plants, organic wine and refreshments for sale.

01993 868313 Bridewell Organic Gardens Wilcote, Witney, OX7 3EB ........................................................

27th June

n Charlbury Beer Festival Live music, children’s activities, good food and drink, the World Aunt Sally Open Singles Championship, and a varied programme of cultural events, comedy, talks and workshops – the eighteenth Charlbury Beer Festival, which this year takes place at Charlbury Cricket Club on Saturday 27 June, really does have something for everyone. And it’s just a couple of minutes’ walk from Charlbury train station, so you won’t even need to drive to get here.

Charlbury Cricket Club charlburybeerfestival.org ........................................................

25th July:

n Swanfest 2 ~ Folk, Ale & Cider Festival Starring Barbara Dickson - Live!

B.B.Q Lunches served from 1.00pm Festival Starts at 2.00pm. Tickets £22.50 available from The Swan At Ascott-underWychwood or the Wychwood Folk Club www.swanatascott.com ........................................................

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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This year’s Chipping Norton Town Festival will be in the town centre on Sunday 21st June 2015. There will be live music from 11.00am until 8.00pm on a specially constructed stage next to the Town Hall, which will be an eclectic mix consisting of local choirs, gypsy rock, gospel folk, heavy metal, classical guitar, blues and loads more.

Ale in a Good Cause Live music, children’s activities, good food and drink, the World Aunt Sally Open Singles Championship, and a varied programme of cultural events, comedy, talks and workshops – the eighteenth Charlbury Beer Festival, which this year takes place at Charlbury Cricket Club on Saturday 27th June, really does have something for everyone. And it’s just a couple of minutes’ walk from Charlbury train station, so you won’t even need to drive to get here.

Aimed fairly and squarely at families, there will be lots of activities for children at pocket money prices including children’s rides and games, masks and balloons, face painting and temporary tattoos, hats, candy floss, sweets and lollipops, a bouncy castle and much more. There will also be a show of classic and interesting cars, over fifty stalls, food stalls, two hog roasts and all the fun we expect from a small town country fair. The Festival promises to be a lively and inexpensive day out.

Organised by the Rotary Club of Chipping Norton in conjunction with management committee members from the town, every single penny of net profit is ploughed back to local charities. Our thanks go to the Midlands Co-operative who have agreed to be the major sponsor once more.

Over two thousand people enjoyed the fun last year, and it is hoped even more can come along this year – it will be a truly enjoyable experience.

The theme of the 2015 festival is Magna Carta, and we’re featuring real ales from breweries along the River Thames between Runnymede and Oxford. There will be around fifty real ales on offer – as well as ciders, perries, lagers, fine wines, Pimm’s and good-quality soft drinks – and this year we’re pleased to welcome a special guest, Jane Peyton, the current Sommelier of the Year and instigator of Beer Day Britain. And in keeping with the Magna Carta theme, if you get to the festival when gates open at midday, you’ll be in time for a special commemorative event ... to take place at 12.15!

The Charlbury Beer Festival was set up two decades ago to raise money for the local primary school, and it still exists solely to raise money for good causes, both locally and in the developing world.

Over the years we’ve distributed almost £200,000 in grants, which is why we say that Charlbury Beer Festival is ‘all in a good cause’.

For more information, visit charlburybeerfestival.org – and we look forward to seeing you on 27th June!

Photo credits: Nancy Whitfield and Falk Schieber

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The Lawrence Home Nursing Team

Winner of the Charity Award at the 2015 WOBAs The Lawrence Home Nursing Team has been named as the winner of the Charity Award sponsored by First Sight Media at the 2015 West Oxfordshire Business Awards (WOBAs). Winners were announced at a glamorous event hosted at Heythrop Park Resort in March.

Forthcoming events include: the Lawrence Home Nursing Team AGM on Wednesday 13 May from 6.30pm to 9.30 pm at the Upper Town Hall, Chipping Norton – all welcome. The annual Golf Day and Evening in memory of Jane Phillips, MBE takes place on Friday 26 June at the Cotswold Club, Chipping Norton and our supporter group will be attending the Charlbury Beer Festival on Saturday 27th June. More details on our new-look website: www.lawrencehomenursing.org

Dr Jonathan Moore, GP and Chair of the Lawrence Home Nursing Team, said: “We are delighted to have won this award which is a reflection of our nursing team’s dedication, commitment and hard work over the past year”.

Long time supporter Shirley Watkins held a coffee morning at Churchill Village Hall on Saturday 28 March and raised an impressive £323. Thank you Shirley and all our supporters in Churchill!

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The restaurant scheme continues in May with The Crown Inn at Church Enstone. Please telephone: 677 262 to book your table.

If you wish to join our mailing list, receive our forthcoming newsletter and details of all our fundraising activities please email us at: verityfifer.lhnt@ gmail.com or telephone: 684475.

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Maximise Your

Holiday Cottage Income This Summer

Main Image: Chippy Cottage, Chipping Norton

April Cottage, Mickleton

Sixpenny Cottage, Clapton-on-the-Hill

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

When exactly is the summer season?

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 sort of booking values can I expect during summer?

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 £1,600 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.

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.

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 high quality, characterful property, which sleeps 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!

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

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

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Garden View The RHS

Chelsea Flower Show Chelsea 19 – 23 May The Chelsea Flower Show is to gardening what the Paris catwalks are to fashion. Paris fashions may seem outlandish, but they push certain trends, which in a watered-down version end up in high-street shops.

Likewise, though many of Chelsea’s show gardens are fantasy pieces which demonstrate outrageous ideas, the horticultural trends on display will find their way into our own more modest plots.

For example; did you know that bonsai specimens and topiary gardens were introduced at Chelsea in 1913? Rock gardens were introduced in the 1940’s and decking in the eighties. All of these can now be bought in garden centres up and down the land.

In 2006 James Dyson even produced a water feature in which the water ran uphill. Actually I’m still waiting for my garden centre to stock one of those! Maybe one day...

Chelsea isn’t just about high fashion though; it reflects environmental trends too. In recent years there have been hosepipe bans in the great Pavillion and many of the gardens have showcased drought-tolerant planting schemes.

Chelsea draws over 150 000 visitors each year. For the past ten years it’s been held over five days instead of four, such is its popularity. The sheer quantity and varieties of plants on display to the general public is breathtaking.

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Chelsea really is windowshopping at its finest. It’s like walking through a real-life version of the best garden design catalogue in the world.

And if you visit on the last day you don’t have to restrict yourself to window shopping. At 4pm precisely a bell rings and the great Chelsea sell-off begins. The poor designers, after all their hard work, begin the mammoth task of dismantling their creations. The good news is that the public can buy them. It’s perfectly possible to end up owning a little piece of a prize winning garden. So what should you choose?

If it were me I’d want something special; a reminder of my visit. I’d go for a species which I know would grow in my garden, but an unusual variety, not available in my local garden centre. In my case it would probably be an unusual lavender or fuchsia.

Choose carefully and you could have a little piece of Chelsea gold adorning your plot for many years to come.

By Rachel Leverton

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Talking About Regeneration How one village looks to the future of its most precious asset

Almost £1m rate relief to support local businesses More than £420,000 has been awarded in business rate relief by West Oxfordshire District to local firms in the last year – and this figure will rise to nearly £1m during the next 12 months.

West Oxfordshire District Council has awarded £420,599 in rate relief to 449 local businesses in the last financial year and is expecting to administer a further £540,000 in 2015/16.

Under the Government scheme, announced in the Autumn 2013 statement, up to £1,000 rate relief has been available for all occupied retail properties with a rateable value of £50,000 or less. In the coming year, this will rise to £1,500 per applicant.

Cllr Richard Langridge, Cabinet Member for Local Economy, said: “This scheme has been of tremendous benefit to our local economy and we are delighted to be continuing with it in the coming financial year.

“It is heartening to hear that it has so far supported almost 450 retailers in our District – representing almost 12% of the total business rate accounts that we deal with – and that even greater levels of relief are to come.

One further grant awarded and more donations made I am delighted to report that the funds to pay for the hall are now almost complete. We have received a very generous grant of £5,000 from the Foyle Foundation – a big thank you to the Trustees of that charitable trust for their confidence in our project. In addition, the appeal launched in mid-December and continued in the last Finstock News has raised an amazing £16,280 – all from donors that wish to remain anonymous. That means we are very near to full funding, and the local community will have contributed over £50,000 from donations and event fundraising when the hall is opened, supporting the funds from Finstock Parish Council and the many grant giving bodies. A fantastic achievement.

At the time of writing the tenders for rebuilding the village hall had been received and were being considered by the Parish Council. It is still anticipated that work on demolition and rebuilding will commence on 1 June. A public meeting was held in February to inform neighbours and those interested in the current history of the Village Hall over 76 years, all but ten of those as a village hall.

Shaun Morley, Chair of Trustees A varied series of events leading up to this are as follows and further detail are provided on the Facebook page shown at the bottom: • Friday 22 May -The Lempen Puppet Theatre Company • Saturday 23 May - Botanical illustration / painting workshop • Tuesday 26 May - Sea Legs Theatre presents Little Bo Peep • Thursday 28 May - Finstock Village Music weekend • Friday 29 May Folk night, Fun and Ceilidh • Saturday 30 May A fantastic day of music, dance, fun and entertainment including Jackie Oates (evening, entrance £14) • Farewell to the hall party All tickets can be purchased from www.wegottickets.com or via e-mail at morley.shaun@gmail.com, or by calling 01993 868134 www.facebook.com/FinstockVillageHall

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“Recent years have been extremely difficult for retailers. We are grateful for the resilience they have shown and will continue to provide support wherever we can, including the continuation of free parking across the District which plays a vital role in the success of our town centres.”

The Council’s Cabinet was updated on the rate relief scheme at a meeting this week, at which business rate re-occupation, new-build relief and transitional relief schemes were approved for the forthcoming financial year.

Grants up to £50k to help breathe new life into community facilities

West Oxfordshire District Council is once again giving communities the chance to apply for grants up to £50,000 to help improve facilities that benefit residents and visitors.

Local communities can apply for a Community Facilities Grant (CFG) to enhance or create new facilities, such as village halls, play areas and sports clubs.

The Council has set aside £200,000 in its budget for the grant scheme in 2015/16 and funding will be allocated over two rounds. The deadline for the first round of grants is Tuesday 21 April.

Cllr Richard Langridge, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “Through this grant scheme our Council has been able to support over 40 projects to develop community facilities over the last 4 years and we are proud to be continuing this over the next year.

“Facilities like halls and play areas are at the heart of our communities and, as well as giving substantial grants to help with improvements, our financial backing gives parishes and towns leverage in securing other funding sources to ensure projects can come to fruition.”

During the last year 15 communities were supported by CFGs, with projects ranging from a major scheme to create a new community centre in Burford to smaller-scale projects including a new Community Gym in Leafield and replacement play equipment in Milton-under-Wychwood.

The total value of projects supported in 2014-15 stands at just over £6m.

Application forms are available via the Council’s website www.westoxon.gov.uk/ communities For more information: call 01993 861080.

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Compost giveaway to green-fingered residents Green fingered residents can benefited from a free compost giveaway at the start of May.

Over 150 bags of recycled compost were given away by West Oxfordshire District Council at The Leys, Witney on Friday 1st May.

The compost was given away on a first-come, first-served basis and residents took up to three bags home to use on their gardens.

Last year the District Council collected over 10,000 tonnes of garden waste from homes across West Oxfordshire. This is processed at a composting site near Chipping Norton by Agrivert Ltd (which is supplying the compost for the giveaway).

Along with the free compost, recycling officers offered residents free: · food waste bins and caddies · kitchen caddy liners · recycling box nets · ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ recipe books

Discounted home composting bins were also available to purchase for half price, at a cost of just £10.

Around a third of many household rubbish bins is usually organic waste diverting food and garden waste from landfill means less pollution and fewer harmful greenhouse gases from rotting waste.

“Home composting is still the cheapest and most environmentally friendly way to deal with garden waste and food waste, such as peelings, as it requires no transport or processing” explained Sian Stokes, Waste and Recycling Officer for the District Council.

“Composting is simple to do and the end result will bring many benefits to your garden – improving your soil and helping to cut plant disease. As well as selling discounted home compost bins at the

giveaway, our experts were on hand to answer any questions.”

A full list of items that can go in garden waste bins, and other recycling/waste bins, is available at www.westoxon.gov.uk/bins or by calling 01993 861000. People can also register for free green waste collections online or by calling this number.

See local press for future free compost giveaways.

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