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

Paul Sibley’s Big Cycle

22/10/2020

After successfully completing his epic cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats, Paul says “a massive thank you to everyone in Blewbury who supported me. Everything went smoothly, which was unexpected, and I completed 968 miles in 10 days, raising a total of £4,730 for MIND.”

A Monument Restored

The George Knapp memorial, a splendid old survivor, is back in place after two months of technically very demanding work by master antique restorer Edward Fitzgibbon. Once again, George’s rhymed warning from the grave speaks loud and clear to all who pass by!

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 18^th 2001.

Roger Murphy on behalf of the Blewbury Local History Group

Scarily good scarecrows!

16/09/2020

Thank you to the 24 households that put time, energy, and bundles of creativity into their scarecrows. We know that many people greatly enjoyed walking the scarecrow trail, and it was wonderful to do something as a community in a year of many cancelled events.

Richard Blackford introduces ‘Blewbury Air’

05/08/2020

Our composer in residence, Richard Blackford, has produced his first film – a seven-minute introduction to his recent piece for piano and cello, Blewbury Air, which he calls “a love song to the village of Blewbury”.

Coronavirus in Blewbury

15/05/2020

Follow the link above for a digest of the coronavirus-related news items notified to the Blewbury Bulletin so far. This will be updated as new information becomes available, and will include announcements on how the outbreak is affecting local services and facilities.

On the Bright Side

19/04/2020

After a month of life under lock-down and the rigours of social distancing, Parish Council Chair Chris Lakeland reflects on new ways of meeting, the lack of draught Guinness, and a new appreciation of the importance of friendship and community spirit.

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

Postponement of the Duck Race

30/03/2020

The situation regarding events held during the Coronavirus epidemic is constantly changing.

As we have now been told that the progress of the pandemic will cover the next two months, the bellringers have decided to postpone the annual Duck Race, which was due to take place on Easter Sunday.

The Duck Race will now take place on Michaelmas Sunday, 27^th September.

If you have already bought tickets for the Duck Race and would like a refund, please can you take them back to the Post Office or, alternatively, any ducks that remain sold will be entered in the race in September.

We know that this is frustrating and disappointing, but we feel that it is the most sensible approach to take as caring for our health is far more important. Gill Loyd

Blewbury News