| August 2006 | Series 31 No 4 |
| Rita Wheatley | Polly Rose | Clare Curtiss |
John goes onto say: “Once again, our 2005 event saw a fantastic turn out, it was an outstanding family day outing and was great to see so many people having such a good time. Since the first festival in 2004, it has become a major attraction drawing in all generations of people to enjoy great music, lively attractions and events, delicious food and of course an amazing selection of drink - what better way of enjoying a bank holiday.”
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Following the midsummer revue on 24th June which was greatly enjoyed by all those taking part as well as, by all accounts, the audience, it is audition time yet again. This year, or rather next year because it is at the end of January / beginning of February 2007, the group will be putting on K. O. Samuel's 'ALIBABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES' There will be separate auditions for children as well as those for adults but the dates for these are not yet fixed so please watch out for the posters which will appear in early September. ALIBABA is very much a traditional family pantomime with all the usual characters; Dame, Baddie, Principal Boy, Heroine and Comic characters etc. With Jeanette supplying the costumes and Kate painting the artwork for the set, we can look forward to a spectacular show. The group welcomes new members, both acting and behind the scenes. The progress and future of the group depends on it, so don't waver if you are thinking about joining. Phone me on 01608 730355 for details. Our subscription is only £5 per year so it won't break the bank. |
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HOOK NORTON CLOCK APPEAL A programme of fund raising events has started please look at local notice boards for details Barbara Hicks |
Our headline act, The Kast Off Kinks, were amazing, some of the most wonderful songs ever written played by the professionals who made them chart topping hits. Defining rock and British popular music culture, what a great billing for our local acts to show what they can do and to support their own futures in the music business. The second time at MAC, the Kast Off Kinks are complimentary about the event and the friendly welcome they receive here. 
The food stalls and children's entertainments were again very popular making this a truly great village family day out. 
Also to Dennis Mill, MarkMaking design, KMS printers, the Red Cross, the Stewards, the ATC, the World Challenge students from Banbury School, Thames Valley Police, the Village Playgroup, the Fire Brigade and Archie Bullard and Roger Cooke, all those who donated raffle prizes…and not least to all the great musicians who entertained us so well!|
Perfect July weather with blazing sunshine and cloudless blue skies made the Hook Norton Festival of Fine Ales………No, wait. That was last year. In hindsight the weather forecast “some chance of thundery showers” should really have been the clue. By noon it was overcast and threatening. By 1.30 the heaven's had well and truly opened accompanied by a Wagnerian thunderstorm. As fork lightning flashes could occasionally be seen through the gaps in the beer tent it may have been a little tactless of me to mention that we were standing next to a couple of tons of aluminium beer kegs and that, weight for weight, aluminium is a better conductor of electricity than copper. Ah, well, at least we didn't dwell on the metal frame supporting the tent. In spite of the weather, or possibly because there was nothing else to do than try and shelter in the beer tent, we did a roaring trade. At least one visitor told me that it was MUCH better than last year. Clearly the average Hooky Festival-goer is made of stern stuff and feels that Real Ale requires Real Weather to be properly enjoyed. And enjoyed it clearly was. Generous donations resulted in 87 different beers and ciders many of which were finished off in short order. Any disappointment was rapidly soothed by the alternatives suggested by the bar-tending team and the monsoon weather failed to dampen spirits. By the late afternoon, the weather let up and the damp but happy multitudes queued to make short work of the second pig of the day. Vying for popularity with the Pig Roast were the ever-popular fish & chips and ice cream vans. Quite how well ice cream did on Saturday I don't know. Entertainment was provided by the Owlswick Morris Dancers and a variety of local bands. Next Generation drew quite a crowd – and dropped quite a few jaws – with a tight, professional set before being persuaded to provide an encore. Not bad since they're all still at school! The final festival-goers began to depart sometime after 11. Quite how much later I'm not really sure as it all gets a bit blurry from that point on and I'm sure I wasn't alone in that regard. The ballot box was finally tracked down on Sunday morning and we are pleased to report that, once again, the Beer of the Festival was Druid's Fluid from the Wizard Brewery in Whichford. This was closely followed by our own HNB Charter 400, with Old Cannon's Gunners Daughter in third place. A final thank you must go out to the organisers led by Denis Wynn, Gill Begnor, Sam Smith, Margaret Daisley. Tristan Koch and the Beer Beggars who were not one of the bands playing, but hit the phones to ensure a record number of ales appeared this year. Thanks to Ian and Linda for their cheerful support (and for their pub!) Many thanks to the ticket sellers and volunteer bar tending teams (too many to name but you know who you are) who kept spirits up and ale flowing. Finally, a special thanks to James and the Hook Norton Brewery whose staunch support for the Festival and practical help at every step is so instrumental in making it happen. And as for next year? Well let me think about that after I've slept this one off… |
The exhibition begins with Galileo's book, Sidereus Nuncius (The Starry Messenger), and his subsequent meeting with the poet John Milton, as described in the epic poem Paradise Lost. It then explores the dreams and imagination of a Western culture through the visionary works of William Blake, John Martin and Odilon Redon, via the utopian worlds of science fiction, to contemporary works that question mans' knowledge of life on earth. 
The exhibition includes paintings, drawings, photography, music, sculpture and large-scale video installations. It also includes a collection of science fiction magazines, documentation and ephemera. Works are loaned from Corpus Christi, Oxford; Wadham College, Oxford; Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; British Museum; Tate; Royal Astronomical Society; Science Fiction Foundation, University of Liverpool; National Library of Scotland and New York Public Library. 
Compton Verney in Warwickshire can confirm that a pair of historic paintings by the eighteenth- century master Antonio Canaletto, previously destined to leave Britain, have now been saved for public viewing for the sum of £6 million. View of the Grand Walk, Vauxhall Gardens and Interior of the Rotunda, Ranelagh, previously in private ownership, will be on display at Compton Verney from 20 June. 
Both paintings offer an important record of London scenes, which have now changed beyond recognition. Canaletto came to Britain in 1746 and was inspired by the fashionable Vauxhall Gardens, now dominated by tower blocks. Ranelagh, which had been opened in 1742 as an alternative resort, had the Rotunda as its centrepiece and provided high calibre musical entertainment, including performances by the young Mozart in 1764.