Noticeboard

Welcome Leaflet

Steeple Aston Parish Council has published a Welcome Leaflet for new arrivals in the village. It includes a detailed map and lots of useful information. Of course there’s lots more to find on this website too!

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Village Emergency Telephone System (VETS)

01869 690691

Imagine you are at home when your partner or spouse suffers a sudden cardiac arrest. Call the emergency services and ask to speak to the Ambulance Service. They will automatically despatch an ambulance to you, and give you instructions on how to perform CPR (chest compressions).

If appropriate, the 999 call-taker will then call the Village Emergency Telephone System. A volunteer will then bring a defibrillator to you. This will greatly increase the patient’s chances of survival.

The VETS number connects simultaneously with ten volunteers in the village. When a volunteer picks up, they will be told where the defibrillator is needed. They will collect it from the cabinet by the Sports and Recreation Building or the Red Lion pub, and bring it to you. If they arrive before the ambulance, you can open up the defibrillator together, and follow the spoken instructions.

If someone else is with you, you can ask them to call the VETS number and say where a defibrillator is needed. But if you are on your own, DO NOT STOP GIVING CPR to make a phone call.

In a case of cardiac arrest, call the emergency services on 999.

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Village archive launches new website

Steeple Aston Village Archive (SAVA) has recently unveiled its new website: http://www.steepleastonarchive.org.uk/
Explore the fascinating history behind our local community, with access to a plethora of photographs, documents, maps, artefacts and memorabilia; historical articles featured in SAL; a series of publications (with revised editions), CDs and informative walks bringing the
past to life. Why not delve into the archives and discover the traditions and stories surrounding our village.

Or call in to see us at the History Centre, next to the Village Hall on Fir Lane on Saturday mornings between 10am-12 noon.

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Children’s Christmas Art Competition

The winner of Steeple Aston Life’s Children’s Christmas Art Competition was eight-year-old Rose Williams, a pupil at Dr Radcliffe’s School. Her painting appeared on the cover of the December issue of the magazine.

Local art teacher Niki Thomas, who runs weekly art classes at Middle Aston House, was the competition judge. She said, “I chose this one because not only is beautifully drawn and full of colour, it has a sense of community about it and is designed well for the cover of a magazine, it has interesting intriguing details.

Niki said, “The entries were all so good it was difficult to choose a winner. All of them would make beautiful Christmas Cards. It has been a pleasure to judge these wonderful paintings, thank you for taking part in the competition.” 

Here are the other entries and Niki’s comments on them:

Ted Butcher, age 9
‘This one is beautifully delicate , and has a super Christmassy feel to it.’

James Monroe, age 8
‘I love how , the shapes of the tree, fire etc have been so carefully placed in this design.’

Isobel Coysh, age 7
‘This one has also been carefully thought about. The montage has worked well.’

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WE’RE LAUNCHING MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST

It has taken a few months for us to complete the formal registration of Steeple and Middle Aston Community Land Trust as a Community Benefit Society, open a bank account, and create a website.

At last we are ready to launch membership of the Trust, which you can do by visiting the new website www.steepleandmiddleastonclt.org.uk and submitting the on-line membership application form. We hope the website provides all the information needed to make that decision. Documents available to view include the report on the results of the recent housing needs survey carried out in our parishes.

Once we’ve received your application form we will contact you and request a minimum payment of £1 to receive your share certificate. We will initially be relying on donations to build up funds necessary for our administration, so we will also be seeking your generosity as additions to the minimum payment.

We hope as many local people, and other supporters of the need for affordable housing for our community, will join and become members.

We look forward to receiving your application form.

Best wishes from

the Board members of Steeple and Middle Aston CLT

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Middle Aston House open to locals, but no dogs

 

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Church roof appeal

 

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New Chair for Horticultural Society 

Vicky Clifton, Show Secretary for the Steeple Aston and Middle Aston Horticultural Society, reports on the AGM:

We are pleased to announce the appointment of a new chair person, as Rebecca Lewin steps in to the role. Our thanks go to Graham Clifton, who stood in to guide us for 12 months following Richard Preston’s promotion to president. We say good bye and thank you to Caroline Parsons and Janet Coley who step down from the general committee but continue to support us as vice presidents. 

Reports from all officers highlighted another really sucessful year. Two well attended shows. The Summer Show was a spectacular example of the ideal show day. Over 800 exhibits, from 114 exhibitors, approx 900 people on the field and the weather played its part too!! Oh and some happy doggies as well. What more could you want.

2025 will soon be with us, look out for the schedule in January, and hopefully our own website at some point next year too.

Thanks to all those that take part and make it happen

September 2024

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Local poet publishes prize-winning collection

Villager John White has recently won the iOTA Shot 2023 Poetry Pamphlet competition. His collection, entitled ‘Attachments’, will be published on 10th June by Templar Poetry.

John, who originally comes from County Derry, lives at Palmer House on Southside and works at a special needs school in Oxford. He gained a distinction in the Oxford Master’s degree in Creative Writing.

He plans to hold a launch event in the village, and one in Oxford, in the Autumn. Meanwhile you can listen to some of his poems and purchase his pamphlet on his publisher’s website.

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Sponsor the Church Star

From Vicky Clifton: ‘A beautiful way to remember a loved one, mark a special date or start a new family tradition’.

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Come and play badminton

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In need of a chat? Fancy a natter?

The Grain Store Café has joined the Chatty Cafe Scheme, a nationwide scheme designed to combat loneliness.

Every Monday, from 9.00 until 11.00 am at the café, which is at The Hatchery between Steeple and Middle Aston, there will be a “Chatter and Natter” table hosted by a friendly volunteer. Everyone is invited to come along and sit for a chat.

If you, or anyone you know, would like to come along for a natter you are welcome to stay for whatever length of time you choose.

The chatty table will be clearly visible with yellow signs and the host Emma will be ready to welcome you.

The Chatty Cafe Scheme is an initiative started in the UK in 2017 to encourage conversation among strangers. It promotes the marking of certain tables in cafes and other venues as tables at which talking to strangers is explicitly welcome. It also runs online and telephone friendship services.

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Village Hall AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the Steeple Aston Village Hall management committee was held on the 13th May 2024. The full committee is listed below, showing which group they represent.

Barbara Brewer Tuesday Badminton (Chair)
Margaret Bulleyment Choral society (Secretary)
John White (Treasurer)
Alison Moran Thursday Badminton
Deborah Morris WI
Sally Cooper Village Rep
Torquil McLusky SRT Co-ordinator
TBN Village Rep
Chris Clarke PCC
Stuart Cummins Archive
Richard Preston Valentine Club
John Coley Garden Club

In the next few months the committee will be deciding on a programme of events for the forthcoming year. If there is a specific event you would like to see in the programme or if you have any new ideas, please contact Barbara Brewer on 01869  340423 or any committee member.

See more on the Village Hall website.

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Steeple Aston Light Railway

Graham Porcas writes:

Last year I set up and ran my 5” gauge miniature railway at several village events on Robinson’s Close which I gather was much enjoyed by many youngsters and some not so young from the village and surrounding areas.

It was such a success that I have been asked to do it again and make this a regular part of village events which I am more than happy to. Building and running these miniature steam engines is my hobby and although it takes quite some time and effort to set up a temporary track each time, roughly a day to set up and another half a day to dismantle, it is a great pleasure for me especially as I may be encouraging
some future engineers to take an interest in mechanical engineering.

I am required to take out special insurance to run trains on Robinson’s Close, this is very specific and outside the realms of the usual policies used by the Parish Council and other village organisations so I have to arrange this at my own expense. Last year the PC was kind enough to reimburse me and I was hoping they would do so again this year but they refused my application on the grounds that as an individual I am not entitled to such support!

I’m still trying to work out the logic behind this decision but the obvious conclusion is to form a special interest group so that I am
no longer just an individual.

So I would like to start a club:- The Steeple Aston Light Railway.

Anyone interested is welcome to join, no age limit, upper or lower; but an interest in steam engines, learning how to drive them, or simply taking part in the joys of riding. behind a steam engine would be useful. Or just to support me to continue with
running days at village events.

Please contact me directly grahamporcas@btconnect.com or 01869347240.

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Steeple Aston Annual Quiz Night 2024

Once again the Village Hall Committee organised a thoroughly enjoyable Quiz evening on Saturday 20th January. Thirteen teams with a maximum of eight to a table took part in the fun with names ranging from ‘The Nightingales’ to ‘4SR +4’. Perhaps next year there should be a prize for the most creative team name?

As usual the teams went to town providing a wide and interesting variety of food and nibbles to keep them going during the evening. A bar was also available to serve liquid refreshments to all.

This year the quiz was devised and led by Carl Tomlinson with Kate in charge of the score board. They had devised a very clever table top opener involving answers which had links with Oxford Colleges – easy you might think, but the winners not only needed to be correct but also hand their answers in as quickly as possible! This was won by the ‘Quizzical’ team.

Other questions and conundrums challenging the teams were: What connects Kazuo Ishiguro, Winston Churchill & Bob Dylan? – They have all won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In which county is the closest beach to Steeple Aston? – Hampshire (The beach is at Lymington)

As usual the evening was rounded off with the presentation of the trophy and wine to the winning team – ‘Isthmians’ – with a score of 87 out of a maximum of 100 points. They are at top of steps from left to right; Marco, James, Peter and going down the steps; Rebecca, Steph, Liz, Amy and Claire.

 

The Village Hall committee were grateful to receive donations of some generous raffle prizes donated by The Yurt (Nicholson’s), Safeclean, Holt Hotel, Holt Garage, Wines Toiletries (anonymous)

Thanks go to all who participated, not forgetting the Village Hall committee who organised this event. Here are (l to r) Amy, Barbara, Debbie and John serving drinks in the kitchen.

Keep watch for the details of the 2025 quiz in later editions of SAL, but be quick as tables swiftly get booked up for this challenging but fun annual event!

 

Here are this year’s results

Barbara Brewer, Village Hall Chair

Thanks to Nigel Francis for the photos.

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Handbell collection 2023

From Victoria Clifton:

Christmas may now be a distant memory (so last year!), but due to a team of dedicated handbell ringers we completed our annual pilgrimage around the village raising money for our chosen charity. This year we collected for the Disaster Emergency Committee, and thanks to the generosity of you the villagers we raised £1,800. We are keeping a portion back for ongoing maintenance of the handbells and are pleased to donate £1,600 to D.E.C.

Secondly, it is with huge gratitude and sadness that i have to announce that our Handbell Captain of 24 years, Sally Cooper is standing down. She has trained many new recruits young, and slightly older. Hosted hundreds of hours rehearsal at her house (Thanks Chris for putting up with us) and achieving the monumental task of arranging a team of ringers each night we go door to door. We thank you, and promise to continue your great work.

A new Handbell Captain was appointed at the Church Bellringers AGM, me Victoria Clifton. If I can be of any assistance where the handbells are concerned, or if you are interested in learning next Christmas please do get in contact, we’d love to meet you and it really is easier than you’d imagine. You don’t even need to read music either,  just spread some Christmas cheer.

Thank you to the village for your support this year.

More information and contact details.

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Steeple Aston’s environmental impact – and what we can do to reduce it

Environmental Impact Report for Steeple Aston.

From Carl Tomlinson – Chair, Steeple Aston Parish Council ESC:

The Environmental and Sustainability Committee (ESC) recently reviewed a report which indicated – in broad terms – the carbon footprint of our community. The report was prepared using a methodology developed at the University of Exeter.

It’s perhaps no surprise to read that our carbon footprint appears to be over 30 per cent higher than the national average. We are a relatively affluent community, in a rural setting, with some fairly old housing stock. This means greater opportunities for long distance travel, fewer opportunities to use public transport, and higher consumption of energy for heating.

The report breaks down the carbon footprint into four areas, which I list below in descending order of impact.

• Consumption of goods and services
• Travel
• Housing
• Food and diet

It goes on to suggest areas in which we can mitigate our impact. I’ve summarized these below with a few thoughts of my own.

Consumption of goods and services

All goods that we buy have carbon emitted in their manufacture, packaging, shipping, and sale. Every new product increases carbon emissions (and more resources are extracted and sourced – which itself can have huge environmental and social impacts). Reducing how many new goods we buy in the first place reduces goods-related emissions as does re-using and repairing items.

When we have to buy new, we can reduce the carbon emissions by considering how much of the product has been, and can be, recycled. We can look to minimize packaging by buying in bulk if budget and space permit this, or by teaming up with neighbours to buy in bulk. All of us appreciate the convenience of next-day delivery, those vans don’t run on fresh air.

Travel

On a business trip recently, I was invited to ‘contribute’ £2.50 to British Airway’s research into sustainable aviation fuel. Barefaced cheek from a wealthy corporate, or legitimate consciousness raising? Electric cars are coming our way but – if the planning authorities continue to have a veto on the installation of solar panels in conservation areas – many residents of the village will be denied the opportunity to fuel these vehicles cleanly. The S4 struggling to get past cars parked on South Side is our problem in a nutshell.

 We must all square on own consciences in these vexed areas, but we can all lobby for better public transport. And we can all make our roads safe for pedestrians and cyclists to use. 

Housing

We live in a beautiful part of the world. Many of the homes in the village lie in a conservation area. Some are listed. Is our bargain with future generations the preservation of a particular view which a small committee once deemed inviolate, or the protection of the planet our grandchildren will inhabit? These two aims need not be mutually exclusive but we must decide which to prioritize, and lobby our representatives accordingly.

In the average UK home, 64% of energy is used for space heating. The ESC has a thermal camera which many residents have used to identify how heat escapes from their homes. Please contact SteepleAstonESC@outlook.com if you would like to use it.

Food and drink

Research shows us that changing what we eat will have a greater impact on carbon emissions than changing where our food has travelled from – although, of course, eating locally-produced food brings multiple other benefits such as supporting local businesses. Ruth Dale has produced an excellent summary of local producers.

Many of us who grow food will have gluts in the summer and hopefully we will find ways of sharing, rather than composting, them. But this is a drop in the ocean compared to the 22 percent of food which is wasted in the UK. That’s enough to feed everyone for nearly three months. Even a small change in buying and use habits will reduce this scandalous level and save money into the bargain. How much food (and carbon, and money) goes in your bin every week?

This is of necessity a snapshot of a very thought-provoking report, and the views I express above are my own. I hope you’ll take a few moments to read the report and form your views.

Environmental Impact Report for Steeple Aston.

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Locally Produced Food – Suppliers within reach of Steeple Aston

This information has been researched by the Steeple Aston Environment and Sustainability Committee.

NORTH ASTON ORGANICS

www.northastonorganics.co.uk

01869 347702

Soil Association registered organic box scheme

Weekly organic vegetable box also supplying fruit, eggs, bread, etc.

There is the possibility of home delivery and/or collection points

 

NORTH ASTON DAIRY

www.northastonfarms.co.uk

northastondairyoffice@gmail.com

Organic pasteurised, unhomogenised milk; yoghourt; cream; ice cream

Organic home reared beef, veal and lamb. Also eggs and Forgehouse Bakery Bread.

Weekly deliveries or collection points: Order online

 

CHARLOTTE POWELL

www.southfieldlivestock.co.uk

charlotte@southfieldlivestock.co.uk

Producing high health and welfare beef, lamb and rare breed pork

 

BROWNS POP UP FARM SHOP

Park Farm, Middleton Stoney OX25 4AL

brownsatparkfarm.co.uk

Open first weekend of every month.

Home reared pork, lamb, beef and free range eggs

Also provide bread; seasonal vegetables; jams chutneys and honey

 

DEDDINGTON FARMERS MARKET

www.deddingtonfarmersmarket.co.uk

Fourth Saturday each month 9.00am-12.30pm

Over 40 stalls offering local produce including bread, eggs, fish, meat, vegetables

Fruit, flowers, beer, preserves and much more!

 

FORGEHOUSE BAKERY

forgehousebakery.com

forgehousebakery@btinternet.com tel: 07584 666561

Home-baked sourdough bread, pastries,etc.

Pre-order Saturday – Thursday for collection Fridays (see website for details)

 

COTSWOLD LAMB

Email: whpspray@gmail.com

Rare breed lamb, will deliver

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FENEMORE FARMS MICRO FARMSHOP, CLIFTON

fenemorefarms@gmail.com. tel: 07917 795207

Provide lamb; eggs; honey; fruit and vegetables

Open daily (sign on main road from Deddington to Clifton)

 

STEEPLE ASTON COMMUNITY ORCHARD

sacommunityorchard@gmail.com

Local village apple juice

 

WORTON KITCHEN GARDEN

Rectory Farm, Cassington OX29 4SU tel: 07710 634631

wortonkitchengarden.com

Comprehensive food shop with in house sourdough bakery and restaurant.

Spring 2023

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Parish Path Warden appointed

Steeple Aston now has a Parish Path Warden to keep an eye on our footpaths. Greg Elphick. has volunteered to take on the role which involves walking all the local footpaths at least twice a year. He will take his secateurs with him to prune overgrowing vegetation and ensure that signposts and waymarks are kept clean. He will report more serious problems to Oxfordshire County Council’s Countryside Access Team.

The Parish Path Warden scheme is run by the Ramblers’ Association in association with the county council. Around 80 per cent of villages in Oxfordshire have their own warden.

Greg is pictured here in the centre with his hedgecutter and his faithful companion Poppy, the sprocker spaniel. They were part of a recent work party on a path in Alkerton that had become almost impassable due to brambles and self-seeding trees.

Greg says. “Such work parties cover the wider local area, not just Steeple Aston. They are needed only a few times a year as most paths get well used and any issues usually get sorted before a work party is deemed necessary.

“Obviously, I will be checking all our paths myself but invite any villagers to contact me if I’ve missed something.” Email greggles1262@gmail.com or call 07891 760176.

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News from the MCNP

Did you know…..The Mid Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan (MCNP) is the largest member neighbourhood plan in the country? We are a forum of 11 members and 1 associate member, across 12 villages. We are extremely proud of the inclusive nature that this unique forum has provided – where we’re able to come together as a team and work towards a common goal – a better plan for our rural communities – and embracing the change that comes with development within the heart of our communities.

Visit http://www.mid-cherwell.org.uk/reg14 to find out more or email info@mid-cherwell.org.uk

13th February 2024

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Did you know…..The Mid Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan (MCNP) is able to include local green spaces (LGS) within the plan that seek to protect them from unwanted development in the future. There are a total of 32 LGS identified in our review across the plan area – a further 15 are being put forward in our review, benefiting many local communities including Heyford Park.

Visit http://www.mid-cherwell.org.uk/reg14 to find out more or email info@mid-cherwell.org.uk

6th February 2024

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Did you know…..The Mid Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan (MCNP) proposed  a new  burial ground at Heyford Park amongst the original Plan policies. A huge increase in population at Heyford Park means that local cemeteries are not able to cope with this future, local demand. We continue to work with the major land owners to help identify and implement this facility.

Visit http://www.mid-cherwell.org.uk/reg14 to find out more or email info@mid-cherwell.org.uk

30th January 2024

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Did you know…..The Mid Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan (MCNP) is actively objecting to the vast warehousing schemes currently proposed in our neighbouring parishes. Whilst we understand there is a national need for employment, our area currently has employment figures way above the national average. Warehousing of the nature proposed does not result in huge job increases, but rather huge amounts of extra traffic on the surrounding rural roads.

Visit http://www.mid-cherwell.org.uk/reg14 to find out more or email info@mid-cherwell.org.uk

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Did you know…..The Mid Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan (MCNP) is a statutory consultee on all planning applications made within the plan area. To date we have commented on multiple cases and have had great success in ensuring that our local polices are implemented by the Cherwell Planning department.

Visit http://www.mid-cherwell.org.uk/reg14 to find out more or email info@mid-cherwell.org.uk

9th January 2024

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Did you know…..The Mid Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan (MCNP) has been very active in campaigning for a new Local Health Facility at Heyford Park. Initially the NHS rejected the proposal for a new pharmacy but MCNP worked with the GP Practice to appeal the refusal, which resulted in the approval of the pharmacy that is open today.

Visit http://www.mid-cherwell.org.uk/reg14 to find out more or email info@mid-cherwell.org.uk

2nd January 2024

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Did you know…..The Mid Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan (MCNP) has been in force since a referendum was held in 2019?

A neighbourhood plan is a legal planning document that is used to guide development within the plan area, but it is formulated by local residents and volunteers, NOT planning authorities.

The MCNP is bringing its policies up to date and adding some important new ones to benefit all our local residents. We will shortly be consulting with all the communities within the Plan area and asking for your views.

Sign up at www.mid-cherwell.org.uk to find out more or email info@mid-cherwell.org.uk

20th December 2023

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Steeple Aston Thermal Camera Project

From Claire Coysh, on behalf of the Environment and Sustainability Committee:

There are conflicting ideas on what we should be doing to protect the environment, people have different perspectives on mankind’s relationship with nature, concerns about the seriousness of climate change and what is actually helpful. Insulating your home however, is a no brainer. There are multiple benefits (taken from focusonenergy.com):

Lower energy costs – If your home has poor insulation and air leaks, you could be spending 15% more than you need to on heating and cooling. It also means extra wear and tear on your heating system and air conditioner. Proper insulation and air sealing is the best way to prevent wasted energy and keep your home and energy bill in a comfortable, happy place.

Comfort – Insulation helps your home stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, so you don’t have to crank up your heating or cooling system to the max just to get by.

Noise – Insulation might not block everything out, but it definitely absorbs sound and can help make your home a quieter place to relax.

Environmental Impact – Saving energy benefits your home, community and the environment. Improving your insulation is one of the best steps you can take to make a difference in terms of your home’s energy performance and carbon footprint.

Resale Value – Being able to tell prospective buyers that top-quality insulation is already in place and lowering the home’s operating costs can be a real selling point.

A thermal image of the outside surface of a house can show areas which are conducting heat from the inside to the outside of the house, helping to identify: Draughts, missing insulation, poor or broken window seals, poorly insulated windows.

The Steeple Aston Environment and Sustainability Committee have purchased a reconditioned thermal camera (FLIR C2), kindly funded by Sustainable Steeple. This camera is available for villagers to borrow to take thermal images of their home. We have put together a guide on how to interpret the images.

Cold (less than 5°C), frosty and dry weather is the best weather for thermal imaging (the temperature difference between inside and outside should be at least 10-15°C). From when we bought the camera (February 2023) we ran a pilot project, loaning the camera to 20 houses in the village. Feedback from the pilot project was very positive. Villagers found it easy to use and helpful to identify and/or confirm areas of insulation in their home they needed to improve.

We are now gathering details of anyone who would like to be on the list to use the camera this winter. It’s very weather dependent, but it might be cold enough to start using the camera in another month or so. To be added to the list, please email me at steepleastonESC@outlook.com

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Join the PC team!

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Conservation Area Appraisal

Much of Steeple Aston is a Conservation Area containing many listed houses. This means that any changes, such as the building of new houses  or alterations to existing buildings are subject to  particular scrutiny and regulation.

The village’s Conservation Area was first designated in 1988. A Conservation Area is defined as “an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.”

More recently there was a Conservation Area Appraisal  which was was the subject of public consultation. It is a detailed report ddescribing the village and its development and making recommendations for future maintenance of the area and its historic buildings.

It says that since its adoption by Cherwell District Council in April 2014, it is “a material consideration in the determination of planning applications within the Conservation Area and its setting.”

The appraisal says: “In order to protect the special environment, stricter controls exist within the Conservation Areas, restricting the kinds of alterations to domestic properties that may be carried out without specific planning permissions

“With all proposals for development and the display of advertisements in a Conservation Area, greater care is necessary to ensure that schemes enhance and preserve the area’s special character.”

Conservation Area Appraisal

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Church collecting for Banbury Food Bank

From Martin Dale:
All of us are deeply aware of the need for food banks from the King himself down! In the past our parish church made a collection for the food bank. However, this ceased when the church was shut during Covid. Now the need has become ever greater, we have decided to try to make the church a collection hub within the village once more. For us this is initially a Christmas effort but we intend to keep this going for as long as necessary.

The system is simple: if people would like to donate non perishable foodstuffs and hygiene items in the box at the back of the church we will make sure that these items are delivered regularly on an ongoing basis to Banbury Foodbank. We took the harvest offerings to this food bank run by the Trussell Trust. It is very well organised. They have a network of food banks and inter foodbank transport to get the food to where it’s needed most. So one banks surplus is another’s necessity.

We look forward to taking your donations to them. Thankyou!

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Join a local Art Class

Niki Thomas holds an Art Class every Wednesday Morning at Middle Aston House from 10.00am until 1.00pm. Here is one example of Niki’s work.

For more details of the class, please contact Niki on: nikithomasartist@gmail.com

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Please support The Valentine Club

The Valentine Club is the village’s very popular over-60s club. All meetings and outings have had to be cancelled because of coronavirus. The cancellation of their annual jumble sale and the inability to raise funds via monthly raffles means the Cherwell Lottery is their only way of raising funds.

In addition to the usual prizes every week there is the opportunity to win a short break with the draw taking place at the end of October. Anyone can purchase lottery tickets and the process is very simple. Just follow the steps as described on the Cherwell Lottery website 

Hopefully, once this pandemic has disappeared, this funding will enable the club to move forward and bring some happiness to the slightly older generation living in our village.

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Give a dog a bad name!

We’d just like you to know that almost all the fouling on our village streets comes from wild animals. After all, we do live in the country! We’ve investigated this issue thoroughly with the help of Cherwell Council’s dog warden. So, please, don’t always blame the dogs and dog walkers in the village. It’s probably not them messing up our streets. It’s most likely foxes. Or maybe badgers or muntjac.

What should you do if you see some poo?
Please just pick it up in a suitable plastic bag and pop it in a street-side bin or a green bin. Bags are available free from the Village Shop. Dog walkers often pick up scat that their dogs are not responsible for. Give them a hand. You will be helping to keep the village clean and you may stop someone putting their foot in it.

And if you do see a dog walker not picking up?
We think this is unlikely, but if you do … report it to the dog warden at https://www.cherwellandsouthnorthants.gov.uk/xfp/form/347?council=cdc or on 01295 227007. He will take action against anyone found not picking up.
Thank you.

Steeple Aston Parish Council

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Potholes Reminder

Just a reminder that Steeple Aston has a FixMyStreet SuperUser. This means we have a fast track method of getting potholes filled as long as they meet the relevant criteria in terms of size, depth etc., and they are within the 30 mile an hour limit.

If you report a pothole direct to the Parish Clerk (parishclerk.steepleaston@gmail.com or 01869 347000), she will pass on the details to our SuperUser, who can contact the Highways contractors, without going through FixMyStreet. The system has been in place for a while now and works well.

The Parish Council

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Help for victims of crime or abuse

Being a victim or a witness of a crime can be an emotional and difficult time.

Victims First provides free emotional and practical support to all victims and witnesses of crime or abuse, as well as family members of victims. It is available across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and can provide help regardless of whether or not the crime has been reported to the police.

A Victims First Officer can discuss any emotional or practical needs you may have and work with you to put a tailored support plan in place. This could involve referring you to a specialist service such as services for victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse.

The type of assistance available includes telephone and face to face support, advocacy including help to access other services such as sexual health clinics, drug and alcohol services and legal services, support through the criminal justice system (if you have reported the crime to the police) and therapeutic counselling.

A Young Victims Service is also available to anyone under 18 and works with young people to help them cope with the effects of crime.

To speak to a Victims First Officer about any of the services and to receive support please call 0300 1234 148.

You can also find more information or make a referral for support online at www.victims-first.org.uk

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Live Well in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire County Council has an online directory of over 2,000 (and growing) support services across the county to help residents live better.

Live Well Oxfordshire has been developed by Oxfordshire County Council in partnership with Age UK Oxfordshire and Affinity Works. The directory has been designed to bring together information about groups and organisations offering services for adults with a variety of needs in one place.

It includes categories such as looking after someone, keeping fit and well, finding a care home, help with life events and many more.

To go to the directory, please click here.

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