35 YEARS AND COUNTING! · 2019. 10. 21. · whenever you can. Travel expenses are paid. If you could volunteer on a regular basis, that would be AMAZING! If you can help in any small

How many of us have lived in the village for morethan 35 years? Perhaps some of you have lived hereall your lives. Many of us are relative newcomers tothe area. Either way, one thing many of us value –but also take for granted - is our independence. Wedrive our children to school; we drive to see familyand friends; to our places of work, and to the doctorsand hospital if necessary.

Now imagine that independence taken away fromyou.

For a significant portion of our local community, theability to drive to vital appointments is not an option.

This is where the Woodcote Volunteers step up tothe challenge. In fact, they have been stepping up for35 years!

For 35 years, our volunteers have beenserving the communities of Woodcote,Goring Heath, Whitchurch Hill,Checkendon, Ipsden and beyond.

They have been providing volunteerdrivers to take those in need to medicalappointments, day centres, healthyliving groups, such as Knit and Natter, orto local shops in Woodcote, Goring,Pangbourne and Wallingford. The driveroften stays with you; sees you to thecorrect hospital department and staysuntil you have finished yourconsultation or treatment and thenreturns you home.

The satisfaction of being such a valuedvolunteer in this role is immense.

But we now need more volunteers!

To keep this wonderful service going, we are askingour wonderful locals to spare an hour or twowhenever you can. Travel expenses are paid.

If you could volunteer on a regular basis, that wouldbe AMAZING! If you can help in any small way,please call the office on 01491 681171 on weekdaysbetween 9.30 and 11am. We would be delighted tohear from you!

And on a final note, we would like to say a big thankyou and a fond farewell to our Chairman, Dr AngelaRowe. She has been very active and supportive of allthat we do and we have valued her contributionsgreatly. We are equally delighted to welcome our newchairman, Dr Amanda Gemmill!

35 YEARS AND COUNTING!

Vol 30 No 11November 2019

The Volunteers’ “Response Desk”

COMMENT FROM THE VICARAGEThe season of Remembrance is upon us and we beginat St. Leonard’s with our annual service ‘In LovingMemory’ when we gather together to give thanks forthose who have gone before us. We will hear theirnames and a candle will be lit for each person so thatwe can be reminded of ‘the saints in light’ whom wealso hold in hearts and memories. There is an openinvitation to this service; everyone is most welcome tojoin us. (Details below).

The following Sunday we will be gathering at the WarMemorial to remember the fallen of two world warsand of more recent conflicts.

I’ve written about Remembrance Sunday before andit is always a privilege to lead the commemorationand worship for our community. We are blessed tohave the presence of the Oratory School CombinedCadet Forces who provide the bugler for The LastPost and The Reveille. In recent years the number ofpeople attending this gathering and others across thecountry has increased. Through the work of theRoyal British Legion and other groups such as ‘Helpfor Heroes’ we have been made more aware of thework of our armed services and the on-going needs ofservicemen and women returning from conflict. Thepowerful images of a few years ago of soldiers whohad died being repatriated through the streets ofWootton-Bassett and the faithful presence andtributes of the townspeople brought home to us thecost of war.

When we remembered the fallen of the two worldwars it was a memory of the past; a memory ofconflicts for which there was a shared sense ofabhorrence and our remembering was always riventhrough with the belief that war should be avoided atall cost. The phrase ‘lest we forget’ was foremost inour thinking and in our preaching on RemembranceSunday. Now we are perhaps better informed and weknow that our armed forces are constantly at workall over the world, and I do wonder if we tend now tothink of them engaged in conflict, in fighting theenemy on our behalf. Our soldiers are indeed heroesbecause they are willing to service in places ofconflict and danger, but we should not forget thatmuch of that serving is about preserving the peace,supporting civilian life in places of conflict, protectingthe vulnerable and helping damaged communities,countries even, restore peace and law and order.Because of the context much of this is dangerouswork

However, whenever I have met service men andwoman I have been struck by their commitment totheir work and their pride in serving a country that isknown for its role in peacekeeping across the worldand for its concern for the well-being and stability offellow nations. Knowing as they do the reality of war,the effects of weapons on human flesh and lives,their acts of Remembrance are profound tributes totheir brothers in arms, but also a heartfelt plea thatwe do all we can to avoid history repeating itself.

I urge us all, when we stand at the War Memorial ina few days’ time to contemplate the reality of war, thedepth of suffering and damage it incurs, the woundsit inflicts on individuals, on families and on

communities and to examines our own hearts that allthat makes for war be taken from us, that we,individually and corporately, might only ever seekpeace and the common good, both at home andabroad.

Blessings, LindaRevd. Linda Smith, Tel. 01491 680979

Email: [email protected]

Services at St Leonard’s in November

3rd November (All Saints)

8.00 a.m. Holy Communion

9.45 a.m Parish Communion

4.00 p.m. ‘In Loving Memory’ Service

A service of hymns, readings and prayers as weremember our loved ones and light candles in theirmemory. All Welcome.

10th November Remembrance Sunday

8.00 a.m. Holy Communion

10.50 a.m Act of Remembrance at the

Village War Memorial

Followed by a service in the church.

17th November (Trinity 22)

8.00 a.m. Holy Communion

9.45 a.m The Open Door Service

24th November (Christ the King)

8.00 a.m. Holy Communion

9.45 a.m Parish Communion

ST LEONARD’S FAIRSaturday 9th November 1.30 - 4 pm

Please come to our annual fair at the WoodcoteVillage Hall and support your parish church asgenerously as you have done previously. It is ourmajor fund-raising event and we can guarantee thatyou will find plenty of bargains and admission is free!

The fair will give you opportunities to meet and chatwith friends. The many varied stalls and attractionswill provide entertainment and the opportunity topurchase Christmas gifts, home-made cakes, jamsand preserves, craft items, bric-a-brac, bath andbeauty, books and jewellery. Tombola's and raffleswill be there as usual.

We welcome any donations for the Fair relying on thegenerosity of Woodcote people to support themaintenance of the parish church. We’ll find goodhomes for those unwanted presents that FatherChristmas brought last year.

If anyone has any donations or questions, pleasecontact Janet Casson (681483), Sue Udell (681618),Rosemary Humphris (681511), Peggy Allum(680576), or Sandy Worsfold (680574).

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A NOTE FROM THE EDITORAs you read this, it is probably wetand windy outside. But never fear,the festive season is nearly uponus (I hear cheers and groans inequal measure). But before wetumble towards the end of the

year, let us savour the last month of Autumn, withall the colours and unpredictable days that it brings.

In this issue, we are delighted to share with yousome poems from our talented local community, inthe hope of offering some much-needed cheer! Wealso have some more interesting reads – a write-upon this year’s Woodcote Fete, which was anotherhuge success despite the blistering heat; a timelyarticle on how to shop safely online in the run-up toChristmas; and whether, like a fine wine, the NHShas indeed improved with age.

We are delighted that you are sending in your letters,news, photos and views. Please keep them coming.How about some festive ones for the next issue?Don’t forget you can leave letters/articles at thelibrary counter as well.

Until next month.Yvette

PUBLISHER INFORMATION

Editor: Yvette Decmar [via email]

Articles for inclusion: to the editor by email to:[email protected], or letters may be handed inat the library. To be received by 12th of thepreceding month.

Advertisers: To place an advertisement, pleaseemail [email protected] for details of prices andhow to produce your ad in our house style. Thedeadline for payment and your finishedadvertisement is the 12th of the preceding month.

Small Ads and Announcements: £5 for three lines.

Photographs: Photos should be unedited and ashigh a resolution as possible (at least 500kB). Pleasesend them as attachments to [email protected]

Advertising: Claire Jones 07789 190463Treasurer: Helen Baker 01491 682240Production: Dan Oldfield 01491 681962Distribution: Trevor Back 01491 680617Printer: C Z Services 07860 630865Cover Design: Rob SpencerThe Woodcote Correspondent is on the Villagewebsite at www.woodcote-online.co.uk/facilities.

Note: The Woodcote Correspondent is edited,produced and distributed by volunteers.

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Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information printed in this paper, the Editor and Committee cannot accept responsibility for the contents of advertisements or any errors that may occur. Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or Committee.

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The students and staff of Langtree School would like to invite you to our annual

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There is no need to have a connection to Langtree School. Everyone is Welcome

Christmas Party

Wednesday 11th December 2019 From 1.45pm to 4.00pm

(please note the change of start time)

At Langtree School

Transport from Woodcote Village can be arranged

Musical entertainment from Langtree Students.

Afternoon Tea. Raffle. Carols. If you would like to join us please contact the

school office or Mary Taylor-Lane [email protected] 01491 680514

Langtree School Reading Road. Woodcote RG8 0RA

YOUR LETTERS - TO US AND THE COMMUNITY

Dear Woodcote Correspondent

We just wanted to say thank you for supporting theWoodcote Fete. We greatly appreciated the inclusionof the exhibit guide this year, which was well receivedand worked well. We also appreciate your support inpublishing our articles and giving us front pagespace. Thank you so much!

The Fete Committee

Dear all

Both myself and my son Alexander would like tothank everyone that came along to the officialdedication of Douglas’ bench and tree on what was awindy but bright (and sometimes wet) day on thevillage green in September.

Firstly though I would like to thank the WoodcoteVillage Green Committee (WVGC) in facilitating boththe dedication, with Ken Groom doing a lovelydedication, and Ken Ison taking some great photosas a memento.

We were surrounded by family and friends on theday which made the day that much more poignant.But it was a lovely occasion if not bittersweet for us.

Doug is still greatly missed. Alexander particularlywanted a bench for him and his friends to sit on, sowe are really pleased that the WVGC had a space wecould fill. Thanks go to Rob McDowell for all hiswork on taking delivery and for siting it. The treewas an unexpected but wonderful gift from theWVGC. Thanks to Miles Temple for choosing thetree. I heard that the aim was to put in a red oakbut they weren’t good enough, so a Maple waschosen instead. For those that knew us, they willknow that Doug and I met at Mapledurham Golf Club(when I was attempting to learn golf from the, then,Golf Pro (Doug)!) So I quite like that little link,knowing the tree is a Maple. Thanks again go to Robfor planting the tree and keeping it well watered thissummer, and for making and placing the plaque atthe tree.

After the midday ceremony at both the bench andtree, surrounded by family and friends, we retreatedto the Red Lion for drinks. Thank you to the RedLion for the large onslaught that arrived at lunchtime(and just before we got rained on!). And thank you,Jay, for the food we had organised for the family whohad travelled to get here. Thank you

Alexander and I are incredibly grateful for all youlovely friends in Woodcote that help us through ournew life without Doug. We still miss him, so thededication for the Bench and Tree was a lovely way tokeep him in our thoughts and remember the goodtimes. We were particularly grateful for all your loveand support at all times.

With much loveLinda Burton

Dear friends and patients in Goring and Woodcote,

It has been an absolute privilege to be part of yourlives and our communities over the last 20 years.Thank you all for your kind words, good wishes,cards and gifts. Donations have been put towardsgarden vouchers and vases for cut flowers. A specialthank you to all of you who made it to the tea partyin Woodcote Village Hall on Saturday 28thSeptember to join in with the celebrations. I will missyou all very much and will always be happy to chatand catch up when me meet.

With best wishes, Dr Angela Rowe

To all who donated,

Thank you to all who responded so generously to ourappeal for donations of fruit and vegetables. As adirect result of your generosity, the decorativearrangements within the Church beautifully reflectedthe harvest season. Following the Harvest Festivalservices, the fresh produce was delivered to theWallingford Community Fridge, from where yourharvest was shared with those in need within thecommunity. Thank you, your help has been muchappreciated.

The Flower Team, St Leonard’s Church and theWallingford Community Fridge

HAVE YOUR SAY!We know that some of you are concerned about thefencing off of local woodland areas (see the article inour October issue by the Woodcote ConservationGroup). We welcome all letters in response to thisand any other subject and please do remember thatyou can write to us requesting that your name iswithheld from publication.

Editor

PPG OPEN MEETING – THE FUTURE OFYOUR PRACTICE

By popular request we are re-running the openmeeting we held in June, on Saturday 16th Novemberat 14:00 in the Village Hall.  The session is againentitled “The Future of your Practice”. Dr SimonMorris (Practice Executive Partner) and Dr Ed Capo-Bianco (Partner and South East Oxfordshire ClinicalDirector) will provide some vital insights into therunning of the Practice and describe the pressureson the Practice when faced with increasing demandsand financial constraints. They will look at thechanges that are in the air and how they will affectthe practice. Dr Ed will also talk about the neweConsult application which will allow you to consultyour doctor via the practice website.

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ADVANCED PEST CONTROL

of EwelmeEstablished 1970

HOUSEHOLD, GARDEN & FARM PESTSwasps, rats, mice, rabbits, cluster flies

and all other insectsdealt with promptly

Lee CarringtonField View, 97 The StreetCrowmarsh Gifford Tel: 01491 835610Wallingford Mobile: 07970 010214

R Hazell Recycling WasteLicensed Waste Carrier – CB/QP3698MJWaste Management Licence No. WML86315

4yd skip - £145 + VAT6yd skip - £200 + VAT8yd skip - £235 + VAT12yd skip - £310 + VAT

Roll On/Roll Off Skips Also Available

Ring 01491 699101

INSURANCE APPROVEDDOOR & WINDOW LOCKSSUPPLIED & FITTED (BS3621)

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL PREMISESDIGITAL LOCKS GRILLES BARSALL AREAS COVERED CALL OUT

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Crestwell House, Beech LaneWOODCOTE, READING

BONNER LOCKSMITHS

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LOCKSMITHINSTITUTE

01491680216

Aldridge’s est 1879

www.aldridges.co.uk

Samsonite Spares & Repairs – Quality Leather Goods

We now stock a selection of:

Gents Leather WalletsLadies Leather PursesLeather Accessories

Handmade Leather Belts

Available to purchase online and from our newWoodcote showroom.

Please contact us before visiting

Jonny Aldridge – [email protected]/07980253841Unit 7 Church Farm Woodcote RG8 0QX

PARISH COUNCILParish Office is open Tuesdays until 12 noon.Contact the Parish Clerk at: [email protected] or 01491 681861.

Website woodcoteparishcouncil.org.uk 

PLANNING APPLICATIONS GRANTED BY SODC

P19/S1945/HH Application proposal, including anyamendments Single storey rear extension; raise roofof existing extension.

Site Location  4 Bensgrove Close Woodcote RG8 0SJ.

P19/S1980/FUL Application proposal, including anyamendments Basement, ground and first floorextensions together with conversion of

existing garage to form additional residentialaccommodation. Part demolition of existing CoachHouse together with change of use to ancillaryaccommodation. Construction of outdoor pool.Relocation of agricultural barn. Block up one existingaccess. Part change of use of agriculture land toresidential. Erection of 30 solar panels. Site LocationHorns Farm Tidmore Lane Woodcote RG8 0PH.

P19/S2471/HH Application proposal, including anyamendments Removal of Condition 5 of applicationP17/S4464/HH (Two storey front extension with twoand single storey extension to rear), which was toprotect tree (T1 Ash) during the development. Thistree has now been cut down as per Tree WorksPlanning Consent 07S24-2898. Site Location 1Beckley Close Woodcote RG8 0SZ.

P19/S2531/FUL Application proposal, including anyamendments Proposed residential development,including demolition of existing former restaurantand replacement with 2 pairs of semi-detacheddwellings (amended plans received 1st October 2019,omitting the proposed dormer windows and addingadditional rooflights) Site Location: Woody NookGoring Road Woodcote RG8 0SD.

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY APPEAL

Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday will soon be on us. This year,this will be commemorated on Sunday 9th November.

A small band of us will be doing House-to-house(H2H)collections during the run up to this period.Thank you to all of you that have stepped forward tohelp with this. By now you should have yourcollection trays, tins and licences. So thank you foryour help.

Some streets may not be covered in the H2Hcollections this year, but if you would like to help uscover a bigger area of the village, please contact us –it is never too late to help. One or two evenings, atyour convenience, in a designated road(s).

Legally we only have a licence to collect fromSaturday 26th October for the two weeks running up

to Remembrance Sunday. We can collect at any timeduring that period.

We will also be putting static boxes of poppies andpins in as many outlets around the village as we can.Thank you to everyone who has agreed to take theboxes and collection tins. We know we hadn’tcontacted everyone but we have tried to ensure wehave enough boxes for everyone. So one of us shouldhave been in contact with you by the time you readthis!

We have ordered wreaths for those that wanted them,in readiness for the Service that will be held at theMemorial. We did order a couple of extra wreaths ifanyone is in a panic in trying to get one! Please callLinda. Thank you

Please also note that we are now the PAO’s for GoringHeath as well. Caroline Brooks has been yourwonderful PAO for many years but has decided tostand down. She is helping us with the handoverand we want to thank her loyal team of H2Hcollectors for their continued support. We lookforward to meeting you. Thank you Caroline for allyour help.

(Remember all products have suggested donationsbut any donation is very welcome.)

Thank you for your support, this is our first year soplease bear with us whilst we get used to it all!

David Jennings (681162)Linda Burton (680870 or 07956 136750)

Email: [email protected] Appeal Organisers (Joint) for Woodcote, and

Goring HeathThe Royal British Legion

COULD YOU BE A GOVERNOR?Langtree School is seeking a Finance Governor tojoin a dedicated and energetic governing body.

As well as participating on the Board, the newgovernor will be expected to join the Finance sub-committee which is responsible for overseeing theschool budget and major spending decisions.

They will work alongside fellow governors and staff toensure that Langtree continues to deliver a fantasticacademic, social and cultural education, withabundant pastoral support. Although a backgroundin Finance is desirable, it is not essential, as we areprimarily looking for someone with a good trackrecord of fact- based decision making.

Governors are expected to attend two full meetingsper term plus committee meetings (usually anothertwo meetings per term) and involve themselves in thelife of this small, and highly popular local school. TheGoverning Body would be glad to hear frominterested parents, but would particularly welcomeapplications from members of the wider community.

Anyone who is interested should contact Jan Seal-Roberts (Chair of Governors, Langtree School) - [email protected]

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Located in the Village Hall overlooking the Village Green, we offer a relaxed and happy enviroment for playful and creative learning for children from 18 months to 5 years.

OFSTED RATING ‘GOOD’ JULY 2016As well as a varied curriculum of activities,

children will also benefit from:Trips to our own allotment & around the villageLarge indoor and outdoor play area Flexible sessions Fresh homecooked meals prepared on the premisesEaster & Summer Holiday Club www.woodcotepreschool.co.uk 01491 682300

Find us on Facebook ‘Woodcote Pre School’

OJS MOTORS SERVICES – CLUTCHES

WELDING – BRAKES CAMBELTS – MOTS

Tel: 01491 598 570 Unit 3, Wards Farm, Woodcote,

RG8 0RB

WOODCOTE FETE 2019The Woodcote Fete on 14th September was wellattended again this year and was a great event whichbrought our community together.

The day started at 9am with the delivery of hay balesto the village green via tractor – a very Woodcotescene! It was a hive of activity with the layout of thefield being marked out, ready for stallholders toarrive and set up in their allocated space. Cakeskept being dropped for the Scouts tea tent whichmade us all hungry, but we kept going with gallonsof tea and coffee and doses of adrenaline! Inside theVillage Hall it was also rather hectic with peoplebringing in their competition entries and organiserssetting up the display.

At noon, St.Leonard’s bells rang out, heralding theopening of the Fete. Jester Giggles welcomedeveryone and was busy until 5pm, compering theafternoon’s activities, as well as judging the fun dogshow and entertaining children with two magicshows. Throughout the afternoon, visitors were alsoentertained by music from local band ‘Sub-Zero’ plusLangtree School Orchestra.

The beer tent was very kindly run again this year byJames Tomlinson of West Berkshire Breweries andthere was a selection of hot food from Jan’s Pitstop,Soleluna Pizza and new this year ‘The Massita’ sellingtheir Korean chicken and dumplings. They hadn’tbeen to Woodcote before and they loved it so much,they’ve already booked to come back next year.Other stall holders also remarked on how polite thechildren of Woodcote are.

Tensions mounted as the Village Hall re-opened andthe judges emerged, signalling that prizes had beenawarded. Many people commented this year on thehigh standard of entries and the variety. Inparticular, there were lots of children’s entries,showing their creativity and talents. But the stars ofthe show were undoubtedly the giant marrow andpumpkin grown by Mr Dave Lane. He had to haveassistance from his son to get the vegetables into thecar - not surprising as the pumpkin weighed in at amassive 81.6kg and the marrow at 44.65kg.

As the day went on, the sun got even hotter. Onevisitor said ‘I think you’ve over ordered on theweather’ but it didn’t stop people from taking part.Tug of War and The Cabin’s silly races were aspopular as ever and everyone enjoyed the friendlyatmosphere and traditional Fete feel. Ice-creams,sold by Woodcote Breakfast Club helped people staycool and they sold out of nearly everything.

It’s very rewarding to be part of the team who worktogether to put on this worthwhile event for theVillage. Profits made will go towards theredevelopment of the Village Hall, to make it a moredesirable venue to hire. If you want to find out moreabout what’s involved, please contact Jo Lillywhite on07880 330697 or contact us via the Facebook page(Woodcote Village Fete South Oxfordshire) orInstagram (@Woodcotevillagefete).

HOW OUR NHS GREW A HEARTThe childhood memories that shape us

My recent two week stay in the Royal Berks hospitalbrought back so many memories of when I spent twoweeks in hospital seventy years ago, as a five year oldchild. Already my recent stay is merging into a blurof the overwhelming kindness I received from staff ofall levels; of friendly fellow patients and the desire ofeveryone, however busy, to go the extra mile.

What a contrast to my experience as a child!

I was in hospital for tests on a possible weak heart.There were no dramatic procedures but I was kept inbed 24/7. There was no playroom, compared withwhat my daughter experienced forty years later,when she needed her tonsils removed. My parentswere not allowed to stay either. Now, parents canstay with their children overnight. Back then, visitingwas one hour on a Sunday afternoon and one houron a Thursday afternoon, and only two visitors wereallowed!

I can still clearly see the faces of my aunt and uncle,who after a journey on public transport and a walkup a long hill, were not allowed in because Mum andDad were already there. They waved through thewindow, smiled and then retraced their journey.

Nurses were not like the friendly ones of today. NurseDove was a severe-looking woman with short darkhair – she should never have been on a children’sward. Nurse Carpenter was taller, prettier with longercurly hair, but still a nurse of her time. I rememberso clearly Nurse Dove barking at me one morning‘Have you had your bowels open today?’. I didn’tknow what she meant and was terrified that I mighthave given the wrong answer, but had to wait a fewdays for my parents to arrive before asking themwhat I should have said, almost before they gotthrough the door!

I can’t remember exactly how many children were inthe ward, but I clearly remember the boy in the nextbed. He was eight, I think. It was the late 1940’s andpaper for drawing was in short supply. My fatherworked at John Dickinson’s, the papermanufacturer, and had managed to get me a pile ofred postcards on which I could draw. There was notmuch else to do in bed all day. Books were in shortsupply and I still couldn’t read anyway. Every night Itried to stay awake with my hand on my lockerdrawer, but obviously fell asleep eventually, and thenthis boy promptly came and stole my postcards!When Dad came to visit I told him and he had a wordwith the boy’s parents, but came back and said thatthe boy had been in hospital a long time and I had tolearn to be tolerant. I didn’t feel tolerant at the timebut perhaps it was a good lesson to learn in the longterm.

The memories now are almost as clear as they wereseventy years ago. Perhaps I learnt something in away that five year olds of today probably don’t – to beself-reliant and not make a fuss. I’m sure I nevercried. But how society has changed! Hospitals maybe short-staffed and the staff are so often rushed offtheir feet, but kindness is there in abundance.

Gill Sutton

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WOODCOTE FOOTBALL CLUBThe first team has played three matches in the pastmonth, winning two and losing one. Currently, theyare in fifth place in the Premier Division, having wonfour and lost three. Wins came against Mortimeraway, a comfortable 3-0 with goals by Jake Dillon,Jermaine Gumbs and Sam Tucker, and 2-0 againstBerks County, with goals by Tommy Chapman andJake Dillon. The defeat came at home against leaguenewcomers, Windlesham United. The 4-1 score-linereflects an under-par performance, but Jake Dillonwas once again on the score-sheet taking hisseason’s tally to four goals in six appearances. TheReserve team are having a real struggle so far. Theywere promoted at the end of last season, when theyfinished third in Division 2, and they have not yetadjusted to the higher standard of football. Hence,they have lost all four of their matches so far and arecurrently at the foot of the Division 1 table. They lost2-1 and 3-2 in the home and away matches againstRotherfield United. Our goal-scorer in the first matchwas Andy Mantle and in the second match, NickSlatcher and Kyle Fraser got the goals. A 7-0 defeatby Reading YMCA was followed by a 5-2 defeat by FCImaan, with Adam Wheeler and Justin Trow gettingthe goals. SP

WOODCOTE CRICKET CLUBSince the cricket season ended, we have been hopingto complete the work on the pitch which always hasto be done at the end of the season, commonlyknown as ‘putting the pitch to bed’ for the winter.However, as yet, this has not proved possiblebecause of the very wet spell we have experienced inthe past three weeks. We need a dry spell prettysoon. Other than that, we are looking forward to ourAnnual Dinner and Presentations Evening, which willbe on Saturday 9th November at the Highwayman. OnMonday 11th November we hold our AGM in the RedLion at 7.30. SP

WOODCOTE WI NEWS — SEPTEMBER 2019

Patricia Solomons welcomed the members on a warmautumn day.

A birthday buttonhole was presented to Pat Ferris.

Patricia gave us details of a theatre trip in January tosee ’Crazy for You’ at the Oxford Playhouse.

The lunch club this month will be going to the NewInn at Kidmore End and the Chance to Chat groupwill be meeting in the community coffee shop on the1st Thursday of the month.

Our speaker this month was Russell Cherry who toldus about ‘The Ridgeway Explored’, Russell told usabout its history and geography and showed usphotographs of the beautiful villages, which he cameacross as he walked along.

At our meeting in November, the speaker will be DaveMaycock, who will tell us about ‘Brass Rubbing’, socome along to the Village Hall for a 2.30pm start onthe 3rd Wednesday of the month.

Judy Williams.

WINDMILL SALE - IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!

Come to our Windmill Sale on the 6th December forall those Christmas bargains! Nearly new clothes,games, toys and nursery equipment. For sellers, 75%of your asking price goes to you and 25% is givenback to support a cause or group within Woodcote.For anyone wanting to put items in the sale, formswill be available in Londis, the Library or by emailfrom me by mid November. As always, if anyonewants more information or advice then don’t hesitateto contact me.

Barbara Penniall 01491 681449Email: [email protected]

WOODCOTE PRE-SCHOOL Since the beginning of term we have been very busy!We would like to welcome some new children & theirfamilies, Harry, Rollo and Keira who have all settledin really well!

The Children worked hard to make various creationsfor The Woodcote Fete! We did so well and came 1st

and 2nd place in a few categories. We received 1st forour decorated biscuits, cakes & our home-grownparsnips and leeks. We came 2nd for the longestrunner bean & our giant sunflower. Sofia did so wellby coming 2nd in the competition with her handprintjelly fish and her sunflower painting. Well doneSofia! Another 1st place winner from Pre-School wasSarah, a member of staff who painted a prettyWoodcote rock. Well done Sarah!

Our topic this term is, ‘All About Me’. The childrenand staff have painted some fantastic self-portraitswhich have been proudly displayed on our displayboard. Alongside the self-portraits we have displayedsome family photos and drawn pictures/made marksof our family. We have talked about Our Home-where we live and who we live with. It has been veryinteresting discovering what the children see as theirfavourite foods and things. There have been someinteresting suggestions… Monsters, trains, colours,flowers, My Mummy and favourite foods were,broccoli, carrots, chocolate and potatoes. We are alsolearning about our senses & emotions & will beexperimenting with taste, touch, smell & sound.

Another event we attended was Harvest Festival at StLeonard's church along with The Cabin Pre-School.The Children made our traditional delicious loaf ofbread to take to ‘The Harvest Table’. As well as theloaf of bread the parents donated a great deal ofproduce for us to take to church (this will be taken tothe food bank in Reading). The Children did so wellwith singing their Harvest Festival songs. A big thankyou to Reverend Linda Smith and to our parents fortheir kind donations and coming along to support us!

We are holding an Open Morning on Friday 15th

November from 10-11.30am, please feel free to pop in& see our wonderful Pre-School overlooking thevillage green.

We still have places available & take children from18 months old, so if you are interested in your childjoining us, please call Wendy Powell on 01491682300 or email [email protected]

11

12 13

Pictures from Cabin Preschool Pictures from Woodcote Preschool

Preschool Entries at the Woodcote Fete

Woodcote Preschool at the Harvest FestivalCabin Preschool at the Harvest Festival

OWL’s presentation to Laura on her last day at Woodcote’s Library

Some action from the game against Windlesham United

12 13

Pictures from Cabin Preschool Pictures from Woodcote Preschool

Preschool Entries at the Woodcote Fete

Woodcote Preschool at the Harvest FestivalCabin Preschool at the Harvest Festival

OWL’s presentation to Laura on her last day at Woodcote’s Library

Some action from the game against Windlesham United

14

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WOODCOTE PRIMARY SCHOOLOctober has been a busy time at the Primary School,as you might expect. It's harvest time, of course, sowe have spent a good amount of time looking at howlucky we are and what this time can look like forothers around the world. Rev. Linda Smith hostedthe school at St Leonard's Church in two separateservices; one for KS1 and a second for KS2.  Thechildren all took a part and presented differentthings, such as songs, poems and pictures, to saythank you for Harvest.  

Year 5 have been writing about harvest using‘Kennings’ to describe their harvest-themedthoughts. Here are some examples of their work;

A hard worker, A people helper, A fruit picker, Ananimal keeper, A corn grower, A wheat cutter, A wellywearer, A tractor driver, A scarecrow placer.

What am I? A Farmer by Noah

A bland taster, A syrup needer, A horse feeder, Aporridge maker, A golden looker, A grain user, Astomach filler, A flapjack creator, An energy giver.

What am I? Oats by Stevie

Our harvest boxes will be delivered in the next fewdays. We do hope they are enjoyed by everyone whoreceives one. They come with our love.

Year 3 have been learning about haikus in Englishand have written some of their own. A haiku is anunrhymed form of poetry that is Japanese in origin.It has three lines containing usually five, seven, andfive syllables respectively. It is usually written with aseasonal or sensory theme. Here are a couple for youto enjoy.

Dangerous sharp teethProwling for its prey tonightLion is hunting

by Violet

Moonlight Silver CatPadding along the wall at nightFur as sleek as snow

By Matthew

In sport this month:

In the Chiltern Edge X-Country, Woodcote Schoolbrought home 5 medals from 14 runners lastweekend. They all ran brilliantly bringing home 5medals: Year 2 Boys – Angus 2nd, Year 3 Girls - Abi1st, Charlotte 3rd, Year 5 Boys – Joshua 1st & Year6 Girls – Ava 2nd. We are proud of each and everyrunner. Well done to all of them.

In the Woodcote Partnership School's KS1 x-countryevent we were rewarded by some fabulous resultsand a number of medals. Stanley gained a 1st placefor Y1 boys, Angus a 1st place for Y2 boys andMeggie a 3rd place for Y2 girls. Ben, Y1, and Reggie,Y2, received Olympic value medals for showingcourage in their determination and participation.Overall the school were placed third in the

competition – a fabulous result! Well done to all thechildren.

In the year Partnership 3 / 4 Boys' footballtournament we entered two teams. In the Atournament we came 5th and our B team came 1stin their tournament bringing home a lovely trophy.Well done to all of those boys.

The weather is turning but that won't stop us fromcontinuing to have lots of fun and learning moreevery day. If you would like to come and visit us,either to help or just to have a look at your localschool, please get in contact with the office.

Best wishes to you all,Mrs L. Hunt

WOODCOTE PRE-SCHOOL Since the beginning of term we have been very busy!We would like to welcome some new children & theirfamilies, Harry, Rollo and Keira who have all settledin really well!

The Children worked hard to make various creationsfor The Woodcote Fete! We did so well and came 1st

and 2nd place in a few categories. We received 1st forour decorated biscuits, cakes & our home-grownparsnips and leeks. We came 2nd for the longestrunner bean & our giant sunflower. Sofia did so wellby coming 2nd in the competition with her handprintjelly fish and her sunflower painting. Well doneSofia! Another 1st place winner from Pre-School wasSarah, a member of staff who painted a prettyWoodcote rock. Well done Sarah!

Our topic this term is, ‘All About Me’. The childrenand staff have painted some fantastic self-portraitswhich have been proudly displayed on our displayboard. Alongside the self-portraits we have displayedsome family photos and drawn pictures/made marksof our family. We have talked about Our Home-where we live and who we live with. It has been veryinteresting discovering what the children see as theirfavourite foods and things. There have been someinteresting suggestions… Monsters, trains, colours,flowers, My Mummy and favourite foods were,broccoli, carrots, chocolate and potatoes. We are alsolearning about our senses & emotions & will beexperimenting with taste, touch, smell & sound.

Another event we attended was Harvest Festival at StLeonard's church along with The Cabin Pre-School.The Children made our traditional delicious loaf ofbread to take to ‘The Harvest Table’. As well as theloaf of bread the parents donated a great deal ofproduce for us to take to church (this will be taken tothe food bank in Reading). The Children did so wellwith singing their Harvest Festival songs. A big thankyou to Reverend Linda Smith and to our parents fortheir kind donations and coming along to support us!

We are holding an Open Morning on Friday 15th

November from 10-11.30am, please feel free to pop in& see our wonderful Pre-School overlooking thevillage green.

We still have places available & take children from18 months old, so if you are interested in your childjoining us, please call Wendy Powell on 01491682300 or email [email protected]

15

CABIN PRE-SCHOOLThe leaves may be falling from the trees, but Cabin isstill full of energy for our favourite time of year. Weare still basking in the glory of all our prizes from theWoodcote fete. Several of the children received prizesfor their fantastic creations, and Cabin received firstprize for best preschool. Well done to all the childrenand thank you to the organisers of the fete for awonderful day.

We’ve been enjoying our All About Me topic, makinghouse collages from items that live in the home andeven using some real food in our home cornerkitchen. The children love to see things in Cabin theyare used to at home, used in new ways. We’ve alsobeen practising our listening skills, trying to predictthe difference between rice and pompoms shaken ina containers. We have been using alliteration andsorting toy animals by the sounds they make, suchas bat and cat. We then moved around and made thesounds of the animals, having so much fun they hadno idea they were learning!

We’ve spent the last few nice days of the year onspace-hoppers, which are great for balance, and ourfootball session run by Kick Off restarted with thechildren learning to kick, run and throw. We love ouroutdoor space and we are really enjoying our outdoorkitchen made from a bale of hay and some old pots.We would love to have an old microwave as well, (it'sfine if it doesn't work) so if anyone has one we couldhave, please let us know.

Maths is introduced by vocabulary, so we often bakeso we can measure out ingredients, as well aspractising important skills like pouring. There mightbe a mess but we’ve had yummy lemon shortbreadthis month to enjoy afterwards.

Our harvest festival at the church was a brilliantmorning out. The children sang beautifully and withmuch gusto! Thank you to Rev Linda Smith forholding the service and making us as welcome asalways. Thank you as well to all our families fordonating so much food for the Reading food bank.

We have spaces for children from 2 years to schoolage. Rates are £5 per hour for 3 year olds and £5.50for 2 year olds. This makes our standard day of0900-1500 just £30, with the only additional charge£1 per week for Kick Off if your child attends that

16

TS.CARS & SON WOODCOTE GARAGEReading Road Woodcote (Next To Shop & Garden

Centre) Phone 01491-680286

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day. We don’t charge for snacks, and you can providea packed lunch or a hot lunch can be purchased forjust £2.05 per meal. We have spaces for 30 hour-funded children too, with no minimum days as welike to be as flexible as possible. We offer early dropoff from 0830 and late pick up until 1530 for £2.50per session. 

Our staff are highly qualified, with everyone either ator working toward Level 3 qualification and themanager at Level 5. Two of our team are qualified asprimary school teachers, and their knowledge andexperience is great to draw on. We also have goodratios, above statutory guidelines, so we can ensureour children are in a nurturing environment. If youwould like to come and see us for a visit or just wantto chat, just give Jayne a call on 01491 680854.

Jayne ColeManager of the Cabin Preschool,

Tel: 01491 680854

CHECKENDON PRE-SCHOOLWe are delighted to be back at Checkendon Pre-School. We hope that everyone has had a summerfilled with excitement and adventures, enjoying thelovely sunny weather and are refreshed and ready foran exciting new term.

We have had a wonderful start to the new term,settling in to our new routine, exploring, learning,and having fun; meeting new friends and reunitingwith old ones.

We would like to welcome Arran, Fraser, Mabel,Dylan, Spencer, Ludovico, Kaleesi and their familiesto pre-school.

We are starting off the new school year talking aboutthe seasons and the changes that Autumn brings,such as leaves falling off the trees and the differentcolours that the leaves change into. This week thechildren have been enjoying being little explorers,going on walks through the woods to look at all of theAutumn colours that are appearing around us aswell as investigating what has fallen from the trees.Gathering leaves and other exciting items such asconkers and acorns which we have brought back topreschool to investigate further. We used thecomputer to look at different things we found andworked out which fell from which tree.

We are delighted to introduce YOGA BEARS as one ofour new weekly activities that we will be doing duringthe week adding to our already busy fun filled week.Sam will be doing yoga bears with the children on aFriday morning. Learning breathing exercises and avariety of different poses to support core muscles,while listening to calm, relaxing music to help themfocus.

We continue to do our weekly Work Out Wednesday,which enables everyone to develop their physicalskills, balance, co-ordination and strength throughplanned exercise and dance activities learning danceroutines to a variety of favourite songs.

Diddi Dance started again this term, the childrenwere very pleased to see Natalie after a long summerholiday. The theme for Diddi Dance this term isBollywood. The children will be learning someBollywood dance moves along with using a variety ofdifferent resources such as ribbons, hoops andscarves to an assortment of different music.

Little chefs are back. Using a variety of differentskills such as mixing, weighing and chopping. ‘LittleChefs’ will be incorporating Harvest Festival, to makeus delicious creations such as Autumn apple cakeand harvest bread – mmm!

We also welcomed back a children’s favourite“Wheels week” where the children can bring in bikes,scooters and trikes, encouraging children’s balanceand co-ordination as well as learning about theimportance of road safety and how we can keep safewhen crossing the road.

Checkendon Pre-School has some wonderfulfundraising events planned for this year with the firstone being our sponsored Under the sea fishingchallenge and the Checkendon Run 2020. Date to beconfirmed, which will be fun for all the family. With 5and 10k runs available along with children’s racesand stalls. Come along and support us.

We are delighted to be back after the summerholidays and are looking forward to a fun packedterm full of enthusiasm, creativity and learning.

To find out more about Checkendon Pre-School, dovisit our website www.checkendonpreschool.co.uk,call us on 01491 682589, [email protected] or just pop in – wealways look forward to welcoming you to CheckendonPre-School.

Kelly Mullins

17

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And now for some autumn inspiration —

THE BEECHWOODS, AUTUMNStillness, like a trance of time. We look

Down avenues of silver, listening.

There come these days, more beautiful than spring,

Calm as a reflection. Nothing’s far.

Perspectives flatten: look, love, here we are

Safe in an illuminated book,

Gold leaf and shafted light, with one green spray

Patterned on the blue ground of the sky,

Or see us quaint as in a tapestry

Walking under trees’ brocaded silence.

So autumn has renewed our innocence.

How can this end? No word is said: a ray

Travels back and forth, a rainbow dancer

Between two trunks on threads of gossamer.

David Sutton

(This poem appears in David’s ‘Collected Poems’, arecent publication from Greenwich Exchange. It canbe ordered from Amazon, any good bookshop, ordirectly from David at a modest discount!)

CHOLSEY REPAIR CAFEAs you may know, Cholsey Repair Café operatesregularly on the third Saturday of odd-numberedmonths, from 11.00 to 13.45 at the Cholsey Pavilion.This means that our next event will be on Saturday16th November. Our repair skills are wide-rangingand now include sharpening of tools and ultrasoniccleaning of small items. We PAT test all electricalequipment we repair. The scheme is free andvolunteer-run but we accept donations to help coverour operating costs. Latest details can be found onour web site www.cholseyrepaircafe.com

WALLINGFORD PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUBWallingford Photographic Club allows people of allages and levels of experience to meet like-mindedindividuals and learn how to improve theirphotography through chatting to club members,presentations by visiting speakers, and regularcompetitions. The club meets every Thursday at7.30pm for an 8pm start (7.45 start on competitionevenings) at Crowmarsh Pavilion.

In November, we will have a talk by Alan ColegraveARPS called ‘Why and a Little How’ on the 7th, thena talk by Rojer Weightman on ‘Still Life – Allegory,Vanitas and Momento Mori’ on the 14th, followed byour No Set Subject 2 competition on the 21st and apractical evening on the 28th.

See www.wallingfordphoto.club for more informationand come along to a meeting –visitors are alwayswelcome!

Emily Dunn

ART EXHIBITION

Pangbourne Village Hall

Come along to Pangbourne Village Hall to see newartwork by several Woodcote artists on the 9th and10th November.

Plenty of tea, coffee and home-made cakes as well asart and cards will be for sale. The group meets onWednesday afternoons and new members are alwayswelcome. www.pangbourneartgroup.com

READING RSPB GROUPRick and Elis Simpson delivered an excellentillustrated presentation to the Reading RSPB Groupentitled “Confessions of a Bird Guide”. The talkfocussed on the time when the couple lived in Braziland led bird watching groups in the tropical rainforest. Elis presented some stunning photographs ofthe bird life of the region whilst Rick provided thenarrative. It was certainly interesting to hear aboutthe different people who undertook the tour – somewanted to be out in the jungle from dawn to duskwhilst others took a much more leisurely approach,starting after breakfast and pausing for a siesta inthe afternoon. Many were ill-prepared, expecting togo into the jungle in shorts and sandals and dressingtheir children alike – Elis’ illustrations of aggressivespiders and deadly snakes soon confirmed that thisattire was not suitable.

We have lots of trips and talks planned. Come alongto our next meeting at 8pm at Pangbourne VillageHall on Tuesday 12h November when Ashley Grovewill present an illustrated talk entitled“Lammergeiers of the Spanish Pyrenees”. Visitors arealways very welcome. For more information visitwww.reading-rspb.org

WHITCHURCH HILL CAMERA CLUB We meet every Wednesday evening and occasionalThursday evenings from 8pm at Whitchurch VillageHall, Manor Road, Whitchurch. RG8 7EU. We are avery friendly club and everyone is welcome,regardless of age or experience. Not only do we havetop level speakers from the world of photography butalso our own members giving talks on a wide range ofsubjects. Have a look at our website-www.whitchurchhillcameraclub.co.uk

During the season we have battles against otherclubs, and internal competitions where there aretrophies to be won in the four rounds of laddercompetitions for both prints and digital images whichconsist of both open and set subjects, also there arethe Natural History and Monochrome trophies up forgrabs! Come and visit us to see what we have tooffer. See the diary page at the back for ourNovember program!

19

FURTHER ARCHAEOLOGICALDISCOVERIES IN WALLINGFORD

Richard Oram (PlanningArchaeologist at OxfordshireCounty Council) returns to talk toThe Wallingford Historical andArchaeological Society (TWHAS)about 'Further archaeologicaldiscoveries in Wallingford'.

He will give an update of the talk he gave last year,continuing to outline the emergence of Wallingford'sprehistoric (up to and including early Saxon) past onthe back of a ring of development round the town'sboundary. This will also be a chance for those whomissed it last summer to hear a fascinating talk. Newmaterial will include an outline of the Police Stationexcavation in Reading Road. (This site is due to becovered in full in a talk next year by Tim Allen).

Our speaker, Richard Oram, has been the PlanningArchaeologist at Oxfordshire County Councilproviding archaeological advice within the planningsystem to South Oxfordshire and Cherwell districtcouncils for the last 12 years. Richard has aninterest in all periods of Archaeology up to andincluding the late 20th century. He is also interestedin transportation and trade links betweensettlements and how the infrastructure of theprehistoric and Roman landscape may havefunctioned and what evidence for this may havesurvived.

This talk will be held on Wednesday 13th Nov, 7.45for 8pm, at St Mary’s Church, Wallingford.

Visitors (£4) are most welcome.

Katharine Keats-Rohanwww.twhas.org.uk

WALLINGFORD GARDENING CLUB

November Meeting

Beauties and Mysteries of the Burren — Apresentation by Stephen Waters and Clive Daws.

Those who have visited the Burren in the west ofIreland know it is a unique area, with a wide range ofremarkably beautiful plants. The region supportsArctic-alpine, Mediterranean and Oceanic plants sideby side due to its unusual environment and geology.Over 70% of Ireland’s wild flowers are found there.

For Stephen and Clive’s presentation of this specialplace, join us on Thursday 14th November 7:30 pmat Ridgeway Community Centre, Wood Street,Wallingford OX10 0BD.

For more details please either [email protected] or visitwww.wallingford-gardening-club.com or ring Aleckon 07734 889 717.

20

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BUYING AND SELLING ONLINE -if it looks too good to be true….

As we start the run up to Christmas, buying andselling online will naturally increase. I for onecouldn’t cope with Christmas unless I could shoponline and have things delivered.

Popular websites used are Ebay – with Paypal linkedto your credit card, and of course Amazon. In myprevious article, I’ve mentioned about having onelogon per user, and Amazon is no exception.

Originally, I subscribed to Amazon Prime for freedeliveries, later discovering the included music andfilms. We had one account with several credit/debitcards linked, but only one can be set as the primarypayment. This means that if you share that accountwith your other half, often the wrong card gets usedfor buying presents/treats! This can result in someinteresting discussions!

However it is possible to share your Prime benefitswith up to four family members. You can sharemusic, films, and deliveries whilst separatingpayment cards, and crucially hiding the purchasehistory from each other!

A lot of third party traders sell through Ebay andAmazon. It’s harder to qualify for Amazon whereasanyone can trade on Ebay.

Some Ebay top tips: Be careful with cheap electrical stuff. Some can

be of dubious quality and may not meet UK safetyregulations. I’ve had tablet chargers that couldhave burned the house down.

Always look at the estimated delivery date. Somethings are shipped from China which can take 4-6 weeks to arrive!!

Before buying, check a seller has some positiveselling reviews, not just purchase reviews.Otherwise items they are selling could well bestolen or sub-standard.

If you are selling, always set the sale up forbuyers to have at least 5 reviews. It just wasteseveryone’s time when a zero rated buyer doesn’tpay and can’t be contacted. I’m sure this is tosteal bidders to competing purchases.

If someone offers to pay you cash on pickup forsomething you are selling, speak with them inperson. But ideally, they should pay usingPaypal.

Quite often when listing something, people willoffer you a buy-it-now price. Resist thetemptation as auctions will generally reach amore realistic price for your item.

A common scam is for a buyer to win the auction,and then pay too much – asking you to refundthe difference via a wire transfer (which isuntraceable and non-refundable). It could be a liewhereby the buyer has hijacked a real Paypalaccount but will inevitably be found out. It’s aquick way to get some cash out of an unwaryseller.

Many online scams involve getting you to click ona legitimate looking link in an email. That’s why

Ebay wants you to communicate through theirplatform and not directly.

Selling (or buying bargains) – maximise your return:

1. You can make more money for items postedrather than needing to be collected. People arehappy to pay more for something that’sdelivered, and pay for the postage in addition.Its ALWAYS worth posting if you can.

2. Many things are seasonal. In the run-up toChristmas, lots of used tablets/phones get sold.In January, lots of unopened new ones getsold!!

3. Most things sell better on a weekend ratherthan during the week. In particular anythingthat people buy on impulse sells well after thepub shuts – e.g. Model trains sell at 50% morewhen the auction finishes at 11:39 on Saturdaynight compared to Sunday afternoon!

4. You can take out a 0% interest Credit card, andattach it to your Paypal account. This can thenbe used to buy more expensive items on Ebay(e.g. cars, caravans etc). it gives you two yearsto clear down the purchase afterwards.

5. Cars and motorbikes are sold more on Ebaythan on Autotrader these days. People with ahigh rating tend to be much more honest withtheir descriptions, so it's more reliable thanever.

6. When selling items on Ebay, you are charged10% commission. There are often Ebaypromotions so it’s worth waiting for them.

7. Offer to deliver – I’ve sold furniture and offeredto deliver within 50 miles for a fee. People oftendon’t have the right sort of car to cart furniturearound, so deliver if you can, to attract morebuyers.

8. Facebook local, Gumtree and of course‘Wonderful Woodcote’ Facebook group are goodalternatives for selling larger items that need tobe picked up, but with the downside thatbuyers will know who you are and where youlive.

9. Unfortunately we’ve lost the post office inWoodcote but we do have a my Hermes serviceat the South Stoke community shop.

Selling on Ebay is a great way to generate cash forChristmas - and to recover it afterwards!

Having a linked Paypal account ensures more securetransactions. Don’t forget, Black Friday looms largeon 29th November! This is a perfect opportunity tograb an online bargain but be prepared for websitesto slow down from congestion!

Mark Lillywhite

21

WALLINGFORD & DISTRICT ART CLUB(WADAC)

This month we have ourdemonstration on Tuesday 19November by Melanie Cambridge“Capturing Night Scenes” in oils.

Melanie's main artistic influencescome from working outdoors; indeed, most of herpaintings are produced at least in part on location,even in winter, with light and colour playing a majorrole in her work. Favourite subjects tend to involvewater. She particularly enjoys painting by theThames in Central London and views from the banksof the River Wey in Surrey. Melanie's livelydemonstrations offer plenty of inspiration andencouragement to "pick up your brushes and have ago" using oils, acrylics, gouache and oil pastel.

The demonstration will be held in Centre 70,Kinecroft, off Goldsmith Lane, Wallingford, OX100DT (visitors £3, members free).

On Saturday 9 November, as a follow-on from thedemonstration held on 17 September, Peter Keeganwill run a Workshop on “Painting Skies over land/sea/townscapes in acrylic and oils”. 10am-4pm atCentre70, cost £38 non-members, £35 members.

Peter plans the day out and everyone, even the mostexperienced oil painter, learns a lot and you willreceive a lot of helpful advice. Peter gives everybodyone to one tuition during the day which is veryreassuring. Best of all you will came away with 3finished paintings.

Tuesday Tutored Art Classes. If you are interestedin joining us please give us a call or come along toCentre 70 and have a chat with our tutors and havea “taster” session. Current term ends on 29 Octoberand the next term starts 5 November that runs for 6weeks.

Tuesday morning classes, 10am to 1pm, tutored byLiz and Claire.

Tuesday afternoon classes, 2pm to 4.30pm tutoredby Oliver Bedeman.

Both classes are designed to help you improve yourpainting techniques, drawing, colour mixing,composition, hue, tone, glazing, proportions etc;explain the benefits of the various mediums availableand above all enjoy painting. The afternoon classesare organised around people and the human form;there will be two sessions in the term with a clothedmodel.

Demonstrations and workshops, lasting 30 mins, areavailable at the start of each class.

WADAC members, of all abilities, meet every Tuesdayin “Centre 70” at 7.30pm for Untutored PaintingEvenings. Why not join us as a potential member orjust as a visitor?

The Art Club and Art Classes meet at the Centre 70,Kinecroft, off Goldsmith Lane, Wallingford, OX100DT. Email [email protected] , Tel01491 681400.

Web site : www.wallingfordartclub.org.uk

22

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NOVEMBER CROSSWORD1 2 3 4 5 6

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Across1 Crabbers like crushed fruit (12)

8 Musicians introduce note into month (5)

9 Recommend table (7)

10 Even repairs organ (3)

11 Lowly hood rebuilt part of LA (9)

13 Repeated profit (5)

14 Best garden party (5)

16 Run through queen taking helium, argonsulphur and aluminium compounds (9)

17 University in lead for 1 down source (3)

19 Arrive before detectives return? Funny! (7)

21 Coats brownies (5)

22 Parry statistician’s jab (12)

Down1 Soundly disapproves of drink (5)

2 Result of following the numbers (9)

3 Galley plot in veg. patch (7,6)

4 Topless Vasily follows leading executionercomfortably (6)

5 Mat by global trophy in Japan (5,5,3)

6 First lady drops book from event (3)

7 Rivet input-output here? (6)

12 Undiplomatic louts poke noses inside (9)

13 Winner of first-class people (3,3)

15 Deepest thoughts and beliefs of Greekgoddess (6)

18 Dutch painter sounds German (5)

20 Low sound of second small motor mower (3)

OCTOBER CROSSWORD SOLUTIONJ B B U N C L E S

Q U A R T E R S O Y

S N F E N A M E L

S T A N D O F F T P

D R U I

B A L I E C L I P S E S

U N A A C

S T A G G E R S N E E D

O N U O

M M I M P E R I A L

T A X I N G I A R

T S M O N U M E N T

B E R T H A E A O

WOODCOTE VILLAGE GREENCOMMITTEE

What a great day for the village on 14th Septemberwhen the Fete was held on the Green and so manypeople came along to join in the fun. The VillageGreen Committee would like to thank the FeteCommittee for all their hard work in making it such awonderful occasion. It seems as if the weather heldout until after the fete and it hasn’t stopped rainingsince.

However, some very good work has been going on inspite of the weather. King’s Tree Care have done aterrific job on cutting the hedges and have alsoremoved a dead tree and tidied up all the treesaround the Green. Robert McDowell has completedthe work on the garage and the new guttering he hasinstalled has been designed so that allotment holderscan make use of the rainwater. The ARDs companyhas repaired the damaged outpouring area under thebig swings in the play area, so all the major jobs havebeen carried out before winter sets in.

On Saturday 28th September, a low-key but poignantceremony was held to officially ‘open’ the new seatand tree plaque in memory of Doug Burton. Ken Isonand Ken Groom were present to represent theCommittee and Linda and Alexander Burton werethere along with Doug’s mother.

As ever, we are making plans for futureimprovements and adding to our ‘wish-list’. If fundswill allow, we hope soon to improve the area aroundthe Youth Shelter. We would also like to see a newcar park fence to replace the wooden one, which hasdone sterling service, but is now becoming difficult torepair. The wet pour issue is under constant reviewand the Parish Council is being very supportive withthis issue.

Over the past couple of months I have finished myreport with an invitation for new committeemembers. Unfortunately, no offers have beenforthcoming, but I live in hope.

SP

23

DATES FOR THE DIARY – NOVEMBERSat 2nd * Coffee Shop in aid of 1st Goring Heath

Guides. Woodcote Community Centre.10am-12.30pm

Wed 6th * Whitchurch Hill Camera Club talk: 'TheIdle Rich - Sliding Into Digital'.Whitchurch Village Hall. 8pm

Thur 7th* Woodcote Conservation Group AGM.Woodcote Community Centre. 7.30pm

* Wallingford Photographic Club talk: 'Whyand a Little How'. Crowmarsh Pavillion.8pm

Sat 9th * Coffee Shop in aid of OWL. WoodcoteCommunity Centre. 10am-12.30pm

* Wallingford & District Art Club workshop:'Painting Skies over land/sea/townscapesin acrylic and oils'. Centre 70, Kinecroft,Wallingford. 10am-4pm

* Pangbourne Art Group annual exhibition.Pangbourne Village Hall. 10am-4pm

* St Leonard's Fair. Woodcote Village Hall.1.30pm-4pm

Sun10th

* Pangbourne Art Group annual exhibition.Pangbourne Village Hall. 10am-4pm

Tues12th

* Woodcote Golden Age Meeting. WoodcoteCommunity Centre. 2pm-4pm

* Goring Gap Photo Club Traveller's Tales.Goring Free Church Hall. 8pm

* Reading RSPB Group talk: 'Lammergeiersof the Spanish Pyrenees'. PangbourneVillage Hall. 8pm

Wed13th

* BMMHS Talk: The sad case of SignalmanTaylor – The story of a remarkablemurder court-martial. Woodcote VillageHall. 7.30pm

* Wallingford Historical and ArchaeologicalSociety talk: 'Further archaeologicaldiscoveries in Wallingford'. St Mary'sChurch, Wallingford. 8pm

* Whitchurch Hill Camera Club talk: 'This,That and Street Photography'.Whitchurch Village Hall. 8pm

Thur14th

* Wallingford Gardening Club talk:'Beauties and Mysteries of the Burren'.Ridgeway Community Centre,Wallingford. 7.30pm

* Wallingford Photographic Club talk: 'StillLife – Allegory, Vanitas and MomentoMori'. Crowmarsh Pavillion. 8pm

Sat 16th * Coffee Shop in aid of 1st Goring HeathScout Group. Woodcote CommunityCentre. 10am-12.30pm

* Cholsey Repair Café, The Pavilion, StationRoad, Cholsey. 11am-1.45pm

* Goring & Woodcote Medical Practice PPGOpen Meeting: 'The Future of yourPractice'. Woodcote Village Hall. 2pm-3.30pm

* Goring Hall Live: Le Burn Maddox withthe Album Experience. Goring VillageHall. 7.30pm-11.30pm

Tues19th

* Wallingford & District Art Clubdemonstration: 'Capturing Night Scenes'.Centre 70, Kinecroft, Wallingford.7.30pm-9.30pm

NOVEMBER DATES (continued)

Wed20th

* Woodcote WI Meeting. Woodcote VillageHall. 2.30pm

* Whitchurch Hill Camera Club talk:'Architectural Image Making'. WhitchurchVillage Hall. 8pm

Thur21st

* Wallingford Photographic Clubcompetition evening - No Set Subject (2).Crowmarsh Pavillion. 7.45pm

* Whitchurch & Goring Heath HistorySociety lecture: 'Old Time Christmases'.Goring Heath Parish Hall. 8pm

* Whitchurch Hill Camera Club - PracticalPhotography Group meeting. WhitchurchVillage Hall. 8pm

Sat 23rd * Coffee Shop in aid of Woodcote Pre-School. Woodcote Community Centre.10am-12.30pm

* Christmas Craft Fair in aid of GoringPrimary School. Goring Village Hall.10am-4pm

Sun24th

* Christmas Craft Fair in aid of GoringPrimary School. Goring Village Hall.10am-4pm

Tues26th

* Goring Gap Photo Club Competition.Goring Free Church Hall. 8pm

Wed27th

* Woodcote Film Club. WoodcoteCommunity Centre. 2pm-4pm

* Whitchurch Hill Camera Club - DigitalCompetition No 2. Whitchurch VillageHall. 8pm

Thur28th

* Wallingford Photographic Club practicalevening. Crowmarsh Pavillion. 8pm

Sat 30th * Coffee Shop in aid of The Cabin Pre-School. Woodcote Community Centre.10am-12.30pm

FORTHCOMING DATES IN DECEMBERTues 3rd * Goring Gap Photo Club Talk. Goring Free

Church Hall. 8pmFri 6th * Windmill Sale. Woodcote Village Hall.

8am-12pmSat 7th * Coffee Shop in Aid of MSA / Crohn's &

Colitis. Woodcote Community Centre.10am-12.30pm

Tues10th

* Woodcote Golden Age Meeting. WoodcoteCommunity Centre. 2pm-4pm

Wed11th

* Senior Citizens Christmas Party. LangtreeSchool. 1.45pm-4pm

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CLOSING THOUGHT How sad would be November if we had no knowledge of the Spring!

Edwin Way Teale (Circle of the Seasons)

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