All posts by Elaine de Ridder

BLEWBURY AND UPTON VILLAGE PRODUCE ASSOCIATION

31/01/2022

The Extraordinary General Meeting of the Village Produce Association was held on Tuesday 18th January 2022. It was proposed at this meeting that the current Committee would resign en bloc and a new committee be formed by attendees at the meeting.

It is with regret that we have to announce that a new committee could not be formed (no residents attended the meeting) and therefore the VPA has officially closed. A few formalities require completion upon which a full report will be available at the end of February. To receive a copy email:  vpa.in.bl.up@gmail.com

May I take this opportunity to thank all the Committee Members, past and present, and in particular, Karen Foreman (Chair) and Chris Jarvis (Secretary) both from Blewbury and Maggie Maytham (Treasurer) and Malcolm Wright (Vice Chairman) both from Upton, for their hard work for so very many years. I myself, although not a resident of either village, really enjoyed the challenge of being Show Secretary and seeing the smiles on the faces of winners at the summer show. Unfortunately, over the years, support for the VPA diminished and we, the Committee, reached the decision that the VPA had reached the end of its viable life.

As the saying goes, all good things come to an end. On behalf of the ex-Committee – Thank You to everyone in Blewbury and Upton (and surrounding villages) for your support and as always HAPPY GARDENING.  Eileen Bracken

 

Community Speedwatch

Community Speedwatch (CSW) is a national initiative where active members of local communities join with the support of the Police to monitor speeds of vehicles using speed detection devices.

Vehicles exceeding the speed limit are referred to the Police with the aim of educating drivers to reduce their speeds. The fastest speed recorded is 65mph on Bessels Way.

Several Blewbury volunteers have been actively taking part in the initiative since the end of July 2021, but it would be great if more people could volunteer so that we can try to keep our roads safe, and with longer daylight hours and improving (we hope) weather, the more people we have the more we can do. The Parish Council is fully supportive of this group. For more details and to register please visit https://www.communityspeedwatch.org/ select ‘Join Existing Group’ from the left hand side of the webpage and look for Oxfordshire, then Didcot – Blewbury Speedwatch group or contact Jill Ingoldby on 07824 552562 / jingoldby(at)btinternet.com

The Tony Loy Trust

11/12/2021

The aim of the Tony Loy Trust (The TLT) www.thetonyloytrust.org is to advance the education and support the development of, and provide opportunities for, children and young people under the age of 25 in Blewbury and the neighbouring area in the arts and sport.

This will include: providing grants, allowances or scholarships; supporting training; and assisting travel, events or projects. We are more than happy to receive and consider applications. If you would like to be considered, please write to the Trustees with a brief outline of what you are intending to do and how you might use any financial support.

The Trustees, 24 Grahame Close, Blewbury, OX11 9QE    email: sloy24@gmail.com

Blewbury girls’ football team

01/11/2021

Blewbury Amazons Girls FC is a brand new girls football club based at Blewbury Recreation Ground.

We have teams from U8 to U12 playing in the Oxfordshire Girls Football League of whom train on Monday evenings. We also have our Mini Amazons on a Sunday morning in term time 10-11am for our 4-7 year old beginners. The club was formed this year to give more opportunities for girls to play sport and develop as young independent women. The emphasis is very much on development and FUN.

For more details please contact Jermaine via email at Blewburygirlsfootballclub@yahoo.com

Can Blewbury help a refugee family?

Are you interested in doing something practical to help a refugee family who would like to start a new life in the UK?

We are forming a group to work towards sponsoring a refugee family to come and live in or near Blewbury. Following a meeting with Reset Communities and Refugees, a charity which offers training and support for groups interested in sponsoring refugees, we are running an introductory event about the process, including all the ways (big or small!) that you can help. We’re not asking for any commitment at this stage – please just come along to the Melland Room at Blewbury Clubhouse on Tuesday 23rd November at 7pm, and find out more from a group who has already supported a refugee family to resettle in their community. We look forward to seeing you.

  • Kristy Siegfried and Lydia Inglis

Blewsing – Blewbury Choir

02/09/2021

We are delighted to announce that BlewSing will recommence this month (September). We meet fortnightly at the Melland Room 7.30 – 9.15 p.m. Dates for this term are September 9th, 23rd, October 7th, 21st, November 4th, 18th, December 2nd, 16th.

The choir always sings for pleasure. There are no auditions and no requirement to read music; the only requirement is simply a love of singing. We need to know who is coming along so, if you would like to join us and/or would like further information, please contact Sheila Loy on 850537 or sloy24@gmail.com or visit http://www.blewsing.org/

Restoring an old Blewbury map

02/05/2021

In 1943 John Hone, who was a lieutenant at the Army School of Survey in Hampsted Norreys, hand drew and illustrated a rather fine map of Blewbury Village.

Individuals whose families have been in the village for a long time may well have a copy of the map, and the Blewbury History Group knows of several – one of which is hung in the waiting room of the Doctor’s Surgery in the Village Hall. The copies are not however all identical. The one printed here for example is a different version to many, because it shows the old Orchard Rood house to the left of Westbrook Street just opposite the Wool Shop. It is likely that John Hone gave this version of his map to the two women who lived in Orchard Rood in the 1940s, and we suspect added in their house for them (There is more information about those two women in another article in this issue of the Bulletin.)

An original version of this map was given to the Local History Group, a couple of years ago, by Jeni Whittaker, who is a great-niece of Gladys Hazel, who was one of the two occupants of Orchard Rood, and it has recently been lovingly restored by Elphin Lloyd-Jones. This exciting development means that the group is now able to print a further limited edition of copies of the map and make them available to people who would like one.

Because of the size of the handwriting on the map we think that it looks at its best in its original 50 x 36 cm size or bigger, but it is possible to also print it in smaller and larger sizes if anyone prefers that. Examples of this map will be on view around the village at venues such as the Post Office and Style Acre, and orders for copies can be placed either at the Post Office or via Mary Gaines, 9 Westbrook Green (m-gaines@outlook.com or 07730-438598)

Printed on 50×36 cms  Card. (Sample in the Post Office)                                         £15

Printed on 50×36 cms  Laminated Foamboard (Sample in the Post Office).       £30

Printed on 50×36 cms  Card and Framed (Sample in Style Acre)                           £65

Prices for other sizes available on request through Mary Gaines

Roger Murphy on behalf of the Blewbury Local History Group

BLEWBURY CROQUET CLUB: “CROQUET FOR ALL”

01/04/2021

Have you thought about joining your local Croquet Club? We plan to re-open from Monday 29th March (unless the Government postpones that target date), and always offer a friendly welcome to new players.

We can provide all the equipment you need, and there’s no dress code for casual play – apart from the need for flat shoes to protect our lawns. Croquet is a very Covid-safe sport anyway, but our Club has been careful to put in further measures to reduce any risks further; with appropriate social distancing and a cleaning regime as recommended by the national Croquet Association.

Our annual membership rates are unchanged this year, at only: £150 per person, £35 for under-25s, or £270 per family (any number of people living at one address). And you’re welcome to come along to try out the game a couple of times before you have to enrol, for just £5 per person per session; either by arrangement as a member’s guest, or at specific beginner sessions we’ll run if there’s enough demand. Check out our website, or contact me for more details.  David Long  (07484360169 / secretary@blewburycroquetclub.org.uk)  www.blewburycroquetclub.org.uk

FROM PILLAR TO POST: KEEPING TRACK OF BLEWBURY’S MOVING MAIL SERVICE

01/12/2020

Quite a few Blewbury residents have moved house within the village numerous times. However, whether any of them have relocated as many times as our Post Office must be in doubt.

Will there be further twists to this tale of exploration around Blewbury? Who knows? If you can add further details or indeed corrections to this account the Local History Group would be pleased to hear from you.It isn’t known exactly when the Blewbury Post Office first opened, but it was certainly operating in Carramores, on Church Road, by 1887, and we have a photograph of the earl 1900s (top) to illustrate that. If you look closely at the front of Carramores today you can still see the bits of metal protruding where the Post Office sign used to be displayed. In 1914 it moved to Upstone’s Shop (see below) in Treble House Terrace on London Road, where no doubt it benefitted from more passing trade.

Upstone’s Shop and Blewbury Post Office in Treble House Terrace in the 1920s

In 1924 it then moved to Fir Tree Cottage, on the other side of London Road, where a new purpose built extension had been created for it by Jesse Dunsden, and the village telephone exchange was located in the Dunsden’s living room!  After Jesse Dunsden retired in 1943 it then crossed London Road again to take up residence in Laurel Bank where it was run by George & Rose Smith. George was a relative of Jesse Dunsden and Rose was an Upstone, and together they were the parents of Derek Smith, whose book A Blewbury Life is the source of much of the information in this article.

Then in 1968 the Post Office moved to Old Wheelwrights for 24 years with Ann Edwards and then Marion Armstrong in charge.  After 74 years of trading and crossing the London Road, the next move, in 1992, was to Prior’s Village Shop, in Chestnuts in Church End. With the eventual closure of Prior’s Shop the Post Office moved to the Village Hall, where it has lived ever since October 18th 2001.

Roger Murphy on behalf of the Blewbury Local History Group

Blewbury Good Neighbours Group

24/04/2020

We now have over 200 lovely volunteers.

If you need a prescription collecting, some shopping done, a letter for posting or just need a friendly phone call, please ring Blewbury Post Office 01235 85177 or see the printed Bulletin for Karen or  Lydia’s mobile numbers and we will then find a volunteer who will call you back.

Woodlands pharmacy now requires a written letter of authorisation to collect on someone’s behalf, so please have a note written out & ready! Please don’t think you’re ‘being a nuisance’, because when we are poorly, we will be relying on you!

Stay safe. Love from Karen and Lydia