Charter leaflets row erupts at meeting (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Charter leaflets row erupts at meeting

A RIGHT Royal row broke out this week over publicity leaflets produced to celebrate Chipping Norton's 400th charter anniversary celebrations.

Furious town councillors had slammed a decision by West Oxfordshire District Council not to allow a timetable of events for the historic town's 400th anniversary charter celebrations - including a visit by the Prince of Wales - to be distributed by the local visitor information centre.

The centre, in the Guildhall, said it could only stock and distribute information and items produced and approved by the district council.

But it emerged that the district council had refused to stock a list of useful organisations in the town, not the charter publicity itself.

Deputy Mayor Councillor Gina Burrows had protested over the publicity row, saying: "It's a great shame because we want to boost our tourist profile and the charter celebrations are the ideal way to do this. The town council and so many people here have been working so hard on the celebrations and we have put together a wonderful programme of events. The visitor centre was the obvious place to have the details available for people."

The town council has also called on local businesses to back the anniversary celebrations by distributing the leaflets to customers and putting up posters.

The council has produced a four-page A4-sized calendar of events - which extend right into next spring -especially to fit in the display racks at the visitor centre.

Cllr Mike Howes, the district council representative for Chipping Norton, stepped into the fray at Tuesday night's town council meeting and promised to sort out the row. The district council relented and said the centre, temporarily installed upstairs in the Guildhall while building work takes place, will stock the leaflets.

The council stressed they were unhappy with the temporary visitor centre however, which is closed at weekends and only has limited space because of the refurbishment work being carried out on the Guildhall.

The Charter celebrations begin in earnest this weekend with the local youth theatre leading a promenade of Unlawful Assembly through the town streets on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon and evening.

A grand re-enactment of the signing of the charter takes place on Sunday, starting with a procession of bailiffs and burgesses and councillors - dressed in historic robes, some lent by Oxford Council - to St Mary's Church for a special 17th century civic service. This will be followed by a programme of olde worlde merrymaking in the Town Hall and Market Place from 12.30 to 2.30pm.

Prince Charles will attend a concert by the English Chamber Orchestra at St Mary's Church on Saturday, May 27 at 7.30pm.

Other events planned as part of the celebrations include a beer festival organised by Chipping Norton Rugby Club at Greystones on June 17, a Rotary Car Day on July 2, also at Greystones, a series of Charter lectures by Oxford University experts in October, a horticultural evening with TV expert Chris Beardshaw on October 18, and a music festival with the accent on 17th century works next March.