What’s On | Steeple Aston

Saturday, 8th June: Pre-School’s 50th birthday fete

Sunday, 9th June: SACS Summer Party Concert

Steeple Aston Choral Society will be holding its Summer Party Concert – Brush Up Your Shakespeare – on Sunday, 9 June at 6.30 for 7.00pm in the Village Hall.

This will be a light-hearted evening featuring music inspired by the Bard – from Vaughan Williams, through film music, to Cole Porter (Kiss Me Kate) and Gershwin.

Tickets are £10 in advance (£12 on the door) and will be available in April from choir members, Margaret Bulleyment (01869 347346) and the Village Post Office.

Your ticket includes refreshments (including strawberries and wine) and it will be table seating (tables seat 8) – available from 6.30pm. So gather your friends and join them.

Sunday, 16th June: Gardens open for Katharine House Hospice

Most of you will know what amazing work Katharine House Hospice does and you probably know someone who has benefited from their care. What you might not realise is that they are dependent on donations or volunteers for most of their work.

Four of our gardens in Steeple Aston decided we would like to help by raising funds for them and so on Sunday 16^th June, Kralingen on Fenway, Cedar Cottage and Primrose Gardens on North Side and Longbyre, opposite the church will open their gardens in the hope that they can raise some much needed funds. The gardens will be open between 2.00 and 6.00pm and you can start at any of the gardens and pay £5 which will entitle you to admission to all the gardens.

Homemade teas will be available at Cedar Cottage where you will be able to relax, have a well-earned cup of tea or coffee and enjoy some delicious cake whilst taking in the stunning garden that will transport you into another world. Even if you are not avid gardeners, please come and support us as you will get an insight into what some village properties look like behind those high walls that form much of the village’s street-scene. All proceeds to KHH.

Thank you in anticipation, Richard and Daphne, Roderick and Hanny, Robert and Jo and Vaughan and Lorraine. For more information or to donate call Richard on 01869 340512.

Sunday, 16th June: Fritwell Open Gardens

Gardens will be open in Fritwell on Sunday, 16th June from 2.00 – 5.00pm. Admission is £5, children free. Proceeds in aid of St Olave’s Church. Refreshments provided.

Sunday, 23rd June: Table Top Sale

The Village Hall & Sports & Rec Centre are holding a Table Top Sale on Sunday, June 23rd from 10.00am until 2.00pm.

Tables cost £5 each. Set up from 8.45am. Refreshments available. Please contact 01869 340423 to reserve a table. Payment please before day. All proceeds split between the two organisations.

Saturday, 29th June: Church Fete

Steeple Aston Village Church Fete will take place at Robinsons Close on Saturday, June 29^th from 2.00 to 4.30pm.

The organiser, Martin Dale writes:

“Here we are at the end of May, nearly into June, the big month for those of us running and involved in the Fete on Saturday 29^th June at 2.00pm – 4.30pm in Robinson’s Field (entry £1.50 adults – children go free).

“This year we promised a new look to the Fete and we are very proud to say that, as we are developing things, that is very much happening.

“We are delighted to say that there will not only be loads of stalls and games etc. – a Pimms and Beer tent, and the Scouts will be hosting Archery. These will be together with the Air Rifle target shooting at the lower side of the field … so do go and enjoy them. And don’t forget the Teas and Cake Stall in the Hall, always a must!

“But the new major feature is the fact that friends from the Village and Community are joining us to give demonstrations and to organise events within the Fete. To do this we have initiated a system of two Arenas which will host different events.

“Arena 1 will host the Oxford Jubilee Brass – always a favourite and this year just as much. We’ve even bought new gazebos to protect them from too much sun! Lets hope the sun does shine. Then in the same Arena we are very proud to welcome a Tai Chi demonstration, which is a new venture which we very much look forward to. Hopefully this will also perhaps be an inspiration to people to join and there will be people there to talk to about this. Later in the afternoon Spotlights School of Dance will entertain us as they did last year.

“However, in another new venture, in Arena 2 we are thrilled to say that Anna Thatcher, who for many years has been the focal organiser of the Whit Races (not running this year), has agreed to join us and organise some Races at the Fete. So look out for some fun for both Children and Adults! Register at the Fete on the day, where you will find a stall waiting.

AND …

“Right now there may be a further development even that we cannot release at the moment because it is still in the planning stage – so Ladies and Gentlemen, please keep visiting STEEPLE ASTON ONLINE to find out!”

Sunday, 7th July: Divine Harmony

A feast of wonderful choral music is promised by the choir Choros on Sunday, 7th July in the Church starting at 6.30pm. The concert will included part-songs by Pearsall, folk songs by Kodaly and Seiber, motets by Tallis and Palestrina, jazz arrangements of Gershwin and traditional Maori songs.

The concert is in aid of the Church Building Fund. Tickets cost £10 in advance from the Village Shop or tel. 01869 340906. £12 on the door.

Choros is conducted by Janet Lincé. To find out more about the choir, go to www.choros.org

Friday, 19th July: Jazz at the Castle postponed from June 14th

Message from Age UK on Friday, June 14th

Jazz at the Castle – EVENT POSTPONED TO 19TH JULY 2019

Due to the persistent heavy rain throughout the week, we have made the very difficult decision to postpone the Jazz at the Castle event to Friday the 19th of July. We apologise for the inconvenience but the particularly wet weather may make some of the grassy areas and car parking unsafe.

If you CAN make the 19th of July – all of your tickets continue to be valid so please do hold on to your tickets and come along for the same time. We shall be delighted to see you then! If you CAN’T make it – If you are unable to make this new date and would like a refund, or to donate the cost of the ticket to the charity, please let us know and we can arrange it for you. Please call 0345 450 1276 or email fundraising@ageukoxfordshire.org.uk. We do have some additional tickets available to purchase for the new date through the following link: https://www.trybooking.co.uk/ISV

The event will now take place on Friday 19th July 2019 at the beautiful setting of Broughton Castle gardens near Banbury, by kind permission of Lord and Lady Saye and Sele.

Performing live is renowned quintet Thixtropy featuring the warm and soulful vocals of Steph Pirrie. The band will bring to Broughton Caste some of the famous jazz classics which made Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald famous. Other all-time hits will include songs by George Benson, Dave Brubeck and Carlos Jobim. Members of Thixtropy include Ottone Caretta (saxophone), Lloyd Payne (trumpet), Martin Pickett (piano), Al Perrie (bass) and Carl White (drums). Steph Pirrie has performed as a vocalist with some of the UK’s finest jazz musicians. She is currently studying jazz trumpet at the UK Jazz School working with top educators Nick Weldon, David Lewis and Steve Waterman among others. Steph is a choir conductor and accredited vocal coach specialising in jazz and contemporary music, and recently taught Robert Peston how to sing Bohemian Rhapsody for a performance on Radio 4. She runs regular workshops and masterclasses for singers from her studio in Oxford.

All funds raised from the event will be split between charities Age UK Oxfordshire and Action for Carers Oxfordshire. Please bring a picnic, drinks, chairs and rugs. This is an outside event so please bring umbrellas in case of bad weather. During the evening, there will be a raffle, tombola and licensed bar available. Assistance dogs only please. Doors open at 6pm, with live jazz from 7pm. The event will finish at around 9.30pm. Whether you are a jazz lover or just a consumer of good music this is an evening not to be missed!

Monday, August 26th: Summer Show & Fun Dog Show

The Annual Flower Show and Fun Dog Show will be with us once more on August Bank Holiday Monday and it is never too early to start planning your entries. Photography classes include “Weather”, “Anything Orange”, “Shadows”, “Decay” and “Flowers” so now is the time to start taking some of those fantastic pictures. There is a class for knitting or a painting so again, why not make an early start? When it comes to the flower or vegetable classes it is always best to plan ahead and take a few moments to have a look at the schedule.

There will be the ever-favourite Fun Dog Show so time to work on the “waggiest tail” or the “golden oldie”. That is the dog by the way, not the owner!

If you are interested in having a stall at the show for whatever reason, please contact me to secure a pitch. The cost will be just £15 and could be for a commercial venture or simply to find a new home for some of those unwanted items.

Finally, a plea for help!!!! The show itself is well managed by the Horticultural Society committee, but it is always difficult to find volunteers to help with some of the side-shows which are scattered around the recreation field. It is these stalls which go a long way to finding the £3,000 it takes to stage the show and without that income we simply would not be able to stage what is the largest, traditional flower show in North Oxfordshire. If you would like to help, please give me a call or email.

Many thanks in advance. Richard Preston – 01869 340512 richard.preston5@btopenworld.com

Saturday, 7^th September: Deddington Parish Show

The Show will be held on Saturday, 7th September from 2.00 to 4.30pm in Deddington Parish Church.

There will be Cookery, Flowers, Vegetables, Fruit, Art, Crafts, Photography and Children’s Classes. Show Programmes are available from: The Library, the Parish Church Porch, Hempton Church, The Flower Shop and on www.deddington.org.uk, or phone 01869 338082.

Teas are served all afternoon. There will be a raffle, along with cake, bottle, produce and Katharine House stalls.

Saturday, 14th September: Keys to Please concert

Steeple Aston Choral Society are holding a concert called Keys to Please! on Saturday, 14th September at 7.00 for 7.30pm in the Village Hall. (All profits to SACS to help with concert expenses)

This will be an evening of keyboard music (from Bach to Lloyd Webber) played by Paul Herrington, accompanist and arranger for SACS; volunteer pianist for the National Trust and Oxfordshire representative for London College of Music exams.

Bring friends and listen to music as played by Paul on Agatha Christie’s piano and the piano at Coleton Fishacre (formerly owned by the D’Oyly Carte family.) Both homes in Devon belong to the National Trust.