Ex-Chippy School’s Luke Embden, now a professional international mural artist – has already brightened up our town with his Beales window. His latest production can be seen in Oxford’s George Street – a 9-metre mural in a bright, vivid pop-art style with topical messages such as ‘social distancing’, ‘mask up’, and ‘stay safe’ alongside Oxford landmarks and activities.
Luke’s mural was commissioned by Fusion Arts Oxford
Luke did it in 3 days. His earlier Chippy pro-bono contribution was while he was back in Chippy with his family at Easter instead of at his home in Berlin. His portfolio includes work for Covent Garden, Abbey Road studios, Carnaby Street and projects for Nike and Coca Cola. See his facebook page and more on Luke at www.lukeembden.co.uk
Plans for Chippy’s Community Orchard to celebrate the apple season with their Apple Pressing Day this Sunday (20 September) have had to be cancelled because of the latest Covid-19 restrictions.
Apple Pressing Day had to be cancelled
It would have taken more than 6 volunteers to run the pressing production line and safety of visitors is also a concern. The Orchard’s Heather Leonard said ‘Enjoy the community orchard for picnics and picking. Sorry the Rule of 6 prevented us juicing your apples, Look forward to Blossom and Apple Days next year’.But please don’t let that stop everyone doing something exciting with your apples – see next month’s News for ideas!
Stop Press: the indoor swimming pool at Chipping Norton Leisure Centre is open for the public again from Monday 14 September. Swimming lessons are also restarting. You have to book everything and there are special health and safety restrictions because of Covid-19. But that’s great news for all our swimmers young and old. See website
Well done to The Lido in Chipping Norton for welcoming swimmers back over the last few weeks – some amazing team efforts and some sunshine to go with it. The Lido in fact was started around 50 years ago and is now run as a charity with some terrific local financial support, providing open air fun – as well as exercise – for all ages. See chippylido.co.uk for news and how to donate!
Your full 36-page edition of the Chipping Norton News is back – out in all our main ‘boxes’ around town – and it’s still only 50p. There’s a lot to catch up on.
Buy your copy in boxes around Town – and one for a friend next door!
Schools are back – and read about teenage lockdown worries
Some great A level and GCSE results
Risk of Chippy Covid ‘hotspots’
Meet our new Town Mayor and Deputy
Chippy plans major flu jab campaign
Panto’s postponed as Theatre plans for survival
and….local man sets fastest wheelbarrow record!
There are 15 pages of local news plus great updates for Arts, Sports, Clubs, Schools and lots of your letters. Thanks to everyone who has helped.
After 3 months of our short free Lockdown bulletins and the wonderful ‘VJ Day Chronicle’ from 1945, the News Team is delighted to be fully back in action. So, dig out 50p from the back of the sofa, and call into Town to buy your copy – and maybe one for a friend still shielding at home.
You can buy the News this month from: Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Coop supermarket, Post Office, Coop Pharmacy, Costcutter, Esso Londis garage, Gill & Co., Café Nero, Costa Coffee, Cotswold Newsagents, West St News, Old Mill Bistro, Jaffé & Neale Bookshop, Roger’s Fish and Deli, CN Health Centre, CN Hospital, Bartholomew’s, Hidden Beauty, The Chequers, Café de la Post (Chadlington). Other outlets may reopen soon. Many thanks to them all.
Near gale force winds on 24 and 25 August have brought down trees around Chipping Norton – including on our main roads and near Gt Rollright and Hook Norton. Chipping Norton Town Council have also temporarily closed the New Street Recreation Ground because of danger from nearby trees.
Storm damage – Chestnut tree fall closed New Street Recreation Ground
Chipping Norton has many roads and lanes lined with countless wonderful but sometimes aging trees. Please watch out when walking, cycling or driving and avoid going out in bad weather conditions
If you need a bus from Chippy on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August then note that the Chippy – Oxford S3 and 7 services will run a Sunday service for that day to the new full timetable that will have started by then.
Unfortunately there will be no 488 service to Banbury on Bank Holiday Monday as the full post lockdown timetable doesn’t start until the day after!
Watch out if you are catching the bus from Oxford back to Chipping Norton. For 4 weeks from Saturday 22 August much of George Street will be part-pedestrianised to provide much more outdoor seating space for 11 pubs, cafes and restaurants.
Changes to S3 bus stops in Oxford from 22 August
Some key stops for services 7, 14, S1, S2 and S3 will be affected, Notably for our Services 7 and S3 don’t use Gloucester Green and George Street: central drop offs into town will now be in Beaumont Street by The Playhouse (stop A5) and get the bus coming back from Magdalen Street (stop C4). Look online for full details at Stagecoach bus updates
Time for more community action – Chippy residents are now getting a copy through their doors of the Town Council’s ‘Vision Statement’ for East Chipping Norton (Tank Farm) 1000+ home expansion. The houses are a done deal but the Council wants ambitious goals set for 21st century design, embracing zero carbon, a positive impact on Chippy for jobs, homes and services, and town investment. They want our backing to persuade others to make it happen.
The Town Council’s Vision – will the decision-makers be listening?
County and District make the decisions – OCC, the main land owner, say they support low carbon. But they submit the planning application and our councillors fear they will simply want the best price for their land. Similarly, WODC, as planning authority, need to demand the best environmental standards and adopt other ideas from the Vision Statement.
But where’s our ‘community funding’? Town Council are now angry that WODC are proposing to charge ZERO ‘Community Infrastructure Levy’, to fund community facilities. In 2016, WODC suggested £10m could be available, with up to £2m directly for the Town Council. WODC’s latest consultation says this makes the development ‘unviable’ (ie Developers can’t afford it!). They insist only on ‘Section 106’ funding which, some councillors say, is not transparent, agreed ‘behind closed doors’, probably insufficient and influenced too much by developers. Crucially, it cannot pay for all the community infrastructure that the Town was promised when 1000+ homes was ‘sold’ to us.
Tell WODC what you think – WODC are currently consulting publicly on this proposed ‘zero rate’ Community Levy. See WODC’s website for details. The Town Council are submitting a strong response. They want the public to do so as well and show the strength of feeling in the Town. You can find a helpful explanation on how to respond on the Town Council’s website. Responses must be in by 21 August.
To mark VJ Day and the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, the Chippy News Team hopes everyone in the Town will enjoy reading this Chipping Norton Chronicle!
This was created using a wonderful collection of actual 1945 news stories, memories, announcements and adverts – yes – they are all based on real events and news publications about the Town back then!
On Saturday 15 August (VJ Day), the British Legion holds a service of Remembrance (restricted to 30 invitations only) at the War Memorial from 10.30. Contact the Legion’s Steve Kingsford on 01295 780716.
The main Chipping Norton News will return – back with a full 50p per copy edition – on 1 September. Please send all your news and letters to chippymail@aol.com – deadline Friday 14 August
Stuck without a car – and need a trip out of Chippy? This week sees our 488 bus service to Banbury back to its normal ‘pre-Covid’ timetable. Our S3 Chippy-Oxford service is pretty much there as well.
The Stagecoach 488 bus Chippy-Banbury for a day out!
Check the Stagecoach website for up to date timetables and guidance on safe travelling on our buses. Face-coverings are needed as on all public transport. Don’t forget our Chippy round-town Shuttle is also back along with the Villager services and the X9 to Witney.
