James Coxon

As you know the Village Fete is the BBVA’s biggest event!  It’s on Sunday 7^th September from 1pm to 5pm. We look forward to seeing you all there!

What a day we have planned for you all, including:

• Fancy Dress Competition – Fairytales & Superheroes
• Birds of Prey demonstration
• Our popular Dog Show
• Local Cotswold Arts and Crafts stalls
• BBQ with the finest local produce
• Fully stocked bar, and our very own Woods Bros Gin bar
• Witney Town Brass Band
• Pony Rides
• Bouncy Castle and children’s games
• Popcorn, candy floss and sweet stall
• Vintage tractors and Supercars
• Vintage Gramophones and model aircraft
• Tug of War and Car Pull
• Raffle with some great prizes, including a Winter Devon Hotel Break for 2

We want to make sure we have the best day ever, so we are looking for the following from any of you able to help:

• Bottles for the bottle stall
• Plants for the gardening club
• Posh clothes for our vintage stall
• Cakes for the cake stall
• Children (or adults) to dress up as their favourite fairytale character or superhero
• Any helpers that can do an hour or two on the day itself

If you can help in anyway, please contact bbvacommittee@gmail.com & we will come & get your offerings or let you know how you can help on the day.

Thank you all in advance for coming to such an important fund raising event for the village, see you on the 7^th September at 1pm.

Our summer drinks

Saturday 21st saw over 60 people attend our summer solstice ceilidh with fish & chips and a help yourself bar to wash it all down with!

Follow the link and check out some great photographs (that don’t embarrass the dancers)!

Music was provided by The Lechlade Ceilidh Band who performed on our tennis court so that our villagers could get involved in the synchronised dancing to official calls from the front. A thoroughly enjoyable evening was had in the hot summer sunshine and as part of the BBVA’s commitment to the community, the event was heavily subsidised as a thank you to all that support the events throughout the year. With 2025 being the BBVA’s 50th year, it is so important we continue to serve the community for another 50 years as the feedback we get from you all is very pleasant indeed!

Our orchard

If you’d like to relax for a moment and harvest some of the fruits of our volunteers’ labours then do take a stroll through the village orchard and the end of the play park. As the photos show there are some glorious wild flowers as well.

A reminder that the next event is our largest one in the calendar, the Summer Fete on Sunday 7th September in the Play Park. As ever we need helpers for the day, bottles for our bottle stall, cakes, vintage clothes, books & raffle prizes to make the day a huge success. If you can help, please email bbvacommittee@gmail.com

Apple pressing

The whole village is also looking forward to the annual Apple Juicing Day on Sunday 19^th October. The event will include collecting “early” apples for juicing, pasteurising and bottling in late AUGUST and again “later” varieties after in SEPTEMBER or OCTOBER. These bottled and pasteurised juices will last for 2 or 3 years.

For the 19th October, the macerator and juicer will be set up under a marquee on the play park and everyone will be welcome to come along with wheel barrows, cars, buckets and shopping bags full of apples and pears from 1.00pm. In addition, we will set up some tables for picnickers. Further, information will be available in the newsletter,  nearer the date.

The BBVA bottled apple/pear juice has proved very popular and we hope the finished price this year might be between £2.75 and £3.00 per 75cl bottle, delivered to your door. In the mean-time, if you would like to order apple juice or have apples or pears to contribute to the BBVA effort, then please contact the BBVA on   bbvacommittee@gmail.com  or contact Alec Jones on 01993 842184. We will confirm the price per bottle nearer the time. Your apples or pears can be collected from your address and dates will be specified in due course.

DON’T  FORGET the UK imports 160,000 tons of apples per annum which is 60% of our needs. 90% of UK homegrown apples are wasted We don’t want to waste Black Bourton apples.

Alec Jones

As some of you are aware, Alec Jones is stepping down from the BBVA after 40 years of service. Alec has been leading the BBVA for many a year and it goes without saying that he will be heavily missed by all that are in the village. From raising money for good causes, to organising entertaining events, from assisting people in need to supporting the communities’ best interests; Alec has selflessly given thousands of hours of volunteering time to the community and we cannot thank him enough for this unprecedented service to our residents.

As a thank you, the BBVA has planted an American Oak on the village green with a celebration plaque supporting the spot so that all can be reminded of Alec’s contribution to the community and Alec himself can see another legacy continue to grow in the village. We also gifted Alec and Jane, some crystal wine glasses to enjoy more of that reasonably priced French wine in suitable engraved containers for many years to come. It is important Jane gets a special mention for her unwavering support to Alec as behind every great man there is a great woman, well done Jane!

Alec was finally gifted with a lifetime honorary membership of the BBVA, so is welcome at any point into the leadership of the community, for which we will welcome with open arms.

Thank you Alec on behalf of this wonderful village, we will miss you.

The Out of the Blue concert was a brilliant sell-out success! Over £750 was raised for the Helen & Douglas House and a similar amount for the church fabric fund. The choir enjoyed it so much they asked to be re-booked the same time next year!

Our next big event is the Village Drinks with a twist!

Book the date – Saturday 21st June starting at 5pm.

As well as a help-yourself bar, for the price of just £15 per person you will also get fish and chips and the chance to join in on a round or two of group dancing led by a lively Ceilidh band. It’s easy for anyone, any age to have ago and enjoy the fun of letting off steam. Let’s celebrate the joy of community and the arrival of summer in style.

We need you to pre-order your fish and chips by 14th June using this email address: bbvacommittee@gmail.com.

The community orchard is coming along well.

All are welcome to open the gate at the end of the playing field and have a look. The BBVA plan to provide a picnic table in the orchard.

In spite of the driest spring in years the flowers are starting to show and the fruit trees, now in their second year are starting to fruit.  Please note the number of apples on the Cox’s tree. Also thriving are pear trees along with plum and walnuts, accompanied by gooseberry, blackberry, bushes and raspberry canes.

A water tank and watering cans are available in case the plants are looking dry.

The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. Our happy punters had a great time on 13th March – some even came away with some winnings. A big thank you to the BBVA for sponsoring the event.

The next BBVA event is the ‘Out of the Blue’ concert at St Mary’s on Thursday 15th May at 7pm.

‘Out of the Blue’ is Oxford’s internationally acclaimed a cappella group. Comprising students from Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, ‘Out of the Blue’ has performed on the West End and on Broadway, reached the semifinals of Britain’s Got Talent, and toured around the world. They are now coming to perform in Black Bourton!

Tickets are £15 in advance or £17 on the night. Please email bbvacommittee@gmail.com to reserve your tickets.

The BBVA AGM benefited from the new smart projector and screen and welcome refreshments afterwards. Access the full presentation here: BBVA AGM 2024 It includes a tribute to the long serving and now semi-retired Alec, who has, and is, making such a great contribution to the village.

If you’re interested in joining this fun, vibrant committee then do email us. We’re also looking for volunteers to join the even more vibrant fete team!

Sunday, 1^st September is our Village Fête

This is the time when we are all working hard to make this year’s fête another real success for our village and a great day out for all.  To achieve this, we need your help.  You can provide this by offering to help with one of the stalls or attractions, by donating goods for sale or as prizes and by coming along to enjoy the day.

If you are able to help in any way, please speak to a member of the committee or e-mail us at bbvacommittee@gmail.com

We need:  cakes and goodies for the teas, bottles, books and jigsaw puzzles, art from your attic and anything else you can think of.  If you are not sure, just ask or email.

For the Art and Curios stall Alec Jones needs: contributions of any unwanted paintings, prints, photos, drawings or sketches or any genuine works of art. All items will offered for sale at the price requested by the donor, if they remain unsold during the afternoon, they can, if the donor agrees be offered for sale by auction at the end of the day. and proceeds split equally between the donor and St Mary’s Church. Apparently he has only has 3 contributions so far … roll up roll up! If you have any old maps, photos etc for the “Black Bourton History Corner” do contribute!!

Two special cash prizes + ice creams,  will be offered for “Junior Artists of BB” for the best painting or sketch of a BB village scene.  A) for under 10 years old   B) under 15 years old, to be judged and awarded towards the end of the afternoon.

Tel 01993 842184  or   alecandjane29@outlook.com

Don’t forget to come and join us and help make it another great day to remember.

See you there!

PS If you haven’t visited the community orchard at the far end of the play park yet, now is the time to do so.  The fruit trees and gooseberry, raspberry and juniper bushes are thriving and the wild flowers are beginning to show, but the pink poppies beat them all. Some of the apple trees are bearing up to six fruits – but not ready for picking yet !!

If you do go to visit the orchard, please take some thick gloves and pull up a few nettles while you are there.

From The Head Gardner BBVA.

Commemorating D-Day

Well over 80 people attended the D-Day event on the evening of 6^th June.  The church bells rang out in celebration at the start of the evening.  On the Play Park, the Oxford Classic Jazz band entertained and set the mood for a delightful evening.  The classic cars from the forties helped to provide the authentic setting and a large delivery of fish and chips provided the necessary sustenance.  Later, the crowd watched in awe, and a little trepidation, as Terry rose majestically from the tractor and lit the magnificent beacon, provided by Alan Cartwright.  As this was happening, James read words in memory of the bravery and selflessness of those involved in the D-Day operations. There was also an official opening of the Orchard, involving Alec, Terry and David who have all worked hard to make it thrive. It was a great sociable evening and a lovely way to commemorate D-Day.

Family day out on White Horse Hill

The next BBVA event is in a few weeks’ time – a family day out to the White Horse Hill on Saturday July 20th. Bring your own picnic and the BBVA will buy the ice creams and subsidise the car park or a bus, depending on the take-up. There will be a kite-flying competition in two sections – one for home-made kites and one for purchased kites. Do email the BBVA on bbvacommittee@gmail.com if you are interested  by Friday July 12th.

Commemorating D-Day

Well over 80 people attended the D-Day event on the evening of 6^th June.  The church bells rang out in celebration at the start of the evening.  On the Play Park, the Oxford Classic Jazz band entertained and set the mood for a delightful evening.  The classic cars from the forties helped to provide the authentic setting and a large delivery of fish and chips provided the necessary sustenance.  Later, the crowd watched in awe, and a little trepidation, as Terry rose majestically from the tractor and lit the magnificent beacon, provided by Alan Cartwright.  As this was happening, James read words in memory of the bravery and selflessness of those involved in the D-Day operations. There was also an official opening of the Orchard, involving Alec, Terry and David who have all worked hard to make it thrive. It was a great sociable evening and a lovely way to commemorate D-Day.

Family day out on White Horse Hill

The next BBVA event is in a few weeks’ time – a family day out to the White Horse Hill on Saturday July 20th. Bring your own picnic and the BBVA will buy the ice creams and subsidise the car park or a bus, depending on the take-up. There will be a kite-flying competition in two sections – one for home-made kites and one for purchased kites. Do email the BBVA on bbvacommittee@gmail.com if you are interested  by Friday July 12th.