SANDFORD-ON-THAMES COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

ISSUE 3

January 1988

ASSOCIATION REPORT

During this new year we hope the Community Association will start to emerge as a major fund raising body for the village. The Annual Event will be heading the agenda on Monday, 11th January when the next meeting of the Community Association will be held in Sandford Village Hall at 7.30 p.m. If you have any ideas or suggestions, we would like to hear from you.

To briefly sum up 1987 The formation of the Association has been an initial success and by arrangement with the Youth Club, the Association will now run six of the twelve car boot sales this year which will enable the continued publication of the LINK and hopefully give the Association some cash towards the organisation of the ANNUAL EVENT.

Twenty children from the village had a great time on December 21st at a Christmas Party in the Village Hall The party started at 2 p m with a range of games and songs, then party food and a flying visit by Santa Claus who gave out gifts and then sang carols with the children Everyone had a great time and Father Christmas said he is looking forward to meeting even more of the village children next year



YOUR BUSINESS OR SERVICE COULD BE ADVERTISED HERE FOR UNDER £2.00 AN ISSUE. RING OX xxxxxx FOR DETAILS.

CHURCH NEWS

Services in January

Sunday 3rd January	8 a.m.	Holy Communion (Prayer Book)
	10 a.m.	Sung Eucharist - Fr. Peter Mayhew
Sunday 10th January	10 a.m.	Sung Eucharist - the Bishop of Oxford
Sunday 17th January	10 a.m.	Family Communion with Baptism
	6.30 p.m.	Evensong
Sunday 24th January	10 a.m.	Sung Eucharist
Sunday 31st January	10 a.m.	Sung Eucharist

AFTER CHRISTMAS

Can Sundays ever be the same after Christmas? T.S. Eliot's wise man in "Journey of the Magi" returned home after the birth of Christ.

"But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods."

If we have allowed Christmas to rekindle our vision of what we and the world might be if we lived out the message of love that it embodies, then after Christmas can be an uncomfortable time. Someone who has followed the star, made the journey, and glimpsed the glory of God come to earth in a human child, is likely to feel uneasy about returning to the values of a world that does not share that vision. The uncomfortable side of Christmas is when its message reminds us of things "which I have loved long since, and lost a while".

Society has many ways of evading that challenge and keeping religion on the boundaries of our world, helping us to cope with death, but not really shaping our life. It isn't easy to keep alive the light of the Christmas vision and give it a chance to grow stronger, continuing Sunday and Sunday to witness to the hope that we have been given. But to give in to the forces which would crush this hope is to lose something precious and deprive our children and grandchildren of the moral and religious patterns in which we were ourselves nurtured.

Thomas Hardy felt the threat of a new dark age as he reflected on the eve of the twentieth century. But

"At once a voice arose among     The bleak twigs overhead In a full-hearted evensong     Of joy illumined; An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small,     In a blast-beruffled plume, Had chosen thus to fling his soul     Upon the growing gloom.

TODDLER GROUP

b) A very successful Christmas Party was held in the Village Hall, attended by 60 children under five on December 17th.

c) The Toddler Group is having two weeks holiday and will open again on the 7th January.

YOUTH CLUB

Time: 7.00 to 9.00 p.m. every Wednesday night
Age: 7 to 16 years

Snooker, Pool, Table Tennis and Darts plus various other indoor games.
Annual membership £1.50 plus nightly - subs 20p, visitors 50p.

The Youth Club also has a microwave oven and a disco unit available for hire for users of the Village Hall.

Microwave - available for hire at a cost of £5.00 per day, with a deposit of £50.00

Disco Unit - available for hire at a cost of £10.00 per hour for functions in the Village Hall only.

If anyone is interested in operating the Disco unit for functions in the Village Hall - Pay approx. £3.00 per hour (£5.00 per session) - must be 18 years +
Contact C. Reynolds for more details.

MEAT DRAW

      The last Meat Draw, £40, was made for the Village hall. I have been unable to get round before Christmas owing to everything happening at the same time, but will be around in the New Year, so save your 50p's. Thank you all very much for your continuing support.

Hazel Hutton

Winners:
55 Henley Road		Mr. Meadows		Mr. Dibb
45 Henley Road		Mr. Long		Mr. Long
Mr. L. Boyd		Mrs. Hazey		Mr. Cousins
M. Leach		Gerry Heery		Mr. Thomas
Mr. Paton		Mrs. Waterfield		Mr. Pank
Mr. Cousins		J. Moore		Mr. Daw

SANDFORD BINGO

Bingo will start again on Thursday 7th January 1988 at 8.00 p.m.

May I take this opportunity in wishing everyone a very happy New Year.

Janet Shepherd

FOOD & DRINK

2. Filling - pour milk into a non-stick saucepan with 6 oz butter and castor sugar. Stir over a low heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil for 5 minutes, stirring all the time to make a light golden caramel.

3. Pour onto the biscuit base and leave to cool.

4. Sprinkle with slices of banana and lemon juice.

The pie can be piped with cream if desired for an extra special treat

Bon appetite
	Ann Waterfield

VILLAGE HALL

SANDFORD & LITTLEMORE BEAT

      Does your son or daughter own a cycle?

I would guess that many of you can say yes to that question.

      How many of them are fitted with lights?

I won't even try to guess that one.

I know.

They get stolen, broken, are expensive and batteries run out, etc., etc.

All replaceable.

Is your child?

Following 1986s cycle accident figures: 17 Dead, 1115 Injured (212 under 14 years old). The Thames Valley Police Force is going to toughen up on the regulations regarding pedal cycles without lights. The instructions are clear. During the hours of darkness, Concentrate on pedal cycles without lights. A special date is being set aside in the new year when all offenders will be put before the court on the same day.

Don't be one of them!

Well, have they got lights? Come to that, have you?

Those fortunate enough to have got new cycles for Christmas, but who have not had them postcoded, can get this done by myself at Glies Road Community Centre, Littlemore, on Sunday 3rd January 1988 at between 10.00 a.m. and midday.

If you have any problems or need advice on anything concerning the Police, you can contact me by ringing Oxford xxxxxx, extension xxxx and leave a message. Remember in an emergency, dial 999.

Thank you.

P.C. Reynolds
Community Beat Officer

SPORTS REVIEW

Oxford United seem to have been in the news for everything else other than football this month. The main story being that the Club is up for sale and the Maxwells will be leaving. There was also concern over the outside club image of the players of which Tommy Caton joined the ranks of players banned from driving. Neil Slatter will be out for sometime with his injury, but Gary Briggs is now training and in contention for a team place.

The results this month were as follows:

21st November:	Watford at home 1 - 1 draw with Oxford's goal coming from Les Phillips.
28th November:	Away to Everton 0 - 0. This was a much improved display from Oxford's defence with good performances from Trevor Hebberd and David Bardsley.
5th December:	Newcastle at home 1-3. A most disappointing match; Dean Saunders scored Oxford's goal but Newcastle helped by Mirandinha deserved to win.
12th December:	Manchester United away 3 - 1 Let's hope Oxford can do better on 20th January in the Littlewoods Cup!

For Oxford fans the less said about the G-Mex "6 a-side" competition the better. ' Don't forget Liverpool at home on Boxing Day!


The Community Association is setting up a Badminton Club - anyone interested should fill in the form below and return it to xx Henley Road.

Ann Waterfield

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