Do you want to carve out some time each week to make some art? Would you like to make art in a friendly, welcoming environment? Are you looking for some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing?
 
If so, Great Coxwell Art Club could be for you! 
 
Great Coxwell Art Club is a relaxed, non-judgemental space for people to play, have fun and explore their creativity by making art. All abilities are welcome - the emphasis is very much on having fun and enjoying the process of making something, no matter the outcome. 
 
Sessions start with a fun/thought provoking art warm up exercise with lots of time after to work on your own art project. It’s a space to share ideas, get inspiration from others and build a regular art practice to improve our art-making skills. Paper, pencils, charcoal, inks, paints, brushes and palette knives are all supplied but you can also bring your own materials/sketchbooks etc along that you'd like to use/work on.

Details are as follows:
Where: Reading Room, Great Coxwell.
When: 7-9pm, Wednesday evenings, term time only, next term starts Wednesday 26th February.
Cost: £36 (£6 per session) payable up front.
What’s included: tea, coffee, biscuits and art materials as above.
 
Current members have described the group as: creative, inspiring, friendly, relaxing, engaging, fun, liberating, supportive, energising - what’s not to like?!
 
I currently have 2 spaces available so if you’d like to know more please email me at [email protected] or text/call on 07748 963177.
 
Best wishes,
Sarah
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Following my considerations as to what might be done to prevent used postage stamps going to waste and then an  announcement prior to Christmas, of the intention to set up a collection arrangement of used postage stamps towards fundraising for 'Canine Partners', myself and Emma Roodenberg have now had the opportunity of setting up a village collecting point at the Old Red Telephone Box.
 
Canine Partners at www.caninepartners.org.uk are a UK registered charity that provides training for highly skilled assistance dogs carefully matched to support adults with disabilities with daily living tasks (civilians and former service personnel), that include opening and closing doors, unloading washing machines, moving and picking up items, pressing buttons and switches, using cards at an ATM and fetching help in an emergency.
 
The collection of used stamps (cut from their envelopes please) has raised almost £30,000 over ten years for the charity as part of their overall fundraising campaign. Stamps are sorted and graded towards raising up to £6 per kilo at auction and the funds returned to the charity.
 
Donations also of first day covers, stamp collections or albums can be sent to the national training centre in Leicestershire by emailing: [email protected] or if you have further questions or enquiries regarding their work, or to donate money directly.
 
Your cut stamps can be collected by you, friends and relatives and deposited in an envelope and placed in the marked bin situated in the telephone box on the Holloway, and accessible to all in the village.

These will then be collected by us at the end of each month to be sent on to the charity. Please Do Not donate cash or cheques in the box as this is not secure.
 
Our thanks to our Parish Council and Red Telephone Box Trustees, along with our phone box Chief Librarian, Ian Mason, for the granting of permissions for the use of the box as a collecting point and for what will hopefully, be a village wide and worthy cause.
 
Thank you all for your support in 'training dogs to transform lives'. Any enquiries to us may be made on the village WhatsApp Group.
 
Malcolm Gee and Emma Roodenberg

Pat is looking to raise monies for the MND Charity, you can find details in the attached sponsorship form.

I have just had to "put pen to paper" metaphorically, so say a big "thank you" to Jo, Pauline and all those who had helped put on the village Christmas Fayre!  Yesterday, Mike and I came back from a peaceful and friendly Holy Communion Benefice Service at Eaton Hastings and walked down to the Reading Room and our feeling of well being continued as we walked into the Reading Room where we were absolutely bowled over by the transformation that had taken place there.  
The atmosphere was so warm and friendly - the displays, the colours and the goodies for sale were perfect and so enticing!  It was lovely to hear folk's laughter and chatter! We walked round two or three times absorbing the sights, stopping at each display - we did managed a glass - Mike bubbly Elderflower and I "just" managed a glass of Prosecco! The raffle was essential to try our "luck" on and we looked at the furniture which was so tempting that we came home with a small table - thank you!
The occasion was perfect and I'm sorry for anyone who missed it! I'll end by saying once more - THANK YOU!!
Judy Heathcoat, Jemima, Puddleduck Lane

Thanks for this Judy - I have also added some of the photos taken at the event kindly shared by people on the village WhatsApp, if anyone else has photos they'd be happy to share please let me know  by email to [email protected]
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Everyone is working hard behind the scenes to bring you The Great Coxwell Grand Christmas Event.
We'll be throwing open the Reading Room doors at 11am this Sunday and we're really looking forward to welcoming you to this new village event.

This Saturday 19th Nov 10am - 3pm.

Free Entry and refreshments available.

24 independent authors and poets will be ready and waiting to say hello and show you what they do.

There will be something for all the family to look at and enjoy.
 
We shall also be announcing the winners of the Faringdon Writers short story competition at 2pm. So please come along and applaud everyone's achievements.

Some of the entries will be on display for you to read.

Thank you for your support of Jane's event for St Giles.  Here is the list of prize winners:
 
Hamper No 1       White 483
"                  2       White 399
"                  3       White 425
"                  4       Pink 685
Celebration cake Pink 622  
Wine                    White 476
Shortbread          White 347
 
All winners have now been notified.  The total raised is £458.10, which will be a great help towards our winter gas and electricity bills.

Thank you.

​Left-over from recent building work:

• A couple of barrow-loads of Cotswold stone, roughly brick-sized and shaped – good for a rockery etc
• One complete roll of fibreglass loft-insulation (SuperGlass 100mm) – install in your shed?
• Big bag of English oak off-cuts. Kiln-dried, great for a wood-burner or carving projects.  

Any takers? Please contact Russ@Stonevale on 07968-277059 (text or voicemail)

​The annual Christmas eve procession and service at the Great Barn will proceed as normal this year.

If you would like to get involved please message Mat on 07824 324493

All volunteers are really welcome to help make this very special event happen. We need help with setting up the nativity, marshalling on the night as well as various other jobs. 

Thank you!
From the GC Christmas Eve committee.