Dogs for the Disabled has been awarded spaces for at least one team of budding swimmers to raise much needed funds for the charity at Banbury Rotary Club’s Sponsored Swim. The event will be held on February 11^th 2012 at Bloxham School.

Dogs for the Disabled has over twenty years experience in creating life-changing partnerships between specially trained assistance dogs and people with physical disabilities.  These amazing partnerships not only help people with everyday tasks that most may take for granted such as: taking off a jacket, loading and unloading a washing machine and picking up dropped items including, keys or even credit cards; they also provide much more. An assistance dog really gives independence and freedom to a person with physical disabilities – the affect is truly life-changing.

In 2004, the charity extended its services to enable children with physical disabilities to benefit from being partnered with an assistance dog. This innovation continued and in 2008 Dogs for the Disabled began the Autism Assistance Dog service to help families with a child with Autism. 

70% of all money raised goes straight to Dogs for the Disabled, and that’s not all, the charity will also receive a percentage of the remaining 30% which is shared amongst the Rotary Club’s chosen charities.

It costs £18,000 to train and support a Dogs for the Disabled assistance dog throughout its lifetime. The charity relies entirely on public donations and currently supports 250 partnerships across the UK.

 Start 2012 on the right foot and help Dogs for the Disabled create more partnerships that transform lives. For more information and to register call Jane Sargent on 01295 252600 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The all-new Range Rover Evoque - one of this season’s must-have motoring statements - officially went on sale to Northampton drivers at the weekend.

To mark its arrival The Range Rover Evoque was unveiled at a glittering launch party by Hartwell, where invited guests were able to get up close and appreciate its breath-taking looks and advanced technologies for the first time.

Dealer principal Nigel Austin, commented: “There has been a huge amount of excitement surrounding the Range Rover Evoque because it brings fresh design and dynamic handling to the classic Range Rover package of luxury and all-terrain performance.

“Our guests unanimously agreed that the pictures they had seen simply didn’t do the Evoque justice – with its concept car looks, contemporary interior and a wealth of equipment to satisfy technology lovers.”

The Range Rover Evoque is available in three core design themes - from the cool and contemporary ‘Pure’, to the bold and sporting ‘Dynamic’ and the luxurious ‘Prestige’ package - each of which define styling, interior comfort and equipment levels.

 An array of personalisation options are available for the Range Rover Evoque, which give customers the opportunity to tailor the vehicle to suit their lifestyle. A huge number of colour and feature combinations are available, such as contrasting roof colours and beautifully crafted designer interiors.

 Entertainment options include: digital, satellite TV and DVD playback capability - which passengers can enjoy via screens mounted in the headrests - new sound systems, developed in partnership with audio specialist Meridian (including a range-topping 825W, 17-speaker version) and an 8-inch, high-definition touch-screen display enabling front seat passengers to watch a DVD while the driver follows navigation instructions.

 Nigel Austin, added: “The Range Rover Evoque is the sixth model to join our vehicle range and creates a completely new market segment for luxury, compact sports utility vehicles.

 “I have no doubt it will attract new customers and encourage people to re-appraise what a Range Rover looks like as well as how it performs.”

 Drivers can choose from either 2WD or 4WD. In 2WD form there is the option of incorporating Range Rover’s intelligent stop/start system – which shuts down the engine to reduce tailpipe emissions and conserve fuel that would otherwise be used when stationary.

 Drivers specifying their Range Rover Evoque with 4WD benefit from a combination of technologies to maximise performance and comfort - including Land Rover’s acclaimed Terrain Response^TM system which enables drivers to optimise driveability and comfort using settings for General Driving, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Ruts and Sand.

 A choice of engines are available - a 150ps 2.2 litre turbo diesel eD4 engine that delivers less than 129g/km CO2 (in front-wheel-drive coupé form), 190ps SD4 version which gets from 0-60mph in 8.0 seconds when equipped with the automatic gearbox and a new 240ps 2.0 litre turbo-charged petrol engine capable of 0-60mph in just 7.1 seconds.

 The Range Rover Evoque represents accessible, desirable sophistication and is priced from £27,955 for an eD4 ‘Pure’ 5-door model (equipped with 6 speed manual gearbox and two–wheel drive) to £44,320 for a top-of-the-range Si4 ‘Dynamic’ coupé (equipped with 6 speed automatic gearbox and LUX pack).

 Range of fuel economy figures for the Range Rover Evoque in MPG (L/100KM): Urban 23.7 (11.9) - 47.9 (5.9), Extra Urban 40.9 (6.9) - 62.8 (4.5), Combined 32.5 (8.7) - 57.6 (4.9) and CO2 Emissions 129 - 199 G/KM.

 For more information visit www.rangerover.co.uk/evoque

Two life-size sculptures of Shire horses created from welded metal rods have been unveiled at Kilkenny Lane Country Park, between Brize Norton and Carterton.

 The Rt Hon David Cameron, Prime Minister and MP for Witney, ceremoniously ‘untethered’ the horses at an event recently celebrate their installation.

 Shire horses were once used on this former farmland and the sculptures reflect this history at the park, which has been created for free public use as part of the development of Carterton’s nearby Shilton Park housing estate.

 The sculptures are a public art project commissioned by West Oxfordshire District Council and fully funded by the estate’s developers.

 They have been created by artist Sophie Thompson, of Milton-under-Wychwood, and stand together in the 21 hectare (50 acre) park, which has a bridleway and 2.5km of footpaths as well as a children’s adventure play area.

 Mr Cameron was among civic leaders, members of local riding clubs and other park users at the event on Friday.

 He described the sculptures as “beautiful” and commented that West Oxfordshire now had its own version of Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North.

 Mr Cameron said the horses were a “great example” of public art and congratulated everyone involved in the project, adding: “In West Oxfordshire, while we build new houses we also understand the history and character that shapes this beautiful part of the country that I am so proud to represent.”

 He said the public art added to the country park and felt that it was “fantastic to remember one of the great beasts of farming from days gone by.”

 Ms Thompson’s Shire horse design was picked from submissions from 22 artists as part of the commissioning process by the District Council. Each sculpture took about five months to create, has been carefully welded from 1,200 concrete reinforcing rods and weighs around one tonne.

 The horses cost £32,000 and are part of the largest public art programme co-ordinated by the Council to date. The first part of the programme was a 4m tall stainless steel sculpture, named ‘Evolve’, by artist Richard Thornton. It was unveiled near Carterton Community Centre in Marigold Square, on Shilton Park, last September.

 Cllr Warwick Robinson, the District Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Planning, said: “The Council’s aim is to use public art, funded by developers, to help create special places for the future that complement the local area. We were impressed with the artist’s idea of capturing the farming history of the area with the Shire horse sculptures for the country park.

 “We are delighted with the end result and think that the sculptures will become something of a landmark. It is amazing how an unusual material that is so raw and industrial has been transformed to create such a realistic image of these beautiful horses, to which our rural heritage owes much.”

 As part of the public art project, artist Ms Thompson ran workshops for pupils at Brize Norton Primary School and at St John’s School in Carterton. They were given the chance to create their own miniature horse sculptures which have been on public display. The project has also included workshops for local residents to create paper lanterns for a Winter Lights procession around the Shilton Park estate.

 Ms Thompson grew up in the Oxfordshire countryside and has always had a love for animals. She keeps a horse of her own in stables at her home.

 She said: “I’ve worked as a groom before and loved watching the horses playing and moving around. I’ve been welding since a young age and have tried different sculptures, but animals are my favourite and particularly horses. These are my first Shire horses and my biggest sculpture so far. It has been a huge project for me and I’m very proud to see them at the country park.”        

 David Wilson Homes Southern was among developers of Shilton Park and contributed to the public art programme. Managing Director Paul Crispin said: “As a builder of new communities, we are delighted to have been able to contribute towards this very impressive piece of public art. The fantastic design is particularly relevant to the local area and I’m sure that local residents and visitors to the park will enjoy the horses for many years to come.”

 Kilkenny Lane Country Park is managed by the Council and provides a free public amenity for all. For more information about the Country Park, visit www.westoxon.gov.uk/countrypark.

 

New laws to tackle uninsured driving will be enforced this summer.

Under the new Continuous Insurance Enforcement law it is an offence to be the keeper of an uninsured vehicle, rather than just to drive when uninsured.

 

This summer registered keepers identified as having an uninsured vehicle will be sent a letter telling them that their vehicle appears to be uninsured, and warning them of the consequences if they fail to take action. Those who do not act on this warning - either by taking out insurance or declaring their vehicle off the road - will receive a £100 fine and could have their vehicle clamped, seized and destroyed. They may also face a court prosecution.

 The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), which last month launched a national advertising campaign to raise awareness of the new law, has seen a 20 per cent rise in the number of successful searches by motorists who have checked their insurance details are recorded on the Motor Insurance Database (MID).

 All drivers can check their vehicle is recorded correctly for free at www.askMID.com.

 Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said:

 “Anyone who receives a warning letter should take action immediately by getting insurance or contacting the DVLA to declare their vehicle off the road.”

  "Failure to act will result in a fine, court action or seeing your car seized and destroyed.”

 Ashton West, Chief Executive at the MIB, said:

 “We know who the registered keepers are with vehicles that have no insurance and letters will be dropping onto their doormats from this week. It’s no longer a case of if you will get caught, but when you will get caught.”

 “An estimated 1.4 million drivers are flouting the law by driving without insurance. This is a serious offence and results in accidents that cause about 160 deaths each year and more than 23,000 people are injured by uninsured drivers. It also adds around £30 per year to honest drivers’ motor insurance policies.”

 

Under the new system:

• The DVLA will work in partnership with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau to identify uninsured vehicles.
• Motorists will receive a letter telling them that their vehicle appears to be uninsured and warning them that they will be fined unless they take action.
• If the keeper fails to insure the vehicle they will be given a £100 fine.
• If the vehicle remains uninsured - regardless of whether the fine is paid – further action will be taken. If the vehicle is on public land it could then be clamped, seized and destroyed. Alternatively court action could be taken, with the offender facing a fine of up to £1,000.
• Seized vehicles would only be released when the keeper provided evidence that the registered keeper is no longer committing the offence of having no insurance and the person proposing to drive the vehicle away is insured to do so. 

4. Measures already introduced in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 gave police improved access to the MID and powers to seize vehicles driven without insurance. In 2009 around 180,000 uninsured vehicles were seized.

These super old pictures were lent to The Four Shires by Mr Cooper of Banbury. They show old trucks bringing in fairground rides for the Michaelmas fair, held in the market place in Banbury in October each year.

Last year’s Old Town Party was such a success that organisers have decided to do it all again for 2011.

 The event will take place in Banbury’s Old Town on Saturday, 16 July, from 11am to 3pm and coincide with the St Mary’s Church fete.

 Businesses in Parsons Street, Church Walk, Church Lane and White Lion Walk pulled out all the stops last July to celebrate Cherwell District Council’s £1.5 million revamp of the area.

 And in the wake of the event an Old Town Association was created to continue promoting everything the area has to offer.

 June Irani of Café 6 in Church Lane, who chairs the Old Town Association, said: “New businesses have started up since last years Old Town Party such as the Artery, Fancy That and the Old Auctioneer which all add value to the old town, so the party should be even better!”

 There are more than 126 shops in Banbury’s Old Town area and many of them will be enticing people in with samples of food and drink.

 Like last year, a wealth of street entertainment is being laid on including the enormously popular Rimski Bicycle Piano, Sue Greenway and her Dixie Strollers and Martin Green on classical guitar.

 There will also be dance displays and a turn from Cherwell Theatre Company’s Liam Nooney and Jim Snee as Holmes and Watson.

 And with plenty to keep youngsters busy including balloon modelling and face painting it is an event for the whole family.

 This year Cherwell is helping organise the event and while there is a little money left from last year to help plans along, the traders are providing most of the funding.

 Councillor Norman Bolster, the council's lead member for economic development, said: “We are delighted with how well the redevelopment has been received by traders and the public.

 “I hope next month’s event will prove as popular as last year’s, encouraging people down to see what the area has to offer.

 “It’s not often you get the chance of a free afternoon out and with so much going on I’d defy anyone not to find something they enjoy.”