Bugbrooke LINK Magazine

Thanks to all of the advertisers who responded to our circular since the last issue. We are pleased with the positive response and will be setting up website pages and a directory of services in cooperation with you in the near future.

Particular thanks to those who offered to sponsor the colour cover pages for our next children’s painting competition. We will be in touch.

Take-Aways in Bugbrooke

Emma Bignell, Clerk to the Parish Council, has advised the following information on take-aways in the village.

The Pizza Van decided not to re-apply for his licence to trade in South Northamptonshire. Unfortunately I have no information as to why the Chinese no longer visits the village. The Bakers Arms have applied for planning permission for a static hot food takeaway van with the aim of selling fish and chips.

Clearly the village survey indicated that there was a strong need for takeaways in the village and the mobile vans in the past have definitely served a purpose, albeit not always popular with the immediate residents. Therefore the PC has supported this planning application, as the van is on private land, it is easier to monitor noise and litter and there is also adequate parking for those who travel by car.

When you compare Bugbrooke with other similar size villages such as Weedon and Long Buckby, they have a selection of takeaway outlets/restaurants and it would be good if this facility could be provided for our residents. We shall have to await the outcome of the planning application as there have been objections as well.

Playgroup is still very busy, with places becoming very few and far between. Up until the February half term all of the children were busy learning about different countries and sampling various foods from around the world during their snack time to complement this.

This will be a busy term for the children with a mixture of dates due to the split Easter holidays this year but there will be plenty of activities to keep them busy, the first of which was on 6th March (World Book Day). To celebrate this, children were encouraged to dress up as their favourite nursery rhyme character! So don’t panic if you saw any strange animals wandering around the village. All children were given a book voucher worth £1 as part of the day. 

The children will be doing a sponsored bounce for “Bounce Week” between May 19th and 23rd in aid of Happy Days childrens charity – should be fun! All the children helped to produce a Bugbrooke Playgroup tea towel which is a great gift for friends and family. There are still a few of these left if anyone would like to buy one priced £3 each; with all proceeds going to playgroup.

In January we held our first “Bag to School” collection which proved a success and we managed to make £113.80. A big thank you to everyone who contributed. It will almost definitely be done again so please keep collecting your old clothes, bedding, soft toys, handbags etc. Our fundraising continues with the sale of spring plants at playgroup in April.

Our first pay and play session of the year was held during February half term and was fun for all. Easter pay and play dates are April 7th and 14th, from 10am till 12noon with Easter activities, fun and games at £1.50 per child (plus 50p for siblings), and includes a drink and a biscuit. Special thanks to Paul West, Mr and Mrs Lopez and Express Refrigeration services for their very generous donations, all of which will go towards a much needed climbing frame for the garden.

Playgroup will be holding an under 7’s Disco in the Easter holidays on Tuesday April 15th between 3pm and 5pm, priced at £2 per child, £1 for siblings. A light buffet will be provided with soft drinks on sale.

If anyone has any spare Tesco Computer for Schools vouchers, or Sainsburys’ Active Kids tokens, please drop them into playgroup as we are now taking part in these schemes.

Tracey Davis, Secretary

 Nature Notes

The sound of lawnmowers in early March indicates an early spring. Grass is already growing and hedges and trees are beginning to shoot at least six weeks before they would have been expected two decades ago.

Birds and animals are reacting by preparing to produce their young earlier than previously expected. Rabbits are getting frivolous knowing that grass and plants will be plentiful for food and cover whilst birds will be hoping that insects and worms will respond to an early spring. Hopefully a long cold snap in April will not put their plans into jeopardy and cause them to lose young. An early start could mean more broods this year and a consequent revival of the bird population.

Jackdaws, crows and rooks seem to have survived the winter better than in past years and considerable flocks can be seen in the fields. This may be due to more careful use of herbicides and pesticides on farms as well as milder weather. Many hedgerow birds are having to change their habits and almost become garden birds. The loss of hedgerows drives them to look for nesting spots nearer human habitation and our willingness to help them out with food is a bonus for them. The big downside is that it puts them into closer contact with one of their biggest predators – cats. Considerate owners who care for birdlife will put bell collars on their animals so that birds have an early warning of their presence.

Those who choose to walk in the fields and keep observant will soon realise that there are badgers, foxes and deer quite close to the village. However, the habitat near the railway has been severely disrupted for a few years by the extensive remedial work by British Rail on the embankments near the viaduct. No doubt in time the animals will adapt to the changes, although finding a suitable hole will be difficult with the whole embankment covered in netting. The onset of spring is always complete when lambs start to appear. Hopefully they will be found in Captains Close at the bottom of Ace Lane. Dogs should be kept on a lead whilst the lambs are small. Owing to the change in farming practice, these are likely to be the only lambs seen in the parish. Other farmers appear to have gone over completely to crop production. No doubt the increased price of grain will have something to do with it but it is hoped this sterilisation of the countryside does not affect the wildlife too much.

Enjoy the colours of the trees as they open their new leaves in April and May. By mid-June they will all be a uniform colour but early shoots vary considerably. The Millennium Green is a good place to visit at this time as all nature of British trees are there and labelled for identification.

John Curtis

Police report

If it is not SECURE, you could lose it.   

We all put a lot of effort into protecting our homes, by ensuring that windows and doors are shut and locked with high quality locks, keeping valuables out of sight and installing house alarms. All of these steps act as a deterrent to burglars. However, we can often become too relaxed when it comes down to our garages/sheds, leaving doors open and valuable tools lying around  – which can be used to help gain entry into your home. It is therefore important to remember to make the same effort to the security of your garages/sheds as you would to your home.  

Always follow these simple steps.  

· Keep shed/garage doors locked at all times. Especially if they have a connecting door to your house as this could allow a burglar to work on breaking into your home unnoticed.

· Never leave spare house keys in your shed or garage.

· Fit shed and garage doors with a sturdy padlock. Make sure that the doors are solid to prevent them from being able to be kicked in.

· If your shed/ garage has windows try avoiding leaving valuable tools on clear display.

· Keep valuable items such as bikes and lawnmowers locked up to anchor chains.

· Keep all tools locked up in solid boxes.

· Carry out security marking on all valuable items. Add a sticker to the doors and windows advertising this fact.

· Keep ladders locked up in your shed, as they can be used to help gain entry to your home. If they are too big to be stored away inside your shed/ garage keep them locked up with a padlock to an outside wall.

 All of these steps will help to make your property look less attractive to thieves. So, remember if it is not SECURE you could lose it.  

If you see or hear anything unusual or suspicious please contact Northamptonshire Police on 08453 700700 or ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The information that you supply may help to prevent and detect a crime.

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