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November / December 2017
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inside
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Instruments of Time & Truth
We learn about this community music group and their plans for upcoming concerts
First Aid
Vital tips that could save lives in the home or workplace
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Penny for the Guy A look at the origins of this tradition
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08 New businesses and services health: 10 Vital First Aid tips events: 12 Fairytale Farm update events 12 Seasonal events across our area good read 14 2 books reviewed by us education 14 A family Christmas quiz business:
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16 National Tree Week astronomy: 18 How long is the shortest day? local news 18 Call for businesses to apply for rate relief pets: 20 Pet Safety this Winter music: 21 Advertising Details & Index cotswold link 22 Advertising Details & Index garden view: FEATURED FEATURED
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Welcome to the November - December issue
Winter is almost here and Christmas is just around the corner. We have a range of exciting local news stories, like the update from instruments of Time & Truth (p21), as well as a selection of seasonal local events for you all the enjoy. Don’t forget, if you have any news, events, updates or stories of local interest, please send them to editorial@jkanorth.com 01609 777401 01609 779097 and we’ll do our best to publish them for you. I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope you all enjoy cotswoldlink.co.uk this issue and I’ll see you again in January. Best wishes,
Christine Campbell | Editor Cotswold Link Magazine is published in good faith and the editors cannot be held responsible in any way for inaccuracies in reports or advertising in reports or advertising that appear in this publication and the views of the contributors may not be the those of the editors. Adverts and advertisers Your Cotswold Link carry no implied recommendation from the magazine or the publishers. All rights reserved. All information is appearing in Cotswold Link Magazine correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of going to press. Cotswold Link Magazine cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.
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W E N businesses s & service our area in & around
“New To The Area” is a new business feature specifically designed to help new businesses and those that are offering new businesses and services to promote themselves cost effectively. Businesses are invited to submit their adverts to this feature at the regular price and they will receive the
equivalent space in complimentary editorial*. This editorial provides excellent business exposure to 15,700 homes and businesses and allows further explanation of the new business or services available.
Treat yourself to some Reflexology Reflexology works on many levels. Firstly, it’s lovely to relax and have a massage. This encourages relaxation and stimulates your body’s own healing. Secondly, your feet are really important and sometimes neglected. A massage of the feet is good for the circulation, and for re-distributing deposits that can get left behind at nerve endings. Thirdly, by focusing on particular points, changes can be encouraged in the corresponding area of the body, given that the different parts of the body are ‘mapped’ on to the feet. Reflexology also makes reference to the energy pathways that are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
What can it be used for? Reflexology can help with all manner of conditions, from short term discomfort to chronic conditions. It can help with emotional as well as physical issues. People come to me with strains and sprains, insomnia, digestive problems, headaches, the effects of stress or difficulties with relaxing. Treatments last just under an hour. Why not buy a treatment as a gift for a loved one? Gift vouchers are available. To book, email jean@whollyholistic.co.uk or ring 07870 598340. Appointments can be at Hook Norton or Cornbury Park.
* Editorial must be supplied completed.
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Council offers unemployed a home and job under new scheme
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Jobless people looking to learn a trade and put a roof over their head at the same time are being offered help by West Oxfordshire District Council. Councillors have given the green light for a pilot version of a Community Self-Help Project which would see ‘hard to let’ larger properties turned into shared accommodation for single under 35-year-olds, particularly those out of work. The individuals will work on transforming the buildings into houses in multiple occupation, learning new skills as they go before living in the property.Two apprenticeships will also be made available to those involved. Homes operated by Cottsway Housing Association have already been identified and this week the Council’s Cabinet agreed the pilot scheme should go ahead. Cllr Jeanette Baker, Cabinet Member for Community and Public Health at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Unemployed people really struggle to find a home of their own but
New ground-breaking company will safeguard local services
From November, staff at West Oxfordshire District Council will be working for a new local authority-owned company, as part of an innovative move to make much-needed savings and protect and improve services for local residents. The formation of the company is being hailed as a ground-breaking achievement in local government circles but this should be seamless from the perspective of local communities. Essentially West Oxfordshire District Council will not change – it will maintain its independence and keep its own separate identity. Local councillors will continue to be responsible for the standard of services that are provided as well as setting strategy, making policy and taking decisions. West Oxfordshire staff, along with employees from Cotswold and Forest of Dean councils, will transfer into the Publica Group, an organisation that is jointly owned by each of the councils. The benefits of partnership and shared services aren’t new to West Oxfordshire as it first started working with Cotswold District Council in 2008 with the appointment of a shared Chief Executive.
Leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, Cllr James Mills, said: “Although we have been working together for many years, this is an exciting time for us as we take the next step of shared working with our partner councils to create a jointly-owned public company. “Publica is a creative and enterprising solution to our modern-day challenges and I am confident that our communities will benefit from the continued shared experience and expertise this brings by our working together with those from other councils.” “By creating one company with staff from each Council, we can reduce management and administration costs, share workloads and learn from each other’s expertise and knowledge. “Residents will see little or no change to frontline services and decisions will continue to be made by locally elected councillors taking the needs of the local community of West Oxfordshire into account.”
this will give them the opportunity of not only having somewhere to live but also to learn new skills that will help them find work. “It is a win-win situation for those involved and we look forward to working with the first group of applicants.” The Council was allocated £376,966 from the Government’s £60m Community Housing Fund which was announced in the 2016 Budget and applies to areas where the impact of second homes is particularly acute. The scheme also involves a two-year Community Housing Delivery Project which will encourage community groups along with parish and town councils to play a major role in the ownership, management or stewardship of affordable housing developments. Having been approved by Cabinet, the proposal is subject to call-in by full Council.
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First Aid It can take just a few minutes to save someone’s life Your daughter has a nosebleed. Your father chokes on a piece of meat. Your toddler swallows some floor cleaner. Would you know what to do? First aid is the care given before the emergency services arrive. A blocked airway can kill someone in three to four minutes yet it can take eight to 12 minutes for an ambulance to arrive. Knowing how to open someone’s airway could mean the difference between life and death. Almost 4000 people per year die because of accidents in their homes and statistically you are far more likely to be called upon to administer first aid to someone you know than to a stranger. The top ten injuries or accidents in the home are: • Falls • Burns and scalds • Strikes and collisions • Crush injuries • Cuts and abrasions • Bites and stings • Foreign bodies • Puncture wounds e.g. step• Over exertion e.g. moving heavy ping on a child’s toy furniture • Suspected poisoning
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There are many myths and misconceptions about injuries. Here are the most common: • Butter or cream is good for a burn NO, immerse the injured limb in cool water. • If you can move a limb it’s not broken NO, the only sure way to tell if a limb is broken is to x-ray it. • Put a bleeding wound under a tap NO, by all means clean the wound if required but water will wash away the body’s own clotting agents so compression with a clean dressing is the best way to staunch the flow. • Make someone sick if they’ve swallowed poison NO, this can block their airway or, if the substance is corrosive, damage it further. Most first aid is common sense but learning some simple skills such as chest compressions (CPR) and the Heimlich manoeuvre will increase your confidence if an emergency arises. There are many organisations which provide short courses, most last just half a day.Your employer might provide training but if not you could enrol the whole family on a course and make an event of it. Even young children will feel empowered to learn new skills and you never know when they might come in useful!
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Out & About Every 4th Thursday
n Chipping Norton Flower Club A series of special late night evenings mark the launch of Fairytale Farm’s unique illuminated display for 2017. The late night evenings are on 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd and 28th October, and then the Illuminations continue every weekend until Christmas, closing at 5pm. Fairytale Farm owner, Nick Laister, explains what visitors can expect to see if they visit the Farm at weekends from 14th October: “The Farm will be open all day as normal, but when daylight fades the entire Enchanted Walk will become a magical wonderland of fairy lights, which will delight children and adults. The Mermaid Garden, Giant’s Camera, The Extinct Band, Giant Party Poppers, and Light Fountains will be a blaze of colour and the Hex Water Fountain will be lit in ever changing colours. We also have new and updated features that were not part of last year’s line-up, and our Fairytale Street will be illuminated.” The Beanstalk Cafe will be open throughout with a choice of hot and cold snacks. Nick continues: “The adventure playground and animal areas will close at dusk as the lights come on, so be sure to arrive in good time so you don’t miss all that Fairytale Farm has to offer in the daylight. And, don’t forget, our annual
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pass holders can visit for free, as many times as they like.” Nick explains: “We will be opening the Farm until late on 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd and 28th October to celebrate the switchon of the Illuminations, when we will stay open until two hours after dusk. On these special event nights we will be offering an all-in farm admission and food package. These packages gives evening entry to the Farm (with a chance to see the animals if you arrive promptly at 5pm), a soup with crusty bread or hot dog plus a hot or cold drink, and finish the evening with a stroll through the illuminated gardens after the lights switch on. A truly magical evening for the whole family.” Visitors can buy tickets in advance at the Fairytale Farm website for only £5.49 (a saving of 51p per person from the already discounted gate price). Note that the animal area and playground closes at dusk so we recommend that people arrive as soon after 5pm as possible to see these parts of the park before it gets dark.
With demonstrations, outings, workshops and more. Join us in the Lower Town Hall every 4th Thursday of the month Starting 21st September at 7pm More details: Ann 01608 683289 or Kaye 01993 831146 ........................................................
14th Nov - 14th Jan
n Panto: Sleeping Beauty
Heaps of jokes, oodles of fantastic original tunes and a good dash of British History combine to make this a Sleeping Beauty like no other. From the glorious pageantry of the Tudors to the flower-powered freedom of the sixties, Chipping Norton’s panto is the most spectacular, the most splendid and the most stupefyingly funny show of the year. chippingnortontheatre.com Box Office: 01608 642350 ........................................................
17th November
n Rissingtons Local History Society
2.30pm. Dad’s Underground Army - an illustrated talk by Bill King about the secret units of the British Resistance Organisation which would have been operational if Hitler had invaded Britain. Great Rissington Club GL54 2LP. £3.50 to include refreshments. Contact 01451 820233 for further information. ........................................................
18th & 19th November n Charlbury Christmas Artweeks at St’ Mary’s Church
Eight artists invite you to come and look around a variety of exceptional gifts including elegant porcelain, calligraphy, cosy rugs, cushions and garments handcrafted from Cotswold
sheep, beautiful paintings, cards and inexpensive stocking fillers. You are sure to find something original and delightful to suit every taste. Other exhibitions are open throughout the town, from 11 to 6 on both days, and there is plenty of time to browse and enjoy. We will be very happy to welcome you all to this unique show in a beautiful church setting. St Mary’s Church, Church Street, Charlbury. OX7 3PX Telephone: 01608 810116 ........................................................
24th November
n Phill Jupitus: Juplicity
Join stand-up comedian, poet, improviser, and TV stalwart Phill Jupitus for over an hour of tales, laughs and diversions. Watch in delight and/or horror as this experienced funny man drags laughs out of the chaos of his own life and the uncertain world that surrounds it. Tickets: £16.50 chippingnortontheatre.com Box Office: 01608 642350 ........................................................
25th November n Burford Orchestra
Burford Orchestra will close out the 2017 concert season in spectacular style with two masterpieces by the great 20th century Russian composer, Dmitri Shostakovich. The evening at Burford School’s main hall, which kicks off at 7.30pm, opens with his triumphant Festive Overture and ends with his iconic and dramatic 5th Symphony. In between, the programme sticks to a Slavic theme with Antonin Dvorak’s lively and popular Slavonic Dances. Tickets cost £7 in advance and £8 on the door with £1 entry for under 16s. For info and tickets contact info@burfordorchestra. org.uk or Sarah on 07814 873907 ........................................................
Having an event?
Email us your event details to: events@jkanorth.com and we’ll publish it for you. Magazine distribution dates are on p22.
26th November
n 8th Aldsworth Christmas Fayre
Aldsworth, Glos GL54 3QS From 11.00am to 2.30pm in Aldsworth Village Hall. Locally produced Christmas food items and gift ideas. Raffle, refreshments and festive cheer. Café offering light soup and roll lunches, mulled wine and mince pies, tea or coffee and homemade cakes. £2 programme entry & children FOC Proceeds to St Bartholomew’s Church. Tel: Shona on 07803 029943 ........................................................
3rd December
n Burford Singers – Winter concert
John Rutter – Requiem Haydn – Missa Cellensis (Mariazellermesse) 7.30pm Church of St John the Baptist Church Green, Burford OX18 4RY Burford Singers with Cotswold Chamber Orchestra leader Kate Bailey Soprano : Nardus Williams Alto : Rebecca Coombs Tenor : Guy Elliott Bass : James Richardson Brian Kay – Conductor John Rutter’s tuneful Requiem is among his most popular works and provides a suitable contrast to the rhythmic excitement of Haydn’s Mass Tickets reserved at £23, £19 and £15, unreserved £10 Telephone booking opens on 30th October on 01993 822412 Online booking (unreserved only) from 1st November on our website. Booking in person opens on 16th November The Madhatter Bookshop 122, High Street, Burford OX18 4QJ Full details and booking form on
our website www.burfordsingers. org.uk ........................................................
9th December
n Xmas Market at Combe Mill
We are again holding a Christmas Market at Combe Mill. (Our 3rd) Craft and consumable stalls, (get a late Christmas present), mulled wine and roast chestnuts together with the chance to make a poker for a late Xmas present in the blacksmiths’ forge. Take a look around Combe Mill with Refreshments throughout the day. eating areas indoors. Combe Mill, Blenheim Palace Sawmills, Long Hanborough Oxfordshire, OX29 8ET Free admission. NOT IN STEAM ........................................................
18th – 21st January n Panto: Aladdin
The Bacon Theatre, Cheltenham Promenade Productions Traditional Family panto for 2018 is ALADDIN, a story full of Eastern promise, a ‘rags to riches’ tale– packed with adventure with some original twists and turns along the way. Aladdin will have all the ingredients that make it a not-to-be missed Panto - a large cast of singers and dancers, lavish costumes, colourful scenery and lots of audience participation. Oh yes it will! Book early for the best seats Evenings 7.00pm Matinees Saturday & Sunday 2.30pm Tickets £10 - £15 from Showcase 01242 224144 Concessions on block bookings ........................................................ Please note: the editors cannot be held responsible for any changes to events listed. Please contact event organisers directly. All events correct at time of going to press.
Fairytale Farm, Southcombe, Chipping Norton, OX7 5QH. Tel: 01608 238014. Email: info@fairytalefarm.co.uk
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A Good Read
The Cotswold Link’s
Annual Family Christmas Quiz
Plays About Britain
Relax and chill out, these questions are for the young and not so young. You may not even agree with some of the answers but the quiz is for of the family to take part and enjoy.
n Craig Taylor
How often do you hear someone complain that they never have time to read? Too often? Or are you guilty of this yourself? If so, Craig Taylor’s superb book is a godsend. The title is more or less an accurate description of the contents – although there are slightly fewer than a million of Taylor’s carefully crafted snapshots of British life: ‘dramatic haikus’, perhaps, as Richard Eyre suggests in his introduction. The format of each play is the same: a brief sentence to set the scene, then the dialogue takes over. The longest runs to three or four pages, the shortest to one sentence. A range of scenes is covered – from two women in a queue at a Surrey bank, to a farmer in Kent speaking on his mobile phone from a tractor, to a late night on Newcastle Quayside. The characters are diverse too – young and old, drunk and sober, flippant and serious. However, it is the perfectly observed sharpness of speech that makes this book stand out. At first, you could believe that Taylor has merely been in the right place at the right time and recorded everything that he heard. Lines like ‘I once took Diana Rigg’s coat – in her pocket was a packet of Polos. That’s an elegant mint’ ! Some of the plays rely on a growing sense of unease - the nervous customer in the barber’s shop: others are out and out funny - two Wonder Women fighting in the street. Every ending is well judged and either rounds off the play with a ‘reveal’ or a cliff-hanger – always showing, never telling. Ideal for reading in short bursts or longer chunks – well worth a look.
The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh n AA Milne
The recently released film ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin’ painted a less-than-rosy picture of the dysfunctional upper class Milne family. Yet the stories are still compellingly charming from the opening lines, ‘Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin.’ Milne may have been a traumatised war veteran but his storytelling has so much warmth and depth. At times the tales are laugh out loud funny – Rabbit in particular makes me giggle every time he replies to a knock at the door – and children will quickly read along with you, even if some of the sentence structure and vocabulary is complex. Every child deserves to have this book read aloud to them at least once before they are six and I bet you anything you will be asked for it again, and again. The word classic is sometimes used lightly: here, it is truly deserved.
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1 You receive 10 Christmas Cards from places in Europe; each one wishes you a “Merry Christmas” – Identify where the cards comes from. a) joyeux Noël b) buon Natale c) Feliz Navidad d) Nadolig Llawen e) καλά Χριστούγεννα f) Wesołych Świąt g) Fröhliche Weihnachten h) feliz Natal i) vrolijk kerstfeest j) felicem natalem Christi 2 Match the quotes with the following sources: Anonymous, The Bible, Robert Burns, Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, David Lloyd George, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Picasso, William Shakespeare a) “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” b) “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time……” c) “What is our task? To make Britain a fit country for heroes to live in” d) “God is no respecter of persons” e) “Oh my Luve is like a red red rose …” f) “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day ……” g) “My mother said to me, “If you are a soldier you will become a general. If you are a monk you will become the Pope.” Instead, I was an ……… and became ………..” h) “There’s a genius in all of us” i) “When you fall, I will be there to catch you – With Love, the floor” j) It was the best of times, it was the worse of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness ……..”
Penny for the Guy
When I was a child we used to make a guy. We’d stuff a shirt and an old pair of trousers with newspaper or hay and top it with a papier-mâché head or a balloon wearing a mask. We’d then proudly wheel it in a barrow to the guy competition in our village and the winning one would receive a prize. Then they would all be burned on the bonfire on November 5th. My dad remembers as a child wheeling his homemade effigy round the village where he grew up shouting ‘Penny for the Guy.’ Any money he and his friends made was spent on fireworks which they set off either in their gardens or in the local park! Guy-making is a tradition which seems to have died out...possibly on the grounds of health and safety. Nowadays it being eclipsed by Halloween. Most families prefer to attend a closely controlled public event on the closest weekend to November 5th. In a few places though the tradition of the guy still continues in a more traditional form with street processions and blazing barrels of tar!
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3 What date is St. Stephen’s Day? 4 In Charles Dicken’s Christmas Carol, who was Scrooge’s dead
business partner? 5 In the song “12 days of Christmas” …. My true love brought to me….? 6 What colour are the berries of the mistletoe plant? 7 Who wrote “Auld Lang Syne”? 8 How many points does a snowflake have? 9 In which country were Christmas trees fist used to decorate homes? 10 During the First World War on which Christmas Day did the soldiers of Great Britain and Germany stop fighting and greet each other? 11 There are two Christmas Islands and they are located in which oceans? 12 What did Captain James Cook discover on Christmas Day 1777? 13 Which famous scientist born on Christmas Day is buried in Westminster Abbey? 14 The North Pole is said to be Santa’s home. In which Ocean is the North Pole located? 15 What is the chemical formula of snow? 16 What British spacecraft was lost on Mars Christmas Day 2003? 17 Who banned Christmas Day in Britain? 18 Who was the first British monarch to broadcast a Christmas message to the nation? 19 In what year did the Queen deliver her first televised Christmas message to the nation? 20 “So this is Christmas” are the first words of which John Lennon song? I wish all Cotswold Link Readers A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year John Harris (Answers on p22)
Bonfire Night was once the only day of the year when fireworks were seen in Britain, but firework displays are now commonplace at weddings, big public events and New Year. The significance of fireworks has been somewhat lost which is a bit of a shame as it’s a part of British folklore. Perhaps this year we should make an effort to bring back the Guy. By Tracey Anderson
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GARDEN VIEW
National
Tree Week
25th November-3rd Dec is National Tree Week
November 25th marks the start of National Tree Week, which in turn marks the start of tree-planting season. Considering that most of us in the UK have fairly small plots we do love our trees. The trouble is we’re not always terribly good at choosing them. How many times have you driven through a housing estate and observed an enormous weeping willow or an enormous pine tree completely obscuring a front garden. It can be tricky deciding what sort of tree to plant on a small, suburban plot but there are plenty of candidates. Generally trees up to 8-10m are considered suitable. The best urban trees offer year-round interest. Varieties of Acer Palmatum are rather lovely. They are elegant trees which have attractive green or purple foliage and colour beautifully in the winter. For my money Amalanchier Lamarckii is about as hardworking a tree as you’ll come across. During March and April it produces a frothy show of white flowers, then in June these are replaced by attractive deep purple, and supposedly edible - though I’ve never tried them - fruits. Then, when Autumn arrives the tree pulls out all the stops and bursts into fiery colour. If you only have room for one tree then an Amelanchier won’t let you down.
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Another hard worker is Sorbus hupehensis var. obtusa. This tree has a pretty shape and is attractive throughout the year. In the late spring it is covered in white blossom which is followed by masses of dark pink berries. The blue-green leaves turn red in the autumn. It’s just my opinion of course but without at least one tree, a garden can seem flat and a little dull. Trees provide structure and height but are also a haven for birds and insects, which in turn add colour and life. Why not plant a tree during this week. Our guide has some helpful tips. How to Plant a Tree • Dig a hole at least twice the size of the root ball. • Make up a mixture of half compost and half soil from the hole. Put a few inches of this mix at the bottom of the hole. • Trees need support so drive a support stake into the hole at one edge. This needs to be done before the tree is planted or you risk damaging the roots. • Tip the tree from its container and loosen the roots a little. Place it into the hole and fill in with the soil and compost mixture. Firm it down with your heel. • Use proper straps to secure the tree to the post. • Water well!
By Rachael Leverton
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The
Rallying call for businesses to apply for rate relief
Cotswold Sky
How Long is the Shortest Day?
The Earth orbits the Sun once a year (365.25 days), because the Earth is tilted we get our four seasons spring, summer, autumn and winter. In summer the UK is tilted towards the Sun and during the winter the UK tilts away from the Sun.
Companies across West Oxfordshire are being urged to sign up for business rate relief which could be worth thousands of pounds.
Date
Daylight hours
Dec 9th
7hours 47minutes 51seconds (day of the earliest sunset)
Dec 20th
7hours 39 minutes 48seconds
Dec 21st
7hours 39minutes 32seconds Shortest daylight hours
Dec 22nd
7hours 39minutes 34seconds
Dec 28th
7hours 42minutes 10seconds (day of latest sunrise)
Schematic view of the Earth’s position with the Sun 21st December 2017
Diary
The diagram illustrates that the South Pole has 24 hours of light and the North Pole 24 hours of darkness during this time of the year. The Sun is also directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn which is in the Southern Hemisphere. The precise point of time that Winter Solstice occurs this year is Thursday 21st December at 16.28 hours.
For us folk in the Cotswolds it means the fewest hours of daylight and for some, the beginning of winter. However; Meteorologists use December 1st has the marker for the commencement of winter. Winter Solstice also marks the end of progressively long dark evenings, and slowly one will notice the daylight hours becoming ever longer as we progress towards spring. Daylight hours at Winter Solstice
These will vary slightly from area to area and readers may also notice that the earlier sunsets are towards the beginning of December and the later sunrises occur towards the end of December. However; even with these fluctuations the shortest daylight hours happen on December 21st as the following table illustrates: Table showing hours of daylight on selected days in December:
Winter Solstice: Thursday 21st December 16.28 hours GMT. Planets Mercury – Can be observed just below Saturn during the latter part of November. Venus – Observable early mornings in the South East from 06.00 hours during November and December. Spectacular view on 13th November as it appears close to a bright Jupiter. Mars – Rises as early as 3.30am during November through to December. Jupiter – Rising in the early morning during November making a spectacular splash adjacent to Venus on 13th November. Jupiter continues to rise earlier as we progress through December. Saturn – Sets around 6.00pm during November and is not visible during December.
Meteor Showers
S Taurids: 5th November unfortunately a full Moon will obscure all but the brightest shooting stars. N Taurids: 12th November will be visible around midnight. Leonids: 17th November with a New Moon the evening will be an excellent opportunity to observe these famous shooting stars. Geminids: 13th/14th December with little Moon shine this gives a good opportunity for viewing. Ursids: 22nd December conditions for observing are favourable. Wishing all our readers a Joyful Festive Season - John
More than 200 businesses have so far received relief totalling more than £250,000 after new rateable values were introduced in April but many have still not taken the opportunity to apply for discretionary rate relief awards worth up to £11,500. Print services firm Fineprint, which employs 60 staff in Witney, was facing a rates hike of almost £8,000 following the revaluation but received discretionary rate relief of almost £5,000 which helped reduce the financial impact. Managing director Dan Bakewell (pictured) said: “West Oxfordshire District Council made us aware of the relief available and it was a very easy form to complete. Then we did not have to do anything and we received the new assessment. “Having the impact of the rates rise reduced has really helped the business.” Central government has allocated £300m for local authorities to create local discretionary relief schemes to help those affected by the rates rise. Funding available for local authorities is expected to last four years but the amount will reduce each year. Cllr Toby Morris, Cabinet Member for Resources, said: “We know there are still many businesses in the District which have not got around to applying for discretionary rate relief yet. We have written to all businesses who we think may benefit, over 500 in total, but have been disappointed with the response so far – the form couldn’t be easier to complete, it only needs a signature. “We want to support the local economy and we have money available which could make a big difference to companies facing a significant rate rise so I would encourage as many as possible to apply.” Business owners who think they may be eligible for relief should contact the council on 01993 861070. For more details see: www.westoxon.gov.uk/businessrates
Harris
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Keep your pets safe this winter As the nights draw in and temperature drops make sure your pet still gets the exercise and mental stimulation they need. Make sure you cat can easily get back inside and their catflap doesn’t freeze over. Cats will seek warmth and comfort anywhere if needed and are known to even get into car engines if they want a warm place to rest. Just like us, pets can develop hypothermia if they are out in the cold for too long. Small pets like rabbits and guinea pigs are particularly vulnerable and you
Instruments of Time and Truth: A period-instrument orchestra for the community, supported by the community.
may want to bring them inside if possible, or make sure they have extra bedding to keep cosy. After dog walks wash their paws to make sure nothing stuck between their pads like salt or grit. Keep their fur between pads trimmed to prevent iceballs forming which can also be painful to them. Be very careful if it is icy outdoors and keep your dog on the lead if you may pass frozen water. Call for help but don’t go after your dog if they do run onto ice, it can be extremely dangerous.
How to keep your dog happy during fireworks • It’s a good idea to time walks earlier in the day before the fireworks start. Keep your dog onlead if you think fireworks will be let off. • Always keep your dog indoors when fireworks are being let off. • Switching the TV or radio on might help to muffle the sound, but make sure it’s not too loud and don’t try this if your dog isn’t used to noises
from the television. • Close the curtains to black out any flashing lights from outside. • Dogs are likely to drink more when they are worried, so fill their water bowl up to the brim. • Speak to your vet about Adaptil products, which contain ‘dog appeasing pheromone’ – these may help promote a feeling of calm for your dog. • Make sure your dog is microchipped and your information is up to date so your dog can be returned to you if they are spooked by fireworks and run off. By law your dog should be wearing an ID tag with the owner’s name and address
Instruments of Time and Truth was founded three years ago to provide a platform for internationally-performing musicians resident in and around Oxford, many of whom hold Principal positions in the best period instrument orchestras in Europe. The ensemble was envisaged by its founders as a community resource and was to be managed voluntarily to make it affordable for all: college and amateur choirs, schools and entrepreneurs alike. Three years on, is IT&T realising its ambitions? A tour through this Season’s brochure reveals that the group is not only realising its goals but creating ever new challenges to increase the vibrancy of Oxford’s musical scene.
displayed when they are in a public place, too. If your phone number is easily readable you will have a better chance of being reunited quickly. • Don’t tie your dog up outside while fireworks are being let off, ie outside a shop while you pop inside, or leave him in the garden or alone in the car. • It’s never a good idea to take your dog to a fireworks display, and indoor fireworks aren’t dog-friendly either. Even if they don’t whimper at the noise, it doesn’t mean they are happy. Panting and yawning are both signs that indicate your dog is stressed.
IT&T’s 17/18 Season opened on Friday, October 6th with a Sheldonian concert entitled ‘The Road to Romanticism’. Promoted by the orchestra itself, this concert was the first in what will ultimately become an annual series of four concerts presented in Oxford’s historic venues. Already pushing the boundaries of its initial aim - that of presenting world-class performances of Baroque and Classical repertoire - IT&T will embark on a journey into Romantic repertoire with inspirational Director, Edward Higginbottom leading the way. Higginbottom, who for 38 years was Director of New College Choir, is an internationally renowned Oxford musician who firmly established that choir on the world map. With mesmeric violinist Bojan Cicic appearing as soloist in the Mendelssohn violin concerto for the first time, Instruments of Time and Truth fulfils its commitment to promoting Oxford musicians and to celebrating the amazing wealth of talent available to us in this city. More widely-known for his quixotic interpretation of seventeenth and eighteenth century music, Bojan has recently released his first solo CD of Carbonelli sonatas which was awarded 5 stars by the BBC Music magazine. IT&T’s second self-promotion is a candlelit performance of the Messiah in University Church on December 16th. The third successive year for this slick, upbeat rendition of the ultimate Christmas programme, this concert is rapidly becoming an Oxford institution. Whilst these two concerts represent some of
the purely artistic ambitions of the orchestra, elsewhere, events testify to the realsation of IT&T’s aim to become a community resource. Within the last three years, IT&T has collaborated with the choirs of New, Keble, Merton, St Peter’s and The Queen’s colleges. November 4th will see IT&T performing with Magdalen College Consort of Voices for the first time in Bach’s cantata ‘Mache Dich mein Geist bereit’, in Magdalen College Chapel. In February, IT&T will return to the Keble Early Music Festival for the second year running, with an intimate Abendmusik on the 22nd and the larger scale Mozart Requiem and Jupiter Symphony on the 24th with the Keble College Choir. There are further concerts with the Choir of The Queen’s College on November 25th and with New College Choir on March 11th. IT&T not only works with Oxford college choirs, but it has assumed a central position in underpinning the tradition of choral excellence in Oxford.
In terms of the wider community, IT&T has become a regular collaborator with the Summertown Choral Society (February 3rd and May 19th) and this Season (June 9th) will add the Oxford Bach Choir to a list of local choirs which already includes the Oxford Pro Musica Singers and the Oxford Girls’ Choir. Nor has IT&T neglected its educational ambitions. Dedicated to fostering the audience of the future, the orchestra regularly presents GCSE workshops to local schoolchildren. This
year’s day of workshops will take place on February 6th at Headington School. Schools from across the county will be invited to take part and for some, it will certainly be the first time they will have experienced live music. IT&T has already presented several masterclasses through the University, but, in addition, this October half-term will see the first Baroque course for school-aged children. Amongst the first of its kind in this country, this is a rare opportunity for children to experience the differences in technique and instruments between the baroque period and the modern day, through which we hope to inspire the musicians of the future. The final thread in this Season’s activities for Instruments of Time and Truth is its inclusion in the University’s Bach Project on January 27th and April 27th. This is indeed a privilege for IT&T and is testament to the reputation the orchestra has already established over its brief existence. It should also be mentioned here that IT&T recently recorded its own CDs - one, a collection of music by Oxford’s own William Hayes with Keble Choir and the other, early English vocal music by Pelham Humfrey. Both CDs should be released in 2018. The extent and breadth of IT&T’s activities this Season would suggest that the orchestra has already gone beyond what it set out to acheive, indeed it is almost as if it has not so much carved out a niche, but uncovered a pre-existing niche that was ready to welcome and celebrate the excellence and expertise belonging to this unique city of Oxford.
Images: Above left: Nick Rutter, above right: Ebyan Rezgui.
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