The Blewbury Skatepark was finally officially opened on 4th October.

The sun shone and over 50 people came to toast the skatepark and show off their moves on a selection of scooters and skateboards. There was even an attempt to use a wheelbarrow; it didn’t go well, we wouldn’t recommend it!

Sheila Austin gave a lovely speech and then Dermot Mathias, who led the subcommittee of the Parish Council that worked to deliver the project, cut the ribbon and declared the skatepark officially  open.

We used a fantastic local company, Bendcrete, based in Abingdon, who got the design process off to a great start with some brilliant ideas. From there, the plans were shaped and refined with valuable  input from villagers of all ages at our community consultation meeting. It was a real team effort, and we’re grateful to everyone  who got involved.

Bendcrete then worked tirelessly to bring the plans to life, delivering the skatepark right on schedule and budget — despite some  exceptionally hot weather along the way!

The Parish Council would like to thank the following people and community groups, without whom nothing would have been built: FCC Communities Foundation, The Blewbury Village Society, Savages Garden Centre, The Blewbury Players, The Tony Loy Trust, Blewbury WI, anonymous donors and local residents. Special thanks to Paul Whitehead who spent hours filling in grant application forms, very much appreciated.

Blewbury School’s Harvest Festival was wonderfully well attended, with families and the wider community coming together to celebrate
the season and give thanks for the harvest.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated so generously—your kindness and support are greatly appreciated. Below are some Autumn haikus and a Harvest Prayer, written by some of our pupils.

Birds sing beautifully, squirrels start to hibernate, Autumn fills the air – Sam W
On a rainy day, the clouds swish on top of me, leaves circle around me – Millie
The colourful crops, they filled the flowing fields, farmers ready to pick – Amelie
Dear God, I want to say a massive thank you for all of the food in my life – it’s made me flourish and grow. All of the farmers who get the healthy food and help us live a healthy life. I want to say a giant thank you to the foodbanks that help the people who need food because food is a big thing in our lives. Amen – Samuel.

Jo Reeder, Executive Headteacher

A huge thank you to all who helped at and supported the Blewbury Beer Festival – especially to our sponsors, all our fantastic musicians (who performed free of charge), and the PTA for running the food and soft drinks stall!

As a result of everyone’s hard work and drinking skills, we will be sending £1500 each to the UNICEF Ukraine appeal and the
Blewbury Village Hall solar battery fund. The BVS has also agreed a further £1400 donation to the Village Hall battery fund from its core fund.

News from the Neighbours: Upton fete on 6th September was a joyous occasion where the  whole village came together. The sun shone, the gymnasts entertained, the Hendred Ukulele Group played and the Cornucopia Appalachian dancers danced, whilst the stall holders sold, the dogs competed in the dog show and classic
car and supercars owners proudly showed their vehicles. Peter did a wonderful job of keeping us all informed of the events taking place.
Villagers won on the raffle with lots of amazing prizes, and took plants and jams home to enjoy.

(If Blewbarians are wondering why an Upton event features on the front page of the Blewbury website , it highlights an opportunity for more Blewbury news in the future – if you have news or have  organised an event, don’t forget to share it through the Bulletin)

Pre-surfacing works are scheduled between 5th -10th October for the rest of London Road between Blewbury and Upton – this should be some patching prior to surface dressing, which should be done before the end of the year.

On 7th September the Government announced that it will review the decision made in July (and reported in last month’s Bulletin) on local government reorganisation (LGR), to ensure that the reorganisation is robust and aligns with its new priorities. The scope of the review has not yet been agreed, but the government wants it to be quick, in the next couple of months. As a result, the timeline for Oxfordshire and West Berkshire will likely be moved back
a year. This is yet to be confirmed. The government has restated its commitment to devolution – the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government – and has said LGR is a fundamental part of achieving this. As a result, preparatory work across Oxfordshire and West Berkshire will continue while the review takes place.