local news: FEATURED

At last! After a year of changed plans for everyone, St Mary’s Church Group artists are pleased their exhibition will open on May 1 at St. Mary’s Church, Charlbury, and end on May 9. Covid restrictions permitting, the opening times, will be 10 to 4 on weekdays, and 12 to 5 on Sundays. Should circumstances change before we can open, the exhibition will go virtual and you will be able to log in to www.artweeks.org and search Anita Cooper (printmaking), Lee Belcher (painting), Sue Tucker (weaving) and Cathryn Jeff (painting). The Church will be a covid-safe environment and people will be asked to use their face masks at all times. Refreshments will not be available.

Bourton and District U3A

The next 2 meetings of this group will both be on Zoom at 10.30am and will be on Wednesday 26th May when the talk will be by Roger Harris on the subject of “65 Years of Theatre and Opera Going” and on Wednesday 23rd June when the talk will be by Gillian White on the subject of “Henry VIII and The Field of the Cloth of Gold”.. Connection details for the Zoom meetings will be available nearer the time.Although we are unable to hold meetings as a result of the Covid restrictions, it is proposed to hold monthly Zoom meetings until we are able to meet as a group once more. For full details and information about the special

interest groups, some of which are meeting, please see our website: www.u3asites.org.uk/bourton

(photo) the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Jill Bull and Mayor, Cllr Nick Leverton, presenting driver Mark Watson with the keys outside Carterton Town Hall

Brand new bus service launches in Carterton

Oxfordshire Community Transport unveiled its new service linking up Carterton Town Centre.

Officially launched on the 2nd of March, the new Carterton Connector service links the North and South outskirts of the town with the centre, via two new routes – the 345 North Circular, and the 355 South Circular. The new service is run by West Oxfordshire Community Transport, a not-forprofit co-operative which has enjoyed great success since its foundation in 2017. The commencement of the Carterton service is the third major route offered by the organisation, following its popular Witney Town Services and 210 service, linking Witney to the Wychwoods, and comes after several years’ hard work by a dedicated group of citizens, including Councillor Sandie Baylis. The two new Carterton routes, supported by Carterton Town Council, begin at the Asda supermarket and run hourly on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings; the 345 route departs on the hour from 9am-1pm, and the 355 at 35 minutes past the hour from 9:35am-12:35pm. West Oxfordshire Community Transport Director Margaret Burden said: “This service has been such a long time coming. After all the hard work put in by residents of the Carterton community and the support from Carterton Town Council, we are really excited that it is happening at last.” “Residents of Carterton – particularly those who do not have access to their own transport – will benefit from this route by linking them to essential services in Carterton town centre. We believe that a community where people are interconnected is a strong and healthy one and bus services are one of the keys for helping this to happen.” As a not-for-profit co-operative, West Oxfordshire Community Transport is owned by its members, most of whom live in West Oxfordshire. All of its profits are reinvested in the service, to provide a people-powered local transport link for the benefit of the community. Town Mayor, Councillor Nick Leverton, added: “Carterton Town Council has worked closely with West Oxfordshire Community Transport to deliver this exciting project for our town. The new bus service, operating within Carterton, will increase the mobility of our residents and will enable them to access our wide range of local shops and amenities, such as the Library, local support groups, places of worship and the Health Centre. I would like to thank my fellow Town and County Councillors, Officers and our partners who came together to deliver this project for the benefit of Carterton’s residents.” The service officially began with a socially-distanced ceremony on March 2nd, with Councillor Leverton presenting the keys to bus driver Mark Watson outside the Town Hall. With the recent loosening of lockdown restrictions, West Oxfordshire Community Transport has started to ramp up its services and expand its timetables, including the reintroduction of its Saturday services in Witney. For more information and all current timetables, visit www.woct.org.uk. For more information please visit www.woct.org.uk, email info@woct.org.uk, or phone 07747 775503.

Martin Bushnell of Chipping Norton Wills & Probate (CNWP)

In the early part of the last decade, I had no understanding and little interest in Chancery Law, but then a lifelong friend took her own life and I found myself as an executor of her Will + Trustee of a charity.

Unfortunately, she had drafted all the documents herself and the shortcomings of the Will / Letter of Wishes meant that for 5 years her estate (left to Charity) had to be defended against malicious 3rd party challenges. Severely undermining the good works of the Charity. During this time, I had to educate myself in Chancery Law whilst dealing with: The loss of a friend, HMRC, The Attorney General’s Office (as protector of charities), Solicitors, Barristers, Courts, Land Registry, property issues…etc…etc. Eventually in the High Court, using the understanding of Chancery Law developed over this time and instructing counsel, the case was found in favour of my old friend and therefore the Charity. This tragic story brought me to the world of Wills, Trusts, LPA’s etc. but passion keeps me here. Using this experience along with the acquired knowledge to protect client’s investments and legacies. Thankfully, I am now aided by a team of superb professionals as Chancery Law is undoubtedly complex, requiring specialism in diverse fields; including Tax Law, Family Law, Business Law, Succession, Inheritance, Legacies, Trusts (which is a fascinating piece of English Law all on its own). Now I have over 100 contributing solicitors and barristers to ensure collective expertise is available. You are in safe hands at Chipping Norton Wills & Probate.