Northamptonshire ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England) is delighted to announce the launch of a new venture that we hope will be good for you and good for the environment.

Northamptonshire ACRE will be using the model of a local buying syndicate for domestic heating oil and rolling it out across the county. We believe there will be great strength in harnessing the purchasing power of the many rural communities who are without mains gas so that together, oil-buyers will be able to make significant savings. Experience has already shown that it’s possible to get a discount of around £50 on a single order. And since the scheme is only in its infancy, we see no reason why we can’t improve on that. There are other benefits too – reduced carbon footprint (yes, really), a move towards renewable energy sources and a contribution to funds to support Northamptonshire.

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ROOK (Corvus frugilegus)

Although one of our most familiar birds, the rook is often confused with its cousin the carrion crow (C. corone), also black and of similar size. A closer look reveals differences in appearance: the mature rook has a whitish facial patch of bare skin, and its leg feathers give it the look of wearing breeches. However, the main distinguishing feature is, of course, the rook’s sociable nature, compared with the crow’s more solitary life. Rooks are birds of a fairly open landscape, in mixed farming country, with small woods and scattered trees.

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L to R. Paul King, of F. King & Son, Clare Pollak, Project Co-ordinator, Janet Norman and Cecil Rhodes, of The Rhodes Partnership

Chairman Martin Sirot-Smith reports that:

It is with great satisfaction that the Castle Green Management Committee were able on 28th September to accept completion of the restoration of the Wall by F. King & Son.

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David, on the right, at the Pocket Park festivities a few weeks before leaving for South America

A few weeks ago, former Parish Councillor David Kellett and wife Crissy left the village for Sao Paulo in Brazil. Their many friends in the village will be pleased to learn that David intends to keep in touch by means of regular newsletters to this website. The first of these can be seen on the next page.

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Qualified Holistic Therapist Stephanie Wilson-Carey provides Aromatherapy in the village by appointment.

More details here.

Upwards of 100 people visited the village produce show held in the Church Hall on Saturday 3rd September and were treated to an excellent range of exhibits by young and old alike.

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Philip in 2001

Lifelong village inhabitant Philip Henn died in November 2010. An appreciation of his life appears on  the next page.

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Photograph courtesy Anthony Barrett

This photograph of Head Teacher Mrs Victoria Stirrat with her senior class was taken in 1963, probably at the end of a village fete. It will be added to other school photos in the relevant section of the website photographic archive.

See a larger version with the names of the children where known. Any corrections or additions to this information will be gratefully received.

The new display board is unveiled by (left to right) Clare Pollak (project co-ordinator), Joan Bray (Member of the Grants Panel of the Heritage Lottery Fund), Mike Pearson (former Director of Leisure and Heritage, South Northants Council), Martin Sirot-Smith (Chairman, Castle Green Management Committee)

Parish Councillor Clare Pollak, Castle Green Project Co-ordinator, presented to the April Parish Council Meeting the annual report of Martin Sirot-Smith, Chairman of the Castle Green Management Committee.  The report gave details of the work carried out during the year, including the erection of the information board, the Autumn Fair, the preparation of a leaflet distributed to all households and the virtual completion of the boundary wall restoration. The  project has won an accolade from the Heritage Lottery Fund, who judged the restoration to be a model project of its kind. The Chairman thanked everyone who had contributed to the project and concluded: “The village now has a lovely amenity, superbly situated in a unique historical setting.  Lets all enjoy it, use it and ensure that it continues to be looked after so that future generations may do the same.”

See here for a full copy of the report.

See here for a photo gallery of the Autumn Fair.

See here for more details of the Castle Green Restoration Project.

JAY (Garrulus glandarius)

Certainly the most colourful member of the crow family, the jay is mainly pinkish-brown, but has a black moustache and prominent black with white patches on wings and tail. The wing coverts (the “bend” of the wing) are strikingly chequered blue and black. Easily identified, but it is a shy bird.

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