As March heralds spring, we enter what is traditionally known as ‘the hungry gap’.  This period covering a few weeks from March to early May comes when the stored winter root vegetables are eaten up and before most of the new plantings are ready to harvest. However, there is a bright side – Spring Greens! 

St Peter’s Church have run a toddler and baby group for the Brackley community called First Steps for many years now, which takes place every Thursday during term time in our church hall (9:15–10:30am).

Successful launch of Brackley Memory Café – It was an absolute delight to attend the launch of the Brackley Memory Café recently.  It was wonderful to have Richard introduce me, and I truly appreciated the warm applause from everyone — it made me feel so welcome.

Twist by Colum McCann,  published on 5 March this year, is another stunner from this acclaimed author.  The narrator is a journalist—a drinker, rootless, and with a jaundiced view of life —who is sent to join a cable repair vessel working out of Cape Town. His brief is to write an article about the work of repairing the communications cables that lie on the seabed and to document the men and life on board the ship.

As more and more children have been attending St Peter’s Brackley, we have recently had to expand the Sunday School groups at our 10am service.

Brackley Library on Manor Road is starting 2025 with lots of new ideas to encourage new visitors. For those who already use the library, you know what a valuable community asset it is for the town.

This beautifully written book is a treasure trove of insights and affectionate reminiscences about the team of guards and the general public they served.

As the days start to lengthen, the first signs of spring start to appear, with rhubarb being some of the first of the new season produce to appear in the Westbury Community Shop and Cafe. 

Let them take away the stress of what to do with your real Christmas tree after the festivities are over.  It couldn’t be simpler! Make a donation to Katharine House and, in return, they will send elves to pick up your tree to be recycled.

We have teamed with Holly Wild Pilates Instructor to provide small Pilates classes within our studio in Brackley to give some of the core strength back to those who require additional support to fight chronic disease, spinal pain, post operative rehabilitation or enhance mood due to menopause or work place stress.

The Christmas season is here, and for many, it’s a time to celebrate with family and friends, share in traditions and buy gifts. But in the excitement it’s all too easy to go overboard financially. 

Self Storage 123 in Brackley provides secure and flexible self storage solutions tailored to both business storage and personal storage needs.

Keep your eyes out for Santa! Please see below our schedule for The Round Table’s Santa sleigh to visit your road. We are looking forward to seeing all those little happy faces. 

Waste and recycling collection crews will be working throughout the festive season to make sure services are delivered on time and with no delays.

Discover the thrilling story of Formula 1 with Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula 1 by renowned journalist Will Buxton. This fascinating book serves as a treasure trove of facts, figures, and biographical insights into the iconic names that have shaped the sport’s history.

As the cool, crisp days of Autumn settle in, our thoughts turn to cosy comfort foods to sustain us through the chilly months ahead. There’s nothing quite like the enticing aroma of a slow-cooked stew to welcome you in from the cold, and beef with ale is a firm favourite in the café for our Friday night offerings. 

Wilding: An Illustrated Guide is a visually captivating and informative book that offers readers a deeper understanding of rewilding and its incredible benefits.

Brackley Community Museum’s World War 1 exhibit D-Day will continue until the end of the year with a few updates happening over this month.

Brackley Community Larder is run by a dedicated team of volunteers and provides high-quality, subsidised food.  Our Larder exists to give people in our local community access to great value food, a way of us helping our members with the cost-of-living crisis that so many of us face at present.

Katharine House provides a wide range of services to support adults with life-limiting illnesses and is the local hospice that serves Brackley and the surrounding area.

As the days shorten and temperatures begin to drop, October is the perfect time to prepare your car for the colder months ahead. An autumn service at Glebe Autotech will give you peace of mind as we head into winter.

For the seventh year running, his son Ben is hosting another exciting Halloween event at his house in Orion Drive in aid of Parkinson’s UK. With the help of close friends and the support of Ben’s partner, Jess, they have created the biggest Halloween display in Brackley — an event not to be missed!

We are delighted to have moved into our new practice in Brackley Northants. Cassia Health is one of two practices created by Sarah Baimbridge MCSP HCPC MSK Specialist Physiotherapist.

Our local litter picking group, Brackley Litter Wombles, have been working hard to keep our streets and parks litter free for almost a year and a half and have collected over 1,800 bags of litter from Brackley.

For readers seeking a novel that is both tender and thought-provoking, van Booy offers a fresh, heartwarming perspective on companionship. Simon van Booy’s latest novel introduces an unlikely pair of main characters: Helen, an elderly woman, and a mouse named Sipsworth.

Gilbert’s Plumbing & Heating Services Ltd is your trusted local expert with over 20 years of experience. Based in Brackley, we offer a wide range of services, including plumbing, heating and oil boiler solutions. We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality work and ensuring customer satisfaction on every job, no matter the size.

Two books this month, both non-fiction, share tenuous links with each other, from The Old Hall Bookshop, Brackley.   The first is “The Natural History of Crime” by Patricia Wiltshire, the UK’s leading forensic ecologist.

World War 1 is Brackley Community Museum’s new exhibition that will be on display from the end of July until the middle of November. If you have any items of interest relating to the history of Brackley that you would be willing for the museum to exhibit, they would love to hear from you.

With summer in full swing, it’s the perfect time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors with a picnic, particularly as we are so lucky to be surrounded by some beautiful countryside to explore. Westbury Community Shop and Café is your one stop shop for either freshly made sandwiches to take away or eat in.

Lewis Hamilton has finally had his moment again at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and returned to the top of a Formula 1 podium.  Two and half years after he last won.  He broke the record for wins at a single track, and did it in front of the best British crowd.

Brackley Community Museum is a small volunteer run museum based in Brackley Library.  The two cabinets have an exhibition about the history of the town with items on display from local residents which changes three times a year.

Foxlight by Katya Balen is about twin sisters Fen and Rey who were found curled up small with a family of  foxes at the very edge of the wildlands. Against the Odds Against the Odds, The incredible struggles of 20 Great Adventurers is written by Alastair Humphreys, himself an adventurer.

We are keeping all our fingers and toes crossed for a hot and sunny summer here at Westbury Community Shop and Café, and one key ingredient of a summer evening is a bbq.  Check out the recipes in the article.

Get ‘IN THE MOOD’ and join Brackley Jubilee Choir for a concert of light music, including ‘Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo’ by Joseph Horovitz and Michael Flanders, together with classic songs from the Great American Songbook and other concert show-stoppers – which will appeal to all the family. 

With the 80th anniversary of D Day, Brackley Community Museum is looking back at the event and remembering the soldiers on Brackley War Memorial that were lost during World War 2 with an exhibition that will run throughout June and July.

“Dog” by Rob Perry intricately weaves the tale of Benjamin, an 18-year-old lad from the UK, whose life is riddled with anxieties, particularly about illnesses and germs, dictating his daily routines. Egged on by a mate from the local supermarket where they both clock in, Benjamin tentatively agrees to venture out to observe a stranded whale on the coastline, hoping to challenge his own boundaries.

Nothing says summer quite like the sweet, juicy taste of a freshly picked strawberry. A beloved British staple, strawberries are a sure sign that the warmer weather has arrived, along with the crack of a cricket bat and the scent of freshly cut grass. 

Many of us know just how much dogs can make a difference, bringing joy and companionship to our lives.  But for some people, dogs actually make life possible. Dogs for Good is a charity that expertly trains dogs to enable people living with disability, autism, dementia and other challenges to live happier, healthier, more independent lives. 

Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers in costume, usually wearing bell pads on their shins and/or shoes. A band or single musician, also costumed, will accompany them. Sticks, swords, handkerchiefs, and a variety of other implements may be wielded by the dancers. 

Joseph O’Connor’s “My Father’s House” immerses readers in the harrowing realities of wartime Rome, a city gripped by Nazi occupation while the Vatican maintains a precarious neutrality.  Against this backdrop, Father Hugh O’Flaherty emerges as a defiant figure, whose clandestine activities transcend the confines of spiritual matters. Inspired by the true exploits of Father O’Flaherty and his underground network, known as the Choir, O’Connor paints a vivid portrait of courage and camaraderie in the face of unimaginable peril.

At Westbury Community Shop and Café, we are proud to source the majority of our stock from local suppliers.  Our asparagus comes directly from Rupert and Clare Smith at Westbury Asparagus Farm, located right here in our village. This means next to no food miles and the freshest produce possible. 

Brackley Squash Club win their Premier Title decider 4-1 against Abingdon, crowning them the 2023/24 Oxfordshire region Premier Division 1 champions for the 3rd season in a row!

HS2 helping the local community – Throughout 2023, EKFB have been heavily involved in supporting community initiatives in and around Brackley and are continuing their collaboration with communities in 2024.

Brackley Round Table Summer Festival – Following the success over many years of the Brackley Beer Festival, the Brackley Round Table have listened to the changing demand and reviewed the fantastic feedback from the amazing Brackley community and decided to change the name. 

Brackley High Street Survey – UK High streets have been facing a variety of challenges and people are also now using High Streets differently and at different times. Brackley is no exception and to help us to better understand local changes we now need your help to shape ideas for improvements.

The closure of Brackley’s last remaining bank branch is causing concern for many of our residents and visitors, this might make accessing in person banking advice and assistance very difficult or inconvenient.  Brackley Town Council understands these concerns and that not everyone can access banking online or wishes to do so, or that they may have complex transactions or needs where an in-person appointment is necessary.

At the turn of the 20th Century Brackley had two brewers located near the town hall.  Blencowe Brewery and Hopcraft and Norris. Bottles from both of these breweries are quite common and there are a few examples in the Brackley Community Museum.

Birnam Wood, by Eleanor Catton, mesmerises readers with its panoramic narrative that crescendos to an electrifying climax. Nestled amidst the idyllic landscapes of New Zealand, a sprawling farm finds itself marooned in the aftermath of seismic tremors and consequential landslides, severing its ties to the outside world. Sensing an opportune moment, an enterprising activist collective seizes control of the farm, embarking on guerrilla farming endeavours to fuel their progressive aspirations and challenge the status quo.

At The Old Hall Bookshop in Brackley, we host two book groups every month on the first Tuesday and Wednesday. These groups explore recently published paperbacks, with a mix of fiction and non-fiction. Whether you’re looking for book suggestions or information on starting your own group, we’re always here to help.

Natalie Gosher is an independent Travel Agent based in Brackley. By creating entirely bespoke holidays through exclusive access to thousands of flights, hotels, and experiences from every corner of the globe, you are guaranteed exceptional service from beginning to end when planning your next adventure with Natalie.