Following the success of Oulton's entry into the Best Kept Village Competition 2009 when we were Highly Commended, the Community Group has voted to enter again for 2010.
We all know we live in a great village with a fantastic community spirit, but we need to convey that to the BKV Judges.
They will be visiting the village between 1st May and the end of July 2010 and we mean to build on our success last year, and win the prestigious title of Best Kept Small Village in Stafford District. We are up against stiff opposition, including the winner in our category last year which was Hopton a village which, like Oulton, had not entered the competition for at least ten years.
The Judges will be looking for the following from our community;-
1/ Community awareness of the Best Kept Village Competition
2/ Community Groups' involvement
3/ Childrens Poster Campain. These will mainly be done by the children of Oulton First School, but any children who do not attend are more than welcome to display their posters in the windows of their homes.
4/ Local information displayed on notice boards etc
5/ Recycling awareness
6/ Dog Fouling awareness
7/ Tidyness around public building i.e/ village halls, public houses etc.
8/ Tidyness of Church grounds and War Memorials
9/ Clean and tidy telephone boxes, bus shelters and othe rpublic amenities
10/ Well kept public open spaced i.e. the playpark
11/ Tidyness of private gardens
12/ General cleanliness around the village including litter and overgrown vegetation.
To this end we would urge all residents to do their best to keep the village tidy and free from litter and weeds.
Even if you cannot join the organized events there is always some small gesture which, if we all join in, will help make the appearance of the village the best it can possibly be.
Images of Oulton June 2010
click on image to enlarge
Daffodil Planting
Residents and visitors to the village will have already noticed the fabulous display of daffoldils on the roadsides. These were planted late last year by Elaine and Martin Robinson in anticipation of our entry into this year's competition. Their hard work has paid off handsomely, as have the planting of primroses and dwarf daffodils at the rear of the Village Hall.
The local Brownie group has kindly provided tubs with seasonal plants around the Village Hall. Thank you to all those involved.
Nesting Boxes
As part of the managed woodland at the rear of the Village Hall, Stone Common Plott Committee have provided four nesting boxes. We hope that the boxes will have residents this Spring. We would like to thank the Committee and Martin Robinson for arranging this
click on image to enlarge
Litter Picks
We have organized three litter picks in the village on the following dates.
We will start at the parish Notice Board in Church Lane, litter grabbers and sacks will be provided.
Saturday 1st May 2010 at 10.00 am
(We are pleased to report that this litter pick was a success and that very little litter was found. Please see report in our News Pages)
Saturday 5th June 2010 at 10.00 am
Wednesday 30th June at 7.00 pm
Childrens Posters
Oulton First School have, again, kindly agreed to mount the Childrens poster campaign and these can be viewed in the windows of the village hall and at various sites around the village.
New this year, the children from Oulton Abbey Playgroup have also provided a very colourful display. This can be viewed in the Village Hall window.
Plant Troughs
Village resident John Haine has made two fantastic wooden plant troughs to be sited at the Parish Notice Board and at the entrance to the Village Hall. Alongside the fabulous displays evident in private gardens, these will add a splash of colour during the Summer months. Local residents and groups have volunteered to look after the troughs. Oulton Womens Institute, with a contribution from long term resident Jose Harvey, have provided funds for the provision of the plant trough at the Village Hall whilst Oulton Community Group will fund the other. The geraniums have been kindly supplied by Jenny Grainger of The Olde Post Office Bed and Breakfast. Parish Councillor Dave Scrivens has made a further planter to be placed on the corner of Church Lane and St Johns Close. Our thanks go to all those who have contributed.
click on image to enlarge
Community Notice Boards
The Parish Council has agreed to the siting of Community Notice boards in the bus shelters in Church Lane and Kibblestone Road.
Parish Councillor and builder Peter Roberts has made the notice boards which are now in situ.
These will be for the use of residents, and local groups to promote services and events.
Telephone Kiosk
The redundant telephone kiosk in Kibblestone Rd has been offered for "adoption" by BT. We feel that the kiosk is an integral part of our streetscene and would like to retain it for commuity use, perhaps as an information centre. We are working closely with the Parish Council and BT to secure its future.
Dog Fouling Awareness
A member of the BKV Committe has replaced all the dog fouling awareness stickers on bins and other places around the village. Dog fouling has been a concern for all the children of Oulton First School which can be seen in the posters displayed around the village. If you have a dog please be considerate and poop scoop.
Recycling Awareness
Information regarding kerbside collections has been displayed in the Parish and Community Notice boards along with addresses and opening times of the Recycling Centre at Stone Business Park. Visit from the local amenity skip, organised by the Parish Council, are to be announced at a later date.
Village Hall Benches
Two rustic benches have been installed in the grassed area beneath the rock face at the rear of the Village Hall. These were provided by Oulton and Moddershall Parish Council as part of the Village Hall 75th Anniversary celebrations. These will provide a welcome rest in what has got to one of the most attractive village hall surroundings in the area.
Oulton Village Festival 2010
Plans for this years Oulton Village Festival are well under way. The festival starts on Saturday 4th July with a Barbecue followed by the legendary Oulton Talent Show. There is still space in the programme, so if you want to show what you can do, please contact Barbara Palmer on 01785 816121. On Saturday 11th July Oulton Abbey Grounds plays host to the Village Fete and Garden Party. Attractions include the Stone Scouts and Gude band, birds of prey display, pony and traction engine rides, archery, games and stalls and much, much more. Nearly new and new goods are still required for the charity stalls and cuddly toys will be extremely welcome but no china,electrical iems or books please. Childrens competitions this year are for the under 14s, a plant grown in an unusual container, and over 14s, adults and groups are invited to display fruit or veg decorated to portray faces or animals etc. After the tremendous success of the 2009 Fete, this years is sure to draw a great crowd. All proceeds from Oulton Village Festival events will go to Village Hall improvements. See our Whats On page.
Oulton Festival July 2010
Report and photos by Maureen Manley
Barbeque and Talent Show.The Festival, organised by Barbara Palmer, Chair of the Village Hall Committee helped by committee members, got off to a great start on 3rd July in the Village Hall with around 80 people enjoying a Barbeque and strawberries and cream, organised by Elaine & Martin Robinson. A Talent show followed with many local people taking part. The event raised £400 for village hall improvements.
The Annual Fete on 10 July in the grounds of Oulton Abbey attracted a record crowd. The Fete was opened by Pete Morgan, the presenter of Radio Stoke’s Breakfast Show.Sniffer dog Tara, with trainer and handler Steve Billingham, demonstrated a drugs search and other attractions included Birds of Prey, Oulton Water Colour Group demonstrating their skills, games and plenty of food and drink– paella, wine & strawberries, ice creams, tea and cakes, tombolas, pony and traction engine rides and many stalls.Barbara thanked Dame Benedicta for again allowing the Fete to take place at Oulton Abbey and presented her with a bouquet.The Fete raised £2000 (another record) for village hall improvements.
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Songs of Praise Service.On the day after the Oulton Fete an outdoor Songs of Praise service was held for the first time in the grounds of Oulton Village Hall with Rev. Paul Kingman from St. John’s Church presiding. He welcomed the large congregation and said how delighted he was the Stone Town Brass Band had come along to play. St.John’s Church Choir led the congregation in singing a selection of popular hymns. Father Cuthbert from Oulton Abbey gave a short homily and the afternoon closed with tea and cakes in the Village Hall organised by St. John’s Church PCC.
Barbara Palmer in summing up the Festival remarked on the wonderful atmosphere at all the Festival events and said how important such occasions are in keeping the community together.
