September/October 1992             Issue 46

SING IT WITH FLOWERS On Saturday 5th September THE PARISH FETE will open at 2.0 p.m.. with loads of games, stalls, things to do and buy, and a raffle with stunning prizes. THE FLOWER FESTIVAL will have as its theme 450 years of our history and heritage in the Oxford diocese. The Church will be open from 10.0 - 6.0 on Saturday 5th, and from 10.0 to 7.30 on Sunday, ending with COMMUNITY HYMN SINGING in the Church at 6.30 p.m. All welcome.

CHURCH NEWS

Somalia, Sarajevo, Sandford and Spivs

The failure of richer nations to meet human need points the finger at us all, because it needs political action and politicians respond to public demand. But even more depressing was the horror of civil war blocking relief. Social and political breakdown from within is more terrible than attack from outside. And threatening. Could it happen here? What are the roots of social life that are so easily damaged? Here too we see theft on a mind-boggling scale in the City, including the robbing of pensioners of their hard- earned savings, and also signs of human life held cheap. Rising violence, rape, brutality are symptoms, and the recession reminds us that our economic arrangements are precarious too. But the casual acceptance by rich and poor, government and people, of massive fraud is even more telling.

Social disintegration elsewhere alerts us to the chaos that threatens every society when the shared values and beliefs on which it rests are undermined. The tendency to self-destruct is present in human nature - in greed, selfishness, desire for power and domination - all areas where the strong bully the weak unless the law sets limits, and our ideals point us beyond those bare minimums of civilized behaviour.

Some criticize the 1960s for allowing the welcome gains in human freedom to weaken the restraints we cannot live without. Liberation is good but a total rejection of moral guidelines breeds anarchy. That failure to rebuild shared values, and persuade ourselves they are worth respecting even at some personal cost to ourselves, brought ugly

Attending to the human heart and conscience, through traditional or more modern techniques, is one way we work for the human future. Neglecting what past generations have found necessary for meaningful human life contributes to the erosion of values we saw in the 1980s, when greed was made respectable and the motivations to honesty and truthfulness weakened. We have a choice. To support the institutions that build up human community locally and internationally, or to let things slide and leave the mess for our children to sort out if they can.

Garden Competition

OXFORD PARK HOMES ESTATE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

Items that cam up for discussion that residents are still concerned about were drains, the roads which have not been surfaced, water pressure at the far end of the Park, the checking of fire hoses, and some protection against freezing before the winter.
We have the full co-operation of SODC.

The judge for the gardens on the Park was very impressed and found it difficult to decide as so many of you had really worked hard. I am sure we would all like to congratulate Mr and Mrs Smith of 19 Main Avenue for making such a lovely display again and winning reserve best in the competition overall.

Hazel Hutton, Chairman

Sandford to the Palace

Favours Auction.

  * Cakes for freezer

  * Dog walking for one week

  * Three hours ironing

  * A bridal bouquet

  * Silk flowers arranged

  * Two paintings

  * Photograph framed

  * French lesson

  * One or two lessons in English for GCSE or A level

  * An evening supper and rubber of bridge

  * A painting of your house or a favourite scene

  * A pony-riding lesson

  * A trip for two in a sailing boat around Pool Harbour

  * A week's accommodation in a flat in Spain

Please keep thinking and keep the offers rolling in. Arrangements for the auction in the next issue of the Link.

PRIZE CROSSWORD - WIN £5

The Great Rebellion

In the autumn of 1642 Charles made Oxford his military headquarters, and the Parliament and Mint were also brought to the town at that time. Oxford and the surrounding towns and villages saw most of the activity - four major civil war battles were fought within a radius of thirty miles of the town, and during the sieges of Oxford numerous skirmishes and minor battles took place in surrounding villages, of which Chalgrove, Brill, Boorstall, Headington and Marston must be mentioned. Few villages escaped visits from both armies, if only in passing through, and taxes were imposed and food and fuel supplies requisitioned by whichever army was in occupation.

A story long told in Sandford village, and still in circulation amongst the older generation, was that Cromwell and his men threw up extensive defences in 'Church Close', consisting of a long mound and ditch approximately thirty feet wide, running from east to west, which are still visible on the ground, though rather obscured nowadays by long grass. Just why the Roundheads needed a defensive ditch just here has never been explained, and it is now thought to be of earlier origin, maybe three hundred years before the civil war period.

To find out how Sandford fared during this period we must look for contemporary accounts. The river was used a great deal by both armies for supply of arms and provisions, and it also proved to be a barrier to the movement of forces. Sandford was a strong point on the river Thames, and probably the best crossing place near to and below Oxford. It seems inevitable that forces should want to make use of the ferry or ford to cross the river here, as men and horses would be rather exposed in crossing the river, and to guard

This left the crossing place unprotected by the army, and early the next year, in May 1644, Anthony Wood records 'On Wednesday, being the eve of the Ascention, Robert Deveroux Earl of Essex, generalissimo of the Parliament forces, and Sir William Wailer, going with their forces from Abingdon over Sandford Ferry, and so through Coyly and over Bullingdon Green, faced the City of Oxford for several hours, whilst their carriages slipt away behind them'.

One can imagine these forces streaming across the fields, probably by way of the ancient lanes of 'Shortcom Lane' and Red ditch' to the roman road, which would have taken them directly to Bullingdon Green at Open-Brasenose. Wood also mentions Coyly, where another civil war legend existed until recent times about a lane called 'Cruel' lane. It is said that a small skirmish took place here when Oxford was beseiged - about fourteen men were killed and thrown into a disused pit, from which they were exhumed in 1852. But this. is only a legend and has proved to have little foundation. The name has now been changed to Crowell Road, on request of the people living there.

Kingcup

[Kingcup - more info]

SANDFORD-ON-THAMES PARISH COUNCIL

At the meeting of the Parish Council held on Monday 8th June in the Village Hall, six members were present, with Mr I. Stevenson (County Councillor) and Mr S. Matthews (District Councillor).

General It was agreed that a sum of money should be approved to purchase a gift for Mr Robinson to make his retirement from the Parish Council.

National Rivers Authority - access over wharf The PC agreed to allow the NRA access across the wharf on one occasion only on the following conditions.
1. The NRA to reinstate grassed area - immediately after use, including making good to tarmac entrance from highway.
2. NRA representative to be present during the unloading and loading of equipment.
3. No unnecessary manoeuvring.
4. NRA to replace fencing and gates as a consideration for the granting of access in this instance. To be carried out prior to use.
5. NRS to negotiate terms for further use as and when necessary.

Approval of Accounts Deferred until July meeting.

Planning
Heyford Hill Lane: Residential development of 4 one-bed houses, 12 one-bed flats, 4 two-bed flats, 12 one-bed houses. Amendment. No objection.
81 Henley Road Rear two storey extension. No objection. Mr Rudman declared an interest and abstained from voting.

District Councillor's Report Mr Matthews advised that the major reorganisation was now completed - Chief Officer departments had been replaced by a Central Corporate Management Team. He reminded the PC that the District Council would be considering the Central Plan and suggested that the Council might wish to make recommendations to the District Council regarding the parish's development/requirements

Income	£		Expenditure	£
Nil			T.R. James (VH)	54.00
			SEB	99.61
			Clerk's salary	200.00
			Meadhams	23.50

Any other business
There had been a misunderstanding regarding the repairs to the bus shelter and the new notice board. She had instructed Mr Donnelly to carry out this work. The PC agreed that Mr Donnelly's quotation was very competitive and approved this work retrospectively. Mrs Hutton to get a price from Mr Donnelly for the renovating of the old notice board and erection on the wharf.
The Chairman was asked to ascertain the current situation regarding the following:
Signs for Sandford on new slip-road/roundabout
Science Park landscaping maintenance
Upgrading of lighting to underpass
Allotments - who owns land
Heyford Hill play areas.

As there was no meeting in August, the minutes of the July meeting of the Parish Council have not yet been approved

CHEMISTS' ROTA