A December visitor from the North Pole
The Bull Inn hosted a Breakfast with Santa on 14 December last year. Here the Elderly Gentleman from The North is joined by Alexis(left) and Evie(right) after enjoying a cooked breakfast. The Reindeer had some carrots in the garden. Photo by KatieGilbride
The cover shows the level crossing on the London Road in Bicester that East West Rail now propose to close to vehicle traffic and divert the traffic onto existing roads. There is a report on pages 20-21 from a public meeting in LangfordVillage Hall on 6 January with news on how to campaign for this not to happen. Cover designed by Matt Hill.
The Editor writes
Sorry about the delay - a mix of health and software problems meant that this is a two-month issue for January and February combined.
The front cover shows the level crossing on London Road, by Bicester Village station, that East West Rail propose closing to vehicles - providing only a footbridge or an underpass for pedestrians.
There is also a report on pages 20-21 from the meeting held on 6 January in LangfordVillage Hall to explore sensible alternatives. The traffic statistics are terrifying: in November 2023 there were just under 63,000 vehicles using the crossing in one week - that’sjust under 9,000 a day. Where will they go? According to East West Rail “work has demonstrated that motorised traffic could feasibly be diverted onto existing roads without users incurring significant delays or disruption”. How many of these 9,000 vehicles will feasibly come through Launton, do you think? It’stoolatetotakepartintheEWRconsultation,butwecanlobbyourMP (CalumMiller),theMinisterforRail(LordHendy)ortheMinisterfor Transport(HeidiAlexander).Contactemailsareonpage21.
An extended Parish Council report covering four meetings is on pages 57, a short piece from out District Council team (page 8), a piece with photo from the Community Carol Concert on page 40, an article from our new medical reporter on hip replacements ((pages 27-29), an update from FoLPH (pages 30 and 16), news of the 7th TytheBarn Quiz on 7 March (page 38), two pages (34-35) from Launton Ladies FC, and sad news of the death of two Historical Society members on page 22. Please support our advertisers: we need them to keep Launton Lines going.
RobertCornford
Launton Lines
A monthly newsletter for Launton. Published around the first of each month by the Launton Community Communications Group © 2025 Launton Lines email:launtonlines@launton.orgwebsite:https://launton.org/launton-lines/
The Launton Lines Committee 2024-2025
Chair: JonSpinage | Secretary: KateGreig | Editors: RobertCornford, Matt Hill Treasurer: CarinaCollins | Distribution: ShirleyJohnson | Advertising: JenniWalker
Contact the Parish Council
WhilewearewithoutaClerk, you cancontacttheCouncilbyemailat clerk@launton-pc.gov.uk or on the Council'smobileat 07305303889
To book the Parish Hall
Contact:JoanPacker Phone:07922042133
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’s Church 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 February 2025 for entry in the March 2025 issue of Launton Lines.
January 1 | Sponsored by SamanthaCollin. Thinking of Mum and Dad [Kathand MickAyris] as we start our first New Year without you both. With love from all the family.
January 4 | 1992 JoanFoster [mum].
Happy memories of a loving caring mum where family meant everything. A dedicated teacher at Launton school, a true friend and a person who encouraged Launton community to work together to make it a better place.
We love you and never forget you, from Wendy, Carolineand JamesFosterxxx
January 9 | Sponsored by Janeand Caroline. In loving memory of MonaHawes, born 9 January 1925, who spent 65 years living in Launton.
January 9 | Sponsored by Maureenand Bob Roberts to celebrate the birthday of Bob’saunt, EileenBennett, a family favourite.
February 8 | Sponsored by Mrs Gill Walton. In loving memory of her mum, Mrs AnneColeman, who would have been 100 on 8 February 2025. 12 years without you.
February 8 | Sponsored by Bob Roberts to celebrate the birthdayof his mother, AnnRoberts.
Combined notes from four meetings of the Parish Council, held on Thursday 5 December 2024 at 7:30pmin the Parish Hall (ordinary meeting); Thursday 12 December at 12 noon in the Parish Hall(extraordinarymeeting);Thursday9January 2025 at 7:30pmin the School Hall (ordinary meeting); and Friday 17 January 2025 at 5:00pmin the Parish Hall(extraordinary meeting)
A procedural oversight meant that the Chairman had not been formally appointed as temporary Proper Officer of the Council at the November meeting, which limited the amount that could be done on 5 December and meant that many agenda items were deferred to future meetings; this oversight was rectified at the Extraordinary Meeting on 12 December.
Councillors present MrGlynAustin (12 December onwards), Mr AndrewBriant(Vice Chairman; not 12 December), Mrs JackieHackett, MrSimonTurner (Chairman) and Mrs JaquelineWebber Apologies 12 December: MrAndrewBriant.
In attendance 5 December: 3 members of the public. 12 December: MrGlynAustin (participated as a Councillor after his co-option). 9 January: 2 members of the public. 17 January: 1 member of the public.
East West Rail
It is expected there will be no further reports from East West Rail. If anyone has queries, contact directly at publicinformation@ewralliance.co.uk or call the 24-hourhelplineon 03457 11 41 41.
Reports from District and County Councillors
No reports had been received.
Governance
The Chairman was formally appointed as temporary Proper Officer of the Council (as well as Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer) on 12 December to enable the full functioning of the Council to continue until a locum Clerk is appointed.
The Council received the resignation of Mrs AbiDowmandue to increased pressures of work and thanked her for her service. It was also pleased to co-opt and welcome GlynAustin as a Councillor, meaning that there are still two Councillor vacancies.
There have still been no applications for the vacant role of Parish Clerk: details of the vacancy may be found on the Parish Council website. Anyone interested in the position should contact the Chairman, SimonTurner: simon.turner@launton-pc.gov.ukor call the Parish Council’smobile number (07305 303889).
Finance
The Finance Report is available on the Parish Council website.
On 17 January the Council considered the detailed budget and agreed the level of £62,054 for the year 2025/26. This took into account the range of Parish responsibilities, including the village grass cutting and weed spraying, the dog bin emptying, meeting costs, saving for replacement street furniture (such as bins and benches), other reserves and of course the Parish Hall, which continues to be an ongoing focus.
The Parish had been given the Tax Base figure (broadly, the number of Band D equivalent dwellings in the village) by CDCwhich was estimated at 620.1; this was a very slight increase from 619.9 the previous year. Following the calculations, it was agreed to leave the Precept at £51,592, the same as the previous year. The annual cost to a Band D household would be approximately £83.20 - a decrease of £0.03.
More information about how the Tax Base figure is calculated is available on the Parish Council website at https://www.launtonpc.gov.uk/ financial-information/financing-the-parish-council/
For anyone interested, the draft budget and Precept calculations can be found on the Parish Council website under the 17 January items for information at https://www.launton-pc.gov.uk/agenda-and-minutes/ 2024-2025-agenda-and-minutes/
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 about 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/
Parish Hall
The Parish Hall Development Advisory Group have made good progress towards finding a solution for the roof and presented their recommendations for replacing the roof to the Council at the 9 January meeting; due to time constraints and the late availability of some information, this was further considered at the 17 January meeting. It is hoped that we will be able to bring the recommendation to fruition, with work commencing in March, but there are still some issues that need to be resolved first.
Highway and Traffic Issues: Speedwatch
The Speedwatchteam will always welcome volunteers - if you’dlike to help out, please contact speedwatch@launton-pc.gov.uk Note that the team has currently suspended operations until the days get longer and the weather improves.
Village Spring Clean
A date for your diaries. We hope to hold our annual Spring Clean and litter pick on Saturday 15 March between 10amand 12 noon from the Parish Hall. Do come and join us!
Agenda items and dates of the next meetings
ThenextmeetingwillbeonThursday6February2025inLauntonParish Hall,startingat7.30pm.Ifyou’dliketochatwithaCouncillor,docome alongafter7.15pm.
Suggestionsforagendaitemsforthe6Marchmeetingneedtobewiththe Clerkby20Februaryanditemsforthe3Aprilmeetingby20March.
Ifyou’renotsigneduptoourmailinglisttoreceivenewsfromtheParish Council,youcanfindasignupformatthebottomleft-handmenuofthe ParishCouncilwebsiteatwww.launton-pc.gov.uk/
Reporting from our CDCCouncillors
Cherwell District Local Plan
As some of you may be aware, the updated Cherwell District Local Plan 2042 has now been published and is open for public consultation. This document is an important one as it informs where the future planning and development of Cherwell District will take place. The consultation is open until 14 February. There is more information about the consultation, as well as how to contribute, here: https://cherwell.citizenspace.com/planningpolicy/cherwell-local-plan-review-2042/
After the consultation closes on 14 February, the local plan will be sent to the Secretary of State for independent consideration and your comments will be considered by the appointed Planning Inspector.
Flooding
Unfortunately, with weather conditions seeming to be worse in the last couple of weeks, there have been many instances of flooding across the ward. We have been working with parish councils and officers to understand the effect of this flooding and how we can prevent or lessen it in the future. Please do get in touch if you have been affected and we will see what we can do to help. There are also help pages onlineat the Oxfordshire Flooding Toolkit.More information can be found here: https://www.oxfordshirefloodtoolkit.com/
BotleyWest Solar Farm
The registration period for the BotleyWest Solar Farm proposal has now opened on the Planning Inspectorate website. You have until 27 February 2025 to comment on the proposal. You can do so here: https://nationalinfrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010147/ register/register-have-your-say If you have not registered by 27 February you will not be able to make further comments during the examination phase of the consultation.
Get in Touch
As always, please do get in touch! Our emailsare as follows: gemma.coton@cherwell-dc.gov.uk alisa.russell@cherwell-dc.gov.uk julian.nedelcu@cherwell-dc.gov.uk or phone us on 01869 717712.
Gemma, Alisa, and Julian
Launton Watercolour ArtGroup
The Watercolour Group will meet on the first Mondays in February, on 3, 10, 17, and 24. Classes are held in the Parish Hall, between 2pm and 4pm. The picture this month is from a class member.
Our Tutor is David Meeks.The Bull has some of his pictures on display in the dining area, and various class members have displayed pictures in the pub in the past. If you would like more information, or to join the class, email Paul.Ebberson@gmail.com
Colinis retiring and moving to Essex to be nearer his family.
He and his wife Freddiehave been here for about 30 years and for most of those has had association with St. Mary’sin some form or other.
He has been a Licensed Lay Minister for all that time and for the last several years has regularly conducted Evensong at Launton, and also led the War Memorial service on several occasions (see photo on the right).
In his sermon he mentioned that he was baptised when he was 3 weeks old, in 1941, as it was war time and future prospects looked bleak.
The congregation gave him a M&S voucher and an orchid for Freddie.
NEWS FROM STMARY’S CHURCH
SERVICES & EVENTS IN FEbRUARY2025
You are most welcome to join our Services and Events listed here. All are in StMary’sChurch
2 February 8.00amBCPHoly Communion 11.00amFamily Service - Baptism
3 February 2.30pmFellowship Group in Church
9 February 6.00pmEvensong
16 February 11.00amHoly Communion
17 February 2.30pmFellowship Group in Church
23 February 1.00amMorning Prayer
25 February 11.00amHoly Communion
It is always advisable to refer to the Facebookpage for StMary’sChurch Launton for the most up-to-date information in case any last minute changes have been necessary, or please contact RevdSarah revsarahmortimer@outlook.com 07876 188 519 or one of the Churchwardens
PLEASE NOTE
The morning Community Caféis open again during term time: Tuesdays, from 9.00amto 11.00am Why not call in for a cuppaand a chat?
Please also catch up with our recent events including our new family fun events. A new fun morning is being prepared for the February half term - on 18 February. Please see details on our facebookpage DO
Kings’ CaféFriday 3 January 2025
The St. Mary’sFamily Ministry Team hosted the second Family Fun morning at the beginning of January with a Kings’ Caféin the Hall. For the theme, we picked up the story of The Three Wise Men (aka Kings) puzzling over their star charts and being guided by the new bright star to Baby Jesus. Families enjoyed biscuit decorating, star-related crafts and an opportunity to solve puzzles including a conga to collect the puzzle pieces of a mystery phrase (see photos on page 31). The cosy prayer space was very popular and gave families a moment of peace and reflection. Scientific Sam explained more about the bright star the Wise Men would have seen and taught us about constellations of stars. All children went home with a story book and a beautiful, knitted star (with many thanks to Elaineand the other kind knitters and crochetersof Launton for these wonderful creations). Many thanks to Rev. Sarahand the large team of volunteers for all the hard work put into this event. We are looking forward to the next family event. Please look out on the St. Mary’sFacebookpage for more details.
The Family Ministry Team at St. Mary’s
Launton WIreporting...
A hardy bunch of members turned out on a very cold evening and were duly entertained by PamNewellwho took us on A Sunny Walk in the Cherwell Valley, accompanied by her enthusiastic and knowledgeable speaking, and slides. We were taken on a walk of about 5 miles, starting at Thruppand following the canal and footpaths to Hampton Gay, Hampton Poyle, Kidlingtonand back to Thruppfor refreshments at Annie’sTearoom. Along the way various points of interest were mentioned, being tasters to encourage us to investigate further.
The business meeting was then held, the main items including:
1.OxfordshireWIAGM will be on 19 March, with tickets available at £10
2.Thedeferred visit to the Houses of Parliament will now be on 29 April, the cost being £32.00
3.TheJanuary social will be on the 20th for coffee and cake at The Bull with proceeds going to The Hummingbird Centre
4.Subscriptionsfor 2025 are due in April and will be £51.00
Every year the WIsubmit various resolutions, many of which over the years, have had a big influence on national affairs. This year we have been asked to vote for one of the following on the short list, which will then be taken to the national WIAGM along with decisions from all round the country, and one will be voted in as the national campaign for the year:
a. Let’stalk about incontinence
b. Bystanders can be lifesavers
c. Join the repair revolution
d. Eliminate landfillof medication packaging. After some discussion we voted for a. to go to the National meeting.
The competition was for ‘Something Sunny’. The winner was Maretta, with Cathyand Eleanorcoming second and third.
The next meeting is on 13 February at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall when our speaker will be HelenaMcBridetalking about Cleaning your house, cleaning your mind, cleaning your life, and taking back control. New members and guests are always welcome.
Joan
Just a quick reminder that Launton Sports and Social is your local family and dog friendly pub/bar in the heart of the community of Launton, run by a small and perfectly formed group of volunteers and OPEN TO ALL - THERE IS NO MEMBERSHIP required. We show all major sporting events, including Sky Sports and TNT Sports, serving a wide range of drinks, including Real Ale. We have been serving the community for over 50 years, as a Sports and Social event venue.
We also have an event hall for hire which has seen many various types of events from birthday parties to weddings, along with the regular events that the LPFAput on for the community. Please visit our brand new website www.launtonsportsandsocial.co.uk for further information, a fantastic photo gallery, an events list and booking details. We hope to see you and your families soon for our upcomingevents!!
15
February 2025
Disco Bingo
Come and join us for a fun Disco Bingo evening! £2 per game, 5 games in total! First game 8pm. 8pmstart
22
February 2025
Family Bingo
Come and join us for a fun family Bingo Cash prizes for Adults and chocolate for the children! 7.30pm start
28
February 2025
Sports quiz - hosted by Town Church Bicester
Details - to be confirmed. 6pmstart
In the Launton Sports and Social Hall
12 April 2025 80'sDisco
Tickets from Eventbriteon the LSSCFacebook page or website. £5.00 for adults. 7.30pm start You can dress up in ’80sstyle if you want to.
10 May 2025 LPFARace Night
Ticket details - to be confirmed. 6pmstart
In the Launton Sports and Social Hall
Marsh GibbonFarmer’sMarket
MGFMtakes place every 3rd Sunday of the month from 10:00am to 1:00pmat Marsh Gibbon Village Hall (OX270HG).
Enjoy a familyfriendly atmosphere with an on-site playground and convenient toilet facilities.
LAUNTON ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY
“Life is like a box of chocolates... ...You never know what you are going to get.”
That may have been appropriate for ForrestGumpin 1997, but it doesn’t ring totally true in 2025. Our home, beautiful Planet Earth, is on fire. Literally and figuratively. We can clearly see that Global Warming is turning into Climate Chaos all over the world. Today, life is more like a jigsaw puzzle, we can see what we are going to get, and it isn’tpretty. We all lead very busy lives. Trying to juggle all our hopes, responsibilities and aspirations, while at the same time thinking about Climate Chaos may seem as overwhelming as a megasized jigsaw. We can choose to be complacent and simply grab another piece of chocolate or not. We can choose to do a jigsaw puzzle or not. We, as humans, cannot choose to ignore Climate Chaos. To put it bluntly, if you are not seriously trying to reduce your impact on the environment, you are part of the problem! Much is being done to reduce this problem, but much more is needed if we want to leave a habitable home to our descendents. There are many
Future events from FoLPH for 2025
Here are some of the events planned for the year ahead
Registeredcharity number1199171
The Seventh TytheBarn Quiz will happen on Friday 7 March. Quiz devised by ChrisFrost. Tickets on sale from the Costcuttershop, from 9 February - Cost £10 per person. Please bring cash to pay for your tickets. Doors open at 7.00pm- Quiz starts at 7.30 See page 38 for more details.
The Spring Fair at the Hall will be on Saturday 10 May. There will be plants, cakes, baked goods, jams and chutneys, and refreshments in the Hall.
An Afternoon of Cream Teas is planned for Sunday 10 August in the Hall. Tickets on sale from early July.
We have also asked JonSpinageif he can devise a Digital Treasure Hunt for the early autumn - probably in late September. Watch out for more details.
LAUNTON ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY
governments, institutions, initiatives and people throughout the world working on the solution. Globally there is COP (Conference of the Parties). Some progress was made recently at COP 29 in Azerbaijan. Locally we have MOP (Meeting of the Parties). We have had four meetings so far and they have all proven to be very helpful and extremely encouraging. We all need to be working on The Solution!
Do you need help and encouragement in working on your part of The Solution? Take part in ‘MOP 5’! Learn more about the many uplifting things that are happening globally and locally. Get some new ideas, share some of your own ideas, and be a bigger part of The Solution. We held MOP 5 on Thursday 23 January in Launton Parish Hall, and later in The Bull. We then fixed the date for the next meeting:
Finding order out chaos is one of the joys of doing a jigsaw puzzle. One can even get a flush of excitement when being able to put in just one little piece. Taking part in ‘MOP 5’ may just make for a Happier start to 2025!
Happy New Year...Edfrom LES
Reporting for January from Launton School
TodaysomeYear6childrenaretalkingtousabouttheFestivalofLight,arecenttrip toArdley’sEnergyRecoveryFacility,thecross-countryfinal,andthenativityplay dressrehearsals.
Festival of Light
To celebrate the Festival of Light we made clay maple leaves to use as candle holders. We used a template to get the leaf shape. Once we had made the shape of the leaf we had to curl the tips of the leaves up and use tape to hold them in place while the clay dried out. When the tape was removed some of the leaves broke, but we were able to use hot glue to repair them.
We were disappointed about the broken leaves, but we were able to show resilience and mend them, so everyone had a leaf for the celebration. We painted the leaves and added a tealight.For the celebration we took our leaves and candles into the hall, the lights were off and we all sang a song called Now Light 1000 Christmas Lights. Some of the year 4 children played Christmas music on their brass instruments and we were able to spend time reflecting on Christmas and the meaning of it.
Ardley
We went on a coach to Ardley’sEnergy Recovery Facility for a morning visit. When we arrived, we saw a giant dinosaur made from
recycled materials. We did a walking tour, and the guide told us that the facility cost £250,000,000 to build when it opened 10 years ago. They also told us about which materials can and can’tbe put in the recycling bins at home. Any waste that cannot be recycled is burnt. The facility has two huge chimneys, and they give out less emissions than the average family car.
There is a boiler room, but we weren’tallowed to go in there, the temperature is 1,200 degrees! While we were at the site we had to wear hard hats and hi-visjackets. We were each given a recycling wheel which we can use to help us put the right materials in the correct bin. We really enjoyed our visit and thought it was very interesting.
Cross-country
The qualifying 1.5kmrun was held at the Cooper School. There were around 70 children running. Three of us qualified for the final, Jack came 13th, and Sebastian and Tobyalso qualified. The final was held at SibfordFerrisschool two months later. The day of the final was very cold, and we were running on very muddy grass. One hundred and thirty children were in our final, from schools all over Oxfordshire and seventeen children from our school qualified and ran in finals for different age groups. We had to run 2kmand we all did really well, Sebastian came 5th, Jack came 65th and Tobycame 66th.We made it back to school a bit late for lunch, but we were able to have something to eat before we went back to class. We were very pleased with our running times in the final and really enjoyed the experience, except for the mud!
Nativity dress rehearsals
We were able watch and support years 1 and 2 in their nativity dress rehearsals. Their play was called A Midwife Crisis. All the children remembered their lines really well, and knew what they had to do when they were on stage. Susannasang a solo, she was really confident and absolutely brilliant. Every time the children finished a song we clapped to show that we thought they were doing really well. Having the whole school watch them means that when they perform in front of their parents they won’tbe nervous. They have done lots of rehearsals on the stage in the hall and their play will be brilliant.
The London Road Level Crossing and why it matters for Launton
On 6 January The LangfordVillage Community Association hosted a meeting with MP CallumMiller to discuss East West Rail’s(EWR) proposals for the London Road crossing. The cynical among us might assume this is a done deal - but there is still hope.
Unfortunately, it seems inevitable that the crossing itself will close permanently due to safety concerns. With longer barrier down-times to accommodate both passenger and future freight trains, there’san increased risk of people trying to squeeze through the barriers. After witnessing a horrific accident here a few years ago, I understand why this decision may seem necessary.
However, despite EWRonly proposing two pedestrian/cycle solutions, the final decision isn’ttheirs - nor is it up to the district or county councils. Because of the project’ssize, the Department for Transport (DfT) will make the call, and MP CallumMiller has secured an assurance that feedback from the consultation will be considered before any decisions are made. Importantly, funding for a solution already existsbut we need to demonstrate the need for a solution that keeps cars flowing from the £750 million budget allocated to the project.
Why this matters for Launton if London Road closes to cars
Traffic through Launton, particularly on Blackthorn and Bicester Roads, will worsen significantly.
Launton Road will face increased congestion, making it harder to reach Bicester town centre.
The town centre will suffer as traffic deters visitors, placing the few remaining shops, restaurants, and businesses at further risk.
There will be increased traffic through Launton as vehicles take the “rat run” of Blackthorn Road from the A41at the Blackthorn crossroads to reach the Buckingham and BanburyRoads..
What you can do
I hope you completed the EWRconsultation survey - this is the only form of feedback EWRwill consider. It needed to be completed by 24 January, and there is no further way to respond to EWR.But you can still lobby our MP, CalumMiller(calummiller.mp@parliament.uk): the more he hears from us the more he can represent us. You may also want to tell
him that the suggestion of diverting traffic from the level crossing onto existing road networks is about the worst option possible!
You can still write to the Department for Transport
Here are the contact emailaddresses for the key people. (Lord) Peter Hendyis the key person as he is the Minister for Rail.
The Secretary of State is HeidiAlexander, (heidi.alexander.mp@parliament.uk)
The Minister of State is Lord Hendyof Richmond Hill (hendyp@parliament.uk)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary is Mike Kane (mike.kane.mp@parliament.uk)
Copy any emailsyou send to the above to CalumMiller as well.
Need help with any of this?
If you’dlike to share your views but feel unsure about writing to MPs, I’m happy to help. As a communications professional with experience in government lobbying, I can assist with drafting letters. Contact me at sarachristiane@icloud.com.
SaraDavis
The traffic issue in numbers
In November 2023 EWRcarried out a survey of use at the level crossing.
It showed 62,283 non-pedestrian crossings a week, or 8,898 per day.
The EWRproposal document says that “work has demonstrated that motorised traffic could feasibly be diverted onto existing roads without users incurring significant delays or disruption”
They provide no evidence to show that the two alternative road routes for diverted traffic (A41& Queens Avenue via the Bicester Village roundabout to the south; and A4421WretchwickWay & Launton Road to the east and north) will be able to handle the 4,449 vehicle increase on each route each day.
There is no traffic survey of current use on the alternative road routes.
There is no analysis or proposals that review the knock-on impact of the diverted traffic on villages around Bicester .
How much traffic will end up using Blackthorn Road through Launton?
Deathsinthevillage
LauntonHistoricalSocietyissadtoannouncetherecentdeathsoftwopast memberswhohadbothmovedtoBicester.
Firstly,KenBabington,whodiedon26November2024attheageof84;the funeralwasheldattheTackleyCrematoriumon19December. SoonaftermovingtoLaunton,KenandhiswifeWendyjoinedLHS,and quicklybecameveryactive,KenasChairmanandWendyasTreasurer. PreviouslyhehadhadacareerintheRAF,thenrananewsagentsand stationeryshopinThamebeforeretiringasecondtimeandmovingto Launton.WiththearrivalofCOVID,ourLHSmeetingswereputonholdfor severalmonths,anditwasduringthistimethattheydecidedtomoveto Bicester.
Secondly,JeanBarrington,whohadbeenLHSTreasurerfromthestart,died on2December2024,aged94,(funeralheldatTackleyCrematoriumon6 January).JeanhadremainedasTreasurerformanyyearsaftermovingto Bicester,althoughmorerecentlywasnolongerabletocometothemeetings.
Do you want to transform your style with a new hair colour and cut?
Maybe you want to arrange haircuts for you and your children in the comfort of your home? LizClarkelives in StrattonAudley. She has over 20 years hairdressing experience and offers flexible mobile hairdressing services for the whole family. For an appointment or to chat about your needs, call 07545579037
January parkrunfeatures 2025 Panto cast running in costume
The first Bicester parkrunof 2025 was on Saturday 4 January at Langford Village. To welcome in the new year, nine members of Launton Village Players’ 2025 Panto Beauty and The Beast took part, and had a publicity photo in that week’s Bicester Advertiser. See pages 32-33 of this issue for more details of the show.
AllourObedienceTrainingispartof TheKennelClubGoodCitizenDogScheme Jennie,ourInstructorisanApproved Instructor (Academy of Dog Training and Behaviour), Agility Club Approved Instructor, UK Agility Instructor.
SaturdayclassesatWestfieldStables,SteepleAston
Introduction to Agilitystarts at 12 noon
Introduction to Hoopersstarts at 1.30pm
Thursday Classes in ArncottVillage Hall
Puppy Socialisation, starts 6.45pm
Basic Obedience, starts 7.30pm
Rally or Scentwork, every alternate week for each class, from 8.15pm
IntroductiontoMantrialingandIntroductiontoTracking arealsoofferedatadayandtimetosuitthetrainer, yourself,andyourdog.
Repointing
Internalandexternaldecorations
Patios
Decking
Fencing
Hip Hip Hooray! But maybe not today?
(Two Hip Replacement Stories)
From the outset I want to state for the record that I am not a surgeon and I am not a doctor. I have been an orthopaedic medical rep for over 15 years and seen in excess of 6,000 orthopaedic procedures. My colleagues tell me that I am a geekas I find the science and technical nature of Orthopaedics fascinating.
I have been prompted to write this article after speaking to two village residents who have had what I can only describe as “sub-optimal” treatment from the NHS. I stress now, that this is not after the point of surgery but in the lead up to having their hip replaced!
Some people say that the NHS is broken. I say that the NHS is currently not in a good place and is still trying to recover from the effects of Covid.That said, when I started work in 2007 the “18 Week Pathway” was what everybody was striving to achieve - that there was a maximum of 18 weeks between referral and surgery. Locally, pre-Covidwait times were in the order of 50 weeks. And then it got worse, a lot worse.
The NHS waiting list peaked at 8 million. That means that eight million people were waiting for routine surgery. When there is this much pressure on an already struggling system things tend to change and not necessarily for the better.
The first patient I want to write about is someone I have known for years. Mrs X is young (50) and many would say too young for a hip replacement. Nobody wants a hip replacement; however, what they do want is to be free of pain and able to get on with their life. She followed the obvious pathway of speaking to her GP and after being referred to Connect Health, she was sent for physiotherapy. As I stated at the beginning, I am not a doctor, and I do not have super powers of x-ray sight. However, to me it was obvious - after months of physioand increasing pain medication - that the answer would only be found from a plain radiograph (x-ray). Finally, she was referred for an x-ray. Unfortunately, the person looking at the x-ray did not know how to interpret it! She was sent for more physio.
When Mrs X paid for a private consultation (on my recommendation) her surgeon took one look at the same x-ray and said, “You are bone on bone and need a hip replacement, sorry”. No amount of physioor alternative therapies offered by Connect Health (a partner with the NHS) are an option at this point. Yet until this point that was all that she was offered. Why?...
Mrs Yis a young 82 year old. Her hip pain is debilitating. She is house bound as a result. She had her other hip replaced 15 years ago. I was unaware of Mrs Yuntil a chance conversation with a fellow dog walker one morning. I passed on my number and said, “Please ask her to call me”. Thankfully she did. Like many of us Mrs Ybelieves in the NHS. It is a fantastic institution. However, as I said, it is severely struggling and as a result Mrs Ywas simply left waiting for the call. “I struggle to walk at all. It’sonly with the help of a stick or crutches that I can manage to move around the house. I’m constantly in severe pain and only feel slight relief when sitting upright in a hard chair…”
When she presented to her GP complaining of hip pain she was referred for physio! Why? If you’vehad to replace one tyre on your car why on earth would you think that you don’tneed to replace the other side? It is this level of care that resulted in 15 months of agony and for what? (I will now climb down from my high horse - but it really does upset me.)
So why were both Mrs X and Mrs Ysent for physio? Neither would receive any benefit from it whatsoever, and it just offered a false hope and the thought, “at least they are doing something”. The sad fact of the matter is, that while they were undergoing physiothey are not on the waiting list for surgery. Mrs X could not work and Mrs Ycould not even leave her house unaccompanied. But neither is considered to be one of the eight million on the waiting lists! (Bob, get off the high horse, now!).
Aware of the long wait time, Mrs Yasked her GP “What are my options?”. The reply; “You either wait or pay”. Typically a THR
(Total Hip Replacement) done privately will cost between £15,000 and £20,000 and not everybody can afford this. What the GP said is not true. In fact, it is WRONG!
Everybody in England is entitled to use the “NHS Choose and Book” system previously known as the “FCN” or Free Choice Network and also known as “NHS e-ReferralService”. I do not understand why GPsdo not tell their patients about this option. Current wait times through NHS Choose and Book are between 6 and 10 weeks.
From Launton there are various private hospitals in close proximity. Both the Cherwell hospital in Banbury(formally the RamsayHorton NHS Treatment Centre) and BMIThe Chiltern Hospital in Great Missendenoffer the Choose and Book option. You receive the same implant, put in by the same surgeon, at the same cost to the NHS as if the operation was performed in an NHS hospital. The only difference is the wait time.
Should you be in need of a Joint Replacement, there are options out there for you.
You do not have to “Wait or Pay” and most definitely do not have to “put up with the pain”.
At the time of this going to print Mrs X is back at work having used the Choose and Book pathway. Mrs Yis on her way to recovery having waited over 15 months. Both are happy for me to share their stories and neither was straightforward - but that is for another issue.
Bob Watmough
FoLPH Reporting for February 2025
There was an open meeting of FoLPH on 22 January 2025 in the Hall. There was much to report on the Hall project.
The Parish Hall Development Advisory Group where FoLPH has a place has had 7 meetings since December 2024, and has advised the Parish Council to follow up the proposal from Banbury-basedLeofricStructures for a warm roof (steel, insulation and anti-condensation film) for the Hall.
The Council are awaiting a revised quote (there is white asbestos confirmed in the current roof slates) from Leofric, and confirmation of a non-material planning change now submitted. The Council still plans for the replacement roof to be completed by the end of March. It was agreed that once the dates are finalised, the Parish Council should advise all current hirers when the Hall will be unavailable.
PCMS(the architects appointed by the Parish Council) has applied for planning variation and will work with Leofricon the replacement roof.
The next major piece of work on the Hall plans is to work on the next phases, and to plan for the fundraisingto support the work.
The Development Advisory Group has researched all S106funding (payment for community support from housing developments) available for the Hall, and will be applying for the currently available block of about £10,000 for the roof work.
The Parish Council has also produced a survey distributed to all addresses in the village asking for views on how an improved Hall should best serve the community. The original surveys were done in 2015 and 2016, and funderswill need to see up-to-date views from the community. Please complete it the survey.
The Treasurer reported at the Open Meeting that FoLPH had £45,896.77 in the bank, but that it will be receiving a request for a grant of £25,000 from the Parish Council towards the new roof.
The next Open Meeting of FoLPH will be on 17 April in the Parish Hall at 7.30pm.
RobertCornford | Chair, Friends of Launton Parish Hall
Kings’ CaféFriday 3 January 2025
There is a report on the King’s Caféon page 12.
Left: working on stars. Below: plotting a star chart.
Photos
from EmilyCarter
2025 PantomimeBeautyandTheBeast
It’spanto time, and we’re on the final countdown to creating the magical world of Fairy Tale Land!
Tickets are selling fast, particularly for daytime shows, but there’sstill time to buy yours and come along and enjoy our story of BeautyandTheBeastget your tickets at www.ticketsource.co.ukor call 07864 715708.
Remember that we also have 14 additional tickets available for each performance which are only available to purchase on the door. These are situated at the back of the hall and are accessedup a large step.
Performances will be in Cooper School Performance Hall, and the times and prices are here and on the back cover.
:*10:30amon Thursday 20 February is a Relaxed Performance suitable for all,
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particularly those who prefer a more laid back theatre experience. We are also pleased to have British Sign Language interpreter ChristineDeBlasejoining us on stage for this performance, and are excited to offer this level of access to our deaf and signing community for the first time.
BeautyandTheBeast is full of magical characters including a Good Fairy, a tree spirit and some naughty pixies! There are all the usual elements of a family pantomime; lots of fun and audience participation as well as not just one but two comedy duos! There are free puzzle sheets and glow sticks for children, so you can join in with the magic, cheer on the heroes, and boo the baddie(who is enjoying herself far too much!).
Come along and find out:
If Beauty can rescue The Beast?
If the Good Fairy can stop the wicked witch Silenus?
If all three of the golden acorns can be found?
If Bodgeand Dodge can grow vegetables or cook a cake?
There’sa bundle of fun, magic, music and colour in our story as well as slapstick and much audience participation.
Here’swhat has been said about some of our previous pantomimes:
“Absolutely brilliant show so professional. Enjoyed every minute. Keep up the good work!”
If you missed it you missed a treat!”
“First time we’veseen an LVP show and we’lldefinitely be back!”
“We had such a lovely afternoon today! As ever, a fabulous performance from the LVP, a real team effort, you all work so hard & should be so proud of your efforts. See you again next year! #ohyesswewill”
“Outshone all the bigger theatre panto productions we’veseen!”
“I smiled and laughed from start to finish!”
“Excellent entertainment for the grandchildren. Their first time at a panto and they thoroughly enjoyed it”
“A big thank you for doing a relaxed performance. It meant so much to be able to see a play without worrying”
Get your tickets now so you don’tmiss out on Bicester’sbiggest and best award-winning panto!
All profits will be donated to The Hummingbird Centre, a local charity providing support services to people with any form of cancer and their families.
We look forward to seeing you at BeautyandThe Beast .
Launton Ladies FCReporting
Sunday 19 January 2025 saw the Launton Ladies Football team receiving their new kit from a brand new sponsorThe Order of StJohn’sCare Trust.
The coaches (ClaireFinn, Nick Smith and ChrisClark) presented Maggieand Helenfrom the organisation with a framed shirt, and the club showed their massive appreciation to them for their sponsorship of our ladies’ 1st team.
Launton Ladies has a long pedigree and history, having been established in the 1970’swhen the ban on women playing football was lifted.
There are some action shots of our ladies during the match on page 35, as well as photos of our presentation to the sponsor (above) and a team photo in our shiny new kits, below.
If you are interested in playing for the only open age women’sfootball team based in the Bicester area, then please contact Claireon 07540 013105.
Launton Historical Society reporting …
At our AGM meeting in November, SteveWebbertook us back to London in the 1970s.It was a time of discotheques and renting colour TVs.Mrs Thatcher was not yet in charge (until 1979) but was hovering in the wings.
Stevewas a pioneer in the world of films on videocassette. The story starts in 1974, when he was working for London Town Discotheques, which installed discos around the world. He was reading the trade papers, and people were talking about laser discs - films on video. He was growing tired of the disco installation work, and after chatting to people, got a job working for a company putting promotional videos into discos.
The company was VCL, an early UK pioneer in the field of films on videocassette. There was some competition, but not huge amounts, in the early days, and a great deal to discover and innovate. Times were exciting, but money was tight.
Initially, VCLhad thought that films wouldn’?tsell, and that music on video was the way forward. They were the only company doing this. Then they began to acquire rights to a range of films, as well as music. Some foreign films too and, thanks to a good relationship with Thames TV, series such as The Sweeney.All to copy onto videocassette. The quality of the films was frequently questionable but if the film had some star names it would qualify as a commercial proposition. One of their first big titles was Just a Gigolo with David Bowieand MarleneDietrich, “... a terrible film but it sold in thousands”.
The technical side of putting films on videocassette was challenging. Editing videos was complex and the process was expensive and slow. But developments were fast-moving, these were heady times.
The market woke up to videocassettes. Overnight, these pioneers had a business and VCLacquired the rights to more and more films. It was non-stop. At one point they tried to go upmarketand launched art house movies in a promotion with The Observer newspaper. Unfortunately, the market wasn’tready for a dose of culture and they only sold 10 cassettes! Their offices marked their trajectory - from a small office in South MoltonStreet in London to bigger offices in CoventGarden, where they built a duplicating facility in the basement, complete with rats, and blew
a hole in the pavement when staff put heaters on in the offices as they were drawing way too much current from the existing electricity supply, to Old Street, an office with over 100 duplicating machines and massive stocks of cassettes. VCLalso began to produce original content with the Supremes, TinaTurner and Charles Aznavour.Steverecalled that he had met the French singer at Heathrowand then couldn’tfind the car in the car park.
Piracy became rampant and there were many grey areas in respect of copyright. The ethos was that you did what you had to do and got sued later. Stevelikened this to the current situation with AI. It was also the era of video nasties.There was little regulation in this area, no Government control until the Video Recordings Act 1984, and no censorship of videos, unless you got caught by the Obscene Publications Act. The British VideogramAssociation was founded, and VCLwere founder members.
These were fast-moving times. In the 1980s, after 10 years of success with unlimited expense accounts, the major Hollywood studios joined the market, offering quality movies shortly after general release in the cinemas, and the writing was on the wall for VCLand the many other independent distributors. VCLwas eventually sold to Virgin.
Stevereflected that they’dhad to learn everything from scratch. Also, that it was a mad business.
It was good to hear Steve’sstory, and to think about how things were in the 1970s.
By the time you read this we will have heard Pat Snelsontalk about Bicester’sGothic Architecture in January.
For the next few months our speakers are:
27 February - JanineKilroe, Piers, their History and Future
27 March - AntoniaKeaney, Odd Men and Necessary Women (Blenheimstaff)
24 April - John Tyler, Reading the Countryside
29 May - Martin SirotSmith, Daily Life in Tudor Times
26 June - GillianCane, BletchleyPark
We meet at 7.30pm in the Parish Hall. All are welcome.
GwenSkinner
Seventh TytheBarn Quiz is confirmed
The Seventh Grand Quiz in the TytheBarn is confirmed for Friday 7 March. Many thanks to Will and EmmaDeeleyfor finding a space for another year. The first Grand Quiz was in 2017, and we had to skip events over Covid.This will be a great evening, competing for The Wise Owl Trophy
For 2025 tickets (£10 each) will go on sale in the CostcutterShop from 9 February. Please bring cash to pay for them: no cards).
The quiz will be set by ChrisFrost, with IT technical support from JonSpinage.“It will be a General General Knowledge Quiz,” says the FoLPH Communications Officer, “and designed to be fun for all.”
“There will be home made cakes and tea or coffee, and The Tythe Barn cash bar will be open from 7pm.The Quiz starts at 7.30. All profit will be split between FoLPH and StMary’sChurch.”
“Make up your team before the night, or come along and we'll help teams to come together.”
Poppy appeal in Launton: November 2024
The total raised in Launton towards the Poppy Appeal for 2024 by doorto-door collectors was £1,118.61. Well done, Collectors.
On top of this there were collections from the Poppy Cascade, and from collecting boxes in the Parish Hall at refreshments after the Remembrance Day service on 11 November. This has not been counted separately, but we saw that the collecting tin at the coffee hatch was entirely full.
Village Players Singing Carols
LVP had a busy run up to Christmas. They sang carols at Launton Primary School’sChristmas Fair. Then, on Friday 13 December, went carol singing round the village raising £286.87 for the Alzheimer’sSociety. Thank you to all who came out to listen and who gave so generously. Hope to see you all at the Panto - BeautyandTheBeast- in February.
The Community Choir
Christmas Concert 2024
Mistletoe & Wine
The Concert took place on Saturday 7 December even though Storm Darraghwas raging! Thank you to all who sang in the Choir, and to NickyRobertsfor leading us, as well as to everyone who braved the weather and came and supported us. It was a festive evening of carols, Christmas songs and readings. It was joyous to sing TogetheratChristmasTimeand ASpaceman CameTravellingas well as the more traditional carols such as Hark theHeraldAngelsSing!. Thank you to our accompanists, NikkiFine (piano), SteveWebber(keyboard), John Nelson (guitar) and Robert Bradshaw(organ), and all who played percussion.
There were mince pies and mulled wine as well as soft drinks served and thank you to everyone who donated these as well as items for the raffle. Thank you to the team who checked tickets, sold raffle tickets, and generally looked after our audience. The evening raised £747 for StMary’sand was a wonderful start to the Christmas celebrations at StMary’s. Thank you.
Here is the Choir at a rehearsal in StMary’sbefore the Concert
Launton Over 60’sClub Report
All our Christmas celebrations have gone off without a hitch and I’m pleased to say that everyone enjoyed them all. Thanks again to all the local businesses who gave us their support.
We hope you all had fun at Christmas and we send everyone our best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year.
Our first two meetings in 2025 were on 15 and 29 January. We are pleased to welcome any new members to all meetings. Give me a ring or just turn up!
Our next meeting will be on 12 February, the first of our Lunches in the Hall. The Bar opens at 12:30 and we will finish at about 3.30pm. Our meetings are held in the Sports & Social Hall every two weeks, on Wednesdays.
Pat Court | Membership Secretary | 01869 244900
100 Years Ago: from TheBicesterAdvertiser for 2 January 1925
BICESTER RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL Housing
The Housing Committee recommended that the Council enter into an agreement with MrWilliamWainefor the supply of water from his well to the Council’s houses at Launton at 30sper year, the Council to do repairs at the top of the well to enable water to be drawn off.
The Committee had before them a number of applications for the vacant cottage at Launton, and after going through all of the applications and considering each one of them in order, have decided to let it to MrG Penn.MrCattellsaid the Committee took a lot of time in going through the applications, but had difficulty in bringing the list down to two. The man to whom the Council had offered the house was married and had a wife and child, and no house. The other was an ex-serviceman with a wife and two children, living in a small house. The Committee gave the preference to MrPennbecause he had no house.
150YearsAgo:fromTheBicesterHerald1875
Friday 1 January
RichardCartwright, of Launton, son of WilliamCartwright, a very respectable young man and in the employ of MrCRKillby, farmer, Launton, was killed in the disaster on the Great Western Railway on December 24. He was on his way to Banburyto attend the marriage of a friend, and having been too late for the train he intended to travel by, on the London and North West via Buckingham, went via Oxford, for the Great Western Railway. His relations were not aware of his death till Monday, when, on reading an account of the disaster, brothers went to see if Richardwas amongst the dead. They found such to be the sad fact. The body was identified and then brought back to Launton, and was interred in the churchyard on Wednesday. He was engaged to a servant at MrKillby’sand they were to have been married in a few weeks. She was to have accompanied him to Banbury, if her employer could have spared her from her domestic duties, which was not convenient, and he, consequently, went without her company.
Friday 29 January 1875
PETTY SESSIONS. JosephRoads, labourer, of Grendon, was
summoned for cruelly ill-treating a donkey by beating it at Launton, on January 14.
The youth - who was howling during the hearing of the case - apparently, had no defence.
Police-constable GeorgeStockford(18) deposed that about two o'clock, on Thursday, January 14, he was on duty in the parish of Launton. He saw the defendant beating a donkey for about 200 yards with the stick produced, knocking it first on one side and then on the other. Upon speaking to him he told witness that he wanted to keep up with a waggon.
By the Bench - The donkey did not go any better for being beaten. My attention was called to defendant's conduct. The animal had been knocked about, and it was rather poor.
The defendant, after repeated asking, and during which he was letting the “fleet water” run down his cheeks, said – I hit the donkey because he would not go. She goes well out of the town; but it is a trouble to get her to go in towns or villages.
Fined 6d, and the costs 8s, or to be kept in prison for seven days with hard labour.
Defendant asked for time to be allowed to pay the money (8s6d); but, after some consultation, and the policeman going to see whether the carrier (Cannon) to Grendonwould pay the sum named for him, the boy was locked up, and taken to Oxford gaol.
Friday 19 February 1875
MACHINERY
ACCIDENT AT WRETCHWICK.On
Saturday last, February 13, ThomasTimms, of Launton, a labourer in the employ of Mr JamesSmith, farmer, Wretchwick, met with a serious accident whilst engaged in working a turnip-cutting machine. Timmscould not get the last piece of two of the roots he was cutting through the machinery, and, thoughtlessly, put his right hand in the box to push them nearer the knives, at the same time turning the handle with his other hand, when the end of two of the fingers were cut off. MrA Wicks, surgeon, Bicester, considered it necessary to amputate the fingers at the first joint, and we hear the sufferer is progressing favourably.
Memories of an ex-Launton boy
This month the ex-Launton boy considers the California wildfires which triggers memories of the floods in Launton from his childhood.
First of all, may I wish everyone in Launton a belated Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year, and let’shope it is better than the last one.
I’vebeen thinking about the enormous forest fires in California and the absolute devastation caused by them to both property and life, including the natural wildlife in the area.
When I was growing up in Launton, I would observe people like my Uncle Bernardcarrying out proper hedge-laying, an almost dead art in the countryside where hedges are now hacked in an ugly fashion by modern day agricultural machinery. As a consequence, gone is the density of the hedgerows which previously formed a fantastic habitat for birds and other wild life, and insects. Now there are yawning gaps in hedgerows through which inquisitive animals can escape to freedom.
If you look carefully into hedgerows round the village, it will be possible to see, low down, examples of the art of hedge-laying, above which towers the ugly evidence of the work of the tractor-driven hedge cutter.
One of the common features of the work of the hedge layers was the disposal of unwanted trimmings, generally done in little bonfires on the verges at the roadside. They were kept small so they could be controlled, and so reduce the risk of starting an our-of-control fire.
I had a similar experience whilst serving in the army in the Corps of Royal Engineers when, building Anglo-Germanrelations, we were repairing culverts in the Black Forest in Bavaria. We were constantly bothered by enormous horseflies whose bite was extremely painful for several days afterwards. To keep them at bay, we used to light little fires at the side of the forest tracks, deliberately burning damp material to create thick, acrid smoke. It did the trick in keeping the horseflies at bay, but it played havoc with our eyes and lungs.
The Californian fires are a prime example of the effects of climate change, but climate change is nothing new. OK, our hedgerows didn’t suffer extensive fires back when I was a kid, although places like the New Forest or Exmoor had a fire or few.
However, Launton was not untouched by climate change, as far back as my 1950’schildhood, and it related in part to hedgerows yet again. We had occasions when the rainfall being both heavy and prolonged fell on our fields where the water, instead of draining through the soil, ran off the surface instead. All fields were surrounded by hand-dug ditches which, although being mostly of clay and what had been deemed to be of sufficient size to carry the water run-off to the little streams that ultimately would flow, via the River Ray, into the Thames, turned out to not be quite sufficient, so heavy and prolonged the rainfall had been.
Walking along Station Road between the end of the village and the station, a stranger might have thought that Launton was an island in the middle of a massive lake, had it not been for the tops of hedgerows poking through the surface of the water.
I still retain the memory of one day, when my dad was a coach driver, when he pulled up outside our house in Station Road in the empty coach, taking his shoes and socks off and rolling his trouser legs up above his knees, to wade through the flood water in the road to reach our front door. I believe that was in the year of the Great Flood. Hedgerows played such an important part in our childhood of the 1950’sin particular, from picking blackberries in the season and rosehips from we made our own version of itching powder. And the hedges were interspersed with willow trees from which with our pocket knives we would cut our bows and arrows, and with our help and with our pocket knives, the girls would create comfortable camps in the hedgerows as we played out our children’sgames. No X-Boxes for us.
And as I have previously written, there are those of us who took from hedgerows the very young shoots from the Hawthorn, and chewed them with sheer delight: we called it “Bread and Cheese”.
Sadly, in the interests of intensive farming, many hedgerows across the country have been ripped out, having an adverse effect on wildlife, both flora and fauna, and of course, the overall look of our landscapes. Save our hedgerows says I - and bring back hedge-laying.
Keep healthy and stay SAFE!
TonyJeacock, MInstRE | The ex-Launton Boy | February 2025
DiaryDates:February2025
Withthecomingofautumn,therearemoreevents.SendindetailsofeventsattheSportsandSocial,atthe pubs,atsportsteams,andfromvillageorganisations,tolauntonlines@launton.orgforaFREElistinghere.
Sunday 2 StMary'sChurch, Holy Communion (BCP), 8am; Family Service - Baptism, 11am | Quiz Night at The Bull from 8pm
Monday 3 Watercolour Painting Group, Parish Hall, 2pm-4pm | Fellowship Group Meeting in StMary's Church, 2.30pm
Tuesday 4 Rubbish Collection: garbage (green) bin | Community Café, Parish Hall, 9am-11am | Rock Chorus, Parish Hall, 7.30pm
Thursday 6 Parish Council. Public Session 7.15pm, Council Meeting 7.30pm, Launton Parish Hall
Sunday 9 Trinity CamerataSpring Concert, StEdburg'sChurch, 4pm | StMary'sChurch, Evensong , 6.00pm | Quiz Night at The Bull from 8pm
Monday 10 Watercolour Painting Group, Parish Hall, 2pm-4pm
Tuesday 11 Rubbish Collection: recycling (blue) and garden (brown) bin | Community Café, Parish Hall, 9am-11am | Rock Chorus, Parish Hall, 7.30pm
Wednesday12 Over 60sClub Lunch Meeting, Sports and Social Hall. Bar opens at 12.30pm, meeting ends about 3.30pm
Thursday 13 WIMeeting, Speaker is HelenaMcBridetalking about Cleaning your house, cleaning your mind, cleaning your life, and taking back control, Parish Hall, 7.30pm
Friday 14 Last day of school half term. Back to school on Monday 24 February | SCOTS at The Bull from 5.30pm
Saturday 15 Vale Brewery Open Day with pizza food van, from 12 noon, LugershallRoad, Brill | Disco Bingo at the Sports and Social Hall, starts at 8pm
Sunday 16 Marsh Gibbon Farmer's Market at the Village Hall, 10am-1.00pm | StMary'sChurch, Holy Communion, 11am | Quiz Night at The Bull from 8pm
Monday 17 FINAL DATE FOR COPY FOR THE MARCH 2025 ISSUE OF LAUNTON LINES: SUBMIT TO launtonlines@launton.org | Watercolour Painting Group, Parish Hall, 2pm-4pm | Fellowship Group Meeting in StMary'sChurch, 2.30pm
Tuesday 18 Rubbish Collection: garbage (green) bin | StMary'sFun Morning in the Parish Hall | Rock Chorus, Parish Hall, 7.30pm
Wednesday19 Village Players Pantomime Beauty and The Beast, Cooper School Performance Hall, 7.30pm
Thursday 20 Village Players Pantomime Beauty and The Beast, Cooper School Performance Hall, 10.30amand 2.30pm
Friday 21 Village Players Pantomime Beauty and The Beast, Cooper School Performance Hall, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Saturday 22 Village Players Pantomime Beauty and The Beast, Cooper School Performance Hall, 2.30pm and 7.30pm | Family Bingo at the Sports and Social Hall, starts at 7.30pm
Sunday 23 StMary'sChurch, Morning Prayer, 11am | Quiz Night at The Bull from 8pm
Monday 24 Back to school after half term
Tuesday 25 Rubbish Collection: recycling (blue) and garden (brown) bin | Community Café, Parish Hall, 9am-11am | Rock Chorus, Parish Hall, 7.30pm
Wednesday26 Over 60sClub Meeting, Sports and Social Hall. Doors open at 1.30pm, meeting ends about 3.30pm
Thursday 27 Historical Society Meeting, JanineKilroeis talking about Piers - Their History and Future. Parish Hall, 7.30pm
Friday 28 Sports Quiz at the Sports and Social Hall, with Town Church Bicester. Starts at 6pm
Left: Cool Cat on Ice photo by Terry Vale
Below right: Island Pond in the snow photo by Terry Vale
Below left: Frozen grass photo by Ella Rayner
Bottom: Frozen trees photo by EllaRayner
“Localorchestrasdon’tgetmuchbetterthanthis.”
Conductor - JoeDavies
9 February 2025 at 4.00pm StEdburg’sChurch, Bicester
Sundayafternoonconcert
MENDELSSOHN
A Midsummer Night’sDream TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony No 1 “Winter Daydreams”
Tickets: Adults £10 in advance (Cole’sBooks); £12 on the door; under 16’shalf price
www.trinitycamerata.org
LauntonLinesisthenewsletterforLaunton ItispublishedmonthlybytheLauntonCommunityCommunicationsGroupwhichmanagestheLauntonwebsite www.launton.organdtheLauntonVillageFacebookGroupwww.facebook.com/launtonvillageaswellasLauntonLines LauntonLinesisdeliveredfreetoallhouseholdsinthevillage,fundedbyitsadvertisersandLauntonParishCouncil. Furtherprintcopiesareavailableat£1.00percopyfromShirleyJohnson(01869369269) LauntonLinesisalsoavailableonlinefromJanuary2020onwww.issuu.com ©MMXXVLauntonLines.Wereservetherighttoeditarticlessubmittedforinclusion. NeithertheCommitteenortheEditorisresponsibleforviewsexpressedinreaders’contributions.
