Upton Village

South Oxfordshire

Upton Village Fete

Saturday, 7th September 12:00 – 3:00
Village Recreation Ground
• Gymnastics Display
• Fun dog show – ALL dogs are welcome!
• Blewbury Brass Band
• Classic car display
• BBQ 12:00 – 2:00
• Pizzas
• Wonderful teas 1:00 – 3:00
• Ice creams
• Bar run by the George at Upton
• Second-hand books and jigsaws
• Plant stall
• Special Kids’ Zone
• Tombola
• Raffle
• Traditional spinning display
• Craft stalls selling ceramics, soaps & balms, local original artwork

AND NEW THIS YEAR – flower display on the theme ‘Flowers from my
garden’. Please bring your displays to the hall by 12:00. Judging at 2:00.
PRIZES for the best exhibits!
Can you help? We really need…
• Donations of second-hand books, jigsaws, tombola and raffle prizes – please
leave in the church porch or at Pottengers, Chilton Road
• We are always grateful to have a wonderful supply of home-made cakes from
the many talented bakers in the village. Please bring your donation to the
Village Hall from 9:00am on Saturday 7th September.
Putting up and dismantling
• Can you help set-up from 9:00am and dismantle from 3:00pm?
Please drop a line to Paul pjsbatho@btinternet.com to volunteer
Come and have fun on 7th September

Wine Club’s New Season

This season will be the Wine Club’s 20th
anniversary, and it continues to represent a core
part of our village. The season starts at 8pm on 18th
September with the usual formalities of an AGM
but will quickly move on to our first theme,
busting some myths about wine. We are going to
take a light-hearted look at some popular myths
about wine and check them out ourselves. Such as.
.. does wine always taste better with age?… Are
screw caps inferior to cork?… and is red wine
healthier than white?
Membership runs from September to June will be
£15 per person; these fees go towards the hire of
the hall and subsidising the wine and food we have
each month. If you would like to “try before you
buy” and/or know someone who would like to
come along to the Wine Club and try an evening
out before joining, non-members can join us for
up to 2 meetings per year by paying a £5
supplement in addition to that month’s meeting
fees. If you know anyone who might be interested,
please do let them know!

The George Public House

The George at Upton has recently been taken over by a group of local residents,  and is currently undergoing a huge refurbishment after many years of neglect.  The gardens are now open after extensive remodelling, with a garden bar offering a full range of draught and bottled drinks.  Open daily from 4pm, weekends from 12 noon, with a limited food offer also served at weekends while the new kitchen is being constructed.

At the time of writing (August), it is expected that the inside of the pub will be partially open at the end of August/early September, when the village store and cafe will also open, serving breakfast, brunch and lunch. The shop will sell a small but well-formed selection of daily staples and treats.  The restaurant will open in September/October.

The pub is available for events including weddings, christenings, wakes, as well as other larger get-togethers. Please speak to general manager Shona for more information.

Please visit social media to keep an eye on our news, or visit the website at www.thegeorgeatupton.co.uk

Blewbury Post Office News

The school summer holidays are fast approaching. This is a reminder that
from the 24th of July to the 3rd of September, during the School summer
holidays, we will be operating our reduced hours of 9am – 12pm, Monday to
Friday. Thank you for your understanding during this time.
We have fresh kitty’s eggs and local honey on sale. As well as a variety of
sweet treats, ice lollies, chocolate and cool drinks available to help keep
cool this summer.
As well as sending parcels, you can also do all your banking at the post
office, including cash withdrawals, cash deposits and cheque deposits.
We look forward to seeing you in the post office soon.
Thanks so much,
Sarah, Karen and Andrew

Why are Churchyards Special

The English country churchyard provides a very special environment for
trees, birds, animals and insects. Often almost unchanged for centuries,
churchyards can provide a haven for species that can be threatened by
development or intensive agriculture elsewhere.
On Sunday, 21st July there will be a special event in St Mary’s
churchyard exploring and celebrating this special place in the heart of
Upton. It’s part of the Churn Benefice Science Festival and it will give
the opportunity to learn about the history and natural environment of
this unique place. It’s an event for all ages – adults can join the guided
tour of the churchyard and there will be special activities for children
to enjoy.
The event will start at 3:00pm and will conclude with tea and cakes.
And there’s no charge – do come and join us!
Paul Batho

Blewbury Post Office News

The school summer holidays are fast approaching. This is a reminder that
from the 24th of July to the 3rd of September, during the School summer
holidays, we will be operating our reduced hours of 9am – 12pm, Monday to
Friday. Thank you for your understanding during this time.
We have fresh kitty’s eggs and local honey on sale. As well as a variety of
sweet treats, ice lollies, chocolate and cool drinks available to help keep
cool this summer.
As well as sending parcels, you can also do all your banking at the post
office, including cash withdrawals, cash deposits and cheque deposits.
We look forward to seeing you in the post office soon.
Thanks so much,
Sarah, Karen and Andrew

St Mary’s Church – Past and Present

Would you like to learn more about the oldest building and institution in
Upton? If so, you’d be most welcome at an open event which will take place
on Sunday 16th June at 3pm in the church.
It will start with three short presentations on:
The history of the building and its features of interest.
The church in village life, past and present
Recent changes and future plans.
There’ll be an opportunity to explore the building and the churchyard, and
to ask questions. And to round it all off, there’ll be plenty of tea and cakes.
The whole event will last about an hour, and it’s free!
Though the presentations will primarily be aimed at adults, children will be
very welcome and there’ll be a quiz trail for them to follow. We look
forward to seeing you on 16th June!

The Caucasian Chalk Circle at Orchard Dene Garden Theatre 17-20 July 2024.

A change from Shakespeare…A gem of a play, full of action, humour, music, and emotion…
Grusha, a maid, flees with abandoned baby Michael and face many challenges to protect him. This is a story as
old as Solomon, of motherhood and maternal love.
What makes a good mother: a mother by blood or mother by nurture?
Azdak a drunk or genius -judge or villain? Who will he protect – the landowners or the people?
The Caucasian Chalk Circle welcomes the audience into a world of
huge characters, big emotions, and the eternal question of who has the right
to claim ownership – who should own what?
Directed by Erica Harley. This adaptation provides an alternative and more
accessible version than the more traditional text. Described as a
masterpiece of 20th century drama.
Box office – Tickets will be available online at www.blewburyplayers.co.uk.
Priority booking opens 5 June (using a code that will be sent to them).
General Box Office opens 7 June.
To become a Friend and get priority booking for Blewbury Players’
productions and an annual entertainment and newsletter, please contact
Roger at bpfriends123@gmail.com. Subscription is £15 and is renewable on
1st May 2024.
Front of House roles. Fancy joining the front of House Team? Please call
David Long on 01235 851574 or 07484 360169 or @ blewburyplayers@gmail.com
Jeff and Peter’s Music Quiz – 9 November 2024 More news nearer the date
Puss In Boots Auditions – September 2024 We are excited to confirm that
we will be performing another pantomime in 2025! This has been written
and will be directed by Blewbury’s very own Andy Jarvis. More information
about auditions soon.
For updates on events refer to www.blewburyplayers.co.uk, Facebook or
Instagram. We can contact us at blewburyplayers@gmail.com

Blewbury Post Office News

As summer approaches we hope you are enjoying the warmer weather ☀
We have tickets for the summer preschool raffle for sale. They have some
excellent prizes so please do come along and buy some to support your
local preschool. Tickets for the BVS summer dance are also available.
We have fresh kitty’s eggs and local honey on sale as the hayfever season
kicks in. We have a variety of sweet treats, ice lollies, chocolate and cool
drinks available to help keep cool this summer.
As well as sending parcels, you can also do all your banking at the post
office, including cash withdrawals, cash deposits and cheque deposits.
We look forward to seeing you in the post office soon.
Thanks so much,
Sarah, Karen and Andrew

Christian Aid Week 2024

Thanks to the hard work of some wonderful volunteers and the exceptional
generosity of those who filled their envelopes and attended the Tea Party –
and perhaps perfect weather for the occasion – the total raised (so far) is
the highest ever. Not only four figures, a wonder in itself, but over £1100.
Very Many thanks to all who contributed in any way to this amazing success.
Elisabeth and Malcolm Wright