The Editorial Team

EDITOR - JILL BURTON
David Burton - Euan Stevenson - Sean Clarke - Cynthia Davies

Please remember that the Oracle has no reporters. We rely on individuals or representatives of our village’s many organisations to write contributions and e-mail them to editor@overton-on-dee.co.uk or leave them at the Corner Shop. So if you think there is something that should be in the Oracle or your organisation is not mentioned - do something about it! Write something for the Oracle!

EMAIL YOUR STORIES TO EDITOR@OVERTON-ON-DEE.CO.UK

Volume 11. Issue 4 April 2009

Road Traffic Collision on Wrexham Road Claims Life of Overton Boy aged 9

It is with great sadness that everyone heard of the death of nine year old Robert James Gaunt of Wrexham Road. He died at around 11.30hrs in Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, Saturday 21st March as a result of injuries incurred during the incident. Robert collided with a car on the A539 Overton Road and then collided with another vehicle shortly afterwards. The driver of the first car failed to stop and a Wrexham couple were arrested on Sunday 22nd March.

The incident occurred near the entrance to the public footpath leading to Overton Bottom and was outside the 30 mph zone. This stretch of bends to the top of the hill are derestricted and therefore subject to the National Speed Limit of 60 mph.

Overton Community Council have issued the following statement: “Overton Community Council extend their deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of Robert James Gaunt who passed away on Saturday 21st March after a tragic incident.

The Community Council has to wait until all investigations and possible criminal proceedings have concluded before they take the matter further.”

Overton Community Council have been campaigning for some time to persuade the Highways department of Wrexham County Borough Council to improve road safety in the village.

On Monday 23rd March police visited St Mary’s School to talk to pupils regarding road safety.

On Tuesday 24th March, a 61 year old man, David James Lunn from Queens Park Wrexham appeared before Magistrates in Mold charged with causing Robert’s death at a time whilst driving an uninsured vehicle & not in accordance with his licence; failing to stop and failing to report a collision; driving without a licence; perverting the course of justice and two offences of driving while uninsured. He was remanded in custody to appear before Mold Crown Court on April 3rd. A woman, 58, arrested in connection with the investigation has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.
The Editorial Team extend their deepest condolences to Robbie’s family and their sympathy to the second driver who was inadvertently involved in the incident.

OVERTON YOUTH CLUB TO REOPEN

Wrexham Youth Service are re-opening Overton Youth Club just over a year after it closed! The Welsh Assembly are funding youth clubs in rural areas and Overton is one of the lucky recipients of this largesse. Youth leaders Alex Drury and Rebecca Gilpin organised the Open Evening on March 26th and as a result will be running the youth club from Thursday April 2nd for 11 to 18 year olds from 6.15 to 8.45 pm.

Once again Overton Scouts are making their Scout Hut available for the Youth Club. As a result the hut is being used for four nights a week with Brownies on Mondays, Beaver Scouts on Wednesdays, Scouts and Explorer Scouts on Fridays with the Youth Club taking up Thursdays. Youth leader Alex Drury also confirmed that a play scheme will be run on the Playing Field during the school summer holidays. Watch this space for further details nearer the time!

Ramblings From the Rectory
by David Lewis

Dear Friends,
Easter Sunday of course is when Christians remember the day that Jesus rose from the dead.
But it is also a day when the children and quite a few adults feast on chocolate eggs as well as chocolate hares and rabbits.
Since Christmas the shops have been increasingly full of brightly wrapped chocolate eggs, in different sizes and colours. You can even get a chocolate Dalek!
Many years ago however the custom was to have hard boiled eggs with a colourful decorated shell. Sometimes the eggs would have tiny landscapes painted on them, or they might be boiled with the flowers of gorse and wild broom to dye them yellow or with a touch of cochineal, which would turn the shell a deep shade of crimson. Another popular method of decorating them was to tie them in onion skins and then cover them with muslin while boiling them. This produced wonderful patterns on the shells.
Of course the custom to give eggs as presents at Easter is to signify new life, the new life that Jesus offers each one of us.
Have we ever thought that an egg appears dead and lifeless, and yet inside a true miracle is taking place.
On Good Friday Jesus died a terrible death upon a cross. He was laid in a tomb, lifeless and cold.
What happened inside that tomb was also a true miracle. Just as an egg in the right conditions will soon crack open and a new life will begin, so Jesus rose from that tomb on that first Easter morning and offers us all new life and new hope.
It is my prayer that all of us this Easter Morn will feel for ourselves Christ’s marvellous new life and love which will transform our lives.
Happy Easter,
David

COUNTRY BEAT
by Constable Luke Hughes

Unfortunately some sad news I`m afraid, many of you in the community will know PCSO 2879 Jenna Owen, she has been an active member of your Local Police Team since joining us in June 2007, well it is with mixed emotions that I have to announce that Jenna left us on the 22nd March. Jenna has been successful in her application to become a Police Constable in North Wales Police and will be known as PC 2815 Jenna Owen starting her new job on the 23rd March.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to Jenna for all her hard work in the area, I am confident that she has all the necessary skills and ability to make an excellent police officer, after all she has learnt from the best!

Clearly this now leaves us with a vacancy and Jenna`s replacement will be joining us in June. Until this time Bethan Large will take over Jenna's area in addition to her own. She will of course be supported by myself, Dean and Maria.

Tip of the Month....
Never leave your car keys in the ignition of your vehicle when unattended, it provides the perfect chance for the opportunist thief, also your car insurer will refuse to honour your policy if the vehicle is stolen as a result of your negligence. You would be surprised and amazed how many cars have their keys in the ignition when I walk around!
Also never write your PIN number on a piece of paper and keep it in your wallet, or even worse, on the card itself. Again the bank will refuse to honour any transaction that they suspected has been commitment as a result of your negligence.
Overton Police Station
Station Road
Overton Wrexham LL13 0EF
Telephone: 0845 607 1002 ext: 48425

E-Mail : Luke.Hughes@nthwales.pnn.police.uk

OVERTON MEDICAL PRACTICE

Dr Sreeram left on Monday 9th March to go on maternity leave; she has proved very popular with patients, always smiling and happy to see everyone but getting quite tired as she neared her confinement. Once we have news we will pass on details of the new baby.
Dr Bowdler started his ‘Telephone Consultation’ pilot scheme on 2nd March. You can book an appointment with him giving a telephone number and he will ring at the given time to discuss your medical needs. Obviously this service is restricted to things like, Medication Review or ongoing advice but it can save a trip to the surgery. You can use this service, even if you do usually see one of the other doctors. Please note that you must be available at that time on the telephone number you give as he will only ring once.
NO SMOKING DAY this year was on 11th March. If you would like help to quit smoking, please speak with one of our doctors or pick up a leaflet in surgery.
The next Practice Patient Participation Group meeting is on Monday 11th May at 6pm. This forum only meets 4 times a year and is there for your benefit. Better weather, lighter nights, please think hard about coming along and giving your support, it is important to know we are running the Practice in the best way possible to serve your needs. We welcome new faces, and new ideas.

Overton Community Council

Overton Community Councillors feel that it is important to let the community know how we are working on your behalf to promote your interests and the needs of the community. All Councillors are unpaid volunteers. Community Councils represent the people living in their local area at the closest level, because they are part of the community. When decisions are being made at a County level it is the Community Councils role to put your views across.

Community Councils have three basic responsibilities in making the lives of local communities more comfortable, many of which are taken for granted. These powers fall within 3 main categories: representing the whole electorate within the community; delivering services to meet local needs; and striving to improve quality of life in the community. Overton Community Council is a single corporate body and the decisions taken are the responsibility of the council as a whole. Community Councils are guided by Local Government Act 1972.

What do Councillors do?
Decision making – Through meetings and attending committees and reading relevant legal, social service, and NHS policies and documents, councillors decide which activities to support, where money should be spent, what services should be delivered & what policies should be implemented. This includes setting an annual precept or budget., the ‘pot’ of money taken from the Council Tax collected by the Wrexham County Borough Council that is ‘set aside’ to be spent exclusively on local needs.
Monitoring - Councillors make sure that their decisions lead to efficient and effective services by keeping an eye on how well these policies and services are working.
Getting involved locally – As local representatives, councillors have responsibilities towards their constituents and local organisations. These responsibilities and duties often depend on what the councillor wants to achieve and how much time is available, and may include:
Attending meetings of local organisation e.g. Twinning Association
Going to meeting of bodies affecting the wider community e.g. the Police Community Safety Group
Taking up issues on behalf of members of the public e.g. Traffic calming within the village

It is important that you let us know when you have issues that you are concerned about – tell us what YOU want. Some Councils do this by running a surgery for residents to bring up issues, & this is something we could consider in Overton. However any resident can contact a Councillor or the Clerk to discuss any concerns, or bring the issue to the Councils notice at the monthly meeting, which has a period of 10minutes (7.20-7.30) set aside for members of the public to speak.
Once full council has approved them the minutes of all meetings they are available to all members of the public at the Overton library.

Kids Kolumn
by Alice Foster, Lydia Biggs and Lottie Blake

Hi, we can’t believe its nearly Easter, haven’t the months gone quickly!

Ask Alice
Q: Hi, I have had a mountain bike for Christmas, could you give me some advice on how to look after it. From James.
A: Hi James, Well buy some lights, a lock, reflecter strips and a good helmet. I hope this advice is alright for you.

LAUGH WITH LYDIA
1 "Mummy, does god use are the bathroom?" "No, why do you ask?"

"Because every morning Daddy bangs on the door and shouts oh god are you still in there"

2 "Simon can you spell your name backwards?" " No Miss (nomis)"

Lottie’s Pet of the Month

Animal:Fish Breed:Goldfish
Goldfish are cold-blooded and their metabolism rate depends upon water temperature. These hardy freshwater fish belong to the species Carassius auratus. Goldfish is a small member of the carp family. There are more than 500 species of goldfish found throughout the world.

Reviews Film – Bolt
For super-dog Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue – at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the canine star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet – a cross-country journey through the real world.

Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and with the help of two unlikely travelling companions – a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens and TV-obsessed hamster in a plastic ball named Rhino – Bolt discovers he doesn’t need superpowers to be a hero. Voices in the film are played by: Miley Cyrus, John Travolta, Mark Walton.

CHILDREN & CHURCH
by Sue Lewis & Sharron King

Our Sunday Crew at St Mary’s Church may have disbanded but we are still looking at ways to encourage families and children to attend services and ultimately enjoy an association with our church.
Would you like to attend church services, but have a young family which makes this seem difficult? Have you attended services in the past but feel that you have lost touch with what goes on in church?
There are currently three types of service all starting at 11.30.
• A Morning Praise service is held every 2nd Sunday. This is ideal if you would like to return to church after a spell away. Come along from 11am for refreshments and a chance to meet other parishioners and to catch up on village news. The actual service is no longer than 30 minutes. Our children’s corner is full of toys and books to keep boisterous children occupied. This is a non Eucharistic service.
• A Family Eucharist is held every 4th Sunday. We have recently revamped the service to make it a little shorter and more family friendly. We welcome children to join in with our junior choir, carry a candle or just sit in the choir stalls with us. Again the children’s corner is there to be enjoyed. We will be serving refreshments after this service.
• A full choral Eucharist is held every 1st and 3rd Sunday. You may find that this is not suitable for young children, but they are still welcome. The children’s corner is available or you may wish to take advantage of a toy bag which contains a small collection of activities and an activity sheet relevant to the week’s bible teaching which can be enjoyed in the pews with you. You will see these at the back of the church when you enter. Just ask if you need any assistance.
If you need any other information or have any ideas to make our church more user friendly, please do not hesitate to contact Rector David on 01978 710229, or ask for Sharron or Sue to be pointed out to you.
We are always happy to talk to you- it’s your church.

View from the Village Vets.

March saw the annual Crufts Dog Show at the NEC in Birmingham. Long considered as the Oscars of the dog world, this year’s championship has been mired in controversy since the publication of a report commissioned by the RSPCA entitled ‘Pedigree Dog Breeding in the UK: A Major Welfare Concern?’ The report suggested that many dog breeds have been so highly modified that they bear little resemblance to their original specification and in many cases are so deformed that real welfare conditions result. The report caused an enormous public outcry which resulted in the withdrawal of sponsorship from Crufts by many famous names long associated with the show and which has prompted the Kennel Club to initiate a major review of dog breed specifications.

As vets we are sometimes faced with difficult decisions when presented with dogs of certain breeds – for example when faced with a whelping bitch of a breed which can only deliver it’s puppies by caesarean section, we cannot allow the animal to suffer by refusing to operate on it, but by doing so we allow more puppies to be born and so the breed continues. Whilst the majority of breeds have no inbred deformities, let us hope that the review now underway produces some sensible alterations to the small number of breeds with well-recognised problems.

The current economic downturn means many vets have noted a reduction in the number of animals presented for annual booster vaccination. This may save a money in the short term, but failure to boost a vaccine leaves your pet open to possible illness and means that if you wish to use boarding kennels or cattery in the future, the whole vaccine course will have to be given again. By deciding against an annual booster your pet also misses it’s important annual health check and MOT which might reveal problems which may lead to serious illness if untreated. We would always recommend that you keep up booster vaccinations.

A Day to Remember
by Marjorie and Paddy Moraghan

Way back in November 2008, we received an invitation to be guests of the Chancellor at the inauguration Ceremony of Glyndwr University and the installation of both Chancellor and Vice Chancellor, to be held on February 28th, 2009. As the weather deteriorated throughout January, we thought the day would be spoiled or even cancelled by the elements. However, with relief, we woke up to a grey, but fine day.
We arrived at the University at 10.30am where refreshments were served as we waited for the fleet of coaches, which were to take us to the Parish Church of St Giles, where we were shown to our designated seats. What a lovely old church this is, with its imposing stained glass windows and magnificent organ! When everyone was seated, the procession of academics in their colourful regalia, which had set out from St Mary’s Cathedral, arrived at the door of St Giles, and took their seats, followed by all Faith Leaders, the Secretary of State for Wales and the Presiding Officer of the Welsh National Assembly. Next came His Honour Judge Dutton and His Honour Judge Hughes, followed by the Somerset Herald, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant and the Acting Chair of the Board of Governors and the Mace Bearer and finally the Vice Chancellor and the Chancellor.
After the National Anthem, there followed the Inauguration Ceremony read in both Welsh and English. The Pennal letter sent by Owain Glyndwr to the King of France in 1406, which set forth the idea of two universities in Wales, was read by Professor G. O. Phillips, and Dr Michael Collins of Georgetown University, Washington D.C. presented greetings from that University. The Chancellor and Vice Chancellor then took the oath of office and the Somerset Herald of the Royal College of Arms proclaimed the granting of a coat of arms to Glyndwr University and both Chancellor and Vice Chancellor addressed the congregation. The hymn “I Vow to The My Country” was sung, followed by the conferment of Honorary Fellowships, and the ceremony was wound up. We were taken back to ‘Glyndwr’ for a buffet lunch and came home, before returning for the unveiling of The Coat of Arms, a hot pot supper and a wonderful concert in The William Aston Hall, followed by a firework display in the University quadrangle. It was a privilege to be present at such an historic occasion and certainly a day to remember.

“How The Other Half Loves”

Overton Amateur Dramatic Society is currently rehearsing a challenging play by Alan Ayckbourn. Directed by Alan Edwards, “How the Other Half Loves” is a comedy about a trip of married couples linked by the work of the husbands, In true Ayckbourn style, it is an ingenious, funny and brilliantly crafted masterpiece, which juggles time and space t resent the lives and loves, passion and panic of three married couples in a play of love and laughter. It is set in two living rooms, linked by adultery, meals and mayhem. Alan said “This is a challenging lay, not only for me as a director but for the cast, were timing is everything., particularly in the scene that closes the first Act, when one hapless couple is having Thursday night dinner with another pair and Friday night dinner with a third. The acts included Joanne Kember, Stephen Sorfleet, Cynthia Davies, Mervyn Haynes, Julie Done and Clive Hellingham. Overton Village Hall on 23rd/24th at 7.30pm & 25th April at 7.00pm. Tickets on the door.

Scouts Memorabilia Exhibition

This month sees Overton Scout Group showing off some of the historical memorabilia in the keeping of the Group together with many items loaned by ex scouts as part of the Overton Scouts 100 Year’s Celebration.

The exhibition will be on display on Saturday and Sunday 25th and 26th April from 10 am to 4 pm. In the Scout Hut. Teas coffees and popcorn will be available. Everyone is welcome, entry is free.

On Saturday May 16th all ex scouts and leaders are welcome to join the leaders for a re-union in the White Horse at 8pm.

SCHOOL REUNION

An attempt is being made to stage a reunion evening of all former pupils of Overton School who were taught by Miss Joan Pearce 1949 - 1960.
To ascertain if such an event could go ahead depends entirely on what interested groups there are available.

A small charge would be necessary to cover cost of venue, buffet and maybe light entertainment. Invitation is open to all former pupils of the above and their partners.

Anyone interested please contact Dave Austin Tel:-01978 710678 by 16th MAY. The possible date for a reunion would be end June or early September. In the event of a good response invitations will be based on first come first served.

Know anyone living outside the area? Give them a ring. Please make this possible, phone your friends.

We Hate Potholes!

Have you ever driven over a particularly horrible piece of road and thought ‘that is a complete mess, there are potholes everywhere!’ I wish I could do something about it?

Well, you can! Wrexham Council has a dedicated sector called ‘Pride in your Streets’ which is a point of contact for anything regarding highways, streets and open spaces. ‘Pride in your Streets’ has its own section on the WCBC website and it is here where you can report such things as potholes by using the Highway Maintenance online reporting form.

Alternatively you may find the following information useful:
Contact Pride in your Streets Tel: 01978 298989 Email: contact-us@wrexham.gov.uk
This website can also be used: http://www.fillthathole.org.uk/report

Wales
By Thomas Overthrow age8, 1st prize at St Mary’s school eisteddfod.

Green hills full of daffodils
Farmers working hard in fields
Rivers flowing crashing into rocks
Rivers bubbling with roaring currents
Lambs being born in spring, skipping along the hill tops
Golden beaches, the blue waves crashing on the sand.

Your Letters...

Dear Editor,
Re your article “ The Overton Angel of Mercy” my wife Marlene, her sister Sandra, myself and all of our family’s would like to confirm what Dave Austin wrote about Gwynneth Austin, Dave’s sister-in-law. After Marlene’s mum passed away, she found a letter in the middle of a writing pad, which was dated five years ago, regarding Gwyneth which was intended to be sent to the People’s Friend Magazine but for some reason never was. They remained friends until the end. The following is the letter regarding Gwynneth:

“Dear Sir or Madam,
I have a very good friend, her name is Gwynneth. I have been in a wheelchair for about 12½ yrs, she is a very good friend to me , she takes me to Chapel every Sunday, and wherever I want to go. She also has a son Hadyn in the same position. She lost her husband some years ago, she is so good to everyone, everyone loves her. She calls every morning with her two dogs to see if we are O.K. I have a very good husband who is 91 yrs old and I am 79 yrs, but he is not well. She is an angel and I love her, may God bless and keep her safe and hope thatshe will live for a good few years,
All my love, yours sincerely, F. Foulkes”
from Geoff Williams

OVERTON POOL TEAM

Team captain Mark Whittall would like to thank his team, Roy Richards, Paul Edwards, Brian Malam, Mark Williams and the two reserves Mike Dorey and Matt Grindley for another successful season.
Having beaten the 2 main rivals, both home and away, we found ourselves struggling against some of the minor opposition but our qualities and experience pulled us through to another successful title. Well done lads and lets make it 3 times lucky next year. Come on 'B' team, buck your ideas up. Lets make it 1 and 2.
Thanks to all. Mark

THANK YOU

The Trustees of the Frank Wingett Cancer Fund (Reg. Charity No 511057) thank the Pinder family at the Corner Shop for hosting their charity box and to all who contributed towards the 2008 total of £264.14.
Since it’s inception in 1980 the Trust have made the following donations:
The Maelor Hospital £498,438
Nightingale House Hospice £330,000
Hope House Children’s Hospice £ 71,720
Macmillan Nurses £ 52,000
Breast Cancer Screening Unit £ 50,000
Shooting Star Appeal £ 21,475
Total £1,070,133
Donations can be made, if desired, at the Frank Wingett Hospital Shop, Entrance from Gate 1, or directly to the Hon Treasurer Joan Wingett, Pen y Llan Cottage, Overton, LL13 0EE.
All donations are gratefully acknowledged.