Just a few of the stories in June's Chipping Norton News. The full stories and many others PLUS all the regular features are in the current edition.  Price 50p

You can buy the Chipping Norton News at the following outlets: The Bookshop, The Chequers, Co-op Foodstore, The Fox Hotel, Lady Beautiful, Leisure Centre, Old Mill Coffee House, Movable Feast, New St Dental Surgery, Porcupine, Q8 Garage, Robert John, Smart Set, Somerfield, Londis (Hailey Road), Top Marks, West St Surgery,   West Street News, White House Surgery, Post offices at Chipping Norton and Chadlington, Over Norton Village Shop, Over Norton Trust,Visitor Information Centre  If you are unable to get to any of the outlets then you can, for £12 a year, have the News sent to you. Contact Rolie Clarke (641380) or Chipping Norton News, c/o Hill Lawn House, 22 New Street, Chipping Norton, OX7 5LJ tel/fax 643219 Email to Chippymail@aol.com

Walk to School

Children of St Mary’s School have again joined in enthusiastically in Walk to School Week – in spite of a timing clash with the SATS! Cheerful posters were made and displayed around the school and lively discussions on the virtues of feet v car were held. There was no competition but the children were given activity diaries to complete if they wished. Highlight of the week was the distribution of balloons as children left the school gates. This was fun for all, including the two wonderful lollipop ladies acquired this year. On a serious note there was less congestion around the school and the area felt safer. Thanks to the efforts of teachers, parents and children the school hopes to submit a strong Betterways bid next year.

Karen Trogstad
 

Darts Marathon success

John Lilley, landlord of The Red Lion, deserves sincere congratulations for pulling off a wonderful event over the May Day weekend – 24 hours of non-stop dart throwing takes quite some organising! This is such a big-hearted town. Approximately £7,000 was raised for Katharine House Hospice. The event kicked off with a TV interview on Oxford Channel 6 with landlord John and Sue Lane from the Hospice. Mayor Jo Graves opened the proceedings at 4pm on Friday and the darts started flying. Twelve players, good folk and true, threw and threw and threw – to a final total of 627,467 points by 4pm on Saturday. The scorers had the worst job. They were magnificent! David Clarke, Managing Director of Hook Norton Brewery, closed the event, complete with the dray horses brought specially from Hooky. There are so many people to thank for their support and help, both local businesses and individuals, and all the town’s pubs. Too many to name, but thank you all. And if you fancy a bacon buttie at 5 in the morning, look out for John’s Mum Sheila, and Mary and Muriel, next time round! The precise amount raised will be announced in July’s News.

Pen Greenwood

Stones roll on

The Rollright Stones made headlines in May when vandals looking for cash caused around £1000 of fire damage at the keeper’s hut. Site manager Don Prout told the News the raid was pointless as the donations’ box is emptied most evenings. He is hard at work repainting and restoring the hut. Don, pictured below at the Stones, lives in Chipping Norton and took over at the site last August. He normally spends around 15 hours a week there and they are always looking for volunteers to help. He told the News with some enthusiasm about plans for this year. The site, now owned by a Trust, is preserved as an ancient monument, and paths and entrance have recently been improved. He would also like to see more space available for visitors and suitable events. As summer comes Don is expecting the usual visitors – and the occasional ‘hand-fasting’ ceremonies often for couples getting married. June sees the Solstice ceremony and performances of the Merry Wives of Windsor on 18-19 June (tickets 01608 644379). Don hopes the site might be used for more performing arts and also art installations. He is currently discussing with the Trust a possible sculpture display later in June through sponsorship by the National Art Collection Fund. Plans for July include National Archeology days on 19-20 July.

Open season for gardens

June and good weather (hopefully) herald the open garden season. A reminder that Whipwell, (16 Burford Road) will be open the weekend of 21 & 22 June, 2-5 pm in aid of the Lawrence Home Nursing Team with the actress Diana Coupland dropping by at 2pm on the 21st. Enjoy this pretty garden plus teas and White Elephant stall. On 6 July gardens in Chadlington will be open from 2-6pm to raise funds for the school and village playground. There will be a pottery and children’s art exhibition, fun for the children in the playground and tea at the Manor. Adult: £2.50, children: free

Midnight on West Street

Through the post, without benefit of owl, comes a wizard of an invitation for 20 June. The Bookshop Chipping Norton is celebrating the long awaited publication of ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ with a midnight party. Copies of the book can be released at one minute after midnight but not before. Come in costume, the invitation says, to try for a prize (a copy of the new book of course) as the best-dressed Harry Potter character. Just one caveat: don’t plan on coming as Hagrid, because the ceiling is too low. Broomsticks to be left in the New Street car park, please.

The party starts at 10pm – the countdown will include refreshments (plus wine for the longsuffering parents), a Harry Potter film and competitions to keep everyone wide awake until the witching hour arrives. Call Polly or Patrick at the Bookshop (641033) to get your invitation – a must for any Harry Potter fan. If you’re not a night owl (or allowed to stay up that late), the Bookshop opens at 7.30am the next morning (21 June) for the early birds to get their copies and get reading.

‘Magpie’ man at the Town Hall

Former Town Hall Keeper, Arthur Wyeth RN, is currently acting as temporary caretaker at the Town Hall until the post is filled permanently. Arthur (pictured left at the recent Mayor Making) served on HMS Magpie which was commissioned in 1943. The ship was adopted by Chipping Norton during the Second World War and later sailed under the command of The Duke of Edinburgh. In March Arthur joined in celebrations for the Magpie’s 60th Anniversary – probably the last reunion of all the former shipmates. Six old tars visited Vosper Thorneycroft in Southampton, the original builders of the vessel, initially a sloop but later reclassified as a frigate. Designed as an inshore craft Magpie got as far as Nova Scotia with Arthur as stoker in the boiler room, the warmest place on a cold ship. Arthur later made a model of the ship which now has pride of place in the Museum.

Planning protest (again)

Amid rumours that McCarthy & Stone are having difficulty in selling all the units at their development opposite St Mary’s School in The Green, another retirement development is back in the news. Last year the District Council granted planning permission for 30 flats for the elderly on the former Anakiwa site in Wards Road – despite local objections about insufficient parking, difficulty of access and increased traffic up the narrow road. Now McCarthy & Stone have re-applied to build 34 sheltered apartments, saying this is in response to local demand. The new plan has a greater number of single units, a small increase in parking spaces and the area of the proposed building is actually smaller than the original proposal. Town Councillors at their May meeting reiterated their original objections and raised more concerns about the balance of young and old in the town. One councillor suggested that the developers were motivated largely by ‘greed’ with little thought for any ‘planning gain’ for the town itself.

Councillors did, however, endorse applications to revamp signs and some exterior features at Somerfield and to demolish temporary buildings at Holy Trinity School to allow for the construction of new permanent classrooms.

 

Starry Night Surprise

 

 

Astronomy, the oldest of the sciences, is a fascinating and absorbing activity available to everyone and the Chipping Norton area provides ideal locations to observe the spectacular night sky. The only requirements are an inquisitive mind and a warm overcoat. On any clear night, across billions of miles of space, you can observe dazzling displays of stars, some in familiar patterns called Constellations. Each pin prick of light, peppered like diamond dust, shines from billions of miles away, not revealing their fantastic size and sizzling heat – breathtaking!

Weaving a celestial dance across the starfields, our neighbouring planets are regularly seen. Locked in orbit, these wanderers, like our own planet, encircle the Sun like cosmic galleons, drifting in an ocean of jewels. Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars are often visible, each one vastly different to Earth. Serene in their travels, suspended beacons in the sky and locked in a solar merry go-round, the Planets are fascinating. Close by, our own faithful Moon provides a monthly display of crescents, craters, mountain ranges and dust filled ‘seas’. The spectacular Moon will always astound the observer.

All the universe is there to be seen – free of charge, no special equipment needed. If you feel interested, dig out that warm overcoat, study this rough sketch of the Summer Triangle, find a place away from artificial light, choose a clear night and become the astronomer you’ve always wanted to be and, if you are interested, I’d love to hear from you. Happy stargazing!

Robin Smitten (Projectionist, The Theatre Chipping Norton)

JUNE STORIES from CHIPPING NORTON NEWS
JULY STORIES from CHIPPING NORTON NEWS
SEPTEMBER STORIES from CHIPPING NORTON NEWS
OCTOBER STORIES from CHIPPING NORTON NEWS
NOVEMBER STORIES from CHIPPING NORTON NEWS
DECEMBER STORIES from CHIPPING NORTON NEWS
FEBRUARY STORIES from CHIPPING NORTON NEWS
MARCH STORIES from CHIPPING NORTON NEWS
APRIL STORIES from CHIPPING NORTON NEWS