Visitors well equipped for the weather in Rectory Farm gardens

Despite the cool windy conditions and the threat of heavy rain, from 2.00 pm on Sunday 30th June a steady stream of visitors enjoyed some of the village’s very best gardens. A total of £2062 was raised for the National Gardens Scheme, which supports a range of nursing, caring and gardening charities, with more than £2.5 million donated to these causes each year.

Ingram Lloyed reports that the number of visitors was 322, representing the fifth highest visitor numbers in the ten Sulgrave Open Garden days, the takings being the second highest on the day. The cakes were baked and donated by many excellent bakers from the village and beyond. Together with teas, the sale of these items raised £504. Many thanks are due to the car parkers (a very un-celebrated band but absolutely vital to the organisation), and also to the tea pourers, cake cutters and washer uppers as scrumptious cake and tea is vital – some visitors arrive and make straight for the tea!

Michael Heaton, Treasurer and Publicity, NGS Northamptonshire, emailed as follows: “…this was my first visit to the gardens and I have to say that I was MOST impressed with the standard of these and all the organisation that was involved. This is one of the county’s finest group openings in the pleasant surroundings of Sulgrave….”

More pictures of the gardens on the next page.

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The draft Environmental Statement for the proposed Phase One London to West Midlands High Speed Rail Link (HS2) has now been published. It sets out the environmental impacts which have been identified along the route and the measures proposed for managing and reducing them. The assessment is set out in the following sections: agriculture, forestry and soils; air quality; climate; community; cultural heritage; ecology; electromagnetic interference; ground settlement; land quality; landscape and visual; socio-economics; sound, noise and vibration; traffic and transport; waste and mineral resources; and water resources and flood risk.

The statement can be seen online at http://www.hs2.org.uk/draft-environmental-statement  (All public consultation documents) and maps of the route at http://www.hs2.org.uk/interactive-map  (insert your postcode to find your local information).

A consultation event for the Greatworth to Lower Boddington Section will be held at Boddington Village Hall, Warwick Road, Upper Boddington, NN11 6DH on Monday 3rd June from noon until 8.00 pm.

A consultation event for the Newton Purcell to Brackley Section will be held at Brackley Town Hall, Market Place, Brackley, NN13 7AB on Friday 14th June from noon until 8 pm.

Should these be inconvenient, other consultation events within around a half-hour drive time will be held at

The Trustees of Sulgrave Manor have issued the following statement:

“The operations of Sulgrave Manor cannot be sustained in the way they
have been run in the last decade or so. Without a major change, the
Trust will eventually run out of money and have to close.
• The Trustees see it as their duty to restore the fortunes of the Manor and
to put it into a position which will enable it to survive and flourish in the
next century.
• The Centenary Strategic Plan will enable the survival of the Trust on a
long term sustainable basis.
• The implementation of the Centenary Strategic Plan will require
considerable funding. Part of this will come from the sale of the Kiln
Farm Yard and its adjoining land and it is hoped that the balance will
come from donations.
• We are currently launching a Centenary Appeal and establishing an
International Centenary Appeal Board.”

Details of the Centenary Strategic Plan can be seen here.

The object of the meeting is to discuss the Centenary Strategic Plan in general and the development proposals in particular. See here for a plan showing these proposals.

Appointed as first full time manager of the Village Community Shop when it was established in 2004, David Bolton has decided that the time has come to call it a day. After 9 years of running the shop with the always enthusiastic but sometimes dubious assistance of sixty or more different volunteers ranging in ages from 12 to 90 he will, as they say, “be pleased to spend more time with the family”! David’s contribution to the continuing success of the shop has been immense. He has driven over from Towcester every day, whatever the conditions and attended many evening meetings with volunteers. Many of his ideas have been adopted and have greatly contributed to the smooth running of the shop. His services will be much missed but we hope that he will continue to keep an eye on things, disguised as a regular customer!

See here for advertisement for a new Shop Manager.

Mac Macdonald writes on behalf of the shop:

John the Post’s bench….it’s here for us all to use! No more updates needed. I sat on it this evening and it looks brilliant. A fitting and constant reminder of our village friend. We’ll see if  ‘young John’ can persuade Pat to come along and see what’s been achieved in his memory.

Click here for Mac’s latest report on the shop.

See next page for more photos of the bench.

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How the turbines would appear from the Barrow Hill footpath. M = Sulgrave Manor

Following the High Court quashing of the Inspector’s decision to allow the appeal by Broadview Energy against South Northants Council’s refusal of planning permission for the Spring Farm Ridge Windfarm, the Planning Inspectorate has published a programme for a further public inquiry. This will be held at an venue yet to be decided (probably the Council Offices at Towcester) commencing on 8th October. It is expected to last 12 days with a decision issued on or before 23rd December. For this new inquiry, the Helmdon Stuchbury and Greatworth Windfarm Action Group will be one of the main parties, together with South Northants Council and Broadview Energy. The case for the Action Group will be led by barrister Richard Honey with expert witnesses Alison Farmer (landscape architect), Michael Muston (planning consultant) and Robert Davis (acoustic engineer). Various third parties will also present evidence, including representatives of the Parish Councils of Greatworth, Helmdon and Sulgrave, Sulgrave Manor Trust, Helmdon Footpath Warden and affected residents. Written statements by these third parties have to be submitted to the Inspectorate by 23rd May. Anyone else wishing to appear at the inquiry should also submit written statements to the Inspectorate by this date.

Megan and Jack make the inaugural “flight”

Claire Purves was one of a group of young mothers whose vision and hard work brought about the restoration of the village’s pocket park. Sadly, she died in a road accident in 2011. It had been her wish that the park should feature a zip wire as its main attraction. The princely sum of £8000 was raised by the efforts of many in Sulgrave and the surrounding villages. Sunday 24th March was chosen as a suitable spring day for the official opening. Unfortunately, the day turned out to be more like midwinter with deep snow and a biting easterly wind. However, undeterred by the conditions a large crowd gathered to remember much missed Claire and watch her children Megan and Jack make the first “flight”. More pictures of this event on the next page.

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John’s 60th Birthday Party in 2007

Richard (Mac) Macdonald writes:

“I’m delighted to let everyone know that we have taken delivery of the bench in memory of our friend ‘John the Post’.  Clare Pollak is kindly storing it for us until the weather improves & we finally have a date from the council appointed contractors for its installation outside our Shop.
Thanks again for everyone’s generosity; it’ll be a fitting tribute to the man who was such a positive part of our daily lives.”

Many thanks.
Mac

Click here for more information.

The Pocket Park Zip Wire under construction

Julie Russell says:

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

You have baked, bopped, zumba’d and shopped all in memory of the much missed Claire Purves…. and raised a quite extraordinary £8,000. Claire’s family have found great comfort in all your endeavours and support and would like to say a huge thank you by inviting you to the launch of the Sulgrave flying fox.

So please join them for tea and cake at Sulgrave Pocket Park on Sunday 24th March at 2.30 pm.

Claire’s beautiful brave children Megan and Jack will be there to take the inaugural ‘flight’.”