I think we’d all agree we’ve had a proper sunny Summer this year but it’s somewhat infuriating (especially for those flooded last September) that we’re still at the time of writing subject to a hosepipe ban, in spite of experiencing monsoon like heavy showers.
Basia and Malcolm thank everyone who came to their end of summer party for making it such an enjoyable occasion and for their generosity in donating a grand total of £405 to the Abingdon based charity Against Breast Cancer. Basia also tells us about the impending arrival of Bobbi (a long haired
dachshund) in the village, who will join the village’s sizeable dachshund gang sometime in November. Bobbi ‘found’ them in France after what seemed to be a life of neglect. She is currently undergoing veterinary treatment to restore her health before coming to a loving home for her happily ever after.
The world could certainly do with more happily ever after stories!
Remaining with a positive theme the Church Key Rota has been a great success in keeping our little church open on a daily basis. A big thank you to Sini for co-ordinating everyone’s availability to draw up the rota and to all the participants including Sini who do the locking and unlocking: Carole T, Richard & Jane D, Jenny B, Angela A, Lorna, John W, Johnny P, Gill S, Matt, Ali B, Nick and Susie E plus all the dogs who find themselves involved! There’s always room for more on the team so if you’d like to join the rota, do contact Sini.
Sini and Basia have both been really busy this month! Here’s Sini’s report about their Cycle Ride for the Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust:
At the last count and allowing for the Gift Aid the Trust will be able to claim, the total amount donated will be around £1,000! Basia and I are over the moon of course and so grateful for the generosity of our sponsors. It certainly acted as a great incentive to help us reach our goal of visiting 11neighbouring churches. We started with Albury church in glorious sunshine followed by Ickford, Shabbington, Worminghall, Stanton St John - where we took refuge from the rain at the Talk House! Then Forest Hill, Holton, St Mary's Church and United Reformed Church in Wheatley, Waterperry and ending our 22 miles ride at our own St.Leonard's. We would like to make a special mention of the warm welcome we got at St Nicolas Church, Forest Hill, where we were offered a much needed hot cup of tea and biscuits, and at the URC in Wheatley where two lovely ladies had an impressive choice of refreshments including a bottle of wine!
An email will be sent when we know the final amount collected, half of which will go to our church, but in the meantime, a big thank you again for your support and encouragement.
Sini and Basia.
Geoff Talbot reports that the early spring meetings with Council representatives have yielded no flood relief action from them, but many villagers have taken on flood mitigating measures themselves which will benefit the whole village. Keith Stubbs is in the process of organising a Community Flood Mitigation grant from the County Council for a large diameter pipe to be laid through the garden of Pippin Cottage to replace the twin 9 inch pipes in the present ditch through which the entire drainage system of the village and surrounding fields must pass to exit the village through to the river. We await
official confirmation but it looks positive that the grant will be paid via The Charity of Ambrose Bennett and the work can commence.
During the summer Mr. Hutton, CEO of Greenfords came to walk through the village to offer his opinion as to improvements he thought should be done to other sections of the ditch system to help alleviate future flooding. A good deal of this work has been done much of it by Waterstock born and bred James Bull. The village, particularly those affected by the flood, offer sincere thanks to John Wilkinson for a large and no doubt expensive engineering operation to repair flood damage and increase capacity. Also to Michael Tyce for the installation of a larger driveway culvert. Michael and Geoff Talbot
have also widened the ditch through the garden of the Old Post Office and the work at Pippin Cottage will hopefully be underway soon. Another simple action that can be taken which would help is, please, if you have your hedge trimmed, be sure to make sure any resulting debris is cleared up and not allowed to flow into ditches and thereby blocking them with the associated risk of flooding.
As always I end my newsletter with a reminder about the upcoming British Legion Poppy Appeal, which this year is launched on October 25th. In the following couple of weeks up until Remembrance Sunday on November 9th I will be making my rounds of the village with the poppies, in the hope that you will be as generous as in previous years - Waterstock has a reputation to maintain! Many thanks in anticipation.
