Upton Village

South Oxfordshire

Christmas Message from the Methodist Church

Christmas Services: There are services at Didcot Methodist Church at 11.30 am on Christmas Eve and 10.30 am on Christmas Day.

Carol Service: Our Carol Service is at 3.00 pm on Sunday 19 December at the Blewbury Centre. Members of St Michael’s Church choir are joining us, and there will be coffee and mince pies afterwards. We will be delighted to welcome anyone in the villages who wants to join us. Listen to the choir and sing some of your favourite carols.

Christmas Greetings

Finally, we would like to thank all the people and organisations who have used the Church Hall at Upton Chapel in the last year. This includes the Table Tennis Club, Guides and Brownies, Drop In, Dog Trainers, Morris Dancers and the Village Produce Association. Your generous donations enable this small Methodist Congregation to continue to worship in Upton and Blewbury. God bless you all, and a Happy Christmas from the members of the Spring Line Methodist Church.

Jo Lakeland

Carol Singing in Upton

Upton villagers of all ages will be carol singing round our streets on Wednesday 22nd December. Anyone who would like to sing or play an instrument is very welcome to join us. We will meet at the Village Hall at 6.30pm and finish up there again at around 8pm for a welcome glass of mulled wine and mince pies. Word sheets will be provided, but please bring torches and lanterns and let me know if you would like to play an instrument so that I can provide some music for you. We aim to sing for as many households as possible and will be collecting for charity, so if you’d prefer to listen rather than sing, please get your pennies and pounds (but no missiles please!) ready for a good cause. Give me a call or drop me a line if you would like to take part.

Sarah Tenant-Flowers (Tel: 850488 or email singscape@aol.com)

Short Mat Bowls Update

We had 6 total newcomers to SMB attend our first free session on Sunday, bowling a lot of bowls of various sizes which we borrowed from Harwell club members.  They all found the game interesting and I hope they come along to the remaining sessions to build on their experience.  It was an encouraging start, especially as it was a Sunday and also Remembrance Sunday.  The remaining free sessions are Sunday 28 Nov. 3pm to 4.30pm. and Wednesday 15 Dec. 7.45pm to 9.15pm. We hope to see some additional new bowlers at our next sessions so a club can be formed in the New Year.

Contact Joan & Tony Durbin, Tel. 01235 850035 for further information.

Mobile Shop to visit Upton

Update April 2011 – unfortunately Becci’s shop did not receive sufficient support to make it economically viable, and has therefore moved to other locations that have expressed a demand.

Becci’s mobile shop will be stopping at the Village Hall Car Park each Tuesday morning from 9.00 am – 9.30 am, selling a range of bread, home made cakes, local and organic vegetables, local meat, chilled food, pet food, sweets, cleaning products etc.

This will provide a useful service to the village.

Clare Lightfoot

A Note from the Methodist Minister

A country parson!

There is more than a little of the romantic in me and the chance to share Christian witness in a different setting greatly appeals to me. My ministry to date has always been in large churches and fairly city central. Even becoming the minister at Trinity in Abingdon felt like a step away from the busy world. I’m looking forward to the friendship, the fellowship and sharing a pace which is so rare in the urban settings – a time for God. If we find time for that in our ministry together – it will be a good time. We said our official hello at the Harvest Festival. It will take a while to juggle things to make the right spaces, but that’s part of the fun and the challenge. I’m not planning on buying a horse though – just a bit too romantic an image!

Richard Bittleston, Minister for Spring Line Church

A welcome to our new minister

Our previous minister, Rev. Helen White, moved on to her new position in Derbyshire at the end of July, and the plan was that we would welcome our new minister in September. But the plan changed, and the Rev. Richard Bittleston has only recently become the local Minister in the Wantage and Abingdon Circuit who has pastoral charge of the Spring Line Church. Richard has been Minister of Trinity Abingdon since June 2008. Trinity is a joint United Reform / Methodist church within the Church in Abingdon, so he has responsibilities within both the URC and Methodist churches. We are especially pleased to welcome Richard because he plays the organ, which means that occasionally we will have live instead of electronic music at our services!

Jo Lakeland

Coffee Morning in aid of the MS Society

A “Coffee Morning” in aid of the MS Society will be held in Upton Village Hall on

Saturday 13th November 10.30 to 12.00.

Please come along and enjoy a cup of coffee with home made biscuits, children’s and adult raffle, home bake stall, and decorating fairy cakes for children (and for those adults young at heart).

For information please contact Carole Hubbard on 01235 851396 or alternately email

Claire Hubbard at: motherhubbard570@hotmail.com”

Short Mat Bowls comes to Upton ?

It is hoped that in the next few weeks a Short Mat Bowls Club will be set up in Upton using the Village Hall. The intention is to organise a regular evening session, probably Monday or Wednesday, and also a mid week daytime session(s), the latter to accommodate those who find attending winter evening sessions difficult.

To help those who are not familiar with the sport four FREE taster sessions have been arranged for Sundays 14 & 28 Nov. 3pm – 4.30pm and Wednesdays 24 Nov. & 15 Dec. 7-45pm – 9pm. 

There will be players from other clubs with their bowls for you to borrow and after a very short introduction and demonstration game, you will be helped to play several ends yourself. Any flat soled shoes or slippers can be used on the bowls carpet or just stocking feet.

It is suitable for all ages and fitness levels (children need to be 10 years or older for safe control of the bowl)

If you are interested contact Joan Durbin on 850035 or just come along to one of the taster sessions.

Unfulfilled Promises

At the Upton church fete the Promises stall made over £200 but the following Promises are still available:

A cross stitch of a name in either winter, spring, summer or autumn colours £20.00

Have your gutters cleaned out before winter. Kindly donated by David Warren roofing of Upton. Conditions apply up to a 4 bedroom home, a max of two stories, within an 8 mile radius of Upton. Access will be solely by ladders

£80.00

If you are interested in either Promise please contact Ann Parham 850748

November with the Churn Benefice

Churn Youth Group

Sunday 21st November at 7pm in the Benefice Centre. All young people of secondary school age are welcome to come along. We meet on the third Sunday of the month from 7pm to 8.30pm at the Benefice Centre or other venue depending on what activity we decide to do.

The CHURN Branch of the MU

The next Pram Service will be on Wednesday 3rd November at 12.15pm in the Vale Room, Blewbury Village Hall. ALL AGES ARE WELCOME.

A sandwich lunch is provided by the Mothers Union after the service. This is a short Eucharist service ideal for pre-school children to bring parents, grandparents, carers to.

Christian Fellowship Group

– for Mums with young children who meet together to grow in faith and take something of what they experience to their families.

The next meeting is on Tuesday 30th November, 8pm at Torpids, High Street, Upton.

Family Christmases around the World.

Contact for information or transport: Justine 510864; Revd Louise 851011

Announcement – Fr Anthony

Fr Anthony’s last service in the Benefice will be Evensong on November 21st, 6pm at St. Andrew’s. There will be a collection for Anthony. If you wish to contribute to this please give it to one of your Churchwardens or bring it to the Benefice Office.

Advent Sunday – Sunday 28th November

The traditional Advent Carol Service will be held in St. Michael’s, Blewbury on Sunday 28th November at 6pm. Everyone in the benefice is invited to attend this very popular service.

Night Prayer by Candlelight in Advent

Wednesday evenings 8-9pm

1st December North Moreton 8th December Hagbourne

15th December Aston Upthorpe 22nd December Upton

Everyone welcome!

Will Aid 2010:
Make a Will, Make a Difference

This scheme provides the opportunity for adults of any age to have their basic Will drawn up by a professional solicitor during November in return for a voluntary donation to Will Aid. The suggested donation is £75 for a single Will, £110 for mirror Wills or £40 for a codicil or change to a previous Will. The money raised from donations is shared between the participating charities, including Christian Aid and others, and is put to use helping people to live, build their communities and improve their future in the UK and around the world.

People can take the opportunity to leave a gift to their favourite charity and you may wish to consider a legacy to your local church. Any legacy, small or large, could make a huge difference.

It’s so easy to take part in Will Aid. Simply find a convenient solicitor at www.willaid.org.uk or by phoning 0300 0300 013 and make an appointment for November as soon as possible. Names of local participating solicitors are also displayed on the notice board in St. Michael’s Church.