Editorial February/March 2007

Lt.Col.Gilbert Talbot 1918-2007

From the Parish Council

The death of Colonel Gilbert Talbot brings great sadness and loss to the community; we as the Parish Council have lost a stalwart supporter and ambassador.

It is hard to imagine not having Gilbert there at every major village event and celebration. How we will all miss the Colonel leading the parade on Armistice Day and always being able to call on him (even if asked at the last minute) to say exactly the right words for any occasion. It didn’t matter what village project or event was taking place, Gilbert was always willing to give his help and support.

We have been privileged as a community to have Gilbert living amongst us, how he dealt with ALL members of our community both young and old is an example to us, and a legacy we must not lose.

He was the perfect "Gentleman", the Oxford Dictionary’s definition is "a man of honourable and kindly behaviour" absolutely true of Gilbert and a great testimony to a very special man.

Celia Collett

From the Royal British Legion

Gilbert Talbot was a lovely man who loved the village and who was loved equally in return.

To our branch of the Royal British Legion, Gilbert was a great president, always ready to help and a regular attendee at our branch meetings. He had a good sense of humour and will be sadly missed. During 2006 Gilbert’s main aim was to complete the book of remembrance and have it installed in St Agatha’s Church on Remembrance Sunday. He had so much admiration for the late Eddie Sinclair who researched into the history behind the names on the war memorial. We know he was very moved to see the vicar bless the book and place it in the cabinet in the church.

He will be sadly missed by the branch especially on Remembrance Sunday when he headed the parade with quiet skill and dignity which everyone could admire.

John Wardle

From the Flower and Produce Show

There can't be many men left in the village who raise their hats to everyone they meet, but this simple act of old world courtesy was typical of Gilbert Talbot. His personal charm and gentlemanliness, his strong sense of duty and complete absence of snobbishness will be sorely missed.

It is hard to believe that Gilbert will not be there for this year's Flower and Produce Show. His wonderful hooting laugh, infectious enthusiasm and generous hospitality have been an essential part of the event for decades. But even though we will not have his physical presence, the annual battle for the Talbot Cup will continue. His memory will live on, too, in the shared jokes. The enormous pot lilies that re-appeared every year until they were too heavy for the table; Bruno the dog, who single-handedly demolished Cecil Western's Dundee Cake.

Gilbert had a wide network of friends made through gardening. Elected the first president of the Wallingford Allotment and Gardens Society in 1983, he became involved in the village Flower and Produce Show not long afterwards. The W.I. had run the show for many years, but - although one or two members were willing to carry on as a committee member - they wanted to hand over responsibility. Cecil Western suggested that Gilbert would do the job very well. As she recalls: 'Vi Smith asked me to ask him to do it, and I said "No, because he will find it quite easy to refuse me if he doesn't want it, but I don't think he'll say No to you". So she did, and he agreed and has done it ever since, in his own particular way.'

Paul Chilton succeeded Gilbert as Chairman in 1997, but Gilbert remained in an honorary role and still took a strong interest. Every show morning would find him seated behind the tent armed with coffee, chocolate biscuits and strong drink. He would ply the judges with gin and tonic (only after judging was finished, it has to be said!), and the gales of laughter emanating from his table added enormously to the joy of the occasion. Every year he would say 'You don't really need me, do you? ' But the event was unthinkable without him. He was absent one year, for VE Day anniversary celebrations in London, and he was sadly missed, as he will be now.

Sally Dugan

Community Association

Village Carol Evening - 11 December
The village turned out in force to enjoy another wonderful celebration of Christmas. We are all indebted to Andy Lewis, who ‘realises’ the show, talent spots for contributors, writes much of the sketch material, and comperes it with energy and great good humour. Again, Andy was ably assisted by Malcolm Sutcliffe, who led the singing, Chris and Helen Baines on the production and creative side, and of course Norman Large on piano.

The talent on show was too extensive to give all a mention, but Alec McGivan’s Santa sonnet was widely regarded as his best ever. Brightwell School’s choir group reminded us how exciting Christmas is through the eyes of the children. Behind the scenes, Derek Brooker kept the mulled wine flowing, to keep us all feeling mellow.

As ever, the evening’s proceeds contributed to Christmas hampers for the elderly of the village. We are very grateful to Caroline Annets and the Brightwell Scouts, once again this year, for packing and distributing the hampers.

Village Quiz Evening - Saturday 17 March 2007
The Village Quiz Evening will take place in the Village Hall on Saturday 17 March at 7.30 p.m. True to tradition, last year’s winning team, Red Lion will set the questions. We will be sending entry forms to the teams who took part last year. Anyone else who would like to enter a team should contact me, on 824232. All entry forms will be sent out at the same time. Numbers are limited because of the event’s popularity and the fire regulations, so all applications will be dealt with in strict order of receipt.

Hugh Roderick

Parish Church

If the village grapevine is as good as I suspect it is, you will all know by now that this article is my last. I have resigned from my post as team vicar due to ill health caused by lack of time to handle its many different demands. I took my last service on Sunday 31 December. During my all-too-brief time here I have come to love the villages of Crowmarsh and Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, their churches and their people. You have always made both Adrian and me, feel welcomed and appreciated and we have both loved living and working amongst you.

When things do not turn out as we expected them to, it often leads us to question ourselves and God. Was I misled in thinking this was the place God wanted me? Why has it proved to be far more difficult than I ever imagined? Could I/should I have done it differently?

The start of a new year reminds me that God does not see things as we see them. He has a way of working with the things that we get right and the things that we get wrong, whatever the reasons. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:28 "All things work together for good to those that love God and are called according to his purpose."

As the old year passes with its experiences both good and bad, with its successes and its failures, a new year beckons. God also beckons, asking us to put behind us all that is wrong by seeking for his forgiveness and inviting us to start afresh and to seek his grace and his guidance as we look to the future. He did it in Christ and he does it time and time again in the lives of his people.

Next time you look at a piece of tapestry and admire the picture, turn it over and look at the back. The knots, the criss-crosses, the untidiness can all be seen; it is out of this tangled web that the skilled craftsperson weaves a masterpiece.

God is in the business of redemption, of putting to rights what human beings get wrong, and of weaving all that happens into his grand design for us and for the world. May God bless you all as you begin a new year and the churches as they begin a new chapter of their life and ministry in the villages.

Jill Chatfield

Farewell to The Revd Jill Chatfield and her husband Adrian

As most of our villagers are aware, Jill has resigned with regret from her position of Team Vicar of the Wallingford team and specifically caring for the parishes of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell and Crowmarsh.

Jill and Adrian may have only been with us a few months but it seems much longer as Jill involved herself so much. She participated in the activities of both parishes, especially in the schools, where she has regularly attended school assemblies and encouraged the schools to hold many of their special services in church, in particular at the main festivals of the year and at the end of school terms.

It is only at times like these you sit and take stock of the enormity of the commitment of being a priest. As well as planning and taking the Sunday services - dashing between here and Crowmarsh, there are babtisms, weddings, funerals, cremations and all the family care, prayers and planning they take up. Also there is the organising and carrying out of various specialised training courses within the team. Then there are the PCC and other committee meetings to attend and carrying out the job of Chairman of the Fairthorne Charity trust and all that has entailed.

We have been taught a lot about Jill and Adrian’s African missionary work including a fascinating evening of African food followed by a slide show of the African way of life they experienced. We have loved and taken Jill and Adrian to our hearts and are truly sorry that they have gone, but they will carry out the Lord’s work elsewhere. We really will miss them and wish them every success, joy and happiness for their future.

As for our spiritual future, the position is being advertised, and in the meantime we rely on the Revd. David Rice and various willing retired local priests to come and conduct our services and to carry out God’s work among us.

Roy Thorpe and Olive Sutcliffe

Brightwell School

Brightwell School wish the village community a very happy new year.

Well done to Miss Shinner our Class 1 teacher, ably assisted by our Early-Years Teaching Assistants and parent helpers, for a fantastic nativity production of A Sleepy Shepherd. Our young actors and singers, aged 4-7 years, performed to packed audiences. Our school choir, which has gone from strength to strength under the guidance of parent Wendy Murton, made scintillating and sonorous contributions to village festivities when they sang at the village carol evening and at a lunchtime senior-citizen event at Root One garden centre. After the school disco, class parties and Christmas dinner, it was fitting that our children were reminded of what this time of year is truly about when the Revd Jill Chatfield led the school in a traditional Christmas Service at St Agatha’s Church on the final day of term. Sadly, this was Jill’s farewell to us and the children thanked her for all her inter-active and thought provoking assemblies. We wish her the very best for the future.

Our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils had a talk from the Fire Service on fire safety and the school also took part in national events, including Road Safety Week and Anti-Bullying Week. Congratulations to the Year 6 pupils who attended a Maths Challenge at St Edwards School in Oxford recently. One pair was placed 7th overall, with more than 30 state and private schools participating.

The children raised £87 for Children in Need and families donated forty seven boxes for the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas appeal. If you did not attend our Christmas fair, you missed out - this year it was just ‘packed’. Arranged and managed through Friends of Brightwell School (FOBS) it raises money to support extra curricular activities and resources. I extend my thanks and gratitude to all who made this fair such a great success.

After her nearly ten years at Brightwell we said goodbye to Mrs Calvert, one of our teachers and our Special Educational Needs Coordinator. She moves on deservedly to a school-support role in special needs education for the local authority. She has been a great servant to the school and her contribution will be sadly missed. The children presented Mrs Calvert with a range of gifts, courtesy of the many generous donations

Finally, as we usher in a new year, full of anticipation and expectation, we may remember, as a small school in a small village, that young minds are best shaped and developed when they are encouraged to have and hold to big hopes and big dreams.

Roger Grant

Allsorts Pre-School

Our first term in the new building was a huge success. We celebrated with our Christmas party and Father Christmas popped past to give his seal of approval. It is an amazing sight to see all the new notice boards filled with information on the children’s activities and the walls beautifully decorated with the children's art work.

The outside play area is thankfully almost complete as no amount of bad weather will keep the children inside! Thank you to those who have given donations of plants and objects for our sensory garden, we really appreciate them. However we are still in need of more items and assistance to create a truly stimulating space bursting with different textures, scents, sounds and colour. Please do contact us if you are able to help.

This term the children will be learning about animals. Each week they will cover a different topic: farm animals, wild animals, endangered animals and extinct animals. If you have any interesting artefacts or experiences that you would like to share with us please do get in touch.

This term will also see the introduction of a healthy eating initiative at the pre-school. Following consultation with the parents it was decided that the pre-school will provide fruit/vegetable snacks (rather than them being sent in from home). This will ensure that children will be provided with an option of at least two of their five recommended portions of fruit and vegetables per day. The experience of sharing new foods will also help cover five areas of our curriculum: Physical Development (fine motor skills) Knowledge and Understanding of the World (where does food come from?) Mathematical Development (dividing snacks between the group) Personal, Social and Emotional Development (sharing) Communication, Language and Literacy. Who would have thought so much could be learnt from such a simple thing!

As always should you be interested in helping the preschool or in registering your child, please do contact Hilary on 826387.

Natasha Fuller

Governing Brightwell in 1811 and now

The 1811 census year was also the year the "Brightwell Inclosure Act" was passed. Under the Act the hundreds of strips of land throughout the parish which formed the ancient 3-field farming system were replaced by the large fields with surrounding hedges that we see today. Reading the documents of that time the impression is gained that Brightwell was a well ordered, close knit and caring community of people, almost all involved in one way or another in agriculture, who took enclosure, the "inclosure", without protest. By comparison Sotwell was very poorly documented in 1811.

Some 200 years ago Brightwell parishioners chose their officers from among their number to oversee all parish affairs. There was little or no control by an outside authority: no District Council, no County Council, no Regional Assembly and virtually no Government control. Parishes had always run their own affairs and anyway at that time, the central government was far too concerned by the threat posed by Napoleon. On the rare occasions when a Government edict needed to be sent to the population, it often came by way of the Bishop and thence the Rector who, after Sunday service, would read it out for the benefit of those who could not read. The edict would then be nailed to St Agatha’s North door.

Provided a parishioner had the minimum property to qualify him, or her, to vote and to stand for office, they might expect to hold the four main parish posts during their life-time. Annually, Brightwell elected two Church-wardens, a Constable, an Overseer of the Poor and a Surveyor of the Highways. Surrounding parishes, and probably Brightwell, also had a pinder to supervise the village pound and an ale taster. Upon election the holders of the major posts would no doubt find a copy of Paul’s "The Compleat Parish Officer" and remind themselves of their duties and the relevant statutes.

The Constable’s job did not vary much from that of a present day village constable except that he had to keep an eye open for under-weight loaves and below volume tankards of ale. He would also have to collect any Brightwell parishioner charged with being ‘A rogue and a vagabond’ from an adjacent parish. The difference from today’s constable lay in the administration of justice. A minor misdemeanour could lead to a spell in the stocks, which are thought to be situated - but not confirmed - opposite the Red Lion. A villain paying a fine would know that half would go to the Constable and half to the poor of the parish. The Surveyor of the Highways saw that all parishioners spent 3 or 4 days each year keeping the pathways, green meres and roads in order. Between them the Church Wardens and the Overseer of the Poor looked after the sick and impoverished of the parish. They were also responsible for collecting the rates required to maintain their service to the poor. In the centre of all this, and seeing fair play, stood the Rector, who by 1811 had been incumbent for almost 40 years.

It was not until Queen Victoria’s reign that the relentless centripetal movement of responsibility away from the parish towards Westminster began. Now in 2007 virtually every facet of our lives seems to be regulated from outside the parish by: the numerous Acts passed by Parliament, a number of the Directives agreed by the European Union and by a few of the Conventions ratified by the United Nations. The power we have to determine our own affairs as a parish has dwindled enormously since 1811, but a coming Local Government White Paper, "Strong and Prosperous Communities", may change the balance slightly by offering parish councils more power.

Every four years the Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Parish Council is elected by those parishioners over 18 who have registered to vote. The next election for the officers of this lowest tier of UK government will be in May this year. The first task of the nine new councillors will be to select their chairman for the coming 2 years. Each councillor takes part in the monthly meetings, he or she can be a member of one of the two sub-committees and there are a number of other duties to be shared. To acquaint themselves with their duties, new parish councillors can study Paul Claydon’s "Parish Councillors Guide" and can attend courses organised by the District Council.

Determining the amount of the Council Tax that comes to the parish (about £25,000 in 2007, representing some 2% of the average tax bill) and how to spend it are among the major tasks of the Council. Grass cutting on the Rec. and in Kings Meadow, insurance, the Clerk’s salary and donations to village bodies are usually the main items of expenditure, but there are a number of others. For large projects, such as the Jubilee Pavilion, grants may be obtained from SODC and similar sources. And of course the Council Tax also pays for the services provided by the District Council (8%), the County Council (80%) and the Thames Valley Police Force (10%) These include the collection of waste, planning, education and highway maintenance. Of course we also pay a large amount of tax directly and indirectly to central government and we pay separately for electricity, gas, water, telephone radio and television. We may not be governed by the parish but enjoy a wide variety of goods and services in 2007 with few if any being produced within the parish. What a contrast to 1811 when the parish was like an island, being virtually self sufficient, with only the rich paying taxes.

Leon Cobb and John Rodda

CPRE-Protecting the Countryside

Lots of you will have heard of CPRE but are a little vague about what it stands for and what it does.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England exists to promote the beauty, tranquillity and diversity of the rural scene as it affects England.

The organisation was set up 80 years ago and an Oxford Branch was inaugurated by John Buchan, (later Lord Tweedsmuir) in 1930 and since then it has fought and won the case against a reservoir on Otmoor, the building of the M40 across Otmoor, created the Oxfordshire Way in the early 1970s, was instrumental in saving Great Tew in the late 1970s and is vigilant in safeguarding the Green Belt. It led the recent campaign against an advertisement in a field beside the M40 and continues to object to South Oxfordshire District Council's decision to allow advertising on roundabouts throughout the District. It is in the process of creating an Oxford Green Belt Way on public rights of way through the Green Belt. It has, currently, some 1250 members and the Wallingford District is part of the Oxfordshire branch and together we are actively involved with other official and voluntary bodies which influence the rural outlook.

Planning plays a vital role in protecting the countryside from urban sprawl and in encouraging urban regeneration and improving the quality of new development. CPRE is consulted on the content of the County Structure Plan ( soon to be replaced by the Regional Spacial Strategy) and also the South Oxfordshire Local Development Framework. It resists, wherever practicable, the development of greenfield sites. The proposal to build upward of a further 3000 houses in and around Didcot in the decade after 2016, following the plan for 3200 dwellings at Great Western Park is a case in point. CPRE aims to protect existing buildings of architectural and historic importance together with rights of way and field boundaries of nature conservation value. It is concerned about the development of market towns and with the design of urban buildings, roads and other infrastructural elements. We review all planning proposals in the area covered by Wallingford District CPRE and represent any objections we have to the District Council and planning committee hearings. We also draw attention to cases where we believe enforcement of planning requirements is lacking. In addition we are engaged in other activities which interact with the rural scene such as the working and restoration of gravel pits, road schemes, signage and lighting. We also consider works on waterways, renewable energy schemes and waste management which affect the countryside.

All this may sound very "busybodyish" but unless one is alerted to new schemes at the beginning of the process an opportunity may be missed.

Viola Crowe

Climate Change and what we can do about it

Although there are some doubters, there is general agreement amongst politicians, scientists, professionals and most informed members of the public that global change is the biggest threat currently facing humankind. Changes are taking place to the environment at a breakneck speed largely due to human actions - a speed unmatched over the major part of geological history. Most important of these is change in the composition of atmosphere, principally the rise in the CO2 content and that of other greenhouse gasses. At the start of the Industrial Revolution (c.1750) the CO2 level was about 270ppm. Now it is 380ppm and likely to reach 400ppm in 10 years time. These are levels not reached during the previous one million years of the earth’s history.

The rise in CO2 has resulted in an increase in the mean global temperature, about 0.60C during the 20th Century, demonstrated most noticeably by the fact that 8 of the 10 warmest years since temperatures were first recorded (about 1750) have occurred over the last dozen years. Evidence of this rise is demonstrated by shrinking ice in the polar regions and retreat of glaciers elsewhere, melting of the permafrost, earlier onset of spring and the alterations to the normal regimes of flowering and patterns of bird migration and in many other ways. Forecasts indicate that global temperatures are likely to be 3 to 5 degrees warmer by 2100.The continuation of sea level rise is expected and also changes to global precipitation patterns. For South East England hotter summers with about 60% less rain, but more intense storms, are predicted, along with milder winter and about 30% more rain.

International initiatives such as the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, EU and national targets and carbon trading are amongst the instruments trying to stem the CO2 increase. The British government is one of those leading the movement towards international agreement. However a great deal more needs to be done in all aspects of life to achieve significant reductions in the greenhouse gas levels. "Think globally: act locally" is very pertinent to the problem.

So what can be done to help the situation? Are there things that we can do and encourage individuals to do? We each produce about 10 tonnes of CO2 per annum, when for sustainability the figure should be about 1 tonne. Life styles will have to change and we may each have a CO2 ration in the not too distant future. The consequences of not reducing emissions may be a planet which is untenable for our grandchildren and their progeny. However little things done now can help, things in the home, travelling and in daily life.

These are some of them:

At home
Turn off lights on leaving a room
Install energy saving light bulbs
Shut off standby switches
Turn down thermostats and wear more clothes
Turn off radiators in rooms not being used
Choose green appliances
Limit use of tumble dryers
Recycle as much waste as possible
Buy and use a compost bin
Save water
Install water butts
Install solar panels, heat pumps and windmills

Travelling
Use public transport
Share car journeys
Walk and cycle for short trips
Drive at lower speeds
Choose a fuel efficient vehicle
Limit air travel
Neutralise your car’s emissions by donating to initiatives which fund alternative and renewable energy projects such as targetneutral.com

Shopping
Purchase local produce
Patronise farmers markets
Consider food miles and transport costs
Select goods with limited packaging,
Take your own bag instead of using plastic bags
Return packaging to shops

General
Offset your carbon production by donating to Trusts which plant forests. Work with bodies such as The Energy Saving Trust.
Lobby the County and District Councils, your MP and Parliament to institute measures which save energy e.g. by radically upgrading building standards, reducing lighting on rural roundabouts after midnight and in little used public areas.
If you have money to invest, place it with green funds

John Rodda