October/November 2009
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Firstly, I should say that we love living in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell; friendly neighbours, church, village hall, village fete, pub, and soon a village store - what more could we want! We have been here only two years and yet we feel so at home, getting to know our neighbours and busy making a new garden from the builders' turf/weeds/bark chips design and enjoying every minute. There is only one (smoky!) blot on our horizon and that is the enthusiasm for bonfires close to our small garden.
We live on the south side of West End, near the churchyard, graveyard and allotments. It seems that people feel that because we are on the edge of the village that it does not matter when or how they light a bonfire, particularly as it is not near their own homes. This seems a tad unfair as they are often lit on sunny days when there is no wind, or the prevailing south-westerly wind drives the smoke straight into our homes and gardens! Just when we would like to be in our garden enjoying the fresh air and sunshine, we have to close all the windows and batten down the hatches. It would be just an annoyance, but I have quite bad asthma (along with over 5 million other people in the UK) and suffer days of inhalers and breathing difficulties every time a bonfire puffs in our direction! I cannot be alone in suffering from the effects of bonfireitis and I imagine that others must also be dreading the coming autumn burn ups!
So this is a small plea to all those planning to rush for the matches to think about the bonfire code (see www.southoxon.gov.uk/bonfires ) and consider those of us who have asthma (1 in 5 households!) and those of us who like to hang our washing out, breathe fresh air and enjoy our gardens on the few sunny days the UK offers.
Susan Ganney (Irving)
Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Community Village Stores
Stop press……. September is a good month. We have lift off!On 3 September, at a special meeting, the Parish Council, who have been totally supportive throughout, offered us a further £5,000 – the maximum it can give us under its rules. On 10 September, the Community Association allocated £1,000 to us and the Trust for Oxfordshire Environment, as the result of some determined work by David Fox, awarded us £20,000. The SODC on the same day, confirmed its grant from the smaller part of the Community Investment Fund of £19,999. In pledges, grants and loan we now have enough to press the button to build the Community Village Stores.
The position now - Budgeted costs confirmed
We have received the tenders from four local builders for the construction of the shop. Initial indications, and there are some further details to be negotiated, are that the cost will come in at or around our budgeted level thanks to some sterling work from Phil Jones and our architect, Mike Orr.
Funding obtained
Of the £203,000 estimated to be needed to build and operate the shop, the village has pledged a heart warming 41%, the SODC have awarded just under 10% and the remainder has been raised from other funds. We are hugely grateful to everyone who has worked unstintingly to restore a shop to our village over seven long and tedious years.
Building starts
By the time you read this, we anticipate that we will have instructed the Architect to issue a Letter of Intent to the chosen builder. Work should begin in mid-October and the shop could be completed and fitted out by early April – we will try to be up and running by Easter 2010 (3 April).
We still need your help….
First, we will be coming to collect pledges during September and October, so please have your cheque books handy (payable to the Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Community Association). Secondly, we need to plan the running of the stores. We are starting the recruitment of a paid manager (possibly a job share?) and Corinne Jones is setting up the volunteer organisation. Anyone interested in either area, please contact her on 836686.
Lots more to do…
We are only half way through our project. The funds have been raised, a location identified, planning permission obtained and the shop designed. We still have to build the stores and organise its continuing operation. We depend on volunteers to support and run the shop.
Step forward, please; Brightwell-cum-Sotwell depends on all of us.
Jim Sanger
Community Association
Fete funds distribution
This year’s fete profits have been distributed to the following organisations in response to their bids for support:
| Brownies | £50 |
| Church | £200 |
| Cricket Club | £250 |
| FOBS | £400 |
| Junior cricket | £250 |
| Lunch club | £57 |
| Pre-School | £300 |
| Scouts | £300 |
| Toddlers | £150 |
| Village website | £1,000 |
| Village stores | £1,000 |
| WI | £155 |
| Youth football | £250 |
Hugh Roderick
Brightwell School
What a privilege to become the Headteacher of such a wonderful school as Brightwell! Everyone has made me feel very welcome and, although, I have been here less than a week, I already feel at home. I am looking forward to the opportunity to get to know the village a little better and to meeting as many of you as possible.
I would like to wish Angela Harbut well in all her future ventures and thank her for all her hard work here over the last year. I and hope she will pop back to see us when she can.
I have lived in the local area for the past 15 years and taught for a number of years in different schools in Wallingford, so I know what a great village Brightwell-cum-Sotwell is and indeed, have many friends who live here. I took a step out of the classroom for three years and worked at County Level as a Consultant where I was able to travel the county visiting schools to assist with the teaching of ICT and its use in the classroom to improve all subject areas. I visited Brightwell School many times and worked with Roger Grant and the staff on a variety of projects. I always had a great time here.
With a new start to the year and the tapestry of the school, there are many exciting opportunities ahead. Apart from myself, there are two further teachers who have joined the school this term, Mrs Hart in Foundation / Year 1 and Miss Smith in Year 3. I hope they too will enjoy their time at Brightwell. We also have a new classroom outside the main school on the field. This is to accommodate our growing numbers in KS2 and has allowed us to split the year 3 and 4 children into their own separate classes. We are looking at a revised curriculum for the children that should be both exciting and engaging and will hopefully mean you will see more of us out and about around the village.
I am delighted to be here and am looking forward to the future as part of your village with the staff and children of Brightwell School.
Liz Hunt
Brightwell Art Club
We’ve just had our Summer Art Day Out and for once the weather was kind. We had a lovely time, drawing and painting in the gardens of Brightwell Manor. What a wonderful choice of subjects, and all in that one area! The manor itself with its contrasting styles of architecture presented some real drawing challenges. Some members bravely went for the whole of the house’s rear view while others found delightful corners and niches to concentrate on - eccentric windows and doorways framed with roses and perennial plantings. Then of course there was the moat with lovely reflections and light glinting through the surrounding trees or an opportunity for a Constable approach using the landscape to The Downs beyond. Lots of opportunities and, as usual, some of us spent ages wandering about in indecision! I think we all – eventually – took Mike’s wise advice and made a few quick sketches with colour notes to work from so that wonderful (?) pictures could be produced at a later date, before settling down after lunch to try and produce a more complete piece of artwork.
We finished the day off in the Village Hall with all our offerings lined up for a ‘crit’ from Mike MacGregor, our tutor. I know that quite a few of us – me included – find it difficult working ‘en plein air’ as they call it. Probably because we don’t do enough of it! Nevertheless, we all had a really good painting day and achieved a lot. So a big thank you from all of us to Dr Pauline Emerson for giving us the run of her lovely garden. We’d certainly like to go back some time.
This year, our Annual Art Exhibition in the Village Hall will be on Saturday 28th November – a week earlier than in the last few years. Apart from the paintings there will also be the usual crafty bits and pieces on sale including handmade knit and toys, the Village History Group’s publications, Brightwell Bees’ honey and beeswax gifts, and cards, plus the raffle and refreshments. Come and enjoy – between 10am and 1pm.
Olive Sutcliffe
SODC Core Strategy
Update on the possible development of land at Slade End Farm
On 3 December 2009 the South Oxfordshire District Council meet to decide where Wallingford’s 750 extra houses are to be built (the number has been reduced from 850). Site E (Winterbrook) and Site B (Slade End Farm) were the two sites originally short listed for development. Choosing to build on land at Slade End Farm, the land between the bypass and Fir Tree Estate, will join the village to Wallingford and create an urban sprawl alongside the A4130. It will destroy the rural landscape and alter the character of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell. The heritage characterised by the Conservation Area at Slade End and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the north of the A4130 will be spoiled visually by the presence of blocks of flats and houses and by the increasing levels of noise, light and air pollution from upwards of 4,000 extra vehicles a day moving past the village. Leaving and entering the village will become more hazardous, while the medical centre, parking and other services in Wallingford will become much more crowded. There are no benefits in developing Site B for Brightwell cum Sotwell and few if any for Wallingford. The developers of Site B (PRUPIM) recognise they will generate problems, however they expect others to solve them.
Carole Dennis
Parish Council
Core Strategy Your Parish Council is working in several ways to influence the decision of SODC in order to stop the village being joined to Wallingford. The Council’s Core Strategy Working Party has taken a number of initiatives, while a series of meetings are being held with members of the Wallingford Town Council and Cholsey and Crowmarsh Parish Councils to agree a holistic strategy for the development of Wallingford and its surroundings to put to SODC.
Village Churchyards Mr Robin.Shawyer and Rev Jeremy. Goulston requested a grant from the Parish Council towards the cost of the maintenance of the village churchyards. Following discussions Mr Shawyer was asked to submit the request in writing with details of the financial reasons for the application.
SODC Waste. It was reported that recycling of household waste had increased by 70% since the introduction of the new wheelie bins. It was accepted that there had been some problems with the new system but they seem to have now been resolved.
Parish Council Vacancy Mrs Sarah Metcalf was elected as co-opted member of the Council.
Highways- Bus Shelter Provision of a bus shelter on the Southside of the High Road is still being pursued.
Environmental Issues Work is complete on the hoggin footpath in the Millennium Wood. The Trust of Oxfordshire’s Environment and Wates recycling Group through the Landfill Communities Fund provided funds for this project. Contributions were also made by the village Environment Group and the Community Association.
John Sheard
St Agatha’s Church Extension
Onwards, onwards …..
Discussions on the plans for the extension are ongoing with the Oxford Diocese and SODC, with English Heritage waiting in the wings. We remain optimistic over the eventual outcome and fund-raising events are continuing, supporting the objective of broadening St Agatha’s community involvement, with proceeds going to the Church Building Fund.
This year …..
Following the very successful Summer Concert in June, by the time you read this our second event - the Sponsored Family Walk and Barbecue - will have taken place. Hopefully there were not too many sore feet around the Village. Brightwell School pupils are to be congratulated for designing the marvellous posters that advertised the Walk.
Our next event is on Monday evening, 26 October at 7.30pm when Andy Lewis is organising a Pub Quiz at - naturally - the Red Lion. Please come along to exercise those little grey cells - everyone welcome.
The Red Lion also has copies of Alec McGivan’s recently published book of his Christmas poems for £5, proceeds very kindly going towards our Appeal.
Next year …..
Many of you will recall the wonderful Son et Lumiere evening at St Agatha’s in 2000, masterminded by David Dugan. Ten years on, David has generously offered to arrange another such event as part of the Church Extension Appeal. The date is yet to be set but David would welcome all offers to help or participate - please call 839295 or e-mail dugan@windfallfilms.com.
Alec McGivan is to build on his success by putting together another concert in St Agatha’s on Saturday 5 June and, to make a full weekend, Jenny Dobbin has kindly offered to organise an Open Gardens event on Sunday 6 June. Those of us who have walked around the Village on previous Open Gardens days organized by Jenny under the National Gardens Scheme will know how enjoyable and popular they are. Anyone who would like to have their garden included should contact Jenny on 835890 or daviddobbin@onetel.com. We also plan to hold a Safari Supper evening in May, so next year already is looking quite full! However nothing will succeed without your support so please come along to these events and have a good time.
Tony Lascelles