Blewbury School is delighted to announce Miss Jo Reeder as its permanent new Head of School, who will join the School from September 2021. Jo Reeder will for her first year be working alongside Miss Lisa Austin who will continue as the School’s 0.5 Executive Headteacher.
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/
Due to Coronavirus restrictions in force at the time, Blewbury Pre-School unfortunately had to postpone its 50th Anniversary Party on 17th July. But we’re delighted to confirm that our new Pre-School Lottery is up and running, with the next draw due on Thursday September 2nd.
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
Having finished an impressive 3rd overall in last year’s National Superstock 600 championship after three 2nd place finishes and one 3rd place finish, Blewbury’s Zak Corderoy and his new team at Binch Racing are aiming high for 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
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.”
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!
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
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.