We have received some further response from villagers with regards to spending Section 106 money, some repeated ideas and some new. The plan is to hold an event in the village hall, much like was done before, to discuss the various options further with you.
Dog Waste
Thank you to the dog owners who pick up their dog mess and place it in the black bins provided by West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC). These bins are provided for this purpose, as well as normal litter, or you can use your own grey bin. Please refrain from using the wooden bins around the village hall and park as these are emptied within the village and should not contain dog poo.
Rail Crossing
If you personally objected to the application for the Network Rail order, you will know that the Secretary of State will be holding a public inquiry. The parish council has prepared a ‘statement of case’ to enable us to speak at the inquiry. We do not yet have a date for the inquiry but will keep you posted.
Elections
As well as district council elections, the parish council must undergo elections this year. This means that from 25 March the parish council will be in full purdah, which means no decisions can be made from this date until after polling day on 2 May.
Tackley has seven seats, and if all current councillors complete a nomination form there is no need to hold an election. It is only if there are more than seven nominations that an election will be held. If you would like to stand as a parish councillor you can obtain a nomination form from parishclerk@tackleyvillage.co.uk. Completed forms must be delivered by hand to WODC offices no later than 5 April.
To be eligible to stand you must:
Be at least 18 years old
Be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of any member state of the European Union
Meet at least one of the following requirements: (1) You are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector for the parish from the day of your nomination onwards; (2) You have occupied as an owner or tenant any land or other premises in the parish for the past year; (3) Your main or only place of work during the past year has been in the parish; (4) You have lived in the parish, or within three miles of it, for the past year.
Tackley Parish Council holds a meeting on the third Monday of each month except August. Ideally you will be interested in the local community, and have time to give to help the council bring things along.
Our meetings for the remainder of 2024 are on 15 April, 20 May, 17 June, 15 July, 16 September, 21 October, 18 November and 16 December.
Do you have an hour or two to volunteer once or twice a month?
Tackley Car Scheme is for any resident who is unable to use public transport and has no access to a car. For some residents this is a normal part of life, and Tackley’s not-for-profit service provides a lifeline.
But in order to do this we urgently need more volunteer drivers who can use their own cars (the cost of fuel is reimbursed). Drivers are, on average, called upon once or twice a month.
If you could provide this essential service we would love to hear from you. Contact Diana Whitehead (secretary) using the details above.
The Tackley Village Memorial Hall (TVMH) Management Committee had its AGM in February. Firstly, can I thank Robert Maybank for preparing and delivering the financial report and Katie Hofman for the chair’s report of the year. The TVMH is on a good financial footing, and that is down to the hard work of the committee throughout the year.
Katie resigned after 12 years of service, firstly as secretary, then vice chair and finally chair. This is an amazing contribution, and I would like to publicly thank her for all her hard work.
Julien Hofman, who had been serving as secretary for the management committee, also resigned his post at the AGM. Julien has been working hard to get the health and safety aspects of the village hall up to scratch. He was also instrumental in having the new AV system installed, which will be an asset to the village for years to come.
A new committee was formed comprising:
Chair: Julie Farren
Vice chair: Carl Hicks
Treasurer: Robert Maybank
Secretary: Matt Ollman
Booking clerk: Julie Profitt
Other voting members of the committee are Maxine Ward, Angela Allen, Tony Perry, Geoff Chambers, Pat Rolfe, Charlie Macke, Catherine Chaytor and Roxanna Villalobos.
Representatives of the various clubs and organisations are as follows:
History Group, Gardening Club, WI: Sue Ashton
Craft Club: Julie Farren
Silver Threads: Sharon Hogg
School PTA: Catherine Chaytor
Village Shop: Tony Perry
Methodist Church: Vi Banbury
As you can see, we have a full committee with a good cross section of the village represented.
Over the years our village hall has had to cope with a host of social, educational and recreational activities and events including hosting the Oxford Drama School, club and society meetings, dinners, private parties, family wakes, bingo and most recently the Pop-up Pub.
Quite naturally, sometimes more than one of these groups wants to hold their get-togethers on the same date, and of course there are some disappointments as the hall is booked up almost every day and evening.
The present hall has served the village well over the years, but since the new housing developments have been built and the village population has increased the hall is in need of some changes to improve the facilities so we can accommodate everyone’s needs.
In the next few months, the management committee will be investigating the possibility of doing an extension to the village hall. We will firstly have discussions on what we would like to achieve and how much it will cost. We would like to provide a substantial multipurpose building of a pleasing design that will serve the community for a very long time, with amenities that everyone can enjoy.
We are actively pursuing the option of securing some of the Section 106 money, and we will be working closely with the parish council while exploring this.
We intend to have some discussions with a local architect to come up with some ideas that will fulfil all our requirements.
This ambitious project will require a great deal of fundraising. Many of the grants available insist on matching funding from the applying organisation.
We are going to bring the Pop-up Pub back in house, so we will be actively contributing to this development ourselves with the money raised on Friday evenings. The Pop-up Pub will be run by a subcommittee of the village hall.
At our AGM we also appointed Charlie Macke to be our media coordinator. Charlie will oversee our social media, website contributions and Tackley Newsletter contributions from now on. We would like to keep you up to date with our various projects and the development of the hall.
We, the management committee, are optimistic about the future of our wonderful village and would very much like to encourage the development of a truly integrated community. Providing a first-rate village hall is a bold step in the right direction.
We are aware that Tackley is full of very talented people. If you feel that you might be able to lend us a hand with your expertise, then please do get in touch. This village hall is your village hall, and we would be very grateful for any help.
In February, Crecy Hill was the setting for a one-day trimmer course, organised by Rachel Strachan, where a group of us spent a Saturday being trained on how to use the newly-purchased brushcutters. Who knew there was so much to learn about strimming, or indeed quite how many limbs have been lost to garden tools? Our trainer turned out to be just as much of an expert in brushcutter heads as he was in horror stories.
Brushcutter training
Once we had all mastered the technique – more down and up than side to side – we were let loose on Tackley Heath for some path widening and tidying up of the Cubs’ patch.
The bluebells were just beginning to peep through the soil and will soon be in their full glory. Spring is finally here. The first butterflies of the year have also been spotted on the heath by Alan Diver: both the beautiful brimstone and comma varieties.
Comma butterfly by Alan Diver
In March some further clearance work took place at Crecy Hill, this time with a little more finesse, by Oxford Conservation Volunteers. Thank you to all who came to help.
Our next work party will be at the heath on Saturday, 13 April from 10 am to 12 noon. Please come along. We will be clearing the dead bracken away from the main paths, and if you are lucky you will see us brushcutters in action. Any wheelbarrows would be much appreciated.
Tackley Horse, Pony and Dog Show will take place this year on Sunday, 21 April. It’s a fun day out for all the family, even if you’re not ‘horsey’! We raise money for our village organisations, projects, and for charities close to our hearts and home.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen without help. We need volunteers on Saturday to set it up, on the day to assist with the events, and in the late afternoon to take it all down and put it away. As well as the show events, we run our own catering tent, and this year Tackley’s very own Pop-up Pub bar. So, there are a variety of jobs to be done!
There are also spaces for trade stands for those with something to sell or show.
To find out more without commitment, just call, email, or find us on Facebook. We look forward to hearing from you.
Do you want to make a difference in your community and develop your professional skills? Could you bring professional expertise to a school setting and work with school leaders to support outcomes for children?
Tackley CE Primary School is looking for Community and Foundation Local Governing Body members. Volunteer with us to be part of a team passionate about providing the very best for children. You will benefit from a wide range of governor training and support.
We are looking for skills that include buildings knowledge, health and safety, marketing/communications/PR, risk management and financial management.
Coffee mornings are held every Thursday from 10:30 am to noon.Why not come along and join us for a drink and a chat? You can eat biscuits too, and sometimes there’s cake as well.
Exercise classes are held in the church on Thursdays between 3 and 4 pm. The charge is £6 per session.
Golf Society
James Kavanagh
The Tackley Golf Society season is now underway, with recent events in February at Heythrop Park and March at Feldon Valley. We would welcome any residents of Tackley to come and join us for an enjoyable round of golf. An official handicap is not necessary, and the average handicap of players is around 23/24, so everyone has a chance of winning!
We play on local courses around the county, playing 18 holes after bacon rolls and coffee.
17 April: The Springs Hotel near Wallingford
27 May: Hinksey Heights
14 June: Drayton Park
20 July: Kirtlington
12 August: Cherwell Edge
September: TBA
30 October: Studley Wood
14 November: North Oxford
16 December: Heythrop Park
Joining an event is very easy via our website. To request access, please email Malcolm Hills at mchills@btinternet.com. Once you have access to the site, simply review the events and sign up.We look forward to seeing you!
Tackley Wheelers is more to do with socialising than cycling. We aren’t ‘heads down, bums up’ cyclists; but take our time when riding, with lots of stops for regrouping so no one is left behind.
We meet every Wednesday evening from April to mid September, cycling to nearby villages and chatting in the pubs we visit. Early and late season rides are short (e.g. Woodstock, Kirtlington) with longer routes when we have more daylight. Rides leave at 6:45 pm from the car park by the village hall.
Wheelers at Blenheim Palace
We look forward to seeing both new and familiar faces, young or not so young. If you’d like to join us, simply turn up on a Wednesday evening with your bicycle.
For more information, just get in touch with Rachel and Neil via the email above.
A friendly way to get to know your local countryside better, Tackley Walking Group holds two leisurely walks each month, led by members. Walks on second Saturdays meet at 9:30 am and are 5–8 miles; those on fourth Wednesdays meet at 2 pm and are 3–5 miles.
Everybody is welcome. Meet by the village hall before each walk to arrange car sharing, bus, or train travel to the start of the walk. Most walks are in North Oxfordshire. Some walks conclude with an optional lunch or refreshments at a local pub or cafe. Routes are often suitable for dogs kept under close control.
Our current programme, below, can also be found on the village website. Further details of each route will be send out via Tackley Notices.
Saturday, 13 April: Eynsham and South Leigh
Wednesday, 24 April: Stonesfield
Saturday, 11 May: Kirtlington and Weston-on-the-Green
Wednesday, 22 May: Heyford and Steeple Aston
Please note that walks may be subject to change, and that walkers take responsibility for their own safety.
We are a friendly group of new and longstanding Tackley residents. We meet every month and take it in turns to select a book for discussion and to host the event. We always find time for a chat, too, with a glass of wine and snacks.
Join us for our next meeting on Tuesday, 9 April at 7:30 pm when we will be discussing two books: The Golden Son by Shilpi Somaya Gowdar, and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.
Newcomers are welcome! Feel free to attend regardless of whether you decide to read both or just one of the books (there are two this month, because our March book has been bumped to the April meeting).
For more information, including details of the venue, email Gina at the address above.
Tackley WI held its annual meeting in March. Janet Maybank was elected as president, with Pam Cranford as secretary and Jennifer Carrington as treasurer. A big thank-you to Rosie Hawes for being our fabulous president since the group restarted in 2019.
Our women’s group ranges in age from 30s to 90s! We look forward to welcoming new members and visitors at our friendly monthly meetings at 7:45 for 8 pm in the village hall. Visitors pay £5 which includes refreshments.
On Tuesday, 2 April Roy Carrington will present an illustrated talk on the fascinating geography, history and culture of Japan.
Tuesday, 7 May is our quiz night with quizmaster John Paine, who is preparing for us a wonderful evening of quiz teasers. There is something for everyone: popular topics themed on travel, food, and pot luck – to name a few – which are sure to get all teams thinking! So, save the date, come alone or with your friends and join in the fun! Let us know you’re coming on the email above.
On Tuesday, 4 June we will hear a talk on the life-saving work of the Samaritans.
Tackley Shop
This Tackley Shop has saved the day For most of us in many ways.
For twenty years, it has been open And I hope and pray it keeps on going.
Its volunteers are always there With good advice becoz they care.
From early morning and up to five These people help it to survive.
