WALTON NEWS

For me September is a month of nostalgia. There are beautiful mellow days of sunshine, this year interspersed with sessions of rain and wind, and the evenings are cool with a hint of frost as a reminder that winter is not far away. I have good memories - two of my children were born on beautiful late September days, and it was my husband's birthday too. Then there was the Battle of Britain which we watched as the dog fights took place in the skies above us where we lived in Sussex, and the beginning of the blitz with the throb of German bombers that started at dusk as they went on their way to the bombing of London. And 9/11 of course - everyone can remember where they were when they heard the news that terrible afternoon. I was due to go down in the evening to give my weekly talk to the timesharers at Walton Hall, but the Manager rang to say that I had better not go because of what was happening in New York. I switched the television on just as the aircraft flew into the second of the twin towers and watched in horror as the people ran to escape the engulfing cloud of debris and dust. It was too late to cancel the evening meeting at the Hall, and there were many Americans there who were deeply distressed, especially an air hostess on holiday from one of the airlines involved. It was a sad time, and later in the month, two weeks after his ninetieth birthday my husband died, someone who cared so much about the place where we lived, and its people, and about the family he adored.

But life goes on, and the family, headed by our son Sir Andrew, is dedicated to the work of carrying on caring for this lovely valley whatever difficulties may lie ahead. There are always worries, of course for those who work with the land. There was the long drought followed by the rain, and yes, it did rain on St Swithin's day and during the few dry days

in the August the farmers worked unceasingly to bring in the harvest. But there is enjoyment too - the riders gallop across the stubble fields and the holiday makers at Walton Hall wander in the grounds and say ‘Aren't you lucky to live here all the year round?’ I can only agree and feel grateful to my little dog who makes sure that I go out each day to enjoy this beautiful landscape and the changing skies, and the reflections in the glassy waters of the lake - the graceful willows and the stone arches of the bridge that Sir Charles Mordaunt had built before the arrival of his second bride, Mary Louisa Cholmondeley, who so many people, when we first came to live here nearly fifty years ago, remembered with affection.

There was a good response to the invitation issued by the W & W News Committee to coffee in the church and it was an eye opener to see how many people are involved in ensuring that everyone in the villages has their copy on time. There is an army of ‘strong deliverers’ - to quote the well known hymn - and the organisation that goes into it is impressive. Many thanks to Mac and to all those who help him. It is a wonderful medium for publishing the details of all the activities that go on and we are really appreciative of the help we have in spreading the news of all our money raising activities in Walton. And by the way - a date for the diary, Wednesday 3 November 10.30 - 2.00 at the Wellesbourne Watermill. Once again a great Christmas shopping opportunity, with gifts both great and small, Christmas food, books and cards and scarves and jewellery and chocolate and fudge, and Teddy Bears for collectors or children. This year sees the return of Under the Lemon Tree with her Mediterranean Cooking Pots, and Terra Nova Shoes - ladies, how about pampering yourself with a pair of classy Italian shoes or boots?

VISION4WELLESBOURNE

NEXT STAGE – THE MAIN SURVEY

The main survey to provide the Evidence Base for the Vision4Wellesbourne is about to begin. You will be getting a flyer very soon telling you about it, with directions to the online questionnaire at www.vision4wellesbourne.org and how to get a paper copy if you prefer. We need the best possible response rate for maximum credibility with local government and charity funders.

Younger respondents wanted
When we did the pilot survey in the Spring, the under 35 age group was not well represented in the sample. Please let’s try to improve the response rate of younger people – after all, they are the future of our community. If you are under 35 and reading this, please do the survey, and please tell your contemporaries about it. Encourage everyone you know to do it.

If you are a grandparent reading this and have family in the village, please encourage them to participate. We appreciate that young families and busy social lives make it harder to find the time, but do you really want a planning document based mainly on the views of older residents?

Many important topics
There will be a chance for you to tell us about:-

• Sports/fitness/leisure
• Child and youth facilities
• Transport/traffic/parking
• Local economy/employment
• Environment/sustainability
• Amenities and services

And of course there will be specific sections about the two hot topics – the Sports Club and the Village Hall. We need everyone to say what they want to see happen.

It is your village and your vision:
please have your say.
www.vision4wellesbourne.org

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service,
“And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?”
One bright little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping.”