Marian and Dorothy go MoonWalking

Marian Trinder and Dorothy Willatt both took part in the Playtex MoonWalk in London on the night of 17th/18th May to raise money for a breast cancer charity.

They are pictured here an hour before setting off. Dorothy’s white cap represents those doing the half moon (13.1 miles), Marian’s pink cap is for those those brave enough to doing full moon of 26.2 miles. As you can see it is traditional for walkers to wear decorated bras for this event to raise awareness for the breast cancer charity.

Marian said: “We had a wonderful night, starting with arriving at Thornhill, where about 15 of us (some doing the full and some half) caught the coach into London to make our way to Hyde Park and the big pink tent in Playtex City. We met up with my sister Heather just outside.

Food and entertainment was provided and a good time was had by all. There is a huge feeling of friendship and comradeship and some emotion as a lot of people are walking in memory of someone they`ve lost.

At 11 pm we waited to start - unfortunately this was delayed for a while but we got going at 11.30 pm. I walked the first 10 miles with Heather and Dorothy, then we went are separate ways - them to the finish and a cup of tea in the pink tent and me to carry on for a further 16 miles. Heather, however, came to meet me in the morning for the last half mile to accompany me home.”

This picture is of Marian about 10 minutes after finishing her walk. She is standing in front of the biggest pink tent in the world (bigger than two football pitches!).

It took her 8 hours to do the walk while Heather and Dorothy finished in 4 hour 20 minutes - a huge achievement considering Dorothy had a hip operation only 10 months ago. About an hour of this was taken up queuing for the loo, according to Marian.

And another highlight was to meet Nina Barough OBE walking round just as they finished their breakfast. Marian explained: “She is the founder of the Walk the Walk charity and came up with the original idea and she was more than willing to stop and chat and stand for a photo.” Here you can see (l to r) Marian, Nina, Dorothy and Heather.

She continued: “The night was perfectly finished off while travelling back to Oxford on the coach (with several of those who had travelled in with us) and as we approached Lewknor, where the first walkers were alighting, we were all given a personal thanks from the driver - as a cancer sufferer - for our efforts.”

Farewell to Dr Radcliffe’s Headteacher

Pupils, parents and teachers gathered in the playground on the last day of term to say farewell to their Headteacher as she retired from Dr Radcliffe’s Primary School.

Mrs Penny Heptonstall is regarded as a bit of an institution in Steeple Aston as she has been in charge of the school for 13 years. Under her leadership, Dr Radcliffe’s has maintained an enviable reputation. The 2007 OFSTED inspection rated it as Grade 1, outstanding in all areas.

Parents and former pupils and parents were invited to the special leaving assembly to mark the departure of Mrs Heptonstall and two other teachers Mrs Diana Gardner and Mrs Ann Leggett.

After the ceremony, Mrs Heptonstall sent out her final newsletter to parents. She said “I want to thank you all for the wonderful privilege of being the Headteacher of a school where everyone cares and values each member of the school community. I have had a very fulfilling experience and feel that I have been immensely fortunate to work with these parents and carers, these children, these Trustees, these Governors, this staff; who together make up the truly exceptional team that is Dr. Radcliffe’s School.

Thank you also for the wonderful send off. I know that many of you have been involved in the hard work and preparation for the events of the last few days. Thank you too for the avalanche of good wishes and gifts. You have made me feel very special – and loved!”

The new Head will take over at Dr Radcliffe’s in September. She is Mrs Frances Brown, who has been the Headteacher at Shenington C of E Primary School near Banbury for the last five years.

Police issue new theft warning

Police have issued a new warning over thefts from local villages –this time involving oil storage tanks.

Eleven people have already been arrested in connection with the theft of lead and other valuable metals from buildings in North Oxfordshire.

Police say Steeple Aston is among villages being targeted by criminals cashing in on the soaring price of metals. Lead has been stolen from the church, school, village hall and sports and recreation centre - as well as homes in North and South Side.

In a message to residents in the area, Sgt Dave Hibbert of Thames Valley Police said: “We are still experiencing thefts of metal of all sorts, but particularly lead from church roofs. The good news is that 11 people have been arrested in connection with metal thefts and 60 offences have been detected, with a number of these as a result of information from the public.”

The new warning about the stealing of oil supplies comes from Neighbourhood Specialist Officer, Caroline Brown. She says: “There have been several incidents recently where fuel tanks have been emptied and large quantities of fuel stolen. It is advisable to secure any tanks with a good padlock. On one occasion the offenders gained access to a tank by walking across several fields and they would appear to go to great lengths to get fuel.

“If you see anything suspicious then please report it immediately on either the emergency number 999 (if you believe that an offence is taking place at the time) or the general number 0845-8505505.”

Patients asked to “vote” on controversial local plan

Patients at Deddington Health Centre are being invited to vote on plans for the future of local GP services.

Ballot forms are being distributed at the Deddington surgery, which serves villagers in Steeple Aston, as part of a county-wide campaign against government plans for privately-run polyclinics, also known as Darzi clinics, which are intended to introduce competition into general practice.

The proposed polyclinic for Oxfordshire would be sited in Banbury and would be open seven days a week from 8.00am. to 8.00pm. According to the ballot form, the cost would be about £700,000 in the first year and £1.1 million per year thereafter.

The form says: “GPs in Oxfordshire believe that the funding for the privately-owned clinic could be better spent on the health needs of Oxfordshire patients. For example, the money spent could buy more than 1,000 cataract operations or 140 hip operations. Funding could also be made available for investment into the current general practices in Banbury so that they can expand their surgeries to accommodate the increasing population in the area.”

Patients are asked to tick the form to indicate which of two statements they most agree with:

1. I think that the money should not be spent on the new clinic and should be spent on other health needs.
2. I think that the money should be spent on the new clinic.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Oxfordshire Local Medical Committee, Rickman Godlee, has written to all GPs in the county urging them to encourage their patients to vote.

Mr Godlee says the proposed new clinic represents a politically-driven, centralist approach to healthcare. He tells local doctors: “The new centre threatens to destabilize existing local practices and the Horton General Hospital. We all need to show solidarity. It could be your surgery that is threatened next.”

Help needed for bird conservation project

Conservationists have appealed for help from concerned villagers in protecting a familiar species of bird in the Cherwell Valley.

The number of swifts in the area has been falling – and local people have been asked to assist by recording their nesting sites.

The swift population has declined considerably over the last 12 years – not just here but in Britain as a whole - and much of the blame is attributed to the loss of nesting sites due to building repairs, or even simple repointing of brickwork.

The aim of the local project, run jointly by Cherwell District Council and Kirtlington Wildlife and Conservation Society, is to build up a record of swift nesting sites in the area so that they are known when planning applications are made. If this information is available, they say, it will not be difficult to preserve nest sites. Existing nest places can be reinstated, new ones designed and built into eaves or swift nest boxes can be installed.

Swifts are only in this country between the beginning of May and early August so now is the time to start looking out for them. They nest in the eaves of buildings or in gaps in the wall or tiles of a building, but their nests are not visible from the outside.

The organisers say it’s not easy to find the exact site of a swift’s nest, unless you see it entering the building where it nests. If you are lucky enough to see that, you are asked to record the details of the location.

However, breeding swifts have a distinctive screaming display flight, which is particularly noticeable on fine summer evenings. When you hear this you can be sure that they are breeding nearby. Villagers are asked to make a note of places such as churches, other buildings or part of a street where they see or hear swifts displaying like this.

The organisers have provided a form, which you can download and complete with the details of where and when you saw the swifts. Please complete and return your form by 1st September.

After last year’s rain-affected event, the organisers picked a bright if breezy day for this year’s church fete on Saturday, 28th June.

The proceedings were opened by Parish Council Chairman Margaret Mason as the King and Queen – Hugo Matthews and Ailsa Renk – made their stately entrance in an elderly open Vauxhall. They were attended by Oli Ong as Jack o’ the Green and Charlotte Parsons as his Jill.

Richard Preston won the Bowling for the Pig (well part of a pig) but only after a tense three-way play-off, and the air-gun shooting was won by a visitor in motorbike leathers from Duns Tew. First prize in the raffle (which made £695) went to Sarah Harris.

Music was once again provided by Jubilee Brass, from Oxford, and the younger children were entertained with a mixture of conjuring and glove-puppetry by Paul Dumas. The compère was Malcolm Hensher.

The twenty or so stalls made an impressive show on Robinsons Close, and left rather more elbow-room than last time for teas in the Hall, which accounted for £280.

The result of all the generosity, enthusiasm and effort was a net figure of £2,612, well up on last year’s total of £2,190.

Eco-town roadshow comes to Steeple Aston

Developers promoting controversial plans for a new eco-town near Weston-on-the-Green are to stage a roadshow in Steeple Aston in mid-July.

The roadshow is part of a public consultation exercise in neighbouring towns and villages. It will take place at the Sport and Recreation Ground in Robinsons Close between 3.00pm. and 8.00pm. on Monday 14th July.

Questionnaires have also been sent to householders in Steeple Aston asking for comments.

The site for the proposed eco-town, known as Weston Otmoor is pictured here. It is alongside junction 9 of the M40. It is one of 15 under consideration by the government. A shortlist of ten is due to be announced in October.

The new town would provide homes for 35,000 people and 12,000 jobs. The developers say between a third and a half of all the homes would be priced so that first-time buyers and families could afford them.

The new town would include shops, schools and office space. The developers say it would be eco-friendly, built from sustainable materials and with zero carbon emissions.

A new railway station would link Weston Otmoor to Oxford, Milton Keynes and London and there would be a new Park-and-Ride with space for 6,000 cars. Inside the town itself, residents would be expected to travel around by free tram instead of by car.

Opposition to the plan is vociferous. It is being coordinated by a group called Weston Front. Among the leading campaigners is Anthony Henman, father of the former tennis star Tim, who has lived in Weston-on-the-Green for more than 35 years.

The campaigners say the new town would destroy 1,600 acres of North Oxfordshire countryside, a quarter of which is classed as Green Belt, and that extra traffic would make life intolerable in surrounding villages. They say current planning policy favours the development of existing towns such as Bicester, Banbury and Kidlington rather than building on greenfield sites.

Steering group set up to plan for village future

A steering group has been set up to find out what changes villagers would like to see in Steeple Aston over the next decade or so.

You can contribute your ideas, and comment on those of others, through this website by posting your views on the Village Forum, or you can contact the steering group direct, see details below.

The steering group was set up following a brainstorming meeting in the Village Hall on 14th May, which was the first stage in the process of drawing up a Parish Plan.

There was a wide-ranging discussion of the changes that might make this village an even more desirable place to live. The aspects of the village that were particularly enjoyed were the beauty and rural peace, the friendly and welcoming atmosphere, the excellent facilities such as the school, pre-school, shop, church, village hall, sports facilities and pubs, and the large variety of clubs and other entertainment.

There were several suggestions for how the village might be improved, though there was not complete agreement on transport or housing. For example ten people suggested traffic-calming measures were needed and four disagreed.

Five people said they would like more affordable housing, though one person would prefer no more housing of any sort. Another four people would like consideration given to the housing needs of the elderly, including warden controlled housing as well as affordable housing for the old.

Some suggestions seemed to be welcomed by all, such as a coffee shop near the school, perhaps in the Sports and Recreation Centre. Other changes suggested included lavatories near Robinsons Close available when the Village Hall is locked, comfy chairs in the Village Hall for the elderly and the elimination of the steps between the main room in the Village Hall and its kitchen.

The main grumble was that many of the societies and other activities in the village are organised by those in their sixties or over. Those with young families tend to be involved less frequently, and this was borne out by only one person with school age children being at the brainstorming meeting. However it was noted that the age of the ‘movers and shaker’ depended on the activity concerned, with a few organisations having a wide age spread.

A number of environmental suggestions were made, including keeping the centre of the village open to retain the rural feel of the village and the need for a village transport, energy and water strategy.

If you would like to be involved in the Steering Group, or have suggestions, please contact Julia Whybrew on 01869 347850 or post your ideas on the Forum on this website.

Villagers support more affordable housing

A survey of Steeple Aston residents suggests there is a significant need for more affordable housing in the village – and strong support in the community for the building of such homes.

Questionnaires were sent to every household in the village by the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC) in February, and replies were received from nearly half.

The survey shows that at least 50 people have already left the village due to a lack of affordable housing. It estimates there is a need for as many as 18 homes at affordable rents and up to eight homes for shared ownership, where the occupiers buy a percentage of the property on a mortgage and pay rent on the remainder.

More than 70 per cent of those who responded to the survey said that they would definitely support a small development of affordable homes for people with a genuine connection to the village.

ORCC are now working with Cherwell District Council to try and identify suitable sites for affordable homes, which are often built on so-called “exception sites” – land that would not normally get planning permission for commercial development.

In a report on the survey results, ORCC’s Rural Housing Enabler, Nicky Ball, says:

“I would recommend that the Parish Council does proceed in supporting a Rural Exception Site development within the village. The total number of homes to be built should be a reflection of the need identified in this survey report, the current level of need recorded on the District Council’s Housing Register and the number of homes that the Parish Council feels would be an appropriate number to build in the parish.”

June 2008

Village website goes multimedia

The Steeple Aston village website has taken another step forward with the addition of multimedia clips to its growing library of content.

As well as collections of photographs marking various village events, the Gallery now contains both video and audio clips – and as a result the Photo Gallery has been renamed Media Gallery.

The Gallery currently contains just one video clip. It’s a television report broadcast on South Today following the BBC’s visit to Steeple Aston earlier this year to celebrate the village’s nomination as Oxfordshire Village of the Year.

On the same day, Radio Oxford carried a number of interviews with villagers which are now available to listen to online.

There are ten of these audio clips in all featuring (in order of appearance on the programme): Mike McKinley and Lorraine Watling from the Steeple Aston Players; Jenny Bell on the launch of the village website; Penny Heptonstall talking about the school; Margaret Mason and Clare McKinley from the Parish Council; Ted Whybrew on recreational facilities; Dorothy and Hannah Willatt from the White Lion; Pamela Knowles on the village shop; and Rev Stephen M’Caw talking about the church.

Radio Oxford presenter, Jo Thoenes, can also be heard talking to a group of mothers from Dr Radcliffe’s School – and to a number of pupils.

As part of the BBC’s series of programmes this year on life in rural Oxfordshire, Frances Coleman was later invited into the Radio Oxford studio to talk about what it’s like to live and work in a place like Steeple Aston. Frances runs a design company, Echo Design, with her husband Ian (and was also responsible for designing this website). An edited version of her interview is also available in the Gallery.

To watch the video or listen to any of the audio clips, just go to the Media Gallery and click on the item you want. Separate versions of the video clip are available for users of Windows and Mac computers.

Open gardens attract a record 700 visitors

More than 700 visitors toured the open gardens of Steeple Aston and enjoyed tea and cakes in the village hall, raising a record £4,266 for charity.

Nine village gardens were open to the public on Sunday, 18th May under the National Garden Scheme, including three that had never been open before. On a fine day, 700 adults and lots of children came along to admire the gardeners’ efforts, and to visit the Plant Fair held by the Friends of Dr Radcliffe’s School.

The total income raised for the National Garden Scheme charities, including donations, was a record-breaking £3,769.45.  This includes a 50 per cent contribution from the village hall committee who contributed £496.95. The balance of the money taken for teas went to the village hall.  

Financially, this was the most successful National Garden Scheme event held in Steeple Aston. Together with the village hall charity, a total of £4,266.40 was made available to charitable organisations.  

Richard Preston, on behalf of the organisers, said, “A big thank-you goes out to those people who opened their gardens and to those wonderful volunteers that made such a success of the teas in the village hall. We would also like to thank all those people who supported the event.”

Richard and his wife Daphne opened their garden at Primrose Cottage. He added, “We had 450 adults pass through Primrose Cottage and received some wonderful comments.”

The local NGS organiser commented "Steeple Aston can be held in the highest regard for the quality and diversity of gardens."  

The Plant Fair at the School was also pronounced a great success. Final figures on the amount raised for the new school library extension are not yet available. Plants were on sale from a range of commercial growers as well as the organisers. The school’s Nature Club did great business selling vegetable plants grown from seeds planted by the children.

Visitors to the school also enjoyed a hog roast, some delicious icecream and a display of Morris Dancing by the Adderbury Morris Men

Visitors come to inspect Steeple Aston’s good practice

Visitors from all over the South East came to Steeple Aston to see our example of best practice in the provision of village sports and recreation facilities.

The meeting, held in the village hall on Wednesday 14th May, was organised by the Oxfordshire Playing Fields Association (OPFA). It was opened by Hugo Brunner, the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire; then the visitors took part in a variety of workshops covering subjects from play provision to funding.

Steeple Aston was chosen as the venue for the meeting because the facilities in the village cover a wide age and interest range, and have been provided through the hard work of a small community.

Richard Preston, the Vice-Chairman of the Parish Council gave a presentation on the achievements of the community in providing the facilities. He then gave the visitors a guided tour around the area encompassing the sports field, the Sports and Recreation Centre, the MUGA, the BMX track and the other recreational facilities the village provides. 

After the meeting Richard said, “The feedback to OPFA has been positive and hopefully our example will enthuse other towns and villages to take Steeple Aston's lead and provide facilities for their communities.”

Teenagers open their own village area

Steeple Aston’s new teenage facilities were opened in style when a ribbon around the famous MUGA (Multi Use Games Area) was cut with a flourish. The three young people pictured here performed the task. They are Chelsy, Tori and Izzy, and they have been involved in this ambitious project from start to finish.

Steeple Aston’s young people were the centre of attention on Sunday, April 27 when they celebrated the official opening of all the new teenage facilities: the MUGA, a BMX track, an outdoor table tennis table and a covered seating area.

Three years ago, one teenager commented to a parish councillor: ‘There’s not much for us to do in the village.’ In response, over the last three years the Parish Council (and in particular the energetic vice-chairman Richard Preston) have consulted with teenagers, their parents, local residents and advisory bodies about which facilities the young people wanted and the best location.

The new facilities have been attractively landscaped next to the existing play area, football field and Sport and Recreation building. Even before the official opening they have been proving popular with teenagers and younger children too. The village now has comprehensive sport and play facilities for all age groups.

The teenagers, from the outset, took the initiative in fundraising. This enabled the Parish Council to make successful bids to several local and national organisations to raise the £80,000 needed to complete the project.

At the opening, teenagers, their parents, grant providers, members of the Dr Radcliffe’s Trust and Parish Councillors enjoyed a buffet lunch which was followed by a speech of thanks by Margaret Mason, the chairman of the Parish Council, to all those involved.

Then sports training and games of ping pong began without delay.

Steeple Aston Pre-School has announced two free and easy ways for us all to help them raise money by simply searching or shopping on the internet.

Whenever we use the following two websites to surf or shop, the Pre-School will make money – at absolutely no additional cost to you. You could even save yourself money through various discount offers.

Local percussionist inspires musical fundraiser

There was a rare opportunity to hear members of the BBC's Symphony Orchestra perform in St Peter and St Paul's church, Steeple Aston on April 26 to raise money for the church and Dr Radcliffe's school.

The inspiration came from the orchestra's percussionist, Fiona Ritchie who lives in Steeple Aston with her husband and two sons. Fiona persuaded five other members of the orchestra to join her in performances from Bach to Bartok. Also included was a narration of 'Ferdinand the Bull' to a violin accompaniment which delighted the packed audience of all ages.  

The conductor, Nicholas Cleobury, who also lives in Steeple Aston, gave interesting and enlightening introductions to each piece, and many others were involved in ensuring that the evening ran smoothly.  

Wine and canapes prepared by the White and Red Lion pubs and served by children from Dr Radcliffes concluded an evening of excellence.

Villagers invited to Parish Plan meeting

In 1993 the Village Appraisal provided a huge amount of information about what changes people would like to see in the village. This work now needs updating and it is proposed that there should be a Parish Plan to find out how we would like to see the village improve in the future.

A Parish Plan is a way of collecting together the views and needs of a parish about all subjects which affect the community; facilities and services, planning, economic and social issues, in fact everything which is important to the life of the village. It can then prioritise issues and set out how they can be tackled. It looks at the distinctive character of the village, physical and social, and gives the community a chance to guide its future development.

The Plan will cover Steeple Aston and Middle Aston so that changes in both villages can be co-ordinated together.

There will be a meeting to discuss the proposals on 14 May in the Village Hall at 7.30pm. All are welcome to come and discuss their priorities for the Plan.

One of the affordable houses in Shepherds Hill is for sale

One of the affordable houses in Shepherds Hill is for sale. It has two bedrooms and a 65% share is for sale for £123,500. The houses in Shepherds Hill are confined to local people and were built in a partnership between English Rural Housing Association, Steeple Aston Parish Council and the Rural Housing Trust.

An application pack and more information can be obtained from Ann Camuyag on 020 7820 7930.

New head appointed at village school

The new Head of Dr Radcliffe’s Primary School will be Mrs Frances Brown. She will take over in September from the current Head, Mrs Penelope Heptonstall who is retiring this summer.

Mrs Brown is currently the Headteacher at Shenington C of E Primary School near Banbury, where she has been a teaching Head for the last five years. Like Dr Radcliffe’s, Shenington is within the Warriner Partnership of schools.

Mrs Heptonstall announced her retirement in January after 13 years as Head of Dr Radcliffe’s. The search for her successor started immediately with advertisements appearing in the press in February.

Despite a national shortage of headteachers, applications were received from an extremely high calibre of applicants from within and outside the county, and the final interviews were held on 17th and 18th March.

Lisa Boote, Chair of the School Governors said, “The governors were unanimous in their decision and we are very happy to report that we were able to appoint a new Headteacher.

It is a new chapter in the history of Dr Radcliffe’s and although none of us wish to say goodbye to Mrs Heptonstall we know that the future of Dr Radcliffe’s is in very safe hands.

We now look forward to ensuring that Penny’s last few months at school are nothing but enjoyable and that she leaves us with very happy memories and the knowledge that the school will continue to be a happy place and strive for nothing but the best for all of it’s pupils.

Working with Penny has been an absolute privilege and we all wish her the very best for the future.”

Volunteer joins drive for better policing

Steeple Aston has its own representative on a new body intended to improve the way local communities are policed.

Following a call for volunteers, Richard Preston has put his name forward to represent the village on the local Neighbourhood Action Group (or NAG).

The creation of NAGs is a government initiative that also involves councils, businesses and schools. The move is designed to strengthen communication between residents and the police, and the NAG will meet every six weeks to hear of local concerns.

Richard says: “I have volunteered as a member of the Neighbourhood Action Group with the hope that a closer liaison between the police, local authorities and the community can make our village and the surrounding neighbourhood a safer and better place to live.

“From a recent survey of our district, three main issues were identified. Speeding within the villages, road safety such as inconsiderate parking and groups of youths loitering in public places. I don’t think the latter is applicable to Steeple Aston but is a major concern in other parts of Cherwell.”

In a message to villagers, Richard explains that he will act as a point of contact for concerns that ought to be raised with the local police. As a member of the parish council, he is also aware of issues brought to the attention of the council.

However, he adds: “Please remember I am only a volunteer, so do not contact me every time someone drops some litter on the street.”

Village shop gets new owner

Steeple Aston’s village shop and Post Office has been sold.

The new owner (pictured) is Ponnuthurai Kularajakaran, known by his nickname ‘Raj’.

Raj comes from Croydon, but his family is originally from Sri Lanka.
He will run the shop with his cousin Pari and Pari’s son Prash.

Raj has experience of similar businesses in the past and until recently was the manager of a Marks and Spencer food store set up at a petrol station in Croydon in partnership with BP.

Running a Post Office is a new venture for him, but he’s already had the benefit of a week-long training course.

“I’ve been in retail all my life and this is exactly the sort of business I’ve been looking for,” he said. “Steeple Aston is very different from Croydon, but it’ll be nice to be in such a peaceful place.”

Raj and his family will live on site in a self-contained flat. The flat was created by the previous owners, Andrew and Sharon Peace, when they made extensive alterations to the premises last year. The reconstruction work separated the shop from the adjoining Old Manor House, where Andrew and Sharon now live.

In a leaflet sent to customers last year, Andrew Peace said that separating the house from the shop would make the business “a more affordable purchase for a younger family to take into the next decade.”

The village shop has had a number of owners since the Harris family, who gave the store its name early in the last century. Andrew and Sharon Peace bought it in 2002.

Note: the Village Shop page on this website will be updated as soon as possible.

April 2008

Aladdin Pantomime a success

Steeple Aston Players were once again in fine form in ‘Aladdin’, an out-of-season pantomime performed in the village hall at the end of March. The pantomime continued the long tradition of pantomimes in Steeple, originally written by our former rector, Michael Hayter and later continued by Roger Mason. The three performances of ‘Aladdin’ were a sellout, including the Saturday afternoon matinée. The audience booed, hissed, cheered and sang along with the cast with gusto.

The Players have been delighted to recruit new members of all ages over recent months, and ‘Aladdin’ was the ideal way to show off all the new talents as well as feature some familiar favourites. The director, the producer, the cast, set designers and builders, pianist and front of house volunteers planned and practised over two months - a dedicated team. Those involved were Lorraine Watling ( director) Alan Wightman ( producer), Derek Hopwood ( musical director), Jan Liberadzki ( set designer), Paul and Jan Hotston ( lighting), Tim Messenger ( props and the bar) Marian Trinder ( wardrobe), Rose McCready ( make-up) Margaret Mason ( tickets and programmes). The cast was Mike McKinley, Francesca Ingall, Kate Stuart, Ted Atkins, Stan Owen, Yoni Kinory, Lawrence Tosh, Catherine Cooper, Jasmine Trinder, Guy Stuart, Dorothy Willatt, Ryan O’Sullivan and Cassie Heathcote, Freddie Cooper, Jacob Simpson, Rona Graham, Mara Smith, Eleanor Holton, Natalie Trinder, Anna Ingall and Philip Trinder.

At two of the performances, a collection was made for ‘Anjali’ a dance group for young people with learning difficulties. Further information can be obtained from Anjali on 01295 251909.

The Players are already looking ahead to their next production, probably in the autumn. If you would like to join them on stage or behind the scenes, contact Mike McKinley on 01869 347168.

Steeple Aston WI celebrates its 90th birthday

Steeple Aston’s Women’s Institute celebrated its 90th birthday in style with a dinner in the Village Hall on Tuesday March 11th. Members were invited to put on their “posh frocks” and come along for a mystery celebration.

When they arrived, they found the committee had laid the tables and decorated the hall with flowers. They also provided the wine and mementoes of the occasion for each member. And there was a professional Toastmistress on hand to make the proceedings really special.

Caterers provided the first two courses of the meal. But the dessert came from the WI treasurer Linda Needle, who made the birthday cake pictured here. President Pamela Waite (on the right) and twice Past President Sheila Side are performing the cake cutting ceremony.

Pauline Goddard, the Chairman of the Oxfordshire Federation of Women’s Institutes joined the 30 village members for the celebration. Her task was to raise a toast to the 90 years of Steeple Aston WI, while Pamela Waite toasted her predecessors – all the past presidents. And most of them were there, in photographic form at least. Pamela had collected together photos of nearly all the past presidents for members to see.

In her speech Pamela told how the institute, which is one of the oldest in the county, was set up following a meeting in the garden of Cedar Lodge in 1917. It was an immediate success with more than 50 women enrolling at the start, and it continued to grow so that by 1921 it had sixty-six members with a sixteen-strong committee.

Pamela described to much laughter some of the things members have got up to over the years – including an early attempt to make marrow jam which ended up as toffee, and an outing which, by mistake, ended up at a strip show.

Heyford bridge is open

The bridge over the railway at Lower Heyford was opened again to traffic on Sunday morning, 13 April and the temporary traffic lights were removed a week later. Work is still continuing but the traffic is flowing again smoothly. It is noticeable that the road still has less traffic on it than it used to do.

The old bridge was demolished in mid-January and the original target for re-opening the road to traffic was the end of March., later shifted to 13 April.

The County Council decided not to have any formal ceremony to mark the opening of the new bridge.

Any queries can be directed to Martin Brain in the OCC Bridges Section on 01865 815832.

Grand Opening of teenage facilities at 1.30 pm on Sunday 27 April

The work on the teenage facilities at Robinsons Close is complete and there will be a grand opening at 1.30 pm on Sunday, April 27th. This will give the village a chance to appreciate the result of all the fund raising efforts.

The outdoor table tennis table is in place and there will be a table tennis demonstration followed by an opportunity for anyone who wishes to have a game on the new outdoor table with its unorthodox net.

The multiuse games area is complete and the white lines are marked out. There will be football coaching sessions from 1.30pm for about an hour. Children of all ages will be welcome to take part.

The BMX track is already being developed by its users. It looks as if some enormous mole holes have sprung up. So come and see how it is progressing.

The Youth Club is going to set up an informal game of dodge ball in the Sports and Recreation Centre from about 2.30pm. Visitors will be invited to join in.

There will be plenty to eat and drink. Starting at 1.30pm there will be hot dogs and a bar. There will also be tea, coffee and soft drinks.

It had been hoped that there would be archery. But this is impossible because the insurers who cover the Scouts’ archery will not extend the cover to the public in a public area. So to try out archery, for those of the right age, the only thing is to join the Scouts.

Parish Council Chairman Margaret Mason said, "We want to make this an enjoyable day for all. We have so many people to thank for their work on this."

Village of the Year judges to visit

Steeple Aston will come under close scrutiny when the judges for the National Calor Village of the Year competition visit on Friday 25th April.

There will only be a couple of hours in which to impress the two judges, who will spend between 11.30am and 1.30pm in the village. Plans are under way to ensure that they meet as many villagers as possible in the limited time available.

The Parish Clerk has written to all the village organisations inviting them to put up a stand in the village hall and meet the judges over lunch.

Before that Margaret Mason and Richard Preston, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Parish Council, will take them on a walk round the village to include a visit to the shop and our two pubs. They will also be able to take a good look at the new teenage facilities in Robinsons Close.

Steeple Aston was voted Oxfordshire Village of the Year in 2007 and won a prize of £500. The village was then nominated as the county’s representative in the national competition, where the prize for regional winners is £2,000 and the overall national winner receives £7,000 to be used in the local community.

The judges look for “a well-balanced, pro-active and caring community, which, irrespective of size, has made the best of local opportunities to maintain and enhance the quality of life for all residents.”

No doubt they will also be impressed by the look of the village, so it is helpful that the annual Spring Clean Up will take place on the last weekend in March. For more details see the website’s Noticeboard.

The results of the competition, which attracts around 1,000 villages every year, will be announced in October.

Good report for Pre-School – and they raise some money

Steeple Aston Pre-School received a good report from Ofsted this year, and were judged outstanding on several counts.

And their fundraising exercise last month raised £195 towards school funds. Pictured here are all the bags of jumble donated before they were taken away to be recycled by the bags2school organisation.

The Ofsted inspection took place in March and found that overall both the quality of care and the quality of nursery education at the Pre-School were good. The report praised the “extremely capable staff group who work exceptionally well together to support individual learning and development and keep children safe.”

They were described as “outstanding” at helping children make a positive contribution, and at helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do. They were also found to be outstanding at protecting children from harm and neglect and helping them stay safe.

Spring Show attracts record number of entries

There were more entries than ever before for the Horticultural Society’s Spring Show this year. The 350 entries ranged from the traditional spring flowers, through lardy cakes and pork pies to handicrafts and limericks.

More than 100 paying adults and plenty of children braved gale-force winds and freezing temperatures to visit the show, which was held in the Village Hall on Sunday 16th March.

The overall winner for most points in the show was Daphne Preston, who also won the Duncan Cup for the horticultural classes. Other cup winners were Julia Whybrew for cookery, Gwen Stone for flowers and John Coley for handicraft. Helen Cooper won the prize for an informal flower arrangement that was judged by visitors to the show.

The cup for Best Children’s Entry went to Christopher Bedding for a very impressive gift-wrapped saucepan made into an elephant. The prizes were presented by Mrs Sheila Side.

Horticultural Society Chairman Richard Preston said: “We would like to thank everyone who came to visit the show during the afternoon and all those people who contributed to the various stalls or made a cake for the teas. Most importantly, a big thank-you to everyone who entered something. Without you there is no show.

Financially, we are confident of a good result, this in turn will help to ensure the success of our Annual Show on August Bank Holiday Monday.”

Dr Radcliffe's School Head to retire

Mrs Penelope Heptonstall, the Headteacher of Dr Radcliffe's CE Primary School has announced that she intends to retire at the end of this school year.

Mrs Heptonstall is regarded as a bit of an institution in Steeple Aston as she has been in charge at Dr Radcliffe's for 13 years. Under her leadership, the school has maintained an enviable reputation. The 2007 OFSTED inspection rated it as Grade 1, outstanding in all areas.

In a letter to parents, the Chair of the School Governors, Lisa Boote, said that working with Mrs Heptonstall had been "a privilege and great fun," and it would be difficult to imagine the school without her.

She said: "Her inspirational leadership, her personal commitment and above all her energy and devotion to all of the pupils will be greatly missed. However she leaves behind her an exceptional team of teachers and support staff who are fully committed to all of the pupils."

Mrs Heptonstall will leave in July at the end of the summer term. The process of finding her replacement has already begun. Advertisements are appearing in publications this month, and the governors hope to announce the appointment of a new headteacher by the end of March.

Concerns grow over traffic diverted by bridge closure

Drivers using unofficial routes to find their way around the bridge closure at Lower Heyford are said to be damaging road surfaces and verges in Middle Aston.

This follows concerns about road safety in Steeple Aston , especially near the village school.

The chairman of the Middle Aston Parish Meeting, Matt Robinson, said the additional traffic there was having “an awful impact” on verges and potholes in North Aston Lane.

“I live on the lane and have witnessed an articulated lorry and a white van try and negotiate their way past each other, smashing up my verge in the process. The council unfortunately seem unable to put any additional control measures in place. May I ask that if at all possible drivers do try and stick to the official diversion?”

The chair of Steeple Aston Parish Council, Margaret Mason, said: “We have been trying to get something done about the increased traffic, but we’ve had no joy so far as it isn’t the official diversion. It is infuriating because the verges are getting damaged and the likelihood of being hit by a speeding car is pretty great. The possibility of warning signs for parent /child walkers is ticking slowly through the system but looks hopeful.”

A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council urged drivers to use the official diversion through Bletchingdon and Kirtlington.

“We are doing everything we can to make sure the official diversion route is safe,” he said. “We check the route at least twice a day to make sure it is properly signed and maintained. It’s very difficult to cater for every eventuality if drivers don’t use the official diversion.”

The spokesman added that the Council had monitored traffic speeds on the route from Steeple to Middle and North Aston and found that they were generally within the 30mph limit.

Successful Entertainment Evening maintains DIY tradition

A wide range of local talent of all ages was on show in the village hall for a DIY Gala Entertainment Evening on Friday February 29. These Entertainment Evenings are a longstanding tradition in Steeple Aston, and the packed audience for this one were as enthusiastic as ever.

The evening included a performance from the 60-strong choir from Dr Radcliffe’s School who excelled themselves and were persuaded to sing an encore. Other acts included jazz and folk singing by two former pupils at Dr Radcliffe’s, and a group of family and friends, known as The Wild Rumpus, who played a selection of folk music.

Both the junior and senior school orchestras played. There was also a flute recital, and performances by the junior and senior handbell ringers.

A rousing rendition of songs by Flanders and Swan completed the evening. All ages in the audience joined in ‘Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud’ with gusto, led by seasoned performers Derek Hopwood, Roderick Nicholson and Dennis Long.

Meeting on affordable housing was a bit of a squeeze

Sixteen members of the public squeezed into the committee room of the village hall at the Parish Council meeting on January 21 to learn more about the possibility of more affordable housing in Steeple Aston from Nicola Ball of Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC).

Nicola explained that ORCC is part of Oxfordshire Rural Housing Partnership (ORHP), which comprises four district councils and four housing associations in Oxfordshire. Her role is to be an independent broker between parishes, the housing associations, ORCC and ORHP.