The Editorial Team Alan Edwards - David Burton - Ken Farrell - Lesley Pugh - Christine Stead Our reporters cannot be everywhere. If you have a story contact any team member or ring 01978 710422 |
World at war against terrorism After terrorists killed at least 7,070 people in New York, the Prime Minister has said that the UK will help in any fight against the terrorists who organised the attacks. "Whatever the technical or legal issues about a declaration of war, the fact of the matter is that we are at war with terrorism, " said Mr Blair. "There has to be a response to bring those terrorists who committed this attack to account, and we will play our full part in that". |
Last Banger Race this season Local residents will be delighted with the news that the banger racing at Trench Farm, Red Hall Lane, Penley, has come to an end, at least for the time being. The race organisers, Ruabon Raceway, said that the race held on the 9th September was the last one this year. |
Record Height for Sunflower? The sunfower seeds were planted by Julia and Luke Williams outside their playhouse on the 19th April 2001. The children patiently watered them all summer, and watched them grow to a height of 14ft 4inches. They could not believe how tall they grew - they just kept on growing and growing, and could be seen from Overton High street.
Julia and Luke have now collected all the seeds out of the sunflower heads, ready to feed to the birds in the winter. |
BIG CAT RAVAGES CALF? By Leslie Pugh Mervyn Rodenhurst is not alone in his experience with a big cat. In July, Mr Stokes of Haughton Farm, Ellesmere also came into contact with the creature. Mrs Stokes told me that a number of cows had been brought up near to the farmhouse and one had just calved. Mr Stokes went out to check on the animals, and saw what is thought to be a Puma moving away. It certainly wasn't a dog and it was too big for a feral cat. The calf was missing - just a bone remained, which a vet later confirmed to be that of a calf. There are thick woods in the area to provide plenty of cover. A spokesperson for Chester Zoo said a puma could cover quite a large area, but would avoid human contact. Ed: That's comforting to know!! |
Photograph with the Famous Includes Photo! Ed: Please send your photos for publication to 1 St Mary's Court and they will be printed in a future issue. All photographs will be returned in good condition. |
Personal Safety in the Car by Mike Redworth Most people love being out and about in the car. It gives a sense of independence and personal freedom. But there can be hidden dangers to driving. Apart from the hazards of having a crash, less obvious dangers exist. The opportunistic car or bag snatcher, road rage, and people lurking in car parks should not be ignored. |
POSTBAG Dear Readers, I am looking for some help in researching my current home. As some will already know my family, I would be grateful for any information, photos, etc. My mother and father, Sally and Cliff Green have been residents of Overton for over 30 years and we are now fortunate to be able to live altogether at Home Farm. Dad and I are interested in getting some more knowledge of our wonderful home and we are slowly restoring it back to the farm house it has been for many years. The gardens are a credit to the previous ' home farmers', Sue and Paul Jones, but although we know about this house, we believe there was a previous house here. We also believe in the olden days the farm serviced the Bryn-y-Pys Hall. We have walked the fields to the site. Are there any photos out there we may copy? I remember seeing a photo once in a brochure of sorts showing Bryn-y-Pys Hall. Any help would be gratefully welcome. Thank you. Catherine Starkey |
Planning application refused An application to erect a new dwelling at 26 Salop Road, Overton has been refused by Wrexham CBC on the grounds that it would affect the setting of a listed building, detract from the amenity of the Conservation Area and adversely affect the amenities of adjoining residents. |
Are you over 50? Why not join the Thursday Club. It meets every other Thursday in the Catholic Hall from 2.30pm until 4.00pm. You will be assured of a very warm welcome. On the 4th October there will be a talk on the Shooting Star Appeal by Julie Hinchcliffe. |
IN BRIEF
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OVERTON VILLAGE OPEN PRODUCE SHOW The Annual Show which was held on 1st September this year attracted forty-five entrants submitting a total of over three hundred entries! The exhibitors included some new names along with loyal supporters over many years. Their entries reflected the expertise and care needed to exhibit the colourful displays and abundant produce. The Judges were very impressed with the high standard of exhibits which did not make their task very easy. |
Queen's visit to Overton to go on TV Next year is the Queen's Golden Jubilee and it is also 10 years since she visited Overton. BBC Wales are putting on a series of 5-minute programmes in 2002 about people who have met the Queen. One of these programmes features David Burton, who as Vice-chair of the 700 year Charter Committee was responsible for securing the visit of Her Majesty and was overall organiser of 'THE DAY'. Fulmar Television, who is producing the programmes, visited Overton one day in September to record David's memories of the visit. Most of the filming took place at David's home in Maelor Court, but some footage was shot in the High Street and the Churchyard, following the route of Her Majesty's visit. The programme will also include footage of the video film of the Queen's visit produced by Mervyn Hughes and Alan Edwards. Ed. Ah happy memories! |
News from Overton Youth Club The Youth Club has been meeting on Tuesday evenings from 6.30pm - 9.00pm for children aged 11 - 16, during the summer holidays thanks to Paula Powell, Pauline Edwards, and Vonnie Bamber. Wrexham Youth Service is under extreme pressure at the moment with many vacancies unfilled for Youth Leaders and assistants. We still have no permanent youth leader in Overton. However, the Chairman of the Community Council is to meet with the Director of Education, Mr Terry Garner, to see what can be done to get the post filled quickly. We are told that training is available for assistants and leaders, so if there is anyone over 18 years of age who would consider a part-time evening job, please contact the Youth Service at Wrexham County Borough Council. Discos are planned for the 19th October and 30th November from 7.30pm-10.30pm. Adult help would be greatly appreciated. |
W.I. HANDICRAFT SHOW RESULTS Winner of Mrs Wright's Cup for the most points in the show - Mrs Jean Hughes Runners-up Cup - joint winners - Mrs B Roberts and Mrs J Ralphs Winner of the Salver for best in classes 1-9. Mrs Jean Hughes for her embroidered canvas chair seat. Winner of Salver for best in classes 10-19. Mrs Sylvia Bellis for her pastel drawing of a man's head. Cup for best in Machine Patchwork. Mrs G Millington. |
Frances Kathleen Wason A large congregation attended St Mary's Church on Friday the 14th September for a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Kath Wason, who died on the 7th September, aged 76 years. Kath was well known for her many interests in Overton which included the W.I., the Mothers' Union, the PCC of St Mary's Church, the Royal British Legion, the Conservative Association and Kath still found time to play bowls and bridge with her friends and to support the Overton Cricket Team. She will be greatly missed. Our sincere condolences to her family and friends. |
"The silence of the 30,000 crowd was deafening" A new book has just been published which re-lives Wrexham Football Club's amazing giant killing cup victories over such top flight teams as Arsenal, West Ham, Middlesborough and FC Porto. |
Overton Amateur Dramatics News By Sue Glover The AGM was held on the 5th September and was well attended. Everyone jointly remembered the loss of one of our members, Sue Williams, who passed away recently. The officers for 2001/2002 are:- Chair - Clive Hellingman Secretary - Alan Farley Treasurer - Jane Quinn. |
Argoed Farm Sale By Catherine Starkey Around 1,500 people gathered for the Dispersal Sale at Argoed Farm, Overton on Saturday 15 September. Whilst several farm sales a week are cancelled or postponed due to the Foot and Mouth crisis, Mary Lewis's was one to visit. The wind blew, the sun shone and with over 300 items, we ran well into the afternoon. On sale was a selection of farm implements, a couple of tractors, a Landrover, and surplus household items. A glass butter churn at £28.00, and a pair of hen coops were the bargain of the day at £6 for the two, but as they were in-situ, moving them could cost considerably more than their selling price. Mary stood watching her life being loaded up and moved on. Mary Lewis has farmed Argoed since 1958 when she married Les Lewis and took over from the Williams family who had nine children. The last two daughters had been running the farm till well in into their sixties. Mary has been running the farm with the help of Derek Edwards, who has been on the farm for over 30 years. Latterly Sarah, a student from Walford College, has worked with Mary and together they ran a good herd with several varieties of cattle and 70 ewes which produced early lambs. As well as the farm, Mary also reared hound puppies for the Wynnstay Kennels and has won several trophies in the puppy shows. She was also a village correspondent for the local newspapers. It is quite sad to be losing another farm in the area, albeit for retirement, but good luck Mary, may you enjoy a bit of the quiet life. |
OVERTON W.I. Mrs Val Watts (ex member of Overton W.I.) is now a member of Llantwit Major W.I. - Overton's loss - their gain! On the 5th September, seven members of the Overton W.I. went to Gregynog Hall near Newtown where they met up with members of Llantwit Major W.I. to form a "Friendship Link". They had an enjoyable time chatting over tea and cakes, and hope that this will be the start of a long and happy association with Llantwit. |
Poor response from Clubs Many will know that the Christian Stewardship Newsletter is no longer published. This useful little booklet used to give details of all the organisations in the village, together with a brief resume of their activities, and was extremely helpful not only to those who had recently moved into the community, but also to those looking for new interests. Therefore by responding to the Oracle's request, your organisation may well benefit by an increase in its membership. The editorial team thought that it would be a good idea to insert a page in a future edition of the Oracle with the details of all the clubs, and organisations, what they do and who to contact if someone wished to join. In this way, your club's details will reach almost 1200 people. So far only one response has been made. Please send your details to 1 St Mary's Court, Overton. |
Search for sites for Recycling Banks Wrexham County Borough Council proposes to introduce "Neighbourhood Recycling Banks" within each community during the next 18 months. These would be used to segregate glass, paper, cardboard, plastics and textiles. The Church Road car park is a possible site in Overton, but the Community Council has some serious reservations and has asked the Wrexham Council to consult nearby residents for their views before a final decision is made. |
Overton Tennis Club Overton Tennis Club takes on Derbyshire The might of Derbyshire tennis talent competing against the tennis players of a small village club like Overton seems highly unlikely. However such a sporting event has just taken place. The reason for such an unlikely match was that in the recent Derbyshire vs North Wales Veterans (over 45's) County Match, all four players representing North Wales were members of Overton Tennis Club, namely John Eve, Steve Horton, Dave Bellis and Euan Stevenson. |
Needlecraft Classes to re-start By Josie Ralphs Needlecraft classes re-start on Thursday 27th September in the Chapel Schoolroom from 1.30pm - 3.30pm at a cost of 50p per person. This is a self-help group, with an occasional demonstration to suit the class. If anyone is interested please come along and join us - we are a friendly lot and beginners are made to feel very welcome. The classes are ongoing until the end of May each year, with a two-week break for Christmas and Easter. |
Future Plans for Overton The Draft Unitary Development Plan which sets out the future planning policy for the County Borough of Wrexham proposes no change to the settlement limits in Overton. Copies of the planning proposals may be viewed at Overton Library and the Guildhall Wrexham. |
Youths hunt for treasure! Overton Youth Club held a walking Treasure Hunt for youths and families on 21st August, made even more interesting by a forward and reverse route taken alternately by each of the nine teams. All 55 questions were set by Mrs Pauline Edwards and Mrs Vonnie Bamber. The winning team came from Penley - Mr and Mrs Powell and family (parents of Overton Youth Club members) with 68 points. Second place went to Mrs Pearl Edwards and Laura from Overton with 65 points. A £20 cash prize was awarded to the Penley team. All the children who participated received sweets at the end of the evening in recognition of their tremendous effort. The Overton Youth Club Advisory Committee wishes to thank everyone for their support. |
