For the fifth year in succession, early on each evening in December a village window will be unveiled to reveal a Christmas scene, in the manner of a flap being opened on an Christmas Advent Calendar. We begin with the magical transformation of the normally rather drab village bus shelter into a cosy interior on Christmas Eve, when the children are safely in bed……

More photos on the next page……inside the bus shelter…..the opening ceremony with mulled wine, sausage rolls and mince pies….construction works…..the fish and chips van……a little history of the shelter….

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Villagers outside the village shop helpfully point out the location of the defibrillator

The village shop post code is OX17 2RT. See here for the shop location on maps.

A defibrillator cabinet has been installed on the corner of Stockwell Lane and Magpie Road (at the village shop). Click here for a pd file of instructions on how to use it which you can print off and keep handy if you wish. However, all you need to access the cabinet is a charged up mobile phone with which to ring 999 to alert the emergency services and obtain the cabinet access code. This call will be connected even if you do not normally get a signal in the village. Instructions will also be printed in the December newsletter and a date for a hands-on training session will shortly be announced. A second training session will be offered early in the new year for villagers who are unable to attend the first one.

Thanks go to Richard MacDonald from Cardiac Science for donating the defibrillator and to the South Northamptonshire District Council for a grant for the purchase and installation of the defibrillator cabinet.

The defibrillator cabinet.

Close up of instructions on face of defibrillator cabinet.

What is a defibrillator and how does it work?

Note: AED = Automated External Defibrillator.

Villagers with limited access to private transport will be well aware that the Northamptonshire County Council’s “County Connect” bus service (above) has been withdrawn. The Parish Council is actively considering the need for a community bus service to replace it. The Council have been advised that Greatworth Parish Council and Helmdon Parish Council have partnered to provide a free weekly replacement bus service to its residents. This is costing a total of £90 per week to run, but is reportedly well used. The Parish Council is considering whether Sulgrave might run a similar scheme or join the Helmdon/Greatworth scheme. However, questions were raised at a recent Parish Council meeting as to whether the need exists in the village. The Council resolved to seek further information on the need for a replacement bus service in the village.

To this end you are invited to advise the Parish Council as to your views.

Please click here for a questionnaire for you to print off, complete and return to a Parish Councillor, or email it to the Parish Clerk at [email protected]

Click here to listen to the bells of St James the Less, Sulgrave.

Donald Taylor dressed for the Royal British Legion fund raising campaign

This pristine Commonwealth War Graves headstone commemorating Lilian Taylor has kept its lonely vigil in Sulgrave churchyard for almost 100 years. To mark the centenary of the signing of the armistice which brought the Great War to an end, this year the Royal British Legion has created a special brooch dedicated to the memory of the courageous women who served and lost their lives as a direct result of the First World War.

I set out below the remarkable story of the connection between Lilian, the RAF wreath and one of these brooches: (more…)

District-wide Local Plans contain policies and proposals which guide decisions on the use and development of land during a prescribed period. They are prepared by District Councils in accordance with relevant National and Regional planning policies, in consultation with all interested parties and organisations and the general public.

The current Local Plan for South Northamptonshire was adopted by South Northamptonshire Council in 1997. The Council is preparing a replacement plan for the period up to 2029 which will, amongst other things, establish a Rural Settlement Hierarchy for settlements within the District; propose amendments to existing town and village confines lines, beyond which expansion will not normally be permitted; identify areas of important open space within settlements and address local development needs.

After a period of public consultation, the Draft Local Plan is submitted to government for approval. This involves an “examination in public” before an Inspector, where matters of common interest or concern are considered together, more informally than at a Public Inquiry. The Inspector’s brief is to ensure that the policies of the plan do, indeed, conform to current government planning policy guidance.

A full report on the Pre-Submission Draft Plan appeared on this website one year ago with advice on how to make comments to the Council.

Click here to see the comments made, including those by Sulgrave Parish Council.

We have now reached the actual Submission stage and the Plan is once more available for comment before it goes to the Inspector. As far as Sulgrave is concerned, a careful examination of the latest version of the plan reveals that there are no significant changes, other than a slight modification of the village confines line which is described on the next page.

As set out at the end of this item on the next page, comments on this latest version of the Local Plan must be lodged with the South Northants Council not later than noon on Friday 16th November.

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For the fifth year in succession, early on each evening in December a village window will be unveiled to reveal a Christmas scene, in the manner of a flap being opened on an Christmas Advent Calendar.

Ingram Lloyd writes: “……a few more window volunteers are needed if the village Advent calendar is to go ahead.  Please contact me if you need more information but basically it goes like this:  a window of your house which is near the road has a simple / elaborate display which is covered up.

On your allotted day we all gather round at about 6.15, have a mug of mulled wine and chat; just before 6.30 we count down and then the window covering is removed; we cheer, admire the window, more chat and go home!

There will be a collection for a charity, which is still to be decided.  The openers may nominate a charity of their choice and we will have a mini vote.

If you don’t want to be an opener but would still like to be an active contributor, we do need cash sponsors as a lot of mulled wine is drunk!

Ingram Lloyd

To see each window from 2014 – 2017, click on the appropriate “archive year” in the right hand panel on the home page, scan down to December and choose a window to see in more detail, including the “unveiling party”.