Saturday update: The convoy reached Ukraine around 3.00pm UK time. It’s only another hour’s drive to Lviv.
Earlier in the day Greg Elphick reported:
The Steeple Aston Stallion pushes on to Ukraine!
Steeple Stallion’s drive to Ukraine under way
A convoy of cars and an ambulance full of aid left early in the morning on Thursday, 11th December for their three-day drive to Ukraine. The local drivers in this car are Graham Porcas and Greg Elphick from Steeple Aston. They’re accompanied by videographer Cara Cox from Middle Aston who is going to record their progress.
Greg writes: “We are driving a 150,000-miler black Toyota Hilux and our convoy call sign is the ‘Steeple Stallion’. I’d describe our trusty steed as a comfy old chugger – automatic, leather seats and a pretty good heater. Radio not working so poor Cara our 27-year-old videographer will be putting up with us old codgers talking boomer rubbish for the whole 1,308 miles to Lviv.
“Fundraising has gone well but we’re still short of our £10k target and for those of you who thought about donating but didn’t get around to it, there’s still time.”
To donate go to https://donorbox.org/grahamukraine
Working with local charity, Driving Ukraine, Graham and Greg have volunteered to drive the second-hand 4×4 to Ukraine. They have raised the £7,000 needed to procure a suitable vehicle and prepare it so that it can be used to help support Ukrainian soldiers who are wounded in their struggle with Russia.
If they can raise £10,000 then they can also equip it with a drone detector which they would very much like to do!
Graham says: “Driving Ukraine are a brilliant outfit who have already enabled more than 250 much needed vehicles to be delivered to Lviv in 50 convoys so far. It is run by two local guys who have been organising these trips since 2022 and know the ropes, their organisation is impressive and they arrange everything, provided we can raise the funding.”
Have a look at their webpage for more information: https://drivingukraine.org/ (and see the July website story).
Here is their fundraising page: https://donorbox.org/grahamukraine
The Grain Store Café welcomes new owners
The popular Grain Store Café in Middle Aston has new owners – the delightfully named Totally Delicious Limited. Let’s hope they’re as good as their word!
The café was founded by Helen Taylor, long time resident of Middle Aston, two years ago and it has proved a great success supported by villagers and attracting many visitors from further afield.
In a message on Facebook announcing the sale of the business, Helen and her son Freddie wrote, “We’d like to thank all our customers for supporting our family business, you are the ones that have made it worth all the hard work, especially our regulars who have been with us from the beginning.
“We also thank our staff, old and new for their hard work and commitment to making the cafe a success and a welcoming place to visit. Also thank you to the other Hatchery business owners and staff, for their friendship and support.
“You shouldn’t see a change as everything will remain the same for now, but expect some exciting developments early next year. Finally, the long-awaited bigger kitchen, etc…
“Lastly a big welcome to the Totally Delicious team. We hope you continue to support them as you have us.”
Totally Delicious is also an owner-managed business, though rather larger with responsibility for 12 sites in total currently. The owner Dominic Bowers explained that they started in 2010 with a small tearoom on the Trentham Gardens Estate in Staffordshire. They now have a staff of 70 there with four different hospitality sites.
Over the years, they have diversified taking on event catering at weddings and concerts and much more. But Dominic stresses that they’re an independent company and not part of a big chain. They don’t have ambitions to expand on to the high street, their preferred model is a pretty tea room in a lovely location.
They have also provided consultancy services to other similar businesses When she was looking for some business advice, Helen contacted Dominic on Facebook to see if he could help. He called in to the café when he was passing by, and was immediately impressed. He said, “It was like a mini version of what we do – a pretty café selling local produce in a beautiful location.”
When it became clear the Helen would like to retire, and that the Hatchery owners were keen on the expansion of the business, Totally Delicious decided to take it on. They have signed a five-year lease and hope to be here for much longer working in concert with The Hatchery owners to make the site more open and accessible.
They’re taking it slowly, so nothing will change for several months. The kitchen will indeed be expanded allowing them to extend the menu. They will also apply for a licence so they can offer more evening events, maybe al fresco in the summer.
Dominic is clear that he doesn’t want to spoil the café, but to improve it. There will be work on a structured plan for more events and community-based activities in 2026. He says all this will be done in consultation with customers. He will take some time to get to know the villages, and the local culture.
Meanwhile, in such a people-based business, the quality of the staff is very important. They will need more people and are currently looking to recruit a local manager to replace Helen as well as more kitchen staff. If you’re interested, please email thegrainstore@totally-delicious.co.uk
For details of menus, opening hours etc, go to https://totally-delicious.co.uk/the-grain-store
Thanks for the photo to Anya Robey, who works at the Grain Store.
Poppy cascade delights villagers and visitors alike
The very many villagers, old and young, who enthusiastically contributed poppies to the cascade project were rewarded with a stunning show of poppies. They didn’t just cascade from the church tower, they covered the church doors and the war memorial too.
Remembrance Day was very special this year as it marked 80 years since the end of the Second World War. To complement the extraordinary show of poppies in the village, Steeple Aston Village Archive (SAVA) held an exhibition called “Steeple Aston in Wartime’. They also put large poppies on lampposts near the homes of many of those who died in the two world wars.
Churchwarden and Poppy Committee member, Eileen Baglin-Jones sends a final report on what has been an extraordinary project:
As we had promised, we used every one of the 6,000 poppies, made by so many willing hands and on November 1st, watched by a small audience, Graham Clifton and a team of bell ringers, hauled the completed cascade up to the top of the tower.
Any anxiety we might have had was soon forgotten as in the bright light of morning the poppies glowed and shone out vibrantly as they cascaded down the North side of the tower at last for all to see. Once the poppy curtain for the South Door and the cross on the small door to the Chancel , which heralded the cascade as you drove up Paines Hill were in place , we breathed sighs of relief and hoped those who had worked so hard to complete the project and anyone from the village or visiting would be pleased with the result.
We have not been disappointed. The idea of creating a memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of the ending of the second World War became a special community project alongside the decorations in the church and the excellent SAVA exhibition.
We have heard nothing but warm appreciation of the effort which has gone into making and now displaying so many poppies. Reports in the press, on the BBC news channel and the response to publicity on social media has brought many visitors. The village was very busy especially during Remembrance weekend and it is a delight that people have been so positive and appreciative of the results of so much work by so many people.
We hope that everyone who has contributed in any way feels at least a small glow of satisfaction. It has been a marvellous village affair!
As a self-selected Poppy Committee we couldn’t be more grateful for the cheerful support so many people have given. It would be invidious to name anyone but you know who you are and we hope you were able to come for coffee after the Act of Remembrance on 11th November to share in the thanks at the completion of this special village creation.
Thanks to the Poppy Committee (l to r) Kay Francis, Eileen Baglin-Jones, Merrill Bayley and Hildy Franken
To see lots more photos of the poppies and Remembrance events, go to the photogallery
Click on the first photo to enlarge, and then navigate using the arrows.
Many thanks to all those who contributed photos.
Meet Bryan and Renée as they reopen the Red Lion
The new landlords at the Red Lion are looking forward to meeting their customers and hope to become an important and valued part of the village community. They understand that with all the recent uncertainty, villagers want stability and reliability above all.
Bryan and Renée Walker have a long history of working in the hospitality business; indeed they ran a village pub many years ago – so they know what they’re in for. Plenty of villagers are keen to see them succeed and wish them the best of luck.
Originally from Brisbane in Australia, the couple first came to England as backpackers in 1999. They liked it so much they came back here to work in 2003. Later Bryan moved into hospitality management, spending some time as manager of The Head of the River in Oxford.
They moved to Upper Heyford nearly three years ago with their children Eve, now 15 and 13-year-old Sebastian. The other important member of the family is Lucia, a beautiful Italian Spinone dog, who has already made herself at home in the pub.
After a break away, Renée recently decided she wanted to return to hospitality work. An advert for a manager at the Red Lion first brought her to look at the pub, but then they found the tenancy was available and jumped at the chance to take over.
She says, “It could be a terrific pub for the village, I’m really looking forward to getting to know the locals.”
Renée will be front of house with Bryan mainly in the kitchen. He will be helped by a chef de partie. They also hoped to employ another full-time staff member for front of house, as well as several part-timers. She says they like to be hands-on with staff, offering lots of training and career development.
The plan is to offer good simple food, cooked well but not ‘overworked’. Bryan says he is interested in the history and tradition of British cookery. He promises no ‘jus’ but proper gravy! The menu will offer traditional pub food – stews, pies, fish and chips and steak. They will be largely using local produce, with their meat coming from Hook Norton Butchers.
There is also a possibility that they will offer tea, coffee and cake. But for the time being there won’t be any takeaway – maybe that will come later if there’s a demand for it.
Renée and Bryan are going to take their time to get to know their customers and what they’d like from their pub, so they’re not making many immediate changes. Monday poker night will continue, and the quiz already booked for Wednesday, 12th November will go ahead at 8.00pm.
Bryan says he’s a big fan of wine, so may offer wine-tasting or wine and cheese evenings as well as other events in future.
The Red Lion website has details of opening hours and menus. See https://theredlionsteepleaston.com/
Times letter turns Rousham’s Heyford protest national
Many influential friends of nearby Rousham, including TV gardeners Monty Don and Alan Titchmarsh, have expressed horror at the plan for a major new town at Heyford Park only two miles away from the famous gardens. Now, there is a national campaign against the development as well as the local one which has been under way for some time.
Monty and Alan headed a list of influential figures from the worlds of gardening and the arts whose letter was published in The Times on Tuesday, 11th November. There was also a half page article in the newspaper.
The letter said the 9,000 home project would be visible from “important vantage points” within the historic gardens of Rousham House, which was designed in the early 18th century by William Kent, the architect and landscape designer whose work transformed the English garden.
Plans to upgrade Heyford railway station would bring “inevitable traffic” and have a “disastrous impact” on the surrounding area, including the grade II listed medieval bridge providing access to the station, they said.
The planning application fails to address this threat in any meaningful way,” they added. “At the scale proposed, the development risks causing significant and irreparable damage to one of the greatest gardens in the world.”
They urge Cherwell District Council, Historic England and the government to place robust constraints on the scheme to ensure that the setting of this national treasure is protected.
One of the other signatories of The Times letter is Liz Nicholson,Managing Director of Nicholsons, the North Aston nursery. On the Friends of Rousham website she says, “While I accept the imperative need for increased housing in the UK, I would urge us to design mindfully around irreplaceable historic assets like Rousham. If we disregard these beautiful places, we will lose our Genus loci…. and diminish the beauty that makes living in Oxfordshire so special. Please can we take care?”
Another local protester is Charlotte Harris who lives at Cuttle Mill. which is part of Steeple Aston but also part of William Kent’s famous vista from Rousham. She has had a letter published in The Field magazine (complete with photos by our own Nigel Francis). There was also a lengthy article in Country Life.
A leaflet from Charlotte and others is being distributed locally. They say they oppose the scheme on a number of grounds:
- Traffic and infrastructure
- Destruction of villages and countryside
- Environmental harm
- Unsustainable resources
- It’s a developer-led scheme, not community led.
Read the leaflet SAVE OUR COUNTRYSIDE: SAY NO TO A NEW TOWN AT HEYFORD PARK
The plan for this major development at Heyford Park by Dorchester Living is currently under consideration by Cherwell District Council. The site is also on the list of 12 possible New Towns published by government advisors in September. The current plan is for 9,000 houses, but an official New Town would be even larger.
Details of the planning application from Dorchester Living can be found on Cherwell District Council website https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/25/02190/HYBRID
There have been several hundred objections by local residents and many from other parts of the country and abroad. The Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan has also objected pointing out that the current Cherwell Local Plan proposes restrictions on further development at Heyford Park.
Although the deadline for comments has passed, you can still object by email to planning@cherwell-dc.gov.uk quoting 25/02190/HYBRID and including your name and address.
You can read more about the proposals and local objections to them in this website’s September archive
Councils fear the impact of ‘unprecedented’ local development plans
A round table meeting of parish councils to discuss plans for several major developments which are bound to impact local villages heard that the scale of the proposals was even greater than expected. And they are all being treated individually so that there is no attempt to assess the overall impact on local traffic and transport.
Many at the meeting accepted that they couldn’t halt at least some of these developments, but they did agree that the Oxfordshire County Council should produce a ‘Movement and Place Plan’ for Bicester West and Mid-Cherwell. This will hopefully be used to guide investment and decision-making in the area to ensure that all this development can function effectively.
Steeple Aston’s Martin Lipson, who is Chair of the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum, was at the meeting. Here is his report:
The meeting called by two County Councillors was well-attended by a wide range of representatives of the many local parishes potentially affected by major development, including some from both Steeple and Middle Aston. Cherwell District Councillors and Calum Miller MP also attended, together with one senior officer each from the County and the District.
The number and scale of the projects was described as unprecedented and includes the following: two large warehouse schemes at Baynards Green (one approved); Puy du Fou at Bucknell (to be decided); Great Wolf leisure complex at Chesterton (approved but stalled); Heyford Park ‘New Town’ including its southwards extension (to be decided); Oxfordshire Strategic Railfreight Interchange near Ardley, currently under consultation (to be decided by Ministers), and a new one – Richborough Estates housing near Caulcott. Also mentioned were ‘Himley Village’ close to Middleton Stoney (approved and slowly being built), and the Botley West Solar Farm extending to near Tackley (another Ministerial decision).
Although each of these projects is alarming in its own right, the real concern being addressed by the meeting was the cumulative impact of all of them together on our small patch of treasured countryside. The biggest worries relate to traffic and transport issues and their impact on rural lanes, villages and the public transport system (such as it is), with thousands of new residents, employees, and the services they require, all moving in and out of the area each day. The loss of countryside, farming land and the impact on the natural environment, air quality and so forth, were also aspects of concern.
A few of those present saw the need for immediate efforts to persuade the authorities and Government to look at the bigger picture and to refuse permission for some of them. Cherwell, we were told, must play by the rules which only permit the local planning authority to decide each proposal on its own merits, not being allowed to look at the cumulative impact of so many schemes. Even worse, some of the projects are to be decided by Government Ministers, over the heads of Cherwell.
Most of the parishes, however, seemed to be focussed on the measures needed to mitigate the developments, perhaps grimly assuming an inevitable outcome of approvals for most or all of the schemes. Revamping Junction 10 on the M40, traffic-calming, enforcement of HGV routing agreements, requiring community benefits to be delivered early – they’re all aspects of mitigation, after the stable door has been slammed shut.
What everyone agreed, though, was that something was needed to help decision-makers to look at that bigger picture – to plan effectively. The county councillors have persuaded their officers to produce a local ‘Movement and Place Plan’ for Bicester West and Mid-Cherwell, as part of the County’s strategic transport planning function. This is apparently to be done at pace, with local consultation on it starting next month. It will form a new part of the County Council’s existing Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, adopted in 2022, and will be intended to guide investment and decision-making in the area to ensure that all this development (and the impacts it will generate) can function effectively.
While of course this is much better than not having such a plan, it will probably be too late to have a great deal of effect on the scale or nature of the proposals.
Most politicians seem to accept that more growth is a good thing, and that their role as decision-makers is to react to the market place in a cautiously positive way. Not everyone present would agree with that. The need for these huge projects must be questioned, and a proper balance found with the vision of rural communities for a future, gently invigorated, but not lost to destruction and confusion.
Heyford Park on government’s list of possible new towns
Heyford Park is listed as one of 12 sites to be considered for development as a New Town in a report by the government’s New Towns Taskforce published on 28th September. This would be an even larger development than the one currently under consideration by Cherwell Distric Council.
The report suggests “Redevelopment of the former airbase at Heyford Park, Cherwell; connecting to Oxford and building on the existing progress and commitment to high-quality placemaking; referencing the area’s past and supporting its future in innovative clean technology industries.” It says that 13,000 new homes could be built on the 505-hectare brownfield site.
The government has said it will begin building in at least three New Towns in this Parliament and is prepared to progress work on a far larger range of locations if it proves possible. It is expected that ministers will make a decision in the Spring on which of the 12 sites will become New Towns.
Oxfordshire County Councillor Gareth Epps commented on the announcement: “While this isn’t a total surprise, it has profound implications for the existing Heyford Park community and the surrounding Cherwell Valley villages.
Any community engagement will highlight concerns about existing commitments which the developers Dorchester are seen to have failed to deliver, on active travel and HGV access to take car transporters away from roads near residents and schools. It will also highlight concerns about an “infrastructure last” approach under previous Tory administrations which have hampered placeshaping.
An essential part of any plans going forward is a reopened Ardley station, a local railhead to reduce the need to travel by car, as well as a rapid bus service to Oxford.”
Dorchester Living, the Upper Heyford developer, has already lodged a planning application with Cherwell District Council for a substantial town of 9,000 new homes on the site. This application would have to be enlarged and tweaked to meet the criteria to be designated a new town.
But the developers say in their application that 30 per cent of the new homes will be affordable; there will also be 900 assisted living units and 180 homes for key workers. There will be five new schools, community facilities, employment space and extensive green infrastructure. Perhaps ironically, there is also a plan for a new Centre for Peace Studies.
This application is in addition to the 1,200 homes already at Heyford Park along with Heyford Free School, a supermarket, a pharmacy, and a hotel.
Martin Lipson, who is Chair of the Mid-Cherwell Neighbourhood Plan Forum has spoken out against the plan. Martin, who is also vice chair of Steeple Aston Parish Council, outlined his objections to the plan in an interview on BBC Radio Oxford. He said Cherwell District Council already has a Local Plan which will deliver thousands of new homes near Bicester and Oxford. Local people did not want such a development built in the countryside.
“A small-ish development at Heyford Park has been acceptable for years” he said, “but the scale of ambition here is just really over the top”.
“Of course we need new homes, especially affordable ones, but this isn’t the right place for such a large development.”
Martin thought local people were sceptical that the infrastructure required for such a large development would be provided. He cited as an example the continued failure to build the promised health centre at Heyford Park.
Dorchester has extensive plans for infrastructure in their application. They also say improved connectivity and sustainable travel will underpin the settlement’s continued growth. They have been working with GWR to facilitate upgrades to Heyford Station and improvements to the Cherwell Valley Line service providing connections between Banbury and Didcot. There will also be enhanced bus routes and walking and cycling routes.
They say that sustainability is at the heart of their plan, with around 60 per cent of the site dedicated to open space – connecting nature corridors, public parkland, walking trails, a boating lake, waterways, and an area set aside as a retained Local Wildlife Site. The old runway will be the centre of a new park which will offer a wide range of leisure opportunities and include the planting of 65,000 trees.
The long-term ambition is for Heyford Park to become the UK’s first renewable energy surplus town, generating more renewable energy than it consumes through a combination of solar and wind power generation, energy-efficient design and low-carbon transport.
If the application is approved by Cherwell District Council, work could start on the development in 2026.
You can see the planning application on Cherwell’s website here https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Display/25/02190/HYBRID
There’s more about Dorchester’s plans at www.heyfordparknewtown.com/
You can hear Martin’s interview on BBC Radio Oxford along with contributions from the developer and local MP Liberal Democrat Calum Millar here
See page 40 for the Heyford Park section in the New Towns Taskforce report.