November/December 1993             Issue 52

CHURCH NEWS

Church Council

Confirmation preparation on request

Marriage preparation by appointment


Congratulations
to Lewis Brown and Mark Jones, both of Broadhurst Gardens, who were baptised on 26th September.

Rest in peace

Our sympathies also to Peter Barrett of Heyford Hill Lane and all his family in their bereavement, and to Margaret Venables of Pheasant Walk and all her family in theirs.

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Park Home Residents

CONGRATULATIONS

Mark and Amanda Leach of Kiln Close on the birth of Glen on the 9th June

Michelle Radford and Noel Tuckwell of the Crescent on the birth of Holly on the 25th June

Jane and Steven Leggett of Main Avenue on the birth of Sean and Craig on the 2nd September

and to Mrs Watts and Mrs Painter, sharing an 88th birthday on the 24th December

THANK YOU

[and a note from the Editor: Margaret leads a painting group which meets on Thursday mornings from 10.0 - 12.0 and to which new members are welcomed. Phone 748793]

HAPPY CHRISTMAS LIZ AND ALAN from all your fiends in Sandford

For keen gardeners ...

Village Hall

A reminder that individuals living in Sandford can rent the Village Hall at £5 per hour. Bookings are made by Mrs Sharon Fenn (716597).

The moles

Return to Croatia

I returned to the hotel I had stayed at previously, and was made to feel very welcome by the family who owned it - soon it seemed that the five months since my last visit had never existed. Inevitably the conversation turned to the war and hopes of ending it. The end of the war could have little immediate economic effect in Croatia, which depended very heavily on tourism of which there had been little or none for the past two years. They felt that a period of at least two to three years would be necessary to re-establish confidence.

At the present time Split has electric power for six hours in every twenty-four and this brings its own problems in terms of hot water, refrigeration and lighting. The power problem has been overcome to some extent by the use of portable generators, but in the old part of the city one morning I walked through narrow streets with high sided frontage in which it seemed that every other establishment had a portable generator on the pavement outside. The accumulated noise, fumes and assortments of cables would have had our UK environmental authorities practically in orbit. But it was the alternative to stopping trading altogether.

I met Bill Croker and Penny at the end of the first week and we went together to one of the refugee camps. I had been to this camp in March of this year and my memory was that although it was a refugee camp with all its disadvantages it had at least been bustling and alive and thronged with people, a good proportion of whom seemed to have some purpose in life. Now the great majority had been moved out and only a few remained, making it seem much more depressing. It wasn't helped by an overflowing sewer and all- pervading stench.

Back in the City I was looking for some replacement equipment with some Croatian friends and we stopped at a cafe near the railway station. There was a group of Croatian soldiers at a table nearby. They were disheveled, unshaven and looked utterly

On another occasion I was able to have a long conversation with a group of young men who were still in the Croatian army. Not surprisingly their response to my question 'What do you expect to do when the war ends and you return home?' was saddening, and their general reaction was 'To what?. There is a certain amount of agriculture, some engineering and a moribund tourist industry. Unemployment is high and of course the influx of thousands of young men when the war ends is going to be overwhelming. I asked of the possibilities of work abroad, but again with Europe in recession the chances are not good.

Some of the replies were devastating. I had asked another young soldier how he felt about the 'three state plan' proposed for Bosnia and he replied 'You British set up a two state country across the sea from you seventy years ago and you are still fighting over it. Do you have another question?'. He was, thankfully, laughing at the time.

They felt that my friends at the hotel had been very over- optimistic in their assessment of Croatia's tourist industry, and that it would more likely be ten years before recovery came. They were well aware of the price war that holiday operators are presently conducting and that there are plenty of places in Europe with sunshine and beaches and attractive countryside without any of the drawbacks of a country recovering from a civil war.

Nevertheless Croatia is a wonderfully beautiful country, and the people very friendly. These are a few pluses, and Croatia is going to need all the pluses it can find.

SANDFORD-ON-THAMES PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting held on Monday 19th July 1993 at 7.0 p.m. in the Village Hall, at which seven members were present and Mr I. Stevenson (County Councilor).

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.

Matters arising:
Grass cutting: the Clerk reported that she had contacted the County Council several times regarding the cutting of verges, etc. in the parish.

Correspondence: OCC - surface water and flooding. Noted.

Matters for consideration:
1. Accounts 1992/93 were approved.
2. Landscape guidance relating the new development. Noted.
3. Results of best kept village competition. Noted.
4. Environmental improvement schemes. Noted.
5. Request for mooring - small rowing boat in cut. Approved - rent to be £20 per quarter.
6. Oxfordshire Special Conservation Awards 1993. Noted.
7. River View Grass Cutting. Continuation of existing agreement with River View residents for the current year. Clerk requested to write to residents requesting a contribution towards the cost of the recent repair to the tractor mower. 8. Burial ground. The Chairman reported that Magdalen College
had offered the land for sale for the sum of £1,000 subject to contract. Further discussions would now take place with the Parochial Church Council and/or the Revd Robert Morgan before proceeding further.
9. Change of day for Parish Council meetings. Deferred.
10. Heyford Hill Lane - meeting with Developer. The Chairman reported that he and Mr Rudman had met with the Developer on site to discuss the condition of the play area and it had been agreed at that meeting that the Parish Council would obtain estimates from a fencing contractor and a tree surgeon. Further negotiations could then take place with SODC (Mr Jacques) and the Developer. Mr Leary was authorised to proceed on this basis.

Planning: None

County Councillor's Report: Mr Stevenson gave his report.
District Councillor's Report: Apologies for absence were received from Mr Marthews.

Any other business:
Science Park/vandalised lights. Chairman to contact Mr Wills, Magdalen College.
Templar's Court/overgrown cricket pitch and surrounding area. Hedgerow overhanging footpath. Chairman to contact Mr Wills, Magdalen College.
Templar's Court/planning application. Letter to Mr Butt (SODC) requesting an up-date of the situation.
Wall between Ten Acre and Brick Kiln. Mr Stevenson to make enquiries.
Mooring fees. Review of mooring fees to be discussed in full at next meeting.

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Minutes of the meeting held on 6th September 1993 at 7.0 p.m. in the Village Hall, at which six people were present.

The minutes of the previous meeting were taken as read, having been previously circulated, and approved. There were no matters arising.

Correspondence:
SODC - pavements are for people. Noted.
Mr Lewin - overgrown hedgerow and footpath to river. Noted. Clerk to contact Donnington Trust and request that it be cut back.
SODC - seminars for parish and town councils. Noted.
SODC - planning guidance leaflet - satellite dishes (circulated). Noted.
OCC copy letter re. boundary wall - gypsy site. Noted.
SODC - recycling plan. Noted.
Letter from Mr Northcott and Ms Facey. The PC approved the draft letter provided by the Clerk.

Matters for consideration:
1. Change of day for Parish Council meetings. Three suggestions were put forward: a) Alternative day - three councilors were unable to attend meetings on any other day due to prior commitments b) Keep to Monday in Village Hall - the Chairman felt that the PC should try to accommodate the Youth Club and consider an alternative solution

Planning: P93/W0440 7 Broadhurst Gdns - two storey extension. No objection.

County Councillor's Report: Apologies received
District Councillor's Report: Not present.

Income and Expenditure

Income	£		Expenditure	£
Mrs Tuckwell mooring	48.00		Miss Burra (loan)	1000.00
			Clerk's salary	200.00

Any other business:
Plans for alterations to Village Hall: Mrs Hutton presented a plan detailing the alteration works to the village hall. The Chairman thought it would be helpful if the PC and the Management Committee could meet to discuss the proposals - Mrs Hutton to arrange meeting.
Seats: The Clerk reported that she had been asked about the seats which had been removed from the recreation ground and that the person enquiring had been told that they were in storage for safe keeping due to vandalism. When available the seats would be refurbished and re-located in the recreation field in Church Road.

1. The Auditor, R Worth of The District Audit Pratten Building New Road Oxford has appointed Monday, the 22nd November 1993, at 10 a.m. as the time and place at which any local government elector of the Parish may be present or be represented and ask the Auditor any question about the Accounts of the Council, it's Committees and Officers for the year ended 31st March 1993 or make any objection thereon to the Auditor.

2. The Accounts, together with all books and documents connected therein, will be deposited at 1 River View. Sandford on Thames, Oxford And may be inspected there by any person interested between the hours of 6 and 7 p.m. on the following days: Monday to Friday 1st November to 19th November by arrangement by contacting Clerk Oxford 773266 giving 24 hrs notice.

3. Any interested person may, free of charge, make copies of, or extracts from the deposited accounts.

4. Written notice of any objection, and of the grounds on which the objection made, must be sent to the Auditor before the dale appointed in paragraph 1 and a copy or the notice must be sent to the Sandford on Thames Parish Council at the address specified in paragraph 2.

Dated: 7th October 1993

............................... Mrs.C.F.Leary.
(Clerk of the Parish Council)

Harvest supper

Appreciation for the fruit and veg from Sandford Harvest Festival has been received from the Cowley Road convent and nursing home. Mr Pitson and Mr Welch take it along each year. Our sympathies to Mr Welch whose allotment was raided shortly before, so the usual prize onions and pumpkin were missing this year. (Mr Welch used to help Hilda Margaret (Thatcher) when she was a science student in his crystallography lab while at Oxford and has followed her progress with interest). (Which has nothing to do with the Harvest supper but is a topical and historical footnote).