Crafts, Training, Workshops

AGM

The Brailes Mechanical and Craft Society was founded almost 50 years ago. The aim of the Society is ‘to advance the education of the public by increasing and maintaining an interest in all types of Mechanical Engineering, Crafts and Hobbies’. It was founded at a time whenmany jobs were done by hand or with the aid of simpler powered equipment. There were very few personal computers.

At this year’s Annual General Meeting we reviewed the past year and looked forward to the year ahead. Our former Meetings Secretary Frank Cooper chaired the meeting. The officers of the Society, Stuart Cummings, treasurer, and Eric Darvell, Secretary presented their reports. Stuart reported that our finances continue to be satisfactory and auditor Vic Lee found no problems. Many thanks to Katie Haycock for arranging the programme.

Eric outlined the 11 meetings held during the year. There were 9 speakers, plus the AGM andChristmas Buffet. All the talks were educational. They covered a wide range of topics. The talk on the Cotswold Distillery at Stourton included a description of the distillation process as well as the other equipment used to produce whisky and gin. The talk by Paddock Farm described modern farming techniques and butchering. These two meetings demonstrate how the nature of the Society has moved with the times.

Average attendance was 38 compared with 49 the year before. The largest attendance was 90 when local student Izzy King stepped in at short notice and talked about Warwickshire Witches and Ghosts. Membership reduced to 60 at the year end, 10 fewer than the previous year. The reduction in membership is partly due to the increasing age of members. Some of the reduction has been offset by new members.

Reports of our meetings are in The Feldon magazine. They are also on the Village Website.After the meeting we had two short films of the Yorkshire Dales and seaside holidays in around 1960.

Thanks go to all the members who help the smooth running of meetings. We also thank Susan Gilkes and the Village Hall committee for upgrading the facilities in the Village Hall.

Our next meeting is on Monday 2^nd November at 7 30pm. Douglas Nethercleft’s talk is ‘Around the World but Stuck in a Corner, a talk on Philately’. VIsitors are welcome.

Eric Darvell, Secretary

Bar Codes – Lines that changed the world by Peter Jordan

Bar codes were part of our member Peter Jordan’s work at Banbury General Foods, later renamed Kraft International. Peter described how their development had far-reaching effects on both food manufacturing and retailing businesses.

Peter brought along one of his retirement presents. It was a framed bar code approximately 3feet by 2 feet, coded to say Maxwell House. His presentation used a coffee jar to illustrate the changes brought about by bar codes. He described how food retailing was transformed from the 1960’s to the present, with bar codes enabling much of that change. After his talk, he donated the jar of Maxwell House to the raffle. 

Peter started his presentation with a photograph of the interior of a grocer’s shop before the introduction of technology. A member of staff in an apron served a customer at a counter. Each item was put on the counter and the amount due was added up by the shop assistant. The next development occurred in the 1960’s when self-service supermarkets began to open. Out-of-town supermarkets were built in the 1970’s. At this time there were no mobile phones or cheap computers. Queues at the tills were a regular feature. Every item had a price labelstuck on it. Getting a product onto the shelf was time consuming. 

What are bar codes?  They are machine readable code in the form of numbers and a pattern of parallel lines of varying widths, printed on packaging. At present the first three lines give the country of origin. Lines 4 and 5 are the company number, and the remainder identify the product. The concept was patented in the 1950’s, but it took until 1979 before low-cost computers enabled their first widespread use in the UK. Tesco were the first to establish computer links across their stores including their head office. Head office could see where theproducts were, in what quantity, and how many had been sold. In 1976 the ArticleNumbering Association was established. Their work is now done by GS1 in Brussels. They interact with around 2 million companies world- wide and ensure no duplications occur. Peter represented Kraft Foods on both these organisations.

The introduction of bar codes resulted in redundancies for many of the General Foods sales force. Previously, sales staff visited stores for orders. Tesco centralised the ordering process and from then their Head Office carried out this work. They followed this by building their own distribution centres. Shop delivery times are now controlled by the supermarket, cutting out manufacturers’ unpredictable delivery times.

Peter told us that next year quick response or QR codes will start to replace bar codes. Some products already have QR codes. These include numbers 1-9, the alphabet A-Z and special characters such as ?/!#. QR codes show much more information.

Our members asked some interesting questions and Stuart Cummings thanked Peter for his engaging talk.

Our next meeting is on Monday 6^th July when David Freer talks about ‘Helping people to Eat– Shipston Food Bank’. We meet at 7 30 in the Village Hall. New members and guests are welcome.

We apologise for wrongly stating in last month’s Feldon that the Food Bank presentation would be in June.

Eric Darvell, Secretary

‘The History of Midland Marts – the journey of an auctioneer’ with Brian Pile.

Midland Marts ran the Banbury cattle market from 1925 until 1998. It was the largest cattle market in the UK and one of the largest in Europe. Prior to the First World War animals were sold on the streets of the town centre, with all the inconvenience to the general public, and the mess which animals made.

Brian was born into a farming family and his introduction to auctioneering was at Henley-in-Arden market. After Henley High School he had joined the local market company. This was the start of his 50-year career. His first experience as an auctioneer was selling produce such as jams and cakes. However, after a work dispute he left and joined Banbury Market. He started on small jobs such as selling calves and then he moved on to selling sheep in much bigger numbers. During his long career he had many varied assignments, ensuring that both sellers and buyers were treated fairly was an important part of the job,

Banbury market was on a 30 acre site in Merton Street, east of the railway. This location was convenient for loading cattle onto trains for transporting around the UK. In addition, Banburyhas good road links to the Continent and significant business was done with countries such as the Netherlands. The success of the company in the1970’s led to it being listed on the London Stock Exchange. By the 1990’s it was owned by Royal Life Insurance. Their interest was in the estate agency business which had come with Midland Marts. The Banbury market sitewas more valuable as house building land, so when the lease expired in1998 the cattle market ceased to trade.

After that Brian worked at various places. One of these was Bicester MOD Camp. The MOD produced a catalogue of surplus items, without much description of the lots for sale. He told the story of a Ford Escort van which was sold without an engine. The buyer was naturally very annoyed. Another problem was with a JCB excavator which failed to sell. Enquiries found that it had been hit by a train. One half was on one side of the line and the other on the opposite side. Both these cases demonstrated that any lot for sale should always be seenbefore making a bid.

Brian was thanked for an entertaining presentation.

Our next meeting is on Monday 1^st June featuring “Bar Codes – Lines that changed the world”, with Peter Jordan. We meet at 7:30pm in the Village Hall. New members and guests are welcome.

Eric Darvell, Secretary

The Art of Spring Clearing with a Tidy Mind by Caroline Cahit

At our April meeting, Caroline gave an interesting talk on a subject which we try to avoid: spring clearing. She is a member of the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers. This group have a code of conduct which aims to promote high standards of advice and ethics, with confidentiality being very important.

Spring clearing is the reduction of clutter which accumulates with time. Typically, this is done in spring, although autumn is also a suitable time. Most people accumulate possessions. The result is clutter which sooner or later must be confronted. Clutter interferes with cleaning. A tidy mind refers to having an organised and clear way of thinking. The phrase suggests maintaining a tidy environment which in turn can positively influence our wellbeing.Caroline started her business in 2024. She had previously worked for the Nationwide Building Society, where she had seen the problems faced when moving house. She recommends starting to declutter well in advance of a move. The best way to start is with a series of small tasks. There is satisfaction achieving small wins, and this encourages you to do more. Each item removed creates space and becomes an act of self-care.

Caroline recommended that each category, such as paperwork, is done on a house-wide basis. In the first instance deal with mail promptly. Immediately discard junk mail. Most business paperwork is not required after around 6 years. Books can be divided into fiction and nonfiction. Ask yourself how much you read in a year. Reduce the number of books by discarding those you are unlikely to read again. Clothing mounts up and we end up wearingonly about a quarter of our wardrobe. Do not be tempted to pile clothes onto a bed when you are sorting through them. It is overwhelming. The rule for clothes is one in, one out. Aim to have surplus space in storage places. Leave sentimental items to the end. They are the most difficult to deal with. 

Surplus items can be disposed of in various ways. This aspect promoted the most questions after the talk. There are websites for books. Problems arise when assessing value and help may be needed. It is not easy to know where to get it. Local charity shops welcome saleable items. Stuart Cummings thanked Caroline for her lively and interesting talk. 

Our next meeting is on Monday, 11^th May at 7 30 in the Village Hall. Brian Pile will talk about the History of the Midland Mart – the journey of an auctioneer. Visitors are welcome.

Eric Darvell, Secretary

REMINDER === REMINDER === REMINDER

BRAILES MECHANICAL & CRAFT SOCIETY.

APRIL MONTHLY MEETING.

ON MONDAY 13 TH APRIL 2026

AT BRAILES VILLAGE HALL.

AT 7-30PM.

SUBJECT  THE ART OF SPRING CLEARING WITH A TIDY MIND.

SPEAKER FOR THE EVENING.  CAROLINE CAHIT.

ALL WELCOME

A REMINDER THAT SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 2026 ARE DUE AT £5-00 FOR THE YEAR.

* NOTE * 7-30PM. START.

Witches and Ghosts with Izzy King

Our planned speaker for the March meeting cancelled at short notice.

Thanks go to Katie Haycock and Izzy King for making the revised arrangements. Izzy had only 48 hours to prepare, and the outcome was one of our largest ever attendances. There were over 90 members and guests in the hall, with equal numbers of both. Izzy is currently studying for a history degree with the Open University, and she gave a lively presentation. Thanks also go to Ben Goren for promptly putting the change of speaker onto the village website.

Witchcraft

Warwickshire has a long record of witchcraft. Witches are said to inflict harm and misfortune on other people. Throughout history, many cultures have used witchcraft to explain evil. In England, witch trials were held in the Middle Ages. In the second half of the 1500’s and early 1600’s wide scale witch hunts took place. The English Witchcraft Act of 1542 made witchcraft a capital offence, then the Act was repealed a few years later. The 1735 Witchcraft Act concluded prosecutions of witchcraft in England. However, by then 100’s of alleged witches had been put to death. The persecution of witches didn’t finish. After that communities took their own action. One such example was at Long Compton in 1875 when Ann Tennant was murdered. James Hayward met her one evening and used an agricultural fork to kill her. The Stratford Herald wrote ‘for some time past he had been under the impression that he was influenced by witchcraft and that Mrs Tennant and several other women in Long Compton were witches, and he was determined to rid the village of them’.

Ghosts

In folklore, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person that is able to appear to the living. Dr Finlay was the Brailes doctor in Victorian times. We saw one of his photographs on the big screen, showing a full-sized hooded figure standing in front of the camera. In the background was furniture, possibly in one of the rooms at his house. The existence of ghosts is impossible to falsify. There are numerous sitings of ghosts, generally where an unpleasant event has taken place. Incidents continue to be reported.

A famous episode of ghosts was after the armies departed from the site of the 1642 Battle of Edgehill. Locals reported multiple apparitions. Shepherds heard drums and groans. The king ordered an official investigation and his officers reported they had also witnessed the apparitions.

Katie Haycock thanked Izzy for her presentation and then asked the audience to tell us about their experiences. Several members had seen ghosts in Brailes. Stuart Cummings announced that after a successful evening the Society would donate £100 to the Village Hall.
Our next meeting is on Monday 13^th April, when Caroline Cahit’s talk is entitled ‘The Art of Spring Cleaning with a Tidy Mind’. We meet at 7 30 pm in the Village Hall. Guests are welcome. Please note that because of Easter, the meeting date is on the 13^th.

New members and guests are welcome.

Eric Darvell
Secretary 

Jon and his brother Nick grew up at Fulready near Halford. They both went to university and gained MA’s.  Jon studied Theatre at Goldsmiths College in London, and Nick studied Business at the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester. They combined their skills to start Paddock Farm.

Farming

In 2011 they paid £500 for two Tamworth sows and housed them on their parents small paddock. The sows produced numerous piglets. Righton’s butchers in Shipston cut the meat and the brothers sold it to pubs and other businesses. Jon described how they gradually expanded the business, firstly by renting woodland at Idlicote. They now have 60 acres of Lord Northampton’s fields, 110 acres at Cheney’s farm, 30 acres at Traitors Ford belonging to Chris Righton, and a further area at Roundhill Farm on Brailes Hill. 

In wet weather, pigs on clayey ground make the ground too muddy. The answer was to diversify and introduce Hereford cattle and hens. The fields are divided into rectangular plots. The animals are regularly moved to ensure the optimum use of the ground. The edges of the fields have a wide perimeter of grass in which vehicles are restricted to one track thereby reducing compaction and improving the retention of rainfall. Their chicken caravan, or Eggmobile as their website calls it, is guarded by a dog to keep foxes away. Since the Long Compton abattoir shut, the abattoir at Warminster has increased their costs considerably.

Retail Butchery

Their first shop was at Talton Mill near Ettington Park. They found this arrangement too restrictive and 11 years ago they took over Frank Barwick’s premises in Brailes. The shop was renovated and since then they have expanded across the rear of the other two shops. The move to Brailes was well received with 300 customers on the opening day.

Nine people, including a full-time cook, now work in the shop. The butchery is carried out at the rear. As well as the local trade, their weekly cycle of restaurant trade includes prestigious London restaurants.

50 members and guests enjoyed an excellent talk. 

Our next meeting is on Monday 2^nd of March with a talk on “It shouldn’t happen to a Vet..or Should it?”, by Laura Holmes. We meet at 7 30 in the Village Hall.

New members and guests are welcome.

Eric Darvell
Secretary 

THE STORY OF PADDOCK FARM

ON MONDAY FEBRUARY 2 ND FEBRUARY. AT BRAILES VILLAGE HALL.

STARTING AT 7-30 PM.
( SUBJECT ) FROM PADDOCK TO PLATE – YOUR LOCAL BUTCHER STORY.

BY PADDOCK FARM . PLEASE COME AND HEAR THIS LOCAL BUSINESS BASED IN BRAILES.

ALL WELCOME * ( NOTE ) 7-30 PM. START.

REGARDS STUART.

THE TALE OF THE COTSWOLDS DISTILLERY BY FOUNDER AND C.E.O. MR. DAN SZOR.

After 30 years of city trading, New Yorker Dan was looking for a new direction. He decided to have his own distillery. His Cotswold Distillery is now producing malt whisky and signature gins.

Towards the end of his city trading, Dan and his wife bought a home near Traitors Ford. They liked the Cotswold atmosphere, so they made it their home. He carried out an extensive search for a suitable site and in the end bought a 4-acre derelict site in Stourton, 3 miles from his home. This site had planning permission for commercial development. There was a three year interval between site purchase and opening with the doors of the distillery opening in 2014.

Malt whisky contains only three ingredients: water, barley and yeast. The barley is grown in the Cotswolds. It is malted in Warminster where the traditional open floor method gets used. Barley grains are soaked in water, they germinate and are then dried and ground into grist

The copper vessels for distillation are hand made in Scotland. The final stage of whisky making is maturation. The pre-used oak barrels come from either sherry or wine making. It is these sources which gives the final product its distinctive flavour

Gin production starts with a neutral spirit and botanicals are added. These could be berries, herbs or spices. The mixture is re-distilled and then diluted to around 40% alcohol content. It is then bottled. Gin has the attraction of being ready for sale more quickly. Hence the ‘waiting for whisky’ in the title of the talk. The distillery now sells more gin than whisky.

Dan is very keen to involve the community in their activities. He recruits locally when he can. The visitor centre and cafe are open to all. Music evenings are held once a month. The site has been extended to over 10 acres. It has been landscaped and planted, and there is ample car parking.

Overall 40 people are now employed. Marketing is an important part of the business. There are two shops in the Cotswolds and more overseas markets are being investigated. The distillery is in the process of gaining Geographical Identification. This award is given to products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities due to this origin.
 
Katie Haycock thanked Dan for his very interesting talk. The meeting concluded with samples of whisky and gin being tasted. 

Our next meeting is on Monday 2nd February when Paddock’s Farm talk is ‘From Paddock to Plate – your local butcher’s story’. We meet at 7:30pm in the Village Hall. New members and guests are welcome.

https://www.cotswoldsdistillery.com/

Our final meeting of 2025 was on 1 December, when we had our Buffet Supper and Christmas Raffle. We started the evening singing carols to Helen Porter’s accompaniment on the piano.

Thirty members enjoyed a very sociable evening. Many thanks go to our members who bought and prepared the food, and also prepared the hall. In particular, Stuart Cummings, Julia Webster, Sarah Day and Glenda Woods.

As we did last year, sheets of carols were distributed and each table was asked to choose one.
Many thanks to Helen for getting us into the Christmas spirit.

We followed the carols with an excellent buffet. Members provided their own drinks.

The raffle lived up to its reputation as a special Christmas occasion.

Thanks go to Katie Haycock for preparing a   varied programme for 2026. Programmes were handed out during the evening. We start next year with ‘Waiting for Whisky’, a talk given by a speaker from the Cotswold Distillery in Stourton.

The January meeting is on the 5^th at 7 30 pm in the Village Hall.

Eric Darvell