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Clerk’s  Tweets

SPRATTON  PARISH  COUNCIL  GRANTS  –  APPLY  BY  31ST  OCTOBER  2014

The  Parish  Council  has  a  small  amount  of  money   available  for  grants  to  village  organisa7ons.    The  guidelines  for  applica7on  are:-­‐

It  is  a  condi,on  of  any  grant  applica,on  that  the  group  or  project  must  bring  direct  benefit  to  the  residents  of  Spra;on.

The  Parish  Council  will  not  award  grant  aid  to  Na,onal  Chari,es  except  Royal  Bri,sh  Legion  Poppy  Appeal.

Evidence   of   progress  of   the   project   e.g.   accounts  must   be  provided  at  the  Annual  Parish  Mee,ng

The  project  must  be  reported  on  in  the  Parish  Newsle;er.

The  size  of  any  grant  awarded  is  at  the  discre,on  of  the  Parish  Council.

Any  grant  awarded  must  be  spent  in  the  financial  year  it  was  awarded  for.

Grant  applica,ons  cannot  be  made  retrospec,vely.

The  Parish  Council  reserves  the  right  to  refuse  any  grant  applica,on  which  they  consider  to  be  inappropriate  or  against  the  objec,ves  of  the  Parish  Council

Please  contact  Lynne  Compton  (Parish  Clerk)  for  an  applicaLon  form.

AUDIT  RESULTS

Both  the  internal  (Northants  County   Associa,on  of  Local  Councils)  and  external  audits  (BDO)  have  been  completed  and  Spra;on  Parish  Council  have  been  given  a  clean  financial  bill  of  health  with  1  minor  issue  raised  of  a  zero  omi;ed  from  a  box  where  a  zero  was  expected.    Please  do  not  hesitate  to  contact   the  Clerk  for  a  copy  of   the  accounts.    They   are  also  available  on  the  website.

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POLICE  REPORTS

The  following  crimes  were  reported  in  June  and  July:-­‐

‣  between  5th  and  6th  June:  Ryefields  –  sec,on  of  fence  damaged.

‣  between  21st  and  22nd  June  :  Holdenby  Road  –  iPhone  dropped  and  taken  by  other  person(s),  located  by  tracker  to  nearby  loca,on.

‣  between  21st  and  30th  June:  Sandhills  –  items  taken  from  garden.

‣  21  July:  Smith  Street  –  report  of  under-­‐age  drinking  and  loud  music  in  park.

There  were  no  An,  Social  Behaviour  incidents  reported.

Please  note  these  reports  do  not  include  any  domes,c  or  child  protec,on  issues.    Full  reports  can  be  viewed  at  www.northants.police.uk

POSSIBLE  DEFIBRILLATOR  FOR  SPRATTON

The  Parish  Council   is  considering   purchasing   a  defibrillator   for   the  village  and  looking   into  the  logis,cs,  suitable  loca,on  and  costs  involved.    Please  contact  the  Parish  Council  if  you  have  any  views  on  this  or  wish  to  help  with  the  project.    Thank  you.

COMMUNITY  HEART  START

Community  Heart  Start  has  been  set  up  by  The  Bri,sh  Heart  Founda,on  to  give  free  basic  life  support   skills   to   anyone   in   the   community.  There  is  no  fee  or   cost   involved  and   this  can  be  done  at  your  local  fire  sta,on  to  save  costs  of  hiring  halls,  or  we  can  come  to  you.  The  Heart  Start  training  teaches  basic  life   support   in   two   hours,   skills   that   can   keep   someone   alive   un,l  professional   help   arrives.     Each   par,cipant   will   receive   a   cer,ficate   of  a;endance

Please  contact   the  Parish  Council  if   you   are   interested   in  this,   if   there  is  enough  interest,  a  session  could  be  set  up  for  Spra;on  residents.

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CHANGES  TO  COUNTY  CONNECT  IN  WEST  NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

The  County   Connect   services   in  the  Welland   Valley,   Daventry,   Towcester  and  Brackley  area,  at  present  require  4  buses  to  operate  at  peak  commu,ng  ,mes  and  5  buses  to  operate  during  the  day,me,  will  be  restructured  into  a  four   bus  service  all  day   by   consolida,ng  the  Daventry   and  Welland  Valley  day,me  services  from  3  to  2  vehicles.

As  a  result  of  these  changes,  there  will  not  be  a  reduc,on  to  the  services  available  at  peak  commu,ng  ,mes,  but  it  will  now  no  longer  be  possible  to  travel  directly  between  Towcester   and  Daventry.    Passengers  who  do  wish  to   make   this   journey   will   be   advised   to   change   in   Woodford   Halse   or  Northampton.  More  detailed  maps  and  publicity  will  be  available  closer  to  the  commencement  of   the  new  service,   but  broadly  otherwise  passengers  will   be   able   to   con,nue   making   their   journeys   to   Banbury,   Brackley,  Towcester,  Daventry  and  Market  Harborough  as  now.

The  bus  which  operates  to  and  from   Banbury   will  be   increased  in   size  to  carry  24  seated  passengers  to  meet  passenger  demand.

In   an   a;empt   to   further   increase   usage,   and   to   increase   the   reach   of  services  to   Brackley,   three  addi,onal  parishes  in  Buckinghamshire  will  be  added  to  the  Brackley/Towcester  service.

Telephone  number:It   will   s,ll  be   required   to   telephone   to   book   for   County   Connect.     This  number   will  change  to  be  0345   456  4474   to  comply  with  new  regula,ons  over  use  of  0845  numbers.

Operator:The  County   Connect   contract  will  now  be  operated  by  Kier,  who  presently  operate  the  Call  Connect  services  in  the  East  of  the  County  and  Lincolnshire.

The  changes  come  in  to  effect   from  1st   September   2014.    County   Connect  addi,onally   operates   two   vehicles   in   East   Northants,   which   will   also   be  revised  from  this  date.

The  Parish  Council  has  placed  copies  of  the  revised  ,metables  in  Spra;on  Stores.    If  you  require  a  ,metable,  please  contact  the  operator.

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DATES  FOR  YOUR  DIARY

SpraRon  Parish  Council  Calendar  of  Ordinary  Council  MeeLngs

The  following  mee,ngs  will  be  held  at  7.30  pm  in  Spra;on  Village  Hall  unless  stated  otherwise.    Parishioners  are  very  welcome  to  a;end.

Tuesday  21st  October  2014Tuesday  18th  November  2014Tuesday  16th  December  2014Tuesday  20th  January  2015Tuesday  17th  February  2015Tuesday  17th  March  2015Tuesday  21st  April  2015Tuesday  19th  May  2015  (Annual  Mee,ng  of  Spra;on  Parish  Council)

Please   note   that   occasionally   there   will   be   unplanned   mee5ngs,   see  below:-­‐

Planning  ExecuLve   CommiRee  MeeLngs  -­‐  to  discuss  applica,ons  where  the  response  is  required  before  the  next   Parish  Council  mee,ng.     These  will  be  adver,sed  on  the  No,ceboard  a  minimum  of  3  days  prior   to  the  mee,ng.     If  you  are  interested  in  planning  ma;ers,   you  are  welcome  to  join  the  SPC   Planning  Execu,ve  Commi;ee  (as  a  non-­‐execu,ve  member  with  no  vo,ng  rights),  alterna,vely,   you  can  view  all  upcoming  planning  applica,ons   on   the   Daventry   District   Council   website   h;p://www.daventrydc.gov.uk/living/planning-­‐and-­‐building-­‐control/search-­‐comment-­‐planning/  

Extra-­‐Ordinary  meeLngs  -­‐  which  are  usually   called  to  discuss  ma;ers  of  great  importance  to  residents  (e.g.   Neighbourhood  Plan)  and  will  usually  (unless  they   are  of   a  sensi,ve  nature  and  therefore  closed  to  press  and  public)  be  adver,sed  as  widely   as  possible  and  an  agenda  posted  on  the  No,ceboard  3  days  before  the  mee,ng.

PUBLICATION  OF  AGENDAS

An  Agenda   for   each  mee,ng   will  be  posted   on   the   Parish  No,ceboard  (Brixworth  Road,  Opposite  Spra;on  Village  Stores)  a  minimum  of  3  days  

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before  each  mee,ng.    If  resources  allow,  the  agenda  may  also  be  posted  on  the  website.     You  may  also  contact   the  Clerk  directly   for  a  hard  copy  of  the  agenda.    Press  and  public  are  welcome  to  a;end.    If  you  have  anything  you  wish  to  be  discussed  in  a  Parish  Council  mee,ng,   please  contact   the  Clerk,  Lynne  Compton  (01604-­‐880727)  at   least   1  week  before  the  mee,ng.    If  you  have  access  to   the   internet,   you  may   send  comments  or   view  the  Agenda/Minutes  on  www.spra;on.org.uk.  Alterna,vely  you  may   a;end  the  mee,ng  and  speak  in  the  public  forum.

PUBLIC  PARTICIPATION  IN  MEETINGS

The  Press  and   Public   are  welcome   to   a;end   and  par,cipate   in   the  Public  Forum  part   at   the  beginning  of  the  mee,ng   (usually   15  minutes  but   can  be  increased  at  the  Chairman’s  discre,on)  unless  their  presence  is  prejudicial  to  the  public  interest  by  reason  of  the  nature  of  the  business  to  be  transacted  or  for  other  special  reasons.    The  following  rules  apply  (adapted  from  Spra;on  Parish  Council  Standing  Orders):-­‐

Where  possible  if  the  public  are  a;ending  for  a  specific  agenda  item  that  item  will  be  discussed  in  the  public  forum  at  the  beginning  of  the  mee,ng.    If  confiden,al  discussions  are  required  the  public  will  be  informed  of  this  and  the  item  will  be  re-­‐opened  at  the  appropriate  point  in  the  agenda.

Members  of  the  public  are  permi;ed  to  make  representa,ons,  answer  ques,ons  and  give  evidence  in  respect  of  any  item  of  business  included  in  the  agenda.

Each  member  of  the  public  is  en,tled  to  speak  once  and  shall  not  speak  for  more  than  3  minutes.

A  ques,on  asked  by  a  member  of  the  public  during  a  public  par,cipa,on  session  at  a  mee,ng  shall  not  require  a  response  or  debate  unless  an  agreed  response  is  available  at  that  ,me.      The  Chairman  will  direct  that  a  response  to  a  ques,on  posed  by  a  member  of  the  public  be  referred  to  a  Councillor  for  an  oral  response  or  to  an  employee  for  a  wri;en  or  oral  response  if  none  was  given  at  the  mee,ng.

A  record  of  a  public  par,cipa,on  session  at  a  mee,ng  shall  be  included  in  the  minutes  of  that  mee,ng.

A  person  shall  raise  his  hand  when  reques,ng  to  speak  and  may  stand  when  speaking.  

Any  person  speaking  at  a  mee,ng  shall  iden,fy  themselves,  giving  their  name,  and  whether  they  are  resident  in  Spra;on  or  their  rela,onship  to  Spra;on.    All  comments  must  be  addressed  to  the  Chairman.

Only  one  person  is  permi;ed  to  speak  at  a  ,me.  If  more  than  one  person  wishes  to  speak,  the  Chairman  shall  direct  the  order  of  speaking.

Photographing,  recording,  broadcas,ng  or  transmiing  the  proceedings  of  a  mee,ng  by  any  means  is  not  permi;ed  without  the  Council’s  prior  wri;en  consent.

DISORDERLY  CONDUCT  IN  MEETINGS

If,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Chairman,  there  has  been  a  breach  of  standing  orders  concerning  Disorderly  Conduct,  the  Chairman  shall  express  that  opinion  and  thereajer  any  councillor  (including  the  Chairman)  may  move  that  the  person  be  silenced  or  excluded  from  the  mee,ng,  and  the  mo,on,  if  seconded,  shall  be  put  forth  with  and  without  discussion.      If  such  a  resolu,on  is  disobeyed,  the  Chairman  may  take  such  further  steps  as  may  reasonably  be  necessary  to  enforce  it  and/or  he  may  adjourn  the  mee,ng.

PUBLICATION  OF  MINUTES

These  will  only  be  published  on  the  website  ajer  adop,on  at  the  following  mee,ng  i.e.  16th  September  2014  minutes  published  ajer  21st  October  2014.    If  you  would  like  a  copy  of  the  un-­‐adopted  (draj)  minutes,  please  contact  the  Clerk.

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INFORMATION  SECURITY  (ProtecLon  of  personal  informaLon)

Parish  Council  takes  the  issue  of  protec,on  of  data  seriously  and  has  always  adhered  to  the  main  principles  of  data  protec,on;  personal  informa,on:-­‐

Shall  be  processed  fairly  and  lawfully  and  only  used  for  a  specific  purpose(s)

Shall  be  adequate,  relevant  and  not  excessive  in  rela,on  to  the  purpose  or  purposes  for  which  it  is  processed;

Shall  be  accurate  and  where  necessary,  kept  up  to  date;

Shall  not  be  kept  for  longer  than  is  necessary  for  that  purpose  or  those  purposes;

registered  with  the  Informa,on  Commissioner  and  has  recently  adopted  a  Data  Protec,on  Policy  (available  on  www.spra;on.org.uk)    

To  reinforce  the  above,  Parish  Council  has  now  registered  with  the  Informa,on  Commissioner  and  has  recently  adopted  a  Data  Protec,on  Policy  (available  on  www.spra;on.org.uk).    If  you  have  any  queries,  please  do  not  hesitate  to  contact  the  Clerk.

SPRATTON  ANNUAL  MEETING  AND  CHEESE  &  WINE  EVENING(aka  Parish  MeeLng  2015)

This  is  not  a  Parish  Council  mee,ng  although  it  is  a  statutory  mee,ng  called  by  the  Chairman  of  the  Parish  Council.

The  date  has  been  set  as  Weds  6th  May  2015,  7.30  pm  in  St  Andrews  Church  Community  Room  (aka  Café  Doris).    This  is  a  chance  for  villagers  to  discuss  Parish  ma;ers  important  to  them  and  for  Council  and  community  groups  to  update  the  community  about  their  ac,vi,es  over  the  last  year  and  enjoy  light  refreshments  together.

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RURAL  AFFORDABLE  HOUSING

As  you  may   already   be  aware,   the  results  of   the  2012  Housing  Needs  Survey   (undertaken  by   Daventry   District  Council)  showed  a  need  for   9  affordable  homes:-­‐

Extract  from  DDC  Spra;on  HNS  September  2012:

Conclusions:The  analysis  done  by   this  survey   iden,fied  nine  poten,al  households  in  need  of  affordable  housing  as  follows  in  Spra;on:    

•  4  x  1  bed  flats  •  1  x  4  bed  house  •  4  x  2  bed  bungalows    

Previously  no  excep,on  sites  (land  outside  the  ‘confines’  of  the  village,  some,mes   referred   to   ‘village   envelope’)   could   be   found   for   rural  affordable  housing.    Recent  changes  in  legisla,on  and  Daventry  District  Council   policies  has  meant   that   land   that   would   not   have  previously  been  acceptable  may  now  be  able  to  be  considered.    Daventry  District  Council   (DDC)   recently   invited   Parish   Council   representa,ves   to   view  possible   sites.   We   await   a   report   from   DDC   regarding   possible   next  steps.

Lynne ComptonClerk

Spratton Parish Council

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CONTACT  THE  PARISH  COUNCIL

We  are  always  eager  to  hear  from  the  people  of  Spra;on  about  any  issues,  concerns  or  ideas  to  improve  life  in  the  village.  Here  are  some  of  the  ways  to  get  in  touch:

‣  Call/email  Lynne  Compton,  Parish  Clerk:  01604-­‐880727  or  spra;onpc@,scali.co.uk‣  Facebook  you  can  Message  us,  Post  something  or  Like  us  at          www.facebook.com/pages/Spra;on-­‐Parish-­‐Council/350035681721691‣  Visit  the  Website  at  Spra;on.org.uk  and  post  a  message‣  Use  the  Drop  Box  in  Spra;on  Village  Stores  to  leave  a  note‣  Write  to  Lynne  Compton,  Parish  Clerk:  12  Olde  Forde  Close,  Brixworth  NN6  9XF‣  ARend  a  Parish  Council  mee,ng—usually  on  the  3rd  Tuesday  of  each  month,        7.30pm  in    Spra;on  Village  Hall,  School  Road,  Spra;on.  The  mee,ng  agenda  is      always  posted  on  the  Parish  no,ceboard  opposite  the  shop.

Alterna,vely,  you  can  talk  to  one  of  the  Parish  Councillors  -­‐  you’ll  find  their  contact  details  in  the  box  on  the  previous  page:

www.pwbuilding-services.co.uk

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ApplicaLon  Details Decision

 ApplicaLon  No:  DA/2014/0326Descrip,on:  First  floor  rear  extension

Loca,on:  32,  Holdenby  Road

Spra;on  Parish  Council  (SPC)  Planning  Execu,ve  Commi;ee  (PEC)  

No  observa,ons

16/05/2014ApplicaLon  No:  DA/2014/0346  

Descrip,on:  Construc,on  of  replacementstorage  building  and  2.1m  high  fenceLoca,on:    Standhills,  Holdenby  Road

SPC  PEC  Observa,ons  made  16/05/2014

Daventry  District  Council  (DDC):  Permission  Granted  20/6/14

ApplicaLon  No:    DA/2014/0375Descrip,on:    Conservatory  to  rear  of  dwelling

Loca,on:    15,  Gorse  Road

SPC  PEC  No  Observa,ons

16/05/2014

ApplicaLon  No:  DA/2014/0481Descrip,on:  Altera,ons  to  exis,ng  canopy  

porch  to  form  enclosed  porchLoca,on:  Hunters  House  11B,  Holdenby  Road

SPC  PEC  No  Observa,ons  15/07/2014

ApplicaLon  No:  DA/2014/0564  Descrip,on:  Construc,on  of  new  dwelling

Loca,on:  Land  Adj  Copt  Oak  15,  Yew  Tree  Lane

SPC  PEC  Objec,onsDDC:  The  applica,on  has  been  

withdrawn  5/9/2014ApplicaLon  No:  DA/2014/0565

Descrip,on:  Construc,on  of  detached  dwelling  (revised  Scheme)

Loca,on:  Land  adjacent  to  19  Holdenby  Road

SPC  PEC  Objec,ons

DDC  Permission  refused  1/9/2014

ApplicaLon  No:  DA/2014/0662Descrip,on:    Varia,on  of  Condi,on  17  of  planning  

permission  DA/2012/0953  (Extension  to  care  home  to  create  84  new  bedrooms)  to  provide  a  fire  evacua,on  

strategy  in  place  of  fire  hydrants  and  sprinklers.Loca,on:    St  Ma;hews  Nursing  Home,  Holdenby  Rd

SPC  PEC  Objec,ons

26/8/2014

ApplicaLon  No:  DA/2014/0683Descrip,on:  Outline  applica,on  for  residen,al  

development  for  up  to  37  dwellings,  school  amenity  space,  drop-­‐off/pick-­‐up  area  and  6  parking  spaces  for  primary  school,  vehicular  access  onto  Brixworth  Road,  

public  open  space  and  associated  infrastructureLoca,on:  Land  Off  Brixworth  Road

SPC  PEC  Objec,ons  

26/8/2014

ApplicaLon  No:    DA/2014/0697Descrip,on:  Erec,on  of  Steel  Garage  Machinery  Store

 Loca,on:      Hill  View  Farm,  Brixworth  Road

SPC  PEC  No  Observa,ons  

9/9/2014

Tree  PreservaLon  Order  ApplicaLon  –  TPO  DA4862014

Loca,on:  Yew  Tree  Co;age,  Yew  Tree  LaneNote:  Householder  applica,on

SPC  PEC  No  Observa,ons  

9/9/2014

Planning  ApplicaLon  Update

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SpraRon  Town  and  Land  Charity

A  big  thank  you  to  all  of  you  who  took  part  in  our  recent  Produce  Show,  it  is  lovely  to  see  the  beau,ful  produce  all  together,  vegetables,  fruit,  flowers,  homemade   jams,   cakes   etc.   crajs   including   pain,ngs,   photographs,  needlework,   not   forgeing     the  wonderful  children’s   exhibits,   all   in   the  beau,ful  seing  of   our   local  Church.    And   thank  you  also  to  those  who  came  along  in  the  ajernoon  to   look  at   all  the  exhibits  and  enjoy   a  lovely  cup  of  coffee  and  piece  of  delicious  cake  at  Doris’s  coffee  shop.  Thank  you  to  all  the  Coffee  Shop  team  for  giving  up  their  ,me.

Cer,ficates  were  given  to  each  class,  rose;es  for  the  children’s  classes  and  then  the  individual  prizes  were  awarded  to:

Emma  Clements   Most  overall  points  in  the  show

Emma  Clements   Best  collec,on  of  vegetables  displayed  on  a  board

Ivan  Odley     Best  in  Children’s  classes

Carol  Constable   Best  in  Jams/Pickle  classes

Sarah  Bradnam   Best  in  Baking  classes

Michael  Oakes     Best  in  show  Pain,ng

Phil  Roseblade     Best  in  show  Photography

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We   hope   next   year’s   show   will   be   bigger   and  be;er   with   many   more   people   taking   part,   so  come  along  and  join  in,  look  forward  to  seeing  you  same  ,me  2015.   The  Produce  show   is  sponsored  by   Spra;on   Town   &   Charity   Land  who   not   only  look   ajer   the  allotments  but   also,   as   a   charity,  they   are  delighted   to   offer   grants  to  those  going  on  to  further  educa,on  –  college,  university,  or  an  appren,ceship,     to  local  organisa,ons  and  groups  to  help  with  specific  projects.  

If  you  are  involved  in  any  of   the   clubs,   youth  groups,   organisa,ons  within  the  parish  and  would  like  to  be  considered  for   a  grant,  please  contact  the  clerk  –   Linda  Fletcher  –  linda1603@gmail.com  or  01604  821617    all  grants  are  reviewed  at  the  beginning  of  December  so  get  you  applica,on  in  as  soon  as  possible.

Are  you   interested  in  having   an  allotment   either  full  or   half   plot,   please  contact   the  clerk  or   any  member   of   the   Trustees.     Rent   for   full   plot  2014/2015  is  only  £16.00

 Thank  you,

On  behalf  of  Trustees,  Spra>on  Town  &  Charity  Land.

SpraRon  Local  History  Society

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We  had   two   enjoyable,   well-­‐a;ended  ou,ngs   in   fine   weather   this   summer.    The  walking  tour  of  Northampton  with  a  Blue  Badge  Guide  started  with  a  brief   look   inside  the  Guildhall,  followed   by   a   fascina,ng   descent   into   the   vaulted  mediaeval   cellars   under   the   Northampton   and  County  Club  in  George  Row.    We  finished  with  a  visit  to  the  old  St   Peter’s  Church  near   to  Northampton’s  former   castle.    Our  second  ou,ng  was  to  Boughton  

House  where  we  had  a  two  hour  tour  with  a  very  knowledgeable  guide  of  the  splendidly  furnished  rooms  of  this  lovely  old  house.

Help  neededOur  prepara,ons  are  con,nuing  for  our  big  First  World   War   commemora,ve   event   next   April.    We  would  welcome  any  informa,on  anyone  may  have   on  rela,ves  from   Spra;on  who  served   in  WW1.   Members   of   the   history   society   are  researching   all   the   men   from   the   village   who  signed   up   during   1914-­‐18,   but   many   records  were  destroyed  in  the  Second  World  War.  Please  phone   01604   821260   (Enid   Jarvis)   or   01604  740401  (Jan  Craig)  if  you  think  you  can  help.  The  photo   shows   Private   Harry   Cook   of   the  Northamptonshire   Regiment   who   came   home  safely  at  the  end  of  the  war.

Other  help  urgently  needed  is  from  someone  who  can  get  us  started  on  Facebook  and/or  Twi;er.  Is  there  anyone  out  there  who  can  point  us  in  the  right  direc,on  with  social  media?  

Autumn  programmeWednesday  15  October  2014  Kate  Wills  of  the  Western  Front  Associa,on  will  give  a  talk  en,tled  “Northampton  in  1914”

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New  Speed  Sign  Installed

Driving   into   the   village   from   the  Brixworth   direc,on,   you   will   have  no,ced   our   new   Vehicle  Ac,vated   Sign  (VAS)   flashing   a   warning   to   speeding  motorists  if  they   are  driving  in  excess  of  the  20mph  limit.

It’s  early   days,   of   course,   but   the   ini,al  results   are   encouraging   with   average  recorded   speeds   showing   some  improvement   on   the   last   survey  conducted   by   the   police   earlier   in   the  year.  There  will  be  a  full  progress  report  in  the  next   issue  of   the  Spra;on  Parish  Newsle;er,   once   we   have   some  more  extensive  data  to  analyse.

The  plan   is  to  move  the  sign   around   the  village   to   regularly     cover   all   of   the   areas   where   excessive   speed   is   a  par,cular  problem.

Wednesday  19  NovemberSue  Edwards  will  give  a  talk  on  “The  Empress  Elisabeth  of  Austria  –  the  Northampton  Connec7on”

Wednesday  17  DecemberMembers  will  talk  about  their  research  into  the  men  from  the  village  who  served  in  WW1.  We  shall  also  look  at  some  memorabilia  from  the  1914-­‐18  period.

All  mee7ngs  take  place  at  8.00  pm  in  the  Village  Hall£2  members.    £3  non-­‐members

Everyone  is  welcome

Enid  Jarvis

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Daring  Airman  to  be  Commemorated  in  SpraRon“This  was  by  far  the  most  brilliant  feat  of  airmanship  we  had  yet  witnessed”

Spra;on   is   to   receive   an   official  government   commemora,ve   paving  stone   recording   the   fact   that   the   first  airman   ever   to   be  awarded   a  Victoria  Cross,   the  country’s   highest   award   for  bravery,  lived  here.  These  paving  stones  are  to  be  placed  in   towns  and  villages  across   the   country   for   every   Victoria  Cross  awarded   in  the  First  World  War.    William   Rhodes-­‐Moorhouse   lived   with  his  family  at  Spra;on  Grange  for  nearly  14   years   and   was   well-­‐known   in   the  area   for   his   fast   motor-­‐cars   and   his  exci,ng,  new  flying  machine.

He  joined  the  Royal  Flying  Corps  and  in  March  1915  he  was  posted  to  France  as  a  pilot.    His  main  job  was  to  make  reconnaissance  flights  and  report  enemy  troop  movements  back  to  the  Allied  headquarters.     In  April  1915,  ajer  only  five  weeks  ac,ve  service,  he  was  fatally  wounded  over  Belgium  destroying  a  railway   line  being  used  to  bring  up  heavy   enemy   reinforcements,   including  the  dreaded  chlorine  gas.    In  great  agony  and  with  a  badly  damaged  plane  he  managed  to  fly  back  35  miles  to  his  base  in  France  to  report  the  success  of  his  mission.    He  died  the  next  day,  aged  27.

One  hundred  years  ajer   that   fatal  flight,   an  official  memorial  stone  to  Lt  William  Rhodes-­‐Moorhouse  VC  will  be  placed  in  the  Millennium  Rose  Garden  on  the  Brixworth  Road  with  the  permission  of  Spra;on  Parish  Council.

The  event  is  supported  by  the  Heritage  LoPery  Fund  and  Daventry  District  Council  and  organised  by  SpraPon  Local  History  Society

W.I.  Report  September  2014The  “Alpaca  Experience”  in  June  was  a  really   interes,ng  story  from  Sue  Watkins  about  how  she  and  her  two  daughters  came  to  start  an  Alpaca  herd  and  some  of  their  adventures  breeding  and  taking  part  in  shows  as  well  as  the  everyday  work  on   the   farm.   She   brought   examples   of   the   wool   and   some   beau,fully   soj  scarves,  shawls  and  blankets,  which  were  for  sale.  She  also  invited  us  to  visit  the  farm  but  unfortunately  the  ou,ng  was  cancelled  at  the  last  minute.

Our  Annual  Ou,ng  to  Stowe  House  and  Gardens  was  enjoyed  by  all.  The  history  of   the  old  buildings,  now  a  Private  School,  was  most   interes,ng.  The  Gardens,  belonging  to  the  Na,onal  Trust  were  a  fine  example  of  English  Landscaping;  with  Classical   style   columned   buildings,   bridge   and   statues   as  well   as   a   lake   and  natural  areas.

Our  mee,ng  in  August  caused  some  tense  moments  as  the  speaker  cancelled  a  week  before!  However  our  valiant  Social  Secretary,  Hazel  managed  to  not  only  find  a  speaker   on   the  same  subject   of   “Wardrobe   Colour   Advice”  but   Sheena  Roche   came   from   “House   of   Colour”   and   presented   a   very   professional   and  comprehensive   talk   about   choosing   colours   to   suit   your   skin   tone.  She   talked  about  each  person  being  one  of  the  seasons  and  looking  be;er  in  warm  or  cool  

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shades  of  different  colours.  Spring  and  Autumn  are  warm  and  Summer  and  Winter  are  cool.  I  know  of  at  least  one  member  who  went  home  and  sorted  through  her  wardrobe  and  got  rid  of  a  few  items!

In   September  we  climbed   in   the   Dact   bus  again   for   an   ou,ng   to   the  “Phoenix  Resource  Centre”,  which  is  actually  a  charity  so  is  not  out   to  make  money  other  than   to   cover   their   costs.   They   are   given   many   different   items,   such   as  books,  material,  paper,  food,  some  medicines,  and  many  more  things  that  although  brand  new  would  otherwise  end  up  in  landfill.  They  support  numerous  organisa,ons  and  help   with   giving   work   experience   to   vulnerable   young   people.   They   also   send  containers  full  of  useful  things  to  chari,es  based  in  needy  countries.  Two  of  our  W  I  members  went  over  to  the  centre  earlier  in  the  month  to  sew  dresses  for  li;le  girls  and  shorts  for  boys.   These  will  be  sent   in  one  of   the  consignments.  Various  groups   are  members   and   their   people   can   come   to   the   shop   and   either   buy   a  variety  of  materials  at  a  low  cost  or  buy  tokens  and  collect  all  sorts  of  things.  

Future  W  I  Events  

Tuesday  14  October  2014:    A.G.M.  and  a  Special  Quiz  in  aid  of  the  Cynthia  Spencer  Hospice.

Tuesday  28  October  2014:    A  Fashion  Show  by  Just  Trading    all  welcome,  ,ckets  available  from  Meg  Price  820287

Tuesday  11  November  2014    a  talk  on  “Demen,a”  by  Alice  Spence

Friday  28  November  2014:  Candlelight,  Canapés  and  Christmas  Music  ~  a  social  evening  to  be  held  at  St  Andrews  Church,  ,ckets  available  from  Meg  Price  820287

Tuesday  9  December  2014:  a  “Christmas  Magic  Show”  with  Douglas  Maddy

Mee7ngs  are  held  every  second  Tuesday   in  the  Village  Hall  at   7.30  pm.  New  members  are  very  welcome  to   come  along  and   join  us  as  we  get   to  know  other   ladies  in  the  village  and  have  an  enjoyable  night  out.  If  you  would  like  to  come  along  a   couple  of  7mes  for   free  we  

would  love  to  see  you.    

Carol  Constable

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Café  Doris                                                                  An  independently  run  Community  Coffee  Shopin  St  Andrew’s  Church

                                                                                                                           We  are  open  every  Tuesday  and  Thursday  morning.  

We  pride  ourselves  in  what  we  do,  so  come  and  join  us.  In  August  we  had  visitors  from  Australia,   Italy   and  Yorkshire,   and  this  has  prompted  us  to  start  a  Visitors  Book.  Also  it  has  been  suggested  that  it  might  be  a  good  idea  to  try  and  open  an  internet  café  –  we  agree,  but  the  on-­‐going  land-­‐line   and   ISP   rental  might   be   prohibi,ve.   So   any   prac,cal   help   and  sugges,ons  as  to  how  this  might   be  achieved  please  let   us  know,     please  either  call-­‐in  or  ring  David  on  01604  821785.

Our   very   grateful   thanks   to   all  our   cake-­‐making   volunteers,   you   are  very  much   appreciated,   and   our   con,nued   success   would   not   be   the   same  without  you.  

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SpraRon  Lunch  Club  Celebrates  First  Anniversary

Unbelievably   it  is  now  twelve  months  since  we  launched  our  first  monthly  luncheon  in  Café  Doris  and  the  feedback  we  have  received  to  date  is  good.  However,  we  are  always  open  to  comments  or  new  ideas  for  improvement.

Many   thanks  go  to  the  volunteers  without  whom  we  would  not  be  able  to  operate,  and  to  the  wonderful  people  who  have  generously   given  gijs  for  the  monthly   raffle  prizes.   The  raffle  really   does  enable  us   to   be  viable.  Some  of  that  money   goes  towards  hea,ng  costs  and  various  incidentals  as  well  as  towards  a  special  Christmas  lunch!  Café  Doris  and  the  church  are  at  present   installing   a   new   hea,ng   system,   and   so   when   next   the   cold  weather  shows  its  face  we  should  all  be  nice  and  toasty.

Don’t   forget   family   and   friends  are  always  welcome  as  long  as  we  have  space.  A  vegetarian  op,on  is  available   if   the   choice   of   main  course  is  not   to  your   taste  -­‐  you  just   need   to   give   us   a   ring  beforehand.

We   look   forward   to   welcoming  old   and   new   friends   and   don’t  forget  you  can  always  come  early  when   Café   Doris   is   open   for  business   on   a   Tuesday   morning  from   10am   to   12.30pm,   or  Thursdays  at  the  same  ,me.

Jay  Tindale

The   ou,ng   to   Kew  Gardens  on   14th   September   was  enjoyed  by   47  members  and   their   friends,   a   record   number.   It   was  a   perfect  mid-­‐September  day,  warm  and  even  sunny,  and  there  was  a  huge  amount  to  see  during  the  five  hours  that  we  were  there.  So  the  ou,ng  was  a  great  success  with  the  added  benefit  that,  with  a  large  number   going  and  contribu,ng   to   the  coach  cost,   that  we  were  able  to  refund  the  surplus  to  members  as  the  Club  does  not  need  to  make  any   profit   on  such  ou,ngs.

One  of  the  tasks  that  has  been  undertaken  during  the  summer  months  is   to   collect   a   database   of   e-­‐mail   addresses,   which   will  be   used   to  remind  people  about   talks,   and  generally   keep   people  informed.  We  have  49  members  on  e-­‐mail.  The  first  of  these  e-­‐mails  will  go  out  at  the  end  of   September   to  remind  people  about  our  first   talk  on  Thursday  9th   October.   As   our   mee,ng   day   has   changed   from   Mondays   to  Thursdays,   at   the   request   of   the   Sports   and   Social   Club,   it   will   be  important   to   remind   people   of   this   change.   Anyone   who   has   not  

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received  an  e-­‐mail  by   3rd   October,   and  who  has  an  e-­‐mail  address,   please  contact  me  on  01604  846032.

We  hope  that  our  talks  will  be  well  a;ended  this  winter  season.  As  we  have  been  planning  the  programme  for  2015,  we  have  found  that  good  speakers  are  increasingly   expensive,   so  we  need  good  numbers  to  cover   the  cost  of  these  talks.  All  talks  (and  the  AGM)  are  held  on  Thursdays  at  the  Sports  and  Social  Club   in   Smith   Street   at   8   p.m.,  members  pay   £2   for   talks,   and   any  prospec,ve  members  who  join  for   2015  will  pay   the  same  rate.  Talk  details  are:

• Thursday  9  October       ‘Know  and  grow  unusual  vegetables’• Thursday  6  November     ‘Life  and  ,mes  of  a  gardening  editor’

Thursday   4th   December   sees   our   Annual   General   Mee,ng   and   social  evening.   We   shall   be   asking   members   to   vote   on   an   increase   in   the  membership  fee  from  £2  to  £4.  During  the  evening  we  will,  as  usual,  review  the  past  year  with  candid  photographs.  There  is  no  charge  for  the  AGM,  and  the  refreshments  and  bar  are  provided  from  Club  funds.

Come   along   even   if   you   are  not   currently   a  member,   and   see  what   this  thriving  club  has  to  offer.                                          

Michael  Heaton

SpraRon  Pocket  Park

As  we  get  into  autumn  many  of   our   flowers   con,nue   to  provide   colour.   The   Tansy  and   Hemp-­‐agrimony   are  impressive   and   the   Teasel  would   look  more   impressive  

if   they   had   not   been   knocked   over   by  wind  and   rain.   Goldfinches  will  probably  enjoy   the  seed  as  ever.  Toadflax  provides  lots  of  yellow  and  although  the  Chicory    is  beginning  to  seed  there  are  s,ll  vivid  blue  flowers  on  some  of  the  plants.  The  Autumn  Hawkbit  is  beginning  to  spread  so  the  seed  heads  need  removing  to  prevent  it  going  too  far.  The  tall  yellow  

flowers  do,  however,  look  cheerful.  There  are  a  few  Thorn   Apples   so   called   because   when   the   large  green  seed  pod  forms  it  has  spikes  on  rather   like  a  horse  chestnut.   It   is  an   annual   so  unlikely   to   be  seen  again  and  definitely   not   to  be  eaten.  Dwarf  Mallow  has  appeared  for  the  first  ,me  but  it  is  also  an   annual   so   may   disappear   again.   Red   flower  clusters  on   the  Greater   Burnet   are  s,ll  there  and  making   a   late   entrance   as   ever   are   the   Naked  Ladies  (Colchicum).  These  get  there  common  name  because  the  flowers  appear  in  autumn  without  their  

leaves.  The  lush  green  leaves  that  appear  early  in  the  year  a;ract  livestock.  They  are  poisonous  so  have  largely  been  eradicated  from  the  countryside.    

With  luck  September  will  remain  warm  and  dry  so  the  flowers  can  develop  and  drop  seed.  During  October   the  grass  and  other  foliage  will  be  cut  and  removed  and  the  hedges  will  be  cut  too  so  the  fallen  seeds  can  get  air  and  light  to  germinate  in  the  spring.  

Dave  Cooke26

Natural  SpraRon

Spra;on  became  just  a  li;le  bit  greener  this  summer!    With  the  opening  of  the  Pocket  Park  and  its  Silver  Award  and  the  success  of  Jubilee  Wood  in  Teeton  Road,  we  can  only  hope  that  more  ideas  might  come  forward  for  making  the  village  a  friendly  place  for  wildlife  while  at  the  same  ,me  keeping  it  sufficiently  a;rac,ve  for  the  residents’  needs  for  a  neat  and  ,dy  rural  aspect.    It  is  never  easy  to  find  the  right  balance  as,  for  example,  some  people  might  like  to  see  road  verges  mown  to  look  like  a  lawn  while  other  prefer  to  see  a  verge  full  of  wild  plants  and  buzzing  with  insect  life.    There  is  obviously  no  one  answer  and  every  situa,on  need  to  be  looked  at  individually.

Going  back  to  Jubilee  Wood,  it  is  doing  surprisingly  well.    I  say  “surprisingly”  as  we  expected  a  fair  propor,on  of  saplings  not  to  survive  the  early  stages  but  it  looks  as  if  very  few  have  perished  and  those  which  have,  we  have  replaced.    The  long  grass,  ne;les  and  thistles  which  inevitable  grow  around  saplings  are  in  retreat  and  the  small  trees  are  now  sufficiently  developed  to  overcome  those.    We  will  not  therefore  be  cuing  the  grass  as  we  did  last  year.      The  10  experimental  elms  are  doing  par,cularly  well  and  we  have  recently  put  bigger  guards  and  stakes  on  those  as  there  were  a  few  signs  of  Muntjac  damage.    We  may  eventually  have  to  fence  off  the  wood  although  a  stock  proof  hedge  would  be  preferably.      We  are  currently  looking  at  fund  raising  possibili,es  (for  a  hedge  fund!)  and  at  grant  making  trusts.

Crick  is  a  very  impressive  example  of  the  community  geing  involved  in  a  highly  successful  Pocket  Park  project  and  they  have  planted  12  acres  of  new  wood  based  on  their  fundraising.    We  will  be  mee,ng  with  them  towards  the  end  of  October  to  see  if  we  can  learn  anything  from  each  other  and  anyone  is  welcome  to  join  with  us  on  the  visit  to  Crick.

As  always,  if  anyone  wants  to  get  involved  in  natural  Spra;on  or  has  any  ideas  do  get  in  touch.

John  Hunt

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The  next  issue  of  the  SpraRon  Parish  NewsleRer  will  be  published  in  December  2014.  The  copy  date  for  editorial  and  adver,sements  is  

Friday  21st  November

Adver,sing  costs  per  annum  (4  issues)Quarter  page  £20Half  page  £40

Please  contact  the  editor,  Tim  Forster  07979  705910  ,m.forster@ymail.com

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Get  To  Know  Your  Parish  Council

10  QuesLons  for  Fiona  KeableHow  long  have  you  lived  in  SpraRon?    We  have  lived  in  Spra;on  for  10  ½  years,  we   moved   from   Chapel   Brampton   in   2004.   I   have   previously   lived   in   Essex,  Lincolnshire  and  in  the  slightly  warmer  climate  of  Gran  Canaria  but  I  am  originally  from  Noingham  where  my  family  s,ll  live.  

What  do  you  do  for  a   living?  Originally  I   trained   in   commercial   hor,culture,  growing   and   selling   shrubs,   trees   and  bedding   plants.     I   then  re-­‐trained  and  now  I  do  the  same  job  as  Lynne,  I  am  a  parish   clerk   and   responsible   finance  officer   for   Hollowell   &   Teeton   and  Guilsborough   parishes.   I   also   work   for  Moulton   and   Overstone   Par ish  Councils.    

Why  do  you  live  in  SpraRon?  We  live  in  Spra;on   because   we   love   the  countryside  but  it  is  also  nice  to  be  near  the  town  with  its  shops  and  facili,es.    I  originally   moved   to   Northamptonshire  in  1994  to  work  at  Moulton  College,  at  the   ,me   I   had   no   idea   where  Northampton  was  and  had  to  look  it  up  on  a  map!

Do  you  have  a  family?  Yes,  my  husband  Rob    and  our  three  children,  Liz  who  is  17  and   studying   A   levels  at  Northampton   College,   Johno  who   is  nearly   13  and  goes  to  Guilsborough  school  and  Issy  who  is  4  and  has  just  started  in  Recep,on  at  Spra;on  Primary.

What   do   you   like   about   SpraRon?   We   like   the   fields   and   the   open   spaces  surrounding  the  village,  we  have  an  allotment  and  also  have  2  dogs  so  we  spend  a  lot  of  ,me  outdoors!    I  also  like  having  a  great  village  primary  school  so  that  we  can  walk  to  school  in  the  mornings.

What  don’t  you  like  about   SpraRon?   I  don’t  like  the  amount  and   the  speed  of  the  traffic  that  passes  through  the  village  every  day.  

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What  do  you  do  to  relax?   I  walk  our  two  dogs  and  am  a  very  keen  gardener,  we  have  a  lovely  allotment  but  we  are  con,nuously  figh,ng  a  ba;le  with  the  weeds.  I  also   love  rugby  and   spend  most  Sundays  during   the  season  on  the  side  of   the  pitch  at  Long  Buckby  suppor,ng  our  son’s  team.    When  I  get  chance  I  also  like  to  share  a  coffee  with  friends  in  Café  Doris.  

Have  you  travelled?  We  have  a  caravan  and  have  managed  to  see  quite  a  bit  of  Scotland,  we  also   love   Norfolk.     I   have  been   to   Canada  and   also   lived   in   the  Canary  Islands  just  ajer  I  finished  college.

Why  did  you  join  the  Parish  Council?   I  have  worked   in  Local  Government  for  a  few  years  and  decided  that  I  would   really   like  to  put  some  of  my  knowledge  to  use  in  my  own  community,  when  Spra;on  went  to  elec,on  this  summer  I  put  my  name  forward  and  was  really  pleased  to  be  elected.     I  like  the  fact  that  this  is  a  very  ac,ve  parish  council  and  gets  really  involved  in  the  community.

What  did  you  do  for  your  Summer  holiday  this  year?  We  were  lucky  enough  to  secure  ,ckets  for  the  Commonwealth  Games  this  summer  in  Glasgow,  in  July.    All  5  of  us  plus  the  two  dogs  embarked  on  the  8  hour  road  trip  to  Glasgow  with  our  caravan.    We  had   a  fantas,c  ,me  watching  the  finals  of   the  Rugby  Sevens  and  were  lucky  enough   to  watch  England,  South  Africa    and  New  Zealand  play.    We  then  spent  a  very  relaxing  week  camped  on  the  banks  of  Loch  Lomond.

Beautiful Loch Lomond view

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