On this page you can place advertisements for people required in a voluntary or paid capacity, and for items lost, wanted or for sale. This service is provided free of charge to individuals living in Steeple and Middle Aston. It is not available to businesses, which can be included in the Local Directory if they are based in the village or provide goods and services to the villages.
To place an advert, please email [email protected]. Remember to include a phone number or an email address. Adverts will normally stay on the site for one month. If you’d like to recycle your goods or give them away free, look on the Oxfordshire County Council website for ideas of who to contact.
Steeple Aston Calendars for sale
A 2027 calendar with beautiful photos of Steeple Aston by photographer Nigel Francis is on sale now. All the profits will go to the church.
The calendars cost £10 each. Nigel will be selling them at village events in the run up to Christmas including the choir concert, Christmas Fairs and the Wassail Evening.
But if you can’t wait till then, you can contact Nigel on 07836 261532 to get your copy.
Launch of a new book on Woodstock and Blenheim
A local book called ‘Woodstock and Blenheim Royal Park, 900 Years of History’ will be launched at 10.00am on Saturday, 7th November outside Woodstock Town Hall. The book is being published by the Woodstock and the Royal Park Association and the Foreword was written by Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill.
Over 900 years ago, Henry I enclosed his royal hunting park at Woodstock with a stone wall, creating one of England’s earliest enclosed royal parks (now called Blenheim). From these Norman beginnings grew a remarkable story that embraces far more than the history of Blenheim Palace alone.
This illustrated book traces the evolution of the Royal Park, Woodstock and the surrounding villages including Hanborough, exploring their royal associations, changing landscape, local crafts and trades, natural history, and the people whose lives have shaped this unique corner of Oxfordshire. Together they tell the story of alandscape that has continually evolved while remaining at the heart of England’s history.
It will be available on the day from the Farmers Market and after that from Woodstock Bookshop, The Oxfordshire Museum, Blenheim Gift shop and online from the Great British Bookshop www.tgbbs.co.uk
Profits from the book will be donated to a local registered charity.
Vicky shows the bells to some potential recruitsHandbell season is fast approaching, and we need some help! Every year the Steeple Aston Handbell ringers go door to door, ringing a carol or two to spread Christmas cheer and raise money for Charity. This tradition has been going for well over 50 years.
Deliver Steeple Aston Life to your neighbours
From Greg Elphick:
I manage the distribution of SAL from the point of the printer dropping off the boxes and I’m very well supported by over a dozen lovely volunteers. Some rounds have a deputy for holiday cover, either on my master list or informally through the help of a neighbour. Thank you to those who have already offered further help this year.
I’d like to encourage a few more villagers to volunteer to join our group. It’s less than an hour a month to post the magazine through your neighbours’ letterboxes. I’m particularly keen on more resilience on the Fenway and Grange Park rounds.
Could you be a parish councillor?
Village Hall & Committee Room for hire
Do you work from home??
… Need space to meet clients away from the little ones?
…Want a break out space to think or take video calls…..
Our meeting room is available to hire for only £5 per hour. Great for one, or perhaps share the space with a friend or colleague. Internet available, use of the kitchen and parking. It may be the solution you didn’t know you needed. Contact our booking agent for availability, email [email protected]
And your Village Hall is there to be used! Do you have a family party coming up? Running a workshop? Need space to practice your drums without upsetting the neighbours. Hiring the hall for a few hours may be the answer and may be cheaper than you think. Check out rates on our website. https://savh.org.uk/
Flourish – Steeple Aston’s new wellness garden
More information in the Wellness leaflet.
Book on the Steeple Aston Bradshaws
The Impassioned Collectorhas just been published by Olympia Publishers. It’s about Arthur Bradshaw and is written by Jane Allen, a relative of the Bradshaw family who occupied The Grange in Steeple Aston during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The publishers describe it as follows:
The Impassioned Collector follows Arthur Bradshaw, over a span of fifty years. It perfectly balances its historical moments with moments of the familial and personal. It journeys across the globe, from South Africa to America to Wales, and from youth to adulthood to death.
Jane Allen portrays a unique family, the Bradshaws, through world-wide upheaval and individual death. It centres on the sprawling grounds of The Grange. Despite any travelling this is its centre: heart-warming, pastoral, magnificent.
Richard Preston has a very personal connection to the story. He writes:
For anyone who might be interested in life at The Grange between the late 1800s and the Second World War, this book might give an insight into how things were then. But to add to that the story of a man who was possibly the most prolific collector of Fabergé, and held his
collection at Steeple Aston.
This book tells the story of the Bradshaw family who resided at The Grange for many decades. For me personally, it also gives an insight into the life of my grandfather who was head gardener at The Grange for 49 years.
It’s a great read!
The book is available from the publisher’s website Cover price £10.99
SAVA books for sale
Martin Lipson writes:
Steeple Aston Village Archive relies on the generosity of our supporters to keep our charitable work going, researching and archiving the history of our two villages. Our latest book is based on the 2022 exhibition “Village Personalities of Steeple and Middle Aston” – featuring more than 30 people who made a real contribution to the villages, and in some cases to the wider world. So please consider buying one or more copies (and any previous books that you do not already have) by looking at our shop HERE.
SAVA books make great presents! All orders will be delivered to your door, or posted.
If you would like to make a donation to SAVA, you could make payment by BACS to Steeple Aston Village Archive Fund a/c no.00683831, sort code 30-04-13.
Other books available from SAVA include:
- Steeple Aston at Work
- Farming in Steeple and Middle Aston
- The History of Steeple Aston Church
- Our Village School – the history of Dr Radcliffe’s School
- Steeple Aston and the USAF at Upper Heyford
- The Steeple Aston Enclosure Map
- The Gardens of Steeple Aston – 150 years of village gardening
- Steeple Aston Through the Lens -150 years of photography of village life
- The development of Steeple and Middle Aston – understanding our houses through the centuries
- Business and Trade in Steeple Aston
- Steeple Aston at War
SAVA also has available CDs and DVDs:
- Steeple Aston Book Collection: Three rare histories about the village by the Reverend C C Brookes and William Wing have been scanned to a CD.
- DVD of 460 editions of Steeple Aston Life 1973 – 2011
- Gazetteer of Houses: A full listing of every house and other buildings of significance in the two villages, Steeple and Middle Aston
- 101 Photographs of Steeple Aston: photographs from the SAVA archive on a CD.
For details of all these and more go to the SAVA website: www.steepleastonarchive.org.uk
Home Caregivers required
The North Oxfordshire branch of Home Instead is looking to recruit more caregivers. The homecare provider, based in Deddington, offers a range of non-medical services to help seniors and their families feel secure, confident and happy in their own homes.
They say: “Do you like cake? 76 year old Mary does. We have a lot of clients like Mary that would like someone to have a slice of cake and a cup of tea with. If you have a kind, caring nature this is the job for you. Great rates of pay and flexible hours.”
For contact details and to find out more about Home Instead, please click here.