Vol 28 No 1
Vol2017
28 No 1
Jan
January 2017
WOODCOTE RALLY 2016 DONATIONS EVENING
On behalf of the WOODCOTE CHARITABLE
ASSOCIATION, the Woodcote Rally Committee is
pleased to announce that, following another
successful year, we can donate the impressive sum of
£15,000 to local charities and worthy good causes
that we support within the village of Woodcote or
close by. This brings the total donations since the
first rally in 1964 to £456,500.
The Donations Evening was held in Woodcote Village
Hall on Friday the 25th of November 2016. This
event makes it all worthwhile for the Rally Committee
and Association members as they see how all their
voluntary efforts and hard work have paid off.
Following the introduction by Mr Peter Solomons
(Woodcote Charitable Association Chairman), he and
Mr Nic Bartholomew (Woodcote Rally Director)
presented the awards to the best in class for the
exhibits at Woodcote Rally 2016. The class winners
received their trophies showing their huge interest in
the preservation of vintage transport including cars,
motor bikes, commercial vehicles and, of course,
steam engines.
Examples of the awards are as follows:
The Ran Hawthorne Memorial Shield for large steam
was awarded to Dave Roberts for his 1935 Sentinel
S4 Steam Wagon.
The George Ballard Memorial Award for Veteran and
Vintage Cars was awarded to Brian Poulton for his
1938 Triumph Dolomite.
The Dick Vernon Memorial Award for tractors went to
Nick Gibson for a 1957 Ferguson FE35.
A new award for this year was the Albert Goldsmith
Award for motorbikes in recognition of Albert’s long
serving contributions to the Woodcote Charitable
…
Association. His widow, Sylvia, gave this new award
to Geoff Pratt of Woodcote for his 1932 Peugeot P108.
Following a short interlude for refreshments, kindly
provided by the Woodcote Village Hall Committee,
members of the Woodcote Charitable Association
Trustees went on to conduct the all-important part of
the evening by presenting cheques to local charities
and organisation. Here are just a few of the
highlights:
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue service will use their
donation to support injured fire-fighters, particularly
those in our local area.
Woodcote Youth Club will provide activities for the
youngsters of the village.
OWL (Our Woodcote Library) will buy new books to
keep the library fresh and up to date.
Mowforth House will provide Christmas Lunch for
their residents at the Highwayman.
Friends of Woodcote Primary School will help provide
a learning and play zone at the front of the school.
Woodcote Village Green Committee will use their
donation to replace trees on the Village Green.
The full list is on page 7, and on our website.
Next year’s Rally is on 8-9th July. For more
information contact us via our website.
Can you help us? We need new volunteers. See the
letters page for further details of the additional help
that we need to make the 2017 Rally happen
Andy Crockett
Publicity Officer
Woodcote Charitable Association
www.wodecoterally.org.uk
SERVICES AT ST LEONARD’S IN
JANUARY
COMMENT FROM THE VICARAGE
‘Happy New Year!’ No doubt you have heard these
words many times in recent days. I wonder what we
mean by them. Is it just custom that causes us to
say them to one another in greeting around the 1st of
January? Or are they an indication of something that
is going on a little deeper within us? It seems to be a
commonly held view that 2016 was not a good year
and that we are all glad that it is over. In the last
year we seem to have lost many good people; great
writers, artists, musicians and performers amongst
them. There have been unprecedented changes in the
political landscape, and too many wars and
humanitarian tragedies have raged on. No wonder
then that there is some relief at the thought of a new
year and a chance of a fresh start.
1st January (2nd of Christmas)
10.30 a.m.
8th January
New Year’s Day Team Service
Celebration at Stoke Row Church
Everyone Welcome
(Epiphany)
8.00 a.m.
9.45 a.m.
Holy Communion
Worshipping Together
15th January (2nd of Epiphany)
8.00 a.m.
9.45 a.m.
Holy Communion
The Open Door Service
22nd January (3rd of Epiphany)
In the church, our ‘new year’ began in Advent late
last year and, in January, we are still celebrating
Christmas, which is followed by the season of
Epiphany. The word Epiphany comes from a Greek
word which means ‘appearance ‘ or ‘manifestation’
and it is the time when Christians reflect and wonder
at the revelation of God to the world in the form of
Jesus Christ.
8.00 a.m.
Holy Communion
9.45 a.m.
Parish Communion
29th January (Candlemas)
8.00 a.m.
9.45 a.m.
The Feast of Epiphany falls on January the 6th, and
we hear the account of the wise men, or kings, who
visited the Christ child in the stable. The gifts they
brought symbolise the fact that this new-born king
will rule not by force but by love; gold for a king,
frankincense for a priest and myrrh for the one who
was to die. On the Sundays that follow we reflect on
the public life of Jesus, including his baptism, his
miracles and his deep and unfailing compassion for
others. As one writer sums it up, ‘Epiphany is the
season of compassionate encounter.’
Holy Communion
Parish Communion
Funeral
Colin Aylett 8th December
Pearl Lawrence 15th December
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF CHRIST
THE KING
I do not know about you but the idea of a season, or
maybe a year, or even a life that is marked by
‘compassionate encounter’ seems rather wonderful. A
while ago, there was a programme on television in
which Michael Palin met and talked with the writer
Jan Morris, who is now in her nineties. In her earlier
life she was a news journalist and great traveller She
had been part of the first successful climb of Mount
Everest and had visited and written about many
different cultures. All in all, it was clear that she had
amassed a huge amount of experience and wisdom.
One of Michael Palin’s final questions to her was to
ask what she thought was the most important
quality or attitude to have in life; her answer was
immediate and direct, ‘kindness’. Kindness, she said
was the essential thing and had the capacity to
change the world, surpassing even love, as so often
love gets caught up in our desires and neediness. Is
not ‘kindness’ the hallmark of the compassionate
encounter? If we are looking for a way to make 2017
better than what went before, then maybe kindness
could be the way.
South Stoke Road, Woodcote
Priest: Father Antony Conlon.
Asst. Priest: Father Jacob Lewis
Telephone: 01491 872181
Mass times:
Sunday at 11.30 am
Thursday at 12.00
Confession: The third Saturday of the month from
12.00-12.30
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S CHAPEL
Allnutt Alms Houses, Goring Heath, RG8 7RS
11.00 Sung Eucharist first Sunday of the month
All other Sundays:
9.00 Holy Communion (said) with special prayers for
the sick (with laying on of hands by prior request)
11.00 Main Service - Sung Matins
All Services are taken from the Book of Common
Prayer)
Blessings,
Linda
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of
information printed in this paper, the Editor and
Committee cannot accept responsibility for the contents of
advertisements or any errors that may occur. Opinions
expressed are those of the contributors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or Committee.
Revd. Linda Smith, Tel. 01491 680979
Email: [email protected]
2
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
PUBLISHER INFORMATION
Editor: Martin Fowmes, 3 Oakdene, Woodcote,
RG8 0RQ Tel: 07428 704254
Dear Readers
It is almost the end of the year,
concluding nearly two and a half
years
at
the
helm
of
the
Correspondent. It has been a
rollercoaster ride I can tell you; more
highs than lows happily. I have
received some lovely words of support
during my time, but I really need your active support
by sending me the items you want to see and read. If
you stop sending me articles to include, I can see a
time when the Correspondent slips away quietly into
village folklore. It goes without saying that it is an
honour to be involved with, what is, a village
institution, but I am making a last gasp call for help.
Articles for inclusion: to the editor by email to:
[email protected] — to be received by 12th of
the preceding month.
Advertisers:
To place an advertisement, please
email [email protected] for details of prices and
how to produce your ad in our house style. The
deadline for payment and your finished advert is the
12th of the preceding month.
Small Ads and Announcements: £5 for three lines.
Photographs: Photos should be unedited and as
high a resolution as possible (at least 500kB). Please
send them as attachments to [email protected].
As you will have seen on the front cover, the
Woodcote Rally presentation evening took place
recently. I would like to thank Andy Crockett for
keeping us up to date. It is great to see how much is
raised but it does not happen by itself. Andy and the
team that are left need support to make this year’s
Rally happen. If you want the Rally to continue, it is
time to roll up your sleeves and get involved.
Production:
Advertising:
Reporter:
Treasurer:
Distribution:
Dan Oldfield
01491 681962
Claire Jones
01491 680955
Vacant Position
Helen Baker
01491 682240
Ken Poyser
01491 680573
Bernadette Brennan 01491 680952
Note: The Woodcote Correspondent is edited,
produced and distributed by volunteers.
Cover Design:
Rob Spencer
Printer:
C Z Services
07860 630865
The Woodcote Correspondent is on the Village
website at www.woodcote-online.co.uk/facilities
Finally, and on behalf of everyone at the
Correspondent, I would like to wish everyone a
healthy and prosperous New Year.
Till next month,
Martin
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3
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Accounts, VAT, Payroll, Taxation…
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Serving South Oxfordshire
For a free no-obligation hour’s chat, call Simon
Porter FCA on
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ADVANCED PEST CONTROL
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Established 1970
HOUSEHOLD, GARDEN & FARM PESTS
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Crowmarsh Gifford
Tel: 01491 835610
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WOODCOTE, READING
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4
Rally Director; Children's Area; Music Stage;
Entertainments; Webmaster; Rally field preparation
and take down; Marshals; Trade Stands; Publicity;
Food and Crafts; Entry secretaries for steam,
motorbikes, commercial vehicles, military, stationary
engines, tractors and cars.
LETTERS
Dear Sir,
Thanks once again to everyone who
helped raise the grand, record total of
£3,116.20 for this year’s Royal British
Legion poppy appeal.
Some of these positions are already filled but more
help is required.
This year's total includes £500 collected by Langtree
school, a superb reaction after their original
collection box went astray. Top of the class Langtree!
The Rally committee is a friendly bunch of people
who want to put on a great show, raise money for
local groups and will welcome any new volunteers to
the team. Being involved is very satisfying and
rewarding.
A special thank you must go to our sixteen house-tohouse collectors, who worked hard in all weathers;
and also to the dedicated band that undertook the
count, a truly mammoth task.
If you feel you could help with any aspects of the
Rally, even if it is not mentioned above, then please
come and talk to us at our open recruitment evening
on Thursday the 12th of January in the Lion’s Den in
the Community Centre at 8:00pm where we can tell
you much more about the jobs and how you can help
us.
Sadly, after 13 years of organising this appeal,
Norma and I feel it is time for us to hand over to
someone younger.
If anyone would like more information about taking
on this very rewarding appeal, please contact us on
(01491) 680596.
If you cannot make the meeting but would like to be
involved,
please
contact
me
at
[email protected]
Len and Norma Albin
Dear Editor
Andy Crockett
Publicity Officer
Woodcote Charitable Association
I would like to place on record my thanks to those
very many local people who sent me greetings
verbally, by card or on social media on the occasion
of my 70th birthday.
THE ORATORY SCHOOL
My particular thanks go to Stuart Higley and his
sister Sandra Chapman. Sandra made me the most
fantastic cake and it was all based on ideas provided
by Stuart and, I am sure, Martin, with all the themes
and scenes from my life in Woodcote over the past 40
years. To see this cake (photo supplied) was to have
my life flash before me in the most wonderful way:
Football, Cricket, Stilehopper books, Village Hall,
Langtree School, Real Tennis, skittles, the War
memorial and of course both the Black Lion and the
Red Lion.
On Tuesday 22, November, The Oratory
School hosted a presentation day for the
winning entries of the inaugural Carton
de Wiart History Competition for Year 6
(under 11) boys. Twelve boys, whose entries were
‘Highly Commended’, were invited from the 40 who
entered and the School was delighted by the quality
and range of the entries in its first year of the
competition. They received accounts of outstanding
bravery and heroism from grandparents or relatives;
tales of local heroes from sportsmen to fighter pilots;
entries that looked at national heroes including
William Wilberforce and the Duke of Wellington;
while some pupils took up the brief of writing about
Carton de Wiart, the Old Oratorian and Victoria
Cross winner after whom the competition is named.
This particular tribute was literally ‘the icing on the
cake’ of a perfect celebration of a life well-lived in a
village I love.
Sam Peates
The presentation day included a workshop on
Heroes, the focus of this year’s competition, a History
quiz, a hearty Oratory School lunch, and an
introductory session with the Oratory School’s Real
tennis professional.
The day finished with the
presentation of prizes to the quiz winners (a tie
between two teams), certificates for the Highly
Commended, and finally the certificates and book
tokens for the winning boys and their schools. The
boys and staff who were in attendance had a
fantastic day at The Oratory. The winners were: 1st
Ryan Krombas (Donhead Preparatory School,
Wimbledon); 2nd Joe Gethin (The Oratory Prep
School);
3rd
Max
Pritchard
(St
Anthony’s,
Hampstead)
and
Justin
Attygalle
(Donhead
Preparatory School); 4th Oliver Townend (Hall Grove
School, Bagshot).
WOODCOTE RALLY NEEDS YOUR
HELP
Owing to various reasons, a number of
committee members have had to stand
down from helping to organise the Rally.
This means we are desperately shorthanded and, if we cannot find volunteers
to assist with running the Rally, then there is a real
danger that the Rally will not happen. If the Rally
stops then, not only is a great local event not going to
happen, but a significant amount of money (£15,000
this year) will not go into many of the local clubs and
organisations that we support.
Would you like to help and have an interest in any of
the following areas?
5
WOODOCTE RALLY 2016 DONATIONS
D J SCOTT ELECTRICAL
SERVICES
Your Local Electrician



All aspects of Electrical work undertaken
Free no obligation quotes
NICEIC Part P Registered
Call Daniel on – 07834365331
www.djscottelectrical.com
Email- [email protected]
TAI CHI AND QIGONG
Gentle Mind, Body and Spirit Exercises
Improve your balance, strength and flexibility
Suitable for all ages and abilities
NEW WOODCOTE CLASS
and other local locations
Daytime, Evening and Weekend Classes
www.karenpounds.co.uk
Mobile 07867954786
6
Hairy Legs Challenge is a wonderful family event, fast
becoming a firm favourite on the village calendar.
The Hairy Legs Challenge is a two-loop cross-country
run starting from Sheepcot field, over beautiful hills
and through stunning woodland. With running races
for the younger children on Sheepcot field too,
everyone in the family has the opportunity to take
part! The purpose of the event is ‘to host a great
sporting event for our community which is
challenging, fun and held in a friendly environment’.
Each loop is measured as 6 Hairy Legs km (Hairy
Legs km are pure guess work, as the course has not
been measured). The course can be completed either
as a solo runner or in a relay team of two. Teenage
Kicks is for children aged 11-17 who complete one
loop of the course. The very popular, and unique,
Little Legs is for children from 5-11 who complete
either one or two laps of Sheepcot field. Following the
2016 event, Goring and Streatley schools received
£250 each for investment into sporting equipment
and activities.
New for 2017: Look out for the ‘Mr and Mrs’ and
‘Parent Kick’ categories and watch this space for
more new team categories! Every competitor receives
a free t-shirt and if you complete the whole course as
a solo for 5 years, you are awarded the infamous
Hairy Legs Legend status, which is now 62 strong!
Donation Totals Since 1964
This is how some of the donations have added up
over the years out of the £456,500 donated since we
started in 1964:
£40,770
Woodcote Village Hall
£19,280
Woodcote/Goring Medical Centre
£15,465
Woodcote Village Green
£13,940
Langtree School
£11,675
Woodcote Youth Club
£10,965
St Leonard’s Church
Entries open from 1st January 2017- Visit
www.hairylegs.net and like our Facebook page for
regular updates and information about training
sessions for both adults and children.
If anyone would like to get involved, but would rather
cheer than run, please contact us as we are currently
looking for marshals. Also, if you run a local
business and would consider sponsoring us, we
would be happy to advertise you on our website and
at the event.
Hairy Legs Team
LYME REGIS
THE HAIRY LEGS CHALLENGE!
The Jurassic Coast National Heritage Site
Beautiful beaches, walks, fossil hunting,
The Cobb and harbour. Loved by children and adults
Good restaurants, arty shops, cream teas
One bedroom flat for holidays and weekend breaks
In the old town 1 minute from the sea
Tel: 01491 681892 or [email protected]
Save the date! The Hairy Legs Challenge is back
again after a successful two years since its revival.
The date for 2017’s hugely popular, cross-country
running race is Sunday the 14th of May. Raising
money for Goring and Streatley primary schools, the
7
Family Mediation
Gardening Decorating Clearances
Helping separated families with
Children’s arrangements
Finance and property
Child maintenance agreements
Call us for grass-cutting, hedge-trimming, fencing,
decorating, house & garden clearance.
We are a social enterprise (no shareholders), we
are Trading Standards Approved and we also cut
the grass for the Parish Council. Call for a quote
now on 01865 343715 or email
[email protected]
Day and evening appointments
www.csmfamilymediation.co.uk
or call 07591085389
BYWAYS DENTAL
PRACTICE
Checkendon





All aspects of dentistry
Flexible Payment Plans
Teeth whitening and cosmetics
NHS for children and students
Flexible hours, Ample free parking
Email: [email protected]
www.bywaysdental.co.uk Tel: 01491 680412
IPSDEN PRIVATE HIRE
TAXI SERVICE
LADY DRIVER
For all your transport needs – airports,
hospitals, long distance, shopping etc.
Friendly advice and quotations.
Just call or email
Jill Yates 07894-994-047
e-mail: [email protected]
We are now open in Goring. We offer barbering
services for Men and all hair services for Women
Please find us at:
Opening times:
No 2 The Arcade
Monday 9am-5pm
High Street
Tuesday9am-5pm
Goring
Wednesday 10am-8pm
RG8 9AY
Thursday 9am-6pm
Tel: 01491 873160
Friday 9am-6pm
Saturday 8am-4pm
www.marvelloushair.co.uk
8
We have an amazing team, and as the manager, I
appreciate all your hard work.
CABIN PRE-SCHOOL
Another term has come and gone
and already the year is flying past
with the speed of Santa’s sleigh.
Our deepest condolences go to our lovely Dix Family.
We have all been deeply saddened by the loss of one
of our amazing Daddies who was so tragically taken.
This term we welcome Blake, one
of the younger siblings of a Cabin graduate. It is so
lovely to be able to continue working with our
families within the village. Thank you for being loyal
to us.
We are looking forward to welcoming a few new
children in January, but we still have some spaces
available. Please pop in to see us if you are interested
in starting your child here or call Jayne on 01491
680854 or email on [email protected].
Lots of events happened this term. We had some
amazing photos again, and a huge thank you to the
wider community for supporting us. I hope you will
all be pleased with the results.
IT IS PANTO TIME EVERYONE!
- Oh no it isn’t! - Oh yes it is! -
Our Halloween party was fabulous and raised £90
with our little cake sale. The fee-lie bags and apple
bobbing was fun and the children made Spider Web
biscuits. We all enjoyed a tea of hot dogs and muffins
with some special goods donated by Nella via Ella’s
Kitchen. Thanks, Nella!
WADS - Dick Whittington by Alan Frayn
Produced by Nick Evans & James Mathers
The City is overrun with rats and the people of
London are wondering how on earth they will get rid
of them! Life is grim and people of London are afraid.
What is happening? Where are they all coming from?
The last coffee shop raised £114.30 which is great
and we received an incredible amount of funding
from the Woodcote Rally. We hope to purchase a new
water table, with some little chairs to match our
existing ones.
Underground in London’s sewers the Rat King is
using black magic for his own evil schemes.
Meanwhile, Dick Whittington, a poor orphan boy is
off to London to seek his fortune enticed by a rumour
that the streets are paved with gold. Alas his dream
is soon shattered when he finds himself cold, hungry
and very alone.
Weekly this term we have focused on a particular
book. A firm favourite was Room on a Broom, which
we actually extended for two weeks due to popular
demand.
Just as he feels like giving up Dick meets a very
extraordinary cat and together they experience
adventures abound, meeting an array of characters
good, bad and weird along the way, including Dick’s
dream girl.
We have also followed a different colour each week,
making coloured play dough. We changed the colour
of the water in the water tray. This reinforces colour
recognition for the younger children. Some of the
older ones are then able to bring in items for show
and tell with this colour scheme and wear clothes to
match. Thank you to the families for supporting your
little ones to do this.
But will Dick succeed in his quest and become Lord
Mayor of London?
Join us at the Woodcote Village Hall to find out!
We have been watching a Pirate ship being built in
the Primary school and getting very excited. This has
inspired pirate games and learning rhymes to sing
whilst playing on it. Thank you, Woodcote Primary!
Mrs Hunt even found 5 minutes to pop in and invite
us to play on it. The children were so pleased.
Tickets go on sale 4th December 2016 and make an
excellent gift for all the family! Brighten up your
January! We encourage children to dress up as rats
and cats - prizes available for the best dressed boy
and girl.
Pudsey came to football last Friday and we managed
a quick photo shoot which was very exciting.
Saturday 28 January 2017 2.15 pm and 7.30 pm
Performances:
Sunday 29 January 2017 2.15 pm
The Cabin had an amazing Christmas show. The
children showed off their remarkable talent. Santa
managed to find time in his busy schedule to make it
to our annual party and each child was given a book
as a present.
Friday 3 February 2017 7.30 pm
Saturday 4 February 2017 2.15 pm and 7.30 pm
Get Tickets Telephone 01491 680573 or email
[email protected]
Book
online
at
www.woodcotedrama.co.uk
Hopefully, you have been watching the antics of
Harry the Elf on our Facebook page. He has been
causing mischief all December!
Also we would like to thank JRS Services for the very
generous donation towards the hampers we made for
our Christmas Raffle and to the committee for
organising it. Also thanks go to The Plaice and
Kimberley's for their donation.
The Garden House, Woodcote
A huge thank you to our staff who have all helped
cover for a member of staff who has had to take a
little time off this term.
9
TOMALIN & SON
FUNERAL DIRECTORS
Monumental Mason
An Independent Family Owned Funeral Service
24 Hours Personal Attention / Private Chapel of Rest
All prices are competitive / Pre-paid Funeral Plans
Call Bruce Jones or Claire Jones
Anderson House, 38 Reading Road, Henley-on-Thames
Tel:
01491-573370
TEL. 01491 680 389 / 07956 966 089
J Roxborough Services
Providing Commercial & Residential Maintenance Services
All building maintenance & small building works undertaken
 Full property renovations
 All aspects of plastering & rendering undertaken
 Floor & wall tiling
 Painting & decorating
 Brickwork repointing
 Flat roof renewal & roof repairs
 Bathroom & kitchen installations
 Fascia & gutter replacement
Free quotes, fully insured, recommendations freely available
Tel: 07909 931601 or 01491 682955
STORAGE
DRY SECURE STORAGE UNITS
ON GATED PREMISES IN WOODCOTE
FROM £70 PER MONTH
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE PHONE
01491 680919 / 07763 101393
10
Please come and join our meetings you will be very
welcome. We meet on the 3rd Wednesday of the
month in the Village Hall. Hope to see you there!
WOODCOTE PRESCHOOL
At the time of this article coming to
print, we should have finished for the
Christmas Holidays. We had a very
busy last few weeks of term.
The
children met Freddy the Elf who is our
Elf from the story The Elf on The Shelf.
He keeps an eye on the children and
reports back to Santa on whether they
have been naughty or nice. He also gets up to lots of
antics himself and likes to do lots of nice and
sometimes quite naughty things. The children have
loved coming into Pre-school every day so they can
search for him to see what he has been up to. They
liked it when he brought them all a chocolate Santa
to take home and thought he was very naughty when
he knocked over all the stools in the toilets and put
toilet roll all over the floor.
Judy Williams.
WHITCHURCH HILL CAMERA CLUB
Whitchurch Hill Camera Club meets
every Wednesday evening from 8pm
at Whitchurch Village Hall, Manor
Road, Whitchurch. RG8 7EU.
We are a very friendly club and everyone is welcome
regardless of age or experience. Not only do we have
top level speakers from the world of photography but
also our own members giving talks on a wide range of
subjects.
Have
a
look
at
our
websitewww.whitchurchhillcameraclub.co.uk we also have
competitions both internal and against other clubs.
Come and visit us to see what we have to offer. Our
January programme is:
Our Christmas Play was a great success, thank you
to everybody who came and supported us. The
children were fantastic! We held our big Christmas
Raffle and made lots of money for Pre-school.
4th January - SVALBARD - KINGDOM OF THE ICE
BEAR which, as this is so soon after the Christmas
and New Year festivities is a recorded lecture with
amazing images about one of the world's
Northernmost inhabited areas in search of Polar
Bears
We would also like to say a big thank you to Jimmy
Hearn who donated a Christmas tree to us, and to all
the local businesses who donated raffle prizes.
We would like to welcome four new children and their
families to Pre-school this term, Max, Emelia, Oliver
and Mya. We hope you enjoy your time with us.
11th January - AN EVENING WITH TONY BATES
AND JOHN SEXTON - Two of our most experienced
members share the evening with their spectacular
images.
We still have some spaces available, so if you are
interested in your child joining us, please contact
Wendy Powell on 01491 682300 or email:
[email protected]
Or
take
a
look
woodcotepreschool.co.uk
at
our
18th January - MOVEMENT IN PHOTOGRAPHY Derek Gale visits us to show us his style of
photography which features both camera movement
and subject movement.
website:
25th January - IMAGE ANALYSIS - David Dare,
another of our members talks to us on how
extracting data from images can be a useful tool to
help scientists and farmers. It can also be a lot of
fun!
WOODCOTE WI NEWS
Ann Larden welcomed the members and
two guests Sally and Vivienne. Audrey
Hawthorne played the piano as we sang
Jerusalem.
Come and pay us a visit, you will receive a warm
welcome.
Birthday girls this month were Betty
Thomas, Evelyn Howes, Joyce Sopp and
Kathy Tarrant.
‘STAY AND PLAY’ IN WOODCOTE
A Happy New Year to all the
families that come to our play
sessions in Woodcote Village
Hall.
We are there every
Tuesday morning from 10 am until 11.30 am. Our
local Health Visitors join us each week from 10 am
until 11 am for baby weighing and general childcare
advice. We offer a range of activities for 0-5 year olds
and their parents/carers, so if you have not been
before and would like somewhere to take your little
ones on a cold Tuesday morning we would be pleased
to welcome you. During January our themes will
include ‘Down in the Jungle’ and ‘The Gruffalo’.
Our speakers this month were Luci and Claire from
Corbett Chocolates and what a lovely afternoon we
had, tasting all that delicious chocolate! We had
demonstrations of all the processes that go into
making their beautiful handmade chocolates,
followed by a retail opportunity for some lovely
Christmas presents.
This was followed by an equally delicious tea thanks
to Patricia Solomons, Dot Tyler and Joyce Sopp and
a helping hand from Hazel Tagg.
The theatre trip this month was to see ‘Oliver!’ in
Oxford, which was an excellent production.
If you would like any further information please call
the Rainbow Children’s Centre in Sonning Common
on 01189 724 024.
The competition for a decorated box was won by Jean
Taplin and the Bloom of the Month was won by
Shirley Bryant.
11
1st Goring Heath Beavers: Dylan and
Alice receiving their Awards
1st Goring Heath Beavers: Making
Christmas Cards
Woodcote FC: Action from the match v
Cookham Dean
Woodcote FC: Action from match v
Newbury
12
Current tension portal frame to support 4
single electrified wires. Photo Ian Haslam
Sam’s 70th Birthday Cake
Woodcote Rally Donations Meeting
Woodcote Pre-school Music and Rhyme Session
The Hairy Legs Challenge! Photo
courtesy of Tim McCormick
The Table Tennis Table being delivered;
and being put to immediate use
Presentation at the Oratory
13
1ST GORING HEATH BEAVERS
Book your free trial class at:
Woodcote Village Hall
The Castle Leisure Centre
R&R Frontline Studios
07870 501831
[email protected]
www.dance-connection.co.uk
PRE SCHOOL DANCE
BALLET
MODERN
TAP
MUSICAL THEATRE
SHOWS
ISTD EXAMS
SQUAD TRAINING
COMPETITIONS
Chief Scout Bronze Awards and other
antics!
Well, we come to the end of another fun
filled term of activities with the Beavers. By the time
you read this we will all be into the New Year
recovering from all its excesses – too many toys and
chocolates (as if) and alcohol for the adults, as well
as looking forward to watching WADS in their annual
pantomime – this year’s being Dick Whittington. As
Goring Heath scout hut was gifted to us from the
Whittington family (hence the black cat on the back
of our neckers) we are REALLY looking forward to
this year’s pantomime! ‘Oh no you’re not!’ I hear you
shout. ‘Oh yes we are!’ scream the Beavers.
All staff fully qualified,
CRB checked & licenced
Chaperones to ensure a
high standard of training
In a fun, safe environment
The beginning of December saw the Beavers very
diligently making Christmas Cards and Thank you
Cards. The Christmas Cards went into our Hampers,
which were delivered around the village just before
Christmas to those more mature ladies and
gentlemen of Woodcote who can take a group of very
enthusiastic Beavers carol singing at their front door!
We also had our usual visit to Mowforth House to
sing for everyone there, as well as the end-of-term
visit to Badger and Mrs Badger for refreshments.
Thank you all for having us. And for those of you
that get that knock on the door – we hope you
enjoyed our singing! At our practice session, we were
in full voice and excellent form!
This term has seen us do multiple activities from
Pond dipping (not the Beavers I might hasten to add),
celebrate Harvest Festival, invite Alice’s Daddy to talk
about policing (thank you Simon) and Dylan’s
Mummy to talk about Kenya and Girl Guides (thank
you, Rose). Back in those balmy autumnal October
days, a walk through the woods to the Black Horse
was excellent fun, with crisps and squash at the end.
The walk in the dark at the end of November looking
for glowsticks was also good fun, although very
muddy – we nearly lost one Beaver, I mean one welly,
to the mud! The walk was enjoyed all the more by
freshly made chips waiting for us at The Sun. A
huge thank you to them for that! Thank you to both
pubs for always being so welcoming.
mb
mortimer burnett
Certified accountants and business consultants
Come and speak to us about
reducing your personal tax liability.
Telephone: 01491 874 332
Email: [email protected]
The White House, Mill Road, Goring on Thames,
RG8 9DD
To celebrate Guy Fawkes Night we made our guys to
burn atop an enormous bonfire, for our Bonfire Night
celebration. We also enjoyed hotdogs, fireworks,
sparklers and the sparkling wit of one excellent Pete
Phillips - with his usual wonderful antics around the
fire!
The evening was a Group event, so cubs,
scouts and Exec group members were invited to join
us! Thank you to all the Leaders for all their help
that evening
C M C BOILER SERVICES LTD
ELVENDON ROAD,
GORING-ON-THAMES
READING, RG8 ODU
November also saw the Beavers attend the
Remembrance Sunday parade at the Woodcote
Memorial, along with the cubs and scouts.
TEL: (01491 873535)
Central Heating - Gas, Oil, Calor Gas
New Installations, Service & Repair
Building & Property Maintenance
Extensions & Home Improvement
Swimming Pool Chemicals
To close off this term we had two very special awards
to give, to Alice Botham and Dylan Wheat, as they
had both achieved their Chief Scout Bronze Awards!
This is the highest award that any Beaver can attain
at Beavers so it is always wonderful to see Beavers
work their way through all the Challenge Badges to
achieve it. So, well done to Alice and Dylan.
40 YEARS OF LOCAL SERVICE
14
Finally a huge bravo to Grasshopper for joining us,
and is now an invested Leader. It will not be long
before he has his Wood Badge!
CARERS CONCERN OVER PROPOSED
CHANGES TO COUNCIL SUPPORT.
At the other end of the scale, we must also say
goodbye to a couple of helpers/Leaders.
At a meeting to discuss Oxfordshire
County Council’s “Daytime Support”
consultation proposals, members of
Oxfordshire Carers’ Voice Panel
expressed concern about the future of services which
provide vital respite support to enable them to
continue caring.
Pinar has regularly helped us this year but, with her
son leaving, it made it difficult to continue. However,
thank you for all your help during the year.
Kingfisher, a fully paid up Leader who has been with
us a few years now, has also decided to throw in the
proverbial Beaver gauntlet, due to work and home
commitments. We are very sad to be saying goodbye
to her. Thank you so much for all your help and
enthusiasm, you will be sorely missed. Please come
back and see us some time, you will always be very
welcome.
There are 61,000 unpaid carers in Oxfordshire,
providing care often at a real cost to their own health
and wellbeing.
Judith Wardle, who chaired the meeting, said,
“Carers at the meeting were bewildered and angry
that they simply had not been given enough
information to make a choice between the two
Options offered for a redesigned service. They had
access to figures but no breakdown showing what
the money might be spent on, other than transport
cost. Carers could not envisage what the changes will
look like and what impact there will be on them.”
WHITCHURCH & GORING HEATH
HISTORY SOCIETY
On Thursday, January 19th the Whitchurch & Goring
Heath History Society is opening its doors to all
comers to hear about Sir Charles Rose, owner of
Hardwick House in the early Twentieth century, and
a possible model for Mr. Toad in ‘The Wind in the
Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame. With his love of cars
he might seem to fit the bill, but in real life, Sir
Charles was also a fascinating character, a
sportsman, liberal politician, member of the leisured
class, with connections to Edward VII, but with a
private life shadowed by bereavement.
Carers at the meeting were in complete agreement
that some users of daytime support would welcome
more flexible options than currently available, but
they are sceptical about assurances that sufficient
advocacy support will be available for individual
users to be supported to make imaginative choices:
many have had negative experiences of social
workers or advocates not being available when
needed.
Carers
understand that the changes are being
driven by cuts in central government funding for
social care announced last year, an issue that was
not addressed in the recent Autumn Statement.
Carers are angry about this because they end up
carrying an extra burden.
Michael Redley, of Oxford’s Department of
Continuing Education, who has researched the life of
Sir Charles and the times in which he lived, will give
an illustrated talk, introduced by Miriam Rose, his
descendant and current owner of Hardwick House.
His booklet will be available to buy at £7.
Dr Wardle added, “The timetable for making these
changes is very tight indeed, driven by financial
imperatives, leaving no scope for testing out what will
work in Oxfordshire.
Without examples of how
services might work for individuals, carers have no
idea whether the options are feasible and whether
the budget figures are credible. Carers are
particularly anxious to see evidence that the
proposals will work for everyone, whether older
people, people with
dementia, people
with
challenging behaviour, people with learning and/or
physical disabilities etc.
The event is at 8 pm at Whitchurch Village Hall,
Manor Road, Whitchurch, RG8 7EU.
On Saturday the 14th of January the History Society
will be at the Art Café, serving delicious cakes and
coffee. Please come and support us.
Our AGM takes place in Whitchurch Village Hall on
Thursday the 16th of February at 8 pm. Come and
hear about all our activities – and maybe join us –
and see Nick Brazil’s delightful new film ‘The Secret
Life of Father Thames’, a journey of discovery down
the Upper Thames.
“There is also concern about lack of joined up
thinking: changes in social care provision will have
an impact on NHS services which are already
stretched to breaking point.”
WHITCHURCH & GORING HEATH
TWINNING ASSOCIATION
Our friends from La Bouille will be visiting on the
weekend May 1st to 3rd 2017. Plans are still being
made, but anyone who would like to be involved will
be very welcome.
15
WOODCOTE/STOKE ROW
FOOTBALL CLUB
November Financial Services Ltd
It is unusual for our two teams to have
identical records in one month, but this
has been one such month with the first
team and reserves winning three and
losing one. The first team got their one
defeat out of the way quickly as they played well
below par and lost by 5-0 at Newbury. The following
week we were on cup duty in the Oxfordshire Senior
Cup, and this time we scored five in defeating
Mansfield Road by 5-2 to advance to the next round.
Goals were scored by Andy Bullett, James Worsfold,
Jonny Summers 2 and Mike Butcher. Back on league
duty, we had an unexpectedly easy match against
Cookham Dean, winning 8-0 with goals by Adam
Cashin-Murray 2, Frank Dillon 2, Andy Bullett, Dave
Givens and Sam Green, plus an own goal. Finally, we
secured a 3-1 home win against Unity with goals by
Jonny Summers, Frank Dillon and Jake Dillon to
hold our 4th place in the Premier Division.
Independent Financial Advisers
We offer a comprehensive range of financial services.
To arrange a FREE initial consultation please call
01491 683777 or email [email protected].
November Financial Services Ltd is authorised and
regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
J & R Collier
BUILDERS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Reserves started the month well, going through
to the next round of the Oxfordshire Intermediate
Cup with a 3-1 away win over Mansfield Road
Reserves, with goals by James Worsfold, Andy Taylor
and Daryl Potter. This was followed by a 5-1 league
win at Wargrave with Ryan Brown scoring four and a
rare goal for veteran, Rob Lynch. The team put the
disappointment of a 4-0 defeat at Finchampstead
behind them to win 5-1 away to White Eagles with
goals by Josh Glean 2, Adam Wheeler, Andy Taylor
and Ryan Brown. Currently, the Reserves are 6th in
Division 2.
Building & Property Maintenance
Listed Building Work
Extensions
Roofing
Plastering
Decorating
Plumbing
01491 680779 or 0118 9451518
We would like to place on record our thanks to the
Woodcote Rally for their kind donation which has
enabled us to buy a new ‘all singing, all dancing’
wheelbarrow for use on the Green.
RAIL ELECTRIFICATION UPDATE NO 9:
NETWORK RAIL’SPUBLIC
CONSULTATION - SOON!
Following on from RAG's last update in August,
Network Rail has been undertaking work on the new
electrification designs and on the visual impact that
these might have on the AONB (Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty). RAG members have seen the eleven
gantry designs they are considering for a retrofit, but
after detailed engineering analysis and cost
evaluation they plan to reduce this to three or four
possible designs to put before the general public as
part of their, very late, consultation process. We have
not seen the short listed designs yet and are pressing
for these to include non-portal type structures such
as wire-head spans and more slender T-shaped
designs. We believe that using these non-portal type
structures is the only way to make a meaningful
improvement to the aesthetic appearance of the
current bulky and over-engineered gantry design.
Network Rail will first show the short-listed designs
to the ‘Design Advisory Group’ (the group of local
statutory bodies that are working with Network Rail,
16
which includes the Chilterns and North Wessex
Downs Conservation Boards), in the next couple of
weeks.
the consultations are, please register on RAG’s
website: www.savegoringgap.org.uk/ (Then go to
‘How to Help’, then ‘Join our Mailing List’).
Network Rail has put some of the information
relating to the remedial evaluation it is undertaking,
and the impact that electrification is having on the
Chilterns and North Wessex Downs AONBs, on a
page of their website (www.networkrail.co.uk/greatwestern-route-modernisation/oxfordshire/).
It
includes maps, a list of the early options generated
for potential retrofit (not the short-listed ones as yet),
and comments from the Design Advisory Group and
some images from Balfour Beatty's evaluation
workshops. The plan is to add more information onto
this site as it becomes available.
Ian Haslam and Ron Bridle (RAG)
WOODCOTE LIBRARY
We would like to take this opportunity to
wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous
New Year.
We have had some great books in over the
Christmas period. So, with New Year’s resolutions in
mind, we have gathered together an excellent
selection of diet, exercise and mindfulness books.
Thinking of taking up a new hobby or interest? We
also have books about knitting or yoga to running
and painting.
Network Rail has also confirmed that the Public
Consultation regarding the Great Western Mainline
Electrification issues will commence on the 21st of
January 2017, with drop-in meetings at various
localities throughout the AONBs that have been
affected by the work. Network Rail has stated that
the process will be in two parts, with a second phase
of drop-in meetings, which will incorporate feedback
from the first, scheduled for March/April 2017. They
have proposed a number of venues in the affected
parishes, including Goring, Streatley, South Stoke,
Cholsey Moulsford, Pangbourne and Basildon.
TWO YEARS OF VOLUNTEERS!
It is with great pleasure that we would like to
say a huge THANK YOU to all of our
volunteers. It has now been two years since
our first volunteers stepped in to help our
library service continue to thrive and be an
integral part of the Community. The volunteers
continue to give their time, supporting keeping
the library functioning in an efficient manner.
Network Rail will be contacting Parish Councils and
Village Halls directly to arrange venues and dates.
Please look out for the official notifications from them
so that you can plan to attend and make your views
known. As with the previous consultation in October
2015, representatives of Network Rail will be in
attendance to answer questions and get feedback
from the public. The specific dates for each venue
may be announced at fairly short notice so we
suggest that people interested in attending these
meetings consider signing up on our website (link at
end of article) and we will email the details directly. It
is essential that the maximum number of people
affected by the electrification work attend these
meetings and make their feelings known to Network
Rail, as this may have a major bearing on whether it
ultimately fulfill its promises and stated intentions to
use the money it says it has put in its budget to
undertake the retrofit.
Given this time of year is often cold and difficult for
some people in our community to get out to the
Library, we would like to remind you that the Library
Service has a Home Library Service where by books
and audio can be delivered to your door by Library
Volunteers. If you would benefit from this service, or
know someone who would – or indeed you would like
to become a Volunteer for this service, you can find
more at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/homelibrary.
Another option is to use the Library Service’s free
eBook or eAudiobook service. More details can be
found
at
www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/
content/ebooks-and-eaudio
Lots of changes have taken place to this popular
service recently including:
The number of titles on loan at any one time has
increased from 5 to 10 eBook and/or eAudio titles
The recent announcements by Network Rail on
deferring parts of the electrification work will not
have a significant impact on our AONB stretch of
track. They have put back the electrification of four
branch lines to 2024 and beyond, including the
Henley branch line and the Didcot to Oxford branch
line. However, the electrification work on the
mainline track (from London - Cardiff) will continue
with a current timetable for completion scheduled for
the end of 2018, but this appears an optimistic
forecast. The knock-on effects mean that Network
Rail has had to order more bi-mode trains (hybrid
electric and diesel) for the mainline service.
The number of holds (reservations) has increased
from 3 to 5.
There are three providers to choose from, including
Overdrive, One Click Digital and BorrowBox. You will
need to be a member of the Library Service and have
access to your pin number (obtainable from your
local Library). There are thousands of great titles to
choose from and they can all be downloaded to a
variety of popular devices including phones, tablets,
e-readers, iPods, laptops and PC’s.
The next meeting of the adult book club is on
Monday 16th January 2017 at 6pm.
RAG’s next meeting with Network Rail is planned for
January. We hope to know the firm dates for the
public consultation dates before Christmas, but as
the January issue of GGN is not delivered until about
21/22 January, about the time Network Rail plan to
start the consultation. To be notified when and where
Rhymetime for the under 5’s will be starting back on
Thursday the 5th of January 2017 at 10 am and this
will continue during term time.
New members are always most welcome.
17
Located in the Village Hall overlooking the
Village Green, we offer a relaxed and happy
enviroment for playful and creative learning
for children from 18 months to 5 years.
J & L LANDSCAPING
FENCING, PATIOS and DRIVES, ROOF REPAIRS
GENERAL BUILDING, TURFING. REPLACEMENT
OFSTED RATING ‘GOOD’ JULY 2016
OF FACIA BOARDS, SOFITS and GUTTERING
PHONE: 01491-681367 or 07961-882281
-
Email: [email protected]
Free Quotations
As well as a varied curriculum of activities,
children will also benefit from:
Trips to our organic allotment & around the village
Large indoor and outdoor play area
Flexable sessions
Fresh homecooked meals prepared on the premises
Easter & Summer Holiday Club
www.woodcotepreschool.co.uk
01491 682300
FAST and FRIENDLY
SERVICE
Find us on Facebook ‘Woodcote Pre School’
ENGLISH TUITION AT HOME
Quality tuition delivered by a qualified, experienced
teacher.
All key stages taught from basic literacy to ‘A’ level.
AQA & OCR Specifications.
QTS & CRB BA Honours
Contact: 01491 680 985
Taking Time to Care
Home based companionship care services in Berkshire and
Oxfordshire.
The service we offer is perfect for people who need support
after discharge from hospital, older people, both those living
alone and in couples, for family carer respite breaks and
anyone who is finding it harder to cope at home. We also
offer personal care when required.
R Hazell Recycling Waste
For a no obligation one-to-one discussion about your needs
please contact Melanie Meads.
[email protected]
Tel. 01189 323 865
www.q1care.co.uk
Q1Care Ltd, Mortimer House, 49 Church Street
Theale, Berkshire RG7 5BX
Licence Waste Carrier – CB/QP3698MJ
Waste Management Licence No. WML86315
4yd skip - £140 + VAT
6yd skip - £190 + VAT
12yd skip - £290 + VAT
Roll On/Roll Off Skips Also Available
Ring 01491 699101
Q1Care Ltd is approved by the Care Quality Commission
18
If it was not possible to sow polyanthus seed last
September in frames, a sowing may be made now, in
seed trays under glass. Sow thinly, and prick out
seedlings into a standard-sized seed tray when the
plants are large enough to handle.
VILLAGE GREEN COMMITTEE
The Village Green Committee is
pleased to announce the arrival of the
outdoor table tennis table now safely
installed on its concrete base on the
Folly Field. The table arrived from Manchester on
Tuesday the 6th of December. It is made of concrete
with a permanent net and weighs-in at nearly two
tonnes. This is another of our projects made possible
by the Section 106 funding which becomes available
from developers when a new housing development is
completed. We would like to place on record our
thanks to the Parish Council for their support for our
project. Members of the committee and friends have
already given the table a trial and we hope it will give
enjoyment to people of all ages for many years to
come. You will need to supply your own bats and
balls, but do please enjoy playing and let us all take
good care of a facility we have worked hard to get.
Continue to bring plunged or covered hyacinths and
narcissi indoors for gradual warming up when the
buds have emerged well out of the necks of the
bulbs.
If dahlia sites are prepared now, it will give any
manure worked in at this time a chance to become
really well incorporated with the soil before planting
time in late spring. Inspect dahlia tubers regularly
and, if there is any sign of mildew, dust with flowers
of sulphur.
Viburnum fragrans can be propagated this month or
next by layering. Peg suitable low-growing branches
down into the ground.
Wash the inside and outside of the greenhouse and
frames. This can make a tremendous difference to
the amount of light your plants receive, which is
rarely sufficient in winter months.
In addition, we would like to thank the Woodcote
Rally for their recent donation. We hope to use the
money to replace trees on the Green.
Remove the dead leaves from pelargonium
(geranium), fuchsias, heliotrope and coleus cuttings
to prevent any disease. Ventilate the greenhouse to
keep the atmosphere buoyant.
GARDENING IN JANUARY
Continuing the series of articles on gardening, month
by month, that were written by the late Cyril Baldwin
and appeared in the Correspondent over a period of
several years under the name B Troot.
Fruit
Examine any fruit trees or bushes planted earlier,
and firm them if they have been loosened by wind or
frost.
Thanks go to Cyril’s family for allowing us to
reproduce these articles.
If your fruit trees have not already had their winter
tar oil wash, take the earliest opportunity to complete
this task.
Flowers
A sowing of sweet peas made now in the greenhouse
will provide plants for flowering in early summer.
Soak the seeds for about half an hour before sowing,
and sow about 5 seeds to a 3 in. pot. When the
seedlings are about 3 ins. tall, the tips should be
pinched out to promote sturdy growth.
Tie in summer-fruiting raspberry canes to the
training wires. The canes should be no closer
together than 9ins. Where the tips of the canes are
much higher than the top wire, cut them back to
about 5 ft.
Take cuttings of chrysanthemums selecting, where
possible, shoots growing directly from the base of the
plant rather than the stem. The latter should be used
only when stock is really short and the supply of the
preferred type of cutting is inadequate. Choose
sturdy, short-jointed shoots, about 3 ins. long, and
these
will
be
obtained
by
keeping
the
chrysanthemum stools in good light. Trim the
cuttings just below a leaf joint with a sharp knife,
and remove the lower leaves to give a clean stem.
After dipping the bare stems in hormone rooting
powder, they can be inserted around the edge of a 4
in. pot, four to six in a pot. Then place the pots in a
light position in a temperature of 7°C (45°F).
Newly-planted blackcurrants and raspberries should
be pruned severely, the blackcurrants to within 2 to
3 ins. of the ground to encourage the production of
strong growths from below ground level. Raspberries
should be cut back to a bud 6 to 9 ins. above
ground.
Vegetables
When seed potatoes arrive, these must be kept in a
place where the frost cannot penetrate, and the
tubers should be stood, eye end uppermost, in
shallow boxes to sprout.
If onion seeds have not already been sown in boxes
for planting out later, do this as soon as possible.
When the seedlings have straightened from the loop
stage, they can be potted on individually into 3 in.
pots.
Prune established fuchsias now. All side growths on
standards should be cut back to within two or three
buds of the main stem. Bush varieties should also be
cut back to encourage new growth.
Continue digging when the weather permits. Heavy
clay soil dug over at this time benefits from the
action of frost.
Take cuttings of perpetual carnations at any time
from now until March, using short, non-flowering
side-shoots for this purpose. Those from midway up
the stems are best. Make the cuttings 3 to 4 ins. long
and cut cleanly at the base. Root in pure sand in a
greenhouse with a temperature of 16°C (60°F).
Wishing you all A Happy Gardening New Year.
19
KINGS
FLOORING
THE CORN EXCHANGE WALLINGFORD
ROOF APPEAL
WE NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE
Wallingford’s historic Corn Exchange is embarking
on a major project costing £500,000 to replace the
roof on the Grade II listed Victorian building. The
existing glass roof, the 1856 original, leaks badly in
poor weather and is damaging the building’s interior
and infrastructure.
CARPETS, VINYLS, LAMINATES,
ENGINEERED WOOD AND KARNDEAN
FOR A FREE QUOTE AND SAMPLES DIRECT
TO YOUR DOOR CALL
01491 681489
07799471648
The Corn Exchange Wallingford Roof Appeal will be
launched this month and a number of fund raising
events will be held during the year to secure the
finances.
A dedicated team of volunteers has already started
the process of applying for various grants and will be
appealing to local businesses for sponsorship.
AIRPAL TAXIS
The Corn Exchange is a charity, run by volunteers,
with all profits ploughed back into the running and
maintenance of the building. The charity has already
set aside £150,000 for the project from its reserves.
The new roof, which has been designed by an
architect who specialises in old and listed buildings,
will incorporate a modern ventilation and heating
system and, in opening up the interior roof space,
will allow the full splendour of the original Victorian
framework to be appreciated.
AIRCONDITIONED 24HR SERVICE
AIRPORTS-LONDON-ANYWHERE
BUSINESS or PLEASURE
01491 260784
07862 721698
Work is expected to start in July and will be
completed early autumn in time for the coming
season of films, live shows and Sinodun Players’
productions.
[email protected]
So, if you love cinema and theatre and would like to
donate to help preserve this very important amenity
for Wallingford and surrounding area, here’s how to
do it:
Cash or cheques (payable to Sinodun Players) can be
placed in a special box in the Corn Exchange foyer,
or post cheques to fundraising co-ordinator John
Warburton,
Corn
Exchange,
Market
Place,
Wallingford OX10 0EG. Donations can be made by
BACS to Sinodun Players, National Westminster
Bank, sort code 60-22-19, Account No. 66525705
(ref ‘roof fund’).
Thank you for your support.
Mixed Ability Yoga Class
With Jean Cosham. BWY Dip.
Pangbourne Primary School
Tuesday Evenings: 7.30 - 9.30pm
For more information
please call: 01235 868 004
or email: [email protected]
20
FLOWERS OF THE COSTA BLANCA
WALLINGFORD MUSEUM
At the January meeting of the
Wallingford Gardening Club, Malcolm
Broadsword returns to talk about the
'Flowers of the Costa Blanca'. He will tell
us about flowers of the coast and
mountains of eastern Spain, with a little reference to
the local garden plants.
Whilst Wallingford Museum is
closed for its winter break, the
highly
successful
Museum
bookshop, with its constantly
changing stock of good secondhand books, both fiction and nonfiction, will remain open until the end of February.
The shop will be open on Fridays and Saturdays from
10.30am to 1.00pm. Do please continue to donate
your second-hand books - and particularly those
with an Agatha Christie connection!
Malcolm is a retired chemist, a keen amateur
gardener and photographer. He was awarded an RHS
Banksian Medal at the Hardy Orchid Society Show in
2007. His interests also include Japanese gardens,
hardy orchids and plant propagation.
There will be three special exhibitions running in
2017: 'Pettits: past to present', 'Wallingford Castle'
and 'The Way to Wallingford', together with new
material added to the Agatha Christie and Midsomer
Murders displays. The Museum will re-open on the
1st of March 2017.
The talk will be held at Ridgeway Community
Church, Wallingford at 7.30pm on Thursday 12th
January.
Visitors very welcome £3.
Isabelle Darby
01491-836867
The regular programme of Town Walks will
recommence on Saturday the 15th of April. However,
separately arranged group visits to the Museum or
history walks (or combined) are proving increasingly
popular. They can be specially tailored to your
group's requirements.....out of hours, introductory
talk, etc. If your group / society/ school would like to
book for 2017 then please phone Judy Dewey as
soon as possible, tel: 01491- 651127.
TREASURES BENEATH OUR FEET
James Mather will talk to The
Wallingford
Historical
and
Archaeological Society (TWHAS)
about local metal detecting finds
from Oxfordshire and Berkshire
dating from modern times to the
Bronze Age. His most significant find, ‘The
Watlington Viking Hoard’, with its amazing selection
of King Alfred the Great coins, is covered
comprehensively from its discovery to display at the
Ashmolean Museum
WHAT’S ON AT THE CORN EXCHANGE,
WALLINGFORD IN JANUARY
CINEMA (performances start
at 7.30pm unless otherwise
stated)
By the end of James's presentation, attendees will
have seen many beautiful images and have a clear
idea of the contribution responsible metal detecting
can make to the nation's heritage. James has been
detecting for over 25 years, and is a member of the
'Archaeology in Marlow' local society.
CINEMA
Sunday 29th, Monday 30th: Sully (12A)
Tuesday 31st:
This talk will be held on Wednesday 11th January,
7.45 for 8pm, at St Mary’s Church, Wallingford.
Thursday 2nd February: NT Live Amadeus. 7pm
Visitors (£4) are most welcome.
LIVE
www.twhas.org.uk
January 13-28. The Pied Piper, Sinodun Players’
annual pantomime promises loads of comedy, magic,
music and colourful fun. The pantomime journey
starts in Hamelin, then it’s through the sewers to the
Pied Piper’s Magic Mountain. On the way, meet
German sausage maker Helga, rat catchers Blatter
and Splatter, baddies Sour-Kraut and Rat-Worst ,
good fairy Strudel…and many more. £10 (TuesThurs), £12 (Fri, Sat), under-16s £6. Evenings and
Saturday matinee. No performances Sunday or
Monday. Weekdays 7.30pm, Saturdays 2pm and
6.30pm. Tickets £10/£12, children under-16 £6.
Chiltern Domestic Appliances
Est 1985
Repairs, Servicing and Sales
Washing Machines, Tumble Dryers, Dishwashers,
Cookers
Tickets and further information, including additions
to cinema programme made after going to press are
available online www.cornexchange.org.uk or box
office 01491 825000.
* Low call-out fee *Prompt Attention
Tel: 01491 638146
21
NO ONE SHOULD HAVE NO ONE – AT
CHRISTMAS, AND BEYOND
JRS SERVICES
‘No One should have No One’.
Age UK Oxfordshire firmly
believes
that
everybody
should
have
somebody.
Staggeringly, as many as
13,000 people in Oxfordshire
can go a month without speaking to anybody. Take a
moment to let these numbers sink in. It is shocking
that the effect of loneliness and isolation on mortality
is comparable to the impact of well-known risk
factors such as obesity, and has an influence similar
to cigarette smoking (Holt-Lunstad, 2010). However,
loneliness is preventable. This year Age UK has
launched a national initiative called ‘No One should
have No One’ and firmly believes that everybody
should have somebody. Locally, Age UK Oxfordshire
is teaming up with Oxfordshire County Council Fire
& Rescue to help raise awareness of the silent and
often
unnoticed
danger
that
is
loneliness.
Oxfordshire County Council Fire & Rescue will be
distributing 1,000 goodie bags filled with useful
items and information to older, vulnerable people
that they come into contact with. One way that Age
UK Oxfordshire works to combat loneliness is
through their Phone Friends service. Phone Friends,
Age
UK
Oxfordshire’s
unfunded
telephone
befriending service, makes approximately 500 calls to
older people each week. Currently over 230 of the
most lonely and isolated people in Oxfordshire are
receiving at least one call a week from one of our 37
caring,
friendly,
committed
Phone
Friends
volunteers. This included 382 evening calls and 234
weekend calls made by volunteers from their homes
last year. Our Phone Friends are some of the
loneliest and isolated people in society, homebound
or even bed-bound, unable to take advantage of other
services such as lunch clubs or activities and often
feeling forgotten and overlooked as a result. It is vital
that this service, the Information and Advice line and
other Age UK Oxfordshire services receive funds in
order to continue. As you can imagine, at this time of
year, that one phone call from a phone friend can be
a lifeline. Mick Dillon, Age UK Oxfordshire’s new
Chief Executive, is passionate about combating
loneliness. Mick said, “It is tragic that loneliness is so
prevalent today and having such a negative impact
on so many people. We should all make a point of
looking out for all our neighbours.” Chris Barber,
Station Manager for Oxfordshire County Council Fire
& Rescue Service, said , “Christmas and the New
Year can be lonely times of the year. Over the festive
period please take a moment to check on elderly
relatives, friends or neighbours and make sure they
are safe and well. Age UK Oxfordshire is one of the
partners we are working with to raise awareness of
the support and services available to the residents of
Oxfordshire, helping them stay safe and well at
home”. If you would like to help combat loneliness
you can do so by visiting
Unit 4B
Wards Farm Industrial Estate
Greenmore
Woodcote
RG8 0RB
Recovery and Tyres
Quality Tyres
At Low Low Prices
Tracking and Wheel Balancing
Alloy Wheel Refurbishing
For reliable service and the best prices
With NO hidden extras
Please call 01491 684030
REGISTERED OSTEOPATH
KAREN L.PHILLIPS D.O.
WOODCOTE PRACTICE
01491 684060
Flexible appointment times
Private Health Insurance Provider
www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/ageukoxford
shire/noone or by texting AUKO33 £10 (or an
amount of your choice) to 70070.
22
PARISH COUNCIL
DISTRICT COUNCIL
The Outdoor Table Tennis Table has
been installed on Folly Field for all
Woodcote residents to use. The local
stores in Woodcote will be selling Bats
and Balls. The Parish Council used
Section 106 funds to purchase this for outdoor sport.
Councils’
housing
and
homelessness support among the
best in the country
Housing and homelessness support services provided
by South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse
District Councils has been recognised by the
National Practitioner Support Service (NPSS) as one
of the country’s top performers.
Woodcote Parish Council wishes all Woodcote
Residents a Merry Christmas and A Happy and
Healthy New Year.
They scored an impressive 80 per cent, putting the
councils in the top eight nationally (average 69 per
cent) and one of the highest scorers in the south
east.
Planning applications granted by SODC
P16/S3043/FUL
Application proposal, including any amendments:
The two councils recently took part in a review of
their vital front line housing services which are
operated on a shared basis for the two districts. The
review checked that the advice and support residents
receive is provided in a targeted, effective and
efficient way.
Removal of condition 5 - Level 4 of the Code for
Sustainable Homes on application ref. P14/S2378
/FUL (appeal ref APP/Q3115/A/14/2228795)
Erection of a new 3 bedroom dwelling
Site Location: New Dormer Bungalow, The Conifers
Beech Lane Woodcote RG8
The councils’ high score follows recent improvements
they have made to their housing and homelessness
support services. This includes launching a new
phone service for vulnerable residents, intervening
earlier to support those at risk of becoming
homeless, ensuring the same council officer retains
responsibility for individual cases for up to a year,
and introducing a new online self-help service for
housing information and advice.
The Parish Office will be closed over the Christmas
period from 23rd December reopening on Tuesday 3rd
January 2017
Parish Clerk, Woodcote Parish Council, Parish
Office, Village Hall, Reading Road, Woodcote, RG8
0QY Tel: 0141 681861 [email protected]
The councils’ housing support service received
further national recognition this month when their
strategy for effective and early intervention was
highlighted in the Chartered Institute of Housing’s
‘How to development homelessness prevention
solutions’ briefing.
LIBRARY TIMES
Monday
2.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.
Tuesday
2.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Thurs/Friday/Saturday
p.m.
9.30
a.m.
Books may be renewed by telephone.
682323.
–12.30
Cllr Elizabeth Gillespie, Cabinet Member for Housing
at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “The
high score we achieved in this review reflects the
important changes we have made to our housing and
homelessness support services. This has put us in a
much better position to provide people with the help
and advice they need at the earliest possible
opportunity.”
Please ring
SUDOKO 21
Cllr Elaine Ware, Cabinet Member for Housing at
Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “Our
housing needs team have made great strides to
improve the service they offer people and are now
being held up as a great example nationally. They
also led the way in ensuring that people will continue
to receive additional homeless support, despite the
cuts that the county council is having to make to
their services.”
VILLAGE HALL BOOKINGS
To make a booking please contact Jenny on 01491
681861 up to 5pm, if there is no answer please leave
a message. Calls after 5pm go to the answerphone
and all messages will receive a reply or email
[email protected]
Booking request forms can be found at;
www.woodcote-online.co.uk/villagehall
23
DIARY JANUARY
Tues 3rd
*
4th
*
Wed
*
*
Sat 7th
*
Sun 8th
*
Tues 10th
*
Wed 11th
*
Sat 14th
*
Mon 16th
*
Tues 17th
*
18th
*
Wed
*
*
Thur 19th
*
Sat 21st
*
*
Tues 24th
*
Wed 25th
*
*
Thur 26th
*
Sat 28th
*
*
Sun 29th
*
Drop-in ‘Stay and Play’ 10am11.30am, Village Hall. .
Mobile Play Bus, 1pm-2.30pm, Medill
Close, Woodcote.
P.C. Meeting, Village Hall, 7.30pm.
Whitchurch Hill Camera Club
8pm Whitchurch Village Hall
Coffee Shop in aid of St Leonards,
Woodcote Community Centre, 10am12.30pm.
Woodcote 10K run outside St
Leonards church 10am
Drop-in ‘Stay and Play’ 10am11.30am, Village Hall. .
Mobile Play Bus, 1pm-2.30pm, Medill
Close, Woodcote.
Whitchurch Hill Camera Club
8pm Whitchurch Village Hall
Coffee Shop in aid of Breakfast Club,
Woodcote Community Centre, 10am12.30pm.
Book Club for Adults
6pm Woodcote Library
Drop-in ‘Stay and Play’ 10am11.30am, Village Hall.
Mobile Play Bus, 1pm-2.30pm, Medill
Close, Woodcote
Woodcote W.I. Meeting. 2:30pm
Woodcote Village Hall.
P.C. Meeting, Village Hall, 7.30pm.
Whitchurch Hill Camera Club
8pm Whitchurch Village Hall
History Society Meeting 8pm
Whitchurch Village Hall
Coffee Shop in aid of WADS,
Woodcote Community Centre, 10am12.30pm
Art with Pam
Woodcote Village Hall, 9:15am13:00pm
Contact 01189724995 or
[email protected]
Drop-in ‘Stay and Play’ 10am11.30am, Village Hall. .
Mobile Play Bus, 1pm-2.30pm, Medill
Close, Woodcote.
Whitchurch Hill Camera Club
8pm Whitchurch Village Hall
South Oxfordshire Archaeology
Group January Lecture
7;30 pm Goring Heath Parish Hall,
Whitchurch Hill
Coffee Shop in aid of Cabin PreSchool, Woodcote Community
Centre, 10am-12.30pm
WADS Panto Dick Whittington
2:15pm and 19:30pmVillage Hall
WADS Panto Dick Whittington
2:15pm Village Hall
SMALL ADS
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT :: Admin, secretarial or PA
assistance locally & beyond. No job too small.
Email: [email protected] or call: 07799766463
LOCAL HANDYMAN :: No job too small. DIY jobs
in and around the home. Kitchen & bathroom renovations undertaken. Call James 07961 882281.
WOODCOTE CITIZENS ADVICE
At: Woodcote Community Centre, Reading
Road, Woodcote. This is a branch service
of Henley Citizens Advice. Open Fridays
10.00am – 1.00pm.
*
Drop in between 10.00 and 11.00 or pre booked
Whitchurch Hill Camera C
appointment 11.00am-1.00pm.
8pm Whitchurch Village H
New clients please call Adviceline Oxfordshire* 03444
111 444 Monday – Friday, 10.00am – 7.00pm.
Clients wishing to change an appointment or discuss
their case please call 01491 578267 or email
[email protected].
For further details including
www.caox.org.uk/henley.
opening
hours
*Calling Adviceline Oxfordshire
You will be offered a number of options. If you select
to speak to Citizens Advice you will be asked to
complete a short telephone interview to identify the
problem and the most appropriate next steps, which
may be an appointment in your local bureau. Please
ask for an appointment at Woodcote if appropriate.
Calls to Adviceline are charged at a local rate when
calling from a normal landline.
WOODCOTE WELCOME PACK
Have you recently moved into the Village? Would
you like to know more about Woodcote in the past
and what’s going on now, such as where to find a
babysitter, useful important telephone numbers,
details of the Coffee Shop, the Windmill Sales,
Citizen’s Advice Bureau, the local dentist, Lions’
Club, Volunteers, St Leonard’s Church and more?
‘Welcome to Woodcote’ is a free information pack and
has been organised by members of St Leonard’s
Church for those moving into the Village. We think
Woodcote is a wonderful, friendly place to live and
would like to offer newcomers the opportunity to find
out what is going on and provide useful information
in a handy format.
Copies are kept in St Leonard’s Church, the Health
Centre and Woodcote Library or you can contact me
on 01491 681449, email [email protected]
Barbara Penniall, 150 Wayside Green
THIS MONTH’S CLOSING THOUGHT
Diary entries for February by 12th January to
[email protected]
We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our
little life is rounded with a sleep.
― William Shakespeare, The Tempest
24