The Bulletin is very sad to have to announce the sudden death of Derek Smith, in the John Radcliffe Hospital, on 21st June at the age of 87.  As visitors to this web site will be well aware, he has written a very large number of excellent articles (65 in all) on all aspects of Blewbury life over the last 80 years. Many of them have appeared on the articles page.

Derek was also a major influence in running two of the important Blewbury village charities, as well as having a very distinguished war record. We offer our sympathy to his wife and family. We will all miss him.

Further tributes to Derek Smith will appear later.

Swimathon 2009

I wish to thank my family and friends for their fantastic support before and during my recent Swimathon Challenge. I swam the 200 lengths in a personal best time of 2 hours 1 minute 30seconds and raised £820 for Marie Curie., and for all the friends that I was unable to contact prior to the swim….don’t worry I will get you next time. Thank you         Mick Bolt ( 15 London Road )

Christian Aid The collection this year raised £1338 : 19p  Many, many thanks to you all collectors and contributors. Be in touch again next year !!       Kathy Edmunds.

Blewbury Pre-School Playgroup children visited Blenheim Palace for their Summer Outing last year and sent a lovely piece of artwork – a collage of a large Butterfly made from individual handprints of each child, which won an award in the annual Blenheim Palace Education Heritage Awards. Here are Rosie Richards and Phoebe Laidlaw with the Duke of Marlborough receiving the award on behalf of all the children in April 2009.

The Recreation Ground enhancement programme: an open letter from the Parish Council

At the end of April, we held an exhibition on the recreation ground enhancement project in the Vale Room. This allowed us to share the progress made since clubs and villagers gave our scheme their backing last October. We were delighted to receive a large number of responses, both on the day and afterwards, and have examined all the views expressed. These included an alternative suggestion presented at the Parish Council meeting of May 13 th that we should progress with a larger programme involving new tennis courts on Ticker’s Folly Field (TFF), either in parallel with our current scheme or instead of it.

While there is as yet insufficient information to compare costs of the two schemes accurately, there is no doubt that changing horses (or attempting to ride two at once) would introduce new risks and represent a significant additional commitment of time and money at a late stage in the project. We are also very conscious that there is a large body of opinion in the village wanting us to “just get on with it!” Nevertheless, we have taken the time to study the alternative proposal carefully, and have met with Vale planners to determine the relative likelihood of the two schemes receiving planning permission. Also, since several responses cast doubt on whether our current scheme met national sporting requirements, we have met a Sport England representative on site and asked for their opinion.

The conclusions drawn from these consultations can be summarised as follows:

•  While neither organisation has ruled out an alternative scheme, both have reacted positively to our current plan.

•  From a planning viewpoint, we are advised that each of the key features of the alternative scheme is more likely to be seen as an obstacle than an advantage. These include the amount of hard standing, the positioning of the buildings, the retention of the current pavilion and the net incursion into the countryside.

•  Sport England has confirmed in writing that it supports our proposals both for the pavilion/community room and for the site as a whole. It added informally that it would be a “shame” to lose the open space currently provided by TFF, a view also expressed to us by many in the village.

With the benefit of these opinions from both of the key organisations involved in the planning process, we have concluded that it would not be an appropriate use of the Parish Council’s time and money to develop the alternative scheme into a full application, since we already know it is less likely to succeed. A full statement of our findings, which was read out at the last Parish Council meeting, will be available shortly on the Blewbury website.

We appreciate that while the majority of respondents will be pleased with this outcome, some will take a different view. Can we assure you all that we have taken note of the many suggestions made during the process, and will seek to do the following to mitigate some key concerns raised:

•  Firstly, we will “get on with it” - we are proceeding with the current application as quickly as possible, in order to ensure that we meet the timetables set out by our funding body WREN (which require us to have completed planning and a tender process to select the builders by the end of the year).

•  The sooner we can obtain planning permission, the better we will be placed to avoid disruption to playing surfaces during their respective seasons.

•  We will equip the new pavilion/community room with measures to mitigate the worst effects of the early evening sun in relation to viewing the cricket pitch (which itself faces roughly west-north-west), while still providing a pleasant sitting-out area for the many intended social purposes.

•  With young people in mind, we will set up a working group to look at a MUGA or MUSA in terms of its purposes, location and potential match funding, and discuss which organisation might take responsibility for it, as required by the Parish Plan. Please see the notice immediately below for more details.

A couple of final points in response to specific issues raised:

•  We are advised that retention of the old pavilion in its current form represents a significant potential obstacle to planning consent, and after preliminary examination of its structure, we have concluded that modifications for use as a store are unlikely to be inexpensive or straightforward.

•  We will not be diluting the role of external professionals in the project, nor the strict procedures by which the project is managed. Some respondents have suggested that in order to minimise costs, more labour from within and around the village should be used. In this regard your Parish Council is not without relevant professional expertise, which has already been freely given, and has already helped the funds go further. In addition, during the construction phase, there may well be further opportunities for involving local skills and knowledge. However, no Parish Council could legally deliver a project of this nature without the support of external professionals who are properly qualified and insured, and are selected and engaged on an “arm’s length” basis. Most of us would probably agree that on balance, this is for the best.

In conclusion, we have never said that our scheme is perfect: in fact, we know it isn’t - but we have good reason to believe that it is deliverable, and that it achieves a good balance between the village’s various sporting, social and open space requirements. We sincerely hope that everyone will feel able to support us from now on, and help us take a quantum leap forward for this important village facility.

MULTI-USE GAMES AREA

From comments received since the last Recreation Ground open exhibition, there appears to be a revival of interest in the idea of a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), principally although not exclusively for the use of Blewbury’s young people. The Parish Council is more than happy to explore this idea, provided that we can meet the Village Plan requirement that no new sporting facility should be built without a sponsoring club or group who would be prepared to administer and maintain it. We would therefore like to hear from anyone - young or not so young - who would be interested in forming a working group to make a MUGA happen. The tasks for this group would include seeking the views of likely users, agreeing a sponsoring organisation, determining which sports should be catered for, recommending a suitable location and helping find possible sources of funding. If you would like to be involved in this, in any capacity, please contact our Clerk on 07968 772935 or blewburypc@googlemail.com.

GOING TO DEATH ROW!

In October this year I will be fulfilling an ambition I have held for over 20 years to work as an intern with a law firm representing people awaiting capital trial and on death row in the U.S.

I have practised in the U.K as a barrister and a solicitor, although for the last 7 years have been at home looking after my two young children.

I recently undertook training with the legal charity Amicus. Amicus aims to help promote legal representation for those awaiting capital trial and punishment in the U.S. and raise awareness of potential abuses of their rights. For details of Amicus please go to www.amicus-alj.org

I will commence a six week internship in Berkeley , California with the law firm James Thomson. Whilst working at the firm I will be:

•  Assisting with legal research

•  Assisting with preparing the Reply Brief International law argument

•  Assisting with Habeas Corpus investigation

•  Assisting with compilation of social history of the defendant and his nuclear and entire extended family

•  Attending court proceedings.

The internship is voluntary and I am therefore required to raise £2,500 which will contribute towards Visa fees, flights, accommodation and car hire.

I would be very grateful if any Blewbury Bulletin readers would sponsor me (no amount too small!) so that I can embark on this fantastic and worthwhile opportunity.

If you are able to sponsor me please make your donation to my PayPal account. Go to www.paypal.com my account is Francesca.g@live.co.uk or drop off a cheque (made payable to Francesca Gubbay) or cash to my parents Sheila and Tony Loy, 24 Grahame Close.

I would be very happy to arrange a talk on my return and share my experiences.

Thank you!, Francesca Gubbay frannyella@hotmail.com

JUNE NEWS

I hope everyone is keeping up with the weeding – they seem to be growing even faster this year!

More information for you this month:

1st August - We are holding our annual show at Blewbury School (2.30pm – 4.00pm). Please pick up a Show Schedule and enter any of the sections which include fruit and vegetables, flowers, floral art, handicraft, cookery, photography and wine. We would love to see new competitors – especially in the Children’s Section!

19th September – We have planned a coach trip to ‘Garden Organic’ at Ryton, Coventry . Registration to book can be made by contacting either Eileen Bracken (details below) or Austin Maytham on 01235 850126.

MISSING. As you know we have garden equipment available for anyone to borrow. We have lost an item : namely one garden roller which works by filling it with water. If you borrowed it and still have it please give me a call so we can arrange to collect it. We have a keen gardener who would like to use it.

Programmes are still available from the Post Office at Blewbury or from Maggie Maytham in Upton .

Notelets produced from the VPA photographic competition are still available either at the Post Office in Blewbury or from Maggie in Upton .

If you have any news for the VPA that you would like put in the VPA section of the newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01235 510095 or Eileen.bracken@talktalk.net

Hope to see you at the next monthly meeting.

Eileen

STEPPING STONES ORPHANAGE – Rhanagat, W. Bengal .

The boys have all moved in to 'New' Bethel House very happily and have been joined by some new boys. There is still work to be done so the building continues to develop. The new filtered well (paid for by Blewbury) is 400 feet deep and now connected up to 2 large header tanks (although one was displaced during Cyclone Aila). All the plumbing in the home is now completed and the huge underground cess tank and drainage systems are working beautifully. The electrical work is not yet complete and they still need staff accommodation, security doors and some more building and decorating work when funds allow. Richard and Tracey Pashby were out there for the grand opening and wrote “It was lovely to see some of our older boys at Bethel House helping the new ones to settle in, particularly those caring for small children aged 4 and 5.”

The site is surrounded by large mango trees, mature bamboo, coconut and papaya trees.

Coral Richards. 850218

July August 2009

Rehearsals for our summer play Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ are well under way and it is all looking good. We look forward to seeing you there. With no bulletin in August, this is the last chance to remind you about Garden Opera Tickets. The Box Office for both ‘ Twelfth Night’ and Garden Opera’s ‘Barber of Seville ’ is at Savages on London Road Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturdays 10am to 12 noon. Tickets sales are going well but there are still seats on all nights and for the Opera. I would like to thank all those Friends who have already renewed their subscriptions and for their support in buying tickets over the last weeks.. The Friends are an important and integral part of Blewbury Players. The Friends of Blewbury Players support us in so many ways and in recompense each Friend receives priority booking for a minimum of two tickets for most events and performances, not just the summer play. Friends also receive occasional newsletters and updates. The opportunity is still available to become a Friend so if you are interested, please contact the Friends Secretary , Blewbury Players, 22 Grahame Close , Blewbury , OX11 9QE or email Julie@carlhetherington.co.uk Alternatively download a membership application form from our website . Dates for your Diary are 15-18 July for ‘Twelfth Night’ and 23 August for Garden Opera’s ‘Barber of Seville ’. “ The Barber of Seville ’ is a gloriously sunny comedy and the ultimate summer evening opera. I struggled to see through helpless tears: seamless blends of music and inspired farce, timed to the instant and a masterclass of insouciant theatrical sophistication.”The Times 4-star review of The Garden Opera’s last production of Barber. If you have any queries about the Players contact our secretary chrislakeland@hotmail.com or via our website www.blewburyplayers.co.uk

The 24th Anniversary Celebration Dinner has been arranged for Friday 16th October at the Goring and Streatley Golf Club. Tickets will be on sale in due course - more details later.

Tickets are also now on sale to members only for the Andrew Robson Seminar to be held on Friday 20th November. These are available at club sessions from the Chairman, or by telephoning the number below. Any spare tickets will be on sale to non-members from 1st September. Andrew's subject for the evening will be 'Defending Trump Contracts - Observing Dummy'.

The monthly Handicap Pairs competition has now finished for the current season. In its place on one Tuesday approximately in the middle of the month for the next 4 months will be a teams evening - teams to be formed on a random basis on the night. So if you are a pair and wish to play please attend as normal.

No further Novices sessions will be held over the summer period until September    Michael Allen.   851870

Next meeting we shall be discussing the Festival .

We shall also be finalising the new book about the 1939-45 war years. The plans are to produce it by the Autumn and then a further volume sometime in 2010. Lots of stories have come in, but we are always pleased to hear more.

Have you yet looked at our new website, www.blewburyhistory.org.uk ? We hope that people will look at it and add to the information there by contacting Mark or Audrey or any other history group members so that the site is constantly being added to. Please contact Audrey Long (Spring Cottage, Church Road) on 850427 or Mark Palethorpe (Hollytree Cottage, South Street) 851609 or any other history group member. New members are always welcome. There is no meeting in August.

Next ordinary meeting is at Robinson’s, Parsonage Lane , at 8pm, Tuesday, July 14th.