Community Responders are people who volunteer to help save lives in their own community. There is good evidence to suggest that if local people are provided with the right equipment and are trained to be able to help someone until the ambulance arrives then many lives will be saved.

Two days training are provided for all volunteers by the South Central Ambulance Trust who also supply each group with the latest equipment.

It is our intention to set up a group in Upton, training will be provided in one of our village halls at the weekend.

If you are prepared to join the group to help provide a local service or if you would like to know more about what is required, please give me a call.

Mike Brown 850135

The latest fund raising event for the Village Hall extension, on May 23, took the form of a concert for hand-bells, under the direction of Daphne Simpson. It has been encouraging to see how her team of ringers has gained in confidence and ensemble over the years. The programme moved from the comparatively simple, nursery rhyming of Oranges and Lemons (which proved to have fascinating historical undercurrents to it) via the serenely pastoral atmosphere of Gounod’s Angelus to the harmonic complexities of Jeremiah Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary, thrown of triumphantly.

Interspersed with the music were readings about bells (mostly church bells), both familiar – in poems by Betjeman, Hardy and Houseman and in Dorothy L Sayers’ The Nine Tailors – and less familiar, for instance Idris Davies’s poems about church bells in Wales that reflected the black years of the thirties Depression. The poem ended with voice and bells together, as a gentle pair of bells faded into the final cadence of the poem – a truly magical moment.

The fifty of us present were able to enjoy as well an excellent ploughman’s supper with dessert and a glass of wine. This is a format that sits snugly and sociably in the Hall. Many thanks to the bell-ringers and the five readers, and to all those who so expertly prepared and served the food and drink. A truly convivial occasion which raised the sum of £291.

Peter Gardiner

Would you like to get a customised pot or even a wash basin made to order right here in Upton? If so please call round and have a word with Sidney Hardwick at Cederwood in Stream Road Tel No 01235 850263. Sidney has a range of items on display that can be purchased or will be pleased to make items to your specification.

Saturday 23 May 7.30pm, Upton Village Hall

Oranges and Lemons

A miscellany of handbell ringing and readings accompanied by a ploughman’s supper and wine.

Tickets in advance £8, on the door £10

Tel 851192 or 850449

Please support this event raising funds for the Village Hall Extension

The police are starting surgeries in our village in the Methodist Church Hall. These are drop in sessions and should residents have any issues they wish to discuss with the police i.e. vandalism, crime etc etc. then please come along for a chat. Please be assured that all conversations are treated in strictest confidence.
The dates for your diary are as follows:
Tuesday 5th May 19.00 – 20.00 pm
Friday 9th June 19.00 – 20.00 pm

Celia Davies

Once again we had a very successful Parish Litter pick on Saturday 28^th March. On a cold but fine morning about 30 volunteers aged 8 to 80 turned up to help with the annual tidy up.

This year the number of sacks filled was down on previous years due to a variety of reasons. There was a noticeable drop in the number of plastic bags – well done supermarkets – and less evidence of food carriers being thrown out of cars. It was also noticed there was a significant drop in spirit bottles down near West Hagbourne but we were later told that the Motorcycle Club had cleared up the litter down that road a few weeks ago following their recent Trials in that area.

Despite the drop in litter picked up from the roads the size of the final pile dumped just inside the Recreation Ground is about the same as previous years and this is largely down to the initiative of Hilary Powell who together with Henry Bucknell took a trailer up to the footpaths just beyond Alden Farm and cleared all sorts of junk from the hedgerows.

A big thank you to all the volunteers who once again did the parish proud and to staff of the District Council who provided us with all the equipment to work with.

Please note that, having seen the pile of litter collected, I have already received a note of thanks from the District Council in which they have asked me to pass on their thanks to all who turned out to help.

Mike Brown

The next three sessions will be held on:

2 April, 16 April and 30 April

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the usual time of 10.30 until 12.00 noon in the Village Hall (alternate Thursdays).

If anyone has a problem getting there please give me a ring. We will probably be able to help – especially if you could let me know the day before.

Yvonne Collins 850989

Proceeds from the jumble sale on 14th March towards the cost of the Village Hall extension amounted to £245.