Hornton’s finest flower arrangers will be showing off their talents
this weekend, in the Methodist Chapel. The theme is Saints and between 3 and
5.30pm on Sunday there will not only be beautiful arrangements but cream teas,
crafts and a display of photographs from Hornton history club.
30th April '09 - Heave-Ho for May Day
It’s almost time for Hornton’s biggest weekend of the year
and now it’s time to flex your muscles!
For a start, there’s a tug-of-war competition - just for fun. And on the morning
of May Day, it will be time for the strong men of the village and their trusted
vehicles to come into their own. Please meet outside the garages on the green at
10am to move tables and chairs.
The celebrations all kick off at 1pm this Monday on the village green with the
traditional crowning of the May King and Queen. There will be Maypole dancing,
Morris dancing, sideshows, teas and raffles, plus a host of stalls selling
everything from a pin to an elephant! Well, maybe not an elephant…
Organiser Lorraine Joyner has the Master Plan of where all the stalls will be
situated on the green and it’s not too late even now if you would like to add
another stall to
her list. Please ring her on 01295 678708. Lorraine is also the person
collecting raffle prizes.
There is an urgent need of White Elephants - Laura Short in West End on 01295
670232 is collecting those - and Isabel Harris in Bell Street (on 01295
670541) needs bottles or jars of drinks or other consumable items for a bottle
stall.
Meanwhile, Lesley Kings is in charge of teas, so please bring her a cake if you
have one.
30th April '09 - Time's Up
The press deadline for the latest edition of The Gossip, Hornton's
very own village newspaper, is nearly up. Editors Julie Stanley and Ann Hemmings
need your copy by the end of the Bank Holiday weekend.
Just about anything legal, decent honest and truthful can make it into The
Gossip, just as long as it's signed and it's about Hornton.
So please contact Julie Stanley on 01295 670507 or at julieharrystan (at) aol dot com and
Ann Hemmings on 01295 670511 or at ann dot hemmings (at) orh dot nhs dot uk with your
recollections, recipes and reminiscences as soon as possible.
30th April '09 - Next Step for Homes
Hornton has joined forces with other councils in the area
in a bid to get funding for the village’s Affordable Housing project.
The parish council, meeting on April 20, was told that a report from the project
manager suggested that the Hornton Scheme should be included in with others in
Oxfordshire as one large scheme. This is more likely to attract the funding.
And councillors were told that plans for the new extension to the pavilion have
been passed by Cherwell DC. Three estimates have been obtained ranging from
£82,000 to £95,000. Grants have been applied for and a meeting has been arranged
for April 28 with Oxon CC to see if they can help with a grant.
Plans to build a ramp into the children’s playground have also been passed by
Cherwell..
Meanwhile, the culvert work from the footpath near to the Church through to the
rear of the Dun Cow has been completed and the stone walls have been reinstated.
Arrangements will now be made for the footpath to be reinstated. The work has
gone extremely well with minimal disruption to the gardens of those affected.
The Clerk was asked by the Parish Council to write to Jonathan Short to thank him
for all his hard work in overseeing this project. Lady Tweedsmuir, Mr and Mrs
Fletcher, Mr Mrs Mrs Gelling and Mrs and Mrs Higgins are also to be thanked for
their help and support.
Cllr Griffiths mentioned that Jean Burden had kindly donated a Garden Gift
Voucher for £10 and this has been used to plant a rose near the grave of Mike
Webber, who was a great benefactor to the village.
30th April '09 - Well Done, Jess
Hornton’s very own Jess Wain finished the London Marathon last
weekend in 4 hours 45 minutes, which she was very pleased with.
“It was a glorious sunny day from start to finish, and the whole atmosphere was
amazing, so many supporters and people cheering everyone on,” said Jess.” The
first 20 miles were no problem but the last six took their toll, and the support
of the crowd then just keeps you going,
finish line!”
Jess described the whole experience as “fantastic”, she enjoyed (almost) every
minute of it and wants to do it again next year already! To date she has raised a
massive £1,967 and would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone in the village
who has donated, too numerous to mention, but you all know who you are...thank you!!
30th April '09 - Not such a Mistake
Hornton WI’s Sale of Expensive Mistakes last Saturday was
very successful, with the Pavilion packed to capacity with bargains galore.
“We could have done with some more buyers on the day,” said organiser Jane Wain.
“But we still raised £745 which was fantastic. Thank you to everyone who sold and
bought clothes and came along to support our first fund raising event.”
30th April '09 - Crackling Good Meal
The Dun Cow will be serving a traditional Roast Pork Sunday
lunch with all the trimmings on Sunday week, May 10. Please book with Gwyneth on
the Wednesday before if you possibly can by calling her on 01295 670524 or take
pot luck on the day.
30th April '09 - Black and Blue
For the first time in several years, you can join a guided tour
of Upton House’s Blackwell’s Wood for a special Bluebell Day walk. It all happens
on Sunday week, May 10, from midday till 4pm.
Places are limited and timed tickets will be available on arrival. Normal
admission prices will apply.
30th April '09 - Church Services
Holy Communion will be celebrated by the Rev. Dorothy Hewitson
in Hornton Methodist Church at 11am this Sunday, May 3. AS this is a
UnitedService, there will be no service in the parish church.
Don’t forget that you can pop in for coffee, cake and a chat in the Methodist
Church every Friday morning from 10.30am to 12.30pm. There is a book, DVD and
video swap - and, of course, lots of good gossip! And Thursday Club meets every
week after school until 4.30pm in the Methodist Church School Room. All children
are welcome.
23rd April '09 - Pounding for Pounds
If you keep a sharp eye on your TV screen this Sunday, youmight just spot Hornton's Jess Wain pounding the streets in the
London Marathon. She's been lucky enough to get a coveted place and she's already gone past her original sponsorship target
of £1300 for Leukaemia Research.
She's now up to £1700 but she'd like to nudge it closer to £2000 by Saturday so, if you haven't sponsored Jess yet, please
do so now! It’s really easy: you can either drop a donation off through her letterbox at The Swallows in Eastgate or you
can donate on line at www.justgiving.com/jesswain. Don’t be left out -
sponsor Jess for this very good cause today!
23rd April '09 - Let's Meet Up
The Annual Parish Meeting, which will have the future of the Church Room first on the Agenda, is taking place in the
Church Room at 7.30pm this Monday , April 27.
One thing’s for certain - doing nothing with the Church Room is not an option! It can either be sold or more than
£10,000 will need to be spent to bring it up to modern health and safety standards - and make it more appealing for
hire. The ultimate decision on its future rests with the Hornton Parochial Church Council but members are keen to hear
the views of villagers, so please come along.
The parish meeting is also when the the Parish Council has a review of the year including reports from the various clubs
and societies. Parish clerk Alan Cater asks that representatives to give their reports to him or any parish councillor or -
preferably - send it by email to a dot cater (at) btinternet dot com.
23rd April '09 - May Day for May Day
It’s nearly time for Hornton’s biggest weekend of the year and help is needed all round!
First, there’s a new attraction to flex your muscles - a tug-of-war competition - and May Day organiser Lorraine Joyner
would like volunteers.
“It's just for fun and there’s a note on the notice board and another one in the pub asking for everyone who’s interested
to put their names down,” says Lorraine. “When I've got an idea of how many want to take part and where they live, I'll make
up the teams. Hopefully we'll get enough so we can have teams by roads or perhaps one for upper Hornton and another for lower
Hornton.”
There is an urgent need of White Elephants - Laura Short on 01295 670232 is collecting those - and Isabel Harris in Bell
Street (on 01295 670541) needs bottles or jars of drinks or other consumable items for a bottle stall.
And on the morning of May Day, it will be time for the strong men of the village and their trusted vehicles to come into
their own. Please meet outside the garages on the green at 10am to move tables and chairs.
The celebrations all kick off at 1pm on Monday, May 4, on the village green with the traditional crowning of the May King
and Queen. There will be Maypole dancing, Morris dancing, sideshows, teas and raffles, plus a host of stalls. The May Day
organisers have been hard at work for weeks to make sure they are a success but the weekend will only go with a zing if
they get help from you!
Lorraine has the Master Plan of where all the stalls will be situated on the green and it’s not too late even now if you
would like to add another stall to her list. Please ring her on 01295 678708. She is also collecting raffle prizes.
23rd April '09 - Chat Away till May Day
That’s the deadline to write up your contributions for The Gossip, Hornton’s very own village newspaper. Julie Stanley on
01295 670507 or at julieharrystan (at) aol dot com and Ann Hemmings on 01295 670511 or at ann dot hemmings (at) orh dot
nhs dot uk need those recollections, recipes and reminiscences by the Bank Holiday weekend.
23rd April '09 - Souper-Duper
The special lunch of home-made soup and crusty bread at Hornton Methodist Church last Saturday raised a fantastic £279 for
Church funds.
Organisers Julie Stanley said the first hour was quiet by at 1pm everyone flocked in and every table was taken. After a
choice of home-made leek and potato or country vegetable soup there was a tempting array of puddings - including fresh
cream trifle - and home-made chocolate cake. This detail is only included so that you know what you've missed and you don't
miss out next time - it was delicious!
23rd April '09 - Silly Mistake
You correspondent apologises to anyone who popped down to the pavilion last Saturday for Hornton WI's Sale of Expensive
Mistakes. It's actually happening this Saturday - April 25 - and not last week as this column stated!
So please come down between11am till 3pm. The idea is that everythng on sale will be high-quality merchandise which has
never been used or only used once or twice. There will also be home-made soup and delicious cakes to eat, as well as lots
of bargains for you to snap up!
For those people want to sell, the WI’s Jane Wain explains how it works: “You can bring along your items for sale with
70 per cent of the price going to you and the rest to the WI.
“You can sell ladies’ gents’ and children’s clothes, plus toys and small household objects, but please no jumble! Items
must be new or only worn/used a couple of times.”
For more information and to purchase a buyers pack for £5, which includes instructions and pre-printed labels, please
contact Jane on 01295 670716.
23rd April '09 - Georgy-Porgy
You can eat, drink and be merry all this week in the Dun Cow in celebration of St George! Tonight, Thursday, there will be
home-made Beef and Bombardier Pies with chips and a pint - or a small glass of wine - for just £6.95.
Tomorrow, there's a fish and chip night and on Sunday a real traditional Roast Beef lunch with all the trimmings - a feast
fir for England's patron saint. Please try to book with Gwyneth in advance on01295 670524 or you can try your luck on the
day. Of course there will be vegetarian options too.
23rd April '09 - Dropping Leaves
The mobile library from Oxfordshire County Council will be dropping in next Wednesday, April 29, and will be on the village
green from 10.40 to 11.20am.
23rd April '09 - Church Services
Marilyn Nutt will be taking the service at 11am this Sunday, April 26, in Hornton Methodist Church. There will be no
service in the parish church as there is a Benefice service at10.30am in Drayton.
Don’t forget that you can pop in for coffee, cake and a chat in the Methodist Church every Friday morning from 10.30am
to 12.30pm. There is a book, DVD and video swap - and, of course, lots of good gossip! And Thursday Club meets every week
after school until 4.30pm in the Methodist Church School Room during term time. All children are welcome.
16th April '09 - Souper Time
If you pop along to the Methodist Chapel between midday and 2pm this
Saturday, April 18, you can get a delicious bowl of home-made soup with crusty
bread for a snip! There will be a bring’n’buy stall and a raffle, with all
proceeds going to the Chapel Refurbishment Fund.
16th April '09 - Clear Profit
Why not have a clear-out and make a bit of money on the side?
This Saturday is the date for Hornton WI’s first-ever Sale of Expensive Mistakes.
It’s all happening from 11am till 3pm. There will be home-made soup and delicious
cakes to eat - plus lots of bargains for you to snap up! For those people want to
sell, the WI’s Jane Wain explains how it works: “You can bring along your items
for sale with 70 per cent of the price going to you and the rest to the WI.
“You can sell ladies’ gents’ and children’s clothes, plus toys and small
household objects, but please no jumble! Items must be new or only worn/used a
couple of times.”
For more information and to purchase a buyers pack for £5, which includes
instructions and pre printed labels, please contact Jane on 01295 670716.
16th April '09 - Room with a View
What do you think should be done with the Church Room? You can
have your say at the Annual Parish Meeting - taking place in the Church Room at
7.30pm on Monday week, April 27.
One thing’s for certain - doing nothing is not an option! It can either be sold
or more than £10,000 will need to be spent to bring it up to modern health and
safety standards - and make it more appealing for hire. The ultimate decision on
its future rests with the Hornton Parochial Church Council but members are keen
to hear the views of villagers, so please come along.
16th April '09 - Heave-Ho for May Day
It’s nearly time for Hornton’s biggest weekend of the year
and there’s a new attraction to flex your muscles!
It’s a tug-of-war competition - just for fun - and it’s being run by May Day
organiser Lorraine Joyner.
“There’s a note on the notice board and another one in the pub asking for
everyone who’s interested to put their names down,” says Lorraine. “When I've got
an idea of how many want to take part and where they live, I'll make up the teams.
“Hopefully we'll get enough so we can have teams by roads or perhaps one for
upper Hornton and another for lower Hornton.”
The celebrations all kick off at 1pm on Monday, May 4, on the village green with
the traditional crowning of the May King and Queen. There will be Maypole
dancing, Morris dancing, sideshows, teas and raffles, plus a host of stalls
selling everything from a pin to an elephant! Well, maybe not an elephant…
The May Day organisers have been hard at work for weeks to make sure they are a
success but the weekend will only go with a zing if the organisers get help from you!
Lorraine has the Master Plan of where all the stalls will be situated on the
green and it’s not too late even now if you would like to add another stall to
her list. Please ring her on 01295 678708. Lorraine is also the person
collecting raffle prizes.
There is an urgent need of White Elephants. Laura Short on 01295 670232 will be
collecting those nearer the big day. Isabel Harris in Bell Street (on 01295
670541) needs bottles or jars of drinks or other consumable items for a bottle
stall.
On the morning of May Day, it will be time for the strong men of the village
and their trusted vehicles to come into their own. Please meet outside the
garages on the green at 10am to move tables and chairs.
16th April '09 - Be Cheeky at the Checkout
Hornton School is only small and needs all the Tesco
and Sainsbury’s vouchers it can get. So whilst the stores are holding their
present promotions, go on - be cheeky and ask the person in front of you for
their vouchers if they don’t want them. And if you ask nicely and say yours is a
small school, the checkout staff will often give you a few more as well!
16th April '09 - Church Services
Mattins will be celebrated in the Parish Church of St John the
Baptist this Sunday, April 19, at 10.30 am. Half an hour later, Wally Lishman
will lead the service at the Methodist Church.
Don’t forget that you can pop in for coffee, cake and a chat in the Methodist
Church every Friday morning from 10.30am to 12.30pm. There is a book, DVD and
video swap - and, of course, lots of good gossip!
9th April '09 - Beyond our Ken
If you would like to find all about how to grow orchids in your home, then pop along to the pavilion next Tuesday, April 14,
at 7.30pm. That’s when the 3Hs Gardening Club hold their next meeting and Ken will be the start attraction.
If you’re not a member, pop along anyway. It’s the perfect time to join because it will also the club’s annual meeting
when next year’s events will be organised.
9th April '09 - In the Soup
If you pop along to the Methodist Chapel between midday and 2pm on Saturday week, April 18, you can get a delicious bowl
of home-made soup with crusty bread for a snip! There will be a bring’n’buy stall and a raffle, with all proceeds going to
the Chapel Refurbishment Fund.
9th April '09 - Spring Clearing
Spring has well and truly sprung, so why not have a clear-out and make a bit of money on the side?
A fortnight on Saturday is the date for Hornton WI’s first-ever Sale of Expensive Mistakes.
The WI’s Jane Wain explains: “You can bring along your items for sale with 70 per cent to you and the rest to the WI.
“You can sell ladies’ gents’ and children’s clothes, plus toys and small household objects, but please no jumble! Items
must be new or only worn/used a couple of times.”
For more information and to purchase a buyers pack for £5, which includes instructions and pre printed labels, please
contact Jane on 01295 670716.
9th April '09 - Fish on Friday
You can get fish and chips with a pint of Hooky or a small glass of wine for just £7-95 in the Dun Cow tomorrow night,
Good Friday, and vegetarians are catered for as well! And Gwyneth is cooking a special roast lamb lunch with all the
trimmings this Easter Sunday and if you ring her on 01295 670524 she might be able to squeeze you in. And mark down the
weekend of April 24, for there will be special celebrations at the pub for St George’s Day.
9th April '09 - Eggstra, Eggstra, Read all about it!
The mobile library from Oxfordshire County Council will visit Hornton next Wednesday, April 15. It will be parked on the
village green from 10.40am to 11.20am.
9th April '09 - Church Services
There will be a Good Friday service tomorrow at 7pm in Hornton Methodist Church and this Sunday - Easter Day - there will
be an 11am service in the Parish Church of St John the Baptist.
Don’t forget that you can pop in for coffee, cake and a chat in the Methodist Church every Friday morning from 10.30am to
12.30pm. There is a book, DVD and video swap - and, of course, lots of good gossip! And Thursday Club meets every week
after school until 4.30pm in the Methodist Church School Room. All children are welcome.
2nd April '09 - Bingo Wingo
Next Monday, April 6, at 7.30pm in the Church Room there will be bingo in aid of Hornton Children’s Clubs and organised by
the Small Playing Field Committee. Look in!
2nd April '09 - History in the Making
Hornton’s History group - fresh from its triumphant event last month at which more than 100 people turned up - holds its
next meeting this Tuesday at 7pm in The Swallows, Eastgate. Any new members are very welcome!
2nd April '09 - Spring Clean
Spring is here so why not have a clear out of all those items in your wardrobe you thought were a good buy but have hardly
worn?
The pavilion is the venue for the sale three weeks on Saturday - April 25 - and you can sell your items with 70% going to
you and 30% to Hornton and District WI. The sale starts at 11am with refreshments available throughout the day.
Organiser Jane Wain says she is happy to accept ladies’, gents’ and children’s clothes, as well as toys and small household
objects - but no jumble, please!
“Items must be new or only worn or used a couple of times,” said Jane. “For more information and to purchase a buyer’s pack,
which includes instructions and pre-printed labels, please give me a ring on 01295 670716.”
2nd April '09 - We are the Champions
It’s official - the Dun Cow are this year’s Harbury and District Crib League champions! They blew away all opposition in the
first half of the season and they finished having won 14 matches and lost just 4. Their points difference was miles ahead of
every other team and it’s a fantastic performance by the Hornton cribbers. Well done to captain Paul Burden and the team!
2nd April '09 - Be Cheeky at the Checkout
Hornton School is only small and needs all the Tesco and Sainsbury’s vouchers
it can get. So whilst the stores are holding their present promotions, go on - be cheeky and ask the person in front of you
for their vouchers if they don’t want them. And if you ask nicely, the checkout staff will often give you a few more!
2nd April '09 - Church Services
There will be a special Palm Sunday Service at 11am in Hornton Methodist this Sunday, April 5. As this is a United Service,
there will be no service in the parish church but on Tuesday the Parish Church of St John the Baptist will hold a Stations
of the Cross service 7.30pm. On Good Friday, April 10, thee will be a 7pm service in the chapel.
There will also be a special Evensong service at Hanwell at 6.00pm on Sunday, when the bells will be dedicated. The bishop
will be present, along with Fran and Jeff Chard.
