To save paper and put parish council notices where they are easily seen, we
will be installing a new, small noticeboard above our parish council postbox
on the village hall. We will not be putting future notices on other boards
around the village. Thank you to the village hall and shop for agreeing to
the installation.
Blandford Fly
After considering information from local experts and the negative responses
received from residents, we unanimously agreed that Tackley Parish Council
will not support the Blandford fly eradication project proposed by Steeple
Aston. We know many of you were worried about this, so we hope this is
reassuring. Without the support of local parishes, it is highly unlikely
this project can proceed.
Nature Spaces Committee
We are sad to report that Rachel Strachan is retiring from the
Nature Spaces Committee. The parish council
would like to thank her for all the work she has done for the committee over
the last three years. Rachel’s energy, drive and commitment to the
environment in our village has been impactful, and we wish her well with her
new endeavours.
Section 106
Thank you to everyone who has filled in a form regarding the Section 106
funds. Our clerk has received them all, and is digitising them and collating
responses for us to consider.
The loss or degradation of hedges, due to changes in land use and
management practices, has become widespread in the UK. Well-managed hedges,
consisting of a diverse mix of native species, are hugely important
biodiversity corridors, providing shelter, food and nesting sites for a
range of insects, birds and mammals.
As part of our aim to improve biodiversity within the village, the Nature
Spaces committee has been investigating ways to restore the rather
dilapidated hedge along the boundary between the heath and the Fox Hill
road. This was a proposal that received support during our 2023 community
survey.
As there is more than one option as to how restoration might be achieved,
the parish council has decided to start with a trial planting of new hedge
plants, as young whips, in three different areas where the hedge has
significant gaps or is in a poor state of health. The results of this trial
will inform our decisions as to what further measures to take to restore the
hedge.
This work was done in mid March, so if you’re out for a walk at the heath
you may well see young whips with plastic sheaths round them (to protect
them from nibbling creatures) in parts of the hedge. Please try to avoid
walking through these gaps in the hedge, where the new plants are, to allow
them time and space to establish.
Up at the heath you may also notice improvements have been made to the
verge to allow greater ease of parking cars without churning up lots of mud
in wet weather. As this moves the main parking area slightly further up to
the straighter section of road, it also makes it safer. While providing a
good solid surface, it is only a minimal change visually and will soon be
softened further by the regrowth of spring plants around it.
Lastly, Rachel Strachan is standing down as chair of the Nature Spaces
committee. Rachel was instrumental in setting up the committee, and has
worked tirelessly as chair since its inception. She has a wealth of
knowledge from working in the sector as well as a passion for the wildlife
and environment of Tackley. Her enthusiasm and guidance will be greatly
missed.
We’re moving through spring with an amazing lineup of events at the Pop-Up
Pub:
Thursday, 18 April: Food served
Friday, 25 April: Curry night with Nandita
Thursday, 2 May (Bank Holiday weekend): Nally’s Jamaican Jerk
Grill
Thursday, 30 May: Pizza Boys
Friday, 6 June: David Giles
Thursday, 4 July: Caribbean night
We’ve already had some amazing events this year, including live music
nights and the PTA race night sponsored by
the Pop-Up Pub and a generous donation from the Gardiner Arms — a brilliant
community effort and a very fun evening.
If you’re thinking of holding an event, volunteering, or serving food at
the Pop-Up Pub, please get in touch via the email above.
AGM and Committee
At our AGM, on 10 February, minutes from last year’s AGM were approved
and uploaded to the Tackley website.
Welcome to our new committee members Richard Holland-Oakes (Tackley Parish
Council representative), Charmian Knight (Tackley Local History Group
representative) and Tami Stanton.
We would like to thank Carl Hicks for all his hard work and dedication.
Maintenance
Roof repairs have been completed, and anti-climb paint will be applied.
Parents, please remind children not to climb!
Our microwave and ovens are on their last legs, so we are sourcing
commercial-grade replacements.
A new noticeboard has been installed at the front of the hall to keep
everyone up to date on events.
Charitable Incorporated Organisation
On 10 March, Tackley Village Memorial Hall announced that it
officially became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). This means
that the hall’s trustees are no longer personally liable for any potential
financial risks, which is especially important as we move forward with the
extension project. The assets from the old charity will be transferred to
the new CIO.
Fundraising
We’re currently formulating plans for fundraisers to support the extension
project. Keep an eye on Tackley Notices emails, Facebook and our new
noticeboard for upcoming events.
Tackley Scout group is now into its fifth decade of activity. It has gone
through many ups and downs in that time, and has seen many people come and
go.
The Covid lockdowns were a real low point, and almost saw the group fold,
but a generous anonymous donation kept it going long enough to ride the
storm and pick itself up again.
In subsequent years it has recovered, and the bank balance is healthy
again, but that is only any good if there are sufficient volunteers
available to spend it on quality learning experiences for the young people
who enjoy it so much.
The group really needs help again now. After Easter there will be
insufficient leaders to keep weekly meetings running even though there is a
large enough trustee committee to continue with the revenue generation.
Being a Scout leader is very rewarding and only requires a small amount of
effort each week. You get to learn some new skills and go on free training
courses that you might otherwise never have had the opportunity to.
There are plenty of existing group members to guide you through the process
and help set up term plans, so becoming part of the team should be a smooth
process.
If you would like to be part of such an established village group then
please get in touch and we can provide fun activities together for the young
people of Tackley and the surrounding areas. Just drop me an email to find
out more.
Huge thanks to everyone who supported our very successful race night in
March. The village hall was packed; we even had to bring out an emergency
table and chairs. Great fun was had by all, and we raised over £2,000 in
profit, which is a fantastic amount! Our fundraising efforts were greatly
helped with extremely generous donations from the Pop-Up Pub bar and an
additional donation from the Gardiner Arms team. These funds go towards
supporting our lovely primary school.
It was a fantastic community effort with so many people to thank for making
the night a success.
Many thanks to Geoff Chambers for guiding us on how to run a race night,
his amazing persuasive skills selling tickets and horses, and his fantastic
comparing on the night. Thanks to Judy Robson for producing the fabulous
race cards and all of the other paperwork we needed. Thanks to Paul Joslin
for his wonderful comparing and auctioneering skills. Thanks to Jim Tarry
for being our man on the door, and once again a huge thanks to Matt Ollman
for setting up and running the bar with us. Last but not least, thank you to
the rest of the PTA team organisers: Jo Thomas (and Ian for your
ticket-selling skills!), Emily Sparling and Karen Ward (parent!) and PTA
helpers on the night Kylie Henderson, Emily Jackson and the husbands on the
tote, Alistair, Matt, Paul and Aiden.
Now onto the winning horses, and thank you again to our race sponsors:
Race 1: Bog Trotters Cup sponsored by Laughton Loos. Winner: Ruth
Plucknett with Rocket
Race 2: Friday Frolics Hurdle sponsored by the Pop-Up Pub. Winner:
Kirsty Scott with Henry’s Cat
Race 3: RJM Development Derby sponsored by RJM Developments. Winner:
Andrew Melheish with Last FM
Race 4: Dancing Dash Sweepstake sponsored by Mini Professionals Dance
Academy. Winner: Graham Agutter with Dobbin
Race 5: Living, Loving, Learning, Leg It sponsored by the PTA. Winner:
Team Barnett (auction win) with Clueless
Race 6: Landscape Classic Derby sponsored by Bigfoot Garden Projects.
Winner: Julie Reilly with Reilly 2
Race 7: Pull-a-Pint Chase sponsored by the Gardiner Arms. Winner: Pierre
Macke with Louis Boy
Race 8: Coffee Canter sponsored by Rave Coffee. Winner: George Chaytor
with Toffee Boy
Race 9: Heyford Hurdle sponsored by The Heyford Hotel. Winner: Georgie
Laughton with Swiftie
Race 10: The Final Whistle Stakes sponsored by Dave & Judy Robson.
Winner: Brian (auction win) with Arthur Willie
The seasons are again changing, thankfully. We have been treated to a few
warmer days and nights. A few weeks ago snowdrops covered the churchyard;
and now bright yellow daffodils are nodding their heads in the breeze,
heralding spring. The clocks have changed, jumping forward an hour, bringing
longer and lighter evenings.
In our world things are constantly changing, sometimes faster than we would
like. The rate of change in technology is particularly rapid, with certain
technologies being invented, superseded and made obsolete within a few
years. The way we listen to music, for instance: moving from records to
tapes, to Compact Disc, MP3 and now streaming via our phones and other
devices.
As our world constantly evolves we can find ourselves appreciating and
valuing things that stay the same, such as traditions, as they can help keep
us rooted and grounded.
In the fourth week of Lent – this year on the last Sunday of March – we
celebrated Mothering Sunday. This celebration has evolved over the years,
with more of a focus today on celebrating mothers. Traditionally it was a
celebration honouring ‘mother churches’: returning to where we were baptised
or christened.
The fourth Sunday of Lent is also known as Refreshment, when the lenten
fast would be relaxed and celebrated with a simnel cake – a light fruit cake
– decorated with two layers of marzipan and eleven eggs: one for each of the
apostles minus Judas who betrayed Jesus.
Traditionally we celebrate Easter with chocolate eggs, although
confectionary companies are coming up with a range of alternative ideas.
This was the basis of one of the challenges for contestants on The
Apprentice this year. The eggs are a reminder of the new life we see
all around us in spring. Equally, the empty shell of the egg is a reminder
of the empty tomb that first Easter morning; and the gift of chocolate a
reminder of the gift of Christ and the new life we are promised through his
resurrection.
As we move forward we carry with us the traditions of the past, blending
and shaping them with today’s world. However we celebrate Easter this year,
I pray that you will know God’s love for you and those you love.
As previously reported in these pages, since early last year a new pipe
organ in St Nicholas’ Church has been under construction by the long
established firm of J. W. Walker & Sons. Founded in the 1820s,
this is one of the oldest organ-building firms still in business in England.
They have built many instruments of all shapes and sizes, including large
organs for cathedrals in Bristol, Blackburn and Birmingham (St Chad’s) and
the London Oratory.
The new organ in Tackley is much smaller, of course, but has been designed
and built to the same exacting standards as these larger instruments,
combining traditional craftsmanship with modern digital electronic
technology.
The project has been made possible thanks to the amazingly generous legacy
from former organist Bob Clow, together with grants from the Oxfordshire
Historic Churches Trust, the government’s Listed Places of Worship grant
scheme and other donations and local fundraising.
The installation is now almost complete, and the new organ is already being
used to accompany weekly services in the church — although a little more
work is still needed to finish off some technical details and the front face
of the instrument.
The new organ is actually bigger than the instrument it replaces, currently
with 17 stops – representing different sounds or ‘voices’ – and more than
700 pipes of many shapes and sizes. Despite this, it has been designed to
fit almost exactly into the space occupied by the older organ.
The range of sounds it can produce, however, is a huge improvement,
allowing the organist to play a much wider repertoire of organ music as well
as supporting the singing of even a full congregation.
So, Tackley is at last blessed with an instrument that is able to provide
beautiful music to support church worship, village occasions, weddings and
funerals; as well as for concerts and musical events for all to enjoy.
There will be a number of special events to highlight the new organ, to
which villagers are very welcome to come along and celebrate, including:
Sunday, 6 April at 5:30 pm: a meditation on the Passion of
Christ
Saturday, 17 May at 7:30 pm: an inaugural concert of organ
music
Sunday, 20 July at 5:30 pm: a service of choral evensong and
dedication with the Bishop of Dorchester and the Cathedral Singers of
Christchurch
But you don’t need to wait until then to hear the organ — just come along
to a Sunday service.
At Features we continue to show a variety of films each month: some old and
some new, some light-hearted and some more challenging. We try to include a
balance of films that people will enjoy, with one thing in common: they all
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, including Tackley Methodist Church. We are
pleased to support smaller, local charities as well as those that are better
known.
Based on feedback we have changed the day of our films to Thursday, and are
pleased to see some new people attending alongside our regulars.
We have a variety of films planned for the next few months, including a
look back at some older titles that are definitely worth seeing again. We
look forward to welcoming you at the Methodist Church for a cuppa and a film
at 7 pm on the following Thursdays:
17 April
15 May
19 June
17 July
18 September
16 October
20 November
18 December
Keep an eye out for email notifications through Tackley Notices and the
posters we place on noticeboards in the week before each film.
Our licence means we are unable to externally advertise the names of
upcoming films, hence the rather cryptic posters. You can, however, receive
more information about this month and our future programme by emailing us at
the address above.
The walking group is a friendly way to get to know your local countryside
and surrounding areas. We completed some lovely walks through the winter,
including the chance to explore some interesting architecture in and around
Jericho, Oxford, a frosty and misty walk taking in the beautiful church at
South Leigh as well as revisiting some of our more local footpaths.
It is no secret that there are huge benefits to physical and mental health
from getting out and enjoying the natural environment. We are particularly
lucky to live in a location where we have access to so many beautiful
walks.
As the weather improves and the days get longer we will be planning our
walks for the spring and summer. There are two leisurely walks each month,
with members taking the lead. Walks on second Saturdays meet at 9:30 am
and are approximately 5–8 miles; those on fourth Wednesdays meet at
2 pm and are approximately 3–5 miles.
We meet at the village hall before each walk to arrange car sharing, bus or
train to the start of the walk. Most walks are in North Oxfordshire,
but we sometime venture a bit further afield. 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.
We warmly welcome regular and new members to join us.
Our programme can be found on the village website. Further details of each
route will be sent out via Tackley Notices emails. Our next walk on
Saturday, 12 April is a circular walk around the Rollrights.
Please note that walks may be subject to change, and walkers take
responsibility for their own safety.
Gardening Club
Mary Lee
Well, I think spring is finally approaching! Our AGM went well, and cheese
and wine was enjoyed by all.
In March we were joined by Steeple Aston Garden Club for a very interesting
talk about 21st Century Gardening by Tim
Walker.
At our meeting on Tuesday, 15 April we have Andy Mills, head gardener
at Blenheim. This should be really interesting for all of us. Join us at
7:45 for 8 pm in the village hall.
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. Some do a lot of pedalling up
hills, with others taking it a little easier on e-bikes.
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 6:15 pm from the car park by the
village hall (we leave a little later during the longer days over summer:
6:45 pm from mid May). Then it’s back to Tackley and to the Gardiner
Arms for a drink and chips.
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.
We held our AGM on 24 February. Malcolm Ridout, Sue Whitaker and
Hilary Laughton resigned from the committee. I would like to thank them all
for the contribution they have made to the history group. We will miss
them.
We were really pleased to welcome Charmian Knight as our new chair. We do
still have vacancies on the committee, so if you would like to join us and
become more involved in discovering and sharing the history of our lovely
village, please get in touch.
We then had a talk from Liz Woolley about the life of Felicia Skene, a
wonderful lady who in the Victorian era made a great contribution to helping
the poor during the cholera epidemic, worked with fallen women, and was the
first official prison visitor in Oxford Prison.
The speaker we had arranged for April is sadly no longer able to come. We
hope to confirm a replacement talk soon.
We are organising a walk around the History Trail and a visit to the fish
ponds and estate on Sunday, 29 June at 2:30 pm. Details to
follow.
Tackley WI enjoys an interesting and varied programme of events. Our
meetings have been well attended, and we were delighted to welcome several
visitors to our first meeting of this year, in February, which was led by
one of our members: Christine Clark gave a wonderful talk about the life,
homes, work and enduring appeal of William Morris.
In March we held our annual meeting, reviewing 2024 and electing our
committee for 2025.
Our programme for this year covers a wide range of topics and practical
crafts. You will find posters on village noticeboards with information of
our meetings. Details are also published via Tackley Notices emails, and you
can now follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
We meet at 7:30 for 7:45 pm in the village hall. All ladies are
welcome; non-members for £5 which includes refreshments.
On Tuesday, 1 April we will welcome John Place, an antiques expert.
John will be explaining what makes some antiques valuable, and we will then
have a fun quiz – ‘Basic, Better, Best’ – where we will be trying to guess
the most basic and the most valuable items — similar to the quiz in a
well-known television programme!
On Tuesday, 6 May we will welcome Marea Brown from Art of Jaipur, who
will lead a block printing craft activity. We will learn how to design and
print, and for a small charge have the opportunity to print an item on
fabric to take home.
Tackley WI has a friendly and welcoming membership. Most months we hold a
coffee morning for our members, which provides an opportunity to meet and
chat. Our members have wide and varied interests, and our ages range from
30s to 90s.
For all enquiries, please email us at the address above.
