Upton Village

South Oxfordshire

Police Open Day

Thames Valley Police Open Day
Saturday 12th August

Dear Neighbourhood Watch members,

I am writing to invite you to a family friendly open day being held at the Thames Valley Police Museum at Sulhamstead on Saturday, August 12.

The aim of the event is to help promote greater understanding of the work of the various departments and specialist roles that make up Thames Valley Police.

The event will also form part of the Force Museums contribution to a regional marketing campaign which aims to make museums more accessible to families.

Specialist departments including the specialist search and recovery team, the air support unit, the mounted section, and the firearms team will all be represented on the day.

The event is being held between 10am and 4pm, with an opening ceremony at 10.30am performed by Acting Chief Constable Sara Thornton.

Kind regards

Annie Tysom
Public Relations Officer

Vehicle Number Plates

This is a message to all Neighbourhood Watch members from the police.

If you park your car outside in the street overnight please check that your vehicle number plates have not been tampered with.

Offenders steal number plates in order to fix to their cars and commit crime. Number plates can be made more secure by using security screws (which can only be turned clockwise). This is one way of making your number plate more secure. Should anybody have their plates stolen please report it to the Police.

If you would like more crime reduction information please call your local crime reduction adviser on 08458 505 505.

Ride or Stride

Saturday 9 September

Last year £109,480 was raised in Oxfordshire by the Ride or Stride event. This money all goes towards the upkeep of our churches. I have plenty of sponsorship forms. If you are unable to take part but would like to sponsor somebody, then please let me know.

Clare 850486

Blewbury Burglary

Police appeal after service station burglary

Police are appealing for information after burglars forced entry to the Blewbury Service Station on the A417 London Road in Blewbury, near Didcot in the early hours of this morning.

At 5.30am a man who was delivering newspapers discovered the front door had been forced open, causing extensive damage.

Around 15 bottles of wine and spirits had been stolen along with disposable cigarette lights, lottery scratch cards and 30 DVDs.

Carrier bags containing broken bottles were found nearby.

Det Sgt Chris Hand, of Abingdon CID, said: “There was a lot of damage to the store and a considerable amount of property has been stolen so we are extremely keen to hear from anyone who may have been passing nearby who saw or heard anything suspicious.

Carrier bags with bottles believed to have been stolen from the garage were found nearby on Bessels Way and I am keen to hear from anyone who saw or heard anyone as they made off from the burglary.

Also, if you are offered for sale anything which you believe may have come from this burglary then I urge you to get in touch with police.”

Anyone with information can contact Det Sgt Hand at Abingdon CID, via the Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.

If you have information but to do not want to speak to police or leave your name you can contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

Suspicious Person

This is a message about a suspicious person.

On Monday 24th July a caller reported that whilst she was at a cashpoint machine in Didcot, she felt a male, possible Portugese, move up close to her in a suspicious manner. As she withdrew cash and quickly walked away, she turned around and he did not use the machine and walked off towards Sainsburys.

He is described as 5’7″ tall, dark short hair, aged 20-30 years old and was wearing a red short sleeved polo shirt and cream ‘chino’ type jeans.

Please warn all watch members to be extra cautious when using cashpoint terminals, try to use a machine that is located either inside a bank/building society or supermarket.

If you have any information relating to this message, please call the police on 08458 505 505 and quote URN 537 of 24/07/06

Upton Fete

SATURDAY 2 SEPTEMBER
Starting at 2pm on the Recreation Ground

Stalls include:

  • cakes, produce, plants, books, preserves, toys, white elephant
  • craft demonstrations, bouncy castle, face painting
  • games, competitions, raffle, tombola
  • entertainment by Blewbury Brass Band and the Outside Capering Crew Morris Dancers
  • delicious home made teas

Admission free

As usual we need your help. We would be grateful for donations of books, toys, discarded treasure/white elephant (PLEASE NO JUMBLE), raffle prizes, tombola prizes, etc, etc.

The village hall will be open to receive your contributions on:

  • Friday 25 August from 7-9 pm
  • Saturday 26 August 10-12 noon

We will be pleased to receive cakes and plants on the morning of the fete.

Please get in touch if you are able to help in any way, either before the fete or on the day. If you would like us to collect your contributions please contact Clare (850486) or Jessie (851206).

Summer Garden Party

Friday 18 August at 2.30pm

To Senior Citizens and anyone at home alone.

You are invited to a Summer Garden Party at Toad Hall. We do hope you will be able to come for tea and a chat. Personal invitations will be sent out nearer the time.

Transport can be provided. For further information contact Clare 850486 or Maggie 850364.

Upton’s Leaking Stream

What is to become of our stream?

Our little intermittent stream, originating high above the village, which has been running predictably for countless years, was found to be in full flow one day in October 2001, not from its usual source but from under the main road near the George & Dragon. Over the next three or four months we repeatedly alerted Thames Water to the probability that this was a massive water leak, but nothing was done. The stream continued in full flow without interruption over three and a half years. During this time tiny fishes appeared in the water, the number of frogs increased — perhaps many other water creatures benefited. But by July 2005 water was breaking ghrough the tarmac at the end of Prospect Road, and at last Thames Water turned up to repair the leak. The flow in the stream immediately stopped.

So what of the future? At the moment we are simply not getting enough rain in the autumn and winter to get the springs running again. The stream bed is blocked with vegetation and debris in many places and parts of it look rather neglected. It would be lovely to restore this small waterway some time, in the hope that wetter winters we have been promised will materialise to fill it.

Burglaries

We have seen a marked increase, during this this prolonged spell of warm weather, in the number of burglaries where offenders have again entry through insecure doors,or windows.

Continue Reading Burglaries