Didcot Diary Issue 10 October 2013
BACA Nomination Christmas Street Fair
Didcot Town Council Awards Evening
Welcome to the 10th issue of the Didcot Diary. It’s been a couple of months since the last issue and what a glorious summer it has been. There have been a lot of events taking place in the parks and at the lakes; and the gardeners have been hard at work as usual keeping the parks, gardens, cemetery and play areas in good condition. Their efforts have been rewarded with a nomination for a Business and Community Award. On Friday 4th October we look forward to the 11 EOD Regiment RLC exercising their right to march and parade through the town and welcoming home the personnel returning from Afghanistan. A medal parade will take place at the Civic Hall and the Princess Royal will be taking the salute. Contents
2
Didcot Twinning
3
U3A
4
By-election news
4
OPA Playday
4
Local Success
5
Learn to speak French
5
Parks and Gardens
6
Ladygrove Lakes
7
Town Crier
7
Grant Aid
8&9
Didcot Volunteer Centre
9
Meeting with Police & Crime Commissioner
9
Advice from CAB
10
Christmas Street Fair
10
Dates for your Diary
11
Didcot Town Council Awards
11
Willowbrook and Fun Run
12 & 13
Rock with the Mayor
13
Firework Display
13
What’s on at the Civic Hall
14
Finally, this is the time of year we usually look for nominations for the John Eldridge Award for voluntary service, this year the awards evening has been postponed until Spring 2014, more information is on page 11.
Didcot twins with Planegg, Bavaria On Saturday 6th July 2013 Didcot extended its European links by signing a charter with the town of Planegg in Bavaria, Germany, agreeing to promote the development of cultural, sporting, educational and business links between the two towns. Didcot and Planegg are both already twinned with the town of Meylan in France making this a tripartite arrangement. The countryside surrounding the three towns is very different but all three are centres of science and business development, and share ambitions to further the health, well-being and education of their citizens. The interactions between the towns will be a catalyst to achieve these aims. The ceremony was attended by about 60 Didcot residents plus 16 guests from Planegg and Meylan. The Mayors of Didcot, Axel Macdonald, and Planegg, Frau Annemarie Detsch, made speeches welcoming the coming together of the two towns and the opportunities this will bring before signing the Didcot-Planegg twinning charter. Councillor Macdonald said in his speech:
“Today two towns from two different countries have come together in a show of unity and purposeful aspiration. Planegg joins Didcot and its twinned French town of Meylan – all joined by a common bond of science, commerce and a wish to share success.” Gifts were exchanged between the towns and between the Twinning Associations, and all attending toasted the new twinning agreement with a glass of champagne. In the evening a formal dinner was held in the Harwell Village Hall to mark the occasion. During their stay in Didcot the visitors from Planegg and Meylan were accommodated by members of the Didcot Twinning Association. Free time on Saturday morning and Sunday provided opportunities for the hosts to show their guests around Didcot, some of the surrounding villages and Oxford. If anyone is interested in knowing more or being involved, you can go to the Didcot Twinning Association website www.didcottwinning.org.uk or contact the Secretary of the Association, Geoff Oldham, on 01235 816602. 3
Didcot & District University of the Third Age Didcot & District University Of The Third Age meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 2pm at Didcot Civic Hall. Visitors are welcome to come to one meeting as a taster before joining. The October meeting will be held at 2pm on 15th October, the topic will be Desert Island Pictures.
Didcot & District U3A aims to encourage and enable older people in Didcot and District who are no longer in full time paid employment to help each other to share their knowledge, skills, interests and experience. There are over 20 interest groups including wine appreciation, science & maths, play reading, creative writing, walking, knitting, bridge, crafts, books, poetry, singing, badminton, photography and 5 languages. There’s something for everyone! For more information call 07804159993 or email didcotdistrictU3A @virginmedia.com or look on The U3A website, http://u3asites.org.uk/didcot.
Didcot by-elections A by-election took place in Northbourne Ward on Thursday 15th August and Mr David Rouane was elected. A vacancy has now occurred in the All Saints Ward and a by-election will be held on Thursday 17th October. More information is available on the website www.didcot.gov.uk
Maggot Racing at the Playday The Oxfordshire Play Association held a Playday in Edmonds Park on 25 th July. It was another gloriously sunny day and the event was well attended. The Playday was part funded by the Council who awarded grant aid of £1000 earlier this year.
The Information Centre Manager, Sue Atkins, made the most of the opportunity by attending to give information about a variety of local issues and to answer questions on Council services. As an added attraction Sue also organised a maggot racing derby in aid of the Mayor’s charities, The Balsam Family Project and the Felix Fund, raising £13. Sue is pictured right with girls from the Didcot Diamonds Cheerleaders troop and her maggot race track. If you would like to contact the Information Centre please call 01235 812637 or email council@didcot.gov.uk 4
Local success! The Grove and Didcot Gymnastic Club were formed seven years ago from two groups that trained at the Didcot Leisure Centre and the Old Mill Hall Grove. In this time the girls have won between them five County titles, one Regional title and several individual apparatus titles. In additions many members of the club have represented the County in competition. Club members competed at the National Roses Competition that took place in Spalding on the 21st July, where six year old Emily Stewart took five silver medals in the Tea Rose category for floor, vault, bar, beam and range and conditioning, and bronze in trampette, definitely a star for the future. In Royal Rose in the 8 to 9 age group Danielle Thomas took bronze in range and conditioning and in the over 14 age group Hanna Fairfull also took bronze in range and conditioning, a good result against some tough opposition. The girls also performed at the Didcot Town Fayre where their performance was enjoyed by many people.
Learn to speak French Are you a fluent French speaker but find you have no-one to converse with? or perhaps you can speak a little French but would like to improve, if so a French conversation class could be just what you need. Sheralyn Hares runs a course in King Alfred Drive on Tuesday’s between 9.30-11. The cost for each course is about £60 for 10 sessions depending on size of group. For more information contact Sharalyn on 01491 837718 or email cavafrenchclub@btconnect.com.
OYEZ! OYEZ! At recent events such as the Civic Ball and the Didcot Town Fayre the Council has used the services of a Town Crier. The Council is now looking to appoint an official Town Crier. The person appointed will not receive a retaining fee. Payment will be for work on a case by case basis at a rate agreed prior to appointment. If you are interested in becoming the official Town Crier to Didcot Town Council please contact us on council@didcot.gov.uk or 01235 812637 and include details of any relevant experience before Friday 1 st November 2013. 5
Parks and Gardens Business & Community Award Nomination Congratulations and “huge well done” go to the gardeners and the Outdoor Services Manager on their nomination for a prestigious Business & Community Award for the work they do at Edmonds Park. Pictured from left to right are the gardeners, Justin Strong, Paul Copley, Steve Andrews and Richard Dowling. The team are managed by Brenda Andrews, pictured right, who said: “This is wonderful recognition for all the hard work the team put in to keep parks, gardens and play areas safe and pleasant for the community to use. We would like to thank the person who nominated us.”
Civic Hall Car Park Many of you will have noticed work taking place in the Civic Hall car park. Some of the trees and shrubs have been cut back as they were becoming too large. Areas of the car park have been resurfaced and the parking spaces and double yellow lines re-marked. The car park is now looking very smart.
Remembrance Sunday Parade This year’s parade will take place on Sunday 10th November. The parade will start from Edinburgh Drive car park at approximately 2.30pm and will gather at the memorial in the Garden of Remembrance at 3pm for a service to be conducted by local minister, Tim O’Brien.
Didcot Town Fayre
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At the meeting of the Environment Committee held on 16 th September it was decided to make the Didcot Town Fayre an annual event. Details regarding the date, time and location of next year’s event should be available in the next issue of the Didcot Diary but in the meantime if you would like to take part in the Fayre or if you have any suggestions or comments please contact Karen Dodd on 01235 750035 or email kdodd@didcot.gov.uk.
Ladygrove Lakes Junior Fishing Match The fishing club junior fishing match took place at Ladygrove Lakes on Friday 29th June. The fishing was good and competitors were able to land a good catch. The winner in the 13 to 16 years age group was George Dawson who landed 24lb of fish.
Nathan being presented with the winners shield by Deputy Mayor, Councillor Scott Wilgrove.
The winner of the 7 to 12 years age group and overall winner with an impressive 44lb 8oz of fish was Nathan Talbot. This makes Nathan a record breaking three time winner of the shield. Nathan also landed the biggest catch of the day with a 2lb 14oz fish.
Jim’s Charity Fishing Match Jim’s Charity Fishing Match is held each year in memory of Jim Goodall to raise funds for Cancer Research. This year the match took place on 30 th June. The winner of the Challenge Cup was Eamon Cappocci with 29lb 4oz of fish and the winner of the Masters Cup was Mark Talbot with 24lb 12oz of fish. The event raised £100 for Cancer Research.
Environment Agency come fishing day Friday 16th August was the date for this year’s “Come Fishing Day” organised by the Environment Agency to encourage people to try fishing. It is estimated that around 40 people took part in the event and enjoyed a few hours at the lakeside and learning a new skill.
Civic Hall Car Park Closure Due to the Welcome Home and medal parade that is taking place for the returning personnel of the 11 EOD Regiment on Friday 4th October the Civic Hall car park will be closed on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th October. The Town Council office, the Information Centre and the Civic Hall will be closed on the Friday until approximately 2.30pm. 7
Grant Aid Grant Aid is used to support organisations working for the benefit of the people of Didcot, and also for the Town Council's own arts and entertainment projects. In Didcot we are fortunate in having a wide variety of community groups and charities which contribute to the life of the town and as a Council are very aware of the hard work done by volunteers to help make our town a better place to live and do our best to provide financial assistance where needed. Grants are paid for projects and activities which can be shown to benefit Didcot people.
In 2012 the Didcot Beading Group was set up and they received grant aid of £60 towards the cost of hiring a room for their meetings. The group has recently celebrated their first birthday and founder member, Viv Roberts said: “……the £60 grant made this possible. It has been a successful year with membership now up to 12”
Also in 2012 the 2410 Didcot squadron ATC were awarded £800 towards the cost of a Marquee to enable them to take part in community events. The marquee is pictured below at last year’s Picnic in the Park. Group Captain P Haines has reported that the marquee has been used at many events since then, including the Abingdon Air Show, Didcot Hospital Fete, Up to no good Charity Bike Ride and the Wing Activities Day at Edward Brooks Barracks to name just a few. Group Captain Haines said: “The marquee has been a great success in providing control centre facilities and media and recruiting opportunities.” Didcot Library has many good ideas to encourage young readers and thanks to a Grant of £250 they were able to run three fantastic events this Summer, to encourage and promote the Creepy House Summer Reading Scheme. These included crafts with “No Two Things”, getting up close to a variety of creatures such as spiders, snakes , cockroaches and a giant snail. The final event was a magician who amazed them all with his tricks. Pictured above is one of the children holding a giant African snail. Earlier this year the Didcot Volunteer Centre (DVC) successfully applied for grant aid towards the cost of a Deputy Organiser. The DVC has 11 volunteer drivers and undertakes an average of 237 journeys a month for local residents who would otherwise struggle to attend important appointments. The Deputy Organiser has taken on the role of Emergency Contact for volunteers and organised the office rota to ensure the efficiency of DVC. 8
On Monday 29th July some of the families who attend the Homestart Monday group had a trip the Cotswold Wildlife Park. 18 adults and 24 children travelled to Burford on a coach to enjoy the sort of day out that would usually be difficult for them due to the cost and practical implication. The trip was part funded by grant aid of £500.
Age Concern Oxfordshire had a project that would bring together the young and the not so young in an intergenerational art project with a military theme. Pictured left is some of the work that has been produced as part of the project. The finished items will be displayed in the Cornerstone. The project was part funded by a grant of £1300, the organiser, Karen Thomas said: “the poppies were made by everyone who participated in the ceramics sessions , from children (13 year olds) right through to people in their 90s. The design of the cross was given to us by one of the group participants from his own family photos – a beautiful example of a community project that included elements from the participants too. It is a wonderful project, and the Council should feel proud that they have enabled such an inclusive activity to take place.” If you would like more information about grant aid, or if you would like to apply please contact us on 01235 812637 or council@didcot.gov. There will be a public meeting in the Civic Hall on Monday 14 th October between 7pm and 9pm. This is an opportunity to meet your PCC, Anthony Stansfeld and the Local Police Area Commander and a community safety representative from the Council. You will also hear more about policing and crime in your area and you will be able to talk about issues that matter to you.
The Didcot Volunteer Centre Did you know that many people in Didcot and the surrounding villages have no personal transport and are unable to use public transport? The Didcot Volunteer Centre have advised that there are over 400 people in Didcot who cannot get to their medical and other appointments without their help. To continue to offer the assistance required they urgently need more volunteers. If you would like to know more about what is involved or if you would like to volunteer please contact the centre on 01235 816709. 9
Oxfordshire’s Consumer Partnership (OCP), run from Oxford Citizens Advice Bureau links all parts of the county. The partnership exists to campaign, educate, protect and empower consumers on issues from scams to cold calling. Their summer campaign is about Payday Loans, knowing your rights and where to seek help. On September 12th the Partnership held a Forum at Trading Standards in Oxford – with a guest panel from the Oxford Credit Union, the County Council and Citizens Advice. The OCP need more local volunteers, if you can help or if you would like more information please contact davidCEP@oxford-cab.org.uk or call 01865 304125.
The Christmas Street Fair This year the Christmas Street Fair will take place on Thursday 28 th November. This year is the 20th anniversary of the fair and the parade will be looking back at the best of the last 20 years. The parade will include some of the people who have been president of the Chamber of Commerce or Mayor of Didcot during the past 20 years. There will be the usual mix of stalls and entertainment in the Orchard Centre and along Broadway and this year the fun extends into the Civic Hall where hot drinks and mince pies will be on sale. Santa has been booked and will be in his grotto in the Methodist Hall all evening and a young Shaun Connery look-a-like will be at the Orchard Centre with a fabulous Aston Martin. The Orchard Centre will also be hosting the stage area where local bands will be performing and the star of the show will be Abi Phillips from Hollyoaks. To add to the festivities the Christmas lights will be turned on for the first time this year during the evening. The lights are funded by the Town Council who have spent £16,000 this year to make the display better than ever. The last of the old style festoons will be replaced by LED lights and there will be some new motifs. The boxes that control the timing of the lights have also been replaced which should resolve some of the issues that were experienced last year. To accommodate the Fair Broadway will be closed to traffic from Foxhall Road/Broadway Roundabout to the High Street and from the link road into the Orchard Centre from the Broadway.
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Dates for your diary Didcot is a vibrant town with huge amount of community events. Coming up in the next few months are: Friday 4th October – Coming Home Parade – soldiers returning home exercise the freedom of the town and a Medals Parade will be held at the Civic Hall. More details are on page 2. Saturday 25th October – Mayor’s Charity Gig – live music in the Conservative Club. More details are on page 14. Saturday 2nd November – the Rotary Club Fireworks Display – more details are on page 14. Sunday 10th November - The Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service. More details are available from the Information Centre. Thursday 28th November – the Christmas Street Fair – more information is on page 10.
And finally ~ Friday 28th February 2014 - the Civic Ball. This is a fund raising event for the Mayor’s Charities. The evening will include a five Course meal and live music until late. More information will be available in later issues of the Didcot Diary.
The Didcot Town Council Awards Evening The Didcot Town Council Awards Evening is usually held in November and this is the time of year when we ask for nominations for the John Eldridge Award for voluntary service. However, this year is has been decided to postpone the awards evening until Spring 2014 when it is hoped that the evenings will be lighter, warmer and more inviting for an evening out. The actual date has not yet been set but it will be published in future issues of the Didcot Diary and on our website or you can contact us for more information on 01235 812637 or council@didcot.gov.uk. If you would like to make a nomination for the John Eldridge Award you do not have to wait until we ask, you can make a nomination at any time by sending us the name, address, and phone number of yourself and the person or organisation being nominated, but don’t forget to tell us the reason why you are make the nomination. The criteria for nominations is that the individual or organisation must be based in Didcot or work for the benefit of the town and that they do not receive any payment for their work.
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Oxfordshire councils challenge fly tippers to clean up their act A toilet, several sofas and bags of raw meat are just some of the things councils across Oxfordshire have had to clear up from bring bank sites in the last few months, as fly tippers continue to blight community facilities. The bill for removing waste tipped at the sites, typically located on housing estates or in supermarket car parks, reached over a huge £100,000 last year, and councils are clamping down on this illegal practice. Enforcement Officers will be making regular visits to sites to ensure they are being used correctly and using covert CCTV cameras to catch offenders. Councillor David Dodds, Chair of the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership said “we provide local bring banks to help residents recycle items that can’t fit into their recycling boxes or bins at home. Unfortunately some people are abusing this service and leaving behind items which can’t be recycled, costing us a huge amount to clear up every year. Often business waste is also tipped at the sites, which are provided for householders only.” District councils provide bulky waste collection services for large electrical items and furniture, and there are 7 Household Waste Recycling Centres across the county that accept a wide range of materials for recycling and disposal. For more information on these services and waste management in Oxfordshire visit www.oxfordshirewaste.gov.uk. If the containers at a bring bank are full or if you witness fly tipping please report it to the South Oxfordshire District Council on 03000 610 610.
Fire Station Open Day Didcot Fire station had a very successful open day on 21 July. Many attended and learnt about the effects if alcohol on the reflexes using the special goggles they had to simulate drunkenness. Advice on alternatives to alcoholic drinks was provided and demos on firemanship given.
The public could participate in themed games and examine the fire tenders and equipment they carry. A superb historical collection of fireman's helmets was displayed which included helmets from other countries. The Mayoress, Mrs Denise Macdonald, is pictured above trying out a fireman's kit and hose.
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New look Willowbrook Leisure Centre officially opens The official opening of the new look Willowbrook Leisure Centre took place on Sunday 7th July. The centre is managed by Soll Leisure on behalf of Didcot Town Council. The centre held an open day offering free gym sessions and activities for children. The day was attended by the Mayor, Councillor Mr Axel Macdonald and Soll Chairman, Roger Booker. The Leisure Centre has recently undergone a full gym refurbishment, including new gym equipment and a fully refurbished café. The second stage of the development programme starts this week with the creation of a new Indoor Cycling Studio to include 20 new bikes. Roger Booker, Chairman of Soll Leisure said : ‘it is fantastic to see the new facilities at Willowbrook and the feedback from our customers has been really positive. We are offering a great value service and it is great to see it so busy today.’
Pictured above left is the new gym and above right the bright and cheerful café. For more information about the Willowbrook call 01235 812058 or look on their website: www.soll-leisure.co.uk/willowbrook-leisure-centre.html The main event of the day was the annual Didcot 5 race, organised by Didcot Runners. The event attracted record numbers this year with over 200 runners for both the five mile race and the two mile fun run. The first man home was James Bolton with a time of 25 minutes, 38 seconds and the first woman was Jessica Bruce with a time of 31 minutes, 50 seconds. Full results can be found at didcotrunners.co.uk. The fun run was started by the Mayor, pictured right, who said:
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“It was great to see so many runners taking part on such a hot day. The event has been a great success and the newly refurbished gym looks fantastic. It is a great facility that is accessible to all and provides a real benefit to the local community� Pictured right are runners taking part in the fun run.
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What’s on at the Civic Hall
Also don’t miss….. The wonderful Musical Youth Company of Oxford present their Autumn concert on Friday 11th October, starting 7.30pm. Tickets cost just £8.00 each or £6.00 for concessions. On Sunday 13th October the ever popular Antique Fair will be in the Civic Hall between 9.00am and 5.00pm. NHS will be holding a drop in session for blood donors on Wednesday 16th October between 11.00am and 8.00pm. The annual Model Railway Exhibition will be on display on Saturday 19th October from 9.00am. Sunday 20th October sees the return of the Harwell Philatelic Society Stamp Fair starting at 10.00. And, on Monday 21st October the RSPB will be giving another of their informative talks. Tickets cost £3.00 each.
For more information about any of these events, or enquire about room availability or to make a booking please contact the Civic Hall Manager, Rachael Spindler on 01235 512436 or email civichall@didcot.gov.uk 15
Didcot Town Council All Saints Ward Annie Birchall Nick Hards Margaret Turner Robert Bulman Vacancy
07788 645989 01235 510146 01235 812958
c/o Didcot Town Council 184 Abingdon Road 18 Bosleys Orchard 61 Oxford Crescent
OX11 9BP OX11 7NY OX11 7AL
am.birchall@ntlworld.com nickjhards@aol.com maggieann.turner@talktalk.net
01235 810255 01235 511363 07531 025403 01235 519061 01235 819799 01235 510810
48 Prestwick Burn 180 Abingdon Road 106 Wessex Road 11 Haydon Road 19 Ouse Close 15 Nunney Brook
OX11 7UZ OX11 9BP OX11 7SU OX11 7JB OX11 7FE OX11 7FW
Tony.harbour@southandvale.gov.uk nevhar@aol.com chris.harrison.didcot@mail.com rogerhawlor@yahoo.com.uk philhayward@live.co.uk bill.service@hotmail.co.uk
07957 287799 01235 811806 07425 176404 01235 211754 01235 812181
1 East Street 1 Loyd Road 56 Campion Hall Drive 6 East Street 130 Wantage Road
OX11 8EJ OX11 8JX OX11 9RN OX11 8EJ OX11 0AJ
david.rouane@btinternet.com bcooper@ntlworld.com councilloraxel@gmail.com millliways@ntlworld.com scott@wilgrove.net
01235 816496 01235 510146 01235 212102 01235 811596 01235 210242
15 Evenlode Drive 184 Abingdon Road 19 Collingwood Avenue 195 Broadway 63 Norreys Road
OX11 7XG OX11 9BP OX11 0AL OX11 8RU OX11 0AW
mldaviesbb@btinternet.com eleanorhards@aol.com
Ladygrove Ward Tony Harbour Neville Harris Chris Harrison Roger Hawlor Phil Hayward Bill Service
Northbourne Ward David Rouane Bernard Cooper Axel Macdonald Peter Read Scott Wilgrove
Park Ward Margaret Davies Eleanor Hards Des Healy Catherine Kiely John Moody
Council and Committee meetings in October and November 2013 October Planning and Development Personnel and Administration Finance and General Purposes
16th 21st 28th
November Planning and Development
6th
Council
11th
Environment
18th
Finance and General Purposes
25th
Staff Dominic Stapleton Karen Dodd Brenda Andrews Sharon Hickman Sue Atkins Paul Copley Steve Andrews Richard Dowling Justin Strong John Jones Neressa Copley Jed Allan
cmekiely@yahoo.co.uk Jmoody.dtc@virginmedia.com
Town Clerk Deputy Town Clerk Outdoor Services Manager Finance and Administration Information Centre Manager Grounds Supervisor Gardener Gardener Gardener Gatekeeper Pavilion Cleaner Gardening Apprentice
All meetings commence at 7.30pm and are held in the Civic Hall unless otherwise stated. The Council operates a policy of public participation at meetings. For more information please contact us by calling 01235 812637 or email to council@didcot.gov.uk or write to Didcot Town Council, Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, Oxon, OX11 7HN or visit our website www.didcot.gov.uk. Planning and Development
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27th