From Jane Osborne:

Of course, living in quintessential England, we awoke on our organised day to find it was raining!!!  Frantic telephone calls between committee members commenced with the cry of “shall we go ahead?”  Eventually at 9.30 am, having trawled the internet for weather forecasts, we decided to put our faith in the promise of “fine by lunch”.

However, at the agreed starting time, ready for the Health and Safety briefing, there was still just us! So we decided we were clothed for the showers, ready for the work and forged ahead ourselves.  Like the nursery rhyme “Incy Wincy Spider”, the rain stopped, the people came out in force and day one began.

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The beacon at Lower Thorpe Mandeville was one of about 30 such bonfires lighting up the countryside along the proposed route of the High Speed Rail Link between London and the West Midlands, in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire. Read more about the beacons on the STOPHS2 website.

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WAXWING (Bombycilla garrulous)

The surely is one of the most handsome of birds. The size of a starling and mainly of a colour variously described as “vinaceous brown”, “cinnamon-grey” or “reddish buff”, it is easily distinguished by its prominent crest, black eye-mark and bib, yellow tipped tail and yellow edged wing feathers. On some of the secondary wing-feathers there are waxy red ‘blobs’, which give the bird its popular name.

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Tudor Kitchen demonstration at Sulgrave Manor

Sulgrave Manor is very proud to be one of only twenty museums chosen from the national entries to be taken forward to the next stage of the Guardian’s Family Friendly Museum Award.  This is the biggest family friendly award in Britain and the only one judged by families.

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Photograph: Jacqueline Fletcher

On several occasions in the past ten or fifteen years albino squirrels have been seen in the village. This one was photographed recently by Jacqueline Fletcher at Kiln Farm.

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BLACKBIRD (Turdus merula)

The blackbird is one of the most widely-spread and numerous  of British birds. Originally a bird of the wildwood, it has gradually familiarised itself with human habitation and is now a resident of most gardens of any size, replacing the song thrush as the commonest member of the thrush family. Only the adult male is black, with a bright yellow bill, the female is brown, darker above and paler below, while the juvenile’s plumage is mottled brown (it may even be confused with the thrush).

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IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM SOUTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL.

A bogus caller is making calls to residents in South Northamptonshire about council tax refunds. The caller asks for personal details, including bank account information.

We are also aware that some residents have been told by a caller that they owe council tax and threatened with a prison sentence if they do not pay.

We want to remind all residents that this is a bogus call and not one from South Northamptonshire Council. We will not contact residents by phone offering a council tax refund and strongly advise against giving out personal information to such callers.

If any residents have a telephone number for the caller, forward this, and any other details, onto Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.

Photo: Andrew Waite

A light fall of snow on Saturday morning December 18th, was followed by a much heavier fall in late afternoon, as can be seen in this picture taken at the little gateway through the double hedge which marks the footpath along the parish boundary between Sulgrave and Greatworth.

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Temperatures of minus six with snow and ice failed to deter the twenty-two people who turned up for the annual carol singing around the village.

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Sulgrave Church from Kirklees (Clare Pollak)

Dawn on Tuesday 7th December revealed visions of frost clad trees in bright sunshine, still air and extreme cold. These pictures were taken by Clare and Peter Pollak.

See more pictures….

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