LATEST NEWS:

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NOVEMBER 2011
POSTAL SCAM
Can you circulate this around especially as Xmas is fast approaching - it has been confirmed by Royal Mail. The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following scam:

A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a Premium rate number). DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize .

If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £315 for the phone call.

If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 020 7239 6655.

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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE ACRE BULK OIL BUYING SCHEME
In summary the scheme works as follows: -
Northamptonshire ACRE maintains a central database of scheme members’ names, addresses, contact details and information such as location of the oil tank. As new members join the scheme, Northamptonshire ACRE will let your co-ordinator know by e-mail, so that he/she will have a regularly updated list of paid-up members from which it will be possible to see which of them are on e-mail and which are not. Northamptonshire ACRE will be in touch with all new members explaining how they need to go about placing their orders.
Each month, your co-ordinator will e-mail all those local members on the list who have e-mail addresses to ask them whether they want to order oil and how much oil they want. This information is transmitted on a Northamptonshire ACRE order form to the co-ordinator and becomes a binding order.
For those who are not on e-mail, the co-ordinator will identify somewhere in the village for a paper copy of the order form to be deposited.
At the end of the calendar month the co-ordinator will collate all the requests for oil and fill in the details on the local co-ordinator’s oil order form for transmission to Northamptonshire ACRE. The deadline for electronic submission of the local co-ordinator’s oil order form to Northamptonshire ACRE is generally set as midnight on last Wednesday of the month.
Once Northamptonshire ACRE has negotiated the best possible price from across a whole range of suppliers, we will advise the local co-ordinator :-
who the chosen supplier is, what price the oil will be, and the approximate delivery date. The co-ordinator will pass this information on to all members.
Some Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
AREA COVERED – The County of Northamptonshire THE PRICE – Northamptonshire ACRE’s negotiations take account of the international price of a barrel of oil as well as other factors such as bad weather, Christmas as well as the gross volume being ordered so ensuring the price you pay is the best possible price at the time. QUANTITY - The minimum quantity that can be ordered is 500 litres.
VAT - The price quoted is exclusive of VAT which is currently 5% THE ORDER FORM – When you complete and submit your order form it becomes a firm order and not just an expression of interest. Thus the price obtained is based on everyone’s orders, so unless there are exceptional circumstances the order is definite as soon as it’s placed with the local co-ordinator. MONEY – Local co-ordinators do not handle any money.
PAYMENTS FOR OIL - All payments for oil go directly from the customer to the supplier in the normal way as per the suppliers terms or otherwise agreed by the customer. DELIVERY OF OIL – Northamptonshire ACRE can only give approximate delivery date to your village because the oil supplier will be attempting to meet the needs of all their customers. MEMBERSHIP - Individual household membership costs £20, Community Building (village hall) £30 and Businesses £100 all payable annually directly to Northamptonshire ACRE. VILLAGE CO-ORDINATOR – The scheme normally works through a volunteer local co-ordinator but Northamptonshire ACRE will act as your local co-ordinator until one is appointed. Local co-ordinators have FREE membership of the scheme.

For further Information contact: Northamptonshire ACRE The Hunsbury Hill Centre, Harksome Hill, Northampton, NN4 9QX
Tel: 01604 765888 Email: oil@northantsacre.org.uk

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OCTOBER 2011

CHARLTON NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
Recently each household in the parish received a copy of the latest leaflet produced by The South Northants Area Support Team entitled YOUR HOME SECURITY -What have you got to lose? packed with useful information on how to protect yourselves and your property, it is worth a read, and leading upto Christmas,we recommend that you follow the guides, because the criminal does not always take a holiday!.

For any home owner who is interested in marking valuables, the latest innovation available is SMARTWATER Forensic Coding System, a colourless water forensic system that has a ‘unique’ chemical code which is registered to your address. Very successful to the Police in tying the criminal to a crime scene . Household kits are available at £15.00 and more details click here for PDF on SMARTWATER..

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NEW 101 NON EMERGENCY PHONE CONTACT
As from 17 October You are able to call 101 to report a crime that has already happened and any other incidents or concerns that do not require an emergency response. You can also call it to speak to your local Safer Community Team, to make a general enquiry or make the Police aware of any policing issues in your local area.

999 should still be used in an emergency, such as when a crime is happening, someone suspected of a crime is nearby, someone is injured, being threatened or a life is at risk, or there is a traffic incident involving personal injury or danger.

If you have any hearing difficulties or a speech impairment, a text phone will be available on 18001 101

Please be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to any Charlton Neighbourhood Watch member or use the new 101 phone number.

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APRIL 2011

Kings Sutton Tennis Club - Open Morning - Sunday 8th May at 10am
All ages, all standards - see if tennis for you. - Bring a racquet, bring a friend or two and have some fun.
Plenty of bacon baps, Pimms and coffee on offer!! - For more information please contact Mary Awre on 01295 788226

LOCAL ROYAL WEDDING AND POSTMAN RETIREMENT

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March 2011

500km CYCLE RIDE FOR CLC SARGENT

Sometime towards the end of June, Mark Boyles and his wife Donna along with some friends will be cycling from Banbury to Wales.
Their son Oliver was diagnosed with a brain tumour in August 2010, he has under gone operations, also chemotherapy and radiotherapy, hopefully he will finish his treatment in April 2011.
The above charity has supported them and now they would love to give something back to this worthy cause. Peggy (Mark's mum) will be organising a Raffle to support thie event. Tickets will be on sale soon, once she has received the official money raising pots.
Please help support this local lads efforts!

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Brackley toilets to remain open

The public toilets in Brackley will remain open for the next year as South Northamptonshire Council continues discussions with Brackley Town Council over the long term future of the facility.
In the council’s draft budget for 2011-12, there were proposals to discontinue the service or transfer operating costs to the town council. However, as part of the final settlement from central government, the council will receive additional funding over what was stated in our draft budget, some of which will be used to keep the toilets open.
Councillor Ian McCord, Portfolio Holder for Resources said: “With the welcome additional cash from central government and the positive engagement from Brackley Town Council, I am pleased to announce that we will continue to fund the toilets.
“We needed to make some tough decisions when setting the budget. Now that we have a slightly more generous settlement from central government, we can continue to keep our services in place.

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Stowaways found in back of Banbury-bound lorries

UK BORDER Agency officers using sniffer dogs stopped five stowaways from sneaking into Britain in the back of two lorries carrying car parts to Banbury.

In the first incident, during the early hours of February 14 at the port of Calais in France, a man from Eritrea was discovered hiding inside a Polish registered vehicle carrying a load to Middleton Road in Banbury. On the second occasion four men from Eritrea were found inside a British-registered lorry heading to Beaumont Road on the morning of February 18.
In both cases the stowaways were handed to French Border Police, and the vehicles were allowed to continue their journeys. However, both drivers and the haulage companies involved now face potential fines if they are unable to prove they took steps to secure their vehicles

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Green fingered volunteers wanted

Are you interested in volunteering in your local community and passionate about composting? Then you can be a South Northamptonshire Master Composter. As part of the Northamptonshire Waste Partnership, we are looking for people who would like to help us spread the home composting message in South Northamptonshire.
By volunteering as a Master Composters, you will receive free training and resources, as well as ongoing support from a co-ordinator. In return, volunteers spend a minimum of 30 hours over 12 months spreading the composting message in their local community, gaining recognised volunteer experience.
 
We already have one South Northamptonshire Master Composter and round two of the recruitment stages has begun so get in quick!
For more information and to register your interest, please contact Louise Gibney, Waste Management Officer, at  louise.gibney@southnorthants.gov.uk or call 01327 322095..
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January 2011

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Charlton Playgroup

Thank you to all those that supported our Christmas fundraiser. We managed to raise over £1000 which helps towards some new outdoor equipment ready for the spring.

Our first ‘Tots and Carers Group’ proved so successful we are now running it twice a month on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month during term time, 9:30 to 11:00 for carers and tots ubder the gae of 3. It costs only £1.00 for each carer and is run by qualified staff. Dates in February are only the 9th as the fourth Wednesday fall in half term, March dates are the 9th and 23rd -We look forward to seeing you!

Playgroup is looking at developing a holiday club in the Easter holidays. Initially this would be 11the to 13th April, 9:00 to 3:00 at a cost of £20 per day for children aged 2-8 years.

If you would be interested to join in, please telephone 01295 812909 (weekday)

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Bogus caller targeting South Northamptonshire residents
A bogus caller is making calls to residents in South Northamptonshire telling them they are due a council tax refund. The caller asks for personal details, including bank account information.
This is a bogus call and not one from South Northamptonshire Council. We will not contact you by phone offering a council tax refund. We also strongly advise against giving out personal information to such callers and if you have a telephone number for the caller, forward this, and any other details, onto Consumer Direct on 08454 040506

From April 2011, a surcharge of 1.8 percent will be applied to all credit card payments made to South Northamptonshire Council. The charge reflects the council’s costs and does not generate additional revenue. About 15 percent of all the council’s card payments are made by credit card, predominately to pay business rates and planning application payments. From April 2011, the cost of credit card transactions will be transferred to the individual customer and not the general council tax payer.
This is part of our ongoing exercise to reduce costs and is expected to save the council approximately £20,000 a year. It brings the council in line with many other local authorities and central government bodies, including neighbouring authorities.
The council offers various other ways to pay that do not incur a charge, including:
Debit card; Direct Debit – Council Tax and business rates only;
Cheque; Standing Order; and Allpay payment card (at the Post Office and PayPoint sites) – Council Tax and business rates only.
Councillor Ian McCord, Resources Portfolio Holder, said: “We encourage all businesses and residents to pay by Direct Debit, as this is a cost effective payment method which reduces the council’s costs, and contributes to minimising council tax increases.
“It is important that we look at all our costs and ensure that we provide cost-effective services to all residents. The majority of credit card transactions are for repeat payments for a small number of accounts and we do not believe that it is fair to pass these costs to all residents in South Northamptonshire.”.

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Newbottle and Charlton School

Dear Parents/Carers,

Newsletters-only available online! - Just to remind you that in the interests of saving time, paper and money, we will no longer be sending home newsletters. Therefore today is the last newsletter to be sent home in a paper format. From Friday 21st January, you will need to access the newsletter on the school website "http://www.newbottleandcharlton.ik.org" www.newbottleandcharlton.ik.org
If you do not have the Internet at home would you please let us know either by speaking to Mrs Marsella-Brookes or sending a note into school for the attention of the school office.
Please continue to check your child’s book bag on a Friday as there may still be letters in there relating specifically to your child or their class as well as brochures etc.

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Nature Notes January
Driving through Kings Sutton the other day we were impressed by the enormous crop of scarlet berries on a pyracantha bush on one of the cottages. We have several similar bushes in this garden, one of them opposite the kitchen window, designed to be a cheerful sight for the washer-upper on a cold grey day. But these berries last barely a fortnight as they are stripped by the blackbirds in no time at all. Either there are fewer blackbirds in Kings Sutton or they have other sources of food.
As I write we are still in the middle of the big freeze so all the birds are hungry. Once you start feeding them you have to carry on as they come to rely on you. We have two feeding stations, with peanuts, mixed seed, niger seeds and a lot of black sunflower seeds. These last are the most popular and we have to fill them up every day. It is noticeable that the little birds much prefer the supplies underneath the pergola, where there is plenty of cover with a thick yew hedge at one side and a somewhat overgrown and unruly rambling rose above. It is more difficult to provide cover and messy bits in a small garden, but a bush or two, and creepers growing up fences and walls, will provide some.
The keen birdwatchers in Green Lane saw a fieldfare and a redwing in their garden at the beginning of December, much earlier than usual, as they usually see them in flocks in the fields in January or February. These members of the thrush family come here for the winter, or pass through on the way to warmer climes. We saw a flock of fieldfares in the Stonepits a week or so later.
A few years ago, during a very mild Christmas, a letter to the Times describing the numbers of flowers in bloom on Christmas Day in the reader’s garden evoked a rash of similar letters. It became obvious that England is full of people who make a habit of noting such phenomena, with the first primrose, the first tadpole, and so on. Many of these records go back for several decades and are now very valuable, as they provide evidence for the changes in our climate, showing how the dates of some of these phenomena have moved by up to three weeks. (Though we are having a lot of cold Weather at the moment, it does not alter the fact that our Climate is getting warmer.)
The last weekend in January gives everyone a chance to take part in such recording. The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch has been taking place every January for over 30 years. Anyone can do it: you choose an hour to suit yourself and spend it in your garden (or in a local park) noting down how many birds of which species you see. Then you send the results to the RSPB either online or by post and you’ve become part of an enormous scientific survey. (For more information look at the RSPB website.)
Early in December we saw a roe deer (not to be confused with the smaller Muntjac) crossing the road at Newbottle. They can frequently be seen, often in twos and threes, in the fields towards Rowler or Walton Grounds, but it was unusual to find one so close to human habitation.
Deborah and Paul Hayter
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