Town Council Events

Junior Town Crier Competition - 24 April 2013

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St George's Day Celebration - 20 April 2013

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Roger Crapper - Exceptional Citizen Haydn Sayer - Winner of Young Person's Award

Carterton Christmas Lights - 30 November 2012

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Armed Forces Day - 25 June 2012

The Town Council organised a small ceremony at the War Memorial to mark the beginning of Armed Forces Week. The Armed Forces flag was raised and a short service was led by Rev Bill Blakey in the presence of the Town Mayor, the Town Mace Bearer, and members of the Airborne Delivery Wing, representing the Station Commander, RAF Brize Norton.

Town Councillors and members of the public also gathered to pay their respects.

The Mayor explained that this short ceremony marked the start of a week that provides an opportunity to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to service families, from veterans to cadets. Particularly relevant in Carterton as the home town of RAF Brize Norton.

The Armed Forces Flag was flown continuously throughout the week.

Carterton's Queen's Diamond Jubilee Weekend 2 & 3 June 2012

Carterton's Jubilee Celebrations took place on the Alvescot Road Recreation Ground on the weekend of Saturday and Sunday 2nd & 3rd June. Several days prior to this, the town centre had been decorated with bunting, and nearly all shops and businesses had decorated their windows with Jubilee displays. Highlights of the Saturday were the Fashion Show and the first stage of the Carterton's Got Talent competition. There was also a funfair, bouncy castle, Punch and Judy, go-karts, a pig roast, the Skychaser Rocket courtesy of Carterton Community College and lots more. The photo to the left shows all the fashion show entrants after their amazing promenade.

The Pig Roast was supplied by Foxbury Farm, who also brought along some lambs for the youngsters. Various stalls were lined up along the recreation ground, offering plate smashing, face painting, pottery painting, jubilee memorabillia, RSPCA micro-chipping for dogs, and more. 10 of the 20 contestants of Carterton's Got Talent were voted forward to the next round of the competition. The weather was mild but overcast, and the organisers were just delighted that it didn't rain!

In the evening, Browne's Hall held a live music evening and the Carterton Songsters performed a concert at St John's Church.

The festivities had to be moved inside to Browne's Hall on the Sunday because of heavy rain. The tables were set out and beautifully decorated for the Big Lunch, flower displays were provided courtesy of the Cotswold Flower Club, a live band started the proceedings, closely followed by the Junior Youth Orchestra at 1.00 p.m. A variety of singers entertained the audience prior to the Final Stage of the Talent Competition commencing at 3 p.m. The photo, left, shows the Junior Youth Orchestra during their performance.

Hundreds of people crammed into Browne's Hall for the Big Lunch and to listen to the live music on stage. Performances included Beth Cooper, Sarah Derrick and Rufio. The second round of the Talent Competition resulted in a resounding winning performance - Molly Bishop and her hula hoop! The Hall provided an open bar, refreshments and a slice of Jubilee cake for all!

The Jubilee Committee is grateful to everyone who helped with the planning of the weekend, and to everyone who came along and supported all the events.

More Jubilee Photos

Oxford Welsh Male Voice Choir - 10 March 2012

We were delighted to welcome the Oxford Welsh Male Voice Choir to St John's Church, Carterton, on Saturday 10th March 2012, organised by Cllr Norman MacRae MBE, Mayor of Carterton.

A capacity audience enjoyed a full repertoire of songs, together with several soloist renditions. Refreshments were served prior to the event and during the interval. A charity raffle was held, and all proceeds were donated to the Town Mayor's charity, Helen and Douglas House.

Allandale Centre Opening - 10 February 2012

On Friday 10 February Colin Fletcher, the Bishop of Dorchester, carried out the formal opening of the Allandale Youth House in the centre of Carterton.

The Allandale formerly belonged to Oxfordshire County Council but under their Big Society Scheme, the building has been bought by Carterton Town Council, refurbished with the aid of grants, and reopened as a Centre for young people. During the day, the building is occupied by Inclusive Care and Education Limited, known as ICE. In the evening it operates as a youth club welcoming young people from the age of 8 upwards.

The photograph on the left shows the Bishop talking to Louise O'Farrell, a member of ICE, in the company of the Town Mayor and Mayoress.

Cllr Norman MacRae, the Town Mayor, said: �This is a fantastic project which has brought together a wide range of agencies. The Town Council now owns the building and leases it to ICE. ICE has lots of exciting plans to encourage the wider community to make use of the facilities during the day, and in the evening the Centre provides a superbly equipped place for our young people. In addition trained youth workers will organise activities at the Centre as part of Airplay, the RAF Benevolent Fund�s �24 million support project for young people in RAF communities. It has been a joy to see all these groups working together in such a constructive way.�

Bishop Colin added: �I have always been impressed by the energy and enthusiasm displayed by the people of Carterton. This project is a great example of the community responding to a challenge and the result is a facility of which the whole town can be proud. I congratulate all those who have been involved in the project to date and offer my very best wishes to all those who will be using the Centre in the future.�

The photograph on the left shows some members of ICE and the youth club with the Bishop and Town Mayor.

Repatriation Blankets - January 2012

The Town Council is delighted at the response to its request for knitted squares to make up into blankets for the elderly and infirm on Repatriation days. The photograph, left, shows three of the blankets sewn together by willing volunteers.

We have many to thank for these efforts, including Jane Mealins, Ruth Jones, Mrs Sanderson, Sue Ford, an un-named Guider, Mrs Hawkins, Mrs Shirley Clark, Mrs June Luska, Mrs Carole MacRae, Mrs Margaret Smith, and Town Hall staff.

Special mention must go to Mrs Hawkins who supplied the beautifully crocheted squares (centre). Thank you to all of you. If you would like to keep on knitting, then we will be happy to continue to receive the squares and make them up into blankets for charity.

Visit of Nick Hurd MP - 14 November 2011

The Town Council was delighted to welcome Nick Hurd MP, Minister for the South East and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for The Civil Society, to the Carterton Town Hall on Monday 14 November. Mr Hurd attended a special session of the Carterton Job Club and spoke to each of the volunteers. The photograph left shows OCC Cllr Jim Couchman, Nick Hurd MP, and Carterton Town Mayor, Cllr Norman MacRae MBE.

Mr Hurd's visit combined a political meeting with the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Keith Mitchell, with a tour of local projects, including Carterton Town Hall and Carterton Community Centre, where he took part in a community lunch.

Repatriations Handover Ceremony - 1 September 2011

A ceremony was held on 1st September 2011 at the new Memorial Garden in Norton Way, when the Mayor of Wootton Bassett officially handed over the Union flag to the Chairman of Brize Norton Parish Council and the Mayor of Carterton. The flag was blessed by the Chaplain to the RBL and the Rev Bill Blakey, Vicar of Carterton and Brize Norton.

The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon David Cameron, the Chairman of Oxfordshire County Council, Patrick Greene, and the Chairman of West Oxfordshire District Council, Derek Cotterill. The Rt Reverend John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford, led the dedication service. The photo to the left shows the Mayor of Wootton Bassett making his address prior to the flag being ceremoniously handed over.

Hike for Heroes - 29 June 2011

On 29th June members of RAF Lyneham marched to RAF Brize Norton, while members of RAF Brize Norton marched to RAF Lyneham at the same time.

The idea for the march originated from No 1 Air Mobility Wing at RAF Lyneham, who will soon be relocating to RAF Brize Norton. The Marchers chose an Armed Forces charity, Help for Heroes, an RAF charity, the RAF Benevolent Fund and a local charity, Helen and Douglas House Hospice.

The Brize Norton Team set off at 0700 on Wednesday 29 June and arrived at Lyneham at about 1700. The Lyneham team marched the reverse route, also leaving at 0700. On their way to Brize Norton, the Lyneham team were met by the Town Mayor who walked with them to the Main Gate.

The RAF Lyneham Station Commander met the Brize Team, and the RAF Brize Norton Station Commander met the Lyneham team at the Brize Norton Main Gate.

Armed Forces Day - 20 June 2011

The Town Council organised a small ceremony at the War Memorial to mark the beginning of Armed Forces Week. The Armed Forces flag was raised and a short service was led by Rev Jo Reid and Rev Geoffery Firth (Station Chaplain) in the presence of the Town Mayor, the Town Mace Bearer, WO Andrew Richardson, and Wg Cdr Stu Williams representing the Station Commander, RAF Brize Norton.

Town Councillors and members of the public also gathered to pay their respects.

The Armed Forces Flag was flown continuously throughout the week.

Prime Minister's Visit to Carterton Job Club - 17 June 2011

Prime Minister David Cameron was welcomed to a special session of the Carterton Job Club on Friday 17th June 2011. Mr Cameron was introduced to representatives of Abingdon & Witney College, Oxfordshire County Council Adult Education Service, West Oxfordshire District Council Benefits Advice, Witney Job Centre, Oxfordshire Business Enterprise and Royal Air Force Careers Recruitment.

In the photograph to the left, Mr Cameron is talking to Bernard Goodchild of the Oxfordshire Business Enterprise and a Carterton Community College pupil who will be leaving school this summer. A video of the Job Club visit is here: www.oxbox.tv/showvideo.php?video=5289138

The Job Club has held 4 sessions since its launch in May this year, and has averaged 15 clients per session. The Club has been developed by the Carterton Fast Forward Project Manager, Catherine Chater, but as with most of her projects, the intention is for members of the community to take over in due course. We already have two volunteers involved and are advertising with the Oxfordshire Volunteer Bureau for a Co-ordinator.

The photograph to the left shows the Prime Minister talking to Sqn Ldr Jacqueline Millard-Smith of RAF Brize Norton.

Official Opening of Alvescot Road Play Area - 17 June 2011

We were delighted to welcome Prime Minister David Cameron at the Official Opening of the Alvescot Road Play Area on 17th June. Mr. Cameron made a tour of the play equipment and was introduced to members of the Carterton Youth Council, members of Anthony Stiff Associates (the landscape architects), members of E J Services, who constructed the play area, representatives of the various funding bodies, including WREN, WODC and Playbuilder, and members of the public. A video of the visit is here: www.oxbox.tv/showvideo.php?video=5291558

The photo on the left shows the Prime Minister with youth councillors Emma Beckett and Matty Yallop, Deputy Mayor Cllr Adrian Coomber, and Carolyn Place, the landscape architect.

Mr. Cameron took the opportunity to speak to several teenagers in the new youth shelter and to young mothers with children using the equipment.

The new playground cost �145,000 to design and build and was funded by Playbuilder, Wren, the District Council and the Town Council. The second phase of the project, which will be funded by the Town Council, is the construction of a performance space later in the summer.

Exceptional Citizens & Young Persons Awards - 16 May 2011

Mr Tim Stevenson, the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, presented two Exceptional Citizen�s Awards to local residents at a reception held on 16 May 2011 at the Town Hall. Mr Stevenson said �It is a very great privilege for me to be able to present these awards. I am always delighted to be involved in anything which acknowledges commitment to fellow citizens. Both Exceptional Citizens are people who have given freely of their time and energy to help other people in Carterton, and the two Young Persons are worthy recipients of this new and prestigious award.

The recipients of the Exceptional Citizen�s Awards were nominated by fellow residents. The first was Pam Howard, who has been running a Brownie Pack in Carterton for 37 years. During that time Pam has served two separate terms as a Commissioner, looking after her unit as well as overseeing all the other units in the area. She has organised numerous events for girls and for the last few years has co-ordinated training for new leaders.

The second Exceptional Citizen, Val Townsend, received the award for her dedicated service to the Carterton Branch of the Royal British Legion. In the last 7 years she has raised a staggering individual total of �26,760. Every year, Val takes two weeks holiday from her employment and volunteers up to eight hours a day to collecting. Val has tandem skydived and run around Hyde Park in a ball gown and tiara all to raise money for the RBL.

Twin sisters, Sophie and Lucy Riley, were jointly given the Mayor�s Award for Young People. Sophie and Lucy are year 6 pupils at Gateway School where they have contributed in many ways to school life. Both have been on the School Council, are Playground Leaders and take part in sporting activities as well as raising funds for charities. Their mother has had a number of medical problems which have sadly left her disabled. Both the girls have provided great support at home for both their parents.

Carterton Job Club Launch � 12 May 2011

The Town Council were delighted at the level of support received at the launch of the Job Club at the Carterton Town Hall on Thursday 12th May. A total of 23 people looking for work came along, and of these 3 were from Witney, 1 from Faringdon and 19 from Carterton. A number of people took advantage of advice from the variety of professionals, including Cecily Lee of OCC Next Steps, Sue Gibbens of OCC Adult Education, Marion Samler of Abingdon & Witney College, Danielle Carter of WODC Benefits Section, John Harrington of the Oxfordshire Employment Service, and a number of Witney Jobcentre Staff.

Newspapers and the internet were available for those wishing to look at job vacancies, and there were plenty of books and other literature to help with CV writing, interview techniques, etc.

We hope the Job Club will develop and grow as the months pass, and from time to time there will be guest speakers and local business people in attendance to give help and support.

Recreation Ground open for Easter - 8 April 2011

There was a small 'topping out' ceremony at the Alvescot Road Recreation Ground play area to mark the completion of its refurbishment just before the Easter holidays. The Town Mayor said a few words in the company of town councillors and staff, members of the design team, builders still working on site and a few children who were invited in to join us. The Mayor was adventurous enough to climb to the top of the spire net - see picture left!

The play area was opened to the public on Monday 11th April, and a combination of hot sunny weather and the fact that children were off school for Easter meant that the new equipment was thoroughly tested and much enjoyed. The Town Council has received a good deal of praise for the refurbishment.

Alterations are now being made to the rest of the Recreation Ground, including linked pathways across the grass and a new central performing area, which will be completed in July/August. There will be an official Grand Opening by a very Special Guest on the afternoon of Friday 17th June, when there will also be music, refreshments, bouncy castles and much more. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Junior Town Crier Competition - 6 April 2011

The Junior Town Criers' Competition was organised by the Town Mayor and Mayoress and open to all five Primary Schools in the town and the Carterton Community College. Schools were asked to select two winners from different age categories, who attended the judging at the Town Hall on Wednesday 6th April in the presence of the Town Criers from Banbury and Fairford, along with the Town Mayor, all shown left.

It was a beautifully sunny afternoon and the children performed their pieces in front of a large crowd of onlookers - proud parents and family members, schools friends and quite a number of interested passers-by.

The prize for the winner was �25, with a further �75 for their school or college. The overall winner was ten year-old George Meyer from Edith Moorhouse Primary School, beating the other 22 finalists. The photograph on the left shows George with the Town Criers, the Town Mayor and the Deputy Mayor on the Town Hall balcony.

Carterton 10K 2011 - 27th March

The Carterton 10K Road Race took place this year on Sunday 27th March. This was the fifth year of the race and 170 runners took part on the day. T-shirts and medals were awarded to all of the runners, along with water and bananas supplied by the Midcounties Co-op.

This year a race photographer was on hand to record the event - go to www.theracephotographer.com/2011/Carterton10k/index.htm - and runners could also take advantage of a free sports massage. Foxbury Farm provided a barbecue, and there was plenty of activity both inside and outside the Leisure Centre throughout the morning. This year a Fun Run for the children was organised by the Carterton Lions and took place behind the Leisure Centre before the 10K.

Thank you to all those who gave their help and support.

Alvescot Road Recreation Ground Refurbishment - January 2011

	Refurbishment of the children's play area commenced on 17th January 2011. The photo to the left shows the play equipment removed and the contractors starting to pull up the ground covering. The fencing around the play area has also been removed.
	Picture update as at 11 March. The spire net looks very impressive and several other pieces of equipment are now in place.

Christmas Lights Switch-On - December 2010

Prime Minister in Carterton - 22 October 2010

The Rt Hon David Cameron was invited to Carterton Town Hall to meet four members of Carterton Youth Council and two of the Youth Council Mentors, Cllr Ady Coomber and Mrs Lin Kennedy. The main topics for discussion were domestic policy and public spending, and particularly Playbuilder grant funding.

We were delighted to learn, just prior to the Prime Minister�s visit, that the �47k Playbuilder funding promised to us would be honoured despite fears that this would be one of the many projects to be cut following the comprehensive spending review. This means that we can move forward with our plans to refurbish the Alvescot Road Recreation Ground � in fact work will start as soon as November!

Other matters which were discussed with the Prime Minister, who also serves as our local MP, were the Youth Services currently provided by Oxfordshire County Council, detached youth work undertaken by the voluntary sector and, as part of his BIG Society concept, how communities will be empowered to do more and have more of a say with regard to how money is spent.

The meeting was very positive and Mr Cameron appeared to be very impressed with the young people from Carterton Youth Council and the important role of the Youth Council in the town. We hope he feels proud that several aspects of the BIG Society are alive and well in parts of his constituency, and have been for years. We were proud that he took time out of his busy schedule to pay us a visit.

RBL Cheque Presentation - 15 October 2010

The Town Council was pleased to host a cheque presentation ceremony to the RBL at the Town Hall on the morning of 15th October 2010. Mrs Val Townsend, shown left presenting the cheque to Cllr Mrs Dee Bulley in the company of Mr John Staddon, Mr Maurice Warsop (Standard Bearer) and Town Mayor, Cllr Norman MacRae MBE, raised funds while taking part in the Hyde Park Challenge on Sunday 5th September. Val walked the 5K course, wearing the same red dress as in this photo, and raised �1,603 in sponsorship to launch this year's Poppy Appeal.

The photo left shows all of those who took part in the ceremony, from left Mrs Staddon (at the back), Rita Smale, Cllr Peter Madden, Mr Mark Mannion, Mr John Staddon, Mrs Val Townsend, Mr Maurice Warsop, Cllr Mrs Dee Bulley, Cllr Norman MacRae (Town Mayor), Cllr Ady Coomber (Deputy Mayor), Cllr Mrs. Carole MacRae (Mayoress), Mr Mike Bulley, and Mrs Rose Collinson, most of whom are members of the Carterton Royal British Legion.

Val has asked us to thank everyone who so generously supported her.

Mayor and Mayoress visit St. John's School - September 2010

The Town Mayor and Mayoress were invited to visit St John's School in September. The school children are currently learning about the role of the Town Mayor and had lots of questions when the visit was made. The Mayor was happy to explain the meaning of the town crest depicted on his chain of office, and describe some of the duties he has to perform. The Town Mayoress, Cllr Mrs MacRae, also showed her chain of office and answered the children's questions. .

The Mayor and Mayoress have further visits planned for the other primary schools in Carterton, and have already visited the Carterton Community College. The aim of the visits is to give the children a greater understanding of local government and the work of a Town Council

CARTERTON CELEBRATES! - 11/12 September 2010

With the help of an army of volunteers, Carterton celebrated in style on the weekend of 11th and 12th September.

The Town Hall was the focal point for the photographic exhibition, which ran from Saturday 11th until Wednesday 15th September and attracted 68 entries into the competition. The Town Hall was also the base for the Treasure Hunt, which was entered by 29 groups, totalling about 100 people. Our thanks go to Cllrs Crapper and Farmer for organising this event and making it such a success.

During the Saturday, would-be mountaineers honed their skills on the climbing wall at the Community College, and gardeners, bakers, jam makers and flower arrangers displayed their produce, including an amazing array of cup cakes produced by school children, at the Community Centre. Craftsmen sold their handiwork at the Craft Fair, and a new sculpture was unveiled in Marigold Square in the presence of the Town Mayor and District Council officers. Saturday evening was rounded off with a fantastic quiz night at the Centre which was thoroughly enjoyed by more than 120 participants.

On Sunday the Station Commander and senior representatives from RAF Brize Norton joined the Town Mayor and civic guests at St John's Church for a service which included a live link to Kandahar and the presentation of the Freedom of Carterton to the Airborne Delivery Wing. This was followed by a Family Fun Day on the Alvescot Road Recreation Ground. The afternoon started with a parachute drop by the Hawks and continued into the evening with live acts at Brownes Hall. Other activities included a fun fair, bouncy castle, assault course, bungee run, barbecue and refreshments. Meanwhile youngsters took part in Combat Games at The Dell or watched a showing of Nanny MacPhee at the Community Centre.

The whole event was presided over by 'Mr William Carter', who was amazed by the growth of his town and the technological advances of the last 110 years! Mr Carter was certainly very proud of the way his town and RAF Brize Norton had come together to celebrate in the glorious sunshine.

Our thanks go to all the volunteers who gave up their time to make the weekend such a success.

Refurbishment of Alvescot Road Recreation Ground

The Town Council plans to refurbish the Alvescot Road Recreation Ground (ARRG) and the major part of the project is the replacement of the existing play area with items of equipment which will appeal to a much wider age range. The equipment will be zoned into areas designed for younger and older children and separated by grassed mounds. There will also be seating and some planting to soften the appearance of the area. These proposals have been worked up in consultation with youngsters and the local community including the police. Local residents have been consulted, and a copy of the letter is attached here

The existing pavilion is not included in this project but in the next few months we will be carrying out minor repairs to the building and providing fencing to prevent youngsters from getting between the building and the hedge.

We also intend to install new paths and a central feature, which will act as a focal point for public performances as well as for informal gatherings. Plans are available from the Town Hall and will be included on this website as soon as we are able to do so. The western end of the Recreation Ground will be left open to provide an area for events and for ball games.

100th Birthday of Carterton Resident August 2010

Harold Morris of Blenheim Court, Sycamore Drive, Carterton, celebrated his 100th birthday on Saturday 28th August. Carterton Town Mayor, Cllr Norman MacRae, called in to see Mr Morris the afternoon before his birthday during a family party and presented him with a birthday card and bottle of whisky on behalf of the Town Council.

Mr Morris, whose wife Linda died 17 years ago, has three children � Roy 75, who also lives in Carterton, Ronald, 69, who lives in Suffolk, and Muriel, 65, who flew in from Canada to join the celebrations yesterday.

Mr Morris, who moved to Carterton two years ago, also has eight grand-children, 15 great-grandchildren and is due to become a great-great-granddad in November. Born in Edmonton, north London, in 1910, he was a lorry driver and reservist in the Second World War. He is the first male to reach 100 from his Housing Association. We wish him many congratulations.

Carterton Celebrates Banner Making - August 2010

We were delighted to welcome Helen Jacobs to the Town Hall on 25th August 2010 to do a banner and flag making session for dressing the town during the Carterton Celebrates weekend on 11th and 12th September. Town Hall staff and members of the public had a go at making stensils and printing their chosen designs onto pieces of material to be made up into flags and pennants. An example of one design, showing a tomato for which Carterton was reknown, is shown on the left.

Helen then went back to her workshop and used all the stencils to put together two large banners, shown left, one of which will be displayed on the balcony at the Town Hall, and the other at the Carterton Community Centre. The smaller banners and flags will be distributed around the town to give a festive atmosphere.

The programme of events and further details are shown on the Carterton Fast Forward News page of this website.

Schools Swimming Gala - July 2010

The annual Schools Swimming Gala, organised by the Town Council, took place at the Carterton Leisure Centre on Monday 12th July 2010. The winning school (see photo left) was Gateway Primary School, with Edith Moorhouse Primary School 2nd, St Joseph's RC Primary School 3rd, St John's Primary School 4th and Carterton Primary School 5th.

Town Councillors and Town Hall staff helped with the judging, assisted by members of the Carterton Lions.

The trophy was presented by Cllr Mrs Crossland, former Town Mayor, as the current Mayor, Cllr Norman MacRae, was unable to attend.

Armed Forces Day - 21 June 2010

The Town Council organised a short ceremony at the War Memorial in Alvescot Road on Monday 21st June 2010 to commemorate the start of Armed Forces Week. In attendance were the new RAF Brize Norton Station Commander, Group Captain Dom Stamp, Carterton Town Mayor, Cllr Norman MacRae MBE, together with town councillors, representatives of the RBL, RAFA and SSAFA and local clergy.

The Armed Forces flag will be raised each day during the forthcoming week to honour HM Armed Forces, past present and future.

Across the country people are getting involved, with communities holding local events and businesses showing their support in various different ways for Armed Forces Week.

The Maples Play Area - May 2010

The official opening of the newly refurbished Maples Play Area took place on the evening of Thursday 27th May 2010. A BBQ was held and all local residents were invited to come along.

The Mayor and Mayoress, Cllrs Norman and Carole MacRae, took an unusual route in 'cutting the ribbon'! (see photograph left)

The play area now comprises a swing seat large enough to take adults or several children, an extra wide slide, play sand, a paved barbeque area and log seating. The old brick wall has been replaced with attractive black railings. The overall feel is that of a small park rather than just a playground, and the residents are delighted with it.

The Town Council would like to give thanks to Flora Gathorne-Haber for the design of the play area and Arborforce for its construction. Particular thanks on Thursday also go to Amanda for providing and coping with the bbq single-handed!

Exceptional Citizens Awards - April 2010

Tim Stevenson OBE, the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, presented Exceptional Citizens� Awards to four residents of Carterton at a reception held on Monday 26th April 2010 at the Town Hall.

Councillor Maxine Crossland, Town Mayor, said �The Town Council introduced these awards in 2007 to recognise exceptional achievement by residents of Carterton. I am delighted to announce that we have four very worthy recipients in 2010 to join the nine already awarded.�

Mr Stevenson said �It is a very great privilege for me to be able to present these awards. I am always delighted to be involved in anything which acknowledges great personal achievement�

Tim Stevenson OBE, the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, presented Exceptional Citizens� Awards to four residents of Carterton at a reception held on Monday 26th April 2010 at the Town Hall.

Mr Stevenson said �It is a very great privilege for me to be able to present these awards. I am always delighted to be involved in anything which acknowledges great personal achievement�

St George's Day - 23 April 2010

The Dragon�s Den Competition was instigated last year to celebrate St. George�s Day. This year, local schools were set the task of making a mechanical knight which was capable of being pulled along and included an element of movement. St. John�s C of E Primary School submitted the winning entry, for which they received the John Browne Trophy and a cheque for �500.

The judging took place on Thursday 22nd April and the photograph shows the six entries, with the winning entry on the extreme right.

This project formed part of the St George�s Day Reception organised by Carterton Town Council on Friday 23rd April at the Carterton Community Centre, Marigold Square.

Civic dignitaries and local residents were delighted to see the procession of Knights at the beginning of the evening, before being wined and dined and entertained by the Brize Singers. The photograph shows the main hall at the Carterton Community Centre bedecked with English flags.

The Reception is an Annual Charitable Event, which this year supported MIND and Dogs for the Disabled.

Carterton 10K - March 2010

This year's Carterton 10K was held on Sunday 28th March 2010, on a sunny dry day perfect for running. It was the fifth 10K jointly organised by the Town Council and RAF Brize Norton and proved to be the most successful, with a total of 272 runners signing up in advance or on the day, and 248 making it past the finishing line. The photograph shows some of the leading runners with the Town Mayor, Maxine Crossland.

We are delighted that the 10K continues to be so successful, and must give our thanks to the organisational skills of Pete Thorbjornsen and his colleagues of RAF Brize Norton, together with the support of the Carterton Leisure Centre, Broadshires Health Centre, Carterton Midcounties Co-op, Foxbury Farm and all the people who helped with marshalling on the day.

International Market 2010

Carterton's first International Market was held on Marigold Square on Sunday 21st March, 2010, from 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. More than 25 traders were selling their wares from France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Holland and Poland, with many wearing traditional costumes. The market sold Fairtrade products such as arts, handicrafts and wooden carvings from Africa, South East Asia and Latin America.

Market co-ordinator, Olivier Simonin, said: "These products cannot normally be found in your high street, and there really was something for everyone."

The market square was a bustling and colourful scene on Sunday in the unexpected sunshine. For food-lovers there were Brittany biscuits, olives, Italian nougat, a wide variety of cheeses, garlic, saucissons, tartiflette from the Alps, charcuterie, fresh breads, croissants, and bagels. Other products on sale included handbags and leather goods, scarves, Marseille soaps, lavender, children's toys, pashminas, wooden arts, and crafts.

It is hoped that the market will return later in the year.

Christmas Lights - 4th December 2009

Despite a very damp evening, hundreds of people turned out for the switch-on of the Christmas Lights in Carterton on 4th December. To the delight of local children, Father Christmas turned on the lights at 6 pm in the presence of the Town Mayor, Cllr Mrs Maxine Crossland, on the Town Hall balcony.

The Mayor also sent best wishes to Jack Timms, Carterton's oldest resident, who will be celebrating his 101st birthday on 11th December. Jack turned on the town's lights last year.

More than 40 charity and food stalls lined both sides of the Alvescot Road, many of the shops stayed open late, and there was a children's funfair and amusements sited in the car park behind the Carterton Library. The crowd was treated to a display of fireworks after the Switch-On, followed by school children singing Christmas carols, accompanied by the Witney Town Band.

The Town Council would like to thank everyone who gave their support to this event, including the amazing Christmas lights erected by Peter White.

Remembrance Service - November 2009

The Remembrance Service and Parade took place in Carterton on Sunday 8 November 2009. The Service was held at St. John the Evangelist Church in Burford Road, followed by the Parade and laying of wreaths at the War Memorial next to the Town Hall.

RAF Brize Norton Station Commander, Group Captain Jon Ager, attended the Service along with other Station personnel and took the salute at the March Past in Alvescot Road. The Station Commander said: 'I, along with my Execs, are proud to be invited to participate in local Remembrance Services, and many of the personnel and civilians from across the Station will also have attended their local churches. We all have a duty to remember the Fallen and to honour their sacrifices.'

Exceptional Citizen 2009

The Town Mayor of Carterton, Cllr Mrs Maxine Crossland, was delighted to present an Exceptional Citizen Award to Mrs May Satell at her home in Clarkston Road, Carterton, at the end of October.

Councillor Maxine Crossland said: "The Town Council introduced these awards two years ago to recognise exceptional achievements by residents of Carterton. May is a very worthy recipient and I am delighted that she has been honoured in this way."

May has lived in Carterton for 39 years. For the last 11 years she has run the Carterton Over 60s Club, which meets on a weekly basis and has a flourishing membership. Many years ago, May ran a Home in Summertown, Oxford, until her elderly mother needed more of her care, at which time she took over the running of the Carterton Day Centre and continued there for 8 years.

May has been involved with the elderly and the mentally and physically handicapped for all of her working life, selflessly giving her time and attention to those who needed help and support.

May has been married to Pat for nearly 25 years and they have six children.

Extreme Wheels Day - 8th August 2009

The Extreme Wheels project is organised and managed by skate park users and their friends and it is keenly supported by Carterton Town Council, local businesses, churches, Carterton Youth Council and various community volunteers. On 8th August 2009 (Extreme Wheels Day 2009) 1000s of photographs were taken by the project�s official snappers and Likal.com were on site producing the video footage (the videos are available to view on YouTube), and the sound engineer recorded the live music show.

The �Extreme Wheels Day LIVE� CD album has now been produced by Mr. Kevin Ross, on behalf of the Extreme Wheels project team and with kind permission from all featured artists. The CD is on sale for just �3.99 and is available from Carterton Town Hall and Rapture music stores in Witney � all proceeds will be kindly donated to the Carterton Extreme Wheels Project.

Civic Service- 28th June 2009

St. John's Church Carterton, in association with Carterton Town Council and Save the Children, held a Songs of Praise style Civic Service on Sunday 28th June 2009. The Service was attended by the Carterton Town Mayor and her Consort, Cllrs Maxine and Brian Crossland, the Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, the High Sheriff of Oxford, Carterton Town Councillors and Chairmen and Town Mayors of local county, district and town councils.

A flower festival also took place in St. John's Church over the same weekend and one of the beautiful displays is shown on the left. The Flower Festival was organised by the Cotswold Flower Club in support of Save the Children.

Minister's Visit - 25th June 2009

We were delighted to welcome South East Minister, Jonathan Shaw, to Carterton on Thursday 25th June 2009. Mr Shaw met serving personnel and retired veterans at Carterton Town Hall as part of Armed Forces Week.

The first ever Armed Forces Day was marked with events up and down the country on Saturday 27 June 2009. It was held to give the nation the opportunity to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community.

The Minister was joined by Town Mayor Cllr Mrs Maxine Crossland and introduced to, amongst others, Wing Commander Catherine Coton, RAF Brize Norton, and Captain Graham Cook, Commander of Carterton Detachment South East Army Reserve Forces. The Minister also met local representatives from the Royal British Legion, the Royal Air Force Association and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

Carterton 10K - 29 March 2009

The Carterton 10K Road Race was held on Sunday 29th March 2009, arranged jointly by the Town Council and RAF Brize Norton. 199 entries were received in advance and 220 runners took part on the day.

The course started and finished at the Carterton Leisure Centre and refreshments and a barbecue were available for the runners after the finish. The Town Council has received many positive comments about the race which has been an annual event since 2006. Many thanks to everyone involved.

We would particularly like to thank Pete Thorbjornsen and Sean Macfarland of RAF Brize Norton for their excellent organisational ability, Lions Club members, town councillors and town residents for acting as marshals, the Town Mayor for presenting prizes, Foxbury Farm for providing a BBQ, the Midcounties Co-op for supplying bananas and water for all the runners, and Broadshires Health Centre for letting us use their car park on the morning.

Thank you one and all. Your support for the 10K next year would be much appreciated.

Photographs: Tan Marchant, Andy Betson, Stuart Batts, John Readshaw

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