Cotswold Link (West Oxfordshire) Nov-Dec 2021

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November / December 2021

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What’s On? RAPUNZEL

ANYTHING GOES

17 November 2021 - 09 January 2022 Age Recommendation: 4+

01 December 2021

THE FRENCH DISPATCH (15)

Snow - An Early Years Christmas Show

21 November 2021 - 22 November 2021

10 December 2021 - 12 December 2021

DEAR EVAN HANSEN (12A)

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE WITH WINE TASTING

23 November 2021 - 28 November 2021

19 December 2021

SAM SWEENEY (Live Music) 25 November 2021

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www.chippingnortontheatre.com/whats-on 2 Spring St, Chipping Norton OX7 5NL Admin: 01608 642349 Box Office: 01608 642350

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The

Cotswold Sky Over the next 2 months towards sunset and early evening you will notice a very bright object as you look towards the South and South West. That object will be the planet Venus, and it is the brightest planet in the sky.

Facts about Venus Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system and is covered by thousands of volcanoes. Its atmosphere is toxic and prevents heat escaping into outer space. This is a classic example of a Greenhouse Effect.

• Diameter: 12,104 km (Earth: 12,742 km) • Average distance from the Sun:108 Million km (Earth:150 Million km) • Surface temperature: 462 C • Solar day length: 117 Earth days • Year length: 225 Earth days • Moons: None Physically there is little difference between the sizes of Earth and Venus. The extreme heat does not allow water on the planet, and it is believed that the surface comprises of a “terrestrial-like basalt” i.e., a fine volcanic rock. It is possible that Venus may have been more habitable in its earlier history. It may have been covered in water, but this would have been evaporated due to the close proximity of the Sun. For further information: https:// www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/planetvenus

DIARY

Winter Solstice Tuesday 21st December at 15.58 hours GMT. The day with the shortest daylight hours when the Sun reaches its most southerly point on its jour-

Venus

ney. Slowly but surely the days will become longer.

Meteorite Showers: The Northern Taurids Peak 12/13th November - viewing conditions favourable. Look high towards the South East before midnight.

Leonids Reach their maximum on 17/18th November viewing not ideal due to a full Moon. Located high in the South East.

Geminids Reach peak activity on 13/14th December, located high in the South West.

Mercury Visible in the morning for the first 10 days of November.

Look South East 06.00/06.30 hours.

Appears again towards the end of December close to Venus in the South West at sunset but could be difficult to observe.

Venus Quite bright in the South West during dusk/early evening for the remainder of the year.

Wishing all our readers a Happy, Healthy Festive Season John Harris

CHRISTMAS FAMILY QUIZ

Get the family together and see if you can crack Cotswold Link’s Annual Family Christmas Quiz. Wishing All Readers a Happy and Joyous Festive Season - John Harris 1. What is New Year’s Eve called in Scotland?

2. Who was Scrooge’s dead business partner in “A Christmas Carol”?

3. Whose coronation took place on Christmas Day? 4. Which record was a Christmas number 1 in 1975 and 1991?

5. Who walked from Gloucestershire to London?

6. From which country did the Christmas tree originate?

7. In which pantomime do Robin Hood and Maid Marian appear?

8. How many reindeer does Santa have?

9. How many ghosts visited Scrooge?

10. In Christmas Carol what is the name of Bob Cratchit’s son?

11. Which chess piece can only be moved diagonally?

12. The first country to win the

World Cup at football?

13. The first football team to win both the FA Cup and the League in the same season?

14. The shortest serving monarch of Britain?

15. The third longest serving monarch of Britain 16. Where does the President of the United States Live?

17. Which King of England was killed by an arrow in the eye?

18. Which vowel is the only letter not on the top row of a Querty key board?

19. Who discovered Uranus?

20. What was signed by King John at Runnymede in 1214?

21. A film about a miner’s son who became a ballet dancer?

22. An academic who captained England at cricket and football in addition to becoming the world long jump record holder?

23. A Gloucestershire lad who played football and cricket for England?

24. Who was caught trying to blow up the Houses of Parliament?

25. From what tree do acorns grow?

26. Once known as Peking?

27. 40 – 40 in tennis?

A Good Read Project Hail Mary

By Andy Weir Ryland Grace wakes up on a spacecraft with no idea how or why he is there-or even who he is, and on top of this he has to work scientific miracles, from scratch using a Heath Robinson approach to staying alive.

If this sounds like the plot of The Martian there are indeed similarities. Grace, like Mark Whitney is a scientist’s scientist, selfdeprecating, highly intelligent, and funny.

The book alternates between Grace-on-Earth and Grace -inSpace as the narrative flips between the present day on the Hail Mary, and the events that led to him waking up alone and with no memory at the beginning of the book. The best science fiction happens when the author has put in the background work, uses it to craft a world we believe in, then creates characters we care about. Andy Weir has achieved all that here, and maintains a slick, fast paced plot to boot.

There’s loads of real science for the geeks, interesting, welldeveloped characters, excitement, thrills, and a touching friendship between the central characters. During the final third of the book, the stakes are raised ever higher, and I found myself reading ever faster in suspense all the way to the final page.

By Tash Donovan

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28. When do Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall in the same year?

29. Capital of Australia?

30. Who painted the Mona Lisa?

31. From which town did Joseph and Mary come before arriving in Bethleham?

32. Who discovered Christmas Island?

33. In which Judean city did the three wise men first visit in their search for Baby Jesus?

34. In which year of the 1960’s did the Post Office introduce Christmas postage stamps?

35. What is Father Christmas known

as in France?

36. Which socialist state officially ceased to exist on 25th December 1991?

37. Name the angel that brought the news that Jesus was to be born to Mary?

38. Which country donates a Christmas tree to London each year?

39. Where does the Queen traditionally spend Christmas?

40. Who composed “Auld Lang Syne”?

Charlbury Christmas Tree Festival 9th-27th December: St Mary’s Church including: 10th: Cafe in the church and Jazz and Trees concert 11th: Christmas Crackers concert 12th: The Countryside at Christmas- an evening of prose and singing.

Details: hilli.waller@gmail.com

Answers p14

Combe Mill Christmas Market: 11th December 2021 After a very difficult year Combe Mill will be holding their Annual Christmas Market on 11th December 2021 10.00am to 4.00pm. All funds raised will go to Combe Mill Society`s charitable aims of Community Education Don`t miss out, come along and bring the children to `Listen to a story with Santa` browse the variety of Market Stalls, enjoy a BBQ, Mulled Wine & Chestnuts, Tea Room Open, Raffle, Tombola and Gift Shop. Find an

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excellent selection of Christmas gifts available. Combemill`s blacksmiths will be in the Forge to make pokers, with VIEWING ONLY in the Mill, no machinery will be operating.

Blacksmiths items on sale, made by our very own blacksmiths, make a very popular gift for Christmas Free Entry & Car Parking.

Combe Mill, Blenheim Estate Sawmills , Long Hanborough , OX29 8ET

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Snap, Crackle & Pop! Host the Perfect Bonfire Night Bash Pre Covid we hosted an annual bonfire party for friends. We’re not big on planning but we follow the four Fs – Friends, Flame, Food, Fireworks. Our little bonfire bash afforded our social group the opportunity to meet together informally to enjoy life’s simple things: food, warmth, companionship, and laughter, and we really missed it in 2020, so this year we’re planning to bring it back. If you fancy hosting your own get together I’ll share our ‘recipe for success’ here.

Let’s start with the bonfire. There is a ‘proper’ way to build a fire which affects how long it will last and the amount of heat it gives off. It’s best to arrange kindling (e.g., twigs, cardboard, and small pieces of wood) in a sort of wigwam shape over a base of tinder (e.g., paper, wood shavings or fire lighters) and then add more bulky pieces of wood and logs which ignite more slowly but burn longer. Light the fire about 20-30 minutes before the party is due to start so that it is burning merrily when your guests

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arrive. Some people don’t like the idea of a Guy Fawkes, but if it appeals to you, you can hold a Guy Fawkes competition with prizes for the best or the funniest. Our garden is small, so we don’t have room for huge effigies, so we dress up our Halloween skeleton as Guy and he gets a seat of honour at our garden table…that’s probably weird but it’s our party so you don’t get to judge!

No gathering is complete without food.

November weather is traditionally cold and damp, so home-made soup, served in old mugs is always welcome.

Guests often want to contribute to the food table. We have no rules so this usually results in a completely random selection of goodies, though we always provide hot dogs with fried onions (is there anything on earth that can beat that smell?) and homemade parkin, mainly because parkin is easy, and I can make it when I remember. Like I said, we’re not big on planning.

Fireworks are a must of course. They are also expensive in large quantities so don’t be shy about asking your guests to bring along a banger or

two. Even with a substantial financial outlay, your display is unlikely to be hugely impressive, but that is absolutely not the point of a homegrown bonfire night party. It’s amazing how much enjoyment can be gleaned from the humblest box of shop-bought rockets. Invest in lots of sparklers too. Everyone loves sparklers, even adults, so be sure to have a good supply at hand, with matches to light them with and a bucket of water to extinguish them.

Always remember the firework code and stay safe at all times.

Other tips we have learned from (sometimes bitter) personal experience is to make sure that carpets are protected if people are going to be in and out of the house, especially if the ground outside is wet, and have a supply of torches on hand if your bonfire is located some distance from the back door (which to be honest it should be!)

For me, the key to hosting a successful bonfire party is similar to handling fireworks – set everything up, light the fuse, then step away and allow the magic to happen.

Happy Bonfire Night!

By Kate McCarthy

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There are thousands of reasons to advertise with us...

North Cotswolds

West Oxfordshire

16,700 19,800 homes & businesses

Index Bathrooms Country Bathrooms: p5 Blinds Associated Blinds: p16 Builders & Contractors Country Roofing & Building Contractors: p12 Garolla Garage Doors: p12 Wychwood Oak Frame Buildings: p10 Children’s Services Cotswold Tutor: p9 Education Burford School: p1 Cotswold Tutor: p9 Sibford School: p3 Elderly Services Bluebird Care: p15

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homes & businesses

Electrical Services Aerial Solutions: p8 Cox Electrical Services: p14 Mayday Aerials: p10 Finance Wise Investments: p2 & p6 Food Old Farm Dorn: p1 Furniture Amanda Hanley By Design: p1 Bob Dadge Carpentry: p4 Paul Dadge: p5 Garage Doors Garolla Garage Doors: p12 Gardening & Outdoors CN Landscapes: p12 Cotswold Garden Designs: p13 Luke Dadge Drystone Walling: p13 Stockwell Davies Tree

Next issues

West Oxfordshire January - February Copy: 6th December Dist: w/c 3rd January

North Cotswolds January - February Copy: 6th December Dist: w/c 3rd January

Christine 01609 777401 07742 595747 christine@jkanorth.com

Contractors: p4 Rooflight Company: p5 MJ Harris Domestic Repairs: Tom Negus Tree Care: p13 p13 Kitchens & Bathrooms Waterside Landscaping: p13 Country Bathrooms: p5 Sound & Vision Gifts Mayday Aerials: p10 Motoring Cotswold Frames: p9 Chips Away: p4 Tree Surgery Glass Stockwell Davies Tree Plumbing CN Glass: p3 Contractors: p4 Gas & Oil Heating: p4 Tom Negus Tree Care: p1 Healthcare & Wellbeing MPN Plumbing & Heating: p4 Cherwell Hospital: p11 Tuition Property Maintenance Cotswold Glow & Lift: p11 Cotswold Tutor: p9 CN Glass: p3 Footworx Clinic: p11 Country Roofing & Building Windows Home & Interiors Contractors: p12 CN Glass: p3 Amanda Hanley By Design: p1 Garolla Garage Doors: p12 Rooflight Company: p5 Associated Blinds: p16 Answers to the Family Christmas Quiz A 19. William Herschel 20. Magna Carta 21 Bob Dadge 1. Hogmanay 2. Jacob Marley 3. William 1st Billy Elliott 22. C.B. Fry 23. Arthur Milton Carpentry: p4 4. Bohemian Rhapsody 5. Dick Whittington 24. Guy Fawkes 25. Oak tree 26 Beijing 27.

6. Germany 7. Babes in the Wood 8. Nine 9.

Deuce 28. Every Year 29. Canberra 30.

Country Four 10. Tiny Tim 11. Bishop 12. Uruguay Leonardo da Vinci. 31. Nazareth 32. Captain Bathrooms: p5 13. Preston North End (1888/89) 14. Lady Cook 33. Jerusalem 34. 1966 35. Pere Paul Dadge: p5 Jane Grey (9 days) 15. George 111 (1761 – 1820) 16. White House 17. Harold 18. Letter

Noel 36. USSR 37. Gabriel 38. Norway 39.

Sandringham 40. Robbie Burns

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