SANDFORD-ON-THAMES NEWSLETTER
Issue 16	February 1989

Printing costs were £36 per month, a sum which is approximately £50 less than the average. Unfortunately, this is no longer available. The January issue cost £86! So, less than one month into 1989 and The Link is £50 in the red.

An emergency meeting of the Link committee was called and it was unanimously decided that, in order to survive, The Link must become independently financed through advertising.

The end result for the village is that there will be a considerable increase in the number of adverts on the pages of The Link and the cost of advertising has gone up. However, bearing in mind that this newsletter belongs to the residents of Sandford, we have kept the price of classified ads as low as possible

If you would like to advertise your business in the Link please ring Oxford xxxxxx

ANNOUNCEMENTS Have you something you would like to announce? A wedding? A new baby? An anniversary? Just telephone xxxxxx with the details or drop them in at xx Henley Road. (Please include your address or tel. no. so that we can verify the announcement)

PLEASE NOTE: There is now a new deadline for submission of articles for The Link. ALL ARTICLES MUST BE IN BY 6PM ON THE 18TH OF EACH MONTH. (In a sealed envelope marked LINK. please).

CHURCH NEWS

THIS OLD HOUSE

    The song is about a private house, but it came to mind in a moment of gratitude for people who do good by stealth, helping repair and keep clean and beautiful one of the four public houses in Sandford. All four are, in their own way, warm and welcoming. Not everyone visits them, but we're glad to have these places to meet people and be sociable in apart from our own homes. One of them has an animal emblem, one a royal one. and two have saints' names. Despite a 30-year connection with St. Catherine of Alexandria, it was the fisherman St. Andrew I had in mind, and the house that claims his patronage, the one that is called 'a house of prayer for all people'. Over the centuries, many people have made time to care for the building. Last month's invitation in The Link for others to join in a 'Friends of Sandford St. Andrews' was offering shares in that task. That invitation is still open.

    Most of us probably want it to be there. But need it? Hardly. Ain't got time... We only need it if we need a place set apart for praying in along with other people. Many people pray on their own, some with TV services. The whole local community coming together to pray is no longer a fact of life (as it was for some of us in Wales 40-odd years ago). Reviving and rebuilding a more fully corporate worship starts from a low baseline today. And it calls for active participation from people with energy and imagination. But it requires careful thought and long preparation too, not instant religiosity. The first Beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount says 'How blest are those who know their need of God'. Plenty of us know our need, both as individuals and as a community.

    We recognize that we live in a spiritual desert, and that the moral outlook is bleak. We are dissatisfied with many of the values we are offered. But to see in this vague sense of unease a need for God, is a big step that takes (for most of us) a long time to complete. One small start is to listen and talk and think at one of the various discussion groups that are beginning to take shape in the village. Anyone interested in joining one, telephone xxxxxx.

Robert Morgan

LETTERS THE EDITOR Do you have something you would like to say? Letters to the Editor is your chance. Name and address will be withheld at the author's request Correspondence will be between the editor and author only. The editor has the right to confirm the author's existence, but withheld names and addresses will be kept strictly confidential. The editor has the right to edit or refuse articles for print. ANONYMOUS correspondence will NOT be considered. Belinda Nicholls. Editor.

SANDFORDS JAPAN CONNECTION Many of you will have seen the Japanese visitors to the village and some of you will have acted as homestay families at one time or another. All, of the visitors are on the, 'study holiday' organised by Peter and Anne Addyman at the Manor house in Henley Road. Ages range from 9 to 69 and they stay for periods from a week to 6 weeks at various times of the year. If you would like to accommodate a Japanese visitor at some time please drop in for a chat or phone Ox 777511. We will give you full details. Thankyou.

The family of Mr. Stowe thank you all very much and said the trees were a very nice gesture.

Hazel Hutton.

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

Love is always patient and kind. it is never jealous; Love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offence, and it is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other peoples' sins but delights in truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end.

Linda Parrott.

YOGA Interested? Monthly talks on THE BAGAVAD GEETA (THE HINDU 'BIBLE') by SARVATMA, a Hindu devotee. Next talks at 10 am on Feb. 5th and March 5th at The Classroom, Rear of The Manor House, Henley Rd, Sandford. Tel. OX xxxxxx or call in for more details

LINK COMMITTEE The Link Committee met for their regular monthly meeting on January 17th. Matters discussed were delivery, print size and advertising. The committee welcomed Linda Parrott and Peter Addyman as new committee members. The next meeting will be held on Friday, February 17th. at 8.00pm at The Manor House in Henley Road. Everyone is welcome. Chairperson: Gina Ashburner. Treasurer/Advertising:     Carl Reynolds Delivery liaison: Anne Addyman. Editor: Belinda Nicholls. Comm. Member: Mr. Robinson (representing Parish Council). Robert Morgan. Lisa Kaige. Peter Addyman.

SANDFORD BINGO We would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who supported the Sandford Bingo during 1988. It was only due to your support that we were able to donate to the Village Hall Committee, the grand total of £1,914.85p! Bingo will once again be a regular event every Thursday at 8pm during 1989 and everyone is welcome. May I take this opportunity of wishing everyone a very happy New Year. Please come along to Bingo and bring your friends, we look forward to seeing you. Janet Shepherd and Hazel Hutton.

To raise funds, we will hold a mammoth raffle, which will be drawn at Easter, and we would be most grateful for offers to sell tickets. Would anyone able to do so kindly contact Marjorie Harris or Gwen Absolom.

The next village hall meeting will be on Monday, 6th February. at 8.00pm in the Village Hall. At this meeting, serious consideration will have to be given to future of the hall committee, so do come along and air your views. Next year we will need a new secretary as, after six long years Marjorie has decided to resign and take a well-earned rest. If anyone feels that they may be able to take on this job do come to the next meeting.

The Annual General Meeting of the Village Hall Committee will be held on Monday 6th March at 8.00pm.

The village hall belongs to you, the village, so when you are planning a party or family occasion why not book the hall. Villagers hire the hall at a special rate.

VILLAGE HALL HIRE CHARGES Villagers....... £15.00 per session (morning, afternoon or evening). £30.00 per all day hire. Non-villagers. £30.00 per session. £50.00 per all day hire.

CHILDRENS FUN WEEK This half term, 13 - 17 February, Peers Sports and Arts Centre are organizing a childrens fun week. The children will have the opportunity of fun and games in the sports hall e.g. unihoc, badminton, short tennis, together with the use of the bouncy fort. A fun session in the swimming pool will also be available. Children may attend the morning session only, the afternoon only, or all day, as supervision will be provided by our staff for children to bring lunch if they wish.

I will, be honest with you. The chances of the Police actually catching the offenders is pretty slim and usually involves an element of good luck for obvious reasons, the only way to ensure that your cars chances of falling prey are considerably reduced is in your hands. Fit an alarm. Replacing a broken window on the insurance is less hassle than the whole car. If you would like some unbiased advise on this matter give me a ring.

If you want help or advise on any matter which may concern the Police you can contact me by ringing Oxford 249881. Extn xxxx and leave me a message.

Thankyou P.C. Carl Reynolds.

MOBILE HOME OWNERS A new guide for residents who own their mobile homes, on private sites, can be obtained in a book "Mobile Homes: An Occupiers Guide". It contains advice on all aspects of mobile home law and problems that can arise. Price £3.95 (including postage and packing). Cheques or Postal Orders payable to 'Shelter' Address: Mobile Homes Unit, 88 Old Street. London EC1V 9AX

In early Pagan Rome, a festival called the Lupercalia Feast was celebrated each year on February 15th. This festival apparently took place on the very spot where the wolf mother suckled Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. The purpose of the celebrations were to pay respects to Pan, the god of woods, fields and grazing animals. Pan, in return, was supposed to keep his end of the bargain by driving the wolves away from the flocks. In order to keep Pan happy, goats and dogs were sacrificed and two young boys would be smeared with the blood. These boys would then run through the streets, lashing at the residents with strips of goat skin. The young woman didn't try to dodge the boys as they believed that such a lashing would make them fertile. It doesn't sound very romantic does it? Yet it is here that the seeds of our present celebrations were sewn, for part of the fun was for men to draw lots for girls. They would then accompany these girls throughout the festivities. Eventually, Christianity arrived and poor Valentine was martyred on February 14th 270 AD. In their attempts to abolish pagan worship, the early Christian fathers turned the pagan festival into a Christian one, by associating it with Saint Valentine.

Drawing lots for girls remained a tradition and present giving was also introduced. These presents became more and more elaborate and expensive but by the eighteenth century gifts were no longer expected. The giving of red roses is believed to have been started by Louis XVI of France. who gave such flowers to Marie Antoinette one Saint Valentine's Day. Fashionable courtiers and social climbers adopted the idea and it soon became a 'tradition'. However popular Saint Valentine's Day was in Europe, its reputation did not travel well. The Puritan colonies of America disapproved and made recognition of the day an offence. Pity poor Captain James Kemble, who returned from a three year sea voyage, kissed his wife in greeting and was promptly sentence to two hours in the stocks for 'unseemly behaviour'. He'd returned on Valentines Day.

Luckily, we do not frown on such displays of affection these days. What would the Puritans have thought of a Saint Valentine's event which took place in 1975? A "Valentine's Day Lover's Leap" was organised in Aldershot, Surrey. 120 British paratroopers, returned home from duty in Northern Ireland on February 14th. But not in the usual way by train or coach they parachuted down, into the arms of waiting wives and sweethearts!

In spite of the difficulty of recognizing falling figures, dressed in uniforms and with ambulances standing by in expectation, the only injury was a twisted knee. It was sustained by a wife dashing anxiously to 'catch' her husband. I wonder if any of those parachutists recalled the words of the old saying as they leapt from the aircraft:

    Some wed for gold and some for pleasure,
    And some wed only at their leisure
    But if you wish to wait and weep,
    When eer you wed, look well before you leap.

This article originally appeared in the 12 September 1984 edition of The Link. which was then edited by Mr. Lawrence Boyd. It is reproduced here by kind permission of the author. SANDFORD-IN-THE-PAST HISTORY ARTICLE NO. 6

Dodgson and his friends, possibly Alice Liddell herself. were on a river expedition to Nuneham Park, when they were caught in a thunderstorm. Returning hurriedly to Sandford they made their way to the School House, where the Vicar, the Reverend W.H. Ranken, had rooms. There Dodgson and his friends were left, in the care of Mary Broughton the schoolmistress, to get their clothes dry. From this episode (for those who are familiar with the works of 'Lewis Carroll') came the inspiration for the "pool of tears" and the School House, where the mouse originally proceeded with its tale.

Lewis Carroll was quite familiar with Sandford, often visiting his old University friend, the Reverend William Henry Ranken, who was vicar of Sandford from 1862 to 1867. He also held the living of Radley, as had his brother C.E. Ranken, probably living in the vicarage there.

On Saturday, 7th June of the same year, on one of their country walks (probably to Radley), Dodgson undertook to preach at the Evening Service at Sandford the next day. Walking was no great trouble to these athletic historians, indeed it was then the quickest way between Radley and Sandford. As the events of Sunday, 8th June record, Dodgson writes,

'went to morning service at Iffley, lunched with the Ramseys, walked on to Sandford, then to Radley with Ranken, dined there and returned to Sandford.'

He returned in time for the Evening Service. Dodgson writes,

'I had to refer to the headings constantly.'

One wonders what the villagers of the time thought of this strange, nervous man who preached to them on this Whitsunday so long ago.

Kingcup.

[Kingcup - more info]