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St George’s Day Celebrations – 19th April

This year, our St George’s Day celebrations inWallingford will be held on Saturday 19th April.As has become our tradition, St Mary’s and St

Martin’s Streets will be closed to traffic from the HighStreet to St Leonard’s Square at 10am for event/stallset up. At 11am, the event will be opened by theMayor Cllr Bernard Stone.

We are delighted that we will once again hear fromthe Wallingford School BIGG Band for the first hour orso, followed by Punch and Judy in the Market Placefrom 12 to 12.30. After that, we’ll be entertained bythe Abingdon Morris Dancers, the Shady Grove StringBand, and then Punch and Judy again in successivesets through until 3pm. The roads will then be openagain from 4 once we have cleared up.

In addition to all these happenings there will bechildren’s rides, free face-painting between 11amand 12.30 and 1.30 and 3pm for children, donkeysfrom the local Donkey Sanctuary, the Oxfordshire PlayBus, a free photographic exhibition from 11am to3pm in the Town Hall with a First World War theme,cooked food, ice cream and local charity stalls. It will,once again, be a fantastic family day out, so please docome an join in the fun.

Derrick Hoare Chairman

The Wallingford Partnership

DURING THE TIMES THE ROADS ARE CLOSED,BUSES WILL ARRIVE AND LEAVE FROM OUTSIDETHE WALLINGFORD MUSEUM IN HIGH STREET.

E D I T O R I A L

April is the month when the Window for Wallingford starts to really fill up fast, as we have some great townevents to publicise. The big one, of course, is St George’s Day which this month will be celebrated on 19thApril – Saturday of the Easter Weekend. We also have the Duck Race (a uniquely Wallingford way to get

your wellies wet), an RNLI Cheese and Wine, the WAGS AGM and an opportunity to sing Stainer’s Crucifixion atthe Methodist Church. There’s even Ajax, Chelsea, and Bog Football! No idea what that is about, but go alongto the Gardening Club and they’ll tell you. Apologies to the events I haven’t listed, but do look through theWindow for Wallingford, or just skip to the What’s On page at the back to see them all, and to see too just whatan active lot we are in Wallingford.

And finally! I had an email the other day about an event in Wallingford Connecticut, wanting publicity. I had tosay that I wasn’t sure the Window for Wallingford had quite the reach they needed, but it was nice to hear fromour colonial friends.

Lynda Atkins 839120Editor

[email protected]

Wallingford & District Art Club

We meet on Tuesdays, 7.30–9.30 pm atCentre 70. On 15 April 2014 Jo Louca willbe using watercolour to demonstrate

painting spring bluebells. Non-members are welcomefor a fee of £5. On the other Tuesdays of the monththere will be the usual untutored workshops, wherenon-members are welcome for fee of £3. Pleasebring your own materials and a project to work on atpainting workshops. For further details about this orfuture demonstrations contact either me on 01865858463 or Gill Selby on 834181.

Rebekah Robinson

www.wallingford.co.uk

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Royal National Lifeboat InstitutionWallingford Branch

Volunteers Urgently Needed

On Friday 11 April at 7.30 pm at Centre 70Wallingford’s RNLI are having a Cheese andWine Event and hope to attract some new

volunteers to help us raise funds to support ourlifeboat crews saving lives around our coast andrivers.

The cheese and wine will follow a brief AnnualGeneral Meeting and we shall alsowelcome Trevor Wood who will give us a short talkentitled “A potted history of the RNLI and the Servicetoday.

Our small band of volunteers would welcome extrahelp from volunteers who couldserve either as Committee Members and/or simplyhelp us at our fundraising events? The Committeemeets for just one hour 4 or 5 times a year and helpat events could be as simple as collecting on FlagDays or being an extra pair of hands making cakes orhelping out at an Event.

A warm welcome awaits so DO please come alongand meet us - your interest andhelp would be greatly appreciated.

Valerie Blackwell

Cholsey and Wallingford Railway

You may wonder why the Diary for April shows theCholsey and Wallingford Railway running a'Mothering Sunday Special' on 13 April. This isbecause there was an error in preparing theprogramme. The event on Sunday 13 April will benamed 'Trains on a Spring Sunday.

Sherwin Smith

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1st Wallingford Boys’ Brigade &Girls’ Association

2014 is going to be a landmark year for theBoys Brigade in Wallingford. In the weekbefore Easter the BB in Wallingford will be

hosting the National Learn to Row course. Thiswill be the 3rd time that Wallingford has hostedthe event that brings young people from all overthe country to our town.

On 12th April we will again be holding an all dayCraft Fair in the Methodist Church. There will be a chance to see some unusual and eyecatching crafts.

On the 11th May the BB will be holding anafternoon Church Parade, departing from the sideof KP Stationers at 2.45 and parading to theMethodist Church in St Leonard’s Square. We willbe joined by BB members from all overOxfordshire. The service will be lead by the Boys’Brigade president, Rev Dr Leslie Griffiths, BaronGriffiths of Burry Port. During the service LordGriffiths will present 2 Wallingford members withtheir Presidents award.

During the summer months the BB will again berunning Kayaking on the Thames at Wallingfordthe summer will climax with our summer camp atBearsted, Kent. The BB continue their search for ariverside plot in the area to establish a permanentwatersports centre. I f have or know of a suitablesite please contact the BB.

Nev KeatingCaptain

1st WallingfordBoys’ Brigade &Girls’ Association



We have speakers lined up forour Branch meetings, it is justgetting them to agree dates for

us. It’s hard to believe that this is for the Aprilmagazine, where has the year gone. At last we arehaving spring weather, with flowers everywhere.Such a cheerful sight after the weeks of awfulweather. Now you have to catch up with all thegardening!

We have a supply of commemorative metal lapel pinsin stock. Slightly larger than the usual ones, with“1914 – 2014” on them. Suggested donations are£2.50 each. If anyone would like one please phoneLinda and Aidan.

Linda Shoebridge598479

Frank Hames01865 858393

Wallingford Country Market

Wallingford Country Market is held eachFriday morning, and there is always a greatselection of goods for sale, including

Baking, (both sweet & savoury), Seasonal Vegetables,Plants & Flowers, Preserves, Honey, Eggs and Hand-crafted items. Orders taken for most items sold,including celebration cakes.

Why not celebrate Easter Day, (Sunday, 20th April),with home-made cakes and gifts from your localCountry Market? Please note – our Easter Market willbe held on Maundy Thursday, 17th April. Do comeand visit us soon!

All enquiries to our Market Manager: Tel: 01865-890649 or, any Friday morning.

Gwen StrongCommittee Member (Publicity)

The Roman Army Fact and Fiction

This month's talk to TheWallingford Historical andArchaeological Society

(TWHAS) will be by Dr John Smith.He will present 'The Roman ArmyFact and Fiction'.

John Smith is an archaeologist who has studied theRoman Army for over 20 years and excavated andworked at Rockbourne and Bignor Roman Villas. Thisis a living history presentation, reviewing thehistorical and archaeological evidence for the RomanArmy, in the Empire and South-West England. Johnwill present Roman equipment and artefacts (somefrom the Camerton Hoard) and discuss theirpracticality, construction and uses, and debunk somepopular and media portrayals of the Roman Army.

This talk will be held on Friday 11th April, 7.45 for8pm at Wallingford Town Hall. Visitors (£3) are most welcome.

Stu Darby

Ajax, Chelsea, and Bog Football

At the April meeting of the WallingfordGardening Club, the 'Bill Baker MemorialLecture' will be presented by Jane Prescott

who will talk about "Ajax, Chelsea, and Bog Football".

Janet is a lecture in horticulture, formerly at Sparsholtand Pershore Colleges. She was involved inconstructing three Gold medal-winning gardens atChelsea and Hampton Court. She now runs ahorticulture training business, and is keen to helpother people achieve their horticultural ambitions.

The talk will be held at Ridgeway Community Churchat 7.30pm on Thursday 10th April. Please note newvenue!

Visitors very welcome £2.Isabelle Darby

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Wallingford Methodist ChurchStainer’s Crucifixion

Some of you are aware that each year on theTuesday of Holy week, we in Wallingford hold asing-in of Stainer’s Crucifixion, a tradition of

some 40 years plus. We need your help to keep itgoing, either as singers (even if you haven’t ever sungit) or as audience. If you’re a singer and haven’t gotthe music, don’t worry, we provide music scores.

This year it will be on Tuesday 15th April at 7:30pm inWallingford Methodist Church. For 2014 we arehaving a short practice of the chorus sections only onSunday 13th April at 3.15pm. Do come as this wouldbe helpful, especially if you are new to the music.

There will be an opportunity for donations which areto be divided between our Uganda Project and theWallingford food bank.

Please come and support us and bring your friendsand families. We look forward to welcoming you.

Ann Watts

Thameside (Wallingford) U3A

This month’s events are, on Friday 4th April –10.30-noon – Coffee Morning for members atCentre 70 then on Wednesday 16th April-

2pm our meeting in the Baptist Church, whereJames Mitchell and friends will be entertaining uson the topic of A Little More Flanders and Swan”.Finally on Friday 25th April – Guided tour of theRHS gardens at Wisley which should be ablaze withspring flowers. In addition, there is a SpringConcert at the Queens Chapel of the Savoy inLondon on 30th April – tickets via the Nationaloffice.

For the last 4 months I’ve featured some of theactivities and interest groups available in ourbranch, so far I’ve covered Technology, Outdoorinterests, the Researchers, Discussion Groups andLanguages. For the final one in this series it’s theturn of the Arts. There are some talented peoplewho belong to the Art and Painting Group andenjoy painting in company at a local pub, withlunch to follow. The craft group wisely meet in ahall for their monthly creative sessions so they canindulge in some more creative and possibly messyprojects. They also have demonstrations from localexperts such as stumpwork, decoupage andjewellery making. There are also a growing numberof music groups, both for classical and broadertastes. Members share the pleasure of planningand presenting an afternoon’s programme of musicwhich is great for introducing new pieces.

Finally, for a good afternoon with friends and a bitof mental stimulation, you could try the BridgeGroup or the Cribbage group – not highlycompetitive, just social games and goodcompanionship.

So I’ve featured nearly 40 different groups in thesearticles, and typically members belong to less thana handful each, but with such a variety on offerthere is generally something of interest toeveryone. Of course not all members of the U3Ajoin an interest group, some just enjoy the monthlyspeaker meetings, and the odd outing, that’s thegreat thing about this organisation, you can do asmuch or little as suits you, but it’s definitely thecase that the more you put in the more you getout.

If you would like to know more about the U3A theninformation is available on our websitewww.wallingford-thamesideU3A.org.uk, or contactour membership secretary Milli Eaton on 835689.

Jan Menzies


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thewindowforwallingfordthewindowforwallingfordTalent on Display

We at Wool and Willow thought it would begood to celebrate the talent and skill of ourcustomers in our window display, and so

we asked if anyone would like to lend knitted andcrocheted items that they were particularly proud of.The response was wonderful and we have a windowfull of amazing Wallingford-made garments andaccessories.

The window will remain until Easter, but we willoccasionally change around some of the items,as there is a huge selection of high quality workdone by people of all ages. Do have a look nexttime you're passing! The resurgence of interest inthese crafts, reflected in shows like Great BritishSewing Bee, is something we all feel stronglyabout, as they are beneficial in so many ways.Our Customers' Window shows the depth ofthat interest and level of skill that we have herein Wallingford.

All at Wool and Willow

Wallingford Rower Runs for SueRyder Hospice

Hannah Whelan ran the Reading Half Marathonon Sunday 2nd March to fundraise for Sue RyderHospice (www.sueryder.org).

Would you sponsor her please to boost the income sheraises for care at the hospice? Hannah ran 13 1/4 miles(so don't go too mad per mile!)

Hannah ‘stroked’ her rowing crew (of Alice Walker, FreyaDale & Leanne Reeves) in 2012 for Wallingford, taking 6national and 1 international golden wins and a nationaltime record. She is studying for her ‘A Levels’ so tomaintain her fitness (as the river is unsafe) is running.

Hannah was born in and has lived in Wallingford all herlife so is very committed to life locally. She helps withmany community events such as annual Carnival, Scoutsfundraising (such as Blues & Beer and annual ScoutChristmas post), she ran at last year’s town fun PancakeRace (which fortunately fell in the half term break lastyear unlike 2014).

Hannah’s family have been fundraising for Sue Ryder forthe past decade or more so Sue Ryder was the naturalchoice for her fundraising efforts. She ran the halfmarathon with a friend who fundraised for the AirAmbulance service.

Hannah’s parents have a printed sheet to which wecould add a pledge - please reply by email [email protected]. Alternately you can goonto her ‘just giving’ page at:www.justgiving.com/hannah-whelan

Thank you.

Deborah Whelan

Churches Together in theWallingford Area

warmly invite you to join with them in the Marketplaceat 11.30 am on Good Friday, 18th Aprilfor a brief all-age service, in which we will

celebrate and remember the greatest event of all.

Refreshments and children’s activities will be provided.

E. R. GERRINGKITCHENS • BATHROOMS

SHOWERSTILING • PLUMBING

PHONE/FAX 01491 833635MOBILE: 07831 407337

[email protected]

WinterbrookNursing

Home

18 Winterbrook, WallingfordTel. 01491 833922/0118 9668845Fax. 01491 836166/0118 9351862

WHERE CARE COMES FIRST

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Wallingford WI

On the 2 April we are having a special openevening where visitors are welcome,although they will need a ticket.

Simeon Courtie is a very charismatic speaker who hasbeen a BBC TV comedy writer. He and his familytook an amazing decision to travel around the worldin a VW Camper van to raise money for UNICEF. Theydecided they would busk from Strawberry Fields inLiverpool to Strawberry Fields in New York, singingBeatles songs travelling through Europe, India,Australia etc. His account illustrated with photos ofthe ups and downs of their trip is very entertaining.If you would like to come along, tickets are availablefrom me on 201273.

As usual we will be meeting at the RidgewayCommunity Centre at 7.30. Venue details etc areavailable on www.wallingford.wi.co.uk.

Kate Rose



Siege & Strife: Wallingford & War

Wallingford Museum hasnow opened its newexhibitions featuring

'Siege & Strife: Wallingford & War'.This exhibition presents a veryhuman story of the people ofWallingford and the effect of war upon them. Itcovers all conflicts from the founding of the Town topresent day warfare.

Special exhibits include the rare Saxon arrowhead,found by James Spooner from the latest Test Pit in thetown which has been x-rayed and conserved, andalso some 12th century pottery from King Stephen’sSiege castle in Crowmarsh, recently found duringexcavations by archaeologists from the Museum ofLondon on the old Wilder’s site. More recent itemsinclude Civil War cannon balls, World War Imemorabilia - including a wonderful Christmas Cardmade from a corned beef tin - and cameras from thephoto-reconnaissance unit at RAF Benson. You caneven go under the stairs to shelter from any straybombs!

And, of course, there is much more besides: a firstchance to see some of the finds (eg a beautifulmedieval jug) recovered from the medieval cemeteryof St Martin's (that lies beneath you as you shop inWaitrose), the permanent exhibits about the historyof Wallingford and some of the letters of the Queenof Crime, Agatha Christie, whose 34 years living inthe town will be specially featured in variousWallingford events on September 20th and 21st.

Then in mid-October your ticket will be valid for anadditional war exhibition - POW Sketchbook,featuring the incredible original war drawings of thelate Will Wilder of Crowmarsh, a local artist who washeld in captivity for four years by the Japanese. Hemanaged to hide his drawings of camp life in abamboo pole and bring them safely home at the endof World War II - rare and amazing images, not to bemissed.

All for just a £4 season ticket for adults, and FREE forchildren!

Stu Darby

Sunday Services

8am St Leonard – Holy Communion

10am St Mary-le-More – ParishCommunion with Children’s Church,All Age Worship or Family Service

6.30pm St Leonard – Evensong

For further information see www.marylemore.co.uk

Team Rector: The Revd David Rice Tel: 01491 202188

‘NOW’ OPEN TO THE PUBLIC MONDAY – FRIDAY

Fresh Coffee/Tea and Homemade CakesAvailable 8.30am – 4.00pm

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Come and try our Café Restaurant, located inthe Manor House of Howbery Parkoverlooking our beautiful lawns and

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For any queries, please contact01491 822305

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thewindowforwallingfordthewindowforwallingfordNews from PiP – Patients in

Partnership

With Wallingford Medical Practice

The programme forour Family OpenDay and outline of

the events which willtake place on 12th Aprilis inserted in this magazine - so if you have cast itinto the bin, fish it out and take a look! There maywell be some items of interest to you.

We were delighted to receive 1,099 responses to theannual survey. For those who raised “Registering onLine” as an issue, why don’t you come along to ourOpen Day when there is the opportunity between12.00 and 1.30 pm to hear from our IT staff how toregister and use this service. Using online bookinghelps to free up the telephones for those who do nothave computers, so please come and learn how toregister.

The lovely design on the front of the leaflet/posteris the winning entry from the Schools’ PosterCompetition. Five out the ten schools that weinvited to take part sent us some colourful entriesand these will all be on show on 12th April. Theprize winners came from three different schools,Cholsey Primary School, Crowmarsh GiffordPrimary School and Cranford House School. Youwill find more information and the names of thewinners on the programme sheet. Come and meetthem on the day!

Care Data Extraction. No doubt you will have heardby now that the NHS has delayed any actionregarding this topic for at least six months. Therewere households that did not receive the NHS leaflet,so it was felt that people had insufficient informationon which to base an informed decision as to whetherto opt out or not. So please don’t contact the surgeryregarding this topic for the time being.

Val Wolsey836820

[email protected]

Wallingford Carnival Saturday 21st June 2014

Plans are well in-hand for this year’s Carnival.The theme for this year is ‘Heroes andHeroines’, and has been specifically chosen

because of this year’s special anniversaries of theFounding of RAF Benson, the start of the 1st WorldWar, and the Andrew Wilding Memorial . We arehopeful the Boys Brigade will be organising theprocession. Unfortunately, RUGFEST celebrations fallon the same date, and as both events are veryimportant to the town the Carnival will finish at anearlier time of 8.30pm in order to help people attendboth if they wish.

The main arena event for Carnival afternoon will beVan Buren – Magical Illusion Spectacular, andhopefully the popular Caledonian Band will beperforming along with the local dog agility club, theGoring Growlers. Stalls will return to the Market Placethis year, and the whole event will be opened by theMayor at 11am. The procession will leave WallingfordSchool at 1pm, the same as last year, which provedvery popular.

More information will be in next month’s Window forWallingford.

Please get involved – this is your Carnival.

Rose Sutton 839093

Theresa Jordan 836240

wallingfordcarnival.org.uk



Artweeks - Oxfordshire's Visual Arts Festival 3 - 11th May

This is a unique opportunity to visit artists in theirstudios and explore a wide range of artisticpractices from paint and prints and textiles to

sculpture, woodwork. and interactive installation.Look out for the very special free trail maps producedby local artists and sponsored by a number of localbusinesses and organisations. They are readilyavailable in the library, Town Information Centre andmany of the shops including Waitrose.

The voluntary Association Everyone's An Artist at TheGarden of Mystery and Suspense 51 Wantage Roadwill be hosting one of their very special events whichwill be both interesting and fun for all ages andabilities. Open everyday 3 - 11th May 12 - 6pm andto 8pm on Thursday 8th. Live music on both theSaturdays. The garden is large and full of activitiesthat visitors can engage with including a chance tomake things in clay.

The focus of the show will be a very beautiful treehouse made by the artist Bernard Hannaway -accessible only by children!

Allow plenty of time to visit - refreshments available.

Morning visits by appointment only, contact JaneyCarline 07748966403

Janey Carline

What's going on at Rainbow Pre-School?

We've had a busy few months participating inSanta's Sleigh with the 1155 Charity,holding our Christmas Bazaar, Robbie the

Rainbow Bear running in the annual pancake raceand our quiz night. We are planning to spend someof the money that we raised on these eventsthroughout the Pre-School and will have frequentupdates on our Facebook page.

We are very excited about the introduction of ForestSchool sessions for our Rainbow children, we haveinvested in new waterproofs and rucksacks.

2014 is a special year for Rainbow Pre-School as wewill be celebrating our 40 year anniversary, tocelebrate this we are holding a party on Sunday 6thJuly, this will be a fun packed family day and we areespecially calling for all you past and present childrenof Rainbow.

Sarah AndrewsChairperson

WAGS AGM

The Annual General Meeting of WallingfordAllotments and Gardens Society will be held at7.30pm on Friday 4 April 2014 at Centre 70.

We invite all WAGS members (join on the night if youaren’t a member yet) to help us decide the future ofour association and how it should be run. As usual,we will follow the AGM with a buffet of wine or softdrinks, cheese, nibbles etc, for which we are charging£4. Please let us know by 28 March, either in theStore or by email ([email protected]), if youwish to have food (please also pay in advance).

WAGS will also be supporting the St George’s Daycelebrations in the town square on 19th April.

Frances Watkins

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thewindowforwallingfordthewindowforwallingfordLions help Alzheimers

Goring, Woodcote & District Lions Club PresidentAlan Lovegrove presented a cheque for £2,500to Ellie Hughes, Community Fundraiser for the

Alzheimer's Society (Berks, Bucks & Oxon). TheAlzheimer’s Society is the Lion President’s chosen charityto be the main beneficiary of profits from the Lions 30ThAnnual 10k Charity Road Run held in January this year.

Only with the generous support of local businesses andindividuals are the Lions able to continue raising thesefunds. More than 50 volunteers were involved in kindlyhelping with this event including the local Scouts &Guides, Rotary, 41 Clubs of both Goring andCaversham, as well as friends and family members. Ofcourse most thanks are due to the runners who came,took part and without whom nothing would have beenachieved.

Alzheimer's Society supports people affected bydementia in a number of ways; through one-to-one support, information provision,activity groups, dementia cafés and befriending. Thereare currently more than 7,000 people in Oxfordshire andover 9,000 people in Berkshire living with dementia.Thanks to donations like this, they are able to continueto provide vital local support services and invest moreinto research. This £2,500 is enough to run five sessionsof Singing for the Brain® which brings people togetherin a friendly and stimulating environment and usessinging to enhance communication, confidence andwell-being."

For information about the Lions, see www.lions-gwd.org.uk tel 0845 833 9837 or email: [email protected]

Jon Solman

Food Bank in February

This month has once again seen food banks inthe news for one reason or another. There hasbeen a lot of debate as to whether they really

are needed or if people are just using them becausethey are there. We are only a small food bankcompared with those in cities like Oxford, but havingdelivered food to a large number of houses inWallingford and the surrounding area I am delightedthat we can give a small amount of help to those thatare having difficulty in meeting the demands ofeveryday living and it makes me very thankful andgrateful for what I have got.

Once again we have seen an increased demand onour resources in February with a total of 66 peoplehelped (47 adults and 19 children). It has also been noticeable that we have seen a number of newpeople referred to us and another organisation thathelps abused people has asked for a supply ofvouchers. Hardly any week goes by without anenquiry of some kind about what we do. Earlier inthe month the Goring Lions made a delivery of foodworth about £200. They gave us a donation last year,which was very welcome and they were anxious todo so again. We have also received Waitrose vouchersto the value of £330, this was as a result of theirCommunity Matters collection in December.

The donations of food and money continue to comein from concerned people and we are so very grateful.We can sometimes start a food bank morning with thecupboards brimming over with food and by 1pmthere are big holes where we have run out or arerunning short of goods. So, at the risk of repeatingmyself, thank you all on behalf of all the clients.

Jean Burt







Reasons to be Proud of Wallingford

Members of the Inner Wheel Club of Sinodunheld a busy but enjoyable Valentine's CoffeeMorning and raised £310 for the Oxford

MIND charity. On St David's day, Petals, the tea shopin The Flower Studio Wallingford, agreed to run aCoffee and Welsh cakes (made by one of ourmembers) morning. The room was decorated "Welshstyle!" From the proceeds we were able to send adonation of £105.50 to the Sue Ryder Home inNettlebed.

We would like to thank, most sincerely, all whosupported the events.

Mildred Sanders

Rainbow Pre-School, HonoraryTreasurer Vacancy

Aposition is available as the Rainbow Pre-school Honorary Treasurer and Trustee.Duties include book-keeping, financial

reporting and planning, governance on thecommittee.

This is an unpaid role. The candidate will needexperience in book-keeping. An accountingqualification would be desired.

If you are interested in this role or would like moreinformation, please contact the pre-school [email protected]

Sarah Andrews Chair

Rainbow Pre-School

Cholsey and Wallingford Railway

Ivor's last farewell. Ivor the Engine is being sold.His owner has moved to France. This Easter islikely to be his last appearance on the Cholsey

and Wallingford.

The CWR did consider buying him but he is toosmall to climb the embankment to Cholsey stationwith three full coaches on the peak days atHallowe'en and Christmas. Also, as a goodsengine, he isn't designed to supply much neededsteam to heat the carriages in winter. Ivor is on his way.

Sherwin Smith

NCT Nearly New Sale

The next NCT Nearly New Sale will be held atCranford House School, OX10 9HT, on Saturday26th April from 10.30 to 12 noon.

If you would like to be a seller or volunteer email:[email protected] or call 07505155015.Book your place early not to miss out!

The sale opens at 10.30am to NCT members and10.45am to the public (Members must show validmembers card). There is a £1 entrance donation, andparking is available but please car share wherepossible. Sorry no pushchairs allowed in the salesareas

There is a café open 10.30am -12pm with babyfeeding area and Local retailers will be joining us onthe day too!

Get Your Running Shoes Out for Charity

Whether you are training for a Marathon orlooking for a Personal Best in a 10k run,Dorchester charity Footsteps Foundation

needs you! Footsteps Foundation has secured someplaces in popular road races for 2014, which will beof interest to local runners or joggers.

On the 13th of July Footsteps Foundation havecharity places for the British 10k, a spectacular roadrace through the historic heart of London which isattended by thousands of runners and boasts anamazing atmosphere with crowds of supporterslining the scenic route.

Footsteps Foundation are also the beneficiary charityfor the 2014 Thames run, which is popular local 10krace held at Howbery Park on the 25th of May. This isa relaxed and enjoyable route in the scenicWallingford countryside.www.thamesrun.co.uk/information/index.php

Challenging yourself by training for events like thesecan help you to stick to your fitness goals and extramotivation comes from knowing that you aresupporting disabled children to access much-neededphysiotherapy. In entering a running event forFootsteps Foundation you can help a disabled childlearn to take their first steps.

For more information about these running places,those interested should telephone 01865 343851 ore-mail [email protected] . For moreinformation about the work of Footsteps you can visitwww.footstepsfoundation.com

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thewindowforwallingfordthewindowforwallingfordWallingford 10k Thames Run 2014

Sunday 25th May 2014

The 2014 Wallingford 10K Thames Run will takeplace at Howbery Park, on Sunday 25th May at 10am.

We are very grateful to Fugro, an important localcompany, who will be sponsoring the race, for theirsupport. We hope even more runners will take up thechallenge and use the opportunity to raise money fortheir favourite charity – whether they’re aiming for thecourse record or just enjoy running at a more leisurelypace. We’re very lucky to have a beautiful settingalongside the Thames and, thanks to Howbery Park’sefficient organisation in previous years, an enviablereputation for a well-run, family-oriented event.

While all profits from race registrations will be sharedbetween the charities Footsteps Foundation - whichenables children and young adults with neurologicaldisorders to access an innovative physiotherapyprogramme - and Crowmarsh Gifford Primary SchoolPTA, runners can use the event to raise moneythrough sponsorship for any charity of their choice.

To enter, please visit www.runnersworld.co.uk or formore details on volunteering, the course route andlocal information please visit www.thamesrun.co.uk.

Andy BattRace Director

Advice from Didcot and Wallingford CAB

Question: I have heard in the news aboutgoing through assessments to obtain my ESAbenefit. What are these and what should I

expect?

Our advice: No one knows when an accident or ill-health could have a dramatic impact on their life. Lastyear the Government added an extra step to theprocess for applying for sickness and disabilitysupport. The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) process,which has come under fire for lengthy and unfairdecisions since it was introduced in 2008, will nowinclude an extra step before sick and disabled peoplecan access financial support through EmploymentSupport Allowance (ESA).

If your sickness or disability prevents you fromworking, then you could be entitled to ESA to helpyou manage your day to day living costs. SinceOctober last year, the Government introduced a new'mandatory reconsideration' phase to ESA. This extrastep in the process takes place after you receive adecision on your initial application for support andyou can't lodge an appeal until it is completed. It issupposed to take about two weeks to go through thereconsideration period but unfortunately some of ourclients have said it can take much longer than this.

You won’t be able to claim ESA during thereconsideration phase but you can apply forJobseekers Allowance. We're concerned that somepeople will find this difficult and be left with nofinancial support – leading to people in already tryingcircumstances being subjected to even more anxiety.If you're in this situation then you should go to yourlocal Citizens Advice Bureau in Didcot or on theBullcroft in Wallingford for help on how to manageyour finances and make sure your application is dealtwith fairly and promptly. Once the reconsiderationprocess has taken place, you may well get a positivedecision about your application. If you are unhappywith the decision, you can appeal.

Appealing against a decision can seem like a dauntingprospect but advisers in your local Citizens AdviceBureau can help you to deal with this.

To help WallingfordHealth andWellbeing Centre to

create a 1940’s and1950’s reminiscenceroom for the benefit of allour service users.

We would love to receiveany donations of itemsfrom this era.

Carol HarrisonWallingford Health &

WellbeingWestgate House

[email protected]



The Mary Grace

Many medieval bridges had chapels attached.They were places where masses could be said forthe souls of benefactors. The chapel at

Wallingford was at the west end of the bridge, over theeast gate of the town, and it was called the Mary of Grace,or Mary Grace. The road went beneath it, as confirmedby the earliest known reference (in the Corporationminutes of 1508), giving details of the cost of work (forexample, the mason at 6d a day) and materials for ‘thecausey [causeway] under the Mary of Grace’. In the 1548survey of the borough the chapel is listed as belonging tothe former College of St Nicholas in the Castle – ‘former’because it had been dissolved the previous year, alongwith other chantries around the country, by king EdwardVI. Before then it had been in use as a chapel, asdemonstrated by the will of Margery Byrche, dated 15March 1531/2, in which she stipulated her daughter andson-in-law should ‘find an honest priest to say mass formy husband’s soul and mine and all my friends’ souls atthe chapel at Mary Grace in Wallingford’.

After the dissolution, the chapel became a house ownedby the Corporation, for it was leased to inhabitants at ayearly rent of 13s 4d. For example, Alban Spencer got thelease in 1584 of ‘a house called Mary Grace’, and he isshown as the lessee in the town rental of the followingyear. He was dead by 1598, and indeed no rent wasreceived for the period 1595-1607, when the Mary Gracewas ‘standing void’ according to the Corporationminutes. In the 1606 survey of the borough it isdescribed as a ‘house some time a chapel situated uponthe east gate’. According to Hedges (A short history ofWallingford, p. 120), the chapel over the gateway wasbeaten down by besiegers’ cannon-fire in 1646.

After the Civil War, in 1663, Moses Slade, a lawyer andsome time mayor of Wallingford, got the lease of thebridge tolls on condition that he ‘erect a house within 3years on or near the place where the house or buildingheretofore called the Mary Grace stood formerly at thewest end of the bridge’. He died in 1696, but his willmakes no mention of the lease, for by then it hadprobably passed, along with the Mary Grace, to JohnWhichelow; he in turn bequeathed to his son Thomas, in1703, the lease of his ‘house called Mary Grace’.

Slade presumably did build a house on the site asrequired, for Thomas Robins got the bridge toll and‘Mary Grace House’ in 1755, and it seems likely thatthose before him who had leased the bridge toll also hadthe Mary Grace, but there is no other record to confirmthat suggestion. In 1772 the Corporation issued an order‘to raise [to the ground] the building over the west endof the bridge called the Mary Grace’. There is no furtherreference to the building in the written records, butintriguingly there are two late 18th century illustrationsshowing what must be the Mary Grace House. A sketchof the south side of the bridge, by Joseph Farington anddated 1792, shows a crenellated 2- or 3-storey buildingbetween, and a little to the west of, houses on bothnorth and south sides of the street at the end of the

bridge. The same building is shown more clearly on anengraving of the north side of the bridge by WilliamTurner in 1796, published in 1806 in the book BritanniaDepicta by W. Byrne. These illustrations must have beendrawn after 1777 because both show the spire of StPeter’s church, completed in that year. So there wasclearly a delay in implementing the 1772 Corporationorder to demolish. When was it pulled down? There isno indication of the building on the 1812 plan drawn upby George Treacher and adopted for finishing the end ofthe bridge during the repairs after the extensive damagecaused by the 1809 flood. Perhaps demolition followedthe setting up of a Corporation committee in 1798 torepair the bridge, for over £55 is recorded in theChamberlain’s accounts as having been spent in thefollowing year on repairs. So it is something like twohundred years since the Mary Grace disappearedwithout leaving any trace.

David Pedgley

David Pedgley is a member of the Documents Groupof The Wallingford Historical and ArchaeologicalSociety (TWHAS). This article, based upon hisresearch, was originally published in 'TWHAS Now' inSept 2005

Loft ladders supplied and installed. Retractable aluminiumand wooden ladders complete with new loft door.

Loft floor boarding if required

Lofty Ladders

Member of Guild ofMaster Craftsmen

Contact Peter WhittingtonTel. 01235 848681Mob. 07780 600818

www.loftyladders.co.uk



Ihave been in the role of Town Clerk now sinceJuly of last year and I have to say that there isliterally never a dull moment, I am very much

enjoying my experience thus far. The TownCouncillors and my staff supporting the Councillorshave been as immersed in so many issues which Ihave found most interesting.

In the last contribution to the Window forWallingford, the subject matter was solely about theproposed Neighbourhood Development Plan. Workcontinues and very shortly an appeal will be madefor volunteers to form the NDP Steering Group.

The latest dialogue with our Morrison’srepresentatives appears to indicate that they arecontinuing with their plans for Wallingford. heTown Council continues to create and maintain aclose a working relationship with developers andDistrict planners on various planning proposals andapplications. There is not available space to share allwe could but we do know that progress is beingmade to develop the old Waitrose site and weanticipate we will see new development soon. Weare informed that a planning application is expectedvery shortly for the Slade End Farm site, and adecision should be made soon on the planningapplication for the new homes and facilities on theold Habitat site.

A new summary housing need assessment waspublished recently and the District Council are nowworking through that to determine what that willmean in terms of any additional requirements in the

District. Additional housing continues to be anemotive subject so the Town Council will maintain aclose working relationship with the District on thismatter and will keep local residents informed.

The Town Council is also currently reviewing ourvarious Town Council community facilities. We hopewe will shortly have formed some preliminary ideasfor further discussion with the existing users beforeopening up a dialogue more broadly. We hope toachieve an improvement in the quality of thephysical facilities currently provided, for instance, thetwo properties and play equipment on the Bull Croftand the Regal Centre.

The Town Council has committed to bookinganother English Civil War event for Wallingford inJune 2015. The last such event resulted in +3,000visitors per day over the weekend and was afantastic attraction for the town. We are nowlooking for volunteers to help organise this event soif you are interested we would encourage you to getin touch. There are a number of events across theyear that could do with a few more people gettinginvolved, not all are run by the Town Council (mostaren’t) but if you think you may be able to help, doget in touch with the Town Office and we’ll link youup with the organisers.

The Annual Town Meeting in March was very wellattended and we thank everyone who came alongfor joining us.

Jamie BaskeyfieldTown Clerk

Wallingford Town Council Update

Henley Philatelic Society

We are always delighted to see newcomerswho are interested in collecting anything todo with The Post – if you are new to the

hobby advice is willingly given, and there is alwaystime for a coffee and a chat during the evening.

April 9 – Stuart Henderson will visit Henley to give aninteresting and very varied display on ‘CinderellaMaterial’ which covers many subjects from all aroundthe World. Non-philatelic partners would also enjoythis display.

April 23 – Club Competitions; while the entries arebeing judged there will be a quiz

Meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays ofthe month at Bix Village Hall at 7.45 p.m. fromSeptember to June inclusive. Visitors and newmembers are welcome. Details 681739 or on ourwebsite: - www.henleyphilatelic.co.uk

Penny Black

Treehouse Run

The Treehouse 10K Run and Family Bunny Runwill take place on Sunday April 27th at CholseyPavilion at 10.00am.

You can register online atthetreehouseschool.org.uk/wordpress/10k or contactSally on 07837009774



Wallingford U3A

Our programme for the spring and summerhas taken shape. We will visit the Towerof London on 26th March. There were

still two coach places available at the beginningof March, although they may soon go. Thetheatre trip to Sonning Mill is fully booked, butthere is always the chance of a cancellation. Wehave a "City Break" to the galleries and museumsof Manchester and Liverpool in May, and in Junewe have arranged a trip to Coughton Court(National Trust) House and Gardens.

Our Monthly Meetings are held in CrowmarshVillage Hall at 2pm on the first Wednesday of theMonth. Visitors are always made welcome. Thismonth, on April 2nd D.R. Thorpe: "How AlecDouglas-Hume became Prime Minister" Thispromises to be a fascinating lecture on a fairlycontroversial time in British politics. Then on May7th Dr. Gillian White: "Bess of Hardwick andHardwick Hall". We welcome Dr. White to speakto us again.

For more Information about our speakers, outingsand group activities Please visit:www.u3asites.org.uk/wallingford phone:Hermione on 01865 858024 or Margaret on01865340850

Deirdre Wilson

Petanque Wallingford News!

The new Boulodrome, built by PetanqueWalllingford at the Sports Park, has now beenin use for six weeks: the sport of petanque is

firmly established here in Wallingford, with aproper home, capable of supporting 48 peopleplaying at once!April is the beginning of the summer season, andthe club is offering an opportunity for new peopleto learn about playing petanque. The club will berunning a three evening course of initial tuition,under nationally qualified coaching, at theBoulodrome in the Sports Park.

The course will cover all the basics of the game –how to deliver boules accurately, the order inwhich they are played, and team tactics. Eachevening will end with newcomers playing a shortgame with some of the club members who havedone the course in previous years and are nowregular players. We will start the course onWednesday 9th April, at 7.00 pm and it willcontinue on the following two Wednesdayevenings, at the same starting time, alwayssubject to the weather. Boules will be provided. Ifyou have some already bring them along, butdon't buy any yet, because boules come in varioussizes and weights, and you will need advice onwhat's best for you. It is is important to get itright; a set of boules can last you a lifetime! Thecourse cost will be £10 per player, and this willbecome part of the first club membership fee forthose who decide to continue with the sport andjoin Petanque Wallingford.

To register for the course please Email the clubSecretary on [email protected] other queries can be made to Loren Butt on 200316

Anyone can play petanque; it is very accessibleand completely inclusive – people of all ages andall levels of agility can take part, all playingtogether on the same pitch. It combines gentlehealthy outdoor exercise with enjoyable socialinteraction and the pleasures of a competitiveedge. It is a fascinating game of individual skillsand team tactics, with unlimited scope forimprovement through time and experience oftaking part.

Petanque Wallingford is affiliated to WallingfordSports Trust, and to the regional and nationalorganisations for the sport. The club runs a fullprogramme of regular activities and competitions.Try petanque! Sign up for the course!

Loren Butt




What’s On at The Corn Exchange in April

CINEMA

Sunday 6th to Tuesday 8th April: The Book Thief (12A)Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th April: Non-Stop (12A)

Friday 11th to Sunday 13th April: The Grand Budapest Hotel (15) Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th April: 12 Years a Slave (15)

Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th April: Dallas Buyers Club (15)Friday 18th April and Sunday 20th April: The Monuments Men (12A)

Sunday 20th April: Live Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Easter Concert, 5pm, tickets £12.50Monday 21st April: Lift to the Scaffold (PG)

Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd April: Labor Day (12A)Thursday 24th and Friday 25th April – Suzanne (12A)

Sunday 27th and Monday 28th April – A Long Way Down (15)Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th April – The Fold (15)

LIVE

The Sinodun Players present ‘Quartermaine’s Terms’ by award winning playwright Simon Gray, fromWednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th April at 7.45pm. Over four years in the 1960s in the staff common room ofan English language school for foreign students we follow utterly vague and painfully lonely St JohnQuartermaine, the sympathetic listener to the tales of woe and disorder of his six colleagues and their joint-principal. Below the surface simmers a hotbed of seething emotions, each character dealing with a degree ofloneliness in an academic environment where colleagues talk a lot but rarely listen. Deceptively uneventful,the play is highly comical and contains the playwright’s signature dry wit and humour. Tickets £10.

On Friday 11th and Saturday 12th April at 7.45pm we welcome the return of Le Mot Juste, presenting ‘NoPlace Like’ in the upstairs Corn Exchange Studio, theatre inspired by the true stories of elderly people fromStratford-upon-Avon. Tickets £10.

Saturday 19th April at 7.45pm: “An evening with Swarb” fiddle-player extraordinaire supported by “Said theMaiden” who performed at the Corn Exchange to some acclaim during Bunkfest 2013. Tickets £12

On Saturday 26th April at 7.45pm, Crimes Against Taste starring Robert Webb and friends return and presentanother evening of song with ‘Tales of Love, Lust and Heartbreak’. Tickets £10.

All evening performances commence at 7.30pm unless otherwise stated. Bookings can be made in person atthe Box Office (open 10am-2pm every Friday and Saturday and 7pm-8pm every evening), online atwww.cornexchange.org.uk as well as by telephone on 825000 and Post. Published events may change fromtime to time, please consult our website for the most current listings and complete cinema listings.

Jane Foster

The Friends of St Mary's and StLeonard's Churches

We send warm thanks to all those whosupported our events last year and hope tosee many of you in the coming months.

The first event will be

THE ANNUAL DUCK RACE

On Sunday 27th April at 11.30 a.m on the brookbehind Wallingford Medical Centre (entrance fromReading Road). Light refreshments will be served.

Duck Tickets will be available on Friday and Saturdaymornings between 10 and 12 outside St Mary's Church.

Belinda Lee-Joneswww.wallingford.co.uk

SHOEREPAIRS ENGRAVING KEY

CUTTING

WATCHSTRAPSBATTERIES

STITCHINGREPAIRS

TRAVEL GOODSLUGGAGE

FEET FIRST21 St. Mary’s Street, WallingfordContact Gary on: 01491 825224



Can You Help Our Local HistoricChurches?

Not many people know that in the past sevenyears, many churches in the WallingfordDeanery have received grants when they

needed repairing or refurbishing: The Methodistchurches of Didcot and Wallingford, St Matthew’sHarwell, St Agatha’s Brightwell, All Saints NorthMorton, St Andrews East Hagbourne, St Mary’sWallingford, Wallingford Baptist Church, All SaintsDidcot, St Michael Aston Tirrold and St John theBaptist in Moulsford. Added together, these grantscame to a six- figure sum. Just a year or two beforethat, Wallingford’s Quaker Meeting House was alsogiven a very substantial grant when it suddenlysuffered from the cumulative effects of nearly 3centuries of wear and tear.

The Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust, or OHCT, asit is often referred to, is a charity that devotes its timeand energy towards the preservation of the county’schurches, both great and small. It is run entirely byvolunteers who wish to contribute with their time andknowledge towards the upkeep of the six hundredand fifty church buildings of all denominations in thecounty. As this year marks the fiftieth anniversary ofthe trust’s foundation, several events are to take place,which will draw people’s attention towards the finework that the Trust is doing. In addition to theseevents, an appeal will be launched to safeguard theTrust’s work and finances for the future.

The Trust’s work covers the whole county ofOxfordshire. Should churches wish to apply for agrant, they approach their area representative, whosefirst task is to visit the church concerned, look at thedamage or problem, possibly take notes andphotographs, and then prepare a presentation for thenext full committee meeting. The committee listenspatiently, asks probing questions, and then a vote istaken. Our guiding principle (with fluctuationsaccording to merit) has always been to award thesuccessful churches a grant that will cover 10% of theestimated final cost of repairs. The money usually goestowards structural repairs, but other possibilities areheating, lighting, church organs and clocks, toiletfacilities, kitchenalia, extensions and the like.

There are several sources of income, such asdonations with gift aid, interest from investments,legacies, landfill firms, and members’ subscriptions.Membership is easily acquired by contacting ourmembership secretary on 01865 512358, and is £20a year. However, the most important source ofrevenue is the annual Ride and Stride event that takesplace on a Saturday in mid September. This is a funevent, and anyone may participate. Participantsshould find sponsors and visit as many churches aspossible on the one day in question, either on foot orbicycle. (It has been known for participants to do soon horseback!) Money gained from sponsorship is

then divided between the churches and OHCT.OHCT’s share goes towards the grant money for thefollowing year.

So why should the OHCT be putting out an appeal,when there are already several sources of income? Theanswer is fourfold. First, whereas the OHCT income isrelatively constant at a particular level, the cost ofchurch repairs is spiralling. Secondly, more churches areapplying for help. Thirdly, the requirements forchurches have become greater: under floor heating,better sound equipment, refreshment areas andequipment, reordering, replacing pews with chairs etc.Fourthly, local authorities have faced their owncutbacks and are therefore less likely to help. So OHCTis equipping itself to meet not only present but alsofuture demands.

The fiftieth anniversary of the founding of OHCTseems an appropriate time both to celebrate and tothink ahead. A new and extended website is beinglaunched this year. The intention is to include asmany of Oxfordshire’s churches as possible, over sixhundred. Celebrations will doubtless be reported inthe press: an opening service, a royal visit, prime-ministerial interest, church services, with bishops inattendance etc. At the same time taking good care ofsome of the finest churches in the country will bekept high on our agenda both now and in the future. Should anyone be interested in supporting theappeal, further information is available from MarkPhillips, the Wallingford Deanery representative. Wealso hope to arrange an open meeting during thesummer, when questions may be asked and furtherinformation sought.

Mark [email protected]

For details of other activities, including mid-week prayer & housegroups, please contact our minister, Rev. Katherine Pickering

Telephone: 01235 813242

Thursdays 10-30-12.00 Call in for coffee and a chat

St Leonard’s Square

www.wallingfordmethodistchurch.org.uk


thewindowforwallingfordthewindowforwallingfordWallingford Town Information Centre

At last Spring is in the air and we can begin tothink of flowers and walks. With that in mindthe Parks Department have been very busy

clearing the Castle Gardens and replanting wherenecessary, but the mound is still closed due toflooding and probably will be for at least another twoweeks. They have also been planting more tulips atthe back of St Mary’s Church, talking of which if youare interested in old buildings and would enjoy awalk around the town, we do have a brochure ‘AWalk Around Wallingford’s History’ in the office.

Just a reminder that we are now open from 10am to4pm (lunch 1 – 1.30pm) weekdays and 10am to 2pmon Saturdays. Please note our new email address.

Happy Easter to you all,

Lynne, Penny, Maureen and WendyWallingford Town Information Centre

[email protected]

Didcot and Wallingford Ramblers

Thur 3rd 10.00 SU614915 Moderate 7miles. Meet in Benson at the junction of ChurchRoad and St Helens Ave. This is a walk via

Warborough, Berrick and Rokemarsh. Dogs on shortleads please. Bus friendly. Contact Keith Tibbs 07976302136

Sun 13th 14.00 SU526882 Moderate 7 miles. Meet atEast Hagbourne at Upper Cross near the church. Thisis a monthly village ramble that varies from 5 to 9miles at a quick pace. Contact Paul Chambers 01235816365

Tues 22nd 10.00 SU718886 Moderate 6 miles.Meet at Maidensgrove Common. Walk via CrockerEnd, Upper Maidensgrove and Russell's Water. Dogson short leads please. Contact Richard Birch 07719692355

Sue White

Historic guided walks

By popular demand onSaturday 26th April, twohistoric guided walks have

been arranged, which will be ledby Judy Dewey (local historianand Museum curator).

At 11am there will be a Castle history walk, followedby a Town history walk at 2.30pm. Both walks,lasting about 2 hours, start at the Museum with acharge of £5 for each walk. Both are unsuitable fordogs.

So, why not immerse yourself in the town'sfascinating local history for the whole day and alsovisit the new ‘Siege & Strife: Wallingford & War', and'At Home with the Queen of Crime' exhibitions at theMuseum. Just come along or contact Judy Deweyfor details tel 651127

Stu Darby

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Easter music at the Corn Exchange

Prompted by Sue Ledger’s piece in Window onWallingford about “Easter music…” can I drawreader’s attention to the live concert by the

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra on Easter Sunday 20April?

Beamed by satellite to Wallingford the concert will beshown 'as it happens in Berlin' on the big screen atthe Corn Exchange Wallingford in High Definitionwith Dolby 5.1 sound. The orchestra, conducted bySir Simon Rattle with Argentinian soloist Sol Gabetta(cello), will play selections by Ligeti (Atmospheres),Wagner (Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin), Elgar (Celloconcerto in E minor Op 85) & Stravinsky (La Sacre duPrintemps).

The concert starts at 5pm and finishes about 7pm.Tickets are available from the Corn Exchange or onlineat http://www.cornexchange.org.uk/ price £12.50

John Warburton

Table Top Sale

The Wallingford Community Association is having atable top sale on Saturday 31st May in Centre 70,sellers from 8am door open at 9am to 1pm, anyonewishing to have a table, at £5.00 per table, shouldcontact Ivy Small on 201447.

George Small Chairman of the WCA

We roast High Grown Coffees

and we stock Quality Teastogether with a range of

Herbal beverages and Spicesplus a wide variety of

Tea and Coffee accessoriesWallingford Tea & Coffee

Company Limited6a St. Martin’s Street

Wallingford, Oxon. OX10 0ALTelephone: 01491 836263

[email protected]

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The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum

The Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum tells theimportant stories of local men and womenwho have been involved in or affected by

numerous conflicts over hundreds of years. Themuseum has been built in the grounds of theOxfordshire Museum in Woodstock and willpromote greater awareness of the history of conflictas it has affected the people of Oxfordshire throughthe ages.

It holds, protects and provides (currently limited)public access to the collections of the Oxfordshireand Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and theQueen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars, who countedSir Winston Churchill as an enthusiastic andinfluential member, and a growing collection ofdonated objects, oral history and photographs.These collections contain over 3,500 objects and7,500 archive items. The regimental collections dateback to the late 18th Century and reflect the localregiments’ involvement in major conflicts such asthe War of American Independence, the PeninsulaWar, the Boer Wars, the Great War and World War II,together with less well known events such as theNew Zealand war of 1864 and the Bruneiemergency in the 1960s. They comprise weapons,equipment, clothing, flags, musical instruments andregimental silver as well as extensive personalmemories, diaries, letters and photographs.

The project ‘Oxfordshire Remembers 1914-18’consists of a range of exciting and engagingexhibitions and outreach programmes, combiningSOFO’s previously unseen military heritagecollections with a unique series of communityprojects and events. The exhibitions will presentSOFO's First World War collections to the people ofOxfordshire and beyond during the First World WarCentenary commemorations 2014-18. Theexhibitions will enable visitors to learn about thepart played by individual soldiers, theircommunities and to understand the roles played bylocal units in the conflict.

The exhibition is to cover the period from 1914to 1918 and will be open to the public fromAugust 2014.



As your MP, I am often asked to helpcommunities with challenges they face.Usually, these will just affect one town or

village, but there is now one issue which will affectmost of the Didcot and Wantage Constituency: theelectrification of the railway in Oxfordshire, and theresulting plans to close 18 railway bridges acrossthe area. Even if you don’t live near a bridge whichmay be closed for, we hear, up to 6 months, thechances are you will travel through an area whichwill be affected.

I am very much aware of the problems that thetemporary closure of railway bridges and subsequenttraffic diversions would cause and share the concernsof so many Constituents on that score. I have beendirectly in touch with Network Rail about the issue forsome weeks and a member of my staff attended abriefing about the matter at County Hall. I have alsovisited a business owner to hear about the impact onhis and other local businesses, which will be dreadful.To begin to try to sort things out, I have called ameeting with Network Rail senior executivesspecifically about this matter. I believe Network Railhave proved to be both insensitive and incompetentso far, as sadly has been demonstrated in the very,very poor process and communications about FulscotBridge which is to remain closed for months to comeeven though it should, by now, have reopened.

I am also arranging the meet the Minister responsible,Stephen Hammond MP, to make it clear that while Isupport the electrification of the railway line, whichwill lead to cleaner, more efficient railway services, itcannot be introduced at the expense of grotesqueinconvenience to my Constituents.

I have quite a large list of Constituents to whom Isend occasional updates on progress in dealing withNetwork Rail on the general issues about

electrification and particularly the impact on bridgesand road closures. If you would like to be added tothat list, please email me at [email protected] I will ensure you are kept up to date – but will trynot to swamp you with communications.

Another issue, of course, that has affected manypeople across the Constituency is the recent flooding.I was very pleased that work done my communitiessince our last major floods in 2007 meant that thingsnever got quite as bad as they did then. As thewaters subside, I have been working with others bothlocally and nationally to try to help with theimmediate recovery, but also to look to the longerterm and to make sure that we take the most effectivepossible measures to protect against such extremeweather in the future.

My mailbag this month continues to include a diversemix of issues, ranging from pupils taking holidaysduring school term time to the use of wild animals incircuses. With the Chancellor of the Exchequer set todeliver his Budget in March, I have received aparticularly high number of letters and emails callingfor beer duty to be frozen for this year. I am pleasedthat the Government decided to make a targetedreduction in beer duty and abolished the beer dutyescalator at Budget 2013. I’m assured that theChancellor is fully aware of many of the argumentsmade in favour of a freeze in beer duty for 2014, andis also sympathetic to the case of responsible drinkers.

As ever please feel free to contact me on any matterat the House of Commons, SW1A 0AA, 020 72196350 or [email protected]. Email is the quickestand most reliable way to get in touch, as I keep a veryclose eye on my emails and can reply very quickly.Surgery details can be found at www.vaizey.com.

Ed Vaizey MP

News from our MP

Spring Art and PhotographicExhibition

Talented artists and photographers of all ageswill have their work on display in Wallingford atthe beginning of May. The annual two day

Spring Art and Photographic Exhibition will again betaking place at Wallingford Methodist Church in StLeonard's Square.

Our Mayor, Cllr Bernard Stone will open the mainexhibition - of drawings, paintings and photos bylocal artists - at 7 pm on Friday May 2nd. Prior to that,at 6 pm, Mr Stone will present prizes to the winnersof the five categories in the schools' competition.Entries have been invited from Fir Tree, St John's,Crowmarsh, Benson, Cholsey and Tree Houseprimary schools and Wallingford School. The prizes

for the schools art competition have once again beengenerously donated by Wallingford art and craft shopArt Matters.

The exhibition re-opens on Saturday 3rd, from 10.30am until 4 pm, when visitors will be able to buy orvote for their favourite picture. Entry costs £2 andincludes a programme, drink and either lightrefreshments on the preview evening (7-9 pm) orcake on the Saturday.

If you are an artist or photographer it's not too late toenter, but entry forms need to be submitted by April5th. For forms or further details, [email protected].

Proceeds will be going to the Methodist ChurchCentre Fund.

Nicky Lidstone



Every Monday, Friday and SaturdayCoffee at St Mary’s Church 10 – 12First Monday The Music Club for children with disabilitiesand additional needs call Sophia Nicholls 07768 298 297or Julie Hinton 01189 722322Every Monday Optimists over 50 Badminton, RegalCentre 2.15 – 4Every Monday Table Tennis at the Regal Centre, 7.15 - 10.00pmEvery Tuesday Lunches at Methodist Church Centre12.30 pmEvery Tuesday Wallingford and District Art Club, Centre70 at 7.30 Every Tuesday, 2 – 4 Age UK Games Afternoon atMillington House Second Tuesday PiP’s Carers’ Support Group, StMary’s Church, 2pmEvery 2nd and 4th Tuesday, Young at Heart Club 2 - 4at the Masonic Centre. Every 2nd Wednesday NCT Sling Library at St Mary'schurch, Wallingford 10-11am2nd/4th Wednesdays Henley Philatelic Society Bix VillageHall at 7.45 (not July/August)Every Wednesday 6pm at The Methodist Church - Boys'Brigade ages 5 to 18Every Thursday Coffee Morning, Methodist ChurchCentre 10.30 to 12 Every Thursday Wallingford Photographic Club 7.45Crowmarsh Pavilion (not July/August)Every Friday Wallingford Country Market 8.30 – 11.15 inthe Regal Centre.Every Friday and Saturday, Coffee at the Corn Exchange,10 – 2 with soup from 11amEvery Friday and Saturday Coffee at St Mary’s Church 10 – 12Every Friday - Charter Market in the Market PlaceEvery Saturday WAGS Store open at Centre 70, 10-12Most Saturdays Local Producers’ Market, Regal Centre 10 – 1 Every Sunday Wallingford Runners meet for a run. Contactnumber is now 07720 204783 or 07919 692532 Second Sunday Wallingford Model Club meet at the FireStation 10 till 5. All welcome. Tel George Clark 200841

WINDOW FOR WALLINGFORD is published on anon-profit making basis and is compiled and

distributed entirely by volunteers.

All material published is copyright and may not becopied, stored, reproduced or transmitted in wholeor in part by any means whatsoever without thewritten consent of the Editor.

The opinions expressed in this magazine are notnecessarily those of the Editor. The Editor ispleased to receive material for publication, butreserves the right to amend or reject it at herdiscretion.

Editor: Lynda Atkins39 Station Road, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 0JX

Telephone: 01491 [email protected]

Distribution Manager: Andrew Blackwell,7 Chalmore Gardens, Wallingford, OX10 9EP

Telephone: 01491 - 825991

For adverts/inserts, contact Albry Printing Co. Ltd.Telephone: 01491 - 836282

Publication Date: 1st of the month

1st Friendship Group Wallingford’s Talking Newspaper tel 835074

2nd Wallingford U3A Alec Douglas-Hume 2pm2nd Wallingford WI Simeon Courtie 7.30pm

Ridgeway Community Centre, Kate 2012734th WAGS AGM 5th Toy Library for Children with Special Needs and

their families. Contact Pamela on 077172809959th Deadline for copy for the Window for

Wallingford 10th Wallingford Gardening Club Ajax, Chelsea, and

Bog Football at the Ridgeway Church Centre at 7.30 (note new venue!) call 837429 for info

11th RNLI AGM and talk at Centre 70 11th TWHAS Talk The Roman Army 7.45 at the

Town Hall 12th Boys Brigade Craft Fair at the Methodist Church 12th Medical Practice Open Day 13th Trains on a Spring Sunday at Cholsey and

Wallingford Railway15th Farmers’ Market 15th Stainers Crucifixion 7.30 at the Methodist

Church 16th Thameside U3A: A little more Flanders and Swan 17th Country Market Easter Market in the Regal 18th Good Friday Service, Market Place 11am19th St George’s Day Celebrations in the Market Place 19th Gardening Club Plant sale in the Market Place20th Easter Music at the Corn Exchange 24th Collection and Distribution day for The

Window for Wallingford 26th Historic Guided Walks 27th Duck Race! 24th RBL Branch Meeting 7pm at the Masonic Centre29th Friendship Group William George Armstrong

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