Community Land Trust members meet for the first time
The new Community Land Trust for Steeple and Middle Aston held its first members’ meeting on Wednesday, 29th January. The Trust was set up following a public meeting last April. Villagers have been invited to join the trust for a token payment of £1.
Julia Whybrew reports:
The Steeple Aston and Middle Aston Community Land Trust has a lot going for it, except for the length of its name. For simplicity this report on its first members’ meeting will refer to it as our CLT. All the members and others who had at some point expressed an interest in the scheme were invited and there were 36 of us there. Martin Lipson, the chairman of our CLT Board, explained that the meeting had been called for two reasons. First it would provide an opportunity for the committee to explain to members what they had done already and secondly for members to discuss and tell the committee where they would like to see the CLT going.
Martin explained that the CLT members had been extremely generous with their initial donations, and that the organisation had now become a legal entity. The intention now was to see if it might be feasible to develop both affordable homes for local people and some wider objectives which could benefit villagers now and in the future. The CLT is hoping that its structure may enable a different sort of tenure to normal so that affordable homes for locals can be created now and stay available in the future. These homes could be for sale, rent, co-ownership, co-operative housing or self-build. Many CLTs in other areas got going earlier than us and so far CLTs have built 2,000 affordable homes with a further 7,100 in the pipeline.
We know there is a shortage of housing around here, especially of one and two bedroom properties because there was a recent survey of local housing needs. Two local sites have been identified by the Neighbourhood Plan for development and it is hoped that there might be further sites suitable as Rural Exception Sites. The point of the latter is that they are highly unlikely to get planning approval for market housing but might get approval as a Rural Exception Site as long as the development is mainly affordable housing. The CLT committee is approaching local land owners of the potential development sites around the villages to discuss if, and how, the CLT may be able to take forward these ideas. These discussions are at a preliminary stage and members will be told if and when anything develops from this.
Questions were invited and one person said he understood that the property should be affordable and for locals in perpetuity, but he was unsure how this could be achieved in practice. He asked if he could give or bequeath his CLT home to a family member who did not live in the village. Someone asked where the CLT would find the finance for developing affordable housing. Others suggested single storey dwellings for the elderly and starter homes for the young which one person pointed need not be at each other’s expense. Some wanted to be certain any affordable homes could be confined to those with genuine local connections.
At this point the participants divided into groups and were asked to identify both housing and non-housing issues where our CLT might contribute. There were lots of ideas and the ones that came up the most in relation to housing were:
- If houses had few bedrooms the idea of communal spare bedrooms made sense
- Houses should be built to encourage social cohesion by designs such as homes facing into a courtyard
- Large extensions should be prohibited to prevent small houses becoming large houses
- Working locally might be sufficient to be considered for an affordable home.
There were lots and lots of other suggestions not related to housing such as:
- The desirability of a footpath between Fenway and Northside near the stables
- A smaller bus so it might be able to negotiate Fenway and Water Lane
- Sustainable shared power generation
- Community facilities such as a room for medical appointments.
The full list of questions and suggestions can be found on the CLT website . If you would like to become a member and influence the future of the villages the details of joining are on the membership page of the same website.
Steeple Aston to remember with a poppy cascade
From the Poppy Committee:
“This year we shall be remembering 80 years since the end of the Second World War. A small group of us thought it would be a good idea to get together to create a commemorative cascade of poppies tumbling from the church tower.
“So how many poppies have you made? It’s great to report that many people are enthusiastically supporting the project and are promising to make poppies – people from the church, the WI, the Valentine club, members of SACs and the Brownies are some of the groups we know about. That’s terrific but we are going to need a great many poppies!
“Please keep going or get started if you haven’t yet produced a poppy!
“There will be the First Great Poppy Count at the end of February to check how we are getting on. Please make sure you have delivered as many poppies as possible into the box in church by then. We’ll let you know how much progress there has been!”
The members of the Poppy Committee are Kay Francis, Hildy Frenken, Merrill Bayley and Eileen Baglin-Jones.
The WI got started making poppies before Christmas. The photo above shows samples of the various styles of poppies made so far by members. They were on show at their January meeting – woolly ones, fluffy ones and even some felt ones.
Why not have a go at making your own poppies? There are no rules except that the poppies must be red with a black centre. If you need them, there are patterns in the box in the church plus some wool and knitting needles. And if you need more wool, ask Merrill Bayley from the WI on 01869 347802 or email merrill.bayley@gmail.com.
Council agrees to fund Blandford Fly initial spray
Steeple Aston Parish Council has agreed to fund a pilot project to spray the larvae of the dreaded Blandford Fly. At their meeting on Monday, 20th January councillors agreed to spend £5,000 on spraying at a single site this year in the hope of encouraging other councils to contribute towards a much bigger project along the Cherwell Valley in future.
Researchers from Bournemouth University will visit the River Cherwell in March to assess optimal time and location to treat the water in the following weeks. The location is likely to be well upstream of Heyford Bridge where it will be of most benefit to the village.
But be warned! Though this pilot is expected to reduce the number of flies this year, it will not eradicate the risk of bites anywhere nearly as effectively as the full project.
Parish Councillors and project leads Mat Watson and Greg Elphick explain the plan:
The Blandford Fly (Simulium posticatum) is a small species of black fly found in Europe and has commonly been prevalent in the Stour valley in Dorset. Or at least it used to be. It is now endemic along our stretch of the River Cherwell from Clifton (Deddington) as far south as Kidlington. It’s most common during May and June, flying low to the ground and normally biting ankles and legs. The painful bites can lead to swelling, blistering, joint pain and occasionally a high temperature, as many villagers have found to their cost. In severe cases the bite can cause ulceration and secondary infections. It is a public health nuisance.
Its larvae thrive and develop to maturity on the particularly accommodating, undulating, long river weed, ranunculus, that looks so beautiful as you walk across Heyford Bridge. The fly’s name derives from a major outbreak of people being bitten around the town of Blandford Forum in Dorset, in the 1960s and 70s. The town straddles the River Stour.
Researchers at Bournemouth University (BUG is the name of their commercial environmental programme team) developed a solution which for over 30 years has reduced the population of Blandford Fly by up to 98 per cent in affected areas along the River Stour. They spray the larvae in their breeding grounds amongst the weeds in the water course before they become flies and start to bite humans. Control is effected by targeting the filter feeding larval stage with a specific larvicide Vectobac AS, which is an aqueous solution of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) – a group of bacteria used as biological control agents for larval stages of certain dipterans. Bti produces toxins which are effective in killing various species of mosquitoes, fungus gnats, and blackflies, while having almost no effect on other organisms. This is a link to their 2024 report on last year’s treatment.
The total cost of the first year’s treatment is £23,000 with subsequent years costing around £18,000. These costs have been derived from an initial scoping project last year with multiple visits and testing by BUG scientists during June 2024 in various locations along the river course. Thanks are due to local OCC councillor Arash Fatemian for sourcing the funds for these investigations. Full approval has already been gained from the Health and Safety Executive as a result of the longstanding evidence from the River Stour and contact over the autumn with the Oxfordshire offices of the Environment Agency and Thames Water has secured their go ahead approval as well.
It had been hoped that Oxfordshire County Council would provide all or part of the £23,000 require for the first year of treatment and get the project underway in the spring of 2025. But as this money has not been forthcoming, the council decided to approach local parishes to see if they would share the cost between them. Unfortunately, at this stage in parish budget cycles, gaining sufficient commitment has proved impossible. Dorset County Council funds the spraying programme on the River Stour.
It is hoped that a publicity drive involving a widely shared video podcast produced by Mat Watson (of Car Wow fame) demonstrating the treatment process and impact of the spraying will create the level of interest and support needed to secure the required initial funding and ongoing spending in subsequent years. To that end, on 20th January Steeple Aston PC voted to release £5,000 from reserves to fund a pilot project on a single site close to the village. If you have views on the proposal please let Cathy Fleet, Parish Clerk, know of these, email parishclerk.steepleaston@gmail.com. We have already received a handful of comments, some positive and some understandably seeking further reassurances over potential impact on the wider ecology. These are being responded to by sharing the detailed academic follow up study papers from which the project draws its high level of confidence.
Villagers’ Remembrance Concert ‘surprises and satisfies’
Steeple Aston always marks Remembrance Sunday with a parade from the church to the War Memorial. But this year there was an extra special treat. On Saturday, 9th November there was a Remembrance Concert in the church devised by Nicholas Cleobury and performed by local singers, musicians and speakers.
The audience in the packed church were thrilled, delighted and moved by their performance as Margaret Bulleyment reports:
‘Remembrance, Respect and Reconciliation’ was the theme on the eve of Remembrance Sunday, with the church packed, in anticipation of a performance in words and music from the Aston Singers and friends, devised by Nicholas Cleobury.
The audience was not disappointed as without a printed programme, the idea was to be surprised and satisfied by the thoughtful links that Nicholas had curated so beautifully, showing us the power of words and music across the centuries.
We began with Siegfried Sassoon’s poem, Everyone Suddenly Burst out Singing, commemorating the ending of the Great War, followed by the Aston Singers’ vibrant performance of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, from his Ninth Symphony. The latter was sung in German – as were all the evening’s pieces originally written in that language. It is an ode to peace and all mankind uniting in harmony, so in German, this was appropriate, as well as being in the spirit of reconciliation.
The mood then changed dramatically with Wilfred Owen’s poem, Dulce et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori, describing the agony of a soldier who has been gassed in the trenches, enhanced by Elizabethan composer, William Byrd’s sublime Agnus Dei which followed, in which the repeated Miserere (Have mercy on us) takes on a poignant significance. Wilfred Owen died just a week before the Armistice.
In At a Cavalry near the Ancre, another Owen poem, he likens a French roadside cross to the scene of the Crucifixion and this was followed by a hauntingly beautiful performance of the theme from John William’s, Schindler’s List, by violinist, Holly Viner. There was a moment of hesitation. Should we applaud here? It was so moving, we did.
Call to Remembrance by Tudor composer, Richard Farrant, O remember not the sins and offences of my youth, took us to two settings of three stanzas of Lawrence Binyon’s poem, For the Fallen – They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old – written in 1914, at the beginning of the Great War.
The first setting, by Sophie Cleobury, was sung fervently and confidently, by four students from Dr. Radcliffe’s School – Charlie Simpson, Nathaniel Prigent, Arlo Robins and Freddie. Thompson. The second, by Douglas Guest, Nicholas’s mentor at Worcester Cathedral, was composed for the Choir of Westminster Abbey and satisfyingly complemented the first.
In 1960, Philip Larkin wrote MCMXIV (1914) describing the years following the Great War. It ends with Never such innocence again, at which point, Charmian Bartlett, cellist – a very welcome newcomer to the village’s musical scene – played an eloquent Arioso, from Bach’s Cantata 156, I stand with one foot in the grave. This was another ‘we must applaud’ moment.
The choir continued with a Charles Stanford motet from 1905, Justorum animae (The souls of the just are in the hand of god) which was followed by Rupert Brooke’s, The Soldier (If I should die…)
During the Second World War, pianist Myra Hess gave lunchtime concerts in the National Gallery, to relieve the ‘cultural blackout.’ These concerts were very popular, and the audience’s favourite was Myra’s version of Bach’s, Jesus bliebt meine Freude (Jesu, joy of Man’s desiring.) Holly and Charmian played this joyous work, with the choir singing the chorale melody above.
The story of the 1914 Christmas Truce, when on Christmas Eve, German soldiers started singing Stille Nacht and the British joined in with Silent Night, from their trenches, followed. The moment was re-enacted, with the choir, singing in German and the audience, singing in English.
Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem was referenced by Nicholas, who had sung at the opening of Coventry Cathedral, where, five days later, the first performance of the Britten was given. This and Michael Tippett’s, A Child of our Time, informed his thinking when preparing the programme.
The Tippett was written in response to the events of Kristallnacht 1938 – 86 years ago to our concert night – when the Nazis unleased violence against the Jewish community, after a diplomat had been assassinated by a Jewish refugee. Whereas a Bach cantata has chorales (hymn tunes) for reflective moments, the Tippett work has spirituals and the choir sang one of them, By and By, with a notable solo by Miranda Doggett.
The evening ended with a sing-a-long from both World Wars – Pack up your troubles; Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Hitler? with Martin Corporal Jones Dale; The White Cliffs of Dover, sung beautifully by Rebecca Lewin and We’ll Meet Again, with Nigel Doggett and James Taylor.
Many thanks, to all the Aston Singers ‘small in number, but mighty in sound and quality,’ for their versatility across five centuries; Dr. Radcliffes’s young singers; Holly and Charmian; Tom Coker, Eileen Baglin-Jones, Heather Cleobury and Tina Ferguson for their eloquent readings and to Nicholas Cleobury, for putting together such an enjoyable, poignant and thought-provoking programme.
The quality of the talented musicians and performers we have within our small community never ceases to amaze me. £1,174 was raised from ticket sales and donations for the Royal British Legion and the Church Roof Appeal.
To see more photos of the concert and the parade to the War Memorial, please go to the Photogallery. Click on the photo to enlarge it and then navigate using the arrows. Thanks once again to Nigel Francis for a wonderful selection.
For your 2025 diary
Saturday, 10 May – We’ll Meet Again – VE 80 – 6.30 for 7.00pm – Village Hall
The White Cliffs of Dover to The Lambeth Walk, with a visit from Vera Lynn – a family evening of community singing, readings and celebration for the 80th Anniversary of VE Day. Paul Herrington – accompanist. Table seating (8 to a table.) Bar and nibbles. Contact Margaret Bulleyment – mtheb749@gmail.com for more information.
Former policeman Greg joins the Parish Council
When Greg Elphick moved to Steeple Aston in Spring 2023 with his wife Emily and Poppy the spaniel, he was keen to get involved in village life. He enthusiastically took over organising the deliveries for SAL magazine, and then volunteered to be the village Parish Path Warden.
But he had to live in the village for 12 months before he was allowed to become a parish councillor. His appointment was further delayed because by the time he qualified, he and Emily were away completing their 500-mile Camino charity walk.
Now at last he has been co-opted on to the council and is ready to get to work. An enthusiastic DIYer, Greg has already offered to mend a gate in the play area and will no doubt be doing more useful jobs around the village.
As a former police officer, Greg knows plenty about the usual village complaints around issues such as litter and dog poo, but his interests are more wide-ranging.
Since moving into his new build house at Townend, Greg has taken a personal interest in energy efficiency. The house already had an air heat pump, and he has also installed solar panels. He is keen to be involved in the Community Land Trust and to ensure that any houses built in the village are designed to save as much energy as possible.
Greg joined Thames Valley Police in 1984, after taking a degree in aeronautical engineering. He spent 30 years in the force with stints as an authorised firearms officer and public order commander, but he was predominantly a career detective and latterly a DI in Professional Standards and Anti-Corruption. Think Line of Duty!
After retiring from the police, Greg spent another seven years in security roles at the Ministry of Defence and the Cabinet Office. Outside work, Greg has found plenty to occupy himself. As well as the DIY, he loves anything automotive and he used to like taking a risk. He tried scuba diving, mountain biking, pistol shooting, kick-boxing, skydives, bungee jumping, track days and road cycling. Now, at the age of 61, he has calmed down a bit, he says. “These days it’s mainly a bit of gym, long distance walking and travel in our VW camper van.”
But he still has a need to be a useful volunteer. Emily calls him Tigger because he just can’t sit still! In his new role he’s keen to meet villagers but warns that he does talk a lot. So, start a conversation at your own risk!
And if you fancy following Greg’s example and joining the Parish Council, there is still a vacancy. For more information, contact the Parish Clerk Cathy Fleet on 07989 398 838 or email: parishclerk.steepleaston@gmail.com
Survey shows local support for affordable homes
From Steeple Aston Parish Council
As all parishioners of both Steeple and Middle Aston know, a housing survey questionnaire was delivered to every home in the two parishes in July of this year.
At its meeting on Monday, 21st October, Steeple Aston Parish councillors and a representative from Middle Aston parish meeting received the report of the findings of the survey, produced by Community First Oxfordshire (who kindly funded and managed the survey). The main points from the report are as follows:
- 483 households received the questionnaire
- 150 completed surveys were returned – a response rate of 31%
- Of these, 129 lived in Steeple and 21 in Middle Aston.
- 78% of respondents supported the principle of providing housing for those in need who have local connections to the parishes.
- 71% expressed support for a site being developed to provide a small number of such homes.
- 67% supported the principle of the Community Land Trust delivering homes for local people.
- 21 households said they were in need of affordable housing, of whom 11 households were thought to meet the criteria for a local connection to one of the parishes.
- Of those 11, 5 are seeking to rent accommodation and the other 6 to purchase through shared ownership or discounted sale.
- Detail is provided by those respondents of the likely timescale and size of property that would be needed.
Following discussion, the councillors agreed that the survey has demonstrated a significant local demand for affordable homes. They decided to ask the newly-created Community Land Trust for the two parishes to investigate possible Rural Exception Sites where affordable housing could be built, and to report back in due course. These could then be evaluated alongside the sites identified for possible housing allocation through the Neighbourhood Plan earlier in the year.
The full Report can be seen here on the CLT website.
The Community Land Trust has now launched its membership. See details here.
Local couple home after 500-mile Camino charity walk
Greg and Emily Elphick are back home in Steeple Aston after walking 800kms on the Camino de Santiago raising money for a charity supporting street children in India.
The couple, who moved to Townend in April 2023, practiced walking with their 10kg weighted rucksacks on local walks with Poppy their sprocker spaniel. But Poppy was left behind with a friend when they set off on their pilgrimage from the pretty French town of St Jean Pied de Port, about halfway up a Pyrenean mountainside near Biarritz on Wednesday, August 28th.
They finally arrived at their destination, Santiago de Compostela in North West Spain, in the pouring rain on Wednesday, 25th September. Their 500-mile hike certainly had its highs and lows which are recounted in Greg’s detailed account of their adventure.
The lows including sharing sleeping accommodation with lots of noisy snorers, food poisoning for Emily, days of torrential rain (very wet socks) and on three nights arriving in a village which was completely shut so they had to go to bed without any dinner!
The upsides though were inspiring. They walked 25 to 30kms a day, traveling through beautiful countryside and small rural towns and villages, meeting lots of people from all over the world on the way. After the first difficult few days Greg writes: “Carrying the rucksacks became second nature and our legs got stronger every day. We passed through the beautiful city of Burgos, left the urban landscape behind us and headed out onto the near silent, open expanse of the Meseta.”
There was also a real sense of achievement. For example, when they were later faced with the wild and rocky Cantabrian mountains, unlike some others, they were up for the challenge. According to Greg, “Though the Pyrenees provided a tough start to the Camino the undulations and high passes of the next five days before we entered Galicia were quite brutal. The climbs to the mountain hamlets of Foncebadon and O’Cebreiro were particularly steep. Those without the stamina needed could take a horse ride up to these peaks if they wished. Shame be upon them…”
The final 150kms were different with many more pilgrims walking often in larger groups. Greg writes: “ The last 100km or so didn’t quite offer the sense of adventure, occasional solitude and pure wilderness that had gone before but we were on the home stretch. We were lifted in spirits every single day by family and friends wishing us well.” Their supporters followed their travels on WhatsApp.
And they would certainly recommend the experience to others. Says Greg: “We would genuinely encourage anyone with the time to walk all or part of the Camino (ideally the first, second or third weeks for the exercise and views). It’s hard work but people of all ages, from all over the world are always out on the trail. You’ll definitely meet some lovely people and have your faith in human nature restored.”
Greg and Emily have raised more than £1,500 in sponsorship for The Hope Foundation UK, which works towards providing lasting positive change in the lives of street-connected children and slum communities in Kolkata, India.
Emily explains why they support this cause: “We found out about this charity via a travel program presented by the actress Sue Perkins. She is also a long-term supporter along with Olivia Colman. We have been supporting a young child through education for many years now and we have seen the difference their work makes.”
You can donate to The Hope Foundation on Emily and Greg’s JustGiving page .
It’s worth reading Greg’s colourful and detailed account of their journey – The mad Peregrinos, Greg and Emily.
A peregrino is a pilgrim!