Other Works- An Introduction
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams
has only a brief entry for the Planet Earth, in fact only two words followed by
a rather final full stop- "Mostly harmless."
In search of more clues, I picked up my "Lonely Planet" guide to
Apparently Upton House and Farnborough Hall, both National Trust properties slightly north of Banbury, are also worth a visit for Old Masters and works of Art, and formal gardens with temples respectively- not to mention my own more DIY temple in Culworth with its finery!
South Bar in Banbury itself, near the cross, has B&B’s further up the hill, a fine fish and chip shop, The Forum Chinese Restaurant, and also Fast Eddie’s Pool and Snooker Hall. Recently this has become a regular haunt of mine, and for £5 an hour approximately there are eight pool tables and four snooker tables available to play on. To become a member ID with a photograph and date of birth is required, but you can borrow cues and chalk for free.
There are also a selection of night spots open till late in the centre of town...! Taxis home are fairly readily available- Castle Cars from the Railway Station for instance can be contacted on 01295 270 011.
A Journey into the Heart of
England – Jan 2008
EVENTING AT UPTON HOUSE – JULY 2008
GO CROSS-COUNTRY AT ASTON-LE-WALLS! –
AUGUST 2008
WOODFORD ROCKS! – AUGUST 2008
A Walk through Evenley Wood – AUGUST 2008
Fairport's Cropredy
Convention 2008 –
AUGUST 2008
TRY OUR NOTED SAUSAGES – SEPTEMBER 2008
NEATLY MANAGED HEDGES – OCTOBER 2009
A Journey into the Heart of
The Plume of Feathers still stands on the corner as you drive into the village of Weedon Bec, and the Post Office will sell you guides to the Royal Ordnance Depot and the village itself, the furthest place inland from the sea in any direction in England. As such it has become geographically and strategically important, as when first the area became the site of a weapons armoury due to the threat of a possible Napoleonic invasion, and at its height was a garrison for 500 men and 200 horses. The largest ring's radius that would touch the Wash, or the South Coast for instance, is centred here.
The barracks are in plain view as you drive down into the village from the Farthingstone road, eight big square brick buildings on either side of the canal, but due to security restrictions I was told that I could not be shown round or photograph the site. The depot was officially closed by the Ministry of Defence in 1965 and is now owned privately for warehousing and storage. However during the course of World War Two over 3.5 million weapons reportedly passed through its gates and were redirected.
There is a real air of mystery about the place, or forboding, like the set of the well-known 60's TV series "The Prisoner". After a chance conversation I discovered that Weedon Bec is mentioned on the "Subterranea Britannica" website, www.subbrit.org .uk, "the study & investigation of all man-made & man used underground places", although there is no mention of a way into underground caverns, Cold War nuclear bunkers, or stockpiles of warheads at Weedon Bec, merely a historical account of the site. Curiously Weedon Bec is close the Headquarters of The Jesus Army, coincidentally nearby at Upper Heyford. We do know at least that over 1000 tons of gunpowder was stored in the Depot's magazine at any one time during its active life, which required the need for dummy buildings, filled entirely with earth, to cushion the blow of any possible explosion.
The beauty and simplicity of this place is the countryside and surrounding area,
although there are extensive canal and rail links. It is worth a drive out just
to discover what The Heart of England does actually look like! The village of
Weedon lies only a few miles south-west of Northampton, and from the way I came
offers majestic views and panoramas of open countryside.
On Tuesday 8th July, at the invitation of Matthew Heath who was to compete in the trials, I went to watch the eventing at Upton House, writes Jonathan Wain. There were hundreds of horses there suddenly as I drew up to the Estate, which made me wonder why we were not all at work elswhere! Set in the spectacular grounds and parkland of this National Trust property, with its rolling hills and beautiful scenery, the competition presented a fine image of a day in the English countryside. Upton House is on the way out of Banbury through Wroxton heading for Stratford.Sam Waley-Cohen, son of the owner of Upton House, is himself an amateur jockey, and has appeared repeatedly on our racing pages.
Matthew had three youngsters competing that day at the Dressage, Showjumping and Cross-Country, and another that came third in the Novice class the following day. These horses are all highly talented athletes, and as such are worth considerable sums of money. Matt breaks, backs and sells them, bringing them on to competition standard and training them for the Eventing season, which lasts from February to November. These events are happening all over the country, and the horses may go on to qualify and compete in higher and more competitive events and classes, such as Badminton. The horses are kept on strict diets and supplements, almost "On Charge" in the stables, for as Matt said, "Once the brains is gone, they are useless", for the disciplines of Dressage for instance. The Dressage seemed to me too to have the complexities of mathematical equations, with its "half trots" and "working canters"! Although they are on performance feeds too Event horses are slowed right back down and kept collected in order to harness their energy, only to be released at the rider's command, under control, and are not allowed to just run wild. In a rapid turnaround of horses and riders, Matt himself had to "change costume" for each discipline!
Matt's
father Trevor is himself "head lad" at
The three horses that I saw go round all completed, and none were disqualified, which is high accolade alone for these demanding tests. "Classic Ricardo", known as "P.J." in the yard, and owned by Phil and Jo Day, was first out of the box that morning to score his first British Eventing result. "Past Your Eyes", owned and bred by Polly Nichols ( its Dam is called "Gold Top"!), also did well after not running for twelve months, having come back from Hunting last season. Thirdly "Luigi", owned by Tiffany Lees, who is only 14 years old herself, was given a run out to be schooled by Matt as an experienced rider. The horse that Matt came third on the following day is owned by Sophie and Lizzie Barwood from nearby Everdon, and is a six-year old called "Morning Venture".
Other local characters competing that I noticed were Tracey Habgood of the Harley Equestrian riding shop in Woodford Halse, who came ninth on a horse called "Traumatic Trickster", and a friend of mine Tamarisk Woods who came tenth on "Mirrored Image". Jo Aston who trains over at Chipping Norton, went round on a horse called "Mingle", and Zara Phillips also competed here, once on "High Kingdom", owned by Gleadhill House Stud Ltd, and once on Tiger Lily IX owned by H M The Queen.
GO CROSS-COUNTRY AT ASTON-LE-WALLS!
The Equestrian World had a warm-up to the Olympics at the local event course at Aston-le-Walls in late July, writes Jonathan Wain. Owned by Nigel and Ann Taylor, Washbrook Farm boasts livery for sixty horses, and an Olympic standard cross-country course.This was to be the last chance to event before taking off for Beijing. However to ensure maximum secrecy and minimum exposure from the Press the British Olympic team had already gone round the course in the morning before I had the chance to get there, naming William Fox-Pitt and Zara Phillips amongst their number. Unfortunately Zara Phillips will not be able to compete in this Olympics because her qualifying horse has sustained some injuries.
Here the riders were to compete first on dressage, secondly at showjumping, and then finally at cross-country. I had a chance to walk the course and size up the jumps, but although I have already ridden a horse on the gallops here, the cross-country still seems a daunting prospect in parts! The exhilaration the riders must feel going over this course, overcoming the complexities of the obstacles and different disciplines with their twists and turns, must be quite something! It takes real guts and determination to get round something like this, skidding into one jump and then a sharp turn, and then over another into water, for instance.
In fact there were two logs to clear before the water obstacle, which as people know can itself often spook a horse, and then a jump out, all in full view of the Sponsor's Marquee! The next stage from there was a series of steps up a small hill that has to be taken stride by stride. Local "Harley Equestrian" shop owner Tracey Habgood had "Traumatic Trickster" entered in the Novice, as did Ann Taylor herself with a horse called "Final Alert", and in the Intro with a horse called "Obos O'Reilly", as did local girl Laura Cochrane on "Woodstock VII". Matthew Heath, who keeps his horses here at Aston, took "Alligator Alley" round in the Advanced section, as did Nigel Taylor on a horse called "Oscar Knight". Emma Humphrey, also with horses at the yard, competed in the Novice with "Ushouldbesolucky", as did Ann's neice Pippa Taylor with "Taylored 2 Fit", on which she went clear showjumping and cross-country, but sustained a few faults at dressage. Nigel Taylor again took "The Lion" around the Novice, as did local girl Lucy Jackson with Nigel's horse "So We Three", and on the Advanced with another of Nigel's horses called "Animator II". In fact Zara Phillips was entered to ride no less than seven different horses on the three days of the event!
All the results can be tracked on the website at www.aston-le-walls.co.uk or by calling Ann or Nigel on 01327 262256. They have superb facilities here for horse and rider up to the highest level, and coach to competition standard. They have 11 days of British Eventing affiliated events annually, with the next horse trials to take place here on 30th/31st August. It is quite inspiring to walk around this place which has the air of a military training camp top secret destination!
B+M Productions, otherwise known as "Baz" and "Maz", have been staging a series of concerts at Woodford Halse Social Club for over a year now, culminating recently in the "Woodford Rocks Weekender"! Popular for their tribute bands, this venue has a 450-person capacity, and is the largest for many miles around, its nearest competitor being The Mill in Banbury. The Weekender, staged at the Club and also on the Sunday afternoon outdoors over at Woodford United FC football grounds, generated a lot of interest in the surrounding area, with bands playing to packed and lively crowds.
Friday night began with "Axletree", an up and coming local band that played their own material, with Tony Overton on drums and Charlie Tarry on guitar and vocals. They were followed by covers band "Rockstar", who were a bit too "Whitesnake" for my tastes (!), but headlined by the fabulous "AC/DC" tribute band "Live/Wire", who being a bit pastiche and tongue-in-cheek hammered out some age-old favourites like "Thunderstruck", "Whole Lotta Rosie", and "Back in Black", with the help of two alternating vocalists and a very authentic-looking Angus Young on guitar complete in shorts and school blazer! Heavy Rockers these guys, obviously, as they drank their cups of tea in the Green Room before going on stage!
Saturday's entertainment came in the form of "The Fontains", a "The Who" tribute band called "My Generation", and finally the truly awesome vocals and guitar of "Boot-Led-Zeppelin", who again wowed the audience with very capable renditions of all "Led Zep's" finest and legendary numbers, and all the high bits! Mysteriously there were two John Paul Jones, one on keyboards, and one on bass guitar!
On the Sunday, the following day, we all came back for more to witness "Soley Mourning's" original set (from Dudley as they told us) of great rock numbers over a few drinks in the sunshine, followed by "A Siren Calls", also playing original material, a bit more nerdy, but still great to listen to. Still to come in this charming village out in the open countryside, once home to the largest Rail Freight Depot in Europe, are "Hope and Glory" (ska) and "Chiefs of Police" ("Police" tribute) on Saturday 27th September tickets £11, "Dark Side of the Wall" ("Pink Floyd" tribute), Saturday 25th October tickets £12, "The Hamsters"- voted "UK's best rock blues" covers band, Saturday 8th November tickets £12, and also "New2" and "Coldplace" ("U2" and "Coldplay" tributes) on Saturday 29th November tickets £12. More information can be found at www.woodfordrocks.com or on 01327 263195. Thanks for a great weekend, Maz!
My next door neighbour Lady Anne Whiteley rang recently one Sunday morning to say that her brother-in-law's Wood was open to the Public, now for the first time this year with a huge variety of Lilies on display. Mused by this prospect I made my way to Evenley Wood near Brackley, past the busy Tesco's roundabout, into the village which was host to the tranquil setting of a cricket match, and followed signs up a track to the wood. Timmy Whiteley's wife Jane greeted me at the gate entrance to the wood, and I was ushered inside armed with guides, maps, and camera with some trepidation at this secret, sacred place.
Timmy himself met me at the pavillion, where tea was being served, and began to guide me around the mown pathways through the tall pines and acers that gave me a feeling of "Jurassic Park"! An almost prehistoric, secluded and spiritual place unfolded before me, yet only seconds away from the threat of "Civilisation". Timmy has owned the Wood for twenty-five years as a result of farming nearby, and it spreads across sixty acres. Some of the soil is acid too, and that varies the types of plants that thrive here, as it is popular with Magnolias for example. Although I was asked along specifically to inspect the lilies, this wood opens six times a year for paying visitors, in particular for the spring flowers, and there are opportunities to listen to a Dawn Chorus of the birds there too, although this does start at 4am!
Enthusiasts have come from as far as Glasgow, I was told, the gardens are constantly being replanted, the walkways alone take one day of mowing a week, and the lilies themselves are not annual. As Timmy showed me around the wood we saw a wide variety of beautiful flowers that I have hopefully done justice to with my camera! Timmy told me that he preferred the drop-head Lilies to the slightly more common flower-arranger's Star Gazers. Other varieties have Latin names, like Davidii, Leichtlinii, Wardii, and Superbum, often named after their discoverers. He showed me varieties from Tibet and from China, and also North America. The lilies grow in season from the first week in June to late September.
The next opportunity to visit this charming wood will be at the end of October for "Autumn Colour", on Sat 25th and Sun 26th, between 11am- 3pm. Scotsman Mike Fisher has been in charge of the gardening here for over a year, having come from Michael Heseltine's Arboretum at nearby Thenford. At one stage I was told that Prince Charles was allowed to ride his horse through the wood while out nearby! Some lilies take as long as seven years to grow from seed, some two years, that Timmy has grown himself, and others have come as gifts, for instance from the Missouri Botanic Garden. Admission is £5 for an Adult and £1 for a Child, and they can be contacted on 07776 307 849 or by visiting www.evenleywoodgarden.co.uk. There are over different 3,100 plants in the Wood, and it made for a very enjoyable afternoon stroll!
Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2008
On a most auspicious weekend at the start of the Beijing Olympics, the sun shone upon 20,000 people gathered for live music and entertainment in the fields near Cropredy, writes Jonathan Wain. Very much a part of local colour, this festival is the talk of the area for months before, and on the map and in the diaries of many for miles around, year in, year out. The big stage is set in a natural amphitheatre bowl, with the atmosphere varying from at once a World Stage event to the informality of a Village Green. I had determined to get to the Festival, not least out of curiosity, because it is right on our doorstep- you can hear the music from my cottage!
Three days and three nights of the finest music make Cropredy's Convention a weekend to remember, and even the inevitable rain that finally came on the Saturday did not dampen spirits- this hardy bunch of festival goers had come prepared with a sea of umbrellas! Local Oxford band Supergrass, famous for their song "Caught by the Fuzz", headlined the first night, with an awesome sound and fantastic lightshow, fronted by Gaz Coombes sporting a very dodgy moustache! Indeed Pork Pie hats were to be the order of the day, as worn by him, the 3 Daft Monkeys lead singer Tim Ashton, and also Mark Chadwick of The Levellers. As made famous by Pete Doherty these hats, there may be some hidden dubious connotations here...! Some confusion and lack of continuity was caused by the Supergrass second guitarist, who kept coming and going, and at one point appeared to be playing a set of cowbells, but the sound itself was great- "In it for the Money"!
Everywhere fiddles and flutes and thumping basslines were much in evidence, very spiritual and uplifting, and at the same time quite like "Ceilidh" music- good to dance to and party! I had the good fortune to meet the 3 Daft Monkeys, from Cornwall, backstage, and Athene Roberts told me that her violin bow, that I mistook for a cane in the promotional photos, was thought by others to be a whip! They played their new songs like "Paranoid Big Brother" and "Astral Eyes" with a very energetic bass, but surprisingly no drums. Later that night they were to join The Levellers on stage for a rousing end to Friday.
The Levellers themselves boasted great slides and artwork shown up on the huge screen behind them, bringing a more political air to the proceedings. They have always been very "Indie", but with their own huge following and own "Beautiful Days" festival are something to look out for. They were also at Glastonbury on the Thursday this year, and range musically from spacy Hawkwind "Space Ritual" intros to something like Rage Against The Machine, especially with the bassist Jeremy Cunningham flinging his long ropes of dreadlocked hair about the place!
With only half an hour between bands the time ticked gently along, keeping the momentum going. I have been told that they often drive tractors and combines through Cropredy at the time of the Festival, because it coincides with harvest, causing yet more disruption as they try to weave between the drunken revellers! My Press Pass allowed me down into the pit right at the front of the stage, which was very exciting, although I had to wear earplugs for Health and Safety reasons- looking back at the audience was quite amusing, as was getting caught up in the thrill of the performances. Festival food has much improved since I first went to Glastonbury twenty years ago, and there were vendors selling everything from chips to vegetarian to chinese to burritos. It was also surprisingly easy to come and go, as I did not camp overnight on site. More notable moments were the beautiful female vocals of Kristina Donahue for The Gathering, and the matching Hawaiian shirts of Peggy and P.J.!
Eventually the rain came on Saturday, although it had been bright and sunny before, but fortunately we were spared from the worst of a mudbath- there was nowhere really to go under cover. The Muffin Men braved the elements with some very tripped out and psychedelic tunes, coming and going with crescendoes of Prog Rock. Julie Fowlis sang haunting and lilting Gaelic landscapes to us, almost a rain dance from the Scottish Highlands! Midge Ure came on next with "Vienna", and "Dancing with tears in my eyes", but it did sound as if his lovelife has had its ups and downs!
Finally, by
8.30pm on the Saturday evening, Fairport Convention themselves graced the
stage. Their greatest hits album does not do them justice, as a lot has
happened and moved on since then. With the majority of vocals sung by
Chris Leslie and Simon Nicol and guest females the audience were already caught
up in the rapture of this momentous occasion, when surprise! Robert Plant of
Led Zeppelin superstardom appeared to sing "The Battle of Evermore"
with Kristina Donahue- incredible if you remember the trouble getting tickets
for their reunion gig last year! Fairport favourites like "Who knows where
the time goes", "The Hiring Fair", and "Meet on the
Ledge" were all played with many different moods from a career spanning
forty years, and with some quite cosmic stuff too, with their faces repeated on
the big screen, the camera angles cleverly cutting from one moment to the next.
With haunting vocals and spirited fiddles, Fairport bid us farewell from one
year with a welcome to the next!
Since 1925,
when George Mumford started the business, the Mumford family have been plying
their trade as the local village Butcher's of Culworth, serving the surrounding
area with their shop and four mobile vans. Besides meat and fruit and
vegetables almost everything is available from them, even light bulbs and
chocolate bars! The vans go out four days a week and make stops in villages as
far afield as Weedon Lois and Fenny Compton, catering for simple midweek menus
right up to Sunday roasts, and weddings and parties and so on.
Famous for
their "Noted Sausages", as it says proudly on the front of their
Culworth vans, David Mumford's brother, both grandsons of the original George
Mumford, also has a Butcher's shop, but in Chipping Warden. It was he who was
entrusted with a secret recipe for Pork Pies, which have to be ordered months
in advance in time for the Christmas rush! David at Culworth also has mobile
refrigerated units to hire, used for outside catering.
Taking a
valiant stand against the Supermarket chains, many people prefer the
familiarity and convenience of the Butcher's van, that will stop quite
literally outside your door once or twice a week- I myself never have to rely
on frozen food, but get fresh produce to eat everyday.
The cold
store behind the shop is quite a sight, with all the carcasses hanging up, and
apparently Mondays and Thursdays are reserved for chopping up joints, making
sausages, and preparing mince and so on. Once it has arrived at the shop, most
of the meat is hung for about a week before it is ready to sell. Eggs are free
range, and the meat is brought in from wholesalers in Market Harborough in
Leicestershire, where it is killed and skinned.
Back at my
house in Culworth we used to have a routine of a Ham joint one week, Lamb the
next, Beef, and then Chicken on the fourth week for the table on Sunday, and I
still do Fillet Steak, Lamb Chops, and Bacon and Eggs as weekly staples, all
from the Butcher's. Sometimes decisions have to be made about quality of
course, like a recent bacon supply that was found to be wanting, or Dutch
strawberries that were considered to last longer and taste better than their
homegrown English rivals. Asparagus when in season is local however, and now
the beans and parsnips and swedes are coming on. In a way it is refreshing to
follow the growing cycles of vegetables when they are available naturally, as
we have to react accordingly to the time of year.
Most days
of the week around here you will see a bright blue Mumford's van, bringing your
shopping to your doorstep! Nowadays people can ring in their orders to mobile
phones on the vans, but although well stocked larger joints and quantities do
need to be prepared at the shop itself. Mumford's Butchers is still a family
concern, with two of David and Sally's sons and their wives all helping to run
the business. Now that the Forge is gone, and the Pub is shut, and the Post
Office is now a Rug shop, we are reliant more than ever before on this local
trade within walking distance.
Besides
catering for Saturday night Dinner Parties and Sunday Lunches, Christmas orders
are also big business, starting to gear up by the second week in November. The
quality of the meat is of course excellent, and Mumford's can be contacted on
01295 760 212. They are currently responsible for serving up to a thousand
people a week.
In
these troubled economic times, it is good to know that some hedge funds are
performing better than others, writes Jonathan Wain.
To encourage
natural ecosystems to flourish, it is now recognised that hedgerows and
headlands around fields are vital to the preservation of wildlife and to
promote plant and fruit pollination, by restoring natural habitats for birds,
insects and butterflies. There are now more hedgerows in the
The
Government is now actively encouraging this reallocation of land resources, and
Jim is focused on sourcing grants for farmers that can be worth as much as £200
an acre per year for looking after the landscape. Jim is preserving wildlife on
his mother's farm near Chipping Norton in this way, in particular the rare
Chalk Hill Blue butterfly, which has become a site of special scientific interest,
and indeed educational interest, as families and children are encouraged to
visit the farm and explore the countryside. This year alone Jim has secured the
funding necessary for planting 7500 metres (nearly 5 miles!) of new hedgerow,
and for planting 15 acres of new woodland. Jim not only completes the endless
paperwork, applications and grant forms on behalf of his clients, but can offer
in addition the opportunity to purchase the hedge and tree plants to bring the
project to fulfilment.
Jim explains that the hedges we see all around us are not accidentally
left overgrown and "scruffy", but are only cut back to neatness once
every two years to encourage the local ecosystems and food chains to survive.
On a fertile planet such as ours, the ecosystem can support us, and ensure our
continuing existence. Efficient management of farming land increases
productivity and profitability together with providing a safe and secure
future. Jim would argue that even GM foods are only being selectively bred to
improve their value to us their consumers and the environment, for instance
with better disease resistance, or the use of ‘safer’ chemicals, much as new
methods and technology simplify the farming process.
Jim is
involved in preserving "historic" environments, such as an Anglo
Saxon burial site, a Roman Villa in
