If you use wood for DIY projects then you may like to take a look at “The Wood Shop” on Milton Park south of Abingdon. It’s a simple name for a really interesting business. The Wood Shop is run by Oxford Wood Recycling, a social enterprise that hates waste.

In the shop they sell used wood that they have collected from local businesses. Their aim is to is ensure that no re-usable wood within 30miles is wasted. Step inside the shop and you’ll find a real Aladdin’s cave of construction timber, plywood, mouldings, reclaimed doors and gates and plenty of interesting pieces often with their own history as well as firewood and kindling. It’s the perfect place to find timber for allotments, outbuildings, fencing and animal shelters and it’s a great source of old scaffolding boards – ideal for making raised beds.

The people that find their way to the Wood Shop are as diverse as the range of timber inside, recent customers include bee keepers needing to restore their bee- hives, art students needing timber for a final year installation and someone wanting to build a log cabin in his garden.

However, there is more to Oxford Wood Recycling than just the Wood Shop. As a social enterprise it offers work experience and employment to people who face severe barriers to employment. In 2010 it was awarded the title of European Social Firm of the Year for its work in this area.

The team in the Wood Shop enjoy helping people find just what they need for the job in hand and they know about wood. Very often people buy a higher specification of wood than is actually needed, simply because that’s all that is available on the shelves in the DIY store. The idea is that visitors to the Wood Shop can wander about and discover just the right piece or the team will find it for them – they’ll even cut it to size and deliver if necessary.

The Wood Shop: 46a Milton Park OX14 4RU – www.oxfordwoodrecycling.org.uk

Open from 8:30 – 5pm Monday to Friday and from 9am till 1pm on Saturdays .

Thanks to a Council insulation grant, residents who own their home or rent privately in the Vale of White Horse district can get an extra £50 each off the price of professionally installed loft and cavity wall insulation. However, the funds are being allocated fast and look likely to be exhausted by Christmas.

You can apply for the Vale of White Horse District Council’s Insulation Grant online at www.cocoonyourhome.co.uk/whitehorse or call 0800 8048 777 between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

The grant is being managed exclusively by Cocoon and is offered on a first come, first served basis. Insulation is the most cost-effective way to keep the heat you pay for where you want it – in your home – making it an excellent investment.

Calling all singers…

Didcot Festival Chorus is recruiting singers for its annual autumn concert with the St Birinus School Choir. St Birinus School is 75 years old this year and to celebrate, they are going to perform Carl Orff’’s Carmina Burana. The other works in the concert will follow a Last Night of the Proms theme. As usual, the singers will be accompanied by the Oxford Symphony Orchestra.

The performance is on Saturday 19th November at 7.30pm in Didcot Leisure Centre. There are eight rehearsals for the concert on Wednesday evenings in the Performing Arts Centre at St Birinus School from 8.00 to 9.30 pm, starting on September 7th. If anyone has sung the piece before with the choir they may attend fewer rehearsals if the number of rehearsals dates is a deciding factor. Everyone must attend the rehearsal on the Saturday afternoon of the concert.

Further details are available from Mr A W Walker, St Birinus School, Mereland Road, Didcot OX11 8AZ. Phone 01235 814444 or email: aww@st-birinus.oxon.sch.uk

Peter Pan – Orchard Dene Garden Theatre, Blewbury, 20th-23rd July

Think Peter Pan is just for the kids? – then think again. Garth Bardsley has written a highly entertaining and thought provoking adaptation which will be performed by The Blewbury Players between 20^th – 23rd July at Orchard Dene Garden Theatre in Blewbury.

The garden theatre is a perfect setting for this There really is something for all generations to laugh and think about in this new play. Tickets are available from Cornerstone 01235 515144 and at Savages, Blewbury. More info at www.blewburyplayers.com

Trish Brooks

Volunteers urgently needed

We have opened a Tea Room at Savages in Blewbury where we provide opportunities for paid employment and work experience for people with learning disabilities.

If you can spare a few hours to help us run the Tea room we would love to hear from you.

Please contact Tracey Collins on 01491 827 599

BLEWBURY SCHOOL

The Iron Age

The Blewbury School children chattered excitedly as they climbed onto the bus, their doorway to travel over 2,000 years back in time to the Iron Age. They were greeted, on arrival at the Danebury Fort, by the leader of a fierce Celtic tribe, clad in battle dress and armed with both sword and spear.

The children were soon seated on the hard mud floor in the warrior’s round house, a large single-room structure with wattle and daub walls and a thatched roof. They coughed a little from the smoky fire and wrinkled their noses at the sweaty smell of the animals which had over wintered there. Invited to weave wool, grind grain or decorate pottery, their eager hands flew up.

Suddenly a warning shout called out; a challenging band of warriors was approaching. The children lined the wooden fence which crowned the defensive ramparts, hurling spears and rocks at the attackers. But the enemy could not be repulsed and soon burnt the gates…..

We can only be glad that we do not live in that uncertain and often violent world, where our children would really have been at risk. But for a few short hours we were whisked to that faraway place and I learnt that nothing could create a better learning environment than the “real thing”.

Andrea Brown

A Maggie’s Centre is a place to turn to for help with any of the problems associated with cancer. It is there for anybody who feels the need for help, which includes those who love and look after someone with cancer, who often feel as frightened and vulnerable as those who actually have the disease.
Maggie’s Oxford took over an existing cancer support service at the Churchill Hospital and from it’s current base they are bringing Maggie’s programme to the area. More than a million people are served by the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust and its cancer services, and there are 4,000 new diagnosis of cancers here a year. 

A new purpose-built Maggie’s is planned for Oxford, and they are currently working towards raising £3 million to fund the new build.
On Sunday 15th May we are planning a 25 mile cycle ride to support Maggies, the ride will start at Radley and will follow the Sustrans cycle routes to Upton, where we will stop for light refreshments before returning to Radley.  A variety of bikes will be taking part, including tandems and tricycles. Registration is £10 per cyclist, which includes a Maggie’s T-shirt.
If you would like to join us, or would like further information please contact Wendy Hunter on 01235 512876 or email wafhunter@gmail.com. If you would like to make a donation please visit our Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/mbrownsbarmybikers .

If you would like further information about Maggies please visit their website – www.maggiescentres.org

No matter what your age, if you are sexually active you need to look after your sexual health. www.yoursexualhealthoxon.nhs.uk is a new website providing information about contraception choices, treatment and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unplanned pregnancy, emergency contraception and sexual assault support in Oxfordshire.

Are you a Francophile or Germanophile or just like to meet new people from different cultures? ….. then read on ……………

Are you aware that Didcot and its associated villages have close links with towns in France and Germany? Last year we celebrated the 10^th anniversary of our official twinning with the town of Meylan, near Grenoble in SE France and recently we have been developing links with the town of Planegg in Bavaria, Germany with a view to a formal twinning in the future.

What is ‘twinning’? Twinning brings together people from different countries to share their values and cultures, promoting friendship and understanding. Twinning helps us to celebrate the differences as well as the similarities between two communities.

What’s involved? Visits take place every year, alternating between Meylan or Planegg and Didcot. When our guests come to Didcot we need families to host them. This involves looking after one or two people for the weekend, providing some meals and, ideally, accompanying them to various activities. When we visit Meylan and Planegg we are warmly welcomed as guests by families and have to pay only our travel costs.

What does the Didcot Twinning Association do? The Didcot Twinning Association (www.didcottwinning.org.uk) coordinates the annual visits on behalf of the town and can facilitate visits for individuals and groups at other times. We also help develop links between schools and associations, and hold fund-raising activities. To help with hosting the biennial event in Didcot we receive a grant from the Town Council.

What’s coming up? The next visit will be to Meylan between 8 and 11 September 2011. We would particularly like to encourage more associations to meet up with their counterparts in Meylan. Then, in November (24^th to 27^th), a small party from Planegg will come to Didcot and we would like to involve as many people as possible in meeting our German guests.

Would you like to know more or get involved? We would like to encourage as many people from Didcot and surrounding villages to be involved in the Twinning Association, the membership fee is just £5 per year for a family or £10 per year for an association. So if you would like to take part in one of the visits or just know more please contact the Secretary of the Association, Geoff Oldham (01235 816602; geoff.oldham@talktalk.net) or come along to the AGM on 22 June at 7:30pm in the Cornerstone.

Here is the latest Wantage East neighbourhood update from Police Community Support Officer C9815 Tim Deane.

Rural Crime is still a priority concern for the Wantage East Neighbourhood Team. Hi-Visibility Patrols by Police and Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) are carried out at rural locations including outbuildings to prevent Burglary’s and the theft of plant machinery and diesel.

The Wantage East Neighbourhood Team continues to patrol on our area to tackle the issues of Hare Coursing and Poaching Offences.

Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) and Speeding are also priority concerns for the Wantage East Neighbourhood Team. Persons acting in an Anti Social manner and/or causing Harassment, Alarm and Distress will be dealt with.

Locations have been identified where motorists regularly exceed speed limits; causing concern amongst residents. The Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) carry out speed checks in the Wantage East villages with the Speed Indication Device (SID) and the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) machine. Owners of vehicles found to be exceeding the speed limit will be contacted.

Incidents

Theft of diesel from Lockinge. Two days later the offending vehicle was seen working on a property in Wantage by a Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator who phoned the police.  PC Steve Lynch attended and arrested two males for theft of diesel and possession of cannabis they were both later cautioned for these offences. They were also arrested for fraud by false representation (rogue trader offences) and are currently on bail for this offence.

PC Steve Lynch carried out an ANPR operation on the A417 at Rowstock which resulted in

numerous stop checks and one vehicle being seized for having no insurance.

The Wantage East and Wantage Neighbourhood team executed two drugs warrants in Wantage.

Doorstep Selling – Cold Calling – Rogue Traders

Many doorstop sellers are honest and genuine. However, some aren’t – and they may use lines like these in order to get into your home:

• ‘Congratulations! You’ve won a prize! If you could just sign here for it…’
• ‘I noticed you’ve got a few loose tiles on your roof…’
• ‘There have been a lot of burglaries in the area recently…’
• ‘This cut-price special offer is only available if you sign today…’
• ‘I’m doing a survey…’

Most legitimate market researches carry an identity card, which you can ask to see. If you’re in any doubt, call the Market Research Society on 0207 4904911. You can also check for an Approved Trader at www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk

Remember, doorstep sellers are trained to get people to buy. They can be extremely persuasive. Once you have let a doorstep seller into your home, they will be expecting a sale – and they won’t give up easily.

Forthcoming Have Your Say Meetings (HYS)

HYS. 05 April 2011 1745-1845 Upton Village Hall.

HYS. 07 April 2011 1830-1930 Chilton Village Hall.

HYS. 09 April 2011 1000-1200 Style Acre’s Café, Savages Garden Centre, Blewbury.

HYS. 17 April 2011 1100-1200 Harwell Village Hall.

HYS. 21 April 2011 1630-1730 Ardington Police Office.

HYS. 21 April 2011 1800-1900 East Hendred Snell’s Hall.

HYS. 23 April 2011 1200-1400 Outside Co-op in High Street, Steventon.

HYS. 30 April 2011 1200-1400 Style Acre’s Café, Savages Garden Centre, Blewbury.

Please come along, this is your opportunity to speak with your Neighbourhood Officers to discuss any local issues of concern you may have.

If you would like to speak to any member of the Wantage East Neighbourhood team or for more information about your local Neighbourhood team, contact 0845 8 505 505 or visit www.thamesvalley.police.uk

For help and advice on Crime Prevention contact Crime Prevention Advisor, Alison Smith

0845 8 505 505