October/November 2007

Eric Green 1920-2007

We said "Goodbye" to Eric on the 13 August, 2007 at a wonderful Memorial Service conducted by the Rev. Martin Lovering. Much of its content was of Eric's own choosing, with the Eulogy given by his friend of very long standing, Harold Simmons, reminding us of their boyhood days together in Wallingford. Closer to home, Malcolm Sutcliffe read the poem, Hinge and Bracket (written by the wife of Hinge or was it Bracket?). Eric and another great friend of his, Dickie Johnstone, earned these names by helping with the myriad of jobs needing to be done around both the Church and the Village Hall. After the service, we joined his loving family for a great "farewell" party in the Village Hall, just what Eric would have wanted.

But Eric was not only generous with his practical skills, he was also Chairman of Brightwell Bridge Club, always there early putting out the chairs and tables ready for we late comers and sorting things out when there were enough of us to play duplicate. Again he took on that awkward job at fetes, sitting at the gate collecting the entrance money and missing out on the fun.

I had coffee with Eric a couple of times in the few weeks when he knew his time was limited. Far from being dismal meetings they were full of laughter and cheerfulness, a true example of courage and humour. Betty Johnstone, author of the poem read at the service, finishes it thus;

"But they'll carry of regardless while they have their health and strength,
Till they've finished off their list,
And then won't they be missed!
St Peter will say "Come, but first take off your jacket,
There's plenty of work up here for you, so, welcome, Hinge and Bracket."

Farewell, Eric, we will miss you much, and think of you often.

Viola Crowe

Brightwell Art Club

We’ve had another very enjoyable and successful year under the watchful eyes of tutor Mike MacGregor. We still have a small waiting list of people who would like to join and one can understand why the club remains so popular when you find that people who thought their talents were pretty limited when they started, have progressed remarkably and are thrilled with their achievements.

Last November a coach-load of us went to Art Materials Live at the NEC Birmingham. This was a great day out - a bit like being let loose in a sweetie shop! We have been before but it never fails to impress with the huge numbers of exhibitors and stands selling all kinds of art materials, plus lots of demonstrations on ‘how to do’ this, that or the other.

I have this memory of us all crocodiling back to the coach, loaded with packages, carrier bags and heaven-knows-what. (Should have had my camera but was carrying too much myself to have operated it!)

More recently, our Art Day Out in August actually managed to get as far as Highlands Farm - but why venture further when there is so much inspiration on our own doorstep? Rosemary and David made everyone very welcome and although the weather was not perfect, it was a really enjoyable day. Hopefully, with so much to choose from, between farm buildings, barns, machinery, landscape and sheep, many of these subjects will appear in our Annual Art Exhibition - on Saturday 1 December in the Village Hall as usual between 10am and 1pm.

Don’t miss it!

Olive Sutcliffe

Brightwell School

Well, what passed for a summer is over (dreicht is the word I would use) and the children are back in school and hard at work The start of a new academic year is always an exciting time as children and teachers begin to build relationships and look forward to new experiences together.

We wish our former Year 6 pupils who have moved on to secondary education all the very best for the future. Their hard work, combined with the support of parents, teachers and support staff over the years has prepared them well for life in their new school. Well done!

We are very pleased to welcome Mrs Marie Wornham as our new Class 3 teacher and trust she will enjoy a happy and successful time at Brightwell. She is a dedicated teacher with passion for sports.

The year ahead is one of challenge and excitement for us. We are committed to a vision that will see more learning opportunities for children out of school; a wider application of information technology in teaching, learning, administration and communication through our newly formed ICT Team which includes governors, parents and pupils; the introduction of ‘Pupils Voice’, a national initiative that seeks to encourage children to reflect on how they learn, to set their own targets and to know what they need to do next to improve; changes to curriculum planning with themed-weeks, the first of which will be around the traditional tale Rapunzel in November, including a theatre visit; and to continue to uphold our commitment to healthy lifestyles through our Healthy Schools programme. A very busy year!

In addition to this, we want to set up a ‘Nurture Group’ for children who need more support and guidance for their social and emotional development. We would like to do this through the Full Circle programme which encourages elderly or retired people in the community to become involved with their local school. It would mean undertaking some training and a CRB check to participate but if you are interested please contact the school office and leave your details.

Roger Grant

Allsorts Pre-School

The soggy summer hasn’t dampened spirits at the Pre-school, it has a been a busy time for us all. Our new Supervisor was appointed and we are thrilled to announce that it is Karen Newsome. Karen has been working at the Pre-School over the past year and brings a wealth of experience from her previous childcare roles (some of you may have met her whilst she was working at Mongewell Park Nursery). Happily Karen is very familiar with the day-to-day running of the Pre-School and is therefore well placed to assess where improvements can be made. She also has a strong working relationship with the committee and staff both past and present. We are confident that under her leadership the Pre-school will continue to thrive.

A big thanks to all the staff and parents who have worked with us over the holidays to continue to improve the play areas for the children - we really appreciate you giving up your time. Thank you also to the members of the WI who have helped us to tackle the weeds!! Our wonderful building needs regular upkeep and any offers of help are always appreciated.

As the new school year commences we are proud to watch past pre-school children settling so well into Brightwell Primary School. This does mean however that some of our committee members will also be moving on (as they no longer have children with us). If you feel that you may be able to offer some time or take up a role, please do speak with either Karen on 826387 or myself on 825352.

The children will spend the next weeks making new friendships and our new arrivals will familiarise themselves with our routines. We look forward to encouraging them to explore their new environment and feel at home.

Natasha Fuller

Parish Church

In a recent survey 50% of those asked said that ‘religion’ was harmful for society, and when one looks at what appears in the papers these days as a result of extremism of all kinds one finds that religion is never far away from the list of ingredients. Polly Toynbee, who writes for The Guardian, has joined the chorus of voices against religion in her new role as president of the British Association of Humanists. She deplores, among other things, the fact that there should be 18 bishops in the House of Lords giving continuous religious oversight, albeit rather limited these days, to the way this country is governed. And yet as Indajit Singh, of the Sikh Messenger, said during ‘Thought for the Day’ last week, we still have much need of the values that religion holds dear; care for justice and the fabric of society, and understanding of the need for compassion in our own lives and in the lives of others.

The lines that are being dug in the Middle East today, be they by Israeli, Sunni, Shia, Brit or the next faction, though they may be trumpeted shrilly in terms of righteousness and Good vs. Evil, are usually underpinned by a murky mix of politics, power and expediency. These are the things that can so often give religion a bad name, in our own country as much as anywhere else. But we can still benefit from the values of religion and from meeting to think and talk about them. Often we just need the chance to see things in different ways, in a new oblique light.

When I was in Sussex, we would occasionally have church meetings at Worth Abbey, the Benedictine community and school which achieved prominence a year or two ago through the programme ‘The Monastery’. Five ‘ordinary Joes’ were taken out of ordinary life for a few weeks to re-discover God. I only had a couple of hours there but was struck with the beauty and peace of the place and how, in the gentle architecture of the building, it was hard to encounter people as anything other than fellow-travellers and friends. I came home with a book entitled ‘Humane Christianity’. The print was a little blurred but what was said was comforting and affirming, and challenging.

Perhaps religion and humanity aren’t always the enemies they often appear today; but such things take time to discover and they’re often best encountered doing other things; like digging in the garden or at the ‘Bunkfest’. I look forward to meeting you in the village if not down at that ancient and not-so-ancient building with bells on it!

Jeremy Goulston

Parish Council

Style Acre The Trustees of Lime Walk Gospel Hall Trust have kindly invited villagers to see around the Church/Gospel hall on Saturday 27 October between 11.00am and 3.00pm. It will be appreciated that a strict “no smoking” policy applies to the Church and in the grounds. Also no photography will be permitted on this occasion.

SOHA The official opening of the new Affordable Homes took place on 27 September. The parish Council have had some very favourable feedback on the design and we hope the occupants will be settled in soon.

Recreation Ground/Village Hall Articles elsewhere in this Villager express the serious concern about disturbances which have taken place during the past weeks in both the above venues. The Parish Council wishes to emphasise its full support to the management committees of the Pavilion and the Village Hall in any decision they reach to prevent further unacceptable behaviour.

Village Shop A public meeting took place on 26 September The next stage in the plan for the village shop was explained followed by a question and answer session. Progress is being made and thanks must go for all the hard work that is being carried out by the members of the Shop Committee who have worked tirelessly on behalf of the Parish.

Kings Meadow The Adventure Trail petition has been passed to SODC. Thanks are due to Shena and Steve Luck for all their help in setting it up and particularly to Steve for his continued interest and work on the project. We are grateful for all the support forthcoming from the village.

Dog Bins The bins were placed in position at four sites and will be emptied on a weekly basis.

Land Sale (west of village) These areas constitute open countryside and at this stage policies to protect the parish are clearly laid out in the SODC Local Plan 2011 restricing development. A Traffic Regulation Order has been sought for the northern end of Waterman’s Lane to safeguard the Sustrans Cycleway, and for the safety of villagers and horse riders using the Right of Way.

2008 Grants The Parish Council will consider applications for donations to Parish organisations at its meeting on 18th December 2007. Should your society or club wish to bid for a grant from the Parish Council, please contact Mrs Jane Dix, Clerk to the Parish Council, Spring Cottage, Wellsprings, Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 0RN (826968) for an application form. Completed forms should be returned by 25 November.

Carole Dennis

Farming Update: Highlands Farm

It has been quite a ‘roller coaster’ year for agriculture and Highlands Farm is no exception. As usual the weather is our greatest commander.

The first crisis of the year occurred in April. We were one of the worst areas in the country to be hit by the drought, totalling only 1.5 mm of rain for the month. The wheat crops suffered considerably and we were mentally preparing ourselves for a total disaster. They ceased to grow and tiller (thicken) and were coming into ear prematurely and starting to die.

We believe in nature compensating, and May certainly did - providing us with 137.5mm of rain. It probably ruined many a barbecue, but to us it was a gift from heaven. But of course it didn’t know when to stop with June providing 103mm and July 99mm. The rain was a total salvation but it caused problems with re growths of wheat and ultimately uneven ripening.

The sun eventually appeared for the first two weeks of August allowing us to complete our harvest without any extra drying of the corn meaning a great saving on labour and costs. Our hill was advantageous for its drying ability leaving us reasonable ground conditions for combine harvesting. On the lower lands, crops were ripe and dry, but the ground conditions were far too wet for the gigantic weight of the harvester. A combine stuck in the mud is no joke for a farmer! Considering the ‘odd’ season, we have reaped a harvest with average yields. By the time you read this the potato ground will have dried sufficiently and hopefully will have been harvested. From the odd root dug for home consumption - the sample looks promising.

Our wheat yields may not have been as high as we would have liked but the prices have been rocketing - there is a huge global food shortage. In 2006 world food resources had dropped to 40 days. This is partly due to global weather disasters but 20% of the U.S.A corn crops are now grown for bio-fuel. Britain only provides 60% of its needs and the world population is predicted to be 50% higher by 2050. Although we will enjoy reaping good rewards for our harvest this year - remember, farm incomes have fallen by 66% over the past 30 years and a quarter still run at a loss, and the majority of farm incomes are dependant on diversification projects.

Many think work ceases on the land on the completion of harvest, but decisions on new seed varieties will already have been made - and the land needs to be rapidly cultivated for the planting of 2008 crops. Oilseed Rape should be ideally planted by the end of August followed by the winter wheats in September and October.

Setaside land is still set at 8% of the land but this may now be used for the growing of bio-fuels. With the global shortage of grain Europe, is trying for its complete abolishment for 2008 followed by annual reviews allowing more land for food production. The environmentalist are crying out in horror, but remember since the introduction of setaside numerous environmental schemes are now in place and at Highlands Farm we have an area of over wintered stubbles to keep the abundance of birds and wildlife happy as well as field margins, hedge planting and controlled hedgerow maintenance.

A successful lambing took place last January and for our first sale of lambs the price was good. But then the supermarkets made the decision to import New Zealand lamb and then re-commence buying British lamb in July. When you are producing a live product it will not wait until the price recovers, it has to go. If you sell overweight animals you suffer price penalties! So it was not a good year for lamb production - a magnitude of work for miniscule rewards. Our 2008 lambing flock has been reduced and we will aim to lamb a month later and hopefully, as a consequence, be compatible with the supermarkets on which we are so dependent, and compete on equal terms with the New Zealand produce.

2007 has brought its animal health fears. At the time of writing, Foot and Mouth has so far passed us by, but not before giving us the shivers - the outbreaks are only forty miles away as the ‘crow flies’. We have undertaken recent research work on ‘Blue Tongue’ with Pirbright and have direct contact with them. ‘Blue Tongue’ is a horrendous disease affecting cattle and sheep (but mainly sheep). It is now only sixty miles from the shores of this country. This is spread by a midge fly enjoying the warmer climate. Avian flue still continues to threaten the poultry.

We are well diversified here and enjoy the aromas of the hops from the brewer, and the baking from the bun house - just mix this with a dose of farm yard manure and a pretty good recipe of country smells has been concocted!

Rosemary Greasby

Environment Group

Millennium Wood
The growth of hemlock in the Wood has been stopped, but two areas of lonicera which are remnants of the time when the area was an SODC nursery need removing. The trees are growing fast and the Wood is becoming a haven for wild life. There are plans for an open weekend next spring.

St James’ Churchyard
Management of the churchyard is continuing with the cutting of the grass less frequently in certain areas. In some areas the wildflowers are flourishing, especially in spring, but the meadow section has fewer species so we will be looking to review the management of that area. The bats which use the church for roosting in the summer were late arriving this year, but have been evident in August and September.

Wellsprings
Water emerging from the spring was sampled by the British Geological Survey in May to discover its age. The analyses revealed that the water is basically a mixture of two-thirds modern (the last few years) with older water (more than 50 yrs). This suggests that rain falling at the top of the Greenhill ridge takes 50 years or more to emerge at the Wellsprings but for rain falling farther downhill the age lessens because the transit distance is shorter. There is no evidence that the water comes down a conduit from the ridge with a well-defined recharge date.

The species of plants growing in and around the wellsprings pond are being recorded on a monthly basis. Growth generally has been luxuriant this year by comparison to last when it was so dry. Some 40 species of wildflowers have flowered this year.

Autumn Meeting
There is to be a talk at the Village Hall on Tuesday 6 November at 8pm by Nigel Phillips of the Berkshire Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wild Life Trust (BBOWT). His subject will be “The Effects of Environmental Change on Wildlife- Locally and Nationally ”. The talk is organised by the Environment Group and is open to all who are interested. Please come!

John Rodda