The District Council has taken the difficult decision to suspend our garden waste collections.

Full details and explanation here.

Good morning/afternoon

This email is a difficult one for me to be writing.

As of Monday 9th August I will no longer be your postman due to a resignation at Royal Mail Faringdon. A friend/colleague with seniority over me has signed for this duty. To say I'm gutted is an understatement as this has been my round for 17 years and you are all far more than a job to me and I will miss you all.

I would like to thank everyone for their kindness humour and friendship and I wish you all, all the best
 
Take care
 
Ex Postie Paul

The Council’s contractors, BGG, will be in Great Coxwell next Wednesday 4th August for this year’s second cutting of the village verges and footpaths.  If anyone has any specific requests on how they would like the verges outside of their property cut, please send those to me at [email protected] by next Monday and I’ll pass them along to BGG. Alternatively, you can speak with them when they arrive on Wednesday. BGG has expressed a strong willingness to be as flexible as possible to meet specific requirements, please try to make your requests as concise and easy for them to follow as possible.

Thank you,
Mike Harris (Holloway House)
​

A couple of press releases from the council:

​Councils expand their free activity trails for children for the school summer holidays

First tickets for the White Horse Community lottery go on sale

We noticed a large camera/phone extendable stand has been left on a picnic table in the play park for a few days now – I’ve taken it home just to tidy up really, but if it’s yours, come and get it any time from Stonevale.   Alternatively if no one claims it in the next couple of days, but would like it then email me at [email protected] and I’ll let you know. It is a Velbon Videomate 400 model. 
 

Projects:

• On-going work with a solar energy project and heat generation for our homes  (in more detail below). Working with Solar Streets.  https://solarstreets.co.uk
• Retrofitting homes to make them more energy efficient maybe with the help of Cosy Homes Oxfordshire.  https://cosyhomesoxfordshire.org
• Discussions with National Trust about making the pond at the Great Barn a more balanced and healthy ecosystem. 
• Making contact with Andy Cato who has taken over Colleymore Farm to find out more about his environmentally-sensitive farming methods.
• Discussions with the Parish Council about the management of the wild area in the Park
• Working with our Church on rewilding the Remembrance Garden next to the graveyard.
• Community orchard - assessing feasibility and seeking a potential site. 
• Plant a tree for her Majesty’s Jubilee (The Queens’ Green Canopy project) - we are keen to do something with the whole village and parish council. 

 
Sustainable energy Source - we are investigating two possible energy projects:
 
Electricity generation. The main sources of renewable energy are wind, water or solar. Oxfordshire is classed a low wind region. We have no large water source so solar is our best option. Solar PV panels could be on a large roof, say an agricultural building, or ground mounted.  However, the pricing model imposed by the national grid is disadvantageous.  In most projects  the power generated goes into the grid. The grid would pay a small fee per unit generated whilst electricity we consumed from the grid is charged at three times this price.  Therefore, it makes much more economic sense if we could use the electricity we generate ourselves. 

And so we come to the Ground Source Heat Pump.  Energy costs are comparable to those of oil-fired heating systems but the costs are rather more than the cost of using gas for heating and hot water.  (Most home in the parish use gas). This is where the solar comes in. If we generate our own electricity through solar panels and use it to power the pump this should lower the over all cost of the hot water. The main priority is to decarbonise our heating systems.

Next step is a feasibility study. We are talking to both Low Carbon Hub and Rural Communities Energy Fund to see if this is something they would help us fund and organise.  
 
Next meeting 5th August 2021 8pm - anyone in the village with an interest in the ‘green’ agenda is invite to attend.  Just drop an email to [email protected] and we’ll add you to the circulation list.
 
RIVERCIDE
George Monbiot video made on the 14th July on the state of our rivers including the River Wye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ID0VAUNANA
 
Low Energy Bulbs
One of the easiest things we all can do to make our homes more energy efficient, save money and cut our energy bills is to switch all our light bulbs to LED bulbs. Here’s why: LEDs can help you save lots of energy compared to the old incandescent bulbs. They use 75% less electricity. They last 25 times longer. They emit less heat (incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat). AND you are helping to save the planet!

Great Barn Festival is back – about 18 months late and with limited tickets, professional cleaning crews and an awful lot of hand sanitiser but still the same lovely atmosphere, fantastic family theatre, music, storytelling and art. On September 18th and 19th we open the gates to welcome you to join us and as residents of the village we would like to extend exclusive discounts to you on both the grounds only tickets and main stage performances. (Don’t worry, if you just want to wander across from gate to gate on a dog walk that is fine with us too).
 
We have a market place of arts, crafts and gift items in which you might see some familiar faces). We are happy to be hosting Stonevale Concerts for a unique experience, Lynette Stulting will perform with international concert violinist Sebastian Mueller in an atmospheric Sunday lunchtime recital (some additional spectacle provided in relocating her beautiful grand piano for the occasion!). Returning are Armaleggan Morris, the National Trust will offer tours and pond dipping for the kids. Our main stage will see Shakespeare for children and a more grown up roaming troupe of performers will be in the grounds. We have circus skills and craft for kids. Art workshops and demonstrations of medieval musical instruments as well as a full play bill of brilliant more modern musicians with a real folk, roots and Americana feel. Not to be missed, The Servant’s Ball whose members are more used to commanding major national stages than our magnificent dirt floored barn. On Saturday evening they will close the main barn stage before some of Oxfordshire’s finest take over the reins in the cabaret tent and bar. We won’t play too late or too loud but if you want to bring your guitar, fiddle or spoons feel free to come and help us wrap up the evening ceilidh style (sadly without the dancing).
 
We close on Sunday night with an outdoors performance, come rain or come shine of Robin Hood, a raucous comedy for all the family from the West End Director of The Play that Goes Wrong. Expect lots of humour, musical instruments, quick changes and terrible stage fighting.
 
That is just a little of what we have to offer in our carefully considered and Covid cautious calendar events for more details please visit www.greatbarnfestival.com or contact [email protected]. If you are a resident of the village and get in touch directly we will organise your friends discounts. Or call me, Ainslie, at Danes Cottage on 07774459046. Tickets are required for all access and are limited this year. They are selling well and there will be no further tickets released, we want everyone to feel safe and able to find their own space. Over the next few days we will pop a note and further invitation through your door.
 
As always we aim to leave no footprint and other than providing a little fun we have everything in place so we cause as little impact on normal village life as possible. If you have any concerns please don’t hesitate to contact me. Similarly if you would like to add to the fun, give us a tune, sell your art or throw your lot is as a volunteer (it has perks) then get in touch.
​

This Sunday the service is Morning Prayer at 9 am.  All are welcome to join us.

Next Sunday, 1st August, will be Holy Communion at 10.30am, not the second Sunday in the month as is usual for us.  This is because Maureen is to be installed in the benefice by Revd Canon David Tyler, who will also preach.  There will be nibbles and coffee afterwards in the Vicarage garden.  As this is open to all four parishes I would be grateful to know if you intend to come, if you haven't already done so.

Pat Cook  

01367 241632 or email [email protected]

Paul the postie here... Unfortunately I had a fall on my round two weeks ago and ended up on the ground  with a very painful ankle and bruised pride.  I managed to do the round for another week but it gave away again last Saturday and I have ended up with a 3rd degree serious sprain injury. I have now got the pleasure of wearing a very cumbersome boot for the next six weeks. The upshot is I will not be on my round for the foreseeable future. I regard many of my customers as friends so I thought I would put you all in the picture as you may see some new faces. I hope you all have a great summer and I will see you soon.

Postie Paul.

Get well soon Paul (from the Editor)
​

Sales for the morning of 5th June; cakes, unwanted gifts and collectibles, came to £286.

This has gone to the hall \ village funds.

Thank you to all who supported.

Gini Green