YOUR BUS SERVICE ACTION - woodcote-online.co.uk

Vol 27 No 4
April 2016

YOUR BUS SERVICE – ACTION

For several years Woodcote Parish Council hasNbEeeEnDEDsNimOplWy merge the two routes into the X40 and provide a

…working to improve our bus service to Reading, good, reliable service to ALL villages between Reading
and Oxford. You would expect that Thames Travel
Wallingford and Oxford. Ever since the introduction of
the express bus route between Reading and Oxford would want to provide the best possible bus service for

along the A4074, the X40 bus has served Woodcote and all South Oxfordshire residents, maximising income and

all the other stops on the route while the X39 bus always putting the needs of its customers first. A

serves all stops except Woodcote. Residents of all the reliable bus service should be their top priority.

other villages along the route have the benefit of both In advance of the next timetable revision, the Parish
the X39 and X40 buses, providing two buses each hour Council needs your help to persuade Thames Travel to
through much of the day, while here in Woodcote we improve their bus service for the residents of Woodcote
have just one bus each hour. Why? What is the by ending their illogical and unnecessary timetabling

commercial logic behind the decision to operate two which currently provides our residents with only half
identical bus routes but exclude just Woodcote the service available to all other villages along the route.
residents from using the X39 buses? What can be the commercial logic of providing

Last year the Parish Council had discussions with Woodcote, one of the largest villages between Reading

Thames Travel requesting that the X39 bus should and Oxford, with a second class bus service whereas

come off the A4074 and stop just once in the village on residents of Ipsden or Cane End are currently given

the Reading Road near to the schools. At that time twice as many buses each day?

proposed timetable changes from 31st August last year The Parish Council have spoken on this matter to our
had been agreed by Thames Travel with no prior MP and to the County Councillor with responsibility for
consultation with the Parish Council and could not be Transport, and are now awaiting further discussion with
altered. Our request to get the X39 bus to stop once in Thames Travel on a new timetable.
the village was met with a total lack of vision by Thames

Travel who simply stated that to provide this addition to Please add your voice to that of the Parish Council by

the X39 service would require them to meet the cost of sending an email or writing to: Thames Travel,

another bus and driver! [email protected] with a copy to:

The bus timetables are due to be reviewed by Thames Oxfordshire County Councillor, Cabinet Member for
Travel within the next three months. This year Transport, [email protected] and
Woodcote Parish Council will be consulted at an early John Howell MP, [email protected]
stage in the revision and remain strongly of the view
that the bus timetables can and should be reorganised PLEASE ACT NOW – send your email and then come
to provide for the X39 bus to stop in Woodcote using the to the Parish Council consultation at the Village Hall on
existing buses and drivers. This can be done by slightly Saturday the 16th of April and speak to Thames Travel.
increasing the intervals between the X39 and X40 buses
during the main part of the day when the X39 service Together we can get Thames Travel to provide us with
currently operates. Alternatively Thames Travel could the bus service we want.

COMMENT FROM THE VICARAGE SERVICES AT ST LEONARD’S IN APRIL

‘Alleluia, Christ is Risen! 3rd April (2nd of Easter)

He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia.’ 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion
9.45 a.m. Parish Communion
These are the words that are said at the beginning of
the church service on Easter Day. We call them 10th April (3rd of Easter)
‘acclamations’ and they should be shouted so as to
raise the roof. Sometimes we need to do a few warm 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion
ups to get to that level though! Apart from marking 9.45 a.m. Worshipping Together
the reality of Easter Day the word ‘alleluia’ returns to
the church having been banished for the whole of 17th April (4th of Easter)
Lent. It is the same word as ‘hallelujah’ and
translates from the Hebrew as ‘praise the Lord’ and 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion
speaks of celebration. It needs to be a shout because 9.45 a.m. The Open Door
it should be a bursting forth of joy and we all need
some joy in our lives. 24th April (5th of Easter)

The world of newspapers and television gives us a 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion
window on a world full of pain and division. So much
so that, increasingly, I hear of people who refuse to 9.45 a.m. Parish Communion
engage with it any longer as they find it all just too
depressing and difficult to live with and yet, if we Followed by Annual Parochial Church Meeting
look around us in our gardens and on the roadsides,
in the woods and on the river banks, we see a world Baptism 21st February
that is positively bursting forth with joy. You might 6th March
think me sentimental and naïve but the contrast is Sophie Williams
there in plain sight. The world of human beings is Cara Ingram
full of pain, whilst the realm of nature continues to
throw a party just because it can.

What is my point? Well, that we need to find the joy THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF CHRIST
in life. We need to know that it can be found. We do THE KING
not need to deny the beauty of creation or the simple
pleasures of life; we do not need to suppress our joy South Stoke Road, Woodcote
because of the difficulties of others. If we can
experience delight, if we can increase our joy, our Priest: Father Antony Conlon.
hope and our love of life then we are more likely, and
more able, to be a source of joy and blessing to Asst Priest: Father Jacob Lewis
others. Whether that is the neighbour who has
recently been bereaved or the refugee thousands of
miles away who needs our prayers and our help.

We have to have hope, real hope, that in spite of the Telephone: 01491 872181
terrible things humanity does to itself there is a
Mass times:
source of goodness, beauty and truth that endures.
This is why the Church is celebrating and singing Sunday at 11.30 am Thursday at 12.00
‘Praise the Lord!’ even when we know that so many
suffer and have little so celebrate. Just as the flowers Confession: The third Saturday of the month from
bloom each spring so Easter arrives to remind us 12.00-12.30
that Christ was, and is, risen for us all. He is with us
irrespective of what is happening in the world; He is
our hope.

Blessings, VILLAGE HALL BOOKINGS
Linda
Please contact Jenny on 01491 681861 up to 6pm.
Revd. Linda Smith, Tel. 01491 680979 Or please email [email protected].
Email: [email protected]
Booking request forms can be found here;
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of www.woodcote-online.co.uk/villagehall
information printed in this paper, the Editor and
Committee cannot accept responsibility for the contents of Copies are kept in St Leonard’s Church, the Health
advertisements or any errors that may occur. Opinions Centre and Woodcote Library or you can contact me
expressed are those of the contributors and do not on 01491 681449, email [email protected]
necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or Committee.
Barbara Penniall, 150 Wayside Green

2

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK PUBLISHER INFORMATION

Dear Readers Editor: Martin Fowmes, 3 Oakdene, Woodcote,
RG8 0RQ Tel: 07428 704254
This month’s Correspondent has
been a challenge to put together I Articles for inclusion: to the editor by email to:
have to admit. It is the first time I [email protected] — to be received by 12th of
have not been able to juggle both my the preceding month.
work and personal life to be in a quiet place to
compile it. I am writing this at 7:30am in a hotel Advertisers: To place an advertisement, please
room in the US before another long day. Anyway, email [email protected] for details of prices and
hopefully if you are reading this it all came together. how to produce your ad in our house style. The
deadline for payment and your finished advert is the
I would like to draw everyone’s attention to the article 12th of the preceding month.
about the Woodcote Festival. I know September Small Ads and Announcements: £5 for three lines.
seems a long way off at the moment, but it will soon
be upon us. Let us make this the best one yet! If Photographs: Photos should be unedited and as
everyone gets behind the organisers and helps in any high a resolution as possible (at least 500kB). Please
way they can, I am sure it will be a brilliant day. send them as attachments to [email protected].

I hope everyone who gave something up for Lent has Production: Dan Oldfield 01491 681962
done better than I have. I fell at the first hurdle I am
afraid, no will-power! Advertising: Claire Jones 01491 680955

Till next month, Reporter: Chloe Spires
Martin
Treasurer: Gill Athey 01491 680970

Distribution: Ken Poyser 01491 680573

Bernadette Brennan 01491 680952

REGISTERED OSTEOPATH Note: The Woodcote Correspondent is edited,
produced and distributed by volunteers.

Cover Design: Rob Spencer

KAREN L.PHILLIPS D.O. Printer: C J Services 07860 630865

WOODCOTE PRACTICE 01491 684060 The Woodcote Correspondent is on the Village
website at www.woodcote-online.co.uk/facilities
Flexible appointment times

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3

J & R Collier LETTERS

BUILDERS Dear Sir,

• Building & Property Maintenance I understand the Parish Council is
• Listed Building Work consulting on what should happen to
• Extensions the piece of land behind Millgate Homes
• Roofing at the top of Long Toll. This land, currently wooded,
• Plastering is the site of pits dug to provide clay for Woodcote’s
• Decorating Victorian brick-making industry. It is also, in
• Plumbing February, the site of the wonderful spectacle of
carpets of snowdrops. These two things may well be
01491 680779 or 0118 9451518 connected.

mb Much of the work in the brick-making industry was
mortimer burnett seasonal, which suited gypsies and travellers.
(Woodcote Common was a traditional gathering place
Certified accountants and business consultants for gypsies). Sometimes, gypsies also supported
themselves by selling flowers in towns, among them,
Come and speak to us about snowdrops, which they planted close to their
reducing your personal tax liability. traditional sites so that they would always have a
supply. (Most of the ‘wild’ snowdrops in Britain are
thought to have been planted in the past.) So it is
very likely that this snowdrop-filled natural arena is
a part of Woodcote’s social history.

I would like to see the piece of land preserved much
as it is, perhaps with a small interpretation board
setting out this history.

However, there is an even stronger reason that this
land should be valued for what it is, and not used as,
for instance, a skate-board park, which could equally
well be built on less interesting land.

Every public body, including parish councils, must
‘have regard… to the purpose of conserving
biodiversity …Conserving biodiversity includes, in
relation to a living organism or type of habitat,
restoring or enhancing a population or habitat.
‘Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act
2006.

Here in Woodcote we are enormously privileged to be
surrounded by woods and fields, and perhaps we are
in danger of taking them for granted. In fact, the high
level of biodiversity to be found in the Chilterns is not
typical of Oxfordshire, or of the country as a whole.
With habitats under threat world-wide, we who live
in one of the richest of natural environments have, I
think, a moral as well as a legal duty to protect and
enhance it.

Telephone: 01491 874 332
Email: [email protected]
The White House, Mill Road, Goring on Thames,

RG8 9DD

4

Most of the land around Woodcote is in private whilst mark making. It was so much fun. We used
hands. We should use our little publicly-owned different music and discussed how the music made
pockets well. This would be a lovely place for children us feel.
to learn more about the natural world – and for us to
continue to see the snowdrops every spring. We have also been reading and discussing the story
of Handa’s surprise. The story tells the tale of Handa
Sue Sandford as she carries seven different delicious fruits in a
basket to take to her friend Akeyo as a surprise but
Dear Sir, thanks to a variety of animals, it is Handa who gets
the surprise
I lived in Woodcote for over twenty years (moving to
Devon in 2008) and I remember the hard work done The book is a great source of teaching and the
to re-establish the Greenmore ponds. Recently I had children have created a model of a mud hut and
the opportunity to visit Woodcote and I stopped to made a lovely display of Handa and the seven
see how the ponds were keeping. My working life delicious fruits.
had revolved round managing amenities such as
ponds like these, so I was pleased to see how healthy Easter is swiftly coming upon us and we will be
they were. I felt I had to write to compliment the celebrating with decorating chicks and eggs and
making some pictures to decorate parent’s fridges.
people who are looking after this valuable site for the
village. It was obvious that a lot of work had been Finally we would like to say thanks to Mrs Hunt,
done recently to improve this excellent village feature Head at Woodcote Primary School, for allowing
and best practice had been employed in the recent Sharon and Steph to join their Safeguarding course.
management of the area and not ‘cleaned-up’ too This is much appreciated and great to have such a
much. Leaving the brushwood in place provides knowledgeable person on our doorstep.
excellent habitats. The site is not supposed to be like
a local park and there is nothing wrong with having WOODCOTE NEIGHBOURHOOD
to wear wellies now and again! The upper pond has WATCH
become an excellent wildlife area once again and the
lower pond was fantastic with lots of plant and In Wayside Green we have run a
animal life. Both ponds seem to be well balanced, Neighbourhood Watch scheme for the
ecologically. Whoever you are; well done! last five years. One obvious benefit is
having Neighbourhood Watch signs and
CABIN PRE-SCHOOL stickers in place, which deter causal
criminals from targeting our village.
February seemed to come and
go in the blink of an eye, even Other benefits include:
more so with half term in the
middle but still we had a great Regular email updates on crimes, prosecutions and
time, celebrating Chinese New scams affecting Woodcote and the surrounding area.
Year, Valentine’s Day and
getting up to the usual learning through play Access to a network of people in the village who look
activities. out for potential crimes, and can help deter petty
crime.
Chinese New Year was a fun time and we had a great
time acting out. The children embraced the role Being taken more seriously by local police when
play, taking food orders and pretending to eat in suspicious activities are reported.
their very own restaurant. We got crafty and made
some Chinese lanterns then we got busy in the If you would like to receive regular emails (around
kitchen and made rice salad for the children to take one a week) keeping you informed about concerning
home for a snack. Hope they were not too messy local crime and punishment, and perhaps want to
with the chopsticks! help be the eyes and ears of Woodcote, contact
[email protected] and we will add you to
Finally we got even more creative and made Chinese the list.
houses, using our woodwork skills and then we
painted them. This gave us a good excuse to talk “WADS VARIETY NIGHT”
about how we use craft tools safely.
Dates For Your Diary!
Star Wars seems to have landed in Cabin, so we have
embraced it and used the children’s enthusiasm to WADS next production is 20th and
make light savers. Much fun was had by all. 21st of May 2016 – an evening of
variety and entertainment – cash bar and raffle.
Learning wise and getting ready for school, the
children have been writing their letters and their Look out for further details in your May
name in flour, a good, fun and easy way to practice Correspondent.
writing and sounding out the phonic sounds.
We look forward to seeing you all at the Village Hall!
Another fun activity we have been involved in is
dance. We mixed dance in with drawing, the tables
were covered in paper and using different media,
paint, chalk and pens they danced to the music

5

Chiltern Domestic Appliances WOODCOTE LIBRARY

Est 1985 Firstly, we had a wonderful Leap Year
Repairs, Servicing and Sales Birthday party on Monday the 29th of
Washing Machines, Tumble Dryers, Dishwashers, February, which was attended by our
Manager Jo Green, Lily-Mae McGuire, Phil
Cookers Brennan and Sheila Huelin, who all
celebrated their very special birthdays. We
* Low call-out fee *Prompt Attention were able to see newspaper clippings and stories
from the year that each person was born and, of
Tel: 01491 638146 course, enjoy singing Happy Birthday and having
scrumptious cakes. There is a picture in the central
01491 680854 section. Another local resident, Mr James McDougall,
www.thecabinpreschool.co.uk was unable to attend as he was having a wonderful
party thrown for him elsewhere, but we blew out a
Rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted (mar 2015) we offer children candle for him and he is featured in the coverage of
aged 2-5 a safe, happy and stimulating environment the event in the Henley Standard. According to the
paper, the odds of a person having a Leap Year
in which to express themselves. Birthday are 1 in 1,460 so it is very unusual to have
Flexible sessions and hot lunches available. five people, all in Woodcote.
Located in the grounds of Woodcote Primary School.
Other exciting news is that WI-FI is now up and
All childcare vouchers accepted. running in the Library. It is FREE to all users. This
will be great for our users who would like to use their
own laptops or phones to access the internet in the
Library.

World Book Night Thursday April 21st

It is that time of year again when we have an
evening of celebrating literature, enjoying a
glass of wine and chatting with friends.

This year we are incredibly lucky to be joined by
Angela Buckley, who will be giving a talk based
on her work. Angela is the author of the popular
police biography, The Real Sherlock Holmes:
The Hidden Story of Jerome Caminada. Her
work is featured in national magazines and
newspapers and on BBC radio and television. A
member of the Crime Writers Association,
Angela is about to release her first book in the
Victorian Super Sleuth Investigates series,
entitled ‘Amelia Dyer and the Baby Farm
Murders’. Many of you will have heard of Amelia
Dyer as one of Britain’s most prolific murderers
and also a local resident in the
Caversham/Reading area.

www.angelabuckleywriter.com

This will be a free event, but please contact the
Library on 01491 682323 or
[email protected] to reserve
a free place. Refreshments will be available, with
the evening commencing at 7pm.

We look forward to seeing everyone for a
splendid, entertaining evening.

We will be closed for Easter from 12.30 on Thursday
the 24th of March and will re-open on Tuesday the
29th of March at 2pm. We wish you all a Happy
Easter.

We will be continuing with Rhyme Time for the under
5’s on a Thursday morning at 10 am, in term time.
Come along for stories, rhymes, songs and fun!

6

On Fridays we have our coffee morning, 10am – Annual Parish Meeting. This will be a further
11am. It is a great way to meet people and enjoy a opportunity to learn what is happening in the village
hot drink, while choosing a good book to read on and to raise issues with Parish Councillors.
these cold winter days and nights. We currently have
a display of mood-enhancing books aimed at The event is an opportunity for everyone to help
banishing any last winter blues. shape the work of the groups, and hence the future
of the village. The more who attend and give their
The next meeting of the adult book club is Monday views then the more likely it is that the efforts of the
April 18th at 6pm. volunteers, who look after the Village Hall, the local
environment, the Village Green and so on, will
New members are most welcome. produce the sort of village we want. Do come along
and tell them what you think.
VILLAGE CONSULTATION
Doors open at 9:30 am and remain open until 14:00.
On Saturday the 16th of April several
village groups will be in the Village WOODCOTE/STOKE ROW
Hall presenting the work they do to
maintain many of the facilities that FOOTBALL CLUB
make Woodcote a good place to live.
In addition to introducing The first team played two matches in
themselves and talking about what February, winning both. The wet
they do, the groups will be seeking guidance from weather again took its toll of matches,
residents on where they should direct their efforts but fortunately the team was able to
over the next few years. Many of the Parish play one match on the 4G pitch at
Councillors will also be present to discuss these and Bracknell, winning 1-0 in the League against Berks
other local issues. County. Jonny Summers scored Woodcote’s winning
goal. In the Evening Post Reading Senior Cup we
If you are interested in, or have ideas about, the were drawn away to Aldermaston, but after two
facilities offered by the Village Hall then come and cancellations on their ground the game was switched
talk to members of the Village Hall Management to Woodcote and goals by Frank Dillon and Toby
Committee. They have been thinking about the role it Nowell gave us a 2-0 win and set up a mouth-
plays in the community and would welcome your watering tie away to Henley Town on the 12th of
views on how the Village Hall should be developed March. The Reserve team managed only one match
and used. in February, losing 3-0 against South Reading in the
BTC Intermediate Cup. The youth team played one
In similar vein the Village Green Management match in February, drawing 2-2 at home to Wantage.
Committee will be presenting their ideas on the
development of the recreational facilities on the The Youth team’s Oxfordshire Cup Final against
Green and in Folly Field and would like to hear what Clanfield will take place at Thame United on Sunday
residents of all ages would like to see. the 10th of April. The time of the match is still to be
confirmed.
In July last year the Woodcote Traffic Group
consultation produced very helpful guidance on what ‘STAY AND PLAY’ IN WOODCOTE
people would like to see to make our village roads
safer and members of that group will be there to There will be lots of fun activities
show what has been done since then and to ask taking place at our Stay and Play
residents what they would like to see happen next. sessions on Tuesday mornings
throughout April. In addition to our usual Baby
The development of the first Neighbourhood Plan site Clinic, the health visitors will be offering information
has not only replaced a local eyesore, the old bus and advice on introducing solid food at our session
depot, with 14 new homes but has also resulted in on Tuesday the 12th of April. If your baby is
the parish being gifted woodland adjacent to the site approaching six months old or you would like any
as a community amenity space. The group that has other advice on your baby’s diet, please come along.
been set up to recommend to the Parish Council how
that woodland should be used would like to hear Dave Pearce-Jones from Oxfordshire County Council
your views on the best use of this amenity space. will also be joining us on the 12th of April. He will be
able to offer friendly advice and guidance to anyone
Also, there will be the opportunity to talk to members with young children who would like information on
of the Woodcote Conservation Group about their their benefit entitlements, employment, and training
plans for the Greenmoor ponds and nearby or returning to work options, help available towards
woodland. Finally, there will be an opportunity to costs of registered childcare etc.
see the proposals for changes to the bus services in
Woodcote. For any further information please call the Rainbow
Children’s Centre in Sonning Common on 01189 724
Several of the groups have produced questionnaires 024.
which will enable everyone’s opinions and
suggestions to be captured and analysed for
preliminary presentation on the 19th of April at the

7

DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ROOFING & EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE

ROOFING PROBLEMS?

Contact Your Local Roofing Company
Tel: 01491 579659

www.bondrightroofing.co.uk

8

MARY BALLANGER (Née Whiffin) hall. This is a kind of country dance using flexible,
now wooden, swords. Other flavours of folk dancing
1930-2016 were also enjoyed. At home, Mary was a proficient
seamstress, making all her son’s professional stage
For twelve years Mary and her husband, Ray, were costumes, home furnishings, etc. and her garden is
the driving force behind the Woodcote Correspondent absolutely wonderful; a densely packed display of all
when, in 1989, it developed out of the village’s sorts of common and exotic varieties, propagated
church magazine. Together they created the process from scratch, including some forty-something feet
of receiving articles and advertisements, editing and high trees that were grown from seed. Since she was
setting the pages, through to delivery to the local
printer. unable to get the formal training she
would have liked, Mary set herself the
Mary was born in 1930 in Kent, task of learning at least three Latin
where her father managed a fruit plant names each week and soon
farm and conducted research at the became the expert in every sense.
RHS Institute in West Malling. They
must have been one of the first to I met Mary and Ray through the
have a telephone as their number
was “Greenhithe One”. This was her Woodcote Correspondent when they
home (apart from evacuation during
WW2) until her marriage to Ray. formed a very enthusiastic and
Mary was always very proud of her
English heritage, having traced her effective team covering the editing
family name back to the Doomsday
Book where she discovered it was and production of the magazine, but
derived from the Anglo-Saxon name,
‘Wolfrin’. looking for some assistance to move

Thanks to her family background, towards a more digital approach. In
Mary was always deeply interested in
all things botanical and gained a 1998 Mary was typing and
place at Cirencester Horticultural
College. Unfortunately, she felt individually printing each article
unable to take this up, preferring to using an Amstrad computer.
stay near her seriously ill father.
Instead she took a degree-level course at Rochester Advertisements were created
Art School, where she specialised in calligraphy,
another life-long interest. She went on to teach at the individually, usually hand-drawn or
same college where one of her students was the
fashion icon, Zandra Rhodes. partially hand-drawn by Mary. The

Later, Mary also taught at primary school level, articles (printed as a single column of
supplementing her income by drawing and selling
prints of Gravesend. text and cut with scissors where

She met Ray, two years her senior, in 1947 and after necessary) and the ads were then
a whirlwind romance they married in 1948. In 1953
Ray and Mary had tickets for a grandstand view of pasted onto A4 sheets on a light-box.
the coronation ceremony but, owing to the imminent
arrival of her first baby, Richard, they were unable to The ‘WOODCOTE CORRESPONDENT’
attend. Her second son, John, was born four years
later and he now lives back in Woodcote. front-page head, page numbers and

The Ballangers moved to Woodcote in 1972. From many other items were constructed from Letraset
1974 Ray was an active ‘Lion’ and was president of
the South Chilterns Lions Club in 1980-81, characters.
transferring to the Goring, Woodcote and District
Lions in 2005. As a result, Mary and Ray were Some advertisers continued to use these versions for
invited to the Victoria Lions in Australia, and many years and there are even a couple of
travelled to be guests of several other Lions’ Clubs. advertisements that to this day incorporate elements
of Mary’s handiwork. She also contributed a series
Meanwhile, Mary was employed by the University of of microwave recipes; not just standard recipes with
Reading for about six years, as a sensitive, microwave cooking instructions, but dishes that were
discriminating taster, assisting with research into specifically created to be best when cooked in that
sugars, sweetness, etc. Perhaps this work informed
her kitchen skills as Mary was well-known for her way. I was impressed by how Mary was always
excellent cakes and a prolific array of chutneys, jams interested in keeping up with technology, and she
and many other kinds of preserves. asked me for help in choosing a more appropriate
computer and scanner/printer. Together we then
While living in Woodcote, Mary set up and ran a gradually moved from the light-box/word-processor
regular Rapper Sword Dance group in the village to entirely computer-based publishing.

After Mary retired from the publishing role she
continued to offer her artistic services to new
advertisers for a further few years. She also made
good use of the digital camera that was her leaving
present for her fantastic contribution to the
Woodcote Correspondent over many years. She has
an archive copy of every single Woodcote
Correspondent, including a few of the later Church
Newsletters on which it was founded.

With her many talents and interests, and
enthusiasm for everything she turned her hand to,
she was truly a remarkable woman, who will be
greatly missed. She leaves a son and a
granddaughter and, despite her generosity to all who
visited, a larder full of preserves and a well-stocked
garden.

DO

9

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10

WOODCOTE CRICKET CLUB done so much in the campaigning years of OWL. In
July a “working coffee morning” was held for
We are delighted to announce that Pete volunteers to hone their skills with Carol Stitson
Aldridge has agreed to become the new from Central Library. Our six-monthly meetings with
Club President in succession to James Hazelwood and Kelvin Eveleigh (then Simon
Christopher Quinton who passed away Lay) of OCC have kept both sides informed.
last year. Pete has been a regular
supporter and Vice-President for many years. We are grateful to the Parish Council for continuing
to fund the Saturday Assistant and to the Woodcote
The season is almost here with the opening match on Charitable Association (the Rally) for their generous
the 17th of April away to Peppard Stoke Row. As donations. Events at the library have produced a
reported in last month’s Correspondent, Kidmore surplus for OWL, and two coffee shops at the
End 3rd XI will be playing their home matches at Community Centre earned us extra money for the
Woodcote and the first match on the Green will see funds. Another coffee shop is planned for September.
Kidmore End playing Newbury 3rds. The first
weekend game involving us will be on Sunday the 8th At the end of September the library will have been
of May, when we host Sonning. open for 25 years, and a suitable celebration is
planned.
We will be continuing our indoor nets into April with
sessions in the Oratory Sports Hall on Sundays April 7-11 LANGTREE HOLIDAY CLUB
10th, 17th and 24th from 10 – 11am. All are
welcome, especially new members. 2nd and 3rd June.

As this article illustrates, we are very keen to grow This year’s theme is ‘Shopping for Life’ so we would
the club and provide opportunities for young people like pictures related to any kinds of shopping
to play. Keenness to play comes before ability and activity. We also need cereal boxes, tubes, yoghurt
there are no upper or lower age limits, and no gender pots, shoe boxes, wool, beads etc. We do rely on your
issues. If you think you might want to give it a try, 'junk' for our art and craft activities. Please contact
why not give me a call on 07710 858366 or email me, Janet Casson (01491 681483) if you want items
[email protected]. collected or if you have anything else you think we
could use for our art and craft activities but we
HOME FIXTURES IN MAY cannot accept egg boxes or toilet rolls tubes.

Saturday Kidmore End 1pm Thames MUSIC AT ST. PETER’S WALLINGFORD
7th (KE) v Newbury Valley MAY
League
(TVL) We have a terrific 31st season ready this year. The
Sacconi String Quartet open the season on the 14th
Sunday 8th Sonning 2pm Friendly of May with two great Viennese masterpieces of the
repertoire: Haydn’s String Quartet Op 76 No 2
Saturday Ruislip Victoria 1pm Berkshire "Fifths" and Mozart’s String Quartet K499
14th League "Hoffmeister". They are then joined by the Marmen
(BCL) Quartet in Mendelssohn's wonderful Octet, composed
when he was only 16!
Saturday KE v 1pm TVL
21st Finchampstead On the 28th of May The Band of Music, which is
based in this area, presents a programme of music
Saturday KE v 1pm TVL by Purcell, Blow, Handel, Boyce, Godfrey Finger,
28th Maidenhead James Paisible and Johann Christian Bach.

The Downs Midweek League fixtures have yet to be Concerts are at St. Peter’s Church, Thames Street
published. and start at 8pm.

OWL (OUR WOODCOTE LIBRARY) Tickets cost £14, but if paid for in advance cost £12.

The Annual General Meeting was Season tickets are £75.
held on 29th February 2016.
Tickets available from Diana Bradshaw 01491
The Chair reported a purposeful 824792 or (in person) from Just Trading, 17 St.
year in which the volunteers Mary’s Street, Wallingford or via our website.
supported the librarians, learnt much and hopefully
felt good about their efforts. The OWL committee has Free admission to all concerts to those aged between
acted in support of them. OWL was involved in Julia 8 & 25 years.
Warner’s retirement party in March, and in the
events put on by new Manager, Joanne Green; World “Free First Timers” – please see brochure for details.
Book Night, Halloween and Harry Potter nights.
Brochure available from 01491 824792.
The rotas have settled down over the year and
although there have been temporary departures, we Join our free mailing list.
have gained one new volunteer. We were sorry to
hear of the death of Christopher Quinton who had www.musicatstpeterswallingford.org.uk

11

Mother’s Day Lunch - Sun 6 March Gardening Decorating Clearances

Two course lunch - £17.95 Extra course £6.95 Call us for grass-cutting, hedge-trimming, fencing,
decorating, house & garden clearance.
(½ price children under 10)
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
Easter Sunday Lunch – 27 March
now on 01865 343715 or email
Two course lunch - £17.95 Extra course £6.95 [email protected]

(½ price children under 10)



Gourmet Seafood Dinner – Sat 30 April



‘Through the Decades Tribute’ Dinner

with the return by popular demand of
soloist Steve Cesari – Fri 3 June

‘phone 01491 680775 for table reservations
and further information

Website www.woodynookatwoodcote.co.uk
Email: [email protected]

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12

WOODCOTE PRE-SCHOOL We still have a few spaces available at Woodcote Pre-
school so if you are interested in your child joining
We have been very busy this term us please contact Wendy Powell on 01491 682300,
celebrating all the different festivals. [email protected] or have a look at
The children really enjoyed their our website www.woodcotepreschool.co.uk
‘neeps and tatties’ which they had for
lunch on Burn’s Night. We sampled WOODCOTE SUMMER FESTIVAL
some noodles for our Chinese restaurant and made
lots of Monkey pictures for Chinese New Year. The Saturday 10th September
children decorated some beautiful hearts for their
parents for Valentine’s Day. We invited our 12 – 5pm
Mummies in to have homemade cakes and coffee for
Mother’s Day. The children made them some Woodcote Village Hall
beautiful cards and gave them a pot plant which they
planted themselves. The organisation of Woodcote Festival 2016 is up
and running. The event will be held on Saturday
We have had lots of fun learning all about shape, the 10th of September.
pattern, colours and various other maths activities
this term. The children found it amazing to find so Last year was such a wonderful village event that
many different shapes and patterns in and outside of we have decided to start the fun an hour earlier.
Pre-school. They have been counting different cars So, the Festival opens at 12. New for this year, we
as they go past. We have been experimenting with will open the Festival with a fancy dress
colour mixing and the children loved all the different competition for children. We will also have new
colours they made. music, more food, new competitions and more
games - a perfect summer afternoon out.
We have just eaten the last of the leeks we grew from
last year with our lunch. The children were so proud Fancy dress entrants are to arrive at St. Leonard’s
of themselves when they ate them as they knew that Church, shortly before 12, for judging, and then
they were something that they had grown there will be a Parade up to the Village Green to
themselves. We had Welsh rarebit for St David’s Day enjoy all that the Festival has to offer. It would be
and celebrated St Patricks Day by making Soda fantastic to see as many children taking part as
bread, decorating some lucky shamrocks and joining possible.
in with some Irish dancing.
The Festival brings our community together as we
We had lots of Superheroes in Preschool whilst all enjoy a fun day, as well as showcasing our
celebrating World Book Day. The children could talents in the Best-in-Show competitions!
come in all week dressed up as their favourite
character and bring a book in with them to read, Last year, we had the bonus of the Festival
great fun was had by all. making approximately £1,500 profit for the Village
Hall. The money was used to purchase an Audio
The children have spent the last couple of weeks Induction Loop for the hall and the remainder will
making Easter cards, decorating hard boiled eggs, be put towards the purchase of a defibrillator. This
making sheep and spring flowers. By the time you year, it is intended that any profit will go towards
read this we will have had our annual Easter Bonnet buying an electric canopy or blinds for the Pavilion
Parade where the children sing the Easter songs they Room.
have been learning and show off the beautiful
bonnets they have made themselves! To keep up-to-date you can follow our Facebook
page (Woodcote Festival Information Page South
We would like to mention that in September 2016 Oxfordshire). You can also join the conversation
Woodcote Pre-school will have been running for 50 on Twitter (@WoodcoteFest), or check The
years! We are planning to hold a big celebration on Woodcote Correspondent.
the green at the end of the summer term. This will
be for all current and old Pre-schoolers, parents and We welcome new ideas and any support you can
previous staff and anybody else in the village who offer. If you are willing to help in any way please
would like to come and help us celebrate. We would contact Helena McBride on 07798 702041. Also,
like to know if anyone in the village would be willing if you wish to have a stall please contact Jo
to help us in any way or donate some raffle prizes. Lillywhite on 07880 330697 or
[email protected].
We are running Easter Holiday Club again with our
friends at The Cabin from Tuesday the 29th of March We look forward to seeing you at the Woodcote
to Friday the 8th of April for all children from the local Festival, 10th September 2016, 12-5pm.
area aged 2½ - 7 years. Holiday Club is run by fully
qualified staff and volunteers from Woodcote Pre- Joanne Lillywhite
school and The Cabin. It will be held in The Cabin
Pre-school and grounds of Woodcote Primary School.
There will be Easter egg hunts, Easter crafts and lots
of fun and games. To book your place contact Wendy
Powell on 01491 682300, email
[email protected] or Jayne Cole
01491 680854, email [email protected]

13

Cabin Pre-School— Children doing a bit of Cabin Pre-School—The boys
still life drawing enjoying a new book.

The children at Cabin Pre-School made their own pancakes and
had fun racing and tossing pancakes,

Goring Heath Scouts — scout camp on 5th March
14

Woodcote's 2-0 win over Aldermaston

Woodcote Pre-School — Some of the Woodcote Pre-School Mummies enjoying
Superheroes for World Book Day coffee and cake for Mother's Day

Goring Heath Cubs had a record 8 cubs gaining their Chief Scout's silver award. From L-R you
have: Thomas Dowman, Olivia Law, William Gordon, David Spiers, Noah Holland, Bonnie
McLaughlin, Henry Mayo, Tommy Temple with Akela, Dave Broadbent, at the back

15

JRS SERVICES VILLAGE GREEN COMMITTEE PLANS

Unit 4B Ahead of the Open Day Drop-in
Wards Farm Industrial Estate being organized by the Parish
Council on Saturday the 16th of
Greenmore April we are pleased to publish
Woodcote our plans for the future of
RG8 0RB Woodcote Village Green and Folly
Field, which we manage on behalf of the Parish
Recovery and Tyres Council. We hope to see many villagers attend the
Open Day when members of our committee will be on
Quality Tyres hand to display and explain our ideas and to invite
At Low Low Prices interested parties to complete a questionnaire.

Tracking and Wheel Balancing In Woodcote we have beautiful well maintained
Alloy Wheel Refurbishing greens with good sports pitches and excellent play
facilities. We work with users such as the Cricket
For reliable service and the best prices Club and Football Club to ensure, within our budget,
the best possible resources for users of the facilities.
With NO hidden extras Woodcote caters well for children and sportily
focused young people. However, visits to other
Please call 01491 684030 villages in South Oxfordshire show that we could do
more, especially to focus on those villagers who are
BYWAYS DENTAL not users of the existing facilities. The purpose of
PRACTICE this presentation is to see if villagers agree that we
Checkendon should do more. These plans outline a series of
stand-alone projects which will contribute towards
 All aspects of dentistry the overall vision of what we would like the Village
 Flexible Payment Plans Green and Folly Field to look like some way down the
 Teeth whitening and cosmetics road from now.
 NHS for children and students
 Flexible hours, Ample free parking Each of the developers of new housing in the village
Email: [email protected] make financial contributions to the infrastructure of
www.bywaysdental.co.uk Tel: 01491 680412 the village, called Community Infrastructure Levy
(CIL), to help defray the costs of increased pressure
on roads, schools, health facilities, etc. This money
is paid to SODC to which bids can be made by parish
councils for grants to enhance the infrastructure and
facilities in their areas. Woodcote Parish Council has
already made two successful bids (for the practice
goal already in use on the Green and for an outdoor
table tennis table – see project 1 below). The Parish
Council has asked its Committees and other village
organisations to make proposals in their area of
competence for projects that will improve facilities for
the people of Woodcote. These projects could of
course be funded from sources other than CIL if they
were thought worthwhile.

This document lays out nine VGC’s proposals:

1. Outdoor Table Tennis Table

Money from a Parish Council application for CIL
funding and from the Village Green Committee’s

16

existing funds has already been earmarked to extended into a full sized basketball court (28 x 15
purchase an outdoor table tennis table and install it metres) and marked so that it can double as an all-
on an area to be paved for the purpose in the corner weather five-a-side football pitch for young people
of the Village Green adjacent to the Youth Centre. and adults who wish to play either sport. It would be
This project is already funded so can begin as soon located on the Folly Field site although the existing
as final agreement is made on the location. goal may need to be realigned to make the
court/pitch parallel to the Goring Road.
2 Play Area for Preschool
6. Second Outdoor Table Tennis Table
At present the Preschool erects a temporary fence
before the start of each session when the weather It is proposed that an outdoor table tennis table (see
might allow the children to be outside. This project 1 above) be installed on Folly Field if the table on the
proposes that an area of about 100 square metres Village Green proves to be popular.
(defined by the back of the Village Hall kitchen and
the side of the Youth Centre) be enclosed by a picket 7. Outdoor Cardio Multi Gym
fence to provide a permanent play area for the
Preschool and children of people who have hired the This is the second of three proposed gym pods (see 2
Village Hall Pavilion for children's parties. above). The installation of a second gym pod is
dependent on the popularity of the first multi gym.
3. Outdoor Full Body Multi Gym The outdoor cardio multi gym has four items of
equipment allowing a complete cardiovascular
Public outdoor gym equipment can provide members workout for young people and adults. It would be
of the community with free access to fitness located on the Village Green on a safety surface
equipment and therefore remove barriers of cost and outside the cricket boundary in the corner beside the
accessibility that may deter people from using an big Lime tree near the Post Office.
indoor gym. Furthermore, they have the benefit of
being in the fresh air, and the use of the equipment 8. Outdoor Toning Multi Gym
can be incorporated into activities such as a walk
with a dog or taking children to the park. Outdoor The installation of a third gym pod is dependent on
fitness equipment would also provide villagers who the popularity of the first two. The outdoor toning
do not wish to participate in organised sports with a multi gym has four items of equipment allowing a
chance to get fit and take some exercise. complete body toning workout for young people and
adults. It would be located on Folly Field in the
The VGC are proposing that three multi-use gym corner near the picnic table and installed on a safety
pods be installed, the installation of the second and surface.
third being dependent on the success of the first. The
first would be a Full Body Multi Gym to allow young 9. Tennis Practice Wall
people and adults to undertake a full body workout.
It comprises four pieces of equipment installed on a This proposal is for a wall against which young
safety surface. It would be located among the trees in people and adults can practice tennis or play
the War Memorial corner of the Village Green. squash-like games with balls and racquets or
footballs. The wall, 7 x 4 meters, would be located
4. Cricket Practice Nets against the edge of the basketball court (5 above).
An enlarged tarmac surface would be prepared to
Two permanent nets each 3m wide and 20 m long give basketball/football players two metres space to
are proposed to be erected on hard surfacing to run off the court. The wall will be buttressed to give
provide a cricket practice area for young people and stability. The surface will be rendered to give an even
adults. The nets would be erected adjacent to the bounce and marked to show a net line. The reverse
Primary School fence conservation area at the side of the wall could be fitted with grips and a
southern end of the school grounds opposite the ground safety surface to create climbing wall pitches
cricket/football club garage. of varying difficulty.

5. Combined Five-a-Side Football What do you think?

Pitch/Basketball Court We look forward to you dropping in to the Village Hall
on the 16th of April to let us know your views.
A Tarmac area with a practice goal/net unit already

exists on Folly Field. We propose that this be

17

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18

WHITCHURCH & GORING HEATH The races take place over Saturday lunchtime which
shares the benefit of being able to taste the delights
HISTORY SOCIETY of Blue Tin Produce and home baked cakes as a
reward for supporting or participating. It is envisaged
Our lecture season at continues at Whitchurch that over 100 participants will run through the
Village Hall. woodlands and around field margins on a course that
is totally traffic free. On offer is a 10 km or 5 km
On April the 21st we will hear Catherine Sampson’s route for adults which can be entered online, by post
description of unusual churches in and around or on the day although there is an early bird rate for
Berkshire. She will talk about some of the quirky entrants entering before the 1st of May 2016. For the
stories connected with the buildings and suggest children we are offering a course 1km or 100m,
places to visit. subject to adult supervision and age restrictions

On May the 19th we move up to Goring Heath Parish For more information please check out the website
Hall for Katherine Bradley’s account of the people checkendonpreschool.co.uk or contact
and events connected with the Votes for Women [email protected]
campaign in Oxfordshire.
We continue to learn French, sing, dance, P.E and
All meetings are on Thursday evenings, starting at discover the outdoors on a regular basis. The
8pm, coffee served from 7.30. Visitors are welcome, children are learning so much and our intention is
£3, to include coffee. that they are enjoying themselves whilst learning. I
believe that this is the case. The enthusiasm and
WHITCHURCH & GORING HEATH desire to learn more by asking questions, holding
conversations, using the wide range of high quality
TWINNING ASSOCIATION equipment and making the most of the space indoors
as well as our local environment are just the starting
Our luxury coach departs at 9am on Friday the 29th points for the children's educational journey. We are
of April for a long weekend in La Bouille, near Rouen, privileged to be at the beginning of this exciting time
in Normandy. We return on Monday the 2nd of May in and as childcare providers we are very lucky too!
the evening. We have spaces for anyone who would
like to join us, cost £200. There will be a day’s outing Just a reminder that we do operate a Breakfast Club
to Honfleur, good food and wine, a chance to so we are open from 7.30am. We do take children
understand our French neighbours, and a chance to from the age of two years in nappies.
see Nick Brazil’s photographic exhibition.
For more information please call Nina on 01491
Contact Vicky & Martyn Jordan 01189 843260 for 682589 or do visit our new website
more information. www.checkendonpreschool.co.uk you can also email
us at [email protected]. We look
CHECKENDON PRE-SCHOOL forward to hearing from you.

Spring is definitely springing into WOODCOTE WI NEWS
action here at Checkendon pre-
School! The children are busily We met on a cold wet rainy winter’s day for
producing some delightful, our 72nd Birthday Meeting. It might have
colourful artwork using various been dismal outside but inside it was cosy!
painting techniques with which Jo Sutcliffe welcomed our guests and then
to decorate the hall. Our display boards are going to Roger Selman played Jerusalem.
look bright and stimulating!
Birthday girls this month are Jean Walker,
Our Easter Bonnet Parade will have taken place by Jean Taplin, Rose Spencer, Sylvia Parr and Shirley
the time you read this. It is sure to have been great Bryant.
fun!
Roger Selman entertained us on the piano and put
Once the summer term starts we begin to focus our us in the party mood as we sang along to the foot
attention on Sports Day and summer celebrations. tapping songs!
One of our themes will be to use books and the
internet to find out about where different foods come The wonderful birthday tea had been made by
from. We are often asked "Where does an orange Marianne Adams, Kathy Brewer, Betty Thomas and
come from?" So, with the children we aim to find out. Monika Watters. Margaret Carter had made
We enjoy using the internet and "asking the individual cakes all decorated with lit candles! They
computer a question". After all we do not have all the looked lovely on the tables which had been decorated
answers and are bound to discover some interesting with daffodils.
facts ourselves! The children will be encouraged to
ask the same question at home and to share the The lunch group are meeting at the Butchers Arms
answers with us. at Sonning Common.

Checkendon Preschool CIO is proud to announce its We meet on the 3rd Wednesday of the Month in the
first running event on the 18th of June 2016 to raise Village Hall, so please come and join us.
funds for the preschool, particularly PE equipment.

19

Family Mediation GORING HEATH SCOUTS

Helping separated families with On the first week back after half
Children’s arrangements term, Dave taught the scouts how to
Finance and property make catapults and then they took
them outside to see how well they
Child maintenance agreements worked by firing them at cones. The following week
was camp prep, where the scouts got all their kit
Day and evening appointments ready for the weekend and decided, most
importantly, what they would like to order from the
www.csmfamilymediation.co.uk chip shop on Saturday evening!
or call 07591085389
On the morning of our Spring Camp, the snow was
LYME REGIS falling and the forecast was well below zero, so when
the scouts met at the Black Horse in Checkendon to
The Jurassic Coast National Heritage Site start the hike, they were well dressed in thermals,
Beautiful beaches, walks, fossil hunting, hats and gloves. It was a day of four seasons, and
the scouts basked in the sunshine as well as trudged
The Cobb and harbour. Loved by children and adults through the sleet and hail. They walked through
Good restaurants, arty shops, cream teas beautiful countryside to Watlington in excellent
spirits and then set up camp at the campsite.
One bedroom flat for holidays and weekend breaks Luckily, there was only one brief shower that
In the old town 1 minute from the sea evening, just before wondering down to the chippy.
The scouts then roasted marshmallows before
Tel: 01491 681892 or [email protected] bedtime. In the morning, the tents were covered in
ice and the ground was freezing. Breakfast of hot
chocolate and toast was very much appreciated.

The rest of this term will be spent completing their
skills challenge badge.

There are, however, a few chores that the scouts
need to complete at home before the badge can be
completed, including cooking, ironing and cleaning!!

WALLINGFORD & DISTRICT ART CLUB

“Portrait in Pastels” is this month’s
Demonstration by Tony Jackson.

Tony will give a practical
demonstration on paper with the aim
of looking at the range of strategies that artists use to
construct accurate portraits, to make value
judgements and selections and to express a personal
response to what is seen.

Tony studied painting at Bath Academy of Art (1963-
66). He then taught art for 30 years and was Head of
Expressive Arts at a school in Hemel Hempstead. He
now paints and exhibits, mostly in acrylics and
pastels.

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20

The demonstration is on the 19th of April at 7.30pm Jonathan who's avoiding the police with the help of
in Centre 70, Wallingford. (Demonstration is free to his friend Dr Einstein; various inept policemen - and
members, £3 for visitors) look out for President Roosevelt and possibly even
Also, do not forget the Club have an open welcome to Boris Karloff.
artists of all levels, and those interested in starting,
to join them at Centre 70 on Tuesday evenings, 7.30- Arsenic and Old Lace was a sensation when it first
9.30pm at our members’ self-tutorial workshops; appeared in 1941, being the one of first to feature
bring your own work and materials and enjoy the multiple murders and lots of laughs. The successful
mutual support of the members. The Tuesday art film starring Cary Grant was released in 1944.
classes with our tutor, Carolyn Tyrer, re-start on 5 Despite the bodies in the basement, the poison, a
April and we plan to introduce another morning class competition for the most and best murders, and
on Thursdays commencing in September. If you are other ghastly deeds, the show is also somehow good,
interested please give us a call. clean fun, and suitable for all.
The Art Club meets at the Centre 70, Goldsmith
Lane, Wallingford, OX10 0DT. Wednesday 20th to Saturday 23rd of April - 8.00pm -
Goring Village Hall.
David 07803 263320,
www.wallingfordartclub.org.uk, Tickets from Inspiration, The Arcade, Goring or
phone Jean Betteridge on 01491 873530.
and visit us on Face book.
PLANTS, BORDERS AND GARDENS
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE
At the April meeting of the Wallingford
The Goring Gap Players are bringing this classic Gardening Club, Timothy Walker will
black comedy to Goring Village Hall for their spring talk about ‘Plants, Borders and
production, directed by Jacqui Bertrand (Ladykillers). Gardens'. This is the Club's prestigious
annual 'Bill Baker Memorial Lecture'.
The Brewster sisters are sweet, charming and
hospitable - but watch out if they offer you their Timothy Walker is a British botanist and has been
home-made elderberry wine. In this picture from the Director of the University of Oxford Botanic
rehearsals Chris Bertrand plays the poor unfortunate Garden and Harcourt Arboretum since 1988. He
Mr Gibbs, while Abby (Anne Hart) and Martha (Fran studied for his degree in Botany at University College
Weetman) pour the wine and look on expectantly. Oxford, and became a trainee gardener at the Oxford
The cast includes Mortimer, the young nephew who Botanic Garden. Subsequently, he gained experience
hopes to marry Elaine the girl next door; his brother at the Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park and Kew
Gardens and won four gold medals at the Chelsea
Flower Show.

Timothy presents a very personal view of modern
English gardening and gardens. His talk starts by
looking at some plants from all over the world that
deserve to be more widely grown in our gardens.
This is followed by a look at some ways of putting
plants together to create borders and finishes with a
consideration of what makes plants and borders into

a garden.

The talk will be held at Ridgeway Community
Church, Wallingford at 7.30pm on Thursday the 14th
of April.

Visitors very welcome £3.

Isabelle Darby
01491-836867

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

21

C M C BOILER SERVICES LTD IPSDEN PRIVATE HIRE

ELVENDON ROAD, TAXI SERVICE
GORING-ON-THAMES
READING, RG8 ODU LADY DRIVER

TEL: (01491 873535) For all your transport needs – airports,
hospitals, long distance, shopping etc.
Central Heating - Gas, Oil, Calor Gas
New Installations, Service & Repair Friendly advice and quotations.
Building & Property Maintenance Just call or email
Extensions & Home Improvement
Swimming Pool Chemicals Jill Yates 07894-994-047
e-mail: [email protected]
40 YEARS OF LOCAL SERVICE
The Garden House, Woodcote
AIRPAL TAXIS
Sales of all types of Stove, Fire & Fireplace
AIRCONDITIONED 24HR SERVICE
AIRPORTS-LONDON-ANYWHERE  Multi-fuel and wood burning stoves
 Solid fuel, gas and electric fires
BUSINESS or PLEASURE  Chimney lining
 Stove servicing
01491 260784
07862 721698 Visit our showroom at
45 Prospect Street, Caversham, RG4 8JB
[email protected]
Tel: 0118 9463060
Located in the village hall we offer a relaxed and www.fireplacemagic.co.uk
happy environment for playful and creative
learning for children aged 18months to 5 years. R Hazell Recycling Waste

As well as a varied curriculum of activities, Licence Waste Carrier – CB/QP3698MJ
children will also benefit from: Waste Management Licence No. WML86315

 Trips to our organic allotment plot 4yd skip - £130 + VAT
 Large indoor area to learn and play 6yd skip - £175 + VAT
 Flexible session times 12yd skip - £275 + VAT
 Home cooked meals prepared on the premises Roll On/Roll Off Skips Also Available
 Holiday clubs in partnership with The Cabin Pre-School
Ring 01491 699101
Call us on 01491 682 300
www.woodcotepreschool.co.uk

22

CORONATION STREET There is plenty for the children to do too at
Wallingford Museum: finding the Norman spearhead,
William the Conqueror and the Saxon arrowhead, the tiny medieval chess-piece
Wallingford 1066 and many more fascinating items from the castle.
Katharine Keats-Rohan returns to There is also a quiz - guided by ‘Charterman’, our
The Wallingford Historical and own little cartoon medieval figure to find as they go
Archaeological Society (TWHAS) with round! And, of course, there are sandpits to excavate
a talk describing the strong and the ‘smelly-feely’ drawers to explore!
connections between William the Conqueror and
Wallingford. If you come early in the season, your £5 entry ticket
will give you terrific value, as you will be able to
2016 is the anniversary of the two eleventh-century return as many times as you like for no extra cost.
conquests of England, the Danish Cnut’s accession Children under 16 are free, when accompanied by an
in 1016 and the Norman Conquest of 1066. This talk adult.
is designed to complement this year’s exhibition in
Wallingford Museum and Katharine will look at More details at www.wallingfordmuseum.org.uk
Wallingford in the context of both events, with
particular focus on the important role played by the HENLEY PHILATELIC SOCIETY
town in December 1066, leading to the coronation of
William the Conqueror on Christmas Day. If you collect anything to do with the
post and would like to join a group of
This talk will be held on Wednesday 13th April, like-minded people do come and visit
7.45 for 8pm, at St Mary’s Church, Wallingford. us one meeting. Apparently there are
Please note that TWHAS talks are now being held on all sorts of ideas as to what really happens at a
the second Wednesday of each month at St. Mary's ‘stamp club meeting’ so why not come and see for
Church, Wallingford. yourself. The interesting 2 hours go very quickly!

Visitors (£4) are most welcome. April 13th – Member’s evening, ‘Countries of the EU’
displays up to nine pages
www.twhas.org.uk
Thursday April 28 – Guest speaker Greg Wynn gives
1066: WILLIAM COMES TO displays on South Australia and ‘Esperanto’

WALLINGFORD Meetings are usually held on the 2nd and 4th
Wednesdays of the month at Bix Village Hall at 7.45
This year, 2016, marks two major p.m. from September to June inclusive. Visitors and
anniversaries in English history: new members are welcome. Details 01491 681739 or
on our website: - www.henleyphilatelic.co.uk
- the 950th anniversary of the last
successful invasion of England - Timetable of events this April at
The Norman Conquest of England
by William the Conqueror - and the one date in ADVENTURE DOLPHIN PANGBOURNE
English history most people know: 1066 The Battle
of Hastings.- 1000th anniversary of the Viking 12th April
conquest of England by the Danish King Cnut. Climbing Club

Wallingford and ‘Wessex’, were very much part of the 13th April
story of both these invasions. The Danish take-over Children’s Climbing Courses start
in 1016, after fierce battles and campaigns, forms
the background story to the Norman Conquest of Saturday 16th April
1066. The exhibition explains just what this was all
about. Open Day – All Welcome

Most significantly for our local history is the fact 10am – 3pm
that, after the Battle of Hastings, William the
Conqueror and his army eventually made their way Come along and find out more!
to Wallingford and crossed over the river here.
17th April
The exhibition at Wallingford Museum reveals the First Aid Course (8 Hour)
importance of what happened here at that time,
when the army pitched camp at Wallingford. It not 19th April
only changed Wallingford’s history but also Tuesday Evening Club Paddling
England’s!
20th April
After the Norman Conquest William ordered the Wednesday Evening Paddling Courses start
building of the great royal castle at Wallingford,
which became one of the most important in England. 21st April
The Museum's exhibition continues with detailed Thursday Evening Paddling Courses start
glimpses into the life of the castle, using newly
discovered evidence from the surviving medieval 24th April
documents. Sunday Morning Paddling

See our website for more details

www.adventuredolphin.co.uk

23

WALLINGFORD COUNTRY MARKET walk, hopefully through two glorious bluebell
patches. Contact John Case 01491 575993 or 07796
Regal Centre every Friday, 8.30 – 11.15 am 953242

To celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday come and Wednesday 27th April at 10am from Woodcote
visit us on Friday the 15th of April when a free raffle Village Hall car park. 6.5 mile circular walk in the
ticket will be given to each customer visiting the area. Pub stop at end. Contact Philippa Cullen on
market with the opportunity to win ‘A BIRTHDAY 01491 652010
BASKET FIT FOR A QUEEN’, (containing a selection
of market goodies), 2nd/3rd prizes, Saturday 30th April at 10 am from Cowleaze car park
(north end) Christmas Common HP14 3YL Leisurely
£15 & £10 Market Gift Vouchers. Draw will take 4.5 mile walk via Lewknor. Bring picnic lunch.
place at 11 am. Contact [email protected] or 07894
580413.
All our usual home-baked, home-grown, home-
crafted items on sale, as well as honey, preserves and More details: www.ramblers-oxon.org.uk/HG
eggs. We look forward to seeing you!
No need to book, just turn up wearing your
All enquires to our Market Manager: Tel: 01865- walking boots. We are a friendly group and new
890649. walkers are always welcome!

HENLEY AND GORING RAMBLERS FRIENDS OF ST. LEONARD’S

Join Henley and Goring Ramblers for a healthy Needs Your Help!
country walk now that April's here!
By the time you read this article, the Friends of St.
Sunday 3rd April, 9:30 AM start from Southend Lane Leonard’s will have held its Annual General Meeting.
RG9 6JN
The Friends of St. Leonard’s was set up to help
15 mile strenuous, undulating, circular walk to support the fabric of our lovely village church and to
Frieth for lunch, beautiful views, pub stop but picnic contribute to larger projects if the project fell within
advised. For more information contact Susan our remit. For the last seven years we have been
Maguire 01491 680109 or 07835 872791 steadily raising money via your regular subscriptions
and donations to help keep the church warm,
Wednesday 6th April, 10 am start from the Bird in welcoming and well maintained for the regular
Hand, Sonning Common RG4 9NP. 6 mile moderate congregation and guests who join us for major
walk via Crowsley Park and Upper House Farm. Pub festivals and family occasions.
stop en route. Contact Alan Futter 0118 9543266 or
07050 203800 On behalf of the committee of FOSLs, we would like
to say a huge thanks to all of our supporters for their
Saturday 9 April, 2pm start from Henley Town Hall. 6 generous and sustained support for our beautiful
mile leisurely walk over the hill to Fawley and back church. 2015 was no exception and despite the
along the river. Hilly. Contact Sheila Dickie 01491
575625

Sunday 10 April, start at 10am from Highlands Lane,
Henley RG9 1QY

13.5 miles moderate circular walk. Chiltern Way, Bix,
Shiplake, Thames Path. Cafe stop Henley or picnic
by the river. Contact Susan Maguire 01491 680109
or 07835 872791

Wednesday 13 April, 10 am from lay by at Middle
Assendon RG9 6BB

7 mile moderate walk via Fawley. Undulating with
fine views. Pub at end. Contact Graham Cross 01491
641567 or 07748 662184

Sunday 17 April, 10 am from Nuffield church car
park, RG9 5SN, moderate 13 miles, Grims ditch,
North Stoke, Ipsden, and Hailey. Picnic lunch.
Contact Clive West 01753 865 583

Wednesday 20 April, 10 am from Aston Rowant
nature reserve car park, Stokenchuch HP14 3YL,
moderate 9.5 miles circular, hilly walk through
Wormsley, Cowleaze, Lewknor, Bald and Beacon
Hills. Pub stop enroute. Contact Marilyn Payne
01491 200364 or 07758 865538

Sunday 24 April, 10.30 am start from Nuffield, the
Crown (defunct) RG9 5SJ. Moderate 5 mile circular

24

difficult economic conditions we collected over LIVE
£2,500. This was only possible through your
wonderful donations and subscriptions and your April 2nd: Johnny Cash Revisited, tribute evening to
sustained support at our coffee shop mornings. the C&W Man-in-Black legend Johnny Cash and his
wife June Carter. 7.45pm
So where did your money go this year?
April 13th-16th: Sinodun Players present TWO by
Garden of Remembrance We continued with the Jim Cartwright. Set in the convivial atmosphere of a
development and maintenance of our beautiful and Northern pub, two of the SPs’ most experienced
peaceful garden which offers a peaceful spot for actors play all 14 roles from the bickering landlord
reflection to many. We also helped fund the hedge and landlady to the customers they welcome to their
cutting and shaping required this year. hostelry. Characters include a lonely widower, an
ageing wife with a bedridden husband, a domineering
Church Railings We have repaired and repainted the woman and meek husband, an aggressive husband
railings at the entrance to the church and mousey wife plus a four-year old boy left behind
by his forgetful dad. 7.45pm. £10
Roof and Porch Tiles - We have repaired and
replaced some tiles on both the roof and porch April 23rd: Shakespeare on Love. Sinodun Players
invite you to celebrate The Bard’s 400th anniversary,
We were able to contribute to our “Big Project and join in a toast on the day of his birth, and death
“Fund. Originally designed to help with the heating with a free glass of sparkling wine on arrival! Enjoy
system replacement we now reserve money each year the theme of love that runs through Shakespeare’s
to support new, potentially very costly work. It does work with excerpts from some of his best-known
take time to initiate projects as we have to apply for a plays, songs composed by Peter Orton with lyrics
Faculty which is in effect special permission to do from Shakespeare, and readings from the sonnets.
specific works and we have to seek professional 7.45pm. £10
advice on items like stonework, carpentry and the
materials that may be used. April 29th: Croft and Pearce Comedy Sketch Show.
Star comedy featuring local funny ladies Hannah
In order to continue our work we are seeking some Croft and Fiona Pearce. The duo, who took the
new members on our committee and welcome anyone Edinburgh Fringe by storm, now have their own
with an interest in ensuring our lovely church comedy show on Radio 4. 8pm. £10 (seniors and
remains a fundamental part of village life. You do under-18s £8).
not need to be a church goer to join us – what we
seek are people with a sense of community and DATES FOR DIARIES
new ideas.
18th to 21st May: Sinodun Players present Bazaar
The Friends meet approximately every 2 months for and Rummage by Sue Townsend.
about an hour or so and we hold our AGM in March
each year. If we are unable to recruit new members it 28th May: Merry Opera make a welcome return with
will be difficult for the current team to continue the Around the World in 32 Arias.
good work we have done over the past seven years.
Tickets and more programme information,
If you are interested please contact either: including any updates after going to press, from
www.cornexchange.org.uk or box office 01491
Marcia Spiers – 07776 298754 or Julie Turner 825000.

07980 520039 WOODCOTE VOLUNTEERS

WHAT’S ON AT THE CORN EXCHANGE, We provide volunteers to drive those in
WALLINGFORD IN APRIL need to medical appointments, day
centres, or to local shops in Woodcote,
CINEMA (performances start at Goring and Pangbourne.
7.30pm unless otherwise stated)
Our area includes Woodcote, Goring
Friday 1st: Speed Sisters (U) Heath, Whitchurch Hill, Checkendon and Ipsden.

Sunday 3rd, Monday 4th: Anomalisa (15) We are not a taxi, nor a bus service but if you have a
genuine need we will always do our best to help.
Tuesday 5th: Hitchcock/Truffaut (12A)
There is a constant need for more volunteer drivers.
Wednesday 6th: Giselle, Live ballet from Royal Opera If you would like to help please ring the office on
House at 7.15pm 681171 between 9.30am and 11am on weekdays.
The more volunteers we have the more the work can
Sunday 17th, Monday 18th: Hail Caesar (12A) be spread.

Monday 25th: Lucia di Lammermoor, live opera from
Royal Opera House 7.15pm

Tuesday 26th, Wednesday 27th: Despite the Falling
Snow (12A)

25

SATURDAY COFFEE SHOP AT THE SUDOKU NUMBER 13

COMMUNITY CENTRE

As you know, every Saturday from
10am until 12.30pm a Coffee Shop is
held at the Community Centre, next to
the Library.

Each session is run by a different
organisation. The coffee is provided by the
Community Centre and is reimbursed at the
wholesale cost price. The group running the morning
supplies the cakes and keeps the profits made, which
is usually over £100. Often more is raised, if a raffle
or tombola is organised.

We aim to keep the Coffee Shop open for fifty weeks
of the year, closing only for Christmas and New Year.

If you are not already a regular user and would like
to book a session for next year, please contact
Jacqueline Lawrence on 680058 or email
[email protected] and indicate your
interest in booking a space.

If you would like further information about how the
Coffee Shop is run, please contact Barbara Penniall
on 681449 or email: [email protected]

KNIT AND NATTER GROUP

Why not join the thriving Knit and Natter Group for
good company and to make new friends?

It meets every Tuesday between 2.30pm and 4pm at
Mowforth House and is a great opportunity to get to
know fellow villagers and to strengthen bonds in the
community. For more information please ring
Barbara Penniall on 01491 681449.

WALLINGFORD DETACHMENT ARMY Olliver & Son

CADET FORCE. 01491 681286

Back In February Wallingford joined Bathrooms refurbished
the Company for Exercise Blue Fire Rads, Cylinders & Cisterns
Team. 96 cadets in all, what a great Aqualisa & Mira Showers
turn out. There was field craft and Taps, Pumps and Valves
weapons training at all levels and all Emergency Plumbing
cadets came away with passes to count
towards their APC (Army Proficiency Quick, Clean, Quality, House Trained & Courteous Service
Certificates) Star Levels [email protected]

Also, in February, there was senior weekend
(Exercise Blue Harbour) field craft training for two
stars plus cadets concentrating on patrol skills and
model making. There will be both teaching and
practice phases.

On the 12th of March we have Clay Pigeon shooting
and from the 25th – 28th there will be a D of E Bronze
Silver Practice Expedition.

We have increased our numbers, both in staff and
cadets and this means we can offer a more balanced
training program.

Despite the river still being in flood, we are managing
to get on our training area to enjoy the outdoor
training we have been covering.

26

DISTRICT COUNCIL PARISH COUNCIL

Freeze on council tax for Please note that the ANNUAL
PARISH MEETING is TUESDAY 19TH
services from South APRIL

Oxfordshire District Council Residents are invited to attend to
hear what has been happing in the
South Oxfordshire District Village over the last year and also to
Council has agreed to freeze express their views to the Parish Council on matters
the amount of council tax people pay for services it in Woodcote.

provides in 2016/17. PLANNING APPLICATIONS GRANTED BY SODC

The 2016/17 rate was confirmed at the full council P15/S4358/HH
meeting on 18 February. Application proposal, including any amendments:

The council tax freeze means that for 2016/17 people Single storey extension flat roofed conservatory to
living in a band D property in South Oxfordshire will rear of house.
continue to pay just £111.24 for all the services
provided by the district council. Site Location: Corner Cottage 1A Wayside Green
Woodcote RG8 0PR
The council meeting this week also saw members
agree this year’s budget. Among the highlights are: P16/S0032/HH
Application proposal, including any amendments:
£1million grant funding available to support
community projects across the district Proposed demolition of existing garage and the
erection of a single storey side extension.
£20,000 a year set aside to help prevent people from
becoming homeless and £24,000 over the next two Site Location: Grange Bungalow Behoes Lane
years to assist rough sleepers Woodcote Oxfordshire RG8 0PT

£66,000 funding over the next two years for market P15/S4236/HH
town coordinators to continue to help boost the local Application proposal, including any amendments:
economy
Erection of a single storey side extension.
£75,000 a year extra for adaptations to help make
homes more suitable for disabled residents Site Location: Bramley Beech Lane Woodcote RG8
0PY
£120,000 to upgrade the public toilets in Greys Road
Car Park, Henley Parish Clerk, Woodcote Parish Council, Parish
Office, Village Hall, Reading Road, Woodcote, RG8
£300,000 over the next two years to plan for new 0QY Tel: 0141 681861 [email protected]
homes in South Oxfordshire
COMMUNITY CENTRE BOOKINGS
£750,000 over the next two years for the Didcot
Gateway development. The Community Centre in the
Old School House, Reading
Cllr Jane Murphy, Cabinet Member for Finance at Road, is administered as a
South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “While village facility by a team of
many other councils are increasing their charges we volunteers. There are two
have frozen council tax for 2016/17. We are also rooms available for hire.
Upstairs, there is the Rally
continuing to provide support for our market towns Room, which can seat up to
and continuing to make significant investment sixteen around a conference-
towards the transformation of Didcot. style table, for meetings, training sessions, or
workshops.
“We know we have more challenges to face from the
changes that are taking place to government policy Downstairs for meetings and larger gatherings is the
and the uncertainty of the future funding streams, Lions’ Den with an adjoining kitchen. The Lions’ Den
however, the good news is that the years of careful is also ideal for parties, talks, AGMs and similar
planning and sound financial management have left events. Both rooms can be booked for a nominal fee.
us in a stronger position than many and we have
been able to reduce our costs as our funding has On Saturday mornings, the downstairs room is used
fallen over the years and continues to do so.” by local charitable groups and fundraisers as a coffee
shop, for fifty weeks of the year.
LIBRARY TIMES
For more information on the Coffee Shop or
Monday 2.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m. bookings, email [email protected] or
call into Woodcote Garden Centre to collect a booking
Tuesday 2.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m. form.

Thurs/Friday/Saturday 9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.

Books may be renewed by telephone. Please ring
682323.

27

DIARY APRIL SMALL ADS

* Woodcote Holiday Club from 29th LOCAL HANDYMAN :: No job too small. DIY jobs
in and around the home. Kitchen & bathroom reno-
March until 8th April. Tel: 682300 / vations undertaken. Call James 07961 882281.

680854. PIANO LESSONS :: Learning for pleasure or
Sat 2nd * Coffee Shop in aid of Meningitis ABRSM exams -contact Linda Waller MA ALCM
Tues 5th phone 01491 281 877 or [email protected]
Wed 6th Trust, Woodcote Community Centre,
Sat 9th
10am-12.30pm.
Sat 16th
* Drop-in ‘Stay and Play’ 10am-
Wed 20th
Thurs 11.30am, Village Hall, see article for
21st
further dates.
Sat 23rd
Sun 24th * Mobile Play Bus, 1pm-2.30pm, Medill Forthcoming Dates:-
Mon 25th
Wed 27th Close, Woodcote, see article for May 2nd * South Stoke May Day Fair.
Sat 30th May 8th * Hairy Legs, Little Legs & Teenage
further dates.
May 20th – Kicks Challenges, Sheepcote Farm,
* P.C. Meeting, Village Hall, 7.30pm. 21st Goring. Register at
June 2nd
* Coffee Shop, in aid of WADS, & 3rd www.hairylegs.net
June 10th * WADS Variety Night, Village Hall,
Woodcote Community Centre, 10am- June 12th
7.45pm.
12.30pm. June 15th- * Langtree Holiday Club for ages 7-
19th
* Woodcote Conservation Group 11. Village Hall 10am-3.30pm.
Working Party, 10am. * Windmill Sale.
* Flint House Open Afternoon, see
* Goring Heath & Whitchurch Spring
article.
Show, 2.30pm Goring Heath Parish * The Gap Festival in Goring &

Hall. Streatley: www.thegapfestival.org

* Coffee Shop in aid of St Leonard’s

Church, Woodcote Community

Centre, 10am-12.30pm.

* Woodcote Parish Councils Open Day

in Village Hall.

* Adventure Dolphin, Pangbourne HAVE A PROBLEM?

Open Day, 10am-2pm. If so, there is a Citizens’ Advice Bureau
on Fridays, from 10am until 1pm. It is
* Woodcote W.I... Village Hall, 2.30pm. held in the Community Centre (Old
School House), Woodcote. Clients
* P.C. Meeting, Village Hall, 7.30pm. wishing to make an appointment
* Whitchurch & Goring Heath History should ring 01491 578267 and ask for
one in Woodcote. Appointments can be made for
Society Meeting, Whitchurch Village 11am and 12 noon. No appointment is necessary,
between 10am and 11am.
Hall, 8pm.

* Woodcote Library celebrates World

Book Night with author Angela

Buckley.

* Coffee Shop in aid of Woodcote

Breakfast Club, Woodcote

Community Centre, 10am-12.30pm.

* South Oxfordshire Archaeology WOODCOTE WELCOME PACK

Group AGM & Lecture, Goring Heath Have you recently moved into the Village? Would
you like to know more about Woodcote in the past
Parish Hall, 7.30pm. and what’s going on now, such as where to find a
babysitter, useful important telephone numbers,
* Woodcote Village Green Committee details of the Coffee Shop, the Windmill Sales,
Citizen’s Advice Bureau, the local dentist, Lions’
AGM. Village Hall Committee Room, Club, Volunteers, St Leonard’s Church and more?
7.30pm.
‘Welcome to Woodcote’ is a free information pack and
* Woodcote Volunteers AGM, Village has been organised by members of St Leonard’s
Church for those moving into the Village. We think
Hall Pavilion Room, 8pm. Woodcote is a wonderful, friendly place to live and
would like to offer newcomers the opportunity to find
* Coffee Shop in aid of Woodcote Pre- out what is going on and provide useful information
in a handy format.
School, Woodcote Community

Centre, 10am-12.30pm.

* Woodcote Conservation Group Spring

Bird Walk. Meet at Roman Catholic

Church, 10am.

* Changing Futures Masked Ball at

Hillfields Barn, Lower Basildon.

Contact:

[email protected]

Diary entries for May by 12th April to Jan THIS MONTH’S CLOSING THOUGHT
Coleman by ‘phone on 01491 682955 or by e-
mail at [email protected] You’ll never be as lazy as whoever
named the fireplace.

28