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Flower & Produce Show

Preparations for the first Flower andProduce Show to be held in Brixworthfor at least 30 years have now been

completed by a very hard working committee.Programmes containing the classes, rules andentry forms have been available since the endof July from K..F.Troops, Lovells Hardware,the Library Information Point and BlasonsGarage. Copies can still be obtained fromthose 4 outlets or can be easily downloadedfrom www.brixworthbulletin.com. The showwill be opened by Mr Richard Turney at2.00pm on Saturday 19th September 2009 atthe marquee in the churchyard of All Saints’.There will be live music by the EddieCockram band plus tea, coffee, soft drinksand cakes for sale.

There are in total 56 classes of exhibits in10 categories – Flowers, Floral Arrangements,Handicrafts, Photography, Cookery,Preserves, Produce including the specialvegetable classes and two children categories(aged 4–7 and 8-15). The committee haveassembled an impressive array of judgesnamely Esther McMillan, Head Gardener ofKelmarsh, Pam Pettitt and Audrey Hawkins(Flowers & Floral Arrangements), Ken Troop,Jackie & Darryl Tidd (Produce), DaphneTurpin and Jennifer Slater, (Cookery) JenniferSlater & Margaret Smith (Preserves), SteveWagstaff (Photography), Jane Stock andLouise Cramp (Childrens classes), MandyDawkins & Sheila Jowers (Handicrafts) andSian Porter (Special Vegetables). Judging willtake place in the marquee between 11.30amuntil 1.00pm. The photograph classes will bedisplayed in the Heritage Centre. Themarquee and the Heritage Centre will not beopen to the public during that period.

The Community Newspaper has donatedthree cups for the Event winners. The Best inShow cup will be awarded for the best exhibitin the 46 classes for adults and a cup each willbe awarded for the best exhibit in thechildren’s 4 to 7 category and the 8 to 15category. The cups will be presented by ParishCouncil Chairman, Ian Barratt. First, Secondand Third Certificates will be awarded foreach class.

It is hoped that villagers will respond tothis initiative by submitting as many exhibitsas possible for the show. Exhibits must bebrought to the marquee between 9.30am and11.00 am on the day of the show. Children’sexhibits are entered free, but there is a 50pentry fee for adults. (5th entry and more arefree) The committee would be delighted ifthere could be a large attendance at the publicviewing between 2.00pm and 4.00pm

There will be an auction of exhibits at 4.05pm. Mercedes Benz H.P.E. has verygenerously donated a signed T–shirt by LewisHamilton, the reigning Formula One WorldChampion and this gift will be auctioned atthe same time.

The organisers thank the local businessesand organisations for their generoussponsorship. The sponsors’ names areacknowledged on the back of the programme.

To round off the day, the committee arehosting a traditional harvest supper at theBrixworth Centre (next to the Church) at7.30pm. A hot home cooked meal will beserved and there will be a bar and the supperwill be accompanied by a live Folk Band –M62. Tickets can be obtained at LovellsHardware or at the Flower & Produce Show -£8 each. Harvey Fox

Mercedes-Benz HPE goes green

Mercedes-Benz High PerformanceEngines’ environmentally responsiblepolicies are clearly demonstrated at

their recently completed Technology Centre inBrixworth.

The new development has been designedfrom the start to take advantage ofsophisticated engineering to reduce our impacton the environment. Having undertaken initialenvironmental surveys as well as flood studies,as a company we committed ourselves tosubstantial investments in time and money todevelop our green agenda. Initiatives designedto reduce the environmental impact of the newdevelopment include:

• Water run-off from the site is collected ina reservoir prior to being re-used forinternal ‘gray’ water systems, e.g. toiletflushing.

• Light level and movement detectors willswitch off lights in unoccupied offices;solar and timer-controlled lighting is usedexternally.

• Use of regenerative dynamometers wherepossible in the engine testing facilities togenerate and re-utilise energy producedduring testing.

• Centralised waste management systemsthat incorporate local recycling centresthroughout the business centre.

Mercedes-Benz H.P.E. took these decisionsat the start of the project to show ourcommitment to recognising the importance ofgreen issues as key to our future, both in thelocal community and in the automotive world.If you are interested in finding out more,please e-mail publicity@mercedes-benz-hpe.com.

From Larkrise to Brixworth……Reviving an old annual village event……………

David Storie Associate proposes to submitan application to D.D.C. to build 5industrial units and 9 houses on the ex-Mabbutts Timber Yard, Station Road.Details of the proposal may be found onpage 13 of this issue.

The Bulletin intends to add a blog pageto its web-site very shortly, but until this isavailable, you can e-mail comments on thisor any other subject by logging onto ourweb-site on www.brixworthbulletin.com

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PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

As the Flower and Produce Showin September has a photographic

competition, The Bulletin willpublish the prize winners in the

next issue.‘Paddy and Minty, aged 14’

AIDEN CONNOLLY

The Bulletin team was very saddenedto hear of the death of AidanConnolly. Aidan had been one of our

distributors since the inception of theBulletin and he could always be relied uponto deliver promptly and accurately.

Aidan was born on 2nd January 1939, thesecond son of Dr Charles Connolly, adevout catholic and his wife Frances, aphysiotherapist, who was a practisingProtestant.

Aidan started his schooling at theConvent in Kettering, before being sent toWellbury Prep School and then toAmpleforth Abbey to complete hiseducation. He trained in London to becomea Charted Surveyor. After qualifying heworked for several years in Kettering withhis wife and two children. The familymoved to Old in 1976 and their third childwas born a few years later. In 1986 theymoved to Brixworth, Aidan continuing towork in Kettering and Northampton until heretired in 1999.

He was a keen cricket player in hisyounger days and was a member ofKettering Cricket Club, the NorthamptonSaints Cricket Club and the NorthantsBedouins. He also played hockey forKettering well into his 30s.

Like his father, he was a devout catholicand rarely missed Sunday Mass.

The Bulletin Team sends theircondolences to his family.

Genesis Development on Ex-Rigiflex Site.

A representative of Genesis advised theBulletin that the 34 units should beavailable for possession by December 2009.

There are 19 units available for rent and15 units for sale. Nominations for rental willbe accepted in September and the range ofprices for the units for sale will be availableat that time.

The two other photographs were taken by Jane Neill

Friends on bench in Spratton Road

3

Brixworth and District U3A Report Jayne Sharpe, Landlady of The George

The Group continues to receive a steadytrickle of new members with a membershipcurrently at around one hundred and wellover half of these regularly attend themonthly meetings. As usual these are heldat the Village Hall on the first Wednesdayof the month commencing at 2p.m. with araffle and tea and biscuits after the speaker.However, due to a prior booking of the hall,the August venue has had to be changed andwill be held at the Northampton SailingClub with a presentation on Sailability(Sailing for the Disabled) project. We havehad recent presentations on the AirAmbulance Service and Cook and Curewith Herbs, and future talks are on FoodAdditives and Music for All.

The established groups meet monthlyapart from the Art, and Table Games groupswhich meet twice monthly. Lunches havebeen held at the Stags Head, Maidwell, TheGeorge at Brixworth and in July, the annualevening outing will be at The Red Lion at

East Haddon. Rambles have beensuccessfully undertaken starting andfinishing for lunch at Waterloo Farm nearGreat Oxendon, The Wheatsheaf, Crick andthe Bell Inn at Gumley. The Genealogy andConversational French groups continue toflourish and the Away Days Group hasvisited Lamport Hall and enjoyed a guidedtour of the historic parts of Brixworth. TheTheatre group is planning to seeFascinating Aida in September and maybeEvita in November. Rather than starting anew gardening group a number of membershave joined the established BrixworthGardening Group.

The committee continues to hold bi-monthly to review progress and we wouldlike to hear from any members with aninterest in any subject that may form thebasis of a new interest group. Any oneinterested in joining should contact theMembership Secretay, Peter Davies on880401. Gerry Dobson

Jayne Sharpe, Landlady of The George Inn,Brixworth first moved to Northampton 24years ago from her native city ofBirmingham.

Jayne’s vast experience in the Brewerytrade began in the 1980’s when she managedthe North Star in Kingsthorpe and laterpromotion by Ansells Brewery moved her toa pub in Derbyshire. Jayne then left the pubtrade to concentrate on bringing up herchildren Danielle, Laura and Adam.Tragically, Adam became ill with a braintumour and died at the age of fifteen, twoyears ago. During Adam’s illness and sincehis death, Jayne has raised over £10,000 forTeenage Cancer Trust.

After the death of Adam, Jayne felt sheneeded to change her lifestyle. Charles WellsBrewery had used a series of temporarymanagers to run the George Inn and waslooking for an investor to take overpermanently and to refurbish the pub. Jayne,who had always liked Brixworth, visited theGeorge with her family and decided that thiswas the challenge she had been looking for.

During an extensive and expensiverefurbishment of the George, Jayne chose thecolour scheme and design to achieve thecolour co-ordination she wanted. TheGeorge re-opened and the villagers ofBrixworth immediately made Jayne and herfamily very welcome and have been verysupportive of the ‘New George’.

There were a few initial small problems,when toilets were vandalised and somepeople objected to the changes she had madeand to the way she intended to run the pub inthe future. Jayne has a zero tolerance policytowards drugs and anti-social behaviour, andthankfully the George experiences very littleof this behaviour.

Jayne is building up a reputation for goodfood with an emphasis on using freshingredients whenever possible. Jayne hasemployed a first class chef and is very proudof the growing reputation of the Georgewhich has an excellent selection of qualityales and wines.

The George also offers opportunities forprivate meetings, functions and gatherings insome of its lovely rooms like the Library andRetreat. Sue Verallo

4

Every few seconds as I sit at mykeyboard I have to brush away apersistent kamikaze hover fly which

seems intent on joining me on the keys. Thisis one of our commoner species and has beengiven the name of marmalade hover fly, notbecause of its fondness for the breakfastjampot, but because it’s black stripes areinterspersed with stripes which aremarmalade-coloured. It is a spectacular littlebeast and actually quite pretty if you take aclose look, with huge chestnut-colouredeyes. A related species is shown in mypicture.

Hover flies are totally harmless to you andme, and like the bees are vitally important forthe work that the adults do in pollinating ourflower and some of our vegetable crops.There is an added bonus because the grubs ofmany of them, which look a bit like minutegreen slugs, make it their life’s ambition tochomp their way through as many greenflyand other nasties as they can find. So all inall they turn out to be of vital importance tous as members of this great unsung insectarmy that through their activities help toensure we have food to put on our tables.

Although many hover flies pretend to bebees or wasps, they are actually more closelyrelated to the pesky house flies that do causeus problems, due to their fondness for dungand for rotting flesh. But whereas house fliesdart from place to place, hover flies have amuch more leisurely approach. Bees andwasps have four wings, whilst hover fliesand house flies have only two. This givesthem a much more triangular shape whenthey are settled. Actually at some time in thedistant past their ancestors did have fourwings, but over time the hind pair havebecome modified into what look like tinydrumsticks only a few millimetres long. Fora long time scientists were baffled as to whatpossible use these could have. They arecalled halteres and turn out to be absolutelyvital to the insect. Watch them for a whileand you can see that they are skilful fliers,manouvering rapidly. They can also hover asthey approach a flower or a landing pad.Slow motion film has shown that theforewings are able to flex through almost

360 degrees, while the halteres are beatingrapidly. It appears they act like the tailpropeller on a helicopter keeping the insectstable as it flies.

One of my favourite hover flies is the bigone, which pretends to be a bee, that iscommon along hedgerows and in woodlands.You can often spot it along the BramptonValley Way. Overcome with curiosity it willapproach you very closely, hovering in frontof you as it looks you over. Then suddenly,its curiosity satisfied, with a loud buzzing itwill be gone.

Still on the subject of flight, I suppose youwill have heard the one about the bumblebee. Apparently one of our leading flightengineers calculated beyond doubt thatbumble bees cannot fly. The ratio betweenthe tiny wings and their comparatively hugebody mass means that they should not beable to get off the ground. But no-onethought to tell the bumble bees this!

Sadly as I wrote in my last Bulletinarticle, these vast armies of insects on whichwe depend totally are under threat fromhuman activities. In the past few years theirnumbers have been vastly reduced. If we dolose them, then our own futures may well bein the balance. We need them. Long maythey continue to flourish.

Masters of Flight in Your Garden

Happy BirthdaySunny Socks

Sunny Socks Nursery School celebrated a20th birthday in March this year. Over thistime we have seen many changes and thisyear is no different. From September 2009we are offering places to children under theage of 18 months. We have accepted babies atour nursery in Duston for 3 years now and ithas become apparent that there is a need inour village and surrounding area for earlyyears provision.

We are restructuring the nursery to createa specific area for our under 2’s and will beready to show parents the change from earlySeptember. Anyone who has used SunnySocks will know the high standards we striveto achieve and this new initiative will havethe same attention to detail and outstandingcare.

Please contact our nursery for furtherdetails and costs. We can also tell you aboutfunding for older children. Come and see oursetting in the beautiful location of Park Farmand meet the team. Lesley Eaton

As I said in my last report, thanks togrants from Biffaward, NorthantsCounty Council, Hollowell Steam

Rally and lots of hard work by the folks of thevillage, Draughton has at last got the longawaited kitchen and toilets on the Club Room.

We had a wonderful Grand openingceremony on May 15th. So many people,including ex-residents, came to join in thecelebration. Some of them were born in thevillage over 80 years ago.

The ladies of the village produced a superarray of food and 2 gentlemen madedonations for the wine. Thank you all verymuch.

The opening ceremony ribbons were cut byMrs Beattie Russell and Mr Ben Tew. MrsRussell was born in the village and lived herefor over 75 years before moving to Moultonabout 10 years ago. Mr Tew is one of the ClubRoom Trustees and our oldest resident.

Now that the rules have been relaxed toallow anyone with a strong connection to achurch to marry there, my niece and herhusband Stuart were able to be married in StCatherine’s on May 2nd. Claire has manyhappy memories from when she was a childand her father (my brother) and myselfregularly attended services in St. Catherine‘s.

The Rev Mary Garbutt made the servicevery special and the church looked lovely.The weather was wonderful and all the springflowers were out in the churchyard. Somebeautiful wild wood anemones grow underthe lime trees.

Here in Draughton, it has been a problemfinding new members eligible to serve on thePCC and the Archdeacon came and addresseda meeting on July 23rd to clarify thesituation. This is such a small community andthere are people of different denominationsliving here but they all are willing to help insome way to keep this lovely old church open

for worship. There are no Churchwardens atthe moment but several volunteers havejoined with Mary to form a PCC plus asecretary and treasurer.

The church is desperately in need of money,specially, for re-wiring and heating and thereis to be a fund raising Autumn Fayre on 20thSeptember from 2-4 pm with all kinds ofstalls and teas. Do please come along tosupport St Catherine’s. Anne Block

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BRIXWORTH LIONS QUIZThe Brixworth Lions are organising afundraising quiz on Friday 18thSeptember 2009 to be held in the VillageHall.

The quiz will start at 8.00pm (doorsopen at 7.30pm). The price is £10 perteam of 4 persons and £3 for eachadditional member. Please pay on thedoor. Bring your own drinks and nibbles.

6

Guides raise money for CharitiesOn May 19th, the guides held a coffeeevening at Brixworth Centre and raised£251.61. This is to be split between 4charities chosen from ‘Changing theWorld Project’ co-ordinated byGirlguiding U.K. The charities, theguides chose, were WWF, Water Aid,The Woodland Trust and National DeafChildren Society.

Many thanks are given to everyonewho supported us.

Jill Gunnett – Guider 1st ScaldwellGuides.

ART EXHIBITION – part of the 2009 Open StudiosAt Brixworth Library (1st Floor), Spratton Road, Brixworth

Preview Evening on Friday 4th September 2009 from 5.00 to 7.00 p.m.And throughout September from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. each day (Saturday 9.00 to 1.00 and closed Sundays)

Works by Alison Bull Works by Belinda Collett Works by Lisa Sawbridge

7

BRIXWORTH DRAMA GROUPVillage Hall Farce

In a mildewed Village hall Val and Bensat either side of a table. There was astony silence interspersed by little

irritating noises from Val, which dragged onand on. So began the latest BrixworthDrama Group’s latest offering “It Can’t GoOn” This little play was the first of two intheir mid summer production both writtenby the talented Stuart Cooper. It concerned athin on the ground pre play meeting todiscuss the am drams next productionwritten by their chairman Simon played byTony Farrow. The play starred Heather Poolas Val the disapproving diva who consideredSimon’s play to be largely obscene and hadmade a careful note of all the relevantpassages to back up her case. This evidencetogether with Val’s fearfully pursed lipsproved a formidable challenge indeed forthe hapless Simon when he appeared with anair of loud bravado. Eileen Truby played thetimid Doreen. Eileen seems to be gettingtypecast in timid characters. I particularlyenjoyed David Harris’s nicely understatedperformance as Ben the man with personalproblems at home. Heather also directed theplay jointly with Amanda Pilgrim.

The second play entitled “Manor fromHeaven” was the play the group in the firstplay had been discussing. Are you managingto keep up? Directed by Stuart Cooper, thestory involved a newly opened hotelawaiting its first guests. We had adisorganized owner William played by MikeCulverhouse. When he frantically twiddleshis hair one is reminded of the immortalStan Laurel. Then we had the ultra efficientManageress, Miranda who had hopes ofmarrying poor William. Miranda was playedby that stalwart of Brixworth Drama, SueI’Anson who never fails to turn in a polishedperformance. If you are beginning to thinkthis sounds familiar, you would be wrongbecause it is not set in Torquay and thewaiter is called Peter and is not Spanish. Norapparently did he have any flies! Howeverthe receptionist is called Carla played byAmanda Bird. We got to see a lot of herespecially after the chewing gum stuck toher skirt. Nice legs Amanda! And the cook iscalled Alfonso, played on the night we went,by David Harris in his second role of theevening. If I tell you that when he finallyturned up to save the day he was dressed asBatman and thinking of committing suicidebecause he was in love with thechambermaid Geraldine played with gustoby Sue McAspern in a chicken costume, youwill appreciate gentle reader that there wasmuch to laugh at in this farce. The wholefarcical element was kept nicely movingalong by that doyen of comic roles, JamesSkeggs playing George the handyman whowas trying to fix the sliding doors. This was

a role with plenty of scope for improvisationwhich James exploited to the full. Well, Ithink it was improvisation.

Farce is not everyone’s cup of tea andtiming is especially critical to make it workwell. Judging from the audience reaction thegroup accomplished this very well.However it would be unfair not to mentionthe hard work put into both performances byEunice Ellis who acted as prompt.

Dennis Coles

The wardens of All Saints’ Church,Brixworth appeal for additional volunteers

to assist in mowing the churchyard. Anengine driven mower is available at the

vicarage with petrol supplied.Please telephone Sheila Jowers,

01604 880474

PLANNING STATUS REPORT

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REFERENCE NO. &

DESCRIPTION OF APPLICATION

P.C. RECOMMENDATION & DDC

DECISION

DA/2007/1400 Buckton Fields.

Boughton.Residential development

consisting of approx. 1250 dwellings.

PC 29/1 Traffic increase objections. Now

amended but still PC concerns.

DA/2009/0183 36 Stannard Way. Dormer

extension to front & rear and garage

conversion.

PC 30/3 No objection.

DA/2009/0206 8 Highslade. Single storey

extension (in access of 4 metres deep) to

rear.

PC 8/4 No objection.

DA/2009/0209 3 Dairy Close. Side

extension above & to rear of garage.

PC 28/4 No objection subject to conditions

DA/2009/0260 10 Tantree Way. Take

down existing conservatory and build

single storey extension.

PC 11/5 No objection. DDC Refused.

DA/2009/0262 Land to north of Visitors

Centre, Brixworth Country Park. Change

of use of agricultural land to camp site.

Erection of camp site office.

PC 11/5 No objection. DDC Approved.

DA/2009/0298 15 Pytchley Way. Two

storey side extension and porch.

PC 20/4 No objection. DDC Approved.

DA/2009/0315 1 Brackenborough. Single

storey extension.

PC 20/4 No objection

DA/2009/0316 20 Church St. Demolish

existing garage and replace with new

double door garage to adjoin house with

extension to rear.

PC 20/4 No objection.

DA/2009/0314 85 Spratton Road. Two

storey extension to side of dwelling.

PC 11/5 No objection.

DA/2009/072 Pitstop Restaurant, Quarry

Road. Change of use of restaurant/

conference building to offices (B1) plus

single storey extension.

PC 1/6 No objection.

DA/2009/0376 36 The Knoll. Two bed

bungalow (amended design)

PC 22/6 No objection

DA/2009/0463 3 Northampton Rd.

Widen gable end. Remove velux window.

PC 13/7 No objection.

DA/2009/0455 10 Tantree Way. Rear &

side single storey extension.

PC 13/7 No objection.

Dear SirI had to reply to Jane Neill’s letter

bemoaning the landscaping to the Mercedesplant on the A508.

I can’t think of a better piece of work tomake that end of the village look moreattractive. The old hedge was an unkempteyesore and to my mind the parklandscaping will serve the village well foryears to come. I applaud Mercedes for whatthey’ve done. I really feel that a littleimagination in terms of what this will looklike in three or four years time will serveJane well. Bob Campbell

NEXT ISSUE OF THE BULLETINThe next issue of the Bulletin will be on the1st December 2009. Copy and details ofadvertisements for this Christmas editionshould be available by 1st November.

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QUARTERLY POLICE REPORT

Kingsthorpe Co-op ReunionFor all ex-Grocery, Butchery and ChemistStaff, a buffet lunch will be held at theFrog and Fiddler, Kingsthorpe onSeptember 10th at 12 noon.

Tickets are £5 per head. Partners arewelcome Please telephone Joan Shelton(nee Eldred) on 01604 460391.

It has been a busy period for the DaventrySafer Community Teams. Inspector JuliaPotts has recently joined the Sector as

Commander. PC Gary Wright has recentlymoved across to Daventry Rural South SaferCommunity Team after 10 years on thesector and PC James Reid has joined theDaventry Rural North Safer Communityteam to replace him.

The lighter nights have seen a rise inreports of juvenile nuisance and anti-socialbehaviour in and around the villages ofBrixworth and Spratton. It is common foryoung people to congregate in large groupsand gather in the streets, but only a smallnumber are consuming alcohol, throwingobjects, damaging property and disturbinglocal residents in the ways that arecomplained about.

We know that people, particularly if theyhave been the victim of criminal damage orsimilar crimes, are often concerned aboutthe presence of groups of young people andwe accept that this is something that peoplesay affects their confidence in local police,but in this area, reports of juvenile nuisancehave fallen and we hope the robust approachtaken will continue this trend.

The Daventry Rural North team havebeen busy over the past few monthsresponding to the priorities identified bylocal people. The Beat 20 Community Panel– that’s the villages of Brixworth,Cottesbrook, Creaton, Haselbech andSpratton - identified the following priorities:

1. Youth and anti-social behaviour at YewTree Lane Spratton; speeding in Spratton.

2. Anti-social behaviour and parking inBrixworth.

The Team has conducted 29 targeted,anti-social behaviour patrols in the problemareas and issued stop search tickets whenalcohol has been confiscated. We shouldremember that Brixworth is an alcohol freezone and drinking in public places is notpermitted.

The parking problems continue onNorthampton Road and Pytchley Way and

Fixed Penalty tickets have been issued tooffending drivers. There appears to be a fewpeople who continue to disobey the parkingrestrictions. No motorists who break the lawwill be given a warning and all offenderswill receive a fixed penalty notice while wetackle this priority for local people.

We recently received an email from aresident in Froxhill Crescent, Brixworth,who comments on the police presence:

“I was weeding my front lawn and tookpains to say to everyone who passed (andthere were quite a few!) ’It’s good to see thepolice are keeping an eye on the lads’. I wassurprised how a couple of people who hadjust walked past the police car said theyhadn’t noticed!!!

We are out and about all the time, soplease take a moment to speak to your localPolice Officers and PCSOs about anyconcerns you may have.

At the Community Panel Meeting on July16, new priorities for Beat 20 were discussedand adopted. For Brixworth, these are:-

• Anti-social behaviour on the recreationground in Froxhill Crescent, andmemorial bench on Spratton Road(junction with Brampton Way).

• Speeding (in the ‘circuit loop of Co-op,Brampton Way, etc). We will be looking to work with our

partners to take steps to address the issuesraised

And just a reminder for when you try tocontact us - Brixworth Police office is notpermanently staffed so please call our newPolice contact telephone number: To reportincidents or to contact the team call 03000111 222 or in the case of emergency 999.

This is important in order that we candeploy the proper resources to any incidentin your area.

To contact the Safer Community Team byemail SCTDaventryRuralNorth@northants.police.ukYou can also Crime Stoppers, in confidenceon 0800 555 111

Jo Hillery

Lollipop Person for Northampton RdShirley Harrison, Head of School CrossingPatrol Service advertised in the last issue ofthe Bulletin for a School Crossing Patrollernear Brixworth CEVC School. She hasadvised the Bulletin that an offer has beenmade to an applicant, subject to an enhancedcriminal record bureau check. This check isobligatory for all successful candidates and itis anticipated that the check will be completeby end of September. Hopefully Brixworthresidents will see a ‘Lollipop Person’ onNorthampton Road in the autumn.

10

BRIXWORTH COMMUNITYFIRST RESPONDERS

East Midlands Ambulance Servicecommunity defibrillator officer, Sarah-JayneParsons said ‘Community First Responderscan help save lives. They give extra supportto our ambulance service when someone hashad a serious illness in a remote location.The on-call CTR is dispatched at the sametime as an ambulance and because they arealready in the area where the incident hastaken place they can be first on the sceneproviding essential treatment.

The Brixworth CFR Scheme waslaunched in the Community Centre on the8th July 2009. Group Coordinator PhilipElvidge said: ‘People interested in joiningour scheme need to be over 18, physicallyfit, have a full driving licence and access toa car and be a good communicator.’

‘Once we have secured funding and ourmembers have been trained we will give afast response to people in our communitywho suffer a cardiac arrest, heart attack,have chest pains, people who areunconscious or have severe breathingdifficulties. We arrive on scene with a kitbag which contains an automatic externaldefibrillator, oxygen and basic first aidequipment.

EMAS provides the necessary trainingand support and because CFR schemes arefinancially self supporting, they are gratefulfor any input from local businesses andcommunity groups. On average it costs£2,000 to set up a scheme and purchase alife saving bag.

Anyone interested in becoming avolunteer CFR or sponsoring the schemeshould contact Philip Elvidge on07964162918 or e-mailCFR.brixworth@hotmail.co.uk

Strictly Brixworth!!Want a chance to learn to dance? Want to re-live past glories or just have a good time?Then come along to a Rock n Roll danceevening at the Village Hall.

The Friends of All Saints, Brixworth haveinvited Geoff Bates of the Carnival DanceClub, Northampton to give us two hours ofinstruction on how to Rock n Roll!

He guarantees that by the end of theevening, beginners will have learnt enoughsteps to “strut their stuff” when the DJ putson Bill Hayley or Shakin’ Stevens, whilst themore experienced will have had anopportunity to brush up on style andtechnique (whilst you never know, perhapseven finding a new step or two!).

So, dig out those blue suede shoes, pile upthe beehive and make a date to Rock n Roll!

Brixworth Village Hall, 21st Novemberfrom 7-30pm. Tickets £7-50 each fromLovells Hardware. Light refreshmentsavailable. All proceeds in aid of All SaintsBrixworth

The Parochial Church Council held asuccessful Auction at Lamport Hall on the11th July. The weather was not kind on thatday, restricting the numbers who attended,however a significant sum was raised forthe church. Thanks go to the organiser,volunteers and to all those who offeredauction items.

There was an attempted burglary inLamport in the last month, luckily they weredisturbed during the break-in and ran off.Please take extra care with your security asthis type of crime is on the increase.

I am told that a second property has beensold in Manor Gardens.

No news at present on the wind farmfront, DDC are still waiting for the re-application from Bolsterstone for theproposed Lodge Farm site. They are alsostill awaiting further info on the Harringtonapplication and are not expected to make adecision until September.

Dog fouling is still a problem for some ofthe Hanging Houghton residents. The dogwarden has been alerted so if your dog isthe one causing the problem beware, as thefines are very significant.

Mike Philpott.

Bulletin Team urgently requireshelp with distribution, advertising

administration and articlecontributions. Please contact Editor

on 01604 880337

11

BRIXWORTH YOUTHFOUNDATION CHARITY

EVENT

Following on from last year’s successfulfundraiser when we raised over£4,500, the youth foundation is again

hosting a disco, prize draw and auction at thevillage hall on Saturday, September 19thfrom 7pm onwards.

Those who attended last year’s event willrecall that at the last minute we had to changeour venue from a beautiful (but extremelysoggy) outdoor garden party to the dry andwarm village hall. This year we have decidedto cut out worrying about the weather and goindoors! As we do not have to hire amarquee, we have lowered admission to £10.This will include a welcome drink, hog roast,desserts and entertainment

We are very grateful to local businesseswho are donating prizes for the evening. Oneexciting item is a signed cricket ball byMonty Penesar! Argos have agreed tosponsor us under their community cashbackscheme which means they will top our fundsup by up to £1,000, depending on whatmoney is raised on the night. CarnivalTaylor and Furnisha have also agreed to a10% reduction on production of a ticket forthe event.

It hardly seems possible, but the youthfoundation is now in its fifth year ofoperation. We’re looking a bit smarter thesedays with new flooring and are really pleasedwith our new youth theatre club running onFridays. We have also recently receivedfunding for a part time paid worker to set upmore structured events for young people onWednesdays.

We are hopeful that last year’s success willbe matched and that the residents ofBrixworth will again show their communityspirit in support of the young people of todayand the responsible citizens of tomorrow.

Val Lowden

Theatre Review: All’s Well That Ends Well

All’s Well That Ends WellHelena (Michelle Terry) &King of France (Oliver Ford Davies)

All’s Well That Ends Well, currently playingin the Olivier auditorium at the NationalTheatre, is one of Shakespeare’s least well-known plays and has often been described,along with Troilus & Cressida and MeasureFor Measure as a ‘problem play’. It is a‘tragicomedy’ based on a story taken fromBoccaccio’s “Decameron” in which thecharacters struggle through manyvicissitudes towards what may turn out tobe, as the title suggests, a happy conclusion.

Helena, the feisty, orphaned daughter of askilled physician, falls desperately in lovewith Bertram, the haughty Count ofRossillion who is in service with the Kingof France. Using a remedy passed down toher by her late father, Helena bravelyventures to cure the old King of anagonising fistula and, as a reward, asks forthe hand of Bertram in marriage. Bertram,however, is indignantly opposed to thematch but Helena and the King stick to theirguns. This sets off a train of events withmany twists and turns, deceptions,disguises and mistaken identities, confusionover the exchange of not one ring but twoand the device of the ‘bedtrick’ where aclandestine bedding in the dark turns out,subsequently, to have been not with theexpected lover but with someone else.

Does all end well? Although the story hasthe characteristics of a fairy-tale, the endingis not quite of “they all lived happilyevermore” variety: the best that the Kingcan manage in conclusion is “All seems tobe well”.

Directed by Marianne Elliott anddesigned by Rae Smith, this is a lavish,energetic production with a fairy-tale setincorporating a towering gothic castle, aconcealed high-level walkway and acyclorama on which are projected hugespiders, crows and owls flying in the turretsand, in the second half, a distant view of aTuscan skyline. The fairy-tale atmosphereis heightened by appropriate live music andby occasional “freeze frame” action pauses.Costumes and props are timeless: thewidow, her daughter & friend are dressed incolourful modern prints whereas the LordsDumaine appear in splendid Ruritarianuniforms.

There are some very fine performances,especially from Michelle Terry (Helena)and Oliver Ford Davies (King of France).Both of these actors have the gift ofspeaking Shakespeare’s verse withenormous intelligence and clarity. Helena,who can come over as something of agrasping opportunist, is played forcefullybut with humanity and it is impossible notto sympathise with her when she declares“My friends were poor, but honest” and,later, when referring to the bedtrick,“…But O, strange men, That can suchsweet use make of what they hate…”.Conleth Hill is amusing as the effetebraggart Parolles (companion to Bertram)though the lengthy scene where he isentrapped and exposed for the liar that heis, would have benefitted from somejudicious trimming. The Countess ofRossillion, Bertram’s mother played byClare Higgins, is not so much of the grandedame but more of the caring mother andstep-mother, the latter rather unusual in afairy-tale! There are excellent supportingperformances from the rest of the cast and,having thoroughly enjoyed it, I came awaywondering why this play is not performedmore often.

All’s Well That Ends Well runs at the NTuntil 1st October. Tickets are not at WestEnd prices and range from as little as £10.Mid-week matinees offer great bargains forpensioners. George Hammerschmidt

George Hammerschmidt is a very frequenttheatre goer and it is hoped that he can review atheatre production locally or in London for eachfuture issue of the Bulletin. The criterion is thatthe performance is continuing after the date ofissue, so that readers can take advantage of thereview. It means that quite often, a productionthat he has seen and would have wished toreview, is ending before our issue date.

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Sarah Featley, Brixworth Resident, who is reading for a MA at Nottingham University inJournalism interviews Councillor Chris Millar recently re-elected as County Councillor

An Antiques Roadshow and OpenDay is to be held at Brixworth

Library and Community Centre,Spratton Road, on Thursday, 15th

October, 2009, between 10 am and 4 pm

The different types of council that coverBrixworth often leads to confusion as towhat each council does for us. SARAH

FEATLEY talks to County Councillor ChrisMillar to find out what the County Councildoes for us and what it means to him to be amember of our local government.

Councillor Chris Millar has been theCounty Council representative for theBrixworth division since 2001, and is alsoleader of Daventry District Council, a post hehas held since 1999. He moved to Northamptonin 1993, and has lived in Brixworth since 2001.Aged 55-years-old, he has three sons who are18, 21 and 24.

But how did his role in local governmentstart?

He previously worked in banking inLondon, Manchester and the Midlands, and haslived all over the country since his birth inBristol.

He got involved in local government afterbeing part of a group campaigning against theexpansion of an incinerator facility inGuilsborough.

As the County Council representative forthe Brixworth division, Chris also represents14 other villages.

Chris acknowledges that the localgovernment structure can seem complicated,and so explains: “Northamptonshire has whatthey call a ‘three tier local governmentstructure’.

“This means it is governed by the CountyCouncil, with seven District Councils andnumerous Parish Councils making up the othertwo tiers. So it is hardly surprising that manyresidents are confused by what each Council isresponsible for if they have a specific issue orconcern to deal with.”

So as our representative, what is Chrisregularly contacted about?

Chris describes: “One of the CountyCouncil services I tend to get contacted moston is relating to the state of our roads! Afteryears of under-investment in our local roadnetwork systems and with traffic volumesincreasing, I recognise there is still a long wayto go to ‘catch up’ on the backlog despite thevery many improvements seen in recent years.

“I receive numerous other communicationson matters relating to rural transport, schools,youth activities, social services, voluntaryservices, ‘special needs’, environmental issues,and many more!”

Chris, as an elected local representative,also feels that an important part of his role is toact as an advocate for both individuals andcollective action groups – such as the groupswho are opposed to wind farm applications inBrixworth, Kelmarsh and Harrington.

He adds: “As Leader of a Council that isfirmly in favour of advocating a ‘green’ agendaand renewable energy sources it may seemstrange to some that I am happy to put in strongrepresentations against wind farm proposals.

“I believe there are two points here, one isthat my role as I see it is to represent to the bestof my ability the views of constituents, andsecondly I do understand the concerns of localpeople who live in this beautiful part ofNorthamptonshire with the number of windfarm proposals that are coming forward in afairly uncoordinated fashion.”

Chris continues: “I fully accept the reasonswhy landowners are attracted to the offersmade to them but equally feel the Governmentis failing to show enough national leadership inthis area; by advocating thousands moreturbines yet failing thus far to produce aNational Renewable Energy Plan.

Returning to his County Council role, Chrisbelieves it is important he engages with localParish Councils by offering advice and supportto their village objectives and plans. Heexplains: “I have a tremendous amount ofrespect for the Parish Councils in my patch as Iknow how much they do on behalf of theirlocal communities.

“Fortunately I was able to utilise my CountyCouncil empowerment fund over the past twoyears by donating monies totalling £20,000 tosupport Parish Council and Community Group

Projects. This scheme is again available for thecoming years and I would be delighted to hearfrom anyone dealing with a community projectwho feels they need the support of this fund toget their scheme moving forward.”

So what does Chris enjoy the most about hisrole?

Chris replies: “As I am involved in manyaspects of local government, I am fortunate toexperience a whole variety of differentsituations, which makes life very interesting.Despite spending much of my time dealing at asenior strategic level on many policy matters,such as examining the future governmenthousing growth plans that have been developedacross West Northamptonshire and consideringit’s potential impact on villages within theBrixworth Division, I find the most enjoyableand rewarding part of the whole experience ishelping local residents to resolve theirindividual or collective problems and issues.

He explains: “People don’t realise that wedo a tremendous amount. We collect therubbish, make planning decisions – especiallythe policies regarding where Brixworth goesnext.

“We provide environmental health, and areresponsible for the collection of council tax.”

But what should be done for the Brixworthof the future?

“One problem is the lack of affordablehousing”

He added: “It is important, especially at themoment to build houses that people can affordto live in”.

“People often want to stay in the same areaas where they grew up, but if they cannot affordthe housing then they may leave and notnecessarily come back.

“So we’re very pleased with Brixworth –we’ve got some units going up at the oldRigiflex site which are going to be moreaffordable. “

Some would also say that a further problemfaced by the village is a lack of facilities for itsmany residents.

Councillor Millar said that as more andmore houses were built here, the centre of thevillage never kept pace with the housinggrowth.

The council would like to encourage theconversion of more old buildings in Brixworthinto business units, as a way of creating newjobs.

There are other problems that need to beexamined, such as improving the publictransport, and increasing the police presence.

However, Councillor Millar said he willcontinue to push for the best services for thosein the district.

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DRAMA GROUP’S NEXTPRODUCTION

‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ will beperformed on Saturday 23rd, Friday 29thand Saturday 30th January 2010 in thevillage hall. There will be matinee &evening performances. The drama group has recently launched itsown web-site. Here you can read about themembers of the group, see what plans areafoot, see pictures of rehearsals and read theGoldilocks Blog. You can even vote on pastproductions and suggest ideas for futureplays and events. Visithttp://brixworthdra.pcriot.com and join inthe fun.

Brixworth Technology Park, formerly Mabbutts Timber YardDavid Storie Associate is to apply to D.D.C. build 5 industrial units for research &development and light industry uses together with residential infill along the sitefrontage of Station Road. The Station Road Residents Group which has written toneighbours claiming that the plans propose to:

• Knock down most of the existing disused buildings and replace them with fivenew industrial units, each of which could be occupied by multiple companies.The plans already make provision for the future extension.

• Provide parking for around 200 vehicles.• Build an extra 9 residential properties along the front of the area.• Build a new service road for the area suitable for articulated vehicles.

D S A claims benefits including provision of jobs, re-use of brown-field site and avisually pleasing development.The proposed site layout can be seen on www.brixworthbulletin.com

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Gardening Notes by Catherine Hole

Once again the end of summer hasarrived and autumn is bringing indarker nights. The summer season has

not lived up to weather forecasters’predictions just the odd week of really nicewarm seasonal sun, many exceptionallyheavy showers and quite chilly nights.

This has all resulted in – naturally –complaints from gardeners who are nevercontent with weather conditions. Staking ofplants has been important with destructivestrong winds playing havoc with hollyhock,lilies, oenothera (evening primrose) and anyother lofty willowy plants. Unfortunatelysome staking is not aesthetically undertakenin that canes are often far too tall and standwell above the height of the poor plant,therefore highlighting the stake rather thanthe flower, so creating a garden of canes.

In early autumn many flowers are flame-coloured, dahlia, chrysanthemum, rudbeckia,and the autumn flowering aster known as themichelmas daisy, of which butterflies enjoythis last burst of nectar of the year andespecially favour the variety ‘King George’,with rich violet-purple colouring. The otherbutterfly favourite now is the ‘sedum’ flowerthat comprises many tiny blooms of pale pinkand is often host to many insects on each‘head’. This plant is easily grown and dividesreadily into many small plantlets in spring. InMay I snip off the top 6-8cms of each stem asthis then prevents them becoming too tall andstraggly later, therefore not requiring support.Gardens to visit to appreciate these flowersare Kelmarsh Hall, Coton Manor or a littlefurther afield, Waterperry in Oxfordshire hasa wonderful autumn display, plant nurseryand restaurant.

Berried shrubs such as pyracantha andberberis will now be putting on theirperformance of red, orange and yellow.Cotoneaster ‘horizontalis’ in early summerproduces a mass of tiny white/pink flowersmuch loved and visited by bees, so much sothat on a warm, quiet day the whole plantappears to hum. These are followed in autumnby a startling display of bright red berries andred leaves which if the winter sun catches

them gives a lovely warm glow. Blackbirdsdo not tend to eat these until all others havebeen eaten suggesting they are not sopalatable.

Amelanchier ‘lamarkii’ is a small tree thathas all year round interest. Bronze- colouredleaves emerge in April at the same time asstarry white small flowers clothing thebranches which are followed later by brightred berries which blackbirds immediately findirresistible (as with the honeysuckle berries).In autumn the leaves of the amelanchier turnfiery orange and red. The Sorbus (rowan) treehas had exceptionally good berries this year.

The vegetable garden has been quitesuccessful as rain has fallen frequently mostof the time. Potatoes have cropped well.

Runner beans suffered with the cold spellparticularly when temperatures dropped lowat night and also were battered by the strongwinds in exposed sites. However, the plantsrecovered and a good crop is expected as theyare now full of flower. The peas wereplentiful although some plants were lost topigeons in the early stages! Carrots shouldnow be at a size to ‘pull’ but take care toensure that the remaining carrots are coveredby soil otherwise ‘carrot fly’ will enter andnibble them. Leeks and parsnip will begrowing well and provide a welcome additionto winter casseroles. They need not be duguntil required as frost does not damage either.

Marrows and courgettes will grow withcontinuous picking until the first frostdestroys them. Marrows can be kept in a dryfrost free place for some weeks after picking.

Brussels sprouts mature during autumn andwinter and should be picked when the size ofwalnuts and still tightly closed starting fromthe bottom of the stem upwards. .Nowadays itis common practice to see whole stems ofplants for sale in greengrocers with sproutsattached as this preserves them and isprobably cheaper than individually picking.

A gentle reminder that bulbs will shortlyarrive in nurseries and garden centres,unbelievably for the spring of 2010 alreadyone decade into this new century. It is a goodidea to select bulbs quite early as there ismore choice and quality is better.

Whilst the summer has been disappointing,thankfully we have had no fears of drought,quite the contrary.

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Sports Extra News Northamptonshire CountyCouncil launches major push for

School Governors

The national charity, School Governors’ One-Stop Shop (SG OSS) has launched the secondphase of its innovative partnership with N.C.C.In a bid to increase the number of schoolgovernor volunteers across the county, SGOSShas delivered thousands of leaflets and posters topublic libraries, leisure centres, churches andlocal clubs. Over the coming year, members ofSSGOS will run information sessions andrecruitment events. A new websitewww.northamptonshireneedsschoolgoverors.comhas been launched to support the initiative.

Last year SGOSS helped to recruit 170volunteers, 50 more than the agreed target. SteveAcklam SGOSS C.E.O. said that we hope tobring in 120 new volunteers into schoolgovernance this year.

The photograph above shows some of theofficials who attended the launch in June.Martin Lawrence, School Governance Advisor,N.C.C., Joan Kirkbride, Cabinet Member forChildren & Young People N.C.C., Janet Scott,Deputy Chief Executive, School Governors’ OneStop Shop SGOSS and Andy Nichols,Governance Manager, N.C.C.

BRIXWORTH ALL SAINTSFOOTBALL CLUB

The season ended with the 1st teamcoming a respectable 3rd and thereserves winning their respective

leagues. The reserves just dropped 2 pointsall season and only 2 games all year, whichwere both the cup finals. The 1st team alsolost in a cup final after the tie at Sixfieldsended with a penalty shootout. On thewhole it has been an excellent season, andwe are eagerly awaiting the new season tobegin. Pre-season preparations are goingvery well, including winning the Spratton 6a side tournament. New players have signedfor the club, resulting in a great atmosphereand high expectations for the forthcomingseason.

We are still looking for additionalmembers to assist in duties like match-daynets, line marking, assistant referees, fundraising and general support for next season.Look out for posters for fund raising eventsin the near future. Training is on Wednesdayevenings starting at 6.30pm (unless we havea game). All are welcome.

I would like to thank all involved for theirexceptional efforts this season and if youwould like to contact me for any reason mydetails are below:

Nigel Eldred- chairman BASFC 07812609095 or neldred@hotmail.co.uk

LONG BUCKBY RUGBY CLUB

LBRFC has a long tradition of attractingplayers from Brixworth and surroundingvillages and we welcome players of allabilities and ages.

We have a thriving mini/junior sectionwith over 300 children from U6 all the waythrough to U17. At LBRFC children quicklymake friends as they are introduced to orcoached in the skills of rugby in a fun andinformal setting catering for all skill levels.Everybody is welcome to participateincluding those at senior level where theclub runs teams from colts through toveterans sides.

If your child or even you (contact theclub), would like to learn to play rugby in asafe environment, please come along whenthe season starts on Sunday 6 Septemberand we will get your child involved and tellyou all you need to know. Sessions runfrom10.30am to 12. We look forward towelcoming you at our rugby club. Forfurther information refer to the website atwww.lbrfc.co.uk. Jan Foster

40th Anniversary of Central Sports Pavilion Project

In the summer of 1969, it was agreed toform a committee as a joint venturebetween the Football Club and the

Cricket Club to create a new facility forsport at St. David’s playing field. Sport inmany surrounding villages was struggling tosurvive in the 60’s and 70’s, whilstBrixworth maintained strong sportingtraditions and the need for a new pavilionwas paramount. At that time the ‘pavilion’was a wooden shed which doubled as anequipment store and did not do justice to theprogress that the clubs wished to make.There were no toilets, one cold tap over asmall sink and very little else.

A committee was duly formed in 1969with the aim of raising sufficient funds –there being at that time no grants or outsidefunding available.

The original committee of Gordon Blake,Frank Watkins, John Buckby, MartinHamilton, Dave Manning and John Blasonrepresenting the football and cricket clubs.Jack Henderson was President, Geoff Smith,Chairman, Jack Mayes, Secretary and HarryJones who was then Chairman of the CricketClub and a very keen supporter of theproject.

The earliest meetings were held at Harry’scottage, sitting in convivial comfort roundhis wonderful old dining table, where Harrydispensed much valuable wisdom,inspiration and sherry!

Every penny for the new building had tobe raised by various events. These includedsponsored walks, donkey Derbys and thepopular ‘themed’ dances at the village hall.These were always well supported and

among the most successful were a TrampsBall, an Arabian Nights Ball andHallowe’en Dances. The New Years EveDance became an annual event for manyyears. The very first simple effort to raisefunds was to guess the number of beans in ajar which was placed on the bar of the Coach

and Horses pub. The princely sum of sevenpounds, fourteen shillings was raised!

With the agreement of the Parish Council,a lease was signed and a peppercorn rent of£1 a year was to be paid. Enough funds wereeventually raised to commence building.Many committee members were skilledcraftsmen and were able to assist in thebuilding and interior finishing whichreduced the cost considerably.

The completed pavilion was duly openedin 1974 by the then Cobbler’s captain StuartRobertson. The following years saw thepavilion grow and extend as fundspermitted. Some forty people have servedon the Central Sports Committee at varioustimes throughout the forty years. As afounder member and Chairman for the lasttwenty nine years, I would like to take thisopportunity to thank them for their efforts inproviding this great facility for the use of thevillage which is entirely self-funding and isa fitting testament to the original gentlemenwho began this project in 1969. It is hopedthat a celebration of the forty years ofCentral Sports will be held later this year atthe pavilion of course!

John Blason (Chair)

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L - R: Jack Mayes, Geoff Smith, Gordon Blake, Harry Jones, Dave Manning, Jack Henderson, John Blason, Frank Watkins, Martin Hamilton and John Buckby