Now on the green

Baldon Lane ANPR

New Enforcement of Existing "Access Only" Restriction

We are pleased to inform you that the Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Transport Management has approved the implementation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to enforce the long-standing "access only" restriction on Baldon Lane. The Parish Council attended the meeting to advocate for this important safety measure. The implementation date will be announced soon.

Roadworks

There are a number of planned roadworks around our village. 

Items for the newsletter

Items for the June 2025 newsletter

by 16^th May please

Any villager is welcome to send items for publication in the newsletter.  Please send copy to Natasha Eliot: tashaandjames@btopenworld.com.  Alternatively, I can be contacted on 343478 or at Baldon House East, Marsh Baldon.

A few seasonal thoughts...

Restoration of “The Annunciation”

Visitors to St Peter’s Marsh Baldon may have noticed that the large painting behind the font has been removed. 

Village Gate Marsh Baldon

Hedges are a vital part of our local nature, providing shelter and resources for many species of mammals, insects, and birds (from hibernating hedgehogs to the smallest of beetles). They’re crucial wildlife corridors that allow safe travel between isolated habitats.

Have you recently needed health or medical care immediately or the same day in Oxfordshire?

Poppy Appeal

This year the Baldons and Nuneham Courtenay raised £1,094.90 for the Poppy Appeal.

Bonfire Night

We hope that you enjoyed Bonfire Night!

Olly Glover MP would like to hear from you

Sturt Mabbutt has some thoughts for gardeners

Polling day will be Thursday 4th July.

Please make sure you can vote!

On Saturday 18th March, Iris Wright was awarded a medal to commemorate her thirty years service of organising and collecting donations for the annual British Legion Poppy Appeal. 

Kevin Hutchinson passed on 14^th May 2023 following a road accident while riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle.  The funeral service was held at St. Lawrence’s Church, Toot Baldon on 19^th June 2023 and followed by the committal at South Oxfordshire Crematorium and Memorial Park.   The memorial tea was held at The Seven Stars pub at Marsh Baldon.  He is sadly missed and much remembered by his family, friends and the The Baldons community.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone for all of their love, help and support over what has been and continues to be a very very difficult and sad time, not only for me but for many of you as well. 

Is It A Sign?

Oxford's newest wellbeing centre

The Baldons winter village litter clear up is on Saturday 11^{th of} November.  

We need volunteers Please.  

PLEASE NOTE THE INFORMATION BELOW ISSUED BY OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL 

CONSULTATION – Marsh & Toot Baldon proposed 20mph Speed Limits

The Village Green played host to a classic car collection on 15th August. A good turnout both to see the cars and enjoy the BBQ in front of the Seven Stars.

Due credit to David Greenaway for organising it

Welcome to Namit Julka and Sunit Bansode!

We mourn the recent death of much loved villager and accomplished artist, Caddie Attewill. We will all greatly miss her and our thoughts are with her family

April 2023

A new Parish Council will take office in May. 5 members have been deemed elected as there were not sufficient nominations to require an election.

An appreciation of Mary Braybrook, who died on 12th December

Oxfordshire Community Land Trust Launches Community Share Offer - Social investors sought to help deliver pioneering new development

Let's have a Remember Nature Day - We Are Part Of It And Not Separate To It

Challenging Times

Every now and then, a health scare hits us, our friends, a family member, or someone connected with us. Sometimes, the best form of support we need, or others need from us, is consistency, and for us or them, to just be there. Words aren’t always needed at such times, just that connection, that reliability, and that consistency that I mentioned before, is all that’s required.

So often we turn to nature, wildlife, the garden, and the green environment at these kinds of times. It’s different for all of us, and what a connection to nature means to us, is as individual as we are. The answer to that question is as varied and individual as the challenges and solutions we all face. What we turn to though, when we turn to nature, is that consistency, even if we don’t truly understand it.

A connection to nature could manifest in being in the physical presence of it, or psychologically, when we reminisce with the memories of being out there amongst nature.

I’m in the middle of one of those health scares as I write this, but I won’t list my ailments here. What I can say though, is for a while there, it was felt I could have had lung cancer, but after numerous explorations shall we say, it’s been narrowed down to lung disease, either caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis or Tuberculosis.

During the medical procedure, I visualised my favourite place in nature, to try and divert my thinking away from the doctor rooting around in my chest, whilst I was awake and she took the biopsy. After the procedure I’ve been regularly thinking about times spent in nature with loved ones, and as we reflect and reprioritise at times like these, I’ve noticed how thoughts of nature creeps in there.

During the Covid lockdowns we all reflected on what was important to us, and became more aware of how caring for and appreciating nature is. Collectively though maybe, we’ve slipped back to some old habits since then, and when fresh challenges arise, we are maybe only then reminded of the importance of nature?

So I propose we set up a new international day, a Remember Nature Day, with the subheading of, We Are Part Of It And Not Separate To It. It’s just a thought.

Anyway, enjoy the season, and remember to allow time to reflect now and then on what matters. Notice how an appreciation of nature increases in us at challenging times.

Happy Gardening

Stuart Mabbutt

Wildlife Gardening Specialist

01865 747243

This year we have raised £740.54 for the Poppy Appeal.  My grateful thanks to all who contributed to this worthy cause.  Also my thanks to all those who braved the weather to collect the donations.

Iris Wright

Pet of the Month

An occasional feature dedicated to the animal residents of the Baldons and Nuneham – please do send in pictures of your furry or feathered friends for future issues!  This month we have Lizie Giraudeau's chickens enjoying the winter sunshine.

Today the Boundary Commission opened a consultation on revised constituency boundaries

Oxfordshire South and Vale Citizens Advice is a local charity providing free, confidential and independent advice to help people with problems in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of the White Horse. 

Stretching Classes every Tuesday

For the past 50 years, the Baldons Fuel Charity has been helping some residents living in Marsh, Toot or Little Baldon with their energy costs. 

GT Insurance

from Tuesday 20^th September until at least Wednesday 28^th September

New traffic filters

Click here: https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/traffic-filters-2022

Where there's a Will....

From Reverend Teresa Stewart-Sykes

Road resurfacing between The Croft and Toot baldon

A message from her family

A review of Peter Wohlleben’s book

From Stuart Mabbutt

Toot Churchyard Path - an update!

Elizabeth Longmuir Quelch

Recently deceased

On The Village Green 5 June 2022

Solar Farm   Nuneham Courtenay  P22/S1541/FUL

Some tips on staying ahead of the scammers

New Bench in St Peter's Churchyard

A Message from our Postman Mark Bayliss

Trustees Wanted: Campaign to Protect Rural England - Oxfordshire

Time to get walking again!

Church Services For March 2022

Toot Churchyard

To all residents of Toot Baldon and Marsh Baldon, and to any who enjoy walking the pathways near Toot Church, I would like to explain why I and the Parochial Church Council have decided temporarily to close the path through Toot churchyard. 

At its meeting on 15 December 2021, South Oxfordshire District Council narrowly Approved the proposal to build a solar farm on land adjoining Marsh Baldon and Nuneham Courtenay.

From John Howell MP

Christmas Cards on Sale

New Members Welcome!

Poppy Appeal

THE BALDONS FUEL CHARITY

Citizens Advice information on

vanishing energy suppliers  

Merry Christmas from The Maple Tree!  

Are People Still Interested In Gardens?

Benefit Sanctions: Help Shape a Fairer System

Musical Events in Dorchester Abbey

Opening in Nuneham

www.continuum-chiropractic.co.uk

Go to: willonthegreen.com

Lots of activities coming up

We have had sad news from Hazel Moore telling us that Tony died on Tuesday, 5th October, after some months of illness.

The 22 December 2021 would have been Jack Greenaway’s 100th Birthday and we will be remembering this event at the Carol Service on 18th December.  

Peter Delafield 1930 - 2021

Your input required

Death of Peter Day

There are quite a few plants available

Outdoor food and drink again available!

We are delighted to announce that Matt formally handed over The Seven Stars to Mark on Tuesday this week and work has already started internally and externally to prepare for opening in April... more on that in a moment.

Volunteers Needed!

The Digital Infrastructure team are delighted to provide Marsh Baldon Parish Council with the final, good news update from the ‘Better Broadband for Oxfordshire’ programme, which confirms the completion of superfast broadband delivery across Oxfordshire!

Sadly, Matt Ford is leaving the pub on 23 March. We are really grateful to Matt for building up the pub over the last 7 years. The pub will continue under new management.

Bioabundance Community Interest Company is challenging the South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035 (LP2035) on the grounds of climate change, improper pressure put on councillors to adopt the plan, excessive and incorrectly calculated housing numbers, and inadequate consultation.

You may have noticed that the first community orchard area has now been planted opposite Parsonage Farm, where there are 9 apple trees. We would have liked to have involved the community in the planting but unfortunately the trees arrived during the November lockdown so this was not possible.

Happy New Year and welcome to your first update of 2021. Needless to say, it’s a busy one with the new national lockdown for England.  

REPORT TO PARISH COUNCILS – JANUARY 2021 
BY COUNCILLOR LORRAINE LINDSAY-GALE

Take away menu from Follow & Fields, Nuneham Courtenay

Notes from Baldons Parish Council meeting to discuss the planning application for a solar farm on land south of Cowley substation.
14^th December 2020
 
An extraordinary meeting of the Parish Council took place at 19.30hrs on 14^th December 2020 by Zoom.

SODC has received a planning application for 304 acres of agricultural Green Belt land to be covered with solar panels adjacent to Toot, Marsh and Nuneham Courtney.

LOCAL PLAN

Below are details of the final report regarding the Local Plan and links to the documents. Scrutiny committee will meet on 7^th Dec, Cabinet on 8^th Dec and Council on 10^th December to consider this.

Here we go again. We have had a few months of relative freedom, but are now on the brink of a new lockdown.  We all set up systems during the first lock down and have adapted our lives to the reality of COVID. 

The churches will remain open for individual prayer during lockdown

I'm asking for your help with a little project the Berinsfield Church is running as we approach the Christmas season.

Wallingford Museum Bookshop Reopens 

Wallingford Guided Historical walks are now on offer! 

Yoga is on most Monday evenings at 7:30 pm.  

Maple Tree resuming

As you may be aware, the emerging South Oxfordshire Local Plan is at Examination stage. Following recent examination hearings, the Inspector has asked the council to prepare a ‘Schedule of Proposed Main Modifications’ to the plan.

The schedule reflects the modifications that are considered necessary by the Inspector to make the plan 'sound' before it can move to the adoption stage. These are the only significant changes that can be made to the plan now.

We are carrying out a six-week consultation on the Proposed Main Modifications and are asking for comments. There is no need to resubmit comments (representations) made at the Local Plan submission stage or in matters statements as your comments have already been considered as part of the Examination.

The Proposed Main Modifications consultation runs from 21 September until midnight on 2 November 2020. 

Covid-19

Update (17 September 2020): 

Opening on 22 August

Baldons and Nuneham Community Society Limited

Notice of Annual General Meeting 2020

Local Developments Update

There are a number of local developments with the potential to impact the Baldons.  Below is an update on these:

Covid update June 2020

To the communities of the Baldons

and Nuneham Courtenay from the PCC

THE CHURCH BUILDINGS MAY STILL BE CLOSED

for Public Services

BUT NOT THE CHURCH.

We will be offering a take away service as of Friday 19th and Saturday 20th June for collection between 17.30 and 19.30 and for Father's Day Sunday 21st June for lunch collection between 12.00 and 14.00.

Advice From Citizens' Advice Bureau

A Message to Visitors

To the villagers at Marsh and Toot Baldon

Villagers will by now have received a leaflet from Enso Energy concerning a solar farm on land south west of the Cowley Substation.  Below is a briefing paper sent to councillors based on two pre-submission documents from the company.  You can read about it as described by the developer here.

Oxfordshire County Council will re-open Household Waste Recycling Centres on 18 May, for essential use. Essential use means waste that cannot be stored at home, or would cause hard to health if stored.

The Annual Report from the Baldons Parish Council is published.  The Annual Accounts have also been published and can be found in the Accounts section of the Documents Archive page.

If you need help with anything during the pandemic, or just a chat, please contact: baldonsinfo@gmail.com

New 24/7 mental health helpline launched
DIY warning from our eye experts
Domestic abuse support

You may well have seen brightly painted stones on your daily exercise in both the Baldons and Nuneham.  These have been painted and placed by different parts of the community as a way to communicate with each other from isolation – PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH OR REMOVE THEM – but please do feel free to add your own!

A message from John Campbell, Chief Constable, Thames Valley

This is a briefing on Oxfordshire NHS and Local Authority services during the pandemic.  It includes news of new clinics and a home visiting service for COVID-19 sufferers, a new Health Information Exchange, a new 24/7 mental health helpline for adults and children, guidance for people undergoing cancer treatment, and a new dedicated hotline for people with diabetes. 

Pandemic Scammers

Unfortunately there are unscrupulous types who will take advantage of people who are worried and concerned.  The pandemic presents an ideal opportunity for these people.  The following message is from OCC and gives some tips on how to be on the look out and guard against scammers.

Waste collections continue for now

New arrangements during Covid-19 pandemic

There is a new shop at the Seven Stars. This should help cover local demand for commonly used items.

Please see this letter.

If you want to order you can access a form here,

Enquiries please by email if possible:  info@sevenstarsonthegreen.co.uk 

Further details on the website: http://www.sevenstarsonthegreen.co.uk/ 

Chairman calls an extraordinary Parish Council meeting

At the Seven Stars we have added new takeaway menus and changed the current ones, see below

Also soon we will be offering a convenience store for: eggs, bread, milk and other commodities. Details to follow.

The Team thank you & the village for all your continued support at this hard time.

Many thanks

Alistair

Seven Stars
The Green
Marsh Baldon
Oxford
OX44 9LP

Tel: 01865 343337

Email: info@sevenstarsonthegreen.co.uk

As you will have seen in the news, we have entered a new phase of restrictions to reduce the spread of Covid19.  We thought it was worth reiterating what those restrictions were and what the Baldons Community Action Group (BCAG) are going to do to ensure our villages are kept safe and supplied with essential goods.

Community groups are springing up across the country.  In the Baldons and Nuneham a core group of villagers are leading on this. 

This is a difficult time for our community and the whole of our country. Many of us are anxious and uncertain of what the future holds....

At the recent meeting of the Parish Council, the procedure for the appointment of new trustees to the Baldons Fuel Charity was agreed.

Sandford/Nuneham Courtenay the ‘preferred option’ 
for a huge mineral excavation site.

From Hayley Hayle – Coordinator:

hayley@mapletree.org.uk or info@mapletree.org.uk

www.facebook.com/TheMapleTreeWheatley                                                                                                                                           

We have lots of new activities/sessions lined up for you as well as all of our regular sessions at The Maple Tree.

The Waste Wizard

The Waste Wizard is the county council’s response to the evil spell that no-longer-needed items sometimes cast over residents when it’s time to recycle or reuse them. The online tool allows anyone bewitched by the bin to type in the name of any item along with their postcode to find out whether it can be repaired, reused, donated, recycled or if it needs to go into a specific bin or can be disposed of at a Household Waste Recycling Centre.

The centre will be closing for a deep clean on 10 & 11 March

Wallingford Museum re-opens on 3rd March with two new special exhibitions, and many family-friendly events during the year.

The Maple Tree

From Coordinator Hayley Hayle

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many families who have supported us throughout 2019 including the 200 lucky dippers at Wheatley Christmas Street Fayre, the 50 families who came along to our Christmas crafting event, the 30 families who supported Wheatley Scouts and ourselves by buying Christmas Trees, the congregation of St Bartholomew’s Church who arranged a collection for us during their Carol service and the many people who regularly put their loose change into one of our many collection tins scattered around the area. 

“Afternoon Tea with Marcus and Mary Braybrooke”

- a biography: A Review by Veronica Sandilands

Sadly our beloved local pub / restaurant, the Cockadoo at Nuneham Courtenay, has been forced to close its doors for the foreseeable future. 

The following is a message from the management:

In the Baldons and Nuneham Courtenay you have raised a fantastic amount of £1,129.24.  My grateful thanks to everyone who gave to this very worthy appeal, without your support we could not have achieved this amount of money. 

If you are a European Union citizen living or working in the UK, you might be wondering what will happen when the United Kingdom leaves the EU and what you should do so that you have the right to remain in this country.

From 15th December I will have wild winter wreaths available to buy from the garden gate. 

VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY AND SEE WHAT WE HAVE ON OFFER

Could you spare a couple of hours a month to help run this newsletter?

For most of the last decade, Sheila Harris has coordinated the advertising for the newsletter.  This is a critical role, as without the income from advertising, it would be difficult to provide the newsletter for free to every household, so we are immensely grateful to Sheila for all her work.

She now wishes to pass this role to someone else, so we are looking for someone who could take over in the New Year.  

This has become a huge issue locally.

Could you spare a couple of hours a month to help run the parish newsletter?

For most of the last decade, Sheila Harris has coordinated the advertising for the newsletter.  This is a critical role, as without the income from advertising, it would be difficult to provide the newsletter for free to every household, so we are immensely grateful to Sheila for all her work.

She now wishes to pass this role to someone else, so we are looking for someone who could take over in the New Year.  

Thank you to everybody that either donated to, or bid on our Silent Auction, we made a staggering £3,000.  This will enormously help with our running costs. 

The Trustees would like to thank John Wright and Ray Claridge for the service they gave to the charity over the many years they served as trustees. Both retired this year.

Your local Citizens Advice is launching its annual initiative to help people in financial need who find it hard to pay their energy bills.  The project, called the Energy Advice Programme (EAP), is going live throughout Oxfordshire South and Vale from October to March 2020. It includes comprehensive steps to help people who have to spend a significant proportion of their income on fuel bills.

We regret to announce that after more than six successful years, Matt has decided he will be calling time on his stewardship of the Seven Stars.

Oxford to Cambridge Expressway/Motorway Update
July 2019
 
This autumn, Highways England will announce the specific routes they will be considering for their Motorway/Expressway.  In this update, we report on recent relevant news events and also on action you can be taking in advance of the autumn announceme

Let there be light
The Seven Stars gets a generator

Fed up of having to huddle over a candle every time we have a power cut in the villages?

Now when we’re plunged into darkness you can simply head to the Seven Stars for hot food, light, WiFi, power sockets and a warm welcome.

The Maple Tree

by Hayley Hayle, Maple Tree Co-ordinator                                            

If you haven’t previously heard of us, we are a community charity based in Wheatley aiming to replace some universal services that were lost when local Children’s Centres closed in 2017.  We serve families from Wheatley and surrounding villages, including the Baldons and Nuneham Courtenay.

Would you like to contribute to the success of our community pub, or have more say in the BNCS committee? Now’s your chance. The pub committee warmly welcomes new members and will be holding an AGM in the summer, when potential committee members can stand for election.

Nominations to begin before 3rd April please

Urgent!

Are you already a shareholder? Want to be one?

SODC has issued a revised local plan.  You have until 18th February to reply.  You can do this online here.

SODC have published their updated Local Plan for 2034.  In the letter, received from the Head of Planning at SODC, there are a number of meetings for the general public to hear about the plan and to ask questions.

Comments about the plan can be made online using the links below or by collecting a comment form from one of the meetings.  Deadline for comments is 5pm on 18th February 2019

A copy of the SODC Local Plan 2034 briefing presentation can be found in the Document Archive section of the local politics.

Oxfordshire County Council have developed a new web site which provides a comprehensive database of support services and help and advice available in Oxfordshire.    

The Seven Stars is a community-owned asset in the heart of our villages. 

Citizens Advice offers haven for "hate crime” victims 

An Update

We are sad to announce the death on 25th July of Nina Wells, a much-loved villager over many years. 

We are sad to announce the death of Nicola Barclay-Watt, who lived in Marsh Baldon until recently.

Many in the Village will remember Carrie and Ollie, who ran the Seven Stars in 2012. We have recently heard of Carrie's tragic death

The Expressway Action Group now has has in excess of 35 parishes involved including the Baldons Parish Council  The steering group lead by Peter Rutt has  Elizabeth Gillespie  Dawn McGiveron and John Clark as members  and the group is a stakeholder  representing the various villages and providing information to support the evaluation of the route option  The group are not opposing the road in principle but by providing information on biodiversity and ecology and the views of local communities aim to help  Highways England  make the best possible evaluation of the scheme taking account of ,practicalities problems a and costs , we still hope to provide enough information to ensure that the recommended route goes north and west of Oxford.

Baldons Neighbourhood Plan

An Expressway action group, EAG, has been set up by Cuddesdon Parish Council and there are  in excess of 17 parishes from Radley and the Wittenhams to Wheatley involved with the group.

SODC is now consulting on the final version of its local plan prior to its submission to the Planning Inspectorate and public enquiry in 2018.

The defibrillator is now installed.

The Grenoble Road Development is still a threat

Protection of The Green Belt is still a live issue

An update

Cakes and Bottles for Baldon Feast

Nature gets everywhere; we need to learn to start appreciating it in as many ways as is possible.

Subsidised Bus services

Oxfordshire County Council have confirmed that in order to implement the previously announced  savings targets, they have agreed to withdraw all rural bus service subsidies from 20^th July. 

We have been informed by Oxfordshire County Council that due to reorganisation the Mobile Library will visit the village on a Wednesday from 14.00 -14 30hrs from Week commencing11th April.  

Everybody is invited to participate in this vital project

You have probably seen the dreadful images of thousands of refugees. These people have lost everything: their homes, their possessions, often their families. They need our help. 

The 50th memorial of the Baldons’ Air Crash was held on 5th July. A record number of people attended the service, some from as far away as Perth and Auckland. We think we had around 300 people at the service

The new Baldons Parish Council website has been launched.

The new website includes lots of information about the Parish Council and the local area. Read on to find out more...

I am Megan Brewin. I live in Marsh Baldon on the Croft and I'm 14 years old. I am really good with kids and will give 100% of my attention to your kid(s). I can also do dog walking and pet sitting. I have a dog of my own and I love animals in general very much and would take special care of them. I can look after pets whilst you go on holiday! 

I am available after school and on the weekends. 

My contact details are: 07510 297418 or email: megb2007@icloud.com

I charge: £10 per/hour although negotiable depending on what you want. 

New Bench in St Peter’s Churchyard

This stunning Sheaf of Corn bread was made by Caddy Attewill, using flour from Parsonage Farm. 

Clifton Hampden Patient Participation Group (PPG) organised a lovely concert on 26^th October by kind permission of our local church. 

Pet of the Month

An occasional feature dedicated to the animal residents of the Baldons and Nuneham – please do send in pictures of your furry or feathered friends for future issues!  This month we have Lizie Giraudeau’s chickens enjoying the winter sunshine.

This is well worth watching, especially for new parents