I am sorry to have to report that yesterday morning the body of a ewe was found between Bishops Court Farm and the backs of the houses on Abingdon Road. Her throat had been badly bitten and ripped open, probably by a dog.

I have been asked to circulate the standard Police advice about Livestock worrying by dogs and this is below.

The Farm has also asked me to point out that although some residents and visitors to the village may not like the signs that they keep putting up (but which continue to be ripped down!), they are there for the safety of the livestock and the public.

Geoff Russell, Parish Clerk

Livestock worrying is becoming an increasing issue especially now that spring has arrived and the lambing season is well under way. It is important that dogs are kept under control to protect the livestock as well as you and your pet.

Livestock that are killed or injured as the result of an out of control dog is a criminal offence. During such attacks dogs can be injured too.

There are simple ways to keep both your pet and livestock safe.

Keep your dog on a lead – Dog walkers that use open access land must keep their dog on a short lead (a maximum of two metres) between 1 March and 31 July. If near livestock this applies at all times.

Stick to paths and public rights of way – Often areas of private land may have footpaths running through them. Mostly, these paths are to the edge of fields to minimise disruption to any livestock in that area, it is important to follow these paths.

Look out for and follow signs – Most land owners will display simple ‘Keep your dog on a lead’ signs, however, at this time of year, some livestock owners restrict access to their land to protect their animals. It is important to follow this advice.

Even well behaved dogs can cause stress and disruption to livestock.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your dog is under control at all times.

For more information on this issue and ways to report rural crime, please visit the Thames Valley Police website.

Message Sent By
J Williams (Police, Neighbourhood Policing Admin, South Oxon and Vale)

You may have wondered why the Pre School emblem is a rocking horse, I know I did. Well, the rocking horse that inspired the emblem was once a well loved and well used favourite in Pre School. When it fell into disrepair it was stored away in the shed and sadly stayed there for about 15 yrs. During the clearing of the shed to make it into an outside classroom, we found the horse and decided to find out more about it. After some detective work it was discovered that it was made by Tom Cobley, a maker of high quality rocking horses, in around 1988. Although mostly retired, he kindly agreed to take our horse and restore it. The result is astounding and it now has a new lease of life. Unfortunately we are unable to use it in Pre School so have decided to put it up for sale to raise funds for the Pre School. If you have any memories of the rocking horse and might like to have it as your own then please get in touch! Enquiries to Louisa Margison – chair@dorchesterpreschool.co.uk

Support local artists for this years Oxfordshire Art weeks exhibition

• Adrian Brooks
• Bill Maish
• Mari Metcalfe
• Sophia Stewart-Liberty
• Patricia Drea
• Edward Metcalfe
• Vicky Nolan
• Rosie Southon

The upper room, dorchester abbey guest house

Saturday 19th May until Sunday 27th May

Opening times: 19th-24th May 10am-5pm; 25th-27th May 10am-4pm

Also:

• Chris Ellis
• Claire Houghton
• Debbie Farrell

Exhibiting at Plough House, 1 Abingdon Road, D.O.T. OX10 7JY

from 12pm to 6pm

19-20 May and 24-28 May.

After the Easter break we started the new term with a new topic – Spring time and growing inside and out.

Our letters this term will be A to Q, our numbers 1 to 20, shape of this term is the Flower and colour of the term is Yellow.

We will have a visit from Reverend Sue Booys,and also Linda the Librarian from Berinsfield Library. We will be taking Spring walks around the Hurst and the allotments looking for plants sprouting and watching them grow over the term. Children will be playing in the garden and will have gardening sessions with our lovely administrator Hayley. We will also watch big school’s Maypole dancing and be doing P.E. in the school hall.

The large shed in the playground has been cleared to be used as an outdoor classroom. We hope to raise funds to properly insulate the shed so it can be used for much more of the year.

Kristina Palm,
Pre School Secretary,
Pre School