The Sandford Link Summer 2020 Issue 158

This is the front cover of our national WI magazine, ‘WI Life’. It says it all really – ‘WE CAN DO IT!’ and ‘ADAPT, SURVIVE & THRIVE’, and boy, did we!

Editor: Hazel Douglas — Email:1 [email protected]

Contents—Parish & Church News / Talking Shop / Village Events / Festival / Classified ads / WI / Local News / Activism.

Lock-down through a Development / Humanitarian worker’s eyes — Jo Zaremba – May 2020 Day one: Up at dawn. The birds are already busy, arguing and shouting loudly in the garden outside. I join them with my mug of tea, blinking in the sunlight as I step outside on the veranda. A slow stretch, a walk around the garden, and then I’m at my computer, hunched over a raft of e-mails that have flooded in over-night. Carefully separating the priority ones from the advertisements and announcements, my mind is now fully awake and it is not yet 7 a.m. Within an hour I stand up to take a break – a stretch, a few sun salutations, and a shower before throwing on a loose pair of trousers and shirt. The meetings begin, project updates, logistical questions, a status report on the current situation - I’m grateful the wi-fi connection is working. The day continues – documents to review, emails to answer, calls to make; mid-day soon passes and the sun starts its descent. At some point, I circle the garden again, taking in the changing shadows that fall from the trees onto the path. Then it is dark. My computer screen casts an eerie light onto my dinner. I close the lid, finish the last spoon-full and pack away my things. Padding across the linoleum floor to the bathroom and then my room, I fall into bed exhausted, and the next day repeat the same again. Page 2

This isn’t lockdown – it’s day one in Jijiga, Somali region of Ethiopia where I spent over a month on a humanitarian assignment. Sitting inside the Save the Children compound that houses a guest house, offices and warehouses, my work involved organising, overseeing and analysing field research which others carry out. I hardly go out. All the work was conducted from within the compound, human interactions carried out at a polite and respectful distance, the social life even at weekends was non -existent. Lockdowns, isolation and limited mobility are common features of anyone working in humanitarian or development concepts. We leave our freedom – to walk about freely, to go where we wish, to be who we are and exchange it for a new set of rules, norms and ways of living a daily existence that most people back home would find hard to imagine, much less endure. Until now, that is, when the Covid-19 crisis has everyone ducking for cover. It takes me back to other assignments, or missions as they are often called in many circles. Vavunya - Rolls of razor wire, machine-gun wielding soldiers and a wind-swept landscape engulf us as we leave the lush, tropical and fertile green of southern Sri Lanka behind us. We get out of the vehicles after the eight-hour drive, departing at 6 a.m. to enable us to get through all the check points and this final ‘border’ with the rebel north, before curfew. The final check-point is by foot, the vehicles taken aside for a complete search. Our bags are searched. We are searched, passports and documents checked – and then we are through. Radio call back to base – Tango, Charlie, Igloo – 3 arriving in Vavunya, 16:15, over. Straight to the hotel – still functioning to service the humanitarian and military clients, an enclave within the border town which sits near the heart of the armed conflict. We spend the evening exchanging and hearing stories, of people holding out with under fire for 24- hours, of the camps and of lost lives. In the day-time we visit households displaced, families torn apart and broken, livelihoods devastated. Our project is building up women’s livelihoods through dairy – the women receive a cow that they feed, tend and milk. When the cow calves, the off- spring is returned to the project to help other women. Our project assists the women to sell their milk and overcome other challenges to produce and sell milk. We are listening to a group of women explain how their milk-deliveries are regularly rejected by the collection points due to the practice of the military checking the urns being transported using sticks and batons, and thereby contaminating the entire consignment. The project manager, fondly called ‘Milk-man’ is just jotting down notes when we hear the undeniable crackle of gun-fire. Heads down, we pack into our four-by-four and race back to the hotel, leaving the community to fend for themselves. We hunker down in our hotel, laptops in one hand, a beer in the other, tapping out notes, safe within the heavily guarded compound in the government enclave. The communities have but meagre huts to hide in, and we can only wish them the best in surviving another night of fear and anxiety. Across the world, millions of women suffer isolation and social exclusion on a daily basis. Sometimes they are victimised and singled out for violence right in their homes. Others are simply limited to the confines of the households by the ties of marriage, ritual and customs, or due to the heavy burden of household chores, caring for young and old, and of poverty. Without anyone to share their worries or fears, or even joy and hopes, they can lead lonely lives. Many of the projects I’ve worked on support collaborative initiatives that bring women together for economic, mutual support and self-help outcomes, forming ‘Village Savings and Loans’ or ‘Mothers’ groups which provide them with the justification to join with others, improve their lives and prove their worth and abilities in their communities and households. These projects are not confined to women’s groups, and we work with entire communities to help build or re-build lost lives and livelihoods. DRC - Over 40 armed militia groups operate in Eastern DRC in the areas butting onto Rwanda and Uganda. Many are small gangs, led by thugs attracting disenfranchised

youths without work, hope or anything better to do. Their demands may be erratic, unreasonable, sometimes deadly. Few have a mission such as the larger, organised M23 which formed in 2012. All have caused ongoing havoc, forcing people off their land, to abandon their homes and livelihoods and crowd into the camps around Goma. We fly into Kigali in Rwanda, and race down 155 kilometres along the EU-built highway to Giseny where we cross the border on foot into Goma. A purple four-by-four is waiting and we bump away, pitching side-to- side on the impossible roads. For the next few days we move between soon-familiar points – Guest House 1, Guest House 2, Office, Guest House 3, Office – the gate opening to the advance call through by radio. Eventually, clearance is granted to visit one of the camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), perched precariously on the lava-stone moon-like landscape. Make-shift tents tip on spiky rocks, and rivers of filthy water ooze between the many cracks and canals snaking their way around one compound. In another camp, UNHCR plastic flaps in the wind over make-shift tents. We pass tiny, informal camps in back-yards, abandoned lots, in seemingly uninhabitable crooks and crannies – 100,000? 200,000? I lose count of the Situation Report (SitRep) updates which themselves cannot keep up with formal and informal arrivals from surrounding areas. Goma, which became a magnet for refugees during the Great Lakes Crisis, continues to this day to house hundreds of thousands of displaced persons – to my recollection, there were more than five camps, established or being set up, around Goma in 2012, vying for resources like water and food – and many, many more informal settlements. The camps become people’s entire universe. They live, sleep, shop and try to earn some money in them. IDPs have the legal freedom to move around their surroundings, but often find it difficult without any money, local contacts, or social status. Some take perilous risks, returning to try to recover lost harvest or property, sneaking through the bush under cover of the night, fearing being captured by the militias who chased them away. Others engage in petty trade, crossing the border between DRC and Rwanda to earn a few coins or ears of corn. Most, however, stay close to their make-shift shelters, tending to their children and waiting for something to change. For refugees, the situation is markedly more difficult, and camps become the de facto country to which they belong. Denied rights in many countries, the right to movement, to work and earn a living, their circumstances truly do resemble a protracted ‘lock-down.’ South Sudan – a new country, new hopes, new horizons, shattered all too soon. Before the latest civil war, development and humanitarian efforts were scrambling to rebuild the country. In the north, returnees from the newly divided countries were trying to piece together lost lives in new expanses of refugee camps. We flew into dusty Malakal on a UN-flight from Juba, a town that itself was only starting to rebuild. Malakal seemed to offer nothing, a few dusty vegetables growing in our tiny compound, and empty dusty streets lined by tall walls behind which buildings cowered from the sun. The camps lie about day’s drive from the edge of town, a vast new tent-city sprawling across a dusty landscape. During the rainy season, the camps become inaccessible due to the flooding and mud, and all hands were on deck to prepare with pre-positioning of food and rain-proofing the camps – a monumental task with the daily influx increasing the population of the camps. There is hardly a tree left standing, a sprig to eat, and the huge World Food Programme go-downs were still not stocked up. Daily rations allow one meal a day – and I recall vividly the picture of a young woman balanced on the branches of a bare tree, reaching to pluck the last remaining leaves to add to the meal that would feed her family for the day. Our task was to determine whether the market supply lines would be able to able to fill food gaps. Our camp was simple – two compounds, one for men, one for women, with tents. Like the main camp, the place was over-crowded with NGO and UN workers. All stand-up tents already all taken up, and I pitched a small dome-tent in one corner of the women’s

Page 4 compound beneath a fence which looked like it may offer a slither of shade from the 40 degree heat. I unpacked valued belongings – a bag of apples, another zip-lock with some nuts and raisins, and oatcakes. We headed to our briefing and to dinner – which proved to be the same as breakfast (no lunch) and each subsequent meal – beans and rice. The following day after the first round of visits to the camps, returning mid- afternoon I unzipped my baking hot tent and reached for a piece of fruit – the bag holding my apples exploded. The heat had super-fermented the apples, blowing up the sealed bag into a balloon that now exhumed wafts of cider fumes! I smelled like a brewery for the rest of the trip. The trip ended by taking me and a colleague to the northern border town of Renk, following trading routes still somewhat passable, on dusty sand-roads. At times we lost even satellite phone connection, at other times we drove through bush which looked and felt like the end of the world. Renk certainly felt like the end of the line – lying on the White Nile, tiny boats over-loaded with everything from corrugated iron sheeting to bed- frames and mattresses, babies and fridges were laid up on its banks. More refugees— flooding in from Sudan where ethnic southerners had been given a limited time to sell up and get out – and now were waiting for relocation to somewhere in a new unknown country. The situation was tense, tight and uncertain. Having left homes, jobs and friends behind, families huddled in tiny shelters squeezed in side-by-side without any inkling of what will happen next – or even if they would find a meal for the following day. The markets were bare – odd sacks of grain here and there. Warehouses usually stacked with sorghum also lay empty as farmers had not had the inputs needed to plant for healthy harvests and the government agricultural services crumbled in the wake of the new state. Everyone was tense, and no less so our driver who fell into a foul mood and abandoned us in one camp. We found a ride back with some colleagues, and were going to bed when our driver returned like a errant school-boy, hungry for his supper. He reluctantly agreed to drive back to Malakal with us the next day, making sure that it was the most uncomfortable and unsafe journey possible! It may not sound completely like lock-down, but travelling and working in the aid sector is full of these stories of long periods in confined spaces, without even being able to move. Often it is lonely – many days and nights spent alone in small rooms huddling under a mosquito net with little more than my laptop (if it charged up during the day!) and a head-torch for entertainment. Even where restrictions are light, long hours of work bring weariness and the excitement of ‘going out’ ebbs as night falls. Weekends in unfamiliar places may initially excite the adventurous, but soon the tedium of repeated ‘hello mister’s’ and puzzled bargaining in local markets settles down. Someone once asked me whether I am not afraid – and in all honesty, fear is what we make it, and what is tense and scary becomes the norm in a very short time indeed, allowing me to venture into slightly less familiar territory a tiny step at a time. What keeps me going is the knowledge that at some point – two days, two weeks or in two months, it will be over. I will pack up and leave to return to the comforts of good food and friends, enjoy a wild weekend in nature and the feel of two wheels and my saddle again. That, unfortunately, is not the case for the thousands of people I work with, for the millions of people for whom lock-down is a way of life and more millions for whom lock-down during this crisis means the end of livelihoods and living. These sobering thoughts feel very far away as I sit in ‘lock-down’ Britain, surreally separated from the realities that many people are experiencing, in the UK and across the globe. Jo Zaremba is a Sandford resident since 2006. She works in the humanitarian, development and environmental sectors in mainly in Eastern / Southern Africa and Asia where she frequently travels to for extended periods. Jo worked for Oxfam for over 8 years, based in Nairobi, Kenya and in Oxford. In 2015 she started her own consultancy – BlueLemur Consulting – operating from her home and from Makespace in Jericho. 5

Parish News Welcome to the Parish / Welcome to the world / Congratulations The lockdown has made it hard to catch up on the news for these sections. If you email any details to [email protected], we will put them online. Rest in peace Cecil Wise born 18th February 1929, died 13th March 2020, aged 91 Apart from his time in the army, Cecil lived nearly all his life with his parents at 105 Henley Road, and alone after they died around 1988. They were a large family and lived in Great Milton until the Henley Road council houses were built in the 1930s, and the 9 Wise children and their parents could have a four-bedroomed house with a good garden. They saw the by-pass being built at the end of it – and the Canadian Air Force during the war. After school in Sandford, Cecil worked as slaughter-man for the butcher in Abingdon Road and when it closed moved into construction. He was a great walker and never learned to drive, saying that ‘only lazy people have cars’. He did not use the bus either, preferring to walk to Cowley centre and back for his shopping. He enjoyed shooting and fishing and could be seen striding manfully through the fields around here. For the last 3 y ears, he was well looked after in Brookfield and his sister Shirley and her husband Eddie visited each week, as he had always joined them for Sunday lunch in Berinsfield. He could be stubborn, but was a gentle person and always welcoming – he is missed. Cremation was in Swindon on 15th May and his ashes will be placed in his parents’ grave following a brief memorial in Sandford church when it re-opens. Our sympathies go to Shirley and Eddie and to the other surviving siblings, Dean, Carol and Graham and his nephew Paul. Peter William Rugg born 14th January 1946, died 10th April 2020, aged 74 Peter and Marilyn came to Church Road in 2002 having married in 2001, but Peter had been a significant figure in science education in Oxford for many years before that. A Yorkshireman brought up in Harrogate, after grammar school he did a BSc and PhD at Bradford University and taught at Oxford Boys in 1978 before moving to Cheney to teach chemistry and becoming head of science for over 20 years before retiring in 2006. His headmaster writes of his importance for the school, a rock on whom people knew they could depend and a model and mentor for young teachers. He was for years a star super-slow bowler for the staff cricket team and went on tour with them as well as taking pupils sailing on Farmoor. His integrity, honesty, and sense of fair play, but also his independent scrutiny of management, won him universal affection and respect. Locally he joined in village activities, always relaxed, friendly, welcoming, a regular coffee drinker each Saturday morning in the Village Hall, and coping with years of ill- health with fortitude. He died in the JR having caught the virus, making his funeral private, but a celebration of his life will follow when lockdown eases. We offer our

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sympathies to Marilyn, Paul and Rob and to Catherine and Andrew – a grown-up family supportive of their well-loved father. May he rest in peace. Joyce Leach - born 7th September 1927, died 23rd April 2020, aged 92 Joyce and Percy Leach lived for 30 happy years in Church Road. Joyce had a happy and busy life and in her later years was always pleased to have a chat over a cup of tea despite suffering considerable pain for many years. She had worked as a full-time library assistant in Oxford until in 1986 she changed to part-time when Percy retired from his job at Pressed Steel. Her great sadness was that they were unable to have a family. Joyce was a member of the W. I. and kept an active social life but found the poor bus service a barrier to getting about, Joyce and Percy being non–drivers. They moved to Kennington 20 years ago, the main attractions being a smaller garden and a good bus service and there they found good neighbours and friends. VE Day Firstly, congratulations to the WI on their spectacular knitted decoration of the bus shelter – very creative and appropriate – in war, knitters were vital. As it turned out 9th May 2020 was muted, and a bit second-hand through TV etc. But locally let us also salute our two surviving combatants, now the oldest men in the village. Bob McCall, of Rock Farm Lane, joined up as a boy soldier with the Royal Scots Fusiliers (aged 15) in the 1930s and served in the army until 1952 when TB caused demob. Trained in signals, he was transferred to Lancs Royal Signals and sent to India in 1942 with the Yorkshire/ Lancs and then the Oxfordshire/Bucks regiment. Still in India on VE day, he got back home in December 1945. And Derek Sherwood, of Henley Road, was sent by the RAF to Arizona to learn to fly and was in Bomber Command. But after Dieppe he was diverted to gliders (which were less harmful and so suited his peace-loving nature). Thank you both, and all those who did not come back, remembered by name in church on Remembrance Sunday, and those who did return but are no longer with us. We remember them too, and will try to join them in their building a better society when the trials are over, and before – the signs are there and cause for hope.

A mountain walk The next Sandford Church Walk up Snowdon is scheduled for a Saturday in September (tba) – i.e. before the pub at the summit closes for winter. Last time the Youth Club went up from Rhyd Ddu, but to avoid any wind on the ridge and make it easier for the over-70s we’ll walk from Llanberis this time. Those interested, please contact Bob to discuss dates. 01865 748848.

Developments in and around Sandford A gravel site coming near you . . . You may be pleased to hear that this idea has been shelved as there may not be enough sand/gravel to make it economically viable.

Solar Farm There is a plan to build a solar farm at the end on Nineveh Farm closest to Sandford. Full details are available at: www.ensoeenergy.co.uk/proposed-projects/southoxfordshire The closing date for the first round of consultation was 28th May, but there will be further opportunities later. Ways to Help Others in the Community There are many ways to volunteer in Sandford—and your contribution can make a real difference. You can help out on a regular basis or just now and again. Talking Shop always has vacancies for people to prepare food, sell / deliver food in the café, clear up, or help at the monthly or weekly lunch clubs (see p12-13). You can help at a regular time each week or be on the ‘emergency rota’ to cover when people are sick or away. You could be involved in the Talking Neighbour scheme to help Sandford people with practical tasks, lifts or companionship. You can help CAST a couple of times a year with keeping the village spruce and attractive. Help keep our wild places lovely and wildlife-friendly. There are many opportunities in this LINK - have a look...

Church News

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH NEWS Ministry team: Robert Morgan (Lower Farm, 748848) (priest-in-charge); Teresa Morgan (associate priest); Liz Shatford (772598). Church Wardens: Leslie Rhodes. Alison Nicol. Director of Music Christian Bradley. [email protected] www.sandfordchurch.org.uk facebook.com/sandfordchurch/ The Church is closed at present but the churchyard is open.

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COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT TO PARISH COUNCILS BY CLLR LORRAINE LINDSAY-GALE APRIL 2020—COVID-19 These are unprecedented times, we all need to take care and follow the latest Government advice. Staff at the County Council are working flat out as we cannot simply close down or ask everybody to work from home, we are there to support and protect Oxfordshire’s residents particularly the vulnerable. We are prioritising our work and where possible staff are working from home. There are some areas that will see an increase in demand at a time when some of our staff will become ill with the virus. There will be some changes as we have to prioritise our work to key areas. The main area of work in Social Care for both adults and children has to continue on a 24/7 basis protecting around 7,000 residents. We expect the number of people requiring care to increase as informal careers become ill and are unable to continue care. This work is vital as it’s important we keep as many people as possible out of hospital. We are working closely with the NHS to provide care and facilities for those patients that do not require acute care to be cared for away from hospitals or at home freeing up beds for those that most need them. This includes the group that we need to shield from the virus who are thought to be most at risk across the county. The Government are shielding the extremely vulnerable - approx. 1.5 million across the country. Full details can be found on the website: Extremely vulnerable. Currently those people identified by the NHS as extremely vulnerable will be contacted by the NHS by letter, email, text or all 3 to say that they need to isolate themselves at home for the next 12 weeks. They will be asked if they have any help to collect prescriptions and food, this may be supplied by one of the brilliant local groups that have been set up. If they don’t have any help then they will be told to contact the council who will arrange a contact which again may come from one of the local groups. If somebody thinks they should be on the list and haven’t been contacted by Sunday 29th March, then they should contact their GP or hospital clinician. To assist in the logistics across the country there are Local Resilience Forums, we are in the Thames Valley based around the Police authority area. These are where the blue light services (Police, Ambulance, Fire) link in with the NHS and local authorities to consider the high-level strategy. These then delegate down to the County to work with SODC and other Districts to coordinate the local hubs. The Government have seconded military planners to assist in the hubs which is where all the local community groups liaise in to the local networks. This is about

all working together to ensure that we do not duplicate provision or even worse miss a vulnerable resident. The organic growth of the community networks or hubs that we are seeing being set up is fantastic. These groups are providing some excellent services to local residents who are self-isolating or do not have relatives locally. It’s important that they are community-led but we need to avoid duplication, so the County Council and Districts are working with Oxfordshire Volunteers to list them all and provide support where needed. I have already sent out details of how groups can register and a form for them to use. Thank you to those who have already submitted information about their parishes. If you are approached by people wishing to volunteer, they can register at: https://oxonvolunteers.org/vk/volunteers/index.htm SCAMS Unfortunately, there are some cases of people taking advantage of vulnerable residents to cheat them into parting with money for various different bogus schemes. OCC Trading Standards are working with the Police monitoring the situation and will take action should there be a need. Should you be aware of anything please do not hesitate to contact me and I will pass the information on. COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S PRIORITY FUND The next issue of funds - £15,000 for each Councillor – becomes available on April 1st. If you are aware of any groups who would benefit from some financial support over this crisis period they can apply to me on line. They should apply in the usual way, making clear their urgent need and marking their application COVID-19. The County Council will prioritise any such applications to get funds to where they are most needed as quickly as possible. MY PORTFOLIO I am the Cabinet Member responsible for the Education Service and our Cultural Services. I am extremely proud of the schools and their staff who have shown enormous flexibility and compassion in the face of this pandemic, and our own staff who have worked night and day to ensure that families that need child care through the schools find a suitable place, together with transport and a hot meal. Our Registration Service has had to stop all but death registrations, even new parents will have to delay the registration of their babies since it is a legal requirement that this is done face to face. All the offices across the county are closed except the Head Office at Tidmarsh Lane in Oxford. A huge temporary

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mortuary facility has been sourced as this county braces itself for what is to come. Our 44 Libraries, the Woodstock County Museum, the History Service, the Resource Centre at Stanlake, the County Music Service are all closed. All waste recycling centres are closed [now re-opening—ed.] All our offices are closed including County Hall, for all but very essential staff. This is a very fast-moving situation so please use the OCC, NHS and Government websites for the latest information. I would like to say a big thank you to all the residents who continue to work to help us get through this difficult time. Above all please take care, stay safe and follow the advice. Lorraine

Oxfordshire NHS & Local Authorities Stakeholder Briefing: COVID-19 14 April 2020 The Oxfordshire health and local authority partners continue to work closely together to ensure an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjustments are being made to the way services work as national guidance and information is updated and as plans for responding are put in place. People at increased risk COVID-19 can make anyone seriously ill, but some people are at a higher risk and need to take extra steps to avoid becoming unwell; these people are most vulnerable if they contract COVID-19 and are sometimes called ‘shielded’ or ‘extremely vulnerable’. This includes: • Solid organ transplant recipients who remain on long-term immune suppression therapy • People with specific cancers • people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radical radiotherapy for lung cancer • people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment • people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer • people having other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors.

• People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs • People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD • People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as SCID, homozygous sickle cell) • People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection • People who are pregnant with significant congenital heart disease The Oxfordshire list of ‘shielded’ residents has been created centrally by NHS England & Improvement (NHSE&I). Residents on the list should have received correspondence from the NHS, identifying them as high risk and advising them to strictly self-isolate for 12 weeks. Local authorities along with the NHS across Oxfordshire have worked with the local Voluntary and Community Sector, to develop a simple point of contact for those who have been told by government that they have been identified as extremely vulnerable, and who have no support network and would otherwise be completely isolated. Community volunteering There has been a fabulous response from the public across the country wanting to offer support the local authorities during this time. Oxfordshire County Council (OCC), Oxford City Council and the District Councils have received unprecedented numbers of people contacting them offering to help. Along with Oxfordshire's district councils and city council, the county council fully endorses the initiatives led by the local voluntary and community sector. Two online points of contact have been set up for local community groups and volunteers: For those living in Oxford City: Oxford Together For the rest of Oxfordshire: Oxfordshire All In

William Stroudley (6 March 1833 – 20 December 1889) was an English railway engineer, and was one of the most famous steam locomotive engineers of the nineteenth century, working principally for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR). He designed some of the most famous and longest-lived steam locomotives of his era, several of which have been preserved. He was born in Mill Row (Riverview, built 1826) on 6th March 1833, one of three sons of William Stroudley who was a machinist in the mill and his wife Anne. William and Anne were Methodists and young William's only formal education was at the 'Dame School' somewhere at the top of Church Road. From a young age he was employed beside his father in the mill. There is no trace of the family in the 1841 census. When William was about 10, the family moved to Birmingham and his father found work in a printing shop. At that establishment, the machinery was repaired by a John Inshaw who had a small engineering business, as a

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tube-maker and engine-wright. In 1847 John Inshaw accepted the young William as an apprentice. He showed talent and was a hard worker. Mrs Inshaw grew fond of the young man and began to teach him mathematics, an essential for making progress in the higher reaches of engineering. Early career—Born at Sandford-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, William Stroudley began work in 1847 at the local paper mill and in the same year he was apprenticed to John Inshaw's engineering firm in Birmingham. Over the next seven years he gained a variety of engineering experience on stationary engines and steam barges.[1] From 1854 he trained as a locomotive engineer at Swindon Works under Daniel Gooch of the Great Western Railway, but soon moved to the Great Northern Railway under Charles Sacré at their Peterborough workshops, later becoming running foreman at the motive power depot there. In 1861 he was appointed manager of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Cowlairs Works. On 19 June 1865 he was appointed locomotive and carriage superintendent of the Highland Railway at Inverness. He was unable to do any substantial work as the railway had very little money at the time, only producing one locomotive. He was however able to re-organise and modernise the company's Lochgorm Works and reduced the operating costs for the railway's existing fleet. LB&SCR career—A1 class Stepney on the Bluebell Railway. In 1870 he was appointed locomotive superintendent of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) at Brighton works following the enforced resignation of J. C. Craven. When he took office there were seventy-two different classes of locomotive in use[2] and so there was an urgent need for standardisation to reduce operating costs. Stroudley was hampered at first by the difficult financial state of his new company, which had faced bankruptcy in 1866.[3] However, during the 1870s and 1880s increased revenues, particularly from the growth of suburban traffic, enabled him to dramatically improve the performance and reliability of the locomotive stock by introducing a number of very successful standard classes. Locomotive classes—B1 class Gladstone at the National Railway Museum, York, decorated as it was for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897. Stroudley's first passenger locomotive design at Brighton was the two locomotives of the "Belgravia class", 2-4-0 in 1872. They were very similar to two 2-4-0 locomotives constructed at Cowlairs for the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in the early 1860s when he was the works manager. They contained many features of his later designs. In the same year, he introduced the first of three important tank engine classes, which were ultimately produced in large numbers. The diminutive LB&SCR A1 Class (Terrier) 0-6-0 tanks were introduced in 1872 and a number were still in active use in the 1960s; several have been preserved. The D1 class 0-4-2T were used for London suburban services of the LBSCR from 1873 until electrification and some survivors lasted until the late 1940s. The last survivor of the E1 class freight 0-6-0T introduced in 1874 was withdrawn in 1962. In 1874 Stroudley designed the G class of powerful 2-2-2 'singles', the last of which survived until 1914. Less successful were his 0-6-0 freight locomotives of the C and C1 classes of 1871 and 1882 respectively, both of which were underpowered. Stroudley is best remembered for his 0-4-2 passenger classes. The first of these was a tender engine version of the D1 class, the D2 or "Lyons" class, introduced in 1876 and which proved to be very successful. A larger version for express passenger work, the "Richmond class", was introduced in 1877. However it is the enlarged B1 class ("Gladstone class") express engines of 1882 for which he is best Continued p 21.

Coronavirus: Get help if you can't pay household bills

The arrival of coronavirus in the UK and the threat of infection has emptied streets, confined us in our houses, closed shops and offices and filled hospitals with thousands of patients. So far so bad, but the financial issues have widened the scale of the problem: many of those fortunate enough to remain healthy have suffered a loss of income so drastic that even the paying of essential household bills has become questionable. However, there are definite steps you can take to tackle these bills. Many banks and utility companies, being keenly aware of people’s predicaments, have already reached out to their customers with offers of help. So don’t ignore your bills but get in touch with the companies to whom you owe money, or expect to owe money. They might be able to help by redistributing your debts, letting you pay in smaller amounts, over a longer time period, or on a deferred basis. If you are repaying a mortgage, contact your provider. The government has mooted the idea of a three-month mortgage payment holiday and you might be eligible for it. If you pay rent, contact your landlord to discuss the situation. If you are at risk of being evicted, remember that since 26 March 2020 the law on evictions has temporarily changed and, for many types of tenancy, eviction notices have to last a minimum of three months. You might be able to claim benefits, or enhanced benefits if you already receive them. The Citizens Advice website has details: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk As for Council Tax, if your income has dropped or you are on benefits, you might qualify for reductions. Contact your local district council, using the details on your latest bill. Get in touch with your gas or electricity supplier, as well as telephone/broadband company. Their help line phone numbers should be on your latest bill. They can tell you whether a special payment plan can be set up. If you owe income tax, HMRC has a free help line you can ring: 0800 015 9559 (Mon-Fri 8 to 4). For further information, Citizens Advice Adviceline is always there to help you: 0300 330 9042.

Warning—Sandford We have heard of several minor, opportunistic break-ins and thefts in Sandford in the last few weeks—make sure your car, shed, doors and windows are properly closed / locked.

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Oxfordshire South and Vale Citizens Advice thanks dedicated volunteers

Local charity Citizens Advice Oxfordshire South and Vale has continued giving advice to those in need throughout the coronavirus pandemic thanks to the tireless dedication of its staff and volunteers. The team quickly rallied to ensure that as many people as possible could be helped over the phone or through webchat. Two weeks into the lockdown, 70 volunteer advisers were operating the Advice Line service from their homes. As part of Volunteers’ Week, which runs from 1 to 7 June, Citizens Advice Oxfordshire South and Vale wants to thank its 150 volunteers for their contribution not only during this exceptional time but throughout the year. Between them they contribute over 1,000 hours to helping local people each week. In the last year the charity has helped over 11,000 people with problems such as debt, housing, benefit and employment issues. Volunteer Virginia Parker, a specialist benefits adviser in the Abingdon office, said: “I get enormous pleasure in helping people in difficult circumstances to understand and get what they are entitled to. It can be very daunting to ask for help, so we do our best to put people at ease and help them through the process. There is nothing more rewarding than helping people to resolve their problems so they can move ahead with their lives.” Jon Bright, chief officer at Citizens Advice Oxfordshire South and Vale, said: “Throughout the year our wonderful volunteers contribute their time and energy to make a huge difference to people’s lives and help keep our vital service running. Their support throughout the year has been invaluable. I cannot thank them enough for their continued dedication. We couldn’t do it without them.” Citizens Advice in South and Vale needs volunteers to help with: Reception duties in Abingdon, Henley and Thame Advisers in Abingdon and Didcot Head office administration in Abingdon IT support in Abingdon, Didcot and Thame Fundraising, Communications and Website Designers (from any location) If you would like to discuss these volunteering roles, please email Jon Bright, Director: [email protected] For more information contact: 01235 364868 or Email: [email protected] 15

Sandford-On-Thames Women's Institute—Summer 2020 Sandford on Thames WI – Our Lockdown Story The Covid-19 outbreak has meant we can no longer sample each other’s cakes while enjoying our guest speakers and has interrupted our planned community activities such as a village litter pick and the VE day celebrations. However, our group of 25 ladies, who normally meet once a month at Sandford Village Hall, were not going to let the coronavirus lockdown stop the communication and fun! So, how did we do it? Here’s how: We used technology and opened up a WhatsApp group where 14 members chatted daily; sharing puzzles, jokes, recipes, and photos of our bakes, upcycles, and crafts including sewing and knitting projects. More about the knitting and sewing later. We all agree that we got to know so much more about each other because of this than pre -lockdown. To reach more ladies than just the WhatsApp group, a weekly newsletter was sent to our wider group, summarising the ‘goings on’ on WhatsApp and also any other important information about our community. We held a Zoom meeting to discuss the Yarn Bombing project for the VE poppy knitting (details below). We used the time to keep our Facebook and Instagram social media up to date with what we were up to. Please visit (and ‘like’) our Facebook page at Sandford-on- Thames Women’s Institute, and follow us on Instagram @sandford_on_thames_wi to see more. Two of our WI ladies, Sharon Fenn and Sonia Tooke, work in the care sector – they are our heroes and we acknowledge them and their challenging work. Our National Federation of WIs (NFWI) has captured details of these two Sandford heroes and they will feature on the NFWI ‘Our Heroes’ page. Jill Love President SOTWI 01865 716557, text only 07800907477 [email protected]

Sharon Fenn, Care Home Manager, Marston Court and SoTWI Deputy President (consent given)

Sonia Tooke, Administrator Older Adult Community Mental Health and SoWI member (consent given)

For more information about the WI, see the supplement on the Sandford Link website: http://www.sandfordonthames.org.uk/ community/sandford-on-thames-13626/the-link/ Page 16

Where to find the Low Carbon Hub newsletter for May Inside this month's newsletter you'll find: • A record-breaking month for solar • Join us to discuss the future of energy • OxFutures: Innovation Grants & opportunity to join the Board • Providing free refurbished bikes to key workers • Will you invest in a green energy future? • Learning resources on energy and renewables • Getting involved in community energy: leadership opportunities • Upcoming low carbon events for your diary https://www.lowcarbonhub.org/

Talking Shop, The Village Hall, Henley Road, Sandford on Thames During the lockdown our Shop is still very open… Mon to Fri 10am-2pm Saturdays 9-12 We are a community-volunteer group based in our own bright. airy space at Sandford-on-Thames' Village Hall. We usually run a cafe, convenient shop & community activities During the Lockdown At the moment we're offering a safe, friendly space to shop for a wide range of fresh fruit & veg, bread, eggs, meat, dairy and lots more. We buy from lots of local suppliers as well as stocking bigger brands and we have a great line of refills from Oxford based SESI. To keep everyone safe, we're operating a policy of one or two customers shopping at a time, and we're asking all customers to wash their hands in our toilet before they shop. Walking Shop We have a Call-and-Collect Service - just call / email your order in and we'll pack it up for you to collect. And our Walking Shop home delivery service where our teams of volunteers will pack and then bring your shopping safely to your door. To order: Just call us on 07305 307421 or email on [email protected] We just need a two-day lead to make sure we have everything you need, so order on Monday for Wednesday, etc. Thank you from everyone in the Talking Shop Team. Abi Johnson—as I'm not at my Talking Shop desk every day, it may take a few days for me to reply Shop & Cafe open Monday-Friday, 9.30-5.00, Saturdays 9.00-midday at The Village Hall, Henley Road, Sandford-on-Thames, OX4 4YN Shop phone: 07305 307421 www.sandfordtalkingshop.org Follow us! Facebook.com/TalkingShopSandford Twitter: @TalkingShopSand Sandford Talking Shop Ltd, Community Benefit Society, Register number 32389 R Registered office 50 Church Road, Sandford-on-Thames, OX4 4XZ

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Citizens Advice Oxfordshire South and Vale Use new fast-track reporting for suspicious emails Scam emails, one of life's most tiresome phenomena, are becoming so smooth and sophisticated that even computer experts can be de- ceived by them, and the rest of us are in constant danger of being taken for a ride. There is no need to feel isolated with the problem, though. If you are suspicious of an email or simply unsure, you can use a new, dedicated reporting service which is very quick and convenient: forward the email to re- [email protected] and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) will investigate it. How does a scam email work? The usual methods are persuading you to divulge sensi- tive information, like bank details, or urging you to click on certain links. If you click on those links, you could be directed to an unsafe website which might download viruses on your computer or steal your passwords or data. It's crucial to bear in mind that a scam email is designed in such a way as to get you to act quickly and without thinking, so NEVER give way to that pressure. How do you spot a phishing email? This is very tricky, since many of them look just like the real thing. Scammers are quite capable of producing professional quality graphic design with pleasant pastel colours, for example. This makes the email look authorita- tive and trustworthy and thoroughly up to date. If you examine a scam email carefully, it will reveal its true nature. Remember: First, it is very unlikely to be a message you are expecting. Second, the language of most scam emails has an uncompromising toughness that isn't characteristic of the average business email. TIt might claim to be from a bank, a government department or the Inland Revenue, perhaps saying that a warrant has been issued for your arrest. The email could also be from a company that doesn’t normally contact you or from an organisation that have never emailed you before. Beware too of topical scams: an email might offer you a cure for coronavirus or en- courage you to donate to a related cause. Always check the sender’s email address because this is the only part of the message which can’t be beautified. If in any doubt, don’t open the email and don’t click on any of its links, but forward it right away to [email protected]. The NCSC says it acts on every message received, analysing it and the dubious websites it links to. Govern- ment specialists can then block the criminal’s email address and instruct hosting companies to remove the websites from the Internet. For essential reading see https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious- emails or ring Citizens Advice Adviceline on 0300 330 9042. Citizens Advice campaigns hit the target in 2019 “Research and Campaigns” (R and C) is a part of Citizens Advice with a different task, a long-term one that demands much effort and patience. It has the job of collecting evidence on emerging social problems and then directly petitioning the people or or- ganizations - including ministers, local MPs and government departments - that have the power to solve or alleviate them. Would you like to become one of these dedicated and hard-working volunteers, or work for us in a different role? Visitwww.caox.org .uk/volunteer for further details.

Announcements, Notices and Classified Ads For articles and ads, please contact Hazel on [email protected] or call 01865 682611 or 07989 97 5969

Will Cooper—Affordable Fencing and Tree Care All types of fencing work \ Tree Felling \ Pruning \ Topping \ Stump Grinding \ Hedge Cutting \ Garden Waste Removed Free Quotations and advice Check my reviews on Checkatrade.com . Tel: 07748 867025 Email: [email protected]

HOME COMPUTER HELP For PC & Laptop fixes and assistance Call Jim on: 07854 107 337, or email: [email protected] Page 20

Saunders Gardens I am an experienced local gardener, and can help with general gardening, borders, fencing, hedges, gravel- ling, patios, etc. Reasonable rates and excellent local references. [email protected] 07917 475585

remembered, the last of which survived until 1933. The first member of this class is preserved at the National Railway Museum in York. Other engineering activities—Plan view of re-railing ramp: "The rescue wagon must carry four ramps, two for derailments on the left and two for those on the right. It is necessary, wherever possible, to place the edges of the ramps on the actual sleepers rather than the ballast, and do not try to draw more than two wagons at a time, for fear of breakages. Ramps for wagons weigh 35 kilos and those for engines 80 kilos." Stroudley was responsible for the re-organisation and modernisation of Brighton railway works and the repair facilities at New Cross. He also designed railway carriages and the steam engines for the LB&SCR cross-channel ferries which operated between Newhaven and Dieppe. He is also remembered for inventing the re-railing ramps that are still known as "Stroudley's Patent Ramps" or "Rampes de Stroudley" in some parts of the world. Death—He died of acute bronchitis on 20 December 1889 during his visit to the Paris Exhibition where he was exhibiting one of his locomotives. Stroudley was buried in the Extra Mural Cemetery, Brighton on 24 December 1889. He was succeeded at Brighton by R. J. Billinton.

Work / Life Coach—Hazel Douglas A coach will help you to think about things you want to change in your life—work, home, hobbies, or the balance between them—and make changes. She will work with you to find solutions that meet your needs and wishes for the future and set about making changes. Land, of course, life is full of changes— some planned, some not, and sometimes it can help to have someone to talk to about how to go forward. I am an experienced and qualified coach with extensive experience coaching and mentoring people from CEO to school / college leavers in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. If you want a space to reflect on your life and work with skilled guidance and support, please get in touch. We can look at your CV, work on a new career direction, work-related challenges, work-life balance or other topics. For more information, please see my website: www.oneriverview.co.uk or email: [email protected]

JAYNE’S 2020 TRIATHLON CHALLENGE Blenheim Palace (30th May), Windsor (14th June), London (8th August). Distances: 750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run. I have Myleomeningocele Spina Bifida. Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) were responsible for two pioneering operations I had, as well as years of follow-up care. GOSH are the reason I can walk – let alone run, cycle and swim. I am undertaking this challenge so I can give something back. I really appreciate you supporting me to do this. DONATIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. YOU CAN DO THIS ON-LINE AT www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jaynemooreit

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We are a local, family run garage based in the welcoming village of Sandford-on-Thames – Established in 2006

MOT testing Servicing All Makes & Models General Repair Cambelt Replacements Air Con Regas / Servicing Precise Diagnostics Suspension Repair / Tracking

M: 07766 335493 T: 01865 777344 E: [email protected] www.tjhallandson.co.uk

FIND US ON FACEBOOK! @tjhallandson

The Sandford Link is published in December, March, June and September by the Link Committee and edited by Hazel Douglas Tel: 07989 97 5969. Articles and advertisements for inclusion should be MS Word documents or PDFs and emailed to: [email protected] (usually by 20th of the month before publication) Printed by Oxford University Press. Page 24