Three hundred sign petition as White Lion is sold

Three hundred supporters of the White Lion pub in Steeple Aston have signed a petition to try and stop it being turned in to a private house.

But they fear it may be too late already, as the owners Admiral Taverns have already exchanged contracts with a purchaser, who is believed to want to turn the pub in to a private home. The current landlord has been given notice that the pub will close on Monday, 5th March.

The petition has been organised by villagers Samantha and Neil Brewer. Supporters of the pub have been able to sign a petition hanging beside the bar or to show their support through a special Facebook page.

Samantha explained: "We originally hoped to petition the brewery to prevent the sale. Now we feel we shouldn't let the pub go without a fight. It has a long history and would be really missed, particularly by families in the village."

Samantha has been grateful for help and advice from the Parish Council, and says if the new owner applies for a change to residential use, the petition will be sent to the planners at Cherwell District Council.

Meanwhile landlord Mark Foster and his wife Lorraine Caspall are determined to keep going to the very end. Indeed they are planning a big leaving party at the pub on Saturday, March 3rd starting at 7.00pm. - and everyone's invited.

Mark said, "We have loved it here and are quite upset to leave. We've made some very good friends in the village." Mark and Lorraine are looking for another pub to manage locally so they can keep their three children at school in Bicester.

Samantha paid tribute to the hard work they have put in at the pub over the past few months. She said, "They have been doing really well recently. They have worked hard to get the pub back to what it was and the customers have responded. The barrelage has tripled in the last few months. We had hoped Admiral Taverns would give them time to prove they could make a go of it.

"We don't have any ill feeling towards the purchaser, but everyone we know wants it to remain as a pub. There were some very strong feelings expressed, which is why we organised the petition. It would be a sad loss to the village, and we don't want it to go without a fight."

Bellringers witness the Jubilee Bell's casting

Steeple Aston's Jubilee Bell was cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London on Thursday, 26th January - and a group of bellringers went along to witness this notable event.

Bellringer Diana Gardner was there and she writes: "We arrived by 11.00am for the casting at 11.15. It had taken three weeks to build up the mould, a core of curved bricks and a metal cope between which the metal would be poured. The bell would be cushioned by layers of loam between it and the mould, the loam being made up of sand, manure, straw and goats' hair.

"Into the surface of this was set our chosen inscription and the Royal Coat of Arms which the Queen had given her permission for us to use. The loam was then left to harden, as was the similar building material of yore. By the time we arrived, the bell mould was clamped to a base plate and the furnace was roaring.

"As the molten bell metal (77% copper, 23% tin) was poured into a vat, one man was scraping off any impurities and charcoal, towards himself, an unenviable job I thought! It then took several men to move the gantry and suspended vat into position. A second smaller bell was being cast at the same time for another tower and this was done first as it would cool more quickly.

"The hole to pour the metal into it was in the centre of the bell and it was difficult to reach. Some metal missed its mark and flew off in showers providing a dramatic display causing nearby boots to smoulder, much to the irritation of our guide. These sparks turned into ball bearings on the floor and a substantial layer of dust is left on the floor for health and safety reasons! Then the mould was full and the gantry was on the move again to lie over the Steeple Aston mould. The hole being to one side of ours, the molten metal poured in beautifully. Then the gantry was gliding back to the other bell for a top up, and back to ours. Sand was put over the flaming apertures and then a metal lid.

"All this was achieved in virtual silence, each member knowing his task. But as the word "ingots" was shouted we visitors beat a hasty retreat while the remaining metal was poured into ingots ready to be used for a future casting. On our return we were able to go right up to our bell in its mould as the heat from it wasn't yet excessive. It will remain there for four days, then take a week to cool.

"The content of the loam was explained. The goats' hair and straw would burn out, leaving channels for the gases to escape through to the vents in the outer mould. The bell will then be inverted for tuning which takes a couple of days. The walls of the bell are cast thicker than needed, so when the tuning takes place slithers of metal are trimmed from the inside. Apart from the basic note, four higher harmonics are tuned in. This is achieved electronically using a strobe tuner which can detect notes to a fifth of a semitone. Only tiny fragments are shaved off at a time as they cannot be replaced! But not only this, it will be tuned to match in with our existing bells so they will not sound too dull in comparison! After this the surface of the bell will be touched up and we will receive it at the end of March. It all suddenly seems quite a bargain!

"We were then taken to other parts of the foundry where they were making handbells etc. We saw the St Dunstan, Fleet Street, bells which have been cast for the Jubilee and will be rung as the Queen passes by. We also saw a bell which had been bought in as scrap with a calculated date of 1320. The birth of our Steeple Aston Jubilee bell is likely to be the start of a very long life."

The art of bell founding has changed little over the centuries in all parts of the world. The alloy is the same, it is the shape of the bell which determines the preferred sound. Before it was possible to transport such a heavy load, the founders went to the site, dug a pit for the mould and often built the tower around the bell so that all they needed to do was heave the bell up. To tune the bell they simply chipped away at the lip and as the human ear can only decipher a half of a semitone it was quite acceptable.

Affordable housing plans to go for council approval

Revised plans for 12 "affordable" homes in the village should be submitted for planning permission in February and, if they are approved, building could start in the summer.

Plans for the new housing on a site in Fenway, Steeple Aston were shown to the public last November. Representatives from the developers Sovereign Housing, Cherwell District Council, and Oxfordshire Rural Community Council joined parish councillors at an exhibition in the Village Hall. They explained the plans to villagers and took note of their comments.

This was followed by a new Housing Needs Survey to be completed by villagers and others with a connection to the village who might be interested in moving to the new homes when they are built.

Parish Council Chairman, Margaret Mason said, "The results of the Housing Needs Survey, done in December, show the need for a probable 12 units, 10 for rental and 2 for shared ownership. Twenty-five individuals returned the survey and 21 had the necessary local connections.

"By the end of the month those who said they were interested in shared ownership should have been contacted again by Sovereign, and also those who were interested in a two- bedroom property but may only qualify for a one-bedroomed home.

"By early February the size and tenure mix should be finalised and Sovereign's architect can begin drawing up the new scheme layout based on the revised mix with a view to be ready to apply for planning permission by the end of February.

"The Parish Council will have the opportunity to discuss the final draft with Sovereign before the plans are sent in for approval. The planning process will give everyone the chance to comment on the plans to CDC.

"So, things are moving on. CDC's Strategic Housing Officer has emphasised the need for those interested to keep their applications up to date with CDC.

"I hope I'm not being too optimistic in looking forward to building beginning this Summer."

BT worked to reconnect phones after cable theft

BT engineers worked round the clock to reconnect phones in Steeple Aston and nearby villages following the theft of underground cables that cut services to some customers for over a week.

The trouble started on Thursday, 19th January when thieves got away with over a kilometre of copper cable connected to the exchange in Steeple Aston by underground ducts.

BT said they'd received reports of more than 350 homes left without landline and internet services in Steeple Aston, Middle Aston, Middle Barton and Tackley.

BT engineers had to spend several days repairing damage to the ducting and replacing the cables before they could start the time-consuming process of reconnecting individual customers one by owere finally reconnected on Tuesday, 31st January.

The last few households in Steeple Aston are now reported to have been reconnected but as of Friday, 27th January some in Northside, Fenway and the other villages were still cut off. BT is hoping all will be restored by early next week.

Copper is a valuable commodity and this is by no means the first time that underground cables have been stolen in Oxfordshire. Cables linked to the exchange in Adderbury were stolen earlier this month. BT says it is working with the police and with government to counteract the problem.

Detective Inspector Steve Duffy of Thames Valley Police said: "We are aware that the theft at Steeple Aston has caused a lot of disruption to the local community. I am keen to hear from anyone who has any information or anyone who saw vehicles or people acting suspiciously."

Local MP Tony Baldry said magistrates should take a stronger stance against people convicted of stealing metal in this way. He told the Oxford Mail: "Without being melodramatic, it's going to be a matter of time before this leads to someone's death when they are not able to dial 999."

Among those affected by the disruption was Steeple Aston's Parish Clerk, Cathy Fleet. She apologised to any villagers who may have tried to contact her while her telephone and email connections were down. Her mobile number is 07989 398838.

Roadworks to disrupt traffic around Heyford Station

Traffic will be disrupted in the area around Heyford Station for five days in February because of roadworks.

Repair work will take place between the traffic lights at the bottom of Heyford Road and the junction of Station Road and The Lane, Lower Heyford, to the east of the railway bridge.

The work will start on Monday 6th February and should be finished by Friday 10th.

For the first day or two, the junction at the Heyford Road traffic lights will be completely closed to traffic while the junction itself is repaired. After that, the repair work will move gradually east over the river and railway bridges. At that point, the junction at the traffic lights will be partially re-opened. Vehicles approaching from Steeple Aston, Hopcrofts Holt and Rousham and will be able to pass through the traffic lights, but the road from the traffic lights eastwards towards the station will remain closed for the whole week.

An exception will be made for buses. A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council emphasised that the Banbury to Oxford service would be unaffected.

Heyford Station will remain open. Pedestrians walking to and from the station will still be able to cross the river bridge, but rail travellers arriving by car will need to approach the station from the east: that is, from the direction of Upper Heyford.

Residents living in the immediate area of the roadworks will continue to have access to their homes from the east while the river bridge is closed from Monday to Friday.

For the early part of the week, 'road closed' signs will be placed in the centre of Steeple Aston, at Hopcrofts Holt and near Tackley Wood on the southerly approach to Rousham

to warn motorists of the closure at the Rousham junction.

A double Jubilee Celebration planned for June

This year marks 50 years of the traditional Whit Races in Steeple Aston, as well as 60 years of the Queen's rule. So an extra special celebration is being planned for Monday, 4th June.

Parish Councillor John Coley is Chairman of the committee that is organising the celebrations. He says, "It is good luck that 2012, as well as being the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, also marks 50 years of the Whit Races in the village. So there is a double celebration.

"We are still putting the details together but the broad intention is to have a number of events which will appeal to most in the village to share in one or more of the events during the day.

"The celebrations will begin with the Whit Races, held this year on the Recreation Field at Robinsons Close, rather in Heyford Road. We are hoping to have light refreshments on sale during the races, but nothing is yet definite.

"The Races will be followed by a Jubilee Refreshment for those who have taken part in the Races and guests from the Valentine Club. The food will have a 1950s theme and the Refreshment will be held in the Village Hall from around 1.00pm.

"In the evening there will be a Ceilidh with a live professional group and a pig roast. A bar will be on hand to allay the thirsty work of dancing (or to give courage to those who, like me, need it before getting up to dance).

"This will be a ticket only event - tickets will be on sale nearer to the time. We are limited to around 100 for Village Hall safety aspects, so it will be first come, first served.

"If anyone wishes to come to the Recreation Field and enjoy just watching the Races, they will be more than welcome to do so and bring their own picnic for later."

None of this is designed to prevent other groups holding their own celebrations over the Jubilee Weekend."

Celebrations will take place across the country over the long weekend at the beginning of June to mark the Queen's 60 years on the throne. The traditional end of May Bank Holiday has been moved to Monday, 4th June, and there will be an additional Jubilee Bank Holiday on Tuesday, 5th June.

Steeple Aston's Whit Races are traditionally held on the Whit Bank Holiday Monday. Children and adults compete in a variety of races, relays and competitions. There is usually a tug of war and a popular gurning competition as well.

Pre-School gets thumbs up from Ofsted

Steeple Aston Pre-School has made "significant progress" and been given a "good" rating, with one outstanding feature following a recent Ofsted inspection.

The Chair of the Pre-School Nicky Elliot said, "It's a huge achievement considering what the staff were left to deal with at the start of this term. I'm hugely proud of the team and hope that they continue to go from strength to strength with Ann at the helm."

There were severe problems in early September when the newly appointed manager, Karina Faulkner, unexpectedly resigned the weekend before term started citing personal reasons.

The Deputy Manager Ann Buswell stepped in to the breach. She was appointed temporarily as Supervisor and she along with other members of the team worked extremely hard to get the Pre-School up and running in time for the start of term.

The Ofsted inspector reported that children make generally good progress towards the early learning goals in a safe, friendly and stimulating environment. She complimented the Pre-School staff on their skills and positive attitude, and said they have made significant progress since the last inspection and in particular during the last term.

The report states that "Staff use good quality observations, interactions and generally good planning to enhance learning experiences for children based upon their interests. Children are valued as individuals, and some resources reflect diversity. Staff demonstrate clear knowledge of children's individual needs and this is enhanced though strong partnerships with parents and carers."

The inspector singles out the area of partnerships as "outstanding". The report says "The pre-school has built excellent partnerships with local schools and childminders. As a result, they very effectively share good information regarding the individual needs of each child. Procedures for managing times of transition, such as settling children into the pre-school or moving on to primary school, are outstanding. There are well-established channels of communication between all partners involved with individual children, which successfully enhances their learning, development and welfare."

Only two areas are singled out for future improvement. The inspector reccommends they should:
. improve the planning system further to build more effectively on child-initiated activities
. extend the resources which reflect the ethnic, cultural and social diversity in society to further promote children's awareness of people's differences.

The inspection was carried out on 23rd November 2011.