Sydenham Newsletter
Transcription
Sydenham Newsletter
Sydenham Newsletter July /August 2013 Editorial It’s Summer, and whilst we haven’t the 2012 Olympics this year, there are a wealth of sporting events to kick us through July before school breaks up and we take off for holidays abroad. Will Andy Murray do well at Wimbledon following his third victory in the Artois at Queens? Now without the presence of Nadal, Cilic, Tsonga and Federer, Djokovic seems the greatest threat. What about Justin Rose at Muirfield after becoming the first Englishman to win the US Open Golf since Tony Jacklin some 40 years ago? The inspiring Bradley Wiggins is not the dashing force he was a year ago but do we have a great contender in Chris Froome, now well established to conquer the continentals again in the Tour de France? And of course we have ‘The Ashes’ – always a big series against the favourite team we love to hate! What is it about the brash Aussies – perhaps we have the beating of them this year with their recent troubles. Whatever happens, we have the Ladybird Pre-School Sports day here in the Playing Field on Wednesday 10th July 12 noon - 2pm and look forward to seeing future outstanding talent. Why not join the children, parents and teachers and bring a picnic along and enjoy a fun couple of hours. And of course we are well into the Cricket season and Sydenham Cricket Club will be delighted to see you show up and support them at their home ground in Lewknor – their next three home games are against Great Haseley on Sunday 21st July, Haddenham a week later, and the now famous Sydenham ‘Ashes’ on 4th August. New talent is always welcome and last weekend young Tom Maitland joined the team with Dad Jon Maitland digging out his whites to make up the team number! Why not take along a picnic and enjoy the afternoons there too! Despite all the careful preparations for the Crown ‘Golf Day’ at North Oxford, it rained really heavily. No problem, the golfer’s loved it! However, very strong winds and a very lengthy power cut curtailed the Crown outdoor evening activities and BBQ. Again no problem for the Golfers or for Max & Louise – they just brought the BBQ indoors and in candle light had a brilliant full house with prize giving and great entertainment. Let’s hope for better seasonal weather in 2014. Well done all for coping. The annual Sydenham Fayre has come and gone and the committee can relax again for another year, they did a really fantastic job raising over £6,000 for local causes. In particular the inspiration of modest Gordon McLeod should be highlighted as it was his fourth year as Chairman and he has decided to step down and let new blood take the reigns in 2014. In the four years that Gordon has been the boss, the committee have raised in excess of £20,000 and he is the first one to say it is the ground work of the team that has made it possible – well done all! The departure of the Rector was announced in the last issue and along with the other three churches in the United Parish, St Mary’s now faces an interval without someone at the helm. We are delighted that Revd. Joan DeVal and Revd. Peter Wainwright are with us throughout and taking the lead, not just with regular 2 Sunday worship, but also the weekday activities of School Assembly work, numerous committee’s, regular visiting of the sick in addition to the regular Baptisms, Marriages and Death’s of which last year here in Sydenham we held three Weddings, three Baptism’s and a funeral. Joan & Peter are keen to point out that despite John going, they are there to support the village and will continue to do so throughout the vacancy. A new idea during the coming months will be a regular short hymn singing service for about half an hour featuring half a dozen well known hymns selected by regular visitors. Do come along and get involved and in the meantime don’t forget to support our Pet Service on 14th July. Another major departure from Sydenham are our good friends Jean and Ray Harris who several years ago decided to move to Devon to be nearer their children, daughter Ali, son Anthony, their spouses and respective grandchildren. The move was originally thwarted by Ray having serious hospital treatment but he has sailed through the course and is back to his old self. Jean and Ray have played a big part in village activities since their arrival 30 years ago and we’ve put together a précis of their efforts. We shall certainly miss them, but they are anxious not to lose touch with their Sydenham friends and will be welcoming visitors to their new abode near Tiverton. However, one family moves out and a new one moves in and we welcome Vicki and Toby Roe and their daughters Lucy and Philippa who apparently have been looking for the opportunity to move to Sydenham for ages. Vicki has connections at Ladybird and Toby is captain of Sydenham Cricket Team and Mark Kermack tells me, perhaps in line for promotion to the county squad! The departure of Louise and Max from the Crown will be of concern to many people, within and probably for many miles around Sydenham. Sadly after five years they are moving on but hopefully we will still see them if they stay based in Chinnor with daughter Alice at Amersham College and son Christopher at Lord William’s. The Sydenham Pub Company has made an announcement on page 19, but in the meantime do maximise your visits before their departure date of 10th August. On their final day they are hosting a Farewell Party and you can expect the Crown to be packed both inside and out! From the Newsletter team on behalf of all our readers ‘We wish them well and thank them for their friendship, their service, their desire to please and the excellent food and drink they have provided!’ This is a big news issue and we have lots more for you to read and share, a new baby boy, Edward for Emily and Billy Lucas on 14th June in Chalford, the June and July winners of the OSR 100 Club, the WI news and without her members, their very daring President Viv abseiling down the JR hospital……Enjoy! The next Newsletter will be distributed at the end of the late Bank Holiday week in August. Can you please ensure your copy is with the team or to royharry@aol. com by Friday 23rd August. Thank you to everyone who has sent in copy for this edition, we need your contributions, your advertising details and your news, views and reports. Have a really good summer from all the Newsletter team. Roy 3 Church News Dates for your Diary in July and August 2013 St. Mary’s Church Services July Sunday 7th 11am St Andrew’s Chinnor. Farewell Communion service for Revd. John Kinchin-Smith. Sunday 14th 4pm Pet service. Revd. Peter Wainwright – Please bring along your pets – from ponies to snails to snakes or spiders, goldfish to goats or geese! Sunday 21st *Evensong. Mark Humphrey. 6pm Sunday 28th 10am ‘Songs of Praise’ - A half hour service of 6 hymns selected by SydenhamVillagers. August Saturday 3rd 12am Holy Matrimony - Ali Heath-Smith and Beggy Stenning – Revd Peter Wainwright. Sunday 4th *Holy Communion – Revd. Joan DeVal. 10am 3pm Baptism – Beatrice Carter – Revd. Joan DeVal. Sunday 11th No Service. Sunday 18th *Evensong – Revd. Joan DeVal. 6pm Sunday 25th 10am ‘Songs of Praise’ – A half hour service of 6 hymns selected by Sydenham Villagers. ** Saturday 14th September – Ride and Stride ** Services from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer are marked * Calling all humans and animals… St Mary’s will once again be welcoming all creatures great and small accompanied by their human friends to the annual pet service. To be held on Sunday 14th July at 4pm, the service promises to provide lots of variety, fun and reflection. Join us afterwards for tea and cakes and some other surprises! Any queries or questions – call Fi on 352990 or Gilly on 07789 584252. 4 The Window Doctor CARE & REPAIR FOR ALL YOUR UPVC & ALUMINIUM WINDOW & DOOR PROBLEMS • Replacement of broken down sealed units - misting up inside glass • Adjust front & back doors that do not shut • New handles, hinges and door locks • Replacement of patio door wheels • New security handles with keys • New door panels and cat flaps • New Georgian style or leaded style sealed units • All insurance work • Burglary damage • Servicing PLUS INSTALLATIONS OF NEW UPVC WINDOWS & DOORS Call us for a FREE Survey and Quotation, FENSA No call out charge Registered Company Friendly Family Established Business Cowling & Co. Mobile: 07860 435742 Tel/Fax: 01494 483567 email: [email protected] www.windowdoctor.co.uk Church Vacancy With Rector John Kinchin-Smith, Caroline and family leaving the United Parish of Chinnor, Sydenham, Aston Rowant & Crowell, his final service is on 7th July at St Andrew’s Chinnor and a special service is being held to celebrate his seven years in charge. This will be the fourth Vacancy in the United Parish since Canon Ralph Cartmill retired in 1999 and puts huge pressure on the depleted team to cover services in the four churches. We are all trying to cooperate but must bear in mind that the remaining two ordained priests Revd. Joan DeVal and Revd. Peter Wainwright are well past retirement age! At Sydenham, after consultation with the regular worshipers, we have agreed to drop the 4th Sunday Matins service and replace it with a simple 10am half-hour service named ‘Songs of Praise’ which will feature six hymns and be led by the Churchwardens, allowing the Ministry team to best support the remaining churches as they can. Each month we will be asking a different couple of Sydenham worshipers each to select two of their favourite popular hymns and the Choir to choose the remaining two. We know, due to Church legislation that the timescale for filling the vacancy, (known in church circles as an Interregnum) could be many months and likely to be into Spring of 2014. Adèle & Roy 5 Coronation Service On 2nd June we had a really good turnout for the special anniversary service celebrating 60 years of Her Majesty the Queens Coronation. Rosemary had dressed St Mary’s especially with red, white and blue flowers and the scene was set for a nostalgic ‘Coronation Evensong’ led by Revd. Peter Wainwright. The bans were read for the third time of asking for Ali Heath-Smith and Beggy Stenning and Peter, Chris and the Choir had selected lovely hymns including ‘I vow to thee my country’, ‘Rule Britannia’ and of course the full three verses of the National Anthem (in my seventy years I don’t ever remember even seeing the middle verse, which is so frightfully British)! Peter decided, instead of a sermon, to walk down the aisle and invite members of the congregation to tell us about their memory of the Coronation, 60 years ago to the day. Of those who spoke, at least three members, Rosemary Carter, Mary Weston and Paul Stancliffe were actually there (in the rain) on the route of the procession and had vivid memories. Jane Errington brought along souvenirs and wore clothes of the 1952 era and afterwards we shared canapés and raised a glass with the Loyal Toast. What a wonderful occasion and a real pleasure to be part of the nostalgic and patriotic evening and service. Thank you everyone for your contribution. Shaun Guard TV AERIAL SERVICES Poor Reception Solved - Aerials repaired & supplied TVs - Hung on your wall for you. Also supplied & tuned Extra TV Points - For aerial and Sky (In HD!) Sky TV - Also Foreign Language TV Call Thame 01844 259119 A part of 6 Ken Hardiman ‘Thought the service was very good and enjoyed listening to people’s experiences’. Sue Wills writes “So interesting to hear from people who were there in 1952”. Anon “what a lovely event, ‘So Sydenham’ and a delight to be there”. A Pictorial Guide to St Andrew’s Church, Chinnor A new colour guide to Chinnor Church has been published which includes many details researched and written about by June Cray of Sydenham. June established that the 16 large paintings hanging in the church were painted almost 300 years ago by Sir James Thornhill and that they are the originals which the glass painter copied, when Sir Christopher Wren redesigned the 1722 Great Rose Window in the North Transept of Westminster Abbey. Also included are details of the famous brasses, the links to Chinnor Parsonage, one of the great houses of Oxfordshire with 22 rooms and a ‘Banqueting House’, the rediscovery of the 1,896 items which came from Sir Isaac Newton’s library and many other interesting aspects of the church and its long history. Copies of the guide (priced at £9.95) are on sale in St Andrew’s and St Mary’s, as well as at the Chinnor Parish Council office in Station Road, Chinnor, and local bookshops. Paul Royal Horticultural Society Qualified Female Gardener Knowledgeable gardening service including plant care advice, planting plans, seasonal pruning, garden maintenance Phone: 01844 354097 07977 853522 Email: [email protected] The book was launched at a delightful gathering in St Andrew’s Church on the lovely early evening of Saturday 15th June. Paul, who played a very active part in pulling it all together, was accompanied by Adèle and children Edward and William and hosted the evening along with members of both St Andrew’s and St Mary’s assisting and providing the excellent catering and Pimms. It was very pleasing to see many old friends including Serena Hutton who contributed to the book and the former Rector the Revd. Ralph Cartmill and his wife Jill, who had travelled down especially for the occasion from Norfolk. Roy 7 Parish Council Planning P13/S1208/HH and P13/S1209/CA – The Old Smithy/Crossways Cottage Demolition of existing wooden garage/shed and building of a single car port 6m x 3m with storage included at the rear, on site of 2-3 Crossways Cottages No strong views P13/S1431/FUL – The Inn at Emmington Proposed two storey extension and side extension No strong views P13/S1771/HH – 16 Park View, Sydenham Road, Sydenham Proposed rear conservatory New Sewage Pumping Station and Sydenham bypass scheme The following announcement has been made by Thames Water: “The scheme was presented to the full Thames Water Investment Committee including Martin Baggs and Bob Collington on 28 May 2013 and has been approved for delivery with a start due in the spring of 2014.” The scheme involves the construction of a new pumping station south of Kingston Stert Farm which will pump the effluent from Aston Rowant, Kingston Blount and Crowell directly to the Henton sewage treatment works. From the autumn of 2014 the Brookstones pumping station will therefore be dealing with the very much reduced flow of sewage from Kingston Stert and Sydenham only, and the groundwater leaking into the sewers in times of heavy rain should no longer cause flooding in Sydenham and Emmington. TOM CHAMLET BUILDERS EXTENSIONS : RENOVATIONS : NEW BUILDS ALL BUILDING WORK UNDERTAKEN FRIENDLY, PROFESSIONAL, TIDY SERVICE. REFERENCES PROVIDED 07831 445691 01844 351519 [email protected] 8 72 COWLEAZE CHINNOR Broadband announcement in July or August OCC are now very close to completing their broadband investment contract. They are in the final stages of negotiation and expect to complete it by the end of July. The Council is confident that it will meet its programme objectives for at least 90% of premises (homes and businesses) to have 24Mbps (Superfast Broadband speeds) or more, and at least 2Mbps (Basic Broadband) will be available for everybody else. News from Sydenham WI As always, lots of activities to join in with and new people to meet so if all this appeals, we would love to welcome you to our monthly meetings. The next one on the 18th July will be our annual summer event so let us know if you would like to come along or for any other information on our lively group. Viv, our daring president has been seen hanging off buildings (see her account on page 25) when not attending the Cardiff AGM as our representative, various members went for lunch at The Clink (more in the next issue on this), we went back in time to the civil war and at another meeting learnt how to pack for a month in a small case. We waved a fond farewell to Jean Harris and were very sad to say goodbye to her. Echoing Roy’s words in this issue, Jean was a stalwart of Sydenham in so many ways. She made an enormous contribution to the WI and served on the committee in many guises – including as President and Secretary. We presented her with a cake and Adèle gave a lovely speech about this very special lady. Jean is thinking of joining her local WI when she has settled in plus we are planning a visit to see her before too long. Fi K (352990) Women in the Civil War On the 16th May, we all gathered at Paul and Jane Rooksby’s to hear a wonderfully entertaining talk by Margaret Evans (aka Mad Moll!). Margaret belongs to a re-enactment group called ‘The Sealed Knot’ who stage battles and demonstrations bringing to life the English Civil War. Margaret was suitably dressed for her talk in a working woman’s clothes of the period (1640s) which was a very heavy and cumbersome outfit. Her stories illustrate the amazing exploits and characters of the women of the time; women who while looking 9 after their families defended their homes vigorously. Many went into battle themselves defying the convention of the day and fought alongside their men. We all learned a lot about these unsung heroines which gave us a new insight into the women of the time. Sandra L. Minimum Packing Theme – How to pack just hand luggage for a holiday and achieve perfect harmony by using the right colour choices for you. We were delighted to welcome back Katy Dyer who previously enlightened us on our wardrobe colour choices. This time she demonstrated to us how one could pack a carry-on suitcase for a fortnight’s holiday. Like a conjuror she produced a selection of colour co-ordinated outfits and other travel essentials from the small bag and hung them onto a rail, one wondered how they all fitted into such a tight space, there was even room for more! The golden rules for achieving this miracle are as follows 1. Make a list and stick to it. 2. Choose only colour co-ordinated items which can be dual purpose for day/evening wear. 3. Pack 5 tops, 4 bottoms, 2 swimsuits, underwear, matching accessories to include 2 scarves, 2 pairs of shoes, make up and toiletries, collapsible handbags. 4. Wear as many of the bulky items you wish to take on the flight. 10 VOILA – sounds simple and good in theory, but most of us agreed that we like to take a lot more away with us than is strictly necessary and are very prone to include last minute items which might prove useful. Tessa Sydenham Fayre 2013 After what seems like months of not very good weather, we had for the Fayre the best day of the year thus far – the sun shone and the crowds seemed larger than previous years. At 2pm Tony Smith one of Sydenham’s longest serving residents helped by villager Fiona Bruce, cut the ribbon to get the Fayre underway. The previous four years has seen Nick Potts dress in all manner of costumes, whilst performing his role as Master of Ceremonies, so it was little surprise to me that for this year’s event he should appear as a blonde fairy. His quick run through with Fiona of ‘Basic, Better, Best’ from the Antiques Road Show to establish who was the best Nigel in Sydenham proved most inconclusive following the timely intervention by their respective spouses! All that has been successful and popular at a traditional village Fayre was again on offer but this year with some added attractions, and I cautiously say for the first time, we had pony and trap rides and ferret racing, both of which added great value to the day. Also for a first time our marquee housed a small Food Fayre and the mix of fresh vegetables, excellent cooked produce and local XT Brewery ales attracted favourable comments from both visitors and stallholders alike. Live music for the afternoon and evening sessions was again provided by Ken Hardiman who put together another great sounding band, including for the first time villager David Froker on lead guitar, it was also good to see the characterful Barry Hutton back with us as the sort of lead singer. (Barry is the only person I know who can successfully get away with wearing a jacket louder than himself!) Thanks to Rosemary and Adèle the Church again looked very beautiful with all manner of summer floral displays, Paul also took the opportunity to put on show some of Sydenham’s many archives and church records. I did find several visitors taking refuge from the bustle of the Fayre and taking time for some tranquil contemplation in the cooler and calmer surrounds of St Mary’s. 11 Following a year off because of last year’s Jubilee celebrations we saw the welcome return of the ‘Evening Do’. The assembled gathering enjoyed an excellent chilli prepared by Hilary’s team of home cooks who collectively produced a large quantity of delicious food. Dave Wilkins flew single handed as bar organiser/tender and clearer upper until the close just after midnight. The highlight of the evening would have to be a performance by ‘The 2 Fi’s’ (Kermack & Kendall) and their Air Guitar rendition of ‘Johnny B Goode’, the expression on Mark’s face told it all. It was good to see Barry Mitchell persuaded out of retirement to run the evening raffle and in his own inimitable way added £151.00 to the Fayre funds; so along with that and through the efforts of many villagers and friends our final total is a little over £6,000. Sydenham give yourselves another big hand, well done!!! I have tried in the past to do personal thanks and found it very difficult not to miss people out, so, thank you to everyone for doing their bit no matter how big or small, the simple truth is it all helps; Sydenham Fayre would not be the success it has been without your dedication and involvement. Full details of this year’s beneficiaries etc are elsewhere in the Newsletter. What of next year? There are to be some changes on the Fayre committee and there are a couple of vacancies arising, if you are interested in joining please contact me for a quick chat and further information. After 4 really enjoyable years working with a group of enthusiastic highly motivated committee members I am soon to stand down. It is with the satisfaction of knowing that 12 in that time via this committee and with the help of villagers Sydenham Fayre has raised in the region of £20,000 for local causes, schools and organisations. Money that may have in some small way helped such groups stay viable and play an active part in our community. As for Fayre 2014! Well, for your diaries the date is Saturday 7th June, I certainly look forward to being involved in some way and hope you will as well. Gordon McLeod On behalf of the Sydenham Fayre Committee. Tel 352366. [email protected] The Committee Members: Fiona Kermack John Ashfield Gilly Harrison Ashley Wills Kate Grafham Martin Gossage Pauline McLeod Paul Rooksby. SYDENHAM FAYRE BENEFICIARIES 2013 Sydenham Cricket Club Assist with machinery repairs and ground fees Sydenham Old School Room Assist with the maintainance & running costs Ladybird Playgroup Purchase of equipment 246.00 St Mary’s Church Flower fund 400.00 St Mary’s Church Assistance with mowing of churchyard 150.00 St Mary’s Church Cleaning Materials St Mary’s Church Fabric fund (building repairs) St Mary’s Church Music stand for the church organ Aston Rowant School Purchase of books and equipment 481.95 Friends of Lewknor School New CD player and equipment 200.00 Sydenham Old School Room Part funding of defibrillator 500.00 Sydenham Voice Bird boxes, in particular for owls 200.00 Sydenham Voice Bulb planting on verges, purchase of bulbs 200.00 Sydenham WI Assistance with Hire of Old School Room for meetings 250.00 500.00 1,000.00 50.00 1,000.00 50.00 £5,227.95 Gordon 13 14 All the fun of the Fayre a pictorial account As expressed so eloquently by Chairman Gordon in his report, the sun shone, villagers worked their socks off, it was all great fun and our many visitors had a great time. Our picture montages give you a flavour of the 2013 Fayre. Starting from the left top, set up is always a challenge to ensure everything is put out on time, the stallholders are all happy and we are ready for the ‘off’ at 2pm sharp, Nick the fairy takes a bow, Fiona introduces the ‘Basic, Better, Best’ challenge which caused some competition amongst the spouses! Our stallholders (Ollie Harbour in this case), in keeping with our many and varied displays, supported the Fayre admirably. The children attractions are always a favourite and this year, the Slide and Rock & Roller provided hours of fun, there were queues for the BBQ all day long as there were for the pony rides down Water Lane, the Bric-a-Brac tables were groaning under all the weight of bargains to be had and a ham (kindly provided by Plesteds in Chinnor) was eagerly fought over in the battle of the skittles. And over the page, the floral display in St Mary’s Church to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Coronation along with a pop up museum of Sydenham’s archives attracted huge numbers whilst Ken Hardiman’s band played on during the day and into the night to be joined by the ‘rock chicks’ who accompanied Dave on air guitar during the evening bash. The WI provided delicious cakes and biscuits on their stall and Cyndy’s plants, always providing interesting varieties of fruits and flowers, did a brisk trade 15 16 Look right for the ‘Tug of War’ a firm favourite and this year sponsored by Silent View Windows. Teams from The Crown, Sydenham Cricket Club and The Inn at Emmington battled it out with the latter pictured top right and carrying off the trophy below. The goalie saved and lost many a goal and the pony and trap, new for this year, proved a big success in providing rides through the village. Fi Kermack Desperate to Work I have nearly finished my gap year and have run out of money! I am available throughout July and September for babysitting, dog walking, ironing or any other odd jobs you need done! Contact via mobile or email; 07725 237050, [email protected] Rachel Maitland The OSR 100 Club Thank you to the 2013 Fayre Committee for supporting the OSR with a grant for the next year. It certainly eases some of our concerns as we are losing our prime tenants Ladybird at Christmas. June 78 115 74 87 Winners Spencer Jones Karen Ort & Peter Jones Sarah Phillips June Hall July 60 43 63 50 Winners Anna Froker Ann Ashfield Jane Rooksby John W Wilson Thank you for your continued support Roy 17 RISBOROUGH CARERS LTD 1st Floor, 1 Thame Business Centre, Wenman Road, Thame, Oxon OX9 3XA Tel: 01844 212271 E-mail: [email protected] www.risboroughcarers.org.uk Risborough Carers Ltd is a private independent local family run Home Care Agency, established in 1992, and are registered and compliant with the Care Quality Commission Due to continued growth we are now recruiting for: Full & Part Time Carers To fulfill the following shifts: Monday to Sunday 07:00 to 14:00 and/or Monday to Sunday 14:00 to 22:00 (Flexibility within these work patterns) We are recruiting for sociable, committed, professional individuals passionate about supporting vulnerable people in our community and who, with training and on-going support, can provide a friendly and dignified service to our Clients in our local community. It is essential that you have a UK driving license and access to your own transport The tasks you will be expected to do would involve Personal Care, Domestic Care, Companionship and Social Support but will vary depending on the needs of individual clients. In return, we offer a career that makes a real difference to our community. We offer an exceptional induction and excellent on-going training provided by an Accredited Training Company, competitive rates of pay, mileage allowance, flexible hours, and opportunities for career progression, including obtaining a Diploma in Health and Social Care. Being a Carer for Risborough Carers is a highly responsible position but it is a rewarding role making a genuine difference to people’s lives. Do you think you have what it takes to be a Risborough Carer? If so, and you would like to join a local company with an exceptional reputation, then we’d love to hear from you, please ring: Stephanie on 01844 212271 or E-mail [email protected] (We are an Equal Opportunities Employer) 18 The Crown – New Lessees We are sure that by now everyone in the village will know that Max and Louise will be leaving The Crown in August. It has been a real pleasure having them and their family in the village for the last 5 years. They have been excellent hosts and Max’s food has developed a great reputation throughout the area. We would like to thank them for their great contribution to village life whilst they have been here. We wish them every success in whatever they decide to do in the future and hope that they stay in touch with Sydenham. You will have noticed that the To Let sign has been removed from the pub. We are pleased to announce that Oliver and Caroline will take over the pub when Max and Louise leave. Between them they have extensive experience of running pubs and catering to a high standard. They are looking forward to the challenge of The Crown. We look forward to welcoming them to the village in August. There will be further information provided in due course. Sydenham Pub Company Farewell Party Saturday 10th August from 6pm No tickets required, just come along! Live Music Simple Hog Roast Great Company We are sad to be moving on but feel lucky to have been part of the village for five years. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has supported us at The Crown in so many different ways. Love and best wishes Max, Louise, Alice, Chris & Chelsea XX The Crown Annual Golf Day Despite the worst weather imaginable and the longest power cut we’ve ever experienced it turned out to be the best golf day ever! A big thank you to everyone who supported the day particularly those who helped to organise the event and the very talented buggy drivers who kept our golfers suitably refreshed during the day. Max & Louise 19 News from Ladybird Pre-School Fundraising news Some really great fundraising has been going on in the last couple of months. In the last Newsletter, we reported that the village quiz night was a fantastic success, and along with the raffle, raised over £700. We are very grateful to all villagers, parents, staff and supporters who helped to raise this fantastic amount and of course to our quiz master extraordinaire – Gordon! Some of the money raised so far has enabled us to purchase a gazebo to protect the children when playing in the garden. We had a stall at Sydenham Fayre, selling gorgeous cupcakes thanks to Rebecca’s magnificent baking, and a selection of craft items and second-hand children’s toys, clothes and books. Thanks to everyone who manned the stall on the day and bought things from us! We also had a stall at the Mill Lane school fun day on 22nd June where we had a selection of children’s games and thank you to everyone who went along on the day. Clare Nickless, one of our parent committee members, has created Totally Trendy Togs – a regular pre-loved children’s clothes sale – which gives part of its profits to Ladybirds. Along with cake sales on the day, she and other committee members have been raising money for Ladybirds and all their help is much appreciated. If you would like to donate any second-hand clothes for children aged 0-5, which are in good condition, then please let us know! The next sale will be on Monday 8th July – see Facebook for more details. We have a number of other fundraising ideas up our sleeves, not least cupcake decorating courses, so watch this space! A final note on fundraising – in order to help all our supporters see where this money goes, we have designed a “fundraising beanstalk” for our notice board inside the OSR, which shows the amounts achieved, pictures of what it has been spent on and also a wish list of equipment for our future fundraising efforts. Sports Day! We will be holding our annual sports day on Wednesday 10th July from 12pm onwards at the Sydenham playing field. All the usual fun and games will be on offer, we will be selling refreshments and parents are also encouraged to bring a picnic. All are welcome to come and take part in the fun – just turn up on the day! News about our planned move to Chinnor As many villagers will no doubt be aware, we are working on a planned move to the St Andrew’s school site. We still have some significant hurdles to overcome however we seem to be moving towards the goal of re-locating in January 2014. 20 An enormous amount of work has been going on in the background, not least putting together tenders for local builders, applying for essential grants and working on our marketing plan. We will be able to share more with you once refurbishment work starts at St Andrew’s, but in the meantime our priority is getting new children into the pre-school ready for our new school year in September. Change to our opening times With the planned move to St Andrew’s and also the need to adjust things slightly to be eligible for much-needed local authority funding, the committee has decided to change our opening hours from September 2013. When we return in September, we will be opening five days a week, however we have decided, for now, that our Thursday toddler sessions will cease. We are also introducing a new lunch club for children who stay all day, or whose parents may need a little extra time for pick-ups. From September 2013, our new opening times will be as follows: Day Morning Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri 09.15– 09.15– 09.15– 09.15– 09.15– 11.45 11.45 11.45 11.45 11.45 Lunch club Afternoon 11.45-12.30 11.45-12.30 11.45-12.30 11.45-12.30 11.45-12.30 12.30 – 3.00pm closed 12.30 – 3.00pm 12.30 – 3.00pm closed These sessions are for unaccompanied children from 2.5 years old. Spaces available – as is usual for this time of year, we have quite a number of children leaving us with all our best wishes, for “big school”. As a result we have quite a few spaces yet to fill for September. It is really important to our financial situation that we fill as many spaces as we can (or else we will not get enough local authority funding to run the pre-school), so we would urge anyone in Sydenham who knows of parents who are looking for a pre-school locally, to put in a good word for us. We are very happy to show people around and tell them all about the great work that we do with children. Retirement news After many years at the pre-school, Annette Page has decided to retire. She has been an absolutely wonderful member of staff, loved by colleagues, parents and children alike and she will be missed hugely. She goes with all our thanks and best wishes for a wonderful and relaxing retirement. Finally, we would like to wish everyone, staff, children, parents, friends and supporters, a very happy summer break. Vicki Roe, June 2013 21 T. 01296 613647 E. [email protected] www.chilternbrewery.co.uk 22 Jean & Ray Harris Departure My good friends Jean and Ray moved into Rushmead on Ray’s 46th Birthday on 27th May 1983. Thirty years later almost to the day they have made their final move having bought a house in the small village of Butterleigh near Tiverton, close to their daughter Ali, her husband Phil and grandchildren William and Lucy. I say final move because whilst a serving officer with the RAF they were in married quarters and moved home & abroad more than a dozen times with son Anthony and daughter Alison! Back in 1983, Jean, a special needs teacher at Mill Lane School was quickly enrolled into the Sydenham WI, was Secretary for many years and President for three years and as a regular member attended her final meeting a week before their departure. She was a member of Sydenham Parish Council for ten years until 2010 and always offered experienced advice. Having taken early retirement, Ray had time on his hands. He too played an active part in village life and was secretary of the OSR Committee for several years and instrumental with it’s modernisation about 12 years ago. Then on Doug Newham’s departure he took on the role of Chairman for five years, before retiring some four years ago. He was also involved for a number of years on the Fayre Committee and did his stint as Chairman in the late 90’s. Jane and I shared holidays with them and went to several Mediterranean destinations and South Africa. Following his diagnosis of cancer he has been a diligent patient and we are all really delighted that he has got through it and can now look forward to many further years in retirement. Ali and Phil, William & Lucy and a lot of Sydenham friends of Jean and Ray, acquired over many years, joined them for a farewell drink at Rushmead and shared Ray’s 76th birthday celebrations. Roy Sydenham Cricket Club Despite the inclement weather, some cricket has been played by Sydenham CC. The club has played three matches, winning one and losing two. The season opened with defeat to a strong Old Berkeley side. The match was disappointing from a Sydenham perspective, although it contained a great innings by Dan Bradley of 70, plus an early contender for catch of the season from Henry Eaton in the slips. The next opponents were Great Milton who were vanquished by the 11, although in this case, the 10 men of Sydenham, with Tim Howarth scoring the winning runs in a total of 104 for 4 in reply to Great Milton’s 102 for 5. An excellent all round performance from everyone in Sydenham colours. The most recent game was away to Haddenham in which an under par total of 58 all out was set by Sydenham. An easy victory for the opposition loomed, but some extremely disciplined bowling by Sydenham nearly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Alas it was not to be, with Haddenham winning with 62 for 8. We are always on the look out for new players, so please do have a look at www.sydenhamcricketclub.com or speak to John Ashfield, Mark Kermack or myself. Toby 23 24 Fundraising – This month’s report and another Challenge! SeeSaw - But don’t ask me to do this! (Ed). The new President of WI is not a person to be messed with! In the last Newsletter we had a report and picture of Viv with her ‘ lambing’. This month it is somewhat different but makes an excellent read. Well what did you get up to on Sunday 23rd June? Fancy something to get the adrenaline flowing? Find where you can do an abseil for charity. This is what I did on Sunday. Last year I saw the chance to abseil for charity advertised and decided I was going to do that. Why? Well about 23 years ago we went on holiday to Butlins and had a go at abseiling down the climbing wall and it was great fun. The venue for the charity abseil was the ladies wing at the John Radcliffe hospital!!! I got quite a few sponsors and was quite excited about it. Looking forward to it we were kitted out with harness, helmet and gloves. We went up in the lift to the top floor but there was further to go, through a locked door and up a vertical ladder, one of those with a semi circular guard behind you as it is actually vertical. Once at the top we were told to stay between the green lines on the roof/floor until we were called to the roping area. There was an incredible view from up there. One girl was really scared, shaking and crying. She wanted to go in the middle so two of us moved forward to the metal fence to be attached to the rope. Then the young man said to climb through the fence which I did, but then felt a bit scared and didn’t want to let go, but shuffled back until my heels were over the drop (100 ft) just standing on the balls of my feet. Although I knew I couldn’t fall, it was still weird to lean back over the drop. Then I began to walk down the wall, the photographer said to look his way and smile. It was great and I even managed to do some of those moves where you push away from the wall in little jumps. It was all over too quickly but great fun and so far I have raised £250 for the charity SeeSaw. SeeSaw is an Oxford charity that provides grief support for the young in Oxfordshire - if anyone feels like adding to my total it will be gratefully received. Thank you, Viv Croxford The Big Pink Plunge! We are holding a charity parachute jump in support of ‘Against Breast Cancer’ on Saturday 7th September 2013 and are looking for adventurous people to join us in “taking the plunge”. The jump will take place at Brackley airfield and you will need to raise a minimum of £395 sponsorship. You can find further information about the jump and the support you can expect to receive from Against Breast Cancer to help you with your fundraising at the following link: www.againstbreastcancer.org.uk/thebigpinkplunge or by phoning us on 01235 534211. If you are aged 16 or over, sign up and join us and do something amazing while raising vital funds for our research! 25 Chinnor Flower & Produce Show Will be held at 2.30pm on Monday, 26 August at Station Road Playing Fields, Chinnor. Admission to the show is 50p. The 2013 Schedule can be downloaded via Chinnor Parish Council website, or available at the Village Centre, Library or Allotment distribution centre from the beginning of July. There are some 150 classes, from vegetables, fruit, and flowers to crafts, cooking, photography and wine making, including some classes specifically for children. A popular auction is held at the end of the show. Refreshments will be available together with a range of outside local stalls. To enter call Peggy on 351844 or email [email protected] Sydenham Annual Pumpkin, Squash and Sunflower Competition 2013 This year’s annual Pumpkin competition includes the largest/heaviest Pumpkin, two varieties of Squash and the tallest Sunflower. All are now available and the pumpkin variety this year is ‘Hundredweight’ (pictured). The Squashes are ‘Custard White’: A particular favourite of Royalty across Europe during the 16th century, brought to these shores by Sir Francis Drake along with the potato and tobacco. Whilst not addictive or habit forming as is tobacco and much healthier than potatoes the custard white was the least well known of Drake’s imports. Category, prettiest and smallest. And ‘Turks Turban’: This year’s seed imported from Madeira. The most exuberant of the squash family used to a sunny climate and a soft wind blowing from the Atlantic, absolutely perfect for South Sydenham and the Brookstones escarpment. Category, dressed and ornamental. If you haven’t got your plants yet (£2 each) please call 351906 to collect or arrange delivery. All funds go to St Mary’s Church fabric fund. Good Growing! Ann Ashfield Chiltern Brewery Open Day 20th July, 11am – 4pm We are delighted to announce that The Chiltern Brewery will be holding a free open day on Saturday 20th July between the hours of 11am and 4pm. This is a fantastic opportunity to see behind the scenes of a working micro-brewery, the oldest in Buckinghamshire and the Chiltern Hills, and find out more about traditional brewing techniques, including the crucial role of the best quality 100% British malt and hops used by the Jenkinsons. The brewery is located just off the B4009, the Nash Lee Road, on a working farm in Terrick near Wendover. Families are very welcome and there is a lovely garden area to sit and enjoy the day. Extra parking will be provided on site. There is no need to book, you can just pop-in. 26 MASQUE PLAYERS & MASQUERADE Present: Two one act comedies. “Strictly SeX Factor on Ice” by David Tristram And “Dream Team” by Justin Clinch. July 4th, 5th & 6th at 8pm. West Wycombe Village Hall. Tickets £9 and £6 concessions from: Lynn on 351 523 or [email protected] Diary Dates July 4th,5th,6th Masque Players & Masquerade. Two one act plays (see advert). 10th Wednesday Ladybird Pre-School Sports day - 12noon -2pm. 14th Sunday 4pm Pet Service St Mary’s Sydenham. 20th Saturday Chiltern Brewery Open Day 21st Sunday. Sydenham Cricket Club v Great Haseley 28th Sunday Sydenham Cricket Club v Haddenham Sunday Sydenham Cricket Club ‘The Ashes’ August 4th 26th Monday Chinnor Flower & Produce Show. 2.30pm Chinnor. Admission 50p September 7th Saturday The Big Pink Plunge! Charity parachute jump in support of ‘Against Breast Cancer’. Brackley airfield - £395 sponsorship 14th Saturday Ride & Stride – Local Oxfordshire Churches 10am to 6pm – Sponsored Cycle Ride Views expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Sydenham Newsletter Team or other contributors. The publication of content in the Sydenham Newsletter is at the sole discretion of the Editorial Team, and although every effort is made to only include bona fide advertisers, the Newsletter Team take no responsibility for the validity of claims or offers made. 27 THE INN AT EMMINGTON Pub & Restaurant, Cask Ales & Wines En-suite Rooms Large Beer Garden, Car Park Lunch, Wednesday – Sunday Dinner, Monday – Saturday Tel: 01844 351367 email: [email protected] website: www.theinnatemmington.co.uk Sydenham Road, Sydenham, Chinnor, OX39 4LD The Newsletter is supported by the Parish Council