Hornton Online

You’ll be able to dance the quickstep and take yourself back to the 1920s when tea dancing comes to Hornton on Sunday week!

Hornton Pavilion will be turned into a veritable Palm Court between 3.30 and 6pm on the afternoon of November 7th for an old-fashioned tea dance to raise money for the building’s kitchen extension fund. The waitresses will be dressed in 1920s-style pinnies the wouldn’t have looked out of place in Lyon’s Corner House and there really will be a formation dancing team on hand to entertain everyone.

You can also watch old-time formation dancing, such as the military two-step or the valeta, whilst eating delicious home-made cake.

Organiser Isabelle Harris had the idea during the summer on the annual Hornton Cycle Ride. The cyclists dropped in for tea in Shutford, where a similar event was being organised. Twinings Teas sponsored that event with lots of tea-type goodies and they have agreed to do the same thing again for Hornton.

29th October '04 - Spook Along on Saturday

There are tickets left for this Saturday’s Hornton Halloween Fancy Dress party but you’ll have to be quick!

Dig out your spookiest outfit and be there. With all funds in aid of JUMPA, Hornton and Horley's Jubilee fund for a multi-purpose play area, it’s all in a good cause, and at just £5 for adults and £4 for children of 15 or under, it’s a great night out which won’t break the bank.

There will be a disco with plenty of spooky tracks, a pay bar and a raffle - plus prizes for the best-dressed ghouls and ghosties. The fun kicks off at 7.30pm on and the tickets that are still available can be obtained from Steve and Chris Woodcock on 01295 670795, Lynne and Ollie Fickling on 01295 670739, Anne Joyner on 01295 670337 and Horley’s Mark Wright on 01295 730530.

29th October '04 - Cribbers Clock Up Crucial Win

The Dun Cow crib team won a vital away fixture in the latest round of the Harbury and District Crib League to stay in contention at the top of the table.

They beat the Cuttle Inn, Long Itchington, 4-3, giving them six points to make them first equal with three other teams. However, two of those rivals - the Bull Inn, Southam and the Red Lion Inn, North End - have the same points tally but have played one match less.

29th October '04 - Scrubbed Up

There will be individual photos for children at Hornton School next Wednesday, November 3rd, so please could all pupils come to school especially tidy! The new Term 2 begins on Monday and finishes on December 17th.

29th October '04 - Chat-Up

It’s that time again - press deadline for the latest edition of The Gossip, Hornton's very own village newspaper. Editors Julie Stanley and Ann Hemmings need your copy by this Sunday, October 31st.

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 on 01295 670507 or Ann on 01295 670511 with your recollections, recipes and reminiscences as soon as possible.

29th October '04 - On the Move

The mobile library from Oxfordshire County Council will be on the village green next Wednesday from 10.55 to 11.30am.

29th October '04 - Church Services

The Methodist Church will hold a service this Sunday, October 31st, at 11am. There will be no service in the Parish Church because there is a Benefice service at Wroxton at 10.30am.

27th October '04 - Sadly and Suddenly

Many villagers in Hornton have reacted with shock and sadness to the news that Philip Williams has died suddenly of a heart attack.

No May Day would be complete without Philip polishing up the bargains on the White Elephant stall, no big occasion at the church would be the same without his extraordinary talent to turn simple flowers into works of art.

“He was just so loved,” said villager Liz Jeffs. “He did so much for the village, much of which people didn’t realise, like tending the flower beds in the churchyard.

“We’ll miss him so much.”

Philip and his partner of 30 years, Ronnie Emblen, first came to Hornton in the 1980s. What they loved so much about the village was the way that so many people living here simply welcomed and accepted them. Their relationship was never an issue in Hornton. They were just ‘Philip and Ronnie’. That’s the way that they, and the village, wanted it.

When Ronnie died last November, Philip made sure that all their friends in Hornton gave him a send-off of which he’d be proud. Not so much a funeral, more a real celebration.

Tomorrow, Friday, at 2pm, Philip’s friends in Hornton and family are going to do it all over again for him, first in the Parish Church of St John the Baptist where he worshipped every week, and then in the village pavilion. Please come if you can.

And a former Hornton resident had also died. Fred Hone, who lived in Miller’s Lane until 1948 but always kept in close contact with people in the village, died peacefully but suddenly last month at the age of 86.

Fred used to come to Hornton from his home in Banbury for many of the big village occasions, such as May Day, and he was also active in the church in his younger days. He sang in the church choir when he was a boy and every Christmas he used to come back and fix up the Christmas crib. The crib had the distinction of being the only one in the district with an electric light for the star!

27th October '04 - A Wee Dram

The Dun Cow is holding a special whisky tasting next Wednesday, November 3rd, with Banbury wine merchants S&H Jones introducing drinkers to a fine range of different Highlands, Lowlands and Islays.

Licensee Martin Gelling said that they needed 20 drinkers to make the evening go with a swing and, at just £10 a head to taste so many fine whiskies from north of the border, you can’t really go wrong. At least, not until you try to totter home!

Please ring Martin or his wife, Gwyneth, on 01295 670524 to sign up and get more details.

And the Dun Cow is planning a medieval banquet on Saturday, November 27th. All knights in shining armour and damsels in distress are welcome. Watch this space for more details.

25th October '04 - Quartet Hits a High Note

More than 70 people were soothed and inspired by four singers from St Petersburg at a special concert in Hornton Methodist Chapel last week.

The Konevets, who trained at the city’s oldest music conservatoire, treated villagers and fans from further afield to a selection of Russian church music in the first half of the concert, with folk and classical songs coming after the interval.

All the songs were performed in Russian - including the famous Volga Bargemen song - with just two exceptions. Baa Baa Black Sheep and We’ll Meet Again in English ended the concert!

The concert coincided with the birthday of Hornton villager Ronald Emblen, who died late last year and was a great fan of the group. His partner, Philip Williams, wanted the performance to take place in remembrance of Ronnie, who was one of the greatest character ballet dancers of the twentieth century as well as being an active Hornton resident.

And the church scored highly, too. The aim of the concert was to break even but it made a profit of £81 from the evening for church funds.

25th October '04 - Forty-Fied

The green-fingered villagers of Hornton, Horley and Hanwell came away with a host of tips from the latest meeting of the 3Hs Gardening Club.

TV gardener Howard Drury, who has appeared on programmes with Geoff Amos, gave a talk entitled 40 years of GardeningTips.

“It was super,” said club secretary Sally Tweedsmuir. “He was very professional and showed good slides, with each slide giving us a tip.”

The next 3Hs event is a workshop on Christmas decoration at 7.30pm in the pavilion on November 9

25th October '04 - Clickedy Click

Horntonians love a game of bingo and next Thursday, October 28, you need to look in further than down the road in Horley.

It’s eyes down at 7pm in the Old School and, as it’s half term week, children can stay up and join in! It’s only 50p for adults and free for children and all funds raised will go the fund to relay the church path in Horley.

25th October '04 - Fang You Very Much

The animals looked after by BARKS - Banbury Animal Rescue and Kindness Service - have the Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Hornton to thanks for a gift of £76.

“We do assure you that this money will be put to good use in looking after the animals and birds that are currently in our care,” said BARKS chairman Barry Clift.

The money was collected at a special animal thanksgiving service on September 12.

25th October '04 - Your Presence is Required

A new study group designed to help, promote and sustain an effective Christian presence in villages is starting in Hornton next week.

Called Presence, the group will meet every month in the Methodist Chapel from now until March next year. That’s the tenth anniversary of the signing of a local covenant in the village between the Methodist and Parish Churches, leading to them worshipping and working together. As the churches look forward to that anniversary, Presence will meet to try to find even more effective patterns of Christian presence in Hornton.

The first meeting is next Tuesday, October 26th, at 7pm.

21st October '04 - Just the Ticket?

If Hornton were to lose its bus service in the upcoming shake-up of public transport in North Oxfordshire, there may be a radical solution - to hire our own!

Peter Fry, a Hook Norton parish councillor and parish transport representative, contacted this column after reading about the threat to our 511 Banbury service in last week’s Guardian.

“Congratulations on your publicity in the Banbury Guardian for the Oxfordshire County Council bus service review,” he writes.

“One solution that Hornton Parish Council might like to look at, if necessary, is to provide its own private community bus service. Hook Norton Parish Council has for many years provided a fortnightly bus to Banbury on Thursday mornings in addition to the public service.

“This is provided by hiring a coach from Jeffs which runs from 3 pick-up points in the village direct to Banbury, and returns 2 hours later. It operates as a private hire, and must not appear to be a public service vehicle.

“The Parish Council charges only £1 return, but as the numbers using the coach rarely exceed 20, this meets only about half the hire charge of £40, and there is therefore a PC subsidy of around £600 a year. We could of course charge more.”

Mr Fry has also contacted the parish council to offer his help and support. You too can contact Hornton Parish Council via clerk Alan Cater and they want to hear from you. They are co-ordinating a response to the public transport review and have already been in touch with a number of regular bus users. You can write to Alan at The Cottage, Pages Lane, phone him on 01295 670530.

Remember, you may not be a bus user at the moment but you will be sometime in the future when you give up driving, so keep those letters and emails coming to the parish council.

Alternatively, you can write to the man in charge at Oxfordshire County Council. You can write directly to the county’s Public Transport Officer, Dick Helling. His address is: OCC Roads and Transport Department, Speedwell House, Speedwell Street, Oxford OX1 1NE. His email address is dick.helling@oxfordshire.gov.uk. The more letters the county receives, the less likely it is that the 511 will be axed!

21st October '04 - Snap Happy

Last Saturday’s sessions at the photo shoot in the pavilion were snapped up and the whole event was a great success.

“It was wonderful,” said organiser Isabel Harris. “I’ve seen a lot of the photos and they were lovely.

“I think the people who didn’t book are now disappointed!”

Total profits on the event, which are going to the Hornton Pavilion extension fund, won’t be in for another week but already more than £200 has been raised from cakes, teas, a raffle, a jewellery stall and gifts.

21st October '04 - Cribbers Clock up a Crucial Win

The Dun Cow kept its early season hopes alive with a nail-biting 4-3 home win over the British Legion at Bishops Itchington in the latest round of the Harbury and District Crib League.

That puts our very own league champions in mid-table position with four points from four matches.

21st October '04 - Chat-Up

It’s that time again - press deadline for the latest edition of The Gossip, Hornton's village newspaper. Editors Julie Stanley and Ann Hemmings need your copy by October 31st.

Just about anything legal, decent honest and truthful can make it into The Gossip, as long as it's signed and it's about Hornton. So please contact Julie on 01295 670507 or Ann on 01295 670511 with your recollections, recipes and reminiscences as soon as possible.

21st October '04 - Soap Stars

Hornton School is collecting Persil Stars and box tops from Nestle cereals, so please don’t throw them away! Collection boxes are in school, or please put them through the letterbox in the Church Lane door.

Term 1 of the new six-term year ended yesterday, October 20th, and Term 2 starts on Monday, November 1st.

20th October '04 - Cheese Please

Phyllis Miles is holding a cheese and wine party tomorrow, Friday, at Jubilee House, Bell Street, from 7 to 9pm in aid of Methodist Church funds. Bring lots of lolly because can also buy Christmas cards, wrapping paper and order attractive yuletide gifts.

20th October '04 - Bag a Bargain

There will be massive clearance bargains at unrepeatable prices at the Bargains Galore sale in Hornton Methodist Church on Saturday, October 23. From 10am to 4pm you’ll find bric-a-brac, china, glassware, books and toys for sale. Everything really must go!

20th October '04 - Ten Days that Spooked the World

Be quick or you’ll miss it. It’s the Hornton Halloween Fancy Dress party, and your spooky presence it required!

With all funds in aid of JUMPA, Hornton and Horley's Jubilee fund for a multi-purpose play area, it’s all in a good cause, so dig out your scariest outfit and snap up a ticket.

The fiendish fun includes a disco - with plenty of spooky tracks - and a pay bar. It’s open to villagers and pupils in Hornton and Horley and takes place at the Pavilion at 7.30pm on Saturday week, October 30. There will be a raffle plus prizes for the best-dressed ghouls and ghosties, so think crypt-ically creative and rustle up a scary outfit to amaze your friends.

Tickets are £5 for adults and £4 for children (15 or under), available from Steve and Chris Woodcock on 01295 670795, Lynne and Ollie Fickling on 01295 670739, Anne Joyner on 01295 670337 and Horley’s Mark Wright on 01295 730530.

14th October '04 - Russian Along

You'll have to be quick or you'll miss it - a concert right here in Hornton by an internationally - recognised singing quartet from St Petersburg in Russia.

Tonight, Thursday, the Konevets, founded 12 years ago by graduates of St Petersburg's oldest music conservatoire, are performing their own special blend of Russian ballads, folk songs and church music in the Methodist Chapel at 7.30pm.

Tickets can be obtained in advance from Julie Stanley on 01295 670507 or just turn up and pay on the door!

14th October '04 - Time Exposure

There's still time - but only just - to book an appointment to have your family's photograph taken at affordable prices in Hornton this Saturday, October 16, from 2 to 6pm. The photos will cost from just £8, including a presentation case, but even if you are a bit bashful in front of camera, go along to the pavilion anyway because you can shop at all the various stalls, including those selling gifts, cakes, greeting cards and paper.

14th October '04 - Black Market for Tickets

Dig out your black, ragged cloak, monster mask and witch's hat - it's almost time for the now bi-annual Hornton Halloween Fancy Dress party, with all funds in aid of JUMPA, Hornton and Horley's Jubilee fund for a multi-purpose play area.

The fiendish fun includes a disco - with plenty of spooky tracks - and a pay bar. It's open to villagers and pupils in Hornton and Horley and takes place at the Pavilion at 7.30pm on Saturday, October 30. There will be a raffle plus prizes for the best-dressed ghouls and ghosties, so think crypt-ically creative and rustle up a scary outfit to amaze your friends.

Tickets are £5 for adults and £4 for children (15 or under), available from Steve and Chris Woodcock on 01295 670795; Lynne and Ollie Fickling on 01295 670739; Anne Joyner on 01295 670337; and Mark Wright in Horley on 01295 730530.

Hurry - there's only a few weeks left and the team are aiming to sell around 80 tickets and give a big boost to the JUMPA funds!

14th October '04 - Baby Bottoms

Hornton now has a second registered child minder - Claire Bottoms - and she is looking for tots to look after. You can contact Claire any time by ringing 01295 670776.

14th October '04 - Bussed Up?

It may be difficult to believe that the County Council could seriously consider taking away our pathetic one bus a week but the axe now hangs over every subsidised bus route in the Banbury area and village people will have to do their bit if we are to keep ours.

Oxfordshire County Council are reviewing the bus services they support financially in the Banbury area during the coming months and have written to the parish councils whose routes might be affected in the review. Ominously, that includes Hornton and the 511 to Banbury, operated on Thursdays by Cheney Coaches,

"Even at this stage it would appear that the bus subsidy budget will be under severe pressure in 2005," says the county's letter to Hornton Parish Council. "The area reviews undertaken earlier this year have already seen some cut-backs in services provided and the withdrawal of poorly used routes. It is therefore likely that this trend will continue."

The bus may only be one day a week but it is a lifeline to people without cars in our village but if you want to stop the county taking away our bus route now is the time to act!

Hornton and the other parish councils have the opportunity to make their views and comments by the middle of January and if you use the 511you may wish to have your views put forward by the council.

"I will be writing to individuals who are known to use this service but would welcome any comment," said parish clerk Alan Cater. "It is important for the Parish Council to take this opportunity to forward the views of residents."

You can contact Alan at The Cottage, Pages Lane, phone him on 01295 670530 or email him at a dot cater at btinternet dot com (replace the words for symbols - this is to prevent spam)

But why not write anyway? The more letters the county receives, the less likely it is that the 511 will be axed. You can write directly to the county's Public Transport Officer, Dick Helling. His address is: OCC Roads and Transport Department, Speedwell House, Speedwell Street, Oxford OX1 1NE. His email address is dick.helling@oxfordshire.gov.uk

One thing's for sure - doing nothing isn't an option!

14th October '04 - Say Cheese

Phyllis Miles is holding a cheese and wine party on Friday week, October 22, at Jubilee House, Bell Street, from 7 to 9pm in aid of Methodist Church funds. Between all the nibbling and slurping, you can also buy Christmas cards , wrapping paper and order attractive yuletide gifts from a catalogue.

14th October '04 - Everything Must Go

There will be massive clearance bargains at unrepeatable prices at the Bargains Galore sale in Hornton Methodist Church on Saturday week, October 23rd. From 10am to 4pm you can find bric-a-brac, china, glassware, books and toys for sale. Everything really must go!

14th October '04 - Speedy Response?

Concerns about the speeding traffic through the village topped Hornton Parish Councillors' concerns at their meeting a week ago last Monday, October 4th.

The council agreed that Parish Clerk Alan Cater should once again write to Oxfordshire County Council's Highways Department because a promised exercise to measure the speed of cars going through the village has still not been carried out.

The measurements are needed before a possible plan to traffic claming measures can be introduced. But the meeting was told that some councillors have seen such measures installed at Great Bourton and they were not entirely convinced that they will solve the problem as cars are still going through quickly if the road was clear. The estimate for similar work at Hornton is £9,000-£10,000, so there needs to be a degree of certainty if the work is to be done.

In the meantime, the council decided to display the Speed Watch signs again and two councillors, plus the Parish Clerk, will ask a question about traffic calming at Cherwell District Council's Annual Parish Liaison Meeting on November 4.

In the same letter to Oxfordshire, the council are also going to point out that some of the new road surface - laid at a cost of £120,000 only three months ago on the way to Wroxton Brook - is already breaking up. The clerk was also asked to remind them the Highways Department that patching is to take place at the end of Pages Lane, as this has not been marked. The kerbing at the triangular green in Millers Lane is also due to be done.

Meanwhile, concerns of a two-wheeled variety were still on the members' minds. The Parish Clerk is once again going to write to Cherwell about the new public address system for the BMX track off Quarry Road to clarify comments back to Hornton from the council's Environmental Health Officer.

The meeting was told that the green and the children's playground should be cleaner in future, thanks to the purchase of two new litter bins at the cost of £150 each. The playground's roundabout should be safer, too. With the help of Tim Nunneley, the base has been concreted ready for new safety tiles and new bearings have been fitted.

And internal auditor Ken Hartlett had some key recommendations when he gave the council his report. Meetings of the subsidiary committees should be open to the public and should be advertised to comply with insurance requirements, he said, with adverts are placed on the village notice board to include that they are open to the public. And he suggested that an interim audit should take place in January, to ease the amount of work to be done at the end of the financial year.

In addition, he recommended that the Parish Council should maintain a higher bank balance of around £2,000 in case of emergencies. That's half the council's annual precept.

But at the moment, Hornton is a bit more flush than that. The council was told that the Parish Council account contained £4055.44, the main playground account £308.41, the reserve playground account £878.29, the main pavilion account £4,203.62, the reserve pavilion account £2,751.68 and JUMPA's account £8,379.09, making a total of £20,576.53.

A total VAT refund of £939.19 has been received, of which £241.53 is due to the Playground Account and £632.58 to the Pavilion account. A cheque for £600 has been received from Glen Walther for renting some land for storage. It was proposed by Cllr Bill Jeffs and seconded by Cllr Paul Burden that this should be transferred to the Pavilion Account to be used towards the kitchen extension. This was agreed unanimously.

Finally, it was announced that the village Tote is soon going to be relaunched.

14th October '04 - Come on Cribbers!

The Dun Cow have dropped below mid table in the Harbury and District Crib League after losing an away match to Northend's Red Lion. In three matches, the league champions have notched up just one win with two losses but there's a very long way to go.

14th October '04 - Falling Leaves

The mobile library from Oxfordshire County Council will be dropping in and will be on the village green next Wednesday from 10.55 to 11.30am.

14th October '04 - Church Services

Matins will be celebrated at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist this Sunday, October 17, at 10.30am. There will be a service at the Methodist Church at 11am.

6th October '04 - Tired But Happy

And that’s just the adults! Meanwhile, the Year Fours, Fives and Sixes of Hornton School’s Class 3 came back happy but refreshed after a wonderful week in North Wales.

The class goes every two years to the Plas Nantglyn centre near Denbigh and the 25 children got the chance to try out all sorts of new experiences. This time they climbed two mountains and the towers of Conwy Castle. They also went inside another mountain to see the workings of a hydro-electric power station.

All the children enjoyed themselves, with all but the fussiest delighted with the child-friendly diet of fish fingers, pizza and lots of bread and jam.

The four adults who accompanied the 25 children also had a great time but, as predicted in last week’s Banbury Guardian, now need a long rest. They are also pleased to have returned to a grown-up diet containing lots of joined-up meat!

6th October '04 - Won One, Lost One

The Dun Cow are lying in fourth place in the Harbury and District Crib league after winning their first match of the season away to the Cottage Tavern, Ashorne, but losing their second - a home tie with the Green Man at Bishops Itchington - 4-3.

That puts the Dun Cow - last season’s league champions - in fourth place with two points.

6th October '04 - Harvest Home

Harvest Festival will be celebrated at the Parish Church of St John the Baptist this Sunday, October 10, at 11 am. There is no service at the Methodist Church.

5th October '04 - Peachtree Postponed

This Saturday’s open day at Peachtree Pre-School has unfortunately had to be postponed but any parents interested in their children joining can still come and see it at work. All they have to do is call Fiona Donaldson on 01295 670505.

Peachtree - which so impressed school inspectors that they described it as having the “wow” factor - is open to any children of 30 months and over. And the good news is that they can now come potty-trained or not!

5th October '04 - Cue the Konevets

For just £8 a ticket, you can see one of Europe’s most acclaimed classical singing groups next week - right here in Hornton!

The Konevets come from St Petersburg in Russia and are singing at the Methodist Church next Thursday, October 14th, at 7.30pm. The four singers come from the city’s oldest music conservatoire and sing a mixture of classical, folk and sacred music.

The quartet have toured extensively across Europe and the USA to great acclaim and have sung in many prestigious international festivals.

Julie Stanley on 01295 670507 is the person to ring about tickets so do so today before they all disappear!

5th October '04 - Ringing Up The Cash

JUMPA’s fiendish questionmasters, Ollie Fickling and Steve Woodcock, were in fine form last Saturday night at a packed quiz in the Dun Cow loosely based on an Olympics theme.

A total of £106.50 was raised from entry fees and the raffle, with every penny going to Hornton and Horley's Jubilee fund for a multi-purpose play area, which is now half way towards its £30,000 target.

And don't forget the JUMPA Halloween fancy dress party on Saturday, October 30 at 7.30pm in the Pavilion. There will be a disco, bar and prizes for the ghostliest outfits!

4th October '04 - Snap 'Em Up

There are only limited appointments available on Saturday week, October 16th, from 2 to 6pm when you can have your family’s photograph taken at affordable prices. The photos will cost from just £8, including a presentation case, and you can shop while you wait at various stalls, including those selling gifts, cakes, greeting cards and paper.

There will also be a tombola, a raffle – this is Hornton! – and teas. All profits will go to the Hornton Pavilion extension fund, so don’t delay! Book one of the limited appointments today! Isabelle Harris is the person to call on 01295 670541.

4th October '04 - Tip Top

The well-known garden journalist Howard Drury will be talking about 40 Years of Gardening Tips when the 3Hs Gardening Club meets next Tuesday, October 12th. The meeting starts at 7.30pm.