Launton Lines Issue 267 January 2023

The front cover shows a Launton field during the great snow and freeze of December 2022. The combination of blue sky, streaks of white cloud, a low sun, and frozen snow creates a postcard winter landscape. Cover designed by Matt Hill. Photo by EllaRayner

thatmybrainisoperatingclosetonormal.

ThisissuecapturesmuchoftheChristmas-relatedactivityinLaunton.The centrepagespreadofChristmasLightsaroundthevillagehasbeenput togetherbyMattHill,myco-editor.Readerscanenjoytryingtoidentifyallthe places.Thefrontcoverfeaturesamid-Decemberdayafterthesnowfall,and showshowquicklythesuncameout-butwasn’titcold!Fortunatelythe CommunityChoirChristmasConcert(seepage2forphotosandabrief report)wasbeforethearcticweatherhit,andStMary’swascomfortablywarm. Onpage36thereisadelightfulphotofromEllaRaynerofthepenguin toppertothepostboxonStationRoad,andthepenguinsalllookvery comfortableinthesnow.

Onpages12-13thenewFootpathWardensoutlinetheirplans,andonpages 14-15areportfromtheParishTransportRepresentativeurgesustousethe No17BustoBicesterandAylesbury.Therearealsoregularreportsfrom villageorganisations,andadviceonrecyclingChristmastreesonpage33. Pleasesupportouradvertisers:theyneedyouasmuchasweneedthem.

RobertCornford

LauntonParishCouncilMeetingheldon

Thursday1December2022at7:30pmin

LauntonParishHall

CouncillorspresentMrAndrewBriant,MrEdSanders(ViceChairman), MrsLesleyThompson,MrSimonTurner(Chairman),MrsJaqueline Webber

ApologiesMrsAbigailDowman, InattendanceTheClerk,MrsJaneOlds;CllrsAngusPatrickand GemmaCoton;5membersofthepublic

CouncillorCo-option

ThereisstilltimetohelpthecommunitybyjoiningtheParishCouncil.If youareinterestedinputtingyourselfforwardforco-option,pleaseseethe BecomingaCouncillorpageoftheParishCouncilwebsitewww.launtonpc.gov.uk/becoming-a-councillor/orhaveachatwithoneofthecurrent Councillors,orcomealongtothenextCouncilmeeting.

EastWestRail

MrSinghwasnotabletoattendthemeetingbutsentawrittenreport.The trackwascurrentlybeinglaidwhichincludedover3kmcompletedinthe lastshift;anongoingprogrammeofsnaggingworkswasunderway;andthe compoundreinstatementprogrammewasontarget.

ThedeliveryofstonetoIslandPondWoodhasbeencompleted.

TheGrangeFarmlandowneralsoreportedthatsomefurtherworkhas beencompletedonthePublicRightofWay,butitisyettobeopened. Ifanyonehasanyqueries,pleasegetincontactdirectlyattheEWRwebsite publicinformation@ewralliance.co.ukorcallthe24hourhelplineon03457 114141.

ReportsfromDistrictandCountyCouncillors

TheDistrictCouncillorsreportedthattheLocalPlanconsultation scheduledtostartinmidDecemberhasbeendelayedbyamonthandwill nowstartinmidJanuary;theParishCouncilwillconsideritatafuture meetingonceallthedocumentshavebeenreceived.CDC’sbudgetwas currentlybeingfinalised.

CllrPatrickalsoindicatedthathewouldaskOCCwhetherthevillage couldtakepartinaLowTrafficNeighbourhoodscheme.

NoreporthadbeenreceivedfromCouncillorCorkin(OCC).

Finance

TheFinanceReportisavailableontheParishCouncilwebsite.

OCCConsultation

OCCsentaconsultationabouttheirfirstproposalforpedalcyclemeasures overtheBicesterRoadrailwaybridge.Forthoseinterested,theplanison theParishCouncilwebsiteunder‘December’athttps://www.launtonpc.gov.uk/agenda-and-minutes/2022-2023-agenda-and-minutes/The CouncilhassentinconcernsaboutthisfirstiterationoftheOCCplan.

BoundaryCommissionforEngland

TheBoundaryCommissionforEnglandhaspublishedafinalconsultation aboutthenewparliamentaryconstituencyboundaries.TheBicesterarea proposalsaresimilartothepreviousconsultationwhichrecommended creatinganewconstituencyofBicesterandWoodstockandkeeping LauntonandthesurroundingvillageswithBicester;theearlierconsultation hadproposedseparatingthevillages(andpartofKingsmere)fromthe townandputtingthemwiththeHenleyconstituency.

Planning

Allplanningapplications,whichincludethelinkstoCherwell’sPlanning Portal,areputontheParishCouncilwebsitewhentheyarereceived (www.launton-pc.gov.ukintheAgendaandMinutessection).

Ifanyvillagerhasconcernsorcommentsaboutaplanningapplication,they arewelcometocomealongtoParishCouncilmeetingstobringthemto theattentionofthemeeting.Villagersarealsowelcometocontact CouncillorsortheClerktomakecomments.

GuidanceonhowtheParishCouncilisabletorespondisavailableonthe ParishCouncilwebsite:https://www.launton-pc.gov.uk/planningapplications

ParishHall

Theseparategrantsgrouphasmetandislookingatvarioussourcesof externalfunding.TheClerkhasreceivedalistofS106fundswhichhave alreadybeenreceivedbyCDCfromdevelopers.Oncethetenderprocess hasbeencompleted,thecostsareknownandtheCouncilhasapproveda builder,itishopedthattheCouncilwillbeabletodrawdownsomeofthe funds.

FootpathoutsideCostcutter

OCChasmadearudimentaryrepairtothefootpathoutsidetheshop.We hopeitlastsforawhile.

Traffic

ThetemporarypedestriancrossingoutsideschoolwasinstalledbytheA41 developersandthepositionwasagreedwithOCCinaccordancewiththe varioushighwaysregulations.Theaccessrampshadcreatedanatural‘pinch point’whichdidnotallowvehiclestopasssidebyside;ithadbeenhoped thiswouldactastemporarytrafficcalmingwhichmanypeoplehavebeen askingfor.Thedroppedkerbsfordrivescouldnotbeusedbecausethat couldimpedethelawfulaccesstoprivateproperty.

CharbridgeLane

ThespeedlimitonCharbridgeLanewouldbechangedfrom50mphto 40mphfollowingaconsultation.

MedicalPracticesRelocation

AlchesterMedicalGroup(VictoriaHouseSurgeryandtheLangford MedicalPractice)andMontgomeryHouseSurgeryhavereceivedagreement tomovetothenewBicesterHealthHubinGravenHill.

Agendaitemsanddatesofthenextmeetings

ThenextmeetingwillbeonThursday5JanuaryintheParishHall,starting at7.30pm.Ifyou’dliketochatwithaCouncillor,docomealongafter 7.15pm.

Wearetryingtoreduceourprintingandpaperuse,soifyouwouldlike hardcopiesoftheagendaoranyofthemeetingpapers,pleaselettheClerk knowwellbeforethemeeting.Theagendaandpaperswillbeavailableto viewviathedataprojectorduringthemeeting.

Suggestionsforagendaitemsforthe2Februarymeetingneedtobewith theClerkby19Januaryanditemsforthe2Marchmeetingby16February. Ifyou’renotsigneduptoourmailinglisttoreceivenewsfromtheParish Council,youcanfindasignupformatthebottomlefthandmenuofthe ParishCouncilwebsiteatwww.launton-pc.gov.uk/

TheParishCouncilwouldliketowishallvillagers averyhappynewyear.

LauntonLinesJanuary2023|Page7

CouncillorsforDecember2022

WehopeyouallhadagreatChristmasbreakandarelookingforwardtoall thepossibilitiesthatanewyearbrings.Welcometo2023!

Itisashortupdatefromusthismonth,asDecemberwaslargelyaclean-up andpreparefor2023attheDistrictCouncil.

TheLocalPlan

ThedelayedLocalPlanisnowavailable,withdetailonhousingneeds,and willbeconsideredbytheOverviewandScrutinyCommitteeinearlyJanuary. Itisverylonganddetailed,andoncethatcommitteereportsback,theCDC Executivewillworkfurtheronit.ThedrafthasbeenforwardedtoParish Councils,andmoreinformationontheLocalPlanforCherwellisavailableat https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/homepage/27/local-plans

A41PloughleyRoadjunction

RoadworksandclosuresattheA41PloughleyRoadjunctionareapparently stillontracktoendbyMarch.Thetwo-wayoperationofthelightshaseased sometrafficpressures,butasworkandschoolsopenforthenewyear,the pressurewillreturn.Unfortunately,one-wayoperationisagaindueuntil3 February.Keepaneyeonuptodateinformationonclosuresandmore detailsathttps://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-andtransport/roadworks/future-transport-projects/ploughley-road-a41-junction FullCouncilmeeting-December2022

Afullcouncilmeetingwasheldon19Decemberwithanumberofmotions andquestionsbeingraised.TheproposedBotleyWestSolarFarmwasraised bymeinaquestiontotheLeaderofCDC,CllrBarryWood.Heappreciated thiswastimely,asseveralcouncillorshavebeenreceivingemailsonthe subject.IaskedforanofficialCDCpositiontobepublishedsowecan respondtoyoubetter,andforamechanismtocapturepubliccomments beforeitisavailableontheplanningportal.BothwereagreedtobyCllr Woodandwehopetogivemoredetailonthisassoonaspossible. Youcanfindmoreinformationonthemeeting,andseetheexchangeabove 18minutesintothewebcast,ontheCDCportalathttps://cherwell.publici.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/731072

That’sit!Thankyouforreadingallthewaytothebottom!Ifyouhaveany commentsorfeedback,pleasedogetintouchon01869717712orviaemail atgemma.coton@cherwell-dc.gov.ukorangus.patrick@cherwell-dc.gov.uk.

NowJanuaryhasalreadybegun,andourpantomimeisgettingcloser.So thereisstillmuchtolookforwardtoandifyouwantacoupleofhours entertainmentthenHickoryDickoryDockisjustforyou.

TicketsareonsalethroughTicketSource:www.ticketsource.co.uk/lvp. Youcanalsocallon07864715708forcashorchequepurchases,orfor helpbuyingonline.

PerformanceswillbeinCooperSchoolPerformanceHallinBicester,and thetimesandpricesare:

Weds15Feb 7:30pm£10£5 Free

Thurs16Feb10:30am2:30pm £12£6 Free

Fri17Feb 2:30pm7:30pm£14£7 Free Sat18Feb 2:30pm7:30pm£14£7 Free

To help families with the cost of living crisis, this year we are offering a variety of Family Tickets - these will be listed on TicketSourceand are available for all shows. See the back cover for the Panto poster. HickoryDickoryDockis full of magic and magical characters, including an appearance from Rudolphand Father Christmas, as well as an inept comedy duo who struggle with technology! As usual you can cheer on the heroes and boo the baddie, who really is enjoying himself far too much. Will good win over evil in the end? Do come along to make sure it does. This is a family pantomime, and is suitable for all ages. Come and enjoy Bicester’sbiggest and most magical panto, as well as helping to raise funds for our chosen charity, Nai’sHouse, which is based in Bicester and aims to give all children and young adults access to appropriate and empowering mental health support. We look forward to seeing you and if you need any more information contact us on info@launtonvillageplayers.com The LVP team

Footpaths of Launton Parish

WehavetakenovertheroleofParishPathWardenfromJohnwho volunteeredfortheroleforyearsanddidagreatjob-thankstoJohn.

WewalkthefootpathsofLauntonregularly,soitseemedasensiblethingto filltherole,especiallyafteralltheupheavalanddisruptionwithEastWest Railaroundthevillage,someofwhichisyettobecompleted.Butwe’re nearlythere.

Wehavealreadydoneafewjobs,replacedway-markersigns,trimmedback vegetationandreportedbrokengatesatthebottomofWestEndgoing undertherailwaybridgeonfootpath.

Amapofpublicrightsofwayisonthiswebsite(butnotentirelyup-to-date) https://publicrightsofway.oxfordshire.gov.uk/standardmap.aspxYoucan reportanissuebysigningupandloggingintoreport.Thingsdon’thappen fast,wereportedthebrokengateson3.11.22andit’sstillawaiting processing,butitisworththeeffort.

Generally,ourfootpathsareingoodcondition,mostofthewoodenbridges havebeenreplacedorrepairedandthestilesaregraduallybeingreplaced

Oneofthemostimportant decisionsyouwillmake ischoosingtherightaccountant. Contact us today foraFREEinitialmeeting. We will proactivelylisten toyourbusinessneeds andcreatepersonalisedsolutions.

email@stackandjones.co.uk Tel: 01869 277973

Unit4,WillowsGate,StrattonAudley Bicester,Oxon OX279AU

withmetalgates.WehavebeenincontactwithEWRaboutafewissues andhopefullytheywillberesolvedbeforethespring.Webelievethatthe divertedfootpathshavetobeinspectedandpassedbyOCCFootpaths beforetheycanofficiallyopen,sothatdelaysthingstoo. Notallpathshabituallyusedbywalkersareinfactpublicrightsofway. Theymaybe“permissivepaths”ifthelandownerhasgonetothetrouble ofdeclaringthemassuch,ormayjustbewherepeoplehave“always” walked.

Inthesecases,thelandownerhasnolegalobligationtokeepthepathclear. Wehavenoresponsibilityforthesepaths.Creatinganewpublicrightof wayrequiresanActofParliament,notasimpleorspeedytask.

Ifyouseeanissue,pleasereportitonthewebsiteandpleaseletusknow too.Youcancontactusemaillesley.thompson@launton-pc.gov.uk

Pleasebepatient,wewilldoourbestandwhenwehavewalkedallofthe paths,wewillprintamapandmakeitavailableviatheLPCwebsite.

LesleyThompsonand Bob Roberts

Red Rose 17 bus service

TL;DR: Use it or, well… you know the saying

Are you aware that our village is lucky enough to have an excellent, regular, reasonably-priced bus service that connects the village to two of our nearby towns (Bicester and Aylesbury), each of which has many facilities, transport connections and entertainment options? If, as a village, we don’tuse it then we will, in time, lose it!

Do you know of the following locations along, and near to, the route? Answers are on page 25:

 A choice of 4 mainlinerailway stations from which London, Birmingham, and Oxford are a few of the destinations.1

 A theatre to rival the West End, with a range of restaurants just outside.2

Two cinemas - an OdeonLuxeif you like a little luxury, and a Vue- so between the two you should be able to find the film you want to see.3

Buckinghamshire’slargest business park and innovation centre, home to 80+ companies and 600+ jobs.4

The National Trust 7th most popular property in the UK .5

Too many restaurants and pubs to mention where you can have a drink and not worry about driving over the limit, or the cost of a taxi home.

Other services such as schools, swimming pools, supermarkets, retail parks, industrial parks, a museum, car dealerships... and much more Oneofthevillage‘hats’IwearisasParishTransportRepresentative(PTR) forLaunton.I’mpartofawidergroupofPTRsforOxfordshirewhomeet quarterlytorepresentandcampaignforimprovementsonbehalfofour parishes.FromtheconversationsIlistentothere,Ifeellucky(amazed, actually)tohavetheservice,bothinregularityandoptionsforconnections, thatwehaveinLaunton,incomparisontomostotherparishesinthe county.Insomeofthoseparishes,theydidn’tusetheirservices,sotheylost them!Sadly,thatistheprevailingpicturethroughouttheUKnow.

Thenumber17busroute,runbyRedRose(theupdatedtimetablewas printedinfullinLauntonLinesinSeptemberbutisavailableontheRed RosewebsiteunderTimetables),passesthroughthevillage12timesineach direction(approximatelyhourly)forover12hoursperdayMon-Friand11 times(hourly)onSaturdays.Weshoulduseit,orwewillloseit!

SomewillrememberpreviousservicessuchastheS5extensiontoLaunton LauntonLinesJanuary2023|Page14

andthemuchlessuseful28.Therewasevenaschooldaysrouteadjustment

totheS5totakeschoolchildrentoCooperSchool.Itdidn’tgethigh enoughusagetoremainviable-wedidn’tusethem(enough)sowelost them!LangfordVillageusedtohavethe27serviceintoBicester,ithasnow lostittoo(justafterthenewshelterswereinstalled…).

Ourfamilyhaveusedthe17dailysinceSeptember2021andinover230 returnjourneysithasletusdownonlyfourtimes(twiceduetobadtraffic, whichisnotreallythebuscompany’sfault).Ithasalsokeptprettygood timethroughout-evenmoresosincetheupdatedtimetableinSeptember 2022.Amazingly,giventhetrafficwe’vehadthroughthevillagerecently duetoroadworksontheA41,ithasbeenlessthan5minuteslateonarrival inthemorningfor93%ofthetime.Beforethenewservicestarted,I successfullycampaignedfortheroutetorunviaLaunton(apossible alternativewouldhavebeenviaLangford/GravenHill/SymmetryPark)weneedtoprovethatweareusingit,sowedon’tloseittothoseother areasofsignificant(andgrowing)populations.

Onthesubjectoftraffic,theoldS5usedtotake1h10mtogetintoOxford inthemorningrushhour-youcannowdothisinjust41minutesfrom Launtonbyusingthe17plusatraffic-freetrainfromBicesterVillage,14 minutesofthattimeallowsforthewalkbetweenbusandtrain.Oryou couldswaptotheX5insteadofthetrain,removingthewalktoo,andstill beinOxfordinunderanhour,subjecttotraffic.Eitherway,we’dthank youforusingitsothatwedon’tloseit!

Ifyou’veneverusedthe17before,ornotforawhile,andneedanexcuse, whatbetterreasonthananewyear’sresolutiontotryit?Theroutehas around4yearsoffundinginwhichtoproveitisviable-it’snotjustour villagethatneedstohelpmakethathappen,withfast-growingpopulation areasalongtherouteweshouldhavesomehelp.However,attheendof thefundedperiod,allbeingwellandwith good passenger numbers, we will be able to say “We used it, and we kept it!”, and not feel like the many villages nearby who have lost their bus services, possibly for good.

Launton’snumber 17 bus service: use it or lose it! (we may never get another one this good).

JonSpinage

I think I tempted fate in my last report by saying what a lovely sunny day it was and as warm as mid-summer! Well, since then, we have had a bit more sun but it has been below freezing. The frost in the mornings is very pretty provided you don’thave to go out. I well remember the days of car scraping before setting off for work. And now we have got snow! Hope it doesn’tlast too long and we will soon be feeling warmer again.

We have been enjoying our meetings still and on 9 November the jackpot was won again. This time by Joycefrom Arncott.It had only amounted to £5.30 this time - but better than nothing! Our autumn lunch was lovely and the film that Bob Robertsshowed to us was very interesting. A few of us, including Edwinaand Shirley, were able to recognise some of the people from so long ago.

We had our Christmas party on 7 December with more good food. Our thanks go to Ken at the Sports and Social Hall for opening the bar for us. We all had a large bag of Roses chocolates as an early Christmas present.

The following week, on 14 December, we went to The Littlebury Hotel for our Christmas lunch. They were very busy but the food was as good as usual and we all had an enjoyable time. Tickets were drawn for a large festive raffle, the prizes of which had been kindly donated by three Tescoshops, three Co-ops and Nixsonat Costcutter.We would also like to thank John at Sidallsfor his continued support.

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 18 January 2023 at 1.45 pm at the Sports and Social Hall. Subs of £5 will be collected and we will be pleased to see any new members - they will be made very welcome. The Committee send you all our good wishes for Christmas and the New Year ahead. Pat

Poppy Day Collection in Launton

ChrisDalby, the Bicester Poppy

Organiser,

Advent News from StMary’s

DecemberhasseenagreatdealofactivityintheChurchsince,in additiontoournormalServices,wehaveenjoyedseveralextraeventsin theleadupChristmas.

EarlyinthemonthweinvitedfamiliestocometoaChristingleService whichwasheldforthebenefitoftheChildren’sSociety.Whenthe childrenhadassembledtheirsymbolicoranges,everyonejoinedtogether inalargecirclewhilethecandleswerelitandwesangAwayinaManger. [Seephotographonpage21]

Aweeklaterthepublic-spiritedCommunityChoirtreatedusalltoa livelyChristmasConcert:theChurchwassuitablydecoratedandinthe intervalmulledwineandmincepieswereserved.[Seephotographson theinsidefrontcover,page2].Ourhugethanksgotoallthevolunteers whoworkedsohardtomakesuchasuccessoftheeveningandwho donatedalltheproceedstoourChurch.

ThefollowingweekweanticipatedChristmaswithaServiceofLessons andCarolswithadiversechoiceofreadingsandcarolswhichwas greatlyenjoyed.

ChristmasEvesawourtraditionalCribServicewhichwelcomedmany families.TheServicetoldtheChristmasstorythroughaseriesofnews reportswiththechildrenhelpingtoassembletheNativityscene,leaving theThreeWiseMentoarriveatEpiphanyinearlyJanuary.[See photographsonpage21]

TheChurchwasbeautifullydecoratedwiththefirstflowersin anticipationofChristmas.[Seephotographonpage21]

ThemonthwasclosedwithCommunionservicesatMidnighton ChristmasEveandagainonChristmasMorning.

AsweprepareforthestartoftheNewYear, wewouldliketowisheveryoneawonderful2023 fromallatStMary’s. CeliaManderson

Cross-CountryRunningandSavetheChildren FundatLauntonSchool

We have two items that we want to talk about.

The first is Cross-Country Running. We have been using the school track to practise for competitions and a few weeks ago a teacher came from another school to time us and some of us were selected to go to the Bicester School Cross-Country Competition to compete. Two of us were selected from this competition to go to the final individual competition at SibfordSchool. The year 3/4 boys team finished in 4thplace overall and the year 5/6 boys team finished in 2ndplace, so they were also selected!

We enjoyed competing and we are going to practise very hard so that we are ready to be selected for next year’scompetitions. We need to keep challenging ourselves to improve on our personal record. We are going to encourage all the other children at our school to do ‘Launton Laps’ on the school track, so that even more Launton children can compete next year. We are lucky that we have the track at school where we can practise all year round.

Last week we had our Christmas Jumper Day at school, and we brought money for the Save the Children Fund. We know that the fund helps children by providing medicine, food and education. This a good cause and we know that it is right to support it. We display how much money we have raised so that everyone can see how they have helped. You can see how much money we raised over the last few years on the board outside the school hall.

Chloe, Elliot, and Henry Year 5

Editor’sNote

The Save the Children Fund is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) established in the U.K. in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic opportunities, as well as providing emergency aid in natural disasters, war, and other conflicts. It was initially founded as a result of the poor conditions experienced by children after the end of WWI.

Red Rose 17 Bus

- Quiz answers

Here are the answers to the first five bullet points on page 14, in the article about the No 17 Bus route.

A Vet’sVoice: Wildlife from afar

WewerefortunateenoughtospendalittletimeinAustraliainNovember andwereamazed,yetagain,bytheAustralianwildlifewhichsurroundedus. WehavelivedintheUKformanyyearsandlovetheculture,theclimate andthenaturewhichsurroundsus.However,wecan’thelpbutbedrawn backtothewildlifewhichwegrewupwith.

Everytripbacktomyhometowninvolvesanobligatorytriptoalittle coastalvillagecalledDurras.InmyteenageyearsIremembergoingtothis placetovisitschoolfriendsandtoenjoythebeautifulbeachesandsurfthat linedthecoasthere.

WhenIrevisitDurras,Istillseetheamazingbeaches,butthesightof kangaroosgrazingonthecoastalgrasslandsiswhatreallycatchesmyeye. TheEasterngreykangarooisthesmallercousinoftheRedKangaroo whichinhabitsmoreinlandareasofAustralia.TheGreyKangaroois smallerwithmalesgrowingto50-60kg.Theyarebornafterashort gestationperiodofonly36daysandtheimmaturejoeymakesitsway throughtheirmother’sfurintothepouchwhereitattachestooneoffour teatstocontinueitsdevelopment.

Thepouchprovidesprotectionforthejoeyuntilitisstrongenoughto leaveatabout9monthsthoughitwillcontinuetosuckleuntilitisabout18 monthsold.Themotherwillbecomepregnantagainwhilstthejoeyis sucklingbutintimesofdrought,shemayarrestthedevelopmentofthe embryountilconditionsarebetterforthebirthofthenewjoey.Female

kangaroosarealsoabletoproducedifferenttypesofmilktosuitthenewbornandmoredevelopedjoeyswhowillbothbesucklingfromdifferent teatsatthesametime.

WetravelledtoanothertowncalledNarooma,alittlefurthersouththanmy hometownofBatemansBay,wherewewalkedalongaboard-walkonthe riverwhichleadstowardstherivermouth.Therewasafishcleaningstation forpeopletogutandfillettheircatchandnumerousanimalshadgathered aroundtotakeadvantageoftheeasymealonoffer.

Thereweregulls,pelicansandstingrayswaitingforaneasymeal,butthe mostimpressivewasanAustralianfurseal.Heknewhewasatthetopofthe foodchainatthisgatheringandtookadvantageofhisposition.Asthe fishermanthrewhisleftoversintothewater,thesealwasthefirsttogetit everytime!

Australianfursealsfeedonfish,octopusandsquid.Theytendtoliveinthe SouthernwatersofTasmania,VictoriaandsouthernNewSouthWales.

Theyaremostathomeinthewaterbuthavetheabilitytoraisethemselves ontheirflippersandmovearoundonland.Theyareagileswimmersandcan diveto200mtocatchfood.

Theycomeashoretobreed,formingcoloniesproducingoneoroccasionally twopups.Theyoftenmateagainwithin10daysofbirthbutcandelaythe developmentofthefertilisedeggtoensurepupsareborninthesummer whensurvivalisbetterandfoodisabundant.Sadly,themortalityrateof pupsishighinthefirsttwomonthsoflifeespeciallywhenmothersareaway atseafeeding.

It’seasytothinkthatthisbeautifulanimal,whohasbecomeaccustomedto fishermenandthecast-offsoftheircatch,aresemi-tamed.Butthesearewild animalswhoremaindangeroustoanyonewhoencroachesontheirterritory, especiallyinbreedingseason!

Asthenewyearcomesuponus,itremainsawonderfulfeelingtoexperience natureandwildlifefromwhatevercontinentyouhappentobein.Iwishyou allaveryhappyandhealthynewyearandhopethatyouareabletoenjoythe bestofwhatnaturebringstoyou,whetherthatbeyourpetorthewildlife aroundyou.

Enjoyyourpets

JasonWilliams|BicesterVets

The training was held at RushbedsWood, between Brill and Wootton Underwood, but the initial meet-up was at Meadow Farm Nature Reserve just outside Blackthorn on the ThameRoad.

It was a cold morning (but not as cold as a week later) and sunny. The Meadow Farm meeting room was warm with a blazing woodburnerstove, but it was only used by the group for about 10 minutes before we set off into the cold morning.

RushbedsWood is alongside the main line Chiltern line to Marylebone, but once we were in the depths of the woodland we weren’taware on the trains.

Led by VeritieTurner, the BBOWTCommunity Wildlife Officer for Banbury and Bicester, the group of eight trainees and two trainers set off into the woodland. Most of the trees in RushbedsWood were felled in the late 1940s, and only a handful of mature oaks remain. Today's 'wildwood' is a mixture of ash, field maple, aspen, hazel and oak along with blackthorn, hawthorn, spindle and a few old hornbeams.Underfoot, the woodland is damp and tussocky with a wide variety of mosses, sedges, grasses and rushes. We started with an introduction to coppicing- a woodland management system that has been in use for over 3,000 years. It produces an endless supply of wood - from a variety of trees including hazel, ash, elder, oak, wych-elm, lime, and hornbeam.In the past the wood poles

were used for making hurdles and fences, for furniture and building, for tools, for making charcoal used in metal smelting and as a domestic fuel, and - of course - for firewood. Today it is more often used for woodland management, to open up woodland areas for light and shade, and to create healthy woods. Coppicinginvolves cutting down a tree to close to ground level, and letting the stump send up new shoots and becomes a stool from which successive crops of poles can be cut for ever. This doesn’twork for pine or fir trees which die when cut down, and other trees (aspen, cherry and most elms) sucker so the stump dies but the root system remains alive and throws up successive crops of poles in a patch of genetically identical trees. Pollardingis a similar system of management, but involves cutting at between 2 and 4.5 metres off the ground which leaves a permanent trunk, and a crop of shoots that grow into poles: around here it is most often used on willows.

After the talk we were issued with our tools (a pruning saw and a bow saw if it was needed, and a bill hook). We mainly used the pruning saws - and steered clear of the bill hooks as you needed to use them without gloves, and it was quite cold even in the sunshine. We were all given an area to work on - a few very overgrown hazels - and told not to work under any of the big, old ash trees in the woodland as there is Ash Diebackin the area, and infected trees can suddenly shed branches.

The specialists reckoned that the area we were working in had seen no human activity for at least 40 years - so there were some fallen trees, some very long and whippygrowths, and a lot of rotting wood underfoot. The work meant cutting down all the growth from each stump or stool, cutting from the underside to make an angled cut that would shed water. When finished, a stump should look like a dome.

The group was working in an untouched part of the woodland, to create a clear space of coppicedstumps (a coupe) that would then be fenced off to protect the shoots from predators like deer, rabbits, and grey squirrels. The brash off-cuts from the coppicingwas used to create informal hedges, and longer (2.5m) and straighter poles were put aside to make posts for deer fencing later

Two hours of work, then a packed lunch and drinks, then two more hours coppicingand it was beginning to get dark, and we cleared up and made our way home. We were told that next morning we would be aware that we’ddone some unusual exercise - and this was true: shoulders and arms and thighs all knew that we’dengaged in some serious physical activity.

Now, we can't wait to get to work coppicingin the Island Pond Wood.

RobertCornford

FOOTBALL. Jersey Cup. Launton 3, Fritwell1. Launton was at home to Fritwellin a Jersey Cup fixture on Saturday, when play was of an uninteresting character.

Launton won the toss and within minutes Simonsscored from a centre by Marriott.Launton continually pressed and forced several corners, all of which proved fruitless. Fritwellequalised after 35 minutes of play, through their inside right, and the scores were level at half time.

After the interval Launton continued to press and Fritwellconceded several more corners with the same result. C Jeacockscored the second goal for Launton from a pass from the right wing, and shortly afterwards added a third. In the latter stages of the game C Jeacock went back and Carter took up the centre forward position, but the change did not affect the scoring.

In the early stages of the game Launton was inclined to treat their opponents too lightly and although Fritwellnever looked winners and lacked combination, they were good spoilers.

10 January 1893

A

WORKING MEN’S INSTITUTE AT LAUNTON IN

FORMATION. MessrsCRKilbyand JBaker are exerting themselves to carry out the desirable object. The reading-room is to be opened on Saturday next. Only a trifling amount per quarter will be required of members. For the purposes of the institute, two rooms are to be used in the house late in the occupation of MrsCogginsopposite the chapel.

17 January 1893

Launton Institute has from fifty to sixty members. The reading room is open till nine at night. The pro temcommittee consists of MessrsW Foster, G Ancil, TBloxhamand JHazell.The subscription is only 3dper quarter.

A CONCERT AT LAUNTON, in aid of the Launton Working Men’sInstitute, is announced to be held in the National Schoolroom on Monday evening next, January 27. MrsBlomfield, FJStaples Browne Esq, MrJHunt, MrFoster, MrNewton, MrLawsonand the members of the church choir are in the list of performers.

31 January 1893

CONCERT AT LAUNTON. On Monday evening last, January 27, a concert was given by the Church Choir, and other friends, in the National School-room, Launton, on behalf of the funds of the recently opened Working Men’sInstitute. The rooms were crowded. FJStaplesBrown Esq, who was announced to sing, was unable to attend through illness. MrG Castle of Bicester, and MrLawsonof Oxford, gave duets on the piano and flute in the place of MrBrowne’ssongs .

Editor’sNote: There follows a complete list of the programme. This was the start of providing the (men) of the village with an alternative way to spend their limited leisure, as opposed to the public houses. The cottage used for this purpose no longer exists. More suitable premises were built 25 years later at the corner of West End and Blackthorn Road, but were demolished after WW1.

Recycling Christmas Trees

From10-20JanuaryyoucanmakethepostChristmasclear-upabiteasierbyleavingyour realtreesoutforcollectionbythebinmen. Putthemoutby7amalongsideyourbluebin, onthedayyounormallyhaveyourrecycling collected(inmostofLauntonthat’sTuesday mornings).

Ifyouhadanespeciallybigtree,pleasecutitintopiecesfourfeettallor smaller.We'llbecollectingfrom10to20Januaryinclusiveanda subscriptiontothebrownbingardenwasteserviceisnotrequired. Yourtreeswillbetakentoanin-vesselcompostingsiteatArdleywhere they’llbecompostedathightemperaturesbeforebeingredistributedto farmersascompost.

Formoreinformationseewww.cherwell.gov.uk/ChristmasTrees

The final meeting of 2022 was the annual Christmas party.

On a very cold Thursday evening the members and visitors got together to celebrate the end of a successful year for Launton WI, with many interesting speakers and outings.

The tables were beautifully decorated with lights, crackers and sweets for everyone. The members all brought food, creating a terrific spread. The highlight of the evening was a visit from Father Christmas who brought home made mince pies and gifts for everyone, with a tiny bit of help from Secret Santa.

After a tricky period, post Covid, it was really good to be able to reflect back on a more normal year, with a vote of thanks to the committee for all of their hard work and making all the meetings interesting and a lot of fun. We look forward to many more happy meetings and outings next year. New members are most welcome: we meet on the second Thursday of each month in the Parish Hall at 7.30 pm. The next meeting will be on 12 January where the speaker will be PamNewallon Alpine Rambles and a Meeting with Mozart: the competition will be “Something Austrian”.

TheresaMeacock

An EWRballast train appearing from the early December mist

Photo by EllaRayner

In November we welcomed back AlastairLack, who spoke to us last year about Literary Oxford. This time, we heard about the Oxford of Inspector Morse(including Endeavour and Lewis) and Alastairwas clearly a fan of the singular, real ale, whisky and crossword liking Inspector and his chalk and cheese sidekick Lewis.

ColinDexter, the Morse author, read classics at Cambridge, became a teacher and retired early - hence the thirteen books. Colincame to Oxford to work for an exam syndicate and in the mid 1970sproduced the first book - Last Bus to Woodstock.All the books were great page turners and apparently the stories picked up on real life incidents in Oxford’slife.

Of course the books became a TV series. Colindidn’twrite the scripts but he always read them to make sure there weren’tany mistakes. John Thaw, who played Morse, was known to be a difficult but gifted man, an accomplished theatre actor. He died of cancer 18 months after the last Morse.KevinWhatelywas in AufWiedersehenPet before joining Morse and he was the ideal sidekick (though in the books he was a lot older). We learnt that his daughter Kitty is a very good singer - Alastair knows a lot of people in the literary and theatrical world and we get interesting snippets of information.

Another star of the show was the red Jaguar car - very difficult to start and stop. It was sold to a charity and raised £20kin a raffle, though bits kept falling off. It appears in the motor museum at Beaulieu- but it’sa copy. In the books, Morse’scar is a black Lancia.

Other stars were the Oxford colleges - a half to a third of the colleges were used as locations. Some opted out because they didn’twant the hassle of a film crew. A college middleman was appointed, with links to Brasenose- and that college featured in 10 of the 33 episodes. There were also quite a few locations in Hertfordshire and Middlesexovernight allowances were hefty and producers wanted locations close to London. And, incidentally, there was a very brief visit to the old bus station in Bicester in one episode.

Pubs featured, including the Bear, the Trout, the Victoria Arms at Marstonand of course the RandolphHotel where there’sthe Morse bar. We heard that John Thaw liked the Oxford pub visits, and that he liked to get away from the public. Alastairshares John Thaw’sview of the best episode - The Wench is Dead, about an historic murder on the canal in Jericho. In this, Morseis in the John Radcliffeafter a heart attack and looks at information about an old murder, a miscarriage of justice. It’sthe only episode which wasn’tcontemporary, and Lewisisn’tin it because Kevinwas making a film in Australia.

The episodes were classy numbers, said Alastair.No-one refused to be in them, so there were many guest stars. And the books’ author appears in almost all episodes in a walk-on part. The first and last episodes had 13 million viewers each. There was good acting, good scriptwriting, beautiful buildings ... and murder. We look forward to Alastairjoining us again, with his nuggets of info about Oxford life. We’vealso just had a splendid evening of Mediaeval Christmas - thank you Carol McGrath.More of that in the next Launton Lines when we will also list next year’sprogramme.

Memories of an ex-Launton Boy

Thismonththeex-LauntonBoystartswithanaccountofhisChristmas2022, followedbyashortrantontheAmericanisationofourculture.Thenhemovesonto rememberinghowpeoplekeptwarmandcookedintheolddaysandisworriedthat todaywearenotasactiveasinthepast(generatingourownheatingthroughexercise). Hethenasksaboutcommunityactivitiesthatofferwarmspaces.

Well,agreatbigHappyNewYeartoeveryoneinLauntonandthehopeis thatyouallhadajollyMerryChristmaswithnottoomuchofasorehead. ChristmasformeandJuliethisyear(2022)wasveryquietaswespentit withjustthetwoofus,nothavingtoworryaboutorcaterforanyone else.Suchapeacefulchangeandweactuallysatdowntogetherwatching verylittletelevisionbutinsteadhavingtheradiooninthebackground whilsttogetherwecompletedanumberofjigsawpuzzleswe’vehadfor yearsbutneverattemptedtocomplete.

Despiteallthatsnowwehadrecently,fourinchesplusdownhere,westill didnothaveawhiteChristmas.Icannotrememberthelasttimethatwe did,despiterepeatedlyhearingBingCrosbyinalmosteveryshopwe enteredleadinguptoChristmas.

Icannotbelievethenumberofshootingsandkillingswe’veheard reportedintheUKduringtheChristmasperiod.Whatisthematterwith people?Whatisthematterwiththiscountryofours?Thisprofusionin guncrimeissomethingwealwaysassociatedwiththeUSA.Iknowan awfullotofAmericanisation’shavecreptintotheUKsinceWWII (more’sthepity)includingthegrowingdemolitionofourownbeautiful language,butguncrimeandperpetratedagainstpurelyinnocentvictimsin thewrongplaceatthewrongtimeisquiteintolerable.PeaceandGood Willandallthat!

So,howisLauntoncopingwiththesurgeinenergycoststhesedays?No naturalgasinthevillage(andIcannotbuthelpwonderwhyonearththat hasnotchangedbynow)leavingyouwithachoiceofeither:electricity, (rurallyunreliable),oil,coal/anthracite,orwood,andpossiblyCaloror someothermanufacturedgas,allofwhichisexpensiveonthepocket and/ortotheenvironment.

HowdifferentthingswerewhenIwasaladgrowingupinLauntonand howtougherandhardierwewereasaconsequence.

villageandrelativelylittleroof/loftinsulation.Veryfewhouseholdshad carpetsonthefloor,fartooexpensiveandaccordingtosome,rather pretentious,especiallytothosewhohadonlylinoleumonthedownstairs floorsandabedsidematonbarefloorboardsupstairs.Andasfaras double-glazingwasconcerned,thatforthemostpartwassomeoff-beat ideausedinplaceslikeScandinavia.

Backthen(1950’s/60’s)generallyspeakingpeopleinthevillagehadopen coalfires,orinourcase,ablackcookingrangeinthelivingroom,asmall openfireplace(neverusedbecausewecouldn’taffordthefuel)inthe kitchen,alongsidewhichwasacopperinthecornerwithanopengrate beneathforlightingafireundertoboilthewaterwithwhichtodothe weeklylaundry,alwaysonMondays,andtherewasanothersmallopen fireplace,rarelyusedduetocostoffuel,inthemainbedroom.

I’vestatedthisonebefore,butI’llstateitagain,inthatduringthewinters wewouldwakeupinthemorningtofindheavilycrustedfrostpatternson theinsideofthebedroomwindows.Forwarmthatnightwewouldthrow armysurplusblanketsandcoatsonthetopofthebed.

Duringdaytime,dadwouldbesloggingatworkoncehesufficiently recoveredfromhislongTBillnessandmumwouldbeveryactivedoing housework(thewholevillageasitwasbackthen,knewmymothertobe extremelyhouse-proud).Wekidswouldsometimesbesatinourovercoats atschooluntiltheroundcokestovehadwarmedupenoughtotakethe chillofftheclassroomairandmeltthecratesofschoolmilkwherethe milkhadfrozenandexpandedabovethetopsofthebottles.Atplaytime wewouldrunaroundoutsideinshorttrousersbothinfunandtokeep warm.Athome,afterschool,wehadalittlecylindricalBlueAladdin paraffinheateronthekitchenfloortobothkeepthechillofftheairuntilit wastimetolightupthefireinthelivingroom.Butwedidn’twastethe heatoftheBlueAladdin,suchasitwas,asakettleofwaterwouldbe plonkedonthetoptoeventuallyboilandmakeapotoftea.

AsIsaid,ourmainfuelwascoalwithafewlogs(sometimescutuprailway sleepers)throwninfromtimetotime.MyUncleBernard,wholivedwith usatthetime,wasabletosecuresomewoodfromthefarmfromtimeto

timeonwhichheworked.Withmoneybeingsotightbackthen,Ican remembermum’sinstructiontothecoalman,“Twobagsandonebagof slackplease”.The‘slack’wasverypoorqualityandmorelikecoal chippingsthanactuallumpsofcoalandsignificantlycheaperandwasused mainlyto‘bank-up’thefiretokeepitinovernight.

Thequestioniswhattodonowwiththecostofthefuelcrisis,evenwith whatgovernmentaidmightbeavailabletosome,thoughnotall?Today’s generationshavegrownupwithwall-to-wallfittedcarpets,double-glazing, cavitywallinsulation,loftinsulationandcentralheatingfromwhatever fuel-source.Asaconsequencetheyhavelost,iftheyeverhad,the hardinessofmineandpreviousgenerations.

Childrencomehomefromschoolandifnotdoingtheirhomeworkaresat inisolation(fromchoice)intheirrespectivebedroomsplayingvideogamesortextingorconductingsomeotheractivitythatrequiresverylittle physicalinputandsotheydon’tgeneratebodyheat,relyinginsteadonthe centralheatingbeingsetatnigh-onboilingpoint.That’llcostmumand dad!

IsthatthesameinLaunton,Iask,ordoyouhavelocalextra-curricular activitiesfortheyoungtophysicallyputsomeenergyintoanddoyouhave acentralisedandwell-utiliseddailysocial-gatheringpointthatthesenior membersofthevillagecanattendduringthedaytimesoastoreducethe needtokeeptheirhomesheatedalldaylong,therebykeepingthemfitand healthy,sociallyactiveandnothavingtochoosebetweenheatingor eating?Andperhapsyoungergenerationsofincomerstothevillagewho arenotinpaidemploymentcouldvolunteertohelprunsuchfacilitiesand thusbecomemoreactivelyinvolvedinvillagelife.

Ifthisisalreadyinplace,then“HatsofftoLaunton”.Villagesdonothave tobecomeimportedsuburbia’safterall.Allforoneandoneforalliswhat makesthedifferencebetweenrealvillagesandtownsandcities.

Andwiththat,IonceagainwishyouallaveryHappy,Healthyand ProsperousNewYear. KeephealthyandStaySAFE!

TonyJeacock|Theex-LauntonBoy|January2023 LauntonLinesJanuary2023|Page41

Inthecurrentsituation,itisdifficulttobespecificaboutvillageevents.Listedarethosewe knowareplanned-butcheckwithorganisersnearerthedateifyouplantoattend.

JANUARY2023

Sunday1StMary'sChurch,HolyCommunion(BCP),8am;FamilyService-Epiphany, 11am|WeeklyQuizatTheBull,8pm

Monday2BankHoliday

Tuesday3RubbishCollection:recyclingonly-nogardenbins

Thursday5Schoolreopenstoday|ParishCouncilMeeting,PublicSession7.15pm, CouncilMeeting7.30pm,ParishHall

Sunday8StMary'sChurch,BCPEvensong,6pm|WeeklyQuizatTheBull,8pm

Monday9WatercolourArtClassrestartsaftertheChristmasbreak,ParishHall,2pm4pm

Tuesday10RubbishCollection:garbagebin|CommunityCafé,ParishHall:9am-11am; 2.30pm-4.30pm|RockChorus,ParishHall,7.30pm

Thursday12WIMeeting:PamNewallonAlpineRamblesandameetingwithMozart, ParishHall,7.30pm

Friday13SCOTSMeeting,TheBull,from5.30pm

Sunday15StMary'sChurch,MorningPrayer,11am|WeeklyQuizatTheBull,8pm

Monday16WatercolourArtClass,ParishHall,2pm-4pm

Tuesday17RubbishCollection:recyclingandgardenbins,andleaveChristmastrees outwithrecycling(blue)bin|CommunityCafé,ParishHall:9am-11am; 2.30pm-4.30pm|RockChorus,ParishHall,7.30pm

Wednesday18FINALDATEFORCOPYFORTHEFEBRUARY2023ISSUEOF LAUNTONLINES:SUBMITTOlauntonlines@launton.org|Over60s ClubMeeting,SportsandSocialHall,startsat1.45pm,endsabout3.30pm

Thursday19FriendsofLauntonParishHall(FoLPH)OpenMeeting,ParishHall,7.30pm

Sunday22StMary'sChurch,HolyCommunion,11am|WeeklyQuizatTheBull,8pm

Monday23WatercolourArtClass,ParishHall,2pm-4pm

Tuesday24RubbishCollection:garbagebin|CommunityCafé,ParishHall:9am11am;2.30pm-4.30pm|RockChorus,ParishHall,7.30pm

Thursday26LauntonHistoricalSociety,DrSimonWenhamonPoverty,Pestilenceand PublicHealthinVictorianBritain,ParishHall,7.30pm

Sunday29StMary'sChurch,HolyCommunion,11am|WeeklyQuizatTheBull,8pm

Tuesday31RubbishCollection:recyclingandgardenbins|CommunityCafé,Parish Hall:9am-11am;2.30pm-4.30pm|RockChorus,ParishHall,7.30pm

LauntonLinesisthenewsletterforLaunton

It is published monthly by the Launton Community Communications Group which also manages the Launton website www.launton.organd the Launton Village FacebookPage and Group www.facebook.com/launtonvillage Launton Lines is delivered free to every address in the village. It is funded by advertisers and Launton Parish Council. Further print copies are available at £1.00 per copy from ShirleyJohnson(01869 369269) Launton Lines is also available onlinefrom January 2020 on www.issuu.com © MMXXIII Launton Lines. We reserve the right to edit articles submitted for inclusion. Neither the Committee nor the Editor is responsible for views expressed in readers’ contributions.