U From the editor

Well, autumn is officially here and with it a bumper issue of this Newsletter because of all the activities scheduled in the next two months and needing posters to advertise the details. Two events in October – the Cricket Club Annual Dinner Dance on the 8^th and a Church Race Night on the 15^th (see page 4). Three consecutive Saturdays in November – fireworks on the 5^th (when else!) (page 12) Line Dancing on the 12^th (page 14) the Church Christmas Bazaar (page 7) and the Heart of England Jazz Band (page 8) both on the 19^th. There is even advance notice of a Christmas Dinner and Dance on 3^rd December (page 10).

Happy partying!

Zena Knight

Milton Common NHW (West Side)

During the Summer we had a female pheasant committing suicide through a large picture window, but at first neighbours thought the property had been broken into as the residents were away for a long weekend. Also lying below the window one storey below was a pair of long handled edging shears, but what hadn’t been noticed, the glass was lying on top of the shears! I was called to attend the scene, along with hubby with digital camera in hand. Police were informed; homeowner was contacted by mobile (they are useful sometimes) a bit shaken by the news, as this would be the second break-in this year to that property. Weekend was cut short, homeowner returned home to find female pheasant lying on the sofa - and one very large window to repair.

The other events - Heating Oil going walkies. Several residents have reported Heating Oil being taken from their Oil Tanks especially after having a top up of fuel. The Oil is either siphoned from the filler cap or the Oil level gauge is bent over, so please lock the filler caps, we are still thinking about how to secure the gauges.

The computer equipment that Ringmaster runs on has been upgraded.

Elaine Horne

NHW Coordinator

Parish Council News

Recyclable garden waste sacks – there has been a mixed reaction to the brown paper sacks which have been an experiment this summer. Thank you to all those who have tried them and for the feedback on their suitability. These comments will be forwarded to SODC in November.

Dog fouling – please ensure that you clean up after your dog from pavements and garden verges. Standards have been slipping recently!

Planning – the retrospective application for a temporary veterinary surgery at Sandy Lane Farmhouse, which was refused by SODC, has gone to appeal.

HGV lorries turning in the village – the Council is disappointed at the inadequate sign indicating the alternative route to the M40 at the Waterstock turn, something we hoped would help to solve the problem of lorries doing U-turns in the village. The views have been passed to our County Councillor.

Date of October Council Meeting – please note that it will be the second Monday in October – the 10^th.

Tiddington with Albury Parish Council Members

Chairman John Nowell-Smith 339650

Econ.development, businesses

Vice Chairman Janet Willis 339415

Environment, conservation, recycling,

waste

Councillor Roy Boughton 339497

Health and safety

Councillor Ken Field 339671

Housing, planning, building & controls

Councillor Alan Stratton 339430

Sport, recreation, arts, tourism, grants,

awards, lottery

Councillor Angela Tremayne 279797

Milton Common

Clerk Zena Knight 339340

24 Albury View, Tiddington

Statement of receipts and payments 2004/2005 – there were receipts of £11,628.81 and payments of £9,066.12, giving a balance of £9,981.91 carried forward to the year 2005/2006.

Donations – the Council agreed to sponsor awards of book tokens to years 11 and 12 at Wheatley Park School.

A contribution towards transport costs was made to the Three Villages Hospital Car Service.

A donation has been made to the Friends of Meadowcroft.

Refuse skips

Skips are available every Saturday at:

Wheatley Primary School, Littleworth Road

8.00 – 12.00

1^st and 3^rd Saturday for garden waste

2^nd and 4^th Saturday for non-recyclables

There is no skip on 5^th Saturday or the Saturday after Bank Holidays

Thame Cattlemarket

8.00 – 12.00 or until full

Changes to Community Waste Service

The hazardous items listed below are no longer accepted on refuse vehicles and can only be disposed of at County Council waste recycling centres

TV’s, Monitors, Fluorescent tubes, air conditioning units, fridges, freezers, asbestos, tins of paint (even if empty), oil or oil tins (even if empty), car batteries, gas cylinders.

Contact OCC on 01865 815796 or visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk for further details.

The SODC bulky waste collection service is available for certain items only.

Contact Public Amenities on 01491 823416

From your County Councillor

Road Signs

I am pleased to report that the extra sign at the right turn to Wallingford is now in place for those drivers who have missed the signs to the M40 London bound at the Waterstock roundabout. However I have asked for the sign at the Wallingford turn to be moved further back towards the motorway to give more time for drivers to see it and react. I trust that when this is done it will deter, in particular, heavy vehicles from mistakenly travelling towards Tiddington and then having to turn round in the village and make their way back towards the London bound M40.

Housing Issues

The County Council under instructions from the South East England Regional Assembly are currently consulting on where 8000 new homes are to be built between 2016 and 2026 in Central Oxfordshire on green field sites, but without building on the Oxford green belt land. The two options are as follows:

Option 1. 4000 homes at Didcot and 4000 at Bicester.

Option 2. 4000 homes at Didcot, 2000 at Bicester and 2000 at Grove / Wantage.

At a recent meeting the County Council decided not to reopen the issue of building in the Oxford green belt at Grenoble Road near the Kassam Stadium. However this decision has been called in for scrutiny. I am convinced this would, if included, create a domino effect on the Oxford green belt all around from the South East side to the North East side of Oxford. The County Council has rejected this in the past and I hope they will do so again.

Park and Ride Parking Charges

From 5 September the County Council is dropping the 60p parking charge at their Thornhill and Water Eaton park and ride sites. The other park and ride sites run by the City Council are not affected by this reduction. There will of course still be a charge for the bus ride.

Please feel free to contact me about County Council issues that concern you. My contact details are as follows:

Address: 50 Hardings, Chalgrove, Oxford, OX44 7TJ.

Home Telephone: 01865 891169

Email: david.turner@oxfordshire.gov.uk

David Turner

Freedom of Information Act

Publication Scheme

Residents of the Parish can see the records of the Council held by the Parish Clerk or learn where they may be accessed. Records include minutes, financial information and responses to planning consultations.

Application can be made to the Clerk (Tel: 339340) and documents viewed by appointment. Any copies required will be charged at 10p per page.

From the Vicar

I write this in the middle of September, but already the leaves are turning, a reminder to me that Harvest Festivals are just around the corner. This year Harvest Festival at Albury will be on Sunday, 9 October at 6.00pm.

Harvest Festival is one of the church’s most popular celebrations, perhaps especially so in rural areas such as our own. It may appear strange and perhaps clichéd to see tins of soup and baked beans amongst our harvest produce, but I think they are a very appropriate way of acknowledging our dependence upon our creator God. I’m sure all of our village church will be decorated beautifully with some glorious flowers. There will also be foods such as baked beans which represent for us the complicated nature of our modern day food chain, but there will also be many reminders of the sheer richness and variety of our fruit and vegetables.

It is, I think, worth remembering that, although the variety of food we can now eat is far broader than our forebears, we remain as dependent upon good harvests as they were. At our Harvest Festivals we shall give thanks to God for our harvest and for the good gifts of God’s creation. We shall also, of course, pray for those at home and abroad who are not able to enjoy three square meals a day.

In the Lord’s Prayer we pray “give us this day our daily bread”. Harvest helps us to remember that our daily bread comes from God who is a gracious giver, but it also compels us to pray for a fairer, just world where daily bread is a reality for all.

I hope to see a number of you at Harvest Festival.

With best wishes

Caroline King

Christians in the Community

A monthly newsletter for Christians in the Wheatley area

To join or send news email:

Kevin1.Betts@ntlworld.com

HOME-START

SOUTHERN OXFORDSHIRE

Annual Autumn Fair

Wednesday, 19 October

10.00am – 3.00pm

Benson Parish Hall

Stalls range from shawls to books and cards, fine foods to handmade jewellery, ski gear to quirky children’s clothing

Entrance £3.00 per adult

OAP’s and children free

Singing Handel’s “Messiah”

Great Milton

On Saturday, 26 November 2005 there will be an opportunity to join in a “Come and Sing” Handel’s Messiah in Great Milton Church. This will be a charity performance, with singers from Great Milton forming the core choir and with some excellent soloists.

Anyone who knows the work is welcome to join the choir on the day. There will be a rehearsal from 1.30pm and the performance will begin at 7.00pm. Tea will be provided.

You will also be welcome to attend rehearsals with the Great Milton choir (conductor Kate Billimore) during October and November if required.

Further details and registration forms are available from Kate Pattinson, Fossils End, Great Milton (Tel: 01844 279204) or email katepattinson@yahoo.co.uk or from Great Milton Post Office.

Waterstock & Tiddington W.I.

The speaker at our September meeting, Mrs Farrar, delighted us with her light-hearted look at gardening, in particular her struggles to bring a neglected plot back to life. She went into realms of fantasy when she aspired to emulate the grand garden designs of yesteryear, but also had some unusual remedies, including a spray containing human urine for mildew on gooseberry bushes!

On 13 October, Dr John Wilson from the Cogges Museum will be telling us of “A shepherd’s year”. There will be a sales table. The competition is for an A4 size poster advertising a pantomime. This can be in any medium including computer produced and the winning entry will go forward to the competition at the Autumn Group Meeting.

This will be on Wednesday, 19 October in Thame Town Hall for members and hosted by Chinnor. The speaker will be Richard Westcot, talking about his life as a pantomime dame.

Our meeting on 10 November will have a talk on Ely Cathedral given by Michael Hardy. This promises to be good, with detailed photographs of the architecture of the building. There will be a bring and buy stall.

Thank you to all who generously provided produce for the stall at the Village Fete on 28 August and to those who purchased too!

Members are looking forward to events organised by the County, including the Masters Tennis Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in November, an evening with Gervase Phinn at the Town Hall, and trips to the Tate Britain exhibition of Degas, Sickert and Toulouse-Lautrec and the Bath Christmas Market. Oxford Operatic will organise a coach to the Playhouse for “Guys and Dolls” on 23 November. Some of these events are open to non-members for a small additional cost.

New members and visitors are very welcome to join us on the second Thursday in the month at 7.30pm in Tiddington Village Hall. There is a special offer to new members joining in October. The subscription of £22.00 will be valid for fifteen months – nothing more to pay until January 2007!

Zena Knight

Tiddington Village Hall

The Village Hall Fete and Social Evening

On behalf of the Village Hall Management Committee, I would like to extend my thanks to everyone in the village (and beyond) who gave so generously with their donations and who gave up their valuable time to help make this year's fete the best ever! It was brilliant to see so many helpers turning out on the Sunday morning to make sure we were ready to welcome the crowds (and I mean crowds!) in the afternoon. The weather was very kind to us and I’m sure this helped boost the numbers (and money raised). All in all we can report a record profit of just over £1,200, which is about 70% up compared to recent years. The money will go towards the upkeep and further development of the hall’s facilities.

The evening social proved to be yet another winner, with so many of you coming for the pig roast and prize giving. We hope to do it all again next year and look forward to another superb day!

Christmas Dinner 2005

Meanwhile, it’s time to talk about Christmas! Yes, it will soon be upon us and I’m pleased to confirm that the Village Hall will be hosting a special Christmas Dinner and Dance on Saturday, 3 December. For the past 27 years this event was so brilliantly organised and run by UNIT. However, since they decided to “call it a day” last year, the committee thought it was only right that this tradition should continue!

So, Saturday, 3 December is the date, tickets are priced at £25.00 each and this will include a welcome drink, three-course meal (with menu choices for all) and live entertainment from a great duet, followed by a disco to finish off the evening. We hope that you will be able to come and enjoy the event that so many people say is the start of their Christmas celebrations. Tickets will need to be purchased in advance (and the earlier the better) so that we can organise the catering, etc, which will be supplied by Jayne Clark from Wheatley.

Subject to getting final permission from OCC, it is also hoped that we will have another Christmas tree in the village this year so I hope we will be switching on the lights that night as well.

Jazz Night

As part of our ongoing fundraising activities, I am also pleased to confirm that the Heart of England Jazz Band will be returning to the hall for another evening of Jazz on Saturday, 19 November. If you would like to come then please purchase your tickets in advance by calling me on (01844) 339430 or speak to any Village Hall Committee member. They are £7 for adults and £6 for concessions.

Alan Stratton

Chairman

Tiddington Village Hall Committee

The Neighbours’ Club

Great Milton

Forthcoming outings

19 Oct Lunch and skittles at the Ferryman, Bablock Hythe

23 Nov Christmas Music Hall at Turners, Wicksteed Park

For further details and booking contact

Celia Cope on 01844 279459

Tiddington Cricket Club

Season’s end can be such a traumatic time for our cricketers, when the weekend arrives. No more the anticipation of what Saturday’s match might bring and then the post match discussions of who did what and who didn’t. Worst of all is the feeling of emptiness when they have to organise something for themselves on match days. However, the defining moment that says no more cricket until next year has to be when your whites go into the wash for the last time and you are told to put that great big bag in the loft and out of the way until next year. And how we shall miss umpires’ forum on Saturday nights!

The opportunity cannot pass without mentioning England’s Ashes win this summer. Seasoned watchers have been enthralled by the fantastic cricket played by both teams and this in turn has won over many new fans, especially young watchers who have never seen England beat Australia before. That cricket can keep football off the back pages is impressive indeed and encouraging children to want to play. Long may it continue! If our national football team continues in the same abysmal form that it demonstrated when losing to Northern Ireland, many more children will choose cricket as their preferred sport.

On the home front our 1^st team finished in 3^rd place in Cherwell League division 2 following last year’s promotion. In some ways this was disappointing after leading the division halfway through the season but with a limited squad to choose from this was a good performance.

The 2^nd XI did manage to beat Oxford Willows in an otherwise unsuccessful season and will play in division 6 next year.

A number of junior players who have only just begun to play in senior cricket have already played in the 2nds and have shown a lot of potential.

The 3rd XI, with so many young players, played really well considering its inexperience. Both 2^nd and 3^rd teams will only get better next year with so many good youngsters now playing.

Aunt Sally

Our Wednesday night team finished just outside honours in third place in division 5 of the Oxford & District League, whilst Friday’s “A” team finished comfortably in mid-table after a difficult start.

Friday’s “B” team comfortably won Division 4 of the South-East-Oxon-League, suffering only one reverse all season. Many congratulations to Ian Malin and his team and supporters.

Cribbage

The Club’s cribbage team won the local summer league and on finals night Mrs. Joyce Cherry carried the club’s colours in winning the league’s singles title. The winter cribbage season has already begun and results (especially singles) will only get better.

Darts

Winter darts begins soon with high hopes for both teams who include new players.

In last month’s newsletter we announced that we will receive £66,000 towards our new pavilion. This was later clarified as being an upper limit of funds available to the club based on a percentage of the overall cost of the project. As the final details of the conditions imposed on the grant have only recently been received it is unrealistic to build over this winter. We therefore intend that we start the new project immediately after the end of next year’s league season.

Sincere thanks to all who attended the Summer Ball and who gave time and effort to make it happen. The evening raised a total of £1,100.

Dates for the diary:

Saturday 8 October Annual Cricket and Social Presentation Supper (Annual Dinner Dance) with presentations for Aunt Sally, Cricket and Darts.

Sunday 16 October Players meeting in the clubhouse at 6.30pm.

Saturday 5 November Fireworks evening by the Village Hall

Saturday 12 November Line Dancing in the Village Hall

Ray Manning

Book on-line at your local leisure centre

Soll Leisure with SODC have launched a new on-line booking service for leisure centre customers at Thame, Wheatley, Henley, Didcot, Berinsfield and Wallingford.

Visit www.soll-leisure.co.uk or www.southoxon.gov.uk to connect to the new service.

Weather Statistics

When one considers all the extreme weather in the Southern States of the USA, a tornado in Birmingham, some flooding in Kent, one realises how fortunate we have been here. The victims of the hurricane Katrina must have thought that the end of the world had come.

July from 13th

Very low rainfall with only nine days of recorded rain, which came to .8in.

The 27^th was the coldest day recorded in Oxfordshire since 1980. It was 56degF 14degC

We had five days with the temperature over 80degF 27degC.

Bombs in London early part of the month.

August

Seven days of recorded rain. Total rainfall .7in

Hailstones on the 26^th. Only two days with temperatures over 80degF 27degC

September up to 20^th

Very little rain until the Thame Show, when we had nearly .5in.

The temperatures so far have been very average.

Glen Evans

Wheatley Library

As part of Family Learner Week there will be taster computer sessions on making cards, etc. This is open to all members of the family, whatever age. This will take place on Tuesday, 11 October from 9.30-12.30. Tickets are free but limited so please appply directly to the library.

A Children’s Book Sale will start on Tuesday, 19 October. Many excellent bargains to be found!

Storytime will take place on Tuesday, 25 October from 11.00-12.00noon. This event is for children 4-8 years of age. Tickets are free, but limited so collect from the library as soon as possible.

Our telephone number is 01865 875267 if any further help is needed.

Carole Underwood

Library Manager

CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

Programme of free lectures

Friday 14 October 7.00pm Age 16+

Superstrings: lecture and recital – Brian Foster & Jack Liebeck (solo violin)

Phone 01235 445959 to reserve a place or email talkingscience@rl.ac.uk

Places are limited so reservations must be made in advance from four weeks before the date of each lecture.

Thames Valley

CRIMESTOPPERS

0800 555 111

Call anonymously with information about crime

Thame and District

Citizens Advice Bureau

Opening Hours

Monday 10.00am-1.00pm Open door

1.30pm-4.00pm Appointments Phone advice

Tuesday 10.00am-1.00pm Appointments

Phone advice

Wednesday Closed

Thursday Closed

Friday 10.00am-1.00pm Appointments

Phone advice

Advice line: 01844 214827

Appointments line: 01844 217186

Sobell Christmas Fair

Tuesday, 11^th October 2005

10.30am to 4.00pm

Kingston Bagpuize House

nr Abingdon

Selection of beautiful and original gifts, clothes, jewellery, toys and food

Henrietta Knight, owner and trainer of “Best Mate”, the Triple Gold Cup Winner, will be coming to sign copies of her book

REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE

MORNING COFFEE

LUNCHES

AFTERNOON TEA

Entrance £3.00

including car parking and admittance

to the beautiful gardens

For further details please call 01865 857007

Sobell House Hospice Charity

Charity Reg No 270295

9 October	6.00pm Harvest Festival with Caroline King
16 October	9.30am Morning Prayer with Marian Brown
23 October	8.00am Holy Communion with Caroline King
30 October	11.00am 5^th Sunday Cluster Service at Waterstock
6 November	9.30am Holy Communion
13 November	10.50am Remembrance Sunday at Waterstock
20 November	9.30am Morning Prayer
27 November	8.00am Holy Communion

NEWSLETTER

www.tiddingtonoxon.co.uk OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2005

Housing Issues

Park and Ride Parking Charges

Aunt Sally

Cribbage

Darts