Thank you to everyone who joined us at the village hall on 15 November
to learn about the potential projects seeking Section 106 funding
support.
A feedback form is now being circulated. You can find it on the parish
council section of the village website, in Tackley Notices emails, and on
the Spotted Tackley Facebook group. There are also some hard
copies in the shop. The deadline for submitting your feedback and any last
suggestions is Sunday, 15 December.
Planning for the next steps has already begun, and will be communicated to
the village before the feedback deadline. This will include how the final
selection process will work. The decision on which project receives funding
will be made by a village-wide vote, expected to take place in early
2025.
Tackley Parish Council’s role in this process is not to decide which
project gets funded, but to ensure a fair and thorough process.
Updates will continue to be shared through the Tackley website, parish
council meetings, Tackley Notices emails, this newsletter and social media.
If you have ideas for other ways to share updates or gather feedback, please
email parishclerk@tackleyvillage.co.uk.
Biodiversity Policy
To comply with our legal responsibility to have a biodiversity policy, we
have recently taken on board the standard policy. It can be found on the
parish council’s Audits & Transparency page on the village website.
The goal of the policy is to make sure we consider biodiversity in any
decisions we make as a council; and have strategies to help with nature
recovery, species conservation, and protection of what we already have. We
are fortunate to have two Local Wildlife Sites within the parish: Tackley
Heath and Crecy Hill.
We will be creating an action plan for Tackley parish, and will invite
village organisations with a responsibility for managing property and land,
however small, to contribute individual action plans. We are really keen to
hear your views as residents of Tackley – of any age, including children –
on how we can improve and protect biodiversity on land the parish council
owns or manages. We’d love to hear about what you may already be doing on
your own patch of land, too, so do get in touch by email to
liz.marshall@tackleyvillage.co.uk or post your ideas in the parish
council box at the entrance to the village hall.
Future Housing Need
This month’s newsletter includes the Housing Needs Survey, a vital part of
shaping Tackley’s Neighbourhood Plan. Every resident is entitled to complete
a survey, so please take a few minutes to share your views. If you need
extra copies, they are available at the village shop. Once completed, drop
your survey into the parish council box at the entrance to the village hall.
If you have any questions, or need assistance, please contact the parish
clerk. Your input matters!
Safety Railings
We have had many complaints about the utilitarian look of the railings at
the bottom of Balliol Close up towards Ashwell Bank, right next to a
conservation area. We tried hard to get Barwood to change them, and alter
them to be mobility compliant, to no avail.
We have now secured money Oxfordshire County Council had from the Deanfield
development, and have contracted a local blacksmith to replace them with
park railings in keeping with the area and compliant with regulations. The
work should be completed in January.
Welcome Place
As I type this, it is snowing outside; so it seems fitting that the parish
council thanks Father Robin and the Gardiner
Arms team for setting up Welcome Place to provide a warm and welcoming
venue through the winter. The first one on 12 November was well
attended by a variety of people to work, chat and play games.
The parish council has granted some money to pay for drinks, food and logs;
and Richard Holland-Oakes’ company ReCare has match funded.
A few fallen trees obstructing core paths on Tackley Heath have recently
been dealt with. The cut material is left on site to provide deadwood.
Fallen branches, rotting stumps and dead trees are the lifeblood of any
woodland. Visitors are asked to leave felled and fallen wood undisturbed.
Please report any trees obstructing paths to the parish council via the
email above.
There is possibly a misunderstanding that villagers can take firewood from
the heath, but this is not the case. As applies to all ‘open access land’,
there is no right to remove anything unless specifically authorised by the
landowner; in this case, Tackley Parish Council.
Whilst in 1873 the heath was originally created as a “poor’s heath or fuel
allotment”, with the church as trustees, in 1957 Tackley Parish Council
became the charity’s sole trustee. The charity’s objective then also changed
to maintain the heath as a “recreation ground for the benefit of the
inhabitants of the area of the Ancient Parish of Tackley”.
In 1964, the heath charity was registered with the reconstituted Charity
Commission, with no commoners’ rights specified. Inquiries made to the
Oxfordshire County Solicitor/County Council in 1989 and again in 2010–12
both confirmed that this means any commoners’ rights for the heath that may
have existed in 1964 then ceased.
As open access land, the heath can be used for walking, running and
watching wildlife. All other activities – including lighting fires, camping,
cycling or driving vehicles – require the permission of the parish
council.
You may come across several self-sown tree seedlings which have been
protected with tree guards. The rising number of deer in recent decades is
threatening all woodland in the UK; and though some are calling for the
reintroduction of wolves and lynx, we are taking a gentler approach to
ensure that there are oak trees for the future generations of Tackley.
This year’s dead bracken has been cleared from the trial bracken control
patch, to see if that continues to produce greater biodiversity in the
spring including the rare plants and animals that like acid grassland.
Please note the woodland opposite the driveways to North Hay and Little
Heath Farm is privately owned. It is not part of the heath charity’s
landholding. Major works that have occurred there recently include felling
diseased ash trees near the road and constructing a barn. A ditch marks the
boundary between the west edge of the public heath and this private wood
(known as Halls Cover).
Thank you to everyone who took part in the train survey in the summer. We
had 204 responses, which is a very good number, and a very broad range of
ages.
80% had used the train in the last three months. Around 20 were regular
commuters, but most were using the train for leisure purposes. The most
popular destinations were Oxford and London.
Most users thought the fares were reasonable and that the trains ran on
time. But there was concern about overcrowding on the two early morning
trains when there are currently only two carriages.
Just over half the non-users of Tackley station drove to other stations to
travel, with Oxford Parkway the most popular. Others found a car or buses
more convenient and the times not convenient.
At present there are some Sunday trains – three times a day – but only
during summer months. A very high proportion of both users and non-users
(76%) said they would be very likely or likely to use the services if
extended throughout the year. Again, a very high proportion (70%) said they
would welcome a late night Saturday service from Oxford.
We have sent the results to First Great Western, and plan to meet up before
the end of the year with the new regional manager to discuss the key
findings. We know they are very interested in this survey, and we will
report back on their reactions.
Poppy Appeal
Sue Pitts
A total of £880 was raised in Tackley for this year’s Poppy Appeal. This
included the collection from the Remembrance Day service, and a donation
from the parish council.
Thank you to the village shop, Pop-Up Pub and Sturdy’s Castle for having
collection boxes; and also to the primary school, where children gave their
time to sell items from an activity box.
My thanks to everyone who gave so generously, and a special thank-you to
Lin and Sharon who gave their time to help me at the village hall on the two
Saturday mornings.
Macmillan Coffee Morning
Dawn Chambers
A huge thank-you to everyone who supported the Macmillan coffee morning on
3 November: the bakers, the crafters, the donators, the wonderful team
of helpers, and of course all who supported the day either by attending or
by donating remotely. Special thanks to the Pop-Up Pub for covering the cost
of the hire of the hall.
We raised the staggering sum of £1,283, plus the amounts donated by those
scanning the QR code. According to Macmillan, the final amount may take up
to six weeks to be processed. We were also fortunate that many folk could
Gift Aid their donations.
Most of us know someone with or have lost someone to cancer – for me, it
was my lovely mum – and supporting charities like Macmillan will make such a
difference to someone going through such difficult times.
When we pass our parish church, the first or last building we see as we
enter or leave Tackley via Church Hill, we are looking at the longest
lasting building in the village — well over 1,000 years old. There must
have been an original wooden building there, but we are not sure when it was
built.
Saint Birinus, a bishop of what is now Dorchester on Thames, was active in
this area in the 7th century. As Tackley was an important site, it’s quite
probable that a religious building was erected in the 8th or
9th century.
Excavations have shown that parts of our nave and chancel are Saxon, around
the year 1000, but what we see now is a mixture of periods from that time
onwards.
It was possibly when a Romanesque building was built – under the patronage
of the monks of Saint-Sever-Calvados, France; who took over the living in
1086 and replaced the earlier Saxon structure – that the dedication of the
church was changed to Saint Nicholas. An interesting choice of saint!
The Real Nicholas
Nicholas was born in 270 CE, probably in the harbour city of Patara in
Anatolia, then part of the Greek-speaking Eastern Roman Empire and now in
modern-day Turkey.
He belonged to a Christian family, becoming a priest and then being
appointed bishop of Myra. His name is found among the list of those
attending the great council of Nicaea in 325.
He died in Myra on 6 December 343 and was venerated as a saint. His
body was moved in 1087 to Bari in Italy where his shrine still remains.
His cult became popular because of his generosity, great care and support
for all kinds of people, becoming known as Nicholas the Wonderworker and
patron of all those in need.
Santa Claus
There are a number of stories about Saint Nicholas’ good deeds. One in
particular tells how he saved three daughters of a poor family from a life
of misery by leaving three bags of gold – said to have been thrown down the
chimney – so they had enough money for a dowry. This story seems to have
become the basis of the tradition of Santa coming down the chimney with
gifts.
Saint Nicholas became the patron saint of children, the poor, and of
destitute women. Coming from a seaport town, he was also adopted by seamen
and merchants.
It is via the latter connection that he was particularly popular in
Holland. Today in Amsterdam, and other ports, on 5 December – the eve
of Saint Nicholas’ feast day – a ship carrying Sinterklaas or
Sint-Nicolaas arrives, and huge numbers of people come to see his
parade through the streets of the city. There is gift-giving, and special
food — including tangerines, which represent the gold Saint Nicholas gave
for the three daughters’ dowries.
His feast is also celebrated in many other European countries. In England,
the Reformation changed the pattern of our festivals; but in many places
some kind of festival remained, such as in Tackley where we still keep his
feast on 6 December or the Sunday nearest that date.
Father Christmas
But how do we get to the jolly Father Christmas, with his elves and
reindeer?
That comes from North America, where Saint Nicholas emerged as a rather
secular Santa Claus through an illustrated children’s book – The
Children’s Friend – published in 1821, which portrayed him as ‘Father
Christmas’ with reindeer from the north. A poem, The Night Before
Christmas, published in 1823 added elves to the description. This
along with his gifts of presents for children, and various new robes, caught
the imagination of many — and Santa was born.
But be that as it may, our Saint Nicholas remains the true ‘Santa Claus’!
So may I wish all of Tackley a happy feast day on 6 December, or the
Sunday nearest to it.
An open evening was held on 15 November to showcase projects applying
for the Section 106 money. We would like to extend a big thank-you to
everyone who attended and showed their support.
For those who couldn’t make it, the village hall extension project is now
available to view on the Tackley website. We’ve received a lot of positive
feedback, which we’ll be reviewing in detail at our next committee
meeting.
A form to give feedback is being distributed by the parish council. We
cannot stress enough the importance of your feedback for the village hall
extension. The cost of this project is great, and the committee needs to
ensure this is something the village wants as well as needs — so please give
your feedback!
Recent repairs to the hall include fixing a few of the heaters, as well as
roof and floor repairs to ensure the building remains safe and functional
for all.
We’re also keeping a close eye on areas such as insulation and energy use
to ensure we are as efficient as possible, helping to minimise our carbon
footprint. Ongoing maintenance remains a top priority to support these
efforts.
To keep the community informed, our meeting minutes are now available on
the Tackley website. Hover over the Village Hall tab and select Management
on the drop-down, and scroll to the bottom of the page. You will also find
the list of members and their respective email addresses if you have any
queries.
The Pop-Up Pub will continue running every Friday up to Christmas and New
Year. Tickets for the New Year’s Eve party at the village hall are on sale
now — be sure to get yours soon!
Here’s a look at some exciting upcoming events at the Pop-Up Pub:
Friday, 13 December: Nandita’s famous curry night returns!
Friday, 20 December: Live music from the Sunfly Duo
We’d like to thank everyone for their continued support of the Pop-Up Pub
and its events. It’s been a fantastic year, and it isn’t over yet!
Finally, we’d like to congratulate the primary school on the opening of
their new classroom. What a wonderful addition for the children and
staff.
Gardiner Arms
Tony, Maca and Andrew
Your local pub, the Gardiner Arms, has now been open and trading again for
two months. It has been a whirlwind of activity, and we could not have done
it without the people of Tackley. We want to thank everyone who has helped
us in any way: our volunteers who rallied around to make everything happen,
our suppliers, and the customers who have come in to enjoy the atmosphere.
The whole experience has been amazing.
Financially, we have recouped all the costs we initially invested in the
project, and have a sound basis to move forward. We now feel it would be
affordable and desirable to build a small team of paid staff to help with
the operation of the pub, and will give more information about this in the
near future.
Our opening hours through the festive period are:
Christmas Eve: about 4 pm until midnight, hopefully with a
Christmas quiz
Tickets for the New Year’s Eve party are now on sale at £5 each and include
a free glass of fizz. Best singing voices please, as we are planning a
karaoke night.
Our core opening hours are:
Thursday 6 pm to 11 pm, with the quiz from 8 pm
Friday 4 pm to 11 pm
Saturday 12 noon to 11 pm
Sunday 12 noon to 5 pm
We can often be open on other evenings, with the bell ringers on Tuesdays
or Wheelers on Wednesdays. Also, Tuesdays from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm
is Welcome Place. Come along for a chat and relax, play some games, or use
our Wi-Fi. Free tea and coffee available; bring your own cake!
Please look out for our updates on the Spotted Tackley
Facebook group and via Tackley Notices emails.
This is a question that is currently being asked in our house. I wonder if
you, too, have been asked what you want for Christmas this year.
If you have, what answer did you give? Have you got a long list ready? Have
children written their wish list to Santa? If you were able to respond to
the question with ideas, what sort of things did you ask for? Were they
things you needed, like a new set of car tyres to urgently replace the
current ones and keep the car on the road? Perhaps you asked for books, or
items for your hobby like paints.
Like many people, I have a list of items I’d like for Christmas, including
new jumpers, books (I’m particularly enjoying Louise Penny’s Inspector
Gamache) and things for my bike.
However, as I reflect on the question, what I really want for Christmas
this year is peace. While I’d love world peace, that is beyond me. Unlike
Donald Trump, I don’t claim to be able to resolve the war between Russia and
Ukraine swiftly. But even so, I can work for peace within my own sphere of
influence, building relationships of love.
Christ came, born as one of us, precisely because God wanted peace between
himself and us. God loves us so much that he wanted a relationship of peace,
so we know how much we are loved by him: a peaceful loving relationship
where we know we can turn to him at all times and in every situation, just
as we are, in both joy and sadness.
Last year on Remembrance Sunday we heard the poem Say No to
Peace by Brian Wren, which spoke about peace being more than the
absence of war. Peace is the “shouting of children at play, the babble of
tongues set free.”
So, this Christmas, I want peace. I want the laughter of people at play,
and the babble of conversation round the Christmas table. I pray that you
too will have peace this Christmas and in the future.
Features continues to show a variety of films each month: some old and some
new, some light-hearted and some more challenging. A few of our more recent
films have been quite emotionally charged, but we try to balance these with
some with a more light-hearted storyline. The one thing we try to ensure is
that they tell a good story well.
Our screenings are free but we have a donations box. We are very grateful
to all who attend Features and have given so generously to the various
charities we have supported. We are pleased to support smaller, local
charities as well as those that are more well known.
Following requests from some of our audience members, from January we will
be changing the day on which Features runs to Thursday.
We have a variety of films planned for the next six months and look forward
to seeing you at Tackley Methodist Church for a cuppa and a film on
Thursdays 23 January, 20 February, 20 March, 17 April,
15 May and 19 June.
Keep an eye out for email notifications via Tackley Notices and the posters
we place on noticeboards a week before each film.
Our licence means we are unable to externally advertise the names of the
films, hence the rather cryptic posters. You can, however, have access to
the programme by emailing us.
Tackley Walking Group is a friendly way to get to know your local
countryside better. We hold 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 to the starting point. Most walks are in North
Oxfordshire. Some walks conclude with an optional lunch or refreshment at a
local pub or cafe. Routes are often suitable for dogs kept under close
control.
Our current programme, shown here, can also be found on the village
website. Further details of each walk will be sent out via the Tackley
Notices email list.
Please note that walks may be subject to change, and that walkers take
responsibility for their own safety.
Saturday, 14 December: A bus trip into Oxford followed by a walk
around the city.
Saturday, 11 January: A circular walk of approximately six miles
from Eynsham out to South Leigh and back.
Wednesday, 29 January: A walk on local paths around the Dornford
Lane area.
Saturday, 8 February: A walk around Stoke Lyne, Bainton and
Bucknell.
Wednesday, 26 February: A walk along the canal to Enslow and back
along the quiet lanes around Whitehill.
Well another year is nearly over, and it seems to have flown by.
In November we had the pleasure of seeing Ann Dawson making simple, easy
and stunning Christmas decorations. She then kindly donated three of them
for our raffle. Next year she is doing a workshop for us — I’m sure it’ll be
busy!
A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all. Let your gardens
rest a while, and leave leaves and rubble to protect our insects and
hedgehogs.
I look forward to seeing you all in February for our AGM.
We have made an excellent start to our talks for this year. We don’t have a
meeting in December — it’s a bit too near to Christmas!
We meet on the fourth Monday in Tackley Village Memorial Hall at
7:15 pm, for a cup of tea or coffee, with the talk starting at
7:30 pm. Membership is £12 for the year, or visitors are welcome for
£5.
In the new year we will hear a talk by one of our members, Charmian
Knight:
Monday, 27 January: Charmian Knight on Frideswide of White
Hill: A Search for Tackley’s Medieval Neighbours
Monday, 24 February: Liz Woolley on Felicia Skene: Prison
Reformer and Friend of the Poor in Victorian Oxford
Monday, 24 March: John Harwood DL on The History of the Role
of Lord Lieutenancy. John was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of
Oxfordshire in 2001 and was Vice Lord Lieutenant until 2019.
Monday, 28 April: Anni Byard on Tackley: The Dig at Gibraltar
Point
Our AGM will be early in the new year; date to be confirmed. We are still
looking for someone who would like to join the committee as our chair.
Enthusiasm in local history is more important than a wealth of knowledge, so
please give it some thought and do get in touch if you’d like to have a chat
and find out more.
Tackley WI continued to enjoy an interesting and varied programme of events
through October and November. We were delighted to welcome two new members
and also several visitors to our meetings.
On Tuesday, 3 December Mariella Bliss will be sharing with us the joy
of an Italian Christmas, through customs and food. We look forward to an
interesting and festive evening. All ladies are welcome. Visitors pay £5
each including refreshments.
Tackley WI will not hold a meeting in January.
Our programme resumes on Tuesday, 4 February when Christine Clark will be
speaking about the life, homes and enduring appeal of all things William
Morris.
Tackley WI has a friendly and welcoming membership. Most months we hold a
coffee morning for our members, which provides an additional social
opportunity. Our members have wide and varied interests, and our ages range
from 30s to 90s. Our diary of events and speakers for 2025 is diverse,
covering a wide range of topics and practical crafts. If you have any
enquiries, please do contact us.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all season’s greetings
and very best wishes for the New Year.
Tackley Craft Club is a friendly group of people who meet approximately
fortnightly at the memorial hall from 7 to 9 pm. We chat, work on our
own projects, share expertise, and try new things. A recent and ongoing
theme is beginner and intermediate crochet.
The theme for Tuesday, 10 December is Christmas card-making. Materials
will be provided, but bring your own if you wish to. New members are very
welcome.
