Launton Lines Issue 281 April 2024

TheIslandPondWoodEasterEvent:23March

Topleft:somewinnersofthe“FindanEgg”competition-fromleft,Toby Pickering,SebastianBucknell,CasperBucknell,AlfiePickering Topright,anotherwinnerof“FindanEgg”andtheLetterandWord Search,AlexanderMooney-Moliner,withhiswinnings

Thetopofthewoodlandandthe newdeadhedge(photosonpage 26andthereportonpage27)

ThefrontcovershowsIvyBatemanon‘her’benchinIslandPondWood.Anobituary appreciationforIvyisonpages16-17.PhotosuppliedbyLisaBradford.CoverdesignedbyMattHill

The Editor writes …

Technology-whenitgoeswrong-canbearealpain,letmetellyou.InfactI won’tbeginasit’salongandsadstory.Justtosaythatthisissueisfartoolate asthepublishingprogramI’vebeenusingsincelastcenturyisfinallygivingup theghost.Ireallymustgetontoareplacement.Thisreallywon’thappenagain. ThecoverfeaturesIvyBateman-wholivedoppositetheshopforsomeyears beforeshediedinJanuary-sittingbythebenchthatmarkedhercontributions totheIslandPondWood.Thereisamemorialnoticeonpages16-17.Wealso covertheEasterEventintheWoodwithareport(pages26and27)andphotos (page2,opposite).TheEasterEggHuntattheschoolfieldisonpages19and 37,andthevillageSpringCleanfeaturesonpages28and29.And,becauseit’s Spring,therearephotosofnew-bornlambsonpage20.

TheTytheBarnisrecruitingstafffortheweddingseason(page10).TheVillage Players(pages21and24)reportrecordfundraisingfromthisyear’spanto,and page25hasupdatesontheSportsandSocial50thanniversary.Thereisinfoon thelocalelectionsonpages15and42.AfoodquizonCarbonMilesisonpage 14withanswersonpage41.Andthereislotsofotherreadingforyou.

RobertCornford

Janice:07522231100|JaneOlds(LauntonParishCouncil):01869247171

LesleyThompson:01869241755|AbiDowman:07921392201

NickCherryPharmacyRunner:01869242685

Launton Lines

A monthly newsletter for Launton. Published around the first of each month by the Launton Community Communications Group © 2024 Launton Lines email:launtonlines@launton.orgwebsite:https://launton.org/launton-lines/ The Launton Lines Committee 2023-2024

Chair: JonSpinage | Secretary: TobyAspel | Editors: RobertCornford, Matt Hill

Treasurer: CarinaCollins | Distribution: ShirleyJohnson | Advertising: JenniWalker

Phone|01869247171

Contact:JoanPacker Phone:07922042133

ParishHall Committee: ChristineMassey; AudreyDeeley;RobertCornford,LynneHarper; JoanPacker;SimonTurner

LIGHTUPALIFE

Would you like to sponsor an evening’sfloodlighting at St. Mary’sChurch in memory of a loved one, to give thanks for the birth of a child, or to celebrate a baptism, a birthday, or a wedding?

A minimum donation of £10 is suggested which can be Gift Aided.

Please contact JoanPacker on 01869 241694 by 20 April for entry in the May 2024 issue of Launton Lines.

April 2 | In loving memory of Ray Neaves who passed away on 11 February 2024. We moved to Launton two years ago and have made many friends in that time. We have received so much support from the Launton community. Thank you, from GillianNeaves

April 23 | CyrilJamesJones23 April 1930. Much loved Husband, Father, Granddad, Great Granddad. Always in thoughts and missed everyday. From all the Family

April 23 | Sponsored by MaureenRoberts to celebrate the birthday of her father JosephBaker

Launton Parish Council Meeting held on Thursday 7 March 2024 at 7:30pmin the Parish Hall

CouncillorspresentMrAndrewBriant,MrsAbigailDowman,MrsLesley Thompson,MrSimonTurner(Chairman)

ApologiesMrEdSanders(ViceChairman),MrRichardWalker,Mrs JaquelineWebber

InattendanceTheClerk,MrsJaneOlds;CllrGemmaCoton(CDC);3 representativesfromGreencoreHomes;theVillagePublicTransport Representative;sevenmembersofthepublic.

LauntonLinesApril2024Issue281|Page4

Noreporthadbeenreceived.Ifanyonehasanyqueries,pleasegetin contactdirectlyatpublicinformation@ewralliance.co.ukorcallthe24hour helplineon03457114141.

GreencoreHomes

ThreerepresentativesfromGreencoreHomesattendedthemeetingto answerquestionsfollowingtheParishCouncil’sresponsetothedetailed planningapplication(reference23/03433/REM).Itisn’tyetknownwhether theapplicationwillbedecidedattheCDCPlanningCommitteeorbythe PlanningOfficer.

Concernswereraisedabouttheboundaryfencingandlandscapingparticularlyonthenorthernsideoftheplotasthedevelopmentmayaffect activityintheadjacentfields.Anupdatedlandscapingstrategyiscurrently beingdeveloped,whichthedevelopershopewillmitigatepotentialissues withthefarmland.Particularconcernwasraisedaboutbonfiresandfireworks onthedevelopmenttogetherwiththepotentialdisruptiontolocaldrive accesseswhilethewaterconnectionwasinstalled.

Anyonewithconcernsmaycontactthedevelopers.Theyarealocal company,basedinBicester,andhaveindicatedthattheywouldliketowork withthecommunity.Contactenquiries@greencorehomes.co.ukorphoneon 01865110044

ReportfromDistrictandCountyCouncillors

CllrCotonreportedthattheCDCbudgethadbeenpassedwitha3.37% increasewhichequatedto£5perbandDproperty.Thelocalelectiontakes placeon2Mayandanyonerequiringapostalvotemustrenewtheir applicationeverythreeyears.

NoreporthadbeenreceivedfromCllrCorkin(OCC).

Finance

TheFinanceReportisavailableontheParishCouncilwebsite.

Planning

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

Ifavillagerhasconcernsorcommentsaboutaplanningapplication,they arewelcometocomealongtoParishCouncilmeetingstobringthemtothe attentionofthemeeting.VillagersarealsowelcometocontactCouncillorsor

theClerktomakecomments.

GuidanceonhowtheParishCouncilisabletorespondtoplanning applicationsisavailableontheParishCouncilwebsiteat https://www.launton-pc.gov.uk/planning-applications/

VillageMatters ParishHall

TheHallneedsacommitteeinordertorun-pleaseseeouradvertonpage 47,andapproachtheClerkformoreinformation.

TheArchitecthasconfirmedthatCDChasprovidedtheBuilding RegulationsApprovalsplan.

ItishopedthatGigaclearwillinstallthebroadbandon2April.

HighwayandTrafficIssues

WearestillwaitingforadatefortheBicesterRoadresurfacing,however, bythetimeyoureadthis,wearehopingthatthespeedindicatordeviceson StationRoad,BicesterRoadandBlackthornRoadwillhavebeeninstalled.

NewwhitegatesfortheBlackthornRoadhavebeenorderedandwillbe installedinduecourse.

VillageSpringClean

ThankyoutoallwhocametotheannualSpringCleanonSaturday9March -wehadagreatturnoutwithalmost30volunteersincludingmembersofthe BicesterLitterPickers.

WemustalsothanktheWIwhomadethemostdeliciousspreadofcakes forthevolunteerswhentheyreturnedfromtheirrounds.

WasteBins

TheCouncilhasagreedtoreplacethebinsinSycamoreRoadandbythe WarMemorial-whichhaveseenbetterdays-andtore-sitethedogwaste binwhichiscurrentlyinthesportsfieldasitisdifficultfortheCDCteamto empty.ThiswillbemovedintotheYewTreefieldbythepath.

Wehavebeenaskedtoreminddogownersthatthedogwastebinsarefor usewhenoutandabout.Dogwastefromgardensshouldbeputinthe householders’owngreenbin-notinthedogwastebins.

Wewillbelookingattheconditionoftheotherwastebinsasfundsallow.

PublicTransport

ThePublicTransportrepresentativehasconfirmedthattheOCCfunding fortheOxfordshireportionoftheNumber17busroutebetweenBicester

andAylesburyhasbeenringfenceduntil2025.ItishopedthatfurtherS106 fundingfromtheGrangeFarmdevelopmentwillprolongtheroute.A furtherminorchangetothetimetablehasbeenproposedandwillbe publicisedshortly.

AnnualParishMeeting-18April

TheVillageAnnualParishMeetingwillbeonThursday18Aprilat7.30pm intheParishHall.Allorganisationsinvolvedinthevillagewillbeinvitedto makeashortreportandallvillagersarewelcometoattend.

Ifthereisanythingspecificyouwouldliketoaddtotheagenda,pleaselet theClerk,JaneOlds,knowbyWednesday3April.

Thisisagreatopportunitytohearaboutwhathashappenedinthevillage overthepastyearandtogetinvolvedwithnewprojectsandorganisations.

Formoreinformation,contactJaneOldsatclerk@launton-pc.gov.uk

Agendaitemsanddatesofthenextmeetings

ThenextmeetingwillbeonThursday4AprilintheParishHall,startingat 7.30pm.Ifyou’dliketochatwithaCouncillor,docomealongafter7.15pm.

Suggestionsforagendaitemsforthe2Maymeetingneedtobewiththe Clerkby18Aprilanditemsforthe6Junemeetingby23May.

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

We hope you are enjoying seeing the first signs of Spring! A few updates from us this time:

Full Council and the Budget

At Full Council on 26 February, a budget was approved. As no party within Cherwell District Council had a majority, it was clear that we would need to work together to ensure that Cherwell could meet their obligation for a balanced budget. The Progressive Oxfordshire Group, made up of Lib Dems, Greens and some Independents, successfully worked with the Conservative administration to ensure the following:

There was a delay to the introduction of a charge for replacement waste and recycling bins.

There was a freeze to the charge for bulky waste collection, with the introduction of an extra service for residents needing faster collection

There was a freeze to the charges for the use of recreational facilities at the NOA, Cooper School and StratfieldBrake

Keep the Pioneer Square public conveniences open in Bicester

This budget means that council tax will increase by £5 per year for a Band D household.

Elections in May

Just a reminder that there will be District Council elections taking place in May. Like at the last elections, you will need a form of ID to be able to vote in person. The rules around Postal Voting have also changed. From October 2023 there is now the requirement to prove your identity when applying for a postal vote and you now need to reapplyfor a postal vote every three years. If you postal vote, it might be worth just double checking that you are still registered with these new rules in place.

Get in Touch

As always, please do get in touch! Phone us on 01869 717712, or email us at these addresses: gemma.coton@cherwell-dc.gov.ukand julian.nedelcu@cherwell-dc.gov.ukor .

All the best, Gemmaand Julian

Launton Watercolour Art Group

The Watercolour Classes are back for April, only missing Easter Monday (1 April), so on 8, 15, 22 and 29 April. The group meets on Mondays in the Parish Hall from 2pm.

We have space for some new members at £8 per session.

Here is a work in progress in the class.

If you would like to join the class, please email

Paul.Ebberson@gmail.com

Fromthefirststeps inBallet toSeniorMusicalTheatre BDAencourages, empowers,andcelebrates youngdancers.

Weareproud tocelebrate,onceagain, twosuccessful auditionstudents whohavegainedplaces intheEnglishYouthBallet productionat TheSwanTheatrein HighWycombe.

Studio7C,GrangeMews,StationRoad,LauntonOX265DX sarah@bicesterdanceacademy.co.uk

07738614652

news from stmary’schurch services in april2024

You are welcome to join our April Services listed here.

Our planned Services are as follows.

All are in StMary’sChurch

7 April 8.00amBCP Holy Communion

11.00amFamily Service - The Resurrection

14 April 6.00pmEvensong

21 April 11.00amMorning Prayer

28 April 11.00amHoly Communion

Please check on the Facebookpage for StMary’sChurch Launton to see the latest information, or contact one of the Churchwardens

JoanPacker j.packer779@btinternet.com01869 241694

CeliaManderson

celiamanderson@aol.com01869 571735



The Community Café will reopen after the Easter holiday on Tuesday 16 April 2024 and then on Tuesdays during school terms

Hours are 9am-11amand 2.30pm-4.30pm all are welcome



Other news in this issue

There is a short biography of our new vicar, Rev’dSarahMortimer on page 32 of this issue.

LauntonWIreportingforMarch2024

Our meeting this month was a more formal occasion as it included the AGM.As our President Gaye Cornfordwas unable to be with us, the meeting was chaired by Helen Aris.She began by introducing our Area WI Advisor who would act as Teller during the election of President.

In her absence Gaye had sent a President’saddress to be read out in which she thanked individual committee members for the smooth running of the group. The minutes, financial statements and annual report for 2023 were approved and adopted. All the existing members of the committee were happy to continue for another year and were joined by Isobel, Jane and Marettaas new committee members. Gaye had said that she wished to stand down as President and nominations were taken for the post with Eleanor Shakespearesubsequently being elected as President.

Over the last year we have had some varied and fascinating talks including Children and War, Volcanoes and Dragons, Alpine Rambles and a Meeting with Mozart, and Why Farming? Each month there has also been the opportunity to meet socially for a walk and lunch and we have also enjoyed a canal trip, a croquet match with lunch, and a barbeque.

The competition cup for 2023 was won by Hilary. On behalf of the members, Joan thanked the committee for their hard work. Birthday congratulations and cards were given to Theresa, Sue and Betty.

Another AGMcame to a close and we ended the evening with our usual raffle and refreshments. When we meet in April we shall be celebrating LauntonWI’sbirthday with a fish and chip supper. We welcome new members to join us when we meet on the second Tuesday each month at 7.30pmin the Parish Hall, or please contact Hilary, our secretary, for more information on 01869 241989.

Lynne Harper

Words from The Bull

Wewouldliketothankeveryonefortheirsupport,friendshipandmagical memoriessincewearrivedatTheBullInnon26August2014.

Wehavebeeninthetradefordecadesandareleavingonahigh!Wewilltruly missbeingtheLandlordandLandladyofthisbeautifulpub,butwearereadyto enterournextchapter.Wehavesomanywonderfulmemoriesovertheyears: hostingyourspecialoccasions,musicevents,charityevents(over£23kraised!)to thekidsgrowingup.Wehavehadlaughsandtears,andeverythinginbetween: allthishastrulymadeusfeelpartofthevillage.

Thisvillageisjustthebestplacewehaveeverlived,somuchsowearemoving in!Sorry,butyoucan'tgetridofusthateasily!Welookforwardtomeetingyou atTheBullonyoursideformorelaughsandmemories.

PleasejoinusforourlastnightpartyonSaturday27April(seepage40).

LauntonyouROCK!ThankYouandCheers

Karenand Brandon

P.S.Our last Quiz is on 21 April, specially written by Bob Watmough!

Dietary Carbon Footprint Quiz

What is a carbon footprint?

When we talk about a carbon footprint, we mean how much something (or some person) adds to climate change. We measure this in a unit of greenhouse gas: CO2e.

You can calculate your own footprint with www.carbonfootprint.com.

You can also calculate the carbon footprint of your favourite foods or recipes here: www.vegansociety.com/take-action/campaigns/plate-planet/carbon-calculator

Try this food-based quiz for Spring. The answers are on page 41.

1. Which method of cooking has the lowest carbon footprint?

stovetopmicrowaveelectricovengasoven

2. Which bean product has the highest carbon footprint?

pre-madebeanburgerscannedbeansdriedbeanshome-grownbeans

3. Which vegetable has the highest carbon footprint (based on massproduction for consumption)?

asparaguscabbageonionscarrots

4. Which animal protein has the highest carbon footprint?

porklambchickenfish

5. Which of these foods has the highest carbon footprint

eggscheesecoffeechocolate

6.Theaverageperson’sdieteachyearproducesaround2.5tonnesofCO2e. HowmuchCO2ecanyousavebyreducingthemeatyoueatbyhalf?

0.25tonnes0.50tonnes0.75tonnes1tonne

Adapted (a little) by Launton Environmental Society with permission from EmilyConnallyof The Cherwell Collective Want to do more? Join us! Cherwell Collective@gmail.com

Launton Environmental Society: launtonenvironmentalsociety@gmail.com

Launton Parish Footpath Wardens reporting

The intrepid footpath wardens waded through mud and water (see photo on page 20) to walk part of footpath 272/23/20 which is accessible from the PoundonRoad just past Hare LeysFarm, to check on a few issues that we previously addressed in the autumn and a couple of issues we had raised previously with OCCCountryside Access.

We cleared a partially fallen tree on the footpath through a hedgerow and cut a few more brambles but the path was clear and walkable.

OCChad come up trumps and fixed a way-marker sign that had been hit by a vehicle on the StrattonAudleyRoad, and a broken stile. Path ref272/20/30

This route up past Hare Leysfarm and over towards StrattonAudleyis worth exploring. There are a couple of footpaths branching off towards Poodle Gorse and Goddington(272/20/10 and 272/23/10), which look out on great views. Worth trying out.

The paths were very waterlogged and currently walkers risk damaging the fields unless careful. A few weeks without rain will hopefully return the fields and paths to easier walking routes.

Lesleyand Bob

Local elections on 2 May this year

There will be two elections on 2 May this year

One seat in the Launton and Otmoor Ward of Cherwell District Council For the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley Police Area

The Polling Station will be in Launton Parish Hall, open 7am-10pm

There are four candidates standing in the Launton and Otmoor Ward. In alphabetical order they are as follows:

JamesAndrewDaulton, Labour Party

David LeonardHughes, Local Conservatives

JenniferMaryLamont, Green Party

AlisaRussell, Liberal Democrats

To vote, you will need a photo-card ID: see the CDCElection pages for information: https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/info/11/elections

LauntonLinesApril2024Issue281|Page15

Ivy Bateman: a memorial notice

It is with sadness that I write to inform of the passing of Ivy Bateman, long standing resident of Bicester Road. She passed away on 24 January aged 91.

Ivy moved to Launton way back in 2003 and enjoyed being part of the WI, of the over 60’sclub, and made lots of friends, some of whom have sadly passed too. Ivy enjoyed being part of the Launton community and found pleasure in donating to the Friends of Island Pond Wood, where she has a bench in her name (see the front cover photo, and the plaque on page 17). She also loved seeing the knitted post box toppers (see the photo on the next page) and taking part in competitions in the village such as the scarecrow trail, recruiting friends to help her make her entry. Ivy also had the help of many volunteers getting her shopping and bringing her treats, which she was very grateful for at the end of her life. She said Launton was a wonderful place.

Ivy became part of our extended family when she moved in next door and enjoyed watching our girls grow up. She encouraged their travel

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LauntonLinesApril2024Issue281|Page16

plans having been all over the world herself, and loved to hear all about their adventures. Ivy also loved her garden and spent many an hour out there when she was more able. She had one of the old blue tables from the Parish Hall to hold her pot plants. This then changed to sitting in her chair watching the gardener and giving instructions - you may have seen her sat out as you passed by. Ivy also loved dogs and became great friends with ours, Luna.She was her guard dog and always alerted us to visitors

coming to Ivy’sdoor.

We have many fond memories of our lovely neighbour. You will be missed Ivy, by all who knew you. Your passing has definitely left a gap in our family.

LisaBradford

From the School Easter Egg Hunt

AttheEasterEggHunton24Marchtheweather playedball(seetoppicture,andreportonpage37).

Photosbelow,clockwisefromtopleft:

ThewinneroftheGoldenPebbleprize,with herwinnings.

TheEasterBunnyrelaxesfromhis workwithsomevisitorsalsotakinga breakfromtheEggHunt.

TheEasterBunnylimbers upintheplayground,with someonecreepingupbehind.

Someofthedonatedeggs ondisplayintheSchoolHall.

All photos from The Friends of Launton School

Poppy Cascades for Launton

Abigthankyoutoallthepeoplewhocame alongtoourfirstmeetingtodiscussthepoppy cascadesfortheWarMemorialandtheStation

RoadwaterpumpforNovember.Wewerevery excitedbythesupportandenthusiasmandthe numberofpoppiesalreadymade.

Wenowhavesomecamouflagenettingandhavetakenmeasurements,andare hopingtohaveaplanoncewehavemoreideaofhowmanypoppieswewill havetouse.

Weareplanningmoreget-togethers,perhapsadrop-inforacuppaandaspot ofknitting/crochetingorjustachat.Watchthisspacefordates.

Forfurtherinformation,pleasecontact

IsobelJennionisobeljennion@me.com

MaryCartercarmore2007@hotmail.co.uk

HilaryBradshawhilaryannbradshaw@hotmail.comTel01869241989 Welookforwardtoseeingyou.

TheLauntonPoppyCascaders

Photos from round the village in March

Left: the Footpath Wardens at work on PoundonHill, showing the impact of recent rain on the path network. (see the report on page 15)

PhotobyLesley Thompson

Right:ifit’sspring theremustbesome

lambs:recent arrivalsintheshed atManorFarm

PhotobyEllaRayner

Photo from The Launton Poppy Cascaders

Launton VillagePlayers reporting

Rapunzel2024

ItwithgreatpleasurethatwecanannouncethatLaunton

VillagePlayers’pantomimeRapunzelmade£11,000forBicesterAutism.This moneywillcontributetowardsprovidingmuchneededsupportandopportunities tothefamiliesandcarersofautisticchildren,thosewithADHDorthoseawaiting adiagnosisofautismorADHD.Therearephotosonpage24.

HerearesomeofthecommentsfromtheLondonDistrictNODARepwhocame toourSaturdayMatineeperformance:

“WhatcanIsayaboutthecast’sclothingexceptwelldonetoCostumeMistress JackieWebberandherteam...butthistimeyouespeciallyexcelledyourselfwith thePhoenix!ThemanyoutfitssportedbytheDamewerejustrighttooandI reallylikedtheeffectivenessoftheblueuniformswornbythePalaceGuard.”

“Tacklingthethornyproblemofatowertobeclimbedandthenviewedfrom theinsidewascleverlyachievedandwasanobjectlessoninwhatcanbedone withagoodcrewandaccurateblackouts!”

“Thechildren’sandteenagers’butterfly,birdandflamingoroutineswere captivatingandbeautifullyexecuted.”

“ThenumberIfIwerenotoutinthesewoodswaspriceless.”

Thankyouagaintoallofaudiences,advertisersandsupporterswhohelpedto makeRapunzelsuchagreatsuccess.

It’sShowtime

Weareexcitedtoannounceour2024summerfamilyvarietyshow,It’sShowtime. Thisisafamilyfriendlyshow,featuringshowsandperformancesfromaroundthe World.FromwelllovedBroadwayandWestEndmusicalsandsongsfromfilms, todances,comedysketchesandskits,thereissomethingforeveryone,andthe showissuitableforallages.

Therewillbethreeperformances–at1.30pmand6:00pmonSaturday20July,and at2:30pmonSunday21July.Our‘showinashed’willtakeplaceatHareLeys Farm,Launton,OX265ABsowhatevertheweather,wewillbeundercover,and thereisplentyofparking,andtoiletfacilitieswillbeavailable.

MoneyraisedfromthisshowwillbedividedequallybetweentheBicesterBaby BankandLVP’snewstageblockfund.Theexistingstageblocksweusearegetting verywornandweneedtopurchasenewonesinthenearfuture.

Ticketscost£12adultand£6childandgoonsaleatwww.ticketsource.co.uk/lvp from1May.

TheLVPteam

FromLauntonSchool-Workingwithamicro:bit

InBeechClasswehavebeenlearninghowtousemicro:bits.Theyarevery smallcomputersthatyoucanprogrammetodolotsofdifferentthings.We usedthewebsitemicrobit.orgwherewecanprogrammethecommandswe wanttodownloadtoourmicro:bitandmakeitdocertainthings.Thenweuse aUSBcabletoattachthemicro:bittothecomputeranddownloadthe commandsandwatchthemicro:bitdowhatwehaveasked.Wehavebeen abletocreateaheartshapeonthescreen,whichwecanmakerotate,orget biggerandsmallerinsize,andifwecommandthisactionto‘loop’itwilllook likeit’sbeating.Wecanalsoprogrammeasmileyfacethatwecanmake changetoasadfaceandbackagain.

Toresetthemicro:bityouhavetoholdtheresetbuttonfor4seconds.Wefeel confidentinthebasiccommandsandknowthattherearelotsofotherthings themicro:bitcando,likebeastepcounter,aradioandacompass.The micro:bitcanalsohearyourvoiceandusesarobotvoicetorepeatwhatyou havesaid.Thescreencandisplaymessagesthatyouhavetypedintothelaptop anddownloaded.Thewordsmoveacrossthescreenfromlefttoright.

Wereallyenjoyworkingonthemicro:bits.Weworkinpairsinclassandhave toremembernottosendtoomanycommandsatonce,otherwiseitwillstop workingandyouhavetostartagain.Youcanusemicrobit.orgathome,evenif youdon’thaveanactualmicro:bit,thereisasimulatoronthewebsiteyoucan programme.

Elsie,MillieandEli(Year5)andEvan(Year4)

Village Speedwatch

The weather is improving (at last!). Can you spare an hour a month (or even a week) to help with Speedwatchin the village? Launton Community SpeedwatchGroup was formed mainly to educate drivers about the speed limit through the village (now 20 mph) and to report excessively speeding vehicles to Thames Valley Police through the Community Speedwatchprogramme.

The teams operate at various locations in the village and it has been observed that their presence and visibility has an impact on traffic speeds. We are looking for more volunteers to join the team.

If you’dlike to join the Speedwatchteam or need more information, drop a line to the SpeedwatchCoordinator at: Speedwatch@launton-pc.gov.uk

Launton Village Players mark the success of their 2024 PantoRapunzel

Launton Village Players announced (see page 21) the profit from their 2024 Panto Rapunzel, and handed over a cheque for £11,000 to their charity partner for the show, Bicester Autism.

Upper photo shows some of the cast, crew, band and other members of the Players with representatives of Bicester Autism.

Lower photo shows (right) Producer CeliaEvansand Writer and Director JuliaWest from The Village Players handing over the cheque to representatives from Bicester Autism, from left, HayleyCollier and JenniWierchowicz.

Photos from Launton Village Players

LauntonLinesApril2024Issue281|Page24

News from the LPFA: Our 50thAnniversary

The 50 year celebrations of the LPFAcontinued in March with a hall full of ‘punters’ enjoying the Race Night that we hosted free of charge with all betting monies returned in prize money for each race. Definitely an event we will run again in the future. Earlier in the day it was great to see the Launton first team able to use the pitch again after such prolonged bad weather. A good crowd saw our lads defeat local rivals KEAon penalties after extra time couldn’tseparate the teams.

In April our attention turns to the 80’sDisco on Saturday 20 April for which tickets are only £5. These can be reserved in advance via Eventbrite.co.ukand there’sa link on our Facebookpage. Come along for a nostalgic boogieand maybe even dress the part!

Tickets are also still available for the amazing tribute band Likethe Beatleson 11 May. Also see Eventbriteor Facebookfor these. You will see on Facebookthat WendyFoster is still asking for any pictures of the hall/bar being built or being used over the yearsespecially the early days - so they can be displayed at our Family Day event on 6 July. Either contact Wendydirect or via the LPFA.

Mindful that there’sno village fete this year, on our Family Day we have space for a number of stalls. If people would like to make use of this they can contact us at launtonpfa@gmail.com.

Once again we would remind people that the Sports & Social bar does NOT require membership and hasn’tfor many years. It is open to the public seven days a week and has both Sky Sports and TNT Sports, and the drinks are amazing value.

LPFA

ReportsfromtheWoodland

TheEasterEvent

On Saturday 23 March we held our Easter Event in the Woodland. The weather wasn’ton our side with heavy showers on and off throughout the morning and a very cold wind. When it came time to set up, we did consider calling the event off, but after checking the forecast and it looking promising, we decided to go ahead (we are British after all, what’sa little bit of rain?!).

There was a letter trail along the right hand (south) side of the wood, along the path to the reflection area. There were nine letters to find and a word to guess.

AllourObedienceTrainingispartof TheKennelClubGoodCitizenDogScheme Jennie,ourInstructorisanApproved Instructor (Academy of Dog Training and Behaviour), Agility Club Approved Instructor, UK Agility Instructor.

AnewvenueundercoverinGrendonUnderwood

HoopersActivity Saturday starts at 12 noon

Agility Class Saturday from 1pm

Thursday Classes in ArncottVillage Hall

Puppy Foundation Assessment, under 6 months, starts 6.45pm

Basic Obedience for dogs age 6+ months, starts 7.30pm

Rally Obedience or Scent Work, every alternate week for each class, from 8.15pm

Photos from the Woodland. from left, The Easter Event gate; the 9 letters hidden in the woodland; flooding and the new dead hedge by the brook. Photos from FIPW

There were then tokens with eggs painted on them, and if the children found one of these they won a prize, too.

We also had a couple of stalls, one with games and another with cakes (very generously donated by the WI). The games were a hit with guess the name of the bunnies, guess the number of eggs in the jar and a lucky dip. As always the cakes went down a treat too.

Despite the cold winds and chance of showers, we had a fairly good turn out. There were lots of prizes won and some very pleased children! After all of our costs we made just under £60. Not as much as we’dhoped but given the conditions it was a sum that we were pleased with.

As always a massive thank you to all of our volunteers who helped on the day, and the community for supporting us. We’dalso like to give a special mention to Isobelfor all her hard work making the beautiful decorations that we had up on the day too.

Annual General Meeting

Thursday 21 March at 7.30pm saw our AGM in the Parish Hall. This was a chance to present the annual report to our members, explain what we’vebe doing in the woodland through the year and discuss future plans. We had a good turn out with 23 people in attendance.

Much of what was discussed was the ongoing TOE funded tree thinning and creation of new wildlife ponds, as well as the coppicingof the blackthorn hedges. We explained our intention to dredge the pond this year with that being the main focus of our fundraising.We’vebeen unsuccessful so far in obtaining grant funding and questions were raised relating to the grants that we’veapplied for.

A big topic was flooding over the last few months. The WretchwickFarm development was brought up and it was mentioned that this could impact water flow in the brook and ditches around the wood.

It was asked why we seem to have lost contact with Bicester Green Gym who have volunteered at the wood in the past. This was due to Covid.We will endeavour to reach out and see if we can bring them back on board.

Finally, LesleyThompsonvoiced her vote of thanks for the continued hard work of the FIPWteam and volunteers.

The board will follow up on these points and update members at the earliest opportunity.

FIPWTeam

Launton Village Spring Clean March 2024

Agoodcrowdofvillagersturnedoutforthevillagespringcleanandlitter pick.TheeventwasalsosupportedbyJamieJessettandacoupleofchaps fromtheBicesterLitterPickers.

Theweatherstayedfine,andafairamountofrubbishandrecyclingwas returnedtotheParishHallforcollectionbyCherwellDistrictCouncillater (seephotoopposite).Theredidnotseemtobeasmuchasinprevious years;maybemorevillagersarehelpingtopickuplitteronaregularbasis. Thankstoallofyouwhodothisregularly.

Thankyoualsotoallofyouwhocameandsupported,someregular pickers,andsomenewvillagers.Itisagoodcommunityevent,agreat atmosphereandit’salwaysgoodtoseesomanypeople.

Finally,averybigthankyou,asalways,totheLauntonWIwhoprovided refreshmentswithlotsofdeliciouscake.Adonationwasmadetothe

LauntonWIfortheirtimeandproduce.Wherewouldwebewithoutthem?

LauntonParishCouncil

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

On Saturday 9 March the village had a spring clean from volunteers based in the Parish Hall.

From the Spring Clean in March

Photos show, clockwise from top left: Inside the Parish Hall as returned volunteers enjoy their tea/coffee and cake and others set off; Some volunteers with the day’s haul; WIcakes on display.

Photos from Launton Parish Council

HeardontheCrossroads

Firstofall,aswestandunderthesignpostatthecrossroads,wenotice thatthefingerpostshavebeenmessedaroundwithagain.Wethought thatitwasproperlyfixedlasttime-butitlooksasthoughtherearesome peopleinthevillagewhoareexpectingWorldWar3tostartsoon.

Thenwegatherthatit’llbesometimebeforetheworkstartsonthe resurfacingoftheBicesterRoad-anditseemsunclearwhetheritwill extendalongBlackthornRoad,orjuststopatthecrossroads,wherewe arestanding.What,weask,is“resurfacing”?Aproperrepairoftheroad (heavenknows-itneedsit)andanicesmoothsurface?Orjustapatchup relayingofthetopsurface?Atleasttheworkwillbethemosteffective trafficcalmingwe’relikelytoseeinthenearfuture.

We’venoticedmanyThamesWatervansontheroadsthroughthe village-inmanycasesworkingonwhatappeartomemainsleaks.Maybe wecouldseejoinedupthinking:digupBicesterRoadtorelaythewater mainsbeforetheroadresurfacinghappens!

Nowthatwouldbeagoodplantohearabout.

Peaceofmindforpetowners... 

CompassionateandCaringatalltimes 

Longopeninghoursforyourconvenience 

24houron-sitenursingcarestandardforallhospitalisedpatients

24hourEmergencyserviceprovidedbyourvetsatourpractice

Aservicethat'ssecondtononefromNorthOxfordshire'smost established,independent,specialitysmallanimalpractice..

About our new vicar: SarahMortimer

We asked Sarahto tell us a bit about herself. Here is her brief biography.

“I was born and grew up in Reading, Berkshire, the middle child of Valerie, a secondary school languages teacher and Albert, a joiner with the same firm in Reading for his entire working life from being apprenticed at the age of 14.

Both my parents were Methodists, and my uncle was a Methodist minister.

I went to church with my family as a child and I had an ‘epiphany’ moment in my late teens that meant my faith became important to me in adulthood too.

My husband Sam and I have moved to Bicester from Bracknell, Berkshire where we have lived since 2002. We’vepreviously lived in Grenoble, Coventry and Darlingtontoo.

Housemaintenance

Repointing

Internalandexternaldecorations

Patios

Decking

Fencing

For a personal service, call Peter NSoutham

01869 278333

07721 633 220

peteroofer@aol.com

I worked in Further Education before training to be a vicar, and before that in translation services.

I love all the opportunities I get to meet people through my role, hear their stories and to explore the Christian faith with others.”

Then we asked her to tell us a joke she enjoyed. Her answer is very honest!

“My family would say I am terrible at telling jokes because I tend to paraphrase and that doesn’treally work with jokes. I love to laugh though and enjoy visual humour.”

Rev’dSarahMortimer

TeamVicar-BucknellandLaunton

07876188519

Sponsor a Tile (SAT)

We are raising money to start the renovation work on Launton Parish Hall. About £525,000 is needed. We will continue to organise fund raising events, and apply for grants.

We are also asking people, businesses, and interested groups to Sponsor a Tile (though the roof will be covered with zinc sheets).

Atilewillcost£20andyournamewillbeaddedtotheSponsors’Display ListwhichwillbeintherefurbishedHall.Ifyouwouldrathernotbeon thislist,justticktheboxbeloworemailtreasurer@folph.org.uk

MoneyraisedthroughSponsoraTilewillgotothenewroofor,ifthereis anymoneyleftover,totherefurbishmentofLauntonParishHall.

Formoreinformationgotowww.launton.org/folph/

HowcanIpaytoSponsoraTile?

1.Cash

2.Cheque:madeouttoFriendsofLauntonParishHall

3.BACSorBankTransfer

Accountname:FriendsofLauntonParishHall

SortCode:30-91-91

Accountnumber:53871468(referenceSAT)

4.Card:viatheFoLPHcontactlesspaymentdevice

5.JustGiving:https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/folph

1,2,and3abovearepreferableand4isonlyatFoLPHevents,Ifyou wouldliketoaddGiftAidtoyourdonationpleasecompleteagiftaid formfromFoLPH.

IwouldliketoSponsoraTileforLauntonParishHall

Name: ....................................................................................................

NumberofTiles

Amount£ ................................................................

PleasedonotincludemeontheSponsorDisplayListplease Thankyouforyoursupport.

Registeredcharity number1199171

Launton Historical Society reports

InafieldnearCheddington,northofAylesbury,isaspring,thesourceof theriverThame.Nottobeconfusedwithalargerandmorewellknown river,theThameflowsfor26milestoDorchesteronThames.Thename meansdarkslow-flowingriver.ThetownofThamecamelater.

JohnTyler,ourspeakerinFebruary,foundalottolikeabouttheriver Thame,particularlyfromahistoricalandwildlifeperspective.Fedbypure waterflowingfromtheChilterns,itisjoinedbyotherstreamssuchasthe ThistlebrookmarkingtheHertfordshire/Buckinghamshireboundary.JRR TolkienspenttimewalkingalongtheThame,andaThistlebrookis mentionedinhisworks.

ThreeparticulartreesareassociatedwiththeThame.Theblackpoplarisan endangeredtreeandhalfofallblackpoplarsaretobefoundintheValeof Aylesbury.Thewoodwasusedtomakebrakeblocksonwagons.Thealder alwayshasitsfeetinthewaterandaldercharcoalmakesthebestgunpowder. Thethirdtree,thewillow,isoneoffewtreesthatcantoleratefloodedroots. Asitrotsfromthecentre,itbecomesawonderfulhabitatforowls.Onlythe oaksupportsmoreinsectsthanthewillow.Theosierwillowisusedinbasket making,andforeeltrapsalongtheThame.

IfyouwalkacrosstheploughedfieldsbytheThame,youcanfindworked flint,possiblyworkedabout10,000yearsago.In2015tracesofnewStone AgepeoplewerefoundontheedgeofThame,includingtheroundremains ofaHengemonument,acausewayedenclosureperhapsfrom6000years ago.Thiswasanenclosuremarkedoutbyditchesandbanks,withcauseways crossingtheditches.Itmighthavebeensomekindoftradingpoint.The findingshavenotyetbeenfullywrittenup.

WesawawealthofpicturesoftheplantsandwildlifealongtheThame, includinggianthorsetailwhichgrowsuptoeyelevelandwhoseancestors knewdinosaurs.Norfolkreedsgrowthereallyearroundandwereusedway backforthatchingroundhouses.Nowadaysthereedsgettooleggyfor thatching,becauseofthenitratesinthefarmedsoil.

WelearntthattheThameisasourceofcrayfish,thoughtheAmerican crayfishintroducedinthe1970sand1980sbroughtdiseasewhichhaswiped outournativebreed.Apparently,eventodayamanonThamemarketsells crayfishfishcakes.

AnannualeventtakesplacebytheriverThame-thetugofwarbetween Tiddington(Oxfordshire)andIckford(Buckinghamshire).Notwidely

advertised(thoughitisonFacebook)theeventtakesplaceontheeveningof thefirstFridayinAugust.

In634ADthePopesentamonk,Birinus,toconverttheheathensof Britain.BirinusbaptisedtheSaxonKingintheriverThameandanabbey wasbuiltinDorchester.What’sleftnowisatinyfractionoftheoriginal abbey.ThoughtheThameisnotalongriver,itdoeshaveabout40churches alongitslength.John’sfavouriteisChearsleychurch.

Asariver,theThamefinishes‘disappointingly’saidJohn.Itjoinsabigger river,theIsis,whichcarrieswaterfromtheRay.Theriversmergeand becometheThames.ButthereisnowanofficialThameValleypath,and lotsofworkisbeingcarriedouttopreservetheriveranditshabitat.Thereis aRiverThameConservationTrust.

WeenjoyedlisteningtoJohnandwehopetoseehimagain.InMarchwe’ve heardKarenandBretWilesspeakaboutWWIICookingandRationing,andin AprilMarkDavieswilltellusthehistoryofBeatingtheBoundsinOxford.All arewelcometoourmeetingsat7.30pmintheParishHallonthelast Thursdayofthemonth.

GwenSkinner

Defibrillatorsin Launton

As you will have read in last month’s Launton Lines, the village now has an additional defibrillator installed on the front of the Parish Hall.

A couple of other defibrillatorswere mentioned in the defibrillator training article, but the only ones currently registered with the Ambulance Service for 24-houruse are the ones at The Bull and the Parish Hall; these are the ones you will be directed to if you dial 999 and are told that a defibrillator is needed.

The website https://www.defibfinder.uk/ gives details of all registered defibrillatorsin the area.

Also, to clarify, the one at The Bull has not been replaced. It was used in November and was taken out of action for a short time while the supplies were replenished, but it was back in action within days.

If you are able to help someone with a medical emergency, wherever you are in the country, you should dial 999 and ask for the Ambulance Service.

The Ambulance Call Handler will ask a range of questions and will decide whether a defibrillator is needed. They will then tell you where the nearest one is and will give you the access code. It may be that you need to send someone else to get it while you stay with the patient and perform ‘CPR’.

The Call Handler will stay with you on the telephone and instruct you on what to do until the paramedicsarrive.

Launton Easter Egg Hunt

On Sunday 24 March the long-standing annual Easter Egg Hunt took place on the school field. It was dry and bright for the whole event and hundreds of children and their families searched the school field for painted stones which they were able to exchange for Easter eggs kindly donated by the village. A wet start to the year meant the field hasn’tyet been mown which made for an egg-stratricky challenge in the long grass, however the children were undeterred and went away happy with their prizes. Some were lucky enough to find one of the 4 silver stones to receive hampers and goodies donated by IMSProperty Group and one eagle eyed child spotted the single gold stone and she was able to exchange it for an extra special bag of goodies kindly donated by Stone Lily Hair Salon (see photo of the winner on page 19).

The Easter Bunny was in attendance and a firm favourite with some younger visitors. Face painting, refreshments, games and colouring were also on offer.

The Friends of Launton School would like to extend a huge thank you to the village for supporting this event. A team of parent and child volunteers collected over 350 eggs and cash donations on the evening of 15 March. These donations are a huge contributor to the success of the event and enables it to be one of our biggest fundraisersevery year. The funds go toward the enhancement of the school environment which benefits the current and future children of the school. Many thanks and we look forward to seeing you again next year!

There are some photos from the event on page 19.

The Friends of Launton School

AgroupfromLauntonWIvisitedtheViridorplantatArdleyinFebruary.

Jess,ourguide,gaveaveryinterestingandinformativetalkaboutEfW’s crucialroleinmanagingmunicipalsolidwastebyconvertingitintoenergy, thusreducingtheamountofwastesenttolandfillswhilealsogenerating electricity.

Theprocessbeginswiththecollectionofnon-recyclablewastefrom households,businesses,andindustry.Thiswastewouldotherwiseendupin landfill.Wesawtherubbishlorriesarriveattheplant,andasitwasTuesday thisincludedourrubbishfromLaunton.Weobservedfromtheviewing galleryasthelorriestippedtherubbishintoanenormousconcretepit.Two peopleoperatedgiantcraneswhichwereliketheclawsinanamusement arcadegame.Theclawsmixedanddistributedtherubbishbeforedropping itontoaconveyorwhereitisincineratedathightemperatureina combustionchamber.Onceburned,anymetalisseparatedandthe remainingashusedforaggregateandbuildingproducts.

Asthewasteburns,itproducesheatwhichgenerateselectricitythatisfed intothenationalgridfordistributiontohomesandbusinesses.Viridor’s EfWfacilitiesalsofocusonminimizingtheenvironmentalimpactofwaste disposal.Theincinerationprocesssignificantlyreducesthevolumeofwaste, decreasingtheneedforlandfillspace.

TheEfWplantsareequippedwithadvancedpollutioncontroltechnologies sothatemissionsarewithinstrictregulatorylimits.Thesetechnologies captureandtreatpollutantsbeforetheyarereleasedintotheatmosphere.

Afewthingstotakeaway:

Donottoputanytypesofgascylinders/canistersorbatteries(including vapes)intothegreenrubbishbin.Thesecancausefireintheholdingareaor explosionsinthefurnace.Thisincludesheliumcanisters,campingand barbecuegascanisters,andsimilar.

CoffeepodscanberecycledusingthePodbackscheme,usingbagssupplied byCDC-seehttps://www.cherwell.gov.uk/info/10/rubbish-andrecycling/1085/podback-scheme

VapescanalsoberecycledviaCDCinaclearbagonyourbin.

ConsidertakingpartintheBigPlasticCounteveryMarch.Checkoutthe websitehttps://thebigplasticcount.com/

There’s moreuseful information about rubbishand recyclingon theCDC website. Andhere weallare, together withthe Ardley Dinosaur builtfrom recycled waste.

ReportandphotofromLesleyThompson

Launton Environmental Society has some answers!

The short answers to The Dietary Carbon Footprint Quiz are here:

1. Stovetop 2. pre-madebean burgers

3. Asparagus 4. Lamb

5. Chocolate 6. 1 tonne.

For a more information and explanations contact LESon our email: launtonenvironmentalsociety@gmail.com

THE ANSWER to the Climate Crisis is SUSTAINABILITY! How are you doing on reducing your Carbon Footprint?

Not easy is it!

But there are a tremendous number of Groups, Organization, and Individuals ready to help; to name just a few...

LESat launtonenvironmentalsociety@gmail.com,

Bicester Green on Sheep St. It is well worth a visit

The Cherwell Collective at cherwellcollective@gmail.com

Centre for Sustainable Energy at www.cse/newsletter

The BBC at www.bbc.co.uk/foodcarbonfootprintcalculatorWe are not the only ones trying to solve this problem!

Thank you for your support.

EdatLES

P.S.Earth Day this year is on 21 April. Earlier this year we held ‘MOP 1’ on 17 January. We can Celebrate Earth Day in a quite meaningful way...with ‘MOP 2’- A Meeting of The Parties, and YOU are invited to take part!

It is on Friday, 19 April in The Parish Hall at 7:30. Together we can Celebrate EARTH DAY properly by moving Planet Earth from a PostScript to a PRIORITY.

Please join us. It IS important!

Problem solving

There may be more than one way to solve a problem, as they always say. Here is an example.

Four people, a physicist, a mathematician, an engineer, and a salesman were each given a barometer and asked to find the height of a church tower.

The physicist took his barometer to the base of the tower and he measured the barometric pressure. He then went to the top of the tower and again measured the barometric pressure. With a complex calculation he then worked out the height of the tower.

The mathematician took his barometer to the top of the tower and dropped it over the side. He timed its fall and with a simple calculation involving time of fall and acceleration due to gravity he was able to calculate the height of the tower.

The engineer took his barometer to the top of the tower, tied a long piece of rope to it and lowered it until the barometer just touched the ground, and marked the rope. He then measured the length of the rope and the barometer, to derive the height of the tower.

The salesman went to the church and knocked on the vestry door. When the verger opened the door the salesman said, “Please, can you tell me the height of your church tower, and can I interest you in a barometer?”

So there you are!

Four different ways to solve a problem!

John Stephens

Advance Notice

The May Parish Council Meeting on 2 May will take place in the School Hall as its normal venue - The Parish Hallis being used that day for the local elections.

Memories of an ex-Launton Boy

This month the ex-Launton Boy is thinking about spring and the displays of flowers that welcome the season - not that they are visible in the rain and wet soil this year. Then his mind goes back to the hay meadows of his youth, full of a variety of grasses and a cornucopia of wildflowers, and the run up to the hay harvest after the flowers had seeded - and he recalls the smell of new-mown hay. And he remembers how as a child he and his brother would pick bunches of wildflowersfor their mum on Mothering Sunday.

Looking at my flower borders in my front garden it looks as though I am going to have an abundance of bluebells this year; my how they spread from year to year. I would hasten to add that they are the Spanish variety of bluebells, none of that pulling up illegally of our native woodland species. The same goes for my primroses and other related primula species now bursting into bloom. The time was of course, when I was growing up as a young boy in Launton, when our surrounding fields were not just fields but many were actual lush meadows, full of such a wide variety of grasses and wild flowers. They were like seascapes of daisies, buttercups, both red and white clovers, moon/ox-eye daisies, dandelions and close to the hedgerows, cowslips and primroses interspersed with violets. And there were great swathes of cow-parsley the stalks of which we kids would make small blow pipes through which to blow certain types of grass seed. Such a wondrous display was accompanied by the constant humming and buzzing of nectar-seeking bees and the streaking colours of beautiful butterflies, dragon flies, Damsel and May flies. The local farmers would wait until this abundance of gloriously scented and colourful flora had reached the point of setting seed for the following year’sfabulous display before venturing into these meadows with their tractor-drawn grass-mowing machines, commencing the first stage of the year’sprogramme of hay-making. And of such high quality was the hay for animal feed, due to the floral content therein. The sweet-scented smells of the flowers in bloom was replaced by that intoxicating smell of freshly-mown grass, to be left in

the sun to dry and be turned over to complete the drying process, after which came the time to gather the hay, releasing yet another heady and intoxicating scent, made sweeter still when gathered in the sunny heat of summer. Summer days which all these years later deceive us into believing they lasted much longer than they did, remembering them lasting for weeks instead of days.

A funny thing, the human memory! Most of us at some time in our lives have had experiences which were less than pleasant, yet when we look back over the years, the negative memories have a tendency to fade, whereas the happy memories seem to become even stronger with time. Those school summer holidays, even though spent in and around the village, across the meadows and not some exotic overseas paradise, seemed to last gleefully forever. Six weeks felt more like six months so much so, I was ready to go back to school after just four weeks holiday.

But back to the flowers; we have had such a mild winter again that plant life and bird life is becoming somewhat confused. I can count up with the fingers of one hand the number of mornings I have had to scrape the ice from my windscreen this winter. Even without central-heating, gone are the mornings when we used to wake up to the ice on the inside of the window panes.

They reckon that there are certain vegetables that are not at their best unless they have had a good frost or two on them, Brussels sprouts being one such example. I was minded to pick them in the winter and introduce them to the deep freezer for effect.

Anyway, it looks like the gorse is out in flower and there are a number of trees in those front gardens that thankfully have not been concreted, paved or tarmacedalready full of glorious blossom reminding us that the first signs of Spring are already here. We do need a drop less rain and a tadmore sunshine to emphasise the point though.

Spring, the time when the clocks spring forward (an hour less in bed), and we find ourselves with a definite spring in the step and a smile on LauntonLinesApril2024Issue281|Page44

our faces. And as I write this, we have just celebrated fond and loving memories of our respective mothers and our own children have hopefully displayed love and affection for theirs. And Easter is on the doorstep! It’sall happening again.

As a young boy with barely two farthings to rub together, there was an abundance of wildflowerswe could, back then, pick bunches of and take them home to give to mum on Mothering Sunday. Now that wildflowerscan no longer be legally picked, the florists bang up the prices many-fold for Mother’sDay (and Valentine’sDay) and make an absolute killing.

But let’sface it, our mumsare/were worth it, and more besides. For many of us, me included, our dear mothers have passed away. They may no longer be in our presence, but they remain forever deeply in our hearts, affectionately remembered not only on Mothering Sunday but every day.

Keep healthy and stay SAFE!

TonyJeacock, MInstRE | The ex-Launton Boy | April 2024

P.S.Oxford Speedway season begins at the end of the month I’m writing this (March) and for the first time ever they are promoting three teams in three different leagues, the middle of which retains the title, Oxford Cheetahs. Personally I would have preferred the Premier League team to have retained the decades old title of the Cheetahs as opposed to the newly-named Oxford Spires. The ‘dreaming’ Spires of Oxford suggests something less than tenacity in my view. If you have never been to a speedway session, give it a go. Thrills and spills, no brakes, no fear, really high octane stuff. To watch it on the TV is good, but nothing like as good as actually being there.

LauntonLinesApril2024Issue281|Page45

DiaryDates:April2024

Monday 1 Easter Monday

Tuesday 2 Rubbish Collection: garbage (green) bin | Community Caféis closed for the school holiday | Rock Chorus, Parish Hall, 7.30pm

Thursday 4 Parish Council. Public Session 7.15pm, Council Meeting 7.30pm, Launton Parish Hall

Saturday 6 Spring Fair at the Parish Hall, 10am

Sunday 7 StMary'sChurch, Holy Communion (BCP), 8am; Family Service, 11am | Weekly Quiz at The Bull, 8pm

Monday 8 Watercolour Painting Group, Parish Hall, 2pm-4pm

Tuesday 9 Rubbish Collection: recycling (blue) and garden (brown) bin | Community Caféis closed for the school holiday | Island Pond Wood Working Party, meet by the Pond, 10am | Rock Chorus, Parish Hall, 7.30pm

Wednesday10 Over 60sClub Meeting, Sports and Social Hall. Doors open 1.30pmfor refreshments at 2pm, closes about 3.30pm

Thursday 11 WIMonthly Meeting, Our Birthday Meeting with Fish & Chips, Parish Hall, 7.30pm

Friday 12 SCOTS Night at The Bull from 5.30pm

Sunday 14 StMary'sChurch, Evensong, 6pm | Weekly Quiz at The Bull, 8pm

Monday 15 Watercolour Painting Group, Parish Hall, 2pm-4pm

Tuesday 16 Rubbish Collection: garbage (green) bin | Community Caféreopens, Parish Hall: 9am11am; 2.30-4.30pm | Rock Chorus, Parish Hall, 7.30pm

Thursday 18 Annual Parish Meeting in The Parish Hall, 7.30pm

Friday 19 FINAL DATE FOR COPY FOR THE MAY 2024 ISSUE OF LAUNTON LINES: SUBMIT TO launtonlines@launton.org | Launton Environmental Society MOP2in the Parish Hall, 7.30pm

Saturday 20 Sports and Social 50thAnniversary 1980'sDisco, Sports and Social Hall, 7.30pm | Phoenix Singers, Mendelsohn'sElijah, StEdburgh'sChurch, 7.30pm

Sunday 21 StMary'sChurch, Morning Prayer, 11am | The Last Ever Weekly Quiz at The Bull, 8pm

Monday 22 Watercolour Painting Group, Parish Hall, 2pm-4pm

Tuesday 23 StGeorge'sDay - start of aspasragusseason | Rubbish Collection: recycling (blue) and garden (brown) bin | Community Café, Parish Hall: 9am-11am; 2.30-4.30pm | Rock Chorus, Parish Hall, 7.30pm

Wednesday24 Over 60sClub Meeting, Sports and Social Hall. Doors open 1.30pmfor refreshments at 2pm, closes about 3.30pm

Thursday 25 Launton Historical Society monthly meeting, Speaker Mark Davieson Beating the Ancient Bounds of Oxford City - memorable moments from the last 500 years, Parish Hall, 7.30pm

Saturday 27 Leaving Party for Karenand Brandonat The Bull, from 8pm

Sunday 28 StMary'sChurch, Holy Communion, 11am | Island Pond Wood Working Party, meet by the Pond, 10am

Monday 29 Watercolour Painting Group, Parish Hall, 2pm-4pm

Tuesday 30 Rubbish Collection: garbage (green) bin | Community Café, Parish Hall: 9am-11am; 2.30-4.30pm | Rock Chorus, Parish Hall, 7.30pm

TheParishHallNeedsYOU!

The Parish Council is very grateful for the support which the previous management committee has given to the Hall and church over the years; now that the Parish Council has taken over the management of the Parish Hall, we need members to join a new Management Committee!

Could you be that person? Have you used the Hall?

Would you like to help to shape its future?

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