Claydon News

 Current News 

• The latest edition of Claydon Contacts, an A4 sheet listing useful local contact information, was distributed with the October issue of the Courier. Additional copies may be downloaded here.

• Remember, Remember, The Eighth of November! Claydon's annual Bonfire Evening will take place on Sat 8 November from 6.30pm on the Playing Field. BBQ food and a licensed bar will be available in the village marquee from 6.30pm. Children (and big kids) are invited to bring their Guys for a Judge the Guy Competition at 7pm, after which the Guys will be placed on the bonfire. This will be followed at 7.15pm by a firework display and then entertainment in the marquee. The raffle will be drawn at 9pm. Entry is free, but donations are welcome, all proceeds to the Playing Field.

• Calling all skittle heads... There will be a Village Bowling Evening on Sat 1 November from 7.30pm at Lakeside Bowling in Banbury. The night, suitable for all ages, includes 2 games of bowling and a meal. To your places please call Paul Gallagher on 690119 or email him here.

• Ghosts, ghouls and other villagers are invited to the Village Halloween Bingo Evening in the Church Room on Fri 31 October at 7.30pm. Tickets are £6 adults, £4 children, payable on the door and include a light snack. Drinks are BYO or may be available for a donation. There will also be a raffle. All proceeds to the Playing Field and the Church. Halloween fancy dress optional! 

 Archive News

• There was an Antiques Roadshow-style Valuation Evening in the Church Room on Mon 13 October from 7.30pm. Tickets were £5 per head, including cheese & wine and the valuation of one item by Simon Davies from Bonhams. Additional items were valued for a small fee. There was also a raffle. All proceeds went to the Church Restoration Fund. For further information call Christina Kennedy on 690818.

• Young people aged 8-18 were invited to audition for roles in a production of Bugsy Malone that will be staged at the Bridge House Theatre, Warwick in July 2009. Audtions were held at St Patricks School, Cashmore Avenue, Leamington Spa on Sat 4 October 9.30-10.30am (chorus), 10.30am-12.30pm (main parts) and Sat 11 October 9.30am-1pm (main parts).

• The Jubilee Group held a Salmon Supper on Fri 3 October 2008 at 7.30pm in the Church Room. Tickets were £5 per head, including drinks. For more details call Thelma Tibbets on 690574

• A copy of the British Horse Society's leaflet (see page 7 of August Courier) giving advice to motorists on how to drive near horses can be downloaded here.

• Claydon's annual Art & Flower Festival took place on Saturday 6 September and Sunday 7 September 2008.  Tea and cakes were served in the Church Room.

• A Fun Dog Show, together will Family Lunchtime BBQ including licensed bar, was held on Saturday 28 June 2008 on the Playing Field from Midday to 3pm. Full details of the 10 entry classes and conditions of entry can be downloaded here. This was a fun afternoon for people of all ages and a summary of the event is in the July issue of the Claydon & Clattercote Courier. All proceeds went to development of facilities on the Playing Field (a registered charity). Pictures of the day are available to download as a 3-page PDF file as a small file(248Kb - to view on screen) or large file(2.87Mb - to print out).

• The Parochial Church Council accounts for 2007 have been published and can be downloaded here. [This will open Adobe Acrobat and open a PDF file for you to read. You may then print it and/or save a copy to your computer.]

• Local history: The Parish Council is considering erecting a plaque in the Church to commemorate the lives of clockmakers the Knibb brothers, who lived in the village in the 1600s. A short biography of Joseph Knibb, written by Clattercote's Don Siviter, appears in the April 2008 issue of the Courier (can be downloaded - click on button on right). Don has prepared a fuller history of the Knibb brothers and this can be downloaded here. [This will open Adobe Acrobat and open a PDF file for you to read. You may then print it and/or save a copy to your computer.]

• The latest 100 Club lottery was drawn in the Church Room at the Quiz Night on Friday 4 April 2008. A total of £200 was raised for the Playing Field. The four lucky winners this time round are:

         1st (£100):  Tracy Neal, Main Street

         2nd (£60):  Rob Jones, Bignolds Close

         3rd (£40):  Christina Kennedy, Walnut Gardens

4th (£20): Dick Blenkinsop, Church Lane

• The village Quiz Night was held in the Church Room on the evening of Friday 4 April 2008. A regular fixture in the village calendar, held to raise funds for the Playing Field, the event was a fun night out. Five teams battled through 80 questions. Congratulations to winning team The Three Amigos, who won wine and chocolates. Commiserations to the Dixie Chicks, who won the customary wooden spoons. Thanks to all who took part - around £50 was raised.

• The Annual Parish Meeting  took place on Tuesday 11 March 2008 at 7.30pm in the Church Room. This was an opportunity to discover what people had been up to in the village in the past 12 months. Copies of reports made at the meeting (where available; not all groups submitted reports in writing) will  be available to download here shortly.

• Claydon's first ever Christmas Remembrance and Tree Lighting Event was held on Sunday 9 December 2007 in and around the Church Room and Churchyard. Gold Remembrance Stars with the names of loved ones who are away or no longer with us were hung on a Remembrance Tree in the centre of the village, with a contribution to charity made for each star. The tree was lit on 9 December and will remain lit in the evening through the festive season. The event also included a special performance by the Cropredy Bell Ringers and the Mill Town Singers, a visit from Father Xmas, carols by candlelight in front of the lit tree and mulled wine with home-made mince pies. The event was preceded by a Xmas Mini Market in the Church Room. The event raised over £250, which will be divided equally between this year's charities: Marie Curie Cancer Care and St James Church Restoration Fund. Pictures and details of the event were published in the December copy of the Claydon Courier, which can be download from the Courier page on this website.

• The village's Bonfire Night Event on Saturday 10 November 2007 raised a fantastic £500 towards the development of the Playing Field. Around 100 villagers turned out to warm themselves on the bonfire, watch the fireworks, enjoy BBQ food and mulled wine and enjoy meeting up with people in the village marquee. Congratulations to the winners of the Raffle - 1st prize was a meal for 2 at The Inn at Farnborough. Thanks to all who helped put on and run the event and to all of the villagers who supported by buying tickets and donating cash - all much appreciated.

• A book on local history has been published and is now available. Written by Clattercote resident Don Siviter, A History of Clattercote Priory is an absorbing review of Clattercote's existence through the ages, from a leper hospital in 1150, through use as Gilbertine Priory (including an explanation of the Gilbertine order and their way of life) to the modern farmstead it is today. The book gives an extremely detailed account of the recent restoration of the main Priory building and is accompanied by copious photographs, plans and illustrations. Of interest to local people and historians alike, the A4 ringbound publication is for sale, priced at £6.50. All profits will go to Katherine House Hospice and the Parkinson's Disease Society. Copies are available (POST FREE for non-Cherwell residents) now - email contact@claydonvillage.net or call (01295) 690155 to order a copy.

• Permanent storage for items used on the Playing Field was installed at the entrance to the Field in early November 2007, after volunteers had prepared the site by lopping adjacent trees, excavating top soil, filling, levelling and compacting hardcore. The ex-shipping container has been refurbished for its new use and painted to blend in with its surroundings. Thanks to all those who donated time, effort and services for this very useful facility. Thanks also to a generous villager for partly funding this purchase and to Cherwell District Council for a grant worth 50% of total costs.

• The village received an open letter in October 2007 from a lady whose ancestors used to live in Claydon. She now lives in Wales, but visited Claydon as part of her genealogical research, and is keen to collect more information about her forebears and the places they lived in and frequented. To download the letter please click here. [This will open Adobe Acrobat and open a PDF file for you to read. You may then print it and/or save a copy to your computer.]

• There was a bumper turn-out for a village Harvest Supper held in the Church Room on the evening of Friday 5 October 2007. The event had 1940's wartime theme, and after a delicious supper of freshly-made food, there was entertainment and sing-along tunes from the 40's. More than 40 villagers had an excellent time and those who were unable to attend on the night had joined in the fun by entering the Harvest Raffle. The lucky winners enjoyed fine food hampers and other culinary delights. Over £400 was raised, half of which goes directly to the restoration of the Church building. Claydon Art Group decorated the Church with a harvest theme for the weekend and a Harvest Service was held on the afternoon of Sunday 7 October.f

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