We had a great turnout for the planting party in April. Thanks to the merry
dozen who took the time to find homes for 120 new shrubs, perennials, ferns
and grasses, not forgetting the additional help to trailer the plants from
here to there, bake delicious cake and cookies, pay invoices, and give
advice! It really does take a village.
My early-20s nephew came along and he summarised the experience as
follows:
“Everyone was very friendly and I had a lovely day in the sun. It’s nice to
know I did something for the community and I look forward to returning in
the future.”
No money changed hands obtaining this review, promise!
A quick recap
In case you haven’t been on www.nature-garden.co.uk or seen the info
board in the garden, here’s a potted history:
• in 2021 villagers got together to create a space for nature by the village
hall, on the site of the old toddler playpark; the Parish Council made the
land available.
• all the funds for clearing, constructing, materials and planting came
from donations and grants
volunteers from the village and beyond have done all the maintenance work
at quarterly working parties
Recent improvements
This year we’ve addressed the lack of ‘water features’ by adding a goodsized water butt and a small waterpoint to attract birds and
insects. Inspired by a visit to RHS Hyde Hall we also put up some willow
structures to draw the eye. And, as previously mentioned, we invested in a
batch of new shade-tolerant plants, variously berry-bearing, evergreen,
flowering and wildlife-attracting to improve our year-round colour and
interest. See the full list on the website.
Plans for this summer and beyond
We’re hopeful of a good wildflower display along the lines of last year’s. It
won’t be the ‘pictorial meadow’ that most illustrations show, because we
haven’t resown with a seed mix including annuals – that has a hefty price
tag and involves disrupting the soil. Still, we’re likely to get masses of
insect-friendly daisies, wild carrot, buttercup. selfheal and red campion,
among others. It’ll be a magnet for butterflies, bumblebees, moths,
crickets, voles and other meadow species. In July it’ll be scythed off in
sections.
The orchard is growing really well. When there’s a dry period of course
we’ll need to keep the fruit trees watered. If you fancy helping, just fill a
watering can from the butt as you wander past and empty it on the mulch
around the trunk. (The mulch helps retain the moisture.)
In the woodland area the mound is looking especially green and lush at the
moment. Over time we’d like the whole of the central area were the
mound is to be free from grass so the frens and other plants can thrive. To
achieve this we need more woodchippings so if you’re having broadleaf
tree work done, please encourage the arborists to drop the chips by the
bus shelter.
Feeling nimble-fingered?
One of the volunteers suggested that we could include a couple of small
hazel and willow-work hides or dens for small people in our plans. So
anyone with weaving skills who fancies taking this on would be very
welcome.
Thanks again to all volunteers, supporters, and contributors. I hope you
find time in the coming months to enjoy a stroll through the garden or
some moments of peace and calm on the banana bench.
Kieron – On behalf of the nature garden volunteers
Upton’s Village Drop-In
The next Drop-In is planned for Friday 26th April back at the Village hall.
If you have any questions or would like to help out with any of the meets,
please feel free to email Nicola Hall – events@uptonvillagehall.co.u
Help with Essential Living Costs
Are you on a low income and struggling to pay for food, energy or necessary
household items? We are a local charity able to support people living in
Blewbury, the Astons and Upton by providing one off payments to help you,
or someone you know in need.
To apply there is a short application form to complete which can be picked
up from St Mary’s Church porch, Blewbury Post Office or requested by email
to unitedcharities@outlook.com. We can help you fill in the form if needed.
All applications are assessed on an individual basis but, as our funds are
limited, we give priority to those in receipt of benefits such as Universal
Credit, Tax Credits and Pension Credit or those who have extenuating
circumstances such as ill health or vulnerability. Please don’t be reluctant to
ask for help, all applications are dealt with confidentially.
Here we are, already in the middle of Spring, with no sign of economic
improvement on the horizon in the country. We continue to receive a steady
flow of requests for financial help from local people who find themselves
unable to make ends meet. Looking ahead, we are going to struggle to help
as many individuals and families in Blewbury, Upton and the Astons as we
would like, unless we can generate more funds.
If anyone of you out there in the community feel able to help by donating
any amount, small or large, we would be extremely grateful. You can do this
through our Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/ucab
Thank you very much in advance, and if you have any questions, please do
get in touch with us by email unitedcharities@outlook.com
United Charities of the Ancient Parish of Blewbury Registered Charity No: 20353
March Wine Club – Wine through the ages
For March, we took a look at some exceptional wines but the principal
focus was on looking at what has changed throughout the years…and when
it comes to wine, the impact of what we are drinking, where we are
getting it from and how it has been made really has changed over the
years! We discussed a lot but a few examples of what we covered from the
evening are below.
Prosecco, as a really good example, was not a drink we may even have
heard of when the wine club started nearly 20 years ago. Back then, in the
UK approximately 200,000 bottles per year were being purchased.
Prosecco, was the name of the grape, not just the region and it could be
made anywhere in Italy. It took a few “suggestive” adverts staring Paris
Hilton and the ever-increasing popularity of the sparkling wine, for the
Italians to name the actual grape, Glera and make the Prosecco region a
DOCG classification (quality controlled region that defines how the wine is
made and restricts it from general production). Net result, over
120,000,000 bottles are sold in the UK today!
When it comes to specific wine styles, some of us will be old enough to
remember having a “Hock” or a Liebfraumilch with our Sunday lunches
back in the 70’s and 80’s. Hock was the brand we gave in the UK for
German sweet tasking wines, typically from the Rhine region, which
typically were Riesling. Back then, we described wines with their bottle or
region….a Claret, Burgundy, Blue Nun etc….often these were generic
blends but now we are much more specific, using wine varietals to define
what we like….. a Viognier, Malbec, Pinot Noir etc! Blue Nun was marketed
as something you can drink “right through the meal”, making it very
versatile and available to us all! We have all become a bit more educated
on the wine varieties over the years, even if we didn’t realise it! No more
“Hock” but Riesling has gone on to become a very popular grape we often
ask for in restaurants.
The fact we are producing as much wine as we do in Europe, is in no small
part down to the vines in the New World region of North America! How?
Well, it’s down to a small insect called Phylloxera. This small insect loves
grape vines and whilst it was first identified in the US back in the early 19th
century, it soon spread due to keen botanists in Victorian England bringing
samples of plants back as they visited North America. The vines from
these offshore regions became resistant to the bug but in Europe it wiped
out the vast majority of vines in a very short period of time. The bug lives
on and nearly all the wine you will get from Europe will have come from
vines grafted on to North American root stock to prevent the bug from
decimating the grapes and literally stopping production!
The Upton Wine Club loves tasting wine but will look for the stories
behind many of the wines we taste. There is no expectation of prior
knowledge of wine to come along to an evening, just the interest in trying
some different styles! For April, we are inviting back Tim North from
Joie de Vin, who has spent over 20 years travelling across France to bring
back some exceptional wines we typically wouldn’t find in our local
outlets. If you are interested in coming along, you will find out all the
details on our website www.uptonwineclub.co.uk I hope to see you
there!
Ian
UWAC Chairman
Blewbury Post Office News
Spring has sprung in the post office and we are now getting a regular
delivery of fresh kitty’s eggs. You can also buy our lovely local honey. We
have a variety of sweet treats and Easter chocolate for sale so do come and
have a look.
From the 28th of March to the 14th of April we will be hosting the
BLEWBURY EASTER TRAIL. Find the chicks around Blewbury to win a treat.
Pick up a map from the post office or the Blueberry pub. Maps are £2 per
child and every completed map can be exchanged for a treat at the end of
the trail.
From now on our opening hours have slightly changed and we will be closed
on a Wednesday afternoon going forward. Our new opening hours are:::
Monday 9am – 3pm
Tuesday 8.30am – 12pm and 2.30pm – 5pm
Wednesday 9am – 12pm
Thursday 9am – 3pm
Friday 8.30am – 12pm and 2.30pm – 5pm
If you are ever unsure of our opening hours, google is up to date.
Our Easter opening times are as follows:
Good Friday 29th March: Closed
Saturday 30th March: Closed
Sunday 31st March: Closed
Easter Monday 1st April: Closed
From the 2nd April to the 12th of April, during the School Easter Holidays,
we will be operating our reduced hours of 9am – 12pm, Monday to
Friday. Thank you for your understanding during this time.
Royal Mail have announced prices will be rising on the 2nd April 2024. The
prices of 1st and 2nd class stamps will both increase by 10p to £1.35 and
£0.85 respectively. Stock up your stamps quick to save some pennies!
We have a variety of special stamps in stock including Harry Potter, Spice
girls and many more. We have commemorative stamps celebrating 100
years being released on 16th April. 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.
Sarah, Karen and Andrew
Upton Village Fête
The Parochial Church Council and Upton Parish Council are still looking
for volunteers to help plan, organise and help run this year’s Upton
Village Fete.
We are looking for new ideas as well as all the classics and as much
support as anyone is willing to give.
Please contact us at bens@uptonpc.co.uk to register your interest in
being involved.
Benjamin Shaw
Mobile 07934 389171 Tel 01235 850308
Blewbury Post Office News
Spring has sprung in the post office and we are now getting a regular
delivery of fresh kitty’s eggs. You can also buy our lovely local honey. We
also have a variety of sweet treats and chocolate for sale so do come and
have a look.
From now on our opening hours have slightly changed and we will be closed
on a Wednesday afternoon going forward. Our new opening hours are:
Monday 9am – 3pm
Tuesday 8.30am – 12pm and 2.30pm – 5pm
Wednesday 9am – 12pm
Thursday 9am – 3pm
Friday 8.30am – 12pm and 2.30pm – 5pm
We have a variety of special stamps in stock including Harry Potter, Spice
girls and many more. You can also do all your banking at the post office,
including cash withdrawals, cash deposits and cheque deposits.
Sarah, Karen and Andrew
Upton’s Village Drop-in
The next Drop-In planned for the 29th March / Good Friday, will now be hosted at
Upton’s St Mary’s Church for a special family friendly Easter event.
Refreshments and activities will be available from 10.00 am using the fantastic
new facilities. Further details will be announced soon. Please save the date
in your diary .
If you have any questions or would like to help out with any of the meets,
please feel free to email Nicola Hall – events@uptonvillagehall.co.uk
St. Mary’s Church new facilities – Opening Ceremony
On 24th February, the BlewSing singers combined with some Upton readers
for a celebration to mark the completion of the new WC and kitchen
facilities in St. Mary’s church. The singers, under the direction
of Mark Stanley, were on top form and their six very varied
songs were much enjoyed by the sizeable audience. And who will
forget Malcolm Wright’s hilarious performance as Noah
trying to find excuses for delays in completing the Ark? (speaking
of which, we are assured that the new path around the church will be completed ‘any day soon’!).
Tea and cakes, served from the new kitchen, followed and
at the end of the afternoon we all felt the new facilities were well and truly launched!
We’re still planning some work inside the church to make the
space more flexible for a variety of uses.
In the meantime the facilities are available free of charge to Upton residents, subject to prior booking through Paul Batho (pjsbatho@btinternet.com) or Jessie West (jessie@blueshapes.com).
Compost Giveaway
Calling all green thumbs and garden enthusiasts! With spring just around
the corner, The Vale is giving away free compost to help you to get your
gardens flourishing, save money and reduce waste.
Saturday 16 March – 9am to 11am in Abingdon at White Horse Leisure and
Tennis Centre, OX14 3PJ – available to Vale of White Horse residents only.
You can fill up to 3 bags of high-quality compost per household – just
remember to bring your own bags and a spade! This offer is only available
while supplies last.
Our friendly Waste and Recycling team will also be on hand to answer all
your composting questions and share tips to get you started at home.