Really excellent news on the funding front this month – we’ve now raised over £7K for the nature garden.
Huge thanks to the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment which provided half our total with support from Grundon Waste Management Limited.
And a massive thank you to our County Councillor, Sally Povolotsky, who approved an application for £2.5K from her Councillor Priority Fund.
Here’s why Sally selected the project:
‘Supporting Upton Nature Garden is one of the wonderful legacy projects that I am proud to assist with a donation from my Councillor Priority Funding. The great outdoors, nature recovery, ‘green’ therapy as well as biodiversity net gain is at the core of my agenda, and I am over the moon that I could help the team.
Sally Povolotsky – Hendreds & Harwell Division Elected Member
(Oxfordshire County Council)
Thanks also to the generosity and support of local donors, Sherfield Flooring and Strictly Wine, and the many villagers and local organisations who have pledged time, plants, logs or support in kind.
We’re getting cracking later in September. Look for the signs on the garden fence (or visit nature-garden.co.uk) for more details.
Green refills – reduce plastic
We create 2.4 million tonnes of plastic waste in the UK each year. But less than half gets recycled.
The good news is there’s an easy way to cut down on plastic waste – by refilling your own containers with cleaning products.
Better still, you’ll be able to do this in the comfort of your own village hall later this month. Honorary villager Frankie Jacklin has kindly agreed to run a refill station for the village as part of the national Great Big Green Week event – a celebration of nature and efforts to combat climate change.
You can fill up on washing-up liquid, laundry detergent, cleaning products, hand soap and other essential (plastic-free) products. Cash or credit card payments welcome.
All you need to do is bring your empty bottles to the village hall meeting room on Thursday 23rd September, 5.30 to 7.30pm.
Overflow cemetery
We had a great time mowing the hay in the overflow earlier this month.
The next job is to take out the grass thatch and reduce the soil fertility to make it suitable for wildflowers. We had a go at doing this with a reasonably powerful garden rotovator but it’s clearly a job for a bigger machine.
A compact tractor and rotovator would make short work of the area – do you have one or know someone who does? Please get in touch if you’d be willing to lend us your horsepower!
Kieron

The village fete is on! Keep the date free and come along to the village hall and recreation ground at 1:00pm on 4th September to enjoy some old-fashioned fun and frolics just like we used to back in 2019!
Some of the confirmed attractions include:
A fun dog show. No need to pre-book, just turn up with your dog on the day for the chance to win a prize.
Gymnastic display by local children in the ring, from 1:30
A dazzling display of local classic cars and vintage bikes
A barbeque, pizzas, teas and home-made cakes on the village hall terrace
Music from the Wantage Silver Band
Lucky programme prize
A range of stalls including second-hand books, plants, home-made preserves, Fair Trade produce, tombola, wine club and ice cream
A special children’s area with a coconut shy, lucky dip and other fun things to do
We look forward to seeing you on the day. Volunteers are always needed so if you’d like to help, please contact one of the committee members.
Brian and Giulia Rippon, Jessie West, Gloria Hancock, Paul Batho, Jacqui Reid, Ben Shaw.
Cakes Needed
Brian and I will be organising the Cake Stall at this year’s fete. We are seeking cake and biscuit donations – in the past we have had an amazing response and the resulting mouth-watering spread is always popular. We’ll be looking to sell whole cakes as well as slices to be sold alongside the teas/coffee. Cakes, traybakes, muffins, fairy cakes, cookies and biscuits all welcome.
Please bring offerings to the Village Hall from 11.30am onwards on the day, or beforehand you can drop off at Autumn Leaves in the High Street (immediately opposite Church Street).
If you are able to help out on the day, please contact either Giulia (giulia@rippon.net 07789 777381) or Brian Rippon (brian@rippon.net 07768 224467).

Drop In
The village Drop In is up and running again on alternate Thursdays at 3.00pm The aim is to meet at people’s houses, although we are not in the village hall as in the past we very much want this to be open to all villagers. Please come along if you want to have a nice friendly chat over a cup of tea or coffee. Please email me at richmondbinov@gmail.com if you’re interested and to find out the venue for the meetings which this month are on the 1st, 15th and 29th.
Richard Burrow

Thanks to everyone who’s shown enthusiasm for the plan to create a wildlife-friendly space beside the village hall. We’re delighted that Upton Parish Council has formally approved the nature garden project.

Continue Reading Progress on Upton Nature Garden

The village Drop In is restarting on Thursday May 20th at 3.00pm at Margaret Maytham’s house (Toad Hall at the junction between Church Street and Stream Road). The aim is to meet every Thursday, or possibly alternate Thursdays thereafter at people’s houses.

Although we are not in the village hall as in the past we very much want this to be open to all villagers. Please come along if you want to have a nice friendly chat over a cup of tea or coffee. Please email me at richmondbinov@gmail.com if you’re interested.

Richard Burrow

Upton Village Fete, Saturday 4th September

With any luck, and assuming the pandemic continues its retreat, we will once more be able to hold the village fete. As usual, the date will be the first Saturday in September, the venue is the village hall and recreation ground and the time will be 1:00pm to 4:00pm.

In a more normal year, we’d be well advanced with the planning by now but as it is, we’re just starting. The success of the event relies totally on volunteers both in advance and on the day. We’d love more help with the planning, which will involve monthly early evening meetings of no more than one hour between now and the end of August. If you feel inspired to volunteer, you’d be very welcome! Please let me know by calling 851251 or dropping a line to pjsbatho@btinternet.com.

Paul Batho