Around the Shires
Ouse and Cherwell charity clay pigeon shoot
T
he fifth Ouse and Cherwell clay shoot for Katharine House
Hospice and Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance was held at Hethe recently, hosted by John and Jill Elkington. 44 teams competed this year and a magnificent £12,300 was raised from the day. Over the previous five years nearly £40,000 has been given to these two charities. This has been achieved through the support of a committed team of helpers and numerous local businesses sponsoring the event and donating prizes for auction and raffle. Plans for next year’s event are already underway and it is planned to be held on May 20th 2012. Barclays were the main sponor. Green travel map launched in west Oxfordshire
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‘Green Travel Map’ has been launched giving details of cycle, pedestrian and
public transport routes for some areas of West Oxfordshire. The map covers the Witney, Carterton, Eynsham and Woodstock areas and has been produced with support from local businesses and environmental and cycling groups in conjunction with local councils as part of work by the ‘West Oxfordshire Sustainable Transport Forum’. The forum aims to encourage and make it easier for people in the district to use more eco-friendly transport, such as walking, cycling, car sharing and public transport. ‘The Green Travel Map’ can be
downloaded from West Oxfordshire District Council’s website, www.westoxon.
gov.uk/greentravel, and copies are available from leisure centres, libraries, bike shops and council offices in the district.
8 August 2011
Rolling out the red carpet - village firm honours Chinese premier
W
hen the leader of what is predicted to become the world’s most
powerful country stepped from his plane into the UK recently, the plush carpet beneath his feet was supplied by none other then south Warwickshire based company Ray Randerson Carpets Ltd. Ray Randerson, who set up the company in Avon Dasset more then 30 years ago said he was ‘chuffed’ when airport staff picked his firm to supply the carpet. He said ‘It was the first thing Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao stepped onto when he arrived in the UK. It was stunning to see. We were allowed to be right up at the front with the press to watch him land and
step down onto the ground. It was rather glamorous. He had an entourage of around 150 people and there were all these limousines and Jaguars.’ Ray and his team had to turn the carpet around in very little time. They received a phone call only four days before the carpet needed to be laid at the airport. They were not told in the first instance who the carpet was for. Ray commented ‘We were wondering if it was going to be the queen or a rock star.
They then told us later in the week but it was all kept under a very low profile. We had to lay it in place and make sure it was all straight and smooth and secured
very tightly, so it wasn’t sucked under the plane! When I watched it on the news it was great to know that was our carpet. It was
quite a prestigious job for a small company. We have made red carpets for local film premiers but nothing as important as this one.’ During his visit Wen Jiabao spent some time at the MG car plant in Longbridge and
at Stratford upon Avon. He is thought to be leading a Chinese bid for work on the HS2 high speed rail link between London and Birmingham.
5 Ways and The Great Western in Banbury n audience of more
the Peoples Church Hall in Banbury recently for a joint concert by 5 Ways and The Great Western Chorus of Bristol. The concert, organised by 5 Ways, was to help raise funds for The Great Western Chorus’s forthcoming trip to the International Convention in Kansas City and what a great success it was!
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A successful barbershop singing workshop was run during the day prior to the concert, by Shanna Wells and Linda Corcoran (respective MD’s of 5 Ways and GWC), with help from a ‘scratch’ quartet from GWC and the members of 5 Ways, where prospective singers, both male and female, were invited to experience the thrill of singing barbershop. The workshop delegates had amazing fun learning ‘Amarillo’ and, of course, the odd tag or three, and a number of the male guests enjoyed it enough to commit to coming along to the 5 Ways rehearsal night as well. Later, the evening concert was soon underway, presenting interleaved sets from the
5 Ways Chorus, GWC and their respective quartets, Black Velvet and the 4getmenots. Of course 5 Ways included their two convention songs that won them the Jim Carter Small Chorus award at this year’s convention at Llandudno! Towards the end of the concert, the workshop delegates were invited on stage with both chorus’s to sing ‘Amarillo’ which generated a huge response from the appreciative audience. The concert concluded with a joint chorus performance of ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love’ conducted by Linda.
than 250 packed into
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