The woodland is in its full multi-green glory in the recent hot weather. There are three things to report:
We have finally managed to break ground on the habitat pond at the top of the wood, with fencing to go in over the next few weeks.
We have had our regular monthly work parties both on second Tuesday of month and last Sunday of month (we could always do with more volunteers and it’sonly for couple of hours). Here is the Quiet Reflection Area at the top of the Wood after work by the Sunday Working Party
We held a Pond Dipping in the School half term at the end of May. This was kindly run by Veritiefrom BBOWT.Our most exciting find from the pond was a tadpole.
And finally - and most importantly - we are in the early planning stages of our Autumn event.
Save the date for the 25th Anniversary celebration of The Island Pond Wood. The Event will be on 21 September 2024, but the actual birthday anniversary from the mass planting in what became the Woodland will be in December - so not such good weather. Details will follow in the August issue of Launton Lines.
The regular volunteer working parties in the woodland for July 2024 will be as follows, usually with cake and tea/coffee:
Mid-week: Tuesday 9 July. Meet from 10amat the bench by the pond
Week-end: Sunday 28 July. Meet from 10amat the bench by the pond
ParishHallCommittee: The Church Parish Hall Committee has stood down, and the Parish Council is appointing a new committee.
LIGHT UP A LIFE
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 July for entry in the August 2024 issue of Launton Lines.
July 26 | Sponsored by MichelleMcIlrathand all the family, in loving memory of GeoffBarker on what would have been his 52nd birthday.
In attendance The Clerk, Mrs JaneOlds; 6 members of the public.
East / West Rail
No report had been received. If anyone has any queries, please get in contact directly at publicinformation@ewralliance.co.ukor call the 24 hour helplineon 03457 11 41 41.
Report from District and County Councillors
No report had been received from either District or County Councillors.
Finance
The Finance Report is available on the Parish Council website.
Anyone wishing to see the unaudited accounts (they are unaudited until the External Auditor - Moore- has completed their inspection) should contact the Clerk to make an appointment. More information about the rights of electors and the dates during which the electorate may see the accounts is available on the Parish Council website at https://www.launton-pc.gov.uk/financial-information/accounts2023-24/. However, much of the information is already available electronically on the website. The official ‘Electors’ Rights’ dates are from 3 June to 12 July.
Planning
All planning applications, which include the links to Cherwell’s Planning Portal, are put on the Parish Council website when they are received (www.launton-pc.gov.uk in the Agenda and Minutes section).
If a villager has concerns or comments about a planning application, they are welcome to come along to Parish Council meetings to bring them to the attention of the meeting. Villagers are also welcome to contact Councillors or the Clerk to make comments.
Guidance on how the Parish Council is able to respond to planning applications is available on the Parish Council website at https://www.launton-pc.gov.uk/planning-applications/
Village Matters
Parish Hall
The Management Committee is slowly taking shape but still needs more members! If you use the hall, have used the hall in the past or may like to use it in the future, come and join the committee to help run it.
With the redevelopment costs expanding and the funding shrinking, the Council has agreed to investigate the possibility of breaking down the project into smaller portions to make use of the currently available funding.
The Gigaclearbroadbandhad to be postponed again, but it was hoped to have a date for the installation in July.
Highway and Traffic Issues
The Speed Indicator Device on Station Road has recently been turned to face away from any traffic. OCCHighways will be rectifying the issue shortly.
We have received reports from villagers about anti-social driving which includes local businesses with sign-written vans. If you have dashcamfootage of anti-social driving or overtaking through the village you can report it to the Police at the TVPwebsite here https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/; select ‘Report’ and ‘Road Traffic Incident’; there is even the facility to uploadthe footage.
Speedwatch
There were only two sessions in May, partly due to the shortage of volunteers, but also due to the continuing wet weather.
In those two sessions a total of 575 vehicles were counted with 47 of them exceeding the limit - the maximum recorded speed was 46mph in the 20mphlimit.
It’shoped that with better weather on its way, there will be more frequent sessions. If you’dlike to help out, please contact speedwatch@launton-pc.gov.uk.
Agenda items and dates of the next meetings
The next meeting will be on Thursday 4 July in the School Hall starting at 7.30pm, as the Parish Hall will be used as the village Polling Station for the General Election. If you’dlike to chat with a Councillor, do come along after 7.15pm. To get to the School Hall, enter through the double metal gates opposite the Parish Hall Car Park, and turn right to the main entrance to the new school buildings.
Suggestions for agenda items for the 1 August meeting need to be with the Clerk by 18 July and items for the 5 September meeting by 22 August.
If you’re not signed up to our mailing list to receive news from the Parish Council, you can find a signupform at the bottom left hand menu of the Parish Council website at www.launton-pc.gov.uk/
Launton Watercolour ArtGroup
The Watercolour Classes are running every Monday in July, as there are no bank or public holidays in the month, and the General Election is on a Thursday, so classes will be on the following Mondays: 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 July.
The Group meets every Monday in the Parish Hall from 2pm. There is space for some new members at £8 per session. This work is from a member of the current class.
If you would like to join the class, emailPaul.Ebberson@gmail.com
Congratulations to our fabulous dancers, successfully gaining places in the English Youth Ballet production of Sleeping Beauty.
Also a massive thank you to all the dancers who have worked so hard in preparation for Bicester Dance Academy Annual Production at The Mill. Break a Leg!
Launton Youth FCTournament Action from
For two weekends in June there was a huge tournament on the Launton Playing Fields as Launton Youth FCorganised their 6-a-sidetournament. The front cover of this issue shows a drone view of the Fields set up with the six pitches used. Here are some more photos of the action over the Tournament.
the weekends of 8-9 and 15-16 June 2024
Photos from Launton Youth FC
LauntonWIreportingforJune2024
At our June meeting we were entertained by an interesting talk by Ann Sharmanabout an Indian wedding that she attended.
Even the wedding invitation she received from her work colleague was a work of art in a box. It was a fascinating evening and drew us in to the world of a Hindu wedding ceremony which can last for three or four days.
Our next regular monthly meeting is on 11 July when the speaker will be Gillian Cane on The MitfordSisters (who have local links from Swinbrook, near Burford, where they grew up).
Then we have some great events coming up and would love to invite members and non-members to join us.
Croquet Challenge, Wednesday 24 July, with a bring and share lunch.
BBQ, Thursday 15 August, early evening, time and venue to be announced.
French Breakfast, Saturday 12 October, morning. Further information later
Our regular meetings are held on the second Thursday in the month, starting at 7.30pmin LauntonParish Hall. For more information about events and joining LauntonWI, contact our Secretary, Hilary, by phone on 01869 241989, or emailat launtonwi@oxfordshirewi.co.uk
Lesley Thompson
Stop Press
The Grand Quiz evening held jointly by LauntonWI and Langford Village WI on Friday 28 June at the Sports and Social Hall had over 120 people attending, and 17 teams competing: the vast majority opted for the £9 ticket that included a ploughman’ssupper. The quiz, set and delivered by two honorary members of LangfordVillage WI, was wide ranging and challenged the audience. After all expenses the event raised £339.33 for each of the two WIs(see page 35 for a photo).
Launton Over 60sClub report for June 2024
If you are over the age of 60 and have nothing exciting to do on a Wednesday afternoon, come and join us at our village Club. We meet on alternate Wednesdays from 1.30pmuntil about 3.30pmin the Launton Sports and Social Hall. Our membership fee is a mere £5 per annumwith a £1 entrance charge at each meeting. Raffle tickets cost 50pa strip and bingo books are 50peach. You can buy as many or as few as you wish. There is always a good selection of raffle prizes as everyone is asked to bring a small contribution - for example tinned fruit or veg, biscuits, and chocolate (always popular!).
We have time for a chat before we start, with a free cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit.
Our meetings this month are on 3, 17, and 31 July. For the meeting on 31 July we have a lunch which is free to all our members and the bar will be open - so join as soon as you can! New members are always very welcome. We look forward to seeing you all.
Pat Court | Membership Secretary | 01869 244900
Poppy Cascades for Launton
There was a great turnout for our poppy meeting in June, around 20 people. We decided it was time to attach some of the many beautiful poppies we have received, made by people from the village.
We started with a 3mx3mpiece of camouflage netting which will adorn the area near the war memorial. Some of us attached the poppies whilst others finished putting tags on the back to attach them. With poppies that were brought along to the meeting in June and all those collected so far, we now have an incredible 2078 poppies, quite a sight to see them all together and decorating the netting, we hope it will be quite a spectacle when it’sinstalled.
We received great news that Launton School are going to be joining in with the poppy making in September. We look forward to seeing all the poppies that they add to the cascade.
We have another meeting in Launton Parish Hall on Thursday 18 July this time from 10.00 to 11.30. Please come and join us. No particular skills involved and it’svery easy to attach the poppies.
For more information, please contact any of the following:
The Good, The Bad, and The Urgency ...
Good news is often hard to come by. But when it comes to solving the Biggest Problem facing Mankind today, there is some! Not everyone sees Global Warming as a Huge Problem, but a growing number do.
There are encouraging signs on all levels of society: from the United Nation’songoing COP conferences to Launton’snew MOP meetings; from government programs (The UK is leading the world in renewable energy) to local innovations like The Cherwell Collective, Bicester Green, and our own LES.
Most people are trying to do their bit: for some working ridiculously hard to reduce their carbon footprint to others diligently doing their little bit. Denial has had its day; Despair is not part of the solution. We are moving in the right direction. We are starting to make a difference.
But...
Now for the Bad news. That important goal (set by the UN) of keeping our carbon emissions down so that Global Warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrialtemperatures by 2040 or even 2050 is not going to be met.
Slightly hidden amidst all the political campaigning, a very disturbing number was in the news recently. Globally we have just gone through 12 months where the average global temperature was 1.52 degrees above pre-industrial
levels, and it is only 2024! This is most certainly not a one off, and the trend is undeniably going in the wrong direction.
2024 seems to be the year of elections, 40% of humanity will go to the polls this year. Politicians need to get elected. They tend to tell us what we want to hear, not what we have to do. There is one notable exception. OlafScholz.As Germany suffered deadly floods last week, he said that events of this type cannot be looked upon as “one off” and he went on to underline the need for greater urgency in addressing Climate Change.
We have pumped almost the same amount of greenhouse gases (948Gt) into the atmosphere since 1991 (so in 33 years) than in the rest of human history (785Gt).
We must all do something about this problem; ignoring it will not make it go away. If we do not work on cutting our greenhouse emissions now things are going to get pretty ugly.
Edfrom LES
P.S.if you want to know more and even do more, please come to our/your meeting - MOP IIIon Thursday 18 July at 7:30pmin The Parish Hall.
The General Election result in Bicester and Woodstock
Here is a breakdown of the full results from the election on 4 July:
We are on the final countdown to our summer variety show It’s Showtime! There are performances at 1:30pmand 6pm on Saturday 20 July and at 2.30pm on Sunday 21 July. The show is suitable for the whole family and will include some songs all related to all sorts of shows, from musicals to circus and carnival to LasVegas!
Do come along and see the fun with Jigs in a Jiffy and a different kind of ballet! It will be a real variety show and offers lots of amusing moments as well as a few surprises! Short comedy sketches include an author pitching his book and even an insight into how the Olympic Games were decided! As they say, and the song has it, “Anything goes”. The 1:30pmperformance on Saturday 20 July will be a “relaxed performance”, aimed at those who might require a more relaxed environment. The show will be exactly the same but will involve the following adaptations:
Music will be turned down.
We will provide a small area to be used as a chill out space.
A visual story will be made available before the show.
The cast and crew will have an open attitude towards audience noise and movement.
We are performing in our Big Shed Theatre at Hare LeysFarm, Launton, Bicester OX265AB.Please bring along chairs to sit on. If you can’tmanage this we will have a few spare chairs available. There is plenty of parking, and disabled parking spaces are nearer the venue. Doors will open 45 minutes before each show. Refreshments will be on offer before the show as well as in the interval, including prosecco, Pimms, fruit juice, tea and coffee, as well as homemadecakes and ice creams. We take cash and contactlesscard payments.
To book tickets go to www.ticketsource.co.uk/lvp. Tickets cost £12 adult, £6 children (booking fee applies). You can book refreshments as well, but you will be able to buy these on the day too. If you are unable to buy online, call us on 07864 715708 for cash and cheque purchases.
As well as celebrating all kinds of shows we are also raising money for Bicester Baby Bank and our own Stage Block Fund, so there will be a raffle with some lovely hampers as prizes. We hope you will be able to support us at the same time as you help raise funds for these causes. If you have any questions, please contact us on 07864 715708 or by emailtickets@launtonvillageplayers.org.uk We look forward to seeing you and thank you, as always, for your support.
The LVP Team
For more information, see the poster on page 43 of this issue.
Launton Classic and RetroCar Show
The first Launton Classic and RetroCar Show was on Saturday 22 June on the Launton Playing Fields, after being organised in just 7 weeks. We were lucky with the weather after a wet start early in the morning, but by the time the show started sunshine was on its way. Across the day we welcomed over 150 cars to display from classics to retroto the unusual. As well as the wonderful cars we had an Engine from Bicester Fire Station, and entertainment for children in the form of bouncy castles, go karts and a racing simulator. We would like to say a massive thank you to all of the exhibitors: without you there would not have been a show. Thank you to the traders and all the visitors who attended. In addition thank you to everyone in the village for their support with this event. We would also like to thank the show sponsors NolanOils, Prestige Valet, Greenland Recovery and Transportation, and First Choice Medical, and to Peter Deeleyfor the parking field
The biggest thank you needs to go to all of the volunteers who helped us on the day to make sure the show ran smoothly. We appreciate the Launton Playing Field Association allowing us to use the playing field. This was a free event so we just asked for donations to the LPFAif people wanted to and we were overwhelmed by the amount we received. The final total is not confirmed but it looks like we are near £1,000! See photos on pages 22-23.
Gavinand Kirsty
Today the reception children are talking to us about hedgehog conservation.
To help hedgehogs be able to move around and not get trapped in your garden you can create a hedgehog highway by making a small gap in the bottom of the fence. This means hedgehogs can move easily and find new food and water, and also avoid any bigger animals like dogs or cats.
To help protect themselves, hedgehogs roll into a ball and their spikes mean that other animals can’ttouch them without getting hurt.
We can feed hedgehogs, they can eat cat and dog food and need to have water, but cannot have milk because they are allergic to it and it will make them poorly. If you do leave a bowl of water out it needs to be shallow so that the hedgehog can’tfall in and drown. If you have a pond you can put a ladder or a ramp in it to help hedgehogs who have fallen in to get out.
If you are having a bonfire you need to check it and get any hedgehogs out before you set it on fire.
We can make a hedgehog house from a plastic box, but not a cardboard box because this will break when it rains. The house helps protect any food we leave out so that cats can’teat it. To stop the house being blown away by the wind we can put a brick on top, a brick is better than a banana at making sure the house doesn’tmove.
In class we have made some clay hedgehogs and some posters which are around school telling people how they can care for hedgehogs (see the pictures on the facing page).
Reporting on hedgehogs
Clay hedgehogs and an information poster made by the children in the Reception class.
People in and from the village
Launton Lines records significant events in the village. We try to list births, marriages, civil partnerships, significant birthdays, and deaths as we get information.
A Big Birthday In Launton
This month, MurielBeck is 103 on 4 July. Happy Birthday, Muriel.The photo is one we used for Muriel’s100th Birthday
And there are two deaths to report
DonnaGardinerof Station Road died on 27 April 2024
Clement Jeacockof Bicester Road died on 27 March 2024
Photos from Launton School
Some of the cars on display at the Show on the Playing Fields on 22 June 2024. See page 19 for the report.
Photos from the organisers, Gavinand Kirsty
Well Done George Hetherington!
Georgeis now 18 years old. When he was just 16 he started going to the gym and took up weight lifting.
In April of this year he decided to go in for Power Lifting and on Saturday 15 June he took part in his first competition in The South Midlands Divisional Power Lifting Competition at Maidenhead.
He trained himself very hard and kept to a very rigid diet and regime for two months, but it all paid off for him.
Georgewon the competition and is now ranked third in the country for his age and weight in Power Lifting competition
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
Meanwhile he is studying at Cooper School Sixth Form to take his “A” levels: Georgeis a young man who sets himself targets and has shown through his determination, hard work and perseverance he has achieved something really worthwhile.
Again WELL DONE GEORGE!
StMary’sFayre Saturday 7 September 2024
Save the date!
This year’sStMary’sFayrewill once again take place in the lovely front garden of the Old Rectory and the Church and Churchyard, on Saturday 7 September from 2pm until 4pm; our thanks to Tom and BeckySowlerfor hosting us again (see flyer on page 38).
Come along and enjoy all the stalls, which will include cakes, plants, produce, books, tombola, and toys, as well as children’sgames and a craft activity. There will also be tea, coffee and cake and a chance to sit and chat.
Also, as part of the StMary’sFayre, there’sa Flower Pot Festival in the Church, and even outside, to enjoy. It’sa chance to be creative and show your talents, so do join us to make this Festival special. It will be lovely to see the various ways in which flower pots can be used to make many different things, from flower pot men to spiders! If you would like to enter the Flower Pot Festival or require any information please contact:one of the following: Email: events@stmaryslaunton.org.uk. or complete this form and return to LangdaleHouse, Station Road, Launton, OX265DS
Name
emailor address
Data Protection Byenteringyouagreetoourholdingyourdetailsforthedurationoftheevent
Thank you for your support. There will be more information in the next Launton Lines.
The “Junk Mail” question
Following the report in last month’sissue about the emailwe’d received demanding that we do not deliver Launton Lines to addresses with “No Junk Mail” notices, there was considerable response on village Facebookpages, and from the onlinesurvey we set up for readers to vote on the question.
The Facebookresponse supported our view (If the sender gave us an address we’dstop delivering, but in the absence of an address we won’tstop delivering to all addresses with the notice, and we’dbe informed by the results of the onlinesurvey). One response said, “I’ve got a ‘No Junk Mail’ notice but please continue to deliver”, and a number said they didn’tregard Launton Lines as junk mail.
The onlinesurvey had 27 responses as at 26 June. There was only one vote for “No, don’tdeliver it”. The pie chart shows the results. The survey will
Oneofthemostimportant decisionsyouwillmake ischoosingtherightaccountant. Contact us today foraFREEinitialmeeting. We will proactivelylisten toyourbusinessneeds andcreatepersonalisedsolutions.
remain open for a few weeks more: to vote, go to the following url: https://tinyurl.com/lldeliver
So we will continue to deliver to houses with “No junk mail” notices, unless they provide us with an address, and agree to update their request annually.
We are currently working on a larger reader survey: watch out for it later in the year.
By the way, I am even more convinced that the original emailcame from a spamsite. It just doesn’tread like a human is behind it.
RobertCornford, Editor
Friday 17 July
PETTY
SESSIONS Pea Stealing at Launton JamesLong, RobertLong and John Jones, all labourers of Launton, were summoned for stealing peas, and doing damage to the amount of 6d, at Launton, on June 27, the property of MrC R Killby, of Manor Farm, Launton
Defendants not appearing in person, being only represented by their wives, service of summons was proved by PC Stockford.
MrWilliamEdwardTownsend, foreman to MrKillby, spoke to seeing the three defendants in the morning of June 27, picking peas in a field. He was about thirty yards distant from the place where the defendants were, when he first noticed them. He caught RobertLong first, and the other defendants afterwards,
In answer to the Chairman, MrTownsendsaid the defendants had a basket each with them. He did not examine the baskets. He watched them picking for about ten minutes.
By MrMarsham- I saw the defendants put the peas in their baskets.
By the Chairman - I should think a man
Continued on pages 28-29
could pick a peck of peas in ten minutes. I do not know the worth.
Superintendent Moulden- We pay 1sa peck for peas.
The Chairman asked what the wives of the defendants had to say. The women stated that they had nothing to say. They came there on purpose to meet their husbands and they though they should have seen them there.
In reply to MrMarsham, MrTownsendsaid - We have not missed any peas before. There is no path on the side of the field there were, but there is one on the other.,
The Chairman (to the women, after the magistrates had consulted a few minutes) - If your husbands had been here we should not have inflicted so heavy a penalty; but, in their not putting in an appearance there, that day, the Bench looked upon it as a “contempt” of the Court. We therefore fine them 10seach and 8s2dcosts, or one month’shard labour.
In answer to MrHarrison, the women stated that their husbands took their baskets with them to work in the morning to carry their victuals in. They worked for MrFoster, of HungrillFarm, Launton.
The Chairman - You should have said that before.
The women paid the cash.
Stray Donkey at Launton RichardBottrell, labourer of Launton, was summoned by PC GeogeStockfordfor allowing a donkey to stray on the highway at Launton on June 27.
Defendant - Not guilty; I am not going to say the donkey was not loose, but it was within two or three yards of my doorway.
PC Stockforddeposed that a little after eleven o’clock, on Saturday night June 27, he saw a donkey straying on the highway at Launton. He saw the defendant and asked him if the animal was his and he replied “Yes; it’smine.” Witness had frequently cautioned defendant about his donkeys, as they had strayed into peoples’ gardens, etc.
By the Chairman - It was straying near the defendant’shouse. The
donkey is supposed to be kept at his mother’shouse. Defendant said three hours ago he tied the donkey to the cart
Defendant - In consequence of what I said to him, when he asked me about another donkey, he has been “harping” on at me ever since, and he told me that he would have me at the first opportunity. The donkey was tied to the cart on the highway.
The Chairman - You have no permission to put your cart or donkey on the highway at all. If you will promise not to repeat the offence, we will dismiss the summons on payment of the costs (6s).
Defendant promised to do so, and paid the money, after which he commenced to make an allegation against Police-constable Stockfordof calling publicans up late at night, and asked the Chairman if that was right.
The Chairman - If you have anything to bring against the policeman, take out a summons and bring it before us.
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.
Registeredcharity number1199171
We are also asking people, businesses, and interested groups to Sponsor a Tile (though the roof will be covered with zinc sheets).
Two pieces of hot news we’vepicked up at the Crossroads. First, the Bicester Road will be closed in the near(ish) future for (more) work on the railway bridge. No date fixed yet - just an alert. And maybe (just possibly) this will coincide with the repair and resurfacing of Bicester Road.
Second, the County Council has issued a report that - because of the very heavy rains over the winter - all alerts on drainage and flooding issues have been suspended and cancelled. So anything reported by Fix My Street or direct to OCCon flooding or water dispersal has been removed from the system and hence remedial work has not been recorded. Just the wrong sort of rain, and too much of it, and at the wrong time. So, if you reported drainage or flooding issues over the past year (like blocked road drains and gulleys, or silted-up ditches, or surface water (or worse) discharges from the pumping station) just resubmitthem to OCCor through Fix My Street!
Updates from The Bull
We now have our kitchen working and a chef in place and offer lunchtime and evening menus.
On Saturday 13 July we will have a Family Day in the pub and the garden with a barbecue and a Bouncy Castle. Come and join us with family and friends.
On Saturday 10 August there will be an all-day (from 12 noon onwards) HoedownDance Day with Line and Barn Dancing, music, a barbecue, and - we hope - a special surprise guest. Do come dressed up! Natashahas promised to be Dolly Parton. The Dance Day will be raising money for Thames Valley Air Ambulance and The Hummingbird Centre.
A reminder of our opening times: Mondays to Thursdays: 12 noon to 10pm Fridays and Saturdays: 12 noon to 11pm Sundays: 12 noon to the end of the quiz, around 10pm
Seen around the village in June
Clockwise from top left: Sports and Social Hall full for the WI Quiz (see page 12 - photo from Launton WI); A Roe deer in the Woodland on 25 June (JonSpinage); A Hawk Moth in the grass (MaryBrydon); Sunset on 16 June from Bicester Road (EllaRayner); Duck and chicks on the path from Yew Tree to the care home (EllaRayner).
StMary’sChurchFayre
Memories of an ex-Launton boy
This month the ex-Launton Boy goes a bit political, what with the 2024 General Election taking place just after this issue hits the streets. First, he encourages readers to vote - it’simportant. Then he opens his memory bank from growing up in Launton. The founding of the welfare state and the NHS feature early on, and memories of the Soviet invasion of Hungary and the Suez Crisis (both in 1956). Then he recalls his father’srefusal to have Margaret Thatcher on television in the house, and her much-remembered remark that “there is no such thing as society” that he sees as beginning the downhill slide in politics and public life.
Promises; promises; promises and yet even more promises. You’ve guessed it, another General Election and concentrated efforts to win our votes.
Well, I could get very political in these pages as indeed I do otherwise at election time, although this time I have very much taken a back seat, letting the younger and more energetic ones take over.
I come from a family that always insisted on voting at election times, and rightly so. Nothing annoys me more than opinionated people condemning governments of whatever shade but who cannot be bothered to get off their backsidesto go and vote. There is no excuse, not even for people who may be too physically disabled to get to the polling station; they can elect to vote by Postal Ballot, which is what I do anyway. This goes back to the days when I was very actively involved on Election Day getting the vote out, and almost forgetting to vote myself. I have kept the postal vote option ever since.
Although not a political activist, my dad was staunch Labour on the basis that Labour brought in the Welfare State, which by the way was the creation of the Liberals (LloydGeorgeand, later, Beveridge), as I would often tell my dad, but it never made any difference to him. As far as he was concerned, Labour introduced it into our lives, added to which they introduced Bevan’sNHS, both of which he benefitted
from during his early years of very ill health.
I have no idea how the majority of the village voted back then during my childhood, but I do know we always had a Conservative MP.
It was in 1978 I believe, when the LibLabpact was formed to save going for a General Election which the Tories were calling for but which the nation could not afford, having gone to the IMF with capin-hand with the UK being on the edge of bankruptcy, that I switched from Labour to become a member of the Liberal Party, of which I have been a paid-up member ever since, including it morphinginto the LibDems.
I believe my political leanings to the left of centre (not extreme leftwing) became apparent during my school days. As I have stated before, I became aware of national and world affairs at a very young age. I can still vividly remember the Hungarian uprising against Russian occupation in 1956, along with memories of the Suez crisis in the same year, and dad’spetrol coupons as petrol was rationed for a while.
I have a particular memory of dad, after I had left the army, when visiting mum and dad and the TV was on in the background when Margaret Thatcher came on the screen preaching about something or other. My dad was frantically looking for the remote control to change the channel, snapping, “I’llnot have that ‘umman’ in my house”. I think Margaret Thatcher was a bit like Marmite; people either loved her or loathed her.
I think what got a lot of people, myself included, was when she in so many words suggested there was no such thing as ‘society’.
As I have written on other occasions, when I was growing up as a young boy in Launton, there was very much a thing called ‘society’, where everyone looked out for each other. If someone in the village had not been seen out at all during the day, people would come knocking to check that everything was alright.
Sadly, after Thatcher’spolitics there seemed to become a noticeable change in that more and more people were effectively taking the stance, “I’m alright Jack and to hell with the rest of you”. So many people adopted the ‘Me! Me! Me!’ attitude. Good manners flew out of the window, although queuing remained part of our national character.
I gather that Launton is now covered by a new constituency of Bicester and Woodstock, including all the villages from Launton and Blackthorn to Stonesfield, and including Kidlington.There was a few years back a proposal to include Launton in the Henley on Thames constituency, which was killed off. And, of course, Launton was in the Henley constituency many years ago. All the polls so far show the new constituency as “too close to predict”. We wait to see the winner on 5 July. Now you don’tneed me to tell you how very important it is to get out there and cast your vote. “No vote / no comment”, I say. Even if it is to spoil one’sballot paper as a sort of protest, one will have made one’sfeelings known (secretly of course), through the ballot box, because believe me, a spoiled paper is not simply dismissed out of hand, it is actually scrutinised and shown to candidates or their representatives to agree the reason for rejection. Furthermore, it adds to the very important ‘turn-out’ figures. Well, I don’tknow about you, but I have the feeling that things can only get better. They surely cannot get much worse domestically. But keep an eye out on the horizon; a very real threat is coming from the East, and very worryingly, we are as a nation not ready. Never mind twenty-five days a year of National Service (crazy idea), I might have to seriously consider joining a modern-day version of Dad’sArmy!
Keep healthy and stay SAFE!
TonyJeacock, MInstRE | The ex-Launton Boy | July 2024
