The Four Parishes News Magazine BECKLEY FOREST HILL HORTON-cum-STUDLEY STANTON St JOHN
90�� birthday celebration in Stanton St John
December 2018 / January 2019 The editor writes: To be honest, it has been a real struggle getting the magazine done this month. The double whammy of a big build up to so many different events on Remembrance Sunday after an incredibly busy October, combined with the need to cover two whole months in this edition of the magazine has not made it any easier! I hope the result will help everyone to get a really clear idea of the many wonderful community events coming up in December and that you will all be inspired to join in as many as possible. Meanwhile, I am delighted to be able to say that we have been working hard on the complicated process of preparing to search for a new vicar and, all being well, the post will be advertised in January. It only remains to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Julia Stutfield
Our cover photo … is of George and Olive Lees, and was taken at a tea party in November to celebrate George’s 90�� birthday. George and Olive moved to Stanton St John 40 years ago and they ran the Stanton St John Shop and Post Office for 15 years before retiring in 1993.
If you have taken a photo which you think might be suitable for the cover of the next magazine, please email it to [email protected]
2 We welcome contributions or notices for future issues. Please send them to:
Beckley John Baker Tel: 07401 550537 [email protected]
Forest Hill Linda Goffey Tel: 01865 873078 [email protected]
Horton-cum-Studley Carol Welch Tel: 01865 358122 [email protected]
Stanton St John Sue Baker Tel: 01865 351449 [email protected]
The closing date for the next issue is 15 January 2019
The Four Parishes News Magazine is produced under the auspices of our four village churches for the benefit of the whole community. It is funded by advertising revenue, which is used to cover the printing costs.
We are entirely dependent on unpaid volunteers to assemble the content, book and invoice the advertisers, compile and edit the magazine, collect it from the printers and distribute it throughout the four parishes. If you are interested in getting involved with any of these activities, please email Julia Stutfield [email protected]
The Four Parishes News Magazine has 10 issues per year and is distributed free of charge to approximately 850 addresses in Forest Hill, Horton-cum- Studley, Stanton St John and Beckley. To advertise in the magazine please email JULIA [email protected]
3 Church Services in the Four Parishes, December 2018
St Nicolas, St John Assumption of St Barnabas, Forest Hill the Baptist, the Blessed Horton-cum- with Stanton Virgin Mary, Studley Shotover St John Beckley 2 Dec 11am 9.30am 9.30am 11am Parish Parish Family Service Morning Communion Communion Prayer 6pm 4pm Taizé Family Church (Village Hall) 9 Dec 9.30am 9.30am 11am Family Service Parish Parish at Stanton St John Communion Communion 4pm Christingle/ Advent Carols/ St Nicolas Day 16 Dec 11am 9.30am [no morning 11am Morning Parish service] Family Service Prayer (BCP) Communion 4pm 6pm 3pm Family Church Carols & Claret Carol Service (Village Hall) 18 Dec 7pm (Tues) Carol Service 23 Dec 10am Joint Benefice Service at Beckley 6pm Carol Service 24 Dec 4pm 4pm 4pm 4pm (Mon) Crib Service Crib Service Crib Service Crib Service 11pm 11pm Parish Communion at Forest Hill Parish Communion at Horton-cum-Studley 25 Dec 10am 10am (Tues) Parish Communion at Stanton Parish Communion at Beckley 30 Dec 10am Parish Communion at Horton-cum-Studley
4 Church Services in the Four Parishes, January 2019
St Nicolas, St John Assumption of St Barnabas, Forest Hill the Baptist, the Blessed Horton-cum- with Stanton Virgin Mary, Studley Shotover St John Beckley 6 Jan 11am 9.30am 9.30am 11am Parish Parish Family Service Morning Communion Communion Prayer
6pm 4pm Taizé Family Church (Village Hall)
13 Jan 9.30am 9.30am 11am Family Service Parish Parish at Stanton St John Communion Communion 4pm Choral Evensong with St Nicolas Consort 20 Jan 11am 9.30am [no morning 11am Morning Parish service] Family Service Prayer Communion (Book of Common Prayer) 4pm 6pm Family Church Iona Service (Village Hall)
27 Jan 10am Joint Benefice Service at Stanton St John
6pm 6pm Candlemas Church Without with St Nicolas Choir Walls (Village Hall)
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of our volunteer clergy, visiting clergy, and Licensed Lay Ministers for enabling us to maintain a full rota of services during this incredibly busy time of year.
5 Benefice of Beckley, Forest Hill with Shotover, Horton-cum-Studley and Stanton St John
Ministry Team We are extremely grateful to all of our volunteer clergy and Licensed Lay Ministers for their generous support during the vacancy. Please contact the Church Wardens in the first instance with any enquiries. Rev’d Hugh Lee [email protected] Tel: 01865 316245 Rev’d Canon Beau Stevenson [email protected] Rev’d Stephanie Bullock [email protected] Rev’d Dr. Elizabeth Hoare [email protected] Betty Dye LLM [email protected] Mob: 07910 356343 Canon Prof. Nicholas Orme LLM [email protected] Tel: 01865 512676 Joanna Allen (Ordinand) [email protected]
Church Wardens Beckley Georgina Robson Tel: 01865 351637 [email protected]
Forest Hill Jane Walker Tel: 01865 872399 [email protected] Pat Fraser Tel: 01865 875679 [email protected]
Horton-cum-Studley Andrew Payne Tel: 01865 351018 [email protected] Lynn Whitaker Tel: 01865 358838 [email protected]
Stanton St John Sheila Pullen Tel: 01865 351210 [email protected] Deirdre Young Tel: 01865 351745 [email protected]
6 CHURCH NOTICE BOARD We have no vicar at present so please contact the Church Wardens with any enquiries (details on p.6).
GENERAL NOTICES Oxford-Cambridge Expressway Update from Horton-cum-Studley Expressway Group (HcSE Group) There has been a lot of coverage in the local and national media over the last month about the proposed Expressway, 1 million new homes development plan and the idea of a "growth corridor". Coverage included articles in the Daily Mail, Guardian and discussions on Radio 4 and local news. Much of this has been generated by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE), BBOWT's legal challenge and more recently a letter from 11 cross party UK MEP's to Chris Grayling regarding the lack of public consultation and the process not complying with the Aarhus convention. The Aarhus convention is important as it establishes a number of rights of the public with regard to the environment. The most significant here, is that it provides for "public participation in environmental decision making" which has not happened so far for the proposed Oxford-Cambridge Expressway programme. We want to thank you all so much for your support in helping us ensure the preferred corridor for the proposed Oxford-Cambridge Expressway does not directly impact our villages or the unique environment of Otmoor. But while we seem to have been granted the all clear for now, this decision (as we have been explicitly told on several occasions by Highways England themselves) is in fact only provisional and could change at any time. We need to safeguard the gains we have achieved and believe the following are very real threats: - It is likely the proposed Expressway will go ahead - It is likely new route proposals will include a new M40 junction near Arncott
7 - Ongoing plans for an additional 300,000 new homes in Oxfordshire alone by 2050 with all associated infrastructure/services requiring development also - The Otmoor basin & Bernwood Forest ecosystems are still at risk - Huge risk that Green Belt land will be lost to the Expressway and associated development - Highways England has confirmed in writing to the HcSE Group that they could choose a route for the Expressway outside the boundaries of their preferred Corridor B. Therefore, along with other campaign activities, our group, with the support of the Horton-cum-Studley Parish Council, will be putting up some strategically placed signs around the area, because it remains vitally important to maintain this visual reminder that we are still willing to fight to protect our countryside. If anyone would like a sign to put in their garden or if you would like to get involved or have useful contacts / exciting ideas to contribute, please contact Olivia Field at [email protected]. ******************************** Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust is launching a fundraiser to cover fees for its legal challenge against the government's Expressway project. The charity argues that the government failed to consider environmental impacts before they chose the broad corridor of land where the Expressway and up to one million new homes will be located. They are seeking to raise £40,000 to cover their legal costs http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/expressway. ******************************** Oxfordshire Growth Board Stanton St John Parish Council have asked us to draw attention to a new committee called the Oxfordshire Growth Board which is developing a plan to substantially increase the population of Oxfordshire, with the aim of delivering enhanced economic growth. In the view of the Parish Council and others , this is a choice and is NOT necessary for the residents of Oxfordshire to continue to prosper within the boundaries of
8 the existing landscape and organic population growth. We already have a successful local economy. To find out more, visit the Oxfordshire Growth Board website https://www.oxfordshiregrowthboard.org/. If, having found out more, you don't want this, please sign this petition: https://www.change.org/p/oxfordshire-growth-board-rethink- oxfordshire-s-economic-growth-plan.
STANTON ST JOHN Advent Carol Concert The Shotover Carol choir will be giving a concert in Stanton St John church on Saturday 1 December at 7pm. The concert will be a lovely opportunity to listen to the choir singing some traditional English carols as well as participating by singing other carols together. We hope that lots of people will support this event. The concert is free. There will be a collection after the concert for the Stanton Bells Appeal. An Evening of Christmas Carols and Readings at Stanton House Wednesday 19 December at 7pm Christmas services at Stanton church are listed on page 4.
9 Christmas Fair Stanton St John Christmas Fair will be held on Saturday 1 December from 11am until 2pm. There will be Christmas gifts, cakes, books, tombola, raffle and refreshments including soup, teas, coffee, cake etc. Donations of cakes, gifts, books, jigsaws, bric a brac, tombola items etc welcome. Please bring any donations along to the Village Hall during the morning or give them to Sheila Pullen beforehand. We would love your support on the day. Happy Christmas to you all! Community café The SSJ mums and toddler group has evolved into a community café. We welcome everyone in the parish to join us for a cuppa, cake and a chat. We meet at SSJ village hall 10.30am - 12pm fortnightly. The next meeting is on 13 December. We ask for a voluntary contribution of £2.50 per adult to raise money for the upkeep of the village hall in exchange for refreshments. If you would like any further information or would like to be involved and are able to help in anyway (bake a cake, serve drinks or set up & clear away) please let us know. We look forward to meeting you soon. Louise Waite (07815 539461) Caroline Hall (07826 514843) Stanton St John W.I. We traditionally hold our December meeting on the second Tuesday of the month to avoid the busy week before Christmas. On Tuesday 11 December we plan to have an evening of Christmas Activities and will also be collecting seasonal fare for the Food Bank. On 8 January, also the second Tuesday of the month, we are pleased to be holding a joint meeting with Horton cum Studley W I. Julia Miles will give a talk entitled Ragbags to Cocktails. We look forward to seeing members from both villages for a sociable and entertaining evening. Meet at 7.30pm in Stanton St John Village Hall.
10 Oxford Farmhouse A big thank you to everyone who has donated apples - it has helped to make a great start to our new social enterprise which we (Andrew & Mandy Myatt) run from our farmhouse on the edge of Stanton St John. "The best I've ever tasted!" and "absolutely delicious!" are some of the lovely responses we've had to our cloudy apple juice. We make craft cider and apple juice using apples donated from the gardens of Oxfordshire. We take apples that would usually go to waste - we can't stand waste & it seems many others feel the same. The word is spreading and loads of apples have been donated - some are brought to us, in small and large quantities, others we pick off the trees ourselves. Everyone who brings apples gets some juice in return - bottled & pasteurised, or later on as cider. After the apples arrive, then begins the fun of washing, milling (scratting), pressing, bottling & pasteurising. Or in the case of cider, waiting 6 months for fermentation and the full flavour to develop. A wait that, we believe, is well worth it. This is an ideal place for people with mental health issues to get involved in tactile activity, and we're really excited to have been able to make a difference already. We would love to develop this part of the business more next year. Expansion - this is where we need you!: we will need more apples next year. This will enable us to involve more people who need help. Contact details are below. You can buy our juice from Stanton Village Shop, or larger quantities directly from us. Follow us on Social Media @oxfordfarmhouse, email us [email protected], phone Andrew on 07941 072071
11 FOREST HILL News from St Nicolas Church Christmas Services at St Nicolas Saturday 8 December 5pm Village Carols with tea and mince pies. Join us at the village hall to sing your favourite carols and get in the mood for Christmas. Sunday 9 December 4pm St Nicholas Day celebration with Christingle and Advent Carols sung by St Nicolas Choir preceded by a Family Craft and Games event in the village hall at 2.30pm. Tuesday 18 December 7pm Traditional Nine Lessons and Carols. Saturday 22 December 10.30am Meet at the Church to decorate for Christmas. If you would like to help just turn up. It is a lovely way to enjoy the coming of Christmas. Christmas Eve 4pm Crib Service, a short service with Christmas readings and carols specifically for children. Christmas Eve 11pm Midnight Communion Service. Please note there is no church service in Forest Hill on Christmas Day, instead there will be Communion at Stanton St. John at 10am. Sunday 27 January 2019 6pm Candlemas. A service by candlelight with St Nicolas Choir to celebrate the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, led by The Area Dean, The Reverend Dr. Emma Pennington.
Sam Moores It is our great sadness that Sam Moores passed away on 14 November following a short illness. Sam was 90 years old and had lived in Forest Hill with his wife, Joyce, since 1993. The funeral service will be held in St Nicolas Church in Forest Hill on Wednesday, 5 December at 3.30pm. The service is open to everyone and you are warmly invited to the Village Hall immediately following the service.
David Hurren David John Hurren died on 28 May, 2018, aged 66 years. He was born in Fakenham, Norfolk and eventually moved to Oxford, where he met his wife, Linda (Wakenell). They were married for 39 years.
12 Remembrance Sunday at Forest Hill Sunday 11 November 2018 dawned with sunshine and blue skies. There was a good crowd at the War Memorial, arriving at 10.45, to mark the anniversary of the end of the First World War. Nicholas Orme led the Act of Remembrance, and all the names of the fallen from our village, in both wars, were read aloud. A hymn was sung and prayers were said, and the two minute silence was observed. It was very poignant to think that this was happening in small parishes like ours around the country, where a whole generation of men who gave their lives in this terrible conflict were being remembered. We then went up to the new cemetery, where Andrew Waite- Brown, on behalf of the Forest Hill Parish Council, planted a tree to mark the occasion. Afterwards there was a service at St Nicolas Church, with a good congregation with more singing and prayers.
In the evening, there was a concert at St Nicolas, organised by Julia Stutfield, with a moving selection of WW1 readings, community singing, and a short song recital by young Oxford tenor Jack Patrick Harberd, to accompany an exhibition commemorating local people who served in the First War. After bell ringing at 7.05pm, the action moved to the Village Hall where there was a really fun quiz, organised by Andrew and Claire Waite-Brown. 8 teams competed, much wine was bought and drunk and £159 was raised for the Royal British Legion to add to the £88 raised from the concert. A very memorable day. Recycle your inkjet cartridges for charity and the environment We have set up a box for recycling your empty inkjet cartridges in St Nicolas Church (open every day from 10am to 4pm). A wanted list can be found at www.recycle4charity.co.uk/InkjetCartridges and these may receive a £1 donation to church funds, but even unwanted items can be recycled and prevented from going to landfill. For more information, see the website above or ask Peter Stutfield 01865 876848, or use the contact form on our website www.stnicolasforesthill.org.
13 ADVENT CAROLS & CHRISTINGLE Sunday 9 December Learn how to make a Christingle at the village hall from 2.30pm then join us in the church at 4pm to celebrate St Nicolas Day. Families with children are particularly welcome.
Forest Hill Sports & Social Club We are pleased to announce that a new committee was formed on 9 November and we are keen to hear from local residents what YOU want in the village. We will be hosting a drop in at Forest Hill village hall on Saturday 19 January with free tea, coffee and cake from 11am - 1pm to hear your ideas. We will also have activities for children. Everyone is welcome. Please feel free to come along and spend time with neighbours, friends and people you are yet to meet. If you unable to attend and have something you want to tell us, then please just drop us an email: [email protected] We would also like to thank the previous committee for all their hard work over the years. Lisa Wiggins Chair, Forest Hill with Shotover Parish Council The dates of the next two Parish Council meetings are Tuesday 11 December, which is a change from the previously advertised date, and Thursday 10 January 2019, both at 7pm in the Village Hall. Meetings are open to the public and have an open session where residents can bring attention to any village issues. Current Agendas and Minutes are posted on the two notice boards; outside the Village Hall and at the end of Mickle Way. Archive Agendas and Minutes can be found on the website: www.parish- council.com/foresthillwithshotover/. You can contact Helen Cross, the Parish Council Clerk, tel: 0844 884 3328 or email address: [email protected]
14 HORTON-cum-STUDLEY News from Horton cum Studley -St Barnabas Remembrance Day Service The 100 Year Anniversary Remembrance Day Service took place on 11 November at St Barnabas, with a minutes silence observed at 11am. The weather was kind and bright for when the crosses were laid by members of the congregation in memory of all the young servicemen from our village who lost their lives in WW1 and WW2. David Turner The Turner family would like to express their thanks and appreciation for all the support given following David 's death. Thanks to all those who helped prepare the Millennium hall, made cakes and helped in various ways. To so many too who have sent cards and letters saying how much they appreciated David's contribution to village life. He would have been amazed. We were grateful too for the services which really did express what he would have wanted to say and to David Bendor Samuel and Hugh Lee, and Alexandra on the organ. Thanks also for £250 given at the service to be shared between Sobell House and Tear Fund. Contributions can still be made through the funeral directors, Edward Carter. Many thanks to all. Rita Turner. Christmas Services at St Barnabas Sunday 16 December 3pm Carol Service, with mulled wine and mince pies Christmas Eve 4pm Crib Service. Come along with your torch to celebrate the birth of Christ. Watch the children build the Nativity before your very eyes. Any child wishing to assist in the service, either by bringing up a figure, or reading a brief Prayer or script then please contact me Lynn Whitaker on 01865 358838. Christmas Eve 11pm Midnight Mass at Horton-cum-Studley Christmas Day 10am Parish Communion at Beckley
15 Riding Lights Theatre On the evening of 28 Oct St Barnabas Church was filled with an all-age audience who turned up to be entertained and challenged by the Riding Lights Theatre Company. The very professional actors and technical crew performed 'Gospel Street', which brought the Good News of the Bible to life in a 21st century setting, and on 'the street'. There was plenty to think and talk about during the interval and after the event. It is wonderful to see the church being used outside of Sunday worship.
Chiaroscuro Theatre presents a Play for Christmas FOUND Sometimes things find you that you don't know you've lost St. Barnabas Church, 22 & 23 December at 8pm Tickets on the door: £10, £5 concessions In aid of the Neonatal Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital Running time is 55 mins. Christmas Chilli Night Saturday 1 December 6 -11pm at the Millennium Village Hall Please bring your own drink, glass, plate, and cutlery. We will provide the jacket potato and chilli. Tickets £5 (Must be bought in advance from Lorraine Dixon, Rachel Ayres, Liz Campbell, Liz Buttery or Tessa Davey) Coffee Mornings- December and January The next two Coffee Mornings will be held on 8 December and 12 January at the usual time of 10.30 in the Millennium Hall. All are welcome, more details from Rachel Hawes. Tel: 01865 351540 Women’s Institute - December and January Members will have already received information about our Christmas Dinner at the Clifden Arms, Worminghall on 11 Dec at 7.30pm. The January meeting will be a combined gathering with Stanton St John WI at Stanton Village Hall on 8 Jan at 7.45pm. The Speaker will be Julia Miles and her subject Ragbag to Cocktails. We will be arranging transport nearer the time.
16 Horton-cum-Studley Parish Council On 11 November the village commemorated 100 years since the first Armistice Day, and celebrated Basil Lyster being awarded the Legion D’honneur for his military service in WWII earlier this year. Over 80 people joined Basil and his family members in the village hall for a lunch of homemade soups, followed by cheese and biscuits and a fantastic cake made by Pauline Cox. The cake was topped with a Marzipan Basil. Basil gave a short speech about his time in the war, and his involvement at Dunkirk. As the oldest members of the village, Basil and Marjorie Perry, planted commemorative oak trees, these will be planted at the edge of the playing field to replace the old oak tree which fell down this spring. Thanks to Lisa Mynheer, Ruth David, Cathy Jenkins, Liz Pugh and Rachel Hawes who made the delicious soups, Pete Whitaker for the decoration and everyone who helped to set up the hall, and with the washing up afterwards. Parish Council meetings are on the second Thursday of each month at 7.30pm in the village hall. Please join us, we like to hear your input and ideas. Village Social Evening at Studley Wood Golf Club There will not be a Village Social Night at the Golf Club in December, but it will revert back to the last Friday of the month from January onwards. If you are new to Horton-cum Studley, it is a good venue to meet fellow villagers in a small intimate group. We also welcome anyone from the other three Parishes who would like to join us. If you contact Iveta at the golf club using [email protected], she will get in touch prior to each Social Evening giving you the menu choices. For any further information, contact Ruth on 01865 351444.
17 Horton-cum-Studley Village Resilience Planning A meeting was held with Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) to understand how they can help our community to become more resilient in the event of a power cut. They explained that they are able to provide emergency electricity supplies in the form of a generator, and refreshment provisions during a prolonged power cut. The Parish Council have taken up this offer and propose that the Millennium village hall may be opened as a safe haven for residents to go to in the event of prolonged power outages. SSEN representatives also explained about their Priority Service Register for residents with certain needs. Those eligible to join the Priority Services Register are those who: ● Are dependent on electricity for home medical care e.g. kidney dialysis machine/ventilator; ● Have a chronic illness or short-term medical condition eg those recovering from a major operation; ● Have special communication needs e.g. blind, partially sighted, deaf or hard of hearing; ● Have children under 5 years old; ● Are over 60 years old. To register with the priority service, you can call 0800 294 3259 from a landline or mobile or call 08003165457 from a text phone. We are putting together a resilience plan for the village and would welcome information from residents on any of the following: ● Drivers of four-wheel drive vehicles and tractors willing to volunteer in adverse weather conditions. ● Individuals who may have special needs or are more vulnerable during local emergency conditions (e.g. loss of electricity or water services). ● Individuals able to offer specialist services (e.g. fallen tree cutting). Please contact David Slingo on [email protected] if you are willing to be involved or have information to help with a resilience plan.
18 Islip Community Choir Starts again on Wednesday 13 Feb. Sessions will then be every other Wednesday in Islip Village Hall: 13 & 27 Feb, 13 & 27 Mar, 7.30pm - 9pm Music and refreshments will be provided as before. Although our costs have gone up slightly, we’re delighted that we can keep the sub to £4 per session. We’re grateful to everyone who replied so positively to our survey earlier in the year, and particularly to the suggestion of paying subs up front, at the beginning of each term, so that we can budget. We have some lovely new music to sing, and a delightful new accompanist, so next term will be great fun
BECKLEY Remembrance Sunday The Remembrance day event at Beckley church was deeply moving from the rising notes of the bugle played by John Stradling and the gently repeated 'We will remember them.' to the poignant messages explaining the war time memorabilia . Add to this the clear song from the Beckley Bells who played Handel’s Largo and the culmination of a quiet service. Too many offered help with the event to be mentioned individually but a grateful thanks is extended to all who contributed. Perhaps we shall all meet up again next November. Christmas Services at Beckley Church Sunday 3 December 9.30am HOW FAR IS IT TO BETHLEHEM?. Welcome to all from 77, 47 , 17 to 7 years or even 7 months old. Beckley Church Family Service Sunday 16 December 6pm CAROLS & CLARET Carols and readings by candlelight, followed by mulled wine and mince pies – our wonderful celebration of Christmas. Christmas Eve 4pm Carols round the Crib Christmas Eve 11pm Midnight Communion at Horton-cum-Studley Christmas Day 10am Parish Communion at Beckley
19 Beckley and Stowood Parish Council The December Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 6 December 2018 at 8pm at Beckley Village Hall, and the January Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 10 January 2019 at 8pm at Beckley Village Hall. Minutes and agendas are available on the website www.beckley-and-stowood-pc.gov.uk together with information on the village mini-bue service - The Otmoor Flyer. The Clerk’s email address is [email protected] Fix My Street Find and report road or street problems at https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/. The website includes clear instructions as to how to report a problem. Christmas Tree Recycling Return your old tree to Folly Farm, Common Road, Beckley, OX3 9UR by Sunday 13 January 2019 (trees left after this date will not be accepted). Trees will be collected by SODC from Folly Farm on Monday 14 January 2019 for composting. Village Hall We are very pleased to be able tell you that Beckley Village Hall came equal 1st in the Oxford Preservation Trust annual awards for new buildings in Oxford. The hall is featured in a double spread report on the awards on pages 8-9 of the November 8th Oxford Times. Oxford Preservation Trust considers itself "Independent Guardians of Oxford". Formed in 1927, looking after Oxford ever since, guiding change but not stopping it, conserving the best of the old, and encouraging the best of the new. The annual awards are Oxford Preservation Trust's chance to recognise the exemplary work of others and the contribution they make to Oxford. 10 new buildings were considered : 4, including Beckley Village Hall, were awarded plaques and certificates and considered the very best of Oxford's new buildings. This is outstanding news, and further recognition of those who worked so hard to deliver this project for our community.
20 For information on Beckley Village Hall please see www.beckleyvillagehall.org. To make a booking please contact Stuart Marshall at [email protected] Abingdon Arms Information about all community events at the Abingdon Arms is available on the BACBS website: bacbs’org/events or email [email protected]. Events in December include: Fri COMMUNITY 10.00 - 11.30am 14 Dec COFFEE Coffee and mince pies! Meet old friends, make new MORNING friends. Sat COMMUNITY 10.30am 15 Dec WALK Meet in front of The Abingdon Arms. 3-4 miles / 2 hour walk, followed by drinks, lunch at the pub. Route Elsfield & Woodeaton tbc. Sun JAZZ, THE 7.30 - 9.30pm 16 Dec SUNDAY Roger Beaujolais (vibraphone), Raf Mizraki (bass), SESSION Mark Doffman (drums). Free entry, but please buy drinks, raffle tickets. Bar snacks available. Cool sounds, and a warm pre-Christmas welcome promised!
Watch out for a special literary event in January : 27 Jan 2019, 7-8.30pm: ‘W B Yeats’ - Dr Tara Stubbs (Oxford University)
CAROLS & CLARET Beckley Church 16 December, 6pm Our wonderful celebration of Christmas, with carols and readings by candlelight, followed by mulled wine and mince pies. This year we will try to improve the lighting so that it is easier to read the carol sheets, but parts of the church may still be rather dark, so do bring a torch too if you wish.
21 Oxfordshire County Council Primary School Admissions, Sept 2019 Entry to primary or infant school in September 2019 for children born between 1 September 2014 and 31 August 2015. The most important dates in the admissions process are: 15 January 2019 – closing date for on time applications Parents/carers must apply by this date, online at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/admissions or on paper (forms available from the County Council website or a local school). 16 April 2019 – letters offering places will be posted second-class. Those who applied on-line will receive an email and will be able to view the result of their application on-line.
SCHOOL REPORT: News from Beckley School World War Two Day As part of their ongoing history topic, Skylark and Hobby Classes thoroughly enjoyed their WW2 day. This began with a truly inspiring visit from ex-parent, Mr Money, who kindly brought in his vast collection of WW2 artefacts. This included a jeep! Other cross-class activities involved dancing the jitterbug, spending time in an air raid shelter and having a WW2 tea party, whilst all dressed in costume. Art Box Project We were delighted, once again, to contribute to Beckley's Art Box Project, situated in a former phone box in the heart of the village. Every class was involved providing wreaths, knitted poppies, cross- stich poppies, poem helmets, union flags and bunting. Please do go and visit the artwork for yourself.
22 Information from the School Governors In April next year Beckley School will join the River Learning Trust group of schools. As a small rural school, we are often a little isolated and the main reason for the change is to link ourselves more closely with other schools and therefore benefit from mutual support. Set up originally by The Cherwell School, the River Learning Trust (RLT) is now a multi-academy trust which includes other local schools, such as Church of England village primaries in Horspath and Garsington, and our local secondary school, Wheatley Park. The Oxford Diocese is permanently represented at the highest level of the Trust, and has approved our conversion to RLT. In terms of our identity and ethos, we will continue as a Church of England primary school, led by the Headteacher and governors, maintaining our strong relationship with the Diocese, and serving the same catchment as we do now. The County Council will continue to manage admissions to the school. Indeed, our day-to-day functioning is unlikely to be noticeably different when we join RLT. But meaningful connections with schools that share our values will provide teachers and other staff with more and better support in our continuing efforts to provide the best possible education for all our pupils.
HOW FAR IS IT TO BETHLEHEM? Welcome to all from 77, 47, 17 to 7 years or even 7 months old! Beckley Church Family Service 3 December 9.30am
What to do on Christmas Eve Afternoon? COME TO CAROLS ROUND THE CRIB From 4 to 5 pm Beckley Church
23 POSTSCRIPT: Curiouser and Curiouser...... Do you know?
Do you know that the first edition of 'The Four Parishes News Magazine' was published in December 1999. It covered January 2000 as well and was called 'The Four Parishes Newsletter'. It started: 'All Change For those of you who live in Stanton St. John, Forest Hill and Sandhills you will notice a difference in this month's newsletter. For those of you who live in Beckley and Horton-Cum-Studley you'll notice an even bigger difference, as there was no regular church newsletter before this one...... For those of you in Beckley, this newsletter is meant to add to, not replace, your present quarterly village newsletter.....' So, it came in with the millennium and was produced by the same team as before, with the addition of co-ordinators for Beckley and Horton. Going through old issues it is not only interesting to read about what was going on in the villages but also to note the changes in the way the newsletters were produced - the story of newsletter publishing. The first newsletter which I have is dated March 1990. This was almost certainly not the first issue. Michael Farthing was vicar and the single folded sheet of A4 was manually typed by Marjorie Shearer. It was photocopied at the University Offices where she worked. [1] The type of content has not changed much over time - a list of church services, the Vicar's letter, reports from Stanton and Forest Hill parish institutions and notices of forthcoming events. The exceptions were that there were no pictures and no advertisements - issues were sponsored by local enterprises - the Shop and Rectory Farm, among others. In 1992 David Nutt retired and bought himself a new toy - a desktop computer - and offered to help out Miss S. with the newsletter production using a very early version of 'Word'. It was still a bit of a fiddle - it could not do columns - but corrections were easy - no more 'snopake' [2]. And there were different fonts and font sizes. The first computer-produced issue was
24 February 1993. It was still a real physical 'cut and paste' job. The format was the same as before but things looked much neater and less cramped Over the years 'Word' got more versatile and the design got more lively with interesting fonts for headings and 'adverts' - so in March 2002 we had our first picture - by Nicholas Mynheer. And it could all be done on the computer - true desktop publishing at last. From here on the newsletter acquired more sponsors, had longer 'articles' and expanded in size. February 2005 saw a change of producer, John Baker, and of design. Photographs of the four churches featured on the cover and the text font changed. The content was much the same but advertisements were now prominent and cost £15. Gradually the design changed with a much greater use of all the add-ons now available in word-processing and publishing programmes - clip art, Wordart, etc - and an improvement in photo reproduction quality. The introduction of more general articles such as 'Word from the Allotments' and 'Our Page', a page for children, and lots more adverts made it much more like a magazine so by 2008 it sometimes had 24 pages. Then in April 2013 the great break through - colour - and with it a vast improvement in paper and print quality. Gone are the days of photocopying, this is direct printing from a digital source - probably a floppy disc then - later it could be a CD, a memory stick, sent to the printer by e-mail, or, as now, a direct download from ‘the cloud’. In November 2014 the name is changed to 'The Four Parishes Magazine'. After a couple of issues it became 'The Four Parishes News Magazine' and the July/August 2016 issue saw the first photo of a local event - the Queen's birthday tea at Horton. John Baker retired as editor in January 2018 and Julia Stutfield took over, introducing local photographs on the front cover. The next step....? Anthony Wood the younger [1] It is still printed there [2] a widely used white correcting fluid
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31 WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!
BECKLEY CHURCH STANTON CHURCH
FOREST HILL CHURCH HORTON CHURCH
Four Churches at the heart of the community
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