I have two builder’s planks (wooden) outside, abandoned by our builders about a year ago. 
 
Free to good home – size: 3.4m long, 22 cm wide, 4 cm thick.  
 
Anyone can come and pick them up from our drive anytime.
 
Cheers,
Russ Payne
Stonevale
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The Story so far….
The tradition of the Christmas Crib in the Barn at Great Coxwell goes back to the year 2000. It was inaugurated by a group of villagers led by Geoff Lee (formerly of Stonelea), whose idea it was to have a collection at the end of the service for St Giles’ Church and The Batemans Trust (a local charity which supports disadvantaged children in South India).

The nativity/crib scene will be in place at the Barn from Saturday afternoon 10th December 2022.

As with all great traditions, the Great Coxwell Christmas Nativity Scene and Christmas Eve Carol Service has developed over the years and now includes a Christmas Eve Procession through the village with Mary, Joseph and a donkey! This gives us a chance to remember Emma Watters (formerly of Warenne House), who played a part in this later addition to the tradition.

In 2021 we introduced the opportunity to buy and share Christmas drinks from Danes Cottage (“Danes Inn”) raising money for the village Community Fund; Ainslie and Dan look forward to welcoming guests to the Inn this year after the Carol Service.

This year volunteers from the ‘Longcot Ringers’ will be jingling their Bells to Christmas and Carol tunes outside the Barn for those who are unable to walk along with the procession.

Timings         

The Procession and Carol Service are on 24th December 2022, Christmas Eve:

5.15 Bell Ringer outside the Barn (for those unable to walk with the procession)

5.20pm Procession gathers at the southern end (bottom) of the village outside Foxley (pink cottage).

5.30pm Procession starts.

6.00pm (or earlier; Service will commence on arrival of the procession) Carol Service in Great Barn (cash donations to the charity collection will be gratefully received).

6.50pm Danes Inn Christmas Drinks (outside). Please bring cash (proceeds to the Community Fund).

**Advanced Notice. Road Closure**

The VOWH has granted a road closure on Christmas Eve 24 December 20022 from 5.15pm to 6pm.
Holloway Road will be closed from the Barn to Spicers Cottage to provide protection to the Christmas Eve Village Procession. Annabelle’s Nursery has offered their car park for vehicles during the road closure. Access to the village can be made on foot using the public footpaths/pavements.

Keeping everyone safe

There will be marshals with torches to guide us and first aiders on hand. Please:

•         Stay behind the mule during the procession
•         Keep dogs and children under control
•         Take care on uneven ground by the barn
•         Do not smoke or have any naked flames in the barn

 
Our sincere thanks goes out to: All of our village Christmas volunteers; St Giles Church; the National Trust for hosting; Kiera and Muffin the Donkey, The Longcot Ringers; and to O&O Electrics for overseeing the electrical safety.
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A parcel for Mr Aditi Satija has been misdelivered, if you know of the recipient can you let Sally Tipple know please.

Thanks

We would just like to Thank everyone who attended our Fundraiser for the Church on the 7th October in our Beautiful Church followed by Canapes & Fizz in the Reading Room afterwards.
 
A total of £503.78 was raised for the Church.
 
Special Thanks to our talented Musicians in the Village, Lynette, Katherine, Oliver, Russ, Anna, Joanna, Glyn & Nick. You all entertained us with such a professional standard of delightful & varied music.
 
The Church looked beautiful and we thank Mandy and her team for making it look so welcoming with all the hedgerow flowers & greenery along with the lights both inside and out. Thanks also to Melissa who helped with the canapes and our able Barmen Robbie & Mike.
 
Thank you again to everyone who helped us make it such a splendid evening for our Village.
A True Community Event.
 
Pam & Pauline
 
The Community Fund supported this event by contributing to some of its cost. If you or anyone you know would like to organize an event the Community Fund can help fund it. It could be anything: a sporting club, a film night or a celebration. We are here as a group to enable fun things to happen in our Village. If you have children who would like to start a group we would be happy to help fund its start up.
 
If you need our help contact one of our members.
Sylvia Athawes, Pauline Durham, Steve McNally, Pam Smith, Annabelle Zinovieff. 
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The Act of Remembrance will take place as usual at the War Memorial at 12 noon.  Revd Maureen will officiate in the short service.

Those who are new to the village may not know that the timing of this is determined by the fact that Revd Maureen has to take a ceremony in each of the four parishes in the Benefice on this day, so she is kept very busy!

We hope to see you there.

Faringdon Writers are holding an Independent Book Fair on Saturday 12th November, 10am -2pm, in the Corn Exchange, Faringdon. This is for traditionally and self-published local authors of fiction, non-fiction and poetry who are unable to access the more prestigious literary festivals, giving them a chance to showcase and share what they do with a wider audience. With books for all ages to enjoy there will be something for the whole family. So, pop a note on your calendar and come along to meet the writers - we would love to see you. It might just be the perfect place to pick up that Christmas gift for a friend or loved one. Free admission! Refreshments available.

With Christmas just around the corner, plans are gathering pace for the traditional Great Coxwell  Christmas Eve Procession and Barn Service. One thing we're missing is three people to join the marshaling team. 
 
The role of marshals is vital, in order to ensure we are meeting the health and safety actions we have listed in our risk assessment for the council. All you need to do is don a high-vis jacket and grab a torch (these items can be supplied if you don't have them) and help to keep the procession moving in a safe, orderly and timely fashion between the bottom of the village at 5.30pm and the Barn, where the service will start at 6.00pm.
 
Please email jacquelinepumphrey@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer to be a marshal.

Is anyone free for lunch on Friday and would like to join us for a pay-as-you-feel lunch in Faringdon?
 
A group of us are launching our winter warm spaces this week. Ours is called Open Kitchen Faringdon CIC. I’m sure it will be really quiet as we start and I would so appreciate your support.
 
Lunch will be cottage pie (a local beef one and a vegetarian one) and apple crumble and custard. All homemade and served from 12.30 at Blessed Hugh Catholic Church Hall, Faringdon. The hall is behind the church off Portway /Southampton St Car Park. It has it’s own car park you can use.
 
We would LOVE to see you there.
Annabelle Zinovieff (Chapel House) tel:07766954559

Wednesday Open House Coffee on 19th October has now been cancelled. Hopefully things will be more back to normal by Wednesday 26th October.

Faringdon Town has put its efforts together to come up with a warm space five days a week where anyone can go to meet others, be part of the community, do activities, be warm, get information, make friends, volunteer, work and have food, all on a donation only basis.
 
Sarah Oliver and myself are organising Fridays and are looking for helpers. We will be working from 9am - 5pm in the Catholic Church Hall in Faringdon, every Friday till and including 16th December and then again till March. If you think you might have a few hours to spare on a Friday to help in anyway - being a friendly face when folk arrive, cooking, tidying up, book keeping, making a cake, bringing a friend along, then please be in touch and join us.
 
Email openkitchenfaringdon@gmail.com or message/call 07766 954 559.
Thanks Annabelle (Zinovieff, Chapel House)
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