20/09/10..Apples, cucumbers, cuts and more – Monday news round-up
GET YOUR GARDEN TIDIED & YOUR APPLES PRESSED! Transition Thame will be at the Thame Food Festival on Saturday (25/09/10) with their apple press, and will collect windfalls and apples from anyone who would like to donate them, on Thursday and Friday this week – the benefit is that you get their garden tidied! Anyone with appled to offer can phone Lindsey on 01844 290331, to discuss a suitable time to collect.
Transition Thame have been asked about pressing people’s own apples. Although they are not encourgaing people to bring their own as they need to wash them well before using the press, they are willing to lend people the press for a small donation. So go along to the festival for a demonstration anyway to to taste the delivious juice fresh off the press!
WORLD’S LONGEST CUCUMBER
The Guiness world record for the longest cucumber, set by Frank Dimmock of Thame, two years ago at 41 inches, still stands after a 47 inch challenger’s cucumber rotted before it could be verified recently. But a 42 ins specimen grown by the same woman could yet be verified – if it doesn’t rot first.
CUTS TO COUNTY’S FUNDING FOR YOUNG CHILDREN’S SERVICES
The government has now advised the county council of a substantial cut in the capital grant for Children’s Centres and Early Years capital grant funding.
Cllr Louise Chapman, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, said: “The government has now advised the county council of a substantial cut in the grant for Children’s Centres, pre-schools and nurseries grant funding. Council staff and councillors are now working to identify which projects originally on the list will be able to go ahead and be completed by March next year which is the deadline for the funding.
“We will let people know as soon as possible and I know it will be very disappointing but given the national financial situation – it is also understandable.
“I will be meeting early this week with council staff responsible for the projects to discuss how we cut our cloth according to the budget we have now been given.”
